Baseball is no longer America’s pastime. It has been replaced by the NFL, which is not only America’s new pastime but also America’s passion. That being said, you would think that no one would be paying any attention to baseball this time of year. Especially when you consider that the NFL season is winding down with teams fighting for their playoff lives on a weekly basis. Not to mention that the NBA (which I also love) season is in full swing, and is very exciting. However, one baseball team has still managed to grab national headlines. I will give you one guess as to what team I am referring to. Go ahead, I will give you a minute…. That’s right the NEW YORK YANKEES!!!!
After not only failing to win the World Series last season, but finishing an embarrassing THIRD in their own division the Yankees decided that changes had to be made. Random changes were not needed, but specific positions needed to be upgraded. They realized that they needed starting pitching and also needed to upgrade the first base position. Their next moves are what separate the Yankees from other Major League Baseball teams. They actually went out and got the absolute best players to fill their needs. This is very different from what the Atlanta Braves did when they needed a right-fielder a couple of seasons ago. Rather than sign a real major league talent and compete for the playoffs they decided to sign the washed-up Raul Mondesi and the even more washed-up Brian Jordan to platoon at the position. Instead of simply adding an arm to the rotation (much like the Braves did with an ancient Tom Glavine), they decided to sign CC Sabathia! Sabathia absolutely dominated the second half of last season. He didn’t just dominate he was historically good. In his final 17 starts he was 11 – 2 (he had 4 no decisions) with 7 complete games. Over this same time period he also had 128 strikeouts and only 25 walks. I will give you a second to take it all in and realize just how amazing those numbers are….
For those of you who don’t regularly follow baseball, I will tell you that he wasn’t a flash in the pan. He has been an absolute menace to opposing hitters his entire career. To join Sabathia in the rotation that also added AJ Burnett, who is also a very good starting pitcher. They followed these signings up by adding a switch-hitting first baseman, who has hit at least 30 homeruns every year of his career except his rookie year. That would be Mark Teixeira, a player that the Atlanta Braves traded away for a bag of baseballs, a pair of tube socks, and a pair of flip-down sunglasses (that was such a stupid trade, but I will address that on another day).
Although I am not a Yankees fan, I certainly have a huge amount of respect for them as a franchise. This is because (unlike the team in my home city) they do whatever it takes to try to win each and every year. They realized that they had some areas that needed to be improved and they went out and spent a total of $423.5 million (of STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!!) to improve them. Not only has this off-season proven that the Yankees will spend whatever it takes to win, it has also proven that the New York Yankees are also recession-proof.
Since the Yankees went on their off-season spending spree, people from all corners have been speaking ill of them and their business practices. General Managers and front office executives of other teams have even been suggesting that Major League should consider implementing a hard salary cap to allow other teams to ensure that other teams can continue to compete financially with the Yankees. To all those speaking ill of the Yankees and their dedication to putting a winning product on the field for their fans, I simply want to say HI HATERS!!!!
The New York Yankees sale out virtually every home game and they also own their own cable network that airs their games locally. In addition to that they are also among the league leaders (if not the league leader) in merchandise sales. For those of you who don’t have a PhD in economics, what I’m basically saying is that they make more money than any other team. Therefore, they have more money to spend than any other team. I think the Steinbrenner’s deserve a lot of credit for re-investing this money back into the team rather than simply putting it in their pockets as a nice profit for the year.
To be truthful, I really question the business acumen of those who don’t like the way the Yankees do business. Last I checked, the object of professional sports was to win and make money. The Yankees have a history of doing just that. Now, there are those franchises that simply exist to make money and really don’t place a premium on winning. The Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, and the Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos have not put anything remotely resembling a winning product on the field in a very, very, very long time. If your team continues to make a profit each year, yet fails to compete for a playoff spot regularly, they are doing you a huge disservice.
If you have a problem with the way that the Yankees do business please comment and let me know. What should they do differently? Should they allow areas of their team to be weak so that everyone else has a chance to beat them? Should they not put the best possible product on the field for their fans (who pay the fourth highest average ticket price in baseball)? If your team did what the Yankees did and put themselves in a position to compete for the division titles and World Series Championships year in and year out, you would be elated. Remember they have the money. If they don’t spend it on players, they will simply pocket it. It is time for everyone to stop being so hypocritical about the Yankees’ business practices, and more importantly to STOP HATING!!!!
****SPECIAL SHOUTOUT****
The award for "BEST GAME THEORY REFERENCE ON A SPORTS BLOG" goes to SCOTT (a regular reader of STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!!) for masterfully referencing the "Prisoner's Dilemma" in his comments on last week's blog entry.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
GIVE A BROTHA A CHANCE
IT FEELS GOOD TO BE BACK!!!! Unfortunately I haven’t been able to write anything new for the last three weeks. I spent the first two weeks studying for a final exam and completing a final project. I am proud to say that I have completed the first semester of my MBA program with very good grades. All of my hard work is definitely paying off. I also spent five days on vacation in Cancun with the wifey. It was nice to have a week not to think about work or school. It was much needed, and very relaxing.
Today I want to discuss a very serious topic, therefore this entry will not be as humorous or light-hearted as some of my previous entries. As a matter of fact, I would like to get some good opinions on this topic and also some feedback on possible solutions to the problem that will be discussed (remember this is a family blog, so keep the language clean in the comments).
As you all should know by now, Auburn University hired Iowa State Head Coach Gene Chizik to replace Tommy Tuberville as their Head Football Coach. They have been roundly criticized by many in the sports media and Charles Barkley (arguably Auburn’s most famous former athlete). There are those who wonder why they chose Chizik who has a stellar 5 – 19 record as a head coach and is riding a current 10 game losing streak, to lead a program that plays in arguably the toughest division in the toughest conference in college football. There are also those (namely Barkley) who wonder if the hire was racially motivated. This is because they passed on one of the hottest coaching prospects in the country in Turner Gill (University of Buffalo). In just three years Gill took the Buffalo program from laughing stock to conference champion. He is without a doubt a more accomplished head coach than Chizik. I am not inside the head of Jay Jacobs, Auburn’s Athletic Director, which means that I don’t know what his motivation for the hire was. However, he did say that Chizik is the right fit for Auburn. Only time will tell if he was right, or if he made a huge mistake.
The controversy that followed this hire has brought to the forefront an issue that comes up each off-season, but remains a problem each year. That issue is the lack of African American coaches in major college football. Today 4.20% of Division 1 head coaches are African American. That is 5 out of 119 to be exact. The only black head coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A ) are Randy Shannon (University of Miami), Turner Gill (University of Buffalo), Kevin Sumlin (University of Houston), Mike Locksley (University of New Mexico), and Ron English (Eastern Michigan University). THAT IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!!! There is no way that you can tell me that only five African American coaches in America are qualified to be a head coach at the major college level.
In the NFL 21.88% (7 of 32) of all head coaches are African American. Although this is not as high as it should be, it is definitely a step in the right direction toward diversity. It is ridiculous that the college game is so far behind. In 1993 the NFL instituted the Rooney Rule, which makes it mandatory that all NFL teams with coaching vacancies interview at least one minority candidate during their coaching search. Although I wish that this rule was not necessary, it has proven to be invaluable to the advancement of minority coaches. The biggest problem that black coaches have faced in the past was the inability to even interview for head coaching openings. The introduction of this rule made NFL decision makers consider candidates that they usually wouldn’t have given a shot. It also gives minorities a chance to keep their interviewing skills sharp. This rule works, and should be implemented in the college game.
I believe that there is one simple reason that black coaches simply don’t get opportunities to be major college head coaches. This is because the vast majority of college presidents, athletic directors, and big-money football boosters are not African American, and are reluctant to give opportunities to people who don’t look like them. I have heard college Athletic Directors say on several occasions that they hired someone that they were comfortable with or someone that they knew. That is all fine and well, but there will never be true diversity in the major college football coaching ranks until someone steps outside the box and takes a chance.
Not only should black coaches get an opportunity in college football, they should also be treated fairly once they get that opportunity. I can only think of two situations where black coaches were fired fairly. Karl Dorrell was let go at UCLA after five decent but not great seasons. He had a record of 35 – 27, but was not able to win the conference or get to a BCS game. Tyrone Willingham was fired by the University of Washington this season. It was a just firing because he had a record of 11 – 37 in his four seasons at the school. He also went 0 – 12 this past season.
Tyrone Willingham is an interesting case because he was treated so unfairly while at the University of Notre Dame. He was fired by Notre Dame after only three seasons. In those three seasons he had a record of 21 – 15. Normally I would say that if Notre Dame didn’t think that 21 – 15 is good enough at Notre Dame, then they had the right to make a change. However, I found it very strange that Willingham’s successor, Charlie Weiss went 22 – 15 in his first three seasons. Notre Dame even gave Weiss a ten year contract extension during his first season, when he had a similar record as Willingham. Just for the record, I would like to state that Weiss experienced his most success when he was leading a team of players recruited by Willingham. Once he got his own recruiting classes on campus, everything went downhill. Please tell me how it is fair for two coaches to have similar records at the same school, yet be treated very differently by that University.
I can think of three potential solutions to this problem. The first of which is to introduce a rule that mirrors the Rooney Rule that has been implemented by the NFL. I am very skeptical of the chances of this rule working at the college level. This rule works in the NFL because NFL teams are run by business men whose primary goal is to win and make money. If they feel as though an African American candidate is the best person to lead that football team, they will hire him. However, college football is run by boosters. The person that is hired to lead the football team has to be someone that the big-money boosters approve of, or they will simply stop donating to the program. More often than not, these boosters know very little about the technical aspects of football and simply want the coach that they like to be leading their team. If they don’t want a minority, then that school will not hire a minority, no matter how qualified he is.
The next potential solution is for a black coach to get an opportunity at a major program and hire a staff that consists primarily of black coaches. If this coach is wildly successful, then coaches from his staff are likely to get opportunities to be head coaches. This is strategy that Tony Dungy employed in the NFL. It is amazing that every current African American coach in the NFL except for Marvin Lewis, Romeo Crennel, and Mike Singletary (and of course, Dungy) have at one point in their career worked for Tony Dungy.
My third potential solution to this problem is for the elite black high school athletes to go to schools that have African American head coaches and coordinators. If this happens, the number of black coaches being interviewed for job openings will sky-rocket. A college football program is only as good as the players that it can recruit and if a school is put at a recruiting disadvantage, even the boosters that are staunchly against diversity will embrace and demand it.
This is a real problem in a country that is supposed to be the land of opportunity. I think that it’s ridiculous that African American coaches are still treated as second class citizens in the world of college football. They are simply not given equal opportunities. Am I the only person that thinks that it is funny that America feels as though an African American can be qualified to lead our country in these difficult times, but an African American can’t be qualified to lead a college football team to a BCS game? It is time for colleges and universities all over America to treat all coaches equally and give everyone a fair chance to be a head coach.
If you have any additional suggestions as to how this problem can be solved, please comment and share them. (Remember to keep it clean, this is a family blog).
Today I want to discuss a very serious topic, therefore this entry will not be as humorous or light-hearted as some of my previous entries. As a matter of fact, I would like to get some good opinions on this topic and also some feedback on possible solutions to the problem that will be discussed (remember this is a family blog, so keep the language clean in the comments).
As you all should know by now, Auburn University hired Iowa State Head Coach Gene Chizik to replace Tommy Tuberville as their Head Football Coach. They have been roundly criticized by many in the sports media and Charles Barkley (arguably Auburn’s most famous former athlete). There are those who wonder why they chose Chizik who has a stellar 5 – 19 record as a head coach and is riding a current 10 game losing streak, to lead a program that plays in arguably the toughest division in the toughest conference in college football. There are also those (namely Barkley) who wonder if the hire was racially motivated. This is because they passed on one of the hottest coaching prospects in the country in Turner Gill (University of Buffalo). In just three years Gill took the Buffalo program from laughing stock to conference champion. He is without a doubt a more accomplished head coach than Chizik. I am not inside the head of Jay Jacobs, Auburn’s Athletic Director, which means that I don’t know what his motivation for the hire was. However, he did say that Chizik is the right fit for Auburn. Only time will tell if he was right, or if he made a huge mistake.
The controversy that followed this hire has brought to the forefront an issue that comes up each off-season, but remains a problem each year. That issue is the lack of African American coaches in major college football. Today 4.20% of Division 1 head coaches are African American. That is 5 out of 119 to be exact. The only black head coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A ) are Randy Shannon (University of Miami), Turner Gill (University of Buffalo), Kevin Sumlin (University of Houston), Mike Locksley (University of New Mexico), and Ron English (Eastern Michigan University). THAT IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!!! There is no way that you can tell me that only five African American coaches in America are qualified to be a head coach at the major college level.
In the NFL 21.88% (7 of 32) of all head coaches are African American. Although this is not as high as it should be, it is definitely a step in the right direction toward diversity. It is ridiculous that the college game is so far behind. In 1993 the NFL instituted the Rooney Rule, which makes it mandatory that all NFL teams with coaching vacancies interview at least one minority candidate during their coaching search. Although I wish that this rule was not necessary, it has proven to be invaluable to the advancement of minority coaches. The biggest problem that black coaches have faced in the past was the inability to even interview for head coaching openings. The introduction of this rule made NFL decision makers consider candidates that they usually wouldn’t have given a shot. It also gives minorities a chance to keep their interviewing skills sharp. This rule works, and should be implemented in the college game.
I believe that there is one simple reason that black coaches simply don’t get opportunities to be major college head coaches. This is because the vast majority of college presidents, athletic directors, and big-money football boosters are not African American, and are reluctant to give opportunities to people who don’t look like them. I have heard college Athletic Directors say on several occasions that they hired someone that they were comfortable with or someone that they knew. That is all fine and well, but there will never be true diversity in the major college football coaching ranks until someone steps outside the box and takes a chance.
Not only should black coaches get an opportunity in college football, they should also be treated fairly once they get that opportunity. I can only think of two situations where black coaches were fired fairly. Karl Dorrell was let go at UCLA after five decent but not great seasons. He had a record of 35 – 27, but was not able to win the conference or get to a BCS game. Tyrone Willingham was fired by the University of Washington this season. It was a just firing because he had a record of 11 – 37 in his four seasons at the school. He also went 0 – 12 this past season.
Tyrone Willingham is an interesting case because he was treated so unfairly while at the University of Notre Dame. He was fired by Notre Dame after only three seasons. In those three seasons he had a record of 21 – 15. Normally I would say that if Notre Dame didn’t think that 21 – 15 is good enough at Notre Dame, then they had the right to make a change. However, I found it very strange that Willingham’s successor, Charlie Weiss went 22 – 15 in his first three seasons. Notre Dame even gave Weiss a ten year contract extension during his first season, when he had a similar record as Willingham. Just for the record, I would like to state that Weiss experienced his most success when he was leading a team of players recruited by Willingham. Once he got his own recruiting classes on campus, everything went downhill. Please tell me how it is fair for two coaches to have similar records at the same school, yet be treated very differently by that University.
I can think of three potential solutions to this problem. The first of which is to introduce a rule that mirrors the Rooney Rule that has been implemented by the NFL. I am very skeptical of the chances of this rule working at the college level. This rule works in the NFL because NFL teams are run by business men whose primary goal is to win and make money. If they feel as though an African American candidate is the best person to lead that football team, they will hire him. However, college football is run by boosters. The person that is hired to lead the football team has to be someone that the big-money boosters approve of, or they will simply stop donating to the program. More often than not, these boosters know very little about the technical aspects of football and simply want the coach that they like to be leading their team. If they don’t want a minority, then that school will not hire a minority, no matter how qualified he is.
The next potential solution is for a black coach to get an opportunity at a major program and hire a staff that consists primarily of black coaches. If this coach is wildly successful, then coaches from his staff are likely to get opportunities to be head coaches. This is strategy that Tony Dungy employed in the NFL. It is amazing that every current African American coach in the NFL except for Marvin Lewis, Romeo Crennel, and Mike Singletary (and of course, Dungy) have at one point in their career worked for Tony Dungy.
My third potential solution to this problem is for the elite black high school athletes to go to schools that have African American head coaches and coordinators. If this happens, the number of black coaches being interviewed for job openings will sky-rocket. A college football program is only as good as the players that it can recruit and if a school is put at a recruiting disadvantage, even the boosters that are staunchly against diversity will embrace and demand it.
This is a real problem in a country that is supposed to be the land of opportunity. I think that it’s ridiculous that African American coaches are still treated as second class citizens in the world of college football. They are simply not given equal opportunities. Am I the only person that thinks that it is funny that America feels as though an African American can be qualified to lead our country in these difficult times, but an African American can’t be qualified to lead a college football team to a BCS game? It is time for colleges and universities all over America to treat all coaches equally and give everyone a fair chance to be a head coach.
If you have any additional suggestions as to how this problem can be solved, please comment and share them. (Remember to keep it clean, this is a family blog).
Sunday, December 7, 2008
STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! HAS A PROJECT
Thanks for checking in. Unfortunately, I am not able to post anything new this week due to a final project that I am working on this weekend. Please take the time to read any entries that you may have missed and comment on them if you would like (I do check old posts for new comments).Thanks for the continued support. Wish me luck on my project!!!!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! HAS A TEST
Thanks for checking in. Unfortunately, I am not able to post anything new this week due to a final exam that I am studying for this weekend. Please take the time to read any entries that you may have missed and comment on them if you would like (I do check old posts for new comments).Thanks for the continued support. Wish me luck on my exam!!!!
****NOTE****
FOR ALL OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS WHO HAPPEN TO LIVE IN GEORGIA THAT ARE READING THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE ON DECEMBER 2nd IN THE RUNOFF ELECTION FOR ONE OF OUR SENATE SEATS. JIM MARTIN IS ATTEMPTING TO UNSEAT THE INCUMBANT SAXBY CHAMBLISS. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ELECTION, AND I AM URGING EVERYONE TO SPEAK UP AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD THROUGH YOUR VOTE.
****NOTE****
FOR ALL OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS WHO HAPPEN TO LIVE IN GEORGIA THAT ARE READING THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE ON DECEMBER 2nd IN THE RUNOFF ELECTION FOR ONE OF OUR SENATE SEATS. JIM MARTIN IS ATTEMPTING TO UNSEAT THE INCUMBANT SAXBY CHAMBLISS. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ELECTION, AND I AM URGING EVERYONE TO SPEAK UP AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD THROUGH YOUR VOTE.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
HE’S JUST AS GOOD (AND NOT A DIVA)
Those of you who are regular readers of STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! have probably guessed that I’m not a fan of the Diva that is Brett Favre. I am not going to go into why at this point (To find out why, please click “July” on the list of months that are located to the right of this entry. Then click and read the entry titled “THE BIGGEST DIVA IN THE NFL”), but I will admit that he is among the best to ever play the game. Notice I said among the best, NOT THE BEST! However, it is true that if you asked a group of KNOWLEDGABLE football fans to name the top five quarterbacks of all time, he should be in discussion. Personally I don’t think that he’s a top five quarterback, but I can understand how some people feel that he is. If you take it one step further and ask the same group of fans to name the top ten quarterbacks of all time, his name must be on the list. Even as a Brett Favre hater, I must admit that he is hands down a top ten quarterback. Anyone who disagrees simply doesn’t know football.
That being said, I know of one quarterback whose name wouldn’t come up in either discussion. This quarterback has the same amount of Super Bowl victories of the “great” Brett Favre. At the end of this season, he could also have the same number of MVP awards (3) as Favre. However, he’s rarely considered by anyone to be an all-time great. As a matter of fact if you compare his career numbers to those of Favre, I would say that they are just as good, if not better. I would take him over Favre any day of the week, because his career stats are better, he has never spoken out against a teammate in search of a new contract, he doesn’t annually hold his team hostage each off-season by threatening to retire, he doesn’t give inside information about his former team to their opponents, and most importantly he doesn’t do commercials for Wrangler Jeans. The player I’m describing deserves all of the love that Brett Favre receives, if not more. That player is none other than the incredibly underappreciated Kurt Warner.
I am by no means the president of the Kurt Warner fan club. I am simply singing his praises because he doesn’t get the credit that he deserves, while Favre doesn’t get all of the blame that he deserves. I knew that some of you reading this wouldn’t believe me and think that I am making this stuff up. Being prepared for that criticism, I have actually done a little research and a little math and came up with an accurate comparison of the two quarterbacks. Due to the fact that Brett Favre has played in 164 more games than Kurt Warner, I used average/game statistics in order to make the comparison even.
Both quarterbacks average approximately 21 completions a game. In doing so Favre has completed 58.6% of his passes, while Warner has completed 62.4% of his passes. Let’s take this comparison one step further and look at their average QB rating. Kurt Warner has an average QB rating of 86.66, which compares quite favorably to Favre’s 81.74. Still not convinced, let’s look at the all-important touchdown to interception ratio. This also favors Kurt Warner’s 1.61 touchdowns thrown for every interception over Favre’s ratio of 1.53 to 1. Just for perspective’s sake, let’s compare their touchdown to interception ratios to other all-time greats. Dan Marino’s career ratio is 1.67 to 1, Peyton Manning’s is 1.99 to 1, Tom Brady’s is 2.29 to 1, and Joe Montana’s is 1.96 to 1. This is one of the most important stats for quarterbacks, and it’s obvious that Warner’s ratio is much closer to that of other great quarterbacks than Favre’s.
I am by no means saying that Brett Favre isn’t a great player, but what I am saying is that it’s time for Kurt Warner to get the respect that he deserves. He is A HALL OF FAME QUARTERBACK, yet no one seems to notice his accomplishments. His career has been just as good as Favre’s (without all of the dramatics). If Warner wins the MVP award this season (which will be his third), his career will undoubtedly be better than Favre’s, and no one could argue otherwise.
There are those who will always consider Brett Favre the best quarterback ever. They love his gun-slinger mentality. I don’t consider him a gun-slinger, I simply see him as a careless and quarterback that takes unnecessary chances. This “gun-slinger” is the only quarterback in NFL history to throw 300 interceptions. Somehow that gets lost in all the praise of Favre. I sure hope that is a cap-gun that he is slinging, since he misses his target so much.
These are two quarterbacks that have certainly had their highs and lows. When they are good, they are both awesome. When they are bad, they are both terrible. What is really funny is that fact that when discussing Favre, only the good seems to get mentioned. On the other hand when discussing Warner, the bad is what usually comes up. Everyone thought that Warner was done when he struggled near the end of his career with St. Louis and during his tenure with the Giants, yet no one felt that Favre was done when he struggled mightily in 2005 and 2006. I wonder why? Even this year, Kurt Warner is having a much better year than Favre. Going into this week’s games, Warner has already thrown for 3,155 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only 7 interceptions. These are by far better than Favre’s numbers of 2,273 yards, 18 touchdowns and a whopping 12 interceptions (which leads the league going into Week 12).
I would like for everyone reading this that doesn’t see Warner as Favre’s equal or superior to explain why he isn’t. They both have 1 Super Bowl championship, and at least 2 MVP awards. If Warner wins it this year, they will both have three. It’s now time for real football fans to recognize Kurt Warner’s accomplishments and give him the respect that he deserves.
****NOTE****
FOR ALL OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS WHO HAPPEN TO LIVE IN GEORGIA THAT ARE READING THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE ON DECEMBER 2nd IN THE RUNOFF ELECTION FOR ONE OF OUR SENATE SEATS. JIM MARTIN IS ATTEMPTING TO UNSEAT THE INCUMBANT SAXBY CHAMBLISS. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ELECTION, AND I AM URGING EVERYONE TO SPEAK UP AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD THROUGH YOUR VOTE.
That being said, I know of one quarterback whose name wouldn’t come up in either discussion. This quarterback has the same amount of Super Bowl victories of the “great” Brett Favre. At the end of this season, he could also have the same number of MVP awards (3) as Favre. However, he’s rarely considered by anyone to be an all-time great. As a matter of fact if you compare his career numbers to those of Favre, I would say that they are just as good, if not better. I would take him over Favre any day of the week, because his career stats are better, he has never spoken out against a teammate in search of a new contract, he doesn’t annually hold his team hostage each off-season by threatening to retire, he doesn’t give inside information about his former team to their opponents, and most importantly he doesn’t do commercials for Wrangler Jeans. The player I’m describing deserves all of the love that Brett Favre receives, if not more. That player is none other than the incredibly underappreciated Kurt Warner.
I am by no means the president of the Kurt Warner fan club. I am simply singing his praises because he doesn’t get the credit that he deserves, while Favre doesn’t get all of the blame that he deserves. I knew that some of you reading this wouldn’t believe me and think that I am making this stuff up. Being prepared for that criticism, I have actually done a little research and a little math and came up with an accurate comparison of the two quarterbacks. Due to the fact that Brett Favre has played in 164 more games than Kurt Warner, I used average/game statistics in order to make the comparison even.
Both quarterbacks average approximately 21 completions a game. In doing so Favre has completed 58.6% of his passes, while Warner has completed 62.4% of his passes. Let’s take this comparison one step further and look at their average QB rating. Kurt Warner has an average QB rating of 86.66, which compares quite favorably to Favre’s 81.74. Still not convinced, let’s look at the all-important touchdown to interception ratio. This also favors Kurt Warner’s 1.61 touchdowns thrown for every interception over Favre’s ratio of 1.53 to 1. Just for perspective’s sake, let’s compare their touchdown to interception ratios to other all-time greats. Dan Marino’s career ratio is 1.67 to 1, Peyton Manning’s is 1.99 to 1, Tom Brady’s is 2.29 to 1, and Joe Montana’s is 1.96 to 1. This is one of the most important stats for quarterbacks, and it’s obvious that Warner’s ratio is much closer to that of other great quarterbacks than Favre’s.
I am by no means saying that Brett Favre isn’t a great player, but what I am saying is that it’s time for Kurt Warner to get the respect that he deserves. He is A HALL OF FAME QUARTERBACK, yet no one seems to notice his accomplishments. His career has been just as good as Favre’s (without all of the dramatics). If Warner wins the MVP award this season (which will be his third), his career will undoubtedly be better than Favre’s, and no one could argue otherwise.
There are those who will always consider Brett Favre the best quarterback ever. They love his gun-slinger mentality. I don’t consider him a gun-slinger, I simply see him as a careless and quarterback that takes unnecessary chances. This “gun-slinger” is the only quarterback in NFL history to throw 300 interceptions. Somehow that gets lost in all the praise of Favre. I sure hope that is a cap-gun that he is slinging, since he misses his target so much.
These are two quarterbacks that have certainly had their highs and lows. When they are good, they are both awesome. When they are bad, they are both terrible. What is really funny is that fact that when discussing Favre, only the good seems to get mentioned. On the other hand when discussing Warner, the bad is what usually comes up. Everyone thought that Warner was done when he struggled near the end of his career with St. Louis and during his tenure with the Giants, yet no one felt that Favre was done when he struggled mightily in 2005 and 2006. I wonder why? Even this year, Kurt Warner is having a much better year than Favre. Going into this week’s games, Warner has already thrown for 3,155 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only 7 interceptions. These are by far better than Favre’s numbers of 2,273 yards, 18 touchdowns and a whopping 12 interceptions (which leads the league going into Week 12).
I would like for everyone reading this that doesn’t see Warner as Favre’s equal or superior to explain why he isn’t. They both have 1 Super Bowl championship, and at least 2 MVP awards. If Warner wins it this year, they will both have three. It’s now time for real football fans to recognize Kurt Warner’s accomplishments and give him the respect that he deserves.
****NOTE****
FOR ALL OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS WHO HAPPEN TO LIVE IN GEORGIA THAT ARE READING THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE ON DECEMBER 2nd IN THE RUNOFF ELECTION FOR ONE OF OUR SENATE SEATS. JIM MARTIN IS ATTEMPTING TO UNSEAT THE INCUMBANT SAXBY CHAMBLISS. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ELECTION, AND I AM URGING EVERYONE TO SPEAK UP AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD THROUGH YOUR VOTE.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
I THOUGHT I TOLD YA THAT HE WON'T STOP
“Los, I just read an article on the internet that said EVANDER HOLYFIELD IS ABOUT TO FIGHT AGAIN!!!! Can you believe that?” This is the voice mail that I received earlier this week from the one and only Keebo, one of my friends from college. After listening to the message, the first thought that entered my mind was, ‘I am shocked, but not surprised. Holyfield has to be out of his mind, but that’s cool because this is going to make great blog material!’
I am one of the last boxing fans on earth. I know that we are few and far between but I still love the sweet science, even if no one else that I know does. Although I am a big boxing fan, I am a bit hypocritical because this is a sport that I would never participate in nor would allow my kids to. Boxing is a great workout, but it is ridiculously dangerous once you get into the ring. There is a lot of money to be made in boxing, ONCE YOU MAKE IT TO THE POINT WHERE YOU ARE HEADLINING PAY-PER-VIEW EVENTS. However, until you make to that point, you would have to be an idiot to be a professional boxer. Big-time fights provide up to eight-figure purses regardless of the outcome of the fight. With this type of prize money involved, one would think that every young boxer would dream of reaching the big-time, fight a couple of big fights, and gracefully bow out with the remainder of their brain capacity intact. For some reason, IT USUALLY DOESN’T WORK OUT THAT WAY! I can't explain it, but boxers seem to want to fight forever.
I have never seen a boxer who retired and stayed retired. It’s something about getting repeatedly punched in the face that keeps drawing them back to the ring. Most boxers fight past their prime, and much longer than their focus or skills should allow, i.e. Roy Jones Jr. (who is a shell of what he was in his prime at thirty-nine years old). Even at the age of forty-three, Bernard Hopkins continues to fight. He is not what he was in his prime, but he is still winning top fights and has the majority of his mental faculties. He is the exception, but definitely not the rule. EVANDER HOLYFIELD WOULD BE THE RULE!
I must admit, that I have always been a huge Evander Holyfield fan. He is from Atlanta and has proven over the years to have the heart of two men. Now we know what happened to Lamar Odom’s heart, Holyfield has it. He has always been an undersized Heavyweight (if there is such a thing), that continually took on bigger opponents and reminded them that ATLANTA DON’T RAISE NO PUNKS!!!! Although I have always been a fan, I must admit that I realized at a very young age that this guy didn’t exactly set the curve in school.
Evander Holyfield won his first professional fight, IN 1984! That means that he has been getting punched in the face for a living for twenty-four years. Just to put that into perspective, I WAS THREE YEARS OLD WHEN HE HAD HIS FIRST PROFESSIONAL FIGHT!!!! That is not including the amateur years before he even became a professional. Needless to say, there is a good chance that he has been punched in the face more than any other living human being. What is amazing about his longevity is the fact that his style is very straight-forward and that takes just as many punches as he gives out. He isn’t exactly Floyd Mayweather Jr., who routinely goes twelve rounds without ever getting hit.
Unlike today, there was a time in recent boxing history when the heavyweight division actually meant something. It was during that time that everyone was anticipating the fight between Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield and Mike “The Cannibal” Tyson. The fight finally took place in 1996. Holyfield won the fight and became the third man in boxing history to become a three-time heavyweight champion. Surviving Tyson once wasn’t enough for Holyfield. He gave Tyson a rematch, and his ears haven’t forgiven him since. Frustrated by the superior boxing skills of Holyfield, Tyson got hungry and decided to take a bite out of Holyfield’s ear. At that moment the referee decided to stop the fight and disqualify Tyson. Holyfield, the Rhodes Scholar that he is, wouldn’t allow that. He and his doctor intervened telling the referee that he wanted to continue. I still don’t understand that decision. I am assuming that the doctor is smarter than Holyfield, so he really should not have let that genius continue to fight a man that JUST BIT HIS EAR! Nonetheless the fight continued, and Tyson continued to eat. This time he bit a chunk from Holyfield’s other ear. It obviously wasn’t seasoned to Tyson’s liking, because he immediately spit it out into the ring. That incident still didn’t deter Holyfield. Instead of retiring, he continued to fight.
The boxing powers that be finally stepped in and placed Holyfield on medical suspension from fighting. Once again, Holyfield refused to call it quits. He continued to train and was eventually reinstated. His will is admirable, yet in my opinion, amazingly foolish. Now after 53 professional fights over a span of twenty-four years, Mr. Holyfield is getting back into the ring. This time against the "Russian Giant", Nikolai Valuev. Valuev stands 7ft. tall and weighs 330lbs. Holyfield on the other hand stands a 6ft. 2-1/2in and weighs around 221 lbs. By the way, Holyfield was also in middle school (making straight A’s I’m sure) when Valuev was born. He is eleven years older than Valuev.
This fight eerily reminds me of Apollo Creed v/s Ivan Drago in Rocky IV. I just hope it doesn’t end the same way. For the record, I think that Holyfield is going to lose the fight, but he is going to give it everything he has and put on a show for the fans.
I’m sure that you are wondering why this guy is still fighting. I've concluded that he is wired a little differently than most, and just can’t stop fighting. There is another reason. He's also doing it for the STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! For those of you that don’t know, he’s currently paying a mortgage on a $10 million mansion and allegedly thousands of dollars each month for child support. SO HE WON'T STOP, CAUSE HE CAN'T STOP! Every time I hear about Holyfield stepping back into the ring, in my head I hear P. Diddy's refrain from the Only You (remix) saying “I thought I told ya that we won’t stop, I thought I told ya that we won't stop.” I know that this has to be his theme song, because HE WILL NEVER STOP!!!!
****SPECIAL BIRTHDAY SHOUTOUT****
I would like to send a special HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BRITTANY, THE COOLEST 9 YEAR OLD IN THE WORLD!!!!
****NOTE****
FOR ALL OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS WHO HAPPEN TO LIVE IN GEORGIA THAT ARE READING THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE ON DECEMBER 2nd IN THE RUNOFF ELECTION FOR ONE OF OUR SENATE SEATS. JIM MARTIN IS ATTEMPTING TO UNSEAT THE INCUMBANT SAXBY CHAMBLISS. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ELECTION, AND I AM URGING EVERYONE TO SPEAK UP AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD THROUGH YOUR VOTE.
I am one of the last boxing fans on earth. I know that we are few and far between but I still love the sweet science, even if no one else that I know does. Although I am a big boxing fan, I am a bit hypocritical because this is a sport that I would never participate in nor would allow my kids to. Boxing is a great workout, but it is ridiculously dangerous once you get into the ring. There is a lot of money to be made in boxing, ONCE YOU MAKE IT TO THE POINT WHERE YOU ARE HEADLINING PAY-PER-VIEW EVENTS. However, until you make to that point, you would have to be an idiot to be a professional boxer. Big-time fights provide up to eight-figure purses regardless of the outcome of the fight. With this type of prize money involved, one would think that every young boxer would dream of reaching the big-time, fight a couple of big fights, and gracefully bow out with the remainder of their brain capacity intact. For some reason, IT USUALLY DOESN’T WORK OUT THAT WAY! I can't explain it, but boxers seem to want to fight forever.
I have never seen a boxer who retired and stayed retired. It’s something about getting repeatedly punched in the face that keeps drawing them back to the ring. Most boxers fight past their prime, and much longer than their focus or skills should allow, i.e. Roy Jones Jr. (who is a shell of what he was in his prime at thirty-nine years old). Even at the age of forty-three, Bernard Hopkins continues to fight. He is not what he was in his prime, but he is still winning top fights and has the majority of his mental faculties. He is the exception, but definitely not the rule. EVANDER HOLYFIELD WOULD BE THE RULE!
I must admit, that I have always been a huge Evander Holyfield fan. He is from Atlanta and has proven over the years to have the heart of two men. Now we know what happened to Lamar Odom’s heart, Holyfield has it. He has always been an undersized Heavyweight (if there is such a thing), that continually took on bigger opponents and reminded them that ATLANTA DON’T RAISE NO PUNKS!!!! Although I have always been a fan, I must admit that I realized at a very young age that this guy didn’t exactly set the curve in school.
Evander Holyfield won his first professional fight, IN 1984! That means that he has been getting punched in the face for a living for twenty-four years. Just to put that into perspective, I WAS THREE YEARS OLD WHEN HE HAD HIS FIRST PROFESSIONAL FIGHT!!!! That is not including the amateur years before he even became a professional. Needless to say, there is a good chance that he has been punched in the face more than any other living human being. What is amazing about his longevity is the fact that his style is very straight-forward and that takes just as many punches as he gives out. He isn’t exactly Floyd Mayweather Jr., who routinely goes twelve rounds without ever getting hit.
Unlike today, there was a time in recent boxing history when the heavyweight division actually meant something. It was during that time that everyone was anticipating the fight between Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield and Mike “The Cannibal” Tyson. The fight finally took place in 1996. Holyfield won the fight and became the third man in boxing history to become a three-time heavyweight champion. Surviving Tyson once wasn’t enough for Holyfield. He gave Tyson a rematch, and his ears haven’t forgiven him since. Frustrated by the superior boxing skills of Holyfield, Tyson got hungry and decided to take a bite out of Holyfield’s ear. At that moment the referee decided to stop the fight and disqualify Tyson. Holyfield, the Rhodes Scholar that he is, wouldn’t allow that. He and his doctor intervened telling the referee that he wanted to continue. I still don’t understand that decision. I am assuming that the doctor is smarter than Holyfield, so he really should not have let that genius continue to fight a man that JUST BIT HIS EAR! Nonetheless the fight continued, and Tyson continued to eat. This time he bit a chunk from Holyfield’s other ear. It obviously wasn’t seasoned to Tyson’s liking, because he immediately spit it out into the ring. That incident still didn’t deter Holyfield. Instead of retiring, he continued to fight.
The boxing powers that be finally stepped in and placed Holyfield on medical suspension from fighting. Once again, Holyfield refused to call it quits. He continued to train and was eventually reinstated. His will is admirable, yet in my opinion, amazingly foolish. Now after 53 professional fights over a span of twenty-four years, Mr. Holyfield is getting back into the ring. This time against the "Russian Giant", Nikolai Valuev. Valuev stands 7ft. tall and weighs 330lbs. Holyfield on the other hand stands a 6ft. 2-1/2in and weighs around 221 lbs. By the way, Holyfield was also in middle school (making straight A’s I’m sure) when Valuev was born. He is eleven years older than Valuev.
This fight eerily reminds me of Apollo Creed v/s Ivan Drago in Rocky IV. I just hope it doesn’t end the same way. For the record, I think that Holyfield is going to lose the fight, but he is going to give it everything he has and put on a show for the fans.
I’m sure that you are wondering why this guy is still fighting. I've concluded that he is wired a little differently than most, and just can’t stop fighting. There is another reason. He's also doing it for the STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! For those of you that don’t know, he’s currently paying a mortgage on a $10 million mansion and allegedly thousands of dollars each month for child support. SO HE WON'T STOP, CAUSE HE CAN'T STOP! Every time I hear about Holyfield stepping back into the ring, in my head I hear P. Diddy's refrain from the Only You (remix) saying “I thought I told ya that we won’t stop, I thought I told ya that we won't stop.” I know that this has to be his theme song, because HE WILL NEVER STOP!!!!
****SPECIAL BIRTHDAY SHOUTOUT****
I would like to send a special HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BRITTANY, THE COOLEST 9 YEAR OLD IN THE WORLD!!!!
****NOTE****
FOR ALL OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS WHO HAPPEN TO LIVE IN GEORGIA THAT ARE READING THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE ON DECEMBER 2nd IN THE RUNOFF ELECTION FOR ONE OF OUR SENATE SEATS. JIM MARTIN IS ATTEMPTING TO UNSEAT THE INCUMBANT SAXBY CHAMBLISS. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ELECTION, AND I AM URGING EVERYONE TO SPEAK UP AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD THROUGH YOUR VOTE.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
ALL ABOARD!!!!
As self-appointed President of the unofficial Atlanta Hawks Fan Club, I have an announcement to make. YOU HAVE UNTIL DECEMBER 10TH TO GET ON THE HAWKS BAND WAGON before it leaves the station. On December 10th the Hawks will have played 20 games, which approximately ¼ the of the season, and once we reach that point, I WILL BE CLOSING THE DOORS OF THE BANDWAGON, AND NO ONE, AND I MEAN NO ONE ELSE WILL BE ALLOWED TO GET ON!!!!
Some of you may be reading this and wondering why in the world would anyone restrict the Hawks bandwagon. I mean over the last couple of years they have been a team that couldn’t even half fill their arena on a nightly basis. One would think, that they would take all of the fans that could get, no matter if they are true fans or bandwagon fans that are simply along for the ride. However things have changed, and as the only person who has been a dedicated Hawks fan throughout this entire prolonged and excruciatingly slow rebuilding process, I REFUSE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO JUST TAG ALONG FOR THE SPECIAL PLAYOFF RUN THAT AWAITS US AFTER THE REGULAR SEASON!!!! For those of you that have been living under a rock for the past twelve days and not paying attention to the most important team in the NBA, I will fill you in on what you missed. THE HAWKS ARE 4 – 0!!!! Not only are they 4 – 0, but their four wins are all over teams that made the playoffs last year and have a good chance to make the playoffs this year. To date, they have defeated the Orlando Magic (the defending Southeast Division champions), the Philadelphia 76er’s (playoff team from a year, who added Elton Brand this off-season), the New Orleans Hornets (2nd best team in the Western Conference a year ago, and also feature Chris Paul the best point guard in the NBA), and the Toronto Raptors (starring Chris Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal). This proves that this team is no fluke.
It’s amazing that although they currently have the best record in the Eastern Conference and is tied for the best record in the NBA, this is still a team that only gets 10 second highlight packages and brief mentions on Sportscenter. In case you haven’t noticed, this team has the third best starting lineup in the Eastern Conference. That’s right, I said third best in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks lineup consisting of Joe Johnson (simply amazing), Mike Bibby (the much needed point guard), Josh Smith (the ultimate stat-stuffer), Al Horford (an absolute beast), and Marvin Williams (good player, but wrong draft pick) is only behind defending champion Boston, and the new look Detroit Pistons (featuring Allen Iverson). The bench is even pretty good. When you look at the contributions being made by the likes of Zaza Pachulia, Acie Law, Flip Murray, and Maurice Evans, you have to be amazed. THIS IS A COMPLETE TEAM, AND THEY ARE THE TRUTH!!!!
The Hawks went into the off-season riding high off of their shocking playoff appearance of last season. They seemed to lose some of that momentum when Josh Childress elected to sign with Olympiacos of the Euroleague for much more money than the Hawks offered. Although I still believe that the Hawks made a huge mistake by not signing Josh Childress, the combination of Acie Law and Maurice Evans has been able to minimize the loss. Childress was by far the most versatile player on the team. He could defend three positions. He could also slash to the basket, make an open jump shot, rebound, and was essentially the team's backup point guard. The emergence of Acie Law as a capable backup to Mike Bibby has filled in the ball handling void left by Childress, and Maurice Evans has been able to handle the other jobs that Childress handled so well.
Another tough decision that the Hawks had to deal with during the off-season was the status of lame-duck head coach Mike Woodson. People all around Atlanta have been calling for Woodson’s head for the last couple of years, but I have not been one of them. If you watch the Hawks as much as I do (I watch about 75 of the 82 regular seasons game each year) and know anything about basketball, you would know that Woodson was not the problem. He simply inherited the youngest team in the NBA, which also happened to be a franchise that was allergic to point guards. Just look at what happened as the young team began to mature and they traded for a legit point guard. For all of those who have been calling for his head, I think it’s time for you to question your own basketball IQ. He has held this team together through some tough times and we are now reaping the rewards of his hard work. He not only led this team to the playoffs last year for the first time since the 1998 – 1999 season, but he also took the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics to game seven in their first round playoff series.
Although I am a Hawks fan, I am not delusional. I don’t expect this team to win the NBA championship this season, or even to make the NBA Finals. However, I do expect them to win the Southeast Division and to win a playoff series. This team is truly a treat to watch because they are incredibly athletic and exciting. It’s too bad that they don’t get to play on national TV regularly (a topic that I will discuss at a later date), because people who do not live in Atlanta truly deserve the opportunity to watch this team in action. Now that they have an identity, which is predicated on defense and a run-in-gun style offense, the sky is the limit.
REMEMBER THE DATE, DECEMBER 10TH. CIRCLE IT ON YOUR CALENDARS AND BE SURE TO BE SAFELY SECURED ON THE HAWKS BANDWAGON BY THAT DATE! IF YOU’RE NOT ON BY THEN, WE WILL BE LEAVING THE STATION AND HEADING TOWARD THE PLAYOFFS WITHOUT YOU!!!!
I would be remised if I didn’t mention the historic event that took place on Tuesday night around 11pm. BARACK OBAMA WAS ELECTED THE 44th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. HE IS THE 1st AFRICAN AMERICAN TO EVER BE ELECTED TO THE NATIONS HIGHEST OFFICE!!!! America has spoken and decided that it is time for things to change. America as a whole is facing some very tough times on several fronts and, as a member of my favorite rap group once said, Something’s Gotta Give. If you don’t believe me, just ask him. Go ahead and tell them Big Boi….
As you know, I have been urging people to get out and vote each week on this blog. I would like to personally thank everyone who cast his or her vote in this election. No matter how you voted, it is important that you let you voice be heard. You should feel proud.
I would also like to urge all of the people reading this that voted for the first time, to continue to vote and not let this be your first and only time.
Some of you may be reading this and wondering why in the world would anyone restrict the Hawks bandwagon. I mean over the last couple of years they have been a team that couldn’t even half fill their arena on a nightly basis. One would think, that they would take all of the fans that could get, no matter if they are true fans or bandwagon fans that are simply along for the ride. However things have changed, and as the only person who has been a dedicated Hawks fan throughout this entire prolonged and excruciatingly slow rebuilding process, I REFUSE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO JUST TAG ALONG FOR THE SPECIAL PLAYOFF RUN THAT AWAITS US AFTER THE REGULAR SEASON!!!! For those of you that have been living under a rock for the past twelve days and not paying attention to the most important team in the NBA, I will fill you in on what you missed. THE HAWKS ARE 4 – 0!!!! Not only are they 4 – 0, but their four wins are all over teams that made the playoffs last year and have a good chance to make the playoffs this year. To date, they have defeated the Orlando Magic (the defending Southeast Division champions), the Philadelphia 76er’s (playoff team from a year, who added Elton Brand this off-season), the New Orleans Hornets (2nd best team in the Western Conference a year ago, and also feature Chris Paul the best point guard in the NBA), and the Toronto Raptors (starring Chris Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal). This proves that this team is no fluke.
It’s amazing that although they currently have the best record in the Eastern Conference and is tied for the best record in the NBA, this is still a team that only gets 10 second highlight packages and brief mentions on Sportscenter. In case you haven’t noticed, this team has the third best starting lineup in the Eastern Conference. That’s right, I said third best in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks lineup consisting of Joe Johnson (simply amazing), Mike Bibby (the much needed point guard), Josh Smith (the ultimate stat-stuffer), Al Horford (an absolute beast), and Marvin Williams (good player, but wrong draft pick) is only behind defending champion Boston, and the new look Detroit Pistons (featuring Allen Iverson). The bench is even pretty good. When you look at the contributions being made by the likes of Zaza Pachulia, Acie Law, Flip Murray, and Maurice Evans, you have to be amazed. THIS IS A COMPLETE TEAM, AND THEY ARE THE TRUTH!!!!
The Hawks went into the off-season riding high off of their shocking playoff appearance of last season. They seemed to lose some of that momentum when Josh Childress elected to sign with Olympiacos of the Euroleague for much more money than the Hawks offered. Although I still believe that the Hawks made a huge mistake by not signing Josh Childress, the combination of Acie Law and Maurice Evans has been able to minimize the loss. Childress was by far the most versatile player on the team. He could defend three positions. He could also slash to the basket, make an open jump shot, rebound, and was essentially the team's backup point guard. The emergence of Acie Law as a capable backup to Mike Bibby has filled in the ball handling void left by Childress, and Maurice Evans has been able to handle the other jobs that Childress handled so well.
Another tough decision that the Hawks had to deal with during the off-season was the status of lame-duck head coach Mike Woodson. People all around Atlanta have been calling for Woodson’s head for the last couple of years, but I have not been one of them. If you watch the Hawks as much as I do (I watch about 75 of the 82 regular seasons game each year) and know anything about basketball, you would know that Woodson was not the problem. He simply inherited the youngest team in the NBA, which also happened to be a franchise that was allergic to point guards. Just look at what happened as the young team began to mature and they traded for a legit point guard. For all of those who have been calling for his head, I think it’s time for you to question your own basketball IQ. He has held this team together through some tough times and we are now reaping the rewards of his hard work. He not only led this team to the playoffs last year for the first time since the 1998 – 1999 season, but he also took the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics to game seven in their first round playoff series.
Although I am a Hawks fan, I am not delusional. I don’t expect this team to win the NBA championship this season, or even to make the NBA Finals. However, I do expect them to win the Southeast Division and to win a playoff series. This team is truly a treat to watch because they are incredibly athletic and exciting. It’s too bad that they don’t get to play on national TV regularly (a topic that I will discuss at a later date), because people who do not live in Atlanta truly deserve the opportunity to watch this team in action. Now that they have an identity, which is predicated on defense and a run-in-gun style offense, the sky is the limit.
REMEMBER THE DATE, DECEMBER 10TH. CIRCLE IT ON YOUR CALENDARS AND BE SURE TO BE SAFELY SECURED ON THE HAWKS BANDWAGON BY THAT DATE! IF YOU’RE NOT ON BY THEN, WE WILL BE LEAVING THE STATION AND HEADING TOWARD THE PLAYOFFS WITHOUT YOU!!!!
I would be remised if I didn’t mention the historic event that took place on Tuesday night around 11pm. BARACK OBAMA WAS ELECTED THE 44th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. HE IS THE 1st AFRICAN AMERICAN TO EVER BE ELECTED TO THE NATIONS HIGHEST OFFICE!!!! America has spoken and decided that it is time for things to change. America as a whole is facing some very tough times on several fronts and, as a member of my favorite rap group once said, Something’s Gotta Give. If you don’t believe me, just ask him. Go ahead and tell them Big Boi….
As you know, I have been urging people to get out and vote each week on this blog. I would like to personally thank everyone who cast his or her vote in this election. No matter how you voted, it is important that you let you voice be heard. You should feel proud.
I would also like to urge all of the people reading this that voted for the first time, to continue to vote and not let this be your first and only time.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
THE HALF WAY POINT
We now are at the half way point of the NFL season, and boy what a season it has been. If anyone can say that they predicted things would go as they have so far, THEY ARE LYING!!!! There have been so many surprises. Teams that were supposed to suck are actually playing pretty good. Teams that had Super Bowl aspirations are not playing so well. There are players that are not playing up to par, and there are those that are having career years. This season, I have seen the best football game that I have ever seen and I have seen monumental upsets. This year epitomizes why I love the NFL, because anything and I do mean anything can happen any given Sunday.
All that being said, I am going to recap the first half of the NFL season by recognizing the significant performances, both good and bad. If you disagree with anything on my list, be sure to comment with your own opinion.
Without further ado:
MID-SEASON MVP
Clinton Portis – Anyone who knows me, know that I am a huge fan of Mr. Portis (aka Southeast Jerome). He is currently leading the league with 944 rushing yards through eight games. To put it simply, he has been running wild and is impossible to stop this season. He is that rare back that can get the tough yard as well as break the long one. The reason for his success is obviously the fact that he was able to bulk up without losing any speed. He has also led the Washington Redskins (the team with the really offensive mascot) to a 6-2 record. I think Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan realizes that it wasn’t the system when it came to Portis, he is actually that good.
Runner-up – Michael Turner
Third – Drew Brees
MID-SEASON MDP (MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER)
Peyton Manning – Peyton is by far having the worst year of his career since his rookie season. He has 10 touchdowns and 9 interceptions through 7 games and the Colts are 3-4 (they haven’t had their bye week yet). It is obvious that Peyton’s timing is still off due the effects of his off-season surgeries, but I will not allow that to be an excuse for his poor play. If he is still hurt, then he shouldn’t be playing, but since he is on the field I must hold him to the same standards as I do everyone else. I am a HUGE Peyton Manning fan, but you know that I always call a spade a spade, and I must say that this year he sucks! Luckily the season isn’t over, and trust me, he will get it together. But up to this point, he is the most disappointing player in the league.
Runner-up – Braylon Edwards
Third – DeAngelo Hall
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Please see the MVP list, it is the same.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Albert Haynesworth – This season, he has been the best of both worlds at defensive tackles. He eats up blockers to let the linebackers run free and make tackles. In addition to that he has also managed to get six sacks of his own through seven games. I am not a big fan of him personally, but I must give credit where credit is due. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that his team is undefeated and that is with no passing game. Their formula is simple, play defense and run the ball.
Runner-up – Charles Woodson
Third – Joey Porter
MOST SURPRISING TEAM (GOOD SURPRISE)
Atlanta Falcons – If you can say that you thought they would be above .500 at any point in the season after week 1, you are definitely lying. I know that 4-3 is not a stellar record and they probably won’t make the playoffs, but I personally thought that they wouldn’t win more than four games or an absolute maximum of five games. According to most of the “experts”, they were supposed win no more than two games. Even if they don’t win another game this season, they have earned the respect of the league and surpassed most people’s expectations.
Runner-up – Miami Dolphins
Third – Washington Redskins (did I mention how offensive that mascot is?)
MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAM
San Diego Chargers – I know that they’re playing without Shawne Merriman, but they should be better. Other than that, they have the same team that they have had the past couple of years. What is sad is that they play in the weakest division in the NFL and they will still probably win the AFC West. This is a team that has the personnel to win twelve or thirteen games. To put it plain and simple, they are underachieving and have no sense of urgency.
New Orleans Saints – This team has enough talent to win their division by three games and were some people’s pick to make it to the NFC title game. That is obviously not going to happen and I don’t even think they’re going to make the playoffs. There are those who will blame their struggles on injuries (you know who you are), but that is not an excuse. This is the NFL, arguably the most violent sports league in the world, so injuries are just a part of the game. I will never give a team a pass due to injuries unless it is to the quarterback. Very few teams in this league can afford to lose their quarterback. So much goes into playing the position and the good ones are so expensive that backups have to be cheap. Therefore you get a pass if you lose your quarterback, but if you lose any other player and suffer it just means that you didn’t do enough to build up the backend of your roster. So if you believe that the Saints struggles are due to injury, you are sadly mistaken. STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR THEM, THEY ARE JUST PLAYING AWFUL!!!!
Indianapolis Colts – They have had some injuries, BUT THAT IS NO EXCUSE! The defense should get better this week with the return of Bob Sanders, but Peyton Manning has been playing horribly. He has been missing throws that he has been making since high school. Opposing defenses are causing him to be visibly frustrated and he is losing his cool weekly. Up to this point, he is throwing more like Rex Grossman than Peyton Manning. It has not helped that the running game has been pretty much non-existent up to this point.
These teams are a three-way tie for the dubious honor of being STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!!’s, most disappointing team. They have all been equally disappointing. To put it simply, they all have to play better.
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Chris Johnson – He is the fifth leading rusher in the NFL and he only get seventeen carries per game. He is also averaging over five yards per carry. Oh, and did I mention that his team is undefeated after seven games. Enough said.
Runner-up – Matt Ryan
Third – Jonathan Stewart
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Curtis Lofton – He stepped in day one as the starter at middle linebacker in Atlanta. He has not disappointed. He has 42 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. He has also been a key part of the Falcons quick turnaround. In my very biased, Keith Brooking hating opinion, I feel that at this point he has already had a better career than Keep Looking (aka Keith Brooking). The fact that he has been able to move into the middle has allowed Keith Brooking to move to “favorite” position of outside linebacker and miss tackles from there instead of the middle. See, he is paying huge dividends for both the Falcons and Brooking.
Runner-up – Jerod Mayo
Third – Chris Horton
COACH OF THE YEAR
Mike Smith – THE FALCONS ARE 4-3 THROUGH SEVEN GAMES!!!! Do I need to say more?
Runner-up – Jeff Fisher
Third – Tony Sparano
BEST GAME – Cowboys v/s Eagles from Week 2 on Monday Night Football. Plain and simple, this was the best football game that I have ever seen at any level. It was non-stop excitement and let the whole world know that DeSean Jackson thinks getting to the one yard-line is the same as scoring a touchdown (for more details on that please see the entry entitled “I KNOW IT’S EARLY, BUT….”). In that game, virtually every play was a big play. That is what football is all about.
These are my mid-season observations. Feel free chime in and comment on these and to also give me yours.
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 2 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. I HAVE ALREADY VOTED AND I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE TOO. IF NOT, TUESDAY IS YOUR DAY. BE SURE TO GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND ACTUALLY VOTE. SPEAK NOW OR SHUT UP FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS!!!!
THIS IS THE LAST WEEK THAT I WILL BE POSTING MY COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY. IN CASE YOU HAVE BEEN LIVING ON ANOTHER PLANET AND NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON HERE IN AMERICA, ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY.
I WILL BE REPLACING IT WITH A MAN-LAW VIOLATION SECTION. PLEASE BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR MAN-LAW VIOLATIONS. IF YOU SEE ANY, PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL AT s_cash_homey@yahoo.com (it is also posted at the top of this page) AND TELL ME ABOUT IT. I WILL THEN POST IT ON THE BLOG AND SHARE IT WITH THE WHOLE WORLD!!!!
All that being said, I am going to recap the first half of the NFL season by recognizing the significant performances, both good and bad. If you disagree with anything on my list, be sure to comment with your own opinion.
Without further ado:
MID-SEASON MVP
Clinton Portis – Anyone who knows me, know that I am a huge fan of Mr. Portis (aka Southeast Jerome). He is currently leading the league with 944 rushing yards through eight games. To put it simply, he has been running wild and is impossible to stop this season. He is that rare back that can get the tough yard as well as break the long one. The reason for his success is obviously the fact that he was able to bulk up without losing any speed. He has also led the Washington Redskins (the team with the really offensive mascot) to a 6-2 record. I think Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan realizes that it wasn’t the system when it came to Portis, he is actually that good.
Runner-up – Michael Turner
Third – Drew Brees
MID-SEASON MDP (MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER)
Peyton Manning – Peyton is by far having the worst year of his career since his rookie season. He has 10 touchdowns and 9 interceptions through 7 games and the Colts are 3-4 (they haven’t had their bye week yet). It is obvious that Peyton’s timing is still off due the effects of his off-season surgeries, but I will not allow that to be an excuse for his poor play. If he is still hurt, then he shouldn’t be playing, but since he is on the field I must hold him to the same standards as I do everyone else. I am a HUGE Peyton Manning fan, but you know that I always call a spade a spade, and I must say that this year he sucks! Luckily the season isn’t over, and trust me, he will get it together. But up to this point, he is the most disappointing player in the league.
Runner-up – Braylon Edwards
Third – DeAngelo Hall
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Please see the MVP list, it is the same.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Albert Haynesworth – This season, he has been the best of both worlds at defensive tackles. He eats up blockers to let the linebackers run free and make tackles. In addition to that he has also managed to get six sacks of his own through seven games. I am not a big fan of him personally, but I must give credit where credit is due. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that his team is undefeated and that is with no passing game. Their formula is simple, play defense and run the ball.
Runner-up – Charles Woodson
Third – Joey Porter
MOST SURPRISING TEAM (GOOD SURPRISE)
Atlanta Falcons – If you can say that you thought they would be above .500 at any point in the season after week 1, you are definitely lying. I know that 4-3 is not a stellar record and they probably won’t make the playoffs, but I personally thought that they wouldn’t win more than four games or an absolute maximum of five games. According to most of the “experts”, they were supposed win no more than two games. Even if they don’t win another game this season, they have earned the respect of the league and surpassed most people’s expectations.
Runner-up – Miami Dolphins
Third – Washington Redskins (did I mention how offensive that mascot is?)
MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAM
San Diego Chargers – I know that they’re playing without Shawne Merriman, but they should be better. Other than that, they have the same team that they have had the past couple of years. What is sad is that they play in the weakest division in the NFL and they will still probably win the AFC West. This is a team that has the personnel to win twelve or thirteen games. To put it plain and simple, they are underachieving and have no sense of urgency.
New Orleans Saints – This team has enough talent to win their division by three games and were some people’s pick to make it to the NFC title game. That is obviously not going to happen and I don’t even think they’re going to make the playoffs. There are those who will blame their struggles on injuries (you know who you are), but that is not an excuse. This is the NFL, arguably the most violent sports league in the world, so injuries are just a part of the game. I will never give a team a pass due to injuries unless it is to the quarterback. Very few teams in this league can afford to lose their quarterback. So much goes into playing the position and the good ones are so expensive that backups have to be cheap. Therefore you get a pass if you lose your quarterback, but if you lose any other player and suffer it just means that you didn’t do enough to build up the backend of your roster. So if you believe that the Saints struggles are due to injury, you are sadly mistaken. STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR THEM, THEY ARE JUST PLAYING AWFUL!!!!
Indianapolis Colts – They have had some injuries, BUT THAT IS NO EXCUSE! The defense should get better this week with the return of Bob Sanders, but Peyton Manning has been playing horribly. He has been missing throws that he has been making since high school. Opposing defenses are causing him to be visibly frustrated and he is losing his cool weekly. Up to this point, he is throwing more like Rex Grossman than Peyton Manning. It has not helped that the running game has been pretty much non-existent up to this point.
These teams are a three-way tie for the dubious honor of being STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!!’s, most disappointing team. They have all been equally disappointing. To put it simply, they all have to play better.
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Chris Johnson – He is the fifth leading rusher in the NFL and he only get seventeen carries per game. He is also averaging over five yards per carry. Oh, and did I mention that his team is undefeated after seven games. Enough said.
Runner-up – Matt Ryan
Third – Jonathan Stewart
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Curtis Lofton – He stepped in day one as the starter at middle linebacker in Atlanta. He has not disappointed. He has 42 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. He has also been a key part of the Falcons quick turnaround. In my very biased, Keith Brooking hating opinion, I feel that at this point he has already had a better career than Keep Looking (aka Keith Brooking). The fact that he has been able to move into the middle has allowed Keith Brooking to move to “favorite” position of outside linebacker and miss tackles from there instead of the middle. See, he is paying huge dividends for both the Falcons and Brooking.
Runner-up – Jerod Mayo
Third – Chris Horton
COACH OF THE YEAR
Mike Smith – THE FALCONS ARE 4-3 THROUGH SEVEN GAMES!!!! Do I need to say more?
Runner-up – Jeff Fisher
Third – Tony Sparano
BEST GAME – Cowboys v/s Eagles from Week 2 on Monday Night Football. Plain and simple, this was the best football game that I have ever seen at any level. It was non-stop excitement and let the whole world know that DeSean Jackson thinks getting to the one yard-line is the same as scoring a touchdown (for more details on that please see the entry entitled “I KNOW IT’S EARLY, BUT….”). In that game, virtually every play was a big play. That is what football is all about.
These are my mid-season observations. Feel free chime in and comment on these and to also give me yours.
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 2 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. I HAVE ALREADY VOTED AND I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE TOO. IF NOT, TUESDAY IS YOUR DAY. BE SURE TO GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND ACTUALLY VOTE. SPEAK NOW OR SHUT UP FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS!!!!
THIS IS THE LAST WEEK THAT I WILL BE POSTING MY COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY. IN CASE YOU HAVE BEEN LIVING ON ANOTHER PLANET AND NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON HERE IN AMERICA, ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY.
I WILL BE REPLACING IT WITH A MAN-LAW VIOLATION SECTION. PLEASE BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR MAN-LAW VIOLATIONS. IF YOU SEE ANY, PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL AT s_cash_homey@yahoo.com (it is also posted at the top of this page) AND TELL ME ABOUT IT. I WILL THEN POST IT ON THE BLOG AND SHARE IT WITH THE WHOLE WORLD!!!!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
THEY AIN'T DEAD
Imagine this, it is 2nd and 4 and you are a defensive coordinator. On the other side of the line of scrimmage you see Tony Romo in the shotgun flanked by Marion “the Barbarian” Barber and Felix “Catch me if you can” Jones. You immediately start to scratch your head wondering how you are going to stop these two. Then you notice that Terrell Owens (whom I hate) and Roy Williams are lined up at wide receiver. That causes even more concern, but just when you think you know what defense to call to stop them you take another look from the booth and notice that Jason Whitten is flanked out on the side with Roy Williams. At that moment you realize that you are facing your worst nightmare and that you just wet your pants. So Mr. Coordinator, what do you call? Do you double T.O. and leave Whitten and Williams one-on-one on the other side (with a linebacker or safety covering Whitten)? Do you put eight in the box and play the receivers one on one? Do you play Cover 2 and give Barber and Jones all kind of running lanes? What do you do?
This is the problem that the Dallas Cowboys will pose to all defensive coordinators when they get their full complement of skill players healthy. There is no doubt that the Dallas Cowboys are struggling. There are many causes, but no excuses for their current struggles. They are currently dealing with the consequences of making a deal with the devil and signing Pacman Jones. The real T.O. is starting to rear his ugly head, and they have been ravaged by injuries to such players as Tony Romo, Felix Jones, Roy Williams, and Terrance Newman. Looking at their current situation, plenty of people have decided to jump off of their bandwagon and leave them for dead. There are some people that I know that are saying things like they are not going to make the playoffs. Prior to the start of the season, they were my pick to be the NFC representative in the Super Bowl. Although their recent struggles have puzzled me, unlike most people, I AM STANDING BY MY PICK! Now don’t get me wrong, I realize that they are not playing up to their potential. There is also a chance that they won’t make it to the Super Bowl. However, saying that they won’t even make the playoffs is absolutely ludicrous. Due to the overwhelming amount of offensive talent on this team I can see them getting everyone healthy and turning it around in time to go on an insane winning streak. When that happens, I don’t want to see anyone trying to jump back on the bandwagon and saying that they knew all along that they would make the playoffs.
I am by no means a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. I am simply looking at the situation as a person that knows a little something about football. Looking at this team objectively, I see a team that has some holes in their defensive secondary. These holes came from injuries to Terrance Newman (one of the best corners in the game) and Roy Williams (although he can’t cover his bed with a blanket, he is a devastating hitter that make receivers think twice about coming across the middle). We can also contribute some of the secondary problems to the Pacman Jones experiment. In case you didn’t hear, he was suspended again. Is anyone surprised? I guess we can now safely say that he wasn’t worth the risk. Their defensive line and linebackers are playing pretty well. They are led by DeMarcus Ware (my pre-season pick to lead the NFL in sacks) who is currently leading the NFL in sacks.
The offense is only being held back by injury. When they get everyone healthy they should be fine. We have not seen this group play together yet and when we do, they will be a treat to see. My real question to all of the naysayers is, ‘Where were you when they started 3 – 0 with three impressive showings?’
Picking the two teams in the pre-season that will play in the Super Bowl is very difficult. If you don’t believe me just think back over the past couple of years. Raise your hand if you picked the Giants to go to the Super Bowl last season, or better yet if you had the Seahawks or Steelers a couple of years ago. So there is a chance that my pick of the Cowboys could prove to be incorrect. But saying that they aren’t making the playoffs is just stupid.
The Cowboys currently have a record of 5-3 and will probably have all their key players healthy a week or two after their bye week. Therefore, we can safely say that the best is yet to come. I’m even going to go as far as to say that they will finish the season with a better record than the Giants, who are the defending Super Bowl Champs and currently leading their division. That being said if you really don’t see this team making the playoffs, please comment and name the six teams in the NFC that will make it over them. Remember your comments will be posted on this blog forever, so think carefully before counting them out and naming your six teams.
Oh, I almost forgot about my original question, ‘What defense would you call?’
I look forward to hearing from all of the doubters.
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 9 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. NOW THAT EVERYONE IS REGISTERED TO VOTE, BE SURE TO GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND ACTUALLY VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4TH. SPEAK NOW OR SHUT UP FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS!!!!
This is the problem that the Dallas Cowboys will pose to all defensive coordinators when they get their full complement of skill players healthy. There is no doubt that the Dallas Cowboys are struggling. There are many causes, but no excuses for their current struggles. They are currently dealing with the consequences of making a deal with the devil and signing Pacman Jones. The real T.O. is starting to rear his ugly head, and they have been ravaged by injuries to such players as Tony Romo, Felix Jones, Roy Williams, and Terrance Newman. Looking at their current situation, plenty of people have decided to jump off of their bandwagon and leave them for dead. There are some people that I know that are saying things like they are not going to make the playoffs. Prior to the start of the season, they were my pick to be the NFC representative in the Super Bowl. Although their recent struggles have puzzled me, unlike most people, I AM STANDING BY MY PICK! Now don’t get me wrong, I realize that they are not playing up to their potential. There is also a chance that they won’t make it to the Super Bowl. However, saying that they won’t even make the playoffs is absolutely ludicrous. Due to the overwhelming amount of offensive talent on this team I can see them getting everyone healthy and turning it around in time to go on an insane winning streak. When that happens, I don’t want to see anyone trying to jump back on the bandwagon and saying that they knew all along that they would make the playoffs.
I am by no means a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. I am simply looking at the situation as a person that knows a little something about football. Looking at this team objectively, I see a team that has some holes in their defensive secondary. These holes came from injuries to Terrance Newman (one of the best corners in the game) and Roy Williams (although he can’t cover his bed with a blanket, he is a devastating hitter that make receivers think twice about coming across the middle). We can also contribute some of the secondary problems to the Pacman Jones experiment. In case you didn’t hear, he was suspended again. Is anyone surprised? I guess we can now safely say that he wasn’t worth the risk. Their defensive line and linebackers are playing pretty well. They are led by DeMarcus Ware (my pre-season pick to lead the NFL in sacks) who is currently leading the NFL in sacks.
The offense is only being held back by injury. When they get everyone healthy they should be fine. We have not seen this group play together yet and when we do, they will be a treat to see. My real question to all of the naysayers is, ‘Where were you when they started 3 – 0 with three impressive showings?’
Picking the two teams in the pre-season that will play in the Super Bowl is very difficult. If you don’t believe me just think back over the past couple of years. Raise your hand if you picked the Giants to go to the Super Bowl last season, or better yet if you had the Seahawks or Steelers a couple of years ago. So there is a chance that my pick of the Cowboys could prove to be incorrect. But saying that they aren’t making the playoffs is just stupid.
The Cowboys currently have a record of 5-3 and will probably have all their key players healthy a week or two after their bye week. Therefore, we can safely say that the best is yet to come. I’m even going to go as far as to say that they will finish the season with a better record than the Giants, who are the defending Super Bowl Champs and currently leading their division. That being said if you really don’t see this team making the playoffs, please comment and name the six teams in the NFC that will make it over them. Remember your comments will be posted on this blog forever, so think carefully before counting them out and naming your six teams.
Oh, I almost forgot about my original question, ‘What defense would you call?’
I look forward to hearing from all of the doubters.
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 9 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. NOW THAT EVERYONE IS REGISTERED TO VOTE, BE SURE TO GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND ACTUALLY VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4TH. SPEAK NOW OR SHUT UP FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS!!!!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! HAS A PAPER DUE
Thanks for checking in. Unfortunately, I am not able to post anything new this week due to a paper that I am writing for school. Please take the time to read any entries that you may have missed and comment on them if you would like (I do check old posts for new comments).Thanks for the continued support. Wish me luck on my paper!!!!
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 16 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. NOW THAT EVERYONE IS REGISTERED TO VOTE, BE SURE TO GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND ACTUALLY VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4TH. SPEAK NOW OR SHUT UP FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS!!!!
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 16 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. NOW THAT EVERYONE IS REGISTERED TO VOTE, BE SURE TO GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND ACTUALLY VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4TH. SPEAK NOW OR SHUT UP FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS!!!!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
IT’S HIS TEAM AND HE CAN DO WHAT HE WANTS TO
I’M BAAAAACCCCCKKKKK!!!! My apologies about last week, but you know school comes first. I did well on my test, so the studying truly did pay-off! Now let’s get down to the business at hand.
I have a real bone to pick with the national sports media. Particularly the hosts of my favorite radio show (Moving the Chains on Sirius NFL Radio, the best radio on radio). “Why?” you ask. Because in my opinion they are painting Al Davis as an old out of touch guy who doesn’t know what he’s doing and basically calling him stupid for firing Lane Kiffin. Everyone is throwing a pity-party for Lane Kiffin, and quite frankly I don’t know why. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a fan of the Oakland Raiders in any way, shape, or form. I also don’t have any problems with Lane Kiffin, but on this issue I must do what I always do and call a spade a spade.
This story has multiple layers, and I will briefly explain them to you and help you to understand why I must come to the defense of Mr. Davis on this issue.
First of all, Al Davis deserves to be held in very high regard by true NFL fans. He has contributed as much or more to the NFL than anyone else in the history of the league. He was the head coach and general manager of the Oakland Raiders when they played in the AFL. He then served as commissioner of the AFL. Once the AFL merged with the NFL he returned to the Raiders as a general partner and head of football operations. During his tenure the Raiders have won five league or conference championships and three Super Bowls. His track record proves that he knows football and truly deserves the spot he has in the Hall of Fame.
The one criticism of Davis that I think is fair is that he is too meddlesome with his coaching staffs and doesn’t allow them the freedom or authority necessary to do their jobs. He is known for not allowing his coaches to have total control in choosing their assistant coaches. Former players have also talked about instances when Mr. Davis would call the sideline from the owner’s box during games to “suggest” plays that should be run. I have no problem with the hands-on NFL owner, but in this respect Mr. Davis does take it too far. The point that I am getting at is that EVERYONE WHO PAYS ANY ATTENTION TO THE NFL HAS ALWAYS KNOWN THIS ABOUT AL DAVIS. Why in the world would Lane Kiffin think that Davis would suddenly change after hiring him?
Al Davis hired a 31- year old Lane Kiffin as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2007. O.K. let’s evaluate that situation. Prior to being hired by Oakland, Lane Kiffin was the offensive coordinator at USC. That means he went from college offensive coordinator to NFL head coach. It is well documented that college head coaches that make the jump to the NFL fail at a tremendous rate, so you know that the odds of success were firmly stacked against Kiffin. Also, we must be honest and acknowledge three facts. The first is that the Oakland Raiders is arguably the worst head coaching job in the NFL. The second is that Lane Kiffin was nowhere near the first choice for this job, and only got an interview after fellow USC assistant Steve Sarkisian withdrew from consideration (he wasn’t the first choice either). The third fact is that no other NFL team was exactly beating Kiffin’s door down to become their head coach. With that being said and knowing Davis’ reputation, how could Kiffin think that he was hired to be anything but Al Davis’ puppet? If he thought otherwise, then he was simply fooling himself. Did he really think Davis saw him as a young genius who could lead the Raiders back to their glory days rather than a young kid who was so happy to be an NFL coach that he would do whatever Davis wanted him to do?
Twenty games into his tenure as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, Lane Kiffin was fired. This decision caused an uproar in the national sports media. Everyone immediately started to take shots at Davis for firing Kiffin. Comparisons were immediately drawn to the Mike Shanahan situation. Davis fired Mike Shanahan after just twenty games also, and Shanahan went on to win two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos and will probably be in the Hall of Fame some day. I don’t think that is a fair comparison because Shanahan had an NFL pedigree prior to becoming the head coach of the Raiders. Where Kiffin had only been a college assistant (he was only a coordinator for one year), Shanahan had spent time as an NFL quarterback coach and offensive coordinator before becoming the Raiders head coach. Trust me, that makes a huge difference. However the bottom line in the firing was the fact that Kiffin had a 5 – 20 record as the head coach of the Raiders. Last time I checked a 0.250 winning percentage was grounds for termination. So please, stop acting like Al Davis just fired Tony Dungy or Bill Belichick. KIFFIN SUCKED AS AN NFL COACH!!!! In all fairness to Kiffin, the Raiders weren’t exactly the most talented team in the NFL, but they certainly had better talent (especially on defense) than their record dictates. Although I hate to see anyone lose their job, especially in these economic times. We must remember that AL DAVIS OWNS THE TEAM AND HE CAN DO WHATEVER HE WANTS TO!!!! That my friends is the joy of being the owner. Everyone works for you at your pleasure and you can replace them whenever you like.
When the story first broke and I heard Al Davis’ press conference, one thing in particular stood out to me. I noticed in his speech that Al Davis clearly stated that he was firing Lane Kiffin “with cause.” I immediately knew what that meant. That meant that he was firing him and did not plan on paying him the remaining value left on his contract (which is reportedly $3.5 million). Although I think that Davis was well within his rights to fire Kiffin, I didn’t initially think that Davis had the right to withhold the remaining value of his contract. Then I thought about it and determined that if a player can be cut (essentially fired) without being paid the remainder of his contract, why can’t a coach? I know that the answer to that question is that coaches and players are playing by different rules, but that still doesn’t make it right. You can’t have it both ways. Either players should have guaranteed contracts or coaches shouldn’t. It’s the player that puts his body on the line week in and week out, not the coach.
Let the record clearly state that I have no problem with Al Davis firing Lane Kiffin. Yes, he did do it fairly quickly (20 games into his tenure) but the record speaks for itself. I also think that Lane Kiffin is crazy if he thought working for Al Davis would be any different than it was. Everyone who follows the NFL knows how Al Davis is, and if you didn’t that means that you didn’t do your homework. Shame on you! I also feel as though Lane Kiffin should be paid the rest of his contract. However, I am glad that Davis is trying to fight it because it will shine a bright light on how different a player’s contract is treated compared to a coach’s contract.
Don’t cry for Lane Kiffin. There is a very good chance that an arbitrator is going to rule in his favor concerning the dollars remaining on the contract. He will also have his pick of available college head coaching jobs after the season. That’s right, I SAID COLLEGE! It is painfully obvious that he is a college head coach and not an NFL head coach. He was tremendously overmatched in the NFL. He belongs in college football and I think that he realizes it too.
So before you go bashing Al Davis and talking about his incompetence and his poor decision making, evaluate the facts at hand. KIFFIN DESERVED TO BE FIRED!!!! whether you like it or not.
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 23 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. NOW THAT EVERYONE IS REGISTERED TO VOTE, BE SURE TO GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND ACTUALLY VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4TH. SPEAK NOW OR SHUT UP FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS!!!!
I have a real bone to pick with the national sports media. Particularly the hosts of my favorite radio show (Moving the Chains on Sirius NFL Radio, the best radio on radio). “Why?” you ask. Because in my opinion they are painting Al Davis as an old out of touch guy who doesn’t know what he’s doing and basically calling him stupid for firing Lane Kiffin. Everyone is throwing a pity-party for Lane Kiffin, and quite frankly I don’t know why. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a fan of the Oakland Raiders in any way, shape, or form. I also don’t have any problems with Lane Kiffin, but on this issue I must do what I always do and call a spade a spade.
This story has multiple layers, and I will briefly explain them to you and help you to understand why I must come to the defense of Mr. Davis on this issue.
First of all, Al Davis deserves to be held in very high regard by true NFL fans. He has contributed as much or more to the NFL than anyone else in the history of the league. He was the head coach and general manager of the Oakland Raiders when they played in the AFL. He then served as commissioner of the AFL. Once the AFL merged with the NFL he returned to the Raiders as a general partner and head of football operations. During his tenure the Raiders have won five league or conference championships and three Super Bowls. His track record proves that he knows football and truly deserves the spot he has in the Hall of Fame.
The one criticism of Davis that I think is fair is that he is too meddlesome with his coaching staffs and doesn’t allow them the freedom or authority necessary to do their jobs. He is known for not allowing his coaches to have total control in choosing their assistant coaches. Former players have also talked about instances when Mr. Davis would call the sideline from the owner’s box during games to “suggest” plays that should be run. I have no problem with the hands-on NFL owner, but in this respect Mr. Davis does take it too far. The point that I am getting at is that EVERYONE WHO PAYS ANY ATTENTION TO THE NFL HAS ALWAYS KNOWN THIS ABOUT AL DAVIS. Why in the world would Lane Kiffin think that Davis would suddenly change after hiring him?
Al Davis hired a 31- year old Lane Kiffin as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2007. O.K. let’s evaluate that situation. Prior to being hired by Oakland, Lane Kiffin was the offensive coordinator at USC. That means he went from college offensive coordinator to NFL head coach. It is well documented that college head coaches that make the jump to the NFL fail at a tremendous rate, so you know that the odds of success were firmly stacked against Kiffin. Also, we must be honest and acknowledge three facts. The first is that the Oakland Raiders is arguably the worst head coaching job in the NFL. The second is that Lane Kiffin was nowhere near the first choice for this job, and only got an interview after fellow USC assistant Steve Sarkisian withdrew from consideration (he wasn’t the first choice either). The third fact is that no other NFL team was exactly beating Kiffin’s door down to become their head coach. With that being said and knowing Davis’ reputation, how could Kiffin think that he was hired to be anything but Al Davis’ puppet? If he thought otherwise, then he was simply fooling himself. Did he really think Davis saw him as a young genius who could lead the Raiders back to their glory days rather than a young kid who was so happy to be an NFL coach that he would do whatever Davis wanted him to do?
Twenty games into his tenure as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, Lane Kiffin was fired. This decision caused an uproar in the national sports media. Everyone immediately started to take shots at Davis for firing Kiffin. Comparisons were immediately drawn to the Mike Shanahan situation. Davis fired Mike Shanahan after just twenty games also, and Shanahan went on to win two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos and will probably be in the Hall of Fame some day. I don’t think that is a fair comparison because Shanahan had an NFL pedigree prior to becoming the head coach of the Raiders. Where Kiffin had only been a college assistant (he was only a coordinator for one year), Shanahan had spent time as an NFL quarterback coach and offensive coordinator before becoming the Raiders head coach. Trust me, that makes a huge difference. However the bottom line in the firing was the fact that Kiffin had a 5 – 20 record as the head coach of the Raiders. Last time I checked a 0.250 winning percentage was grounds for termination. So please, stop acting like Al Davis just fired Tony Dungy or Bill Belichick. KIFFIN SUCKED AS AN NFL COACH!!!! In all fairness to Kiffin, the Raiders weren’t exactly the most talented team in the NFL, but they certainly had better talent (especially on defense) than their record dictates. Although I hate to see anyone lose their job, especially in these economic times. We must remember that AL DAVIS OWNS THE TEAM AND HE CAN DO WHATEVER HE WANTS TO!!!! That my friends is the joy of being the owner. Everyone works for you at your pleasure and you can replace them whenever you like.
When the story first broke and I heard Al Davis’ press conference, one thing in particular stood out to me. I noticed in his speech that Al Davis clearly stated that he was firing Lane Kiffin “with cause.” I immediately knew what that meant. That meant that he was firing him and did not plan on paying him the remaining value left on his contract (which is reportedly $3.5 million). Although I think that Davis was well within his rights to fire Kiffin, I didn’t initially think that Davis had the right to withhold the remaining value of his contract. Then I thought about it and determined that if a player can be cut (essentially fired) without being paid the remainder of his contract, why can’t a coach? I know that the answer to that question is that coaches and players are playing by different rules, but that still doesn’t make it right. You can’t have it both ways. Either players should have guaranteed contracts or coaches shouldn’t. It’s the player that puts his body on the line week in and week out, not the coach.
Let the record clearly state that I have no problem with Al Davis firing Lane Kiffin. Yes, he did do it fairly quickly (20 games into his tenure) but the record speaks for itself. I also think that Lane Kiffin is crazy if he thought working for Al Davis would be any different than it was. Everyone who follows the NFL knows how Al Davis is, and if you didn’t that means that you didn’t do your homework. Shame on you! I also feel as though Lane Kiffin should be paid the rest of his contract. However, I am glad that Davis is trying to fight it because it will shine a bright light on how different a player’s contract is treated compared to a coach’s contract.
Don’t cry for Lane Kiffin. There is a very good chance that an arbitrator is going to rule in his favor concerning the dollars remaining on the contract. He will also have his pick of available college head coaching jobs after the season. That’s right, I SAID COLLEGE! It is painfully obvious that he is a college head coach and not an NFL head coach. He was tremendously overmatched in the NFL. He belongs in college football and I think that he realizes it too.
So before you go bashing Al Davis and talking about his incompetence and his poor decision making, evaluate the facts at hand. KIFFIN DESERVED TO BE FIRED!!!! whether you like it or not.
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 23 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. NOW THAT EVERYONE IS REGISTERED TO VOTE, BE SURE TO GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND ACTUALLY VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4TH. SPEAK NOW OR SHUT UP FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS!!!!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! HAS A TEST
Thanks for checking in. Unfortunately, I am not able to post anything new this week due to a test that I am studying for this weekend. Please take the time to read any entries that you may have missed and comment on them if you would like (I do check old posts for new comments).
Thanks for the continued support. Wish me luck on my test!!!!
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 30 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. I HOPE THAT EVERYONE READING THIS HAS ALREADY REGISTERED TO VOTE. IF NOT, PLEASE DO SO SOON. BE SURE TO LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!!
Thanks for the continued support. Wish me luck on my test!!!!
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 30 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. I HOPE THAT EVERYONE READING THIS HAS ALREADY REGISTERED TO VOTE. IF NOT, PLEASE DO SO SOON. BE SURE TO LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
THEY DESERVE BETTER
Each week around Tuesday or so, I begin to think about potential blog topics for the week. This week was no different. I was tossing around potential topics with my wife (my primary sounding board). Some were pretty good, and there were some that didn’t make much sense at all. Then I had a stroke of brilliance (at least I thought so). I said to her, maybe I should write about Matt Millen. She then asked, “What would you say about him?” I responded by explaining how terrible he is as an NFL executive and laid out a laundry list of the stupid decisions that he has made during his tenure with the Lions. She thought about it for a minute and then said that she thought that would be a good topic. Then on Wednesday the Detroit Lions completely stole my thunder and FIRED MATT MILLEN. Don’t get me wrong, I never want to see a person lose their job, especially in today’s economy. However, I simply planned to point out the fact that he was grossly under-qualified for such a position and ill-equipped to be successful. Also, I don’t feel too bad about him being removed from his position because he did a terrible job (the case could be made that he was the worst executive in the NFL) in leading the Lions to a stellar 31 – 84 record (that is a .270 winning percentage for those scoring at home) and is walking away with reportedly $50 million of the Lions money. You gotta love America. The place where doing a good job is appreciated but incompetence gets rewarded. That being said, is anyone still wondering why our economy is in shambles?
Believe it or not, I would rank the fans of the Detroit Lions as the fifth most faithful, loyal, dedicated, and devoted fan base in the NFL. In my opinion they trail only the fans of the Cowboys, Steelers, Chiefs, and Browns. You may not believe me, but trust me on that. You have to have a great fan base to consistently draw over 60,000 fans a game, even when your team probably wouldn’t crack the college football Top 25 in most years. Further proof lies in the fact that I have Sirius Satellite Radio (the best radio on radio) and trust me the Lions fans are out there in full force. They love their team. I don’t know why and I do question their sanity. I know one thing for sure, I wouldn’t want to get into a fist-fight with a Lions fan. You could never win because they have such a high tolerance for pain (after watching this team for so many years) that your punches wouldn’t hurt them one bit.
Now the genius that is Matt Millen has left the building (he was escorted out kicking and screaming). Lions fans everywhere are rejoicing and dreaming about better days to come. Truth be told, if history is any indicator the chances of them becoming a top-tier or even a consistently mediocre franchise are slim to none. However, those slim chances did increase when Millen left the building. I am sure that some of you reading this don’t follow the Detroit Lions very closely and don’t know much about Millen. Don’t worry, you have come to the right place. I will give you a short summary of Millen’s tenure in Detroit. HE ABSOLUTELY SUCKED!!!! Was that short enough?
Actually Millen has been a disaster as a CEO and defacto General Manager since the day the Lions hired him out of the TV booth. Prior to being a color commentator for television and radio broadcasts of NFL games, Matt was an NFL linebacker. During his playing career, he played for 3 teams (Raiders, 49er’s, and Redskins) and won 4 Super Bowls. He even played in a Pro Bowl (1988). Guess what, playing and commentating talent doesn’t always translate to the front office. As a matter of fact it rarely does.
Following the 2000 season in which the Lions finished with a 9 – 7 record and missed the playoffs by only one game, Matt Millen was hired as the team’s President and CEO of football operations. Although Millen had no previous experience in anything that remotely resembled this position, fans were optimistic because he was a “football guy” who had proven through his previous work that he knew and understood the game. That optimism quickly went away once Millen made a litany of stupid decisions that set the already eternally doomed franchise back even further than they were. Some of Millen’s brilliant (or at least he thought so) decisions were:
Drafting Joey Harrington with the third overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft (Passed on such players as Ed Reed, Dwight Freeney, Clinton Portis, and Brian Westbrook. If they really wanted a quarterback, David Garrard was available until the 108th pick.)
Drafted four 1st round picks at the same position (The position was wide receiver. He did find two studs in Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams, but missed big time on Charles Rogers and Mike Williams.)
Did not draft suitable offensive line help or defensive players that could actually play. The Lions scouting and player development staff has to be among the worse in the league.
Hired Mary Mornhinweg as the Head Coach (All I’m going to say about this idiot is that he won a coin-toss in sudden-death overtime and DECIDED TO KICK!!!! HE ACTUALLY GAVE THE OTHER TEAM THE BALL FIRST IN SUDDEN-DEATH OVER TIME. Guess What, to his surprise the other team scored first and they lost the game. Yes, Millen did think that someone with that thought process was the right man to lead the Lions.)
Oh, let’s not excuse the latest coach that Millen hired, Rod Marinelli. He is the former Defensive Line and Assistant Head Coach in Tampa Bay and is well-respected throughout the league. However he cannot be absolved from blame for their current 0 – 3 start (which include losses to Atlanta and San Francisco). He is steadfast in his belief that they must run the ball, although their roster and talent says throw it early and often and make every game a shootout. HELLO, THEY DO HAVE CALVIN JOHNSON AND ROY WILLIAMS. I mean New England could throw the ball 40 or 50 times a game with Troy Brown and Reche Caldwell as their primary receivers and Philly has done it year in and year out with the get-along-gang they have at receiver. I know that Jon Kitna isn’t Brady or McNabb, but he is good enough to get the ball to the two Pro Bowlers if the game plan is schemed correctly.
Built a joke of a defense. The defense has three decent players, linebacker Ernie Simms, cornerback Leigh Bodden, and cornerback Brian Kelly (who is as old as Julio Franco). After them, everyone else should be playing in Canada. The defense has been a joke throughout Millen’s tenure. This is unacceptable considering that they have drafted 18th or higher (six times they have drafted in the top ten and three times they had a top five pick) each year that Millen has been there. It’s funny because four of those picks were spent on one offensive position (Wide Receiver) and only ONE WAS SPENT ON DEFENSE (Linebacker Ernie Simms). GO FIGURE!!!!
Even the most optimistic person in the world would have to admit that Matt Millen was an absolute failure no matter what criteria you measure him by. He is now gone, which means that the Lions will continue the rebuilding process that has been going on since 1993 (the year of their last division title) under new leadership.
I truly feel sorry for Lions fans because they know going into each season that they don’t have a chance at being any good, yet they still support their team. I’m all for being loyal to your team, but I also believe that loyalty goes both ways. If your team refuses to do everything in their power to be competitive then they don’t deserve your loyalty. I knew the Lions weren’t trying when team owner William Clay Ford Sr. gave Millen a five year contract extension after the 2005 season in which the Lions were 5 – 11. It took 25 more losses for Mr. Ford to see the errors in his ways. Note to Mr. Ford, you know your GM is bad when fans at NBA, NHL, and college football and basketball games are chanting “Fire Millen.” Rasheed Wallace even joined in the chant during a timeout of a Pistons game. There were even protests and parades around the city, all in an effort to make you open your eyes and see the terrible leadership that led your miserable team.
Now the questions is, “Who’s Next?” Honestly, I don’t know. This is a bad job that will not be able to attract people who have other options. The best they can hope for is to find a bright young Assistant GM or Scouting Director who is looking for their opportunity to sit in the big chair. Much like the Atlanta Falcons did with Thomas DImitroff. On the other hand, it might be a good job because no matter what, you will be considered the King of Detroit because you will be an improvement from Millen by simply sitting on the plane to Detroit. You also know that ownership is patient to a fault and pays very well whether you succeed or fail.
GOOD LUCK LIONS FANS, I AM PULLING FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU DESERVE BETTER!!!!
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 37 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. I HOPE THAT EVERYONE READING THIS HAS ALREADY REGISTERED TO VOTE. IF NOT, PLEASE DO SO SOON. BE SURE TO LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!!
Believe it or not, I would rank the fans of the Detroit Lions as the fifth most faithful, loyal, dedicated, and devoted fan base in the NFL. In my opinion they trail only the fans of the Cowboys, Steelers, Chiefs, and Browns. You may not believe me, but trust me on that. You have to have a great fan base to consistently draw over 60,000 fans a game, even when your team probably wouldn’t crack the college football Top 25 in most years. Further proof lies in the fact that I have Sirius Satellite Radio (the best radio on radio) and trust me the Lions fans are out there in full force. They love their team. I don’t know why and I do question their sanity. I know one thing for sure, I wouldn’t want to get into a fist-fight with a Lions fan. You could never win because they have such a high tolerance for pain (after watching this team for so many years) that your punches wouldn’t hurt them one bit.
Now the genius that is Matt Millen has left the building (he was escorted out kicking and screaming). Lions fans everywhere are rejoicing and dreaming about better days to come. Truth be told, if history is any indicator the chances of them becoming a top-tier or even a consistently mediocre franchise are slim to none. However, those slim chances did increase when Millen left the building. I am sure that some of you reading this don’t follow the Detroit Lions very closely and don’t know much about Millen. Don’t worry, you have come to the right place. I will give you a short summary of Millen’s tenure in Detroit. HE ABSOLUTELY SUCKED!!!! Was that short enough?
Actually Millen has been a disaster as a CEO and defacto General Manager since the day the Lions hired him out of the TV booth. Prior to being a color commentator for television and radio broadcasts of NFL games, Matt was an NFL linebacker. During his playing career, he played for 3 teams (Raiders, 49er’s, and Redskins) and won 4 Super Bowls. He even played in a Pro Bowl (1988). Guess what, playing and commentating talent doesn’t always translate to the front office. As a matter of fact it rarely does.
Following the 2000 season in which the Lions finished with a 9 – 7 record and missed the playoffs by only one game, Matt Millen was hired as the team’s President and CEO of football operations. Although Millen had no previous experience in anything that remotely resembled this position, fans were optimistic because he was a “football guy” who had proven through his previous work that he knew and understood the game. That optimism quickly went away once Millen made a litany of stupid decisions that set the already eternally doomed franchise back even further than they were. Some of Millen’s brilliant (or at least he thought so) decisions were:
Drafting Joey Harrington with the third overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft (Passed on such players as Ed Reed, Dwight Freeney, Clinton Portis, and Brian Westbrook. If they really wanted a quarterback, David Garrard was available until the 108th pick.)
Drafted four 1st round picks at the same position (The position was wide receiver. He did find two studs in Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams, but missed big time on Charles Rogers and Mike Williams.)
Did not draft suitable offensive line help or defensive players that could actually play. The Lions scouting and player development staff has to be among the worse in the league.
Hired Mary Mornhinweg as the Head Coach (All I’m going to say about this idiot is that he won a coin-toss in sudden-death overtime and DECIDED TO KICK!!!! HE ACTUALLY GAVE THE OTHER TEAM THE BALL FIRST IN SUDDEN-DEATH OVER TIME. Guess What, to his surprise the other team scored first and they lost the game. Yes, Millen did think that someone with that thought process was the right man to lead the Lions.)
Oh, let’s not excuse the latest coach that Millen hired, Rod Marinelli. He is the former Defensive Line and Assistant Head Coach in Tampa Bay and is well-respected throughout the league. However he cannot be absolved from blame for their current 0 – 3 start (which include losses to Atlanta and San Francisco). He is steadfast in his belief that they must run the ball, although their roster and talent says throw it early and often and make every game a shootout. HELLO, THEY DO HAVE CALVIN JOHNSON AND ROY WILLIAMS. I mean New England could throw the ball 40 or 50 times a game with Troy Brown and Reche Caldwell as their primary receivers and Philly has done it year in and year out with the get-along-gang they have at receiver. I know that Jon Kitna isn’t Brady or McNabb, but he is good enough to get the ball to the two Pro Bowlers if the game plan is schemed correctly.
Built a joke of a defense. The defense has three decent players, linebacker Ernie Simms, cornerback Leigh Bodden, and cornerback Brian Kelly (who is as old as Julio Franco). After them, everyone else should be playing in Canada. The defense has been a joke throughout Millen’s tenure. This is unacceptable considering that they have drafted 18th or higher (six times they have drafted in the top ten and three times they had a top five pick) each year that Millen has been there. It’s funny because four of those picks were spent on one offensive position (Wide Receiver) and only ONE WAS SPENT ON DEFENSE (Linebacker Ernie Simms). GO FIGURE!!!!
Even the most optimistic person in the world would have to admit that Matt Millen was an absolute failure no matter what criteria you measure him by. He is now gone, which means that the Lions will continue the rebuilding process that has been going on since 1993 (the year of their last division title) under new leadership.
I truly feel sorry for Lions fans because they know going into each season that they don’t have a chance at being any good, yet they still support their team. I’m all for being loyal to your team, but I also believe that loyalty goes both ways. If your team refuses to do everything in their power to be competitive then they don’t deserve your loyalty. I knew the Lions weren’t trying when team owner William Clay Ford Sr. gave Millen a five year contract extension after the 2005 season in which the Lions were 5 – 11. It took 25 more losses for Mr. Ford to see the errors in his ways. Note to Mr. Ford, you know your GM is bad when fans at NBA, NHL, and college football and basketball games are chanting “Fire Millen.” Rasheed Wallace even joined in the chant during a timeout of a Pistons game. There were even protests and parades around the city, all in an effort to make you open your eyes and see the terrible leadership that led your miserable team.
Now the questions is, “Who’s Next?” Honestly, I don’t know. This is a bad job that will not be able to attract people who have other options. The best they can hope for is to find a bright young Assistant GM or Scouting Director who is looking for their opportunity to sit in the big chair. Much like the Atlanta Falcons did with Thomas DImitroff. On the other hand, it might be a good job because no matter what, you will be considered the King of Detroit because you will be an improvement from Millen by simply sitting on the plane to Detroit. You also know that ownership is patient to a fault and pays very well whether you succeed or fail.
GOOD LUCK LIONS FANS, I AM PULLING FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU DESERVE BETTER!!!!
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 37 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. I HOPE THAT EVERYONE READING THIS HAS ALREADY REGISTERED TO VOTE. IF NOT, PLEASE DO SO SOON. BE SURE TO LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
I KNOW IT’S EARLY, BUT….
Football season is now in full swing. The “kiddies” have been playing for about four weeks and we are in Week 3 of the NFL season. MAN, I AM LOVING LIFE RIGHT NOW!!!! After watching a lot of football over the past month, I have made several observations and have some interesting opinions about what I have seen thus far. Below you will find my opinions and observations (in no particular order) about the college and NFL football seasons thus far. This list was put together as ideas and thoughts popped into my head, so the college and NFL comments are mixed together. Feel free to chime in on any of them and let me know if you agree, disagree, or have other opinions and comments of your own.
DeSean Jackson is the biggest idiot in sports right now. Don't believe me? Here's proof!
Apparently he didn’t just become an idiot, he was also one in High School. You still need proof? Alright, here you go!
DeSean Jackson cost everyone who started Donovan McNabb a lot of fantasy points, but gave those who started Brian Westbrook a freebie.
No disrespect to Jerry Rice, Chris Carter, Art Monk , Steve Largent, or even such greats as Andre Rison, Freddie Mitchell, or Peerless Price, but the BEST TWO RECEIVERS TO EVER PLAY IN THE NFL ARE RANDY MOSS AND TERRELL OWENS!!!!
I really enjoy every agonizing Notre Dame loss (Shout Out to Ty Willingham).
Last week’s Monday Night Football game was the best football game that I have ever seen (and just think it was regular season Week 2 game). I LOVE THE NFL!!!!
Watching Adrian Peterson’s running style reminds me of Eric Dickerson, minus the “Jheri Curl” and “Rec Specs.”
Knowshon Moreno is the best running back in college football.
Sunday’s game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Kansas City Chiefs might serve as the tie-breaker for the #1 overall draft pick. That is unless the Rams have something to say about that.
LSU’s defense is better than at least six NFL defenses right now.
Ohio State should stop playing non-conference games against teams from other BCS conferences. It’s starting to get embarrassing.
Georgia’s Matthew Stafford should be the first quarterback selected in the 2009 NFL Draft if he decides to leave school a year early.
I am still waiting on my consulting fee from Georgia Tech for the Paul Johnson hire.
Ron Jaworski & Pat Kirwin are the most brilliant football minds in America.
Every NFL fan should have Sirius NFL radio (The Best Radio on Radio).
The Saints (everyone’s pre-season favorite to win their division) better watch out for the Panthers & Buccaneers in the NFC South.
DeAngelo Hall is not an elite corner. His mother doesn’t even think so anymore.
Jay Cutler is the truth.
Vince Young will be out of the league soon.
At this point in their careers, I would take Aaron Rogers over Brett “Diva” Favre (Looks like the Packers made the right decision).
The Dallas Cowboys are the most impressive team in the NFL entering Week 3.
The Minnesota Vikings shouldn’t have benched Tavarris Jackson. They are making him the scapegoat. Although he hasn’t played great, he isn’t the sole reason they are 0 – 2.
Matt Cassel won’t finish the season as the Patriots’ starting quarterback.
Hey Minnesota, If Gus Frerotte’s the answer, I would love to know what the question is.
Note to Daunte Culpepper: You can’t retire from a league that you are not a part of.
This is a bad week to play the Chargers (Good Luck Mr. Favre).
Chase Daniel (University of Missouri quarterback) is a great “college quarterback”. I hope they pay well in Canada.
The Washington Redskins (I hate that nickname, it’s really offensive) are a really good football team. They will make the playoffs as long as their coach stays out of the way.
The New York Giants aren’t as good as everyone thinks.
Cleveland, Jacksonville, and San Diego are the three most disappointing teams in the NFL right now.
The Kansas City Chiefs started their third different quarterback of the season in Week 3. That’s never a good sign.
After predicting that it would happen for 5 straight years, it finally looks like the Arizona Cardinals have a shot at winning the NFC West.
These are just MY early observations and opinions about this football season. Chime in and let me know what you think. Also, feel free to add any of your own observations and opinions.
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 44 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. I HOPE THAT EVERYONE READING THIS HAS ALREADY REGISTERED TO VOTE. IF NOT, PLEASE DO SO SOON. BE SURE TO LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!!
DeSean Jackson is the biggest idiot in sports right now. Don't believe me? Here's proof!
Apparently he didn’t just become an idiot, he was also one in High School. You still need proof? Alright, here you go!
DeSean Jackson cost everyone who started Donovan McNabb a lot of fantasy points, but gave those who started Brian Westbrook a freebie.
No disrespect to Jerry Rice, Chris Carter, Art Monk , Steve Largent, or even such greats as Andre Rison, Freddie Mitchell, or Peerless Price, but the BEST TWO RECEIVERS TO EVER PLAY IN THE NFL ARE RANDY MOSS AND TERRELL OWENS!!!!
I really enjoy every agonizing Notre Dame loss (Shout Out to Ty Willingham).
Last week’s Monday Night Football game was the best football game that I have ever seen (and just think it was regular season Week 2 game). I LOVE THE NFL!!!!
Watching Adrian Peterson’s running style reminds me of Eric Dickerson, minus the “Jheri Curl” and “Rec Specs.”
Knowshon Moreno is the best running back in college football.
Sunday’s game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Kansas City Chiefs might serve as the tie-breaker for the #1 overall draft pick. That is unless the Rams have something to say about that.
LSU’s defense is better than at least six NFL defenses right now.
Ohio State should stop playing non-conference games against teams from other BCS conferences. It’s starting to get embarrassing.
Georgia’s Matthew Stafford should be the first quarterback selected in the 2009 NFL Draft if he decides to leave school a year early.
I am still waiting on my consulting fee from Georgia Tech for the Paul Johnson hire.
Ron Jaworski & Pat Kirwin are the most brilliant football minds in America.
Every NFL fan should have Sirius NFL radio (The Best Radio on Radio).
The Saints (everyone’s pre-season favorite to win their division) better watch out for the Panthers & Buccaneers in the NFC South.
DeAngelo Hall is not an elite corner. His mother doesn’t even think so anymore.
Jay Cutler is the truth.
Vince Young will be out of the league soon.
At this point in their careers, I would take Aaron Rogers over Brett “Diva” Favre (Looks like the Packers made the right decision).
The Dallas Cowboys are the most impressive team in the NFL entering Week 3.
The Minnesota Vikings shouldn’t have benched Tavarris Jackson. They are making him the scapegoat. Although he hasn’t played great, he isn’t the sole reason they are 0 – 2.
Matt Cassel won’t finish the season as the Patriots’ starting quarterback.
Hey Minnesota, If Gus Frerotte’s the answer, I would love to know what the question is.
Note to Daunte Culpepper: You can’t retire from a league that you are not a part of.
This is a bad week to play the Chargers (Good Luck Mr. Favre).
Chase Daniel (University of Missouri quarterback) is a great “college quarterback”. I hope they pay well in Canada.
The Washington Redskins (I hate that nickname, it’s really offensive) are a really good football team. They will make the playoffs as long as their coach stays out of the way.
The New York Giants aren’t as good as everyone thinks.
Cleveland, Jacksonville, and San Diego are the three most disappointing teams in the NFL right now.
The Kansas City Chiefs started their third different quarterback of the season in Week 3. That’s never a good sign.
After predicting that it would happen for 5 straight years, it finally looks like the Arizona Cardinals have a shot at winning the NFC West.
These are just MY early observations and opinions about this football season. Chime in and let me know what you think. Also, feel free to add any of your own observations and opinions.
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 44 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. I HOPE THAT EVERYONE READING THIS HAS ALREADY REGISTERED TO VOTE. IF NOT, PLEASE DO SO SOON. BE SURE TO LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
YOU WILL MISS HIM WHEN HE’S GONE
How would you feel if you were a Hall of Fame caliber NFL quarterback and your organization gave you Ren & Stimpy or Beavis & Butt-head as your starting wide receivers? To make matters worse, your fans and local talk-radio hosts are constantly trying to run you out of town because you haven’t won a Super Bowl. Well boys and girls, welcome to the world of Donovan McNabb.
The Hate-Hate relationship between Donovan McNabb and the city of Philadelphia got off to a stellar start on Draft Day 1999. The Eagles selected McNabb with the #2 overall pick and he was immediately greeted by tremendously loud BOOOOOOSSSSSS!!!! by the Philly fans (Fans of the Miami Dolphins didn’t complain one bit when they drafted Ronnie Brown 2nd overall in 2005, Go Figure). That was a ridiculous reaction to have for a fan base whose current quarterbacks were Bobby Hoying and Koy Detmer. Well, no one has ever said that Eagles fans were the most knowledgeable fans in the NFL. The truth of the matter was that the fans wanted the team to draft Ricky Williams. Do you think the team made the right decision? Although the very passionate fan base wanted Williams, Andy Reid & company realized that the running backs on the roster were serviceable (Duce Staley & Charlie Garner) and that they really needed a quarterback. Since this was a stellar year for first-round quarterbacks (tongue-in-cheek) they decided that they should pick one with their first round pick. The only thing left was for them to decide between McNabb, Akili Smith, Cade McNown, and Daunte Culpepper. These were their choices only because the great Tim Couch was selected #1 overall and was therefore off the board. So, do you think they made the right pick?
****COMMERCIAL BREAK****
The Hate-Hate relationship between Donovan McNabb and the city of Philadelphia got off to a stellar start on Draft Day 1999. The Eagles selected McNabb with the #2 overall pick and he was immediately greeted by tremendously loud BOOOOOOSSSSSS!!!! by the Philly fans (Fans of the Miami Dolphins didn’t complain one bit when they drafted Ronnie Brown 2nd overall in 2005, Go Figure). That was a ridiculous reaction to have for a fan base whose current quarterbacks were Bobby Hoying and Koy Detmer. Well, no one has ever said that Eagles fans were the most knowledgeable fans in the NFL. The truth of the matter was that the fans wanted the team to draft Ricky Williams. Do you think the team made the right decision? Although the very passionate fan base wanted Williams, Andy Reid & company realized that the running backs on the roster were serviceable (Duce Staley & Charlie Garner) and that they really needed a quarterback. Since this was a stellar year for first-round quarterbacks (tongue-in-cheek) they decided that they should pick one with their first round pick. The only thing left was for them to decide between McNabb, Akili Smith, Cade McNown, and Daunte Culpepper. These were their choices only because the great Tim Couch was selected #1 overall and was therefore off the board. So, do you think they made the right pick?
****COMMERCIAL BREAK****
Be sure to check out regular STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! reader and commenter Anthony “Pharaoh” Goolsby on BET’s Somebodies. He will be appearing in the episode that will be airing Tuesday, September 30th at 10:30 pm.
****NOW BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM****
I applaud the Eagles organization for realizing the special talent that Donovan McNabb was during his time at Syracuse and using the #2 overall pick in the draft to acquire him. However, I don’t understand how you draft a quarterback to build your team around and refuse to give him the needed weapons to be successful. Let’s take a moment and reflect. During McNabb’s tenure in Philadelphia he has thrown passes to James Trash (sorry, I meant to say Thrash), Freddie Mitchell, Torrance Small, Charles Johnson, Chad Lewis, and Todd Pinkston (or should I say Stinkston). Oh, and let’s not forget his current cast of Pro Bowlers. He now has Hank Baskett, Reggie Brown, Greg Lewis, Kevin Curtis, Jason Avant, and DeSean Jackson. I am sure that this group strikes fear in the hearts of defensive coordinators all over the NFL. I’m sorry, there was one glaring omission from his list of receivers. That would be the one-man team killer himself, Mr. Terrell (I LOVE ME SOME ME) Owens. As much as I hate Owens (almost as much as I hate Kobe Bryant), he is an absolute beast as a wide receiver. He is a legit number one receiver and he is one of the three best receivers in the NFL today. Does anyone remember what happened when Donovan got a chance to play with a legitimate NFL receiver? That’s right, he led the Eagles to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for the McNabb and the Eagles the Terrell Owens experiment was only successful for one season. By his second season in Philly, the one-man team killer earned his nickname, and single-handedly killed the team. It is really a shame because they were great together. It’s also a shame that the Eagles haven’t given McNabb a competent receiver since.
Even with the talentless group of receivers that he has been forced to play with, McNabb has managed to lead the Eagles to six playoff appearances, four NFC Championship Games, and 1 Super Bowl. This apparently isn’t good enough for Eagles fans. They are constantly trying to run this guy out of town, for not being a winner. There were actually some that were saying this off-season that the team would be better off starting Kevin Kolb instead of McNabb. Are you serious? If you are reading this and you are one of those fans, please SLAP YOURSELF!!!! If you think that Kevin Kolb gives you a better chance to win than Donovan McNabb, you really need to have your medications adjusted. I just have one thing to say to Philly fans. You can hate him all you want, but YOU WILL MISS HIM WHEN HE’S GONE.
While exchanging text messages with Anthony “Pharaoh” Goolsby earlier this week, we both realized that Donovan McNabb simply does not get the credit and respect that he deserves from NFL fans (especially Eagles fans). I then decided to put his greatness in perspective and let people know that we are fortunate to be witnessing greatness before our eyes. Peyton Manning, Brett Favre (the Diva), and Tom Brady (for a minute, it looked like they were going to cancel the season when Brady got injured) are held in such high regard in NFL circles. Truthfully, I view McNabb as their equal. Every NFL player is always one play away from having his season, or even worse, his career end. Before it is over for McNabb, do yourself a favor and enjoy his greatness. He is arguably the most complete quarterback in the game today and is the best run/pass threat the league has ever seen. He should definitely be celebrated as such, and I am willing to start the party.
****PROOF THAT LIFE ISN’T FAIR****
Journeyman Quarterback Jon Kitna has had the great fortune of playing with such receivers as Chad Johnson & TJ Houshmandzadeh in Cincinnatti and now he has Calvin Johnson & Roy Williams in Detroit. Future Hall of Famer Donovan McNabb on the other hand has been playing with “insert scrub here” basically his entire career.
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 51 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. I HOPE THAT EVERYONE READING THIS HAS ALREADY REGISTERED TO VOTE. IF NOT, PLEASE DO SO SOON. BE SURE TO LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!!
WE ARE NOW 51 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. I HOPE THAT EVERYONE READING THIS HAS ALREADY REGISTERED TO VOTE. IF NOT, PLEASE DO SO SOON. BE SURE TO LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
THE EXPERIENCE OR THE GAME?
FOOTBALL SEASON IS IN FULL SWING!!!! This is by far my favorite time of year because I am such a big football fan. The perfect fall sports weekend for me would consist of watching one or two college football games on Saturday followed by watching every possible NFL game that I can all day on Sunday and then on Monday night. Although I like college football quite a bit, I definitely prefer the NFL.
I know and have met a lot of people who are huge football fans. Some of them are college and professional fans, but the majority of them prefer one or the other. Although there are some exceptions, the majority of the die-hard college football fans that I have met do not like the NFL at all. While on the other hand, most of the NFL fans that I know (including myself) like college football also but simply likes the NFL better. Although they are both share the name football, these are definitely two very different games. With that being said, I will evaluate what I feel are the differences between the two games. Hopefully this will explain why each game attracts the type of fan that it does.
GAME DAY ATMOSPHERE
The differences in the atmosphere at an NFL game can’t be compared to that of a college game. The atmosphere for a big game between two major college football teams is among the best in sports. If you don’t believe me, tune-in next Saturday night for the game between USC and Ohio State. The stadium will be electric and you will be able to feel the excitement through your television screen, especially if you are watching in High Definition. By far the coolest thing to witness in all of football (especially in High Definition) is the “White Out” by Penn State fans when they play a big home game at night. College tailgating is also much better than tailgating at NFL games. The main reason for this fact is that most college games are played on Saturday, and most people don’t work on Sunday, so they can get as drunk as their body will allow. On the other hand NFL tailgaters have to be careful because they have to be able to make it home and get ready for work the following day.
The main difference between professional and college crowds is “THE STUDENT SECTION.” This section is filled with drunk college kids who are at the game simply to continue the party from tailgating that morning and getting ready for an after party that night. More often than not these students know very little about football, but go to the games because it is the thing to do on campus and they are a lot of fun. The rest of the stadium is filled with alumni, locals, and fans of the other team who are all dressed up and ready to yell and scream in support of their team for 3 ½ hours. At the schools that have top tier college football programs, each game day is an event, and it is just an amazing experience. Especially when ESPN’s College Gameday broadcasts live from their campus.
In contrast, NFL tickets have gotten so expensive that the average fan can’t afford to go to the games. It’s getting to the point that NFL stadiums will soon have more luxury suites than regular seats. The seats in the lower sections of the stadiums are beginning to look more and more like corporate shareholders meetings and less like football games. However, the average fan can still afford the upper level tickets (just barely) in NFL stadiums. That really takes away from the atmosphere of the game, when the majority of the die-hard fans are sitting so far from the field, strictly due to the economics of the game. I think it is funny that the NFL stadiums that have the best “atmosphere” like Kansas City and Denver are thought to be so great because they have a college-like atmosphere.
RIVALRIES
In my opinion, this is by far where college football has the advantage over the NFL. There are some great rivalries in the NFL, such as Colts – Patriots, Giants – Cowboys, Chiefs – Broncos, and Packers – Bears just to name a few. Although they are usually very good games that cause a lot of excitement, they can’t hold a candle to the traditional college rivalries. Think about Michigan – Ohio State, Georgia – Florida, Auburn – Alabama, Florida State – Miami, Texas – Oklahoma, and USC – Notre Dame. No matter the state of the programs or the records of each team going into these games, when they meet you can throw out the records. These games excite their fan bases more so than any game does for NFL fans.
STYLES OF PLAY
The college game offers a variety of styles of play, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. There are teams that run the “Spread Offense,” the “Option,” the “Pro-style Offense,” the “Triple Option,” the “West Coast Offense,” the “Shot-Gun Offense,” and a variety of other styles or systems. It makes for some very interesting games. The phase, “Styles make fights,” which is often used in boxing also applies to college football games.
On the other hand, in the NFL everyone basically runs a form of the “West Coast Offense,” a heavy “Shot-Gun Offense,” or the traditional “Pro-style Offense.”
UNIFORMS
As a whole college football teams have much cooler uniforms than NFL teams. Don’t get me wrong there are some really cool uniforms in the NFL, such as the Falcons, the Chargers (powder blue throwbacks), the Denver Broncos, and the Arizona Cardinals, just to name a few. However, Nike really works hard to keep the college teams looking good. The University of Oregon has so many different uniforms that they never have to wear the same combination twice during a season. I have noticed that the new NFL uniforms are starting to look more and more like the college uniforms.
Jersey numbers are also much cooler in college football. The NFL has absolutely ridiculous rules that dictate the jersey numbers that a player can choose according to their position. That rule is about as stupid as the NBA age-limit. Who cares what a uniform number a player chooses. Personally I like to see defensive ends and linebackers wearing single digit numbers. I think it looks really cool. The NFL even fines players for not wearing particular socks or having a tinted helmet visor. They have to have something better to worry about than Clinton Portis’ choice of socks.
POST SEASON
The worst thing about major college football is the fact that they have this stupid Bowl System instead of a playoff system. In college football voters and computer calculations decide who gets to play for the championship. That is the stupidest thing in sports. This is a flawed system on so many levels. By not letting things be decided on the field, you open the door for constant whining by fans, players, and especially coaches. It was an absolute embarrassment for the sport when Auburn was left out of the National Championship game following the 2004 season. They were passed over for Oklahoma, who was beat like Rodney King by the USC Trojans. It is a shame that although all three teams were undefeated, Auburn was passed over because they started the season ranked lower.
I almost forgot, you can’t get rid of the bowl system and implement a playoff system. If you do that, we will no longer have the GMAC Bowl, the Music City Bowl, the Smurf-Turf Bowl, or the all-important Emerald Nut Bowl. What on Earth would we do without all of these games between six and seven win teams?
The NFL on the other hand has the best playoff format in all of sports. It is very simple. If you win your division, you are in the playoffs. There are also two wild-card spots per conference, which gives teams that can’t win the division something to continue to play hard for.
COACHING
Do I really need to go into any detail here? I will simply make one statement. THE VAST MAJORITY OF COLLEGE HEAD COACHES (EVEN THE “GENIUSES”) CAN’T CUT IT IN THE NFL. If you don’t believe me, think about Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban, Bobby Petrino, Butch Davis, and Lou Holtz just to name a few. NFL coaches are simply more knowledgeable about the game and work harder to be successful.
TALENT
The talent gap between major college football and the NFL is ridiculously wide, as it should be. The fact that there are approximately 120 Division 1 college football teams with 85 scholarship players each compared to 32 NFL teams with 53 player each should explain the talent gap. Over the years there have been many college football players that people thought were great that just couldn’t cut it in the NFL. I am sure that you remember the stellar NFL careers of Jason White, Eric Crouch, Chris Weinke, Danny Wuerffel, Andre Ware, and the GREAT GINO TORRETTA. Oh, you don’t? Me either, and all of these players won the Heisman Trophy, which allegedly makes them the best player in college football.
The size and speed combination of NFL players is absolutely ridiculous. There are defensive ends in the NFL that are fast enough to catch such speedsters as Reggie Bush and Michael Vick from behind (given the proper angle). There are wide receivers in the NFL that are big enough to be defensive ends in the college game.
The talent is also more evenly distributed in the NFL than in the college game. Colleges build their teams through recruiting. This basically means that it is possible for a couple of teams to amass all of the talent and leave the programs with less money to pay their players with the scraps. This talent gap means that there will be a lot of 65 – 14 games over the course of the season. These types of games even take place within the same conference. Watch the USC v/s Arizona game. The average margin of victory in Division 1 college football is close to 20 points per game, as opposed to an NFL of slightly more than three points. Due to the fact that the talent is so close among NFL teams, any team can win on ANY GIVEN SUNDAY!!!!
Although we all have NFL players that we think are terrible (think Brodie Croyle, Fred Smoot, Fred Thomas, Alex Smith, Rex Grossman), we must remember that everyone in the NFL is a good football player. The things that they can do on the football field are simply amazing.
QUALITY OF THE GAME
The quality of play in the NFL is so much better than that of the college game, that they really shouldn’t both be called football. This is of course due to several of the factors that were mentioned earlier. First of all, the quality of the coaching In the NFL is so much better than that of the college game. The NFL game is usually a more crisply played game with fewer penalties, which can be attributed to the fact that the players are professionals. The routes are very precise, the hits are much harder, the backs hit the hole much quicker, the blocks are more devastating, the plays are more intricate, and the game is so detailed. When it comes to precision and execution, the NFL is head and shoulders above college football. For instance, a receiver in college football is considered open when he has three yards on a defender. On the other hand, an NFL receiver is considered open when he has one step on the defender. The NFL quarterback then has to be able to get the ball to that receiver, while keeping it away from the defender.
THE STUPIDEST THING ABOUT COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Although this entry is about comparing college football to the NFL, I must get off the subject for a second and rant about what I believe is the stupidest thing about college football. I don’t understand PRESEASON RANKINGS!!!! How in the world can you rank teams before you see them play? Two things have happened this week that don’t make any sense to me. First East Carolina started the season unranked. Apparently this was a mistake because they have proven to be better than Virginia Tech (ranked 17th at the time) and West Virginia (ranked 8th at the time). After these two victories the Pirates have finally proven worthy of being ranked, they are 14th in this week’s poll. How do you explain this? The other thing that leaves me puzzled is that fact that Georgia started the season ranked number one and won their first game rather convincingly, yet they were jumped in the polls by USC. Basically the same people who thought they were the best team before the season, punished them a week later for winning like they should. Now I am by no means a Georgia fan, but this is ridiculous. I know that all college sports have pre-season rankings, but they are especially stupid in football because more often than not you final poll position is affected by your starting poll position. Remember there is no playoff system, so it will not be decided on the field. Also, remember that the voters do not always watch the games. They simply read box scores or watch SportsCenter. What a way to decide who is better!
THE EXPERIENCE OR THE GAME
As I stated earlier, the college and NFL games are very different and everyone is entitled to have their preferences. These are the two most popular sports in America (NFL is #1 followed by College Football at #2), so we know that a lot of people really enjoy both of them. Personally I like college football, but I absolutely LOVE THE NFL. Based on my observations of football fans that I have come across, I feel as though college football fans are usually people who love the experience of the game, while NFL fans are people who love football!
Which do you prefer, THE EXPERIENCE OR THE GAME?
****NOTE (on a totally different subject)****
I found it rather amusing that Daunte Culpepper retired from the NFL. I wasn't aware that you can retire from a league when you are not currently in the league (he was not on a roster). If the knee injury suffered by Tom Brady is serious and he is out for the season or an extended portion of this season and the Patriots call Daunte Culpepper, do you really think that he is going to tell them, NO THANKS, I'M RETIRED? I don't think so, which means that he is not retired, he is simply not on a team.
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 58 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTION DAY!!!! ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE? IF NOT DO SO TODAY!!!! STAND UP AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!!
I know and have met a lot of people who are huge football fans. Some of them are college and professional fans, but the majority of them prefer one or the other. Although there are some exceptions, the majority of the die-hard college football fans that I have met do not like the NFL at all. While on the other hand, most of the NFL fans that I know (including myself) like college football also but simply likes the NFL better. Although they are both share the name football, these are definitely two very different games. With that being said, I will evaluate what I feel are the differences between the two games. Hopefully this will explain why each game attracts the type of fan that it does.
GAME DAY ATMOSPHERE
The differences in the atmosphere at an NFL game can’t be compared to that of a college game. The atmosphere for a big game between two major college football teams is among the best in sports. If you don’t believe me, tune-in next Saturday night for the game between USC and Ohio State. The stadium will be electric and you will be able to feel the excitement through your television screen, especially if you are watching in High Definition. By far the coolest thing to witness in all of football (especially in High Definition) is the “White Out” by Penn State fans when they play a big home game at night. College tailgating is also much better than tailgating at NFL games. The main reason for this fact is that most college games are played on Saturday, and most people don’t work on Sunday, so they can get as drunk as their body will allow. On the other hand NFL tailgaters have to be careful because they have to be able to make it home and get ready for work the following day.
The main difference between professional and college crowds is “THE STUDENT SECTION.” This section is filled with drunk college kids who are at the game simply to continue the party from tailgating that morning and getting ready for an after party that night. More often than not these students know very little about football, but go to the games because it is the thing to do on campus and they are a lot of fun. The rest of the stadium is filled with alumni, locals, and fans of the other team who are all dressed up and ready to yell and scream in support of their team for 3 ½ hours. At the schools that have top tier college football programs, each game day is an event, and it is just an amazing experience. Especially when ESPN’s College Gameday broadcasts live from their campus.
In contrast, NFL tickets have gotten so expensive that the average fan can’t afford to go to the games. It’s getting to the point that NFL stadiums will soon have more luxury suites than regular seats. The seats in the lower sections of the stadiums are beginning to look more and more like corporate shareholders meetings and less like football games. However, the average fan can still afford the upper level tickets (just barely) in NFL stadiums. That really takes away from the atmosphere of the game, when the majority of the die-hard fans are sitting so far from the field, strictly due to the economics of the game. I think it is funny that the NFL stadiums that have the best “atmosphere” like Kansas City and Denver are thought to be so great because they have a college-like atmosphere.
RIVALRIES
In my opinion, this is by far where college football has the advantage over the NFL. There are some great rivalries in the NFL, such as Colts – Patriots, Giants – Cowboys, Chiefs – Broncos, and Packers – Bears just to name a few. Although they are usually very good games that cause a lot of excitement, they can’t hold a candle to the traditional college rivalries. Think about Michigan – Ohio State, Georgia – Florida, Auburn – Alabama, Florida State – Miami, Texas – Oklahoma, and USC – Notre Dame. No matter the state of the programs or the records of each team going into these games, when they meet you can throw out the records. These games excite their fan bases more so than any game does for NFL fans.
STYLES OF PLAY
The college game offers a variety of styles of play, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. There are teams that run the “Spread Offense,” the “Option,” the “Pro-style Offense,” the “Triple Option,” the “West Coast Offense,” the “Shot-Gun Offense,” and a variety of other styles or systems. It makes for some very interesting games. The phase, “Styles make fights,” which is often used in boxing also applies to college football games.
On the other hand, in the NFL everyone basically runs a form of the “West Coast Offense,” a heavy “Shot-Gun Offense,” or the traditional “Pro-style Offense.”
UNIFORMS
As a whole college football teams have much cooler uniforms than NFL teams. Don’t get me wrong there are some really cool uniforms in the NFL, such as the Falcons, the Chargers (powder blue throwbacks), the Denver Broncos, and the Arizona Cardinals, just to name a few. However, Nike really works hard to keep the college teams looking good. The University of Oregon has so many different uniforms that they never have to wear the same combination twice during a season. I have noticed that the new NFL uniforms are starting to look more and more like the college uniforms.
Jersey numbers are also much cooler in college football. The NFL has absolutely ridiculous rules that dictate the jersey numbers that a player can choose according to their position. That rule is about as stupid as the NBA age-limit. Who cares what a uniform number a player chooses. Personally I like to see defensive ends and linebackers wearing single digit numbers. I think it looks really cool. The NFL even fines players for not wearing particular socks or having a tinted helmet visor. They have to have something better to worry about than Clinton Portis’ choice of socks.
POST SEASON
The worst thing about major college football is the fact that they have this stupid Bowl System instead of a playoff system. In college football voters and computer calculations decide who gets to play for the championship. That is the stupidest thing in sports. This is a flawed system on so many levels. By not letting things be decided on the field, you open the door for constant whining by fans, players, and especially coaches. It was an absolute embarrassment for the sport when Auburn was left out of the National Championship game following the 2004 season. They were passed over for Oklahoma, who was beat like Rodney King by the USC Trojans. It is a shame that although all three teams were undefeated, Auburn was passed over because they started the season ranked lower.
I almost forgot, you can’t get rid of the bowl system and implement a playoff system. If you do that, we will no longer have the GMAC Bowl, the Music City Bowl, the Smurf-Turf Bowl, or the all-important Emerald Nut Bowl. What on Earth would we do without all of these games between six and seven win teams?
The NFL on the other hand has the best playoff format in all of sports. It is very simple. If you win your division, you are in the playoffs. There are also two wild-card spots per conference, which gives teams that can’t win the division something to continue to play hard for.
COACHING
Do I really need to go into any detail here? I will simply make one statement. THE VAST MAJORITY OF COLLEGE HEAD COACHES (EVEN THE “GENIUSES”) CAN’T CUT IT IN THE NFL. If you don’t believe me, think about Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban, Bobby Petrino, Butch Davis, and Lou Holtz just to name a few. NFL coaches are simply more knowledgeable about the game and work harder to be successful.
TALENT
The talent gap between major college football and the NFL is ridiculously wide, as it should be. The fact that there are approximately 120 Division 1 college football teams with 85 scholarship players each compared to 32 NFL teams with 53 player each should explain the talent gap. Over the years there have been many college football players that people thought were great that just couldn’t cut it in the NFL. I am sure that you remember the stellar NFL careers of Jason White, Eric Crouch, Chris Weinke, Danny Wuerffel, Andre Ware, and the GREAT GINO TORRETTA. Oh, you don’t? Me either, and all of these players won the Heisman Trophy, which allegedly makes them the best player in college football.
The size and speed combination of NFL players is absolutely ridiculous. There are defensive ends in the NFL that are fast enough to catch such speedsters as Reggie Bush and Michael Vick from behind (given the proper angle). There are wide receivers in the NFL that are big enough to be defensive ends in the college game.
The talent is also more evenly distributed in the NFL than in the college game. Colleges build their teams through recruiting. This basically means that it is possible for a couple of teams to amass all of the talent and leave the programs with less money to pay their players with the scraps. This talent gap means that there will be a lot of 65 – 14 games over the course of the season. These types of games even take place within the same conference. Watch the USC v/s Arizona game. The average margin of victory in Division 1 college football is close to 20 points per game, as opposed to an NFL of slightly more than three points. Due to the fact that the talent is so close among NFL teams, any team can win on ANY GIVEN SUNDAY!!!!
Although we all have NFL players that we think are terrible (think Brodie Croyle, Fred Smoot, Fred Thomas, Alex Smith, Rex Grossman), we must remember that everyone in the NFL is a good football player. The things that they can do on the football field are simply amazing.
QUALITY OF THE GAME
The quality of play in the NFL is so much better than that of the college game, that they really shouldn’t both be called football. This is of course due to several of the factors that were mentioned earlier. First of all, the quality of the coaching In the NFL is so much better than that of the college game. The NFL game is usually a more crisply played game with fewer penalties, which can be attributed to the fact that the players are professionals. The routes are very precise, the hits are much harder, the backs hit the hole much quicker, the blocks are more devastating, the plays are more intricate, and the game is so detailed. When it comes to precision and execution, the NFL is head and shoulders above college football. For instance, a receiver in college football is considered open when he has three yards on a defender. On the other hand, an NFL receiver is considered open when he has one step on the defender. The NFL quarterback then has to be able to get the ball to that receiver, while keeping it away from the defender.
THE STUPIDEST THING ABOUT COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Although this entry is about comparing college football to the NFL, I must get off the subject for a second and rant about what I believe is the stupidest thing about college football. I don’t understand PRESEASON RANKINGS!!!! How in the world can you rank teams before you see them play? Two things have happened this week that don’t make any sense to me. First East Carolina started the season unranked. Apparently this was a mistake because they have proven to be better than Virginia Tech (ranked 17th at the time) and West Virginia (ranked 8th at the time). After these two victories the Pirates have finally proven worthy of being ranked, they are 14th in this week’s poll. How do you explain this? The other thing that leaves me puzzled is that fact that Georgia started the season ranked number one and won their first game rather convincingly, yet they were jumped in the polls by USC. Basically the same people who thought they were the best team before the season, punished them a week later for winning like they should. Now I am by no means a Georgia fan, but this is ridiculous. I know that all college sports have pre-season rankings, but they are especially stupid in football because more often than not you final poll position is affected by your starting poll position. Remember there is no playoff system, so it will not be decided on the field. Also, remember that the voters do not always watch the games. They simply read box scores or watch SportsCenter. What a way to decide who is better!
THE EXPERIENCE OR THE GAME
As I stated earlier, the college and NFL games are very different and everyone is entitled to have their preferences. These are the two most popular sports in America (NFL is #1 followed by College Football at #2), so we know that a lot of people really enjoy both of them. Personally I like college football, but I absolutely LOVE THE NFL. Based on my observations of football fans that I have come across, I feel as though college football fans are usually people who love the experience of the game, while NFL fans are people who love football!
Which do you prefer, THE EXPERIENCE OR THE GAME?
****NOTE (on a totally different subject)****
I found it rather amusing that Daunte Culpepper retired from the NFL. I wasn't aware that you can retire from a league when you are not currently in the league (he was not on a roster). If the knee injury suffered by Tom Brady is serious and he is out for the season or an extended portion of this season and the Patriots call Daunte Culpepper, do you really think that he is going to tell them, NO THANKS, I'M RETIRED? I don't think so, which means that he is not retired, he is simply not on a team.
****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 58 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTION DAY!!!! ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE? IF NOT DO SO TODAY!!!! STAND UP AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!!
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