Follow me on twitter @scashhomey
Not only am I an Atlanta resident (actually I live in a suburb just east of Atlanta), but I was born and raised here. I love my city. After college, I turned down any out-of-state job offers because this is where I want to live. In my opinion, there is no better city in America in which to reside. Atlanta really has it all. This is the quintessential big city with a small town feel. We have perfect weather (winter temperatures were in the sixties until this past week), a variety of museums and playhouses, phenomenal restaurants, several Fortune 500 companies, an assortment of interesting tourist attractions, great shopping, and plenty of awesome venues for live music. In addition to those amenities, Atlanta has also become a new music, television and film Mecca, and has a tremendous nightlife. If you feel like just kicking it with some friends, there are plenty of lounges to choose from. For those that like to party, there is no shortage of nightclubs to frequent. The world famous Magic City (not to be confused with the Magic Kingdom) is also located here. Single guys say that for the right amount of money, you could perhaps have a life changing experience there. These are several reasons that people move here in droves.
Although my city is a lot of wonderful things, there is one thing that it is not, A SPORTS TOWN! I find this fact particularly frustrating because I am such a huge sports fan. Sports in this city simply aren’t a priority. We have three major professional teams in this city as well as one major college that plays Division I athletics. The attitude of the city’s residents towards all of these teams is ho-hum at best. Although I have lived here my entire life, and I am the biggest sports fan that I know, I must admit that I really don’t care much about the teams that represent this city. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the populous share this opinion with me. I believe there are several different reasons for this, which we will discuss.
ATLANTA IS A CITY FULL OF TRANSPLANTS – Whenever I meet someone for the first time and I tell them that I was born and raised here in Atlanta, they first thing that they say is, “Wow, that’s rare! You are the first person that I have met that was actually born here.” The secret has gotten out to the rest of the country that the ATL is indeed the place to be. This has definitely helped out the local economy, but it has also eliminated any home court/field advantage that our sports teams would expect to have. There are as many Yankees, Mets, and Phillies fans living in Atlanta as there are Braves fans. Also, please don’t get me started on the NBA. Whenever the Knicks come to town, it looks like Spike Lee is filming a scene for one of his movies in Philips Arena. You can actually shoot a Timberland commercial in the arena filled with New Yorkers wearing Knicks hats and their peanut butter colored boots. If Timberland ever decides to do that, I will make sure that they cut me a check for stealing my idea.
WE DON’T HAVE ANY SUPERSTARS – The biggest star in this city before Michael Vick was Dominique Wilkins. The biggest star in this city since Michael Vick is…….. well we haven’t found him yet. One thing that I hate about my city is the fact that the people here are so superficial, which has created a celebrity (real or imagined) culture. You can easily cross paths with celebrities on any random day at any random place. This makes people feel as though they are a celebrity too, and that they should be wherever the celebrities are to feel important. When Michael Vick was a Falcon, the Georgia Dome was transformed from a football stadium to the place to be. Women were wearing stilettos with their best club attire to football games. I guess they actually thought the players were going to come up into the crowd at halftime to play the dating game. This naturally made the guys step their game up because they wanted to take advantage of these women whose heads were filled with such “basic” thoughts. The festivities didn’t end when the game clock struck 00:00, in fact they were just beginning. Of course there was an after party hosted by Vick, some other player(s) or a local or visiting celebrity. So really it was never about football, it was always about being “Hollywood” and on the scene.
The Falcons and the NFL for that matter are trying their best to make Matt Ryan an elite quarterback and a superstar. This is simply because he is the anti-Mike Vick. During his tenure in Atlanta, Vick was caught with weed, treated for herpes (under an alias), and incarcerated for dog-fighting. I can guarantee that none of these things will happen to Matt Ryan, which is commendable. However, I can also guarantee that he will never have the dome rocking or the city buzzing like Vick once did and still does when he visits with the Eagles. Even if he becomes a great quarterback (which he won’t), he will never own a city that values style over substance as Vick once did.
Unfortunately the Hawks are also void of a superstar player that carries a national reputation. Our best player is Joe Johnson. He is as quiet as Tim Duncan, paid more than LeBron James, but plays like Kevin Martin. No disrespect to Kevin Martin, he’s a good player, but it’s safe to say that he will never be the best player on a championship team. When your best player is not good enough to lead you to a championship, you would at least hope that he could put butts in the seats. Unfortunately no one is coming to see Joe Johnson display his assortment of mid-range jump shots. The Hawks do have their very own high-flying highlight machine in Josh Smith. Not only does he put up solid numbers and make plays that are “Sportscenter Top 10” worthy, he is also an Atlanta native. This combination should mean that people will come out in droves to see him. That is not the case. He simply isn’t very charismatic, and doesn’t have any real star qualities. Up until three years ago, the Hawks advertised their games by making commercials that encouraged fans to come out and see LeBron, Kobe, and Dwight Howard at the Highlight Factory (Philips Arena). Thankfully those days are over, and they are finally using their own players in their commercials (mostly Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, and Al Horford). However, party promoters are still paying visiting stars to use their name to promote parties after the game. I bet you can’t guess which strategy is working the best. Let’s just say that the “Velvet Room” is usually jumping after a weekend Hawks game, while the Philips Arena crowd is usually small enough to fit on one Marta train (that is unless the Heat, Lakers, or Knicks are in town).
BAD OWNERS MAKE STUPID DECISIONS – The Braves are owned by a faceless corporation (Liberty Media) that views them as simply a line-item on their balance sheet. The Braves have one purpose, and one purpose only to their owner, which is to make a profit. Payroll is kept low and winning baseball games is seen as a bonus. In my book that qualifies them as horrible owners.
The Hawks are owned by a group of people who didn’t have enough money to buy the team individually. Aside from that, they really don’t get along all that well. They tried to sell the team this off-season, but apparently the potential new owner wasn’t quite NBA rich. He may have been MLS (Major League Soccer) rich, but he didn’t have deep enough pockets to join the ranks of NBA ownership. This group of inept owners has made some really bad mistakes over the years. The first of which was to hire Dominique Wilkins as the color analyst for the television broadcasts. He is absolutely terrible! I’m going to guess that he never got anything above a "D" in any Spelling, Composition, Literature, or Speech class that he has ever taken. Yet, he gets paid six-figures to talk for a living. That has nothing to do with the on court performance, but it is still an excellent example of bad decision making. They also agreed to pay Joe Johnson $119 million for six years of slightly above average basketball. That pretty much assures they won’t be able to pay a real superstar. It’s unfortunate because Atlanta native Dwight Howard is set to become a free-agent. It’s probably also why he isn’t even considering the Hawks. First of all he knows that they can’t afford him, and secondly he knows that ownership is a mess and that they will never take the necessary steps required to become an elite team. The Hawks have been the perennial four seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs for most of my life. Why on earth would that change now? I used to be the World’s Biggest Hawks Fan, but now it is hard to be interested in them. It was fun seeing them build themselves back up from nothing and become respectable. Unfortunately they are unable to take that next step from respectability to contending. At the beginning of each season I know that the Hawks will be the four or five seed in the playoffs and lose in the second round, no matter how well they start. That’s just the way it is, so why waste my time watching a movie that comes on every year and ends the exact same way.
Truth be told, I like Arthur Blank. I think he is a man that wants to win very badly and is willing to spend the money necessary to do so. Unfortunately, he has also made some incredibly stupid decisions during his tenure as the Falcons owner. The first thing that he did was make a change for change sake. He fired Dan Reeves because the Falcons had a terrible season when their franchise (Michael Vick) was hurt during the 2003 season. For the record, Reeves was a heck of a coach (who took the Falcons to the Super Bowl), and he kept the team relatively competitive in Vick’s absence. He replaced him with Jim Mora, who exploited Vick’s talents and took the Falcons to the NFC championship game. The bottom quickly fell out from under him shortly thereafter. He then surprised everyone with the hiring of Bobby Petrino, which also didn’t work out so well. To his credit he has bounced back nicely from the Petrino episode and the Falcons are now respected throughout the league. Although he has made his share of mistakes, he is still by far the best owner in the city, and is working hard to bring a championship home. Unfortunately he has a quarterback that is closer to Mark Sanchez than Aaron Rodgers, so I don’t see it happening anytime soon. However, it will be fun watching him try.
Atlanta is a city that is full of sports fans. Unfortunately, it isn’t a city that is full of Atlanta sports fans. Part of that blame belongs to the fans for not supporting the home team, but an equal amount of blame belongs to the teams for not providing the fans with the type of teams that they will support. The advent of cable television, the internet, and satellite radio has made it really easy to follow any team from anywhere in the world. This is one instance where technology is hurting my city. Now people can continue to follow their native teams when they move here as if they still lived in their hometowns.
Truthfully, I don’t know if it’s possible for Atlanta to ever become a real sports town. I just don’t see it happening. There are some that would say that the ATL is not a strong sports town because we don’t have a strong history of winning championships. I honestly don’t think that would be enough. The only thing that will get people’s attention here is for us to win championships with style. If Tim Duncan had played his entire career in Atlanta and led the Hawks to four NBA championships, Philips Arena would still be mostly empty on a nightly basis, simply because Duncan plays a fundamental and boring brand of basketball. However, Allen Iverson would have been able to fill the arena up on a nightly basis, and he has no rings. In a city full of celebrity wannabes, flashiness and drama have become necessities for entertainment success. This is precisely why more ATLiens can name the Real Housewives of Atlanta than can name the Hawks starting lineup. Pathetic, isn’t it?
And now for my Baller & Scrub of the Week….
BALLER – Jeremy Lin: Alright, this is the obligatory Jeremy Lin mention that is required in all things written about sports for the last two weeks. Please excuse my sarcasm, but ESPN is making it impossible for me to enjoy what is really a remarkable story. Their coverage of this guy reminds me of their coverage of some guy who plays running back (sorry they call it quarterback there) in Denver. Jeremy Lin has literally come out of nowhere and taken the NBA by storm. He has been playing great basketball ever since he finally got his shot with the Knicks. Over his last six games, Lin has averaged nearly 27 points and 8.5 assists per game. It is certainly no accident that the Knicks are also on a six-game winning streak entering Wednesday’s game. His statistics as well as the results that they are producing prove that Lin and Tebow are certainly different in one aspect. Lin is a legitimate NBA point guard, while Tebow is a terrible NFL quarterback.
While the rest of the world is going “Lin-sane in the Membrane” over the latest phenomenon, I will try my best to enjoy it for what it is. A kid from Harvard is taking the NBA by storm. He is the real deal, and once all this hype dies down, he will have a long career as a solid NBA point guard. Although I don’t think will become one of the truly elite point guards in the game (i.e. Rose, Rondo, Paul, Westbrook, or Williams), I do predict that he will be the Eastern Conference starter at point guard in the 2013 All-Star Game. Will he deserve that honor? Probably not, but you must remember that he Chinese-American. China, the world’s most populous country, is absolutely crazy about the NBA. They also love voting for the all-star team, which is why Yao Ming was a mainstay. I think it’s safe to go ahead and pencil him in as next year’s leading vote-getter.
SCRUB – NBA Coaches: The NBA allows the fans to vote for the starters of their annual all-star game. The reserves are chosen by the coaches. When looking at the list of reserves, there was one glaring omission. For some reason Atlanta’s own, Josh Smith was not listed. Smith is currently averaging 15.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He also ranks 6th in the NBA in blocks with 2.1 per game. The fact that he was left off of the team yet again, really drives home the point of this blog entry. My outrage may sound like sour grapes from an Atlanta native, which is a fair point, but let’s look at the numbers. Luol Deng was selected as an all-star by the coaches at forward. He is averaging 15.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Is he having a better season than Smith? I think not! How about Andre Iguodala, and his 12.4 points and 6.6 rebound averages? You couldn’t make a recreation league all-star team with those numbers, and yet he was chosen. Josh Smith being left off the team is a disgrace and really shows that our teams really don’t exist on the national sports scene.
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Showing posts with label atlanta falcons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label atlanta falcons. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR!
Follow me on twitter @scashhomey
For my money, NFL players are the most insane athletes in all of sports. They play a sport which puts their body through the equivalent of several car accidents on a weekly basis. These players endure concussions, broken bones, torn ligaments, dislocated extremities, and an assortment of various sprains, bumps, and bruises to provide entertainment for people like me and you. (This next statement is extremely hypocritical, but it’s my honest opinion). Football is the dumbest sport ever created. Sometimes while watching a game, I ask myself, “What type of sick individual came up with this sport?” I really wonder who was sitting home one day and decided to place people on two different teams and give them a funny shaped ball (which isn’t nearly as cool as the big red all-purpose ball from elementary school) and tell one team to try to get to a goal and tell the other team to prevent them from getting there by any means necessary. Don’t get me wrong, I love this sport (particularly the NFL) much more than any other sport, and I am forever grateful to the players that play it for providing me with 21 weeks of the best entertainment in the world each and every year. That being said, I think each and every one of them are clinically insane for playing a sport that will undoubtedly affect their quality of life at some point.
Players arrive at training camp each summer with two things on their mind. Number one is money. Every NFL player is always trying to get a new contract, justify their current contract, or rob their team blind by getting paid as much as possible for producing absolutely nothing (shoutout to JaMarcus Russell). Once they are done thinking about their current or future financial situation, their attention moves to the second thing on their mind, trying to win a championship. All 32 teams begin training camp focused on being one of the 12 remaining at the end of the season that earns the opportunity to compete in the playoffs for a trip to the Super Bowl. Players on the 20 non-playoff teams try their best to cope with the fact that they simply weren’t good enough.
The top four playoff teams all have a bye, which lets them rest up for a week before hosting the winners of this week’s wild card games. Who will win this week’s games? I’m glad you asked, because I now present to you, my picks for all four of this weekend’s games.
Bengals vs. Texans
For the first time in franchise history, the Houston Texans will be playing a playoff game. Also for the first time in franchise history, the Houston Texans will lose a playoff game. If Matt Schaub were healthy and playing in this game, I would pick the Texans in a rout. If I had any confidence in Andre Johnsons hamstring that forced him to sit out nine games this season, I would pick the Texans in a close game. However, Matt Schaub is out and no one knows if Johnson will be able to finish the game. The Texans will be starting rookie TJ Yates, and his back-up will be everyone’s favorite interception machine, Jake Delhomme. The Texans will still be able to run the ball relatively well, but I feel as though the Bengals simply have the better team. This will be a low scoring game because both teams have really good defenses and will be starting rookie quarterbacks. Cincinnati has the better of the two rookie QB’s in Andy Dalton. He also has AJ Greene (the skinny Andre Johnson) to throw to, which means that they will have the ability to make the big play when it is needed in the fourth quarter. Cedric Benson, the most consistently mediocre running back in the NFL, will have his typical 84 yard rushing day with no touchdowns.
Prediction: Bengals 17 – Texans 13
Falcons vs. Giants
These are two very evenly matched teams. This should be a very good football game, with the outcome decided late. I really feel bad for both Eli Manning and Matt Ryan in this game, because they both play behind somewhat suspect offensive lines, and will be facing ferocious pass rushers in John Abraham (Falcons), Justin Tuck (Giants), and Jason Pierre-Paul (Giants). Fortunately for the Falcons they have a strong running back in Michael Turner. Unfortunately for the Falcons, their offensive coordinator (Mike Mularkey) often forgets that Michael Turner is a member of the team. They simply don’t run the ball enough, and I fully expect that trend to continue on Sunday. If this game were being played in Atlanta, I would definitely pick the Falcons. However, this game will take place in New York, which means one thing. Matt Ryan will play like crap. Ryan has lost 19 games in his four years as the QB of the Falcons. Of those 19 losses, 15 of them have been on the road. He simply can’t be trusted outside of 285. Since this game is taking place waaaaaaaaaaay outside of 285, and I simply don’t trust the Falcons offensive line against the Giants defensive, I will be taking the Giants to win this game.
Prediction: Giants 28 – Falcons 24
Steelers vs. Broncos
The fact that the Denver Broncos will be playing against a ferocious defense with a quarterback who is yet to master the forward pass will be a big problem. That is all that is necessary to say about this game.
Prediction: Steelers 24 – Broncos 9
Lions vs. Saints
I intentionally saved this game for last for two reasons. First of all, this is the GAME OF THE WEEK! This game will have offensive stars all over the field. On one side you have Drew Brees who is at the top of his game. His receivers aren’t household names to the casual football fan, but they don’t have to be because his passes are so accurate that they can’t avoid catching it. Even when he misses, he doesn’t miss. His passing skills are the polar opposite of the quarterback that I didn’t mention in the previous paragraph. On the opposite sideline, you will find Matthew Stafford, who threw for over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns this season. While Brees spreads the ball around and throws to whoever happens to be open on a particular play, Stafford has been blessed with a receiver that he can throw to whether he is open or not. He goes by the name of Calvin Johnson, a.k.a. The Best Receiver in the League. If you like, you can also start calling him by his newest nickname which he will begin answering to at some point during this off-season when he gets a new contract. That would be Really Rich Black Man. These are two prolific offenses that can and will score on anybody. Therefore, this game will be decided by the defenses. Don’t get me wrong, both teams will score at least 30 and quite possibly 40 points, but one defense will make just enough plays to force the other team to punt more than once, which will be the difference in this game. That being said, the second reason that I chose to discuss this game last is because, it is my UPSET SPECIAL! Detroit has a ferocious pass-rush, and a defense that has a knack for creating turnovers. Therefore, I have more faith in them to make a big play than I do the Saints defense. This will be a high-scoring game that will be fun to watch. I fully expect both defenses to play relatively well, but the offenses are simply better than the defenses in this matchup. This game is scheduled for an 8:20 pm kickoff on Saturday night. Since both teams will throw the ball at least 40 times, and there will be a lot of scoring, expect this game to run to around midnight. Make sure you have plenty of Yuengling (root beer for all of the underage people reading this) is in the fridge, and sit back, relax and enjoy the show.
Prediction: Lions 41 – Saints 35
LSU vs. Alabama
You are probably saying to yourself, “This is a college game, why is it included in the blog about the NFL playoffs?” That would be a good question to ask, if this was actually a college football game. This is actually a NFL game; the players simply aren’t old enough for it to be official. Therefore, they will be representing academic institutions instead. As you all know, I am not a big college football fan. I mostly just watch to see future NFL prospects, which I mostly do through watching clips online so that I won’t have to sit through entire games. Much like the first time they met earlier this season, I will be glued to the television to see this extremely high level of defensive football (which I love) played by clearly the two best college teams in the nation. I look for this to be yet another slug-fest that will be won by the team that scores a non-offensive touchdown. Points will be at a premium in this game, and both teams will certainly play it close to the vest offensively and let it all hang out on the defensive side of the ball. I am convinced that Les Miles has the great Nick Satan (sorry, I meant Saban, I said I was going to stop calling him that) shook. The last time they met, Satan (oops!) sent out both of Alabama’s kickers to attempt a total of three field goals of more than 40 yards. Note to Saban (I got it that time), the vast majority of college kickers are not consistently capable of making field goals longer than 35 yards. The two or three that can, are usually the two are three that get drafted into the NFL each year. Also after watching the first game against LSU, it is clear that you don’t have one of those two or three special kickers. LSU on the other hand, does have one of those special kickers.
The last time they met, LSU used two quarterbacks. They tried to do the politically correct thing and “punish” their real starting quarterback for his participation in an off-season bar fight, by starting his backup. The backup was good enough to have them undefeated leading up to the Bama game, but was clearly overmatched by the Ravens, I mean Crimson Tide defense. Therefore they decided that it’s not a good idea to punish a good player when a game is actually on the line. The fact that this game will decide the National Championship and undoubtedly lead to an even bigger contract for the winning coach, means that the choir boys will be left on the sidelines, and that all previous off-field transgressions will be ignored. Although both teams have really good offenses (against all other opponents), the defenses will again decide the winner of this game. LSU’s defense is simply better. Although Alabama’s defense is statistically better, against a significantly weaker schedule, anyone who has seen these two teams play can clearly see that LSU’s defense is slightly better. That is why the Tigers will be victorious. The good thing for Crimson Tide fans is that Satan (I knew it wouldn’t last) will only attempt one stupid field goal. It will be on the last play of the game with a chance to send it to overtime. Once again, the kicker will miss from 42 yards out and give LSU the victory.
Prediction: LSU 17 – Alabama 14
And now for my Baller & Scrub of the Week….
BALLER – Charles Barkley’s K-12 English Teachers: This award only goes to his K-12 English teachers because I am pretty sure he didn’t go to class regularly at Auburn. Although they taught him very little, if anything at all, Barkley’s English teachers instilled in him a confidence that totally overrides the fact that he speaks on a third grade level. Don’t get me wrong, Barkley is extremely entertaining as a commentator, and I thoroughly enjoy his knowledge of the game, honesty, and comedic presence. However, I also acknowledge that approximately 60% of the things that come out of his mouth are either mispronounced or simply aren’t words. My favorite word to hear him say is athletic. Yes it seems like a basic word to me and you, but Barkley manages to add both an extra “a”, and an extra syllable. So ath-let-ic to me and you is equal to ath-a-let-ic in the mind of Barkley. Once again shoutout to his English teachers for giving him the confidence needed to make a living by speaking, when he can hardly speak the English language.
SCRUB – Greg McElroy: I could write an entire blog about this idiot. It would be titled, “Scrub Speaks: The Quickest Way Out of the NFL.” If you don’t follow Alabama football, live in the state of Alabama, or your last name is McElroy as well, there is a good chance that you have no idea who this guy is. Greg McElroy is the 4th string quarterback of the NY Jets, who was a seventh round draft pick last year, and spent all season on injured reserve. To sum it up, I bet if you asked every member of the Jets if they knew he was on the team, 75% would say NO! The bottom line is in the world of the NFL, he is a nobody. After the Jets season ended in a disastrous fashion, McElroy took it upon himself to channel his inner-Rex Ryan and run his mouth to the media. He appeared on a radio show and basically said (I am paraphrasing) that the Jets were a team full of selfish individuals, that didn’t care if they won or loss. He also said that the players didn’t care about the team and that they were out for themselves. He went on to say that he had never been around such selfish individuals.
I am not in that locker room, so I really can’t attest to the accuracy of McElroy’s comments. If I were a betting man (which I am not), I would bet that he was dead on. I totally believe everything that he said. The problem with his comments is that THEY WERE MADE BY GREG McELROY! He is a player that can be out of the league if Rex Ryan simply allows Darrelle Revis to have two lockers in the locker room instead of one. He does not matter, and chances are when the Jets cut him (which they certainly will) no other team will bother picking him up. He will then have enough free time to persue his true dream job, talking on the radio. He may even get his own show.
Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress can spend time in jail and still get signed by teams. Rashard Mendenhall can make idiotic statements about 9/11, and not get cut. Terrell Owens could curse out coaches, openly question the sexuality of a teammate, and destroy team chemistry at nearly every turn, and still have a roster spot (when he was healthy). Greg McElroy can be cut for buying Krispy Kreme doughnuts for his teammates when the light wasn’t on, so for airing out the team’s dirty laundry on a radio show, he definitely WILL be cut. WHAT AN IDIOT!
Follow me on twitter @scashhomey
For my money, NFL players are the most insane athletes in all of sports. They play a sport which puts their body through the equivalent of several car accidents on a weekly basis. These players endure concussions, broken bones, torn ligaments, dislocated extremities, and an assortment of various sprains, bumps, and bruises to provide entertainment for people like me and you. (This next statement is extremely hypocritical, but it’s my honest opinion). Football is the dumbest sport ever created. Sometimes while watching a game, I ask myself, “What type of sick individual came up with this sport?” I really wonder who was sitting home one day and decided to place people on two different teams and give them a funny shaped ball (which isn’t nearly as cool as the big red all-purpose ball from elementary school) and tell one team to try to get to a goal and tell the other team to prevent them from getting there by any means necessary. Don’t get me wrong, I love this sport (particularly the NFL) much more than any other sport, and I am forever grateful to the players that play it for providing me with 21 weeks of the best entertainment in the world each and every year. That being said, I think each and every one of them are clinically insane for playing a sport that will undoubtedly affect their quality of life at some point.
Players arrive at training camp each summer with two things on their mind. Number one is money. Every NFL player is always trying to get a new contract, justify their current contract, or rob their team blind by getting paid as much as possible for producing absolutely nothing (shoutout to JaMarcus Russell). Once they are done thinking about their current or future financial situation, their attention moves to the second thing on their mind, trying to win a championship. All 32 teams begin training camp focused on being one of the 12 remaining at the end of the season that earns the opportunity to compete in the playoffs for a trip to the Super Bowl. Players on the 20 non-playoff teams try their best to cope with the fact that they simply weren’t good enough.
The top four playoff teams all have a bye, which lets them rest up for a week before hosting the winners of this week’s wild card games. Who will win this week’s games? I’m glad you asked, because I now present to you, my picks for all four of this weekend’s games.
Bengals vs. Texans
For the first time in franchise history, the Houston Texans will be playing a playoff game. Also for the first time in franchise history, the Houston Texans will lose a playoff game. If Matt Schaub were healthy and playing in this game, I would pick the Texans in a rout. If I had any confidence in Andre Johnsons hamstring that forced him to sit out nine games this season, I would pick the Texans in a close game. However, Matt Schaub is out and no one knows if Johnson will be able to finish the game. The Texans will be starting rookie TJ Yates, and his back-up will be everyone’s favorite interception machine, Jake Delhomme. The Texans will still be able to run the ball relatively well, but I feel as though the Bengals simply have the better team. This will be a low scoring game because both teams have really good defenses and will be starting rookie quarterbacks. Cincinnati has the better of the two rookie QB’s in Andy Dalton. He also has AJ Greene (the skinny Andre Johnson) to throw to, which means that they will have the ability to make the big play when it is needed in the fourth quarter. Cedric Benson, the most consistently mediocre running back in the NFL, will have his typical 84 yard rushing day with no touchdowns.
Prediction: Bengals 17 – Texans 13
Falcons vs. Giants
These are two very evenly matched teams. This should be a very good football game, with the outcome decided late. I really feel bad for both Eli Manning and Matt Ryan in this game, because they both play behind somewhat suspect offensive lines, and will be facing ferocious pass rushers in John Abraham (Falcons), Justin Tuck (Giants), and Jason Pierre-Paul (Giants). Fortunately for the Falcons they have a strong running back in Michael Turner. Unfortunately for the Falcons, their offensive coordinator (Mike Mularkey) often forgets that Michael Turner is a member of the team. They simply don’t run the ball enough, and I fully expect that trend to continue on Sunday. If this game were being played in Atlanta, I would definitely pick the Falcons. However, this game will take place in New York, which means one thing. Matt Ryan will play like crap. Ryan has lost 19 games in his four years as the QB of the Falcons. Of those 19 losses, 15 of them have been on the road. He simply can’t be trusted outside of 285. Since this game is taking place waaaaaaaaaaay outside of 285, and I simply don’t trust the Falcons offensive line against the Giants defensive, I will be taking the Giants to win this game.
Prediction: Giants 28 – Falcons 24
Steelers vs. Broncos
The fact that the Denver Broncos will be playing against a ferocious defense with a quarterback who is yet to master the forward pass will be a big problem. That is all that is necessary to say about this game.
Prediction: Steelers 24 – Broncos 9
Lions vs. Saints
I intentionally saved this game for last for two reasons. First of all, this is the GAME OF THE WEEK! This game will have offensive stars all over the field. On one side you have Drew Brees who is at the top of his game. His receivers aren’t household names to the casual football fan, but they don’t have to be because his passes are so accurate that they can’t avoid catching it. Even when he misses, he doesn’t miss. His passing skills are the polar opposite of the quarterback that I didn’t mention in the previous paragraph. On the opposite sideline, you will find Matthew Stafford, who threw for over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns this season. While Brees spreads the ball around and throws to whoever happens to be open on a particular play, Stafford has been blessed with a receiver that he can throw to whether he is open or not. He goes by the name of Calvin Johnson, a.k.a. The Best Receiver in the League. If you like, you can also start calling him by his newest nickname which he will begin answering to at some point during this off-season when he gets a new contract. That would be Really Rich Black Man. These are two prolific offenses that can and will score on anybody. Therefore, this game will be decided by the defenses. Don’t get me wrong, both teams will score at least 30 and quite possibly 40 points, but one defense will make just enough plays to force the other team to punt more than once, which will be the difference in this game. That being said, the second reason that I chose to discuss this game last is because, it is my UPSET SPECIAL! Detroit has a ferocious pass-rush, and a defense that has a knack for creating turnovers. Therefore, I have more faith in them to make a big play than I do the Saints defense. This will be a high-scoring game that will be fun to watch. I fully expect both defenses to play relatively well, but the offenses are simply better than the defenses in this matchup. This game is scheduled for an 8:20 pm kickoff on Saturday night. Since both teams will throw the ball at least 40 times, and there will be a lot of scoring, expect this game to run to around midnight. Make sure you have plenty of Yuengling (root beer for all of the underage people reading this) is in the fridge, and sit back, relax and enjoy the show.
Prediction: Lions 41 – Saints 35
LSU vs. Alabama
You are probably saying to yourself, “This is a college game, why is it included in the blog about the NFL playoffs?” That would be a good question to ask, if this was actually a college football game. This is actually a NFL game; the players simply aren’t old enough for it to be official. Therefore, they will be representing academic institutions instead. As you all know, I am not a big college football fan. I mostly just watch to see future NFL prospects, which I mostly do through watching clips online so that I won’t have to sit through entire games. Much like the first time they met earlier this season, I will be glued to the television to see this extremely high level of defensive football (which I love) played by clearly the two best college teams in the nation. I look for this to be yet another slug-fest that will be won by the team that scores a non-offensive touchdown. Points will be at a premium in this game, and both teams will certainly play it close to the vest offensively and let it all hang out on the defensive side of the ball. I am convinced that Les Miles has the great Nick Satan (sorry, I meant Saban, I said I was going to stop calling him that) shook. The last time they met, Satan (oops!) sent out both of Alabama’s kickers to attempt a total of three field goals of more than 40 yards. Note to Saban (I got it that time), the vast majority of college kickers are not consistently capable of making field goals longer than 35 yards. The two or three that can, are usually the two are three that get drafted into the NFL each year. Also after watching the first game against LSU, it is clear that you don’t have one of those two or three special kickers. LSU on the other hand, does have one of those special kickers.
The last time they met, LSU used two quarterbacks. They tried to do the politically correct thing and “punish” their real starting quarterback for his participation in an off-season bar fight, by starting his backup. The backup was good enough to have them undefeated leading up to the Bama game, but was clearly overmatched by the Ravens, I mean Crimson Tide defense. Therefore they decided that it’s not a good idea to punish a good player when a game is actually on the line. The fact that this game will decide the National Championship and undoubtedly lead to an even bigger contract for the winning coach, means that the choir boys will be left on the sidelines, and that all previous off-field transgressions will be ignored. Although both teams have really good offenses (against all other opponents), the defenses will again decide the winner of this game. LSU’s defense is simply better. Although Alabama’s defense is statistically better, against a significantly weaker schedule, anyone who has seen these two teams play can clearly see that LSU’s defense is slightly better. That is why the Tigers will be victorious. The good thing for Crimson Tide fans is that Satan (I knew it wouldn’t last) will only attempt one stupid field goal. It will be on the last play of the game with a chance to send it to overtime. Once again, the kicker will miss from 42 yards out and give LSU the victory.
Prediction: LSU 17 – Alabama 14
And now for my Baller & Scrub of the Week….
BALLER – Charles Barkley’s K-12 English Teachers: This award only goes to his K-12 English teachers because I am pretty sure he didn’t go to class regularly at Auburn. Although they taught him very little, if anything at all, Barkley’s English teachers instilled in him a confidence that totally overrides the fact that he speaks on a third grade level. Don’t get me wrong, Barkley is extremely entertaining as a commentator, and I thoroughly enjoy his knowledge of the game, honesty, and comedic presence. However, I also acknowledge that approximately 60% of the things that come out of his mouth are either mispronounced or simply aren’t words. My favorite word to hear him say is athletic. Yes it seems like a basic word to me and you, but Barkley manages to add both an extra “a”, and an extra syllable. So ath-let-ic to me and you is equal to ath-a-let-ic in the mind of Barkley. Once again shoutout to his English teachers for giving him the confidence needed to make a living by speaking, when he can hardly speak the English language.
SCRUB – Greg McElroy: I could write an entire blog about this idiot. It would be titled, “Scrub Speaks: The Quickest Way Out of the NFL.” If you don’t follow Alabama football, live in the state of Alabama, or your last name is McElroy as well, there is a good chance that you have no idea who this guy is. Greg McElroy is the 4th string quarterback of the NY Jets, who was a seventh round draft pick last year, and spent all season on injured reserve. To sum it up, I bet if you asked every member of the Jets if they knew he was on the team, 75% would say NO! The bottom line is in the world of the NFL, he is a nobody. After the Jets season ended in a disastrous fashion, McElroy took it upon himself to channel his inner-Rex Ryan and run his mouth to the media. He appeared on a radio show and basically said (I am paraphrasing) that the Jets were a team full of selfish individuals, that didn’t care if they won or loss. He also said that the players didn’t care about the team and that they were out for themselves. He went on to say that he had never been around such selfish individuals.
I am not in that locker room, so I really can’t attest to the accuracy of McElroy’s comments. If I were a betting man (which I am not), I would bet that he was dead on. I totally believe everything that he said. The problem with his comments is that THEY WERE MADE BY GREG McELROY! He is a player that can be out of the league if Rex Ryan simply allows Darrelle Revis to have two lockers in the locker room instead of one. He does not matter, and chances are when the Jets cut him (which they certainly will) no other team will bother picking him up. He will then have enough free time to persue his true dream job, talking on the radio. He may even get his own show.
Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress can spend time in jail and still get signed by teams. Rashard Mendenhall can make idiotic statements about 9/11, and not get cut. Terrell Owens could curse out coaches, openly question the sexuality of a teammate, and destroy team chemistry at nearly every turn, and still have a roster spot (when he was healthy). Greg McElroy can be cut for buying Krispy Kreme doughnuts for his teammates when the light wasn’t on, so for airing out the team’s dirty laundry on a radio show, he definitely WILL be cut. WHAT AN IDIOT!
Follow me on twitter @scashhomey
Sunday, March 6, 2011
I LOVE MY CITY, BUT….
Before I get started, I would like to invite everyone reading this to follow me on twitter @scashhomey.
As a person that was born and raised in Atlanta GA, I can say first-hand how great of a city that it is. I love it so much that I chose to attend college and live my adult life here. Honestly, I have never seriously entertained the thought of living anywhere else. Don’t get me wrong, I love to visit other places, but I definitely prefer to call the ATL home. This is a city with great weather, beautiful people, wonderful restaurants, lively night-life, and great venues to see live theatre and music. Why wouldn’t everyone want to live here? This is one of the few cities in America with big-city amenities, and a slow laid back life-style. As a matter of fact, I have met quite a few people who visited in the mid 90’s for a certain “black college festival,” and never left. You know who you are, and you are probably reading this with a reminiscent smile on your face.
Although I love so many things about my city, there is one thing that I absolutely hate about Atlanta. That is the fact that we absolutely suck as a sports town. Our teams epitomize mediocrity and will never be serious contenders for championships, and the fans here are primarily fair weathered who only root for the teams in the playoffs and only attend games when stars from other teams are on the schedule. It’s bad enough when the Hawks run ticket ads advertising the likes of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, but it’s even worse when party promoters are even throwing parties after those games “hosted by” stars from other teams. I guarantee you that Joe Johnson and Josh Smith aren’t hosting any parties in South Beach, and that they aren’t on the cover of the LA Times when the Hawks play the Lakers. This is despicable and it all stems from a city-wide acceptance for mediocrity. I for one am sick of it, and will not accept it any longer.
Atlanta is home to the Falcons (have not had a lot of success in their history, but are really trying these days), the Braves (mediocre and perfectly happy being that way), the Hawks (good enough to make the playoffs, but will never get out of the second round, and that’s OK with them), Georgia Tech (football will forever be average and the basketball team has a coach they can’t/won’t get rid of), and the Thrashers (its hockey, so I don’t care).
Georgia Tech is in a precarious situation. Their football team will never win big on a consistent basis simply because of the location of the school. Sure they may win their division within the ACC every 5 years or so and may even win the ACC Championship once every 10 years, but they will never have any sustainable success. That is because in a sport that is so heavily reliant on recruiting, they are in the worst possible location. They will never be able to out-recruit the University of Georgia, and they will also lose players that they covet to the likes of Florida State, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, and LSU. They don’t have the deep pockets needed to land top recruits who share a financial advisor with Cam Newton, and their academic standards are too high to admit the type of marginal students that SEC football has been built upon. Therefore they will never be big winners, although it is really no fault of their own. The geographic gods simply did not smile upon them.
Before I get to the basketball team, I must first ask, "Why is Paul Hewitt still the coach?" He has done absolutely nothing since the last 2003-2004 season and has missed the NCAA tournament in 6 of his 11 seasons at Tech (I am making the safe assumption that he will miss the tourney this year as well). One thing that Hewitt has proven is that he knows how to recruit the occasional no impact one-and-done player that will be a lottery pick in the NBA. Although these players don’t make impact while at Tech, they blossom into NBA stars (i.e. Chris Bosh and Derrick Favors in a couple of years). That being said, his coaching leaves a lot to be desired. He runs a run of the mill ACC team that is nothing special and has been playing in a virtually empty gym for the last two years. I always thought that Tech was a sleeping giant in the ACC, waiting to emerge and regain the status that is once enjoyed among the league’s elite. However, Hewitt has put the program into a deep hibernation that looks like it will be impossible to recover from all while happily collecting his $1 million plus annual salary.
The Braves are a franchise with a self-imposed budget in a sport in which the teams that spend the most usually win. Baseball is a sport where you really can buy a championship. Of all of the major sports, chemistry and teamwork matters least in baseball, which is why an owner can simply buy the best players he can find and they can win. The Braves are run by a faceless corporation as an investment property that they expect to return a designated annual return on their investment. This means that winning is not the priority, which begs me to ask why they won’t simply sell the team to someone who actually wants to own a baseball team and will not treat it as simply a line item on a balance sheet. The Braves in recent years have managed to have just enough talent to win the Wild Card and get slaughtered in the first round, and my feeling is that they have that as a stated goal again this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if new manager Fredi Gonzalez stands in front of the team after clinching the NL Wild Card this season and simply says, “Good job guys, mission accomplished. No go ahead and book your vacations to start after game three of this first round series.” Then all of the guys will cheer and pat themselves on the back, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
The Falcons are trying their best to build a winner and fight for respect in the NFL. Arthur Blank has hired a brilliant GM, who has in-turn hired a good head coach and drafted a quarterback that has been solid and has a promising future. That being said, they are still not a well respected franchise in the NFL. Although they went 13 – 3 last season and were the #1 seed going into the NFC playoffs, did anyone really expect them to make the Super Bowl? This is a solid team that is being built the right way, but they will never be fully embraced by this city for one simple reason. They lack a super-star. When they win, they will be embraced by a ton of bandwagon fans, but they won’t develop a true and loyal fan base in this city because they lack the superstar player. The Falcons were tremendously popular when they had Michael Vick, because he was a transcendent star. He is now gone, and the team will never be embraced the same way again. That is largely because this is a terrible sports town. In Atlanta, people will go to the games if it is considered the “it” thing to do, or if it is the place where they can see and be seen. Unfortunately the Georgia Dome is not that place.
The Hawks have frustrated me to no end. This is the only team in the city that I considered myself a true fan of. I watched them grow from nothing to the peaks of mediocrity. The problem is that once they got to mediocrity they forgot to look up and see if there existed anything beyond that. Until this year, I watched about 75 Hawks games per season. Although they were bad in the beginning, it was fun watching a young and exciting team develop. I didn’t care if they got their brains bashed in each night, I simply enjoyed watching the process and I felt as though I was in on the ground floor of something special. Well, I was wrong. What this team was building towards was nothing special at all. Instead of a team developing into a serious championship contender, we have a team that is good enough to be the fourth or fifth best team in their conference, and who is yet to win a second round playoff game. I didn’t say series, I said GAME! This year, I have probably watched about 10 Hawks games in their entirety. Not because I don’t want them to do well or because I don’t feel like they will win the championship (I didn’t expect them to win it this year or anytime soon for that matter), it’s just that I have seen this movie before. It is a very frustrating feeling to watch other teams make moves to get better, while your favorite team simply stays the same. When Miami signed LeBron James and Chris Bosh, we countered by overpaying Joe Johnson and signing Josh Powell. When the Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony, we traded for Kirk Henrik. When Boston deepened their bench by trading for Jeff Green and signing Troy Murphy, we get Hilton Armstrong. Is anyone noticing a trend here? I am fan of teams making an effort, but unfortunately I live in a city where none of the teams (except the Falcons of late) are making a legitimate effort.
The bottom line is that I love my city, and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else (unless I was being paid an obscene amount of money). But sometimes the sports fan in me wishes that he could live in Boston where the Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots start each season with the goal of winning a championship and spend each off-season figuring out a way to reach that goal. Maybe that part of me would like to live in Chicago where the Bulls seem to be building something special and the Bears are trying their hardest to become winners again. Or is the place to be now New York, where the Yankees are well, the Yankees and the Knicks are in the midst of building a serious championship contender. Truth be told, I don’t want the sports fan in me to leave my city. I would rather the teams in my city take their cue from these other cities and work to satisfy the sports fan within me and every other real sports fan in Atlanta.
Once again, be sure to follow me on twitter @scashhomey.
As a person that was born and raised in Atlanta GA, I can say first-hand how great of a city that it is. I love it so much that I chose to attend college and live my adult life here. Honestly, I have never seriously entertained the thought of living anywhere else. Don’t get me wrong, I love to visit other places, but I definitely prefer to call the ATL home. This is a city with great weather, beautiful people, wonderful restaurants, lively night-life, and great venues to see live theatre and music. Why wouldn’t everyone want to live here? This is one of the few cities in America with big-city amenities, and a slow laid back life-style. As a matter of fact, I have met quite a few people who visited in the mid 90’s for a certain “black college festival,” and never left. You know who you are, and you are probably reading this with a reminiscent smile on your face.
Although I love so many things about my city, there is one thing that I absolutely hate about Atlanta. That is the fact that we absolutely suck as a sports town. Our teams epitomize mediocrity and will never be serious contenders for championships, and the fans here are primarily fair weathered who only root for the teams in the playoffs and only attend games when stars from other teams are on the schedule. It’s bad enough when the Hawks run ticket ads advertising the likes of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, but it’s even worse when party promoters are even throwing parties after those games “hosted by” stars from other teams. I guarantee you that Joe Johnson and Josh Smith aren’t hosting any parties in South Beach, and that they aren’t on the cover of the LA Times when the Hawks play the Lakers. This is despicable and it all stems from a city-wide acceptance for mediocrity. I for one am sick of it, and will not accept it any longer.
Atlanta is home to the Falcons (have not had a lot of success in their history, but are really trying these days), the Braves (mediocre and perfectly happy being that way), the Hawks (good enough to make the playoffs, but will never get out of the second round, and that’s OK with them), Georgia Tech (football will forever be average and the basketball team has a coach they can’t/won’t get rid of), and the Thrashers (its hockey, so I don’t care).
Georgia Tech is in a precarious situation. Their football team will never win big on a consistent basis simply because of the location of the school. Sure they may win their division within the ACC every 5 years or so and may even win the ACC Championship once every 10 years, but they will never have any sustainable success. That is because in a sport that is so heavily reliant on recruiting, they are in the worst possible location. They will never be able to out-recruit the University of Georgia, and they will also lose players that they covet to the likes of Florida State, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, and LSU. They don’t have the deep pockets needed to land top recruits who share a financial advisor with Cam Newton, and their academic standards are too high to admit the type of marginal students that SEC football has been built upon. Therefore they will never be big winners, although it is really no fault of their own. The geographic gods simply did not smile upon them.
Before I get to the basketball team, I must first ask, "Why is Paul Hewitt still the coach?" He has done absolutely nothing since the last 2003-2004 season and has missed the NCAA tournament in 6 of his 11 seasons at Tech (I am making the safe assumption that he will miss the tourney this year as well). One thing that Hewitt has proven is that he knows how to recruit the occasional no impact one-and-done player that will be a lottery pick in the NBA. Although these players don’t make impact while at Tech, they blossom into NBA stars (i.e. Chris Bosh and Derrick Favors in a couple of years). That being said, his coaching leaves a lot to be desired. He runs a run of the mill ACC team that is nothing special and has been playing in a virtually empty gym for the last two years. I always thought that Tech was a sleeping giant in the ACC, waiting to emerge and regain the status that is once enjoyed among the league’s elite. However, Hewitt has put the program into a deep hibernation that looks like it will be impossible to recover from all while happily collecting his $1 million plus annual salary.
The Braves are a franchise with a self-imposed budget in a sport in which the teams that spend the most usually win. Baseball is a sport where you really can buy a championship. Of all of the major sports, chemistry and teamwork matters least in baseball, which is why an owner can simply buy the best players he can find and they can win. The Braves are run by a faceless corporation as an investment property that they expect to return a designated annual return on their investment. This means that winning is not the priority, which begs me to ask why they won’t simply sell the team to someone who actually wants to own a baseball team and will not treat it as simply a line item on a balance sheet. The Braves in recent years have managed to have just enough talent to win the Wild Card and get slaughtered in the first round, and my feeling is that they have that as a stated goal again this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if new manager Fredi Gonzalez stands in front of the team after clinching the NL Wild Card this season and simply says, “Good job guys, mission accomplished. No go ahead and book your vacations to start after game three of this first round series.” Then all of the guys will cheer and pat themselves on the back, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
The Falcons are trying their best to build a winner and fight for respect in the NFL. Arthur Blank has hired a brilliant GM, who has in-turn hired a good head coach and drafted a quarterback that has been solid and has a promising future. That being said, they are still not a well respected franchise in the NFL. Although they went 13 – 3 last season and were the #1 seed going into the NFC playoffs, did anyone really expect them to make the Super Bowl? This is a solid team that is being built the right way, but they will never be fully embraced by this city for one simple reason. They lack a super-star. When they win, they will be embraced by a ton of bandwagon fans, but they won’t develop a true and loyal fan base in this city because they lack the superstar player. The Falcons were tremendously popular when they had Michael Vick, because he was a transcendent star. He is now gone, and the team will never be embraced the same way again. That is largely because this is a terrible sports town. In Atlanta, people will go to the games if it is considered the “it” thing to do, or if it is the place where they can see and be seen. Unfortunately the Georgia Dome is not that place.
The Hawks have frustrated me to no end. This is the only team in the city that I considered myself a true fan of. I watched them grow from nothing to the peaks of mediocrity. The problem is that once they got to mediocrity they forgot to look up and see if there existed anything beyond that. Until this year, I watched about 75 Hawks games per season. Although they were bad in the beginning, it was fun watching a young and exciting team develop. I didn’t care if they got their brains bashed in each night, I simply enjoyed watching the process and I felt as though I was in on the ground floor of something special. Well, I was wrong. What this team was building towards was nothing special at all. Instead of a team developing into a serious championship contender, we have a team that is good enough to be the fourth or fifth best team in their conference, and who is yet to win a second round playoff game. I didn’t say series, I said GAME! This year, I have probably watched about 10 Hawks games in their entirety. Not because I don’t want them to do well or because I don’t feel like they will win the championship (I didn’t expect them to win it this year or anytime soon for that matter), it’s just that I have seen this movie before. It is a very frustrating feeling to watch other teams make moves to get better, while your favorite team simply stays the same. When Miami signed LeBron James and Chris Bosh, we countered by overpaying Joe Johnson and signing Josh Powell. When the Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony, we traded for Kirk Henrik. When Boston deepened their bench by trading for Jeff Green and signing Troy Murphy, we get Hilton Armstrong. Is anyone noticing a trend here? I am fan of teams making an effort, but unfortunately I live in a city where none of the teams (except the Falcons of late) are making a legitimate effort.
The bottom line is that I love my city, and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else (unless I was being paid an obscene amount of money). But sometimes the sports fan in me wishes that he could live in Boston where the Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots start each season with the goal of winning a championship and spend each off-season figuring out a way to reach that goal. Maybe that part of me would like to live in Chicago where the Bulls seem to be building something special and the Bears are trying their hardest to become winners again. Or is the place to be now New York, where the Yankees are well, the Yankees and the Knicks are in the midst of building a serious championship contender. Truth be told, I don’t want the sports fan in me to leave my city. I would rather the teams in my city take their cue from these other cities and work to satisfy the sports fan within me and every other real sports fan in Atlanta.
Once again, be sure to follow me on twitter @scashhomey.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
JUST MY THOUGHTS, JUST WHAT I WAS FEELING AT THE TIME, RIGHT OR WRONG
I know, I know, I have been away for a while. School and work have kept me pretty busy over the last few weeks, BUT I AM BACK NOW!!!! Since I haven’t written anything since the NFL season officially started, I decided that I would simply give you my thoughts on the things that have happened up to this point (5 pm on Sunday, September 27th). Today’s early games are done, so I will have some thoughts on those as well.
First of all, the DETROIT LIONS came through for me. I picked them as one of my upsets of the week, and THEY TOOK DOWN THE PATHETIC DEANGELO HALL LED WASHINGTON REDSKINS!!!!
After watching Jason Campbell play so far this season, I now totally understand why the Redskins tried so hard to replace him this off-season. Initially, I felt bad for him, but now I understand why they don’t want him anymore. YOU ARE THE FIRST QUARTERBACK TO LOSE TO THE LIONS SINCE DECEMBER 23, 2007. THAT WAS DURING THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION!!!! I hate to say this, but Jason Campbell days as an NFL starter are numbered.
To date, my top three running backs which all happen to be named Adrian Peterson currently have 357 rushing yards through three games. Peterson is 1,748 yards behind Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record. He has to average 134 yards per game for the rest of the season to break the record. Stay tuned, I will be tracking his progress throughout the season. If I were a betting man, which I am not, I would bet that he is going to break the record this year.
Speaking of the Vikings, shout out to the Diva that I love to hate. For those of you who haven’t been paying attention, I am referring to Brett Favre. The game winning touchdown pass against the 49ers was amazing. As amazing as that play was, I would be remised if I didn’t warn Viking fans to temper their excitement. This is what Brett Favre does; he makes amazing plays to win big games. But he also throws lots of picks to lose big games. So enjoy this week, because he could very easily throw you out of the game next week.
Please raise your hand if you thought the Tennessee Titans would be 0 – 3 after three games. I certainly didn’t. Now to be perfectly honest, I picked them to finish third in their division (behind the Colts & Texans), but I never imagined that they would be 0 – 3 (especially with Future Hall of Famer Vince Young still on the sidelines).
Mike Singletary has proven to be a much better head coach than any of us could have expected. The fact that the 49ers are 2 – 1 with wins over the Cardinals & Seahawks and a last second loss to the Vikings, shows that he definitely has them on the right track.
Speaking of the 49ers. Where’s Waldo? I mean Crabtree. I don’t know if he realizes it or not, but they don’t exactly miss you right now. It will probably be in your best interest to take the $20 million and join the party, because you are losing leverage with every Shaun Hill touchdown pass. Sorry, bad analogy. I mean to say with every victory because they are hardly throwing the ball.
Speaking of touchdown passes, when did Joe Flacco morph into Dan Marino? He has already thrown for 839 yards and 6 touchdowns. He has already had 2 – 300 yard passing games. Last season, he had the exact same number of 300 yard passing games as I did.
Did anyone reading this ever think that they would see the day when the Pittsburgh Steelers were among the worst rushing teams in the NFL? Their ground game is pathetic. Look for Willie Parker to be removed from the starting lineup soon, simply because they are going to have to try something else. Also remember, they did use a first-round pick on his backup.
Why haven’t the fans in Carolina voted to impeach Jake Delhomme? Why didn’t the Carolina coaching staff and front office bring in a competent backup when they lost Josh McCown for the season? How many picks will Jake throw this season? How many picks does Jake have to throw before Steve Smith punches him in the face (you know he loves doing that to teammates)?
RAY LEWIS IS STILL AWESOME! Check out his game winning tackle below.
Why did Leodis (that is really his name) McKelvin bring that kickoff out of the end zone? Not only should he have known better, but his coaches should have told him to take a knee in that situation if the kick goes into the end zone. Furthermore, he should have fell down on first contact instead of fighting (and exposing the ball) for two extra yards.
How awesome is Peyton Manning? Last week the Dolphins outgained the Colts on the ground 239 yards to 61 yards. The Dolphins also ran 87 offensive plays to the Colts 35. The Dolphins also had the ball for 45:07 of the 60 minute game. And guess what, the Colts still won 27 - 23, because Manning simply scored virtually every time they got the ball (with no threat of a running game). He was also playing with two new recievers. That's all that I have to say about that.
How cold hearted is Bill Belichick? Not only did he trade Richard Seymour, but he sent him to Oakland. Can you imagine how it must feel to be a Patriot one day and then a Raider the next? That’s like winning your first Video Music Award only to have Kanye West deliver your speech. You went from being happy to wondering what in the world happened. To make matters worse, Belichick wasn’t even man enough to tell Seymour (a player that helped him win three Super Bowls) face to face that he had been traded. He told him over the phone. WHAT A SPINELESS BUSTER! I have no respect for that guy. That was a MAJOR MAN-LAW VIOLATION! If I were Tom Brady, I would watch my back when dealing with that guy. Look at how he has treated such players as Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law, Mike Vrabel, Drew Bledsoe, Willie McGinist, and most recently Seymour. If your knee doesn’t return to form very quickly, you will be the Rams starting quarterback next season.
Last but not least, who will win a game first the Buccaneers or the Rams? They don’t play each other this year, so I am really beginning to wonder if one or both of these teams can follow in the Lions footsteps. There aren’t simply two teams who haven’t won a game yet, THESE ARE TWO TERRIBLY PATHETIC TEAMS!!!! I hate to say this, but the Cleveland Browns (with Anderson at QB) would handle both of them. Now that tells you how bad they are.
These are just my thoughts on the NFL season thus far. Feel free to respond to any of these thoughts, or chime in with some thoughts or observations of your own.
AND NOW FOR MY BALLER AND SCRUB OF THE WEEK!
BALLER: Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings) - I am fair. I will beat you up for throwing picks and acting like a DIVA, but I will also give you props for one of the best game winning plays that I have ever seen in my life. GREAT JOB! But don't get it twisted, when you throw four picks, with one of them being the one that seals a loss for your team (you know its comming), you will be the SCRUB OF THE WEEK. However, this week you saved the day. So you are the Baller of the Week. Congrats!
SCRUB: Atlanta Falcons Defensive Line - I just wanted to chime in and let you all know that in football, IT IS OK TO RUSH THE PASSER! YOU CAN EVEN HIT OF SACK HIM IF YOU GET THERE IN TIME! You guys were terrible against the Patriots. Last I checked the Patriots did not exactly have a stellar offensive line. If you don't believe me, ask the Giants, Jets, and Bills. In case you haven't noticed, the secondary isn't exactly filled with Hall of Famer's who can cover for 8 seconds (which is about how much time Brady had in the pocket). He could have finished reading War & Peace during each play, with the amount of time you were giving him. YOU GUYS HAVE GOT TO DO BETTER THAN THAT!
First of all, the DETROIT LIONS came through for me. I picked them as one of my upsets of the week, and THEY TOOK DOWN THE PATHETIC DEANGELO HALL LED WASHINGTON REDSKINS!!!!
After watching Jason Campbell play so far this season, I now totally understand why the Redskins tried so hard to replace him this off-season. Initially, I felt bad for him, but now I understand why they don’t want him anymore. YOU ARE THE FIRST QUARTERBACK TO LOSE TO THE LIONS SINCE DECEMBER 23, 2007. THAT WAS DURING THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION!!!! I hate to say this, but Jason Campbell days as an NFL starter are numbered.
To date, my top three running backs which all happen to be named Adrian Peterson currently have 357 rushing yards through three games. Peterson is 1,748 yards behind Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record. He has to average 134 yards per game for the rest of the season to break the record. Stay tuned, I will be tracking his progress throughout the season. If I were a betting man, which I am not, I would bet that he is going to break the record this year.
Speaking of the Vikings, shout out to the Diva that I love to hate. For those of you who haven’t been paying attention, I am referring to Brett Favre. The game winning touchdown pass against the 49ers was amazing. As amazing as that play was, I would be remised if I didn’t warn Viking fans to temper their excitement. This is what Brett Favre does; he makes amazing plays to win big games. But he also throws lots of picks to lose big games. So enjoy this week, because he could very easily throw you out of the game next week.
Please raise your hand if you thought the Tennessee Titans would be 0 – 3 after three games. I certainly didn’t. Now to be perfectly honest, I picked them to finish third in their division (behind the Colts & Texans), but I never imagined that they would be 0 – 3 (especially with Future Hall of Famer Vince Young still on the sidelines).
Mike Singletary has proven to be a much better head coach than any of us could have expected. The fact that the 49ers are 2 – 1 with wins over the Cardinals & Seahawks and a last second loss to the Vikings, shows that he definitely has them on the right track.
Speaking of the 49ers. Where’s Waldo? I mean Crabtree. I don’t know if he realizes it or not, but they don’t exactly miss you right now. It will probably be in your best interest to take the $20 million and join the party, because you are losing leverage with every Shaun Hill touchdown pass. Sorry, bad analogy. I mean to say with every victory because they are hardly throwing the ball.
Speaking of touchdown passes, when did Joe Flacco morph into Dan Marino? He has already thrown for 839 yards and 6 touchdowns. He has already had 2 – 300 yard passing games. Last season, he had the exact same number of 300 yard passing games as I did.
Did anyone reading this ever think that they would see the day when the Pittsburgh Steelers were among the worst rushing teams in the NFL? Their ground game is pathetic. Look for Willie Parker to be removed from the starting lineup soon, simply because they are going to have to try something else. Also remember, they did use a first-round pick on his backup.
Why haven’t the fans in Carolina voted to impeach Jake Delhomme? Why didn’t the Carolina coaching staff and front office bring in a competent backup when they lost Josh McCown for the season? How many picks will Jake throw this season? How many picks does Jake have to throw before Steve Smith punches him in the face (you know he loves doing that to teammates)?
RAY LEWIS IS STILL AWESOME! Check out his game winning tackle below.
Why did Leodis (that is really his name) McKelvin bring that kickoff out of the end zone? Not only should he have known better, but his coaches should have told him to take a knee in that situation if the kick goes into the end zone. Furthermore, he should have fell down on first contact instead of fighting (and exposing the ball) for two extra yards.
How awesome is Peyton Manning? Last week the Dolphins outgained the Colts on the ground 239 yards to 61 yards. The Dolphins also ran 87 offensive plays to the Colts 35. The Dolphins also had the ball for 45:07 of the 60 minute game. And guess what, the Colts still won 27 - 23, because Manning simply scored virtually every time they got the ball (with no threat of a running game). He was also playing with two new recievers. That's all that I have to say about that.
How cold hearted is Bill Belichick? Not only did he trade Richard Seymour, but he sent him to Oakland. Can you imagine how it must feel to be a Patriot one day and then a Raider the next? That’s like winning your first Video Music Award only to have Kanye West deliver your speech. You went from being happy to wondering what in the world happened. To make matters worse, Belichick wasn’t even man enough to tell Seymour (a player that helped him win three Super Bowls) face to face that he had been traded. He told him over the phone. WHAT A SPINELESS BUSTER! I have no respect for that guy. That was a MAJOR MAN-LAW VIOLATION! If I were Tom Brady, I would watch my back when dealing with that guy. Look at how he has treated such players as Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law, Mike Vrabel, Drew Bledsoe, Willie McGinist, and most recently Seymour. If your knee doesn’t return to form very quickly, you will be the Rams starting quarterback next season.
Last but not least, who will win a game first the Buccaneers or the Rams? They don’t play each other this year, so I am really beginning to wonder if one or both of these teams can follow in the Lions footsteps. There aren’t simply two teams who haven’t won a game yet, THESE ARE TWO TERRIBLY PATHETIC TEAMS!!!! I hate to say this, but the Cleveland Browns (with Anderson at QB) would handle both of them. Now that tells you how bad they are.
These are just my thoughts on the NFL season thus far. Feel free to respond to any of these thoughts, or chime in with some thoughts or observations of your own.
AND NOW FOR MY BALLER AND SCRUB OF THE WEEK!
BALLER: Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings) - I am fair. I will beat you up for throwing picks and acting like a DIVA, but I will also give you props for one of the best game winning plays that I have ever seen in my life. GREAT JOB! But don't get it twisted, when you throw four picks, with one of them being the one that seals a loss for your team (you know its comming), you will be the SCRUB OF THE WEEK. However, this week you saved the day. So you are the Baller of the Week. Congrats!
SCRUB: Atlanta Falcons Defensive Line - I just wanted to chime in and let you all know that in football, IT IS OK TO RUSH THE PASSER! YOU CAN EVEN HIT OF SACK HIM IF YOU GET THERE IN TIME! You guys were terrible against the Patriots. Last I checked the Patriots did not exactly have a stellar offensive line. If you don't believe me, ask the Giants, Jets, and Bills. In case you haven't noticed, the secondary isn't exactly filled with Hall of Famer's who can cover for 8 seconds (which is about how much time Brady had in the pocket). He could have finished reading War & Peace during each play, with the amount of time you were giving him. YOU GUYS HAVE GOT TO DO BETTER THAN THAT!
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!!!!
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