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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
Showing posts with label lsu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lsu. Show all posts
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Hello strangers and welcome back to what will soon be the best sports blog on the World Wide Web. The fact that we have been strangers lately is all my fault. After an extended hiatus from writing, I am back and better than ever. My New Year’s Resolution is to be dedicated to bringing you my commentary on the ever-eventful world of sports and to make this blog a weekly must read for everyone (watch out MMQB, I’m coming for you.)
I could spend this time reflecting over the things that took place during our time apart, but that would be no fun. Instead, I am going to turn on the recent 2chainz mixtape (yeah, I’m just as shocked as you are that I think it’s dope) and look into the future to tell you what should/will happen in 2012 in the games that we all love.
THE MIAMI HEAT WILL WIN THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP – All of the Heat/LeBron haters might as well get over themselves. This is the year that they start their string of championships. This is a short NBA season with lots of back to back to back games, so you can pretty much eliminate all of the older teams from contention (that means you Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, and Mavericks). Russell Westbrook and his desire for a better shoe contract and more TV airtime is determined to let his jealousy of Kevin Durant destroy the Thunder’s chances (more on that later). The Clippers and Knicks are both exciting and intriguing, however they are not quite ready yet. So that pretty much leaves Memphis in the west, and Miami in the east as the primary contenders. That being said, I would like to draw your attention back to my original statement in bold letters above.
RAJON RONDO SHOULD BE TRADED FOR RUSSELL WESTBROOK – This could quite possibly be the most fair trade in NBA history. It would benefit both teams as well as both players personally. Russell Westbrook is clearly jealous of Kevin Durant and is also angry that his mom continues to buy him the Robin costume on Halloween, while Durant gets to be Batman every single year. He would love to be on a team where he can truly be a poor man’s Derrick Rose. Westbrook would like nothing more than to be the first, second, and third option on some team, regardless of whether they are regular title contenders are not. Westbrook is the classic case of the athlete who readily acknowledges that while there is indeed no “I” in team, there is definitely a “ME”. Rondo on the other hand, is the classic team first point guard who enjoys getting assists, steals, and rebounds much more than he enjoys scoring. All he cares about is winning, and making his teammates look good. Rondo has been perfect for Boston while playing with Jesus Shuttlesworth, KG, and Pierce. However, that trinity is at the end of their line and it is now time for Boston to rebuild. They will definitely need more scoring in the coming years, which simply isn’t Rondo’s game. What they need is a combo-guard who happens to play the point and enjoys shooting more than he enjoys (I’ll let you fill in your own word/phrase here). That guy currently resides in Oklahoma City. In Boston, Westbrook will get to be the center-piece of a rebuilding team, where he would be able to put up 30 shots a night. While Rondo can go to the Thunder and be the perfect person to serve beautiful assists to Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka. He will instantly turn them into the only team in the league that could actually compete with the HEAT. This is one case where trading “team first” for “me first” will actually benefit everyone.
PEYTON MANNING WILL BE A JET – I am that rare NFL fan with no real loyalty or allegiance to any team(s). However, I do have favorite players. My favorite NFL player is without a doubt Peyton Manning (he is the best to ever do it in my opinion). That being said, I have obviously been partial to the Colts during his tenure there. Although it pains me to see him move on to another franchise, I know in my heart of hearts that it is time for Peyton to move on. The Colts will draft Andrew Luck (if they land the first pick) or Robert Griffith III in April’s draft, which will mean that it is time for them to move on from Manning. With the new rookie pay-scale in place, the Colts will be able to have four years of service from one of these young guns for less than they would have to pay Peyton for one season. Manning will be 36 years old when next season starts and has had multiple neck surgeries. As a franchise, you simply can’t afford to keep him in this post-JaMarcus Russell era in the NFL (where top picks are much cheaper). That being said, look for the Rex Ryan and the Jets to pay Peyton whatever he wants to become a jet. Rex wouldn’t care if Cooper Manning wanted to play wide receiver, he’d give him a uniform if it meant Peyton was coming. There are some reading this now saying, “but they already have a quarterback in Mark Sanchez.” To those people I say SLAP YOURSELF! If you thought that Minnesota’s pursuit of Favre was bad, you just wait until Rex hears that Peyton Manning is available. Once Sanchez is cut, I fully expect he and his fellow Trojan bust Matt Leinart to do a Reality TV show. I don’t know what it will be about, but that seems to be what all of the washed up celebrities do these days.
MY HOMETOWN ATLANTA HAWKS WILL NOT WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP – I just couldn’t conclude this blog without this statement. The Hawks lost Jamal Crawford this off-season and brought in Tracy McGrady (which would have been awesome 8 years ago), Jerry Stackhouse, and Jenerro Pargo. That is all I have to say about that.
And now for my Baller & Scrub of the Week….
BALLER – Metta World Peace a.k.a The Baller Formerly Known As Ron Artest: I am not a Lakers fan by any stretch of the imagination and I hate Kobe Bryant more than Gucci Mane hates his freedom. That being said, I will be watching every Lakers game that comes on television just to hear the following phrases: “World Peace for Three!”, “Great Defense by World Peace”, “The Assist to World Peace”, “Stop Shooting so Damn Much Kobe and Give World Peace a Chance!”
SCRUB – The NCAA: There are 834 bowl games inundating my television this holiday season and only two matter. The Rose Bowl (nope, not because of tradition) because Oregon’s uniforms are going to be so damn cool, and the National Championship Game because LSU and Alabama are two teams that should be playing in the AFC South and not the SEC. I’ve said it once, and I will continue saying it until it is no longer true, THE NCAA SUCKS!!!!!!!
I could spend this time reflecting over the things that took place during our time apart, but that would be no fun. Instead, I am going to turn on the recent 2chainz mixtape (yeah, I’m just as shocked as you are that I think it’s dope) and look into the future to tell you what should/will happen in 2012 in the games that we all love.
THE MIAMI HEAT WILL WIN THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP – All of the Heat/LeBron haters might as well get over themselves. This is the year that they start their string of championships. This is a short NBA season with lots of back to back to back games, so you can pretty much eliminate all of the older teams from contention (that means you Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, and Mavericks). Russell Westbrook and his desire for a better shoe contract and more TV airtime is determined to let his jealousy of Kevin Durant destroy the Thunder’s chances (more on that later). The Clippers and Knicks are both exciting and intriguing, however they are not quite ready yet. So that pretty much leaves Memphis in the west, and Miami in the east as the primary contenders. That being said, I would like to draw your attention back to my original statement in bold letters above.
RAJON RONDO SHOULD BE TRADED FOR RUSSELL WESTBROOK – This could quite possibly be the most fair trade in NBA history. It would benefit both teams as well as both players personally. Russell Westbrook is clearly jealous of Kevin Durant and is also angry that his mom continues to buy him the Robin costume on Halloween, while Durant gets to be Batman every single year. He would love to be on a team where he can truly be a poor man’s Derrick Rose. Westbrook would like nothing more than to be the first, second, and third option on some team, regardless of whether they are regular title contenders are not. Westbrook is the classic case of the athlete who readily acknowledges that while there is indeed no “I” in team, there is definitely a “ME”. Rondo on the other hand, is the classic team first point guard who enjoys getting assists, steals, and rebounds much more than he enjoys scoring. All he cares about is winning, and making his teammates look good. Rondo has been perfect for Boston while playing with Jesus Shuttlesworth, KG, and Pierce. However, that trinity is at the end of their line and it is now time for Boston to rebuild. They will definitely need more scoring in the coming years, which simply isn’t Rondo’s game. What they need is a combo-guard who happens to play the point and enjoys shooting more than he enjoys (I’ll let you fill in your own word/phrase here). That guy currently resides in Oklahoma City. In Boston, Westbrook will get to be the center-piece of a rebuilding team, where he would be able to put up 30 shots a night. While Rondo can go to the Thunder and be the perfect person to serve beautiful assists to Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka. He will instantly turn them into the only team in the league that could actually compete with the HEAT. This is one case where trading “team first” for “me first” will actually benefit everyone.
PEYTON MANNING WILL BE A JET – I am that rare NFL fan with no real loyalty or allegiance to any team(s). However, I do have favorite players. My favorite NFL player is without a doubt Peyton Manning (he is the best to ever do it in my opinion). That being said, I have obviously been partial to the Colts during his tenure there. Although it pains me to see him move on to another franchise, I know in my heart of hearts that it is time for Peyton to move on. The Colts will draft Andrew Luck (if they land the first pick) or Robert Griffith III in April’s draft, which will mean that it is time for them to move on from Manning. With the new rookie pay-scale in place, the Colts will be able to have four years of service from one of these young guns for less than they would have to pay Peyton for one season. Manning will be 36 years old when next season starts and has had multiple neck surgeries. As a franchise, you simply can’t afford to keep him in this post-JaMarcus Russell era in the NFL (where top picks are much cheaper). That being said, look for the Rex Ryan and the Jets to pay Peyton whatever he wants to become a jet. Rex wouldn’t care if Cooper Manning wanted to play wide receiver, he’d give him a uniform if it meant Peyton was coming. There are some reading this now saying, “but they already have a quarterback in Mark Sanchez.” To those people I say SLAP YOURSELF! If you thought that Minnesota’s pursuit of Favre was bad, you just wait until Rex hears that Peyton Manning is available. Once Sanchez is cut, I fully expect he and his fellow Trojan bust Matt Leinart to do a Reality TV show. I don’t know what it will be about, but that seems to be what all of the washed up celebrities do these days.
MY HOMETOWN ATLANTA HAWKS WILL NOT WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP – I just couldn’t conclude this blog without this statement. The Hawks lost Jamal Crawford this off-season and brought in Tracy McGrady (which would have been awesome 8 years ago), Jerry Stackhouse, and Jenerro Pargo. That is all I have to say about that.
And now for my Baller & Scrub of the Week….
BALLER – Metta World Peace a.k.a The Baller Formerly Known As Ron Artest: I am not a Lakers fan by any stretch of the imagination and I hate Kobe Bryant more than Gucci Mane hates his freedom. That being said, I will be watching every Lakers game that comes on television just to hear the following phrases: “World Peace for Three!”, “Great Defense by World Peace”, “The Assist to World Peace”, “Stop Shooting so Damn Much Kobe and Give World Peace a Chance!”
SCRUB – The NCAA: There are 834 bowl games inundating my television this holiday season and only two matter. The Rose Bowl (nope, not because of tradition) because Oregon’s uniforms are going to be so damn cool, and the National Championship Game because LSU and Alabama are two teams that should be playing in the AFC South and not the SEC. I’ve said it once, and I will continue saying it until it is no longer true, THE NCAA SUCKS!!!!!!!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
WHAT? HE MISSED!
Kickers, Kickers, Kickers. There is one thing that I have always noticed about kickers on a football team. From the outside looking in, it really doesn’t appear that they are actually a part of the team. This is at all levels of football. The kickers, punters, and the long snapper (if he doesn’t also play another position) usually camp out during the game in their own little world that usually exists at the back of the sideline near the 30 or 35 yard line. Why is it that way? I really don’t know. Do the other players on the team not respect them? Do the other players on the team simply dislike them? Is there some rule in the football rulebook that specifies where kickers must stand on the sideline and how far they must be from the nearest teammate? Are players scared that if they stand too close to a kicker that their kids will grow up and become kickers? Someone please answer this question for me.
I am a daily listener to NFL radio (I was actually on air last Saturday, which was AWESOME!!!! because it is so hard to get through). One of the things that I like about NFL radio is that players and coaches tend to be very candid during interviews. I guess they let their guard down and say what is really on their mind because there are no cameras in their face. Usually television interviews with athletes go as Andre 3000 describes a bad rap battle in TWO DOPE BOYS IN A CADILLAC, they simply “spit (or in this case talk) and stumble of clichés” without really saying anything. However, on the radio they tend to be more likely to talk as if they are hanging out with friends at a bar while shooting pool and enjoying the beverage of their choice. It is very rare that any player interviewed on the radio speaks glowingly of their kicker (with the rare exception being Colts clutch kicker Adam Vinatieri). As a matter of fact when anything relating to a kicker comes up, I have hear many players simply laugh and say that they don’t pay the kicker any attention and that he should just stay out of everyone else’s way. A lot of them won’t even comment on anything kicker related.
Without a doubt, kickers have the most and least job security of any position in the NFL. A great kicker can kick FOREVER!!!! Five of the seven oldest players in NFL history were kickers (this includes George Blanda who was also a quarterback, but was a kicker for the final nine years of his 26 year career). For a less than spectacular kicker, your job is basically week-to-week. There have been several instances where a kicker has been cut following a bad game or they show up at practice Wednesday and there is a new guy there that you must compete with to keep your job.
Over my 28 years on this earth, I have seen more football than you can ever imagine. I have witnessed my fair share of blowouts as well as close games. Most of the close games that I have witnessed have come in the NFL, where the average margin of victory is less than a touchdown. The outcome of these close games sometimes rest on the mismatched shoe foot of a kicker. This fact makes me wonder, “Can a kicker lose a football game?”
I have heard several answers to this question. There is the school of thought that says that you can’t place the blame solely on a kicker for losing a football game, when the rest of the team could have done better during the rest of the game. Some NFL players take this perspective after a kicker has missed a potentially game winning kick. They try to deflect the blame from the player whose name they probably don’t even know, and place it on the entire team. I feel that is the admirable thing to do, because the last thing that you want is a kicker with confidence issues. I have also heard people say that kickers can’t lose a football game because they feel as though no kick is automatic. These people feel like it is up to the other players on the football team to play well enough to win the game, and that anything the kicker does (besides extra points) are a bonus. I even had one person tell me that not only can kickers lose the game, but he went so far as to wonder how the game of football would be without kickers altogether. While that may appear to be a ridiculous thought on the surface, after further discussion, I realized that he might be on to something (more on that thought to come in a later entry).
As most of you know I watch a great deal of NFL, NBA, and College Basketball games. I also watch some college football, but Saturday afternoons are usually reserved for homework and around the house activities. I say this because watching each of these sports has helped me to realize one of the biggest differences between the college and professional versions of basketball and football. College basketball is full of bad free throw shooting. I know that there are some terrible free throw shooters in the NBA (mostly power forwards & centers), but as a whole the free throw shooting is pretty good. In college basketball on the other hand, most players are pretty bad, especially in clutch situations. As far as college football goes, the field goal kicking leaves a lot to be desired. Except for the one or two kickers a year that eventually make the NFL, any field goal of 35 yards is an adventure. I am not surprised because there are close to 120 Division I (or whatever they call division 1 nowadays) football teams, plus countless others at other levels. With that many teams, you can’t expect all of them to have great kickers.
The NFL on the other hand is different. There are only 32 teams. While most teams carry 3 quarterbacks, 5 running backs/fullbacks, 6 wide receivers, and countless others at each position, THEY ONLY CARRY ONE PLACE KICKER! I specifically said “place kicker” because many place kickers in the NFL only have one job. That job is to kick field goals. A great deal of them, DON’T EVEN KICK OFF! They have a “kickoff specialist” to handle that. This means that there are only 32 people on the entire planet who are employed by NFL teams to kick field goals. Since this is such a small number, you would think that these are without a doubt the best in the world at this craft. With that being said, I feel as though A KICKER CAN MOST DEFINITELY LOSE A FOOTBALL GAME!
For an NFL kicker there are some kicks that should simply be automatic if there is a good snap, the ball is cleanly placed down with the laces turned out, and the offensive line does not let anyone through. While I acknowledge that some things are simply out of the kickers control, if the aforementioned events go without a hitch, ALL NFL KICKERS SHOULD MAKE EVERY EXTRA POINT THEY ATTEMPT! If the game is being played outdoors where mother nature can cause other variables to come into play, an NFL kicker SHOULD MAKE EVERY FIELD GOAL INSIDE OF FORTY YARDS! This means that if the offense gets the ball to the 22 yard line, there is no excuse for a missed kick (for those that don’t know, the actual distance of a field goal is 17 yards longer than the spot from which the ball is snapped, because the ball is kicked seven yards from where it is snapped and the goalposts are located 10 yards past the goal line). Inside of a dome where it never rains, the field is never muddy, there is no wind, the sun never causes any type of glare or shadows, and it is always a comfortable 72 degrees, an NFL kicker SHOULD MAKE ALL KICKS INSIDE OF 50 YARDS! This means that the offense is responsible for getting the ball to the opponent’s 32 yard line (which would be a 49 yard field goal for all of you non-math majors). While I know that no one is perfect and that every kicker will miss some kicks in their careers, they must be held responsible if the snap, hold, and blocking is good and they miss any extra point, or any kick inside of 40 yards outdoors or inside of 50 yards outdoors. While many NFL kickers can make 50+ yard field goals, no team should reasonably expect their kickers to make kicks from this distance. If a kicker happens to make a 50+ yard kick, the team should be elated and consider those points as a nice bonus, because it is totally unrealistic to expect your kicker to regularly make a kick from that distance.
I have absolutely no tolerance for kickers who let their team down by missing what should be makeable field goals. Most of them have one job on the football team and get paid a minimum of $310,000 per season, with some earning several million dollars per season. While it isn’t quarterback money, but it is certainly a nice living to DO ONE THING! In fact, I wonder if kickers even get a playbook like the rest of the team, or do they simply get a 3x5 index card that says, “Kick the ball between the uprights”? Really, they don’t have any plays. There is the occasional fake field goal, but even on that play the kicker simply goes through his normal kicking motion making it look as realistic as possible.
The only thing that place kickers ever do is kick the football. They do regular conditioning, weight training (at least on their lower body), and stretching. Other than that, they simply kick. Every NFL team has a special teams segment in practice where all of their special teams units practice their blocking and kick coverage. This is also when kickers get a chance to work on their kicking. Not only can they practice during the special teams segment of practice, but I don’t see why they can’t continue practicing their kicking during the nine-on-seven (run game practice) and seven-on-seven (pass game practice) segments of practice because most, if not all NFL teams have multiple fields at their practice facilities. They obviously aren’t needed during these segments, so they could get more reps on a separate field. They also have their very own kicking net on the sidelines that they can use to ensure that their steps are correct and that they make good contact with the ball. NFL teams certainly have enough resources to enable kickers to work on their craft as much as they would like to.
In no way, shape, or form am I diminishing the skill that it takes to be an NFL kicker. It is an extremely difficult job that only 32 people in the entire world have. But what I am doing is not letting them off the hook for missing field goals that professionals should make. Just like quarterbacks get blamed for missing wide open receivers (or in the case of Jason Campbell, refusing to throw to wide open receivers that are more than 15 yards away from you), and running backs get blamed for loosing fumbles, and Keith Brooking gets blamed for missing tackle opportunities in front of the first down marker, kickers should be blamed when they mess up as well.
I have arrived at several NFL games early enough to see the kickers warm up (which usually happens before the rest of the team warms up). These kickers can routinely make 70+ yard field goals in warm-ups, which show just how strong and accurate their legs are. Yes, I know that warm-up conditions are totally pressure free unlike the real games. But at least we know what they are capable of. To be a good NFL kicker, you must have nerves of steel (especially on the road) and be able to concentrate on the task at hand. While this is pressure, it is no different than what a quarterback must do when throwing a pass with 250 – 300 pound defenders diving at you to take your head off. It is also no different from what wide receivers must deal with while going over the middle to catch a pass that was thrown a tad bit high. It is also no different than the pressure that any Green Bay Packer tackle was under when facing Jared Allen this season (can you believe he had 7.5 sacks against the Packers in two games this season). Bottom line is that everyone on the football field is under intense pressure during the game (except for maybe the kickoff specialist, which is by the way the best job in all of sports). The ability to not only handle, but also thrive under that pressure is why they are in the NFL. Whether or not these players thrive under the pressure or succumb to it will ultimately decide the fate of their team, and KICKERS OR NO DIFFERENT!
ON A TOTALLY UNRELATED NOTE: I have had the misfortune of seeing the Washington Redskins play a few times this year. Am I the only one that notices that Jason Campbell looks as if he is expecting to get sacked each time he drops back to pass? Pay attention to him the next time you see the Redskins play or highlights of him getting sacked on SportScenter. It looks as though he takes the snap; looks for his first read (who is either covered or too far for him to get the ball to him) and then immediately balls up into the tornado drill position that you had to do in elementary school and waits to get hit. I’m not making this up. Check it out.
AND NOW FOR MY BALLER AND SCRUB OF THE WEEK:
BALLER: Jamal Crawford (Atlanta Hawks) – My Atlanta Hawks are off to a 5 – 2 start. It has definitely been a total team effort. Josh Smith and Al Horford are playing out of their minds. Joe Johnson is being the regular season Joe Johnson that we all know and love (the post-season Joe Johnson is an entirely different issue). Marvin Williams is still making me wonder why we drafted him over Chris Paul and Deron Williams (my therapist is helping me to get over my hang up on that issue). But the engine that is currently making the Hawks go is sixth-man extraordinaire, Jamal Crawford. He is averaging 18 points per game off the bench and is given the Hawks the secondary scorer that they thought they drafted in Marvin Williams (sorry, I am really working on this). If he keeps up this pace, my Hawks will be hard to beat and will certainly get a crack at Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.
This week I couldn’t decide between two candidates for Scrub of the Week, so I decided to honor them both.
SCRUB: The NFL’s Southeast Division (better known as the SEC) Officials – Although I don’t watch nearly as much college football as I do NFL football, I do occasionally enjoy a good college football game. One game that I am definitely looking forward to is the SEC Championship Game. I would love to see a rematch of last year’s game and see Alabama play Florida. Obviously the SEC feels the same way that I do, because their officials have made terrible calls or no-calls for both Florida and Alabama this season. Just yesterday, they disallowed an interception of Alabama by LSU by saying that the LSU player never got his foot down inbounds after catching the ball. While watching the game live, I definitely saw that he indeed did get the required one foot down in bounds. Then CBS showed countless replays from several angles, that all showed that his foot was down. The most daunting evidence that was ignored by the officials was the divot left in the grass by the LSU player when HIS FOOT CAME DOWN INBOUNDS! In the same game, the officials missed an obvious facemask (hands to the face penalty) by an Alabama defensive lineman that grabbed a LSU offensive lineman’s facemask and used it to drive him back so that he could get to the quarterback. I don’t know how they missed that one, the kid’s head snapped back. I’m not saying that the outcome of the game would have been any different had the correct call been made in these situations, but it would have been nice to let the players and coaches on the field decide. The officials in this game definitely had a HUGE affect on the outcome. It really shouldn’t be that way.
We all know that Tim Tebow (I can’t wait until he gets exposed in the NFL) is the chosen one and that his ticket to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game was punched when Spring Practice started, but now the SEC is even hand picking his opponent. This is ridiculous. The NCAA has to take a look at the poor quality of SEC officiating and their obvious biases, and step in and do something. The SEC obviously has an agenda and has empowered their officials with the ability to ensure that their agenda comes to fruition.
SCRUB: Elizabeth Lambert (New Mexico Women’s Soccer Team) – I know the last names are slightly different, but I wonder if she is related to Bill Laimbeer.
Check out the video.
I am a daily listener to NFL radio (I was actually on air last Saturday, which was AWESOME!!!! because it is so hard to get through). One of the things that I like about NFL radio is that players and coaches tend to be very candid during interviews. I guess they let their guard down and say what is really on their mind because there are no cameras in their face. Usually television interviews with athletes go as Andre 3000 describes a bad rap battle in TWO DOPE BOYS IN A CADILLAC, they simply “spit (or in this case talk) and stumble of clichés” without really saying anything. However, on the radio they tend to be more likely to talk as if they are hanging out with friends at a bar while shooting pool and enjoying the beverage of their choice. It is very rare that any player interviewed on the radio speaks glowingly of their kicker (with the rare exception being Colts clutch kicker Adam Vinatieri). As a matter of fact when anything relating to a kicker comes up, I have hear many players simply laugh and say that they don’t pay the kicker any attention and that he should just stay out of everyone else’s way. A lot of them won’t even comment on anything kicker related.
Without a doubt, kickers have the most and least job security of any position in the NFL. A great kicker can kick FOREVER!!!! Five of the seven oldest players in NFL history were kickers (this includes George Blanda who was also a quarterback, but was a kicker for the final nine years of his 26 year career). For a less than spectacular kicker, your job is basically week-to-week. There have been several instances where a kicker has been cut following a bad game or they show up at practice Wednesday and there is a new guy there that you must compete with to keep your job.
Over my 28 years on this earth, I have seen more football than you can ever imagine. I have witnessed my fair share of blowouts as well as close games. Most of the close games that I have witnessed have come in the NFL, where the average margin of victory is less than a touchdown. The outcome of these close games sometimes rest on the mismatched shoe foot of a kicker. This fact makes me wonder, “Can a kicker lose a football game?”
I have heard several answers to this question. There is the school of thought that says that you can’t place the blame solely on a kicker for losing a football game, when the rest of the team could have done better during the rest of the game. Some NFL players take this perspective after a kicker has missed a potentially game winning kick. They try to deflect the blame from the player whose name they probably don’t even know, and place it on the entire team. I feel that is the admirable thing to do, because the last thing that you want is a kicker with confidence issues. I have also heard people say that kickers can’t lose a football game because they feel as though no kick is automatic. These people feel like it is up to the other players on the football team to play well enough to win the game, and that anything the kicker does (besides extra points) are a bonus. I even had one person tell me that not only can kickers lose the game, but he went so far as to wonder how the game of football would be without kickers altogether. While that may appear to be a ridiculous thought on the surface, after further discussion, I realized that he might be on to something (more on that thought to come in a later entry).
As most of you know I watch a great deal of NFL, NBA, and College Basketball games. I also watch some college football, but Saturday afternoons are usually reserved for homework and around the house activities. I say this because watching each of these sports has helped me to realize one of the biggest differences between the college and professional versions of basketball and football. College basketball is full of bad free throw shooting. I know that there are some terrible free throw shooters in the NBA (mostly power forwards & centers), but as a whole the free throw shooting is pretty good. In college basketball on the other hand, most players are pretty bad, especially in clutch situations. As far as college football goes, the field goal kicking leaves a lot to be desired. Except for the one or two kickers a year that eventually make the NFL, any field goal of 35 yards is an adventure. I am not surprised because there are close to 120 Division I (or whatever they call division 1 nowadays) football teams, plus countless others at other levels. With that many teams, you can’t expect all of them to have great kickers.
The NFL on the other hand is different. There are only 32 teams. While most teams carry 3 quarterbacks, 5 running backs/fullbacks, 6 wide receivers, and countless others at each position, THEY ONLY CARRY ONE PLACE KICKER! I specifically said “place kicker” because many place kickers in the NFL only have one job. That job is to kick field goals. A great deal of them, DON’T EVEN KICK OFF! They have a “kickoff specialist” to handle that. This means that there are only 32 people on the entire planet who are employed by NFL teams to kick field goals. Since this is such a small number, you would think that these are without a doubt the best in the world at this craft. With that being said, I feel as though A KICKER CAN MOST DEFINITELY LOSE A FOOTBALL GAME!
For an NFL kicker there are some kicks that should simply be automatic if there is a good snap, the ball is cleanly placed down with the laces turned out, and the offensive line does not let anyone through. While I acknowledge that some things are simply out of the kickers control, if the aforementioned events go without a hitch, ALL NFL KICKERS SHOULD MAKE EVERY EXTRA POINT THEY ATTEMPT! If the game is being played outdoors where mother nature can cause other variables to come into play, an NFL kicker SHOULD MAKE EVERY FIELD GOAL INSIDE OF FORTY YARDS! This means that if the offense gets the ball to the 22 yard line, there is no excuse for a missed kick (for those that don’t know, the actual distance of a field goal is 17 yards longer than the spot from which the ball is snapped, because the ball is kicked seven yards from where it is snapped and the goalposts are located 10 yards past the goal line). Inside of a dome where it never rains, the field is never muddy, there is no wind, the sun never causes any type of glare or shadows, and it is always a comfortable 72 degrees, an NFL kicker SHOULD MAKE ALL KICKS INSIDE OF 50 YARDS! This means that the offense is responsible for getting the ball to the opponent’s 32 yard line (which would be a 49 yard field goal for all of you non-math majors). While I know that no one is perfect and that every kicker will miss some kicks in their careers, they must be held responsible if the snap, hold, and blocking is good and they miss any extra point, or any kick inside of 40 yards outdoors or inside of 50 yards outdoors. While many NFL kickers can make 50+ yard field goals, no team should reasonably expect their kickers to make kicks from this distance. If a kicker happens to make a 50+ yard kick, the team should be elated and consider those points as a nice bonus, because it is totally unrealistic to expect your kicker to regularly make a kick from that distance.
I have absolutely no tolerance for kickers who let their team down by missing what should be makeable field goals. Most of them have one job on the football team and get paid a minimum of $310,000 per season, with some earning several million dollars per season. While it isn’t quarterback money, but it is certainly a nice living to DO ONE THING! In fact, I wonder if kickers even get a playbook like the rest of the team, or do they simply get a 3x5 index card that says, “Kick the ball between the uprights”? Really, they don’t have any plays. There is the occasional fake field goal, but even on that play the kicker simply goes through his normal kicking motion making it look as realistic as possible.
The only thing that place kickers ever do is kick the football. They do regular conditioning, weight training (at least on their lower body), and stretching. Other than that, they simply kick. Every NFL team has a special teams segment in practice where all of their special teams units practice their blocking and kick coverage. This is also when kickers get a chance to work on their kicking. Not only can they practice during the special teams segment of practice, but I don’t see why they can’t continue practicing their kicking during the nine-on-seven (run game practice) and seven-on-seven (pass game practice) segments of practice because most, if not all NFL teams have multiple fields at their practice facilities. They obviously aren’t needed during these segments, so they could get more reps on a separate field. They also have their very own kicking net on the sidelines that they can use to ensure that their steps are correct and that they make good contact with the ball. NFL teams certainly have enough resources to enable kickers to work on their craft as much as they would like to.
In no way, shape, or form am I diminishing the skill that it takes to be an NFL kicker. It is an extremely difficult job that only 32 people in the entire world have. But what I am doing is not letting them off the hook for missing field goals that professionals should make. Just like quarterbacks get blamed for missing wide open receivers (or in the case of Jason Campbell, refusing to throw to wide open receivers that are more than 15 yards away from you), and running backs get blamed for loosing fumbles, and Keith Brooking gets blamed for missing tackle opportunities in front of the first down marker, kickers should be blamed when they mess up as well.
I have arrived at several NFL games early enough to see the kickers warm up (which usually happens before the rest of the team warms up). These kickers can routinely make 70+ yard field goals in warm-ups, which show just how strong and accurate their legs are. Yes, I know that warm-up conditions are totally pressure free unlike the real games. But at least we know what they are capable of. To be a good NFL kicker, you must have nerves of steel (especially on the road) and be able to concentrate on the task at hand. While this is pressure, it is no different than what a quarterback must do when throwing a pass with 250 – 300 pound defenders diving at you to take your head off. It is also no different from what wide receivers must deal with while going over the middle to catch a pass that was thrown a tad bit high. It is also no different than the pressure that any Green Bay Packer tackle was under when facing Jared Allen this season (can you believe he had 7.5 sacks against the Packers in two games this season). Bottom line is that everyone on the football field is under intense pressure during the game (except for maybe the kickoff specialist, which is by the way the best job in all of sports). The ability to not only handle, but also thrive under that pressure is why they are in the NFL. Whether or not these players thrive under the pressure or succumb to it will ultimately decide the fate of their team, and KICKERS OR NO DIFFERENT!
ON A TOTALLY UNRELATED NOTE: I have had the misfortune of seeing the Washington Redskins play a few times this year. Am I the only one that notices that Jason Campbell looks as if he is expecting to get sacked each time he drops back to pass? Pay attention to him the next time you see the Redskins play or highlights of him getting sacked on SportScenter. It looks as though he takes the snap; looks for his first read (who is either covered or too far for him to get the ball to him) and then immediately balls up into the tornado drill position that you had to do in elementary school and waits to get hit. I’m not making this up. Check it out.
AND NOW FOR MY BALLER AND SCRUB OF THE WEEK:
BALLER: Jamal Crawford (Atlanta Hawks) – My Atlanta Hawks are off to a 5 – 2 start. It has definitely been a total team effort. Josh Smith and Al Horford are playing out of their minds. Joe Johnson is being the regular season Joe Johnson that we all know and love (the post-season Joe Johnson is an entirely different issue). Marvin Williams is still making me wonder why we drafted him over Chris Paul and Deron Williams (my therapist is helping me to get over my hang up on that issue). But the engine that is currently making the Hawks go is sixth-man extraordinaire, Jamal Crawford. He is averaging 18 points per game off the bench and is given the Hawks the secondary scorer that they thought they drafted in Marvin Williams (sorry, I am really working on this). If he keeps up this pace, my Hawks will be hard to beat and will certainly get a crack at Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.
This week I couldn’t decide between two candidates for Scrub of the Week, so I decided to honor them both.
SCRUB: The NFL’s Southeast Division (better known as the SEC) Officials – Although I don’t watch nearly as much college football as I do NFL football, I do occasionally enjoy a good college football game. One game that I am definitely looking forward to is the SEC Championship Game. I would love to see a rematch of last year’s game and see Alabama play Florida. Obviously the SEC feels the same way that I do, because their officials have made terrible calls or no-calls for both Florida and Alabama this season. Just yesterday, they disallowed an interception of Alabama by LSU by saying that the LSU player never got his foot down inbounds after catching the ball. While watching the game live, I definitely saw that he indeed did get the required one foot down in bounds. Then CBS showed countless replays from several angles, that all showed that his foot was down. The most daunting evidence that was ignored by the officials was the divot left in the grass by the LSU player when HIS FOOT CAME DOWN INBOUNDS! In the same game, the officials missed an obvious facemask (hands to the face penalty) by an Alabama defensive lineman that grabbed a LSU offensive lineman’s facemask and used it to drive him back so that he could get to the quarterback. I don’t know how they missed that one, the kid’s head snapped back. I’m not saying that the outcome of the game would have been any different had the correct call been made in these situations, but it would have been nice to let the players and coaches on the field decide. The officials in this game definitely had a HUGE affect on the outcome. It really shouldn’t be that way.
We all know that Tim Tebow (I can’t wait until he gets exposed in the NFL) is the chosen one and that his ticket to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game was punched when Spring Practice started, but now the SEC is even hand picking his opponent. This is ridiculous. The NCAA has to take a look at the poor quality of SEC officiating and their obvious biases, and step in and do something. The SEC obviously has an agenda and has empowered their officials with the ability to ensure that their agenda comes to fruition.
SCRUB: Elizabeth Lambert (New Mexico Women’s Soccer Team) – I know the last names are slightly different, but I wonder if she is related to Bill Laimbeer.
Check out the video.
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