Archive for the ‘Football’ Category

Everyone who watches football cannot seem to understand why New Orleans is a seven point favorite against Arizona in this weekends playoff game.  Without question, the line is wrong and New Orleans should be -12 and here is why.

Usually when a team rests their starters (i.e. Indianapolis) down the stretch of the regular season, they can expect an early exit from the playoffs.  In this case, the Saints were banged up and needed to rest key players the last couple of weeks, losses to Tampa and Carolina. 

Drew Brees and his receivers are rested and healed.  On the other hand, Kurt Warner and Arizona just won a great game, in overtime, against Green Bay.  True, the win provides momentum.  By adding Anquan Boldin back into the mix, Arizona will have their own chemistry issues.  Not only that, but an exhausting win in the first week of the playoffs takes its toll on a team.

On paper anyway, the Cardinals and Saints are more evnly matched than one would assume.  In real life, however, the Saints will be fresher and tougher this week.

Prediction:  New Orleans 47, Arizona 34 

Cleveland has recently announced that Mike Holmgren is the new Browns Team President.  The deal was very generous as the former Packers and Seahawks Coach is set to make $10 million per year.  Some say it is a great move because Holmgren is battle-tested and knows the steps that have to be taken.  Here are five reasons why Holmgren will ultimately fail in Cleveland:

1. Early success by the Browns over the next couple of years will have people chirping about what a great job Holmgren is doing.  Naive people take notice, this is a case of ‘Bill Parcells Syndrome’, when you go somewhere that is rock bottom and have moderate success and the media calls you a genius for “turning things around“.  Nothing stays the same.  If the Browns finish 2009 with three or four wins, and the Holmgren group goes 8-8 next season, fans will be yapping their praise toward Holmgren.
2. The Browns did not check the references.  Didn’t this experiment already happen in Seattle?  Holmgren was paid generously by a city that had never won much and got a Seahawks team to the Super Bowl, as a coach.  With the fancy GM/President hat on his head in Seattle, Holmgren floundered until he was placed exclusively on the sidelines to coach.  A month later, and what I sensed as fear of not being able to get close to the success of the Super Bowl Seahawks team, you started hearing Holmgren say he wanted off of the sidelines and was just tired of coaching.
3. He needs to make moves now, if he is going to make any.  Will Eric Mangini be back as the coach?  Will Brady Quinn return as a quarterback? A Starter?  Will Josh Cribbs, all 180 pounds of him, get moved to running back?  (Brilliant move Browns fans.  You might as well bring back Michael Dean Perry to return kickoffs since Cribbs is busy.)  If Holmgren plans on making changes, he needs to make them at around 4:05 PM on January 3rd when the regular season comes to an end.  In the typical Browns draft style of what feels like picking names out of a hat, Holmgren needs to pick one side of the ball to beef up for next season, probably the needier of the two, defense.  Draft a good linebacker from USC instead of passing on him twice so he can destroy you twice a year in Cincinnati.
4. No Brett Favre.  Brett Favre was in his prime when Holmgren had him in Green Bay.  Now, at age 40, Favre is leading a Minnesota team and has had his name thrown around in the MVP circles.  Did Holmgren underachieve with Favre in Green Bay?  You bet he did.  Favre was the perfect cornerstone to build a team around and there just wasn’t enough winning going on, yet one Super Bowl victory with Reggie White, Sterling Sharpe, and of course Favre made him a “good coach”.
5. Keep the wallet open.  Holmgren will probably can Mangini.  Who is next, Urban Meyer?  The Browns will then be paying several coaches instead of one.  Romeo Crennel is still on the payroll, Mangini would surely collect a check for a few more years, Holmgren is now making rock star money, and whomever is selected to lead the fiasco next year will be handsomely rewarded.  Will there be any money left to pay players with?

Sorry Browns fans, I wish the future had something for you.  If you are content with making the playoffs a couple of times over the next five seasons then rejoice, that plan is now in place.  If you wanted to exceed just making the playoffs, then be bitter about the hiring of Mike Holmgren.

Being halfway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, I always seem to hear more from the Steelers fans.  I do not really like or dislike either team, but the Steeler fans who have run their mouths for the past twelve months (on their latest run) sicken me. 

I respect the way that the Rooney Family does their thing.  They don’t indulge in the free agent market, nor do they re-sign many of their players who become free agents.  They use a system to recycle a philosophy instead of players. 

The Browns, on the other hand, spend all kinds of money on the wrong free agents, have an unstable front office, and seem to pull names out of a hat on draft day.  On one cold Thursday night in Cleveland, I wanted the Browns to win.

What made Cleveland’s 13-6 win so satisfying to me was that I didn’t have to hear the fans of either team.  The 2-11 Browns fans are probably pissed that their team blew draft position for a win, albeit against the hated Steelers.

The usually arrogant Steeler fans were nowhere to be found this past weekend.  When you happen to see a known Steeler fan and call them out, they heavily rely on history and “six rings”.  The past is done.  What have you done for me lately?  It is now hockey season in Pittsburgh.  Those defending champs should fare better than the Steelers did this season.

The most verbal feedback I ever took from the locals was when three weeks ago, right here on this website, I predicted that Pittsburgh would not make the playoffs.  Everywhere I went, I caught an earful.  That earful has taken a sharp decrescendo with each passing week.  Sorry Steelers fans, you cannot win all of the time.

Browns fans, you have my sympathy.  By beating a half-hearted Steeler team Thursday night, you have probably gained the pleasure of suffering with Eric Mangini and Brady Quinn for a couple of seasons. 

I know that there are still five weeks left in the NFL’s regular season.  I also know that people who vote like to do things to shake the can sometimes.  In this case, considering Brett Favre over Drew Brees for the NFL MVP would be a travesty.

Brees threw at least five passes in New Orleans 38-17 pasting of New England that could only be caught if thrown to a perfect location.  He has been doing this game after game all year long.  As a biased Saints fan, I have watched Brees shred defenses with this sort of precision passing all year.

How many people think the Saints are a flash in the pan now?  This was supposed to be the game that proved what a rouse this team was.  Yeah, they play in a crappy division, but so has Pittsburgh for the last few years.  When the Saints are in full stride, the only way to beat them is to outscore them, and I just do not see that happening. 

Looking at the rest of their schedule, New Orleans has a Thursday game with Dallas in a couple of weeks that could pose a threat to going undefeated.  They also play scrappy Atlanta again, but I don’t think anyone can beat the Saints this season.  They can beat themselves, which is probably the better choice.

Give Brees the trophy now.  And thank you San Diego a million times over for the gift you have given New Orleans!

Ben Roethlisberger has a bad headache.  Charlie Batch has a bad wrist.  Troy Polamalu is still gimpy.  Welcome to the other side of the spectrum Steeler fans, it’s called bad luck, and you didn’t have too much of it last season. 

Losing to Kansas City in Week 11 and dropping to 6-4 is only part of the problem.  Yeah, I know, you get to play the Browns again.  Can Dennis Dixon solve all of your problems?  uh, no.

Dixon (pictured while getting hurt at Oregon) is an athlete who probably didn’t work much with the first unit at practice.  The way it was drawn up, if Ben got hurt, Charlie would put his cape on and fly in to save the day.  I don’t know if Dixon will even play.  Ben is claiming he is fine, but with all of the chances the Chiefs had to sack him (and couldn’t) how long will he last against the Ravens this weekend?

The offensive line has struggled.  Last year the defense was bailing a subpar offense out almost every game.  This year, the shoe is on the other foot, as the Steelers have given up a return touchdown in an NFL record of eight straight games.  The Rooney’s won’t stand for it, that’s why Pittsburgh always rebounds.  However, the hourglass is running thin and even though Cincinnati only has a one game lead, they beat Pittsburgh twice to control a tiebreaker.

I’m already hearing the array of comments from Cleveland Browns fans on Sunday’s 38-37 loss at Detroit.  The Browns had a 21-point first half lead and blew that by halftime.  Some Browns fans are whining about a pass interference call which gave the Lions an untimed down to win the game on the one.  Looked like pass interference to this impartial viewer. 

What is fascinating about the loss is that going into the game, Cleveland had a whopping five offensive touchdowns on the year.  Brady Quinn tossed four touchdowns in the loss.  Pinch yourself Browns fans, then say ouch because you can’t dream this stuff up.

Other Browns fans are playing the “Whew, we almost won and blew our first overall draft pick chances”.  Sorry Browns fans, you only get to pick one player with that strategy, you need about 20 to be a .500 team next year.

Again,  I don’t enjoy seeing the Browns lose.  I would prefer they win a few games as they truly are the laughing stock of the NFL these days.  Call it sympathy, but Eric Mangini can’t get a royal straight flush if all the kings were taken out of the deck.  They just don’t have the personnel to win right now.  Bring Drew Brees in, it would make no difference.

It’s basketball season on the Shores of Lake Erie, as of 4:12 pm Sunday.  Even the best and most patient fans in football – Cleveland Browns fans – have to be regurgitating with disgust.

Jim Tressel reminds Ohio State fans why he is the head coach every November.  Tressel owns Michigan, period.  It is comical to hear people whine when Ohio State loses a game about Tressel failing as a coach, and how it is time for Tressel to move on because he is not getting the job done.

When John Cooper was Ohio State’s Football Coach, I recall people making statements like, “I don’t care if we go 1-11, as long as the 1 is Michigan.”  These fans are the same ones calling for Tressel to now step away when everything is not perfect.  It will not be as loud this week because he beat the Wolverines again. 

Understand this:  The Big-10 is not the most powerful conference in college football.  That is reality.  The Rust Belt, that many of the Big-10 Schools are located in, has lost people.  Jobs have been cut and population has shifted.  There is less gum to throw at the wall to see what may stick. 

 John Cooper was a decent coach but he is no Jim Tressel.  He could not beat Michigan and it drove so many people rooting for the Buckeyes nuts for so many years. 

Lloyd Carr is gone, Tressel ruined that job for him.  Rich Rodriguez, now 0-2 against Ohio State, will start to feel heat if he continues to lose to Ohio State.  Say what you want, in this rivalry the coaches are judged on that game almost exclusively.  If Rodriguez continues to get beat by Tressel every November, he can repack the horses and buggies and head back toward West Virginia.

To the critics of Jim Tressel, a bit of advice:  If you are a true Ohio State fan, remember the Cooper era and one win against Michigan every ten years, will that shut you up?

When I predicted the New Orleans Saints to win the Super Bowl this season I was heckled and ridiculed.  Sunday, in a game that was termed a showdown of two NFC powerhouses, Drew Brees had has way for most of the contest in a 47-28 blowout over the New York Giants.  With the win, the Saints improved to 5-0, the first time thhey have started a season with five victories since 1993.

In the game, Brees was 23-30 for for 369 yards and four touchdowns.  More impressive than the statistics were the throws he made.  Anyone who saw the game would agree that Brees was razor sharp, especially in the first half, as he consistently abused the Giants with precision passes that could only be thrown in a small window for completions.  Brees almost broke his own franchise record of 17 consecutive completions, but came up short with 15.   

If you analyze the depth of skill position players the Saints have, the combinations of who is on the field at the same time is limitless.  At running back, Pierre Thomas will be the workhorse and Mike Bell will spell Thomas at times.  The most recognizable Saint, Reggie Bush, will be used in greater frequency at some point this season when a defense feels like shutting down everything else.  Heath Evans is a true fullback who can get the ball around the goal-line as he did against the Giants.

At wide receiver, there are so many quality choices.  Marques Colston, a no-namer that got the Saints booed for selecting him on Draft Day out of Hofstra a few years ago, is a tall guy who runs great routes and has great hands.  Robert Meachum and Lance Moore are both healthy at the same time.  Devery Henderson is an undersized gamebreaker who poses the big threat.  Throw in Jeremy Shockey at TE, and you have the most complete core of receivers in the NFL.

The Saints defense only has to play sufficiently to get victories.  This offense has the potential to go down as one of the best in NFL Football history, and I would not be surprised to see Brees re-write the record books this season.

The only team being compared to New Orleans in the NFC is Minnesota.  The Vikings are a well-rounded team on both sides of the ball.  Keep this in mind though, Brett Favre started 7-1 in New York last season before his old bones started to ache.  Will Tarverius Jackson be enough to make Minnesota better than New Orleans?  I think not.

What a horrible year Cleveland Sports fans have had to endure.  The Cavs could have done better.  The Indians started and are ending the season with disgraceful heartless performances.  The Browns are lucky if they win six games this season.  When will it end?  Doesn’t matter what team or season, the result for over 50 years has been disappointment. 

I applaud Cleveland fans for hanging in there and staying true to the teams they root for.  However, after attending a recent Indians game with about 25% of the stands at Progressive Field full, I have to wonder when fans will get disgusted enough to either switch teams or just put Cleveland sports as a whole on the back burner.  Again, there are diehards, but Chicago has tasted victory with the Bears, Detroit with the Pistons, Boston with the Patriots and Red Sox, etc… 

Let me start my story with the team that provides the greatest chance of winning something soon – the Cavs.  With the recent addition of Shaq and departure of Ben Wallace one of two things can happen.  1)  Everything will click, no one will be injured, and the Cavs will make a strong showing for an NBA Championship.  OR.. 2) Shaq will only play about half the year putting LeBron James back into the ‘I have to do it all myself’  mode, or worse yet, James could get injured.  I still argue that he isn’t going anywhere at the end of the season, but watch how that debate rages through the entire season and playoffs and becomes a bigger issue than the Cavs actually winning.

Move to baseball.  Eric Wedge should have been fired on Memorial Day or shortly after.  Wedge’s admitted pal and BFF Mark Shapiro stuck his neck out for Wedge to at least be given the end of the season to present his capabilities as a manager.  He has failed to do so.  Shapiro traded Cliff Lee to Philadelphia this season, even though he had another year on his contract, for pitching prospects like Carlos Carrasco (0-2, 9.64 ERA).  Last year CC Sabathia was pushed away instead of being offered a new contract and he didn’t do too bad in Milwaukee.  Both guys (Shapiro and Wedge) need to go and a true rebuilding process needs to take place, otherwise expect more Pirate-like boneheaded moves followed up by the financial weeping of a money-hungry front office. 

Question: Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson?   Answer: Neither.   Browns fans are truly some of the most loyal people who follow sports.  The defense looked rather good in the first half against Minnesota in the opener.  In the second half, they looked dismal.  There is no consistency on this team.  They will jump up and win a few games, they always manage to do that much.  The problem at quarterback is not the individuals who play that position.  Quinn OR Anderson will be running for their lives as the line is still weak.  When they do have time, who do they throw to?  Braylon ‘drop ‘em’ Edwards?  Josh ‘Wildcat’ Cribbs?  They need help at receiver bad.  Cribbs running the Wildcat Offense on Minnesota’s two-yard line was comical, for two plays.  Drew Brees would struggle with this team.

Sorry Cleveland fans.  Mad respect for the loyalty to these three franchises, but if the Cavs don’t do it this year it’s gonna be awhile longer in any sport.

Please comment if you think I am right or wrong, I am anxious to hear what others think about this.

LeGarrette Blount got the NCAA Football’s heavily advertised Sportsmanship Week promo off to a flying start.  Having earlier discipline problems, Blount should just be sent home for acting like an animal in defeat.  Was he provoked? maybe.  That still doesn’t give you a reason to cold-cock your opponent during the postgame handshakes.  The game itself stunk as Boise State beat Oregon in a yawner. 

If that wasn’t bad enough, he swung on his teammates, attempted to go after fans, was unrestrainable despite the efforts of coaches and players, and needed police to prevent him going to jail for attempting to assault some fans. 

Yep, LeGarrette Blount is definitely the posterchild for Sportsmanship Week.  Nice promo NCAA!