Nfl

We heard about the rule change that bans the wedge on kickoff returns, but how will that impact the game? I was able to get Pete Cronan, a former nine-year NFL linebacker with the Washingt

Continue reading "Wedge vs. No Wedge"

With just one month left in his prison sentence, Michael Vick must endure his last thirty days under house arrest. We know what that means: tons and tons of tv watching. Here are the Top 10 tv shows Vick is most likely to watch:

Continue reading "Top 10 TV Shows Michael Vick's most ..."

This is just not the Celtics' year. Last night's game 7 looked like a game 4 in a 3-0 series. The Celtics came out without their energy, all out of sync. Clearly, they missed KG. Ray Allen, who we needed to step up, finally did, but he was the only one who showed up to play. Meanwhile, Orlando 21-13 from three point land, was just too much to handle and every shot they took led to me biting my nails off and praying for a comeback that never came. This game was a tough one for Boston to handle; we were losing all game and never made the run that they usually can.

Continue reading "The Celtics Lose Game 7 and Boston ..."

We always here about things like this happening in another town in a different county or in a different state altogether; events that have no bearing to our lives whatsoever. We walk into another school while on a basketball trip and see a glass case perched on a wall close to the entrance which has an asortment of different items arranged around a picture set in the middle. The pictures differ from town to town, sometimes it may be just a normal school picture of a student with small heirlooms hanging around the image, other times it may be a student's athletic picture and his or her varsity letter nearby. There always seems to be a small passage included that can be read, describing the person's life and passions. In every case though, the glass case holds the same meaning, a memorandum of a life taken too early.

Continue reading "To an Athlete Dying Young"

When I was a sophomore in high school playing on the JV basketball team, we went into our Christmas break undefeated and feeling pretty good about ourselves. Over the break we were scheduled to play one game against a team from the division below us. We practiced a few times, nothing too serious, and went into the game feeling good. But the week and a half layoff killed us and we lost by four, our only loss of the season.

Continue reading "Picks for the NFL weekend"

Usually I’m not one to consider a conspiracy in sports but the “flex schedule” set up by the NFL has gotten me perturbed to say the least. With their slaughter over the Cardinals last week the Patriots did their part in the efforts to make the playoffs. As luck would have it the Seahawks, allowing a glimmer of hope for New England, downed the Jets. In the final week of the regular season the Jets and Dolphins were to meet in an AFC East clash that will determine the fate of the division. With the entirety of the East playing at 1pm all of the NFL would know by early evening their AFC East divisional winner.

Continue reading "A Final Punishment?"

The 2008 NFL season has proven to be one of great disparity in comparison to last season. Different teams lie atop the standings with the exception of one, the New York "Football" Giants. Last season, these same Giants shocked the world when they made it into the playoffs as a Wild Card birth, and finished as Super Bowl champions. Their win ushered in changing of the guard, power-wise, for the NFC as a whole. This is definitely seen when looking at the bottom of the standings for this 2008 season. Now, I know what you are thinking; why look at the bottom of the standings?? This reasoning will be become evident as you read further.

Continue reading "AFC vs. NFC - Has the power in the ..."

I’m looking over Sunday’s games for week 11 of the NFL and I am slightly bored. Seriously, I am struggling to find a compelling storyline to follow.

I love the NFL and have for years, yet I hardly care about one single game that will be played tomorrow.

Continue reading "Planning A Long Nap On Sunday"

As America (and London) prepare for the NFL’s week eight schedule tomorrow, these are bleak times. I know that this isn’t a political or social venue, but I just wanted to fire off some quick words of appreciation for our beloved sport. 

Continue reading "Why Americans need Football"

I was watching the end of the Sunday Night Football game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts.  I was trying to figure out what to take from the game about the two teams, then John Madden said it perfectly.

Continue reading "Madden Sums Up Colts Versus Patriots Perfectly"

Continue reading "Steve Smith is my Hero!!"

Continue reading "Panthers Vs. Cards"

All year long everyone have been on the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and the rest on the NFC East bandwagon! Now with the Dallas Debacle and the Redskins now back to earth, except for

Continue reading "NFC South is the Best"

Don’t take this the wrong way, but I like a little violence, in sports that is. I think most people who like sports agree. The biggest reactions from spectators usually occur after a big coll

Continue reading "Violence Has It's Place"

Continue reading "America's Team"

Last night, we lost another star to the pre-season. Antawn Jamison went down with a knee injury after playing only 4 mins. Which begs the question why do we need a pre-season anyway. Now the Washin

Continue reading "I hate Pre season"

Since Mr. Reggie Bush has been in the League he has been in the new a lot. From the Scandal at USC, to dating Kim Kardashian, to being over-hyped. Last night he was in it for the right reasons. During the Monday Night Game The Saints VS the Viking, it was build as Peterson Vs Bush, and everybody thought that All Day was going to do just that and run all day and night against the saints and that lowly defence. To everyone's surprise it was Mr. Bush that sole the show with almost 300 yards of total offence which is more that twice the Kansas City put up in the defeat at the paws of my Carolina Panthers Sunday. In the second he took over the game in i way in my 27 years i never seen a scat back as the call him do with two punt returns that he was clocked at running over 21 mph with 20lbs of equipment on.Reggie Bush no matter what they try to call him scat back, specialty player, or whatever  he is none other that a football player.  He single took the game over and if it was for the saint kicking game and their penants and turnovers they would have won the game. He also set two NFL records most receptions by a player to start a carrer, and two punt returns in the same game is one also he hold that with others. Since he has been drafted they have been waiting for him to live up to the hype. Let me be the first to tell you the wait is over. Church

Continue reading "Reggie, Reggie, Reggie"

Continue reading "Signing James Just Makes the Strong Stronger"

     John Clayton's July 9th blog ( http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=clayton_john) about the state of pre-camp signings portends more possible trouble for the Falcons organization leading into training camp on July 25.  Clayton explains that agents trying to get pre-camp signings for first and second round draft picks have encountered what the military calls a snafu.  Without getting too down and dirty, the sticking point in contract talks regards a rule that regulates increases in rookie salaries to 25 per cent, annually.  Agents have made a practice exploiting a loophole in this rule that allows bonus money to be guaranteed for the final year of a contract in a lump sum.  This protects players who bust out of the NFL before their contract expires and helps players who outperform the built-in strictures of their contracts.  However, with the CBA ending in 2011, first and second round picks--who typically sign contracts of four, five, or six years--can't be guaranteed any money because there is no framework in place to do so.  The bottom line: we're at an impasse.    

Continue reading "Unsigned Picks in Unsettling Circumstances"

Going into training camp, there are always a lot of question marks for a team in a rebuilding phase.  The 2008 Atlanta Falcons are no exception.  Will Matt Ryan start week 1?  Is Sam Baker an elite (or even starting) left tackle at the NFL level?  Looking beyond these common questions, however, lies another set of questions, the resolution to which will go as far as any other in determining the Falcons success in 2008 and beyond.  These questions revolve around the guys you haven’t heard much about.  That you haven’t heard about them is the scary part.

Continue reading "Paying the Piper: Ghosts of the 2006 ..."

When the NFL schedule was released I was thrilled to learn that the Jets have a primetime game this year, and a good one at that! They square off on Monday Night Football at San Diego against the Chargers in week 3. However, I have since read an article on newyorkjets.com by Editor-in-Chief Randy Lange, entitled "The '08 Sked's Monday Night Crunch." Lange very carefully articulates the perils of having to play a Monday night game in a different time zone (particularly an east coast team traveling into the pacific time zone) and then having to return home for a 1pm Sunday game the following week. The Jets this year are faced with such a predicament and Lange points out how recent history has not looked kindly on teams dealt such a difficult scheduling constraint. First of all, it hasn't happened very often since 2002 which would suggest that the scheduling gurus are possibly making a conscious effort not to put teams in this bind. (For example, east coast teams should be granted byes after a west coast Monday nighter, or possibly a Sunday night game which would afford them several more hours to adjust and prepare.) And when it has happened, victims of this circumstance have not fared well, losing most games for which they return home.

Continue reading "A Sched-you'll Want to Know About!"

With the NFL season at its conclusion, I find myself in a reflective mood. I naturally think about the missed opportunities of my beloved Jets, some of the most spectacular plays of the year, and the biggest off-the-field fiascos. This season, however, I find myself thinking of Kevin Everett, the Buffalo Bills’ tight end who was severely injured on the second half kickoff of their week 1 game versus the Denver Broncos. All year long, sportswriters and analysts wanted to call Brett Favre’s resurgence the biggest storyline of the 2007 campaign. Others wanted to dub the Patriots’ pursuit of perfection as the ultimate subplot to the season. I, however, cannot think of a bigger story, a more compelling tale of human triumph, than that of Everett. 

Continue reading "It's Only a Game"

In the last week, the Jets have made a big splash in the free agent market, acquiring some solid help for their team. Al Faneca, Calvin Pace, Damien Woody, and Kris Jenkins should all make nice additions to the gang green roster. 

Continue reading "Green Spendin' the Green"

How great it is to see our government functioning at its finest, with peak efficiency and an unrelenting pursuit of justice. Not only is the Senate Judiciary Committee listening to he said, he said testimony from Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee with the occasional two cents inserted from Chuck Knoblauch or Andy Pettitte, but now it’s concerning itself with NFL Spygate. It’s not delving into whether or not our president misled us to war. It’s not digging deeper into these no-bid contracts for reconstruction in Iraq. It’s not conducting hearings on campaign finance reform, which could be a momentous catalyst for changing the very system which converts rich Americans into powerful world leaders. No, it isn’t bothering itself with any of these issues; rather it’s leaving this observer to wonder if this is what our founding fathers had in mind when they devised the legislative branch. 

Continue reading "Seperation of Sports and State"

The always entertaining and God praising Magic Johnson professed that the excitement and allure of the NBA All-Star Weekend "is back! It is Back!" Wow, Magic, that is amazingly profound! The truth of the matter is that the All-Star Weekend is NOT back ... it just happens to be the ONLY All-Star event in professional sports that is any good and can captivate a decent pool of the sports viewing public. I mean seriously, what is it competing against?

Continue reading "All-Star Weekend is Back?! Sure it is!!!"

I have never claimed to be an expert when it comes to predicting outcomes of football games, although last year I nearly predicted the exact final score of the Super Bowl while hitting on seven of my nine prop bets. (My prediction was 26-17, the final was 29-17.) For whatever reason I had a very good feel for that game. This year's Super Bowl, however, remains a mystery to me. Part of the reason I am having trouble getting a good feel for this game is that I am a bitter Jets fan and I can't stand either team. I'm finding it difficult to put my personal feelings aside and look at the game objectively. I think right now I am as close to objectivity as I am going to get, and with that being said, here is my official Super Bowl XLII prediction.

Continue reading "Super Bowl XLII Prediction"

The Super Bowl this year has many people predicting an easy Patriots win, even though there is a general acknowledgement that the Giants will bring a solid game plan and sound execution to the contest. Despite the consensus that the Giants are worthy of being in the game on Sunday after an impressive playoff run, almost every NFL fan and analyst has resigned him or herself to the fact that they are just 100% outmatched. Oh, how wrong they are. 

Continue reading "Giant Upset"

Today the news broke that the Detroit Lions are looking to move Shaun Rogers via trade or release and, while I do not understand or agree with their decision, the Jets must try to acquire the seventh year defensive tackle.

Continue reading "Mr. Rogers' New Neighborhood?"

Was I watching “Jerry Maguire 2” Sunday night after the Giants/Cowboys game? T.O.’s tearful comments to the press came off as the emotional climax of a melodramatic Rod Tidwell scene. Where’s the T.O. we all know and love (except for the love part)? Why wasn’t he ripping Tony Romo for his previous week’s exploits or ripping Jason Garrett for limiting him in the second half? Where’s the negativity which reared its ugly head in Philadelphia and San Francisco? What’s with the teammate act he’s trying to pass off as genuine? Is it just another media ploy or is this the new Terrell Owens? 

Continue reading "In Rod We Trust; In Terrell We Can't"

Yoko Romo is breaking up the Cowboys. Remember, the quarterback is not to blame if he is distracted when a hot girl is at the game; it’s her fault. Tony Romo shouldn’t be criticized for going to Mexico this past week because remember! That the blonde temptress lured him away from his work. Poor Tony Romo! He’s just trying to do his job, but she won’t leave him alone! 

Continue reading "Romo, O Romo. Wherefore Art Thou ..."

The Patriots’ days are numbered. In the modern NFL, it is impossible for a team to go 19-0 and even though they seem as poised as any team in NFL history to accomplish such a feat, the odds are stacked against them deeper than a trips bunch formation. 

Continue reading "19-0*"

Eli Manning won a wild card game, but Eli Manning is not a wild card. All season long, and all off-season, too, NFL analysts across the board love to talk about Eli Manning’s unpredictability. People love to lay into him about his demeanor not becoming of a winning quarterback, and his number one overall draft selection as a byproduct of his last name only, not his talent. I’m sure that last name on the back of his jersey just handed him the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in 2003, as well as naming him SEC Offensive Player of the Year. Undoubtedly, if I had that last name I would have been able to pass for 3,600 yards, 29 TD’s and only 10 INT’s, while amassing a completion percentage of 62% my senior year. Even as recently as this past weekend prior to the Giants/Bucs kickoff, the FOX studio crew was pondering which Eli would show up? The Good Eli or the Bad Eli? And yet as recently as halftime during the same game, the same studio crew was praising Eli saying that we may be witnessing the coming of age of the young quarterback. 

Continue reading "Eli's Coming!"

To paraphrase the old saying: one man’s post-season is another man’s off-season. Well, that time of the year is upon us; the time when Jets fans can put the previous 16 disappointments behind us and look forward to the 0-0 record that awaits us in September. To make matters more painful, we must coincide our forced optimism with a Patriots team that seems to be bound for greatness.

Continue reading "Pennington or Bust"