NFL drafts are sad

There's a lot of talk here in Philadelphia about how Donovan McNabb hasn't ever had any help. I thought I'd take a look back and see which receivers the Eagles could've had to go with McNabb (drafted in 1999) instead of the bums that they keep ending up with. I'm only comparing guys who didn't last and guys who went after them:

2000: They drafted Todd Pinkston in the second round (36). They could've had: Jerry Porter (47) or Laveranues Coles (78).

2001: They drafted Freddie Mitchell in the first round (25) and Quintin Carver (LB, 55) in the second. They could've had: Reggie Wayne (30), Todd Heap (31), Chad Johnson (36), Chris Chambers (52) or Steve Smith (74).

So already after two drafts, instead of having Todd Pinkston, Freddie Mitchell and some LB who never made it, Donovan could have been throwing to Jerry Porter, Chad Johnson or Reggie Wayne, and Steve Smith.

2002: Best draft of the decade. Iggles' first four picks were Lito Sheppard, Sheldon Brown, Brian Westbrook, and Michael Lewis. No problems here, might have switched Lewis (58) for Deion Branch (65).

2003: Eagles take Jerome McDougle (15) in the first round. They could've had: Dallas Clark (24) or Anquan Boldin (54).

It's a little bit hard to tell what's what after this list, since guys take a little while to develop and some from these later drafts might still perk up. But just consider that in the Superbowl in 2004, just by drafting differently, they could have switched the Pinkston/Mitchell/broken TO/LJ Smith bunch with Porter/Johnson/Smith/Clark. That kind of knowledge is what curdles Philadelphia fans into the bitter, jaded, black-hearted, miserable jack-asses that we are. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go put on my Flyers jersey and ram into a light pole.

The Baltimore Ravens

As a New England Patriots fan, I'm happy about last nights outcome, but I can imagine how incredulous the Baltimore Ravens fans must feel this morning. Not because of the officiating or the time-out or Tom Brady's good looks or the final score, but because it is all too apparent that the Baltimore Ravens have given up on the season.

I kept hearing during the game that the Ravens were treating the Monday night game with the Patriots as "their Super Bowl," but my question is, "What have the Ravens been treating every other week as?" The coaches and players led us all to believe that they worked extra this past week, preparing and perfecting everything about the game plan to beat the Patriots. The coaches had the right mindset, the players had the right mindset, everyone was ready to win. So my question remains, why haven't the Ravens been doing that every week? Clearly they are a good football team and have played the Patriots closer than anyone else this season, save maybe the Colts. So how can they play so poorly in past weeks and yet show up for the Patriots game?

All I know, is that the Ravens are better than they have been playing and they showed this week that if they treat every week like it's the Super Bowl, they can compete with anyone. My problem is that by bragging that they worked so hard this week, they admitted to not working their hardest in past weeks. The reason the Patriots and the Colts are so good is because they treat EVERY week like it's the Super Bowl. Not just the big games under the big lights. So Ravens fans, call up the organization and ask for a refund of your tickets because clearly, you were not receiving what was promised, that is, the best from every player and coach on your team every week.

New England Sports Update

The Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics have won 23 combines straight games, and none of them have lost for a month.

Pats - Indy Refs

This is from the great sports writers over at boston.com

Randy Moss was walking off the field after the game against Indy, when he saw a cell phone on the ground near the tunnel.
Moss picked it up, looked at it, and ran over to the referee walking off the field.
"You dropped your cell phone," Moss said to the ref.
"Thanks, Randy. By the way, how'd you know it was mine," the ref replied.
Randy smiled and said, "Easy. There was nine missed calls."

It's good to be from New England.

The current Patriots winning streak: 9 games, began September 9th, 2007.
The current Red Sox winning streak: 7 games, began October 16th, 2007.
The current Celtics winning streak: 5 games, began November 2nd, 2007.

The point? A New England based sports team has not lost a game since October 17th. I haven't checked the facts, but I don't believe a fan base has ever had such a run of victories. Enjoy it Red Sox/Patriot/Celtic faithful.

F the Cowboys

Ugly androgynous Eagles fan say CRUSH THE COWBOYS!!!

8 Weeks of NFL Action

Here we are half-way through the NFL season, and it's time to answer some questions.

MVP:
Tom Brady - There is just NO way that it could be anybody else. I don't need to gush anymore about Brady because his stats say everything. He's on pace to have the greatest statistical quarterbacking season in the HISTORY of the NFL. If he can keep this up, we will look back and ask ourselves if this season really happened.

Randy Moss - Sure, all he does is run down the field and catch those beautifully thrown balls from Brady, but Brady wouldn't be the same without him. Wherever Randy goes he is always a top talent. He's been great with Randall Cunningham, Cullpepper, Aaron Brooks, and now Tom Brady. Brady has never put up great stats like this before Moss arrived, but now that he has the best receiver in the NFL, things have changed. Just imagine what the Packers would look like right now if they had Moss. Or the Cowboys. Or the Chargers. Or the Colts. Or anybody in the league who would have had the marbles to trade a FOURTH round pick for the guy.

Brett Favre - What an amazing ride this guy has taken Packer's fans on for the last 10+ years. Everybody wrote him off, and despite not getting Moss, he has taken a .500 team and turned them into a potential home field advantage, first round bye caliber team (in the NFC). I don't care what his numbers are because all he is doing is win games. Much like Vince Young, so much of what he does will never show up on the stat sheet, but golly, it's fun having Brett Favre in the NFL...unless your name is Aaron Rogers.

Offensive Player of the First Half:
See Brady, Tom. But let's give some credit to the other guys in the NFL. Big ups to Braylon Edwards (seriously), Derek Anderson (the Cleveland Browns quarterback), Adrian Peterson (you think he'd still go 7th?), Tony Romo (minus the Bills game), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (the Bengals have actually thought about trading Ocho Cinco), and Ronnie Brown (prior to his season ending surgery).

Defensive Player of the First Half:
Mike Vrabel- I know what you're saying. What a freakin' New England Patriots homer. Yes, but name me another played with better stats right now. 42 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles and an overall monster for the Patriots D. Maybe he's a good player in a great system, but his stats are top notch right now.

Trent Cole- Trent Cole? That's right. Why? With 38 tackles, 9 sacks (leads the league) and 2 forced fumbles, Cole is wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks. He was an absolute steal in the 5th round and is helping a wounded Eagles team stay alive in the NFC.

Elvis Dumervil- He currently has 6 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and an interception. He makes all the plays on the line for the Broncos.

Barrett Ruud- The man who makes all the tackles for that lovely Tampa 2 defense.

Champ Bailey - He should win this award every year for the way he changes every game he plays, but I can't give an award to a guy who has less interceptions than Junior Seau.

Most Surprising (Good) of the First Half:
Willis McGahee - 3rd in the league in rushing yards and has a solid 4.4 yards per carry.

The Cleveland Browns - Derek Anderson is 2nd in the league in TD passes. Braylon Edwards has turned into a man beast and is currently on pace for an 18 TD season. Maybe they are overachieving, but imagine if this team somehow wins enough games to go the playoffs.

Brett Favre - 4 more years! 4 more years!

The Buffalo Bills - I know they are 3-4 and that's neither surprising or good, but this is a team that lost to Denver and Dallas by a single point on game winning field goals. If this team was getting any breaks this season, they would be 5-2, with losses to Pittsburgh and New England, and would sitting in the final playoff spot in the AFC.

Most Disappointing of the First Half:
Vince Young- At least Michael Vick looked like he could pass once in a while. The Madden Curse continues.

Matt Leinart- Most CFL ready quarterback to come out of the draft in a long time. Maybe he should spend more time practicing with Archie in the backyard.

The Running Backs (Steven Jackson, Larry Johnson, Laurence Marroney, Frank Gore, Thomas Jones) - For whatever reasons, these guys have been duds this year, and you know, because you drafted them for your fantasy team and now you are relying on Earnest Grahm and Kenny Watson.

The NFC West - Looked like it could be an up year for this division with a good team (Seattle), a great offensive team (St. Louis) and 2 teams ready for their closeups (Arizona and San Fran), but golly, these teams stink.


But forget all this and enjoy the second half of the season where anythings possible. Except for the Patriots not winning the AFC East crown.

Running up the score rules

I agree with the previous post, to a point. The only difference between the Pats and that Eagles game is that by the end of the game the Eagles had the practice squad in, and they were still scoring. But everyone who's whining about the Pats, saying that they lack class and professionalism, is a big baby. The Pats have been the epitome of professionalism over the past several years and as to class, this is the big leagues. If you can't stop a team and they roll all over you, then you deserve what you get. The only thing that the media is bawling about that I agree with is the way that Belichick is exposing Brady. At some point a team is going to make it their goal to smash him, whether it's with bringing 12 guys on a blitz or a blatant foul or whatever. Without Brady that team doesn't run the same way or win the same way, and if I were a Pats fan I'd have a problem with it.

I'll pay someone $20 to slap Skip Bayless in the face, $50 if they get a picture.

Just wondering

How come everybody freaks out about the Patriots running up the score, but nobody said anything when the Eagles beat the Lions 56-21? Should the Patriots be punished because they are able to do it every week while other teams can't? I don't know, just stuff I think about at night.

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!

Boston fans should be counting their blessings, because this is a once-in-a-lifetime convergence of awesome teams. You will never have it so good again. At least I have the Flyers, who this afternoon will tool on your Bruins and make me fall in love all over again.

Quick World Series note, I'm thinking Dice is good for at least six earned runs tonight. I think Terry's going to let him pitch and try to work out of jams and that the Rockies will blow him out. Then tomorrow everything will return to normal and the Sox will win the series.

The Eagles will win tomorrow. That's all I'm going to say about that.

Just Pondering

Which ratio will be better?
Josh Beckett's Playoff Strike Out-to- Walk ratio?
or
Tom Brady's Touchdown-to-Interception Ratio?
(Isn't it great to be a Boston Sports Fan?)

Whose #1?

Lately, the only conversation I hear around football is the search for the best team in the league. More specifically, who is better, the New England Patriots or the Indianapolis Colts? People from each side have great reasons for their decisions, but the honest truth is that those teams are in a dead heat. Neither team is better than the other, and if they are, it's by the slightest margin. Even if one team dominates the other come November 4th, it won't matter, because the real game won't come until they meet again in the AFC championship game.

The big thing I keep hearing that the Colts are the better team because they are the defending champs and they have played and beaten better teams than the Patriots. I can basically agree with both statements, but I don't think you can dock the Patriots, who don't create their own schedule, for beating the teams they've been asked to beat. And really, look at who these teams have played. The Colts have beaten the Saints, Titans, Texans, Broncos, Bucs and Jaguars. The Patriots have beaten the Jets, Chargers, Bills, Bengals, Browns, Cowboys and Dolphins. Looking at who each team has beaten, both have 3 or 4 quality wins in my mind and both got lucky by playing good teams (i.e. Saints and Chargers) before they got things relatively back on track. Both teams have won 3 games against divisional opponents and both have beaten good NFC teams.

The truth of the matter, is that if both teams win this week and we get an amazing undefeated match-up in Week 9, whichever team comes out victorious has a great chance to go for a perfect season. We should all just forget the talk about who the better team is and be more impressed at how great these teams have been for so long. It's easy to overlook these two juggernauts because they have been SO good for SO long, but don't forget to look around the league and see how hard it is to be good year after year in the NFL. That means you, Philly, Chicago, San Deigo, New York, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Dallas, Baltimore, New Orleans, Seattle and everybody else who follows a 12 win season with a 5 win stink bomb.

Wacky World Series

This is the first World Series in a little while that I'm actually interested in. As a sports fan I was interested in '04, you pretty much had to be, but it seemed like a series that was decided before it started. I didn't think the Cardinals had a chance and the games were a series of anti-climaxes. This series on the other hand? It's only the most intriguing baseball match-up in a long time.

First, there's the Colorado Rockies. It's really hard to know what to expect from this team, because you can't set the bar too high or too low. On one hand, they're practically the hottest team ever, on a nigh unprecedented winning streak. They looked like they'd never lose in the first two rounds, to the point that Kaz Matsui is driving in runs like he's Ted Williams. They're playing unbelievably well and so it'd be fair to expect them to have a heck of a series. On the other hand, they're the ultimate "happy to be here" team. Nobody expected anything from them when the season started, or at the All-Star break, or even when they made it into the playoffs. If they lose, they're still a great story and one of the best Cinderella stories of recent times. If I were a Rockies fan, I'd have no idea where to set my level of expectation. Add to this the fact that while they have been scorching hot, they've had nine days off. This team has basically no history, so who can say how they'll react after that kind of break?

Then there's the Sox. Rolled through the regular season, with some bumps here and there, but clearly an elite team and one of the best in baseball. They do have some holes and some warts and because they've been analyzed to death we know them all. Nonetheless, on paper they're clearly the more established, more experienced, and more talented team. However, this series is potentially a terrible match-up. Sure they've got number one stud Josh Beckett at home to open. But during the regular season the Rockies hung six runs on him (the most he gave up all year), at home, and chased him out of the game. Sure they've got better 1-4 pitchers on paper. But Dice (playoff shaky) and Wakefield are due up at Coors field and they both rely on movement in their pitches. Altitude+breaking balls=sadness, see Mike Hampton. Note: what I said about Wakefield no longer applies, since they're starting Lester. If he's 100% that's a great move, way to go Terry.

Finally, there's the question of who's got the better home field advantage. Fenway's going to be rocking and rolling and there's no better place to start a series if you're the home team. Once again though, the Rockies can answer. There's already the altitude, and then add in the fact that due to unseasonably warm temperatures on the East coast the Sox will go from playing in mild 65 degree nights to a nasty 30-33. If you're a Sox fan and saw that Sunday night game between the Broncos and Steelers and saw the snow, you'll be nervous.

I don't have a prediction, but I'm watching every game of this one. It should be stellar.

If I could have your attention

Tom Brady is currently on pace to have the greatest passing season in the history of the NFL, but before we go too far, let's give it up for Clinton Hart of the San Diego Chargers and Leon Hall of the Cincinnati Bengals who together account for the only 2 blemishes Brady has from his current season, his 2 INT's. Congratulations guys!

Not so fast Boston...

I would like to congratulate the Red Sox on their amazing comeback. Sure, it wasn't 2004, but coming back from 3-1 is still a feat. The past 3 games everybody but Manny and Papi have been hitting and the pitching has been great.
But don't get to excited Boston, least you forgot that the Rockies have won 21 of 22. In the post season they have a team ERA of 2.08. 3 out of there 4 starters have an ERA under 2.13 in the post season, including Ubaldo Jimenez (2 starts, 1.59 ERA, and I can't wait to hear McCarver attempt to pronounce his name). Manny Corpas, their post season closer, has an ERA of 1.13.
As for the bats, Matt Holliday leads the NL in playoff home runs, and the top 3 post season RBI men are all from the Rockies. (Kaz Matsui, Yorvit Torrealba, Holliday)
But the real X-factor in this series in Coors Field. You think Ortiz looks tried when he get a double in Fenway, imagine him running to first a mile above sea level. If he hits a triple in Denver they might need to bring out the oxygen.

Two Worlds Collide

As a Massachusetts transplant currently residing in Ohio, it's been tough to stay out of harm's way when it comes to sports. I've also been amazed out how my home land and this new, foreign land are currently pitted against each other in every real sporting event.

For starters, the Red Sox and Indians are about to play a Game 7 tonight to decide who goes to the World Series to get swept by the Rockies. As a Sox fan, I've been tried to stay quiet and away from the arguments...but there's not avoiding it. And it's a tough place to be because hey, Cleveland deserves a winner and all my teams in Boston do is win, so I don't specifically NEED another champion, but gosh, I'd sure enjoy it. Cleveland fans? They keep telling me this team is better than the '75 squad and make references to teams long since passed. They seem to be dying for a championship, but it's getting ugly out there.

Ohio State is currently #1 in the BCS rankings, but guess whose creeping up behind them? That's right, Boston College. Now I'm not a Boston College fan, never have been, never will be, but they are from my home and they are looking to stay undefeated and catch those pesky Buckeyes. I just find it amazing that those two happen to be the top teams in the country.

I'd like to say something about the Patriots/Browns rivalry here, or even the Patriots/Bengals, but good golly the Browns and Bengals had it handed to them this year by the Patriots, but who hasn't that happened to?

Finally, the Cavs and the Celtics. Now this is something that has been strange for all New England sports fans, a relevant Celtics team. This hasn't happened since Antoine Walker was under 300 pounds and Paul Peirce was playing hard til the last minute of the last game every season. While some people may think I'm crazy for saying the Celtics are the best team in the East, but really, who can stop them? The Pistons are half of what they used to be, the Cavs have LBJ and they over performed last year and everybody forgets that right now, Varajeo and Pavlovic aren't even on the team and are light years apart in contract negotiations, and the only other relevant team in the East are the Bulls and Raptors who, while good, haven't yet proven that they can do enough to stop KG, Pierce or Ray Allen, let alone all 3 combined...but that's a different story.

All in all, I love sports. Go Sox. Go Pats. Go Celts. (Go BC?)

Eagles

I realize that I'm going to get laughed out of the building for this, but the Eagles have a legitimate shot in the NFC this year. I know they're 2-3, but they haven't played their best football yet:
-McNabb is coming off of a mega-injury, again, and hasn't quite shaken the rust off or adjusted to his new lack of mobility. He's got to learn to be shifty in the pocket, more like a Brady, instead of trying to run around outside of the pocket to make plays.
-The defense has played well, way better then folks around the league have realized. The most points that they've surrendered were the 21 against the Lions, and those were meaningless blowout points. They're in the top ten in every major defensive catagory, including fifth in total yards surrendered and fifth in points against, and that's with being on the field too much (that'll come up again in my next point). This is all with half of their starting secondary, as they're missing arguably their best defensive player (Brian Dawkins) and their best CB (Lito Sheppard). Once those guys come back, look out.
-The offense has sputtered, but that can at least partially be attributed to poor coaching. If this team were coached by Bill Cowher (Note to the Eagles front office: fire Andy Reid and hire Bill Cowher) then they'd be way better. The Eagles have a great tandem of backs in Westbrook and Buckhalter and a great defense. Why they don't run a ton and grind teams down is totally beyond me. Their play action is already outstanding, they already run a ton of screens, and running more would make both of those things more effective. This would make their red zone offense better too, because Lord knows right now it stinks. The coaching deserves it's own paragraph though.
-I'm done with Andy Reid. There, I said it. The man has his strengths, there's no doubt about it. He's got the gift for brainwashing teams into running with his program, hanging together and all toeing the party line. In that way he's on par with Belichick and it's a good thing. Bringing a ton of ego-maniacal professional athletes together and making them into a real, cohesive unit is a skill and a gift and Andy's great at it. He's also (with a few exceptions) a very good draft guy and a great developer of young talent. The Eagles are loaded with home-grown talent, and considering they've been drafting towards the back end of every first round for a while that's saying something. So yes, Andy Reid has good points. But he's grown increasingly shaky during the game, and that's a problem.
The guy's totally committed to running his style of offense, and I (and every other Philly fan) am tired of it. It's terrible on third down, due to A. throwing on third and short instead of just running and B. on third and long always running a pass pattern that involves running up and in towards the middle of the field three yards short of the marker, catching the ball and getting immediately tackled a two yards short. This has happened what feels like 20 times every game this season; third and long, quick in by Curtis/any TE/Westbrook, tackled just short of the first down. Shoot me. Andy's offense is also insane in the red zone. They'll march down the field, get to the 30 yard line, and then run lame pass plays until they go 3 and out to make it a long field goal. Honestly, just run the damn ball. We're begging you. Finally, Andy's track record shows that the bigger the game, the worse he coaches. I don't know what it is, but his playoff coaching over the years has been really shoddy. The Eagles under Reid will roll through the regular season, roll through the playoffs, and then crap out in the big game. For a while they would crap out in the NFC title game, but I think Andy sensed that if he kept doing that he was going to get murdered, so we got to a Superbowl. Then, right on cue, the Eagles crapped the bed. And I'm not taking anything away from the Pats, they outplayed the Eagles and won fair and square. But I watched the team for that whole season and they just didn't bring the A game, like they never do when it counts. In my eyes, that's the coach's fault.
I think eventually every fan base (that's not in Pittsburgh) just runs out of patience with any given head coach. Philly is there now, and it's not pretty.

Getting back to my point, the Eagles can make waves if they perk up. I mean look at the NFC: Green Bay is playing way over their heads and at some point the lack of a solid running game is going to hurt them. Dallas is pretty good, I hate them and they suck but they're pretty good. After that there's Tampa Bay with their aging quarterback and defense and broken RBs, Carolina with no quarterback at all, and the Giants who specialize at coming out hot and fading in the second half of the season. If the Eagles get it together, they're right back in it. So Chicago fans had better brace themselves because unless Devin Hester can play every position simultaneously (and he's almost that fast) the Bears are going to get a beating Sunday.

Putting the Patriots in Perspective

By now, I'm sure you've heard all the praises in the world for the Patriots, but all of them are meaningless unless the Patriots a) win the AFC East and b) win the Super Bowl. Nothing else matters in the game of football. So I wondered, with how great the Patriots are playing, and how terrible the rest of the division is playing, how soon could the Patriots clinch the division?

Right now, the official standings look like this.

AFC EAST	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STRK	DIV	CONF
New England	6	0	0	1.000	230	92	Won 6	2-0	5-0
Buffalo	1	4	0	.200	65	118	Lost 1	1-1	1-3
NY Jets	1	5	0	.167	105	154	Lost 3	1-2	1-3
Miami	0	6	0	.000	128	182	Lost 6	0-1	0-4

The Patriots are currently 5 games ahead of the Bills and Jets with 10 games remaining. Now here come all the big if's...

IF: The Patriots win their next 3 games (at Miami, home versus Washington, at Indy), then the Patriots would be 9-0 heading into their Week 10 bye.

IF: The Dolphins lose their next 2 games (home versus New England, home versus the Giants), then they will be 0-8 heading into their Week 9 bye.

IF: The Jets lose their next 3 games (at Cincinnati, home versus Buffalo, home versus Washington), then they will be 2-7 heading into their Week 10 bye.

IF: The Bills lose 2 of their next 3 games (BYE week followed by a loss at home versus Baltimore, win at the Jets, loss at home against Cincinnati) then they would be 2-6 heading into Week 10.

Thus, the division would look like this after 9 weeks.

AFC EAST	W	L	T
New England	9	0	0
Buffalo	2	6	0
NY Jets	2	7	0
Miami	0	8	0

The Patriots would then be 7 games up with 7 games to go. Now, the Patriots are statistically unable to clinch the division if all goes as planned above while watching the Week 10 games from their couch(but only because their division record would not yet guarantee them the division), but they play the Bills in Week 11 and if they win that game, they will clinch the division on November, 18th. Now I know there are a lot of if's in all this, but the truth is that it could happen. Oh, and the current earliest clinching of the division happen in the year 2004 and was done by the Philadelphia Eagles and we all know how far they went that season.

Playoffs, hockey, etc.

-It kills me that the Phils lost, and I never thought they'd get swept, but it's starting to look like the Rockies are coming out of the NL like a hurricane. I know it's a little late to make a prediction, since the Rockies won last night, but if I'd made one before the series I would've picked Colorado. They looked amazing beating the Phils, with good pitching, timely hitting, and great defense. Are they good enough to beat the Indians or Sox? Probably not. But I wouldn't look past them, they're scorching hot.

-I may be the only one who cares anymore, but hockey started up again and can I get a hand for the new-look Philadelphia Flyers? Danny (don't-call-me-Daniel) Briere is playing like a man, the defense and goaltending look solid, and I'm pumped for hockey. I mean in reference to what other sport would they say on talk radio, "when you get frustrated with a guy you should really just grab him and punch him in the side of the head a few times. Going after him with your stick is crossing the line." Good times.

-I don't know if any other NFL sites have these, but I love it:

Let's go Phils!!

I'll start off by acknowledging a few things. One, I'm a huge homer. I love the Phillies and I always have; they were my first true sports love. So this isn't going to be unbiased, and you shouldn't be surprised. With that being said, number 2 is that I'm not going to jinx them by predicting quick and easy victories up to and including the World Series. I'm merely going to lay out a couple of reasons that the Phils might be the best team in the NL side of the playoffs:

1. Their regular season record doesn't reflect how good they are. They lost key players for months at a time, and that definitely slowed them down at times. It affected the offense in particular:
Chase Utley was lost for 28 games because of a broken hand, and at the time he was the hottest hitter in the league not named ARod.
Ryan Howard was out 17 games, not consecutively, in the months of April and May and when he wasn't hurt he was day to day. Despite the two wasted months, he still ended up second in the National League in both homers and RBIs (third and fourth overall).
Shane Victorino, the Flyin Hawaian and key top of the order guy, missed 30 games in August and September. Still ended up with 78 runs scored and 37 stolen bases.

What's impressive to me, and what should scare other teams, is that with all of that time missed by those key guys the Phillies ended up with the second best offense in baseball. Yikes.

Injuries affected the pitching staff as well:
Cole Hamels, future Hall of famer and husband of a hot ex-Survivor contestant, missed 30 games with a strained elbow. That derailed a potential Cy Young season.
Jon Lieber, dependable middle of the rotation guy, was in and out with an oblique injury before finally going on the DL for good on June 23.
Freddy Garcia, now officially "The biggest free-agent disappintment ever," pitched in 11 games total, compiling a horrendous 5.89 ERA, before heading to the DL for good on June 9. The fans of Philadelphia will be happy to see him go, and wish TBFADE luck elsewhere. Far, far, far away from us.
Brett Myers, stud starter turned lights-out closer, missed 55 (count 'em, 55) games with a strained right shoulder. This is probably because our knucklehead manager (love ya Chuck) threw him into approximately 2,000 games in a row when he was used to having 4 days in between appearences.

And I'm not even going to go into the games missed by everybody else on both sides of the ball, because I think I've made my point. Still, what's more important then who got hurt and when is that they're all healthy now. We've got a healthy and complete team, on the field and on the mound, for basically the first time all season. That's gotta count for something.

2. MVP candidate Mr. James Calvin Rollins. The man is having one of the best statistical seasons by a shortstop ever. He's the first shortstop in 34 years to start all 162 games; he set modern NL records for runs scored (139) and extra base hits (88) and blew away the record for at bats (716); he became the fourth player in baseball history to join the 20-20-20-20 club (stolen bases, doubles, triples, and homers); and he plays Gold Glove caliber defense. Finally, he has amazing mental toughness that he acquired after overcoming his difficult childhood as both a white boy and chainsaw killer. Ok, I made that last one up.

3. Just to say it again, the offense is frightening. There's no rest for a weary pitcher with this bunch. They've got the two guys to set the table on top, a series of sluggers in the middle, and tough outs at the end. They can score any way you please: you like manufactured runs? Sunday, Jimmy Rollins singled, stole second, stole third, and then was sacrificed home. That kind of thing happens a lot. You like power? Even as I write this, Pat the Bat and Aaron Rowand went back to back in the fifth. And they're not even the two best power hitters on the team. Finally, not only can they kill you with speed and power, but they'll wear you out. To steal a note from the Sports guy, they've got two guys in the top three in pitches per at bat in the NL, and 5 in the top 43.

Their ability to score runs in bunches is what allowed them to stage the most comeback wins in baseball, and it means you can't ever count them out. In the two decisive series against the Mutts, they made former All-Star Billy Wagner look very sad more then once. It was delicious.

4. The pitching isn't half bad. It might not be half good, but it's not half bad. The top of the rotation is good enough, with ace Cole Hamels, rookie sensation Kyle Kendrick, the surprising Kyle Lohse, and the timeless wonder who is Jamie Moyer. The bullpen has been pretty good of late, and the shorter playoff roster makes them look better. The Phils are in trouble when the bullpen gets stretched, and since apparently MLB is determined to make the playoffs last for a calandar year the pitchers should all get plenty of rest. Also, keep an eye on new closer Brett Meyers. He needed to get adjusted to being in the bullpen but now that he has, he's been lights out. He mixes a live fastball and a filthy curveball and he locks down the end of the game.

4. Inasmuch as we take a lot of flak, the Phillies fans are some of the best in the game. The atmosphere during home games is electric and we only get louder as the game goes on. We're also the most genial in the area; Eagles fans are crazy, Flyers fans are crazier, Soul fans are crazy and stupid, and Sixers fans are always drunk. I don't think anybody's ever felt threatened at a Phillies game while wearing the other team's jersey and that's rare in this town. You'll be hard pressed to find fans that more desperately need something to cheer for and that means the amp will be turned to 11 for every home game.

Quick side note: I'd appreciate it if columnists would stop taking lazy and cheap shots at Philly fans. I think everyone in the country knows by now that we don't mind booing, and that we booed Santa Clause, and that we cheered when Michael Irvin got carted off the field. But let's be honest here: If your team is stuck in a rut, and the management stinks, and the coach stinks, and the players stink, and all they do is lose, would you be placated by a lame Santa Clause? I don't think so. And at the time, we weren't the only ones who hated Michael Irvin. Everyone hated Michael Irvin. Plus, there was no way to know that his career was over. We probably wouldn't have cheered if we'd known that, we'd just have quietly clapped. So give it a rest guys, will ya?

Those are the best reasons that the Phillies could make a deep run. TBS doesn't want me to see any of it, scheduling the games at 3 in the afternoon and 9 or 10 at night. Nonetheless, I'll watch as much as I can and cheer on the inside. Let's go Phils!!!

October is upon us!

The MLB playoffs start tonight and I'm glad because there are few things as wonderful as playoff baseball, that is, as long as the White Sox and Astros aren't involved. So here we go, time to make some picks.

AL:
Red Sox vs. Angels

Andrew - I'm taking the Red Sox in 4 games. I think one of the Angels pitchers will steal a game but overall, the Sox are just too good a team to lose in the first round. Red Sox in 4.

jb - The Red Sox have too much starting pitching and offense to lose to the Angels. The only thing that scares me about this series is the Red Sox bullpen, which was brutual down the strech. If Gagne has to pitch in too many close games the Sox will lose, but it probably won't come to that. Red Sox in 3.

JN- I like the Sox in 5. I think this is going to be a really good series, because both teams have a nasty short series rotation and a stud closer, but I give the Sox the offensive edge.

Yankees vs. Indians

Andrew - Living in Ohio, Indian fever is all over the place, and its not the feeling you get after eating curry. This series is the ultimate team vs. talent match-up and I see the team pulling this one out. Indians in 5.

jb - This is an intriguing series. The Indians are a feel good story, young, easy to like players with some great pitching. While the Yankees have one the best offenses ever assembled. I love to hate the Yankees, but they're better than Cleveland and will win the series. Yankees in 4.

JN- Now is the time that knowing something about the AL would be good. Cleveland is so hot right now, with great young pitchers and hitters and a potential Cy Young winner. On the other hand, a short series will hide the Yankees' pitching flaws and they have a definite MVP winner. Ultimately, I'm tired of people forgetting that the Phillies wear pinstripes too because the Yanks somehow claimed them, so Indians in 5.

NL:
Cubs vs. Diamondbacks

Andrew - The Red Sox and White Sox have given their fans reason to live, and the Cubs will give their fans something to cheer about this year...at least in the first round. Soriano and Zambrano make their millions and the Cubs win in 4.

jb - I see this as the emotional series, I'm predicting a brawl somehow involving Zambrano. Trust me, it'll happen. The Diamandbacks will prove to be heartbreakers to the Cubs faithful. Diamondbacks in 5.

JN- It's way too hard for me to like a Cubs team that finally pulled out of a wretched NL Central. That's like being proud of being the skinniest kid at fat camp; impressive while you're there, but when you step out into the world you're still a 200 pound 12 year old. A scrappy Arizona team in 4.

Rockies vs. Phillies

Andrew - I love both these teams so its hard to choose. Do I take the team with the better talent (Philly) or the team with the amazing hot streak coming into the playoffs (Rockies)? I'm taking the Phillies because even if Ryan Howard strikes out 3 times a game, it only takes him 1 swing to change the game. Phillies in 5.

jb - The Rockies will probably have a "We're just happy to be here" attitude. Sure Matt Holliday is amazing, but besides him who else is (okay, fine, I'll give you the shortstop, but you don't know his name, you just know that he's a ROY canidate). The Phillies on the other hand have Rollins, Howard, and Utley with Hamels starting Game 1. You can't name the Rockies first game starter. Philies in 3.

JN- Let the bias flow. I could literally write 10,000 words about this series, and I probably will. But in another post. It's going to be a dynamite series no matter who wins, because these are arguably the two hottest teams in baseball and they're gonna give a great show. Nonetheless, the Phils are loaded for bear and looking to show the world what they're made of: Phils in 4.

That was last year?

I know a lot of media types have already looked at the top teams from last year and how they've fared so fare this year, but I need to look at it again because it continues to boggle my mind.

AFC playoff teams:
San Diego Chargers - 2006: 2- 2007: 1-3
Baltimore Ravens - 2006: 4-0 2007: 2-2
Indianapolis Colts - 2006: 4-0 2007: 4-0
New England Patriots - 2006: 3-1 2007: 4-0
New York Jets - 2006: 2-2 2007: 1-3
Kansas City Chiefs - 2006: 2-2 2007: 2-2

2006 Overall: 17-6
2007 Overall: 14-10

NFC playoff teams:
Chicago Bears - 2006: 4-0 2007: 1-3
New Orleans Saints - 2006: 3-1 2007: 0-3
Philadelphia Eagles - 2006: 3-1 2007: 1-3
Seattle Seahawks - 2006: 3-1 2007: 3-1
Dallas Cowboys - 2006: 2-2 2007: 4-0
New York Giants - 2006: 2-2 2007: 2-2

2006 Overall: 17-7
2007 Overall: 11-12

What a difference a year makes...

papelbon in tights

When the Red Sox finally clinched there first division title since 1995 they celebrated by dousing each other and their fans with champagne and beer, and Jonathan Papelbon decided to wear tights.

On a completely different note, goggles have changed the face of baseball celebrations over the past few years. This reminds me of the time that Orlando Carbera allegedly wore goggles on the field in the 9th inning of Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS.

This is why we love

Sundays in the fall are always fun days in sports because you have football scores and stats coming in all day. But today is special, if SanDiego loses, and the Mets, Philies, and Rockies all win there will be 4 teams in the National League with the same record. (89-73). So after 162 games we will have decided nothing. This would mean a 3 day playoff that would not see the playoffs start until Thursday. The Mets and Philies would play for the National League East on Monday in Philadelpia. The winner of that game takes the division, and the loser plays San Diego. The winner of that game hosts Colorado for the right to be the wildcard team.
I have no rooting interesting in any of these team, but I am rooting for a 4 team playoff that would be great for the sport.

More NFL thoughts

Is it too early to think about the 2008 NFL Free Agent class? I say no, so here it is by position.
QB:
Tony Romo (DAL) - Easily the biggest name and we all assume he will remain a Cowboy.
Kyle Boller (BAL) - Looking at the Ravens offense and McNair, he may be far more important to this team than we may think, that is, unless Troy Smith is the man.
Rex Grossman (CHI) - Will find a new home this off-season but not as a starter.
Jim Sorgi (IND) - Just because he's the most famous backup that I can remember, except for Scott Zolak.

RB:
Chris Brown (TEN) - Couldn't find a job a new job this year, and will his 175 yard opening day outburst be forgotten?
Mike Alstott (TB) - Will he comeback again for another year? The neck injury will hopefully be enough for one of the great fullbacks of this decade to hang 'em up for good and enjoy fishing in southern Florida.
T.J. Duckett (DET) - A big back who has never found a home. Teams will continue to give him a chance, but at this point he's running out of feature back chances.
Justin Fargas (OAK) - After a big Week 4, he's shown what he can do, but being on a team with LaMont Jordan and Dominic Rhodes won't help him this year. He has a chance to be the Sammy Morris of next year.
Jamal Lewis (CLE) - He slimmed down hoping to attract teams for one more contract and had done well so far this season except for an injury against the Patriots. If he can prove that he's a 1200 yard, 8 TD back, he should get another chance somewhere.
Lorenzo Neal (SD) - LDT's lead blocker may call it quits but I say it depends on how the Chargers finish this season. If they miss the playoffs, I see Lorenzo waving goodbye to the Chargers.
Tony Richardson (MIN) - Another great lead blocker will see if he can get a 3 or 4 year deal before he calls it a career.
Fred Taylor (JAC) - What are we to make of Fred Taylor? He's been a 1000 yard back for as long as I can remember and seems beyond his injuries. The Jags may want him to stay around and share carries with Jones-Drew, but will Taylor want to stay?
Michael Turner (SD) - Supposedly the best back in the market, hasn't played nearly as well as last year in limited carries.
Derrick Ward (NYG) - A virtual unknown to most of us before the season started, will probably earn himself a timeshare.
Vernand Morency (GB) - Looking at his numbers so far this year, Morency has a chance to get money somewhere in the league, but I'm not sure why he'd want to leave the hallowed grounds of Lambeau Field.

WR:
Bernard Berrian (CHI) - The Bears speedster has nobody to throw him the ball. I see a lot of teams lining up to get a down field threat to compliment an already solid receiver...if the price is right.
Troy Brown (NE) - He will either retire or sign another 1-year deal with the Patriots to continue to try and win another championship.
Brandon Stockley (DEN) - Obviously hasn't been the same receiver since leaving the Colts but has shown signs of life in Denver. If he has a solid year, he can decide to stay as the #2 behind Javon Walker, or if Brandon Marshall continues his current pace, he can look elsewhere for work.
Patrick Crayton (DAL) - A solid WR who has filled in admirably for Terry Glenn should get another contract in Big D. Another player the Cowboys have to decide on in this crucial off-season for the Cowboys.

TE:
Chris Cooley (WAS) - Solid HB/TE who it appears Jason Campbell is comfortable with, but is he worth a new contract? He can get a job elsewhere and may hit the market for the dollars.
L.J. Smith (PHI) - Injuries have plagued him the last few years and the Eagles teams we used to know may be gone. With the management's history of cutting guys loose early, plus the emergence of young stud Brent Celek, LJ would be better off with a new home. A chance of scenery may help extend his career a few seasons.

OL:
Alan Faneca (PIT) - Already had disputes with the Steelers and it doesn't seem likely that he will return after the season. Look for him to try and get big money on the market.
Ryan Lilja (IND) and Jake Scott (IND) - The Colts cannot afford to lose two starting offensive linemen in one season. While Tony Ugoh has done a great job thus far filling in for retired Tarik Glenn, I don't believe that the Colts could afford to lose anymore starters.


DL:
Jared Allen (KC) - Workhorse for the Chiefs would be a welcomed addition to any defense. The question is, who will pay him what he wants?
Terrell Suggs (BAL) - He's about to turn 25 and could make HUGE dollars this off-season. The Ravens have a knack of turning anybody into a great defensive player and Suggs has turned into a star. With Ray Lewis getting older, the Ravens may need to keep Suggs around, but his versatility (he can play DE or OLB) and his ceiling will be plenty to have teams opening the checkbook for his services.
Simeon Rice (DEN) - The old-time sack master hasn't been the same since 2005, but Rice can get to the quarterback as well as anybody. He should be able to get another contract in the off-season, especially for a team that wants him to show a young kid the ropes.
Mike Rucker (CAR) - At 32, his prospects of getting a contract this off-season look grim, but he's been a great player for the Panthers for the last 9 years. I think the Panthers keep him around for a few more years to keep alongside Julius Peppers.
Justin Smith (CIN) - The Bengals 1st round pick of 2001 continues to be a solid contributer on a weak Bengals defense who should re-sign him in the off-season. If the Bengals pass on Smith, he could get good money in the open market and teams would be willing to pay him.
Albert Haynesworth (TEN) - A monster defensive force who has been fantastic so far this season. His troubled past and up-and-down performance could make teams shy away, but if he plays well this season, he could be the cream of the crop in this defensive class.
Pat Williams (MIN) - More than a few teams will be hot for the vetern run stuffer capable of playing nose tackle in the 3-4.
Mike Wright (NE) - I put him on the list because he's a great worker and the Patriots found a consummate professional in Mike Wright. I love this guy and hope we keep him to back up Wilfork.

LB:
Tedy Bruschi (NE) - The soul of the Patriots defense will be the one to decide if he wants another year with Brady and Belichick. If the Patriots win the Super Bowl this year, he may start picking the kids up from school...or he might come back to get the one for the thumb.
Karlos Dansby (ARI) - Young, athletic linebacker who has the skill set to be great, but does he do enough to warrant a deal from the Cardinals?
Mike Vrabel (NE) - Another Patriot linebacker whose future directly relates to the success of the Patriots this year. He loves Boston and the fans love him so it makes sense to stay in New England especially because even at 30, he's loving the game and looking like he's 25.

CB:
Domonique Foxworth (DEN) - At only 24 years old, he has a chance to prove himself this year and be the 3rd CB in for the Broncos...or he could have a solid year and make himself some money on the free agent market. He doesn't have the skill-set of a #1 corner just yet, but he definitely has the talent to make a team very happy if they invest in him.
Eugene Wilson (NE) - I'm not sure what the Patriots will do with Wilson, but nobody ever knows what the Patriots will do. A lot of questions will be answered when we find out what Asante Samuel decides to do this off-season and if the Patriots believe Ellis Hobbs, Randal Gay, James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather can handle the load. If those players can, the Patriots will have one of the youngest and most talented defensive backfield in the NFL, with or without Samuel and Wilson.

What you may have forgotten since April

A lot has changed since the NFL Draft back in April, but here are a few things from the draft that you may have forgotten.

-The Dallas Cowboys have the Cleveland Browns first round pick, which at this point looks like a top 5 pick. While the Cowboys have been tearing up the NFL through the first 3 weeks, people have seemingly forgotten that they will likely have a top pick in next years draft. Not only do the Cowboys have a chance to top the NFC this year but will be the favorite next year. People have also criticized the Cowboys for taking a chance on Tank Johnson, but I think it's a great idea. The Cowboys know they are only renting Tank as long as he behaves and if he doesn't, they have a chance to replace him in the draft with the LSU's Glenn Dorsey. Look for the Cowboys to resign Romo, let Julius Jones go and give the job to Marion Barber III and draft either Glenn Dorsey, Darren McFadden or the top WR with the Browns pick.

-The Patriots no longer have 2 first round picks, but they still have the 49ers first round pick which looks to fall anywhere from 12-22. At this point, the Patriots don't look like a team with many needs, but just like the last few years, the Patriots could use some young legs at the linebacker position. The Asante Samuel situation will also play a key role in who the Patriots draft. I look for them to go after the top LB or CB with their pick and they should be able to choose from almost any of the top players at those positions, but don't forget that the Patriots love to draft DE's and TE's in the first round.

-The 49ers traded their pick to the Patriots but traded for the Colts pick in 2008. This is interesting because the 49ers can continue to get young and add more players to a great young team, but the Colts lose out on a chance to add anything to their already thin lineup. I see the Colts signing Bob Sanders to a big long term deal like they did with Dwight Freeney (6 tackles, 0 sacks through 3 games) and hoping their no-name defense can be good enough. If the Colts defense struggles, the Colts are going to have a tough time finding affordable replacements in the off-season.

More to come later. Time to enjoy some college football.

Andrew's Week 4 picks

Oakland @ Miami - Oakland. The Raiders are allowing 27.7 points per game. The Dolphins are allowing 28. I take the Raiders with a mobile Culpepper.

Green Bay @ Minnesota - Green Bay. The Vikings defense has been stellar allowing only 67 rush yards a game and only 12 points, but Brett Favre is happier than he's been in years and wants to leave Marino's record in the dust.

Houston @ Atlanta - Houston. The Texans have been strong on defense allowing only 18 points while the offense has put up 26 points a game.

N.Y. Jets @ Buffalo - Jets. The Bills have lost too many players to injury and its only Week 4. I feel for the bison, hopefully Trent Edwards and Lee Evans can hook up on a deep pass to keep the fans alive.

Baltimore @ Cleveland - Baltimore. The Ravens haven't played well but with the Browns giving up a league worst 35 points per game, the Ravens will have a balanced enough offense and just enough defense to win in the pound.

St. Louis @ Dallas - Dallas. Romo and TO continue to roll and the Cowboys stay atop the NFC. The Rams just want to get to their Week 9 bye.

Chicago @ Detroit - Chicago. Griese will be mistake free in a Trent Dilfer like performance. Bears fans wonder if he can keep it up.

Seattle @ San Francisco - Seattle. Great NFC West battle that seems to get better every year. The veteran Seahawks continue their reign out west.

Tampa Bay @ Carolina - Tampa Bay. Jeff Garcia continues to win games. That's all he will do for this Bucs team.

Pittsburgh @ Arizona - Pittsburgh. The Steelers keep rolling and the Cardinals continue their search for a quarterback. The NFL world waits for the Steelers to face a real foe.

Kansas City @ San Diego - San Diego. The perfect game for LDT and LJ to get back into last years form. Chargers do just enough to beat a bad Chiefs team.

Denver @ Indianapolis - Indianapolis. The Broncos are allowing only 88 passing yards a game but Peyton does just enough to win as Broncos fans turn their attention to playoff baseball.

Philadelphia @ N.Y Giants - Philadelphia. The Eagles win a big NFC East match-up as Eli continues to come up just short.

New England @ Cincinnati - New England. The leagues top defense and second best offense continues its torrid pace as the Patriots roll on Monday night.

jb week 4 picks

Week 3 Games:

Oakland @ Miami - Oakland. A winnable game for a team with a great defense

Green Bay @ Minnesota - Green Bay. Brett Favre vs. Tavaris Jackson

Houston @ Atlanta - Houston. It doesn't matter who Atlanta plays, they're not going to win

N.Y. Jets @ Buffalo - One of the harder games, I'm going with Buffalo, hopefully the coaching staff will let Trent Edwards throw the ball on first down and gain confidence.

Baltimore @ Cleveland - Cleveland. Baltimore has been asking to lose the last few weeks.

St. Louis @ Dallas - Dallas. Dallas will win this game, but we can all hope that the St. Louis offense gets back on track against a horrible Cowboys defense.

Chicago @ Detroit - Chicago. I keep on wondering what happens if Brian Griese comes out and throws 4 INT's and they lose. What do Bears fans do then?

Seattle @ San Francisco - Seattle. Seattle is a top 3 team in the NFC.

Tampa Bay @ Carolina - Carolina. Steve Smith has been destroying everybody this season. I can't bet against him until somebody stops him.

Pittsburgh @ Arizona - Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh still hasn't had a real test, and they don't get one this week either as they continue their winning ways.

Kansas City @ San Diego - San Diego. Kansas City is the second worst team in the league.

Denver @ Indianapolis - Denver. Yes, it's an upset, but Mike Shanahan is the second best coach in the league, and they have the best set of corners.

Philadelphia @ N.Y Giants - Philadelphia. McNabb finally woke up last week, and the Giants are an absolute mess.

New England @ Cincinnati - New England. They just can't be stopped right now.

NFL Schedule Tidbits

After their week 8 bye, the Baltimore Ravens play at the Steelers, home against Cincinnati, home against Cleveland, at San Diego, home against New England and at Indianapolis. Brutal.

The Chicago Bears play the New York Giants at home on Sunday, December 2nd followed by a game Thursday, December 6th at Washington. Two tough NFC East games 4 days apart. Better be ready for some long nights Lovie Smith.

The Dallas Cowboys play at home against the Redskins Sunday, November 18th followed by the Jets at home on Thursday, November 22nd followed by another home game against the Packers on Thursday, November 29th. Weird.

Starting next week, the Denver Broncos play at Indianapolis, home against San Diego, followed by a bye week to prepare for a home game against the Steelers.

The Vikings come out of their Week 5 bye at Chicago, at Dallas, home against the Eagles, home against San Diego and at Green Bay. Who is the quarterback again?

The Patriots could meet the undefeated Cowboys in Week 6 and the undefeated Colts in Week 9.

Sorry Woody

You know what, I'm an idiot. My brain slipped a gear and I said something horrible about Woody Paige. I completely meant that undeserved libel to go to Skip Bayless, easily the most annoying, unprofessional, loudmouthed, stupid, useless piece of dookie on ESPN. By far.

Woody, if you ever see this, I'm truly sorry.

Skip, if you ever see this, I know that you prance around in your wife's underwear like a four year old ballerina. And I'm telling the world.

more on mike gundy

The one thing that irks me the most about the whole Mike Gundy situation is all these reporters on around the horn and sportcenter saying that he was childish for going after the reporter. Of course they're going to say that. They are reporters. They do not want to be accountable for what they say. They make personal attacks, but can't take them. Skip Bayless is the worst. He was on sportscenter last night saying how it was cowardly for this Gundy to call her out in front of other reporters and cameras. The real story is that Skip, and every other journalist, doesn't want to be called out for their own mistakes . Journalists should accept any and all criticism for what they write.

NFL Injury reports

Inaugural post, and it's about injury reports in general. I almost don't get why teams bother issuing these things. Tom Brady's a good example, and Brian Westbrook is another. He's always got a strained this or a sore that and he never practices and then he plays on Sundays and blows up. If this surprises anyone then you haven't been paying attention. I figure issuing the "injury" reports must just be to give the media something to talk about.

Speaking of the media and talking, I'm loving the Mike Gundy saga. I don't see why a coach or player shouldn't call out a member of the media that makes up nonsense and then expects to be left alone or ignored. Doing it publicly only makes it all the sweeter. I guess it can be argued that all Gundy did was make the reporter way more famous then she would have been on her own, and that he didn't achieve anything, but I say rock on brother.

In a related story, I want to write really offensive lies about famous sports "personalities" until they call me on it, because the concept of someone becoming famous because they have a loud mouth to express their loud opinions about sports bothers me. To kick it off:

Woody Paige and Steven A. Smith are secret lovers, and they especially enjoy a good snarling larry.

Mike & Mike

I was listening to Mike & Mike this morning and heard Greenberg's fears of all the people that don't like him. He defended himself like Jerry's mom defends him in Seinfeld. [How could somebody not like you? What is there not to like?] So here's the deal. I like you guys. Greenberg and Golic, you do wonderful things together. Hopefully you read this and feel better about yourselves. Mention our blog on the air.

Fun with NFL.com

Here are some rookie stats as we keep an eye on these kids.

Adrian Peterson leads the rookie runners in yards and YPC while Marshawn Lynch leads them with 2 TD's, but outside of those two guys, the only rookie runner to make an impact thus far has been the Brandon Jackson/DeShawn Wynn combo in Green Bay.

Now get this, James Jones leads ALL rookie WR's with 14 catches. Brandon Jackson has the 2nd most catches by a rookie with 11. So the top 2 ball catching rookies are both on, you guessed it, Green Bay. Number 3 we all know, thats right, Mr. Dwayne Bowe who has 10 catches and 2 TD's. Calvin Johnson follows with 10 catches and 2 TD's as well and he also leads all rookies in receiving yards. And don't forget rookie tight end Matt Spaeth who has 3 catches for 2 TD's in SteelerLand.

I have no reason to mention the QB's because Quinn and Russell have done nothing and Trent Edwards doesn't really count...does he?

Paul Posluzny leads rookies with 26 tackles though he sadly won't play anymore this season. He's tied with Patrick Willis who is this years DeMeco Ryans and could be the next Vilma/AJ Hawk type middle linebacker. LaRon Landry rounds out the top 3 with 22 tackles. The only player in the NFL who cannot drink legally, Amobi Okoye leads rookies with 3 sacks and Brian Robinson (the other Texas DE), Clifton Ryan (I don't know who he is, but check out his sweet website: cliftonryan.com) and LaMarr "Thank the Lord I left Michigan" Woodley follow with 2 sacks a piece. Ryan has also forced 2 fumbles as has Reggie Nelson of the Jagsuars.

Only 3 rookies have intercepted a pass, Gerald Alexander of Detroit, Leon Hall of the vaunted Bengals secondary and Marcus Thomas of the Broncos. Sadly, no rookie has recorded a safety or a touchdown.

If we start looking at stats over a projected full season, things are looking like this:

Adrian Peterson - 1445 yards, 16 TD's, 43 receptions, 853 yards, 8 TD's (if he keeps that up, it will be completely insane)
Marshawn Lynch - 1216 yards, 11 TD's (I believe he can do this especially with Losman out for a bit)
Greg James - 75 catches, 1000 yards
Brandon Jackson - 1000 all-purpose yards, 9 TD's
Dwayne Bowe - 53 catches, 720 yards, 11 TD's
Calvin Johnson - 53 catches, 1008 yards, 11 TD's
Patrick Willis - 139 tackles, 5 forced fumbles

But the question remains...who will be this years NFL Rookie of the Year?

Injury Report

It feels like Tom Brady has been listed on the Patriots injury report every week for the last 3 years. However in a recent interview he was quoted as saying "I'm sure I'll be listed somewhere on the injury report. I'm trying to get off that thing"
Tom, Bill will never take you off the injury report

How Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds can change baseball forever

Barry Bonds will not play for the San Francisco Giants next year. Alex Rodriguez will not play for the New York Yankees next year (I think). While I like the idea of A-rod joining the Cubs in an effort to win a championship in a city that desperately needs it, I think I have a better idea. How about A-rod puts his money (lots of it) where his mouth is (pink lips and all) and take a pay cut (HUGE pay cut) and go play in a small(er) market on a team that can contend for a title now.
I know what you're saying, nobody does that, nobody ever will, it's just a pipe dream from fans who won't believe these guys are in it for the money. But what if A-rod could break every individual batting record of all time? You say, but isn't he going to do that anyways? Well, yes, he will, but how about he starts breaking those records next season. How? Where? Well, how about in a little place I like to call Coors Field.

That's right, Alex Rodriguez should join the Colorado Rockies this off-season. He should take a pay cut and he should invite the only person in the league hated more than he, Mr. Barry Bonds, to take a cut as well and go with him. Think about the possibilities of having A-rod and Barry Bonds back to back in the lineup. I know Barry would have to play the field and junk (how about the Roayls then?), but these two would combine for a minimum of 125 HR's combined in a season at Coors Field and the Rockies would be a legitimate contender in a putrid division.
I know this is ridiculous and I know it won't happen in my life time (except on my MVP Baseball 2008 team), but these guys have a chance to change the way we will look at baseball for the next 100 years. I know it's a pipe dream...but it's MY pipe dream and I'm sticking to it.

2008 NFL Draft

In case you weren't paying attention to the 2007 draft two very good teams traded for 2008 first round draft picks; the Cowboys and the Patriots. Now both of these teams are 3-0 and probably headed for the play-offs, if they happen to meet in the Superbowl and Cleveland and San Fransisco collapse we could the best two teams in the league with the first two draft picks in the 2008 draft.

Welcome

Welcome to Reasons to Love, a blog about sports and why we love them.