tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88899411483995695232024-03-13T06:12:52.930-04:00The Ship of FoolsSports Bloggers who Refer to Themselves in the Fourth PersonWCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-49280949096620704862008-08-23T13:46:00.002-04:002008-08-23T13:47:03.222-04:00Obama Girl - Is she happy with Joe Biden as Veep?<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dyjXt1zSXHU&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dyjXt1zSXHU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>rstileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10426076171682066229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-5094731298988686812008-08-23T00:01:00.003-04:002008-08-23T02:39:42.340-04:00A day in the life of a college football fanI'm busting at the seams!! I'm so excited I can hardly keep a thought in my head before inevitably day dreaming about IT. What is IT you may ask? IT is college football kids! It's that time of year; the air smells sweeter, food tastes better, and I've got a little extra pep to my step. It's the symbolic start of Autumn and for me and my pals, it's like Christmas and our birthdays all rolled into one. The season officially kicks off in 5 days, and although I will certainly be glued to the tube, those games are just something to wet my whistle before the sensory overloading Saturday. As much as I look forward to the season, my 1st football Saturday ritual is just as important. Here's a glimpse of my day based on a few years of experience.<br /><br />Saturday morning will start with a quick trip to the gym just to get the blood flowing (and realistically to offset some of the damage i'll be doing to my body later). I Tivo college gameday so I can zip past the commercials and the occasional puff piece. Herby and the crew make their picks and Corso throws on the home mascot's head to get the fans fired up (it's the sort of thing that will piss me off by week 6, but come next Saturday, that goofy bastard's schtick will be pure gold!). If I were a gambling man, now would be the time I jump online to make some last minute picks of my own (can someone loan me $100, I'll explain later For the love of God I just need $200 to get back on track. $500 should do the trick, I'm good for it I swear!). <br /><br />By now it's noon and I get the Picture-In-Picture going for the 1st half of the early games. At halftime, I make my way to my favorite local watering hole to meet up with the boys and compare picks. The happiest moment of the year occurs as I walk through that door. 50 TVs line the walls of this college football mecca, and as I saunter in I'm greeted by the bar's foul-mouthed yet loveable owner, smile on his face, clipboard full of games in tow. He gives us free reign over the plasmas in our vacinity and we make good use of them. I order up a Guinness and some wings, cause I'm gonna be here for a while. For the next few hours our heads look like oscillating fans scanning from monitor to monitor as we take in 5 or more games at once while occasionally feeling around for a mug (and no the law of diminishing returns does not apply to college football. That is a defeatist attitude, and we will not have that in our bar). Lastly, any week 1 Saturday would be incomplete without the debates.<br /><br />Who's the team to beat? What conference looks best top to bottom? What Heisman hopefuls do we like? Will the Irish bounce back this year? Are we gonna see the Buckeyees in national championship again? If so, will they be crushed by the SEC champs again? Is Tim Tebow the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ as Gator fans like to believe? (my buddy gazes at pictures of Tebow like Kathy Bates looked at James Caan in <em>Misery</em>!) Are some of these debates premature? Never. Just in case we're right, we wanna be able to say we told you so way back in week 1.<br /><br />So the countdown begins. I just hope the day lives up to it's billing. It hasn't let me down yet!FightingIrishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17234546295629848155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-42661526621802134472008-05-17T12:37:00.002-04:002008-05-17T13:02:20.258-04:00Preakness ThoughtsOn a normal race day, without the hype surrounding a triple crown race, a horse like Big Brown, a standout in a large field, would most likely be either even money or perhaps 4-5. Granted, Big Brown is quite a standout, but at the same time there are horses everyday that tower over their competition and go off at much higher odds than the current 1-10 price Big Brown offers. Needless to say, when a horse's win odds offer about as much value as a nice yielding stock, it probably isn't the best bet. In fact, because of the minus pool (which basically insures that a winning bet pays a minimum of $2.10 for every $2 bet), it probably makes a lot more sense to bet Big Brown to show, and take your $2.10 instead of your $2.20 if he wins. It is amazing that both Pimlico and Magna Entertainment, who owns Pimlico, face the very real possibility of having to cover a large minus pool on the one day where a lot of money is bet on Pimlico races.<br /><br />Ultimately, this just is not a great race to bet. If you are a fan of the sport, I would consider betting on a few other horses to win, with the hedge being that if Big Brown beats you, then you know you have a chance to witness history in three weeks at Belmont. If a horse like a Gayego were to run back to his Arkansas Derby, or horses like Macho Again and Kentucky Bear continue to improve, they would be within a couple of lengths of Big Brown's races. Remember, these are horses, and absolutely nothing is a sure thing. Two months ago, War Pass was 1-20 running in the Tampa Bay Derby, towering over his rivals on paper even more than Big Brown today, and he finished last without any real excuse. Barbaro was 1-2 two years ago at the Preakness, and of course we will never know what would have happened had he not broke down, but at the very least Bernardini would have given him a run for his money.<br /><br />When I thought about this race earlier, I felt that even money or better would be a good price for Big Brown, which I knew would never happen because of the hype surrounding his Derby win. My feeling was he would be around 1/2, making this race a no play. At 1/10, the only play is to try to figure out who could win if Big Brown doesn't pick his feet up today. My list includes-<br /><br />Macho Again<br />Tres Borrachos<br />Racecar Rhapsody<br />Kentucky Bear<br />GayegoFelonious Monkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03423409602725775484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-4597995085733092022008-05-09T20:22:00.003-04:002008-05-09T22:22:49.759-04:00Big Brown, Eight BellesBefore I get to my thoughts on Big Brown and the Kentucky Derby, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the unfortunate breakdown of Eight Belles during her gallop out after the race. As someone who owns racehorses, I can say that there is nothing any of the connections- owner, trainer, or jockey, thinks about more than the safety of their horse, no matter what the race. It is the first thing you think about when the gates open and the last thing you think about when the race is over. Many writers, most of whom spend barely any time covering the sport outside of a couple of Saturdays in May, believe the connections made a foolish choice in running Eight Belles in this race, but the truth is there was no way of knowing what could have happened before the race.<br /><br />There is nothing inherently dangerous in racing fillies and mares against the opposite sex; in fact, it happens more often then you might think, especially at the higher levels of the sport. Ouija Board, Rags to Riches, and Xtra Heat are just some of the more recent examples of fillies than ran, and won, against their male counterparts. Of course, the problem is that when the average sports fan thinks of fillies running against colts, they will invariably think of Ruffian, who broke down in a much hyped match race 30 years ago, and now Eight Belles. Two incidences in 30 years, however, do not make a trend.<br /><br />More importantly, though, is that there <span style="font-style: italic;">are</span> major, major issues in the sport of thoroughbred racing, issues that need to be addressed. The problem is that the media, and to a greater degree PETA, have absolutely no idea what these issues are or how to resolve them. PETA, for example, believes the "crocodile tears" of Eight Belles connections hide their true intentions, to make as much money as possible by exploiting helpless animals. Perhaps if the leaders of PETA did, say, five minutes of research into the sport, they would realize that A) horsemen care passionately about their horses, not just as racing prospects but as animals, and B) the vast majority of owners lose money owning horses, and except for the upper echelon of trainers and jockeys, most backstretch workers are living paycheck to paycheck. Even great jockeys and trainers have bad years, and when they do, they simply do not make much money.<br /><br />As I said though, there are major issues in the sport, and if PETA were to realize that every person involved in horse racing isn't an evil, soulless rich person looking to exploit animals, they could effect change as an impartial outsider working together with horsemen who also care about the well being of the animals. While the media endlessly drones on about switching to a synthetic dirt surface (which, while promising in that it has reduced breakdowns at tracks, has also increased other issues with horses, including hoof problems and tendon issues which can lead to breakdowns down the road), or not racing a horse until he is three, four or even five years old, nobody talks about one of the biggest problems facing the sport: the two year old in training sales in the winter and spring.<br /><br />The horses in these sales, many of them still under 2 years old (although, for the purposes of the sport, every horse born before January 1st has their first birthday on New Year's day), are asked to work out, usually twice, often times an eight of a mile and a quarter mile as fast as possible. As the industry over the past 20 years has changed from more home-bred horses to more horses bought at these sales, a lot of these horses are rushed at an early age to work fast, and too often given drugs either to mask an injury or to make a horse look more physically imposing.<br /><br />This is one of the parts of the business where the economics don't always match up with the best interests of the horse, and therefore something PETA could be active in to make a change. It isn't in the farms best interests to regulate themselves, as a flashy colt who works a snappy time can sell for six or even seven figures. Two years ago, The Green Monkey worked the fastest eight of a mile of any horse at his sale, and was sold for $16 million dollars (although the actual sale was for less money, as a deal was already in place for the colt). The horse never turned out to be much of anything; he was recently retired, still a maiden. But from a breeder's standpoint, there is a great incentive to breed and train horses like this, even if it is detrimental to the long term development of the horse.<br /><br />Of course, it would probably be asking too much from either PETA or the average sports journalist to address this issue, but it really is something that could drastically change the sport for the better. Perhaps if horses were not rushed to make the sales, not asked to run as fast a quarter mile as their developing bodies can, and not pumped full of drugs, the breed could become more sound and durable. Sadly, though, I fear that is not something that will happen anytime soon.<br /><br />- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -<br /><br />As for Big Brown... well, what can you say? He clearly is the best horse of his generation, and the question becomes whether he regresses over the next four weeks or if another three year old can step up to the plate and really challenge Big Brown. As for the latter, a very interesting match could be developing for the Belmont Stakes, between Big Brown and Casino Drive. Casino Drive, for those of you who don't know (which I would assume is everybody, except that I am the only person who reads this blog, so I guess that means nobody), is out of the dam Better than Honour, who has foaled the last TWO Belmont Winners, Jazil and Rags to Riches. Casino Drive broke his maiden in Japan by over 11 lengths, but hasn't raced since, so it will be interesting to see how he fares tomorrow in the Peter Pan, but if he does well he could pose Big Brown's biggest obstacle for racing immortality.<br /><br />But back to Big Brown for a moment. Kent Desormeaux deserves a lot of credit for his ride in the Derby, as he was able to work out to a T the trip I'm sure both he and Dutrow were hoping for when they chose post 20. Big Brown was able to stay clear of horses throughout the entire trip, while only being 3-4 wide. It's not often that 3-4 wide is where you want to be, but in a 20 horse field 3-4 wide without traffic is really all you can ask for, especially if you have the best horse in the field. He was also able to work out a nice breather down the back stretch, all while hanging around close to the leaders, and when it was time to run, there was never any doubt that Big Brown would win for fun.<br /><br />The question becomes, exactly how good is Big Brown, and can be become an all time great? In terms of pure speed figures, his numbers are on par with other Derby winners over the past decade, which leads you to believe he might not be a lock to win the Triple Crown. The wild card is that this is one of the weakest crops of three year olds to run in the triple crown races in a very long time. All winter, handicappers, including myself, tried to figure out why the times for all of the prep races were so slow. Was it the synthetic tracks? Was it the early pace of the race being too slow? Nope, turns out these horses are just slow. One of the things lost with the breakdown of Eight Belles was that she was much, much faster than every horse in the race not named Big Brown. Earlier in the year, both Proud Spell and Indian Blessing, two fillies, ran faster at the same distance on the same day at the Fair Grounds as Pyro did in the Louisiana Derby. That is not to take anything away from these fillies, all of them are nice in their own right, but in a normal year they would not be able to match up to their male counterparts, let alone dominate them.<br /><br />As for the Preakness, it looks as though the field is going to be light, and Big Brown will be the monster favorite, perhaps as low as 1/2 or 2/5. Rick Dutrow normally does not like to wheel his horses back with 13 days rest, but he has no choice this time, and that may be something to watch. Still, at this point I would be somewhat surprised if Big Brown wasn't able to handle these horses on 13 hours rest, let alone 13 days. If fatigue were to be an issue, my guess is that it would show up turning for home in the Belmont. As for how good Big Brown is, you can't yet put him above a horse like Barbaro, who won stakes on turf and dirt, or even a horse like Point Given who won triple crown races against superior foes. All that being said, Big Brown is clearly a freak, and perhaps the scariest part about his abilities is that he has every right to keep getting better, as most horses do early in his career. He didn't bob and weave down the stretch in the Derby like he did during the Florida Derby, and if he keeps putting the pieces together mentally while physically growing stronger, it won't matter what horses he faces over the next four weeks.Felonious Monkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03423409602725775484noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-11324881097281564822008-05-01T22:05:00.006-04:002008-05-02T16:01:17.757-04:00Breaking down the DerbyHere is a look at the pros and cons of each derby contender, listed by post position...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) Cool Coal Man</span><br /><br />Pros- Zito horse is 3 for 4 from the rail, always a good sign, especially for a younger horse who might not appreciate being squeezed into the rail. Fountain of Youth winner didn't appreciate the synthetic surface, but if you throw that race out (as many bettors will do with Pyro), then he seems to fit well. By Mineshaft, this 200K yearling purchase is one of the better bred horses in the field and should appreciate the distance more than most.<br /><br />Cons- The question is whether you want to ignore the Blue Grass, which was certainly a clunker. He stalked modest fractions, but was still nowhere to be found by the 1/8th pole. He also loses Desormeaux, and while Leparoux is certainly capable of winning, it is a little disconcerting that this is now his 6th jockey in 9 races.<br /><br />Final word- Talented colt could work out a real nice trip with no speed directly to his outside, and will probably be overlooked at long odds. Certainly playable underneath<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) Tale of Ekati<br /><br /></span>Pros- The only dual qualifier in the field (a duel qualifier is essentially a horse that ran well as a 2YO, but also has a low dosage index, indicating he is bred to run longer), this horse was a monster at two in New York, and bounced back nicely after a disappointing Louisiana Derby where he broke very poorly to win the Wood over champion War Pass. His female side is probably the classiest of any horse in the field, and even a novice racing fan knows Barclay Tagg always is a live threat to win a big race.<br /><br />Cons- Despite winning the Grade I Wood last out, his Beyers are really on the light side for a legit contender. He had something of a dream trip in that race, sitting comfortable off of War Pass' fast fractions before collaring him in the stretch. The track was drying out, which at times can make it very tiring, but that final furlong in almost 14 seconds is extremely slow. Tale of the Cat's (his sire) progeny have generally been more successful sprinting or running middle distances, so there are concerns there.<br /><br />Final Word- It's not often that the winner of the Wood is a throwout in the Derby, but this might be an exception. He just hasn't run fast enough to show he will be a major threat in this race, and I think the extra fu<a href="javascript:void(0)" tabindex="11" onclick="return false;"><span></span></a>rlong only hurts him.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) Anak Nakal<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span></span>Pros- His best race came over this track back in November in the Kentucky Jockey Club, where he stalked the pace effectively before taking over midstretch and holding on gamely to win. Deep closer might get a white hot pace to run at, which would be to his advantage.<br /><br />Cons- Has the lightest speed figures in the field, and those horses rarely run well in any race, let alone a race with 19 opponents. Never a good sign to be making an equipment change on Derby Day, as clearly blinkers were useless last time. Hasn't been competitive as a 3YO, and might be one of those horses that was precocious at 2 but never really advanced over the winter as a 3YO.<br /><br />Final Word- If the pace is wicked, he could pass tired horses, but it's hard to imagine much more than that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4) Court Vision</span><br /><br />Pros- Another horse exiting the Wood, this horse was trying to get at the leaders but just couldn't seem to close ground in the final furlong to get the job done. The track was very speed favoring that day, so the fact that he was able to come from way off the pace to get close is a good sign. IEAH spent a lot of money to buy this horse, and Mott/Gomez are two of the best in the business.<br /><br />Cons- Another horse who is rather light Beyer wise, and also making an equipment change, this time putting blinkers on for the first time. Has been very wide in a lot of his races, which is probably a result of his late running style more than racing luck, and will probably have to go even wider if he wants to make a serious run at the leaders coming home.<br /><br />Final Word- Like Anak Nakal, the only way I can imagine this horse making a dent is if there is a pace meltdown up front. IEAH manages money about as well as Bear Stearn's mortgage desk (zing!), and I don't see this horse being a threat for a top 4 position.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5) Eight Belles<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span>Pros- The only filly in the field, but this miss will not be intimidated by the boys, as she is a physical specimen who is bigger than many of her male counterparts. She enters this race on a four race winning streak, including two victories in graded stakes races where she sat off moderate fractions before finishing powerfully in the stretch in fast times. A 375k yearling purchase out of Unbridled's Song, she is one of the best bred horses in the race, and her sire should give her the stamina to compete at 10 furlongs. She's been somewhat ignored by the press, which is surprising, and might offer some value.<br /><br />Cons- Despite what Rags to Riches did last year, it is always a major step up in class for a filly to compete in a race like this. She's never run over a mile and a sixteenth, and she hasn't even faced off against the best fillies of her generation yet. She has run almost exclusively in races where the fields were small and the pace was sensible, and neither of those will be the case on Saturday.<br /><br />Final Word- Connections were on and off about running in this race or the Oaks, but I think they made the right choice. There is only one Derby, and she has a right to be competitive in this spot. I wish she ran in some bigger fields or more competitive races, but she is fast enough to compete and is one of the few horses that is bred to go the distance. Not sure that she wins but underneath is a real possibility.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6) Z Fortune<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span>Pros- Coming into this race off of his best effort to date, this NY bred colt couldn't quite get past Gayego in the Arkansas Derby but certainly ran fast enough to make him a contender in the Derby. Settled in nicely in that race and closed on a track that is very speed favoring, and has trained very well since. Ran over a 90 Beyer as a 2YO and over 100 as a 3YO, an achievement most Derby winners have accomplished.<br /><br />Cons- By Siphon, who is more known as a middle distance type sire, there could be some distance concerns. Another horse that has had several jockey changes in his short career, suggesting he might not have been any jockey's number one choice.<br /><br />Final Word- I'm not generally a huge fan of New York Breds as legit Derby horses, but this stable knows what they are doing, and I expect big things from him Saturday.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7) Big Truck<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>Pros- Second New York Bred, this Hook and Ladder colt showed promise against state breds before moving up to open company and staying competitive. Ran well at Tampa Bay, including a win over 1-20 War Pass, giving that horse is first career defeat. Like Funny Cide, this colt is also trained by Barclay Tagg<br /><br />Cons- While he has hung around against open company for the most part, he hasn't run fast enough to prove he really can compete with the best 3YO's in the country. His win over War Pass had probably more to do with the fact that War Pass never picked up his feet than anything else. If you throw out his two races at Tampa Bay, he looks like a horse that will not match up to most of these. His breeding also suggests he might be better in long sprints than at classic distances.<br /><br />Final Word- While the connections have earned the right to take a shot in this race, it's hard to imagine him having much of an impact.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8) Visionaire</span>-<br /><br />Pros- Gotham winner literally came from the clouds to win that race, as heavy fog prevented anyone from seeing most of the race until deep stretch. His late running style could be useful if all of the speed outside goes hard in front of him. Another horse who wasn't at his best on the Polytrack, but at least he made a respectable run to finish 5th beaten 6 lengths. Trained by Michael Matz, same trainer as Barbaro.<br /><br />Cons- Has only run one race that makes you think he could be a factor on Saturday, and that was against a suspect group who set extremely fast fractions in front of him on a sloppy track. While rain is in the forecast tonight, it looks most likely the track will be either good or fast, so that shouldn't work in his favor.<br /><br />Final Word- His closing style might make him a threat to get up for a piece, but unless the track is sloppy or the pace is crazy, I don't see this horse in the top 4<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9) Pyro<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><br />Pros- Most considered him the favorite for most of the winter, and rightfully so. This son of Pulpit ran very well as a 2YO, running 2nd to War Pass in the Champagne and Breeders Cup in swift times. His speed figures have been a little slower this year, but that may be mostly due to the slower early pace of the races he was in. He has shown the best acceleration of any horse in the stretch this year, and his final quarter mile times suggest he should have no problem going farther, as does his breeding<br /><br />Cons- The one big negative is, of course, the Blue Grass, where Pyro did next to nothing running a nondescript 10th beaten by over 11 lengths. Even if he didn't take to the polytrack, a truly great horse probably puts up more of a fight in that spot, which clearly he did not. A case can also be made that his two stand out races might be suspect. The Beyer from the Champagne seems abnormally high for a horse running a mile in over 1:36, and the Breeder's Cup race was run over a sloppy track that was changing throughout the day.<br /><br />Final Word- The determining factor with this horse is whether you think the Blue Grass is a throw out. Personally, I think it is, and I hope he gets overlooked to some extent on Saturday. Serious win candidate, and must use underneath for exotics.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10) Colonel John</span><br /><br />Pros- The best of the west, Colonel John comes into this race off of two impressive victories in California, beating the likes of El Gato Malo and Bob Black Jack among others. By two time Breeders Cup Classic champ Tiznow, this horse is bred to run all day, and his late running style figures to be effective again today. His Beyers are on the light side, but that may have more to do with the way most polytrack races are run, where jockeys tend to restrain there horses more for a strong finish. Colonel John has shown just such an ability, as he has come home in under 12 seconds for the last furlong in each of his past two races. His bullet breeze in 57.4 seconds for 5 furlongs suggests he should have no problems on the dirt, either.<br /><br />Cons- Not too much to knock on this consistent colt. His Beyers are a little light, and his competition out west was certainly questionable. The biggest knock on this horse is that he hasn't run on conventional dirt yet in a race, and there is no way to know exactly how good he is on such a surface until he runs on one.<br /><br />Final Word- Most horses that run well on synthetic surfaces don't have a problem on the dirt, and Colonel John should be no exception. Another horse that is a strong win candidate and must use in exotics.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11) Z Humor<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span>Pros- Ran well as a 2YO, including a nice third behind War Pass and Pyro in the Champagne, came right back to dead heat for the Delta Jackpot, clinching his spot for this race. By Distorted Humor, same sire as Funny Cide, out of an AP Indy mare, he should not have a problem with the extra furlong in the Derby. He also has improved in each of his three races this year.<br /><br />Cons- Despite his improvement from the winter, he still hasn't done much as a 3YO, including a nondescript fourth in the Fountain of Youth and third behind longshot Recapturetheglory in the Illinois Derby. Another horse who is changing equipment on Derby Day, this time taking off blinkers that he has worn for his past 5 races. His Beyers are also light compared to other horses that have won the Derby.<br /><br />Final Word- In most other years, this horse is probably a throwout, but if he were to continue to improve into this race he could make some noise against this puzzling group of horses. Still, I would only use him sparingly if at all underneath.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">12) Smooth Air</span><br /><br />Pros- Consistent son of Smooth Jazz ran well to be second behind Big Brown in the Florida Derby, punching his ticket to Kentucky in the process. He was successful stretching out in the Tampa Bay Derby after a couple of wins at 7 furlongs down in Miami, and has yet to finish out of the money in 7 starts in his career.<br /><br />Cons- Smooth Jazz was a sprinter, so there are definitely concerns about his ability to get the distance from a breeding perspective. He also missed training a few days last weekend with a fever, and it's hard to make up those days with so few days before the Derby<br /><br />Final Word- Another horse that usually would be a safe bet to toss out, but his consistency makes him a possibilty underneath. Still can't see him winning, though.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">13) Bob Black Jack</span><br /><br />Pros- Speed merchant ran the fastest Beyer of any 3YO this year, running a 109 in the Sunshine Millions Dash. Looks to be the speed of the speed in this race, and despite being somewhat outside he shouldn't have too much trouble getting towards the inside for the first turn. He's probably a better sprinter, but his two tries routing have been very respectable.<br /><br />Cons- Appears to be a need the lead type, and even a lightly poor break would ruin his chances. He should be able to get the lead, but he might have to go 22 for a quarter and 45 for the half to get it, in which case it's hard to imagine him anywhere close to the leaders by the 1/8th pole. He has yet to run on conventional dirt, and is also making a switch to blinkers, which should have him very keen to go early.<br /><br />Final Word- He'll give you a thrill as he should be out in front, and he might be worth a small saver bet in case the track really favors speed or the pace in unexpectedly moderate.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">14) Monba</span><br /><br />Pros- Pletcher horse comes out of the Blue Grass a victor despite being steadied early and forced wide into the lane. By Maria's Mon, sire of Derby winner Monarchos, out of an Easy Goer mare, he should have no problems whatsoever with the Derby distance. Despite running only 5 times, this horse has 3 wins, sporting a winning percentage not too many others in the field can match.<br /><br />Cons- His three best races are arguably on synthetic surfaces, and his most recent try on the dirt was an out and out flop, running last beaten 40 lengths in the Fountain of Youth. He was going crazy in the paddock that day, which is not a good sign given the 100,000+ people expected to be on hand Saturday. Another horse that has run very light Beyers compared to those who have won this race in the past.<br /><br />Final Word- You always have to respect every horse Pletcher leads out to the track, but this one seems like a polytrack specialist. If you must bet him, make sure you see him in the paddock first and that he is not uncomfortable or sweating.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">15) Adriano</span><br /><br />Pros- Exceptionally well bred horse (By AP Indy out of a Mr. Prospector mare) punched his ticket to the Derby via his win in the Lanes End stakes in March at Turfway Park. He is training great coming into the race, and perennial leading jockey Edgar Prado (rider of Barbaro) was so impressed with his works he decided to stay on board for the Derby. Graham Motion is another trainer that always must be respected in any race where he has a horse running.<br /><br />Cons- Like Monba, he looks like a polytrack/turf horse. His one dirt race was a poor effort, running 9th beaten almost 20 lengths in the Fountain of Youth. After winning the Lanes End, his connections said they would not point to the Derby, but after working out well over the Churchill Downs strip they could not turn the chance to run for the roses. Yet another horse who is light on the Beyer side.<br /><br />Final Word- I can't blame the owners for taking a shot in this race, but his one race on the dirt isn't nearly enough to inspire confidence this horse will be prominently involved in the finish.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">16) Denis Of Cork</span><br /><br />Pros- Was 3 for 3 going into Illinois Derby, including an impressive win in the Southwest Stakes, where he rallied stoutly from well off of the pace on a track that generally favors speed to win going away, earning a solid 96 Beyer. This is Harlan's Holiday's first crop of Derby age, and so far he has been a hit as a sire. A mare by Unbridled underneath should give him some extra stamina, and Calvin Borel, jockey of Derby winner Street Sense last year, sees fit to ride. The last horse to make the field, he has been training very well and seems to be at home at Churchill Downs.<br /><br />Cons- As nice as his first three races were, his last race was certainly perplexing. Running in a 7 horse field that didn't appear too tough on paper, he was never a factor and finished 5th beaten almost double digits. He also concedes experience to most of his foes, having raced only 4 times thus far, and even champions such as Curlin have had a hard time overcoming a lack of experience. While there is little question Harlan's Holiday is a nice sire, he was most effective as a runner at 8-9 furlongs so there could be some distance limitations potentially.<br /><br />Final Word- This is a nice colt who deserved a shot in this race. Another horse I don't see winning but certainly could see underneath.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">17) Cowboy Cal</span><br /><br />Pros- Second Pletcher horse is, surprise, also exceptionally well bred, this time by Giant's Causeway out of a Seeking the Gold mare. He ran a very game second in his last on the polytrack, and in fact has been first or second in each of his races since his debut at the spa last summer. John Velazquez, who rides first call for Pletcher, retains the mount, which alone makes him a threat.<br /><br />Cons- Another horse that has run only on turf or synthetic surfaces, except for his first race where he was a well beaten 7th in his debut. He looks like a horse that will be close to the pace, which could be a problem from an outside post with speed both to his inside and outside. His Beyers are also a little on the light side.<br /><br />Final Word- His one race on dirt was a dud, but many horses don't fire first time out, so I think that race is a toss out. What's left is a very consistent horse who can win on the lead or by stalking the pace, which makes him very dangerous at a square price.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">18) Recapturetheglory</span><br /><br />Pros- Cherokee Run colt was very impressive making every pole a winner in the Illinois Derby. He just ran 12 second furlongs all the way around the track, which would be an ideal way to run on Saturday if possible. This horse seems to get better and better with each race, and you can never count those types of horses out entirely.<br /><br />Cons- His best race was against a suspect field of 7, and he was able to set moderate fractions without being challenged at all. There is no way he is going to be able to go 24 and 48 in the Derby and be anywhere close to the lead, so the choice is either go faster and hope he doesn't get cooked early, or rate behind the leaders and hope he doesn't mind dirt in his face. The longest shot on the board in his last race, he was not considered a Derby contender until that win.<br /><br />Final Word- If he had drawn more to the inside, I would have considered him having a chance to work out a good trip, but being this far outside with fast horses all around him will only hurt his chances. Hard to recommend.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">19) Gayego</span><br /><br />Pros- Was extremely game winning the Arkansas Derby, stalking a fast pace but still having enough left in the tank to win in impressive time. Was running fast on the synthetics out west before shipping in to Arkansas and posting a 103 Beyer in his first dirt start, which compares nicely to other Derby winners in their final prep. He's never been worse than second in 5 starts, and looks poised to run a big one on Saturday as well<br /><br />Cons- The post position is a killer, as he is probably going to have to go early with Recapturetheglory to his left and Big Brown to his right. Mike Smith will have to work out a much better trip than he gave Flashy Bull from out here in 2006, where he was perhaps as wide as any horse that has ever run in this race's storied history. His Sire, Gilded Time, is also known more as a sire of sprinters.<br /><br />Final Word- Had he drawn to the inside, this horse very well might have been my pick to win it all, but even with the tough post I think he can be really tough, and will be using him on top and underneath in exotics.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">20) Big Brown</span><br /><br />Pros- 3 starts, 3 wins by a combined 29 lengths... what more can you say? He is a standout on paper, and has trained great in Churchill this week. He will almost certainly be the favorite come post time, and looks to be the one horse who could be a legit Triple Crown threat if he were to win Saturday. Kent Desormeaux, who has ridden as well or better than anyone in the country over the past year, insisted after his off the turf allowance win that he will go anywhere to ride this horse, which speaks volume about this horse's talent.<br /><br />Cons- Despite his impressive wins thus far, there are causes for concern. It's always hard to win a race like this off of only 3 races, including only two since the summer. He didn't miss these races because he was vacationing, either; he missed them because of chronic foot problems, which could rear their ugly head come Saturday where the track is usually souped up to be extra hard so the final times are faster. His last breeze was done in front bandages, another red flag, and he will be wearing those same bandages Saturday. If Mike Smith decides to give Gayego a tour of the grounds as he did with Flashy Bull two years ago, this horse will most likely be to the outside of that, which would almost certainly eliminate his chances of winning.<br /><br />Final Word- This horse clearly has a ton of potential, but there will be at least a dozen horses on the undercard races that day that will have much better chances of winning their race at better odds. The Derby is not the race to try to score on a 5/2 horse, and this one is no different, as there are too many question marks to justify such odds. My gut tells me this horse will pull a Point Given/Afleet Alex, get beat in the Derby before proving his talents in the Preakness and/or Belmont.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Felonious Monkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03423409602725775484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-65186873232820093382008-02-04T14:27:00.000-05:002008-12-10T18:27:12.458-05:00Douchebags Everywhere Lament: Patriots Lose Super Bowl<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bDQEdngv5N4/R6drpTRQ2HI/AAAAAAAAALU/lCJaolZOBGQ/s1600-h/patriots_spygate_logo.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163213855095052402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bDQEdngv5N4/R6drpTRQ2HI/AAAAAAAAALU/lCJaolZOBGQ/s400/patriots_spygate_logo.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I don't know if I have ever been more satisfied with the outcome of the Super Bowl. Some initial thoughts:</div><br /><div>- The Patriots will now be compared to the '84 49ers and the '85 Bears, both of whom also went 18-1. The only difference: both of those teams won the Super Bowl.</div><br /><br /><div>- Maybe, instead of scoffing and giving smug press conferences like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkZUyqgQ6as&eurl=http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/02/03/is-tom-brady-laughing-at-plaxico-burress-prediction-now/">this</a>, the Pats should wait until after the game. Because shit like that can come back to haunt you. Plaxico said that the Patriots would score17 points, and he apparently gave them too much credit. The Pats actually scored 14, 7 of which came after a pass interference call put the ball on the 1-yard-line, and 7 of which came with less than 3 minutes to go in the game.</div><div></div><br /><div>- Bill Belichick apparently thinks that if he isn't there to witness the end of a game, then it didn't happen, or something. Bill, learn how to lose with class you dick.</div><br /><div></div><div>- Good to know that the Patriots O-linemen will have plenty of time to tend to their beards now. Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Michael Strahan <em>undressed </em>those guys last night. The Giants rarely rushed more than four defenders, and they were in Brady's face all night.</div><div> </div><div>- Bill Simmons can't be liking this. And that makes all of us happy.</div><div> </div><div>- ESPN can now dispense with the stupid "how would this current team do agaist these all-time great teams" pieces. Forever. Please. First of all, they began comparing the Pats to all-time great teams before the playoffs had even started. Second, the last time they wasted all of our time with one of those series, it was for the 2005 USC Trojans football team, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Rose_Bowl">we all remember how that turned out</a>.</div><br /><div></div><div>- Its so great that Junior Seau and his <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KxKAU43SzxE/R6B17YsNZLI/AAAAAAAABL4/MjFgziiG78s/s1600-h/nfl_lbs_mediaday_412.jpg">stupid hats</a> will have to wait at least another year to gravy-train a championship ring. Or who knows, maybe he will <em>graduate</em>.</div><div></div><br /><div>- The only negative is that now we have to hear from the F-ing '72 Dolphins. The Giants hadn't even finished spraying each other with champagne and Mercury Morris was already giving a self-congratulatory interview on ESPN. I know, he was available? Who knew?</div><div> </div><div><em>Thanks to <a href="http://thebiglead.com/">The Big Lead</a> for the pics.</em></div>WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-20009210245210346852008-01-15T09:41:00.000-05:002008-01-15T09:53:10.159-05:00James Laurinaitis Coming Back to School<a href="http://images.blackshoediaries.com/images/admin/laurinaitis.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://images.blackshoediaries.com/images/admin/laurinaitis.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div>Not exactly sure why, but who cares. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3196623">He's coming back</a>.</div><div></div><br /><div>If you were to tell a Buckeye fan that among OSU's three All-American junior defenders (Vernon Gholston, Malcolm Jenkins, and Laurinaitis) and two standout offensive juniors (Alex Boone and Brian Robiske) that they would only lose Gholston, he would have to be pretty pleased.</div><br /><div></div><div>Things are looking up...</div><br /><div></div>WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-22428486237925543042008-01-08T14:27:00.000-05:002008-01-08T14:46:09.872-05:00Pitchers and Catchers Report in Just About a Month!Well that was nothing short of terrible. Here are my initial thoughts:<br /><br /> - I refuse to become like an obnoxious Yankee fan, and get pissed when my team loses in <em>The Championship Game</em> because they are pretty tough just to get to. But I still have a right to be unhappy.<br /><br /> - I came away from last night's game with the same thought that I had after watching <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">LSU</span> in person against Florida: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">LSU</span> is beatable. They are very beatable. But a team that seems beatable but is rarely beaten is a team that knows how to win. And <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">LSU</span> (obviously) knows how to win.<br /><br /> - There were any number of points in time where the game was there for the taking, and at every point, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">OSU</span> did something stupid to piss it away.<br /><br /> - Todd <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Boeckman</span> has GOT to be better next year. Whether it was his questionable decision making, or his bad throws, or his holding onto the ball too long in the pocket, he was one of the major reasons the Buckeyes lost the game. <br /><br /> - Jim <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Tressell</span> has completely lost all of the equity he gained in 2002. No, his job is not on the line or anything like that--let's not go <em>completely</em> off the deep end here people-- but he has been thoroughly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">outcoached</span> in two straight <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">BCS</span> Title games. The Ohio State defense looked totally confused for the middle third of the game, and the coaches couldn't keep the teams intensity up after taking the 10-0 lead. Don't even get me started on the time outs before every crucial play, or that Chinese fire-drill on 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">th</span> down! There is nothing worse than watching your team come out of a time out, then see your QB run for his life and fumble the ball 30 yards backwards on 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">th</span> and 7.<br /><br /> - The Bucks had all of the earmarks of a poorly coached team: Horribly-timed penalties (including far too many personal fouls), turnovers, mistakes in special teams (blocked <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">FG</span>?!), having the defense not set at the snap, and a QB totally unable to read defenses.<br /><br /> - It will go completely unnoticed (except by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">LSU</span> defenders) but Chris Wells is an utter beast. He looked like a man playing with boys for a lot of that game.WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-24480873060223401572007-12-31T11:32:00.000-05:002007-12-31T11:33:51.371-05:00Fuck Jim SorgiAnd fuck the rest of the hapless Colts backups.<br /><br />Thats all.WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-75318619931666381822007-12-23T20:37:00.000-05:002007-12-23T21:29:03.773-05:00Lets Get This Clear Right Now...<a href="http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2005/12/02/PH2005120201720.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2005/12/02/PH2005120201720.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>...Before all of the week 17, sports-radio rabble-rousing starts in earnest:</div><br /><div>Tony Dungy does not owe the Browns a damn thing.</div><br /><div>Being back in the Cleveland area for the holidays has allowed me access to the myopic Cleveland area talk-radio, and with the Browns needing a Tennessee loss against the Colts (who have nothing to play for) to get into the playoffs, the usual final-week nonsense has begun already. A quick early sample:</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><em>"Tony Dungy BETTER play all his starters!"</em></div><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><div><em>"Can the league step in and make the Colts play their starters?"</em></div><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><div><em>"Dungy owes it to the integrity of the season to play Peyton Manning."</em></div><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><div>Make no mistake, the Colts do no owe the Browns anything. Even though I am an unapologetic Browns fan, I do not expect Tony Dungy to do any favors for the Browns. Dungy is in charge of the Colts, and he gets paid to put them in the best position to win the Super Bowl. If that means playing his starters, thats what he should do. If that means sitting his starters, thats what he should do. The Browns had their opportunity to play themselves into the playoffs, and they shit the bed.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Now, because Derek Anderson apparently thought that Chinedum Ndukwe was a Browns receiver, they are at the mercy of how the Tennessee-Indy game turns out.</div>WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-23104053580132730342007-12-18T14:15:00.001-05:002007-12-18T14:46:41.704-05:00This CANNOT be true...<a href="http://members.cox.net/renegade_sith2/miscjunk/saban-money-bags.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://members.cox.net/renegade_sith2/miscjunk/saban-money-bags.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Can it?<br /><br />No... Can't be....<br /><br />Its fun though... via <a href="http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/12/17/hahaha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haha-ha-saban-west-virginia-ha/">the FanHouse</a>.</div>WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-29618690438744220632007-12-14T10:03:00.000-05:002008-12-10T18:27:13.266-05:00The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: NFL Primer Week 15<a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://theshipofools.blogspot.com/search/label/Good%20Bad%20Ugly">The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> is a weekly NFL primer. Nothing is sacred, not the players, not the coaches, and certainly not the betting lines.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Good</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Jaguars at Steelers</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R2KxGbN2ybI/AAAAAAAAAU8/_O_rcIrGpLc/s1600-h/anthony+smith.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R2KxGbN2ybI/AAAAAAAAAU8/_O_rcIrGpLc/s200/anthony+smith.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143868448353733042" border="0" /></a>I would understand if you don't agree with me that this is a good game this week, in which case you hate football and all that is American. This will be a throwback game to when football was all bout standing toe-to-toe with your opponent and just being stronger than them. Both teams use the exact same gameplan for their success: run the ball, and play great defense. With all the advances in offense and defense, you can go back 50 years, and down in the basic plans of winning games, hall of fame coaches always taught: run the ball, and stop the run - still works today.<br /><br />The Steelers are coming off <s>a guaranteed victory in which they delivered a suffocating blow to the previously unbeaten team</s> an embarrassing and hopefully humbling loss, and as a Browns fan it was both sad and exciting. For one, it brings us one step closer to losing the division by a mere one game, but on the other hand, I really hoped someone would critically injure Tom Brady so that they lose a game. However which way they want to look at last week's game, the Steelers no doubt will not be yapping their traps anytime soon, because they saw just how far they are from the top. In the last couple of weeks, their offense has struggled to run the ball with the dominating power that was the calling card of the Bill Cower era Steelers. Equally disappointing (for them at least) has been their erratic offensive line play, which has also been the rock of this team for the last decade.<br /><br />The Jaguars have lost their best defensive player, and a central part of their stopping-the-run gameplan in Marcus Stroud. How this will affect them against a team that has struggled to execute in that area is yet to be seen, but surely it will be an emotional hit. On the other side however, their quarterback (Gerrard) is playing nearly flawless football, and their two-headed running back rotation is producing devastatingly tangible results devoid of injury. So if you like beat-your-face in football, this game is for you. If you think this is boring, go put on a skirt and prance in the lollipop fields of Chocolate la<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Bad</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Jets at Patriots</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R2KyT7N2ydI/AAAAAAAAAVM/7X7hIi2ukg8/s1600-h/bill+belichick.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R2KyT7N2ydI/AAAAAAAAAVM/7X7hIi2ukg8/s200/bill+belichick.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143869779793594834" border="0" /></a>This one, boys and girls, is going to get ugly. Last I saw the line was 24ish, so take take take. Remember Patriotgate? Remember the lack of affinity the head coaches have for eachother? Remember the extremely embarrassing gap in on-field talent? Yeah, you remember all those things if you think the Jets are going to come out with a win, or even be within 25 some points of the Patriots <span style="font-style: italic;">in</span> Foxboro. Need more reasons? How about the fact that NYJ were blown out at home by some 30 points when they last played this Patriots team.<br /><br />Nothing is standing in the way of history, and of the Fuck You Tour by this Patriots team. Last week they flexed their muscle by soundly beating a team that they might be susceptible to losing to. They came up against the number one ranked defense in the league, punched them in the face, then laughed as their opponent lay on the ground crying and bleeding. They can do whatever they want on defense, and the Jets have neither the players, the scheme, or preparation to stop them or even slow them down. If there ever was a no-chance-in-hell game in the NFL, this has to be it.<br /><br />The Jets on the other hand are going to come into this game for about a series or two of real effort. Once they realize how much they suck, and how much better the Patriots are in cold, snowy conditions they're going to shut it down. Why the hell would they want to be injured in some meaningless game for both teams late in the season? The Jets aren't going anywhere except the top of the draft board, ironically where they will see their nemesis. This will be payback by Bill and his players. Payback to Mangini for leaving, payback to Mangini for cheating, and payback for having no honor among thieves.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Ugly</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Bobby Petrino</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R2KxbbN2ycI/AAAAAAAAAVE/8YJARo-sjwU/s1600-h/petrino.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R2KxbbN2ycI/AAAAAAAAAVE/8YJARo-sjwU/s200/petrino.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143868809130985922" border="0" /></a>I don't like Bobby Petrino, and I tried to make this <a href="http://suckatsports.blogspot.com/2007/12/petrino-bails-hell-you-say.html">abundantly clear</a>. But for anyone who missed it, I don't like this greasy coaching robot, and he should go back to selling cars. I just summarized that entire post for you. I thought this situation was over when Arthur Blank came on the air, and in uncertain terms wanted to forget this era of betrayal, and I respect that kind of view. In fact, I feel so bad for Arty that he's come out of this looking like a sad old chap who's been beaten in the nuts too many times. And this year he has.<br /><br />However, I can't let this Bobby Petrino thing go without addressing at least part of what I heard later that day. When I was driving home from work and listening to local sports radio, one of the announcers was protecting Petrino. This man should be taken off the radio immediately. To be fair, he wasn't defending Petrino's entire life, which has been marked by the stench of door-to-door salesmen etiquette, but more just this specific act. He was saying that he did the Falcons a favor by leaving, because he certainly didn't want to be there either professionally or personally. This point I can somewhat understand. But it's completely ignorant to focus on just the last day of his Falcons tenure to defend this man. If he had done it once, it's something that goes by the wayside, but this is the way he's conducted himself throughout his coaching career at Louisville, Atlanta, and without a doubt in Arkansas. I sincerely hoping this radio personality was just playing the devil's advocate for ratings' sake.<br /><br />Here's what Petrino did: he quit on his team after lying to their faces. He didn't go through even one (be it difficult) season in Atlanta after preaching to his players to finish each game, finish the season, and never give up. His heart lies with Arkansas? Really? Did his heart lie with the Oakland Raiders or Auburn, or Atlanta (ha!) while he was at Louisville? I'm sorry, I don't have a shred of pity for this man. We all have jobs that we don't enjoy, we all have bad days, bad weeks and tough projects. But guess what? We're not getting paid nearly five million a year for doing these shitty jobs, we get paid enough to make our lives go. For five million I'd suck it up and take any kind of punishment Petrino takes on a daily basis. I would live through the criticism. It's a disgrace and insult to the general public that a person gets any kind pity. A guy that left a robotic letter of his absence in the players' lockers after dictating said letter over the telephone should be the media punching bag for years to come. Milloy had it right when he crossed out Petrino's name and in its place wrote "COWARD." Why would you want this slime to have anything to do with your program?<br /><br /><a href="http://suckatsports.blogspot.com/2007/12/petrino-bails-hell-you-say.html">Petrino Bails. The hell you say!</a> [We Suck at Sports]Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-71309813658807335392007-12-13T15:50:00.000-05:002007-12-13T18:09:14.476-05:00TOSS UP! - Who is the Bigger Douchebag Coach?<a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/04/pardon.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/04/pardon.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><em>TOSS UP! is a feature idea that we here at TSoF blatantly stole from "Pardon the Interruption." </em><em>TOSS UP! takes two of our esteemed bloggers, and puts them up against each other in a spirited debate!</em><br /><br /><em>Two sides of an issue!</em><br /><br /><div><em>Scintillating arguments!</em></div><br /><br /><em>Little, if any, discernable resolution!</em></div><br /><div><em>Here's the question: In light of the recent actions of each, who is the bigger douchebag coach? Bobby Petrino or Nick Saban?</div></em></div><br /><em>First up, FightingIrishman!<br /><br />Go!</em><br /><br />This one is easy for me--it's Bobby Petrino. Nick Saban may have strung the media and the city of Miami along, he may have lied, but his reasons were understandable if not to be condoned. He wanted to be fair to the Dolphins organization and finish out the season before handing over the reigns. However, the media frenzy surrounding Miami was a distraction, not Saban. He tried to re-direct questions because he wanted to put the focus back on the game. When the media incessantly demanded answers he finally cracked and gave them the only one that would quell the onslaught of rumors and speculation. Yes, he lied. He's human. I'm sure the people of Miami will never forgive him, but his transgressions pale in comparison to Petrino's douchebaggery(look for that in Websters next year)!<br /><br />Bobby Petrino (by the way, is it just me or is it weird for a middle aged man to still refer to himself as Bobby) is the bigger douche for 3 reasons: <a href="http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper964/stills/3e081f5cf22b2-54-1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper964/stills/3e081f5cf22b2-54-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>1. He walked out on his team IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON.</strong> He walked out on a franchise decimated over the Vick scandal and a city looking to him to pick up the pieces of a shattered team and lead them out of the cellar.<br /><br /><strong>2. He lied too.</strong> Tony Kornheiser revealed on PTI that when he pressed Petrino before Monday night's game versus the Saints, Petrino replied definitively that he was remaining the Falcons head coach.<br /><br /><strong>3. MOST IMPORTANTLY, He's a coward and he showed no respect for his players.</strong> Petrino informed Falcons owner Athur Blank of his intentions to take the Arkansas job via voicemail, and that he wrote his players A FORM LETTER explaining his decision before hightailing it out of Atlanta to attend his "coronation" in Fayettville. That is classless. It's like Robert Irsay hiring Mayflower trucks to move the Colts out of Baltimore in the middle of the night. People in Baltimore to this day boycott Mayflower movers!<br /><br />Here's just a glimpse as to what the players thought of Bobby Petrino:<br /><br />--Joey Harrington said, "That's what I think brought up the anger, to have him talk about family, about team and about commitment, and then to come in here and have a form letter at your locker. That's not how a man acts. That's how a coward acts."<br /><br />--Running Back and team leader Warrick Dunn said, "It got to the point where guys really didn't care if he left or not. But the way he decided to leave, to me, was just not right."<br />both quotes courtesy of ESPN.com news services<br /><br />BOB Petrino acted like a coward. He was the captain that took the only life boat on a sinking ship and left his crew to drown....and that my friends is the peak of douchebaggery!<br /><br /><br /><em>Well said good sir! Now, WCT!<br /><br />Go!</em><br /><br />Both men lied. Both left their teams high and dry. We have established that both are capable of being disingenuous pricks. But Nick Saban took his douche-ness to a higher level. Saban was the one who stood in front of the media late in the '06 NFL season, and indignantly said, "I don<a href="http://members.cox.net/renegade_sith2/miscjunk/saban-money-bags.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://members.cox.net/renegade_sith2/miscjunk/saban-money-bags.jpg" border="0" /></a>'t know why I have to keep going over this over, and over, and over again" when asked about the Alabama job.<br /><br />But why should we be surprised? Saban was the one who specifically told LSU recruits that he would be the Tigers' coach for at least the next four years, before abruptly leaving to go to the Doplhins.<br /><br />Saban was the one who specifically told Michigan State recruits that he would be the Spartans' coach for at least the next four years, before abruptly leaving to go to LSU.<br /><br />Saban's douchebaggery is not even restricted to lying about leaving jobs. This season, after his Crimson Tide lost to Mississippi State and Louisiana-Monroe in consecutive games, he compared those losses to the attacks of 9/11 and the Pearl Harbor attack.<br /><br />Last year in training camp he berated a rookie for being too fat, and actually made the man cry! (Actually, I take that back, that was kind of funny.)<br /><br />And lest we forget, his last two seasons have consisted of a terrible year with the Dolphins, and a disappointing year in Tuscaloosa (including a loss to one of his former employers, LSU, and sixth straight loss to Auburn) so recently he has been a dick <em>and</em> a bad coach!<br /><br />He is a consistent liar, his coaching abilities seem to be eroding since he won the BCS title four years ago, and, worst of all, he is really really indignant about it. That is why, in this blogger's opinion, he the lowest of the low. He is Saban, King of all Douchebags!</div></div>WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-45899546653274241502007-12-07T14:39:00.000-05:002007-12-07T14:44:39.089-05:00Are You Like Me?<a href="http://www.mtv.com/movies/photos/d/dukes-sv-041209/flip10.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.mtv.com/movies/photos/d/dukes-sv-041209/flip10.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Have you ever thought that a college football season is a lot like Jessica Simpson?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Have no idea what I'm talking about? Check <a href="http://www.epiccarnival.com/2007/12/wcts-college-football-season-wrap-up.html">this</a> out and all your questions will be answered.</div>WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-69102422949826478992007-12-07T10:47:00.000-05:002008-12-10T18:27:13.739-05:00The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: NFL Primer Week 14<a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://theshipofools.blogspot.com/search/label/Good%20Bad%20Ugly">The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> is a weekly NFL primer. Nothing is sacred, not the players, not the coaches, and certainly not the betting lines.</span><br /><br />I'll have to be honest with you, I'm not a huge fan of these Thursday night games, it seems a little too College Football for me. Not that I don't love college football, it is in fact my favorite. However, as the season progresses these matchups are less Virgina Tech-Boston College, and more Nevada-New Mexico State. Be gone with you. Sunday and Monday are NFL days, let's leave them that way, they're spreading the content too thin. Maybe not, since no one has the NFL Network.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R1mlrGqG2iI/AAAAAAAAAUE/qoAYCVp9KcU/s1600-h/anthony+smith.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R1mlrGqG2iI/AAAAAAAAAUE/qoAYCVp9KcU/s200/anthony+smith.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141322609560312354" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Good</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Steelers at Patriots</span><br />Why is this good? I really don't know, because the Patriots now are the epitome of all that is wrong in football. They have the most evil coach, and they have the most surgically precise and merciless offense, and the Devil Incarnate Tom Brady. Seriously, it seems like everything he touches turns to gold. He doesn't get rattled and he always makes the play when he needs to make it. It's frustrating. I'd love to tell you that the Steelers are going to win this game, but I'll leave it to <a href="http://suckatsports.blogspot.com/2007/12/well-pittsburgh-is-definitely-going-to.html">Anthony Smith to speak for me</a>. It's a good thing that with Joey Porter leaving someone has taken over the role of mouth-no-brains without any slippage in production.<br /><br />I really would like Pittsburgh to win this game so that Evil Incarnate doesn't have every single awesome record in the books. Realistically I don't know how much bulletin board material does for the other team, especially when they don't even know who said it. I don't expect either team to come out playing better just because some no name schmuck likely to be cleaning jocks with his tongue decided to shoot his mouth. The truth is, the things that Pittsburgh does on defense are the things New England has struggled with the last couple of weeks. They have given up sacks while Pittsburgh does a great job pressuring the quarterback. The defense has struggled with a power running game, and that's really the basis of the Pittsburgh offense. And when the play breaks down, Roethlisberger is a good enough athlete to either throw the ball 80 yards down the field on the run, or escape and get some yards outside the pocket; all things New England has not seen with the shit competition they played.<br /><br />So, is it <span style="font-style: italic;">possible</span> that Pittsburgh wins? On paper it makes sense that they would because their strengths are accentuated by the fact that they are also New England's weaknesses. Will they? No, and you can mark that one down.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R1mmNmqG2jI/AAAAAAAAAUM/pIWKSVMN2YY/s1600-h/shaun+alexander.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R1mmNmqG2jI/AAAAAAAAAUM/pIWKSVMN2YY/s200/shaun+alexander.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141323202265799218" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Bad</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Cardinals at Seahawks</span><br />How do I move from a really good matchup, to an indictment on how bad the NFC has been this year? Well, I guess that's just as good as any. The Seahawks and the Cardinals are in the same division, and are fighting for the right to make the playoffs. The fact that a team as awful looking as the Seahawks is at 8-4 on the season is absolutely remarkable. I saw them blow a double-digit lead against Cleveland and nearly lose to the Jay here-have-a-crucial-interception Feely. On the other side, we have a team with half of the starters missing sitting there at 6-6 with a better than average shot of either winning their division or making the playoffs. That kind of thing should be outlawed.<br /><br />Cardinals have already beaten the Seahawks once, and god willing they'll do it again, putting a big nail in the coffin that is Shaun Alexander. Let me tell you, while everyone was riding his jock during his only good season, I used him then lost his number. The guy is soft, and that's not an opinion, it's a fact. He and Cedric Benson need to go to dinner and moisturize each others soft girly hands, because they are both women in NFL pads. Anyways, a team that is 6-6 should not be charging into the playoffs in any year, except this is some kind of bizarro year. The Cardinals don't have a safety, are down their best wide receivers (Boldin and Fitzgerald) and are at wits end with their <s>grocery bagger</s> quarterback Kurt Warner. I know people are saying that he's playing better, but come on people, have you watched him? Don't tell me how awesome he is when he's chucking the ball around against the worst secondary in the league in Cleveland. If they're so happy with him, cut playboy Matt Lienart.<br /><br />This is nonsense, a team 6-6 should not be in any kind of talk about leading into the playoffs.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R1mlZWqG2hI/AAAAAAAAAT8/g_kNyAB7T0s/s1600-h/grossman.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R1mlZWqG2hI/AAAAAAAAAT8/g_kNyAB7T0s/s200/grossman.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141322304617634322" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Ugly</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Bears at Redskins</span><br />For one, this is ugly because this game garnered superlatives like, "Well, the loser is <span style="font-weight: bold;">definitely</span> not going to make the playoffs." That's so pathetic, that two teams at 5-7, that I already wrote about it. If you've skipped to the third part, I don't know what to tell you, you're a backwards reader. But really, this didn't get ugly until both quarterback were knocked out of the game. The joke here is, both of these teams are no worse at quarterback at the end of the game, than they were at the beginning of the game.<br /><br />Rex Grossman was knocked out of the game Carson Palmer style when a defensive linemen hit him low. But, I have to say, there's a good chance that no one in Chicago shed a tear for Rex's career as a Chicago quarterback, and certainly not as many as the Bengals fan(s) shed for Carson Palmer. When we look at Sexy Rexy, we're probably all in agreement that his stint as Da Bears' starting quarterback, backup, or otherwise is probably over, and it will be marked with a dark spot. He took the Bears to a Superbowl, their first since Ditka, but that's not entirely true. What's more true is that he lost a season for the Bears where they should have clearly won the championship. His inconsistent and often downright bad play is what directly cost them the Lombardi Trophy.<br /><br />I do feel for Jason Campbell though, he doesn't deserve such a fate. I'm not talking about the dislocated knee cap, although that sounds like all sort of painful. I'm talking about the years he spent under Joe Gibbs, which will be remembered as regression in his career instead of progression. I hope he gets better and comes back next year, because in the few times that I saw him not getting sacked or kneed in the face, the guy could ball.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-68870800508679750412007-12-05T21:57:00.000-05:002007-12-05T22:16:55.882-05:00My EC Blogpoll Ballot - Week 15<em>The last one of the season. I am shedding a single tear as I write this. <shedding></em><a href="http://www.epiccarnival.com/search/label/EC%20NCAA%20Football%20Poll"><em>We run a blogpoll over at Epic Carnival </em></a><em>that appears on the blog every week. Before you check out the rankings of all of the carnies, check out the ballot that I filled in with my comments:</em><br /><em></em><br /><strong>1- LSU</strong> - Personal feelings aside, I think this is the best team in the nation<br /><strong>2- Ohio State</strong> - Don't blame them. The BCS always rewards those who play easy schedules.<br /><strong>3- Oklahoma</strong> - Coach Bob Stoops has said in the past that he is not in favor of a playoff. Care to rethink that stance Bobby?<br /><strong>4- Missouri</strong> - They only lost to one team (granted, they lost to that team twice) and they fall all the way to the goddam Cotton Bowl<br /><strong>5- Virginia Tech</strong> - That 48-7 drubbing in Baton Rouge came back to haunt them<br /><strong>6- Georgia</strong> - They shouldn't have gotten crushed by Tennessee. They have no one to blame but themselves<br /><strong>7- Kansas</strong> - How the hell did they end up in the BCS?<br /><strong>8- USC</strong> - Also has no one to blame but themselves. Don't lose at home to Stanford next time.<br /><strong>9- Florida</strong> - Overrated, and very lucky to draw a coach-less Michigan team in the bowl<br /><strong>10- West Virginia</strong> - WTF???<br /><strong>11- Illinois</strong> - The biggest beneficiaries of OSU ending up in the title game<br /><strong>12- Boston College</strong> - If this team had a decent fan following (or even a just-below-average fan following) they would be in a much better bowl<br /><strong>13- Clemson</strong> - I can't believe there were two teams fighting for Tommy Bowden's services<br /><strong>14- Texas</strong> - WHATEVER!<br /><strong>15- Tennessee</strong> - That was about what I expected.<br /><strong>16- Auburn</strong> - Tommy Tuberville is staying? Who knew?<br /><strong>17- Wisconsin</strong> - Eh<br /><strong>18- Arizona State</strong> - This is about where they belong<br /><strong>19- Cincinnati</strong> - Coach Brian Kelly will be a hot name for coaching vacancies<br /><strong>20- Hawaii</strong> - I never, EVER thought they would find their way onto my ballot, let alone the top 20<br /><strong>21- Virginia</strong> - Is there a bowl that, year in and year out, consistenly gives you a more boring match up than the Gator Bowl? UVA-Uconn is utterly unwatchable<br /><br /><strong>* * * * *</strong><br /><strong>Dropped from the Rankings -</strong><br /><strong>Oregon</strong> - Sad, sad ending to the season. This was the #1 team in the nation with Dennis Dixon, a Stanford-esque train-wreck without him. That is a true testament to his value.WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-16712662073603186622007-12-02T14:01:00.000-05:002007-12-02T15:20:50.577-05:00Suck It Haters<a href="http://media.theinsiders.com/media/image/26/263654.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://media.theinsiders.com/media/image/26/263654.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div>For some reason, and I have no idea why or when this started, Ohio State became the target of a lot of hate this year. Maybe it was because Notre Dame wasn't very good this year, so all of the jealous haters had to direct their venom elsewhere. Anyway, as a result posts like <a href="http://thebiglead.com/?p=3749">this</a> and <a href="http://thebiglead.com/?p=3710">this</a> were everywhere. Even my colleagues over at EC joined in the hate-fest with <a href="http://www.epiccarnival.com/2007/08/why-ohio-state-wont-win-jack-s-this.html">this</a> and <a href="http://www.epiccarnival.com/2007/11/sideshow-alley-ohio-state-is-back-where.html">this</a>.</div><br /><div></div><div>Well, they're going to be in the championship game. So deal with it. </div><div></div><br /><div>Do we need a playoff? Of course. Are the Buckeyes going to win the game? Maybe, but they will likely be the underdog no matter who they play. Do they deserve to be in the game? Absolutely. Abso-fucking-lutely. They lost one game by one touchdown to a top-15 ranked team. They played a non-conference schedule that was just as good as USC's. USC only beat two teams with winning records. OSU is as deserving as anyone else. Was the Big Ten weak this year? Perhaps, but not to the extent that a lot of people would lead you to believe. It does have 10 of 11 teams bowl-eligible. I don't think the Big Ten was significantly worse than the Big 12 or the Big East, and a few days ago we were all ready to put those conference's champions into the title game.</div><div> </div><div>So the Buckeyes are going to be there. You haters might as well get used to it.</div></div>WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-75548061174978387432007-11-29T09:50:00.000-05:002008-12-10T18:27:14.375-05:00The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: NFL Primer Week 13<a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://theshipofools.blogspot.com/search/label/Good%20Bad%20Ugly">The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> is a weekly NFL primer. Nothing is sacred, not the players, not the coaches, and certainly not the betting lines.</span><br /><br />Took a little bit of a break for Thanksgiving, you know how it goes. Ate some turkey, and apparently some crow. This much I've noticed: every time I put a team in the "The Good," they come out completely flat that week, and the weeks after. Case in point, the Pittsburgh Steelers. After I called them a model franchise, they go out and <a href="http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29349&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2007&week=REG11">lose to the Jets</a>! Worst loss of the season? Possibly. You may also recall, I called the NYG good. What a hex, they looked horrible against Miami in London, and continued their woesome ways through Eli, getting owned by the worst secondary in the league. From now on, I shall try to hex teams that I do not like on purpose. With great power, comes great responsibility.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R07vrb_GjWI/AAAAAAAAASc/WNCQU1iyE9c/s1600-h/favre+young.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R07vrb_GjWI/AAAAAAAAASc/WNCQU1iyE9c/s200/favre+young.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138307754402155874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Good</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Easy - Green Bay at Dallas</span>.<br />Sorry, now I ruined the game for everyone. Good thing they'll never know because they can't see the game; it's on the NFL network.<br /><br />This is the first matchup of 10-1 teams since 1990, I learned that from ESPN! But really, I'm excited not be able to watch this game. Maybe we'll get a few questions answered about both teams. Green Bay only lost one game this year, and in a calendar year (Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving) they've got a ridiculous 14-1, that's better than the Patriots people! I've watched this Packers team, and they sure as hell don't <span style="font-style: italic;">seem</span> like a collection of individuals that is a football juggernaut. I think we've all agreed that Dallas is a pretty good team by now, so with that said this is a great litmus test for the Packers and the rest of the country. Exactly how good is this Green Bay team? For the entire year they plain-as-day could not run the ball, but in the last 5 games, they're averaging over 100 yards rushing. They seem to throw the ball a million times a game, yet Favre has thrown <a href="http://www.nfl.com/players/profile?id=00-0005106">less interceptions than he has in his entire career</a> (22TD - 8INT), but there's still 5 games to go (his low, by the way is 13). I can't name a single player on their defense that I would put in Pro Bowl, and yet they're in the <a href="http://www.nfl.com/teams/greenbaypackers/statistics?team=GB">top half in almost every single defensive category</a>. So, is there really something behind this GB team, or are they doing it with smoke and mirrors?<br /><br />On the other hand, Dallas does look to be a realistic juggernaut. And even though they have been the most hated team in the '90s (and loved at the same time) because of their success, they are the lone hope to cease the Patriots' <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman%27s_March_to_the_Sea">Sherman's March to The Sea</a> campaign through the NFL. Tony Romo is playing lights out on and <a href="http://thebiglead.com/?p=3781">off the field</a>. He's throwing touchdowns to TO in the stadium and he's throwing touchdowns to the likes of Sophia Bush, Carrie Underwood, and Jessica Simpsons in the bedroom. Really, everything is coming up aces in Dallas. Their offense looks to be nearly unstoppable, TO looks coachable, the defense is playing lights out, and they're dominating their opponents.<br /><br />And because of all that, I talked myself into this being a horrible mismatch on the field. Dallas looks to be too good at every position, so I'll take them to win big, 17 points big. This is of course a weak attempt to confuse the Gods of Irony to bring us a highly competitive game.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R07u2b_GjUI/AAAAAAAAASM/W4Chcc55BSA/s1600-h/kurt+warner+fumble.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R07u2b_GjUI/AAAAAAAAASM/W4Chcc55BSA/s200/kurt+warner+fumble.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138306843869089090" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Bad</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Arizona Cardinals Losses</span>.<br />As a Browns fan, I know how you feel, the two of you that are indeed Arizona Cardinals fans. We've had "The Drive" and "The Fumble" and if you throw in the Cavs there's also "The Shot." So, I know where you're coming from when you find a way to lose. Nine of their 11 games have them either winning (5) or losing (4) within one score. This has to eventually take a toll on your health; I know I lost at least two years off my life watching some Cardiac teams.<br /><br />Last week, the Cardinals were able to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. Leading by four points with about three minutes to go is a time where you should be able to hold a lead. Not only that, but they lost it on a 40+ yard scramble by Frank Gore. Gore is no scrub, he's a good back, but there's no reason he should run undaunted into the endzone. It doesn't end there, after that even, they had a last chance to win, down by three with some 7 seconds to go on the San Francisco 1 yard line - a fade doesn't work. But they don't know a fade to their first, second or even third receiver. It was to their <span style="font-style: italic;">fourth</span>.<br /><br />Overtime, salvation. With an easily makeable field goal, pretty boy Niel Rackers misses a chance to win in OT by clearly hooking it as soon as it was off his foot, what a choke job. But huzzah, the defense holds and 49ers have to punt only to have brilliantly educated, and always high-looking Steve Breaston not fair catch the ball within the 10 and not do anything with it. After a penalty, they are at their own 1. Of course, common sense states that in this situation, run the ball to get some breathing room, or have a quick slant so that you're not standing in your own endzone. But no, <span style="font-style: italic;">seven step drop</span> for Kurt Warner, admiring the scenery of his primary receivers being covered causes him to get sacked and fumble the ball in the endzone. Ball game, you may all go cry now. Three chances to win, all wasted, and not for the first time this season. It was so painful to watch I cried, and I'm not even a fan, just for empathy's sake.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R07vM7_GjVI/AAAAAAAAASU/jZpACNZF6oM/s1600-h/eli+manning.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/R07vM7_GjVI/AAAAAAAAASU/jZpACNZF6oM/s200/eli+manning.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138307230416145746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Ugly</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Eli Manning's performance</span>.<br />I marveled at the Giants earlier this season when they reeled of 6 wins in a row. Their defensive line was playing amazing football and Eli Manning was managing the game well. He didn't force it, he made key throws, and didn't put the team in a precarious situation.<br /><br />This cannot be said of his <a href="http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?game_id=29364&displayPage=tab_gamecenter&season=2007&seasonType=REG&week=12">game against Minnesota</a>. Eli Manning completed 21 of his passes in that game for the low low price of 43% completion, and that's rounding up people. And you know all that stuff about precarious positions? Well, he didn't do much of that either, since a good majority of his <span style="font-style: italic;">four</span> interceptions went directly for touchdowns without the defense awkwardly trotting on the field at all. That's really forward thinking for your teammates.<br /><br />But Christ, four interceptions including back-to-back picks into the waiting hands of defenders. I get it, players have bad games, sometimes the opposition just has your number and all. Minnesota? Not so much. They have one of the worst rated secondaries (<a href="http://www.nfl.com/teams/profile?team=MIN">last in passing yards allowed</a>) in all the league, and yet they could cover the receivers and pick of passes without nearly breaking a sweat. What is wrong with this picture? That was an ugly, disgusting game by Eli that even had Tom Coughlin searching for superlatives (ha!) that don't include swear words. He of all, was speechless.<br /><br />Mind you, this is not Eli's first go around with atrocious performances. He's been less than stellar to say the least this entire season. He's got nearly as man INT as TD (16-15), and a completion percentage of under 60%, if we round <span style="font-style: italic;">up</span>. And like clock work, the Giants are crumbling in the second half of the season.<br /><br /><a href="http://thebiglead.com/?p=3781">Tony Romo: Too many women, too little time</a> [The Big Lead]Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-20369203090814010162007-11-27T23:01:00.000-05:002007-11-27T23:14:39.190-05:00My EC Blogpoll Ballot - Week 14<em>Only a couple of these ballots left in the season, and if you have been following this feature each week, I think you will be surprised by this entry. </em><a href="http://www.epiccarnival.com/search/label/EC%20NCAA%20Football%20Poll"><em>We run a blogpoll over at Epic Carnival </em></a><em>that appears on the blog every week. Before you check out the rankings of all of the carnies, check out the ballot that I filled in with my comments:</em><br /><em></em><br /><br /><strong>1. West Virginia</strong> - UConn is still trying to figure out what hit them on Saturday.<br /><br /><strong>2. Missouri</strong> - They are the UNDERDOG in the Big 12 title game. Weird.<br /><br /><strong>3. Ohio State</strong> - I wouldn't like their chances against WVU or Mizzou. They should just be happy to go to Pasadena.<br /><br /><strong>4. Kansas</strong> - As weird as this year has been, they could STILL make it into the title game.<br /><br /><strong>5. Georgia</strong> - If they hadn't lost to Tennessee, or if Tennessee hadn't beaten Kentucky in OT, they would have an outside shot at the title game<br /><br /><strong>6. LSU</strong> - Last week I asked how they would play with the Les Miles distractions. Well, I got my answer - "poorly."<br /><br /><strong>7. Virginia Tech</strong> - Maybe, just maybe, the best of the two loss teams<br /><br /><strong>8. USC</strong> - Also playing well right now. Another team that would benefit if there were a playoff.<br /><br /><strong>9. Boston College</strong> - I think they lose the re-match with VT on Saturday<br /><br /><strong>10. Florida</strong> - Ok, maybe the most overrated team on most ballots. Tebow should win the Heisman, but don't be impressed by a home win over Florida State. The best team UF has beaten this year is Tennessee for crying out loud.<br /><br /><strong>11. USC</strong> - Its going to be weird to see them in some random December bowl game.<br /><br /><strong>12. Oklahoma</strong> - They could still help a lot of teams out by winning the Big 12 Championship Game<br /><br /><strong>13. Illinois</strong> - Can't wait to see Zook vs. Florida<br /><br /><strong>14. Clemson</strong> - They saved Tommy Bowden's job with a last-second win again.<br /><br /><strong>15. Texas</strong> - I told you I saw a three-loss season for them. But even I expected them to beat lame-duck Francione<br /><br /><strong>16. Tennessee</strong> - Proof that the SEC isn't as tough as its homers would like you to believe: This team could win the conference.<br /><br /><strong>17. Auburn</strong> - Tommy Tuberville has got to leave, right? My guess is he'll end up coaching LSU.<br /><br /><strong>18. Wisconsin</strong><br /><br /><strong>19. Cincinnati</strong> - That close loss vs. WVU looks pretty good now<br /><br /><strong>20. Oregon</strong> - Is there anyone in the Leaf family with any talent?<br /><br /><strong>21. Hawaii</strong> - Yes readers, Hawaii. Do not adjust your monitors, Hawaii is on my ballot. It must be freezing in Hell right now.<br /><br /><strong>* * * * *</strong><br /><strong>Others Receiving Consideration</strong> - Well, nobody really. Its championship week, and basically everyone who is playing this week is already ranked.<br /><br />* * * * *<br /><strong>Dropped from the Rankings </strong>-<br /><br /><strong>Texas Tech</strong> - Just because. I have no idea why I ranked them last week.<br /><br />* * * * *<br /><strong>No Fucking Way, What? Hawaii is Ranked?</strong><br /><br />Yes. I was very impressed by that brutal beating of Boise State. It took 13 weeks, but they finally made my ballot. Not only that, but if they beat Washington - and based on what I saw last Friday, they should - they belong in a BCS bowl.WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-11410352656319344832007-11-26T10:42:00.000-05:002007-11-26T10:47:06.528-05:00The Big 12 is the New Pac-10<a href="http://home.kc.rr.com/starrpower/sports/scoreboard1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://home.kc.rr.com/starrpower/sports/scoreboard1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Remember way back when (as in, like, two months ago) when everyone (as in me) clowned Pac-10 football for having no defense and basketball scores every Saturday? Well, it occurred to me as I watched Missouri and Kansas sling the ball all over the yard for 64 total points Saturday night that the “basketball on grass” style football has moved a few hundred miles east and infested the Big 12.<br /><br />Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good 36-28 game every once and a while, but would it kill the teams in that conference to mix in some defense occasionally just to make things interesting? Consider this:<br /><br />Colorado scored 41 second half points to edge out Nebraska 65-51 on Friday. That is the second time that the Buffs have allowed 50+ points this month (they lost to Mizzou 55-10 on November 3rd)<br /><br />Texas Tech, the team that introduced us to basketball on grass, lost to Oklahoma State 49-45 on September 22nd, then hung 75 on Northwestern State the next week, an lost to Texas two weeks ago 59-43.<br /><br />The OK State Cowboys light up the scoreboard by scoring 33 points per game. How, you ask, are they only 6-6 then? Well, they give up 29 points per game so they are scoring that much just to keep up!<br /><br />Kansas, who averages an astronomical 44 points per game, has scored over 50 points five times this year! They have scored over 60 twice! They put 76 on Nebraska for crying out loud! In fact, the 28 they scored against Mizzou was the fewest points they have scored all month by almost 20!!<br /><br />Oklahoma, who also scores around 44 per game, got out of the gates with a 79-10 win in week one, then put up 51, 54, and 62 to round out the month of September.<br /><br />Poor Baylor. The Bears were 0-8 in conference allowing 37 points per game. They have not allowed fewer than 30 since week four!<br /><br />Texas, who scores a relatively modest 36 per game, has flirted with 60 three times this year, putting 58 on Rice, 56 on Iowa State, and 59 on Texas Tech.<br /><br />Missouri, who could win the conference title while giving up 23 points per game, had scored 41, 42, 55, 40, and 49 points in their last five games heading into last week. Its really a shame they could only muster 36 against Kansas.<br /><br />And don’t even get me started on Nebraska. Their defense provides about as much resistance as a stiff wind. Granted, I grew up on Big Ten Football, where the phrase “three yards and a cloud of dust” was made famous. So I may be a bit biased. But it should not be this easy to score 40, 50, 60, or even 70 points on a D-1 college football team playing any sort of defense. </div>WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-48062247790143258942007-11-22T23:32:00.000-05:002007-11-22T23:34:20.238-05:00Happy Thanksgiving!<a href="http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/jan-apr06/disease/turkey.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://plus.maths.org/latestnews/jan-apr06/disease/turkey.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />Enjoy your Turkey Day!WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-20747297721106927312007-11-21T01:02:00.000-05:002007-11-21T12:02:26.998-05:00My EC Blogpoll Ballot - Week 13<p><em>The weeks are winding down folks, so if you have missed this brilliance all season, we pity you. </em><a href="http://www.epiccarnival.com/search/label/EC%20NCAA%20Football%20Poll"><em>We run a blogpoll over at Epic Carnival </em></a><em>that appears on the blog every week. Before you check out the rankings of all of the carnies, check out the ballot that I filled in with my comments:</em></p><p><strong>1. LSU</strong> - How will they play with all of the Les Miles distractions?<br /><strong>2. Kansas</strong> - The showdown with Mizzou is where it should be: primetime<br /><strong>3. Missouri</strong> - Who would have thought this would be he game of the year?<br /><strong>4. Ohio State</strong> - Held Michigan to 91 total yards. 91. For the whole game.<br /><strong>5. Georgia</strong> - That ugly loss to Tennessee from a few weeks back is going to come back to bite them and keep them out of the SEC title game.<br /><strong>6. West Virginia</strong> - They keep proving me wrong.<br /><strong>7. Arizona State</strong> - They are here now, but I think they lose to USC on Thanksgiving night.<br /><strong>8. Texas</strong> - Whatever<br /><strong>9. Oregon</strong> - Sad, sad injury to Dixon.<br /><strong>10. Virginia Tech</strong> - They might get a re-match with Matt Ryan and BC in the ACC title game.<br /><strong>11. USC</strong> - Its going to be weird to see them in some random December bowl game.<br /><strong>12. Oklahoma</strong> - They could still help a lot of teams out by winning the Big 12 Championship Game<br /><strong>13. Florida</strong> - The Heisman is Tebow's to lose now<br /><strong>14. Virginia</strong> - Who's excited to possibly see a UVA-BC ACC Title Game?!<br /><strong>15. Boston College</strong> - Nice rebound win at Clemson<br /><strong>16. Illinois</strong> - See you in the Capital One Bowl. They should be pretty good next year.<br /><strong>17. Tennessee</strong> - It took 16 4th quarter points and a missed FG to beat Vandy at home. There has never been a less-deserving conference championship game participant.<br /><strong>18. Wisconsin</strong> - Kind of a disappointing year for the Badgers.<br /><strong>19. Cincinnati</strong> - The Bearcats have a lot to build on for next year.<br /><strong>20. Clemson</strong> - Sorry they had to lose to BC, but what a game.<br /><strong>21. Texas Tech</strong> - Mike Leach is still a Douche.</p> <br /><strong>* * * * *<br />Others Receiving Consideration:</strong><br /><br /><strong>Auburn</strong> - Should be able to handle a reeling 'Bama team in the Iron Bowl.<br /><br /><strong>* * * * *<br />Dropped From the Rankings:</strong><br /><br /><strong>Kentucky</strong> - I would LOVE to put them in my final poll. Doesn't look good though.<br /><br /><strong>* * * * *<br />Finally, FINALLY, One Will Beat Them and End This Charade:</strong><br /><br /><strong>Hawaii</strong>WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-26765967050623074012007-11-18T18:30:00.000-05:002008-12-10T18:27:14.658-05:00Nice Fucking Team (Version 2.0)<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bDQEdngv5N4/R0DMWYh_riI/AAAAAAAAAJc/8jLqxT1LZkc/s1600-h/Picture%2013(43).bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134328260116590114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bDQEdngv5N4/R0DMWYh_riI/AAAAAAAAAJc/8jLqxT1LZkc/s320/Picture%252013(43).bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><em>"Its irritating. I hate losing to Ohio State. I would rather lose to Appalachian State."</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>-Michael Hart</em><br /><em></em><br />Well Mike, you are in the unique position of being able to make that comparison.<br /><br />Congratulations on a great four year career that includes exactly zero wins over OSU, and was capped off by Saturday's stellar total of 44 yards. <br /><br />As a Buckeye fan, I can truly say this: you will be missed.WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-4019325595992278272007-11-18T16:35:00.000-05:002007-11-18T17:54:31.378-05:00I'm as Mad as Hell, and I'm Not Going to Take it Anymore<a href="http://www.americanrhetoric.com/images/networkmadashell1.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.americanrhetoric.com/images/networkmadashell1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />You know what makes me mad? College football arguments.<br /><br />They're stupid, they begin every season like clockwork around this time, and nothing is ever solved. Not only that, but the same tired arguments are made every year:<br /><br /><strong>The "My Conference is Better Than Your Conference" Argument.</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />This argument is mind-numbing. Pac-10 fans think their conference is the best. Southerners think the SEC is the best. Everyone clowns the Big 10 for being weak. Folks, all of the six power conferences are <em>about</em> the same. They all have good teams, (are there ANY great teams this year? I can't find one) they all have bad teams, and they all have a lot of average teams.<br /><br />The SEC has more above-average teams than most conferences, so if you held a gun to my head, <em>I guess</em> I would call it the best conference, but it isn't nearly as strong as most would have you believe. If it were, then teams like Alabama wouldn't be losing to below .5oo teams from the Sun Belt Conference.<br /><br />The Big Ten isn't as weak as its detractors say it is either. No, the conference isn't as strong as it was in the 90s, but are Ohio State, Illinois, and Wisconsin really that much worse then Arizona State, USC, and Oregon? Does Northwestern really suck that much more than Washington State sucks?<br /><br /><strong>The "This Team Deserves to Play in the Title Game More than That Team" Argument.</strong><br /><br />Stupid, stupid argument. Lets look at three one-loss teams: Arizona State, Ohio State, and Missouri. Who is most "deserving?" Each has played average to below-average schedule, each has lost to a team thas proven to be good, but not great, each has looked dominant at times, weak at others. What about Kansas? Where do they fit in? West Virginia? Its just a jumbled mess, and you can argue about it till you're blue in the face and there will never be any resolution. The bottom line is we need a playoff and this year proves that more than any other.<br /><br /><strong>The Strength of Schedule Argument</strong><br /><br />This is really a derivative of the previous argument, but it deserves to be handled individually. <br /><br />Lets just say this once and for all: Everyone, EVERYONE, schedules non-conference patsies. The system, where one loss is devastating and two losses are fatal, gives teams incentive to do so. There are also no exibition games, so teams write checks to in-state cupcakes to come catch a beat-down.<br /><br />The conference schedule set in stone. So you cannot fault a team for having a weak conference schedule. Kansas' conference schedule is a joke (they miss Oklahoma and Texas) but you know what? There is nothing they can do about it.<br /><br /><strong>The Heisman Argument</strong><br /><br />Pisses me off to no end. Is Tim Tebow the front-runner because Dennis Dixon got hurt? Or did Dixon's injury, and the subsequent collapse by the Ducks immediately afterward, actually <em>help</em> his cause in that it showed his value to the team? What about Darren McFadden? He was second in the balloting last year, and even more valuable this year, yet he is rarely mentioned. And GODDAMMIT WHAT ABOUT CHASE DANIEL??<br /><br />Oh, one more thing: No, all of these arguments are not good for the sport. If I hear one more BCS proponent say that, I am going to throw my TV through a window.WCThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10875199427544235300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8889941148399569523.post-80916942739448234022007-11-15T15:02:00.000-05:002008-12-10T18:27:15.193-05:00The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: NFL Primer Week 11<a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://theshipofools.blogspot.com/search/label/Good%20Bad%20Ugly">The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> is a weekly NFL primer. Nothing is sacred, not the players, not the coaches, and certainly not the betting lines.</span><br /><br />Lookey here, new layout with pictures for every discussion. I'm en fuego.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/Rzy1wb_Gi7I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/n10cLHPm6bk/s1600-h/tomlin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/Rzy1wb_Gi7I/AAAAAAAAAOQ/n10cLHPm6bk/s200/tomlin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133177519046298546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Good</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Pittsburgh Steelers</span><br />As a Browns fan, and a fan raised on Cleveland sports, it pains me greatly to acknowledge the bitter rival Steelers as the <span style="font-style: italic;">good</span>. But, it's really something I should get used to, right? I mean since the defeat last Sunday, it's been roughly 10 straight meetings that the Steelers have won. Some may even start the whole chant of this even not being a rivalry when it's been so completely one sided. Yes, right on all points, but that's not what I want to talk about, because my Zoloft is too far away.<br /><br />The Steelers didn't play well this past weekend and still came back to beat the Browns, it really shows how good they are when they can win a game that they aren't playing their best in. Also, don't forget they can really turn it on both defensively and offensively, seeing as they gave up nary a first down in the second half; the only 7 points were scored on some mind bogglingly ridiculous special teams play by Joshua Cribbs. Their defense made plays, their offense made plays, and all their young seemingly inexperienced coaches and players did what they needed to win. Conventional wisdom suggests that with a first year coach, a team will struggle, but this team has shown nothing of the sort with <s>Omar Epps</s> Mike Tomlin at the helm.<br /><br />They've got the players and the coaches and all that jazz, and have had only one losing season in God knows how long. But that's not even what makes them good: it's the solidarity and cohesiveness in the front office. There's no firings there, no quick turnover, and certainly no turmoil; they provide a steady hand for a franchise that has been exactly that. The Rooneys create an environment where success is bred, one where every player and coach knows what is expected, but they willingly work for that, not forcefully.<br /><br />It's this kind of dedication and foundation that has only three head coaches in nearly the last 40 years. Stability. It's this kind of front office and scouting that brings in players that fit the system and love the family. Resourcefulness. And it's this kind of forward thinking that leads for one down year to pave the way for years of prosperity. Championships. Say what you will about the crisp and lethal nature of the Patriots organization, but they haven't enjoyed the sustained success that the Steelers have. And its these Steelers that stand as the last line between the Patriots and an undefeated season.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/Rzy2Ob_Gi8I/AAAAAAAAAOY/XHaZsKuXXSg/s1600-h/dwight+freeny.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/Rzy2Ob_Gi8I/AAAAAAAAAOY/XHaZsKuXXSg/s200/dwight+freeny.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133178034442374082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Bad</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Indianapolis Colts injuries</span><br />Just a mere week ago, the Indianapolis Colts were on the fringe of being one of the best teams in the league. They had lost a heart breaker to the Patriots, but really, <span style="font-style: italic;">no one else</span> has beaten them, and certainly the Colts had come the closest. They were good enough to lead by 10 points in the fourth quarter, but not good enough to lead by the end of it. Fear not, they were playing with their best players injured! Surely that would quell the local disappointment, if only for a week.<br /><br />Ah, but there's the rub. A week later, this team is not the same team that won its first seven games. It's not the same team that had brought the Patriots to the brink of defeat. It's not even the same team that could make the playoffs without breaking a sweat.<br /><br />The Colts are in the midst of starting to worry about their season. With everything cruising along, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2007-11-14-453450930_x.htm">injuries have completely decimated this team</a>, with the biggest loss being the <a href="http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071115/SPORTS03/711150473/1100">season ending foot surgery to Dwight Freeney</a>. They picked up Simeon Rice, but let's be honest here, he's merely half the one dimensional player he once was, and certainly doesn't command the physical attributes, nor the fear to necessitate double teams. The offense was great, but it was really the defense, now a shell of its former self, that was going to guide this team to a repeat. They're injured, crippled, and no longer instill the fear they did merely a game into this season.<br /><br />This team has been brought to its knees, and the football opponent had nothing to do with it.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/Rzy2d7_Gi9I/AAAAAAAAAOg/RyyJSruhW7Y/s1600-h/tarvaris+jackson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yNXJMgeEZ-w/Rzy2d7_Gi9I/AAAAAAAAAOg/RyyJSruhW7Y/s200/tarvaris+jackson.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133178300730346450" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Ugly</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">Quarterback carousel</span><br />In a year where we have some of the best and most outstanding quarterback play in the national football league is also the year we have the worst. Over the last couple of years we've seen the trend of winners shy away from building around a caretaker quarterback and more of a play maker, because let's be honest - the man handles the ball on nearly every offensive play. So, is it any coincidence that inconsistent quarterback play and carousels are on teams with less than sparkling records?<br /><br />Out of the 32 teams playing this weekend, 13 (give or take 3) teams have questions about their quarterback for this game and going forward. In fact, some don't even know if they're going to use their second string for the rest of the year, next year, or go into the draft to find a player to lead their team. Three teams are possibly the worst poised to solve this quandary by this season or next.<br /><br />The Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, and Minnesota Vikings all have quarterbacks on their roster that have played significant snaps and yet shown that they are not NFL starting material. They've switched back and forth, in hopes of finding the right combination of plays and talent that will eventually translate into wins.<br /><br />Chicago Bears benched Rex Grossman because of his poor play, only to pin their hopes to Brian Griese, a man that was kicked out of three different systems for having neither the tools to make the play nor the brains to analyze what play needs to be made. Sans a couple of good throws the both have largely been an embarrassment at the position.<br /><br />Baltimore Ravens thought that a veteran quarterback was the piece they needed, combined with their defense to lead them back to the Superbowl. But all they've gotten out of McNair was what we all believed: an old broken player. Kyle Boller has been worse than an injured old man, continually holding on to the ball and refusing to make plays, even after being the Robo QB coming out of college.<br /><br />The Minnesota Vikings called <a href="http://www.nfl.com/players/profile?id=00-0024279">Tarvaris Jackson</a> a more mature Donovan McNabb at the same age, and from this we learned: Brad Childress should not be an NFL coach. From Tarvaris, the Vikings this year have gotten less combined touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing) than either interceptions or sacks (5 each), and a below 50% completion percentage. Adrian Peterson has <span style="font-style: italic;">rushed</span> for more yards than Jackson has <span style="font-style: italic;">thrown</span> for. And let me be the first to break the news to you Brad, being from Cleveland originally, Kelly Holcomb is not the answer.<br /><br />Same league, same year, three quarterbacks are playing the position nearly better than anyone has ever, and three teams can't seem to find <span style="font-style: italic;">even</span> a caretaker. That is sad on so many levels.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071115/SPORTS03/711150473/1100">Dwight Freeny's season over</a> [Indianapolis Star]<br /><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2007-11-14-453450930_x.htm">Colts injuries mount</a> [USA Today]<br />Photo: <a href="http://www.nflguru.net/2007/tomlin-makes-successful-debut/">NFL Guru</a>, <a href="http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071115/SPORTS03/711150473/1100">Indy Star</a>, <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=544869">JS Online</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0