Lucianne.com earns "Quote of the Day" honors for asking whether Elin Nordegren (Tiger Woods' wife) "used a 9 iron or a putter" . . .
How sad is the state of the NFL this year? 16 of the 32 teams are below .500 . . .
Great job by the Jets. Unlike the other NY football team, they came out hungry, focused, and determined to keep their postseason hopes alive. This team will only get better because they play hard for Rex Ryan and they obviously buy into his system . . . However, if Mark Sanchez continues to scamper downfield instead of throwing the ball away, Gang Green will find themselves in need of a new franchise quarterback. This is not the NCAA. Defenders are bigger, stronger, and faster. Give them enough opportunities to hurt you and they will . . .
Washington Redskins QB Jason Campbell showed why he is not, and probably never will be, an elite quarterback. Losing 27-24 with 1:48 remaining in regulation, the Redskins started their final drive on their own 16 with no timeouts. After throwing two incomplete passes Campbell connected with Randle-El for nine yards, setting up a 4th and 1. Instead of hurrying to the line of scrimmage and running a QB sneak to get the first down, Campbell dropped back into the shotgun and threw an incomplete pass at the feet of Santana Moss. Game Over. A quarterback facing 4th and 1 under those circumstances has to recognize that his priority is getting the first down in the quickest, easiest manner. If you are going to be a franchise QB you must be able to make those split-second decisions. Campbell could not . . .
The Colts officially clinched the AFC South today. But let's be honest, they had already done this unofficially as far back as Game 2 of the World Series . . .
I've never been a fan of the Vikings. In fact, I have often led the charge in declaring them overrated. But it is becoming impossible to acknowledge that this team may be the most-balanced in the NFC. Today they rolled over divisional rival the Chicago Bears, scoring 36 points while accumulating 537 yards. The Vikings are 9th in the NFL in total defense and 5th in the NFL in total offense. And for those who say, "Wait until they have to play outdoors in the playoffs", it appears that will not happen no matter which team wins home-field advantage. The only team right now with a better record than the Vikings is the undefeated Saints--another domed team . . .
According to ESPN, the NFL and NFLPA are close to an agreement that "would effectively prohibit a player from re-entering a game that he exits with a concussion-related injury." Also under discussion is a policy that "would arbitrarily prohibit a player from playing the subsequent week after suffering a concussion." Although the changes are welcome they are still far short of what is necessary to ensure the health of the players. Professional boxing is criticized for its brutality; yet, if a fighter is KO'd (in other words concussed) he is suspended for a minimum of 30 days. In some states the ban could last for as many as 60 or even 90 days. Meanwhile, the NFL is patting itself on the back for agreeing that players should not return to the field minutes after suffering a concussion. The NFL could learn something from the sweet science . . .
There is a lot of excitement in Yankees-land now that former CY Young Roy Halladay has said he is interested in playing in pinstripes. Halladay is among the best pitchers in the game, but are the Yankees willing to part with Joba Chamberlin or Phillip Hughes, and probably another top prospect, to get him? Truthfully, I would rather the Yankees sign John Lackey. Halladay's numbers are better, but Lackey is an excellent pitcher in his own right and I think he would more comfortably adjust to the pressures of playing for the Yankees. Lackey's a guy who wants the ball in the big game, someone who knows how to go for the jugular. He reminds me of Curt Shilling in that respect. Can Halladay handle the pressure of playing in New York? Who knows? Remember, the Bronx is Bizarro World compared to Toronto . . .
The NJ Nets deserve some credit. Imagine doing something 17 times and failing at it every time. That can't be easy . . .
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Sports Bytes
The Giants showed their holiday spirit on Thanksgiving night by generously surrendering their own season to help the Broncos recover theirs:
I've always been a supporter of the Thanksgiving Day tradition of watching the Lions and the Cowboys, but after this year's pitiful doubleheader I can no longer deny that it's time to add other teams. The combined score of the two network-televised games was 58-19 . . .
It wasn't enjoyable to watch unless you are a Dallas fan, but kudos to the Cowboys for their rout of the Raiders. For a team who had only scored seven points in each of its last two games, the 34 pts and nearly-500 yds of offense was an explosion much needed. Sure the Raiders were hammered by the Giants and the Jets, but they also upset the Eagles and the Bengals . . .
I have decided that I will root for the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup this year. 2009 has been a disastrous year for the city of Detroit. Yesterday the Lions were throttled by the Packers to fall to 2-9. In September the Tigers blew a seven-game AL Central lead and then lost a do-or-die, one-game playoff to the Twins. The Pistons clearly aren't the answer having started their NBA season with a dismal 5-10 record. Add to that the devastation caused by the virtual collapse of the U.S. auto industry and the accompanying 22% unemployment rate, and you have a city in dire need of a celebration . . .
Nice job by CBS color analyst Phil Simms during the second quarter of the Cowboys-Raiders game. Cowboys receiver Miles Austin caught a pass from Tony Romo, was seemingly tackled, but then jumped up and ran into the end zone. Although Austin's knee never touched the ground, Simms recognized immediately that Austin's lower leg had, which is considered down by contact . . .
During the Cowboys-Raiders game several women held banners asking Miles Austin to marry them. Seeing the banners reminded of the old days when the NY Mets would celebrate "Banner Day" at Shea Stadium. Between doubleheader games fans could march across the outfield carrying their banners. My favorite: "I Still Hate Broccoli" . . .
- The Maginot Line, otherwise known as the Giants defense, gave up 26 points and allowed 373 yds of offense. They also let the Broncos control the ball for 35:30.
- The Giants offense, and I use that term loosely, compiled only 38 yds in the first half and ended the game with only six points. The offensive line pass protected poorly and run-blocked even worse. Manning's passes had the accuracy of grenades. And Kevin Gilbride's mystifying play calling can only be explained as an adverse reaction to Denver's thin, mile-high air quality.
- Speaking of the thin air, Giants radio sideline reporter Howard Cross announced that Big Blue's defensive unit was sucking down oxygen when it returned to the sideline. The former NY Giants tight end said this midway through the first quarter. I don't care if you are playing on Mt. Kilimanjaro. If you are a professional athlete you should not need oxygen just 10 or 11 minutes into a game. Who is the Giants conditioning coach, David Wells?
- Former NY Giants linebacker Carl Banks serves as the color analyst for the Giants radio broadcasts. Several times during the game he frustratingly asked why the Giants continually drop into a shotgun on 2nd down instead of keeping Manning under the center and capitalizing on play-action fake opportunities. Good question, Carl. We'd all like to hear the answer to that one.
I've always been a supporter of the Thanksgiving Day tradition of watching the Lions and the Cowboys, but after this year's pitiful doubleheader I can no longer deny that it's time to add other teams. The combined score of the two network-televised games was 58-19 . . .
It wasn't enjoyable to watch unless you are a Dallas fan, but kudos to the Cowboys for their rout of the Raiders. For a team who had only scored seven points in each of its last two games, the 34 pts and nearly-500 yds of offense was an explosion much needed. Sure the Raiders were hammered by the Giants and the Jets, but they also upset the Eagles and the Bengals . . .
I have decided that I will root for the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup this year. 2009 has been a disastrous year for the city of Detroit. Yesterday the Lions were throttled by the Packers to fall to 2-9. In September the Tigers blew a seven-game AL Central lead and then lost a do-or-die, one-game playoff to the Twins. The Pistons clearly aren't the answer having started their NBA season with a dismal 5-10 record. Add to that the devastation caused by the virtual collapse of the U.S. auto industry and the accompanying 22% unemployment rate, and you have a city in dire need of a celebration . . .
Nice job by CBS color analyst Phil Simms during the second quarter of the Cowboys-Raiders game. Cowboys receiver Miles Austin caught a pass from Tony Romo, was seemingly tackled, but then jumped up and ran into the end zone. Although Austin's knee never touched the ground, Simms recognized immediately that Austin's lower leg had, which is considered down by contact . . .
During the Cowboys-Raiders game several women held banners asking Miles Austin to marry them. Seeing the banners reminded of the old days when the NY Mets would celebrate "Banner Day" at Shea Stadium. Between doubleheader games fans could march across the outfield carrying their banners. My favorite: "I Still Hate Broccoli" . . .
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Sports Bytes
Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer was the logical choice for American League MVP. The award is for Most Valuable Player, not for Best Player, and it is difficult to imagine the Minnesota Twins reaching the playoffs without his contributions . . . Yankees fans who felt either Mark Texeira or Derek Jeter deserved the award should remember that teammates who have great seasons normally split the vote . . . Who are the three "geniuses" who voted Derek Jeter no higher than eighth? So much for media objectivity . . .
In an interview with the Boston Globe Gary Sheffield predicts he will hit between 25 and 40 homer runs next year if signed by a ballclub. 25-40? That's a pretty wide range. Imagine going on a blind date and being told that he/she is between 25-40 years old . . .
And for your listening pleasure I give you my nomination for the "NY Jets Anthem" . . .
NY Giants running back Brandon Jacobs left Sumday's game with a right knee injury, but he said it was not serious and that he could have returned to the game if needed . . . Maybe it's just me, but for a guy who is built like the Atlas statue in Rockefeller Center he seems awfully brittle . . .
According to Weather.com the high temperature in Denver on Thanksgiving Day will be 57 degrees, which means it could be as much as 10-15 degrees warmer at the start of the Broncos-Giants game than it was for Game 3 of the National League Divisional Playoff Series between the Rockies and Phillies (35 degrees) . . .
Excellent piece in Sunday's NY Daily News questioning why trainers don't stop fights sooner when their fighters are being battered and have little chance of winning. Former NY State Athletic Commission Chariman Ron Scott Stevens and trainer Freddie Roach believe it may have something to do with the lack of financial security trainers have. Trainers do not have contracts with their fighters, nor do they sign a contract with the state commissions. In short, should a fighter get angry with his trainer, there is nothing preventing him from firing his trainer on the spot or from withholding his trainer's fee . . . Trainer Joe Goossen, who has trained numerous world champions such as Diego Corrales, Michael Nunn, Terry Norris, Gabriel and Rafael Ruelas, and Joel Casamayor, disagrees with that reasoning:
In an interview with the Boston Globe Gary Sheffield predicts he will hit between 25 and 40 homer runs next year if signed by a ballclub. 25-40? That's a pretty wide range. Imagine going on a blind date and being told that he/she is between 25-40 years old . . .
And for your listening pleasure I give you my nomination for the "NY Jets Anthem" . . .
NY Giants running back Brandon Jacobs left Sumday's game with a right knee injury, but he said it was not serious and that he could have returned to the game if needed . . . Maybe it's just me, but for a guy who is built like the Atlas statue in Rockefeller Center he seems awfully brittle . . .
According to Weather.com the high temperature in Denver on Thanksgiving Day will be 57 degrees, which means it could be as much as 10-15 degrees warmer at the start of the Broncos-Giants game than it was for Game 3 of the National League Divisional Playoff Series between the Rockies and Phillies (35 degrees) . . .
Excellent piece in Sunday's NY Daily News questioning why trainers don't stop fights sooner when their fighters are being battered and have little chance of winning. Former NY State Athletic Commission Chariman Ron Scott Stevens and trainer Freddie Roach believe it may have something to do with the lack of financial security trainers have. Trainers do not have contracts with their fighters, nor do they sign a contract with the state commissions. In short, should a fighter get angry with his trainer, there is nothing preventing him from firing his trainer on the spot or from withholding his trainer's fee . . . Trainer Joe Goossen, who has trained numerous world champions such as Diego Corrales, Michael Nunn, Terry Norris, Gabriel and Rafael Ruelas, and Joel Casamayor, disagrees with that reasoning:
- "I don't buy that," said Goossen. "There are too many variables in a fight to say that is the reason trainers let fights continue. When Corrales fought Castillo the first time, Castillo dropped Corrales twice in the 10th round. People at ringside were screaming at me to stop the fight. I didn't because I saw something different than they did. Even though Diego went down hard he was okay when he got up. Plus, I knew the condition he was in. So I let the fight continue and Diego knocked out Castillo about a minute later." Goossen added, "Most trainers have a thicker skin because they have been in camp with the fighter. They know what kind of shape the fighter is in and how much punishment he can take. Cotto was getting hit but he wasn't getting knocked down. He even won the 10th round on two of the judges' scorecards." How about those times when a fight does need to be stopped? "I stop a fight because I don't think the fighter can get the job done anymore. When Rafael Ruelas fought Kostya Tszyu I let it go as long as I could, but at a certain point I could see that Rafael was done. So I stopped it. Rafael got pissed. He even tried to push me out of the ring" . . .
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sports Bytes
Interesting column in Saturday's New York Daily News questioning the amount of international money the Yankees will lose by not signing Hideki Matsui. For ex., will Japanese companies continue to purchase in-stadium advertising . . .
The Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto championship bout sold an impressive 1.25 million pay-per-view buys, which just proves that despite the horrendous economy and pro boxing's overall poor health, the public will still pay for elite fights . . .
Sorry, I have no interest in UFC or MMA. You can't compare the artistic skill of a professional boxer with the street-fight strategy of mixed-martial artist. Ultimate fighters are a rough bunch who I wouldn't want to tangle with, but I don't see much difference between what they do and what happens outside many Manhattan dance clubs on a Saturday night . . .
If I grabbed 11 men off the streets, I'd lay even-money that they would score a TD against the Giants defense . . . Kudos to Eli Manning and the Giants offense for rescuing New York's season. Manning threw for 384 yds and three TDs, and led the Giants on its game-winning drive in overtime. On that drive he completed a 29 yd pass play to Mario Manningham that put the Giants in field goal territory . . . Should the Giants have lost that game they would have been the first NFL team to start a season 5-0 and then lose their next five games . . .
Were it not for single TDs within the final three minutes of the last two games, the Dallas Cowboys would have been shutout out two weeks in a row. Yet, they still managed to go 1-1 . . . Terence Newman should be suspended by the Cowboys for shoving secondary coach Dave Campo . . . Give Romo credit. As badly as he and the rest of the offense played for 47 minutes, he got the job done when his back was to the wall . . . Jerry Jones should take Redskin kicker Shaun Suisham to dinner at one of those fancy restaurants in Cowboys Stadium. Suisham missed two field goals that would have iced the win for the Redskins . . .
NY Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez just threw another interception . . . Forget Rex Ryan. I wanted to cry and I'm not even a Jets fan . . .
Wasn't much of a battle between the Chargers and the Broncos. At home with the division lead hanging in the balance and the best the Broncos could do was lose 32-3? If this was a 1970s Monday Night Football broadcast Don Meredith would be serenading the Broncos' season with "Turn out the lights" . . .
I never thought a safety could make or break a defense, but it certainly seems as if the Steelers are missing a major cog with Troy Polamalu sidelined. Losing to the Kansas City Chiefs and surrendering 27 points is a bad sign for the defending champions . . .
Who would've guessed that Lions-Browns would be the game of the week? The two teams combined for nine TDs and 75 pts . . . The Browns scored four TDs today, which is only one less than they scored in their previous 15 games . . .
I don't care how many times in their history the Bengals have lost in Oakland. Today's loss to the Raiders was inexcusable. You have to question a team's focus when they knock off the defending champions on the road one week, and then lose to a team that entered the game with only two wins. This tells me that although they may be talented they do not yet have the psychological discipline to beat teams like the Colts and the Patriots come playoff-time . . .
The Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto championship bout sold an impressive 1.25 million pay-per-view buys, which just proves that despite the horrendous economy and pro boxing's overall poor health, the public will still pay for elite fights . . .
Sorry, I have no interest in UFC or MMA. You can't compare the artistic skill of a professional boxer with the street-fight strategy of mixed-martial artist. Ultimate fighters are a rough bunch who I wouldn't want to tangle with, but I don't see much difference between what they do and what happens outside many Manhattan dance clubs on a Saturday night . . .
If I grabbed 11 men off the streets, I'd lay even-money that they would score a TD against the Giants defense . . . Kudos to Eli Manning and the Giants offense for rescuing New York's season. Manning threw for 384 yds and three TDs, and led the Giants on its game-winning drive in overtime. On that drive he completed a 29 yd pass play to Mario Manningham that put the Giants in field goal territory . . . Should the Giants have lost that game they would have been the first NFL team to start a season 5-0 and then lose their next five games . . .
Were it not for single TDs within the final three minutes of the last two games, the Dallas Cowboys would have been shutout out two weeks in a row. Yet, they still managed to go 1-1 . . . Terence Newman should be suspended by the Cowboys for shoving secondary coach Dave Campo . . . Give Romo credit. As badly as he and the rest of the offense played for 47 minutes, he got the job done when his back was to the wall . . . Jerry Jones should take Redskin kicker Shaun Suisham to dinner at one of those fancy restaurants in Cowboys Stadium. Suisham missed two field goals that would have iced the win for the Redskins . . .
NY Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez just threw another interception . . . Forget Rex Ryan. I wanted to cry and I'm not even a Jets fan . . .
Wasn't much of a battle between the Chargers and the Broncos. At home with the division lead hanging in the balance and the best the Broncos could do was lose 32-3? If this was a 1970s Monday Night Football broadcast Don Meredith would be serenading the Broncos' season with "Turn out the lights" . . .
I never thought a safety could make or break a defense, but it certainly seems as if the Steelers are missing a major cog with Troy Polamalu sidelined. Losing to the Kansas City Chiefs and surrendering 27 points is a bad sign for the defending champions . . .
Who would've guessed that Lions-Browns would be the game of the week? The two teams combined for nine TDs and 75 pts . . . The Browns scored four TDs today, which is only one less than they scored in their previous 15 games . . .
I don't care how many times in their history the Bengals have lost in Oakland. Today's loss to the Raiders was inexcusable. You have to question a team's focus when they knock off the defending champions on the road one week, and then lose to a team that entered the game with only two wins. This tells me that although they may be talented they do not yet have the psychological discipline to beat teams like the Colts and the Patriots come playoff-time . . .
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sports Bytes
Why is the New York Post wasting its front page on photos of Derek Jeter and Minka Kelly frolicking on the beach? Surely there is something, anything, more important going on in the world . . .
Word is Lebron James wants to play in the NFL. Let him play tight end and get drilled a few times crossing the middle of the field. That dream will die quickly . . . Maybe Lebron should follow Michael Jordan's lead and try baseball. He'll probably play as badly as Jordan did, but at least he'll remain in one piece . . .
The Super Bowl is not until February, but this week we have The Toilet Bowl: the Browns (1-8) play at the Lions (1-8) . . . Think there is a home-field advantage in this one? . .
Thanks to a disastrous performance against the Green Bay Packers last week, the Dallas Cowboys remain only a game ahead of both the Eagles and the Giants. This week the Eagles play at the Bears and the Giants face the Falcons at home. Both games are winnable for the two NFC East teams. The Cowboys are at home against the Redskins and should have little trouble with their rival. However, the Redskins are coming off a win over the Broncos, and historically they play the Boys tough regardless of their record . . .
Many sports journalists are putting the fate of the 2009 Giants on the shoulders of QB Eli Manning. I've got news for those writers, if the Giants don't start playing defense it won't matter whether the quarterback is Eli Manning or Eli Whitney . . .
The Game of the Week is the Chargers (6-3) at the Broncos (6-3) for the AFC West division lead. San Diego has won four in a row, while Denver has lost three in a row and may be without starting quarterback Kyle Orton . . .
After watching the Jets upset the Patriots on Sept 20, who would have thought entering week 11 that the Jets would be two games out of first place and probably only two losses away from playoff contention consideration. Their reward: a showdown this week in Foxboro against a Patriots team that was embarrassed last week by the Colts. Look for "The Brady Bunch" to take out their humiliation on the Jets . . .
Si.com asked college football fans which team has the rudest fans. The question would be easy if they were asking about professional sports cities. The "City of Brotherly Love" would win in a landslide. What fans threw batteries at J.D. Drew because instead of signing with the team that drafted him (Phillies) Drew held out for a year and joined the Cardinals? What city's former football stadium contained a jail with a court and a judge? Who can take credit for throwing coins at New York Yankees outfielders during the 2009 World Series? That's right. Philadelphia . . .
Jason Bay reportedly rejected an offer from the Boston Red Sox. Si.com says that the offer was believed to be four years and "close to $60 million" . . . New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte also filed for free agency . . .
Kudos to Tim Linecum who has won his second consecutive NL CY Young Award . . .
Word is Lebron James wants to play in the NFL. Let him play tight end and get drilled a few times crossing the middle of the field. That dream will die quickly . . . Maybe Lebron should follow Michael Jordan's lead and try baseball. He'll probably play as badly as Jordan did, but at least he'll remain in one piece . . .
The Super Bowl is not until February, but this week we have The Toilet Bowl: the Browns (1-8) play at the Lions (1-8) . . . Think there is a home-field advantage in this one? . .
Thanks to a disastrous performance against the Green Bay Packers last week, the Dallas Cowboys remain only a game ahead of both the Eagles and the Giants. This week the Eagles play at the Bears and the Giants face the Falcons at home. Both games are winnable for the two NFC East teams. The Cowboys are at home against the Redskins and should have little trouble with their rival. However, the Redskins are coming off a win over the Broncos, and historically they play the Boys tough regardless of their record . . .
Many sports journalists are putting the fate of the 2009 Giants on the shoulders of QB Eli Manning. I've got news for those writers, if the Giants don't start playing defense it won't matter whether the quarterback is Eli Manning or Eli Whitney . . .
The Game of the Week is the Chargers (6-3) at the Broncos (6-3) for the AFC West division lead. San Diego has won four in a row, while Denver has lost three in a row and may be without starting quarterback Kyle Orton . . .
After watching the Jets upset the Patriots on Sept 20, who would have thought entering week 11 that the Jets would be two games out of first place and probably only two losses away from playoff contention consideration. Their reward: a showdown this week in Foxboro against a Patriots team that was embarrassed last week by the Colts. Look for "The Brady Bunch" to take out their humiliation on the Jets . . .
Si.com asked college football fans which team has the rudest fans. The question would be easy if they were asking about professional sports cities. The "City of Brotherly Love" would win in a landslide. What fans threw batteries at J.D. Drew because instead of signing with the team that drafted him (Phillies) Drew held out for a year and joined the Cardinals? What city's former football stadium contained a jail with a court and a judge? Who can take credit for throwing coins at New York Yankees outfielders during the 2009 World Series? That's right. Philadelphia . . .
Jason Bay reportedly rejected an offer from the Boston Red Sox. Si.com says that the offer was believed to be four years and "close to $60 million" . . . New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte also filed for free agency . . .
Kudos to Tim Linecum who has won his second consecutive NL CY Young Award . . .
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sports Bytes
I have no interest in fantasy sports. Among the reasons why is that sports are more than just a compilation of statistics. In fact, very often numbers can be misleading. For ex., although the NY Giants have lost four in a row and have surrrendered a total of 133 points during this swoon, they are still the NFL's #1 ranked defense. How ludicrous is that? Do you think last week in the 4th quarter Tom Coughlin believed he had the league's best defense as he watched Phillip Rivers and company march downfield as quickly as General Patton and the Allied Forces crossed Europe?
Speaking of an inability to cover receivers, NY Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce's pass coverage skills appear to be eroding by the week. How many times does the Giants coaching staff have to see a tight end breaking free across the middle of the field before they acknowledge that changes need to be made in the middle linebacker position ? . .
Congrats to Kansas City Royals pitcher Zack Greinke for winning the 2009 CY Young Award. C.C. Sabathia and Roy Halladay had great seasons, as did Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez. But anybody who can win 16 games for a last place team and post a 2.16 ERA deserves the award hands down . . .
It's hard to fault Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson for firing head coach Dick Jauron. The Bills only finished 7-9 in his first three seasons and will enter Week 11 on a downward spiral at 3-6. Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell is expected to be named interim head coach . . . Losing at home to Cleveland (6-3) and then getting trounced last week at Tennessee (41-17) is not a good way to convince management that you're closing in on the Promised Land . . . It's never fun being fired, but Jauron should thank his stars that he no longer has to put up with everyone's favorite teammate, Terrell Owens . . . Do you think Jauron followed Bud Adams lead and flipped Ralph Wilson the bird as he left the Bills' facilities for the last time?
With the number of bad NFL teams this year, how many other pink slips have been signed, sealed and are just waiting to be delivered?
Speaking of an inability to cover receivers, NY Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce's pass coverage skills appear to be eroding by the week. How many times does the Giants coaching staff have to see a tight end breaking free across the middle of the field before they acknowledge that changes need to be made in the middle linebacker position ? . .
Congrats to Kansas City Royals pitcher Zack Greinke for winning the 2009 CY Young Award. C.C. Sabathia and Roy Halladay had great seasons, as did Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez. But anybody who can win 16 games for a last place team and post a 2.16 ERA deserves the award hands down . . .
It's hard to fault Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson for firing head coach Dick Jauron. The Bills only finished 7-9 in his first three seasons and will enter Week 11 on a downward spiral at 3-6. Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell is expected to be named interim head coach . . . Losing at home to Cleveland (6-3) and then getting trounced last week at Tennessee (41-17) is not a good way to convince management that you're closing in on the Promised Land . . . It's never fun being fired, but Jauron should thank his stars that he no longer has to put up with everyone's favorite teammate, Terrell Owens . . . Do you think Jauron followed Bud Adams lead and flipped Ralph Wilson the bird as he left the Bills' facilities for the last time?
With the number of bad NFL teams this year, how many other pink slips have been signed, sealed and are just waiting to be delivered?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sports Bytes
Our society's obsession with fantasy sports is dizzying. Following his decision to drop to one knee rather than score a TD and give the Jets offense a crack at winning the game, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew felt the need to "apologize to all my fantasy owners". The idea that Jones-Drew even considered fantasy sports at that moment is frightening, regardless of whether he acted on it. It's only a matter of time before a player does put his fantasy sports numbers ahead of his team's interest, if it hasn't happened already . . .
Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is the superfight that all boxing fans want to see. Sadly, I don't anticipate it happening anytime soon. Mayweather is a stubborn young man who intensely dislikes Bob Arum (Pacquiao's promoter). I can easily envision Mayweather making outrageous financial demands as a pretext for delaying the fight indefinitely and sticking it to Arum . . .
This is shaping up as a rotten November for Boston sports fans. First they are forced to endure The Evil Empire winning its 27th World Series; now, they must recover from a humiliating Patriots loss at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts. Brady's Bunch blew a 31-14 lead with less than 13 minutes remaining in regulation in large measure because of a colossal blunder by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Ahead 34-28 with 2:08 left in the 4th quarter and facing a 4th-and-2 from their own 28 yrd line, Belichick elected to go for the first down rather than punt it to the Colts. QB Tom Brady completed the pass to Kevin Faulk, who bobbled it and was tackled short of the first down, handing possession over to the Colts. Four plays later the Colts were in the end zone with a 35-34 lead (following the extra point). Not only was Belichick's decision boneheaded from a strategic perspective, but it also exposed his lack of faith in his defense's ability to get the job done. And that is something the Patriots defense will not forget . . . Belichick deserves credit for meeting with the media afterwards and standing behind his decision. Some coaches would have avoided the media or acted petulant when responding to their questions, but Belichick didn't. He explained why he went for the first down, credited the Colts for scoring the TD, and stoically accepted his team's failure to convert. Not bad for a guy who hasn't exactly re-written the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" . . .
Former New York Mets 2nd baseman Wally Backman, a core member of the 1986 World Championship team, has been named manager of the team's Single-A affiliate, the Brooklyn Cyclones . . .
You have to sympathize sometimes with television executives. There are so many bad teams in the NFL this year that many featured games have become almost irrelevant by the time they are reached in the schedule. Case in point: is there anyone besides those in the "Dawg Pound" who is interested in tonight's Ravens-Browns game? Ok, maybe Baltimore residents also care, but that's all . . .
The New York Times is reporting that Charlie Weiss may be out at Notre Dame. You have to wonder why the university gave Weiss a ridiculously lengthy contract to begin with. Were he to leave today there would still be six-years left on his contract. No coach is worth that, not even Vince Lombardi. The question facing Notre Dame is whether things will be any different under a new head coach. Whoever they hire will need to do a better job of recruiting the nation's top talent . . . As far as Weiss' future goes, he shouldn't have any problems landing a coordinator's role with an NFL team . . .
Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is the superfight that all boxing fans want to see. Sadly, I don't anticipate it happening anytime soon. Mayweather is a stubborn young man who intensely dislikes Bob Arum (Pacquiao's promoter). I can easily envision Mayweather making outrageous financial demands as a pretext for delaying the fight indefinitely and sticking it to Arum . . .
This is shaping up as a rotten November for Boston sports fans. First they are forced to endure The Evil Empire winning its 27th World Series; now, they must recover from a humiliating Patriots loss at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts. Brady's Bunch blew a 31-14 lead with less than 13 minutes remaining in regulation in large measure because of a colossal blunder by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Ahead 34-28 with 2:08 left in the 4th quarter and facing a 4th-and-2 from their own 28 yrd line, Belichick elected to go for the first down rather than punt it to the Colts. QB Tom Brady completed the pass to Kevin Faulk, who bobbled it and was tackled short of the first down, handing possession over to the Colts. Four plays later the Colts were in the end zone with a 35-34 lead (following the extra point). Not only was Belichick's decision boneheaded from a strategic perspective, but it also exposed his lack of faith in his defense's ability to get the job done. And that is something the Patriots defense will not forget . . . Belichick deserves credit for meeting with the media afterwards and standing behind his decision. Some coaches would have avoided the media or acted petulant when responding to their questions, but Belichick didn't. He explained why he went for the first down, credited the Colts for scoring the TD, and stoically accepted his team's failure to convert. Not bad for a guy who hasn't exactly re-written the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" . . .
Former New York Mets 2nd baseman Wally Backman, a core member of the 1986 World Championship team, has been named manager of the team's Single-A affiliate, the Brooklyn Cyclones . . .
You have to sympathize sometimes with television executives. There are so many bad teams in the NFL this year that many featured games have become almost irrelevant by the time they are reached in the schedule. Case in point: is there anyone besides those in the "Dawg Pound" who is interested in tonight's Ravens-Browns game? Ok, maybe Baltimore residents also care, but that's all . . .
The New York Times is reporting that Charlie Weiss may be out at Notre Dame. You have to wonder why the university gave Weiss a ridiculously lengthy contract to begin with. Were he to leave today there would still be six-years left on his contract. No coach is worth that, not even Vince Lombardi. The question facing Notre Dame is whether things will be any different under a new head coach. Whoever they hire will need to do a better job of recruiting the nation's top talent . . . As far as Weiss' future goes, he shouldn't have any problems landing a coordinator's role with an NFL team . . .
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sports Bytes
I guess my crystal ball is on the fritz. I predicted the Pacquiao-Cotto fight would end in an 11th or 12th round knockout, but I picked the wrong fighter to win. I felt the longer the battle lasted, the more advantageous it would be for the natural welterweight, Miguel Cotto. Not only did the later rounds not benefit Cotto, but Pacquiao appeared to grow stronger as the bout progressed. Kudos to the Phillipino champion. He is an exceptional talent who is able to maintain his hand speed and punching power regardless of the weight class he is fighting in. That is truly rare . . .
According to Gary Myers, New York Daily News columnist, New York Giants co-owner John Mara is upset about the Thanksgiving Day-scheduled game in Denver between the Giants and the Broncos. After their Nov 22 home game against the Falcons, the Giants must fly 1,750 miles for the Thursday holiday game. That is a long trip during a short week and the Giants complaint is understandable, but I'm willing to bet the prospect of a long flight wouldn't be as objectionable if the Giants hadn't lost four in a row . . .
The Jets broke the hearts of their fans again today. After scoring a TD to put themselves ahead with 5:04 left to play, the Jets allowed the Jaguars to march down the field and kick a 21-yrd field goal with time expiring. A once promising season that began at 3-0 has imploded as the the Jets have now dropped four of their last five games to fall below.500 (4-5) on the season . . . In the third quarter the Jets and Jaguars combined for three turnovers in the span of five plays. Amazingly none of the turnovers resulted in any points being scored . . . With 1:45 remaining in the game and the Jaguars facing a 2nd-and-6 on the Jets 10 yrd line losing 22-21, Maurice Jones-Drew took the hand-off and broke free with an open lane to the endzone. Instead of scoring to put his team ahead, Jones-Drew (who was instructed to do this ahead of time) stopped at the one-yard line and took a knee. The reason was to give the Jaguar offense an opportunity to run a few more plays, burn more time off the clock, and prevent the Jets offense from getting its hands on the ball again. Ultimately, the play worked to the Jaguars advantage as Josh Scobee kicked the field goal after the clock was run down to :03. TV analysts like CBS color commentator Dan Fouts may have praised the play, but I thought it was a dumb move on the part of the Jaguars coaching staff. Why leave the game in the hands, or I should say on the foot, of your kicker? To purposely avoid scoring six points out of a fear that the other team will get the ball back is insane. Take the sure TD and put lead in the hands of your defense. How foolish would the Jags have looked if Scobee missed that field goal? . . . In the next year or two the NY Jets tandem of Mark Sanchez and Braylon Edwards will become one of the NFL's most-prolific passing combinations . . .
Pitiful performance by the Dallas Cowboys. The Boys blew an opportunity to widen their NFC East lead over the Eagles (lost to Chargers 31-23) and the Giants (idle) by turning the ball over three times, and by allowing their QB Tony Romo to be sacked five times and knocked down nearly a dozen times. Were it not for a meaningless TD with less than a minute left in the game, the Cowboys would have been shutout by a Packers defense that had surrendered 76 points in its last two games . . .
Is it just me or does Ed Hochuli and his crew call more penalties than any other NFL officiating crew? Hochuli gets more face time than the two starting quarterbacks in the game he is officiating . . .
The Saints deserve credit for reaching the 9-0 mark, but I wouldn't rush out to buy tickets to the Super Bowl yet if I were a New Orleans fan. In the past four weeks the Saints defense has given up 34 points to Miami, 27 points to Atlanta, 20 points to Carolina, and 23 points (today) to the Rams, yes the 1-7 Rams. (Rams running back Steven Jackson rushed for 131 yards on only 26 carries.) In this league if you can't play defense you will not win in the postseason. As good as that Saints offense is, at some point it will have a bad day. And if that bad day happens in the postseason and the Saints defense plays the role of revolving door, it will be a long offseason for Drew Brees and crew . . .
It's time for Philadelphia Eagles RB Brian Westbrook to hang up his cleats. Arguably the most-versatile running-back of the past decade, Westbrook has now suffered multiple concussions and must face the reality that he can no longer absorb the punishment. Watching a football player continue to play despite concussions is as sad as watching a shot fighter climb into the ring . . .
According to Gary Myers, New York Daily News columnist, New York Giants co-owner John Mara is upset about the Thanksgiving Day-scheduled game in Denver between the Giants and the Broncos. After their Nov 22 home game against the Falcons, the Giants must fly 1,750 miles for the Thursday holiday game. That is a long trip during a short week and the Giants complaint is understandable, but I'm willing to bet the prospect of a long flight wouldn't be as objectionable if the Giants hadn't lost four in a row . . .
The Jets broke the hearts of their fans again today. After scoring a TD to put themselves ahead with 5:04 left to play, the Jets allowed the Jaguars to march down the field and kick a 21-yrd field goal with time expiring. A once promising season that began at 3-0 has imploded as the the Jets have now dropped four of their last five games to fall below.500 (4-5) on the season . . . In the third quarter the Jets and Jaguars combined for three turnovers in the span of five plays. Amazingly none of the turnovers resulted in any points being scored . . . With 1:45 remaining in the game and the Jaguars facing a 2nd-and-6 on the Jets 10 yrd line losing 22-21, Maurice Jones-Drew took the hand-off and broke free with an open lane to the endzone. Instead of scoring to put his team ahead, Jones-Drew (who was instructed to do this ahead of time) stopped at the one-yard line and took a knee. The reason was to give the Jaguar offense an opportunity to run a few more plays, burn more time off the clock, and prevent the Jets offense from getting its hands on the ball again. Ultimately, the play worked to the Jaguars advantage as Josh Scobee kicked the field goal after the clock was run down to :03. TV analysts like CBS color commentator Dan Fouts may have praised the play, but I thought it was a dumb move on the part of the Jaguars coaching staff. Why leave the game in the hands, or I should say on the foot, of your kicker? To purposely avoid scoring six points out of a fear that the other team will get the ball back is insane. Take the sure TD and put lead in the hands of your defense. How foolish would the Jags have looked if Scobee missed that field goal? . . . In the next year or two the NY Jets tandem of Mark Sanchez and Braylon Edwards will become one of the NFL's most-prolific passing combinations . . .
Pitiful performance by the Dallas Cowboys. The Boys blew an opportunity to widen their NFC East lead over the Eagles (lost to Chargers 31-23) and the Giants (idle) by turning the ball over three times, and by allowing their QB Tony Romo to be sacked five times and knocked down nearly a dozen times. Were it not for a meaningless TD with less than a minute left in the game, the Cowboys would have been shutout by a Packers defense that had surrendered 76 points in its last two games . . .
Is it just me or does Ed Hochuli and his crew call more penalties than any other NFL officiating crew? Hochuli gets more face time than the two starting quarterbacks in the game he is officiating . . .
The Saints deserve credit for reaching the 9-0 mark, but I wouldn't rush out to buy tickets to the Super Bowl yet if I were a New Orleans fan. In the past four weeks the Saints defense has given up 34 points to Miami, 27 points to Atlanta, 20 points to Carolina, and 23 points (today) to the Rams, yes the 1-7 Rams. (Rams running back Steven Jackson rushed for 131 yards on only 26 carries.) In this league if you can't play defense you will not win in the postseason. As good as that Saints offense is, at some point it will have a bad day. And if that bad day happens in the postseason and the Saints defense plays the role of revolving door, it will be a long offseason for Drew Brees and crew . . .
It's time for Philadelphia Eagles RB Brian Westbrook to hang up his cleats. Arguably the most-versatile running-back of the past decade, Westbrook has now suffered multiple concussions and must face the reality that he can no longer absorb the punishment. Watching a football player continue to play despite concussions is as sad as watching a shot fighter climb into the ring . . .
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Sports Bytes
Yesterday, New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick blasted Top Rank for charging $55 for tonight's (Nov 14) ppv showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. I'd like to know how critics like Mushnick expect the fight promoter to pay Pacquiao (guaranteed $13 million) and Cotto (guaranteed $6.5 million) without charging stiff ppv fees. The truth is that today's boxers need to bring their financial expectations in line with reality, just as the rest of us have been forced to do. Are boxing promoters greedy? Sure. But they are no greedier than any sports franchise owner or any professional athlete . . . And they still have a ways to go before they reach the greed-level of Wall Street bank executives . . .
The New York Yankees must decide whether to re-sign Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. There are strong arguments for keeping one or both players, but there are also solid reasons for letting both go. Some insiders believe the Yankees need to get younger and that they'd be better off leaving the DH position open for Posada, whose knees could benefit from time on the bench. I would keep Matsui and let Damon sign elsewhere. "Gojira's" power numbers are difficult to sacrifice, even if he was limited by injury. Some will argue that Damon is more valuable because he can still play left field, but let's be honest, at this stage of his career Damon is more manning left field than covering it. On a few of those fly balls during the postseason Damon looked like Fred Sanford stumbling around his living room while having "The Big One" . . .
The Dallas Cowboys have won four in a row and now lead the NFC East. It should be any moment now when the national sports media declare the 'Boys a lock to reach the Super Bowl . . .
Is there a connection between Sammy Sosa's skin condition and his suspected steroid use?
I'm not sure Victor Martinez is the solution to Boston's catching concerns. Clearly Varitek's best days are behind him and the Sox have nobody else to go with, but you have to feel antsy about a guy who only threw out 13% of base-stealers last year. On the other hand Martinez's bat is potent and it will help jumpstart that lineup if he plays every day . . .
The New York Mets could use the fire of a John Lackey . . .
Get well, John Wetteland . . .
The New York Yankees must decide whether to re-sign Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. There are strong arguments for keeping one or both players, but there are also solid reasons for letting both go. Some insiders believe the Yankees need to get younger and that they'd be better off leaving the DH position open for Posada, whose knees could benefit from time on the bench. I would keep Matsui and let Damon sign elsewhere. "Gojira's" power numbers are difficult to sacrifice, even if he was limited by injury. Some will argue that Damon is more valuable because he can still play left field, but let's be honest, at this stage of his career Damon is more manning left field than covering it. On a few of those fly balls during the postseason Damon looked like Fred Sanford stumbling around his living room while having "The Big One" . . .
The Dallas Cowboys have won four in a row and now lead the NFC East. It should be any moment now when the national sports media declare the 'Boys a lock to reach the Super Bowl . . .
Is there a connection between Sammy Sosa's skin condition and his suspected steroid use?
I'm not sure Victor Martinez is the solution to Boston's catching concerns. Clearly Varitek's best days are behind him and the Sox have nobody else to go with, but you have to feel antsy about a guy who only threw out 13% of base-stealers last year. On the other hand Martinez's bat is potent and it will help jumpstart that lineup if he plays every day . . .
The New York Mets could use the fire of a John Lackey . . .
Get well, John Wetteland . . .
Friday, November 13, 2009
Sports Bytes
This weekend is the highly-anticipated bout between boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighter, Manny Pacquiao, and current WBO world champion Miguel Cotto. Understandably most insiders and fans are picking Pacquiao because of his blazing hand speed and lethal punching power. However, it says here that Cotto will withstand Pacquiao’s early onslaught, wear down the Phillipino champion, and stop him in the 11th or 12th round. The key to the fight is that Cotto is a natural welterweight, and a strong one at that. Look for Cotto’s body attack to be the difference . . .
The NY-area basketball teams are taking Billy Joel’s hit song “A New York State of Mind” a little too seriously. Sure the NY Giants have lost their last four games and the NY Jets have lost three of their last four, but is that any reason for the NY Knicks and NJ Nets to begin their season with a combined 1-16 record? . . .
NY Jets coach Rex Ryan is asking Jets fans to bring their A-game this week and cheer fanatically for the home team. Funny thing about fans, they expect you to give them a reason to cheer . . .
Speaking of football, we have been hearing for the past decade that a salary-cap is necessary to maintain competitive balance in the NFL; yet, there are more bad teams this season than I can remember in a very long time . . .
Why is pro boxing excoriated for scheduling mismatches, while the NCAA is given a free-pass for doing the same? This weekend Texas is favored over Baylor by 23 ½ points and Boise St is favored over Idaho by 31 ½ points . . .
The NY-area basketball teams are taking Billy Joel’s hit song “A New York State of Mind” a little too seriously. Sure the NY Giants have lost their last four games and the NY Jets have lost three of their last four, but is that any reason for the NY Knicks and NJ Nets to begin their season with a combined 1-16 record? . . .
NY Jets coach Rex Ryan is asking Jets fans to bring their A-game this week and cheer fanatically for the home team. Funny thing about fans, they expect you to give them a reason to cheer . . .
Speaking of football, we have been hearing for the past decade that a salary-cap is necessary to maintain competitive balance in the NFL; yet, there are more bad teams this season than I can remember in a very long time . . .
Why is pro boxing excoriated for scheduling mismatches, while the NCAA is given a free-pass for doing the same? This weekend Texas is favored over Baylor by 23 ½ points and Boise St is favored over Idaho by 31 ½ points . . .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
