Chris's Sports Blog: Year in Review
I could wax philosophical here about the year that was, but as Darius Songaila once told the Wolfman, “let’s cut to chase”.
Best Game: Yankees at Red Sox - July 24
Game 4 had “The Steal” and Game 5 had the nail-biting tension, but the Yanks/Sox tilt on that warm summer afternoon at Fenway trumped them both.
After Bill Mueller’s homerun soared over the right-field fence, capping a three-run ninth inning against the supposedly indestructible Mariano Rivera, one could sense that the Red Sox season had just begun.
One week later Nomar was gone and Boston began a remarkable run that saw them finish the season with a 53-20 record and their first World Series win since 1918.
The game is most remembered for the brawl that erupted after Alex Rodriguez started jawing at Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo, but that incident was just a short chapter in what would become another classic Yankees-Red Sox story.
A persistent rain almost forced the game’s cancellation (a few Yankees, assuming the game would be called, had already showered), but the Red Sox wanted to play.
Down 9 ½ games to the hated Yanks, and in a dead-heat for the Wild Card, the Sox had played .500 ball in their last 76 games and that familiar sinking feeling was being experienced by the Red Sox Nation. The team knew they needed a jump start, and perhaps playing on a day when nobody expected them to would accomplish just that.
The Yankees had surged to a 3-0 lead before the brawl took place and would eventually jump out to a 9-4 lead headed into the bottom of the 6th.
Boston scratched out four runs in their half, but still found themselves down 10-8 in the bottom of the 9th with Mariano Rivera on the mound.
The “Hammer of God” had converted 23 consecutive save opportunities but gave up a leadoff double to Nomar Garciaparra and almost allowed a game-tying homerun to Trot Nixon that instead was caught on the warning track in the deepest part of the park.
A Kevin Millar single scored Nomar and Bill Mueller’s line-drive homerun gave the Sox the victory and momentum that carried into October.
Rarely does one regular season game produce a spark that lasts until the postseason, but this one did.
That’s why it is the game of the year.
Best Game (Runner-Up): UAB-Kentucky – NCAA Tournament 2nd Round – March 21
The top-seeded Wildcats were expected to breeze through the St. Louis region en route to the Final Four, but couldn’t even make it out of the first weekend thanks to an up-tempo team from Conference USA.
UAB jumped out to an early lead, but fell behind Kentucky by six with 4:05 to play.
After six lead-changes in the final minute, Gerald Fitch missed an open three-pointer that would have won the game for the Wildcats.
Instead, UAB moved on to the Sweet 16 with the upset of the tournament.
Worst Game: Games 1-5 of the NBA Finals
What do you get when you pit a team with a brutal offense and suffocating defense against five future Hall of Famers that can’t stand sharing the same locker room?
Five boring games and Chauncey Billups as the series MVP.
Rumor has it that soldiers at Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay had begun showing detainees game 3 on a continuous loop before being told by the Red Cross that such behavior was prohibited by the Geneva Convention.
Athlete of the Year: Michael Phelps:
The 19-year old from Baltimore went into the Athens Games with the pressure of an entire nation on his broad shoulders.
Somehow, he managed to exceed (realistic) expectations and won six gold medals (along with two bronzes) and became the star of the Olympics.
Athlete of the Year (Runner-Up): Emeka Okafor
Don’t sleep on the Mek. (How is it possible that this guy doesn’t have a nickname yet?)
Okafor single-handedly led Uconn to a national title and then, despite skeptics galore, proved himself NBA-ready from the season’s opening tip and has already led his expansion Bobcats to more wins (7) than most people expected them to have all year, all while averaging a cool double-double (15 and 11), including in 16 straight games (an NBA rookie record).
Athlete of the Year (Honorable Mention): The Entire Boston Red Sox Roster
It’s impossible to choose between Schilling, Ortiz, Manny or even Dave Roberts. I can, however, say with some certainty that Dale Sveum is not included.
Disappointing Athlete of the Year: Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery, Jason Giambi (tie)
At least Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield had big years in the midst of the steroid controversy.
But Jones, Montgomery and Giambi, in addition to repeatedly lying to the public, looked like amateurs in 2004.
Jones didn’t make it to the podium once in Athens, while her pseudo-boyfriend Montgomery didn’t even make it to Greece in the first place.
Giambi battled health problems due to his steroid abuse and only played in 80 games, batting a cool .208 with a .379 slugging percentage. That he was left off the Yankees playoff roster seemed to be the icing on the cake, until The San Francisco Chronicle reported that in his grand jury testimony Giambi admitted to using illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
It could have been worse for Giambi I guess. He could have gotten on stage and screamed out a couple state names, punctuating his rant with a madcap “YEEEAHHHH!”
Most Overrated Athlete: Lance Armstrong
Back when Armstrong won his first Tour de France after beating cancer, I was one of his biggest supporters.
“He’s the best athlete in the world,” I’d say, and while some would listen, others didn’t.
I was furious when Sports Illustrated named the U.S. women’s soccer team as their “Sportsman of the Year” in 1999 and even more upset when Tiger Woods (2000) and Randy Johnson/Curt Schilling (2001) won in subsequent years.
SI finally gave Armstrong his due in 2002 and in each of the past two years have published angry letters from readers asking why Armstrong wasn’t the magazine’s choice every year.
Here’s why: Once you win the Tour de France, it’s apparently pretty easy to win again.
I don’t know why this is, but the numbers don’t lie.
Since 1978 there have been only 11 winners of the Tour de France, including five men that have won at least three.
Compare that to the 19 golfers who have won the Masters in the same span or, amazingly, the 13 that have won Wimbledon (amazing because Pete Sampras won seven in the ‘90s).
Plus, the Tour de France is a bike race. Nobody cared about cycling until Armstrong came around and now that he’s here, there still aren’t too many people that care.
I didn’t see America going nuts when Miguel Indurain was winning five straight Tours, so why are we all on Lance’s jock for his streak? Simply because he’s American?
Enough, I say. It’s a nice story, but a boring one.
Team of the Year: Boston Red Sox
You thought I’d go with the Tampa Bay Lightning, perhaps?
Worst Team: USA Men’s Basketball
Has anybody had a more precipitous fall than Larry Brown, post-NBA title?
First he “coaches” this non-team to an embarrassing bronze in Athens, then he presides over the worst melee in American sports history.
Probably should have gone out on top, L.B.
Coach of the Year: John Fox
Fox led his team to the Super Bowl at the beginning of 2004 and at the end of the year has them on the brink of a playoff berth despite decimating injuries and a miserable 1-7 start.
Most Overrated Story (Runner-Up): Roger Clemens "Retirement"
(12/31/04, 1:11 p.m.) Ladies and gentlemen, I am retiring from Chris’s Sports Blog.
(12/31/04, 1:12 p.m.) Ladies and gentlemen, after some soul-searching and discussions with my family, I have decided to return to writing Chris’s Sports Blog. Consider the rest of this entry the first of my comeback posts.
In all future references to this blog, please mention that I have come out of retirement to write.
Story That Only the Press Cares About: BALCO
OK, I care too, and so do other baseball traditionalists, but the American people as a whole really couldn’t care less about who was using steroids.
Most Underrated Story: Michael Phelps
OK, I know ESPN can’t show Olympic highlights because they don’t hold the rights to the Games, but Phelps garnered exactly 12 seconds on Sportscenter: 2004 Year in Review.
And by the way, which genius decided to give hosting duties for that show to John Anderson and Linda Cohn? Probably the same genius that told Linda Cohn to wear street-walking boots and a short skirt that, unfortunately, left way too little to the imagination.
Most Underrated Story (Runner-Up): Ichiro Breaks Sisler’s Record
The diminutive Japanese slap-hitter broke Sisler’s hit record, a mark that no player in 74 years had come within 17 of. At the time there was a lot of coverage of the event, but a mere two months later most everybody seems to have forgotten.
Most Underrated Story (Honorable Mention): Derek Jeter’s Diving Catch
I’m sure most people didn’t see it, but in early July Derek Jeter made a running catch against the Boston Red Sox, and then for some reason decided to keep running full-speed into the stands after snaring the ball.
Sure, Pokey Reese made a similar catch earlier in the game and decided not to run into the stands, but Jeter’s reckless play was so much more amazing because, get this, he dove into the stands even though he already had the ball!
Simply remarkable! What a player! What passion for the game! Way to lay it all out on the line, even though the catch was already made!!!
I wish ESPN had shown this play more, but I rarely saw it after viewing it live. It’s a shame, really.
Best Line: Antonio Tarver – “Got any excuses tonight Roy?”
Before their light-heavyweight rematch, Antonio Tarver asked Roy Jones Jr. this simple question as they touched gloves.
Tarver was referring to their first fight, which Jones won in a controversial decision. After getting the nod from the judges, Jones claimed the reason the fight was so close was due to him losing a “great deal of muscle mass” after dropping down from heavyweight.
Jones didn’t have any excuses six minutes later when he lay on the canvas after being knocked-out for the first time in his career.
Best Line (Unintentional Division): Gary Barnett – “Katie was a girl, and not only was she a girl, but she was terrible.”
The fact that Barnett still has a job after this unbelievably hilarious attempt at justification for sexual assault is one of the more remarkable survival stories of the year.
Luckiest Hero Award: Adam Vinatieri
Vinatieri has made some clutch kicks over the years, but the only reason he is now the proud owner of two Super Bowl winning kicks is because he pushed a 31-yarder in the first quarter and had another kick blocked later in the half.
Best Move: Sox Trade Nomar
Had Terrell Owens not broken his ankle, his acquisition might have topped this list. As it is, the jettisoning of Garciaparra was one of the catalysts for the Sox Series run.
Best Comeback: Grant Hill
I hate all Dukies. They’re whiny like their coach, think their entitled to college success and NBA riches simply because of the four-letter word on their jerseys and always look like they’re in need of a good beat-down.
Still, I can’t help but like Grant Hill.
His comeback this season has been nothing but inspiring and even though he went to Duke, I can’t help but wish him the best for the future.
Now, if he can just get that first playoff series victory under his belt…
(Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)
Best Imitation of a Man: Alex Rodriguez
For years, I thought A. Rod was a dude. Then I saw his girlie-slap in Game 6 of the ALCS and I knew I had been duped.
Best Overreaction: George Steinbrenner
$21 million for a pitcher with a career ERA of over 5.00? Man, just think what would have happened if the Twins could have held on and knocked off the Yanks in the ALDS. Guys like Gil Meche and Carlos Silva would have been rolling in the dough!
Best Day: January 7 – The debut of Chris's Sports Blog
Of course.
Worst Innovation: CBS' line of scrimmage line
What a great invention! I never would have been able to figure out where the line of scrimmage was without this obtrusive blue line.
Now, on the 4% of plays where the quarterback looks like he crossed the line of scrimmage before making a pass, the viewer can kind of tell whether he did or not.
Jonas Salk, you’ve been bumped off the top of the list and replaced with whatever hack at CBS came up with this worthless use of technology.
Worst Innovation (Runner-Up): Renaming NCAA Tournament Regions by the Location of the Regionals
To think, now little kids will dream of cutting down the nets after winning the East Rutherford regional.
Best Redskins Prediction: Mark Brunell Makes Nine Starts in 2004 (April16, 2004)
I didn’t guess that a 63.9 QB rating would be the reason though.
Best Redskins Prediction (Runner-Up): Chris Cooley Will Catch 35 Passes for Five or Six TD's
Going into the final game against Minnesota the rookie from Utah State has 34 receptions and five TDs.
Best Redskins Prediction (Runner-Up): Team Will Start 1-2
Nice, until you read the following…
Worst Redskins Prediction: Figuring They Would Win Nine of Their Last 13 To Finish 10-6
This of course outweighs all the good calls I made about the team.
I Called It: Smarty Jones Would Not Win the Belmont
I Also Said This: "By taking Dwight Howard with the #1 pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic blew it… big time."
I was a big Okafor guy, and he's been as good as advertised this season, but Howard is putting up ridiculous numbers for a big man fresh out of high school. He's the real deal. They might be the best top two picks since Shaq and Alonzo went 1-2 in 1992.
And Then There’s This: "The Kansas City Chiefs will win the AFC West and finish the season 13-3"
This wouldn't have been that bad if I didn't keep believing they'd be great until about Week 10 of the season.
Oh, It Gets Worse: Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings: #16 Antonio Gates
That was behind Desmond Clark, Anthony Becht, Dallas Clark, Itula Mili and, presumably, Cap Boso.
By the way, I also had the Chargers going 3-13.
Have a Happy New Year and we’ll see you back at Chris’s Sports Blog in 2005 for more fairly obvious observations about the world of sports.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Week 17 NFL Picks
Detroit at Tennessee
Pick: Tennessee
New York Jets at St. Louis
Pick: St. Louis
Washington at Minnesota
Pick: Washington
San Francisco at New England
Pick: New England
Green Bay at Chicago
Pick: Green Bay
New Orleans at Carolina
Pick: Carolina
Pittsburgh at Buffalo
Pick: Buffalo
Cleveland at Houston
Pick: Houston
Miami at Baltimore
Pick: Baltimore
Cincinnati at Philadelphia
Pick: Cincinnati
Atlanta at Seattle
Pick: Seattle
Tampa Bay a Arizona
Pick: Tampa Bay
Kansas City at San Diego
Pick: San Diego
Jacksonville at Oakland
Pick: Jacksonville
Indianapolis at Denver
Pick: Denver
Dallas at New York Giants
Pick: Dallas
Last Week: 10-6
Season to Date: 148-92
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
I'm taking the next couple days off, but check back Friday for Chris's Sports Blog 2004 Year in Review.
If you would like to donate money to the Tsunami Disaster Relief, click here.
When I found this page at 5:00 today the total collected was around $200,000. Seven hours later it is already up to $850,000.
I wonder if that prick at the U.N. knows about this.
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Week 16 NFL Picks: Christmas Carol Edition
‘Twas the weekend of Christmas
and all through the league,
‘twas a good bit of action
with a dash of intrigue.
There were questions galore
and teams quite near peril;
like the Rams in St. Louie
and the Igs without Terrell.
Could the Pats win again?
Or were they in steep decline?
Would they play on their home field?
Or travel to Heinz?
And who will be wild
in the weak NFC?
The Skins, Rams or Panthers?
I guess we shall see.
Soon we will know
the answers we seek.
My buddy named Antzo
is hairy and Greek.
The picks for this weekend
have a Christmasy twist,
For each game a song;
to describe the tilt's gist.
So have a good Christmas
and a Happy New Year.
Leave some nuts out for Santa,
'cause I'm giving him beer.
Green Bay at Minnesota
'Twas The Night Before Christmas
Nothing says “Christmas Eve” like a classic NFC North match-up played on artificial turf inside a climate-controlled dome.
Pick: Green Bay
Oakland at Kansas City
I'll Be Home for Christmas
The good news for Chiefs fans is that they can stay home with their families instead of sitting in the cold watching a game between these once proud rivals.
And while at home, everyone can flip on the Kobe-Shaq duel, which will still be going on when this stinker kicks off.
This begs the question: Has a regular season NBA game ever won a head-to-head ratings match-up against the NFL? I mean, besides those classic Clippers-Warriors contests of yore.
Pick: Kansas City
Denver at Tennessee
Christmas Won't Be the Same This Year
For the first time since the 1971 playoffs, the NFL will have a doubleheader on Christmas Day. So, of course, for this rare holiday treat, the NFL schedules Oakland vs. Kansas City and Denver at Tennessee. Just so we’re clear, this is a Denver team that hasn’t won a playoff game since John Elway left. To think, thousands of people will be setting up their new flatscreen, HDTV sets they got for Christmas and the first thing they’ll see is Jake Plummer overthrowing Ashley Lelie. Merry Christmas indeed.
By the way, I wrote that on April 15, the day the NFL released the 2004 schedule.
Pick: Tennessee
Houston at Jacksonville
Over the River and Through the Woods
Actually, the journey from Houston to Jacksonville is pretty much a straight-shot on I-10. But you do have to cross the Mississippi, so I guess the song is halfway right.
Pick: Jacksonville
San Diego at Indianapolis
All I Want for Christmas
All Peyton Manning wants for Christmas is to break Dan Marino’s touchdown record.
All Edgerrin James, Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison, Brandon Stokely, Marcus Pollard and Dominic Rhodes want is to be the receiver that catches said touchdown.
All Tony Dungy wants for Christmas is for Desperate Housewives to be released on DVD so he can give it to his son.
And all the Chargers want for Christmas is for the Patriots to continue to blow it so they can sneak into the 2nd seed in the AFC.
Advantage: Manning (and Marvin – who catches the record-breaking TD in the 1st quarter).
Pick: Indianapolis
Baltimore at Pittsburgh
Baby It's Cold Outside
At least Brian Billick can bathe in the warmth of his own brilliance while standing on the sidelines in frigid Pittsburgh.
Pick: Baltimore
Atlanta at New Orleans
Do They Know It's Christmas
In the spirit of the holidays, Jim Mora Jr. should start Michael Vick. This would make the fans in New Orleans happy, because they would get to see the most exciting (and overrated) player in the NFL.
It would make FOX executives happy because they could showcase this game as their national 1:00 telecast.
Starting Vick would make fans of the Redskins, Panthers and Rams happy because, theoretically, the Falcons have a better chance of winning with their “star” quarterback (137 pass yards/game, 2 TD, 4 INT, 10 sacks, 49% completion percentage over his past three games) playing, and thus those teams have a better shot at the playoffs if the Saints lose.
But, Mora is much too selfish to think of others in the time of giving and as a result will probably wake up on Christmas morning to find diddly-poo in his stocking.
Pick: New Orleans
Chicago at Detroit
What Child is This?
The way things have gone the past few days, no family will want to lay claim to Chad Hutchinson or Detroit long snapper Don Muhlbach.
Pick: Detroit
New York Giants at Cincinnati
Little Drummer Boy
Both teams have little boys starting at quarterback. One is a petulant, daddy’s boy that refused to play for a team currently 11-3 so he could play for one that has lost seven straight. The other has one of the more impressive quarterbacking performances of the year versus the Ravens and has continually proven me wrong this season.
Hopefully, the petulant, daddy’s boy won’t do the same anytime soon.
Pick: Cincinnati
Buffalo at San Francisco
O Come, All Ye Faithful
That might as well be the advertising slogan to get people to come to any remaining 49ers games.
Man, this team is terrible.
An aside: Can you believe that the Bills made the Super Bowl four straight years in the early ‘90s yet didn’t play the 49ers once?
Pick: Buffalo
New England at New York Jets
Christmas in Hollis
I’ve had trouble placing Chad Pennington’s accent, but after listening to his bizarre press conference on Monday, I think I can say with some certainty that his slow drawl is consistent with somebody who grew up in Hollis, Queens. (Mom’s cooking chicken and collard greens, rice and stuffing macaroni and cheese and Santa put gifts under Christmas trees.)
Pick: New York Jets
Arizona at Seattle
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
Since nothing else has seemed to work, maybe Mike Holmgren can get Rudolph to guide his team tonight.
Pick: Seattle
Carolina at Tampa Bay
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
Few people know that this song was originally entitled “The Entire Carolina Panthers Roster Got Run Over by a Reindeer, That’s Why Nick Goings Is Starting At Running Back”.
Pick: Tampa Bay
Washington at Dallas
Blue Christmas
It’s possible that the Redskins could control their own playoff destiny in Week 17. It’s probable that it will be a Blue Christmas, New Year’s, Martin Luther King Day, Valentine’s Day, Arbor Day, Earth Day, Easter, Flag Day, 4th of July and National Plant a Tree Day in the Nation’s Capital.
Pick: Washington
Cleveland at Miami
Silent Night
If you insist on watching this game, for your sake and the sake of humanity, make it a silent night and mute Paul McGuire and Joe Thiesmann.
Pick: Miami
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays
Last Week: 10-6
Season to Date: 138-86
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Analyzing Headlines from ESPN.com
Jags’ Darius fined $75K, not suspended, for hit
For sending an opposing player to the hospital for three days via one of the dirtiest NFL hits of the year, Donovin Darius only gets suspended $75,000?
Many commentators have been surprised by the amount of the fine, claiming that $75K seems a bit steep and they do have a point. In the world of NFL fines, $75,000 is a bit high.
But when you look at Darius’ base salary (which is $4.1 million for this season), $75,000 is a mere pittance. The Jags safety makes that in 18 minutes on the field.
If the NFL is trying to rid itself of dirty hits, they could have taken a stand and fined Darius a couple of game checks, maybe something along the lines of $500,000.
That would have sent a message to players. All a $75,000 fine means is that some of Darius’ illegitimate children won’t be getting the Gucci sweat suits they wanted for Christmas.
Despite situation, Martz would ‘never resign’
This headline is shocking… SHOCKING! Are you trying to tell me that Mike Martz, a man with an ego so big he makes Donald Trump look humble, would never take the fall and blame himself for his team’s failures?
Something is up in St. Louis these days. It seems like the Rams just aren’t playing hard.
As my buddy Ben said Sunday while watching the Rams game on NFL.com Gamecenter, “you can just tell by the play descriptions that Martz is trying to lose.”
St. Louis had a chance to take the lead in their division and then went out and lost by 24 to a team that has lost twice to the 49ers. This hasn’t been getting enough attention in the sporting world.
Let me repeat myself: With the season on the line, the Rams lost by 24 to the Cardinals.
That loss has to be one of the worst in recent memory. Martz should have been fired before he even got to the locker room. Maybe he could try out for The Apprentice 3.
Ravens’ Cavanaugh gets 2nd interview with Pitt
Let me get this straight: The Ravens offensive coordinator is getting head coaching interviews? The same offensive coordinator who has overseen offensive rankings of 22, 16, 14, 26, 20 and 30 during his tenure with the team? Pitt wants the same man who once ran an offense that didn’t score a touchdown for six weeks?
What’s next? The Celtics hiring the coach of the Washington Generals? The U.S. installing the former leader of the French army as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff? Stephen Baldwin getting the lead in a Martin Scorsese movie?
Brown tells PTI he thought about quitting Pistons
Watching Larry Brown’s disgustingly sanctimonious interview with Kornheiser and Wilbon on PTI the other day was almost enough to give me the dry heaves.
You know what Larry? If you were so “sick” about what happened, maybe you should have made sure your players didn’t flip out after a hard, but fair, foul.
And as for your disgust with the NBA for featuring a match-up of, as you said, 12-11 teams on Christmas… this game was scheduled back in July, way before the brawl at Auburn Hills.
Relax Larry. I’m sure you’ll be able to ditch Detroit for another city in no time.
Owens out until at least Super Bowl
You know, for a team that has lost three straight times in the NFC Championship game, people are awfully optimistic about the Eagles’ chances this season.
D’Backs, Yanks looking for new partner
Coincidentally, so is Derek Jeter.
Lady Vols stun #2 Stanford
They stunned them? How? By shooting well from the floor, passing the ball crisply, dunking, playing good fundamental basketball and making the game interesting to people other than their own family members and 12-year old girls? Because if any women’s team ever did that, I would be stunned too.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
The Chaz Rankings – Week 15
Chris Answers PTI’s Questions Edition
Can the Eagles win the Super Bowl without Terrell Owens?
Of course the Philadelphia Eagles (4) can win the Super Bowl without Terrell Owens, but will they? Probably not.
Anybody who says the Eagles can’t win it all without T.O. is an idiot and likely works for Around the Horn.
Like I said, they can win without him. In a single-elimination tournament, like the NFL playoffs, strange things happen and a good team like the Eagles can certainly knock off anybody on any given Sunday.
That being said, without T.O., opposing defenses can focus on shutting down Brian Westbrook and play single coverage on Todd Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell. Everybody’s production will be stifled and the Eagles will have trouble running the ball.
”Don’t sleep on Brian Westbrook! He’s awesome this year and the most integral part of the Philly offense!”
I’ve heard this one from a bunch of people, namely my college roommate Falkow who once unknowingly shopped for 15 minutes in Abercrombie Kids and couldn’t figure out why none of the clothes he was holding up to his body seemed to fit.
In the words of Paul McGuire… Let me tell you something. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that Brian Westbrook is the second coming of Marshall Faulk. The reason he has thrived this season is because Owens has been on the field with him attracting more attention than protruding cleavage. Westbrook is solid and has good moves, but now defenses can spy him with their best linebacker and shut him down when he lines up in the slot.
Owens is without a doubt the most important player on the Eagles. Losing him changes their whole offense and stifles the ability of other key players.
Case in point, Mr. Donovan F. McNabb. Do you think it was a coincidence that he threw an interception on his first post-T.O. throw? Neither do I.
After the injury I was talking with the guys I was watching the game with about which opposing player's injury would make us the happiest.
First, let me preface. For all those that say, “I don’t like (blank), but I'd never want to see him get hurt,” you’re either a huge liar or a woman.
Of course I don’t wish serious, quality-of-life threatening injuries on players (for example: even if I hated Robert Ferguson, I would have been praying that he was OK after the clothesline he received), but a broken leg? That’s fair game my friends.
Anyway, for football, Owens was my choice. Normally, I’d choose a member of the Dallas Cowboys (26) (Michael Irvin was my 'most desired injury' candidate for eight years running), but since they’re terrible, I’d have to choose an Eagle.
I dislike Donovan McNabb more than T.O., but with T.O.’s injury, I not only have no T.O. on the Eagles, but get the added bonus of seeing McNabb revert back to his old low-throwing, big-game choking ways.
You know that guy you knew in college that was around shy around the ladies and never got any, but then got a girlfriend and acted like he was Colin Farrell? That’s Donovan this year. Two days ago he thought he was the greatest thing since Kraft American Cheese singles.
Now, without T.O., Donovan's hot streak is over.
Frankly, I think that if the Eagles had gone into the season without T.O. they still would have been the best team in the NFC. But having had him and then lost him will demoralize them so much, I think any chance they had at playoff success limped off the field with Owens.
Some sidenotes: Favorite post-injury moment: McNabb’s quote after the game about how Philly will do without T.O.
He said, “we’ve won in the past without him.”
Ummm, Donners? What exactly have you won without T.O? The NFC East? Three consecutive Divisional Playoff games? A Campbell’s Soup contract? Games in the Carrier Dome against Rutgers? You’ve won NOTHING without Owens.
2nd favorite post-injury moment: Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder’s press conference.
Did you see this guy? He was on the dais giving his opening comments and when he broke the big news, that it would be five weeks before T.O. had a chance of running, he looked from side to side like he was expecting a huge reaction. When he received none, he meekly continued. It reminded me of the time I saw a bit of Margaret Cho's comedy special on HBO.
That was a long answer. To sum up, the Eagles can easily make the Super Bowl without T.O.. I mean, even without him, do you really think the Falcons are a better team?
Even so, I'll say T.O. returns for the Super Bowl (even though he'll still be injured, the thought of being an NFL version of Willis Reed will be too much for his ego), but the Eagles will lose to… man, I have no clue. Let’s just say, it won't be the Dolphins.
Who will get the last Wild Card spot in the AFC?
Here are the remaining schedules for the AFC Wild Card contenders:
Broncos(13) at TEN vs IND
Jaguars(9) vs HOU at OAK
Ravens (14) at PIT vs MIA
Bills (8) at SF at PIT
Basically, there’s no way to guess what is going to happen. Four 8-6 teams, three of them with the same conference records… it’s going to be interesting.
Still, here at Chris's Sports Blog, we try. So let's try to figure this out by process of elimination.
First off, let's get rid of the Broncos. Jake Plummer is Jake Plummer and Champ Bailey and the defense has been terrible of late. (Was that Eddie Kennison I saw beating you for two touchdowns this weekend, Champ?)
Their Week 17 game might not mean anything for the Indianapolis Colts (1), but I can’t trust a team that just got worked by Larry Johnson and the Chiefs. Plus, didn’t Grandmamma retire back in the ‘90s?
The Ravens seem like the next logical choice to be eliminated, but the Pittsburgh Steelers (2) looked very vulnerable against Eli Manning and the New York Giants (30) and could be ripe for an upset. If Baltimore does that, they’ll cruise into the playoffs.
Let’s assume the Steelers maintain their home-field advantage. We’d be left with the Jags and Bills. If both win out, Jacksonville would make the playoffs due to a better conference record. I think the Jags can take two straight, so let’s go with them. Anyways, I picked them to make the playoffs in the preseason. Surely I can’t turn my back on them now (especially since I already did in week four).
Should Donovan Darius be suspended for his clothesline on Robert Ferguson?
Absolutely. The clothesline Donovan Darius performed on Robert Ferguson of the Green Bay Packers (10) was intentional, dirty and it caused injury.
Not only should Darius lose some game checks, he should be suspended for the remainder of the regular season.
I don’t care whether he said it wasn’t intentional. Frankly, I think it was, because Darius looked away during the hit, which indicates to me that he was more focused on the way it looked rather than the tackle itself.
True, if Ferguson got up and walked away Darius probably would have received a small fine and little media attention, but that didn’t happen. Ferguson is still in the hospital and Darius needs to pay the price.
Normally, I hate the NFL rules on late hits and helmet-to-helmet contact. Let ‘em play, I say. A hit like this is different. Maybe Darius is a good guy. Maybe he didn’t mean to hurt him.
All that stuff doesn't matter though. He did and somebody needs to be punished.
Who will win the NFC West?
A team that will lose to either the Minnesota Vikings (11) or Packers in their Wild Card playoff game.
However, I can say, with some certainty, that the Cincinnati Bengals (17), Oakland Raiders (23), Chicago Bears (29), and Cleveland Browns (31) will not win the division.
Who will get the last NFC spot?
Qualifying for the NFC playoffs is kind of like getting admitted to Duke. If you don't get in, you’re a loser. And if you do… well, you’re probably a loser too.
The fact that the woeful Washington Redskins (20) still have a legitimate shot at sneaking into the postseason should tell you how ridiculous the NFC is this season.
I’m serious about the Redskins. If they win out (at Dallas/vs Minnesota) all the ‘Skins would need is the Carolina Panthers (12 – at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (22)/vs New Orleans Saints (17)), St. Louis Rams (25 – vs. PHI/vs New York Jets (6)), and Saints (vs. Atlanta Falcons (7)/at CAR)) to lose one game each.
The reason the Skins would make the playoffs in that situation is because they would own the best conference record of all the 7-9 teams.
I’m not saying it will happen, but given the current state of the NFC, would anything surprise you? I mean, the Rams had a chance to go ahead in their division then lost by 24 to the Cardinals. The Cardinals!
If I had to pick a favorite, I’d go with the Panthers. But they always seem to have trouble with Tampa. The Rams should be ashamed of themselves for the way they got blown out in Arizona, but playing at home against a depleted and dejected Philly team, they could easily win and then face a Jets team that will likely be resting players.
The Saints? Who knows. They’re talented enough to win out, but are also talented enough at blowing games to lose out.
By the way, how dumb must Denny Green, coach of the Arizona Cardinals (24) feel? If he had stayed with McCown the Cards would be, at the very least, 6-8 right now.
I’m going to pick the Panthers, I guess, but I’m serious… watch out for those Redskins. They were two bogus officiating calls (against the Cowboys and Packrs) from being 7-7 right now. By the way, does anybody else find it strange that there are no teams in the NFL with a .500 record at the moment?
Was it unfair for the fans to boo Peyton Manning?
Are we sure they weren’t saying “Boo-urns?”
Is Chad Pennington too sensitive to criticism?
I don’t understand. The Jets beat the pathetic Seattle Seahawks (16) pretty handedly and then the mop-haired, man-child blows off the press, which leads to a “Just Whine Baby” headline in the New York Post?
Dude, you play in New York. The tabloids would criticize the Pope if he flubbed a line during Mass, and you’re getting testy after a victory?
You live in a city where cab drivers honk at mothers pushing strollers across intersections and young men fight with old ladies for a seat on the subway. Do you really think your "aww shucks" explination is going to fly in that cesspool of humanity?
Chill out bro. You get millions of dollars to play a game. The media might be ridiculous, but if they didn't cover your games and write stories about you, you'd probably be making 1/10th of what you do now.
Save the press meltdown for after you get picked off three times by Troy Brown of the New England Patriots (5) in the AFC Divisional Playoff.
Do you feel sorry for the Detroit Lions (21) long snapper?
If you get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to snap a ball, then you should focus on getting that snapping thing down pat.
So, no, I don’t feel sorry for Don Muhlbach. Nor would I feel sorry for any role player on the San Diego Chargers (3), San Francisco 49ers (32), Houston Texans (18), Kansas City Chiefs (15), Carolina Panthers (12) or Tennessee Titans (27) if they made a mistake. These guys get paid to do their job. If they fail, they are no different than anybody else.
If Muhlbach was a male nurse and he dropped a baby, would you feel sorry for him? Of course not, because you’re not supposed to drop a baby, just like you’re not supposed to botch a snap. Muhlbach can cry all the way to the bank… or to NFL Europe.
What’s your reaction to Ricky Williams’ (formerly of the Miami Dolphins (28)) 60 Minutes interview?
My first reaction was, “what the hell is Mike Wallace doing interviewing Ricky Williams?”
Ed Bradley looks like he gets high before he brushes his teeth and they send in 87-year old Mike Wallace for the interview? I mean, it’s not like Snoop is on staff at 60 Minutes but even Lesley Stahl could have pulled off the interview better.
And yes, I’m just stalling because I didn’t see the piece. But I did read a story in Esquire about Ricky and his new life and I have two impressions:
1) It’s quite ironic that Ricky is now “of the Earth” and only eats natural foods, lives in the wilderness and other crap like that, yet still drives a Hummer.
and
2) I hate hippies.
Mail Time!
Three Supersonics say that Vince Carter tipped them off about a play during the final minute of seven-point Raptors loss. Is Vince Carter’s reputation with fellow players worse than Kobe’s?
Carter’s rep has been shot ever since his teammates found out that he was listening to Avril Lavigne on his iPod before the games.
Just a few days after becoming head coach at USC, Rick Majerus had second thoughts and is heading back to ESPN to be a commentator. What’s the deal with that?
Apparently the allure of working side-by-side with Jay Bilas on a daily basis was too much for Majerus to pass up.
I don’t understand what Billy Beane is doing. I could understand him trading Tim Hudson if he felt he couldn’t sign him long-term, but why would he trade Mark Mulder? Does he really think he can make up for two aces with a bunch of prospects?
In the past, Beane has won with a bunch of prospects, so it stands to reason that he'll be able to do it again.
With these trades, Beane is just making a pre-emptive strike. The GM of the Oakland A’s, who share a stadium with the Oakland Raiders (23), knows that he’ll never be able to sign his marquee players once they hit free agency, that’s why Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, Johnny Damon, Keith Foulke and others have traveled east to get their big contracts. So Beane unloads them before hand or gets compensation when they leave via free agency and hopes to find prospects that he can do the same thing with in five years.
As for these moves, Hudson would have been the first of the A’s “Big Three” to reach free agency (after this season), so dealing him when he was at maximum value was perfectly understandable.
Trading Mulder was a bit of a head-scratcher, since he wouldn’t have been on the open market until after the 2006 season.
But, Billy Beane is the wunderkind GM of baseball for a reason, and he did get some nice prospects from the Cardinals in exchange for a pitcher who always breaks down in August and September.
Essentially, Beane decided now was the time to rebuild. He has a ton of prospects on his regular roster and in the minors, so expect the A’s to be contending in the A.L. West by 2006.
Did you guys hear that Pedro’s little friend is ticked off at Pedro? He says Pedro “broke his heart” with some less than kind words at his Mets’ introductory press conference, and that he will not be following Pedro to the Mets. What do you think of that?
I expect George Steinbrenner to sign Nelson de la Rosa any day now.
Big Finish
Is Marty the coach of the year?
Yes, but don’t sleep on John Fox. What he’s done this year with a depleted roster is amazing.
People magazine says Anna Kournikova is not married?
Some guys are probably happy about this… as if the news that Anna isn’t married means they still have a chance.
Surprised by Georgia Tech's loss to Gonzaga?
Whoever wrote this question obviously didn’t read my College Basketball Preview.
Eight straight wins for the Heat?
Only seven more and the Dolphins can match them.
Can the Fish upset Pats?
Despite the refs treating the Patriots like they're an NFL version of Duke, the Dolphins still were able to force Golden Boy into throwing four picks and came out with the surprise of the season.
Suddenly, the Patriots have to win-out to get a bye and the AFC looks completely up for grabs.
Also, the Dolphins might want to consider putting the Nick Saban talks on the back burner and give Jim Bates another two weeks to see what he can do.
The Chaz Rankings
1) Indianapolis Colts
2) Pittburgh Steelers
3) San Diego Chargers
4) Philadelphia Eagles
5) New England Patriots
6) New York Jets
7) Atlanta Falcons
8) Buffalo Bills
9) Jacksonville Jaguars
10) Green Bay Packers
11) Minnesota Vikings
12) Carolina Panthers
13) Baltimore Ravens
14) Denver Broncos
15) Kansas City Chiefs
16) Seattle Seahawks
17) New Orleans Saints
18) Houston Texans
19) Cincinnati Bengals
20) Washington Redskins
21) Detroit Lions
22) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
23) Oakland Raiders
24) Arizona Cardinals
25) St. Louis Rams
26) Dallas Cowboys
27) Tennessee Titans
28) Chicago Bears
29) New York Giants
30) Cleveland Browns
31) Miami Dolphins
32) San Francisco 49ers
Chris Answers PTI's Questions is an occasional feature on this site.
Monday, December 20, 2004
Monday Morning Cornerback
There’s an old saying that goes “children should be seen, not heard”.
That maxim could be extended to NFL announcers also, except it would need to be tweaked to read “Brian Baldinger should not be seen, heard or allowed within 500 feet of any television studio or press box”.
Baldinger is on the 4th string FOX announcing team along with Albert family black sheep, Kenny. Not surprisingly, the duo has called about 85% of Redskins games this season.
On Saturday, I listened intently to Baldinger’s analysis of the Washington-San Francisco tilt, awaiting moronic comments that I could lambaste this morning.
Sadly, after about 20 minutes of listening to Baldinger try to imitate John Madden, I went into a catatonic shock. Luckily 20 minutes with Baldinger is all one needs.
I also kept a keen ear out for other ridiculous comments by NFL announcers throughout the weekend.
Brian Baldinger - FOX
The Quote: "Clinton Portis never wanted to be in Denver."
These types of quotes are Baldinger specialties. He makes a blanket statement that proves his point (in this case, that the Champ Bailey-Portis trade was great for both sides because both players were unhappy in their situations), but in actuality, is totally incorrect.
Portis wanted to get paid. He stood to make around $550,000 this season in Denver and he wanted to be compensated like a back that rushed for 1,500 yards in consecutive seasons.
The Broncos, realizing that Stephen Hawking could gain at least 1,000 running behind their solid, but dirty, offensive line, said no and worked out a trade with Washington.
Portis would have stayed in Denver if they had decided to pay him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be in Denver, he just wanted more money to play in Denver.
To Baldinger, the facts don’t matter. Maybe he should go work with Michael Moore.
The Quote: "Joe Gibbs has gained confidence in Patrick Ramsey, evident because of the deep balls Ramsey is throwing today."
These insightful comments came at the end of three consecutive minutes of Baldinger discussing why Gibbs now loves Ramsey as his starter. This is a double-doozy quote from Dinger – not only is it factually wrong, but his assertion it incorrect too.
The quote is like my college history thesis paper in that way. Damn Josephus.
Ramsey wasn’t throwing downfield at all against the Niners, save for a 39 yard “bomb” to Rod Gardner in the second quarter. Sure, for these Redskins he was throwing downfield, but when compared to other offenses the Redskins looked like the '23 Duluth Kelleys.
And Gibbs is still not at all confident in Ramsey. The only reason it seemed that way was because the Redskins were playing the freakin’ 49ers, a team that allowed Josh McCown to throw for 307 yards the previous week and has a mediocre pass defense.
The Quote: "Gibbs is loyal to his starting quarterbacks."
Finally, a statement from Baldinger that is correct. It's about time!
The Quote: "Gibbs was loyal to Mark Brunell, Joe Thiesmann, Mark Rypien and Jay Schroeder, to name a few."
Ohhh, Brian, so close. SO close. As Baldinger was explaining why it took so long for Joe Gibbs to switch from Brunell to Ramsey, he mentioned that Gibbs is a fiercely loyal coach and gave examples of such loyalty.
Thiesmann? Check. Gibbs held onto him for too long and only his freakish injury against the Giants in a Monday night game forced the coach to switch.
Rypien? He'll work, but in a less obvious way. In the 1992 season, just one year after Rypien won his Super Bowl MVP award, the journeyman QB was struggling. His numbers were down across the board and a few games he was woefully ineffective. Gibbs stayed with him anyway. Rypien was gone after the next season and the quarterback carousel in Washington has been ridden by Rich Gannon, Cary Conklin, Gus Frerotte, John Friesz, Heath Shuler, Trent Green, Jeff Hostetler, Brad Johnson, Rodney Peete, Tony Banks, Jeff George, Kent Graham, Shane Matthews, Patrick Ramsey, Danny Wuerffel, Tim Hasselbeck and Mark Brunell since.
So Baldinger was two-for-two, but then he got greedy and threw Jay Schroeder’s name into the mix.
Schroeder, the quarterback whom everyone was clamoring for to replace Thiesmann in 1985 had led the Redskins to the 1986 NFC Championship Game and started the 1987 season at QB.
After injuring himself in one of the first post-strike games, Gibbs turned to Doug Williams, a cast-off from Tampa Bay who had last played in the USFL.
Williams performed adequately in Schroeder’s stead, but went back to the bench upon his return.
In the final game of the regular season, Gibbs benched Schroeder in the third quarter of a tie game against the Minnesota Vikings. Williams helped put the Redskins ahead 14-7, but after two quick interceptions the Vikings had a 24-14 lead.
Gibbs stuck with Williams despite the picks and he, along with Ali Haji-Sheikh, eventually led to team to victory and a bye in the playoffs.
Two weeks later, Gibbs decided to start Williams for the Divisional playoff against the Bears (in what would be Walter Payton's final game). It proved to be the right move, as the Redskins won and went on to win their second Super Bowl in five years.
The next season, Schroeder was in Los Angeles and a struggling Williams split time with Mark Rypien.
This is just one of the many factual errors Baldinger has in any given game. It’s one thing to be an idiot, which Baldinger clearly is. But it’s another to pass yourself off as an expert and spew false information that most viewers believe to be true.
I seriously couldn’t listen to Baldinger for too long, so I tuned him out for the rest of the game. There were numerous other examples of his idiocy, lack of football acumen and overall lame statements, but I was enjoying the Redskins victory way too much to care.
Some other commentator moments from the weekend:
Paul McGuire - ESPN
Let me tell you something about Paul McGuire. Look here, I'm gonna say something. When I was talking with McGuire yesterday, he said that somebody could write a book on all of his McGuireisms.
His penchant for beginning a sentence with “Let me tell you something,” “Watch this,” “look here”, or “in our meeting with (player or coaches name) yesterday” is well documented, so I won’t go into it here (although on Saturday night he actually said the following: “we talked with Patrick Kearney a few years ago and he said…”
That’s right, Big Paul was harkening back to a conversation from a few years back. I was expecting him to say that Kearney was really worried about Y2K or something. (And why does he always preface his statements by telling the viewer he’s about to say something? “I’ll tell you this” or “Listen here”. I mean, does he really need to tell us he's about to say something? Doesn't the act of talking automatically imply that you are going to speak?)
Anyway, I’m not going to get into McGuire much today, but this was too good to pass up.
Quote: Nick Goings is absolutely unbelievable.
Nick Goings is a lot of things. He’s an undrafted rookie, he could be white, he's pretty agile, he plays tough and he's been a catalyst for the Panthers resurgence this season. But absolutely unbelievable? That’s a bit of a stretch, Paul. The only things that are absolutely unbelievable are (in no paricular order): Popeye’s chicken, Heidi Klum’s figure and the popularity of Margaret Cho.
Tony Sarigusa - FOX
Don’t even get me started on this lummox. The following exchange actually took place during the Dallas-Philadelphia game yesterday.
Quote: Daryl Johnston - "You know Tony, on that drive the Eagles did a really good job of mixing it up."
Sarigusa - "Yeah… They did a good job at… uhhh… mixing it up."
I bet Sarigusa and Eric Dickerson went to the same broadcasting school.
Sarigusa also made this statement during the game, after a nifty Todd Pinkston grab:
Quote: "Todd Pinkston has some of the best hands I’ve ever seen."
Now maybe Sarigusa’s hand-seeing experiences have been relegated to coal miners and sculptors, but Todd Pinkston couldn’t catch an STD from Christina Aguilera. But because of the unexpectedly nice catch, Sarigusa had to say something, so he made up something about Pinkston having great hands.
This is the way bad information leaks its way into the sporting culture. When baseball announcers see Derek Jeter make one of his patented feminine jump-throws on a ball that any normal shortstop would have made look routine, they say how great a shortstop he is. Now, people watching the Eagles-Cowboys game think Todd Pinkston has great hands.
Dan Dierdorf - CBS
The elder statesman of crappy announcers. Dierdorf has his favorite teams (let’s just say that instead of Cialis, Dierdrof just watches tape of the Jimmy Johnson Cowboys) and openly roots for them each week.
Dierdorf is also very Tim McCarver-like, in that he makes a point before the game and then will continue to harp on it, even after indisputable visual evidence contradicts him.
He’s also great at identifying injuries. Yesterday Byron Leftwich got hit in his non-throwing hand. He walked off the field, holding his hand, then went to the sidelines whereupon the trainer immediately started wrapping the hand with the CBS cameras showing a close-up of said hand.
On the subsequent replay, the opponent’s helmet hitting Byron’s hand was clearly visible.
All of this led Dr. Dierdorf to make the following medical diagnosis: "Clearly, Leftwich hurt his sternum."
Another Dierdorf classic from yesterday: "It wasn’t roughing the passer until he drove him into the ground."
Loosely translated, this means: It wasn’t roughing the passer until he roughed the passer. Can you imagine a lawyer in court saying, "Your honor. My client pleads innocent to murder because it wasn't murder until he actually committed the murder."?
Quick-Hit Sunday Thoughts
- The Eagles are in trouble whether Terrell Owens makes it back for the playoffs or not. (By the way, did anybody else notice that T.O. was clutching the back of his knee when he went down? Now, I’m no Dan Dierdorf, but the knee and ankle aren’t in the same location. A cover-up? Who knows. All I do know is that one his first passing attempt without T.O. in the game, Donovan McNabb threw an interception. I'm not buying this quick recovery thing. Th Eagles do have four weeks until their next real game, but look for T.O. to be out for the duration.)
- Dat Nguyen played the worst game of any linebacker in recent memory. At one point he got juked by Josh Parry. Josh Parry couldn't juke the Lincoln Memorial.
The Cowboys tackling was so atrocious it was amazing they weren’t getting blown out... Hence my thoughts about the Eagles.
They really should have won that game by three touchdowns, but instead needed some late-game heroics to grab a win at home against a team that lost to the Saints a week ago.
- With 28 seconds left in the first half of the Eagles-Cowboys game, the Cowboys were pinned deep in their own territory and were content to run the clock out. The Eagles, presumably wanting the ball back, called one of their two remaining timeouts after the Cowboys first play, with 24 seconds left.
Anybody who can do simple arithmetic could have figured out that the Eagles wouldn’t be able to get the ball back by burning timeouts since the Cowboys could run the clock out after third down. Yet, the Eagles still called another timeout after second down and then, gasp, the clock ran out after the Cowboys ran a play on third.
Two things: First, the Cowboys are as dumb as the Eagles since they didn’t down the ball like any normal team would do. Don't they know who Joe Pisarcik is?
Second, incidents like this are why Andy Reid can never be considered a good coach until he wins a Super Bowl (which will not happen this year).
Superlatives
Best Game: Falcons 34 – Panthers 31 (OT)
Down 14 entering the fourth quarter, the Panthers scored three touchdowns in nine minutes to take a seven-point lead against the division-leading Falcons. After a Dez White catch and holding penalty, the Falcons faced 4th and goal from the Panthers 12 with the game on the line. Anybody who’s seen a Nike commercial in the past two years doesn’t have to be told what happened next.
Player of the Day: Fred Taylor – 22 att, 165 yds, 1 TD
On a frigid day in Green Bay, Freddy Tay-Tay shed his fragile label forever by scampering all over the field against a hopeless Packer defense. Taylor single-handidly kept his team in the playoff hunt and killed Green Bay’s chances of clinching their division on Christmas Eve against the Vikings.
Ryan Leaf Player of the Day: The St. Louis Rams – Lost 31-7 to Arizona
Knowing that a win would propel them to the top of the NFC West, the Rams came out and absolutely stunk up Sun Devil Stadium, a place hard to stink up since Bill Bidwell is there eight times a year. Mike Martz should be fired today.
Fantasy Player of the Day: Daunte Culpepper – 404 pass yds, 3 TD, 22 rsh yds – 36 fantasy points
After slumping in the middle of the season, Daunte returned to form for the fantasy playoffs, rewarding owners who took him early in their drafts. It never hurts to play the Lions either.
Fantasy Player of the Day (David Patten Division): Billy Volek – 492 pass yds, 4 TD, 1 rsh TD – 44 fantasy points
People starting Billy Volek in the playoffs are one of two things: savvy or lucky. And there's probably some overlap there.
Worst Fantasy Player of the Day: Shaun Alexander – 77 rsh yds, 19 rec yds – 8 fantasy points
Some people had worse days, but not anybody who as a Top 5 pick.
Predictions
At 4:15 my record for the week stood at 9-1, my lone slip-up coming on Saturday night after the Panthers defense decided to defend Michael Vick like he was Chris Chandler. Then, the floodgates opened. The Rams screwed me again, the Saints played like the Tin Man after a visit to Oz and Brett Favre did his best evil Brett Favre impersonation (although in fairness, Donald Driver needs to make that catch in the endzone). So, I finished the day at 10-5 headed into tonight.
Power Rankings: Top Two
1) New England Patriots - Some say trap game, to which I say: A.J. Feeley.
2) Pittburgh Steelers - Still not wowed by this team, but the Eagles look more vulnerable than a drunk woman who just got out of a six-year relationship.
Who I Like Monday Night And I Definitely Don’t Mean the Jacked Up Segment on ESPN Monday Countdown
This game is the poster child for a flexible schedule.
Pick: New England 33 – Miami 20
Friday, December 17, 2004
Week 15 NFL Picks
New York Giants at Pittsburgh
Giants at Steelers and Redskins at Niners as the nationally televised Saturday afternoon games? Wow NFL! Thanks for the early Christmas presents. Be sure to open the gifts I sent to you. (Hint: Inside the small box is the Asian Bird Flu and the big box contains the collected works of Clay Aiken.)
Pick: Pittsburgh
Washington at San Francisco
At least LaVar is going to play, so there’s always a chance of a Tim Rattay decapitation. Other than that, I can’t think of any reason anybody in the free world should watch this miserable game.
Pick: Washington
Carolina at Atlanta
It’s pretty amazing that Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Houston, Cleveland, Oakland, New Orleans, Dallas and Washington have all played in nationally televised games so far this season, but this will be the first time the Falcons play on football’s biggest stage.
Now the rest of the country will finally be able to see just how overrated the Falcons really are.
Pick: Carolina
Houston at Chicago
How did this Houston/Chicago match-up slip off the Saturday afternoon lineup?
Pick: Houston
Buffalo at Cincinnati
Remember the big fuss everybody made last season when Bill Belichick cut Lawyer Milloy a few days before the Patriots season opener? Have you heard Lawyer’s name mentioned once since that week? It’s like he was taking lessons from the Tim Brown School of Team-Change Anonymity.
Pick: Buffalo
San Diego at Cleveland
Terry Robiskie’s lifetime record as an NFL coach is 1-5. If he can keep this up, Robiskie just might find himself in the running for the Saints head coaching job after the season.
Pick: San Diego
Minnesota at Detroit
Glitter, glisten, gloss, floss; ain’t no way Dre Bly can catch Randy Moss.
Pick: Minnesota
Seattle at New York Jets
While Herm Edwards preaches to his team about playing to win the game, Mike Holmgren implores the Seahawks to play to win the first 57 minutes of the game, then collapse faster than the 1929 stock market.
Pick: New York Jets
Dallas at Philadelphia
Desperate for a quarterback, Bill Parcells has reportedly offered Drew Henson, Roy Williams and Jerry Jones’ plastic surgeon to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Randy Johnson and Wally Backman’s parole officer.
Pick: Philadelphia
Denver at Kansas City
Once upon a time these teams playing meant Joe Montana was going up against John Elway. Today, Jake Plummer and Reuben Droughns line up against Trent Green and Eddie Kennison. It certainly is a magical time to be a football fan.
Pick: Kansas City
St. Louis at Arizona
New Orleans at Tampa Bay
The good news for people in Arizona is that since Sun Devil Stadium never sells out, TV viewers won’t be forced to watch this terrible game. Instead, they’ll have to sit through an even more terrible game with Saints vs. Bucs. But hey, at least it’s a dry heat.
Pick: St. Louis and Tampa Bay
Jacksonville at Green Bay
Get ready for a montage comparing the toughness of Brett Favre to the toughness of Byron Leftwich, complete with video highlights of Favre whipping TD passes with a broken thumb and Leftwich being carried down the field by his Marshall teammates. One can only hope Solomon Wilcots is in the booth to break it down for us.
Pick: Green Bay
Tennessee at Oakland
Two seasons ago these teams met for the AFC Championship. Now they’re battling to get out of the cellar in their respective divisions. Like I said, it certainly is a magical time to be a football fan. And no, I don’t know what that means.
Pick: Tennessee
Baltimore at Indianapolis
Cue up the video of the Mayflower truck bolting Baltimore in the middle of the night. On the plus side, one could make a fun drinking game out of this.
Everytime Paul McGuire or Joe Thiesmann mentions the Colts fleeing B’More for Indy during the ESPN telecast, take a drink. Just make sure to play with beer. If you decide to play with liquor you’ll be as drunk as Ted Kennedy by the first TV timeout.
Pick: Indianapolis
Last Week: 10-6
Season to Date: 128-80
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Linda Cropp Is a Stupid Ho
Instead of writing about the egomaniacal Linda Cropp and her backstabbing, deal-breaking, baseball-depriving ways, I’m going to post some excerpts from a few of the great articles and columns about the subject in today’s Washington Post.
Most of what I want to say about this was covered in all these articles, particularly the fantastic columns by Tom Boswell and Michael Wilbon. If I can stop spewing anti-Cropp rhetoric for long enough to write a few sentences, I’ll add my thoughts in italics.
Oh, about the title of today's blog: Everybody else was making puns about "Cropp" like "Between a Cropp and a Hard Place" or "What a Cropp!" or "Wrong Cropp". I decided to go the other way and be as straightforward as possible.
"I keep hearing that we had a deal with baseball," Cropp said. "Well, I have had a 30-year-plus deal with the citizens of this city. That deal trumps any other consideration with Major League Baseball."….. Adrian M. Fenty (D-Ward 4), one of the council's most vociferous stadium opponents, said that Major League Baseball "is not going to walk. They don't have anywhere else to go. One, they already looked everywhere else. No one else was financially feasible. . . . They set up a store, sold tickets and they have [RFK] stadium."
Don’t even get me started on Fenty. This jackass is living in a dream world if he thinks baseball is going to bend over backwards to get D.C. to make a deal. Baseball owners are the same people that kept the Expos in
In several interviews, Cropp acknowledged blindsiding the mayor, her council colleagues and even members of her staff with the amendment, which required that half of the cost of the ballpark come from private financing. She said she drafted it late in the day, "as I listened to the debate, and the concerns I've had over the past couple of months kind of percolated."..... Council member Harold Brazil (D-At Large), a baseball booster, called Cropp's maneuver an "ambush" and accused her of tacking the poison-pill amendment onto the baseball bill in hopes of gaining political advantage in the 2006 race for mayor…… Watching the council late Tuesday, a viewer could get the impression that Cropp had been confused. When she first explained her amendment -- which voids the stadium financing package unless the mayor delivers about $150 million in private investments -- Cropp said it would take effect only if the mayor blatantly ignores a viable private-financing package.
It's a great idea that private money finance at least 50 percent of the cost of a new riverfront baseball stadium. It's a smart idea to protect the District from millions of dollars in penalties resulting from some phony stadium construction deadline that is unlikely to be met. It's common sense and good business to challenge a bunch of fat-cat Major League Baseball owners on every clause and every dollar asked for when spending $500 million or more on anything non-essential that includes a playpen for multi-millionaires. But the time to do that was before agreeing to a deal. The time to say no was before, not after. The time for Linda Cropp to ask for amendments and show the city how tough (not to mention ambitious) she is was before Mayor Anthony A. Williams and other city officials agreed to do it baseball's way. If you're that tough, that smart and so creative as to come up with these measures now, why wasn't that done two months ago? Why not 10 months ago?...... Last weekend I ran into a very smart man who knows the D.C. Council, and Chairman Cropp, very well. He likes her tremendously. He told me, promised me, she was going to make sure this deal wasn't killed. It would turn out, he said, that she would save D.C. perhaps as much as tens of millions of dollars and still get the deal done. She knew exactly what she was doing, he told me. I said I hoped so, and if that indeed turned out to be the case I'd reassess my criticism that Cropp was a raging egomaniac with her own personal agenda and that her bait-and-switch tactic was insulting and wouldn't work. So here we are, fewer than three weeks from the end of the year and Cropp is still trying to rewrite the deal and MLB is staring her down, without blinking, and telling her she's not going to get a new deal, only the one her city agreed to.
Major League Baseball has given the District a stay of execution until Dec. 31.
I started to cut and paste some of the best excerpts from the column and then realized that I was including about 90% of it, just leaving out a few articles and various punctuation.
When the ball drops on New Year's Eve,
Perhaps because he just learned last week that he had escaped a serious brush with cancer, Commissioner Bud Selig is infused with the holiday spirit. At any rate, he and his sport have given the District an enormous Christmas gift: a second chance.
In the coming days, Washington and its infuriating, disingenuous D.C. Council must make a simple, straightforward decision. Do they want to accept the deal for a new stadium that was struck between the sport and Mayor Anthony A. Williams? Or don't they?
That's it. Yes. Or no.
Either answer is acceptable. City councils decide such things. It's their job.
What is utterly and absolutely not acceptable is the current behavior of Council Chairman Linda Cropp and nine of her colleagues who want to bait-and-switch baseball into a radically altered deal than the one which Williams negotiated exhaustively -- as his city's official representative -- over a two-year period.
In business, a deal is a deal, something Cropp refuses to understand. For her any deals, those made by others or even ones she has agreed to herself in recent days, are not deals at all. They are just a starting point for her next demand. And if she finally hears "No" to one of her new conditions, as she did on Tuesday from baseball, she threatens to sabotage the whole deal.
Finally, yesterday, baseball became completely disgusted and drew a line in the sand.
"The legislation approved by the District of Columbia City Council last night . . . is inconsistent with our carefully negotiated agreement and is wholly unacceptable," said MLB's Bob DuPuy in a statement. "Because our stadium agreement provides for a
"In the meantime, the club's baseball operations will proceed, but its business and promotional activities will cease."
In other words, baseball will honor its deal, right down to the Dec. 31 deadline. After that, it will start the work of moving the team to another city. According to highly placed sources, no games will be played at RFK Stadium next season if the
When you make a deal with baseball, they honor it. If you break a deal with them, you're out. Which is as it should be. But then baseball is big league, unlike the D.C. Council, which is bush league and just damaged the city's reputation coast-to-coast.
If you want to see how atrociously the District is acting, then simply put the shoe on the other foot.
Suppose that, over the last few weeks, it was baseball, not
What if Selig had canceled votes within baseball ownership or delayed approvals to try to muscle
What on earth would we be calling Selig right now? Of course, rich, powerful sports commissioners are fair game in this society. When they act badly, we call them out. But Cropp and her cohorts, who are acting in exactly the same manner as our hypothetical Selig, get off almost unchallenged .
The Council claims to be fighting for the poor of the District when it is far more likely that it is in the process of killing a development deal, with baseball as its centerpiece, that would bring significant benefits, not costs, to those very constituents.
Council members claim they are protecting citizen tax dollars when they know that not one cent of public money is earmarked for the Anacostia waterfront project. All funds to back the bonds to build the park will come from the team's new owners (rich), the top 11 percent of local Washington businesses (prosperous) and fans who attend games (many affluent). As for the District's pot of money collected through taxes -- called "the general fund" -- not a cent would be taken out of it.
As a bonus, more than 80 percent of Nationals fans, about two million a year, would come from the suburbs and spend tens of millions of discretionary entertainment dollars in the District.
Cropp and others on the council, like Adrian Fenty and David Catania, realize all this. They just don't want the public to figure it out. They prefer to round up cheap votes for themselves by bashing baseball rather than bringing a team back to
The Council should be reminded that baseball doesn't care how
We should also remember that
If Cropp had not chosen the nuclear option on Tuesday night, she might have continued to badger baseball into a few frills. But now she's forced the game to take a stand or else look like a patsy in any future negotiations with anybody.
"How can we trust Cropp now? When does it end?" said a baseball official yesterday. "She has signed off, given her word, said the deal was done, more than once. Then she just changes her mind and acts like that's a normal way to do business.
"It's disgraceful. Baseball has been accused of a lot of things in the last 100 years. But never anything like this. They just went back on their word. If Cropp thinks she's going to do that and [still] get a team, she's making a horrible mistake."
The clock is ticking. The ball drops at
Boz, as usual, hits the nail on the head. I can’t say it any better than he did, so I won’t try to.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
The Chaz Rankings – Week 15
Can you remember an NFL season with as little drama as this one? Headed into week 15 most of the divisional races have been wrapped up and the wild card battles are about as interesting as watching a documentary on paint drying.
If it wasn’t for Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Nicolette Sheridan ESPN could have condensed Sunday NFL Countdown into a half-hour show that consisted solely of Michael Irvin yelling at Tom Jackson while Chris Berman guffawed in the background.
Even so, a boring NFL season is still about 400 times better than an exciting NBA season (exciting NBA season… is that an oxymoron?).
In today’s Chaz Rankings, we’ll evaluate each team’s remaining schedule and try to figure out who will be on the golf course during the playoffs and who will eventually lose to the Eagles or get screwed by the refs in New England.
1) New England Patriots (12-1 – at MIA, at NYJ, vs. SF)
A 15-1 record is well within the Patriots grasp with two of three remaining games against 11 loss teams. Amazingly, the Pats need help in order to get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs since Pittsburgh owns the tiebreaker. The Steelers have been treading on thin ice the past few weeks and with a more difficult closing schedule; look for the road to Jacksonville to go through New England.
Final record: 15-1 (1st seed – 1st round bye)
2) Philadelphia Eagles (12-1 – vs. DAL, at STL, vs. CIN)
Thanks to a ridiculous pass interference call and Patrick Ramsey, the Eagles appear to have home field nearly locked up in the NFC. Not that it matters though; Philly has lost the NFC Championship game at home the past two years.
Final record: 14-2 (1st seed – 1st round bye)
3) Pittsburgh Steelers (12-1 – at NYG, vs. BAL, at BUF)
I just don’t see it. Maybe I’m blind or maybe I’ve been taking too many painkillers, but I really can’t figure out how the Steelers are 12-1. Ben Roethlisberger is a solid rookie quarterback, but is hardly the second coming of Dan Marino. He’s the kind of guy that doesn’t make mistakes, a la Tom Brady, but can’t and won’t be able to put a team on his shoulders and lead them through the playoffs… at least not yet.
The Steelers rushing attack is solid, but overrated. The Bus has been ridden more than Christina Aguilera yet still has managed to put together a good season. But a good season for Bettis is an average one for others, especially with the Bus averaging only 3.7 yards per carry. While that will work inside the red zone, it isn’t enough to move the chains late in the game against a good defense. With Duce Staley hampered by a nagging hamstring injury and Plaxico Burress relegated to cheerleading duties because of a similar ailment, the Steelers offense has less weapons than the Swiss army.
The Steelers won’t finish 15-1 and could slide to 13-3 with losses to Baltimore and Buffalo. If that happens, don’t be surprised to see the Colts mop up the Steelers at Heinz Field on the third weekend in January.
Final record: 13-3 (2nd seed – 1st round bye)
4) Indianapolis Colts (10-3 – vs. BAL, vs. SD, at DEN)
Drew Brees and Jake Plummer (?) rank 2nd and 3rd in the AFC in touchdown passes. Combined they have thrown 45.
Peyton Manning has 46.
They say defense wins championships. But they also say a good offense beats a good defense, and frankly, Peyton Manning and the Colts offense are vastly better than any team’s defense. Since the two other contenders in the AFC aren’t exactly the Air Coryell Chargers, the Colts might be able to win a shootout on the road in the playoffs.
Final record: 12-4 (3rd seed)
5) San Diego Chargers (10-3 – at CLV, at IND, vs. KC)
The December 26 Chargers/Colts game should be one of the more exciting games in the NFL this season. Of course, because of the NFL’s ridiculous television rules, this game probably won’t be shown in DC, instead we’ll have the choice of Atlanta-New Orleans or a rerun of an episode of Martha Stewart Living from 1997.
Final record: 11-5 (4th seed)
6) New York Jets (9-4 – vs. SEA, vs. NE, at STL)
The Jets are about as quiet at a 9-4 can be. Maybe it’s because they’ve only beaten one team with a winning record (34-28 over San Diego in week 2) and have had trouble with Cleveland and Arizona in recent weeks.
They’ll make the playoffs and could win their first round game (they might face the Chargers again), but it’s difficult to see them doing anything beyond that.
Final record: 11-5 (1st wild card)
7) Atlanta Falcons (10-3 – vs. CAR, at NO, at SEA)
I think my thoughts on the Falcons and their 10-3 record can be summed up by looking at the scores of four games Atlanta has played this year:
Atlanta 6 – Arizona 3
Detroit 17 – Atlanta 10
Kansas City 56 – Atlanta 10
Tampa Bay 27 – Atlanta 0
This leads me to believe that getting a first-round bye in the 2004-05 NFC is about as difficult as winning a People's Choice Award.
Final record: 11-5 (2nd seed)
8) Buffalo Bills (7-6 – at CIN, at SF, vs. PIT)
Yes, I think the Bills are one of the best teams in the NFL, but no, you won’t hear me whining about how it’s unfair that the Bills play in the AFC where it takes 10 wins to make the playoffs instead of being in the NFC where it will probably take 8. The Bills lost four straight Super Bowls in the early ‘90s against NFC teams, meaning that had they been in the National Football Conference they probably wouldn’t have been any better than, say, the New Orleans Saints (who made the playoffs in three of those four years).
And that Mike Mularky has managed to reel off wins in seven of the team’s last nine games with Drew Bledsoe at QB should make him a lock for the Coach of the Year.
Final record: 9-7 (no playoffs)
9) Carolina Panthers (6-7 - at ATL, at TB, vs. NO)
Five weeks ago the Panthers were 1-7 and coming off a heartbreaking home loss to the Raiders. Sunday they will be playing for their playoff lives against one of the most vulnerable teams in the league.
I say the Panthers win this week, but slip up against the Bucs or Saints to finish with an 8-8 record, which should just be enough to slip into the playoffs and maybe make a little noise in a weak NFC.
If you were Andy Reid, whom would you rather see in the divisional playoffs: a slumping Seahawks team or the resurgent Panthers?
Final record: 8-8 (1st wild card)
10) Green Bay Packers (8-5 - vs. JAX, at MIN, at CHI)
The Packers could conceivably win the rest of their games and they also could conceivably lose out. The Christmas Eve game against Minnesota will likely be for the division title, but the loser will still probably make the playoffs as a wild card.
Final record: 10-6 (3rd seed)
11) Baltimore Ravens (8-5 – at IND, at PIT, vs. MIA)
If the Ravens, Broncos and (possibly) Jaguars finish with an identical record that is worse than the Jets, one team will go to the playoffs based on something called “strength of victory”. I don’t know what that means… maybe Brian Billick could enlighten us. He is, after all, a football genius (that has the lowest ranked offense in the AFC and the worst passing offense in the NFL).
Final record: 9-7 (playoffs depending on whatever strength of victory is)
12) Minnesota Vikings (7-6 - at DET, vs. GB, at WSH)
Some people say that the Christmas season doesn’t start until they put up their tree or hear “Jingle Bell Rock” for the first time or see that Hershey’s Kiss commercial where the kisses get rung like bells. For me though, I start getting in the Christmas spirit when the Vikings start choking.
Final record: 8-8 (2nd wild card)
13) Jacksonville Jaguars (7-6 – at GB, vs. HOU, at OAK)
The Jags really should have beaten the Steelers last Sunday night. They lost because of terrible play calling at the end of the game, and as a result, will likely miss out on the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
Final record: 9-7 (see Baltimore)
14) Denver Broncos (8-5 – at KC, at TEN, vs. IND)
When it takes a 50-yard field goal with under three minutes le