It's been a long time, but I thought it was about time I started offering some sports musings again.
CLEVELAND ROCKS-I never thought I'd say I'm happy for Lebron James, especially 6 years ago when he abused every faithful ESPN viewer by holding the sports nation hostage for an hour when he staged "The Decision" to let everyone know he's going to Miami to play for the Heat. I was fully pulling against him every time I saw the Heat play all four years he was in Miami because it just seemed like he had an ego WAY too big for me to be in the same room watching on TV. What a difference a change of scenery made. I gained a lot of respect for him making the choice to return to Cleveland and plan to deliver his home state of Ohio the long-awaited championship without putting together a pricey "big three" and instead lead a group of talented players in Cleveland and make them better. That's exactly what he did with the Cavs this year and he delivered that title to Cleveland and it made for a good human interest story with a happy ending. I saw the raw emotion from him on the court right after the win in game 7 at Golden State in the NBA Finals that humanized him again and gave you a chance to appreciate his passion. It was a great moment for a truly talented, great player which we will not see again for a long time. He's a once in a generation type player and he earned his place as a legend in Cleveland.
DEFLATE-GATE MOCKS-The fact that we can still talk about Deflate-Gate a YEAR AND A HALF later makes this drama a mockery of the NFL. If only Tom Brady would just be the bigger person here and sit down for 4 games and take the suspension, we can all move on from this. We know he wasn't completely innocent with all this, there's proof of his knowledge of the deflated footballs to some degree. All of us diehard NFL fans will appreciate Brady so much more if he would just do the time so we can move past this. This on going suspension, followed by an appeal routine is really pathetic at this point and sad. Brady's legacy is not going to be damaged to the point that we all don't get that he's a very talented QB who constantly shows his greatness on the field every season. There's a reason the Patriots are in the playoffs every year, because they have great leadership with Brady and Belichick. No one is going to forget his four super bowl wins and multiple MVP performances, he's way too concerned about his legacy with this. He's only got a few seasons left in the tank and he would be much better off enjoying them without wasting so much time in a courtroom arguing over cellphones and deflated footballs. Let's hope the court does the right thing and ends this and puts Brady in the corner for 4 games. Think about it Tom...you get four games OFF this season. You're 38 years old, it's not a bad situation for you. Just ask Brett Favre is he would have liked to have 4 games off in his last season. You don't need the money either from those four games. Spend it with your super model wife and your two kids. Watch the Pats on a huge big screen TV in your massive mancave and we'll see you in October!
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Saturday, August 3, 2013
The Repeat, The Reunion, and The Relocation
The Repeat-LeBron James and the Miami Heat did what they were basically supposed to do, repeat as NBA Champions and make most of the sports world continue to be annoyed by them. Despite a valiant effort by the Spurs, who very nearly made me look like a genius by almost putting away the Heat in Game 6 of the Finals, the Heat wouldn't be denied another title. Most of the Finals were hard to watch with all the blowouts we had. We finally got a couple of good, intense games mixed in but for the most part it was not great for the average NBA fan. I think the most annoying part of the Heat is their brutal habit of "flicking the switch" in the middle of a game after they get bored enough or down by 20+ and finally start playing. Maybe they can work on that a little and make them slightly less annoying to watch as they go for a three-peat next season. We also have to brace ourselves for another circus next summer if LeBron decides to leave Miami early and take his talents elsewhere. There's a part of me that wants to be happy for LeBron and appreciate how talented a player he is, but he makes it so hard to when his ego gets in the way.
The Reunion-Tim Tebow didn't leave the NFL world for long. After everyone, but NOT his brother, told him his NFL career was likely over and that he would probably be best suited for the CFL, the New England Patriots came out of nowhere and picked up Tebow to give him another shot. Tebow will be reunited with Josh McDaniels, the man who drafted him while in Denver, who is now the Patriots offensive coordinator. While the Pats are currently insisting that Tebow was picked up as a backup QB, it's safe to say that he will not be seeing the field as the QB this season since Tom Brady is firmly in place there. I'm guessing that Tebow likely has enough respect for the Patriots organization that he will be happy to play other positions there and be used in a utility role as a wildcat QB or TE. Honestly, that's really what Tebow is best suited for and Belichick is just that smart of a coach to realize that and will likely get the best out of Tebow. Good for Tebow for continuing to live his dream of playing in the NFL. The truth is Tebow is not meant to be a natural NFL QB, but he is definitely a talented athlete and can bring a high quality of character and passion to a football team which is what many are lacking. Tebow is a leader and the Patriots will get the best out of him. It could be one of the better feel-good stories in the league this year.
The Relocation-Well, Dwight Howard and the Lakers tried to make it work, but that didn't last long and now Howard has moved on to a more suitable situation in Houston. This wasn't that surprising considering how awkward it was watching the Lakers last season. In the limited number of games that Kobe, Nash, and Howard played in together, it just never looked right. Those are three very talented guys, but they just didn't fit together at all. Many say it was because of the offense that Mike D'Antoni ran as the coach, but really you can just tell when a team has the right group playing together or not. This past Lakers season was a good example of how important team chemistry is. It's very underrated at times, especially when these teams in the NBA like to sign big name players together and think they will just win a bunch of games and be championship contenders. That only works if they actually play together as a team. I also think Kobe and Dwight were never on the same page and their egos could not fit in the same arena.
One final thought...August is here, and preseason football begins! BRING IT ON!!!
The Reunion-Tim Tebow didn't leave the NFL world for long. After everyone, but NOT his brother, told him his NFL career was likely over and that he would probably be best suited for the CFL, the New England Patriots came out of nowhere and picked up Tebow to give him another shot. Tebow will be reunited with Josh McDaniels, the man who drafted him while in Denver, who is now the Patriots offensive coordinator. While the Pats are currently insisting that Tebow was picked up as a backup QB, it's safe to say that he will not be seeing the field as the QB this season since Tom Brady is firmly in place there. I'm guessing that Tebow likely has enough respect for the Patriots organization that he will be happy to play other positions there and be used in a utility role as a wildcat QB or TE. Honestly, that's really what Tebow is best suited for and Belichick is just that smart of a coach to realize that and will likely get the best out of Tebow. Good for Tebow for continuing to live his dream of playing in the NFL. The truth is Tebow is not meant to be a natural NFL QB, but he is definitely a talented athlete and can bring a high quality of character and passion to a football team which is what many are lacking. Tebow is a leader and the Patriots will get the best out of him. It could be one of the better feel-good stories in the league this year.
The Relocation-Well, Dwight Howard and the Lakers tried to make it work, but that didn't last long and now Howard has moved on to a more suitable situation in Houston. This wasn't that surprising considering how awkward it was watching the Lakers last season. In the limited number of games that Kobe, Nash, and Howard played in together, it just never looked right. Those are three very talented guys, but they just didn't fit together at all. Many say it was because of the offense that Mike D'Antoni ran as the coach, but really you can just tell when a team has the right group playing together or not. This past Lakers season was a good example of how important team chemistry is. It's very underrated at times, especially when these teams in the NBA like to sign big name players together and think they will just win a bunch of games and be championship contenders. That only works if they actually play together as a team. I also think Kobe and Dwight were never on the same page and their egos could not fit in the same arena.
One final thought...August is here, and preseason football begins! BRING IT ON!!!
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Is Winning Boring?
No, of course winning isn't boring. Winning is awesome, fun, and addictive. We know that because of how much losing blows. I will offer the idea though that winning teams can be Bo-RING!! Let's look at the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens. That team is by no stretch of the imagination an exciting team. Up and down their roster they don't have a superstar. Joe Flacco is about as exciting as watching paint dry, but he's a good QB. I said good, because in my opinion he's not great. Yes, he's now a Super Bowl winner and MVP. However, that's because he had one good playoff run where he made very few mistakes. He's NOT a great regular season QB. That's where my issue with Flacco is. He's not consistent every Sunday. He's not a Brady, Manning, Rodgers, or Brees. You can't expect him to carry the Ravens on any given Sunday. It's not gonna happen. He WILL have a clunker every other week. That's why I say the Ravens BADLY overpaid him after the Super Bowl win. He's now one of the top 3 highest paid QBs in the league, and I don't think the Ravens will consistently get the return on investment they are expecting. Now, back to winning though. The Ravens have been in the playoffs 5 straight years because they are consistent and keep winning, but they don't have the excitement of the Patriots, Steelers, Packers, Broncos, Giants, or Saints. They know how to win, but they aren't fun to watch. So winning can be boring, in a sense. I would also look at the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. Now, they do have superstar power on their roster with Tony Parker and Tim Duncan...but every time I watch a Spurs game, I'm bored! I don't know what it is, but they are not exciting to watch as a basketball fan. Yeah, they keep on winning too, but they don't bring any excitement to the game. They just win, and then show's over. Boring. Speaking of the Spurs, they are now going to be taking on the polar opposite of boring in the NBA with the much polarized Miami Heat led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. There's two very different styles of basketball on the biggest stage. It should be a very good series with a lot of championship experience in the series, and I'm hoping that the Spurs bore all of us again with another championship because I'd much rather see the Spurs win than the Heat. I will even go so far as to put in writing my official BOLD prediction...Spurs WIN the NBA Finals in 6 games! The Heat just look like they have run out of gas after the series with the Pacers and the Spurs have looked like the best team in the playoffs. Spurs in 6, let's do this. Now that prediction is not boring.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Running Out Of Football
Well...another season of football, the greatest game on the planet, is rapidly getting away. I guess it's time I said a few things about it while I can. I thought I would start off by wishing Ray Lewis the best in retirement. I think he surprised a few people by saying he's done after this season because you can't tell that he's running out of gas at all. He still plays with the same intensity and fire that he brought into the league. I respect him a ton, I only wish that more guys would play with his heart and passion EVERY game and never make the game about anything other than the pure joy of playing football. When I think of defense, and great linebackers, and playing with passion...I always think of Ray Lewis. He has been the Baltimore Ravens for the last 15+ years and they will truly miss him.
The college football bowl season has been somewhat disappointing for me, nothing really stands out as great football yet. There were a few good ones on New Year's Day, but I think the one I'm looking forward to the most is the Fiesta Bowl. Oregon and K-State should make for some very entertaining football. For awhile it looked like they were on a crash course for the BCS title game, but they couldn't quite get there after they each stumbled in November. Hey, it's hard to be perfect. Just ask Notre Dame. I think there were 4 or 5 games this year where they probably should have lost, but they still found a way to win and get to the national championship. So we have two 11-1 teams in Oregon and Kansas State and it should be a good ol' shootout. I have heard this interesting concept a number of times about these BCS games that aren't the BCS title game, which is questioning how "interested" the Ducks or Wildcats will be in the game because it's not the national championship. So, just because they aren't playing for the national title, they are going to somehow not care anymore if they win or lose? That's ridiculous. As Herm Edwards once said, "You play to win the game! HELLO?. You PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!". Just because these college kids aren't playing for a championship doesn't take away the great experience of playing in a major bowl game on national TV for their families and the world to see in a very exciting venue. If they actually weren't intersted in being there, then give up your invitation to the game to another FBS school that would LOVE to take your place. It's a long list of schools. The bottom line is that it's a priveledge to be there, enjoy the life experience, enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy....playing football.
The NFL playoffs are upon us too. The experts in Vegas have my Denver Broncos as the favorite to win the super bowl right now. Needless to say, that sounds good to me. They have been playing some really good football and deserve to be favored and it's going to be really tough for a team to go into Denver and ruin their super bowl plans. Peyton Manning has them looking like a championship caliber team, and I'm hoping that they make it to the finish line. I think Brady and the Pats will be a huge hurdle on the way. Manning also has many people looking at him as the NFL MVP for this season, and that's hard to argue unless you're Adrian Peterson. Those are the two favorites to win the MVP and both guys have a great argument for the honor. Obivously, I would lean toward Manning because of the Broncos 11 game winning streak to end the season, the AFC west champions, and the best record in the NFL, and all this coming off of 4 neck surgeries that kept him out of the 2011 season. Meanwhile, Peterson became the next 2,000 yard rusher in the NFL while leading the Vikings to the playoffs which is also very impressive after coming off a torn ACL at the end of last season. I think Manning should get the MVP simply because of the slightly more impressive overall season, both individually and as a memeber of the more successful team. Then I think you look at Adrian Peterson as the comeback player of the year, playing at such a high level after recovering from an injury that can very easily end the career of many running backs. These are two very talented football players playing at a tremendous level in the most intense sport there is, they have both earned recognition for their greatness.
The college football bowl season has been somewhat disappointing for me, nothing really stands out as great football yet. There were a few good ones on New Year's Day, but I think the one I'm looking forward to the most is the Fiesta Bowl. Oregon and K-State should make for some very entertaining football. For awhile it looked like they were on a crash course for the BCS title game, but they couldn't quite get there after they each stumbled in November. Hey, it's hard to be perfect. Just ask Notre Dame. I think there were 4 or 5 games this year where they probably should have lost, but they still found a way to win and get to the national championship. So we have two 11-1 teams in Oregon and Kansas State and it should be a good ol' shootout. I have heard this interesting concept a number of times about these BCS games that aren't the BCS title game, which is questioning how "interested" the Ducks or Wildcats will be in the game because it's not the national championship. So, just because they aren't playing for the national title, they are going to somehow not care anymore if they win or lose? That's ridiculous. As Herm Edwards once said, "You play to win the game! HELLO?. You PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!". Just because these college kids aren't playing for a championship doesn't take away the great experience of playing in a major bowl game on national TV for their families and the world to see in a very exciting venue. If they actually weren't intersted in being there, then give up your invitation to the game to another FBS school that would LOVE to take your place. It's a long list of schools. The bottom line is that it's a priveledge to be there, enjoy the life experience, enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy....playing football.
The NFL playoffs are upon us too. The experts in Vegas have my Denver Broncos as the favorite to win the super bowl right now. Needless to say, that sounds good to me. They have been playing some really good football and deserve to be favored and it's going to be really tough for a team to go into Denver and ruin their super bowl plans. Peyton Manning has them looking like a championship caliber team, and I'm hoping that they make it to the finish line. I think Brady and the Pats will be a huge hurdle on the way. Manning also has many people looking at him as the NFL MVP for this season, and that's hard to argue unless you're Adrian Peterson. Those are the two favorites to win the MVP and both guys have a great argument for the honor. Obivously, I would lean toward Manning because of the Broncos 11 game winning streak to end the season, the AFC west champions, and the best record in the NFL, and all this coming off of 4 neck surgeries that kept him out of the 2011 season. Meanwhile, Peterson became the next 2,000 yard rusher in the NFL while leading the Vikings to the playoffs which is also very impressive after coming off a torn ACL at the end of last season. I think Manning should get the MVP simply because of the slightly more impressive overall season, both individually and as a memeber of the more successful team. Then I think you look at Adrian Peterson as the comeback player of the year, playing at such a high level after recovering from an injury that can very easily end the career of many running backs. These are two very talented football players playing at a tremendous level in the most intense sport there is, they have both earned recognition for their greatness.
Friday, October 5, 2012
BACK TO FOOTBALL!
I love seeing those words painted on NFL football fields when the new season is here, "Back to Football"...great stuff. It's the best time of the year, as the fall brings us the best sport on the planet. It's hard to believe the college football season is already about half over! How did that happen? This weekend will mark the 6th game for most teams already, and there's going to be some good ones. Even the NFL is already beginning week 5, and I'm looking forward to getting back what I lost last season on the NFL schedule, Manning vs Brady!! It's still the best the NFL offers and with Manning having had last season off, it's an even bigger deal this time around at Foxborough. It should be a fun game this Sunday, and I'm pulling for Manning even more this time around since he's now in command of my Broncos. Brady v Manning, enjoy the show! Let's all enjoy getting back to football!
The NBA landscape just got a pretty interesting makeover this offseason as the Lakers quickly put together a very legitimate championship caliber team...again. First they brought in Steve Nash to start passing to Kobe every night and make things even easier on Kobe to torch defenses, then they added Dwight Howard to create a very dominant presence that will take even more attention away from Kobe to do his thing. This is a pretty scary moment for the defending champion Heat, because next June they won't be dealing with an inexperienced Thunder team that wasn't ready for the big stage. Next time, it's going to be a three-headed monster of Kobe, Nash, and Howard in their way of another title. Trust me, the Lakers WILL fight back. I think that scenario I once wished for, having Kobe vs Wade in the NBA Finals, is just a matter of time now. That will be must-see NBA TV.
The NBA landscape just got a pretty interesting makeover this offseason as the Lakers quickly put together a very legitimate championship caliber team...again. First they brought in Steve Nash to start passing to Kobe every night and make things even easier on Kobe to torch defenses, then they added Dwight Howard to create a very dominant presence that will take even more attention away from Kobe to do his thing. This is a pretty scary moment for the defending champion Heat, because next June they won't be dealing with an inexperienced Thunder team that wasn't ready for the big stage. Next time, it's going to be a three-headed monster of Kobe, Nash, and Howard in their way of another title. Trust me, the Lakers WILL fight back. I think that scenario I once wished for, having Kobe vs Wade in the NBA Finals, is just a matter of time now. That will be must-see NBA TV.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Catching Up
It's been awhile since I've shared some thoughts on my blog, I guess I was just saving up some thoughts for a good time. I will pick up where I left off on the college football season. I love it when a thought I have is justified like the BCS Championship game showed us. I wasn't excited about Alabama v LSU at all and it turned out being a HORRIBLE football game. I felt like I was completely ROBBED as a football fan. Never mind that we still badly need a playoff, but that game was just awful. LSU couldn't even score, as if they weren't interested in being there. That was just embarrassing. Thankfully, and possibly too good to be true, the BCS officials are FINALLY starting to talk about a playoff system. It's possible that they were just as horrified by that LSU v Alabama game as everyone else in America was. There's talk of a final four playoff system that involves the winners of BCS games. Sounds GREAT, let's get it done!
As much as I was hoping for a Packers v Patriots super bowl, at least we ended up having a respectable super bowl again. I felt very much like I was watching Super Bowl 42, not just because it was the Patriots and Giants again, but it just played out almost exactly like their SB 42 meeting. Pats had the halftime lead again, and Eli Manning beat the Pats again in the last minute. It was a good game, but not great. It would have been nice to see a little more scoring, 21-17 isn't exactly great football.
WOOO-HOOOO!!! I've been doing that since my Broncos landed hall of fame QB Peyton Manning to take over for the Broncos and lead them back to greatness. I think the best way to put it is that the Broncos are looking to restore the order in Denver and I can't wait! A lot of people I talk to about this are a little skeptical about Manning's health and if he can be the same guy. I'm being realistic with it. I'm NOT expecting the same Manning we've seen so far, I'm expecting a different Manning that will be great in a new form, and it's a great boost for the Broncos. I just love the feeling of knowing that we've got a shot to win on any given Sunday again. It's been awhile since I've felt like that. If he is able to play the full season, you can book him for comeback player of the year right now!
The NBA season flew by thanks to the lockout shortened season, and it's not exactly how it would be expected to look in the playoffs. The heavily favored Miami Heat are now down 2-1 in their series vs the Pacers, and honestly the Pacers just look like the more complete team. The Heat just don't look like a team that is on the same page. As much hype as the Heat got when they became the big 3 with LeBron, D-Wade, and Bosh, they just don't look like the team most of the league was expecting. The Pacers have quietly turned into a solid team that will be a tough out in the playoffs. It's starting to look like the Pacers and Boston Celtics will meet in the Eastern Finals. Out west, the Thunder are up 2-0 on the Lakers, but watch out for the San Antonio Spurs! No one gives them much credit for some reason even though they are just walking over everyone in the playoffs so far. If I had to pick the NBA Finals right now, I'd be tempted to say Celtics v Spurs. Unfortunately, it's hard to get excited about that matchup.
As much as I was hoping for a Packers v Patriots super bowl, at least we ended up having a respectable super bowl again. I felt very much like I was watching Super Bowl 42, not just because it was the Patriots and Giants again, but it just played out almost exactly like their SB 42 meeting. Pats had the halftime lead again, and Eli Manning beat the Pats again in the last minute. It was a good game, but not great. It would have been nice to see a little more scoring, 21-17 isn't exactly great football.
WOOO-HOOOO!!! I've been doing that since my Broncos landed hall of fame QB Peyton Manning to take over for the Broncos and lead them back to greatness. I think the best way to put it is that the Broncos are looking to restore the order in Denver and I can't wait! A lot of people I talk to about this are a little skeptical about Manning's health and if he can be the same guy. I'm being realistic with it. I'm NOT expecting the same Manning we've seen so far, I'm expecting a different Manning that will be great in a new form, and it's a great boost for the Broncos. I just love the feeling of knowing that we've got a shot to win on any given Sunday again. It's been awhile since I've felt like that. If he is able to play the full season, you can book him for comeback player of the year right now!
The NBA season flew by thanks to the lockout shortened season, and it's not exactly how it would be expected to look in the playoffs. The heavily favored Miami Heat are now down 2-1 in their series vs the Pacers, and honestly the Pacers just look like the more complete team. The Heat just don't look like a team that is on the same page. As much hype as the Heat got when they became the big 3 with LeBron, D-Wade, and Bosh, they just don't look like the team most of the league was expecting. The Pacers have quietly turned into a solid team that will be a tough out in the playoffs. It's starting to look like the Pacers and Boston Celtics will meet in the Eastern Finals. Out west, the Thunder are up 2-0 on the Lakers, but watch out for the San Antonio Spurs! No one gives them much credit for some reason even though they are just walking over everyone in the playoffs so far. If I had to pick the NBA Finals right now, I'd be tempted to say Celtics v Spurs. Unfortunately, it's hard to get excited about that matchup.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
A Season Winding Down
I gotta keep talking some football as long as I can. The college football season just blew by in a blink! One thing that stays the same after another season, BCS still sucks. LOL. I like to throw that in there whenever I can. While most analysts and experts out there are fine with LSU vs Alabama, Take II as the best #1 vs #2 scenario, I'm not excited at all about that game. How can I be excited about another likely snoozer as their first meeting was (LSU won 9-6 in OT)? BLAH. It's just a shame once again that we can't have a playoff to figure this season out. At least the FCS setup got it right. I will say that the Fiesta Bowl is a pretty good looking football matchup. Stanford, with Andrew Luck, taking on Oklahoma State, with a slightly less-hyped QB in Brandon Weeden. That should be some fun football that will light up the scoreboard! I will enjoy bowl season and soak it in while I can, despite the ridiculous BCS.
With the playoff race in the NFL heating up in December, the games are going to get more exciting. Even though I'm not a Packers fan, I can't help but be impressed. Their record speaks for itself at 12-0. The thing that stands out to me the most is how they just don't panic. They have an answer to just about every challenge, when they are tested. Watching them beat the Giants at the Meadowlands last Sunday, all I can see is a team that just can't be flapped. The Giants gave them ALL they could handle and the Packers still pulled the game out in the last seconds. Good luck to the rest of the NFC in stopping them from getting to the super bowl. They are the most complete team in the NFL. How fun would it be if Brady and the Patriots got to the super bowl to try to stop the Packers from an undefeated season as they were going after 4 years ago? The answer...a LOT of fun.
While I'm on the NFL, I gotta say thank you to the Miami Dolphins who have shown some true professionalism since starting the season 0-7. The Fins are playing some good football right now, and it really makes the Colts look even worse than their 0-12 record. The word is integrity. Look it up Colts. It's painfully clear the Colts have no interest in this season without Manning on the field. At least when the Lions went 0-16 a few years ago, they did it honestly. The Colts seem to be doing everything they can to ensure a horrible season so they can get Andrew Luck in the NFL draft. The Colts roster needs to be fitted for paper bags to replace their helmets, shame on them.
The NBA season is just a couple weeks away now, thanks to the lockout mercifully coming to an end. That whole soap opera was just sad, and I'm just glad that it's over. It will be great to see the NBA get rolling again Christmas Day. It's going to be a bitter-sweet start to the season though. As fun as it will be to welcome back the NBA, it's going to be missing a great player in the northwest. Brandon Roy has unfortunately been forced into early retirement due to a condition in his knees that makes it too risky to continue playing ball. He will be greatly missed, not just for what he brought to the Blazers every night, but for what he stands for. He stands for a great athlete, leader, and character, someone you can't help but respect and root for. The Blazers have some MASSIVE shoes to fill in Portland. Thanks for the ride Brandon, it was a blast.
With the playoff race in the NFL heating up in December, the games are going to get more exciting. Even though I'm not a Packers fan, I can't help but be impressed. Their record speaks for itself at 12-0. The thing that stands out to me the most is how they just don't panic. They have an answer to just about every challenge, when they are tested. Watching them beat the Giants at the Meadowlands last Sunday, all I can see is a team that just can't be flapped. The Giants gave them ALL they could handle and the Packers still pulled the game out in the last seconds. Good luck to the rest of the NFC in stopping them from getting to the super bowl. They are the most complete team in the NFL. How fun would it be if Brady and the Patriots got to the super bowl to try to stop the Packers from an undefeated season as they were going after 4 years ago? The answer...a LOT of fun.
While I'm on the NFL, I gotta say thank you to the Miami Dolphins who have shown some true professionalism since starting the season 0-7. The Fins are playing some good football right now, and it really makes the Colts look even worse than their 0-12 record. The word is integrity. Look it up Colts. It's painfully clear the Colts have no interest in this season without Manning on the field. At least when the Lions went 0-16 a few years ago, they did it honestly. The Colts seem to be doing everything they can to ensure a horrible season so they can get Andrew Luck in the NFL draft. The Colts roster needs to be fitted for paper bags to replace their helmets, shame on them.
The NBA season is just a couple weeks away now, thanks to the lockout mercifully coming to an end. That whole soap opera was just sad, and I'm just glad that it's over. It will be great to see the NBA get rolling again Christmas Day. It's going to be a bitter-sweet start to the season though. As fun as it will be to welcome back the NBA, it's going to be missing a great player in the northwest. Brandon Roy has unfortunately been forced into early retirement due to a condition in his knees that makes it too risky to continue playing ball. He will be greatly missed, not just for what he brought to the Blazers every night, but for what he stands for. He stands for a great athlete, leader, and character, someone you can't help but respect and root for. The Blazers have some MASSIVE shoes to fill in Portland. Thanks for the ride Brandon, it was a blast.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
NFL talk
I gotta get this out of the way right away because I didn't throw this out there in preseason. Here it is...I've got the Packers and Patriots going to the Super Bowl this year. This isn't nearly as effective 6 weeks into the season, but at least it's still early so I can still have it on record as my official prediction. So far, I like my prediction. Packers look like the best team in the NFL and the Patriots could easily be the only other undefeated team if they had not blown a 21-0 lead at Buffalo. That concept alone of the the Pats blowing a big lead in any football game is almost ridiculous to think about. They seem to be back on track.
The glaring difference of this NFL season to me is that there's a HUGE void missing in the quarterback world. Not only are the Colts a very mediocre football team without Peyton Manning, but the NFL isn't nearly as exciting as it is with Manning playing on Sundays. I feel like it's Christmas without Santa Claus with this NFL season missing two of the greatest QBs of all time, Peyton Manning AND Brett Favre! What exactly are the football gods punishing us NFL fans for? The lockout wasn't OUR fault! Seriously though, is there a better argument for Manning as NFL MVP as there is this season? Look how different the Colts are without Manning on the field. Not only does the offense suffer, but even the defense can't get just ONE win for the Colts so far. They even managed to blow a 17 point lead at home vs the Chiefs. The saddest thing about Manning not being available right now is that I'm probably not going to get my favorite NFL matchup of every season...Colts v Patriots with Brady vs Manning. OUCH. Hopefully Manning gets healthy soon and he's able to get back to football. As for Favre, he finally let go of the game and that may have been for the best, but I still feel like he had some good football left in him. Mostly I just don't like the way he went out, it just isn't right.
So, apparently it's "Tebow Time" in Denver. I seem to be in the minority here by not being that excited about this. I still feel like he's not meant to be an NFL QB, but is a very respectable football player. His passion is unmatched, and it's a great element for any team to have, but I just have a gut feeling that it's not meant to be. I have a strong feeling that the Broncos are going to struggle a lot the rest of this season and will be getting ready to draft the next franchise QB in April 2012. I did like how ESPNs Colin Cowherd put it recently on SportsNation, the Broncos are going to be pretty bad anyway the rest of this season...playing Tebow at least makes them a little more interesting. I can agree with that much.
Speaking of the AFC west...the Raiders just made a pretty big upgrade at QB this week by trading for Bengals' QB Carson Palmer. I think this is a perfect fit for Palmer, having played his college football at USC so he'll feel quite at home in Oakland. This really does make the Raiders a legit NFL playoff team now, and they were already in the discussion at 4-2 so far this season. I expect the Raiders to be in the wild card hunt in the final week of the season.
The glaring difference of this NFL season to me is that there's a HUGE void missing in the quarterback world. Not only are the Colts a very mediocre football team without Peyton Manning, but the NFL isn't nearly as exciting as it is with Manning playing on Sundays. I feel like it's Christmas without Santa Claus with this NFL season missing two of the greatest QBs of all time, Peyton Manning AND Brett Favre! What exactly are the football gods punishing us NFL fans for? The lockout wasn't OUR fault! Seriously though, is there a better argument for Manning as NFL MVP as there is this season? Look how different the Colts are without Manning on the field. Not only does the offense suffer, but even the defense can't get just ONE win for the Colts so far. They even managed to blow a 17 point lead at home vs the Chiefs. The saddest thing about Manning not being available right now is that I'm probably not going to get my favorite NFL matchup of every season...Colts v Patriots with Brady vs Manning. OUCH. Hopefully Manning gets healthy soon and he's able to get back to football. As for Favre, he finally let go of the game and that may have been for the best, but I still feel like he had some good football left in him. Mostly I just don't like the way he went out, it just isn't right.
So, apparently it's "Tebow Time" in Denver. I seem to be in the minority here by not being that excited about this. I still feel like he's not meant to be an NFL QB, but is a very respectable football player. His passion is unmatched, and it's a great element for any team to have, but I just have a gut feeling that it's not meant to be. I have a strong feeling that the Broncos are going to struggle a lot the rest of this season and will be getting ready to draft the next franchise QB in April 2012. I did like how ESPNs Colin Cowherd put it recently on SportsNation, the Broncos are going to be pretty bad anyway the rest of this season...playing Tebow at least makes them a little more interesting. I can agree with that much.
Speaking of the AFC west...the Raiders just made a pretty big upgrade at QB this week by trading for Bengals' QB Carson Palmer. I think this is a perfect fit for Palmer, having played his college football at USC so he'll feel quite at home in Oakland. This really does make the Raiders a legit NFL playoff team now, and they were already in the discussion at 4-2 so far this season. I expect the Raiders to be in the wild card hunt in the final week of the season.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Blogger's Block
I want to say that I haven't been blogging since the Super Bowl because I haven't been able to come up with ideas, but since there's always something going on in sports to talk about...it wouldn't be true. The fact is I've been UNINSPIRED, due to the ridiculous drama the NFL has been going through with the current lockout. It barely deserves discussing because it shouldn't have happened in the first place, but it's so annoying that it brings out something anyway. This league is too successful and popular for this to happen and I only hope it is resolved soon. It's very frustrating to all NFL fans and very disturbing to say the least. I enjoyed Super Bowl 45, and even more than usual because my prediction was on the money! :) I called a Packers win by a TD or less and sure enough the Packers beat the Steelers by 6. Good game, NOW let's bring the football BACK PLEASE!! I wanna see the Packers host the Saints at Lambeau Field on opening night, it would be a great way to start the season. It feels like we've reached a temporary football armageddon, no Brett Favre to be found trying to decide whether to play or not...and the league is currently in a lockout. This is depressing stuff to football fans.
The NBA Finals were enjoyable for me because I was part of that large part of America that wanted to see the Heat fail with LeBron James at least in year one, because they created WAY to much hype for themselves. I thought justice was actually served with the Mavericks winning, and the Mavericks are just a good team that deserved to win it after they swept the defending champion Lakers. The Cavaliers meanwhile have the #1 overall pick in this year's draft and they are likely to take former Duke guard Kyrie Irving. He is not LeBron James, but he could be a guy to build a team around. They also have the #4 overall pick and have a good opportunity to get some solid talent right away. So the Cavs may one day be back in the playoffs to try to get that long awaited championship that LeBron couldn't deliver.
The NBA Finals were enjoyable for me because I was part of that large part of America that wanted to see the Heat fail with LeBron James at least in year one, because they created WAY to much hype for themselves. I thought justice was actually served with the Mavericks winning, and the Mavericks are just a good team that deserved to win it after they swept the defending champion Lakers. The Cavaliers meanwhile have the #1 overall pick in this year's draft and they are likely to take former Duke guard Kyrie Irving. He is not LeBron James, but he could be a guy to build a team around. They also have the #4 overall pick and have a good opportunity to get some solid talent right away. So the Cavs may one day be back in the playoffs to try to get that long awaited championship that LeBron couldn't deliver.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Super Sunday
The big game is this Sunday, and I think we are in for a beauty. The Packers are a team coming in on fire with 5 straight wins and put together a great playoff run with 3 road wins at Philly, Atlanta, and Chicago. Meanwhile, the Steelers bring their experience to the game, having been in two of the last 5 Super Bowls. Packers are the slight favorite to win, and I do think they are going to pull it out in the end. Both teams have great defenses, it will come down to who makes the fewest mistakes. That could be said for most games, but these teams are so close in talent that it will make a bigger difference. I like the Packers by less than a TD.
I gotta send some congratulations out to Ndamukong Suh, who was voted AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year! He really is a beast of a defensive tackle, and really should have won the Heisman last year. He was the most dominant player in college football last year, but just wasn't on the best team. I think he's going to make a big difference for the Lions in the next few years, as I suspect the Lions to be competing for a wild card next season. It wasn't talked about much, but the Lions won 4 in a row to finish the season! If Stafford stays healthy for the Lions all season, they will be a tough team to beat in the NFC.
There have been a handful of coaching changes in the NFL so far, and the Broncos really made a great move with getting former Carolina head coach John Fox. He's EXACTLY what the Broncos needed. He's a defensive specialist that has playoff and super bowl experience. He took over a bad Panthers team and turned them into a very consistent winning team. The Broncos are in good shape.
I gotta send some congratulations out to Ndamukong Suh, who was voted AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year! He really is a beast of a defensive tackle, and really should have won the Heisman last year. He was the most dominant player in college football last year, but just wasn't on the best team. I think he's going to make a big difference for the Lions in the next few years, as I suspect the Lions to be competing for a wild card next season. It wasn't talked about much, but the Lions won 4 in a row to finish the season! If Stafford stays healthy for the Lions all season, they will be a tough team to beat in the NFC.
There have been a handful of coaching changes in the NFL so far, and the Broncos really made a great move with getting former Carolina head coach John Fox. He's EXACTLY what the Broncos needed. He's a defensive specialist that has playoff and super bowl experience. He took over a bad Panthers team and turned them into a very consistent winning team. The Broncos are in good shape.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Xmas Hoopla
The Patriots are back to their old selves, with impressive wins over the rival Jets on a Monday night at New England and on the road in a snowbowl at Chicago over the NFC north champion Bears, both in blowout fashion. Then they just escaped a very feisty Packers team on Sunday night, proving again that they are a complete team that just finds a way to win each week. Brady is back to his MVP form and the Patriots again have all the ingredients a championship team always needs. The Patriots are likely going to have the homefield advantage in the playoffs and unless they fall asleep along the way, should end up in the Super Bowl. It's pretty hard to argue that anyway. On the other side of the field in the Super Bowl, it's too soon to tell who we're going to see representing the NFC, but it seems like the defending champion Saints are quietly making their run to get back. They will likely have to go through Atlanta to get there, but I'm not counting them out. This Monday night's game with the Saints and Falcons should be an NFC title preview. That will be a good one.
Tim Tebow made his first NFL start last Sunday at Oakland, and even though he had a couple nice plays in the game for the highlight reels, I just can't see him as the long-term plan for my Denver Broncos. There are too many questions there about his abilities and the Broncos need to be fixed in a hurry. They are now playing uncompetitive, sloppy, uninspiring football and that's absolutely gutwrenching for diehard fans like myself. They finally made the choice to give up on the McDaniels experiment. Hopefully they will now make good on their mistake and get an NFL experienced coach to turn things around quickly. The word around Denver is that Hall of Fame QB John Elway is going to be hired as a front office executive to help change the atmosphere in Denver back to the winning ways that he was accustomed to. That's a pretty good start, to bring in a guy who knows how to win and has a personal attatchment to the Broncos. Maybe we can start to bring our franchise back to respectability and make Sundays fun again!
The BCS games are set, and while some of them are exciting matchups, it doesn't make me forget how ridiculous the BCS is. That being said, it's looking like the first team to 45 or 50 wins the championship game between Auburn and Oregon. I'm not all that excited about the matchup or have a team to pull for this one, I'm just hoping for a good football game since we'll never know how either of these teams would do against the other top 10 BCS teams in a playoff atmosphere that we are BADLY missing for college football! It's OK, I will stop myself from another rant about the ridiculous BCS system. I'll save it for later.
Tim Tebow made his first NFL start last Sunday at Oakland, and even though he had a couple nice plays in the game for the highlight reels, I just can't see him as the long-term plan for my Denver Broncos. There are too many questions there about his abilities and the Broncos need to be fixed in a hurry. They are now playing uncompetitive, sloppy, uninspiring football and that's absolutely gutwrenching for diehard fans like myself. They finally made the choice to give up on the McDaniels experiment. Hopefully they will now make good on their mistake and get an NFL experienced coach to turn things around quickly. The word around Denver is that Hall of Fame QB John Elway is going to be hired as a front office executive to help change the atmosphere in Denver back to the winning ways that he was accustomed to. That's a pretty good start, to bring in a guy who knows how to win and has a personal attatchment to the Broncos. Maybe we can start to bring our franchise back to respectability and make Sundays fun again!
The BCS games are set, and while some of them are exciting matchups, it doesn't make me forget how ridiculous the BCS is. That being said, it's looking like the first team to 45 or 50 wins the championship game between Auburn and Oregon. I'm not all that excited about the matchup or have a team to pull for this one, I'm just hoping for a good football game since we'll never know how either of these teams would do against the other top 10 BCS teams in a playoff atmosphere that we are BADLY missing for college football! It's OK, I will stop myself from another rant about the ridiculous BCS system. I'll save it for later.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Starship 7
Starship 7...that's the name that ESPNs Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden gave to Eagles QB Michael Vick. Not exactly catchy, but does get your attention. That's exactly what Michael Vick did on Monday Night Football this week, got a lot of sportsfans' attention! I think the word I completely abused during the game against the Redskins was "Wow". Seriously, that was one heck of a performance. Vick did something that no QB in the history of the game did, and it was on national TV on one of the biggest stages there is in professional sports. Vick threw for over 300 yards, threw 4 TDs, 0 INTs, rushed for over 50 yards and 2 TDs. He was a one-man wrecking crew as he led the Eagles to blowout the Redskins, on the road, 59-28. I felt like I was watching a real-life version of a Madden Football game on my TV. This stuff only happens in video games. It was something extraordinary to witness, and you know that's the case when the NFL Hall of Fame wants a part of that history. This week, the Hall of Fame has requested the game jersey worn by Vick during this performance to showcase. That's pretty special all by itself. Vick's road back to the NFL was a very difficult one, and he's making it count. I read somewhere today that some members of the Giants' defense respects Vick, but is not all that intimidated or scared to take on Vick this coming Sunday at Philadelphia...well, they really should be! I think some of the Redskins' defense is still having nightmares.
This sunday is the NFL game of the season, Colts visit the Patriots. This is the #1 game on my preseason list of Must-see NFL games for the 2010 season, and it is every year. The two best QBs in the league Manning and Brady will add another chapter to their rivalry and it will be a ton of fun. The Colts aren't what they used to be this season with a number of injuries and Manning putting up non-Manning numbers, while Brady's Patriots are coming off their biggest win of the season at Pittsburgh as Brady played like his old Super Bowl MVP version. It's always a great game when these two get together and this sunday should be no different. Last season's game went down to the wire, and I'm guessing this one will too. Who knows, this could even be an AFC Championship preview. Let's buckle up and enjoy.
This sunday is the NFL game of the season, Colts visit the Patriots. This is the #1 game on my preseason list of Must-see NFL games for the 2010 season, and it is every year. The two best QBs in the league Manning and Brady will add another chapter to their rivalry and it will be a ton of fun. The Colts aren't what they used to be this season with a number of injuries and Manning putting up non-Manning numbers, while Brady's Patriots are coming off their biggest win of the season at Pittsburgh as Brady played like his old Super Bowl MVP version. It's always a great game when these two get together and this sunday should be no different. Last season's game went down to the wire, and I'm guessing this one will too. Who knows, this could even be an AFC Championship preview. Let's buckle up and enjoy.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Midseason
It's been another fun season of football so far, really a bit surprising, and is going WAY too fast! It feels so wide open this year for both college and NFL football for who could come out on top. It seems like there isn't a clear favorite in college football right now, although both Auburn and Oregon have very scary offenses. Still, I get the feeling we may end up getting at least one team that has 1 loss in the national championship game. For what it's worth I really hope we don't get Auburn vs Oregon in the title game, because to me that's just not an exciting matchup. There would probably be a lot of points, but the matchup isn't great.
Looking at the NFL at the midway point, it's even more wide open as to who is the best team in the league. In the NFC, the Giants are the hot team right NOW but I can't count out the defending champion Saints. I'm still pulling hard for the Vikings to get out of their funk, but it doesn't look good so far at 3-5. However, I will NEVER count out a Brett Favre-led team. The AFC seems to have the usual suspects in contention with the Patriots, Steelers, and Colts all leading their divisions, but no one is the clear favorite at this point. All that being said, it's GREAT for football, the unpredictability being even higher than usual.
Going back to Favre for a moment (because I can), I am convinced that it will take a SWAT team to get that guy off a football field. This guy is amazing. This season alone he's fought through elbow bursitis, TWO fractures in his already surgically-repaired ankle, and TEN stitches in his chin to keep showing up every Sunday for the Vikings. Favre is an absolute warrior, and the day a SWAT team finally does keep him from playing football, it will be a VERY sad day in the NFL. One of the "geniuses" at NFL Network decided to ask Favre if he will be back for another season in 2011. REALLY?? Even if he were going to consider this, it's about as bonehead a question as you can ask this guy. Every sports reporter in the world needs to realize you don't ask this til PRESEASON comes around. You've gotta be out of things to say if you are asking Favre what he's going to do NEXT season when we are only halfway thru this one! Wow. For what it's worth, I do believe this will be the last season for the ultimate Iron Man. His body is finally telling him he's had enough. It's a real shame, he will be missed. Hopefully the Vikings make one last run for #4.
The NBA season is underway and the Heat have turned out to be overhyped. They are playing pretty well vs teams they SHOULD beat, but are already 0-2 vs at least one team that will be in their way of a championship, the Celtics. The Celtics in two games have looked and played like the much better team. Meanwhile the defending champion Lakers are off to a fast 8-1 start. So far, Lakers and Celtics are still the teams to beat.
Looking at the NFL at the midway point, it's even more wide open as to who is the best team in the league. In the NFC, the Giants are the hot team right NOW but I can't count out the defending champion Saints. I'm still pulling hard for the Vikings to get out of their funk, but it doesn't look good so far at 3-5. However, I will NEVER count out a Brett Favre-led team. The AFC seems to have the usual suspects in contention with the Patriots, Steelers, and Colts all leading their divisions, but no one is the clear favorite at this point. All that being said, it's GREAT for football, the unpredictability being even higher than usual.
Going back to Favre for a moment (because I can), I am convinced that it will take a SWAT team to get that guy off a football field. This guy is amazing. This season alone he's fought through elbow bursitis, TWO fractures in his already surgically-repaired ankle, and TEN stitches in his chin to keep showing up every Sunday for the Vikings. Favre is an absolute warrior, and the day a SWAT team finally does keep him from playing football, it will be a VERY sad day in the NFL. One of the "geniuses" at NFL Network decided to ask Favre if he will be back for another season in 2011. REALLY?? Even if he were going to consider this, it's about as bonehead a question as you can ask this guy. Every sports reporter in the world needs to realize you don't ask this til PRESEASON comes around. You've gotta be out of things to say if you are asking Favre what he's going to do NEXT season when we are only halfway thru this one! Wow. For what it's worth, I do believe this will be the last season for the ultimate Iron Man. His body is finally telling him he's had enough. It's a real shame, he will be missed. Hopefully the Vikings make one last run for #4.
The NBA season is underway and the Heat have turned out to be overhyped. They are playing pretty well vs teams they SHOULD beat, but are already 0-2 vs at least one team that will be in their way of a championship, the Celtics. The Celtics in two games have looked and played like the much better team. Meanwhile the defending champion Lakers are off to a fast 8-1 start. So far, Lakers and Celtics are still the teams to beat.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
A Team Game
At this point it's hard to find any other players on the Patriots roster other than Tom Brady who remain from their three super bowl teams. Monday night, I was reminded of how they won their super bowls...as a complete team. I had a big flashback to when the Patriots requested to be introduced as a team in Super Bowl XXXVI vs the Rams when they were big underdogs. Monday night vs the Dolphins, that's exactly how the Pats won, as a TEAM. Tom Brady really didn't do much at all and didn't need to. He had 153 yards passing and 1 TD pass. Meanwhile, their special teams were a beast. One kickoff return for a TD to start the second half, a blocked punt which resulted in another Pats TD, a blocked FG returned for a TD, and an INT-return TD for the defense. It was really impressive as the Pats rolled over their rival Dolphins 41-14. The Patriots may not be the most impressive team in the league anymore, but they still know what it takes to win as a team in the ultimate team sport.
I did get a chance to see a little bit of the new Miami Heat's first preseason game. Basically the excitement was over before it began as Dwyane Wade was hurt in the first 4 minutes of the game, so really we still have no idea of how this will work yet. Those first few minutes were sloppy at times, and I think it will take awhile before they really play well together. LeBron James looked pretty good in his debut with 18 points and a nice dunk. For now it's too early to say what they have in Miami though.
It looks like Brett Favre will have a little bit of help coming his way in Minnesota with the pickup of Randy Moss on Wednesday. I am cautiously optimistic about this though. It really depends on how fast Favre and Moss can click on the field, but even more it depends on what Randy Moss the Vikings get. Monday night, he clearly had no interest in his last game as a Patriot. Too many times I saw him barely jogging during a play. If he can play at the high level he's capable of on a regular basis, the Vikings might have something. I hope he has the right attitude going to Minnesota because Favre and the Vikings deserve nothing less. Monday night's Vikings vs Jets matchup will tell us a lot about what the Vikings have. They gotta get it right pretty fast because the Vikings October schedule leaves no room for a bad day. Good luck to the Vikings.
I did get a chance to see a little bit of the new Miami Heat's first preseason game. Basically the excitement was over before it began as Dwyane Wade was hurt in the first 4 minutes of the game, so really we still have no idea of how this will work yet. Those first few minutes were sloppy at times, and I think it will take awhile before they really play well together. LeBron James looked pretty good in his debut with 18 points and a nice dunk. For now it's too early to say what they have in Miami though.
It looks like Brett Favre will have a little bit of help coming his way in Minnesota with the pickup of Randy Moss on Wednesday. I am cautiously optimistic about this though. It really depends on how fast Favre and Moss can click on the field, but even more it depends on what Randy Moss the Vikings get. Monday night, he clearly had no interest in his last game as a Patriot. Too many times I saw him barely jogging during a play. If he can play at the high level he's capable of on a regular basis, the Vikings might have something. I hope he has the right attitude going to Minnesota because Favre and the Vikings deserve nothing less. Monday night's Vikings vs Jets matchup will tell us a lot about what the Vikings have. They gotta get it right pretty fast because the Vikings October schedule leaves no room for a bad day. Good luck to the Vikings.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Some Saturday Football
I got to watch my Huskers play their first road test of the season at Washington and I was impressed! The Huskers reminded some of us diehard fans of the glory days today with a rout of the Huskies 56-21. Even better to see was the crazy sea of RED at Husky Stadium at Seattle...WOW. That was a reminder of how GREAT Big Red nation is! That's amazing to almost make that a neutral field. The Huskers showed their appreciation by dominating the Huskies and making a statement that the Huskers have some offense to go with their great D now. FUN TO WATCH.
Apparently Reggie Bush made the decision to turn in his Heisman trophy from his amazing 2005 season, with the reasoning being that it seemed like the right thing to do. I'll just say, all the controversy aside of him accepting whatever inappropriate gifts at the time, there's no doubt in anyone's mind who was the most talented player in college football that season. Reggie Bush is one of the most talented college football players I've ever seen. He absolutely deserved the Heisman, because he was the best player on the field during the season and that's what the Heisman is. Still, it was good to see him trying to do what he felt was the classy thing.
It's almost time for one of my Must-See football games of the season. This Sunday night, it's Manning Bowl II with Peyton Manning's Colts taking on Eli's Giants. The first meeting was great and I expect more of the same from this one. Good choice for a sunday night game!
Apparently Reggie Bush made the decision to turn in his Heisman trophy from his amazing 2005 season, with the reasoning being that it seemed like the right thing to do. I'll just say, all the controversy aside of him accepting whatever inappropriate gifts at the time, there's no doubt in anyone's mind who was the most talented player in college football that season. Reggie Bush is one of the most talented college football players I've ever seen. He absolutely deserved the Heisman, because he was the best player on the field during the season and that's what the Heisman is. Still, it was good to see him trying to do what he felt was the classy thing.
It's almost time for one of my Must-See football games of the season. This Sunday night, it's Manning Bowl II with Peyton Manning's Colts taking on Eli's Giants. The first meeting was great and I expect more of the same from this one. Good choice for a sunday night game!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Football season
It's the most wonderful TIIIIIIIIME of the year...
YES!!!! Football season is back. As Al Michaels put it tonight before the NFL opener, it's the best reality TV there is!! NICE. The only reality TV I'll watch for that matter. Only problem with the game tonight is that it darn near put me to sleep, just like all other reality TV! Wow. It's like nothing really happened in this HUGELY anticipated NFC Championship rematch. I mean, that IS what that was supposed to be, right? Yikes. It's like neither team REALLY wanted to win it, the Saints just happened to score enough to win 14-9. The Vikings did absolutely nothing after the first half, except giving us a clinic on punting. What a shame. I mean, that's what you come up with when you get a second shot at the team that crushed your dream of a super bowl back in January? A disappointing game to say the least. The Vikings need to wake up quickly and remember that the games count now, preseason is over.
Meanwhile, the college football season got rolling last weekend and it was pretty fun. Boise State proved again that they can play with the big schools as they came from behind to beat Virginia Tech monday night. I still have the feeling that the Broncos will again be left out of the championship game if teams like Texas, Alabama, Ohio State, or Florida go undefeated. There's such a big weekend for college football coming up this weekend with exciting matchups like Oklahoma vs Florida St. and Ohio State vs Miami and Penn State vs Alabama...lots of good stuff and a time where I'll have to make tough choices on what to watch. Sometimes it hurts when you don't have DVR or Tivo. Still, it's a FUN problem to have! :)
YES!!!! Football season is back. As Al Michaels put it tonight before the NFL opener, it's the best reality TV there is!! NICE. The only reality TV I'll watch for that matter. Only problem with the game tonight is that it darn near put me to sleep, just like all other reality TV! Wow. It's like nothing really happened in this HUGELY anticipated NFC Championship rematch. I mean, that IS what that was supposed to be, right? Yikes. It's like neither team REALLY wanted to win it, the Saints just happened to score enough to win 14-9. The Vikings did absolutely nothing after the first half, except giving us a clinic on punting. What a shame. I mean, that's what you come up with when you get a second shot at the team that crushed your dream of a super bowl back in January? A disappointing game to say the least. The Vikings need to wake up quickly and remember that the games count now, preseason is over.
Meanwhile, the college football season got rolling last weekend and it was pretty fun. Boise State proved again that they can play with the big schools as they came from behind to beat Virginia Tech monday night. I still have the feeling that the Broncos will again be left out of the championship game if teams like Texas, Alabama, Ohio State, or Florida go undefeated. There's such a big weekend for college football coming up this weekend with exciting matchups like Oklahoma vs Florida St. and Ohio State vs Miami and Penn State vs Alabama...lots of good stuff and a time where I'll have to make tough choices on what to watch. Sometimes it hurts when you don't have DVR or Tivo. Still, it's a FUN problem to have! :)
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Favre is back
Favre made it official today that he's back for another shot at the super bowl. All I can say is YES!! It just feels like all is right in the NFL again for another year. When it comes to watching NFL football, it doesn't get any more fun that watching Favre on Sunday. No one has more fun and makes it more fun for his fans than Brett Favre. I can't wait to see what he does this season. He also hinted that this 20th season is likely going to be his last, and that no matter what he will feel like he's going out on top. I guess we'll see if he can stick to that, but it feels a little more likely this time that this will be it. I hope he goes out in style with a super bowl win. It couldn't happen to a better guy. Let's go Vikings...this one's for Brett!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Rivalries
The Yankees and Red Sox are doing battle again this weekend at Yankee Stadium, arguably the best rivalry in baseball and one of the best rivalries in sports. That got me to thinking about other great rivalries in sports. The Red Sox and Yankees are pretty good, but not my favorite. There are other pretty fun rivalries out there that are entertaining just about every game. Duke vs North Carolina in college hoops comes to mind. Being a big Duke fan, this is one that I pay pretty close attention to. That's fun for any sportsfan to watch and they always seem to play a little harder in those games. Rankings are always out the door when those two play. There's Michigan v Ohio State in college football, also has a great atmosphere every season even when one team is clearly superior at the time. That's just one example though of a LOT of great college football rivalries. I gotta say though, right now, there's one particular rivalry that I will ALWAYS make sure I see every season. This rivalry tops all current rivalries in sports in my opinion...Colts vs Patriots in the NFL. Manning vs Brady. That is just AWESOME stuff every single time they play. That is the one game I MUST SEE every time they play. These are the two best QBs in the game playing at the highest level in the best sport in the world. Seriously, that is absolutely FUN every time it happens. I can't wait to see what they do this year.
Another note on college football, the preseason college football USA Today poll is out. Defending national champion Alabama is at the top and should be. They are bringing back most of the same team from last season so they will be the team to beat this year. I was a little surprised to see my Huskers at #9. To me, that's a little too high going into the season before they have proven themselves. I think somewhere between 15-20 would have been a bit more realistic. That would give them a chance to fly under the radar for the first month. I think it's going to be tough to win at Washington in game 3 and I barely want to think about what Texas might do in October. That being said, let's hope they pick up where they left off in the Holiday Bowl and somehow can fill the big void left by Suh going to the NFL.
Another note on college football, the preseason college football USA Today poll is out. Defending national champion Alabama is at the top and should be. They are bringing back most of the same team from last season so they will be the team to beat this year. I was a little surprised to see my Huskers at #9. To me, that's a little too high going into the season before they have proven themselves. I think somewhere between 15-20 would have been a bit more realistic. That would give them a chance to fly under the radar for the first month. I think it's going to be tough to win at Washington in game 3 and I barely want to think about what Texas might do in October. That being said, let's hope they pick up where they left off in the Holiday Bowl and somehow can fill the big void left by Suh going to the NFL.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The Favre story
Well, even though I feel like I should know better by now...I can't help but say something about today's speculation that Favre will retire. The bottomline here for me is that I will NOT believe this until he is (1) sitting at a press conference with his family and teammates and officially announces his retirement, (2) NOT on the field for the NFL season opener vs the Saints, and (3) NOT on the field in game 4 of the regular season after the Vikings start 2-2 or 1-3, which could very well happen without Favre. The Saints will win by 20 opening night if Favre is not the Vikings QB. It's just WAY too early for me to actual believe that Favre is done. I can't see a guy THAT competitive and smart to walk away from $13 million to lead a super bowl-ready football team that he had an MVP-caliber season with last year, not to mention a rematch with the Saints on opening night. I think we need to stay tuned...
Friday, July 30, 2010
Football is coming!
And it's about TIME! Another long offseason is just about over as NFL training camps are beginning and we're just 10 short days from some preseason football! The Hall of Fame game is a week from Sunday with the Bengals and Cowboys. That will actually be a solid way to get the preseason going. Two playoff teams from last season, and the Bengals have added T.O. to their roster to either make things better offensively or completely ruin the concept of team again. Only time will tell, but I think Owens has actually toned the drama down in the last couple years and possibly will be productive with the Bengals. He still is a very talented receiver. The big question will be can Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco co-exist? If they can, it will be quite a headache for defenses. It will be fun to find out.
Meanwhile, Brett Favre has been throwing the ball around with high schoolers again as he tries to get that arm in game shape. He continues to say the ankle isn't where he'd like it to be...but this is all just part of the same routine, different season. He wants to make it seem like he's still thinking it over, but he's done that. He made it clear to me where his head was at when he got the ankle fixed. We can get ready for another Vikings season led by Favre. I know I am!! That Vikings vs Saints NFL regular season opener will be a beauty.
Meanwhile, Brett Favre has been throwing the ball around with high schoolers again as he tries to get that arm in game shape. He continues to say the ankle isn't where he'd like it to be...but this is all just part of the same routine, different season. He wants to make it seem like he's still thinking it over, but he's done that. He made it clear to me where his head was at when he got the ankle fixed. We can get ready for another Vikings season led by Favre. I know I am!! That Vikings vs Saints NFL regular season opener will be a beauty.
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