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Football

Ten and oh and then …

Today’s quote of the day, from a Page 2 article on ESPN.com looking at the last 10 teams to start the season 10-0. The quote is from the last paragraph of the article:

ESPN.com: Page 2 : Ten and oh and then …

In 1998, Broncos backup QB Bubby Brister’s 99.0 QB rating was higher than John Elway’s. Brister, who was an ace sub for the injured Elway early in the season, completed 78 of 131 passes (59.5 percent) for 986 yards and 10 TDs. Brister also outran Elway, carrying 19 times for 102 yards. (Elway finished with 94 yards rushing.) According to Sports Illustrated, Brister motivated his teammates in the huddle by saying, “All right, [expletive], I’m not John, so get your asses in gear.”

Random Football Thoughts

This week’s random football thoughts:

  1. The Chargers’ powder blue unis are the best in football
  2. Unless you are the San Diego Chargers, you should not wear alternate jerseys
  3. Dom Capers is sooo fired
  4. I really, really like Carson Palmer
  5. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s headline this morning was right on: Kick. Win. Repeat.
  6. I really do think the Colts will go undefeated.
  7. Even with Vick having 2 games in a row with a passing rating over 95, I still think he’s overrated
  8. Why are you not reading the best football article anywhere? Go read the Tuesday Morning Quarterback

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket

I don’t understand the black out rules around NFL’s Sunday Ticket on DirecTV.

Last week, the Packers the play the Steelers at 3:15 on CBS. CBS stays long on the Raiders / Chiefs, so I flip to the Sunday ticket channel for the Packer game. No go, it’s blacked out, as it usually is when broadcast on the local station.

While I appreciate CBS for staying with the hot game, I was annoyed that I couldn’t see the game I wanted to see, when I supposedly pay for “all” the games.

Yesterday, the Packers are at the Falcons, 3:15 on Fox. The Vikings are the noon game, and are going long. I switch to the Sunday ticket channel, assuming the Redskins / Buccaneers game is the game of the week at 3:15, and watch the Packer game on Sunday ticket. At halftime, the signal is disconnected. Sure enough, the Packer game is on the local Fox affiliate.

So why one week do I get the game and one week I don’t? Is it up to Fox and CBS to determine when DirecTV puts the blackout in effect? Worked out for me yesterday, but still annoying.

The more things change, the more things stay the same

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand’s column covers the shifts in the TV network’s announcer lineups now that NBC has picked up Sunday Night Football.

Let me express my disappointment in the quality of announcers on the air in the #1 lineups. In no particular order:

  • John Madden: Too old, too much of a showboat, and has lost his touch with today’s game
  • Joe Theisman: Not many original thoughts, was in the booth to argue with Paul Maguire (who was a much better color analyst than Theisman). Too animated.
  • Al Michaels: All class
  • Troy Aikman: Has gotten a lot better these last couple of years. Getting Cris Collinsworth out of the booth with him with only help him. Insightful analysis.
  • Joe Buck: Stick to baseball please.
  • Cris Collinsworth: Good riddance from Fox and the booth. Won’t have to put up with you calling Packer games, or on Sunday Night Football. Thank god.
  • Michelle Tafoya & Suzy Kolber: I really enjoy both of their sideline reporting. Blows away Pam Oliver at Fox or anyone MNF had before Ms. Tafoya.
  • SNF / MNF losing Mike Patrick and Paul Maguire is a huge blow. I really, really enjoyed the way they called football games. Take out Maguire & Theisman baiting each other, and it was the best broadcast of football weekly, including the analysis and ESPN’s presentation.

ESPN Voting

ESPN held a poll yesterday around NFL hold outs and their reader’s thoughts. I thought it was fairly interesting to post the results (Man, did I get the Shaun Alexander question wrong at the bottom):

Vote: Do players have a right to hold out?

SportsNation

Thank you for voting. See below for the results from across SportsNation.

Your responses in bold text below.

1) Do you feel there is a legitimate difference between teams saving money by cutting players for performing below expectations and players holding out for more money after exceeding expectations?

53.6% Yes

46.4% No

2) Given that the average NFL career lasts just 3.2 years and NFL contracts aren’t guaranteed, what do you think about players who hold out to renegotiate a contract?

66.1% They’re being selfish and should honor the contract they signed.

33.9% It’s a business, and they have to look out for themselves first.

3) Are there instances where you’ve supported a player holding out for a new contract?

59.9% No

40.1% Yes

4) How important do you think training camp is for rookies?

97.7% Very important

2.2% A little important

0.1% Not important at all

5) How important do you think training camp is for veteran players?

55.8% A little important

39.9% Very important

4.3% Not important at all

6) What do you think of Terrell Owens’ contract situation?

86.8% He signed a deal which made him one of the highest paid receivers, so he should play.

13.2% He earned a better deal through his performance last season.

7) What do you think of agent Drew Rosenhaus?

62.9% He’s a greedy SOB.

37.1% He’s just trying to do what’s best for his clients.

8) Which of these potential holdouts would be the biggest loss to his team?

40.1% Terrell Owens

33.9% Edgerrin James

17.1% Javon Walker

6.9% Richard Seymour

2.1% Sean Taylor

9) What do you think of Brett Favre’s criticism of Javon Walker holding out in Green Bay?

76.4% Favre is right, and as a team leader, he has an obligation to speak out and get a key player back.

23.6% Favre has always been taken care of; he should support a teammate trying to secure a better deal or say nothing.

10) Which of the following franchise or transition players who hasn’t signed is most likely to be a long holdout?

60.2% Shaun Alexander (Seahawks)

19.2% John Abraham (Jets)

14.1% Corey Simon (Eagles)

6.5% Bubba Franks (Packers)

Total Votes: 31,056

Favre 4-ever



100_0249, originally uploaded by silwenae.

I had mentioned some of the other Christmas presents I received this year, but this one is by far my favorite.

From my parents, an authentic Favre jersey, autographed and framed, with a pigskin matte in the frame. It’s huge, the picture doesn’t do it justice.

Now to get the basement finished so I can build my shrine to the Packers.

Super Day

The big enchilada. The game they all play for. The Super Bowl.

I love football – it’s the one sport I have a passion for. While I hate baseball, hockey is ok (if they ever play), like NBA basketball, really like NCAA basketball and would put NCAA football a step above that, it’s NFL football I make a point of seeing week in and week out.

NFL Europe, training camps, I’ll do whatever I can to get my fix during the offseason.

And today is the day that all that hard work culminates in one game for the players.

But what drives me nuts about the Super Bowl is some of the hype (not all, but some). 8 hours of pre-game – 8 hours? Really? And after Janet Jackson last year, this year’s focus on being “tame” – and it’s just ridiculous. So it’s okay to have an erectile disfunction ad, but yet Fox changes the name of the Best Damn Sports Show to the Best Darned Sportshow? It’s ok for Mike Ditka to tell me about limp dicks but Fox yanks Mickey Rooney’s ass in a commercial spoof?

All ranting aside, here’s hoping to a close game like last year, some decent commercials, and good friends and food to watch the game with. (And go Pats!)

Mmmm, football

Good football weekend. After the disappointing Wild Card weekend, the top 4 seeds in both conferences advanced this weekend to the Conference Championships.

How must Doug Brien of the Jets be feeling this weekend? To win in overtime in the Wild Card, to missing two in the Divisional game versus the best team in football? The Jets kept pace all game, with Big Ben having one of his worst performances of the year. To doink the crossbar, and then wide left, Brien must be kicking himself (pun intended).

I didn’t expect the Falcons to manhandle the Rams as much as they did. I’m not a big Vick believer, but his escapability in the pocket was amazing. To think Donatell got canned in Green Bay and had such success in Atlanta. Sure, the head coach is a former defensive coordinator as well, but based on Green Bay’s performance this year defensively, I have a hard time blaming the defensive coordinator.

The Eagles game wasn’t a surprise at all, that game went as expected. The Pats – Colts game on the other hand was. I was hoping the Pats would win, and with the field conditions I held out hope. But to utterly dominate the Colts high powered offense with the injuries the Pats have on defense, was quite a surprise. Dillon ran hard, and three of the Pats scoring drives (FG, TD, TD) each averaged 8 minute drives. When you can keep Manning off the field like that, you’ll win.

Two more weekends of football, and then the long dark time until late summer.

Good Sports Weekend

Badgers & Packers both win big this weekend.

With the exception of 2 minutes in the 2nd half, the Badgers were dominating, even with 3 defensive starters out.

Packers looked simply awesome (where have they been all year?!) – Grady Jackson was back stuffing the run and knocking down a pass, the secondary looked good, and the offense looked awesome. Go Go Javon and Ahman!

Badgers are off this weekend, and the Packers are at the Redskins. I need to look in to that whole superstition about the Redskins and Presidential picks, and make sure the Packers get to win.