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  • 1 min read

ESPN.com – NBA – Stein: Spree, Sam sulk season away

ESPN.com – NBA – Stein: Spree, Sam sulk season away. Marc Stein is a wise man – and he’s absolutely right. In light of Flip’s firing today, I point you to this analysis that all T-wolves fans should be thankful that Spree rejected the Timberwolves contract extension offer (3 years, $21 meelion) and haven’t signed Sam to one.

I agree with his analysis that Sam & Spree are far more to blame for the lethargy of the team than Flip. Sure, Flip has given KG some latitude, and Flip’s bizaare substitions were questionable, but at least Flip was doing something to inject energy into the team.

It will be interesting to see McHale coach the team – something he’s never done, but there is no questioning his breadth or knowledge of the game.

Here’s to a better second half.

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.

Is the Sherman era over?

Will tomorrow be the day Mike Sherman loses his GM responsibilities?

Will he be able to transition to “just” being a coach?

Will he be happy if he doesn’t get a contract extension as he enters the final year of his contract next year?

Will he even be our coach after next season?

I guess we’ll find out some of these answers tomorrow! Change is good. We don’t need more disappointment from the Packers. Sherman’s record is amazing, but his lack of success in the postseason is very disturbing. I don’t question his drive, his motivation and his will to win. But when is it too much for one person? It will take change to get to the next level, so change is good.

  • in Sports
  • 1 min read

ESPN's Daily Quickie

If you don’t read ESPN’s Daily Quick on Page 2, you should.

One editor’s opinions about the previous day’s sports activities. While there is a lot of bandwagon hopping on and off certain trends, Dan Shakoff provides insight and opinions that’s worth the 5 minute read daily. (See University of Wisconsin: highlights potential upset for Northwestern Friday, today’s he’s hopping on the Badger bandwagon for a BCS championship bid).

Tomorrow: Tuesday Morning QB on NFL.com.

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.

Long Day Ahead

It’s going to be a long day today. I’ve already received a hard time about the Packers loss yesterday… I even subjected myself to KFAN this morning on the way in to hear them laugh long and hard at the Pack.

I’m not a big fan of Fox’s first team broadcasting group of Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Cris Collinsworth, but I thought they were absolutely right when they were saying that the Packers’ offense is still searching for an identity. After running the ball and stuffing it down the Panthers throat in Week 1, they haven’t stuck with their gameplan week after week.

I was surprised this morning to see Pederson on the injury list on ESPN. I had thought, as did the announcers, that Nall had entered the game because he had the stronger arm for the hail mary at the end of the game. Here’s to hoping that Favre is back next week.

Gunfight at the OK Corral

I turned the Packer game on a few minutes late yesterday. I was thinking that DirecTV would blackout the Packer game as it was the game of the week on Fox, and Fox was still showing the Vikings-Bears game that was running late. So I change the TiVo to the Packer game (after watching the Chiefs lose) and lo, and behold, the Packer game is on Sunday Ticket (much less ranting to be had than last year).

3 minutes into the game, and I’ve already missed a Manning TD. Thinking to myself, hmm, they must have had a kick return for a TD… as I watch Favre air it out to Javon Walker for a TD strike. Back from commercials, I see Manning has already thrown one as Favre matches him, and again it happens – Manning TD, Favre matches him, 14-14 first quarter.

And they were just getting warmed up. 22 straight passes by Manning before Edge even touched the ball. Packers blitzing, blitzing, blizting… defensive doesn’t adjust once in the first half as they continue to play a base 4-3 as they blitz and Manning continues to pick them apart. 1st half ends, Colts have 35 points, all Manning TDs.

Second half starts, what’s this? Packers are in a dime! They adjusted their defensive scheme! Driver continues to drop balls with a few catches, Walker remains hot, Ferguson is non-factor on offense with his injury, but has an great kick return. Packers are trying to slow down the tempo a bit, offense and defense seem to be working. Holding Manning and Co. to 3 points so far.

And then Javon Walker is stripped at mid-field. Colts DB has been lit up by Favre all day, and he makes the play of the game on a beautiful, text-book rip-it-out-of-your-arms strip. Manning walks them down the field, some confusion to get to 2 minutes, Packers burning time outs. TD Edge. Game over.

At one point, early in the game, I had looked at Kelly and said I didn’t think the Packers would be able to keep up. I was pleasantly surprised in the second half to watch them methodically work their game to get back in it. Alas, it was all for naught, but it was an entertaining football game as losses go. I would rather watch that than the self-implosion I saw versus the Bears.