Toe Meets Leather

Super Bowl XLV Guarantee: The Team with Yellow Pants Will Win

2011-02-05T14:51:00.001-05:00

Yes, the color of both teams’ pants is yellow. I don’t care if they call yellow, gold. The New Orleans Saints wear gold.

At least it is not Oregon Duck bright yellow. The Green Bay Packers’ shade is close to mustard yellow.

I like both uniforms, especially the helmets, symbolizing an NFL consistency of two storied franchises over several decades.

So the “G” on the Packers helmet stands for “Greatness” and not “Green Bay?”

The Steelers are so focused on football, they only have time for a helmet emblem on one side.

In this matchup between two storied franchises, the Steelers will be seeking their record seventh Super Bowl win, and the Packers their fourth.

Throw out the one time when quarterback Neil O’Donnell was involved, and the Steelers are 6-0 in the NFL championship game.

Of all Super Bowls, this year’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers, offers no obvious logical and definitive selection to win the game.

There is no favorite and there is no underdog.

We can develop many cases and reasons why each team will win.

If I’m not mistaken, technically, the Packers are 2 1/2 point favorites to win.

If I’m not mistaken, the Steelers won the “official” Madden NFL 11 version and prediction of Super Bowl XLV.

I hear talk about the Steelers’ being much more Super Bowl-experienced.

That may matter in terms of ordering tickets for family and friends and dealing with the distractions at the Super Bow site.

Maybe, the more inexperienced team has more pregame jitters – or maybe not.

That is also not a relevant factor.

After the kickoff and a couple of hard hits, throw Super Bowl experience out the window.

Didn’t we just witness this a year ago when the New Orleans Saints “upset” the Indianapolis Colts.

Remember when the New England Patriots went “18 and oh-oh” were defeated by the New York Giants?

**it happens.

That is why they play the game.

This Super Bowl is unique and different for me – there is no very logical favorite to pick.

Will the Steelers win ring No. 7 out of 8 visits or will the Packers bring home the trophy named after their legendary coach, giving them 4 rings out of 5 trips?

With the ice storm and snow in Dallas this week, if the Packers prevail, will their fans call this game “Ice Bowl II?”

I doubt it, but I like the joke.

WTF? Did the Dallas area local governments spread sand, which improves traction, rather than salt, which lowers water’s freezing point so it stays liquid longer?

Even in the great state of North Carolina, salt is used to pretreat highways and roads before a snow or ice storm arrives.

On the serious side, I pray that the people injured from the falling ice from the dome are feeling well and recover a.s.a.p.

I heard on sports talk radio that this ice storm has cost the Dallas area a little over $100 million of their expected revenue from the Super Bowl.

You know – cancelled golf events, less shopping at malls, cancelled air flights, etc.

Thankfully, this weather should have no effect on the game itself.

Green Bay's offense is led by 6'2", 225 lb. QB Aaron Rodgers, who is both very accurate and reasonably mobile in the pocket. He is protected by a solid offensive line and has several talented receivers to throw to.

The Packers run game is a little suspect, but rookie James Starks has gotten the job done when they have called his number throughout the playoffs.

Defense is where the Packers really shine, and their aggressive shut-down cornerbacks allow the LBs and defensive line to really focus on stopping the run and getting to the opposing quarterback.

A lot of credit for the Packer's success this season has goes to head coach Mike McCarthy. Mike McCarthy a tough task because the Packers placed 15 players on injured reserve this season. FIFTEEN!

The Steelers are led on offense by Big Ben Roethlisberger, at 6'5" and 245 lbs.

Roethlisberger was suspended for the first four games this year, but his numbers were very impressive in the last 12 regular season games, where he threw 17 TDs and had only 5 interceptions.

Coach Mike Tomlin hopes that Big Ben does not have to throw the ball too much, as the Steelers offensive game plan is run first, pass second.

The Steelers are a little thin at WR, but they have a solid offensive line and a big, bruising running back in Rashard Mendenhall.

Both defenses are so very similar with 3-4 schemes and with players who can rush the quarterback, make solid open field tackles, and cover wide receivers tightly.

The fact that Ben Roethlisberger consistently find ways to help his team win, along with my opinion that the Steelers have the league’s best defense, tilts this matchup towards Pittsburgh.

However, I have the upmost respect for the Packers defense as well. They are the main reason Green Bay beat the Bears for the NFC Title.

Perhaps the Steeler’s secondary is more vulnerable.

I expect the Packers’ offense to spread their attack out with 4 and 5 wide receiver sets.

After two weeks of studying game tape and preparation, I expect Green Bay’s quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, to read the Steel Curtain’s zone blitz and make accurate passes in the climate-controlled environment of the dome (the roof will be closed) in Dallas.

When Rodgers took a helmet to helmet shot from Julius Peppers in the NFC Championship Game, he was not the same.

If James Harrison or one of the other Pittsburgh defenders get to him and he takes a helmet or forearm in the helmet, it would change the game and Pittsburgh would gain advantage.

If Rodgers has time, he produces points – advantage Green Bay.

The Steelers will have a tough time matching up against Rodgers and the Packers’ rotation of receivers, but they have played teams better in every other phase of the game and came out ahead.

The Packers, in contrast, have not seen an opponent in the playoffs with as good a front seven as Pittsburgh’s, with all due respect to the Chicago Bears defensive front seven.

If they can manage to get pressure on Rodgers and hurry him more than they had on any other team these playoffs, the Steelers will have a good chance to end some Packers drives very quickly, and give the ball back to Roethlisberger and their methodical offense.

The Steelers almost always find a way to win a Super Bowl. They are the most successful NFL franchise in the Super Bowl era.

A Pittsburgh victory would give Mike Tomlin, only the third Steelers’ coach since 1969, two titles in his first four seasons as head coach, tying Joe Gibbs' achievement with the Washington Redskins.

Does a third Super Bowl trophy in six years make this Pittsburgh team a dynasty?

It does not matter and the Steelers do not care. They just want to win.

But are the Packers a team “more hungry” for this particular win?

This game is almost a perfect matchup.

Roethlisberger has a veteran advantage, having won two Super Bowls in the past.

However, Rodgers is sure to utilize his skills as a long passer to pick apart the Steelers’ defense.

It will likely be both a close, hard-hitting battle with the Steelers showing how they can run the ball and the Packers showing how they can throw the ball.

This game is so complex and difficult to prognostic due to unexpected surprises and developments in this game – including turnovers, field position, significant special teams plays, penalties, and other referee decisions (spotting the ball, reviews, etc.).

I like and respect both teams. Both have great NFL traditions and legends.

Both franchises have excellent fans, although the Steeler Nation travels better.

I’m rooting for the Steelers, but a Packers victory would also be great to witness.

Don’t you just love wacky, creative predictions for the Super Bowl?

Cody, a coati, at the Fort Worth Zoo picks a Green Bay Packers football over a Pittsburgh Steelers football as he picked the Super Bowl champion at the Fort Worth, Texas, on January 25, 2011.

The footballs were filled with night crawlers, grapes and berries, but the coati, a Texas native, only picked the treats from the NFC team.

One New York marketing firm projects the Steelers a heavy favorite based on a higher number of web searches for team merchandise, a method it says has held true the last two years.

Regardless of any prognostications and predictions, I can guarantee that the team with yellow/gold pants will win.

That is my lock of the week.

Enjoy the game!

Are you ready for some football?

The Super Bowl XLV Teams Will Be…….

2011-01-21T19:48:00.001-05:00

Super Bowl XLV, or 45 for those of us who may be Roman numeral deficient, will be held in North Texas at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in approximately two weeks,

The two Super Bowl XLV teams will be the two winners of Sunday’s conference championship contests.

Each winner will be the team who scores the most points.

Oh, duh!

Both games, potential tossups, can easily go either way.

By experience, logic, and talent, Pittsburgh appears to be in position again to add to their stuffed Super Bowl trophy case.

The Steelers have been there and done that over and over.

For a record 15th time since 1970, Pittsburgh will play in the AFC Championship Game. However, the Steelers are a mediocre 7-7 in their conference title contests.

It also marks the Steelers' 28th home playoff game, the most among all teams in the Super Bowl era (since 1966), surpassing the Dallas Cowboys (27).

With a win, the Steelers will tie the Dallas Cowboys (33) for the most postseason wins in NFL history.

A victory would also give Pittsburgh its 20th home playoff victory, breaking a tie with Dallas and Oakland (19) for the most such wins all-time.

Many prognosticators, include yours-truly did not envision the New York Jets defeating (not upsetting – it was really not an upset in retrospect) the almighty New England Patriots.

The Jets earned my respect, but did they earn my pick this week?

To quote Bart Scott: “CAN’T WAIT!”

But unlike Scott’s assessment of the New England Patriots’ defense, the Steelers’ Steel Curtain can “stop a nosebleed” and much, much more.

NYJ has earned their way to the AFC Championship game for the second consecutive season. What an awesome start by Coach Rex Ryan and sophomore quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Let’s explore a most interesting “factoid.”

Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Cassel, Carson Palmer, Matt Schaub, Jay Cutler, Tony Romo, Josh Freeman, Alex Smith, Matthew Stafford, and Sam Bradford.

There is a significant range of talent, experience, and production among this group of NFL quarterbacks.

But would you believe that the Jets' Mark Sanchez now has as many playoff victories as those other quarterbacks combined?

There are not that many quarterbacks in the modern day NFL who have led their clubs to the conference championship game in their first two seasons.

One of the most notable exceptions, of course, is Ben Roethlisberger, who happens to be the opposing quarterback in this game.

Ryan has developed defensive schemes to defeat Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in consecutive week – a remarkable accomplishment.

However, Ben Roethlisberger is a different kind of quarterback: big, strong, and very apt at extending plays and creating plays outside of the pocket. finding ways to win.

The last time they met Troy Polamalu didn’t play and that was the difference maker for that Jets victory.

When Polamalu is in, the Steelers are a signicantly improved different team. It is rare to observe a defensive player who is so great, his performance assists the offense as well as the defense.

Ploamalu will play Sunday and the Jets Super Bowl hopes may end in Pittsburgh.

Then again – maybe not. “Can’t wait!”

Could we really ask for a better NFC Championship match up?

Green Bay Packers at the Chicago Bears, the longest standing rivalry in the NFL, face off for a berth in the Super Bowl.

In the nearly 90 years these two have been rivals, the Bears hold the edge in the series with an all-time record of 92-83-6.

Remarkably, despite the longevity of these franchises, they have only met once in the playoffs.

Exactly one week after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Bears defeated the Packers 33-14.

Almost 70 years later, I expect this matchup to be closer.

How historical are these franchises? The NFC champion receives the George Halas trophy (named for the legendary Bears owner) and moves on to the Super Bowl, where the winner will hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy (named for the legendary Packers coach).

Despite all of their injuries, the Green Bay Packers have earned their reputation as the NFC trendy pick to participate in the Super Bowl.

Aaron Rodgers is currently the hottest and highest performing quarterback in this current post season.

Ironically, the Bear’s sloppy field may slow down their defenders’ pass rush and buy the Packers quarterback, Rodgers, more time to throw.

The Untouchables? Time will tell.

This just in: Green Bay’s defense isn’t that bad either.

Speaking of great defenses, the Chicago Bears, not the Jets, have emerged as the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL – they get no respect.

The NFC’s #6 seed, the Packers, are approximately three-point favorites to defeat their hated NFC North rivals, the Chicago Bears, who are hosting this historic, instant classic at home as the conference’s #2 seed.

The Bears have the NFL’s fourth-ranked defense and second-best rushing defense.

Chicago won their division. Nevertheless, the Bears are underdogs on their manicured, sloppy home turf against the team they edged for the NFC North crown.

It is difficult for me to accurately gage and pick this game, as their playoff opponents – the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, and Seattle Seahawks, respectively, were not exactly at their best and forgot to bring their A-games.

Aaron Rodgers is better than Jay Cutler, at least by a touch pass.

Who will get more sacks – Clay Matthews or Julius Peppers?

I will go along with the “experts” and select Green Bay to defeat Chicago, 23-20.

I also cannot go against the Steelers at home – and why not – also by a 23-20 final score over the Jets.

Speaking of forecasts, Pittsburgh's game-day forecast is a high of 19, a low of 9, and Chicago's game-day forecast is a high of 23, a low of 18 with a chance of snow.

NFL Divisional Playoffs Preview: The Agony of De-Feet

2011-01-15T14:44:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the best weekend of quality NFL football!

To paraphrase Wes Welker, you have to be on your toes and put your best foot forward in the one loss/you’re done NFL post season tournament.

Each divisional round matchup is a rematch of a regular season game.

The AFC has two trilogies, as the Steelers-Ravens and Jets-Patriots play for the third time.

In the NFC, the Falcons-Packers and Bears-Seahawks will play for a second time.

This weekend’s NFL playoffs offer a menu of intriguing matchups. For me, the best two matchups are the Saturday Games. They are both tossups, so flip the coin!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

The NFC North Trilogy: Defense Rules – 4:30 P.M., CBS

The Ravens-Steelers rivalry is without a doubt the best matchups in the NFL because of the frequent, hard physical hits on the field and the animosity between the two teams.

Based on the number of wins, Pittsburgh appears to have “dominated” their series with Baltimore. However, in 17 meetings since 2003, the teams have each scored 302 points.

They split this season’s series, with each road team winning. Now game three to compete the trilogy.

If quarterback play will decide today’s game, then this factor tilts towards Ben Roethlisberger and his Pittsburgh Steelers.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has a short history of having playoff jitters when facing a top NFL defense in post season.

However, in addition to his solid running attack, Flacco’s wide receiver group was upgraded this season, with Anquan Boldin as the major force.

This post season may one of Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis’ final opportunities to win another Super Bowl.

My logic says that the Ravens are overdue to defeat the Steelers in the playoffs. My logic is not always correct.

Big Ben is a Super Bowl ring collector.

The playoff game is being played in Pittsburgh, where the Ravens are 2-9, including the 2009 AFC title game.

Pittsburgh 17, Baltimore 16

The NFC Rematch: The Best Game of the Weekend – 8:00 P.M., Fox

The winner of this game probably goes to the Super Bowl, with all due respect to the Chicago Bears.

This is the most difficult game of the weekend for me to pick. The Green Bay Packers are the trendy pick.

A meaningless statistic: Falcons have beaten the Packers in four of six previous meanings.

A meaningful play: A big kickoff return by Eric Weems helped set the Falcons up for the winning field goal in a 20-17 Week 12 victory.

Special teams may develop to become the difference in the outcome again today.

Did you know that both quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan ended the season tied in the number of touchdown passes at 28?

I give the Packers the edge in passing offense but the Falcons have the advantage in a rushing offense and therefore, a balanced attack.

Green Bay also has the edge in terms of this season’s defensive statistics.

The Packers arrive in Atlanta with a lot of confidence after a dominating victory in Philadelphia over the Eagles.

The Falcons are healthy, rested after a bye week, and have a home-dome advantage, especially for a night-time playoff game.

If Jon Abraham can knock Aaron Rodgers early and often and if the Falcons and jump start off with a big, early lead, Atlanta will win.

If the Packers defense forces the Falcons offense into one-dimensional passing, to match the Aaron Rodgers highlights, then Green Bay will taste victory.

I think that turnovers, referee calls and ball spots, perhaps even the lucky bounce of the ball, but most of all – special teams – will tilt this tight contest towards the Falcons way.

The Packers are more talented, but the Falcons are a lucky team this season and are talented enough to win, especially at home.

But Atlanta does not depend on luck – they are a team of poise and resourcefulness,

And with almost the entire world of prognosticators picking the Packers, the Falcons will show up Saturday night with a chip on their shoulders, feeling disrespected as a number one seed.

Tony Gonzalez finally gets his first post season win.

Like the Arizona Cardinals two years ago and the New Orleans Saints one season ago, I believe that this is simply Atlanta’s time to make it to the Super Bowl, for their second visit in franchise history.

Atlanta 27, Green Bay 24

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Another NFC Rematch: A Lock for the Bears? – 1:00 P.M., Fox

Is any real pregame analysis needed for today’s Bears-Seahawks matchup?

Will the NFC’s number 2 seed, at home, be defeated by a squad that won it’s weak division with a 7-9 record?

Isn’t this game the lock and guarantee of the weekend?

Whoa!

Isn’t this Jay Cutler’s first playoff game since high school?

Why do they play the game?

Didn’t the underdogs, Seattle Seahawks soundly defeated, if not dominated, the defending Super Bowl Champions, the New Orleans Saints?

Does a previous regular season matchup in Chicago, won 23-20 by Seattle by the way, have any bearing on today’s game?

Yes, this 7-9 team is 1-0 versus the Bears this season and more importantly, 1-0 in this post season.

However, Chicago knows very well of Seattle’s capabilities of pulling off another upset.

Besides, Seattle’s win over Chicago was in week six, in October.

Championships are won in January and in recent seasons – February in the Super Bowl.

The Bears defense knows about and respects running back Marshawn Lynch.

Matt Hasslebeck will early and often see the face of and feel pain from the hits of the beast who wears Bears jersey number 90, a rested Julius Peppers.

Chicago defense dominates and Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz will call a brilliant, high percentage pass/rushing balanced attack game, limiting quarterback Jay Cutler’s possible turnovers.

Seattle has not won a road playoff game in 27 years. Seattle has lost all seven of its road playoff games since winning its first one, 27-20 over Miami on Dec. 31, 1983.

If you like games that are clinics and controlled scrimmages, then this game is for you.

Chicago 30, Seattle 13.

The AFC East Trilogy: The Agony of De-Feet – 4:30 P.M., CBS

I vow to put my best foot forward as I analyze this matchup.

Yes, this game is personal – for both teams and for both lovers of football and feet.

It is also an opportunity for the NFL speech-police to – “ka-ching!” – assert fines and collect more revenue during post-season before a potential lockout in 2011.

In a different story and development this week – but it relates to this game because of the trash talking primarily from sources of the New York Jets - the NFL has told multiple teams the trash talk and bravado that surfaced this week was expected to stay off the field.

Thus, as a result, players' controversial comments could be taken into account in evaluating any potential disciplinary action that results from illegal hits or other banned physical acts in this weekend's playoff games.

Despite their silly football pregame theatrics, usually predictable, repeated episodes and reruns, by New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan, and some of his players, the Jets usually get dominated by New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady (who has excellent footwork mechanics by the way) and his “good little foot soldiers” when this matchup is played in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Patriots’ Coach Bill Belichick (known for his hoodie, not for feet – thank God), Brady, and company, could care less about any pregame so-called trash talk a.k.a. b.s. – because the real talking begins on the field at 4:30 Sunday afternoon.

Despite Ryan’s foot-in-mouth disease, the Jets often do more than talk-the-talk, at least on defense.

However, on Sunday, New England’s performance on the field will speak in very loud volumes, as they step on the Jets’ feet on the road to victory.

All the Jets want to do Sunday is win, even if it is only by a foot.

I know, any more Rex Ryan/foot fetish metaphors and references, you will click the dislike button.

However, I can’t outdo Pats’ wide receiver, Wes Welker’s, 11 clichéd references to Ryan’s foot fetish reports.

To pull off a second straight upset, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez will need to perform much better than in his previous two trips to Gillette Stadium, where he has one touchdown, seven interceptions, and a 30.4 passer rating

Winning in New England will be a tough task for New York.

Brady, the league MVP this season, has won 28 consecutive regular-season home starts since a loss to the Jets in 2006, and had been 8-0 at home in his postseason career before last season, when the Patriots lost 33-14 in a wild-card matchup against the Ravens.

The Patriots will de-feet the Jets, 30-24.

Oops! Click that dislike button, Jets fans.

Ron Rivera Selected as Panthers New Coach

2011-01-12T15:25:00.000-05:00

''When you get into playing you strive for one thing, that's to
be a Super Bowl champion. When you get into coaching, you strive to be a Super
Bowl-winning head coach. That's what my goal is.''

On Tuesday January 11, 2011, Ron Rivera was named the fourth
head coach of the Carolina Panthers.

He is the second Latino to be an NFL head coach, the first being
former Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks coach Tom Flores.

Panthers owner Jerry Richardson said Rivera’s background as a
player helped him get the job. Richardson is the only owner that was also a
player in the NFL.

It took a while. Rivera interviewed for eight head coaching jobs
in six years. He said that experience helped when the Panthers
called.

''I'm excited for Ron,'' Chargers coach Norv Turner said. ''He
has aspired to be an NFL head coach and I expect him to do an outstanding
job.

Rivera was a linebacker on the 1985 Chicago Bears, who won Super
Bowl XX.

Rivera was the defensive coordinator for the 2006 Chicago Bears,
who won the National Football Conference championship and competed in Super Bowl
XLI.

He was the defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers,
with San Diego ranking tops in the NFL in total defense and pass defense this
season, prior to being named coach of the Panthers.

Rivera learned under coaches who favor aggressive defensive
philosophies, such as Buddy Ryan, Jim Johnson, and Lovie Smith. He used to
utilize the 4-3 defensive scheme, but adopted a 3-4 defense in San
Diego.

At his Carolina Panthers press conference, Rivera said he plans
to use the “attacking style” 4-3 defense to match the talent of the Panthers
along with elements of the 3-4 scheme.

Rivera will get help from G.M. Marty Hurney filling out his
staff. Chargers tight end coach Rob Chudzinski and Marc Trestman have been
mentioned as possibilities for the offensive coordinator job.

In general, Rivera liked the Panthers roster. He liked the
offensive line, running backs, wide receivers, and “tight end by
committee.”

He said he wanted to meet Steve Smith soon, and he was
impressed by rookie wide receivers David Gettis and Brandon LaFell.

Rivera said figuring out the quarterback situation is a top
priority.

Rivera sounded noncommittal about quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

''Look forward to meeting him and getting to work,'' Clausen
wrote on Twitter.

It’s an understatement to say that Rivera has his work cut out.
He was all nonsense, business like at his press conference.

Rivera inherits a 2-14 team that consistently showed
inexperience, questionable personnel decisions, and questionable talent.

It led to a sloppy end of Fox's nine-year run in which he
clashed with management over the team’s direction.

Morrison said Rivera received a four-year deal with no option
year. ESPN reported it's worth $11.2 million, far less than Fox's last deal that
paid him more than $6 million this season.

Rivera talked of playing an aggressive defense and making a
franchise that's never had consecutive winning seasons consistently
good.

Thank You, Coach John Fox

2010-12-31T14:13:00.000-05:00

The word expires describes the coaching tenure of John Fox since he was denied a contract extension in 2008.

John Fox has been a player-friendly coach at Carolina, earning the respect and love of almost all professionals who have played for him, as well as opposing coaches and players.

In general, Fox enjoyed good rapport with the fans.

Until his contract extension was denied in 2008, Coach Fox was close and friendly with the owner and the front office personnel.

Panthers’ owner Jerry Richardson, preparing for a potential 2011 lockout of players while a new NFL collective-bargaining agreement is being negotiated, specifically sought ways to cut costs.

With 2010 being played without a salary cap, the Panthers used the opportunity to get bad contracts off the books without penalty. They cut veterans or allowed them to walk away in order to put the team in a better position in the future.

This decision and these moves strongly displeased Fox, who has chosen to take the high road publicly in his press conferences and interviews.

He has left the Panthers somewhat better than what he inherited.

Thank you, Coach Fox.

John Fox brought the Carolina Panthers their finest seasons and brightest moments. Even Fox’s final, losing season has produced positives, mainly leaving the Panthers with the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Fox became the highest winning coach in franchise history in his almost nine seasons in Charlotte.

Under him, the Panthers totaled around 78 victories and 73 losses, made three playoff appearances, earned two NFC South titles, reached two NFC Championship games, won one NFC Championship, and played in one Super Bowl.

Fox's tenure at Carolina was inconsistent. The inconsistency is well-documented, with no consecutive winning seasons and only three post season visits.

My main issue is that the franchise's last post season win was almost five years ago (over the Chicago Bears).

Therefore, this coaching change is inevitable.

To quote Coach Fox's famous statement: "It is what it is."

John Fox comes across as a great man and a good coach. He should have not trouble with obtaining another head coaching job in the NFL.

My September Super Bowl XLV Prediction

2010-09-12T13:01:00.001-04:00

Super Bowl XLV? That is Super 45 for those of us who are Roman numerals deficient.

Playoffs? I’m going to talk about playoffs? Playoffs!!!!!!!!!

A year ago, I predicted a New England Patriots victory over the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl 44. At the time, the Saints seemed to be a far-fetched pick to even make the Super Bowl.

But I knew about Drew Brees and the Saints high points producing offense. I just figured if they could manufacture just an average defense and gain home field playoff advantage (which they did), they could slip into the Super Bowl.

As we know very well, New Orleans shocked the Indianapolis Colts and the world.

Who do I think will appear in Super Bowl 45? Do my or anyone else’s predictions matter? No, but they are still fun entertainment and amusement.

First, I mostly ignore preseason – especially the results. Sometimes, an individual performance may cause me to take note in preseason, but offenses and defenses are vanilla, and the starters usually play for only one quarter to one half.

I look at a host of factors: how a team performed at the end of the previous season, off season acquisitions and losses, strength of schedule, the quality of the coaching staff, off-field drama and stories, etc.

I also ask myself what does a particular team need to do or fix to upgrade their performances to the highest level? Does a team need to improve their defense? Does a squad have offensive line issues?

The most difficult thing to foresee and account for, of course, is the injury factor. If a team loses it’s starting quarterback, for example, that is virtually automatic elimination. But if it is an offensive guard or a linebacker, most teams are able to adjust and keep on winning.

Like every season, the 2010-11 NFL campaign has several intriguing stories and post season possibilities.

Can we rule out any team? While there is no guarantees in life except death and taxes, I will rule out teams such as the St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and Detroit Lions.

Along with those, there are some teams I won’t rule out but neither do I expect them to make this post season for a variety of reasons: Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, and painfully, my Carolina Panthers. But any of these teams may prove me wrong and earn wild card births.

The Cardinals lost QB Kurt Warner, the Broncos lost WR Brandon Marshall, and the Dolphins offense is not productive.

My Panthers are running a youth movement in order for the ownership to prepare and survive a potential 2011 NFL season lockout. But I am excited about my “The Young and the Restless,” Carolina Panthers.

Our defensive line is quicker, producing a lot of sacks in the preseason (sorry, that is all I can go by), and while our offense took a vacation in August, we know about QB Matt Moore, out dynamic duo RBs, and the third best WR in the league, Steve Smith. Moore uses his tight ends and spreads the ball around better than Jake Delhomme did.

So which teams does this leave us?

In the AFC, we have the Patriots, Jets, Colts, Titans, Texans, Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, and Chargers.

In the NFC, we have the Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Saints, Falcons, Packers, Vikings, Bears, and 49ers.

For this article, I am considering Super Bowl teams potentially, not predicting exact playoff spots.

Who are my final fours per conference? Chargers, Colts, Patriots, and Ravens in the AFC, and Cowboys, Falcons, Packers, and Vikings in the NFC.

In my opinion, the San Francisco 49rs are a couple of years away from being considered a Super Bowl possibility, as they learn how to produce enough offense and how to win in the post season.

The Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans are solid teams, but they reside in the same division as Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.

A similar situation exists for the Bears, who annually have to out duel both the Vikings and Packers.

The Jets have a real defenses but their offense does not produce enough points for them to go deep in the playoffs.

The Steelers are dealing with their Ben Roethlisberger and other offense issues, but their defense will carry the team – but how far?

The Bengals will be entertaining to watch with the T.O. and Ochocinco show with Carson Palmer, but it will take the defense and running game to be successful for Cincinnati to win in the post season.

The Eagles QB Kolb does not take care of the ball well and he will lead to their demise. The Giants offensive line is inconsistent and at times, New York simply underachieves.

Every team on the New Orleans Saints schedule will treat the matchup as a measure of their own Super Bowl potential. The Saints should not catch any team “flat” but the opposite – playing above their heads.

Are the Patriots finally under the radar this season? If so, they will work it to their advantage.

If the Colts face the Chargers, they will be eliminated. If San Diego draws New England, they will lose in the playoffs.

If there is a New England-Baltimore AFC Championship game matchup, the Ravens will win, if QB Joe Flacco overcomes his post season jitters.

In the NFC, both the Packers and the Cowboys are chic picks in the media to get to the Super Bowl. For Dallas, the Super Bowl would be a truly home game since it will be held in their stadium.

The Minnesota Vikings will go as far as Brett Favre will take them. I don’t expect Favre to enjoy the same regular season success he had in 2009. It’s very difficult to duplicate that quality of a season at any age, much less at age 41.

Despite his annual off field drama and recent avoidances of preseason camp, Favre has proven himself as a tough iron man with his NFL record, consecutive starting streak and owning several league career passing records.

Minnesota has a tougher road schedule than they did last season.

For both Green Bay and Atlanta, the defenses will have to become real and become consistently good, for either team to go deep in post season.

The Dallas Cowboys tend to ultimately underachieve in the post season, but they have a well-balanced team.

My AFC choice for the upcoming Super Bowl is the Baltimore Ravens. With their great defense, along with the best off season acquisitions at WR – Anquan Boldin and T.J. Housmandzadeh, and a more playoff confident quarterback in Flacco, the Ravens appeared to be poised in position for a title run.

My NFC pick is more difficult because the most talented team does not always make or win the Super Bowl. The Saints, Packers, and Cowboys seem to be most logical.

So I will pick the Atlanta Falcons as the NFL Cinderella story for 2010 (like the Saints in 2009 and the Cardinals in 2008). RB Mike Turner will have a healthy season, QB Matt Ryan has good WRs and perhaps the best TE in NFL history in Tony Gonzalez.

Like the Saint of 2009, these Falcons will produce just enough quality defense, especially with turnovers, to propel the franchise to their second Super Bowl visit.

Super Bowl 45 will feature two of the best young NFL quarterbacks from the same draft: Flacco versus Ryan. Defense wins championships.

In Super Bowl XLV, the Ravens will prevail over the surprising Falcons, 26-20, for their franchise’s second Vince Lombardi Trophy, frustrating not only Falcons’ fans, but the Cleveland Browns’ fans, who lost this franchise and were force to settle for a new one with the old name.

By January 2011, I will probably regret and laugh at this article. But I thought the same thing a year ago when I mentioned the Saints.

Have a funtastic 2010 NFL season!

UGA’s Impressive 55-7 Victory Over the Rajun Cajuns

2010-09-05T14:08:00.001-04:00

Georgia had its largest margin of victory in any game since the 1998 opener, a 56-3 win over Kent State.

Despite the absence of top receiver A.J. Green, Georgia Bulldogs quarterback, Aaron Murray, passed for three touchdowns and ran for another in leading No. 23 Georgia to a 55-7 victory over the Louisiana-Lafayette Rajun Cajuns on Saturday.

Murray was mobile , accurate, and poised.

After some opening game jitters, the Bulldogs steamrolled their opponent.

Murray ran four times for 41 yards. On a 16-yard run down the right sideline near the end of the first half, he reached out to hold the ball inside the front pylon for a 31-7 halftime lead.

I know that Coach Mark Richt was concerned about Murray running like that versus SEC competition and getting hurt, and Richt’s analysis and opinion is much more highly qualified than mine, but I thought Murray made the right decision for the particular situation and opponent, as he ran purposefully, not randomly.

Georgia unveiled its 3-4 setup under new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and had three sacks for minus-18 yards and nine tackles for minus-26 yards.

The Bulldogs new 3-4 defense was quick and nasty. It was great to witness both Grantham and the defensive players play with intensity, aggressiveness, and enthusiasm.

UGA’s defense reacted to the ball very well as evidenced by their relentless pursuit of the ball and gang tackling.

The defense forced three interceptions , more than the Bulldogs had in any game last season, including one returned 17 yards for a touchdown by safety Jakar Hamilton.

My initial analysis of UGA’s new defense is that it’s a NFL-caliber type of defense, not in terms of talent, but in terms of scheme, philosophy, and coaching. I thought Georgia deployed purposeful, timely blitzes very well.

Junior placekicker Blair Walsh booted a 52-yard field goal in the second quarter to give Georgia a 17-0 lead. Walsh is now 7-for-11 from 50+ yards in his career. His career long of 53 came in last year’s season opener at #9 Oklahoma State. He connected for his second field goal of the game, a 48 yarder, early in the second quarter. Walsh is now 11-of-12 in his career from 40-49 yards.

Drew Butler had a 46.7-yard average per punt with three inside the 20 and two touchbacks.

But Georgia gave up a 46-yard return on the opening kickoff. The Bulldogs also gave Louisiana-Lafayette a free first down by running into the punter.

Branden Smith became the first Bulldog to start on three different units since Champ Bailey did it 12 years ago. Smith took the first snap on offense, defense, and on special teams in the Bulldogs' 55-7 win against Louisiana-Lafayette at Sanford Stadium.

Hutson Mason threw a 26-yard touchdown to Logan Gray to become one of the few players in NCAA FBS Subdivision history to throw a touchdown on the first attempt of their career.

It was also Gray's first touchdown reception of his career. The NCAA has only recorded eight instances when a player threw a touchdown pass on his first attempt. The first instance was Oklahoma running back Steve Owens in 1968. The last time was Oklahoma State's Keith Toston in the Cotton Bowl last January.

Both Murray and Mason came across to me as better quarterbacks than Joe Cox. Oops.

The Bulldogs got everything they wanted from an opener of which Green, Washaun Ealey, and Tavarres King did not play.

Technorati Tags: Georgia Bulldogs

Green, a junior All-Southeastern Conference first-team selection last year, observed the game from the sidelines as Georgia waits on an NCAA ruling to clarify his playing status.

The Bulldogs did not announce that Green would miss the game until a few hours before kickoff. The NCAA is investigating if he was one of several players from different schools to attend a party hosted by a sports agent in Miami. Green said he has never been to Miami.

Georgia (1-0, 0-0 SEC) travels to Columbia, S.C., to face South Carolina (1-0, 0-0) on Saturday, Sept. 11 at noon on ESPN. The Gamecocks downed Southern Mississippi 41-13 in Columbia on Thursday night. Georgia leads the all-time series 46-14-2 and has won seven of the last nine games.

After being tested by tougher SEC competition, I will revisit my analysis. However, Steve Spurrier’s offense next week will provide our first authentic test. What is Spurrier’s coaching record or history versus 3-4 defenses?

College Expansion Updates

2010-06-13T16:21:00.001-04:00

Media sources, including Sporting News, a Texas A&M radio host and blogger, and Jackson, Mississippi TV station WJTV, are reporting that Mike Slive, the commissioner of the Southeaster Conference (SEC) was in College Station, Texas, today meeting with Texas A&M officials today (Sunday).
SI.com reported that the Texas A&M regents may take two das to decide between the Pac 10 and the SEC.
Also, Larry Scott, the commission of the Pac-10, has met today with officials from Oklahoma and Oklahoma state, respectively, probably to invite them to join the Pac-10 Conference.
Scott also has plans this weekend to meet with Texas, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M.
As of now, the Big 12 has 10 teams and the Big 10 has 12 teams.
What’s the most frequent quote found from athletic directors and college presidents? “Our choice is to keep the Big 12 Conference intact.”
Sporting News reported that the SEC will likely only expand with Texas and Texas A&M.
The Oklahoman reports that athletic directors from the remaining 10 Big 12 schools will meet tomorrow (Monday) in a final effort to save the league.
Oklahoma is reportedly still deciding whether to stay in the B12.
It’s also reported that the SEC will not invite teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), despite rumors that ACC members Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami, Clemson, and Virginia Tech are possible invitees.
Meanwhile, the Mountain West Conference reportedly has expressed interest in inviting both Kansas and their rival, Missouri, to join their conference.

Technorati Tags: college football

Quote of the Day:
The two foes of human happiness are pain and boredom.
--Arthur Schopenhauer

Luke 11:13 “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

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Reflections of the 2010 NFL Draft

2010-04-25T12:58:00.001-04:00

For me, the 2010 NFL Draft went very well – it was quickly paced, smooth, and one of the best I have witnessed.

I like the fact that the NFL draft’s first three rounds were held in prime time, making it feel more like an event that is noteworthy and is not a marathon. Rounds one and two were fun to watch.

I found it so interesting that the extended time between rounds one and two allowed more time for teams to make phone calls and attempt to make deals to move up or to move down with more picks.

While I still tune out during rounds four to seven, I still randomly checked on the NFL Network coverage (while switching to ESPN during commercial), and checking online via my PC or iPhone for updates, to review a team’s selections, etc.

My Carolina Panthers did not have a round one pick, but they stole a first round talent in QB Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame), in my humble opinion.

Clausen won’t be the savior that Mel Kiper, Jr., worships, but he has solid talent and played in a pro style offense under Coach Charlie Wise at Notre Dame. Panthers Coach John Fox is a good friend of Weiss.

Obviously, Matt Moore is not viewed by the Panthers coaches as a sure thing and my take is that competition for the QB position is a very positive thing. Having quality backs at QB is essential in a league in which injuries happen regularly.

The other Panthers’ picks are up for debate and for me, another article, since their greatest needs were WR and defensive line. Besides, Carolina will benefit by playing the 26th toughest schedule in the 2010 season.

I was surprised by the smart choices that the Oakland Raiders made this draft. They also obtained QB Jason Campbell in a trade with the Washington Redskins.

The Seattle Seahawks also drafted well but I thought that getting RBs Lendale White and Leon Washington were their most significant moves.

While the St. Louis Rams upgrade some positions with their picks, they still have a long way to go to compete for the NFC West title.

Did the Detroit Lions draft well enough to work out of their way in the NFC North cellar? Probably not.

Good luck to both QBs – Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy – with their new teams, the Denver Broncos and the Cleveland Browns.

While I think that drafting Tebow in round one is a reach, he does have all the intangibles. If McCoy learns to run the west coast offense well by making correct reads and accurate passes, he will have a long NFL career.

These are just a few of my initial thoughts and reflections about the NFL draft.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of articles on the World Wide Web, reporting and analyzing the 2010 NFL draft. Many of these articles determine the “winners” and “losers” of the draft.

For me, I compare this analysis a lot with the NCAA football signing day of high school recruits. While their past and their potential can be given an opinionated grade or evaluation, we just don’t know how well a player performs until a year, two years, or three years later.

This process is complex because the most talented drafted players are not always the best fit or match for a particular team and coaching staff.

Football is a team sport and we all know that the most talented quarterback needs quality talent on the field with him, along with solid defense, fundamental special teams performances, and a competent coaching staff to succeed in the National Football League.

The teams that assimilate their rookies into the chemistry of their teams in a manner that translates a player making the plays needed to help his team win games, especially in the post season and ultimately the Super Bowl, maximize their draft results.

Technorati Tags: 2010 NFL Draft,NFL

Quote of the Day:
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything
--Anonymous

Colossians 1:27-28 “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.”

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When the Saints Come Marching In

2010-02-14T13:54:00.001-05:00

Tracy Porter returned an interception 74 yards for the clinching touchdown to seal the deal for the New Orleans Saints, who won the first Super Bowl in their 43-year history on Sunday, February 7, 2010, by defeating the Indianapolis Colts 31-17.

Quarterback Drew Brees was named MVP. Brees was 32 of 39 for 288 yards and two touchdowns.

The Saints became the first Super Bowl winner to post three straight victories over teams led by quarterbacks who had won a Super Bowl (Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, Manning).

What a season to remember for the New Orleans Saints and their loyal fans. The Saints got off to the franchise's best start and just kept building on it.

The season started with a bang as the Saints opened with wins over Detroit, Philadelphia, Buffalo and the New York Jets.

The Saints' first significant test was supposed to come against the New York Giants in Week 6, but it turned out to be a comfortable win by a 48-27 margin in the first career game of New Orleans native Eli Manning, the MVP of Super Bowl XLII, in the Superdome.

Their miraculous week 7 win at Miami seemed to ignite the team, as the Saints rallied from being behind 24-3 to win 46-34.

The Saints' 6-0 start quickly turned into a 10-0 start to set up a big Monday Night Football showdown with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Brees smoked the Patriots for 371 yards and five touchdowns as the Saints gave a statement to the other teams the NFL with a 38-17 victory over the Pats.

New Orleans rolled to 13-0 with close wins over Washington and Atlanta. then the Saints got beat by the Dallas Cowboys, 24-17, on December 19, 2009, in a very hyped Saturday night game in the Superdome for their first loss of the season.

That game was followed by a close loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a meaningless, season ending loss to the Carolina Panthers, when the Saints rested most of their starters.

However, the slump to end the season certainly did not carry over into the playoffs, as the Saints soundly defeated Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs, 45-1.

A week later, the Saints got a 40-yard field goal by Garrett Hartley in overtime to beat the Minnesota Vikings, 31-28, in the NFC Championship game.

In Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, the Saints trailed the Colts 10-0 in the first quarter, but eventually rallied to a 31-17 victory. Tracy Porter's 74-yard interception return for a touchdown of the great Peyton Manning sealed the victory in the fourth quarter.

That Super Bowl championship by the Saints exalted the team and revived the city of New Orleans.

The Saints are a franchise that began without a home field, playing in their first 17 years in Tulane’s stadium, and then found themselves in 2005 without a stadium again.

The Louisiana Superdome became a symbol known globally as a place where thousands found refuge after Hurricane Katrina left much of the city under water.

The Saints divided their 2005 “home” games between the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas and LSU’s Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.

Through Hurricane Katrina and its damaging of the Superdome, this football team and its city became one.

Saints' owner Tom Benson decided not to move the team after Katrina, despite generous offers from other cities. The city of New Orleans and its citizens became rooted in determination to rebuild rather than leave.

The New Orleans Saints caught the attention of the entire nation. They became America’s team.

More people tuned in to watch the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts play in Super Bowl XLIV than have tuned in for any of the other 43 games. I

An estimated 106.5 million people tuned in Sunday evening breaking the record for any program that was set by the final episode of “M*A*S*H” in 1983.

The Saints franchise struggled through 43 years of adversity and defeat before winning a Super Bowl. New Orleans has endured through four years of turmoil as a result of Katrina.

New Orleans still has a way to go in rebuilding, but this 31-17 Super Bowl victory will be a major highlight along the road to recovery.

The Super Bowl Victory Parade, a.k.a. Lombardigras, gave the city of New Orleans an opportunity to say thank you to the Saints team.

Finally, after 43 years, the Saints come marching in.

When the Saints come marching in - do you know the lyrics?

We are trav'ling in the footsteps

Of those who've gone before,

And we'll all be reunited,

On a new and sunlit shore,

Oh, when the saints go marching in

Oh, when the saints go marching in

Lord, how I want to be in that number

When the saints go marching in

And when the sun refuse to shine

And when the sun refuse to shine

Lord, how I want to be in that number

When the sun refuse to shine

And when the moon turns red with blood

And when the moon turns red with blood

Lord, how I want to be in that number

When the moon turns red with blood

Oh, when the trumpet sounds its call

Oh, when the trumpet sounds its call

Lord, how I want to be in that number

When the trumpet sounds its call

Some say this world of trouble,

Is the only one we need,

But I'm waiting for that morning,

When the new world is revealed.

Oh When the new world is revealed

Oh When the new world is revealed

Lord, how I want to be in that number

When the new world is revealed

Oh, when the saints go marching in

Oh, when the saints go marching in

Lord, how I want to be in that number

When the saints go marching in

Sources: NOLA.com, Google News, Wikipedia

Technorati Tags: New Orleans Saints,New Orleans,Super Bowl,NFL

Quote of the Day:
Recommend to your children virtue; that alone can make them happy, not gold.
--Ludwig van Beethoven

John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

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Super Bowl XLIV: Just the Facts, Jack

2010-02-06T16:25:00.001-05:00

Super Bowl XLIV: Super Bowl XLIV will be the 44th annual edition of the Super Bowl in American Professional Football, and the 40th annual championship game of the modern-era National Football League (NFL), after its 1970 merger with the American Football League (AFL, 1960-1969).

Where: Sun Life Stadium (previously known as Joe Robbie Stadium, Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, and Land Shark Stadium), in Miami Gardens, Florida, a Miami suburb.

On January 18, 2010, The Miami Dolphins signed a five-year deal with Sun Life financial to rename this stadium to Sun Life Stadium. The deal is worth $7.5 million per year.

This is the 10th Super Bowl played in Miami and the fifth at this stadium. The other five were at the Orange Bowl. Miami has hosted the big game more than any other city.

There has been a kickoff return for a touchdown in each Super Bowl played at this particular stadium.

When: Kickoff is scheduled at 6:30 PM EST on Sunday, February 7, 2010.

Ticket Prices: $1,000, $900, $800, $500

Note: Umbrellas are out for the big game on Sunday. Also are fireworks, beach balls, flying discs, backpacks, strollers, laser pointers, coolers, bottles and cans, etc..

Attendance: 74,000 seating capacity. To date, 3,347,608 have attended Super Bowl games. The largest crowd was 103,985 at Super Bowl XIV in Pasadena, California.

The weather forecast: According to weather.com, the temperature will be in the 60s and sunny Sunday in Miami. Despite some heavy rain early in the week, the forecast looks like there will be a dry Super Bowl.

The teams: New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. This is the first time the Saints have ever reached the Super Bowl. It’s the fourth trip for the Colts’ organization, which has won two titles, including its days in Baltimore.

Players’ uniforms: Indianapolis will be the home team and use the South sideline. The Colts have their choice of wearing their colored or white jersey.

Network coverage: By CBS-TV to more than 200 stations throughout the United States. This will be CBS's 17th Super Bowl broadcast and the network's biggest day of programming in high definition.

Longtime CBS announcer Jim Nantz will call his second Super Bowl (he called the game in 2007) and Phil Simms will provide analysis (his sixth Super Bowl game and the fourth for CBS). Steve Tasker and Solomon Wilcots are the sideline reporters.

About 500 CBS employees will be involved to make sure the game gets broadcast without a snag. Sean McManus runs CBS News and Sports.

CBS Sports will have 50 cameras trained on the action. Six of them will shoot the game in ultra high speed, so viewers will see some replays in super slow motion.

Westwood One Radio to 600 stations within the United States. The Armed Forces Television will also provide broadcast to 175 countries throughout the world.

The game will be distributed internationally by the NFL and NFL International to more than 185 countries and broadcast in 30 different languages.

The 11 most watched television programs of all time are Super Bowls.

Pregame: Carrie Underwood will sing the National Anthem and Queen Latifah will sing "America the Beautiful."

Halftime: To be performed by The Who.

Official time: The scoreboard clock will be official.

Game balls: 120 official NFL game balls are made for the Super Bowl at the world’s only dedicated football factory, located in Ada, Ohio. Each game ball is printed with each team’s name and the official Super Bowl logo.

Officials: There will be seven officials and two alternates appointed by the Commissioner's office.

Referee – Scott Green (#19)
Umpire - Undrey Wash (#96)
Head Linesman - John McGrath (#5)
Line Judge - Jeff Seeman (#45)
Field Judge - Rob Vernatchi (#75)
Side Judge - Greg Meyer (#78)
Back Judge - Greg Steed (#12)
Alt. referee – Gene Steratore (#114)
Alt. referee – ????????????

Sudden death: If the game is tied at regulation time 60 minutes, it will continue in sudden death overtime. The team scoring first (by safety, field goal, or touchdown) will win.

Trophy: The winning team receives permanent possession of the Vince Lombardi Trophy, a sterling silver trophy created by Tiffany and Company and presented annually to the winner of the Super Bowl.

The trophy was named after the late coach Vince Lombardi of the two-time Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers before the 1971 Super Bowl.

The trophy is a regulation silver football mounted in a kicking position on a pyramid-like stand of three concave sides.

The trophy stands 20¾-inches tall, weighs 6.7 pounds and is valued more than $25,000.

The words "Vince Lombardi" and "Super Bowl XLIIV" are engraved on the base along with the NFL shield.

Players' share: Winners: $83,000 per man. Losers: $42,000 per man.

Colts-Saints series history: Series tied 5-5

1967 -- COLTS 30, Saints 10
1969 -- Colts 30, SAINTS 10
1973 -- COLTS 14, Saints 10
1986 -- Saints 17, COLTS 14
1989 -- SAINTS 41, Colts 6
1995 -- SAINTS 17, Colts 14
1998 -- Saints 19, COLTS 13, OT
2001 -- SAINTS 34, Colts 20
2003 -- Colts 55, SAINTS 21
2007 -- COLTS 41, Saints 10

Note: Indianapolis franchise played in Baltimore prior to 1984.

Winners: The NFC leads the series 22-21 all time against the AFC.

While the Dallas Cowboys have played in 8 Super Bowls (more than any other team), the Pittsburgh Steelers have won the most Super Bowls, 6.

No team has won more than 3 Super Bowls in a row.

Future Super Bowl Sites:

2011 -- Feb. 6, Arlington, Texas
2012 -- Feb. 5, Indianapolis, Indiana
2013 -- Feb. 3, New Orleans, Louisiana

Sources: CNN, Google News, NFL.com, Sports Illustrated, Wikipedia

Tags and Quotations:

Technorati Tags: Super Bowl,NFL,CBS,Indianapolis Colts,New Orleans Saints

Quote of the Day:
What single ability do we all have? The ability to change.
--George Leonard Andrews

Proverbs 21:21 “He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.”

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Peyton Manning - One of the Greatest Quarterbacks of All Time

2010-02-05T12:46:00.001-05:00

The Quarterback

Do you remember when we used to criticize Peyton Manning for his inability to win the big game? Of course, that dramatically ended and changed our perception with the Indianapolis Colts’ Super Bowl win over the Chicago Bears three years ago, in which Manning was voted as the Super Bowl MVP.

It’s only been three years, but for me, it seems like a long time ago and perhaps in another galaxy. This significant win changed our perception to the point that Manning is in the discussion of who is the best quarterbacks ever to play in the NFL.

If Peyton Manning achieves his second Super Bowl ring Sunday versus the New Orleans Saints, let the greatest quarterback ever debate begin.

However, my purpose in this article is not to persuade anyone’s opinion but to simply appreciate Peyton Manning, the excellent quarterback.

Manning is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. NFL in 1998, he has won a record four MVP awards, won a Super Bowl, thrown for 50,128 yards (fourth place all-time), and 366 touchdowns (third place all-time).

Manning has been known for spending extraordinary time in the film room and studying the playbook.

He applies his knowledge of the playbook and the defense to such an extreme that almost each time he approaches the line of scrimmage in the Indianapolis Colts’ no-huddle offense, he reads the defense and audibles a different play.

Manning's pre-snap routine has become one of the most recognizable scenes in the NFL. Manning and the Colts mostly skip the huddle, instead using a hurry-up with numerous audibles at the line of scrimmage.

With Manning as quarterback, the Indianapolis Colts have been one of the decade’s most dominant teams. This season, the Colts started off the year with 14 straight wins and went on to earn the No. 1 AFC playoff seed.

In the playoffs, the Colts defeated two of the leagues best defenses: the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets. Peyton Manning and his offense will face a less effective New Orleans Saints’ defense in Super Bowl XLIV.

Manning is a student of NFL history and he makes league history. He holds NFL records for consecutive seasons with over 4,000 yards passing and the most total seasons with 4,000 or more yards passing in a career.

Manning holds the third-highest career passer rating (95.2) among active quarterbacks and he ranks fourth all-time, behind only Steve Young (96.8), Phillip Rivers (95.8), and Tony Romo (95.6).

Since the Colts drafted Manning in 1998, the team has the highest conversion rate on 3rd down (44.6%) and 4th down (61.1%) plays in the NFL.

While leading the Colts to their Super Bowl XLI victory over the Chicago Bears in 2007, Manning helped the team to an NFL record by converting 56.1% of its 3rd downs. As I mentioned earlier, he was also voted this Super Bowl’s MVP.

Peyton is the all-time Colts franchise leader in career wins, career passing yards, pass attempts, pass completions, and passing touchdowns.

Commercials and Community Involvement

As a proven, very marketable player outside of football, Manning has appeared in numerous commercials, was featured on the covers of the NFL Fever video games for the Xbox, hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, and guest-voiced on The Simpsons, along with his brothers, Eli and Cooper.

Shortly after beginning his NFL career, Manning started his own charity, the Peyback Foundation. The Peyback Foundation's mission is to help disadvantaged kids, and focuses its efforts in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Indiana.

Peyton, along with his brother Eli, volunteered their assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Among the tasks performed, the Mannings assisted in the delivery of 30,000 pounds of water, Gatorade, baby formula, diapers, and pillows to the people of New Orleans.

On September, 2007, St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis renamed its children's hospital to "Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent." Manning and his wife made a donation of an undisclosed amount to St. Vincent's and have had a relationship with the hospital since his arrival in Indianapolis.

During the summer, Archie, Peyton, Eli, and Cooper run the Manning Passing Academy, a five day camp which aims to improve the offensive skills of quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends.

Sources: NFL.com, Wikipedia

Tags and Quotations

Technorati Tags: Peyton Manning,Indianapolis Colts,NFL,Super Bowl

Quote of the Day:
It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.
--Herman Melville

Psalm 33:4-5 “For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.”

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Who Will Win Super Bowl XLIV?

2010-02-03T18:49:00.001-05:00

Why I Favor and Pick the Colts

Indianapolis Colts 34, New Orleans Saints 31 is my prediction for the final score, in the game of the week.

Of course, Super Bowl XLIV the only game of the week, with New Orleans being the sentimental favorite. Will we witness the first Super Bowl ending in Sudden Death overtime, determined by the coin toss?

Will this be the highest scoring game in Super Bowl history? Both teams are more than capable of producing thirty or more points, apiece in Miami.

I favor Indy because they have been there and done that, while the Saints have not. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the last team in 2002 to win a first Super Bowl appearance, which is rare.

I also favor Indy because of Peyton Manning. A win puts Manning in the rare company of quarterbacks with two or more Super Bowl rings and brings more relevance to the discussion and debate about who is the best quarterback in NFL history.

The Saints enter the game healthier. The Colts have a big injury worry as defensive end Dwight Freeney has torn ligaments in his ankle.

This game is winnable for either team, not a slam dunk for these Colts, who are 5-point favorites. If Indianapolis turns the ball over like the Minnesota Vikings did (they won’t), New Orleans wins.

New Orleans’ offense led the NFL with 31.9 points per game and 403.8 total yards per game. Brees is accurate and has a talented group of wide receivers.

Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush, and Mike Bell keeps the defense honest in respect to guarding both the run and the screen pass. Bush has raised his intensity level of play in this post season.

The Saints have a better group of running backs as the rushing offense is a weakness for the Colts, since they average just 81 yards per game on the ground.

New Orleans are the more balanced team on offense, but Indianapolis has the quarterback with the Super Bowl experience. However, Indianapolis will need to get some production out of its running attack.

As much as I expect Drew Brees to rise to the challenge, I also expect Peyton Manning to one-up him. Manning is the best in the game today at reading a defense and getting his team into the best play for that situation.

Reggie Wayne is the leading receiver for the Colts and he and Manning have a great chemistry that brings the best out in both of them. The Colts also have Dallas Clark, Austin Collie, and Pierre Garcon, who can all step up and shoulder the load as well.

Both defenses have their strengths and flaws. The Saints defense is about opportunity and creating turnovers, as they give up a lot of yards and points, ranking No. 26 in the league.

The Colts’ no-huddle offense, with Peyton Manning as the field general, will keep the Saints defense on the field a lot, and the defenders of New Orleans will show fatigue in the fourth quarter.

For Indianapolis’ defense, I expect Freeney to play in key third down situations for Indianapolis and if his ankle holds up, his playing time will increase in the fourth quarter.

Without Freeney, Indy’s leading pass rusher, the outcome of this game may tilt towards the Saints favor.

The Colts defense gives up about the average amount of yards per game, but they frequently force other teams to kick field goals or turn it over in the red zone. The Colts defense allows just 19.2 points per game for the year and just 16.7 points per game in the last three games.

Twitter and the Super Bowl

#SB44 is the Official Super Bowl Twitter Hashtag (http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23SB44) for fans who want to follow the big game via Twitter. We can also follow the NFL’s Tweets at http://twitter.com/nfl.

At my Twitter account, my NFL/Super Bowl lists that may interest you are http://twitter.com/silverfox863/nfl, http://twitter.com/silverfox863/athletes, and http://twitter.com/silverfox863/sports-media.

Tags and Quotes

Technorati Tags: Super Bowl,NFL,New Orleans Saints,Indianapolis Colts

Quote of the Day:
No one can be free who does not work for the freedom of others.
--Anonymous

Psalm 59:16 “But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.”

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The NFL Final Four

2010-01-23T12:15:00.001-05:00

Annually, the NFL conference championship games are one of the most anticipated sports weekends of the calendar year. We often see the highest level of football performed.

We will see both NFL conferences’ No. 1 seeds in the championship games for the first time since 2004. What is unique now is that there is no consensus and split opinions on which teams will win this weekend.

Usually, the two home teams with higher seeds are strongly favored. While one can make a logical argument why the Colts are or should be heavy favorites, a Jets loss is no guarantee either.

So far, the old theory that a team has to be hot going into the playoffs has been proven wrong, as exemplified by the New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts, and Minnesota Vikings.

These three squads benefited from an extra week of rest. The Colts and Saints also benefited from resting their starters towards the end of the regular season.

While home field advantage and rest are helpful, the actual preparation and practices prepares a team the most to hopefully outperform the opponent in the playoff game.

The home team has won 31 AFL/AFC championship games, lost 18. The New York Jests versus the Indianapolis Colts meet for number 50.

For the first time in NFL history, this year’s AFC title game features two rookie head coaches. But it also contrasts a very seasoned quarterback in his prime versus a rookie quarterback who manages a run-oriented offense.

This game is virtually a chess game matchup between Peyton Manning and Rex Ryan.

Peyton Manning will vary little form his game plan from last week, as the Baltimore Ravens came at him from all sides and the Colts were ready. The Jets will do the same and he will be prepared again.

Over the Jets' last eight games, only the Colts have scored more than 14 points against them, and the starters were only in for half the game. The Jets defense is paired by the leagues No.1 ranked rushing attack.

As good as the Jets defenses is playing, Manning and his offense will move the football. Peyton is 4-1 versus Rex Ryan’s defense and the one loss was the last matchup, in which the Colts rested their starters in the second half.

The Jets rely upon and play a lot of man-to-man pass coverage along with blitz packages, which plays into Manning’s hands.

An overlook component of this game may be Indy’s defense. The Colts’ defense relies on speed, crucial to shutting down the outside runs and getting pressure on the quarterback.

The Colts will most likely stack the line of scrimmage in an attempt to stop the run and force the rookie quarterback to beat them. Quarterback play will be the difference in this game as Manning magically will get the job done, although the NYJ defense will hassle him all game.

Was it a mistake when the then 14-0 Colts decided not to try for a perfect season and rested their starters in the second half against the Jets? A 15-10 Colts lead turned into a 29-15 Jets win, which helped put the Jets in the playoffs. I

Should the Colts have eliminated New York when it had the chance? The Colts have been to three Super Bowls, all in Miami. Indy will make a fourth trip to south Florida and get a victory in a rematch of Super Bowl III - Colts 23, Jets 17.

Although I pick Indianapolis to win and I like and respect Peyton Manning and his talent, I disrespect the Colts for disrespecting NFL history when they chose not to chase a perfect season. Thus, a Jets upset would be both poetic justice and high irony.

In the NFC championship game, the amount of time that each quarterback will have to pass will be a significant factor. Both the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings will run the ball often enough to check off the opposition’s defense’s pass rush.

I expect another offensive and aerial juggernaut. Drew Brees led and helped his team score the most points in the NFL this season. Guess who is No. 2? You guessed it – Brett Favre and his Vikings.

Nevertheless, Brees' impressive season seems to have been overshadowed by Favre, who finished with 33 touchdowns after opting to come out of retirement and join Minnesota (13-4).

Both Brees and Favre have plenty of talent around them. Marques Colston and Robert Meachem each had nine touchdown receptions for New Orleans, and Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell and Reggie Bush all scored at least five rushing touchdowns.

Bush was a major impact last week with a 46-yard touchdown run and an 83-yard punt return for a score.

Rice's three touchdown catches last week tied an NFL postseason record, and he finished with six receptions for 141 yards.

Besides Sidney Rice, Favre can turn to weapons such as Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin, and Visanthe Shiancoe. Both the Vikings and the Saints have excellent offenses who will light up the Superdome scoreboard.

The Vikings have a better defense while the Saints’ defense features a playmaker, Darren Sharper. Brett Favre will play well and courageously, but at times will be frustrated by the Saints’ defensive pressure.

I expect big plays from both special teams, especially by the kickoff and punt return teams.

The very, very loud noise by the 12th man in the Superdome will cause enough significant false starts by the Minnesota offense. In contrast, the home crowd will allow New Orleans’ offense to hear their play caller's signals.

The Superdome was the scene where Favre won his solo Super Bowl 13 years ago. Brett is a native of nearby Kiln, Mississippi.

This will be Favre's first road playoff game in six years. The Vikings went 9-0 at home compared to a 4-4 road mark.

Brett Favre came back to the league to do one thing: to get back to the Super Bowl. Minnesota has won four straight over New Orleans, averaging 33.3 points; make that five consecutive – Vikings 41, Saints 34.

Who dat? Who dey? I struggled with this NFC title game pick because the Saints are at home and back in September 2002 I predicted that New Orleans Saints would finally make a Super Bowl appearance.

Will we then witness a Colts-Vikings Super Bowl featuring a Peyton Manning-Brett Favre matchup? Stay tuned.

Technorati Tags: NFL,NFC,AFC,playoffs,sports

Quote of the Day:
It is a great thing to start life with a small number of really good books which are your very own.
--Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

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Jets Coach Rex Ryan: A Man of His Word

2010-01-18T17:07:00.001-05:00

Rex Ryan is the type of coach that gets the most out of his players. Imagine how good the defense will be when he can bring in the players he wants with another training camp.

He is a man of his word. Ryan says what he thinks.

From comments like how he won’t kiss Bill Belichick’s rings through his planned Super Bowl parade, Ryan is a sport writer’s dream.

Ryan has made a mostly boring 2009 NFL post season (to this point) fun. He makes playing football fun for his players.

He shows faith in his players. He demonstrates loyalty, respect, and pride consistently.

The Jets reflect their head coach as they are proactive, not reactive on the football field.

Rex Ryan is big, fat, loud, obnoxious, bold, and confident. He has a calm disposition. He is the anti-Bill Belichick.

And he wins. Winning solves and cures everything.

Because of Rex Ryan, these are not the same old Jets.

As a rookie head coach with a rookie starting quarterback, Rex Ryan has earned respect for leading the New York Jets to the AFC Championship Game versus the Indianapolis Colts, in a rematch of Super Bowl III.

For many fans, the New York Jets’ Rex Ryan has become their favorite coach.

The following anecdote illustrates how Ryan plays to “win” the game, rather than “not to lose” the game. The Jets were leading 17-14 in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

Facing a fourth down and one at the San Diego 30-yard line, Ryan could have either called for a field goal for a potential six-point lead or a very short, pooch punt that might have the backed the Chargers inside their 10 yard line.

The Jets ran the ball off tackle, earned the first down, silenced the home crowd, and shortly, walked off the field to start to prepare for the AFC Championship Game against the Colts.

Heavily-favored Indianapolis cannot be too happy this week with a matchup with a loose and confident NY Jets team who has nothing to lose.

After pulling their starters at halftime in their week 16 meeting with Jets, which helped New York win the game and eventually “back into” the playoffs, many people, including me, feel that the Colts showed disrespect for NFL history by not chasing 16-0 and then 19-0.

A New York Jets victory over these Indianapolis Colts Sunday would be both poetic justice and high irony.

Technorati Tags: Rex Ryan,New York Jets,AFC,NFL

Quote of the Day:
Goodness is the only investment that never fails.
--Henry David Thoreau, 19th-century American essayist and nature writer

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

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NFL Elite Eight Preview

2010-01-16T11:15:00.001-05:00

This weekend’s NFL Divisional Playoff games feature several elite quarterbacks and some young quarterbacks: Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Kurt Warner, Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, Tony Romo, Joe Flacco, and Mark Sanchez.

Flacco and Sanchez cannot win without their running games. Therefore, the running game and defense will also shape this weekend’s elite eight matchups.

In one of four games, one or two big special team plays (besides field goals) will have an impact on the outcome. Usually, one of four of divisional playoff games are won by the road team – we may see two visitors win this time around.

Two of the elite eight teams “snuck” into the playoffs with bold confidence: the Ravens and the Jets. Both squads rely heavily on defense and the rushing game to lead them to victory.

Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints

New Orleans scored a total of 510 points during the regular season, and Arizona is coming off a 51 point performance against Green Bay in the first round of the playoffs. This may be a case that the team with the football last will win the game.

If you love Arena League Football and a lot of offense, this game is for you. Personally, I prefer a balanced high level of performance in all three areas of offense, defense, and special teams – over flag football.

[However, for the Pro Bowl, a 32-team flag football tournament (the two Super Bowl teams can send taxi squad or practice squad players or even retired players) is more appealing for me than a “playing not to get hurt or injured” appearance.]

Coach Ken Whisenhunt is 4-1 in playoffs. Arizona QB Kurt Warner is 9-3 in postseason.

Warner has averaged 312.3 yards passing in playoff games, highest average in league history among quarterbacks with at least five postseason appearances.

Saints are No. 1 seed for first time in franchise history. Saints are 2-6 all-time in playoffs.

New Orleans finished the regular season ranked 9^th in Pass Defense so they have as good a chance as anybody to slow down the Cardinals' passing attack.

Kurt Warner has been there and done that, except actually winning the Super Bowl. He’s been close twice, but horse shoes does not apply in this case.

Did the Saints peak too soon? Drew Brees will play a great game but Warner will play a fantastic game.

Unexpectedly, the Cardinals were a great road team this season.

Arizona Cardinals 41, New Orleans Saints 38

Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts

Colts have won seven straight matchups vs. Ravens, including 15-6 victory in only other playoff meeting in 2006.

The Ravens’ defense has had recent success vs. the Colts offense, although the team lost the games. Baltimore runs the ball very, very well.

Similarly to the Jets, the Ravens will have to slip in significant passing plays to stay in the game on the road.

Manning is 7-8 in playoffs. Indy is 0-3 after earning first-round playoff bye and has not won postseason game since beating Chicago in Super Bowl following 2006 season.

This game is also an assessment of the Colts’ approach to the playoffs. Thus, there is very heavy pressure on Indy to win not only this game, but to get to and win the Super Bowl.

Will the Colts defense contain and stop the run? Both defenses will dictate this game and perhaps a referee call or non-call or two or three will impact the final score.

Indianapolis Colts 20, Baltimore Ravens 17

Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings

It’s been only two years since Brett Favre has reached the NFC Championship Game – why does it seem longer than that? Well, two teams and two drama-filled seasons later, here we are.

Favre is 2-9 lifetime against the Cowboys over his 19-year career. Favre owns a lifetime 12-10 record as a starter in postseason play, with a 4-4 ledger in the Divisional Playoffs.

The Dallas Cowboys finally got over the “haven’t won a playoff game since 1996” and “Romo can’t win in the post season” obstacles with a vastly improved defense and an efficient offense.

The Cowboys and Vikings employ two of the most talented rosters in the NFL. If both teams play at their best level, this game will be an instant classic.

Although this game features marquee quarterbacks Brett Favre and Tony Romo, this game will be won in the trenches. The Vikings offensive line vs. the Cowboys’ defensive line should be epic.

Each Favre and Romo will throw a pair of interceptions along with a couple of touchdowns. The losing quarterback predictably will be blamed for losing the game by their haters and mockers, ignoring the fact that football is a team sport.

The trendy pick is Dallas. Almost the entire world predicts a Cowboys victory, noting how the Vikings “declined” towards the end of the season.

This gives Minnesota an ax to grind and besides, the Vikings are undefeated at home this season. At the Metrodome, the Vikings have won by 17 points or more in each of their last five games.

My heart says Vikings but my head says the Cowboys does not get to play and own the Philadelphia Eagles for three straight weeks. However, Dallas dominated the Saints at the Superdome in New Orleans.

These ain’t the Saints. Minnesota has better defense and a better rushing offense.

The Vikings also have a better placekicker than the Cowboys.

Minnesota 26 Dallas 23

New York Jets at San Diego Chargers

Phillip Rivers is a very efficient passer and the Jets defense is strong limiting the passing game. What will give?

On the other side of the ball, the Chargers defense will attempt to stuff the run and force the rookie QB Mark Sanchez to throw in order to win the game. The Jets have confidence and boldness, and the Chargers have won only two of their last four home playoff games.

Will the Jets defense shut down the Chargers offense and control the game? San Diego has been one of the most impressive and consistent teams of the season.

But the playoffs are a new season and each week, teams are 0-0. Coach Rex Ryan predicted a Super Bowl appearance for his New York Jets, almost a Joe Namath guarantee.

Ryan makes football fun for his players yet they keep command of detail and performance. Norv Turner was hired to win playoff games.

I like Coach Ryan but I also like Phillip Rivers as quarterback play will be the story and theme of the NFLs elite eight weekend.

San Diego are on an 11-game winning streak and after this weekend, make it 12.

Chargers 24, Jets 20

Technorati Tags: NFL,NFL Divisional Playoffs,football,sports

Quote of the Day:
The real trap of fame is its irresistibility.
--Ingrid Bengis

Galatians 5:16 “[Life by the Spirit] So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

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Expect a Wild NFL Wildcard Weekend

2010-01-09T15:02:00.001-05:00

The Wild, Wild NFL

With three of four NFL wildcard matchups being Week 17 rematches, watch for the three losing teams of a week ago to play with intensity, to show new strategies and plays, and to have improved performances.

Expect the three winners from a week ago to be confident and to both emphasize their strengths from Week 17, but to also adjust as each game progresses to what the opponent brings.

Therefore, I expect all games to be very close and tight. Two will be defensive throwback games and two contests will showcase a lot of offense.

New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals

This is the first one of three Week 17 rematches. The Bengals saw everything the Jets had: the flood blitzes, the zone blocking schemes, the direct snap plays, etc. The Jets got no such preview on the Bengals.

Now they move to Cincinnati and the Jets have a rookie quarterback who threw 20 picks. The Jets have won seven of their last eight games against the Bengals, including a 37-0 win Sunday at Giants Stadium.

It’s been a while but the Bengals are 5-2 in home playoff games. These teams are similar.

Both gained their way to the playoffs with strong running games and tough defenses. The Jets ended the year with the top rushing attack in the league, along with the top defense in yards and points, while the Bengals swept their division and finished fourth in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed.

The significant difference between these teams is the passing game. The Bengals have big-play threat Chad Ochocinco and a healthy Carson Palmer, while the Jets have rookie Mark Sanchez.

Happy Birthday, Chad Ochocinco! Bengals 26, Jets 23.

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

This is one of the greatest rivalries of the NFL.

This is the second of three Week 17 rematches. Last Sunday's game can't be discounted, given that an Eagles win would have assured them home-field for today's game.

Also, Dallas won 20-16 at Philadelphia earlier this season. Some argue that it is difficult to be the same team three times in the same season.

Tell that to the 2008 Baltimore Ravens who lost to the Pittsburgh three times last season. I argue that it is more difficult for a team not to lose three times to the same team because that opponent has their number and obviously matches up well.

Several Eagles players have said their 24-0 loss at Dallas on Sunday didn't shake their confidence. Philadelphia had been among the hottest teams in the league, winning six consecutive games (scoring 187 points) leading to Sunday.

Andy Reid has never lost in first round of playoffs. Dallas has not experienced a post season victory since 1996.

Philadelphia will redeem themselves with an improved effort this time but Tony Romo won’t fumble the winning field goal snap this time in a thriller and Dallas will finally get the “haven’t won a playoff game” monkey off of their backs.

Cowboys 30, Eagles 27.

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots

The Patriots are without Wes Walker. However, we still have Randy Moss and Fred Taylor playing a team with a banged up secondary.

Kevin Faulk will be a key factor in converting third downs. The Ravens will run, run,and run. It will be close.

New England rarely loses at home. The Ravens defense is aging.

This has all the makings of a nasty battle and a so-called ugly, defensive game. It's going to be cold and perhaps windy.

The Ravens have a solid running game behind Rice and McGahee, and a decent play-action passing game. This is the wild-card round in Foxboro and I just don’t see New England losing to a team that struggles to score points.

Patriots 19 Ravens 16.

Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals

This is the third of three Week 17 rematches. Aaron Rodger will play a very good game, but this game may boil down to the play of Kurt Warner, who usually shines in post season.

The Packers concluded their season with a 7-1 record. Last week, the Packers dominated the Cardinals 33-7, and will be looking for a repeat performance.

The last 2 weeks their running game has been very effective. Ryan Grant has been effective on the ground but Rodgers’ passing game has been phenomenal this year.

The Cardinals ended the season poorly again. They clinched their division early again and faltered at the end of the season.

Warner has passed for over 3,700 yards and 26 touchdowns. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are both over 1,000 yards and will be a double-threat for the Packers' defense.

Will Arizona do the unexpected and make another Super Bowl run? Maybe, maybe not.

Packers 37, Cardinals 34

The Super Bowl

The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers are clearly the best two teams of both the AFC and the entire NFL. Usually, the Chargers have the Colts’ number and defeats them in post season

Thus, a Super Bowl without either the Colts or Chargers would be surprising to me. For me, the NFC appears more wide open and unpredictable.

The NFC’s top two seeds, the New Orleans and Minnesota Vikings, respectively have the “easiest” routes to the Super Bowl obviously because of home-dome advantages.

However, the Cowboys have already defeated the Saints in the Superdome. The Vikings are undefeated at home and significantly have a better defense than New Orleans.

Dallas has the talent and the Eagles have the components to get to the Super Bowl. Green Bay is a very young team and Arizona is confident, fresh from their playoff run a year ago.

In early September, I predicted a Patriots-Saints Super Bowl, which is still a possibility. Based what I know of this moment, which is fluid and frequently changes, a Chargers-Vikings Super Bowl matchup is a realistic possibility.

But there is still three weeks of football to play and anything can happen. That is what makes the NFL post season so fun and excellent.

Technorati Tags: NFL,playoffs,wildcard,sports

Quote of the Day:
The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking.
--John Kenneth Galbraith

Matthew 6:19-21 “[Treasures in Heaven] "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

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Ga Tech Wrecks in Athens, GA and Miami, FL

2010-01-06T18:10:00.001-05:00

Could Tuesday, January 5, 2010 have been any better for a Georgia Bulldogs fan? Georgia Tech gets two defeats in one day! No, it was not a baseball doubleheader loss to the Diamond Dogs; it was even better.

Georgia beats Tech in basketball and the Yellow Jackets lose to Iowa in football. What a night! The Jackets got beat by Fox and then beat on Fox!

How ‘bout those Iowa Hawkeyes! When was the last time Iowa won anything? This was the first significant bowl win for the Hawkeyes since 1959. I

I watched the first episode of Biggest Loser last night. Oh, my bad, that was the Lemon, er, Orange Bowl. What do you get when you put a 1930 Model A up against a 2010 Iowa combine? Domination.

Georgia Tech freezes in the Orange Bowl. It was 49 degrees – Iowa weather in the fall and spring.

Georgia Tech’s 24-14 loss to Iowa shows us again that a one dimensional offense just won't do against a prepared defense. With a month to prepare, Iowa, like LSU, stopped Paul Johnson’s great option offense. In the Orange Bowl, Iowa was the better rushing team.

This makes two consecutive years Tech has collapsed in its bowl game. Does that qualify as a trend? That is five consecutive bowl losses for the Yellow Jackets.

In season one under Paul Johnson, the Jackets started out 9-3, only to get owned by LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl 38-3. In season two, Tech went 11-2 along the way to an ACC championship, but one month later they got ruled by Iowa.

Yes, ACC football at best is mediocre but basically it is not impressive, with the notable exception of Virginia Tech. It’s interesting that there are dozens of great ACC athletes who excel in the NFL, but while in college, their teams go nowhere.

How ‘bout those Georgia Bulldogs! Georgia defeated the Yellow Jackets 73-66 on Tuesday night. Georgia had four players in double-figures. Tech had two.

UGA had opened our eyes with their upset over Illinois but this was more personal as they completed the football/basketball sweep. "Just like football, "Just like football" chanted the thousands in Stegeman watching the Jackets fall to the Bulldogs.

Coach Mark Fox will be a winner at Georgia. Just look how this team hustles, fights for him, and plays hard on the court. It did not take the new Georgia basketball coach long to carve his first signature win.

Yes, the Kentucky Wildcats rule the SEC once again, but the Bulldogs should play them competitively, at least at home. The Georgia Bulldogs currently are the SEC’s best free throw-shooting team.

Tech fans will undoubtedly turn up the heat on Coach Paul Hewitt, who is expected to do big things with this talented freshmen class. He won't have it any easier with Duke coming to town Saturday.

Oh, by the way, congratulations to Coach Bobby Cremins for leading the College of Charleston in a big-time upset over the North Carolina Tar Heels.

30-24, 73-66, and 24-14. Yes, a 24 point win in the Independence Bowl over a Big 12 team is better than a 10 point loss in the Orange Bowl to a Big 10 team.

In football, UGA dominates Tech in the series: 60-39-5. In basketball, the Bulldogs have collect 13 consecutive home wins over the Yellow Jackets at the Steg in Athens – dating to 1976. And the Lady Bulldogs beat the Lady Jackets recently as well in hoops.

Dear Mark Richt, please take a look at Iowa’s defensive coordinator.

Technorati Tags: Georgia Bulldogs,Georgia TechYellow Jackets,college basketball,college football,sports

Quote of the Day:
Sincerity is the highest compliment you can pay.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

1 Peter 1:13“ [Be Holy] Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

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With John Wooden, every day is a classic -- latimes.com

2009-12-28T11:10:00.001-05:00

With John Wooden, every day is a classic -- latimes.com

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Dr. Galea and Vicodin May Spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E for Tiger Woods

2009-12-15T20:18:00.001-05:00

Other developing stories, besides Tiger Woods’ womanizing, may loom the largest in the Tiger Woods drama.

The news that Woods was treated by a doctor who is under investigation by the FBI, suspected of giving performance-enhancing drugs to some of the elite athletes in his care. According to The New York Times, a doctor, Tony Galea, has treated NFL quarterback Chris Simms, sprinter Donovan Bailey, swimmer Dana Torres, and Tiger Woods.

This source states that Woods' management team, "alarmed at the slow pace of Mr. Woods' rehabilitation after knee surgery in June 2008," got in touch with Galea, who performed a blood-therapy procedure known as "blood spinning" on Woods on four separate occasions. The procedure is said to have helped speed Woods' recovery.

Does the PGA Tour, which governs most of the tournaments in which Woods competes, outside of major championships, have any policy on the procedure?

Gary Wadler, a Long Island anti-doping expert and World Anti-Doping Agency consultant, said blood spinning is a trendy but controversial procedure. WADA modified its doping code for 2010 to define acceptable and banned uses of blood spinning; platelet-rich blood can be injected into joints and under the skin to help athletes recover from injuries.

The new code, implemented on the eve of the Vancouver Winter Olympics, bans intra muscular injections because they may promote muscle growth.

Woods' treatment, according to this report, would appear to fit in the recover-from-injury category. But Galea is also under suspicion of treating athletes with human growth hormone and a drug called Actovegin, which is illegal in the U.S.

They reports that Galea said "he has never treated professional athletes with human growth hormone" and "did not use Actovegin to treat Mr. Woods or other United States athletes."

Nevertheless, the fact that Tiger Woods was treated by a doctor suspected of prescribing illegal performance-enhancing drugs will inevitably cause suspicion about Woods himself, which is very serious in the world of golf.

Does a person who cheats on his wife multiple times also cheat in other areas of his life, even golf? If a golfer was suspected of trying to gain an illegal advantage on the course, that would be absolutely devastating to his career.

Even the slightest hint of cheating would do enormous damage to a golfer's reputation. In the golf world in recent years, there has been more concern about doped-up drivers and golf balls than players, but the PGA Tour last year began a random drug-testing policy.

In June of this year, Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, speaking at Woods' tournament, the AT&T National, called the policy a big success. "We haven't had any problems that have arisen," Finchem said.

After more than 1,000 random tests, Finchem added, "There have been no suspensions because of doping…what's clear is that we do not have a doping problem." Finchem said the International Olympic Committee has observed the PGA Tour's process, golf will likely be an Olympic sport in 2016, and the Tour has also worked closely with the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The association of Woods with Dr. Galea is sure to raise questions. The other aspect of the Woods’ case that could damage his career involves drugs of another type.

After his notorious car crash outside his Florida home, a Florida state trooper "suspected Tiger Woods was driving under the influence" and "sought a subpoena for the golfer's blood results from the hospital he was taken," according to an Associated Press report. Prosecutors decided there was not enough evidence to go forward with a subpoena, but the trooper's report says that a witness, thought to be Woods' wife, Elin. told the trooper that Woods had been drinking earlier in the day and also had prescriptions for the sleep aid Ambien and the painkiller Vicodin.

"Impairment of the driver is also suspected due to the careless driving that resulted in the traffic crash," the trooper wrote in his report. Since the subpoena was denied, we probably won't ever know whether Woods was under the influence the night of the crash.

This Vicodin prescription, which could be no big deal but just a brief, temporary use of the drug for a specific problem, inevitably raises the question of why Woods needed a powerful painkiller. His knee? Some other ailment? Something that did not warrant such a serious drug?

The fact that Elin Woods reported her husband had been drinking and then mentioned Ambien and Vicodin, raises questions about possible mixing of alcohol and pills.

Taken together, the developing stories of Tiger Woods about Dr. Galea and Vicodin could become more consequential than the sensationalized frequent reports about Woods and women.

Technorati Tags: Tiger Woods,sports,golf,news

Quote of the Day:
Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside of them - a desire, a dream, a vision. They have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must
--Muhammad Ali

Luke 1:30-33 “But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

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If Tiger Woods Owns Several Cars, It’s a Shame That He Got a Hole in One

2009-11-28T12:29:00.001-05:00

Thousands, if not millions, of articles, columns, and blogs, including Bleacher Report, of course,detail the facts and rumors regarding Tiger Wood’s car accident on Black Friday 2009.

Tiger Woods also was setting record in Google trends (http://bit.ly/4R793U).

TMZ, who broke the news that Michael Jackson was in poor health before traditional news sources did, has been providing the most dramatic, and sensationalized coverage of this incident.

Twitter has been at the forefront of many such breaking news stories in recent months. And the latest is the car accident involving golfer Tiger Woods.

Early reports suggested Woods had hit a fire hydrant and a tree near his Florida home. And as noted by TechCrunch, while traditional media was still sitting on the story, the @breakingnews Twitter feed had broken the news.

Other people, including yours truly, began retweeting the news and the story was all over Twitter before the likes of CNN or ESPN had even reported it (see Twitter again beats CNN by 45 minutes for Tiger Woods news at http://bit.ly/78Y2Ko).

Google was almost as fast on the case, at about 10 minutes after the tweets were flowing, it started showing reports from local Orlando news outlets, where the crash occurred, giving details of the crash.

Within 15 minutes, readers knew what time the crash occurred at, apparently what happened, and some other important details, such as no alcohol being involved.

This incident has generated significant questions.

Why Was Tiger Woods Driving at 2:30 am the Morning After Thanksgiving? Was Tiger hunting early bird Black Friday specials?

Were Woods and his wife, Elin Nordegren, having a domestic dispute over an alleged affair of his?

Did the car accident or his wife cause his “facial lacerations?”

Why did it take 12 hours for this incident to be reported to the media? Was there a Cover-up? Or are the police pursuing a domestic violence charge in this case?

I like Tiger Woods and I am glad he is all right. If he was seriously hurt, I could not laugh, look at the light side, and joke about it a little bit or even a lot.

If Tiger Woods owns a lot of cars, it's a shame that he got a hole in one.

Tiger Woods just made a statement. He said it was the sh***iest drive he had all year.

I thought that Tiger Woods was a better "driver" than that.

However, after driving into a fire hydrant and a neighbor's tree, Tiger Woods says he is happy with his improved form .

For the first time in his life, Tiger Woods misread something.

I finally outdrove Tiger Woods on Black Friday morning.

What is the difference between a car and a golf ball? Tiger Woods can drive a golf ball more than 300 yards.

Tiger Woods’ accident even impacts Fantasy Football (http://bit.ly/8PXMCu).

His next video game will be entitled Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11: Modern Warfare.

Technorati Tags: Tiger Woods,Tiger Woods' car accident,news,golf,sports

Misquote of the Day: "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!" – Tiger Woods

Quote of the Day: ”An ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness.” - Elbert Green Hubbard

Should Georgia Fire Mark Richt?

2009-11-22T11:45:00.001-05:00

No!

Have you visited www.firemarkricht.net? Any notion of firing Georgia Bulldogs Coach Mark Rich is foolish.

Replace defensive coordinator Willie Martinez and Richt needs to return to play calling duties for Mike Bobo. Richt also needs to recruit more physical, hard hitting types of players and less finesse ones.

Even Vince Dooley had his share of down, mediocre, and disappointing seasons. Go research Georgia’s won-loss record in 1979. We know what those Bulldogs did in 1980.

No, I do not expect 2010 to not be like 1980. That is not the point.

The point is that every coach in college football should be allowed to have an occasional mediocre season in the context of having mostly successful season, especially landing the team in a coveted BCS Bowl mostly.

I’m not offering excuses but remember that Georgia lost three critical offensive skills players (quarterback, running back, and wide receiver to the NFL). Often the best coaching – especially during practices – come during a mediocre, struggling season and are followed by solid if not a great season.

Time will tell us about 2010. As a Georgia Bulldogs fan, this 2009 season has hurt but I also know I have been spoiled over the decades by success.

Yes, the Kentucky Wildcats winning in Athens for the first time in 42 years (since 1967 I believe) is difficult to swallow. However, Richt has had enough success at Georgia in which he as earned the opportunity to adjust, make changes, and improve.

I know, Richt inherited and did not recruit David Greene, David Pollack, Boss Bailey, etc. But he did draft Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, etc.

However, it bears repeating: Richt should recruit more physical, hard hitting types of players and less finesse ones.

If Georgia foolishly fires Richt (which would surprise me), then his replacement won’t do a better job, more than likely.

But that is really not the reason why Georgia should keep Mark.

UGA would not attract a Nick Saban, an Urban Myer, a Pete Carroll (who is having a mediocre season by USC standards), etc. But one could argue that the head coaches from teams such as TCU or Cincinnati would do well in Athens.

Georgia should keep Mark Richt because it is the right thing to do in the NCAA world of win now and instant gratification.

A look at his career coaching statistics at Georgia should bring any logical fan to this reasonable conclusion.

Mark Richt didn’t suddenly become a bad coach after winning two SEC championships (2002, 2005) and playing for another (2003). When football teams have a disappointing season like this, the head coach has to be willing to analyze everything and everybody in the offseason.

The coach needs to elevate his game. Georgia’s off-season conditioning program should be evaluated in terms of keeping players in their best shape in order to avoid injuries and to play in peak condition.

Assess the quality of the players and recruits from high schools.

Evaluate each assistant coach. Are the players being set up for success? Are the players being coached to their highest potential?

In my humble opinion, team discipline is a significant issue at UGA due to numerous careless penalties, turnovers, lack of practicing fundamentals (like tackling), and frequent sloppy play.

Maybe Richt can’t take Georgia to the next level of seriously contending for the BCS national title. But that caliber of a coach is rare and probably difficult for UGA to find, attract, and actually sign and hire.

If Georgia has one or a couple of more of disappointing seasons in 2010 and 2011, then this issue will need to be revisited and perhaps a coaching change will be what’s best for the football team at the point.

But not now. Not today. And even not at the end of the 2009 season after a meaningless exhibition called a bowl game.

Technorati Tags: Mark Richt,GeorgiaBulldogs,college football

Quote of the Day:
Hurry! I never hurry. I have no time to hurry.
--Igor Stravinsky

Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

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Falcons at Panthers Preview

2009-11-11T13:40:00.001-05:00

I see this game exemplifying the differences of coaching between the two squads, particularly the two offensive coaching staffs. I expect the Falcons will do the right thing and for the Panthers to play well for a while, but in the end, screw things up.

An Atlanta win means that the Falcons are closer to the Saints, in terms of play ability. A Carolina win means that Atlanta are more at the Panthers’ inconsistent level of performance.

Atlanta’s coaching staff does not get off-focused into believing they are something they are not. Mysteriously, Carolina loves to become a passing team when the game is on the line. This has led to failed results.

Atlanta runs the ball well and will do so against Carolina. The Falcons also pass the ball better than the Panthers and make fewer mistakes.

Neither team plays at a consistent high level defensively. Atlanta’s special teams, particularly the return teams, are generally more talented and better-coached.

Losing linebacker, Thomas Davis, the team’s leading tackler, will prove to be significant against the well-balanced offensive arsenal of the Falcons.

Until they get a playmaker quarterback and address some lack of depth issues, Carolina is a franchise going in the wrong direction. The Panthers will have some streaks of brilliant performances but typically, Carolina mysteriously abandons the running game when the contest is on the line.

“It is what it is,” Coach John Fox loves to say when he gets defensive after a loss. Carolina is an average team struggling to be good.

Despite their struggles at times on the road, with the notable exception of their dominance over the San Francisco 49rs, Atlanta is clearly a franchise going in the right direction. The Falcons are a good team trying to become an elite NFL squad.

After a horrible start to the season the 3-5 Panthers seem to have regained a better level of performance in recent weeks, and while they have shown flashes of greatness, they have also not pulled everything together yet for four quarters.

The 5-3 Falcons have won all the games they should have won against weaker opponents and they have lost games against New England, Dallas, and New Orleans.

The Silver Fox Forecast: Atlanta 24, Carolina 20 in a game that will be somewhat more defensive than expected.

Technorati Tags: NFL,Carolina Panthers,Atlanta Falcons,sports

Quote of the Day:

“Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done.”
- Louis D. Brandeis

1 John 2:15-16 “[Do Not Love the World] Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.”

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Gators Slime Men in Black on Halloween

2009-10-31T20:04:00.001-04:00

The game was over as soon as the Georgia Bulldogs needed the helmet gimmick to get motivated.

Actually, the silly uniforms had nothing to do with this game. Turnovers and penalties characterized Georgia’s self-destruction.

However, I hope that we never see the black helmets ever again. What is so obvious is the stupidity and immaturity in putting emphasis on the uniforms instead of coaching and performance.

Even after a long bye week.

Georgia appeared to be mourning for their on funeral Saturday in Jacksonville. No tricks and no treats, at least for Bulldog nation.

Similarly to the demolishing by Alabama in the 2008 season when the Bulldogs wore black jerseys, the silly gimmick of wearing black helmets and black pants, with white jerseys, did not overshadow the lack of self-discipline which produced several penalties and critical turnovers.

The black pants were okay, but the black helmets needed more red. If it wasn’t for the wide white stripe in the middle, the helmets would have looked liked bowling balls and similar to the helmets worn by the Atlanta Falcons.

Georgia would be better off wearing the Oregon Ducks uniforms for Halloween. To paraphrase Daffy Duck, UGA was “despicable!” Quack! Quack!

Being the last day of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Bulldogs could have decked out in pink.

Practicing self-control and self-discipline, executing plays, and emphasizing fundamentals rather than wearing black uniforms would have served the Bulldogs well today.

The mediocre Georgia Bulldogs (4-4, 3-3) lost for the third time in four games.

Breaking a record held by Herschel Walker, Tim Tebow accounted for four touchdowns. The obvious difference is that it took Tebow four years with an extra regular season game per season and a couple of SEC title games to break a record in which Walker accomplished in three seasons.

A.J. Jones had two huge interceptions and top-ranked Florida spooked and spanked Georgia 41-17 Saturday for its 17th win in the past 20 meetings between the SEC rivals.

Florida (8-0, 6-0) continued the nation's longest winning streak to 18 games and clinched at least a share of the SEC East title.

The Gators can secure a spot in the conference title game if Tennessee (in black jerseys) beats South Carolina Saturday night in Knoxville in the Halloween Bowl (just kidding, fans of Volunteers and Gamecocks).

Is Joe Cox pointing to the next Gator he’s throwing to? Just joking.

Whatever Joe Cox had at Independence High in Charlotte, he’s lost at Georgia. Bench him for the season and start building for the 2010 season.

P.S. Please fire defensive coordinator Martinez.

Technorati Tags: Georgia Bulldogs,Florida Gators,college football,sports

Quote of the Day:
Nothing is too high for a man to reach, but he must climb with care and confidence.
--Hans Christian Andersen

1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

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Will UGA Ever Win a National Title with Mark Richt?

2009-10-10T17:39:00.001-04:00

Were actress Helen Hunt and coach Mark Richt separated at birth?

UGA was dominated by Tennessee, 45-19, Saturday in college football. The Bulldogs' defense surrendered 45 points to a one-dimensional offense.

The Volunteers have a good RB this season. Somehow GA made Vols QB Crompton look like Peyton Manning.

The Bulldogs have clearly have mostly underachieved since the strong finish of the 2007 season with the Sugar Bowl win over Hawaii. The Bulldogs look more like FSU with each game.

Did Mark Richt peak at Georgia around 2005-2006? Has recruiting, especially on defense, gone downhill in recent years? Remember when GA's defense used to go after the ball to create turnovers?

Georgia's defensive coaches seem like they do not have the unit prepared well for a game and have the defenders out of position for significant plays.

Will UGA win a BCS title under Mark Richt? Is he too nice to finish No. 1? Steve Spurrier needed six seasons at Florida to win a national championship and it didn’t happen until he hired Bob Stoops from Kansas State to coordinate the Gator defense.

Richt is a great human being and role model, but in terms of competing for a BCS national title, he has blown a few opportunities in the past. Under his leadership the UGA football program has certainly improved. However, many are starting to believe he has taken the program as far as he is capable.

In my opinion, Richt hasn’t failed so much as he has been unlucky. LSU won the 2003 BCS crown with one loss a year after one loss cost Georgia a berth in the championship game. LSU won the 2007 title with two losses after emerging from a league that also housed Georgia, which likewise had two losses.

Sometimes you have the right team at the wrong time.

Georgia should not fire Mark Richt unless they have another coach who is significantly better waiting. There are not a whole lot of coaches out there that are better than Mark Richt.

Coaches like Pete Carroll, Nick Saban, Les Miles, Urban Meyer, Butch Davis, Bob Stoops, Mack Brown, etc., are not beating a path to Georgia’s door.

When Bobby Bowden retires at FSU, will Richt be offered the Seminoles' head coaching job? And if this is offered, will he accept?

Technorati Tags: Mark Richt,Georgia Bulldogs

Quote of the Day:
There should be no yelling in the home unless there is a fire.
--David Oman McKay

Proverbs 19:20-21 “Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.”

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The NFL Today – Week Three

2009-09-27T13:03:00.001-04:00

Michael Vick rejoins NFL today: Eagles' QB, armed with Wildcat offense, to play for the first time since 2006.
Saints QB Drew Brees is now the best QB of the NFL.
Tom Brady still needs to shake off a little rust after being inured last year.
Peyton Manning is still Peyton Manning, just nearing the end of his career.
Tony Romo still cannot win the big game.
Ben Roethlisberger can pump fake while taking a hit.
The Carolina Panthers obviously made a very big mistake this offseason when they signed quarterback Jake Delhomme to a five-year, $42.5 million contract extension.
Despite the defeats, the Detroit Lions show small steps of improvement.
Are the Cincinnati Bengals better than expected?
Will the Atlanta Falcons “upset” the New England Patriots?
Sunday night’s matchup with the Colts and the Cardinals may be an instant classic with the pair of QBs – Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning.
Will my Carolina Panthers finally play with passion, urgency, and intensity in Dallas Monday night?

Speaking of my Panthers, Carolina has begun the season at 0-2 and have a very difficult schedule the rest of the season. With road games at Dallas, Arizona, New Orleans, the New York Jets, New England Patriots. and the New York Giants, this team could be on its way to a having a disastrous season.

There are also some tough home games against Atlanta, Miami, Minnesota, and New Orleans. Too bad they traded their first draft pick for 2010 away.

Yes, the Panthers traded their first round pick in the 2010 draft in order to move up to select Florida State defensive end Everette Brown in 2009. Brown is a great draftee but for a team in dire need of a playmaker QB, it was a very significant mistake to trade away their top pick in a draft, that could include top quarterbacks Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, Jevan Snead, Jake Locker, and Tim Tebow

Maybe they will be able to trade DE Julius Peppers to get a first round pick back.

If Carolina has a horrible season, I would expect John Fox to be fired, paving the way for Bill Cowher.

A. horrendous 2-14 or 3-13 record in 2009 for Carolina is not out of the question. The Panthers should defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two wins.

Perhaps Carolina will outlast the Buffalo Bills too. That makes three wins. Thus, to even had a 6-10 record, the team has to upset three teams.

From 12-4 to 2-14 or 4-12 or whatever. The Bucs should prevent the Panthers from going from first to worst.

And Monday night versus Dallas at the new Cowboys Stadium in front of 105,000 fans? Tony Romo will have a big night and Jerry Jones will smile as he lands his first victory at his grand football palace.

Cowboys 31, Panthers 23, as Carolina falls to 0-3.

Technorati Tags: NFL,Carolina Panthers,Drew Brees,sports

Saturday’s Ups and Downs of College Football

2009-09-27T12:26:00.001-04:00

First, Saturday night at Sanford Stadium in Athens was another down-to-the-wire battle, with No. 21 Georgia (3-1, 2-0 SEC) rallying for a 20-17 victory over Arizona State (2-1). Three Bulldogs turnovers kept the game winnable for the Sun Devils.

However, Georgia avoided an upset thanks to a 22-yard field goal by Blair Walsh that tied the score early in the fourth quarter, a blocked field goal by A.J. Green that kept it 17-17 with less than five minutes left in regulation, and climaxed by Walsh’s 37-yarder that wrapped things up as time expired.

Georgia faces LSU next week. Will LSU be caught looking head to their meeting with Florida the following week?

Speaking of the Gators, the biggest story from Saturday’s football games, of course, was the Tebow injury as Florida’s journey towards a third national title in four seasons may become derailed if an injury to senior quarterback Tim Tebow suffered during Saturday's 41-7 victory at Kentucky proves to be serious.

Tebow was sacked in the third quarter by Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndhan. Tebow was hit in the chest by Wyndham and as he fell backwards, he banged his head on the knee of Florida tackle Marcus Gilbert.

Also on college football Saturday, Iowa defeated Penn State 21-10 at Beaver Stadium, which featured a “white out” and more than 100,000 fans. With the road victory, Iowa has to be considered a legitimate Big Ten title contender, which is hard for me to believe considering how close Iowa came to losing its opener to FCS member Northern Iowa.

The loss drops Penn State from among the ranks of national title contenders as the Big Ten does not have one.

Penn State's loss concluded a wild weekend that witnessed three teams in the top six and four in the top ten lose. In addition to No. 5 Penn State, No. 4 Mississippi lost Thursday to South Carolina, No. 6 California was dominated by Oregon, and – I do not consider this an upset - No. 9 Miami bowed to No. 11 Virginia Tech.

And the Seminoles flopped. Last week, Florida State looked fantastic in compiling 500 yards and destroying Brigham Young University 54-28. In start contrast Saturday, the FSU got spanked at home 17-7 by its small neighbor, South Florida.

At this point, early in the season, here are the teams that I like. No team is playing thoroughly at a high level in every phase of the game than the Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama has a dominating defense and a surprising offense behind quarterback Greg McElroy.

The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs are the best non-BCS/non-big six team in the country. TCU has a quality win over Clemson and their victory over Virginia is debatable as a quality win or not. The Horned Frogs can enhance their credibility by defeating both BYU and Utah.

Teams such as Cincinnati and Michigan are grabbing by attention and interest.

LSU has work to do, but they may develop into a potential threat to Alabama. Their next two games versus Georgia and Florida should define their potential.

Let’s talk about Virginia Tech who has had two impressive wins in two weeks. Last week, the Hokies used late-game, Tyrod Taylor miracles to snag win over Nebraska and this week, No. 11 Virginia Tech needed no miracles as they simply manhandled No. 9 Miami, 31-7.

Virginia Tech is clearly the ACC's top team.

In conclusion, I return to my Georgia Bulldogs.

The game against LSU features a battle between first-year starting quarterbacks. Jordan Jefferson leads the Tigers and Joe Cox leads the Bulldogs. LSU is unbeaten but Georgia has a loss, which makes this a must-win game at home.

Technorati Tags: college football,NCAA Football,Georgia Bulldogs,sports

Quote of the Day:
The bananas were like that when I got here!
--Humpty Dumpty

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

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NFL Gameday: Panthers at Falcons

2009-09-17T21:17:00.001-04:00

Are we witnessing the beginning of the end for quarterback Jake Delhomme and Coach John Fox? Are Carolina’s swagger and confidence becoming unglued?

One poor game may be an accident. Two very bad games in a row is a trend. Three consecutive pitiful performances is a significant problem.

If a fourth straight horrible performance by the starting quarterback is allowed, than the head coach’s decision-making, sanity, judgment, and job-security are all under the microscope.

"I'd like to erase any doubts," stated Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme after his Week 1 loss at home to the Philadelphia Eagles. "I don't think they have any. I really don't think they do. But I'd like to erase them if there are any at all this weekend."

Jake Delhomme may produce an emotional comeback performance from last week’s disaster, but it is more of an issue of competence and confidence with him.

Tony Gonzalez has strategically changed pass defense against the Falcons.

"Tony makes it pretty easy for a quarterback," stated Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan about newly acquired tight end Tony Gonzalez. "I just try to put the ball in a spot where he can make a play on it, and he always seems to do that."

This game is absolutely critical for the Carolina Panthers, who cannot afford another early conference loss if they want to keep their playoff potential. It will be difficult against an Atlanta defense that looked both tougher and quicker than last year in nearly shutting out the Miami Dolphins.

Atlanta defeated Miami 19-7 for their first win of the 2009 season. QB Matt Ryan struggled early, but endured and finished with 229 yards passing and two touchdowns after completing 22 of 36 passes.

RB Michael Turner had 22 carries for 65 yards and TE Tony Gonzalez grabbed five catches for 73 yards. Nine of the Falcons' 19 points came off Dolphins turnovers.

In his last pair of games, Delhomme has been very sloppy and committed 12 turnovers. Jake Delhomme is a turnover machine and the Atlanta defense will have a field day.

Is there a quarterback rating below 0?

After the Philadelphia Eagles defense piled up 35 fantasy football points vs. the Panthers, fantasy football players everywhere rushed to add the Falcons defense for NFL season week 2.

Despite the dramatic number of turnovers by Jake, the Panthers offensive line shares the blame by providing very little pass protection.

Carolina lost to Philadelphia 38-10. QB Jake Delhomme pitched 7 of 17 passes for 73 yards. He threw his third interception of the game on the Panthers' opening possession of the second half.

RB DeAngelo Williams had 14 carries for 37 yards with one TD, while catching four passes for 42 yards.

My forecast is not good for Carolina as Atlanta rolls to a 30-17 divisional win.

Will this loss be the beginning of the end for both Jake Delhomme and Coach John Fox in Charlotte?

Stay tuned. Same Panther-time. Same Panther-channel.

Technorati Tags: Carolina Panthers,Atlanta Falcons,NFC South,NFC,NFL

Georgia Bulldogs at Arkansas Razorbacks

2009-09-17T20:40:00.001-04:00

On Saturday, the Georgia Bulldogs (1-1, 1-0 SEC) travel to face the Arkansas Razorbacks (1-0, 0-0 SEC). The Bulldogs are coming off of an entertaining 41-37 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks.

The Arkansas Razorbacks have only played one game this year, a 48-10 win over Missouri State. The game will be televised by ESPN at 7:45 p.m. ET.

Georgia holds a 8-3 overall series lead against Arkansas. Georgia Georgia has won 5 in a row over the Razorbacks. Georgia has lost 0 games against Arkansas in Fayetteville. In their last matchup, Georgia beat Arkansas 23-20 in Athens in 2005.

The Razorbacks are 6-7 under Bobby Petrino.

The Bulldogs are a perfect 6-for-6 in the Red Zone through two games of the 2009 season.

I see a rerun of the Georgia-South Carolina game. Both offenses will light up the scoreboard.

The Bulldogs are 24-4 in SEC opponent stadiums under Coach Mark Richt. Last season, Georgia was 4-0 on the road in conference games, including a 52-38 victory over No. 11 LSU. In fact, the Bulldogs are on a five game road SEC winning streak.

My pick-em is Georgia 38, Arkansas 34.

Technorati Tags: Georgia Bulldogs,Arkansas Razorbacks,SEC,college football,NCAA football

Quote of the Day:
Vegetarian is an old Indian word meaning bad hunter.
--Anonymous

Ephesians 5:1 “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children”

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Opening NFL Weekend Highlights Include Returns of Brady and Favre

2009-09-13T11:36:00.001-04:00

NFL drama, I mean – action, returns in full swing today.

Today QB Brett Favre makes his regular season debut in purple (purple cheesehead?) when his Minnesota Vikings visit Cleveland for the matchup vs. the Browns. The Dog Pound in Cleveland will be barking loudly.

I pick Vikings over Browns.

Speaking of dogs, the Philadelphia Eagles will be Michael Vick-less but not hound-free when traveling to Charlotte in an encounter with the Carolina Panthers. Today’s QB Scrutiny Bowl shares snaps between Donovan McNabb and Jake Delhomme.

These pair of QBs’ inconsistencies have been very well chronicled and both will continue to be hounded today if they don’t play well. Well, the QB of today’s winner will buy himself another week.

Eagles over Panthers.

The Tony Dungy-less Indianapolis Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars, who no longer are considered a serious playoff contender. Coaches have changed but QB Peyton Manning remains the same, which is excellent news for the Colts.

Colts over Jaguars is my pick.

Prolific passer Drew Brees and his New Orleans Saints host the revised Detroit Lions, with rookie QB Matthew Stafford starting. The Lions haven’t won since two days before Christmas 2007.

Saints over Lions.

Another starting QB, Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets, makes his debut in Houston vs. the Texans today. DE Mario Williams and teammates will give Sanchez his official “Welcome to the NFL!”

I pick Texans over Jets.

Miami at Atlanta, in my mind, is a marquee matchup of two resurgent teams, who made but lost in round one of the playoffs a season ago. Both teams have upgrade their talent but the Dolphins has the better defense.

I pick Dolphins over Falcons.

The Kansas City Chiefs travel to Baltimore for their football game vs. the Ravens. QB Matt Cassel faces the fierce Ravens defense and Ray Lewis will be in his face all day.

Ravens over Chiefs is my pick.

The Dallas Cowboys visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today for their tune-up for their huge debut game in Cowboys Stadium, featuring their monster video scoreboard. The Cowboys will be working on offensive chemistry between QB Tony Romo and his WRs, while the Bucs’ offense will be struggling.

Cowboys over Buccaneers.

In today’s “who cares” matchup, enlisting the St. Louis Rams at the Seattle Seahawks, head coaches Jim Mora, Jr., and Steve Spagnuolo, respectively, make their debuts for their teams.

Jim Mora, of course, has previous head coaching experience with the Atlanta Falcons. Spagnuolo does not have the defensive talent he had with Giants to work with.

My pick is Seahawks over Rams.

My wish is that both teams redesign their uniforms and colors. But don’t bother, for only a few will be watching.

The NFC defending champions, the Arizona Cardinals, may have their hands full today in a contest featuring Mike Singletary’s debut as full-time head coach. This game almost smells upset, but I dare not go against QB Kurt Warner and WR Larry Fitzgerald.

Cardinals over 49rs is my pick.

Today’s games also features a matchup between the New York Giants, last season’s NFC East Division winners, vs. the Washington Redskins, the best fourth place team of the league. The Redskins have a solid defense with an inconsistent offense.

The Giants no longer have WR Plaxico Burress but rookie WR Hakeem Nicks was the No. 1 NFL WR during preseason in terms of statistics. Oh-oh. Who maintains and keeps up with irrelevant preseason stats?

Giants over Redskins is my pick.

Both Chicago and Green Bay appear to be improved and stronger at the start of the 2009 season. The QB matchup of Jay Cutler vs. Aaron Rogers should be very fun to witness tonight.

I think that the Packers will edge the Bears at Lambeau Field.

After tearing ligaments in his left knee in the season opener of the 2008 season, QB Tom Brady, after hours upon hours of rehabilitation, leads his New England Patriots into Buffalo for a contest against the Bills Monday night.

My pick is Patriots over Browns.

And oh yeah, their is a second NFL Monday night game; The San Diego Chargers at the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders are one of two NFL franchises – the other being the Dolphins – whose home fields feature MLB infield dirt.

That should be outlawed! You’re out!!!

Duh. Chargers over Raiders.

Technorati Tags: NFL,2009 NFL Season,football,sports

Quote of the Day:
Patience is the companion of wisdom.
--Anonymous

1 Peter 3:8“ [Suffering for Doing Good] Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.”

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Georgia QB Cox confirms shoulder problems

2009-09-12T11:55:00.001-04:00

ESPN.com reports that Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Joe Cox confirms shoulder problems. However, Cox is focused on playing through his injury.

Sophomore quarterback Logan Gray reportedly worked a lot of reps with the first team in this week’s practices. Expect coach Mark Richt to deploy a two-quarterback system versus the South Carolina Gamecocks tonight.

Cox was shaky and threw the ball without any zip (two words: hang time) in the opening loss at Oklahoma State but he said the injury has not affected his arm strength. His biggest problem in the opener was the flu, which caused him to lose nine pounds.

Cox said he is completely over his illness now.

Today may be Cox’s final edition if he has another disappointing performance. Gray can run as well as pass and he has a stronger arm than Joe Cox.

I thought the Bulldogs defense played all right versus the powerful Oklahoma State Cowboys offense, providing enough opportunities for the offense to score points and thus, to outscore the opponent.

Georgia-South Carolina always play close, defensive battles in recent seasons. Today, I expect a 20-17 or even a 13-10 type of game.

With both offenses so inept in week one, I joke about this game being 3-2. However, it’s not illogical to think that either team may struggle to score more than one touchdown against the other.

Today is a critical game for both teams, especially Georgia. To start off 0-2 probably means an 8-4 or 7-5 season for the Bulldogs.

A win today may mean a 10-2 or 9-3 season for the Bulldogs from Athens, GA.

Special teams, field position, the field goal kickers, and turnovers will tilt today’s game.

When these two squads square off, there really is no home-field advantage, as both teams show up with great defenses and struggling offenses typically.

The issue at Columbia, South Carolina is that the Gamecocks under coach Steve Spurrier start a season strongly, but weaken suddenly during the last month of the season, like they are out of shape, not mentally focused, etc.

Steve Spurrier is 64 years old and despite a general opinion that he has not coached greatly with South Carolina, he was won more games in four years than any previous Gamecocks coach in university history.

While Spurrier himself is far from being satisfied with his record with the Gamecocks, he has pride and wants South Carolina to improve and compete for the SEC East title.

I used to think that Spurrier signed with South Carolina mainly to play golf at exclusive golf courses, such as Hilton Head and Augusta National (about an hour drive from Columbia).

While that may be partly true, and who could blame him, he has made significant coaching changes this off-season. The simple fact is no coach can find top caliber recruits in the South Carolina area like he used to in Florida.

I like Mark Richt a lot; he’s a very good head coach and a great man. He was won two SEC titles, but perhaps his recruiting and coaching peaked around 2005.

Has Richt changed Georgia to become another Florida State University? Other words, are his recruits more athletic and finesse than being fundamentally sound and physical?

My point is that a FSU/ACC style of offense is not a good fit in the SEC, especially against teams such as Florida, LSU, and Alabama.

Does Georgia’s defense go after the ball for interceptions? Do the try to strip the ball and create turnovers?

Remember when David Pollack stripped the ball out of a quarterbacks hands and made critical plays to help his team win?

Remember the years when Georgia lost, but gave their best effort, losing 27-24 and not 38-13?

If the Georgia Bulldogs lose to the South Carolina Gamecocks tonight and proceed to have a mediocre season, will this be the beginning of the end for Richt?

Probably not, unless it is followed by a couple of other mediocre seasons.

Technorati Tags: Georgia Bulldogs,South Carolina Gamecocks,SEC,NCAA football,college football

Quote of the Day:
If it doesn't matter who wins, then how come they keep score?
--Vincent Lombardi

Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

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What Are Your 2010 Super Bowl Picks?

2009-09-10T20:24:00.001-04:00

Annually, prognosticators all over the United States, from Maine to California to Florida and inbetween, make Super Bowl predictions to kickoff the new season.

Therefore, in the spirit of that tradition, I will contribute my two cents worth.

On the surface, the AFC appears to be simple to figure out, with the New England Patriots being the most logical favorites. My head says the Patriots but my heart moves me to think outside of the box a tad.

The San Diego Chargers have a tremendous opportunity this season to host the AFC Championship game due to having an easy schedule in general and particularly due to being in the weakest division in the NFL.

Once they win eight games this season, the Chargers will already clinch the AFC West division crown. However, they should take advantage of the opportunity to win as many games as possible to secure home field playoff advantage throughout the post-season.

Hosting and winning the AFC title game is the only scenario I can see which San Diego makes it to the Super Bowl.

Another team, a squad who feels they should have been the Super Bowl winner over the Arizona Cardinals, are the Tennessee Titans.

Tennessee reflects upon the 2008 season as a missed opportunity, because they soundly defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular season. While the Titans matched up very well to Pittsburgh, they matched up poorly to the Baltimore Ravens and therefore, lost to them in the playoffs.

The Titans should play inspired football all season long in response to their missed opportunity of last season plus in dedication to the memory of the late Great Titans quarterback, Steve McNair, who led the team just one yard short of a Super Bowl victory in their loss to the St. Louis Rams.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are another very logical consideration. Like the Florida Gators of NCAA Football, the Steelers do not act like a team who will rest and cruise on the previous season’s success and championship trophy.

Pittsburgh is even hungry for Super Bowl ring number seven, continuing their status as the greatest franchise in league history.

The Baltimore Ravens may be one or two wide receivers away from being a favorite to win the AFC. The Indianapolis Colt are always in this discussion in recent seasons, but they are adjusting to coaching changes and they tend to lose to the Chargers in post season.

Will a team that hardly anyone considers grab the AFC title? Probably not, but some people think that the Houston Texans, for example, may take the next step up in terms of winning, perhaps winning the AFC South division.

Like any NFL team, health and particularly the health of the quarterback position, will determine Houston’s fate. Matt Schaub has impressive basic quarterback skills but he seems to have a knack for sustaining nagging injuries. Is he mentally tough?

I look for the Texans to improve but also experienced some growing pains, since they are in a tough division.

So in the AFC, for the 2020 Super Bowl, my head says Patriots but my heart says Chargers.

As usual, the NFC is very wide open and in contrast to the AFC, the conference is more complicated to figure out. Who picked the Arizona Cardinals to make the Super Bowl in September 2008, much less even in December 2008.

While we can rule out teams such as the Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49rs, and probably, the Washington Redskins, one can make a logical scenario for almost every other NFC team.

Although the Dallas Cowboys have not won a playoff game since the last century, if they can improve their defense and generate efficient offense, they possibly use their new Cowboys Stadium as a new home, humongous video scoreboard distraction advantage.

But I doubt it.

The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles are probably the two most logical choices among NFC teams due to talent and experience, but both fell short during last post season.

Don’t rule out the Seattle Seahawks. Coach Jim Mora, Jr., had quick post season success with the Atlanta Falcons and if they can stay healthy with a tough defense, who knows?

However, the Arizona Cardinals should enter this season very confident after almost upsetting the Steelers in the Super Bowl and after discovering a real defense in the last post season.

But if quarterback Kurt Warner gets injured, all bets are off.

Who will win the suddenly improved NFC North division? ABD – Anyone But Detroit. A logical scenario and argument can each be made for the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings have the best defense, especially if their defense backs improve. Minnesota has the best running back, if not player, in the NFL with Adrian Peterson. Will Brett Favre lead the Vikes to the promise land? Time will tell.

The Bears defense needs to be healthier and play quicker and smarter than they did last season. Quarterback Jay Cutler brings a strong arm to the windy city and Matt Forte is a great running back.

But if teams stuff eight in the box, do the Bears have the receivers that can make critical plays? Let’s see what tight end Gregg Olsen offers in 2009.

The Packers are installing a new 3-4 defense but the offense will be on all cylinders, with a confident and talented quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. If running back Ron Grant stays healthy and has another year like the 2007 season, watch out – Green Bay will be very tough to outscore.

In the NFC South, the Atlanta Falcons are both a popular and logical choice, although they have never put together consecutive winning seasons in franchise history. With the addition of tight end Tony Gonzalez and a couple of recent transactions on defense, Atlanta should finish 9-7 or better.

Quarterback Matt Ryan is the real deal.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme may be the raw deal, since the team signed him with a contract extension.

There are two Jakes - (1) the struggling competitor with a Super Bowl experience and with a post season winning record who minimizes mistakes and maximizes wide receiver Steve Smith and who led Carolina to a 12-4 record; or (2) the aging quarterback who has had Tommy John surgery, throws up the ball for grabs for Smith to rebound or for the opposition to intercept.

The Panthers are returning almost all starters from last season, which is both good news (stability) and bad news (being stagnant, not improving the talent pool).

Like Atlanta, Carolina has never had two straight winning, playoff appearing seasons. Unlike the Falcons, I do not expect the Panthers to break that trend due to a difficult schedule, a lack of depth at key positions, and the failure to sign or develop a true punt returner during preseason.

The New Orleans Saints may have the best passing offense of the NFC. Drew Brees, in my humble opinion, is the third best quarterback of the NFL, behind Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

In fantasy football, Brees is the best and most consistent quarterback of the past three seasons. The Saints have retooled in the running back position.

The obvious shortcoming and question about New Orleans is their defense. Most seasons, teams with the best defenses tend to make the Super Bowl.

How well did the Saints address and actually improve their defense via the draft and other transactions?

However, on occasion, a team, such as last seasons Cardinals or that Rams squad that won a Super Bowl, have a just good enough defense paired with a high-powered, passing offense, makes the big dance.

Like the 2008 Arizona Cardinals, is this the New Orleans saints’ magical year? While Drew Brees is better than Kurt Warner, Arizona’s wide receiver corps is the best of the league.

The Saints have a good group of wide receivers and not to be overlooked, a solid offensive line that enable Brees enough time to find an open target and accurately deliver the football.

Expect Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints to light up the scoreboard in 2009 and yes, in January 2010. I did not say February 2010 – yet.

For my 2010 NFC Super Bowl representative, my head says Giants and my heart says Saints. Again, in the AFC, for the 2020 Super Bowl, my head says Patriots but my heart says Chargers.

It’s a split decision.

The New England Patriots will chase and perhaps flirt with 19-0 and fall short in the regular season, but not in the playoffs. The Chargers will win home field advantage, but the Patriots have San Diego’s number no matter where the game is played.

With the additions of WR Joey Galloway and RB Fred Taylor, this Patriots offense may even be more massive and dominating that it was in 2007. New England’s defense is younger but seasoned enough, and most importantly, is built for speed.

The NFC will be murky and inconsistent all season until December and January. However, in the post season, Cinderella will make another appearance, not with the Cardinals this time, who made their first Super Bowl appearance last season.

Come December or January, I will probably look back and laugh at my incorrect pick, but who knows? Prognosticating is a fun sport, wind, lose, or draw.

Another NFC will finally make their first Super Bowl appearance. Believe it or not, the impossible happens again. No, not the Detroit Lions, as hell will not freeze over.

Yes, our second all “New” Super Bowl, but not the Giants this time.

So who dat? The New Orleans Saints – that’s who dat! Drew Brees will win the NFL MVP award, but Tom Brady will win another Super Bowl trophy and be its MVP.

New England Patriots 34, New Orleans Saints 23, as the Patriots and Steelers continue compete for team and dynasty of the decade.

Whoomps! There it is!

Technorati Tags: NFL,Super Bowl,New England Patriots,New Orleans Saints,2009 Season

Quote of the Day:
What single ability do we all have? The ability to change.
--George Leonard Andrews

Isaiah 46:4 “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”

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Mamas Won’t Let Their Babies Grow Up to Be Bulldogs

2009-09-05T20:58:00.001-04:00

If Georgia would have won, my article’s headline may have been “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy!”

I don’t believe in or agree with my headline for this article, but I love its word play on the famous country song. Mamas and Papas everywhere should be proud to let their babies grow up to be Cowboys, Bulldogs, and even Bleacher Report writers – but not politicians!

The Georgia Bulldogs and their fans are not laughing but we experienced a rude wake-up call Saturday as losing three star offensive skill players to the NFL showed its logical result Saturday afternoon in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Losing is never fun. Losing by 14, scoring only 10 points, and not representing the SEC well in terms of game play was very painful to endure. In contrast, Oklahoma State not only represented the Big 12 well, they enhanced the reputation of the power conference.

Although Georgia’s offense self-destructed at opportune moments of the contest with penalties, turnovers, and nervous/sloppy play, I give the Cowboys’ defense and their defensive coaching staff credit for executing a well, thought out game plan which was basically bend a little but not break at all.

However, the two teams shaking hands after the game was my favorite moment, exemplifying the class that these two teams, two universities, and two prideful conferences have.

After an easy scoring opening drive, it looked like the offense was rolling. Not.

Quarterback Joe Cox, reportedly struggling with the flu, had a shaky performance. Ah, ah-choo!

Georgia even auditioned a Wildcat offensive set. Whoa!

Shouldn't it be the Bulldog, not the Wildcat in Georgia’s offensive playbook? I saw that the mascot, Uga VII, was contained in order not to bark at and chase the Wildcat.

Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson threw a pair of touchdown passes to wide receiver Dez Bryant. Robinson also scored on a quarterback sneak as No. 9 Oklahoma State beat No. 13 Georgia 24-10 on Saturday.

Yes, Dez Bryant is better than Michael Crabtree and will be an early first round draft pick in the 2010 NFL draft.

The Cowboys took advantage of a fourth-quarter fumble by new Georgia starting quarterback Joe Cox to seal the deal with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Robinson to Bryant. The two also hooked up on a 46-yard score in the first half that got Oklahoma State's offense going after a sloppy start.

Robinson finished with 135 yards on 11 for 22 passing, and Bryant made the most of his three catches for 77 yards.
Cox was 15 for 30 for 162 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Technorati Tags: Georgia Bulldogs,Oklahoma Cowboys,NCAA Football,college football,sports

It Was Only Preseason But Panthers Disappoint

2009-09-05T17:41:00.001-04:00

The Carolina Panthers disappointed me this preseason not because of the 0-4 record, but the obvious lack of football fundamentals, particularly the poor tackling and lack of offense production from the first team offense.

The first team offense has managed to score just one touchdown during the preseason. The offense has struggled throughout the four games of the preseason, scoring 57 points, an average of just over 14 points a game.

Yes, having WR Steve Smith and LB Jon Beason out for most of preseason play did not help, but I don’t view the Panthers as a two-man team either.

Carolina’s defense is below-average. The defense allowed 89 points in the four games, an average of just over 22 points a contest.

The poor play of two of Carolina’s top defenders, DE Julius Peppers and CB Chris Gamble, has been very disappointing. Why spend one millions dollars per game to pay Peppers to be a spectator on the field?

Peppers will go through the 2009 season trying to figure out if he wants to sign with Dallas, New England, or another team in 2010. The fans and local media will be hard on Julius, but he will cry all the way to the bank.

Gamble was also handed a huge contract in the off-season.

Therefore, the relevant question going into the regular season is can the Panthers suddenly turn the switch on and play well? Carolina should play better than they did in preseason, but will they play well enough to win?

At the start of preseason, looking at the Panthers’ tough schedule and lack of depth at key positions, I thought Carolina looked like an 8-8 team. I know we can’t always tell by preseason, but now they appear to be a 7-9 or 6-10 squad.

Yes, some bad habits practiced during preseason lags into the regular season.

The first three games of the season, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Dallas, will define which Carolina Panthers team will show up for 2009.

I predict that Carolina will start slow but finish strong during this 2009 season, with a final mediocre or average record around 8-8.

Technorati Tags: Carolina Panthers,NFL,2009 season,football,sports

Quote of the Day:
If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do all the rest have to drown too?
--Steven Wright

Cowboys’ Do-Overs Spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E

2009-08-29T15:59:00.001-04:00

“And I shall not be moved!”

Football at Cowboys’ Stadium is being tweaked with applications from traditional backyard football, tennis, Pinball arcade, mini-golf (or “Putt-Putt”), and video games.

And in Texas, size matters – the bigger, the better. The franchise’s new, Texas-sized video screen/scoreboard has replaced wide receiver Terrell Owens as the team’s main distraction.

The Cowboys’ theme for the 2009 season is “Ours Is Bigger!” “America’s Team” now has “America’s Video Screen!”

The NFL decided not to take any action for this season regarding the Dallas Cowboys’ video scoreboard that hovers 90 feet above the field at their brand new stadium.

90 feet is the same distance as it is from home plate to first base in MLB. It is noteworthy that this massive structure, the mother of all scoreboards, with 30 million light bulbs, spans 60 yards from 20 yard line to 20 yard line, hanging over the field like that spaceship from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

In a memo sent to every team, Commissioner Roger Goodell said if a punt hits the board or any guidewire, skycam, or any other object at any other stadium, the particular down or play will be replayed, just as the rule stated before Tennessee’s A.J. Traspasso’s punt hit it last week in the first football game at the stadium.

The game clock will also be reset to the time reflected before the "do over."

Specifically, if a ball strikes the video scoreboard, the play will be dead at that point and the down will be replayed from the previous spot. No penalties will count, other than personal fouls.

If the officials on the field do not notice the ball striking the video board, the replay assistant will be able to produce a replay review, even if the incident occurs outside the final two minutes of each half, the normal time period during which the replay assistant has the power to call upon the referee to assume the position at the portable replay booth.

Then if the replay official does not believe the ball struck the video board but the head coach of either team thinks otherwise, a red-flag challenge will be available.

Oh, oh! This means that if the ball “doinks” the video board with fewer than two minutes remaining in either half and if the replay assistant doesn't notice the collision, the coaches might not be able to challenge the outcome.

This rule includes all remaining preseason games, all regular-season games, and any postseason games that might be played at the new venue. Goodell cited Rule 3, Section 1 in taking the unconventional approach of modifying the official playing rules beyond the normal offseason procedure for doing so.

The do-over rule will be in place for the remainder of this season but the issue could be revisited in the future.

The NFL is doing nothing except hoping this issue goes away while ignoring the fact that the "do-over" rule could create several problems.

The NFL adopted a backyard football rule honored for decades: if the football hits a telephone wire, tree branch, etc., just run the play again.

Maybe the league should deploy an additional official for each Cowboys Stadium game with the assignment to follow the ball on each punt. Like an official in professional tennis, the referee could yell “Fault!”

Perhaps the NFL needs to add replay cameras for all angles that a football may bump the video scoreboard.

Regarding the personal foul penalties, what if the ball hits the board and one of the players on the punt team sees it and stops but a player on the receiving team does not notice it and then drills the opponent with a hard hit?

It will not happen, but what if a quarterback intentionally hits the video scoreboard on a Hail Mary pass play? Is that intentional grounding or a do-over?

If I was a quarterback playing at Cowboys’ Stadium, I would be tempted to bounce the football off the video board and then run and catch my own pass! I would call it “Immaculate Reception II.”

Similar to the NBA’s slam-dunk competition, the NFL could have a video screen create-a-play competition: “Punt, Pass, and Doink!”

Would intentionally punting into the scoreboard be a nice setup for a fake-punt play? Wow! Fans will just adore having more replays to endure!

We may witness a game changing, playoff-determining play that will not count. Imagine having a season-ending injury that may be suffered on a play that will not count.

Well, if the Dallas Cowboys are allowed to have an object of obstruction in play, it is only fair that all of the remaining 31 NFL teams be given the option of having a similar attraction.

For example, my Carolina Panthers could have a replica plane of Orville and Wilbur Wright hanging or floating 90 feet above midfield at Bank of America Stadium.

What will happen if a punt hits Jerry Jones? Never mind. Let’s think outside of the box and outside of clichés!

I have an alternate, simple solution: give punters the option of kicking the football above and over the video board, not just underneath or around it.

This solution will establish all-time hang-time punt records for the NFL. The punt returner will automatically signal for a fair-catch, theoretically, reducing injuries.

Want to give punters an incentive to avoid punting into the video board? Access a delay of game penalty and a $10,000 fine for each kick that bumps the scoreboard.

I read that the Cowboys will raise (and disconnect) the video screen at least once in October for Bono. U2 will perform October 12. Its stage has to fit.

Why not just leave the screen higher after the concert? The video screen can be raised for a concert but it’s too expensive and too much trouble to raise for a football game?

Oh, now I get it. The ticket holders in the expensive, field-level seats would needlessly strain their necks to see a raised video scoreboard!

The video board is now at eye-level for owners of luxury suites and upper-level ticket holders. On Madden NFL 10, this video board casts a huge shadow, covering almost 60 percent of the football field.

In backyards all across our United States, kids can pretend to be Tony Romo, fumbling the snap, picking the football, back up, backing up to pass, the throw is spiraling high, it hits a tree (a.k.a. the Cowboys’ scoreboard), and it’s a do-over!

On ESPN Primetime highlights, Chris Berman will say “the punter kicks, back...back…back...DOINK! So they then punted again.”

After throwing an interception for a New York Giants touchdown, losing the game for Dallas late in the fourth quarter, Tony Romo explains to the press with a smirk on his face: “Oh, my God! My eyes were, like, distracted and, uh, glued to the Cowboys cheerleaders’ very huge breasts, bouncing on our video board! Talk about instant replay! Review this!”

Technorati Tags: Dallas Cowboys,Cowboys Stadium,video scoreboard,NFL,football

Quote of the Day:
The enraged colonists were mad.
--CJ's US History Work

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

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2009 Georgia Bulldogs Preview

2009-08-23T18:44:00.001-04:00

The 2009 edition of the Georgia Bulldogs football team are almost unrecognizable from that group that started last season. The hope to finish better than that squad did in 2008.

While being preranked No. 1 in 2008 proved to be too much to handle for Georgia, a team not used to being in the national limelight, the lack of high expectations in 2009 should assist the Bulldogs.

Georgia's reputation for being one of the nation's best road teams will be put to the test right away with a critical game against a great, highly ranked Oklahoma State. In addition to the OSU Cowboys, the Bulldogs face Arizona State and will play at Georgia Tech.

Their mid-season stretch against LSU, at Tennessee, and at Vanderbilt will be challenging, but there is a week off before the annual battle against Florida. Getting Auburn and Kentucky at home, a cupcake against Tennessee Tech, will make for a relatively easy November before the regular season final contest against the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta.

On offense Joe Cox, taking over the starting quarterback chores, is a talented, replacement who will fit nicely into the position. At running back, Caleb King, Carlton Thomas, and Richard Samuel will be competing for carries, and this group will be more than capable behind a more experienced offensive line.

A.J. Green is an elite wide receiver but will the other wide receivers and tight end also perform well? Will the defense be good enough to allow the offense enough opportunities to outscore the opponent?

On defense, with Jeff Owens back after missing almost all of last season, and with Geno Atkins choosing to return for his senior year, the Georgia Bulldogs are very talented on the inside. Add 320-pound veteran Kade Weston, who is healing after playing banged up last year and emerging star DeAngelo Tyson, and Georgia will be superb on the defensive line.

Junior linebacker Rennie Curren collected 115 total tackles 3 sacks in 2008. The defensive backs look to be a source of team strength this season, returning a number of talented contributors.

Reshard Jones is a talented, reliable safety. Prince Miller is a steady cornerback. Georgia’s defense will need to remain healthy in order to play consistently better in 2009 than they did in 2008.

Special teams may be a concern this season. There are no standout players among the special teams units. The kicker and punter will both be somewhat unproven and the return game figures to be routine at best.

The field goal kicker and special teams play in particular may end up being the difference of Georgia finishing with a 9-3 or 10-2 record, as opposed to 11-1 or 12-0, in the regular season. Good field position should never be underestimated or taken for granted.

The fact that Georgia will not play Alabama or Ole Miss during the regular season is a positive. Like the 2005 team featuring quarterback D.J. Shockley, there is the possibility, if not potential, that this year’s squad will exceed expectations by a wide range.

However, the highly talented Florida Gators with quarterback, Tim Tebow, will secure the SEC East, the SEC Championship, and probably the BCS National Championship, as the Bulldogs continue to perform as a second tier NCAA football team.

Technorati Tags: Georgia Bulldogs,SEC,NCAA Football,BCS,football

Quote of the Day:
A civilization is built on what is required of men, not on that which is provided for them.
--Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Psalm 94:18-19 “When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.”

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Dallas’ New Hit the Video Board Mini-Game

2009-08-22T13:58:00.001-04:00

“The kick is up, up, and into the scoreboard!”

In the first exhibition game at the brand new Cowboys Stadium, a new mini-game auditioning for Madden NFL 11 was demonstrated: Hit the Video Board!

Imagine connecting my Xbox 360 to the Cowboys Stadium video board and playing Madden NFL 10, in true high definition glory.

Yes, this was one of the comical, hilarious, fun NFL events, albeit it’s only preseason, that will forever endure in NFL lore. Yes, it will be the lead highlight of the next NFL Follies DVD, in high definition of course.

Tennessee Titans rookie punter A.J. Trapasso's boot in the third quarter of the opening game at the new Cowboys stadium hit one of the 60-yard long high-definition video screens that hang about 90 feet above the field.

Measuring 160 feet wide and 72 feet tall (11,520 sq. feet), the high-definition television screen at Cowboys Stadium is the world's largest. It hangs about 90 feet above the playing surface,

As a young child growing up on a city street in Atlanta, GA, I remember punting high, aiming at street lights, with the purpose to barely miss. Luckily, my stupid idea never resulted in busting a street light.

For if I ever would have hit and busted a street light, my parents would have ultimately found and my little, uh, “Trapasso,” would have been spanked.

However, once my old, worn leather football blew like a car tire upon impact on a hanging electric wire and landed flat and unusable on the street. Then with my new football, I returned to long asphalt punting for enhanced bounced, roll, and distance.

I bet that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones never played or practice punting high and short. However, it’s a good chance that Tennessee Titans rookie punter A.J. Trapasso played all sorts of punting games as a child and teenager.

However, perhaps Jerry and A.J. have something in common: they make a “Trapasso” out of themselves too frequently. Just kidding.

Trapasso pointed up at the board when the ball dropped straight down. Officials were slow to realize what happened until Titans coach Jeff Fisher threw his red challenge flag to get their attention.

Apparently, these referees were both blind and deaf, if they did not see or hear the ball hit the scoreboard, assuming that the football made a noise upon contact on the video board.

If it made a sound, it probably was not the traditional “Doink” we hear when a field goal attempt hits the goalposts. My guess it was more of a “thud” or “bam” type of sound.

Go outside and throw a football against a house with vinyl siding. Well, make sure that it is either your house, or it’s okay with the house owner.

That may or may not be close to this sound I am imagining.

By rule, the ball was dead and fourth down was replayed. Trapasso's ensuing kick skimmed just to the side of the board without touching it.

Titans coach Jeff Fischer said the screen will have to be raised.

Trapasso and veteran Titans punter Craig Hentrich both hit the screen during pregame warm-ups, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says there are no plans to raise to the massive screens any higher.

In a post game interview, Jerry Jones snapped “Kiss my Trapasso!” towards a reporter. No, Jones didn’t say that, but he did snap.

Jones reportedly said something more defensive than offensive. Should the video board be raised higher?

Jones snapped: “That's not the point. How high is high if somebody just wants to sit there and kick straight up? If you look at how you punt the football, unless you're trying to hit the scoreboard, you punt the ball to get downfield. You certainly want to get some hang time, but you punt the ball to get downfield, and you sure don't punt the ball down the middle. You punt it off to the side."

Apparently, Jones does not value the aspect of hang time in the punting game. Cowboys punter Mat McBriar did not come close to hitting the screen.

Jones said there isn't any room to raise the screen but the NFL is investigating the situation.

It sounds like Jones plans to argue against any changes to the screen, and he should because the video board cost $40 million, more than Texas Stadium!

Vivid accounts of the beauty and awesomeness of the brand new state-of-the-art Cowboys Stadium should have been overflowing in the news and blogs today, but “The Dallas Cowboys Stadium Punt Scandal” rules not only today but throughout the week, especially on sports talk radio.

My initial impression of Cowboys Stadium is that it is obviously an excellent experience for the fan. The retractable roof, or any roof, is a negative for me.

Real football was meant and intended to be played and performed outdoor in the real weather and elements.

Additionally, the stadium should be name Tom Landry Stadium, not Cowboys Stadium.

As we learn more about the specifics and quirks of this new stadium, it will establish its own character, we will discover so much to like and enjoy, but we will also learn of things, like this video scoreboard/high definition TV, which will need to be modified.

What ultimately matters is the team itself. If Dallas wins and especially if the Cowboys make the playoffs and win, the stadium’s quirks and shortcomings won’t loom as large as if the team continues to underachieve and disappoint its fans.

The new video scoreboards at Cowboys Stadium are a huge hit, they took a hit from a punted football, and verbal hits are aimed at Jerry Jones and his prized franchise.

If Jones does not raise the scoreboard and if more punts hit the scoreboard, then this fuels the circus in Dallas and produces another unproductive distraction, but it’s excellent fodder for joke writers and sports bloggers.

Technorati Tags: Dallas Cowboys,Cowboys Stadium,Jerry Jones,punting,NFL

Quote of the Day:

“When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.” George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

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2009 Carolina Panthers Preview

2009-08-16T21:44:00.001-04:00

Will the Carolina Panthers win this division in two consecutive seasons? Typically, the NFC South inverts from season-to-season, with three different champions from 2006 though 2008.

A Short Review of the 2008 Season

The Panthers appeared prepared to make a strong postseason run in 2008. They finished the regular season 12-4, in first place of their division, and received a first round bye.

However, they ran into a hot Arizona Cardinals team that easily dismantled them, 33-13. Despite being one in done in the playoffs, the 2008 season was still a good one for the team.

Quarterback Jake Delhomme remained healthy for the entire year and the team finished seventh in the NFL in scoring. The running tandem was amazing with DeAngelo Williams and rookie back Jonathan Stewart.

The pair combined for 28 touchdowns and over 2,300 yards on the ground. After missing the first two games of the season, Steve Smith still caught nearly 80 balls for over 1,400 yards.

The defense finished twelfth in the league in points allowed and Julius Peppers enjoyed a great season, finishing with 14.5 sacks. However, the unit was not strong against the run, giving up nearly 120 yards per game to rank number twenty in the NFL.

The Coaches, Old and New

Coach John Fox enters his eighth season at the helm. Obviously conservative, Fox went for it fewer times last season on fourth down (eight) than any other head coach in the NFL.

His players like him and and are sold into his coaching philosophy: run the ball, stop the run, and throw it deep occasionally to Steve Smith to keep the other defense honest.

Fox replaced defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac in the offseason with former Indianapolis coordinator Ron Meeks. Trgovac drew fire for rarely blitzing and for a bend-but-don’t-break approach, but much of that mentality came straight from Fox.

The defense will be tweaked enough to allow less big plays. This means heavy reliance on a four-man rush, two-deep zones. and fast linebackers, such as Jon Beason, to male the majority of the tackles.

Offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson hit his stride last season, helped immensely by a breakout year from running back DeAngelo Williams. The Panthers were No. 3 in the NFL in rushing yardage and would like to be No. 1 this season.

Five assistant coaches have been replaced since that playoff loss to the Cardinals, so it will be interesting to see how the players respond and adjust to these new coaches.

A Preview of the 2009 Edition of the Carolina Panthers

The 2009 Panthers will look almost exactly identical as the 2008 edition, except for modifications has been done on the defense. Carolina basically skipped the high-profile free agent part of the offseason entirely, taking a calculated risk by committing most of its available salary cap to three veterans: offensive tackle Jordan Gross (extension), quarterback Jake Delhomme (extension), and defensive end Julius Peppers (franchise tag).

So all eleven starters on offense are returning and the defense should improve with the new defensive coordinator, Ron Meeks.They have a solid base with the backfield duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, while Steve Smith may be the best NFL wide receiver.

The Offense Returns All Starters But They Lack Depth at Key Positions

This offense’s glaring weakness is lack of depth at wide receiver, quarterback, and offensive line. Steve Smith inures his right shoulder in training camp before the first preseason game is played.

Carolina’s essential question is which QB Jake Delhomme will show up at a game? The fiery, competitive player, playing under control or the QB who threw five (or was it six) interceptions in the playoff debacle against the Arizona Cardinals?

How healthy will an aging Delhomme be? If Delhomme goes down as he did in 2007, the Panthers are in trouble. The backups, Josh McCown and Matt Moore, have little experience.

Behind Steve Smith, Mushin Muhammad and Dwayne Jarrett , Jason Carter and Ryne Robinson will return from injuries in 2009. Add rookies Mike Goodson and Larry Beavers into the group and Carolina is pretty deep at WR.

While the Panthers return all eleven starters on offense, they lost quality depth on the offensive line.

Carolina may have the best starting offensive line in football. The backups appear to be a question mark. Hopefully, Gerald Cadogan and Duke Robinson are rookies that can step in as back-ups to get the job done if called upon.

Carolina just gave Jake Delhomme a five-year contract extension and therefore, he will be under intense pressure to live up to it, especially after throwing five picks against Arizona in the playoffs.

Will the New Defensive Coordinator Make a Difference?

Ron Meeks is taking over Mike Trgovac’s defensive coordinator position and installing a conventional Cover 2 scheme. I do not expect it to be much different from Carolina’s previous approach.

Whereas Carolina mixed in some complex Cover 2 concepts in their previous "read and react" scheme, Meeks' simplified system is designed to take advantage of the speed and quickness of the defenders.

This unit has traditionally relied on a straight four-man pass-rush, read-and-react linebackers, and zone-defending defensive backs.

I expect that the defense will play well more consistently under new defensive coordinator, Ron Meeks. Carolina's defensive line is very good. However, it still lacks the run-stuffing ability Carolina has not had since trading Kris Jenkins to the New York Jets.

They have acquired some back-ups at DT with Corvey Irvin and Marlon Favorite, and they have a rotation of young speed rushers in Charles Johnson, Hilee Taylor, and Everette Brown.

The Panthers are very solid at linebacker, one of Carolina's deepest positions. Dan Connor should compete with 9-year veteran Na'il Diggs for a starter position.

With the addition of two draft picks, Carolina's secondary went from thin to improved quickly. I think that Richard Marshall will be the number two corner opposite Chris Gamble, C.J. Wilson will be the nickel CB, and Sherrod Martin and Captain Munnerlyn will be their back-ups.

I will not be surprised if the Panthers decide to let their best corner, Chris Gamble, blanket the opposition’s best receiver to eliminate unfavorable matchups.

The safety position seems to be reliable with Chris Harris and Charles Godfrey. The defensive backs will benefit the most with the transition to a new defensive coordinator.

Julius Peppers once again needs to play at a Pro Bowl,or better, level for the Carolina Panthers. The athletic defensive end also needs to make plays against the run, in addition to generating sacks and quarterback pressures.

Linebacker Jon Beason had a great second season and Thomas Davis had a great third season, and therefore, both should continue to improve alongside one another. The Panthers hope that both of their second round draft picks, defensive end Everette Brown and safety Sherrod Martin can play a big role immediately, which would go a long way towards rounding out the unit.

The Third Phase of Football: The Special Teams

Ageless kicker John Kasay, the last remaining original Panther off that inaugural 1995 team, returns after another fine year in which he made 28-of-31 field goals and clinched Carolina’s first-round bye with a final-second field goal in Week 17. The Panthers deploy kickoff specialist Rhys Lloyd, who led the NFL in touchbacks in 2008 with 30.

Punter Jason Baker is consistent. The team’s best returner is Steve Smith, but he is much too valuable to use back there very often. Ryne Robinson gets the first opportunities at both the kickoff and punt return duties.

Historically, Carolina Follows A Good Season with a Mediocre Season: Will This Trend Continue in 2009?

With a spectacular regular season overshadowed by a horrible postseason, the Panthers enter 2009 intent on erasing the memories of their 33-13 playoff loss to the Cardinals. Though the defeat could serve as inspiration to another postseason appearance, coach John Fox must guard against his team looking ahead to the playoffs before taking care of business during the regular season.

To keep his players from looking too far in the future, Fox typically breaks down the season into quarters and sets a goal of finishing 3-1 in each segment. By concentrating on small chunks of the season at a time, Fox hopes to keep his team focused on now.

Carolina has the same solid lineup that won 11 games last season, but their cautious style may not be enough with a tougher schedule in NFL in 2009.

QB Jake Delhomme sets a tone of inconsistency that influences the entire offense. The defense’s big plays are below its level of talent.

With weaker depth and a a tougher schedule in 2009, expect the Panthers to continue their franchise historical trend of following good seasons with mediocre ones.

Preseason Schedule:

Mon, Aug 17 - at NY Giants, 8:00 PM Aug 22 - at Miami, 7:30 PM Aug 29 - vs. Baltimore, 8:00 PM Sep 3 - vs. Pittsburgh, 8:00 PM

Regular Season Schedule:

Week 1 Sun, Sept. 13 vs. Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m.

Week 2 Sun, Sept. 20 at Atlanta Falcons 1 p.m.

Week 3 Mon, Sept. 28 at Dallas Cowboys 8:30 p.m.

Week 4 Bye

Week 5 Sun, Oct. 11 vs. Washington Redskins 1 p.m.

Week 6 Sun, Oct. 18 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 p.m.

Week 7 Sun, Oct. 25 vs. Buffalo Bills 4:05 p.m.

Week 8 Sun, Nov. 1 at Arizona Cardinals 4:15 p.m.

Week 9 Sun, Nov. 8 at New Orleans Saints 4:05 p.m.

Week 10 Sun, Nov. 15 vs. Atlanta Falcons 1 p.m.

Week 11 Thu, Nov. 19 vs. Miami Dolphins 8:20 p.m.

Week 12 Sun, Nov. 29 at New York Jets 1 p.m.

Week 13 Sun, Dec. 6 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 p.m.

Week 14 Sun, Dec. 13 at New England Patriots 1 p.m.

Week 15 Sun, Dec. 20 vs. Minnesota Vikings 8:20 p.m.

Week 16 Sun, Dec. 27 at New York Giants 1 p.m.

Week 17 Sun, Jan. 3 vs. New Orleans Saints 1 p.m.

-Game time can be adjusted to 4:15pm or 8:15pm

Technorati Tags: Carolina Panthers,NFC South,NFL,football,sports

Quote of the Day:
It is not the size of the dog in the fight, it is the size of the fight in the dog!
--Anonymous

2 Corinthians 7:1 “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”

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2009 NFC South Preview: The Saints Go Marching In

2009-08-08T22:13:00.001-04:00

Is the NFC South the most underrated division of the NFL? A different team has won the division title for three consecutive years.

The NFC South was mostly very impressive in the regular season but both Atlanta and Carolina were owned by the Arizona Cardinals in the playoffs.

Other words, these teams are very competitive, they regularly won at home last season, and two teams qualified but lost in the playoffs.

While this division is difficult for me to predict it’s title holder in 2009, it’s safe to rule out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers cleaned house after a disappointing collapse and end last season. Jon Gruden and GM Bruce Allen were fired. Veterans Derrick Brooks, Joey Galloway, Warrick Dunn, Cato June, and Ike Hilliard were all released.

The Bucs new regime of GM Mark Dominik and head coach Raheem Morris watch a young team battle all year, but will not deliver enough wins to qualify for the post season. Tampa Bay averages 20.6 points per game and allows 26.3 points against a schedule featuring five games against 2008 playoff teams.

Tampa Bay not only has a new coach in Raheem Morris, they no longer have Monte Kiffin calling the shots for the defense, and they are trying to get over their late-season collapse of 2008. Either Byron Leftwich or rookie Josh Freeman will start at quarterback, but there are weapons around them in Antonio Bryant, as well as pickups Kellen Winslow and Derrick Ward.

The biggest changes will come on defense, where Kiffin was the coordinator for 12 years, and there is no Derrick Brooks for the first time in 13 years.

This Tampa Bay squad will just be looking to find themselves in 2009, hopefully building a foundation for 2010 and beyond.

This leaves us the Atlanta Falcons, their rivals – the New Orleans Saints, and my favorite NFL team – the Carolina Panthers.

Each team offers enough talent, competent coaching, and the intangibles it takes for a franchise to win this division and/or to make the playoffs. Each team also has its drawbacks and potential issues holding a franchise back from being an elite NFL team.

Atlanta, established in 1966, has not had two consecutive winning seasons in its 43 year franchise history. I expect that to finally change this year.

Established in 1967, the Saints are one of six teams never to have played in a Super Bowl. I expect that fact to continue.

The Panthers have compiled a 115-119 record in their 14 years of existence. I expect Carolina to hang around the .500 mark again in 2009.

Each team has a lot of offensive explosion and potential but each squad has some issues on defense.

Generally, the Saints are regarded to have the worst defense in the division. But New Orleans is trying to address this via the draft and a few free agents.

Carolina has the best defense in the NFC South (well, Bucs fans may disagree), but at times provide inconsistent performances.

Will the Carolina Panthers win this division in consecutive seasons? Although all eleven starters on offense are returning and the defense should improve with the new defensive coordinator, I just don’t see that happening.

Of course, as a Carolina Panthers fan, I pray and hope that I am very wrong.

The Panthers won the division in 2008 largely due to an easy schedule. In 2009, Carolina has a brutal schedule featuring 13 teams that finish .500 or better in our projections.

The Panthers average 22.2 points per game and allow 22.6 points against a schedule featuring seven games against 2008 playoff teams.

How healthy will an aging Delhomme be? While the Panthers return all eleven starters on offense, they lost quality depth on the offensive line.

Again, I hope my Panthers prove me wrong in 2009. They have a solid base with the backfield duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, while Steve Smith may be the best NFL wide receiver.

Out of the top three teams in the division, the Panthers had the best defense and received a boost with the return of Julius Peppers, who powered the team to ninth in the NFL in sacks.

Coming off a surprising Wild Card berth, the Atlanta Falcons will come back reality a little bit. Matt Ryan and Michael Turner will continue to impress but the defense has significant question marks.

However, they signed TE Tony Gonzalez, perhaps the best TE ever in league history. Yes, Atlanta made the biggest move in the NFC South as they snagged Tony Gonzalez from Kansas City, which gives Matt Ryan the NFL's best tight end over the last decade, if not all-time.

Ryan will also have the second-leading rusher in the league in Michael Turner to hand off to. However, like the Saints, the Falcons had trouble stopping their opponents as they were 24th in the league on defense, and they lost Keith Brooking and Lawyer Milloy as well.

The Falcons average 23.0 points per game and allow 23.3 points against a schedule featuring five games against 2008 playoff teams.

Atlanta will continue going in the right direction and may even return as a wild card playoff entry, but their rookies and second-year players need seasoning.

The Saints should have a healthy assortment of weapons for Drew Brees, who led the league's best offense in 2008. Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, and Jeremy Shockey all spent time on the trainer's table last year, so New Orleans could score even more points.

Darren Sharper was brought in to shore up a secondary that was 23rd against the pass, but the problems came up front as the Saints managed only 28 sacks.

A couple of years removed from the NFC title game, the New Orleans Saints will win the highly competitive and perhaps, underrated, NFC South. Drew Brees continues his dominance over the league's secondaries, leading the top offense in the NFL.

The Saints average 25.9 points per game allow 23.5 points against a schedule featuring seven games against 2008 playoff teams.

Despite having a slightly improved defense as its glaring weakness, New Orleans will outscore most of its opponents to win the NFC South but will not experience success in the post season once again.

In summary, I see Tampa Bay at 6-10 or 7-9, Atlanta and Carolina will battle for 8-8 or 9-7, and New Orleans will squeak by with a 10-6 or 11-5 record to claim the division crown.

Technorati Tags: NFC South,NFL,Carolina Panthers,sports,news

Quote of the Day:
Gambling: The sure way of getting nothing for something.
--Wilson Mizner

2009 NFC North Preview

2009-07-27T22:10:00.001-04:00

It doesn't matter if Brett Favre becomes a Minnesota Viking or not. The Vikings’ defense and running game carries this team, although there is room for improvement with their pass defense.

However, solid play from the QB position has been the only thing preventing the Vikings from being an elite team

If the QB can get the ball to him, WR/Returner Percy Harvin has significant big play potential and his presence may draw enough attention from defenders to open up other things for Minnesota’s offense.

RBs Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor may be the best RB tandem in the NFL because of the blocking by the offensive line.

Minnesota should finish first place in the NFC North simply because they have the best rushing attack in this division and a defense that keeps them in ball games.

The Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers could possibly tie for second place, with 9-7 or 8-8 records each.

Like the Vikings, the Bears strength lies in their rushing defense. In contrast, Chicago’s rushing offense is unimpressive.

Matt Forte may collect the carries but he is not an explosive runner.

The Chicago Bears shocked the universe this offseason by trading two first round picks for quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler brings a confidence and a Pro Bowl resume to the Windy City, where the Bears have lacked an offensive star for years.

But is Cutler good enough to quickly transform this team into a playoff team? Probably not, as the Bears face a schedule with seven games versus 2008 playoff teams.

Switching to a 3-4 defense may not be the simplest transition for the Packers and therefore, may not help much in 2009. Green Bay plays the bottom three teams in the NFL - Cleveland, St. Louis and Detroit - four times.

Aaron Rodgers proved to be an competent NFL quarterback who can start all 16 games. He has some great weapons with Green Bay and works within an effective system.

Greg Jennings has quietly emerged as one of the best wide receivers in the league, averaging 59 catches for 949 yards (that is 16.0 yards-per-reception) in his first three years in the league.

RB Ryan Grant had a disappointing 2008 performance after an impressive 2007 production. Which Grant will show up in 2009?

Following an 0-16 season, the Detroit Lions are starting over and have no where to go but up. With a new front office, coaching staff, and face of the franchise, expect the Lions to win a few games this year.

Is Matthew Stafford their answer? It’s difficult to tell since he does not have a good offensive line.

However, as a Georgia Bulldogs fan who witnessed Stafford for three collegiate seasons, I will be surprised if he has a successful NFL career.

At UGA, Stafford had a tendency to force passes into double-coverage and for the most part, Matthew did not play well against the SEC’s best defenses.

Stafford has the classic NFL QB style and a strong arm, but he will need to learn to read NFL defenses and quickly go through his progressions.

Passing accuracy, not arm strength, is what is required to win the the National Football League. However, I do hope that Stafford proves me wrong and does well in Detroit.

If Stafford is smart, his favorite target will be talented WR Calvin Johnson.

Detroit’s defense will improve. The Lions' defense in 2008 was historically terrible, allowing a league worst 8.82 yards-per-pass-attempt and a NFL worst 5.1 yards-per-rush.

Technorati Tags: NFC North,NFL,Minnesota Vikings,sports,news

Quote of the Day:
Life is hard. It’s even harder if you’re stupid.
--Anonymous

Hebrews 12:1 “[God Disciplines His Sons] Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

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2009 NFC West Preview

2009-07-25T17:38:00.001-04:00

I just pinched myself again. Was that the Arizona Cardinals barreling their way through playoff victories and almost defeating the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl?

It had to be a dream, right? No, it really did happen!

Yes, there is new life in the Mild, Mild, NFC West. If they don’t self-destruct, the Cardinals should win the NFC West again and make another playoff run.

To repeat a possible return to the playoffs, much less another Super Bowl appearance, the bottom line for the Cardinals will be QB Kurt Warner‘s health. At his age and history of nagging injuries, will he endure in 2009 like he did in 2008?

Speaking of being injury-prone and having endurance issues, rookie RB Chris “Beanie” Wells seems to be an ideal match for the Arizona offense.

Beanie is athletic, quick, and talented. Again, if Wells can take the hard hits of the NFL, he will highly compliment the Cards’ strength – their passing offense.

Recently, I downloaded the new exclusive demo for Madden NFL 10. For my first game, I chose the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Cardinals won the coin toss and elected to receive the kickoff. On the very first offensive play of the game, Warner handed the ball to Wells in a delay/draw type of run and Beanie got “beaned ( I know, it's "beamed')” (I think by James Harrison) and suffered an injury which knocked him out for the rest of the game.

I thought that was so very hilarious. Even the Madden NFL 10 player ratings for injury/stamina must be low for Wells.

If they both can stay healthy, Warner and Wells may lead the Cards back to another Super Bowl. Kurt Warner and the passing offense proved that they do not need an effective running game to be successful, but it would add a dimension that may result in less pass rush pressure and knocks on Warner.

WRs Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston are arguably the most talented and best trio of WRs in the NFL today.

Master motivator Mike Singletary brings his no-nonsense approach back to San Francisco. Therefore, his 49rs will edge the Seattle Seahawks for second place in the NFC West division.

After finishing the 2008 season 5-2 under new head coach Mike Singletary, the San Francisco 49ers are closer to a playoff hunt than they have been in a long time. However, a tough schedule suggests that they are still about a win away from the post season.

The strength of the 49rs is their rushing defense. Singletary needs to fix their weakness: their turnover ratio.

Also, the QB position remains unsettled and unstable in San Francisco. Is Singletary entertaining thoughts about Michael Vick?

Michael Vick’s former coach now works in Seattle.

After a most disappointing four win season, new head coach Jim Mora will bring a new defensive mindset to a Seattle Seahawks team that has been more offensively minded under Holmgren. The defense may improve, but the offense will continue to disappoint.

Who’s your daddy?

Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh can be productive as an excellent route-runner with good hands, but he cannot carry or even spark an offense with big play potential. Thus, his addition will not help the offense significantly.

Besides, T.J. will miss his QB, Carson Palmer.

The bright spot on the Seahawks are their awesome group of LBs. Lofa Tatupu, LeRoy Hill, and Aaron Curry could each make the Pro Bowl. This trio may surpass the Chicago Bears LBs as the best in the league.

Last and least are the St. Louis Rams. The Rams will continue to struggle on defense as their young players learn and adjust to their defensive-minded new head coach.

That’s right. The former New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo brings his smash mouth style to St. Louis.

In 2008, the offense earned a new nickname, “The Worst Show on Turf.” The Rams cannot try to simply outscore teams in shootouts.

The problem for St. Louis is that they have holes on the offensive line and an extremely inexperienced wideout corps.

So in 2009, they will run the ball very often and attempt to morph into a Bill Parcells’ type of team.

But who knows? St. Louis may begin a route of slow improvement.

Technorati Tags: NFC West,NFL,Arizona Cardinals,sports,news

Quote of the Day:
The cynic is his own worst enemy. It requires far less skill to run a wrecking company than it does to be an architect.
--U.S. Andersen

2009 NFC East Preview: Giants or Eagles?

2009-07-20T16:36:00.001-04:00

The New York Giants are not very flashy but they will play very physically and prevent a team from scoring many points. Therefore, the G-Men are my solid pick to win the NFC East Division.

Plaxico Burress is now gone from the team, leaving a gaping hole in their offense that has yet to be filled. They drafted WR Hakeem Nicks from North Carolina is the first round, but it remains to be seen if he can step up right away as a solid replacement.

The weight of their success now falls squarely on the shoulders of QB Eli Manning, as he will have to be able to utilize all the players on offense instead of having that one go to guy.

They led the NFL in rushing on the strength of Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward each posting 1,000-yard seasons. Though they lost Ward to Tampa Bay, Ahmad Bradshaw should fill in capably as the lightning to Jacobs’ thunder.

The strength of this team lies in their offensive and defensive lines which will still make them a legitimate contender in 2009.

If the Giants don’t win this division, then the Philadelphia Eagles will. The Eagles are a popular pick in 2009 not only to win the NFC East, but to be the NFC’s Super Bowl representative.

The Eagles may emerge as the division’s most talented team. However, head coach Andy Reid needs to improve on certain little things, for example, time management in the 4th quarter.

Philly decided to go out this off season and get some more offensive weapons for long time QB, Donovan McNabb. By trading for All Pro left tackle, Jason Peters and drafting WR Jeremy Maclin in the first round, the Eagles hope to protect McNabb’s weak side while giving him another target to throw the ball to.

With these and other key player acquisitions, Philadelphia filled most of their holes on both sides of the ball and probably now have the most balanced team in the division.

This leaves the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins to battle it out for the cellar.

The Dallas Cowboys are now Tony Romo’s team. This team is now squarely in the hands of QB Tony Romo.

Romo is an athletic passer capable of posting big numbers and he still has reliable TE Jason Witten and talented/inconsistent WR Roy Williams to throw to. Whether it’s Marion Barber, Felix Jones or Tashard Choice getting the ball, the Cowboys are set at running back.

While they still maintain the nucleus of their talent, there are significant questions on their ability to score points. Last season’s 22.6 points per game put them in the bottom half of the league and very little has been done this off season to correct this.

On defense they seem to be more solid and last season were ranked eighth overall. It will be the strength of their defense that will have to carry them in 2009.

The Washington Redskins are still trying to figure out who they are as a defense but they will be solid. The defense will have to carry the team in 2009.

Will the Redskins score enough points with Jason Campbell under center again? Probably not, but I do have a wait and see attitude.

Besides, Clinton Portis is not getting any younger at running back.

Technorati Tags: NFC East,NFL,New York Giants,sports,news

Quote of the Day:
In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.
--“Mahatma” Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

1 John 1:7“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

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2009 AFC South Preview: Who Owns This Division – Colts or Titans?

2009-07-11T21:05:00.001-04:00

Is the AFC South the toughest division in the NFL? Is this division the most competitive in the league?

Who will win this division in 2009 – the Indianapolis Colts or the Tennessee Titans?

Based on talent alone, I lean towards the Colts. However, with all of the coaching changes at Indianapolis, along with the stability of Jeff Fisher with Tennessee, I do have some doubts.

Will the Titans play inspired football and dedicate this season to the late Steve McNair? Will McNair’s No. 9 jersey be retired?

The Titans will have a tough time duplicating last season’s successes with the loss of their best defensive player in Albert Haynesworth along with one of the toughest schedules in the NFL. Even with the losses, Titans head coach Jeff Fisher believes that his team is built for a Super Bowl chase.

Tennessee has refueled with some new talent on offense to help 36-year old QB Kerry Collins take Tennessee to the Super Bowl.

So am I picking the Titans to repeat as AFC South champions in 2009? No.

While this division is less predictable and its no longer the Colts to lose, a healthy QB Peyton Manning should be the difference.

If Peyton Manning stays healthy, he and the coaching staff will figure out ways to win games and build upon successes. I look for the Indianapolis Colts to win the AFC South once again with a healthy Peyton Manning.

The Houston Texans may develop into a surprise team in 2009. Houston has a high-powered offense but it also has a defense that gives up a lot of rushing yards that may keep them out of postseason.

Offensively, Texans Wide receiver Andre Johnson may be the best in the NFL at his position and RB Steve Slaton is improving. The defense added eight new faces through the draft and in free-agency to help DE Mario Williams and LB DeMeco Ryans.

Will this be Jacksonville’s head coach Jack Del Rio’s final season with the Jaguars? Once upon a time, the Jacksonville Jaguars were talking Super Bowl.

Jacksonville does not have the same stifling defense that carried them for so long and the offense will only go so far with QB David Garrard. Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio has made some moves to help Garrard and the offense, but it still lacks playmakers

Technorati Tags: AFC South,AFC,NFL,sports,news

Quote of the Day:
In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.
--“Mahatma” Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Jeremiah 32:17“Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”

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2009 AFC North Preview: No Super Bowl Hangover for Pittsburgh

2009-07-10T20:21:00.001-04:00

Will the Pittsburgh Steelers repeat as Super Bowl champions? What a loaded question!

After Pittsburgh’s 2005 Super Bowl, the Steelers experienced 2006 hangover. However, I do not expect the same after the 2008 Super Bowl win.

Almost all important players are back and who knows? The Steelers may get even better in 2009.

Pittsburgh not only survived, they thrived playing the NFL’s toughest schedule in 2008. So why not expect even better things for 2009?

Ben Roethlisberger makes mistakes but he is very athletic and he is a proven, pure winner. Is he an elite QB in the NFL?

While he does not pile up the statistics, Big Ben extends plays with his mobility and he makes the plays needed to help his team win.

WR Santonio Holmes still has room to improve, Hines Ward is entering the twilight of his career, and even Limas Swede could step up.

The Steelers offensive line improved in the playoffs after an inconsistent performance during the 2008 regular season. Thus, the rushing game only ranked No. 23 in the NFL.

The Steelers defense was simply phenomenal a season ago. Look at some of the results: fewest points allowed, second against the pass, and second against the run.

Pittsburgh defense swarms to the ball the quickest and they gang tackle the most effectively of any defense in the league. NFL Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison, leads a dominant front seven and Troy Polamalu will keep making plays in the secondary.

The Baltimore Ravens are Pittsburgh’s only real competition in the North and there is so much to like about them. The Ravens look like a playoff team again and could make things interesting in the North if Flacco continues to improve and if he has another wideout other than Derrick Mason that elevates his game.

Joe Flacco’s strong arm finally gives the Ravens a real passing attack. Therefore, their passing game makes their running game much better. Willis McGahee and Le’Ron McClain pounded opposing defenses for an AFC high 148.5 yards per game in 2008.

Having a competent offense allows the defense to rest more often. Baltimore’s defense is aging but it is still effective, as LB Ray Lewis still covers a lot of ground at linebacker and Ed Reed, who led NFL with nine picks in 2008.

Now we are left with the two NFL teams in Ohio to battle it out for last place in the AFC North. I apologize to fans of the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns for my sarcasm, but both teams annually struggle.

Just flip a coin to predict which of these teams will finish in the cellar of this division. Or throw a dart. Who gets the shortest straw?

Because of QB Carson Palmer, I predict the Bengals will finish third place in the AFC North for the 2009 campaign. However, now that Palmer finally gets healthy, T.J. Houshmandzadeh is no longer around.

I’m just not in the mood to discuss Ocho Cinco, a.k.a. Chad Johnson. But fans may follow his tweets at Twitter.

Palmer may finally get some pass protection after the Bengals spent a first-round pick on offensive tackle Andre Smith.

I am guilty of underrating Cincinnati’s defense. It was quietly the twelfth best in the NFL last season, which was the franchise’s best ranking in nine years. Veterans Roy Williams and Tank Johnson should only help it get better.

Then we have the Cleveland Browns remaining. This team annually plays like its on a season-long hangover, interrupted by a few games in which they impress us.

Eric Mangini is coaching, Braylon Edwards’ hands are unreliable, and Kellen Winslow Jr. is gone. QB Brady Quinn should get his opportunity to start and lead the team, although he’ll have to battle Derek Anderson again.

The Browns’ defense was ineffective last year but Mangini just might fix it. He brought along a group of his Jets players. Kenyon Coleman, Eric Barton, David Bowens, and Abram Elam should get Cleveland’s defense closer to respectability.

Technorati Tags: AFC North,AFC,NFL,Pittsburgh Steelers,sports

Quote of the Day:
Every man alone is sincere. At the entrance of a second person, hypocrisy begins.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Philippians 1:6“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

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2009 AFC West Preview

2009-07-08T22:57:00.001-04:00

Like the AFC East, selecting the expected champion for the 2009 season is easy. It’s evaluating the other three teams that is so challenging.

The San Diego Chargers will easily win the NFL’s easiest division. The Chargers simply have the talent and they lack competition in their division.

Phillip Rivers is developing into an elite NFL quarterback as he shows improvement season by season. His wide receivers are also improving, especially with towering Vincent Jackson emerging as their No. 1 target.

We were down on LaDainian Tomlinson in 2008 as he hobbled through the season and lost carries to Darren Sproles, but maybe LT has one more healthy and inspirational season left in him.

With a healthy Shawne Merriman returning, the Chargers defense will play consistently better than they did in the 2008 campaign.

Okay, someone will have to place second in the AFC West. I reluctantly select the Denver Broncos.

Losing QB Jay Cutler may prove to be a disaster for new head coach Josh McDaniels. If the Broncos maintain an effective running game, the offense should do okay with QB Kyle Orton/

Denver’s defense is simply a disaster, particularly against.he rush. So why am I predicting the Broncos to finish second?

I may be wrong. Kansas City may emerge, if they all of a sudden play fundamentally sound like the Atlanta Falcons turned things around last season. That is a big if.

The Chiefs acquired quarterback Matt Cassel from the Patriots in the offseason and we may find out exactly how good of a QB Cassel is. Is Cassel talented or a product of a system?

Dwayne Bowe and Mark Bradley are his wide receivers and they are competent. Will Larry Johnson could surprise us with a productive season in the backfield if the passing game works out and he faces fewer eight-man fronts?

The Chiefs’ defense sucked last year but it has nowhere to go but up. First-round pick Tyson Jackson should help with the pass rush in the new 3-4 scheme.

After going 2-14, Kansas City has no where to go but up.

The Oakland Raiders finished the 2008 season on a positive note. However, they still won’t find the end zone often enough.

Quarterback JaMarcus Russell’s passing game is still among the worst in the league as he still struggles to read NFL defenses. Rookie Darrius Heywood-Bey more than likely won’t be the answer this season.

Their running game should be respectable with Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas, if they avoid injuries.

Defensively, the Raiders have issues regarding getting to the opposing quarterback, which puts major pressure on their secondary to make plays.

Technorati Tags: AFC West,AFC,NFL,sports,San Diego Chargers

Quote of the Day:
If you haven't got charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.
--Bob Hope

Psalm 138:2“I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.”

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2009 AFC East Preview

2009-07-07T22:55:00.001-04:00

A season ago, the New England Patriots won 11 games without QB Tom Brady. With Brady in full health, the Patriots are obvious favorites to win the AFC East.

New England is easily the most talented team of this division. One of the bests offensive lines, a core of weapons at WRs, and an improving group of RBs will dominate the AFC, much less the AFC East.

Youth has been added on defense and that means quickness and durability. The Pats finished strongly in 2008, going 5-1 in their final six games, including 4-0 on the road.

And yes, I expect New England to return to the Super Bowl.

This division is a real challenge regarding which teams will finish second, third, and last.

While the Miami Dolphins had a great bounce back season in 2008, they are “rewarded” with a tough 2009 schedule. Opposition coaches have had an entire off season to adjust and prepare their defenses for the Wildcat offense.

There is also the question whether Chad Pennington will repeat his fine performance of last year. The way the can play great defense and pound the ball, I like their chances of finishing 9-7 or 10-6.

The Buffalo Bills have the talent to finish second in the AFC East and to compete for a wildcard playoff position. However, their mediocre coaching annually interferes with potential success on the field.

The Bills have a reliable rushing attack and I expect Terrell Owens to play well until the bitter cold and wind of winter settles in. Buffalo has a solid core of WRs.

Their defense is good enough to keep the offense in the game. But it seems that the Bills tend to snag defeat from the jaws of victory, especially in games they need to win the most.

Rex Ryan will change the New York Jets into the Baltimore Ravens of the AFC East. That means a fun-to-watch, dominating 3-4defense and a conservative, limited offense.

However, with their solid offensive line and decent cast of skills players, I expect rookie QB Mark Sanchez to start and have a better season than the Detroit Lions rookie QB, Matthew Stafford. It’s interesting that these two first round draftees have become friends and support one another.

In summary, the AFC East belongs to the Patriots, as long as Tom Brady stays healthy. The Dolphins, Bills, and Jets are solid teams who at times will be fun to watch but are no where near the elite levels of New England and Pittsburgh.

Technorati Tags: AFC,AFC East,NFL,New England Patriots,sports

Quote of the Day:
A thing is not necessarily true because badly uttered, nor false because spoken magnificently.
--Saint Augustine of Hippo

Psalm 18:30“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.”

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Happy July 4!

2009-07-04T21:51:00.001-04:00

Technorati Tags: July 4,4th of July,Independence Day,patriotism,holidays

Quote of the Day:
Women like silent men. They think they're listening.
--Marcel Archard

Atlanta Braves’ Players in the Hall of Fame

2009-06-23T20:56:00.001-04:00

The Atlanta Braves presently have seven players in the Hall of Fame. They are:

(1) Hank Aaron OF 1966-74

(2) Eddie Mathews 3B 1966

(3) Orlando Cepeda 1B 1969-72

(4) Phil Niekro RHP 1966-1983, 1987

(5) Hoyt Willhelm RHP 1969-70, 1971

(6) Gaylord Perry RHP 1981

(7) Bruce Sutter RHP 1985-1988

Note that none of these spent their entire career with the Atlanta Braves and almost all had their best and most productive seasons outside of Atlanta.

Of course, Phil Niekro spent the vast majority of his career with the Atlanta Braves and had his most productive seasons with Atlanta.

Obviously, Hank Aaron has awesome seasons both with the Milwaukee Braves and the Atlanta Braves.

Although Eddie Matthews spent only one season in Atlanta, he is the only Brave in franchise history to play in all three cities – Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta.

Fans in general are split whether or not former Atlanta Brave Dale Murphy (1976-1990 - C, 1B, and OF) should be in the Hall of Fame. Murphy is regarded by many as one of the premier players during the 1980s.

Murphy still receives support each year from the Baseball Writers Association to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. but not near enough to become a member.

Of course the Atlanta Braves had a considerably successful run until 2005 with 14 successes out of 15 seasons winning Divisional Championship in NL West 3 times and NL East 11 times. The Atlanta Braves advanced to World Series five times in 1990s (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1999). They won the World Series in 1995.

How many of these Braves will end up in the Hall of Fame? Let’s start with Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and manager Bobby Cox.

Former general manager John Shuerholtz is Hall of Fame material in my mind.

In the 1990s, the Braves had a lot of great role players (Fred McGriff, Javy Lopez, David Justice, Terry Pendelton, Marquiz Grissom, Jeff Bagwell, Sid Bream, etc.), but did any produce Hall of Fame careers?

Chipper Jones is still on a Hall of Fame run. I pray and hope that Chipper Jones will end up playing his entire career with the Atlanta Braves.

In his career, through the 2008 season, Jones is a .310/.408/.548 hitter with 409 home runs, 1,243 walks and 1,374 RBIs in 2,023 games. He is behind only Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray on the all-time switch hitters career home run list.

He is considered one of the game's best all-around hitters and one of the best switch hitters in the history of the game. He is the only switch hitter in Major League Baseball history to have a .300+ career (.310 at the end of the 2008 season) bating average and 400 home runs.

On May 31, 2006, he passed Hank Aaron for second place on the Atlanta Braves all-time career home run list. On July 5, 2007, he passed Dale Murphy for the Atlanta club record of 372 home runs.

Chipper Jones’ career statistics as of June 22, 2009 are: .310 batting average, 416 home runs, 1,406 runs batted in, and 2,338 hits.

Technorati Tags: Atlanta Braves,Hall of Fame,Major League Baseball,sports,news

Quote of the Day:
A good composer does not imitate; he steals.
--Igor Stravinsky

Isaiah 40:31“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

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John Kasay Was Inspired to Inspire Others

2009-05-17T19:41:00.004-04:00

Please read Panthers' PK John Kasay, Man of Inspiration at The Charlotte Observer's website. This story grasped my heart as well as my intellect.

Too often, I view athletes primarily through a lens of statistics and accomplishments. Frequently, we tend to stereotype placekickers in the NFL as eccentric oddballs or nerds who can help their team win a game with a needed field goal as the time runs out.

Therefore, I enjoy reading, reflecting, and responding to a human interest story about an athlete, even a placekicker who has kicked in the NFL seemingly forever—19 seasons.

I see that Kasay wants to lead a conference to inspire NFL coaches and their wives to inspire others. Kasay, his wife, and his outreach ministry are all inspirational.

But guess who in this story inspires me the most? Kasay's high school coach: Billy Henderson of Clarke Central High School in Athens, Ga.
Henderson is 80-years-old and retired now.

I used to live in Georgia and I recall a few of Henderson's Clarke Central teams losing in the AAAA or AAAAA State Championship game two or three times to Valdosta High School. His teams annually competed into the state of Georgia playoffs.

Between his high school and NFL career, John Kasay kicked for my Georgia Bulldogs, also in Athens, GA.

Please read the article again. Think about the person or people who inspired you and your life.

Behind almost every athlete, not matter how successful or not they end up performing on the professional level, was a coach, a parent, a teacher, or a community leader who inspired them in middle school or in high school, if not both.

Behind almost every writer here at Bleacher Report who inspires us, there was probably one or more people in their lives who inspired them to be the best that they can be.
Isn't that a significant part of what life is really all about?

Panthers Quickly Sign Several Undrafted Free Agents

2009-04-27T20:16:00.001-04:00

According to numerous Internet reports, particularly NFL.com and Charlotte.com, the Carolina Panthers wasted no time with signing several, quality undrafted free agents.

Penn State's Gerald Cadogan, at 6-5, 309 pounds, who some analysts had projected to be a third or fourth round pick, will backup left offensive tackle Jordan Gross. Cadogan's 40-yard dash time of 5.12 seconds was tied for fourth best among offensive linemen at the NFL combine back in February 2009.

Louisville QB Hunter Cantwell was also signed. He filled in for last season after Brian Brohm left for the pros with the Green Bay Packers. Cantwell passed for 2,493 yards, with 16 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions. He becomes the No. 4 QB behind Jake Delhomme, Josh McCown, and Matt Moore.

Another signee is Penn State SS Anthony Scirrotto. a team captain for the Nittany Lions who had 66 tackles and a fumble recovery.

The Panthers, with veteran free agent Jason Kyle unsigned, snatched California LS Nick Sundberg, a former walk-on who spent 4 years working exclusively as California's snapper.

And Carolina landed Rutgers TE Kevin Brock. Brock started only 6 of 13 games last season, catching 26 passes for 300 yards and two touchdowns.

LSU DT Marlon Favorite was another free agent signed by the Panthers. He was a part-time starter last season, starting only 7 of 13 games, and although he has not shown much as an inside pass rusher, he is much better against the run.

And add West Virginia LB Morrty Ivy to the roster. He started the past two seasons, playing WLB in 2007 and SLB in 2008. Ivy had 90 tackles, 6 pass deflections, and 3 interceptions last year.

Also signed was Illinois LB Brit Miller, reported to be a hard-nosed player had 132 tackles from the middle linebacker position. As a team captain, he led the Big Ten in tackling.

Pittsburgh C-G C.J. Davis was another signee by Carolina. He started the first 7 games at left guard last season and then filled in at center when the regular starter was injured.

7 other players signed by the Carolina Panthers are Wesley College KR/WR Larry Beavers, Louisiana-Lafayette WR Jaron Chery , Connecticut center Keith Gray, Morgan State DT Lonnie Harvey, Purdue LB Anthony Heygood, Michigan State DT Justin Kershaw, and Bishop College RB Jamall Lee.

Technorati Tags: Carolina Panthers,undrafted free agents,Gerald Cadogan,NFL,sports,news

Quote of the Day:
Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time.
--Goethe

How Did My Team Do in the 2009 Draft?

2009-04-26T21:08:00.001-04:00

How did your team do in the 2009 NFL draft?

Obviously, it takes about two or three years to objectively analyze a draft. Our immediate analysis reflects a draft’s potential.

As expected, the Detroit Lions selected Matthew Stafford No. 1 overall.

As unexpected, at least by me, via a trade with Cleveland, the New York Jets selected QB Mark Sanchez from USC.

Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree surprisingly fell to No. 10 in round one. Crabtree joins a San Francisco 49ers team in need of a big-play receiver.

Recall that Crabtree was unable to run for scouts due to a stress fracture in his left foot that was repaired surgically. He is expected to be fully recovered by the start of training camp.

The last pick, Mr. Irrelevant,is South Carolina Gamecocks placekicker Ryan Succop,who went to the Kansas City Chiefs with the 256th pick, the final selection of the 7th round.

How did my team do in the 2009 draft?

I think that the Carolina Panthers drafted significant value despite not having a first-round pick, and therefore, they had a very good couple of days.

The Panthers prudently moved up to the No. 43 spot in the second round in order to select FSU DT Everette Brown. Brown is not a sure thing but he has strong reputable character and will look good as a pass rusher either opposite Julius Peppers.

Corvey Irvin, DT, Georgia, was Carolina's third-round pick. He is a solid pick but he may not be ready to start in his rookie season.

Texas A&M RB Mike Goodson was an interesting pick in round four, given that the team passed up local talent, Andre Brown of N.C. State, to take a player who will be no better than a third-stringer.

With their next pick, the Panthers made Tony Fiammetta from Syracuse the first fullback selected. The fifth-rounder Duke Robinson of Oklahoma can play all three offensive line positions and he is likely to play a role with the Panthers reasonably soon.

The Panthers wrapped up their draft by taking South Carolina cornerback Captain Munnerlyn in the seventh round. Carolina had traded their sixth rounder for this pick with the Oakland Raiders. Munnerlyn also returned punts and kickoffs for the Gamecocks.

Technorati Tags: NFL Draft,Carolina Panthers,NFL,football,sports,news

Quote of the Day:
In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place.
--“Mahatma” Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

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UGA Gymnastics Win 5th Straight NCAA Gymnastics Championship!

2009-04-18T19:00:00.003-04:00

Is “five-peat” even a word? No. But it just happened.

The University of Georgia won its fifth consecutive NCAA team title and 10th overall at the 2009 National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics Championships, held at the University of Nebraska.

Georgia earned a total of 197.825 after scoring a 49.625 on vault, a 49.425 on uneven bars, a 49.200 on balance beam and a 49.575 on floor exercise. The University of Alabama finished second with a 197.575 and the University of Utah placed third with a 197.425.

Rounding out the final three spots were the University of Florida, University of Arkansas and Louisiana State University, respectively, with scores of 196.725, 196.475 and 196.375.

Georgia posted the day’s high scores on vault, uneven bars and floor exercise, with Alabama topping the field on balance beam with a 49.325.

2004 Olympic team silver-medalist Courtney Kupets, who won her third career all-around title on the first day of competition, led Georgia with scores of 10.00 on vault and uneven bars and 9.950 on balance beam and floor exercise.

The NCAA Championships conclude Saturday, April 18, with the individual event finals at 7 p.m. eastern time.

Source: CRSSportsNews.com

Technorati Tags: Georgia Bulldogs,gymnastics,NCAA,college sports,sports,news

Quote of the Day:
Reason often makes mistakes, but conscience never does.
--Josh Billings

Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

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Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, 54, Dies in Apparent Accident

2009-04-13T18:26:00.001-04:00

Former MLB All-Star pitcher Mark "The Bird" Fidrych has been found dead in an apparent accident at his farm in Northborough, Massachusetts. He was 54.

Worcester County district attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. says a family friend found Fidrych about 2:30 p.m. Monday beneath a pickup truck. He appeared to be working on the truck, Early said.

Fidrych was known as "The Bird" for his colorful antics on the mound. He was also famous for talking to himself and to the baseball.

Fidrych captured the imagination of fans with his antics on the field. He would crouch down on the pitcher's mound and fix cleat marks, what became known as "manicuring the mound," talk to himself, talk to the ball, aim the ball like a dart, strut around the mound after every out, and throw back balls that "had hits in them," insisting they be removed from the game.

Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1974, he won Rookie of the Year honors in 1976. A torn rotator cuff ended his career at the age of 29.

For the 1976 season, Fidrych was nominated for several awards and ranked among baseball's leaders in multiple categories.

AL Rookie of the Year Award
Tiger of the Year award from the Detroit baseball writers
MLB leader in ERA (2.34)
MLB leader in Adjusted ERA+(158)
AL leader in complete games (24)
Finished 2nd in AL Cy Young Award voting
Finished 11th in AL MVP Award voting
#3 in AL in walks plus hits per innings pitched (WHIP) (1.079)
#4 in AL in wins (19)
#4 in AL in win percentage (.679)
#5 in AL in bases on balls per 9 inning pitched (1.91)
#5 in AL in shutouts (4)

Here are three of his quotes:

"When you're a winner you're always happy, but if you're happy as a loser you'll always be a loser."

"Sometimes I get lazy and let the dishes stack up, but they don't stack too high. I've only got four dishes."

"That ball has a hit in it, so I want to get back in the ball bag and goof around with the other balls in there. Maybe it'll learn some sense and come out as a pop-up next time."

Fidrych lived with his wife Ann, whom he married in 1986, on a 107-acre farm in Northborough. They have a daughter, Jessica.

Besides fixing up his farmhouse, he worked as a contractor hauling gravel and asphalt in a ten-wheeler. On weekends he helped out at his mother-in-law's business, Chet's Diner in Northborough.

Technorati Tags: Mark "The Byrd" Fidrych,MLB,baseball,Detroit Tigers,sports,news

Quote of the Day:
Creativity is the sudden cessation of stupidity.
--Dr. E. Land

Romans 3:23-24 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

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Another Unexpected Finish at the Masters – Or Was It?

2009-04-12T21:17:00.001-04:00

Another unexpected finish at the Masters.

Or was it? It was not really unexpected, though, was it?

For golf is a humbling game: it humbled Tiger Woods, the world's number one player and Phil Mickelson Mickelson, ranked right behind him.

Angel Cabrera, Kenny Perry, and Chad Campbell were also humbled.

Of course, the game of golf humbles all golfers.

Humility is at the heart of what makes golf a popular participant sport. Each of us can identify with both playing at our best and with making errant golf shots.

I tend to identify myself with making errant golf shots than with playing at my best.

On the 18th hole in regulation, when I saw, or more accurately – heard - Cabrera’s shot off the pine straw hit a tree and then the ball magically and miraculously landed in the middle of the fairway towards the hole, I told my wife that God is smiling on Cabrera and let’s see if he wins.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson drew the loud roars Sunday Augusta National, but it was not enough to win another green jacket for golf's two biggest stars.

Instead, it was Angel Cabrera grabbing the headlines as the winner of the The Masters in a three-man playoff with Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell.

Cabrera beat Perry and Campbell in a sudden-death playoff to win the 2009 Masters.

The sudden-death format started at the 18th hole with Perry and Cabrera making par. Campbell was eliminated when he missed a short par putt that lipped the cup.

The remaining two men headed to No. 10. Perry's second shot went left and missed the green.

He was unable to make par, leaving Cabrera two putts for his second major title. He won the U.S. Open in 2007.

The class and calm of Cabrera and in the final analysis, being a better golfer, won the tournament.

Did Perry “choke”? No. For me, that is too strong of a word to describe that Perry missed opportunities to win this tournament by bogeying the final two holes in regular play. He also bogied the second playoff hole as Cabrera parred.

Perry was struggling. The Masters was at stake. Anybody watching could feel for him.

Perry said he has trouble controlling how fast his right hand moves when he is under pressure

"I played beautifully today," he said, "all the way to 17. But I'm not going to hang my head. I just didn't get it done today. I hung in there. I was proud of that. I was nervous. I was juiced up, hit it too far over the green at 17," he said. "It's amazing. I've got a little fire mechanism in my right hand and I can't slow it down.

"I'm not going to pull against him," Perry said of watching Cabrera taking the winning putt. "I know how hard it is. I'm going to shake the man's hand."

And he did.

At 69th in the world, Cabrera became the lowest-rated Masters champion since the rankings began in 1986. His triumph came 41 years after his compatriot Roberto Di Vicenzo became one of the unluckiest losers ever in major golf.

Di Vicenzo was all set to go into a play-off with American Bob Goalby at the same Augusta National course, but signed for a par four on the 17th when he had actually taken three. The rules stated that he had to accept the higher score and so he is forever listed as a Masters runner-up.

Woods and Mickelson were playing together in the final round at Augusta for the second time.

In 2001, Woods went to the final round with a one-stroke lead over Mickelson and wrapped up an unprecedented fourth straight major title, the Tiger Slam,with a 68. Mickelson shot 70 and settled for third, three strokes behind.

Their other final-round pairing in a major came at the 1997 PGA Championship, where they closed with 75 in a tournament won by Davis Love III.

Technorati Tags: Angel Cabrera,Masters,golf,sports,news,Tiger Woods

Quote of the Day:
Alcohol, if taken in sufficient quantities, produces all the effects of intoxication.
--Oscar Wilde

Luke 9:23-24 “Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”

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Final Four 2009 Is Finally Here

2009-04-04T13:08:00.001-04:00

Yes, Final Four 2009 has finally arrived. We can produce and manufacture hours and hours of pregame analysis paralysis, but first, for our pregame entertainment, visit The Hottest Girls of the Final Four.

Analyze this!

If your visit to The Hottest Girls of the Final Four lasts more than four hours, please call your doctor or nurse.

With 775 pictures in these galleries, it may take more than four hours to view them.

My analysis, as usual, is simple, terse, and to the point.

This Final Four is North Carolina’s to lose. With their talent, their depth, and their senior experience, the Tar Heels have no excuse to not win it all.

Ty Lawson is the difference and the play maker. Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green rejected NBA overtures last spring for the sole purpose of returning to win NCAA rings.

Also, if UNC loses, they will disappoint President Barack Obama, who has the Tar Heels to win the title in his bracket.

UNC should perform well in their matchup with this great Villanova Wildcats team.

Scottie Reynolds is another great playmaker. He has three-point range, is very good from the line, and has the strength to get into the lane and finish.

The Tar Heels simply have more bulk and fire power than the Wildcats. North Carolina should win this game because of its great inside-outside balance.

Michigan State has the “home court” advantage because the 2009 Final Four is being hosted in Detroit. The local fan base and the excellent coach, Tom Izzo, should lead the Spartans to a victory over the Connecticut Huskies.

However, UConn is very resilient and very capable of winning this game.

While I’m picking Michigan State, the team with the more rebounds will win this game.

Whether they face the Spartans or the Huskies Monday night, the Tar Heels will cut down the nets.

North Carolina is the only team whose players have any Final Four experience. Therefore, they will not be intimidated and fazed by the Final Four experience.

The Tar Heels have used the 2008 loss to the Kansas Jayhawks as a motivation all season long and they’ve been reminding themselves about that game over and over this week.

That first trip to the Final Four can be overwhelming. There are the lavish NCAA dinners, network television interviews and the big arenas.

The huge crowds at Friday’s public practices can be intimidating. None of it even closely resembles the regular season routine.

Technorati Tags: Final Four,March Madness,NCAA Men's Basketball,sports,basketball

Quote of the Day:
If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do all the rest have to drown too?
--Steven Wright

Ephesians 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace”

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John Fox Has Never Put Back-to-Back Winning Seasons

2009-03-29T16:47:00.001-04:00

Because of a disappointing 2007 season, head coach John Fox was on the hot seat a bit for the Carolina Panthers. But he had his team playing consistently in nearly every facet of the game in 2008, leading them to a 12-4 record, an NFC South championship, and the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.

However, that playoff loss to the Cardinals was very significant.

Coming off a 12-4 season, the fact that Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox never has put back-to-back winning seasons together is something that is not lost on Jerry Richardson, the owner. Last season's playoff loss to Arizona was a huge disappointment and Fox will be under pressure to win this year.

Fox’s current contract runs through 2010. If he wins in 2009, he will get a new contract. If he does not win, he may be in trouble.

Signed by Carolina in 2002. John Fox is the Panthers’ third head coach in their short team history.

Only two starters, wide receiver Steve Smith and fullback Brad Hoover, remain from the team Fox inherited. Fox did quickly reverse a few seasons with losing trends which included a 1-15 embarrassment.

Technorati Tags: John Fox,Carolina Panthers,NFL,sports,news

Quote of the Day:
Every man alone is sincere. At the entrance of a second person, hypocrisy begins.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

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Will We See Favre in a Browns’ Uniform?

2009-03-28T13:14:00.002-04:00

In NFL news, the Kansas City Chiefs running back, Larry Johnson, was sentenced to two years probation Friday after pleading guilty to two counts of disturbing the peace for separate incidents involving women at nightclubs last year. The 28-year-old Johnson was originally charged with assault in the two incidents, but those charges were changed to disturbing the peace on Friday.

While on probation, Johnson will not be allowed to consume alcohol or be at any Kansas City bars or nightclubs after 9 p.m. He also must complete anger-control counseling and 40 hours of community service.

Johnson is so athletically gifted but he is throwing his talents away. Maybe I am wrong on this, but Johnson appears to not to like playing the game of football.

For Larry, it’s about SHOW ME THE MONEY! He and his agent will meet with the Kansas City Chiefs over the amount of guaranteed money due.

Johnson was such a significant distraction to the Chiefs locker room last season, that Kansas City actually improved during his absence.

The bottom line: Kansas City cannot trust Larry Johnson. He has a history of broken promises.

Johnson’s next team may well be Oakland or Dallas. He will underachieve with his next team as well.

Former Jets QB Brett Favre could make an appearance at Browns camp this season as a guest of his former coach, Eric Mangini. Favre is still under contract with the Jets, but he could show up in Cleveland as an instructor for Browns QBs Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn.

Does Favre have an itch to “instruct” or coach? Does Mangini have Favre in mind as an emergency quarterback if neither Anderson nor Quinn plays well?

Will we see Favre in a Browns’ uniform? Probably not but it can not be completely ruled out either.

Mangini and Favre, the Jets starting QB last season, have been discussing the possibility of Favre working in Browns camp this summer. Apparently he couldn't become a full-time assistant coach because he is still under contract to the Jets.

Don’t Anderson and Quinn need to work on fundamentals? What would Favre actually teach them? How to shake off another unnecessary interception?

Browns fans everywhere now fear that they may see Brett Favre as their opening-day starting QB.

Of course, the NFL continues to “sissy-fy” their rules under the guise of “player safety.” Changing the wedge on kickoffs to “two-player” wedges is ridiculous.

Eleven rules changes?!!

The new wedge rule is the one I detest the most.

Forming a "wedge" on a kickoff return is no longer legal. If three or more players line up shoulder-to-shoulder within two yards of each other, it will be a penalty.

Traditionally, kickoff return teams line up about four guys in a wedge in front of a kick returner and tell them to stay lined up, run as fast as they can, and clear a path for the ball carrier. Meanwhile, the kicking team will send players down the field, running as fast as they can, with instructions only to hit the players in the wedge as hard as they can.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made some news Thursday at the owners' meeting in Dana Point, California, saying he'd be in favor of expanding the regular season to 17 or 18 games by 2011. This would also decrease the number of exhibition games down to two or three.

So the NFL manufactures new rules to promote player safety but recommends expanding the regular season to 17 or 18 games, exposing players to more potential injuries?

It seems that the league will not distinguish between intentional and unintentional contact, which is ridiculous and most unfair to defenders.

A defensive player on the ground may no longer lunge or dive at the quarterback's lower legs.

What’s next? Outlawing tackling or redefining tackling as “in the grasp'”?

Maybe a QB should wear flags and the defender “takes” the flags for a sack. Or try two hands touching below the waist.

The NFL continues to go soft. The league can't protect against every possible contingency, but it seems that is what they are trying to do.

Technorati Tags: NFL,NFL rules,football,sports,news

One-Sided Sweet 16 Games with No Drama

2009-03-28T12:54:00.001-04:00

Most of this year’s Sweet 16 games were one-sided, dominating events with no drama. Will North Carolina win out, will a Big East team emerge, or will Missouri pull through?

In the 64 and 32-team weekend of games, Wake Forest and the ACC Conference were the biggest disappointments. In the Sweet 16, Memphis was disappointing.

The Big East has four teams alive for the Final Four of men’s college basketball tournament. Missouri and Oklahoma are also emerging as potential final four teams.

North Carolina and Louisville are most impressive as well. Pittsburgh wins ugly, but they do win, which is all that matters.

Expansion has clearly hurt ACC hoops. The conference has only two great head coaches and teams and the other ten teams are dwarfs. Wake Forest and Clemson were most embarrassing.

Don’t be surprised if Louisville emerges as the champion. They won the Big East title. The Big East is clearly the best and toughest conference in men’s college basketball.

The Big East is the best because they have the best coaches and best referees? Referees? What do referees have to do with it?

In contrast to the ACC officials who call almost anything a foul, Big East referees let a lot of things go, let teams play, and as a result, the more physical competition produces tougher and tournament-ready teams.

Also, give kudos to the Big 12; their representatives have played well. Even the Big 10 show some potential but the SEC is pitiful.

The worst men's’ college hoops coaching resides in the Southeastern Conference. Tennessee had the raw talent but they play out of control and lose to teams they should beat. They are starting over in Kentucky.

Technorati Tags: Match Madness,Final Four,Sweet 16,Elite 8,college basketball,sports

Quote of the Day:
One way to stop a runaway horse is to bet on him.
--Jeffrey Bernard

1 Timothy 2:5-6 “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.”

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My NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Round One Reflections

2009-03-21T14:20:00.001-04:00

In round one of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, the Midwest had the most surprising results. The other three regions, especially the West, were very predictable; well, at least for me.

I’m standing at No. 13 in the prestigious Bleacher Report’s Best group at Yahoo! Fantasy Sports. I’m also participating in other bracket challenges on the Internet, including ESPN and CBS, and including a couple of Round by Round challenges.

The main goal for my bracket is for all four of my final four picks to remain and after the first round, North Carolina, Memphis, Louisville, and Pittsburgh are still around.

The losses by Wake Forest and West Virginia hurt me the most because I picked them as Sweet Sixteen teams.

While the brackets create great fun, interest, and entertainment, it is the games themselves that intrigue my mind. As always, the unexpected the results and the one or two teams no one anticipates are the best stories.

Dayton, Western Kentucky,Cleveland State, and Siena are the tournament’s early Cinderellas. Cleveland State looks dominating and the team I would not want to face.

While Siena’s double overtime win over Ohio State was very dramatic, Western Kentucky’s effort over Gonzaga was impressive, and Dayton’s victory over West Virginia was unexpected, Cleveland State’s domination over Wake Forest impressed me the most. Yes, the Demon Deacons may have been flat and gave a disappointing effort, but the Vikings had it going in all cylinders and from all players.

The PAC 10 went 5-1 in Round One. I think they were motivated by President Barack Obama’s bracket, in which he have the PAC 10 no respect.

Obama put all the pressure of the North Carolina Tar Heels, saying he would be disappointed if they did not win it all.

Insert here your own political/sports metaphor in response to the Presidential Bracket or “Bracketlogy” as ESPN/ESPN oddly coins it. “Bracketolgy” is not even recognized by spell check.

For Round One, the record shows President Obama went 19-13 overall and Silver Fox went 23-9. Did Bleacher Report’s Finest send “Barry O ’Bomber": (Obama’s high school basketball nickname) an invite?

And include a mere one million dollars of stimulus money in our bracket pool, please. I wonder how much money circulated for the White House or Oval Office pool?

As long as it’s not our tax dollars being gambled. Never mind. Scratch that. The stimulus plan and the omnibus bills produced “gambling” debts for generations to come.

Oops! Sorry about the political transition between paragraphs.

Back to this tournament. The ACC had a disappointing 3-4 in Round One. I knew the SEC would not fare well (1-2), so I just picked them all to lose, but LSU won.

The Big 10 did okay at 4-3 and the Big East looks great at 6-1, as expected. I respect what I’ve seen from the Big 12 so far: 6-0 perfection!

But this tournament is not about conferences, but about individual teams and game by game match-ups, especially guard play.

Looking at Round Two, both UNC and Duke have pivotal games against formidable opponents in LSU and Texas respectively. LSU can get physical and Texas is highly athletic with a superior inside game.

I expect Louisville to take care of business with Siena. The UConn-Texas A&M game should be fun to watch and Connecticut should prevail.

I pick Memphis to beat Maryland and for Pittsburgh to handle Oklahoma State.

That takes care of all “five” No. 1 seeds. Memphis, to me, is the fifth No. 1 seed. After that, take your pick for the next best teams, probably mostly from the Big East, although the Big 12 and PAC 10 are screaming for our attention.

Thus, for me, the Round One story is Cleveland State. They appear to be on a tear similarly to Davidson a year ago. Of course, a loss in Round Two by the Vikings to Arizona would prove me wrong.

Arizona is the team that many pundits, notably Dick Vitale, said they did not belong in this tournament, but that St. Mary’s did. You know, if we doubled the tournament to 128 teams, pundits would whine about who is No. 129.

With this single-elimination tournament, anything can happen, and the unexpected happens. That’s why it’s called March Madness, not March gladness or March sadness.

Technorati Tags: NCAA basketball,March Madness,NCAA basketball tournament,basketball,sports

Quote of the Day:
Act as if it were impossible to fail.
--Dorothea Brande

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

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Jay Cutler’s Denver Area House Is Up for Sale

2009-03-14T13:56:00.001-04:00

Yahoo! News (not Yahoo! Sports) reports that the Denver Broncos insist quarterback Jay Cutler isn't on the market. His house, though, is another matter.

The sale was first reported by KMGH-TV and The Denver Post.

Click for the Full Story.

Earlier this week, the management of the Denver Broncos tried to mend some of the fences between them and one of their quarterback, Jay Cutler. The Broncos came away from the phone call in good spirits, thinking they had made significant progress in alleviating the drama.

Thursday, Cutler put his mansion up for sale. Whether or not the two are related is not clear, but it seems a bit curious that he would decide to sell a $2 million house in this economic climate and only three days after a conversation his bosses seemed to think was a positive one.

Technorati Tags: Jay Cutler,Denver Broncos,NFL,sports,news

Quote of the Day:
Your heart often knows things before your mind does.
--Polly (Pearl) Adler

2 Peter 1:5-8 “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

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Carolina Panthers Update

2009-03-08T13:55:00.001-04:00

Not only have the Carolina Panthers not signed any players, but there also have been no reports of them even visiting with any since March 1. That is not to say the Panthers actually have not contact any players but not much was expected of the Panthers anyway.

The team technically has all 22 starters returning from last season, but the future of defensive end Julius Peppers and cornerback Ken Lucas are in limbo. With $16.7 million tied up in their franchise tag offer to Peppers. the salary-cap limited Panthers have been quiet in the free agent market.

Because the Panthers are tight under the NFL salary cap, they have been restructuring contracts of a few players. Also, at some point, the team will look to bring in a veteran defensive lineman and a veteran offensive lineman for depth.

The Panthers unsuccessfully attempted to trade Lucas to the Detroit Lions but he vetoed the deal and they are likely to do the same at some point with Peppers. Lucas still could be traded but if there are no takers look for the team to eventually release him to free up $2.37 million in salary cap space.

Although Carolina cannot technically trade Peppers unless he were to sign his franchise tender, his agent Carl Carey is working behind the scenes to find a potential trade partner that would appeal to his client and one that would be willing to satisfy the Panthers desires in terms of compensation. If a deal can’t be struck, Peppers would presumably play or the Panthers in 2009, unless he holds out.

The New England Patriots are rumored to be a potential team for Peppers because they play a 3-4 defense that appeals to Peppers, are a winning franchise, and are well-coached The Patriots have several draft picks at their disposal.

Technorati Tags: Julius Peppers,Ken Lucas,Carolina Panthers,NFL,sports,news

Quote of the Day:
If you really want to do something, you will find a way. If you don't, you will find an excuse.
--Anonymous

Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

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One Cannot Spell “Unemployment” Without T.O.

2009-03-05T19:43:00.001-05:00

Terrell Owens released!

Cut!

Dallas Cowboys’ fans jump for joy in jubilee!

My popcorn has been ready for the day Dallas does T.O.

Owens is temporarily unemployed. One cannot spell unemployment without T.O.

I am surprised by this news because, for as many problems as Owens caused in Dallas, his talents on the field, where the game is played, were undeniable. Additionally, Jerry Jones hinted that Owens would remain a Cowboy.

In fact, the Cowboys paid Terrell Owens a $12 million signing bonus just last year, included as part of a new four-year, $34 million deal.

However, Dallas felt that the notion of team, after last season's full-on personnel debacle, was more important than individual talent.

Jones reportedly had spent weeks seeking input throughout the organization about Owens before reaching a conclusion that “Owens had become a distraction” and needed to be released prior to the launch of the offseason conditioning program scheduled to start in a few weeks.

On June 1, Owens was due a $3.1 million roster bonus.

Owens, of course, for all his talents, is one of the most controversial wide receivers in NFL history.

Owens became embroiled late in the season in a controversy over the team's chemistry that dragged in quarterback Tony Romo, tight end Jason Witten, and some other receivers. In the end, the Cowboys' promising season ended without a playoff berth and Owens for the third time in his career is leaving a franchise under a cloud of negative publicity.

Owens signed with the Cowboys in 2006, and was fined by the team for missing a physical rehabilitation session. In September 2006 he was rushed to the hospital after an adverse reaction to prescription painkillers and supplements. He denied initial media reports that he attempted suicide.

T.O.’s history with his previous quarterbacks, Jeff Garcia at San Francisco and Donovan McNabb at Philadelphia, have been very well chronicled and documented.

Before his stint with Dallas, Owens was banned from the Eagles midway through the 2005 season for criticizing McNabb and demanding a new contract one season into a seven-year deal that was worth about $49 million. Last year, he was ordered to repay $1.7 million in bonuses the Eagles paid him when he played for the team in 2004 and 2005.

He spent his first eight NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, where he clashed with Garcia and drew a team suspension in 2000 for taunting the Cowboys by celebrating touchdowns on Dallas’s star logo at midfield.

Owens, 35, had very good numbers last season (69 catches for 1,052 yards), but they were the lowest for him since 1999.

For his career, Terrell Owens is No. 2 overall in receiving TDs (139), behind only all-time great Jerry Rice. He has 951 catches, No. 6 overall, and 14,122 yards, No.5 overall.

T.O. is 35 years old.

Now the question is what next for T.O.?

Quarterbacks around the league are praying, hoping, and thinking, “Not here!”

Owens may be tempted to try to stay in same division and grab some Snyder money and play for the Washington Redskins. But do they have the salary cap space?

Before signing with Dallas and Philadelphia, Terrell expressed some interest with playing for the Baltimore Ravens. But Baltimore has changed coaches and has a second year starting quarterback for the 2009 season.

And it seems like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers usually come up during his free agent shopping negotiations. Drew Brees loves to throw to big receivers in New Orleans.

I doubt these teams appeal to T.O.

Will T.O. shop for a realistic Super Bowl contender? He does not fit the Pittsburgh Steelers? How about the Indianapolis Colts? I don’t see Peyton Manning to T.O.

Personally, I would like Terrell Owens to finish his career with the New England Patriots. That would be his best opportunity to play in and win a Super Bowl.

Imagine Tom Brady throwing to Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, and Wes Welker.

That sounds like a Pro Bowl QB and a Pro Bowl trio of WRs.

From time to time, once every blue moon, I have entertained the notion of Moss and Owens on the same team.

It happens in Fantasy Football and it could be arranged to happen in Madden NFL 09.

Initially, we wouldn’t think that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick would be interested in T.O.

Well, we didn’t think Belichick would want Randy Moss on his team either.

Stranger things have happened. Sometimes real life is stranger than fiction.

Whatever happens and whichever team T.O. signs with, one thing we know for sure: the T.O. drama will continue.

Technorati Tags: Terrell Owens,Dallas Cowboys,Jerry Jones,NFL,sports,news

Quote of the Day:
It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native criminal class except Congress
--Mark Twain

Deuteronomy 6: 6-7 “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

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Chiefs Trade for Cassel and Vrabel

2009-02-28T14:17:00.001-05:00

Scott Pioli left the New England Patriots to become Kansas City's general manager. Guess what? Quarterback Matt Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel are now joining him at Kansa City.

The Chiefs acquired Cassel and Vrabel from New England on Saturday in a trade, according to FOXSports.com. The trade compensation was not immediately known but at least a second-round draft pick is involved.

Technorati Tags: NFL,trade,sports,news,Kansas City Chiefs,New England Patriots,Matt Cassel,Mike Vrabel

Quote of the Day:
No mind is thoroughly well-organized that is deficient in a sense of humor.
--Samuel Taylor Coleridge