Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Officials.....

I am taking this opportunity to write about how I feel about the officiating these days in both college football and the NFL. Over the last 2 weeks I have seen some of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen on the gridiron. It started with the BYU-UW game where Jake Locker was flagged for throwing the ball some 10 feet over his head after scoring what was thought to be the game tying touchdown. This kid carried his team on his back the whole game and on the last drive converted every time and finally scored with seconds left on the clock. He throws the ball up in celebration and hugs his teammates only to see a flag come out from a retarded official for "unsportsmanlike conduct". As a result, UW has a 35 yd extra point that is blocked and they lose the game. Absolutly Terrible!



Next, I see crew after crew in the NFL throwing unneccesary flags and even one crew set a record for most penalties in a game. In football you can just about throw a flag on every play. There is a high chance that an offensive lineman is holding or an illegal hands to the face or a DB that illegally touches a WR past 5 yards. But that doesn't mean you have to be that nerdy ref that says "A rule is a rule and Im going to abide by it"! Use common sense. If it is a ticky tack foul then don't throw it. Now if it is a blatant play and affects the outcome of the play then throw it. I will call it the "common sense rule"! Have common sense!



Then on Sunday I am watching the SD-Denver game with Dustin. It was one heck of a game between 2 great offenses and Dustin even said it will come down to the end and who has the ball last. Jay Cutler rolls out and winds up to throw the ball and it very clearly slips out while his arm is moving backwards. It is an obvious fumble but Ed Hochuli, a veteran and well liked ref, blows the whistle and rules it an incomplete pass. Replay confirms it was a fumble but because of some dumb rule it cannot be overturned and the ball given to the Chargers like it should be. It would be game over and Chargers get a huge come from behind road win. So my question is why is the hell do we have replay if we still cannot get the call right. I say institute a "common sense" rule. If every fan, player and analyst can agree it is a fumble and should be Chargers ball then use common sense and give it to them.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

My thoughts on my teams.....

As I sit here right now I have a trash can next to me in case I vomit again! While I sleep tonight, I will wake up with nightmares of Wesley Carroll overthrowing balls and Woody McCorvey calling HB dive. Also I will be awoken of nightmares of Michigan fumbling yet again vs. Notre Dame. I have endured alot of bad days as a MSU fan and a Michigan fan. Any of you that know me should know that I am a diehard fan who lives thru his teams. This day will go down as one of the worst days for me as a fan in quite a long time.

Let me start first with the MSU game. I want to stand up and YELL "AWESOME JOB DEFENSE!" The best defensive game I have ever witnessed for MSU! Great job by every single defensive player on that field and a big pat on the back to Coach Harbison! At least we have one coach who is smart and understands the game well enough to call a good game. Again I could not be prouder of a group of guys as I am Derek Pegues, Jessie Bowman, Tim Bailey, Dominic Douglas, Keith Fitzhugh and company.... Keep up the great work guys because you are ALL WE HAVE!

Now on to the (pauses and pukes in the trash can) offense. I took the pleasure of going to dictionary.com and looking up the definition of offense. It is as follows:


*the act of attacking; attack or assault: weapons of offense.

*a person, army, etc., that is attacking.

*Sports.

a. the players or team unit responsible for attacking or scoring in a game.
b. the players possessing or controlling the ball, puck, etc., or the aspects or period of a game when this obtains.
c. a pattern or style of scoring attack
d. offensive effectiveness; ability to score


Does any of this remotely describe the MSU offense? I say in a loud resounding voice NO!

Woody McCorvey continues to show an inept ability to be a retarded OC. His calls are predictable, terrible and resemble the same offense at times that State ran in 1970. Wake up Woody and show a little life and try some new things other than the 5 plays you can recall off of NCAA football on Playstation.

Wesley Carroll continues his roller coaster of a season and has another bad game. Against La Tech he looked horrible and last week he looked good even though we were playing a scrub team. Tonight? He looked like a 7th grade school girl with no clue. I honestly believe we would be better off running the "Wild Dog" formation with Dixon and Ducre'. And why would we not give Tyson Lee a chance to show us something. He pushed Carroll to the limits this summer and according to many people, including Dustin, Lee looked better in the scrimmiges. With the way Carroll looked tonight then I see no reason NOT to give Lee a chance to do something. I mean could it have gotten worse? Lee can throw it over recievers heads as much as Carroll. Anyways....I'm disgusted.

Now to Michigan. Just absolutly embarrassed and disgusted at the way we gave ND the game. 8 or 9 turnovers including 7 fumbles. We fumbled the ball away 2 times inside our 20 to set up 2 ND TD's and then fumbled away a TD on the 3 yd line to pull within 4 midways through the 3rd quarter. Not to mentioned the fumble that lead to ND final score. That is 28 points right there. Michigan outplayed ND by far in every aspect on both sides of the ball and lose because they cannot cover up the football. And I don't wanna hear any excuses about the weather because ND didn't fumble the ball and they actually picked up a fumble that was bouncing on the ground and never broke stride for a TD. I expected some lumps this year but I would rather choke on my own vomit then to watch us give away football games every week. So far that is 2 games given away for Michigan and 2 for State. Both of these teams should be 2-1 or 3-0 instead of 1-2. Is there any chance I will ever be able to enjoy a college football season? Probably not the way things look now.

Im out.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Monday, September 8, 2008

Dollars Monday Night Special


There are two Monday Night Football games this week. The first game of the night is a good one. It is the Minnesota Vikings vs the Green Bay Packers. Both of these teams have good defenses and young QBs. I look for this to be a close and low scoring game. Minnesota will try to establish the run while the Pack will try a mixture of both run and pass. If Green Bay can contain Adrian Peterson (easier said than done) I like the Pack to win a close one at home.

Green Bay- 20
Minnesota- 17

The late game tonight is the Denver Broncos vs the Oakland Raiders. Both of these teams are trying to get back to their winning ways of the past. The Raiders have some very young and talented players looking to lead them back to the playoffs. Though they are a few years away from playoffs, they will be better. Denver comes in sporting a more experienced team led by QB Jay Cutler. This should be a very competitive game. I'm calling for the upset here I like Oakland to win the game outright.

Oakland- 24
Denver - 23

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Haines' Winners

This week is an interesting week. There aren't any big time games between ranked teams but there are several interesting match ups. If any of you are old enough to remember the radio show that came on weekly during the fall called Leonard's Losers, then I am gonna take a page out of his book and do my own special version.

Miami vs. Florida - Well this isn't the same match up we have been used to in recent years. Miami has slipped to a sub par program and they are guided by second year coach Randy Shannon. I don't see Miami standing a chance in this game vs. Tim Tebow and his boys. Florida is still without Harvin but it won't matter. Haines' Winners - Florida by 3+ touchdowns. 38-13

Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma - A tough Bearcat team will travel to Norman to take on the #4 Sooners and will be looking to pull the upset. Oklahoma is running a new no-huddle "fast break" offense and it looked good last week against a cupcake. I see the Bearcats hanging close with Oklahoma pulling away in the 2nd half. Haines' Winners - Oklahoma 37-17

Southern Miss vs. Auburn - Larry Fedora and his new USM wide open style team will be a thorn in the side of many teams this year. Auburn has a new spread no huddle offense as well but have issues at QB. I look for USM to play the Tigers tough but the riverboat gambler and his boys will come out on top. Haines' Winners - Closer than the experts think.... Auburn 27 -20

Ole Miss vs. Wake Forest - Houston Nutt has given the Rebel faithful a glimmer of hope and I can already hear the "Atlanta" talk from them. Wake Forest is an underrated team and so is Riley Skinner. Ole Miss' defense will not stop the Demon Deacons but the Rebels will put up some points as well. Haines' Winner - Wake Forest 41-34

West Virginia vs. East Carolina - Skip Holtz has put together a good team at ECU and they pulled off the shocker knocking off Virginia Tech last week. Pat White and company are still dangerous even without RichRod but wont be the offensive juggernaut they were the last few years. Don't get me wrong here, I think WVU is good but I see them as an 8-9 win team. Can ECU pull off the upset 2 weeks in a row? Haines' Winners - ECU 27-21

Georgia Tech vs. Boston College - GT has a new coach in Paul Johnson and his offense is an old school flexbone and wishbone style he has been a master of the last few years. Boston College lost first round pick Matt Ryan and I see trouble on the horizon. The Eagles are a one touchdown favorite. Haines' Winner - Georgia Tech 27 - 24


That's all for now and I hope my first week goes well. Enjoy your weekend!

Monday, September 1, 2008

Tennessee You Suck!!

How can you play a team that has a QB throw 4 int and you are domintaing the first half and should have been up 10+ at the half but instead you are up 7. Ok... But then you drive the ball all the way down to the 10 and fumble the ball away instead of going up 21-7 and then you stop them and get the ball back at the 25 and lose 12 yards in 3 plays and have to punt. Your special teams cost you 19 points because of missed fg's, blocked punt and a delay of game on a fg? Then you have to punt!! You were running all over UCLA but then after the fumble you decide to just start passing and go 3 and out. You were lucky to get to overtime and when you get there and are down 3 you play Phil Fulmer conservative football to just attempt a FG and go to the 2nd overtime. The only problem with that Fat Fulmer is that you kicker had been awful!

Way to choke away a victory and start your season off on a bad note. That is the reason that some coaches win national titles and some go to bowls on new years eve. Because of being conservative and going away from what worked all game. In the first half you played pressure defense that force 4 int but in the second half you decide to play soft and allow intermediate passes. Great job Tennessee!!!

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Mississippi State: Where we have accepted Mediocracy for 100 years!!!


10 things I saw this weekend in college football

1.) Michigan is no where near what I thought they would be. I knew there would be struggles but I never expected 40 pass attempts and our leading rusher to get 8 carries. I went from an expectation of 8 wins to maybe 6 if we are lucky. I mean for crying out loud we got beat by a Ute? Wow! Football is really slipping in Ann Arbor.


2.) Tyson Lee can play at DI and didnt play great and didnt play bad. Wesley Carroll has some competition on his hands. Defense is good at State and will again be a top defense in the SEC. AD looked good and the only problem is they didn't hand him the ball enough. Also, once again our coaches got in the way of a victory vs. an easy non conference win.


3.) Alabama looked really good. Saban just may be getting those boys ready for a return trip to Atlanta in November. (*cough* *cough* see Seymour I dont always hate on your boys)


4.) LSU did win but I didn't see GREAT QB play. They have a tough head hunting defense as usual and will be tough to beat. Les Miles is a great coach and LSU has a good offense and will design it around their stable of backs and recievers and minimize any mistakes to be made by Hatch and Lee. FWIW I think Lee wins the job at QB soon.


5.) Auburn's wide open no huddle score all the time offense didnt do that well against UL Monroe. They have QB rotation and controversy as well.


6.) Clemson is once again overrated. No, I am not taking anything away from Alabama guys but 2 of the best RB's in the country (James Davis and CJ Spiller) had a combined 8 carries???? Is RichRod coaching in Clemson again?


7.) USC is once again for real. I know Virginia is no powerhouse but they are no cupcake either. Ohio St. fans are holding their breath over Beanie Wells' injury because without him they dont stand a chance vs the Trojans.


8.) Virginia Tech is stupid for redshirting Tyrod Taylor at QB because Sean Glennon is horrific and cannot carry that team offensively like Taylor can. Taylor proved that last year I thought. Look for the redshirt to be coming off soon. Too bad for Hokie fans that it cost them a victory already.


9.) Ole Miss looks like they could have a dangerous offense but they also look like they have a horrific defense. Snead and co. could put up some points since they have a good coach in Nutt and not the cajun gorilla Orgeron anymore.


10.) Pat White can actually throw the ball. I know it was against Villanova but did any of you expect him to throw for 200+ yards with 5 Td's and only 60+ yards rushing?



Feel free to add any of what you guys saw this weekend and before you even think about writing about it, there isn't anything you can say about Michigan or State that I havent told myself or already know. Congrats to you if your team won and if they didn't.....Well you could be me!

Friday, August 29, 2008

AFC WEST


San Diego Chargers (13-3) - The Chargers will once again win the AFC West. LT is the best RB in all of the NFL and Phillip Rivers began to show why he was such a high pick last year in the playoffs. The WR corp is not real strong but Chris Chambers is a good WR to go to along with TE Antonio Gates who is Rivers go to guy. The defense is one of the top in the NFL led by Shawn Merriman, who is battling knee problems that could hinder him all year, and Shawn Phillips. They can wreak havoc on opposing offenses. I look for more big things from the Bolts this year.
KEY ADDITIONS: Rookies Antoine Cason and Jacob Hester.
KEY LOSSES: Lorenzo Neal and Micheal Turner.


Denver Broncos (9-7) - The Broncos have one of the best coaches in the league with Shanahan and he will again put a competitive team on the field. They will be led by 3rd year QB Jay Cutler and WR Brandon Marshall. They got a connection last year and I see it continuing into a deadly combo. Once again they do not have a big time RB but Shanahan in notorious for creating good backs in his system. Defensively they will be ok but not great. They are led by CB Champ Baily and LB DJ Williams. The best thing to happen to the Broncos is that they no longer have Travis "9 kids by 9 women" "Thug" "Dopehead" Henry.
KEY ADDITIONS: Dewayne Robertson, Michael Pittman and Keary Colbert
KEY LOSSES: Javon Walker, Jason Elam and Matt Lepsis


Oakland Raiders (8-8) - Some of you may be questioning be having the Raiders at 8-8 but I really see this team coming along well. They are young but Jamarcus Russell, Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden along with Javon Walker and Ronald Curry can put up some points I believe. But, this team is led by the defense. The old school Raiders defensive style is back. With Tommy Kelly, Derrick Burgess, Thomas Howard and in my opinion the best secondary in the AFC with Asomugha, DeAngelo Hall, Michael Huff and Gibril Wilson. They will be hard to pass the ball on and I really see them doing well this year.
KEY ADDITIONS: Darren McFadden, DeAngelo Hall, Kwame Harris, Javon Walker and Gibril Wilson
KEY LOSSES: Jerry Porter and Josh McCown.



Kansas City Chiefs (5-11) - The Chiefs are young like the Raiders. Brodie Croyle has the talent I believe and has a few weapons in Dewayne Bowe, Tony Gonzalez and Larry Johnson. The defensive unit is led by Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali. They lost Ty Law and All Pro Jared Allen off this unit from last year. I don't see big things for the Chiefs this year.
KEY ADDITIONS: Glenn Dorsey
KEY LOSSES: Ty Law and Jared Allen.
Division Winner: San Diego
Wild Card: None
MVP: LT
Best Rookie: Darren McFadden

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Sports Babe of the Day


College Football has arrived (Thank God)


Can you smell it? Can you smell the grills going? Can you smell the fresh cut grass? I smell it, it smells like College Football. Its here! It has arrived! No more trying to figure out what your going to do on the weekends, you know what your doing. Your going to be happy, sad, nervous, excited, and every other emotion you can think of, but that's why we watch!!! I love it, College football is here!!!!!!!!!!!

Tonights game of the night is South Carolina vs N.C. State. South Carolina is a 14 point favorite and for what its worth I like South Carolina to win 34 to 10.

AFC SOUTH


Indianapolis Colts (12-4) - The Colts are once again the team to beat in the AFC South. Led by Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison and Dallas Clark they have one of the top offenses in the AFC with the Pats. Their defense is solid too and led by head hunting safety Bob Sanders. The LB corp is somewhat questionable to me with Brackett and Keiho but the are a solid defense who depend on their offense to give them leads to play with so they can be comfortable enough to do what the want.
KEY ADDITIONS: Dominic Rhodes
KEY LOSSES: None

Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5) - The Jags have become a dangerous team the last few years in the AFC. They are hard nosed team who are an old school style team. They like to run the football with Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew and they play a hit-you-in-the-mouth defense. They are led by David Garrard at QB and he is a guy who doesn't make mistakes. He only threw 3 int in 325 attempts. Their WR corp has been their only question on offense the last few years but they addressed those needs in the off season by adding Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson. Their defense is led by John Henderson and the dreadlock brothers, Reggie Nelson and Rashean Mathis. Look for another playoff year from these Jags.
KEY ADDITIONS: Jerry Porter, Troy Williamson and Derrick Harvey.
KEY LOSSES: Ernest Wilford, Marcus Stroud and Sammy Knight.

Tennessee Titans (7-9) - Vince Young has come along slowly and I don't see great things for the Titans this year. They are not very strong at RB. Lendale White and rookie Chris Johnson can get the job done but I just don't see them carrying the load for this team. The WR corp is weak and Vince doesn't have a lot to work with. On defense, the Freak, Jevon Kearse, is back and they are led by Albert Haynesworth and Keith Bulluck. Again, I don't see big things from the Titans this year.
KEY ADDITIONS: Alge Crumpler and Jevon Kearse
KEY LOSSES: Chris Brown and Antwan Odom

Houston Texans (5-11) - The Texans remain the cellar team in the South. They have some weapons with Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Ahman Green but not enough to make the playoffs. I see good things from Schaub and Johnson but don't look for a lot points from the Texans. Defensively they are led by Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans. Ryans is one of the best LB in the NFL and not many people even know it. The Texans once again will bring up the rear in the AFC SOUTH.
KEY ADDITIONS: none
KEY LOSSES: none
Divsion Winner: Colts
Wild Card: Jags
MVP: Manning
Best Rookie: Derrick Harvey

Monday, August 25, 2008

Did You Know?


Everyone knows about the struggles of the Chicago Cubs, but did you know that the Chicago Cubs have been to 10 World Series and have won two championships?

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Friday, August 22, 2008

AFC North Preview


The AFC North is known to be what I called the Blue Collar division. They have Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. I imagine most of their fans as blue collar, hard working Americans. Not that other fans are not like that but just this division from top to bottom just says "Blue Collar" to me.

Cleveland Browns (11-5) - Derek Anderson broke out last year and made an immediate connection with my boy Braylon Edwards. Kellen Winslow, Jamal Lewis and the newly acquired Donte' Stallworth give this offense plenty of fire power. The have Brady Quinn backing up Anderson should he fail. Their defense has problems namely in the secondary. They have a top 5 OL led by 2nd year man Joe Thomas. They filled a big need on the DL with the acquisition of Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams. The biggest problem with the Browns is their terrible secondary. They give up too many big plays and have to hope the offense can out score opponents. The only other question in my mind for this team is how much will Romeo Crenel way at the end of the season?
KEY LOSSES: No players but traded away top 3 picks in last years draft to get Rogers and co.
KEY ADDITIONS: DT Shaun Rogers, DT Corey Williams and CB Travis Daniels


Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) - This is not your dad's Steelers. The days of smash mouth running the football with Bettis & co. are over. Now the offense revolves around Big Ben. He has a very good receiving corp led by Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes. Holmes showed last year that he is ready to be a legitimate #1 WR in the NFL. Willie Parker and rookie Rashard Mendenhall give them a good 1-2 punch at RB. As always their defense will be tough led by Troy Polamalu. Look for Lamar Woodley to break out. Former Tide standout and MS boy Deshea Townsend is the veteran in the secondary to lead the younger guys.
KEY LOSSES: G Alan Fanaca, T Max Starks, LB Clark Haggans and RB Najeh Davenport.
KEY ADDITIONS: RB Rashard Mendenhall, QB Byron Leftwich (JK), C Justin Hardwick, RB Mewelde Moore


Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) - This team has a lot of talent. The only problem is most of that talent can't stay outta trouble. WR Chris Henry is back but for how long? Former rookie LB standout Odell Thurman couldn't stay out of jail and is gone. Hell, the have had over 10 players arrested in the last couple years!! On with the predictions. Carson Palmer is a top QB and him along with TJ (holy last name) Houshmandzadeh and OCHO CINCO make a dangerous combination that can put up a lot of points. The only problem on offense is the run game. Rudi Johnson flopped last year and cant stay real healthy and former Michigan standout Chris Perry has done nothing. If they can get a productive run game then they can make the playoffs but if not I say no. Their defense is very bad and have no big time players. Their best player is former Tide DE Antwan Odom and could end up being rookie Keith Rivers. The over/under on the Bengals and Browns this year? I say 110?
KEY LOSSES: DE Justin Smith
KEY ADDITIONS: TE Ben Utecht, Rookie LB Keith Rivers


Baltimore Ravens (5-11) - Gone is Brian Billick and John Harbaugh is the new head coach. I think their offense will still struggle. Kyle Boller has been a bust and look for rookie Joe Flacco to take the starting gig at some point. Opposing defenses will stack the box and stop RB Willis McGahee and force either Troy Smith, Boller or Flacco to beat them with the pass. The heart and soul of this team still remains its defense. They hit you hard and come from all angles. Their DL is led by Haloti Ngata and Trevor Pryce. Their LB's are absolutely sick with future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis along with Bart Scott and Terrell Suggs. Now add in Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle, Dawan Landry and perennial pro bowler Ed "I got my heart in this &*%@" Reed and you have a very lethal defense. Poor things just cannot get any help from their offense. I dont see that changing this year.
KEY LOSSES: RB Musa Smith
KEY ADDITIONS: QB Joe Flacco, RB Ray Rice and S Tom Zbikowski
Division Winner: Browns
Wild Card: Steelers
MVP: Braylon Edwards
Best Rookie: Joe Flacco

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Breaking down the AFC EAST

In the coming days we will be giving our breakdowns of each division in the NFL. I will handle the AFC while Dollar will handle the NFC.
I will start today with the AFC EAST







New England Patriots: (12-4) Nope! I do not see another run at an undeafeated season for the Pats. I still think, like most of you, they are the cream of the crop in the AFC. Tom Brady will once again hook up with Randy Moss to make the most feared duo in the NFL. Add in Wes Welker and Lawrence Maroney and the Pats have the most explosive offense in the NFL and don't look for that to change.
KEY LOSSES: CB Asate Samuel, WR Donte Stallworth, CB Randall Gay and S Eugene Wilson.
KEY ADDITIONS: LB Victor Hobson, TE Marcus Pollard and CB Jason Webster.



New York Jets: (9-7) Brett Favre alone will take this team from a double digit loss team to a .500 team or better. He is the greatest QB to ever play the game and I think he will step right in and help the J-E-T-S JETS, JETS, JETS to a winning record. He has a good WR corp in Coles and Cotchery and rookie TE Dustin Keller, I believe, will have a good year. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are good enough to move the ball and the Jets OL got better by adding pro bowlers Alan Fanaca and Damien Woody. The Jets defense will be lead by 2nd year LB David Harris and S Kerry Rhodes. Add rookie Vernon Gholsten to the mix and I see better things for the Jets this year.
KEY LOSSES: LB Victor Hobson, LB Jonathan Vilma, WR Justin McCariens and DT Dewayne Robertson.
KEY ADDITIONS: G Alan Fanaca, LB Calvin Pace, LB Vernon Gholsten and FB Tony Richardson.



Buffalo Bills: (5-11) Dick Jauron's team will be led by 3rd year RB Marshawn Lynch. They will have a battle at the QB position with much the much maligned JP Losman and Trent Edwards. Lee Evans is a game breaking deep threat but lacks the ability to be a physical every down threat. There defense is OK but nothing to write home about.
KEY LOSSES: CB Jeremetrius Butler, CB Jason Webster and RB Anthony Thomas.
KEY ADDITIONS: DT Marcus Stroud, LB Kawika Mitchell, CB Will James


Miami Dolphins: (3-13) The Bill Parcells ERA begins in Miami and I don't look for an immediate impact like Parcells has had with other teams. They lost their franchise DE Jason (Dancing Machine) Taylor. They will have a QB battle between newly signed Chad Pennigton, Josh McCown, John Beck and rookie Chad Henne. At RB look for Ronnie Brown to be out for the year by week 6 as usual and Ricky Williams to make a resurrgence in Miami. Yes, I just said that. They have some very good young WR in Ted Ginn Jr and Derek Hagan. Their defense is bad and lost the best 2 defensive players they have had the last 10 years in Taylor and Zach Thomas.
KEY LOSSES: DE Jason Taylor, LB Zach Thomas, WR Marty Booker, DT Keith Traylor and QB Trent Green.
KEY ADDITIONS: LT Jake Long, DT Jason Ferguson, WR Ernest Wilford, LB Akin Ayodele and QB Josh McCown.



Division Winner: New England Patriots

Wild Card: none

MVP: Tom Brady

Best Rookie: Darrelle Revis

Idiot of the Week

B.J. Upton is my Idiot of the Week! Here is a kid with all the tools to be a great baseball player for many years and the only thing standing in the way of him and greatness is himself. Last night I was disgusted to see him not hustle out of the box last night on what he thought might be a wall scrapping HR and lolly gag until it hit the wall then he proceeded to hustle just a little but a heads up play by a true great player, Mark Texieira, trailing Upton and tagging him out just before reaching the bag. It reminded me of what really irks me with some of today's ball players. They get their money and think they are better than most of the other players so they try and get the spotlight on themselves instead of doing whatever it takes for your TEAM to win. This is not the first instance in which Upton hasn't hustled and cost his team. He had been benched 2 times in the last 3 weeks for it. I applauded Joe Madden for doing it! It sends a message that no one player is above the TEAM. This is a first place team who is winning with a low payroll and mostly players who are unselfish and willing to do whatever they need to do to put the TEAM in front. Players like Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena. B.J. needs to get himself together and realize he has great potential and needs to be remembered for how he played the game the right way and not for being the guy who got benched for not hustling. In his short career he has not lived up to his draft hype, in my opinion alone. He had to be moved to the outfield because of his horrific defense and also has had a couple scrapes with the law. Now he is being chastised for not doing the easiest thing in baseball. Running.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Photo Finish For Phelps

Micheal Phelps continued his Olympic dominance last night when he beat out Serbia's Milorad Cavic to set a new Olympic record in the 100 m butterfly. Cavic, before the race started, gave Phelps some bulletin board material. When will anyone learn to shut up when it come to Micheal Phelps? The Australians ran their mouth and he shut them up. The French did it the other night and they were shut up and now a Serb ran his mouth and Phelps said he used it as motivation to win last night. He came from 7th place at the split and at the last turn he came from almost a half body lentgh to win in one of the most exciting finishes I have seen.

Here is a hint to anyone that will race against Phelps anytime in the near future..... SHHHHHHHH!!!! He is the Micheal Jordan of mens swimming and nobody is even in the same league as him!!

BREAKING NEWS: Jamaica's Usain Bolt broke the WR in the 100 meters with a 9.69. He broke the world record and did it while celebrating with his arms strected out wide and pounding his chest the final steps of the way. His name is fitting but maybe instead of Usain Bolt we should call him INSANE BOLT!


Friday, August 15, 2008

Justin Woodall ready to breakout??

The Tuscaloosa News had an article today discussing Justin Woodall, a junior safety from Lafayette Co. MS, and I found it very interesting. You can read the article here.

I am writing this to give those of you Tide fans a perspective from me. I coached against Justin for 4 years. I saw him as a freshmen pitcher throwing in the mid to high 80's and knew at that moment he was something special. His head coach, Richie Harralson, and I were friends and he kept telling me "This kid is gonna be special!". We played against him for 4 years and each time he threw the ball as well as any high school pitcher I have seen. He had a funky delivery and his fast ball was EXPLOSIVE! We played against Lafayette Co. in the Dizzy Dean World Series Championship game in 2005 and I knew there was no way we could just go out there and hit him and win. We had to rattle him and put some pressure on him. Our leadoff guy bunted for a hit, #2 guy bunted and we had 1st and 2nd then our #3 hitter then bunted for a base hit. With the bases loaded we got an infield cheap single and then there was an error and a walk. We ended up scoring 5 runs in the first without getting a ball out of the infield. We won the World Series and we only had 3 or 4 hits that game off him. We won 7-4 I believe. The whole point of that rambling was he was too good for us to hit him and win. He had the most uncanny and raw athletic ability of any kid I have ever seen on a baseball field and if any of you know me I have seen and coached against many stud high school athletes. Heck, I coached against Jay Bruce in an all star tourney and I still think Justin is a better athlete!

I believe he could pick up a golf club and be as good as most guys who have played for years. He is that good of a natural athlete! All he needs to do is refine his skills by listening to his coaches and have the right techniques and approach. When he was drafted by the Mets after high school, one of his coaches said he turned down a HUGE signing bonus to go to Alabama!

Anyways I just wanted to give you guys a little perspective from me and what I saw out of him in 4 years. I think he will do great things the next 2 years in the Capstone.

There you go Seymour! That was for you!


photo courtesy of Tuscaloosa News

Sports Babe of the Day


I know its not sports related but everybody deserves to see this.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Sports Babe of the Day

Thank You Stacy Keibler!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Saturday, August 9, 2008

USA vs CHINA


VS

The Medal Count has begun. Who wins USA and their Superior athletes or China and their 900 billion people and the bought and threatened Judges? I say go to hell China!!!

Sports Babe of the Day (USA) edition


USA! USA! USA!

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Did you Know?


That the Atlanta Brave have lost 26 consecutive 1 run games on the road.
I think that speaks volumes of the management or lack their of. Bobby Cox you once where a good manager back when the Braves had Terry Pendleton and Ron Gant, ect... and I appreciate the many successful years you gave us Braves fans but my friend I think its time for you to move on.

Sports Babe of the Day



Anybody like Nascar?

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Monday, August 4, 2008

Thats 240 pounds Folks! Its about that time


This is for you Seymour!

Sports Babe of the Day

WOW!!!

Did You Know????? (Seymour edition)


That the three greatest hitters of our generation; Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr, have never won a World Series title.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

R.I.P. Harry Christopher "Skip" Caray, Jr.

Sports Babe of the Day


This is what woman are supposed to look like. In case anybody was wondering.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

2 of David Reily's Heroes!

Don't ever say I do not put anything on here for you Wain D!







Sports Babe of the Day


Pig Sooey!!!!!!!

Friday, August 1, 2008

Welcome to Beantown Jason Bay!




Yes this is another Red Sox article and if you dont want to see it or read it then stop here......


Here is the reason I said I was happy with the deal that sent Manny out of town and brought in Jason Bay..... In his first game as a Red Sox, Bay went 1 for 3 with 2 runs and 2 walks. No, they are not glaring stats but here is the special thing... In the 12th inning last night with 2 outs and no one on, Bay hit a towering ball that seemed to be a HR at first but it hit off the top of the Green Monster. Now here is the difference I like between Bay and Manny(other than the millions of dollars less that Bay cost). If Manny hits that ball then he pimps it thinking HR but it hits off the Monster and he has to hustle to get a bang bang play at 2nd base for a double (If Manny was feeling froggy enough to hustle!) What did Bay do? Pimp it? No. Jog? No. He busted his butt out of the box and legged out a triple. Big deal you say huh? The big thing is that he was on 3rd instead on 2nd or 1st like Manny. JD Drew was intentionally walked. Jed Lowrie came up and hit a chopper up the middle that Bobby Crosby got to but could not get a hustling Lowrie out at first. The result? A Red Sox win and a stop to a long 2 week losing skid and a start to HOPEFULLY (Knock on Wood) a great career for Bay in Beantown.




Now I know Jason Bay is no Manny and in many ways. He plays the game alot more like I like with heart and hustle and grittiness but he doesn't have the personality of Manny. Manny is a first ballot Hall of Famer and Bay probably won't be one. But he respects the game and his team enough to give them everything he has for the whole game and cares less about the spotlight. Keep in mind that in this years comparisons that Bay has 2 more HR and only 4 less RBI's than the "overpaid and heading for his twilight Manny".


I just had to point this out to the people who are Manny apologists. If Manny hits that ball and we are in that situation then we head for another inning!


Welcome Jason Bay and best of luck in Beantown.

Sports Babe of the Day (pac 10)


Thursday, July 31, 2008

Is This the Year???

Can they do it? The Brewers sure think so. They just got swept at home in their most important series of the year. Did anyone notice how the Cubs played this week when the pressure was on? Did anyone notice how dominant their starting pitching was? Did anyone notice how they hit the ball off a damn good pitching staff? Did anyone notice that they are 7-2 since Soriano came off the DL? If you answered no to any of these questions you better take notice. Lou has a ball team this year, and in case no one knew, he is a damn good manager. They have the ingredients to pull it off, they have hitting, starting pitching, a good bullpen, young
guys, and Lou. I know if your a Cubs fan what your thinking, but guess what Boston fans thought the same thing a few years ago. I'm not afraid to say it, YOU CAN DO IT! You have the team too...just don't pull a cubs.

Manny being GONE!

How do you say goodbye? Aloha, Arrivederci, Adios, so long and good riddence! In a 3 team deal, struck and the very last minute, Manny Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers and Boston got Jason Bay in return.

First off, I want to say that I know the numbers Manny put up in Boston and yes he was a integral part of 2 World Series Championship teams. But he also created alot of headaches for his teammates, fans and the front office with his antics both on and off the field. Do I think Jason Bay is as good as Manny? No! But I thik Jason Bay with half the money is worth it than Manny at 2o LARGE! We can now take the extra money to pursue a viable shortstop other than Julio "CRAP" Lugo! Let us not forget that Jason Bay is a 29 year all star who can hit .300/30/100 as well.

I think that this is the only move the Red Sox could make with Manny. He forced their hand and they had to move him. He is the forth highest paid player in baseball who puts up stats equal to Jason Bay at less money.

I think that most of Red Sox Nation will miss Manny and his funny antics but they will not miss his bitching and moaning and distractions. The one thing that worries me in this deal is how it affects David Ortiz. Papi and Manny were very close and I just hope that Papi can see the business side of it for the Red Sox and that it wasn't a personal deal. Manny made it personal with is remarks about the Red Sox and his mouth. The Sox did what they had to do and I am just fine with how it went down.

Sports Babe of the Day.

Good ol Rocky ??? Bottom.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Angels acquire Mark Texiera


Uh oh! The best team in MLB just got a lot better! The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (by the way what a retarded name) have quietly risen to the top of the ranks in the AL. With all the talk of the Rays surprising year and talks about the Yankees struggles and Manny talk, the Angels have flown under the radar and now, in my opinion, became the leader for the World Series trophy! They now have a murderers row of Vlad, Tex and Torii Hunter hitting 3,4 and 5 behind leadoff hitter Chone Figgins. They also have several bats in the lineup who do their job. They play a NL style of baseball with alot of small ball. Also, their pitching staff is pretty good as well with Lackey, Saunders and Santana at the top and have the best closer in baseball with K-Rod.


The Angels just put themselves in a great position to win it all.

Jerrell Powe now on a 4th grade reading level.....


and he was cleared to play at Ole Miss this season. It was reported that Powe actually named all of the colors in the rainbow correct and also was able to count to 10 without stopping. He is now on a 4th grade reading level so he is ok to go to Ole Miss.

And if you happen to be around any Ole Miss fans then get ready for the Jevan Snead and Jerrell Powe for Heisman bumper stickers. It is quite funny that neither of these guys have ever played a down of SEC football. Ole Miss has all kinds of hype and even the geniuses at EA Sports seem to think Ole Miss will be in Atlanta come December because they have them ranked 84 overall and above many good teams.

Let us remember this is the same Ole Miss team that went 3-9 last year. I will admit not having the human rhinoceros at head coach is a good thing but they are still the doormat of the SEC West!

Here you go Ole Miss fans:




Who needs Manny?

Monday, July 28, 2008

Waiver Pickup of the week (Fantasy Baseball)


Jeff Smardzija- This guy is the real deal! He can throw in the upper 90's and he will get you strikeouts and an occasional win out of the bullpen. Dont expect him to be the closer while Kerry Wood is recovering, although he did get the save Sunday due to Marmol throwing 30+ pitches the day before.

Sports Babes of the Day (ACC)


Florida States top 2 tight ends.

The Rivalry!

Well the Yanks won the Series but we still are ahead of them in the standings and if we can overcome the soap opera that is Manny Ramirez then I believe we will win the East come September!

Here is a video from last nights ESPN sunday conversation that sums up everything!



Saturday, July 26, 2008

Manny being SELFISH!

Ok Dustin and David you can stop reading here..... I am about to go on my typical tirade about the one and only Manny Ramirez and why I can't stand him.

I have had several arguments with friends and fans over the years over Manny. First off let me say this and make myself CLEAR: Manny Ramirez is one of the greatest hitters to play the game and is a first ballot Hall of Famer.

My beef with Manny is over his lack of compassion or concern for his team or teammates the majority of the time and his seemingly primadonna obsession with himself and his image in the media. Manny is the only guy in MLB who can turn a 400 ft triple into a single because of his lack of hustle. He is the only guy in MLB who can pimp a HR only to have it caught at the warning track. He is a clown who cares more about laughs and being the main attraction than he does wins by the Red Sox and the organization itself.

I like the way that Manny tries to have fun while playing the game because after all that is what it is all about. I have to admit that there are some antics that I cant help but laugh at like when he caught the ball at the wall earlier this year and gave a fan a high five or the time recently when he was seen talking on a cell inside the Green Monster. Sure, those moments are funny and make us laugh but the moments when he puts his team, teammates and winning behind his image and selfish ways is what irritates the hell out of me.

Just in this year he has gotten into a dugout scuffle with a team and fan favorite in Youk over Youk being upset at himself for not getting the job done in the game. Im sorry Manny that Youk actually takes it serious when he plays and gets upset when he doesn't help his team. Also, Manny pushed downed the team travel secretary because he couldn't get all the tickets he wanted for a road series. Now the best has yet to come! Every summer Manny gets some kind of injury during the middle of the season that is sometimes mysterious and unknown. Last year, he suffered an injury and was out for 2 weeks and had his injury re-examined by the team doctor and was told everything was good to go and he could return to action. Unfortunately Manny felt different and stayed out another 3 weeks.

Now, Manny has started to complain about his contract with team management and evidently suffered a severe and serious knee injury during batting practice the other day. It was so serious that Manny was a late scratch in the finale against Seattle and also last night in the opener vs the Yankees. But wait! In an MRI test revealed this morning in Boston it was found that there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with Manny's knee! It is clean and nothing that should keep him from playing! So why is he saying he can't play? Hmmmmm? Maybe it is because he is bitching and moaning about his 20 million dollar contract! Let me say that again! His 20 MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT! He is just showing his true colors AGAIN! And those of you know what I mean by that!

Manny, you are 36 years old and starting to begin the twilight of your career. You are not ranked inside the top 15 in any major hitting category in the MLB. In other words he is not putting up 20 million dollar stats. That is what Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Lance Berkman, Carlos Quentin, Jermaine Dye and Carlos Lee are doing with way less contracts. You actually expect the Red Sox to give you more money when you only have a couple good years left in you? They can take that money and go after a guy who is 10 years younger and less of a distraction for his team. Thanks for your years in Boston and for putting up good numbers but it is going downhill from here and I think, check that, I know many fans of the Red Sox will agree with me when we say Adios Manny!