The NFL’s Biggest Fraud Revealed! You’ll Want To Write This Down!

As those of you who read this site may have figured out I’m a Giants’ fan.  When you’re a Giants’ fan in the tri-state area, you usually don’t hate the Jets.  Giants-Jets isn’t some big sports rivalry.  For most Giants’ fans, the Jets are a team they wouldn’t mind seeing doing well so long as it didn’t come at Big Blue’s expense.

The good news for the Jets’ organization and their fan base, is that Giants’ fans aren’t feeling so charitable anymore.   The Jets have become flat out annoying.  Have they taken over the market yet?  No, not really.  After all, they still last won a Super Bowl over 40 years ago.  But, the Jets are drawing notice.  Due to a combination of their participation in HBO’s Hard Knocks, Rex Ryan’s take no prisoners persona and their on the field achievements, things are looking up for the Jets.

Unfortunately, they’re also the NFL’s biggest fraud.

It’s absolutely amazing to me how many people think they’re Super Bowl bound.  Please write this down so you remember you read it here.  THE JETS ARE NOT MAKING THE SUPER BOWL.

For those “experts” who disagree, let’s point out a few problems with the idea of the Jets being good enough to win the whole thing this year.  First, they barely even made the playoffs last year.  If not for a few playoff clinched teams laying down to avoid injuries, the Jets probably wouldn’t have made last year’s post season.  Now, granted, they did a nice job when they got there, but not enough to have me over-value their Super Bowl potential this year.

Why?  We’ll that’s reason number two.  Mark Sanchez.   Does anyone remember that he wasn’t super last year?  Does anyone believe he’ll be that much better in year two?   With rare exceptions, quarterbacks struggle during their development.  Sanchez will be no different.

I hear some of you out there now.  You’re thinking (yes, I can read your minds) that the Super Bowl Champ doesn’t need a quarterback to be much more than a good game manager if he’s got a great supporting cast around him.  After all, Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl.

True, but don’t forget that Dilfer tasted victory about 30 years ago (ok, if just feels that way, but it’s still a long time ago).  Take a look at who’s QB-ed Super Bowl Champs over the last decade.  There’s an awful lot of great quarterbacks up there.  Not too many stiffs.  Wherever Sanchez ends up on the quarterback scale, it’s a lot of pressure to put on a second year player.

So, if the quarterback is suspect, then at least they’ll be able to run the ball right?  Well, not so fast there.  They let Thomas Jones leave and have gotten some critism for it, but I think that will ultimately be proven to be the right call.  Jones had a nice Jets career, but he’s a senior citizen in running back terms and was coming off of heavy usage these last few years.  Frankly, he was already showing signs of retirement being not so far away by the end of last season.

So, the Super Bowl Bound Jets are now depending on Shonn Greene to be the kind of consistent runner Thomas Jones was.  Maybe he’ll be just that, but there’s a very small body of evidence to go off of, so that’s no given.

Should Greene falter who do you depend on?  LaDainian Tomlinson?  Maybe five years ago.  I’m an LT fan despite feeling that there’s only one true LT (Lawrence Taylor, of course, even with his current legal troubles!).  Tomlinson seems like a decent guy who’s come in with the right attitude.  So, personally, I’m hoping he has a nice bounce back year.  That’s the emotional side of my fandom coming out, but the reality is that Tomlinson like Jones is pretty old for a running back  and also come with the damage that a whole lot of NFL carries will do to a man.  He’s simply not going to be the season long answer at running back.

So, give the Jets credit for upping their profile and for putting together a terrific defense.  These days though, offense has a lot to say about who wins the Super Bowl.  When your quarterback and running backs are question marks, there’s a lot that needs to go right for you to win a Lombardi Trophy.

THE JETS WILL NOT BEAT THOSE ODDS.  Again, please write it down and remember you read it here first.

PS – Didn’t even mention they play in a seriously tough division.  That’s not going to help the march to glory.

PPS – I’d like bonus points for not going with the very tempting but ultimately lame argument that “after all they’re still the Jets”.

Another Amazing Week In Sports, Politics & Nonsense!

What an utterly amazing week to be alive to blog!  Unfortunately, other obligations AKA my paying job, got in the way of being able to write too much.  I realize that given these uncertain times I should feel lucky to have a good job.  And I do.

I also feel lucky to have this blog and to be able to present my thoughts on the week we all just got through together. 

Here goes!

Another Giants’ receiver gets shot!  Seriously what are the odds of the guy who replaced Plaxico Burress on the Giants roster also getting shot so soon after Burress accidentally capped himself?  Better than back to back Big Blue championships, I guess.  Here’s hoping Taye Biddle gets better soon.

Jeff Kent – when you look at his numbers even after accounting for the slugging era he played in, they are very impressive for a second baseman.  As a Mets fan, I saw quite a bit of Kent in the 90s.  He never struck me as a Hall of Famer.  Maybe that early impression is what keeps me from seeing him as Cooperstown-worthy now…

Alonozo Mourning – Zo has once again decided to retire.  Somehow this one feels more real.  After battling through kidney problems and leg issues through the years, I think he’s done.  Does anyone remember how limitless the Charlotte Hornets future looked way back when they had the young versions of Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson playing for them?  Maybe the young & current version of Chris Paul will deliver on that long ago promise for the franchise that fled Charlotte for New Orleans…

Brian Schottenheimer – I don’t get it.  What’s the big deal whether he comes back to the Jets as their offensive coordinator?  In three years with the Jets, Marty’s son has produced the 25th, 26th and 16th ranked offenses in the NFL.  This gets him serious consideration for the head job?  And this merits the Jets’ brass losing sleep over whether he’ll be happy to return?  Maybe it’s just that they figure if they keep Shottenheimer and the current offense in place the odds are better Brett Favre will return?

Rex Ryan – Maybe it’s cause he’s a twin and I have twins.   Maybe it’s cause he’s Buddy Ryan’s son and for some reason I always found Buddy entertaining despite my being a Giants’ fan.  I don’t know.   But, for some reason, I like Rex Ryan and feel like he’ll do a nice job with the Jets.  If nothing else, his press conferences are already better than Eric Mangini’s.

Goodbye Guantanamo! – The new president carries through on his promise to close Gitmo.  Good riddance!  Call me crazy but simply “disappearing” people just doesn’t seem real American to me.  Feels like we all ought to have more faith in our system than to resort to that kind of third world dictatorship kind of move.

Goodbye Torture! – Barack Obama delivers again!  Nice first couple of days for him by the way.  So far so good, but we’ve got a long way to go.  Thanks to President Obama, now the US will not be allowed to torture suspects anymore.  Another good move. America should not tolerate torture.  Beside not being in keeping with our constitution, it’s not all that effective.  How about just making them sit through a full episode of the “Color Honeymooners”?  Yikes!

Pope’s On Youtube – He’s got his own channel there.  How long til he’s got his own development deal with some cable channel?

Mark Ivaroni Fired – Is every NBA franchise going to fire their head coach this season?  And will it make any difference in Memphis anyway??  Especially when you hire Lionel Hollins for the THIRD time to coach your franchise.  What’s he going to do different this time??  Third time!  I’m not making this up!

New York’s Got a New Senator – And it’s not a Kennedy.  Would have been poetic to see Caroline Kennedy take the seat her uncle once held.  But, after her disastrous couple of weeks in the spotlight think we all learned why she’s stayed private all these years. You know, uh, you know….

Manny Ramirez – Being a pain in the ass can cost you a lot of cash.  Now, not even the Mets are interested in one of the game’s very best hitters.  As a Mets’ fan, I’m very worried about the pitching rotation and just don’t think they have enough hitting.  Manny could go a long way toward solving half their problems.  Course, he’d add a whole other set in the process but that’s just Manny being Manny.

Mark McGwire  –  Not only does his brother Jay introduce him to roids, now he outs him.  Would I love to be a fly-on the wall at the McGwire family reunion!

Herm Edwards Fired – Had to see this coming when the Chiefs brought in a new GM.  And although Edwards isn’t saying it, I will.  Clark Hunt has a lot of nerve firing Edwards after signing off on the youth movement that put the Chiefs at 2-14 last year.  If Edwards had known he had just one year to work with, maybe he’d have rethought going young.

Who’ll Bail Out The Veteran NFL Coaches? – Maybe it will be the Chiefs who are rumored to be pursuing Mike Shanahan.  It’s amazing to me to see all these young guys getting hired for head coaching jobs this year while big names like Shanahan, Jon Gruden, Marty Schottenheimer and Bill Cowher may be sitting out next season. 

Let’s take them and a few others case by case:

Mike Shanahan – Not surprised KC would want him.  After all, they had to play against him for so long and know how good he is.  Am surprised that he’d go somewhere so quickly after Denver, especially without being able to have Denver-type control.  Really thought that once again he’d replace Wade Phillips.  This time in Dallas.  If Jerry Jones were smart and Shanahan were interested, he’d make sure history repeat itself.

Jon Gruden – Tampa’s entire roster seems to be dogging him in the press, but you have to believe he’ll get another chance.  When he does, he’ll win again.

Marty Schottenheimer – All Brian’s dad ever has done is win.  Ok, not in the playoffs so much.   Still, I don’t buy he’s not one of the top 30 coaches in the pro football world.  Don’t see Norv Turner really lighting things up in San Diego either…

Bill Cowher – he strikes me as the least interested in coming back this year.  Still, think the Jets blew it by not overwhelming him.

Dan Reeves – He wants back in.  So much so that at age 65 he’s interviewing for the offensive coordinator spot for the 49ers.  Like Marty Schot, he’s another guy who has done nothing but win.  Unfortunately, both he and Marty may never get a crack at a top spot again.  Here’s hoping they both do.  The ultimate of course, would be to see Reeves get another team to the Super Bowl only to watch them get crushed by Marty’s first ever Super Bowl team. 

Denny Green – I’m just throwing him in here.  I haven’t even heard he wants to coach again.  But, with the Cardinals going to the Super Bowl, it’s worth noting that Green brought in some of the guys who have gotten them there.  You may have heard of one of his guys.  Kurt Warner??

Deep breathe!  Think that was everything I wanted to get out.

Thanks for taking a look!

Jon Gruden Fired By Bucs! WTF? Chuckie’s Gone!!

And so the blood letting continues among the coaching ranks.  Biting the dust tonight?  None other than Chuckie himself, notorious bad sleeper Jon Gruden.

Gruden was done it, it seems, by the Buccaneers end of season collapse.  Tampa slid from 9-3 at one point to missing out on the playoffs completely.  For that sin, so ends the Gruden Era.  And for good measure, the Glazer family canned GM Bruce Allen too.

So there you go.  No internal power struggle in which ownership sided with someone other than their coach.  Pure and simple the Bucs decided that 9-7 just wasn’t good enough.

Part of me says good for them.  Sure, Jon Gruden won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay and not that long ago. But, he’s been mediocre since.  Gruden’s records since his first glorious year in which he went 12-4 and won a title are as follows:  7-9, 5-11, 11-5, 4-12 and then back to back 9-7 records.  He’s gotten to the playoffs twice since winning it all and both times Tampa lost in their first and only game.  Last year, he seemed to make a serious error by resting his starters way too early in the regular season and dropping late season games and losing at home to the miracle Giants in round one of the playoffs. 

The other part of me says who the heck does Tampa Bay think they are?  Tony Dungy, who preceded Gruden, had guided the Bucs into respectability.  Four times in his six years in Florida, Tony Dungy got his Tampa teams into the playoffs.  They had talent.  They just never seemed to be able to put it all together for a sustained post-season run.  When Dungy went 9-7 in 2001 and got slaughtered in round one of the playoffs by the Eagles for the second straight year, the Glazers fired Tony Dungy.  Next, they ponied up a ton of cash and draft picks to bring boy genius Chuckie to town.

It worked.  I know I said it earlier in this post, but Gruden managed to win a Super Bowl in Tampa in year one.  It’s true that Dungy had handed him a winning organization and deserves a great deal of credit for Tampa’s title he didn’t get to see.  Still, it bears repeating Gruden won it all in Tampa Bay of all places.

And now he’s gone.  Only in his mid-40s, you get the feeling there’s a lot more football left in Jon Gruden.  It will be interesting to see how his availability changes any plans teams with coaching openings have.  For my money, the Rams and Jets could do a lot worse.  It’s fitting, of course, that Detroit just hired somebody and so won’t be in the hunt for Gruden, a guy who’s won in both Tampa and Oakland.  Who’s to say he couldn’t turn around Detroit?

As for Tampa, it’s a gutsy move on their part and tells us who they think they are.  The Glazer family wants their franchise to be one of the upper echelon teams and is signaling they won’t settle  for less.  The Glazers have always liked big names.  How many times, after all, did they woo Bill Parcells only to be left at the alter embarrassed and humiliated? 

Names like Cowher, Shanahan and Parcells (doesn’t he always find a way out of his deals?) are out there.  It will be interesting to see what big fish Tampa tries to reel in this time.

Even Favre Can’t Help The Lions Win! Is That So Wrong?

If one can believe Fox Sports, than it seems Brett Favre might have spent an hour on the phone with Lions’ coaches going over how to beat the Packers in the week prior to their match up.  This wouldn’t be such a big deal if:
a – Favre was QB-ing the hapless Lions rather than the looking more and more hapless Jets

b – Favre was retired

c – The Packers weren’t his old team and if Green Bay fans still didn’t view him as the second coming

But, sadly items a, b and c are all not true.  According to Fox, Brett Favre did take time away from learning his new team’s playbook to spend quite some time making it easier for Detroit to match up against his former teammates in Green Bay.  The Lions being the Lions.  They lost anyway.

As odd as this all is, there’s nothing against the NFL rules in Favre’s behavior.  In fact, in a Yahoo article, I just saw, it says Favre was known for making such calls before, but that they usually didn’t take up so much of his time.

Guess he really wanted the Lions to beat the Pack, huh?

While I’ll never understand why Favre would bother, I can’t fathom why the NFL doesn’t make this against the rules.  I get that if you’re a waiver wire pick up that the first thing you do is download all you know about your old team to the team now writing out your checks.

That’s not the situation in the Favre case.  Isn’t this tampering?  If Favre had done this before, why did he?  As a Packer, was he trying to help Green Bay by seeing to it that their rivals had a tougher road?  If not.  Then why?  Couldn’t behavior like Favre’s, if widespread, lead to accusations of gambling interests at play?  And is ANY of this in the spirit of fair competition?

I don’t think so.  I think each team should be left to their own resources and should not have access to inside information from other teams.  The NFL should put in a rule pronto.

In fact it’s shocking that the NFL, which is accused of being the “no fun league” has soooooo many rules, yet none for this.

Once again, Brett Favre is changing how the game is played…

More Important Than McCain! The NFL Is Back!

If summer has to end than at least we can console ourselves that it’s time for some football.  And I’m not talking that rinky dink distantly related cousin know as college football.  I’m talking NFL, baby!

Just a few thoughts, as it’s late and I’ve just finished a long McCain post. 

First, as a Giants’ fan.  What a great night!  After all the doubting and injuries to the D-Line, Big Blue comes through even after being the only team unable to convince someone to come out of retirement (Michael Strahan).  It pains me to say it, but I still don’t think they’ll be defending their Super Bowl crown come February 09.  But, I’m going to keep rooting for them to do it no matter what!  Comon sense and you can’t stop me!

This has been a weird start to the NFL season already.  Maybe the NFL is trying to match the kind of drama we’ve seen in the presidential race so far.  Here’s a few odd ways to kick off the season.

OK – the biggest one first.  Favre in green is one thing.  Farve in Jet green is unbelievable.  Still not going to turn out too well though…

The last name “OCHO CINCO” will be on an NFL jersey this year.  I thought Chad Johnson made a lot of noise about never playing for the Bengals again.  I guess he just meant under the name “Johnson”.

Detroit signs Rudy Johnson formerly of the aforementioned Bengals only to have him show up and accuse the guy he’s replacing at RB, Tatum Bell, of stealing the contents of his luggage.  Whatever happened to going the Steve Smith route and just punching out your teammate?

And here’s a sure sign of the coming end of the world.  Several credible sports columnists have clearly begun smoking crack and have predicted that the Philadelphia Eagles will win the Super Bowl.  Their predictions gloss over Donovan McNabb’s injury tendencies.  Plus, even if he stays healthy, who’s he throwing to?  He’s got no wide receivers.

Finally, Dante Culpepper who not long ago posted one of the greatest QB seasons ever, decided to retired.  He claims that teams aren’t giving him a fair shot.  I loved Dante during his time in Minnesota and I do think he’s got a point that there are other guys in the league getting shots that have never achieved the things he has.  However, he’s ignoring his two bad knees and two bad seasons in Miami and Oakland.  Finally, he’s proof positive that when you act as your own agent or lawyer, you’ve got a fool for a client.

No matter, I’m sure it won’t be too long before Culpepper un-retires.  Maybe he can replace Brett Favre in a year or two when he bails out on the Jets!

And here’s wishing a happy football season to all (except the Cowboys and their fans)!  Did you really expect anything less from a Giants’ fan?

PS – Does anyone else find it odd that the Miami Dolphins are now led by a tuna?  Sorry, it’s late and I’m lacking the judgement to resist.

Favre-Watch! The New York Jets Are Destined To Be Suckers Again!

Do any of these look right to you?

Of course not!

For those who didn’t figure it out by themselves, from left to right that’s noted acquited murder suspect and Buffalo Bills icon OJ Simpson as a 49er, Patrick “I guarantee but have no rings” Ewing as one of the Orlando Magic and finally the Jets’ own Joe Willie Namath as a Los Angeles Ram.

The ending in sports is rarely pretty.  Few careers wrap up as John Elway’s did with back to back Super Bowl wins (thank you, Terrell Davis) and a ride off into the sunset.  Most end with a former star athlete taking one too many punches or falling down in center field while chasing a ball he might have easily caught in his prime.

Brett Favre is destined to go out the same way.  In fact, he kind of already did.  Last season, in what was supposed to be his last game ever, he threw a game clinching interception to the delight of Giants’ fans everywhere.  Maybe that’s part of the reason Favre is so determined to come back.  Of course, we know we’ll never really know.

What we do know is that with a lifer like Favre it won’t end pretty.  Whether it’s later this season or next year or the year after, sooner or later, Brett Favre’s skills will have deteriorated just enough to either get him benched for a much less accomplished QB or get him hurt.

Favre has a right to pursue his career as long as he wants.  There’s no doubt after last season and despite the way he ended his team’s playoff run with pick, that Favre still has something left in the tank.  Furthermore, with so much money on the line, there’s a huge financial upside to Brett risking his legacy.  So clearly there is method and some kind of reasoning behind his madness.

What I’ll never understand is why the Jets have any interest in Brett Favre.  Tampa, I get, they made the playoffs last year, their coach collects quarterbacks like others collect sports memorabilia, and maybe just maybe Favre with a lot of luck could put them over the top.

The Jets can NOT say the same thing.  Brett Favre is not going to take this team to the Super Bowl this year or next.  In fact, he may not be enough to take them to the playoffs.  So why jump in?

My only answer is tradition.

The Jets organization has been snake bitten for the most part since their amazing Super Bowl upset way back when I was too young to appreciate the magnitude of the moment.  Since then, of course, one bad decision has followed the other and fueled the team’s desperation to again taste glory.  Half my lifetime later, the Jets are still searching to recapture that one magical moment.  Now, as their coach and GM face the critical third year of their rebuilding scheme, the organization is going all out to gamble their resources on a quarterback who is clearly on borrowed time.

Maybe they figure that karma owes them something what with Joe Namath going out a Ram and all.

Mark my words. 

They are about to find out karma is a b#tch…

I Don’t Love Sports That Much!

I love sports.  Basketball, football, baseball, hockey, you name it.  If it’s a true sport (and in my opinion that doesn’t include golf, NASCAR or the WNBA), than I’ve got big opinions about it.  I love to watch sports.  I love to talk sports.  And as must be obvious from this blog, I love to write about sports.

I love the history of sports. I love the pointless and (happily) endless arguments about who was better than who and why or why not. Sports has added so much to my life.  I enjoyed playing them so much in my younger years and have always and continue to enjoy watching them.  Frankly, my brain is probably way too filled up with sports trivia.

I’m married to a wonderful woman who likes sports.  While I never want to force them to do things they have no interest in, I hope to share my love of sports with my kids.  I believe that either by following sports or playing them, that sports will add to the quality of my children’s lives.  I believe sports (on a good day) teaches great lessons.

So, all that said, I found out over the weekend what the line is for me.

This is a true story.  There I am driving around town running errands listening to what?  Sports talk radio.  A caller calls in to complain about the price the New York Jets are charging for “private seat licenses”.

For those of you that don’t know, the Jets and Giants will soon be moving into a new stadium.  Both teams have decided to charge all current season ticket holders a “private seat license” fee.  Basically, it’s blackmail.  If you want to keep your seat in the new stadium, then you must cough up a one time fee for the privilege.  In other words, in the Jets’ fan’s case, it’s not enough that he’s been a loyal season ticket holder for years and has had to endure years of bad football and no championship since 1969, now he’s going to have to write the Jets a check for just the right to hold onto his seat.

It’s a really sucky move by both franchises, but that’s not the point.

The point is that the caller in question went on to say that now that he’s heard the Jets might acquire Brett Favre, he’s going to pay the “private seat license”.  After all, he doesn’t want to miss out on the Favre months.  Ok, still not that amazing right?  I mean why blog about this?

Here’s the amazing part.  This caller said that in order to pay the Jets’ seat fee he was going to dip into his 401K.  And there was my line.

I love sports.  But, not that much.

My parents always taught me that if you want to go out, then you should be prepared to pay for your fun times whether it’s the movies, a restaurant or a vacation.  Fun costs money and so does running with the big boys.  They also taught me that sometimes you’ve got to stay home, especially when you can’t afford the price of your fun.  You stay home when you can’t afford to run with the big boys.

Now, I know we Americans love our debt.  But, I can’t believe someone would chose to dip into their 401K to pay for Jets’ season tickets.  Talk about bad priorities.

Call me crazy or not sports crazy enough, but why not just watch the Jets on TV and have a nice retirement?

I guess the caller preferred the prospect of working on the fry line at McDonald’s at the age of 80 while muttering to himself about how the Jets coulda won it all if only Favre hadn’t thrown that last second interception in the divisional playoffs…

Whatever.  Hopefully while he’s doing that, I’ll be warm and snug at my fully paid off home talking with my wife about the times we saw the Giants win the Super Bowl at home on our TV.

Eli Manning Vs. Joe Namath

First, we had all the ’72 Dolphins versus the Perfect Patriots debate.  Of course, that’s gone pretty much silent now in the stunning aftermath of the Giants’ upset of New England’s finest.

So, let’s talk about the next great debate.  Manning Vs. Namath.  It wouldn’t be fare to compare the younger Manning one on one to the legendary Broadway Joe at this point in Eli’s career.  But we can compare which signature upset was bigger.

I think this will be the great debate that divides generations.  If you are like me and 40ish, then you either saw or grew up in the aftermath of the AFL Jets’ shocking victory over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts.  For us, I think that game will always be (as Saddam Hussein might have said) “the mother of all upsets.”

If on the other hand, you are say 30 or younger, then I bet your closest memory or association with that game is Joe Namath embarrassing himself on Monday Night Football’s sidelines a few years back.  For you, this past Sunday brought you the biggest shocker of all time.

So where does the truth lie?  Were the Giants or Jets the bigger underdog?  Here’s my reasoning and I’m trying to be objective despite being 40ish:

Point Spread

Jets were something like 19 point underdogs.

Giants started out being about 12 point dogs.

Edge: Jets – They were dogs by a full touchdown more than the Giants.

Recent Past

Jets had never played Colts.  AFL and NFL didn’t meet up until Super Bowl in those days.

Giants took on New England in the final week of the regular season and more than held their own.  That game jump-started their belief in themselves and their season.

Edge: Jets – Giants knew they could compete against New England.

Deeper Meaning

Jets – Upstart Jets prove that the AFL brand of football is on par with the established NFL.  Joe Willie becomes a star, giving us the pantyhose commercial, the movie CC Ryder and of course the MNF incident.  Getting back to football, it leads to the merger of the two leagues and results in the mega-success of today’s NFL.

Giants – Giants prove that “on any given Sunday…”, which we kind of knew already.  What we don’t know yet, is whether this game will prove that Bill Belichick is simply mortal without the help of his videomen.  What we do know now, is that Tom Brady looks awfully ordinary if you pound him over and over.

Edge: Jets – Giants win was shocking but no one doubted they belong in the same league as the Pats.

Three strikes and you’re out.  In some sports anyway…

Verdict:  Biggest Super Bowl Upset is clearly the Jets in Super Bowl III.  It was and will remain the perfect upset.