Pittsburgh Steelers Blogs

Although it is way too early to make any definitive statements about a 5-11 team, I definitely think these guys are headed in the right direction.  First they hired Mike Holmgren on as the president of football operations and then Holmgren decided to keep Mangini on as head coach.  I questioned Mangini’s tactics during the season but the fact is that the guy had to implement a culture change in Cleveland.  It was going to be a rough season either way, but once he was able to root out the guys that didn’t want to work and play smart football, this team ended the season on a 4 game winning streak that included the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.  The addition of Tom Heckert from Philadelphia will also give them a boost at the GM position. 

Continue reading "Are the Browns Playoof Bound?"

It’s the kind of injury that believers in playing it safe use as an example. WR Wes Welker injured his knee when he planted his left foot to change direction, but the knee gave away. People believe he tore his ACL and MCL, ending Welker’s season just before the playoffs.

Continue reading "Pick Six: Week 17"

After another dramatic Colts win, the still-undefeated Saints try their luck against the Cowboys on Saturday night while the second seed in the AFC is on the line on Sunday. Let's start the Opening Drive of week 15 in the NFL!

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 15"

1. Usually, if I'm watching the Rams game and they play terribly, which has typically been the case for the past few years, there is at least a consollation prize for me. The Steelers win and since they're my favorite team anyways, it takes the edge off of the Rams getting their brains beat in. Four the past four Sundays, this has not been the case. The Steelers and Rams have both lost, forcing me to be 0-2 each week. The worst part, is the Steelers are winning for most of the game before tanking it on defense for the last drive. It's been like watching the 2008 baseball Cardinals. That team always had leads but ended up blowing more than 30 saves. If they had won half of those games, they would have won the division that year. The Cardinals didn't have Jason Isringhausen for most of the season due to injuries and mental issues. Sure, he may not have been the best guy for the job, but he was designated as the team's closer. The Steelers have been without their closer for most of this season. Troy Polamalu is just one defender out of 11, but the guy is all over the field making plays that other players just don't make. It took less than a season for the NFL to turn his one-handed interception on opening night against the Titans into a commercial.

Continue reading "The Steelers are No Longer Providing ..."

With three utterly craptacular contests on Thanksgiving, I’m looking forward to a little competitive football this Sunday. However, it’s not until Monday that the real showdown of week 12 takes place. Let’s get some Opening Drive in your diet!

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: week 12"

With all of the surprise upsets, there’s no way I can take the time to properly address them all. I’ll hit the best and worst of week 10 in this edition of the Final Drive! 

(3-6) Tennessee Titans 41

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 10"

There were a few games I couldn’t even pretend to drum up a story for. Monday night’s Baltimore v. Cleveland match-up is beyond ugly. Still, there's plenty of drama for the week 10 edition of the Opening Drive! 

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 10"

Pro Bowl balloting is open to the public. Choose wisely.

 

This year New England fans will have a tough time rationalizing Patriot players worthy of being selected. The offense’s big three of QB Tom Brady and WRs Randy Moss and Wes Welker will get their share of votes. Beyond them…good luck.

Continue reading "Pro Bowl Ben?"

After the last few years I’m beginning to wonder how many times I’ve thought to myself, “The Cowboys should have won that game.”  So many big games come to mind:

 

Continue reading "History Repeating: The Lost Inches"

Tuesday evening hangover…

Here are some of my astute observations from the Cowboys’ Monday night victory against the Panthers:

     1. The Cowboys played a very gritty game.

Continue reading "Tuesday Evening Hangover: Dallas ..."

Good morning fantasy friends!

Today is Saturday September 26, 2009 so you have a little more than 24 hours to get your fantasy act together or you may end up with that crucial week 3 L.  

Continue reading "Welcome to Fantasy Land!"

Critics be silenced! The Chicago Bears have defeated the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers!

Continue reading "Bears Shock Steelers with Late Field Goal"

Somehow, someway, the Chicago Bears found a way to win this game and earn their first victory of the season against the defending Super Bowl Champs The Pittsburgh Steelers, 17-14 at Soldier Field on Sunday.

Continue reading "Bears, Cutler Make It Happen over Pittsburgh"

Welcome back fellow degenerates, here are my Week 2 NFL predictions:

 New England over New York

New Orleans over Philadelphia

St. Louis over Washington

Jacksonville over Arizona

Continue reading "Week 2 NFL Predictions sure to go right."

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Steelers at Bears"

It is the time of the year where we bid adieu to our Sunday trips to the local outlet malls and Bed, Bath and Beyond. Where, as men, we stop our tofu and salad diets in the name of our loved ones who are repulsed by our manly guts, and turn the grill up to happiness. No more flavored waters, playing cards with the in-laws or going to the zoo with your kids- no, my fellow men, it is Football season. It is the dawning of imported German sausage links, cheap-hardcore domestic manly beers (ok, maybe Light beers, let's be honest, we are a little fat), and the most destructive hard hitting American game filling our heads with fantasy stats, eye-popping hits, and hope for a glorious triumph.

Continue reading "Fall Springs Eternal- It is once ..."

It's time to make predictions for the NFL season. It should be a bit easier since most of the games from Week 1 are already out of the way. Also, my picks for the week were submitted before the games began, just not here.

Steelers over Titans (was submitted here prior to the game)

Seahawks over Rams

Falcons over Dolphins

Bengals over Broncos (Brandon Stokely, are you flipping kidding me?)

Vikings over Browns

Colts over Jaguars

Saints over Lions

Bucs over Cowboys (Tampa's definitely rebuilding now)

Eagles over Panthers

Ravens over Chiefs (Survivor/Lock of the week)

Texans over Jets

Giants over Redskins

Cards over Niners (San Fran is back)

Packers over Bears

Patriots over Bills

Chargers over Raiders

 

I'll look at my final results after the Monday night games are over, but those should be a couple of sure things too. Now here are my division and playoff picks for the year. Number indicates seed in playoffs.

AFC North

1 Steelers (Still the Champs)

5 Ravens (No more Rex Ryan)

Browns (QB controversy could last all year)

Bengals  (Marvin Lewis' last year with this mess)

 

AFC South 

2Titans (Running game + defense > Kerry Collins)

Colts (No more Dungy, no more dominance)

Texans (Every year a sleeper pick, every year a disappointment)

Jaguars (Maurice Jones-Drew can't play every position)

 

AFC West

4 Chargers (Another year of underachieving due to Norv Turner, no relation)

Broncos (No Cutler, no problem)

Chiefs (If they can hang with the Ravens, they can hang with this division)

Raiders (The PUNCHline of the AFC West. Ba dum shing!)

 

AFC East

3 Patriots (Brady's back, but the defense is starting to get old)

6 Dolphins (The Tuna won't let them be a one-year wonder)

Jets (Mark Sanchez will have his growing pains, but will be in the playoffs next year)

Bills (TO will provide entertainment, but that's about it)

 

NFC North

1 Vikings ( AP showed yesterday why he went number 1 in fantasy)

6 Packers (Rodgers is ready, defense is solid again)

Bears (Urlacher being out for the year is tough, too tough for the Bears to win)

Lions (Stafford starting might be the right call, but not to win games this year)

 

NFC South

2 Falcons (Atlanta will post back-to-back winning years for the 1st time in franchise history)

Saints (Brees threw 6 tds yesterday. I was right to be unhappy when I missed out on him in fantasy)

Panthers (Delhomme might be done winning games as a NFL QB)

Bucs (Already time to look towards next year)

 

NFC West

4 49ers (Decent team wins worst NFL division)

Cardinals (The second biggest hangover of the year)

Seahawks (That game was ugly yesterday. Needing a half to break away from the Rams doesn't look too good)

Rams (I'm still going to cheer for them, but in the end, another high draft pick could help. Bulger is awful)

 

NFC East

3Giants (Manning's new receivers appear to be ready to help)

5 Eagles (Probably pick them to win if McNabb doesn't get hurt)

Cowboys (Now that TO is gone, we'll see that Romo was the bigger problem all along)

Redskins (They could easily win the NFC West, this is the AL East of football)

 

I'll wait to pick the postseason until we get there. League MVP is Drew Brees.

 

Anyone who missed the US Open yesterday missed some crazy stuff. There was Roger Federer's dominating win over Novak Djokovic, including this magical shot to set up match point.

Continue reading "NFL Opening Weekend and US Open"

Now that the preseason is over, let the countdown to the real games begin.

The Dallas Cowboys open their 2009 NFL season on the road Sunday, 12 noon, in Tampa, Florida.
The Cowboys’ organization improved the team’s chances of finishing the season stronger by the decisions they made during the off season.

Continue reading "Dallas Cowboys "Reel" 09 Season Begins Sunday"

The Cardinals continued their dominance of the National League Central this week, going 5-1 on a road trip with a blown save on Sunday, meaning it could've been a 6-0 trip. Last night the Cards got a boost from John Smoltz who was rocky early, giving up three runs in the first two innings, but he stuck with it and shut out the Brewers over the next three innings before turning it over to the bullpen. The Brewers had their chances for a knock out blow, but they couldn't capitalize, just as the Cards couldn't do so with runners in scoring position. When a team goes 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and can still grind out a win, that's the make of a championship caliber team. Even when they don't play that well, they win.

Continue reading "Cards Continue September Tear and ..."

I understand that Shaquille O'neal is a man that transcends just the NBA, but watching him attempt to play against other athletes in their own sport is extremely difficult to swallow.  Watching Shaq attempt to swing a bat was like watching a baby giraffe trying to walk.  It was hard to watch yet I could not take my eyes off of it, like a car accident.  The 7'1" O'neill attempted to out-slug Albert Pujols, out-spike beach volleyball stars Misty May and Kerri Walsh, and out-throw Ben Roethlisberger, needless to say he could not out-do anybody at anything.  The show is a half hour too long and the hosts are extremely annoying.  The most important part of the show, the actual competition, takes place in the last fifteen minutles of the show making the first 45 minutes irrelevant.  Here are some short examples of the show from Youtube:

Continue reading "What is Shaq thinking doing this ..."

American football is starting in gain ground around the world. In some countries football is known as American football or Gridiron football, most Americans don't understand American football has been growing in popularity for more than 50 years.

Continue reading "Coaching German Football Players"

         Ah, summer's end. The kids are getting ready for school, the Pirates are firmly ensconced in last place, and hurricane season is in full effect. Time for some pre-season football!

Continue reading "Preseason: Vick, Stallworth, and ..."

Dave Dameshek, an ESPN.com podcaster gave kudos to Andre Agassi today ( http://sports.espn.go.com/stations/player?context=podcast&id=4352192) on his podcast for his infamous mantra “ Image is everything” which Agassi stated in a Canon commercial over fifteen- years ago.   Still, Dameshek argued, Agassi’s words seem fitting today as some top athletes currently find them-selves in a position of trying to restore their image due to off-field episodes that seemingly rattled their once squeaky clean perception.   On Tuesday, TMZ released the feared truth; Lebron James was in fact dunked on by a Syracuse Guard named Jordan Crawford several weeks ago at the Lebron James Camp in Ohio. James reportedly may have confiscated the tapes, with the help of some Nike representatives until TMZ finally got a hold of them, somehow.   In a book entitled The Beckham Experiment, author Grant Wahl explained, with the help of Los Angeles Galaxy star Landon Donovan, that it was indeed Beckham’s unwillingness to embrace the savior of American soccer that disallowed the sport from gaining any ground in becoming a main stream sport in America.        Ben Roethlisberger will not only be fighting off defensive lineman next year but also some woman in a civil law suit who is accusing him of rape.   Michael Vick wants to find a team to play for and be forgiven for killing dogs ( or having them killed) while Manny Ramirez is trying to battle back from a 50-game suspension for doing drugs.   Because of their unfortunate off the field episodes, all of these for-mentioned athletes have one thing in common; they all have an image to be restored. However, the only way for these athletes to ever be perceived by the fans and the media as the cream of the crop again is to do what Adrian said Rocky should do; win.   After being accused of rape in 2003, Kobe Bryant lost endorsement deals, respect from some of the fans and the media, and most of all his integrity. A few years later Bryant ranted on sports talk radio shows complaining that he needed better teammates that could help him win. The next season, Bryant was booed by his home fans at his first home game and ridiculed by opposing fans on nearly every road trip.     But slowly but surely Bryant worked himself back into public approval. In 2008 he was the NBA’s MVP, in the 2009 Olympics he helped lead team USA back to the gold,  and in the same year his Lakers were the world champions. While there are still people who dislike Bryant, let’s concur, most fans and journalists today associate Bryant with words like champion, winner and phenomenal athlete, as opposed to all the other negative things that use to pop into their minds.   Less than a year after Ray Lewis was acquitted of murder chargers due to a plea bargain he chose, he returned to the NFL, and led his team to the Super Bowl while garnering MVP honors. Although Lewis was not chosen after the Super Bowl to repeat those infamous words “ I am going to Disneyland” by Disney World, Lewis has steadily inched his way back into public acceptance. Since the 2001 Super Bowl Lewis has been featured in commercials, done numerous television spots, put on the cover of Madden 2005, been involved in community services, and been selected to numerous pro bowls and is still highly regarded as one of the best linebackers in the league. While we can’t solely attribute Lewis’ resignation to his 2001 Super Bowl MVP, we can certainly conclude it was the match that ignited the fire.   While Muhammad Ali was supported by many fans for deciding not to enter an unpopular war, some of the media was not as approving . After three years of not being allowed to fight, Ali returned to the ring to defeat nearly every foe in his way and eventually regained the title by defeating George Foreman. Today, almost nobody calls Ali unpatriotic or points to his unwillingness to go to Vietnam. I think it is safe to say that Ali’s success after being allowed to fight again left no room for ridicule; His success simply overshadowed his questionable decisions.   Beckham, Vick, James and Big Ben all should try to take similar routes to take back up to the top. Sure, giving charity is nice, having your family by your side is touching, and appearing in commercials is a good gesture, but nothing says more than winning. Just look at Alex Rodriguez whose image is shakier than a Los Angeles earthquake. No matter how may MVP’s he wins, Yankee fans will only forgive A-Rod if he helps them win a ring.   If Beckham wants to quite the Los Angeles Riot Squad at games, he must lead the Galaxy to a winning season, embrace the LA scene, pay for his team’s dinner, and perhaps even win a championship. If not, than enjoy your flight back to London and thanks for nothing.   Vick cannot just come back and play-football, he has to enable fans to fall in love with his joy stick speed again. Maybe even take his team to the playoffs all while being a good teammate.   Ironically, James decided not to shake hands with the Orlando Magic after losing in the Eastern Conference finals. James confiscation of the tapes at his camp shows the same characteristic; poor sportsmanship. No matter what happens, if James continues to fail, media and fans will helplessly point to the two incidents as an indication of James’ failures. Mantras such as “ James cannot win because he does not know how to lose like a man” will certainly be uttered by some.   Roethlisberger is sord of an enigma because he has already won two Super Bowls. If he gets out of the mess he is currently in does he have to come back and win another Super Bowl to re-envent his image? Not necessarily, since he is already a proven winnner, but I guranatee that if he does come back and continue to be succesful that the incident in Lake Tahoe will be all the more easy to be forgotten, guilty or not guilty. If he returns and never wins again, than talk of “ Ben only won the big one because he was in a proven sysytem” will be all the eaiser to say.    If we dare, let us take a tip from Manny Ramirez. After coming back from suspension Ramirez has batted 347, with four home runs and 17 runs batted in. While the rest of the world may have issue, Ramirez is adored in Dodger land, ala take a look at Wednesday night’s grand slam. A lot of that has to do with the fact that the Dodgers are in first but put it this way, if Manny was batting 215, with one home run and three RBI’s since his return, and the Dodgers were in last place, would he still obtain standing ovations?   I understand that winning does not cure all. A murderer is not fully forgiven if he lifts up the championship trophy, nor should he be. My gist, however, is that above all winning can replenish an image more than Gatorade can quench your thirst.   Don’t agree? Then why aren’t guys like Mike Tyson and Allen Iverson note-ably thought of for their outstanding talents first and foremost? Because their off- the field and even on -the-field misshapes have never been followed up with great success.   This argument as a whole might also seem simplistic. It is human nature that when somebody does something bad, you tend to forgive them after a while, especially if they do a good dead. But some things cannot go over-looked. Can a wife ever forgive her husband for cheating, no matter how many good deeds he does? But that is the beauty of sports. In almost all cases, winning can make fans and media forgive. Doing steroids is bad until you hit a grand slam in the World Series, right?   Charles Barkley once suggested and was even ridiculed for stating that athletes should not be looked at as role models. “A million guys can dunk a basketball in jail; should they be role models?" Barkley argued. While Barkley was urging fans to simply evaluate a player based on his on the field performance we as fans can never make that leap. Image, like Agassi said, is everything and the only way to ever restore a damaged one is to come back on the field and win.  

Continue reading "James, Vick, Manny, Beckham and Big ..."

                  COME ON! Haven't we seen this kind of thing before? Bettis went threw it, now Ben. This whole thing is

Continue reading "BEN ROETHLISBERGER IS NOT A RAPIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ..."

Hello, everyone, and welcome to my new Steelers Blog.  My name is Nicole, and I live in a little town called Butler, just an hour out of Pittsburg. I have lived here all of my life, and have been

Continue reading "It's another Steelers Blog!"

                  Mr. Dan Rooney is the best owner in all of sports. I mean the guys an Ambassador. You know he's only that because of how great an owner he is! Now don't get me wrong here, he's more than capable, but the fact of the matter is if he didn't have the success he's had with Steelers, would he be. Well that said, there's nobody more deserving right? The guys Irish, and like he said, he's the only one that will actually walk the streets of Ireland and talk to people. Those other suit and tie, can't get my hands dirty politician's won't do that. The guy still walks to the games. Every Sunday he walks to the Steeler games from the North Side. That's pretty cool.

Continue reading "AMBASSADOR TO IRELAND, MR. DAN ROONEY"

                  Can the '09 Pittsburgh Steelers win the Super Bowl in Miami and repeat as champs? I say hell yes. Not the easiest thing to do in sports though. Last team to do it was the cheatn Pats in 03-04. Let's go over this team and schedule and make a decision from there.

Continue reading "2009 Pittsburgh Steelers, Can They Repeat?"

As OTA's and minicamps progress while training camp begin to roll over the horizon, America's favorite sport nears its regular season.  While nobody knows how well teams will do in a season with the randomness of injuries and several other factors, it's always interesting to look ahead at the schedule and prognosticate.  Unlike most people, I'm not going to give just a win or loss for each game, rather I'm going to predict how many times the Steelers would win if they played a team 10 times.  For instance if the Steelers were playing a very crappy team, I would say 9/10 or 10/10.  At the end i will add up the wins and divide by 10, giving us how many wins they will have this season.

Continue reading "Steelers Game By Game Preview of ..."

During the 2008-2009 season, an encouraging pattern appeared.  The Steelers would start the game well, at some point fall behind, and in the 4th quarter, Big Ben would engineer a game winning drive.  This phenomena reared its head during the regular season, but in the biggest game of the year, Super Bowl XLIII.  Why is the leader of such a sub par offense (22nd in the league during the regular season) the engineer of so many come from behind wins? When examined, two major reasons can be found.

Continue reading "Why Ben Roethlisberger Will be the ..."

Coming off a super bowl victory last season, hopes couldn't be higher for the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers, as they should be.  While the team is returning 20 out of 22 starters from that super bowl run (only losing Larry Foote and Bryant Mcfadden), things begin to look bleak as we look at the possible roster a year from now.  In 2010, the Steelers will have an alarming number of key players that will be free agents if these players do not re-sign.

Continue reading "Trouble Ahead for the Steelers"

Chris Perry along with 5 other players were cut yesterday in order to make room for the players drafted this past weekend.  While I was never a huge Perry fan, we did waste a 1st round pick on him and I always wished eh would succeed and become a franchise back if not a 3rd down option…yet that never came to be.  With his release his fate as an NFL rusher is pretty much sealed.

Continue reading "Tuesday Thoughts"

      Well the 2009 Draft has come and gone. Although it didn't go the way many expected I think the Steelers still had a good draft. Mizzou DT Ziggy Hood was the Steelers first pick and he will be a solid force up the middle for many years. He more than likely won't start this year but that'll give him time to develop.

Continue reading "Pittsburgh Steelers 2009 NFL Draft Recap"

           Which catch do you think is the greatest? All the old boys still go with the Immaculate. No surprise there, but I dont think they give Santonios' a chance. I think Santonios' Catch is not only greatest in Steeler history, but all time NFL history!

Continue reading "Greatest catch in Steelers history, ..."

        I don't know about you guys, but with only 6 days left until the biggest event of the offseason and I can hardly wait. This is the time of year we get to see some new faces added to the roster and see who the future stars of the Steelers are going to be. The Steelers rarely add players through free agency, as evidenced by this offseason, and this is the payoff for fans who've been waiting all offseason for news on the Steelers.                                                                                  

Continue reading "Only 6 More Days! Who do the Steelers Draft?"

So, ten weeks and nine games into the season, what is it fair to say we have? One probable loss (at New England), four TCOB games (i.e., no excuse for losing, not if you want to be Super Bowl champion: home against KC, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Denver), and an equivalent number of toss-ups (at Cincinnati and Cleveland ... mostly because they're division games, at Minnesota, at San Diego). Leaving us with an intriguing stretch run that features two games against the Super Bowl champions, one game against Peyton Manning and his flying circus, and one game against a team that could very well be looking for its first victory since December 2007.

Continue reading "Breaking Down the Ravens Schedule, part II"

                Six time All-pro LB James Harrison turned down the third offer made by Pittsburgh today. Harrison signed with Pitt. in April 2006 to a four year 5.5 million dollar deal that ends at the end of the 2009 season. Obviously the Steelers would much rather keep Harrison than watch him lead some one else's defense through the playoffs and into the Superbowl like he did this year. He was absolutely unforgiving with his 59 tackles, 16 sacks, 7 forced fumbles and 1 record breaking interception. LEGIONDARY!!!  Thank you James Harrison for the awesome year of football, hope to see you in black & gold in 2010.

Continue reading "Good news, Kind of, Not really"

As football fans across the globe cast their longing eyes in the direction of the April draft, I decided that now might be a good time to reflect on draft classes of the last 10 years. Too often in this business, we rush ahead to the next big event without taking pause to evaluate the past and learn from it. In a way, this study will still be a celebration of the coming 2009 draft as I believe it will shed some light on certain overlooked trends that no one ever stops to consider. I will begin with a class by class showdown of sorts at the quarterback position over the last 10 drafts.  This is part III in the series:

Continue reading "NFL Quarterback Draft Class Showdown: 2004 vs 2003"

       So free agency just started and already it's going crazy. I heard that they are even talking about a non-capped year in 2010. But I guess, with the economy being as bad as it is, even owners might have trouble coming up with enough money to shell out to these athletes. Who, in my opinion, should just be glad that they get to play. I can barely find a job, these guys complain about not getting enough millions!!! 

Continue reading "Free Agency Day 1, already going ..."

Ben Roethlisberger's legend just keeps growing. Peter King of SI.com recently reported that Big Ben played the Super Bowl with a broken rib. Just another chapter in the legend of the 26-year-old quarterback who now has more Super Bowl rings than three-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning and Brett Favre and two-time MVP Kurt Warner. 

Continue reading "BIG BEN'S LEGEND GROWS"

Most Super Bowl responses came out on either Monday or Tuesday of this week, but I needed a few days to catch my breath. I've spent most of the week wearing Steelers clothes, getting excited greetings from a guy at the Tin Can who looked like hw was out of an Adam Sandler movie and the occasional joking heckle from the other side of my weekly poker game. All the negative comments directed towards me stopped once the game ended and the Steelers brought home the Six Pack to Pittsburgh. After a game that exciting and nearly devastating, I'd even high five this girl (you know the one I mean).

Continue reading "Super Bowl XLIII Champs"

I think it speaks volumes for what the mentality must have been on the Zona bench after they scored, that just 2 days after their D-Coordinator was canned.  If Zona could have held at the end.....(blown coverage on Holmes catch), Zona would be celebrating.  But I am not a "what if" guy......Rothlisberger showed why he gets the big bucks!  However I will end by saying this; To anyone that is being honest with themselves, there was a clip by the Steelers on the Harrison

Continue reading "NFL Officiating"

Well, we got a coach--Todd Haley. Did you know that he is the son of Dick Haley, long-time Pittsburgh Steelers personnel director? Dick Haley was personnel director from 1975 to 1990, I think. Now, that is some impressive pedigree...Todd also worked as receivers coach and passing coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys when Bill Parcells was head coach. He was also receivers coach for the New York Jets in the late 90s when they went from 1-15 in 1996 to 12-4 two years later. In other words, this guy is a winner, and he has impressive credentials. He was not hired just because of his success the last 2 years with the Arizona Cardinals. I am encouraged by the hiring.

Continue reading "Excellent Choice - Todd Haley Named ..."

Now THAT was a finish. With toes touching and his hands grasping, Santonio Holmes drove a stake into the collective heart of the Arizona Cardinals and their fans. It was the last score of a thrilling fourth quarter that saw the Cardinals rally from thirteen points down to take a 23 – 20 lead with 2:37 left on the clock. That was 35 seconds more than the Pittsburgh Steelers needed to drive 78 yards to the end zone, regaining the lead and winning the forty-third Super Bowl. I won’t waste your time recapping plays like James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return or Larry Fitzgerald’s 64-yard catch and run. You watched those on Sunday. Instead, I’ll try to hit the nuances and little snippets you may have missed as you stuffed down wings and left the room during gameplay so you wouldn’t have to miss a commercial.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Super Bowl XLIII"

Superbowl XLIII is over and the Pittsburgh Steelers now have their 6th championship. They defeated the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 27-23. Both teams put up a solid effort but in the end the fans from Pittsburgh got to waive their Terrible Towels and watch their beloved team "win one for the other thumb."

Continue reading "Superbowl Aftermath"

Patriot Gets Pissed On 

New England Patriots star quarterback Matt Cassel was urinated on by some moronic booze bag last Friday night at ESPN’s Tampa Bay Super Bowl fiesta.

 

Continue reading "Kurt and Brenda Warner and a Patriot ..."

I will admit, I was cheering for the underdog Cards who shocked me and a lot of people by taking a 23-20 lead by just over 2 minutes to play in the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl.  Then Ben Roethlisberger showed his mettle, and toughness and led his team down the field with little resistance. Soon, they were knocking on the TD door. And, Santonio Holmes, the wide receiver, pushed the door in with a brilliant catch on the sidelines for the late score. 

Continue reading "Steelers score last and prevail 27-23 ..."

Congratulations Pittsburgh Steelers for your Super Bowl XLIII win, you earned it, you clearly are the best team in '08, yadda, yadda, yadda.

*breathe*

Now that I got that out of my system, let me get to the point: The Patriots have two years to win one more championship within the 2001-2010 seasons to earn the designation Team of the Decade. If the time period was up, then no one could question the title. But because there are two years left and the Steelers as presently composed is built to challenge for another championship over the next few years, the Pats need one more ring to make it four and give them a lead the Steelers can't tie.

Continue reading "Team of the Decade"

If anyone were reading this they would know it's been a while since my last posting. I haven't posted anything i a couple months and the main reason for that is that I've been so pissed of after the majority of Penguin's games that have occurred since then. I've been waiting for this team, the one that got off to one of the best starts in franchise history, to turn things around and return to top form. Consistently I have been disappointed. If we don't blow a lead we spend the majority of the game trying to come from behind. I don't know what's wrong. It could be the coaches, bad team chemistry, injury, missing players who we lost in the offseason, not getting enough production from the players we signed in the offseason, lack of energy, lack of effort, or a combination of all of the above.

Continue reading "AAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

Well, Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl again.  Santonio Holmes won the MVP, which makes me happy as we are fellow Buckeyes from the same years.  After the Super Bowl, I always get excited for the Draft (no, I don't care about the Pro Bowl).  This year, however, I started gearing up for the Draft in about the first week of January.  I don't know where the new focus came from, but I have been checking big boards/ espn.com/ watching a lot of College Football Live to get a glimpse about who will go where.  I of course am a Bengals fan, so I've been looking to see who they would draft.  I really think that OT is the best bet, despite what many people on bengals.com have been suggesting (RB, WR, DE).  I can understand taking a DE if some of the OTs are off the board, but it simply won't help, as the O-Line was putrid last year.  Stacy Andrews is worthless, overpaid, and very injured, thus I feel he won't be back.  Levi Jones is best suited as a backup, as his age is starting to show.  Anthony Collins and Nate Livings played well in fill-in spots, but they're untested. 

Continue reading "Super Bowl is over, time for the Draft"

It's been seven years since Pats fans have faced a January without playoff football and 2008 has finally come to an end.

Congratulations to Steelers, I don't think anyone could argue that they were an undeserving Super Bowl champion. They faced adversity toward the end of the game but came through on the biggest stage and for that they have to be respected. Of course I could point out that they didn't have to face Tom Brady but let's just put 2008 to bed once and for all.

Continue reading "Good News Patriots Fans, it's the Off-Season!"

 

           Each week, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend’s games.  I will prognosticate on all the playoff games each week.  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!

Continue reading "Predictions Super Bowl XLIII"

Despite the fact that I would kind of like to see the Arizona Cardinals pull off an upset victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, I think that the Yellow and Black will prevail in this one.  The way I see it, the Cardinals are good enough to score two TDs, but not more than one field goal.  The Steelers, on the other hand, will also get two TD scores against an Arizona defense that really isn't that great (unless they can force turnovers, which the Steelers don't give up), plus kick a few more field goals to pull out the win.

Continue reading "Super Bowl Prediction: Steelers 23, Cardinals 17"

I’m Not Picking the Winner

 

By now everyone in the country who is on TV, writes for a newspaper, blogs, or breathes has made their Super Bowl pick.  I’m not going to do that.  I will not succumb. 

Continue reading "I'm Not Picking the Winner"

Before I talk football, I want to vent about the Blues a bit. Prior to the All-Star break, the club managed to win at Chicago and mount a ridiculous comeback to win at Boston. If not for a horrible missed call by the refs (this isn't just about me being a homer, if a guy catches the puck in his glove and the entire catching portion of the glove is across the goal line, it's pretty obvious that so is the puck) in the home game against the Blackhawks, the Blues easily could've been riding a four-game winning streak heading into the break. So with seven points in their last four games, how do the Blues come back from the break? By blowing a home game against one of the worst teams in the Eastern (and in my opinion weaker) Conference. It was 1-1 with two minutes left and we allowed a goal when they were outnumbered 4-2 in our zone.

Continue reading "Super Bowl XLIII"

Continue reading "Super Bowl Pick's"

After two weeks of so-called experts and reporters breaking down each team's strengths and weaknesses and what Kurt Warner's favorite food is and what Big Ben likes in music and dislikes ...it's nice to have the game just a mere 24+ hours away. I do like the hype to an extent, but once you hit Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Super Bowl weekend...you're ready for the game!

Continue reading "Super Bowl XLIII Prediction"

Now that I’ve adequately covered each individual team, now it’s time to analyze the game between them! It’s the last game of the season so it’s also the last edition of the Opening Drive!

Continue reading "Joey A's Super Bowl Opening Drive: Game Preview"

When the NFL’s regular season match-ups were announced, the Pittsburgh Steelers were already at a disadvantage. They were handed the league’s toughest schedule, which included meetings with the NFC East and AFC South, along with the always competitive AFC North of which the Steelers are a part.  When you factor that in with the injuries they sustained during the season, particularly in the running game with Willie Parker missing an extended amount of time, first rounder Rashard Mendenhall put on IR after week four, the same as guard Kendall Simmons, it’s astonishing the Steelers made it to Tampa.

Continue reading "Joey A's Super Bowl Opening Drive: ..."

All eyes will be on the matchup between Kurt Warner and the high-powered Arizona Cardinals offense against the top-ranked Pittsburgh Steelers defense. It's the classic offense vs. defense showdown. The Cardinals have the second-best pass offense while the Steelers have the stingiest pass defense. Something has to give, right?

Continue reading "STEELERS' OFFENSE WILL DECIDE SUPER BOWL XLIII"

You and your buddies have been planning your Super Bowl party for months.  Deep down inside, you know the party with its canned beer, half-eaten bag of stale chips and a couch that seats three will suck, but at least you’ll be around your boys for the most hallowed of all sports days.

Continue reading "How To Host A Successful Super Bowl Party"

 

Let it be said before I begin this blog:  I am from Dayton, Ohio, and I love the Cincinnati Bengals.  Wow, I feel so much better.  Now I’m ready to face the other 11 steps…

Continue reading "Who Dey: The Musical!"

After some tremendous post-season play, the Super Bowl is set. In this edition of the Final Drive, I look back at Sunday’s Conference Championship games.

Arizona Cardinals 32, Philadelphia Eagles 25

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Conference ..."

I've posted lists of this length and magnitude elsewhere in the past. Before I get to the rankings, I like to explain my general rationale and some of the specifics of the decision-making process. Here are some essential rules, so you can better understand my thinking:

Continue reading "The NFL's Top 100 Players"

At the beginning of the year, I said that there were five areas in which the team needed to improve if we were to rate Year 1 of the John Harbaugh era a success. Obviously, you don't go from 5-11 to the AFC Championship game without improvements across the board. But looking back, I still say it's those five areas that were key --- or at the very least, they are the keys to building on this year's success, rather than sliding back yet again to mediocrity. These 5 areas are, in no particular order:

Continue reading "Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers ..."

The stage was officially set after Sunday's two Conference games for the 43rd Super Bowl. The Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers both jumped over their last hurdles to go to the big dance. But don't ask either coach if they'll be satisfied with just making it. They want to win it! I'll bring you a in-depth 7 part preview of the big game as I'll give my prediction on the game on the 7th and final post. So let's get to it! This is the 'intro' post to the 7 part series.

Continue reading "Setting the Stage: Arizona Cardinals"

So this is how it ends. My own view seems to be shared by the majority in Ravensland: This was an amazing season, one nobody saw coming, and a loss in the AFC Championship game, while disappointing, represents---to echo Coach Harbaugh---a beginning rather than an end. For really, that's the key---that next season, and the season after, and many seasons to come, finds us right back in the playoffs. Because once you're inside, it's anyone's guess who survives the free-for-all and winds up in the Super Bowl. So much of what makes football these days simultaneously fascinating and maddening is the continual rising and falling of contenders. The Ravens have been no exception---in the playoffs one year, out the next ... it's a perpetual seesaw for all but those few teams that can rightly count themselves among the league's elite, with the Patriots and Colts at the top, and the Eagles, Steelers, Chargers, and Seahawks forming a slightly lesser tier.

Continue reading "Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers ..."

So after watching the Steelers/ Ravens game, I have noticed one thing about Pittsburgh... they are a dirty team.  Ryan Clark hit Willis McGahee helmet-to-helmet in the closing minutes of the Fourth Quarter to force a fumble, which was recovered by the Steelers.  Unfortunately for the NFL and for fans of the game, the referees did not call the hit illegal.  A very similar hit was called illegal (and a fine was given) earlier this season on Anquan Boldin, which knocked him out for several games.  These hits are very dangerous and can cause paralysis.  The league needs to be more uniform in the hits they call.  There are less calls made against offensive players making helmet to helmet blocks (see video of Hines Ward breaking Keith Rivers' jaw in a game against Cincinnati).  Also less frequent are helmet-to-helmet hits on running backs from defenders.  It's like the league feels that defensive players deserve to get hit this way, and since running backs are naturally taking the most hits, they deserve it in a way.  Receivers and quarterbacks are too fragile to allow these hits to be put on them, so the league fines players for hits on these guys.  Come on!  The reason some are called illegal is "to prevent injury".  All of these hits, regardless of position, can injure the guy.  (Did you see McGahee carted off the field on a stretcher, or Keith Rivers get his jaw broken?)  Bottom line, both of these hits referenced were by Pittsburgh Steelers players, and neither were fined or even called as penalties.  I feel like the NFL gives Pittsburgh a free pass because they have a reputation as a physical, hard-hitting football team.  The league needs to get their act together and fix this very baised system. 

Continue reading "Steelers' cheap shots"

The NFL's final four are set. We're left with a two, a four, and two sixes. The four is actually more surprising than the sixes. I would guess that very few people had the Arizona Cardinals hosting the NFC Championship. I certainly didn't and I even managed to go four-of-five in my picks last week (five-of-six if you count Utah over Florida, which I'll give myself the benefit of a doubt since the BCS leaves us with nothing but doubt). The Cards got over the hump by winning on the other side of the Mississippi River. Sure, Jake Delhomme was awful, setting all kinds of records for turnovers (6) and interceptions (5), but the Cardinals fell behind 7-0 quickly and responded just as quickly. They could have gotten down on themselves while trailing on the road, but they fought back and blew out the Panthers instead. Hell, they even had a running game for the first time in weeks. That likely won't be the case against the Eagles, but they may not need it as they look to have Anquan Boldin back. When Kurt Warner is right, he's one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league. With Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, they have two of the biggest deep threats in the league, so they have a chance against any defense, even one as good as the Eagles have been lately.

Continue reading "Conference Title Games"

 

           Each week, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend’s games.  I will prognosticate on all the playoff games each week.  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!

Continue reading "Predictions Conference Championships"

Continue reading "Two game pick'em"

• Well here we are again ! One game away from the main event. If you would have asked me around mid-season  for my Conference Championship finalists , I would have never anticipated these match-ups. With the exception of Pittsburgh , who I actually did have as one of the AFC´s contenders , Arizona ,Baltimoreand Philadelphia's were´nt even on my radar. Low and behold here they are , one game away from a trip to sunny Tampa. But as improbable as this semi-final sounds , we still must give credit where credit is due. Arizona is probably the most suspect of the three . A 9-7 division winner ,playing in a division that is suspect in itself  and, who only by virtue of winning that weak NFC west , got them into the post season . Lets face it , if they were in any other division , a 9-7 record even doesn´t get them in the playoffs. Be that as it may , they beat an up an coming Falcons team at home in the first round of the playoffs. With Warner hooking up with Fitzgerald and Boldin on touchdowns of 42 and 71 yrds. respectfully. And the defense surprising the Falcons by holding star runningback Michael Turner to just 60 yrds. rushing while intercepting Matt Ryan twice and sacking him in the endzone for a safety. Next up was the second seed CarolinaPanthers in the Divisionals. Going on that dreaded east-coast trip again where they have performed poorly during the season. They manhandled the Panthers on both sides of the ball whipping them 33-13. They held DeAngelo Williams , a 1500 yrd. rusher , to just 63 yrds. rushing while intercepting Jake Delhomme five times and forced a fumble. Arizona´s offense is known for putting up big numbers but now their defense is starting to show that they are also a big part of their success. Pretty impressive for sure , but I am still not sold on them being a championship caliber team. Baltimore squeaked into the playoffs after beating up on Jacksonville, and Miami winning against the Jets knocking the the Patriots out despite their win against the Bills. Baltimore´s relentless defense forced five turnovers on their way to smothering division winner Miami in the first round of the playoffs. In the divisional playoffs Tennessee dented Baltimore´s armor to the tune of 391 yards , but turned the ball over on three occasions inside their 20 , which ultimately cost them the ball game losing 13-10. It´s not by coincidence that the Ravens lead the NFL in take-a-ways with 34. Offensively , Baltimoreis riding on the cannon arm of rookie QB Joe Flacco along a solid running game with LeRon McLain , 902 rushing yards and 10 TD´s , and veteran Willis McGahee , 671 rushing yards and 7 TD´s, sharing the ground attack duties. Flacco makes good decisions with the ball  to go along with his accurate powerful right arm. But Baltimore can be vulnerable at times as proven by the Titans 391yards or the Giants 207 yards rushing their 30-10 thumping of the Ravens. And , don´t forget ,Willie Parker is healthy again and had 791 rushing yards and 5 TD´s despite missing five games with injuries. The Philadelphia Eagles are the New YorkGiants of ´07 . Just as the giants had their woes last season , the Eagles have had their share as well. Starting with the halftime benching of QB Donavan McNabb by Andy Reid , citing the seven turnovers in seven quarters being the reason for the benching. Followed by a week of Reid not saying who would start the next game against Arizona, furthering the despair between Reid and the squad. Then the Cardinals flew into town and McNabb , who got the nod , had a superb game throwing for 260 yards and four TD´s . That was the start of winning the their last four out of five regular season games. Their thrashing of their division rival Cowboys 44-6 in the last game of the season propelled them to the post season knocking out the `Boys playoff hopes. McNabb had another good day throwing for two scores and running for another. They carried over their momentum , just as the ´07 Giants had done , to the post season winning big on the road against Minnesota and then following that up with a huge victory over the # 1 seed and defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants . Does the word “Deja-Vous “ ring a bell ? A solid offence with versatile back Brian Westbrook  who , without a doubt , will force Arizonato keep 22 eyes on him all game long. A rejuvenated McNabb who is still dangerous and foxy and who is now beaming with confidence. And  capable receivers with the ever so dangerous DeSean Jackson leading the way. Along with Jim Johnsons´stout defence , Philly could be very dangerous indeed. Pittsburgh knows whats expected of them and I have no doubt that their no#1 ranked defence knows just how to respond. A healthy Willie Parker is back to take the pressure off of Big Ben and add some power to the ground game . Veteran Hines Ward is another seasoned player who knows how to raise his game this time of year. But again, the big part of this team´s success is their defence. Ranked # 1 over all ( #2 vs. run  - #1 vs. pass ) , 2ndin sacks with 51 , and fewest points allowed , 223 , they are an overwhelming force. Flying around the ball putting the big hits on opponents and simply demoralizing offences is their game plan week in – week out .Aaron Smith , James Farrior , James Harrison , and Troy Polamalu to name a few are a total wrecking crew waiting to pummel offences to the ground. And they will definitely be out in force come Sunday. Enough said ´bout those guys !! That being said : . Eagles 29 – Cardinals 24Eagles defence rattles Warner , Boldin not healthy. . Steelers 16 – Ravens 13The first two meetings were close and low scoring , expect more of same. Final thought : As a head coach of a German – American football team over in Germany , I live for stats. I love them to death. But they all go out the window come this time of year. One given: The team that turns the ball over more and has six or more penalties , loses the game 91% of the time!! ENJOY THE GAMES FOLKS !!!!

Continue reading "NFL Championship Match-Ups : "Unlikely ..."

For personal reasons, I really want to pick the Cardinals and Ravens to win this weekend.

 

I have many friends who are Ravens fans including my younger brother who was a member of the Baltimore Ravens’ marching band (and he may be a part of them again in the near future.)  He was, even if it was somewhat obliquely, a “Raven.”   He and I spend just about every Raven’s game texting back and forth.  He’s too young to really remember the Raven’s success of the early 2000’s.  He had just turned 9 when the Raven’s won the Super Bowl and all he really remembers about it is me (a lifelong Giants fan) fuming for most of the game and storming out when it was over.  So for his sake, I like to see the Ravens win.

Continue reading "Heads or Hearts on Championship Weekend"

Obviously, going from an abysmal 1-15 to 11-6 and AFC East Champions was quite the storybook turnaround. But, it wasn't enough, and the team still has a long way to go before it can compete with the AFC powerhouses like the Steelers and the Ravens. 

Continue reading "Dolphins 2009-10 needs — what do you think?"

For the second straight week, all of the NFL’s contests are rematches. Who are the ad wizards that are responsible for this? I smell a fix! (I kid, I kid.) After my two favorite football weekends of the year, this Sunday is without question the best singular day of action. I’ve got you covered with all the details in the penultimate edition of the Opening Drive.

Continue reading "Joey A's Opening Drive: Conference ..."

Continue reading "The Birds and the "D's""

I think when your sub-sub-sub concious is trying to tell you something, you should really heed to that advice. Last week I talked about long layoffs, and low and behold three of the home teams were upset. Is that going to happen regularly? I hope not, because all the money that was won from the first round of the playoffs would continiously get blown on the second round games. Before I get down into the games this up coming weekend, I want to try to break down the four games that were played. So, with random stories about my past put aside for now, let's get into it.

Continue reading "NFC/AFC Championship game picks"

Pittsburgh's Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is reportedly in the process of legally changing his name to Luke Steelerstahl for the Pittsburgh Steelers AFC Championship game Sunday versus the Baltimore Ravens.

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By halftime of Saturday's Ravens-Titans game, the sense of Deja Vu was too strong to ignore. Was it 2009 or 2001?  Either way, the result was the same: a divisional round upset of a 13-3 Titans squad that completely dominated us on paper yet couldn't translate its offensive output into points. On Saturday, Tennessee passed for over 100 more yards, ran for over 60 more yards, racked up twice as many 1st downs, held the ball for nearly 10 more minutes ... and lost by 3 points. And that's not even the crazy game: In 2001, Tennessee held nearly identical advantages in passing and rushing yards, gained nearly four times as many 1st downs, held the ball for over 20 more minutes ... and lost by 14 points.

Continue reading "Baltimore Ravens-Tennessee Titans ..."

The Arizona Cardinals are playing for the NFC title this coming weekend.  That is a miracle in the world of the NFL.  The Cards, who have been the nomads of the NFL for years, are rising like a phoenix in the Arizona desert.  They played in the shadow of the Chicago Bears.  I remember I saw them play a game in the old Comiskey Park, I don't know who they played, but it was freezing and I remember how cold it was.  Then the moved to St. Louis, where they didn't win anything or even come close.

Continue reading "Rooting for the Cards"

This year’s NFL action hasn’t failed to deliver intriguing storylines, and the Divisional round continued that trend. This round’s upsets have produced a fresh and exciting conference championship Sunday. Let’s find out how we got here with a look at last weekend’s action in the Final Drive.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Divisional Round"

 

The crystal ball had a dreadful performance this past week, posting a woeful 1-3 record.  This is playoff time, so that is totally unacceptable!  The crystal ball started off 1-0, but then dropped its last three for the weekend!  Anyway, that puts the crystal ball at 3-5 for the post-season, and 36-31-1 overall.  That’s five games over .500 (.537 to be exact).  Hopefully the crystal ball will perform better this coming week, as the pressure mounts in the Championship games!  Let’s take a look back, and review what happened last week.

Continue reading "Divisional Round Review"

Many of my closest friends refer to me by the nickname, "Fro." When we're sitting around watching a game or chit-chatting about nothing (kinda like "Seinfeld") they like to slip "Fro" into everything.

Continue reading "A comfortable "Fro"diction: the Steelers ..."

Continue reading "NFC Championship Game"

Continue reading "AFC Championship Sunday Jan 18th"

Continue reading "The Steelers used the Bye to get better"

Continue reading "Ravens still flying High."

It's Super Bowl or bust. All that stuff about being ranked No. 1 in scoring defense, pass defense and total defense during the regular season will be all for nothing if the Pittsburgh Steelers do not win the Super Bowl. To a man, the Steelers know that in order for them to be considered the best defense in NFL history, they need to win the Super Bowl.

Continue reading "WINNING SUPER BOWL SHOULD BE ONLY ..."

In what can only be described as ingenious regular-season scheduling on the NFL’s part, each of this weekend’s divisional contests are rematches from the regular season. That fact only serves to heighten the drama as we head into what is, in my opinion, the best weekend in all of football. After Wild Card Weekend gets rid of some of the riff-raff or gives surprise teams a chance to continue their run at the Super Bowl, the Divisional round ups the ante by adding the cream of the crop back into the mix after their bye weeks. This weekend’s slate of action looks to be an excellent one. I get you ready right here, right now. 

Continue reading "Joey A's Opening Drive: Divisional Round"

 

           Each week, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend’s games.  I will prognosticate on all the playoff games each week.  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!

Continue reading "Predictions Divisional Round"

 

• Drew Brees won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award.  I can’t argue with that pick.  Anytime you come within a deep out route of Dan Marino’s single season passing record, you can be the Offensive POY.

Continue reading "Quick Hits and Playoff Week 2 Picks"

  

           Each week I will answer questions submitted by my loyal readers.  I personally read every single email I receive.  I will pick out the best five or so to use for the weekly post, as I won’t be able to answer all of them.  I will also answer one or two questions on my daily posts as well.  Now it’s time to open the mail!

Continue reading "Reality Mail Bag - 01/08/09"

Well, I'm finally back at it. I was going at a pretty good clip before the holidays but had something come up everytime I've tried to write since. I hope you all had a great holiday season and are ready for an even better year in sports. Which brings us to the first championship of the year.  In many mines, Utah won it a couple of days ago when they rolled right over the Crimson Tide. There was a team in that game that appeared like it didn't belong, but it certainly wasn't the Utes.

Continue reading "NFL Divisional playoffs and the BCS Title"

When I was a sophomore in high school playing on the JV basketball team, we went into our Christmas break undefeated and feeling pretty good about ourselves. Over the break we were scheduled to play one game against a team from the division below us. We practiced a few times, nothing too serious, and went into the game feeling good. But the week and a half layoff killed us and we lost by four, our only loss of the season.

Continue reading "Picks for the NFL weekend"

Although "my" Minnesota Vikings were eliminated from the playoffs last weekend, the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs for both leagues offers a host of great matchups, Vikings or no Vikings...

Continue reading "Quick Picks For The NFL Divisional Playoffs"

So, another year, another Buffalo Bills season without the playoffs. The Buffalo Bills finished 7-9 for the 3rd straight season. I thought the point of the NFL was to try to constantly improve on your team, not stay the same. I mean, I can understand the New England Patriots not being able to finish 16-0 every season, but 7-9 is terrible. The Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions are now the only 2 teams who have not made the playoffs since the 1999-2000 season (The longest playoff droubt's currently in the NFL). Now, Ralph Wilson Sr. has decided to stick with the current coaching staff, and hope to build on a team, that is just one or two things away from being a contender.

Continue reading "Things are beginning to look too ..."

Continue reading "Divisional playffs"

Continue reading "Baltimore Ravens Dominate for a second time."

Regardless of what happens on Sunday, this was a successful season. I really want a birth in the playoffs, but if the chips don't fall in New England's favor and they are on the outside looking in, then that's just how it is. It wasn't meant to be.

Continue reading "Hats Off"

Cincy 14, Cleveland 0.

Well, we got to see the Browns lose to the Eagles on Monday night and Cincy last week. Both games were pathetic. Some of our players looked like they packed it in. And once again, our play calling was predictable. On the other hand, some of our defenders showed up against both teams. Even Bruce Gradkowski made an appearance in the 4th quarter against the Bengals, but that didn't help either. Maybe he should have made an appearance to start the second half. I couldn't even watch every play; my fantasy football team was more exciting to watch. Now we have the Steelers on Sunday. OMG. Part of me wants the season to end, hoping for FA and the draft to come quickly. Oh yeah, we already traded away our 3rd, 5th, and 7th picks of the draft.

Continue reading "Cleveland Browns: Thinking of Free ..."

Where to begin in the wake of one of the most amazing Ravens games I have ever seen? Perhaps with this observation: This was a 16-7 game going into the fourth quarter. The next 6 drives all produced scores --- Cowboys FG, Ravens FG, Cowboys TD, Ravens TD, Cowboys TD, Ravens TD --- before the Ravens defense finally made the game-ending stop with 52 seconds left.

Continue reading "Baltimore Ravens-Dallas Cowboys post-game ..."