Better Long Term QB
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Man Loses Arm Golfing
By: Billy BeerSlugger
In a story reminiscent of the Happy Gilmore character Chubbs, a man has lost his arm after being bit by an Alligator while looking for a ball he hit into a water hazard.
The Alligator was promptly killed because, well I guess he bit off a guys arm but in the defense of the Alligator, I’m sure it was pretty hungry. Even though the Alligator lived on the premises of the Upscale Golf Course he never got invited to the Club House for lunch. Small birds while tasty are nothing more than a snack to a 10 ft Alligator.
Kind of brings to mind the ever retracting wilderness as a result of man’s encroachment on it. Alligators migrate to Golf Courses and are then either killed for misbehaving or actually taken away to a preserve.
Overall, it was a bad day for both the Alligator and the man who shanked a ball into the drink. And my friends wonder why I don’t play golf.
Drew Brees
Bob McFlurry with Sports
I love Drew Brees and I mean that in the gayest way possible. I’ve loved this guy since his sophomore season in 1998 at Purdue when he led the team on an 80 yard drive with 1:25 left on the clock and threw a 25 yard strike to Ike Jones (of a rival high school of mine) for the game winner against #4 Kansas State in the Alamo Bowl. I remember this distinctly because not only was that night the first time I had ever taken a flaming shot of Bacardi 151 and a neighbor had hit my car parked outside my friends house, but also the amazing statistic that Brees’ Boilermakers were only the second unranked team to beat a top 5 team in bowl game in history. It is still easily a top 10 College Football game I have ever watched.
Brees continued a storied College career earning Academic All-America Player of the Year as a Senior and garnering the Maxwell Award for the nation’s most Outstanding Player. Drew also holds the record for the longest pass in NCAA history at 99 yards.
Brees was drafted by San Diego with the first pick in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft (San Diego drafted Ladanian Tomlinson in the first round). Initially I was somewhat weary of Brees taking it to the next level given his 6 foot 190+ frame. The trend of high round QB’s drafted into the NFL was that of size and athleticism more so than cognitive function in the early 2000’s and to some extent continues today (See Jamarcus Russell).
However, Brees put my doubts to rest starting in 2004 in his 3rd year as the starting QB for the Chargers posting an insane TD to Int ratio (27-7), passer rating (104.8) and with Tomlinson led San Diego to a 12-4 record and their first playoff birth in 9 years.
Before that 2004 season though, the Chargers drafted Eli Manning, eventually trading him to the NY Giants in exchange for the rights to Phillip Rivers and several draft picks. A protracted contract dispute between the Chargers and Rivers allowed Brees to be named started and enjoy a breakout year in 2004. Brees was a free agent at the end of 2004 and eventually would be lassoed with the Franchise Tag for the 2005 season. Brees did go down late in the 2005 season with a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder.
In 2006 the New Orleans saints took a chance on the once comeback player of the year and gave him a 6 year 60 million dollar contract. In 2006 he was named runner up to Tomlinson for the AP NFL MVP. The same year he took the Saints past the Eagles and into the NFC Championship game against the Bears. The next two seasons were not as good as the Saints fell back to mediocrity going 7-9 and 8-8 mostly due to defensive deficiencies. By this time though Brees had established himself as an upper echelon QB starting a Pro Bowl game. He fell 15 yards short of the single season passing yardage mark owned by Dan Marino.
All in all, Brees is, in my opinion, the second best QB in the NFL at this point behind Peyton Manning (yes above Tom Brady). I think Brees will continue a torrid pace this year and win the AP MVP if another running back, Adrian Peterson, does not block him from it. It’s good to see that a QB of a smaller stature can thrive in the NFL given that most teams draft 6’4” athletic specimens to play QB but seem to forget that the QB needs to make decisions with the ball, not just throw or run with it.
Look for the Saints to beat the Giants this week and be a force to be reckoned with the rest of the season.
Comic Irony at The NY Times
Bob McFlurry With Sports
I just read an article by N.Y. Times writer WILLIAM C. RHODEN on why he thinks a Yankees Vs. Dodgers World Series would be great for baseball. No doubt that would be appealing in the sense of America’s two largest markets and an East/West Coast dynamic to it but Rhoden seems to give odd reasoning why the matchup would be good for baseball.
“what Major League Baseball needs is a great World Series, a Series for the ages. And with all due respect to those two other potential matchups, it’s a Yankees-Dodgers World Series that could take the game back to its roots at a time when baseball desperately needs to recover a portion of the trust, if not the innocence, that it has lost in the steroid era.”
Mr. Rhoden, if you want to recover a “portion of trust” for baseball then why would you match up teams with marquee players that have been anything but truthful in their dealings with performance enhancing drugs. While Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettie are hardly the only players in the last 20 years to have taken and gotten caught taking performance drugs how do you figure that those guys being in and winning a World Series is going to recover some innocence it lost in the steroid era? How would a Dodgers/Yankees matchup, “reinforces its roots and, yes, its relative purity”?
Trust, innocence, relative purity? What are you smoking Rhoden? I’m not going to argue a Dodgers/Yankees matchup would be good for ratings, but good for the game?
I think the Phillies beating the Yankees would be poetic in a year when A-Rod had to come out of the closet with his use of PED’s. A Phillies Vs. Angels series (while not having one of the big 2 markets involved) could have the makings to be one of the greatest series of all time given the way the teams play and the absence of a tainted marquee player.
Overall, don’t give me your purity, innocence and trust logic while debating on which teams should be in the series because the two teams you suggested, Rhoden, debunk your whole theory. I don’t know how you run your household but when a dog pisses the carpet, you don’t give him a treat.
RIP Captain Lou Albano
Bob McFlurry With Sports
Maybe you’re a little young to remember Lou Albano the wrestler but you may remember him managing such wrestlers as former Intercontinental Champion Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine but Albano made more of a mark on managing tag teams. Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito, The Valiant Brothers, Wild Samoans, The Moondogs, and The British Bulldogs were a few of the teams he managed over the years. Overall he guided two dozen wrestlers to the Championships.
You may also remember Albano in a number of Cyndi Lauper videos including Girls just Want to Have Fun. Moreover, I remember Lou Albano best for his role as the real life Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! as well as lending his voice to the animated character. I can remember many a days coming home from school and watching this program.
He was inducted into the WWF/WWE Hall of Fame in 1996.
Some of the more notable names he managed were André the Giant, Hulk Hogan, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff and George ‘The Animal’ Steele.
Capitan Lou you will be missed.
Why I Dislike Keith Olbermann
By: Billy BeerSlugger
I never really had a problem with Keith Olbermann on Sportscenter when he teamed with Dan Patrick to put a soundtrack of zingers and one-liners to sports highlights. He smiled, cracked jokes and seemed generally likable though still slightly smug.
I don’t really have a problem with Keith having his left wing show on MSNBC either. He can have his “Worst Person In The World” and try to pick apart Bill O’Reilly or his Republican/Conservative opponent du jour every night and I’m fine with that, he’s got his right to do that within reason and I won’t be above saying he’s right from time to time. He seems to have a general care about the country and it’s citizens which is a very respectable trait and one I happen to share with him.
What I cannot stand is Olbermann being on the Sunday Night Football panel. I realize his background in sports broadcasting but if there’s one thing i don’t like mixed in with my sports it’s bullshit politics. Not that he brings up politics on Sunday Night Football, but just knowing his priggish, self-righteous ass is a mouthpiece for a left sided network pains me to no end. For the record I would hate to see Glenn Beck or Bill O’Reilly or Rush Limbaugh as an anchor on a sportscast as well. You do remember how long Limbaugh lasted as an ESPN commentator in 2003?
You don’t see Chris Berman have a show and plug a Republican agenda or Bob Costas stray from sports leaning stories on his show. You have to pick what you are, sportscaster or political pundit; there’s no gray zone here. I don’t care if a sportscaster comes out in support of an issue or political candidate but don’t make a whole show about it and further, don’t be a condescending asshole about it.
Olbermann sits himself behind a desk on weeknights and pretends to be a modern day Edward R. Murrow (he won the Murrow award in 2003). However he does it with a sharp tongue and an “i’m smarter than you”, egotistic tone that makes me want to throw my laptop off my desk. I won’t pretend to write as eloquent as Keith or tear into an issue with the same smarts and vigor but give me a staff of capable people and a full time salary and I have no problem devoting 10+ hours a day into pumping out content that’s informative and stimulating.
What makes Olbermann so smart anyway? He claims to have gone to an Ivy League school (Cornell), however, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications arts from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, not the School of Arts and Sciences which is the Ivy league one.
In an interview with Playboy Magazine Olbermann was quotes to say:
“My Ivy League education taught me how to cut corners, skim books and take an idea and write 15 pages on it, and also how to work all day at the Cornell radio station and never actually go to class.”
Obviously lying about going to the Ivy League Cornell isn’t a big deal to folks like you and I, but for a guy who wastes valuable airtime to nit pick at Rep. Charlie Rangel for saying ‘inferred” instead of “implied” it seems relavent to nit pick at him. Oh, wowzers Keith, got him on that one.
Seriously though, tone and inflection are big parts of broadcasting and no doubt were covered during his matriculation at non-Ivy league Cornell studying Communication Arts. You would think he would have taken from that education that if you come off as a pompous arse and a know it all that you would actually have to back it up with a little more than a Communications degree and several stints as a sportscaster spouting lines like “Booya”! Where is the credibility with this guy? Half the time he’s making inane grammar corrections or subjective comments on subjective comments from Senators, Representatives or right wing personalities. 30% of the time he’s dealing in absolute bullshit and the other 20% is reserved for stuff that actually does matter whether it’s biased or not.
I’m not saying that Olbermann is a bad person because he’s better than most of the talking heads out there but I wonder sometimes if he’s at least subconsciously trying to be the smartest guy in the room nation to show up the kids who repeatedly stole his lunch money in grade school. That’s been my experience at least, either the overzealous person is overcompensating because they are constantly dealing with their own insecurities which can include a host of things including height, weight, perception of beauty or lack of breast or penis size.
Basically he’s the guy sitting at the end of the bar drinking alone because of his lack of people skills. He’s pissed off all his friends and most of his acquaintances who aren’t blinded by his B-list stardom.
But then again… i could be wrong.
The Inside Track with Ace Rothstein: 9/25/09
Last week we went 1-2-1. A couple of breaks and we have a monster week. I still believe we were on the right side of the games but that’s why they call it gambling. On to this week.
Fresno St +17 over Cincinnati
Cincinnati has to come home after a tough game on the West Coast and is laying a big number here. They are 2-8 ATS the past 10 games where they are favored by more then 8 points. This Fresno St team is good
and will look to control the clock by running the ball the whole game. Cincinnati played Hawaii in there Bowl game last year and barely got by them. Fresno St is a better and more balanced team then Hawaii. Fresno St covers and has a chance to pull this out in the 4th Quarter.
Illinois +14 over Ohio St
Arrelious Benn is back and so is Illinois passing game. With 2 weeks off Illinois is going to come in on fire and look to take it to one of the best teams in the Big 10. Looking into the numbers Illinois is 8-2
ATS the past 10 where they are a 10-14 point underdog. Illinois is also 6-2 ATS past 8 games vs Ohio St and 4-1 ATS at Ohio St. Look for a upset.
Tennessee +3 over NY Jets
I think Mark Sanchez stinks! He has managed two alright games but has not faced a defense this good ever. The Jets thought last week was their Super Bowl and it will be hard for them to get up again for this game. Tennessee has Super Bowl aspirations and has started the season 0-2. The Titans are 8-2 ATS the past 10 September road games.
Arizona Cardinals -2 1/2 over Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are coming off a huge Monday night win in the heat of South Florida. Now they must travel to Arizona and play against a great offense. The Colt defense was on the field 80% of the game last week, and will be tired by the second half of this one. And we all know what Kurt Warner does against tired defense’s that aren’t rushing. Cards by a TD.
Dudes Who Need To Be Fired: NFL Edition
Sports With Bob McFlurry
Here’s My NFL List of 2009 who need to be fired in the sports world whether they deserve it or not:
Head Coaches:
Jack Del Rio: Jacksonville Jaguars
Del Rio has a regular season record of 50-46 with 3 winning seasons in 6 years and two playoff appearances including one playoff win. That coupled with the dismal season they’re probably going to suffer through will not allow Del Rio to keep his job. Unless David Garrard turns into Peyton Manning that is and Maurice Jones Drew can prove he’s an every down back. Bottom line Jack Del Rio is somewhere else next season.
Marvin Lewis: Cincinnati Bengals
Last year 4-11-1, 2oo7 finished 7-9, 8-8 in 2006 after going 11-5 in 2005. Carson Palmer’s health has to do as much with the loses as much as the defense does but ultimately Lewis is responsible because he was brought in to fix the defense. He’s only had one winning season from 2003 to 2008 which means after they don’t make the playoffs this year, the experiment is over.
John Fox: Carolina Panthers
In the mid-2000’s John Fox’ Carolina Panthers were the sexy pick to make the Super Bowl pretty much every preseason. He’s had 3 winning seasons in 7 years and at least has a winning regular season record (63-49). The Panthers went to the Super Bowl in 2003 when their offensive line was all juiced up on steroids and HGH and went to the NFC Championship game in 2005. They also lost last year in the first round of the playoffs to eventual NFC champion Arizona Cardinals. All things considered, even with a winning record in the regular season and a 5-3 record in post season play, John Fox should be fired after this year when the Panthers don’t make the playoffs or lose in the first round again.
Quarterbacks:
Jason Campbell: Washington Redskins
I think the Jason Campbell experiment is just about over. For all his athleticism he’ll never be a good QB in the league. The Redskins severely overpaid to get the 25th pick in the 2005 draft, giving up a 1st, 3rd and 4th round pick to acquire him. He had a good completion percentage last year but didn’t have the TD’s or yards to show for it and he couldn’t carry the team on his back during Clinton Portis’ annual end of season production halt. He’s a game manager and he’s efficient but he’s never going to be a great QB. Though he’d be a good backup somewhere.
Matt Hasselback : Seattle Seahawks
It’s time for Seattle to find a QB of the future and fast. This guy is more injury prone than a elderly hypochondriac living in a run down nursing home. He’s good when healthy but he hasn’t been healthy since their Super Bowl run and Matt’s age is starting to catch up with his prematurely receding hairline.
Jake Delhomme: Carolina Panthers
He’s been serviceable for years and a leader on the field but are the Panthers ever going to win a Championship with this guy. The expectations are usually high for this team and even with a great ground game and great defense he’s never going to get it done. This guy could fuck up a wet dream.
Ownership:
Al Davis: Oakland Raiders
Al needs to go away and I think most of Oakland wishes this would happen. He needs to retire and hand the keys off to someone who isn’t senile. The drafts have been putrid and you change coaches every year. You can’t win that way and it’s very evident. I’m not sure this guy could field a competitive Fantasy Football team let alone a real one.
Daniel Snyder: Washington Redskins
I’m actually fine with D. Snyder captaining that ship down in Washington because the Eagles play them twice a year. Keep spending a kabillion dollars on free-agents that don’t pan out and let down some the best fans in the NFL on an annual basis. The only way this can be fixed is if Snyder takes a back seat and gives total control over to a guy like Bill Cowher, Bill Parcells, Mike Shannahan or some other proven winner. I think his ego is too big for that though.
Everybody In The Front Office: Detroit Lions
It was a step in the right direction sending Matt Millen back to the broadcast booth but I hope they cleaned the rest of the house and not just the attic. It’s easy to pick on the Lions for their ineptitude but there’s a reason for that. Starting in 2003 they drafted Charles Rogers, Roy Williams, Kevin Jones and Mike Williams in the first round. All of these can be considered busts in one form or another and none are even on the Lions roster. In 2006 they finally drafted someone on the defensive side of the ball and then went right back to drafting Wr’s the next year with Calvin Johnson. Johnson may work out but 1 out of 4 ain’t is bad. Again in 2009 they took offensive players in Matthew Stafford and Brandon Pettigrew (TE) in the first round. It’s a wonder their defense is suspect, you can’t develop defensive players if you don’t draft any. Ernie Sims remains the only 1st round draft pick to be spent on a defensive side of the ball in the 2000’s.
Power Rankings Week 2
Sports with Bob McFlurry
The latest ESPN NFL Power Rankings have our Philadelphia Eagles ranked at #4. I would love to know what these people are smoking. We’re talking about the Philadelphia Eagles right? In Philadelphia? Ranked ahead of the Colts, Chargers, Titans and Vikings? Hell half the league could beat us on Any Given Sunday and that’s being realistic even if McNabb is at QB and healthy.
I don’t know why people were so high on the Eagles this year. All we got was a starting tackle and guard (who is coming off major knee surgery) in the offseason. We picked a WR in the first round of the draft who was supposed to be dynamic and figure in the return game and this guy might have 20 catches this year and doesn’t seem to be getting any reps at punt returner. We also got Shady McCoy in the draft to spell Westbrook and it seems like a good fit. We finnally have a true fullback which is great.
However, is the team that drastically different from the one that needed a miracle to make the playoffs last year? We may have gotten younger on Defense but did we get better? Nothing on Offense changed except the Tackles, the backup running backs and backup QB. I don’t see how or where we got significantly better on either side of the ball.
Desean Jackson is great and has worked out better than I have expected but is he a true number one receiver or just an overall game changer from either special teams or the receiver position. Is the guy going to go for over 1,000 yrds and 8 TD’s? Only time will tell.
Yes the NFC is wide open, yes we trounced Carolina in the First game but we also spanked the Rams on opening day last year too. All this being said I’d rather be the underdog or middle of the pack than be in ESPN’s Top 5. I’d rather people be surprised at the Birds play than be disappointed by it and given their Ranking and no real upgrade in talent that’s probably what’s going to happen. Plus the Eagles are really good at disappointing us.
Now, I’m talking about a world even with Donovan McNabb fully healthy, it’s the same team as last year with a few more injuries and some unproven guys taking over for some veterans. I’m just not sure how you measure these things but whatever the apparatus or reasoning they’ll be out of the top 10 by week 5 and shouldn’t have even been in the top 5 in the first place. How many question marks does one need to convince you that there’s at least 10 teams better than the Eagles right now even before McNabb’s injury.
Not to say they won’t make the playoffs or make a run at a Superbowl but an elite team the Philadelphia Eagles are not right now and you will probably see a defense picked apart by Drew Brees this Sunday at the Linc. Only time will tell but I think I’m smarter than the guys over in Bristol right now.