In honor of this recent Chuck Knoblauch story, my buddy Ian gave me a great idea: list the top athletes who have fallen from grace. Without further Freddy Ado (who by the way WILL make this list if he doesnt step it up) the top 15 athletes who have completely shot themselves in the foot, or basically pulled a Heath Ledger, Eddie Murphy or Jude Law. Note, Plax is not on this list because we have to see what follows after his two year sentence.
# 15: Michael Ray Richardson
Why was he Famous:
He was picked over Larry Bird, and regarded as the next big thing in the NBA.
What Happend:
The guy did more Cocaine than Tony Montana on a stressful day. He got kicked out of the NBA, went to rehab, went back to rehab, and now coaches in Montana. Good job.
#14 Donnie Moore
Why was he Famous:
He was the closer for the L.A Angels and was one out away from the 1986 World Series.
What Happend:
Well, he gave up a home run to Dave Henderson in game 5 of the ALCS, and in turn the Red Sox won the next three games and the series. A couple months later Donnie Moore shot and killed himself.
#13 Darryl Strawberry
Why was he Famous:
He was the Mets saving grace, their first true power hitter, who hit balls longer than Shaq's c***. He helped the Mets to win the '86 series and was on track for the hall of fame.
What Happend:
Cocaine happend. Straw man fell in love with the stuff, got hooked with his buddy Doc (more on him in a bit) and went to the Dodgers, then to the Giants, then to the Saint Paul Independent league. For a short time he reinvented himself with the Yankees winning two world series and then got back on the cocaine.
#12 Jim Leyritz
Why was he Famous:
He wasnt ever famous, he was a backup catcher for the Yankees and Padres and won two World Series with the Yankees, went to one with the Padres and hit one of the most clutch home runs in Yankees history.
What Happend:
The story is the most outrageous part. He was wasted from a bar, and the drove over a girl WHO WAS ALSO WASTED and killed her. This lead Leyritz to beat his wife and kids, live in a condo by himself and slave over the trial notes. To say hes a little nuts is an understatement.
#11 Doc Gooden
Why was he Famous
He was the star pitcher for the Mets, winning the Cy Young at 20 and literally becoming the best pitcher in baseball by 21.
What Happend:
Again, Cocaine happend. Gooden lived the fast life, well, too fast and got too much of that nose candy pleasure. Gooden went to rehab probably more times than Lindsay Lohan, Amy Winehouse, and Britney Spears combined and has had more chances than any American in history. He is still in jail I think, or maybe he is out. Doesnt matter, nobody cares about him anymore.
#10 Jose Canseco
Why was he famous:
He was part of the bash brothers, the first HUGE power hitter and he literally and figurtivly exploded onto the scene. He also dated Madonna.
What happend:
He admitted to using roids, beat someone up at a bar, went to jail, went to rehab, went on Celebrity rehab and every VH1 show ever made, became a laughing stock, was proven right in his book by the countless roid users, wrote another book claiming Arod used, proved right again, however made a bigger fool out of himself when he tried MMA and got his ass beat by a guy two feet smaller than him. The ultimate joke.
#9 Sammy Sosa
Why was he famous:
Along with Mark McGwire he broke Roger Maris' glorified home run record of 61 in a season. Sosa hit 66 home runs, won over Chicago, and quickly became the biggest hispanic star in the world along with Ricky Martin (where is he now). He was everyone, and everyone loved him.
What happend:
Rumors swirled about roids, they became true, and he made an absolutle ass of himself by saying he doesnt speak english in front of Congress when of course he speaks english. He continue to deny, and even came back to play for the Orioles nobody believed him and then the rumors of course became true. Note, if you speak English, dont lie about it because we will find out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs95NnrCD0o
I think he speaks English.
#8 Marion Jones
Why was she famous:
She won a million gold medals in track and became a hero for women and a spokesperson for a million different things.
What happend:
Rumors circled that she did not do roids, it became evident that she did. She went to congress to deny it, the worst move you could do, and of course it came out that she did roids. She even attempted a comeback and failed miserably. She lied to congress, was convicted of purgery, and is now in jail.
# 7 Michael Vick
Why was he famous:
He was the Falcons number 1 overall pick, he was the first electric QB. He endorsed everything, made $100 million, and was regarded as the most exciting player in football.
What happend:
In the first true scandal involving a current NFL star, he was convicted of running a dog fighting ring, was sentenced to two years in prison, lost all his money and went from star QB to third string decoy on the Eagles. He is not higher because he is still playing.
#6 Roger Clemens
Why was he famous:
He was regarded as the greatest modern day pitcher in MLB history. He had 20 K's in a game twice, he was third in K's alltime, won three CY Young's, won over 300 games, and also had 4,000 K's, and won two World Series.
What happend:
Out of nowhere, though a friend told me in 2004 though I thought nothing of that report, he tested postive for roids. He defended himself to the death thinking it would work and of course it backfired miserably. He is facing purgery charges and might spend a few years behind bars. His fame, reputation, and family life is all ruined because of his arrogence.
#5 Barry Bonds
Why was he famous:
He broke Hank Aaron's record of 755 HR's the most glorified record in sports, he broke the single season HR record, and put up video game numbers.
What Happend:
He took steroids and he didnt seem to care. Everyone hated him already, but then it got really bad, death threats, etc. He never seemed to care and has never been in front of congress. Even though he could still play a bit, no team would sign him. He is probably beating some women right now as we speak.
#4 Mark McGwire
Why was he famous:
He was part of the bash brothers with Oakland, hit MOOOOOOOON shots
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNWlYDEotN4
(fast forward to 1:10)
and was regarded as the best power hitter in the game. He was loveable, and endorsed a number of things.
What happend:
He again took steroids, but then this Congressional hearing did it in for him for life. His reputation will always be tainted.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=942HcHKbOno&feature=PlayList&p=31B53AFB6BAC884D&index=0&playnext=1
#3 Pete Rose
Why was he famous:
All time hit king with over 4,000 hits and widely regarded as the most pure, hard working ball player to ever live.
What Happend:
He bet on baseball as the manager for the Reds and lied about not doing so. He lied about it for 20 years made fools of people who believed him and backed him up, then to sell a book in 2004 he simply said he did it. Just like that. The ultimate scumbag. He is still banned by the Hall of Fame and if he just told the truth would have been reinstated some time ago but nowwill never get in.
#2 Mike Tyson
Why was he famous:
He knocked people out faster than a virgin ejaculating for the first time. He whipped people up and made over $100 million doing so. He was reagarded as the next Ali and was on the right track. All of the East Coast loved him because he represented Brooklyn. He owned NYC.
What happend:
Well, where to begin. He first lost to Buster Douglas in an upset comparable to Don Bosco Prep beating the New York Giants, he then raped a women, and another, and then another, lost all of his money, got back into fighting and started to get beat, he then ripped off Holyfields ear, was banned from fighting in half of the states around the U.S, had a brawl and said he would eat Holyfields kids, he then was banned from fighting in the U.S, lost to some English guy, and then appeared in the Hangover. Here are some Tyson clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwFW834Mrcc
AND The funniest Tyson moment of them all
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHXqZxmEBsw
AND EVEN FUNNIER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiBPtyBxfqI&feature=related
#1 O.J Simpson
Why was he famous:
Running back for USC and the Bills, won the Heisman, won rushing titles. Became an actor and a spokesman was in ever commerical imaginable regarded as a nice, normal guy
What happend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04lJ7ki7XKo&feature=fvw
Not to be outdone O.J inexplicably beat the charges and then stole some memorbilia and is in jail the rest of his miserable life.
That is my list I will be back with more stuff as the week continues.
-Lew
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Giants-Bucs Recap
This is going to be short and sweet. What else can I say, the Giants played one of the worst teams I have ever seen in my life and they beat the living s*** out of them. It was absolutly embaressing and it could not have gotten any worse. For all you Giants nay-sayers, all this team does is win games, no matter how they do it. I am not even going to do a blurb of the Bucs this week because they played about as well as any college team would play against the Giants, they dont deserve me writing anything for them.
QB
Eli was once again very efficent and effective. A typical Eli game his stats were not overwhelming (14-24 161 2 Tds) but he accruate, and most of his incompletions were drops. He lead a balanced attack, and when he was done shredding Tampa's defense he gave way to the Giants dominating running attack and defense. All Eli does is win games. End of story.
RB
The Jacobs/Bradshaw combo looked as good as ever. Jacobs carried the load, and Bradshaw was simply unstoppable, racking up an absolutly outrageous 7.4 yards per carry. The only thing I am concerned about though is Jacobs. Yea he gained 92 yards but it was on 26 carried, for a 3.4 yards per carry. He has not looked good in all three games, and he even admitted after the game that he has not been the same. I personally think he just hasnt found his groove yet, and that will come. There is no way hes washed up or hurt, but if he keeps wearing down the defense and let Bradshaw gain the yards, this team will be fine. I mean, they did gain over 220 yards on the ground, granted against the Flordia State....Ummm I mean Tampa Bay Bucs. Gartell Johnson showed me that he can play, 26 yards on just 6 carries.
The only blurb I will say on the Bucs is about Derrick Ward. I was expecting him to be motivated and come out and pound the Giants. I could not have been more wrong, if your going to talk trash back it up. Not only did he not show up, but he was dreadful. Five carries for two yards, and did not even talk to the media after the game. What a b****, and to make matters worse the Giants are the same exact team without him, he was another interchangable part. Jerry Reese is simply doing wonders with this organization.
WR
Steve Smith another 7 catchers, Manningham another 50 yards and....A SINORICE MOSS SIGHTING!! Smith is quitely turning into a 1,000 yard reciever and Mr. reliable as Manningham is the over the top, lighting rod reciver. So much for trading for Braylon Edwards, Smith and Manningham are both in the top 10 in catches and top 5 in yards, with Smith being 2nd and 3rd in each catagory. Travis Beckum made an apperance, look more for him in the Red Zone in the future. Big Boss Man made a nice play, but I think he is having trouble getting open, plus Coughlin doesnt love using the tight ends in passing situations, but I would like to see more of # 89.
O-Line
What else can you say but wow. 43 mins, no sacks. This line put the Bucs to shame. Update on Mckenzie is that it is a sprained knee and that initially he should be fine, but worse case scenario he misses next week. As for Seuburt, he aggrivated his shoulder and will be fine and go next week.
D-Line
Again, without Canty and Tuck playing only on third down passing situations, they still dominated. Kiwi played the best I have seen him play in awhile, while Osi in my opinion continued to struggle a bit. Fred Robbins was also unstoppable yesterday. No sacks again, but its all about the pressure and for the second week in a row, the pressure was very good.
LB
Completly shut down the running game. There were no swing passes, and only let up when it was 24-0 with 6 mins left in the game. The defense, individually speaking, was almost unoticable because the Bucs were so inept and the defense as a whole were just all over the place.
Secondary
No Kenny Phillips, no Aaron Ross, no Kevin Dockery no problem. Terrell Thomas is improving every single week, and made a nice pick yesterday. Teams continue to not throw to Cory Webster. They threw to his side three times yesterday and he still picked up four tackles. He continues to amaze me by his progression. The Bucs never had success throwing the ball until the second unit came in.
Special Teams
Tynes is beginning to worry me a bit. This guy is utter garbage, despite the kick last week, has looked very shakey this year. I am surprised they kept him over Carney who missed 3 kicks (including postseason) last year. I think Coughlin thought that Carney in the clutch was miserable, which he was. He missed the game winner vs the Vikings and two in the loss to the Eagles in the playoffs. Still, Tynes cannot continue to miss easy kicks like he did yesterday. It wont hurt them next week or the week after, but down the road it might.
Coaching
I didnt even know the Bucs were being coached until I saw their press conference. Gilbride has to call a better game inside the red zone, they are still too vanilla, and need to break out the offense a little more.
Overall
In all honesty, that was one of the biggest lopsided games I have ever seen. Top five most dominating New York Giants performence I have EVER seen. Now, it did not hurt that the Bucs are about as good as the University of Maine's football team, but holding a team to under 100 yards (86) is INSANE. Think about that for a second, the team DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH OFFENSE TO GO FROM GOAL LINE TO GOAL LINE IN THE GAME. First road shut out for the G-Men since 1983 and first shutout since the 36-0 game over the Redskins which was the first game after Wellington Mara died in 2005. They were even more dominating than I was expecting, and after the game I felt very good at the state of the Giants and that NFC showdown Oct. 18 @ New Orleans. I will be back tomorrow with a full NFL recap at the week that was week 3 in the NFL. Enjoy your miserable lives at work.
-Lew
QB
Eli was once again very efficent and effective. A typical Eli game his stats were not overwhelming (14-24 161 2 Tds) but he accruate, and most of his incompletions were drops. He lead a balanced attack, and when he was done shredding Tampa's defense he gave way to the Giants dominating running attack and defense. All Eli does is win games. End of story.
RB
The Jacobs/Bradshaw combo looked as good as ever. Jacobs carried the load, and Bradshaw was simply unstoppable, racking up an absolutly outrageous 7.4 yards per carry. The only thing I am concerned about though is Jacobs. Yea he gained 92 yards but it was on 26 carried, for a 3.4 yards per carry. He has not looked good in all three games, and he even admitted after the game that he has not been the same. I personally think he just hasnt found his groove yet, and that will come. There is no way hes washed up or hurt, but if he keeps wearing down the defense and let Bradshaw gain the yards, this team will be fine. I mean, they did gain over 220 yards on the ground, granted against the Flordia State....Ummm I mean Tampa Bay Bucs. Gartell Johnson showed me that he can play, 26 yards on just 6 carries.
The only blurb I will say on the Bucs is about Derrick Ward. I was expecting him to be motivated and come out and pound the Giants. I could not have been more wrong, if your going to talk trash back it up. Not only did he not show up, but he was dreadful. Five carries for two yards, and did not even talk to the media after the game. What a b****, and to make matters worse the Giants are the same exact team without him, he was another interchangable part. Jerry Reese is simply doing wonders with this organization.
WR
Steve Smith another 7 catchers, Manningham another 50 yards and....A SINORICE MOSS SIGHTING!! Smith is quitely turning into a 1,000 yard reciever and Mr. reliable as Manningham is the over the top, lighting rod reciver. So much for trading for Braylon Edwards, Smith and Manningham are both in the top 10 in catches and top 5 in yards, with Smith being 2nd and 3rd in each catagory. Travis Beckum made an apperance, look more for him in the Red Zone in the future. Big Boss Man made a nice play, but I think he is having trouble getting open, plus Coughlin doesnt love using the tight ends in passing situations, but I would like to see more of # 89.
O-Line
What else can you say but wow. 43 mins, no sacks. This line put the Bucs to shame. Update on Mckenzie is that it is a sprained knee and that initially he should be fine, but worse case scenario he misses next week. As for Seuburt, he aggrivated his shoulder and will be fine and go next week.
D-Line
Again, without Canty and Tuck playing only on third down passing situations, they still dominated. Kiwi played the best I have seen him play in awhile, while Osi in my opinion continued to struggle a bit. Fred Robbins was also unstoppable yesterday. No sacks again, but its all about the pressure and for the second week in a row, the pressure was very good.
LB
Completly shut down the running game. There were no swing passes, and only let up when it was 24-0 with 6 mins left in the game. The defense, individually speaking, was almost unoticable because the Bucs were so inept and the defense as a whole were just all over the place.
Secondary
No Kenny Phillips, no Aaron Ross, no Kevin Dockery no problem. Terrell Thomas is improving every single week, and made a nice pick yesterday. Teams continue to not throw to Cory Webster. They threw to his side three times yesterday and he still picked up four tackles. He continues to amaze me by his progression. The Bucs never had success throwing the ball until the second unit came in.
Special Teams
Tynes is beginning to worry me a bit. This guy is utter garbage, despite the kick last week, has looked very shakey this year. I am surprised they kept him over Carney who missed 3 kicks (including postseason) last year. I think Coughlin thought that Carney in the clutch was miserable, which he was. He missed the game winner vs the Vikings and two in the loss to the Eagles in the playoffs. Still, Tynes cannot continue to miss easy kicks like he did yesterday. It wont hurt them next week or the week after, but down the road it might.
Coaching
I didnt even know the Bucs were being coached until I saw their press conference. Gilbride has to call a better game inside the red zone, they are still too vanilla, and need to break out the offense a little more.
Overall
In all honesty, that was one of the biggest lopsided games I have ever seen. Top five most dominating New York Giants performence I have EVER seen. Now, it did not hurt that the Bucs are about as good as the University of Maine's football team, but holding a team to under 100 yards (86) is INSANE. Think about that for a second, the team DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH OFFENSE TO GO FROM GOAL LINE TO GOAL LINE IN THE GAME. First road shut out for the G-Men since 1983 and first shutout since the 36-0 game over the Redskins which was the first game after Wellington Mara died in 2005. They were even more dominating than I was expecting, and after the game I felt very good at the state of the Giants and that NFC showdown Oct. 18 @ New Orleans. I will be back tomorrow with a full NFL recap at the week that was week 3 in the NFL. Enjoy your miserable lives at work.
-Lew
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Yanks AL East Champs
Taking a break from football, the Yanks just beat the Red Sox for the 9th time in their last 10 meetings to clinch the Al East for the first time since 2006. Very, VERY good day for me as the Giants absolutly destroy the Bucs and the Yanks clinch with a sweep over the Red Sox.
Coming this fall, I will have extended coverage of the Yanks during their postseason run.
-Lew
Coming this fall, I will have extended coverage of the Yanks during their postseason run.
-Lew
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Giants-Bucs Preview Plus NFL Picks
Close your eyes if your a Giants fan because your not going to want to read this. The Giants current injury report is the following: Chris Canty (out), Keving Dockery (Doubtful), Justin Tuck (Doubtful), Kenny Phillips (IR), Hakeem Nicks (out), Aaron Ross (out), Danny Ware (out), Domenik Hixon (out) and Michael Johnson (Q). That means the Giants are probably going to have to play without their starting corner, safety, two d-lineman, and two of their top recievers. That is pretty ridiculous. However, the Giants are going at Tampa Bay tomorrow, maybe one of the worst teams in the NFC, and should come out with a win despite all the players who are not playing.
What To Watch For:
The return of Derrick Ward vs his old team. I expect Ward to be fired up and that is evident by the fact Ward has been talking trash the whole week. Ward is a solid back, but nothing special, so watch for him to rack up about 70-80 yards on the day. Also, watch for Bryon Leftwich, depsite no Tuck, Canty, Phillips, and Ross, still throw three picks. Leftwich has by far the slowest delievery of any QB I have ever seen. The guy looks at one reciever longer than anyone in the NFL. He is an embaressment, and the fact he was taken that high shows you how much a crap shot the NFL draft is.
For the Giants, watch Eli shread this Bucs defense. This is the same Bucs defense that gave up 33 points to the vaunted Buffalo Bills last week. Come on, your telling me that Eli and the Giants cant put up 35 on this team?
The Giants, though, MUST solve this red zone ineptness. They have been in the red zone 8 times this year scoring, get ready for this, ZERO touchdowns. Could this bite the Giants back in the ass? I dont know, I think they will be smart enough to figure it out, but with Kevin Gilbride anything is a possibility. One thing is for sure, dont give me the "where is Pharoah Ramses Barden?" Just because the guy is 6'6 doesnt mean he is ready to run a fade against a NFL corner. Its much harder than it seems, and if you know Coughlin you know he hates throwing rookies in the fire immediatly. One thing I would change in the red zone is throwing more to Big Boss Man 89, Kevin Boss. I want to see them run more routes to him and maybe try a bubble screen to Manningham at like the 15 or 20.
The Giants Will Win if:
The Giants will win if they run the ball well, and protect Eli. Honestly, thats it. They dont have to play that well, thats how bad I think this Bucs team is. They are in classic rebuilding mode and the only thing this team is playing for is for the number 1 pick....And its week 3. Run the ball well with Jacobs, who has not played well so far, and protect Eli so he has time to throw and dissect this Bucs defense, the Giants will come out on top.
The Bucs Will Win If:
The Bucs will win if they come out and take advantage of the depleated Giants defense. That means, throwing early, throwing often, and mixing in some runs. Throw over the top and take advantage of C.C (I am no Sabathia) Brown and run up the middle and to the side of Osi. If the Buce block well and run to Osi's side, they should have a lot of success considering Osi is a worse run stuffer than William Joseph is his prime. However, the Giants are going to blitz the hell out of the ridiculously immobile Leftwich so giving Leftwich time to dissect the Giants thin secondary probably wont happen.
Who Will Win:
This one looks pretty simple on paper, but as we know the game is not played on paper and the Giants a ton of injuries. Still, the Giants are overwhelmingly better than the Bucs, and if anything the coaching staff should dominate the very inexperienced Buce staff. This one should be a walk in the park.
Giants 30 Bucs 17
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NFL PICKS
Ravens (-13.5) Over Browns
-This Browns team might go 2-14, its getting that bad. It feels like ever since the Jets were 8-3, Eric Mangini's career has went in the toilet. He is personally 1-6 and has gotten worse publicity than John Gotti, Phil Spector, and O.J (O.J DID IT-Cendric the Entertainer in Barbershop) combined. This guy has gotten KILLED in the media.
Ravens 34 Browns 10
Packers (-7) Over Rams
-Hey, the Rams actually showed up last week, well, not really but only 9 points given up!! We are looking for imporvement. Aaron Rodgers reminds me of Christian Slater in his prime. Nobody ever knew why Christian Slater was famous, and the same goes for why everyone loved Aaron Rodgers when he has never done anything.
Packers 20 Rams 10
Giants (-7) Over Bucs
- Dont be lazy, just read my preview.
Falcons (+4) Over Pats
- Am I really picking against the Pats at home vs an NFC South team? Why yes I am. Read Simmons' column on the downfall of the Pats, but I am serious, I think this team is headed towards the end. Remember the 2001 Yankees. Epic postseason, captivated the nation, and lost one of the best Game 7's in World Series history. Well the Pats 2001 World Series was the 2007 Super Bowl. Yea, the Yankees made it back to the 2003 World Series, but they did not win, and they never REALLY recovered. Well, look for that from the Pats, plus it is 10 times harder to reach the Super Bowl than the World Series. Bottom Line. Meanwhile, the Falcons look like a team that WILL reach the Super Bowl in the next three years. I can practically guarentee that. This will be a statement game for the Falcons, and the beginning of the end for the Pats.
Falcons 23 Pats 17
Chiefs (+8.5) Over Eagles
- At this point it doesnt matter if Kevin Kolb starts, or Jeff Garcia, the Eagles have some problems at QB. The good news is that it is week 3 and this team will be fine, but that migh mean costing them a couple games that might hurt them down the road. Eagles win, but it will be a surprisingly close game.
Eagles 24 Chiefs 19
Lions (+6.5) Over Redskins
This is the week. After losing 19 in a row, the streak will end. The Lions have dropped 25 of their last 26 but it will all end tomorrow. The Redskins are a sinking ship, beating the Rams in a baseball score 9-7 last week, and their coach is coming under fire, their inactives are making more noise than the actives, and the Redskins offense have looked about as bad as Kevin Connelly acting. Lions win OUTRIGHT!!
Lions 16 Redskins 13
Bills (+6) Over Saints
-The only reason I am doing this is a favor towards my friend Andy, a diehard Bills fan who is going to this game. What do I really think of the Bills? Well, I wont say that in this space, but lets just say I have a planned upcoming column about them. The Saints offense looks like the greatest show on turf a good 10 years ago, and you can just hand Drew Brees the 2009 MVP trophy. I have no real basis for making this pick, so lets just say the Bills pull out a minor miracle.
Bills 26 Saints 24
Titans (+ 2.5) Over Jets
- Classic battle of the overconfident 2-0 team vs the need-to-win 0-2 team. The Jets are good, but not that good. The Titans are much better than they have played, that equals to a Titans victory. I understand the Jets hoopla, but its getting kind of nausating . Its week 3, rookie QB and Coach, what you really think this team is going places. Please. Kerry Collins knows better than anyone the winds of the Meadowlands.
Titans 27 Jets 17
49ers (+7) Over Vikings
- To me this is the most ridiculous line of the week. The Vikings have played a schedule the compares to Don Bosco Prep. This is FAR AND AWAY the most overrated team in the league. The Vikings do not have a home field advantage, and the 49ers are catching everyone off guard with a solid running attack and an unknown QB in Shaun Hill. O and by the way Shaun Hill is 9-3 as a starter, Brett Favre is almost 93 years old and has retired 93 times. Give me the niners in an upset.
49ers 28 Vikings 27
Texans (+3.5) Over Jags
- The Jags are done. I cannot believe I picked them over Arizona with that embaressing home field advantage. Their crowd is worse than a Rasheed Wallace guarentee. Its pathetic and they should not allow to have fans their. The Texans are on their way to a typical 7-9/ 8-8 Texans season.
Texans 37 Jags 20
Bears (-2) Over Seahawks.
- Check that, THIS is the most ridiculous line of the week. Hasselback hurt, the Seahawks are bad anyway, Da Bears coming off a big win, HOW IS THE LINE -2 SEATTLE!! I DONT UNDERSTAND. I hope for Vegas' sake the Bears win by 40. In fact, after my near perfect outrageous prediction in the Saints-Eagles game where I said the Saints would score 52 and they scored 48, I am going to make an outragous-final score-pick of the week. This is it.
Bears 47 Seahawks 17
Steelers (-4) Over Bengals
- If the Bengals had the rolley-polley cutting guy playing on the o-line, maybe the Bengals would have a chance. Everyone would just bounce off of him. Sadly, this will not take place. Depsite no Troy P., and zero running game, the Steelers are still much better than the surprising-almost 2-0-if not for a ridiculous play and even better braodcast call by Gus Johnson-Bengals.
Steelers 17 Bengals 10
Broncos (-1.5) Over Raiders
- I said this from the begininng, but now its coming to fruition: JaMarcus Russell is Ryan Leaf bad. So what if he has an arm if he cant hit water if he fell out of a boat. Another horrendous Al Davis decision and its upsetting to me he went to Syracuse. How bout them Broncos!! 2-0 and I think they will make it to 3-0. Could you imagine the s*** the Bears and especially Jay Cutler will get if the Broncos make the playoffs and the Bears dont? I cant wait.
Broncos 20 Raiders 6
Dolphins (+6) Over Chargers
- Did you happen to see how bad the play calling was for the Chargers last week? On a 3rd and 2 they pass the ball out of shotgun. Incomplete. On 4th and 2 they run up the middle, which of course is the strength of the Ravens defense. Stopped for a loss of 3 by Ray Lewis. I have said it before, and I will say it again, NEVER TRUST A NORV TURNER COACHED TEAM. Still, Tony Sprano's play calling vs the Colts last week was equally as bad. I dont know which terrible coach to take?
Chargers 30 Dolphins 27
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Colts (+1.5) Over the Cards
- Seriously, is there any doubt the Colts dont win this game? The Cards played well against a crummy Jags team. The Colts have Peyton Manning, and well come into that Space ship looking stadium and show them what a good team is all about. By the way, if there is such a thing as a reverse Gus Johnson, this is it, courtesy of Chris Meyers. This might be the single worse call in NFL history. (Good job Simmons)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcLR0-gdHS8
Colts 31 Cards 27
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Cowboys (-9) Over Panthers
-Tony Romo is becoming the single biggest choke artist in the last 20 years for a guy who is somehwhat good. However, this is how bad I think Carolina is this year. The line, some say is insane, is really not. The Cowboys of course are not a prime team team, a group of chokes, but they are still better than Carolina. Also, what is ESPN going to do that NBC did not last week? Why does this Cowboys Stadium need two prime time games on two different networks two weeks in a row? Extreme Jerry Jones ego thats what. I SOOOO want to pick against Dallas, but I cant because Jake Delhomme is Carolina's incompetant QB. However, it wont be without 3 more Romo picks.
Cowboys 34 Panthers 19
I will be back monday with Giants recap, tuesday with NFL recap, and throughout the week serving the miserable workers going 9-5 aka me next year.
-Lew
What To Watch For:
The return of Derrick Ward vs his old team. I expect Ward to be fired up and that is evident by the fact Ward has been talking trash the whole week. Ward is a solid back, but nothing special, so watch for him to rack up about 70-80 yards on the day. Also, watch for Bryon Leftwich, depsite no Tuck, Canty, Phillips, and Ross, still throw three picks. Leftwich has by far the slowest delievery of any QB I have ever seen. The guy looks at one reciever longer than anyone in the NFL. He is an embaressment, and the fact he was taken that high shows you how much a crap shot the NFL draft is.
For the Giants, watch Eli shread this Bucs defense. This is the same Bucs defense that gave up 33 points to the vaunted Buffalo Bills last week. Come on, your telling me that Eli and the Giants cant put up 35 on this team?
The Giants, though, MUST solve this red zone ineptness. They have been in the red zone 8 times this year scoring, get ready for this, ZERO touchdowns. Could this bite the Giants back in the ass? I dont know, I think they will be smart enough to figure it out, but with Kevin Gilbride anything is a possibility. One thing is for sure, dont give me the "where is Pharoah Ramses Barden?" Just because the guy is 6'6 doesnt mean he is ready to run a fade against a NFL corner. Its much harder than it seems, and if you know Coughlin you know he hates throwing rookies in the fire immediatly. One thing I would change in the red zone is throwing more to Big Boss Man 89, Kevin Boss. I want to see them run more routes to him and maybe try a bubble screen to Manningham at like the 15 or 20.
The Giants Will Win if:
The Giants will win if they run the ball well, and protect Eli. Honestly, thats it. They dont have to play that well, thats how bad I think this Bucs team is. They are in classic rebuilding mode and the only thing this team is playing for is for the number 1 pick....And its week 3. Run the ball well with Jacobs, who has not played well so far, and protect Eli so he has time to throw and dissect this Bucs defense, the Giants will come out on top.
The Bucs Will Win If:
The Bucs will win if they come out and take advantage of the depleated Giants defense. That means, throwing early, throwing often, and mixing in some runs. Throw over the top and take advantage of C.C (I am no Sabathia) Brown and run up the middle and to the side of Osi. If the Buce block well and run to Osi's side, they should have a lot of success considering Osi is a worse run stuffer than William Joseph is his prime. However, the Giants are going to blitz the hell out of the ridiculously immobile Leftwich so giving Leftwich time to dissect the Giants thin secondary probably wont happen.
Who Will Win:
This one looks pretty simple on paper, but as we know the game is not played on paper and the Giants a ton of injuries. Still, the Giants are overwhelmingly better than the Bucs, and if anything the coaching staff should dominate the very inexperienced Buce staff. This one should be a walk in the park.
Giants 30 Bucs 17
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NFL PICKS
Ravens (-13.5) Over Browns
-This Browns team might go 2-14, its getting that bad. It feels like ever since the Jets were 8-3, Eric Mangini's career has went in the toilet. He is personally 1-6 and has gotten worse publicity than John Gotti, Phil Spector, and O.J (O.J DID IT-Cendric the Entertainer in Barbershop) combined. This guy has gotten KILLED in the media.
Ravens 34 Browns 10
Packers (-7) Over Rams
-Hey, the Rams actually showed up last week, well, not really but only 9 points given up!! We are looking for imporvement. Aaron Rodgers reminds me of Christian Slater in his prime. Nobody ever knew why Christian Slater was famous, and the same goes for why everyone loved Aaron Rodgers when he has never done anything.
Packers 20 Rams 10
Giants (-7) Over Bucs
- Dont be lazy, just read my preview.
Falcons (+4) Over Pats
- Am I really picking against the Pats at home vs an NFC South team? Why yes I am. Read Simmons' column on the downfall of the Pats, but I am serious, I think this team is headed towards the end. Remember the 2001 Yankees. Epic postseason, captivated the nation, and lost one of the best Game 7's in World Series history. Well the Pats 2001 World Series was the 2007 Super Bowl. Yea, the Yankees made it back to the 2003 World Series, but they did not win, and they never REALLY recovered. Well, look for that from the Pats, plus it is 10 times harder to reach the Super Bowl than the World Series. Bottom Line. Meanwhile, the Falcons look like a team that WILL reach the Super Bowl in the next three years. I can practically guarentee that. This will be a statement game for the Falcons, and the beginning of the end for the Pats.
Falcons 23 Pats 17
Chiefs (+8.5) Over Eagles
- At this point it doesnt matter if Kevin Kolb starts, or Jeff Garcia, the Eagles have some problems at QB. The good news is that it is week 3 and this team will be fine, but that migh mean costing them a couple games that might hurt them down the road. Eagles win, but it will be a surprisingly close game.
Eagles 24 Chiefs 19
Lions (+6.5) Over Redskins
This is the week. After losing 19 in a row, the streak will end. The Lions have dropped 25 of their last 26 but it will all end tomorrow. The Redskins are a sinking ship, beating the Rams in a baseball score 9-7 last week, and their coach is coming under fire, their inactives are making more noise than the actives, and the Redskins offense have looked about as bad as Kevin Connelly acting. Lions win OUTRIGHT!!
Lions 16 Redskins 13
Bills (+6) Over Saints
-The only reason I am doing this is a favor towards my friend Andy, a diehard Bills fan who is going to this game. What do I really think of the Bills? Well, I wont say that in this space, but lets just say I have a planned upcoming column about them. The Saints offense looks like the greatest show on turf a good 10 years ago, and you can just hand Drew Brees the 2009 MVP trophy. I have no real basis for making this pick, so lets just say the Bills pull out a minor miracle.
Bills 26 Saints 24
Titans (+ 2.5) Over Jets
- Classic battle of the overconfident 2-0 team vs the need-to-win 0-2 team. The Jets are good, but not that good. The Titans are much better than they have played, that equals to a Titans victory. I understand the Jets hoopla, but its getting kind of nausating . Its week 3, rookie QB and Coach, what you really think this team is going places. Please. Kerry Collins knows better than anyone the winds of the Meadowlands.
Titans 27 Jets 17
49ers (+7) Over Vikings
- To me this is the most ridiculous line of the week. The Vikings have played a schedule the compares to Don Bosco Prep. This is FAR AND AWAY the most overrated team in the league. The Vikings do not have a home field advantage, and the 49ers are catching everyone off guard with a solid running attack and an unknown QB in Shaun Hill. O and by the way Shaun Hill is 9-3 as a starter, Brett Favre is almost 93 years old and has retired 93 times. Give me the niners in an upset.
49ers 28 Vikings 27
Texans (+3.5) Over Jags
- The Jags are done. I cannot believe I picked them over Arizona with that embaressing home field advantage. Their crowd is worse than a Rasheed Wallace guarentee. Its pathetic and they should not allow to have fans their. The Texans are on their way to a typical 7-9/ 8-8 Texans season.
Texans 37 Jags 20
Bears (-2) Over Seahawks.
- Check that, THIS is the most ridiculous line of the week. Hasselback hurt, the Seahawks are bad anyway, Da Bears coming off a big win, HOW IS THE LINE -2 SEATTLE!! I DONT UNDERSTAND. I hope for Vegas' sake the Bears win by 40. In fact, after my near perfect outrageous prediction in the Saints-Eagles game where I said the Saints would score 52 and they scored 48, I am going to make an outragous-final score-pick of the week. This is it.
Bears 47 Seahawks 17
Steelers (-4) Over Bengals
- If the Bengals had the rolley-polley cutting guy playing on the o-line, maybe the Bengals would have a chance. Everyone would just bounce off of him. Sadly, this will not take place. Depsite no Troy P., and zero running game, the Steelers are still much better than the surprising-almost 2-0-if not for a ridiculous play and even better braodcast call by Gus Johnson-Bengals.
Steelers 17 Bengals 10
Broncos (-1.5) Over Raiders
- I said this from the begininng, but now its coming to fruition: JaMarcus Russell is Ryan Leaf bad. So what if he has an arm if he cant hit water if he fell out of a boat. Another horrendous Al Davis decision and its upsetting to me he went to Syracuse. How bout them Broncos!! 2-0 and I think they will make it to 3-0. Could you imagine the s*** the Bears and especially Jay Cutler will get if the Broncos make the playoffs and the Bears dont? I cant wait.
Broncos 20 Raiders 6
Dolphins (+6) Over Chargers
- Did you happen to see how bad the play calling was for the Chargers last week? On a 3rd and 2 they pass the ball out of shotgun. Incomplete. On 4th and 2 they run up the middle, which of course is the strength of the Ravens defense. Stopped for a loss of 3 by Ray Lewis. I have said it before, and I will say it again, NEVER TRUST A NORV TURNER COACHED TEAM. Still, Tony Sprano's play calling vs the Colts last week was equally as bad. I dont know which terrible coach to take?
Chargers 30 Dolphins 27
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Colts (+1.5) Over the Cards
- Seriously, is there any doubt the Colts dont win this game? The Cards played well against a crummy Jags team. The Colts have Peyton Manning, and well come into that Space ship looking stadium and show them what a good team is all about. By the way, if there is such a thing as a reverse Gus Johnson, this is it, courtesy of Chris Meyers. This might be the single worse call in NFL history. (Good job Simmons)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcLR0-gdHS8
Colts 31 Cards 27
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Cowboys (-9) Over Panthers
-Tony Romo is becoming the single biggest choke artist in the last 20 years for a guy who is somehwhat good. However, this is how bad I think Carolina is this year. The line, some say is insane, is really not. The Cowboys of course are not a prime team team, a group of chokes, but they are still better than Carolina. Also, what is ESPN going to do that NBC did not last week? Why does this Cowboys Stadium need two prime time games on two different networks two weeks in a row? Extreme Jerry Jones ego thats what. I SOOOO want to pick against Dallas, but I cant because Jake Delhomme is Carolina's incompetant QB. However, it wont be without 3 more Romo picks.
Cowboys 34 Panthers 19
I will be back monday with Giants recap, tuesday with NFL recap, and throughout the week serving the miserable workers going 9-5 aka me next year.
-Lew
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Danny Clark Rips Cowboys Stadium
Apparently Danny Clark did not think the Jerry Jones half-dome was all that special.
Clark told Sirius XM satellite radio that the visiting locker room inside the stadium features few creature comforts. "There's not a lot of hot water in there," Clark said. "[Jones] cut some corners in the bathroom there." Clark also was dismissive of the noise factor created by an NFL-record crowd of 105,121. "It wasn't as loud as you would think 105,000 people would be," he said.
No love lost between these two teams.
-Lew
Clark told Sirius XM satellite radio that the visiting locker room inside the stadium features few creature comforts. "There's not a lot of hot water in there," Clark said. "[Jones] cut some corners in the bathroom there." Clark also was dismissive of the noise factor created by an NFL-record crowd of 105,121. "It wasn't as loud as you would think 105,000 people would be," he said.
No love lost between these two teams.
-Lew
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Finally the Jim Fassel Speech video is FOUND!!
Well, parts of it. Its part of a montage to coaching tirades. Pretty good quality though. You know, that Jim Fassel is quite they motivator. He should become the new Tony Robbins because when this guy speaks, we all listen.
(Fassel is at 1:18)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGXHxhDMBBY&feature=related
-Lew
(Fassel is at 1:18)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGXHxhDMBBY&feature=related
-Lew
Peter King are you Serious
Peter King's Top 5 teams look like this:
1. Ravens
2. Vikings
3. Saints
4. Jets
5. Giants
Excuse me? How much did you smoke when you wrote this. An ounce? I dont care about the Ravens, fine, but the JETS AT 4?? Listen, we all know your in bed with Brett Favre, and your probably having an orgasim at the sight of Sean Payton's offense run by Drew Brees. But lets get real here, THE JETS. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. For someone with an amazing knowledge of the sport, and a wonderful read, I am very dissapointed in these rankings.
Yours Truly,
Alex
Yes this is an actual email I just sent Peter King.
-Lew
1. Ravens
2. Vikings
3. Saints
4. Jets
5. Giants
Excuse me? How much did you smoke when you wrote this. An ounce? I dont care about the Ravens, fine, but the JETS AT 4?? Listen, we all know your in bed with Brett Favre, and your probably having an orgasim at the sight of Sean Payton's offense run by Drew Brees. But lets get real here, THE JETS. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. For someone with an amazing knowledge of the sport, and a wonderful read, I am very dissapointed in these rankings.
Yours Truly,
Alex
Yes this is an actual email I just sent Peter King.
-Lew
I dont think this would happen now
Take a look at Lynn Swann jumping a car during a game vs the Browns. No really, he jumped a car during a game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1NzOCftlow
-Lew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1NzOCftlow
-Lew
NFL Recap Plus #9 Mad Dog Moments
Week two is in the books, and I am here to rescue you from that boring 9-5 life that Robert Henderson of the Redskins described so vividly (in case you dont know this story I will cover it later in this column.
(Note: Result means did I pick the game right or not, "W" mean correct "L" means not, for all our 3rd graders out there)
Falcons 28 Panthers 20 (Result W)
If only I bet PA the over/under of 6 games for the Panthers. This team stinks. Simmons wrote a column on sunday about how Delhomme will bounce back etc. Didnt happen. Heres a telling sign, NFL films caught Smith saying to Delhomme "I love you as a person man, your a brother to me.....but not so much as a football player." Do you have confidence in this team? I dont.
Vikings 27 Lions 13 (Result L)
Couple things. One AP is the best running back I have seen since Sanders. Two, Farve looks DREADFUL despite the numbers. Three, the Vikings have played the Browns and Lions, both will go 3-13 IF THEY ARE LUCKY, so why is everyone getting on the Vikings bandwagon. I said this before, and I will say it again, this team might be the worst 11-5/ 12-4 team of alltime eclipsing the 1995 Chargers and 2000 Giants. If this team wins a playoff game I will personally drive to Minnesota and kick Brad Childress in the balls. O, and the Lions have lost 18 in a row and 25 of 26 games. This is getting so bad that Detriot forgot they had a football team like in that seen in Major League. (wait, Haber was the pitcher in that movie he can tell us all about it).
Bengals 31 Packers 24 (Result W)
I dont see ESPN going nuts about Aaron Rodgers for MVP anymore. Packers are a good team, but nothing special maybe 9-7, and Aaron Rodgers is good, but nothing to write home about. Meanwhile WHO DEY, WHO DEY, WHO DEY SAY GONNA BEAT DEM BENGALS!! 1-1!!!! Got to hand it to Marvin Lewis, he won more games than the Lions have in 2/ 12 years.
Texans 34 Titans 31 (Result L)
Not a good sign for the Titans. Apparently during that last drive Vince Young slipped Kerry Collins a roofy, which is the reason he inexplicable dropped the ball which resulted in a fumble. However, if you asked Vince to spell "win" he would not know how to even if you spotted him the "w" and the "n."
Raiders 13 Chiefs 10 (Result W)
Ummmmmm.....Did this game actually happen? I think every game in the AFC West not involving the Chargers and every game in the NFC West should be simulated in Madden. Whatever the final score and stats are is what goes down in the books. Stop wasting everyone's time.
Jets 16 Pats 9 (Result W)
Hey, a real game. My bet with PA is not looking too good, and the Jets defense suddenly looks like the 46 zone that the '85 Bears used courtesy of....Yes pappa Ryan, Buddy. The Jets suddenly look like a team that could win the division and maybe get to 10 wins. Problem is, defenses will catch up with the Jets stagnet and vinalla at best offense which consists of more bubble screens and swing passes than anyother offense in NFL history. Meanwhile, the Pats are in deep trouble. Brady is not the Brady I saw in '07 and years prior, hes too hesitant, doesnt throw deep, and does not have the poise he used to. O, and dont give me that Bills game, the Bills are cursed, any close game they play they automatically lose. If Pats fans give you the "well look at his last two drives against the Bills" they are making your point for you. Nothing makes me happier than to see a sore losing Belichick leaving the field. This guy is a disgrace, when the Pats downfall, which by the way begins this year, is complete in lets say 2011-2012 give or take, this guy is going to commit sucicide. The funny thing is, he is apparently a funny, normal guy according to Chad Ochiocinco, who of course is as normal and funny as they come.
Saints 48 Eagles 22 (Result W)
Some of you might have thought that 52-20 pick was outrageous, while it was pretty close to me. Everything I said came to fruition except for Brees 8 TDS that might have been a stretch. Can we calm down on this vaunted Eagles defense? Does giving up 48 points warrent that? For those who think Vick is going to play QB this year, it is more likly that he fights dogs with members of PETA during halftime at the Linc than play QB this year.
Redskins 9 Rams 7 (Result L)
Nothing to talk about other than the Redskins are atrocious. However, an unknown 6th round pick made headlines. He said this on Twitter about the Skins fans:
"All you fake half hearted Skins fan can .. I won't go there but I dislike you very strongly, don't come to Fed Ex to boo dim wits!!"
As Twitter followers fired back, Henson kept tweeting. "No I didn't play but I still made more than you in a year and you'd [gladly] switch spots with me in a second ... The question is who are you to say you know what's best for the team and you work 9 to 5 at Mcdonalds [sic]. You don't wanna follow me anymore then fine but we play for you and win lose or draw we represent you!! My guy on the Rams said they never got booed even when they didn't win a game."
You got to be kidding me. Little back ground on this guy. He has been inactive both games and some players on the team didnt know he was on the roster or the practice squad. This guy is a F****** disgrace. His apology was terrible and if I were Jim Zorn I would not only cut him, I would make sure he never gets a job again. Seriously, if this guy didn't have monstrous genes which enabled him to be a football player he would probably be homeless. The fans that work at McDonalds are priced out but STILL support the team which leads to your outrageous salary FOR DOING NOTHING BUT SIT ON THE BENCH!! I literally, LITERALLY had as much to do with this Redskins win then that asshole did. I am seriously going to root for the fact that he gets cut and has to work as a janitor cleaning up other Redskins fans S***!!!!
Cards 31 Jags 17 (Result L)
I was right about the Jags unintemidating enviorment. I was wrong about everything else that happend during this game. Warner 93% completion precentage. Del Rio should fire every defensive coach after that. Wait, he calls the defensive plays.
49ers 23 Seahawks 10 (Result W)
See what I wrote in the Raiders-Chiefs recap.
Bills 33 Bucs 20 (Result W)
T.O made a fool of himself, Buffalo beat a terrible team at home. Nothing new right. All is good in the world. If the G-Men dont beat the Bucs next week I am going to tear a hole through my wall. This will happen.
Bears 17 Steelers 14 (Result L)
These are not your Super Bowl 43 winning Steelers. Yes Pablo is calling for Rothlisberger's head, and probably wants Jeff Reed to die, but everyone relax. Steelers are still winning 11 games, making the playoffs and probably losing in the AFC title game. For the Bears, good performence by Cutler and the defense. This was a big win for them, and maybe they can rite the ship that was sinking after week 1.
Ravens 31 Chargers 26 (Result L)
Fantastic play by inmate number 34512....O I mean Ray Lewis at the end of the game. I was a little surprised though he did not simply shoot Darren Sproles instead of tackling him. It has happend before, just watcht "The Last Boy Scout."
Go to 3:40 pretty outrageous stuff. That was an era when you could do that, like when Robert Dinero killed John Kruck and a few other players in "The Fan." These movies could not be made today because they are actually enough crazy people would do this...Which brings me back to Ray Lewis.
Broncos 27 Browns 6 (Result W)
NEXT!!!!!
Giants 33 Cowboys 31 (Result W)
Just read my Giants recap you cant miss it. Beans pointed this out to me, did you catch Jerry Jones picking his nose? I think he needs this lucky potato guy. Watch this video, no joke.
And this one
And of course the now infamous Jerry Jones face
In fact, I am going to devote an entire post this week of funny Jerry Jones videos. He is such a clown.
Colts 27 Dolphins 23 (Result W)
I cant take MNF seriously. And it wont let me unbold this very annoying.
10-6 on the week with my picks.
Other funny stuff I came across.
Max Kellerman was a rapper??? Check out his video with his now deceased brother Sam. Also Columbia Records signed them...Just lost a lot of respect for Columbia Records.
I tried to download a funny audio Beans sent me but it didnt work. Sorry Beans.
NUMBER 9 MADDOG MOMENT
An Emotional Goodbye.
The last Mike and the Mad Dog Show where Chris Russo personally called into Mike and is/was the final time they have been on the air together. Russo starts crying and Mike tries to hold back tears and is too manly to cry. Dog, Dog, I doooont cry. Not my style. I dont cry. And Mike, dont compare yourself to the Beatles. That was pretty pathetic that you just compared yourself to the Beatles. Your a talk show host. Get over yourself.
I will post some more stuff during the week.
-Lew
Monday, September 21, 2009
Giants-Cowboys Recap
Statement game. Thats what I kept hearing from Giants fans yesterday ad the Giants came away with a thrilling 33-31 win over the hated Dallas Cowboys in the opening of their new stadium.
A couple of thoughts before I get into the game. This Cowboys stadium is a circus. As Don Banks said today on SI.com, this is more like a Vegas Casino opening that happend to have a football game going on. Now dont get me wrong, the stadium is probably RIDICULOUS and from the looks of it, looked like it was, but it is also an amusement park. (Side note: What the hell was NBC doing comparing the stadium to the St. Louis Arch...You can put two St. Louis arches in the stadium. Like what a random thing to compare it to.) Jerry Jones looked like he got another face lift before the game, in fact they probably offer that in this new stadium. Listen, I am a die hard Yankee fan, so I cant talk about stadiums, but this seemed a little over the top. Also, this was not a good litmus test for the punters hitting the screen. Jeff Feagles is not a booming punter, nor is Mcbriar, so dont let last night fool you with that. The story should not end with last night. With that, lets get to the game, and a recap of a huge Giants win.
What a win for the Giants. They are now 2-0 in the NFC and more importantly in the NFC East. They already got Dallas on the road out of the way, and now have three EXTREMELY winnable games on their plate. In fact, if they dont go 5-0 I am going to be furious. The G-Men should last night why they should be a force like they were last year, and made me trust this franchise and organization more so than I ever have before.
Eli Vs Romo 
Wow, can you have two more contrasting games. Eli played one of the best games I have ever seen him play. I have seen them all, and here are my top 5 best WHOLE games Eli has ever played. (Note *=Playoffs)
5. @ Seattle 2005: 29-53 344 yards 2 Tds 1 Int
4. @ Dallas 2007: 28-41 312 Yards 4 Tds 1 Int
3. @ Dallas 2009: 25-38 330 Yards 2 Tds 0 Int
2. @ Philly 2006: 31-43 371 Yards 3 Tds 1 Int
1. @ Green Bay 2007*: 21-40 251 Yards 0 TD 0 Int
4. @ Dallas 2007: 28-41 312 Yards 4 Tds 1 Int
3. @ Dallas 2009: 25-38 330 Yards 2 Tds 0 Int
2. @ Philly 2006: 31-43 371 Yards 3 Tds 1 Int
1. @ Green Bay 2007*: 21-40 251 Yards 0 TD 0 Int
Notice a couple things. For one, I did not put the Super Bowl on there. Eli played a brillant first and fourth quarter, but in the middle quarters was brutal at times. Second, the NFC title in my opinion is his best full game because of the conditions (being that it was -1 degrees, and the third cooldest playoff game in NFL history) and the pressure he was under. He made every big throw and his recievers dropped about 5-7 balls in that game. Lastly, every game was on the road proving my point that the swirling winds at Giants Stadium are deadly for QB's.
Eli was good enough last night to put him 3rd on that list. He made every throw, every right decision, and that ball to Super Mario for a TD was one of the best balls I have seen him throw. Dont look now, but Eli Manning folks, is turning into one of the top 3 most clutch QB's in the league right now. I would put him behind Brady and then its a toss up. I am dead serious. Eli Manning is more clutch than his brother right now. Everytime you ask him to move the team down the field in the wanning moments of a game, he does it. In fact, there is literally not a time I can think of he did not do it. Last possession of a game, down by a score, and Eli has the ball tell me a time where he didnt come thru. You cant because it never has happend. Thats how clutch this guy has been, and it wasnt any different last night.
Conversely, Tony Romo is proving why he might be out of the league pretty soon. The guy is an average QB. Remember in 2006 when everyone annoited him the new Cowboys savior? Well look now in 2009, do you have any faith in Tony Romo? I dont, and I think Cowboys fans are slowly realizing that as well. He will go down as another average QB that people will remember more for his chokes and off field relationships, than on field product.
RB
This was one of the first times I have seen a team completly shut down the Giants rushing game. Jacobs was silent, rushing for 58 on 16 carries, while Bradshaw had only 37 yards on 9 carries. Though it surprised me, it shouldnt have. In 2007 the Cowboys and Giants had a shootout in pretty much both games, in which the Cowboys neutrilized Jacobs, and the same in the home game in 2008. Jay Ratliff played an outstanding game and the Cowboys put 7 and sometimes even 8 in the box to shut down Jacobs.
Barber and Felix Jones put on a show for the Cowboys last night, as Barber ran for 124 and Jones for 97 and thought he had the game winning TD in the closing mins of last night. 251 total rushing yards, a fantastic number for the Cowboys, and a trend they should see some of in the future. Barber is a huge back with speed but its Felix Jones, who is the one to really worry about. He reminds me so much of Darren Sproles and remembering him at Arkansas supplanting Darren Mcfadden, he is doing much of the same in Dallas. I like his game, and I think he is going to be very valuable to Dallas in the future, and he showed why last night.
WR
The Giants have no recievers. The Giants cant win with out Plax. Who is the number one guy. That is all I heard leading up to the season. Well, I think we have an answer for all three. Yes they do, yes, and Mario Manningham/Steve Smith. What a game for those two. Its the first time in New York Giants history that two recievers have caught 10 or more balls in a game. Lets start with Super Mario first. He looked like a big time reciever last night. He caught everything, even when he juggled the ball, and had an explosive first step and tore up Terrance Newman. I said this before the season and I will say it again, I think Mario will step up and become this teams number one guy. After tonight, he is making me look good. As for Smith, what can you say, the guys the best route runner on the team, and made a defender look silly with his TD catch late in the game. He has all the tools to be a fantastic number 2 guy, and with 10 catches and 134 yards last night, those were number one guys numbers. Eli had 25 completions and 20 were to Manningham and Smith. Boss had a huge catch during the game winning drive, and Domink Hixon ended up leaving the game. Tremendous job by this so called "mysterious" recieving core.
Jason Witten usually destroys the Giants. Not yesterday. In fact, the Cowboys recievers were what everyone thought the Giants recievers would be: Non exsistent. They completely did not show up and made me realize that TO might be missed more than some might let on. T.O might be a distraction, and a clown, but he sure does help in the passing game, something the Cowboys desperatly needed last night.
O-Line
Fantastic job. Absolutly fantastic. The Giants O-Line completly shut down the Cowboys line in the passing attack. The run game, as I said, was non-exsistent, so I will let them have it for that, but as far as the passing game is concerned, what can you say other than brilliant. Eli did not get sacked, barely got touched, and Demarcus Ware, maybe the best pass rusher in the game, was absolutly shut down by Dave Diehl. Remember last year, Ware sacked Eli about 4 times and Diehl was visibly and emotional upset. Revenge is a bitch, and Diehl got his on Ware last night.
I am starting to hate this group more so than anybody on the Cowboys. Forget Leonard Davis who is a notriously dirty player, and a human monster at 6'8 375 pounds. Marc Columbo is a dirty player who got into some scuffles yesterday. Then there is Flozell Adams. Flozell Adams' leg whip on Justin Tuck should have gotten him ejected and most certainly will get him fined. He has a knack for leg whipping D-Ends who beat him, and Tuck was killing him off the edge so what does Adams do, he hurts Tuck on purpose. What an asshole. But this is why I love Justin Tuck, after the game he called the play bush league and basically said Adams is lucky he didnt get back into the game. I am already calling for three or more sacks by Tuck the next time these two teams play each other. Mark my words, the Giants will destory, DESTROY this team the next time they play.
D-Line
This was a tale of two games for this unit. Before Tuck got hurt they looked fine, they were getting after the ball, making some plays, and doing their job of hurrying Tony Romo. After Tuck got hurt this unit fell apart. This means a couple things. One, Justin Tuck is by far and away the most valuable player outside of Eli and maybe Jacobs on this team, and most certainly the most important player on defense. Second, it means that the ends that we thought we great, are not AGAINST THE RUN. Against the pass there fine, but the run not so much. In fact, there down right bad. I always loved Strahan and defended him to the death as best all around D-End when he played because he was the only guy outside of Reggie White that I have ever seen that could get after the passer AND the running game. Strahan was brilliant against the run. Tuck is molding into his mentor Strahan. Not only is he capable of 15 sacks a year, he stuffs the run with the best of them. This brings me to one guy, and one guy only and that is Osi. Osi played probably the worst game I have ever seen him play. There were times were he looked like he was lost. Remember a few weeks ago when Osi just left practice because D-Coordinator Bill Sheridan yelled at him? Well, it was probably because Osi cant play the run and was looking like shit. Osi never played the run well, but too be an elite and I mean ELITE like Justin Tuck, Demarcus Ware, Jared Allen type player, you need to stuff the run. Osi simply cannot, and that is why he is wildly overrated. He is like Robinson Cano. He has all the talent, puts up the stats, but when you really need him to be the guy and too come thru he does not. Hes not a big time player, never has been and never will be. Kiwi filled in for Tuck and did not do much, and I am souring a bit on him as a player. He has never filled out to be where I would like him to be as a rusher. No Canty, which meant the run stuffing was not going to be where it will be but Rickey Benard did not do well as the fill in.
For the Cowboys, this unit did a great job against the run, but awful with their rush. Jay Ratliff made a name for himself as he dominated in the run department. But where was Demarcus Ware? This is the first game I have seen him where he completly vanished. Non factor.
LB
The play Antonio Pierce made on the Bruce Johnson pick 6 was why he is so valuable to this team. As my friend Jesse knows, I defend Pierce and almost got into a brawl last year arguing about Antonio Pierce. Here is my take on Pierce, as a player he is not the same, he is fat, he is slow, and he cannot make the plays he used to or should. However, as a leader and a defensive coach on the field, he is up with the best of them. He audibled from an all-out blitz to cover two which led to the pick and the TD. That was all Pierce when he smacked his helmet screaming ALERT, ALERT!! Other than that, the linebackers looked BRUTAL. The run game is mainly the responsiblity of the linerbackers. Sometimes there are exception, but majority of the time it is there sole responsiblity to stop the run. The Giants gave up 251 yards on the ground. That reflects very, VERY poorly in the linebackers. Sure, you can say it was Boley's first start and he didnt know the defense that well. Bullshit I say. The real problem is that Pierce and Clark/Blackburn are not doing their jobs and getting after the runners. For the good Pierce does, he also does a lot of bad, and is somewhat of a liability on defense. When you give up 31 points and your offense had zero turnovers, and the special teams played had solid coverage, that is a very bad sign. I will give this week a pass because of the win, and because Tuck missed half the game, but I did not like what I say from the D-Line and LB's, ESPECIALLY the LB's.
Do I even have to cover the Cowboys LB's? We know what they did, they were great against the run, and just beyond atrocious against the pass. They let up every big play and did not get any pressure on Eli. Can we end it on that?
Secondary
Kenny Phillips showed why he was a first round pick and why everyone has been raving about him. First, that one pick off of Witten's foot would not happen if you tried that 1,000 times. However, the wherewithal of Phillips to run it to the house was very impressive. He could have easily just stopped because he might have thought the play was dead. Also, terrible, ATROCIOUS job by the officials to call that incomplete. They should have not blown the whistle, have the booth look at it since it was under two mins and have it showen that it was an INT and it would have resulted in a TD. Instead Giants ball at the Cowboys 28. The second pick was right to him, but he was in perfect position at the time. He also caught down Felix Jones a number of times and Barber once on a run near the end of the game that could he could have scored on. Phillips played very well. How about Bruce Johnson. After the NFL draft he was unemployed, 5 months later he gets the first defensive TD in Cowboys Stadium. Again, great job by Pierce adjusting everyone on that play. Webster was fantastic as well, shuting down Roy Williams. He did miss a big tackle thought that resulted in a first down. The secondary overall wss very excellent.
Again, not much to say on the Cowboys front. They were awful, Terrance Newman was schooled a number of times by Smith and Super Mario. Orlando Schandrik had 6 tackles but looked awful in coverage.
Special Teams
I guess Tynes is back. He has been an actuve Giant for two years and has sent them to the Super Bowl and won a huge game at Dallas. Not bad considering he was supposed to be gone after a dreadful start to the 2007 season. Going into the big thing was would Feagles or Mcbriar hit the huge video screen. Neither came close. Moss did nothing in the return game. The Giants coverage looked ok, but made a huge play after Bruce Johnson's pick 6 where they recovered a Felix Jones fumble on the ensuing kickoff return.
Coaching
Coughlin outsmarted Wade Phillips (Well, I could have outsmarted Wade Phillips, I think everyone who is a football fan could outsmart Wade Phillips) and officially put Phillips on the hot seat. Phillips has been in Dallas since 2007 and has done this:
2007: Went 12-4 and was the number 1 seed in the NFC, looked prime for a Super Bowl berth, far and away the best team in the NFC and 2nd or 3rd best in the NFL and lost in the Divisional Round at home vs the hated Giants, who of course went on to win the Super Bowl (had to put that in there).
2008: Went into the year a Super Bowl contender and ended up going 9-7 despite trading for Roy Williams in the middle of the year. The Cowboys had a prime playoff spot and collapsed losing three in a row including an embaressing 35 point loss to the Eagles in week 17.
2009: Lost the home opener of Jerry Jones' $1.2 Billion stadium on Sunday Night Football to the hated Giants.
Not a really impressive resume is it Wade. I am 99.999999999% sure he will be gone at the end of the year and either Bill Cowher, Mike Shannahan or Jason Garrett will be the coach. Gilbride called a good game outside the red zone. Inside it, the Giants have big, BIG problems that could very well bite them in the ass in the future. Sheridan's defense had a good scheme but they couldnt do much against the run without Justin Tuck.
Overall
An enourmous win for the G-Men. They proved that they are the team to beat in the NFC and possibly in the league. The are flying under the rader because they are a somewhat boring team, but all this "boring team" does is win games. Including Playoffs, they are 28-11 since 2007, and since the 2007 playoffs are 18-5. I can no longer use the "suffering Giants fan card" or be a negative Giants fan. They are a fantastic team. They are now expected to win and usually do. Good things now happen to them. These are not the Bills or the Jets where the fans think they will lose no matter what. This is now three years of winning, and four years, maybe going on five, of making the playoffs in a row. The Giants keep proving that they are a team to be wrecken with, and the Cowboys were victim number two. Next up for the Giants is a rematch of the 2007 wild card game against the Bucs. This SHOULD be an easy win but in the NFL you simply dont know. The Giants have put themselves in sole possesion of first place in the NFC East, and are in good shape with the next three games coming @ Tampa Bay, @ Kansas City, and home against Oakland. Going into New Orleans, they should be 5-0 and that will be an interesting game to say the least if they are 5-0.
Since this was an incredibly look Giants recap, look for the NFL recap tomorrow so I can include the monday night game. Go G-Men!!
-Lew
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Giants-Cowboys Preview
This column will have no pictures. I am being lazy and I also have other stuff to do so this preview is not going to be as comprehensive as last weeks. But dont worry, the recap will be very long and full of information.
What Is On the Line
The Giants open up the "Jerry Jones Half-Dome" today which cost $1.2 Billion to construct. It is full of bells and whistle and of course that HUUUUUGE screen. The Cowboys come into this game 1-0 off of a dominating win over the Bucs. The Giants are also 1-0 in which they dominated the Redskins. For the Giants, opening up 2-0 in the NFC east would be a very, very good start and would already be in prime position in the conference after only two weeks.
Who to Watch For
Watch for Tony Romo's ankle. Reports have surfaced that his ankle is really bothering him though he will play through it. This is good news for the Giants though as Romo will be limited in his mobility. The Giants should pressure Romo into making poor throws and try to get him to make mistakes. I would be very dissapointed if Romo had time to throw the ball like he did the last time the Giants and the Cowboys met.
Speaking of that last time, the Cowboys won 20-8 on Sunday Night Football with everyone on the team out except for Eli. That was the last game at old Texas Stadium, while today is obviously the first at the new Dome.
The Giants Plan
The Giants plan on running the ball like they always do and mix it up with Jacobs carrying the load and Bradshaw coming in as the shifty back. Look for a lot of the same type of plan the Giants ran last week vs Washington. They will run a lot of swing passes, short throws to Boss, and maybe some over the middle medium throws to Manningham/Hixon/Smith. I dont see the Giants throwing deep at all in this game like they did in the opener in 2007. Defensivly, look for a lot of blitzes and pressure on Romo, and beware of the deep ball Dallas is going to throw today.
The Cowboys Plan
As I just mentioned, they are going to pass, pass, and pass. Jason Garrett is smarter than the Redskins staff was and he is going to play against the Giants weakness, which right now is the Secondary. Look for Garett to throw some elaborate offensive schemes at the Giants, and call for Romo to throw a lot of deep balls to Williams or Crayton. Also, look for Romo to try to go vertical with the incredibly fast reciever out of Mommuth Miles Austin. Defensivly, the Cowboys will try to create one on ones for Demarcus Ware and try to stuff the vaunted Giants rushing attack.
Who Wins
When I first looked at the schedule, I immediatly thought we would lose this game. Throughout training camp I thought the same thing. However, after I saw what we did to Washington last week, I feel like we are going to pound the Cowboys in the mouth. The problem is no Chris Canty, and no Aaron Ross, which hurts, but thats not like no Cory Webster and no Justin Tuck. I can definatly see the Giants coming out flat, no pass rush, no running game and get destroyed. But, I feel like that was more of the old Giants team. This is a new guard, and I think they will prove that they are the best team in the NFC.
Giants 27 Cowboys 20
-Lew
What Is On the Line
The Giants open up the "Jerry Jones Half-Dome" today which cost $1.2 Billion to construct. It is full of bells and whistle and of course that HUUUUUGE screen. The Cowboys come into this game 1-0 off of a dominating win over the Bucs. The Giants are also 1-0 in which they dominated the Redskins. For the Giants, opening up 2-0 in the NFC east would be a very, very good start and would already be in prime position in the conference after only two weeks.
Who to Watch For
Watch for Tony Romo's ankle. Reports have surfaced that his ankle is really bothering him though he will play through it. This is good news for the Giants though as Romo will be limited in his mobility. The Giants should pressure Romo into making poor throws and try to get him to make mistakes. I would be very dissapointed if Romo had time to throw the ball like he did the last time the Giants and the Cowboys met.
Speaking of that last time, the Cowboys won 20-8 on Sunday Night Football with everyone on the team out except for Eli. That was the last game at old Texas Stadium, while today is obviously the first at the new Dome.
The Giants Plan
The Giants plan on running the ball like they always do and mix it up with Jacobs carrying the load and Bradshaw coming in as the shifty back. Look for a lot of the same type of plan the Giants ran last week vs Washington. They will run a lot of swing passes, short throws to Boss, and maybe some over the middle medium throws to Manningham/Hixon/Smith. I dont see the Giants throwing deep at all in this game like they did in the opener in 2007. Defensivly, look for a lot of blitzes and pressure on Romo, and beware of the deep ball Dallas is going to throw today.
The Cowboys Plan
As I just mentioned, they are going to pass, pass, and pass. Jason Garrett is smarter than the Redskins staff was and he is going to play against the Giants weakness, which right now is the Secondary. Look for Garett to throw some elaborate offensive schemes at the Giants, and call for Romo to throw a lot of deep balls to Williams or Crayton. Also, look for Romo to try to go vertical with the incredibly fast reciever out of Mommuth Miles Austin. Defensivly, the Cowboys will try to create one on ones for Demarcus Ware and try to stuff the vaunted Giants rushing attack.
Who Wins
When I first looked at the schedule, I immediatly thought we would lose this game. Throughout training camp I thought the same thing. However, after I saw what we did to Washington last week, I feel like we are going to pound the Cowboys in the mouth. The problem is no Chris Canty, and no Aaron Ross, which hurts, but thats not like no Cory Webster and no Justin Tuck. I can definatly see the Giants coming out flat, no pass rush, no running game and get destroyed. But, I feel like that was more of the old Giants team. This is a new guard, and I think they will prove that they are the best team in the NFC.
Giants 27 Cowboys 20
-Lew
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Ross out and other Giants news
According to my favorite Giants blogger Ralph Vacchiano and his blog "The Blue Screen" Aaron Ross will miss his 2nd straight game due to that balky hamstring. Sucks, because Ross really had a decent camp and had a few nagging injuries until that self-described "pop" he felt the final day of camp. Once again the G-Men will have to go with a thin secondary, though Kevin Dockery should be back. However, in practice today the secondary got a hit when not one but both safeties Kenny Phillips and Michael Johnson went down with injuries. Phillips' is a little more serious than Johnson's but both should be playing sunday.
The Giants made a couple of moves earlier today cutting O-Lineman Tutan Reyes, and D-Lineman Lugar Douzable. Both of them were complete non-factors, though some thought Reyes could supplant Seuburt or Diehl on the left side if one of them went down. Cornerback DeAndre Wright was also cut from the practice sqaud and so was running back Allen Patrick. All of these moves were made because...Michael Boley is back from his one game suspension, and Gartrell Johnson was picked up from the Chargers. Johnson was a fourth round pick last year of San Diego and it seems the Giants simply made a swap of 4th round Running back picks (Andre Brown their 4th round pick is out for the year with a torn ACL). Coughlin was quoted as saying Johnson could, "can be up in the line of scrimmage." Ok whatever you say Tom. Clearly this was a move to fill out the depth chart; an insurance policy if you will. Johnson will probably be on the team the rest of the year and either him or Ware, most likely him, will be cut at the end of the year.
-Lew
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Mad Dog Moments...Top 10 Chris Russo Moments
(Haber, Chris Russo, and Myself enjoying an "Out...OUT" pose...Notice our hands)
This is something I thought of the other day and decided to post. For those of you who dont know who Chris "Mad Dog" Russo is, he is...was, part of the greatest radio show in history outside of Howard Stern, the Mike and the Mad Dog show on WFAN. Of course, they broke up about a year ago, and Mike Francesca has gone to on to host his own show on WFAN and such. I have decided to honor the legendary Russo with posts that I call "Mad Dog moments." I will hand pick a bunch of videos I think are classics and post them on this blog.
My favorite story in the whole world from Mike and Chris was "The Marquee" a segment during every Super Bowl week, where Russo would dress up like a 18th century French marquee and ask three IMPOSSIBLE Super Bowl questions. Anyone who got all three questions right would win Super Bowl tickets. The questions could range from "who has the most career Super Bowl Touchdowns" to "What was the result of the 15th play called in Super Bowl VII." It lasted a week long, or until a few people actually got all the questions right, and was BY FAR AND AWAY the best shows they ever did.
Anyway, my moment was when the Giants shocked the world and won the NFC to go to Super Bowl XLII against the Pats. About seven of us sat in front of the TV and looked up every single questions and tried calling once every five seconds.
Without further ado, here is the # 10 Greatest Chris Russo moment of all-time.
(Only Chris Russo would go on radio and bash a horse...Let me repeat, a horse)
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