Friday, October 16, 2009

Go to hell!

Tom Brady is going to hell, according to some church in North Carolina, because he has a baby mama, to whom he is not married, among other reasons.
The Amazing Grace Baptist Church recently put out a list of athletes who are headed for damnation, and Brady is among the headliners.
It’s easy to dismiss this list as an organization of Christian nut jobs trying to make headlines, but they’re right about Brady.

Do you know how I know?

Because I am almost certainly going to hell (if there is one, which I doubt), and in my version of hell, I have to believe Brady will be there.

But we’ll have company, according to the brilliant minds at Amazing Grace Baptist Church. Among the other evil souls on the list are former NFL safety Adam Archuleta (who’s engaged to and has a child with a Playboy Playmate), Bulls forward Joakim Noah (long hair is offensive to God), and Richard Petty (worships racing, cheated to win).

With these kinds of standards, is any pro athlete safe? Jesus (lord’s name taken in vain on purpose), even A.C. Green is probably going to hell, and I’m pretty sure he’s still a virgin.

Maybe this is why there are so many over-the-top Christian athletes (looking at you, Tim Tebow), who as George Carlin once said, praise Jesus whenever they win … but never mention his name when they lose.

Having sex and dating or marrying models are sinful acts, so athletes try to balance that out with devout faith.

Hey, good luck to them. Hopefully that helps keep them off the Amazing Grace Baptist Church’s naughty list.

But if hell has the kind of clientele I think it will, along with the athletes this church claims will be there, it shouldn’t be half bad.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Bye bye, Boise

Each college football season, speculation runs rampant about what might happen if a team from a non-BCS conference goes undefeated. Will that team go to a BCS bowl game? Is there any chance it gets a shot at the national championship?

This year, the answers to those questions, as they pertain to Boise State (the only non-BCS team with a chance to crash the BCS party), are as follows: Probably, and absolutely not.

The Broncos most likely will go undefeated, which will be enough to put them in a BCS bowl game. But as far as playing the SEC or Big 12 champion in the BCS national championship game, Boise blew that slim chance on Thursday night ... when it won ... by only seven points.

When the end of the season rolls around, a victory is what will keep Boise State out of the title game. Another clear-cut example of how Football Bowl Subdivision college football is broken.

Scott Barrett will disagree, because the system in place has allowed his beloved Florida Gators to win two national championships in the past three years, and chances are, they'll play for a third this season against Texas.

I won't go into too much ranting about how college football needs a playoff. It would take the guesswork out of the polls and strength of schedule, etc., but not going to happen anytime soon

So what's a small-conference team to do? Schedule some non-conference games against good teams from BCS conferences. Boise State did that this year, and beat Oregon. And while that looks good this season, it's going to hurt them in years to come, because teams like Florida, Texas, USC and Alabama have little to gain from playing a team like Boise State, and they have everything to lose. So smaller programs are going to have a harder and harder time finding BCS conference teams willing to play.

Can you imagine this system in the NFL? It's ludicrous to even think that it might work to decide a champion in a 32-team league. Instead, it's used to decide a champion in a 120-team subdivision of college football.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

NFL in no Rush for Limbaugh

Remember when you told your parents what you wanted to be when you grow up? And they replied, "You can be anything you want to be as long as you put your mind to it."

Well, that's not true.

Rush Limbaugh, the controversial radio talk show host, announced last week he is partnering with Dave Checketts, managing partner of the St. Louis Blues, in an attempt to purchase the St. Louis Rams. The one problem is that 24 of 32 current NFL owners would have to approve the deal. And from the looks of things, that's not going to happen today, tomorrow or ever.

Parts of this bother me, and others certainly don't. I mean, Rush's money is green just like your money and my money. To keep him from purchasing something he desires is simply non-American. Limbaugh has said he's a huge fan of the NFL and being an owner is a longtime dream.

Who's to stop him?

Well, apparently he is. Limbaugh's words are often a lightning rod for the likes of Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson, both of whom spoke out against Limbaugh earlier this week. While I personally think he chooses his words just for the shock value, he no doubt can be offensive. In 2004, he quickly resigned from a job at ESPN after insinuating that Donovan McNabb is overrated because the media has longed for a black quarterback to experience success.

DeMaurice Smith, head of the NFL Players Association, asked players to speak out against Limbaugh. Some said they wouldn't play for him, but I find that extremely hard to believe because in the long run, they know what color his money is, too.

The NFL has clown owners already - just look at what's happening in Dallas and Miami. I think Rush deserves his shot at ownership, but not if he's going to use the post as a platform for his right-wing rhetoric.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Week 5 High School Football Poll

Four straight lopsided wins wasn’t enough to move Middletown into the top 5, but the Islanders jumped into the top 6 after their bye week. They have Tiverton to thank. Apparently Ponganset’s near miss against the Tigers was enough to convince voters that Ponaganset is not worthy of the No. 6 spot.

Portsmouth, which also had a Week 4 bye, dropped to No. 11. Tiverton fell from 17 to 18 after its 15-14 loss to the undefeated Chieftains. Rogers, which debuted in the poll at No. 17 last week, is unranked this week after a non-league loss to Durfee, Mass. Unfortunately, that may have been the Vikings’ only appearance in the top 20 this season.

At the top, things again look very much the same, with La Salle, Barrington, East Providence, West Warwick and South Kingstown holding steady at 1-4. I put Barrington at No. 1 this week, after its 14-0 win over No. 3 East Providence. But barring an unexpected La Salle loss next week against Cranston West, the Rams seem to have a stranglehold on the top spot — at least until their date in Barrington on Nov. 6.

Team Points Last week
1. La Salle (5) 157 1
2. Barrington (3) 155 2
3. East Providence 137 3
4. West Warwick 128 4
5. South Kingstown 126 5
6. Middletown 109 7
7. Cranston East 108 9
8. Ponaganset 105 6
9. Woonsocket 93 12
10. Hendricken 92 11
11. Portsmouth 84 10
12. Mount Hope 64 8
13. Johnston 61 15
14. Cranston West 45 16
15. Westerly 42 18
16. Coventry 38 NR
17. Hope 29 20
18t. Lincoln 21 13
18t. Tiverton 21 17
20. Moses Brown 18 NR

Dropped out (last week’s rank): Cumberland (14), St. Raphael (17).

Others receiving votes: Cumberland 17, St. Raphael 12, Classical 7, Central 4, East Greenwich 3, Mount Pleasant 1, Toll Gate 1.

Participating publications: The Chariho Times, The Coventry Courier, The Cranston Herald, The East Greenwich Pendulum, The Narragansett Times, The Newport Daily News, The Northeast Independent, The North Kingstown Standard Times, The South County Independent, The Warwick Beacon, The Westerly Sun.

Monday, October 12, 2009

When the rust settles

I found myself yelling at the television quite a bit on Sunday. Mostly, my ire was aimed at Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who consistently missed his targets during a frustrating 20-17 overtime loss to the Broncos.

The three-time Super Bowl champ completed just 5 of 14 passes for 63 yards in the second half after a decent first half. During those final 30 minutes, Denver rallied from a 17-7 deficit to tie the game and eventually win it in OT.

Screaming my head off at the TV, a friend said, “Brady’s still trying to get the rest off.”

Really? How long does one need to shake off this rust? Even for a guy coming off major knee surgery, one who hadn’t played in more than a year and a half, nine weeks (including the preseason) should be enough time to get your timing and arm strength back. With the offensive weapons the Patriots possess, 17 points is flat out terrible.

Some of the talking heads, and a few of the callers, blamed the loss on the New England defense. Sure, the Patriots allowed Denver to march 98 yards for the game-tying score — aided by a phantom taunting call — and 54 yards for the game-winning field goal, but Tom Brady and company couldn’t get a first down to give the defense a breather.

Here’s a breakdown of New England possessions in the second half: three and out; one first down, then three and out; two first downs via penalties, then punt; three and out; Brady fumbles on second down; Brady kneels and plays for overtime.

Three first downs in the second half, two thanks to Denver miscues. Bill Belichick will tell you it’s a team game, but Brady can shoulder the load for this loss. And for a team that is now 3-2 , I hope this rust issue is settled sooner than later.