The more I think about it, the more I like New England's chances in the playoffs. But they're only 9-5, and they seemingly can't win a playoff game on the road, you say. True. Yet here's why I like the Pats going forward.
This week's game against the Jags is a must-win. Period. This week is the Super Bowl. Why? Because that'll secure a playoff berth, and Tom Brady - and any other players who are dinged up - can get a rest in Week 17.
New England would get a first-round home game against one of the many AFC teams in the mix for the two wild card spots. Personally, I'd like to see Denver, only because you know Josh McDaniels doesn't want to give Belichick another shot (especially at home).
Assuming the Patriots advance (and fans should be confident, considering the Patriots are perfect at home this year), they'd get Indianapolis on the road in the conference semifinals. OK, less confidence here, but clearly New England can hang with the Colts. And are you going to tell me there isn't going to be even a little extra motivation for that month's worth of 4th-and-2 talk?
Should Brady and company advance, waiting likely will be the Chargers, New England's biggest adversary this decade. Remember Troy Brown stripping the ball and recovering the fumble after Brady's interception? Remember sealing the Super Bowl berth with a 20-12 victory in the 2007 season?
Look, these are probably long shots, but I'm just trying to point out that they're not as long as some may think. And remember my Super Bowl pick at the beginning of the season.
New England 42, Minnesota 20.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
City of Brotherly hate
The word fan stems from the word fanatical, and these days, people are taking that to the extreme. This video is from Sunday's game between host Philadelphia at the San Francisco 49ers. As you can see, the rowdy Eagles fans (who've been known to throw snowballs at Santa Claus) pelt 49ers fans unmercifully until they are escorted away from security (those Paul Blart types).
Keep in mind, the Eagles won the game in a rout. What the hell is wrong with people? What gives them the right do this? Is this not assault? I know they're just snowballs, but fans have to be responsible for their actions. If I'm not mistaken, it was a thrown object that started the brawl at the Palace five years ago.
If I were the fans in the video, I would write to Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and president Joe Banner and demand a public apology for the actions of these idiotic fans. I would insist security be beefed up to handle these kinds of situations, and fans seen acting in a rowdy manner be thrown out and no longer admitted. I would call for a one-strike-and-you're-out rule.
I'm going to the Patriots game this Sunday (as a fan, not as a reporter) and I expect to cheer on the Pats, maybe throw some verbal jabs at the Jaguars, but what I won't to do is chuck objects at Jacksonville fans. They have just as much right to be there as you and I.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Randy responds ...
Well, sort of.
The New England Patriots receiver, who was accused all week of "dogging it" against the Panthers last week (after a win, no less), let his play do the talking on Sunday against the Bills. He caught five passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.
After the game, Moss addressed the media. And that's an understatement.
"Ya'lls had all two weeks to do your talkin', not let me do mine," Moss told reporters. "You know it's been really a tough couple of weeks, but you move on, you know. That's the nature of the game. So I'm happy that we got this victory.
"I appreciate all of the support from my true fans, the players, the coaches, my family and loved ones," he continued. "I've been in this league 12 years and I've been through a lot.
"These shoulders I have on my body, you can put the Earth on it. So just to let you know, I bounce back."
Then, without taking questions, he left the podium.
You know what? Good for him. I would have done the same. I couldn't believe the "dogging it" talk was still being talked about on Saturday morning. Maybe it was a slow week, or maybe the media just sometimes goes too far.
If the latter is the case, I hope they get on Wes Welker, who caught just four passes for 40 yards and had a few drops, much like Moss the week before. But you know that won't be the case. Welker is the media's little darling, while Moss simply marches to the beat of his own drummer. And that doesn't sit well with the media.
So they write about him negatively. No wonder he rarely talks to reporters.
The New England Patriots receiver, who was accused all week of "dogging it" against the Panthers last week (after a win, no less), let his play do the talking on Sunday against the Bills. He caught five passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.
After the game, Moss addressed the media. And that's an understatement.
"Ya'lls had all two weeks to do your talkin', not let me do mine," Moss told reporters. "You know it's been really a tough couple of weeks, but you move on, you know. That's the nature of the game. So I'm happy that we got this victory.
"I appreciate all of the support from my true fans, the players, the coaches, my family and loved ones," he continued. "I've been in this league 12 years and I've been through a lot.
"These shoulders I have on my body, you can put the Earth on it. So just to let you know, I bounce back."
Then, without taking questions, he left the podium.
You know what? Good for him. I would have done the same. I couldn't believe the "dogging it" talk was still being talked about on Saturday morning. Maybe it was a slow week, or maybe the media just sometimes goes too far.
If the latter is the case, I hope they get on Wes Welker, who caught just four passes for 40 yards and had a few drops, much like Moss the week before. But you know that won't be the case. Welker is the media's little darling, while Moss simply marches to the beat of his own drummer. And that doesn't sit well with the media.
So they write about him negatively. No wonder he rarely talks to reporters.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Evil Tiger
Now that Tiger Woods' image is crumbling in light of his recent off-the-course issues, some have begun to speculate how he can rebuild said image. He should go on Oprah and spill his guts. He should apologize to everyone on the planet. Blah, blah blah.
Here's a thought you won't read anywhere else. He shouldn't bother trying to rebuild the Tiger Woods we all thought we knew. He should embrace what he has become in the public eye. Find his inner Happy Gilmore and give a big middle finger to everyone in the golf world, sponsors included.
The man has made a billion dollars as a professional athlete. He doesn't need more endorsement money. And since he, seemingly, will soon be without a wife, he'll have plenty of time to spend on the golf course, working on his game.
Then play a full PGA Tour schedule, and dominate. Embarass the competition (more than he already tends to). Win tournament after tournament, and in press conferences after the trophy presentation, ask Accenture, Gatorade and any other company that dropped him as a spokesperson, "How you like me now, chumps?"
Sooner than later, they'll come crawling back, and Tiger can tell them all, publicly, to F off.
Even though most will forget about all of the recent Woods news in a matter of months, some will never forget, or forgive him for what he did. So why bother trying to win them back?
Be Evil Tiger. I bet he'd be pretty good at it, and it would be pretty entertaining.
Here's a thought you won't read anywhere else. He shouldn't bother trying to rebuild the Tiger Woods we all thought we knew. He should embrace what he has become in the public eye. Find his inner Happy Gilmore and give a big middle finger to everyone in the golf world, sponsors included.
The man has made a billion dollars as a professional athlete. He doesn't need more endorsement money. And since he, seemingly, will soon be without a wife, he'll have plenty of time to spend on the golf course, working on his game.
Then play a full PGA Tour schedule, and dominate. Embarass the competition (more than he already tends to). Win tournament after tournament, and in press conferences after the trophy presentation, ask Accenture, Gatorade and any other company that dropped him as a spokesperson, "How you like me now, chumps?"
Sooner than later, they'll come crawling back, and Tiger can tell them all, publicly, to F off.
Even though most will forget about all of the recent Woods news in a matter of months, some will never forget, or forgive him for what he did. So why bother trying to win them back?
Be Evil Tiger. I bet he'd be pretty good at it, and it would be pretty entertaining.
Taking sports for face value
These days, nobody in the sports world is clean, it seems. Between the steroid scandal in baseball, the referee betting scandal in pro basketball, the recruiting violations in college basketball and the sex scandal in golf, fans should be rather jaded. Some of them are, but this one is not.
Yes, I have my opinions. Barry Bonds shouldn't be allowed in the Hall of Fame, and Pete Rose should be inducted as soon as possible. I don't care what Tiger Woods did during his private time, he's still the Athlete of the Decade.
Call me an old softy, but I take sports for face value. I know there's going to be cheaters. There have been since the spitball (thanks Frank Corridon), but it never seems to bother me. I watch sports because I love the idea of competition and don't worry too much about what's happening off the field, court or course.
Yes, I think those who are guilty ruin the experience somewhat, but not enough for me to stand on my soapbox and scream bloody murder. For as long as teams will compete against one another, someone will find a way to cheat the system. Records have fallen because of cheaters, and games that were won should have been lost because of cheaters. Heck, even the BCS is cheating in a way, considering the NCAA only cares about lining its own pocket come bowl time. That's life.
I'd like to think, though, that for every incident involving cheaters, there's a thousand examples of why we love these games and these players.
Yes, I have my opinions. Barry Bonds shouldn't be allowed in the Hall of Fame, and Pete Rose should be inducted as soon as possible. I don't care what Tiger Woods did during his private time, he's still the Athlete of the Decade.
Call me an old softy, but I take sports for face value. I know there's going to be cheaters. There have been since the spitball (thanks Frank Corridon), but it never seems to bother me. I watch sports because I love the idea of competition and don't worry too much about what's happening off the field, court or course.
Yes, I think those who are guilty ruin the experience somewhat, but not enough for me to stand on my soapbox and scream bloody murder. For as long as teams will compete against one another, someone will find a way to cheat the system. Records have fallen because of cheaters, and games that were won should have been lost because of cheaters. Heck, even the BCS is cheating in a way, considering the NCAA only cares about lining its own pocket come bowl time. That's life.
I'd like to think, though, that for every incident involving cheaters, there's a thousand examples of why we love these games and these players.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Sad but true
Upon hearing of the death of Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, one can't help but feel for his teammates, friends and family. But it's also hard to fathom how his death is not, in large part, his own fault.
This was a talented player who couldn't seem to stay on the field, most recently because of injury, but more often than not because he found himself in some kind of trouble, on or off the field. A couple years ago, when much was made of the Bengals piling up arrests, many of those arrests were Henry's. The Bengals released the sixth-year receiver out of West Virginia in 2007 after his fifth arrest. He eventually was brought back to Cincinnati, and had been on relatively good behavior ... until Wednesday.
In the coming weeks, more and more facts will come to light about how Henry was thrown from the back of his fiancee's pickup truck after what police are calling a domestic dispute. But regardless of what we learn, nothing changes the end result of this incident.
Perhaps other athletes can learn from this and avoid the pitfalls that continually found Henry. It's unfortunate, to say the least, that Henry was unable to figure out his life before he lost it.
This was a talented player who couldn't seem to stay on the field, most recently because of injury, but more often than not because he found himself in some kind of trouble, on or off the field. A couple years ago, when much was made of the Bengals piling up arrests, many of those arrests were Henry's. The Bengals released the sixth-year receiver out of West Virginia in 2007 after his fifth arrest. He eventually was brought back to Cincinnati, and had been on relatively good behavior ... until Wednesday.
In the coming weeks, more and more facts will come to light about how Henry was thrown from the back of his fiancee's pickup truck after what police are calling a domestic dispute. But regardless of what we learn, nothing changes the end result of this incident.
Perhaps other athletes can learn from this and avoid the pitfalls that continually found Henry. It's unfortunate, to say the least, that Henry was unable to figure out his life before he lost it.
Hitting on the NFL
PERFECTLY ANNOYING: As a Patriots fan, I'm starting to see how the other side lives. No, not the fact that New England is 8-5 and can only be considered an average team. But as the Saints and Colts get closer to completing perfect regular seasons, nobody can shut up about it.
So I'm starting to see how, maybe, it was a bit annoying two years ago, when the Pats finished 16-0 and the talk about the "perfect season" was everywhere. I didn't notice it then, only because I was in a complete euphoric state. Now, it's just plain old lame, especially because I loathe Peyton Manning.
SILENT OWENS: As the Patriots prepare for the Bills this weekend, I noticed that Terrell Owens hasn't been his usual loudmouth self this season. It could be that his numbers have dropped off as he plays in a stagnant offense, or that his team is one of the worst in the NFL. Still, it's been quite nice, don't you think?
RIP CHRIS HENRY: It just came over the AP wire that Bengals receiver Chris Henry died this morning after falling out of a pickup truck on Wednesday. I'll be honest, when I first heard he was "seriously" injured after what appears to be a domestic dispute, I didn't give it much thought. He's always been, and figured to always be, a trouble maker, having been arrested multiple times since 2005.
But no matter how much of a bonehead he was off the field, stuff like this puts things in perspective. Godspeed.
So I'm starting to see how, maybe, it was a bit annoying two years ago, when the Pats finished 16-0 and the talk about the "perfect season" was everywhere. I didn't notice it then, only because I was in a complete euphoric state. Now, it's just plain old lame, especially because I loathe Peyton Manning.
SILENT OWENS: As the Patriots prepare for the Bills this weekend, I noticed that Terrell Owens hasn't been his usual loudmouth self this season. It could be that his numbers have dropped off as he plays in a stagnant offense, or that his team is one of the worst in the NFL. Still, it's been quite nice, don't you think?
RIP CHRIS HENRY: It just came over the AP wire that Bengals receiver Chris Henry died this morning after falling out of a pickup truck on Wednesday. I'll be honest, when I first heard he was "seriously" injured after what appears to be a domestic dispute, I didn't give it much thought. He's always been, and figured to always be, a trouble maker, having been arrested multiple times since 2005.
But no matter how much of a bonehead he was off the field, stuff like this puts things in perspective. Godspeed.
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