There are some things, no longer worth bitching about. The NFL is never - repeat - NEVER going to get rid of "Instant" Replay. And coaches are never going to stop making idiotic challenges. So with that, I'll let you figure out how I feel about the first play of the Ravens-Steelers game ending up with an excitement crushing 8 minute delay to look at a bad spot of about 15 yards.
With that, I'm out.
T.J. Houshmanzadeh was once upon a time, considered an "A-list" free agent at WR. Seattle bought that notion, paid him a lot of money, and quickly figured out he's just another in a long line of non-difference-making wideouts. For further reference, please see: Price, Peerless. Harper, Alvin. Moulds, Eric. Boston, David. Et, al.
Generally speaking, the more mouthy and cocky a wide receiver is, the better the chance that when a catch absolutely has to be made, he'll drop it.
Many teams, when defending a 3rd and very long, like to employ the old 3-man rush, 8-men in coverage scheme. The conventional wisdom is, at least you won't allow a wideout to "get behind" your secondary. Well, how did that work for Baltimore, Saturday? Personally, I would never rush fewer than 5 guys in these 3rd-and-long spots. If you can't cover 4 wideouts with 6 guys, you suck.
I know somebody who is a Cowboy fan, whose son is a 4 year old Packer fan. She was trying to explain to her son why "the Packers are in the playoffs and the Cowboys are not." I said: "Rationalizing Jerrah's destructive narcissism to a four year old is a tall task. Good luck."
I'm thinking long and hard about going to Chicago to try to see the NFC Championship. My agent, the fabulous Matt Miller is a native Chicagoan and of course, Bears fan. I am betting tickets will be 4-figures, easily. But in a way, this game might be a more epic experience than the Super Bowl. Home field advantage game. Cold, snow, rivalry. What do you think? If your team was already out of the playoffs, and you had a choice between this game, and the Super Bowl, which would you choose?
Fox sent its Kenny, Moose, and Goose crew to do the Bears-Seahawks. It's supposed #2 crew. Whatever. Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan are 10x better, IMHO.
Despite my recent criticism of the Fox dream team, Buck-Aikman and Oliver, I thought they had an outstanding broadcast Saturday night. Buck was finally alive and animated on all the big plays, and Aikman delivered some strong and good opinions.
Two weeks ago on The Sports Reporters on ESPN980 in Washington D.C., Mel Kiper opined that Aaron Rodgers "needs" to win a playoff game to validate himself as a great QB. I love Mel, but I hated that argument then, I hate it now, and I'll hate it the next time an NFL talking head uses it. For one, Rodgers actual playing career is just in it's adolescence. It's not like he has a long string of playoff chokes to his name. Also, last year, Rodgers put up 45 against Arizona in a loss. Hardly his fault! Finally, the body of work Rodgers has authored - both statistically, and to the trained football eye - has demonstrated just how good he already is. A mere playoff win, is just icing, it's not "validation."
Somebody I know, a mere 14.5 months ago, dared to stand on the crowded top steps entering Lambeau Field, holding a sign that read: "In Ted I Trust". With the Packers at just 5-5, the crowd thought this person was surely, a loose village idiot. Now, the Packers have a ridiculously deep, young, and talented team that has absorbed a crushing 17 players on IR this year, and just went through the #1 seed like Sherman through Atlanta.
Karmic timing is a beautiful thing. Just this week, Brett Favre's sister washed up in a Mississippi meth lab raid. Then Rodgers goes 31-36, 366 yards, 3 TDs, 1 rushing and a rating of 136.8. Can you imagine, if Favre was still with the Pack, having to deal with his personal family situation before this game, the media drama, and such?
In the span of just one week, we went from "it's Sarah Palin's fault" to the revelation that Jared Loughner was so whack-a-doo that he took photos of himself in a red g-string posing with his gun the night before his gutless, twisted, and psychotic act. In between, we learned he's a high school dropout, dope smoking, paranoid, live-at-home, community college student who doesn't read the newspaper, watch TV, or listen to talk radio. One week. Polls show the American public rejects overwhelmingly any notion that this was a political act. The mainstream media and the lunatic left need some serious mental counselling of their own.
What can we do, to entice somebody at Playboy to do a special edition "The Fake Bartenders of Those Miller Lite Ads". Please. Pretty, please.
The Seahawks, were who we thought they were. That is all.
Pete Carroll, down 28-0, with 1:57 left in the 3rd quarter, on 4th and 9 from the 12, decides to kick a field goal instead of go for it. Another example of how most NFL coaches, are purely emotional creatures, not logical ones.
With 13:22 to go, the Bears lead 28-3 and can/should, literally hand the ball off every single down, punt, play defense, and go home for hot chocolate and a berth in the NFC Championship game. Instead, Mike Martz calls a direct snap, wildcat-option play, in which (predictably) a running back throws an ill-advised pass that is intercepted. Why? Because that's what Mike Martz does. Just go with it.
The Redskins are 2-0 against the two NFC Championship teams, which should make our owner even more delusional about the relative strength of his own team. Hold your hats, once the league resumes free agency.
The Jets stunning win at the Patriots, has to go town as one of the all-time "walk your own talk" victories in not just NFL history, but sports history. It's not often that Tom Brady looks unsure, uncomfortable, and confused. I don't think I will ever be a Rex Ryan "fan" but my respect for what he did this week, is huge.
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