DSRTSV - 11/18/08

Early last year Gerry McNamara was called overrated by a Syracuse paper. Well, not really, it was actually a Jim Boeheim assistant who told the paper on the condition of anonymity.

Well Boeheim didn't like that...and he let it known:




And no, I couldn't find any instance of Boeheim being fined for the comments.

"10 fucking games!"

In Dallas: Everything Must Go!

Think the economy was going south before?

The Dallas Cowboys have announced that they will be auctioning off practically everything at Dallas Stadium. Costs range from 50 dollars (for a "No Bags or Purses" sign) to roughly $3,000 for the lockers of Terrell Owens or Tony Romo.

Other fun items:

• Numerous lighting fixtures
• Seating Signs
• Turnstiles
  
• Rugs/Mats
• Warning Signs
• Phones...
• Sinks
• Showers
• Tubs
  
• Too many stars to count

And the coup-de-grace. You can own the "Throne of Champions" (pictured above) for just a $500 opening bid. Yes you can own the very seat where the likes of Leon Lett or Larry Allen dropped a massive deuce.

I wonder what you think when you outbid someone to own the great shitter of the Dallas Cowboys?

Sweet...

NFC Playoff Picture (Week 12 Edition)

We are coming up on week 12 in the 2008 NFL season and only two of the four National Football Conference divisions have clear leaders. Unlike last year, the NFC appears to have some legitimate teams. Though not all is good in the NFC. In fact, they have the only winless team left, the Detroit Lions (0-10), who are dead last in the NFC North division. Will the NFC have a Super Bowl winner again this year? Read on to find out:

NFC North:

Green Bay Packers 5-5

Chicago Bears 5-5

Minnesota Vikings 5-5

Detroit Lions 0-10

This division seems to be on par with the very weak AFC West. The top three teams all being tied for first, and really, any one of the three could easily win the division in the end. If Chicago's QB Kyle Orton can stay healthy they have the potential to win it. But, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers has shown a lot of promise, especially in Green Bay's 37-3 blowout victory on Sunday over the Bears.

Green Bay's only real test remaining on their schedule is their week 13 matchup with the 8-2 Carolina Panthers. Minnesota's remaining schedule looks to be a lot tougher, and I just don't think the Bears have the firepower to beat out the Pack for this division. Sunday's game, again, told me everything.

As for Detroit. Oh, man have they got a lot of things to work on. First of all, having Daunte Culpepper as their QB isn't going to do much good. Plus, when you add in the defensive weaknesses and lack of coaching, you've got a whole lot of trouble in Detroit...Like usual. Detroit still hasTampa, Tennessee, Indy, New Orleans and the Pack to play. There's a chance the Lions could be the first team to go 0-16 in NFL history.

Division winner: PackersNFC East:

New York Giants 9-1

Dallas Cowboys 6-4

Washington Redskins 6-4

Philadelphia Eagles 5-4-1

Eli Manning and his Giants look to be well on their way to another playoff appearance. This time, with a division title to their name. They very easily could be 10-0, like the Titans of the AFC South. Though their remaining schedule is pretty tough, the Giants will easily roll into the playoffs with the top seed.

Tony Romo saved the Cowboys season with the 14-10 victory over the 6-4 Washington Redskins on Sunday, and you can't rule them out of the playoffs just yet. If Dallas can win four of their last six games, they have a shot at a playoff spot. But, that obviously won't be an easy task. Yes, their next two games are winable (49ers, Seahawks), but their last four games are tough matchups with Pittsburgh, New York (Giants), Baltimore and Philly.

The Redskins, tied with Dallas, are still alive as well. The 7-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers currently lead the wild card race, but with RB Earnest Graham possibly out for the season and QB issues, this team is in no shape to win a playoff spot. Only two of the Skins six games still to be played are losable games. Jason Campbell has done a pretty nice job so far this season, I believe he can do it. Skins win sixth playoff spot in the NFC.

So, despite the slow start for Dallas, the NFC East will still have three playoff teams. I have lost all confidence in Donovan McNabb and ANdy Reid's Eagles after their tie with the 1-8-1 Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Division winner: Giants

NFC South:

Carolina Panthers 8-2

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-3

Atlanta Falcons 6-4

New Orleans Saints 5-5

I can seriously say that I called this one. I knew the Panthers would have a great season, and Jake Delhomme would have a bounce-back season after his successful Tommy John Surgery. And, it was all possible because of their success in the running game. Rookie Jonathan Stewart, out of Oregon, and DeAngelo Williams have run opposing defenses to death. Carolina's schedule seems to favor them, as well.

Not only has Carolina surprised many (other than me, of course), but rookie QB Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons has too. Who woulda thought that Ryan would carry this team to a 6-4 record through 11 weeks? If Atlanta's defense had performed better on Sunday, they could be 7-3 and tied for second with Tampa. But, I expect Atlanta to quickly pass Tampa in the standings, due to a few key injuries suffered by Tampa.

Many thought Drew Brees and the Saints would be having a much better season, too. But instead, Delhomme leads his Panthers to the top of the division, and is poised to take them to the playoffs this season. It's just too bad the Falcons won't have a good enough record to win the wild card. Wouldn't that be something?

Division winner: Panthers
NFC West:

Arizona Cardinals 7-3

San Francisco 49ers 3-7

Seattle Seahawks 2-8

St. Louis Rams 2-8

This one isn't even close! Kurt Warner has done a very good job leading the Cardinals to a 7-3 record. Although it does help a lot when you've got guys like Anquan Boldin (leads NFL in TD receptions) and Larry Fitzgerald (second in NFL in receiving yards with 939) catching balls for you. Not many expected the Cards to be winning this division through 11 weeks, but the injury to QB Matt Hasselbeck and poor defensive play by the favorites, the Seattle Seahawks, opened the door for the possible league MVP (through the first 11 weeks, anyway) Kurt Warner.

There really isn't much else to say about this division. It's quite obvious the Cardinals are easily going to win the division, and there isn't going to be a wild card team come from this division. This, like the AFC West, is an embarrassment. The other three teams are a combined 7-23. That's all I'm going to say...

Division winner: Cardinals

David Wright Follows A-Rod's Gravy Train

This one, fresh out of the New York Post (quality publication that it is):

Apparently, Davey Boy was using his boyish charm during his "Do the 'Wright' Thing" charitable campaign when he was overtaken by a pack of "cougars."

And by cougars we do indeed mean middle-aged woman who "Middle-age women with bad '80s hair." According tot The Post, the women "were practically pushing down little kids who were trying to get baseballs signed."

During the tirade, Wright was heard exclaiming: "Ladies, calm down! Please, relax."

Balls to you sir. More 40 year old ass is what A-Rod Approves!

Daily "Linkin' Logs" - MVP Edition (11/18/08)

I've always been a pretty big fan of Albert Pujols. I think a lot of people respect him, and are really in awe of watching (arguably) the best hitter in baseball. Most people think Pujols could do a number of things, including breaking Hank Aaron's 755...

So Albert won his 2nd MVP yesterday. Pretty simple to pick the guy who batted .357 with 37 homers and 116 RBIs (top 10 in each).

"I see it this way: Someone who doesn't take his team to the playoffs doesn't deserve to win the MVP"

But what I enjoyed most about the MVP award was Pujols being forced to face the music for his comments when Ryan Howard earned the award in 2006, a year in which Ryan Howard batted .313 with 58 homes and 149 RBIs and his team finished just outside the playoffs. This year Pujols got the honor, for a team that really faded down the stretch and didn't have a shot in the final week.

And yet he still won it.

"I think the writers made the right choice in 2006. [Howard] did deserve it (the MVP)."

Well, I guess all is right again in MVP/non-playoff team world as both have now not won the MVP in the same year as they won a World Series...

Fair enough

• Pedro Martinez has declared that he'll pitch in '09. Omar Minaya has stated that the Mets will be in the mix, though I can't image them (nor can Minaya) making any offer that would blow Pedro away. Then again, I can't see any team really doing that.
• PFT is surmising that maybe een Andy Reid didn't know the overtime rules, given the way he handled Philly (Trenton Times) beat writer Mark Eckel's OT question. Now I've been as annoyed with Reid as anyone else, but the guy is a meticulous planner and student, I really somehow doubt that he didn't know the rule. I believe its possible he overlooked the fact that McNabb didn't know, but I really can't imagine that Reid didn't himself.
  
• Not a link: Not sure if this is a trend, but our friend Mookie brought it to my attention the following two facts: 1) Prior to the 2007 playoffs, I declared the New York Giants the worst 10-6 football team I'd ever seen - They went on to win the Super Bowl 2) During our weekly "Pick 'em" contest about a month ago, I said that the Buffalo Bills would be the AFC Conference Champs - They haven't won a game since. With that said: The Dallas Cowboys are going to win out and claim the Super Bowl title 41-0. Done.
• A Little Late: The Bluey Blog discusses the 66 million dollar "Oops" by the NFL during the Steelers-Chargers game.
• Knicksblog let's us know they might have a chance against the World Champs since Kevin Garnett is out after slapping Andrew Bogut
• ESPN is apparently the projected winner of the BCS Bowls, starting in 2011.
• And finally, EC let's us know Roger Clemens Pedophile status and public image has now reached DefCon 3