Detroit News columnist Rob Parker is my vote for "Idiot of the Day" after the Detroit Lions press conference yesterday following the Lions' 15th loss of the season.
Parker, who has made some appearances on ESPN's 1st and 10 with with the idiot himself, Skip Bayless, ripped Detroit head coach Rod Marinelli. He asked some very personal questions and even brought his family into the talk.
Here is the two and a half minute press conference with Marinelli and what the guys in the FOX studio had to say about the exchange...
Monday, December 22, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
What Have We Learned this NFL Season??
There's nothing like December football!!
If you were looking for something exciting to do this Christmas, sitting on the couch watching the NFL playoff race unfold before your eyes is as good as it gets. As of Monday December 22nd, seven of the possible 12 playoff slots have been clinched. This means that next Sunday a total of five playoff teams will be revealed. Taking a look at the upcoming slate of games, this could be settled at the last possible minute. While we await tonight's Carolina-New York Giants matchup--which will decide the NFC's top seed--and tomorrow night's NFC North showdown, let's take a look back at all the things we have learned this season.
Consistency, Consistency, consistency!
The NFL is very unpredictable. Anything can happen on any given Sunday. That's why it's extremely important to come out ready to play every single week. Inconsistency isn't going to cut it in this game, just ask Brett Favre. Instead of coming out and sticking it to the weak Seattle Seahawks defense, Favre's New York Jets struggle to put up points and now their playoff spot is in jeopardy. Pressure is on Favre up in New York. If something bad should happen to New York against the 10-5 Miami Dolphins next week, all the blame will fall on the gunslinging veteran.
Other examples? The Dallas Cowboys, who put their fate in the hands of teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings after the loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. Ed Reed and Co. flat-out outplayed Tony Romo, who was unable to hit his targets on a majority of his pass attempts.
Football is a young man's game
Rookies have dominated the NFL this season, and there really doesn't seem to be a wrong answer when it comes to the Rookie of the Year. Whether it be Matt Ryan in Atlanta, Chris Johnson in Tennessee, Joe Flacco in Baltimore, Matt Forte in Chicago (etc, etc, etc). The NFL is filled with early bloomers this season. Falcons QB Matt Ryan seems to be the front-runner for the ROY as of yesterday's 24-17 win over Minnesota. Ryan seems to have all the skills and leadership of a veteran QB, such as Favre and the Manning brothers. Just one year after Atlanta went 4-12, the rookie has led the team to a 10-5 record and a wild card spot in the NFC playoffs, which was clinched after Sunday's win.
Flacco, Baltimore's QB, is having a noteworthy rookie campaign as well, leading the Ravens to a 10-5 record and just one win shy of a possible wild card spot. In the windy city of Chicago, former Tulane RB Matt Forte has totally turned Da Bears running game around with his 1,115 yards and 7 rushing TD's through Chicago's first 14 games. How can we forget the League's fastest player, Chris Johnson from East Carolina?! Johnson, RB for the AFC's best team (Titans, 13-2), ran through and around the Steelers defense--ranked number one in the NFL--for 69 yards and a fourth down TD run which went for 21 yards.
Not everyone can win
That should be the motto of the Detroit "winless" Lions, who suffered their 15th loss of the season on Sunday, 42-7 against the Reggie Bush-less New Orleans Saints. There really, truly isn't much else I can say about this one. With GM Matt Millen gone (fired earlier this season), maybe the Lions will finally draft some decents players in the 2009 NFL Draft. Detroit will wrap up their devastating 2008 season next Sunday against the division rival Green Bay Packers at 1 PM ET, at the Frozen Tundra of Green Bay, Wisconsin. If feel for ya, Detroit!
New England doesn't need Tom Brady
Matt Cassel has done the unexpected. He has won 10 games under center for the New England Patriots after All-Pro QB Tom Brady was injured and lost for the season back during their week one matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. A majority of NFL fans (including NE fans) and analysts believed the Pats' season was done. Not so fast, my friends. Just like Brady did to start his career, former USC back-up QB Matt Cassel has done a fine job filling in, and has even made a huge impact on fantasy teams around the country. Cassel, earlier in the season, threw for 400+ yards in back-to-back games. His 345 yards Sunday against the NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals has kept his team alive and well in the AFC East division race. Some are now saying Tom Brady has been overrated this whole time. Maybe it IS the system.
Defense wins championships
The AFC's top two teams, Tennessee and Pittsburgh, have made it this far because of their stout defenses. Pittsburgh's record of 11-4 (good enough for the 2nd seed in the playoffs) is basically because of the solid play of their defense. Tennessee was able to knock off Pittsburgh because their defense got to Ben Roethlisberger countless times, forcing him to fumble FOUR times (lost twice) and throw two interceptions, one of which was returned 83 yards for a TD, sealing the 31-14 win. Baltimore has gotten to where they are now because of their nasty defense and in the West, Denver and San Diego have struggled because of poor play on the defensive side of the ball...and inconsistency on offense, but that's a whole other story. Point is, the Super Bowl will come down to whose defense plays better. Mark my words!
More to come from in the next few days. Better get comfortable, there's just too much to talk about these days.
If you were looking for something exciting to do this Christmas, sitting on the couch watching the NFL playoff race unfold before your eyes is as good as it gets. As of Monday December 22nd, seven of the possible 12 playoff slots have been clinched. This means that next Sunday a total of five playoff teams will be revealed. Taking a look at the upcoming slate of games, this could be settled at the last possible minute. While we await tonight's Carolina-New York Giants matchup--which will decide the NFC's top seed--and tomorrow night's NFC North showdown, let's take a look back at all the things we have learned this season.
Consistency, Consistency, consistency!
The NFL is very unpredictable. Anything can happen on any given Sunday. That's why it's extremely important to come out ready to play every single week. Inconsistency isn't going to cut it in this game, just ask Brett Favre. Instead of coming out and sticking it to the weak Seattle Seahawks defense, Favre's New York Jets struggle to put up points and now their playoff spot is in jeopardy. Pressure is on Favre up in New York. If something bad should happen to New York against the 10-5 Miami Dolphins next week, all the blame will fall on the gunslinging veteran.
Other examples? The Dallas Cowboys, who put their fate in the hands of teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings after the loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. Ed Reed and Co. flat-out outplayed Tony Romo, who was unable to hit his targets on a majority of his pass attempts.
Football is a young man's game
Rookies have dominated the NFL this season, and there really doesn't seem to be a wrong answer when it comes to the Rookie of the Year. Whether it be Matt Ryan in Atlanta, Chris Johnson in Tennessee, Joe Flacco in Baltimore, Matt Forte in Chicago (etc, etc, etc). The NFL is filled with early bloomers this season. Falcons QB Matt Ryan seems to be the front-runner for the ROY as of yesterday's 24-17 win over Minnesota. Ryan seems to have all the skills and leadership of a veteran QB, such as Favre and the Manning brothers. Just one year after Atlanta went 4-12, the rookie has led the team to a 10-5 record and a wild card spot in the NFC playoffs, which was clinched after Sunday's win.
Flacco, Baltimore's QB, is having a noteworthy rookie campaign as well, leading the Ravens to a 10-5 record and just one win shy of a possible wild card spot. In the windy city of Chicago, former Tulane RB Matt Forte has totally turned Da Bears running game around with his 1,115 yards and 7 rushing TD's through Chicago's first 14 games. How can we forget the League's fastest player, Chris Johnson from East Carolina?! Johnson, RB for the AFC's best team (Titans, 13-2), ran through and around the Steelers defense--ranked number one in the NFL--for 69 yards and a fourth down TD run which went for 21 yards.
Not everyone can win
That should be the motto of the Detroit "winless" Lions, who suffered their 15th loss of the season on Sunday, 42-7 against the Reggie Bush-less New Orleans Saints. There really, truly isn't much else I can say about this one. With GM Matt Millen gone (fired earlier this season), maybe the Lions will finally draft some decents players in the 2009 NFL Draft. Detroit will wrap up their devastating 2008 season next Sunday against the division rival Green Bay Packers at 1 PM ET, at the Frozen Tundra of Green Bay, Wisconsin. If feel for ya, Detroit!
New England doesn't need Tom Brady
Matt Cassel has done the unexpected. He has won 10 games under center for the New England Patriots after All-Pro QB Tom Brady was injured and lost for the season back during their week one matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. A majority of NFL fans (including NE fans) and analysts believed the Pats' season was done. Not so fast, my friends. Just like Brady did to start his career, former USC back-up QB Matt Cassel has done a fine job filling in, and has even made a huge impact on fantasy teams around the country. Cassel, earlier in the season, threw for 400+ yards in back-to-back games. His 345 yards Sunday against the NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals has kept his team alive and well in the AFC East division race. Some are now saying Tom Brady has been overrated this whole time. Maybe it IS the system.
Defense wins championships
The AFC's top two teams, Tennessee and Pittsburgh, have made it this far because of their stout defenses. Pittsburgh's record of 11-4 (good enough for the 2nd seed in the playoffs) is basically because of the solid play of their defense. Tennessee was able to knock off Pittsburgh because their defense got to Ben Roethlisberger countless times, forcing him to fumble FOUR times (lost twice) and throw two interceptions, one of which was returned 83 yards for a TD, sealing the 31-14 win. Baltimore has gotten to where they are now because of their nasty defense and in the West, Denver and San Diego have struggled because of poor play on the defensive side of the ball...and inconsistency on offense, but that's a whole other story. Point is, the Super Bowl will come down to whose defense plays better. Mark my words!
More to come from in the next few days. Better get comfortable, there's just too much to talk about these days.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
A cryptic word from our sponsors:
Keep up the great work Bad News Bloggers!
Have a very happy holiday!
Sincerely,
Everyone at the Affiliate Crack Team!
Have a very happy holiday!
Sincerely,
Everyone at the Affiliate Crack Team!
Freedom Friday Daily "Linkin' Logs" (12/19/08)
The Teixeira Bonanza isn't really going as planned for...well...anyone. And frankly I don't get it. MLBTR has the confusing updates involved, but last night the Red Sox, led by Owner John Henry, met with Tex and little was resolved. Henry's dubious response after meeting with Boras and his client in Vegas was:
"We met with Mr. Teixeira and were very much impressed with him. After hearing about his other offers, however, it seems clear that we are not going to be a factor."Ok...Who the fuck is offering more?
- Rumor has it the Sox offered no more than $184 over 8 years - $23 million a year
- The LA Times Mike Digiovanna claims the Angels offered 8 years and $175 million - roughly $22 million a year
- Yesterday morning the Sox has the highest offer on the table...I still surmise its the $23 million per year deal and the Sox have no desire to go to $25 per ($200 mil).
- As of Wednesday the O's appeared to be out of it though the O's GM Andy MacPhail claims the Orioles have flexibility"...whatever that is.
- And that brings us to this: SI's Jon Heyman claims the Nationals may be at the $200 million mark. Are they really the highest bidder?
- The Sports Guy ranks his NFL clubs...still a jackass... But here's the part I hate about the Simmons expose:
Here's the theory I'm buying: The Eagles caught the Cards on a cross-country Thanksgiving trip 96 hours after their previous game, then a rattled Giants team right after Cheddar Plaxgate, then a putrid Browns team on Monday night. Now they're catching the Redskins right as they're quitting on their coach. That's four straight totally explainable wins. Do not get reeled in by Philly for that Week 17 home game against Dallas. I am warning you right now.
Well, let's do what I like to call, journalism.- December 2007: Philly 10, Dallas 6
- December 2006 (the Christmas Day - T.O. Game): Philly 23, Dallas 7
- December 2005: Oh you thought this would be a loss be...Philly played Dallas on November 14th.
- December 2004: Philly 12, Dallas 7
- December 2003: Philly 36, Dallas 10
- December 2002: Philly 27, Dallas 3
- December 1999: Philly 10, Dallas 20
- No Elton...actually...No Problem. I have a feeling the Sixers will find their winning edge with Brand out. That being said, they still need to factor his 20-10 in at some point and this injury is just a delay in that transition.
- Ever wonder how much that Raiders game meant to Matt Cassel, Rawbeezeits of AGM has more.
- AA throws more fuel on the Simmons-ESPN Conspiracy fire. This time its a dig at Rick Reilly. That being said, Reilly sucks ass and Simmons is probably right.
- A LeBron James sitcom? Really?
- EC's Top 10 Gambling realizations...
- And finally, the Kings are retiring the jerseys of both Vlade Divac and C-Webb. Well, I guess you gotta retire a jersey sometime...But the predecessor to Manu Ginobli and the guy who banged Tyra Banks? Eh? Ok sure...
DSRTSV! (12/18/08)
Sorry, forgot it yesterday. I'll be sure to post another later today...
Sure, not even the Hawks could stop the C's spic winning streak, but Josh Smith still posterized Kendrick "it's all swoll" Perkins
Sure, not even the Hawks could stop the C's spic winning streak, but Josh Smith still posterized Kendrick "it's all swoll" Perkins
Thursday, December 18, 2008
An Abusive 10 Things I Think Smell Like Shit
Lots of interesting topics and frankly some of them are kind of disturbing and serious- Brian Giles pulls a "Brett Myers." Not exactly the public punching/hair pulling that happened in Boston with Myers, but Brian Giles's girlfriend (we're guessing former) is suing the Padres outfielder for numerous beatings, attacks and general unmanliness. She also claims Giles hit her while pregnant and caused the miscarriage of the couple's child. I'm not sure how criminal charges weren't involved (maybe they were), but a series of abuse by a ballplayer finally leading up to a lawsuit (civil) instead of criminal action strikes me as suspicious. And then of course...there's evidence. So it appears as though Giles's slump will extend beyond last year.
- Mindy's meltdown. Apparently Roger Clemens's former lover attempted suicide yesterday. The whole issue wreaks of confusion, desperation and sadness. The Roger Clemens destruction parade is just crushing lives left and right...good for him...
- Deadspin - King of the Simmons Conspiracy. One of the more fascinating writers around is indeed Bill Simmons. For better or for worse, the guy's an entertaining writer (or at least he steals the good stuff) and does know a lot about Boston sports and the eras, much like I do about Philadelphia or perhaps others do about their respective home regions. But over the last year or so, Deadspin has surmised that a rift has grown between its elite non-specific writer and the WWL. The most recent one is indeed a total crock of shit by my estimation but not without its own value...that the ESPN Ombudsman has imposed some type of rulebook and Simmons is a bit perturbed if not concerned over it. His assertions are valid by my estimation but more importantly, for better or worse, Simmons is one of us. He is/was a blogger. A writer of his own volition and one that may have to play by ESPN's rules more so than is own. I'm essentially free to write what I want and so is any other blogger. To stifle Simmons is a dig at the blogosphere and proof that old media and new media are destine to keep clashing for years.
- Of Auburn and Racism. If you haven't heard, there's been ideas tossed around that race was the primary motivation behind not hiring Turner Gill and instead hiring Gene Chizik. Now, I'm confused by the whole thing myself, but it certainly wreaks of a little shit. Sir Charles's (an Auburn Alum) statements are certainly the most damning, but I think the outward theory that this hire was entirely racially motivated seems almost impossible. Maybe I'm wrong, but we've seen coordinators come out of no where to get hired before. With Chizik being a former Tiger coordinator himself, maybe Auburn had plans before the interview process even began? Or maybe they're just a bunch of rednecks?
- And then there's Joe Paterno. This man is going to die on the sidelines. I've been waiting (not anxiously...I'm not a weirdo) for the odd news break to claim that good ole JoePa (A Penn State folk hero, now) has died...during practice. You can't tell me this isn't going to happen. This guy is football. He loves the game. But more importantly, he loves his players and his college. He wants each and every one of them to succeed...at life. And for that, this man should be revered.
- Its time for a playoff. When the BCS Bowls are named and Bowl season times, it means one more thing: Playoff talk. And while its been discussed ad nauseum, its still valid. If Division 1-AA (and Divisions 2 and 3), the NFL and the Arena league can do it, why can't D-1A? There's so many ways to go about it, so many ways to continue the old Bowl system regardless and so many ways to increase marketing and money making. I'd even argue that its actually more beneficial to the game, interest and to the money-hungry big conferences. So what is a Boise State wins 1 game over Oklahoma...the odds of them making it to a semi-final or final are still slim to none. And even if one game is a clunker as far as attendence of home fans (which I still doubt), don't forget the other 7 games for the first round!
- Goodbye to this shitty place. People rarely uttered a peep when they blew up the Vet, but why is Texas stadium being revered. The place is a shithole. It has a stupid hole in the roof and houses the Cowboys. Just blow the friggin' thing up already
- Mets swindled my Madoff. Considering all the charities ripped off by this guy, I don't feel too bad for the guy who owns the Mets. Sad part is, it didn't even effect their payroll; talk about financial stability. Me's thinks Wilpon is still oozing with cash
- Marshall Faulk, The Dallas Media, and Jason Garrett's free pass. And Marshall is right. While most local media outlets don't necessarily try to damage the team (or bite the hand that feeds), the Dallas media goes so far as to support the team. And that's disgusting. Its a fraudulent way to do business and only goes to enhance the bullshit that is "America's Team." What a crock of shit.
- And this one doesn't stink. RIP Sammy Baugh. And I mean this in the nicest way possible. Goodbye to one of the greats who changed the game it made it what it was today...even if he was a Redskin...
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