And That's a Wrap

Well ladies, the 2008 season has come to a close with the Pittsburgh Steelers pulling out a spectacular win over the Arizona Cardinals. They have now entered the history books as the first team to win six Super Bowls. Did I think they'd win? Yes. Am I happy? Not really. I was really hoping the Cardinals would be able to stun the football world even more than they already had by taking down the Steelers but it wasn't meant to be. The first half of the game was thrilling/disappointing depending on who you were rooting for. Regardless, James Harrison's interception on the one yard line for a 100-yard return/touchdown was fantastic (at this point, I knew it was going to come back to haunt the Cards at the end)! The Steelers were definitely dominating even though the Cardinals defense held them in check. But the second half...now that was a game! Kurt Warner was on fire and the defense continued to hold the Steelers at bay. Where was Larry Fitzgerald in the first half???? The guy can catch anything within a six foot radius surrounded by a bazillion defenders! So once Kurt started taking chances, the magic happened. But then the all-too-familiar meltdown proved itself once again. When teams are winning toward the end of a game, they tend to go into this "prevent" defense - or as my dad calls it, the "prevent you from winning" defense - where they back off the rush and try to fill up the secondary. Why fix something that ain't broke? Pressuring Roethlisberger was working! Why would they change up the defense when they needed it the most??? So sure enough, Big Ben had all day to throw with a dangerous Santonio Holmes running around (covered or not) and BAM! Game Over. Yes, this game really got exciting! If you were one of the many spectators who left mid-third quarter because you thought it would be a blowout, you missed a show! But was it up there with last year's spectacle? I don't think so. Pretty much everyone had their money on the Steelers to win even though they were looking forward to a Cinderella happy ending. But come on, you have to admit hearing the ginormous thud from the Patriots' fall back to earth after the Giants chopped them off at the knees was so much sweeter. Well, as I said before, it's any given season. So who will be next season's Cinderella team? Who will be the next Goliath? All I know is that it's roughly 212 days to kickoff!

Odds and Ends

So I've got a few odds and ends to comment on today. I know this isn't a political blog, but I must say Congratulations to President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and the First Daughters, Malia and Sasha!!! What a wonderful inauguration event. I was glued to the television all day! But now we're back to reality so I wish our new president the best of luck. I know he's the right man at the right time. And now on to football:) Conference Championship Games I'm bummed that the Eagles didn't win but I'm so excited for the Arizona Cardinals making it to the Super Bowl for the first time. They played an awesome, mistake-free game. The Eagles on the other hand came up short in part by some questionable play by Donovan McNabb. There were so many missed opportunities and at least six valuable points left on that field. Yes, I know I said I was going to root for the NFC West, but I just couldn't bring myself to go against the Eagles. Maybe I should have. The Ravens-Steelers game went just how I thought - extremely boring because of two powerful defenses. I had a feeling the Steelers would hang in until the end, mainly since they're the only favored team that has one a game in the playoffs. The Ravens put up a fantastic fight though and this game could have gone either way. Super Bowl So now on to the Super Bowl. The Pittsburg Steelers vs. the Arizona Cardinals. Who would have thought? We already knew that there were some newcomers in the playoffs but even I didn't believe the Cards were going to make it this far. This will be an exciting Super Bowl! My gut reaction would say the Steelers will get their sixth ring, but you can't count the Cardinals out. We might have another upset for the second year in a row? Which is bigger-the Giants knocking of the perfect Patriots or the Cardinals surprising everyone with a first time win? Under Armour Senior Bowl Just a little tip. Not sure how many of you follow college football as well or check out the Scouting Combine and NFL Draft, but I recommend watching the Senior Bowl this Saturday on the NFL Network. The Senior Bowl is played by the top seniors in the country every year on the Saturday before the Super Bowl. The cool thing is that the teams - the North Team and the South Team - are coached by NFL coaching staff. This year the North is being coached by the Cincinnati Bengals and the South is being coached by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The NFL Network broadcasts the practices during the week with some of the coaches wired so that you can see and hear their coaching styles and techniques. It's really quite insightful and sometimes explains why some teams are better than others. You also get a great look at the seniors that will be participating in the draft and combine that you don't get from watching a game - looks that are clearly reliable since all the GMs, coaches and scouts are there making their draft lists too. Check it out!

Any Given Season

OK, I don't know what the rest of you think, but this has to have been one of the most exciting football seasons in a long time! The dominant teams either got off to bad starts or finished in the dump. The assumed favorites were nowhere to be found by the playoffs. The Miami Dolphins went from last in the league to first in their division with a wildcard spot. And now, only one top seed team will be playing in the league championships - the Pittsburg Steelers at #2! So this season goes to show you that on any given Sunday any team can win...and in any given season the underdog lives. From crucial injuries early (Tom Brady, Shawne Merriman, Tony Romo, the entire Seattle Seahawks team), to ongoing legal foolishness (Pacman Jones, Plaxico Burress, Chris Henry), the 2008-2009 season has given teams a fair share of obstacles to overcome. The Jets, who put their hopes and dreams of a Super Bowl appearance on the shoulders of Brett Favre, unfortunately saw the season slip away down the stretch. The Dallas Cowboys will be headed back to the drawing board to try to figure out why a team with so much talent spontaneously combusted one game away from the playoffs (the answer in a word...DRAMA). The San Diego Chargers got off to another slooooow start, still got into the playoffs, but came up short once again. But on the positive side, the Arizona Cardinals are hosting their first conference championship game and are one step away from making their first Super Bowl appearance in team history! Joe Flacco (who should have one Rookie of the Year over Matt Ryan) is taking the Baltimore Ravens to the AFC Conference Championships in his first year in the NFL! Well thank you NFL for giving us a truly exciting season. Just what we needed to take us away from all the doom and gloom we hear in the news everyday. And now on to another round where any team can win. Frankly, I'm not even trying to predict this one. I have my favorites but as the rest of the post season has gone...it's truly Any Given Sunday.

And the Drama Begins...

Well the usual post season fallout has begun with the firing of three head coaches and the annoyingly persistent question of Brett Favre's retirement. The Browns' Romeo Crennel, the Lions' Rod Marinelli and the Jets' Eric Mangini all received their pink slips today with no real surprise. Crennel and Marinelli are no-brainers, but I was a little surprised with the firing of Mangini since I don't think their downfall was all on him. He was not the one that threw three interceptions and I'm sure he wasn't solely behind the off-season spending spree that everyone had expected would get them to the Super Bowl. However, apparently Mangini's coaching style is a sore topic among players, as well as the team's effort to mold everything around #4. I guess the only problem I have with this decision is that same ol' excuse owners give for why they fired their coach..."we're going in a different direction." And what direction would that be??? Ummm, how about winning? According to Jets owner Woody Johnson, this was a decision they had been chewing on throughout the season. Really Woody? You mean, when you all were sitting around in the off-season coming off a 4-12 record and decided to buy your way into the Super Bowl by paying for all this fantastic talent and then figured you'd guaranteed the win in Tampa Bay by signing Brett Favre, was that when you thought of going in a different direction? Or was it when you got off to a phenomenal 8-3 start with Favre having one of his best games ever throwing for six touchdowns in Arizona? No, Woody, I'd be willing to bet this didn't come up until you went 1-4 badly over the last five weeks. Frankly, if you look back on all the teams' records after they fire their head coaches a day after Week 17 is in the bag, and their reason is "because they want to go in a different direction," I'm guessing that's code word for "we're pissed, you're outta here!" As I mentioned before, Crennel and Merinelli were obvious. Merinelli said it himself - "You can't go 0-16 and expect to keep your job." But you can always tell when a team's ownership is just pissed because they just realized that they're not as good as they thought they were and they're probably embarrassed. Oh well, hopefully they'll be going in the right direction this time. But yes, that question still remains - will the new direction include Brett Favre? Well the Jets don't think he was the problem (hmmmm, 22 interceptions?) and they really want him to stay. Personally I don't think they want to admit they made a mistake putting so much on the Brett Favre band wagon. But believe it or not, I think we've finally seen the last of Favre - although he still wants to drag it out. I think he's finally realizing that even though he still has the passion and drive for the game, he doesn't have the body. I'm really disappointed that he didn't realize this last year because, for me at least, his reputation has really been tarnished by the long drama that played out in the off-season and the dismal end to this promising season. And just to top it off, he didn't even go shake Chad Pennington's hand after the game! How classic for the quarterback who literally got kicked off the team because Favre had something to prove and then got the sweetest payback by beating him and taking his team (after a 1-15 season) to the playoffs! But Favre, I won't go as far as saying you're "old, washed up, and gray." You've given us 18 years of spectacular football and we'll never forget it. You're guaranteed a place in the Hall of Fame for all to see. It's really not worth another couple seasons full of pressure and pain for...well, what? So it's only been one day. We've got eight more months until the start of the 2009 season that I'm sure will be filled with more drama. I'll be sure to keep putting in my .02 cents:)

We Made It!

Week 17 is over! Well the Broncos-Chargers game is still on but close enough. All I can say is "we made it!" I say that for a few reasons:

1. The 49ers won an AWESOME game!
2. The 49ers hired Mike Singletary!
3. The Eagles beat the Cowboys and made it to the playoffs!

So all in all, this was a great ending to a long, exciting regular season for me. Now on to an exciting post season. The cool thing is that it's really going to be hard to call who goes to the Super Bowl - especially after the favorites, the Patriots and the Cowboys, have been knocked out of the playoffs altogether and the Giants aren't very strong going into the post season. On a side note - not sure it was very smart for the Giants to rest their starters. That tends to be a death sentence in the playoffs.

I'm really disappointed they didn't show the Eagles-Cowboys game here. Although, not really sure you can call it a game with a score of 44-6. But still, I would have loved to have seen how this game completely unravelled. I'm shocked that the Cowboys did so poorly. I know they haven't been playing their best, but NO touchdowns???

I went to today's Niners-Redskins game and it was fantastic! We're really starting to notice a huge difference since Singletary took over. So it was wonderful to start the game knowing Jed York had been promoted to team president, coming out with a huge win at home and then finishing with Singletary being announced as the head coach. I kind of equate Singletary to Coach Dungy in that he's so successful because of the character he brings to the organization overall. Although it sure helps that he's a Hall of Fame linebacker with a great work ethic (Dungy actually played one season with the Niners as well).

So a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks and the 2009 season as well. We haven't gotten off the roller coaster yet:)

The Surprises

So after Week 14, the playoff spots were still very much up in the air. Now, heading into Week 17 - the last week of the season - we still have some spots being fought over. We can pretty much throw my predictions out the window, along with the predictions that the experts made at the beginning of the season (now I don't feel so bad:) ). But what's really exciting is the teams that have earned spots or are still in the hunt. Predictions aside, some of the teams that got off to terrible (and sometimes surprising) starts are now in the playoffs. First, my absolute favorite surprise, the Miami Dolphins. I am so happy for this team who went from a 1-15 record last season to 10-5 this season. That's incredible!!!! Next we have the San Diego Chargers that were at 4-8 and then won their last three games for a 7-8 record going into Week 17. How can they get in with an 8-8 record you ask? Trust me, I asked too:) Well, if the Chargers beat the Denver Broncos (8-7), they'd be tied at 8-8, but the Chargers would have the better conference record. Unbelievable!!! Lastly, I have to say the Atlanta Falcons have improved drastically. They went from 4-12 last season (and a whole lot of foolishness with the Michael Vick fiasco) to 10-5 and a playoff spot. That's fantastic!!! So on to Week 17! I'm so excited to see how this is all going to work out! Happy Holidays everyone!!!!!

Where Are They Now?

So we've just completed week 14. It's been quite a ride and we're not done yet. With only three weeks left in the season, only three teams have clinched division titles - the AFC South Tennessee Titans, the NFC East New York Giants, and the NFC West Arizona Cardinals. Now before I go any further, I've got to say CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ARIZONA CARDINALS!!! OK, back to my point. At this point last season, all divisions had been clinched as well as wild card spots and home field advantage for the Patriots and the Cowboys. Weeks 15, 16 and 17 are going to be really exciting! The AFC East is all tied up with the Jets, Patriots and Dolphins at 8 - 5. The AFC North is close with the Steelers at 10 -3 and the Ravens at 9 - 4. The NFC North is close with the Vikings at 8 - 5 and the Bears at 7 - 6. And the NFC South is up in the air with the Panthers at 10 - 3 and the Bucs at 9 - 4. So I'm going to take a stab and make some predictions. In the AFC East, I'm going with Jets, Patriots, then Dolphins. In the AFC North, I think I'll go with the Steelers on top. I'm going with the Bears over the Vikings in the NFC North. And I think the Bucs are going to come out on top over the Panthers. And on another quick note, the league is going to be looking into extending the season an extra few weeks! Yay!!!!

Perplexed by Plaxico

OK, sorry everyone. I'm a little late but I still have to put in my two cents. I'm confused by a few things regarding the Plaxico Burress incident.

1. I'm starting to understand the thought process behind these guys having guns, but if it's for your protection, why is it not registered in the state(s) you live and socialize in???
2. Why are you carrying a gun without the safety on???
3. What in the world made you think you could carry a Glock (or any gun for that matter) in the waistband of your sweats???
4. And why are you wearing sweats to a club anyway???

I know why everyone went through so much effort to cover up this story - this has got to be the dumbest incident I've ever heard! And for this, Plax will likely spend the next 3 years in jail. All I can do is shake my head.

For another perspective, read What Sucks - this is hilarious!

And now I'll leave you with the most pitiful comment by Plax's lawyer that needs no commentary: "He is standing tall. He is a mature adult...I think any professional athlete in this situation would be concerned."

You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!

I CAN NOT believe Goodell reinstated Pacman Jones AGAIN! How is this guy ever gonna learn and turn his life around if he keeps getting slaps on the hand. You can tell he doesn't get it because he was making excuses for this last incident, saying it shouldn't have been a big deal because it was "in house." Pacman, were you fighting? Again? I rest my case. All I know is this is some BS and there's something shady going on behind the scenes or just some serious favoritism. He only started his alcoholism program last month! Anyone knows that it's going to take months before he can truly say he's kicked his habit. And don't get me started on the behavior issues...that might never change. Well Roger, all I can say is good luck trying to punish anyone else in the league after this. You've lost your credibility at this point.

10 Years in the League and You Didn't Know???

OK, I realize there are a lot of rules, regulations, plays and strategies these guys have got to memorize, but I just can't believe Donavan McNabb didn't know games can end in a tie. And if he really didn't know, I don't think he should go around saying that publicly. He's been in the league way too long to not know that. Now I will cut him a little slack since it is very rare that teams don't score in overtime so I can believe he may have forgotten, but that he didn't know???? Come on. Now what I definitely agree with is that it's a stupid rule. McNabb brought up an excellent point...what happens if this happens in a playoff game or the Super Bowl? Do the rules suddenly change so that you have double or triple overtime? If you're going to do it for those games, you might as well do it for all the games. A tie doesn't do anything for either team. And it's rather disheartening to fight through an entire game plus overtime and no one wins at the end. In a such a physical sport, it seems like such a waste of time and energy if there's no decisive outcome. To me it's like both teams lose. Anything that's not a W is a loss because it takes away from your record. When it comes down to those wild card standings, you're going to wish that 1 in the tie column was in the W column instead. And if it was in the L column, at least you'll know why you're not in the playoffs. I'm not sure what the best solution is - one possession each, sudden death, one full quarter - but I know ties just doesn't make any sense. But this is just my opinion. Hear what the guys on NFL Total Access have to say.

Please help me understand...

OK, did I miss something? How is it that a rookie quarterback, completely untested in the NFL, can holdout for a $68 million contract ($31.5 million guaranteed!), pretty much miss his entire rookie season, come out and play mediocre and still have people saying "oh it'll take time?" I'm sorry, but if you demand that much money before you've played a single down, then you're telling me that you're gonna come out smokin' hot. Remember, 68 MILLION DOLLARS! You don't get a learning curve. But here's the kicker that just set me over the edge - JaMarcus Russell has now played two games - yes TWO games this season - and now he's hurt. Yes, he sprained his ankle and says it still hurts. Umm, for $68 million I'm thinking you're the man of steel!

Does This Just Happen to Me?

Hi Ladies- I have to apologize for being so quiet lately. I don't know if this happens to you, but now that we're going into the fourth season of dismal to completely ineffective play with the 49ers, it has completely put a damper on my excitement. After every loss, I have to block out all football talk for like two days before I can stomach what's going on in the rest of the league. But since my team has a bye this week, I'm going to take this opportunity to refresh myself so I'll be ready to go for the second half of the season - regardless of how my team is doing. One other thing...in an earlier post I said I was going to root for all NFC West teams from now on because we need some wins and some credibility. However, I have to go back on my word this week. I just can't bring myself to root for the Seahawks over the Eagles. The Eagles are my second team and I'm very anti-Seahawks so I just can't do it. I'm sorry to the fans of the NFC West and the Seattle Seahawks, but I'm gonna have to jump ship this week. Forgive me?

One Comment...

Well, I've just jumped off the JTO bandwagon. I was barely hanging on with one hand and it just slipped off. Or should I say, I gave up and let go. Sorry JT, but there's a new sheriff in town and he means business.

Nolan Out; Singletary In

Well, the Yorks actually had the guts to make a major change mid season. I had finally come to the conclusion that Nolan had to go. But I have to admit I feel bad for the guy. I've always liked Nolan, but he just hasn't been able to pull off the improvement we need. With that said, I am so excited for Mike Singletary! Now we get to see what he can do. I know there are some of you out there that think a major shakeup like this is not a good idea in the middle of the season, but honestly, what's the worst that could happen? They lose more games? They can only go up from here. I just hope they don't blame any more mistakes on Singletary. I'd like to see him get the official job (he is the assistant coach you know), and then see what changes he makes next season. Well, this has definitely given me a little motivation to watch the 49ers-Seahawks game next Sunday. Usually we make this game a family outing, but schedule conflicts and pure exhaustion from watching losing games is causing us to miss this one. Frankly I didn't even want to watch, but now I'm excited. Not that I expect to see a 180 degree turnaround, but it will be interesting to see what minor changes will occur. Let me take this opportunity to say WAY TO GO RAMS!

A New Home for Shaun

Well, I'm happy to announce Shaun Alexander finally found a home. Now, I've never bought in to the Alexander hype, but I surely didn't expect him to be sitting out for so long. So I'm glad to see that the Redskins signed him yesterday to backup Clinton Portis. Unfortunately, he's only been signed for a year. Hopefully he's well rested and ready to go. Good luck, Shaun! Alexander brought in to fill injured Betts' backup RB role