The NFC preview will come next week. For now, you'll have to settle for my analysis of the plethora of young QBs in the league. Oh, and this tidbit on Mr. Viagra/Steroids himself:
Rafael Palmeiro wore earplugs last night after being booed in his first at-bat at Rogers Centre, more backlash from his steroid-related suspension. In his second at-bat, television cameras gave viewers a close-up of a plug in his left exposed ear. The other ear was covered by a flap on his batting helmet, but two plugs sat in his locker.
Awwww, what's a matter, Raffy? Can't take a little booing? You lying sack of shit?
Okay, so I mentioned this in the AFC preview earlier this week, and figured it deserved it's own article. About half the starting QBs in the NFL this season are what I would call "unproven" players, entering somewhere between their 1st and 5th years in the league. It seems that generally the press is expecting most of these QBs to be on the verge of breaking out. Typically, they're being given the benefit of the doubt, and given every chance to succeed. Why? Well, usually there are two reasons: First, these are generally high round draft picks, many of them first rounders. Secondly, with the lack of quality depth at QB these days, most teams do not have a better option. I mean, how many 2nd string QBs are out there right now who could actually step in and keep the team at about the same level of play as the starter? Not very many. I'd say 5, tops.
So here's what I'm going to do. List each QB, what year this will be for him, rate the amount of pressure/expectations he's under on a scale of 1-5 (1 being not much pressure, 5 being ready to get the hook after a bad performance), and then rate his chance of success for the season, and his career, also on a scale of 1-5 (1 being out of the league within a few years, 5 being Hall of Fame material). Oh, what the hell, I'll also list each QBs backup, so you have an idea of where part of the pressure rating came from:
Good Potential:
J.P. Losman, Buffalo Bills
Experience: 2nd Year
Backup: Kelly Holcomb
Pressure: 3
Season Success: 3
The Bills would have been a playoff team last year had they won a couple close games. Those losses can be indirectly blamed on Bledsoe's ineffectiveness. So Losman should not have to do a whole lot for this team to win games and have a shot at the playoffs. Their running game and defense should be good enough to make the playoffs. That said, Kelly Holcomb is a former starter in Cleveland who has shown flashes of talent in the past. If Losman struggles (ie, loses a game or two for the team), he could see the bench if it would help their playoff chances.
Career Success: 3
This category will be the toughest to judge for this young guys, but what the hell, I'll feeling psychic. Losman will be a quality starter in Buffalo for years, maybe even making a Pro Bowl or two.
Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals
Experience: 3rd year
Backup: Jon Kitna
Pressure: 4
Season Success: 4
The pressure is on for Palmer. He has the weapons around him. He has a few years under his belt. The Bengals are expected to be better this year, and that falls on his shoulders. With a decent Jon Kitna waiting in the wings, there is a little bit of looking over his shoulder, but not much. I doubt Palmer gets benched this year, but this could be the year he starts hearing the "bust" label being kicked around if he doesn't perform. I think he'll be okay.
Career Success: 3
I actually like Palmer more than most of the guys on this list. He has a talented young receiver in Chad Johnson who he can throw to for years, and a talented young RB in Rudi Johnson to take some pressure off him. However, I refuse to give him anything higher than a 3 in Career Success because he plays for the Bungles.
Solid Starters:
Kyle Boller, Baltimore Ravens
Experience: 3rd year
Backup: Anthony Wright
Pressure: 2
Season Success: 4
I'd have maybe knocked his pressure up a notch if it weren't Anthony Wright as his backup. Who? Anthony Wright, who actually started a few games for the Cowboys a few years ago. He's awful. I think Boller will be okay because they did go out and get him Derrick Mason to throw to, Jamal Lewis should have a decent year running the ball, and the Ravens defense will keep the other team's points low.
Career Success: 3
As long as he doesn't stink up the joint, he should be a serviceable starter in Baltimore for years. But with their offensive system and defense, he won't exactly be putting up huge numbers through the air.
Drew Brees, San Diego Chargers
Experience: 5th year
Backup: Phillip Rivers
Pressure: 4
Season Success: 3
Expectations are high after the huge season Brees and the Chargers had last year. Combine that with the fact that 1st round pick Phillip Rivers is waiting in the wings, and Brees does not have a lot of room for error. This is a pretty weird situation. The Chargers were about to give up on Brees, which they signaled by drafting Rivers. (Well, actually, they drafted Eli, than traded him to the Giants for Rivers, but anyways, they acquired a highly rated new young QB to replace Brees.) Rivers had a fairly long holdout to begin training camp, and that prevented him from even competing for the opening day starting job. Brees started by default, and played so well he never gave it up. So how does Brees respond this year? I think he plays well. I think he leads the Chargers to at least contending for a playoff spot. And I think he plays well enough to keep Rivers on the bench and make San Diego management have a really tough decision about who they keep as their future QB.
Career Success: 3
Whether he stays in San Diego or goes elsewhere, I think Brees will be a solid starter in this league. Maybe even make a Pro Bowl or two.
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
Experience: 2nd year
Backup: Tommy Maddox
Pressure: 4
Season Success: 2
Expectations are pretty high after last year's impressive win totals. But the wins were really his only impressive number. I'm still not sold on this kid, and I'll say it again - he's like a younger, more hyped Trent Dilfer. He manages games while his running game and defense does an excellent job of putting him in position to succeed. The high expectations and the fact that Tommy Maddox is a capable backup puts a lot of pressure on Big Ben to succeed. And do we remember how he played in the playoffs when under a lot of pressure? Poorly. I really doubt they'd bench him at all because it'd be bad for his confidence and long-term growth, but don't be surprised if he comes down with a phantom injury and Maddox steps in during some key games late in the season.
Career Success: 3
I'll say it again - I'm not convinced he has the talent to be a big-time QB in this league.
Byron Leftwich, Jacksonville Jaguars
Experience: 3rd year
Backup: David Garrand
Pressure: 2
Season Success: 3
Honestly, I don't know what to think of Leftwich quite yet. From what I've seen and read, he's big and tough and has a pretty good arm. He's not very mobile though. Fred Taylor and Jimmy Smith are getting very old. The Jaguars defense is pretty good, but not sure it will be as good as last year, when I think they overachieved a bit. Still, they do have two exciting young receivers in Reggie Williams and Matt Jones, so maybe if he can develop with them, he can put together a decent year. I don't see Jacksonville as a passing team though really.
Career Success: 3
Like I said above, how he develops will depend largely on how his young receivers work out. I think he can be a solid starter, but not much beyond that.
Phillip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
Experience: 2nd year
Backup: NA
Pressure: 1 since he likely won't play… 4 if he sees any substantial time as a starter
Season Success: 3
Basically, he needs Brees to get hurt or REALLY stink it up in order to get playing time. If that does happen, he had better perform. If Brees has another good season, Phillips will likely be traded. If Phillips gets playing time and stinks it up, he will likely be traded.
Career Success: 3
Hard to say, since he has yet to start a single NFL game. But I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he lands on his feet somewhere and develops into a decent starter.
Busts:
Chad Pennington, New York Jets
Experience: 5th year
Backup: Jay Fiedler
Pressure: 3
Season Success: 2
He's looked awful in the preseason when he's played. There's some questions about how healthy his arm is. Curtis Martin has gotten a year older, and may lose a step. Somehow, this guy has gotten pretty solid press in the NY media over his career, and it seems people still have faith in him. But he hasn't really been much more than slightly above average, and his bristling at media criticism last year is not a good sign.
Career Success: 2
Remember Richard Todd and Ken O'Brien, other former Jet QBs? Ken, Chad. Chad, Ken. Richard, Chad. Chad, Richard. Meet the players he'll most likely be mentioned in the same breath when his career is over.
David Carr, Houston Texans
Experience: 4th year
Backup: Tony Banks
Pressure: 3
Season Success: 3
Of all the QBs on this list, I'd say Carr and Harrington are the ones under the most pressure in terms of "Okay, you've had time to adjust to the NFL, let's see some results!" type of expectations. Luckily for Carr, he has god awful QBs on the bench behind him. So his job should be safe. The problem with Carr is his offensive line, and it has been his whole career. Houston has given up more sacks than any other team over the past 3 years. By far. It's not even close. I'm just pulling these numbers out of my ass because I'm too lazy to find where I read them last week, but it's something like 100 sacks. And the next team on the list is at like 60. Or something like that. Anyways, I do like his weapons with Andre Johnson and Domanick Davis, but I think this defense might put him in position to come from behind a bit too often.
Career Success: 2
Unless Houston admits defeat and gives up on him soon, and drafts a new QB, he'll probably be leading them to mediocre records for several years to come. Maybe he gets a second chance somewhere else in another few years, but I just don't see him as having the talent to become a top QB.
Total Busts:
A.J. Feeley, Miami Dolphins
Experience: 5th year
Backup: Gus Frerotte
Pressure: 5
Season Success: 2
Actually, Frerotte is listed as the starter right now, but that could change any day now. Feeley showed some glimpses of ability as a backup in Philly, where he put together some impressive wins while playing for an injured McNabb a few years ago. Miami thought they'd found their starter for years to come. They were wrong. I don't know what's wrong with this guy, but he just is not accurate with his throws. Sometimes he just looks lost. Not really a good omen.
Career Success: 2
Career backup, if he doesn't pull it together soon, he may be reduced to career 3rd stringer. Still, those games in Philly should allow him to remain employed in the NFL for awhile still.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Monday, August 29, 2005
St. Ides AFC Preview
It's preview time! But first, an update on my Madden '06 XBox season..
Well, my Seahawks finished the season at 15-1.Lost the final game in Green Bay, 31-28. My kicked missed yet another game-ending field goal, this one a 35-yarder with about 40 seconds left. I swear, I suck at the kicking in this game. But considering I was down 31-7 at one point (due to two muffed punt returns, one of which was ran back for a TD), I really deserved to lose. Anyways, since then, I've beaten Tampa Bay and Carolina in the playoffs, and sit poised to face New England in the Super Bowl. No clue how Tampa made the playoffs, but, then again, Seattle probably won't go 15-1 this season either.. At least the Super Bowl should be a challenge.
So I figure it's about time to do an preview type thing. I'll try not to get too ridiculously long with the analysis, but what the hell, it's fun to predict things. I'll start with the AFC, and do the NFC later this week…
East:
1.) Patriots - They're still the two-time defending champs. Still the team to beat. They lost a couple players and their coordinators, but I think they'll be allright. They do have a tough schedule though, so I don't really expect them to totally run away with the division. Let's say 11-5.
2.) Bills - The J.P. Losman project begins. Their D and running game should be solid, which is good for a young QB. They came on strong at the beginning of the season, and really only missed the playoffs cause Drew Bledsoe didn't win games for them. He's gone now. 9-7.
3.) Jets - I have some questions about Pennington's arm. And, really, his talent. I mean, I know a lot of people kiss his ass, but how many season has he really gotten it done for the Jets? Not to mention Herm Edwards ranks right up there with the top coaches I consider retarded. Their defense will be okay, but between Curtis Martin being about 92 now, and Pennington choking, disappointing season all around. 7-9.
4.) Dolphins - A decent storyline with Ricky Williams returning, that other rookie RB in the backfield, and Nick Saban as coach.Their defense should be its usual solid self, though they may be more vulnerable to the pass than recent years with the departure of Surtain. But really their season comes down to two words: Gus Frerrotte. I don't even know if that's how you spell his name. 5-11.
North:
1.) Baltimore - As much as I hate Ray Lewis and Brian Billick, they should win the division this year. Should. Jamal Lewis is out of jail and ought to have something to prove. Kyle Boller has some more offensive weapons with Derrick Mason at WR and Todd Heap healthy again at TE. Of course, Boller could very well continue to stink up the place and single-handedly cost his team 2-3 wins. But I'm going with him. 10-6.
2.) Pittsburgh - I wrote at the end of last year that Big Ben was an illusion. I even compared him to Trent Dilfer in how he simply managed games and avoided mistakes and did not lose games. Here's my exact words, answering which hype is worse, for Vick or Big Ben
"I think the Ben hype is worse. For one simple reason: He hasn't really done jack shit yet to deserve it. Yes, his team won the first 13 games or whatever that he started. But they did it with an awesome D and running game. Imagine, if you will, if the year the Ravens won the Super Bowl that Trent Dilfer were a rookie. He managed the games, didn't make mistakes, and was an efficient passer when needed. What happened? He was a journeyman so he got almost no hype and wasn't even re-signed after they won the Super Bowl. Just because this kid's a rookie he's getting hyped like crazy. How many highlight film plays can you remember him making this season? Maybe one or two? Hell, I can't even think of one right now. "
So the illusion dissolves this year. Look for "sophomore slump" articles to appear all over the mainstream press by week 6. 8-8.
3.) Bengals - I almost put them ahead of the Steelers. Almost. I'm not completely sold on Carson Palmer just yet. But I think he has the tools around him and a decent young D to make a run at making the playoffs. Well, maybe next year. 8-8.
4.) Cleveland - New coaches and stuff. Trent Dilfer at QB. A bit of indecision who the top guy at RB will be. And Michigan alum (and #3 overall draft pick) Braylon Edwards at WR. They might take a step forward, but not a huge one. 7-9.
South:
1.) Colts - Yes, Manning is dope. But I still think it'd be tough to call him the best QB in the NFL when the Patriots absolutely kill him. I'll take Brady over Manning any day of the week. Is that my Michigan bias? Maybe. But I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who would agree with me who are not Michigan or Patriots fans. 11-5.
2.) Jaguars - I'm not sold on Byron Leftwich yet. Seems I've been writing that a lot about young QBs, eh? Well, here's the thing. Right now there are a LOT of QBs who are in their 3rd-5th year in the NFL, and the jury is still out on them. Conventional wisdom tends to say that if they've been starting for 2 or 3 years, and the offense around them keeps getting better, the QB should break out and become a solid starter. However, there are plenty of examples of QBs who have been put in position to succeed, and not done so. Hell, I'm going to dedicate another future article just on all the QBs on the verge of making or breaking their careers this year. In the meantime, the Jags D is solid enough to almost make the playoffs. 9-7.
3.) Houston - David Carr. See statement directly above. I like Domanick Davis. I like their receivers. Their D is okay. Their O-line needs to give Carr time. They seem to beat the tough teams (like Indy and Baltimore) but lose to creampuffs (like Tennessee or Cleveland). I just don't see them pulling it together this year. 7-9.
4.) Tennessee - This team is stuck in salary cap hell. They lost their top WR and top DB, and are moving into the Pacman Jones Era. Steve McNair should be injured by week 6, and Billy Volek will put up sick numbers throwing the ball. Sadly, their defense won't stop anybody. 5-11.
West:
1.) Chiefs - Their offense still looks good, and Priest Holmes should be healthy again. They still lack big-name WRs, but Tony Gonzalez catches everything in sight. Their defense should be better with the addition of Surtain in the secondary and first round pick Derrick Johnson at LB. If they stay healthy, they should run away with the division I think. 12-4.
2.) Chargers - Let's face it, the Chargers overachieved last year. Teams won't take them so lightly this year. Is Drew Brees for real? Some are claiming maybe he just had that one career year, and isn't as good as his numbers were. Well, he's a Purdue alum, so I got to see him light it up against Michigan a few times in college. I think he's for real. What I don't think is that the Chargers will be able to quite put together the same season they did last year. Although they should come close to a playoff spot. 10-6.
3.) Broncos - Looks like Mike Anderson will be the starting RB, and he should go for about 1200 yards. Jake Plummer will for about that many yards too, but to the wrong team going in the wrong direction. Jake Plummer is not a good QB, I don't care what people say. Oh, and their defensive line is now made up of mostly cast-offs from the Browns. Not exactly an elite defense to be stealing players from. 8-8.
4.) Raiders - The Kerry "Whiskey" Collins to Randy "I only smoke weed once in a blue moon" Moss ought to be an interesting thing to watch. And a lot of people are saying LaMont Jordan will be great as a starting RB. But their defense sucks, led by Warren "I don't know when to shut up even though I'm 5 years past my prime" Sapp. By week 10, Moss ought to be pouting and feuding with Sapp. 6-10.
Playoffs:
Wild Card Round:
Ravens 20, Bills 17
Colts 31, Chargers 28
Divisional Round:
Patriots 33, Colts 18
Chiefs 29, Ravens 20
AFC Championship:
Patriots 26, Chiefs 24
Well, my Seahawks finished the season at 15-1.Lost the final game in Green Bay, 31-28. My kicked missed yet another game-ending field goal, this one a 35-yarder with about 40 seconds left. I swear, I suck at the kicking in this game. But considering I was down 31-7 at one point (due to two muffed punt returns, one of which was ran back for a TD), I really deserved to lose. Anyways, since then, I've beaten Tampa Bay and Carolina in the playoffs, and sit poised to face New England in the Super Bowl. No clue how Tampa made the playoffs, but, then again, Seattle probably won't go 15-1 this season either.. At least the Super Bowl should be a challenge.
So I figure it's about time to do an preview type thing. I'll try not to get too ridiculously long with the analysis, but what the hell, it's fun to predict things. I'll start with the AFC, and do the NFC later this week…
East:
1.) Patriots - They're still the two-time defending champs. Still the team to beat. They lost a couple players and their coordinators, but I think they'll be allright. They do have a tough schedule though, so I don't really expect them to totally run away with the division. Let's say 11-5.
2.) Bills - The J.P. Losman project begins. Their D and running game should be solid, which is good for a young QB. They came on strong at the beginning of the season, and really only missed the playoffs cause Drew Bledsoe didn't win games for them. He's gone now. 9-7.
3.) Jets - I have some questions about Pennington's arm. And, really, his talent. I mean, I know a lot of people kiss his ass, but how many season has he really gotten it done for the Jets? Not to mention Herm Edwards ranks right up there with the top coaches I consider retarded. Their defense will be okay, but between Curtis Martin being about 92 now, and Pennington choking, disappointing season all around. 7-9.
4.) Dolphins - A decent storyline with Ricky Williams returning, that other rookie RB in the backfield, and Nick Saban as coach.Their defense should be its usual solid self, though they may be more vulnerable to the pass than recent years with the departure of Surtain. But really their season comes down to two words: Gus Frerrotte. I don't even know if that's how you spell his name. 5-11.
North:
1.) Baltimore - As much as I hate Ray Lewis and Brian Billick, they should win the division this year. Should. Jamal Lewis is out of jail and ought to have something to prove. Kyle Boller has some more offensive weapons with Derrick Mason at WR and Todd Heap healthy again at TE. Of course, Boller could very well continue to stink up the place and single-handedly cost his team 2-3 wins. But I'm going with him. 10-6.
2.) Pittsburgh - I wrote at the end of last year that Big Ben was an illusion. I even compared him to Trent Dilfer in how he simply managed games and avoided mistakes and did not lose games. Here's my exact words, answering which hype is worse, for Vick or Big Ben
"I think the Ben hype is worse. For one simple reason: He hasn't really done jack shit yet to deserve it. Yes, his team won the first 13 games or whatever that he started. But they did it with an awesome D and running game. Imagine, if you will, if the year the Ravens won the Super Bowl that Trent Dilfer were a rookie. He managed the games, didn't make mistakes, and was an efficient passer when needed. What happened? He was a journeyman so he got almost no hype and wasn't even re-signed after they won the Super Bowl. Just because this kid's a rookie he's getting hyped like crazy. How many highlight film plays can you remember him making this season? Maybe one or two? Hell, I can't even think of one right now. "
So the illusion dissolves this year. Look for "sophomore slump" articles to appear all over the mainstream press by week 6. 8-8.
3.) Bengals - I almost put them ahead of the Steelers. Almost. I'm not completely sold on Carson Palmer just yet. But I think he has the tools around him and a decent young D to make a run at making the playoffs. Well, maybe next year. 8-8.
4.) Cleveland - New coaches and stuff. Trent Dilfer at QB. A bit of indecision who the top guy at RB will be. And Michigan alum (and #3 overall draft pick) Braylon Edwards at WR. They might take a step forward, but not a huge one. 7-9.
South:
1.) Colts - Yes, Manning is dope. But I still think it'd be tough to call him the best QB in the NFL when the Patriots absolutely kill him. I'll take Brady over Manning any day of the week. Is that my Michigan bias? Maybe. But I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who would agree with me who are not Michigan or Patriots fans. 11-5.
2.) Jaguars - I'm not sold on Byron Leftwich yet. Seems I've been writing that a lot about young QBs, eh? Well, here's the thing. Right now there are a LOT of QBs who are in their 3rd-5th year in the NFL, and the jury is still out on them. Conventional wisdom tends to say that if they've been starting for 2 or 3 years, and the offense around them keeps getting better, the QB should break out and become a solid starter. However, there are plenty of examples of QBs who have been put in position to succeed, and not done so. Hell, I'm going to dedicate another future article just on all the QBs on the verge of making or breaking their careers this year. In the meantime, the Jags D is solid enough to almost make the playoffs. 9-7.
3.) Houston - David Carr. See statement directly above. I like Domanick Davis. I like their receivers. Their D is okay. Their O-line needs to give Carr time. They seem to beat the tough teams (like Indy and Baltimore) but lose to creampuffs (like Tennessee or Cleveland). I just don't see them pulling it together this year. 7-9.
4.) Tennessee - This team is stuck in salary cap hell. They lost their top WR and top DB, and are moving into the Pacman Jones Era. Steve McNair should be injured by week 6, and Billy Volek will put up sick numbers throwing the ball. Sadly, their defense won't stop anybody. 5-11.
West:
1.) Chiefs - Their offense still looks good, and Priest Holmes should be healthy again. They still lack big-name WRs, but Tony Gonzalez catches everything in sight. Their defense should be better with the addition of Surtain in the secondary and first round pick Derrick Johnson at LB. If they stay healthy, they should run away with the division I think. 12-4.
2.) Chargers - Let's face it, the Chargers overachieved last year. Teams won't take them so lightly this year. Is Drew Brees for real? Some are claiming maybe he just had that one career year, and isn't as good as his numbers were. Well, he's a Purdue alum, so I got to see him light it up against Michigan a few times in college. I think he's for real. What I don't think is that the Chargers will be able to quite put together the same season they did last year. Although they should come close to a playoff spot. 10-6.
3.) Broncos - Looks like Mike Anderson will be the starting RB, and he should go for about 1200 yards. Jake Plummer will for about that many yards too, but to the wrong team going in the wrong direction. Jake Plummer is not a good QB, I don't care what people say. Oh, and their defensive line is now made up of mostly cast-offs from the Browns. Not exactly an elite defense to be stealing players from. 8-8.
4.) Raiders - The Kerry "Whiskey" Collins to Randy "I only smoke weed once in a blue moon" Moss ought to be an interesting thing to watch. And a lot of people are saying LaMont Jordan will be great as a starting RB. But their defense sucks, led by Warren "I don't know when to shut up even though I'm 5 years past my prime" Sapp. By week 10, Moss ought to be pouting and feuding with Sapp. 6-10.
Playoffs:
Wild Card Round:
Ravens 20, Bills 17
Colts 31, Chargers 28
Divisional Round:
Patriots 33, Colts 18
Chiefs 29, Ravens 20
AFC Championship:
Patriots 26, Chiefs 24
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Odds and ends at 10 PM
Well SBS fans, it's 10:00 on a Saturday night. Karen and I are working on a "paint by numbers" project from "The Masters Collection". It's from Van Gogh's Sunflower series which according to the box were painted "... in preperation for Gauguin's visit to Arles". The box also goes on to point out that Van Gogh loped off his infamous ear during another of Gauguin's visits. This Gauguin fellow had some affect on Van Gogh, eliciting both incredible creativity and maniacle self mutilation by his mere presence.
Anyway, that's not what I wanted to write about.
Here's a little pop quiz: What do Najeh Davenport, John Riggins, Mr. T and my wife Karen have in common? You'll have to read on for the answer...
Answer: they all have sported Mohawks! Last week the formerly dredlocked Davenport went "Karen in her punk days" and got himself a Mohawk. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal: "The Mohawk is making a comeback in Green Bay. Running back Najeh Davenport, who trimmed his long dreadlocks a few years ago, told receiver Antonio Chatman that he wanted the styled cut. Chatman cuts many of the players' hair, and so he gave Davenport the Mohawk. He gave himself one, too. Then Ahmad Carroll wanted one, as well.
There's no real symbolism to the cut, but we'll see if long-locked Mark Tauscher goes for it. (Samichlaus has found out that Tauscher has a charity, and as part of a charity drive Taucher will cut his hair if a certain donation goal is met)
"Now everybody says they're going to get it," Davenport said. "But I don't know" " .
As if Karen needed another reason to like this guy. Yep, Mrs. Samichlaus bounded around the house in glee when I broke the news. I've got to see if there's a way to upload a picture to this blog so y'all can see Mrs. Samichlaus in her punk'd out state. Frankly though she looks a bit like Travis Bickle.
Just google it, I ain't explaining who Travis Bickle is if you don't know.
Quick check... the Mets lost 2 - 1. See? Every time I start to believe, they break my heart. Oh, and the friggin Yankees scored 5 in the 9th to win.
Anyway, that's not what I wanted to write about.
Here's a little pop quiz: What do Najeh Davenport, John Riggins, Mr. T and my wife Karen have in common? You'll have to read on for the answer...
Answer: they all have sported Mohawks! Last week the formerly dredlocked Davenport went "Karen in her punk days" and got himself a Mohawk. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal: "The Mohawk is making a comeback in Green Bay. Running back Najeh Davenport, who trimmed his long dreadlocks a few years ago, told receiver Antonio Chatman that he wanted the styled cut. Chatman cuts many of the players' hair, and so he gave Davenport the Mohawk. He gave himself one, too. Then Ahmad Carroll wanted one, as well.
There's no real symbolism to the cut, but we'll see if long-locked Mark Tauscher goes for it. (Samichlaus has found out that Tauscher has a charity, and as part of a charity drive Taucher will cut his hair if a certain donation goal is met)
"Now everybody says they're going to get it," Davenport said. "But I don't know" " .
As if Karen needed another reason to like this guy. Yep, Mrs. Samichlaus bounded around the house in glee when I broke the news. I've got to see if there's a way to upload a picture to this blog so y'all can see Mrs. Samichlaus in her punk'd out state. Frankly though she looks a bit like Travis Bickle.
Just google it, I ain't explaining who Travis Bickle is if you don't know.
Quick check... the Mets lost 2 - 1. See? Every time I start to believe, they break my heart. Oh, and the friggin Yankees scored 5 in the 9th to win.
I want to believe
It's funny how my passions change in sports. When the Mets ruled New York baseball, they were my favorite sports franchise. I was born in 1962 and really became aware of life around 1969, so the Mets were the sports team of my youth. My youth lasted until 1992.
It was in 1992 that Brett Favre arrived in Green Bay and it was in 1992 that I began to realize that it was no longer 1986. The Mets began to fall by the wayside, and quickly became weak sisters to the Yankees. Suddenly New York was a Yankee town. Yankee fans came out of the woodwork in droves, as if they'd been in hiding for the first 30 yers of my life. Some of them even spoke English. The numbers were astonishing. My loyalty to my beloved Mets never wavered. I am a Mets fan and damn proud of it, but by 1994 my absolute favorite all time professional sports team was the Green Bay Packers. That has not changed.
Yesterday the Packers were dominated by a world class football team, the New England Patriots. The domination was so complete that even the usually rose colored Milwaukee press hit the proverbial panic button. One writer wrote "Punter B.J. Sander was the best player for the Packers. Enough said." Another writer pined "If you were looking for one bright spot in the evening, there wasn't any." I planned to watch the game today at 4:00 on the NFL Network but decided against it. I figure there's no need to be a miserable fuck and ruin my beautiful wife's weekend too. Besides, I can think of better things for us to do. The Packers need to be ready ro play on September 11th in Detroit, and realistically IF they play the Patriots again it would be a minor miracle, because the only way that happens is if they make the Super Bowl. OK, a major miracle.
While the Packers were getting their asses whooped, Steve Trachsel was pitching 8 innings of shutout ball for the Mets. This was his first start of the season, a season interrupted by a major surgery that could have kept him out for the season. Trachsel pitched 8 and Braden Looper closed out the 9th and suddenly the Mets, who have not been able to win a road game to save themselves are 5-0 on the this road trip. They're also 8 games over .500, 4 games out of first, and 1.5 games off the wild card lead.
And suddenly just like that, I'm interested in baseball again.
It was in 1992 that Brett Favre arrived in Green Bay and it was in 1992 that I began to realize that it was no longer 1986. The Mets began to fall by the wayside, and quickly became weak sisters to the Yankees. Suddenly New York was a Yankee town. Yankee fans came out of the woodwork in droves, as if they'd been in hiding for the first 30 yers of my life. Some of them even spoke English. The numbers were astonishing. My loyalty to my beloved Mets never wavered. I am a Mets fan and damn proud of it, but by 1994 my absolute favorite all time professional sports team was the Green Bay Packers. That has not changed.
Yesterday the Packers were dominated by a world class football team, the New England Patriots. The domination was so complete that even the usually rose colored Milwaukee press hit the proverbial panic button. One writer wrote "Punter B.J. Sander was the best player for the Packers. Enough said." Another writer pined "If you were looking for one bright spot in the evening, there wasn't any." I planned to watch the game today at 4:00 on the NFL Network but decided against it. I figure there's no need to be a miserable fuck and ruin my beautiful wife's weekend too. Besides, I can think of better things for us to do. The Packers need to be ready ro play on September 11th in Detroit, and realistically IF they play the Patriots again it would be a minor miracle, because the only way that happens is if they make the Super Bowl. OK, a major miracle.
While the Packers were getting their asses whooped, Steve Trachsel was pitching 8 innings of shutout ball for the Mets. This was his first start of the season, a season interrupted by a major surgery that could have kept him out for the season. Trachsel pitched 8 and Braden Looper closed out the 9th and suddenly the Mets, who have not been able to win a road game to save themselves are 5-0 on the this road trip. They're also 8 games over .500, 4 games out of first, and 1.5 games off the wild card lead.
And suddenly just like that, I'm interested in baseball again.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Fantasy and Reality
Well, Seattle came back down to earth a bit last night, with a 18-10 loss to Dallas. The Cowboys' first round pick looked pretty nasty, a DE converted to LB out of Troy State (Troy State?!?!) named Ware. Two forced fumbles, a pick, a sack. Yikes. Thankfully, we don't play Dallas this regular season.
The Seattle first time offense looked okay. Aside from two turnovers, they moved the ball pretty well. The first team D looked fine too. I'm really not worried that we lost this game, and there were no injuries to report, so that's better than a "W" in the preseason anyways.
While watching Monday Night Countdown, I asked myself for the two hundredth time: Why the FUCK can't the people in charge of these shows come up with better stuff than Michael Irvin talking ebonics and slapping his knee laughing so hard about how he just insulted Tom Jackson? God, these shows are AWFUL. Anyways, when asked about Shaun Alexander and the Seahawks, TJ basically said they have good numbers and look good on paper, but they just don't have that missing intangible ingredient it takes to win. Irvin took it a step further and called them "soft". At which point ESPN actually put the words "Seattle is soft" in a graphic on the bottom of the screen while Irvin ranted. On one hand, I hope someone in the Seattle organization taped this and shows it to the team, maybe it will give them a little extra motivation. And maybe bigass Walter Jones will punch Irvin in his teeth next time he sees him. On the other hand, 90% of these talking heads are on the verge of losing all credibility. It's like they talk to hear themselves, and don't even care if they're making sense. Even John Madden, before the game, was talking about how great Seattle's defense is, but how their defense couldn't stop anybody last year. And the defense is the problem, they won't go anywhere without the defense improving. He made no mention that they have made a ton of changes on defense, including 7 or 8 new starters this year. Including bringing in veteran defenders Jamie Sharper and Andre Dyson. It was like Madden was so busy having his head up Parcells' ass praising him, he didn't even bother to check the starting defensive roster for Seattle.
But you know what. I like it this way. I prefer being under the radar and not feared. The way Hasselbeck carved up the Dallas D on several passes was impressive. And the dropped balls by receivers didn't start until the second half when the 3rd stringers were in. A few predictions for players on the bubble making the team or not:
WR Jerheme Urban (who has a lot of fan support because he's a white WR) - Cut
WR D.J. Hackett - Kept
WR Taco Wallace - Cut
WR Bobby Shaw - Cut
TE Calen Powell (not to be confused with Secretary of State Colin Powell) - Cut
DE Jeb Huckeba - Kept
CB B.J. Tucker - Kept
Obviously, these are subject to change over the next 2 preseason games, but I feel pretty confident in these assessments right now.
And, speaking of football.. We had our Fantasy Football draft last night. I'm pretty happy with my team, despite being put in a situation of "cannot pass up on him" with Shaun Alexander with the 6th overall pick. I tend to avoid drafting Seahawks for my fantasy team so I don't get hit with a double dose of disappointment when they stink it up and lose. Ah well, he should put up big numbers this year though, so I can't complain. Here's my starting lineup:
QB - Tom Brady (with Michael Vick lurking in the wings)
RB - Shaun Alexander
RB - Domanick Davis
WR - Torry Holt
WR - Hines Ward
TE - Todd Heap
LB - Terrell Suggs
LB - Takeo Spikes
DL - Julius Peppers
DB - Ed Reed
DB - Champ Bailey
K - Lawrence Tynes
P - Craig Hentrich
Arguably, Holt and Ward could both be considered Top 5 WR, so to have both of them is nice. And here is an interesting tidbit on KC Kicker Lawrence Tynes, with some of the facts courtesy Pale Ale owner Dar… He's the first Scottish-born player to ever play in the NFL. Last week he got into a drunken brawl in some bar, and punched a bouncer in the face and broke his nose. All of which was caught on videotape. He doesn't tell anybody on the team, and shows up to practice like nothing happened. Until the police show up and arrest him. You can read all about this feisty kicker's brush with the law! Just the kind of attitude the Meister Brau Shotguns look for in a kicker! We're ready to make a run at the League Championship!
The Seattle first time offense looked okay. Aside from two turnovers, they moved the ball pretty well. The first team D looked fine too. I'm really not worried that we lost this game, and there were no injuries to report, so that's better than a "W" in the preseason anyways.
While watching Monday Night Countdown, I asked myself for the two hundredth time: Why the FUCK can't the people in charge of these shows come up with better stuff than Michael Irvin talking ebonics and slapping his knee laughing so hard about how he just insulted Tom Jackson? God, these shows are AWFUL. Anyways, when asked about Shaun Alexander and the Seahawks, TJ basically said they have good numbers and look good on paper, but they just don't have that missing intangible ingredient it takes to win. Irvin took it a step further and called them "soft". At which point ESPN actually put the words "Seattle is soft" in a graphic on the bottom of the screen while Irvin ranted. On one hand, I hope someone in the Seattle organization taped this and shows it to the team, maybe it will give them a little extra motivation. And maybe bigass Walter Jones will punch Irvin in his teeth next time he sees him. On the other hand, 90% of these talking heads are on the verge of losing all credibility. It's like they talk to hear themselves, and don't even care if they're making sense. Even John Madden, before the game, was talking about how great Seattle's defense is, but how their defense couldn't stop anybody last year. And the defense is the problem, they won't go anywhere without the defense improving. He made no mention that they have made a ton of changes on defense, including 7 or 8 new starters this year. Including bringing in veteran defenders Jamie Sharper and Andre Dyson. It was like Madden was so busy having his head up Parcells' ass praising him, he didn't even bother to check the starting defensive roster for Seattle.
But you know what. I like it this way. I prefer being under the radar and not feared. The way Hasselbeck carved up the Dallas D on several passes was impressive. And the dropped balls by receivers didn't start until the second half when the 3rd stringers were in. A few predictions for players on the bubble making the team or not:
WR Jerheme Urban (who has a lot of fan support because he's a white WR) - Cut
WR D.J. Hackett - Kept
WR Taco Wallace - Cut
WR Bobby Shaw - Cut
TE Calen Powell (not to be confused with Secretary of State Colin Powell) - Cut
DE Jeb Huckeba - Kept
CB B.J. Tucker - Kept
Obviously, these are subject to change over the next 2 preseason games, but I feel pretty confident in these assessments right now.
And, speaking of football.. We had our Fantasy Football draft last night. I'm pretty happy with my team, despite being put in a situation of "cannot pass up on him" with Shaun Alexander with the 6th overall pick. I tend to avoid drafting Seahawks for my fantasy team so I don't get hit with a double dose of disappointment when they stink it up and lose. Ah well, he should put up big numbers this year though, so I can't complain. Here's my starting lineup:
QB - Tom Brady (with Michael Vick lurking in the wings)
RB - Shaun Alexander
RB - Domanick Davis
WR - Torry Holt
WR - Hines Ward
TE - Todd Heap
LB - Terrell Suggs
LB - Takeo Spikes
DL - Julius Peppers
DB - Ed Reed
DB - Champ Bailey
K - Lawrence Tynes
P - Craig Hentrich
Arguably, Holt and Ward could both be considered Top 5 WR, so to have both of them is nice. And here is an interesting tidbit on KC Kicker Lawrence Tynes, with some of the facts courtesy Pale Ale owner Dar… He's the first Scottish-born player to ever play in the NFL. Last week he got into a drunken brawl in some bar, and punched a bouncer in the face and broke his nose. All of which was caught on videotape. He doesn't tell anybody on the team, and shows up to practice like nothing happened. Until the police show up and arrest him. You can read all about this feisty kicker's brush with the law! Just the kind of attitude the Meister Brau Shotguns look for in a kicker! We're ready to make a run at the League Championship!
Monday, August 15, 2005
Seahawks Flying High
Seattle demolished New Orleans in their Friday night pre-season opener. I watched parts of the game live on the NFL Network's "No Huddle" show (where they basically jump between a bunch of live games) and then a good chunk of the replay on Sunday afternoon. I'm most excited about the defense, which if it can stay healthy, can really be an improvement from last year.
The difference people are talking about isn't the totally revamped linebacker corps or the new starting CB, but the interior defensive line. Where it looks like the starters will be last year's first round pick Marcus Tubbs and former Tampa Bay player Chuck Darby. They seem to be getting along and Darby mentoring Tubbs in a big way. Tubbs is a big guy, at 6-3, 324, and everybody has been talking about his talent since he was drafted. Last year, he was slowed by nagging injuries and missed a few games to be with his sick mother, who died of cancer during the latter part of the season. Chuck Darby isn't built like your prototypical DT at 6-0, 270, but he's been around a few years and has put up impressive numbers as a Buc while being a part of the defensive line rotation. I really like what I'm reading about these two, and some nice pressure up the middle is just what we need to better stop the run, and provide some consistency with the pass rush to allow Wistrom and Fisher to get upfield from the end positions. Not to mention a nice pass rush will take some of the pressure off our secondary.
Seneca Wallace was impressive too, with a nice long 24-yard TD run set up by a few key blocks downfield. And he also had a few pretty nice touch passes, including a touchdown to Pathon. He's locked in to the #2 QB slot right now, and I'm no longer as worried about our season should Hasselbeck get hurt.
Basically, the game went about as well as we could hope for - a convincing win with no major mistakes, and no injuries. Now to keep that up...
I did notice the New Orleans announcers were awful. Not only did they make several mistakes when describing Seattle players, but they made some pretty ridiculous statements that didn't even make sense. The most memorable one being, "Seattle actually has 4 starting cornerbacks." Uhm, what?? Unless they're using some unique defensive scheme with no safeties, I don't get it. Unless he meant that they had 4 cornerbacks capable of starting. Which really didn't make sense either, cause we only have 3 quality CBs. I don't even know who number 4 on the depth chart is. On the plus side, the second half was shown with the Seattle announcers, who were much better (though still below regular season quality).
I like our chances this year, especially since we're not the fashionable pick. Hell, most writers have the Rams finishing ahead of Seattle in the NFC West and some even have Arizona (yes, THAT Arizona!) finishing ahead of them as well.
Meanwhile, my Madden '06 Seahawks are rolling along at 6-0. My defense is frickin impenetrable against the run. My offense varies depending on how tough a D I play, but generally I have at least the running or passing game working well, sometimes both. I might have to crank up the difficulty level soon to keep it interesting.
Did anybody see the interview Chris Berman did with TO and his greedy agent on Thursday night during halftime? Pathetic. They keep talking about how he's not the bad guy, and how he's a grown man, and blah blah blah, but he doesn't shut the fuck up and stop whining for 2 minutes. Jesus H. Christ. Enough already. Stop being a big baby and honor your goddamned multi-million dollar contract. Even McNabb hates your guts at this point. I stole this point from something else I read or heard (I forget where), but during the interview, TO was talking about the Super Bowl game and how nobody expected to play, and how everybody wanted to see him fail. Well, he proved them wrong, because he went out and played and had a decent game! In his eyes, he succeeded, and that right there earned him a new contract. Last I checked though, the Patriots were the Super Bowl winners. Not the Eagles. TO, you failed, chief. Your team lost. You earned nothing. God, these two are really pissing me off, and I'm not even remotely an Eagles fan.
One last note… with the return of the NHL, I was considering ordering the "Center Ice" package on DirectTV, which would give me tons of games to watch. I figured with them coming back after such a damaging strike, it would be dirt cheap in an attempt to win back fans. I just checked the price - $129. Sorry, but I think I'll pass on that one for that much. Cut the price in half, and I might have gone for it. But no way I am forking out over a hundred bucks to a league that totally fucked us over this past season.
The difference people are talking about isn't the totally revamped linebacker corps or the new starting CB, but the interior defensive line. Where it looks like the starters will be last year's first round pick Marcus Tubbs and former Tampa Bay player Chuck Darby. They seem to be getting along and Darby mentoring Tubbs in a big way. Tubbs is a big guy, at 6-3, 324, and everybody has been talking about his talent since he was drafted. Last year, he was slowed by nagging injuries and missed a few games to be with his sick mother, who died of cancer during the latter part of the season. Chuck Darby isn't built like your prototypical DT at 6-0, 270, but he's been around a few years and has put up impressive numbers as a Buc while being a part of the defensive line rotation. I really like what I'm reading about these two, and some nice pressure up the middle is just what we need to better stop the run, and provide some consistency with the pass rush to allow Wistrom and Fisher to get upfield from the end positions. Not to mention a nice pass rush will take some of the pressure off our secondary.
Seneca Wallace was impressive too, with a nice long 24-yard TD run set up by a few key blocks downfield. And he also had a few pretty nice touch passes, including a touchdown to Pathon. He's locked in to the #2 QB slot right now, and I'm no longer as worried about our season should Hasselbeck get hurt.
Basically, the game went about as well as we could hope for - a convincing win with no major mistakes, and no injuries. Now to keep that up...
I did notice the New Orleans announcers were awful. Not only did they make several mistakes when describing Seattle players, but they made some pretty ridiculous statements that didn't even make sense. The most memorable one being, "Seattle actually has 4 starting cornerbacks." Uhm, what?? Unless they're using some unique defensive scheme with no safeties, I don't get it. Unless he meant that they had 4 cornerbacks capable of starting. Which really didn't make sense either, cause we only have 3 quality CBs. I don't even know who number 4 on the depth chart is. On the plus side, the second half was shown with the Seattle announcers, who were much better (though still below regular season quality).
I like our chances this year, especially since we're not the fashionable pick. Hell, most writers have the Rams finishing ahead of Seattle in the NFC West and some even have Arizona (yes, THAT Arizona!) finishing ahead of them as well.
Meanwhile, my Madden '06 Seahawks are rolling along at 6-0. My defense is frickin impenetrable against the run. My offense varies depending on how tough a D I play, but generally I have at least the running or passing game working well, sometimes both. I might have to crank up the difficulty level soon to keep it interesting.
Did anybody see the interview Chris Berman did with TO and his greedy agent on Thursday night during halftime? Pathetic. They keep talking about how he's not the bad guy, and how he's a grown man, and blah blah blah, but he doesn't shut the fuck up and stop whining for 2 minutes. Jesus H. Christ. Enough already. Stop being a big baby and honor your goddamned multi-million dollar contract. Even McNabb hates your guts at this point. I stole this point from something else I read or heard (I forget where), but during the interview, TO was talking about the Super Bowl game and how nobody expected to play, and how everybody wanted to see him fail. Well, he proved them wrong, because he went out and played and had a decent game! In his eyes, he succeeded, and that right there earned him a new contract. Last I checked though, the Patriots were the Super Bowl winners. Not the Eagles. TO, you failed, chief. Your team lost. You earned nothing. God, these two are really pissing me off, and I'm not even remotely an Eagles fan.
One last note… with the return of the NHL, I was considering ordering the "Center Ice" package on DirectTV, which would give me tons of games to watch. I figured with them coming back after such a damaging strike, it would be dirt cheap in an attempt to win back fans. I just checked the price - $129. Sorry, but I think I'll pass on that one for that much. Cut the price in half, and I might have gone for it. But no way I am forking out over a hundred bucks to a league that totally fucked us over this past season.
Johnson returns to practice
An interesting side story from yesterdays practice: third year corner Chris Johnson returned to practice after unexpectedly being removed from the “Physcally Unable to Perform” (PUP) list.
Johnson was a 7th round draft pick out of Louisville in 2003, and was hands down the fastest player at the scouting combines. He clocked an astonishing 4.21 40 yard dash, and claimed he had once run it in 4.18 seconds. Compare this to the 4.34 that Michael Bennett of the Vikings ran (Bennett is widely considered to be the fastest man in the NFL). Johnson was having what was described as a “phenom” camp in ’03 when he suffered a season ending knee injury. He spent the next year recovering from surgerey and rehabilitating the knee, only to suffer a stress fracture on his leg in ’04. The stress fracture was a direct result of his rehabilitation.
This year the Packers didn’t take any chances and have held Johnson out to complete his strenghtening and conditioning. His return to practice is a welcome site and an indication that we may finally see what the kid can do. No one is sure how the injuries have affected his speed, or if he can remain healthy for an extended period of time, but I’m rooting hard for the kid. He’s a hard worker whose had some tough luck. I hope the football gods give him a break.
eMail me at samichlaus@sportsblogsteves.com
Johnson was a 7th round draft pick out of Louisville in 2003, and was hands down the fastest player at the scouting combines. He clocked an astonishing 4.21 40 yard dash, and claimed he had once run it in 4.18 seconds. Compare this to the 4.34 that Michael Bennett of the Vikings ran (Bennett is widely considered to be the fastest man in the NFL). Johnson was having what was described as a “phenom” camp in ’03 when he suffered a season ending knee injury. He spent the next year recovering from surgerey and rehabilitating the knee, only to suffer a stress fracture on his leg in ’04. The stress fracture was a direct result of his rehabilitation.
This year the Packers didn’t take any chances and have held Johnson out to complete his strenghtening and conditioning. His return to practice is a welcome site and an indication that we may finally see what the kid can do. No one is sure how the injuries have affected his speed, or if he can remain healthy for an extended period of time, but I’m rooting hard for the kid. He’s a hard worker whose had some tough luck. I hope the football gods give him a break.
eMail me at samichlaus@sportsblogsteves.com
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