Category: football

How to be greedy and lose in the NFL

Bobby

So it’s official. The San Diego Chargers’ will have fewer wins in 2007 than they did last year. Their 2006 record was 14-2, with their 30-16 loss today to the Kansas City Chiefs they drop to 1-3 on the season.

The number one reason for this change, the replacement of Marty Schottenheimer with Norv Turner. For those of you not famiilar with the NFL, Marty has historically been a very winning coach, but not able to win (or even get to) a Super Bowl. He is notorious for playing Marty Ball, a conservative offense that attempts to rely amlost completely on the running game. Although Marty has been chastized throughout his career his style, the team in San Diego with LaDainian Tomlinson at running back, fit his schema extremely well.

At the end of last season, after leading his team to a 13-2 season and losing a playoff game to the consistently difficult New England Patriots. For his efforts, Schottenheimer got the boot. The ownership in San Diego replaced him with the consistently poor Norv Turner, pulling off a maneuver similar to what Tampa Bay accomplished in 2002 by firing Tony Dungy and hiring Jon Gruden (another team that has since become a parody of itself).

Now, four games into the 2007 season, it is amazingly clear that this change was not a good move by the Chargers. San Diego has fallen from being a powerhouse, to the joke of the AFC West. The NFL Playoffs are so difficult, and the AFC is so competitive right now with teams like the Steelers, Colts and Patriots, firing someone for a playoff loss is ridiculous and greedy. I’ve never been a big fan of Marty, but the San Diego Chargers are missing their best chance to have a good quality season, increase attendance and fan loyalty and generally build on the excitement of last year.

In a modern NFL that is all about the money, sometimes I wonder who makes decisions like this. Is the ownership so dedicated to ‘winning’ that they will take a gamble like this? Is a Super Bowl win so lucrative that it’s worth risking a possible losing season? What is their motivation? It’s really difficult to win the Super Bowl if you can’t even come up with a win in the regular season…

Broncos Game – Recap

Bobby

I was fortunate enough to attend my first NFL game when my friend Sarah invited me to Saturday night’s pre-season Denver Broncos game. While I am an avid professional football fan, this was the first time I had ever been to a pro game live. While I had a great time, and really appreciate Sarah taking me, I don’t think I will go to another.

The amazing thing about an NFL game is that nobody really seems to watch the game. when I watch a game at home I am bombarded by three hours of play-by-play action by at LEAST two announcers. They give background information, stats analysis, and replays for BOTH teams. Invesco Field had two big screens that showed replays and information on the Broncos, but nearly nothing on their opponents, the Cleveland Browns. From my upper deck seat I couldn’t make out the name of any Browns players. I really felt like I only got to watch half a football game.

Again, this is not a critque of the evening. I had a great time, but I care too much about the game to watch another one live. I would much rather watch Jay Cutler fumble snaps and throw incompletions in the comfort of my own home, where I can switch over to Peyton Manning when I get frustrated…

‘Greatest Quarterback EVER’… Chokes

Bobby

In what may be the most exciting AFC championship game in history the Indianapolis Colts overcame an 18 point first half deficit to defeat the vaunted New England Patriots and secured a place in the Super Bowl.

Both teams fought valiantly, but ultimately the Colts desire to win prevailed.

The poetic moment of the game is when Tom Brady, often referred to as the 'Greatest Quarterback Ever' threw a pass that was intercepted by Colts' Marlin Jackson – effectively ending the game.

My congratulations go out to Tony Dungy and the whole Colts organization! I, for one, am looking forward to a great Super Bowl game against Brian Urlacher and the Chicago Bears.

Anybody But the Patriots

Bobby 4 Comments

We are just two days away from Sunday's show down between two of the best football teams of the modern era. The New England Patriots with their boring, mediocre, 'we don't need good players when we can just bore the other team to death' style vs. the dynamic, exciting, record setting, passionate Indianapolis Colts.

For me, Sunday's game symbolizes the good and the bad in the NFL today.

Belichick and Brady
Coach Belichick, while brilliant, has a coaching style tailor-made for the modern NFL. The New England Patriots are a cold, rutheless, crushing football machine that is designed to win games the same way every time. Every position and every person is replacable. Tom Brady get's billing as one of the greatest quarterbacks in history, when in reality he is just another cog that keeps the Belichick machine running.

Manning and Dungy The Indianapolis Colts are diametrically opposed to the New England Patriots. If the Patriots are a machine, the Colts are a living breathing entity. They play with passion, heart and honor. Peyton Manning is the quintessential quarterback, a true field general and leader of men in the tradition of men like Unitas and Elway. The coach, Tony Dungy, is a soft spoken defensive genius – the first coach in history to beat all 32 NFL teams. The leadership of these two men brings out the best in players like Marvin Harrison, Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne, Bob Sanders, Dwight Freeney, Joseph Addai and many others – all heros in their own right.

This Sunday we will once again see this clash of old vs. new, Heros vs. Machine, Passion vs. Calculation. At the end of the day I only know one thing. Win or Lose, at the press conference Manning and Dungy will have gracious things to say about their opponent, Bellichick will be rude and Brady will walk out in his $10,000 suit and flash his million dollar smile.

My only hope is that, contrary to Lisa's wishes, the Patriots don't win again.

Plummer out, Cutler in

Bobby

Denver Broncos coach, Mike Shanahan announced today that rookie Jay Cutler will be the starting quarterback next week against the Seattle Seahawks replacing Jake Plummer.

This is a big decision for Shanahan. I've always liked Plummer, even back to his days at ASU. It is unfortunate the Broncos haven't been able to return to the Super Bowl with Plummer at the helm. It's not clear if the problem is with Plummer or if it's Jake's supporting cast, but the overall ineffectiveness of the Broncos offense this year is undeniable.

Part of me hopes that Cutler can step in and take the Broncos to the playoffs. Another part of me hopes that Plummer will be vindicated and Cutler will fall flat on his face. No matter what, you can be sure Denver fans will be merciless to the new guy. First bad game he has they will be burning a Cutler effigy in the Mile High parking lot…

Vick makes obscene gesture

Bobby

Michael Vick

After this Sunday's 31-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons star quarterback, Michael Vick, felt the need to give the crowd an obscene gesture.

What is with this guy? This is his 5th year in the league, he is an amazingly talented player, why can't he act like a professional. Sure, he was labeled this week as a “coach killer”, but his behavior only helps confirm statements like that.

I sincerely hope Vick can get his act together. If he could act like a decent human being I could root for him and enjoy watching him play. Careers in the NFL are very short, Vick needs to figure this out and get serious about the game and show some leadership while he still has time.

Smear the Queer

Bobby

During tonight's Denver/San Diego game John Madden made an amusing statement. He made a comment about Ladainian Tomlinson's childhood affinity for a game where the ball is thrown up in the air and the other kids attempt to tackle the boy that catches the ball. The funny thing was Madden's need to describe the game and not call it by the name that every red-blooded American boy knows it by – Smear the Queer.

The man who popularized the Turducken is too afraid of offending the gay community to mention a popluar childhood game by name. In fact, I'm fairly confident that the usage of queer in Smear the Queer has nothing to do with homosexuals. Webster defines queer as

differing in some odd way from what is usual or normal

and this definition more appropriately fits the way the game is played. The boy who has the football is unsual. He is unlike the rest (who don't have a football) and the others attempt to tackle or 'smear' him. The 8 year old boys who play this game are not emulating hate crimes or learning how to ban gay marriage, they are chasing each other around a grassy field.

Political correctness in the broadcast booth has been with us ever since Howard Cosell's famous “Look at that little monkey run!” comment in 1983 but it is usually hard to notice. Tonight, Madden's pre-meditated discussion about the enjoyment Tomlinson used to get from being the Queer was just a bit more obvious than usual.

Take a stab at it

Bobby

As if Greeley didn’t have enough problems right now, with the recent gang violence, now we’ve got university football players stabbing each other for starting spots. UNC second stringer, Mitch Cozad stabbed the starting punter in the leg.

Funny thing to me here is what was this kid thinking? What could possibly be a good outcome from this? Did Mitch think he would be able to look his victim in the eye when he was standing on the sidelines in crutches. Just proves that everyone that goes to college isn’t smart.

Pick Me! Pick Me!

Bobby

Yesterday NFL commisioner, Paul Tagliabue, announced his retirement in July. Now his biggest job is to name his successor. Mr. Tagliabue, just wanted you to know I’m available. I’m the perfect candidate, lifelong football fan, smart, driven, young. How could the league not want me?

Unfortunately, I’m guessing the league isn’t going to come knocking on my door. There have been some names thrown around already, the most notable of which is Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. Dr. Rice currently is stating she’s not interested in the position. Dr. Rice,if you are reading, take my advice. Take the job. You are going to be Secretary of State for what, three more years max. Tagliabue was commisioner for 16. I know, I know, you’re thinking about running for president. Unfortunately, the Republican party probably isn’t ready to nominate you. On the other hand, think what you could accomplish as commisioner. You would be the ACTUAL most powerful person in the world, not just some poser like the president.

So, before Dr. Rice reads this I want to make a couple suggestions for the new commisioner:

  1. Stop only playing the Super Bowl in nice weather.

    Forcing the Super Bowl to only be played in warm weather stadiums, or in domes is just not what football is all about. I want to see Dallas play Miami in New England. Just rotate around the league and whatever stadium is up is the city that hosts the game.
  2. Get rid of the whiners

    The NFL is quickly emulating the NBA. We have players like Terrell Owens that are making a mockery out of the sport. Let’s crack down on some of these spoiled kids and get some respect back in the league.
  3. Change the draft

    Obviously having good picks in the draft don’t generally make a team better. A team the is in the cellar often stays there, despite high draft picks year after year. Look at the Bengals, until recently, the Texans, the Cardinals, etc… Let’s change the draft to some type of lottery system so the best college atheletes at LEAST get a chance to play on a competitive team.
  4. Stop focusing so much on the money

    During Paul Tagliabue’s tenure as commissioner league revenues went through the roof. He has done a fantastic job at making the league more profitable. While this is a good thing for business, I’m not sure it’s a good thing for the game. Too many times the league comes across as greedy. Let’s get back to what’s really important, the competition and spirit of the game and let’s move away from the desire to make everyone a billionaire.

Hopefully Tagliabue will pick a good successor. Personally, my preference would be an outsider like Rice, someone actually involved with a team as a coach or GM like Rich McKay. Let’s hope for the best, and remember, if anyone asks who you would like to see, nominate me!!!