Sports Gerbil's Take

I NO LONGER HATE SOCCER

2011-07-21T11:33:00.011-04:00

After watching a couple of the World Cup games featuring te Women's U.S. Soccer team, I can honestly say I have respect for soccer and it's players. I'll admit that I didn't know much about the game before their match against Brazil a couple weeks ago. However, soccer is actually not as bad as I once thought and was actually pretty exciting to watch. I've always bashed soccer, saying the game is all about kicking a ball around an oversized field and that a 1-0 lead is insurmountable. This is all untrue and I apologize to all those who are fans of this game.

I have total respect for anybody that plays soccer, especially on this level. While watching the quarterfinal matchup against Brazil, I couldn't believe that only three substitutions were allowed per team. I couldn't last five minutes running up and down that field. The game is way more intense than I ever imagined, with slide tackling and all the other contact that is involved. The game also has suspense that I didn't beleive was possible. Take the first half of the World Cup Final for example. The American women had so many chances to score, and failed to do so. The opportunites were there, including one off the crossbar and others that barely missed. If one or two of those goals finds the back of the net, we are talking about a different result.

Only days after this exciting match, I find myself watching television and stopping on channels that are airing soccer. This World Cup final has convinced me that I should be a fan of the most popular sport on the planet. Soccer has entered the world of Shawn Marosek. I'm sure the recent events in Germany have done the same for others across this country.

-Shawn M.

TIGER: IS HE FINISHED?

2011-06-20T15:35:00.008-04:00

Like it or not, the new wave of golf stars have broken out in a big way. Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer, and Charl Schwartzel have all won major championships while Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar have all come close. Clearly the most impressive of this group is Rory McIlroy, who has stamped himself as the best player in the world with his dominating U.S. Open championship at Congressional this weekend. His brilliance hasn’t been seen since, well, Tiger Woods at the 2000 U.S. Open.

With this new wave of exceptional, young golfers here to stay, where exactly does that leave Tiger Woods? Tiger hasn’t won a major since the 2008 U.S. Open, and hasn’t won a tour event since he returned from his whole saga at the 2010 Masters. Putting the personal issues aside, Tiger’s health is a big concern. He has been forced to miss three majors due to different surgeries since the victory at Torrey Pines in ’08. With problems like this at age 35, what condition will he be in at age 40 and then 45? The next ten years will be where he either breaks Jack Nicklaus’s record or continues his fade into the sunset.

Most of the media seems to be counting him out. Almost all say he won’t catch Jack now and several people are saying he’ll never win another major. This is mainly the same group of people that said he would win the Grand Slam in 2009 and tie Jack’s record that year! I’ve personally never bought into the extreme opinions of the media. I believe most people just write stuff with such extreme opinions to deliver a “wow” factor just so that more people will read and comment on their stuff. I find it hard to believe most of these writers actually believe their words to the fullest extent. Not many people are going to be that intrigued by an article or newscast that says, "well Tiger could still break it, but it is going to be much tougher now”.

I really do find it silly that anyone at this current moment can dismiss him from ever winning another major championship. The man won a major on a broken leg at Torrey Pines, and despite all the personal/physical issues over the last year and change, he has finished in the top five at three out of the five majors he’s competed in since his return last April. Unless his legs are that far gone, I find it very hard to believe he’ll never win another major. Love him or hate him, no one can dispute the heart he plays with at these major championships. No one can dispute how mentally strong he is either. He willed himself to that win at Torrey Pines as well into the top five at those recent majors. Imagine where he’ll be when his game starts to come around which it appeared to do at times at the Masters in April. I throw out those events where he totally bombed like the Bridgestone Invitational last year. Obviously his game wasn’t there, but clearly his heart wasn’t in it either. Outside of the 2006 U.S. Open which was weeks after the death of his father, Tiger's heart has always been in it for these majors.

Barring we find out that he won't ever be able to play on his legs again, I will guarantee that Tiger will win another major championship. I base that on partly on his performance at Torrey Pines and his ability to stay in contention at majors since. However, I also base that on the fact several of golf’s greatest players have had a ton of success after the age of 35. Jack won six of his 18 majors, Ben Hogan won eight of his nine, Sam Snead won five of his seven, and more recently Phil Mickelson has won three of his four majors after their 35th birthdays. Even Tom Watson, who never won a major after the age of 35, was a putt away on the 72nd green from winning the 2009 British Open at the ripe old age of 59. I think Tiger will have long put the clubs away for good when he's 59, but there is no reason he cannot compete until he's 45,50.

Whether I believe he’ll ultimately break Jack’s record is a different story. With the wave of young talent taking over, it is going to be very difficult for Tiger to win five more major championships on reconstructed legs while these younger guys are pretty much playing with a full deck. They quite frankly are probably more physically talented right now. However, I’ve seen this man win on a broken leg where every swing was so painful, so while I acknowledge (not a bold statement) it will be much more difficult than it appeared it was going to be a few years ago, I don’t believe his quest for the all-time major championship record is over. No game is more fickle than golf. One week you can be on top of the world, the next you can be at the bottom. Let’s see where Tiger is when this extreme point in his career levels out. I would like to see what happens when he finally wins a PGA event even if it isn’t a major championship. To call him finished at this point is way too premature.

Patrick Morgan

TEBOW'S NEW HAIRCUT- I LOVE IT

2010-08-10T16:54:00.004-04:00

It works that whole Friar Tuck thing, which essentially goes with that prior Super Bowl commercial he "starred" in.

I hope your team at least doesn't make you look like an ass out on the field (or do I?).

AS USUAL, THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS ARE D*CKHEADS

2010-05-06T21:00:00.004-04:00

No surprise what I'm going to be ranting about in this opinion piece.

Apparently the entire staff and team that resides in New England don't have the time for kids. And not just any kids. The kids that signed up to participate in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program.

Now, if these poor elementary school kids in Connecticut weren't actually expecting anyone on the team to show up, then I can see how they would be disappointed, but it wouldn't be the fault of the Patriots. Well, apparently the team was actually supposed to show up and play football, or run around with these kids. I mean you see the commercials with the various players, looking ecstatic to be with kids. Apparently the Patriots hate them. Because no one but an intern showed up. So instead of playing with Patriot's players, the intern brought some exercise videos.

"I was willing to give the Patriots the benefit of the doubt and believe that there was an honest mistake here ... until I read that they gave the kid a Fred Taylor jersey. Fred Taylor? Fred Taylor and his 269 yards last year? That's really the best you can do for the kid? What, was Zoltan Mesko(notes) too busy to sign a jersey?"

Listen, you may not be the reigning NFL football team in the world at the moment (Go Saints!), but that doesn't mean you can be dueschbags, especially to children who look up to you and idolize some of you.

Jaclyn Kahn

P.S. I see the update on the article, but I don't buy it. The Patriots have that "we're better than you and can get away with anything" air about them, so I still say it's their fault.

THE NEW YORK JETS OFFSEASON REPORT

2010-04-25T12:06:00.012-04:00

Year one of the Rex Ryan/Mark Sanchez era was a roller coaster ride for sure. The New York Jets had many ups and downs, but it ended pretty well with a trip to Indianapolis for the AFC Championship. Yes, they were slaughtered by some guy named Peyton in the 2nd half, but there were many positives to take from the deep playoff run. The Jets have had a pretty active offseason to say the least. They have added a ton of big names, said goodbye to a couple old friends, and took a few key pieces in the draft. Let me try and go through it all for you all.

First let me tackle the pre-draft moves. The first trade was a third rounder to San Diego for Antonio Cromartie. Despite a drop off in performance and effort from this former all-pro, I think he will be very good playing opposite Revis Island. He is young and should be inspired to perform especially since is in a new environment and will constantly have to hear about how good Darrelle Revis is. You think he might have something to prove? I think this will be a great fit for the Jets, and improves that side of the secondary big time.

The next move was merely to add a big name to the roster. LaDainian Tomlinson is a future first-ballot hall of famer for sure, but his hey day is long gone. He has been a well below average back the last couple years. The Chargers had shifted from being his team to Philip Rivers's team a long time ago. I don't like this move for the Jets. They should have coughed up an extra $2 million to keep Thomas Jones on the roster. I know Jones slowed down at the end of the season, but he rushed for almost 700 yards more than Tomlinson last year. Shonn Greene better be really good because it is hard to see Tomlinson being very useful. Maybe he'll have a few 1-yard touchdown runs, but that will be about it.

The Jets then added troubled receiver Santonio Holmes from Pittsburgh for a fifth round pick. This was a fabulous move. Granted Holmes will miss the first four games due to a drug suspension, but he is a former Super Bowl MVP that will play opposite Braylon Edwards. This will give Sanchez another weapon in difficult situations and should help him a lot. I believe the move will also enhance the value of Jerricho Cotchery. Cotchery showed a drastic loss of speed last year, so moving him to the slot can make him a great possession receiver. Dustin Keller improved as the season went on too, so Sanchez should have no shortage of toys to play with.

Then recently the Jets added former Dolphin, Jason Taylor. Personally I think the guy is a phony for signing with the Jets. No one hated the Jets as much as Taylor during his 10+ years with the Dolphins. I was shocked to say the least. From a football standpoint, he should add something to their pass rush. He is getting up there in age though, so it's possible he just falls off the map. I believe he has more tread left on the tires than Tomlinson, however. Even if he has a great season, I will continue to laugh at him for cameras catching him saying the game was over on that famous Monday night when the Jets came back from 30-7 down against the Dolphins in 2000.

Now to the 2010 NFL Draft. The Jets apparently got a steal in Kyle Wilson at #29. The Boise State cornerback will immediately be the starting nickel corner. With Cromartie and Wilson on that side of the field, the Jets shouldn't be torched like they were by the Colts in the AFC Championship. However, the Jets then made a puzzling move in my opinion. I don't mind that they drafted Vladimir Ducasse in the 2nd round, but I don't get why they would release pro-bowler Alan Faneca as a result. I know he was due a big payday, but it was only $2 million more to keep him on the roster opposed to what his release cost. Ducasse better be good, because otherwise the loss of Faneca is a big hit to the offensive line and the running game.

The other big news from the draft was the trade of Leon Washington to the Seahawks. The Jets took a similar, younger player in Joe McKnight in the 4th round. Once they took him it opened the door for a Washington trade. Even though I have loved Leon as a Jet, the move makes sense. Washington is coming off a severely broken leg that may really hamper what made him such a dynamic player. I wish him well, but from what I've heard about McKnight, he can possibly step right in and be the next Leon Washington anyway. Plus he's younger and not coming off a major injury. Here is where I really trust Mike Tannenbaum's talent accessing abilities. He is a fabulous GM and done great work in these drafts. I also liked the addition of fullback John Conner in the fifth round. Tony Richardson is getting old and who better to learn from for Conner.

So overall I think the Jets have improved their secondary and their receiving core big time. They should be tough to pass on and Sanchez should be much better in year two and build on his impressive postseason. The running game takes a big hit replacing Jones with Tomlinson and then cutting Alan Faneca. There will be a lot of pressure on Shonn Greene to become a big time back next year. I have no confidence in Tomlinson, so the Jets have to hope Greene takes the next step and that Joe McKnight makes an immediate impact. The Jets are clearly going for it and anything short of a Super Bowl appearance next year will be a disappointment.

Pat Morgan

NCAA COMES TO THEIR SENSES, WILL ONLY EXPAND TO 68

2010-04-22T18:44:00.009-04:00

From everything we were hearing all Winter long it seemed as if it was inevitable that the NCAA was going to expand the greatest event of the sports year to a grotesque 96 teams. Every coach in America (except for UConn's Jim Calhoun) was for this 50% expansion of the NCAA Tournament. More importantly to the NCAA, expansion to 96 seemed like the only way to earn a big, new contract from either CBS or ESPN. For all intensive purposes it was basically all but a done deal.

In fact, I have already gone through the five steps of grief over this issue. First, I denied that the NCAA would ever expand by such a drastic amount. Second, I was angry at the fact the NCAA would ruin their best event just for money. Third, I bargained with myself that maybe the NCAA would settle at 72, 76 or even 80 teams. Fourth, I was depressed looking at my blank 2010 bracket thinking it would be the last time they'd play with 65 teams. Finally, I accepted the fact that they were going to 96 teams when the NCAA announced that would be the best way to expand at the Final Four.

Everyone in the sports world figured when, not if, this move to 96 would become official, but much to most of our delights we awoke to the news of a slight expansion to 68 teams. I have to say I let out a big "YES!" when I opened the link on CNNSI.com. Then, I was like well maybe they have the wrong number. I had to check two or three different sites to make sure it was correct. Phew! It's only 68. The integrity of the tournament stays intact and the regular season still means a little something.

Here's my thinking on why ultimately the NCAA stayed clear of expanding to 96. When I looked at what a 96-team field schedule would look like, I wondered to myself how they were going to pull off the second week. The first weekend would have happened as usual, but the second would have required teams to play three games in five days to get to the Final Four. And that included traveling after the first game! There's no way to can pull a student-athlete out of class for a week, then ask them to play Tues-Thurs-Sat (or Wed-Fri-Sun) in two different cities. Couple that with the first weekend, teams without byes would have had to play 5 games in 9 days. How does a fan follow all of that? It would have been absurd.

Another reason why I think they stayed clear of 96 is much more simple. I think they actually listened to the world. No one I heard was for expansion other than some coaches who wanted more job security. See coaches were thinking by having it easier to make the tournament, they would be more prone to keep their jobs because they'd have more tournament appearances. They tried to say their players deserved the opportunity to play in the tournament, but that was complete crap. They were thinking of themselves and nothing more. Even coaches with no chance of losing their jobs wanted big expansion to make their careers look better. Jim Boeheim from Syracuse consistently has teams on the fringe. Don't you think he knows those NIT appearances don't look good on his all-time resume? What a joke!

Anyway, it was a great relief to see the NCAA stop at 68. I'm sure that expansion will come up again at some point, but at least for the next hand full of years the tourney will stay as it should. I'm also thrilled ESPN didn't get the tournament. They have become utter garbage in how they cover the sports world. Props to CBS and Turner Sports for coming together and taking down the giant in ESPN and getting this deal done. Now please do something about that dreadful Jennifer Hudson version of One Shining Moment! Oh, and I wouldn't mind if newly signed Conan O'Brien did some color commentary for TBS's broadcasts.

Pat Morgan

Quality Over Quantity Could Be Recipe For Sharks

2010-04-22T11:45:00.019-04:00

Here we are again. The Sharks are a top seed in the NHL playoffs and the scores do not show that whatsoever. Every game in their Western Conference Quarterfinals against the young and enthusiastic Colorado Avalanche have all been decided by one goal. The last three games have went to overtime, resulting in two Sharks wins and one by the Avalanche. The series is now tied 2-2, with pivotal game 5 scheduled for tonight at 10:30 p.m. at H.P. Pavillion.

The Sharks outshot their opponent 51-17 in Game 3 and had 40 plus shots in Game 4. Not to take anything away from Colorado goaltender Craig Anderson, but there were few shots that were even difficult to stop by NHL standards. From what I've seen, I feel as though San Jose just races down the ice and fires on net, hoping for a lucky bounce and something to go their way. I haven't seen a lot of screening the goalie or setting up decent shots. Yes, the Sharks are by far more talented than the Avalanche, but pure talent does not always result in victories.
Has anyone been paying any attention to the Sharks during recent years? Playoff disappointment after playoff disappointment, resulting in early round exits. I would rather have the Sharks put up 20 quality shots than fire 50 shots that have a very slight chance of going in. As a fan of San Jose, it's getting tiresome watching Anderson make save after save. He is a professional goalie. He will stop easy shots.

The Shark Tank is one of the loudest arenas in hockey, and it should be rocking tonight. There is still a lot of pressure on the Sharks to come through and win this game and series. They have three olympic gold medalists on the front line and neither of them have netted a goal so far. That has to change and it would be nice to see it happen tonight. I know that Anderson can stop a large quantity of mediocre shots. Can he consistently save quality shots from some of the best players in the league? I would like to find out.

Shawn Marosek

Halladay Likely Heading Toward Memorable Season

2010-04-22T10:58:00.024-04:00

Practically everyone had predicted before this season that Roy Halladay would win over 20 games and be the unanimous Cy Young award winner in the National League. Many times, predictions such as these don't pan out. Not to worry, this one will.

The Philadelphia Phillies' ace is already 4-0 with a miniscule .82 ERA. He also has two complete games. Whoever has him on their fantasy team, you are going to have a hell of a time every fifth day. I will admit that I thought being in a smaller ballpark might affect the former Blue Jay right-hander, but I was way off. He has been unstoppable and might have the best year a pitcher has had in a very very long time. We are talking about maybe putting up Bob Gibson-like numbers (1.12 ERA in 1968).

Now the rules and ballparks favor the hitters more than they did back in 1968, but it looks as though Halladay could have an ERA in the 1-2 range. Looking at what he has done so far, it is certainly a possiblity. Maybe he doesn't match Gibson's legendary season, but something similar to Dwight Gooden's 1985 season is realistic (24-4 1.53ERA). I don't know what I was thinking. He is a sinkerball pitcher so ballpark size wouldn't have much of an effect on him anyway. For a pitcher to dominate the Yankees and Red Sox and then switch to the National League, it can only equal success.

We can't forget the team he plays for too! The Phillies are hands down the best team in the National League. Even on an off day, Halladay more than likely will pick up the win just because the offense has his back. The general manager got some criticism for not keeping Cliff Lee as well. How's that working out so far?

I am eager to see how Halladay's season will shape up with some of the best that have occurred over the past 35-40 years. Barring any injury, nothing should get in the way of Doc delivering pitch after pitch, resulting in win after win.

Shawn Marosek

Golf and Sex Scandals Don't Mix

2010-04-12T08:49:00.005-04:00

So the big event of Tiger Woods coming back into the limelight was too publicized, yet again. There is a plethora of news articles about Woods and his comeback, along with the controversy of the latest Nike commercial, and his losing the Master's title.

Yadda, yadda, yadda. I don't particularly care about golf at all, but I was pleased that Woods botched him big "comeback" to the world of golf, and that Phil Mickelson had won instead. With the media buzzing about the mistresses, Wood's apologies and his Buddhist ways, it's not surprising that most everyone is talking about Woods and his loss this weekend. But what I want to focus on is the fact that Woods is the one person he should blame for everything negative that has gone on in his life; everything the public has been hearing about for months and months.

One. Don't leave golf for a short period of time (what was it, three months?) only to hype up your own comeback. Maybe he did feel bad about the whole cheating on his family thing, but he seemed more concerned about himself in all aspects of his life. If he was really concerned with his family, maybe he wouldn't have cheated with a million women in the first place. Now, I'm not saying that he had to stop golfing in order to fix the damage or whatever you want to call it, but did that actually accomplish anything? I think that all it did was cause even more fervor about Tiger and his escapades, and did nothing to actually help anything but boost his own appearance in the tabloids. That and it led to the controversial Nike commercial... To me it's not controversial. To me, it's just another way Tiger is making money off of his infidelities.

Two. If you are going to hype yourself up, and make all the drama for everyone to hear over and over and over... don't suck at your sport. The moral of the story is, you screwed up in your personal life, which became public to everyone who's ever read a newspaper, watched the news, or watched television in general, and you couldn't even make a good comeback in the sport that made you famous. Maybe instead of running around with women and then going to some sex addiction rehab clinic, or doing commercials, or giving insincere apologies to the entire world, maybe you should have just stuck to playing golf. I was actually very happy that Tiger didn't end up winning the Master's this weekend. If he had, then it would have generated more media about how no matter what he does, Tiger will always be a genius at golf.

Three. If he gets his own reality tv show, I will discontinue my Time Warner Cable service. But unfortunately, I have a feeling something like that is in the works.

Jaclyn Kahn

HOW IS JOE BLANTON WORTH $8 MILLION PER YEAR?

2010-01-22T17:29:00.016-05:00

The Philadelphia Phillies have secured yet another man in their rotation for at least the next three years after signing right-hander Joe Blanton to a three-year, $24 million dollar extension. After trading for ace Roy Halladay this offseason, the Phillies are surely the favorite to repeat in the National League East. However, the Blanton deal baffles me. How can he possible be worth that much money? He is an OK pitcher who can be pretty good at times, but $8 million per season for a guy with a lifetime ERA of 4.21! I guess signing an average pitcher, who is RIGHT-HANDED, is not an easy thing to do. If he was left-handed and could throw 90 mph, maybe I could understand this move, but he's not that at all.

Free agent pitcher Joel Piniero also signed for a price similar to Blanton and this was equally hard to believe. The Angels felt like a two-year, $16 million deal was reasonable, even though Piniero hasn't had that great of a career. He did have a good 2009, but that could be credited to Dave Duncan, the best pitching coach in the game. Maybe these guys ARE worth the money, considering how dominant the offenses are in this era. Either way, something doesn't sit right with me when Joe Blanton and Joel Piniero are raking in this kind of cash. I will try not to be surprised when the next ridiculous free agent signing or extension takes place.

Shawn Marosek

THE SEQUEL: JETS AND COLTS TO BATTLE FOR AFC TITLE

2010-01-20T09:15:00.019-05:00

The New York Jets are somehow in the AFC Championship Game. That's right. The team that was, according to their coach, "out of the playoffs" after their Week 15 loss to the Atlanta Falcons is one game away from a trip to Miami for Super Bowl XLIV. This is the same group of players that got off to a 3-0 start then managed to lose six of their next seven games. Now they have won seven of their last eight with some help during that stretch. That includes teams who lost as well as teams who rested key starters in the latter part of the season. This rollercoaster of a season continues this Sunday when the Jets take on the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game. These are the same Colts who benched key starters late in the third quarter of their matchup with the Jets in Week 16. Controversy has followed ever since and it all comes full circle now that both teams are facing off again for the right to go to the Super Bowl. It is still hard to believe.

If the Colts lose this game, there will be riots in the streets of Indianapolis. It can be argued that the Colts are the reason why the Jets are even here. Even though Indianapolis only led 15-10 when their starters were pulled from the game, many believe the Jets would not have won. No one will EVER know, but if a bet had to be made, the Colts probably would have pulled it off. Manning has struggled in the postseason before and has lost home playoff games in the past. The entire team looked sharp in last Sunday's 20-3 win against the Ravens, a team that is known for their road playoff success. A late touchdown pass at the end of the first half really hurt Baltimore's chances of coming out on top. The Colts defense is certainly underrated and could be a concern for the Jets. They are awfully quick and could slow the running game down. The Jets' bread and butter is pounding the ball. We will see who gets the edge.

Now we get to the Jets. A team full of young players who jumped out to a fast start this season. Then they hit rock bottom. Then soared again. Now they are one game away from football's biggest game. A rookie quarterback at the helm who basically has been instructed to make a few key plays and not screw up. In the end, that's what he has done so far in these playoffs. The running game has been the league's best all year. They were shut down in the first half of their divisional game against the Chargers, but eventually wore down their opponent with the tandem of Thomas Jones, Shonn Greene and a stellar offensive line. Their defense flustered Philip Rivers, especially in the 2nd half, which included a Jim Leonard interception to set up the Jets' first touchdown. Even though the Jets were 9-7 during the regular season, they have a bunch of talent on this team. Young talent that should give the Jets a promising future. However, these opportunities do not come around very often. Just ask Dan Marino, who went to the Super Bowl in his first season only to never return again during the rest of his career. The Jets have a chance to do something incredible Sunday. If they pull it off, what an upset and story it would be. Suffering Jets fans, many of which have never seen their team reach the Super Bowl, could be rejoicing by Sunday evening. As a devoted fan, I hope that will be the case.

Shawn Marosek

THE TIGER MOVIE

2010-01-01T13:07:00.008-05:00

So yeah, we've all heard enough about Tiger Woods, but CNNSI created a cast list should someone make a Tiger movie. I thought it was pretty good. Click the picture to enlarge it!

A PICTURE CAN SAY A THOUSAND WORDS

2009-12-23T11:25:00.003-05:00

Not much to report on in the NFL world. But I did find this picture and I think it's priceless in so many ways. It's the type of picture that could be used for those "Add your own thought/talk bubbles" contests they have everywhere. If I was the Redskins receiver, I would say "What the....?" I can't tell if he's more upset about the actual interception, or giving his QB a look like, "why don't you throw the damn ball the right way!"

HALLADAY TRADE WILL NOT IMPROVE PHILLIES

2009-12-15T22:03:00.005-05:00

On Monday, the news broke that the two-time defending National League champions, Philadelphia Phillies, were about to pull off a trade for Blue Jays ace, Roy Halladay. When I first heard the news, I figured you could just hand the Phillies the 2010 World Series crown now. Along with the NL's best offense by a mile, Halladay-Cliff Lee-Cole Hamels would be an almost unbeatable top 3 in their rotation.

But then I heard the complete breakdown of the deal. Cliff Lee was going to Seattle (how sick are they going to be with Felix Hernandez and Lee as their 1,2?) as part of a three-way agreement between the Phillies, Blue Jays and Mariners. Now I had to wonder if the Phillies were really an improved team with Halladay over Lee. I understand why this makes sense from a management position as the Phillies will have Halladay the next four years opposed to running the risk of only having Lee for 2010. The move also keeps Halladay from being traded to the division rival Mets in a lesser, desperate move by the Jays brass. However, while this may be a good economic/strategic move, it is certainly not a game changing on the field move.

By dumping Lee, the Phillies lose the pitcher who was untouchable down the stretch and in the postseason. Lee was 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in the playoffs. Is there any guarantee Halladay will be as good as that? I can't dispute Halladay has had the better career, but he has never pitched a big game in his life. In fact, Halladay struggled in mid-season when he admittedly felt the pressure from all the trade talk circulating around him. He has been a Yankee and Red Sox killer, but is there any pressure in pitching against them when you are 10-20 games behind them in August? Lee on the other hand fit in with the Phillies winning culture right away. He was unbelievable. Halladay will be an ace, but it will be hard pressed for him to be better than Lee in the big spot. He will have to better Lee's complete-game, 10 strikeout performance if the Phillies make it back to the World Series.

With all that said, I do think Halladay will be a slightly better in the regular season. But even if you think he will be much better, the Phillies will still have the same question marks they did before this move went down. They need Cole Hamels to revert back to his 2008 self. If this doesn't happen, the Phillies will continue to have a serious lack of depth in their rotation. If Hamels doesn't bounce back, who else can they count on? Maybe J.A. Happ, but they won't get much from Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer or even Pedro Martinez. They also haven't done anything to sure up their bullpen. If they don't, they will have to pray Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson revert back to their 2008 selves. Halladay doesn't solve those issues.

In my opinion, they are the same team today that they were a week ago, but without the assurance their ace will be a stud postseason performer. I wasn't opposed to them getting Halladay and signing him to an extension for some security, but why couldn't they keep Lee for 2010 too? Lee is set to only make $9 million next season. That's an absolute steal and with the team they have, they should have made a run with those two aces together. Then if Lee left for a bigger contract somewhere else after 2010 then so be it. So those who think the Phillies made a great move here, think again.

Pat Morgan

THE DANGERS OF BEING A HARD CORE FOOTBALL FAN

2009-12-10T17:21:00.005-05:00

This story apparently first appeared over three months ago, but I must have missed it in the NFL Buffalo Bills fury that takes over every Bills fan. It's at that point where Bills fans think they're team has a good shot at a winning record...

Anyway, there have been reports and stories on how fans are brutal to one another, or to football players and their personal possessions. Apparently there was a terrible fan-to-fan combat that took place in Chicago. When I think of the Bears, I don't think that their ultimate rival is the Pittsburgh Steelers. I thought the biggest rivals were the teams who were in the same division, so this would mean the Vikings, Packers and the Lions are Chicago's biggest rivals. To me, this makes the most sense. But okay.

So the fan vs. fan violence occurred in a Chicago bar following the Bear's win on Sept. 20th against the Steelers. Apparently what happened was a Chicago fan offered an alcoholic drink to a Steelers fan and the all hell broke loose for the Steelers fan. "After drinking alcohol that was allegedly offered by a Bears fan, Heddinger blacked out and later went into cardiac arrest while being rushed by ambulance to an emergency room. Heddinger eventually went blind, and doctors began to suspect he had been poisoned with some form of toxic grain alcohol."

First rule: never go to a bar where the other team's fans are more prevalent than your own fan base. Understandably, when being the visitor in the city of the other team, it is hard to find a bar that would satisfy this requirement. Personally, if I was a fan of a team that just lost, and was in their home town, I probably wouldn't want to go to a bar. Although I might want a drink as a result of the game (which occurs a lot as a Buffalo Bills fan), I wouldn't want to go near a place where the other team's fans would be congregated in big numbers. Why would you want to put yourself into that situation? All that aggravation doesn't seem worth it to me. Let's look at some more details of this fan-to-fan combat:

"Not long after taking the drink, Heddinger blacked out and was rushed to the hospital. Along the way, his heart stopped several times and paramedics had to resuscitate him. Initially, doctors thought it was merely a case of a fan drinking himself to the brink of death, but after further tests and Heddinger’s ensuing blindness, they suspected a type of extremely toxic grain alcohol."

Well, if this Steelers fan was, let's say, a Detroit Lion's fan, I bet the "drinking himself to the brink of death" would have been a conscious and willing decision. But getting back on topic, who thinks of giving someone they dislike some type of grain alcohol? Who brings that with them, knowing that they could give it to someone who would piss them off? Some people are seriously not right in the head.

And finally, here is the kicker of the story: “… One of the Chicago guys bought a drink for one of Zack’s companions, who was the one who was really engaged in the argument with [the Chicago fans]. This guy declined it, and Zack, trying to be the peacemaker, said ‘Oh, I’ll take it.’ He drank it, and that’s the only thing that distinguished him through the night from the other [Pittsburgh fans] who were not similarly affected.”

So the poor sap that took the drink wasn't even the original target! So let's learn our lesson from this story: don't start trash talking at a bar in a foreign town with townies who are serious about their team. Stay at the hotel and drink there.

Jaclyn Kahn

TO SLIDE OR NOT TO SLIDE: RYAN UNHAPPY WITH QUARTERBACK'S DECISION

2009-12-04T12:02:00.014-05:00

The New York Jets won their second straight game with a 19-13 victory over the Buffalo Bills Thursday night in Toronto. However, that is not the reason for the amount of buzz around rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. Just days after being taught how to properly slide by Yankees manager Joe Girardi, Sanchez dove head first and injured his right knee on a third down play early in the third quarter. He left the game a play later after feeling pain and did not return.

The coaches stressed all week not to slide head first and to take care of his body, but the 22-year-old went on instinct and picked up a big first down deep in their own territory. Head coach Rex Ryan was very displeased after the game and even said the rookie has to "grow up" and learn that he has to slide, making note that Sanchez represents the organization.

As for fans of the Jets, I don't think you can be against what Sanchez did out on the field. He is a gamer and there is nothing else you can ask for out of the leader of your team. The Jets were only up 16-10 at the time and it was a third-and-6. The play he made kept the drive going and even though he had to leave the game, New York tacked on three important points to make it a two possession game. Now if Sanchez were five yards short of the first down and he dove head first, then I can see where there would be a problem. You certainly slide in a situation like that, but what happened last night was totally acceptable.

Ryan expressed how upset he was about it after the game, but I cannot take his side on this one. As a big fan of the Jets, I want my players giving it all they have and if that means diving for a first down in a key spot in the game, then so be it. I don't care if it's the quarterback or the last man on the depth chart. Give me someone who lays it out on the line and I will be a fan of that person any day of the week. I understand Sanchez already had a left knee injury, which caused him to wear a brace for the game, but you can't stop someone from doing what it takes to win a ballgame.

Some people might argue back with the idea that risking your body in this situation isn't worth it. But I say that it's football and people are going to get hurt. That's how the game is. I applaud Sanchez for getting the first down and all Jets fans should do the same. Hopefully, all this negative attitude by the coaching staff doesn't mess with the rookie's head. He already has enough to think about while out on the field in terms of managing a game, making accurate throws and most importantly, not turning the ball over. In the end, I have no problem with what occurred last night. People get hurt in football. Deal with it.

Shawn Marosek

ENOUGH OF THIS TIGER STUFF ALREADY!

2009-12-03T15:02:00.008-05:00

Let me fill you in just in case you've been living under a rock this last week. On Friday, Tiger Woods drew media attention when he drove his SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree while backing out of his driveway in the middle of the night. He most likely was leaving after a fight with his wife over alleged affairs which Tiger has now verified via a statement he released on his website yesterday.

Now let me say I think cheating on your significant other is one of the worst things you can do. If you back stab the person that is supposed to be the most important person in your life, I am not sure what kind of person you are. I've heard excuses with people saying, well it's hard to ignore sexual desires when it's right in your face. Yes, we're all human with that, but come on, we aren't wild animals (well most of us aren't). If you're in a situation where you're tempted, get the hell out of there!

I'm not in approval of Tiger's actions, but I this should be an internal issue that the American public shouldn't care about. If sponsors want to ditch Tiger, that's their right, but the general public shouldn't be concerned about it. This is an issue Tiger should be his wife should be dealing with. Unfortunately we live in a society that worships celebrities and everything they do. It's quite sad that this story gets far more coverage than the President's decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

I wonder how many Americans know of Obama's decision vs. how many Americans know about the Tiger Woods story? Whether it's the couple that snuck into the Presidential Dinner, or what Jon and Kate are up to, the news is a total joke. Even the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" (ESPN), is more concerned about star, celebrity athletes than the games themselves. Frankly, I'm tired of it, but will it change? Unfortunately, not a chance.

Pat Morgan

BLATANT ERRORS OR IS THERE SOME TRICKERY AFOOT?

2009-11-30T17:42:00.005-05:00

Although you may be thinking so, I am not talking about the New England Patriots this time (sorry). Instead I am going to rant about the multiple poorly called plays the referees have been calling lately. There have been some games lately where it seems like very bad, blatant calls against a team (which usually ends up being the underdog) are occurring more frequently.

Example: Titans/Texans game, MNF, November 21st, 2009

Last Monday, I begrudgingly turned on the Houston game; because I'm not a fan of either team, I figured I wouldn't be very involved. However, I stuck with it, rooting for Houston because many Buffalo Bills players have stopped there on their way towards retirement, as well as Andre Davis, who is my favorite special teams player (and Niskayunian, aside from myself, family, and close friends). The game was very close and actually exciting, which division games should be. Here is the call that was a very bad call; when the MNF announcers are saying the refs are making bad calls, then you know that there actually are really bad calls being made.

"The Titans started the go-ahead drive at the 6-yard line, but the Texans were called for a 15-yard horse collar penalty on a tackle on Chris Johnson. A 22-yard run by Johnson two plays later put the Titans on their 41 just before the two-minute warning."

Anyone who watched that play knew that it was a terrible call. Did it cost the game? Most likely, but we will never know.

There have been multiple bad calls over the years, but it seems to me that they have become more prevalent. Watching the Oakland/Dallas game, there were many small holdings that weren't called on the Cowboys. Although, with the new big screen tv they have, I'm surprised they didn't notice. I think that these poor calls, especially those that might be game changers should be taken seriously. Is it because these guys are too old? Do they need glasses or do they need to retire? Should teams have the option of being able to stop the game to have the refs review their call to see if they were in fact correct or not, as they can do in tennis? No matter what happens, I think that something should be set in place so that the refs aren't the ones who are giving the (favored) teams more points. And maybe there should be some checking into bribery if the calls are that ridiculously wrong.

Jaclyn Kahn

BELICHICK AND THE PATRIOTS... MERE COINCIDENCE OR FURTHER CHEATING?

2009-11-24T13:42:00.005-05:00

We all know by now (unless you are a very ignorant person, or a die hard Patriots fan) that Bill Belichick has been known to have some extra tricks up his sleeve, and not all of them have been fair nor legal.

To give you some backstory, a couple of years ago, the Jets (and by the Jets I mean their former coach Eric Mangini) blew Belichick and the Patriots in for cheating. According to Mangini, who had worked with Belichick for a few years in Foxboro, knew that he was videotaping other teams in order to get the advantage. So when Mangini became a head coach for a team that was rival's with Belichick, Mangini wasted no time catching Belichick and his videotaping buddies.

After all of the hooplah, and the $500,000 fine that the NFL imposed on Belichick (I think to get rid of cheating you have to get rid of the man but the NFL sucks up to him too much to do something THAT incredulous), came other reports that the Patriots not only taped teams during the regular season, but that they taped the Rams before they met for the Super Bowl all those years ago, which became the beginning of the end.

So now that you know that Belichick has a history of cheating, both alleged and fact, another story has developed between the Patriots and the Jets. Last Sunday, the Patriots found their mojo and pleasantly pounded the New York Jets, 31-14. However, there have been other reports that came out after the beating that some trickery was afoot in Foxboro.

According to the Shutdown Corner on Yahoo! Sports, The Jets had a very unwanted wake up call at one o'clock in the morning during their stay at a hotel the night before Sunday's game. Some players seemed to take it in stride, and even made fun of the situation, and others were flat out pissed off. Now, I am not a fan of either team, but I would be fuming if I was a Jet's player and that I wasn't given the same amount of ample rest I needed before a AFC east division game. Especially since the team to beat is the Patriots.

Now, I would blow it off and say some hard core Patriots fans were being ***holes and wanted to play a funny prank on the Jets. I mean, if I lived in Buffalo, and the Jets came to play in Ralph Wilson stadium (which they aren't this year, sadly) and I either worked the hotel or knew where they were staying, I would think it would be a great prank to pull. Of course, I probably wouldn't attempt it seeing as though all of the members of the Jets are far bigger than me and many football players have anger management issues, which would result in myself most likely earning a near-life-ending beat down. But I digress, the reason this smells fishy is because the same exact thing happened to the Buffalo Bills when they stayed at the same hotel in Foxboro, the night before they ALMOST beat the Patriots back in week one. Am I saying this too early wake up call was the reason the Bills lost? Not at all. But the fact that this keeps happening to the visiting team in Foxboro is disconcerting. I wonder if Mangini had stayed with the Jets, would he have outed Belichick for this too?

On the final note: "It sounds like there's a fan (or fans) who still like to pull middle school pranks to help support the team. Or maybe it's not a fan at all. Judging by his past history, I wonder if Bill Belichick has an alibi for last night? "

Jaclyn Kahn

TO BE CONTINUED...

2009-11-15T15:57:00.004-05:00

Due to the lack of interesting things happening in the National Football League (and no one here really pays attention to basketball or hockey), we apologize for the dearth of posts.

Keep posted if the Jets or Bills can make it to the playoffs.... time to go Eagles!

WORLD SERIES BREAKDOWN: A METS FAN'S WORST NIGHTMARE

2009-10-27T18:08:00.004-04:00

Tonight the most anticipated World Series in years will begin in the Bronx as the New York Yankees host the defending champion, Philadelphia Phillies. It isn't often that the World Series includes the two best teams in baseball, but that is the case this year. The Phillies feature an even better team that won the whole thing last year, and the Yankees showcase a team led by Alex Rodriguez who has finally put his postseason demons aside.

Here is my breakdown and prediction for the 105th edition of the Fall Classic:

Offense- Not many teams can say they have an offense on the level of the Yankees, but the Phillies can say just that. Of course you've heard of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollings, but their "role" players feature individuals who would be stars on other teams like Raul Ibanez, Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino. Even catcher, Carlos Ruiz, has been a clutch performer in the last two postseasons. With that said, the Yankees have the hottest player on the planet in A-Rod. A-Rod should have been the ALCS MVP and has started to get Barry Bonds treatment. Mark Teixeira has been ice cold, but showed signs of heating up toward the end of the Angels series. He will play an impact in the World Series. And did I forget to mention Jeter, Damon, Matsui, Posada and Cano? Edge: Even

Bench- The Phillies don't have much on the pine, and in the AL park they'll insert either Ben Francisco or Matt Stairs into the lineup. The Yankees have added Eric Hinske back to the roster to go with Brett Gardner for speed, Jerry Hairston, and then they'll have Matsui on the pine when the series goes back to Philly. Edge: Yankees

Defense- You've heard about the Yankees powerful infield, but they are just as good with the glove. Everyone has seen the plays Jeter has made in the playoffs, but how about the glove of Teixeira? He didn't hit in the AL playoffs, but his glove may have won the Yankees a couple of games. He seems to have a gravitational pull in any inning where the opposition is threatening. Cano has tremendous range, and outside catching popups, A-Rod is as good as they get at third base. Their outfield is suspect and expect Girardi to use defensive replacements should the Yankees lead late. The Phillies boast a pretty good defense as well, and they might be better in the outfield than the Yankees. However, they have a couple of flaws. Utley has had trouble throwing the ball to first base, and even though Howard has improved big time at first, he is no Mark Teixeira. Edge: Yankees

Starting Pitching- The CC Sabathia/Cliff Lee matchup in Game 1 is perhaps one of the best matchups in recent World Series memories. They have both performed like top flight aces as they certainly are. I would say in normal situations that the Phillies have the next best starter in Cole Hamels, but he is having a big-time off year. Therefore, the next best pitcher is Andy Pettitte. He has been huge this postseason. Then it is anyone's guess with A.J. Burnett and Hamels. I'm worried about Pedro Martinez in Game 2 for the Phillies. I know Charlie Manuel is banking on his experience, but I would have started lefty J.A. Happ. The Yankees rotation is clearly deeper and they have the one starter who has proven he can pitch well on short rest in Sabathia. Edge: Yankees

Relief Pitching- Mariano... enough said? Everyone else in both pens are major wildcards. Edge: Yankees

Manager- I have never been a fan of Charlie Manuel, but give him credit for creating an atmosphere that has allowed his Phillies to be successful. Other than that, I have always scratched my head at some of the moves he's made. Joe Girardi on the other hand has had a questionable postseason. I think critics have been too tough on him as most of his moves have worked. I was puzzled by Alfredo Aveces in Game 2 vs. the Angels, and his pinch-running of A-Rod in Game 5. I think Girardi is the better manager, but I think Manuel has a better feel for his team at the moment. Edge: Even

Intangibles- Now, I've given all the edges to the Yankees, but other than in the bullpen they are slight, slight edges. The Phillies are a damn good team that has found ways to win this entire postseason. Whether it was Game 4 vs. Colorado or Game 4 vs. Los Angeles, this team is NEVER out of a game. On the other hand, the Yankees have an extra home game and have already developed some magic in their new park. They simply don't lose there. However, I think since this Phillies team has won and is such a cohesive group, I will give them the edge here. Edge: Phillies

Pick- Phillies in 7; It is hard to see the Yankees losing a clinching game in their building, but if any team can do it it is Philadelphia. I will pick the champs to repeat!

MVP- Jayson Werth

Pat Morgan

ANOTHER POST ABOUT TERRELL OWENS

2009-10-22T20:26:00.005-04:00

Well, since we have some whiners on the issue of the Jets, I might as well start my mini comeback with a post that is most relevant to myself. And there is no where better than to start with T.O. and the Buffalo Bills.

As of this second, the top story on Yahoo! Sports (NFL) is how terrible T.O. has been on the Bills. You can check that out right here because I don't think I really want to go into that dialogue right now. Instead, I'd like to discuss the idea behind the article on the Shutdown Corner. Instead of bashing T.O., which is so easy to do, it actually talks about how T.O. is finally being the bigger man. Has anyone heard him mouthing off about his horrible situation in Buffalo? I haven't heard anything, but then again, I don't watch his show either.

Anyway, the point is, is that maybe T.O. isn't the nightmare everyone made him out to be. I mean, I wouldn't be bragging either about being on the Bills, and I'm a loyal fan. However, he hasn't said anything bad about the team either, which apparently is unlike his usual self. The Bills suck, and T.O. is basically going down with a sinking ship.

So can you really blame a above average athlete for this? I honestly think, watching the past 6 games, that T.O. can't prove himself because the rest of the team has to perform on his level. I'm sorry to say this, but even Romo and the younger Manning can throw a mean football. Yes, wide receivers tend to make their QBs look good. But it can be the other way around as well. If Edwards could throw good passes to T.O., I think that his numbers would be higher. Yes, T.O. has dropped many balls, and that makes him look bad. But if we look at his stats from last season on Dallas, with this season on Buffalo, I am going to venture that he probably dropped as many footballs with Dallas. It just seems like a ridiculous amount because he isn't catching as many balls as he's used to, or we the fans are used to. I think T.O. is starting to give up because he is not thrown to as much as he would like (or fans would like), and he is on a losing team.

When T.O. signed up to be a part of the Buffalo franchise, there were mixed reactions. One of the reactions was how T.O. was going to turn the Bills around. That's a fine hope, but now matter what, there is no way one player on an entire football team is going to be able to change the course of the team. Sorry Brady fans, but that is a fact. You need multiple high performing players to be able to win games. The reason the 90's Bills (and I mean the early nineties) were so good was because they had multiple high performing players: Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith, Andre Reed, etc etc. So yes, T.O. could help with the performance of the team, but it's more for morale, and more for the fan morale. If the Buffalo Bills were able to sign a high performing QB who was not fickle in his throwing ability, and add some more really good players to help Schobel and McGee with defense, maybe there could be some signs of improvement. But until then, the Bills and their fans are going to have to live with the fact that T.O. is not a god and can't change the outcomes without some help.

Jaclyn Kahn

WHY SHOULD WE EVEN BELIEVE?

2009-10-19T11:22:00.007-04:00

Has there been a team in the NFL that has taken their fans on more in season roller coaster rides than the Jets? Anytime they give their fans the belief they've risen toward the top of the league they come crashing down and lose to the dregs of the NFL. They are physically incapible of handling any kind of prosperity! Whenever they look like they have a shot to do something special they find ways to choke it up. This year, last year, Al Groh's year, Parcells's first year, Carroll's year, and even a couple of those Herman Edwards's teams had no business getting in the playoffs after fast starts. At least I didn't have to deal with the 1986 team that went 10-1 and then crumbled to the earth. The roller coaster ride within the 1998 AFC Championship is symbolic of this team over the last couple decades. They were up 10-0 playing stellar ball early in the 3rd quarter when the wheels came off. They turned it over 6 times and allowed the Broncos to storm up and down the field to a 23-10 win.

Can't we have one year where when we think we're good, we are actually good and do something with our season? One year?

Since 1986, the Jets have had several meltdowns in which if they made the playoffs they brokes our hearts there:

1986- Start 10-1, Finish 10-6; Blow 20-10 4th quarter lead and lose 23-20 in OT to Cleveland in the divisional round

1987- Start 6-5, Finish 6-9; Miss playoffs

1991- Start 7-5, Finish 8-8; Lose 17-10 to Houston in the wildcard round

1993- Start 8-5, Finish 8-8; Miss playoffs

1994- Start 6-5, Finish 6-10; Miss playoffs

1997- Start 8-4, Finish 9-7; Miss playoffs due to that heartbreaking Wk 17 loss to Detroit

1998- 12-4; Legit team that could have won it all, but lost that AFC championship heartbreaker
to Denver 23-10 after leading 10-0 in the 3rd quarter. Team didn't get a chance to respond in 1999 as Vinny Testaverde was lost for the season in Week 1.

2000- Start 9-4, Finish 9-7; Miss playoffs

2001- Start 7-3, Finish 10-6; Lose 38-24 to Oakland in wildcard round.

2004- Start 9-3, Finish 10-6; Lose 20-17 in OT to Pittsburgh in the divisional round. Doug Brien misses 2 FGs late that would have advanced the Jets to the next round.

2008- Start 8-3, Finish 9-7; Miss playoffs

2009- Start 3-0, Currently 3-3; Ugh...

Pat Morgan

LEE, PHILLIES DOMINANT IN GAME 1 WIN

2009-10-07T16:10:00.018-04:00

Cliff Lee was acquired for this very game.

And he delivered.

The southpaw tossed a complete game, struck out five and didn't walk a batter as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-1 in Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park.

Lee, the former Cleveland Indian, was traded to Philadelphia on July 29th and has been everything the Phillies could have asked for. During the regular season, Lee was 7-4 with a 3.39 ERA with the Phillies and has been an integral part of the team's sucess in the second half. The struggles of the bullpen have been a concern for the Phillies, which makes it even more important that the starters go deep into these postseason games. Lee did just that on Wednesday in the first postseason game of his career.

Colorado managed to put a run on the board in the ninth after Lee had shut them out for the first 8 2/3 innings. Troy Tulowitzki's double to right field scored Carlos Gonzalez and broke up the shutout bid.

Early on, it appeared Lee would have no room for error as Rockies' ace Ubaldo Jimenez was excellent as well for the first four innings, but was finally touched up in the fifth after struggling with his control. After walking Jayson Werth, fan favorite Raul Ibanez lined a double past Todd Helton and down the right field line. Werth scored easily and the Phillies led 1-0. After a groundout by Pedro Feliz moved Ibanez to third, Carlos Ruiz ended a long at-bat by knocking an RBI single into right. The ball bounced past the right fielder Gonzalez, allowing Ruiz to reach second base on the play. Jimenez was able to limit the damage after a 30-plus pitch inning and the Phillies led 2-0.

Jimenez didn't last much longer. He was knocked out of the game in the sixth inning after an RBI double off the right field wall by Ryan Howard, and an RBI triple off the bat of Werth made the score 4-0. Jimenez was relieved by Joe Beimel, who didn't do much better. On the second pitch Beimel delivered, Ibanez placed a single into right, scoring Werth and closing the books on Jimenez's day. The talented right-hander went 5-plus innings, giving up five earned runs on nine hits, while striking out three.

The Rockies overcame two bad calls early on in the game. The first one cut short a Colorado rally in the top of the second inning. After Yorvit Torreabla led off the second inning with a double, Brad Hawpe flied out to shallow center. Trying to make something happen, Torreabla then tagged up on a Clint Barmes flyout to right, but was gunned down at third. As soon as the play was over, Torreabla was in disagreement with the call. Replay would later show that the umpire had blown the call.

The second questionable call came on a pick off play by Jimenez in the bottom of the third. Lee, who had inexcusably stolen second base on the previous pitch, appeared to be picked off, but the umpire saw something different and called him safe. Colorado manager Jim Tracy came out to argue, obviously perturbed by the second straight call to go against his club.

The Phillies, who were swept by the Rockies in the 2007 NLDS, give the ball to Cole Hamels (10-11, 4.32ERA) for Game 2. The left-hander is the reigning World Series MVP, but hasn't had one of his better seasons. He can put that all behind him with a solid start Thursday afternoon. Colorado will counter with Aaron Cook (11-6, 4.16 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 2:37 EDT.

Shawn Marosek

UNBELIEVABLE HS FOOTBALL MISTAKE!

2009-10-02T11:22:00.002-04:00

Watch the first 2:30 of this video. I don't think that kid will ever be the same.

CAPITALS DEFEAT BRUINS IN SEASON OPENER

2009-10-01T22:01:00.010-04:00

Alexander Ovechkin and Brooks Laich had two goals apiece and Jose Theodore stopped 19 of 20 shots as the Washington Capitals defeated the Boston Bruins 4-1 Thursday night. Boston, who plays their first five games at home this season, didn't give the crowd much to cheer about as they fell behind in the first period and was never able to recover. Niklas Backstrom had two assists, both on Ovechkin's goals.

The Bruins were still within striking distance to begin the third period. Down only 2-0, Boston soon found themselves in a lopsided affair as Laich scored his second goal only 16 seconds into the period. Ovechkin followed with his second tally 1:41 later to make it 4-0.

Peter Bergeron put in the only goal for Boston 7:56 into the final stanza. It was the only bright spot for the Bruins, who look to rebound against Carolina at home Saturday night. The Capitals will also return to the ice Saturday with a game versus the Maple Leafs.

CANADIENS 4 MAPLE LEAFS 3

Josh Gorges scored with only ten seconds left in overtime to give the Montreal Canadiens a season-opening 4-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Despite being outshot 46-27, the Canadiens were able to battle back from a 3-2 deficit in the third period. Glen Metropolit tied the game 15:50 into the final frame with assists from Gorges and Paul Mara.

It looked as if the game was going to go to a shootout, but Gorges was able to beat Toronto goaltender Vesa Toskala, which sent everybody home. A good portion of the crowd cheered the goal, despite Montreal being on the road. The all-Canada battle didn't disappoint those who attended on opening night.

Shawn Marosek

WEEK 4 IN THE NATIONAL... FOOTBALL... LEAGUE

2009-10-01T16:10:00.014-04:00

Here are my picks for Week 3 in the NFL. Enjoy the old NBC NFL Theme.

Last Week: 12-4

This Season: 22-10

LIONS @ BEARS

Jay Cutler and the Bears will bring the Lions back to earth after Detroit's first win since 2007. This will be a letdown game for the Lions. My Prediction: Bears 19 Detroit 6

BENGALS @ BROWNS

Eric Mangini is feeling the heat already in Cleveland. After another loss this weekend, it won't get any easier for the head coach. My Prediction: Bengals 27 Browns 10

RAIDERS @ TEXANS

It's hard to figure out this Houston team. They lay an egg the first week, come out flying against Tennessee then lose to the Jaguars. Which Houston team shows up this week?
My Prediction: Texans 23 Raiders 7

SEAHAWKS @ COLTS

No Matt Hasslebeck for Seattle means another one in the loss column. Peyton Manning and the Colts should have no problem at home. My Prediction: Colts 31 Seahawks 20

TITANS @ JAGUARS

The Titans are the best 0-3 team I have ever seen. They gave the Jets all they could handle last week and if it wasn't for two special teams fumbles, it might have been a different outcome. The Jaguars notched their first win last week against a divisional opponent in Houston. It won't be two in row for Jacksonville. My Prediction: Tennessee 24 Jaguars 17

GIANTS @ CHIEFS

The Giants just keep on rolling and will continue to do so against the Chiefs. Eli Manning throws for three touchdowns in a victory for New York. My Prediction: Giants 34 Chiefs 13

RAVENS @ PATRIOTS

New England hosts another solid opponent and last week I went against Bill Bellichick and the Patriots. Yes, the Ravens appear to be a better team than the Falcons, but I'm not going to make the same mistake again. My Prediction: Patriots 30 Ravens 25

BUCCANEERS @ REDSKINS

Redskins head coach Jim Zorn is feeling the heat after losing to the Lions last Sunday. They have looked dreadful the past two games, even though they beat the Rams in Week 2. A loss at the hands of a terrible Buccaneers team might be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
My Prediction: Redskins 14 Bucs 6

BILLS @ DOLPHINS

Two AFC East rivals clash in Miami as both are looking to get on track. Both teams are a combined 1-5 and are looking up at the Patriots and Jets in the division. Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington is out for the season and it's up to Chad Henne to lead the team. Despite being on the road, the Bills should handle the Dolphins this weekend.
My Prediction: Bills 24 Dolphins 16

JETS @ SAINTS

This is a battle of a great offense against a great defense. Which one prevails this Sunday in New Orleans? Drew Brees and the Saints offense was contained by Buffalo for much of their game last weekend, which makes me believe the Jets can do the same thing if not more.
My Prediction: Jets 27 Saints 24

COWBOYS @ BRONCOS

The Cowboys finally got their first home victory in their new building, but now they go on the road for a matchup with the undefeated Broncos. I don't believe this Denver team is for real. They got lucky against the Bengals and haven't played a difficult schedule by any means. The Cowboys' rushing attack has been great all season and should continue to be effective.
My Prediction: Cowboys 23 Broncos 14

RAMS @ 49ERS

San Francisco lost a very tough game last week to Minnesota thanks to some Brett Favre heroics. This week, the 49ers take on a Rams team that might be worse than last year's team. San Francisco was one play away from 3-0 and look for them to be still a little angry about last Sunday's result. My Prediction: 49ers 31 Rams 10

CHARGERS @ STEELERS

Who would have guessed that the Pittsburgh Steelers would be 1-2 heading into Week 4? After a disappointing loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers look to improve on defense. However, they have to face a talented offensive team in San Diego. If this game was played out west, then I would give the edge to the Chargers. This Sunday's game happens to be in Pittsburgh, which makes me believe the Steelers will come out on top.
My Prediction: Steelers 20 Chargers 13

PACKERS @ VIKINGS

When Brett Favre signed with the Vikings during the summer, this game was circled immediately on many people's calendars. Finally, the matchup of Favre vs. Aaron Rodgers will take place at the Metrodome. Everyone knows how badly Favre wants to beat his former team and I think he and the Vikings will get it done. My Prediction: Vikings 26 Packers 17

Enjoy the games!

Shawn Marosek

SHARKS LOOK TO REBOUND AFTER PLAYOFF DISAPPOINTMENT

2009-09-30T10:12:00.018-04:00

The San Jose Sharks had the best record in all of hockey last season, but that didn't mean much once the playoffs started. The President's Trophy winners were ousted in the first round by the eighth-seeded Anaheim Ducks four games to two. It was a bitter ending to what was a promising campaign for the Sharks, who compiled a record of 53-18-11 (117 points) and were the dominant team for much of the first half of the season.

San Jose certainly wasn't the best team in the second half of the season last year, but still managed to claim the top seed in the Western Conference. The organization hoped that the amount of talent they had would result in the franchise's first ever Stanley Cup. It was supposed to be their year. In the end, it ended in familiar fashion with an early exit from the playoffs.

Now the men in teal look to bounce back this season and make another run at a title. Their are some new faces and their were a few trades in the offseason that might have surprised some fans. Longtime Shark and fan favorite Jonathan Cheechoo and budding star Milan Michalek were traded to the Ottawa Senators. In return, San Jose received Dany Heatley, who is a great player but has had some trouble in the past. Heatley was involved in a car accident in 2003 that killed Atlanta Thrasher teammate Dan Snyder. Alcohol was involved but his blood-alcohol content was below the legal limit. He wanted to be traded from Ottawa and eventually got his wish.

The Sharks also traded Christian Ehroff to Vancouver. Erhoff had underachieved with San Jose, and the organization felt like it was time to move on. He is known for his lightning fast shot, but he was very inaccurate as a member of the Sharks.

Head coach Todd McLellan, who made his debut last season with San Jose, hopes that the players have learned from their postseason failures.

"We carry around the past with us. We as an organization know exactly what happened," said McLellan, who was an assistant coach with the Red Wings before coming to San Jose. "But if we're going to sit and keep our minds and hearts in that spot, we have no chance of going forward. We better carry that with us, but we better start looking ahead."

The Sharks return some familiar faces that need to get over that hump and at least advance far into the playoffs. Heatley will join Joe Thornton (25 g, 61 a, 86 pts) and veteran Patrick Marleau (38 g, 33 a, 71 pts) in what hopes to be a special year for San Jose. Goaltender Egveni Nabokov has been one of the best goalies in the league for several years, but McLellan admits that he will have to earn his starts this season. It's hard to believe that Nabokov wouldn't be the main man between the pipes and it would be a big surprise if that was the case. The organization also has a plethora of young talent and a lot of confidence that they will have a big impact.

The fans at the Shark Tank had plenty of reason to cheer last season, but they also have reason to be skeptical of this 2009-2010 squad. Anything short of a deep playoff run will be considered a failure, and rightfully so.

Shawn Marosek

WEEK 3 IN THE NATIONAL... FOOTBALL... LEAGUE

2009-09-24T15:16:00.013-04:00

My picks for Week 3 in the NFL. Again, I have provided some football music for your enjoyment. I am going to try and make it a different theme each week. The beginning of this brings back memories for sure.

Last Week: 10-6

CHIEFS @ EAGLES

The Philadelphia Eagles have four quarterbacks on their roster, but it appears as though they are going with Kevin Kolb once again this weekend. Kolb threw for almost 400 yards in his first NFL start, but also threw three interceptions against the New Orleans Saints in Week 2. Donovan McNabb is still nursing a rib injury and newly acquired Jeff Garcia will be the third string quarterback this weekend. Michael Vick might see some plays in the wildcat formation in his first regular season action. The Chiefs are coming off another tough loss, this one to the Oakland Raiders by the score of 13-10. They had 300 more total yards than Oakland and still lost the game when JaMarcus Russell led the Raiders to a game-winning touchdown. This week, I believe the Eagles get back on track, despite not having their star quarterback available. Their defense didn't perform well last week, thanks to a high-flying Saints offense, but Philadelphia should have a better time of it this weekend.
My Prediction: Eagles 27 Chiefs 13

PACKERS @ RAMS

Another game for the Packers that many people think they should win easily. Last week, Green Bay was supposed to coast to an easy home win against the Cincinnati Bengals. It didn't turn out that way as the Packers lost 31-24. Their defense let them down and one would think they will rebound against the Rams. St. Louis only mustered seven points against the Redskins in a defeat last Sunday. They were shutout in Week 1 by the Seattle Seahawks. The offense is nowhere to be found, but maybe it can get itself back on track this weekend against the Packers. I know I picked the Packers to win big last weekend and it backfired on me, but I can't go against them here against St. Louis. My Prediction: Packers 24 Rams 20

49ERS @ VIKINGS

This is one of the more interesting matchups of Week 3. The surprising 2-0 49ers head to Minnesota to take on Brett Favre and the impressive Vikings. Mike Singletary has turned this team around for the time being and the players seem to be adapting to his style of coaching. The Vikings, behind Adrian Peterson have looked great the past two weekends. I know it was close against the Lions until the second half, but Peterson did his thing and led Minnesota to victory. This is going to be a great game only if San Francisco can contain Peterson, which is easier said than done. However, the Vikings prevail in the end. My Prediction: Vikings 20 49ers 7

TITANS @ JETS

The Jets are flying high after their Week 2 victory against the New England Patriots. Now they face off against an 0-2 Titans team that is better than their record might indicate. Two three point losses for Tennessee have been hard to swallow, but they need to come back and try and contain a blitz-filled Jets defense. The Jets will be missing two of their top cornerbacks in Donald Strickland and Lito Shephard, but that won't stop them from doing what has gotten them to this point. The Jets will be blitzing from all different directions and it's up to the Titans to protect their quarterback. Some teams this year will be able to figure out this defense. Will the Titans be the first to do so this season? My Prediction: Jets 20 Titans 17

FALCONS @ PATRIOTS

The New England Patriots were outplayed in the second half last week and beaten by the New York Jets, 16-9. Tom Brady has yet to find a rhythm, except for the last four minutes against the Buffalo Bills. He was pressured all day long by the Jets defense and looked like a below average quarterback on the field. Look for him to have a better game in Week 3, but that doesn't mean the Patriots will come out on top. This week, they take on another young quarterback in Matt Ryan, who has looked nothing short of brilliant the first two Sundays of the season. I believe he does it again and leads the Falcons to a 3-0 start. My Prediction:
Falcons 31 Patriots 21

JAGUARS @ TEXANS

Houston looked like a completely different team last week than they did in their season debut against the Jets. Matt Schaub passed for 357 yards and four touchdowns and wide receiver Andre Johnson got back on track with a monster afternoon. The Jacksonville Jaguars are 0-2 and need to get a win. I like their chances in this game, considering it is a division opponent who they know a lot about. Look for the Jaguars to get into the win column this week. It won't be easy though. My Prediction: Jaguars 17 Texans 14

GIANTS @ BUCCANEERS

Some may say this is a trap game for the Giants. I don't see it at all. I know they are banged up on the defensive side of the ball, including Justin Tuck, who was inexcusably tripped by Cowboys offensive lineman Flozel Adams Sunday night. Tampa Bay has looked good offensively the past two weeks, but I don't see it happening here. Eli Manning and the Giants come out with the win and stay undefeated on the season. My Prediction: Giants 24 Buccaneers 10

REDSKINS @ LIONS

Will the Lions get their first win since the 2007 season? The answer is yes. The Redskins looked terrible last week, even though they were winners against the St. Louis Rams. I have this gut feeling that the Lions break through and get the victory. I think the game will be close for the first three quarters, but quarterback Matthew Stafford will earn the first victory of his NFL career by having an impressive fourth quarter. My Prediction: Lions 31 Redskins 16

BROWNS @ RAVENS

The Browns might be the worst team in football. I know the Lions have not won a game in over a year and a half, but Cleveland looks pitiful on both sides of the ball. Eric Mangini inherited a bad team and it is going to be a long year. As for the Ravens, they look like a team to be reckoned with. Their defense has allowed 20-plus points in the first two games, but a big stop by Ray Lewis last Sunday secured the win for Baltimore against the San Diego Chargers. John Harbaugh has done a nice job with this team and second year quarterback Joe Flacco looks like the real deal. This game will be a laugher. My Prediction: Ravens 41 Browns 6

BEARS @ SEAHAWKS

The Bears are coming off a huge win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Seahawks didn't look great in their loss versus the 49ers. Matt Hasslebeck was injured in that game and it is still uncertain whether he will play in Week 3. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler played well against Pittsburgh and led them on a game-winning drive. The fans were all over him after his Week 1 performance, but his confidence might be back. Even though Seattle can be one of the loudest and toughest places to play, I think the Bears will be able to handle it.
My Prediction: Bears 21 Seahawks 13

SAINTS @ BILLS

The New Orleans offense has been off the charts early on this season and I expect it to be the same this weekend. The Bills are certainly tough to play at home, but Drew Brees and company should put up a lot of points once again. Trent Edwards will also have a good game behind center, meaning this game should be a shootout. Look for Terrell Owens to find the end zone for a second straight Sunday. He will also drop one or two. That's part of his game. Edwards and Brees will throw of over 300 yards, but New Orleans will score more points.
My Prediction: Saints 38 Bills 31

DOLPHINS @ CHARGERS

The Miami Dolphins dominated the time of possession against the Indianapolis Colts and still lost the game. Their defense allowed quick scores Monday night and now they face another talented offensive squad in the San Diego Chargers. The Dolphins played well last week offensively with Chad Pennington having a solid game. Philip Rivers and the Chargers are also coming off a tough loss to the Ravens. This team has so much talent, but can't seem to put it all together. This week, they should have a successful game on both sides of the ball.
My Prediction: Chargers 27 Dolphins 21

BRONCOS @ RAIDERS

The Broncos are looking to continue their winning ways against the Oakland Raiders, who notched their first victory of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs last weekend. I was surprised by the Broncos performance against the Browns after they were lucky to beat the Bengals in Week 1. I like the way the Raiders have played the last two weeks, especially on defense. Their offense needs a bit of work, but JaMarcus Russell has shown the past two games that he can lead his team on a late fourth quarter drive to take the lead or even win the game. His numbers haven't been great at all, but his late game heroics have to mean something. I think the Raiders move to 2-1 on the season by defeating the Broncos.
My Prediction: Raiders 16 Broncos 14

STEELERS @ BENGALS

This AFC North battle might be closer than people think. The Bengals are coming off a very impressive win against the Packers, but Big Ben and the Steelers need to rebound after a tough defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bears. Carson Palmer looked like the star quarterback he was supposed to be last weekend and needs that performance this Sunday against a much better defense. I think the fans of Cincinnati will be up for this game and make it hard on Rothlisberger at times. However, The Steelers quarterback will engineer another late game drive to win the game, something he is very accustomed to. My Prediction: Steelers 19 Bengals 17

COLTS @ CARDINALS

Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner regained his form last weekend in record fashion, completing over 92 percent of his passes in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Look for more of the same this weekend against a Colts defense that struggled against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. The Colts are 2-0 and Peyton Manning looked great last weekend, putting up 27 points against the Dolphins. Despite having the ball for under 15 minutes, Indianapolis was able to strike quick and often. This game should be very high scoring and an entertaining Sunday night contest. My Prediction: Cardinals 34 Colts 31

PANTHERS @ COWBOYS

The panic has begun in Dallas and most of it surrounds quarterback Tony Romo. He was flat out terrible in the Cowboy's loss to the Giants Sunday night. He has even felt the heat from legends who have worn the Dallas uniform. The Panthers are a good team to face to get back on track. They have been completely outplayed in their first two games of the season. Jake Delhomme was better this past weekend than he was in Carolina's first game. However, he put up terrible numbers in that first game it wouldn't take much to improve on them. Demarcus Ware has not had a sack in awhile and he is usually known to dominate that statistic. Look for the Cowboy s defender to have a great game against the Panthers, who will struggle once again.
My Prediction: Cowboys 27 Panthers 7

Enjoy the games!

Shawn Marosek

JETS RATTLE BRADY AND MAKE STATEMENT TO PATS

2009-09-21T14:25:00.007-04:00

For the first time since 2000, the New York Jets beat the New England Patriots at the Meadowlands. The revamped Rex Ryan defense had Tom Brady scrambling all day and held the vaunted Pats offense without a touchdown. Rookie quarterback, Mark Sanchez, had a tremendous second half leading the Jets from a 9-3 deficit at the half to a 16-9 win. It was another all-around great effort that leaves the Jets 2-0 and in first place in the AFC East after two weeks.

Clearly, the Jets have bought into Rex Ryan's system. I have never seen the Jets have such a dominating defense. The aggressiveness is such a breath of fresh air from Jets defenses of yesteryear. I love the fact that there is a defender waiting to tackle the receiver immediately. I love the fact that they have allowed very little on the ground. And oh yeah! They have not allowed a touchdown against two very good offenses. Look at what Houston did against Tennessee yesterday. The Jets defense shutout that team and then they scored 34 points against a good Titans defense!

Granted the season is only two weeks old and offenses will have better days against our defense, but you cannot help not being excited about it as a Jets fan. Bart Scott, Kris Jenkins, Darrelle Revis, David Harris, and others have absolutely grown into big time players. The pass rush has been outstanding and remember they will get Calvin Pace back in two weeks to add to the attack. And what about the Jets not dropping back into the prevent defense for Brady's final drive? Keep doing what you have been doing all day. I loved that! Prevent defenses only prevent winning.

Mark Sanchez has been very solid as well. He was not allowed to do a whole lot in the first half yesterday, but the second half was a thing of beauty. He did not light up the stat sheet, but he engineered three scoring drives and was very smart in his decision making. The play before punting to the Pats for their final drive was very smart. Instead of forcing a pass somewhere down field, Sanchez wisely took a sack making Brady and company have to go 90 yards to tie the game. You make that decision when the defense is playing the way it is. Why throw something up or chance having the ball being stripped? If he makes a mistake there, the Pats would have started from midfield or better. It was a great decision on Sanchez's part. One Brett Favre wouldn't have made!

As far as Rex Ryan, I think the team has clearly bought into his attitude. Some players need to cool down with their talk, but I like the chemistry between the players and coaches. Ryan's phone call to the season ticket holders also worked. I have never heard the Meadowlands so loud for a prolonged amount of time. He asked the crowd to make things difficult and his request was granted. The crowd forced the Pats offense into four delay of games. Ryan made a great move giving the game ball to the crowd after the victory.

Now Jets fans have been disappointed more than most fans in the NFL. We have seen great starts turn into terrible finishes. Just look at last year. The Jets were flying at 8-3, and there was talk of an all-New York Super Bowl. Then it all fizzled so quickly. So obviously we need to be careful before proclaiming we have a championship level team, but we should also really enjoy the new attitude this team has. Looking at the schedule before the season started, I thought the Jets could be 0-5 against those tough opponents. So to be 2-0 is a major plus and we'll see where they go from here.

Pat Morgan

J! E! T! S! JETS! JETS! JETS!

WEEK 2 IN THE NATIONAL... FOOTBALL... LEAGUE

2009-09-17T15:49:00.027-04:00

Here are my picks for Week 2 in the NFL. I stole the Sports Gerbil's idea and posted some music for you to enjoy while reading the picks. I am hoping to make this a weekly post throughout the season.

TEXANS @ TITANS

After a lackluster performance against the New York Jets in Week 1, the Texans look to notch their first victory of 2009. Tennessee also comes off a loss, but it could have gone either way against Pittsburgh. Many had high expectations for Houston this season, but last week didn't show us much. Yes, the Jets were dominant but the Texans still didn't look impressive. I expect Tennessee's defense to come up big this week and Kerry Collins should have a decent game behind center. For the Texans to have a chance, Andre Johnson will have to start getting involved in their offense. He was completely shut down by Jets' cornerback Darrelle Revis last week and was a non-factor. Houston needs to get him the ball. However, I don't think they will get him the ball enough. My Prediction: Titans 17 Texans 13.

SAINTS @ EAGLES

The story of Donavan McNabb has changed quite a few times this week, but it appears as if he will not suit up for the Eagles this Sunday against the Saints. Kevin Kolb will be his replacement and we will have to wait until next week to see if Michael Vick will be at the helm for Philadelphia. As a result of McNabb's absence, that makes Brian Westbrook even more of a factor. This game will still be all about offense, but without McNabb, I don't see the Eagles keeping up with the high-powered offense of New Orleans. Drew Brees is coming off a six-touchdown performance and even though the Eagles defense is solid, they won't be able to contain the Saints passing attack. My Prediction: Saints 45 Eagles 31

CARDINALS @ JAGUARS

That high-powered Arizona offense that propelled them to a Super Bowl appearnace last season was obsolete in week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers. Their have been concerns ever since the start of preseason and it appears to be for good reason. The Jaguars have a defense that contained Peyton Manning and the Colts last Sunday and have a good chance of repeating a similar performance this weekend. I won't feel comfortable about the Cardinals offense until I see an impressive perofmance from Kurt Warner and company. However, I don't think the Jaguars will put up many points either, which means this game could be very similar to Jacksonville's 14-12 loss to the Colts. My Prediction: Cardinals 17 Jaguars 10

RAIDERS @ CHIEFS

The Raiders impressed a lot of people even though they were defeated by the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night. Their defense played very well and contained what was supposed to be one of the best offenses in the league. This team still has a long way to go, but I don't see why they couldn't pull out a win in Kansas City. Arrowhead Stadium is known to be one of the hardest places to win, but Kansas City hasn't been that good in awhile so that factor might not play as big a role anymore. The Chiefs played a pretty decent game against Baltimore in which the teams combined for a total of 62 points. Even though they came out on the losing end, it was still a better performance than most probably anticipated. This week I believe the Raiders' defense steps up again and leads Oakland to the victory. My Prediction: Raiders 23 Chiefs 13

BENGALS @ PACKERS

After watching how the Bengals lost against the Broncos, I don't give them a chance this weekend. The tipped ball to Brandon Stokely will still be in their heads when they take the field and the Packers will roll over Cincinnati. This team has been in disarray ever since Carson Palmer went down with a knee injury in their playoff loss to the Steelers a few years ago. This week, they take on a Packer team that I believe might win 11 games this season with their up and coming quarterback Aaron Rogers. He didn't play too well against the Chicago Bears, but did lead his team to a game winning touchdown with less than a minute remaining. I could see Rogers connecting with Greg Jennings quite a bit this weekend and the Packers coming out on top by a large margin. My Prediction: Packers 31 Bengals 7

PANTHERS @ FALCONS

Both of these teams looked like polar opposites during Week 1 of the season. The Panthers were embarrassed by the Eagles, much in large part to Jake Delhomme and his six turnovers. The Falcons dominated their game against the Miami Dolphins and only allowed a late meaningless touchdown. It's very easy to say here that the Falcons will handle the Panthers, but not so fast. I have a feeling Delhomme bounces back and Steve Smith has a big game. That's how it has been with this offense for quite awhile now. Delhomme is hit or miss, but if he can have a nice game this weekend, the Panthers will be victorious. My Prediction: Panthers 27 Falcons 21

RAMS @ REDSKINS

The Rams might be heading for another dismal 2-3 win season. They barely showed up in their shutout loss to Seattle and now they visit FedEx Field in Week 2. The Redskins were beaten last week by the Giants 27-21, but the game wasn't as close as the score might indicate. This season is Jason Campbell's last chance to prove to the fans and organization that he can be the leader of this team. He has a rocket for an arm, but hasn't been able to put it all together. This week he and the Redskins take the field for their home opener and should be successful against a terrible defensive team in St. Louis. Look for a lot of Clinton Portis early with Campbell not having to do to much to lead them to victory.
My Prediction: Redskins 24 Rams 10

PATRIOTS @ JETS

I consider this to be the game of the week. Maybe it is because I am a Jets fan, but the drama has already begun this week with plenty of trash talking stirring this rivalry. The Jets are confident and rightfully so after their dominant performance against the Texans in Week 1. I have never seen a Jets defense play as well as they did last Sunday, and they must bring that effort again if they are going to beat the Patriots. I do believe the Patriots will put up some points, but Mark Sanchez and the Jets should be able score as well against a New England defense that was exploited by the Buffalo Bills. My Prediction: Jets 24 Patriots 21

VIKINGS @ LIONS

I can't imagine this game being close at all. Adrian Peterson will run all over the hapless Lions defense just like he did last week against the Cleveland Browns. The Lions put up some points in Week 1, but it was against the Saints and they do not have an impressive defense either. Even though they scored 27 points, rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford still didn't look great. It will be the Peterson show again and Brett Favre will barely have to do anything for a second straight game. My Prediction: Vikings 38 Lions 13

BUCCANEERS @ BILLS

The Bills were very impressive against the Patriots until about four minutes remaining in the game. From then on, they looked like the team that hasn't had much success the last several seasons. It will be interesting to see how they respond against a Buccaneers team that isn't expected to win many games this season. I thought Tampa Bay played Dallas pretty tough for a good portion of their Week 1 matchup, but eventually faded later in the game. Both of these teams need a win desperately and I figure this to be a very close contest. Tampa Bay gave up too many big plays and blew a lot of coverage against the Cowboys. This is something the Bills should exploit, which means getting Terrell Owens and Lee Evans more involved in the offense. Owens made it clear this week that Trent Edwards needs to throw the ball down the field more. If he does that successfully, the Bills should come out on top.

My Prediction: Bills 20 Buccaneers 14

SEAHAWKS @ 49ERS

Both of these teams couldn't have asked for a better Week 1 result. Even though it was St. Louis, the Seahawks still dominated and Julius Jones had one of his best games as a professional. The 49ers pulled off the upset with a win against the reigning NFC champion Arizona Cardinals. Mike Singletary had his team ready to play and maybe he will have more success this season as opposed to last. Seattle was awful last season, but many expect them to be improved this year and I happen to agree. San Francisco is coming off a high from last Sunday's win and I could see them having a letdown against the Seahawks. My Prediction: Seahawks 27 49ers 16

STEELERS @ BEARS

The Steelers showcased their top-notch defense last week against the Tennessee Titans, but suffered a big blow as Troy Polamalu was injured and will miss 3-6 weeks. However, I do not see this hampering the defense too much this weekend. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is coming off what might be his worst performance as a professional and he needs to rebound or he might never get the fans off his back. Acquired from the Broncos in the offseason, he is expected to do great things for this organization. If Week 1 is any indication of the rest of the season, it will be a long year for Cutler and the Bears. This game will be decided in the trenches as both teams have solid defenses, with the Steelers having the edge in that department.

My Prediction: Steelers 16 Bears 9

BROWNS @ BRONCOS

The Eric Mangini era has begun in Cleveland and it didn't get off to the start he had hoped for. After getting manhandled by Adrian Peterson and the Vikings in Week 1, the Browns look to bounce back against a team that was lucky to even win last Sunday. A crazy tipped ball that happened to land in the arms of Brandon Stokely resulted in the game-winning touchdown for Denver. They should have lost to the Bengals and their offense was obsolete up until that play. Brady Quinn will lead the Browns to their first victory of the season.

My Prediction: Browns 23 Broncos 14

RAVENS @ CHARGERS

This is going to be a great game. The Chargers offense didn't look too good against the Raiders Monday night, and the Ravens defense gave up 24 points to the Kansas City Chiefs. Without former defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, it will be interesting to see if the defense that has always been a strong point for the Ravens will be the same this season. The Chargers might have the worst coach in the NFL in Norv Turner, which makes me a little suspect about this team as well. Ladainian Tomlinson is banged up, so look for Darren Sproles to handle a bulk of the load this Sunday. This is a tough game to choose and it could go either way. Will the Chargers offense or the Baltimore defense play a bigger role? Whichever one does will determine the winner. My Prediction: Ravens 24 Chargers 17

GIANTS @ COWBOYS

The Sunday night game this week features two teams from what many people consider to be the toughest division in football. The last time these two met was also on a Sunday night and the Cowboys got the best of the Giants that night. I really have no idea how good of a team the Cowboys really are. They do not have to deal with the drama of Terrell Owens anymore, which makes it easier for Tony Romo to do his job. He looked good in their win against the Buccanners, but this will be a real test against one of the best defensive units in the league. The Giants beat up on the Reskins last Sunday and led throughout the entire game. The defense forced turnovers and even had a touchdown of their own by Osi Umenyiora. The Giants defense will be up for the task again, but might give up a touchdown late similar to last week. Manning and the rest of the offensive side of the ball should have their way this Sunday.

My Prediction: Giants 30 Cowboys 20

COLTS @ DOLPHINS

The Dolphins are going to have a rough season. They won 11 games in 2008 and much of it was due to a very easy schedule. Three of the teams in the AFC East had winning records, which had a lot to do with the teams they had to play outside of their division. The Dolphins turned the ball over four times against the Falcons in Week 1 and that is something they rarely did last season. I could see this team only winning six or seven games this season. Also, the wildcat will not have as much of an effect this season for Miami. The Colts will be ready for that and whatever else the Dolphins have to offer. The offense for Indianapolis only managed 14 points against the Jaguars last Sunday, but Jacksonville always plays tough against Peyton Manning and the Colts. I look for Manning to be spot on this Monday night and the addition of wide receiver Hank Baskett should be a plus, considering they needed someone to fill the spot left by the injured Anthony Gonzalez. My Prediction: Colts 31 Dolphins 14

Enjoy the games!

Shawn Marosek

ATTENTION FOOTBALL (BUT ANY) SPORTSCASTERS: STOP BEING BIASED AND WISHY WASHY

2009-09-15T20:00:00.009-04:00

Okay, so I know that this article isn't going to amount to much in terms of stopping the incessant annoying ways of football sportscasters (i.e. ESPN, Jim Nantz and his crew at CBS, and don't even get me started on the Fox pre and post-game show). However, I just want to share (and rant) my frustrations and turn offs about watching football.

Now, if you are a fan of the Patriots, Cowboys, or Giants fan, you probably disagree with me on what I am about to write. I'd like to point out that you are a fan (or bandwagon fan) of the most popular teams and these sportscasters are obviously fans as well, by portraying all of these teams in nothing but good light. However, if you are a fan like me, of a team that is constantly being put down (and it can be with good reason) or tossed aside for Brady/Favre updates that are unimportant and purely fanatical, then you might agree with my frustrations.

You already know that I am a Buffalo Bills fan (and yes, I still am one even after the tragedy from last night). And if you watched last night's Monday Night Football game, you will know what I am specifically talking about. Let me first start out with the pre-game predictions and banter. Obviously it wasn't stupid to choose the Patriots as the winning team, as they did win last night. But to say that the Buffalo Bills have no shot in winning and that the only reason people are watching is to see how well Brady performs? I didn't take any broadcasting courses during my stay at either undergraduate or graduate institutions, but aren't these sportscasters supposed to be somewhat neutral? (And forget about Fox in all forms of news casting on this one, because we all know how one-sided they can be.) I know there are less Bills fans in the world but that one hurt. And I loved how well the Bill's performed until the f*ckup that occurred with McKelvin in the fourth quarter with a little over 5 minutes left. I wanted the Bills to win, not only because I am a fan, but to shut up all of the sportscasters who were drooling over Brady's return. Even Boomer on ESPN chose the Patriots, and he's from Buffalo.

And it's not even just the pre-game talk but also what has been mentioned in the media about the Bills overall. Our society is one where we take in information as heard without really even thinking twice about whether it's true or not. So when the Bills actually do get any airtime, which is seldom, most of it is negative. Everyone was negative about the firing of the offensive coach who was replaced by Van Pelt. I heard some talk about how the Cowboys won and one reason for this was because T.O. wasn't there to annoy everyone and how he will be a hindrance on the Bills. Obviously Buffalo gets no love from anyone in the media industry, even after buying into a big name player.

Okay, so moving on to the actual game last night. I didn't really have a problem with any of the announcers beforehand, but the wishy washy: "Oh we're Patriots fans... wow Buffalo is doing well? Well, we're rooting for them now and how great they are... oh the Patriots are coming back? Well we had confidence in Tom Brady all along..." it gets really old really fast. I do have to say that these announcers did a MUCH better job than Jim Nantz and Phil Sims when they announced the season opener of the Bills and Patriots back in 2006. Last night's game consisted of positive feedback for both teams, and although it was a surprise on the Bill's end, they did deserve every compliment they received. After all of the heckling about the no huddle offense and how T.O. hates it and the whole team is in shambles, blah blah blah, Buffalo performed like a real professional football team and until the forth quarter fumble, I was damn proud to be a Bills fan. Back in 2006, Nantz and Simms started out talking about how spectacular Brady was in everything he did, even though he was sacked and threw at least one interception (if you don't believe me, go back and check). When the Bills were winning that game early on, Nantz and Simms were saying how the first game of the season doesn't really count and how this is a warm up, yadda yadda: basically saying that if the Bills win it's not a real game anyway. But of course the Bills ended in their usual heartbreak fashion, though the game was not as close as last night's, and then Nance and Simms were saying how magnificent Brady was and how winning this first game was a great accomplishment because it set the tone for the rest of the year. I don't care if you used to play for the Patriots (which I just learned last night that Nantz did), that is sh*tty sportscasting. What I want from you is to tell me what is going on, even though I can figure it out myself. Don't tell me how much you want to hit the sack with Tom Brady. Don't tell me how wonderful Coach Bellichik is for knowing how to cheat well. I want to hear about the game and, sure you can go over the really good plays from both teams, or even the really crappy ones. You can go over penalties because I want to see who got clubbed in the head and who plays dirty. You can even give your predictions, but I don't want a love fest for the other team.

Maybe I wouldn't feel this way if I was a fan of an always winning team. Maybe there should be specific Bills sportscasters that actually are biased for the Bills instead of against. And until the Bills get back to the days of four consecutive Super Bowls, they will probably never get the respect of all the sportscasters. But wouldn't it be nice if they could be a little more neutral and stop sucking up to certain people.

That and I just have to mention how I LOVED that the refs called a penalty on the Patriots for infringing on "The Brady rule." Bet you didn't think that was going to happen, huh?

Jaclyn Kahn

TGIF: THANK GOD IT'S FOOTBALL (SEASON)

2009-09-13T13:16:00.003-04:00

Nothing much to say, but this video clip is priceless.

Can't wait to see this NFL movie!

MY FAVORITE MICHAEL JORDAN PERFORMANCE

2009-09-11T14:38:00.004-04:00

Tonight, my childhood hero, Michael Jordan, will be inducted into the basketball hall of fame. I was clearly spoiled growing up with Jordan leading the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships. It's hard to believe it has been more than 11 years since the Bulls won their last title and Jordan left the team. I am hardly an NBA fan anymore, but I still look back at the 1990s in the NBA as being as good as any sport was in their Golden Age.

The video below is my favorite Jordan memory. With the 1997 NBA Finals tied at two, Jordan came down with some pretty bad food poisoning before Game 5 in Utah. Instead of mentally checking out of the game, Jordan had perhaps the most clutch performance of his career. I'll always remember the image of Scottie Pippen basically carrying Jordan off the court after he hit the decisive three pointer in the final seconds. There are many other moments that I cherish as well, but this is numero uno!

Pat Morgan

SPORTSGERBIL'S 2009 FEARLESS NFL PREDICTIONS

2009-09-09T19:27:00.005-04:00

About the only good thing with the summer coming to an end each year is that it means the NFL is back! Between the Cubs being pitiful this year and the Jets drafting Mark Sanchez, I know I couldn't be more excited to get this season going. Well it all begins tomorrow night when the defending champion, Pittsburgh Steelers, play host to the Tennessee Titans. Then, we'll just have to find a way to get to Sunday (or Monday for Jaxster) to see our teams for the first time. Hit play on the video above for a little classic NFL music while reading the picks!

Below are my predictions for 2009 that are guaranteed to look really embarrassing after the season plays out. The number in parentheses are the official Vegas over/under numbers for each team. Instead of giving you wins and losses, I'll just be predicting whether they go over or under that number. (^Best Record, *Wildcard)

AFC East: ^New England (O 11.5), Miami (U 7), NY Jets (U 7), Buffalo (U 7.5)
AFC North: Pittsburgh (O 10.5), *Baltimore (O 8.5), Cleveland (U 6.5), Cincinnati (U 7)
AFC South: Indianapolis (O 10), *Houston (O 8.5), Tennessee (U 9), Jacksonville (U 8)
AFC West: San Diego (O 10), Oakland (U 5.5), Kansas City (U 6), Denver (U 6.5)

AFC Wildcard: San Diego over Houston, Indianapolis over Baltimore
AFC Divisional: New England over Indianapolis, Pittsburgh over San Diego
AFC Championship: New England over Pittsburgh

NFC East: Philadelphia (O 9.5), *NY Giants (O 10), Dallas (U 9.5), Washington (U 8)
NFC North: ^Green Bay (O 9), Chicago (U 9), Minnesota (U 9.5), Detroit (U 5)
NFC South: New Orleans (O 8.5), *Atlanta (O 9), Carolina (O 8.5), Tampa Bay (U 6.5)
NFC West: Arizona (O 8.5), Seattle (U 8), San Francisco (U 7), St. Louis (U 5.5)

NFC Wildcard: New Orleans over Atlanta, NY Giants over Arizona
NFC Divisional: NY Giants over Green Bay, Philadelphia over New Orleans
NFC Championship: Philadelphia over NY Giants

AFC Overrated: San Diego; Even though they'll coast home in the weak AFC West, I think people are crazy for picking them to win the Super Bowl. I would like to see them gel in the regular season and earn a high seed before I can put them on the elite level of teams. They are certainly talented, but they are being given too much praise.
NFC Overrated: Dallas; I have seen too many people pick this team to go to the playoffs. They are probably the third best team in perhaps the best overall division in football. Tony Romo doesn't have the weapons he used to and the defense isn't great. I smell an 8-8 season.
AFC Underrated: Indianapolis; Peyton Manning has gone from overrated to underrated in my eyes. He carried a mediocre Colts team to 12 wins last year. I think he will win the team another AFC South title. I also think people are overrating the retirement of Tony Dungy. He was a much better man than coach. This has always been Peyton's team, not Tony Dungy's, and it won't be Jim Caldwell's either.
NFC Underrated: Green Bay; The schedule is very favorable for the Packers to win 11+ games this year. I think Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the division. They have plenty of weapons on offense and a fairly decent defense. People are overrating the Vikings and Bears in my opinion. I think the Pack take home the NFC North and could do some damage in the playoffs.

MVP: Peyton Manning
Rookie of the Year: Mark Sanchez
Coach of the Year: Mike McCarthy - Green Bay

Super Bowl XLIV Pick: Philadelphia 27, New England 24; I think the Eagles will finally get it done. They will certainly miss long-time defensive coordinator Jim Johnson who died this offseason, but I think they will be fired up to play well in his honor. He will be more missed over time than this year I think. Michael Vick should make the offense very unpredictable as well. I think this is a very balanced team that should eek out a Super Bowl against Tom Brady's Patriots.

VICK BETTER WITH KIDS THAN DOGS

2009-09-09T11:58:00.005-04:00

And although the title is supposed to be funny, it's also very true. I have to commend Vick in what he's doing. After reading about his ten minute speech to freshmen at a Philly charter school, I really think that Vick believed in what he said. Here is a snippet of what he said:

“Growing up, I had dreams and I always wanted to have this great, lavish life and make it to the NFL, go and accomplish great things and leave a great legacy. That was my goal from a young kid,” Vick said. “My future was promising … at some point, I got sidetracked. I started listening to my friends and doing some things that were not ethical and not right.”

This was the main point of his speech to the Philly high school students: being negatively influenced by others, and I think it's a great point. (“I was influenced by so many people when I should have been a leader, not a follower.”) When the media is telling all of us, but especially children and young adults, what they should be doing, eating, saying, buying, etc., it can be hard to know what we should be doing. I think it's great that Vick talked about this and that he had experience with this, especially when it led him to go to jail. Although he may not have been a follower, or he may not be speaking from the heart, but I want to give Vick the benefit of the doubt.

I think everyone, especially children and young adults, are highly influenced by famous people, athletes included. I think that even the act of Vick talking about this issue and how he has gone through it will positively influence many. As long as Vick can acknowledge his problem and how to turn around and fix it, he will be a good role model for those who can see what happens when you choose the wrong path. I really hope that Vick can stay out of trouble. Do it for the kids.

Jaclyn Kahn

GIANTS NERVOUS ABOUT QB LEAK BEFORE SEASON BEGINS

2009-09-08T11:57:00.006-04:00

Best opening line in an article: "What's pink, puffy and screams a lot when it's not whining? Right, it's Tom Coughlin!"

You may be asking yourself, well why is he so angry? Did another of his players shoot himself in a crowded club? No, this time, Coughlin, the coach of the New York Giants, is angry because the Washington Redskins recently acquired backup quarterback, Andre Woodson. Just after Woodson learned some Giants' plays, calls, and signals he was shipped over to the Redskins. This is what is making Coughlin see red. Lots and lots of red.

The thing that I don't quite understand is how Coughlin automatically thinks that the Redskins are trying to cheat and learn how they play. Of course if that was the case, then Washington has a brain since they are in the same division as the Giants, and this of course could help them when they play them all TWO times this season. Coughlin needs to relax. I think that he would be someone who would draft a player just to find out impertinent information so that he could get his team to the top. And if he really didn't want that to happen, then maybe he shouldn't have cut Woodson. Problem solved.

I find it funny that Coughlin is calling (or the media is having us believe he is calling) Woodson "Benedict Andre." The simple fact is that if you thought he had any talent at all, you would have kept him on the roster and wouldn't have let him go to any team that wanted him. And speaking of Benedict anyone, I can recall when the "god" QB on the Giants was signed to the San Diego Chargers and refused to play for them until he was traded to the New York Giants. So Benedict Andre doesn't even come across as the bad guy of the organization. He got cut. He went somewhere else. Get over it. Wait and see if the Redskins can beat you this season. IF they beat you all two times, maybe you could make a case for cheating, but it could also be the incredible overhype and under performing ape you call quarterback.

Jaclyn Kahn

CAN YOU GUESS THE MOST VALUABLE AND MOST WORTHLESS TEAMS IN THE NFL?

2009-09-04T17:21:00.005-04:00

It might not come as a shock to you which team is the most valuable and which team is the most worthless. And these terms are talking about how much revenue the team has collected. So, let's have you guess which team is the most valuable.

No, it is not the Patriots.
No, it is not the Colts.
Obviously it is neither the Jets or the Bills.

The most valuable team is (drum roll please): The Dallas Cowboys, reaping a total of $1.65 BILLION dollars. I feel like I'm the guy from those lottery commercials. Again, I want to point out that this doesn't mean the Cowboys are the best performing team: as of now, they are currently ranked (offseason)14th in the league. So let's call them a step above mediocre.

Here are the rest of the top five most valuable teams, which was decided by Forbes. Notice where these teams are located, because I bet location has a lot to do with earnings.

2. Washington Redskins
3. New England Patriots
4. New York Giants
5. New York Jets

Okay, so now let's have you guess which team is the most worthless, and by worthless, not the crappiest team in the NFL but the one that earns the least amount of money.

No, it's not the Bills (you jerk!)
No, it's not the Lions, Tigers or Bears (oh my!)
And no, it's not the Rams either.

The most worthless team is... the Oakland Raiders, a team which is currently ranked as the third worst NFL team in the league. Has to make all other teams (except the Rams and Lions... and Bills) feel better.

So if your team hasn't been mentioned as the most worthless, you can breathe a sigh of relief that your team might not be heading anywhere, like the dumpster. However, if you are a fan of one of the bottom five teams (which I will list below), you may want to up how much you spend at the stadium or on your favorite team's merchandise, or find a new team to root for. Me? I've already found one (just in case).

28. Detroit Lions
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
30. Atlanta Falcons
31. Minnesota Vikings (Note: This might change. Read "And Which Jersey Will You Buy?")

Jaclyn Kahn

SLOWNESS OF GAME EVEN BORES MLB OFFICIALS

2009-09-04T12:34:00.000-04:00

One of the biggest knocks people have against baseball is the snail-like speed of the game. Unless you are at the game or it is genuinely exciting, it might be more appealing to take a hammer to your head then sit through an entire game. Apparently, MLB officials seem to agree. I found it really interesting when I found out that Boston Red Sox' closer, Jonathan Papelbon, was fined $5,000 for taking too long to throw his first pitch Friday night.

As goofy as this seemed when I first read the article, I think this is a good idea by MLB. Like the NYC honking law, I doubt this rule has ever been enforced, but I say start hampering down on players! Games last longer than they ever have, and most of the time they are not that fun. A typical Yankees or Red Sox game lasts over four hours! I like that MLB took a stand here. I think there are way too many pitchers that take their sweet time between pitches. Nothing drives me more crazy then when a pitcher shakes off the catcher three times then walks off the mound. Pitchers will say this timing rule will throw off their rhythm, but get used to it! After all, you are professional athletes!

I think if MLB is going to crack down on this rule, then it is only fair to impose fines against other players that take too much time to do something. Right now it appears that only pitchers can be fined, but how about expanding this to hitters as well. They are as much to blame for the length of games these days. A batter should not be allowed to step out of the batters' box after every pitch. Think about how much time would be saved if a batter didn't wonder around doing who knows what between pitches. I have personally perfected the art of running to the kitchen to pour a drink and returning to the TV before the next pitch is thrown. I heard Bud Seliq a couple years ago say there was an understanding between umpires and hitters about stepping out of the box. However, I've never seen an umpire get into it with a player about taking his time. Seliq says a lot of things, but we all know he is a joke of a commissioner.

I normally rip baseball for their decisions, as it is a horribly run league, but I'll give them credit for this. Thanks for finally thinking of the fans who do not want to watch games till all hours of the night. Unfortunately, I doubt any extensive time rules will pass through the Players' Union, and I am sure Papelbon will appeal and get his five grand back. That is how baseball works after all.

Pat Morgan

FUTURE LOCKOUT = DISTRESS FOR ALL

2009-09-03T18:59:00.006-04:00

I just came across an article that has me riled up in more than one way. No it has nothing to do with Brady or Favre, or even Vick, at least not directly. No, the article is all about the idea of a 2011 lockout in the NFL. And no, the lockout won't be because of the football players' union who wants more money. According to this article on Yahoo! Sports, the owners of all 32 teams in the NFL will be the ones who cause this lockout.

First of all, I don't know what I would do with myself in the fall of 2011 if there was no football. I'm sure fans of hockey could tell me how much it stinks to not be able to see the sport of choice. I don't even know if there has ever been a strike in football, and I'm too lazy to go research that. Either way, I know that as a fan, I will be very disappointed if we have no football due to having issues renegotiating salaries.

Second, I am actually surprised it's not going to be a strike from the union. What bothers me is that owners and managers have been forking over big bucks for the players that they want. Salaries that might almost be comparable to baseball players. So in theory, if these owners didn't try to outbid one another for rookies and star players, there wouldn't be as much of an over-salaried player. Football players don't make as much as baseball players do, and there is a good reason why. Salary caps are there for a reason people, so stop paying big bucks for rookies you haven't even used yet! (cough cough Jets cough cough). Feeding the fire only causes more fire.

Next, if owners are going to have a lockout, then they are going to lose a crap load of money. Think of all of the accessories, jerseys, clothing, food, memorabilia, etc that will not be sold, and that is just at the stadium! I know that if my Bills aren't playing then I'm most likely not going to be buying t-shirts or jerseys or anything because there would be no reason to wear them (unless I have a make believe season in my head and the Bills are coming out as the number one team, although somehow they would be losing then too...) I understand that the owners wouldn't be shelling out as much cash to their players, but they wouldn't really be making any profit on anything, except for die hard fans that might buy some things for Christmas or something like that.

Most of the article is about how players should be more conservative with their money, especially since their is this fear about a lockout. Honestly, and this might be because I don't make the kind of money they do, but players should already know that they should be conservative with their money. Save some of it for Christ sake! I would think whether or not there is a lockout, players who burn through their big dollar paychecks are going to end up in financial trouble anyway. Understandably, once the money stops coming, there will be more of an issue of "poverty" and debt. I have to say (and I guess I am going back on my word about how this won't be about Vick) but he was in financial trouble and that didn't have anything to do with a lockout.

All in all, I think that a lockout sucks for everyone involved, but most importantly, for the fans. Both owners and players have to realize that the NFL is for the fans. All of the merchandise, all of the winning and losing, it's for the fans. Without it's fans, the NFL would be nothing like it is today. We are the ones who keep it running, and sometimes that is true in the financial sense. I think that owners and players and the unions should figure out some way for the players to continue to play, to not be selfish, and think of the fans.

Jaclyn Kahn

JUST SAY NO TO BRANDON MARSHALL!

2009-09-03T12:20:00.005-04:00

The hot football topic the last couple days here in New York has been whether the Jets should trade for Pro Bowl wide receiver, Brandon Marshall. The Jets clearly could use a big time receiver in their offense, and Marshall would definitely give them just that as he has had over 100 catches in each of the last two seasons. However, his attitude in Denver lately combined with his troubled legal history has me hoping the Jets go in a different direction.

On paper the move would look great. The Jets really need to add another receiver at some point. Jerricho Cotchery is a really nice receiver, but he is not a #1. Marshall would give the Jets that weapon, but is it worth bringing in someone of his character for a couple high picks and David Harris? I say no!

It takes a lot of guts for me to admit to watching such a horrible show, but Woody Paige on Around the Horn made a great point about Marshall. He is really one legal offense from being suspended for a year under Roger Goodell's new behavioral policies. Yes, the Jets would not have to pay him if that happened, but they would not get those high draft picks back. I don't think it is smart to bring in a guy which such problems to any team, but especially a team located across the river from New York City. I would save those picks to get a good wide-out in the 2010 draft or in hopes that the Cardinals try and trade Anquan Boldin again.

Even if Marshall is a good citizen off the field, he has become a really headache on the field for the Broncos. He has been skipping practice, not flying with the team to preseason games, and even when he is around, he acts like such a child. It's been said that during practice he has batted down balls thrown in his direction if they were not thrown right. If the Jets got Marshall, I would root for good things obviously, but I rather not take the chance with him. If Brett Favre was still the quarterback, I would say maybe, but I rather not subject the rookie quarterback to his antics. A veteran could deal with it, but he could make life absolutely miserable for Mark Sanchez and possibly ruin his development.

Pat Morgan

P.S. I swear I don't ever watch Around the Horn! I was just really bored yesterday afternoon!

WRIGHT RETURNS AFTER BEING HIT IN THE HEAD

2009-09-02T13:59:00.006-04:00

David Wright returned to the field last night just two weeks after being plunked in the head by a Matt Cain fastball. At the time, the New York Mets figured their star third baseman would be lost for the season like almost all their other stars. It certainly did not look good, but thankfully Wright avoided any major post concussion issues. I am not a Mets fan, but it is good to see any player who sustains such a serious blow to the head return to the field.

I realize the Mets season is lost and it really does not really matter in the standings that Wright has returned, but it is a big lift emotionally for a team that has seen everything go wrong this season. Maybe this should be the time when management names Wright their team captain. The Mets clearly need to re-tool many parts of their team, but making Wright the face of the franchise is the right move right now. He has had trouble hitting in the clutch, as Mets fans will be quick to point out, but he plays hard every night and hardly ever misses a game. Unless they get an unbelievable deal for him, they should want him as their captain.

I mentioned the Mets need to cut ties with some of their core. I think Jose Reyes should be the first one out the door. When things are going well he can be more valuable than Wright, but he has been way to inconsistent and weird lately. He just absolutely disappeared this season with an injury no one has given an exact answer to. I am sure Mets fans will be split on this issue. Believe me I know, as for some reason many Met fans have chosen me as someone to vent to about their team. Hello! 101 years since my team last won a title! Seriously though, trade Reyes, keep Wright, and your team will be much more stable for it.

Again, it was great to see Wright return to the field last night. Even if he's choosing to wear a helmet other players make fun of him for. Can you blame Wright for taking extra precaution after being drilled in the head though? I don't, but I like the reference Brian Costa, from the Star-Ledger, uses for Wright wearing that helmet. How dare he give me the raspberry?!?

http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2009/09/david_wright_says_he_will_keep.html

Pat Morgan

AND WHICH JERSEY WILL YOU BUY?

2009-09-01T15:49:00.005-04:00

Football season is upon us and it is important for us fans to be prepared in every way; this includes what we will be wearing.

This topic is particularly important to me because I am in need of a new football jersey. For those reader who didn't know by now (and how could you not?) that I am a Buffalo Bills fan (and when their season goes down the drain, I switch over to my NFC favorite, the Eagles). I have had a bit of jersey trouble these past few years. I currently own a Moulds jersey (not on the team anymore), a Spikes jersey (got injured soon after purchase and is no longer on the team), and a throwback Flutie jersey.

I want to keep up with the current team, and trends. I am considering buying a T.O. jersey because I like him now that he is a Bill and he might actually do the team some good once his sprained toe can heal itself. I also know, however, that T.O. will most likely not be on the Bills after this year, and since I have had bad luck in the past, I can but the jersey without having to worry whether or not he will on the team after this season. I would truly love to own a Jackson (Fast Freddy Jackson, number 22), but I don't want him to become hurt and then I have added another jersey to my collection of hurt and gone players.

Anyway, the point of this post is because there was an article on Yahoo! Sports (The Shutdown Corner) about the most popular jerseys of the upcoming football season, bought from April 1 to August 28.

Let's take a look at the whole Top 20.

1. Brett Favre, Vikings
2. Jay Cutler, Bears
3. Troy Polamalu, Steelers
4. Michael Vick, Eagles
5. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
6. Tony Romo, Cowboys
7. Mark Sanchez, Jets
8. Tom Brady, Patriots
9. Adrian Peterson, Vikings
10. Eli Manning, Giants
11. Terrell Owens, Bills
12. Peyton Manning, Colts
13. Hines Ward, Steelers
14. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers
15. Jason Witten, Cowboys
16. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
17. Joe Flacco, Ravens
18. Matt Ryan, Falcons
19. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
20. Michael Crabtree, 49ers

So there is the list. I'm disappointed with Americans that Favre is number one. Are these people collecting Favre jerseys? Is there some guy who hopes he can decorate his basement with Favre paraphernalia from all three teams he has been on so far? Or are there some French people buying all of them up just to make our country look even worse? Who knows.

The only thing that makes the Favre sales okay is that it drives the sales down for Brady jerseys. Currently, at number 8, it doesn't seem that people are all that eager to be a bandwagon Patriots fan.

All of the Steelers jerseys being bought makes sense; why not own a jersey from the best team in the NFL, at least as of last season? However, there are a few surprises on that list, at least for me. I didn't realize Jay Cutler was so popular. And I understand that the Detriot Lions' fans are hurting in more than one way, but I can't understand how the number one draft pick, Stafford, didn't get many jersey sales.

So maybe I will decide to get a T.O. jersey, but I have time until I need to make a decision. In the meantime, it would be interesting to find out what are the ten least bought jerseys. I will do my research and get back to you. (But don't hold your breath)

Jaclyn Kahn

FAVRE IS CRACKED UP... AND HAS A CRACKED RIB

2009-08-31T20:23:00.005-04:00

Brett Favre loves the media spotlight so much, that he has informed us all that he has a cracked rib. Now, not only is he the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, but he is also his own doctor.

On ESPN, or should I say, TFN (The Favre Network), Favre said, "he hasn’t received an official diagnosis but that taking a deep breath caused him some discomfort."

Maybe those are just guilt pains from being such a drama queen. But I doubt it. Maybe it's because you are ancient and keep coming back to play football. There are a many linebackers and other 300 pounders in the NFL who are hoping to chance that "cracked rib" into something broken or shattered. There might even be some players on his own team who feel that way.

Honestly, I think that Favre is so consumed with being in the spotlight that he might have made this up. Who knows what is going through this guy's mind, surely I don't. But according to the article, no one on the team knew about this cracked rib and he wasn't on the injury list either. So either Favre wanted the attention, or maybe ESPN (TFN) had nothing to report on and slipped him a few extra bucks to make some more ruckus.

P.S. going along with the rest of the posts I have been doing recently, I have added a video clip for your enjoyment. Funny, yet tedious, but then again, so is Favre.

Jaclyn Kahn

MAKE A WISH: BRADY HURT OR NOT?

2009-08-30T11:36:00.005-04:00

I know that there has already been a lot of speculation around Tom Brady, and his recent pull out of the game against the Washington Redskins. There are many questions surrounding this issue. One: Is Brady really hurt? Two: Is what the team saying really true?

At this point, the Patriots and Belichick are saying that Brady is not hurt. The reason, they claim, that Brady came out when he did was so that they could give him a rest and let the back up QBs get a shot at the Redskins. In all fairness to the unfair Patriots, this probably isn't far from the truth. However, the status update on Brady was that he had a sore shoulder. And after watching the hit that he took from defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth, it looks like he could have been seriously injured. I mean, if that man was coming for me, I would run like the wind, and that's saying something because I cannot run any amount of distance. And not just for that hit. Remember when he stomped on a Dallas' player's head? Yeah, I wouldn't mess with him. (On a side note: for all of you Brady haters out there, I have included the crushing hit video below.)

So right now this whole "Is Brady hurt?" question is still up in the air. However, I think (and so desperately hope) that they took Brady out because he is hurt. I think that Bellechik and the Patriots would be devastated if Brady was hurt again, especially in the beginning of the new season, and would be too afraid of letting that information be leaked out, especially in pre-season. No matter what the articles and sportscasters say, we really cannot tell how this hit has affected Brady until he gets back out on the field. Even if his shoulder wasn't shattered, that is the shoulder of his throwing arm. Although Haynesworth is one scary dude, he just might be the hero of the NFL this year. Sorry Bernard Pollard, your hero-dom has ended.

Jaclyn Kahn

THE OTHER BAILOUT PLAN

2009-08-27T13:49:00.006-04:00

Yes, you've read that headline right! There is another bailout plan that has been approved, but it's neither for the American public, or approved by Senate.

While the Senate is slaving away with the health care issue (which is another blog post for another site), Michael Vick just received his personalized bailout plan from U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Frank Santoro.

"The plan approved by Santoro was supported by all creditors or representatives in court, save for one creditor owed $13,000. It hinges on Vick liquidating an estimated $9 million in assets, including houses, boats and high-end sport utility vehicles. He would not have to pay creditors during the first year with the Eagles. Future payments would depend on Vick’s salary, with creditors getting payments based on how much Vick earns. The Eagles have a $5.2 million option for next year, not including incentives."

Well there you have if folks, the Michael Vick bail out plan. Although he isn't completely out of the woods, at least he won't be bankrupt anymore. Of course, if I owed that much to any creditors, I'd land in jail and probably be slapped with a huge fine for being such a drain on our society.

So Michael Vick, welcome back to the American dream. Playing professional football on a pretty decent team, being out of jail, and finally being able to say "I am no longer bankrupt! Let's go buy a dog!"

Jaclyn Kahn

ILLEGAL TESTS OR ILLEGAL DRUGS?

2009-08-27T10:35:00.005-04:00

With all of the news on baseball players taking steroids, a new twist has been added. According to CNN, "A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that federal investigators' seizure of drug-test results of more than 90 major league baseball players five years ago was illegal."

Apparently, at the time the drug tests were taken, only ten players were supposed to be drug tested; instead 104 baseball players took the drug test. Now the drama gets even more intensified. Players that shouldn't have been outed, like A-Rod, Ramirez, Ortiz, etc. weren't even supposed to be tested, and if they were, the MLB will not want to release that information.

"The Major League Baseball Players Association sued for the return of the seized results, while the government argued investigators should be able to use them since they were "in plain sight" along with the other results during the search."

I'm going with the government on this one. Understandably, if I was one of those ball players that was outed about taking steroids, I obviously wouldn't want the world to know, especially if the results of that test were supposed to be kept secret. Yes, now that it is deemed illegal, this steroid use cannot really be held against players like the ones I mentioned above. To make an analogy, it's like a cop retaining evidence against a serial killer, but getting that evidence illegally. So the cop can't exactly come out and say, "Hey, he did it!" even if there is evidence. And that is what is happening here. But at the same time, now that this information has been revealed, the government, or the MLB should take more steps to test ALL of their players, or to make some sort of rules against steroids, and actually stick with an appropriate punishment.

The steroids controversy has long been waging between the different sides: those who think steroids increases the watch-ability of baseball versus those who think all players who use steroids should be stripped of their jobs and never be let into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Personally, I could go either way. But the commissioner of baseball should settle everything as soon as possible and either deem steroid use okay or condemnable. Those in charge of baseball seem like chickens with their heads cut off. They need to make a decision so that all of this drama can go away. But they choose to let the drama continue.

The one thought that comes to my mind though, when reading this article, is now what? So because these tests are deemed illegal, it's okay for players to take steroids? Does all of the hoopla about steroids that affected A-Rod, Ramirez, and Ortiz die away? Do we just say: "Oh, they screwed up and showed us results that they weren't supposed to, so everything is now okay?" Are these players now thinking, "Oh great! Now I'm off the hook?" Will fans think, "Oh my favorite player is okay because the results were illegal so the whole point of the test is invalid." I think that until the MLB gets it's things together on this issue, the steroids debacle will continue to cause drama for all.

Jaclyn Kahn

NO SURPRISE: SANCHEZ NAMED JETS STARTING QUARTERBACK

2009-08-26T18:43:00.012-04:00

Whether you believe there was an actual quarterback competition or not, rookie Mark Sanchez was officially named the New York Jets starting quarterback today. This just solidifies what most of us felt at the draft, that Sanchez would be thrown into the fire immediately. Kellen Clemens would have really had to put on an impressive display to wiggle the job away from the rookie.

Many times a rookie will sit and learn from a veteran their first year or two in the league, but when the option is Sanchez or Clemens, the Jets made the right choice. Clemens had his chance a couple years ago to stamp his place with the Jets when he took the job away from Chad Pennington. He didn't play well after he dazzled in the backup role. If the Jets had a Kurt Warner type veteran, then I would say let the veteran play and mentor the rookie. Plus, that type of veteran would give the Jets a better chance to win, but Clemens won't lead the Jets anywhere and he's really not a mentor as he is quite young himself.

I think it is great that they are letting Sanchez gain experience and go through some growing pains now. Will he struggle at times during his rookie season? Of course. Almost all rookies do. I think the only rookies to have seamless transitions into the NFL were Dan Marino and Matt Ryan. But as Sanchez adjusts to life in the NFL, I think he will be a very good quarterback for the Jets for years to come. He throws a nice ball, has great poise, and has already shown ability to bounce back from mistakes. I love his makeup, so hopefully he will eventually lead the Jets to prominence.

My only hope is that fans don't overreact to when he struggles at times this year. We fans need to be patient as this year won't be pretty at times. The Jets schedule is not friendly, and management did not exactly get Sanchez many toys to play with on offense. I hope he will, but I don't expect him to have a rookie season like Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco had last year. That is far from a bad thing though as rookie quarterbacks rarely do well. Ryan was a four-year starter at Boston College and was absolutely ready to slide into an NFL role. Flacco was allowed to ease into the role as the Ravens had a tri-headed backfield and a stellar defense to earn them wins. Some think the Jets will have a similar team to what the Ravens had last year, but their schedule was much more favorable than ours. Fans should not measure Sanchez's year against those two. It just wouldn't be fair!

It's official though! The Mark Sanchez era is set to begin for the Jets! Hopefully this will be a historic date in our history!

Pat Morgan

BIGGER DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN BETTER

2009-08-24T12:35:00.007-04:00

A lot of people, especially salesmen, will tell you that bigger is better. Well in the case of the Dallas Cowboys, and the revamping they did to their stadium, bigger turned out to makes things worse.

To make the stadium bigger and better, a massive high-definition scoreboard/TV was installed at the top of the stadium (as you see in the picture). Apparently no one realized that the 2,100-inch screen would get in the way of, you know, punts, things like that.

This excerpt is from the Shutdown Corner on Yahoo! Sports: "At the debut of the new Dallas Cowboys stadium last night, Tennessee Titans punter A.J. Trapasso kicked a ball that struck one of the gargantuan high-definition scoreboards that hang over the center of the field. Trapasso's punt sailed straight up and hit one of the two scoreboards that face the endzone. It deflected backward and was ruled in-play until Titans coach Jeff Fisher informed officials (who had been watching the players, not the ball) that the punt struck the scoreboard. By rule, the down was replayed."

Now there are all these concerns that the Cowboys and their management have to deal with. For instance, will punters continue to hit the jumbotron with footballs? Will they try to hit it on purpose to run out the clock? Although, my biggest concern if I was a Cowboy, or their management, or any team that plays the Cowboys: Will this jumbotron fall and kill us all? Or will continuing football hits to the screen damage it and cost craploads of money to fix? But maybe that's just me being insensible.

Either way, I think that screen is stupid. How much did that cost to build? Couldn't they put that money towards, let's say, a better QB or players?

Jaclyn Kahn

I THOUGHT IT COULDN'T GET ANY WORSE FOR THE METS

2009-08-23T22:56:00.004-04:00

Eric Brunlett records only the 15th unassisted triple play in baseball history to end today's game vs. the Mets. What a freaky play! Sorry Shawn.

SMOLTZ SIGNS WITH CARDINALS; POSSIBLY NEW SETUP MAN

2009-08-20T15:28:00.022-04:00

Veteran right-handed pitcher John Smoltz is heading back to a more familiar place: The National League.

The 42-year old is giving it another shot after struggling with the Boston Red Sox. He was on the disabled list for most of the season, but finally came back on June 25th, when he faced the Washington Nationals. He gave up five earned runs, and it didn't get much better. After lasting only 3 1/3 innings and giving up eight earned runs against the New York Yankees on Aug. 6, the Red Sox had seen enough of the former all-star. They released him the day after that horrible performance and many thought Smoltz's career might be over. His numbers with Boston are mind-boggling for a guy who only a couple of years ago was pitching like his old self. In his short stint with the Red Sox, Smoltz compiled an 8.32 ERA in eight starts.

He now joins a St. Louis Cardinals team that has made plenty of moves this season, and finds themselves six games ahead in the National League Central. Tony LaRussa is expected to use Smoltz as their primary setup man to closer Ryan Franklin. The St. Louis manager has seen plenty of Smoltz when he was a member of the Braves, but this is a much different and less effective pitcher in 2009. Coming off major surgery in the offseason, Smoltz signed a 1 year- 5$million dollar deal with Boston. The Red Sox took a chance that their acquisition would result in some big performances late in the season. They knew he would have to rehab his shoulder for much of the first half of the season, but they certainly didn't expect him to struggle as much as he did. Now, the Cardinals are the ones who will be taking that chance, hoping Smoltz finds the fountain of youth and improves their bullpen.

Despite his age and recent surgery, I expected Smoltz to pitch well for Boston this year. As a Mets fan, it was almost impossible to witness a bad John Smoltz performance when he took the mound. Even though I rooted against him, I had and still have plenty of respect for him, similar to the respect I have for future hall-of-famer Chipper Jones. Many Mets fans might crucify me for such statements, but you have to acknowledge pure talent when you see it. I watched Smoltz get roughed up against the Yankees, and to be honest, it was tough to watch. I've always known him to be the dominant pitcher that he was for almost twenty years with the Braves. He is a first ballot hall-of-famer and is the only pitcher in major league history to win at least 200 games and record 150 saves. Now, he is a veteran who is trying to keep it together. He's heading back to the National League, and in the end, maybe he will turn it around and help the Cardinals make a run for a championship. I hope he does well, but I won't be surprised if this is the last time we see Smoltz pitch in the major leagues.

Shawn Marosek

LEE DELIVERING BIG TIME FOR THE REIGNING CHAMPS

2009-08-20T12:32:00.011-04:00

Coming into the season there weren't many who took Cliff Lee's AL Cy Young season last year seriously. Despite going an astounding 22-3 with a minuscule 2.54 ERA, people had Lee ranked way down the list of baseball's starting pitchers. The group of people that did not respect Lee included just about everyone from baseball insiders to the average fantasy junkies. I know he went dirt cheap in my fantasy league.

That group of people who doubted Lee's abilities included myself. I thought he could be a low-end #2 or a pretty good #3 on someone's staff, but I did not see him coming close to duplicating his 2008 performance. Well, for the first month of the season, we were all thought we were right. Lee was 1-3 with an ERA over 5. He helped me win my fantasy league last year, but I was sure glad I avoided him this year!

Then, Lee starting turning his season around. His win-loss record stayed bad because the Cleveland Indians did not score him many runs, but he kept grinding and grinding and got his ERA under 3 for awhile. This is when I started to take a favorable notice. Lee could have clearly said the heck with it this season and really had a terrible year. He was pitching great, but he kept losing because of the inept Indian offense. On June 14th, when Lee shutout the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday Night Baseball, I realized that this guy was indeed an ace.

When the Philadelphia Phillies gave up their pursuit of Roy Halladay, they turned to Lee. The Phillies absolutely fleeced the Indians in that deal. They got him without giving up J.A. Happ, Kyle Drabek or any other of their top prospects. I don't know how the Phillies did it, but they did, and Lee has been the absolute perfect fit for them. He is 4-0 with two complete games and a dental floss thin 0.82 ERA since heading over to the Phillies. I love Halladay, but there is no way he could be doing a better job than Lee in this situation. Mark Shapiro, the Indians' GM, should be fired immediately for that trade.

When this season began there were quite a few pitchers I would have taken ahead of Lee, but at this moment, I can't think of too many. I guess you would take Johan Santana, Roy Halladay, and maybe a couple others, but the list is short. I was wrong, Lee is really, really good! What a deal for the Phillies! With Lee, the Phillies have an excellent chance to repeat as World Series champions. Now if they can get Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge back in order, they might be unbeatable. They have a tremendous offense, a deep rotation, and a team that just raises its game in the biggest of spots. Heck, I'll say it, the Phillies will repeat as World Series champions.

Pat Morgan

FAVRE: MOST OVERRATED "STAR" OF ALL-TIME?

2009-08-18T17:03:00.009-04:00

What a shock? Brett Favre is back... again. In the process, he broke the off-season change your mind record too (which he already owned anyway). I don't know how things are going to turn out in Minnesota, but frankly, I don't really care. The fact that the Vikings got an old, washed up, injured quarterback should not be big news. But if you watch ESPN, and who can avoid it, you'd think the Minnesota Vikings just won the Super Bowl.

With the addition of Favre, Ron Jaworski called the Vikings the team to beat in the NFC! That is just laughable to me. Last I checked, the Giants, Eagles, Cardinals and perhaps the Falcons and Panthers had better teams. Granted Favre is an upgrade over Tarvaris Jackson, but if I were the Vikings, I would have played Sage Rosenfels (who I think can be good) and saved the organization the endless off-season media attention. But if they want a 39-year old quarterback who stunk it up last year then so be it. I would hate the move if I were a Viking fan. He was the enemy for 15 years, and now he comes to the Vikes closer to AARP membership than his lone Super Bowl title. I say go Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in the NFC North!

I honestly really don't care that he came back, and in fact, I don't care if he comes back next year or the year after. And since he already played for my team, I don't even care if he eventually tries to play for all 32 NFL teams! What bothers me and probably most people is the wall-to-wall coverage we get on Favre from ESPN. ESPN had a plane tracker going of Favre's trip to Minnesota from Mississippi. Then they show him getting off the plane like he's President Obama or the Pope! He is 39 years old! He just had surgery to repair torn biceps and revealed that he has a torn rotator cuff. So, it isn't like we're dealing with a Favre in his prime signing with a new team. Even if that were the case, he's not nearly the star ESPN makes him out to be. Yes, he was a great player in his day and that consecutive games streak is mind-boggling, but he's not in that special group of elite athletes. He has always been flawed. Therefore, I am going to say Favre is the most overrated star in sports history!

ESPN makes this guy out to be in the same class as Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, or even his NFL colleague, Tom Brady. Favre can't even carry Brady's jock! None of those athletes on their worst day come as close to Favre on his. Favre is the all-time interceptions leader. Favre couldn't out play Eli Manning in 4 degree weather at home in the NFC Championship two years ago! Yes, he's a first ballot hall of famer, but he is far from being the elite athlete! If I were to rank the top quarterbacks in NFL history, I wouldn't even have him in the top ten! Not neccessarly in this order, but Marino, Elway, Montana, Unitas, Bradshaw, Brady, Manning, Young, Tarkenton and Staubach would probably comprise my top ten. So enough already, ESPN! Just let the Vikings quietly win a weak NFC North and be eliminated in the wildcard round by a superior runner up from the NFC East!

By the way, ESPN is going to promote the hell out of the fact that they have Packers @ Vikings on Monday Night this season. But who cares? That game is in Minnesota. Those lame morons. FOX has the game at Lambeau if you are interested!

Pat Morgan

GREGG LOSES JOB AS CUBS CLOSER

2009-08-18T11:13:00.012-04:00

The Chicago Cubs season needs to turn around quickly if they want to make the postseason. A little shake up at the end of the bullpen might help.

Manager Lou Piniella announced after Monday's 4-1 loss to the Padres that Kevin Gregg will no longer be the closer. Carlos Marmol or Angel Guzman will get the save opportunities for now. Gregg, who has struggled mightily of late, blew the Cubs latest game , giving up a 1-0 lead.

Acquired from the Florida Marlins in the offseason, Gregg battled Marmol for the closer's role in spring training and won the job. He was injured in the beginning of the season, but came back to save games for Chicago. However, he has not lived up to the hype after his successful season a year ago in Miami.

A year ago, long-time Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood was the closer and Marmol was a very good setup man. However, Wood signed with the Indians in the offseason and the Cubs had to figure out who would close their games. I guess they were not totally convinced that Marmol could handle the job, and as a result, signed Gregg.

I will admit that Gregg has pitched terribly. However, the Cubs have not swung the bats well at all. They are near the bottom of the national league in many offensive categories and you can't expect to win if that is the case. Yes, you must have good pitching to win. But you can't rely on it to be good all the time. If Alfonso Soriano and the rest of these hitters from the North Side do not start producing, Piniella and friends will be watching the Cardinals and a more deserving wild-card team in October.

Shawn Marosek

FROM PRISON TO PHILADELPHIA: VICK RETURNS TO NFL

2009-08-13T21:07:00.015-04:00

Michael Vick has found a new home.

The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday, less than three months after being released from prison. He plans to make $1.6 million dollars, and has a $5.2 million option for a second season. He will back up Donovan McNabb, who led the Eagles to a berth in the NFC Championship Game last January. Many wondered if Vick would end up in the NFL this season. Now that question has been answered.

Vick broke into the league in 2001, playing in eight games for the Falcons. He was awarded the Falcons starting quarterback job in 2002, rushing for an impressive 777 yards and 8 touchdowns. Even though he might not have been the most talented passer in the league, his ability to run the ball made up for that. He led the Falcons to an upset playoff win over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau field during the 2003 season and from 2004-2006, the former Virginia Tech star ran for a total of 2,538 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was arguably the most talented player in the NFL. He had everything going for him, until he was busted for being involved in a dog fighting ring and sentenced to jail for 23 months. He has served his time and is ready for the NFL once again as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Some teams were probably afraid to sign Vick, because it might attract negative attention. However, this is a good signing by the Eagles. McNabb and Vick is a great 1-2 punch in a league where you can never have enough talent at the quarterback position. With the college-style Wildcat offense that has become more popular in the NFL, adding Vick might mean more trick plays for Andy Reid's squad. As long as Vick can get himself into shape, I can't see how this doesn't help the Eagles in some way. Yes, there might be many people who protest this deal based on what the man did, which no one can argue was inexcusable. However, fans of the Eagles should be happy about this signing if they are worried more about the product on the field. People will have their opinions on the addition of Vick, but for now, he has a second chance with the team from the City of Brotherly Love.

Speaking of love, how much of it will the fans of Philadelphia show for their new second-string quarterback? We will soon find out.

Shawn Marosek

TOE STUB = MORE FRUSTRATION

2009-08-11T22:29:00.004-04:00

It's not like us Bills fans can really take any more from the pre-pre football season. We shouldn't have to. We've lived through enough, I think.

So the news comes down from Dick himself that T.O. has sprained a toe. I got a text message this morning about how T.O. wasn't going to be at practice and he would give us the reason later on. I automatically thought that T.O. decided that maybe he wouldn't be a star on the Bills so he quit. But instead, he ends up getting hurt in the first game of the preseason. Lovely.

And sprained toes aren't really a big deal, I know. And it thankfully is the preseason. But after the lame performance from many starters on Sunday night's game, as well as a few second and third stringers, I can't take anymore disappointment. How about we just fast forward to the playoffs week and I can try to root for a semi-good team (i.e. not the Bills) only to see them fall to a team like the Cardinals.

Now it seems, the only thing I'm looking forward to during football season is the beer.

Jaclyn Kahn

MONEY IN THE BANK: ELI AGREES TO BIG CONTRACT EXTENSION

2009-08-06T15:52:00.018-04:00

The New York Giants and quarterback Eli Manning agreed to a six year-$97.5 million dollar extension Wednesday, making him the richest player in the NFL. Manning is guaranteed $35 million under the new deal.

I am very surprised, like many sports fans, that the Giants forked over this much money to their star quarterback. I know he won a Super Bowl two seasons ago after defeating the New England Patriots in a shocker, but it still does not seem right. He has led the Giants to the playoffs the last four seasons, and luckily for him, was able to get hot a couple of years ago.

As you can tell, I'm not a huge Eli fan. It all goes back to when he broke into the league and complained about how he didn't want to play for the San Diego Chargers. He came across to me as a spoiled brat who already lived in a rich family and wouldn't budge until he got what he wanted. Well, in the end, he did. He got to play for the Giants, he won a Super Bowl ring, and now he has the big contract. He now makes more money than his more talented brother, Peyton. I hope he is finally happy with his life.

In my opinion, I think Eli should pick up the check at the next family dinner. Peyton and big daddy Archie eat for free the next time they all get together.

Shawn Marosek

WATSON'S NEAR HISTORIC WIN TEASES THE SPORTS UNIVERSE

2009-07-20T12:41:00.013-04:00

During the sports year, there are not many events that I look forward to more than the four golf majors. They are especially exciting for me when Tiger Woods is in contention, because he is really was drove me to watch the majors. Tiger's pursuit of Jack Nicklaus's record 18 major championships has been an obsession of mine pretty much since Woods's first major championship victory at the 1997 Masters.

Coming into the weekend, I was hopeful that Woods would win major #15, but when he missed just the second major cut of his professional career, I had to find someone to else to root for. Well, that was simple. An incredible, unlikely story was brewing with Tom Watson draining two long putts on 16 and 18 to tie for the 36-hole lead at the Open Championship (British Open). Why was this exciting? Because the man is two months shy of his 60th birthday! He was supposed to use this event as a tune up for the Senior British Open next weekend! He wasn't supposed to be leading the Open! The last major championship he won was in 1983! I wasn't even born yet!

Despite developing a strong rooting interest in this story, I figured Watson would fall off the leaderboard either Saturday or Sunday because there was no way that a man 13 years older than the oldest major champion ever could ever hold on. Well, the holes unfolded, and Watson was still on or near the top of the leaderboard. If someone took the lead away from him, they quickly found a way to give it right back. It looked like Ross Fisher might win it, then he quadruple bogeyed the third hole. Then it looked like Lee Westwood would finally win a major, but he couldn't find the fairway late. Matthew Goggin was right there, but did anyone take him seriously? They were all fading around Watson! Could this be happening? Only Stewart Cink was able to post -2 with an incredible birdie at the 18th.

I still didn't believe Watson would actually get it done. I figured he would choke it up or someone else would make an incredible shot. However, once Westwood wasn't able to eagle the 17th, I did the math. The lightbulb went off in my brain saying, "TOM WATSON IS ACTUALLY GOING WIN THE BRITISH OPEN!". All he had to do was birdie the 17th (which he did all week) and par the 18th (which he did all week). He gets the birdie at 17 and takes a one shot lead to the final hole! He finds the fairway with his tee-shot on 18! All you have to do, Tom, is put the ball on the green and you'll become the oldest major winner by THIRTEEN YEARS!

I have to say I was watching this off of the DVR at around midnight. I purposely stayed away from any television screens all day to avoid finding out the result. I almost made a big mistake opening the Internet at the local Apple store. But at this moment, watching Watson about to strike his final approach shot, I thought, this was all the well worth it!

Then it all caved in. Watson's approach shot rolled through the green into the fringe. I still hoped he could get up and down and win the championship, but it was not going to be easy. Hopes for a two-putt for the championship were now gone. The third shot back to the green left him an 8-foot putt for the championship. Please make it, please make it, DAMN! Short! Put some muscle in it! Off to a four-hole playoff with Stewart Cink. I held out hope that he may somehow win the playoff, but there was no shot in hell. The old man was tired out and lost the playoff to Cink by six strokes. A great sports moment was so close, but yet so far.

I'm not really disappointed that the winner was Cink, but obviously more disappointed history didn't happen. In fact, except for Tiger, I actually would have cheered for Cink against just about anyone else. He has been very steady on the tour and a major championship victory was well overdue. It's well deserved and this win will stamp his career. However, his win robbed the sports world of a defining moment. Even if you are not a golf fan, the magnitude of this story would have been huge. It is not absurd to think that this moment would have ranked up there with the Miracle on Ice. Well, maybe not that epic, but certainly no worse than the second page of the greatest sports moments.

I will do my best to move on and get excited for next month's PGA Championship to see if Woods can win major #15, but it will be hard to shake what could have been at Turnberry. The world of sports was indeed robbed by just one lousy stroke of one of it's most remarkable stories ever.

Pat Morgan

ALWAYS BLAME THE ISLANDERS

2009-07-18T05:32:00.004-04:00

So being bored, yet wired, I began to surf the yahoo sports' pages online. There is no interesting football news, and no interesting baseball news. It's great that everyone loves Manny again, and it's a pain in the ass that Favre is a deuschbag, but I don't really feel like writing about those two topics.

So being the internet junkie that I am (and because I was bored), I clicked on the NHL link. This is a very desperate attempt to find any sports news that I might be interested in. Anyway, I came across an article called:

"Doctors blameless in death of Rangers draft pick"

And I immediately thought that this might be the doing of the Islanders. I mean, the Islanders and Rangers are bitter rivals... even when one is a good team and the other one plays worse than a state college team. So if you can't beat them, you can try to knock them down right?

Maybe I'm just super wired...

Jaclyn Kahn

TWITTER INFILTRATES THE NFL

2009-06-29T16:56:00.004-04:00

Yes, for those who have seen Conan's semi-funny clips mocking how ridiculous Twitter is, especially when used by celebrities actually applies to this article. Apparently more and more NFL players are posting texts at Twitter. Players like Chad Ochocinco, teams like the New York Jets are even using Twitter for things like announced who they drafted, and even Commissioner Roger Goodell has used this site for updates.

However, it seems as though there are too many problems that could occur by using this overused website. It was in the news that the St. Louis Cardinal's coach was being impersonated on Twitter (I know wrong sport). There are players that are worried that game plans will be the next edition to Twitter posts. Everyone is already poking fun at Ochocinco (besides the ridiculous name) at the crazy posts he's been leaving, which includes calling out Shawne Merriman.

The St. Louis Ram's running back, Steven Jackson, stated: “Sometimes people get really raw and talk like they’re having a one-on-one conversation. But this conversation is open ended. … To me, it’s more dangerous than having a press conference in the locker room. I will have someone [from the team] pull my coattails if I’m going too far with it, or they’ll end the interview. When you’re on Twitter, you can say whatever, whenever you want to say it.”

For more on this story, you can visit here

For some more funny video clips, here's Conan's Twitter Tracker:

MICHAEL JACKSON AT SUPER BOWL XXVII

2009-06-26T17:32:00.003-04:00

I'm hardly a Super Bowl halftime show fan, but this was the first one I remember. I actually remember singing along, as we were practicing the same song in elementary school chorus for our spring concert that year.

RIP

T.O. HAS FUN ON COMEDY CENTRAL

2009-06-25T16:17:00.003-04:00

Going along with more video clips that are entertaining, here is a clip from the new Comedy Central show, Tosh O.

It's good that T.O. can poke fun at himself, as well as Windows Vista, Joe Buck, ESPN Sportscenter, etc.

Enjoy!

Tosh.0

Thurs, 10pm / 9c

Terrell Owens Apologizes

www.comedycentral.com

Daniel Tosh

Miss Teen South Carolina

Demi Moore Picture

IF IT'S BROWN, FLUSH IT DOWN...

2009-06-24T12:59:00.002-04:00

Aside from calling Bellichick the best coach ever, this is pretty damn funny.

Makes fans of other teams, such as the Bills, feel a lot better.

So if you're a fan of any other team besides the Cleveland Browns, enjoy!

NFL JUSTICE

2009-06-18T17:21:00.006-04:00

So as you may already know, Donte Stallworth plead guilty to killing while intoxicated. Not only did he receive 30 days in jail for his crime, but also 10 days of probation afterwards. Recently, the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, suspended the Cleveland Browns' wide receiver indefinitely. Ironically, the NFL sentence is more harsh, and more deserving, than what Stallworth received from the law.

Only famous people can kill people and get away with it, or almost get away with it. I don't care if you turned yourself in, or you plead guilty. That's what you're SUPPOSED to do. What you aren't supposed to do is kill people. I don't care how rich or famous you are, you shouldn't have different standards. You kill someone, you go to jail. You cheat someone out of money, you go to jail... you get the drift. Not that I comb through cases like these everyday, but I don't think I've ever heard average Joes, or Joannas, getting only 30 days for killing someone while drinking and driving. I have seen cases where these people get 3 or 4 years, and still there are people who think that is not enough jail time. However, there is another measure where Stallworth will be under house arrest for 2 years. If he has a nice house, then that's complete crap. The only good thing is that taxpayer's won't have to pay for his whole jail stay.

It was also disclosed when Stallworth gave his guilty plea that an undisclosed amount of money was agreed upon between Stallworth and the Reyes family. I can understand that taking the NFL player up on a deal like this could be beneficial for the family. However, I cannot believe that the Reyes family wouldn't want Stallworth to get the justice he deserves instead of accepting a huge amount of money and almost forgetting about it. It's showing America that all you have to do is shove a whole bunch of money at a problem and it will basically go away... but then again when is that not the case?

So I think that Goodell made a good decision. If the courts of the United States will let someone basically walk just because they are famous, then the least that could be done is to end their celebrity-dom. Stallworth definitely deserves this sentence. You can't kill people and come back to work like nothing happened. That's giving everyone the wrong idea. Especially those who aren't famous and if they ever decided to kill someone, they will probably end up getting the death penalty and not get to go back to work, or whatever they do. Goodell wrote this in a letter to Stallworth: "The conduct reflected in your guilty plea resulted in the tragic loss of life and was inexcusable. While the criminal justice system has determined the legal consequences of this incident, it is my responsibility as NFL Commissioner to determine appropriate league discipline for your actions, which have caused irreparable harm to the victim and his family, your club, your fellow players and the NFL."

The only thing I find weird about this statement is, what if he plead not guilty? Would the NFL be behind him?

Jaclyn Kahn

THE ZEN MASTER'S PLACE IN HISTORY

2009-06-15T18:55:00.011-04:00

Last night, the Los Angeles Lakers captured the 15th NBA championship in their franchise history with a 99-86 victory over the Orlando Magic. It also marked the record 10th championship for Phil Jackson, as he has now moved ahead of Red Auerbach for the most championships by a coach in any of the four major North American sports.

The question that many are asking now is where does Jackson rank among the all-time coaches/managers in sports? No one can take away his ten championships, but skeptics have always gotten on him for having the best players in the NBA. Prior to this year, he won six championships with the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and three in Los Angeles with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. I don't disagree with those people that say Jackson basically won the lottery when he inherited the Bulls from Doug Collins when they were set to peak in 1989. He then caught a second big break when he took the Lakers' job right before they were set to win championships in 1999. I cannot argue that other coaches would have won with those rosters.

Let me ask these critics a stupid question though. What great coach won without great players? Auerbach won with an absolutely loaded Boston Celtics team. The Celtics had the likes of Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Sam and KC Jones, and John Havlicek. Don't forget that Auerbach was not even the coach when the Celtics won their last two titles in that era. Russell was the player-coach in their 1968 and 1969 title years. Pat Riley won four titles with Magic, Kareem, and James Worthy. He then won a fifth with Dwyane Wade and Shaq in Miami. Gregg Popovich has won four rings with Tim Duncan. John Kundla won five championships with George Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers back in the 1950s. I am not trying to diminish these coaches' accomplishments, but for some reason, Jackson has always gotten much more abuse than them when it comes to their championships.

If you are one of those people who feel Jackson has been lucky, then I point to championship #10. After the Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons in 2004, Jackson stepped down and the mighty Shaq was traded to Miami. The Lakers were reduced to a .500 team at best when Jackson returned to the bench a year later. However, Jackson slienced the critics and has done a remarkable job rebuilding the Lakers without the roster he is used to having. Sure, Kobe Byrant is an all-time great, but this Lakers team does not have the secondary player or depth to their roster that his Bulls or earlier Lakers teams had. They did rip off Memphis to get Pau Gasol, but he is a far cry from what Pippen was to Jordan or what Byrant was to O'Neal.

In my opinion, Phil Jackson is the greatest coach to ever grace the sidelines in NBA history. It is not only because he now has the record for championships, but he has won with really four different teams with many different egos. The first three-peat and second three-peat with Chicago were with two very different rosters. The Lakers' three-peat was a totally different team than the one Jackson has just won with now. Whether it was Jerry Reinsdorf and Jerry Krause giving the Bulls hell in the late 90s or Kobe and Shaq sparring off in this decade, Jackson's leadership held those teams together. A lot of credit has to be given to his mentor Tex Winter and his creation of the triangle-offense, but Jackson has been more than lucky, he has been the all-time greatest.

Pat Morgan

THE MILTON BRADLEY DISASTER

2009-06-13T13:38:00.018-04:00

When the Chicago Cubs were courting Milton Bradley this winter, every Cub fan on the planet had to be hoping against hope that this marriage would not happen. It was just inconceivable that the Cubs could be interested in the troubled Bradley. Especially when they could have had all-stars Bobby Abreu, Raul Ibanez, Adam Dunn or Pat Burrell at either less or the same cost as Bradley.

Unfortunately, our nightmare became an all-too-real reality when the Cubs inked Bradley to a three-year, $30 million deal on January 8th. To make matters worse, the Cubs then traded the scrappy Mark DeRosa to fit Bradley's contract into their budget. For a franchise counting every penny with new owners supposedly coming in (ugh, another story for another day), the move didn't make sense in any possible way.

For a player with so much potential, why is he on his sixth team in nine years? Well, it's been well documented that Bradley has been a more than a troubled soul ever since he stepped on a baseball field in 2000. Every umpire in baseball can't stand the whiner. However, that's just the tip of the iceberg. He was basically thrown off the Cleveland Indians in 2004 for throwing a hissy-fit at his manager. Then, with his next team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, he challenged a fan to a fight. With the San Diego Padres, he tore his ACL and was lost for the season when cursing off an umpire who called him out. Finally, during his so-called career year with the Texas Rangers, he furiously darted up to the press box to challenge a broadcaster who said he had a troubled past. That certainly proved the broadcaster's point!

So, why did management sign this clown then? The Cubs said they wanted to put Bradley's left-handed bat in a lineup that desperately needed some left-handed hitters. Well, Bradley had never played more than 126 games in a season, and that's counting pinch-hit appearances. And last I checked, those other free agents I mentioned, besides Burrell, bat left-handed. They then said they wanted to get his glove in the outfield. With his history of knee issues, what person in their right mind could think he could adequately patrol right field? The reason he has not had many errors over his career is two-fold. For one, his range is dreadful. Unless you get a glove on the ball these days, official scorers hardly ever give errors anymore, so a ball that drops in front of him, goes over his head, or he is unable to cut off, are not shown in the box score. The second reason is more obvious. He simply does not play enough games in the outfield. In his "career" year with the Texas Rangers last year, he only started 75 games in the outfield! That's less than half the season. That's a career year? Sad.

For the Cubs, it has taken all of two months to prove this signing has been an utter disaster. In May, Bradley bumped an umpire and was suspended two games. He then claimed there was a conspiracy growing against him. Yeah, great way to apologize to the umps. Oh and what a shock, Bradley has missed a great deal of time to various injuries, and when he is actually in the lineup, he is not performing. He is hitting a robust .225 with only five home runs and 16 RBI.

It can't get any worse, right? I thought so, but that was until the Cubs hosted the Minnesota Twins last night when Bradley apparently forgot a simple rule of the game. YOU NEED THREE OUTS TO END AN INNING! With one-out in the top of the eighth, Joe Mauer hit a lazy fly ball to Bradley. Instead of throwing home in hopes of cutting off a run, Bradley thought the inning was over and tossed the ball into the crowd. Are you that lazy that you can't remember how many outs there are in the inning? Then, he had the nerve to get on fans who booed him.

Here's Bradley's quote:

"That's life," Bradley said. "These people have high expectations. I have high expectations for myself. I never made a mistake like that (losing track of the outs) in my life. Sue me!"

Sue you? I am sorry, but the man has serious mental issues. The fans have every right to boo your sorry play. Where did the Cubs get off giving this moron $30 million? We are stuck with this buffoon for the next two and a half years. I am already ready to rank this signing as one of the worst MLB signings of all-time. I don't have an exact place for it yet, but it is definitely near the top. The Cubs should fire their general manager, Jim Hendry, and any front-office person who was for this move. Any person with a brain knew it would be a disaster! Just look at his resume! No wonder this franchise has not won a World Series in 101 years. How long till football season?

Pat Morgan

YANKS DROP TO 0-8 AGAINST THE RED SOX

2009-06-12T12:01:00.004-04:00

Though many Yankees and their fans believed that the Yankees would finally beat out the Red Sox, fate decided to make the game go a different way. Sabathia and his wet Yankees slipped up and lost their lead at Fenway park last night, making that eight straight games the Red Sox have beaten the Yankees.

Q: How bad are the Yankees against the Red Sox?
A: So bad that Ortiz can hit homers off them!

Sorry, I had to do that. Anyway, the Yankees are taking a lot of heat about this, which they should be. The Yankees have been playing well and can use their very expensive threats against other teams. However against the Sox, apparently the money just falls flat.

Now, there are a lot of people, including sports writers and anchors who believe that this is just a phenomenon that will go away eventually. Oh the poor Yankees. Many of them will make excuses, such as the first five loses against the Red Sox don't count because A-Rod (now known as Ster-Roid) was out due to recovering from his surgery. Okay, so even if I gave those five games to you saying that was a fluke, what about these past three games? I watched last night when the Red Sox came from behind and then closed out the soggy Yanks with a 1-2-3 top of the ninth with Papelbon. However, I will not allow people, at least those who I have contact with, tell me that the only reason the Yankees lost the first five games was because of A-Rod missing the action. If only one person can make a team win, then I'm putting all my money on the Bills winning the Super Bowl next year.

So the big news is about how the Red Sox haven't made the Yanks run for the hills since 1912, when they won more than 8 in a row against the Yankees (who weren't even called the Yankees back then). Let's hope that the Red Sox can continue their winning streak against the Yankees because there are multiple reasons why the would will become a better place if this happens. One: Red Sox fans will rejoice at beating down their rivals, Two: The Yankees will look ridiculous, not only for not being able to beat their rival, but for spending so much money on failure, and Three: sportswriters and sportscasters (*cough Cough* ESPN) will have to admit that the Yankees are not the best baseball team and actually do make errors, and yes, sometimes suck, at baseball.

See ya!

Jaclyn Kahn

FOOTBALL: POWERFUL OR PANSY?

2009-06-08T21:18:00.005-04:00

Apparently there really isn't much news going on in sports nowadays. Besides all the drama around Ortiz' vision and whether or not Brett Favre is secretly trying to make his fiftieth comeback, there really isn't anything worth mentioning.

Which is why I have decided to write a sort of opinion article.

A couple of minutes ago, while skimming through the information at my usual sports websites, I came across this quote:

"This is football in the National Football League. I hit a guy with my forearm in his throat or his chest area, and they're trying to fine me. It's football! [...] Football now is turning into a soft, pansy sport. This is not volleyball! This is not tennis! This is some of the biggest, fastest, strongest men in the world. I think it's absolutely ridiculous."

The person who uttered these words was Rodney Harrison, the recent retiree who will now join Bob Costas and others at his commentary table.

I can understand where Harrison is coming from, and not, all at the same time. With all of the semi-recent articles about all the new rules the NFL just acquired was kind of ridiculous (minus the hugging April fools joke rule). I understand that those in charge of the NFL want the players to ultimately be able to play without being carted off the field every other week due to an injury that might have been caused by the opposing team looking for blood. For example, the brave soul (my hero) that took Tom Brady out the first game of last year's season cannot do that again without penalizing his team with minus yardage.

I love football; it's my favorite sport. I don't like when players play dirty (unless they are on the team I'm rooting for and they are losing badly so why not take out a few players from the opposing team?). I also don't like when players from my favorite team get hurt (although they seem to be hurting themselves, not from contact from another player). So I can see why the NFL is becoming more strict. However, football is a contact sport. I like seeing great plays that include knocking the QB on his ass, or a defensive player knocking the crap out of an offensive player. These are the plays that make football, football.

So Harrison, I can feel your pain, even though you retired and now you don't have to worry about this. However, trying to closeline a player isn't necessarily part of football. Sure you see moves like that in The Longest Yard, but that's really where they should be put. So yes, football is and should continue to be a contact sport. However, unnecessary contact like forearms into throats might be just a tid bit over doing it. Just do the normal brutal plays and I think everything will be fine.

Along with the Harrison quote came this one, which I thought you might enjoy as I did:

"Did Rodney Harrison seriously just complain that he's not allowed to forearm a man in the throat? Why would a forearm to the throat ever be necessary on a football field? What does the NFL have to do before it's not a pansy sport, allow throat forearms and defensive backs to carry switchblades?"

Jaclyn Kahn

THIS WAS NBA PLAYOFF BASKETBALL

2009-05-30T10:33:00.003-04:00

IT'S FUN TO MAKE FUN OF BRETT FAVRE

2009-05-27T14:48:00.002-04:00

Not only is it all the rage for sports journalists and other writers to make fun of the indecisive former Packers and Jets QB, but other football players as well.

David Diehl, a lineman from the New York Giants, had his chance for poking fun at Favre by playing him in a comedy show in NY last week. Though I'm not a Giants fan, this video sure was enjoyable.

Cheers.

YANKS UNSURE OF HOW TO USE THEIR WANG

2009-05-20T20:34:00.005-04:00

That shouldn't be a surprise.

But the real story is about the pitcher, Chien-Ming Wang, and whether or not he will return to the team's rotation (get your mind out of the gutter!).

Unsure about Wang, the Yankees are even more unsure about pitcher Phil Hughes and what his future will be. "He could take a role in the bullpen or be returned to the minors to continue starting. The Yankees' pen has been shaky with a 5.37 ERA." Either way, I think the best thing the Yankees can do at this point is blow millions of dollars on a "good" pitcher, because spending money is what the Yankees do best. I mean, just take a peak at the new stadium, which is very nice, or at the players' salaries.

Oh well. Here's another story of how the Yankees just can't keep it up, excuse me, or keep up in the loooooong race in the AL East.

Jaclyn Kahn

T.O. LANDS IN BUFFALO

2009-05-19T16:29:00.003-04:00

I wouldn't usually post about this but I really like to piss people off. That and baseball is kinda slow and I just can't get into it when I can't watch the Sox on tv (or hear about them winning). Because football is my favorite sport, anything (positive) that focuses on my favorite $%#*-up team is big news, at least to me.

So Terrell Owens landed in Buffalo, began going to camp, and was awarded the key to the city by the Mayor. Although there are nay-sayers who think that T.O. will be a bust, I think that secretly these nay-sayers are excited to see what he can do. That or even excited to see what he can't do so that they can say "I told you so." Regardless, this is probably the biggest thing that has hit Buffalo since the all mighty early 90s clan that could only take them so far.

I am one Bills fan that is excited that T.O. will be playing for the Bills this season. Yes, it's only one year, and yes, he's had antics on every other team he's played on, but who cares? As long as he can run and catch and make touchdowns, and sometimes make ridiculous dances and make fun of Bill Belichick than I'm happy. And the upside is that T.O. is going to have his own reality tv show this season. So maybe all of this antics that are seen every year will be exhausted for his tv audiences and wont happen on the field (except when making fun of Bill Belichik).

No one actually knows what is going to happen this season until this season is underway. Hell, we don't even know what the outcome of the season is going to be until halfway through the season at least. I would love for T.O. to play spectacularly and make all the critics shut up. But even if T.O. plays exceptionally well, there's no telling how the rest of the team will perform, and it's definitely not fair to judge the ability of a team based on one wide receiver. So for now I leave you with some optimism, as well as this video clip.

Jaclyn Kahn

PENGUINS AND HURRICANES SET TO FACEOFF, MAROSEK MAKES BLOG'S 200TH POST

2009-05-18T11:10:00.017-04:00

The Pittsburgh Penguins are trying to make a return trip back to the Stanley Cup Finals. Standing in their way is a team that won a championship only a few years ago.

Sidney Crosby came close to capturing a title last season, but came up short against the Detroit Red Wings. This season, they got off to a horrible start and it didn't look like they were going anywhere, and that includes the playoffs. However, a strong second half propelled the Penguins into the postseason and now they find themselves one series win away from getting back to the finals. Again, they might be facing off against the men from Motown, who took down the Blackhawks 5-2 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

This season, the Penguins are missing a key member who helped them throughout the 20007-2008 campaign. Marian Hossa now bears a Red Wings uniform and despite being offered more money to go elsewhere, he decided his best chance to win a cup was in Detroit. The Penguins haven't missed his services over the past few months and facing their old teammate is certainly a possiblilty.

After defeating Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, Sid the Kid and the Penguins now take on a Carolina team that has been playing their best hockey as well late in the season. Acquiring Erik Cole from the Edmonton Oilers was a key move before the trading deadline. Cole, who spent his whole NHL career with Carolina before signing with Edmonton in the offseason, was able to reunite with Eric Stall, a tandem that played a big role in their 2005-2006 championship run.

Now, the boys from Raleigh hope to be the story once again. Defeating Crosby and the Pens would do just that. It's going to be a tight series, but Carolina might be a team of destiny. Their two late goals in the third period of Game 7 against the Devils was unbelievable and the momentum gained from that victory has carried them to this point. The games will be close, but the Hurricanes will take the series, four games to two.

Shawn Marosek

SERIOUSLY, DO WE NEED FOUR HOUR GAMES?

2009-05-15T15:04:00.001-04:00

In an interview before Game 6 between the Lakers and Rockets in Houston yesterday, NBA commissioner David Stern suggested that he would like to see coaches have the opportunity to challenge officials' late-game calls with an instant replay format similar to the NFL's. Obviously, there have been a few questionable calls/non-calls at the end of some of these games, but I have to say, I am totally against this possibility.

First of all, NBA playoff games are almost always painfully slow in the final minutes. With teams backloading their timeouts, there seems to be a timeout after every possession with under two minutes left. And if there isn't a timeout, there is almost always some sort of whistle. Even the epic Bulls/Celtics first round series had moments toward end of games that were unbearably slow. Adding this replay system would make the ending of games even slower.

This kind of replay system in the NBA doesn't seem as feasible as it is in the NFL. The NFL allows each coach two challenges that can be used throughout the entire game! I don't think challenges in the NBA would be spread out nearly as much as they are in the NFL. If you couple these challenges with the timeouts, fouls, etc., you could have a game that takes forever to end. People tune in just for the final minutes more so with basketball than any other sport. If the NBA makes it even slower, they might lose these viewers.

I also have to point out that challenges in the NFL are not used to contest an official's whistle. A coach cannot challenge an official's flag. If I read the ESPN article right, Stern would want coaches to have a chance to challenge fouls called or fouls missed by a referee. In my opinion, that would ruin any integrity the official has. Does MLB allow managers to challenge balls and strikes? Does the NHL allow coaches a chance to challenge penalties? If the NBA allows coaches to challenge the official's whistle, Pandora's box will be opened to all sports. That is not good at all!

I would also like to say that the NBA already has a replay system similar to what NFL coaches can challenge except for the fact NBA coaches don't have a say in the matter. NBA officials can consult the monitor to see if last-second shots beat the horn, two vs. threes, and whether a foul was a fragrant one or two. If the NBA wants to add out of bounds situations, shot clock issues, or simply who touched a ball last before it went out of bounds then that is fine with me. If you want to give coaches two challenges for these, then that's fine, but please, don't allow coaches the opportunity to challenge the official's whistle. The NBA doesn't need to under mind their officials, and they certainly don't need to make the ending of these games unbearably long!

Pat Morgan

PAULUS COMMITS TO SYRACUSE

2009-05-15T14:20:00.011-04:00

Former Duke guard Greg Paulus will be wearing a different uniform next season.

Next football season that is.

The former high school standout will be returning to his hometown as a member of the Syracuse University football team. He will be competing for the starting quarterback position and probably is the front runner to get the job.

As a high school senior at Christian Brothers Academy, Paulus threw for over 3,700 yards and a whopping 37 touchdowns. Overall, he totaled 11, 763 passing yards and 152 touchdowns during his career. He had the chance to choose football as he was offered many scholarships from differnt colleges, but chose Duke to embark on a college basketball career. Looking back on it , he might have made the wrong decision.

He was expected to be a great player at Duke, but it never panned out that way. During this past season, he found himself on the bench more than on the court. Now, it's a chance for Paulus to switch gears. He will have one year of eligibility if a waiver is signed by the NCAA.

Before even agreeing to come to Syracuse, Paulus spoke with Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez and visited Nebraska as well. He even worked out with the Green Bay Packers. He could have went there and put the pressure on Aaron Rodgers (Hahaha).

Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boheim said he will have use for Paulus. The future hall of famer admitted that he would like Paulus to join his staff once the football season is over.

"I have an interest in maybe being a coach somewhere down the road," Paulus said. "I'd do anything they'd want me to do, just to learn and to help out."

For now, Paulus is all about football and everyone in the Central New York area knows Syracuse's recent struggles. Maybe one of their own can lead them back to respectability.

Shawn Marosek

"BIG UNIT" CLOSING IN ON HISTORY

2009-05-12T16:30:00.014-04:00

Randy Johnson, one of the most feared left-handed pitchers in baseball history, is closing in on 300 wins for his major league career. The 20-year veteran notched win number 298 Monday night with an average performance against the Washington Nationals, giving up four earned runs in five plus innings. The "Big Unit" is trying to do something only 23 other men have done and he might be the last to accomplish the feat. Retirement must be near for the 45-year-old southpaw, but it appears he won't quit until he reaches the plateau.

Johnson is obviously one of the best left-handed pitchers to ever play the game. During the course of his career, he has struck fear into many opposing hitters with his grungy look and 6'10" frame. Not too many left-handed hitters would admit to wanting to face Johnson, who almost took John Kruk's head off in the All-Star Game. His career looked just about over three years years ago, when he was a member of the New York Yankees. Who knew he would still be pitching today?

He has pitched for six different ball clubs, inlcuding two stints with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has a career earned run average of 3.28 in an era that was all about offense, struck out more batters than any left hander in history (4,828) and has a World Series ring after being named Co-MVP of the 2001 World Series.

He is obviously one of the greats and is a first-ballot hall of famer even without 300 wins. Once he reaches the mark, it will solidify a wonderful career. Barring a major injury, he will accomplish the feat this season, one that should be his last. I can't see him pitching next year. Everyone knows what he wants, and he will get it soon. Despite his attitude at times, especially in New York, a pitcher like Randy Johnson is far and few between.

Shawn Marosek

IF YOU THOUGHT LEVI JOHNSTON'S FAMILY WAS BAD...

2009-05-05T16:49:00.004-04:00

That's right! There's another redneck family that is just as screwed up as the ex-boyfriend of Bristol Palin and her crazy clan. And this time it's a baseball family!!

The first offender begins with the "star" himself. Joba (Jabba the Hut) Chamberlain was in the news a little while back for getting a DUI and making New Yorkers look stupid, drunk, and rude. But now, his mother is in the news... and for the exact same reason as Levi Johnston's mother was a few months ago: Meth.

Joba's mommy, Jacqueline Standley, was arrested after allegedly trying to sell some meth to an undercover cop in Nebraska. Now that she is jail, maybe she should get in touch with Levi's mommy. At first thought, I could see why she was selling meth in Nebraska; there's absolutely nothing to do. Do they even get New York Yankee games televised there? You would think Joba would have the decency to shack his mom up in some apartment near the stadium, or in the vicinity of New York where there is some form of civilization. However, looking at both mothers' situations, "I live in the middle of nowhere and resorted to selling meth" contest. If I lived in Alaska, I might have helped Johnston out with that.

When asked about his mother, Chamberlain stated: “You’ve only got one mom, man, and you’ve got to be thankful for her,” he said. “I still love her.” Yeah, that's cool and all but why don't you show your thankfulness by helping her out so she doesn't have to resort to selling drugs. How much do you make? If it's any amount in the millions you are a horrible son, along with being a horrible pitcher for a horrible team.

Cheers.
(P.S. if you want to see where Chamberlain's good looks came from, I advise clicking on the link above)

Jaclyn Kahn

LONDON? ARE YOU SERIOUS?

2009-05-03T15:51:00.004-04:00

Would the NFL bring the biggest sporting event in all of American sports to London? Well, apparently the British are attempting to bring the Super Bowl to Wembley Stadium possibly as soon as 2014. The move would be worth over $500 million for the London economy.

NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, has denied reports from the BBC that say the NFL is in deep negotiations with London officials. I must say, I hope that Goodell is being truthful here. It would be a big mistake to have the Super Bowl anywhere other than the United States.

First of all, I wonder what time the game would be played. If the NFL wants to keep their standard 6:25ET kickoff, that means that the game would start at 11:25pm in London. How is that fair to either team in the game? The more likely scenario is that the game would be played at 3pm (8pm London) on either its usual Sunday or on President's Day. By 2014, the NFL will most likely be playing an 18-game schedule with the Super Bowl played President's Day Weekend. I don't like either scenario here. Keep the game in the US, so it can air in prime time. Why mess with something that gets a 40+ rating? Only the Academy Awards comes even remotely close to the rating the Super Bowl gets, and even that had a big drop off this year.

It's so much more than a time issue to me though. Our version of football is an American game! I could see the World Series, NBA Finals, or some other big event being played overseas before the Super Bowl. I'd still be against that, but at least those sports are shared by other countries around the world. You have to remember that the rest of the world has their own version of football. I don't think the European Premier League would ever consider holding their championship over in the USA. It doesn't make sense! Neither does having the Super Bowl over there. I don't have a problem with continuing them having one regular season game a year, but Super Bowl is a piece of Americana. It wouldn't make sense holding it anywhere other than right here in the USA.

Would the British really embrace the Super Bowl? It's just an attempt to help boost their struggling economy. If you add the Super Bowl to the 2012 Olympics, that could really help them. However, last I checked, our economy isn't in good shape either. So, why would we move one of the biggest money making events of the year to another country so people can spend their money there? The NFL is by far the most successful league in the country, so I understand why they want to be like other American leagues and try and be more global. However, they need to realize that they are not a worldwide sport! Again, it's fine by me if they want to keep fooling around and putting regular season games in other countries, but, please, keep the Super Bowl here!

Pat Morgan

THE SWINE FLU IS GOING TO KILL US ALL!

2009-05-03T14:59:00.005-04:00

Or so one NFL player believes.

Now there is such a hype about the Swine Flu, or N1H1 virus, in the regular news, but I never thought it would end up in the sports news. But so the overblown hysteria has reached the football world too.

You can the full story at the Shutdown Corner, but the gist is that Clinton Portis, a running back for the Washington Redskins, wants training camp to be postponed or canceled because he doesn't want to attract the swine flu. Portis was quoted to say: "With the swine flu going around, this [rain] water could have some swine flu in it, then all of us gonna be dead. You should cancel mini camp, especially in bad weather. Right now in Mexico, they canceled all sporting events. They need to do that in the U.S. ... This is a scary, dangerous situation."

I can understand why people may be upset about the swine flu, but is there an epidemic the size of the one in Mexico in Washington D.C.? I know that Biden upset a lot of people with his comments, but apparently it didn't only effect subway and plane passengers, but football players and other professional athletes. I would like everyone to understand that it is reasonable for things to be canceled in Mexico because they really have an epidemic going on there. Many more people are sick, and have died, in Mexico than anywhere else in the world, and that includes the United States. The constant media coverage is not helping. In fact, the media is causing hysteria among U.S. citizens, as well as citizens from all over the world. Americans freaked so badly at what Biden had mentioned, which was not out of line in anyway, that Biden and the White House had to retract his statements. And now the hysteria has hit the football field. I would think that these professional players would have enough sense to not show up to practice if they are feeling sick. And how many players have been diagnosed with the swine flu? Because I definitely haven't heard any big name, or small name, celebs or sports players getting anything. I think Portis, along with some other Americans, and news/media corporations should cool their heels with this one. Unless you live in Mexico and can't receive appropriate medical treatment, and you are under 20 years old, I think you're going to be okay.

P.S. the reason I put this picture up is because I did a google images search "pig in nfl" and this is what came back as the number 2 result... so I couldn't resist!

Jaclyn Kahn

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

2009-04-29T17:06:00.005-04:00

I know I am fueling the flames here but I would like to add to the number of blogs out there that cannot stand the thought of Favre having another comeback. Are we kidding right now? He "officially" retired at the end of last year when he finished off his mediocre year with the New York Jets. After his whole charade last year of retiring, not retiring, you would think Favre would not try the same act all over again. It gets old. So when the same rumor resurfaces this year, with the Vikings as the team Favre will go to, I just wish that the Bills were playing the Vikings this year so they could physically beat up the QB.

However, I don't know if Favre would really go to the Vikings. First of all, aren't the Vikings a huge rival of Green Bay? That shows how much he cared for his old franchise and fans, though I'm not sure they care much about him anymore anyway. And second, why would the Vikings want Favre in the first place? Didn't they hear or see how he completely lost it with the Jets? Don't they have a new rookie QB that led them a helluva lot farther last season then they had been for a few years?

Regardless of what happens, I would like to quote MJD from his Shutdown Corner: " I expect SportsCenter to lead with this story for the next 57 days."

Jaclyn Kahn

GOODBYE PRISON, HELLO ALBANY...?

2009-04-28T22:14:00.005-04:00

As many of you sports fans know, Michael Vick will soon be out of his Alcatraz down south.

The big buzz is all about whether or not the NFL will reinstate Vick so that he can come back to play some football. There are a lot of people arguing both sides of this not-so-exciting news. I don't exactly know where I stand on the subject, but I think that's because I don't really care. If Vick is allowed to play in the NFL then any convict would be allowed to play. However, look at how many football players are getting into trouble with the law. Burress. Lynch. Whitner. And that's just recently The list goes on and on. So if Vick is allowed to come back, it doesn't really change what has is currently going on.

To get back to Vick, apparently there is already a team that wants him as their quarterback. And that team is the Albany Firebirds. Although it isn't an NFL team, Vick would need to be reinstated to be able to make the $200 paycheck with a $50 bonus for every game won in area football. After a season he might be able to have enough money to buy a new dog. Though I find it kind of ironic that the first place Vick would go is to Albany, NY. He would fit right in, crime-wise.

Jaclyn Kahn

GOOD RIDDANCE

2009-04-17T19:36:00.004-04:00

And I mean it. The Buffalo Bills have officially struck a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles to trade left tackle Jason Peters.

Over the past couple of years, Peters has been causing problems for the Bills, not showing up to practice or games due to holding out for more money. No offense Peters, but you aren't that good to be paying millions of dollars for, even if there is a pay limit in the NFL. And now that the Bills have acquired T.O. (yes it came up, don't have a cow man) they already chose the man they are giving the big bucks up to. But I think it's more to do with the fact that Peters thinks he's better than he really is, and continues to hold out for more dough. I don't understand why he keeps getting chosen as a Pro Bowler. Just because he's one of the biggest guys in the NFL doesn't mean he's the best at what he does. How many times in one game do we Bill fans hear, "False Start. Number 71." Then the depressing amount of yard loss.

Philadelphia Eagles took Peters in return for their 28th pick in the NFL draft, as well as their fourth round draft pick. When this was just a rumor, it was said that the Bills would be seeking the first and third round draft picks. Though the Bills got one of the picks they were looking for, I guess they thought Peters was better than he actually is too. At least in trading terms. Maybe Peters will take over for Dawkins as the leader of the Eagles song, dancing and flapping around. Somehow, I have a feeling it just wouldn't look the same.

Jaclyn Kahn

NEW YORK JETS ARE ANTI-SEMITES?

2009-04-16T20:59:00.005-04:00

Nah, just having horrible scheduling issues that affects their Jewish fan base.

To keep this story short and sweet, unlike the Jets games themselves, the issue comes down to their first two home games. These two home games have been scheduled on the same days Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur begin. This really can effect Jewish ticket holders, who, if observe these holidays, would miss 25% of the home games. This is a lot considering how much one pays for tickets. Although apparently the Jets did try to make these two games be away games, however, so did the New York Giants. Oh the joys of sharing a stadium. So guess which team has away games those weeks? If only the Jets were the better of the two games, maybe they would be able to satisfy all of their fans.

So the Jets can't really be blamed for this schedule faux pas, but the team and the league should have looked a a calendar and realized this mistake before the schedules were announced, since New York has the greatest number of Jews in the entire country. And of course not all Jews are smart enough to avoid rooting for the Jets, but we all can't be perfect, can we?

To read the whole dilemma, click here.

Jaclyn Kahn

FAN BOOTED FOR WANTING TO TINKLE SUES

2009-04-16T10:58:00.005-04:00

Last August, Bradford Campeau-Laurion, was booted from Yankee Stadium for leaving his seat in hopes of using the bathroom during the 7th inning stretch singing of God Bless America. According to Laurion, he was met by a police officer who told him to return to his seat for the duration of the song. When he refused, he was promptly ejected from the building. I was unaware of this, but apparently, there was a policy that restricted movement in Yankee Stadium (I assume it is still in effect at the new building) during the song. Well, Laurion has taken it to the courts and is suing the New York Yankees for religious and political discrimination.

Now while I don't agree with different policies and things that have been going on in Washington this last decade (i.e. The Bush administration), I do thank God for allowing me to grow up in this country. Think of all the places we could have been born! So, I respect the gesture of rising, removing your cap, and honoring America for a couple minutes. I think on a personal level, it's probably the right thing to wait to move around till these patriotic songs are over. They are only a couple minutes long.

However, that's on a personal level, and there are no laws saying you have to acknowledge these songs. So, unless Laurion was drunk (as the Yankees claim) and cursed out the cop, I hope he wins his lawsuit against the team that thinks they are all high and mighty. I have a major problem with the Yankees taking the law into their own hands. There is no reason to eject a fan who gets up during God Bless America. It is your first amendment right to protest these songs if you'd like. I'm sure the cop was irrated by Laurion's response, but the cops are there to enforce the law, not to abuse their power on someone who doesn't have the same views.

Also, I think the Yankees are the only team that plays the song on a nightly basis, and most of the time they play a very impersonal recording from the 1930s. If you pay your hard earned money to get to a game (and it is really hard earned if you can afford Yankee games), you should be able to roam around whenever you feel. I'm surprised incidents like this haven't happened before to be honest. I'm sure 99% of people aren't even protesting the song. They just want to get up in between innings. So I ask, who do the Yankees think they are trying to keep 50,000 people locked into their seats during the song?

Pat Morgan

SHAWN HAS NO LOVE FOR BOMBAY'S DUCKS

2009-04-16T00:29:00.007-04:00

When asked about his Sharks impending playoff series with the Anaheim Ducks, Shawn not only said the Sharks would breeze right through them, but he bashed their movie brethren as well.

sakoswego86: this is so corny
sakoswego86: hahahah
sakoswego86: lets ditch the usa uniforms
sakoswego86: for anaheim duck uniforms

I for one don't mind if Shawn has no love for the actual Ducks, but going after the movie is just below the belt. It's personal now! Lets go Quackers!

Pat Morgan

MADDEN COVER TO BE SHARED?

2009-04-08T21:00:00.005-04:00

Normally, I could care less about something like this, unless a Buffalo Bills player was put on the cover of the new Madden NFL video game. Everyone believes that there's some curse that goes along with being on this cover, and I don't doubt it. Though, then again, it may just be a "curse" set on the public's mind because they now will pay more attention to that player. Anyway, I care because the article about it at MJD's Shutdown Corner is hysterical.

The two who are supposedly going to share the cover of the new Madden game are (drum roll please) Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu. According to this article at Yahoo! Sports, "It would mark the first time that the two have shared a cover since they appeared together on the October 2007 cover of 'We Wear Our Hair Like Pretty Girls Monthly.'" Furthermore, "And it would all play very nicely into the hot new feature in Madden this year, 'Let's Brush Each Other's Hair Mode.'"

But enough with the hair jokes. It's sad that there really isn't much going on in the football news that I chose this story to report on. But a lot of people talk about the Madden curse, so why not. I was thinking, maybe there should be a vote for who should be on the cover of Madden. I mean, why not vote for the most popular bad guy in football? It would be one non-violent way to hope that someone goes down to the Madden curse. Why, I'll even begin and nominate Tom Brady to be on the cover of this year's Madden. Gisele can be on it too, I'm sure they could give her some fashionable Patriot's outfit. Or should could be a cheerleader in the background. Either way, it would be nice to get Brady wiped out for another entire season. But getting back to the point, I'm sure there are a lot of fans who, when they find out about their star player being on the cover of Madden, A: freak out, and B: buy the game. It would be even funnier if NFL players were the only ones allowed to vote for the person who makes the cover. Then we'd really see who hates who. The Madden player of the year could actually be Madden's bitch... (i.e. picture... sorry Pat). Maybe Madden reveals the poster child for injury and shame. Or maybe the shame is for the people who spend all their time playing the game...

Jaclyn Kahn

NFL CLASS ACT: BRIAN DAWKINS

2009-04-06T11:49:00.005-04:00

Since I had lost my faith in the Buffalo Bills last season, I began to root for the Philadelphia Eagles, especially once they made it to the playoffs. Since I haven't really rooted for a team in the playoffs before, it was exciting until they got beat out by the Cards. There are many reasons why I chose to root for Philadelphia, such as McNabb, but I also liked Brian Dawkins. I liked how he played, and I liked how he revved up the crowed, dancing around enthusiastically to their theme/fight song.

Earlier in the year, Brian Dawkins was traded to the Denver Broncos. This caused a minor uproar within the Eagles community, and led to one part time worker being fired over what he said about the Eagles letting Dawkins go. I understand that if you work for a company or whatnot, that you probably shouldn't say anything bad about them, especially on Facebook where they can actually read it. However, it shows how much of a fan the man, Dan Leone, was to the team he worked for. I honestly was a little surprised to hear that the Eagles let Dawkins go, but at the same time, I can see how they might think he is getting old and might not be performing up to the standard they need to win any championship in the future.

Long story short, what does Dawkins do? As a Bronco now, he will actually be facing the Eagles in Philly. Because players receive 2 tickets for away games, Dawkins decided to give his tickets to Dan Leone. Obviously Dan cannot see the games anymore as part of his job since he was newly fired, and I think that Dawkins is a class act. He would be an even bigger class act if he could get that guy's job back, but he wasn't the one who publicly made statements about the team. Dawkins could have just forgotten about the guy who had his fifteen minutes of fame on Facebook that left him without a job. But he didn't. So cheers to Brian Dawkins, and I hope he has a good career at the Broncos (even though I'm not a fan).

Jaclyn Kahn

GERBIL'S 2009 MLB FEARLESS FORECAST

2009-04-02T22:50:00.004-04:00

After what felt like a 5 month Spring Training, the regular season is set to start on Sunday night when the Braves head to Philadelphia to take on the defending champion, Phillies. So, here are my 2009 MLB predictions (with over/unders)!

American League
East- Yankees (O 94.5), Red Sox* (U 94.5), Rays (U 87.5), Blue Jays (O 80.5), Orioles (U 73.5)
Central- White Sox (O 79.5), Twins (O 83.5), Indians (U 85.5), Royals (U 75.5), Tigers (U 82.5)
West- Angels (O 89.5), Athletics (O 81.5), Rangers (O 73.5), Mariners (U 72.5)

National League
East- Mets (O 88.5), Phillies* (U 87.5), Braves (O 83.5), Marlins (O 76.5), Nationals (U 71.5)
Central- Cubs (O 91.5), Cardinals (O 83.5), Brewers (O 80.5), Astros (O 74.5), Reds (U 80.5), Pirates (U 69.5)
West- Dodgers (O 82.5), Diamondbacks (U 86.5), Giants (U 80.5), Rockies (U 77.5), Padres (U 71.5)

ALDS
Yankees 3, White Sox 1
Red Sox 3, Angels 2

NLDS
Mets 3, Dodgers 1
Cubs 3, Phillies 2

ALCS
Red Sox 4, Yankees 2

NLCS
Cubs 4, Mets 3

World Series
Cubs 4, Red Sox 1 (IT'S OUR YEAR... HOPEFULLY)

AL Awards
Rookie- Matt Wieters, BAL
Manager- Mike Scioscia, LAA
Cy Young- Josh Beckett, BOS
MVP- Carlos Quentin, CWS

NL Awards
Rookie- Jason Motte, STL
Manager- Tony LaRussa, STL
Cy Young- Johan Santana, NYM
MVP- Carlos Beltran, NYM

Well, enjoy the season!

Pat Morgan

HUG OR RECEIVE PENALTY...?!

2009-04-01T16:20:00.006-04:00

You read that correctly. The NFL keeps making up rules for the upcoming 2009 football season, and I must say that these rules are getting a little bit ridiculous.

The latest rule, which you can read more about here, deals with violent acts on the field, and how they will now be dealt with on the field. I'm not talking about the "Brady (pansy)" rule, or intentional violence against a player just to cause injury. No, I'm talking about tackles and other allowable actions of the NFL. The most recent rule states that "all plays that end with a tackle or other form of physical contact must be followed by an immediate hug."

WHAT?

I'm sorry, I know that violence isn't a positive attribute in life, but isn't there a reason why football players wear so much equipment? Fans of football, similar to hockey, expect some sort of degree of pain and injury involved with the game. That's one of the reasons why people watch. Spectacular plays, which include tackles, are now going to have to end in hugging, or the failure to do so will "result in a 15-yard penalty."

How much time is it going to take to hug? Does one pat on the back count? I have a feeling hugging isn't going to be the answer to the violence seen in football. They might as well make a rule that players can't touch each other, or look at each other. This rule was decided upon after recent studies suggested that a reduction of violent anger occurs before or after hugging. You know what is going to happen out on the field now. After players tackle each other, they are going to "hug" which really means they are going to fly insults and insinuations at one another while pretending to be partaking in brotherly love.

There are a number of NFL players who are definitely not for this hugging rule to be inserted into their ball games. Even former NFL players thinks this idea is idiotic. When asked for his opinion, former NFL star linebacker Bill Romanowski said: ""Hm. Hugging guys after plays. You know, I'd really prefer to spit on them. I'd have to think about it. Oh, wait, you know what I'd do? I'd wrap my arms in razor wire and then hug the hell out of a guy's throat. That's what I'd do."

Exactly. After these players hug, if one goes down right after, the referees should be looking to see what the hell happened during that hug.

I can't help but chuckle when I read this: "If you think I'm hugging Terrell Owens, you're out of your damn mind," said approximately 800 NFL players.

Cheers NFL huggers!

Jaclyn Kahn

CALIPARI WOULD BE PERFECT FIT FOR UK

2009-03-31T14:00:00.010-04:00

Unless John Calipari has a last second change of heart and returns to the University of Memphis, he should be named the new coach of the men's basketball program at the University of Kentucky within hours. He would be paid $35 million over 8-years to attempt to fix a historic program that has been reduced to rubble in recent years.

First off, this is an absolute no-brainer for Kentucky. Calipari should have been given a chance to coach a big-time institution for years now. He is one of the best recruiters in all of college hoops. Look at the rosters he compiled at Memphis! If he can get the players he did at a non-big six conference program in Memphis, just imagine who he can bring in at Kentucky. He has always been a tremendous salesman for the programs he represents. Not only can he recruit, he is a master motivator. His players buy in and always play hard. There's no doubt he'll do big things at Kentucky.

Just as this is a no-brainer for Kentucky, it is also a no-brainer for Calipari. This is his chance to join the main stream and stand along side the likes of Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Jim Calhoun, Jim Boeheim, Tom Izzo, and even his clone, Rick Pitino, as the elite coaches in college basketball. Calipari has been forced to wait for the big job, because his candid, egoistic personality has always rubbed some people the wrong way.

I have always found Calipari to be tied at the hip with Pitino. Their careers are so similar it's scary. The one difference is that Pitino is the country-club version of Calipari. Pitino has won at big time institutions, while Calipari has won with the little guy. While Pitino was at Kentucky, Calipari was at UMass, and while Pitino was with the Celtics, Calipari was with the Nets. Pitino then trumped him again by taking the Louisville job a year after Calipari took the Memphis job. This is Calipari's chance to put his career on the same level as Pitino. He has an opportunity to equal or even better the job Pitino did at Kentucky. He will be hard pressed to do that, but I believe he can. In my opinion, Calipari is already among the top 10 coaches in college basketball.

This is the perfect time for a Kentucky/Calipari marriage. Kentucky is desperately seeking someone who can rebuild their program to prominence, and I believe Calipari, who is looking to make a big splash with a main stream program, will do just that. If this marriage happens, Calipari will bring a National Championship (or more) to Kentucky. MARK IT DOWN!

Pat Morgan

Note: How about this Pitino/Calipari comparsion. When, not if, Calipari goes to a Final Four with Kentucky, he will join Pitino as the only coaches to take three different programs to the Final Four.

UNDER 500 HOME RUNS DOESN'T CUT IT

2009-03-31T12:47:00.003-04:00

What happens when your record for hitting home runs in at 499?

You get cut, of course!

Gary Sheffield, a now former player of the Detroit Tigers, will have to find out which team he will be making his 500th home run for. According to the Yahoo! Sports article, Sheffield is close to "becoming the 25th player to reach the milestone."

So why would a team cut him if he is doing so well? One problem Sheffield had at Detroit involved being hurt all of the time. He might have reached this 500 home run record earlier if he didn't have so many run ins with injuries. However, even though Detroit cut him, any team in the MLB can sign him for the league minimum because the Tigers still have to pay out the rest of his $14 million salary.

So this 40 year old has a lot of decisions ahead of him. Unfortunately for Sheffield, it seems as though it will take a while to reach this 500 home run record. Maybe if he lies about his age, or goes back into his Yankee roots to do some steroids like some former teammates of his, then maybe he could get there faster than the natural track. Either way, it's going to be interesting to see who will be picking him up, and if Sheffield can actually achieve this record.

Jaclyn Kahn

LOSS IN SUPER BOWL TIED TO BAD HEALTH?

2009-03-30T16:13:00.006-04:00

Just a couple of minutes ago, as I scanned my main sports news outlet, I found an article that says there might be a health risk linked to fans watching their favorite NFL team losing the Super Bowl. If this is true, I would like to see statistics for health hazards of all Buffalo Bills fans from the years 1991-1994. Did Buffalo's population decrease substantially at the end of that fourth horrid year?

Anyway, the study actually suggests that fans who watch their team lose in the Super Bowl have a greater risk for dying. That's right. And I thought only the losing team at the Super Bowl choked. (Get it? Get it? Oh never mind). According to the article, this is what was researched:

"To come to this conclusion, a team from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, looked at death rates in Los Angeles County on the day of two Super Bowls that had decidedly different outcomes for the home team: 1980, when the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Los Angeles Rams in what has long been considered one of the most competitive match-ups in Super Bowl history; and 1984, when the Los Angeles Raiders handily beat the Washington Redskins."

Okay, so I think these scientists are total quacks! Hello! Buffalo Bills would be a perfect study. You have four years in a row of disappointment, heartbreak, and maybe even some heart attacks. Anyway, moving on, apparently during these Super Bowl upsets, "all-cause" deaths significantly increased. I can understand why there is a health risk with football fans, but it doesn't involve the Super Bowl in any way. When looking at a lot of football fans on TV, you know, the ones that don't wear shirts when its 20 below, or have comparable body weights to players like Sam Adams, Jason Peters, or Jonathan Ogden, but without the height factor. And look at the rituals based around watching football. Beer. Junk Food. Beer. Regular Food. Repeat. It's not a surprise that many football fans might already have poor health before the Super Bowl contenders are even decided.

So for all you football fans out there, watch your health right around the Super Bowl. If your team actually makes it to the game of games, prepare to call 911 in the event they lose. Keep the phone handy. Right by the beer, chips and onion dip. (P.S. if you are a Patriots fan, don't bother with the phone.) Cheers!

Jaclyn Kahn

KIMMEL SPOOFS MIGUEL TEJADA

2009-03-29T21:01:00.004-04:00

Since we have some expressed desire for a sports post related to Jimmy Kimmel, here it is.

Back in May, Jimmy Kimmel spoofed Miguel Tejada, who apparently lied about his age, saying he was 31 instead of 33. So in the video found below, Kimmel spoofs this with lying about his weight. Though I'm not the biggest fan of Kimmel, I do have to say that this makes me chuckle.

More information can be found at: http://machochip.com/2008/05/jimmy-kimmel-spoofs-miguel-tej.php

Watch Jimmy Kimmel's Weight Exposed and more funny videos on CollegeHumor

Jaclyn Kahn

TOP TEN (LETTERMAN STYLE) TAKE ON VOLUNTARY CAMP PRACTICE

2009-03-24T21:01:00.007-04:00

The newest big hoopla about T.O. is him not showing up to the voluntary practice camp the Buffalo Bills began yesterday. When I first heard the news, I was not really interested, I mean who would want to go to a voluntary training camp? I know he seems egotistical already, but I wouldn't go because I would be way too lazy. But that's why I don't play sports...

Anyway, I found this at www.buffalorumblings.com and thought it was pretty funny.
Enjoy:

"In true Letterman fashion, the Buffalo Rumblings community presents the TOP TEN REASONS T.O. IS A NO-SHOW!

#10. T.O. is currently recovering from an emergency tonsillectomy after a rogue popcorn hull lodged itself in his throat.

#9. T.O. still can't believe that he actually signed with the Bills. He decided not to show up in case he dreamed the whole thing.

#8. T.O. is currently finalizing plans to co-star with Jeff Garcia in a reality television show entitled 'Little T mocks a jobless former teammate'. (Garcia: "Hey, it pays.")

#7. T.O. is busy stealing all 'HARDY 81' jerseys from Buffalo-area merchandise stores and coloring out the name with a Sharpie he pulled out of his sock.

#6. T.O. and Randy Moss are recuperating thumb injuries after having a 'txt war' over which receiver is the 'real 81'.

#5. T.O. is making his way around the US auditioning blond celebrity girlfriends for Trent Edwards.

#4. T.O. is currently working out with nearly half of Buffalo's roster in his driveway. They can't imagine where the hell that Trent Edwards is, but boy, is that guy a bad teammate.

#3. T.O. was under the impression that the Bills practiced once per year in Toronto. Hearing news that Toronto now wants a second game, he stayed in Canada. Just in case.

#2. T.O. forgot to set the alarm in his hyperbaric chamber.

#1. T.O. thought voluntary workouts were voluntary."

Jaclyn Kahn

DON'T CHOKE ON YOUR TURKEY!!!

2009-03-23T20:22:00.005-04:00

This afternoon, the NFL released some key games on the schedule for the 2009 season. The opener on Thursday, September 10th, shapes up to be a great one with the Super Bowl champs hosting the team that had the best record in the NFL last season (Tennessee @ Pittsburgh). The first Monday night game should be fun as well with the T.O. led Bills going into New England. The other two opening weekend games are nothing to get excited about, but I want to take the NFL to task over the horrendous games they have scheduled for Thanksgiving.

I realize the Detroit Lions have been a Thanksgiving tradition for years, but don't you think them having an 0-16 record the previous year would be a good time to end it? My family stopped having my grandmother cook the turkey after she became to senile to remember how long the bird had been in the oven (nothing is worse than dry turkey). The Lions' opponent is the Green Bay Packers. How many f'in times do we need to see Green Bay @ Detroit on Thanksgiving? It's getting old! This will be the FOURTH time since 2001 that the Pack and Lions will have met on Turkey Day. I guess you could put anyone against the Lions and it would still stink. I would have to think that the Detroit players would endorse losing the Thanksgiving tradition. At least when you get embarrassed on a Sunday at 1pm, you aren't featured in a stand alone game that the entire nation can laugh/cry/vomit at.

The other matchup on Thanksgiving has the Oakland Raiders headed to Dallas. I would venture to say that these four teams had the lowest combined record the previous year for any Thanksgiving football Thursday. They were a combined 20-44 in 2008 for those who were curious. Only the Cowboys had a winning record, and even they were a major disappointment last year. If anyone lives near NYC or Denver, you will get a decent prime time game in the Giants @ Denver. If you don't, you'll need the NFL Network, and I'm sure more people still have rotary phones than the NFL Network.

So, here's my solution for getting rid of horrible games on Thanksgiving. How about giving the two teams from the previous Super Bowl home games? Then, put a big time team in there against them. Sure the game could end up being a clunker if those teams don't live up to what they did the year prior, but it's just got to be better then the LIONS! We all have stomach aches after over eating every Turkey Day, so why should we have to continue hurling that up watching the inept teams of the NFL?

Pat Morgan