As the dog days of Summer approach, I am happy to say NFL Training Camps are opening up all around the Country. I know it's smack down in the middle of baseball, but something about Football Season gets me more excited.
As an Eagle Fan, we are always use to being the Brides maid, but never the Bride, could this be the year we win the big one? I will give my predictions at a later time, but right now here are some observations:
I hate to start with Brett Favre, but it seems quite topical. I think he will stay retired. His massive ego won't let him "come back" with the Packers as a Back up. The Packers will not trade him to Detroit, Minnesota or Chicago. I see 4 places where he could help them this year: Kansas City (I personally thinks this makes the most sense, but I don't see KC doing it.) Baltimore, they paid a lot of money for Joe Flacco and they seem to like his progress. Washington, Daniel Snyder wants to win now, will do what it takes do to so, thankfully, as an Eagle fan he knows NOTHING about football. Tampa, BF claims he doesn't want to play there. Stay Tuned for as the Favre Saga continues.
Recent trades of Jason Taylor & Jeremy Shockey: Washington's Defense gets a bolster from Taylor and he made an average Miami Defense Good. Shockey seems excited to play in the Big Easy, but is he fully healed from his season ending injury?
The NFC East should be the Best division in the NFL, but the AFC Central is the most intriguing. Pittsburgh is always competitive; Cleveland is coming off their best season in YEARS; Baltimore rid them self of an average coach and replaced him with an unproven guy; Cincinnati has the Offense, but lacks the depth in Defense. This could be 4 teams within 1 game of each other in the standings.
Will Adrian Petersen have a Sophomore slump? Will Darren McFadden be this year's Peterson? How long can LT go playing at that level? Is Atlanta the 32nd best team in the NFL? Will Miami triple their win total from last season? Will Detroit ever make the play offs again? Will Arizona finally live up to the hype? Will Strahan's retirement hurt the Giants (or help it)? Speaking of the Giants, will they FINALLY lay off Eli Manning? Can The Patriots put it together and win another Super Bowl?
That's a lot to digest, so chew it up and will post my follow up on the NFL soon.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Brett Favre - Enough is Enough
I am sick and tired of this whole Brett Favre fiasco. For the last several years, at the end of the Super Bowl, it was time for will he or won't he retire. Like all great competitors, he always had that itch to play. After a few mediocre seasons, it looked like BF was going to finally hang up his cleats at the end of this past season, but something odd happened, Green Bay became good again.
Personally, I felt they became good despite have BF, a gunslinger behind the center, as their QB, but who am I to judge? GB was winning close games and BF was making less mistakes. The final month of the season, it was obvious, BF reverted back to what he became the past few seasons and watching the NFC Championship game, I knew he would not lead the Packers to the Super Bowl. Instead, BF's last pass was picked off and run the other way for the game winning touchdown.
BF announces his retirement a few months later in a tearful press conference, but still the talking heads felt he would be back. BF thought about coming back and GB officials were heading down to his home in Mississippi to make the formal announcement, but BF got cold feet and didn't want to come back.
So now, 2 weeks before training camp, after GB set their team up ABF, good ole BF wants to come back and wants to be a free agent. Claiming GB has only spoke half truths about the time line of his coming back.
Well, let me see if I can put this in prospective. BF retired, claims he was "forced" to retire by him employer for 16 years. However, this same employer stood by him and his decision making lack of ability for the last 3 years, putting the franchise's best interest on hold.
BF wants to be free to go "anywhere" he wants. Why would GB let him go to a divisional rival and take the chance he would lead the new team over GB.
I feel bad for GB GM, Ted Thompson, anything he does will bite him in the ass. Although, I would love to see BF standing on the sidelines with a head set, tutoring new QB Aaron Rodgers, that won't happen. Why should BF give back to the team that has stood by him and treated him like a better person than he is.
Thompson should let BF go and stand by Aaron Rodgers. If BF goes to a rival, so be it. If Rodgers leads the Packers to a divisional title and BF doesn't make the playoffs, it will expose BF for the farce he has become. Whatever the outcome is, Ted Thompson should have his resume ready to go.
Personally, I felt they became good despite have BF, a gunslinger behind the center, as their QB, but who am I to judge? GB was winning close games and BF was making less mistakes. The final month of the season, it was obvious, BF reverted back to what he became the past few seasons and watching the NFC Championship game, I knew he would not lead the Packers to the Super Bowl. Instead, BF's last pass was picked off and run the other way for the game winning touchdown.
BF announces his retirement a few months later in a tearful press conference, but still the talking heads felt he would be back. BF thought about coming back and GB officials were heading down to his home in Mississippi to make the formal announcement, but BF got cold feet and didn't want to come back.
So now, 2 weeks before training camp, after GB set their team up ABF, good ole BF wants to come back and wants to be a free agent. Claiming GB has only spoke half truths about the time line of his coming back.
Well, let me see if I can put this in prospective. BF retired, claims he was "forced" to retire by him employer for 16 years. However, this same employer stood by him and his decision making lack of ability for the last 3 years, putting the franchise's best interest on hold.
BF wants to be free to go "anywhere" he wants. Why would GB let him go to a divisional rival and take the chance he would lead the new team over GB.
I feel bad for GB GM, Ted Thompson, anything he does will bite him in the ass. Although, I would love to see BF standing on the sidelines with a head set, tutoring new QB Aaron Rodgers, that won't happen. Why should BF give back to the team that has stood by him and treated him like a better person than he is.
Thompson should let BF go and stand by Aaron Rodgers. If BF goes to a rival, so be it. If Rodgers leads the Packers to a divisional title and BF doesn't make the playoffs, it will expose BF for the farce he has become. Whatever the outcome is, Ted Thompson should have his resume ready to go.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Here's an idea
This past weekend, I watched one of the greatest sporting events ever, Roger Federer / Rafael Nadal Wimbledon Final. Nadal won this 5 set classic in a true test of fortitude and gumption. One of the things I have really liked about Tennis is their System of Challenges/Instant Replay. If you are not familiar with it, each player gets three challenges per set and the pin-point accuracy determines if a play was in or out.
This got me thinking on how to improve baseball. Over the July 4th weekend, I watched parts of 4 baseball games and Each game the umpires made an inaccurate call, one of the calls actually changed the total complexion of the game.
So here's my idea, lose the umpires. If the television cameras can make a call on one or two angles and it is the correct call, why put pig-headed, egomaniac, bigger than the game umpires out there.
First off, I was taught the strike zone when I was playing little league when I was 7, however day in and day out, the strike zone changes. With the cameras showing the game, I can call balls and strikes in the comfort of my own living room.
Second, a catch is a catch, a trap is a trap, if the human eye can't make the right call first, the cameras show it in 5 seconds.
Third, players and coaches argue calls with the umps, they take a lot of time out of the game, but the umps provoke the arguing by not calling the even and fair. The amount of time it takes coaches and players to argue a call, the replays have shown the accurate call.
Why do you think baseball games aren't shown on the big screens at the stadiums?
If Major League Baseball wants to win fans back, it's simple, be the first league that gets rid of those umpires and their inflated egos and let technology take over
This got me thinking on how to improve baseball. Over the July 4th weekend, I watched parts of 4 baseball games and Each game the umpires made an inaccurate call, one of the calls actually changed the total complexion of the game.
So here's my idea, lose the umpires. If the television cameras can make a call on one or two angles and it is the correct call, why put pig-headed, egomaniac, bigger than the game umpires out there.
First off, I was taught the strike zone when I was playing little league when I was 7, however day in and day out, the strike zone changes. With the cameras showing the game, I can call balls and strikes in the comfort of my own living room.
Second, a catch is a catch, a trap is a trap, if the human eye can't make the right call first, the cameras show it in 5 seconds.
Third, players and coaches argue calls with the umps, they take a lot of time out of the game, but the umps provoke the arguing by not calling the even and fair. The amount of time it takes coaches and players to argue a call, the replays have shown the accurate call.
Why do you think baseball games aren't shown on the big screens at the stadiums?
If Major League Baseball wants to win fans back, it's simple, be the first league that gets rid of those umpires and their inflated egos and let technology take over
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