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Showing posts with label NFL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL. Show all posts
Some NFL Observations On This Crazy Week
or funny with some of the results in the NFL thus far,
but it won't be far from the truth.
The Philadelphia Eagles loss to the Arizona Cardinals
on Sunday have turned the "Dream Team" into "Nightmare"
on Broad St.", Wow, I just can't see a recovery here.
The defending AFC West Champ KC Chiefs are 4-5, but
have been outscored by 87 points, which incidentally
is equal to the margin they were outscored in there
first two games of the season.
Tim Tebow has won three times as many games as Kyle
Orton has this year and on Sunday he threw EIGHT
passes and won. Unreal
The Baltimore Ravens have now lost two road games to
two teams that at the time were a one win team
(Jaguars), and a two win team(Seahawks), but yet
they have already swept the Steelers for 20111
How can you have any confidence in this team?
Are the 5-4 Falcons still going to the Super Bowl?
The Packers looked bad early last year as well, so
I guess it's still possible, but I'm not impressed.
As a starter for the Cardinals Fordham grad John
Skelton has twice as many wins as the guy they gave
up the high draft picks for Kevin Kolb, every analyst
anointed savior.
After a 5-0 start the Detroit Lions are 1-3
The Redskins are back!, to being the bad team we always
knew they always were. How badly are Mike and Kyle
Shanahan ripping off both Snyder and Redskins fans?
The 8-1 49er's can pretty much cruise into the playoffs
if they keep playing like this. The only notable
matches they have left are the Thursday night matchup
on Thanksgiving of the brothers Harbaugh at Baltimore,
and at least the Family will be together, but I would
love to be a fly at that table for the post game
conversation, and a home game against the Steelers on
12/19 in a game that should still matter to the Steelers.
They have already surpassed the win mark of last years
defending NFC Worst Champ Seahawks (7-9)
Back to back wins by the formerly winless Dolphins, and
I think it's safe to say that the Colts are very close
to being "on the clock"
Does anyone in the AFC scare you or make you believe that
they can beat the Green Bay Packers? Yeah, me neither.
Did I miss something? Let me know.
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Ranting With Rizzo Replay 11-9-11
now uploaded and ready for download. Listen
in, check it out, voice your opinion.
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Was Mike Tomlin Seperated At Birth
It crossed my mind while watching Sunday Night
Football on NBC tonight and thought that this
was one of the better comparisons I had seen.
Usually I find this stuff dumb, you decide for
yourself.
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NBA Lockout Nears THE END
No matter how you received or read this headline,
the one thing that is for sure is, that no matter
what, it's true. The lockout is near the end,
because they have reached an agreement, or it's
near the end because they are about to piss away
huge portion of the season as we know it.
Last week was supposed to be the NBA season opener,
and last night we should have had the "Dream Team"
Miami Heat against the new look, championship
aspiring, defense playing, New York Knicks in a
newly remodeled Madison Square Garden, but that
wasn't to be. I am by no means an NBA expert, or
aficionado, but I am however a fan, and must admit
that I probably would have lost much more sleep
had the NFL dispute gone this far than I am with
this. I think that the owners, and players both
need to realize that this is much more the norm
than the exception in this country, and it is
probably in the best interest of both parties to
get this resolved. I understand that most owners
have lost money, but the players have already given
back quite a bit. I realize that the players
didn't start this, but there must be some other
angle they can take to help the owners feel like
they may have won here. GET IT DONE, this is
ridiculous. It's becoming less and less sports
relevant everyday, do you really want to become
that obscure in the American sports scene?
The latest news has them bickering over as little
from 1/2 to 1%, and maybe that's a big number in
dollars, but keep this up and you won't ever make
it at the box office, not from me, and not from
quite a few ticked off individuals.
Michael Jordan is/was coaching the the American
golf team, you have players playing in China,
Turkey, Israel, and who knows where else, and
owners getting fined 500,000 for disagreeing
with how this is playing out. Talk about doing
a great job of tarnishing your image. Sheesh
I think I can speak for many of you when I say
that we are all getting to the point where we are
getting tired of hearing "it's just business"
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NFC West Or The NFL's Worst?
Though it true the NFC Worst, uh West no longer has
a winless team in its ranks, this far excuses it
from stinking up the joint. Remove a rejuvinated
49er team ,and the combined winning percentage of
the remaining three is .190. If you combined the
number of wins of Seattle, Arizona, and St. Louis
they would still have TWO less wins than the six
San Francisco currently holds. I picked the Rams
to win this division, so I didn't see this coming,
so it's a good thing they got a fresh, shiny, brand
new Championship in that city to take their minds
off the misery that was supposed to be the Rams
breakout year. For all the talk that is/was Kevin
Kolb, and mind you I never believed it, what is
this 1-6 record they are sporting? Seattle I
thought brought the NFL and pro football to a new
low last season when they won the division with
a sub .500 record at 7-9, but there is no shot
that there will be a repeat of that this year.
I just don't get how parity is the constant theme
in the NFL and these three can't seem to be at
least mediocre. I thing I can tell you for sure
though: there could be at least one more victory
in that division this week, the Rams face the
Cardinals. They could of course always end in a
tie, so no guarantees.
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Who Could "Suck For Luck" And Go Winless?
For the purpose of this article, and the fact
that this is only the end of week seven of the
2011 NFL season, I will answer that question,
but, only including the Colts and Dolphins as
real suitors to get the number one overall pick
in the 2012 NFL Draft. Keep in mind that this
could all be for nothing, in that Andrew Luck,
the "Luck" in the "Suck for Luck" campaign, is
a Junior at Stanford and could, won't, but could
go back to school for another year if he chooses
to do so. Also keep in mind that the Vikings and
Rams knocked themselves back by winning today,
but they should have won weeks ago, so that was
no surprise.
I peeked ahead and looked and the remaining nine
games for both teams, and no they do not play
each other. Keep in mind that going 0-16 is just
about as tough as going 16-0, only one team has
done it on either side, the 0-16 Detroit Lions,
and the 16-0 New England Patriots. Detroit has
Matthew Stafford to show for it, and the Patriots
nothing, so it may very well be true that going
0-16 is more profitable. Keeping that in mind,
I believe that both the Colts and the Dolphins
are better than that winless Lions team, and are
more likely of winning at least one game.
Winning a game won't knock you out of contention
to draft Luck, but it will hurt your chances,
because bottom is bottom, and the only thing that
could be worse than 0-16 and not getting a chance
to draft Luck, especially in this new rookie cap
friendly era that is the NFL, but tying for it,
and losing the tiebreaker for worst, Ouch !
The Dolphins best chance at winning a game will
be one of their next three matches. The Chiefs
will be fly to Miami, coming off a short week after
playing on Monday night, and are not really that
good, they just aren't. Washington is really a
shell of the team that was 3-1, but is now 3-4,
and believe it or not were doing better with "Sexy"
Rex Grossman at QB, double Ouch! Finally comes
Buffalo, a good team, and best of the three, but
division games are always tough, and in Miami
anything can happen, after that their schedule is
too tough, but could win their last game at home
vs the Jets if NY doesn't need the game, but they
will, oh yeah, they will.
Next up is Indy, and the Colts are in a spot where
they could actually have Peyton Manning back for a
game or two, I doubt it, but they could. Problem is
that unlike Miami who has played hard, and lost close
ones, as well as "only" being outscored by 59 points,
or 8.375 points per game, the Colts have looked
miserable at times and have been outscored by 131
points, or 18.73 points per game, WOW. To me, the
Colts only shot at winning a game barring the return
of Manning is going to be in two weeks, when they are
home to the Jaguars, and honestly I had to use my
imagination for that one after seeing the type of
effort the Jags are putting forth these days.
They could get lucky, no pun intended, in week 16
against Houston if the Texans don't need the game,
but I doubt that too, Houston won't put it away that
early. No other match up they have leads me to
believe that they could secure a victory, let alone
two, not without Manning, and not unless he is so well
rested that he wants to pull a little Arena Football
double duty and play defense as well.
I'm sure we will revisit the Andrew Luck sweepstakes
once again, the further we get to the finish line,
but right now Miami and Indy are your top ranked
contenders so they are the teams to beat so to speak.
And by the way, I wrote a few weeks ago that the Colts
should trade away the pick if they get it and get a
shiny brand new toy for Peyton if it's determined that
he will be able to play and be healthy once again.
Just Sayin'
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NFL Stone Cold Locks 2011 Week 8
The record is 18-3, but to me that is soiled by
the fact that last week I went 2-1, and that's
not much of a LOCK. In the only game I lost I
said "Ravens can only defeat themselves in this
one", and I was wrong because the Jaguars actually
did what they had to do, and beat the Ravens.
Nice job by Jack Del Rio and his staff.
This weeks picks look to take me back to a much
more positive result, let's see:
1. Baltimore - They can't lose two straight, can they?
2. San Francisco - Cleveland looks bad, real bad.
3. Tennessee - I have no other choice, hope I'm right.
Thank You Al Davis ! Tweet
Terrel Owens NFL Workout For No One
I guess with all that Terrel Owens did to alienate
people, you could still say that he was popular at
one point, and that was when he worked his butt off
to after a brutal leg injury while with the Eagles,
and then managed to have a significant Super Bowl
performance against a defense and coach that knew
how to stop people like Owens. Owens worked his
tail off and came back ahead of schedule, and even
though you could say that he probably had pissed
off the 49ers enough to get rid of him and the
Ravens for refusing a trade Baltimore, at the very
least he still had some fans, but that's probably
when it started to snowball in a very bad way down
hill. His services were in demand alright, but his
primadonna attitude was wearing people out one city
at a time.
What athletes like T.O. don't realize, is that when
your skills start to diminish, and age sets in, then
you get a day like today, where you work out to show
teams what you got, and no one shows up because no
one really cares. In a way this saddens me, and not
because I'm a fan of Owens or anything , but because
of all rumors in recent years of T.O. and his supposed
suicide attempts, and I just hope they are just that,
rumors. Randy Moss is starting to see the same thing,
yeah he might say he retired, but no one was knocking
his door down either. He cried like a little school
girl when Belichick and the Patriots broke up with
him, and was subsequently passed around the league
for scrap until they realized he was used up as well.
Players like this will never ever cease to exist, but
they can avoid all this by realizing that they are a
perishable commodity, and when their time is up, their
time is up. They will be used, and passed around like
a rag doll, and though they think they have the upper
hand because they're getting PAID, at the end of the
day they will rot just like those raspberries you
bought last week and forgot in the back of the fridge.
Coaches can coach well onto their 60's, GM's can work
into their 70's, and Owners have no expiration date,
but no mater how good a CBA your union negotiates for
you, they can't save you from yourself, and you will
technically expire before you hit 40, and you will be
called OLD, when most people still have to go their
day job for another 20+ years. Yesterday T.O. found
out just the beginning of how cruel time combined
with a lousy attitude can be.
Thank You Al Davis ! Tweet
Does This Schottenheimer Championship Bode Well For Brian And The Jets?
Since I am probably the first person to bring the
Schottenheimer curse to your attention, I think
it's only fair that I mention that it may have
ended on Friday. If you consider winning a UFL
(United Football League) Championship a legit
Championship that is. Marty is the first member
of the Schottenheimer family to be part of a
Championship of "any" kind. This list includes
brother Kurt, special teams coordinator for the
UFL Champion Virginia Destroyers, and son Brian,
Offensive Coordinator of the NY Jets.
I guess you could say it was a two for one since
they were both on the staff of the Destroyers,
but was this really a Championship? The League
started with 5 teams but only wound up playing
four when the Hartford Colonials had money issues
and had to suspend operations prior to the season
starting. The season had to start late due to
money issues, and end early for the same reason.
The played 4 games out of a 6 game schedule,
that's right a SIX game schedule, and the game
was played at Virginia, not a neutral site.
So I guess a Trophy is a trophy, but if they
have to chip in a few dollars a piece to buy
one, then they may have to put there foot down.
Congrats Marty, you are truly worthy of this
Championship, it's got Schottenheimer clan
written all over it.
Thank You Al Davis ! Tweet
NFL Stone Cold Locks Week 6
get tougher as the year progresses, good thing this
week looks like I won't have a hard time spotting them.
1. Dallas - Cowboys desperate, and Rams are looking at 2012
2. Saints - Sean Peyton can coach from Mars in this one
3. Ravens - Ravens can only defeat themselves in this one.
Thank You Al Davis ! Tweet
Ryan Leaf & Jerome Harrison: What's Wrong Here?
enough to find out by accident that he has a brain tumor.
Ryan Leaf happens to share this very same fate right now,
and whether or not you think he was an awful waste of
talent or just simply a douche bag, that doesn't matter.
What matters is that we should all hope he makes it ok.
I was one of those idiots that thought he should have
been picked ahead of Peyton Manning, Doh!, and as dumb
as that seems today, I still believe that had Ryan Leaf
applied himself, I wouldn't look like such a huge dummy
today, wrong maybe, but not like huge dummy. It isn't
always just about football, and I'm happy to be wrong
about his life on the field so long as I don't have to
write about this 35 year old guy who lost an even bigger
battle, one to brain cancer. Let's hope both he and
Jerome he make it, I know I do.
Thank You Al Davis ! Tweet
Jerome Harrison And His Dream Team Miracle
from the 5-1 Lions, to the underachieving "Dream Team" Eagles
for Jahvid Best last Tuesday, but I guarantee you that he is
one big time Eagles fan today. The trade was voided, but that
is not why he's a fan, and he's probably more of a fan of their
medical staff than any player on that team bar none.
Maybe you know this, and maybe you don't, but the trade was
voided after Harrison failed his physical and that may have
saved his life. Had Harrison not been traded it's hard tow
say when his next full physical would have been, and chances
are he had just had one prior to the start of the season, but
since then much had apparently changed, because the Eagles
doctors found something very wrong, Harrison had a brain tumor.
You may have know before you read this that the trade was
voided because he failed his physical, but if you didn't know
why then you missed the best part of the story, and I for one
am glad they caught this and increased Jerome's chances at
beating this. Way to go Eagles, way to go Jerome!
Thank You Al Davis ! Tweet
Ranting With Rizzo Replay 10-19-11
Last weeks show is up and ready for your listening
pleasure, make sure to write in and voice your
opinions at rizzo@wdisam.com Thanks!
Thank You Al Davis ! Tweet
NFL Coaching Hot Seat, The Early Odds
1. Tony Sparano - this ones easy, ownership is/was
in love with Jim Harbaugh and now that they see what
he's out west, Owner Stephen Ross has to be seething
at missing out. Sparano wasn't given a real shot for
2011 anyway. He is far and away the first coach to go.
2. Jack Del Rio - not far behind Sparano, but he actually
has a shot a surviving, I just don't think it will happen.
Del Rio gambled and got rid of Garrard just before the
start of the season and hoped that it might work for
him like the last time he did the same thing and got rid
of Byron Leftwich in favor of Garrard. Problem is owner
Wayne Weaver had a win now ultimatum prior to the start
of the season, and even though cutting loose Garrard
saved him $3 million, attendance is so bad that it may
not matter.
3. Todd Haley - Was my early season favorite after
getting out scored 98-10 to start 2011, but has since
salvaged a couple of wins. He's way too cocky for someone
who has accomplished absolutely nothing. I thought he
would be gone by week eight, but here he is.
4. Jim Caldwell - I actually think he's moved into a tie
for third with Haley. Yes, it's true, no Peyton Manning,
but in all fairness, if you can't win games, you aren't
that good of a coach. Owner Jim Irsay may save him,
but he should probably go.
5. Leslie Frazier - Blame Donovan McNabb all you want,
he's still the head coach, and he may prove to be one
of those guys whos best days are as a coordinator, and
nothing more. He probably gets another, but how he
finishes will be the key.
Honorable mention:
Steve Spagnuolo - 0-5, third year, I think they were
expecting more this year
Ken Whizenhunt - Kevin Kolb, veteran team, 1-4, bad job
Lovie Smith - If they don't make the playoffs it might
just be time for a change
Tom Coughlin - 4-2 yes, but how will they finish?
Rex Ryan - Team starting to look BAD again, can that
mouth cash his check? Schottenheimer more likely to
be the sacrificial lamb here.
Thank You Al Davis ! Tweet
NFL Is For Sissies?, Yeah, Maybe Not
So Jason Campbell breaks his collarbone and is
out for the season. Raiders are kinda screwed.
Jim Harbaugh nearly knocks over Jim Schwartz on
his way to shake his hand and Schwartz nearly
knocks his block off chasing him down to get an
apology and explanation. I like Harbaugh, but
he needs to ratchet it down half a notch.
Sean Payton tears his MCL and fractures his knee,
and then coaches from a bench on the sideline.
So painful he could barely leave the stadium.
Wow, it's not like he needs to worry about job
security with the Saints, hey find a hospital
or something, huh.
Bucs DB coach Jimmy Lake tore patellar tendon
in the same game as Payton celebrating INT.
These damn celebrations are getting out of
hand.
Did I miss anyone? Concussions?
On a much sadder note, I wish to extend my
condolences to Dan Weldon's family, R.I.P.
Thank You Al Davis ! Tweet
NFL Stone Cold Locks 2011 Week 5
Last week in an emotional moment I laid all my
eggs in one basket and used all three of my
picks on the Oakland Raiders, and though this
is not the norm, nor something I ever expect
to do again, it is something I will give myself
a pass on just this once. The record stands at
13-2, and looking continue last weeks momentum,
so here goes:
1. Pittsburgh (Del Rio on his last legs)
2. Philadelphia (Scene of Vick's post jail resurgence)
3. Cincinnati (I'm reaching here)
October 1990 prior to a Sunday Night Game vs Bills
Thank You Al Davis ! Tweet
Tebow, Hillis, & James: The 3 Must C Rears
So Tim Tebow is the starter in Denver now,
hmmmm. Ever think that it's going to take
more than some good quarterback play to get
the Broncos back to winning again? I guess
my next question winds up being, what will
the fans in the Mile High city say if they
still get the same results? Just asking.
So Peyton Hillis asked for a second opinion
on whether he should play or sit? I know he
was born and went to school in Arkansas, and
there are plenty of jokes to be made there,
but I'm sure they had doctors there by the
time he got all grown up and all, did he
think to ask one of them? This is why guys
like him get payed to play and not think,
especially with all the head trauma they
end up with by the end of their careers.
I'm not sure I can give LeBron too much grief
for this, but can we get off this thing about
LeBron' tweet or mention of, that he could be
a wide receiver in the NFL during the lockout?
Really?, Was it a slow news day or something?
Thank You Al Davis ! Tweet
Stone Cold Locks Week 5
Last week I was 2-1 and I'm 10-2 on the season,
certainly not a showing a "Commitment to Excellence"
so far, so this week I will give honor to a man who
did nothing but dedicate himself to EXCELLENCE.
1. Oakland (Just Win)
2. Raiders (Pride & Poise)
3. Oakland Raiders (Commitment to Excellence)
Thank You Al Davis !
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