We here at Doin-Work would like to spread the word of the gospel. No, this isn’t religious website; we didn’t sell out and join a Christian blog network overnight. The greater gospel that we speak of is sports, and divine right to hate the notorious d-bags who play the GAMES we love. With that in mind we would like to post Brett Favre’s serious p**sy chop block last night in the Vikings PRESEASON game against the Texans. You’ve probably already seen this by now, but this post is intended to make sure the gospel of Brett Favre’s “douchieness” is spread far and wide.
Tag Archives: football
Finally, Rice Speaks Out
Back in the first week of August, I wrote my piece about the Michael Crabtree holdout. I honestly didn’t expect it to still be going on nearly a month later. I spoke of the comparison between Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, and now Michael Crabtree. I ultimately concluded that Crabtree isn’t worthy of lining up on the same hash mark as Rice. I couldn’t help but wonder, WWJS? Today, the greatest wide receiver in the history of the game spoke out, largely about Brandon Marshall’s shenanigans, but also about Crabtree ridiculous holdout, and even went on about the sad state of the wide receiver population in general.
Check out Rice’s sentiments on Fox Sports.
I’m glad Rice said something about this subject. The idea of rookie holdouts is still preposterous to me, and I often wonder where the retired greats are to keep these kids in line. Problem is, I’m sure Crabtree will go on thinking he’s in the right, and Jerry Rice doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I’d even go so far as to guess that Crabtree – if he does ever sign with the 49ers – will approach Rice about wearing his #80. I hope it does happen, so Jerry can tell him not in a million years.
The NFL Really Cares… About Making Money!
It’s looking like the NFL is about to see some hard times of their own due to the economy. Everybody knew it was coming, and we are seeing the first signs of it as there are 10 to 12 teams that may not sell out every game. This would mean mass local blackouts on TV broadcasts for many supportive fans.
Last season there were only three teams that didn’t sell out games and not surprisingly the list was Oakland, Detroit, and St. Louis. They combined for a total of nine blacked out games last season. I can’t blame any of the fans for not going to those games though, especially since I’m a Raiders fan and value paying to see them as much as going to see “Thunder from Down Under” for a bachelor party in Vegas. Despite the fact that there are about one third of teams finding it difficult to sell out, the blackout rule will stay in effect for it’s 37th straight year. The Jaguars have stated that they may not even sell out one home game all season. Sorry Jacksonville fans, you have to sign up for Direct TV and pay an extra $200 just to watch your local team for those eight games.
Tim Keown explored the reasons why the blackouts are out dated, and only hurt the league. I fully agree, as it deters possible fans that would have to watch the locally televised games. Many times a casual fan that lives in the area is exposed to the local team to the point where they start to follow them. I’ve had that transformation since my move to Southern California about three years ago. I used to root mildly for the Giants as a Northern California resident, but without being able to watch them, I now root for the Dodgers since I see them on TV nearly every day. I definitely never thought that I’d say four years ago when I was living in Northern California surrounded by that media market.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fair weather fan, I’ll always be a fan of the A’s, Raiders, and Warriors which sholuld say enough looking at their track records this past decade. I’ll root for all the Oakland teams no matter where I live, but every sports fan has “other teams” or man crushes on a certain players so we follow them. If they’re in the local media market, they are certainly going to be watched. That won’t happen if eight of a teams games are being blacked out. How can anyone get attached to a player or team that isn’t shoved down your throat? It won’t happen, and that’s why this rule that’s older than Al Davis needs to be changed.
Sometimes we’ve been saved from these blackouts by local companies that will buy up the rest of the tickets, so that the game can be televised. In these uncertain economic times it’s much less likely that companies are going to open up their wallets to get a game televised. Teams that have had no problem selling out all their tickets in the past like the Cheifs, Dolphins, and Jets are struggling to sell tickets, and have noticeably ramped up the promotions to get people out to the games. San Diego, Miami, and Minnesota are on the list of teams that might not sell out all their tickets, and they were all playoff teams last season. If I was jobless, and couldn’t watch my team play on their way to a playoff run I’d be mad. The NFL is still in great shape either way financially, so why not give the fans a break. It’s bad enough that the fans are asked to spend taxpayer money on the ridiculously large stadiums, and they expect people to be okay with them not being on their local programming!
Goodell is too smooth of a talker to be able to trust!
This quote pretty much sums up how much Goodell and the NFL care about the fans that support the game and teams of their home towns.
Sean McManus, president of CBS Sports and CBS News, said last week that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told him that “he is not going to make any major adjustment to a rule that has lasted a long time just because of a short-term economic problem.”
When asked if CBS had concerns about blacked-out games, McManus said, “I don’t think there is any way they are going to change it, so it is pointless to talk to them about it.”
The Raiders Outlook May be Bleak, but there’s Always a Silver Lining Before the Season Starts
With Raiders Camp concluding on the 27th, I thought I’d take a look at our chances this season. I usually try to talk myself into believing that we will do good, and keep a positive attitude. This year, in all honesty an 8-8 season would feel like we made the playoffs. I’m not saying we’ll win that many, but I hope that we play good enough to at least cover the Vegas lines!
This off-season has been highlighted by Cable’s haymaker, but I’d say that last season’s Jevon Walker saga was much more dysfunctional. At least this season, it was football related. Plus, I really like that he did it. It makes me feel like he really cares. Whatever happens, I’m glad we have a coach that gets fired up enough to sock someone. If I was a player, he’d have my respect instantly. Anyways, if we’re going to win a significant amount of games this season it all falls on Jemarcus and his ability to lead this offense.
Entering his third season, he really needs to show the team something or their contingency plan (Garcia) will kick into effect. One thing about Russell, is he’s good at not turning it over, but on the same notion he doesn’t throw many TD passes and completes only %53 of his passes. I’m not a big fan of the pre-season telling you much since both teams are working out the kinks on both sides of the ball. I did catch some of the Raiders vs. Niners game, and was surprised to see Russell play pretty well with the exception of one wild over throw. He looked more comfortable than I’ve ever seen him. I’m not saying he won’t make bad decisions when the season starts, but at least he looks more comfortable/calm on the field.
As for their receivers, it’s definitely not completely figured out. I’ve read that #7 pick Darius Heywood-Bey (DHB), has seemed to be getting into a rhythm, and has made a memorable catch in mini camps.
Jevon Walker made his first appearance at yesterday’s practice since last November after repairing his knee. He’s probably going to disappear more often than not whether he’s injured or on the field. Chaz Schillins, is not a # 1 receiver. Tight End Zach Miller, Russell’s favorite target last season, should be seeing just as much action. I just hope he’s not leading the team in receiving yards again, because we really need to get our receivers involved. If DHB is the highest rated receiver on the Raiders in Madden 2010 with an 81, then it’s definitely an area that needs a lot of improvement.
Our running game has been the one strong part of our offense for the past couple years, but we need some passing too. Having a clog in the backfield with Fargas, Mcfadden, and Bush, might be one to many backs. Not that they won’t be a great combo to put out there to force teams to stop, but why wouldn’t you try to shop Fargas and Bush around?
They could address a number of needs and still have a two headed monster that teams covet in the backfield. They don’t even need to go for a receiver that I stated they need so desperately. They could upgrade the offensive or defensive line. In this scenario, I’d much rather see Fargas go as he runs into his own linemen more than tacklers, but if it takes Bush to make a drastic improvement in any of the above mentioned areas, I’m all for it. I’m not saying that Mr. Davis would make a sensible move such as this one, but we can hope. I’m ready for the Chargers on the Monday edition of season openers!
The Morning News
So two things I read this morning that really bothered me…
You wanna piece of this? I dare you...
JA Adande has an article about replacing Phil Jackson when he retires, calling him out for not molding any assistants into starters besides Cartwright and someone else. Adande says he prefers veterans like Tex Winter… RIP.
Shouldn't TEX be the one sitting in this photo?
He says Rambis doesn’t count because he’s now in MIN and actually had a chance to coach before Phil came and totally blew it. THEN, later on when he’s naming candidates, he mentions Brian Shaw. An up and coming coach who just happened to be an assistant to Phil, which Adande fails to recognize. He’s got a point about the lack of tutelage skills Phil has employed over the years, but let’s at least be real about the candidates you choose and where they come from. Totally hypocritical, but whatever, I like Adande. He’s epsn basketballs’ Michael Smith.
Then I’m reading about USC’s practice yesterday and how Corp “impressed” Pete coming back from his leg bone injury. Pete called it “remarkable” when asked about it, the one word quoted as a response according to the article.
See that, over there? That's me taking your job.
Oh Pete… thanks for the lesson in how and why USC is so great at self promotion. Didn’t you just call Aaron out last week saying he MUST be back in practice by TUESDAY to have a chance at starting in 2 weeks? You did, Pete, and the only thing that would have made the situation truly remarkable about would be if Corp WASN’T at practice. He was going to be there with a leg brace on or in a wheel chair if necessary. Nice work Pete, Crown him a hero cause you need a reason to start the junior over the stud freshman. I like it.
And in other news, Pete’s old flame was named the Jets starter today.
I suggest staying away from the Jets, the media in NY will tear you to shreds!
You still think he should have stayed Pete?
Ok, I’m good now.
Favre Less Than Impressive
Brett Favre made his “comeback” Friday night in Minneapolis and left much to be desired. Favre completed just one of four pass attempts, a four yard completion to rookie Percy Harvin. I know often times a box score doesn’t tell the whole story, but did anyone in Minnesota or Kansas City catch the game? Was their any silver lining in this performance? Was their a lack of protection? Or did Favre simply complete another phase in the decline of a legend? Post a comment if you watched the game.
Did the Vikings get Favre or Farva?
There has been way too much hoopla over Favre for a third straight summer. I’m not surprised he came out of retirement again, but since there are so many people talking about it I guess I need to weigh in with my thoughts on Farve. At the end of his Green Bay tenure he ended their playoff run by throwing a crucial interception in his NFC Championship game. This was when he entered the Farva era. Everthing he’s touched since that game has crumbled. He has been hurting organizations by doing the ol: I’m going to retire, and ended up un-retiring to play again. Wait, no I’m going to be retired, no wait I want to play. Okay, I’ll play again. He had a crappy season in New York, and I was pretty sure that would show him that he wasn’t what he used to be. He’s covered in grey hair now, and he doesn’t bring the same arm or legs to the game.
Personally I don’t really care about Minnesota or Favre all that much. He’s been an outstanding player, but this has disaster written all over it.
Visions of Jordan playing on the Wizards are crossing my mind. They have AP in the lineup, so that might save his body some blows, but in the end car ramrod will probably run the Vikings fans to the depths of the Love Boat days. It just feels like it’s a panic move for Minnesota, since they already were trying to figure out who their QB of the future is in Tavaris and Sage. Childress should have taken a nice firm stance like Mike Singletary has taken with Crabtree. Once he made him decide by a certain date, he should have closed the door once that day passed. Childress should have moved on. Why not just see how the duo does for the first half of the season? If they are struggling during a very favorable first five weeks of the season, and the QB position is a weak spot, give Favre a call. Instead they’ll have Farva running around in their locker room on his path to find out if this is his final year. I predict that it will finally be the year we see that he has nothing left…
The Michael Vick Roundtable
Andre: Well worth the attention and media that will surround the Eagles in my opinion. There are killers playing in the NFL, ie. Leonard Little, so why not Vick? He’s very likely to play another 6 or 7 years in the NFL as a passing QB alone, so someone was going to take the gamble and the Eagles are a strongest franchise to take this on. Their own coach has had two wayward sons arrested and he seems to have dealt with that drama just fine. Anyone who argues the two year layoff was too long, it’s as if he was injured for those two years really, he won’t be too far behind by week 6. It’s also been talked about that Goodell could shorten the suspension if there are no hiccups along the way, so it will be interesting to see how that pans out.
Chappy: I like the deal. It gives them a lot of leeway since Westbrook and Mcnabb usually get hurt for a couple of games during the season. Plus, Westbrook just hit the normal declining age of 30 for running backs, and if anyone can be as illusive for the Eagles as Westbrook is, then Vick has to be that guy. Now they have four playmakers on offense with Mcnabb, Vick, Westbrook, and Jackson! This addition might help soften the blow they suffered on defense losing Dawkins. It seems like a win win situation for the Eagles!
MCeezy: I’m probably the least excited about this move. It’s not because I think it’ll hurt the Eagles, they have virtually nothing to lose here. In fact, I think a lot of the guys will be happy to welcome Vick, since he was sort of a martyr in the whole dog fighting scandal, but that’s another story for another time. However, on the field, I just don’t see him having much impact. I think the rust will show and I’d be surprised to see him ever regain his previous form. Nonetheless, he’s yet another weapon for a team that already has McNabb, Westbrook, Desean Jackson, Lesean McCoy, and Kendra Wilkinson.
Tony: So what’s the downside here for the Eagles? They are always in need of moving the needle both on the road and in Philly, and on the larger NFL stage as well. This move accomplishes that in a big way! On the field itself, the Eagles have added one of the most dynamic athletes we’ve ever seen, and have the luxury of 6 weeks to break him in on the practice field with no pressure, because of his suspension. With the Wildcat offense and its offshoots the hot new scheme in the NFL, adding Vick makes the Eagles lethal. The NFL is a crazy game, so the true impact can’t be told just yet, but on the face of things the Eagles made a bold move…let’s watch and see how it plays out.
Crabtreetment
The San Francisco 49ers were blessed with one of the easiest, no-brainer draft decisions when Wide Receiver Michael Crabtree fell in their laps at the 10th slot. Problem is, in Crabtree’s mind, it didn’t happen that way. He was the highest rated WR in the draft, so he should be paid like one. If you haven’t heard the story, here’s Niners Nation’s in-depth account.
Michael Crabtree is continuing the much-maligned tradition of rookies holding out in training camp in attempt to earn more money despite the fact that they have never taken an NFL snap. I often wonder how fans ever forgive these players after pulling such shenanigans. The Oakland Raiders had to deal with this recently with Jamarcus Russell, and now, the nightmare has shifted across the Bay to Santa Clara / San Francisco where what the Niners once thought was a gift, has now turned into a disaster. While I’d like to root for the 49ers to hold a firm position, they don’t have much leverage here. Gaining much publicity this year in Niners camp is Alex Smith’s attempt to reclaim the starting spot that he should’ve been holding down for the last two full seasons. The concequence is a constant reminder of the franchise’s shortcomings in the draft which they held the #1 overall pick. It wasn’t considered by anyone to be a deep draft, but with #24 pick Aaron Rodgers succeeding Brett Favre in Green Bay, the scarlet and gold are publicly relegated to the short end of the stick. So, with the Alex Smith debacle playing in the background, the Michael Crabtree situation makes things that much more urgent. No one expects him to be a superstar, but at the same time, he’s as close to a sure-fire WR prospect as we’ve seen in the last few years. Adding to the burden is the lack of the depth at the wideout spot. Sure, there are a handful of capable receivers on the roster, but Brandon Jones, Isaac Bruce, and Josh Morgan doesn’t exactly have playoff receiving corps written on it. Crabtree, unfortunately, is needed.
Douchebag
I will give that the 49ers fan base is a faithful one. The franchise has been driven into the ground over the course of the last decade by the York family, but the fan support has been unwavering. SF fans are dying to clutch on to a franchise player and cheer on his every move. The problem is, they can’t find anyone to fill that role. Alex Smith has blown his chances, Vernon Davis was practically handed the badge of fan-favorite, but has failed repeatedly to win over the faithful. Frank Gore and Patrick Willis have helped carry the torch, but for a fan base who has grown up with Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens, who didn’t start to wear on nerves until he had actually earned his stripes, Crabtree is in a unique position to be the man for years to come with one of the most storied NFL franchises. However, because the franchise is what it is, I don’t believe they should bend for Crabtree. Let him walk. This move on his part only is a preview of what is to come throughout his career. Though it may be a PR nightmare for the time being, time will ultimately prove it to be the right decision. Let’s face it, Crabtree isn’t worthy of lining up on the same hash mark as the great Jerry Rice. He belongs somewhere like Kansas City or Minnesota anyway.
Anybody know the logistics of whether SF could work out a Crabtree for Boldin swap with the Cardinals?
Big Opening Games of the 2009 College Football Season
Sep 3, Oregon @ Boise State
The college football season kicks off with a colorful combination of Oregon’s always intense jerseys and Boise State’s blue field. This should be one wildly entertaining game, provided the High-Def broadcast isn’t too much on the retinas.
Sep 5, Maryland @ Cal
This is a pretty interesting season opening matchup for both programs, and I must say I’m surprised Maryland would make the trek to Berkeley so soon out of the gates. On the flipside, I guess when your yearly goal is to be bowl eligible at seasons end, taking a tough road game early on makes sense as barometer of where you stand. Neither team talent wise looks to have any serious influence on a conference title challenge this year (or any year for that matter). Gut feeling, Cal feeds off the home crowd, and its slightly better athleticism runs out to a two TD win.
Sep 5, Nevada @ Notre Dame
This game has upset written all over it. Notre Dame always likes to schedule a lightweight before they get into the Michigan – Michigan State thing, but this year they might’ve picked the wrong opponent. The game has shades of last year’s matchup with San Diego State, but I think the Wolfpack can execute at the right time and make the plays they need to take this game. There’s also a strong likelihood that Jimmy Claussen could pick apart this defense in a blowout, but until then, I’ll be keeping a close eye on this score.
Sep 5, Georgia @ Oklahoma State
Georgia was great last year….Oklahoma St. was decent. Georgia’s coach is not quite as crazy as Oklahoma St. Coach. SEC Teams always destroy in these matchups. It’s the first big non-conference game of the year, but I still have Georgia by 21.
Sept. 5, Brigham Young vs. Oklahoma.*
It’s pretty tough to pick against the Sooners. With a seasoned duo of Bradford and Gresham passing up millions in the NFL to come back and play, they must be out to prove something. I think this will be close for a half at most. I hope we see a battle, but to be honest with you I think this one’s going to be a blowout on neutral ground.
Sep 5, Alabama vs. Virginia Tech.*
A great early season match-up of two highly talented and ranked teams with realistic goals of winning their respective conferences. Alabama is coming off a banner conference season that ended with a terrible stumble to the finish line. They lost their conference championship game to eventual National Champions Florida, then lost the Sugar Bowl to a serious underdog in Utah. The underclassmen left over from last year will be aiming to correct their painful losing streak after starting the season 12-0. The Hokies are by far the overwhelming favorites to win the ACC-Coastal over Georgia Tech as well as the overall Conference title this year. The Hokies will begin as a preseason top-10 team due to a perennially strong defense and the emergence of QB Tyrod Taylor. Should be interesting to see where these teams start the season in the polls, as each has been ranked as high as #6 in preseason polls.
Sep 6, Colorado State @ Colorado
These in-state rivals will again kick-off the season for bragging rights, and Colorado will be looking to extend their series win streak to three. The Buffs will be looking to get off to a strong start to their season, after a disappointing 2-6 finish in conference capped by a 58-0 loss at Mizzu and a seat at home during bowl season. For the Rams it was an up and down season as they showed great fortitude to win their final three games and finish above .500. They won the New Mexico Bowl by scoring 3 times in the 4th quarter to win a shootout by 5 over Fresno St., mainly behind Gartrell Johnson’s record setting 285 rushing yards, 375 combined yards, and two TDs… both of which came in the fourth quarter.
Sept. 7, Miami @ Florida State
The Seminoles look to win their third consecutive against their ACC rivals. The Canes have a very rough first month, and they don’t start things off easy for them as they face a rowdy labor day crowd. Florida State should be able to continue their win streak capping off the three day weekend.
(* No Home Team)
Go For Broke!
In these tough economic times, when it feels like your money isn’t going all that far, just remember that there are plenty of people that are worse off than you. USA today had a study on athletes, and it found that 78% of retired NFL players are bankrupt within 2 years, and 60% retired NBA players are broke within 5 years. So congratulations to all the rookies out there! They’re usually thrown into the glamorous filled lifestyle of the rich and famous, but that life is usually abruptly ended, and they end up being just an anecdote in one of my pointless posts! Far too many times we see athletes blow off hundreds of millions of dollars, but there should be no reason to be surprised. They have to realize they just can’t blow through cash like Joey Chestnut powers down hot dogs! Here is a list of things that some players didn’t realize weren’t within their means.
Taking the Lil Wayne approach. This guy already has two kids and is about to have two more with two different ladies on very close due dates.
Travis and six of his eleven kids
I’m not saying don’t have kids, but he could easily go broke down the line just like Travis Henry who has 11 kids with 10 different women. In March of this year he was pulled over and arrested for failing to pay $16,600 in child support. He is currently in jail for trafficking cocaine. Shawn Kemp ran into similar problems having at least 7 kids with 6 different women.
Buy cars, actually buy many many cars! Jack “the Ripper” Clark owned 18 cars at the time he filed for bankruptcy, and 17 were not paid for in full including a 1990 Ferrari that he owed $300K on. In 1992 he owed $11,459,305, and had only $4,781,780 in assets. He was still in the second year of a three year $8.7 million contract from the Red Sox while filing for bankruptcy.
Buy a private jet. Burn money like it’s going out of style! Scottie Pippen borrowed $4.375 million to get himself a personal jet. Did you know that it costs about $50K to fix a windshield on one of those!?! I’m sure that insurance, fuel, and a personal pilor are good investments to ride in style to the next stop on the road trip. Apparently, he still owes the airplane company $5 million. 
You could go by sea if you don’t like flying. Latrell Sprewell tried to hide his 70 foot yacht in storage, until the bank foreclosed on his house and yacht. He famously turned down a 3 year $30 million contract stating “I’ve got a family to feed”.
Ballin out of control. Most players fall into this trap. They don’t drive their own cars. They don’t write their own checks. They don’t raise their own kids. They just play their sport and let others pick off their carcass like vultures. Just look at how Vick turned out, as his friends ran his life outside football helping lead to his dog fighting ring. For some reason most athletes set up a large support system behind them, and because they are the only ones supporting it they go broke! LaTroy Hawkins offers his advice to teammates “When I was a young buck, I was trying to spend all my money. Now I try to preach to young guys in the clubhouse who are like that. I’ve got all this stuff from 10 years ago — jewelry, rims — that I think, Why the f— did I even buy this?”
Screw up, deny everything, and fight it with all the lawyers and cash you have. Rodger Clemens sold his Bentley last year to none other than Bret Michaels. The sale of the car was reportedly to pay for legal fees. 
Kareem signed over his power of attorney, and then let an agent named Tom Collins have his power of attorney. It cost Kareem about $9 million before he figured it out. Mark Jackson was taken by one of his business managers who forged about $2.6 million worth of his checks to get his gambling fix. Barry Bonds seems like he’s well on his way to this dilemma.
So in the end, athletes are just like many of our own friends and people we know. Maybe our friends aren’t going bankrupt or quite as extravagant as these athletes, but we all know people living out of their means. A recent study suggests that if you make $35K a year you will never retire. I myself think I could contain my own spending if I hit the lotto, but then again I am a sucker for a friend in need and I can think of a lot of them that would probably hit me up.
NFL Over/Under Wins Predictions… Doin Work Edition
We’ve taken the Vegas win total over/unders for each and gave them the ol’ Doin Work twist. ….
Arizona 8 ½ Wins
Brian: Under. I don’t see Warner having as good a year as he had last year. He has amazing receivers, but losing Boldin isn’t going to help them.
Matt: Under. The much-maligned running game won’t get any better in Beanie Wells’ first year.
Andre : Over. Let’s see here… SF, SEA, and STL are a given 6 wins this year, if they lose 1 of those I’ll be really surprised. Cardinals will come back strong, I’m actually very intrigued to see what Beanie/Hightower combo can do in year 1.
Atlanta 8 Wins
Brian: Over. They look like a team on the rise, and are banking on Ryan to get better in his second year of action.
Matt: Over. Matt Ryan and Michael Turner should be a postseason staple for years to come.
Andre : Over. The Falcons brilliant recovery from disaster in 2008 was story book really, and they only got stronger this offseason. I think they can get to 10 wins in the NFC South, with the addition of a HoF security blanket at TE and The Burner and Roddy White entering their primes.
Baltimore 8 ½ Wins
Brian: Under. This is a tough one, but I thought they overachieved a little last year.
Matt: Under. Gone are Steve McNair and Derrick Mason. Terrell Suggs’ 6-year deal has trouble written all over it.
Andre : Under. Not enough at WR to work with, lack of #1 RB at this point, and an aging CB corp and MLB (sorry Ray) will slow the D and keep that O off the field to begin with.
Buffalo 7 ½ Wins
Brian: Under. I’m not sold that Trent Edwards can have a healthy season, and any team with two trouble makers TO and Marshawn is bound for disaster.
Matt: Over. I think they’ll be the same old Buffalo team, finishing 8-8 on the outside looking in.
Andre : Over. I’m gonna gamble and say the addition of TO pays off for Lee Evans and opens up the passing game, and once Marshawn comes back from his suspension he’ll be fresh and ready to go for the heart of the schedule.
Carolina 8 ½ Wins
Brian: Over. With the running game they have, they can control the clock every game, which goes a long way in winning games.
Matt: Under. Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith aren’t getting any younger.
Andre : Over. Love that running game, they will definitely shorten the game and keep their O on the field. And that D is nasty at times but needs to show up every week. Re-signing Peppers needs to be a priority, but for now he’s playing for a contract so that means big year ahead.
Chicago 8 ½ Wins
Brian: Over. We’ll see what Mr. Insulin is made of now that he’ll have a defense. Problem is he doesn’t really have anyone except a former returner to throw to.
Matt: Under. The addition of Jay Cutler should give fans reason for optimism, but I don’t see the Bears hanging with Minnesota and Green Bay
Andre : Under. The Bears have no leader on Offense. Haven’t had a leader on offense for a long time, and didn’t acquire one in any big trades this offseason (I’m looking at you Jay, can you handle that??). Guessing the Bears look much like the Broncos did last year, big arm and nothing else, doing just enough to fall short
Cincinnati 6 Wins
Brian: Under. Ask a Cincinnati fan why you should bet on the under, oh wait, never mind, there aren’t any…
Matt: Over. This is a crapshoot, but I’m banking on an up year for Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson. Do they have any running backs yet?
Andre : Over. But not by much. I’d be willing to bet they have the strongest D in many years, but in the AFC North that’s just not good enough. Palmer and *% should come back strong, but Benson at RB? Really?? Are there any lakes to party on in Ohio? Just curious…
Cleveland 7 Wins
Brian: Under. Braylon leads the league in drops over the last two years, which exemplifies their lack of discipline.
Matt: Over. If anyone’s due for a playoff appearance it’s the Browns. Hopefully they can decide on a QB and trade the other for some help in other areas.
Andre : Under. Just a no go all around. They need to pick one of their young strong arm QBs and go with him, for good. Use the bargaining chip while he’s still young with little wear and tear, then go pick up a vet to back-up. After that they can start working on revamping the D, as that side was fairly miserable last year and not getting any better.
Dallas 9 Wins
Brian: Under. With TO and Jessica out of Romo’s life, the love fest between him and Witten will reign supreme in Dallas, but not in a good way.
Matt: Over. Dallas isn’t as good as the teams they’ve fielded in recent years, but the new digs oughta boost them to a solid finish.
Andre : How can you go wrong here? Talent everywhere, especially at RB with two great back-ups with game changing speed in Jones and Choice. The D comes back strong, and most likely less drama for yo baby’s mamma. Ok, no more TO.
Denver 7 ½ Wins
Brian: Under. They may get first in the AFC West with under 8 wins! Their defense was a disaster, Brandon Marshall is complaining, and they lost Cutler.
Matt: Under. I have high hopes for Knowshon Moreno, but I don’t see a Kyle Orton-led offense winning the AFC West.
Andre : Under. Way too easy here. Question marks at QB, RB, WR (is Marshall going to play??), the Defense was atrocious last year. They might not get to 6 wins.
Detroit 5 Wins
Brian: Under. I’m more sure on this bet than any of my others so far!
Matt: Under. The Lions did a major overhaul on their roster – er, no they didn’t. Stafford isn’t going to be working any miracles.
Andre : Under. Do we even know if Stafford will play this year? Are they really rolling out Culpepper?? Could be another scary year in Motown, and look forward to seeing them at the top of the draft again next year.
Green Bay 9 Wins
Brian: Over. They need a better year from Ryan Grant, and their secondary is getting older. We’ll see I’m wishy washy on this one.
Matt: Over. The Packers, with their core of Rodgers, Grant, Jennings, and Barnett, might be the class of the NFC this year.
Andre : Under. I truly believe Minny has the inside track in the North, QB or no QB. GB might challenge to make it a 2 team race, the definitely Bears won’t and the Lions who? I think Rodgers will have a hard time if Ryan Grant can’t come back stronger than he did last year, even with strong weapons at receiver. I think 8-8 might be a good season this year for the Pack.
Houston 8 Wins
Brian: Over. I like the core they have on offense and defense. I think they are going to be playoff bound this year.
Matt: Push. The Texans seemed destined for another 8-8 season. Their division schedule is a killer.
Andre – Under. The Texans are doing good things, and Schaub to A Johnson will be a great combo all season. RBs are small and might not be able to gain the physical yards, while the D is not quite a strong as it needs to be against the run to be successful.
Indianapolis 10 Wins
Brian: Over. They’ve won at least 12 games every year since 2003, so I see them finding some way to make it over 10.
Matt: Over. The Colts have found a way to get it done in the regular season this whole decade. Shouldn’t be any different this year.
Andre : Under. I was very close to a push, but settled back to 9 wins. Will Addai come back strong? We know Wayne will get his, but then what? Clark is injury prone, Gonzales still making his name. The defense really gelled at the end of the regular season, but fell apart in the playoffs.
Jacksonville 8 Wins
Brian: Under. I really have no idea what to expect from this team. It’s a surprise every week seeing what team will show up.
Matt: Under. Brian’s right. The Jaguars really do have a lot of question marks.
Andre : Under. I’m not sure MJD can carry a full load, and the WR corp was thin to begin with. Last season was a big step back, and I believe we could see more of the same this year. The defense has been overhauled in the last two years, not quite a scary as it used to be.
Kansas City 6 Wins
Brian: Over. This is a toss up, the race to six or seven wins may win the AFC West!
Matt: Under. KC has put all their proverbial eggs in one basket with Matt Cassel. I still think they’re another year or two away.
Andre : Push. Six wins sounds just about right for a team gambling on a brand new QB with 1 year under his belt. First year growing pains will be rough while he builds a relationship with his WRs, and the loss of Tony Gonzalez doesn’t make it any easier, as well as a question mark at RB. The defense is a work in progress, but looked to be advancing.
Miami 7 Wins
Brian: Over. They need to try and sign Vick! I could only imagine the damage he could do in that Wildcat offense!
Matt: Over. Barely. If they can build on last year’s success, they should challenge Buffalo for 2nd in the AFC East.
Andre : Under. Sorry Miami, I haven’t seen enough improvement to warrant a 7 win season. No receivers, half a QB, and a great running game means all kinds of blitzes and run stopping schemes. Good luck with that. Defensively they might be ok, but they’ll be on the field way too much.
Minnesota 9 Wins
Brian: Under. All Day can only carry them so far. I don’t see their defense leading the league in turnovers again.
Matt: Under. They’re still a franchise QB away from contending. But, if they bring in Favre? Nah, still a .500 team at best.
Andre : Over. As I mentioned earlier, I’m high on Minny winning that ugly North division. Minny was a great all-around team without a true QB last year, so whether they go with Favre or someone else I don’t think it matters too much. Great running game, the D is fast and physical, special teams are strong. AP better step it up and his 3rd year as a true leader of that franchise..
New England 11 ½ Wins
Brian: Over. I’ve bet against Brady too many times in spite. I guess I’ll try to jinx the Pats by putting them in the playoffs.
Matt: Under. I don’t think they’ll reach 12 wins, but 11-5 or 10-6 will be enough to win the division.
Andre : Under. Actually, UNDER. As in Under .500. I think this is the year the Pats just don’t get the bounces and calls going their way, all good things must come to an end. This team’s core is only getting older, and unlike a nice bottle of wine it’s not tasting any better. Last year Cassel stepped in admirably, but again with no running game and an aging D there will be a lot of pressure on Brady’s pretty little shoulders.
New Orleans 8 ½ Wins
Brian: Over. Their defense has to stop the other team a few times this year, right!?! Well in either case, I think Brees can orchestrate 9 wins.
Matt: Over. I’m torn, but I think a healthy Colston and Bush can put this team over the .500 mark.
Andre : Under. We’re all in love with Brees and Bush and Colston (or am I the only one?), but this team will once again need to prove they can win high-scoring shootouts with their less than mediocre D. The NFS South will be very competitive this year, and I can see all 4 teams finishing between 9-7 and 7-9. Unfortunately, I see the NO as the 7-9 team.
NY Giants 10 Wins
Brian: Under. Do they have any receivers yet?
Matt: Under. The NFC East is going to be a killer this year, and Manning to Steve Smith doesn’t seem that potent.
Andre : Under. With no passing game and defenses only getting stronger in their Division (aka Albert Haynesworth), they won’t be able to rely on their horse Jacobs quite as much. Where will they go for 3 and long?? Who knows, but Manning could look more like the Eli of his first 2 years rather than the last 3.
NY Jets 7 Wins
Brian: Under. Too tough of a division, and the Dolphins pushed them down even further.
Matt: Under. A rookie QB and an aging, though effective, running back won’t be enough to contend with the Pats, Dolphins, and Bills.
Andre : Over. With the Pats slowing down, and the Dolphins making no big moves, I think the Jets are primed to take advantage even with a rookie QB if Sanchez does start. They are loaded in the running game with Jones, Washington and Greene to help ease the load, and their D is set to be a top ranked unit next year. 9-7 is definitely not a stretch.
Oakland 5 ½ Wins
Brian: Under. I can’t jinx them yet, but I’d gladly lose this bet. 8-8 would feel like a championship these days.
Matt: Over. This is ridiculous, I know. But I see Jeff Garcia winning the starting spot, and they have plenty of weapons on both sides of the ball.
Andre : Under. Can you have negative wins in a season? Just curious. And who is faster in a foot race, Garcia or Russell? Only because that’s how they make all of their other personnel decisions. This might be McFadden’s time to shine if he can stay healthy, cause they will be behind a lot and just wanting to hold onto the ball.
Philadelphia 9 ½ Wins
Brian: Under. Westbrook turns the dreaded 30 for a running back. McNabb will probably miss a few games now that he signed his extension.
Matt: Under. The Eagles are giving the impression that they won’t persevere through the loss of the heart and soul of the team, Brian Dawkins.
Andre : Under. I wish I could say push, since they did have a tie last year and finish with 9 wins and that tie. Anyways, all told I think the Eagles will be the Eagles and finish just above 500 and either sneak in or somehow miss by a hair. Seems like the same story every year recently. And don’t count on seeing Kolb start for this team any time soon.
San Diego 9 ½ wins
Brian: Under. I foresee another 8-8 year, but then again they do get to play a bunch of games against their weak division.
Matt: Over. The Chargers have been inconsistent of late, but anything less than a 5-1 division record would be a surprise.
Andre : Over. With a healthy LT, Merriman and Cromartie, this team will be back to ‘07 form. Franchising Sproles made great sense as insurance, all Philip Rivers does is win (and through injuries), and the Chargers are guaranteed several wins in their own division this year as usual. After several years of difficult and grueling schedules, this year’s softer line-up bodes well.
San Francisco 7 Wins
Brian: Over. I think Singletary will put the 49ers back to respectability mark.
Matt: Over. The Cardinals should regress a bit, and the Rams and Seahawks haven’t gotten any better.
Andre : Under. Unlike the Vikings, having no QB in this situation really does matter. In no way is this 9er team talented enough all around to carry the team past their ongoing search for a passer. Gore will wear the brunt, and it will wear on him. No thanks in part to a terrible Oline. The defense is iffy at best, but could be strengthened if Singletary dresses on Sundays.
Seattle 7 ½ Wins
Brian: Over. They can’t have as many injuries as last year. A healthy Hasselbeck will make them competitive again.
Matt: Under. But not by much. TJ should prove to be a great addition to the offense.
Andre : Under. With the exception of AZ, the NFC West looks like it might be a vacation for opponents this year. Hass is coming back from an injury, and Seattle decided not to draft a youthful replacement for down the road. No WR help, no RBs at this point, and a porous D will be very hard to overcome this year.
St. Louis 5 ½ Wins
Brian: Under. I didn’t think they were going to win one game for awhile there last year, and this year their roster looks even worse this year.
Matt: Under. The Rams should challenge the Lions for the bottom spot in the NFC this year.
Andre : Under. Who farted? Oh, that’s just the stench coming out of STL. Could have addressed the QB issue, didn’t. Could have gotten WR help, didn’t. Did help the Dline, but didn’t address LBs. This could be brutal, they should start clearing cap space for signing top 3 picks over the next few years.
Tampa Bay 6 ½ Wins
Brian: Under. Too much turnover in the organization to be competitive this year.
Matt: Over. No matter what happens, the Bucs usually find a way to contend. They won’t make the playoffs, but they’ll finish better than 6-10
Andre : Over. I see TB getting to at least .500 this year, if not a game better. They seem to have made the right moves based on necessity that many teams did not this year. If Cadillac can rebound from a slow year coming back from injury, the running game should be their strength along with Winslow as a solid addition and safety net at TE.
Tennessee 9 Wins
Brian: Over. They showed they have a lot of good pieces on defense and in the running game.
Matt: Over. The Titans might’ve been the best team in the NFL for a majority of the year last season. Lendale White has decided to show up this year.
Andre : Push. I see the Titans fighting for 9 wins and a playoff berth with the Colts, as it appears there will be only one team coming out of this division. The running game will remain a strength with LenDale coming in 20 pounds lighter, but the loss of Haynesworth in the middle of the Dline will leave them scrambling. A 4 man rotation will be nowhere near as effective.
Washington 8 Wins
Brian: Under. Lots of talent, but they like to give away games.
Matt: Under. If Clinton Portis holds up this year, they’ll be alright, but the QB situation may hold them back.
Andre : Over. The NFC East will be a two horse race between the Cowboys and Indians, sorry, Redskins. The offense should continue to improve with Campbell at the helm and Portis back at full strength. The biggest off-season move by any team, the signing of Haynesworth to clog the Dline, will pay off huge dividends quickly. This WILL be the top D in the league this year.
Thoughts on Oguchi Onyewu’s Move to A.C. Milan
I woke up this morning, ready to plow through my usual 30 minutes reading Soccernet.com and the like, and what do I see? The Gooch moving to AC Milan? My initial reaction was, no way he sees the field enough to make this move productive. Nesta, Kaladze, and new signing Thiago Silva (insert UFC joke here) on the face of things, seem to be ahead of him in the natural pecking order. Not to mention a very similar player to Onyewu, by the name of Phillip Senderos came and went through Milan with little success recently. However, if we think about the risk for either of them, what did Milan have to lose with this signing? And, if your Gooch how do you pass the opportunity up? Coming off a compelling stretch of performances in the Confederations Cup, snatching up Onyewu on a free transfer is good business with little downside for Milan. On the flipside it’s been obvious for several years that Gooch has been looking for a move to a major European club (no no, the Newcastle loan doesn’t count) to enhance his profile and no doubt pocket book as well. On several levels this seems like a solid situation for both parties.
A few notes on the negative side of things: First, Onyewu isn’t the most technical of players; he looks uncomfortable with the ball at his feet, and tends to release the ball quickly as opposed to holding possession and looking to up move field like many world class center backs. Not ideal for a a player stepping up against regular world class competition especially in the Champions League. Secondly, I’m not sold on his pace; I have stark memories of him being caught out on numerous occasions for the United States, and worry greatly that this will be a more prominent problem for him in Italy and against other premier European talent. And thirdly, playing time. For any American player entrenched in the national team a move to a new club should typically include a benchmark of starting a minimum of 30 games. And frankly I don’t see Onyewu starting that many matches with the current roster at Milan. I fear the glitz of Milan could come at the expense of further progression of his game. Onyewu will be relying on the physical attitubes greatly early at his new club, which I think may also be a positive for him as well. If used correctly, he could be a nightmare matchup with many forwards in Italy, which will be intriguing to watch.
Over all I think this move has solid possibilities for both Gooch and his career with the US national team. I wish more players were getting this sort of high profile opportunity to honest. However, this move does have some serious draw backs attached to it if things don’t work out. At the very least many soccer fans across the United States will get to see this unfold in pretty good detail, Fox Soccer Channel airs weekly Serie A games, which focus mainly on the big four of Italian football. Which should provide us regular insight on the progression on Gooch’s careerwith Milan.
Good Luck!
The Worst Sports Franchises of All-Time
As I read Simmons plea for Blake Griffin to run and hide from the Clippers, which probably isn’t the worst idea for him on the day of the NBA draft, I pondered what a list of the worst franchises of all time would look like. It’s not hard to think of a lot of really crappy teams, but narrowing that list down is tricky. The fields accounted for are; what they’ve done over their whole franchise’s history and to their fans. According to business journal in 2008 the worst five rated franchises (NBA, MLB, NFL) from worst to best of the worst were: Detroit Lions, Memphis Grizzlies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the St. Louis Rams. Financially I couldn’t agree more, because I don’t know their books or care to. However, I do believe that some of the teams listed abouve are trying to do the right thing for their franchise. Well, atleast enough to stay out of the top five worst on my list.
#5 Memphis Grizzlies -They’re trying to make it to the Clippers status, but it’s tough to make up all those losing seasons that the Clips have on them. Their first four years 
yielded them a total of 56 wins in Vancouver, so why not move to Memphis! That move, coinciding with dreadful drafts have doomed the franchise to the depths that they are currently in and will be in for some time to come. Even this year with the second pick, they may have to settle for a role player since there is no clear instant NBA impact player in that spot. I’m sure this draft will yield them their next Big Country Reeves. When they do have a good player, they find a way to trade them for a poo poo platter of players and draft picks that they will eventually mess up on! I’m not just referring to the Gasol trade last year, but they also traded away Mike Bibby and Steve Francis just before their primes! Is OJ Mayo the next?
#4 Pittsburgh Pirates – Well, they have a nice park, and well, that’s about the only exciting thing that’s happened to them over the past 17 years. Since 1992, the Pirates haven’t had one winning season, and it doesn’t appear that one is coming anytime soon. They are now the proud owners of the longest string of losing seasons by any team in MLB history! Is it the curse of the Killer B’s (Bonds and Bonilla)? My guess is they are cursing themselves by continually trading players for prospects and never really letting any player play for any part of their prime.
#3 Los Angeles Clippers – Not only do they make the worst decisions possible, but every time they make a decent one it never works out. Their .365winning percentage in the Donald Sterling era shows their inability to make a streak of good decisions. He’s more interested in what prostitute’s he’s bringing to the game that night than who is on the court for his team. The dwindling fanbase has gone into a depression that may not be shakeable until they decide to move to their fourth location. The seats have been emptier and emptier as the seasons go by, except when the Lakers come to town to play them… I think Billy Crystal even stopped his season tickets this past season (don’t quote me on that, maybe he just didn’t go very much).
These Kids are lucky they don't know how bad their team is yet!
#2 Kansas City Royals – Owner David Glass should give the name “owner” an apology. He likes to play the small market victim card whenever he can, but he is always the first person in line begging to receive some of the revenue sharing from the commish. They never re-sign a star, and never puts a team on the field that is remotely competitive. Any team that averages a whopping 96 losses per season may as well make their vacation plans for October in April! There should be someway to kick out owners out of a league if they aren’t don’t even trying.
#1 Detroit Lions – It’s hard to pick exactly where to begin, but they capped off the number one spot with the first 0-16 season in NFL history, and only one playoff win since 1957 just shows the meaning of their sucktitude. It takes talent to construct these aweful teams. It must be fun for them to constantly have fans on the edge of their seats and brown bags over their heads wondering what terrible decision their franchise will make to set them back (insert amount of years). This continual three to five year re-building plan just makes me feel happy that there are people messing up franchises more than Al Davis is for my Raiders.
Doin Work Fantasy Football 2009 Mock Draft
The most comprehensive fantasy football mock draft this side of espn or yahoo. Here’s who we’d pick and why….
ROUND ONE
#1 Drafting Under the Influence – RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
This isn’t even a decision in my mind. He’s a threat every play to go the distance, and even when it looks like he’s stuffed he can break off a Barry Sanders-esque escape. Nobody is surprised when he puts up 200 yards and a score or two! His skill set is off the charts and better than every other RB in the draft. He vowed to come back this season bigger and faster, definitely scary for any of the competition he’s about to run over!
#2 TD’s Are My Forte – RB Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
Love having the 2nd pick, Turner is a no-brainer choice for me here. Atlanta has a dynamic offense which makes keying the run more difficult, and we know what Turner is capable of doing. I project him not only matching his offensive numbers last season, but slightly increasing them. Until I see Maurice Jones-Drew in a full time role, he doesn’t pass Turner here. Should be interesting to see who is left on the board on the way back in the 2nd round.
#3 Who Shot Plax? – RB Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
Titans have always been built as a run-first offense, as Conservative is Jeff Fisher’s middle name. Don’t quote me on that, could be Fred for all I know. As the Titans continue to employ a sub-par passing game, the two back system will flourish, and Johnson will receive the bulk of the carries on 1st and 2nd down. I was impressed with his receiving game as well last year, a great target with much better than average hands, shiftiness, and speed.
#4 White Russians For Breakfast – RB Deangelo Williams, Carolina Panthers
Looking at my options on the board, I’m intrigued by both DWill and MJD. I’m a bit hesitant about SJax, LT, and BWest in their current situations, Sjax on a shitty team, LT running close to empty (?) and Westbrook having surgery on his foot. I like Deangelo because they looked for extra ways to get the ball in his hands in the Wildcat and I think he’ll have a decent receiving year. A few vultured goalline carries will be made up in other areas like long runs and perhaps a passing TD or two this year.
#5 No More Madden For Me – RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
I wasn’t happy about sitting at five, you typically watch the 3 sure fire running backs get picked, and are left with about 5 different players who all have there pros and cons (this years crop includes Steven Jackson, LT, Westbrook, Gore, and Portis). But holy smokes does a gift fall to me with Maurice Jones-Drew. With the featured role in the back field all his, and the experts putting him at 2 at worst 3 on there boards, I feel like I get a big time break here. More then likely I will be looking to match a catch happy MJD with a top tier wideout in the next round. Continue reading
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