Saturday, December 31, 2011
Deep Posts: Why are Bengals fans staying away in droves?
-- For the fourth time this season, the Cincinnati Bengals are trying to talk fans into showing up at Paul Brown Stadium in numbers larger than 42,000. The season finale is a game against the Baltimore Ravens, and a "win-and-they're-in" scenario for Marvin Lewis' team. However, fan apathy runneth over after decades of horrible decisions by team owner Mike Brown. While I understand fan apathy (I'm a Seattle Mariners fan, for God's sake), now would be a good time for the Bengals bandwagoners to get on board ? your team has a good rookie quarterback in Andy Dalton, a RIDICULOUS rookie receiver in A.J. Green, an outstanding and underrated defense, and extra high draft picks upcoming in the Carson Palmer trade. When Mike Brown is in charge, you have to take the good times while you can. [Cincinnati Enquirer]
-- Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew was one of over 40 current players interviewed for an Associated Press piece on the modern attitude to concussions. Do current players work to hide concussions when they have them? Jones-Drew, and more than half of the players interviewed, admitted that the tendency moves that way. "The bottom line is: You have to be able to put food on the table. No one's going to sign or want a guy who can't stay healthy. I know there will be a day when I'm going to have trouble walking. I realize that," Jones-Drew said. "But this is what I signed up for. Injuries are part of the game. If you don't want to get hit, then you shouldn't be playing." [AP]
-- New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Zach Streif has adopted a local cause as his own ? a restaurant in The Big Easy called Caf� Reconcile that helps at-risk kids get their lives together. [NOLA.com]
-- Our buddy Greg Cosell from NFL Films and ESPN's NFL Matchup breaks down Mark Sanchez's ... well, breakdowns. [NFL�Films�Blog]
[Related: At long last, Lions set to return to playoffs]
-- Is Cam Newton having the greatest rookie season of all time, regardless of position? Peter King is among the growing number of analysts who believe that he is. I would tend to agree ? you can talk about other rookie seasons (and we will soon), but the numbers Newton has put up are almost secondary ? the real impact of his entry into the NFL has been his amazing ability to seemingly get the hang of huge chunks of a pro-style gameplan on a weekly basis. [SI.com]
-- Chicago Bears cornerback Zack Bowman got his first start of the season on Sunday night. That was the good for him. The bad news? The start was against Aaron Rodgers, who targeted Bowman for three of his five touchdown passes. Perhaps the most ridiculous play against Bowman was a non-touchdown ? a 25-yard catch by Jordy Nelson in the third quarter in which Bowman was flagged for pass interference and Nelson still made the catch. Simply an undefendable throw. [Chicago Sun-Times]
-- On the other side of the ball, the Bears' ability to run all over Green Bay's defensive fronts has to be a point of concern when the playoffs hit. [JSOnline]
-- The Washington Redskins are guaranteed to suffer their third-straight season of 10 or more losses. That's an embarrassment for their despot owner and alarmingly orange-colored head coach, but it's players like Lorenzo Alexander who really feel the pain. "It's been the same old story around here for the years I've been here," Alexander told Mike Jones of the Washington Post. "Playing up and down depending on who you're playing, and the good teams don't do that. They dominate whoever's in front of them. For us to turn that corner, we've got to do that. For us to do that, we've got to put three, four, five wins together over a period of 16 games, and we just for whatever reason, we're not doing that right now. At some point we've got to change that and start getting wins." [Washington Post]
-- Draft expert Rob Rang points out that the four Boise State players invited to the 2012 Senior Bowl could be in line for more fanfare than some people expect ? that team wasn't just about Kellen Moore. [CBSSports.com]
Other popular stories on the Yahoo! network:
? New-look Clippers remain a work in progress
? Not all high-profile college football coaches made the grade in their first season
? Five secrets to successful gift returning
Darren Sproles LaRod Stephens-Howling Jonathan Stewart Tyrell Sutton
Adventures in Officiating: Are you [bleeping] kidding us, Jerome Boger?
The video above is from the Thursday night game between the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts. It has also been placed in our ever-expanding "What the [BLEEP] is roughing the passer anymore, anyway?" file. Explain yourself, Jerome Boger, for you are one of the worst officials in football and you have been for some time. Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt would like an answer as well. As would suddenly embattled head coach Gary Kubiak, who addressed the penalties against the Texans at his Friday press conference.
"I don't know where to start," the coach said. "Penalties and turnovers get you beat in this League and last night, we had a little bit of both. We still turned the ball over twice. We did get one back, but we have to address it from a two turnover standpoint because it's been a problem. Eleven penalties, obviously I don't agree with all of them, but that's neither here nor there. Our job's to keep playing and play through mistakes and play through issues. We had our chances to do that and we didn't do it. We'll turn them into the league. We got to make sure we're on the same page because a few of those we just don't understand why they were roughing calls. I'll wait to hear back from the League and we'll make sure we address it as a group and players take responsibility for it and coaches and move forward."
As we've discussed ad nauseam in previous posts, it's a bit tough to get a sense from the league just what comprises roughing the passer at this point when the league's own guidelines appear to change with the wind. Watt seemed to have a target on his back in the game, which Kubiak also addressed.
"Well, yeah, you talk to guys. Let me tell you, you turn on the film and this kid played one hell of a football game. Unbelievable game. If we're right on a couple of those, then it got even better. If we're wrong, then we've gotta make those corrections so it doesn't happen again. But just don't understand a couple ways that it happened, us understanding the rules and the way they were called. But it can't happen. You can't have penalties and there's no excuse for them. But at the same time, the kid deserves a lot of credit for the football game he played. It was off the charts, now. He's been a big-time player all year long and he plays with great energy. Obviously, we've got to fix penalties."
Fix what? When you don't know what to fix, it's awfully tough to do.
"No matter how they happen, you can't get penalties," Watt told ESPN's Paul Kuharsky after a game in which he bagged one sack, two tackles for loss and three batted passes ? and at least one more questionable penalty. "They were called. That's all I can say. The penalties were called, you can't argue with the referee and we've got to move forward."
Coaches and players have to be careful what they say about officiating these days, lest they be perceived to be on the wrong side of whatever it is the NFL is trying to do with player safety. But we'll say it outright ? if there's one thing that typifies the "ready, fire, aim!" ethos of Roger Goodell's reign as Commissioner, it's a level of officiating that is all too frequently confusing, inexcusable, insufficiently explained, and maddeningly inconsistent. The Texans are but the most recent victims.
The Shutdown Corner Hidden Pro Bowlers ? The Offense
Every Pro Bowl roster has its snubs, but we'd like to present this list more as the guys we think should be on there with the understanding that a ball of excellence at certain positions and the politics of popularity will have things going another way. Here is the full list of Pro Bowl starters for 2011. You'll see some of these names below as alternates, and at the very least, consider this to be a list of players you should be watching out for in future seasons. The offense is below; the defense can be found right here.
Quarterbacks ? Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions/Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
Stafford didn't make it because of the sheer volume of outstanding quarterbacks in the NFC (and a predisposition to insure that Eli Manning makes it in Stafford's stead), but the Lions have the lowest run/pass ratio in the NFL (0.562), no run game to speak of, an iffy offensive line, and a defense that is volatile and violent but gives up more than its share of points. Stafford has responded by become the quarterback of the first team in NFL history to overcome four different second-half deficits of 13 or more points. Not bad for a 23-year-old kid! As for Newton, he's not just putting together ridiculous combined touchdown numbers; he's also assimilating enormous chunks of NFL-complex offenses on a weekly basis and becoming far more than just a running quarterback.
Running Backs ? Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills/DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys/Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks
An honorable mention for all-purpose yardage stud Jackson, who may have made the actual Pro Bowl had it not been for a season-ending fibula injury in late November. Meanwhile, we'll endorse one former Bills back in Lynch, whose "Beast Mode" persona has given the Seahawks their first 1,000-yard rusher since the last time Van Halen was releasing new music. Also, a shout out to out Senior Bowl favorite, the rookie Murray, whose season was cut short just as he was impressing with a full array of skills.
Fullback ? Michael Robinson, Seattle Seahawks
Since Vonta Leach is everyone's fave to make the Pro Bowl at this position as he should be), let's give a little love to Robinson, the former Penn State quarterback and San Francisco 49ers jack-of-all-trades who has enjoyed a professional rebirth as a surprisingly effective blocking fullback. Because he doesn't fit the fire-hydrant body type profile, Robinson is just as adept at rushing out to seal an edge as he is bulling a lane open up the middle.
Receivers ? Victor Cruz, New York Giants/Laurent Robinson, Dallas Cowboys/Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers/Lance Moore, New Orleans Saints/Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks
Since we have more and more teams going five-wide these days, we've upped our count of deserving receivers, and we fear that by leaving out Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown, we're looking like idiots. So, we'll add him too. Cruz has been able to teach us more about end zone salsa dances than expected this season, and Robinson has been a pleasant surprise for the Cowboys (how much do you think the Rams would have liked him back this year?). Jordy Nelson may have the most impressive combination of catch rate and yards per catch of any receiver in the NFL, Moore has been an unheralded go-to-guy, and the undrafted rookie Baldwin has the inside track on becoming the first such player since the AFL-NFL merger was announced to lead his team in receptions and receiving yards.
Tight Ends ? Scott Chandler, Buffalo Bills/Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles/Joel Dreessen, Houston Texans
When the Bills' offense was going full force, Chandler was the guy making it all work as Ryan Fitzpatrick's security blanket. Celek has brought in a number of impressive catches from Michael Vick and Vince Young ? along with LeSean McCoy and a handful of other players, he's been a bright spot on a very disappointing team. We'll take Dreessen as our red zone tight end, since we're pretty sure Rob Gronkowski is taken ? that's what happens when you have six touchdowns in 36 targets. To put that achievement in perspective, Green Bay's Jermichael Finley has seven touchdowns ? in 84 targets.
Left Tackle ? Duane Brown, Houston Texans/Left Guard ?Wade Smith, Houston Texans/Center ? Chris Myers, Houston Texans
Since Philly's Jason Peters made the Pro Bowl (and Lord knows he should; he's been by far the best in the game at his position this year), we'll staff our roster of unheraldeds with the first of several Texans linemen. Brown is still getting the hang of the more advanced aspects of pass protection, but he's just mashing fools in the run game.
The Texans have the best offensive line in the league, and these are two very big ? and very underrated reasons why. Along with Brown, they provide every�Houston running back rwith huge lanes and a lot of trampled defenders.
Right Guard ? Chris Kuper, Denver Broncos
Let's assume that Green Bay's Josh Sitton is the main man here ... oh, wait ... he isn't? Well, we'll add him to our list. We also really like the way Kuper has performed seal blocks inside at the line and has flattened people at the second level. This is especially impressive as the Broncos were adapting to a very different offense in-season after Tim Tebow was announced as the starter.
Right Tackle ? Erik Pears, Buffalo Bills/Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys
The Bills' offense has collapsed a bit lately, but that has more to do with injuries than anything else. The right side of their offensive line has stayed stout; only the Carolina Panthers have more line yards to the right tackle, and many of the Carolina runs are based off right-side read-option plays. Pears is the ideal representative of his no-name line. "We all just come to work, each and every day,"�Pears told Buffalo radio in November. "We definitely take our job serious to get all on the same page to work hard every day on technique. You kind of get what you put in to stuff, so we feel like we put in a lot of work and hopefully the results will keep showing."
Bills center�Eric Wood was more succinct about Pears' abilities: "He's a stud, man." We agree.
As for Smith, he was profiled in the 2011 Shutdown 40 draft preview, and he's exceeded our expectations as the one guy on the iffy Cowboys offensive line that has really brought it in the second half of the season.
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? The Falcons shouldn't be crying over how Drew Brees set QB record
? Video: Week 17 NFL locks to win
? Pain is still part of Kobe Bryant's game
NFL announces Pro Bowl rosters
The NFL announced the roster for the Pro Bowl tonight. The game will take place on Jan. 29, the week before the Super Bowl, in Hawaii. These are the initial rosters, as some players will opt out of the game and players from the Super Bowl teams will not participate.
For the AFC, here are the Pro Bowlers, with asterisks on the starters:
Quarterback
* Tom Brady, New England
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
Philip Rivers, San Diego
Running back
* Ray Rice, Baltimore
Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville
Arian Foster, Houston
Fullback
* Vonta Leach, Baltimore
Wide receiver
* Wes Welker, New England
* Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh
A.J. Green, Cincinnati
Brandon Marshall, Miami
Tight end
* Rob Gronkowski, New England
Antonio Gates, San Diego
Tackle
* Joe Thomas, Cleveland
* Jake Long, Miami
D'Brickashaw Ferguson, N.Y. Jets
Guard
* Logan Mankins, New England
* Brian Waters, New England
Marshal Yanda, Baltimore
Center
* Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh
Nick Mangold, N.Y. Jets
Defense
Defensive end
* Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis
* Andre Carter, New England
Elvis Dumervil, Denver
Interior linemen
* Haloti Ngata, Baltimore
* Vince Wilfork, New England
Richard Seymour, Oakland
Outside linebacker
* Terrell Suggs, Baltimore
* Von Miller, Denver
Tamba Hali, Kansas City
Inside/midde linebacker
* Ray Lewis, Baltimore
Derrick Johnson, Kansas City
Cornerback
* Darrelle Revis, N.Y. Jets
* Champ Bailey, Denver
Johnathan Joseph, Houston
Free safety
* Ed Reed, Baltimore
Eric Weddle, San Diego
Strong safety
* Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh
Special teams
Punter �� �Shane Lechler, Oakland
Placekicker �� �Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland
Kick returner �� �Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
Special teamer �� �Matthew Slater, New England
For the NFC, the Pro Bowlers are, with starters asterisked:
Quarterback
* Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
Drew Brees, New Orleans
Eli Manning, N.Y. Giants
Running back
* LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia
Matt Forte, Chicago
Frank Gore, San Francisco
Fullback
* John Kuhn, Green Bay
Wide receiver
* Calvin Johnson, Detroit
* Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
Steve Smith, Carolina
Greg Jennings, Green Bay
Tight end
* Jimmy Graham, New Orleans
Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta
Tackle
* Jason Peters, Philadelphia
* Joe Staley, San Francisco
Jermon Bushrod, New Orleans
Guard
* Jahri Evans, New Orleans
* Carl Nicks, New Orleans
Davin Joseph, Tampa Bay
Center
* Ryan Kalil, Carolina
Scott Wells, Green Bay
Defense
Defensive end
* Jared Allen, Minnesota
* Jason Babin, Philadelphia
Jason Pierre-Paul, N.Y. Giants
Interior linemen
* Justin Smith, San Francisco
* Jay Ratliff, Dallas
B.J. Raji, Green Bay
Outside linebacker
* DeMarcus Ware, Dallas
* Clay Matthews, Green Bay
Lance Briggs, Chicago
Inside/midde linebacker
* Patrick Willis, San Francisco
Brian Urlacher, Chicago
Cornerback
* Charles Woodson, Green Bay
* Carlos Rogers, San Francisco
Charles Tillman, Chicago
Free safety
* Earl Thomas, Seattle
Dashon Goldson, San Francisco
Strong safety
* Adrian Wilson, Arizona
Special teams
Punter �� �Andy Lee, San Francisco
Placekicker �� �David Akers, San Francisco
Kick returner �� �Patrick Peterson, Arizona
Special teamer �� �Corey Graham, Chicago
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/NFL-announces-Pro-Bowl-rosters?urn=nfl-wp14785
Even the return of Steven Gerrard cannot end Andy Carroll's barren run | Richard Williams
Liverpool's captain came on and lifted his team but the �35m striker from Newcastle could not capitalise against his old club
When Steven Gerrard finally arrived to sort out the lamentable crossing that had hobbled Liverpool's efforts during the first hour, Andy Carroll began to look like a centre-forward once again. It was as simple as that. Had they enjoyed a full match together, rather than the 30 minutes they were given after Gerrard, who is still working his way back to fitness, arrived as a second-half substitute, they might have managed to complete the transformation of Carroll from an embarrassing joke back into the young colossus he resembled a year ago.
Gerrard's appearance presented Carroll with three chances, all from raking diagonal crosses from the right flank. Mike Williamson's untidy challenge kept him from meeting the first but he was alone in front of goal to meet the second, a clumsy first touch taking the ball out of his control. A few minutes later a third ball, delivered on a higher trajectory, saw Carroll rise above Williamson to smack a full-blooded header against the bar. At least he was getting closer, though not as close as Gerrard, whose fine goal sealed his return with a dramatic flourish. "Andy did everything tonight but score," Gerrard said. "He was very unlucky. If we keep giving him the service, the goals will come."
First blood in the loudly heralded battle of the centre-forwards went to Demba Ba, although Newcastle United's top scorer did no more than provoke Daniel Agger into deflecting Johan Cabaye's glancing header into the Liverpool net. Just over 40 minutes later Carroll played a similar role in the goal with which Craig Bellamy gave Liverpool the lead, neither he nor Williamson appearing to touch the ball as the Welshman's free-kick made its way past Tim Krul.
The differences between Ba and Carroll can be measured in the inch that separates them in height, the four years in age, the �35m in transfer fees or, more pertinently at this stage of the season, the matter of a dozen league goals. Various reasons have been advanced for Carroll's inability to make his performances for the Anfield club match the reputation he acquired at St James' Park, the most convincing being that Liverpool's style of play is not so closely tailored to the demands of his very traditional approach to the No9's job. With Luis Su�rez supplying the team's most potent goal threat and Maxi Rodriguez seemingly rejuvenated, the team's concentration has been on a quick-witted, short-passing game.
The absence of Su�rez last night gave Kenny Dalglish the opportunity to rearrange his side with the aim of optimising Carroll's natural assets and helping the big Geordie to rediscover the confidence that mysteriously failed to accompany him on the journey from the Tyne to the Mersey. But it is worth remembering that only 13 months ago, when Carroll made his debut for England in his last days as a Newcastle player, he looked far from being a man who plays the game in one dimension. Even in a 2-1 defeat by France, he presented himself as an international footballer in the making, leading the line with conviction but also showing an ability to drop deeper and link the play intelligently.
Carroll had to wait almost a quarter of an hour to make his first contribution last night, leaping high to knock down a clearance and then guiding the ball into the path of Bellamy, who sent Jos� Enrique away down the left. The Spaniard's low ball created anxiety for the Newcastle defence as it skimmed across the face of goal but no Liverpool player had made himself available to meet it. A couple of minutes later, when Ryan Taylor's cross was half-cleared, Carroll's shot, fiercely struck from 20 yards, was blocked by Jay Spearing, his team-mate.
Until Gerrard made his appearance it could be said in Carroll's defence that the quality of Liverpool's crosses, particularly from Stewart Downing and Glen Johnson on the right, had been disgracefully poor. No one had given the centre-forward as good a ball as he delivered to Bellamy in the first minute after the interval, sweeping a first-time pass into the path of his team-mate, running free down the left. When he took the momentum out of a promising move a few minutes later by redirecting Jos� Enrique's pass sloppily wide of Johnson, it was the sort of imprecision that can be blamed on a lack of match practice. Su�rez's forthcoming extended holiday will remove that excuse, no doubt.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/dec/30/andy-carroll-steven-gerrard-liverpool-newcastle
Drew Brees sets single-season passing record, sews up another NFC South title
The question was not whether New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees would break Dan Marino's single-season passing yardage record of 5,084 yards set in 1984 ? the question was when he'd do it. After all, Brees came close in 2008, when he threw for 5,069 yards, and with teams passing more than ever before, it made sense that Brees would be the first ? and perhaps not the last ? to re-set the mark in 2011.
It was also appropriate that the deciding throw was a fourth-quarter touchdown to running back Darren Sproles, a free-agent pickup from the San Diego Chargers who has defined the Saints' high-powered offense as much as anyone since Brees and head coach Sean Payton both came to New Orleans in 2006. Brees had also been with the Chargers, and some thought that he would never be the same after a shoulder injury in late 2005.
Those people were right ? now, he's so much better. Finishing with 5,087 yards on the night with one game left in the season, Brees was just as happy that the Saints sewed up the NFC South title with a 45-16 thrashing of the Atlanta Falcons.
[Related: Were Saints right to run up the score for Drew Brees' record?]
"Honestly, I was really trying not to think about the record or anything ? I knew we were close," Brees said after the game. �"A couple guys mentioned it to me on the sideline, and I didn't want to hear it. It's like a pitcher with a no-hitter, I guess. I was just thinking about throwing completions and scoring a touchdown. Sproles did a great job of getting inside on that deal, he caught it, and I just got bum-rushed by the offensive linemen. I figured at that point, we probably broke the record, or else they wouldn't be hoisting me up like this.
"I knew after the touchdown to [Robert] Meacham that we were really close. Then we had a couple of those drives that just stalled out, and I thought, 'You've gotta be kidding me.' Especially since through the whole game, we were converting third downs and doing all the right things offensively. Yet, we couldn't put a drive together in the fourth quarter. I thought, 'We've got to get the ball back, go down and score and put it together. If it happens, it happens, but if it doesn't, at least we finish strong.' But we finished strong and got the record as well."
[Related: NFL playoff picture: Saints, Falcons could meet again]
Finally, Brees was asked what he will tell his little boys about what Daddy did? "Well, they were at home sleeping tonight, but they might have felt a reverberation that the Superdome created with all the noise in here. I love our fans, and I love that everybody can be a part of this. There are so many people who are a part of this. It's not about me ? it's about this team and this city. It's about these fans ? so many people who contributed to this. I'm happy for them."
With 4,897 passing yards through 15 games, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady could break Marino's record -- and Brees' record -- as well.
[Slideshow: Drew Brees' record-setting night]
For his part, Marino put forth a classy gesture via his Twitter account.
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? The biggest college football gaffes of 2011
? At long last, Lions set to return to playoffs
? Larry Fitzgerald's dad rips his Cardinals teammate on Twitter
Friday, December 30, 2011
Celebrating Hanukkah with Chicago?s ?Bear Jew,? Gabe Carimi
Hanukkah started at sundown on Tuesday. Jews around the world celebrated by lighting menorahs, saying prayers, and eating latkes. Among those celebrating over the eight-day holiday is Chicago Bear Gabe Carimi. He advised a Chicago food critic on what made a good latke.
Carimi is currently rehabbing an injured knee and recently learned he has to have a second knee surgery. Though he hasn't been able to contribute to Chicago on the field, he became a part of the community from the day he was drafted in April. He happily embraced the Jewish community in Chicago, giving himself the nickname "Bear Jew" and appearing at Jewish events. At one appearance, he served as an inspiration for young Jewish athletes.
"It shows that Jews are not just scrawny little people," an 11-year-old said. "Jews can go far [in sports]."
That is proven in the NFL. Carimi's teammate, punter Adam Podlesh, is also Jewish. More than a dozen Jews currently play in the league, including Antonio Garay and Sage Rosenfels. The Hall of Fame enshrined Jewish players Sid Luckman and Ron Mix.
To all of our Jewish readers, have a very Happy Hanukkah. If you want to share some latkes, we won't complain.
Fake Jon Gruden?s ?Twas the Night Before Christmas (Eve Games)?
Twas the day before Christmas, and my spirits are high,
you talk about excitement, just look at this guy! (points to self)
The standings are set with the playoffs quite near,
in hopes that fake Gruden will provide Christmas cheer.
Jaws and Tirico are snuggled in bed,
while visions of A-gaps blitz through their heads.
And I on my stool, with a pants tent that's foul,
hitting rewind for hours, while perfecting my scowl.
When I woke up at 4, I jumped with a start,
the games were today and my hair was sans part!
I combed it real quick and and looked with intrigue
at this week's great schedule in the Nat. Football League.
When I gazed at the games my eyes were a-wonder,
the Bears and the Packers playing on frozen tundra?
And the Jets and the Giants, in a battle of New York?
Whichever teams loses, just give 'em a fork.
Then there's Norv and the Chargers, playin' Suh in Detroit,
that guy is tenacious, Jaws, and his skills are adroit.
He plays with a toughness that's sometimes quite haughty,
And I'm guessing the list that he'll be on is "naughty."
The game of the day is played out near Dallas,
in a place that's so nice, I call it "the palace."
Romo and Vick and DeSean and Dez B?
What's that thing Ochocinco says? Oh, right, "child please."
Now this guy! Now that guy! Now Rodgers and Brees!
On that guy! On this guy! On guys, all of these!
To the top of the field! Our gameday awaits,
I'll tell 'ya, I'm hyped for this NFL slate.
But then, in a twinkling, I saw on the field,
a young man with much stubble and an aura congealed.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Out the tunnel came Tebow with his step in a bound.
He was dressed all in orange, from his head to his toes,
yet his clothes were all bathed in this heavenly glow.
A bundle of comebacks he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a savior, with all that eye black.
He sprang under center. To his team, led a prayer,
Tim, he's got moxie, a trait that's so rare.
Then I heard that guy call, as he passed out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
Managers are rightly wary of being forced into the January sales | David Lacey
Buying and selling players in mid?season is a dodgy business at the best of times ? and for every �7m Dean Ashton there is a �50m Fernando Torres
January, according to the old rhyme, brings the snow that makes our feet and fingers glow. In football, however, it is the time of year when fingers are more likely to be burned than frozen as the month-long transfer window tempts clubs to spend in haste before repenting at leisure.
This will be the 10th season that the window has been in operation since being made compulsory by Fifa in 2002-03 following negotiations with the European Commission. It has never been wholly popular with clubs, more than a few of whom would rather go back to the old system that allowed players to move at any time until late March, when a deadline was imposed to prevent a wave of last-minute panic buying.
Buying and selling players in mid?season is a dodgy business at the best of times. On the whole managers would prefer to wait until summer before looking for ways to strengthen their squads. Then again, if a club know that a player will be out of contract and a free agent when the season ends, selling him in January to be sure of a fee makes sense.
Laying out large amounts to sign even the most talented players is something of a gamble and if managers heed the lessons of the last window they will think twice before they splurge. For a time last January, Aston Villa were the biggest spenders, having signed Darren Bent from Sunderland for �18m. Then, with the deadline hours away, �135m was spent, most of it by Chelsea and Liverpool. Fernando Torres moved from Anfield to Stamford Bridge for �50m, Andy Carroll joined Liverpool from Newcastle for �35m, Chelsea signed David Luiz from Benfica for around �25m and Liverpool bought Luis Su�rez from Ajax for �22.8m.
The extravagance did not help either club to win anything. Chelsea finished in the top four of the Premier League but they had led it until late November. Liverpool climbed into the top half of the table but still only came sixth.
Of these four, signings Su�rez has been the most successful, bringing another dimension to Liverpool's previously pedestrian attack. The Uruguayan, however, is facing an eight?match ban after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra, a punishment that is subject to appeal, and was banned from Friday night's game against Newcastle for giving the finger to Fulham fans. Apparently millions do not buy good manners.
The absence of Su�rez has left people wondering whether this would provide a chance for Carroll to come good against his old club. That it could ever be doubted Kenny Dalglish would start with the 22-year-old striker, the team's present goal shortage notwithstanding, says everything about Carroll's failure to reproduce the scoring form at Newcastle that persuaded Liverpool to part with such a huge sum in the first place.
Of course the deal was eased by the fact that Liverpool were receiving rather more from Chelsea for Torres, a purchase that continues to look like the worst piece of January window?shopping since the system was introduced as well as an early candidate for the sell of the century. For Roman Abramovich, Chelsea's loaded owner, �50m may be small change but football as a whole feels the inflationary effect of these exorbitant transfers, not to mention the salaries that the players command.
All right, clubs do not go to these January sales expecting bargains, quite the opposite, but before they start to weigh the chances of snapping up the likes of Jack Rodwell from Everton, Bobby Zamora from Fulham and Junior Hoilett from Blackburn they would do well to cast their minds back to what happened last season, while remembering their Latin: caveat emptor, buyer beware, a phrase the Romans could have coined for Carlos Tevez.
Some January signings must just have seemed good ideas at the time: Manchester United paying Fulham �12.8m for Louis Saha in 2004 or Jonathan Woodgate moving from Middlesbrough to Tottenham in 2008 for �8m, only to spend many of his days at White Hart Lane in the treatment room. At �5.5m from West Ham Scott Parker has been an infinitely better buy for Spurs this season than he was after joining Chelsea from Charlton for �10m eight windows ago.
West Ham could be said to have achieved the smartest of the January signings over the past nine seasons, paying Norwich and Birmingham �7m and �7.5m respectively for Dean Ashton and Matthew Upson in 2006 and 2007. Hammers fans must be misty-eyed at the memory.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/dec/30/managers-forced-january-sales
Emmitt Smith rips Cowboys? toughness ahead of season finale
If the Dallas Cowboys continue to play without mental toughness, franchise legend Emmitt Smith thinks the team will get blew out ... blowed out on Sunday against the New York Giants. Blown out.
The Hall of Fame running back told Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com that he doubts the team has enough leadership and toughness to win the de facto NFC East Championship game on Sunday night.
"Talent-wise, I think they have it. Leadership-wise, they have some good leaders on the ballclub. Do they have enough? Probably not. Can they go up to New York and be mentally tough in this situation? I think Jason [Garrett] has done a very good job of preparing the guys to be physically and hopefully mentally tough, but I think mental toughness is the thing needed in games like this.
"Mental toughness for four quarters or five quarters, if you have to go that far. But that's something our Cowboys have not been able to do in close games. And that's where mental toughness comes into play."
It was that exact mental toughness that allowed Smith to become the NFL's all-time leading rusher, a three-time Super Bowl champion and the guy who succeeded Drew Lachey as "Dancing With the Stars" champion. He's completely right though; as he pointed out later, the Cowboys have lost four games this season after holding fourth quarter leads. And in one of those, it was a timeout by Jason Garrett that played a hand in defeat. Is the team getting its cues from its coach?
The bright side is that the Cowboys are playing the Giants, a team whose mental toughness comes and goes without advance warning. One day they're beating New England and hanging with the defending Super Bowl champions, the next they're getting swept by the Washington Redskins.
Unnamed Falcons player upset about Saints running up score
On the way to Drew Brees breaking Dan Marino's single-season passing record, the Saints scored a whole lot of touchdowns, and the Falcons resorted to a whole lot of field goals. CBS Sports' Pete Prisco and an unnamed Falcons player had a problem with the Saints continuing to pass when they were up by 22 points.
It was a questionable decision to say the least to go for it in that manner since the Saints have another game to break the record ... The players I talked to all thought it was classless.
"No need for that," one player said. "It came on our watch, but it didn't have to come that way. We won't forget it."
Yes, those sentences were written about an NFL game between divisional rivals, not the pre-season scrimmage played on a Pop Warner field. I have to agree with the take Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon told to Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole.
"No man, it's our job to stop them," said linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who missed New Orleans running back Darren Sproles on the record-setting play. "I can't say I'm upset by them running up the score or anything like that when I had a chance to make a play."
Not only did the Falcons have a chance to stop Brees from getting the record during Monday night's game, they also could have stopped him during their game in November. Brees dropped 322 yards on the Falcons in that game.
That's the beauty of football. If this unnamed Falcon has a problem with something the Saints have done, he can exact revenge on the football field.
Colts not yet sewn up with Luck, and Irsay?s mind is on Manning
Several different factors made the 2012 NFL draft a great deal more interesting on Thursday. Start with USC quarterback Matt Barkley's decision to stay in school, and add in what that does to the rest of the quarterback picture. Multiply that by the number of teams looking to trade up with teams like the Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Rams for the quarterback picks those teams wouldn't likely make, and things were goofy enough before the Indianapolis Colts threw the whole thing into a tizzy by banishing the "Suck For Luck" mantra once and for all and beating the Houston Texans, 19-16 for their second straight victory of the season.
The once-winless Colts are now 2-13, and in "danger" of losing the first overall pick. Should they do so, they might still be in line for Stanford superstar quarterback Andrew Luck, but that's a story for later. Asked about the Colts' overall quarterback situation before the game started, team owner Jim Irsay had Peyton Manning on his mind. The future Hall of Famer has been out the entire season with neck issues that have required three surgeries in the last two years (injuries that have also caused nerve impingement in his throwing arm), but he's been as much a part of the team as possible.
[Fantasy Football video: Biggest surprises of 2011]
"Peyton came up to me and said, 'You've got two minutes [left] and no timeouts, just get it to a minute,'" Colts starting quarterback Dan Orlovsky said after the win. "'And if you got yourself to a minute with some completions, you'd see what would happen.' We were able to do that, and we got some plays ? we kept fighting, we kept playing hard, the guys up front were picking up some pressures in front of us, and the guy who's made a lot of unbelievable plays for us [receiver Reggie Wayne, who caught the winning touchdown pass] made another one tonight."
No surprise that Manning is acting as the team's ad hoc offensive coordinator ? with all due respect to longtime confidant Tom Moore, that was his function on the field for most of his career. Still, the franchise must wrestle with that larger question ? what happens if and when Manning says he's ready to come back?
"He's progressing," Colts owner Jim Irsay told Rich Eisen of the NFL Network during Thursday's pregame telecast. "It has been an odyssey that started in the spring, and it's been tough on him and tough on the franchise. He's getting better. My first and foremost concern is always his overall health, and in terms of when and if he is ready to get back on the field, he's got to be healthy. That's the key thing?But he's progressed and the arm is getting stronger."
But what if the Colts are presented with the dual option of Manning and Luck? The Colts are on the hook for a $28 million option payment to Manning at the beginning of the 2012 league year as part of the five-year, $90 million contract extension he signed in July. Even with the new rookie wage scale, the Colts could be in a position where an abnormally high percentage of their 2012 salary cap would be taken up by the quarterback position ? and last time we checked, there probably wasn't a provision in the playbook for Manning and Luck to see the field at the same time.
"I don't see that being the issue; I paid him $26 million this year ? he didn't play," Irsay said of Manning. "I knew it was an iffy situation going in. In terms of if he's healthy and if he's ready to play, I see him back with us. The draft will be what the draft is; there are a lot of situations that can unfold from here. If there is a great young quarterback there, we wouldn't hesitate to take him."
For Irsay, the important thing has been communication ? just as Manning continues to make an impact in the team in all the ways he can, the franchise understands the responsibility it holds in keeping Manning up to speed on the draft decision. It's a delicate balance that has been mangled by more than one team in the past.
"We've had conversations obviously through this whole year, so I won't get into detail what he and I discuss when we met," Irsay said. "But we've always been on the same page. When the neck injury came up, it was he and I who really sat down and got the contract done; he wanted to get it done. He really wanted to make sure there were other players that were around him so he could have greatness on the field, and that's the kind of unselfish guy that he is. I don't see the numbers being a problem in terms of this. This is really about is he going to be able to come back and really be the old Peyton Manning, play at a very high level? That's something he and I will talk about when the season ends, but right now we both realize we have two games to play. That's where the focus is: on winning the next two games."
They've won one of those games; if the Colts lose the season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they'll get the first overall pick on a no-matter-what basis.
But then, there's another question ? what about the other holes on the roster? After all, the 2008 New England Patriots went 11-5 without Tom Brady for all but one quarter of football. What Manning's absence did was to make very obvious the whiffs in recent drafts committed by vice chairman Bill Polian and the Colts' front office. Just as Irsay had a key decision to make about his quarterback situation, he knows there's another one to be made about the future front office.
"Obviously I'm concerned that we came out and lost 13 games. We'll probably be $8 million cash over cap; we're up around $130 [million] in spending. It's not like we planned on a rebuilding year. When Kerry Collins was an option brought to me to bring in, I said go for it. I've always been willing to pay and pay well over the cap to win. [There are] a lot of veterans on the team, a high-paid team. Certainly we're looking to do better, but in terms of evaluating things you can just look at what you have with the Texans tonight. Their coach was under great fire, most of the fans and the media in town would have probably wanted him to be removed. [Texans owner] Bob McNair stuck with him and now he's very popular in Houston with this division championship. When the season ends, I'll evaluate everything thoughtfully and look at it."
Still, the Texans have lost their last two games, and the loss to the Colts seems to have made Houston fans particularly apoplectic. That's how quickly things can change in the NFL, and that's why so much rests on Irsay's shoulders right now. He's not just playing dice with the future of what has become a keystone franchise in the NFL; he also has to decide the professional futures of the two men who had the most to do with that designation.
Irsay seems up to the challenge, but the crown must be weighing a bit heavy these days.
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski learned from hyper-competitive father
? UFC fighter Urijah Faber shaves his famous locks to support sister
? Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol stand tall as trade talk swirls