Cards earn ugly win over 49ers 29-24 on MNF

This team will live and die on the arm of Kurt Warner. Not a state secret or anything, but when will the coaching staff of the Arizona Cardinals truly trust that? On a critical 3rd and 2 in the 4th quarter the Cards called a run to highly ineffective Tim Hightower when a 1st down all but seals the deal. To that point AZ had been averaging 2.5 yards per rush for the game. Kurt Warner ended his stellar evening(32 of 42 - 328 yards - 3TD - 0 INT)handing the ball off to his rookie running back and essentially asking his defense to hold. Which they did when Michael Robinson was stonewalled on the 2 as time expired. Too close a call for a team that is trying to shed the label of choke artists. This game puts Arizona at 6-3 and in firm control of the NFC West, but it proved that like so many squads in the NFL the Arizona Cardinals are no super powers. The defense did come up big when it needed too with Adrian Wilson intercepting his 2nd pass of the season, both against the 49ers. The 4.3 yards per rush allowed by the Cards defense prove they have many holes to plug before the playoffs. Karlos Dansby came through huge with an INT as well as seven tackles. The receiving core for AZ came through on the National Stage last night. Boldin added two more TD catches to his league leading total. Larry Fitgerald added a TD reception as well with Steve Breaston gathering seven catched for 121 yards. Any semblance of a steady running game will make this offense scary as hell. The last stat to leave you with is during Kurt Warner's career when he averages a passer rating over 100 for the season his team ultimately has reached the Super Bowl. This years rating sits @ 106.4 through 9 games.

Understatement of the Year

That was the worst ending to a World Series ever. Way to go MLB umps and Bud Selig.

Game 1 Review

Backstreet Boys harmonize the national anthem.

Joe Buck and Tim McCarver suck for the record.

Mike Schmidt announces the Phils starting line-up(makes comment about Pedro Feliz being the strongest defensive 3B in a long time...Does that doom him to an error?)

TB has the edge at DH with Erick Aybar batting opposite of Chris Coste for the Phils.

Largest crowd ever @ Tropicana Field was for an NKOTB concert.


Top 1: Werth walks. Kazmir looked sharp except for his cock shot fastball to Utley that he deposited in RF seats for a 2-run HR. PHI 2-0

Bottom 1: Miscommunication between Howard/Hamels leads to infield single for Iwamura(trivia question). 6-4-3 double play gets Philly out of a jam and TB goes 1-2-3. PHI 2-0

Top 2: Victorino infield single, Feliz walks. Kazmir starting to miss strike zone regularly. Victorino picked off 2B(umpire calls him safe). Kazmir walks his 3rd batter(Ruiz) of the game. BJ Upton hoses Victorino at the dish to complete the DP on Jimmy Rollins fly ball. Rollins has 2 at-bats/ 3 pitches seen. PHI 2-0

Bottom 2: Hamels goes 1-2-3 with Longoria(K), Crawford(F8) and Aybar(K). PHI 2-0

Top 3: Check swing double for Werth to lead off the inning. Howard K's with runner @ 3rd with less than 2 outs. Kazmir tightens up and K's Burrell to strand the runner @ third. PHI 2-0

Bottom 3: Rays load the bases(2 hits, walk). Upton grounds into an inning ending 5-4-3 DP with the bases loaded. PHI 2-0

Top 4: Ruiz has an RBI ground out to score Victorino who led off the inning with a bloop single. Rollins K's with runner on 2nd to end the inning. Kazmir looks rattled with runners on base. PHI 3-0

Bottom 4: Hamels gets 2 quick outs to start the inning. Crawford hits a solo jack to put the Rays on the board. PHI 3-1

Top 5: Kazmir gets the first 2 batters, but walks Howard. Burrell hits 30 foot nubber to Kazmir-Pena drops his throw for 1st and 2nd two outs. Victorino grounds out 4-6 to end the inning. Why are the Phils hitters not taking more pitches? PHI 3-1

Bottom 5: Jason Bartlett works a 2-out walk and steals second base(earning America a free taco from Taco Bell). Iwamura fouls off 2 pitches in a full count and drives an RBI-Double to LF for his third hit of the game. Ryan Howard snags a foul pop by Upton from the fans to end the inning. PHI 3-2

Top 6: Pedro Feliz gets a lead off single. Kazmir gets the next 3 batters including Jimmy Rollins on an inning ending F8. PHI 3-2

Bottom 6: Pena reaches on E3, but is immediately caught stealing 1-3-6. Longoria follows with backwards K and Crawford grounds out 4-3. Hamels looks to be getting stronger. PHI 3-2

Top 7: JP Howell comes in for Kazmir. Utley reaches on 1-out single(steals 2nd - advances to 3rd on WP). Howard K's with runner on 3rd with 1 out. Burrell reaches on a 2 out walk. Grant Balfour comes in for Howell. Victorino K's making the Phillies 0 for 11 with RISP. PHI 3-2

Bottom 7: Gotta go pick up the GF @ the airport.

2008 World Series

The World Series is upon us. Doesn't matter who you are rooting for because it's going 7 games. The Rays are rolling in with momentum while the Phillies have been resting since the 15th. With both the ALCS and NLCS MVP being a starting pitcher don't expect any batters to get locked in for the entire series. Pitching will dominate. The Phils will prevail in seven.

NLCS Preview

Well since the last round of predictions went so well I figured another set of mindless picks is definitely in order. First up we have the Phillies vs. Dodgers for the NL Pennant. Full disclosure...I hate the Dodgers...Ok strongly dislike, but if there was a team that would deserve the H word it would be this one. I now go forth without bias. Those LA bastards are hot right now. I compare it to the burned roof of your mouth after delivered pizza munching hot. It can either stay with you all week or you won't notice it the day afer tomorrow. Of course the offense starts with Manny Ramirez, but for a 7 game series some others need to contribute. I will give Russell Martin the guy I least like to see at the plate not named Manny award. If he gets AB's with runners in scoring position it's all bad for Philly. The only thing I have to say about Rafeal Furcal is someone be ready drive him home from any celebration involving alcohol. A few more well placed clutch hits like James Loney's Grand Salami against Chicago and we'll be choking on Kirk Gibson replays the final week of October. The real question is will the Phils be able to hit off Dodger starting pitching? If they keep turning in their 6+ inning solid efforts it will be tough for Philly to muster any scoring. Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda are a formidable threesome this October. Will Greg Maddux get another shot at starting in October? On the flipside you have the Philadelphia Philles. These aren't the colorful group of Dykstra, Kruk, Daulton and the gang from 1993(too bad for us), but they aren't too shabby neither. Ryan Howard looks to take home the MVP award this year, but thankfully the voting was done before his 2 for 11(5 k's) in the Divisional Round. Howard and Chase Utley(2 for 15-4 K's) will have to step up for them to beat LA period. Contributions from Jimmy Rollins, Jayson Werth and Pat Burrell are strongly encouraged, but those two can't pull another disappearing act. Toeing the slab will be Cole Hamels(dirty change-up), Brett Myers(wife beater), Jamie Moyer(crafty veteran) and Joe Blanton(Stud) whom they acquired when Billy Beane decided that everything must go in Oakland. Hamels and Myers will be tough on LA, but Moyer and Blanton will possibly revert back to their 4-inning masterpieces in big games. Ryan Madson, JC Romero and Brad Lidge are the only arms I want to see from the bullpen. Anyone else has me throwing crap at the screen like a zoo animal. If Charlie Manuel has any sense for his lower part of the line-up he will start Greg Dobbs over Pedro Feliz @ 3B every chance he gets. I watched Feliz swing at slop for too long in a Giants uniform to expect anything from him in October. My baseless prediction is Philly in 6.

Jonny Gomes - I want to hang with this dude!

Cards 41 - Bills 17

My week could've been worse. I went 1 for 4 on my playoff picks and it still could've been worse. Kurt Warner contemplated retirement after the Anquan Boldin injury against the Jets. Thanks for staying on Kurt. The offense is only right with you at the helm. This weeks 41-17 ass whoopin' of the formerly undefeated Buffalo Bills was foreshadowed by a vicious(and legal) sack laid down on Trent Edwards. Steve Breaston stepped up for the receiving core with 7 catches for 77 yards. Larry Fitzgerald added 2 TD catches. Rookie RB Tim Hightower upped his season total of TD's to 5. The defense was anchored by Travis LaBoy (6 tck, 2 sacks) and Eric Green (1 int, 2 pds). Next week is the real challenge though with Dallas coming to town. The pass rush will have to be in Tony Simpsons face all day long.

The week that was...

First off this forum would like to observe a moment of silence for the passing of Paul Newman............Alrighty.......Let's see.......what happened this past week? Well for one thing the Cardinals showed they have a long way to go on defense to win anything let alone the NFC West. Scoring 34 points is wonderful, but the 56 given up to the New York Bretts is recockulous. This AZ team is better when Warner is airing it out 40+ times a game, but the secondary needs to play better than the Iraqi Navy. After everyone started licking the Card nads....On the baseball front we only have one thought going into the playoffs. Thank you oh merciful gods of baseball for giving us the early gift of ZERO New York teams in the postseason. The Mets are the most overrated bunch on the diamond. This websites official opinion is that Jose Reyes is not the most exciting player in the game and anyone who says that isn't really watching. Today the playoffs begin and heres what I think:

Angels vs. Red Sox
Is it possible for both teams not to move on and the other series be played as the ALCS? Okay I will come back from fantasy island for just a minute. The 100 wins for the Angels during the serason will mean absolutely nothing if they take Boston lightly. The Sox will miss their quirky LF and need Youkilis and Pedroia to step it up big time to fill that offensive void. The best part about this series is that one of these teams will not move on.
Angels in 5

Rays vs. White Sox
Can you hear the crickets in Tampa Bay? Is it a state law in Florida that their contending teams play to half full stadiums. Keep your ears peeled for the annoying ass Rays fan that has killer seats and usually takes advantage of the empty stadium to yell stuff for the TV. If he gets inside Ozzie Guillens dome it will be worth every penny. The White Sox have the playoff experience, but this Cinderella season for TB doesn't feel over yet.
Rays in 4

Cubs vs. Dodgers
The battle of the blue hats. Funny only one of these blue squads makes me want to puke. The Fodgers have limped into the playoffs during the NL West's off year(Last year the West sent two teams to the playoffs)and we all have to suffer. Their pitching is strong, but October is the stage for clutch hitting. Other than Manny Ramirez their is no other bat that frightens opposing pitchers. The Cubs on the other hand have solid sticks from 1 to 9(Yeah I'm counting Zambrano!). The one guy I believe should get legitimate NL MVP love is Mark DeRosa. Plug him anywhere and he gives you a solid glove with run scoring potential. Look for him to sneak in his usual line drives to the gap.
Cubs in 3

Brewers vs. Phillies
This one is going to be knock down drag out. I can't decide who wants it more. The Brewers are just having fun and the Phillies have their psychotic fans to please. The Crew has clutch bats all over their roster(Counsell, Durham),but their pitching seems to be limping at the wrong time. Ben Sheets will probably gut it out, but don't expect deep games with him and when is CC's arm going to fall off. He will be going on 3 days rest for the 2,192nd start in a row(The Giants better give him a serious offer this winter). The Phils have the undisputed MVP Ryan Howard leading the way. It's like he listened to everyone saying he strikes out too much(only 21 k's in Seoptember). On the mound Cole Hamels is their guy. After him is a 67 year old, a wife beater and a dude they fake traded to Japan. The back end is carried by Brad Lidge who went 41-41 in save chances this season. It seems he has fully recovered from that mammoth jack that Albert Pujols hit off him in 2005(the silence was deafening).
Brewers in 5



2008 Season Awards

NL Cy Young:
1. Tim Lincecum
2. Brandon Webb
3. Brad Lidge

NL MVP:
1. Ryan Howard
2. Albert Pujols
3. Mark DeRosa

NL Rookie of the Year:
1. Geovany Soto
2. Edinson Volquez

AL Cy Young:
1. Cliff Lee
2. Roy Halladay
3. Daisuke Matsuzaka

AL MVP:
1. Josh Hamilton
2. Joe Mauer
3. Carlos Quentin

AL Rookie of the Year:
1. Alexei Ramirez
2. Evan Longoria

Week 2: Cards 31 - Dolphins 10

Is it too early to vote Kurt Warner for MVP? Yeah I thought so, but a Cardinal fan can dream can't he. For the 1st time since 1991 the Arizona Cardinals are 2-0. This start is due in no small part to the decision by Ken Whisenhunt to go with Warner over bonus baby Matt Leinart. For the 2nd week in a row the Head Coaches decision was validated by his Quarterback's play. A cool 361 yards on 19 of 24 passing with 3 TD passes for old #13 sank the Dolphins hopes for equaling their win total from 2007. It started on the first play from scrimmage for AZ. Okay, okay they had 2 penalites before the 79 yard TD pass to Anquan Boldin(6 rec-140 yds-3 TD), but who's counting. Adding another 3 yard TD pass to Boldin and the Cards were up 14-0 at the end of the 1st quarter. The game was never much closer than that. The Cardinals defense had a day in holding the Phish to 246 total yards. Karlos Dansby led the D with 7 tackles on the day. Bertrand Berry and Bryan Robinson each had 1 sack a piece. Other offensive studs were Larry Fitzgerald who added 6 catches for 153 yards and rookie RB Tim Hightower who scored another touchdown. Hightower is quickly becoming a solid goal line option for the Cards. The time of possession was not as uneven this week with the Cards edging out Miami 31:53 to 28:06. Once again the Cards couldn't get any rhythm with the running game and averaged a pathetic 2.6 yards per rush on their way to an 81 yard day. That will have to be improved if the Cards plan on beating better teams. Next week the Cards travel to the nations capital to battle the Redskins(1-1).

Was this a Cheap Shot?

You tell me football fans. After the shock of the reigning MVP being put on the shelf for the season wears off will the league look at this play and hand out a fine? The only logical outcome from diving at a QB's legs while he steps up in the pocket is injury. Also I would like to be the first one to say that the Patriots will still be a factor in who reaches the Super Bowl from the AFC. I seem to recall this same situation happening in 2001 and everyone said it was over for New England. We all know how that turned out.

Week 1: Cards 23 - 49ers 13

To all the 49er fans I encountered this past week "Bite me". All I heard this week was how SF swept the series last year and the Mike Martz led offense was going to put up points. Good call tweakers. Being a Cardinal loyalist I could spout off how excited I am for Anquan Boldin's 8 second half receptions or Tim Hightower's 1st NFL touchdown or how Edge ground out another 100 yard effort for the Birds. No the stat that gives me (cover your eyes true Cardinal fans) hope is the Time of Possession (AZ 37:05 - SF 22-55). The one thing all AZ fans know is that we can score when we need to. Holding the lead is an entirely different beast. One that new coach Ken Whisenhunt seems ready to slay. The biggest mistake of the day was Mike Gandy(69-T) taking a cheap shot at Patrick Willis early in the game. The Cardinals were pushed back 15 yards and ended up missing the Field Goal attempt. These are the mental mistakes that tend to sink the Cards in years past. Hopefully the coaching staff will chew his ass royally for that one. Defensive studs were Adrian Wilson who secured his 1st pick of the season and Travis LaBoy who collared 2 sacks and a fumble recovery late in the game. Offensively the list is long. Whether it was Steve Breaston coming up huge (3 rec-52yds) or Larry Fitzgerald getting up for a TD over $80 million dollar Nate Clements. The man who seemed least likely to contribute after a quiet 1st half was Anquan Boldin. After being a non factor for 30 minutes #81 decided to show his other-wordly athleticism and drop 8 receptions for 82 yards on the 49er D. Boldin proved once and for all that he is the numero uno receiver on this squad. Kurt Warner had a solid day( 19-30, 197 yds, 1 TD), but showed his knack for hanging on to the ball too long more than once. Special teams were anchored by head case Neil Rackers going 3 of 4 on FG attempts. Punter Dirk Johnson definitely helped the sputtering AZ offense in the 1st half by pinning SF deep inside the 20 yard line twice. Let's just improve on that 2.8 yards per carry next week. Week 1 is in the books and Arizona stands firmly atop the NFC West. Next up Da Tuna and his phish from Miami(0-1).

I'm baaaaaaack

Well, well, well. Y'all thought I had given up on this blogging thing. Wrong. PHSN has taken a 6 month sabbatical and is roaring back in grand fashion. Since I am not a complete dork I won't mention anything about fantasy sports unless I am ripping on them. Promise. 20o8 MLB season is winding down and there is only a few things to comment about. It will be most beautiful if the Yankees October tee times could coincide with the Red Sox. I won't be greedy though. Nobody saw the DRays doing what they did this year. Someone says they did know they are living atop Mt. Bullshit. The Twinkies will hopefully knock the ChiSox out, but their lack of power may hurt them in September(Plus that damn Republican Convention). As readers of this blog know this blog doesn't recognize the accomplishments of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim-Northern Hemisphere-SoCal so screw them. The NL is who I am pulling for, but the pickings are slim. I always pull for the snakes out West, but they are losing just enough to keep the Fodgers in the race. The Cubbies will take the Central, but relying on Rich Harden if Zambrano is hurt will prove risky. The Brew Crew should hold the Wild Card granted Prince Fielder(the fattest vegetarian on earth) doesn't beat any more of his pitchers up. In the East I am going to be honest....I hate the Mets. Their 'diverse' team is all about me-me-me. Led by ultimate team guy Pedro Martinez. He openly takes shots @ Johan Santana who has every right to dislike that whole team since he has pitched well and only has 12 wins. I am enjoying the Astros run at the Wild Card, but it will probably be too little too late. I still can't believe Lance Berkman(Brian Fusch look alike) can go through a slump of biblical proportions (2 for like 76,ooo) and still be batting .335 This guy is the man and he gets no love. Also being a true fan of the Green and Gold keeps me on the side of Miguel Tejada. Sure he may have cheated, but he always cheered his squad on like a 10 year old on the top step. We'll see how the playoffs look at the beginning of October. Now on to football. Once again I am pissed at all the talking heads speaking about my Cardinals. I long for the years where we sucked and everybody knew it. No smoke and mirrors at the start of the season. If I have to hear one more douche bigelow pick the Cards as the sleeper in the NFC(for the 4th year in a row)I am going to run amok and start dismembering people. I don't want to, but I may have to. Now here I give my opinion on the 2009 Arizona Cardinals. The choice to give the lead to Kurt Warner was the only choice by Whisenhunt. Matt Leinart is not ready. A year or two behind Warner can only season him to become an NFL quarterback. This is to be Kurt's swan song. Leading the down trodden franchise to the playoffs. I see 10 games on the schedule that are wins so my guess is 10-6. Warner will remind Boldin why he should stay with the Cards. Fitz will free up double teams again and they will both catch 85+. Edge is on the down slope, but Tim Hightower will help bridge the gap. I see 1,300 yards for Edge and 500 for Hightower. Ben Patrick(TE) will emerge as a solid outlet for Warner. I expect another solid progression year for Steve Breaston. He know has the chance to step up and be #3 behind Boldy/Fitzy. The D will be anchored with the return of Bertrand Berry and Chike Okeafor. I expect Cromartie to be playing a lot by mid-season and showing that same athletic ability that runs in his family. Adrian Wilson will be a monster in the middle once again. He better get some respect nationally this year(Nothing a winning season won't cure). That's what I think about that. The rest of the NFL is too crazy to predict. Hopefully Mr. Favre doesn't get his neck ripped off. Tommy and the Pats will be there once again to challenge for the Lombardi trophy.

Sneak Peak

Rick Ankiel wins starting job in CF. Will have a solid season.What a long strange trips it's been...... Jack Cust speaks back with towering homers and thunderous K's........Curt Schilling on the DL. It's been a good ride brother. Keep your fingers crossed for HOF votes...The Big Unit toeing the slab for one more year. Heres to 1 last member of the 300 club...

SF Diablos

Good Morning Folks. I will have my predictions for the upcoming as soon as Spring Training wraps up. Just keep your eyes open for the San Francisco Diablos in the SFNABA. With a few old farts, young punks and wily veterans we just might turn a few heads on the diamond.

Roger Clemens*

A family of cheaters. What are the odds that the Clemens kids
are also using performance enhancing substances?

Diesel in the Desert

I don't know why I used that stupid nickname. I have never been a fan of that one particularly, but what the hell. In keeping with the Jones' I too must offer up my $0.02. What is the big uproar over this deal? For most of last year and the beginning of this season the NBA pundits complained about Shaq losing a step and not being as dominant. No kidding! The guy has been the true force of the NBA since the first day he stepped on the court. I never liked his game since he didn't put much into shooting free throws when he was all about contact, but that doesn't change the fact that kids in Millbrae, CA wore Orlando Magic parkas during the summer in the early 90's. It wasn't because of Scott Skiles on NBA Jam. 15 years later the 320lbs. beast still can slam with the best of 'em. People are already saying the Suns will suffer greatly from this deal. How so? So we lose Shawn "softy" Marion. I hate to have to smack talk the Matrix, but in big games(playoffs)he would disappear and score 5 points on 4 shot attempts. His defense will be missed, but I'm sure the rotations will be adjusted by D'ntoni. Shaq averaged 14/7 this season while he was healthy. That was on a pathetic Heat team with only 10 attempts/game. He will flourish in PHX. His rebounding will lead to more fastbreak points in an already high octane offense. What about the playoffs? That's what they got him for. What usually stalls the Suns? The halfcourt sets that San Antonio and Dallas throw at 'em. Now they have the big man presence to play that game on both ends of the floor. Don't look for Shaq-Daddy scoring 20/game, but when the playoffs come 'round he will be the force that pushes them over the hump.

A view of "Super Bowl XLII" from the Rearview...

NY Giants 17 - New England 14

Party Moment- My 1 year old niece winning $200 in the party pool.

Game Moment- David Tyree circus catch that I immediately ruled a drop only to be made an ass of by replay. Buy that guy a drink if you ever see him.


"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while you could miss it."

The Late, Great Bill King

Here are some facts about the greatest radio announcer of all-time.


"Holy Toledo!"

"The ball, flipped forward, is loose. A wild scramble. Two seconds on the clock. Casper grabbing the ball. It is ruled a fumble. Casper has recovered in the end zone. The Oakland Raiders have scored on the most zany, unbelievable, absolutely impossible dream of a play. Madden is on the field. He wants to know if it's real. They said yes, get your big butt out of here. He does. There's nothing real in the world anymore. The Raiders have won the football game."

King was not shy about disagreeing with the referee's calls during the course of his play-by-play work, and was a notorious ref-baiter. In his most infamous incident, he used an expletive on the air to describe a referee's call, and the Warriors were charged with a technical foul. He may be the only professional
sports announcer ever charged with an infraction during the course of play.
A major turning point in King's career came in 1962, when the Philadelphia Warriors of the National Basketball Association moved to San Francisco and hired him as their play-by-play announcer. King announced Warrior games from 1962 to 1983, through the Wilt Chamberlain, Nate Thurmond, and Rick Barry eras and the team's only NBA Championship on the West Coast, in 1974-1975.

61 days until Opening Day...

The 2008 baseball season is upon us. The fields are lined. The players are prepared. The Umps are burning crosses. record scratches stopped. Yeah. You read that correctly. The MLB and it's infinite wisdom and preparedness at averting catastrophe, cough-cough, has tripped to a thunderous thud. After upping background checks on umps, in response to a cheating ass ref getting nabbed last year, the MLB dove more deeply into financial records, personal business and even group affiliations. In doing a background check are you supposed to find out what's going on or assert your own opinions to the witnesses? This type of investigation is completely cosmetic since after the Steroid Drama of the past 15 years the response of the league is to speak loudly and carry a weak twig. I will no longer....okay....try hard not to mention those greedy buzzards. The only mention will be of on-field contributions and players that are worth mentioning.
That is all.

Just one more reason to hate the Yankees

As if we couldn't come up with anymore. We thought that A-Hole would be reason enough(or 275 million depending on who you talk to). Or maybe you just hate the Yanks because their all-knowing fans boo anyone that performs below par(Roger Maris' 61 taters in 1961). Well now we have our latest batch of fuel for the fire. Daddy has given the keys to the Roll Royce to his spoiled brat. Hank Steinbrenner has started off his reign of terror in the Big Apple with big talk and no walk. When pops was in his early days he said what he felt and acted along those same lines. So far sonny boy Hank has swung and missed twice. It started soon after the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs. The main subject was A-hole and his opt out situation. The Boss' son laid down the gauntlet and said if he opts out he may as well pack his bags and leave town. A-hole did during the World Series. Hank signed him back for a record deal a few weeks later. 0-1 count. Next he gave a deadline on the Johan Santana sweepstakes. The deadline passed and they are still in the runnings for the best pitcher in the A.L.. 0-2 count. Not a solid leadoff at-bat in your rookie year. Most likely he will give us more stupid tabloid outbursts and ESPN will give him the platform to be a windbag. Baseball season is just around the corner and hears to reviving old hatreds.

Super Bowl 42 Preview

Alright, Alright I'll use the old "sleep on it" tactic. Let's take an honest look at the SB match-up of New England Patriots v. New York Giants. The search for 19-0 v. Proving everyone wrong. Brady v. Manning(no...not that one). Evil Genious Belichick v. Lost in the Woods look Coughlin. You could match-up all the big names, but does NY have answers for Faulk, Watson and Gaffney. Can the New England secondary keep Burress, Smith and Toomer in check? Tons of questions that will be answered when the bell is rung on Feb 3rd. You hope the game lives up to the blah-blah-blah over the next few weeks.

New England
Coach Belichick will have his team prepared. There will be no surprises on the field. Every play and formation will be burned into each players brain. The execution will be the difference. So far Randy Moss has been quieted by two playoff opponents. Laurence Maroney has stepped it up with consecutive 122 yard efforts behind the always impressive O-line. These following names will be the keys to the Super Bowl: Dan Koppen, Matt Light, Nick Kaczur, Logan Mankins and Russ Hochstein. If these gentlemen delivery the solid performance in protection and run blocking that has led to an 18-0 season they will hoist the Lombardi trophy. Tom Brady had 3 picks against San Diego, but he is still the best in the business. He will be ready. The receiving core of Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth and Moss will be busy. The banged up NY secondary will be playing catch up. Kevin Faulk will be the X-Factor as he was this week(and pretty much his whole career). His knack for big 4th quarter runs and catches is just as much a part of the Patriot Dynasty as a certain 6th round pick. On the Defensive side of the ball a bend don't break approach will do them just fine. Giving up yards outside the Red Zone is fine as long as you stoenwall Brandon Jacobs near the goal line. Look for a ton of pressure to rattle Brother Eli since I am convinced that Belichick is not ready to hold him in the same light as his brother. Although I was definitely perplexed as to why there wasn't a hail of blitzes on the obviously immobile Philip Rivers??? Junior Seau will make himself a factor. His veteran wisdom and hunger for a championship will propel him over the "age factor" that has been labeled on he and Tedy Bruschi. Asante Samuel will shut down Plastic-Ho Burress and Rodney Harrison will give up his body for the chance at immortality.

New York
It all starts on defense for the Giants. Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck will need to be in Brady's grill all afternoon or else it could be a long day. Sam Madison and co. will have a tough time keeping up with the complex schemes and personnel that NE throws at 'em. If they can keep the Patriots from quick strike scoring and scoring 30 points they may have a chance. Of course they will have to put points on the board. Brother Eli will have to keep from turning the ball over. Plaxico Burress and Steve Smith will have to stretch the field. Chewing up the clock with Brandon Jacobs is another key to victory. The longer they keep the NE offense off the field the more of a chance they have to keeping up with them. By no means will Lawrence Tynes be as big a factor on this game. If he ends up lining up for 4 or 5 field goals means the Giants offense hasn't been able to crack the vault. The NE defense hasn't allowed a TD in 6 quarters. Those are playoff quarters by the way. Jeremy Shockey's replacement Kevin Boss will need to step up and become that surprise weapon the Giants need to throw the Patriots off balance.

Overall you can see that I have no answer for how the New York Giants are going to stop the Patriots. Brother Eli will not be the one to dethrone Tom Brady from the top of the mountain. Tom Coughlin doesn't have the plan to defeat Bill Belichick. I will entertain any argument to these statements over the next few weeks. If I hear any that are plausible they will make it to this blog.

Screw Brother Eli

Once again a Sunday afternoon had to be filled with shots to the booth of Father Manning. Yes that Manning! The one who never had a winning season in the NFL. The father who had the nerve to steer his direction-less son Eli to act like a diva on draft day and say "No! My daddy says I don't have to play for you!" The inevitable barrage of Peyton commercials was pretty light, but I'm guessing the network sensed overload if the 3-headed Manning Monster took too much spotlight from Brett Favre at Lambeau. Of course over the next 2 weeks of over-hyped bull pucky there will be the angle that the family name will carry New York to its 1st championship since 1990. The berth in the 2000 Stupor Bowl is not recognized by this blog(Especially since Trent Dilfer was the opposing/winning QB). All the talk of maturity and growth for Brother Eli can be seen when his 3rd down passes drop to the field and he sulks off the field like a 4 year old who just dropped his ice cream cone. Although I doubt that ever happened since Daddy was probably there to tell him that cone didn't deserve him anyway.

Let's get the pleasantries out of the way. The New York Football Giants have scratched and clawed their way during a roller coaster season into the Super Bowl. Enjoy the next 10 minutes or so. That's about all you have until you realize that Bill Belichick has already dissected every nuance of your defense. He has planned for all your formations and is now probably pouring over your latest X-rays looking for that weak spot in your femur that will crack when supplied with enough pressure. Brother Eli will see plenty of blitzes and may become very familiar with the crown of Rodney Harrison's helmet. #10 true colors will shine through in the desert when Vrabel, Thomas and Say-Ow give him a collapsed pocket and hershey skids. Good luck Eli. Your ass is grass homeboy. I hope Daddy will be there to hold your hand when you are embarrassed by the Foxboro Dynasty in February.

True Colors

As the week progressed more talking heads were pondering ways the San Diego Chargers could upset the perfect season. Turns out they were all let down by the Chargers biggest star. The talk centered around how the big three(Tomlinson, Rivers and Gates) would recover from injuries sustained earlier in the playoffs. My opinion of one player sky rocketed while another's plummeted like the Dow Jones. Quarterback Philip Rivers showed heart starting and playing the entire game with a tore up knee. Ladanian Tomlinson played three downs and then sat on the bench with a jacket on and his helmet securely fastened to his head. WONDERFUL LEADERSHIP. The NFL uses every chance it gets to parade Tomlinson as the face of professional football. As the old school folks always say "Judge a guy on how he handles adversity NOT when all the breaks are going his way." LT(who is using the true LT's nickname) showed incredible sportsmanship last year as the Patriots celebrated their divisional round victory in San Diego. Trying to pick a fight as the Patriots stomped on their logo at mid-field and then trashing Bill Belichick in the post-game interview. Then came his injury a week ago against the Colts. Most speculated he would play and Rivers would sit out. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rivers gutted it out (19-37, 211 yds, 2 int's) while Tomlinson made an early exit and showed no emotion or interest in the remainder of the game. Injuries are never a reason to dis a player, but their reaction to said injury shows much about their team leadership. As Phil Simms said the Chargers were young and had the tools to contend I thought to myself that unless they plan on keeping Michael Turner and slowly phasing Tomlinson out there will be no return to the Super Bowl in this franchise's immediate future. There is a reason the Patriots and Colts are favored to go the distance every year. Their team leaders have the back of every player on the team no matter what their personal situation is.

Patrick Willis

Congratulations on being the Defensive Rookie of the Year and the only rookie on the All-Pro squad. Stay strong and in SF for your entire career.

New Year View

Clemens is looking for a way out. Screw him. He has been relegated to denials on National TV instead of striking out hitters or pointing to his ring finger during batting practice. He will be lumped in with B*nds forever. From this weekends playoffs I still haven't seen a team that can honestly beat the Patriots. The Jaguars are "built for the playoffs". Whatever the hell that means. In that regard the Pats throwing the ball 50 times is going to work against them. Wrong. Brady-Moss-Welker and company will shred any defense thrown at them. I don't believe the Celts can roll in the playoffs. They will keep their head of steam during the regular season and challenge da Bulls 72 wins, BUT the second season is much different from the first. The pressure just might crack these teammates. The A's have thrown in the towel. Almost assuredly leaving us Oakland fans with a little hope that another tainted 25 will not brandish a syringe errrrr bat in our lineup. Swisher might tear it up in Chicago with Ozzie, but will the11 players yielded from the three trades(Haren,Scutaro)BB has made this offseason field a fiery bunch that will play with reckless abandon for the true love of the game? Only time will tell...