Results tagged “NFL,” from Robert Littal Presents The Infamous BlackSportsOnline

After hearing the news of the tragic murder of Steve McNair, I have been reading several articles about him, his life, and the legacy he leaves behind. I've read some very sympathetic articles, and some that are very critical of his actions with "Jenny".

Every NFL off-season we hear rumblings and rumors of rookies who will hold out on the teams that drafted them in order to try and negotiate a bigger, better contract than the guy picked in the same spot the previous year. All this posturing, chest puffing, and delayed productivity for the team that selects a player in the draft can be put to an end by having a pay scale for rookies. Knowing exactly how much you will make takes the leverage from both teams and players when drafting. I'm sure there will have to be compromises to get this to happen, but this fan says let it happen. There needs to be a structure in place to stop rewarding players who haven't contributed in a single professional football game.

As training camp gets closer and closer to starting in the NFL there is a question that's been on my mind. The question is whether Michael Vick will be re-instated back into the NFL and if so will he be picked up by any teams. Despite all the PR moves by most teams saying they have absolutely no interesting Vick, I highly doubt that he'd last very long on the market if he were to be re-instated in time for some team's training camp. Recently on profootballtalk.com there have been a few posts suggesting that Vick (along with Plaxico Burress) will not be re-instated for the 2009 NFL season. Is the NFL commish riding on a moral high horse or doe he have a legitimate reason for not wanting to re-instate them? Will their shelving teach a lesson to anyone else in the league? I think that the UFL would be smart to grab Vick should the NFL snub him this year.

That has been the question seemingly talked about 24 hours a day on ESPN since Michael Vick left prison (well they did interrupt briefly to talk about Lebron vs. Kobe in the NBA finals). The main question that keeps being asked is does he deserve the right to play? Does a man who has repaid his debt to society really need to beg for a chance to get a job doing what he does best?

A number of commentators and fans have said playing in the NFL is a privilege not a right. And I ask them is their job at ESPN a privilege. Did someone just hand them their job at ESPN or did the everyday person working at an office just get handed their job. No, most people had to work and hone their skills to get to the job they have now. Of course there are some industries where nepotism and who you know may play a role in you getting a job, I'm thinking specifically of coaching. But no top athlete is just given their position in the pros. I know people don't like to think of playing sports as a job, but it is. They spend a couple hours a day working out, a couple hours a day practicing, a couple of hours watching film. Yes, it is something we all did when we were young and we constantly say we would do for free. But the reality is people don't play professional sports for free. They play for millions of dollars, and we all support that by going to games, watching on TV, by buying tickets, by buying jerseys and hats. So no playing sports isn't a privilege in itself. Anybody who has a great job or life or family can say they're privileged. But in reality in order to get to that point work had to be put in to get to that point.

Back when I was at The Ohio State University I use to do a school sponsored radio show (yeah I was even Bona Fide back then) and I remember when the 1998 draft was approaching I was 100% behind the Colts taking Ryan Leaf over Peyton Manning. Since I was a lot louder than I am now I would tell anyone who would listen that Leaf would be much better than Manning. My theory was that Manning could never win the big game whereas Leaf was physically better and had the type of demeanor to handle pressure situations.

I wasn't that far of far off about Manning choking in big games but in hindsight I probably should have taken into account he was awesome in all the other games. Leaf on the other hand well even the great ones like myself deserve a mulligan.

If Wilt Chamberlain was considering a comeback to the NBA next season, that would be news. But because people don't generally come back from the dead to play basketball, we have to settle for the Brett Favre soap opera to lead off every SportsCenter. Why are we still talking about this?

I blame Brett Favre for it all, of course. I can't blame ESPN for following Favre around to high schools and doctor's offices, because that's what they do. They're just trying to sniff out a story that might be there, during a slow news period. Let's face it, the NBA players just aren't embarrassing themselves enough to sustain press interest.

It's Brett Favre's fault because all he has to do is stop throwing footballs with kids 30 years younger than he is. All he has to do is stop listening to offers from Mark Wilf, then Mark Clayton and Len Pasquarelli won't have anything to write about. It's not like they need this to keep their jobs. I hear Pasquarelli's on his way out, anyway.

It's also Brett Favre's fault because he already set the precendent by coming back last year after he "retired." Now, every time he tries to retire after this won't be taken seriously at all. Which means, whether he plays this season or not, we'll probably hear "rumblings" about a comeback all through the next two seasons.

Two nights, two NFL Draft parties & BlackSportsOnline reporter Corey Parsons was on the scene. Here is some inside information from Mr. Parsons on the Official ESPN The Magazine Draft Party & the Official NFL Draft Classic party:

The 6th annual ESPN party was held on Friday the 24th in NYC at ESPACE and featured DJ Spinderella and a live performance from Fabolous. Corey was impressed by the ESPN party:

"Say what you want to about the WWL but they know how to throw a party."

Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BlkSportsOnline

I will break down every pick and explain to you why either your team's front office are fools or geniuses.

Of course I will drop in some general comments throughout the day about Love, Life & Sports. I mean who do you know like "Ya Boy" Littal.

Feel free to Twitter me with your thoughts if I like your comment I will be sure to re-tweet your thoughts.

With the NFL Draft about 24 hours away. We will be providing you with links from around the web of the latest draft news and rumors. This will be updated frequently so be sure to check in throughout the day.

Also I will Twitter live coverage of the Draft tomorrow starting at 3pm Eastern:

http:///www.twitter.com/BlkSportsOnline

Lions: Stafford's The Guy

Surprise Pick Coming In Top Ten?

Bills Exploring A Trade To Land Andre Smith

Jets Interested in Sanchez

Broncos In Play For Sanchez

Curry Predicts Lions Will Sign, Draft Stafford

Mock drafts are dumb. Similar to instant draft analysis which are also dumb. Then again Mel Kiper Jr has become a multiple millionaire because of them so maybe I shouldn't be such a cynic.

Speaking of Mel let me tell you a little story. A lot of people ask how I came up with the title "Bona Fide Sports Expert". Many people thinks it makes me sound arrogant and egotistical which is all true, but not because of the name. The name is an inside joke that only a few people know about, but I am about to share with you. We started BSO around the same time of the NFL Draft in 05 (damn we have an anniversary coming up). I was sitting around with some friends watching the draft and every time Mel Kiper would come on the screen he would be introduced as:

"Mel Kiper Jr. Draft Expert"

Now Mel has a lot of knowledge about that draft but to be honest his guess on player evaluation is as good as anyone else in the world. It is just an educated guess. My homie Syko Red said I should have a title too and I jokingly said:

"Sure I will be Robert Littal Bona Fide Sports Expert"

And the legend was born. Here is the official 2009 BSO NFL Mock Draft with very limited insight because I am just guessing like everyone else.

Also check out MidwestSportsFans.com Historical Analysis on why drafting a Junior QB is not the greatest idea.

A Historical Perspective on the Unsuccessful History of Drafting Junior QBs in the First Round.

1- Detroit Lions: Georgia QB Matthew Stafford

The Lions went 0-16 last year but didn't change their GM so do you really think they are going to make the proper choice? #1 picks should be unanimous especially quarterbacks. Half the league thinks Sanchez is better and he only started 16 games. What does that say about Stafford?

2- Saint Louis Rams: Baylor T Jason Smith
Orlando Pace is gone and even with him they couldn't protect the QB. Easy choice.

3- Kansas City Chiefs: Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry

The kid just makes plays all over the field. Safest pick in the draft.

4- Seattle Seahawks: USC QB Mark Sanchez

Matt Hasslebeck is on his last leg. Boom or bust for Sanchez.

5- Cleveland Browns: Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree

Unlike Braylon Edwards who will be traded Crabtree can hold on to the ball.

Back in 2006, Terrell Owens set the sports world on fire by daring to compare himself to a few sports legends with the following quote:

"I'm not Superman. I'm human. Michael Jordan doesn't make every shot. Jerry [Rice] hasn't caught every pass. Tiger [Woods] doesn't make every putt. I understand the expectations of me. People want me to catch every ball. The likelihood of that happening is not going to be great. I understand that."

Now, because America's sportswriters are always looking to find fault with Terrell Owens, they were up in arms about that statement. "How dare he compare himself to Jerry Rice, Tiger Woods, and Michael Jordan! He can't even put himself in the same sentence as those guys!"

Fast forward to April 9, 2009, when Terrell Owens said the following quote:

"Other than that, I'm fine. I've been called selfish pretty much throughout my career. I think I'm in good company, Jerry Rice has been called selfish before, as well as a number of other guys."

I wrote about this in 2006 and I'm going to write about it again, mostly because I hate sportswriters. I'm not going to pretend that Terrell Owens is an angel or a model teammate, but once again, they're really reaching with this. You'll see that what I said in 2006 is pretty much going to be identical to what I say today:

With the new rules being introduced by the 'No Fun League', it got me to thinking; are the NFL and NBA higher ups turning them into The League of Extraordinary Cup Cakes? Growing up as a Bad Boy and 49ers fan, I enjoyed seeing a safety crush a wideout. Is it only me and Rasheed Wallace that think that there is now more contact in the WNBA than the NBA?

With the way the rules are now, would the Bad Boys ever have been two-time champions? I love Tony Parker's game, but sometimes it turns my stomach to see how teams continuously let him get to the rack for uncontested lay-ups. Could somebody please enforce the paint! Then again, if somebody trips and accidentally brushes up against a player, it's a flagrant foul. What ever happened to no blood no foul?
With no hand checking, defensive 3 sec. and the arc in the paint, Jordan would have easily averaged 40 points a game.

It seems as if Mr. Stern is trying to tinker with the rules in order to make a more exciting and appealing brand of basketball. I'm from the school of thought: if it ain't broke don't fix it. All I want is my brand of the NBA where Parrish punches Laimbeer and doesn't even get called for a foul.

Bars of Kansas City can officially rejoice for the next two years. Kansas City Chiefs' RB, Larry Johnson has been banned from all Kansas City bars after 9 p.m. as part of his probation upon pleading guilty for "disturbing the peace." Last time I checked "allegedly" shoving a woman and spitting his drink in the face of another woman last year qualified for more than a simple disturbance. Minor or not, its assault. Which was the original charge before Johnson entered his guilty plea and the charges were reduced.

At least the drunken hot girls will be safe from saliva baths and shoving matches now that he will not be consuming alcohol and haunting bars/nightclubs after 9 p.m. Instead, Johnson will be tapping into his inner Gandhi and Mother Theresa through his court ordered anger control counseling and 40 hours of community service. A few woo-sais (think Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys) and chakras and Larry Johnson might be as good as new. That and the fact that he is dating Chilli of female R&B super group fame, TLC

CLICK HERE FOR CHILLI / L.J. SECRET LOVERS

Perhaps she'll make a man out of him yet. If not, I hope some of deceased bandmate, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes rubbed off on her. Larry better watch out! Don't make her bust a match if she doesn't have to. Much like Larry's hot pink diamond bezelled watch and his outfit, I heard saliva and fire don't mix.

NOTE* Typo with the location. Location corrected.

Written by Qiana M

Because quarterbacks, not children, are our most delicate resource, the NFL owners have invented the Bradymobile to keep them safe from human contact. It's just like the Popemobile, except it's also safe from missile attacks and bad breath. (Pictured: Bradymobile prototype. Not pictured: Lost sense of athletic pride.)

Their efforts are aimed at making this violent, hard-hitting game safer. They have decided that it's not the intensity and hard hits that keep fans coming back, but instead the intellectualism. It's hard to appreciate the human chess on the field when the players keep hitting each other. In a similar story, the UFC decided to outlaw punching, kicking, and wrestling so cage-fighting isn't so rough on its fighters. Inspired by the movement, the US military is considering adding pillows to the inside of their bombs to make war safer.

Someone coined the phrase,"A picture is worth a thousand words." For anyone who has been the victim of a drunk driver. This blog entry is for you. Anyone who is currently risking getting behind the wheel and driving drunk. This blog entry is for you. Students and Mothers Against Drunk Driving, this blog entry is for you.

This morning, I watched ESPN's story on Donte' Stallworth who recently got behind the wheel of his car intoxicated and killed someone. I have been the victim of a person driving drunk twice in my life. I thank God I survived both times. The following individuals were not so lucky:

Local Waitress--Long Beach, California
Wife and Mother Lost in Drunk Driving Collision
Santa Maria Man Killed in DUI Collision
Woman Killed, 4 hurt in DUI Collision--Orlando, Florida

I never knew these people personally, but someone did. As a teenager, I remembered how relentless MADD and SADD used to be. I saw so many public service announcements and billboards everywhere. I don't doubt that these organizations still exist, but it is like with anything, the minute you let up and think people get the message, the problem continues to get worse.

Yes he's at it again folks! You would think one would humble himself after all the self-destructive behavior Adam "Pacman" Jones has faced over the years. There's his release from the Cowboys this past January, 30 day suspension for reenacting Mike Tyson's Punch out with his NFL appointed bodyguard/babysitter at a hotel party back in October 2008 and before that an accusation of assault of a stripper in January 2008. Sadly, that is only the short end of long rap sheet dating back to highschool and college that includes marijuana possession, disorderly conduct, public intoxication, felony vandalism, assault and other miscellaneous acts of mischief and mayhem.

This time Pacman brings his thug appeal to the set of Spike TV's fourth season "Pros vs Joes", a reality TV show that pits ex-professional NBA and NFL players against average Joe blows.

Deadspin.com reports that Jones took the term reality TV entirely too far during practice when he went blow for blow with castmate and former Holy Cross linebacker, Dan Adams

Wow. Buffalo. And don't be fooled by that fake smile over there, because he does not look happy about it. Might as well have exiled T.O. to Siberia. Or Kansas City. On the bright side, no one's going to see him screw up anything out there. No one saw that coming, mostly because no one even remembered that Buffalo had an NFL team.

So, yeah, Terrell Owens signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the Bills. The deal validates the wild claims that agent Drew Rosenhaus made when he said that T.O. would have a deal within the week, although, judging from the look on T.O.'s face during his press conference, I don't think either one of them would consider this a "win." Personally, I believed that Owens would be out of work for a few more months, at which point, teams would no longer be influenced by ESPN's "T.O. Hater Brigade", and realize that at least 15 of them had nothing to lose by signing Owens.

Michael Strahan. Gap-toothed hero of Superbowl XLI turned crazed girlfriend stalker and covert opt for 'Cheaters'? According to the New York Post, Strahan isn't just trained sacks, he has other tricks in his playbook, namely tracking devices and spy cams. Reportedly the ex-Giants defensive end planted a tracking device in the SUV of his main squeeze, model Nicole (Eddie Murphy's ex-wife) Murphy, not once but TWICE, upon suspecting her of cheating on him.

Sources say Nicole Murphy was carrying on a secret "love affair" for almost a whole year with Universal Records A&R executive, Demetrius Spencer, rendezvousing on Caribbean and Mexican exotic getaways disguised as business trips and sharing mushy emails filled with undying love for each other. Funny how that is for a relationship that was quoted as built on communication and shared interests.

At 12:05 AM, ESPN reporter Michael Smith broke the news that the Dallas Cowboys were releasing Terrell Owens.

Terrell Owens has been the NFL's most polarizing figure not named Michael Vick in a long, long, time. His talent can't be denied, but it doesn't stop people from begging for him to stop acting like a little girl who's not getting the prettiest dress for Easter services.

So Jay Cutler is upset because the Denver Broncos entertained the idea of trading him. In other news, Jay Cutler believes that the entire city of Denver is resting on his shoulders and that trading him is such utter folly that even to discuss it is laughable.

Jay Cutler should just quit crying and act like a man about this. It's the nature of the business he chose to be in. You think old people cry just because their kids put them in a home? Of course not, because they knew that this was part of the deal when they decided to beat their kids for not mowing the lawn in a checkerboard fashion like they were told. It's just something that comes with the situation, like tiger trainers losing limbs.

As much as I'd like to see an upgrade to my Atlanta Falcons' defense, I'm really very happy that the Falcons didn't land Albert Haynesworth. Let some other, stupider owner give $41 million in guarantees to a guy who hasn't played a full season since 2002, in a league when breaking the bank for a defensive player has NEVER worked. Haynesworth is good. He's really good. But there are starting quarterbacks making less money than he is now. And those quarterbacks aren't known for taking plays off, like he is.

And while that retard owner is at it, why not throw another $22.5 million in guarantees at DeAngelo Hall, probably the most overrated corner in the NFL? I can say that with some certainty, having spent four years watching him get lit up in Atlanta. Not even the sorriest NFL quarterback avoided challenging DeAngelo Hall, let's give him $54 million. Well, I guess you do need someone to fill the position.

It has to be a sad sad day for Eagles fans across the country when the man known as B-Dawk will no longer wearing the green. He'll no longer be leading the cheer to the Eagles fight song getting the crazies in the "700 level" of the Linc to their intimidating best. Understand the Philadelphia Eagles lost more than a player when Brian Dawkins decided to leave the only place he's ever played for a 5 year 17Mil deal. At age 35, it really comes down to the first two years would he would be scheduled to make 9 million. 7.5 Million is guaranteed. Not bad for a 35 years old Safety who just early last season had reportedly lost a step to hear some tell it.

Not sure if we can all put this one on Eagles management, who have a rep to short change their veteran players and some how manage to always get their young players to sign contracts that are less than their market value. This is clearly a player at the twlight of his career doing the smart think, looking over at his family and taking the guranteed 7 million. But for the Eagles fans the bottom line will be: that management is in great cap shape and somehow let the most beloved Eagles player possibly ever leave over money that you weren't willing to pay. Apologies to McNabb, Westbrook, Reid or Jim Johnson this is the leader of the players on this football team. In the trenches of the rugged NFC East battles, B-Dawk is the Maximus Decimus Meridus, the player that the other players responded to, respected and didn't want to let down more so than the coaches. He made the coaches job's easier because when you're playing on the same field with Dawkins there was no time to b.s. or be thinking about the club later on, he demanded your best.

A force fumble machine, Dawkins is even a better person than player. And it is the intangibles that make him hard to measure in terms of dollars and the exact reason why the Broncos paid what was necessary to sign him.

NFL Free Agency started at midnight and while it pains me to say someone is actually better than me at something without question the person to get all of the up to minute free agency news today is from my friend Mike Florio at Profootballtalk.com. I know that is where I will be checking out all the information from and I suggest you do to:

BREAKING NEWS IN NFL FREE AGENCY FROM PROFOOTBALLTALK.COM

The Indianapolis Colts can no longer afford wide receiver Marvin Harrison, and NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports it's just a matter of time and formality for when the team releases him.

NFL Network's Adam Schefter writes,
"That it's not a matter of if, but when the Colts will part ways with Harrison. And in all likelihood, it'll happen in the next 10 days, sometime before the start of the new NFL calendar year, which begins on Friday, Feb. 28.
But make no mistake: It is happening. The Colts no longer can afford to carry Harrison, who is scheduled to have a $13.4 million number for an Indianapolis team that is starving for more salary-cap room to deal with free-agents-to-be such as CB Kelvin Hayden."

Harrison, 36, is scheduled to be owed $13.4 million for the upcoming season, and assuming he's cut before the new league year starts a week from Friday, the Colts would save an estimated $7 million against the cap, according to Schefter.

It's possible Harrison could accept a reduced salary and stay with the franchise, but no such conversation has taken place.

The Colts shouldn't miss a beat without Marvin around. General manager Bill Polian has an amazing talent for finding players to step into starting roles. Anthony Gonzalez will now join Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark as Manning's favorite targets, and look for Polian to find someone in the draft who everyone else is down on and turn him into a star.

Signing Day happens to be a very big day for college football and basketball. Wednesday, it was football's turn, and LSU, Alabama, Miami, USC and Ohio State all got banner classes.

One student-athlete missing from all the hype is one of the top runningbacks in the nation, Bryce Brown out of Wichita (KS) East High School.

Why? More after the jump...

There's nothing better than half naked chics rubbing themselves down with various members of the produce family, or so I've been told. Personally I'm partial to whip cream myself. Apparently PETA is all for getting a little "Veggie Love" and brought in a harem of sexy scantily clad stunners to push the envelope and lick the cantaloupe, um pumpkin.
The ad featuring women powerless to resist the temptation of "Veggie Love"--was deemed too hot for the Super Bowl. NBC rejected the video because of concerns over "rubbing pelvic region with pumpkin," a woman "screwing herself with broccoli," and more!

While this certainly is no instructional video showcasing the latest tips on the new sex craze known as vegetality, the ad does nothing if use cheap thrills to push a Vegan crusade against animal "cruelty" and the benefits of a vegan lifestyle vs the lifestyle of us dirty rotten meat eaters and no doubt amounts to mad unique hits to the PETA website!

With all PETA's in your face media tactics from blood stained fur protests and celebrity/ athlete smear campaigns in the name of anti-animal cruelty are we really surprised by
PETA succumbing to major networks glorification of sex and women as sex objects to promote their agenda? Got to give it to them. Vegetables never looked so "sexy" or should I say so beyond "a level of sexuality exceeding our standards" as quoted by NBC.

We All know that Donovan is a good QB, that's something we all can agree on. But when it comes to coming back in the 2-miinute drill, when the game is on the line. He just doesn't get it done. We can talk about his receivers, or lack there of. We can talk about dropped passes and everything else but at the end of the day it's all about #5 for the Eagles. The receivers excuse IMO is bogus, correct me if i'm wrong but he used the same receivers to score 19 unanswered points, I mean we aren't using the receivers as an excuse when the Eagles scored 48 points in the first game against 'Zona. The receivers we're good enough then, weren't they? They have a top 10 offense, and arguably the best weapon at running back in the game in Westbrook. Nuff said.

Hey lets not talk about the penalty flag that probably should have been thrown on that 4th down play to Kevin Curtis. The Cardinals probably could of put the game away before the first half if the Zebras didn't blow a call when the Cardinals clearly recovered the ball in great feild position already up 24 to 6. Calls we're blown both ways. That's not the reason the Eagles lost. If you bring up Jim Johnson's defense, which was a step behind the Cardinals offense the entire first half... I'll give you that. The defense definitely came up small. They deserve some blame. Jim Johnson, often credited, never criticized, shouldn't be spared by the Philly media as he always is.

But lets size up the game as it unfolded. Donovan had no problem throwing the ball up and down the field in the teeth of the game when the Birds we're making it a game. Kurt Warner's defense was folding like a bad Poker hand but Captain Kurt... If I may, put his team in the end zone when IT MATTERED MOST. Donovan gets the ball back with plenty of time left and again the Eagles offense just stalls, for whatever reason. This is dating back since forever, McNabb just can't get his team in the end zone in the clutch. You look for answers why, i'm sure there's always an alternative excuse for Donovan-Stans and always different circumstances for each time he's in this position. But when you have a different excuse everytime for why a QB can't bring his team from behind hardly EVER, you have to point the finger at the QB. Plain and simple.

You may have been seeing the 5-6 second commercial, with just Lebron's back at a press conference, saying it took him a minute to come up with the decision he has made, and the commercial cuts to tomorrow's date, January 18, 2009.

Well... looks like homeboy is going to the NFL with the help of State Farm Insurance. See how far these commercials go with Bron-Bron with the Cleveland Browns.

(My Championship picks at the end)

Turn on your TV any given Sunday and you'll hear any amount of NFL Analyst lauding the Quarterbacks of the winning teams and how the Qb is the most important position on the field. For the most part, this is correct and it definitely is the hardest position to play in team sports. But I don't always necessarily agree that it's as important as they have tried to make it over the years.

My thing is if the QB position is that important to winning and losing and determines the winning teams from the losing teams than what do you tell Drew Brees and how do you explain why he isn't in the playoffs but Joe Flacco is? Or why the most prolific passer in NFL history Dan Marino doesn't have a ring but a rookie Big Ben does. You most certainly wouldn't say that Big Ben is better than Marino would you? Of course there are those that will say Ben is better than Marino if he gets another ring this year, but does your eyes and what you see on the feild really tell you that? Hell no. We seen two good QB's really struggle in the Giants-Eagles game, and in all the other games the team playing better at the defensive end won. Peyton still doesn't have a ring without his defense that season, he played somewhere from so-so to bad in the postseason that year, the Patriots defense held Brady down those years he won the Super Bowl. Not making excuses eh ehm... but this had something to do with me going 1-3 last weeks in my picks. I'm not quite ready to render all my football logic and thoery useless yet. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Or however the saying goes. I'll redeem myself this week (I hope). Let's rank what I believe is the most important factor in determining Super Bowl winner, not QB but defense.

1. Pittsburgh
Strengths: Impossible to run on. The linebackers since forever make this defense go and it's no different this year. Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison is a man-child, physical cornerbacks and a bullet at safety make this defense official. Simply the best defense in the league.

Weaknesses: None

Recall the Giants' crowning glory during Superbowl 2008? Pats coach Bill Belichick remembers all too well when he rushed hurriedly out on the field with seconds left to go in the game to "congratulate" Giants' coach, Tom Coughlin on his victory before storming off to sulk like a spoiled schoolgirl that got dumped before prom. If Alex and the crew over at Jeopardy have anything to say about it, he'll never live this "hissy fit" down! Check out this clip of Jeopardy blasting Belichick

You can thank our friends over at the thejetsblog.com for this one

Classic "hissy fit" action and all lol

In my mind our society is backwards in a lot of ways. Many times I have stated we live in a Bizarro world where the opposite of common sense often takes place. In the sports world this is even more prevalent where announcers will do a complete 180 depending on the player (see: Wes Welker's Snow Angel vs. any Chad Johnson celebration in the past five years). Our justice system also seems to live by Bizarro rules from time to time and very often they collide with the sports world. So without further ado I give you the case of:

MIDWESTSPORTSFANS.COM HAS A GREAT ARTICLE ON WHY PLAX WAS SUSPENDED WHILE HARRISON WAS ALLOWED TO PLAY. READ IT HERE

What I am going to do is present to you the general facts of each situation and then we will talk about what should happen if we lived in a common sense world and what will happen in Bizarro world. We will start with Plaxico Burress.

Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress had a very rough 2008. Several disciplinary issues with the Giants which led to a suspension and a benching. A couple of domestic disputes where the police had to come to his residence but nothing serious enough to file charges. Also some legal issues with a damage rental car. Not Pacman Jones type of drama, but enough to make you wonder where Plaxico's head is at sometimes.
One night Plaxico and teammate Antonio Pierce went to make it rain in the club. Plaxico doing his best Three Stooges impersonation accidently shoots himself in the leg. Next thing you know we have assumed hospital names, a possible hidden gun and an indictment on illegal gun possession charges.

The mayor is on TV stating how Burress should be prosecuted to the highest extent of the law. I guess innocent until proven guilty just flew out the window.

These charges carry a minimum sentence of three and half years in prison.

Now lets talk about Marvin Harrison.

First, let's look at the facts. L.T. has been hurt the past two years. As we all know, he was not able to go for the Chargers playoff game against the Steelers on Sunday. Tomlinson will also be 30 in June.

Tomlinson is also scheduled to count $8.97 million against San Diego's salary cap next season. But if they released or traded Tomlinson, the Chargers would eseentially free up $6.725 million worth of salary-cap space. That's a big number for a team that would like to re-sign free-agent-to-be RB Darren Sproles and also will try to re-sign its QB, Philip Rivers, to a long-term extension.

However, noting the the track record recently of the San Diego front office makes the trade or release of L.T. a real possibility. Considering the way the Chargers dismissed Schottenheimer after he turned the Chargers into a talented winning team for Norv Turner of all people just adds fuel to this fire.

Personally, I feel that he's one of the best running backs of all-time, and unless his injuries carry over to next year, I see no reason to release or trade him. As good as Sproles is, I'd still take L.T. over him. Sproles would not have been as successful now had he have to carry the load over an entire season. The NFL is starting to go to a two back system and that may benefit the Chargers if they decide to go that way as well.

16-26. That is a pretty terrible record no matter what sport your playing. Can you guess who it belongs to? No. It's not the Bobcats or the Warriors. The Thunder you say? Not right either, but hey, it would be a damn big improvement for them. In actuality, 16 and 26 is the win-loss total of ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown when picking NFL playoff games. Yeah, these playoffs have been pretty nuts, but wow, 38%. If your job is to pick football games correctly, I expect a little bit better production than 38%. My grandma could pick that well out of sheer luck. Hell, even a blindfolded monkey could match that rate.

Of the five lead analysts on the show,(appearing each sunday morning at 11 am ET), three have records of 4-4, which is halfway decent. But Mike Ditka sits at 3-5, while ex wide-out Cris Carter has posted a lowly 1-7 mark. Are you joking? 1-7, Now that sounds like OKC Thunder to me. By the way, self-proclaimed Man of the People Bill Simmons went 0-4 during the divisional round with his picks.

But Wait, There's more. The NFL isn't the only sport being massacred by ESPN analysts and their lousy picks. Kirk Herbstreit went 19-15 predicting the college bowl season. Now that's not as bad as his co-workers from Sunday Countdown, but 56% isn't very impressive either.

This brings us to the moral of the story. If your a betting man, count on ignoring ESPN before the big game.

So I watched the ESPN Outside the Lines report on Adam "Pacman" Jones and here is the conclusion I have come to:

IF YOU RUN WITH CRIMINALS, CRIMINAL THINGS WILL HAPPEN

Pretty simple if you think about it Pacman rolled with some criminals and in returned a lot of criminal activity happened in his presence. That is totally his responsibility and he is paying for those choices. When you are a high profile figure you have to understand it isn't just about you. Everyone you associate with becomes a reflection of you. Hang with good people you are normally labeled a good person. Hang with thugs you will label a thug as well.

Might not be fair, but it is what happens in our society. When a regular person is in a club drunk and gets into an altercation and says:

That is normally just the liquor talking and neither he or his crew have the means to carry out that threat, but when you are "Make It Rain" Jones and you make that statement and your friends are:

It is more likely they carry out your drunken threat in your name. What is truth? Who knows it is probably somewhere in the middle, but this should be a lesson for all athletes and entertainers coming up in the game on who not to associate with.

You can watch the report here and draw your own conclusions:

OUTSIDE THE LINES: PACMAN JONES PART 1

OUTSIDE THE LINES: PACMAN JONES PART 2

Balitmore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh speaks in the locker room after beating the Tennessee Titans 13-10, and a question comes out of virtually nowhere...

"What advice would you give to the Denver Broncos in their coaching search?"

If I were Harbaugh, I would have had a quizzical look on my face, wondering who let this guy in here and why he's asking me about the Denver Broncos instead of my team or the game or even the Titans. Give Harbaugh credit: without even a slight hesitation, he answered...

"Hire Leslie Frazier."

More after the jump...

Our good friends at MidwestSportsFans.com sent us this story this morning on Darren Sproles. Of course everyone knows about Sproles the player, but I must admit when I read this story about some of the situations that Sproles have had to overcome in his life I was truly moved. Sproles has had a stuttering problem all of his life and I can't imagine how crippling that can be especially in a public platform like the NFL. I urge you to read the story. If you weren't a Darren Sproles fan yesterday I guarantee you will be one today.

For the written version of the picks continue to read:

A quick note...congratulations to the Florida Gators for winning the 2009 BCS National Championship game, 24-14 over Oklahoma.

Fox's Chris Myers asked quarterback Tim Tebow, the offensive player of the game, if he would return for his senior season at Florida, and Tebow did not exactly say yes. Most players of his caliber will consider it, but not always jump to the NFL. Will he stay?

More after the jump...

Earlier on Wednesday afternoon, according to ESPN, the Dallas Cowboys have released troubled cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones.

More after the jump...

Over the past couple of years, this idea has picked up steam as the Hall of Fame nominees are introduced. It has garnered even more attention now that the Arizona Cardinals are motoring through the playoffs. I know this may be a touchy issue, but it needs to be addressed.

Many people feel as though he should be inducted based purely on his actions alone regarding this country. He turned down a long term contract from the Cardinals so that he could enlist in the armed forces. However, before that he turned down a multi- million dollar contract from the St. Louis Rams in order to show his loyalty to the team that drafted him for less money. I can for the record say that the NFL needs more stand up men like Pat Tillman, but I for one do not believe he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

You can't put Tillman in the Hall of Fame as a player simply because he was a good, but not great player. Now if the league wants to create something more than the memorial in the Hall of Fame for Pat, I am all for it. It could be some kind of special category or award in honor of him I am sure that could be done. I think because of what he gave up to go and serve his country that would be a good idea. Just as long as it is made clear what made him and his case special; not that he was among the greatest football players, but that he was among the greatest persons associated with pro football.

I totally can understand where those are coming from in regards to Tillman being enshrined in Canton, I really do. On the flip side of that, you have to ask yourself if Tillman would have continued playing in the NFL and never chose to join the Army would Pat even be considered for the Hall of Fame? I mean sure he was an all out player and a great leader for his team, but so were countless other NFL players.

The Hall is supposed to be based solely on the field accomplishments. And what is done negative or positive off the field is not supposed to come into play.

I would love to hear where you, the readers stand on this one.

Indianapolis Colts 17 vs. San Diego Chargers 23

Lets state the obvious the Chargers don't need Ladainian Tomlinson anymore. They should cut him in the offseason and use that cap money for somebody else. Now with that being said that was a hell of a game. I am going to talk about the Colts first.

WATCH PEYTON MANNING CATCHING A SLEEPING CHARGERS DEFENSE:

Peyton Manning is a great Quarterback and Tony Dungy is a great coach but simply put they are the Atlanta Braves of the National Football League. Manning has won his MVPs and his one Super Bowl, but in the back of your mind I think everyone knows he should have won more championships by now. Because Dungy is such a nice guy he is hard to criticize, but simply put he has not gotten the job done in a lot of these playoff games where the Colts were favored to win. In the end the Colts and specifically Peyton Manning will be more known as a great regular season team and QB who chokes in the playoffs.

You should be scared of the Chargers. They are playing with house money and regardless of who they play next week I will be hard press to find reasons not to pick them to win. Football is such a sport of momentum and who has more right now. Their defense sans for one play, played tremendously. Darren Sproles my goodness can you play a better game? He single handily kept the Chargers in the game. There were four or five plays where he simply would not be denied including the last play of the game.

WATCH DARREN SPROLES GAME WINNING TD RUN IN OT

Simply outstanding.

Atlanta Falcons 24 vs. Arizona Cardinals 30

CHECK OUT THE AMAZING FLEA FLICKER TD FOR LARRY FITZGERALD

I hate to say that I told you so, but I told you so. Rookie QB + Rookie Coach + Playing on the road against a team no one respects= Upset.

Edgerrin James should have never been benched. There is much to being a good NFL running back than running fast. I think Ken Weisenhunt understands that now. Edge showed he still has some gas left in the tank and he was the main reason why the Cardinals are moving on to the next round. If the Cardinals can muster any type of running game it makes them a dangerous team going forward. Nice game by Kurt Warner. You give him time and nice weather conditions and he will tear you apart especially against a defense in Atlanta which is ok, but isn't great. Brilliant game killing drive by the Cardinals.

CHECK OUT ANTREL ROLLE'S AMAZING FUMBLE RECOVERY TOUCHDOWN

The Falcons had an outstanding year and should try to build on this.

It's easy to recognize and commend the good but what about the bad and just plain ugly. From brawls to scantily clad nannies and sex scandals to tearful confessions and cons, there were some oh so forgettable 2008 sports moments that made your skin crawl and scream out random things that border idiotic, like Sarah Palin

WORST 8 SPORTS MOMENTS OF 2008

8.) WNBA Shock Sparks Brawl

Not to be outdone by their male counterparts,the Detroit Shock and Los Angeles Spark ensued the first ever cat fight in WNBA during a game at the Palace on July 23rd that left WNBA fans enraged, male viewers cheering and two players suspended. Already a heated rivalry between the two squads, the ongoing tension that night from an earlier play involving LA Sparks franchise player and media darling, Candice Parker and veteran forward, Cheryl Ford, fueled the fight between Parker and Detroit Shock forward, Pienette Pierson who got tangled up tussling for the ball after a missed shot by Pierson. Of course, with teammates coming to each others aid, things got even more ugly after an "accidental" push of Lisa Leslie by Detroit assistant coach, Rick Mahorn resulted in a retaliation from Sparks forward, Delisha Milton-Jones. Detroit's Pierson and Mahorn were suspended for four and two games respectively while Kara Braxton, Tasha Humphrey, Elaine Powell and Sheri Sam (also from Detroit), along with Los Angeles' Leslie, Candace Parker and DeLisha Milton-Jones all got a one game suspension. Although this incident is prime example unsportman-like conduct and is very unladylike, I must admit this "catfight" certainly breathed life into a genre that has very selective few fans.

7.)U.S. Relay Teams Drop The Baton

The Olympics held so many shining moments for the stars and stripes but the embarrassing mishaps of the gold contending (perhaps second to the Jamaican relay team) U.S. men's relay team certainly wasn't one of them. Failing to qualify for the FINALS for the first time since 1988 after a misconnect between Darvis Patton and Tyson Gay on a final pass, left the Americans watching from the sidelines as the Jamaican relay team smoked its competition by a world record setting time of 37.10 seconds. To make matters even worse, the U.S. Women's relay team suffered the same fate and failed to qualify for the finals as for the first time since 1948!

6.)Kimbo Slice Exposed As Farce

Like Mulder from the X-Files we want to believe in the greatest American hero, that wayward underdog, that rises against all odds to realize the American dream. This is especially true in sports, so when word spread like wildfire about back alley brawler putting men down with one punch on Youtube, MMA fans had someone to believe in and the networks had a new poster child to exploit. Kimbo Slice's journey as a street fighter to ESPN cover story was truly nothing but a testament to how the wheels of the capitalist cash machine turn. After losing washed up fighter Ken Shamrock to an eye injury and CBS color commentator, Frank Shamrock (Ken's brother) to disqualification due to a broken arm, the Elite XC finally found a "suitable" replacement in Fort Myers native, Petruzelli, an average mixed martial artist all of 205 lbs and a 2-2 win-loss record since 2004 Kimbo was "sure" to beat. Only the surefire win backfired in a 14 second KO Ryu style! Haduken!
Click Here For Related Story

5.)From America's Sweetheart to Jailbird

Only a short four years ago, track star Marion Jones was America's sweetheart and three time Olympic gold medalist. She was the epitome of the female athlete: charming, strong yet humble gracing the covers of Vogue and Sports Illustrated within in the course of a year. What a difference a year can make, now the biggest athlete to fall victim to Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative scandal, Jones is flat broke and faces jail time after admitting to steroid use before her 2000 Sydney Olympic run up until after the 2004 Athens Olympics. Jones vehemently denied use of any performance drugs for years after she initially fell under suspicion but finally came clean in a well put together confession of lying and cheating that later broke down into a tearful apology worthy of an Oscar.

Now that we've said goodbye to the end of an era of mediocrity known as the Bush era and ushered in the new, you can't help but look back at the some of the greatest sports moments of 2008. Here's some that made you laugh, cry or just stare dumbfounded in disbelief. Yea Litall touched on this but as usual, but after much debating, here are MY top picks for best sports stories. Let the arguments begin............

TOP 8 SPORTS MOMENTS OF 2008

8.) Nadal Ends Federer's Reign At Wimbledon

Ok so I'll bite. Now that I've seen video clips, I've decided to kick off my second annual Top Sports Moments list with the history in the making match up between men's tennis
greats Rafeal Nadal and Roger Federer. The grueling five match showdown complete with rain delays was a testament to Nadal's toughness and tenacity and marked the end of Federer's five year reign, as Nadal was crowned Wimbledon champion.

7.)Rays Almost Sting Phillies In World Series

To the victor goes the spoils they say and while the Phillies have been named as the 2008 World Series Champions, the Rays fairytale journey into the World Series contention should definitely NOT go without notice. Just thinking about a team with a 200-1 shot at appearing in the World Series go from worst to first, beating out heavyweights New York and Boston is enough to place this moment in the Top 8 Sports Moments of 2008.

6.) Old Time Rivalry Renewed:Celtics vs Lakers

There's something about reliving the glory days when the NBA Finals was a clash of the Titans between two juggernauts, one from the East and one from the West. Ask anyone about the Celtics vs Lakers rivalry and the names Magic vs Bird, Russell vs come to mind. During the 2008 Finals, David Stern, the media and old school fans got their wish as Kobe led Lakers faced off against the Big 3 of the Celtics composed of K.G., Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Despite the victory being favored to go to the Lakers, the defensive prowess of the Celtics proved to be too much for the Lakers and the Celtics went on to win the series in 6 games.

The title "Laughingstock of the League" has been taken to new lows this past Sunday as the Lions' officially crossed the line into 0-15 territory in their 42-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints, making them the first team to reach utter mediocrity since the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers set the bar at 0-14. With Green Bay left to face is it any wonder that Lions' fans are horsing around in a feeble attempt to keep from crying a river? Hey I'm no bandwagon jumper! I'm the most loyal chic you will ever meet especially when it comes to my sports teams. As a citizen of one of the most die-hard sports towns in the country (Redwings, Tigers, Pistons ring any bells?), no matter how rough and rugged, down and out our franchises have been, we still ride with them to the end. Call it delusional, call it dreams of grandeur, call it whatever the hell you want--to me nothing is worse than a fair-weather member of "Sportsnation."

You know that "fan" that covered from head to toe with his "favorite" teams' sports memorabilia from face paint to fitted cap to jersey, when they're in the playoffs he's the first one gloating, "That's MY team!" However when the losses hit the fan and there's no trophy in sight, nobody knows his teams' name. "Who the (insert previously favorite teams' name here)? Oh, those losers? " You know who you are. Rob Parker, I'm talking to you. Apparently, Mr. Parker, a Detroit News columnist and ESPN First Take analyst, made the joke to end all bad jokes when he asked Lions' coach, Rod Marinelli whether his daughter wished she had married "a better defensive coordinator" during a recent press conference. Talk about open mouth, insert foot! Parker is currently feasting on a ginormous size 15. No, not the Lions' 15 losses but the 15 seconds it took him retract his statement in the guise of it being an attempt to "lighten the mood later in the press conference."

• Nice game by the Titans who beat up and beat down the Steelers. You don't hear that very often.
• I love that picture of Hines Ward don't you?
• The Steelers can only go as far as Big Ben takes them and he looks like he has been beat with baseball bats all year. He really could use a week or two off.
• Start the get rid of McNabb rumors in 1, 2, .......
• Great defensive effort by the Redskins.
• The Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs seriously? Wonder what the Dog Whispering is thinking right now.
• NFL North still up for grabs.
• The Broncos are certified chokers. If they lose to the Chargers next week Wile E. Shanahan should be held accountable.
• What got into the Bills?
• At the beginning of the year I said both the Jets and Packers would miss the playoffs. We are almost there.
• Hope the Walrus enjoys his retirement.
• Someone should revoke the Arizona Cardinals pass to the playoffs. They suck they are horrible and they don't deserve a trip to the playoffs. That was an embarrassment.
• Matt "freakin" Cassell are you kidding me? You don't want to see the Patriots in the Playoffs they are legit Super Bowl contenders.
• Stick a fork in the Bucs they are dead.
• The Chargers seem to do this every year. Lose a bunch of games they should win and then when it looks like hope is lost they rally. By the way Sproles>LT.
• The Chiefs are the worse 2nd half team in the league.
• Not exactly sure how the Dolphins keep winning, but they do.
• As soon as you want to give the Texans some credit they lay an egg of epic proportions against the Raiders.
• What in the blue hell got into Cedric Benson? I am glad he was able to turn his career around in Cincy. Honestly I thought he would never play again.
• Please just fire Romeo now. No need to let him linger.
• I honestly thought the Lions had a shot today guess I was wrong.
• Can Drew Brees take Dan Marino's record?
• Congrats ok Isaac Bruce on his 1000 catch. Definitely Hall of Famer in my opinion.

Each week of the NFL Season I will post bullet points to all the goings on in the NFL as they are happening so check in often.

• Andre Johnson is a beast. What were the Titans thinking single covering him all day?
• Speaking of the Titans don't worry about them they will be making an early playoff exit.
• The Colts keep winning, they are not winning pretty but they are winning. I would rather face Tennessee than the Colts in the playoffs.
• I give the Lions credit for playing hard, but nevertheless they are still 0-14.
• The Chiefs are officially chokers. How do you lose that game?
• The Chargers should send a thank you card for the early Christmas gift.
• Speaking of gifts the Bills gave the Jets a big one as well.
• You talking about some good old fashion hitting watch the Falcons vs. Bucs game again. That wasn't for the weak of heart.
• Michael Turner>LT
• No comment on the Seahawks vs. Rams game.
• The Packers are 5-9. Wow.
• Can we safely say that the Cardinals are pretenders?
• Taravis Jackson>Gus Ferrotte
• Adrian Peterson>Your Favorite Running Back
• I think I am ready to anoint the Pittsburgh Steelers the team to beat in the AFC.
• Joey Flacco is not ready yet.
• Sleeper team the New England Patriots?
• I am officially sold on the Panthers.
• The Broncos are who we thought they were.

Each week of the NFL Season I will post bullet points to all the goings on in the NFL as they are happening so check in often.

• It is funny how when the Giants were winning without Plaxico all the bias sports media said they didn't need him. As soon as they lose not they must have him. Give me a break.
• I have to give Mr. Tie credit for not giving up and showing some moxie in getting the Eagles back in the playoff race.
• Tony Romo is getting a reputation as a late game, late season choker.
• I'm scared of the Pittsburgh defense.
• Hey Green Bay do you want Brett Favre back? In fairness it to Aaron Rogers it isn't his fault the Green Bay defense gave up 500 yards to the Texans.
• Steve Slaton is the truth.
• Pierre Thomas>Reggie Bush
• Even in defeat Matt Ryan was impressive.
• Congrats Arizona Cardinals for winning your 1st division title since 1869
• The Jets are who we thought there were.
• I think we can give Mike Singletary the 49ers job now.
• It is good to know that the Bills sucked in Canada as much as they did in Buffalo.
• Wonder did Ricky bring back some of the Canada weed?
• Bengals are an embarrassment to the league.
• Are people sleeping on the Colts?
• Trust me the Titans aren't winning the Super Bowl.
• There was a Ken Dorsey sighting.
• Good effort by the Seahawks, but gritty win by the Patriots.
• Seriously what happened to the Jags?
• Devin Hester is becoming a really explosive receiver.

While recent news has been plagued with a plethora of dumb ass athletes and legal woes such as Michael Vick, Chris Henry, Larry Johnson, Adam "Pacman" Jones and now Plaxico Burress, the year would not be complete without revisiting the grandfather of all idiots, O. J. Simpson.

Stupid is as stupid does after all. That lesson finally seemed to have sunk in as a solemn O.J. Simpson faced the music after having the proverbial "book thrown at him" yesterday, to the tune of a maximum of 33 years in prison for 10 convictions , some of which include: (1 count, 1 year in County) conspiracy to commit a crime, (1 count,12-24 months concurrent) conspiracy to commit kidnapping, (1 count 12-24 months) conspiracy to commit robbery, (1 count, 12-26 months) burglary with a deadly weapon, (1 count, 12-72 concurrent) 1st degree kidnapping, (12-72 concurrent w/enhancement due to the weapon), (1 count, 18-72 months consecutive) assault with a deadly weapon. Simpson is eligible for parole after having served up to 9 years. After a five minute speech about as tear jerking as a presidential debate between George W. Bush and John Kerry, Las Vegas circuit court judge, Jackie Glass delivered a brass knuckle blow in response to Simpson's role in the September 2007 robbery of two dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room, where Simpson along with five companions raided the room allegedly attempting to retrieve the 61 year old Hall of Famer's stolen sports memorabilia and mementos.

"This is the first time that I had the chance to catch the guys red-handed that had been stealing from my family. I knew these guys, I did think Mike Gilbert would be there...but I have no hatred to Mike Gilbert. In the past as we know, Mike Gilbert tried to set me up in a porn video, trip me into a room with hidden cameras and they still wrote in the news and tabloids that O.J. did it... I forgave Mike. .. I forgave Bruce...we've apologized to each other. I didn't ask anyone to do anything but stand behind me so I can yell at these guys and to retrieve my stuff . Unfortunately they did...and I believe it was my fault that they were there...I didn't want to hurt anybody. I talked to police... showed them what was taken. I didn't want to steal anything from anybody, I didn't want anybody else's stuff, just my own. I thought I was confronting my friends and retrieving my property... I'm sorry..."

Unfortunately for O.J. his bumbling plea for mercy fell on deaf ears.

"It's kind of a fine line in what you said to me. I hear what you said and what Mr. Galanter said in which is," I didn't intend to do anything wrong so I must not have done something wrong, since there was no intent it was just all stupidity." It was much more than stupidity. I have to tell you know... it really doesn't matter..." Glass said, unsympathetically.

Unless you've been under a rock you've heard about the Plaxico Burress situation. He was up in the club with a tool and accidentally shot himself in the leg. I'll throw in the obligatory... allegedly. Love that word in these situations. If you just get the energy and the feeling of how the media is reporting this you would have thought this man was a cold-blooded unruly criminal. He's actually just a athlete who's had some issues with his team, been fined for those issues and probably has been a big headache for the New York Giants - not society. It kills me how they prviously took the man to task because of the obvious domestic issue he had going on earlier in the season when he said he had to take his kid to school, which really meant it was none of our business what happened. You got the sense some in the Media wanted to warm up the get-Burress-out-of-town car back then.

Look, Burress shot himself on some idiotic Cheddar-Bob stuff, didn't shoot another person and right now could only be accused being a pain in the ass to the NYG's, having bad judgement and making a bad decision. Some already have the man banned from the league, kicked off the team and put in jail with no key. Whatever the Giants do with Burress is their decision and up to them but let the thing play out before you banish the man from the human society. It's obviously it wasn't a good move to take his gun with him to the club, and it definitely wouldn't have hurt to have at least one security guard which could have legally protected Plax. But if he's going to be judged by the mainstream then lets play by the mainstreams bogus rules and let the legal system play itself out before riding shotgun in the car that the media is driving. I mean who really thinks it's fair for a first time offender with no criminal record to be facing 7 years of jail time for this while these politicians steal millions and get bailed out?

Understand i'm not saying that he's not a knucklehead and needs some re-wiring but up until this incident you could make the case for all his other so called distractions being dumb stuff, that's between him and his employer. But because the Media already had the machine rolling the perception is that this gun situation is a regular occurence for the guy and that he did it again feeling. I agree with a lot that has been said as far as being a distractions and surely he has to face possible reprecussions but at the sametime I have no reason to call him a bad guy, a criminal and render his life now useless. I think that's a bunch of garbage.

Each week of the NFL Season I will post bullet points to all the goings on in the NFL as they are happening so check in often.

• You know what I like about this Colts team they are winning ugly. Winning ugly normally translates to post season success. Remember during their Super Bowl run they had to win a playoff game on the road. I think they play better as the underdog than the favorite.
• Joey Freakin Flacco and the Ravens are a scary team.
• I thought the Bucs D was supposed to be old and declining?
• So the Bills score 50+ and 3 the next week. That is the NFL for you.
• I am upset that I am not going to get a crazy Mike Singletary press conference this weekend.
• Drew Brees is a great QB, but he throws too many critical INTs and no one in the media seems to want to mention that.
• The Giants really seemed distracted by the Plaxico mess.
• I like Aaron Rogers but the facts are he is 5-7 with the exactly the same team that went 13-3 last year. Not all his fault, but if you want to be the man you have to accept some of the blame.
• Jake Delhomme is shot. Steve Smith saved his ass on a couple of catches that could have been INTs. But the Panthers running attack is deadly.
• Miami is just doing enough to win but they aren't a contender. Mark the tape.
• Everyone needs to stop making excuses for San Diego they suck and they aren't going to get better.
• The Falcons are that good.
• So the Broncos get blasted by the Raiders last week and then pound the
• Can we ease up on the Jets going to the Super Bowl talk?
• Matt Cassell isn't Tom Brady repeat that 5 times and never say it again.
• Pittsburgh D scares me.

Ok so this pains me as a native Detroiter and Michigander more than anyone could possibly know. Regardless of my nonchalant behavior toward the subject and my many quips about the Lions being on time out with me, I still feel sorry for the winless bums. If having one of the highest unemployment rates, a rapidly sinking automotive industry, a scandalous jailbird ex-mayor, and young people fleeing the city faster than the Israelites exodus from Egypt wasn't enough, we have a sorry excuse of football team totally inept from winning against even the Houston Texans!!! How much can a girl take?

The situation is beyond bleak and unlike the Big Three pleading "Please sir, can I have some more" to the federal government, no amount of goodwill from NFL commissioner Robert Goodell will sway Detroit from the path of 0-16 except a good old fashioned WIN!!! Already 0-10, the Lions are poised to join the ranks of the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the only team in NFL history to NOT WIN a regular season game. That's almost as impossible as staying undefeated the whole season, if not more so.

"We're almost paralyzed here," says Tom Wilson, president of the Detroit Pistons before Sunday's loss to the Carolina Panthers added insult to injury. "Everybody is scared in this city. They're 0-9 and, if after Sunday's game they're 0-10, they'll have the entire front page of the newspaper, in a town with the Stanley Cup champions ..."

Each week of the NFL Season I will post bullet points to all the goings on in the NFL as they are happening so check in often.

• The Giants are the best team in the league. Point blank period.
• Why do the even bother passing the ball because the Giants running game are now officially 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers.
• Let's hold off on the Hall of Fame bust for Joe Flacco.
• I must say though Rev Ray Lewis is having a hell of a season.
• A tie? A tie? Maybe Bernard Hopkins was right about McNabb and the Eagles.
• There is no need to talk about the Raiders vs. Dolphins it was an awful game to watch.
• "The Bears are who we thought they were".

• Kurt Warner=MVP?
• Man the Rams are horrible, truly horrible.
• No crazy press conference for Mike Singletary this week.
• I think we have seen the best of LT. He is still a good back, but not great.
• Pittsburgh just physically took that game from the Chargers.
• I thought the Jags were the team that was going to upset the Titans? Yeah right you wanted them to because you are underestimating the Titans

• Can't figure out the Packers, but you can see what type of offense they can have when Ryan Grant is running well.
• Poor Detroit. I honestly believe they are going to win a game, but when and where I can't tell you.
• Does anyone even know the Panthers are 8-2?
• Seriously Minnesota fans do you think Gus Ferrotte is the answer?
• Why do I think Adrian Peterson will have a Barry Sanders type career and I mean that in a bad way
• Is there anyone tougher in the league than Jeff Garcia?
• Every time ESPN hypes something up they lose. See: Atlanta Falcons
• The Broncos are the worse 6-4 team ever.

Each week of the NFL Season I will break down every NFL Game as they are happening. The early games will be posted first. Then the afternoon games. Then the Sunday Night Game and finally the Monday Night game, so check in often.

Indianapolis Colts 24 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers 20

On the road against the Steelers I must admit I didn't have much faith in the Colts. But that was a knockdown drag out win. I mean the Colts were being physically abused and for a team that has been accused soft in the past they showed a lot of heart coming from behind and beating the the Steelers. This may jump start their season in my opinion. They haven't been healthy all year, but they are still a dangerous team.

Big Ben is becoming a liability to the Steelers. His mistakes cost them the game. He has been careless with the ball all year. No part of that is his offensive line is garbage in pass protection, but a lot of it has to do with him trying to do too much instead of taking the safe throw. The Steelers are a good team, but they need better play from there QB.

Green Bay Packers 27 vs. Minnesota Vikings 28

All I can really say is Adrian Peterson is a beast. He is more than a beast he is like a greek god of football. This is a one player team and he literally won the game by himself. Gus Ferrotte is garbage and played like he had money on the Packers. I can only imagine what would happen if Peterson had a real offense to back him up and a coach who didn't look like a child molester. He could probably run for 3000 yards man this kid is good.

You get the feeling that the Packers should be better than their record indicates. There offense is good, there defense is good and there special teams are good, but there record is average.

The curse of "God" Favre?

Tennessee Titans 21 vs. Chicago Bears 14

I personally like Rex Grossman but he could definitely use a change of scenery. Chicago is just not the place for him. The fans just loathe him and it makes it hard for him to succeed even in a back up role.

The Titans keep rolling along 9-0 just beating down opponents in the process.

Kansas City Chiefs 19 vs. San Diego Chargers 20

I give Herman Edwards credit for going for the win even though if they could have executed an extra point better it wouldn't have come down to that. I never thought I would say this, but Tyler Thigpen is not bad. Not bad at all.

The Chargers still are horrible and it is quite possible the LT is done.

Each week of the NFL Season I will break down every NFL Game as they are happening. The early games will be posted first. Then the afternoon games. Then the Sunday Night Game and finally the Monday Night game, so check in often.

New York Giants 21 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers 14

First off Plaxico needs to get his head in the game. He is on a very good team and he is an important player on the team, but Jerry Rice he is not. There is no reason for him to be as disruptive as he has become and I applauded the Giants for not letting him effect there "team concept".

With that being said this game was not for the weak of heart. There was some hitting of epic proportions going on. The Giants lived in the Steelers Red Zone but finally was able to score when it matter.

Big Ben is not going to survive the season if he continues to get beat like Ike did Tina. The one weak part of the Steelers is there offensive line and until they get that straighten out they can't be considered a Super Bowl contender.

Tampa Bay Bucs 9 vs. Dallas Cowboys 13

Honestly I would have never have thought if the Cowboys were going to win this game that it would be their defense that would do it. But the defense which has been ravaged by injuries and suspensions came up huge and completely shut down the Bucs.

At least for one week this should quiet the Dallas drama considering they are 5-3 it could definitely be worse for the Boys. The Bucs will regret not kicking a team when they are down. Only scoring 9 points against a defense that has been horrible is inexcusable.

San Diego Chargers 32 vs. New Orleans Saints 37

At least the Brits got there money's worth this year. If you like offense this was the game for you. Drew Brees and Philip Rivers took turns trying to out do each other and here is a news flash LT actually look like LT.

In the slop of Wembley Stadium Brees was able to out duel Rivers so officially we can call San Diego the most disappointing team in the league.

Arizona Cardinals 23 vs. Carolina Panthers 27

The story is always the same with the Cardinals. You want to take them seriously, but they can never win a big game on the road. I don't care how great the Cardinals passing game if they expect to win on the road they have to run the ball better. They had less than 50 yards rushing and you will never beat a good team on the road with numbers like that.

The Panthers are a sneaky Super Bowl contender in my opinion. Not really great at anything but very good at a lot of stuff. Watch out.

Each week of the NFL Season I will break down every NFL Game as they are happening. The early games will be posted first. Then the afternoon games. Then the Sunday Night Game and finally the Monday Night game, so check in often.

Dallas Cowboys 7 vs. Saint Louis Rams 34 (Check the Highlights)

Many people thought the Rams had a chance against the Cowboys, but I don't think anyone thought they would put the beat down on the Cowboys like they did.

I mean this was a Hopkins vs. Pavlik destruction. The Cowboys after their initial drive was never in the game. Brad Johnson looked like he was just signed two days ago. It was truly a shocking performance but a team that is suppose to be a Super Bowl favorite. Wade Phillips had a look on has face like what am I supposed to do?
Jerry Jones face is melting and somewhere Jimmy Johnson, Donovan McNabb and Jeff Garcia are somewhere laughing. Pacman might have to take a drink after watching this game.

The Cowboys are at a crossroads where there season is going to go one or two ways. Either they are going to circle the wagons or they are going to self destruct. For the first time in awhile I am leaning toward self destruction.

Minnesota Vikings 41 vs. Chicago Bears 48

Yes you are reading that score correctly. I thought the Bears and Vikings were supposed to be defensive specialists? I am still dumbfounding that the Bears almost scored 50 points while only rushing for about 75 yards.

I think I should let people know something. I know you are having a hard time believe that it is Kyle Orton slinging the ball all around the field like he is Peyton Manning, but you have to remember that Orton played college ball at Purdue where it was nothing for him to throw 40, 50 and sometimes 60 times a game, so he is definitely comfortable doing that so you shouldn't be that surprised.

I will tell you when I knew this game was over. The Vikings were down 48 to 31 with about 8 minutes left in the game. They faced a 4th down at about their 5 yard line and they decided to kick a field goal. When you are down 17 with eight minutes to go you need touchdowns. By the time the Vikings got the ball back down 48-41 there was only a minute left and they needed to go 85 yards with no timeouts. If you are down 17 you need to score touchdowns so when it comes down to the end of the game you are in a position to kick a FG to win or tie. The Child Molester should know better than that.

New Orleans Saints 7 vs. Carolina Panthers 30

Early this morning someone suggested the best way to slow Reggie Bush down was to show pictures of R&B singer Ray J (aka the guy in the Sex tape with Kim Kardashian) on the jumbotron or to have him sing the national anthem.

Why am I bringing this up? Just an excuse to post a YouTube of Kim K.
By the way the NFC South is so confounding who knows what is going to happen for week to week so why even try? Reggie Bush did leave with a knee injury so we will keep an eye on that.

Each week of the NFL Season I will break down every NFL Game as they are happening. The early games will be posted first. Then the afternoon games. Then the Sunday Night Game and finally the Monday Night game, so check in often.

Dallas Cowboys 24 vs. Arizona Cardinals 30 OT

I am not sure exactly what is wrong with the Cowboys, but they haven't been right since they left Green Bay with a victory a few weeks back. They got beat down by the Redskins. They barely held on against the worse team in the NFL the Bengals. Then we have today I don't even know where to start.

They are not playing well as a team and to be honest this game shouldn't have made it to OT. The offensive line was horrible. The running game was suspect and as ESPN will be sure to point out T.O. only got a couple of catches. Right now they aren't a Super Bowl caliber team.

Now ESPN is ready to play the blame game. Blame T.O., Blame Pacman, Blame Romo (wait they never do that), but the facts are they just got their ass kick simple as that.

First thing first Ken Whisenhunt what in the blue hell were you thinking? I have said this to coaches many many times just because everyone else calls you a genius doesn't mean you are. As I stated before this game should have never made it to overtime but Whisenhunt wanted to play genius. I bet he won't do that again.
Now with that being said:

"How About Them Cardinals?"

They outplayed the Cowboys for the entire game point blank period and the block punt to end the game was a thing of beauty. Kurt Warner, Edge, Larry Fitzgerald and others look like a team that has confidence and is ready to get on a roll in my opinion. They physically beat the Cowboys.

Chicago Bears 20 vs. Atlanta Falcons 22

Before I get to the end of the game let me say I am very impressed with Kyle Orton. You can tell a lot about a quarterback by how they perform in the 4th quarter and Orton was flawless. I believe that the Bears have finally found a Quarterback after what seems to be 100 years and that is a very good thing.

What is a bad thing though was the Bears defense in the last seconds of the game. When a team only has a few seconds left in a game and is needing a field goal to win that last thing you want to do is allow a:

DEEP OUT!!!!!!

That is the only pass play that can hurt you and for some reason the Bears allowed Michael Jenkins to casually run a 20 yard out route and no one bothered to cover him.

That is inexcusable simply inexcusable.

I am becoming a Falcons fan. I am becoming Matt Ryan fan and I never thought I would be saying that. Good things are happening in the ATL.

Saint Louis Rams 19 vs. Washington Redskins 17

This is why I love the NFL. The Redskins had beat down the Cowboys and the Eagles on the road in consecutive weeks and the Rams just fired their Head Coach and is giving up 36 points a game, so just mark down the W for the Redskins right?

WRONG!!!

The Rams go on the road where they are one of the worse in the league and beat the Redskins? Can that be correct?

It just proves the theory that the margin of error in the NFL is very slim even between the best and worse teams. In a super competitive NFC East the Redskins will regret this L.

Each week of the NFL Season I will break down every NFL Game as they are happening. The early games will be posted first. Then the afternoon games. Then the Sunday Night Game and finally the Monday Night game, so check in often.

Arizona Cardinals 35 vs. New York Favres 56

I shutter to think of what the headlines will be tomorrow for the "God" coming off of 6 TDs performance. Sometimes you forget Favre is going on 39 years old. He is still a good QB when he can keep the boneheaded mistakes in check which after the 1st quarter he did. If you take the 2nd half of the San Diego game and now this game you see how the Jets can be explosive on offensive and if they can ever get Favre fully up to speed they can be a dangerous team later on the season if they can keep their head above water.

Say what you want about the Cardinals they are at least entertaining. They didn't have one or two receivers go over 100 yards they had three. Kurt Warner aka Mr. Fumble had a hard time holding on to the ball, but when he had time he was carving up the Jets secondary. Defensively well that is another case, but it is very much feast or famine with their offense. It is definitely must see TV.

Anquan Boldin took a vicious and dirty helmet to helmet hit at the end of the game and had to be carted off on stretcher we definitely wish him well and hope everything is ok.

Washington Redskins 26 vs. Dallas Cowboys 24

Simply put the Redskins just kicked their ass. From the beginning of the game they outplayed Cowboys the entire game. I am shocked at how much improvement the Redskins have made since their opening night loss to the Giants. It is like they are a totally different team. Defensively they have been stout, but offensively it has been a total 180. Santana Moss is playing more like a prime Randy Moss. Jason Campbell is playing like a QB who isn't wearing a Tom Selleck mustache.

Just impressive all the way around. Just like the Eagles, the Giants and the Cowboys you have to put the Redskins up there as the class of the NFC. You might as well call the NFC East the SEC of the NFL.

Tony Romo still has a little too much Brett Favre/Peyton Manning in him for my liking. What I mean by that for those who don't understand is that while Romo is obvious a very talented QB he just seems to make 1 or 2 mistakes a game that have you shaking your head. During the regular season it may not be so obvious, but during big games it can cost you the game. His INT which he had no business throwing was one of the main reasons they lost the game. Great QB but until he shakes that habit it makes you wonder about the Cowboys.

They have blown several calls this season and it has to be a concern for the NFL. The latest blunder is not calling the Denver Broncos for being offsides on this 3rd & 1 play against the Saints. The Saints would fail to pick up the first down and proceed to have Martin "Not Automatica" missed the game winning field goal. If the proper penalty was called the Saints would have had a first down, more time to kill the clock and a shorter field goal attempt. Not saying that he would have made it, but that is not the point. The point is they should have been awarded a new set of downs.

From the phantom pass interference calls in Indy to the horrendous non-personal call against the Bucs the refs are doing the one thing they can't do and that is help decide the outcome of the game. Makes you wonder if someone is in their pockets if you know what I mean.

Each week of the NFL Season I will break down every NFL Game as they are happening. The early games will be posted first. Then the afternoon games. Then the Sunday Night Game and finally the Monday Night game, so check in often.

Miami Dolphins 38 vs. New England Patriots 13

The worse thing about this game is that now we are going to have to hear Joey "50 Cent" Porter gloat for a week and that has to hurt New England Fans more than the beat down. It was a beat down of Margarito vs. Cotto proportions. You have to give credit to the Dolphins offensive coaches for coming up with very creative ways to confuse the Patriots defense. It appeared that the Patriots have never seen a version of the "Wildcat" formation because Ronnie Brown did his best Darren McFadden impression and just torn them apart.

5 Touchdowns? 5 Touchdowns? There is some fantasy owner who had Ronnie Brown stashed on his bench who are throwing a brick through their laptop right now. Big confidence booster for both Brown and the Dolphins that they can play with any team in this league.

This is the reality shot that Patriots fans needed to realize they are not going back to the Super Bowl. Matt Cassell is an ok quarterback, but here are the facts even though Tom Brady was an afterthought as a 6th round draft pick he did play at a big time college program at Michigan with success. Cassell hasn't started since high school it is amazing he has played as well as he has. He isn't a game changer and into he becomes one the Patriots are going to have to grind out victories.

Also keep a close eye on Randy Moss because there are signs that he is starting to loaf a little bit. Remember a motivated Randy Moss is a dangerous one, but an unmotivated Randy Moss is a "DANGEROUS" one. You feel me?

New Orleans Saints 32 vs. Denver Broncos 34

The good news for the Broncos is they look unstoppable on offense. The bad news is their defense can't stop anyone.

Two weeks two thrilling down to the wire games where the Broncos were up big and then had to claw there way to a victory. I think it is safe to say:

Cutler>Leinart/Young

The Saints are very similar to the Broncos. They can score on anyone but can't stop anyone either. With that being said they should have won this game but of course when you leave the game in the hands of a kicker on the road in a hostile environment you are taking a chance. Add in that kicker was Martin Gramatica well it was anything from automatic.

Dallas Cowboys 27 vs. Green Bay Packers 15

I think we learned that the Packers and specifically Aaron Rodgers are not quite ready for primetime. They are a very good team that is only going to get better as the year goes along, but right now they just aren't there yet. Packers fans should be patient Rodgers is going to have a few games like these throughout the year and it is only going to help him become a better player.

I think it is safe to say that the Cowboys are the best team in the league. The scary thing is considering what had happened last week defensively against the Eagles to hold the Packers pretty much in check the entire night was impressive. I don't think it is a coincidence that their defense played better without Roy "Horse Collar" Williams in the lineup. Horse Collar should be permanently benched even when he comes back healthy because he is nothing but a liability at this point.

Tony Romo still has a little bit too much "Favre" in him for my liking, but you have to be impressed with how even when a defense bottles up his best weapon (Green Bay was hell bent on making sure T.O. didn't beat them) he stay patient and spreads the ball around. I mean Miles Austin was the receiving star. Marion Barber III and Felix Jones are the best 1-2 punch in the league. Cowboys are the class of the league.

Each week of the NFL Season I will break down every NFL Game as they are happening. The early games will be posted first. Then the afternoon games. Then the Sunday Night Game and finally the Monday Night game, so check in often.

San Diego Chargers 38 vs. Denver Broncos 39

Before I get to "The Fumble That Never Was" let me talk about Mike Shanahan. It is no secret I have had my share of criticisms of Wile E. Shanahan over the years because the fact of the matter he hasn't won jack since Elway left the building. Regardless of his failures he seems to be made of Teflon when it comes to being criticized. Now that probably isn't going to change but let me be the first to give him a big round of applause.

I am so sick of coaches playing not to lose as oppose to playing to win. I am so sick of coaches who are more concerned about with what the media will think the next day as oppose to what is best for the team. Shanahan didn't care about any of that. He only cared about showing confidence in his team by going for the win and not playing for overtime. These are the type of decisions that catapult teams to greater heights. Great decision by Shanahan.

I am not going to blame the ref. He made a mistake he is human and things happened. I am going to blame the NFL for not correcting the rule. They made a rule for just this type of situation, but who knows why they only applied it to runners not quarterbacks. That has to be the dumbest decision made in the history of mankind considering that fumbles by the Quarterback are the hardest to determine. The Chargers are 0-2 because the NFL powers that be are idiots.

LT is killing my fantasy football team and he is probably killing yours so I suggest you pick up Darren Sproles who looked magnificent and to be honest more dangerous than LT.

Indianapolis Colts 18 vs. Minnesota Vikings 15

One phrase can sum up this game:

Kicking FGs don't win NFL games.

Adrian Peterson beast, Tavaris Jackson not so much. The Colts should consider themselves lucky since they were outplayed badly by the Vikings for the majority of the game, but a win is a win. Peyton Manning finally started to look like Peyton Manning in the 4th quarter. He will get better as the year goes along.

You can find Amber Fox way down at the bottom and you will see "Ya Boy" at the top. Imagine that.

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Each week of the NFL Season I will break down every NFL Game as they are happening. The early games will be posted first. Then the afternoon games. Then the Sunday Night Game and finally the Monday Night games, so check in often.

Kansas City Chiefs 10 vs. New England Patriots 17

I don't know if you believe in Karma, but from the time they found out the Patriots were cheaters after Week 1 last year it appears the Football Gods have been toying with them. Let them go 18-0 before losing in the Super Bowl to a team that had 6 losses in the regular season. During the preseason they had to deal with the mysterious Brady injuries and the horrible play of Matt Cassel.

Now in the first game of the season Brady blows out his ACL. Coincidence? I think not.

It appears the Matt Cassel to Randy Moss era will be starting in Week 2 and in turn a dynasty maybe coming to an end. The fact they won the game doesn't mean much it isn't like the Chiefs are the Colts because now every team in the AFC are all thinking the big bad bully has been transferred to another school.

If the Giants gave teams hope this injury gives them belief.

As for the Chiefs all I have to say Huard>Croyle.

Carolina Panthers 26 vs. San Diego Chargers 24

This game started out extremely boring. I never felt it would be the game of the day, but it was. The Chargers should be ashamed of themselves. There is no way that the Panthers with their best player sitting at home contemplating who is the next teammate he is going to beat down should be able to roll up over 400 yard in total offense or a so-called elite defense.

I mean who in the blue hell is Dante Rosario?

The Chargers window of opportunity to win a Super Bowl is closing and not to beat a dead horse, but with Brady going down that can't let games like this happened. There are people who believe that the Chargers will never be a Super Bowl winner with Norv Turner as their coach. Count me as one of those people.

I always liked Jake Delhomme because he isn't the most talented guy, but he just has a lot of moxie. You can tell his teammates believe in him. That was a great 2 minute drill considering his receiving core was minus Steve Smith. The pass to Rosario was a thing of beauty and will be the highlight of Week 1 for me.

New York Favres 20 vs. Miami Dolphins 14

I have been a critic of "God" Favre's decision making in the past but the one thing you have to give him is he has a gun. His TD pass to Cotchery was a thing of beauty. His "hail mary" on 4th down is why you both love and hate him. It is going to be an interesting year in Jersey.

Man-Genius I don't want to hear your kicker was hurt you never ever go for two that early in the game. It almost cost you.

The Dolphins played hard and had an opportunity to win the game that is all you can ask for. Chad Pennington is an upgrade but it is going to be a long year. It was good to see Pretty Ricky Williams out there playing well.

The Good

It's hard not give the #1-spot in the AFC East to the New England Patriots. They went 16-0 during the regular 2007 season and managed to keep 90% of their team in place for the 2008 season. The secondary, which was the weakest link on the field, lost both Randall Gay and Asante Samuel to free agency. This means nothing to the Patriots, whose organization reminds me of Phil Jackson's triangle offense. You plug another player in the scheme and the wheel keeps on rolling. Tom Brady is focused and so are Randy Moss and RB Laurence Maroney. This terrific trio = points, points and more points! They've also added RB Lamont Jordan to the roster who'll run the screen play nicely.

The success of the Buffalo Bills will begin and end with Trent Edwards and Marshawn Lynch. Edwards must continue to improve on his performance from last year and pull some games out with his arm. Lynch must be feeling mighty lucky to be on the field vs. the court room. He will need to improve one aspect of his game and become a dual threat out of the back field. To start, he needs to study Thurman Thomas' old tapes. It works, baby; it works.

The only sign of life down in Miami was the naming of Bill Parcells as the Executive Vice President of Football Operations and Tony Sparano as the head coach for the Dolphins. Bill Parcells still possesses the passion for the game and understands what it takes to build a Super Bowl contender and Tony Sparano believes in Bill Parcells.

The NY Jets have acquired the rights to future Hall-of- Fame QB Brett Favre for a conditional fourth round draft pick, enough said!!!

The Bad
The Buffalo Bills lost two, hard fought games in the 2007 regular season by 1-point. This had a lot to due with the immaturity of its players. They're still young, but having a successful season under their belt should increase their confidence.

*Side Note:* Brett Favre was traded to the NY Jets after I finished my article.

The NY Jets need a quarterback. Yes, both Kellen Clemons and Chad Pennington are on the roster, but neither is playoff ready. The WRs are speedy and the Jets need a quarterback that can get the ball down the field to Laveranues Coles. Adding Pro Bowlers Alan Faneca (G) and Tony Richardson (FB) should increase the possibilities. They can help with increasing Thomas Jones' yardage as well. Jones has yet to show that he can hold the #1 spot. On the defensive side of the ball, Captain Jonathan Vilma is now a Saint, but LB Calvin Pace should fit in nicely. He's ready to put his nightmare years in AZ behind him.

The NY Jets have acquired Brett Favre. If they don't make the playoffs, expect for hell to freeze over!

The New England Patriots offensive line was beat up and exposed during the Super Bowl. The NY Giants showed the rest of the league how to get it done against this high powered offense. With offensive lineman Nicholas Kaczur being popped in April for having 202 Oxycontin pills in his possession, will he be punished? Isn't that a violation of the leagues' substance abuse policy and illegal?

The Ugly
The Miami Dolphins are going to suck this year. Regardless of the fact that Bill Parcell's is the Executive V.P. of Football Operations. He can only put the personnel in place; he can't help them perform on the field. I'm a football fan first and foremost, but after scanning the roster of the Dolphins there were only 4 names that I recognized: Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown, Ernest Wilford and Josh McCown. Noticeably absent? A notable defensive player. With 40 new players added to the Miami Dolphins roster, maybe they'll 5 games?

The Buffalo Bills will travel to Canada to play eight games -- five regular-season contests and three exhibition games -- in Toronto over the next five years. I was born and raised in Buffalo, and until the Sabers got hot, the Bills were all we had. The NFL's decision to allow these games to be played in Canada is testing the market. It's no secret that owner Ralph Wilson wants to sell the team. Seeing how 50% of the stadium is filled with folks from the North...it's only a matter of time before the team moves there too.

With the NFL and College Football rapidly approaching (1st NFL Preseason Game this Sunday), BlackSportsOnline has you covered. In the month of August we will be on an all-out Buddy Ryan 85 Bears football blitz. What can you look forward to?

THE RETURN OF AMBER FOX VIDEO NFL PICKS IN THE SUPERMODEL VS. BONAFIDE SPORTS EXPERT CHALLENGE.

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That is just a tip of the iceberg. So make sure you're checking the site every day because, I know, you know, and the whole world knows, that nobody and I mean nobody covers the world of sports like "Ya Boy" Robert Littal and BlackSportsOnline.

I've stayed away from commenting on Brett Favre's request for reinstatment for a reason. Simply put, I really don't care if he stays or if he goes. BUT...I do have an opinion about it. lol

If I were a part of the Green Bay Packers organization, I'd let him comeback ala Michael Jordan, wearing the Four - Five (sing it like Jay Z) with another team. Brett held a press conference to announce his retirement. His wife was there, he cried, the fans were grief-stricken, ESPN ran coverage re: his career for an entire week. You get the picture. He said goodbye to the game that he loves when all those around him ADVISED him not to. They knew what Brett didn't: "He wasn't ready to give up football." But he did, so here we are.

Here are my Top Five Reasons, to let Brett Favre go:

1. He plays maverick football when the game is on the line. You can't question his heart, but I do question his decision-making ability. Check out how many INTs he's thrown. Yea, yea, he's fun to watch, but the smiles disappear when you lose. I had him as my QB on fantasy football....hmph!

2. Eventually the Packers and their fans have to move on, and that time has come.

3. What about Aaron Rodgers? If you bench him in favor of Favre this year, what happens when Brett decides to really leave the game? What does that say for loyalty and Aaron's confidence.

4. Brett was one game away from playing in the Super Bowl. The same team was intact for this upcoming season and still, he decided to retire. The taste of victory wasn't good enough?

5. Get what you can while you can. If he's that's valuable, let him sign with another team, and get as many draft picks as you can for Brett.

I think the top guns in Green Bay have decided to look ahead instead of looking back, and I don't blame them. So slay me. Let him go already!

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said it's "ridiculous" to reward untested rookies with lucrative contracts, and wants the issue addressed in contract talks. Goodell said he favors lowering salaries offered to rookies, but allowing a provision for those players to renegotiate their deals after proving themselves on the field.

Unfortunately, I don't agree with him at all. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Only the top 10-15 players in the draft get an excessive amount of money. The rest of the draftees get a reasonable contract. If this proposed change in the pay scale does occur, it will hurt more individuals than it will help. Once they lower the salaries of the Jake Longs of the worlds, the Matt Flynn's (7th round) will be hit as well.

2. The life span of a NFL player is 3-4 years. For 80% of the rookies, this will more than likely be the only contract they will get from a NFL club.

3. If an owner can't afford the economics of being in the NFL, then he/she should sale. The last report that was made public, all 32 NFL teams were making a profit.

Furthermore, the NFL does not always pay "deserving" players. How many times have "deserving" players received the axe after earning their money. How many times has it been reported that a team has cut a proven veteran player only because his salary was too big for the club to take on?
Players should get paid for whatever amount that they sign for. The bigger problem is that teams are not selective or creative in who they give guaranteed money to. For every first round bust, there are just as many late round gems that are found by scouts who do their research.

Aside from injuries and off-field issues, Travis Henry is definitely a talented NFL running back. However, if you've been paying even a little bit of attention to Travis Henrys career, then i'm sure your not too surprised that the Denver Broncos released Henry from his position. Here's the kicker... they questioned his commitment. Basically saying he was irresponsible. Why aren't we surprised?

Well, the legend of Henry is well-documented, he is said to have fathered nine children in a six-year span. By six different woman people! I mean he's even making the late "Ol Dirty Bastard proud with this reproduction rate. Not that were doing math but to think that a man put in 81 months worth of pregnant time in, all in a six-year span?! Talking about "ball 'til you fall", this truly has to be some type of feat.

Look I understand we're alI weak for women to some extent, but I always wondered when an athlete like Henry is rolling the dice so carelessly and after it so hard, does he ever think the dice might land on Human Immunodeficiency Virus? Let's all hope that this serves as a valuable lesson for Henry about commitment and that he now understands that his priority is to commit to his children, off the field, before another football team.

Now just which league is the Thug League?

After all of these arrests, allegations, and God knows what else, how is it that the NFL hasn't gotten the Thug label that the NBA has? The NFL has a rap sheet at least twice as long as the NBA's, maybe three times longer, and they get away with it while the NBA suffers and gets labeled the Thug League that mainstream America just couldn't bring itself to support in large numbers anymore. How does that happen? Chris Henry alone has more arrests than we've had from NBA players over the past several years, and yet the NBA is the criminal league. Pac Man Jones is the only pro athlete facing charges for what happened at the NBA All Star Weekend, and yet the NBA gets tarnished for it as much as the NFL? I know I've been down this road before, but everytime I see an NFL player get arrested and the way the media handles it, I get upset. This Marvin Harrison thing is no different in that it's being treated as an individual incident and not being symbolic of a league run amok.

Now we all know the double standard is more about imagery than actual criminality. Tattoos, jewelry, baggy pants, hip hop, and conspicuous entourages all conspire to inspire both fear and hostility in a large portion of the sports fanbase, and these things are all on display much more in the NBA than in the NFL. Some people see those things and jump to conclusions whereas you don't see any of that during a football game. The tats are covered up by jerseys and pads, as are the jewelry. The entourages, if they're even in the building, don't stand out among 50,000 plus people the way they do sitting courtside at an NBA game. You don't have postgame press conferences where star players go on rants about 'practice' and 'both teams playing hard', so the attitude isn't put on display like it is after NBA games. And finally, with football players you're dealing with a lot of guys who could easily fit amongst us regualr folk in that most of them are no taller or bigger than you and I. There's no mistaking Rahseed Wallace for a keyboard puncher like myself.

All that being said, how about some objectivity from the media? How about we treat everyone as an individual, no matter the sport they play, and judge them for what they do instead of their entire league. No sports league is full of noble gladiators or criminals; there are many of both in all of them. How about we tell the truth instead of playing up the usual narratives? How about we not act so shocked at Marvin Harrison, especially with his history, and then turn around and treat Josh Howard like he's the typical NBA player? That's all I'm asking; is it too much?

The Good:

• The Kansas City Chiefs burned down the house when they traded Jared Allen to the Vikings, but they did a great job of starting to build it back up. Glenn Dorsey, Branden Albert and Brandon Flowers should be starting day one. Now they didn't take a QB so they must believe Brady Crolye is the answer.

• The Dolphins got two players that should start their rebuilding process. Jake Long you already know about, but Phillip Merling will be the one you should watch out for.

• USC had about 500 palyers drafted in the first 3 rounds. If I am a high school kid looking for the best college to get me ready for the pros I definitely noticed this.

• Players in the green room. No Brady Quinn/Aaron Rodgers this year (I was a little disappointed to be honest).

• The Miami Hurricanes who have gone 14 straight years with having at least one player drafted in the 1st round (Kenny Phillips 31st to the Giants).

• The NFL Network which clearly outshined ESPN's coverage.

• Offensive Tackles who were at a premium even if they were 2nd and 3rd round grades.

• The Redskins who actually had picks in the 1st and 2nd rounds and on top of that made solid selections.

• Joe Flacco, who should be thanking his P.R. people for getting him enough buzz to be a 1st round pick.

The Bad:

• No Wide Receivers taken in the 1st round (what happened to Devin Thomas going to the Bills at 11?).

• ESPN for their horrible coverage (sans Mel Kiper Jr. and Jaws).

• Keyshawn Johnson for wearing quite possibly the ugliest suit ever. This is the NFL Draft not the 2008 Pimp Convention.

• Chad Henne and Brian Brohm. Henne looked like he was ready to strangle someone and Brohm had that face like if I would have come out last year I would have been a Top 10 pick.

• Girlfriends of players who fell out of the 1st round. You can see flashes of dollar signs in their head.

• Aaron Rodgers realizing that Brohm is coming in to take his job.

• John Beck (see Aaron Rodgers and input Henne name).

• Jerry Jones for picking Felix Jones with Rashard Mendenhall on the board.

• The Ravens for picking Joe Flacco when they already have Joe Flacco on their roster. His name is Kyle "Garbage" Boller.

• The Tennessee Titans for drafting a RB when Vince Young had absolutely no wide receivers to throw to.

• The Carolina Panther for giving up a 1st round 2009 Draft Pick to move up one spot to draft Jeff Otah?

The Ugly:

• The Atlanta Falcons who have set back their franchise by 5 years with the pick of Matt Ryan. I don't care what team, what division, what climate or what conference. If you throw 19 Interceptions in 11 college games, you should not be the 3rd pick in the draft. That is the bottom line.

The NFL draft is already in full swing with the #1 pick already signed and the Chiefs and Vikings pulling off a huge trade. With three days left before the draft, here is the official BlackSportsOnline NFL Mock Draft.

1- Miami Dolphins- Jake Long, OT Michigan
Deal already done, very solid pick.

2- Saint Louis Rams- Chris Long, DE Virginia

They would prefer Jake Long and, personally, I think over-the-long-run Glenn Dorsey, Vernon Gholston and Sedric Ellis will be better, but for the Rams they cannot take that type of risk.

3- Atlanta Falcons- Glenn Dorsey, DT LSU

The sexy pick would be Matt Ryan, but the smart pick would be Dorsey. Matt Ryan is no savior and, without an improved offensive and defensive line, he will not survive in ATL.

4- Oakland Raiders- Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas

The Raiders don't necessarily need a running back, but they do need to bring some excitement back to their fan base. So while I don't agree with the pick I definitely understand it. They signed a ton of fringe free agents and adding McFadden to the mix will be a very interesting experiment.

5- Kansas City Chiefs- Vernon Gholston, DE Ohio State

With the trade of Jared Allen, they really have no choice at this point. They will think about Matt Ryan. But they will pass.

6- New York Jets- Ryan Clady, OT Boise State

They want McFadden. They will have to settle for Clady. Once again the quickest way for a bad team to become a good team is to shore up the offensive line.

7- New England Patriots- Keith Rivers, OLB USC

The Patriots are in dire need of a cornerback, but I believe Belichick thinks he can plug anyone into their system and make it work. They are getting real old at LB and Rivers is the type of do-it-all linebacker they love.

8- Baltimore Ravens- Matt Ryan, QB Boston College

Steve McNair has retired, Garbage Boller is Garbage Boller and it appears the Ravens don't want to give Troy Smith a fair shake, so they will take Ryan. Similar to Brady Quinn last year, I don't think Ryan is a franchise guy and would be better served getting drafted later than earlier.

9- Cincinnati Bengals- Cedric Ellis, DT USC

Forget about all the drama with Ocho, TJ and Rudi Johnson, the fact of the matter is the Bengals will never get better until they shore up their defense . Cedric Ellis will be the inside presence they have been seeking for years.

10- New Orleans Saints- Leodis McKelvin, CB

The Saints were torched in the secondary last year. McKelvin has been flying up on the draft boards.

11- Buffalo Bills- Jeff Otah, OT Pittsburgh

A lot of people are predicting wide receiver here, but they need line help more.

12- Denver Broncos- Derek Harvey, DE Florida

The Broncos have to stop bringing in over hill defensive lineman and start getting some young guys in the mix. Harvey is a beast coming off the corner.

13- Carolina Panthers- Devin Thomas, WR Michigan State

Steve Smith needs help and he needs help badly.

14- Chicago Bears- Rashard Mendenhall, RB Illinois

Cedric Benson is a bust; the other Adrian Peterson is not an every down back. So Mendenhall is the perfect pick to start Day 1.

There is nothing more asinine that getting excited over the release of the NFL Schedule.

IT DOESN'T MATTER

I heard this stat while listening to the radio. Of the last seven teams who started the season with the statistically "easiest schedule," six of them didn't even make the playoffs. Just for the record, the Patriots have the easiest schedule (yes, the 18-1 Patriots) and the Steelers have the toughest schedule. Now with all that being said, there are some interesting match-ups. But in the end, there will be games that look horrible now that will have playoff implications in December. So calm down NFL fans.

For such a successful organization, the NFL sometimes argues over some of the silliest things such as the hair issue. They have come to their senses and have tabled the discussion. However, the fact that they were even considering it was asinine.

The NFL isn't the military. It's bad enough they have uniform police, that you can't celebrate or say anything enlightening without the media twisting your words. Now you are telling the players that they can't wear their hair the way they want to?

Memo to the NFL and Roger Goddell: Please don't go "Racist" Stern on us. Just because someone has dreads doesn't mean they are any better or worse than someone with a crew cut. Next thing you know, they will be trying to outlaw tattoos which, in turn, would shut down the entire league.

First off, the game of football should be America's past time. I'm still trying to figure out who elected baseball? Ask yourself, what team is nicknamed America's team? It ain't the NY Yankees although one could argue that. It's the Dallas Cowboys.

What other sport can argue that its biggest game should be honored as a national holiday - such as the Super Bowl. It completely grabs hold of the country...the world, while households transform into football meccas for 6 hours. How else can you explain companies paying $2 million or more for a 30 second ad?

But, my reason for this entry is too start a revolution. I'm not campaigning for football to be the national past time, but for the women of the world to revolt against the myth that we don't love the game. When I'm out having cocktails or shopping in a sports store and I overhear a conversation about football, my ears get all warm and fuzzy. I then jump at the opportunity to join in.

In a majority of the time, my opinion and comments are welcome and respected, but there's a instance or two where I am challenged regarding my knowledge of the game. I'm then hit with a barrage of questions of who, when, what and how. At this point, I smile because I'm competitive by nature, and when you know what you know, you know the rest! Besides, this gives me the opportunity to shut some mouths, while opening some closed minds.

To my ladies, men absolutely adore a woman that can talk sports, intellectually that is. It's a conversation starter and finisher. Even if football isn't your sport of choice, but you're single and looking, learn a sport and test the waters. To all the men who still feel the need to test me, do so. But when I put you at ease and start making you smile, remember I can cook too. Most importantly, I'm married!

We will have daily updates for the start of NFL Free Agency:

• Jerry Porter signs with the Jaguars for 6 years 30 million. How many #2 receivers do the Jags have on the Roster now?

• The Shaun Rodgers trade to the Bengals is off. Just like Cincy to blunder something as simple as this.

• Billy Volek will stay with the Chargers for 3 years 9 million

• Jonathan Vilma of the Jets has been traded to the Saints. Great move for the Saints if he is healthy.

• Cincy gets Shaun Rodgers for a 3rd and 5th round pick.

• Asante Samuel signed with the Eagles for 6 years 57 million dollars. 20 million is guaranteed and 32 million over the 1st 3 years. I personally don't think he is worth that type money especially since he is a zone corner and Philly is aggressive scheme.

• Denver Broncos cut Javon Walker and Ian Gold. Look for the Cowboys to make a run at Walker.

• Kawika Mitchell has signed with Buffalo Bills.

• The Cowboys have traded Jason Ferguson to the Miami Dolphins. Ferguson was hurt all of last year.

• Kris Jenkins has been traded to the Jets for a 3rd and 5th draft pick in 2008. Jenkins also signed a new deal with $20 million in guarantees. In my opinion, horrible trade for the Jets not because of the draft picks but for the guaranteed money for someone so injury prone.

• The Minnesota Vikings have sign former Cincy Saftey Madieu Williams for 6 years, 34 million. If Williams can stay healthy, good pick up for the Vikings even though he is a "Roy Williams" in coverage.

• Derek Anderson re-signed with the Cleveland Browns. That means Brady "Free Falling" Quinn will be sitting on the bench for another year.

• No news on the Randy Moss watch which is bad news for the Patriots.

• Asante Samuels will be in Philly this afternoon and my sources say a deal is already in place so unless something unusual happens in the next 4-5 hours he will be an Eagle.

• Michael "Burner" Turner will be visiting the Falcons this afternoon.

• Updated on Anderson's contract it appears he has gotten 24 million over 3 years with 14 million guaranteed and a good chance he will get the full 24 million.

Mr. McFadden,

Wassup! It's your boy Robert Littal. I am a big fan of your undergraduate work at Arkansas. Looks like you are in line to be a top 5 pick in the NFL Draft meaning you are about to pocket anywhere between 20 and 30 million dollars in guaranteed money which is a beautiful thing. You killed at the combine and many are saying you are the next coming of Adrian Peterson. With that being said, while I was reading all of the superlatives about you, something caught my attention. It appears that you may have fathered 4 kids by 4 different women. The paternity tests are pending, but in the event this is actually true, I thought I should holla at you.

You see these?

They are calledl condoms. You can get them at pretty much any store in the continental United States for about $7. Since you are currently rolling around in Escalades, I am sure you can afford them. I know you think highly of yourself, but I hate to break it to you that these woman aren't having sex with you because you are cool. They are having sex with you to collect some of that 30 million you will be getting soon.

I am not sure if they have a class at Arkansas called "How Not To Be Played By Gold-digging Woman" but if they do, I suggest you take it in the spring because, honestly, you are proving to me and many NFL teams you are not the sharpest prospect out there. I would rather you get a 6 on the Wonderlic test than show you have absolutely no common sense at all.

Look we were all young at one time and I can understand if one chick swindles you, but four? Come on, homie, do you need me to spell it out in football terms?

Basically your signing bonus is Tom Brady and those chicks are the Giants D Line. You feeling me? Go read up on Shawn Kemp or Evander Holyfield. Call up Travis Henry and ask him how it is working out for him with multiple baby mamas.

I am telling you this because I think you have great potential as a football player. So don't take it the wrong way. But if you don't starting thinking with your top head first, you will end up more like Lawrence Philips than Eric Dickerson.

The NFL Combine starts today and for the 100th year in a row it means absolutely nothing. I will say this every year that I am living but how in the blue hell can you determine how fast someone is in pads but testing them shorts and a t-shirts? When was the last time you saw a RB or WR run unabated straight ahead 40 yards? I understand why they have the combine but until they actually do some drills that test football skills as oppose to track and field skills I would rather trust the game film.

Clearly, after watching the festivities associated with the NBA All-Star game, it's a unanimous decision in my opinion. The NBA has the best All-Star weekend. It's three days of activities showcasing the NBA's best. The skills of its ballers, the gift of giving and the hottest parties. Retired and active players, celebrities and fans, converge to the host city to bask in the NBA's glory. They're all there donating time and money to charities and lending their names to sponsored parties, which contributes significant dollars to the host city. How's this for sportsmanship. The nominated players show up, injured and all. Kobe Bryant who is a fan favorite and injured, started the game. Why, because it's their league, their job, and that is how you represent. The NFL and it's players should take note.

The Pro Bowl and the events surrounding the game need an upgrade. How about moving the Pro Bowl to the middle of the season, giving each team that week off? For those that argue that football is physically demanding and the risk of injury to great. Remove a game from the preseason schedule. It's not like the starters play an entire game. Besides, the players don't get serious about winning the Pro Bowl until the 4th quarter, when the money is on the line. Prior to, its an offensive showdown = highlights and fun.

As for the festivities. How about televising a game between retired AFC and NFC players? What about a skills competition for the different positions? There's a plethora of opportunities for the NFL to showcase its players, all the while giving back to its fans.

The only constant is change and the time for change is now.