Week Three NFL Picks Plus One College Pick

So I’m thinking I may just start flipping a coin.

I mean, after an 8-8 week (plus missing on the college pick), it can’t be any worse, right?

Well, I did hit on both the UPSET SPECIAL and STONE COLD LEAD PIPE LOCK(tm) again, so I’m still perfect, 4-0 on the season there. Maybe I’ll save the coin for next week if things don’t improve.

As usual, you are an idiot if you gamble with my picks. They are for recreational purposes only. Home team in CAPS:

Kansas City (+9) at PHILADELPHIA: I’m telling you right now, if the Eagles don’t beat Kansas City by three touchdowns, there will be riots in the streets. I don’t care who is starting at quarterback, I don’t care if Brian Westbrook doesn’t play. The Chiefs are an awful football team. I would take the University of Texas minus nine over Kansas City on the road. Eagles win big, STONE COLD LEAD PIPE LOCK(tm).

Tennessee (+2.5) at NY JETS: Rex Ryan gave a game ball to Fireman Ed (that one dude who sits on that other dude’s shoulders and leads the “J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS” chants) last week on behalf of the fans. It will be insane in the Meadowlands Sunday. Tennessee absolutely, positively HAS to win this game. They won’t. Buddy’s boy’s boys go to 3-0, take the Jets, give the points.

Jacksonville (+3.5) at HOUSTON: OK, Houston, which is it? Are you the team that beat Tennessee or the team that got worked by the Jets? What’s that you say? You’re playing Jacksonville this week so it doesn’t matter? Oh, alright, cool, we’ll check back next week, Houston beats J-ville by a WHOLE lot, give the points.

Cleveland (+13) at BALTIMORE: Only Kansas City prevents the Browns from being the worst team in the AFC. For the second time in three weeks, I’m gonna say something I rarely say: take the Ravens and give the THIRTEEN. Wow, that is a lot of points. Fortunately for me, Eric Mangini coaches the Browns, and he’s an idiot.

NY Giants (-6.5) at TAMPA BAY: Byron Leftwich. Cadillac Williams. Kellen Winslow Jr. OK, there, now I can name three guys on the Bucs. They still suck. Take the Giants, give the points.

Washington (-6.5) at DETROIT: Detroit has to beat somebody at some point, don’t they? Yeah, and it may even be this week. Take the Lions plus the points.

Green Bay (-6.5) at ST LOUIS: Look, don’t get me wrong here, the Rams are awful. AWFUL. But why is everybody so in love with the Packers now? They were 6-10 last year. I don’t get it. Take the Rams plus the points.

San Francisco (+6.5) at MINNESOTA: San Francisco is for real. Will they beat Minnesota in a battle of the NFC’s two best running backs so far? Well, let’s not go crazy here. But they will cover the nigh-touchdown spread, take the Niners and the points.

Atlanta (+4) at NEW ENGLAND: The Pats need to get it in gear. Losing to Atlanta at home will not sit well with Lord Vader, er, I mean Bill Belichick. Pats win and cover the four.

Chicago (-1.5) at SEATTLE: Really? The Bears? Jay Cutler? Really? Seattle, with Seneca Wallace at QB, beats the Bears. UPSET SPECIAL OF THE WEEK.

New Orleans (-6) at BUFFALO: It is getting harder and harder to pick against The Greatest Show On Turf: Part Two, This Time, It’s Personal. But I am a sucker for home underdogs getting six or more. Grit your teeth and take the Bills to cover in a shootout.

 Miami (+6) at SAN DIEGO: Two teams that are real close to being dead to me square off here. Miami needs this game badly. So do the Chargers. I believe the Chargers win and cover. I think. Yeah, take the Chargers. I think.

Pittsburgh (-4) at CINNCINNATI: So I’m listening to the NFL radio channel today, and everybody and their mom is picking the Bengals to not only cover, but beat the defending world champs. Uh, what? Mike Tomlin is 8-1 all time in the regular season the week after a loss. Those eight wins are by an average of nearly two touchdowns, and include two shutouts. This is what we call a “trend.” Take the Steelers to lay the smackdown on the Bengals, give the four. In fact, make it a bonus second STONE COLD LEAD PIPE LOCK(tm).

Denver (-1.5) at OAKLAND: The Raiders made me sweat it out against Kansas City last week. Is it possible that Josh McDaniel goes to 3-0? It sure is. It’s not LIKELY, but it’s possible. Equally unbelieveable, the Ray-dizz go to 2-1, take them plus the points.

Indianapolis (+2.5) at ARIZONA: Uh, is that a misprint? Peyton Manning is getting points? Against ARIZONA? Colts win big, people, stop with this Arizona nonsense, come on. Get a grip.

Carolina (+9) at DALLAS: The day I give nine points with the Cowboys is the day I wear a Cowboys Jersey to Lincoln Financial Field. Not happening. Plus, Carolina is gonna win at least one game this year, why not here? Take the Panthers plus the nine.

COLLEGE SPECIAL:

Washington State (+45) at USC: Washington State is a bad team. They have lost 16 of their last 19. They haven’t beaten USC since 2002. They won’t beat them this week either, but 45 points is just a little ridiculous, don’t you think? Me too. Take the Cougars to lose by SIX TOUCHDOWNS and still cover. That’s just silly.

LAST WEEK: 8-8 NFL, including 1-0 STONE COLD LEAD PIPE LOCK(tm), 1-0 UPSET SPECIAL. College, 0-1.

OVERALL:

NFL 15-16-1.

STONE COLD LEAD PIPE LOCK(tm): 2-0

UPSET SPECIAL: 2-0

COLLEGE: 0-1

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2009 College Football Pick’em Week 4

Back for another week of college football action. The BCS got rocked last weekend thanks to the USC dropping a game, and the Tennessee Vols taught us that Florida can be rattled. What can be expected in week four? That I don’t know but you can believe that once again my picks will be spot on.

Miami Hurricanes vs. Virginia Tech Hokies

The Hurricanes and the Hokies have combined for some great games in the Big East, however since both schools made the conversion to the ACC, the rivalry has cooled a bit. Saturday afternoon, the rivalry is back on. The Virginia Tech Hokies are coming off an impressive victory over a much improved Nebraska Cornhuskers squad. On the other side of the ball you have the Miami Hurricanes, who look to be regaining their swagger both on and off the field. There is no doubt this game will provide great theater.

The Hokies Tyrod Taylor finally had his breakout moment last weekend when he lead Virginia Tech on an 80 yard game-winning drive. Taylor’s emergence has kept the Hokies offense on track this season while they wait for their young runningbacks to get adjusted to big time football. On Saturday he will face another aggressive defense, that is closer to the one he faced in the season opener against Bama.

The Miami Hurricanes are quickly becoming the darlings of the NCAA, which is strange if you think about it, but also very good for college football. There is no doubt that this Miami team is legit. Jaccory Harris should have his name tossed into the Heisman balloting. He is a very athletic quarterback who knows how to buy time in the pocket. However, what makes him special is Harris’ ability to throw the ball downfield. Having a solid arm helps to keep the defense honest and calm some of the aggressive pass rush schemes.

Despite being the home team, the spread is favoring the Miami Hurricanes by three points. This is a big game both in the ACC standings and on the national scene. Frank Beamer’s Hokies just came off a big win against Nebraska weekend and could be suffering from a bit of a hangover. Miami looked sharp last week against Georgia Tech. It definitely seems like the U have gotten their swagger back.

Winner: Miami Hurricanes win straight up and cover the three points.

North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The Tar Heels are coached by Butch Davis who many consider the architect for the Miami Hurricane juggernaut of the ’90s. After a brief stint in the NFL, Davis has settled in Chapel Hill, and after a few seasons of rebuilding he appears to be putting his mark on the Tar Heel program. UNC have plenty of questions to answer on the offensive side of the ball.

Mainly inconsistencies at quarterback have hampered North Carolina’s attack. What Butch Davis has done for the Tar Heels is bring life to what is a very aggressive and dangerous defense. The speed and athleticism at the linebacker position make the Tar Heels a threat against any team.

Many thought the Yellow Jackets were the favorites to win the ACC in 2009. Paul Johnson has his version of the triple option running in high gear. Last week against the Hurricanes Georgia Tech were held in check. That was because the Cane’s have more speed than your average defense. Against the Tar Heels, Georgia Tech will push the limits. The Rambling Wreck rushing attack has the opportunity to churn up yards on the ground and wear out the Tar Heels defense.

The spread on this game favors the Yellow Jackets by two and a half points, that’s basically the cover the spread they give to any home team. However, despite the fact that North Carolina are the ranked team in this match up, Georgia Tech are still the better squad when it comes to executing X’s and O’s.

Winner: Georgia Tech cover the spread and wins the game.

Cal Bears vs. Oregon Ducks

This may be the most intriguing and underrated game on the weekend. During the preseason the Oregon Ducks were expected to make some noise both in the Pac 10 and on the national scene. All of those thoughts were put to rest when Oregon went down in burning flames in a season opener against Boise State. The damage done on the field was only out matched by post game altercations.

All of that being said, the Oregon Ducks are not a terrible team, they just need to find their identity under new head coach Chip Kelly. Slowly but surely this Duck’s team is coming together. Oregon got through their non-conference schedule 2-1 and all things said, that is nothing to be ashamed of.

The Cal Bears are a very hot team right now thanks to the efforts of runningback Jahvid Best. There is no question that the Bears have the horses and are prepared to make a legit run at the Pac 10 title. The key for the Bears this weekend will be focus. Everyone in the state of California is looking forward to the Bears and Trojans game next week. However, that game will not mean a thing if Cal cannot knock off the Ducks in Oregon.

The spread shows Cal as a six point favorite. Cal have the talent to win the game but, they don’t have the focus to cover the six point spread.

Winner: Cal wins the game, but Oregon keeps it interesting and covers the spread.

TCU Horned Frogs vs. Clemson Tigers

The Horned Frogs are a good team. Unlike some of their Mountain West counter parts, the Horned Frogs go on the road, play good teams and they know how to win. TCU have already traveled east once this year to whip up on an ACC team. However, that was the Virginia Cavalier and I assure you, the Tigers will not be that bad.

TCU have made a name for themselves thanks to a stellar defense. Their 3-3-5 scheme is something that opposing teams don’t see very often and as a result they have a hard time preparing for and executing against it.

Once again, there were high hopes in Death Valley. An early loss to Georgia Tech derailed some of that hype, but nonetheless the Tigers are a dangerous team. They still have arguably the best running back in the country with C.J. Spiller. He sat out part of Clemson’s last game with a bum toe, but all indications show Spiller should be past that in time for Saturday’s game.

This is another one of those unique matchups where the ranked team actually enters the game as an underdog. The spread favors Clemson by three points. One has to think this advantage comes from the raucous crowd that will be in attendance in Death Valley on Saturday evening. This is a very difficult game to chose, but I say go for the big play.

Winner: TCU wins the game outright and thus covers the spread.

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The Disrespected: Why The 49ers Shouldn’t Be Overlooked In Minneapolis

Despite jumping out to a 2-0 start to begin the season, the San Francisco 49ers are still being disrespected. However, a win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday might just be enough to earn themselves a spot amongst the elite teams in the NFC.

Even after beating the defending NFC champion Arizona Cardinals on the road in week one, and dominating the Seahawks in week two, almost every significant NFL analyst is picking the Vikings to hand the 49ers their first loss.

Granted the Week Three matchup will be played in Minneapolis, those who are actually paid to cover the NFL might want to give the 49ers a bit more credit. The 49ers have no individual positional holes and have no weaknesses in any facet of the game.

San Francisco can rely on their defense, running game, and even Shaun Hill’s arm to win games (9-3 as a starter). Plus, not to mention the 49ers have one of the best special teams in the NFL. Their punter Andy Lee is a Pro Bowler, place-kicker Joe Nedney is automatic, and Allen Rossum can make big plays in the return game.

The 49ers and their fans know that their is something special brewing under Mike Singletary but apparently the rest of the NFL still doesn’t believe in what this team can do. But let’s not forget what happened the last time Viking running back Adrian Peterson matched up with 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis. Minnesota ended up romping a much weaker 49ers team but Willis dominated Peterson, holding him to just three yards on 14 carries.

Not only was Peterson shut down in that game, but on Sunday his team will be facing a revamped 49er defense that has been punishing opposing quarterbacks (three INTs, four sacks, constant knock downs and Patrick Willis knocked Matt Hasselbeck out of the game) and have allowed opposing runners to just 2.5 yards per carry.

Although the Vikings have Brett Favre, at 40-years-old, the former gunslinger turned “game-manager” by Minnesota doesn’t put much fear into the minds of 49er defenders. In-fact, last year the 49ers dispatched Favre and the New York Jets in a punishing fashion winning 24-14.

Furthermore, the Vikings receiving corps isn’t exactly the Packers receiving corps of the 1990’s and therefore Favre’s new receivers will be in for a rude awakening going up against a physical 49ers secondary.

Going off what has been seen through the first two weeks, I’ll take the 49ers defense to keep the Vikings offense under 17 points.

However, another issue is that “expert” analysts are claiming that the 49er offense will not be able to move the ball against the Minnesota defense.

The Viking defense which is suppose to be “incredibly dominant” against the run has given up 4.0 yards per carry so far this season and the two teams they’ve played were the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions, not exactly Vince Lombardi’s Packers or Jimmy Johnson’s Cowboys.

Write it down right now, Frank Gore will run effectively against the Vikings on Sunday and it will be enough to enable Shaun Hill to make the clutch throws when necessary  in order to win the game.

And yes, the 49ers will win on Sunday because they are hungry. Hungry to stop being the butt of jokes, hungry to return this once proud franchise to it’s glory days and hungry for respect.

With the way the 49ers can control the game, expect a Shaun Hill to Vernon Davis touchdown to be the game winner, 49ers 20 Vikings 17.

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NFL Week Three Hal-Oscopes: Trust Me, It Might Happen

Week Two provided many wonderful and horrific football events to ponder and puzzle over.

For instance: when will the Texans’ Steve Slaton wake up and realize the regular season has started?

Are the Browns really not going to score an offensive touchdown all year?

Are L.T. and Brian Westbrook both finished?

And well, well, lookie here. Turns out Eli Manning does have some people to throw to.

Week Three will begin to provide some more answers to all of our nagging questions, but for those who can’t wait for the actual games this Sunday and Monday, I give you the Hal-Oscopes.

For those new readers, the Hal-Oscopes are a horoscope of sorts (not really, but play along), for a select group of NFL players and personalities. They are a mystic, cosmic, (and let’s hope) comedic foretelling of the future by the stars.

Brady Quinn (Sunday @ Baltimore)

Quinn is an air sign, which could mean that he’s going to air it out against the not-as-good-as they should be Raven defense. But due to a pathetic running game, average o-line and the decision making speed of a Galapagos Island Turtle, it really means he will spend the majority of his day on his back, staring into the air, sky, and heavens. God Bless, Brady.

Terrell Owens (Sunday vs. New Orleans)

Owens scored one TD last week and could’ve easily scored another one as the Bills beat the punch-less Buccaneers. Owens’ ruling planet is Mercury. And Mercury tells us (not is so many words, mind you) that when Owens lines up this Sunday he will be consumed with anger and jealously from watching the Saints aerial assault. Luckily, this is how TO normally plays and lives. So naturally, the Bills upset the undefeated Saints.

Jim Zorn (Sunday @ Detroit)

As a former quarterback Zorn, is either a) confused, b) sickened, or c) confused and sickened when he watches his team play offense. Whatever the answer is, it’s his fault, so he better fix it. The problem is Apollo’s Moon is on the rise and that means trouble on the celestial horizon for Zorn. Unreal expectations and very real communication problems will plague Zorn along with the earthly, plain fact that the Lions are due! That’s right, expecting a win will not make you win. The Lions will win and Zorn’s head coaching job may not make it out of the locker.

Brian Westbrook (Sunday vs. Kansas City)

It appears Westbrook has angered some sort of foot-ankle god, (not sure which one that is, have to look it up) and he will be doubtful for this Sunday — this after off-season surgery and not participating in training camp at all. Before the sands run out on Westbrook’s career, he needs to make peace with this foot-ankle god immediately and beg for mercy. This week, the ankle god will laugh at Westbrook and give him a DNP for his trouble.

Kerry Collins (Sunday @ New York Jets)

Collins has had regenerative spirits smile on him for a quite a while now, after being left for dead many times in the past. That karma and the approaching September equinox will shine more good consequence on Collins, as desperation (and a screaming Jeff Fisher) push he and his Titans over the top against the surprising Jets, who wrongly do not observe September equinoxes. Big mistake.

The Green Bay Defense (Sunday @ St.Louis)

After a tough week of preparation following an embarrassing home loss to the Bengals, the Packer defense will experience a light, cheery day on Sunday. Grey skies will lighten, the sun will shine on them (metaphorically, in the Rams stupid dome) and they will smile, laugh, and humiliate the Rams in front of their families and fans. Ah, football.

Kurt Warner (Sunday vs. Indianapolis)

The deeply religious Warner had god-like accuracy in the Cards win over the Jags last week. His faith will be rewarded again this week, as he very generously spreads the ball around against the bend-and-bend-some-more defense of the Colts. It’s not exactly The Devil vs. God, but Warner vs. Manning should good viewing for all us sinners.

Matt Forte (Sunday @ Seattle)

Forte’s fortunes have had a swift downturn this year with the arrival of big-mouth, big-arm Jay Cutler. Bears Offensive Coordinator Ron Turner may be too far-gone on the Cutler Kool-Aid, but the new lunar cycle and Seattle’s defensive personnel strongly suggest otherwise. Strongly enough that even someone as dumb (or drugged) as Turner can see that Forte should be allowed to punish the Seattle defense for one really good reason: he can.

Mike Singletary (Sunday @ Minnesota)

Singletary is off to a good cosmic start in San Fran and his enthusiastic approach is beginning to catch on. But his smash-mouth style is about to be introduced to Mr. Smash Mouth, Adrian Peterson. Their Sunday meeting promises to be very rocky. But Peterson figures to make the niner defense love him or die trying. A very risky relationship approach.

Carson Palmer (Sunday vs. Pittsburgh)

Palmer’s pride seems to have the gotten the better of him last week by playing well and in turn, slowing his getaway out of Cincy. But fear not Carson, you can easily go back to tanking games for the Bengals this week. The Steelers will arrive in town with an aggressive lunar entry into Jupiter and a super aggressive front seven on defense coming off a close loss to the Bears. Payback will be gotten my dear Carson, cosmic and otherwise.

That’s all I can see for this week. Enjoy your Sunday and Monday football everyone. Be ready for next week before it comes and look for the NFL Hal-Oscopes next Friday.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

The 1985 Bears Ruined My Saturday Night

This is a photo of me at a BBQ this weekend, wearing a 1985 Super Bowl Champion Bears tee shirt:

At a bar, later that night, that shirt was responsible for the most awkward moment of my life.

(Quick Background: I am from Cleveland originally and follow the Browns passionately, but, in the 1980s, when I was growing up, my second favorite team was the Chicago Bears. I now live in Chicago, but have not followed the Bears closely over the last few years—only the Browns). 

The situation:

A women who looked, at most my age, yet in all likelihood younger, approached me—

WOMAN: “I just wanted you to know: I love your shirt! And I wanted to say, I was at this bar when I watched that game!”

I was amazed. Here’s this woman, who I thought to be at most 28, telling me that she was old enough to have a beer in a bar in 1985.

ME: “Wow. You’ve aged really well.”

CONFESSION: that is an atrocious response to an opening line, by a woman. However, I was recovering from the single most inaccurate age guess of my life (at the time) and all social abilities flew out the window, in a confused rush.

WOMAN: “Yeah, sure.” (said in mock encouragement)

She then passes a dismayed “can you believe this guy” look to her friend.

IMPORTANT FACTS THAT I DID NOT KNOW

• This woman thinks my shirt is for the 2007 Bears team (that lost the Super Bowl to the Colts). NOT the 1985 team.

• She has never heard of the 1985 team.

• It never occurs to me that she’s talking about the 2007 team.

Thus, she thinks I’m congratulating her on aging from an event that happened less than three years ago. I think we’re talking about the year 1985 and am speaking oddly nostalgic.

She rolls her eyes again.

I start to wonder why she’s so mad about a compliment on her aging. Even if it was stated a little awkwardly, it was sincere.

That’s when it hits me: “she thinks I’m hitting on her!”

…This, of course, is all wrong. She does not think I’m hitting on her. She just thinks I’m crazy for talking about the year 2007 this way…

Also NOTE: through a series of unrelated misunderstandings, I incorrectly believe this woman is my buddy’s boss.

Thus, I feel obligated to ‘clean up’ this misunderstanding and am refusing to just shut up and walk away, until I feel the conversation has turned positive…

ME: “You know, I really meant that: you’ve aged great.”

Her jaw nearly drops.

WOMAN: “What??”

ME: “Come on you must know that…You know, not every thing a man says is a line.”

I start scratching my temple, during these final points, so she will see my wedding ring. I think this will further assure her that I am not flirting.

ME: “Some things are just facts. Some people age really well and you happen to be one of them.”

Now she just looks confused…I am talking about the year 2007 like I have been in a space ship and do not understand how humans have aged.

Her friend walks over and joins us. He points to me.

FRIEND: “Oh, great shirt man.”

He looks as young as her. He then turns to her.

FRIEND: “We saw that game here, remember?”

Jesus…there are two of them!

FRIEND: “Where did you see it?” (to me)

ME: “At my best friend’s sleep over.”

They now think they are talking to the weirdest man on Earth. A full grown man who still introduces people as “his best friend in the world” and says “sleeping over” rather than “crashing on a couch.”

Even I am starting to detect the strangeness. Everyone is glancing at each other with squinted, confused eyes, as though to say, “Do you have any idea what’s going on here?”

Luckily her friend then adds, almost in a near panic to change the topic:

FRIEND: “Rex Grossman really shit the bed in that one.”

Oh my God. They are talking about 2007. Worst yet, they think I’ve been talking about 2007, when, in fact, I’ve been talking about fourth grade.

Screw it. I just gotta get out of here. I’ll probably just make things more confusing if I try to explain the difference between the two Super Bowls to these guys.

ME: “I have to go find my best friend.”

And I walked away.

I told my wife the story when I arrived home. “God you’re awkward with women,” she said “it could not have happened to any one else.”

She blames my awkwardness. I blame America’s inability to read Roman numerals. If the NFL just started using regular numbers for the Super Bowl (like every other company on Earth that releases more than five versions of a product), all of this could be avoided.

NOTE TO DISCOVERY CHANNEL: if you switch the numbering system for “Puppy Bowl” to standard Arabic numbers (rather than Roman numerals), I will immediately consider you to be the most relevant game on that day.

(this offer also extends to Budweiser, should they choose to restart “Bud Bowl”, without Roman numerals)

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Philadelpia Eagles Respect History This Sunday by Honoring Al Wistert

FINALLY! RESPECT IS BORN!

Give the Philadelphia Eagles credit today!

They recognize their tradition now.

FINALLY!

Al Wistert is being inducted into the Eagles Ring Of Honor on Sept. 27, 2009.

It will occur during a halftime ceremony when the Eagles host the Kansas City Chiefs.

BUT, the job is not done for Al.

He SHOULD be in Canton!

Here is his story again.

Consider getting on board.

Al Wistert
6’1″ 214
Tackle
Philadelphia Eagles
1943 – 1951
9 Seasons
95 Games Played
8 Time All Pro

Albert Alexander Wistert was drafted in the fifth round by the Philadelphia / Pittsburgh Steagles in 1943, the 32nd player chosen overall. The Steagles were a team that was comprised of Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers into one team because of World War II.

Al had played college football at the University of Michigan. He was a legendary two-way player there. He had two brothers, Alvin and Francis, also play for the Wolverines. They all played the same position, tackle on both sides of the ball, and wore the same No. 11 jersey.

Francis was the first, Albert was the second, then Alvin was last. Their No. 11 jersey has been retired by Michigan University, and is one of only seven to have achieved that honor. Albert played on Wolverine teams that lost only five games in his three years there. He was an All-American and was named the MVP of the team in 1942.

One famous moment in Michigan University football history came against Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. Going in the locker room trailing at halftime, the Notre Dame fans told Michigan to go home because it was over.

Wistert would have none of that and inspired his teammates with a pep talk that had the Wolverines fired up. Michigan rattled off 21 straight unanswered points in the third quarter and dominated Notre Dame to a 32-20 victory.

After playing in the 1943 East-West Shrine Game, Al was team captain of the College All Stars who played against the NFL World Champion Washington Redskins. Al’s team stomped the Redskins, led by Hall Of Fame Quarterback Sammy Baugh, 27-7.

Al Wistert is a member of the Michigan University Hall Of Honor, and a member of the College Football Hall Of Fame, as are both of his brothers.

Al went to his first Steagles practice knowing no one. He saw Hall Of Fame Defensive End Bill Hewitt sitting on some rocks, smoking a cigarette. Al approached Hewitt to introduce himself to the fellow Wolverine Alumni who had played alongside his brother Francis in college.

Hewitt had just come out of a three-year retirement to play for $4,000. It was the most Hewitt had ever made in the NFL. Al had just signed with the Steagles for $4,500. Al extended his hand and introduced himself, but Hewitt did not say a word or offer his hand.

Al then decided to run laps around the field by himself. Pretty soon, the entire Steagles team was following Al and running around the field.

The Steagles disbanded the following season, and the Steelers and Eagles went back to being separate teams. Wistert stayed in Philadelphia.

Al would make his first All-Pro Team that year in 1944, and would garner this achievement for every year of the rest of his NFL career. In 1946, he was named team captain, an honor he served until 1950.

The Eagles went to their first championship game in 1947, but lost to the Chicago Cardinals 28-21. The 1948 season saw the Eagles win their very first championship during a blizzard in a rematch against the Chicago Cardinals 7-0.

The Eagles then went back to the NFL Championship the next year and beat the Los Angeles Rams 14-0 in heavy rain.

The Eagles are the only team in NFL history to win back-to-back championships and not allow their opponents to score. Al announced he would retire after the 1951 season. The Eagles held an AL WISTERT DAY in the fourth from last home game that year.

The team gave Al a brand new car, and many other gifts. One gift was a hand crafted dining room table that Al still uses this day to eat his meals.

The Eagles then retired his No. 70 jersey in 1952, the first Eagle to ever have had this done. Al Wistert is a member of the NFL 1940’s All Decade Team.

I find it utterly amazing that Al Wistert has yet to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame! This man truly embodies what Canton is supposed to represent.

Not only was he an eight time All-Pro in his nine year career, but he was a very important member of an Eagles team that dominated the NFL in the late 1940’s.

He introduced the NFL to the stand-up style of blocking you all see today, instead of the rolling type of blocks that were employed then, which allowed Wistert to use his speed and agility to keep on blocking more defenders downfield and making him better than all the rest.

Al was a true leader on and off the field. He captained a powerhouse squad full of Hall Of Fame players like Steve Van Buren, Pete Pihos, Alex Wojciechowicz, and Chuck Bednarik. His coach was Hall Of Famer Earle “Greasy” Neale.

Al also gave back to the community by coaching a high school team in New Jersey over 50 miles away, even though he did not own a car.

Neale liked and respected Wistert so much that he would lend his personal car daily to Wistert so Al could go teach kids how to play football. This says a lot, because Neale was a noted task master.

One game, Al came to the sideline to tell the coach he thought he had just broken his leg. Neale replied, “Well, get back in there until you are sure that it is.” Al never missed a game in his career.

He started every game of his career except the first five of his rookie season. He would soon supplant veteran Ted Doyle after the fifth game.

The only other time he missed a start was in 1950 season opener against the Cleveland Browns. Wistert had a severely sprained ankle and could hardly walk, but he ended up playing most of the game anyways.

A 60 minute man, he never left the field at any time. Whether it was opening up holes for runners on offense or closing them on defense, Wistert was an amazing athlete durable, strong, and cerebral.

Al was the smallest Tackle in the NFL, weighing 214 pounds, but he was a master technician who would out think, outwit, out-gut, and dominate his opponents on both sides of the ball for every minute of every game.

Al said, “I never gave them the same thing twice. I always confounded them with a new plan of attack.” His team mates dubbed him “Ox,” because he was incredibly strong and dependable.

The game was much different then. A rougher and more violent game with less rules and padding for self preservation.

They played games in all sorts of poor weather, unlike the climate controlled stadiums so many players enjoy today. They would spend days travelling to cities by train, instead of a few hours on an airplane like today.

Just to get a taste of these times, the Eagles took a train from Philadelphia to Los Angeles after beating the Giants. Despite only having a few days in L.A., they shut out the Rams in monsoon-like conditions to win an NFL Championship.

To say these men were tough is an understatement. They did this for the love of the game, not for the love of the money.

Many great football players eschewed the NFL in those days because they could earn more money outside of sports, and in other sports.

Francis Wistert was given $100 by Cardinals owner Charles Bidwell just to sign a contract, even though he had no intention of ever playing in the NFL. Francis chose to pitch for the Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball instead of playing football.

Albert Wistert decided to play professional football and was great at it. He was a 60-minute man who stayed on the field at all times. After he retired, he became successful in the life insurance business and made million dollar deals.

But he chose to play football first, and he is one of the path pavers who made the NFL the multi-billion dollar empire what it is today.

The fact the Eagles retired his number first, and only one year after his retirement, shows how special a football player he was. Al Wistert is also a member of the Philadelphia Sports Hall Of Fame.

As the years go on, the more we tend to forget great gridiron stars like Al Wistert. The veterans committee for the Pro Football Hall Of Fame MUST be blamed for not doing the jobs they were given to do. It is plainly evident to see, with all of the accolades, that a grave injustice has been perpetrated in regards to Al.

It was not lost on his fellow players. After he retired, over 23 players and NFL’ers have written to the Hall Of Fame asking that Wistert be put in: greats ranging from Chuck Bednarik even to former Eagles owner Norm Braman.

Why the voters have chosen to ignore such a rich, diverse cast of NFL Alumni requests is bewildering. There is NO QUESTION that Albert Wistert belongs in Canton.

YOU can help by signing this petition:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/AlOxWistertHOF/

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NFL Week Three Preview | Washington Redskins @ Detroit Lions

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Giants and Cowboys Recap: Quick Hits 101

As the weekend approaches and the Giants’ Sunday night victory over the Cowboys is firmly in the rear view mirror…my thoughts are finally clear and concise. 

There is a lot of work to do for Big Blue.

Game Two “Quick Hits” and some thoughts to back up my observations.

Quick Hit: Linebackers

First and foremost…where are the NY Giant linebackers?  I hate to say this but they stink.  The once pride and joy of great NY Giants defenses have come and gone.

Whether you think they’re too young, too old, too small, or just injured…please stop making excuses for them.  They are not super bowl quality linebackers.  They are not game changers. 

Yes, Pierce is a great film student and makes some nice calls during the game, but his skills are limited.  The entire unit beside the unknown Clint Sintim is soft and out of position.  Without Kiwika Mitchell—now in Buffalo—Pierce is exposed.

Put Sintim on the field.

Cowboys Linebacker

Who are these players?  These “no name” guys were flying around the field making plays everywhere.

Quick Hit: Touchdowns

With under a minute left in the second quarter of the Dallas game, the Giants offense had not scored a touchdown in three quarters.  Is it the lack of fire power or the offensive play calling?

Whatever it is…they better figure it out because, as you witnessed, good NFL teams will stack eight players in the box to stuff Brandon Jacobs.  Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride needs to involve his tight end Kevin Boss and rookie receiver Ramzee Barden in the red zone packages.

Elio has grown up and this is now his team. His postgame on the field interview made it all clear, “We need to score more touch downs!”

Field goals are dramatic… but touchdowns win games!

Quick Hit: Michael Boley

My evaluation of Michael Boley is simple.  The guy is a good football player.  He flies around the field with ease and from what I saw on Sunday night he seems to be a good tackler.   The only knock on him to this point would be his positioning. 

He seemed out of place on half the plays he was on the field.  Chalk it up to rust?

Quick Hit: Vertical versus Horizontal

The passing game Sunday night was fast and furious with Eli slinging the ball down field and the Giants seemed very much a vertical team. However, somewhere after the first two series of offensive plays the passing game, changed from vertical to horizontal. 

Gilbride went deeper into the play book only to eliminate the vertical game in exchange for screens, short outs, and dump passes to the full back. 

Outside of the Hixon getting held during a deep passing threat…I’m at a loss why the Giants didn’t stick it to them by going deep and often. The “down field” game plan was working and the corners were kept honest. 

Quick Hit: Eli

Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys, Eli Manning had his best regular season game as the Giants quarterback.  Eli stepped up his game without Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Jermey Shockey, or Tiki Barber. 

Eli threw for 330 yards, going 25 of 38 and had a spectacular 22 yard touchdown catch by Mario Manningham right before half time.  Eli’s performance was good enough to finally break a 13 game stretch without a single 100-yard receiver.

Quick Hit: Boss Man

Kevin Boss had a very nice game opening week…in fact it was eye opening, because I had almost forgotten about Kevon Boss as our tight end. 

So does anyone know—where did he go?  Shockey used to own the Cowboys and so can Boss.  If we are having trouble scoring touchdowns, throw No. 89 the ball and let him ball his way into the end zone.

This kid is an athlete and most likely good for seven catches, 85 yards, and one touchdown. 

You want more offensive points…throw Boss the rock.

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The Deification of The “Tough Coach”

If there’s one thing that bothers me about the NFL community (media, fans, etc.), it’s the fetishism for “tough” or “no-nonsense” coaches.

I don’t know why we seem to have this pathological need to see grown men chewed out by some emotionally unstable jackass, but everywhere I look, I see paeans to these individuals.

Take this Sports Illustrated piece by John Lopez. His thesis: tough coaches are needed because of the prevalence of spoiled behavior on the part of star athletes. Fair enough—this is the type of thing one sees everywhere.

Look at his examples, though. Michael Crabtree? Nonsensical considering the entire article is basically set up to praise 49ers coach Mike Singletary.

OK, maybe one could argue that Crabtree hasn’t been around Singletary to sufficiently absorb his toughness (how does that happen, by the way? Osmosis?). But Tom Brady? Yeah, Bill Belichick is a real softy. After a tough Jets loss last week, he took his players out for ice cream and told them they were all winners.

Also, consider the NFL’s current poster boy for bad behavior, Plaxico Burress, and his coach, Tom Coughlin. I suppose Coughlin isn’t tough enough either – he should have been able to keep the bullet out of Burress’ leg through sheer force of will. Maybe if he started his meetings 10 minutes early instead of just five, Burress would still be on the team right now.

My point is, it appears that coach toughness and player misbehavior are completely independent of one another.

The hard part about disproving the “tough coach” issue is the fact that it, like it’s “player’s coach” sibling, is rewarded after the fact.

Mike Singletary and Bill Cowher are tough coaches. Nick Saban is simply a jerk.

Tony Dungy is soft-spoken. Herm Edwards is a player’s coach.

Jon Gruden was tough when he won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers, but I guess became less tough over time. Maybe he took a yoga class?

In this NY Times Freakonomics blog post, Stephen Dubner writes about “survivor bias,” the fact that we only look at the tactics of the successful while completely ignoring all others. I think it applies with “tough coaches” as well—we admire Coughlin, while completely ignoring the angry guys who fail (again, paging Nick Saban).

Being tough is not necessary to be an NFL head coach, nor is it the surefire way to success—it just happens that many coaches have a controlling attitude. Coaches, therefore, shouldn’t be tough for toughness’ sake, but coach the way that works best for them.

I’d go on, but I’m only three minutes early for a meeting with Coughlin. God knows what he’ll do to me.

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Steelers at Bengals: Pittsburgh’s Keys to Victory

The Pittsburgh Steelers own the Cincinnati Bengals in the Ben Roethlisberger era. That is an indisputable fact.

Big Ben is 8-2 lifetime against the Bengals, including a 6-0 mark in Cincinnati. The Bengals haven’t won at home against the black and gold since 2001. Impressive to say the least.

But before you punch the Steelers victory ticket, take a closer look. This is not your typical woebegone Bengals. Cincinnati is healthy for the first time in ages and playing with renewed confidence, especially after last week’s performance against Green Bay.

Now don’t get me wrong, Pittsburgh should still win this game. They have more talent on both sides of the ball. The Steelers are a veteran, Super Bowl championship team, and have dominated the AFC North to the tune of 13 victories in the last 15 divisional contests.

Carson Palmer and the Bengals will need a Herculean effort to defeat the Steelers. Hard, but not impossible. Here’s what Pittsburgh must do to ensure the upset never happens.

Pittsburgh’s Keys to Victory

1. Get Palmer’s Jersey Dirty: The Steelers defense put loads of pressure on the quarterback in two games, but have only three sacks to show for it. Pittsburgh needs to get Palmer on the ground and rattle his cage early and often.

The last thing defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau wants is giving Palmer time to throw.

2. Stop Cedric Benson: Benson has been reborn in Cincy since taking over as the feature back. He has 217 yards rushing in two games and when he’s chewing up yards, it gives Palmer the luxury of more time in the pocket to pick apart defenses and use play-action.

The Steelers need to shut down Benson and force the Bengals into third-and-long situations.

3. Keep Roethlisberger’s Jersey Clean: The Bengals defense has been a sack machine so far, especially DE Antwan Odom, so the offensive line of Pittsburgh needs to contain the Cincinnati blitz. Odom put on 30-pounds of bulk and the added size is a big reason he has seven sacks in two games, including five against Green Bay last week. A key match-up will be Steelers LT Max Starks against Odom.

4. Establish the Run Game: One way to neutralize the blitz is to run the football effectively. Willie Parker has had great success in Cincinnati (130.3 yards per game), and Mike Tomlin would love to see him have a breakout game.

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians is keeping the same rotation as last week, Parker for two series with Rashard Mendenhall on the third. Both need to step up this weekend.

5. Avoid Mental Miscues: Missed field goals, dropped passes, and stupid penalties plagued Pittsburgh last Sunday. The Steelers must avoid mental mistakes against the Bengals. They can’t beat themselves like they did in Chicago. The world champs need to get their focus back.

6. Stop the Bengals on Third Down: The Bengals have had the ball for over 34 minutes in each of their games and were 9-of-14 on third downs last week. The Steelers defense cannot let the Cincinnati offense stay on the field and work its ball-control magic.

The recipe for continued success against the Bengals is pretty clear: establish the running game, attack Palmer and control both sides of the line of scrimmage. If the Steelers do that, they’ll be walking out of Cincinnati with another victory.

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