Try NFL Sport Channel Seach:
Selected searches:
NFL Football Players Draft Injuries Rookies Season Superbowl
Items by
You Did It, Brett Favre, but You’re Still a Twerp!
Published: October 6, 2009
No Comments
The circle is almost complete now. The plan that was put in motion in the summer of 2008 has all but come to fruition. Brett Favre, arguably one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL beat the Packers.
At the helm of their arch rivals, the Minnesota Vikings, Favre played a very solid game in Monday during prime time. All that remains is to go to Lambeau Field in November and beat them in their house.
If there were records for immature behavior or vindictive obsession, Favre would be at the top of those lists, as well as being the all-time prolific passer.
Favre feels slighted by the fact that Green Bay decided last year that they were ready to move on with Aaron Rogers and not interested in the aging QB that they’d had for the past 16 years.
They refused to trade him to a division rival, so Favre accepted a trade to the New York Jets. The Jets released him after a mediocre 2008 season and Brett signed with the Vikings.
Those are the facts, but there is, of course, more to the story. The Packers were not tired of Favre’s playing, they were tired of his stupid nonsense every off-season.
After three years of vacillating between “Yes, I’m retiring.” and “No, I still want to play.” simply got old for the franchise and they decided to decide for him, at least as far as his career in Wisconsin was concerned.
The worst part of the story is that Favre is not remembered solely for his excellence as a football player.
Instead, a large portion of his legacy deals with his tearful press conference where he announced his retirement again only to reverse himself a couple of months later.
We all know that it’s hard to give up something you love. That must be especially difficult when that love comes with fame and fortune.
At some point there comes a moment when you simply must keep your mouth shut. Don’t make a spectacle out of your decision unless you’re sure of it.
It’s obvious that Favre can still play. No one questions that. No one has an issue with his “retiring” because he’s washed up and useless. The problem is that his actions are very annoying and they give rise to suspicions of ulterior motives from the start.
Is it possible that Favre began talking about retirement in hopes that Green Bay would simply release him and free him to go to a team he believed were a legitimate Super Bowl contender?
So, after forcing the issue in Green Bay, he and his agent have orchestrated his move to the Vikings, but with an added facet: a big chip on his shoulder. As much as he tries to deny it, he has managed to talk himself into believing he is the injured party in all of this. He wanted to show the Packers he could still play.
Someone needs to remind him that the Packers did not trade him because he could not play. They traded him because he was unprofessional and childish. They traded him because he was a huge distraction. They traded him because he wanted to be traded.
So, congratulations, Brett. Your performance last night, while actually only marginally better than Aaron Rogers (who, if he actually had an offensive line, would have beaten you) can be considered a success. It is a success not only in terms of the outcome of the game, but also in your overall plan.
You’re showing that you can still play, you’re playing for a contender, and you’ve gotten pay-backs on Green Bay, the team who never did anything to you that you did not deserve.
That, to me, is the definition of a twerp.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
NFL Week One: Better Than They Looked, Worse Than They Seem
Published: September 14, 2009
No Comments
With an exciting first week schedule almost over, there is already a lot of talk about surprises and disappointments in the NFL. The bottom line is that it’s way to early to tell by only looking at the surface.
Not Nearly as Good as They Looked
New Orleans Saints
Yes. Drew Brees was amazing. He completed over 76 percent of his passes for six touchdowns and only one pick. He had a quarterback rating of 137, second only to Tony Romo. But here’s the thing…Brees did this against the Lions. You remember these guys, right. 0-16 last year, the 32nd ranked defense. Next week will be a much better test of the Holy Ones when they meet with the Eagles defense in the Linc.
Seattle Seahawks
Pretty much the same thing on this one. Seattle shut out a St. Louis rams team that went 2-14 last season and had the 31st ranked defense. Are seeing the pattern? Seattle faces a seemingly much improved San Fran squad next week, but the real challenge will come in weeks four, six, and eight when they face Indianapolis, Arizona, and Dallas.
New York Jets
To round out the overrated trifecta, the New York jets fit in perfectly. They played the Houston Texans, who are not as bad as the Rams or Lions, are still pretty bad. Those Jets fans out there (this is for you Greeny) who think that Mark Sanchez is the reincarnation of Poncho Villa and that the Jets are going to win more that seven or eight games this season need to hold your water.
The next three weeks against the Patriots, Titans will show you a better picture of your team.
Honorable Mention: Philadelphia Eagles
This is just a guess, but the injury to McNabb could be big (duh!) The biggest issue? Michale Vick. While Vick cannot start next week, he could start in week three, but he should not. He is no where near ready to be a started and will not be in week three. That leaves Kevin Kolb, whose first play with the first team offense was (again I’m guessing) his first play of yesterday’s game.
The pundits have been yammering about trying to get A.J. Feeley back, and even if McNabb does return quickly, he’s bound to feel the effects. The Eagles defense looked awesome yesterday, but can they do that against the rest of the league?
Not as Lousy as They Seemed
Arizona Cardinals
No don’t get me wrong—the Cards are not going to the Super Bowl again. They are, more than likely, the NFL’s 2009 version of the 2009 Tampa Bay Rays. Much hinges on Warner, who dispute his great season in ’08, still instills little confidence, especially when things go awry.
The look on his face when he has a bad play makes me wonder if he’s looking for a rock to hide under. The 49er team that they faced yesterday has the makings of a true dark-horse in the division. While San Francisco is another team that won’t be in the Super Bowl, they are going to be better than many thought.
Cleveland Browns
Two words: Adrian Peterson. Not only did the Vikings running back make the Browns look worse than what they are, he made Brett Favre look a good bit better than what he is. The Browns did well against the pass, allowing only one touchdown from Mr. Retirement, although not getting a pick from him is not a great sign.
As for the running game, giving up 180 yards to Adrian Peterson is not great, either. But it certainly does not speak volumes about how they will fare against less superhuman running backs. Also, with all the ridiculous nonsense that Eric Mangini did related to who was his starter, I think we’ll see better things out of Brady Quinn as he gets acclimated to his lead role.
Honorable Mention: Chicago Bears
Even thought Jake Cutler had four picks last night, he still almost managed to win the game. In fact the fourth pick shouldn’t even go against him since it was the receiver’s fault by stopping on a route in a key situation.
Having said that, Cutler needs to have much better games, but the odds are that he will. With all the hype surrounding his move to the windy city, not to mention the idea that he has a much different (read: less talented) receiving core than he had in Denver, it’s not too surprising that there were a lot of miscues in week one.
I would not be surprised if things got better in a hurry for the Bears.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Enough With The Michael Vick Hypocracy
Published: August 14, 2009
No Comments
Is anyone else tired of hearing about Michael Vick? While I’m sure the answer to that question is affirmative, I bet not many people are fed up with the topic for the same reason I am. I think he should be left alone and that all the hypocritical, misguided many should simply move on.
Just in case you’ve spend the last three years in on Mars, let me explain that Vick has just finished a prison term of roughly two years for his involvement in illegal dog fighting. The cruelty to animals that happened as a result of his involvement, both directly and indirectly, is truly horrible.
Now, he’s signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, adding the next chapter to the second most over played topic in sports (the first being Brett Favre, who I wish would go to Mars). Soon, the minions of PETA will be posted outside the Eagles’ training facility. PETA, who even the Humane Society and the SPCA thinks is a bit wacko.
Pay attention, because now it’s time for some direct honesty. Yes, abusing animals is very bad. Here’s the news flash, however: There are many things that are worse.
The NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and other professional sports organizations are peppered with human examples of just what is higher on my list of crimes. There are (both simply accused as well as convicted) wife/girlfriend beaters, child abusers, drug addicts, individuals who have killed people, and felons of every order who play professional sports. So, why do they get special dispensation?
PETA will no doubt be smearing red paint symbolic of spilled K-9 blood around the greater Philadelphia area. Animal lover fans will cry in outrage. It’s Philly—Vick will be lucky if fans at the Linc don’t storm the field, draw, and quarter him.
The problem is that there will be no protests over the lineman who killed a woman while driving drunk—and no, I’m not referring to Danté Stallworth, who’s a receiver. There will be no public outcry over the receiver who has put his paramour in the hospital on numerous occasions and been suspended by the league for domestic violence charges when he takes the field.
What does that say about priorities? Where does that leave common sense?
I’d suggest we all move on, but who’d listen, anyway?
