The Manning Face Resurfaces
Titletown returns after a much too long break, but hey since I’m recently unemployed, I’m back with a vengeance on the blog. Let’s get started.
The Legendary Manning Face
Eli got exposed big time against the Eagles. I’ve been hearing that the Giants were pretty much looking past the Eagles and not expecting much of a challenge, worse mistake you can make in sports. Someone is always feeling disrespected, and it’s tough to bet against a desperate underdog. I mean think about it, Andy Reid and McNabb are both fighting for their jobs and some semblance of respect in Philly. Whereas the Giants are coming off a Superbowl season and everyone is secure in their jobs. I did love seeing the Manning Face (coined by Bill Simmons of course) on several occasions though, it was everywhere during the game. A cross between a concussion, and an accidental bowel movement in his pants, similar to the Derek Lowe face, but that’s a different face for another time. Just like I always say about the Giants, shut down the dominant running game and put the game in Eli’s hands. And Eli responded by laying an egg in the playoffs. Guy is throwing picks in the most important parts of the game and even when he gets one last chance to lead his team back at the end of the fourth quarter, what does he do? Yep, throws a pick. Made my day. And people say I’m bitter about last year…
Mangina to Browns which means there’s another Belichick disciple that got fired; Browns take two. My problem with this is that first of all Mangina is a traitor and a moron. But, how did he come out of New York looking like the victim? Sure Favre played like crap down the stretch, but isn’t it a coach’s job to fix that? Like is it not in his freakin job description? Or God forbid…bench him. It just blows me away how a coach coming away with one season that got to the playoffs, is getting rehired a week later. Maybe he’s just a glorified defensive coordinator (similar to Crennel), who couldn’t succeed without Belichick (similar to Crennel and Weis).
McDaniels to Broncos…the team with the great offense but horrendous defense, hires an offensive coordinator….makes sense. Jay cutler will throw for 5000 yards in an 8 win season. That’ll do wonders for the franchise that just canned Shanahan after 14 years. Prove me wrong McD, break the Belichick cycle. Everyone flounders, except for Dmitroff who brought the Falcons back from a near flatline.
Matt Cassel will be getting franchised by the Pats which begs the question of whether they should sell high and roll the dice on Brady’s knee? I mean who wouldn’t trust Belichick’s judgment with a random QB now? Hell he could probably even win a Superbowl with Brett Favre behind center…. Plus the Pats could get at least a 2nd or 3rd rounder plus more for Cassel. I’d rather take my chances with Brady because as much as my man crush has grown on Cassel, he’ll probably have a sophomore slump, teams will key in on him. I trust BB to do the right thing. In Belichick we trust.
Tony dungy retired and is being talked about like he’s the greatest coach ever…come on I mean as much as I hate him, you did have Peyton Manning all those years. And that t.v. commercial whore can put up wins on almost any team. I realize he rebuilt a pretty crappy Tampa Bay team, but one Superbowl title in his entire career? If Belichick were the coach of the Colts all those years, they would probably have four titles.
Ben Roethlisberger is probably the most overrated QB in the NFL. Similar to Eli, he relies on a dominant running game. Now I actually like Ben, and unlike Eli, he won’t lay an egg when that running game is stuffed, but he’s not going to throw for 400 yards either. System quarterback. There I said it.
Who to root for? All the villains (LT, Peyton, Eli) anyone I would desperately root against is out. Now I don’t care so much. So I’m gonna root for my boy Kurt Warner, the Cardinals look like a completely different team from the one my Pats stomped a few weeks ago. Kurt’s one of the best guys in the game, with all he does for charity and etc. But the guys journey to the top is the best I’ve ever heard, a former grocery store bagger, and Arena League QB, who made it to the NFL, won an MVP and a Superbowl title along the way. Plus he’s got the power of God behind him, and you do not want to root against God in the playoffs? What better way for Kurt to go out than with a Superbowl ring (the first ever for the Cardinals)? By the way, if anyone knows where I can get the old school Rams jersey of Kurt, let me know. I’ll pay big bucks for that. Seriously, I mean I have a Priest Holmes jersey hung on my wall. It’s like the hall of fame for obscurely great players.
Another professional athlete getting away with murder, first we had Ray Lewis, and now it’s Marvin Harrison. All the evidence was there, his bar, his gun, even his own bullets, AND two people saw him holding the gun. But once again, he gets off because he’s a pro athlete. Maybe Cheddar Plax will be the exception and get put away. But it shouldn’t be that way, it should be reversed. Cheddar Plax is just a moron; the only one he really hurt was himself…via a bullet in the leg. But I mean guys like Ray Lewis and Marvin Harrison are “allegedly” shooting dudes and getting away with it? Come on, someone tell the DA to step it up. Harrison is all the more likely a psychopath. I mean have you ever heard him talk? Like ever? I don’t remember ever hearing the guy saying one word. Just those cold scary eyes staring into space while he’s shredding defenses, guy seems like the perfect candidate.
Scott Pioli’s jumping ship to join the Chiefs….barstoolsports said it best, there is no bigger group of hypocrites than the NFL, they all treat Belichick like some scumbag who breaks every law known to man and shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a football. You’d think he was the one killing people (and I guarantee you he’d be arrested the first time anyone even accused him of something like that). But, then they all desperately fight for anyone who’s ever been associated with him. Charlie Weis in Southbend, Mangina in New York and now in Cleveland, Romeo Crennel formerly in Cleveland, McDaniels in Denver, Dmitroff in Atlanta, the list just goes on and one. I’m waiting for a team to hire Belichick’s personal assistant, anyone who’s ever touched his hand or maybe even his stoner son. But I digress…
Let the countdown begin until pitchers and catchers report for spring training…
Keep checking back for updates, they’ll be more regular I promise. I don’t have a job anymore remember?
Eli the Great
Another week will pass where I have to listen to how clutch Eli Manning is for that debacle of a game against the Panthers last night. I’ll give it to the Giants for coming back and wearing down Carolina, they looked absolutely gassed in overtime. But Carolina just did not get the job done, that’s the sort of thing that worries me about the Panthers. They’ve been a team flying under the radar all season that I’ve been picking to come out of the NFC, but they just didn’t seem to have that killer instinct last night. They never landed a knock-out punch on New York, instead they let the Giants hang around until the very end and paid for it. A championship caliber team always puts down their opposition, never lets them believe they can come back. And that is exactly what Carolina failed to do.
Will I take the extra 10 million to rot in Washington??
I just can’t continue to listen to how great of a quarterback Eli is, it just isn’t true. The guy is an average quarterback in the NFL, nothing more, nothing less. He plays great in the games where his team is dominating with the run and the defense usually applies consistent pressure. But as soon as that dominant run game isn’t churning out 300 yards a game, he immediately starts to struggle, throwing the ducks, forcing passes where they shouldn’t go, just bad decisions all around. Sure they’re (12-3) but in those three losses only once did they have a player rush for 100 yards and the other two games no one cracked 65 yards. Eli leans on this running game more than anyone realizes and once a team shuts down their ability to run in the playoffs; watch out for ducks galore. It happened twice last night in overtime; Eli gave the game to the Panthers throwing two terrible passes that should have been easily intercepted. He’s throwing these should be pick sixes to the Panthers in overtime. Luckily for the Giants none of the Panthers defenders could actually hold on to them. Same thing happened in the Superbowl last year, Eli threw the Lombardi trophy to Asante Samuel on a platter, who let it bounce off his hands. I’m just sick of hearing the mass praise given to Eli for being so cool under pressure, last night during OT I was basically waiting for the announcers to start screaming “THE GREATEST CLUTCH PLAYER IN THE HISTORY OF ORGANIZED SPORTS.” Then again maybe it’s just my experience with every announcer absolutely dumping on the Patriots every single week. Hey all I’m asking for is a little un-biased professionalism, come on just pretend.
Looks like Week 17 is going to be a scoreboard watching day for everyone in New England. If the Pats take care of business against the Bills, they’d finish (11-5) but then would need the Jets to beat the Dolphins or the Jags to beat the Ravens. I can’t remember ever rooting for the Jets, but this week will be one to remember. The AFC East is a tight race, much tighter than anyone expected, three of the four teams could finish with ten or more wins. That’s especially impressive for the Dolphins who just barely avoided the anti-undefeated season. I for one will be cursing at the television set if the Dolphins, Ravens and Pats win because that’d leave the Pats at home to watch the playoffs. Not since John Elway’s 1985 Broncos has a team with 11 wins not made the playoffs. And they’re the only team to have that distinction since the AFL NFL merger. And then we have the AFC Worst, sorry I mean West, with the Chargers and Broncos battling it out for the division crown and a totally respectable final record of 8-8… Not to mention Matt Cassel and company just destroyed the NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals. So I like to complain about the terrible playoff format, sue me.
Just some parting thoughts…
Anyone seen that commercial for Monday Night Football with everyone gearing up for Monday, some guy is wearing a Vikings helmet on his motorcycle, another couple are playing paper football and stuff like that. And then there’s the chick that bends over and has the Cardinals logo tattooed on her lower back. Is it just me or does that seem hilariously out of place. Nothing says MNF like a good tramp stamp.
Detroit Lions inch closer and closer to the first anti-undefeated season in over 30 years, and the first (0-16) season ever. This is just bad for football. I’d love to see Goodell give a speech on NFL parity after this game. Say all you want about Matt Millen destroying the team with poor decisions, but to not win a single game? Come on, have some self-respect and bust out one W. And yes I am growing increasingly more concerned that Detroit could whisk away half of the Patriots organization. Cassel is gone, that’s a foregone conclusion for me, but they’re going to need a new head coach and Josh McDaniels looks like a better candidate every week. And they definitely need a new face in the front office and Scott Pioli has been rumored for that job. Did you know that Pioli, the guy making these incredibly astute draft picks and free agent signing for the Pats year after year, is only making something like 700 k a year? This guy’s going to get some serious pocket change and a significant raise if he decides to leave Foxboro. I just pray that day doesn’t come for a long long time.
Mark Texeira just make a decision. I do realize Scott Boras is a scumbag and likes to just draw these decisions out for as long as possible. But, come on enough is enough just make a decision before John Henry jumps the table and stabs Boras in the neck with a pen while negotiating. You’re not getting a 10 year deal….from anyone; not even the Yankees. By the way if the Yankees sign Tex and fail to make the playoffs or even if they get knocked out in the first round then I am personally making t-shirts to celebrate/mock them. Hell, even if they don’t sign Tex I’ll still do it.
Mr. April: 28 million per year
Two top-line starting pitchers: a quarter of a billion dollars
Another year without a World Series title: priceless
Just an idea, even though I’d probably get assassinated walking around campus with a shirt like that. Screw it, totally worth it. It’s going to be a long winter break of my trash talk and observations in the sporting world so check back frequently for updates.
Just a few thoughts…
I gotta say, with each week passing I am starting to develop a serious man crush on Matt Cassel.
MVPedroia
It’s been said everywhere, but the guy is getting better every week. Not to mention he’s actually starting to play like a man. He’s got the confidence, he’s got the trust of his teammates, and he’s even got a little swagger. Watching the Pats game against the Dolphins he ran a QB sneak up the middle and gained about 5 yards. He gets up and starts headbutting and shouldering his way through the Dolphins defenders. I love that. He’s starting to show who he really is. Cassel is keeping myself, along with the rest of New England, from jumping off the Tobin Bridge. Actually, he’s saved the season from being a complete implosion. He actually looks good in the pocket too, I can’t believe it. He’s not freaking out anymore as if his house is on fire when there’s any pressure in his face.
But, it’s only a matter of time until the talk starts of the contracts he’ll be getting offered to him. He is a free agent after this season. I just hope he doesn’t take a big contract to go play in Detroit. The guy is good, but he needs some talent around him and I don’t want to see number sixteen taking shots every Sunday. But, hey good for him for taking the opportunity and running with it. Because let’s face it, before this year he had as many NFL starts as me.
Another guy you have to love is Jerod Mayo. We all knew he’d be good, but this? No, this is totally unexpected. He’s leading the team in tackles…as a rookie. And with the injury bug absolutely ripping New England up, Mayo’s gotten even more time. He basically looks like what Adalius Thomas should look like. Except twenty million dollars cheaper. Wait he’s hurt too. Awesome. Not bitter at all…
The Dolphins basically look like my flag football team, The Lake Show. A lot of cheap gimmicky plays, a lot of screens, a ton of slants. Inconsistent quarterback, but deadly on short routes. And this isn’t a good thing. Case and point, The Lake Show was up and down all season before getting dropped in the first round of the playoffs. I think it’s safe to say I was a little heated, because, damn I want that champions t-shirt. It’s besides the point though. What I’m getting to is the ridiculous Wildcat offense. How does that crap work? A bunch of professional athletes getting paid millions of dollars can’t stop an offense that is more like something I’d run in a flag football game? Just drives me nuts the Pats get shredded by some gimmick offense. I mean they run it like eighty percent of the time out of this formation. I love how the quarterbacks line up wide. Seeing Favre calling for a pass over the middle… I honestly hope someone throws him the ball and he gets his bell rung by some 300 pound linebacker. I think that might put the Wildcat to rest for a while. Just a thought
Can’t believe it took me this long to get to it, but yes my boy Dustin Pedroia is the Most Valuable Player in the American League. Love Pedroia, the guy is my size and he’s shredding pitchers left and right. Everyone doubted him from his first day in the majors, calling for his job. He’s a dirtdog, doing whatever it takes to win, and he just has this fiery passion for the game that can’t be taught. I think the single best thing about Pedroia is his attitude. I’m always hearing stories of him walking up to bigger and older players and just giving them crap saying how they can’t even compete with him. The little man with the confidence of a seven foot giant. Greatest story ever comes from an article I read in the Boston Herald last year.
It’s Denver in October, the day before Game 3 of the World Series, and Pedroia is walking into the players’ entrance at Coors Field for that day’s workout.
“I didn’t see the security guy,” Pedroia said. “It was like he was hiding behind a bush. He started yelling, ‘Hey, hey, hey.’
“I said, ‘What?’
“He said, ‘Get out of here.’
“I said, ‘Dude, I play for the Red Sox.’ He said, ‘Let me see your ID.’ I whip out my card. He goes, ‘Anybody can make these.’
“I go, ‘Hey, dude, you got to calm down. I’m the guy leading off the World Series, hitting bombs. Chill out.’ Everybody started laughing. I was so mad about it.”
Manager Terry Francona, who made Pedroia his regular cribbage partner all summer, tells a slightly different version of this story. He said that when Pedroia was asked to identify himself, he said, “Ask [expletive] Francis who I am. I’m the guy who hit a bomb off him.”
Yep, that’s my boy. MVPedroia. Rookie of the year-check. Gold Glove-check. Silver slugger-check. World Series ring-check. MVP-check. Petey’s got a lot of metal and jewels to flash now. And who would’ve thought the guy batting under the Mendoza line in April just last season would wind up MVP? Pedroia did, I guarantee it.
Sorry Haters
Ladies and gentleman, Week Seven's AFC Offensive Player of the Week
Sorry to all those Patriot haters out there, but this team isn’t going to completely crumble without Tom Brady like so many had predicted. Sure, they’re not the offensive juggernaut they were last year when they broke record after record, but they’re getting the job done. It’s kind of nostalgic if you ask me, reminiscent of the old days when the Patriots won games on will and determination. Back to 2001 when they relied on everyone to do their part, not just Brady, Moss, and Welker. It is rather depressing to hear a new story every day about the debacle that is Tom Brady’s knee surgery. By the way, how does a doctor screw up this badly? I heard somewhere that there is about a 5 percent chance of an infection like this occuring. Something tells me, Tom won’t be having a cold one with this guy any time soon. But I digress, my point is that the Patriots are tied for first place in the AFC East with their starting quarterback, runningback, and safety all out for the season. Hate all you want, but you have to admit that is impressive. Belichick might not be the god that some have made him out to be, but he sure is a darn good coach. So sorry to all the haters out there, the Pats aren’t imploding on themselves just yet…not if Matt Cassel has anything to say about it…I mean, hey the guy backed up two Heisman trophy winners and the MVP of the league last year. There’s got to be some talent rubbing off right? Right??
