Upon Further Review - Week 15 in the NFL

Yeah, yeah it's late - sue me.

I've been having trouble coming to terms with the fact that I only went 8-8 last week. I've also spent quite a bit of time this afternoon handicapping all 32 of the College Bowl Games. It's not just for fun - I'm in a pool. I was going to post a picture of the notes I'd made but the picture was so monstrously big that my computer nearly turned against me. It wasn't all that exciting anyway.

But before we get to the NFL, I suppose we have to deal with this...

So we've officially got a Green Mile in Regina now eh? Do you think it's possible for everything relating to this football team to be any less original? First the Rider Nation and now this. Although I guess I shouldn't expect any less from a football team that took the same name as a team already in existence (Ottawa Rough Riders, 1876 - Saskatchewan Roughriders 1910). If we take out that space between Rough and Riders nobody will notice that they're exactly the same, right? Although in all fairness, news probably didn't travel across Canada all that fast in the old days. Saskatchewan probably didn't even know there were Rough Riders until 1963.

I also read something interesting on Rod Pedersen's blog this morning, which came by way of Gregg Drinnan - it was a question as to whether the Miami Dolphins could beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders, or vice versa. As I see it the CFL is entirely made up of players who are not good enough to play in the NFL. So despite what a team's record may be, the talent levels really aren't comparable. And who knows, maybe it wasn't a serious question to begin with.

I'm not going over every game this week because I'm a little pressed for time... and quite frankly I don't remember everything that happened anyway. But I can tell you this...

... Bryan Gumbel not only knows nothing about football but is also a colossal jackass - apparently. On Saturday night Gumbel referred to the game he was calling as Thursday Night Football. Sorry we woke you up for this Bryant. He also, and there's no way I could possibly make this up, referred to 49ers running back Frank Gore as Al Gore. I was just speechless after that - and I still don't really know what to say. That can't be anything more than stupidity. Bryant also displayed how smart he was by arguing with Deion Sanders for a full 15 minutes about the merits of San Francisco going for a 4th down. Obviously nothing was solved from this argument - but each party did get to enjoy the sound of their own voice the entire time. However, the best line was Gumbel's, even if I agree with you're opinion... and I don't. I can't tell you how much condescension there was in his voice. I haven't equal parts loved and loathed someone or something this much since... well, since the NWO.

... the only football I actually wanted to talk about was Miami finally winning a game. I was really hoping they would wait 'til next week against New England but having them beat Brian Billick is almost as sweet.

... also, it snowed in Cleveland.

... a couple quick programming notes - this is going to be the last full week of Sports As Life until after the New Year. I'll still be putting up football picks but it'll just be picks, no commentary. Cooper and I might also try to do a few things on a few Bowl Games - but we'll see. We'll be doing the BCS games in the New Year for sure.

... and tomorrow we're going to be running the Sports As Life Utterly Meaningless and Totally Contrived Yearly Awards... so make sure you check those out.

Upon Further Review - Week 14 in the NFL

To open this week's Upon Further Review, we're going all the way back to last Thursday night. I know that must seem like a million years ago but please try and think back if you can - it'll be worth it.

... Bryant Gumbel is the worst thing to happen to the NFL since the Aaron Brooks Experience. Gumbel does the play-by-play for Thursday games on the NFL Network - and he is a strange hybrid of monstrously awful and unbelievably spectacular (if only from a comedic standpoint). To wit - as Redskins' QB Jason Campbell was on the turf writhing in agony - his kneecap clearly displaced - Gumbel remarked with total seriousness - Hmmm, doesn't look like we'll see him again tonight. Really Bryant? Gumbel also seemed mystified as to why the crowd in Washington was cheering Campbell as he was being carted off the field. And then to top it all off Gumbel - on at least two separate occasions, referred to Redskins' back-up QB Todd Collins as "Tom Collins." I kid you not. Bring back Gumbel to Gumbel!
... Why I love technology Part 1 - this is the exact text I sent to Cooper at 8:34pm as Jason Campbell was being carted off the field - "I'm getting on a plane for washington right now and I'm going to light gumble on fire."
... Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch another football game until Sunday afternoon, as I was taping a Sport Not-Named Football for Mrs. Sports As Life. My kingdom for a second cable box.
... Why I love technology Part 2 and 3 - Since I was unable to actually watch the early games, I was following them on NFL.com. After Marion Barber III (my fantasy running back) scored his 3rd touchdown of the game, I sent the following text message to TH, who I was playing this week - "Mar-ion Bar-ber, clap clap clapclapclap." Obviously I have too much time on my hands.
... I know you're concerned but I was able to watch the end of the Dallas/Detroit game. The Sport Not-Named Football ended just before 3 and I was able to see Detroit's inevitable collapse.
... But here's what I didn't see in the early games:

• Jacksonville, Buffalo and Green Bay predictably all won by large margins.
• Cincinnati is so bad they could barely beat a team quarterbacked by Irving Berlin... oh, wait - Brock Berlin.
• The Giants have somehow won 9 games this year - and they're 6-1 on the road. Some things I'll just never understand.
• San Diego pulled off one of the great comebacks in recent memory - it was especially great since they're not so good. Of course Tennessee has Vince Young - he's no good either. LaDanian Tomlinson is a force of nature - nice to see him back in form

... San Diego was down 7 when I left my house and somehow by the time I got to TH's house 2 minutes later to watch the Pats/Steelers game, I was informed the game was in overtime.

... As for the Pats/Steelers game itself - the result was pretty predictable, although the first half was pretty entertaining. It was nice to see Anthony "Guaranteed" Smith getting torched for two long touchdowns. I'm pretty sure that second-string safeties shouldn't be talking to the media about anything. As if the Patriots needed another excuse to pretend like they're disrespected. If I was running the Steelers, Smith would have been on the unemployment line on Monday morning.
... Phil Simms terrible, just terrible.
... Do you think the Colts stomped all over the Ravens just to show New England how easy it is to beat them? I do. I think it was a: you had trouble with them but look how badly we can beat them game.
... And people wonder why I wait until Tuesday (or Wednesday) to do the NFL review - it's so that I won't miss gems like this.
... Also Bobby Petrino has done his best Nick Saban impersonation and left the Atlanta Falcons with 2 games left in the season to coach at Arkansas.
... Also also, Cooper has just informed me that Bryant Gumbel will not be calling the Thursday game tomorrow night because he has the "flu" - a likely story.

A quick programming note: Trebor's playoff edition of Sweet, Sweet Fantasy Baby will be up later this afternoon. And the NFL picks will be up tomorrow.

Upon Further Review - Week 11 in the NFL

...Of course the week I say this has been a bad year for the NFL, there was many a good game... well at least close games. I will never buy into the theory that close game always = good game but they're not mutually exclusive either.

...Indy won on a last second field goal - and when did Adam Vinatieri turn into Jose Cortez, sheesh.

...Cleveland and the Jets both won in overtime. The Cleveland game even had a game-tying, Phil Dawson voodoo field goal.

...Oakland had a chance late (sort of), as did San Diego and San Francisco.

...And the Dallas/Washington game was very good - at least from what I saw of it, as the Western Final was on at the same time.

...Oh, and a kicker tackled Devin Hester.

...That's it for now, I need to work on the Patriot's post, which should be up later today if I don't make myself sick first.

Upon Further Review - Week 9 in the NFL (Part 3)

I'm going to burn through the rest of the NFC predictions right now - because I don't feel like spending hours in front of the computer today. I'll give you my predictions and the current records and you can draw your own conclusions. This segment really didn't turn out how I anticipated, I should have just left well enough alone.

NFC East
Dallas... My prediction was 11-5 and they're 7-1
NY Giants... My prediction was 6-10 and they're 6-2
Philadelphia... My prediction was 9-7 and they're 3-5
Washington... My prediction was 7-9 and they're 5-3

NFC South
Atlanta... My prediction was 6-10 and they're 2-6
Carolina... My prediction was 9-7 and they're 4-4
New Orleans... My prediction was 11-5 and they're 4-4
Tampa Bay... My prediction was 6-10 and they're 5-4

NFC North
Chicago... My prediction was 9-7 and they're 3-5
Detroit... My prediction was 4-12 and they're 6-2
Green Bay... My prediction was 5-11 and they're 7-1
Minnesota... My prediction was 6-10 and they're 3-5

NFC West
Arizona... My prediction was 6-10 and they're 3-5
St. Louis... My prediction was 10-6 and they're 0-8
San Francisco... My prediction was 9-7 and they're 2-6
Seattle... My prediction was 9-7 and they're 4-4

Ok, I'll be back in about 5 minutes for this weekends predictions - I must brew me some coffee.

Upon Further Review - Week 9 in the NFL (Part 2)

A few quick things this morning before I get to my preseason picks for each team.

First of all, I wanted to let everyone know that Sports As Life now has its very own domain name - we are now: www.sportsaslife.com - you can still get here using the old Blogspot address. But I think the .com address is a little snappier.

Also, the first incarnation of the official Sports As Life store is now up and running. The website for the store is: www.cafepress.com/sportsaslife - and with the strong Canadian dollar, there's no time like now to buy. There are only a couple of things up there right now but I'm hoping to add more in the next couple weeks - remember Sports As Life merchandise makes great Christmas gifts. There isn't a T-shirt design yet - I'm almost thinking I'm going to have a contest to design the official shirt.

The last thing I want to say is that Trebor, Sports As Life's Head Fantasy Writer, and I were having a discussion last night and he brought up who is going to be the Comeback Player of the Year - it's gotta be Randy Moss. I'm upset with myself for not thinking of him.

Ok - now for the look back at the pre-season predictions for each team. I'm still not sure how to approach it. I really have no desire to get caught up in a 4,000 word epic - so I'm going to try and keep it short and sweet.

AFC East
Buffalo... My prediction was 5-11 and they're 4-4. If not for 2 last second losses they would be 6-2. Unless they tank down the stretch, looks like this is going to be a little off.
Miami... My prediction was 6-10 and they're 0-8. I knew they were going to be bad - but who knew they'd be this bad.
New England... My prediction was 13-3 and they're 9-0. Just like the bizarro Miami, I knew they were going to be good - but who knew they'd be this good.
NY Jets... My prediction was 7-9 and they're 1-7. Yeesh, I guess this year's schedule was harder than I thought.

AFC South
Houston... My prediction was 4-12 and they're 4-5 right now. Unless they lose their last 7 games this one is going to be off. Houston is better than I thought they'd be - but not by much.
Indianapolis... My prediction was 11-5 and they're 7-1. I really underestimated the way Indy's defence was going to play this year. Indy and New England are just head and shoulders above every other team in the league.
Jacksonville... My prediction was 8-8 and they're 5-3. I honestly have no idea about this team - they could end up right around that 8-8 mark.
Tennessee... My prediction was 3-13 and they're 6-2. Wow, I was way off on this one. Vince Young hasn't been anything to write home about but their defence is just smothering.

AFC North
Baltimore... My prediction was 12-4 and they're 4-4. If they don't run the table, and they won't, I'll be off on this one. Both their offence and defence look old and tired.
Cincinnati... My prediction was 11-5 and they're 2-6. And I can't get over how bad this team is, especially defensively.
Cleveland... My prediction was 3-13 and they're 5-3. Alright, they're better than I thought they were going to be - I admit it. Just switch my Cleveland and Cincinnati predictions and we'll call it even.
Pittsburgh... My prediction was 11-5 and they're 6-2. This is the one prediction in this division that I might actually come close to.

AFC West
Denver... My prediction was 10-6 and they're 3-5. This team should probably be 0-8, if not for 3 last second field goals. I don't even mind that I got this one wrong.
Kansas City... My prediction was 5-11 and they're 4-4. Thankfully they're better than I thought they were going to be - although not by much.
Oakland... My prediction was 5-11 and they're 2-6. The Raiders are who we thought they were.
San Diego... My prediction was 13-3 and they're 4-4. The Chargers could still end up winning the division but I can't believe how bad they look at times.

Ok - that's it for the AFC. The NFC should be up later today, or possibly tomorrow.

Upon Further Review - Week 9 in the NFL (Part 1)

Well my ears are still seriously ringing from the Modest Mouse concert last night - which is throwing off my equilibrium - which is making typing a little more difficult than normal. So if there are more typos today than normal, that's what I'm blaming it on. But suffice it to say that if you weren't there last night, you missed out in a big way.

While I have a couple of quiet minutes here I thought I would put together a little mid-season NFL review - even if it is a week or so late. My plan is to look back at my pre-season predictions and see how they stack up so far. I'll start with the award winners and then I'll go through the individual teams.

NFL MVP: My prediction was Tom Brady... and I gotta say, I'm feeling pretty good about that pick right now. Through 9 games Brady has thrown for almost 2,700 yards, 33 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. Right now, this is a mortal lock... but trust me, the prediction weren't all this good.

Offensive Player of the Year: My prediction was Anquan Boldin... and in my defence - who knew that Matt Leinart would A) be a really bad quarterback and B) get hurt, thus ushering in the Kurt Warner Era 2.0 - plus Boldin has been hurt this season as well. Right now this could be Tom Brady or Randy Moss... but my darkhorse pick is Adrian Peterson (that's the Minnesota Adrian Peterson - not the Chicago one).

Defensive Player of the Year: My prediction was DeMarcus Ware... and while he's having a nice season with 7 sacks and 42 tackles so far - unless he has a monster second half, he's probably not going to get the nod. But I'm hard pressed to think who should win this award. How about this - Jared Allen of the Kansas City Chiefs. He is half a sack off the league lead with 8.5, plus he has 2 forced fumbles and 29 tackles. And he's been able to do this despite missing the first 2 games of the year because of a suspension. (Editor's Note: It just came to me who should win this award - Indy's Bob Sanders. He flys all over the field and pretty much single-handedly makes that defence viable)

Offensive Rookie of the Year: My prediction was Adrian Peterson... and might I say - boo ya! This is a slam dunk, mortal lock. My prediction was based on one run in the pre-season against the Jets and he hasn't disappointed so far. Peterson is like a monster reincarnation of Bo Jackson and Herschel Walker - he's fast and runs low, hard and angry.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: My prediction was Patrick Willis... and I guess I should just add another boo ya! Not only is Willis the leading rookie tackler - he's the top tackler in the league with 83. Of course San Francisco's defence is always on the field - so that helps with the tackles number. Willis also has one sack and one interception.

Comeback Player of the Year: My prediction was Donovan McNabb... and like the man said, sometime you eat the bar and sometimes the bar, well, he eats you. It's not like McNabb has had a really bad season - he just hasn't had a good season. He's got 9 touchdown passes to 4 interceptions - that looks ok until you remember that he had 4 touchdown passes in one game against Detroit. Ask any McNabb fantasy owner how they feel about him and their reaction will sum up how his season has gone so far. So who is it going to be you are asking yourself? Well now with Larry Johnson gone for the year, if Priest Holmes plays well down the stretch he's got a good shot.

The First Annual Shaun Alexander Anti-Comeback Player of the Year Award: Ok, so I didn't predict this one in the preseason because I just made it up - but of course the winner is the man the award is named after. I know that Alexander has been banged up all season but I've never seen someone run so tentatively in my life. I've also never seen a player get booed by his home fans with such venom... well, a player outside of New York anyway.

Coach of the Year: My prediction was Mike Nolan... and you can put that one straight into the NO column. The 49ers are terrible and it's pretty clear that Norv Turner is not only killing the San Diego Chargers but his departure as offensive co-ordinator in San Francisco is killing the 49ers as well. As much as I hate Cleveland - right now my pick would be Romeo Crennel. Or possibly Jeff Fischer in Tennessee.

First Coach to Be Fired: My prediction was Tom Coughlin... and that's a no. There are so many bad teams that you can pretty much take your pick in this category: Scott Linehan, Cam Cameron, Eric Mangini, John Fox (although he probably gets a pass because of the injury to Jake Delhomme). And even some big names could be on the hot seat: Lovie Smith, Andy Reid, Brian Billick, Mike Shannahan, Norv Turner. But it's got to be Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati, right? I thought he was supposed to be a defensive guy. They are a terrible team.

Biggest 1st Round Draft Bust: My prediction was Ted Ginn Jr. in Miami... and that looks pretty solid so far. He's got 7 receptions and 1 touchdown - but those 7 receptions have gone for 141 yards. Should we count JaMarcus Russell in this category? Probably not just yet eh. But how bad are the Raider quarterbacks going to have to play for Russell to get into a game this year. I know he missed all of camp and some of the season but surely by the end of the year they've got to give him a look.

Well that was pretty much it for my predictions and I don't think I did too bad. I'm no smooth talking Emmitt Smith but hey - I try my best.

Upon Further Review - Week 6 in the NFL

... New England is just unstoppable - and I hate them. I've tried every reverse-jinx I can think of, praising how good they are in every Friday column I write. But nothing seems to be working. So I might have to pull out the ultimate reverse-jinx... I might have to start cheering for them (see the comments section from yesterday's Headlines). As one of the unluckiest people around, my support might actually lead to the Patriots' downfall.

... One more New England tidbit and then I'm not mentioning them again until Friday. I, unlike Tony Kornheiser, can actually stop talking about the Patriots for 30 seconds (if you watched Monday Night Football last night you know what I'm talking about). Keep this in mind when you're thinking about how dominant the Pats are: they have beat one team - one - with a winning record this year (Dallas) and the combined record of teams they've played this year is 17-28.

... St. Louis has a very realistic shot at 0-16, more so than Miami I think - even though Miami has lost their starting QB and RB this season. Even when the Rams get Steven Jackson back I don't think it's going to make much of a difference - they are just totally in disarray. I'm sure glad I didn't have the 2nd overall pick in my Fantasy Draft because I would have taken Jackson for sure. If that had happened I may have not won a game yet... oh wait.

... Lots of last second wins this week - Rob Bironas' 172 field goals put Tennessee over Houston (ok it was only 8 field goals, still a record - but one was a game-winner too), Jason Elam's winning field goal over Pittsburgh (Denver should be 0-6 but instead they're going to be in the playoffs), Chicago got a last-minute touchdown to beat Philly (there are going to be riots in Philly pretty quick). Arizona almost had a last-second game-winning field goal but Niel Rackers sailed it just wide (how did Washington let the Cards even hang around?).

... And speaking of the Houston/Tennessee game, did anyone see what I saw? Instead of showing Houston's go-ahead touchdown and Tennessee's come-back field goal - CBS showed their studio team watching the game and reacting to what was happening, and then the audience got to see the plays a second later. Did anyone hear why that was? I missed it the explanation - I'm hoping it was due to technical difficulties because that was a very strange way to watch the last minute of a very exciting game. I'm pretty sure I would have been just as well off without Boomer Esiason putting in his two cents every 10 seconds. Next time just show the game please.

... Shaun Alexander is done - stick a fork in him. I've never seen someone run so timidly in my life. The Seattle fans have had enough with him and are booing him with regularity now. I made a trade push for him early in our Fantasy season but it didn't work out - I'm sure glad it didn't or I might be winless right now... oh wait.

... Of all the bad quarterbacks in the League - and there are plenty - at the top of my list is Minnesota's Tarvaris Jackson. He is straight up bad. He's got one of the best running backs in the league at his disposal, Adrian Peterson, and his line against Dallas was 6 of 19 for 72 yards. If Minny had even a functional human body at quarterback they could be a pretty scary team. Jackson's broken finger might be the best thing to happen to the Vikings - not a good sign when Kelly Holcomb is an upgrade for you at quarterback.

... Why oh why do the New York Jets still allow Chad Pennington to throw those long out patterns across the field? He had another one picked off and returned for a touchdown on Sunday... the Jets lost by 7. Pennington seems like a really nice guy and I wish he didn't have a rag for an arm... but he does. He actually played pretty well in that Cincy game (270 yards and 3 touchdowns) but that interception for a touchdown (I will never call it a 'pick six' by the way, that's the stupidest expression I have ever heard - I'm looking at you Rich Eisen) was just a killer.

... Baltimore coach Brian Billick obviously isn't as smart as he thinks he is. The Ravens, attempting to come back against Buffalo, had a 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1 from the Buffalo 49. Willis McGahee had already run for 114 yards in the game but Billick elected to throw the ball, twice. To no one's surprised, except apparently Billick's, Baltimore couldn't convert either time (we're talking about Kyle Boller here people) and the game was over.

... Well I was wrong about how many times Byron Leftwich would get sacked. I was thinking somewhere in the range of 17 to 20 times. But it was only three. However, throwing a lead-footed quarterback behind a terrible offensive line proved to be a bad idea anyway as Leftwich was hurt while getting hit by a defender. While I never cheer for a guy to get hurt, this is poetic justice in a way because Joey Harrington should never had been benched for Leftwich anyway. It was not Harrington's fault that Atlanta's receivers are just awful and can't hold on to the ball.

... It's pretty clear to me now that the CRTC needs to be abolished - that way I can just pay for ESPN and avoid these absurd Canadian broadcasting middlemen hacks. Don't know what I'm talking about? If you tried to watch NFL Sunday Countdown on TSN you know exactly what I'm talking about. Instead of broadcasting Countdown TSN decided to show a pre-race Formula One program. Now I realize that this was the last race of the F1 season and the championship was on the line but C'mon! It's not like it was even the race that preempted Countdown it was the pre-race show.

Upon Further Review - Week 6 in the NFL

Before we get to the NFL I should say congrats to the Colorado Rockies for getting to the World Series. As much as I was wishing there was a team with a little more history than Colorado and Arizona in the NLCS, the run that the Rockies are on is pretty impressive. The week off they're going to have might end up hurting them though.

But the real story is the ALCS - and not the baseball but rather a certain Tim McCarver - the colour man for Fox's baseball broadcast team. Now if you're not familiar with McCarver's work, he is probably the most loathed baseball broadcaster working today (scroll down to the 'Criticism' section of his Wikipedia page for more on that). I however, love Tim McCarver. He is one of the funniest people working in comedy today - because there is no way that half of what comes out of his mouth is meant as serious commentary.

During last night's Red Sox/Indians game McCarver was regaling us with the tale of how Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek has to use his thumb to call pitches because Dice-K Matsuzaka throws so many different pitches. And to prove he could count to 5, McCarver said the number of pitches Dice-K throws is more than 4. But the really great thing about this whole exchange was that play-by-play man Joe Buck apparently can't count to 5 and was confused by what McCarver had said. Buck thought that Dice-K would have to throw more than 5 pitches for the thumb to become a factor. Luckily, after much explanation and calculation, both were able to figure out that 5 is the correct number of digits a human should have on one hand.

This story has become long and probably doesn't mean anything to you unless you were watching the game last night. But if you were watching - you know exactly what I'm talking about. I've never laughed so hard during a baseball game in my life - it was like a young Martin and Lewis. Suffice it to say that it was one of the most sublime comedy bits I've ever heard. I'm very much looking forward to tonight's game.


Now on to the football...

... Did you realize that Dallas and New England were playing each other this week? And that they were both 5-0? I had no idea. I swear that of the 40 minutes of the 2 hour NFL Sunday Countdown show that is not commercials, 30 minutes was devoted to the Dallas/New England game. That hardly left them any time at all to talk about Brett Favre. And hey, I understand this - you gotta promote the marquee games, especially in a week where there were a lot of terrible games. But I think there was some slight overkill involved.

... And surprisingly enough that Dallas/New England game almost lived up to the hype - at least for the first 3 quarters. And now one of my favorite sportswriters, Bill Simmons, has started defending the Patriots sudden compulsion to run-up the score every week by saying it's justified because the Patriots were exposed as cheaters and everyone piled on. I guess that point of view is understandable because Simmons is a Boston guy and a Patriots fan - although I see absolutely no logic in that. They cheated, they were caught and now they run up the score every week to prove a point? That doesn't really make sense to me. I have a feeling history is going to judge this Patriots team very harshly. Or maybe it's just me.

... Wasn't Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis supposed to be a defensive genius? Wasn't he the defensive co-ordinator for Baltimore when they won the Super Bowl? The Bengals are just straight bad on defence. Of course offensively, they were 1-11 on third down against Kansas City. That probably doesn't help either. I wonder how long it will take before Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, T.J Houshmandzadeh and Rudi Johnson get fed up and say, "That's it - we're leaving and starting our own team."

... A colleague of mine brought this up. Why is Tony Gonzalez allowed to dunk the football on the goalposts? Isn't that using the football and goalposts as props, which you're not allowed to do anymore. Maybe he's been doing it for so long that he got grandfathered into the new system.

... If Tom Brady wasn't playing with a serious chip on his shoulder this year, I think Devin Hester could potentially be the MVP of the league. He returned another kick for a touchdown on Sunday - bringing his punt/kick return total to 3 for the year. You can watch his latest against Minnesota here. The thing I love about this one is that he almost stops running and stands still right at the beginning of the return. This guy makes Dante Hall look like T.J Duckett. Oh, Hester also caught an 81-yard touchdown pass in that game as well.

... And how could I talk about the Chicago/Minnesota game without talking about Vikings rookie Adrian Petersen. He had 224 yards on just 20 carries, with 3 touchdowns. Petersen also had 4 kickoff returns for 128 yards, including a 53-yarder to set up the game-winning field goal. I was discussing him with Cooper yesterday and he think Petersen looks like the reincarnation of Bo Jackson. Petersen is built solid and runs low and mean.

... I demand to know why Seattle thought it was a good idea to run a fullback draw on 4th and 3 in the 4th quarter against New Orleans on Sunday night. Of course it didn't work. The play call was terrible to begin with - I'm looking at you Mike Holmgren - but that doesn't really say much about Shaun Alexander does it? Alexander averaged 2.5 yards per carry and was booed basically every time he touched the ball by the home crowd.

... And speaking of Mike Holmgren and bad play calling, why were the Seahawks going for it on 4th down late in the 4th down by 11 and in field goal range. They would have needed a touchdown, a 2-point conversion and a field goal to tie anyway, so why not get at least the field goal. Instead they didn't convert 4th down and got nothing.

... The Jets are just terrible (everybody: S-U-C-K-S-S-S) and I can't believe they are publicly giving a vote of confidence to Chad Pennington. He was 11/21 for 128 yards and an interception against a suspect Eagles secondary. I understand loyalty and its very important - but winning games is even more important. And sometimes loyalty to players can stand in the way of winning - as everyone in Saskatchewan familiar with the Danny Barrett era can attest to.

... Brett Favre is now apparently the best and the worst quarterback in NFL history, as he set the career interception mark on Sunday - a week after he set the career touchdown pass mark. This is a Lenny Wilkins situation. Wilkins is the winningest and losingest coach in NBA history.

... I didn't see the Giants/Falcons Monday Night game yesterday, as I was hooked up with some Velvet Revolver tickets (and it was actually a pretty decent show - I can't really name one Velvet Revolver song but it was very interesting to see most of the original Guns n' Roses lineup - especially when they did Patience) But I heard that I didn't really miss anything as far as the game went. One thing I did think was interesting looking at the game stats was that Atlanta only ran the ball 14 times - the entire game, between two running backs. I don't know why that was but you're probably not going to win many games when Joey Harrington has to throw the ball 40 times, especially when he only completes 18 of those passes.

... I feel as though I should apologize for telling people to bet the house on the Arizona Cardinals. But it wasn't my fault, I swear. Who knew that Kurt Warner's elbow ligaments would give out early in the game and the Cardinals would have to rely on Tim Rattay. When Tim Rattay's your best option, you're in trouble.

... Since over half the league would now be on the Do Not Bet On Until Further Notice I'm abandoning the whole experiment. I'll be the first to admit that I have no idea what's going anymore.

Upon Further Review - Week 5 in the NFL

...I learned the hard way this weekend- if you look at a list of games for gambling purposes and don't see anything you like, don't be a hero - just walk away. Trust me.

...How 'bout them Cowboys? Even though last night's game was only close because Tony Romo couldn't hold on to the football, it was the most exciting game I've seen in a long time. Including not one but two winning fields goals by the same team.

...That calling the time-out as the kicker is kicking trick is stupid and needs to be outlawed for the good of the game. It's disingenuous and not in the spirit of fair competition. Enough is enough already. At least there are a couple of smart broadcasters out there who realize the stupidity of this rule and this tactic - thank you to Tony Kornheiser and Steve Czaban.

...Good for Nick Folk for nailing both of those 53 yard game-winners last night, in the ultimate screw-you to Dick Jauron for trying to ice him. Last night also gave rise to the best nickname of the football season so far - Nick "Queer As" Folk. I can take no credit for that, it was all Cooper.

...There were actually a couple other long, game-winning field goals this week. Kris Brown kicked a 57 yarder for Houston and John Kasay kicked a 52 yarder for Carolina.

...Drew Brees, I appreciate the effort but you're dead to me. (Note: I don't mean to rip off the Colbert Report with the you're dead to me thing, that's just how I feel)

...How St. Louis escaped the Do Not Bet On Until Further Notice list so far this year is just inexcusable - they have to be the worst team in the league... well, maybe second to Miami. I think I'm comfortable saying that Jacksonville is now off the list (depending on the match up). And Kansas City is now back to being firmly entrenched on the list - especially since they're now going to be led by future CFL quarterback Brodie Croyle. The Giants might be off the list as well, although who knows about them.

...I'm taking Philip Rivers off the Quarterbacks Who Are Killing Their Teams list. He may not be carrying San Diego on his back but he's not costing them games anymore either. Joey Harrington remains on the list and I think we can add Byron Leftwich too - although maybe we can just swap one for the other. It won't be long before David Carr is on the list too. Marc Bulger and Trent Green escape because they're injured. And poor Rex Grossman isn't even good enough to be on the Quarterbacks Who Are Killing Their Teams list anymore.

...How about that Kenton Keith? 121 yards rushing, 37 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns against Tampa Bay on Sunday. I think this has to make him the most successful former Saskatchewan Roughrider in the history of the NFL. I for one think it's great for him and I think it gives a great deal of respectability to the CFL to have one of the league's former players perform so well against NFL competition.

...Great crowd last night in Buffalo too.

...It looks like San Diego might be on the way back after their absolute thrashing of Denver. I think Denver is finally being exposed for the bad football team that they are - they should be 0-5.

...I'm still not sure how I feel about the play that Trent Green got injured on. Here's the play if you haven't seen it. Since I can't stand listening to so-called experts on the highlight shows, I don't really know what the popular stance on this is. But here's my take: First of all, why is Trent Green even trying to make that block in the first place? As a quarterback he has no business trying to block a lineman like that. Secondly, I think it was a dirty block on Green's part. It was a blind-sided, crack-back block below the knees. But you never want to see a guy get injured and stretchered off the field - and the concussion that Green sustained will probably end his career... or at least it should. Do I think Travis Johnson should have gotten in the face of an unconscious Green? I don't think it's ever a good idea to berate an opponent while they're unconscious on the ground unless you're a professional underground street fighter. That being said, I understand why Johnson was so upset with Green. A knee injury from a block like that could have easily ended Johnson's career. I'd say it's just a bad situation all around.

...Don't look now but there just might be a couple holes in New England's armour. Also - jinx jinx jinx.

...I think Pittsburgh is for real. They absolutely and totally dominated a pretty good Seattle team.

...Who would have ever guessed that Matt Leinart breaking his collarbone and being out for the year might actually have been a good thing for Arizona? I've never been a big Leinart fan - except for fantasy football purposes and even then he's never been a real star. Sure he won the Heisman - but remember, so did Andre Ware.

Upon Further Review - Week 4 in the NFL

Before we get to the NFL today, did you see that the sale of the Nashville Predators to a local ownership group has apparently fallen through? (you can read the story here) I'd say this is the exact opposite start to the season that the NHL was looking for - two players carted off the ice on stretchers already, a lawsuit against the league and now a highly-touted sale falling through. I wonder if anyone kept Jim Balsille's phone number?

Anyway...

...It's starting to look like there are an awful lot of bad teams in the NFL. I mean a lot. There are a few mediocre teams. But there are only 3 good teams: New England, Dallas and Indianapolis. Green Bay and Pittsburgh are the tops of the mediocre group but I'm not ready to call them good yet.

...The Patriots are going to go 16-0. I generally don't hope I'm wrong about anything - but I do about this.

...Did you see Tony Romo's scramble against St. Louis on Sunday? If not - here you go. Quite an athletic feat - having to run 38 yards to get 3 yards for a first down. I'm starting to look smart for picking the Cowboys to go to the Super Bowl from the NFC. Of course I also picked the Saints to be in the NFC Championship game...oh well.

...Have you ever heard of Brett Favre? I'd never heard of this guy before Sunday but apparently a lot of people like him.

...In all seriousness it was great to see Favre break the all time passing touchdown mark on Sunday. Enjoy Favre while you can everybody, he's the last of his kind. With so much emphasis on game management now we'll never see a quarterback like him again, for better or worse.

...NFL Sunday Countdown seemed to actually be going pretty well this week - until TSN cut off the last hour to show the Presidents Cup. Could someone explain to me why I don't get the TSN Alternate feed - maybe I could at least continue watching the shows I started watching.

...With no Countdown I was forced to watch the Fox pre-game show....yikes...

...Did you see Jon Ryan's accidental fake punt against the Vikings on the weekend? Apparently it was called as a fake, then changed to a punt but Ryan didn't get the signal and tried to throw the fake punt but nobody was there. So he just took off and got the first down. If you want to see the video, go here - then scroll down to 2007 Season Highlights and click on the Vikings game - it's about 2:30 into the video.

...The Do Not Bet on Until Further Notice now contains the majority of the NFL - although Kansas City and Oakland are trying to play their way off it. I bet on them and actually won this past weekend.

...Joey Harrington has been removed from the Quarterbacks Who Are Killing Their Team list. He's actually played pretty well the last two weeks - they won this week and probably should have last week. Phillip Rivers is still on there. I don't think Rex Grossman counts anymore but Brian Griese could find his way onto the list. I suspect Steve McNair will be on the list soon and possibly even Drew Brees. Chad Pennington is creeping towards it as well.

...Thank goodness the Phillies made the playoffs or people in Philly might be catatonic after the Eagles game on Sunday night.

...San Diego coach Norv Turner will be fired this year... sooner than later I imagine - possibly by the end of October. It's actually a shame to see so much talent going to waste on that San Diego team.

...Can you believe Oakland and Kansas City (and Denver) are tied for first in the AFC West?

...Did you know that Trent Dilfer is still in the league with San Francisco? Or at least did you know that before he was pressed into action on Sunday when Alex Smith got injured? What's even more baffling is that Dilfer is rated an 80 in Madden '07.

...The Baltimore defence is bad. There's no two ways about it. Actually that whole team is bad - I'm just bitter because that defence is costing me games in my fantasy league.

...Chicago kick returner Devin Hester is a force of nature and almost cost me money in the Detroit game. Trust me, I was an emotional basket case.

...I hate the New England Patriots, have I ever mentioned that? This must have been what it was like to hate the Steelers in the 70s, 49ers in the 80s and Cowboys in the 90s.

...Because of popular demand (one person) The Links and Artist of the Week will be resurrected this coming Friday.

...That is all.

Upon Further Review - Week 3 in the NFL

...Vince Young is quickly becoming one of my favorite players in the NFL. His athletic ability is so jaw-dropping that every time he's on TV, it's a must watch. I don't care if he's got a funny throwing style. You know what else I like about him - he seems like a decent human being. TH and I were having this discussion about him on Sunday...Young does not perpetuate the "gangster" mentality that is so prevalent in young athletes today. That alone is such a breath of fresh air it makes me want to see him do well. I don't even mind that I'm going to be wrong about the Titans this year because of Young.

...I feel bad for the New Orleans Saints. Last year they brought hope to a city that needed something positive. And now this year they're almost back to being the 'Aints. On a related note, did you know that much-torched Saints cornerback Jason David is Canadian - you can look it up.
...New England is just unstoppable. The only game they might lose is November 4th at Indianapolis. Might. That game will have so many playoff implications, drama and tension it might rip the fabric of space and time. Make sure your insurance is up to date.

...Pittsburgh is actually a pretty good team. They haven't given up a 100 yard rusher since Brittney Spears was a teenage sexpot...which is to say, a long time. Speaking of Brittney, you have to see this clip from a college football game in which announcer Mike Patrick clearly lets his mind wander.

...Denver is inching towards the Do Not Bet On Until Further Notice list - I have no confidence in them right now. If you're keeping track at home the list now includes: Atlanta, Minnesota, Jacksonville, NY Giants, NY Jets, Buffalo, Oakland, Kansas City and Miami. But when two teams on the list are playing each other - all bets are off. I correctly picked the NY Jets and KC Chiefs to cover the spread at home...thank you very much (they were playing Miami and Minnesota respectively). But thanks to Denver and Seattle I was left tearing up my Point Spread ticket once again.

...Joey Harrington and Phillip Rivers are both trying to play their way off the Quarterbacks Who Are Killing Their Teams list...Rex Grossman remains firmly entrenched on the list.

...Why does Jay Cutler insist on wearing Bubby Brister's number 6?

...The downward spiral of NFL Sunday Countdown continues. Tom Jackson now sits and sulks through most of the show.

...Well, I guess that's about it for this week - I'm sure there's about a thousand things I'm forgetting.