Terrell Owens gets a lot of flak because he loves him some him. Randy Moss has recently gotten criticized because of his penchant for not giving 100% during games. A ton of players around the league get a ton of shit for not being good team players. But why the hell is Brett Favre getting a pass?
I like Favre. Always have. The guy is good at quarterbacking. Except for that and driving a tractor, I don’t think he is good at much else. The man was put on the planet to throw a football. He throws it fast, he throws it accurately. His receivers are better for playing with him.
For three years now, he has dominated the NFL offseason with his indecision about playing. He still hasn’t retired. He still hasn’t played a season of football. I’m okay with that. At his age and with the demands that football takes on your body, I don’t blame him for being hesitant about playing or wanting to avoid training camp.
What I do have a problem with are these reports about Favre being selfish with the play calling. When he was with my favorite football team last year, there were stirrings about how Favre felt handcuffed in the offense. Even though the team had two very capable running backs and an offensive line built to run, the team still attempted more passes then runs. I don’t really trust Brian Schottenheimer as an offensive coordinator when it comes to game planning, so I’ll let that slide.
But now there is talk that Favre is being way too hands on with the offense. Audibling out of run plays and not being attentive to his head coach, Brad Childress. This is of course all after an embarrassing loss to a team knocked out of the playoffs, but lets look deeper.
At his current pace, Peterson will finish with 40 less carries than he did last year. But he has also never scored more touchdowns than he has this season. AD has also lost a career high 5 fumbles. Peterson is averaging 88 yards per game while putting up a career worst 4.4 yards a carry, both lows for his career. One of the biggest potential benefits of bringing Favre onto the team this season was forcing teams to spread out the defense to deal with both pass and run threats.
Let me break this down for you, and its completely crazy, but I can’t find other lines of reasoning that work. Peterson isn’t having a good year. The only stats that have improved are touchdowns, receptions and reception yards. Meanwhile, Favre is on pace to finish the season with his lowest interception total and best passer rating in his career. The team has the best record since 2000.
Favre is a diva, but the team is in a lot better place now than they were several months ago. They have finally tapped into the talent on the offensive side of the ball that isn’t named Peterson. Childress needs to accept that his team had a bad night in Carolina and ran into the buzzsaw that was Arizona weeks ago. If he rights the ship and wins next week, the team will have the 2 seed in the conference. When this team is playing for a right to go to the Super Bowl, and I believe they will, the media will be back to deepthroating Favre, believe it.
Sunday was probably one of the worst Jets losses I’ve experienced in years. Probably the worst since the playoff game in Heinz field in 2005. Just gut wrenching. Now in hindsight, say the Jets win, they are still probably out of the wild card spot due to being half a game back in conference play. But still, it would have made next week’s game and subsequent scoreboard watching entertaining. But, lo and behold, there is still hope. Again, this hope involves the Jets beating 2 teams at the top of their division, but hey, I needed something to write about, and this was the only thing coming out of my fingers.
The Jets, Steelers, Titans, Dolphins, Texans and your mother are all 7-7. They all are a game back of the 8-6 Ravens and Broncos with 2 weeks to play. Now, this seems a little daunting, but (well at least in my mind) the Jets path to a playoff is very far from impossible. First look at the schedule for just next week. The two current wild card teams play at Philly (Denver) and at Pittsburgh (Ravens). On top of that, the Titans host the red hot Chargers (who really don’t have anything to play for being that they are entrenched in the number 2 seed, but shhh), and the Dolphins play the Texans (we beat the Texans week one, so we own that tie-breaker).
Again, all of this is based on the Jets beating the undefeated (and looking to stay that way) Colts. On the road. Eff.
Jets lost 10-7 to the Atlanta Falcons. The same Falcons that are out of playoff contention and fighting a million injuries this year. Sure, I could blame it on the running came being under par. Or I could blame it on Sanchez throwing 3 picks. No, I’m not gonna do that. The Falcons d is good and Sanchez is a rookie. You know who I am going to blame. Jay Fucking Feely. 3 opportunities to give the Jets points. Not one time did you do your fucking job. Sure, one was a botched snap and one was a high snap, but still, you fucking suck. Not one attempt from outside 40 yards. All this after you pretty much sharted on a guy hours after his tragic death. Fuck you. I’m sending a letter to Woody Johnson to have you dealt with, Jersey style.
The undefeated Colts of Indianapolis go down to Florida to play one of their many, awful football teams tonight. So, as the sports fans that we are at the squeeze, we read and hear a lot of talk about the playing status of their starters. Whether they should go for glory or go for history. Which is cool. But what about that other 13-0 team, the New Orleans Saints. Yeah, I know, they haven’t locked up home-field yet, but it just seems like this season, their is tons of slobbering going on about Peyton and Crew. And yeah, I guess it seems like a better story considering what Indy has accomplished this decade, like being the 3rd best team in their conference. But I still feel like more hasn’t been made about how wonderful this New Orleans Saints Story is.
The team is undefeated with a qb that was tossed aside for a newer, shinier toy and then disregarded by the Dolphins for Daunte Culpepper. The team is undefeated with a head coach that at one off coordinator stop in NY had his play calling responsibilities stripped of him as the team was en route to a Super Bowl appearance. The defense has been revitalized by a defensive coordinator that held the same position with the Redskins for a very long tenure, interviewed for the HC position when vacant, didn’t obtain it, and then was let go.
The team has 2 pro bowlers from last year, Brees and guard Jamaal Brown. That’s it, not one “star” on offense. Also, the defense has been fighting the injury bug all year. They literally picked up 2 corners off the street for the Patriots game and and looked like their clear superior.
Still, not a lot of love around the nation for these Saints. I’ll give the media the benefit of the doubt and wait until after they beat the Cowboys Saturday. If not, expect me to write another post, probably linking to this one, just with more exclamation points, links, and loud explosions.
Well…. your Dad’s Knicks would have completely destroyed this Knick team, but whatever. Last night the Knicks lost to old curmudgeon coach Larry Brown and the Bobcats of Charlotte 94-87. But guess what? This won’t be a Knicks bashing post. Having seen this team play once in person and a couple times on TV, there are some encouraging things to take away:
1.) D’Antoni has found the right mix of players very early. For a team that doesn’t have 1 all-star outside of maybe David Lee and barely Al Harrington, they are 8th in the league in scoring (there also 28th out of 30 in opponents ppg, but shhh.)
2.) They’ve proven that they are capable of beating good teams. Before that loss to the Bobcats, 2 wins in their 4 game win streak were against Atlanta and Portland.
It is very ironic that the day I decide to fire up the Squeeze for another run, I am completely blindsided by a piece of news that kind of shocks me. Chien Ming-Wang was not offered a contract by the Yankees this weekend and is now a free agent. Chien Ming-Wang, he of the 2 straight 19 win season Ming-Wangs.
He has had difficulty staying healthy the last 2 years… but I really do hope thats why he isn’t a Yankee anymore. Because that would just be unfortunate. I liked Wang, he was a rock of stability during some tough times for the Yankees. But here we are, with the Bombers winning a World Series and Wang having contributed a little more than diddly to it. The question becomes now, do the Yankees need another starting pitcher?
The starting rotation currently consists of CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, an un-signed Andy Petite, and two relievers in Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. Yanks need a 4th starter. If they’re aspiration is to win 100 games and win the division, they are going to need someone to pick up the load. With some of the bullpen having been shipped off or cut loose, this becomes a priority, even more so than (sigh) overpaying for Matt Holiday.
The good news is, there are perfect 4th starter guys available out there. Names like Ben Sheets and Justin Duchscherer are being looked at. Albeit those guys didn’t start a game last year, they would only probably required to start maybe 20-25 games and they do have decent resumes. Not gonna lie, if I were a gm, this would be a little annoying to me. Having to stress out about a 4th starting pitcher, but I guess its one of those problems you’ll take as a Yankee fan compared to the alternative… like having to trade your Ace.
He made 13 million dollars last year and gave a typical Johnny Damon year as far as production goes. The problem is, why the hell would the Yankees pay 13 million again for that production. Captain Caveman refuses to take a paycut, the Yanks organization obviously wants him back. Here’s what Damon’s gotta understand: He isn’t in the top 3 as far as outfielding talent goes and the Yanks have no shortage of left handed bats. Sure, they lose a good on base guy, but for the 10 mil they are willing to spend, they can definitely look elsewhere. Which brings me to my next point. I know the Yankees are looking to shed payroll, but who cares. Send a bigger eff you to baseball. Overpay for Matt Holliday. It doesn’t have to be Teixera money. God knows we shouldn’t, but ocould you imagine a 3-5 lineup of AROD, Tex, anbd Holliday that is surrounded by the power of Granderson and Posada. I’m giggling just typing it. AGain, I know the Yankees are shedding payroll, but Holliday is 30, in his prime. Lets sow up the next half a decade of titles, please. The Red Sox just sured up their pitching staff for that time period, we need a huge counter punch.
I know, its been awhile. But something has irked me long enough for your boy to dust off the old blog. Jerry Jones, who this site loves with total endearment, is willing to pony up $25 mil to get the biggest fight in more than a decade to the new, opulent, well endowed Cowboys Stadium.
But for some reason, the powers to be, along with the Pacqiuao and Mayweather themselves, want to fight in Vegas and are very hard pressed to fight in Texas. What is it? Are they more comfy in Vegas? Are they too used to the post party scene after their fights? Do they have accounts at the Bunny Ranch?
Whatever it is, they need to get the fuck over it. Fighting at Dallas Stadium would add sizzle to the already appetizing steak of the fight. Plus, if Money May wants to remain true to his moniker, he should be fighting tooth and nail to fight in Dallas. Last time I checked, the MGM grand seats a little over 17,000 people. Cowboys Stadium seats well more than FIVE TIMES that. They can completely decimate the record for most live gate revenue hat Mayweather himself and Oscar De La Hoya set.
This is going to be the career defining match-up for both of these very special fighters. It’s going to need a career defining special venue. I mean Vegas is cool and all, but these two gladiators need a coliseum to fight in.
Larry Brown and the Bobcats of Charlotte 94-87. But guess what? This won’t be a Knicks bashing post. Having seen this team play once in person and a couple times on TV, there are some encouraging things to take away:
