NOT FEELING WELL & P.C. IS KAPUT AGAIN, BUT THERE ARE IMPORTANT ISSUES
My P.C. was bombarded again with virus ills yesterday. Linda is currently installing a mega-anti-virus, anti-spyware & malware removal system in my beloved machine. Clad in her beautiful Missouri State hoodie she received for Christmas, she patiently uninstalls & installs software with the best of them. The laptops will be next to receive this fortified shield to all things bad for computers. I've felt crummy since yesterday, so I didn't feel like writing on this device last night, but there's been so much news in the football world, I had to get some fresh news out to you in the blogesphere.
The Urban Meyer news from Saturday night has become somewhat of an "Urban Legend". Meyer announced he was stepping down as the Gator's coach early Saturday evening. He spoke with Kirk Herbstreit & Lou Holtz, briefly speaking about his health problems. Sunday, while her husband was conducting a pre-Sugar Bowl departure practice, Shelly Meyer Tweeted that made the family's position quite clear, "There's no chance he'll change his mind. This decision is the right one for his health & our family, so no, he's won't change his mind". Fast forward 3 hours to the Gator's Sugar Bowl arrival news conference & Meyer had in fact changed his mind. He said he taking a leave of absence, not stepping down as coach. He wouldn't answer any health-related questions, only that he loved his family & the Florida football team. Tim Tebow spoke of the tear-filled player's meeting Saturday night, big surprise. Tebow is becoming the Dick Vermeil of tear-filled appearances. Is Meyer going to become the Brett Favre of college football? Is going to stay or leave? When will he return? Will there be an Urban watch outside his residence? They could just move all the satellite trucks sitting around Tiger's house & drive north to Meyer's residence right? I have a feeling this is going to be a story we'll tire of soon. Don't get me wrong, I think Meyer is an exceptional coach, but let's not get the obsessive media coverage we've been subjected to with the Brett Favre or Tiger Woods' stories.
Texas Tech suspended head coach Mike Leach 6 days before their Alamo bowl game with Michigan State. Leach was suspended pending an investigation regarding his treatment of a player who sustained a concussion. The player's parents lodged the complaint with university officials & from what I heard from ESPN's Joe Schad, it sounds like this story has legs. It's reported the player in question is Adam James, a tight end & the son of Craig James, also employed by ESPN. The allegations are pretty serious & Leach might well be gone if the story is true. Leach allegedly had the team trainer confine James to a darkened electrical closet in the locker room for 2 hours & questioned his concussion symptoms. In this day & age of increased awareness regarding head injuries, concussions & their long term effects, old-school coaching won't cut it. Just ask Mark Mangino.
Two bowl-bound teams got some good news today. Boise State & Missouri might get important cogs in their passing game back. Mizzou's WR Jared Perry got full medical clearance to play in Thursday's Texas Bowl game with Navy. He is the Tiger's 2nd leading receiver with 46 catches for 696 yards & 6 touchdowns. He suffered a hairline fracture of his tibia in the Kansas State game November 14th. He has been practicing at full speed for about a week. Boise State wide receiver Austin Pettis has been practicing, but will most likely be a game time decision before their January 4th Fiesta Bowl matchup with TCU. Pettis missed the last game & a half with a tibia fracture he sustained November 27th against Nevada. He was the Broncos leading receiver with 62 catches for 850 yards & an eye-popping 14 touchdowns. His return would be a big shot in the arm for Boise State.
Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said he was 80% certain he will retire. His Wildcats, playing in a school record 4th consecutive bowl game, lost to Clemson 21-13 last night. Brooks said he would talk it over with family & hopefully make a decision within a week.
Being the next-to-last Sunday in the NFL, playoff spots were at risk & the league's integrity came away looking a little tarnished. The 14-0 Indianapolis Colts were at the center of controversy yesterday & there's something to it. Forget about the pissed off gamblers & fantasy football owners, the other 7-7 teams fighting & clawing for that last wildcard spot were very upset the Colts pulled Peyton Manning & the rest of their impact starters midway thru the 3rd quarter. The Colts were leading the 7-7 Jets, 15-10 at the time. The Colts inserted QB Curtis Painter, who had never taken a snap in an NFL regular season game & Painter looked the part. On his second play, he was hit, he fumbled & the Jets recovered it for a touchdown. They tacked on 13 more points, ending the Colts quest for an undefeated season. GM Bill Polian & coach Jim Caldwell said earlier last week they wanted to rest their starters, but they already have the 1st round playoff bye. Their players, especially Manning, Reggie Wayne & Dwight Freeney, were clearly unhappy about being pulled from the game, as were the 67,222 assembled in Lucas Oil Stadium. Clearly the worst part of this move was it gave the Jets a much easier chance to win the game, which they did. Coach Rex Ryan admitted last week there was almost no chance to get into the playoffs. Well, coupled with losses by the Ravens, Broncos & Dolphins, the Jets now control their own destiny, win next Sunday night at home vs. the Bengals & they're playoff bound. This whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth & fans of other wildcard contenders are really P.O.'d at the Colts. This might come back to haunt them down the road.
The New Orleans Saints look to have a chink in their armor & it might not get fixed in time for their 2nd round playoff game. Once sitting at 13-0, they've lost back-to-back games with Dallas & Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay, the 2-12 Bucs? Worse, both losses were in the Louisiana Superdome, punching holes in that home-field advantage theory. They simply can't stop the run. Their defensive tackles are getting pushed off the ball & the linebackers can't get off blocks, often springing opposing backs into the secondary. Keep the ball, keep the clock running & keep Drew Brees & the offense off the field. Pretty simple gameplan, but it's worked the last 2 weeks. They remind me of the defenseless 2003 Chiefs who started 9-0, finished 13-3 & were one & done in the playoffs, losing to Indy, never forcing a punt in the game. The Saints could very well run into the same fate come playoff time.
How weird would this be? The Packers play at Arizona Sunday, the Eagles at Dallas, the Texans at New England & Cincinnati at the Jets. If things fall right, they could repeat these matchups the following week in the wildcard round. The Texans might be a stretch, but the other 3 could very well play each other in consecutive weeks. Strange but true.
A few more quick thoughts would include Denver's fall after a 6-0 start. They're 2-7 since & just like I told you about 10 weeks ago, I didn't think they were playoff bound. They need several things to happen for them to get a wildcard slot.
The Giants, my NFC Super Bowl pick, started 5-0 & then collapsed. Several defensive injuries hurt them, but that became the tip of the iceberg. When you're down with Kansas City, Detroit & St. Louis in points allowed, it's more than a few injuries. Their Sunday night spanking at the Meadowlands by the Cardinals signaled trouble & it got worse, week after week. Only a second victory over the Cowboys made it appear they could get back to playoff form, but hope faded quickly. This team has some internal problems.
John Madden was asked if Al Davis should hire a Bill Parcells, Mike Holmgren-type football czar & his response was "he knows he has to." Knowing it & doing it are 2 totally different things.
I'm beginning to think Albert Haynesworth is more trouble than he's worth. I know I wouldn't want his constant distractions. Domestic troubles, traffic citations for excessive speeds(120 MPH), he's constantly nicked up & he can't get along with coached to the point he recruits teammates to show up late for meeting or boycott them altogether. No thanks. When healthy & happy he can be a defensive game-changer, but is it all worth a guaranteed $45 million?
Jeremy Maclin looked superb yesterday in the Eagles victory over Denver. His sparkling 27-yard, double-toe-tap catch in overtime setup Fred Akers' winning field goal. J-Mac missed 2 1/2 games with a foot injury but his addition to fellow wideouts DeSean Jackson & Jason Avant plus the emergence of Brent Celek as a weapon at tight end, give Donovan McNabb a dangerous group to throw to.
After Jake Delhomme started the season so poorly, he injured a finger & was replaced in the lineup by Matt Moore. Moore's record as a starter is 5-2, giving doubt to Delhomme's return in 2010. Especially with a $7.8 million roster bonus due March 1st.
Steeler rookie Mike Wallace continues to excel. His 37 catches for 692 yards & 5 touchdowns have pushed former 1st round pick, Limas Sweed to the end of the bench. The Steelers also let Nate Washington & his unreliable hands move on to Tennessee in free agency. Wallace will eventually take Hines Ward's spot in the starting lineup, but until then he will continue to earn the trust of QB Ben Roethlisberger.
The Urban Meyer news from Saturday night has become somewhat of an "Urban Legend". Meyer announced he was stepping down as the Gator's coach early Saturday evening. He spoke with Kirk Herbstreit & Lou Holtz, briefly speaking about his health problems. Sunday, while her husband was conducting a pre-Sugar Bowl departure practice, Shelly Meyer Tweeted that made the family's position quite clear, "There's no chance he'll change his mind. This decision is the right one for his health & our family, so no, he's won't change his mind". Fast forward 3 hours to the Gator's Sugar Bowl arrival news conference & Meyer had in fact changed his mind. He said he taking a leave of absence, not stepping down as coach. He wouldn't answer any health-related questions, only that he loved his family & the Florida football team. Tim Tebow spoke of the tear-filled player's meeting Saturday night, big surprise. Tebow is becoming the Dick Vermeil of tear-filled appearances. Is Meyer going to become the Brett Favre of college football? Is going to stay or leave? When will he return? Will there be an Urban watch outside his residence? They could just move all the satellite trucks sitting around Tiger's house & drive north to Meyer's residence right? I have a feeling this is going to be a story we'll tire of soon. Don't get me wrong, I think Meyer is an exceptional coach, but let's not get the obsessive media coverage we've been subjected to with the Brett Favre or Tiger Woods' stories.
Texas Tech suspended head coach Mike Leach 6 days before their Alamo bowl game with Michigan State. Leach was suspended pending an investigation regarding his treatment of a player who sustained a concussion. The player's parents lodged the complaint with university officials & from what I heard from ESPN's Joe Schad, it sounds like this story has legs. It's reported the player in question is Adam James, a tight end & the son of Craig James, also employed by ESPN. The allegations are pretty serious & Leach might well be gone if the story is true. Leach allegedly had the team trainer confine James to a darkened electrical closet in the locker room for 2 hours & questioned his concussion symptoms. In this day & age of increased awareness regarding head injuries, concussions & their long term effects, old-school coaching won't cut it. Just ask Mark Mangino.
Two bowl-bound teams got some good news today. Boise State & Missouri might get important cogs in their passing game back. Mizzou's WR Jared Perry got full medical clearance to play in Thursday's Texas Bowl game with Navy. He is the Tiger's 2nd leading receiver with 46 catches for 696 yards & 6 touchdowns. He suffered a hairline fracture of his tibia in the Kansas State game November 14th. He has been practicing at full speed for about a week. Boise State wide receiver Austin Pettis has been practicing, but will most likely be a game time decision before their January 4th Fiesta Bowl matchup with TCU. Pettis missed the last game & a half with a tibia fracture he sustained November 27th against Nevada. He was the Broncos leading receiver with 62 catches for 850 yards & an eye-popping 14 touchdowns. His return would be a big shot in the arm for Boise State.
Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said he was 80% certain he will retire. His Wildcats, playing in a school record 4th consecutive bowl game, lost to Clemson 21-13 last night. Brooks said he would talk it over with family & hopefully make a decision within a week.
Being the next-to-last Sunday in the NFL, playoff spots were at risk & the league's integrity came away looking a little tarnished. The 14-0 Indianapolis Colts were at the center of controversy yesterday & there's something to it. Forget about the pissed off gamblers & fantasy football owners, the other 7-7 teams fighting & clawing for that last wildcard spot were very upset the Colts pulled Peyton Manning & the rest of their impact starters midway thru the 3rd quarter. The Colts were leading the 7-7 Jets, 15-10 at the time. The Colts inserted QB Curtis Painter, who had never taken a snap in an NFL regular season game & Painter looked the part. On his second play, he was hit, he fumbled & the Jets recovered it for a touchdown. They tacked on 13 more points, ending the Colts quest for an undefeated season. GM Bill Polian & coach Jim Caldwell said earlier last week they wanted to rest their starters, but they already have the 1st round playoff bye. Their players, especially Manning, Reggie Wayne & Dwight Freeney, were clearly unhappy about being pulled from the game, as were the 67,222 assembled in Lucas Oil Stadium. Clearly the worst part of this move was it gave the Jets a much easier chance to win the game, which they did. Coach Rex Ryan admitted last week there was almost no chance to get into the playoffs. Well, coupled with losses by the Ravens, Broncos & Dolphins, the Jets now control their own destiny, win next Sunday night at home vs. the Bengals & they're playoff bound. This whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth & fans of other wildcard contenders are really P.O.'d at the Colts. This might come back to haunt them down the road.
The New Orleans Saints look to have a chink in their armor & it might not get fixed in time for their 2nd round playoff game. Once sitting at 13-0, they've lost back-to-back games with Dallas & Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay, the 2-12 Bucs? Worse, both losses were in the Louisiana Superdome, punching holes in that home-field advantage theory. They simply can't stop the run. Their defensive tackles are getting pushed off the ball & the linebackers can't get off blocks, often springing opposing backs into the secondary. Keep the ball, keep the clock running & keep Drew Brees & the offense off the field. Pretty simple gameplan, but it's worked the last 2 weeks. They remind me of the defenseless 2003 Chiefs who started 9-0, finished 13-3 & were one & done in the playoffs, losing to Indy, never forcing a punt in the game. The Saints could very well run into the same fate come playoff time.
How weird would this be? The Packers play at Arizona Sunday, the Eagles at Dallas, the Texans at New England & Cincinnati at the Jets. If things fall right, they could repeat these matchups the following week in the wildcard round. The Texans might be a stretch, but the other 3 could very well play each other in consecutive weeks. Strange but true.
A few more quick thoughts would include Denver's fall after a 6-0 start. They're 2-7 since & just like I told you about 10 weeks ago, I didn't think they were playoff bound. They need several things to happen for them to get a wildcard slot.
The Giants, my NFC Super Bowl pick, started 5-0 & then collapsed. Several defensive injuries hurt them, but that became the tip of the iceberg. When you're down with Kansas City, Detroit & St. Louis in points allowed, it's more than a few injuries. Their Sunday night spanking at the Meadowlands by the Cardinals signaled trouble & it got worse, week after week. Only a second victory over the Cowboys made it appear they could get back to playoff form, but hope faded quickly. This team has some internal problems.
John Madden was asked if Al Davis should hire a Bill Parcells, Mike Holmgren-type football czar & his response was "he knows he has to." Knowing it & doing it are 2 totally different things.
I'm beginning to think Albert Haynesworth is more trouble than he's worth. I know I wouldn't want his constant distractions. Domestic troubles, traffic citations for excessive speeds(120 MPH), he's constantly nicked up & he can't get along with coached to the point he recruits teammates to show up late for meeting or boycott them altogether. No thanks. When healthy & happy he can be a defensive game-changer, but is it all worth a guaranteed $45 million?
Jeremy Maclin looked superb yesterday in the Eagles victory over Denver. His sparkling 27-yard, double-toe-tap catch in overtime setup Fred Akers' winning field goal. J-Mac missed 2 1/2 games with a foot injury but his addition to fellow wideouts DeSean Jackson & Jason Avant plus the emergence of Brent Celek as a weapon at tight end, give Donovan McNabb a dangerous group to throw to.
After Jake Delhomme started the season so poorly, he injured a finger & was replaced in the lineup by Matt Moore. Moore's record as a starter is 5-2, giving doubt to Delhomme's return in 2010. Especially with a $7.8 million roster bonus due March 1st.
Steeler rookie Mike Wallace continues to excel. His 37 catches for 692 yards & 5 touchdowns have pushed former 1st round pick, Limas Sweed to the end of the bench. The Steelers also let Nate Washington & his unreliable hands move on to Tennessee in free agency. Wallace will eventually take Hines Ward's spot in the starting lineup, but until then he will continue to earn the trust of QB Ben Roethlisberger.
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