PACK SUSTAINS HUGE LOSS, LIONS TOO, SAINZ SEXUAL HARRASSMENT RUMORS QUESTIONABLE & A FEW LEFTOVERS FROM MNF
The Packers' Super Bowl aspirations, they are my NFC SB pick as well, took a major hit today. FOXSports' Jay Glazer is reporting running back Ryan Grant will miss the remainder of the season. He sustained a high ankle sprain, which was diagnosed during the Philadelphia game, but what wasn't known until a Monday MRI revealed it, he also suffered a fracture of his leg just below the knee. That leaves the Green Bay with Brandon Jackson & John Juhn in Grant's place. He gained 1,203 yards in 2008 & 1,253 last season. It's a cinch the Packers have already combed the waiver wire looking for additional depth at RB.
Another NFC North team got very bad news today as well. Detroit Lions' quarterback Matthew Stafford will miss 4-8 weeks with a separation of his throwing shoulder. He was driven into the ground on a clean hit by Chicago defensive end Julius Peppers in Sunday's opener. Shaun Hill will likely fill the starter's spot until Stafford can return.
Colts All-Pro safety Bob Sanders is out indefinitely with a torn biceps muscle. If this initial diagnosis is correct, Sanders will have to undergo surgery & will once again be lost for the remainder of the season. I pointed out when the Chiefs drafted Eric Berry, the best safeties in football, Baltimore's Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu & Sanders, get injured a lot. I told you last week, Sanders has been inactive for more Colt games than he's played in & that doesn't warrant a top-5 pick. Polamalu played a superior game on Sunday, but Sanders was hurt in the first quarter & Ed Reed stood on the sidelines last night in his street clothes for Baltimore. This is a brutal position for those who play it better than the rest of their peers. They play like they have linebacker size, but are smaller than most of the people they're hitting. It takes a toll.
I watched the Gary Pinkel Show on FOXSports Midwest this morning. I told you about true freshman running back Henry Josey, who on Saturday night, scored three touchdowns on just 7 carries against McNeese State. After watching Josey on video, I was truly impressed. He has rare acceleration, on his 62-yard TD run, he just kicked it into 5th gear & motored away from defenders. On all three touchdown runs, he wasn't touched, his quick feet reminded me of another home-run hitting back, Kansas City's Jamaal Charles. Look for more from this speedster currently listed as the third running back on Mizzou's depth chart. He should get 6-10 carries in the next three games(San Diego State, Miami of Ohio & Colorado), it will be interesting to watch his progress. The Tigers made the USA Today's/Coaches Poll at #25 & should climb gradually up the poll before their October 16th trip to College Station for a game with A&M. Another stat from Pinkel's show that surprised me was the Tigers got only 8 interceptions last season, they have 6 in two games so far in 2010.
I saw Ines Sainz on ESPN & FOX News this morning. Ladies, please don't take this wrong, you won't find a greater defender of womens rights in the workplace than yours truly, but I can't take this woman seriously. At 9 AM, she's dressed like she just got in from clubbing last night. Her enhanced bustline bursting from her lowcut blouse. I Googled her & honestly, there are thousands of images of this woman & nearly every one of them would be appropriate for Maxim, Esquire & Playboy. I have a hard time with a woman who calls herself a serious journalist posed in a thong bikini, her skin glistening with oil & breasts covered only by her palms. I just don't see Pam Oliver, Suzy Kolber or even my girl, Erin Andrews, portraying themselves in this light. I understand the Latin culture is somewhat different, so far be it from me to condemn her, but the whole thing now appears to be a lot of self-promotion. She told reporters from both networks she wasn't harassed & had no intention of pursuing any litigation against the New York Jets. She mentioned the profuse personal apology she received from Jets' owner Woody Johnson. She couldn't figure out what all the outrage was over her locker room visit. After listening to a few of the women who spoke out yesterday, I think they're on the same page as I am. They've worked extremely hard for years to get a job that allows them into that locker room to do those interviews & a woman who dresses almost exclusively in a very provocative way gets cuts in line from players as if they're not even there. Sadly, our society hasn't come as far as we believe we have, this episode is just further evidence. One more incorrectly reported item about Sainz, she is not the former Miss Universe contestant from Spain, they just share the same name.
A look ahead to this weekend's schedule shows some very interesting matchups. East Carolina travels to 0-2 Virginia Tech & the Hokies are a 20-point favorite. Yeah, the Hokies have to win this game, yes they can cover the 20-points, but where is their mindset right now? Ruffin McNeill's East Carolina Pirates are 2-0 & will arrive in Blacksburg believing they can win. The 20-points seem like an awful high number to me. The line opened at -17, but heavy Va Tech betting moved it all the way to it's current 20. Remember what I always have always said about a game moving that much, the public is almost always wrong.
Three home dogs sort of peak my interest, Washington getting 3 in Seattle from Nebraska, Texas Tech a 3-point underdog at home against Texas & Arizona receiving a thin 1 1/2 from visiting Iowa. The game I'm seriously looking at is Iowa. They are my Big-10 pick plus every time I've bought into the Arizona hype, I've gotten my ass handed to me by an underachieving Wildcat squad. I'll watch all of these games, they feature currently ranked teams or recently ranked teams, but the Hawkeyes look to be my only wager among these games.
Three pro lines that caught my eye were the Ravens -2 at Cincinnati, Pittsburgh at Tennessee with the Titans laying 5 points & Dallas giving the Bears 8 points in Dallas. Be careful before writing off the Bengals too soon, I know I'm staying away from this one. Giving the Steelers 5 with their defense seems high to me, I'll do more digging to see if there's an edge to be had in this game. Dallas giving 8? They're offense hasn't scored over 7 points in 5 preseason or in their season opener. Stay away game for me.
Michael Vick's performance in relief of Kevin Kolb was excellent. He ran for over 100-yards & passed for over 100. But before all this Michael Vick frenzy gets anymore carried away, let's remember this; the Packers game planned for Kolb, not Vick. The Packers also had a very comfortable 27-10 lead when Vick entered the game. Kolb has only started 3 games in his Eagle career, are they going to bail on him after trading Donovan McNabb to clear the way for Kolb to start? I doubt it, but Philly is a very unforgiving town, Andy Reid & Kolb had better get this turned around soon or Vick may in fact become the starter very soon.
A few more thoughts from last night's doubleheader:
As I'm watching these games with Linda, sis Ann & bro-in-law Ron, I'm thinking about the recent run of USC quarterbacks. Carson Palmer(Heisman winner but only 1 great NFL season), Matt Leinart(Heisman winner, recently cut, signed as a backup in Houston), John David Booty(already on his 3rd NFL team in his 3-yr career), Kansas City's Matt Cassel(Charlie Weis says he can be "fixed"....we'll see) & finally, Mark Sanchez of the Jets. I have to say there's a lot of similarity in their play & it's not favorable. I'll continue to watch these quarterbacks, but I have to wonder if any will ever pan out into upper echelon performers in the NFL.
I failed to mention in my Chiefs' recap last night that cornerback Brandon Carr, in addition to his three pass breakups, he recovered Derrick Johnson's strip of Ryan Mathews & returned it 26-yards.
The Jets received bad news on the injury front, losing nose tackle Kris Jenkins for the second straight season with a torn ACL. Their coach, Rex Ryan, on the heels of their loss to Baltimore, began a new assault on their next opponent, the New England Patriots. Ryan said this morning "most teams have to double-cover Randy Moss, but we don't, we have Darrelle Revis, he does it alone." When your fans are still steaming over the horrid performance from last night, why open a whole new can of worms by insulting another opponent. An opponent, like the Ravens, capable of beating you? I guess I'm too 'old school' to understand the psychology behind Ryan's trash-talking.
Just as Mike Scifres punted the ball, I noticed Dexter McCluster was set to return, I tapped Ron on the arm & said "Arenas returns two punts for 60-yards & they trot Dexter out there?" Nine-four yards later I had an answer to my question. It was a fun evening.
One more thing, I was tough on DirecTV yesterday after my troubles on Sunday. I was called by a tech at 8 AM yesterday & they were here by 9:30. In the 3 hours they were here, they moved my rooftop dish location, put up a new dish, re-calibrated the three receivers I was having trouble with, gave me three new radio frequency remotes & left me a very, very satisfied DirecTV customer. The tech told me I was the #1 customer problem on their board for Central Missouri since we had been with them for all 17 years of DirecTV's existence. I appreciate their prompt, courteous & professional service, they do have the best deal for sports fans.
Another NFC North team got very bad news today as well. Detroit Lions' quarterback Matthew Stafford will miss 4-8 weeks with a separation of his throwing shoulder. He was driven into the ground on a clean hit by Chicago defensive end Julius Peppers in Sunday's opener. Shaun Hill will likely fill the starter's spot until Stafford can return.
Colts All-Pro safety Bob Sanders is out indefinitely with a torn biceps muscle. If this initial diagnosis is correct, Sanders will have to undergo surgery & will once again be lost for the remainder of the season. I pointed out when the Chiefs drafted Eric Berry, the best safeties in football, Baltimore's Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu & Sanders, get injured a lot. I told you last week, Sanders has been inactive for more Colt games than he's played in & that doesn't warrant a top-5 pick. Polamalu played a superior game on Sunday, but Sanders was hurt in the first quarter & Ed Reed stood on the sidelines last night in his street clothes for Baltimore. This is a brutal position for those who play it better than the rest of their peers. They play like they have linebacker size, but are smaller than most of the people they're hitting. It takes a toll.
I watched the Gary Pinkel Show on FOXSports Midwest this morning. I told you about true freshman running back Henry Josey, who on Saturday night, scored three touchdowns on just 7 carries against McNeese State. After watching Josey on video, I was truly impressed. He has rare acceleration, on his 62-yard TD run, he just kicked it into 5th gear & motored away from defenders. On all three touchdown runs, he wasn't touched, his quick feet reminded me of another home-run hitting back, Kansas City's Jamaal Charles. Look for more from this speedster currently listed as the third running back on Mizzou's depth chart. He should get 6-10 carries in the next three games(San Diego State, Miami of Ohio & Colorado), it will be interesting to watch his progress. The Tigers made the USA Today's/Coaches Poll at #25 & should climb gradually up the poll before their October 16th trip to College Station for a game with A&M. Another stat from Pinkel's show that surprised me was the Tigers got only 8 interceptions last season, they have 6 in two games so far in 2010.
I saw Ines Sainz on ESPN & FOX News this morning. Ladies, please don't take this wrong, you won't find a greater defender of womens rights in the workplace than yours truly, but I can't take this woman seriously. At 9 AM, she's dressed like she just got in from clubbing last night. Her enhanced bustline bursting from her lowcut blouse. I Googled her & honestly, there are thousands of images of this woman & nearly every one of them would be appropriate for Maxim, Esquire & Playboy. I have a hard time with a woman who calls herself a serious journalist posed in a thong bikini, her skin glistening with oil & breasts covered only by her palms. I just don't see Pam Oliver, Suzy Kolber or even my girl, Erin Andrews, portraying themselves in this light. I understand the Latin culture is somewhat different, so far be it from me to condemn her, but the whole thing now appears to be a lot of self-promotion. She told reporters from both networks she wasn't harassed & had no intention of pursuing any litigation against the New York Jets. She mentioned the profuse personal apology she received from Jets' owner Woody Johnson. She couldn't figure out what all the outrage was over her locker room visit. After listening to a few of the women who spoke out yesterday, I think they're on the same page as I am. They've worked extremely hard for years to get a job that allows them into that locker room to do those interviews & a woman who dresses almost exclusively in a very provocative way gets cuts in line from players as if they're not even there. Sadly, our society hasn't come as far as we believe we have, this episode is just further evidence. One more incorrectly reported item about Sainz, she is not the former Miss Universe contestant from Spain, they just share the same name.
A look ahead to this weekend's schedule shows some very interesting matchups. East Carolina travels to 0-2 Virginia Tech & the Hokies are a 20-point favorite. Yeah, the Hokies have to win this game, yes they can cover the 20-points, but where is their mindset right now? Ruffin McNeill's East Carolina Pirates are 2-0 & will arrive in Blacksburg believing they can win. The 20-points seem like an awful high number to me. The line opened at -17, but heavy Va Tech betting moved it all the way to it's current 20. Remember what I always have always said about a game moving that much, the public is almost always wrong.
Three home dogs sort of peak my interest, Washington getting 3 in Seattle from Nebraska, Texas Tech a 3-point underdog at home against Texas & Arizona receiving a thin 1 1/2 from visiting Iowa. The game I'm seriously looking at is Iowa. They are my Big-10 pick plus every time I've bought into the Arizona hype, I've gotten my ass handed to me by an underachieving Wildcat squad. I'll watch all of these games, they feature currently ranked teams or recently ranked teams, but the Hawkeyes look to be my only wager among these games.
Three pro lines that caught my eye were the Ravens -2 at Cincinnati, Pittsburgh at Tennessee with the Titans laying 5 points & Dallas giving the Bears 8 points in Dallas. Be careful before writing off the Bengals too soon, I know I'm staying away from this one. Giving the Steelers 5 with their defense seems high to me, I'll do more digging to see if there's an edge to be had in this game. Dallas giving 8? They're offense hasn't scored over 7 points in 5 preseason or in their season opener. Stay away game for me.
Michael Vick's performance in relief of Kevin Kolb was excellent. He ran for over 100-yards & passed for over 100. But before all this Michael Vick frenzy gets anymore carried away, let's remember this; the Packers game planned for Kolb, not Vick. The Packers also had a very comfortable 27-10 lead when Vick entered the game. Kolb has only started 3 games in his Eagle career, are they going to bail on him after trading Donovan McNabb to clear the way for Kolb to start? I doubt it, but Philly is a very unforgiving town, Andy Reid & Kolb had better get this turned around soon or Vick may in fact become the starter very soon.
A few more thoughts from last night's doubleheader:
As I'm watching these games with Linda, sis Ann & bro-in-law Ron, I'm thinking about the recent run of USC quarterbacks. Carson Palmer(Heisman winner but only 1 great NFL season), Matt Leinart(Heisman winner, recently cut, signed as a backup in Houston), John David Booty(already on his 3rd NFL team in his 3-yr career), Kansas City's Matt Cassel(Charlie Weis says he can be "fixed"....we'll see) & finally, Mark Sanchez of the Jets. I have to say there's a lot of similarity in their play & it's not favorable. I'll continue to watch these quarterbacks, but I have to wonder if any will ever pan out into upper echelon performers in the NFL.
I failed to mention in my Chiefs' recap last night that cornerback Brandon Carr, in addition to his three pass breakups, he recovered Derrick Johnson's strip of Ryan Mathews & returned it 26-yards.
The Jets received bad news on the injury front, losing nose tackle Kris Jenkins for the second straight season with a torn ACL. Their coach, Rex Ryan, on the heels of their loss to Baltimore, began a new assault on their next opponent, the New England Patriots. Ryan said this morning "most teams have to double-cover Randy Moss, but we don't, we have Darrelle Revis, he does it alone." When your fans are still steaming over the horrid performance from last night, why open a whole new can of worms by insulting another opponent. An opponent, like the Ravens, capable of beating you? I guess I'm too 'old school' to understand the psychology behind Ryan's trash-talking.
Just as Mike Scifres punted the ball, I noticed Dexter McCluster was set to return, I tapped Ron on the arm & said "Arenas returns two punts for 60-yards & they trot Dexter out there?" Nine-four yards later I had an answer to my question. It was a fun evening.
One more thing, I was tough on DirecTV yesterday after my troubles on Sunday. I was called by a tech at 8 AM yesterday & they were here by 9:30. In the 3 hours they were here, they moved my rooftop dish location, put up a new dish, re-calibrated the three receivers I was having trouble with, gave me three new radio frequency remotes & left me a very, very satisfied DirecTV customer. The tech told me I was the #1 customer problem on their board for Central Missouri since we had been with them for all 17 years of DirecTV's existence. I appreciate their prompt, courteous & professional service, they do have the best deal for sports fans.
Comments