BIG TEN ANNOUNCEMENT IS COMICAL, REX IS BLOWING IT & BELICHICK-BRADY WILL BECOME ALL-TIME COMBO
So noted blowhard Jim Delaney, Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, called a press conference for the unveiling of the league's new 12-team alignment. When I listened to the division names, I giggled. The names the conference will use to designate their two divisions is..........drum roll please, Legends & Leaders. The what? Yup, the legends Division & the Leaders Division, really inspirational huh? Plus, I think if you'd take the records from the past five years, you'll find one division is stronger than the other & guess what division Ohio State finds itself in, yes, the weaker one.
Legends
Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Leaders
Illinois
Indiana
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Wisconsin
Randy Shannon, recently fired from Miami, is said to be the leader to replace Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who took the vacated Florida job. Al Golden, who brought Temple out of the wilderness & back to respectability, is going to be Miami's next head coach, replacing Shannon.
Tampa Bay lost two more defensive starters yesterday in their really ugly win at Washington. That marks three consecutive games that the Bucs have had to shelve 2 starters for the remainder of the season. DT Gerald McCoy(torn biceps) & Quincy Black(broken arm) were injured yesterday & will go on I.R. Linebacker Geno Hayes was arrested early this morning in Tampa after refusing to leave a club. In fact, police were forced to use a stun gun on the starting weakside linebacker. What was a promising season for the upstart Bucs, is now coming unraveled with injuries & some bad behavior.
Terrell Owens, the ultimate team player, made it clear after yesterday's 23-7 loss at Pittsburgh, that the Bungles' 8-game losing streak is not his fault. In fact T.O. wants nothing to do with any criticism, "I can't throw the ball to myself. I can't do anything else, all I can do is go with the plays that are called & just hope I get some opportunities." What a guy.
At the post-game press conference, Jets' coach Rex Ryan was asked if he considered yanking quarterback Mark Sanchez. "Yeah, I considered it, he was going pretty bad out there" Ryan said. Sorry Rex, I think you made a colossal mistake speaking in public about a second-year quarterback who appears to be very fragile right now. Unless you have a veteran player who gives you a real chance to win the game, don't even go there. When your only option is 40-year old Mark Brunnell, you have to ask yourself, "does he give us a chance to win right now?" The answer is no & creating anymore anxiety for Sanchez is a really bad idea. I've never been sold on Sanchez, I thought he should have stayed at USC another year & started another 13-games. Being drafted by a New York team has it's own set of complications & stress made even worse if you're not ready, which he was not. I said before the season, you can check the archives, the Jets were my #1 candidate to implode all on their own. I think you're seeing that right now. Ryan turned up the heat on Sanchez by agreeing to be on the HBO Hard Knocks program last August. Being a starting QB in New York is enough, don't heap even more on the kid by putting everything on HBO. Throw in a couple of behavioral problems, a key injury or two & you've cooked up a recipe for disaster. With games at Pittsburgh & Chicago, the punchless Jets offense could easily extend their already lengthy touchdown drought. Their offense hasn't crossed the goal line in 10 quarters. Sanchez has become a turnover machine again this season, right when they need him most & much of the blame should be placed at the feet of Rex Ryan.
Ryan's defensive players are tired of his complaints about their play as well. After yesterday's loss, in which both Miami scores were generated from Jet turnovers inside their own 40-yardline, Ryan said "we have to play better defense when it counts." They held the Dolphins to 131-total yards, recovered three fumbles & kept Miami to just 10-points. I'd say the Jets' defense isn't the problem regardless of what their coach thinks. Some of his defensive leaders left the locker room without speaking to the media. Others, including defensive captain Bart Scott, made it clear they're playing about as well as they can given the field position they're dealt by offensive turnovers & injuries. Now you might begin to hear friction between the offense & defense. If that happens, the Jets won't make the playoffs, even as a wild card.
Very shortly, the combination of Bill Belichick & Tom Brady will become the NFL's all-time coach-quarterback duo in terms of games won. Yesterday's win put the New England pair one behind Chuck Noll & Terry Bradshaw with only Don Shula & Dan Marino stand in their way from being the best all-time. Any doubt this happens? No, Belichick-Brady will surpass Shula-Marino by 20-30 games before it's over. For all the adoration the media & NFL fans had for Bill Walsh & Joe Montana, the Pats' pair will win more games & more importantly, more Super Bowls, before one or both retire.
I look for Brett Favre's run of 297 consecutive starts to end this evening in Detroit. He said yesterday if the game had been played when it was scheduled, 1 PM ET, he wouldn't have started. I don't think you'll see #4 trotting out there tonight when the Vikings have their 1st possession. Sadly, I'll miss the first half of both games tonight, I'm attending the lavish Christmas party my wife's company puts on every year. Don't get between me & a 5-star buffet dinner. Even better, I still have part of a gift certificate I won at last year's party I can use at the bar. The Ravens, Texans, Giants & Vikings will have to do without me for a while tonight.
Legends
Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Leaders
Illinois
Indiana
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Wisconsin
Randy Shannon, recently fired from Miami, is said to be the leader to replace Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who took the vacated Florida job. Al Golden, who brought Temple out of the wilderness & back to respectability, is going to be Miami's next head coach, replacing Shannon.
Tampa Bay lost two more defensive starters yesterday in their really ugly win at Washington. That marks three consecutive games that the Bucs have had to shelve 2 starters for the remainder of the season. DT Gerald McCoy(torn biceps) & Quincy Black(broken arm) were injured yesterday & will go on I.R. Linebacker Geno Hayes was arrested early this morning in Tampa after refusing to leave a club. In fact, police were forced to use a stun gun on the starting weakside linebacker. What was a promising season for the upstart Bucs, is now coming unraveled with injuries & some bad behavior.
Terrell Owens, the ultimate team player, made it clear after yesterday's 23-7 loss at Pittsburgh, that the Bungles' 8-game losing streak is not his fault. In fact T.O. wants nothing to do with any criticism, "I can't throw the ball to myself. I can't do anything else, all I can do is go with the plays that are called & just hope I get some opportunities." What a guy.
At the post-game press conference, Jets' coach Rex Ryan was asked if he considered yanking quarterback Mark Sanchez. "Yeah, I considered it, he was going pretty bad out there" Ryan said. Sorry Rex, I think you made a colossal mistake speaking in public about a second-year quarterback who appears to be very fragile right now. Unless you have a veteran player who gives you a real chance to win the game, don't even go there. When your only option is 40-year old Mark Brunnell, you have to ask yourself, "does he give us a chance to win right now?" The answer is no & creating anymore anxiety for Sanchez is a really bad idea. I've never been sold on Sanchez, I thought he should have stayed at USC another year & started another 13-games. Being drafted by a New York team has it's own set of complications & stress made even worse if you're not ready, which he was not. I said before the season, you can check the archives, the Jets were my #1 candidate to implode all on their own. I think you're seeing that right now. Ryan turned up the heat on Sanchez by agreeing to be on the HBO Hard Knocks program last August. Being a starting QB in New York is enough, don't heap even more on the kid by putting everything on HBO. Throw in a couple of behavioral problems, a key injury or two & you've cooked up a recipe for disaster. With games at Pittsburgh & Chicago, the punchless Jets offense could easily extend their already lengthy touchdown drought. Their offense hasn't crossed the goal line in 10 quarters. Sanchez has become a turnover machine again this season, right when they need him most & much of the blame should be placed at the feet of Rex Ryan.
Ryan's defensive players are tired of his complaints about their play as well. After yesterday's loss, in which both Miami scores were generated from Jet turnovers inside their own 40-yardline, Ryan said "we have to play better defense when it counts." They held the Dolphins to 131-total yards, recovered three fumbles & kept Miami to just 10-points. I'd say the Jets' defense isn't the problem regardless of what their coach thinks. Some of his defensive leaders left the locker room without speaking to the media. Others, including defensive captain Bart Scott, made it clear they're playing about as well as they can given the field position they're dealt by offensive turnovers & injuries. Now you might begin to hear friction between the offense & defense. If that happens, the Jets won't make the playoffs, even as a wild card.
Very shortly, the combination of Bill Belichick & Tom Brady will become the NFL's all-time coach-quarterback duo in terms of games won. Yesterday's win put the New England pair one behind Chuck Noll & Terry Bradshaw with only Don Shula & Dan Marino stand in their way from being the best all-time. Any doubt this happens? No, Belichick-Brady will surpass Shula-Marino by 20-30 games before it's over. For all the adoration the media & NFL fans had for Bill Walsh & Joe Montana, the Pats' pair will win more games & more importantly, more Super Bowls, before one or both retire.
I look for Brett Favre's run of 297 consecutive starts to end this evening in Detroit. He said yesterday if the game had been played when it was scheduled, 1 PM ET, he wouldn't have started. I don't think you'll see #4 trotting out there tonight when the Vikings have their 1st possession. Sadly, I'll miss the first half of both games tonight, I'm attending the lavish Christmas party my wife's company puts on every year. Don't get between me & a 5-star buffet dinner. Even better, I still have part of a gift certificate I won at last year's party I can use at the bar. The Ravens, Texans, Giants & Vikings will have to do without me for a while tonight.
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