The NFC is loaded

Can you think of a NFC team that actually is real bad? Carolina? St.Louis? Philadelphia? Detroit?  All four of those teams had bad records last but had good wins over a quality team last year.  All four teams have quarterbacks who were number picks overall and all four teams are going to be difficult to beat this year. Let's go division by division to prove my point.
The NFC north is probably the weakest division in the conference. Most people feel that Green Bay is the best team. Aaron Rodgers had a good season last year, but far below his standards. He still needs a running game to give them balance and their defense needs a great year from Clay Matthews. They have holes on the o-line due injury and their secondary will be tested. They score a lot, but give up a lot too. The Bears have a new coach who is an offensive genius. Marc Freshman know offense. Jay Cutler would be wise to learn from him. The Bears have the balance the Packers wish for but don't have Aaron Rodgers leading them. The Bears will play solid defense, seem to always get an injury that disrupts their  season. Stay healthy Chicago and you may have something. The Minnesota Vikings have Adrian Peterson. He can keep them in games. They have a great defensive line. This team will go as far as Christian Ponder will take them. No Percy Harvin  will kill them too. The Detroit Lions have added Reggie Bush and if he stays healthy, the lions could be the most dangerous in all of football. The have an unstoppable force on offense in Johnson. They have front four that will knock you senseless. They have a quarterback who can throw the pigskin. Don't sleep on Detroit.
The NFC south also has four teams that will be difficult to beat. Atlanta Falcons last year were the team with the best record in the conference. They added OSI on defense and Steven Jackson on offense. The have balance on offense and should be an offensive juggernaut. Their secondary killed them last year. If they can get pressure on the quarterback they may have what it takes to win it all. The New Orleans Saints get their coach back and must really improve on defense. They gave up the most points in NFL history. They still have Drew Brees  and a loaded offense. They truly believe that Rob Ryan can change their defense. If he can, Bree's can do Magic. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have my attention. They will better on defense with the addition of Revis. Josh Freeman last year was great in the fourth quarter. They have great balance on offense. This team will drive everyone crazy this year. The Carolina Panthers have serious talent too. Cam  Newton can be a superstar. They have solid receiver in Smith. Two good backs when healthy. A superstud linebacker in Luke. If they figure it out between the ears, they be in every game they play.
NFC West has sick speed, youthful zest and mad talent. The Niners added championship pieces and are mad that they are no longer unbeaten in Super Bowls. The have speed in the receiving corp. They have a bruiser in the running attack. Great tight end. Great talent in the front seven. The secondary may be the only question. They will have home field and have the quarterback of the future. Will they lose a game? We shall see. The Seattle Sea hawks have everything the Niners have and when Percy Harvin returns, they will have more. The Seahawks are invincible at home. Their defense is fierce and fast. They can control the ball with a punishing rushing attack. They must hold on to the ball. This team is for real. The Arizona Cardinals added Carson Palmer and the physical defense they have could cause problems for all of its opponents. If Palmer throws the ball to his players more than to the other team, the Cardinals could be formidable. Patrick Peterson is must see television. So is Larry Fitzgerald.  The St. Louis Rams might Bethe only bad team in the NFC. Last year they beat the Niners.  They have a plan that bothers the Niners. They lost Stephen Jackson. Sam Bradford has the weight of the world on his shoulders. He had a franchise quarterback salary. He needs to deliver some wins. They had a good draft over the past three seasons. Put up or get out of the way..
My favorite division, the NFC east, I could talk about for hours. The Eagles, Cowboys, Redskins, and Giants all are capable of making a title run. The Redskins won the division last year behind rookie sensations Robert Griffin and Alfred Morris. The 'skins had balance and drove everyone crazy with their diversity in play calling. Griffin is coming off a knee injury and the 'skins vow to keep him safe this year. Can their defense keep up with their offense? If they can maybe this new generation of quarterback is ready to take over league. The Cowboys can score with anyone, but the key to this season is Demarco Murray. When he plays, they usually win. Romo needs a running game to take the pressure off of him. The Cowboys have talent on defense but they have always had talent. They should be better than their 8-8 record. Romo got paid. Jason Garrett is on the hot seat. Playoffs or bust. The Eagles are going to try and wear people down with their tempo and speed. The can run it well. They can stretch the field with Jackson. Mike Vick. Always off to a fast start gets hurt and then the interceptions pile up. The eagles will either be the most exciting team to watch or a train wreck. They have too much talent to be so bad. Defense has to get back to being dominant and opportunistic. Chip Kelly get ready for hell or give em hell.. The Giants... No preview about my team. Its a secret as to where I think they will end up. No one ever talks about the Giants. They talk about Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington, the Jets, Ravens, Tebow, concussions. So I will keep them under the radar too....
So the NFC will have the following conclusions... Niners, Packers, Falcons, Giants win the divisions. Seattle and Chicago get wild card. Giants and Packers in the championship game. Who do you think wins.
The Super bowl is in my stadium. I am  not a fan of the new style quarterbacks. I saw Peyton Manning throw seven touchdown passes. All of these young guys are one hit away from being out for the season. The Manning bowl will be exciting.

Is the NFL about to go back in time?

Remember the 80's? Crazy hairdos, electronic music, colorful clothing, and NFC dominance in pro football? How about the 90's? Chubb Rock, the high-top fade, Good Fellas, and The NFC dominance in pro football? I believe from 1984-1997 the NFC won every super bowl. I think the Los Angeles Raiders beat the Washington Redskins in 83 and the Broncos beat Favre and Green Bay in 1997. Yes I know that Baltimore won the Super Bowl last season, but have you seen how loaded the NFC is? Let's talk about the AFC today and you will see why I am worried about how this season could be the beginning of run for NFC dominance....
If you go by division, you will be lucky to find 6 teams that are playoff worthy much less super bowl worthy. The AFC east or least is horrible. The New England Patriots could win this division with me playing quarterback. The Patriots have not won a super bowl in a decade and every one is wondering if Tom Brady has peaked. They lost Wes Welker so their offense will be different. Their defense hasn't been the same since their super titles. Yet they will some how win 13 games, get home field and lose to someone in the playoffs. The Miami Dolphins may be improved overall as their quarterback gains experience. No Reggie Bush which gave them a running game. If they win 8 games that will be a miracle. The New York Jets are either going to be real bad or horrible. Richard Todd couldn't save this team. Freeman Mcneil , Richard Caster or Carl Basilauskus or Greg Buttle are not walking into that locker room to help this team. Sexy Rexy should cut and run. They have destroyed Sanchez. Yikes.  Buffalo has a lot of talent. Can you name anyone on this team? C.j.Spiller can ball. Stevie Johnson can too. Mario Williams. Okay. E.j. Manuel has a lot of potential and a ton to live up to. Is he a first rounder? He was drafted in the first round and now it is time to prove it. A new head coach in Marrone who has a great reputation could spell a positive future for the Bills. This year however will be long. 
The AFC south has two good teams in Houston and Indianapolis and two bad teams in Tennessee and Jacksonville. Houston has the talent to go all the way. Great running game. Great receivers. Solid D-line. Solid secondary. So why can't they win? They can't win because they don't have anyone who makes they wow play that makes a difference. They are a grinder team. They don't scare anyone. You know what going to see each game. I think they don't believe they are actually a good ball club. Everyone seems to hold their breath when the play the Patriots, Packers, or any team that has equal talent. The only way to quiet the critics is to simply win. We shall see.. The Colts shocked the world last year. No one expected them to win as many games as they did. Everyone is expecting a decline this year because year 2 in the Luck regime will be tougher. The schedule will tougher and preparation for the Colts will be taken more seriously. Luck needs a running game to take pressure off of him. Their defense is a liability. They can win some AFC games but NFC games could be difficult. Tennessee hasn't been the same since Steve McNair died. Jacksonville hasn't been good since Brunell left. Both teams hang their hats on a running game and tough defense. The only problem is they don't have a tough defense and the quarterback play is erratic. This division is slightly better than the east. That is not saying much.
The AFC west is like the AFC east. One super team, the Broncos. One team that has potential, the Chiefs. One team that is a head scratcher, the Chargers. One team that has talent but is still going to struggle, the Raiders. The Broncos last year got hot
Last year and got stunned in the playoff game against Baltimore. Peyton Manning played like a M.V.P. and the Broncos defense was really opportunistic. They had a crazy schedule and held their own. This year they play the NFC east and have to play all of the "good" teams in the AFC. They lost Dumervil on defense and Von Miller for the first 6 games. They can score a lot with addition of Wes Welker. They are going to have to until the reinforcements come back.  The Chiefs have a new Coach in Andy Reid, an angry fiesty quarterback in Alex Smith. Great running back in Charles. Solid crew of linebackers and receivers. So why the doubt? Charles is always hurt. Smith is coming off an injury season. The secondary can't cover anyone. They defensive line is young. Any questions? The Chargers have Rivers, Gates, Matthews, Freeney.  So what's wrong with them? Rivers, Gates, Matthews and Freeney aren't enough. Matthews is often injured. So is Gates. Freeney is 75. They lost Ingram for the season. Manti Teo hasn't shown us much yet for he has been hurt. This season could be a train wreck. The Raiders have good players, but they are all young and unproven. Learning season for Pryor. Matt Flynn got another payday but can't beat out any rookies or second year players. Where is McFadden? They have Heyward-Bey. The question is do they make this a learning season or try and win? Tough decision..
The best division in the AFC is the North. The Ravens lost a ton of talent. Lewis is gone. Bold in is gone. Reed is gone. They could go from the top to the bottom. Joe Flacco got his big money deal and all he does is make the playoffs. This year will be a challenge. The Steelers are getting no love anywhere and I think they love it. Big Ben is probably loving the fact that no one gives them a shot. They lost Wallace and Harrison. They need a running game to be the true Steelers. The need a blitzing scheme that works to be true Steelers. Don't be shocked if they are in first place or last place this year. Cleveland has some optimism this year. A good young physical defense. A stud running and quarterback who is not afraid of the big bad Ravens or Steelers. Don't sleep on Cleveland.  This division is the Bengals or bust. Two years in the postseason. A good young quarterback. A good young receiving corp. Tough defense. They can't cover though and that is what kills them in the end. They have all of these cast offs from Dallas and Taylor Mays, who have a skill set, but struggle between the ears. Put up or shut Bengals.
So here is the rub.. Patriots, Texans, Bengals, Broncos are a lock for the post season. They can compete against anyone. They Chiefs and Colts will be wild card. Soft divisions they play in and AFC North teams will beat each other up.  Only 6 teams will have winning record.  Texans and Broncos in AFC title game. Peyton will be in New York in the big game. 

Eric Winston blasts Chiefs fans for cheering injured Qb.

What rights do we have have as fans of sports? Do we have to show class? Can we cheer when we want? Boo when we want? Can we throw things on the field to show our displeasure of calls made or teams performance? The apparent answer is yes.. but.. The word fan is from the word fanatic. All sports fans have fanatical behavior. Whether it is good behavior or bad, we as fans have a right to be anything we want to be because we spent a ton of money to go to a stadium and arena and watch a game. If we get out of line, which is our right, there are ramifications for our behavior. Someone can point us out to stadium security and have us removed. Someone can have us arrested. Someone can, yes folks, kick the living crap out of us if that is the situation. Someone can also move from their seat. Someone can actually join us in our fanaticism. We are fans and we pay the salaries of the participants on the field, so you cannot tell me how to behave.

Now if you believe that is how i truly feel, I have some swamp land property to sell you in Jersey that has gold, diamonds and oil on it. Eric Winston is 75% right with what he did and said. The only problem that i have with what he said is that he blamed all Chief fans and the city of Kansas City. Every person at the game said he overreacted and generalized when he gave his assessment of the cheering at the stadium. His point is simply no one should be cheering when someone on your team is hurt should be cheering. Matt Cassell has been trying like crazy to get back to the form that enabled him to lead the Chiefs to a division title three years ago. He was injured all season last year and the team fell apart. They have a great running game and he was a perfect compliment to that running attack. What we stupidly do in our society is lump the money he makes into the action on the field and we think that if he or she is a millionaire they are invincible. They can't get hurt because they are being paid 66 million dollars. They are not human. They are my property because I am paying his salary because I am at the the game. Fans are ignorant beyond belief at times. We have a God given right to cheer or boo when we ant to but we need to use common sense and decency. Matt Cassell chose a profession where people get hurt. We should n't boo even when the opposing player gets hurt. What is the point of sportsmanship if being fanatical is accepted behavior at inopportune times.

There is a story about a rugby player in England who this past weekend played in a championship game and ruptured and lost one of his testicles. Would you cheer that? His name is Paul Wood and not only did he rupture his testicle he played with the pain and injury for 20 minutes after he suffered the incident. Fans would cheer people like him because he was willing to lose his testicle in order to try and help his team win a world championship. He was asked today on the Dan Patrick show what was more painful, losing one testicle or losing the game. He said losing the game. My point with this story is that athletes around the world in all sports do whatever it takes to win in most cases for us fans to succeed. They sacrifice there body, minds, life for us to have 3 hours of an escape every time they play. Whether it is Willis Reed limping on the court in the sixties, Jack Youngblood playing a Super Bowl on a broken leg or Isiah Thomas on bad ankle scoring 42 against the Lakers, Micheal playing with 103 temperature in game 5 to help Bulls defeat the Jazz, or Matt Cassell going through rehab to get back on the field to try and help the Chiefs win a football game, fans need to understand the sacrifice and effort these people do for us. They deserve our best behavior and respect. Events of recent weeks indicate that we still that we have a say as to what happens on the field. Brave fans throwing beer bottles on the field because the umpire made a bad judgement call shows that more to me than ever before. I am no saint either, but at least I know when to draw the line.

Romo or Roddick? who gets it worse

I watched the Cowboys defeat the Giants last night with some Cowboy fans and you would not know that the Cowboys were winning.  The one thing I love about having so much useless sports knowledge is that once in a while it becomes useful.  They both were ranting after Romo threw his customary interception that led to the Giants first score.  I quickly told them that Romo over the last 3 starts against the Giants has thrown for over 900 yards, 9 touchdowns, and only 1 interception in those games prior to last night.  He has averaged 30 plus points a game in the losses and has gone toe to toe with Eli Manning.  Yes he threw that horrible pass to Austin that may have led the Cowboys on a run to the Super Bowl and not Eli but,he is not the reason they have failed in recent years.  Maybe this is his year for redemption. They shrugged off the knowledge and continued to complain about his performance.  They even missed his first two touchdown passes afterwards.
Andy Roddick has been killed over the last decade because of the dominance of Federer.  He is Patrick Ewing of the tennis world. Yes he has won one major title. Ewing has a college title.  (could easily had 3 titles). Patrick Ewings nemesis was of course Micheal Jordan. Ewing was criticized quite heavily for not winning when Jordan retired and was criticized for several playoff failures.  Even though no one critcized Ewing's heart or hunger or effort, He just never won.  Andy Roddick played with heart, passion, fire, hunger, but no matter what he did, he could beat Federer when it mattered.  He played the greatest match I have ever seen in Wimbeldon a couple of years ago against Federer.  He did everything anyone imagined that he could do in a match.  He played harder than I have ever seen him play. Both he and Ewing were heavily critcized in the media because of the way they answered the same tired questions about why they could not overcome Jordan or Federer.  3 of Roddicks losses in the finals of grand slams were to Federer. He just came out at the wrong time.  Hell even the day he loses his final match, Roddick is upstaged when Federer loses to Berdych. 
The reason he and Romo are easy to compare is both men come across as men who dont take their professions seriuosly.  Micheal Jordan is an adequate golfer but you knew that basketball was his profession.  He practiced hard. He played hard. You never questioned his desire or motivation on the court.  Yes they tried to when he went to the casino after a playoff game. What they dont tell you is the game after the casino, he scored 37 points. He was still Micheal Jordan.  Romo and Roddick are not known for on the field pursuits.  People talk about who they are dating more than their performance on the field. Roddick has had his fair share of Hollywood starlets. Romo too.  Most people feel that Roddick is more interested in being a showman than a winner.  Even though Roddick has 62 titles.  Only Federer has more in his era.  Even though he has won the second most matches in his era.  He was once the Number 1 player in the world.  He cannot do enough to please anyone.  When lead America to the Davis title, most people thought he was on the verge of something special in his career.  His critics will say that he got satisfied and never did enough to be a great like Agassi or Sampras.  What people don't talk enough about is he tried everything to beat Federer and maintain top status.  He lost weight, served and volleyed, tried to hit his serve harder and softer. Even superman has kryptonite right?  Romo gets the same rips because he has no rings and Eli has two.  Romo is blamed for collapses in the regular season and the fact that Dallas has only one playoff win since he became starter.  Romo has been beaten up in football toughest division for years and no one cares what the excuses are.  He didn't play defensive back last year when they collapsed in the fourth quarter 3 times or messed up the Arizona game when the Cowboys made a field goal and iced their own kicker.  I believe Romo's arm was in a sling at that time.  I remember the botched field goal in Seattle.  He dropped the ball.  Cowboy fans seem to have this doom is impending attitude when he has the ball in his hands.  Last year he and Drew Brees were the only quarterbacks to carve up the vaunted 49er defense.  When the Saints were unbeaten in 2009 he proclaimed that they were going to go to New Orleans and beat the Saints ending their unbeaten season. He did.  He has more games of brilliance than most but he has not won.  Lebron James did not win either till this year. Lebron and Tony Romo were probably in the same boat until this year. 
So who is the correct answer?  Roddick had people in tears when he retired. If Romo retired today most Cowboy fans would rejoice.  The answer clearly is Romo.  No Cowboy fan today is proclaiming the Cowboys are the team to beat.  They are all saying the same thing. They are saying we will see what happens in Seattle. Can you imagine if Tebow had gone to the Cowboys? That would be must see tv.  America will miss Andy Roddick.  He carried our flag well for a decade. He has had a good career.  He did not win like Agassi, Courier or Sampras, but he had the same burdens that they had.  The only difference is that they had each other to lean on.  Roddick had no one.  Romo is quarterbacking the Dallas Cowboys who had Troy Aikman and the large shadow of Roger Staubach looming over his every performance.  A super ring quiets eveyone.  Ask Trent Dilfer.....

My favorite month of the year is September..

September 1st is New Years day to me.  I feel like the fall months of the calendar year is a time for rejuvenation and rebirth.  Enough of that nonsense, the reason why I love September is that College football and pro football commence, MLB pennant races heat up, U.S. Open tennis, and usually there is a great fight to watch.  The Nascar season winds down as the NHL gets started.  I cannot get enough of sports as you all know and if I had multiple televisons where i stay I would have a game on every channel. This September is no exception.  The college football season got off to a crazy start with blowouts, shocking results and Alabama showing us what a defending champ is supposed to do ona neutral field.  USC won as well and they really need to get to the title game and save college football.  We cannot have a seventh year in a row with a champion coming from the same conference..  It hurts college football because there is no growth in the game.  USC plays a completely different style of football than most of the SEC teams and their style of football translates better at the professional level.  Every year we keep hearing about pro teams wanting quarterbacks who can run and throw but at the end of each season, the Super bowl champ has quarterback that is pocket passer who can read coverages and pick defenses apart.  In fact only Steve Young and Aaron Rodgers who could also pocket pass well, have won super bowls.  Both of those qb's run well and could move out of the pocket.  Big Ben moves well in the pocket but he is not considered a running quarterback.  If you look at SEC football most of the teams run a a form of the Florida Gator offense from the shotgun and depend on their quarterbacks to either run or pass.  Geogia and Alabama this year have gone back to a little more traditional offense so they may be the exception.  Most of the nation runs that Florida offense.  The big difference between the SEC and the rest of the nation is the physical play on the defensive line.  When you dont have a fullback to help you block because you are in the shotgun single back set, your plays get blown up in the backfield.  Michigan could not get out of the backfield. Alabama and LSU make you play physical football and most schools do not have the schemes to handle these behemoths one on one.  So I am rooting harder than i ever to try to get a USC vs. SEC champ title game. Oklahoma showed me nothing on Saturday against UTEP.
The NFL starts with the Cowboys and Giants on Wedsnesday and the Cowboys are banged up and really don't know what to expect.  This season will either be a coming out party for new eleite teams or the same stuff different day.  I like Houston alot.  They have a soft schedule and a team that has a lot build on.  Foster, Johnson, Schaub,Daniels have to stay healthy on offense.  Wade Phillips has a fast defense who are hungry for a title.  The Patriots have the easiest schedule and would crave another shot at the Giants to give Brady his 4th ring.  The NFC is loaded.  At least 6 teams have the ability to win the title.  Packers, Giants, Niners, Saints, Eagles, Falcons, Bears, Lions, Cowboys can win in anyone's stadiums at any time if healthy. Should a wacky season.
The pennant chase in baseball has just gotten interesting. The Yankees are bailing water off of their ship.  They are so beat up and hope that returning star players like Arod and Andy Pettite will give them the boost to rejuvenate their season.  The Orioles are for real and the Rays have the best pitching. The Angels spent alot of money to get to the post season and succeed.  This series with Oakland will is important because they must take care of head to head games in order to gain ground.  The Tigers and White Sox just played an epic series where the Tigers earned a sweep.  Detroit has the veteran players to get this done based on pitching.  The White sox can hit homeruns but can they play to outscore their opponents or out pitch them?  The National League the intrigue is just as high.  The Dodgers created a Yankee style payroll  to win now.  They lose to too many bad teams though and I dont think they can get it done.  Billingsley was their hottest pitcher and he may be shelved for the season if shot in the arm does not work. Kemp needs to find April's magic and lead this team to the promise land.  Nationals are shutting down Strasburg and seemed poised to stay at top of N.L. east.  Chipper Jones final month as a Brave will make it interesting as the Braves don't want him to go out a loser.  After what happened last year, the Braves are going to make every team earn 27 outs.  The Reds are the real deal and if the game goes to bullpen, the game is over. Chapman is a beast.  Can you imagine facing a guy who throws 105 miles an hour in cold weather? Ouch babe..
U.S. open tennis is in its final week and Serena and Maria are on a collision course. So are Federer and Djokovic. Andy Roddicks surprise retirement announcement has buoyed ratings but tonight could be his demise.  DelPotro hits a big ball and can overpower most opponents.  Andy must serve well and steal a few concentration lapse games from Del Potro in order to advance.  I will blog about Roddick later this week.  Tennis lost Kim Clijsters last week as the young Brit robson showed some flashes of brilliance.  Robson also defeated Li Na.  Also there are two italian women playing in the quarters for the first time at the U.S. open.  Serena is lurking in their quarter if she beat Ivanovic and after winnin 6-0 6-0, in her last match she is driven to reclaim America's prize.
Chad Dawson wants to be a star in boxing, but his fights leave you not wanting to see him fight anymore.  He beat Hopkins in an unspired performance but Hopkins is like 50.  Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. are about to get it on soon as well and we shall see who is the pound for pound best middleweight is.  Martinez is the gold standard but Chavez, Jr. is unbeaten and has grown up right in front of out eyes.  Also Jones and Machida will be explosive in MMA. I know everyone wanted Jones to fight Sonnen but this fight will have some great moments.
Denny Hamlins win last week gave him four for the season and he wants this title real bad.  The story is whether or not Jeff Gordon or Kyle Busch qualify for the playoffs.  This weekend in Texas will be exciting.  Gordon had the car last week to win but could not catch Hamlin on the last lap after the restart. Busch has had a quiet season. Normally right now he has had a few wins and has ticked off some other drivers.
Did I mention Golf?  The Ryder Cup is in America this time around and Hunter Nahan wants revenge.  Mcilroy is number 1 in the world but Tiger is starting to re discover his form on the weekends.  Yesterdays perfomance on the final will give him a ton to build on as the season ends.  Both are now vying for player of the year honors.  Two events left for the Fedex cup.
I COULD TALK ABOUT MORE..
HOCKEY WILL DIE if THEY LOCKOUT THE PLAYERS...
NOW YOU KNOW WHY I lOVE September?