NFL:--For all of those Eli Manning doubters out there, the Giants are now 9-4 and virtually assured a spot in the playoffs. The Giants don't appear to be headed for that late-season swoon that doomed them last year and their defense is keeping them in almost every game.
--Another team that has very quietly put together a strong season are the Seahawks. They've been very inconsistent but if this team gets on a roll, look out. This may be coach Mike Holmgren's last season as head coach and I'm sure he would like to go out swinging. Keep an eye on Seattle come playoff time.
--The Boy's escaped a trap game today, barely edging out the Lions. They keep finding ways to win but those mistakes come playoff time are going to come back to haunt them, right Mr. Butter Fingers?
--Don't think for a minute that the 63 yd. touchdown pass Brady through to Moss and the 56 yd. TD pass to Jabbar Gaffney wasn't intentionally targeted at Pittsburgh safety Anthony Smith who guaranteed a victory over the Pats this week in the Pitt media. Note to Anthony: You might want to zip your lip next time you play the best team maybe ever in the history of football. To quote a pretty good QB, "Well done is better than well said".
--Chargers alert, Chargers alert!! LT is starting to run wild and if you can't stop him you can't beat the Chargers. Another playoff spoiler working down stretch. Denver is on life-support even after beating up on the Chiefs (no big accomplishment there) and are going to need some help down the stretch besides winning their own games, starting this Thursday against Houston.
--Brett, please come back and play a couple more years. I'm having too much fun watching you again. 2 more TB passes today, 266 yds. and he only needs about 186 yds. to pass Dan Marino for the all-time yardage record.
--Troy Smith, last year's Heisman trophy winner and 4th round draft pick of the Ravens, got in some mop up duty tonight in their blow-out loss against the Colts. Smith look surprisingly comfortable, confident, made a couple of good throws and ran one in from about 10 yds. for a touchdown. I'm not saying he's the answer in Baltimore but at 4-9, out of the playoffs, why not give him a start and see what he can do. McNair is getting up there and has a long, long history of not making it through the season injury free. Kyle Boller is NOT the man, good backup, not a starter. Give Smith a chance and let's see him run the game and what he can do. Billick more than likely won't do something that smart, which is why he will gone at season's end.
--Some of you reading this might remember the expansion 1976 Tampa Bay Bucs whom many consider the worst NFL team of all time. They 0-14 in their first season and then lost the first 12 games of the next season before finally winning a game against, of all teams, the Saints, another franchise with a losing history. But I have to say that the 2007 Miami Dolphins may be the WORST team in any sport I have ever seen. This wasn't an expansion team. They were 9-7 in 2005, 6-10 last year and had some hopes for this year. But to go 0-16 with this team under these conditions, they are the worst team ever in the NFL, period.
Right now the NFC playoffs look like this:
1-Dallas
2-Green Bay (both would get first round byes)
3. Seattle
4. Tampa Bay
5. Giants
6. Minnesota
In the AFC it looks something like this:
1-New England
2-Indianapolis (first round byes for both)
3.-Pittsburgh
4. San Diego
5. Jacksonville
6. Cleveland (not a typo, yes the Browns)
Of course this is probably going to change over the next three weeks so stay tuned!
Baseball:--Barry Bonds surrendered this week to federal authorities, was booked and released on a 500K recognisance bond. He pleaded not guilty on 4 counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. This is obviously going to be an ongoing story for the next who knows how many months.
--The Detroit Tigers appear to be serious about getting back to the World Series RIGHT NOW! They may have mortgaged their future with the deals that have now brought Dontrelle Wills and third baseman Miguel Cabrera to the team. Can't say they didn't spend their allowance this time around.
--Another big signing was outfielder Andruw Jones by the Dodgers. It gives them a big bat in their lineup and now if they can acquire that starting pitcher that they so covet, look for the Dodgers to make some noise this season in the NL West.
--Andy Pettite has accepted arbitration from the Yankees so the 35 yr. old lefty will be back in pinstripes next season. Can Roger Clemens be far behind? This team isn't going to look drastically different than the team from the last couple of years so Joe Girardi better get something done and now. After everything Joe Torre did for this club, and couldn't get a pass even though they still made the playoffs, Girardi might want to consider renting before buying.
--St. Louis Cardinal's manager Tony LaRussa took some uncharacteristic shots in public at one of his players this week, that player being Scott Rolen. Rolen has been unhappy ever since LaRussa sat him down for one game during the 2006 NLCS. Fact is, the Cardinals may be stuck with him. Rolen is 32, has only played 300 games the last three seasons and hit 35 homeruns. He is slated to make $36 million over the next three years and quite frankly hasn't always been a big bundle of sunshine in the clubhouse, one of the reasons the Cardinals were able to obtain him from the Phillies midway during the 2002 season. This could get really interesting before the season starts but if anybody can patch it up and make it work it will be LaRussa.
--Another example about how "serious" MLB is about the steroid problem in their sport. Jose Gullien has been suspended 15 games for using a banned substance by MLB. This right after he signed a 3 yr, $36 million dollar deal with Kansas City. Just remember kids, act like a punk, break the rules, whine and complain and you too can be a big league ball player. Sickening.
NBA:--Guard Jamal Tinsley and several other people were apparently the target of a shooting early Sunday morning in Indianapolis while at a nightclub. This is starting to become a very disturbing trend that all major sports are going to have to do something about, although I'm not sure what at this point. All lot of these players are young, single guys who like to go out and have a good time, not against the law last time I checked. But they are going to have to start using better judgement or these senseless shootings and deaths are going to continue to occur.
--Boston has run their record to an impressive 17-2 and continue to dominate the East. Miami has begun to show signs of life with D-Wade throwing up 35 points today but they have put themselves in such a hole they are going to have to work really hard to dig themselves out of it.
--Jason Kidd missed the Nets game this past week against the NY Knicks because he allegedly had a migraine headache, but sources close to the story are saying that this was a case of the "blue flu" and that Kidd wants out of New Jersey. Know what, Jason? I bet you aren't the only one that wants out of that smelly hell hole known as the "Garden State" (whoever thought that one up must drink a lot). Fact is, you've got a contract that you signed and you need to honor that contract, or quit. You're a world class athlete, a great player and you deserve a championship but don't do it like this. Be a man.
Have a great week and stay warm!!!
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