We see it every year. Have for a very long time. Lots of people make a great deal of fame and fortune because of it. But it's stupid, and always has been.
That would be the college polls in football and basketball. They begin even before seasons start. Teams are ranked according to the "experts". For the most part these so-called experts consist of "eligible" reporters, mysterious behind the scenes stat nerds, and typically a couple computers that were programmed by even more dweebs.
Over the course of their long seasons, we'll see the Top 10 reshuffled often and teams making it into the Top 25, falling back out, then climbing back in -- both on the hardcourt and gridiron. Every day the talking heads on TV will rant about who moved up -- and who moved down. This depends on what happened in the previous few days. In a week things will change again. In a month, everything could look drastically different. It seems like the ultimate wild goose chase with the ever-gullible fans being dragged along.
True, there's no fixing stupid when it comes to the lemmings, but there's a better way.
Any and all polls should be banned until they are at least semi-relevant. Anyone who violates this mandate shall be either...
A. Imprisoned and waterboarded at Guantanamo.
B. Forced to buy life-long season tickets to the Cleveland Browns -- or
C. Parachuted into a desert island to spent a month alone with Anderson Cooper, Rachel Maddow, Rush Limbaugh and Bieber. Horrors!!!
With those punishments looming, even the hardest core gas baggiest talking heads would think twice before running afoul of the new rule.
When it comes to football, let them play their games through September and October. No polls. Nobody knows who is ranked where. It would make them try harder all along. The first poll should come out in mid-November when things have been sorted out some. Did it make a difference that Alabama got beat by Ole Miss earlier this season? Or Ohio State getting thumped at home by Virginia Tech last year? Not at all. They both went on to become national champions. So what was the point of the poll-mania at the time other than people blathering on without a clue how the season would eventually turn out? By the middle of November, we would all pretty much know what the pecking order is. We don't need an army of phi beta wimpas trying to take us on a mythical two month roller coaster ride beforehand. The cream will eventually rise to the top. That's why they play the regular season.
It should be much the same in basketball. No polls whatsoever until after the Super Bowl has been played in early February. By then, all the patsy games good teams played at the beginning of the season have long been forgotten, they've waded though much of their conference schedule, and we have a pretty good idea of who the top 10 or 12 teams are. Their records will show it.
Besides, in college hoops, all the hype of the previous months gets thrown out the window when the NCAA tournament starts. True, they have to "seed" the brackets -- much like a tennis tournament -- but by then hoops fans fairly well know who the contenders and pretenders are. We never needed a bunch of pseudo geniuses throwing rankings at us back in November and December that didn't matter anyway. It is, and always has been, nothing but worthless sound bytes intended to prey on the sort of people that buy giant foam fingers and show up half naked with school color make up smeared on their bodies. Idiots. Ever wonder how many hours they spend in a bathroom somewhere trying to get all that stuff off later? Do they also buy cold cream by the 55 gallon drum? And what do they wipe it off with? Towels? Good luck throwing all that goop in the washing machine with a serious dose of detergent/bleach and popping it on hot. But I digress.
The point is -- pre and mid-season polls are like trying to predict the weather. In the summer it gets hot. In the winter it gets cold. We get that. Good teams will win and bad teams will lose. It's likely a fair statement to say even casual fans can grasp that concept. They don't need to be bombarded with who went from #8 to #4, or vice-versa every week. It will play itself out eventually when it matters most.
You don't see the same poll-mania applied to pro teams throughout their regular seasons. The NBA, NFL, and NHL only seeds (ranks) their teams when the playoffs start. This is by necessity to determine which team will have home court/field/ice advantage. No mention of it whatsoever in the previous months. Major League Baseball would likely cringe at the thought of nerds and/or computers ranking their teams. They just start sorting out the who's who in October. It doesn't matter who had the best record since the season began in April. Win a series and move on. Lose it and go home. Pretty simple. They have no need nor desire for their teams to be handicapped through spring, summer, and early fall.
Only in college sports, particularly football and basketball, does the ranking/poll madness exist from before the season starts, all through it, and right up until the playoffs start. Then it's all thrown out the window like it never happened in the first place.
So what, exactly, was/is the point of all this irrelevant hysteria that continues to go on every year?
I say ban the polls until only a couple weeks are left in the regular season. The pollsters themselves would have a much better idea of who belongs where, and the teams still have a couple/few games to make a move up or down.
And if the A, B, and C possible punishments listed above aren't a sufficient deterrent to keep the geeks from their burning desire to play the number game -- how about.....
D. Anyone that throws out early poll numbers, be they in print, on radio/TV, online, or even tweets such a thing -- will be immediately hunted down, taken into custody, and be given an automatic sentence of 5 years serving as a man/maid servant to any and all whims of the people mentioned in C above on that desert isle.
That very possibility would be just about enough to scare off Satan himself, let alone the nerds.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
The yuk-worthy Detroit Pistons
True, the Pistons might just make the playoffs this year in the otherwise woefully weak Eastern Conference. If so, they'd get bounced early because they aren't very good in the whole scheme of things. Championship contenders? Not a chance.
But they're good for one thing. Laughs. In last night's home game against the high flying San Antonio Spurs, no sane person would have expected them to win. They didn't.
On to the yuk-worthy moments.
See Stanley Johnson wearing Ben Wallace's old #3 uniform. See Stanley trying to sport the same fro that Big Ben was once famous for. Earth to Stanley. You are to Ben Wallace what Gomer Pyle would have been to Rambo. Shazam!!
See a "problem" with one of the nets at halftime. See a Pistons staff member climb up a ladder to replace it. See this process drag on, and on, and on. Halftime has come and gone and this clown still hasn't completed such a simple task. This is not your proverbial brain surgery. You cut the old net down and loop the new one in the twelve rings around the rim. A semi-trained circus chimpanzee could probably do it in under five minutes.
In the meantime, both teams are back on the floor waiting, and waiting, and waiting.
See Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich take individual players aside during the interim and counsel them on game strategy. See Pistons head coach (and President) Stan Van Gundy walk up and down the sidelines flailing his arms while ranting and raving to no one in particular.
In the meanwhile see Pistons announcer George (blah-blah) Blaha rambling on with worthless sound bytes to fill air time.
Finally, mercifully, the new net has been installed. See sidekick announcer Greg Kelser make an appropriate statement. "I've seen shattered backboards replaced in less time than it took to replace that net". Touche, and right on, GK.
But wait. That just won't do. If one net has been replaced, the one at the opposite end of the court must be replaced as well. The chimp, sorry, staffer goes about repeating his task. And we/they wait, and wait, and wait some more.
One would think that a multi-billion dollar enterprise like the NBA would have such a simple thing as basketball nets not be an issue. One would be wrong. Evidently, they (or at least the Pistons) think brand new ones act a bit differently than a net that has been used for a single half of basketball. This is true if one buys a five dollar net from their local sports store and hangs it on their garage hoop. It takes a while to break it in. But there's no excuse for the NBA not to have ready to go nets that will last an entire game. Turned out, neither new net was an issue. Balls that swished -- swished. So what was the problem in the first place? Only a "Detroit" team could come up with such tomfoolery. And the Detroit Pistons don't even play in Detroit. Haven't for over 40 years.
A lot of things about the Pistons are yuk-worthy. Besides the mini-Ben wannabe, they have a Dinwiddie and even a Pope on their roster. If that's not laughable enough, consider they also have Reggie Jackson. The Mr. October tag doesn't much apply, given the NBA season doesn't even start until October is almost gone. But this Reg swings for the fences and strikes out a lot too.
But just when you think the laughs are dying down, enter one Andre Drummond. He's the Pistons "big man". A guy to build the franchise around. Andre scores a lot of points, grabs a bunch of rebounds, and does a fairly good job of protecting the rim on the defensive end. Let's give him a bazillion dollar long term contract. So sayeth the Piston faithful.
Well OK, and right up until we saw him step up to the free throw line for some "charity" shots. There goes the first one. Oops, wide left. Air ball. The second is on it's way and oops, a brick. A few minutes later the good Mr. Drummond was at the foul line again. It's up and -- well -- the basketball barely knicked the outside of the rim this time. But he's getting closer.
Bottom line? When it comes to free throw shooting, Andre Drummond makes Shaq look like Rick Berry. It's pitiful. Also hilarious.
The Detroit Pistons may or may not be a lot of things these days, but they're certainly entertaining.
That is -- if one is a big fan of comedy.
All things considered, top to bottom these guys are a regular knee-slapping riot.....
But they're good for one thing. Laughs. In last night's home game against the high flying San Antonio Spurs, no sane person would have expected them to win. They didn't.
On to the yuk-worthy moments.
See Stanley Johnson wearing Ben Wallace's old #3 uniform. See Stanley trying to sport the same fro that Big Ben was once famous for. Earth to Stanley. You are to Ben Wallace what Gomer Pyle would have been to Rambo. Shazam!!
See a "problem" with one of the nets at halftime. See a Pistons staff member climb up a ladder to replace it. See this process drag on, and on, and on. Halftime has come and gone and this clown still hasn't completed such a simple task. This is not your proverbial brain surgery. You cut the old net down and loop the new one in the twelve rings around the rim. A semi-trained circus chimpanzee could probably do it in under five minutes.
In the meantime, both teams are back on the floor waiting, and waiting, and waiting.
See Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich take individual players aside during the interim and counsel them on game strategy. See Pistons head coach (and President) Stan Van Gundy walk up and down the sidelines flailing his arms while ranting and raving to no one in particular.
In the meanwhile see Pistons announcer George (blah-blah) Blaha rambling on with worthless sound bytes to fill air time.
Finally, mercifully, the new net has been installed. See sidekick announcer Greg Kelser make an appropriate statement. "I've seen shattered backboards replaced in less time than it took to replace that net". Touche, and right on, GK.
But wait. That just won't do. If one net has been replaced, the one at the opposite end of the court must be replaced as well. The chimp, sorry, staffer goes about repeating his task. And we/they wait, and wait, and wait some more.
One would think that a multi-billion dollar enterprise like the NBA would have such a simple thing as basketball nets not be an issue. One would be wrong. Evidently, they (or at least the Pistons) think brand new ones act a bit differently than a net that has been used for a single half of basketball. This is true if one buys a five dollar net from their local sports store and hangs it on their garage hoop. It takes a while to break it in. But there's no excuse for the NBA not to have ready to go nets that will last an entire game. Turned out, neither new net was an issue. Balls that swished -- swished. So what was the problem in the first place? Only a "Detroit" team could come up with such tomfoolery. And the Detroit Pistons don't even play in Detroit. Haven't for over 40 years.
A lot of things about the Pistons are yuk-worthy. Besides the mini-Ben wannabe, they have a Dinwiddie and even a Pope on their roster. If that's not laughable enough, consider they also have Reggie Jackson. The Mr. October tag doesn't much apply, given the NBA season doesn't even start until October is almost gone. But this Reg swings for the fences and strikes out a lot too.
But just when you think the laughs are dying down, enter one Andre Drummond. He's the Pistons "big man". A guy to build the franchise around. Andre scores a lot of points, grabs a bunch of rebounds, and does a fairly good job of protecting the rim on the defensive end. Let's give him a bazillion dollar long term contract. So sayeth the Piston faithful.
Well OK, and right up until we saw him step up to the free throw line for some "charity" shots. There goes the first one. Oops, wide left. Air ball. The second is on it's way and oops, a brick. A few minutes later the good Mr. Drummond was at the foul line again. It's up and -- well -- the basketball barely knicked the outside of the rim this time. But he's getting closer.
Bottom line? When it comes to free throw shooting, Andre Drummond makes Shaq look like Rick Berry. It's pitiful. Also hilarious.
The Detroit Pistons may or may not be a lot of things these days, but they're certainly entertaining.
That is -- if one is a big fan of comedy.
All things considered, top to bottom these guys are a regular knee-slapping riot.....
Monday, January 11, 2016
Clemson/Bama and the true goats
So Nick the _ick (fill in your own letters, but I suggest either "d" or "pr") Sabin and the Alabama Crimson Tide are national champs again. A half-hearted congrats to them. But they only won the game for two reasons, neither or which were in their control. In other words, it was far more a case of Clemson LOSING it than anything Bama did.
Though the ever politically correct talking heads would never dare say such a thing -- they're too busy lauding false praise on anything and everything rather than being objective -- yours truly is under no such restrictions.
The two reasons Clemson bit the big one are as follows:
1) Clueless special teams play. They gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown. OK, that happens once in a while. But when you've got the other team on the ropes, and they're kicking the ball back off to you, you can't, repeat CANNOT, ignore the possibility of an onside kick. Clemson did just that. Chalk up 14 eventual points for Bama that shouldn't have happened. But the main reason was --
2) #25 for Clemson. A defensive back. In all my days of watching college and pro football, I've never seen a single player botch so many plays in one game as this clown.
On one, his defensive assignment was to cover the opposing tight end. Instead, the tight end ran a "wheel" route up the sideline totally uncovered while #25 was in la-la land somewhere. Touchdown.
On another, with Bama facing third and short, their running back broke through the line and found -- 50 yards of open space. Another touchdown. Where the hell was #25?
The coup de grace was when Alabama lined up with two wide receivers split to the right. But only one Clemson defensive back was out there. The receivers did exactly the right thing. One ran a short route while the other went deep. The lone Clemson cornerback also did the right thing. He took the receiver on the underneath route, likely thinking #25 had the deep coverage. Problem was, #25 had gone brain dead again. He stood like a statue in the middle of the field while the Bama receiver ran totally uncovered down the sideline. If Alabama's quarterback saw it -- it was another no-brainer touchdown. He did, and it was.
The official stats will show that Clemson outplayed Alabama in most facets of the game. It could certainly be argued the Tigers were a better team than the Tide. But that doesn't matter. Only the final score counts.
Alabama is national champions and Clemson is not. They'll have a parade in Tuscaloosa and Nick the whatever (see above) Sabin will spout a few more moronic platitudes about how his team never said die and found a way to win in the end.
All of which will be total BS, of course. Clemson was the better team and should have won. In the meantime, Dabo Swinney's Tigers, for all they accomplished this year, will be quickly forgotten. Nobody cares about who came in second. No parade and no platitudes. Losers just slink away into oblivion.
This is what happens when an otherwise superior team exhibits two fatal flaws on the biggest stage of all.
Clueless special teams play and an equally clueless defensive back missing one assignment after another can have a way of turning a victory into a loss every time.
Especially if the other team recognizes these flaws and continues to exploit them. To Alabama's credit, they did just that.
So let the media/talking heads yammer away with their politically correct do-gooder stuff when it comes to Alabama. These people could find a way to heap compliments on the benefits of nuclear war.
But make no mistake. Clemson's special team coach should be fired immediately for incompetence, and #25 had no business on the field in the first place. He might be wonderfully physically talented, but he's dumber than a brick.
He cost his team the game with his brainlocks.
Hmm. I wonder if he's even bright enough to realize that?
Though the ever politically correct talking heads would never dare say such a thing -- they're too busy lauding false praise on anything and everything rather than being objective -- yours truly is under no such restrictions.
The two reasons Clemson bit the big one are as follows:
1) Clueless special teams play. They gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown. OK, that happens once in a while. But when you've got the other team on the ropes, and they're kicking the ball back off to you, you can't, repeat CANNOT, ignore the possibility of an onside kick. Clemson did just that. Chalk up 14 eventual points for Bama that shouldn't have happened. But the main reason was --
2) #25 for Clemson. A defensive back. In all my days of watching college and pro football, I've never seen a single player botch so many plays in one game as this clown.
On one, his defensive assignment was to cover the opposing tight end. Instead, the tight end ran a "wheel" route up the sideline totally uncovered while #25 was in la-la land somewhere. Touchdown.
On another, with Bama facing third and short, their running back broke through the line and found -- 50 yards of open space. Another touchdown. Where the hell was #25?
The coup de grace was when Alabama lined up with two wide receivers split to the right. But only one Clemson defensive back was out there. The receivers did exactly the right thing. One ran a short route while the other went deep. The lone Clemson cornerback also did the right thing. He took the receiver on the underneath route, likely thinking #25 had the deep coverage. Problem was, #25 had gone brain dead again. He stood like a statue in the middle of the field while the Bama receiver ran totally uncovered down the sideline. If Alabama's quarterback saw it -- it was another no-brainer touchdown. He did, and it was.
The official stats will show that Clemson outplayed Alabama in most facets of the game. It could certainly be argued the Tigers were a better team than the Tide. But that doesn't matter. Only the final score counts.
Alabama is national champions and Clemson is not. They'll have a parade in Tuscaloosa and Nick the whatever (see above) Sabin will spout a few more moronic platitudes about how his team never said die and found a way to win in the end.
All of which will be total BS, of course. Clemson was the better team and should have won. In the meantime, Dabo Swinney's Tigers, for all they accomplished this year, will be quickly forgotten. Nobody cares about who came in second. No parade and no platitudes. Losers just slink away into oblivion.
This is what happens when an otherwise superior team exhibits two fatal flaws on the biggest stage of all.
Clueless special teams play and an equally clueless defensive back missing one assignment after another can have a way of turning a victory into a loss every time.
Especially if the other team recognizes these flaws and continues to exploit them. To Alabama's credit, they did just that.
So let the media/talking heads yammer away with their politically correct do-gooder stuff when it comes to Alabama. These people could find a way to heap compliments on the benefits of nuclear war.
But make no mistake. Clemson's special team coach should be fired immediately for incompetence, and #25 had no business on the field in the first place. He might be wonderfully physically talented, but he's dumber than a brick.
He cost his team the game with his brainlocks.
Hmm. I wonder if he's even bright enough to realize that?
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Weird NFL playoffs
Who would have ever imagined all four road teams would win their playoff games this weekend? Betcha coulda got long odds on that. And there was certainly no shortage of weird things happening.
The Seattle Seahawks, though likely a better team, had no business -- NONE -- winning their game in Minnesota. But a couple freakish breaks went their way. For all his talents, Adrian Peterson once again coughed up a fumble on a routine play, which breathed life back into Seattle. Well OK, that wasn't so extraordinary. AP has a long history when it comes to fumbling.
But with the game on the line in the final seconds, the Minnesota placekicker missed a chip-shot field goal. Shorter even than an extra point. This, after he had drilled three previous ones from much further out. This is the sort of thing that can get a kicker cut. At any rate, the Vikes are done and the S-Hawks move on. More on that later.
As mentioned in my previous post, the Steelers either needed a last second miracle to beat the Bengals, or have a few of Marvin Lewis's looney tunes go berserk again. They did, and Cinci is out in the first round again after a game they all but had in the bag.
The Packers went into DC and thumped the Redskins. No big surprise there. Though the Cheesers have looked a little shaky of late, the Skins are no more than average. They won a very weak division to qualify for the playoffs in the first place. Best thing the Skins did all year was finally realize Robert Griffin III was a bust. Even when he can stay healthy, which isn't often, he's a terrible NFL quarterback.
Kansas City waltzing into Houston and drilling the Texans was only surprising due to the final score. 30-0 is pretty much a beatdown. Like the Redskins, somebody had to win the woeful AFC South division, and it turned out to be Houston.
That sets the table for some interesting match-ups next weekend.
The Seahawks go to Carolina to take on the #1 seeded Panthers. I've been saying for weeks to look out for Seattle. Yep, they caught a major break in Minnesota to survive, but they're certainly playoff and Super Bowl battle tough in recent years. Been there, done that. Plus they have the revenge factor against Carolina. The Panthers beat them in their own house earlier this year. Methinks the S-Hawks will capitalize on their lucky win against the Vikes and run roughshod over Cam and Co. down in NASCARville.
Green Bay goes to Arizona. The Cardinals trashed them earlier in the year, and the rematch should be no different. Top to bottom, Arizona is a far superior team. And Aaron Rodgers will once again be running for his life against the Cards' ferocious pass rush.
Pittsburgh @ Denver. Never count out the Steelers, but even with their QB position in flux, the Broncos are a tough out at home. Plus they have a pretty stout defense as well. On the other hand, if Big Ben's healthy (unknown), he likely has the finest corps of receivers in the entire league to throw to. Then again, it's also highly likely the Denver D line will be in his face all day. Who wins? If Roethlisberger's 100% good to go, give me the Steelers. If not, two things happen. Denver wins the game and Peyton Manning films another dozen or so moronic commercials.
The most interesting match-up of all is KC going to New England. Sure, the Chiefs will be underdogs. But like Seattle, don't sleep on KC. After a slow start to the season, they've reeled off 11 wins in a row, no small feat, including the 30-0 demolition of Houston mentioned above.
Once considered "expendable" or average at best, their quarterback Alex Smith has suddenly blossomed into a star. Over the last half of the season, he's quietly put up the best QB stats in the entire league. To boot, the Chiefs have a lights out defense of their own. In recent weeks this is the team that nobody wants to play. Andy Reid has them on a roll and they're confident as could be.
If anybody's going to go into Foxborough and knock off the Bellichick/Brady Patriots -- it's these guys. True, the Pats have got some of their key guys back from the injured list, and betting against them at home in a playoff game is a risky proposition indeed. Like Seattle, they definitely have the advantage of the "been there, done that" going for them.
Nevertheless, KC is hitting on all cylinders of late, and I'm predicting they'll pull off the "upset". Further, don't sell their Super Bowl chances short either. If they can beat New England on the road, yours truly would like their chances against whoever comes out of the Pitt/Den game.
So there.
Always did like Kansas City. A truly terrific town. Didn't they just win something in baseball a couple months back? Seems like longer ago, doesn't it? How soon we forget.....
The Seattle Seahawks, though likely a better team, had no business -- NONE -- winning their game in Minnesota. But a couple freakish breaks went their way. For all his talents, Adrian Peterson once again coughed up a fumble on a routine play, which breathed life back into Seattle. Well OK, that wasn't so extraordinary. AP has a long history when it comes to fumbling.
But with the game on the line in the final seconds, the Minnesota placekicker missed a chip-shot field goal. Shorter even than an extra point. This, after he had drilled three previous ones from much further out. This is the sort of thing that can get a kicker cut. At any rate, the Vikes are done and the S-Hawks move on. More on that later.
As mentioned in my previous post, the Steelers either needed a last second miracle to beat the Bengals, or have a few of Marvin Lewis's looney tunes go berserk again. They did, and Cinci is out in the first round again after a game they all but had in the bag.
The Packers went into DC and thumped the Redskins. No big surprise there. Though the Cheesers have looked a little shaky of late, the Skins are no more than average. They won a very weak division to qualify for the playoffs in the first place. Best thing the Skins did all year was finally realize Robert Griffin III was a bust. Even when he can stay healthy, which isn't often, he's a terrible NFL quarterback.
Kansas City waltzing into Houston and drilling the Texans was only surprising due to the final score. 30-0 is pretty much a beatdown. Like the Redskins, somebody had to win the woeful AFC South division, and it turned out to be Houston.
That sets the table for some interesting match-ups next weekend.
The Seahawks go to Carolina to take on the #1 seeded Panthers. I've been saying for weeks to look out for Seattle. Yep, they caught a major break in Minnesota to survive, but they're certainly playoff and Super Bowl battle tough in recent years. Been there, done that. Plus they have the revenge factor against Carolina. The Panthers beat them in their own house earlier this year. Methinks the S-Hawks will capitalize on their lucky win against the Vikes and run roughshod over Cam and Co. down in NASCARville.
Green Bay goes to Arizona. The Cardinals trashed them earlier in the year, and the rematch should be no different. Top to bottom, Arizona is a far superior team. And Aaron Rodgers will once again be running for his life against the Cards' ferocious pass rush.
Pittsburgh @ Denver. Never count out the Steelers, but even with their QB position in flux, the Broncos are a tough out at home. Plus they have a pretty stout defense as well. On the other hand, if Big Ben's healthy (unknown), he likely has the finest corps of receivers in the entire league to throw to. Then again, it's also highly likely the Denver D line will be in his face all day. Who wins? If Roethlisberger's 100% good to go, give me the Steelers. If not, two things happen. Denver wins the game and Peyton Manning films another dozen or so moronic commercials.
The most interesting match-up of all is KC going to New England. Sure, the Chiefs will be underdogs. But like Seattle, don't sleep on KC. After a slow start to the season, they've reeled off 11 wins in a row, no small feat, including the 30-0 demolition of Houston mentioned above.
Once considered "expendable" or average at best, their quarterback Alex Smith has suddenly blossomed into a star. Over the last half of the season, he's quietly put up the best QB stats in the entire league. To boot, the Chiefs have a lights out defense of their own. In recent weeks this is the team that nobody wants to play. Andy Reid has them on a roll and they're confident as could be.
If anybody's going to go into Foxborough and knock off the Bellichick/Brady Patriots -- it's these guys. True, the Pats have got some of their key guys back from the injured list, and betting against them at home in a playoff game is a risky proposition indeed. Like Seattle, they definitely have the advantage of the "been there, done that" going for them.
Nevertheless, KC is hitting on all cylinders of late, and I'm predicting they'll pull off the "upset". Further, don't sell their Super Bowl chances short either. If they can beat New England on the road, yours truly would like their chances against whoever comes out of the Pitt/Den game.
So there.
Always did like Kansas City. A truly terrific town. Didn't they just win something in baseball a couple months back? Seems like longer ago, doesn't it? How soon we forget.....
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Why Marvin Lewis should be fired
The Cincinnati Bengals head coach has been around for several years, but it has become obvious reaching the playoffs is his glass ceiling. Though perennial qualifiers, once again his team got ousted in the first round.
And it shouldn't have turned out that way --- which brings up an even more important reason why Marvin Lewis should be kicked to the curb in Cinci. Let's look at how the playoff game against their bitter rival Steelers played out.
In a driving rain, the Steelers were grinding it out and appeared to have the game somewhat in hand for the most part of three quarters. 15-0. But then the Bengals made a couple good plays, the momentum turned, and they were not only back in the game, but actually ahead 16-15 with little time left on the clock. The Steelers only had one time-out left and the Bengals had the ball.
All they had to do was run -- not pass -- a few plays while eating up the clock, and the game was all but in the bag. What should the head coach and/or the offensive coordinator have been telling whoever got the ball? No matter what else, your prime directive is ----
Don't fumble the ball.
DON'T FUMBLE THE BALL.
DON'T FUMBLE THE FREAKING BALL!!!!
Running back Jeremy Hill (#32) fumbled the ball.
But all was not lost. Pittsburgh still had a long ways to go to get in game-winning field goal range with only several seconds left.
And then the wheels totally fell off.
Linebacker Vontaze Burfict (#55), who has been known for cheap shots in the past, committed another one after an incomplete pass thrown by Ben Roethlisberger. There was absolutely no reason to go head-hunting on a Pittsburgh receiver after the play was over. Tweet. Personal foul. Fifteen yard penalty. The Steelers were now at about max-range for their place kicker.
Jeremy Hill crossed himself and likely prayed to the heavens. "Please don't let my team lose/go home because of my fumble when it mattered most".
A 50-some yard field goal attempt in a downpour was hardly a sure thing. But then even more Bengal stupidity set in. Defensive back Adam Jones (#24) got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for abusing an official. Tweet. Another 15 yard penalty. The field goal attempt was now more of the garden variety.
And sure enough, the Pittsburgh place kicker drilled it through the uprights.
Steelers win and Bengals lose -- again. And all because of the main reason Marvin Lewis should be immediately fired. His team has absolutely no discipline -- NONE -- when the pressure is on. These are supposed to be professional athletes and should be expected to act accordingly.
They should not -- repeat NOT -- lose their focus, much less become totally unhinged and act like savages on the field.
So if I'm Mike Brown (the Bengals owner), here's what I would have done. Marched down from my luxury suite to the locker room after the game.
Once there, I would have pointed at Marvin Lewis and said, "Obviously you're not only incapable of coaching my team to a playoff win -- but can't even get them to act like professionals. So you're fired. Effective immediately".
Then I would have pointed at #32. "That fumble was inexcusable. You're cut. Now."
Then #55. "You've been a loose cannon for a long time and it appears there's no rehabilitating you. I want professionals on my team -- not rabid wild animals. You gone Burfict".
Then #24. "You might be Pac-man's namesake, but only an idiot would accost an official on a dead ball foul, which costs his team the game. And me another playoff game worth millions. I have no use for idiots. Shower up and hit the road. On second thought, you don't get a shower. Anybody that dirty deserves to leave here dirty. Just change into your street clothes and get out".
But chances are playoff Starvin Marvin and his above mentioned 3 stooges will be back again next year.
Everybody will talk about how talented they are, but they'll get bounced again in the playoffs.
Because in Cincinnati, that just seems to have been how it works, or not.
Marvin Lewis may be a fine man and a nice guy. Certainly the Bengals haven't been lacking in talent. But under Marvin, they have had no discipline, and never will. It's just the nature of the beast(s).
Teams like the Steelers know that if they wait long enough the Bengals will self-destruct, because that's what they've always done under Lewis.
If they ever want to get to the "next level", Marvin Lewis has to go. Thirteen years and not a single playoff win? And this guy's still around with his team as clueless as ever?
One word.
Please.....
And it shouldn't have turned out that way --- which brings up an even more important reason why Marvin Lewis should be kicked to the curb in Cinci. Let's look at how the playoff game against their bitter rival Steelers played out.
In a driving rain, the Steelers were grinding it out and appeared to have the game somewhat in hand for the most part of three quarters. 15-0. But then the Bengals made a couple good plays, the momentum turned, and they were not only back in the game, but actually ahead 16-15 with little time left on the clock. The Steelers only had one time-out left and the Bengals had the ball.
All they had to do was run -- not pass -- a few plays while eating up the clock, and the game was all but in the bag. What should the head coach and/or the offensive coordinator have been telling whoever got the ball? No matter what else, your prime directive is ----
Don't fumble the ball.
DON'T FUMBLE THE BALL.
DON'T FUMBLE THE FREAKING BALL!!!!
Running back Jeremy Hill (#32) fumbled the ball.
But all was not lost. Pittsburgh still had a long ways to go to get in game-winning field goal range with only several seconds left.
And then the wheels totally fell off.
Linebacker Vontaze Burfict (#55), who has been known for cheap shots in the past, committed another one after an incomplete pass thrown by Ben Roethlisberger. There was absolutely no reason to go head-hunting on a Pittsburgh receiver after the play was over. Tweet. Personal foul. Fifteen yard penalty. The Steelers were now at about max-range for their place kicker.
Jeremy Hill crossed himself and likely prayed to the heavens. "Please don't let my team lose/go home because of my fumble when it mattered most".
A 50-some yard field goal attempt in a downpour was hardly a sure thing. But then even more Bengal stupidity set in. Defensive back Adam Jones (#24) got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for abusing an official. Tweet. Another 15 yard penalty. The field goal attempt was now more of the garden variety.
And sure enough, the Pittsburgh place kicker drilled it through the uprights.
Steelers win and Bengals lose -- again. And all because of the main reason Marvin Lewis should be immediately fired. His team has absolutely no discipline -- NONE -- when the pressure is on. These are supposed to be professional athletes and should be expected to act accordingly.
They should not -- repeat NOT -- lose their focus, much less become totally unhinged and act like savages on the field.
So if I'm Mike Brown (the Bengals owner), here's what I would have done. Marched down from my luxury suite to the locker room after the game.
Once there, I would have pointed at Marvin Lewis and said, "Obviously you're not only incapable of coaching my team to a playoff win -- but can't even get them to act like professionals. So you're fired. Effective immediately".
Then I would have pointed at #32. "That fumble was inexcusable. You're cut. Now."
Then #55. "You've been a loose cannon for a long time and it appears there's no rehabilitating you. I want professionals on my team -- not rabid wild animals. You gone Burfict".
Then #24. "You might be Pac-man's namesake, but only an idiot would accost an official on a dead ball foul, which costs his team the game. And me another playoff game worth millions. I have no use for idiots. Shower up and hit the road. On second thought, you don't get a shower. Anybody that dirty deserves to leave here dirty. Just change into your street clothes and get out".
But chances are playoff Starvin Marvin and his above mentioned 3 stooges will be back again next year.
Everybody will talk about how talented they are, but they'll get bounced again in the playoffs.
Because in Cincinnati, that just seems to have been how it works, or not.
Marvin Lewis may be a fine man and a nice guy. Certainly the Bengals haven't been lacking in talent. But under Marvin, they have had no discipline, and never will. It's just the nature of the beast(s).
Teams like the Steelers know that if they wait long enough the Bengals will self-destruct, because that's what they've always done under Lewis.
If they ever want to get to the "next level", Marvin Lewis has to go. Thirteen years and not a single playoff win? And this guy's still around with his team as clueless as ever?
One word.
Please.....
Friday, January 8, 2016
Idle thoughts
The Seattle Seahawks are going to take on the Minnesota Vikings in a playoff game this Sunday. For whatever sadistic reason, the Vikes have returned to an open air stadium. This does not normally bode well in January. Translation? The weather forecast calls for a temperature somewhere around zero degrees with a wind chill factor of 20 below. And these guys are going to be crashing into each other at full speed under such frigid conditions? Enjoy yourselves, boys.
[Ah heck. It doesn't matter. The S-Hawks have that Super Bowl look about them again. No amount of cold is going to keep them from putting a whuppin on the upstart M-Vikes.]
It was interesting that Carolina Panther star quarterback Cam Newton (and his significant other) named their new baby son "Chosen". That's not a name we hear everyday. As Spock would have said, may Chosen Sebastian Newton live long and prosper. Then again, the name thing could have been a lot worse. Naming his boy Isaac Newton would have raised a few eyebrows . But if Cam and his girlfriend really wanted to have the media go wild -- they could have dubbed him Figaro Uriah Newton. Fig Newton for short, and somebody would have eventually figured out his initials were quite F.U.N. as well. Come to think of it -- doesn't Cam Newton wear jersey #1? So.... is he telling us his son is the future, ahem, "Chosen One"? Yikes.
Lady's college hoops doesn't get a whole lot of TV time. To nobody's great surprise, the UConners are once again ranked #1. Yours truly caught a bit of a game they were playing at Houston. The Lady Huskies were actually trailing. Horrors!!! While playing their trademark lock down defense, UConn missed one open shot after another. Could the Cougars (helluva name for a female team) actually pull off an upset?
Then off to take a quick shower. For whatever reason, watching cougars working up a sweat makes me feel dirty. When I got back, UConn was up by 40 points. Ah yes, Geno's Bambinos may have experienced a short lull against the Cougs, but they remain very much the real deal. When they get on a roll, as they so often seem to do in games -- lookout. Will anybody beat these girls all season? So far, the closest any opponent has come is to lose by 10 points. They were Notre Dame and Maryland, both ranked in the Top 5.
The Golden State Warriors keep rolling along. Now at 34-2, they're on track to challenge the best NBA regular single season record ever. Can they keep it up? Maybe.
Games to watch. A week from Monday, they go to Cleveland. Lebron's on a mission to bring an NBA title to Cavland, and he's got some very talented help. And the Warriors still have home and away games against the San Antonio Spurs. Don't look now, but Coach Pop's crew has quietly racked up a 32-6 record. Those will be battles of the titans indeed.
And the Detroit Lions have a whopping 24 players that can become free agents, and no general manager to conduct any sort of negotiations.
Just another day in Motown. The magical kingdom of Ford ownership stumbles/bumbles/lurches on.....
[Ah heck. It doesn't matter. The S-Hawks have that Super Bowl look about them again. No amount of cold is going to keep them from putting a whuppin on the upstart M-Vikes.]
It was interesting that Carolina Panther star quarterback Cam Newton (and his significant other) named their new baby son "Chosen". That's not a name we hear everyday. As Spock would have said, may Chosen Sebastian Newton live long and prosper. Then again, the name thing could have been a lot worse. Naming his boy Isaac Newton would have raised a few eyebrows . But if Cam and his girlfriend really wanted to have the media go wild -- they could have dubbed him Figaro Uriah Newton. Fig Newton for short, and somebody would have eventually figured out his initials were quite F.U.N. as well. Come to think of it -- doesn't Cam Newton wear jersey #1? So.... is he telling us his son is the future, ahem, "Chosen One"? Yikes.
Lady's college hoops doesn't get a whole lot of TV time. To nobody's great surprise, the UConners are once again ranked #1. Yours truly caught a bit of a game they were playing at Houston. The Lady Huskies were actually trailing. Horrors!!! While playing their trademark lock down defense, UConn missed one open shot after another. Could the Cougars (helluva name for a female team) actually pull off an upset?
Then off to take a quick shower. For whatever reason, watching cougars working up a sweat makes me feel dirty. When I got back, UConn was up by 40 points. Ah yes, Geno's Bambinos may have experienced a short lull against the Cougs, but they remain very much the real deal. When they get on a roll, as they so often seem to do in games -- lookout. Will anybody beat these girls all season? So far, the closest any opponent has come is to lose by 10 points. They were Notre Dame and Maryland, both ranked in the Top 5.
The Golden State Warriors keep rolling along. Now at 34-2, they're on track to challenge the best NBA regular single season record ever. Can they keep it up? Maybe.
Games to watch. A week from Monday, they go to Cleveland. Lebron's on a mission to bring an NBA title to Cavland, and he's got some very talented help. And the Warriors still have home and away games against the San Antonio Spurs. Don't look now, but Coach Pop's crew has quietly racked up a 32-6 record. Those will be battles of the titans indeed.
And the Detroit Lions have a whopping 24 players that can become free agents, and no general manager to conduct any sort of negotiations.
Just another day in Motown. The magical kingdom of Ford ownership stumbles/bumbles/lurches on.....
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Lovie Smith fired. So?
The Tampa Bay Bucs recently fired head coach Lovie Smith. Players and pundits alike are howling in protest. Such a fine man. Such a great coach. Such a natural born leader of men.
Such baloney.
Smith spent nine years as the Chicago Bears' head coach (2004-2012). During that time his teams enjoyed four good seasons, four more mediocre to sub-par, and one terrible one. He made millions and millions of dollars. Finally, the brain trust overseeing the team at Soldier Field woke up to reality and came to the conclusion dear Lovie was never going to lead their team to the promised land. He was rightfully fired.
Then on to Tampa Bay. Over two years, Smith compiled a record of 8-24. Three losses for every win. And he collected more millions of dollars while coaching the team into the cellar of the NFC south division both years. And this was against the not so formidable competition of Atlanta, New Orleans, and Jacksonville.
So the Bucs just fired him as well. My question would be ----
What's the big deal? Because he's a "minority" coach? Shut up. A loser is a loser no matter what color he is. Looked at objectively, Smith had no business ever becoming an NFL head coach in the first place. His game management over the years has proven he's pretty well clueless.
He might catch on somewhere else -- such is the nature of the NFL carousel of coaches and coordinators -- and there's a lot of job openings out there at the present time.
Yet what is the ultimate goal of any NFL team? To get to and win the Super Bowl -- right?
So be honest. How many people out there really truly think that Lovie Smith heading up a team can ever pull that off? My response would be -- not a chance. He came close in Chicago once, but then the team quickly slid back down to the nether regions.
The people clamoring over Smith's ouster in Tampa Bay miss the point. Some people have the "right stuff" to mold a championship team. Love them or hate them, Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll are of that ilk. Others are not, and never will be, regardless of the player personnel they have been presented with.
And he got fired.
So what's the big deal indeed?
Such baloney.
Smith spent nine years as the Chicago Bears' head coach (2004-2012). During that time his teams enjoyed four good seasons, four more mediocre to sub-par, and one terrible one. He made millions and millions of dollars. Finally, the brain trust overseeing the team at Soldier Field woke up to reality and came to the conclusion dear Lovie was never going to lead their team to the promised land. He was rightfully fired.
Then on to Tampa Bay. Over two years, Smith compiled a record of 8-24. Three losses for every win. And he collected more millions of dollars while coaching the team into the cellar of the NFC south division both years. And this was against the not so formidable competition of Atlanta, New Orleans, and Jacksonville.
So the Bucs just fired him as well. My question would be ----
What's the big deal? Because he's a "minority" coach? Shut up. A loser is a loser no matter what color he is. Looked at objectively, Smith had no business ever becoming an NFL head coach in the first place. His game management over the years has proven he's pretty well clueless.
He might catch on somewhere else -- such is the nature of the NFL carousel of coaches and coordinators -- and there's a lot of job openings out there at the present time.
Yet what is the ultimate goal of any NFL team? To get to and win the Super Bowl -- right?
So be honest. How many people out there really truly think that Lovie Smith heading up a team can ever pull that off? My response would be -- not a chance. He came close in Chicago once, but then the team quickly slid back down to the nether regions.
The people clamoring over Smith's ouster in Tampa Bay miss the point. Some people have the "right stuff" to mold a championship team. Love them or hate them, Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll are of that ilk. Others are not, and never will be, regardless of the player personnel they have been presented with.
And he got fired.
So what's the big deal indeed?
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