To the surprise of many, including yours truly, the Detroit Lions finished up the 2018 season with an impressive win, throttling Green Bay, in Green Bay, to the tune of 31-0. But was it really that impressive? I'll get back to that.
Problem was, and almost always is, the season had long been a lost cause for the Honolulu blue and silver puddy-tats.
It quickly became apparent in Week One, when they were throttled at home by the lowly New York Jets. 48-17 is a beat-down, no matter how you slice it or dice it.
Getting whupped by the equally bad San Fran 49ers the following week was an exclamation point to the phrase, "you ain't no good, again".
Then something very strange happened, the sort of thing that always drives the bookies crazy when it comes to the Lions. In Week Three, they handily dispatched Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. How the HELL did THAT happen? A confounding enigma for the ages.
Once again, the Detroit sappies had the ever-elusive "hope". Suckers.
As the season went on, the Lions would, no surprise, lose more than they won. A final record of 6-10 doesn't lie.
And one of those wins was of the miracle variety against the above-mentioned Packers. Green Bay's long-time and ever-reliable place-kicker Mason Crosby apparently went temporarily brain dead or spastic against the Lions. How else to explain him missing three "chip-shot" field goals and an extra point? That's ten points the Packers should have had. The Lions won by eight. Thing is, Lions fans always take the good breaks in stride, like they were supposed to happen. But they'll scream bloody murder when the shoe is on the other foot and something goes against them. NOT FAIR!!! Hmm. Sound familiar from a certain politician? Ahem.
Hey, you can't lose to gawd-awful teams like the Jets, 49ers, and later on the Buffalo Bills, unless you're pretty bad yourself.
Getting back to the Packers, that proud franchise appears to be in free-fall. More chaos than what's going on in DC.
First of all, what could they POSSIBLY have been thinking when they let long-time star receiver Jordy Nelson go back in March? No trade, just released him. Bang, you're outta here. For one thing, he was only 33 years old. Not exactly a young pup any more but hardly a geezer either. Plus, he'd been quarterback Aaron Rodgers' favorite target during his ten years with the Packers, putting up impressive numbers every year. Steady as they come.
Rodgers himself appears to be in decline, but the team around him, both offensively and defensively, has hugely regressed as well.
And to cap it all off, they fired long-time head coach Mike McCarthy in the middle of the season, only to bring in another retread with a different system? It was a recipe for disaster, and that's exactly what happened.
So maybe the Lions victory in Lambeau wasn't so impressive after all. Neither team had anything to play for at that point, but the Packers had already been coming apart at the seams all year long. They were just going through the proverbial motions, and in a dysfunctional way at that.
Yet it's just like the Lions to do this to their ever-gullible fans.
They won't remember how horrible the team was for the majority of the 2018 season.
Nosirree. They're back on their own special version of "cloud nine" savoring the 31-0 thumping they gave the Packers.
And they'll be chomping at the bit to get behind their heroes when the 2019 campaign kicks off next summer/fall. No matter who or what the Lions take in the NFL draft, the team will claim it a huge success, every one of those bodies is a can't-miss stud, they got everybody they wanted to -- and the fans will buy it hook, line, and stinker again. Did I mention suckers?
But guess what? It was hardly a surprise the Lions stunk it up in 2018. And they won't be any good next year either. Or the year after that. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Like Calvin Megatron Johnson, who played a full decade and never tasted a single playoff victory, then got out of the madness of Detroit with his mind and body intact, and plenty of dough in the bank, it's quite likely quarterback Matthew Stafford will never win a playoff game either. And BTW, is there a more ridiculously overpaid athlete on the planet than Detroit's Georgia Peach? The dude's making $30 million a year, has a career record of about ten games UNDER .500, and has never won a playoff game? What kind of insanity is this?
The answer, of course, is it's insanity, Detroit/Ford ownership style. Has been for over a half century.
It is worth noting that when the late William Clay Ford closed the deal on buying the team, it was on the exact same day John F. Kennedy took quite a fateful ride in Dallas.
That right there should have been an omen, a very bad one. But of course nobody noticed some auto company heir purchasing an NFL team with all the mayhem following those gunshots in Big D.
In sum, it's just another year for the Lions. 6-10? Business as usual.
And yes, they are, and remain the.....same.....old.....Lions.
Would any sane person expect anything else of them?
Yawn.
Monday, December 31, 2018
Saturday, December 29, 2018
College football playoffs
To nobody's great surprise, except maybe the usual punch-drunky leprechauns of Notre Dame, Clemson blistered them in a national semi-final game. The Tigers are the real deal. The Fighting Irish were WAY over their heads tangling with those guys.
But this is what happens when so many pundits always have Notre Dame as some sort of sentimental favorite. Win one for the Gipper, Rudy, and all that nonsense. ND stubbornly refuses to join a conference, and why should they? They have their own mega cha-ching TV deal, and get to pick who they want to play. Notice on the rare occasions they play a "ranked" team, it's always at home. And during any season, they'll load up on patsies along the way. But when it comes time to tee it up against the "big boys", as in Clemson, they're typically get embarrassed. Getting beat by 30 points (and it could and should have been much worse) on national television at a neutral site is what they had coming.
As noted in this space before, what's with the name Fighting Irish anyway? The real Notre Dame is a cathedral in Paris. Well OK, the Fighting French wouldn't have the same ring to it, but can't they even get their countries right?
On the other side of the equation was the Oklahoma/Alabama semi-final. The #1 ranked Crimson Tide were a two touchdown favorite going in. The only surprise was that they didn't "cover". After jumping out to a 28-0 nothing lead, maybe they just got bored.
As good as Alabama is though, the thing about that game was Oklahoma showed the Tide was vulnerable, particularly on defense, as the game wore on. While Bama remains a scoring machine, they also give up a lot of big plays to an offense that knows how to exploit their weaknesses.
And the above-mentioned Clemson plays fast, has depth, and a ton of offensive weapons they'll no doubt have ready to go in the national championship game next week.
After the two semi-final games, few would dispute the best two teams in the country will be duking it out for all the marbles.
It should be the proverbial dandy. Pretty sure Bama will be favored, but not by much. The same two teams have flip-flopped national titles the last three years.
Bring it on.
But this is what happens when so many pundits always have Notre Dame as some sort of sentimental favorite. Win one for the Gipper, Rudy, and all that nonsense. ND stubbornly refuses to join a conference, and why should they? They have their own mega cha-ching TV deal, and get to pick who they want to play. Notice on the rare occasions they play a "ranked" team, it's always at home. And during any season, they'll load up on patsies along the way. But when it comes time to tee it up against the "big boys", as in Clemson, they're typically get embarrassed. Getting beat by 30 points (and it could and should have been much worse) on national television at a neutral site is what they had coming.
As noted in this space before, what's with the name Fighting Irish anyway? The real Notre Dame is a cathedral in Paris. Well OK, the Fighting French wouldn't have the same ring to it, but can't they even get their countries right?
On the other side of the equation was the Oklahoma/Alabama semi-final. The #1 ranked Crimson Tide were a two touchdown favorite going in. The only surprise was that they didn't "cover". After jumping out to a 28-0 nothing lead, maybe they just got bored.
As good as Alabama is though, the thing about that game was Oklahoma showed the Tide was vulnerable, particularly on defense, as the game wore on. While Bama remains a scoring machine, they also give up a lot of big plays to an offense that knows how to exploit their weaknesses.
And the above-mentioned Clemson plays fast, has depth, and a ton of offensive weapons they'll no doubt have ready to go in the national championship game next week.
After the two semi-final games, few would dispute the best two teams in the country will be duking it out for all the marbles.
It should be the proverbial dandy. Pretty sure Bama will be favored, but not by much. The same two teams have flip-flopped national titles the last three years.
Bring it on.
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
The Golden State Warriors' problem
Of late, many talking heads and other pundits, in their never-ending zeal to create a story if a real one isn't available, have been asking --- what's wrong with the Golden State Warriors?
Of course, this intensified when they were blown out on their own court by Lebron James and the LA Lakers on Christmas. I'll get back to that.
But what's really ailing the Dubs?
Two things. The most obvious is their best player, one Steph Curry, has been rehabbing an injury lately. Take Tom Brady away from the Patriots and how good do you think they'd be?
Yet the other is much more subtle.
I would submit they're just bored, merely going through the motions, for now.
They're fresh off another world championship, had their parade, got their rings, etc. After a few months of R & R, what's to look forward to?
Just another long season. Eighty two games worth, with all the practices, meetings, film sessions, and a bazillion miles of air travel along the way to stay in hotels far away from home and play in front of hostile crowds. It's gotta get old, regardless of how much money they make -- which is ridiculous -- but that's a story for another day.
But wait a second. What do they mean they're "underachieving"?
Aren't they comfortably leading their division almost half way through the 2018 season? And BTW, last time I looked they had the best record in the entire Western Conference of the NBA.
Some have claimed that a team can't have a magical "switch" to turn on and off whenever they feel like it, making the difference between stellar play and just mediocre.
Yours truly would disagree, and so did Warrior Draymond Green in a recent Sports Illustrated article. They indeed appear to possess that switch.
Let's not forget that last year, in the semi-finals of the playoffs, going up against the Houston Rockets for the Western Conference conference title and another trip to the Finals, the Dubs found themselves down 3-1 in that series. With two of the remaining three games to be played in Houston. We all know what happened They flipped the switch at the last second, came roaring back to eliminate the Rockets and blistered the above mentioned James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals. Skunked them.
So basically, the Dubs have nothing to prove, especially during the regular season. Lose games they likely could have won? No big deal. No sane person would doubt they're going to make the playoffs again. They could do that almost blindfolded. So why should they go the proverbial "balls to the wall" with their hair on fire until the games really matter?
Relax, scribes and yappy heads. These guys will be just fine when the heat gets turned up again in another four months or so. They KNOW they can do it. Been there, done that.
Conversely, as mentioned above, James and the Lakers have something to prove, every game. That they can be competitive. So they're playing their tails off, night in and night out. That would easily explain how they dominated the Warriors in a game most (especially the Warriors) will forget about in a few days, if they haven't forgotten already.
Yet will the Lakers be gassed when the playoffs roll around, if they continue to play all-out the entire regular season? Maybe. We'll see. But even if they make the playoffs, no given despite their current pretty good record, no way in hell would they compete with the Dubs in a playoff series, when the switch has officially been turned to the "on" position again.
Bottom line, methinks the Dubs are just bored, for now.
But barring a slew of injuries, look out when June rolls around. It's still the same cast of characters.
Of course, this intensified when they were blown out on their own court by Lebron James and the LA Lakers on Christmas. I'll get back to that.
But what's really ailing the Dubs?
Two things. The most obvious is their best player, one Steph Curry, has been rehabbing an injury lately. Take Tom Brady away from the Patriots and how good do you think they'd be?
Yet the other is much more subtle.
I would submit they're just bored, merely going through the motions, for now.
They're fresh off another world championship, had their parade, got their rings, etc. After a few months of R & R, what's to look forward to?
Just another long season. Eighty two games worth, with all the practices, meetings, film sessions, and a bazillion miles of air travel along the way to stay in hotels far away from home and play in front of hostile crowds. It's gotta get old, regardless of how much money they make -- which is ridiculous -- but that's a story for another day.
But wait a second. What do they mean they're "underachieving"?
Aren't they comfortably leading their division almost half way through the 2018 season? And BTW, last time I looked they had the best record in the entire Western Conference of the NBA.
Some have claimed that a team can't have a magical "switch" to turn on and off whenever they feel like it, making the difference between stellar play and just mediocre.
Yours truly would disagree, and so did Warrior Draymond Green in a recent Sports Illustrated article. They indeed appear to possess that switch.
Let's not forget that last year, in the semi-finals of the playoffs, going up against the Houston Rockets for the Western Conference conference title and another trip to the Finals, the Dubs found themselves down 3-1 in that series. With two of the remaining three games to be played in Houston. We all know what happened They flipped the switch at the last second, came roaring back to eliminate the Rockets and blistered the above mentioned James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals. Skunked them.
So basically, the Dubs have nothing to prove, especially during the regular season. Lose games they likely could have won? No big deal. No sane person would doubt they're going to make the playoffs again. They could do that almost blindfolded. So why should they go the proverbial "balls to the wall" with their hair on fire until the games really matter?
Relax, scribes and yappy heads. These guys will be just fine when the heat gets turned up again in another four months or so. They KNOW they can do it. Been there, done that.
Conversely, as mentioned above, James and the Lakers have something to prove, every game. That they can be competitive. So they're playing their tails off, night in and night out. That would easily explain how they dominated the Warriors in a game most (especially the Warriors) will forget about in a few days, if they haven't forgotten already.
Yet will the Lakers be gassed when the playoffs roll around, if they continue to play all-out the entire regular season? Maybe. We'll see. But even if they make the playoffs, no given despite their current pretty good record, no way in hell would they compete with the Dubs in a playoff series, when the switch has officially been turned to the "on" position again.
Bottom line, methinks the Dubs are just bored, for now.
But barring a slew of injuries, look out when June rolls around. It's still the same cast of characters.
Sunday, December 23, 2018
More dumb things. Grrr
Spouted by one Tony Dunge in the prelude to Sunday night's game between the KC Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks. While reviewing the league, he had the utter gall, and yes stupidity, to say, "Without question, the Philadelphia Eagles are Carson Wentz's team".
Really? I've got a lot of questions about that. Isn't Wentz the same guy that's been stinking it up all year as the losses mounted for the defending Super Bowl champions?
And hasn't he proven he can't stay healthy for an entire season? He's out again, just like last year.
And oh, BTW, wasn't it Nick Foles that led those same Eagles to the Super Bowl less than a year ago, won it, and was MVP of same?
Foles just threw for 471 yards against the Houston Texans, leading "his" team to a comeback win against the Houston Texans. All-time single-game franchise record -- while your boy Carson was still out rehabbing somewhere.
So I would ask the questions -- where do these networks get clueless clowns like Tony Dunge as on-air personalities? Is that the best they can do?
Speaking of the Seahawks, head coach Pete Carroll makes me wince every time I see him on TV. Here's a tip. Never trust a dude with little bitty teeth that's constantly chewing gum on fast-forward and talks a non-stop line of sh*t. It's like the proverbial shyster used-car salesman. He'd con his own mother and/or kids if he thought there was something good in it for him. Isn't this the same guy that ran a crooked program at Southern Cal, got caught, but flew the coop north to Seattle for mega-bucks, leaving USC on the hook for years of various NCAA sanctions and penalties?
And of course, there's always the sad-sack Detroit Lions. To absolutely no one's surprise, they just got blistered, at home, by the Minnesota Vikings. Another year down the toilet with no apparent help in sight.
Next week, the Detroit puddy-tats will limp into Green Bay to finish off the regular season. And you know what? It would be just like them to defeat the Packers. Never mind, Aaron Rodgers and Co. have stumbling badly this year as well. Badly enough to get long-time head coach Mike McCarthy fired mid-season. Unlike Detroit, they won't put up with a bad team for very long. Somebody's gotta go.
But if the Lions won, it would give their long-time sappies the same old thing they've trumpeted for decades. The ever-elusive "hope". Hey didya see that win at Green Bay? Wait until next year.
Right. How many times did Lucy have to pull the football away at the last minute before Charley Brown caught on that he was being duped?
He never did, you say?
Well then. I give you your average hard-core Detroit Lions' fan. Pretty much the same thing.
Alas. As dumb and obvious as some things are, there will always be those that fall for them.
P.T. Barnum was absolutely right. There's one born every minute.
Sigh.
Really? I've got a lot of questions about that. Isn't Wentz the same guy that's been stinking it up all year as the losses mounted for the defending Super Bowl champions?
And hasn't he proven he can't stay healthy for an entire season? He's out again, just like last year.
And oh, BTW, wasn't it Nick Foles that led those same Eagles to the Super Bowl less than a year ago, won it, and was MVP of same?
Foles just threw for 471 yards against the Houston Texans, leading "his" team to a comeback win against the Houston Texans. All-time single-game franchise record -- while your boy Carson was still out rehabbing somewhere.
So I would ask the questions -- where do these networks get clueless clowns like Tony Dunge as on-air personalities? Is that the best they can do?
Speaking of the Seahawks, head coach Pete Carroll makes me wince every time I see him on TV. Here's a tip. Never trust a dude with little bitty teeth that's constantly chewing gum on fast-forward and talks a non-stop line of sh*t. It's like the proverbial shyster used-car salesman. He'd con his own mother and/or kids if he thought there was something good in it for him. Isn't this the same guy that ran a crooked program at Southern Cal, got caught, but flew the coop north to Seattle for mega-bucks, leaving USC on the hook for years of various NCAA sanctions and penalties?
And of course, there's always the sad-sack Detroit Lions. To absolutely no one's surprise, they just got blistered, at home, by the Minnesota Vikings. Another year down the toilet with no apparent help in sight.
Next week, the Detroit puddy-tats will limp into Green Bay to finish off the regular season. And you know what? It would be just like them to defeat the Packers. Never mind, Aaron Rodgers and Co. have stumbling badly this year as well. Badly enough to get long-time head coach Mike McCarthy fired mid-season. Unlike Detroit, they won't put up with a bad team for very long. Somebody's gotta go.
But if the Lions won, it would give their long-time sappies the same old thing they've trumpeted for decades. The ever-elusive "hope". Hey didya see that win at Green Bay? Wait until next year.
Right. How many times did Lucy have to pull the football away at the last minute before Charley Brown caught on that he was being duped?
He never did, you say?
Well then. I give you your average hard-core Detroit Lions' fan. Pretty much the same thing.
Alas. As dumb and obvious as some things are, there will always be those that fall for them.
P.T. Barnum was absolutely right. There's one born every minute.
Sigh.
Friday, December 21, 2018
Josh Gordon. Going, going.....
And we know what the unsaid last word in the title of this post usually is. Such would seem to be the case with one Josh Gordon, a wonderfully gifted receiver that appears unable to overcome those pesky "substances" the NFL says thou shalt not use.
Full disclosure. Has yours truly ever smoked weed? Sure. I went to college for four years and I'd wager less than 5% of the students didn't try it at one time or another. Thing is, I never much liked how it made me feel. So I don't partake now, and haven't for several decades. That's just me. To each their own.
Do I think it should be legalized across the board? Absolutely. And it will be eventually. One by one, the states are bowing to the will of the people, and even the feds will have to give the ridiculous "war" trying to stop it in time. Hey, it's everywhere, and has been for a long time. I don't have any serious connections", but I also have no doubt I could walk out my door any day of the week and score a bag within 30 minutes. Who's kidding who?
Thing is, when your employer says "don't do it", because we don't approve and we'll be testing for it, you have a choice. Either give it up, or keep on and start looking for a new job. Because, legal or not, you're going to get busted -- it's just a matter of time.
Josh Gordon, of course, knew this. And I, for one, aren't buying any of this "came from a rough childhood" nonsense. It's totally irrelevant, even insulting to semi-intelligent people. Gordon's a walking, talking, adult human being with a mind that appears quite functional.
[Idle thought. I just saw a few minutes of "The Wizard Of Oz" again for the umpteenth time. Nobody doubts this movie was one of the all-time classics. But a question. How did the Tin Man get all rusted up in the first place when tin doesn't corrode/oxidize? Maybe they should have called him the Iron Man instead. Oh wait. Back in those days (1939), Lou Gehrig already had that title. Never mind.]
Back to Gordon. Even JG himself has admitted he used a lot of stuff over the years. Not just pot, but coke and a few others as well. No problem here. Do what ya gotta do and whatever turns ya on. But if you keep getting zapped by your employer, (and the NFL, in tandem with the Players' Union has a lot more lenient policy towards such things than many employers), with suspensions and the like, you just might want to rethink your priorities. Is continuing to get high really worth forfeiting millions of bucks?
Gordon has also copped to having consumer alcohol or smoked pot before most every game in his entire career. No doubt that statement reverberated in a lot of places. And not in a good way.
Nevertheless, Josh Gordon is still only 27 years old. He should be in the prime of his NFL career, instead of on indefinite suspension again, with his chances of ever getting another "shot" dismal at best.
It seems such a waste.
But who knows? Maybe he's saved up enough dough from prior years to let him live the life of semi-luxury while enjoying the "smoke" he evidently enjoys so much.
If so, more power to him. As Mr. Spock of Star Trek fame was famous for saying -- live long and prosper.
Yet somehow, yours truly thinks this is going to end badly, one way or the other.
I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he never sees 40. Maybe even less.
All that talent, fame, and money -- poof -- down the tubes. Gone.
And that would be so very sad.
Alas.
Full disclosure. Has yours truly ever smoked weed? Sure. I went to college for four years and I'd wager less than 5% of the students didn't try it at one time or another. Thing is, I never much liked how it made me feel. So I don't partake now, and haven't for several decades. That's just me. To each their own.
Do I think it should be legalized across the board? Absolutely. And it will be eventually. One by one, the states are bowing to the will of the people, and even the feds will have to give the ridiculous "war" trying to stop it in time. Hey, it's everywhere, and has been for a long time. I don't have any serious connections", but I also have no doubt I could walk out my door any day of the week and score a bag within 30 minutes. Who's kidding who?
Thing is, when your employer says "don't do it", because we don't approve and we'll be testing for it, you have a choice. Either give it up, or keep on and start looking for a new job. Because, legal or not, you're going to get busted -- it's just a matter of time.
Josh Gordon, of course, knew this. And I, for one, aren't buying any of this "came from a rough childhood" nonsense. It's totally irrelevant, even insulting to semi-intelligent people. Gordon's a walking, talking, adult human being with a mind that appears quite functional.
[Idle thought. I just saw a few minutes of "The Wizard Of Oz" again for the umpteenth time. Nobody doubts this movie was one of the all-time classics. But a question. How did the Tin Man get all rusted up in the first place when tin doesn't corrode/oxidize? Maybe they should have called him the Iron Man instead. Oh wait. Back in those days (1939), Lou Gehrig already had that title. Never mind.]
Back to Gordon. Even JG himself has admitted he used a lot of stuff over the years. Not just pot, but coke and a few others as well. No problem here. Do what ya gotta do and whatever turns ya on. But if you keep getting zapped by your employer, (and the NFL, in tandem with the Players' Union has a lot more lenient policy towards such things than many employers), with suspensions and the like, you just might want to rethink your priorities. Is continuing to get high really worth forfeiting millions of bucks?
Gordon has also copped to having consumer alcohol or smoked pot before most every game in his entire career. No doubt that statement reverberated in a lot of places. And not in a good way.
Nevertheless, Josh Gordon is still only 27 years old. He should be in the prime of his NFL career, instead of on indefinite suspension again, with his chances of ever getting another "shot" dismal at best.
It seems such a waste.
But who knows? Maybe he's saved up enough dough from prior years to let him live the life of semi-luxury while enjoying the "smoke" he evidently enjoys so much.
If so, more power to him. As Mr. Spock of Star Trek fame was famous for saying -- live long and prosper.
Yet somehow, yours truly thinks this is going to end badly, one way or the other.
I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he never sees 40. Maybe even less.
All that talent, fame, and money -- poof -- down the tubes. Gone.
And that would be so very sad.
Alas.
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Darius Slay, Pro-Bowler LOL
Fortunately, or more probably not, the NFL has a rule whereby all teams must be represented at the Pro Bowl.
Some of the really good teams -- see KC Chiefs, LA Chargers, etc. -- might have half a dozen players worthy of such an honor.
Conversely, some of the really bad teams -- see Detroit Lions -- don't have a single player on their roster that remotely qualifies as a "star". They're...just...that...bad.
That includes quarterback Matthew Stafford. Here's a guy that's been in the league ten years, has a career record of ten games UNDER .500, and hasn't won a single playoff game. And the Lions are paying THAT $30 million a year? Really? Only in Detroit could such lunacy happen.
Nonetheless, the "voters" had to choose somebody on the Lions for the post-season honor. So they likely held their noses and came up with ----
Cornerback Darius Slay. LOL
DS proudly refers to himself as "big play Slay".
That he is, in a perverse sort of way. The problem being, he gives up a lot of big plays to the opponents rather than preventing them.
In any typical Lions game, you can pretty well count on Slay getting torched by an opposing receiver for a long gainer at least once.
And he seems to have this nasty penchant for holding as well, which often times enables the other team to keep a drive going. On any given pass play, watching Slay closely reveals he's holding a receiver one way or the other. As often as he gets flagged for it, it's a miracle there aren't even MORE yellow hankies thrown in his direction.
It could certainly be argued that Slay is an overall negative, not a positive, for his team
And now THIS guy will be celebrated at season's end playing basically an exhibition game with the best of the best around the NFL, with a big cha-ching bonus for having made the Pro-Bowl as well?
It's insanity.
All the while, because Slay made the team due to some retarded league-mandated quota, some other worthy player elsewhere doesn't make the cut?
Darius Slay. Pro-Bowler.
LOL
Some of the really good teams -- see KC Chiefs, LA Chargers, etc. -- might have half a dozen players worthy of such an honor.
Conversely, some of the really bad teams -- see Detroit Lions -- don't have a single player on their roster that remotely qualifies as a "star". They're...just...that...bad.
That includes quarterback Matthew Stafford. Here's a guy that's been in the league ten years, has a career record of ten games UNDER .500, and hasn't won a single playoff game. And the Lions are paying THAT $30 million a year? Really? Only in Detroit could such lunacy happen.
Nonetheless, the "voters" had to choose somebody on the Lions for the post-season honor. So they likely held their noses and came up with ----
Cornerback Darius Slay. LOL
DS proudly refers to himself as "big play Slay".
That he is, in a perverse sort of way. The problem being, he gives up a lot of big plays to the opponents rather than preventing them.
In any typical Lions game, you can pretty well count on Slay getting torched by an opposing receiver for a long gainer at least once.
And he seems to have this nasty penchant for holding as well, which often times enables the other team to keep a drive going. On any given pass play, watching Slay closely reveals he's holding a receiver one way or the other. As often as he gets flagged for it, it's a miracle there aren't even MORE yellow hankies thrown in his direction.
It could certainly be argued that Slay is an overall negative, not a positive, for his team
And now THIS guy will be celebrated at season's end playing basically an exhibition game with the best of the best around the NFL, with a big cha-ching bonus for having made the Pro-Bowl as well?
It's insanity.
All the while, because Slay made the team due to some retarded league-mandated quota, some other worthy player elsewhere doesn't make the cut?
Darius Slay. Pro-Bowler.
LOL
Sunday, December 16, 2018
The Nick Foles magic. Again?
Sure, many would scoff at the notion of Nick Foles being any sort of great quarterback. Hes knocked around the league for several years now and can't seem to even hold down a starting position.
But this is the same guy that stepped in for the Philadelphia Eagles last year and wound up leading them to a Super Bowl championship. The MVP of same, no less.
He probably never would have seen the field of play had not Eagles starter Carson Wentz gone down with a blown out knee last year. So ya gotta give credit where it's due. Foles stepped in, the Eagles took off and, presto, Lombardi trophy when it was all said and done.
This year, be it a Super Bowl hangover or whatever, the Eagles, with Wentz back, have floundered. They were a not-so-good 6 -7 heading into the Sunday night match-up against the LA Rams. Their playoff chances were iffy, at best.
Yet like last year, Wentz is out again. This time with a small fracture in his back. Will he be back this year? Nobody knows for sure.
A look around the NFC East, the division the Eagles belong to, doesn't exactly show a murderer's row.
The Washington Redskins, not that good to start with, were down to their third-string quarterback at last look, pretty much out of the picture.
The NY Giants are just gawd-awful.
The Dallas Cowboys had been showing a little life of late, then WHAM, they just got skunked by the Indianapolis Colts 23-0.
Enter NIck Foles again. He just led the Eagles to a victory over the (sorta) high-flying Rams -- in LA, no less.
So the Eagles are now 7-7, usually considered mundane, but also very much in the playoff picture.
Next week they go home to the "City of Brotherly Love", the ultimate misnomer, to take on the sometimes really good, sometimes not-so-good Houston Texans.
And then off to DC to face the Skins in the regular season finale.
Both games are definitely winnable.
If the Eagles can pull that off and wind up 9-7, even if the Cowboys sew up the division, they could sneak into the playoffs as a wild card.
And then -- who knows? Wild cards have gone on to win the Super Bowl before.
Could Foles and the Eagles -- gasp -- pull THAT off?
Probably not. After all, even if they make the post-season, their playoff road would involve going into Chicago against a resurgent and very good Bears team (especially defensively), down to the Big Easy to face Drew Brees and the high-flying Saints, maybe right back in LA for another go-round against those same Rams, or some combination of the above. And that WOULD be a murderer's row.
That's not even to mention who will survive the blood-bath in the AFC playoffs. The KC Chiefs, Brady and the Pats, under the radar but outstanding LA Chargers? And don't sleep on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ya never know about those guys.
But wouldn't it be something if Nick Foles could pull off the "impossible" again?
Hey, nobody thought he and the Eagles could beat the Patriots in last year's Super Bowl either.
How did that turn out?
Carson who?
But this is the same guy that stepped in for the Philadelphia Eagles last year and wound up leading them to a Super Bowl championship. The MVP of same, no less.
He probably never would have seen the field of play had not Eagles starter Carson Wentz gone down with a blown out knee last year. So ya gotta give credit where it's due. Foles stepped in, the Eagles took off and, presto, Lombardi trophy when it was all said and done.
This year, be it a Super Bowl hangover or whatever, the Eagles, with Wentz back, have floundered. They were a not-so-good 6 -7 heading into the Sunday night match-up against the LA Rams. Their playoff chances were iffy, at best.
Yet like last year, Wentz is out again. This time with a small fracture in his back. Will he be back this year? Nobody knows for sure.
A look around the NFC East, the division the Eagles belong to, doesn't exactly show a murderer's row.
The Washington Redskins, not that good to start with, were down to their third-string quarterback at last look, pretty much out of the picture.
The NY Giants are just gawd-awful.
The Dallas Cowboys had been showing a little life of late, then WHAM, they just got skunked by the Indianapolis Colts 23-0.
Enter NIck Foles again. He just led the Eagles to a victory over the (sorta) high-flying Rams -- in LA, no less.
So the Eagles are now 7-7, usually considered mundane, but also very much in the playoff picture.
Next week they go home to the "City of Brotherly Love", the ultimate misnomer, to take on the sometimes really good, sometimes not-so-good Houston Texans.
And then off to DC to face the Skins in the regular season finale.
Both games are definitely winnable.
If the Eagles can pull that off and wind up 9-7, even if the Cowboys sew up the division, they could sneak into the playoffs as a wild card.
And then -- who knows? Wild cards have gone on to win the Super Bowl before.
Could Foles and the Eagles -- gasp -- pull THAT off?
Probably not. After all, even if they make the post-season, their playoff road would involve going into Chicago against a resurgent and very good Bears team (especially defensively), down to the Big Easy to face Drew Brees and the high-flying Saints, maybe right back in LA for another go-round against those same Rams, or some combination of the above. And that WOULD be a murderer's row.
That's not even to mention who will survive the blood-bath in the AFC playoffs. The KC Chiefs, Brady and the Pats, under the radar but outstanding LA Chargers? And don't sleep on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ya never know about those guys.
But wouldn't it be something if Nick Foles could pull off the "impossible" again?
Hey, nobody thought he and the Eagles could beat the Patriots in last year's Super Bowl either.
How did that turn out?
Carson who?
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