POISE

Poise.

It is all about poise.

No matter the game….it is all about poise. The ability to step up when things aren’t looking so good. The ability to think clearly while the venue is bleeding drama and fans are buzzing. The ability to control your emotions when your goal is right there in sight….or while it is trying to slip away. To have composure…..stability.

Poise was running thru my mind as I viewed an array of sporting events today.

                                  

The most painful to me, obviously, was watching my North Carolina Tar Heels lose to Wake Forest in Winston-Salem. Three things occurred in that game. ONE….Wake just shot the ball well in stretches, and especially from the line [setting an ACC record]. Wake is one of the worst ACC FT shooting teams….yet they went 32 for 32 from the line. TWO….foul problems. Rashad McCants got 3 fouls in the first half…which forced him to sit. He got foul number 4 early in the second half…right after he rolled off 5 straight points to cut the Deacs lead to 5. And THREE….poise. We folded under pressure. I mean, Wake hit some big shots….then the Heels would go down and turn the ball over and take a poor shot. And when the Heels did make a run….Wake did a good job of stepping up, making stops then converting on offense.

                        

At the same time….a game was going on that was of interest to people in my geographic region. Louisville at Cincinnati. The Bearcats jumped out to a huge start….25-8….and muscled the Cards all over the place. But Louisville crawled back….as Taquan Dean hit 7-of-13 from 3-point range. They finally tied the game with 6:28 left to play. The Cards hit their FT down the stretch…the Bearcats didn’t. Poise.

           

Then the Steelers and Jets battled. Ben Roethlesberger, the Rookie Of The Year, had a horrible game in his playoff debut. A game that quarterbacks on losing teams have. Big Ben completed only 4 passes in the first half. So, the defense and running attack bought some time and snuffed out those Big Ben errors. But, with the Steelers trailing by 7.….he stepped up his game. He started the drive by scrambling for 20 yards….then tossed a 4 yd TD to Hines Ward to tie it up. Pittsburgh lives to fight another day. Poise.

             

Then, my Lakers played the Warriors. Sure, G-State blows…but this is the first game the New Lakers have without Kobe. Thirty percent of the offense is gone. The Lakers trailed by 9 deep in the 4th quarter. Who’s gonna be the man?? Odom did his best. He drew a charge on Adonal Foyle on one end of the floor…..the took Clifford Robinson to the rim for a finger roll with less than 2 seconds left on the other. Odom ended up with 27 points [24 of those in the second half] and 12 rebounds. Atkins stepped up with 20 points. The Laker team committed just SIX turnovers all game. Poise.

         

*Let me add to this entry today's Colts-Patriots game.  Poise.  The Pats, while favorites in Vegas, were underdogs in many people's eyes [including mine].  So, they just go out...do their thing...and pretty much blow Indy out.  I mean, they've got down the field in the final minutes and won TWO Super Bowls....I think they are poised.  Indy, however, can't get to the Super Bowl.  They can't get past the Pats.  In a season which Manning was superb....storybook great....he looked like a rookie QB against that tough Patriot defense.  He cursed....he shrugged his shoulders....he pointed at his receivers.  He didn't step up.  And they had their shots.  But when the weather conditions and the crowd got more difficult to deal with.....Manning couldn't overcome.  Neither could coach Tony Dungy.  I'm just throwing this out there....but Manning can't get past the Pats....he couldn't get past the Florida Gators in college.  Dungy couldn't get his Tampa team over the hump....and can't get this Indy team there either.  I really, really, really like both guys....but there is something there.  Maybe.

So...five different games I watched....and all five had their own versions of "poise".  And, if a team can keep their composure and rise to the occassion....they will always be in the running. 

NORTH CAROLINA.....C'MON AND RAISE UP!!!

                                        

It dawned on me today that I’ve had this journal for 8-9 months….and I don’t remember putting a UNC Tar Heels take on here anywhere.

FOR SHAME!!!

I am a HUGE Carolina fan….and this could be a HUGE Carolina season. After an opening loss at Santa Clara [with no Raymond Felton], we’ve reeled off 14 in a row. In there, we’ve beaten Kentucky, Maryland, Indiana and Georgia Tech. Next up, Wake Forest. But, I’ll get to that later.

We’ve beaten our ACC opponents by an average of 30 ppg. The Heels just bulldozed Maryland [the defending ACC tourney champ] by 34. Tonight, they smacked the #8 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets by 22 [and they are known for their defense]. We are the top scoring team in the country.  We've scored at least 91 points in 9 of our past 10 games [the lone hiccup was that 85-51 win in Virginia Tech]. 

              

But…before I get a cramp in my index finger for doing the “we’re #1” sign…..let’s be real. We’ve left the state of North Carolina only once since the start of December…and that was up the road at ACC doormat-to-be Virginia Tech. We’ll be in state against Wake….then in South Kakalaka for Clemson before hosting Miami. We’ve only played two true road games [the Santa Clara game was off campus]…the V-Tech game at a tough win in Indiana. We’ve only won THREE ACC road games in the last two years.

Oh….but that doesn’t mean this team is a fluke. They ran over Maryland and Georgia Tech….and gave Kentucky an early knock out blow. They’ve beaten Iowa, Tennessee, Indiana and Vermont…who are no slouches. This is a team with NBA talent all over the place….there are 4 guys who could play on the next level. As sophomores….Felton led the ACC in assists, McCants led the ACC in scoring and May led the ACC in rebounds. And that team was average at best. Marvin Williams may be the best freshman in the country.  Jawad Williams is having an outstanding season and no one knows.  This team understands Roy Williams’ style much better…..Williams understands his personnel…and the team is playing MUCH MUCH MUCH better defensively.  

     

Just imagine if JR Smith actually kept his word and went to college instead of opting for the NBA Draft and being a New Orleans Hornet right now.  WOW!!!!

Not only do we have talent and coaching....but we have solid role players.  David Noel has been a nice surprise in Chapel Hill.  Melvin Scott....though struggling....is a solid shooter.  Quentin Thomas, another frosh, improves with each game [the kid looks to be quicker than even he can't keep up with].  Jackie Manuel is our best defensive player...with long arms and quick feet...he helps get us into those fast breaks that are killing.....KILLING....our opponents. 

                

The ACC is unreal this season. We currently house the #3, #4, #5 and #8 ranked teams in the nation…and they are all just a car ride away from each other [well, not the #8]. How freakin’ unreal with the ACC tournament be?? Oh my God!  I mean, UNC, Dook, NC State, Wake and G-Tech can’t ALL get to the ACC semifinals. Yet, all but State have legit shots at winning the NCAA tournament.  I mean, no one is even talking about Dook....and they are ranked #5 and undefeated.  Maryland is tough...Florida State is no pushover...neither is Virginia.  Clemson is always good for an upset here and there. 

Beating Wake is…well…HUGE. In the new 11-team ACC, we only have to play Wake Forest [and G-Tech] once…..meaning a win over the Deacs means tiebreakers over both them and Tech and puts us in a great position to win the ACC [we do have those two games against the #5 team in the nation which plays right down the road]. But this game will go a long way in determining who wins the ACC and most likely a top East seed in the NCAA tournament.  There will be stars all over the place [Wake bring in Paul and Williams]...a lively crowd...ACC game between two Top 4 teams that reside just a bus ride away from each other.  This may be the de facto ACC regular season title game.  Of course, Tech has Wake twice and we still have a little matter with the guys from Durham and Raleigh. 

               

We do have a real tough stretch when February starts. NC State, at Florida State, at Dook and at Connecticut……not to mention at NC State, at Maryland, FSU and Dook to close out the season. But judging from how we’ve started…..the ending could be just as sweet!

                                  

Shaq vs.....Fortson??

                                    

Shaquille O’Neal is back in the game of spouting off at someone who plays across the country. This time it isn’t former LA Laker teammate Kobe Bryant..…it is Seattle Sonic Danny Fortson.

Fortson is an NBA throwback to when there were “enforcers” in the league. Guys that gave hard fouls…played tough defense…and got under the skin of the opponent. Dennis Rodman and Bill Laimbeer made careers out of that. Fortson is staying in the league because of it. He is around 6-7 and has gained a few pounds in the past few years. But he is willing to use those pounds to knock the crap out of people, grab boards and just peeve everyone off who he has to play against.

Now he’s peeved Shaq off.

In fairness to Shaq…he normally doesn’t have to deal with people actually trying to be physical with him. Most try to stay out of his way. In today’s NBA…centers are either short chubby guys like Fortson….lanky centers like Camby or big softies like Olowokandi. Guys like Ewing, Robinson and Hakeem are gone to retirement homes. Resident Shaq-flopper Vlade Divac is in the twilight of his career [and took Shaq’s old gig in LA]. So, of course Shaq is angry that someone isn’t moving out of his way. Everyone else does.

Well…Kobe Bryant didn’t. Say what you want about Kobe....but he actually challenged Shaq publicly....and probably privately. Shaq hates that kind of thing…since we all need to bow down to him. At least Kobe was his teammate for 7 years and fellow superstar on the Lakers’ billing. Danny Fortson is, at best, an NBA journeyman that keeps staying in the NBA with his garbage man mentality.  The Sonics are his fifth home in his 8 year NBA career.  He's been involved in trades with Johnny Newman, Joe Wolf, Ervin Johnson, Eric Williams, Eric Washington, Ron Mercer, Popeye Jones, Dwayne Schintzius, Robert Pack, John Williams, Dana Barros, Bill Curley, Howard Eisley, Donyell Marshall, Bruno Sundov, Adam Keefe, Antawn Jamison, Chris Mills, Jiri Welsch, Evan Eschmeyer, Nick Van Exel, Avery Johnson, Popeye Jones, Antoine Rigaudeau and Calvin Booth.

So, this recent exchange between Shaq and Fortson was quite newsworthy. Don’t be too surprised…these two have gone at it before [Shaq referred to Fortson as a “bum“].

                       Both players in their "slimmer" years

SHAQ: ''All they do is flop and the referees fall for it. That's not basketball. Big men, Bill Russell and Bill Walton, they should be ashamed to even watch the game.''

FORTSON: "You know something? That is a cop-out. Write this down. If he can't go out and bang, if he can't get two or three feet underneath the basket, he is ineffective. My goal is to keep him out of the paint. That is not an easy task to do. That is easier said than done. But I am going to try to keep him out of the paint and see how good he is. I challenge him to take a jump hook. Take a couple jump shots. I bet you he can't do that. Of course he is going to complain about flopping because he has to be inside to score buckets. If he doesn't get inside to score buckets, he might as well give the ball to Dwyane Wade and move back."

SHAQ: ''Tell him to average more than eight points. That [expletive] knows what he was doing. I don't have to shoot from more than two feet. I'm top 50. I've got 23,000 [points] from where I shoot. You saw the game. You saw what he did. Don't [flop] and then act like you can handle the Diesel.''

FORTSON: "I don't even know what he is talking about. He is the big man. He's the one that wants to go out there and dunk on everybody, like he's been doing. I'm not going to feel sorry for him. He is the biggest man in the world and he's worried about guys flopping? That is kind of crazy, you know. One flop? I only got one flop? Besides that, who wouldn't flop against Shaq? But for the most part, Bill Walton and Bill Laimbeer and Charles Barkley would be proud of how I went head-to-head with him. Especially Charles Barkley. You know what I'm saying? For the most part I was in there battling with him. I am going to play hard. It ain't going to be no different on Sunday. We are going to do the same thing, and it is going to be the same results. We are going to win the game if we play hard. I am going to try to stay focused like I was in Miami. It's no easy thing. It's a work in progress for me. But if I stay focused, it's like David and Goliath, I win again."

SHAQ: "He upset me. He woke me up. You don't want to awaken me."

FORTSON: "He's just another big lug, as far as I'm concerned, that I've got to push around."

SHAQ: "You can't get into my head. I've been through it all. You learn through experience and you adapt to certain situations. I've been through the changing of the rules, the changing of the defenses. But you can't get into my head. It's locked, sealed, super-glued shut."

As the game ended in yet another Seattle Super Sonics victory over the Miami Heat…..Shaq did something odd. He sought out Fortson and gave him a hug.

Imagine if he did that to Kobe.

Moon Over Green Bay

            
"AFROS" stands for "America's Finest Receivers On Sunday"

Randy Moss caught a TD pass that pretty much put THE nail in the coffin of the Green Bay Packers season. He then ran over to the goalpost, mocked pulling his pants down and mooning the crowd. He then wiped his butt on the goalpost.

I was watching this in the break room at work. To be honest…we were all rolling. Some loud laughs…some snickers….some chuckles. But no one was outraged. Of course, when I got home…..I saw the controversy surrounding the incident [which was quite obvious]. I go to work today….and the same people that were laughing about it were all the sudden calling out Moss for making the “offensive action”. Please. You are only offended because you are told you should be.

I’m told how I am supposed to feel about things from the TV now. Sure, to some, I’m sure it was. Not everyone is down with self promotion in celebrations in sport.

The funniest thing about this whole incident is Joe Buck’s comments of how “disgusting” it was and how it didn’t deserve any air time on that network.

WHOA!

This is Fox we are talking about, right?? Didn’t this network bring us Temptation Island…a show that puts couples on an island and basically throws adultery at them?? Or Joe Millionaire….where a guy lies about his mad cheese in order to “test out“ a new mate?? Or A Simple Life where Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton skank their way around the country??? Or The Swan…where they carve up an ugly girl and make her into a Barbie?? Didn’t Fox pretty much invent scandalous television??

I like Buck and his talents. He is one of the top baseball play by play men in the biz. He’s darn good on football as well. But, c’mon Joe! Fox is even coming out with FOX REALITY CHANNEL!!! And Fox has some blame here. If you watched the game…you’ll see that the Fox cameras stuck on Moss every second after he caught the TD. No quick shot to Culpepper who threw it. No quick shot to Mike Tice celebrating. No quick shot to the Packer sideline in pain. Nope…keep it on Moss because people in break rooms and living rooms around to country are wondering why he’s so eager to get out of the hug he was receiving in the end zone.

Certain outlets won’t show the replay [all of my local news stations in Cincinnati did]. Some won’t post pictures of it. Yet, everyone is weighing in with their opinions…..including little ol’ me.

Now….was it dumb? Yes. Was it out of line?? Sure. Should he get fined? Most likely. Was it in poor taste? Sure. Was it offensive?? Not to me. And don’t give me any “but the kids” crap…because kids learn mooning after the first day of school. It won’t be the downfall of civilization. I mean, we’ve gotten over “Cell Phone-gate” and “Sharpie-gate” already.

     

SPORTZ DIVISIONAL BREAKDOWN

Of the eight teams that won division titles….only five remain. And four of those haven’t played a game yet.

For the first time in NFL history…an 8-8 team won a playoff game. UH…make that TWO 8-8 teams that won playoff games.

And of all the nice things we seen this weekend....four teams....the Eagles, Falcons, Steelers and Patriots....all sat at home, watched the games while resting up.  And that is big.  Of the last 28 teams that had a first round bye....22 of them went on to win and advance to the conference finals.  Mind you, though...of the 6 teams that pulled upsets in this round....two happened last year.  The Carolina Panthers [in St. Louis] and Indianapolis Colts [in KC].   And FOUR of those 6 teams went on to the Super Bowl ['97 Broncos, '99 Titans, '00 Ravens, '03 Panthers] with the Ravens and Broncos winning the thing.

So let’s see what the 2004 DIVISION ROUND has in store, eh?

        

JETS AT STEELERS

The Jets went into San Diego and stunned the Chargers on Saturday. So why not go into Pittsburgh and do the same?? Well, the Steelers are a tad different team. They are balanced as a team. They play well on run and pass defense. On offense, they have a very solid ground game and passing attack. So how do you beat them?? Put pressure on Big Ben, who is making his first ever playoff start. Force him to make mistakes…something he has done well this season limiting. Also, the Jets must be able to move the ball themselves and not get far behind. If Pennington has to win the game with his arm….the Steelers have them right where they want him. That is a lot the Jets must do to stay alive in the playoffs. All Pittsburgh must do is just be themselves. Steelers 20-13.

        

RAMS AT FALCONS

Interesting game. The Rams are as dangerous as any team left…since they have no conscience offensively. They are much more advanced offensively than Atlanta….and should be able to do some things against that defense. BUT, Jim Mora saw a lot of this Rams offense when he was a coordinator in San Francisco. So if there is anyone qualified to deal with this….it is him. There is no way to plan for Michael Vick…and the Rams defense will have a problem dealing with him. So…the key to this game is who can put pressure on the QB. Can the Rams force Mike Vick to hurry his passes, yet limit his rushing yards? Can the Falcons disrupt Marc Bulger and the Rams timing? The Falcons Rod Coleman, to me, will have a big game and you’ll hear his name a lot on Saturday. And Bulger will be seeing him in his sleep. Falcons 23-14

                  

VIKINGS AT EAGLES

These two teams met early in the season on a Monday night game. In a star studded affair…the Eagles escaped with the win. This game has a lot of interesting questions around it. Can the Vikings repeat their performance from Green Bay?? Or will they revert back to the team that lost to Washington? How will the Eagles respond in the first game that has meant something to them in over a month? I mean, they haven’t played a tough game that they needed to win since Week 9...and they were blown out in Pittsburgh. So…my prediction. Picking the Vikings to win intrigues me…who but Westbrook can score for Philly….but I just think that Eagles defense is too strong for them. They have the best secondary in the NFL…and can hold their own against Moss, Robinson, Burleson and company. They can put pressure on Culpepper and force him to make hurried throws. Eagles get to their fourth straight NFC title game…17-10

             

COLTS AT PATRIOTS

The game of the week has to be in Foxboro. The defending champions hosting the hottest offense and the hottest player in the league. It is a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship game…and arematch of the season’s kickoff game in Week 1. In that game…the Colts played much better, but turned the ball over often, in the red zone, and late in the game. And Mike Vanderjagt missed a FG for the first time in over a year in that game. The biggest keys to this game will be (A) the Patriots patchwork secondary against a Colts receiving corps that has 5-6 guys that can light them up. The Pats won’t have Ty Law…who picked off Manning three times in last years title game. The Pats have been plugging the hole with Troy Brown…but he’s no match for Brendan Stokley, Reggie Wayne…or even the TE Pollard and Clark. The second key (B) will be if the Colts, whose defense has played better of late, can control Corey Dillon and Tom Brady. True, the Pats offense isn’t designed to blow people out of the water….they can put up some points. To me….the (A) factor is too much for the Pats. As much as I respect what New England has done this year…that secondary is too banged up. And what clinches it for me was watching AJ Feely and the horrible Dolphins ability to pass on them a few weeks back. If they can do that…then what can Manning do against them?? Colts 31-21

Lingerie Bowl is Back In '05

 

 

Lingerie Bowl 2005 - Home of the Lingerie Football League (LFL)

 

 

The Lingerie Bowl will be back this year.

Last year the Lingerie Bowl made its debut on Pay Per View during halftime of the Super Bowl…and received pretty good amount of buys as men [especially ones hosting Super Bowl parties] have grown tired of the NFL’s halftime entertainment. Of course, that was before Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” quickly became the national obsession for, well, it is pretty much ongoing.

The format will change this year. Last year, the Lingerie Bowl pitted two teams [the Dream and Euphoria] in scantily clad uniforms playing in an actual tackle football game. There were refs, coaches Eric Dickerson and Lawrence Taylor....the whole nine yards. This year…there will be four teams competing in “football related events”. Basically to ensure the safety of everyone involved…and because that the protective equipment the ladies had to wear were an eye sore to the ooglers who bought the program.

                      

They now have the LA Temptation and the Dallas Desire as, I guess, full time franchises.   Oh...and they'll have competition.  The fine people behind the classy line of "Girls Gone Wild" videos are planning their own, uh, programming. 

Crap like this is not new.  Remember those "Bud Bowls" in the early 1990s?  Other shows like "In Living Color" and "Celebrity Deathmatch" have also tried to lure people who aren't interested in watching an impromptu concert pop off with all the lip synching and horrible cross-hymoginizing of musical genres.

                

Hate it if you must....but there is a lot of money and seriousness [I guess] at stake here.  The Super Bowl is the most watched TV event, usually, and these people know that.  They also know that about 1/3 of the people in front of the TV set watching the Super Bowl probably didn't even know who was playing in the game when the walked in the door.  They are there for the party....the entertainment. 

And depending on where you are....sometimes dictates what you watch.  Maybe a few bars will have the Lingerie Bowl on.  Maybe some other programming.  All I know is that I will not be watching the Paul McCartney halftime show....just as I didn't watch the halftime show last year [yep, I missed the malfunction].  Truth be told...I flipped around the channels and actually was caught up in something on the National Geographic channel, before flipping back to the game and seeing some fake official streak on to the field. 

So, if you want to buy the Lingerie Bowl....feel free.  It is your money they want...and they can have it. 

THE DOUG AND JACKIE VARIETY SHOW!!!

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PLAYOFF TEAM-BY-TEAM LOOK

These are the best of the best [yeah, that even means the Rams and Vikings]. Of the 32 NFL teams that started the year with an eye at the Super Bowl….only 12 now have that shot. In being one of those 12 teams….each team had to done something right to get there. Yet, each team has some sort of question mark that may keep them from hoisting the Lombardi trophy. I’ll throw out some “well….but they” comments out here….neither as my indictment nor my backing of these teams in the playoffs. Enjoy!

ATLANTA FALCONS. Aside from Michael Vick….what exactly is this team? I mean, they got off to a hot start and sailed to an NFC South title and a bye. From what? Vick was noticeably lost at times in the West Coast Offense. So, Mora changed it to maximize Vick’s strengths….aka running. Still…a big hit could quickly end it all for Atlanta. Heck, they’ve had 6 games where they scored less than two touchdowns. I know this is easier said than done….but if you hold down Vick, you’ve held down the Falcons.

DENVER BRONCOS. It will all come down to Jake Plummer. Jake The Snake can look like John Elway one minute….and Ryan Leaf the next. He can pass you into and then out of games quickly. I mean…he can have big time passing yards….and also have 4 picks. Not what you want out of a playoff quarterback. Also, Denver needs consistency from its running backs. Be it injuries or fumble-it is….it is hard to figure out what you are going to get from that backfield. Oh yeah….and the Colts saw what the Broncos had to offer last week.

GREEN BAY PACKERS. So when is Brett Favre supposed to suck?? Sure, he makes those wild mistakes….but he can still make virtually any throw out there. He can move a team up and down the field and has the horses on offense to do so. But, like Plummer….he can make a horrible throw that takes you out of the game. Remember last year’s playoffs. Favre should be fine against Minnesota….but Philly?? Atlanta?? Still, it is hard to count out the Packers against those teams.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS. Yes…that offense has Manning, James, Harrison, Stokley and Wayne. But we all know that defense wins championships. You don’t NEED a dominant one…but at least one that can hold teams down. Statistically…the Colts don’t have that. They’ve played better as the season went along…but now they’ll be dealing with the best of the best in the NFL. Not to mention the Colts will be facing tougher defenses that Manning can’t just torch at freewill….which would force opponents to be one-dimensional offensively. And speaking of Manning….how will that offense fair in the elements of Foxboro or Pittsburgh? Especially with rumors of snowstorms looming. To the Colts credit…the have played the Pats, Packers, Vikings, Chargers and Broncos already this year. Too bad all of them put up some big point totals against them.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS. Hey, this year they lose the last game and still get in. But this team has problems. Randy Moss bolting the game with a few seconds left didn’t look good. The team’s flailing as the season wound down doesn’t look good either. Neither does receivers dropping passes or a suspect running game or a porous defense that let those sad Skins march all over on them. Playoff-esque?? No. And they get Green Bay up front. Great. The Vikes have a recent history of not being able to win games in non-domes. Odd for a northern team. Sure, with Moss and Culpepper…they bring mismatches right to the forefront. But, if you can get them frustrated….you’ve got them where you want them.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS. They are the Defending Champs and have two Super Bowl rings in the past 3 years. Only the St. Louis Rams, as a team, have any Super Bowl experience among the playoff participants….and that was with Kurt Warner. They play at cold Gillette Stadium…which will help them against the Colts or Chargers. However…they’ll have to play the AFC title tilt in Pittsburgh if all goes according to plan. On paper…this should be a better offensive Pats team with Corey Dillon in the backfield. Defensively, however, the team has some injury issues to deal with….mainly in the secondary. That’s not a good thing when you are staring at the Colts in the first playoff game. Heck, Miami exploited it.

NEW YORK JETS. In theory….the Jets are the most battle tested against playoff teams. They’ve played a team from these playoffs in their last 4 games [Steelers, Seahawks, Patriots, Rams]. They only won one of those games. They did go into San Diego and win….but that was on September 19. They’ll be back in San Diego…which is fine with Chad Pennington who’s dealing with media issues in New York. Those issues stem from questions about him being able to win a big game. Well…here is your chance, Chad. Try to resurrect that offense that has been stagnant of late.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES. Sad. This team was cruising along in the horrible NFC to basically skating to the Super Bowl. Then Owens gets hurt. Still…the Eagles must be the favorite to win the NFC. But, winning the big game will be dependant on if McNabb can hook up with those “sorry receivers” they’ve had over the past few years and were the excuses behind why they didn’t finish the job. Speaking of that….THREE straight NFC Championship game losses will be rammed into their heads until they actually do advance to Jacksonville.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS. They became just the fourth team to finish with a 15-1 mark. The road to the Super Bowl goes thru them…..but they have lost AFC title games in Pittsburgh before….recently in 1995, 1998 and 2002. True….Big Ben is a rookie and this is quite a different stage. But, he faced the mighty Patriots and Eagles and handed both of them losses. Another knock people may have is the toughness of their schedule. They did beat Philly and New England….both at home. They also beat the Jets….at home. But those were only current playoff teams that the Steelers have played all year. Their toughest road game…arguably at Baltimore….they lost.

ST. LOUIS RAMS. This team defies NFL convention. They turn the ball over WAAAAY too much. They pretty much have a 2-to-1 pass/run ratio. They’ll run trick plays at the wrong possible time. And coach Mike Martz is cocky enough to not care about doing it in a crunch situation. But, is any other wildcard team scarier than the Rams?? They can put up some points…and at times defend. The problem is that unless they meet the Vikings in the playoffs….they won’t get to show off that Greatest Show On Turf bonanza. Well….they could play in the Georgia Dome against the Falcons. But, that offense could get stagnant in Green Bay or Philly.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS. The odd thing about being the surprise team of the year is that no one knows how you got that good. Can Drew Brees continue his air assault? Can that defense stiffen up against these tough offenses? Can San Diego win outside sunny So Cal? Of their 8 road games…3 were in domes, and only one was in the cold….that blizzard in Cleveland [which they won]. The Chargers secondary will have to deal with some awesome receivers in the playoffs….and they led the league in passing penalties [interference, contact].

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS. This franchise has some issues. They were the trendy Super Bowl pick in September…only to limp into an NFC West title and a playoff birth. They were a two-point conversion from a back-up squad away from playing this game IN St.Louis instead of just against them. The defense has been devastated by injuries…and has been gobbled up by other NFL teams. Especially the Rams…who Seattle plays this weekend. Add to that the fact that Koren Robinson’s hands must be made out of stone…..or roids. This whole stupid Shaun Alexander 1-yard whine has really put the team in a bad light. Oh, and this team is the greatest choke artists left in the playoffs.

REDSKIN REVIEW

Well….after a grand 6-10 record [hey we actually improved!!]….it is time to analyze.

                           
          Joe Gibbs in now one year into his second term at the second highest office in Washington

Friday will mark the one year anniversary of Joe Gibbs being re-hired as head coach. In that year…there has been some good….and some bad. Some were seen…some went unseen. The most seen good thing was the dominance of our National Defense. A unit that has seen 5 difference defensive coordinators in the last 5 years finally gelled. And that was pretty much without LaVarr Arrington for most of the season. We brought in some great additions like Grffin, Barrow, Springs and Washington [unlike those Deions and Bruces of past Snyder years]. We pressured…we stuffed….and we played hard despite the offensive inabilities. Defensive coordinator Greg Williams may ultimately be the MVP of the team.

                                 
                                   Chris Cooley celebrates a TD

The draft was a pretty good thing. Sean Taylor is a stud! To be a safety in a blitzing defense is tough….and Taylor did quite well. I guess it was good we didn’t go after Winslow, huh?? Chris Cooley was quite effective as an H-back. Blocked well….and was quite effective as a redzone option.

Despite our record….we were never really blown out. We stuck with Philly [twice] and Pittsburgh. We really could have won those games against the Ravens, Giants, both Cowboys games and Packers. If we actually could finish any of those games…..we’d be 11-5 and looking at a playoff birth. If we even closed half of them….we’d be in that 8-8 fight for the playoffs.

                              
                                      Will Ramsey remain the Skins starter in '05?

Which brings me to the bad. Offense. We scored just 240 points this season. BAD! Mark Brunell…a way too high priced free agent…was a complete bust. And we kept him in too long before handing the keys back to Patrick Ramsey. Still, Gibbs couldn’t run his kind of passing attack…as we had no deep theats [no Ricky Sanders]…just Spurrier’s short plunk guys. With no passing game…Clinton Portis wasn’t as effective. He gained some yards…but as fantasy players will tell you, he was never really sniffed the end zone.

                                     

The 700-man coaching staff had their issues early. We had problems getting plays into the QB with that “new fangled” QB-earpiece. We challenged obvious plays and didn’t challenge the ones we should’ve. And we had a few times where we ran out of time at the end of the game. We committed too many penalties [many of them delay of games] and made some really dumb decisions.

There won’t be the normal Redskin off season signing party. The opposite may be true. Fred Smoot may be gone due to his asking price. So may Chris Samuels and Rod Gardner. With the #9 pick in the draft…they may look to add some OL or WR help [Braylan Edwards, anyone?]….which means more guys canned. The team is staring at some horrible cap issues after next season [2006 and 2007] which may force them to cut guys like Samuels and others [BRUNELL!!!!].

                                 
                          Samuels, if he doesn't take a paycut, may have played his last game in DC

Next year’s schedule is kind of interesting. We, of course, have the Giants, Cowboys and Eagles on the slate….and all have question marks heading into the off season. We get the both the NFC and AFC Wests next year in the rotating play. The NFC West doesn’t have any “power teams”, so to speak. We have the Niners and Seahawks at home. The Niners were 2-14 this year…and Seattle may lose Hasselbeck and Alexander in free agency. The roadies will be against Arizona and St. Louis….the desert and a dome. As far as the AFC West goes…we welcome Norv Turner back [maybe] with Da Raidahs….and Marty Schottenheimer back with the Chargers. Those two pre-Spurrier coaches. We have to go to two tough venues….Mile High and Arrowhead….to face the Broncos and Chiefs. We get to face off against our fellow basement brethren….the Bears [H] and Buccaneers [A] for the second straight year, just in a different place.

So, not a really hard schedule….and with some fine tuning and an idea of what the team looks like….we could make that push which we’ve been predicting for the last 6 years.

USC TROJANS ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!!

                    

It almost looked like a Super Bowl out there!

The USC Trojans are the BCS Champions….and will win their second straight Associated Press Championship [Nebraska last did that a decade ago], marking an end of a great two-season run….or maybe just a continuance of something bigger…of a dynamic era of Trojan pigskin. I guess Auburn will settle for the Golf Digest title.

In a game…that as the last few weeks have gone by….that looked very even on paper, quickly turned into a USC rout when Oklahoma made two huge mistakes and couldn’t hold back the Trojans massive offensive attack.

In the first ever meeting of two Heisman winners, both Jason White and Matt Leinart played pretty well. White’s stats were nice [24 for 36, 244 yds, 2 TD], except in that INT category [3]. Leinart set an Orange Bowl record of 5 TD passes and 342 yards. But White’s bad toss into quadruple coverage in a second quarter that saw Oklahoma meltdown really was the back breaker. Leinart, who became the first Heisman winner to win the National title since Charles Woodson, in the meantime was zipping passes and launching bombs to capitalize on White’s, and others, mistakes.

If I was Matt Leinart….I’d start looking for an agent to represent me in negotiations to be the San Francisco 49ers new QB as the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

                                             

The game turned on a botched punt return in the second quarter. Sooner returner Mark Bradley watched a short punt hit the ground and roll back into his redzone. As Trojans were running to down it….Bradley inexcusably tried to scoop the ball up and run. He instead got popped instantly, which dislodged the ball and was recovered by USC at the Sooner six yard line. The very next play was a TD run by LenDale White. Right after that….White threw that bad pass, which led to Leinart working of freshman CB Marcus Walker…who got smoked on two straight plays [a 3rd and 18.…then on a “oops blitz”] and USC was up 21-7. Another White pick deep in his own territory quickly turned into another TD and USC didn’t look back as they ended the first half with a 38-10 lead.

And just as the Trojans will be celebrating their second straight National Title [this one for dolo]….the Sooners have the wipe themselves off the championship stage for the second straight year. Last season, the Sooners were beaten in the Sugar Bowl [the BCS title game] by LSU 21-14. While the score wasn’t as bad…the Sooners were completely outplayed by the Tigers. All that means, is that Oklahoma has lost 3 of their last 4 Championship games [last year’s Big XII title game and the last two BCS title tilts.

Coming into this game….the Pac-10 was on a downer. Cal was smacked by Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl after whining about not being in the Rose Bowl. UCLA lost to freaking Wyoming. Oregon State and Arizona State did win…but against struggling teams. Actually, aside from that Tech win and a great Rose Bowl victory by Texas…the Big XII didn’t look that great. Stalwart program Nebraska missed the bowl season for the first time since, what, corn was discovered?? Texas A&M was blown out by Tennessee…basically in a home game. Oklahoma State failed to show up against a tarnished Ohio State [and lose their coach to LSU]. Iowa State and Colorado did win….but barely against Miami-OH and UTEP?

But, this game looked to be a classic. Four of the five Heisman finalists were in this game. The last two winners were at QB. Two of the biggest names in college coaching. Two storied programs in a storied bowl. Two excellent sets of college football fans. The City against the Country. The champ against the top contender.

And the Champ did their thing.

Congrats to Trojan Nation!

          

Let's Look Back At My Picks

THE NFL SEASON IS OVER!!!!!!  So, I need to look back at my pre-season picks and see where I went right...and where I went wrong.

AFC EAST CHAMP: New England. They are the defending champs and look much stronger than last year with a better-than-average RB in Corey Dillon. Everyone else in the division has too many question marks, especially the team that would have been the Pats’ biggest challenger….Miami.  The Jets and Bills have question marks.

The Pats were the champs and I do think they are stronger than last year's 14-2 team. 

AFC NORTH CHAMP: Baltimore. The Ravens could win the division with a 9-7 record. There is no “great’ team in this division. Cincy may again give the Ravens the toughest push….but they’re counting on basically a rookie to do that.  Watch out for Pittsburgh! 

The Ravens underperformed in my opinion and the Steelers soared.  That defense is legit...and they can run the ball down anyone's throat. 

AFC SOUTH CHAMP: Indianapolis. The Colts are just a little bit better than the Titans in my book. Their defense needs to tighten up for them to be Super Bowl bound, however.  Jacksonville has got some talent on offense and have worked on getting their defense better.  Houston should take another step up.

A Colts title...and they were A LOT better than the Titans in everyone's book.  The defense has tighted up some...but I think they need to be a smidge better.  J-ville did step up greatly this year with some big wins.  But that loss to Houston was horrible!

AFC WEST CHAMP: This is tough…but I’ll stay with KC. Denver’s defense is much improved, but their receiving corp isn’t a good as it was a year ago…..and Portis isn’t there anymore either. At least KC has enough on offense to slug it out with teams to make up for their iffy defense.   Ya never know about Da Raidahs. 

I made no mention of San Diego...[but I do later...ugh].  I was completely wrong in this division...which was completely up in the air to begin with. 

NFC EAST CHAMP: Philly. The Eagles are just on a different level than everyone else. They have good coaching [which every team in the division does], experience, and now a playmaker at receiver. If McNabb can avoid a slump…they should win this division fairly easily. Everyone else has too many questions…especially at the QB spot.  The Skins most likely are the biggest hurdle....but that team may need a year to get Gibbs offensive system down.  The Giants will be starting Eli and Dallas may end up giving Henson the nod.

Philly was easily the East champ....with the rest going 6-10.  The Skins may be better next year with a year under the belt with Gibbs.  This year they weren't. 

NFC NORTH CHAMP: Minnesota. Yet, you can’t discount Green Bay. But, if Minny can figure out how to not cave in after Halloween…they’ll be alright. Remember, it did take a miracle play to keep them out of the playoffs to begin with. They have Culpepper and Moss to go with a nice stable of backs.  The Pack do have Favre and Green.....and the Lions are many people's sleeper pick.  The Bears could surprise as well.

The Vikings, again, gave the Packers their division title on a platter.  For as wrong as I was about the AFC West...I did pretty good here.  The Vikes still can't play after Halloween...going 3-7 in their last 10 games.

NFC SOUTH CHAMP: So tough. I’ll pick Carolina. Why? Well, Atlanta’s defense is horrible…but they do have Vick. T-Bay is turning into Oakland…and they lost Sapp and Lynch. N’Awlins should be there…but lack leadership. Carolina is mentally tough, experienced, and still hail the best defense in the NFC.  Carolina pretty much kept their entire NFC Championship team intact.  And now John Fox has confidence in Delhomme's passing ability that he may elect to open it up a little to take the burden off of Davis...who wore down as the season went along. 

The Falcons defense played better than I expected.  Carolina had some horrible injuries, yet still fought back and would have been in the playoffs had they beaten N'Awlins. 

NFC WEST CHAMP: Seattle. That offense has weapons….and their defense is just good enough to keep the Rams at bay. Hasselbeck, Robinson, Jackson and Alexander are scary together.  They should only need to worry about the Rams....but we obviously saw how much faith Martz has in Marc Bulger by not letting him pass in the playoffs.  There should be no worry about the Cards and Niners.

Seattle makes it 4 of 8 division winners I called.  The Cards put a mild worry in the Rams and Hawks....but they pretty much worried themselves. 

AFC SURPRISE TEAM: Jacksonville. If Fred Taylor can stay healthy and Byron Leftwich can build on last year’s lessons as quietly having one of the best rookie QB seasons ever….this team has talent all over the field to get the job done. They do have a rather tough schedule though. 

San Diego gets the nod here, obviously [just wait].  Taylor played alright when healthy...and Leftwich keeps showing me that he could be one heck of a QB in this league.

NFC SURPRISE TEAM: New Orleans. If Aaron Brooks can cut down on the fumbles…they could win the division and go far in the playoffs. McAllister is a stud! If Joe Horn keeps his mind on making the plays and not the celebrations afterwards….this season could be a treat for the Bayou Boys.

They have the talent...they just don't have "it".  They did finish 8-8 in a conference that saw two 8-8 teams make the playoffs.  Atlanta might be my surprise team...but really no one really was too surprising.

AFC DISAPPOINTMENT: Cincinnati. I’m not sold on Rudi Johnson as their #1 back. And the decision to start Carson Palmer this year reeks of upper management.   Also, people downplay how well the Steelers could play with a healthy [and trying to keep his job] Maddox and Duce Staley as the featured back.  Cincy does have weapons....but their offensive core hasn't played together yet. 

Well...Cincy dealt a RB that ended up 3rd in the NFL in rushing and started a rookie QB.  Tough to win like that.  The 8-8 mark isn't bad....but it wasn't what Bengal fans were wanting.

NFC DISAPPOINTMENT: Tampa Bay. With Sapp gone…so are the single blocking schemes for McFarland. And with Lynch gone….so is the fear of receivers going over the middle. Brad Johnson has shown the ability to get himself removed from places after having great seasons. Griese and Simms are sitting there waiting for a shot to take his job. McCardell is holding out….and Galloway is the new Keyshawn.

Tampa was a disappointment....but the Redskins and Cowboys need to fill this slot.  Both teams looked bad under two of the greatest coaches in the game. 

AFC’S WORST TEAM: San Diego. I wanna say Miami with the Ricky Williams retirement…but their defense is still solid. San Diego isn’t. Their receivers are horrible and they will most likely start either a rookie or a 46 yr old at QB. At least they have Tomlinson who may be the best back in the league.  

Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb.  And I really believed that when the season began.  But they had guys step up big.  The AFC's worst team is the Browns...who became a joke late in the year.

NFC’S WORST TEAM: San Francisco. And why did they fire Mariucci?? This mighty franchise has now fired a great coach, cut their Pro Bowl QB [Garcia] and dealt their All Pro wide out [Owens]. Salary cap problems have bitten them on the backside…and they are one of those franchises that NO ONE will take mercy on when playing them.  They were a 7-9 team that lost a bunch of guys...and only got 3 guys in return.  They have young QBs and younger WRs.  And, yes...Arizona will be better than them. 

Good call....but an easy one.

FIRST COACH FIRED: Dave Wannestadt. He held onto his job by a thread in the off season…and with Ricky Williams quitting….he seems to have had the tread already cut. The franchise under minded him by hiring Dan Marino as the main guy…then him quitting due to the flack everyone was getting for the hiring. Dave was relieved of his office duties to concentrate on coaching….so he has no excuses. Also, keep an eye in N’Awlins for Jim Haslett’s noose.

He technically "quit"....but he was canned.

WHO WILL BE IN JACKSONVILLE IN FEBRUARY: New England v Philly. Philly couldn’t possibly lose 4 NFC Title games in a row…..could they? The Pats are just too strong and smart to get past a game Colts team.

Still my pick....and they are both in good position to be there.

 

SPORTZ PLAYOFF PREVIEW

    

RAMS AT SEAHAWKS

They met twice. The Rams won both of them. In the first game, Seattle dominated most of the game…then had a 4th quarter meltdown. In the second meeting…the Rams rushed all over the Hawks. Neither team is particularly good on defense….yet both are pretty good offensive teams. Ahhhhhhhhh…..this is a tough one to pick. It’s so hard to beat a team three times….and St. Louis hasn’t done well on the road [2-6]….but one of those wins was in Seattle. But, the Rams do look a little better lately than Seattle. The Rams had to beat the Eagles and Jets to get in the playoffs. Add to that the fact that Seattle seems to have a distraction in Shaun Alexander’s whining over a yard. HOWEVER…St. Louis does everything un-NFL-like to even get this far. A horrible turnover problem and a non-running attitude. They’ve also have a 6-12 mark on grass over the past three years. I’m going with the Seahawks, 28-24.

      

BRONCOS AT COLTS

Looks a little like 2003 doesn’t it?? Last year, Denver beat Indy late in the regular season….only to get completely smacked in the playoffs 41-10. The same thing should happen again. The Broncos beat the Colts this past Sunday to get into the playoffs….but Indy played a completely vanilla game and their big guys barely played. Denver commits way too many mistakes which isn’t something you want to do when trying to keep Manning off the field. In the battle of horses….a Colt looks better than a Bronco. Colts 35-14

          

VIKINGS AT PACKERS

As a Redskin fan….I got to see the Vikings back into the playoffs. They didn’t look well at all and made a ton of mistakes. Not good when, at the time, they needed to win to get into the playoffs. The Packers are on a nice roll entering the playoffs, which is good. Favre and Culpepper look to make this one heck of a shootout. But, look at the stats…and they’ll show you that the Vikings have only won 2 of their last, like, 24 outdoor games…and the Packers have beaten Minnesota in Green Bay 9 of their last 13 meetings. Packers 31-27

      

JETS AT CHARGERS

Hard to believe that even in their AFL days, these two have never met in the playoffs. The Chargers had a stellar 7-1 record at Qualcomm Stadium. But, that one loss was to the Jets early in the season. The team is a lot different now, winning 9 of 10. This game will matchup two outstanding running backs…the explosive and multi-talented LaDanlian Tomlinson and the ageless rushing champ Curtis Martin. The Chargers have the better passing offense….which includes LT. Chargers 24-17

  

TEAMS AT HOME CHILLING

Despite people not really believing in them totally….the Steelers finished 15-1. The went into Buffalo and beat a team that needed to win to stay in the playoffs. And they did so without Big Ben and most of their starters playing much. Still, many [including me] feel that the Patriots are the favorites. They have the most experience and possibly the best coaching in the NFL. And they can go into Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers despite coming up short early in the year. They did so in 2002 when the won in Pittsburgh for the AFC title and went on to beat the Rams in SB 36. And Bill Cowher’s Steelers have lost two other AFC Title games at home [1995 Chargers, 1998 Broncos]

It can’t be too great to be an Eagles fan right now. They do have home field and they did get a 13-3 record. But, they coming into the playoffs with a 2 game losing streak, they barely won the two games prior to that [Bears, Redskins], the knowledge of losing the past 3 NFC title games….and no Terrell Owens. Granted, Cincy beat up on the Philly backups….but the team hasn’t had a Super Bowl type month. Maybe the Falcons become the third straight NFC South team to go into Philly and leave with a NFC Championship Trophy.   But for a team that a month ago I would have put everything on to at least get to the Super Bowl...they look a little shaky.