This Day In History

The anniversary of the last Super Bowl win for the Green Bay Packers is today.  I love all the highlights, and my personal favorite is seeing Brett Favre run down the field plus all the calls from Jim Irwin, and Max McGee.  Take care and who knows what we'll have on the blog, slow day.

My Thoughts on the Weekend that Was.....(Part Deux)

What a weekend of sports. This is it though. The last great weekend. We had football on Saturday. We had NBA and NHL games that featured terrific match-ups. We had rematches in every single one of the playoff games. Also, we had the largest amount of trash-talking this season and probably in the last four or five years. After this weekend, the slow decline to only baseball starts. It's sad but C'est la vie.



The weekend started at Mongolian Grill in Bayshore Mall watching the Ravens-Steelers game. To be honest, I got bored watching the game. My friend Colin and I were entertained with the follies video that was on NFL network directly beside the football game. The thoughts that I had watching the end of the game were as follows: (1)Pittsburgh and Baltimore have great, opportunistic defenses and (2) Joe Flacco should not be mentioned in the "great quarterbacks today argument." Three turnovers on your side of the field will absolutely kill you. The Ravens had 3. The Steelers had 1. All four turnovers ended with touchdowns. Joe Flacco has a great arm. He is poised and large in the pocket. But, he can't complete the accurate passes that are necessary in the playoffs. I like Joe Flacco a lot, but I would spend the whole off season throwing those 15-20 yard tier 2 passes that he constantly overthrows for interceptions.

The Packers-Falcons game I will skip for now.

The Seahawks-Bears game was exactly what I thought it would be. The Bears have a great defense that feeds off the cold weather and a more than not aggressive opponent. Pete Carroll is lucky he never had to play a game in the snow with USC because he didn't know how to coach this game. The Bears were physical in the run game and Cutler managed the game effectively. Greg Olsen played a great game and finally proved to be the match-up problem that he was supposed to be early in his career. The NFC Championship game will be an excellent contest of bitter rivals, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Rex Ryan deserves all the credit in the world for the win in the Jets-Patriots game. He recognized what your esteemed blogger recognized: if you stop the 0-10 yard throw from Tom Brady, the Patriots offense is ineffective. The Browns stopped the Patriots earlier in the season, and Eric Mangini stated how to beat the Patriots which, coincidentally, is exactly what I have been preaching the last 8 weeks. Brady wasn't used to looking past his first read 5 yards down field, and that is why the Jets got sacks, and Brady looked confused until 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter. This is the first time that the Patriots really missed Randy Moss. Mark Sanchez had a helluva game. He completed "Manning-like" accurate passes to Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards. With the strong running game and Sanchez playing at an elite level, I think the Jets may finally get to the Super Bowl again.

The Packers-Falcons game was absolutely awesome to watch. Awesome is an over-used word in our society, but that is the only way I can describe it. Aaron Rodgers had the best game of the season (I won't say of his career because last year against Arizona was the best game). The run game wasn't there early but Rodgers made the big 3rd and 3, 3rd and 4 conversions that the Patriots and Colts couldn't make in their playoff losses. The Packers defense deserves all the credit in the world as well. I told my friend Colin at the beginning of the game, if they shut down Michael Turner, the Packers will win this game by 20. Apparently I was wrong. B.J. Raji is unbelievable in the middle. Tramon Williams, and yes Charlie, Sam Shields were terrific. This defense will need to step it up again on the run defense against the Bears. Watching the game with a die hard Bears fan was a mistake; however, I've already decided that Eau Claire is probably the best destination to watch the NFC Championship game. We will break the curse of Eau Claire for Packers NFC Championship games (more to come later).

Here's a few more tidbits from the weekend that was:
1. The pass to set-up the run strategy was at full force again this week. The Bears, Jets, and Packers all used it to tremendous success.

2. Aaron Rodgers should be in the Pro-Bowl. Tramon Williams possibly as well, but Rodgers getting snubbed by Brees and Matty Ice is absurd.

3. I was shocked to learn that this was the first time Jay Cutler has had a winning season since high school. He had a great first playoff game. The only question is whether it was because of Seattle being a terrible team. I think he will play well next weekend because he wants to compete with his friend and nemesis Rodgers.

4. Bill Belichick's decision to sit Wes Wlker did not sit well with me at all. I feel like Belichick dismissed his wide receiver for a momentary, albeit hilarious slip of the tongue. My thought on the matter is you will never see Rex Ryan sit down Antonio Cromartie or Bart Scott for speaking rashly. The Patriots could have used Welker on their first drive seeing as Brady threw his first interception in 219384739 attempts on it (not that he wouldn't have thrown it otherwise). I just think it was an overreaction.

5. The Miami Heat are the Cleveland Cavaliers 2011. Dwyane Wade is the only difference. Without Lebron James this weekend, the Heat showed that they have no identity on offense and defense. They lacked character against the Bulls, and when the Bulls made their runs with Derrick Rose, the Heat allowed them easy baskets and uncontested jumpers. I think that the Heat are probably a year away from being sheer dominant. I still think they can win the championship, but their overall dominance has yet to been reached.

The Divisional Picks.

This could be one of the better divisional rounds with all four rematches from the regular seasons, and two games with hated rivals. I will be missing Sunday games with work, which leads me to my first DVR football day.  I will probably know who wins before the games end, but that's okay.  Here you go with the picks. 

Saturday 

Baltimore at Pittsburgh- In my opinion, this is the best rivalry in the NFL because these teams hate each other, but still have respect for one another. The Ravens impressed me with their beatdown of the Kansas City Chiefs after trailing 7-3 at halftime. The big news today though was Ray Rice caught the stomach virus, which could be a factor and we all know the flu sucks. It will be interesting to see if Rice plays or even contributes. I still don't trust Joe Flacco as much as I do with Ben Roethlisberger.   

People forget how good Big Ben is in the playoffs.  He has two Super Bowl rings already, and has a true deep threat in Mike Wallace.  The Ravens aren't that great against the pass, and I am willing to bet Wallace has at least one touchdown.  The one that pulls me towards the Ravens is the weak Pittsburgh cornerbacks. Bryant McFadden gets picked on all the time, and Anquan Boldin had two pretty solid games against the Steel Curtain.  I am torn on this one, and when that happens, you take the home team by three. PITT 23-20 (OT)  

Green Bay at Atlanta- The Packers are receiving a lot of hype in the last week as they were with Philadelphia but it still scares me.  A must for the Packers is to come out and hit the Falcons in the mouth in the first quarter. The Falcons haven't played a meaningful game since New Orleans further you can argue that game still didn't matter much because they knew Carolina was up next.  This leads us to their last important game on Thanksgiving weekend against The Pack.  If the Packers have a solid first quarter say a 10-0 lead or like a 14-3, this will be a Packer victory.  

Atlanta is a very good team when they have the lead.  They are not built as a quick strike offense that can score touchdowns at will. The Dirty Birds need to ride Michael Turner and long exhausting drives to win this game. In no way can Matt Ryan carry this team throughout the game.  For some reason ESPN fails to mention... Matt Ryan hasn't won a playoff game! Granted, it's just one game but that's the same thing with Aaron Rodgers but whatever. The Falcons are very poor against the pass and every good quarterback has done very successful against them. The Packer offensive line will be the key to this game, if they are great this could be a rout.  But it's a road playoff game so you expect to be close, and that's what I see.  GB 27-21  

Sunday 

Seattle at Chicago- I cannot believe people are buying the Seattle hype. I know this is Jay Culter's first playoff game, which scares me than becoming a part of the Human Centipede. I will be interested to see how he handles himself, but trust me, he will do enough to beat Seattle.  Here's the thing, the Hawks do have the momentum, but they went 2-6 on the road. In addition, Matt Hasselback looked the best he has in three years last week against a weak New Orleans secondary. Not to pile it on like my name is Clay Bennett, but Marshawn Lynch will not do anything against the second-best rush defense. They have four of the best tacklers in the front seven.     

Now that I am on fire like Reggie Miller at MSG, you mean to tell me that Russell Okung, the rookie left tackle has to stop Julius Peppers?! Child please.  I have a feeling we see Clipboard Jesus by the third quarter. To finish off why the Bears will win by large margin, the Seahawks are in the bottom tier at stopping the run and Matt Forte, if Mike Martz allows it, will run wild. The Saints weren't able to balance the run and pass leading to their defeat. The Bears will do it and win handily.  CHI 31-10

New York Jets at New England- People are pumped about this one because the consistent shit talking going on throughout the week.  While the Ravens-Steelers let their play do the talking, the Jets-Pats do not carry that same credence. If I am the Jets, I will take the Packers game plan from a couple of weeks ago. Just use their running game as much as possible, and try to control the clock to keep Tom Brady off the field.  But I keep coming back to Mark Sanchez's noodle arm.  I tweeted last week "Mark Sanchez blows" and "Glad to see the Jets figured out Sanchez has a noodle arm."  He isn't okay, I really think he is hurt. 

Another quick prediction is that Brady will go over the top on Antonio Cromartie in the first five plays of the game and if it's a touchdown, the rout could be on. Most people think this will be a blowout, but I honestly see a close game to the very end with Brady leading a last second drive for the win over Cromartie.  NE 31-28  

-Charlie.

Well That's That.......Patriots Win.

Antonio Cromartie just lost the New York Jets the divisional playoff game this Sunday. When asked about Tom Brady, Cromartie first called him an asshole. He then proceeded to say that he "doesn't give a damn about him," citing instead that he plays against the wide receivers, not Brady. When asked how he can feel that way seeing how Brady is throwing passes to those wide receivers, Cromartie responds, "yeah, but if I beat the [expletive] out of the receivers, he can't throw to them."

The best quote was when Cromartie was asked whether Brady tried to how him up on the field. Cromartie responds, "Oh no, he knows better."

WOW. Game over. Now I think my opinion on Tom Brady has been made perfectly clear, but he still is a great quarterback with an element of clutch and a sense of the moment that exceeds most other quarterback in the playoffs. Antonio Cromartie almost gave up the playoffs for the Jets in Saturday's playoff game. Peyton Manning dissected him with Pierre Garcon. Tom Brady with Wes Welker and Deion Branch will absolutely destroy Cromartie.

Make no doubt about it, the evil emperor hoodie is now going to devise a game plan that will expose and embarrass Cromartie. My prediction is that Cromartie gets burned for at least 2 touchdowns. Brady should run up to him and spike the ball in his face, and I will not fault him in the least.

Mike Greenberg's reaction on Mike and Mike in the Morning was absolutely perfect. After reading out Cromartie's quotes, Greenberg said, "Oh God (shudder), Shut up! Shut up!" I nearly snotted out my coffee laughing out loud. It's too bad, but I think Cromartie just handed Tom Brady and the evil emperor hoodie motivation that ultimately ruins any chance of an upset.

Put Up or Shut Up For Rex Ryan

Rex looks like he is asking for a GD snack

I am big Rex Ryan fan.  I liked the way he conducted his team during the Hard Knocks special on HBO on the New York Jets. I also enjoy the opposite of Ryan in Bill Belichick.  I respect how smart of a coach he is and who knows if there will be another like him.  Therefore setting the scene for Sunday afternoon's AFC East battle between the Jets and the New England Patriots is the head coaches, not the players.

 Ryan gives Belichick his deserved credit. He always gushes over the Grand Master Hoodie like a young brother looks up to his old brother. Despite the love and affection, he still bashes his star player Tom Brady.  The Jets want to take throne from the Patriots, there is no doubt about that, and the first step would be to win this weekend.



I like that Ryan defends and loves his team.  Ryan tries to make it about himself and not his players therefore when the Jets lose, the media bashes him instead of guys like Mark Sanchez or Darrelle Revis. But it boggles my mind why he still takes shots at Brady and Belichick?  Here's what Ryan said via ESPN

 "This is about Bill Belichick versus Rex Ryan," Ryan said, addressing the upcoming showdown in Foxborough, Mass., for the first time. "There's no question, it's personal. It's about him against myself. That's what it's going to come down to."

Ryan also added that the players and assistant coaches are even in this battle. Which I don't think is entirely true as two evenly-matched teams do not have 45-3 results. Now, the Jets head back into the Foxborough with a chip on their shoulder, but will that be enough? If I am Jets fan, I worry that Ryan will overthink himself trying to 'beat' Belichick and forget key aspects of his game plan. I will talk more about the game on Saturday when I give my predictions for the weekend.   

I like the saying 'dont poke the bear'. Ryan is poking the favorite bear in the Pats, and who knows if you will incite a riot because of your choice words. If Ryan loses this one, the shit talk to Brady and Belichick has to stop.  Once Ryan takes down the Pats when it matters the most or finds himself in a Super Bowl, he can talk a little more. But right now, he is just a smart defensive mind that I would like to have a beer with, nothing more, nothing else.

-Charlie.

End Of The Line

For most American sports fans, July 16th is not an especially important day on the sports calendar. There is some baseball, but the pennant races haven't heated up yet. The NBA free agency period has run out of steam. There is Fed Cup tennis...but the USA has already been eliminated, so the small number of people that cared just got even smaller. So why should you care about today?

You should if you are an NFL fan.

Today is the deadline for players that have been franchised to either sign long-term deals with their club or be stuck with their franchise tender. In a nutshell, for the two prominent players who are threatening to hold out until the 10th week of the NFL season (Lance Briggs and Asante Samuel) today is the do or die day. If Briggs and Samuel are not able to come to terms with the Bears and Patriots respectively, they will be set on a path to self destruction. Because really, what does a ten week hold out accomplish? If a player does hold out, he loses ten weeks of checks and also gets fined for missing training camp. ($14,000 a day in case you were wondering) So why not just play the year out, get a fat paycheck, and then look to hit free agency the next year? It really boggles my mind.

Here is a look at where Briggs and Samuel stand this morning, with the 4:00 P.M. ET deadline looming:

Asante Samuel
From the Boston Globe:

Barring an unexpected turn, the Patriots and cornerback Asante Samuel will not reach a long-term contract agreement before today's 4 p.m. deadline for franchise players. The Patriots have not increased their most recent offer, according to a source directly involved in negotiations.

Samuel is seeking a deal from the Patriots in the neighborhood of the 8 year, $80 million contract that Nate Clements signed with the San Francisco 49ers earlier this offseason. Never mind the fact that Clements is a two time Pro Bowler and Samuel has yet to get there even once. Now lets compare Samuel to another corner, the Bears Nathan Vasher. Vasher is 25 years old, has 16 career interceptions in three seasons, and has been named to one Pro Bowl. Samuel is 26, has 16 career interceptions in four seasons, and has no Pro Bowl appearences to his credit. So Vasher would seem to be the better corner, correct? Now take into consideration the fact that Vasher recently signed an extension with the Bears for 5 years and $28 million. ($5.6 million a year) So why exactly is Samuel throwing a fit about taking a one year, $7.79 million deal from the Pats? It seems to me that he would be getting the better end in such a deal based on his actual market value.

Lance Briggs:
From the Chicago Tribune:

If no deal is completed -- and little progress has been evident since last year -- NFL rules stipulate that the only deal Briggs can sign is the franchise-tag tender offer of $7.2 million for 2007.

Briggs does have a better case than Samuel to be upset. The two time Pro Bowler is arguably one of the top outside linebackers in the NFL, and wishes to be paid as such. Briggs has taken a hard line stance with the Bears, going so far as to declare that he had played his last game for the organization. The situation was further complicated when the Redskins tried to horn in and trade for Briggs, offering their first round pick and agreeing in principle to a long term that would have paid Briggs $7.5 million a year with $20 million guaranteed. The Bears refused the trade offer, but now that Briggs has seen that other teams are indeed willing to give him a monster contract the prospects of reaching a deal with the Bears before 4:00 P.M. today are slim to none.