December 29th, 2009 by Ashesh Champaneria
For those of you who looked at the 13 and 0 Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints and 11 and 1 Minnesota Vikings and claimed NFL parody was dead, not so fast my friends! The NFL playoff picture is a wild ride as we go into Week 17 with only one seed set in the NFC race and with multiple 8 win teams battling for the two AFC wild card slots. In addition, three games this week, the Eagles-Cowboys, Cardinals-Packers and Jets-Bengals could be preludes to first round playoff match-ups.
Adding to the mess, the only team that had their division sewn up weeks ago, the mighty Indianapolis Colts (who pundits are ranking as only the second best team in the AFC despite their 14-1 record), did the unspeakable and took out their players in the 3rd quarter of an eventual 29-15 loss to the New York Jets. Fans in Denver, Pittsburgh and Houston are screaming foul as the Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell pulled his starters while sporting a 15-10 lead and let the Jets waltz to a win, an 8 and 7 record and the inside track to one of the AFC Wild Card slots. Are they right?
In other sports, it’s a time honored tradition to try to play spoiler and send teams spinning out of the playoffs. Only in football, where injuries are so prevalent, is it acceptable (to some…) to lay down and protect your starters for your own playoff run. My thought is hey, protect your own, even if it means someone else will suffer for it. Football teams only get 16 games and if you want a playoff spot, earn it. I was a little unhappy with Caldwell’s call as the Colts were going for History as well, but I agree, the most important thing is to win the Superbowl. Or do you think the Patriots were really satisfied with their 18 and 1 record two years ago???
Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Jim Caldwell, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles
Posted in Football, NFL | 2 Comments »
December 14th, 2009 by Ashesh Champaneria
In between taking swipes at Tiger Woods and his nine, I mean eleven, man is it up to an even dozen women?!?, pundits are expounding on the annual December swoon that descends upon the Dallas Cowboys. Swoon, shwoon; I’m not buying it at all! Last season the Cowboys went 1-3 in December, horrible right? Of course all four of the teams they played were playoff teams and three made their respective Conference Championships. This year the Boys are oh and 2 losing to the New York Giants in the Meadowlands and the San Diego Chargers yesterday. Both teams were expected to contend this year and the Chargers are riding an eight game winning streak. On the horizon for the Cowboys are the 13 and oh New Orleans Saints in the Superdome which doesn’t look real good for the Cowboys either. Long story short, I look at the schedule the Cowboys are playing and don’t buy into the swoon theory.
Where I place the blame is on the coaching staff and Head Coach Wade Phillips. In four of the five Cowboy losses, the team lost by seven points or less; true that is indicative of most NFL games but what is says to me is that the Cowboys can not close out quality opponents in close games. The field goal kicker is four of ten from over 40 yards which is pathetic. Why does Wade put up with that??? Bill Parcells canned Mike Vanderjagt when he missed a few kicks and he was the most accurate kicker of all time! Wade Phillips can’t pull the trigger on the hard decisions and it is time to cut him loose. With coaching candidates like Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan and Bill Cowher on the radar screen, Wade Phillips is a liability to say the least! And oh by the way, send Jason Garrett packing with him…
Tags: Bill Cowher, Bill Parcells, Dallas Cowboys, Jason Garrett, Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan, Mike Vanderjagt, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, San Diego Chargers, Superdome, Tiger Woods, Wade Phillips
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October 27th, 2009 by Ashesh Champaneria
With the October Classic upon us, its time for SCL’s Fresh Take, ala Baseball! It’s fitting that the New York Yankees with their 26 Championships and the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies square off in the World Series; on the flip side, how bad is it to be a Cleveland Indians fan? Past Indian pitchers CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee square off in Game One of the Series, while Indians fans get to wonder what if. Not to mention, if you add in the Championship rounds with Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez and Charlie Manuel, it looked like a Cleveland reunion out there!
The Yankees and Phillies led their respective leagues in runs and home runs and with the right field jet stream in new Yankee Stadium and the short flower beds in Citizens Bank Park, will anyone be surprised if we set an new record for home runs in a World Series this year? The Phillies have 4 guys who hit over thirty home runs while the Yankees counter with 5 who hit more than twenty. Get ready for the shooting gallery!
Is there a cold weather team bias to the World Series now? Everyone talks about the “dog days of summer” and how lousy it is to play in Arlington, TX or Miami, FL in July and August with 100 degree days, but have you noticed that seven of the last ten World Series have been won by cold weather teams? And this year the trend has to continue after Philly and New York spun out the boys from California. As we extend the baseball year later and later, its seems less and less likely to see a team from the South or the West representing their leagues or at least winning the whole thing…
So time for the prediction! It looks like the studs from each team, Ryan Howard and Alex Rodriguez are ready to rumble, but it’s still pitching that wins in the playoffs. Both teams have Aces and Jokers in their rotations, offenses in high gear and this will be a great series to watch. I’m tired about hearing how suspect the Phillies bullpen is, especially after they knocked out the LA Dodgers in five games. I think the Phillies October magic will continue and I’ll take Philadelphia in Six!
Tags: Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Charlie Manuel, Citizens Bank Park, Cleveland Indians, Cliff Lee, Jim Thome, LA Dodgers, Manny Ramirez, New Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan Howard, World Series
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October 21st, 2009 by Ashesh Champaneria
Welcome back Sports Fans, it’s another addition of the SCL Fresh Take! Has the NFL season been a surprise, or what?!? Jockeying back and forth for biggest surprise of the year are the Denver Broncos on the good side and the Tennessee Titans on the bad! The Broncos are 6 and oh and running away with the AFC West after pasting San Diego on Monday. The Chargers are off to their normal weak start and look to be looking up at Bronco butt in the standings for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile the Titans got lathered by Golden Boy Tom Brady and the Patriots who watched Brady throw five TD passes in one quarter on route to a 59-0 laugher! The Titans never showed up for the game and did not want to be playing in the ice and snow in New England. I love Jeff Fisher and will love him even more when he’s coaching Dallas next year… A Fisher firing is on the horizon especially after watching the Titans mail it in game after game this year. On the flip side, Brady continues his reign as the NFL’s favorite and most protected QB. Did you catch the “Roughing” the Passer penalty called when one of the Titans waved his hand in front of Brady’s face? I’m stunned Tom didn’t take a dive to get away…
Two other disappointments showed up on Sunday as the Eagles threw the ball 46 times (88% of their plays) against the Raiders and their 31st ranked run defense. The iggies went down 13 to 9 which led Head Coach Andy Reid to ponder if they should have ran the ball a few more times. The San Diego slow start makes one forget about Philly, but the Eagles always seem to flush home field advantage in the playoffs by blowing games like this and at Cincinnati last year! Meanwhile Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears matched his season total of two fumbles in two successive plays at the goal line Sunday night in Atlanta. The Bears went down 21 to 14 and it looks like Forte will get to go the the Tom Coughlin school of frequent fumblers ; wrap it up Matt!
And that wraps it up for us, stay Fresh!
Tags: Andy Reid, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Jeff Fisher, Matt Forte, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Tom Brady, Tom Coughlin
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October 5th, 2009 by David Haddock
Hey, is that Rocky Balboa I see running through the market of south Philly on his way to the steps of the Philadelphia art museum? No, its Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable honing the street fighting skills he’ll need when he goes to the slammer for assaulting one of his own coaches. I thought this was the NFL, not MMA. This cat may really be going to jail for breaking someone’s jaw. Can you say DYSFUNCTIONAL? Captain Hook, I mean Al Davis, is captaining a pirate ship lost at sea. My oh my!
Okay, let’s get started with some real sports and today’s Fresh Take.
Congratulation to the city of Rio de Janeiro and the country of Brazil for landing the 2016 Summer Olympics games. This will be the first time the summer games have ever been held on the continent of South America. Good for them. Thank God Chicago didn’t get the games as the city would have had to rack up a ton of debt in order to pull these games off. Now I know why President Obama, the First Lady Michelle and the “first lady backup” Oprah Winfrey (aka Okra Winfrey) were on hand for the bid process. Someone said budget overruns and they bolted into action. I know the Obamas were not the first to do so, but when did heads of state anoint themselves as Olympiad apostles and interject themselves into the bid process? Don’t these clowns have bigger fish to fry? Send a Chicago sports legend like Michael Jordan, not “Ms. Dysfunctional daytime T.V.” At least they didn’t send Ellen. Can a brother get an AMEN?
Next! Was that Gisele Bundchen yesterday wearing number twelve for the Patriots? I guess ‘ole Tommy boy needed a day off so he sent his girl to face the Ravens instead. If I’m not mistaken, Tom/Gisele was wearing a chinstrap just like all the other boys were, but complained to the refs about a would-be tackler glancing off his leg. Come on Tom, this is football, not a fashion runway where you only have to worry about getting the heel of your stiletto caught in your dress. Your boy Rodney Harrison even called you down on this one. Okay, the owners are the ones who really created these girly football players, not the other way around. Change the rules and make the quarterbacks play 11 on 11 football and not 7 on 7.
When things aren’t going well, you have to look at the very top and when I look at the very top of the Dallas Cowboys, I only see one person…..Mr. Facelift himself, Jerry Jones. We can all sit back and blame Tony Romo and company (Coaches Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett) but I think Jerry has spent way too much time focusing on the new stadium and not on the boys who score touchdowns. Big mistake J.J. The Cowboys bogged down at Denver’s 8 yard line yesterday as time expired at Mile High Stadium after facing a first and goal from the same position with half a minute left. Four shots at the end zone and you don’t throw one pass toward your best target, Jason Witten? Instead, you throw twice at one of the league’s best cover corners in Champ Bailey. His name is “Champ” for a reason big dog. Stay away from him if you please. Poor play, poor coaching and an overall lack of fire means only one thing in my book……poor leadership.
What has happened to the Houston Oilers, I mean the Tennessee Titans? I said a few weeks ago that this team reminded me more of a Phillip Fulmer coached team from Knoxville and not last year’s 13-3 team from Nashville. Two weeks later, it has gotten even worse. The 0-4 Titans have vowed to stick with quarterback Kerry Collins despite Collins throwing his fifth and sixth INTs of the season. This team has way bigger issues than just the QB position but Collins is not helping his own cause. Is it time to go to Vince Young yet? According to Jeff Fisher, the answer is NO! Good luck with that one coach but at 0-4, you’d better start turning over the right rocks before the season gets away from you.
Hey Ho, Bobby’s gotta go! Hey Ho, Bobby’s gotta go! I can hear the chants in Tallahassee now. The Seminole faithful are getting restless after Bowden’s grid iron squad posted another lackluster performance in their 28-21 loss to Boston College over the weekend. After an impressive three game start, the ‘Noles have hit the skids the last two weeks and have stunk up the joint doing so. Florida State is just another ACC team that has failed miserably to live up to the preseason hype, joining Clemson and North Carolina. Can someone say Mountain West conference as a BCS conference? ACC ain’t getting it done this year.
And that, my friends is what is HOT in sports. Join us again for the next Fresh Take.
Tags: Bobby Bowden, Dallas Cowboys, Florida State, Jerry Jones, NFL, Oakland Raiders, Olympics, President Obama, Tom Brady
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October 1st, 2009 by David Haddock
I see my man A-Rod may have gotten his gal pal pregnant. Rumor has it that Kate Hudson is el pregnido, knocked-up, got a bun in the oven. Way to go A-Rod! Little Ms. Hudson is a smokin’ little number. Of course, this is ONLY a rumor…..just a rumor.
Okay, let’s get started with some real sports and today’s Fresh Take.
Why is Michael Vick the lead story on almost every sports broadcast these days? He’s just gotten out of the Pokey and had not taken an NFL snap in two seasons until last weekend. His fist full of snaps at the Linc on Sunday were not at all impressive going 0-2 in the passing game and adding a few yards rushing to pad his less than gaudy stats. Certainly not numbers to build an NFL franchise around or even masquerade as a true number two NFL QB. Why all the media nonsense? BECAUSE HE JUST GOT OUT OF PRISON. His quarterbacking abilities certainly don’t warrant all the media love but something about prison has all of us hanging on every word. Prison is interesting to all of us who have never been and really don’t ever want to go. Thanks for the lead story Mike.
Sunday, Brett Favre will take on his former team the Green Bay Packers during a Sunday afternoon showdown pitting two NFC Norris Division foes. Who are you pulling for, the renegade, gun-slinging cowboy who wanted it all his way or the stoic NFL franchise looking to turn the page after recognizing diminishing skills? I’ll be pulling for neither because I hate the NFL Norris Division. Go Eagles!
Where-o-where has Joba gone? Where-o-where could he be? Did you like my little jingle? It had to be better than the last hand full of pitching outings attempted by NY Yankees wannabe superstar Joba Chamberlain. Dude, this guy has been so bad, his manager and coaching staff called him down this week and let him know that his post season appearances this year will be slim and nil if he doesn’t tighten up. Two years ago, Chamberlain was the rising superstar in the Yankee organization but after a stint in the bull pen, Joba’s return train ride back to a starting role has fallen off the tracks. Will Joba right the ship before next week so he can be included in the post-season sware’ or will he just accept his mediocrity and grab a spot at the end of the bench?
NFL coaching rumors have heated up already with the Boys and the Skins vying for Mike Holmgren’s services. I love theses stories as they only serve to bait suckers like you and I into reading them. It’s Holmgren to Dallas or DC this week, its Mike Shanahan to Dallas or Carolina next week and its Bill Cowher to any other NFL city the following week. Admit it; we drink the juice because we crave it, got to have it. It’s almost like eating that last piece of New York style Cheesecake with strawberries. We can’t say no. There is no doubt the coaching carousel will be turning at year’s end and maybe even by mid-season, but who really knows this early in the year? Wade Phillips was rumored to be gone at the end of last year but that never happened. Eric Mangenius in Cleveland is rumored to be already out of a job three games into a new four year contract although he took over a disastrous football program. No way, no how. Not going to happen. So let the fun continue for the rest of the year but don’t drink too much of the Kool Aid. You may become a believer.
On a more serious note, 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the tragic and untimely death of Colorado Buffalo quarterback, Sal Aunese. Aunese died at the age of twenty-one from a rare form of stomach cancer that was diagnosed in the Spring before his senior season. A month after the diagnosis, Sal’s girlfriend and daughter of Buffalo coach Bill McCartney, gave birth to the son Sal fathered. By September, Sal’s condition had deteriorated to the point that everyone sensed the end was near. Sal expired on a September Saturday and out of his death, sprung one of the most inspirational and memorable sporting stories of my life. I can remember the letters “SAL” on the sleeves of the Colorado uniforms as the Buffalos navigated their way through the Big 8 and the entire season undefeated and were about to embark on Sal’s greatest football dream…..winning the Orange Bowl. The Buffs hung tough against the Fighting Irish but Notre Dame eventually prevailed, ending the hopes of the Colorado faithful and their dream season. Many of you “fortysomethings” probably remember the story as well. Good for you if you do. Aunese’s son, T.C. is a walk-on quarterback for the LSU Tigers. T.C. had a chance to visit Huskie Stadium this year, where, almost twenty years to the day, his dad’s teammates honored their fallen brother by pointing to the sky during a moment of silence.
And that, my friends is what is HOT in sports. Join us again for the next Fresh Take.
Tags: Brett Favre, Joba Chamberlain, Michael Vick, Mike Holmgren, MLB, NFL, NY Yankees, Sal Aunese
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September 28th, 2009 by David Haddock
Are you ready for some football? Hey, Monday Night Football? Okay, add in a little golf and we’ll have you covered so let’s jump right into today’s SCL’s Fresh Take.
The Detroit Lions got off the schnide yesterday ending an ugly 0 and 19 run through the NFL by beating the hapless Redskins 19-14. Streak over! Nightmare over! Can someone give me an AMEN? Could this win not have come at a better time for the Lions and their beleaguered fan base who have suffered through bad football, an economy that has gone belly-up and an unemployment rate close to 30%? The answer is a resounding NO! Lion Fan has had a tough go at it over the past few years and is the poster child for hard times in America. Too bad President Obama could not figure out a way to steal Detroit Lions stock from the Ford family and give it to the players union like he did with the Big 3 automakers. If any team ever needed a bailout, the Detroit Lions were it.
Tiger and Phil both won on Sunday and took home huge sums of cash for their play at the PGA Tour finale at Eastlake in Atlanta with Woods raking in a cool $10.8MM and Mick a cool $4.2MM. Woods’ payday came from winning the season long Fed Ex Cup point’s race and Lefty’s came from outdistancing Woods and the field by three strokes to win the Tour Championship. The media has built up this Fed Ex Cup race because that it’s job and that is what creates revenue but I’m not sure the Fed Ex Cup is good for the PGA Tour. Lost in all the hoop-la of are the local sponsors who have been the backbone of the tour and supported its golfers for years and years. In the old days, the community hosting that week’s event took the players in and treated them as one of their own. Those days seem to be long gone but should not be forgotten just because our friends in the media have teamed up with Finchy, Tiger and the boys to chase the all mighty dollar.
Finally, an adult has taken charge of a senseless and uncontrolled problem in sports. Texas Tech’s head coach and self proclaimed pirate, Mike Leach laid down the law today concerning his payer’s use of Twitter. No more! Adios Tweetmeisters. Like I said last week, this is just like pulling a drivers license from a teenager who can not make good decisions. One of Leach’s players Tweeted about the coach being late for a meeting and another player Tweeted about the recent loss to Cougar High. Thank you Captain Hook for pulling the plug. ARRGH!
Tony Romo needs to answer the bell tonight. After last week’s abysmal performance during Jerry Jones’ celebrated debut of the new Cowboy Stadium, Romo looks to pick himself up off the mat and come out swinging against the Panthers. By the way, why change the name to Cowboy Stadium? What was wrong with Texas Stadium? Hall of Famer and former Dallas Cowboy Tony Dorsett called Tony down this week about not being a big time player, prompting Jones to come to his QB’s defense. I think TD has it right and JJ is on another witch hunt for someone with an ego big enough to wear that blue star on his helmet. Jerry needs that superstar because his brand and his stadium are all he has for now. Hey Ho! Romo has to go. Hey Ho! Romo has to go.
I don’t know much about motivating people much less professional athletes but I don’t think what Jim Mora did to Olando Mare is going to work. Mare miss two field goals in Seattle’s loss to Chicago Sunday prompting Mora to call down his kicker in front of God and everyone, saying his team works too hard to lose because some kicker misses field goals. We’ll Jim, that is nice and all but since you have such a stellar track record in your short head coaching career and an even more stellar track record in leading young men, I have just one thing to say…..Shut Up! Win yourself some games and then come see me. Provide a good example to some of your young men and then come see me. Until then, handle your nonsense in house as Orlando Mare is a professional knows he missed two kicks he should have made.
And that, my friends is what is HOT or NOT in sports. Join us again for the next SCL’s Fresh Take.
Tags: Cowboy Stadium, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Fed Ex Cup, Mike Leach, NFL, Phil Mickelson, Texas Tech, Tiger Woods, Tony Romo
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September 21st, 2009 by David Haddock
Here we go sports fans, the weekend was jam packed full of lots to talk about, so let’s jump right into today’s SCL’s Fresh Take.
The Milton Bradley experiment has ended on Chicago’s north side in a manner many expected it would. The Cubs suspended Bradley on Sunday for the remainder of the season and as many believe, once and for good. One year into a three year contract looks very bad on Cubs GM Jim Hendry, who may also be shown the door at season’s end considering new ownership and all. How do you sign Bradley to a three year deal considering his volatile past? He’s on his seventh team in ten big league seasons. WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! Were the signs not large enough or loud enough? I bet the warning signs for new Cub ownership won’t be as hard to see or hear come this off-season.
U-Dub! U-Dub! U-Dub! I can still hear the chants from Seattle and I’m on the right coast. The University of Washington football team did the unthinkable on Saturday as they beat the number three ranked visiting Trojans on a last second field goal. Sure, the Trojans were down to a backup quarterback with zero experience but this was NOT supposed to happen. It did and that is why I don’t bet on college football. What a great win for Steve Sarkisian and his newly acquired program. The Trojans will be fine as a freshman quarterback is always worth one or two road losses anyway. This wasn’t to be USC’s year and now it is not. U-Dub! U-Dub! U-Dub! Lovin’ those Huskies.
Can you spell impeccable? We’ll, if you can’t, I’ll spell it two different ways for you. B-R-E-E-S and M-A-N-N-I-N-G (as in Eli). Did you get a load of what Drew Breese and Eli Manning did yesterday? The two signal callers completed a combined 69% of their passes yesterday while throwing a combined five “six-pointers.” Those are touchdowns if you are a little slow. I excluded Kurt Warner’s 24 of 26 performance from this list because the Saints (no longer the Aints) and the Giants are 2-0 on the season and the red birds are 1-1. Of course, both New Orleans and the New York were recipients of some pretty poor performances by their respective opponents. Both the ‘Boys (Dallas) and the Birds (Philly) committed four turnovers each and made a whole bunch of other gaffes to boot. Can you give these two quarterbacks a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T?
It was too much Tebow in the Swamp on Saturday as the Gators outlasted an undermanned but spunky Volunteer team. Florida was just too much for Tennessee as the VOLS were limited in their play calling due to not having a viable signal caller under center and the Gators took advantage of two Tennessee turnovers in route to the 23-13 “W”. The much anticipated showdown between Urban Meyer and Lane Kiffin came and went without much fan fare as the two exchanged pleasantries at mid-field after the game. Meyer has the BIG BLUE machine matching toward Pasadena once again while Kiffin is a few years behind but has the VOLS headed in the right direction. I can’t wait for this rivalry to get back to national prominence once again. Game-On, next year in Neyland stadium.
What is wrong with the Oilers (I mean Titans) and the Jags this season? The mighty have fallen as both the Oilers (Damn! I did it again), the Titans and the Jags have come out of the gates still stuck in first gear. Tennessee is starting to resemble a Phillip Fulmer coached team from Knoxville and not the Jeff Fisher coached team from Nashville who went 14-2 last season. The Titans will be fine for the most part as their biggest issue is finding someone to plug the holes in the damn after Albert Haynesworth departed for the nation’s capital and lots of dinero. The Jags, on the other hand, are a dumpster fire. Simple as that. Although they opened the season against two playoff teams from last year, they look lost. Their problems go much deeper than just on the field issues as their owner stated last week that they would consider drafting hometown favorite Tim Tebow just to sell tickets. If you are a Jags fan, look to use 2009 as a transition year in finding a new team to root for. Atlanta and Tampa Bay are the closest venues for replacement, but hey, the Gators from nearby Gainesville may be a better bet.
And that, my friends is what is HOT in sports. Join us again for the next SCL’s Fresh Take.
Tags: Florida Gators, Jacksonville Jaguars, Milton Bradley, NFL, Tennessee, Tennessee Volunteers, USC
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Get the Welcome Wagon Ready: 
Do you want to hear a dirty joke? A white horse ran through a mud puddle. 
