Tag Archives: brett favre

A Mid-Season Visit With Blitznak the Magnificent

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

LAKE WINNIPEGOSICH, Minn. — Was Donovan McNabb good enough? Was the Eagles spending spree worth it? Will Brett Favre show up again?

Brett Favre Vikings1 296x300 A Mid Season Visit With Blitznak the Magnificent

Brett Favre, back when he played.

These are the questions we asked the man who owns the NFL’s Crystal Ball.

Blitznak the Magnificent is the man with the big ball. That’s singular.

Blitznak has all the answers to life’s most difficult questions. He’s always right – at least, HE believes he’s always right – and this past weekend, we went back to his cabin on Lake Winnipegosich deep in the northern Minnesota bush (OK, so he lives about eight miles northwest of Duluth near the Chippewa Casino on Hwy. 2, but who’s keeping score?) to interview the all-seeing NFL Oracle.

We posed 10 new and follow-up questions, none of them about Brett Favre:

RIVER CITY SPORTS BLOG: So, Mr. Blitznak, the All-Knowing, we asked you back in August if Donovan McNabb would make a difference to the Minnesota Vikings. You said no. Guess you were right.

Blitznak, the Magnificent: What did I tell you? “Short answer? No. Long answer? If he gets any time to throw, he could be terrific. Trouble is, that offensive line in Minnesota couldn’t block the Vikings Cheerleaders. The O-line will be better, but probably not enough better to make Donovan McNabb the Donovan McNabb of 2005. So, yeah, McNabb had to go. Young Christian Ponder will be the quarterback in Minnesota for the next 15 years – so long as the coaches don’t screw with his head, the offensive line doesn’t get him killed and the idiots in the state legislature get the damn stadium built.

RCS BLOG: We also asked you if the Eagles did the right thing, spending all that money on free agents. We wondered if it would make them good enough to win the Super Bowl?

B the M: I said at the time that you can never do the wrong thing by spending money to try to get good players in order to win games. At least the Eagles ownership was trying. I said it was up to Andy Reid to make that team a winner and it might take some time. But the Eagles are good and they will do well this season. Right now, the Eagles are 3-5, but they’ll win on Sunday and they will make the playoffs.

10 Eli Manning 208x300 A Mid Season Visit With Blitznak the Magnificent

Eli Manning, NY Giants

RCS BLOG: We also asked you who will be the best quarterback in the NFL this season. You said it wouldn’t be Eli Manning. What do you think now?

B the M: I still don’t think it will be either Manning — Eli or Peyton or even Archie. As I said in August, if you’re in a fantasy draft and you have Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Mark Sanchez, Philip Rivers, Tom Brady or Michael Vick, you’ll be just fine. Detroit’s Matthew Stafford, if he remains healthy, is still the big sleeper. Matt Schaub in Houston could have a very interesting season, as well. Schaub hasn’t had a great season, but he’s sure had an interesting one. He might not get big fantasy numbers, but he does know how to win.

I said, stay away from Kyle Orton, Chad Henne, Alex Smith, Matt Hasselbeck, Tarvaris Jackson and Andy Dalton. I was wrong about Smith and Dalton, but I’m not wrong about Henne, Hasselbeck or Jackson.

RCS BLOG: Do you think Green Bay can go 16-0?

B the M: Yep.

RCS BLOG: Would you elaborate?

B the M: Why didn’t you ask a two-part question, Grasshopper. The Packers biggest test was San Diego on the coast and they “survived” 45-38. You talked to Aaron Rodgers. He said the Packers “can get better.” What do you think that means? The Packers play the Vikings at home on Monday night, get Tampa at home, go to Detroit, go to the Giants, play Oakland at Lambeau, go to Kansas City, get the Bears at home and then finish with Detroit at home. If this team continues to play as well as it has in its first eight games, there is no reason to believe that 16-0 is impossible. Their toughest game is in New York against the Giants, but I’ll take Aaron Rodgers over Eli Manning any day.

RCS BLOG: What do you think of Tim Tebow? Is he as bad as ESPN says he is?

Broncos Tebow Debut 463557c 214x300 A Mid Season Visit With Blitznak the Magnificent

Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos

B the M: Hell, no. Tim Tebow is different and anything that is different makes morons like ESPN’s Merrill Hoge shit pancakes. Tebow is also outwardly religious and that drives some people nuts. Here’s the problem with Tebow: (a) he’s lefthanded and that’s different, (b) he loves to run with the football and that makes traditionalists crap and (c) he wins and that makes the Kyle Orton Fan Club, of which there are far too many members among the punditry class, whine like little babies with a diaper full of used formula. What Hoge did on Sunday morning — ripping Tebow simply because he’s turned ripping Tebow into a cottage industry — was a blight on ESPN’s good name. The Sports Leader has a Tebow fetish and it either has to back off or just admit that the only thing in sports that makes them all noticeably apoplectic is the Denver quarterback.

RCS BLOG: Back in August we asked you who was the best runningback in the NFL? Do you still believe Adrian Peterson is the guy?

Adrian Peterson 269x300 A Mid Season Visit With Blitznak the Magnificent

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

B the M: More than ever before. Fred Jackson has had a good year in Buffalo, Frank Gore has been exceptional in San Francisco and LeSean McCoy and Matt Forte are very talented and have played well. But Chris Johnson isn’t half as good as he was last year and Michael Turner and Maurice Jones-Drew are one-trick ponies. Adrian Peterson does more than anyone else in the game and he gives his rookie quarterback an out on every play. Peterson is consistent and productive and absolutely your first pick on fantasy draft day. Even with that horse-pucky offensive line in Minnesota, he puts up big numbers. And he can catch. He is, without fear of legitimate argument, the best runningback in football.

RCS BLOG: Can the Cincinnati Bengals continue to win with a rookie quarterback?

B the M: I never would have believed it, but Andy Dalton is a remarkable young quarterback. I’m not wrong often, but I was wrong about Dalton. Cincinnati can win its division. And they can do it because Andy Dalton will challenge Cam Newton for the rookie of the year award. However, the Bengals aren’t as good as the pundits believe they are because they haven’t really beaten anybody yet.

RCS BLOG: Will Indianapolis finish the season 0-16 and win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes?

Peyton Manning1 242x300 A Mid Season Visit With Blitznak the Magnificent

Peyton Manning, back when he played.

B the M: It’s definitely possible. That’s a bad team. And it’s never been the same since Jim Caldwell and the coaching staff decided to rest Peyton Manning and the starters when the team was 14-0 in 2009. Dumb move, dumb coach. They play Jacksonville next week and could beat them. Then they have the bye and then they get Carolina at home, go to New England, go to Baltimore, get Tennessee at home and Houston at home and then go to Jacksonville. What the heck, Miami won this week. Indy could win a game, too. You know what they say about blind squirrels and nuts. Regardless, the real question shouldn’t be, “Will they win the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes?” but, “Will they draft Andrew Luck if they finish last?” If the Colts draft Luck, they don’t believe Peyton Manning will be back, but if they draft an offensive or defensive lineman or a runningback, you’ll know Manning will be around for at least the next four years.

RCS BLOG: Back in August we asked you if the Packers could repeat as champions. You thought they could. Do you still believe it?

B the M: Absolutely. It’s extremely difficult to go back-to-back these days, but when you have Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, A.J. Hawk at linebacker and Clay Matthews anywhere within 15 miles of a football field, you have a chance to win. The Packers have the best quarterback in the NFL and the best offensive line in the NFL. That combination means they could easily win two Super Bowls in a row.

RCS BLOG: Did you think the Patriots and Eagles would have a combined seven losses through the first nine weeks?

B the M: No, and I guarantee they won’t have seven losses over the next seven weeks.

Satisfied, now? You’d better be because that’s your 10 questions, Chubby. You’re done. Now go away. I gotta go out and buy Thelma a couple of ice cold Grain Belts. Remember, Grain Belt: It’s the beer to have when you’re having more than a dozen.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, NFL

Tagged , , , , , , ,

A Visit With Blitznak the Magnificent

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
brett favre 818 296x300 A Visit With Blitznak the Magnificent

Brett Favre: Not coming back.

Will Donovan McNabb be good enough to keep the Minnesota Vikings out of last place? Will the Philadelphia Eagles’ spending spree lead to a Super Bowl crown? Will Brett Favre suddenly show up in an NFL uniform this year?

We will answer these and other questions as we take a long, jaundiced look into the National Football League’s Crystal Ball. Of course, while looking into the future is always a risky bit of business, we’ve decided to seek out the best crystal ball gazer there is.

Blitznak the Magnificent, the man with the big ball… ahh, umm, the big crystal ball, has the answers to all of your queries, both fantasy and otherwise. He’s always right – at least, he believes he’s always right – and we were able to track him down at his cabin on Lake Winnipegosich deep in the northern Minnesota bush (OK, so he’s about eight miles northwest of Duluth near the Chippewa Casino on Hwy. 2) to interview the all-seeing NFL Oracle.

We posed the following 10 questions:

River City Sports Blog: So, Mr. Blitznak, the All-Knowing, will Donovan McNabb make a difference to the Minnesota Vikings.

bryant mckinnie1004326 A Visit With Blitznak the Magnificent

Bryant McKinnie: Playing DT on Roller Skates.

Blitznak, the Magnificent: Short answer? No. Long answer? If he gets any time to throw, he could be terrific. Trouble is, that offensive line in Minnesota couldn’t block the Vikings Cheerleaders. On the upside, Leslie Frazier cut left tackle Bryant McKinnie who played last season like he was on roller-skates. That fat tub of goo was done last year and when he showed up to training camp weighing in at about 450, you knew it was over. The O-line will be better, but probably not enough better to make Donovan McNabb the Donovan McNabb of 2005.

RCSB: Did the Eagles do the right thing, spending all that money on free agents and will it make them good enough to win the Super Bowl?

B the M: Make no mistake, young Grasshopper, you never do the wrong thing when you spend money to try to get good players in order to win games. At least, ownership is trying. Now it’s up to Andy Reid to make that team a winner and it might take some time. But the Eagles are good and they will do well this season. And DO NOT take pre-season seriously. Always remember, the year the Detroit Lions went 0-16, they were 4-0 in pre-season. Just because the Eagles stunk in Week 2 of the pre-season against Pittsburgh means nothing. To quote Allen Iverson, “its just practice. Did you hear me? It’s practice.”

RCSB: Who will be the best quarterback in the NFL this season?

A Visit With Blitznak the Magnificent

The great Aaron Rodgers

B the M: Well, it sure isn’t gonna be Eli Manning despite what he thinks of himself. Sometimes I think Eli is just Peyton’s dumber little brother. What’s that? He is? Really? Anyway, it won’t be either Manning.

If you’re in a fantasy draft and you have Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Mark Sanchez, Philip Rivers, Tom Brady or Michael Vick, you’ll be just fine. Detroit’s Matthew Stafford, if he can stay healthy, is the big sleeper. Matt Schaub in Houston could have a very interesting season, as well.

Stay away, stay as far as humanly possible away, from Kyle Orton, Chad Henne, Alex Smith, Matt Hasselbeck, Tarvaris Jackson and Andy Dalton.

RCSB: Is there a receiver we might not spend any time thinking about who could light it up this season?

B the M: Yep.

RCSB: Ah, well, who might that be?

jimmy graham 300x212 A Visit With Blitznak the Magnificent

Look out! Here comes Jimmy Graham.

B the M: If you wanted to ask me about a specific player, why didn’t you just freakin’ ask me? My selection for ‘big improvement from 2010 to 2011’ is Jimmy Graham, tight end for the New Orleans Saints. At 6-foot-6, 260-pounds, he’s a load. He’s also a gigantic target for the already incredible Drew Brees. While everyone is double-teaming Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Lance Moore and Robert Meacham, great big Jimmy Graham will be lurking around all by himself. Last year, as a rookie, Graham – a third-round pick out of Miami, by the way — had 29 catches for 341 yards and four touchdowns. This year, you watch: 65 catches, 800 yards, 12 touchdowns. I love me some Jimmy Graham.

RCSB: The “Reverend” Tony Dungy says Ndamukong Suh, “has to dial it back.” Do you think he should?

B the M: Hell, no. Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition. As long as Suh has enough dough to pay the fines, he should continue to kick the living crap of quarterbacks – legally or otherwise. He’s a freakin’ defensive tackle. He fights to the death on every play just to get to the quarterback and then the NFL says, “Oh, Mr. Suh, when you reach the quarterback (Who should be wearing a ballet tutu) you must back off.” That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Here’s the motto of the NFL, “Do unto others BEFORE they do unto you.” If Suh changes his game, he won’t be the same player. He should just take $100,000 of his own money and put it in a trust fund for the fines he’ll have to pay, and go ahead and make $20 million a year when he becomes the best defensive lineman in NFL history.

RCSB: Which young player(s) will have the most impressive breakout seasons in 2011?

B the M: After Jimmy Graham, watch out for Ryan Mathews in San Diego. He and Mike Tolbert will share the load again, but after he closed the season with that 120-yard, three-TD game against Denver last December, he’ll take most of the reps this year. Last year, LeSean McCoy in Philly carried 207 times for 1,080 yards and seven touchdowns. Mike Vick will make those numbers larger in 2011. And if Matt Stafford stays healthy, he’ll light it up in Detroit. In fact, he could make the Lions offense as good as the Lions defense and that could mean a challenge to the Packers in the NFC North.

RCSB: Who is the best runningback in the NFL?

B the M: I love Chris Johnson and I think DeAngelo Williams is the most-under-rated back in all of football, but the answer is Adrian Peterson. He’s consistent and productive and absolutely your first pick on fantasy draft day. Even with that horse-pucky offensive line in Minnesota, he puts up big numbers. He is, without fear of legitimate argument, the best in the game.

RCSB: Can the Cincinnati Bengals win with a rookie quarterback?

B the M: You’re talking about that Andy Dalton kid aren’t you? Too bad. I hope he survives the season. The answer is no. In fact, Cincinnati will not only go 2-14 – if they’re lucky – but that team won’t be able to score in a women’s prison with a handful of pardons. Mike Brown is a donkey who should have traded Carson Palmer for a few draft picks and some real football players. Trouble is, Brown’s ego is more important than the welfare of his team. He could be one of the most incompetent dickwads in football history.

RCSB: Do you have a favorite player?

Danny Woodhead 1 300x244 A Visit With Blitznak the Magnificent

Danny Woodhead. He plays like his name.

B the M: Well, I shouldn’t, because I know all and when you know all, you know that your favorite player will one day Tweet a picture of his junk to a high school girl in Ottumwa, Iowa, and then all of your dreams will be shot to hell. But there is a player I like more than most. Danny Woodhead in New England is a riot to watch. He’s four-feet freakin’ tall, built like a porcupine and just as hard to tackle. He rushed for 611 yards last year playing second violin to Benjarvus Green-Ellis (the best name in the NFL next to Ndamukong Suh) and this year he’ll get a chance at running back and in probably some kind of H-Back set that Belichick will dream up on his walk from the locker room to the practice field. I love Danny Woodhead. I think his name is indicative of the way he plays.

RCSB: Can the Packers repeat?

B the M: Yes they can. But will they? That’s a more difficult question, Chubby. It’s extremely difficult to go back-to-back these days. When you have Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, A.J. Hawk at linebacker and Clay Matthews anywhere within 15 miles of a football field, you have a chance to win. The Packers are very good and in January, we’ll find out if they are better than the Eagles. And by the way, I live in Minnesota. It pains me to think that the Packers might win two Super Bowls in a row.

RCSB: Can anybody beat the Patriots and Eagles this year?

B the M: Sure. But will they lose very often? Not unless Bill Belichick and Andy Reid, both on the verge of pure unadulterated insanity, go completely bonkers. New England has everything plus Tom Brady. The Eagles have everything else. If it’s not a Patriots-Eagles Super Bowl, then the Jets and Saints or Packers will have played over their heads. That’s 10 questions. Now go away. Thelma wants to play the slots. Coming, dear.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, NFL

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The NFL is Back. Now It’s Fun.

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

LAS VEGAS — Here in the desert, you could hear the reaction. From the Sports and Race Book at the Wynn to the Sports Book at the Mirage, punters (a) breathed a sigh of relief and (b) grabbed the brand new futures sheets as the National Football League went back to work.

It has been extremely interesting here in Vegas as the big bettors try to figure out which player is going what team and which team will improve dramatically over 2010. In fact, there is an excitement about the NFL right now that I don’t believe the NFL thought would exist after a 4 1/2-month lockout. People are so into this free-agent frenzy that when the following happened over the last few days, there were actually cheers in the Mirage Book.

1) The Carolina Panthers signed linebacker Charles Johnson to a six-year $72 million deal.

2) The Baltimore Ravens signed offensive lineman Marshal Yanda to a five-year, $32 million contract. Yes, somebody actually cheered when he heard an offensive lineman had signed. That’s excited.

3) Wide receiver Santana Moss signed a three-year $15 million deal with the Washington Redskins.

4) The New York Jets signed WR Santonio Holmes to a five-year $48 million deal with $24 million guaranteed.

5) The Washington Redskins signed defensive lineman Barry Cofield away from the New York Giants. It’s a six-year $36 million deal with $12.5 million guaranteed.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings agreed to a trade that would give them veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb as long as McNabb reworks a contract that is set to pay him $12.5 million this season. The Vikings won’t pay that, but McNabb wants to be moved to Minnesota badly enough that he’ll take a new deal.

At the same time, the Vikings are now in a bidding war with the Seattle Seahawks to sign wide receiver Sidney Rice. The Seahawks have signed former Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, which means Matt Hasselbeck is out (he eventually signed with Tennessee)  and there was more talk yesterday about Brett Favre coming out of retirement to play in Philadelphia. Favre, apparently, laughed.

Regardless, the fun is upon us and teams are getting better as we speak. Right now, the Vikings, Jets and Redskins can all call themeslves winners.

We’ll be back later with more.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, NFL

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

In a Crazy Summer, 10 Things That are Pretty Goofy.

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Ever wonder why the United States Justice Department is even bothering to bring Roger Clemens to trial. Who really cares?

The guy is out of baseball; based on statistics alone, it’s obvious that steroids are out of baseball (can anybody hit anymore?); it’s an incredible waste of taxpayers’ money (just like the Barry Bonds trial was an incredible waste of time, money and effort); and when lying to Congress is all you have on a guy, then the Justice System is suspect. Congressmen lie to Congress every single day.

Here was AP’s lead on the jury selection process for the trial: “Prospective jurors screened Thursday for the Roger Clemens perjury trial were more critical of Congress for spending time investigating drugs in baseball than they were of the star pitcher on trial for lying to lawmakers about ever using them.

“The sports legend watched intently but didn’t speak as members of the jury pool faced intense questioning from the judge and lawyers from both sides for a second day. Nearly as many have been turned away as qualified to be considered for the panel that will eventually be seated, including two who were excused after they said they weren’t sure they could be fair because of their feelings about Congress.”

“‘Even members of Congress have lied to Congress and they have not been prosecuted,’ said one of the panelists who was excused.”

It’s a crazy summer. Here are 10 more things that are absolutely nuts…

10. Detroit Tigers manager  Jim Leyland sid this week that players, managers and umpires needed a big league summit meeting because the tension between the participants in Major League Baseball and the people who call the games are “at an all-time high.”

Leyland had just been tossed out twice in two straight games at Angels Stadium which prompted a Minnesota Twins broadcaster to suggest that the problem isn’t tension between umpires and players/managers throughout baseball, it’s a problem with the California umpiring crews.

“There aren’t tensions in games when Detroit plays Cleveland or Minnesota or even the Yankees,” he said. “There are problems with everybody when they have to go west. Those west coast crews, well, they just don’t seem right to me.”

When people here in Winnipeg rip the umpiring in the independent American Association games as being “minor league,” they obviously don’t watch major league baseball. MLB umpires are horrendous (see Armando Galarraga’s umpire-destroyed perfect game) and as one observer has pointed out, the ones in California are even worse.

Baseball desperately needs instant replay.

9. The New Jersey Nets Deron Williams has decided that the NBA lockout just might go on forever, so he’s negotiating a contract with Besiktas in the Turkish League.

Don’t be surprised if Williams is just the first of many NBA players to consider moving to Europe while the billionaire owners fight with the millionaire players.

8. Dallas Cowboys wideout Roy Williams Jr. lived with former Miss Texas, Brooke Daniels (a legitimate hottie) for about a year. In February, he bought her a $76,000 ring. Then he proposed to her by recording his proposal and sending it to her via e-mail. With that he called himself “an old fashioned romantic.”

The two are no longer together (surprise, surprise) Daniels did not return the ring and Williams is suing her. Yep, that’s pretty romantic.

7. We see that Paige Duke, one of NASCAR’s three Miss Sprint Cups, has lost her sash. Nude photos of her showed up on the Internet. Ah, yes, the dreaded morality clause. She’s apparently upset about it — losing her job, I mean, not the fact the photos of her stark nekkid are showing up the e-mail in-boxes of high school boys.

6. Detroit Red Wings defenseman Mike Commodore is considering wearing No. 64 this year. Really, Seriously.

That would make him Commodore 64. Jersey sales would be through the roof.

5. Here’s an excerpt from Curt Schilling’s interview on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Schilling, always outspoken, was asked if he thought teammates on his 1993 Phillies club (the team that lost the World Series to Toronto) were using steroids.

“Oh, absolutely. Sure, sure. We all thought to some degree, some people did and didn’t here and there. But again, it wasn’t something you’d walk up to someone and talk about or ask them. So you had your ideas. I mean, when guys showed up with 25 extra pounds on them after three months and you’d seen them kind of during the winter time, you had an idea. And there were a lot of guys on a lot of teams. I would tell you, any fan of any team that goes ‘ohh, no..’ Because I hear a lot from the 2004 team with Ortiz and Manny and blah blah blah, and it’s usually from Yankees fans who had a roster full of them. There isn’t a team in the last 20 years that’s won clean.”

Thank you, Curt.

4. The Women’s World Cup Soccer Championship recorded a 0.01 television rating on two separate occasions last week. Nobody watched it. Apparently, not even the referees.

On a scoring chance by Australia in a round-robin match, the ball hit the post and was caught by an Equatorial Guinea defender, who took two or three steps with the ball in her hands and then casually dropped it on the pitch. While the Australians screamed at Hungarian referee Gyeongyi Gaal to call a penalty kick, she did nothing. Later Ms. Gaal apologized for missing the play. If a tree falls in the forest…

3. Former Montreal Alouettes president Larry Smith, now a Canadian Senator, has denied that the CFL team falsely announced sold-out games in order to guarantee the government funding that was used to expand Montreal’s Molson Stadium to 25,000 seats for the beginning of the 2010 season.

LaPresse reported that the sellouts were bogus and that the team wasn’t close to its claim of 105 consecutive sold out games. That streak ended this past week, in Week 1 of the 2011 season, when 2,700 seats went unsold.

That story is a classic case of turning mile hills into mountains. LaPresse couldn’t prove that games weren’t sold out if it wanted to. Another classic example of the media just making it up.

2. Gil Brandt reports at nfl.com that Brett Favre is getting the itch to return to the NFL if the lockout is somehow, someday negotiated away.

Why not? He’s better than anybody else the Vikings have right now.

1. The Nashville Predators are now offering a five-game mini-pack exclusively to Atlanta hockey fans. But it’s an even juicier deal than it sounds: An Atlanta fan picks five of eight offered games on the schedule — including a preseason game against the Winnipeg Jets — and they receive a March 24, Predators game against the Jets “free,” with tickets in the lower bowl, no less. What a terrific opprtunity to cheer on Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien one more time.

Atlanta is about four hours from Nashville.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, general sports

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Another Week of Craziness and Nothing Could Be More Fun.

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

So with all the buzz surrounding the new National Hockey League franchise in Winnipeg, the people who brought the team to town, True North Sports and Entertainment, had to deny a story that the team was going to be called the Winnipeg WhiteOuts.

Oh well, it’s not that big a surprise, I suppose. In the past week, I’ve heard rumours of Jets, Moose, Polar Bears and Falcons from the list of “OK, that makes some sense,” to Golden Jets, Great Winnipeg Strike, Grey Owls and WhiteOuts from the list of “Wow man, are you on crack?”

By the draft on June 24, the new team will have a name and the draft will be its coming out party. Can hardly wait.

In the meantime, here’s a taste of what I’ve norticed over the past seven days.

1) Boy, some people are pissed that they didn’t get tickets to see Winnipeg’s new NHL franchise. Mostly, they’re pissed at True North for “allowing” all the ticket speculators to win the race to the seats. That is, in many ways, hogwash, but when you’re angry, you’ll say some interesting things.

The fact so many Winnipeggers — many of them prominent Winnipeggers — were shutout at the ticket wicket, proves two things: (1) As I suggested to my friend Steven Ratson two years ago, “If you want NHL tickets, the best thing you can do is buy Moose tickets.” Got a note from Steven the other day thanking me for the suggestion. He’s fired up about his new NHL seats. For him, it was a piece of cake. (2) If you didn’t have Moose tickets then you needed to set up a computer system that was faster than the American ticket-speculators’ computer systems and good luck with that in Manitoba.

2) Great first day of Bomber training camp. The fact that nearly 4,000 people showed up and many of them cheered good plays says a lot about Bomber fans in Manitoba.

They love their team and they desperately want the Big Blue to be a success. Frankly, if Buck Pierce stays healthy, they can be a success.

It’s interesting, but Buck won’t talk about all his injuries anymore. Good for him. Keep talking about bad things happening and bad things will happen.

3) The Toronto Raptors have decided not to offer another contract to head coach Jay Triano. He will stay with the team in a front office role.

It’s good news all around. Triano is a nice man and great ambassador for Canadian basketball. A class act in so many ways. The Raptors front office is a terrific place for him to work. Good for the Raptors.

However, I saw him coach at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and he was just dreadful. Nobody handled personnel worse (his refusal to play Todd MacCulloch for more than two or three minutes at a time — and bench him for most of the second half — and his refusal to find some help for Steve Nash in the backcourt cost him a must win against France).

In Toronto, he looked lost. As a coach, Jay Triano makes a great ambassador for Canadian basketball.

4) Saw some complaints on Twitter about the new NHL franchise in Winnipeg offering the GM’s job to Chicago Blackhawks assistant GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. Seems a lot of fans don’t know the guy.

Give it a rest. He’ll be great. And because he has a terrific relationship with Craig Heisinger, the man who should be in charge of hockey operations with the new team, Cheveldayoff has been put in a position to be successful.

He’ll make a fine GM in Winnipeg.

5) There was more talk this week that Donovan McNabb could wind up in Minnesota if the NFL ever does get its labour dispute under control.

I said it last October, I’ll say it again, Donovan McNabb is perfect for Leslie Frazier and the Vikings. As soon as the Purple can make a deal for him, they should make that deal.

Unless, of course, ol’ Brett decides — after there is no chance he’d have to show up for training camp — that he’d like to play again. Then all bets are off.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, general sports

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Regular Season is Over. And a 7-9 Team is in the Playoffs

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

With the exception of the unfortunate fact that the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks, a team that is NOT significantly better than the Detroit Lions, is in the National Football League playoffs, it was a pretty good year for the NFL.

Tom Brady was sensational, Arian Foster was a horse, Troy Polamalu, Ed Reed and Ray Lewis remained the best defensive players in the NFL, our pal Israel Idonije had a great year in Chicago, the Lions got better, Kansas City stepped up, Oakland improved, Tim Tebow showed why he should be No. 1 in Denver, Peyton Manning willed the Colts back to the playoffs, Brett Favre retired, Sam Bradford arrived and the poor Minnesota Vikings finished the year with an interim coach, a collapsed stadium and a vantage point from the basement of the NFC North.

On Sunday evening, the NFL’s playoff schedule has been set. In the opening round, New England and Pittsburgh have the byes in the AFC while Atlanta and Chicago have the byes in the NFC. New England and Atlanta have home field throughout the playoffs. This Saturday, New Orleans plays at Seattle at 3:30 while the Jets play at Indianapolis at 7, both games are on NBC. On Sunday, Baltimore is at Kansas City at 12 Noon on CBS and Green Bay is at Philadelphia at 3:30 on FOX.

Let’s enjoy it because if the folks who run the league and the Players Association don’t get their collective act in gear, we might have nothing but the CFL, the UFL and BCS next season.

OK, Sport Select and Fantasy Players, here are your NFL scores and highlights for Week 17…

Sunday night…

Seattle 16 St. Louis 6

Just a horrible football game. Seattle wins the NFC West with a 7-9 record, the first sub.500 division champ in league history and they’ll get to play host to New Orleans on Saturday.

Sunday afternoon….

Detroit 20 Minnesota 13

The Lions won their final four games and finished ahead of the Vikings in the standings. It’s the first time since 1990 that the Vikes have finished last in the NFC North. And Brett Favre, who was inactive yesterday with a concussion, HAS retired. Detroit’s Shaun Hill threw for 258 yards and a touchdown. Minnesota’s only touchdown came on an interception return by Jared Allen. It looks like Leslie Frazier will keep his job as the Vikings head coach.

Green Bay 10 Chicago 3

Aaron Rodgers one-yard pass to tight end Donald Lee gave the 10-6 Packers all they needed in the fourth quarter to win the game and lock up a playoff berth.

NY Giants 17 Washington 14

The 10-6 Giants got the win but they didn’t get the help they needed to make the playoffs. The Packers win eliminated New York.

Indianapolis 23 Tennessee 20

Peyton Manning threw two touchdowns passes and Adam Vinatieri kicked the winning field goal with no time left on the clock as the 10-6 Colts made the playoffs again.

NY Jets 38 Buffalo 7

Veteran Mark Brunell threw two TD passes for the 11-5 Jets as Mark Sanchez rested for the playoffs after the first series of downs.

Tampa Bay 23 New Orleans 13

Tampa finished 10-6 and missed the playoffs. Bucs QB Josh Freeman threw for 255 yards and two TDs. The Saints finished 11-5 and will head off to the post-season.

New England 38 Miami 7

The Pats’ Tom Brady went 10-fort-16 for 199 yards and two touchdowns. His new favorite target, Rob Gronkowski caught six passes for 102 yards and a TD. The 14-2 Patriots won their final eight games. Dolphins coach Tony Sparano could lose his job this week.

Pittsburgh 41 Cleveland 9

The Steelers Ben Roethlisberger went 15-for-22 for 280 yards and two touchdowns as 12-4 Pittsburgh clinched the AFC North title. Expect the Cleveland coaching staff to be fired en masse today. (Note: Eric Mangini was fired Monday morning before 9 a.m.)

Baltimore 13 Cincinnati 7

The Ravens offence did nothing, but Ed Reed had two interceptions and Ray Lewis recovered two fumbles. Baltimore will enter the playoffs on a four-game winning streak.

Atlanta 31 Carolina 10

Matt Ryan threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns as the Falcons finished 13-3 and earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Dallas 14 Philadelphia 13

Jason Garrett will be go from interim to semi-permanent head coach of the Cowboys (all coaches are semi-permanent). Stephen McGee threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Jason Whitten with 55 seconds left to give Dallas the victory. Michael Vick did not play for the Eagles, but will start this coming Sunday against Green Bay.

Oakland 31 Kansas City 10

The Chiefs Matt Cassel was awful – 11-for-33 for 115 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. Oakland’s Michael Bush carried 25 times for 137 yards and a touchdown. The 8-8 Raiders went 6-0 within the AFC West Division and missed the playoffs. The Cjiefs won it at 10-6.

San Francisco 38 Arizona 7

It was likely Alex Smith’s final game for the 49ers and he was pretty good. He threw for 276 yards and two TDs.

San Diego 33 Denver 28

Chargers rookie Ryan Matthews ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns. For Denver, QB Tim Tebow threw two touchdowns passes and ran for another.

Houston 34 Jacksonville 17

The Texans’ Arian Foster rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns and won the NFL rushing title.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, NFL

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Week 14 Pretty Sensational… and Two More Games to Go

Posted on December 13, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — While sitting in the press box in Jacksonville, Fla., yesterday, most of the conversation that wasn’t being directed toward David Garrard and the surprisingly good Jags, was being directed at Brett Favre, his swollen collarbone and the big hole in the Metrodome’s Teflon roof.

Early Sunday morning, the big pillow in Minneapolis collapsed under the weight of a foot and a half of snow which immediately meant two things: (1) Sunday’s game between the Vikings and New York Giants that was already postponed until Monday night because of the blizzard in the Twin Cities, would now have to be played in Detroit and (2) This is the beginning of the end for the Vikings in Minnesota?

You can pretty much guarantee that if a new building for the Vikings isn’t on the front burner of the Minnesota House, the Vikes won’t be playing in the cold much longer. Both L.A. and San Antonio are calling and the money seems to be in place to make that franchise comfortable in warmer climes. If the Minnesota legislature isn’t preapred to build a new stadium soon, you can pretty much start packing up the moving vans.

Art Modell, Georgia Frontiere and the Irsay family would be so proud.

Meanwhile, Brett Favre told reporters in Minneapolis and Detroit that he expects his streak of 297 consecutive starts as an NFL quarterback to end tonight. Favre’s shoulder/clavicle injury has not responded as well as he’d like to treatment and he said it’s likely Tarvaris Jackson will start tonight against the Giants.

Well, it had to end sometime.

OK, Sport Select and Fantasy Players, here are your NFL scores and highlights for Week 14…

Last night…

Philadelphia 30 Dallas 27

The Eagles improved to 9-4 as DeSean Jackson had 210 yards receiving and scored the winning touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Michael Vick threw for a touchdown and ran for another.

Yesterday afternoon…

Detroit 7 Green Bay 3

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers left the game with a concussion in the first quarter and never returned. In the end, Drew Stanton of the Lions out-dueled Matt Flynn of the Packers.

New England 36 Chicago 7

The Pats clinched a playoff berth and improved to 11-2 as Tom Brady threw for 369 yards and two touchdowns in a snow-storm in Chicago. Deion Branch caught eight passes for 151 yards and a touchdown. The Pats have won five straight.

Jacksonville 38 Oakland 31

The game we watched yesterday here in Florida was a thriller. David Garrard threw three TD passes while Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown, the sixth straight game in which Jones-Drew has rushed for 100 yards or more. Oakland’s Darren McFadden rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 86 yards and another TD.

Tampa Bay 17 Washington 16

Washington scored in the dying seconds and were about to kick the extra point to send the game into overtime when they botched the point after and lost.

Miami 10 NY Jets 6

Miami’s Chad Henne found Brandon Marshall for the game’s only touchdown in the first quarter.

Atlanta 31 Carolina 10

Falcons runningback Michael Turner carried 28 times for 112 yards and three touchdowns.

Buffalo 13 Cleveland 6

Buffalo’s Fred Jackson rushed for 112 yards while Cleveland’s Peyton Hillis rushed for 108 yards but neither team had miuch more offence than that.

Pittsburgh 23 Cincinnati 7

The Steelers didn’t have much offence, but Troy Polamalu and LaMarr Woodley each returned interceptions for touchdowns. The Bengals have lost 10 straight.

New Orleans 31 St. Louis 13

Drew Brees threw three touchdown passes, two to Marques Colston.

San Francisco 40 Seattle 21

Niners quarterback Alex Smith threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns.

Arizona 43 Denver 13

Arizona’s Tim Hightower carried 18 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

San Diego 31 Kansas City 0

The Chargers Phillip Rivers threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns.

Tonight, two games on a Monday: Baltimore plays at Houston in the real Monday Nighter, while the Giants face Minnesota at Detroit in the fake Monday Nighter.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, NFL

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Colts Favored Despite All Their Troubles

Posted on December 9, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Week 14 in the National Football League starts tonight with the Indianapolis Colts at the Tennessee Titans on Rogers SportsNet at 7:30, but since the New England Patriots sent a statement to the league on Monday night with that 45-3 shellacking of the New York Jets, lots has happened around the league.

The Washington Redskins suspended defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth without pay for the rest of the season for what was termed “insubordination.” The NFL media, of course, defended the Redskins and their pal Mike Shanahan and called Haynesworth names. Those gutless haircuts and suits would never side with a player, but the Players Association will. No wonder there is a chance that labour trouble could halt the 2011 NFL season. There has to be more to this story than simply Mike Shanahan’s word.

In other NFL news, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel had an appendectomy on Wednesday. The Chiefs are hopeful he will start on Sunday. Backup Brodie Croyle, who is 0-9 as an NFL starter, has been taking the snaps this week.

And Brett Favre didn’t practice yesterday but he is expected back today. Favre still isn’t certain he’ll start on Sunday against the New York Giants. Favre has started an NFL record 297 consecutive games.

There will be a lot to keep in mind when we watch a handful of great games this weekend. On Sunday, the Giants are at Minnesota, we’ll be in Jacksonville to watch the Jags and Oakland, New England plays at Chicago, Miami is at the Jets, Kansas City is in San Diego and Philly is at red-hot Dallas on Sunday night.

But first, let’s get a good look at tonight’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans:

Indianapolis Colts (6-6) at Tennessee Titans (5-7) Line: Colts by 3.5

The last time these two teams met was on Dec. 6, 2009 when the Colts won 27-17, but this Colts team is banged up and Peyton Manning has been nothing, if he hasn’t been throwing interceptions, In fact, he’s tossed 11 in his past three games. And still, despite the injuries and the INTs, the Colts are still favored and should win handily, especially when you consider that the Titans have no quarterback, have Randy Moss as a receiver and have nobody to block for Chris Johnson. The Colts aren’t good, but the Titans appear to be in disarray.

Dr. Football: COLTS TO WIN AND COVER

The Coach: COLTS TO WIN AND COVER

The Doc and I will have the rest of the weekend’s games on Friday.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, NFL

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Favre Hurt, Flacco Sacked and Manning All Over The Place As Week 13 Provides Plenty of Surprises

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

TAMPA, Fla. — It was a wild one Sunday as Week 13 in the National Football League provided all sorts of thrills and spills.

Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre injured his shoulder on the third play of the game, but tarvaris Jackson came off the bench the lead the Vikings to a 38-14 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Now, this morning, everyone it seems is screaming to start Jackson next week against the Giants. Sounds great, but remember, T-Jack just won at home against the UFL-like Bills. The Giants are a whole different argument.

Meanwhile, a big sack and forced fumble by Troy Polamalu led to a late touchdown by the Pittsburgh Steelers as the Pittsburgh beat Baltimore 13-10 in a defensive struggle. I’m sure Baltimore’s Joe Flacco is a good quarterback, but he had so little time to throw and put so few points on the board that it’s hard to tell.

Meanwhile, Peyton Manning threw four interceptions, two were returned for touchdowns and the one in overtime led to the winning field goal while here in Tampa, the Bucs Josh Freeman did his best Peyton impersonation by throwing an INT in the dying seconds to seal a loss to Atlanta.

A lot of quarterbacks were great on Sunday. Many more were not. But it sure made for some interesting football:

Sunday night…

Pittsburgh 13 Baltimore 10

Ben Roethlisberger threw a nine-yard TD pass to Isaac Redman with 2:51 remaining after Troy Polamalu forced a Joe Flacco fumble on a sack. The Steelers are 9-3 and in sole possession of first place in the AFC North.

Sunday afternoon….

Minnesota 38 Buffalo 14

Brett Favre injured his shoulder on the third play of the game and Tarvaris Jackson came in and was sensational. He threw two touchdown passes to Sidney Rice while Adrian Peterson rushed for 107 yards and three more touchdowns as the Vikings improved to 5-7. Jackson could start this coming Sunday at home against the Giants.

Chicago 24 Detroit 20

Jay Cutler hit Brandon Manumaleuna with the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter, right after a dreadful roughing call against the Lions Ndamukong Suh. The Bears re 9-3 while the 2-10 Lions have lost five straight.

Jacksonville 17 Tennessee 6

Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for a career-best 186 yards as the Jags took over first place in the AFC South with a 7-5 record.

Green Bay 34 San Francisco 16

Aaron Rodgers threw for three touchdowns while Greg Jennings caught six passes for 122 yards and two TDs.

Cleveland 13 Miami 10

Mike Adams interception in the final minute set up Phil Dawson’s game winning 23-yard field goal with no time left.

NY Giants 31 Washington 7

Brandon Jacobs rushed for 1-3 yards and two touchdowns while Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

Seattle 31 Carolina 14

The Seahawks Marshawn Lynch rushed for 83 yards and three touchdowns.

Oakland 28 San Diego 13

What an upset, as Oakland quarterback Jason Campbell threw for one touchdown and an for another. The Raiders swept the season series with San Diego.

Kansas City 10 Denver 6

The Chiefs Jamaal Charles rushed for 116 yards while Matt Cassel threw a three-yard TD pass to Leonard Pope to win it.

Atlanta 28 Tampa Bay 24

Eric Weems scored on a 102-yard kickoff return and Matt Ryan threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins as the Falcons rallied from a 10-point deficit with 14 points in the fourth quarter.

New Orleans 34 Cincinnati 30

New Orleans QB Drew Brees hit Marques Colston with the game-winning touchdown with 31 seconds left as the 9-3 Saints won their fifth straight.

St. Louis 19 Arizona 6

The Rams Steven Jackson rushed for 107 yards including 27 on the game’s lone touchdown and the 6-6 Rams stayed in a first-place tie with Seattle in the NFC West.

Dallas 38 Indianapolis 35 (OT)

Peyton Manning threw four interceptions. Two were returned for touchdowns while the fourth was returned far enough to get David Buehler in position to kick the game winning 38-yard field goal in overtime.

Tonight, in the Monday Nighter, it’s the 9-2 New York Jets against the 9-2 New England Patriots in a battle of the two best teams in the AFC East – and maybe in all of football. Thursday night this week, Week 14 starts with the Colts play the Titans.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lots of Wonderful Stuff in Week 12

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

It was a week of NFL wonder. There was a very nice fight in the Houston-Tennessee game; there was plenty of fight left in ol’ Brett Favre; and there wasn’t much fight at all in the Indianapolis Colts.

Week 12 in the NFL produced a number of outstanding performances, as well. And from our friends at the NFL head office in New York, here are a few of the more memorable ones:

1. Houston wide receiver Andre Johnson had nine receptions in the Texans’ 20-0 win over Tennessee. Johnson has 65 catches this year and is the first player in NFL history to chalk up at least 60 receptions in each of his first eight seasons. And then he got in a fight and was ejected.

2. Cleveland rookie cornerback Joe Haden had an interception in the Browns’ win over Carolina, marking the third consecutive game in which he has recorded an interception. He is the first Browns player with an interception in three consecutive games in his first NFL season since Bernie Parrish in 1959.

3.  Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan led the Falcons to a 20-17 win over Green Bay. With the victory, Ryan improved to 19-1 (.950) in his career as the starter at home, tying Danny White for the best winning percentage in a player’s first 20 starts at home since 1966 (the start of the Super Bowl Era). Ryan completed 24 of 28 passes for an 85.7 completion percentage, only the 11th time in NFL history in which a QB has posted a completion percentage of at least 85.7 with 28 or more attempts in a game.

There are more great performances to come, so here you go Sport Select and Fantasy players. A look back at Week 12 of the 2010 NFL season:

Sunday night…

San Diego 36 Indianapolis 14

Mike Tolbert carried 26 times for 103 yards and a touchdown as San Diego won its fourth straight game. Indianapolis has so many injuries, they don’t even look like the Colts.

Sunday afternoon….

Minnesota 17 Washington 13

Adrian Peterson missed the entire second half with an injury, but scored one touchdown while Toby Gerhardt rushed for the other as the Vikings won in Leslie Frazier’s debut as head coach. The Vikes are now 4-7 this season. The Vikes ended a nine-game road losing streak.

Atlanta 20 Green Bay 17

Atlanta’s Michael Turner rushed for 110 yards and touchdown. Matt Ryan completed 24-of-28 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. Atlanta is now 9-2 on the season.

Cleveland 24 Carolina 23

Carolina’s John Kasay missed a 42-yard field goal on the final play to give Cleveland the win. Peyton Hillis rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns for the Browns.

Pittsburgh 19 Buffalo 16 (OT)

Canadian Shawn Suisham kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime to win it for the Steelers. Suisham kicked four field goals on the day. Pittsburgh goes to 8-3.

NY Giants 24 Jacksonville 20

The Giants trailed most of the game, but with 3:55 left, Eli Manning hit Kevin Boss for a 32-yard touchdown pass to win it. Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 113 yards for the Jags, his fourth-straight 100-yard rushing game.

Houston 20 Tennessee 0

Houston stopped a four-game losing streak thanks to runningback Arian Foster. Foster carried 30 times for 143 yards and caught nine passes for 75 more yards. The Titans have now lost four straight. Houston defensive back Glover Quin, had never had a pass interception in his career, had three against Tennessee.

Miami 33 Oakland 17

The Dolphins Chad Henne completed 17-of-30 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns. Ricky Williams gained 95 yards rushing and scored a touchdown.

Kansas City 42 Seattle 24

The Chiefs Matt Cassel threw four touchdown passes. Dwayne Bowe had 13 receptions for 170 yards and caught three of those TD passes. Jamaal Charles carried 22 times for 173 yards and another touchdown. Bowe has 13 TD receptions in the last seven games.

Baltimore 17 Tampa Bay 10

Joe Flacco completed 25-of-35 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

Chicago 31 Philadelphia 26

The Bears Jay Cutler completed 14-of-21 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns. The Bears are now 8-3.

St. Louis 36 Denver 33

First Nation’s quarterback Sam Bradford was brilliant for St. Louis. He was 22-for-37 for 308 yards and three touchdowns.

Tonight, in the Monday Nighter, it’s the San Francisco 49ers in Glendale, Arizona to face the Arizona Cardinals.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Blog, NFL

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,