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We All Say Dumb Things…

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
dumb 300x240 We All Say Dumb Things...

Dumb

As the headline suggests, we all say dumb things. That certainly includes me. I’ll even say them on the radio.

Last week, on the Rise Up Show with Big Will and Miss Melissa on Streetz 104.7, I said three really dumb things. I didn’t say them all at once. I spread them out over the week so I could sound even dumber, more often.

I don’t normally say really dumb things, but when I do, it eats at me for days. This time, dumbness has eaten at me long enough. I said it, it was dumb, and with that, let me apologize for…

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Another Jose Calderon brick.

1. On Tuesday morning, I said I liked the way the Toronto Raptors played basketball. I said that. I said it out loud to a listening audience on Streetz that really likes basketball and knows a lot about the game.

I had just watched the Raptors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 97-87. Man they looked good. Amir Johnson beat up Kevin Love and had 11 points and 19 rebounds. Andrea Bargnani scored 31. Jose Calderon ran the offence and shut down Ricky Rubio on D and he didn’t even throw up too many of those Jose Calderon clang-bang bricks. It was a nice effort.

So I went on the radio and said that the 4-5 Raptors were playing “good basketball,” and should break out of their early-season struggles.

Yeah, right. What a bonehead.

The Raptors proceeded to lose 93-78 to the dog-ass Washington Wizards, 98-91 at home to the D-League level Sacramento Kings, 95-90 at home to Indiana, 77-64 in Chicago and 93-84 to Atlanta (which really isn’t embarrassing at the worst of times). In that entire stretch of five straight losses, the Raptors had, maybe, three good quarters and Bargnani, clearly their best player despite those stupid spaghetti commercials he does, injured a calf muscle and missed three games.

When I said I liked the way the Raptors played, they were 4-5. By today’s admission that I was really dumb to say that I liked the way they played, they are now 4-10.

So dumb.

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Buck's Re-signing is not so obvious.

2. On Friday morning, I said two really dumb things. The first one was a doozy:

I said, “Blue Bombers general manager Joe Mack held a news conference yesterday to say that his off-season priorities were to sign a new offensive coordinator, quarterback Buck Pierce and offensive lineman Brendan LaBatte. Thank you Captain Obvious.”

Well, after a sober second thought, it wasn’t so obvious. The offensive coordinator part is obvious and Brendan LaBatte is really obvious, but Buck Pierce? Not so much.

Pierce wants big dough to return. Mack doesn’t really have to pay him big dough. With the seven other CFL teams set at quarterback next season, no other team is going to sign Pierce for the amount of money he wants ( a base of at least $200,000). Meanwhile, Mack knows that Pierce had virtually the same numbers as Michael Bishop did back in 2009 and we all remember that the local mainstream media laughed at Michael Bishop. There is no need to sign Pierce for more than he’s worth with Alex Brink and Joey Elliott ready to go.

In fact, you could argue that if Mack signs LaBatte and the offensive line continues to get better, Brink and Elliott could provide head coach Paul LaPolice with a great training camp battle at the QB’s position.

Joe Mack was not Captain Obvious because Buck Pierce, for too much money, is not an obvious signing.

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Tom Brady: Shoulda had more faith.

3. Also on Friday, I said the New England Patriots would beat the Denver Broncos by two touchdowns. What an idiot.

Sure, I picked New Orleans and Green Bay to win on Friday morning during our weekly Streetz NFL picks with Tahl East, but we both hedged those bets. Neither one of us was quite convinced that the Packers or Saints were a guarantee, and we both said so. In fact, we both took New Orleans while holding our noses.

But New England? I came right out and said “the Pats win by two touchdowns.”

Wrong. They won by five touchdowns. And if Tom Brady and Bill Belichick hadn’t called off the dogs late in the game, it could have been seven or eight. New England was so much better than Denver it wasn’t even a fair fight.

I should have known better. And, yes, it was dumb to think that Denver could finish within two touchdowns of that New England team.

Because Baltimore won’t, either.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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A Huge Weekend Coming Up: What Does it Mean?

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
0915martinjpg2 300x198 A Huge Weekend Coming Up: What Does it Mean?

Josh Freeman

TAMPA, Fla. — There is nothing better than a long weekend. You don’t have to go to bed early, you don’t have to get up early and there is usually enough sports on the tube that there isn’t one dull moment.

This weekend here in sunny Florida, the Houston Texans take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon, but don’t worry, there’s more. Lots more.

In fact, there’s a load of NFL games on TV, more than enough college football to fill your boots, plus hockey and fighting — both boxing and MMA. The CFL playoffs begin, Tiger is hot in Australia while John Daly is off in Oz playing Kevin Costner’s character in Tin Cup.

While we remember our fathers and grandfathers and all the people who fought to keep Canada free, we can also take comfort in the fact they left us a nation that loves sports — and really loves to argue about it.

So with that in mind, here are five outstanding sporting events taking place this Remembrance Day weekend.

Let’s have an argument.

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Tiger Woods

1. Tiger Woods Heats Up in Australia:

I know, the world is full of Tiger haters, but I’m afraid I’m not one of them. I hope Tiger shoots 62 every time he tees it up just to piss off the people who hate his guts. I also can’t watch golf on TV unless Tiger is in contention. Televised golf these days would put hyperactive children to sleep if Tiger isn’t playing.

So heading into the weekend, Tiger has gone 68-67 at the Lakes Country Club in Sydney and at nine under, he holds a one-shot lead over Peter O’Malley.

He talked after Round 2 as if he was ready to win again.

“I think experience comes with managing myself and my game,” Woods told reporters at the post-round news conference. “I’ve been there a few times and I understand how to do it. All the things that can happen, I’ve experienced a lot of it.”

Go get ‘em Tiger.

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Anthony Calvillo

2. The CFL Playoffs Start:

The Winnipeg Bombers don’t play again until Sunday, Nov. 20 when they play host to the CFL’s Eastern final at Canad Inns Stadium. More than 27,000 tickets have already been sold for that game and no doubt, it will be a sellout. Bomber fans have waited since 20o1 to cheer for a first place and this year they’ll be at the stadium screaming themselves horse.

Buck Pierce says he’ll be ready to start at quarterback when the Bombers face the winner of this Sunday’s Eastern Conference semifinal between the Montreal Alouettes and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. The Alouettes are favored by 5.5 points. Game time is 12 Noon. Meanwhile, in the Western semifinal Calgary will play at Edmonton at 3:30. The Eskimos are favored by 2.5.

It says here that Montreal and Edmonton will emerge victorious this weekend, but both teams will lose in the Conference finals. That means we’re looking at a Winnipeg-B.C. Grey Cup on Nov. 27 at B.C. Place Stadium.

You heard it here first.

3. Two Gigantic Saturday Night Fights:

This Saturday night, Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines returns to the ring for a re-match against Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez and it will be a dandy. It’s being billed as Pacquiao-Marquez III at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and it’s the rubber match at 144 pounds for Pacquiao and Marquez.

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Manny Pacquiao

The first time Pacquiao fought Marquez in 2004, he knocked him down three times and settled for a draw. The second time, in 2008, Pacquiao won by split decision. There are some who think Marquez is a better fighter. Both Big Will Prince and I picked Pacquaio to win by a unanimous decision. This will be a long, hard, wonderful fight by two of the best pound-for-pound warriors on the planet.

Meanwhile, on the MMA side of the ledger, the UFC heavyweight title will be up for grabs on Saturday night in the first UFC on Fox main event with champion Cain Velasquez taking on top contender Junior Dos Santos. There will be nine preliminary bouts but only one main event – that’s for Velasquez’s UFC heavyweight title and on Streetz 104.7 this week both Big Will and I picked the veteran warrior, Cain Velasquez, to defend his belt,

However, our fight expert, Marc-Andre Drolet from The Fight Network, said he was ready to place a bet on Dos Santos in an upset.

The fight is free on Fox on Saturday, live from the Honda Centre in Anaheim, Cal.

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Claude Noel

4. The Jets Play in Columbus:

The 5-8-3 Winnipeg Jets, coming off a heartbreaking 6-5 overtime loss in Buffalo on Tuesday night and a dud — a 5-2 loss to Florida — at home on Thursday, take to the road to face the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.

The Jets can’t afford to sleep walk through this one like they did against Florida on Thursday.

After all, they get one game on the road and then return to Winnipeg to face Tampa on Monday, Washington on Thursday and Philly next Saturday. The road game will be the easiest of the next four.

After Thursday’s loss head coach Claude Noel said: “We were not good from the goaltender out, what do you want me to say?”

Thank you, coach, for the thoughtful, candid, honest response. I watched the game at Buffalo Wild Wings in Orlando on Thursday night and the locals laughed at my favorite hockey team. They had better be better on Saturday or a desperate Columbus team will rip them.

Meanwhile, there is still talk in Jets circles about moving Dustin Byfuglien from defense to forward, but head coach Claude Noel doesn’t want to make the move because Byfuglien “Doesn’t want to play forward,” and GM Kevin Cheveldayoff doesn’t want to make the move because he likes Byfuglien on the ice 22-24 minutes a night on defense while he’d only play 15-17 minutes at forward. Which, of course, didn’t matter much in Buffalo after two of Byfuglien’s mistakes cost the Jets a pair of goals.

This debate will continue for awhile.

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Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings

5. Indy to 0-10, Green Bay to 9-0:

I’m not convinced the Jacksonville Jaguars are any good, but I am convinced they’re better than the 0-9 Indianapolis Colts. However, the Colts aren’t going to go 0-16 this season (my Lions have already EARNED that notoriety) and if they’re going to win a game this year, this is it. It goes Sunday at Noon (CST) and yet if they were playing it in my back yard, I wouldn’t open the drapes to watch it. This might be one of the worst NFL games this season.

Meanwhile, on Monday night, the Green Bay Packers play host to the Minnesota Vikings. Green Bay will win because Aaron Rodgers will throw a pantload of TD passes against that dreadful Vikings defensive secondary. How about 48-36 Green Bay?

The Packers will improve to 9-0 and will only have two semi-difficult games in their final seven. We could be witnessing another 16-0 season.

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Can the Packers Go 16-0?

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

MINNEAPOLIS – Sunday afternoon at the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis, Aaron Rodgers delivered.

Of course, Rodgers has become so good at delivering lately that it’s hard to imagine there was a time not long ago when Packer fans demanded that Rodgers be relegated to No. 2 and the retired-unretired Brett Favre be given his job back.

Sunday in the Twin Cities, Rodgers brought his team back from a 17-13 halftime deficit against the Minnesota Vikings and in the din at the Dome, recorded a 33-27 victory. He also brought his team back in spectacular fashion. First he threw a 79-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings on the second play of the third quarter and then he took Green Bay right back down the field again and before the second half was four minutes old, Rodgers’ Packers had 14 unanswered points.

aaron rodgers1 Can the Packers Go 16 0?

Aaron Rodgers Takes Apart the Vikings Secondary

Suddenly, a 17-13 deficit was a 27-17 lead and the Vikings never threatened again.

Sunday, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Rodgers (who actually looks much smaller in his street clothes) finished 24-for-30 for 335 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He eviscerated a weak Vikings secondary but it was still a remarkable performance considering the thunderous noise inside the Metrodome. Fans from both sides had gathered to see the Packers go to 7-0 and to watch the Vikings new star, rookie quarterback Christian Ponder, get his first start.

Neither story line disappointed. Ponder went 13-for-32 for 219 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and got post-game kudos from Rodgers and Green Bay defensive lineman Clay Matthews. He wasn’t an A-plus quarterback by any stretch, but for a first-timer, he was quite good and if nothing else, he gave Vikings fans a little hope.

Rodgers meanwhile, won his 13th consecutive game – count ‘em, the final two games of last year’s regular season, three playoff games then the Super Bowl, and now seven straight this season. It’s the longest winning streak in the history of this storied franchise and it will be remembered as an incredible run even if it stops in Week 9 (the week after this week’s Packers bye week, got it?).

The Packers have beaten New Orleans (42-34), Carolina (30-23), Chicago (27-17), Denver (49-23), Atlanta (25-14), St. Louis (24-3) and now Minnesota (33-27) so far this season. They beat Carolina, Chicago, Atlanta and Minnesota on the road.

If you take a close look at their schedule, there is now a legitimate chance the Packers could run the table: After this week’s bye, they go to San Diego (tough one), play the Vikings at home, get Tampa at home, go to Detroit (San Francisco and Atlanta have put an end to the “Myth of the Lions”), 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 six games, there is no reason to believe that 16-0 is an impossibility.

As ESPN wrote: “Whether Green Bay can achieve perfection is one question, but the fact that the question is being raised in late October proves how formidable the Packers are.”

“I’m not going there, I don’t want to talk about,” said tight end Jermichael Finlay on Sunday night. “We’ll see what happens at the end of the season.”

Rodgers had a better sense of humour about what probably is, premature talk.

“I’m really looking forward to the bye this week,” he said with a grin. “Going undefeated? Not thinking about that. Although I do believe we can get better. We have seven wins and that’s nice, but there is no doubt in my mind that we can play better football.”

You would not have known that yesterday — especially if you watched the Packers offence. Green Bay had 25 first downs on 421 net yards. Rodgers’ quarterback rating was 146.5.

“It’s never easy coming to the Metrodome and never easy playing the Vikings,” said Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy. “But at the end of the day, our offence really stepped up. It was our offence that got us the victory.”

And the guy at the helm of that offence is a guy who didn’t get a Division 1 scholarship coming out of high school, played a year of junior college before he caught the eye of head coach Jeff Tedford at the University of California. Played two years at Cal and was told he’d be a top NFL draft pick, but ended going 24th to Green Bay in 2005. He was the butt of derision and anger in Green Bay when McCarthy decided that Favre was gone and Rodgers was now the quarterback.

And yet as he answered questions after Sunday’s game, he was a 27-year-old veteran with a Super Bowl championship, a 13-game winning streak and 7-0 record heading into his bye week.

And one more thing: After Sunday’s impressive win here in Minneapolis, there is now a legitimate reason to believe that if McCarthy and the Packers really wanted to try – and that means playing his starters regularly through all 16 games this season – they could go 16-0 this season.

Aaron Rodgers must stay healthy, of course. That goes without saying. But if he does, and if McCarthy gets on board with the idea, there is a chance this Packers team could defend its Super Bowl title by running the table.

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Lions Look Great. Vikings Collapse Again. Week 3 Was Sure Interesting.

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
Matthew Stafford1 199x300 Lions Look Great. Vikings Collapse Again. Week 3 Was Sure Interesting.

Matthew Stafford, a young man madly in love with his right arm.

MINNEAPOLIS – It could easily be suggested, without much argument by the way, that the greatest moment in Detroit Lions history was Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2008.

No, that was not the day the Lions drafted Ndamukong Suh. That was the day that Lions owner William Ford fired club president Matt Millen, the ex-player-turned-TV-broadcaster-turned bullshit-artist that almost completely destroyed the Lions franchise with a series of inane draft picks and horrid coaching hires.

From that day forward, the Lions have slowly, but surely returned to the glory they once enjoyed. A glory they last enjoyed in the 1950s, when a fellow named Bobby Layne played quarterback.

Sunday afternoon, in front of 62,466 witnesses at the Metrodome, the Lions showed just how far they’ve come. Trailing 20-0 at halftime, they battled all the way back and won 26-23 in overtime. Led by quarterback Matthew Stafford and an outstanding corps of receivers, the Lions improved to 3-0 for the first time since 1980. And that’s significant.

The last time the Lions were 3-0, Stafford – and most of his teammates had not been born.

The last time the Lions beat the Vikings in Minnesota, in 1997, Stafford was nine.

The Lions have won seven straight games dating back to last season – 11 if you count the four pre-season games this year.

These are the new Detroit Lions, a Lions team that doesn’t even remember the 2008 squad that went 0-16. After all, Millen is gone and a team that was 4-36 in their last 40 games against Minnesota and Green Bay is now 1-0 against the Vikings this season and they don’t even see the Packers until Thursday, Nov. 24 – Thanksgiving Day.

Since Millen was fired, the Lions have, almost over night, become one of the most feared teams in the NFL. This year’s team is now 3-0 and with their phenomenal receivers and cocky young quarterback, they have a legitimate chance to challenge in the very good NFC North. Ever since the Ford Family fired Millen and hired Tom Lewand as president and Martin Mayhew as general manager, the Lions have turned the corner.

Since Millen walked out the door, the Lions drafted quarterback Matthew Stafford, a young man who is madly in love with his right arm, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle Nick Fairley, wide receiver Titus Young, linebacker DeAndre Levy, defensive tackle Sammie Hill, tight end Brandon Pettigrew, runningback Jahvid Best, strong safety Amari Spievey, offensive tackle Jason Fox and defensive end Willie Young.

Detroit+Lions+Minicamp+ADf6A vNpkkl 197x300 Lions Look Great. Vikings Collapse Again. Week 3 Was Sure Interesting.

Brandon Pettigrew

Stafford, Suh, Levy, Spievey, Pettigrew and Best all started Sunday’s game and all played well. Stafford went 32-for-46 for 378 yards and two touchdowns. Pettigrew had 11 receptions for 112 yards. Best carried 12 times for 14 yards. Spievey had three tackles and a sack. Levy had three tackles. Suh had five tackles and a sack. Off the bench, Titus Young caught four passes for 51 yards, Sammie Hill had two tackles,

Meanwhile, kick and punt returner Stefan Logan was acquired as a free agent from Pittsburgh and was terrific on Sunday. He returned four punts for 37 yards and three kickoffs for 74 yards. Middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch was signed away from Tennessee and yesterday had seven tackles.

The moves this team has made since Millen was dispatched has made the Lions a surprisingly good team. The 3-0 start is no fluke.

“It was a difficult first half, we didn’t play that well,” said Lions quarterback Stafford, addressing the fact his team fell behind 20-0 at the half. “But then we started to do what we do best. We spread things out, we’d played quickly and we had guys make big plays for me.

“On the drive to the game-winning field goal, nothing needs to be said. We knew we were going to score. Like all good offences, we knew we’d make the plays that would get us into a position for Jason (Hanson) to kick the winning field goal.”

That’s the difference between a team that has won seven consecutive regular-season games, compared to a team that went 0-16 just four seasons ago. Good ownership finally put the right people in the right positions and they’ve given good young draft picks a chance to be successful.

It’s kind of the same reason I’ve taken over from Dr. Football as the Alpha Male of this prognostication team. Confidence. I buried the past, looked to future and decided that the Doc wasn’t really that smart.

This will be the third week The Coach has led this season and you’ll see when the picks are posted on Thursday. Last week, The Coach went 10-6 straight up (33-13 on the season) and a Matt Millen-like 5-11 (24-24) against the spread, but The Coach still leads and that’s all that matters. It’s the first time since we’ve started making these picks that The Coach has held the lead.

Yes, “The Roar” has been restored.

Let’s look back at Week 3, before we move forward on Thursday to Week 4:

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Detroit 26 Minnesota 23 (OT)

percy harvin Lions Look Great. Vikings Collapse Again. Week 3 Was Sure Interesting.

Percy Harvin, a great player who doesn't see the ball enough.

Detroit’s Jason Hanson kicked a 32-yard field goal on the fifth play of overtime to win it. The Lions trailed 20-0 at the half and came back to win and move to 3-0 while the Vikes fell to 0-3 with their third straight second-half collapse.

Buffalo 34 New England 31

The Bills came back from a 21-0 deficit and picked off four Tom Brady passes. Buffalo is the only unbeaten team in the AFC.

Carolina 16 Jacksonville 10

Cam Newton only threw for 158 yards and a touchdown, but this week he gets a win. He lost two straight despite throwing for more than 400 yards both times.

Denver+Broncos+v+San+Francisco+49ers+kGeEeqf1BlLl 300x224 Lions Look Great. Vikings Collapse Again. Week 3 Was Sure Interesting.

Alex Smith of the Niners

San Francisco 13 Cincinnati 8

Alex Smith was 20-for-30 for 201 yards and the Niners Kendall Hunter rushed for the game’s only touchdown.

Cleveland 17 Miami 16

Colt McCoy completed 19-of-39 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns, the winning TD to Joshua Cribbs. The Browns played without Peyton Hillis and still won a big game at home to got to 2-1.

New Orleans 40 Houston 33

The Saints outscored the Texans 23-14 in a thrilling fourth quarter. The Saints Drew Brees finished 31-for-44 for 370 yards and three touchdowns. TE Jimmy Graham caught four passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.

Tennessee 17 Denver 14

The Titans Matt Hasselbeck went 27-for-36 for 311 yards and two TDs including a four-yarder to Daniel Graham to win it.

Michael+Vick+Philadelphia+Eagles+v+Pittsburgh+KVmGj8slXETl 205x300 Lions Look Great. Vikings Collapse Again. Week 3 Was Sure Interesting.

Philly's Michael Vick injured his hand.

NY Giants 29 Philadelphia 16 

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick was hit late and broke his right hand, non-throwing hand and then went off, saying the league’s referees don’t protect him like they do other quarterbacks. It’s true. If a defensive player so much as breathes on Tom Brady, there is a penalty. Vick takes a beating and there is seldom ever a flag.

Oakland 34 NY Jets 24

Raiders runningback Darren McFadden rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns as Oakland improved to 2-1. The Raiders have been improving dramatically and this season with Jason Campbell and McFadden, the offence might be good enough to challenge to the West.

San Diego 20 Kansas City 17

The Chargers’ Ryan Mathews carried 21 times for 98 yards and two TDs. Matt Cassel’s late interception cost Kansas City a comeback.

Baltimore 37 St. Louis 7

Ravens rookie receiver Torrey Smith’s first three career receptions went for 133 yards and three touchdowns. He finished with five catches for 152 yards. Joe Flacco went 27-for-48 for 389 yards and three TDs to Smith.

129 Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley 214x300 Lions Look Great. Vikings Collapse Again. Week 3 Was Sure Interesting.

Green Bay's Jermichael Finley

Green Bay 27 Chicago 17

Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns, all to tight end Jermichael Finley. Brandon’s Israel Idonije had another good game with four tackles for the Bears.

Seattle 13 Arizona 10

Neither offense was any good but Seattle’s Tarvaris Jackson ran 11 yards for a TD in the third quarter and that’s all Seattle needed.

Tampa Bay 16 Atlanta 13

The Bucs Josh Freeman scored the first rushing touchdown of his career, and Tampa Bay’s defense forced three turnovers and sacked Atlanta QB Matt Ryan four times.

roethlisberger photo 218x300 Lions Look Great. Vikings Collapse Again. Week 3 Was Sure Interesting.

Ben Roethlisberger

SUNDAY NIGHT

Pittsburgh 23 Indianapolis 20

The Colts lost quarterback Kerry Collins to a concussion and that ultimately cost them the game. Pittsburgh’s Canadian kicker Sean Suisham booted a 38-yard field goal with only eight seconds left on the clock.

MONDAY NIGHT

Dallas 18 Washington 16

Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey booted six field goals to give Dallas all 18 of their points. Tremendous effort by Cowboys QB Tony Romo who played with that serious rib injury.

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Back from Vegas After Learning a Couple of Things.

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

We had a tremendous trip to Las Vegas this past weekend. We won money on the Leafs-Atlanta over, the Red Wings winning on Pavel Datsyuk’s return, an underdog quarter horse at Louisiana Downs and four great prop bets in the Super Bowl: 1. that no team would score three consecutive times, 2. that Pittsburgh would lose but finish with the most first downs (19-15), 3. that the first score would be on a touchdown pass and 4. that the first touchdown would be scored by a player wearing a number higher than 34.

I also learned I could never live in Las Vegas. At least, not if I had to have a real job. I could easily sit in the sports book all day and bet horse racing until the NBA, college basketball and hockey games started. I doubt I would win much, but I’d have a helluva time.

Yes, I took Pittsburgh to win the Super Bowl and they did not. Three turnovers will do that. Without the turnovers, the Steelers win with ease, but that’s like saying if your aunt had stones she’d be your uncle. The Steelers did, indeed, turn it over three times and as a result, the Green Bay Packers won the big game 31-25. Aaron Rodgers deserves full marks for his MVP award, too.

As it is in all Super Bowls, however, the game wasn’t the star. The star was the entertainment — the TV commercials, the half-time show and a really loud female singer screaming the words to The Star Spangled Banner (just to make it “her own,” you know). As T.J. Simers suggested in the Los Angeles Times, Christina Aguilera decided to yell the national anthem, fearing no one would hear her. Unfortunately, we heard every word, especially the ones she botched.

A half-time, I enjoyed Fergie, but who were those three men on the stage with her? Gotta give Fergie credit. She ain’t no Beyonce. If she left that little quartet, they’d forget those three guys faster than we forgot Kelly what’s-her-name. The best part about the half-time show was that it lasted so long, I thought the Packers could have put the injured Donald Driver and Charles Woodson on IR, let them heal, and then taken them off IR before the second half started.

In the meantime, I spent Saturday night of Super Bowl Week at the UFC 126 card at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Events Center. It was wonderful. One of the great professional sporting events I’ve ever witnessed.

It’s not that the fights were that great. They were OK. You had a one-kick main event that was quite impressive,  but for three minutes, Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort did nothing at all.

What was great, however, was the spectacle. The ring announcer, Bruce Buffer, is beyond sensational, the music is loud and proud and mostly rap metal, the fights start on time (there is no screwing around at all) and unlike the NFL, where commissioner Roger Goodell spends no time with the masses, UFC commissioner (and owner) Dana White, walks past the media table and talks to the peons. He may be loud, he may offend some people, but White seems to be a tremendous guy and he’s proven he’s very good for his sport. If you’re going to have a tough sport, you gotta have a hard-ass commissioner. I have to admit, when he walked past the media table and shook everybody’s hand, I was a fanboy.

I’m looking forward to UFC 129 in Toronto. I’m not sure I’ll go to another Super Bowl.

And I think that’s the difference between the UFC and the NFL. The NFL is 10 times better on television. When it comes to the UFC, you have to be there.

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We Like Pittsburgh Despite the Oddsmakers

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

LAS VEGAS — The Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to become the first NFL team to win seven Super Bowl titles. The Green Bay Packers are trying to win for the first time since 1997. And their both going to try to do inside Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on Sunday evening.

The Packers and Steelers have so much in common, it’s the reason no one (and I mean NO ONE) is really certain who is going to win Sunday’s Super Bowl XLV. These teams are mirror images of each other: Ben Roethlisberger or Aaron Rodgers. Troy Polamalu or Clay Matthews. Donald Driver or Heinz Ward. Mike Wallace or Greg Jennings. You could go on and on and on…

These teams are so much alike the Packers have now joined the 2005 Steelers as the only No. 6 seeds to reach the Super Bowl since 1990. These two teams look the same, feel the same and tend to play the same. During the regular season, the Steelers scored 375 points and gave up 232 (+143). The Packers scored 388 and gave up 240 (+148). The Steelers had the No. 1 defence in football (207.5 yards per game) while the Packers were No. 3 (282.3 yards per game). Green Bay had the No. 9 offense in the NFL (358.1 yards per game) while the Steelers were No. 14 (345.3 yards per game).

I have no real reason to pick the Pittsburgh Steelers other than the intangibles. In fact, this is going to be a Super Bowl full of intangibles.

Let’s take a closer look:

NFC Champion Green Bay Packers (13-6) vs AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers (14-4)

Line: Packers by 2.5

The Steelers have one of the best defenses in NFL history, but keeping Aaron Rodgers off the board is still going to be very tough. During the season, the Packers had trouble winning close games. In the playoffs, there was no question that Green Bay had overcome that problem. The defense, especially the play of Matthews and the linebackers, has been playing at a high level, but the defensive secondary has limited most big plays in the post-season and that’s made a big difference in the outcome of three road games. The real question is: Can the Packers run the football? I’m not sure they can. I love Pittsburgh’s linebackers and that defensive front seven is the best in football. Offense wins fans. Defense wins championships. I like Pittsburgh’s defense.

Dr. Football: STEELERS TO WIN.

The Coach: STEELERS TO WIN.


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Favre Haters Know NOTHING About Football… or They Haven’t watched the Vikings All Year.

Posted on November 21, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

On the NFL pre-game shows this morning, and during the Green Bay-Minnesota game this afternoon, the league’s big TV thinkers have spent all the time they possibly could blasting 40-year-old Brett Favre for having a bad year.

They’ve all talked about turnovers, turnovers and injuries and more injuries. They blamed the entire Vikings’ 3-6 record on the quarterback.

They are STUPID people.

I’ve said it all year long and today it’s more obvious than ever. The Vikings offensive libe is the worst in the history of football. It is the worst offensive line at any level of football anywhere on the planet. Peewee kids can block better than this line.

In his first 12 drop backs today, Favre had no more than two steamboats to throw. He was sacked once and hit seven times.

Bryant McKinnie is on roller skates. The Minnesota pocket collapses faster than any in football. Phil Loadholt has no clue. Steve Hutchinson is done. The other two guys couldn’t block me.

I have never seen anything worse in more than 50 years of watching the National Football League.

And it’s Favre’s fault???? No wonder television journalism is a joke.

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NFL Officiating Under the Microscope

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Brad Childress is pissed and according to a Fox television analyst who was quoted by the St. Paul Pioneer Press — a man who used to be the NFL’s director of officiating — Childress has every right to be pissed.

In fact, the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings called Sunday night’s game in Green Bay, “the worst officiated game I’ve ever seen.”

Childress is upset about a dreadful call by head referee Scott Green, a guy who has been involved in so many questionable calls — and I use the word “questionable” in a moral sense, not in a sense of competency — that you have to wonder why he hasn’t been investigated by the NFL (and having said that, he even got the Super Bowl job this past year).

On Sunday night, Green’s field judge signaled “touchdown” on a pass from Brett Favre to Visanthe Shiancoe in the second quarter of Sunday’s game, a touchdown pass that should have given the Vikings a 21-14 lead and ultimately, should have given them the victory in what was a terrific football game.

However, Green went under the hood and reversed the call and Childress went nuts. The NFL eventually called Childress and told him it was the wrong call, but the call by Green didn’t surprise me at all. Throughout the entire game, every time his crew told him that a call was going against the Packers, he had this pained look on his face. A couple of times, it even appeared as if he was trying to talk his crew out of the call.

Fox analyst and former NFL director of officiating, Mike Pereira told the Pioneer Press on Monday: ”You go under the hood to see if there is anything obvious that shows it wasn’t a touchdown. Maybe the receiver didn’t maintain control of the ball on his way to the ground. Maybe he didn’t have total control after he hit the ground. But there was not enough there to overturn the call in my opinion.”

Pereira added: “If the original call had been an incompletion, there was enough evidence for the Vikings to successfully challenge the ruling and that they would have been awarded a touchdown.”

During his Monday news conference Childress said that Carl Johnson, the league’s director of officials, admitted that Green ”erred” in overturning the touchdown call on what was a catch by Shiancoe, according to the league. Not surprisingly, Childress said he also was told a touchdown catch by Packers tight end Andrew Quarless in the second quarter would have been overturned had the Vikings challenged it.

“It’s supposed to be irrefutable evidence,” Childress said during his Monday news conference. “The guy is looking right down on it and says it is a touchdown. You have got to show them something that says it wasn’t a touchdown. I saw him control the ball. It’s not about forearms. It’s not about hands. I was told it was about hands. If he has it in his teeth and it touches the ground and he has it when he comes up, it’s a touchdown.”

Green has made a habit of bad calls in important situations. Raising the question, “Is he the NFL’s Tim Donaghy?”

After all, it was Green who pissed off Packers fans last year when he didn’t call a face-mask penalty against Arizona Cardinals DB, Mike Adams on the final play of the Packers’ playoff loss to the Cardinals. Green and his crew also failed to call an obvious roughing the passer penalty on the Cardinals a few plays before that.

Adam Schefter of ESPN also that Green also was the referee who botched the end of Pittsburgh’s 11-10 win over the Chargers  last season, when he disallowed a touchdown at the end of the game. The only people interested in that touchdown would be people who had Pittsburgh to cover. By blowing the call, it made most bettors think that Green had something on the game.

Here is the transcript of Childress’s post-game comments on KFAN immediately following the game. This should get Childress fined, but it should also get Green fired (although it won’t):

“That’s the worst officiated game I’ve seen. That referee came over and apologized to me for not calling a hold on the scramble by (Packers quarterback Aaron) Rodgers. And I’ll tell you what, that’s his job. Protect the quarterback and look at the left tackle. Look at the left tackle hold his tail off.

“I must not understand a catch in the end zone for them to take Shiancoe’s off the board. That’s not the way it’s taught, that’s not the way we’re told. That goes back to the Tampa game that Tony (Dungy) coached years ago (and caused a change in the ruling of how the ground can alter a catch).

“You control the ball and it doesn’t make any difference if you control it with your hand or forearm. Period. That’s not the way it’s taught at our owner’s symposium and that’s wrong. That’s wrong. … They said he didn’t control it and he controlled it. The litmus is 50 drunks in a bar, those 50 drunks say that’s a catch and 50 writers in this room, you may be drunk too, but it’s a catch.”

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Underpaid NFL (Amateur) Officials ‘Look’ More Corrupt Every Week

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Scott Taylor| 1 Comment

As I watch the NFL and become ever more impressed with the incredible athletic skills of the athletes, I must admit, I tend to watch The League now with a jaundiced eye. There is something wrong with the officiating.

I’m not sure what it is and I am sure it’s always been there, to some degree, but these days I watch certain crews and I wonder if something might be a little, umm, well, fishy.

For instance, there is holding, of some kind, on every, single play, but more often that not, holding is only called when it has an effect on a big play. And what is quite disconcerting is that, far too often, it only brings back the big plays of certain teams in certain situations. In other words, holding might be called early in a game on one team when a drive hasn’t even started. Suddenly, at midfield on their second possession, Team A, has a first-and-20, and well, so what?

However, Team B gets hit with a holding call on second and 10 from the opposition’s 15 with 0:45 to play and forces Team B into an impossible situation. It’s almost inevitable and it happens in almost every game.

Sunday, I watched a couple of plays that were simply, well, phony. And, interstingly, the NFL noticed. This from nfl.com:

MIAMI — An officiating mistake negated a late fumble at the goal line by Ben Roethlisberger and the Piuttsburgh Steelers kicked the game-winning field goal on the next play Sunday.

Jeff Reed  made an 18-yarder with 2:30 left, and the Steelers escaped with a 23-22 win.

One play earlier, with Pittsburgh trailing 20-19 and facing third-and-goal at the 2, Roethlisberger fumbled as he dived across the goal line on a quarterback draw. The play was ruled a touchdown as both teams scrambled for the loose ball in the end zone.

After a replay review, referee Gene Steratore announced that Roethlisberger fumbled before scoring. But Steratore said his crew had no clear evidence as to which team recovered the ball, and the Steelers were awarded possession at the half-yard line, allowing Reed to kick the winner.

Wow! Everybody watching that game saw the replay and it seems everybody saw a Miami player come up with the football. Why did Steratore and his crew miss it? What is the purpose of replay? What is it with the Steelers and controversial wins? What is it with NFL officiating?

Having said that, I won’t get started on the Vikings-Packers game in Green Bay on Sunday night. That one smelled of fish and, of  course, every time Scott Green calls a game, he looks worried when a call goes against one team and quite enthusiastic when it goes against the other. It’s just an odd look and if it weren’t for HD TV, we’d probably never notice.

Of course, if it wasn’t for Sport Select here in Canada, we’d probably never care.

VIKINGS POST SCRIPT (3:18 p.m. Monday)

On a day when Vikings head coach Brad Childress announced that quarterback Brett Favre had two small ankle fractures, he also said the league had backed his assertion that Vikes tight end Visanthe Shiancoe should have been awarded a touchdown on a pass from Favre in the second quarter. The play was originally called a touchdown, but was overturned after a challenge and then, replay. Scott Green was the official who overturned the play on replay.

There is something fishy about Scott Green.

*          *           *

FINALLY. SOMEBODY SAID IT

Kudos to the Detroit Free Press for noticing this one:

Mike Florio from ProFootballTalk.com and now nbcsports.com, was talking about the NFL’s crackdown on head-to-head hits on a Boston radio show last Tuesday when, inexplicably, he went off.

His target: Matt Millen.

Apparently, Millen had debated the topic on “Monday Night Football.” The Detroit Free Press said he argued “on the side of you-can’t-legislate-the-violence-out-of-football.”

“How does no one realize that this guy has only demonstrated he doesn’t know anything?” Florio said incongruously. “I can’t listen to anything he says. … Every time I see his face on the screen, it’s like, in my brain, 0-16 superimposes over the screen, and I can’t get past that. Maybe other people can.

“But I don’t understand … how you can have no shame and want to continue to be out there?

“Kind of like, ‘Hey, look at me. You know what, I took all those millions from the Fords and I was completely inept, and now I’m taking even more money from ESPN and the NFL Network just because I can sit here and sound like I know what I’m talking about.”

Somebody had to say it. Thanks to the Detroit Free Press for hearing it and reporting on it.

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