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Another Day With the Circus

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment
chris johnson tennessee titans 195 230x300 Another Day With the Circus

Chris Johnson Should Be in the NFL Playoffs

New Year’s Day was disappointing. There were no real upsets in the NFL wars. Sure, Kansas City going into Denver and beating the Broncos 7-3 was a bit of an upset, but considering all the holes in the Broncos offense, it wasn’t a big surprise.

In the end, the finish to the NFL season created the usual stupid playoff matchups. Explain to me the logic behind the ridiculous fact that 12-4 Pittsburgh has to go on the road to play at 8-8 Denver in the first round of the post-season this coming weekend. That’s bloody senseless. Sure, Denver won a Division, but there are BCS teams that could have won the AFC West. The only surprise in the AFC West is that San Diego coach Norv Turner wasn’t fired on Monday.

Of course, it was a surprise that Norv Turner wasn’t fired seven weeks ago.

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Tim Tebow Should Not Be in the NFL Playoffs

When 9-7 teams are eliminated (Tennessee) and 8-8 teams (Denver) get in, you have a problem with your playoff structure. It’s time the NFL went to at least eight teams in the post-season. Or else the league should have a cross-over team. Denver has no business being in the playoffs. And they have no business being in the playoffs even if they upset Pittsburgh this week. The Broncos, a sorry team,  are in the playoffs only because the rest of their division is putrid and their presence is a post-season blight on the NFL’s good name.

OK, that rant is done. Now, to relax. At least, on the day after New Year’s, we were treated to some very good sporting events.

Loved the Wisconsin-Oregon Rose Bowl, won 45-38 by Oregon in what the critics are calling Nike’s victory over adidas.

It seems the teams themselves were perfectly matched. The difference in the game was the uniforms. adidas had developed special uniforms for Wisconsin while Nike had developed what it called, “the greatest technological advancement in uniform design in sports history.” (I love the fact that Nike doesn’t get all hyperbolic about itself).

In the end, Oregon won because they had cooler helmets. At least, that’s my guess.

I also enjoyed the Michigan State-Georgia Outback Bowl in Tampa. Considering the way the Buccaneers played in 2011, it was the best football game Tampa fans saw all year. Michigan State won 33-30 in triple overtime. Nice.

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Rangers Score to Win the Winter Classic

The one thing that wasn’t so nice on Jan. 2 was the Winter Classic, the NHL’s outdoor game in Philly. The hockey was decent and it’s always fun to watch one outdoor NHL game a year, but the officiating made the NHL look like professional wrestling.

I had a Sport Select ticket with the Flyers on it, but by the end of the game, I was cheering for the Rangers. That’s because, by the end of the game, referees Ian Walsh and Dennis LaRue were doing everything they possibly could to get Philly the tying goal. Why didn’t one of them just throw the puck in the net and say Scottie Hartnell shot it?

Ryan Callahan’s holding the stick penalty was one of the most mind-boggling calls in hockey history while the penalty shot call on Ryan McDonagh was weak (Covering the puck in the crease? Well, maybe, at absolute worst). In the end, Henrik Lundqvist beat the officials by himself and I didn’t even mind tearing up my Pro Line ticket.

Then, to top off a very interesting day, word arrived on my Twitter that the Calgary Stampeders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats were about to swap quarterbacks.

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Henry Burris Now No. 1 in Hamilton

You knew it was coming, didn’t you? You knew there was no way the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were going back into battle with Kevin Glenn as their No. 1 quarterback next season. And you also knew that Lyle Bauer, the president in Calgary, was NOT going to pay Henry Burris a bonus on Feb. 1, if he could help it. After all, he pulled the same trick with Kevin Glenn in 2009 when he released Glenn before he had to pay him a few thousand bones.

Anyway, we learned late in the day that there was a deal in place to send Glenn to Calgary as the backup to Drew Tate — along with offensive lineman Mark Dewit — while Burris would head to the Ticats to be the new No. 1 in Hamilton.

It was a huge trade, but absolutely no surprise.

It was quite a day. Throw in all the NFL firings and it was a lot more fun than NFL Sunday.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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Thursday Night Game Should be a Steelers Steal

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Week 16 in the NFL opens tonight with Carolina at Pittsburgh, 7:30 on Rogers SportsNet.

There is also a game this week on Saturday, Christmas Day, as Dallas plays at Arizona. This Sunday, the big games include the 10-4 Jets at 10-4 Chicago, Indianapolis at Oakland, the Giants at struggling Green Bay on Sunday night and New Orleans at Atlanta in a battle of the two best teams in the NFC South on Monday night.

In Pittsburgh, all-pro safety Troy Polamalu will not play tonight when the Steelers meet Carolina. On the coast, Troy Smith, not Alex Smith, will start at quarterback for the 49ers on Sunday against St. Louis; Joe Webb is the likely starter for the Vikings on Sunday night when Minnesota plays at Philadelphia; and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is confident he’ll start on Sunday afternoon against the Giants after practicing yesterday.

Only two weeks remain in the 2010 regular season and 20 teams are still in contention for a trip to Super Bowl XLV in North Texas.  Chicago has locked up the NFC North, and Atlanta, New England and Pittsburgh have clinched playoff berths.

According to the NFL media folks in New York, seven of the eight divisions currently feature a team in or tied for the top spot that did not win its division in 2009. Chicago locked up the NFC North title with a win last week after finishing third last season.  Four other clubs that did not win division titles in 2009 – Atlanta, Kansas City, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh – can clinch a division championship this week.

We’ll look at Sunday’s games on Friday, but as for tonight’s matchup, I’ll take the keyboard and write this week’s summary:

Carolina Panthers (2-12) at Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) Line: Steelers by 15 (some books have 14.5)

Really? Seriously? I would never, ever, ever suggest to anyone to take 15 points. Ever. Except maybe in this Thursday night monstrosity. The Steelers won’t be as good without the injured Troy Polamalu, the Pittsburgh offensive line has not done a good job protecting Ben Roethlisberger in recent weeks and Pittsburgh doesn’t score a lot of points anyway (17th overall with 307) so there is a real reason to worry about the spread. Carolina is coming off a 19-12 home win against Arizona while Pittsburgh lost last week, at home, 22-17 to the Jets. I like Pittsburgh a lot, but not by 15.

Dr. Football: STEELERS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER.

The Coach: STEELERS TO WIN BUT NOT COVER

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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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The Bombers Are Back. That Means It’s Crazier Than a LeBron News Conference Around the ‘Peg

Posted on July 11, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ 2010 Canadian Football League campaign has begun. That means the Loonie Season has returned to Winnipeg.

You might have thought LeBron James’ uncomfortable and embarrassing news conference on ESPN (TSN or ESPN North in Canada) was crazy, but the way the two local newspapers in Winnipeg lead the cheers for the local football side — as long as the football side does what the newspapers want — is a non-stop source of comic relief.

On Sunday, the Winnipeg Sun told us (and this is the lead to the story) “The special teams saviour is on his way back to town.” Huh? Seems Derrick Doggett has returned to the Bombers after being released by the Pittsburgh Steelers and now, all is well. Derrick Doggett?

Yep, that’s it. One player will change the entire special teams performance of the Blue Bombers, a performance that has been pretty shaky so far this season.

So, hey, thank goodness Derrick Doggett is back. Obviously the Cup is on its way.

Yeah right, after two games in an 18-game season, let’s start telling people that the Bombers are another step closer to a Grey Cup championship because a special teams player has returned. That’s just stupid.

Wha…? Huh? It’s not? The big paper has been giving us that kind of stuff since February? The things you miss when you aren’t paying attention.

In fact, the folks at the Winnipeg Free Press were so certain that the Bombers were the best team in the league after they drilled 0-2 Hamilton 49-29 in the season opener, that they had to dial it back a bit on Saturday morning.

Honest to goodness, the Free Press wrote this headline after the Bombers lost on Friday: “Cup parade put on hold.” Cup parade? The only people in the city who had anointed the Bombers as potential Grey Cup champions were the sports writers at the Winnipeg Free Press (other writers at the Free Press will tell you that). Now they’re backing off?

The cheerleading over there is a joke. Not even head coach Paul LaPolice has suggested – not even a teeny, tiny bit – that the Bombers are contenders for anything. He’s been clear, “Let’s just see what happens and hopefully this team can compete.”

Cup parade? That’s almost the stupidest thing I’ve ever read in a newspaper. Even in a bad one.

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Sorry Dog Lovers. According to the NFL, Roethlisberger a Bigger Monster than Vick.

Posted on April 22, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for six games this week, a result of what was, apparently, alcohol-fueled misbehaviour in a bar in Georgia this winter.

Most American sports pundits believe the punishment fits the crime, even though there was no crime. In the mainstream media, however, crime and misbehaviour are one and the same because as the court of public opinion, media bloviators get to be district attorney, judge and jury.

Goodell has decided that a He-said/She-said bit of nastiness between a 28-year-old male and 20-year-old female in a bar  is deserving of a six-game suspension and, sure, maybe it is. But remember this, Michael Vick, who spent 18 months in prison after being convicted for his role in a dog-fighting (read: dog-killing) ring, also got six games. And that six-game suspension was shortened to two games.

Now, frankly, I had no argument with Vick’s suspension being shortened by four games. He did his time, he paid his debt to polite society and he deserved every opportunity to return to his old job. But the Roethlisberger suspension is a message that killing defenceless animals and drinking, carousing and acting like an idiot is on exactly the same level of  horrendous behaviour. That’s really, really wrong.

The commissioner needs to do what the commissioner needs to do but when killing animals and acting like a dick results in the same penalty, something is amiss.

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Another Week of Craziness. The Business Just Gets Nuttier

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Scott Taylor| 1 Comment

It would be insane to suggest that anything at all is surprising anymore.

You have the owners of the Toronto Argonauts (a franchise that looked pretty good when they bought it) telling people they might be interested in acquiring the Phoenix Coyotes. Man, how many teams can you kill at once?

You have Kansas City Chiefs runningback Larry Johnson using “a gay slur” to describe newspaper reporters. No wonder gay people are upset.

And you have newspaper people wetting themselves over Mark McGwire’s return to baseball when every, single poll suggests that 65-80 per cent of baseball fans (depending on the poll) don’t care what he may or may not have done in 1997.

Of course, it doesn’t end there. This was another crazy week

1) The Ottawa Sun is at it again. The newspaper that creates more trade rumours than a handful of drunks at a sports bar now has the following on its plate: Brian Burke is actively pursuing a goaltender (who knew?), the Florida Panthers are trying to trade Nathan Horton (the GM has denied it), the Philadelphia Flyers are interested in signing Brendan Shanahan (should be easy, he’s an unemployed free agent) and the Carolina Hurricanes are ready to trade anyone and everyone (really?).

As I’ve always said, “If it’s in a newspaper, believe whatever it is you want to believe.”

2) The officiating in last Sunday’s Minnesota-Pittsburgh game was a complete embarrassment to the NFL. So embarrassing in fact, that it looked like a fix. I wonder which NFL officials had money on that game?

Sadly, all officiating everywhere at every level is awful. We’ve watched the horrible baseball umpiring this fall (how about that non-catch-turned-doubleplay by Ryan Howard on Thursday night?) and we’ve watched CFL, NFL, NBA and NHL officials look either lost or phony.

The biggest problem with sport these days isn’t steroids, it’s lousy officiating.

3) I love how even some Bomber players were sheepish about last Saturday afternoon’s 41-24 win over the Montreal Alouettes. Anthony Calvillo didn’t play and therefore, it wasn’t really a big win.

Baloney. If Calvillo had played last Saturday, the Bombers would have won by 30, not 17. Calvillo can’t run out of trouble like Adrian McPherson did.

Calvillo would have been killed last Saturday. Frankly, I think the Bombers are very, very pleased that Calvillo is playing this Sunday. I’m sure Phillip Hunt and Odell Willis are salivating at the thought of taking that rush to Montreal’s old man.

4) The publishing company that was going to back a book by former NBA referee Tim Donaghy has pulled the plug on the book, stating:  “After a close legal review of the final manuscript of ‘Blowing the Whistle’ by Tim Donaghy, and our independent evaluation of some of the author’s sources and statements, Triumph Books and Random House have decided not to go forward with the book’s publication. Our decision is wholly our own and was made without consultation with any outside parties or individuals.”

Yeah, right. That just smells like bullshit.

Donaghy was about to tell the truth and a lot of influential people in the United States want no part of the truth. Excerpts I’ve seen include a number of different accusations regarding wagering between officials that are actually handling the NBA games they’re gambling on (not in the least bit surprised), favoritism toward star players (that’s freakin’ obvious), and a desire on the league’s part to make sure playoff series went as long as possible (and that surprises people?).

Donaghy is painted as a rogue and a bad guy by the NBA. He is. But he’s also trying to get the truth off his back. And the truth is ugly. There is no game on the planet that looks as phony as the NBA. Like, whatever happened to travelling? Since when could stars take nine steps to the hoop? The NBA looks more like European team handball than basketball.

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