I feel like I must defend my honor.
According to Senor Leach, I am an experience hugger….and I guess that I am, but only to a point.
For example, Livan Hernandez had more experience than any other pitcher on the Twins staff. He was also considerably worse than any other pitcher on the Twins staff. Given the choice of who I would pitch in any given game, I would take any other Twins pitcher over him (and probably most of the maintenance crew, too) because he simply is no good. And no amount of exprience will overcome that fact.
That is not to say that experience doesn't matter. For the past few years one could make an argument that Mariano Rivera and Joe Nathan have been pretty equally matched in the talent and ability department. And if one made that argument, they would see that the numbers bore that out:
Rivera:
2007 - 71.3 IP, 74 SO, 12 BB, 3.15 ERA, 142 ERA+, 1.121 WHIP
2008 - 70.7 IP, 77 SO, 6 BB, 1.40 ERA, 317 ERA+, 0.665 WHIP
Nathan:
2007 – 71.7 IP, 77 SO, 19 BB, 1.88 ERA, 230 ERA+, 1.019 WHIP
2008 – 67.7 IP, 74 SO, 18 BB, 1.33 ERA, 305 ERA+, 0.901 WHIP
The numbers being what they are – basically equal – is there any doubt that you would go with Rivera as your closer in a big game? And the reason for this (get ready for the big reveal…wait for it…sorry, having trouble setting up the Greek columns I borrowed from Britney…oh, fuck it here goes): experience.
Mariano Rivera has been there before and proven his physical and mental ability time and again and, when choosing between two guys who are otherwise equal, why wouldn’t you go with the guy who has the experience?
Experience is, in no way, something that can overcome talent (see again Hernandez, Livan). But when the margins of difference between two players are small, it is the sort of tiebreaker between that two that can be awfully meaningful.
Aaaaand boom goes the dynamite.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Amen, Brother.
Quick hit before the weekend. I get sick of arguing this point with old people.
When asked by Ken Rosenthal, A's general manager Billy Beane scoffed at the notion that his pitching staff will be too young for the team to contend.
"Give me young talent over experience any day of the week."
[(nodding in approval)]
Suck on that one, Nils. (Nils is an experience-hugger.)
When asked by Ken Rosenthal, A's general manager Billy Beane scoffed at the notion that his pitching staff will be too young for the team to contend.
"Give me young talent over experience any day of the week."
[(nodding in approval)]
Suck on that one, Nils. (Nils is an experience-hugger.)
The Mystery of Crappy Bullpens is Solved!
A quick yet enlightening take on Randy Johnson filing for free agency from Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic.
Look, there's no doubt. Johnson pitched marvelously last season, almost miraculously.
[ERA+ of 117. Miraculous might be a touch strong, no?]
It's a shame that the bullpen did him in once again. But some of that is on Johnson.
[Huh??]
He's so famously selfish that he makes his teammates uncomfortable, and that bad karma spreads all over the field. He makes his fielders tense, his relievers nervous.
[Ohhhh, I get it! If Johnson wasn't such a dick, Brandon Lyons' 4.70 ERA would have been closer to 1.70. That makes perfect sense. And I bet Johnson had just gotten a new puppy before the 2001 season, as the bad karma seemed to be at much lower levels that year. I bet it was a golden retriever. Those things are adorable.]
Look, there's no doubt. Johnson pitched marvelously last season, almost miraculously.
[ERA+ of 117. Miraculous might be a touch strong, no?]
It's a shame that the bullpen did him in once again. But some of that is on Johnson.
[Huh??]
He's so famously selfish that he makes his teammates uncomfortable, and that bad karma spreads all over the field. He makes his fielders tense, his relievers nervous.
[Ohhhh, I get it! If Johnson wasn't such a dick, Brandon Lyons' 4.70 ERA would have been closer to 1.70. That makes perfect sense. And I bet Johnson had just gotten a new puppy before the 2001 season, as the bad karma seemed to be at much lower levels that year. I bet it was a golden retriever. Those things are adorable.]
Let the Dramatically-Overstated Favre Love Resume!
Look, I like Brett Favre. I think he belongs in the Hall of Fame when he finally retires for good in 2018. He has performed well for the Jets so far this season, including last night. But C'MON already! I have gotten peppered with "I told you Favre was the greatest ever" messages from J-E-T-S fans since last night's game. And, as expected, there were a host of "Favre should be sainted/knighted" media takes this morning. Let's pick one from Gary Myers at the Daily News.
Jets' victory over Patriots validates trade for Brett Favre.
[Really? 6-3 is all you guys wanted when you made that trade?]
It was one of the most important and incredible victories in the Jets' 49-year history....
[That can't be true, can it? Well I know that the "incredible" part isn't true. When you are up 24-6 on a team that's active roster looks like that of an NFL Europe squad..... well, maybe it's just me, but you should probably win that one going away.]
[Favre's] won more games than any quarterback in NFL history. He's won a Super Bowl, he's won playoff games, he's won overtime games....
[Exactly. So this one logically falls in line somewhere behind those. This is a solid win against a division rival in the middle of November. I'm sure Brett will put it in prospective and not dwell or absurdly over-emphasize its historic-ness (or lack thereof).]
...but he immediately put what happened last night very high on his list of greatest victories. "Right now, it feels like the top," he said.
[Sounds about right.]
After losing 11 of their last 12 against New England, the Jets were just sick of being pushed around by the Patriots.
[You know what else the Jets were? MORE TALENTED THAN THE PATRIOTS. This chest-thumping account of the game is ill-advised and misleading. Did you see the Pats' inactive list for last night's game? Tom Brady, Laurence Maroney, Adalius Thomas, Rodney Harrison, Ty Warren, etc. So spare me the David-and-Goliath undertone.]
Jets' victory over Patriots validates trade for Brett Favre.
[Really? 6-3 is all you guys wanted when you made that trade?]
It was one of the most important and incredible victories in the Jets' 49-year history....
[That can't be true, can it? Well I know that the "incredible" part isn't true. When you are up 24-6 on a team that's active roster looks like that of an NFL Europe squad..... well, maybe it's just me, but you should probably win that one going away.]
[Favre's] won more games than any quarterback in NFL history. He's won a Super Bowl, he's won playoff games, he's won overtime games....
[Exactly. So this one logically falls in line somewhere behind those. This is a solid win against a division rival in the middle of November. I'm sure Brett will put it in prospective and not dwell or absurdly over-emphasize its historic-ness (or lack thereof).]
...but he immediately put what happened last night very high on his list of greatest victories. "Right now, it feels like the top," he said.
[Sounds about right.]
After losing 11 of their last 12 against New England, the Jets were just sick of being pushed around by the Patriots.
[You know what else the Jets were? MORE TALENTED THAN THE PATRIOTS. This chest-thumping account of the game is ill-advised and misleading. Did you see the Pats' inactive list for last night's game? Tom Brady, Laurence Maroney, Adalius Thomas, Rodney Harrison, Ty Warren, etc. So spare me the David-and-Goliath undertone.]
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Jason Whitlock is an Insane Person: Vol. 3
I'm waiting for Whitlock to write a column that we WON'T be forced to mock. Today, Whitlock identifies the 10 best and 10 worst coaches in the NFL this year. His choices are fine, I guess. His rationale behind a few of the choices is, as we hoped, stellar.
Let's start with some of the 10 best coaches.
Jeff Fisher - Titans.
Most people would put Fisher at the top of this list. I don't because the Titans are undefeated mainly because Vince Young got hurt and went momentarily kooky.
[See, I was going to say that the Titans are undefeated mainly because they have given up the fewest points in the entire league (13.0 per game). But having your QB develop a mental disorder that results in suicidal tendencies is a good reason too. So listen up, Detroit, St. Louis, San Fran. Your atrocious defenses are not the cause of your losing ways. It's your QBs. And no, not their performance. It's their mental health and stability. (Although Jon Kitna is REALLY Christian; does that count?)]
Mike Smith - Falcons.
I honestly don't know anything about Smith. I don't know where he came from. I don't know whether he's a defensive-minded coach or offensive.
[I just spent 15 minutes trying to think of something witty to say here, but couldn't come up with anything that was funnier than Whitlock's actual rationale. So let me take this time to say that I rented "Cool Hand Luke" the other day, thinking that it would be a movie I would really like. Paul Newman as a rebel bad-ass, alpha male, defying the loser chain gang brass. But you know what? It was boring. Nothing happened. And what was with that random 20-minute egg-eating contest scene? Gross. At least "Ed" from the Naked Gun movies was in it. That dude cracks me up. Anyway, back to Whitlock's analysis of Mike Smith....]
But there's no doubt he's done a wonderful job developing Matt Ryan.
[Even though Whitlock didn't bother to look this up, Mike Smith was a long-time DEFENSIVE coordinator. So I'm not sure how much "developing" we can credit him with vis a vis Matt Ryan.]
And I'll give Smith credit for signing Michael Turner and making him a feature back.
[Ummm, kind of sounds like something that the GM deserves credit for, no?]
Ken Whisenhunt - Cardinals.
Whisenhunt loses a few points because he coaches in the NFC West.
[I compiled my list of best and worst coaches using the same rubric: Does your division totally suck? If yes, you are a bad coach. But because I'm in a good mood I will put you on the "10 Best" list anyways. Although I might say a few more things that make it sound like I think you are a crappy coach.]
The Cardinals are a nice story. But there's no reason to take them seriously.
[To quote J. Peterman, "Kudos, Ken, on a job... done."]
John Harbaugh - Ravens.
Harbaugh also gets the luxury of coaching the Ravens at a time when Ray Lewis is putting the finishing touches on a Hall of Fame career and making his closing argument for being the best middle linebacker of all time. It's illegal to run on the Ravens this season.
[No real problem with his argument here. I just liked the irony of juxtaposing Ray Lewis' name with using the word "illegal" in a complimentary way. A few years ago, that might have been awkward.]
OK, let's quickly hit a few of Whitlock's 10 worst.
Sean Payton - Saints.
I don't have a real problem with Payton.
[OK?]
Mike Shanahan - Broncos.
I consider Shanahan one of the game's great coaches.
[Ummmm, alright?]
Mike Singletary - 49ers.
Singletary has a chance to be a great NFL coach.
[I am starting to get dizzy.]
Signing off here, Boss!
Let's start with some of the 10 best coaches.
Jeff Fisher - Titans.
Most people would put Fisher at the top of this list. I don't because the Titans are undefeated mainly because Vince Young got hurt and went momentarily kooky.
[See, I was going to say that the Titans are undefeated mainly because they have given up the fewest points in the entire league (13.0 per game). But having your QB develop a mental disorder that results in suicidal tendencies is a good reason too. So listen up, Detroit, St. Louis, San Fran. Your atrocious defenses are not the cause of your losing ways. It's your QBs. And no, not their performance. It's their mental health and stability. (Although Jon Kitna is REALLY Christian; does that count?)]
Mike Smith - Falcons.
I honestly don't know anything about Smith. I don't know where he came from. I don't know whether he's a defensive-minded coach or offensive.
[I just spent 15 minutes trying to think of something witty to say here, but couldn't come up with anything that was funnier than Whitlock's actual rationale. So let me take this time to say that I rented "Cool Hand Luke" the other day, thinking that it would be a movie I would really like. Paul Newman as a rebel bad-ass, alpha male, defying the loser chain gang brass. But you know what? It was boring. Nothing happened. And what was with that random 20-minute egg-eating contest scene? Gross. At least "Ed" from the Naked Gun movies was in it. That dude cracks me up. Anyway, back to Whitlock's analysis of Mike Smith....]
But there's no doubt he's done a wonderful job developing Matt Ryan.
[Even though Whitlock didn't bother to look this up, Mike Smith was a long-time DEFENSIVE coordinator. So I'm not sure how much "developing" we can credit him with vis a vis Matt Ryan.]
And I'll give Smith credit for signing Michael Turner and making him a feature back.
[Ummm, kind of sounds like something that the GM deserves credit for, no?]
Ken Whisenhunt - Cardinals.
Whisenhunt loses a few points because he coaches in the NFC West.
[I compiled my list of best and worst coaches using the same rubric: Does your division totally suck? If yes, you are a bad coach. But because I'm in a good mood I will put you on the "10 Best" list anyways. Although I might say a few more things that make it sound like I think you are a crappy coach.]
The Cardinals are a nice story. But there's no reason to take them seriously.
[To quote J. Peterman, "Kudos, Ken, on a job... done."]
John Harbaugh - Ravens.
Harbaugh also gets the luxury of coaching the Ravens at a time when Ray Lewis is putting the finishing touches on a Hall of Fame career and making his closing argument for being the best middle linebacker of all time. It's illegal to run on the Ravens this season.
[No real problem with his argument here. I just liked the irony of juxtaposing Ray Lewis' name with using the word "illegal" in a complimentary way. A few years ago, that might have been awkward.]
OK, let's quickly hit a few of Whitlock's 10 worst.
Sean Payton - Saints.
I don't have a real problem with Payton.
[OK?]
Mike Shanahan - Broncos.
I consider Shanahan one of the game's great coaches.
[Ummmm, alright?]
Mike Singletary - 49ers.
Singletary has a chance to be a great NFL coach.
[I am starting to get dizzy.]
Signing off here, Boss!
Joe Maddon is NOT on top of the World
The Theorem is not a huge fan of "feel-good" stories. You know what feels good? Well, yeah, that. But I was originally going to say "winning the World Series." But losing it is cool too, I guess.
Martin Fennelly of The Tampa Tribune doesn't care about winning championships. He just likes feeling good. And he thinks that Joe Maddon is one swell guy.
Suffice it to say, Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon, just two hours into the first stop of his honeymoon, will go down as the first American League Manager of the Year to do a telephone news conference from Rome. That's in Italy.
[Exactly. The dude is like the Carmen Sandiego of managers. You know where Billy Martin went on his honeymoon? Coney Island. What a loser.]
He does it his way, doesn't he?
[Shockingly cavalier. I bet no other millionaires with 3-4 months to kill would ever think of going to Rome. At least not the one in Italy.]
First planned tourist stop in Rome? "The Vatican," Maddon said. "St. Peter's and right into the Sistine Chapel." The pope will probably ask for his autograph.
[That's ridiculous. Maddon is obviously waaaaaay too old for the Pope's taste.]
Believe it or not, [the AL Manager of the Year vote] was not unanimous. Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire received a first-place vote, presumably from someone who knew nothing of the first 10 years of Rays history.
[Martin is making a simple yet common mistake, in that he is confusing the Manager of the YEAR award with the Manager of the LAST TEN YEARS award. And I will leave the Gardenhire jab on the table for Nils to go insane about (and, oh, he will). Needless to say, I would have probably voted for Maddon as well, but voting for Gardenhire is certainly not outrageous by any stretch. The Twins overachieved big time, arguably as much as the Rome Rays did.]
Even when the Rays were losing and losing, he stayed firm and kept smiling.
[I'm assuming his paychecks continued to clear, right? And it's not like we're talking about a paper route here.]
And Maddon was always the life of the party, caring, thoughtful and fun.
[The Pope's ears just perked up ever so slightly....]
When a guy can quote Albert Camus and Albert Einstein, and he's talking about how you put a bullpen together, you know you've got something special.
[Great point, Martin. This entire article is something special. Actually, I think Camus put it best when he said, "Stupidity has a knack of getting its way."]
His hunches nearly always worked.
[Hey, remember that time in the World Series when you let Howell hit for himself just so you could let him (a lefty) throw sliders to Pat Burrell the next inning? The word "nearly" is now officially devoid of meaning.]
The Rays won.
[...the same number of 2008 World Series championships as the Pirates.]
Arrivederci, Joe!
Martin Fennelly of The Tampa Tribune doesn't care about winning championships. He just likes feeling good. And he thinks that Joe Maddon is one swell guy.
Suffice it to say, Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon, just two hours into the first stop of his honeymoon, will go down as the first American League Manager of the Year to do a telephone news conference from Rome. That's in Italy.
[Exactly. The dude is like the Carmen Sandiego of managers. You know where Billy Martin went on his honeymoon? Coney Island. What a loser.]
He does it his way, doesn't he?
[Shockingly cavalier. I bet no other millionaires with 3-4 months to kill would ever think of going to Rome. At least not the one in Italy.]
First planned tourist stop in Rome? "The Vatican," Maddon said. "St. Peter's and right into the Sistine Chapel." The pope will probably ask for his autograph.
[That's ridiculous. Maddon is obviously waaaaaay too old for the Pope's taste.]
Believe it or not, [the AL Manager of the Year vote] was not unanimous. Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire received a first-place vote, presumably from someone who knew nothing of the first 10 years of Rays history.
[Martin is making a simple yet common mistake, in that he is confusing the Manager of the YEAR award with the Manager of the LAST TEN YEARS award. And I will leave the Gardenhire jab on the table for Nils to go insane about (and, oh, he will). Needless to say, I would have probably voted for Maddon as well, but voting for Gardenhire is certainly not outrageous by any stretch. The Twins overachieved big time, arguably as much as the Rome Rays did.]
Even when the Rays were losing and losing, he stayed firm and kept smiling.
[I'm assuming his paychecks continued to clear, right? And it's not like we're talking about a paper route here.]
And Maddon was always the life of the party, caring, thoughtful and fun.
[The Pope's ears just perked up ever so slightly....]
When a guy can quote Albert Camus and Albert Einstein, and he's talking about how you put a bullpen together, you know you've got something special.
[Great point, Martin. This entire article is something special. Actually, I think Camus put it best when he said, "Stupidity has a knack of getting its way."]
His hunches nearly always worked.
[Hey, remember that time in the World Series when you let Howell hit for himself just so you could let him (a lefty) throw sliders to Pat Burrell the next inning? The word "nearly" is now officially devoid of meaning.]
The Rays won.
[...the same number of 2008 World Series championships as the Pirates.]
Arrivederci, Joe!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The South Likes Them Some Tim Tebow
We here at The Theorem haven't touched on the Heisman race to date, but now that it's approaching Thanksgiving, let's dig up some over-the-top arguments in favor of regional candidates. Guess who Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel thinks should win?
Who was it who predicted early last season that Tim Tebow -- after only two games as a starting quarterback at the University of Florida -- would become the first sophomore in history to win the Heisman Trophy, would, in fact, win multiple Heismans and would go down as one of the greatest college football players in history?
[I bet it was Lee Corso. That dude is always saying crazy things like that.]
That would be me.
[Dammit! Mike Bianchi was going to be my next guess!]
Don't believe Chris Huston, the founder of HeismanPundit.com -- a Web site devoted to the most prestigious individual award in all of sports. Huston has already buried Tebow beneath the pyrotechnic passing numbers of the Big 12 (motto: We have the worst defense since the 1941 Yugoslavian Army).
[Awwww snap! That's right Chris Huston. We just went Bombing-of-Belgrade on your ass. With that aside, let's make the case for the REAL Heisman candidate, shall we?]
There's one-quarter of the season still to be played. It's way too early to count out Touchdown Timmy. The autumn leaves are just starting to change, the biggest games of the year are still ahead and Tebow is turning into Tebow once again.
[Nailed it! Forget about TDs and yards and dramatic wins. This year's Heisman Trophy will be awarded based solely on one criterion: Which one of the candidates turns into Tebow. The smart money is on Tebow. He's turned into Tebow before, and I certainly wouldn't bet against Tebow to turn into Tebow again.]
If you're scoring at home, Tebow has run for two or more touchdowns in each of the last three games and his seven rushing touchdowns over that span are more than any other player in the nation. In addition, his passer rating of 214.5 over the last three games leads the nation.
[Another great point. If you are scoring at home (which I am), then you should definitely only score the last three games. The rest of this season's games were stupid and you should totally ignore them in your analysis. Because, like it says in the Heisman Trophy bylaws (I'm pretty sure it says this), "The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the football player who exhibited the highest level of performance and excellence between October 25th and November 8th of said calendar year."]
Don't get me wrong, I tend to agree with both Dodd and Huston at this point. I have Tebow third or fourth on my list....
[Huh????? What the hell, man? Hey, Bianchi, remember when you wrote that article entitled "Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow set for another run at Heisman Trophy?"]
Because he [Tebow] won the Trophy last season, he will be given bonus points this season....
[That's also in the bylaws (and proven by the extensive list of repeat Heisman winners throughout history). So just to sum up, if you want to win the Heisman, here's what you have to do: (1) Turn into Tebow; and (2) Win the Heisman the previous year.]
So don't fret, Tebow worshippers. As FDR himself once said, "You have nothing to fear but fear itself . . . and, oh yeah, a loss to South Carolina on Saturday."
[FDR didn't say that. I'm pretty sure it was William Tecumseh Sherman.]
Who was it who predicted early last season that Tim Tebow -- after only two games as a starting quarterback at the University of Florida -- would become the first sophomore in history to win the Heisman Trophy, would, in fact, win multiple Heismans and would go down as one of the greatest college football players in history?
[I bet it was Lee Corso. That dude is always saying crazy things like that.]
That would be me.
[Dammit! Mike Bianchi was going to be my next guess!]
Don't believe Chris Huston, the founder of HeismanPundit.com -- a Web site devoted to the most prestigious individual award in all of sports. Huston has already buried Tebow beneath the pyrotechnic passing numbers of the Big 12 (motto: We have the worst defense since the 1941 Yugoslavian Army).
[Awwww snap! That's right Chris Huston. We just went Bombing-of-Belgrade on your ass. With that aside, let's make the case for the REAL Heisman candidate, shall we?]
There's one-quarter of the season still to be played. It's way too early to count out Touchdown Timmy. The autumn leaves are just starting to change, the biggest games of the year are still ahead and Tebow is turning into Tebow once again.
[Nailed it! Forget about TDs and yards and dramatic wins. This year's Heisman Trophy will be awarded based solely on one criterion: Which one of the candidates turns into Tebow. The smart money is on Tebow. He's turned into Tebow before, and I certainly wouldn't bet against Tebow to turn into Tebow again.]
If you're scoring at home, Tebow has run for two or more touchdowns in each of the last three games and his seven rushing touchdowns over that span are more than any other player in the nation. In addition, his passer rating of 214.5 over the last three games leads the nation.
[Another great point. If you are scoring at home (which I am), then you should definitely only score the last three games. The rest of this season's games were stupid and you should totally ignore them in your analysis. Because, like it says in the Heisman Trophy bylaws (I'm pretty sure it says this), "The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the football player who exhibited the highest level of performance and excellence between October 25th and November 8th of said calendar year."]
Don't get me wrong, I tend to agree with both Dodd and Huston at this point. I have Tebow third or fourth on my list....
[Huh????? What the hell, man? Hey, Bianchi, remember when you wrote that article entitled "Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow set for another run at Heisman Trophy?"]
Because he [Tebow] won the Trophy last season, he will be given bonus points this season....
[That's also in the bylaws (and proven by the extensive list of repeat Heisman winners throughout history). So just to sum up, if you want to win the Heisman, here's what you have to do: (1) Turn into Tebow; and (2) Win the Heisman the previous year.]
So don't fret, Tebow worshippers. As FDR himself once said, "You have nothing to fear but fear itself . . . and, oh yeah, a loss to South Carolina on Saturday."
[FDR didn't say that. I'm pretty sure it was William Tecumseh Sherman.]
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Manny is Big Pimping (Himself all Over MLB)
It's really not fair to pick on Manny Ramirez because he is:
1) just about smart enough for the fourth grade and he knows it and
2) Scott Boras has taken advantage of that fact to turn Manny into the sort of evil, money-first type of player that fans hate because when you've made something like $200 million already in your career they're not buying that you need to pad for retirement.
That said, Manny pimping himself to the highest bidder is a mix between Donald Trump and Jenna Jameson in its craven disregard for what is right in pursuit of money.
But it's Manny pimping himself, so he can't help but sound ridiculous when he does it.
"The [price of] gasoline is up, so I'm up," said Ramirez, to a joking justification of why he is demanding $20 million plus from a team silly enough to give it to an aging crazy man (who, while completely awesome at baseball, will not always be awesome at baseball. This is the post-steroid era. Guys don't remain good late into their 30s without drugs. It's a fact).
The key question is not if the recent drop in gas prices will make his pay demands go lower (haha - get it!?), but if saying that is as ridiculous as Latrell Sprewell's comment about holding out because he has to feed his family.
I say yes.
And bear with me. This all comes back to together and ties up in a nice bow.
Sprewell could and still might randomly flip out and kill someone, meaning that anything he says needs to be taken seriously. Manny could and still might need help tying his shoelaces, meaning that he is ridiculous, but lovably so.
Boras, of course, is an evil demon man (probably on the payroll of Halliburton and clearly a fun hater) who I am trying to find a way to get Sprewell to flip out and kill.
1) just about smart enough for the fourth grade and he knows it and
2) Scott Boras has taken advantage of that fact to turn Manny into the sort of evil, money-first type of player that fans hate because when you've made something like $200 million already in your career they're not buying that you need to pad for retirement.
That said, Manny pimping himself to the highest bidder is a mix between Donald Trump and Jenna Jameson in its craven disregard for what is right in pursuit of money.
But it's Manny pimping himself, so he can't help but sound ridiculous when he does it.
"The [price of] gasoline is up, so I'm up," said Ramirez, to a joking justification of why he is demanding $20 million plus from a team silly enough to give it to an aging crazy man (who, while completely awesome at baseball, will not always be awesome at baseball. This is the post-steroid era. Guys don't remain good late into their 30s without drugs. It's a fact).
The key question is not if the recent drop in gas prices will make his pay demands go lower (haha - get it!?), but if saying that is as ridiculous as Latrell Sprewell's comment about holding out because he has to feed his family.
I say yes.
And bear with me. This all comes back to together and ties up in a nice bow.
Sprewell could and still might randomly flip out and kill someone, meaning that anything he says needs to be taken seriously. Manny could and still might need help tying his shoelaces, meaning that he is ridiculous, but lovably so.
Boras, of course, is an evil demon man (probably on the payroll of Halliburton and clearly a fun hater) who I am trying to find a way to get Sprewell to flip out and kill.
Jason Whitlock is an Insane Person: Vol. 2
Remember that scene in Tommy Boy where David Spade's character is unsuccessfully and glibly trying to find some random city on a map in the presence of the attendant?
Gas Station Employee: I'm picking up your sarcasm.
Richard: Well, I should hope so, because I'm laying it on pretty thick.
Well, Whitlock's column today is kind of like that, except not funny.
It is very brave and quite magnanimous for The Great Weis Hope to throw his offensive coordinator under the bus by publicly announcing his decision to reclaim leadership of the Notre Dame offense with defensive powerhouses Navy and Syracuse on the Irish schedule.
[Yikes. That was the first sentence. This might get ugly.
EDIT: Keep this "throw his offensive coordinator under the bus" accusation in the back of your mind when you get to the end of this post.]
Too often, I waste column inches blasting Charlie Weis, Notre Dame and the lifetime contract awarded to an unproven blowhard."
[Ten years apparently = "lifetime" to Whitlock. But whatever. Close enough. I mean, maybe 10 years is actually all that Weis has left. That dude doesn't look healthy.]
As you can see, a week after battling the nation's 10th-best defense (Boston College), it's extremely noble for Weis to alert the media of his plans to fix Notre Dame's offense.
[Battling? Really? 290+ yards of total offense and a goose-egg on the scoreboard = battling? And granted, BC does have a quality defense, but their statistics are somewhat skewed by the fact that they got to play (and shutout) Kent State and Rhode Island early in the season. In the four games immediately preceding the ND affair, the BC defense gave up 31, 23, 45 and 27 points, respectively. Not exactly the '85 Bears here, Whitlock.]
Weis is a bully and a coward, and his well-timed announcement that he would abandon this "head coach stuff" so he could bail out his offense proves my contentions.
[Seriously, what is Weis' problem, wanting to "bail out his offense" and put some points on the board? That is suuuuuuuuch a dick move. Contentions proved!]
He's planning on the Irish averaging 35 points the next two weeks and selling his impatient fan base on the myth that he's making real progress. He's hoping the media will assist him in selling this lie.
[Last year ND lost to Navy (and went 3-9). So one might call 35 points and a corresponding win over Navy this year and a final 7-5 record...... oh, shoot, what's that word...... it means advancement or development in a positive way...... damn, it's on the tip of my tongue....]
Weis is an average college head coach with horrendous people skills. That's not a good combination. Bobby Knight had poor people skills, a brilliant mind and a superior work ethic. Nick Saban is a football Bobby Knight.
[Two BCS bowls in 3 seasons = average? Cool. Random Nick Saban reference, but I'm sure he'll tie that in somehow.]
Weis might be a reverse of Pete Carroll, who bombed in the pros and excelled in the collegiate game. Coaching in the NFL is easier.
[Ohhh, there's the Nick Saban tie-in. Oh, wait. Saban bombed in the NFL too. Just like Pete Carroll. Just like Steve Spurrier. Just like Bobby Petrino. Just like... seriously, should I keep going, Whitlock? This is an ARGUMENT FAIL.]
I'll be rooting for Notre Dame this weekend. I want Charlie Weis at Notre Dame as long as I'm a columnist. His failures and the rationalizations offered up by Notre Dame fans are worth two to three columns a year.
[True. No other fan base offers rationalizations of ANY kind with respect to their team. Ever. Stupid Catholics and their forgiveness....
I was curious to read Weis' actual statements vis a vis this move. And, I must say, Whitlock was tone-perfect in his analysis: Quoting the Associated Press, "Weis said at his news conference Tuesday he is taking over the play calling for at least one game because offensive coordinator Mike Haywood will miss some practices this week to attend a funeral of a family member in Houston."
Whitlock is sooooo right. Weis is an ass. Who cares if Haywood misses a bunch of practices this week. ND can just run the same plays against Navy that they ran last week against B--, oh, wait.... Whoops.]
Gas Station Employee: I'm picking up your sarcasm.
Richard: Well, I should hope so, because I'm laying it on pretty thick.
Well, Whitlock's column today is kind of like that, except not funny.
It is very brave and quite magnanimous for The Great Weis Hope to throw his offensive coordinator under the bus by publicly announcing his decision to reclaim leadership of the Notre Dame offense with defensive powerhouses Navy and Syracuse on the Irish schedule.
[Yikes. That was the first sentence. This might get ugly.
EDIT: Keep this "throw his offensive coordinator under the bus" accusation in the back of your mind when you get to the end of this post.]
Too often, I waste column inches blasting Charlie Weis, Notre Dame and the lifetime contract awarded to an unproven blowhard."
[Ten years apparently = "lifetime" to Whitlock. But whatever. Close enough. I mean, maybe 10 years is actually all that Weis has left. That dude doesn't look healthy.]
As you can see, a week after battling the nation's 10th-best defense (Boston College), it's extremely noble for Weis to alert the media of his plans to fix Notre Dame's offense.
[Battling? Really? 290+ yards of total offense and a goose-egg on the scoreboard = battling? And granted, BC does have a quality defense, but their statistics are somewhat skewed by the fact that they got to play (and shutout) Kent State and Rhode Island early in the season. In the four games immediately preceding the ND affair, the BC defense gave up 31, 23, 45 and 27 points, respectively. Not exactly the '85 Bears here, Whitlock.]
Weis is a bully and a coward, and his well-timed announcement that he would abandon this "head coach stuff" so he could bail out his offense proves my contentions.
[Seriously, what is Weis' problem, wanting to "bail out his offense" and put some points on the board? That is suuuuuuuuch a dick move. Contentions proved!]
He's planning on the Irish averaging 35 points the next two weeks and selling his impatient fan base on the myth that he's making real progress. He's hoping the media will assist him in selling this lie.
[Last year ND lost to Navy (and went 3-9). So one might call 35 points and a corresponding win over Navy this year and a final 7-5 record...... oh, shoot, what's that word...... it means advancement or development in a positive way...... damn, it's on the tip of my tongue....]
Weis is an average college head coach with horrendous people skills. That's not a good combination. Bobby Knight had poor people skills, a brilliant mind and a superior work ethic. Nick Saban is a football Bobby Knight.
[Two BCS bowls in 3 seasons = average? Cool. Random Nick Saban reference, but I'm sure he'll tie that in somehow.]
Weis might be a reverse of Pete Carroll, who bombed in the pros and excelled in the collegiate game. Coaching in the NFL is easier.
[Ohhh, there's the Nick Saban tie-in. Oh, wait. Saban bombed in the NFL too. Just like Pete Carroll. Just like Steve Spurrier. Just like Bobby Petrino. Just like... seriously, should I keep going, Whitlock? This is an ARGUMENT FAIL.]
I'll be rooting for Notre Dame this weekend. I want Charlie Weis at Notre Dame as long as I'm a columnist. His failures and the rationalizations offered up by Notre Dame fans are worth two to three columns a year.
[True. No other fan base offers rationalizations of ANY kind with respect to their team. Ever. Stupid Catholics and their forgiveness....
I was curious to read Weis' actual statements vis a vis this move. And, I must say, Whitlock was tone-perfect in his analysis: Quoting the Associated Press, "Weis said at his news conference Tuesday he is taking over the play calling for at least one game because offensive coordinator Mike Haywood will miss some practices this week to attend a funeral of a family member in Houston."
Whitlock is sooooo right. Weis is an ass. Who cares if Haywood misses a bunch of practices this week. ND can just run the same plays against Navy that they ran last week against B--, oh, wait.... Whoops.]
Peter King Gets Paid For This: Vol. 4
To be fair, Pete's Tuesday follow-up was actually pretty sane today. Just a couple of thoughts.
Bottom line: Pick a wild-card team in the NFC. Atlanta? Philly? Washington? Tampa Bay? Dallas, if Tony Romo gets broiling hot? One of those will have to travel to Phoenix on the night of Jan. 3 for the second game of the NBC wild-card doubleheader.
[I'm pretty sure that this is merely a statement of fact and not a dramatic imposition placed upon one the "unlucky" wild-card teams. Because, seriously, given the choice, which of those teams wouldn't LOVE to go to Arizona in January to play a playoff game against..... the Cardinals? Would the Cards be favored against any of those teams? Atlanta, maybe.]
From Brett LaBarge, of Dallas: "Is it time to sit Big Ben and let Byron Leftwich run the offense? Ben is hurt and is forcing things."
You sound like my daughter Laura, my brother-in-law Lou and the rest of Steelerville. If I were Mike Tomlin, I'm calling Roethlisberger into my office today and saying, "Look, you're the guy, and you'll always be the guy. But we've got to think of what's best for the team. I need you to look me in the eye and tell me you're healthy enough to play well against San Diego this week. If you lie to me, I'll never forget it. Tell me the truth."
[Who am I to argue with your brother-in-law Lou? And what good would that creepy, Hannibal Lecter-esque threat by Tomlin do? Obviously Roethlisberger would say he's fine. The better idea would be for Tomlin to challenge Ben to a motorcycle race-- winner take all.]
Bottom line: Pick a wild-card team in the NFC. Atlanta? Philly? Washington? Tampa Bay? Dallas, if Tony Romo gets broiling hot? One of those will have to travel to Phoenix on the night of Jan. 3 for the second game of the NBC wild-card doubleheader.
[I'm pretty sure that this is merely a statement of fact and not a dramatic imposition placed upon one the "unlucky" wild-card teams. Because, seriously, given the choice, which of those teams wouldn't LOVE to go to Arizona in January to play a playoff game against..... the Cardinals? Would the Cards be favored against any of those teams? Atlanta, maybe.]
From Brett LaBarge, of Dallas: "Is it time to sit Big Ben and let Byron Leftwich run the offense? Ben is hurt and is forcing things."
You sound like my daughter Laura, my brother-in-law Lou and the rest of Steelerville. If I were Mike Tomlin, I'm calling Roethlisberger into my office today and saying, "Look, you're the guy, and you'll always be the guy. But we've got to think of what's best for the team. I need you to look me in the eye and tell me you're healthy enough to play well against San Diego this week. If you lie to me, I'll never forget it. Tell me the truth."
[Who am I to argue with your brother-in-law Lou? And what good would that creepy, Hannibal Lecter-esque threat by Tomlin do? Obviously Roethlisberger would say he's fine. The better idea would be for Tomlin to challenge Ben to a motorcycle race-- winner take all.]
A Pre-emptive Rant Against the BBWAA
I normally enjoy the work of Rob Neyer over at espn. For example, in his piece today breaking down the Cy Young award candidates, I agree with his take on the NL race, in that it should be a two-horse race between Santana and Lincecum (although I, personally, would give Santana the slightest of edges due to the fact that his games actually, you know, mattered).
That being said, the fact that people continue to include Francisco Rodriguez in the list of AL candidates is maddening. Let's do one of those blind taste-test type exercises:
Player X: 68+ IP, 2.24 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 2.26 K:BB ratio.
Player Y: 70+ IP, 1.40 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 12.83 K:BB ratio.
Which one of those relievers do you want? Hmmmm, probably Player Y, right? (P.S. Player Y is Mariano Rivera.)
Oh, you are one of those who believe that starters are more valuable than relievers just because they pitch three-to-four times as many innings over the course of a season? That's actually a good reason. Which brings me to my second beef with this year's AL Cy Young campaign, that being that it can ONLY go to K-Rod or Cliff Lee. And while we have already shown that K-Rod would be an atrocious selection, what about Clifford?
Well, I actually wouldn't argue if Lee wins. But consider the following:
Player A: 223+ IP, 2.54 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 5.00 K:BB ratio.
Player B: 246 IP, 2.78 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 5.28 K:BB ratio.
That's pretty damn close, no? I'm still not entirely sure why everyone has dismissed Roy Halladay (Player B) as a legitimate candidate. The dude had a REALLY good season. At least as good as Lee's, right?
That being said, the fact that people continue to include Francisco Rodriguez in the list of AL candidates is maddening. Let's do one of those blind taste-test type exercises:
Player X: 68+ IP, 2.24 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 2.26 K:BB ratio.
Player Y: 70+ IP, 1.40 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 12.83 K:BB ratio.
Which one of those relievers do you want? Hmmmm, probably Player Y, right? (P.S. Player Y is Mariano Rivera.)
Oh, you are one of those who believe that starters are more valuable than relievers just because they pitch three-to-four times as many innings over the course of a season? That's actually a good reason. Which brings me to my second beef with this year's AL Cy Young campaign, that being that it can ONLY go to K-Rod or Cliff Lee. And while we have already shown that K-Rod would be an atrocious selection, what about Clifford?
Well, I actually wouldn't argue if Lee wins. But consider the following:
Player A: 223+ IP, 2.54 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 5.00 K:BB ratio.
Player B: 246 IP, 2.78 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 5.28 K:BB ratio.
That's pretty damn close, no? I'm still not entirely sure why everyone has dismissed Roy Halladay (Player B) as a legitimate candidate. The dude had a REALLY good season. At least as good as Lee's, right?
Monday, November 10, 2008
Some Dude at Fox Says Bench Big Ben
I have been looking for a reason to write a Roethlisberger-related post, and thankfully some guy I've never heard of wrote a piece about Big Ben that relies mostly on....... magic.
Maybe Ben Roethlisberger needs a rest. He has thrown eight interceptions in his last 88 pass attempts, and not much has been working for him lately. It's hard to bench a franchise quarterback, but maybe he needs to take some time off.
[I'm listening...]
He had four more passes intercepted Sunday. He's struggling and forcing throws and basically having a lot of bad luck.
[Aaaaaaaaand done. Thanks for playing, guy-from-Fox-Sports. Eight INTs in your last 88 pass attempts is not bad luck. It's a crappy stretch of quarterback play. If you want to bench him because he's injured or because you flat-out think that playing Leftwich gives you a better chance to win (insert laugh track), then fine. But if you want to bench Roethlisberger because you are assuming that the Steelers have a bean-bag chair made entirely out of rabbits' feet on the sideline that Ben can revel in for one week and then return completely re-luck-ified the following week, then you are subject to being mocked (insert "but he already writes for Fox" joke).]
I say give Byron Leftwich a chance against the Chargers next Sunday and see if it feels right.
[Great idea. Let's manage a professional football team the same way I buy running shoes.]
Maybe Ben Roethlisberger needs a rest. He has thrown eight interceptions in his last 88 pass attempts, and not much has been working for him lately. It's hard to bench a franchise quarterback, but maybe he needs to take some time off.
[I'm listening...]
He had four more passes intercepted Sunday. He's struggling and forcing throws and basically having a lot of bad luck.
[Aaaaaaaaand done. Thanks for playing, guy-from-Fox-Sports. Eight INTs in your last 88 pass attempts is not bad luck. It's a crappy stretch of quarterback play. If you want to bench him because he's injured or because you flat-out think that playing Leftwich gives you a better chance to win (insert laugh track), then fine. But if you want to bench Roethlisberger because you are assuming that the Steelers have a bean-bag chair made entirely out of rabbits' feet on the sideline that Ben can revel in for one week and then return completely re-luck-ified the following week, then you are subject to being mocked (insert "but he already writes for Fox" joke).]
I say give Byron Leftwich a chance against the Chargers next Sunday and see if it feels right.
[Great idea. Let's manage a professional football team the same way I buy running shoes.]
Peter King Gets Paid For This: Vol. 3
What say you this week, Pete?
...as I watched the games through the day Sunday at the NBC studios, it seemed there were familiar names everywhere winning the games that mattered.
[Weird how that happens sometimes (that is, almost every week), right?]
Suddenly the Ravens are exceedingly dangerous. They've won four straight -- by 14, 19, 10 and 28 points -- and snuck into a tie for the AFC North lead. Finally they've got a respectable offense; when you score 37 and 41 points back to back, you're winning because of more than just defense. But it's still the defense that pays the bills. Baltimore is second in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed, but it's still a mystery team.
[This is probably my favorite logical and rhetorical weapon that Pete uses. And he does it a LOT. Pete will lay out a handful of reasonable and objective reasons to answer a question that has not yet been asked (or perhaps need not be asked). For example, here, Petey correctly informs us that the Ravens have been scoring lots of points and giving up very few points. OK, nice. So if you were wondering how the Ravens have re-emerged as a contender in the AFC, Pete has just laid out some pretty good reasons why the 2008 Ravens are a good football team.
BUT, this is where it gets good. At this point, you are saying to yourself, "OK, I get it. The Ravens are good, as evidenced by their ability to both score points and prevent their opponents from scoring points. That Archie Leach should give King some credit here; he actually broke this one down fairly well."
But then it happens.
Peter King happens.
After illustrating to you, me, and every-reader-not-named-Peter-King why the Ravens are good, Petey drops a "but it's still a mystery team."
Take a minute to let the pain in your frontal lobe subside. OK, ready? So here's what we are left with: Petey sets up an answer to an obvious question (e.g., why are the Ravens back in the AFC mix) by presenting objective evidence to prove his point, and then....... he asks the question anyways in sincere befuddlement as if he blacked out after writing the previous few sentences. It is as if every Peter King column is that one episode of Police Squad entitled "The Butler Did It."]
[Ray] Lewis is 33, in his 13th year with Baltimore. Maybe he isn't as fast-twitch quick as he was four or five years ago, and I doubt he can make the Superman kind of play he made in the Super Bowl eight years ago, when he caught Tiki Barber from waaaaaaay behind in one of the great athletic plays I've ever seen. But I can't tell any difference in Lewis at 33 from Lewis at 28.
[And two paragraphs later, the "The Butler Did It Hypothesis" returns! Lewis, at 33, is slower and less athletic than he was five years ago. BUT, there's no difference in Lewis at 33 from Lewis at 28. Slap a "QED" on the end of that baby!]
Though [Walter] Payton played long before [Adrian] Peterson's time, that's the back he reminds me of most. With nine minutes left and the Vikes trailing 24-21 Sunday in Minneapolis, they faced a fourth-and-one at their 41-yard line. The smart play said punt. Coach Brad Childress said punt. But during a replay review prior to the fourth-down call, Peterson loudly urged Childress to go for it ... and the coach did. Peterson, running left, was stoned, and fumbled the ball, losing it.
[That is soooooo something Payton would have done. Good call. (Note: I'm not saying that AP isn't awesome and shouldn't be compared to Sweetness (so delete the nasty comment you just started writing, Nils), but ordering your argument in this way is a LOGIC FAIL.)]
In the time between last week's column and this one, the Bucs did not practice. Not once. Jon Gruden didn't give his players a bye week. He gave them a bye-bye week. Smart move. You think his players won't come back hungry to play hard for him the last seven weeks?
[Ummm, I'm tempted to say.... no? Right? Remember the last time you took a week-long vacation? How hungry were you to punch-in that first Monday morning back at the office? Exactly. Take the points in the Bucs game this week.]
How about this: John Elway's single-game best was 432 passing yards. Cutler beat that by 15, the final 11 on the winning touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall.
[Ergo, Cutler >> Elway. And Elway didn't even have the diabetes!]
I'm not saying this is a trend toward the AFC being better at coaching the kicking game and recruiting good players at the bottom of rosters, the guys who become special-teams nuts, but here's one thing I find interesting. There are an awful lot of guys in the AFC who are nutty about field-position football -- Fisher, Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Dick Jauron, Eric Mangini, John Harbaugh.
[Exactly. It's long been known amongst NFL insiders that NFC coaches don't even know what field-position is. When questioned, Tom Coughlin told reporters, "I'd prefer just start from our own 1-yard line every possession so we can rack up offensive stats-- just like when I play Tecmo Super Bowl."]
Until next time....
...as I watched the games through the day Sunday at the NBC studios, it seemed there were familiar names everywhere winning the games that mattered.
[Weird how that happens sometimes (that is, almost every week), right?]
Suddenly the Ravens are exceedingly dangerous. They've won four straight -- by 14, 19, 10 and 28 points -- and snuck into a tie for the AFC North lead. Finally they've got a respectable offense; when you score 37 and 41 points back to back, you're winning because of more than just defense. But it's still the defense that pays the bills. Baltimore is second in yards allowed and sixth in points allowed, but it's still a mystery team.
[This is probably my favorite logical and rhetorical weapon that Pete uses. And he does it a LOT. Pete will lay out a handful of reasonable and objective reasons to answer a question that has not yet been asked (or perhaps need not be asked). For example, here, Petey correctly informs us that the Ravens have been scoring lots of points and giving up very few points. OK, nice. So if you were wondering how the Ravens have re-emerged as a contender in the AFC, Pete has just laid out some pretty good reasons why the 2008 Ravens are a good football team.
BUT, this is where it gets good. At this point, you are saying to yourself, "OK, I get it. The Ravens are good, as evidenced by their ability to both score points and prevent their opponents from scoring points. That Archie Leach should give King some credit here; he actually broke this one down fairly well."
But then it happens.
Peter King happens.
After illustrating to you, me, and every-reader-not-named-Peter-King why the Ravens are good, Petey drops a "but it's still a mystery team."
Take a minute to let the pain in your frontal lobe subside. OK, ready? So here's what we are left with: Petey sets up an answer to an obvious question (e.g., why are the Ravens back in the AFC mix) by presenting objective evidence to prove his point, and then....... he asks the question anyways in sincere befuddlement as if he blacked out after writing the previous few sentences. It is as if every Peter King column is that one episode of Police Squad entitled "The Butler Did It."]
[Ray] Lewis is 33, in his 13th year with Baltimore. Maybe he isn't as fast-twitch quick as he was four or five years ago, and I doubt he can make the Superman kind of play he made in the Super Bowl eight years ago, when he caught Tiki Barber from waaaaaaay behind in one of the great athletic plays I've ever seen. But I can't tell any difference in Lewis at 33 from Lewis at 28.
[And two paragraphs later, the "The Butler Did It Hypothesis" returns! Lewis, at 33, is slower and less athletic than he was five years ago. BUT, there's no difference in Lewis at 33 from Lewis at 28. Slap a "QED" on the end of that baby!]
Though [Walter] Payton played long before [Adrian] Peterson's time, that's the back he reminds me of most. With nine minutes left and the Vikes trailing 24-21 Sunday in Minneapolis, they faced a fourth-and-one at their 41-yard line. The smart play said punt. Coach Brad Childress said punt. But during a replay review prior to the fourth-down call, Peterson loudly urged Childress to go for it ... and the coach did. Peterson, running left, was stoned, and fumbled the ball, losing it.
[That is soooooo something Payton would have done. Good call. (Note: I'm not saying that AP isn't awesome and shouldn't be compared to Sweetness (so delete the nasty comment you just started writing, Nils), but ordering your argument in this way is a LOGIC FAIL.)]
In the time between last week's column and this one, the Bucs did not practice. Not once. Jon Gruden didn't give his players a bye week. He gave them a bye-bye week. Smart move. You think his players won't come back hungry to play hard for him the last seven weeks?
[Ummm, I'm tempted to say.... no? Right? Remember the last time you took a week-long vacation? How hungry were you to punch-in that first Monday morning back at the office? Exactly. Take the points in the Bucs game this week.]
How about this: John Elway's single-game best was 432 passing yards. Cutler beat that by 15, the final 11 on the winning touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall.
[Ergo, Cutler >> Elway. And Elway didn't even have the diabetes!]
I'm not saying this is a trend toward the AFC being better at coaching the kicking game and recruiting good players at the bottom of rosters, the guys who become special-teams nuts, but here's one thing I find interesting. There are an awful lot of guys in the AFC who are nutty about field-position football -- Fisher, Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Dick Jauron, Eric Mangini, John Harbaugh.
[Exactly. It's long been known amongst NFL insiders that NFC coaches don't even know what field-position is. When questioned, Tom Coughlin told reporters, "I'd prefer just start from our own 1-yard line every possession so we can rack up offensive stats-- just like when I play Tecmo Super Bowl."]
Until next time....
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