Sports Litter

Sports Highlight Videos

2006-09-27T16:25:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to let everyone know about a new Sports Highlights website. They have some of the best highlight videos you will ever see. From Reggie Bush to Tiger Woods to David Beckham. These are mvp calibur highlights. So check it out. They add many new videos every day!

http://www.mvpflix.com

Roger Clemens returns

2006-06-05T15:16:00.000-04:00

Roger Clemens has decided to return to the Houston Astros to try to bring them a World Series Championship. The Rocket decided to return last week for a reported $12+ million for half a seasons work.

In my opinion the $12 million is money well spent. Not only does it bring a strong arm to the rotation, but he puts butts in the seats and sell merchandise.

The Astros are one of only a handful of teams who have never won a World Series. The signing of Roger couldn't have come at a better time. The Astros are struggling below .500 right now. With Pujols on the DL, now is the time for the Astros to climb back up.

Slugfest in Houston

2006-04-19T10:23:00.000-04:00

Roy Oswalt was able to earn his 3rd victory in his 4th start of the season. He even helped his cause by knocking in 2 rbi's on a single with 2 outs. With the win, the Astros remain on top of the National League Central.

Morgan Ensberg homered again (twice) for what seems like 4-5 games in a row. He's no David Shelton of Detroit, but he is a man on fire. Ensberg is trying to solidify himself as one of the game's premier 3rd basemen. If he keeps up his pace, he is likely to earn a second consecutive All-Star selection. Ensberg is batting .429 on the season with 6 homeruns and 13 rbis.

The Astros fought off the pesty Brewers last night in a game that surrendered 7 homeruns. With a final score of 13-12 and a total of 32 hits, the Stros managed to hold on a 9th inning Brewer rally to win their 10th game of the season. Preston Wilson dispappointed again last night. He started off so hot, and now has struck out like 8 times in 2 games.

It has been an unusual start for the Astros, who are notorious for their slow starts. The last two seasons they started out in last place and placed in a grave by mid May. It's a little uneasy this year as they've started off hot. Hopefully they won't cool down post all-star break.

Perhaps they're playing hot to prove to the Rocket they still can win. With Backe on the DL again, the Astros are in desperate need of Roger Clemens to step in and dominate. The earliest he can sign with the Astros is May 1st. I would look for them to begin negotiations in the beginning of May, and to have him in a uniform in June.

This is a team on a mission. They are destined to win a World Series. This could be the year.

Sports Litter is back

2006-04-18T09:18:00.000-04:00

After several months off, I feel like contributing to the world of sports once again. I've kept track of the daily stats for this site, and it seems like I have been entertaining nearly 10-15 people a day even when I don't post. I noticed my pagerank is 4. Pretty impressive. Last time I posted it was 0.

There's a lot that's happened since I last posted. The Steelers won the SuperBowl. The Rockets fell off the face of the earth, and now baseball season has started and my Astros are back in first place. No Clemens, no Bagwell... and yet here they are at the top of the division where everyone least expected them. We also have the NFL Draft coming up.

Well, the hard part will be getting the word out that I am back to post. I'll be stopping by my old friend's sites to see how they're doing. Armchair QB, My Opinion, Out of Bounds, Sportszilla, and many more. I guess my goal can be 100 readers by then end of the month. If I remember correclty I had nearly 100-150 consistent uniques a day before I left. Time to get back on the train.

Go Astros!

Sorry Guys

2006-01-10T16:28:00.000-05:00

Sorry guys, but I won't be posting here on sports litter anymore. I am working on a new project that will be many times better than sportslitter.blogspot.com. I will have a new name and my own .com domain not on blogger anymore.

It's taking me more time then I though to make the transfer and build my new site. I will be emailing everyone as soon as the new site is up and ready.

Thanks, and sorry for the inconvience.

Farewell ABC Monday Night Football

2005-12-27T14:40:00.000-05:00

Last night was the last NFL Monday Night Football game to be played on ABC. The New England Patriots beat the New York Jets last night 31-21. The score doesn’t really reflect how the Jets played. They scored a defensive TD in the first half and then some late time garbage points at the end of the game. The first three scores of the game were all defensive TDs, including two Mike Vrabel scores. New England made a strong case last night to prove that they are the team to beat in the AFC, not the Colts.

Starting in the 2006 NFL season next year, Monday Night Football will be show on ABC’s sister, ESPN. Both ABC and ESPN are owned by Disney, so why this move was made I’m still not sure. Don’t worry, ESPN isn’t hogging all the games. Sunday Night Football will be moved to NBC, who hasn’t shown a NFL game in years. Why did the NFL make this move?

Monday Night Football has become a tradition to some families and must watch TV over recent years. Why would the NFL switch MNF to a cable channel that millions of viewers do not pay for? That’s suicide! Isn’t it?

Here’s where it gets tricky. MNF is not as popular as you think. Over the last few years or so, CBS has posted a killer Monday night lineup that brings in more viewers than Monday Night Football. Headlined by Everybody Loves Raymond and 2 and ½ Men. CBS was smart. They played shows that the women would want to see. Raymond and 2 ½ Men appeal to men as well, so when the woman wants to watch them, the husband isn’t likely to say much. Besides he can just Tivo the game, or catch the second half.

If you ask me the NFL is making a mistake. I don’t care how many wives make their husbands turn the tubes off for a half hour, you can’t put Monday Night Football on a cable channel. There are millions and millions of viewers and football fans who do not pay for cable. And now the NFL is taking the tradition away from them. Sure they get to watch NBC Sunday Night now, but it’s not the same. Sunday Night football isn’t a tradition.

Are the Colts Screwed?

2005-12-26T13:08:00.000-05:00

The Indianapolis Colts (13-2) have now lost 2 games in a row. Granted they were playing most of their back-ups the entire game, but nonetheless, they still lost. No team wants to lose. Professional athletes are competitive and want to win every time they step on the field. Tack those 2 losses along with the loss of coach Tony Dungy’s son, and the Colts might be hurting come playoff time.

No team wants to head into the playoffs with 3 straight losses, but that might happen if the Colts lose to Arizona in week 17. They could lose all momentum they had. The Colts secured a first round playoff bye a few weeks ago. With the rest of the starts last week and this week plus a first round bye, the starters are looking at almost a month without having played more than 2 quarters of football. This is not good. Tony Dungy will need to focus on keeping them players conditioned and focuses during their hiatus.

I think a hot team like the Jaguars or Patriots will have a much better shot in the playoffs. There’s no doubt that the Colts were the best regular season team in the NFL (even though Seattle is ranked above them now thanks to Saturday’s win). But the best regular season team, does not necessarily make the Superbowl, let alone win it. It’s all about momentum and the Colts just don’t have it.

The Colts will be pumped, and they will be determined to win when they play their first playoff game in mid January, but will their bodies be able to handle it? The starters will have gone a month without taking a big hit. The will have gone a month without running all game. If the Colts have to face New England or Jacksonville in the playoffs, I think they will lose. Indy will not beat Jacksonville 3 times in one season, and we all know how well Indy does against New England in the playoffs.

Resting players to help recover from injury is one thing, but resting them simply because you don’t want to get them hurt is another. People get hurt in football. It’s part of the game. They could get hurt in practice just as easily as they could in a game. You shouldn’t be resting players 3 weeks before the season ends.

Florida Gators Beat Miami Hurricanes

2005-12-23T08:54:00.000-05:00

Florida Gators (no. 5) men's basketball continued their win streak last night against the Miami Hurricanes 77-67. The Gators extended their win streak giving them a record of 11-0, their greatest start in school history. With a win over Florida A&M on December 30th, Florida will own the claim to best bball team in the state having beat Florida State, Miami, Jacksonville, and Central Florida.

Joakim Noah led the way last night for the Gators with 18 points and 8 rebounds. The Gators now have 5 players avergaing double digits in scoring. That is an unreal stat, especially for the Gators, who in rfecent years have been plagued with hot dogs and me first type players. This is a team that distributes the ball and makes few mistakes.

The Gators did struggle to shoot the ball last night. They came into the game with the NCAA's best game shooting percentage at 54.5% from the field, but shot only 36.8% on the night. Not too bad for a team that shoots a lot of 3-pointers.

It's an exciting time to be a Florida Gator fan. Usually the only thing we have to cheer about this time of yera is football recruiting, which by the way is doing very well this year. Florida should have the number 1 recruiting class in the country. Anyways, this year we have an undefeated basketball team to cheer on. I can't imagine how loud the Rodwy Reptiles are going to be once SEC play starts. This could be a special season for the Gators. I won't get my hopes up too high yet, I mean we have been ranked number 1 a few times in recent years only to see us drop like a rock.

Congrats to the Gators. Next up is Florida A&M on December 30th at 1:00 PM.

Meet Jimmy Smith

2005-12-21T10:24:00.000-05:00

Jimmy Smith #82 is a Pro Bowl WR for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jimmy Smith is perhaps the most under rated receiver in recent years and possibly of all time. You can argue that he is one of the most consistent WR to ever play in the NFL. I'm talking eight 1,000 yard seasons (9 after 100 more yards this season), averaging 7 tds a season, and 80 receptions. Jimmy Smith has been the heart and soul of the Jacksonville Jaguars for the last decade. He remains the only player left from the inaugural season.

This past week against the 49ers, Jimmy Smith caught his 853 reception of his career, moving him to 7th all time. 7th!! That's behind guys like Rice, Brown, Carter, Harrison, Reed, and Monk. Why is it Jimmy Smith gets no love? No one ever mentions his name when they are talking about the top WR in the game. Is it because Jimmy plays for a small market? Is it because he doesn't have flashy touchdown dances? Jimmy Smith is the face of the Jaguars franchise. He always has been and will be for a few more years.

Did you know if you google "Jimmy Smith" an old jazz musician is the first 5 hits that show up. You have to scroll down to find our Jimmy Smith. Wow!

When the Jaguars retire their first jersey in franchise history, it won't be number 8, 71, or 28. It will be #82. Everyone in Jacksonville knows #82. It's a shame if you mention #82 outside of Jacksonville, no one will know who it is.

Jimmy Smith started his career in Dallas. He played 7 games for the Cowboys, probably getting on the field only once. He played for the Cowboys during their Superbowl runs and earned himself 2 rings by sitting on the bench. Jimmy was cut just in time for the Jaguars to pick him up as a number 3 or 4 WR during their expansion year. Jimmy showed flashes of greatness in his first few years as a Jaguar, and finally earned the full-time WR1 spot in 1997. Jimmy was a key to the Jaguars early success and playoff runs. We called him Lightning as he flashed by corners burning them for 60+ yard td catches in 5 straight seasons. Jimmy Smith was one of the most prolific WRs of the late 90s earning several Pro Bowl selections.

Jimmy Smith's popularity seemed to dwindle along with the Jaguars during their salary cap hell. The loss of Keenan McCardell resulted in teams focusing on shutting down Smith. He faced double teams every game, yet still managed to catch 80+ balls and 1000+ yards.

Jimmy Smith has never really been injured as a Jaguar. He's missed a game here or there over his 14 year career, but has never missed significant time. In 2003, Jimmy suffered a set back in his career. Smith had a problem, he was addicted to cocaine. The fans in Jacksonville did not boo him, we did not cast him aside and call him names. We stood by him. We watched him grow and rid himself of his habit. Jimmy was suspended for the first 4 games. The 5th game he came back caught 8 balls and put up 130+ yards. Jimmy is clean now. His problems are behind him. He never left the hearts of Jaguar fans. Everyone wore their #82 jerseys that day.

With the recent drafting of WRs in the first round of the 2004 and 2005 NFL Draft, it seems as if the Jaguars are getting ready to replace Smith. But is he ready to go? I want Jimmy to retire a Jaguar. I don't want to see Del Rio cut a man who is about to put up another 70+ catch 1,000 yard season. If you thought fans didn't want to let go of Brunell, wait till talks of Jimmy being cut/retiring come up. We love Smith and respect everything he has done. Jimmy has never made a fuss about anything. He never complains (except the pass interference calls that seem to happen everytime he misses a catch). He goes out there and does his job. He's respectful to fans and media. He is still Lightning. He is still the face of our franchise.

Pro Bowl selections are being announced today. Will Jimmy be on the list? Not likely. No one outside of Jacksonville voted for him. Jimmy Smith is just an average Fantasy WR to most NFL fans. Smith makes the WR position look so easy. CBs still have nightmares about him. He deserves to be recognized. He deserves the standing ovation he gets every week, not only from Jaguars fans, but he deserves it from all NFL fans. He deserves to have his jersey retired. And most of all, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

Meet Jimmy Smith, #82, Jacksonville Jaguars.
7th All Time Leading Receiver
2 Time Superbowl Champion
5 Time Pro Bowler
176 Games, 853 receptions, 12170 yards, 67 touchdowns.

Week 17 Houston vs San Francisco

2005-12-20T11:39:00.000-05:00

Should both the Houston Texans and the San Francisco 49ers lose this weekend, we will have two 2-13 teams heading into week 17 battling each other for the NFL's worst record and number 1 draft spot. With Reggie Bush being the likely number 1 pick in the draft, who do you think will land him? Should either the 49ers or Texans lose this week 17 matchup on purpose to land the number 1 pick? Who needs Bush more, the Texans or the 49ers?

My bet is the 49ers will tank this game. They spent their last number 1 pick on QB Alex Smith and will not be able to waste such a top pick on a defensive player. Unless the 49ers are sold on Frank Gore (which I know they can't be), they need to lose this game and get the number 1 pick. The 49ers need a play maker like Bush more than the Texans, who already have a nice backfield with Dominack Davis.

Should the Texans lose this game and end up with the number 1 pick, what will they do? Do they draft Bush and part ways with Davis in the future? Do they draft a quarterback and cut Carr? Carr has hardly been productive in his 4-5 years in Houston. But is it his fault? The Texans have had the worst offensive line you can imagine. Carr might not be the problem. If the Texans do end up with the number 1 pick they might trade down to a team in need of a running back, someone like the Jets, Packers, or 49ers. By trading down they might be able to grab a quarterback like Linehart or Croyle or whoever they want.

There's no doubt the 49ers need this loss more. The quesiton is, do they have the balls to throw the game? Will the coach try to lose? Will he call bad plays and run the wrong schemes? Surely you can't tell your players to not play hard. They are professionals for a reason and should want to win. The 49ers need to think about their future. They've got the QB, they've got a decent 1WR in Lloyd, now they need to grab that playmaking running back. Look for Bush to stay in California and join the 49ers this April.

Rockets Win Late vs. Lakers

2005-12-19T09:22:00.000-05:00

The Rockets have started the season off with one of the NBA's worst records. However, the have won 7 of their last 9 games including a last second victory of the L.A. Lakers last night. About the last second victory last night, McGrady said "I knew it was in my hands, All I had in my mind was to attack the basket. For us to come out and get this win is really big." He was right about one thing, this win is really big.

The Rockets are in dead last in the Southwest Division, even trailing the displaced Hornets. They are 8.5 games behind the Spurs, which is a deficit they will likely never make up. Their goal now should be to win enough games to put them in the number 8 seed in the playoffs. If the Rockets can stay healthy, they can make it. There is still a lot of basketball to be played, and the Rockets are only about 3 games behind the number 8 seed Lakers.

Houston's poor performance at the start of the season is due to their struggles with injuries. Most of their problems coming from the week or two span when Tracy McGrady was hurt. Yao Ming missed his 3rd game of his career last night with a sore toe. And they say Yao isn't tough! Maybe if his toe wasn't the size of my whole foot, he could have played. Regardless of Yao's status, they proved they can win without him. Mutombo might not be the best replacement for Yao, but he comes out with fire and defense. He energizes the team and the crowd.

Tracy McGrady is the Rockets leading scorer with a 24.7 ppg average. That's a number that should rise as the season progresses. McGrady also leads the team in minutes per game, assists per game, and steals per game. It's no secret that the Rockets are contenders with him in the lineup. With everyone healthy the Rockets can make a push for the playoffs. The season is still young and they have something this year they didn't last year, and that's a healthy Juwon Howard.

Lance Armstrong to Stand Trial

2005-12-17T15:53:00.000-05:00

7 time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has been ordered to stand trial in Italy for defaming Filippo Simeoni. It's reported that Lance chased Simeoni during the 2004 race threatening him for testifying in court that Lance illegaly used blood doping to gain a competitve advantage. "The other part of the charge relates to doctor Michele Ferrari, who was given a 12-month suspended jail sentence in October 2004 for sports fraud and malpractice. He has always denied he dispensed illegal substances to athletes and is appealing the sentence." Lance had connections with Ferrari, but cut ties with him after the conviction.

I'm not worried about whether or not Lance is guilty of defaming Simeoni. No one cares about that. If convicted Lance will have to pay some small fine and will get on with his life. The bigger question here is whether or not Armstrong has ever used performance enhancing drugs or methods during his pro cycling career. Armstrong is a cancer survivor and has denied use of steroids or other methods his entire career.

Armstrong has been extremely cooperative when dealing with these political types who like to throw out false acqusations. Lance has said they can test him any day of the week. He was already being tested 30 times a year while he was cycling. They havetaken his blood and urine and saved it in pouches. They've had his blood frozen for 5 years and it still tests clean.

It's my opinion that the French and Italian are a bunch of snobs and are pissed that an American won their race and holds the record for most Tour de France victories. I'm not saying Lance doesn't have the means to cheat. Any athlete with his kind of money can find doctors to create masking agents that block the drugs from showing in the tests. I believe that if Lance is so willing to get tested and will step to the front of the line everytime, that he is clean.

For those of you who don't know, blood doping is a method of extracting your own blood and reinjecting it into your body a day before a race. This will give your body millions and millions of extra red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. It reduces fatigue and allows you to cycle for longer periods of time at higher rates. Blood doping is illegal. It is a little harder to detect because you are using your own blood and aren't putting any foreign substances in your body. The way it is tested is by checking the number of red blood cells in the body. Anything above the normal amount is considered cheating.

Lance is a hero in America. He is given a free pass wherever he goes, and rightly so. I would be shocked and devistated if Lance were to test positive for performance enhancing drugs. He is an idol to millions of people around the world, including the entire cancer surviving community.

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/5168978

Will Roger Clemens Pitch Again?

2005-12-16T13:01:00.000-05:00

Roger Clemens has retired from baseball about as many times as Michael Jordan retired from basketball. This time it's different. Roger finished the 2005 season with the best ERA he's had in his 22 year career, but he also finished the season with tears in his back and sore hamstrings, the same injuries that knocked him out of Game 1 on the 2005 World Series against the White Sox.

Back on December 7th, the Houston Astros declined to offer Clemens salary arbitration, which basically means he is done in an Astros uniform (atleast as a player.. wink wink). Under the MLB rules, Clemens will not be able to resign with the Astros until May 1, one month into the regular season. Roger can however pursue offers from other teams during the offseason. Where would he go if he decides to play? The Rangers (similar to what Nolan did)? Would he go back to Boston or New York where he had some of the best years of his career? If Roger does come back, we have to believe it will be for an American League team so he doesn't have to bat.

Someone needs to tell Roger that it is OK to retire. It's ok for him to enjoy his life and spend time with his family. There is life after baseball. I want Roger to retire, not because I'm a bitter Astros fan, but because I want him to end his career before he really hurts himself.

The best case scenerio in my opinion is for Roger to retire. He should sign on with the Houston Astros in some personnel position like Nolan Ryan. Roger's son Koby is in the Astros minor league system. This will give Roger an opportunity to work with his son, who happens to be a catcher. We all wanted to see Roger pitch to his son one day, but realisticaly it was never going to happen. Koby is still too young to make it to the Majors.

Thank you for the memories Roger, without you the Astros would have never made it to the World Series. You're arguably the best pitcher to ever live. Keep it that way and preserving your legend status by retiring. Will Roger ever pitch again? Only he knows, and by the looks of it he is in no rush of letting anyone else know.

Should the Colts Rest the Starters?

2005-12-15T16:26:00.000-05:00

Should the Indianapolis Colts rest their starters? This question has been debated for a few weeks now. The Colts are still undefeated, but have already wrapped up home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Should the Colts rest thier starters to keep them healthy for the playoffs, or should they keep playing everyone while trying to finish the season undefeated? Only one team in the modern era has ever finished a season undefeated, and that of course is the 1972 Dolphins.

Tony Dungy came out today and said he would not play Corey Simon and Cato June in this week's game against the San Diego Chargers. This is a big hit to the Colts defense. Should Tony Dungy play them to try and keep the undefeated streak alive? Dungy has said plenty of times this season their goal is to win a Superbowl, not go undefeated. He doesn't care about the record. Even though only 1 team in the last 33 years has gone undefeated, but something like 20+ different teams have won a Superbowl. In 20 years people won't remember who won the Superbowl in February 2006, but they will remember an undefeated season.

If I were the coach, I'm not sure what I would do. I would probably play all my startes until I had a comfortable lead. I would play to win. If the Colts were losing at any point, I would keep all my starters in. But if they have a 14 point lead going into the 4th quarter, I would rest some of my starters.

As a Marvin Harrison fantasy owner, I hope to God they don't rest him. Harrison has been a fantasy beast the last few weeks. I've got round 1 of the playoffs this weekend and need Harrison! I hope you're bluffing Dungy. Deep down I think you want that undefeated season almost as bad as a Superbowl Ring.

Florida Gator Basketball

2005-12-15T07:19:00.000-05:00

The University of Florida Gators Men’s Basketball team is undefeated on the season with a current record of 9-0. This is coming from a team that was unranked in the preseason. Wins over Wake Forest, Syracuse, and Florida State quickly got them noticed on a national level. The Gators are currently ranked 7th in the AP Poll.

There is nothing stopping the Gators from going undefeated into SEC play. Their next 4 games include Jacksonville University, Miami, Florida A&M, and Morgan State… all of which are winnable games. Florida won’t play their biggest and toughest rival, Kentucky, until February 4th on ESPN2.

This team is much better than last year’s team which was ranked 1 at some point in the season. They improved tremendously on defense and offensive fundamentals. The gators have 5 players averaging double digits in scoring. Corey Brewer leads the way with 14.9 pts per game, followed by Taurean Green, Al Horford, Lee Humphrey, and Joakim Noah. Brewer also leads the team in rebounds with 6.7 per game and steals with 2.5 a game. Lee Humphrey leads the team in 3point shooting with 30 made in 57 attempts for a .526 percentage. I’ve watched Humphrey play many times. In warm-ups he will go nearly to the half court line and start shooting 3s from there and he never misses. The kid has an amazing jump shot.

Many people criticize the Gators for not having a true big man. Noah is listed as a F/C, and even though he is 6-11, he still plays more like a forward. He is not a big presence under the hoop. Our main center and power man is Chris Richard. He is big and strong. He’s not as tall as Noah, but plays more physical. They Gators play with speed and defense which is a great combination. It’s a winning formula. I’m more excited about this season than last year when we supposedly had 3 superstars on our team… two of which turned into duds (Roberson and Walsh).

Bring on the SEC play. I can’t wait to show these fools what’s up.

Week 15 Power Rankings

2005-12-14T14:20:00.000-05:00

Sorry guys I do not have enough time today to post my own comments and my own rankings. If I have time later in the week I'll come back and edit this page to my own liking. But for now I am posting CBS Sportsline's Week 15 Power Poll. I don't see how they moved Houston out of the bottom spot... but other than that it looks pretty good.

POWER RANKINGS
Current
Team

1
Indianapolis Colts
The only way they are stopped from going unbeaten is if they stop themselves, which means shut it down. They won't be stopped in winning their rings. Bank on that.
2
Seattle Seahawks
Boy, do they look good. The Seahawks have been dominant the past two weeks. Still, do we know if they're any good?
3
Denver Broncos
Playing the Ravens close is not a good thing when you're making a playoff push. We'll call that a mulligan.
4
Cincinnati Bengals
They still have designs on the No. 2 seed in the AFC. With a favorable schedule, that's possible.
5
New York Giants
Playing the Eagles is always a challenge for the Giants, no matter how the Eagles are playing. That showed up Sunday. What has to change are the picks Eli Manning is throwing.
6
Jacksonville Jaguars
With three games left against teams that are well below .500, the Jaguars should be a playoff team. If they don't make it, it would be a major meltdown.
7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
That was a huge win on Sunday to vault them into first place. But they can't celebrate long with the Patriots this Saturday.
8
New England Patriots
They're coming. Hard. As their players get healthy, they play better. It's simple, really.
9
Pittsburgh Steelers
They went retro on Sunday with the Bus running over people. That's what they've been missing.
10
Chicago Bears
At some point the offense is going to have to come alive. They can't win all their games with great defense.
11
Carolina Panthers
What the heck was that against Tampa Bay? In a week, they've gone from division leader to the chance they might not make the playoffs. Wow.
12
Dallas Cowboys
That was a heck of a win over Kansas City, a victory that keeps their playoff hopes alive.
13
Minnesota Vikings
That Love Boat seems so long ago now that they've ripped off six consecutive victories. The defense is really playing well.
14
Atlanta Falcons
They play what is essentially a playoff game Sunday night at Chicago. A loss could end their playoff chances.
15
San Diego Chargers
Let's hear it now: They'll be the best non-playoff team we'll see in a long time. As if that matters.
16
Kansas City Chiefs
Their playoff hopes are teetering, but a sweep of their final three will still get them into the postseason. It won't be easy with the schedule they face.
17
Washington Redskins
After two road victories, the Redskins are still in the playoff hunt with key games against the Giants and Cowboys at home left. All you can ask is to be alive down the stretch, and they are.
18
Miami Dolphins
Nick Saban can flat out coach. The Dolphins will be a test for whoever plays them this season -- and really next year.
19
Philadelphia Eagles
Give Andy Reid credit for getting his team to play hard against the Giants Sunday. A lot of teams would have folded it up after what Seattle did to them.
20
Tennessee Titans
It's not going to be pretty with this team, but at least they're still fighting. That's a good sign for the future.
21
St. Louis Rams
Three more games and they will blow this thing up. Count on it.
22
Baltimore Ravens
Kyle Boller is making strides, which is a good thing for the future. Then again, it's about time.
23
Cleveland Browns
They seemed to have found their quarterback of the future in Charlie Frye. That's a good thing as they build for the future.
24
Arizona Cardinals
This may sound funny, but I don't think this team is that far away. If they improve their running game in 2006, they could push for a playoff spot.
25
Buffalo Bills
This is not a good football team right now and heads will roll after the season. It's just a matter of whose heads.
26
New York Jets
They scored a touchdown. They scored a touchdown. Yes, it's been that kind of season in New York.
27
Oakland Raiders
Changing quarterbacks wasn't the answer. So will changing coaches after the season be it?
28
Green Bay Packers
They found a way to win against the Lions, but who doesn't? Samkon Gado is the real deal.
29
New Orleans Saints
They can't wait to get this mess of season over with and find out where they'll play next season. It's been one of the weirdest seasons in NFL history.
30
Detroit Lions
New coach, same results. Wonder if it that would be the same way if the president was fired?
31
Houston Texans
They find new and creative ways to lose games every week. Are they trying to get the first overall pick? Dan Reeves to the rescue.
32
San Francisco 49ers
After what they did in Seattle, they need to fall to the bottom spot. That was putrid. Give them time, though.

Tim Tebow Commits to Florida

2005-12-13T17:40:00.000-05:00

Nease High School quarter back star, Tim Tebow of St. Augustine, Florida, committed to the University of Florida Gators football team late this afternoon on ESPN News. Tebow is the number 1 dual threat high school quarterback in the country. He had his choices narrowed down to Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Southern Cal, and Michigan.

Tebow is fresh off his State Championship with Nease High School. He was earlier named Florida football player of the year, which is voted on by all Florida high school football coaches. Tim Tebow is a home schooled student. He held a 3.5, but scored very poorly on his SATs with an 890. But come on guys, we all know brains smarts don't make great football players. As long as he can read the X's and O's that's all that matters.

Florida already had a top 3 recruting class in the country before the Tebow commitment. This should propel them to the number 1 spot. Things are getting excited for us Gator fans. Tebow fits into Meyer's system perfectly, something Leak doesn't do. Tebow is a threat in the air and on the ground. He should get plenty of reps next season and take over the starting job in 2007.

NFL Playoff Picture

2005-12-13T09:24:00.000-05:00

NFL Playoff Picture

There’s three weeks left in the NFL season. Some teams have locked up playoffs spots and home field advantage already. Others are in a dog fight for the last wild card spot. Anything can happen in 3 weeks. Hell, even the Dolphins still have an outside shot at making the playoffs.

AFC North – Cincinnati Bengals
AFC South – Indianapolis Colts
AFC East – New England Patriots
AFC West – Denver Broncos
AFC WC1 – Jacksonville Jaguars
AFC WC2 – Pittsburgh Steelers

I have San Diego missing the playoffs because they still have to play Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Denver. Kansas City misses the playoffs because they New York G, San Diego, and Cincinnati. The Steelers have the easiest ride into the last wild card slot because they play two NFC North teams to finish the season. The NFC is over rated, and the Steelers shouldn’t have any problem winning 2 of 3 or sweeping.

NFC North – Chicago Bears
NFC South – Carolina Panthers
NFC East – New York Giants
NFC West – Seattle Seahawks
NFC WC1 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC WC2 – Minnesota Vikings

I don’t like the Bears and don’t think they’ll get very far without a quarter back or an offense, but they are winning the division. Atlanta will miss the playoffs because they still play Carolina, Tampa, and Chicago. Now, I have the Vikings getting the WC2 spot, but it may very well change to Dallas. Minnesota is on a roll, but Dallas finishes the season against St. Louis. The NFC Wild Card spots will probably come down to tie breakers.

Should Favre Retire?

2005-12-12T12:38:00.000-05:00

The Green Bay Packers pulled out an overtime victory yesterday over the Detroit Lions. They improved their season record to 3-10, hardly a season you can hold your head up for. Favre threw for 170 yards and an interception in the win. No one is blaming Favre for the Packers' horrible season, but do you think it is time for Green bay to start rebuilding? How much longer can Brett play?

In yesterday's game Favre set the record for most consecutive 3,000+ yard seasons at 14. That's every year he has been a Green Bay Packer. Despite throwing for monster yards yet again, favre is having one of his worst season QB Rating-wise in his career. In 1993, he had a 72.2 rating and in 1999 he had a 74.7 rating. This season (although it is not over, we can hardly assume Favre will finish the season with a higher QB rating than he already has) has a 75.4 rating. Hardly something a future Hall of Famer can be proud of.

Can Favre end his career on such a bad note? Will the Packers force him to resign? What if they want to move on and rebuild with Aaron Rogers? As long as Favre is on the team he will be the starter. He will take a back seat to no one. In my opinion, they will never cut him, trade him, or force him to retire. As long as he wants to play he will be welcome. Now, just because Favre wants to play that doesn't mean it is in the best interest of the club to start him... but they will. Favre is an icon to Green Bay and a living legend to the NFL. He is the defintion of greatness.

I don't want to see Favre keep playing until he can hardly walk. I don't want to see him become nothing. Some players have the ability and bodies to allow them to continue their careers into their 40s. Jerry Rice, Roger Clemens, and Michael Jordan all played past their "prime" and continued to be effective. I believe Favre can be one of those players. He just needs the talent around him to be effective. He can't do it on his own. But if they Packers have so much money tied up in Favre, how can they bring in stud free agents?

Should Favre retire after this season? No, I don't think so. I think he has 1 more year in him.

Colts beat Jags. Remain Undefeated

2005-12-12T09:14:00.000-05:00

I wanted to write about this game last night when I got home from it, but felt it wouldn’t be in my best interest to write a post when filled with so much emotion. I didn’t want the anger to affect my writing. The Indianapolis Colts (13-0) came into the Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4) house and dominated them from minute 1 to minute 59. Manning threw for 300+ yards and 2 tds against what is supposed to be one of the top passing defenses in the NFL. He picked us a part and had his way with us. This was one of the most embarrassing games I have ever been to. After last year’s day after Christmas shutout against the Texans to miss the playoffs, this is right there.

Don’t let the 26-18 score fool you. Until late in the 4th quarter the Jags were only able to put up 3 points. Del Rio wanted to play ball control and pound the ball. That was his game plan and he stuck to it until it was too late. Del Rio is so scared to deviate from his plan. How he managed to get this team to a 9-4 record is beyond me. If you want to play tough pound the ball football, then at least attempt it with the right running back. Del Rio kept rotating in Fred Taylor and Greg Jones. Fred is either A. Hurt or B. Washed up and done. He just isn’t the Fred of old and needs to be released in the offseason.

Turnovers were key in this game. Kyle Brady had 3 fumbles, one of which luckily flew out of bounds. David Garrard had a fumble in the red zone that cost the Jaguars a possible score that would have tied the game. Outside of that fumble, you have to be impressed with the way Garrard plays the game. He ended with a 103 QB rating. He was able to get the ball away before taking the sack. He throws tight spirals that are on the money. He throws soft lobs when he needs to. He’s getting his timing down with the receivers and should improve each and every week.

Jimmy Smith became the 13th player in the history of the NFL to reach 12,000 yards receiving. His great moment was over shadowed by the amazing play of Marvin Harrison. Harrison was able to burn Mathis on every play. Rashean Mathis is supposed to be a pro-bowler this year. His case for the probowl may have just ended has he got embarrassed by Harrison on several occasions. Mathis bit on every move and got lit up for a 70 yards td catch. The Jags defense as a whole got shown up. All week Marcus Stroud was calling people’s houses telling us to “bring the noise”. The players hyped themselves up too much. They came out too hot. They thought they could beat the Colts and punish them on defense. They played soft and too aggressive causing 3 personal fouls on defense, one on Peterson and one on Henderson for shoving someone’s face in the ground. Way to play with honor guys.

I believed in the Jags. I bought the hype. And so did 70,000 other fans that packed into the sold out stadium. We brought the noise, but the players didn’t bring the game. The stadium was down to 40,000 during the 3rd quarter, and then about 30,000 during the 4th when the Jags actually started to play aggressive. Why do the Jags always wait until the 4th quarter to start throwing the ball? They looked amazing late in the game. They looked like a different team. They played with no heart in the first 3 quarters. They need to watch some 4th quarter film and look at what they did right. It’s always too little too late for us. One thing is for sure, I don’t ever want to hear the Jags hype themselves up and talk like they’re actually going to play and win a game that counts. Don’t get the fan’s hope up. Let us be the underdogs. We are much better in that role.

I predict the Jags will lose 1 more game to probably the Texans. We have never swept the Texans.

NFL: Colts vs Jags

2005-12-09T15:17:00.000-05:00

I already predicted the Jags would beat the Colts this weekend, and now I'm going to tell you how they'll do it. In the NFL's biggest matchup of the week, the Jacksonville Jaguars will beat the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 27-17. No, I don't have Biff Tannon's Sports Almanac from Back to the Future, but I do have a gut feeling and that's worth something isn't it?

A Garrard touchdown pass to Ernest Wilford will put the Jags up by 7 after a tied 17-17 halftime score. The Jags defense will dominate the Colts in the second half giving up only 100 total yards and no scores. The Jaguars will make it a 2 score game by kicking a Scobee field goal late in the 4th. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Although don't put too much into my stock... remember I picked Virginia Tech to completely embarass Florida State? Well, I'm still being served a nice plate of crow with that one.

I'm more confident with my pick here. Even without Brad Meester (the Jaguars star center who hasn't missed a game in 6 years and is the offensive line leader), Byron Leftwich (another team captain gone), Donovan Darius (our defensive team leader and all pro strong safety), Nick Sorenson (our special teams captain), and possibly Fred Taylor (our 4th team captain to hit the injury list). Fred Taylor might play this game, he might not. No one really knows what his deal is. I wish he would play though. Fred has a great history with the Colts including a shoulder to the face of Mike Doss and a cleat to his chest as Fred ran over him on his way to a game winning td last year.

Regardless of how many starters the Jaguars have injured, they still have a solid team and will be able to put up points on Indy. What the Jags have now that they didn't have in September is Khalif Barnes. The Jags played Mr. Turnstyle himself Ephrem Salaam. Barnes is a nasty Left Tackle and plays with an attitude. He's a rookie and will be able to hold his own against Freeney. Garrard will give the Colts something they haven't seen yet. They've never faced Garrard and will be pleasently surprised when they watch him sling bullets to our receivers and burn line backers for a 20 yard run.

I can't wait for this game. I've got my tickets ready. I've got my jersey already layed out. Maybe I'll even paint my face. Let's go Jags !!!

I'll end this with the Fred Taylor quote as he ran over Mike Doss

"I'm going to punish him. If he hits me, fine, but if I catch him, believe me, I'm going to get the better shot."

Aaron Brooks Wants to Quit

2005-12-09T09:36:00.000-05:00

News Orleans/San Antonio Saints quarter back Aaron Brooks said “We move one more time and I’m quitting”. What a great message from the quarter back to send his team. Hey Brooks, you’re supposed to be a leader! Not a quitter. No wonder the Saints are in shambles. You can’t blame anymore of this on Hurricane Katrina. Brooks has to step up and take responsibility himself. He is the quarterback. All eyes are on him. He needs to be a leader and bring the Saints some victories.

The Saints can still salvage their season if they win out. They are currently 3-9 and could be 7-9 by the end of the year. Not bad for a team who has had “home” games in 3 different stadiums. Regardless of where they have played (except New York) they are welcomed with cheers and supported by Saints fans. Their terrible season is not a result of playing in a new stadium, it’s a result of poor leadership and the loss of Deuce McAllister, their pro bowl running back.

I don’t know if I have talked about this publicly on the blog or not, but I am in favor of relocating the Saints. This is a franchise that has been around for like 40 years and they have won one playoff game in their existence. It’s time to leave the Big Easy and make a fresh start. This might sound hypocritical to some because I just got done slamming Brooks for wanting to quit. Relocating is not quitting. Relocating is getting a second chance. A new name, new uniform, new stadium, and new fans… it all makes sense for the Saints.

For players who are still bringing in millions of dollars a year, they sure do know how to complain. Instead of whining about how you aren’t living it up at the Plaza or working out in a state of the art facility, why don’t you think about how fortunate you are to be alive. That’s because of your millions of dollars you were able to afford a car ride out of New Orleans and save your lives. I’m sick of people complaining about Katrina. Crap (you know what I mean to say) Happens! Deal with it and move on. Don’t quit! You have to persevere and show your team and your city that you won’t back down when faced with a challenge.

After hearing Brooks say he wants to quit, I would really like him to stick to his word. Bring out Adrian McPherson. He’s got legs and a cannon on his shoulder that’s better than Brooks. Sure Adrian had some off the field problems when he was at FSU, but after watching him at the combine and hearing some interviews, I believe he has changed himself and is ready to lead the Saints. Bye Bye Mr. Brooks. Go home. No one wants a quitter on their team.

Soriano Traded to the Nationals

2005-12-08T09:04:00.000-05:00

You would think that most of my posts would be about football this time of year, but it seems over the past week or so baseball has been dominating the headlines. The latest news is coming out of Washington D.C. where the Nationals traded Brad Wilkerson, Termmel Sledge, and a minor league pitcher to the Rangers for Alfonso Soriano. This season has been packed with blockbuster trades and free agent signings.

Soriano's average was down last season, but he still has power and speed hitting 36 home runs and stealing 30 bags. Soriano was acquired by the Rangers from the Yankees for Alex Rodriguez. I guess they weren't happy with his performance? Or maybe its a money thing with the Rangers.

From ESPN.com

"It appears the Nationals would want him to move to the outfield after losing two outfielders in the deal. Plus, they already have a past All-Star at second base in Jose Vidro, though he was hampered by leg problems last season.

Wilkerson can play all three outfield positions, and will likely be a starter at one of the corner spots for Texas. He can also play first base, but the Rangers already have All-Star Mark Teixeira there.

Sledge was limited to just 20 games last season after tearing his right hamstring off the bone while chasing a ball in the outfield May 2, and hit .243 with one home run. He had a promising rookie season with the Expos in 2004, recovering from a 1-for-34 start to finish with a .269 average, 15 homers and 62 RBI."

The Big Hurt is a Big Free Agent

2005-12-07T21:30:00.000-05:00

There was a period of time during the 1990’s when The Big Hurt, also known as Frank Thomas, was the most feared hitter in all of baseball. The World Champion Chicago White Sox refused to offer the two time American League MVP salary arbitration. Frank Thomas has been hurt for the better part of the last few years, and with the recent signing of Konerko to a huge $60 million dollar deal, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

I remember collecting all the Frank Thomas cards I could find when I was a kid. I’m sure most of you remember the famous Upper Deck card that features Thomas in the dugout flipping the camera the bird. That card was worth like $8.00 back then, I can only imagine what it will be worth now.

Everyone loved Thomas in the 90s. He had his own action figures, shoes, gloves, clothing line… you name it. My buddy named Frank used to actually wear the Frank Thomas cleats when we played Little League. Everyone thought he was the greatest player. 400 homeruns and 3 years a nagging injuries later, we can start striking up the debate of whether or not Thomas should be a Hall of Famer. I guess we can also start talking about whether or not he took steroids during the juiced up era we call the mid 90s.

I’d like to believe Thomas is clean. He was naturally a big dude and used to play football and baseball. I doubt he took steroids, but you do have to wonder why his name was called when Congress did their witch hunt. Now should Thomas be in the hall of fame? I guess that will have to be decided when he retires. I’m sure some team will pick him up to DH for awhile. Maybe the Blue Jays will with the way they’ve been spending money. The Orioles perhaps? Thomas is a borderline hall of famer, but now that he has his ring he might have enough to put him over the top.

Good luck Frank Thomas… wherever you go.

Brian Westbrook out for the Season

2005-12-07T09:52:00.000-05:00

As if the Eagles camp wasn’t a mess already with the T.O. saga and losing McNabb for the season, the Philadelphia Eagles just learned that the injury Brian Westbrook suffered Monday night will be season ending. According to espn.com “An MRI exam Tuesday confirmed Westbrook has a Lis Franc injury, an injury more common in automobile accidents and equestrian sports.”

This coming after Westbrook signed a 5 year extension with $25 million. Westbrook was quietly having a decent season. He would probably have approached 1600 total yards and 10+ total touchdowns. Not bad numbers in my book. Of course numbers don’t really mean much if they don’t help your team win. The NFC champs from last year are just 5-7 in the East this year and likely out of the playoff picture (barring some miracle in which 7 other teams collapse and the Eagles win out).

This is a blow not only to the Eagles but to fantasy owners as well. With the fantasy playoffs approaching in a week, Westbrook owners will be scrambling to find a replacement. Rookie Ryan Moats will likely become the starter for the Eagles for the rest of the season. He won’t have much value because the Eagles totally suck right now, and on top of that he will probably share time with Lamar Gordon.

It’s sad to see the Eagles go down like this, but their reign at the top had to end some time. You can’t make the NFC Championship every year for a decade. That’s what’s great about the NFL… parity. Every year teams are up and down. Everyone has a chance… that is unless you’re the Lions.