Training camps for the NHL are now open and like usual, it seems that the Washington Capitals’ Alexander Ovechkin is making waves for something. This time, he has stirred a bit of controversy over NHL participation in the Olympic Games. During the summer, players from around the league attended Olympic camps and the process is underway to finalize national squads for the 2010 Winter Olympics taking place in Vancouver in February. However, there has been no commitment from the NHL about players taking part in the 2014 Winter Games. Why is this such a big problem for Ovechkin? The 2014 Olympics are taking place in his home country of Russia. Ovechkin has told ESPN that he will play in those games regardless of if the NHL sanctions his participation or not. So the big question becomes, what should happen in this situation?
"Nobody can say to me, 'You can't play for your country in the Olympic Games,'" Ovechkin said. Obviously, he should have every right to make this decision and I fully support his stance on the matter. When you consider that people can go off to war and die when they are 18-years old, surely an athlete should be able to go represent his county in the Olympics. Ovechkin told ESPN that he will risk suspension from the league and the Capitals to go to Russia and play if needs be. He also indicated that other Russian superstars like the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin and the Atlanta Thrashers’ Ilya Kovalchuk have pledged to play in the Games whether the NHL is formally attending or not. If this were to happen, it would put pressure on other Russian players to do the same and it could be a domino effect where other nations would want their top players participating as well. And if you talk to the NHL Players’ Association, it is clear that the players want to support International hockey and want to play in the Olympics. So what is the problem then? As always, the root seems to be money.
Olympic Games participation has apparently gotten mixed reviews from the owners around the NHL. It seems many do not want to shut down the league for two to three weeks, especially for games that will likely not be televised in prime time. Well, there you go. It’s all about the money. The greedy owners do not want to risk losing any revenue and they can’t stand to not make any money from home games for 2-3 weeks. This really makes no sense to me. First of all, during Olympic years, the NHL still plays a full 82-game schedule, so there would be no revenue loss from decreased ticket sales due to fewer games. And I thought that the Olympics are designed to showcase the sport. You know…having people watch the best athletes in a sport compete at the highest level. I don’t see how that could possibly decrease interest in the sport. Frankly, I don’t see how the NHL or the owners would be losing any money at all. The only risk, of course, is the potential that a star player gets injured. I can understand this concern. The Washington Capitals would surely be pissed off if Alex Ovechkin suffered an injury at the Olympics. If he would be out for an extended period, the Caps would risk losing many more games and potentially missing the playoffs, and that would then start to hit the owners’ pockets. However, any All-star competition is like that and you just can’t predict when and where an injury will occur.
But with every risk, there is a reward. The Olympics are a great showcase for the game of hockey and it will give the NHL tons of added exposure. I personally love watching Olympic hockey. The rink is bigger, so that gives an advantage to the more highly skilled players. The action is faster and the stars are allowed to shine. The talent level is amazing when you put the best players together on one team and the games are very exciting. Throw in all the drama of tournament play, the craziness of the fans, and the sheer desire of each and every player wanting to do well for their country, and you have the makings of an event you want to watch. In my opinion, the benefits of allowing NHL participation every 4 years in the Olympics outweigh the negatives. The owners need to recognize that the Olympics are for the good of the game and their greedy pockets will not be lightened by them.
Ovechkin is calling for a meeting of the NHL players to discuss participation in the 2014 Games. He also claims that the players, not the owners, are the ones losing money. He apparently is talking about “escrow”, the money taken out of the players' paychecks to ensure that the NHLPA-NHL split of league revenues is as mandated in the collective bargaining agreement. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was true and that is just one more reason why I hope the NHLPA and all the players stick to their guns and demand Olympic participation.
When it comes to a player of Ovechkin’s caliber, I think the league would be in a tough spot anyway. If Ovechkin did bolt for Russia to play in 2014, what would the league do? The NHL and the Capitals would be within their rights to suspend him, but would you really do that to one of the NHL’s brightest lights and the face of the Washington franchise? It might be possible to give special exemptions out to allow players to go and participate, but then that would toy with the competitive balance of NHL games that would still be happening those 2-3 weeks. I believe the NHL would be in a tough spot and they have no choice but to continue participating in the Olympics.
The bottom line here is that hockey is a great game and the Olympic Games are a great platform for it. People want to see the best athletes in the world competing at the highest level. When you bring it all together, there exists the chance that some magic will occur. All that will do is help the game of hockey, not hurt it. Unfortunately, the NHL still lags behind the other 3 major sports for exposure and fans. I really do not see how pulling out of the Olympics would ever help. I hope Ovechkin is able to lead the charge so that the NHL will fully participate in 2014. I know I will be watching if it happens.
The Game’s Quick Hits
ECW Recap: I was interested to see what would go down on last night’s ECW since William Regal lost to Christian in the ECW Championship match at Breaking Point. Right away it looked like we would get some answers as ECW GM Tiffany came out to the ring, but she was quickly interrupted by Regal, Ezekiel Jackson, and Vladimir Kozlov. Regal was in classic heel form as he complemented Tiffany on her looks and on the “great job” she is doing as GM. Of course this led right into Regal asking why his boys were banned from ringside at Breaking Point and he followed that up by asking for another shot at Christian’s title. Tiffany responded that she was only ensuring a 1 on 1 match at the PPV and that it is important to have different challengers for the championship, so Regal would not be getting another opportunity. Well I will certainly give credit for that. Unfortunately, Regal did look like a chump in losing 2 title matches to Christian, so I don’t really see why he should get another shot. Instead, Tiffany announced a #1 contender’s battle royal as the main event to see who would be next in line for a title match. Before she left though, Tiffany booked Regal, who was in a dapper suit mind you, in a match against the Hurricane. Regal and Hurricane had a short match which ended with Regal cracking his knee against Hurricane’s skull and picking up the win. Hurricane was then attacked after the match by Paul Burchill, who vowed to not stop until he showed everyone how much of a fraud Gregory Helms is. So it looks like that feud will continue.
Before the main event battle royal, Yoshi Tatsu was getting English lessons from Goldust. Yeah, I know. Anyway, Zack Ryder woo woo wooed his way into the locker room and Yoshi let him know that Goldust taught him how to say loser in English…which oddly translates to Zack Ryder according to Yoshi. So, the two proceeded to have a pretty good match. I am not sure how far up the ladder either one of these two can elevate, but they are solid hands in the ring and can put on a good performance. Yoshi was able to hit a kick to the back of Ryder’s head to pick up the win.
It was then time for the #1 contender’s battle royal, featuring 10 ECW superstars. I won’t give a long winded recap of it, but going into the match, I pretty much thought it was going to come down to Jackson, Kozlov, and Tommy Dreamer as the final 3. For some odd reason, the crowd was behind Goldust and wanted him to win. Sheamus was eliminated during the course of the match and then was able to hit a shot on Shelton Benjamin which caused his elimination. The two brawled on the outside of the ring, so it does indeed look like those two will have some matches in the near future. Surprisingly, Jackson did not even make the final 4 of the match. Goldust had a nice exchange with Ryder and Zack was able to outsmart Goldust and eliminate him. The final 3 were Ryder, Kozlov, and Dreamer. I thought for sure Kozlov was going to take it, but I was surprised again as Dreamer low-bridged Kozlov to eliminate him and then was promptly dumped over the top by Ryder. So folks, your new #1 contender for the ECW Championship is Zack Ryder. I give the WWE credit for giving someone new a shot and Ryder certainly has the ability to produce some good matches. It will be interesting to see how he does against Christian in the coming weeks. Woo woo woo indeed…
- The Philadelphia Eagles activated QB Michael Vick from the exempt list and he is now officially on their 53-man roster and is eligible to practice with the team, even though he is suspended for this week’s game against the Saints. The injury to QB Donovan McNabb seemingly forced the Eagles into doing this. To make room for Vick, the Eagles released WR Hank Baskett. The team had been trying to trade Baskett to get some value for him, but there were no takers. Philadelphia carried 7 wide receivers into the season on their roster, so it is not really a surprise that Baskett was let go. Vick will now practice Wednesday and be in the rotation with QB Kevin Kolb and newly signed QB Jeff Garcia. So it looks like the Eagles are hedging their bets that McNabb might not be able to play this week or even next week and want to get Vick some extra time. I still don’t think Vick is anywhere near ready to play at quarterback full time, but the practice reps will help him regardless of how he is used. It should be a great game this Sunday against the Saints and if it turns into a shootout and McNabb is not playing, things could be mighty interesting.
- In other Eagles’ news, sources are reporting that RB Brian Westbrook will now become a free agent after next season. So how is this possible when Westbrook signed a 5-year, $32 million extension last August? Apparently, there was a revision to the contract and buried in the 60 pages of legal junk and contract terms, the team had a clause to trigger the extension of the deal from 2011 to 2013. This clause is a $7 million option bonus due in 2010 and the Eagles did not exercise this clause. Therefore, there is no extension and Westbrook’s contract ends next year. To borrow a phrase from Dave Chappelle as Rick James, that is cooooold blooooded! Really, that is a savvy and calculating move to get out of the deal. With Westbrook’s history of injuries and the fact that he turned 30 on September 2, I can see why the Eagles are going to let him go. As everyone knows, running backs usually hit a wall at age 30 and almost become untouchable as far as some teams are concerned. It is extremely tough for an “older” running back to get a premier starting role and it looks like Westbrook will be hung out to dry. The Eagles did the same thing to Brian Dawkins this year and they might cut bait with Donovan McNabb as well. Philly fans will have to hope that the team can reload it seems.
- Kansas City Chiefs Coach Todd Haley said on Tuesday that QB Matt Cassel is still questionable and he is not sure whether he will be able to play this Sunday. If he still can’t go, QB Brodie Croyle will get the start once again. The Chiefs also have signed WR Bobby Wade after he was recently cut by the Minnesota Vikings. The Chiefs actually impressed me a little bit in their loss to the Ravens and I think they could steal a few wins this season if Cassel comes back healthy and gives them steady play. Wade will help their offense, but the defense is going to have to step it up because the Ravens and QB Joe Flacco ripped them to shreds.
- Oklahoma Sooners Coach Bob Stoops is not talking about QB Sam Bradford’s injury or giving any sort of indication as to how he is progressing. When asked about whether Bradford would be able to return this week or had resumed throwing, Stoops said he's "not even going to go there." Well it seems as though Stoops is borrowing a page out of Eric Mangini’s “secret” playbook. I can understand his decision though. In Oklahoma, any speculation about Bradford would likely dominate the news and Stoops wants to keep the focus on the field and on this weekend’s game against Tulsa. I highly doubt that Bradford would be ready to play this week, but when the October 3rd game against Miami rolls around, it might be a different story.
- USC QB Matt Barkley was unable to throw for the second straight day in practice, raising the possibility that he will not be able to play this Saturday against Washington. Backup QB Aaron Corp has been taking the reps with the 1st team offense and looks healthy and ready to play if needed. The injury to Barkley is only a bone bruise and not that serious, so it might be best to rest him if he is not 100% to avoid further injury. Washington is certainly a long ways away from being a powerhouse like in the past, so USC should be able to win with either Barkley or Corp behind center.
- The October 1st NHL opener between the Capitals and Boston Bruins is fast approaching and both teams are already dealing with the loss of a forward for the game. Capitals forward Tomas Fleischmann will miss the start of the regular season with a blood clot in his leg. The team thinks the clot might have formed during Fleischmann's long flight home to the Czech Republic at the end of last season and he will not return to practice until early October. That certainly is a little bit of a freak injury and not a good way to start for Fleischmann. He is an important role player for the Caps and he continues to slowly improve. He is still only 25-years old and he had a career high 19 goals last year. Every team needs secondary scoring, so Fleischmann’s absence doesn’t help at the start the season. For the Bruins, it looks like center David Krejci will not be ready to start the season after undergoing offseason hip surgery. There was hope he could beat the projections of returning in early November, but that now seems unlikely. Krejci was Boston’s second-leading scorer last year with 73 points even though he played in pain all year. He now wants to be 100%, so there is only a slight chance he makes the opener. Krejci is more important to the Bruins than Fleischmann is to the Caps, so I hope Krejci takes it easy and skips the opener.
- Boston Red Sox P Daisuke Matsuzaka returned from a 3 month stint on the disabled list and pitched 6 shutout innings to help Boston beat the Angels last night 4-1. DH David Ortiz also hit his record-breaking 270th HR as a designated hitter in the game. Matsuzaka is hoping to prove that he will be able to help the Red Sox in the playoffs and he is looking to get the #4 spot in the rotation locked down. It appears likely that Boston and Los Angeles are heading toward a 1st round matchup in the playoffs, so tonight might have been a preview of what the Angels can expect. Clearly, the Yankees are the favorite in the AL, but I would not count out Boston. The Red Sox have beaten the Angels the past 2 years in the 1st round of the playoffs, so if history holds, they could get a shot at the Yankees and a healthy and productive “Dice-K” will only help their chances if that happens.
- A group of seven Native Americans are trying to go to the Supreme Court because they find the Washington Redskins name offensive. The group claims that the name defames Native Americans and has been working since 1992 to have the Redskins’ trademarks declared invalid. Apparently, a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office panel ruled in their favor in 1999, but since then, other judges have ruled against them and have stated the group waited too long to bring their suit in the first place. Are you kidding me here? I really can’t stand stuff like this. The Redskins name does not defame anyone. The Washington organization is not trying to take advantage of Native Americans nor are they trying to make fun of them or insinuate that there is anything wrong with the group. It a freakin’ team mascot basically…proud Indian warriors going into battle and trying to strive for excellence and victory. Come on man, give me a break! These guys have spent 17 years doing this and I am sure they have dropped a great deal of money too. Don’t they have something better to do? I have always hated the Redskins football team, but I say that this is downright stupid and the organization is not trying to take advantage of Native Americans or put them down in any shape or fashion. I’m sorry, but this is not something THAT offensive. Get over yourselves.
Showing posts with label wwe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wwe. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
WWE Breaking Point Review
WWE Breaking Point occurred on Sunday night and it seems like it was an interesting show. During football season, WWE PPVs take a back seat around here. So, my thoughts will be based only on reports of the show I have read and I will be comparing my predictions to what actually happened. If anyone who saw the show live wants to correct me on anything, please feel free to leave a comment. Let’s get into it:
WWE Unified Tag Team Championship
Jericho and Big Show (c) vs. MVP and Mark Henry
My prediction: Jericho and Show win and retain
Actual result: Jericho and Show retain via pinfall
As I predicted and expected, Chris Jericho and the Big Show get the win in this match and continue their tag team championship reign. It just did not make any sort of sense to throw the belts on a hastily made team of MVP and Mark Henry. Reports indicate that this match had some good action in it. You got the standard, fast paced chain wrestling from Jericho and MVP, while Show and Henry slugged it out with their power moves. MVP played the “face in peril” until he could make a hot tag to Henry. Henry was able to dominate and Jericho avoided losing the titles by getting a foot on the ropes. The finish once again saw Big Show hitting a knockout punch on Henry and Jericho scored the pinfall to retain. This was the correct finish in my mind, but I still have no idea what the WWE plans to do here. Having Jericho and Show dominate for a long period can be good, as long as they drop the belts to a team who could use the help. I still say Legacy or the Hart Dynasty should beat them and that would cement either team as serious players. I wonder how long it will be before we get tension between Jericho and Show and the team starts to crumble.
WWE United States Championship
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. The Miz
My Prediction: I stated via Twitter that I was pulling for Miz, but expected a Kofi victory to extend this feud
Actual result: Kingston retains via pinfall
This match was a late addition to the PPV and pretty much replaced the Intercontinental Title match between John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler. By all accounts, this match delivered and it was very good. From what I read, the action was pretty fast paced throughout the match and it was filled with counters and reversals. Both Kofi and Miz looked very even and the match could have gone either way. In the end, Kofi connected with the Trouble in Paradise to retain the U.S. Title. I am fine with this result for the time being and I expected it. I love Miz’s arrogant and cocky character and he has really developed in a solid performer. In my estimation, he should get a run with the U.S. Title in the near future and I am hoping this feud will continue. Miz did the job and was John Cena’s bitch, so I don’t see how he can come up short here. If he continues to lose to Kingston and does not get the title, Miz will look very weak and will be stuck in mid-card jobber hell. Kingston has done a really good job with the U.S. Title and I think he should eventually lose to Miz and have a few good rematches before they both more onto new challengers.
Submissions Count Anywhere
Legacy vs. DX
My prediction: Legacy
Actual result: Legacy via submission on Michaels
I could not be more thrilled when I read the result of this match. After thinking and evaluating things, I came to the conclusion that Rhodes and Dibiase could not afford to lose this match and I am happy WWE creative seems to have agreed. Triple H and Shawn Michaels are bulletproof and they could afford the loss. A win over Legacy would have only buried two potential stars and it would have been stupid. Everything I have read indicates that this was a damn good match. The action spilled out of the ring and all over the arena. They fought in the stands, in the arena concourse, backstage, you name it. Obviously, both teams tried to kill each other and Legacy actually was much more effective. After going back and forth for a long while, Rhodes and Dibiase used the help of a cooler and a sick chair shot to knock out Triple H backstage. Once they got back into the ring, Shawn Michaels did a valiant job of trying to fight off Legacy, but he was not able to overcome the 2 on 1 disadvantage. Michaels eventually tapped out to a combination of a figure-four leg lock on the ring post by Rhodes and a Million Dollar Dream by Dibiase before Triple H could get back to the ring to make the save. It seems like Legacy finally was allowed to look like a real threat and they came out looking like stars in this match. I am pleasantly surprised at this outcome and hope that Rhodes and Dibiase continue to be booked strong. I don’t think they will ever become megastars, but they have the chance to be solid main event level talent if they are handled correctly. I have a sneaking suspicion though that this feud will continue and I am fearful that Legacy will be destroyed by DX at the Hell in a Cell PPV, which would very much hurt the momentum they got from this match.
Singapore Cane Match
Kane vs. The Great Khali
My prediction: The Great Khali
Actual result: Kane via pinfall
Well I don’t mind being wrong with this prediction. Although, it saddens me this could indicate the feud might continue. As you would expect, this was a very ugly match. The Montreal crowd started up a boring chant in the middle of it, so there is all you need to know. Kane and Khali apparently stumbled through the match, hitting each other with the canes a few times and trying to pull off some spots with them. Runjin Singh eventually got involved again by hitting Kane with a cane, which only angered the Big Red Machine and made him harass Singh. As Khali checked on Runjin, Kane was able to drop Khali neck-first on the ropes and then hit a chokeslam for the win. I have no more patience for this feud and it is going nowhere. Again, since Khali is playing the face in this feud, standard booking says that he comes out on top in the end. So sadly, we might have to be tortured with more matches between these two. I am not sure what else either Kane or Khali could be doing, but this feud is just boring and uninspiring.
*Special note: After this match, CM Punk was given some interview time and he actually brought up the fact that Jeff Hardy got arrested! I am surprised the WWE even touched that subject, but you can’t deny that it is a brilliant heel move for Punk to do.
ECW Championship
Christian (c) vs. William Regal
My prediction: William Regal wins ECW title
Actual result: Christian retains via pinfall
Well the swerve happened before this match even took place as ECW GM Tiffany banned Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov from ringside. Well if I knew that before the PPV, I may have had different thoughts about the result of the match. I expected Regal to steal the title with the help of Jackson and Kozlov, but with them being banned from ringside, it greatly increased the odds of Christian retaining and that is exactly what happened. As you would expect, the reports indicate that this was a very solid match. Both Christian and Regal are very skilled wrestlers and they seem to have delivered a good match. Christian had the Killswitch blocked three separate times before he was finally able to hit it for the win. Now, I have no idea what will be going on in ECW. I really thought that Regal would win and Christian would have to fight through the “Ruthless Roundtable” to try and get the title back. But at this point, Regal is starting to look like a chump and I don’t see how he should be in line for yet another title match. If Kozlov or Jackson step in now, that is pretty logical and could work. A title win for either one would definitely elevate that person to a new level.
“I Quit” Match for the WWE Championship
Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
My prediction: John Cena wins WWE Title
Actual result: John Cena wins WWE Title
Surprise, surprise, surprise…what a shocker. I said there was no way in hell John Cena would lose this match and say “I quit” and I was dead on. Cena’s whole persona is based on a never quit, never give up attitude so this result seemed to be a foregone conclusion. The way the match seems to have gone down is pretty bad and was typical Cena booking. From what I gather, Orton spent about 10-15 minutes absolutely beating the hell out of Cena. He abused him with steel steps and then pulled out a pair of handcuffs. Orton placed the key to the cuffs around his neck and then proceeded to cuff Cena to the ropes, to the turnbuckle, and even to himself with Cena’s hands behind his back. Orton destroyed Cena with a Singapore cane and chair shots. However, Cena did not quit and was eventually able to wrestle the key away from Orton and then cuffed himself to Orton directly. After a little more action, Cena worked Orton into the STFU and Orton quickly tapped. WHAT THE HELL?!? I am seriously sick and tired of John Cena playing Superman and Hulk Hogan, version 2.0. The act is so very worn out and I am tired of it. I don’t need Cena’s toughness and never give up attitude continually shoved down my throat. We get the point already. I have no problem with Cena winning the belt, but I am to the point where the booking of his matches is just insulting. The STFU is treated as the most dangerous move on Earth and John Cena can just survive anything. Orton will obviously get his rematch, but unfortunately Cena will win it and we will be subjected to a lengthy title reign and more of this crap. I try not to complain to this extent with what the WWE does, but I am just totally tired of John Cena.
Submission Match for the World Heavyweight Title
CM Punk (c) vs. The Undertaker
My prediction: Somehow, someway CM Punk retains
Actual result: CM Punk retains via Montreal Screwjob, Version 2.0
Well I said that I didn’t know how the WWE would do it, but CM Punk would not be losing the title this soon. I was right on this, but unfortunately, the WWE had to go the cheap and cheesy route and pull out another “Montreal Screwjob”. Punk and Taker put on a pretty good match that was cruising along just fine until Taker tried to hit Punk with a chokeslam. Punk countered with a roundhouse kick that was then countered into Taker’s Hell’s Gate submission hold. Punk quickly tapped out and we were led to believe that the Undertaker was the new World Heavyweight Champion…that is until Smackdown GM Teddy Long came out and reminded us all that Vicky Guerrero had the move banned and that decision has not been reversed. So the win did not count and the match had to continue. Soon after the restart, Punk got Taker in the Anaconda Vice. Suddenly, the bell rang, but the Undertaker did not submit. Punk and the referee quickly left the ring and joined Teddy Long on the entrance ramp. So the fix was in and we had to relive the Montreal Screwjob 12 years later. While I applaud the WWE for continuity with the Hell’s Gate submission being banned, this is just not a good move. It seems extremely stupid and foolish to do. I think it is insulting to the fans and there was no reason for it. The WWE painted themselves into a corner with this match stipulation and this is the price we pay. I don’t think the outcome does anything for CM Punk and he deserved something better to escape with the title. I really can’t say what that might have been, but this was dumb. To look on the bright side though, the build toward a rematch at the Hell in a Cell PPV should be pretty good and that main event match will hopefully be strong.
The Game’s Quick Hits
Patriots 25, Bills 24 – This turned out to be a surprisingly competitive game to open up the 40th season of Monday Night Football and the Patriots ended up having to survive and steal a victory in the final minutes. After being in disarray on the offensive side of the ball and firing their offensive coordinator in the preseason, most people assumed that the Patriots would easily handle the Bills in this game. But Buffalo came to play and their defense played well in the 1st half. They got really good pressure on Patriots QB Tom Brady and held the running game in check. Brady was not particularly sharp early on and he missed some throws. He did engineer one good scoring drive for a TD and had another bog down right before halftime. The Bills did not do much better on offense, but they did get a 26-yard interception return for a TD from Aaron Schobel after Brady poorly executed a screen pass. This helped the Bills take a 14-10 lead into the half.
Things did not get much better for the Patriots in the 2nd half. They dominated in terms of time of possession and they were able to move the ball with two long drives, but one ended in a turnover on downs and the other in a field goal. Brady looked passive and tentative in many situations and things were not clicking. The Bills were only slightly better until there was about 10 minutes left in the game. QB Trent Edwards was able to engineer a long scoring drive which ended in a 10-yard TD pass to RB Fred Jackson. This gave the Bills a 24-13 lead with just over 5 minutes left and it looked like Buffalo was going to pull an amazing upset. But then, the Patriots turned back into the Patriots. Brady got the hurry up offensive going and he easily drove New England down the field and threw an 18-yard TD pass to TE Benjamin Watson to pull the score to 24-19 after a failed 2-point conversion. Then, the Patriots got the break they needed when Buffalo’s Leodis McKelvin elected not to take a touchback on the kickoff and then proceeded to fumble the ball away. It only took Brady 3 plays to hit Watson again with a 16-yard TD pass to give the Patriots a crazy 25-24 come-from-behind win.
So in the final analysis, the Patriots may not be as good as everyone thought and the Bills might not be as bad as everyone thought. You could attribute the poor performance to opening game jitters, but the Patriots’ defense did have some holes that can be exploited as the year goes along. But this is what good teams do. They find a way to win games even when they do not play their best. I do expect Brady and the rest of the offense to round into form though and they should be fine in the long run. Considering how bad Buffalo looked in the preseason, this was an excellent performance. The no-huddle offense actually did some good things, but Trent Edwards needs to get better and take more shots down the field. The defense will also have to play this well in subsequent weeks to give the Bills any chance to win some ball games.
Chargers 24, Raiders 20 – In the final game of week 1, we got another strange game and a shocking performance from the Oakland Raiders. Just like the Bills, the Raiders looked bad in the preseason and no one expected them to really give the Chargers a game tonight. But Oakland came out rolling and was able to dominate the line of scrimmage with their offensive line. They were able to run the ball effectively on offense and their defense was surprisingly stout as they held Chargers QB Philip Rivers and RB LaDainian Tomlinson in check. Richard Seymour looked great and delivered an immediate impact on defense for the Raiders. If not for a few mistakes, a near miss of a TD catch late in the 2nd quarter, and some bad coverage on kickoff returns against RB Darren Sproles, the Raiders could have had a 14-7 lead at halftime. Instead, San Diego was lucky to go into the half with a 10-10 tie. Things remained ugly as both teams struggled on offense to start the 3rd quarter and both defenses were in firm control, but it was clear the Raiders continued to look better than the Chargers. Things finally heated up in the 4th quarter as the teams traded touchdowns and the lead. Rivers hit WR Vincent Jackson with a 15-yard TD pass to put the Chargers up 17-13. Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell then responded with a beautiful 57-yard touchdown pass to WR Louis Murphy on a 4th-and-15 to give Oakland the lead back. But Rivers and the Chargers had the final say as they drove down the field and Sproles scored on a 5-yard run to give San Diego a 24-20 win. Once again, good teams find a way to win games. This win will now be a good confidence booster for San Diego and it should be one hell of a game against the Ravens this Sunday. The Raiders look like they are buying into Coach Tom Cable’s philosophy and are playing better fundamental football. They actually could win a few more games than expected this season.
Monday Night RAWind: I thought the WWE was able to put on a pretty good show last night, but some things left a great deal to be desired. The show opened with Batista coming out, still in an arm brace, to make a “career altering announcement”. He stated that he was there to tell everyone goodbye, but before Batista was able to say much more, Randy Orton came out to the ring. Orton mocked Batista and claimed that he was retiring because he wanted to get away from Randy Orton. This seemed to amuse Batista, who then swerved everyone by pulling off the arm brace and attacking Orton. He then told everyone that he was saying goodbye to Raw because he was going to Smackdown. He finished off the opening segment by saying that tonight’s guest host, Trish Stratus, gave him one final match on Raw: a no holds barred match with Orton.
I was pretty excited for the show after this segment, but that turned into major disappointment as we got to the main event. Looking at the time, I could see that the match would be short and it was. Batista basically threw Orton around the announce table a bit and then took advantage of John Cena coming out and throwing Orton back in the ring as he tried to run away. He hit a quick Batista Bomb and the match was over. So you mean to tell me that after a man injures you and puts you out for 3 months and costs you your title that you are happy coming back and winning a meaningless match before switching shows? Will someone tell how the hell that makes sense? I could give it a pass if Orton and Batista had a long, kick ass match and Batista ended up destroying Orton, but this type of stuff is crap. Batista looks like a chump as far as I’m concerned and now he will be going to Smackdown to try and ruin CM Punk. I can dream that Punk will go over Batista, but I know better and I expect Batista to make Punk his bitch in the near future and that is sad. I am tired of Batista at this point, at least the face version of “The Animal”. If they turned him heel and allowed him to be a ruthless badass, I could be interested again. But like John Cena, Batista is stale and not that entertaining anymore.
Luckily though, there were some other good things to be found on Raw. The 10 pm main event featured Ted Dibiase against Shawn Michaels. Legacy cut a pretty effective promo before the match where they put themselves over as being the only people to make DX tap out. This was a good move and Rhodes and Dibiase are starting to look better out there. Michaels and Dibiase had a good match that ended in a DQ when Rhodes interfered and then all hell broke loose. DX and Legacy brawled around the ringside area and it was later announced that the teams would face each other in Hell in a Cell at the next PPV (to go along with Orton’s rematch against Cena which was also announced). So there is confirmation of my fear that Legacy will just get destroyed and set back.
We also saw a tag team match between Kofi Kingston and Primo against The Miz and Jack Swagger. It was short, but the most important development is that The Miz stole Kofi’s United States Title belt and walked out with it. So it seems this feud will indeed continue. In other action, Alicia Fox defeated Gail Kim to earn a shot at the Divas Championship against Mickie James. Now why in the hell is Alicia Fox getting a push? That makes no sense to me and she should not be getting anywhere near that belt. I think Beth Phoenix should be challenging James for it, but at least Beth did get a good spot on the card last night. She got in Trish’s face about the #1 contender’s match and Chris Jericho made an appearance as well. This led to a tag team match between Stratus and MVP and Phoenix and Jericho. The Big Show and Mark Henry got involved and it became a 6 person tag. In the end, Trish showed that she still has it in the ring and she was able to pin Beth for the victory. All in all, Trish was a good guest host and this edition of Raw was passable.
- The injury bug bit the Chicago Bears particularly hard on Sunday night as LB Brian Urlacher dislocated his wrist. He was forced to undergo surgery for the injury and he will be out for the rest of the season. This is terrible news for the Bears and they will take a big hit on defense. Urlacher is the heart and soul of the Bears’ defense and the unquestioned leader of the team. He is responsible for being the coordinator out on the field and he communicates what the team is doing to everyone else. And beyond that, he is just a ferocious player and can dominate a game. Chicago has enough playmakers and talent on the defensive side of the ball to still be a good unit overall, but they will not be as good without Urlacher. This is the exact same situation that the Pittsburgh Steelers face when you take Troy Polamalu out of their defense. I expect the Bears to still be tough to score on, but now it becomes a little easier for everyone to score points on them. Through the course of the season, this could be the difference between making the playoffs and coming up a game short. Chicago is already behind the Vikings and Packers and things do not look that good without Urlacher. The Bears have already been talking to free agent and former Buccaneers LB Derrick Brooks, but it looks like they will not be signing him at this time. Brooks knows the defensive scheme that Chicago runs, but at his advanced age, he will not be able to come in and make an impact like Brian Urlacher can. This is a tough situation for the Bears and I’m not sure they can overcome it to make a playoff run. QB Jay Cutler will have to start playing MUCH better to give Chicago any chance.
- Coach Andy Reid says that Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb will try to play through the pain of a fractured rib this Sunday against the Saints. Reports indicate that McNabb was in a great deal of pain yesterday and he found it hard to even sit comfortably. He is not expected to practice on Wednesday and it seemed highly unlikely he will be able to play this week, but his health will be monitored by the Eagles and he is officially “uncertain”. I have heard reports that he could easily be out 2-4 weeks, but apparently McNabb is going to try and give it a go. If McNabb can’t start on Sunday, QB Kevin Kolb will have to assume the starting role. As I have said before, things will be tough for the Eagles without McNabb if he can’t play. Kolb has show an inability to get the ball to the Eagles’ playmakers and that will not get the job done. The Eagles signed free agent QB Jeff Garcia as insurance on Monday afternoon. This is a smart pick up considering that Garcia is a proven veteran and he knows the Eagles offense. At this point, Kolb is the back up but if he struggles, the team can now turn to Garcia. It will be interesting to see what happens if Kolb plays and really struggles this Sunday because Michael Vick will be eligible to play in week 3 and now Garcia is around. Without question, the Eagles will have to sail through some choppy waters.
- A definitive update has finally come in on Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. It was reported that he will not need knee surgery and he should be out for 3-6 weeks as originally speculated. This is a bit of good news for Pittsburgh that it is not more severe, but they will definitely miss Polamalu while he is out. I am hopeful that the Ravens could catch a break and Polamalu’s absence could cost the Steelers a game that they should win. Hey, you have to take whatever you can get.
- Carolina Panthers Coach John Fox stated on Monday that QB Jake Delhomme’s status with the team is “unchanged” and he will remain the starting quarterback. Including last season’s playoff loss, Delhomme has turned the ball over 11 times in his past 2 games. Fox compared Delhomme to Tiger Woods and Roger Federer, saying that they don’t win every tournament. Excuse me while I have a chuckle with that one. Delhomme is no slouch, but he certainly is not on the same level as Woods and Federer. Regardless though, the Panthers really do not have much of an option behind Delhomme so they will have to stick with him. The evidence continues to mount that the Panthers will just not be that good this season. Delhomme will have to regain his confidence and his form to turn this thing around.
- On the college injury front, USC QB Matt Barkley is listed as day-to-day after suffering a bruised shoulder against Ohio State on Saturday. The injury does not appear to be anything serious, but Coach Pete Carroll said Barkley will be monitored. He hopes that Barkley will be able to play this Saturday and that QB Aaron Corp is ready to step in if needed. Considering that USC is playing Washington this week, I don’t think it matters who is starting at quarterback. Washington still has a long way to go to become a powerhouse again and USC should handle them easily, even on the road.
-U.S. Open Update: Due to rain delays, the men’s championship match was pushed to Monday for the second consecutive year. The wait was worth it as #6 seed Juan Martin del Potro shocked #1 seed Roger Federer and beat him in a 5 set classic, 3-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2. Amazingly, Federer seemed to crumble down the stretch as del Potro punished him with strong forehands and played extremely smart by getting in a great percentage of 1st serves. Usually Federer wears down his opponent and brings his game to another level, but in this match it was del Potro who delivered. He came back from 2 sets to 1 down and denied Federer his 16th Grand Slam title, his 6th consecutive U.S. Open title, and snapped his 40 match winning streak at the Open. It was a great match and a huge win for the 20-year old from Argentina. Even the best find it hard to deliver every single time and it was Federer’s turn to not deliver the goods when it mattered.
Serena Williams also returned to the court after her profanity-laced tirade against a linesperson in her semifinal defeat to Kim Clijsters. She won the U.S. Open women’s doubles title with her sister Venus Williams. They defeated defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 to capture their 10th Grand Slam doubles title and first at the U.S. Open since 1999.
And on a final note from the Open, Kim Clijsters’ amazing win in the women’s championship match propelled her all the way up to #19 in the latest WTA rankings. She had no ranking prior to the tournament and she would have come into the rankings at #181 if she lost in the first round after competing in a few warm up events.
WWE Unified Tag Team Championship
Jericho and Big Show (c) vs. MVP and Mark Henry
My prediction: Jericho and Show win and retain
Actual result: Jericho and Show retain via pinfall
As I predicted and expected, Chris Jericho and the Big Show get the win in this match and continue their tag team championship reign. It just did not make any sort of sense to throw the belts on a hastily made team of MVP and Mark Henry. Reports indicate that this match had some good action in it. You got the standard, fast paced chain wrestling from Jericho and MVP, while Show and Henry slugged it out with their power moves. MVP played the “face in peril” until he could make a hot tag to Henry. Henry was able to dominate and Jericho avoided losing the titles by getting a foot on the ropes. The finish once again saw Big Show hitting a knockout punch on Henry and Jericho scored the pinfall to retain. This was the correct finish in my mind, but I still have no idea what the WWE plans to do here. Having Jericho and Show dominate for a long period can be good, as long as they drop the belts to a team who could use the help. I still say Legacy or the Hart Dynasty should beat them and that would cement either team as serious players. I wonder how long it will be before we get tension between Jericho and Show and the team starts to crumble.
WWE United States Championship
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. The Miz
My Prediction: I stated via Twitter that I was pulling for Miz, but expected a Kofi victory to extend this feud
Actual result: Kingston retains via pinfall
This match was a late addition to the PPV and pretty much replaced the Intercontinental Title match between John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler. By all accounts, this match delivered and it was very good. From what I read, the action was pretty fast paced throughout the match and it was filled with counters and reversals. Both Kofi and Miz looked very even and the match could have gone either way. In the end, Kofi connected with the Trouble in Paradise to retain the U.S. Title. I am fine with this result for the time being and I expected it. I love Miz’s arrogant and cocky character and he has really developed in a solid performer. In my estimation, he should get a run with the U.S. Title in the near future and I am hoping this feud will continue. Miz did the job and was John Cena’s bitch, so I don’t see how he can come up short here. If he continues to lose to Kingston and does not get the title, Miz will look very weak and will be stuck in mid-card jobber hell. Kingston has done a really good job with the U.S. Title and I think he should eventually lose to Miz and have a few good rematches before they both more onto new challengers.
Submissions Count Anywhere
Legacy vs. DX
My prediction: Legacy
Actual result: Legacy via submission on Michaels
I could not be more thrilled when I read the result of this match. After thinking and evaluating things, I came to the conclusion that Rhodes and Dibiase could not afford to lose this match and I am happy WWE creative seems to have agreed. Triple H and Shawn Michaels are bulletproof and they could afford the loss. A win over Legacy would have only buried two potential stars and it would have been stupid. Everything I have read indicates that this was a damn good match. The action spilled out of the ring and all over the arena. They fought in the stands, in the arena concourse, backstage, you name it. Obviously, both teams tried to kill each other and Legacy actually was much more effective. After going back and forth for a long while, Rhodes and Dibiase used the help of a cooler and a sick chair shot to knock out Triple H backstage. Once they got back into the ring, Shawn Michaels did a valiant job of trying to fight off Legacy, but he was not able to overcome the 2 on 1 disadvantage. Michaels eventually tapped out to a combination of a figure-four leg lock on the ring post by Rhodes and a Million Dollar Dream by Dibiase before Triple H could get back to the ring to make the save. It seems like Legacy finally was allowed to look like a real threat and they came out looking like stars in this match. I am pleasantly surprised at this outcome and hope that Rhodes and Dibiase continue to be booked strong. I don’t think they will ever become megastars, but they have the chance to be solid main event level talent if they are handled correctly. I have a sneaking suspicion though that this feud will continue and I am fearful that Legacy will be destroyed by DX at the Hell in a Cell PPV, which would very much hurt the momentum they got from this match.
Singapore Cane Match
Kane vs. The Great Khali
My prediction: The Great Khali
Actual result: Kane via pinfall
Well I don’t mind being wrong with this prediction. Although, it saddens me this could indicate the feud might continue. As you would expect, this was a very ugly match. The Montreal crowd started up a boring chant in the middle of it, so there is all you need to know. Kane and Khali apparently stumbled through the match, hitting each other with the canes a few times and trying to pull off some spots with them. Runjin Singh eventually got involved again by hitting Kane with a cane, which only angered the Big Red Machine and made him harass Singh. As Khali checked on Runjin, Kane was able to drop Khali neck-first on the ropes and then hit a chokeslam for the win. I have no more patience for this feud and it is going nowhere. Again, since Khali is playing the face in this feud, standard booking says that he comes out on top in the end. So sadly, we might have to be tortured with more matches between these two. I am not sure what else either Kane or Khali could be doing, but this feud is just boring and uninspiring.
*Special note: After this match, CM Punk was given some interview time and he actually brought up the fact that Jeff Hardy got arrested! I am surprised the WWE even touched that subject, but you can’t deny that it is a brilliant heel move for Punk to do.
ECW Championship
Christian (c) vs. William Regal
My prediction: William Regal wins ECW title
Actual result: Christian retains via pinfall
Well the swerve happened before this match even took place as ECW GM Tiffany banned Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov from ringside. Well if I knew that before the PPV, I may have had different thoughts about the result of the match. I expected Regal to steal the title with the help of Jackson and Kozlov, but with them being banned from ringside, it greatly increased the odds of Christian retaining and that is exactly what happened. As you would expect, the reports indicate that this was a very solid match. Both Christian and Regal are very skilled wrestlers and they seem to have delivered a good match. Christian had the Killswitch blocked three separate times before he was finally able to hit it for the win. Now, I have no idea what will be going on in ECW. I really thought that Regal would win and Christian would have to fight through the “Ruthless Roundtable” to try and get the title back. But at this point, Regal is starting to look like a chump and I don’t see how he should be in line for yet another title match. If Kozlov or Jackson step in now, that is pretty logical and could work. A title win for either one would definitely elevate that person to a new level.
“I Quit” Match for the WWE Championship
Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
My prediction: John Cena wins WWE Title
Actual result: John Cena wins WWE Title
Surprise, surprise, surprise…what a shocker. I said there was no way in hell John Cena would lose this match and say “I quit” and I was dead on. Cena’s whole persona is based on a never quit, never give up attitude so this result seemed to be a foregone conclusion. The way the match seems to have gone down is pretty bad and was typical Cena booking. From what I gather, Orton spent about 10-15 minutes absolutely beating the hell out of Cena. He abused him with steel steps and then pulled out a pair of handcuffs. Orton placed the key to the cuffs around his neck and then proceeded to cuff Cena to the ropes, to the turnbuckle, and even to himself with Cena’s hands behind his back. Orton destroyed Cena with a Singapore cane and chair shots. However, Cena did not quit and was eventually able to wrestle the key away from Orton and then cuffed himself to Orton directly. After a little more action, Cena worked Orton into the STFU and Orton quickly tapped. WHAT THE HELL?!? I am seriously sick and tired of John Cena playing Superman and Hulk Hogan, version 2.0. The act is so very worn out and I am tired of it. I don’t need Cena’s toughness and never give up attitude continually shoved down my throat. We get the point already. I have no problem with Cena winning the belt, but I am to the point where the booking of his matches is just insulting. The STFU is treated as the most dangerous move on Earth and John Cena can just survive anything. Orton will obviously get his rematch, but unfortunately Cena will win it and we will be subjected to a lengthy title reign and more of this crap. I try not to complain to this extent with what the WWE does, but I am just totally tired of John Cena.
Submission Match for the World Heavyweight Title
CM Punk (c) vs. The Undertaker
My prediction: Somehow, someway CM Punk retains
Actual result: CM Punk retains via Montreal Screwjob, Version 2.0
Well I said that I didn’t know how the WWE would do it, but CM Punk would not be losing the title this soon. I was right on this, but unfortunately, the WWE had to go the cheap and cheesy route and pull out another “Montreal Screwjob”. Punk and Taker put on a pretty good match that was cruising along just fine until Taker tried to hit Punk with a chokeslam. Punk countered with a roundhouse kick that was then countered into Taker’s Hell’s Gate submission hold. Punk quickly tapped out and we were led to believe that the Undertaker was the new World Heavyweight Champion…that is until Smackdown GM Teddy Long came out and reminded us all that Vicky Guerrero had the move banned and that decision has not been reversed. So the win did not count and the match had to continue. Soon after the restart, Punk got Taker in the Anaconda Vice. Suddenly, the bell rang, but the Undertaker did not submit. Punk and the referee quickly left the ring and joined Teddy Long on the entrance ramp. So the fix was in and we had to relive the Montreal Screwjob 12 years later. While I applaud the WWE for continuity with the Hell’s Gate submission being banned, this is just not a good move. It seems extremely stupid and foolish to do. I think it is insulting to the fans and there was no reason for it. The WWE painted themselves into a corner with this match stipulation and this is the price we pay. I don’t think the outcome does anything for CM Punk and he deserved something better to escape with the title. I really can’t say what that might have been, but this was dumb. To look on the bright side though, the build toward a rematch at the Hell in a Cell PPV should be pretty good and that main event match will hopefully be strong.
The Game’s Quick Hits
Patriots 25, Bills 24 – This turned out to be a surprisingly competitive game to open up the 40th season of Monday Night Football and the Patriots ended up having to survive and steal a victory in the final minutes. After being in disarray on the offensive side of the ball and firing their offensive coordinator in the preseason, most people assumed that the Patriots would easily handle the Bills in this game. But Buffalo came to play and their defense played well in the 1st half. They got really good pressure on Patriots QB Tom Brady and held the running game in check. Brady was not particularly sharp early on and he missed some throws. He did engineer one good scoring drive for a TD and had another bog down right before halftime. The Bills did not do much better on offense, but they did get a 26-yard interception return for a TD from Aaron Schobel after Brady poorly executed a screen pass. This helped the Bills take a 14-10 lead into the half.
Things did not get much better for the Patriots in the 2nd half. They dominated in terms of time of possession and they were able to move the ball with two long drives, but one ended in a turnover on downs and the other in a field goal. Brady looked passive and tentative in many situations and things were not clicking. The Bills were only slightly better until there was about 10 minutes left in the game. QB Trent Edwards was able to engineer a long scoring drive which ended in a 10-yard TD pass to RB Fred Jackson. This gave the Bills a 24-13 lead with just over 5 minutes left and it looked like Buffalo was going to pull an amazing upset. But then, the Patriots turned back into the Patriots. Brady got the hurry up offensive going and he easily drove New England down the field and threw an 18-yard TD pass to TE Benjamin Watson to pull the score to 24-19 after a failed 2-point conversion. Then, the Patriots got the break they needed when Buffalo’s Leodis McKelvin elected not to take a touchback on the kickoff and then proceeded to fumble the ball away. It only took Brady 3 plays to hit Watson again with a 16-yard TD pass to give the Patriots a crazy 25-24 come-from-behind win.
So in the final analysis, the Patriots may not be as good as everyone thought and the Bills might not be as bad as everyone thought. You could attribute the poor performance to opening game jitters, but the Patriots’ defense did have some holes that can be exploited as the year goes along. But this is what good teams do. They find a way to win games even when they do not play their best. I do expect Brady and the rest of the offense to round into form though and they should be fine in the long run. Considering how bad Buffalo looked in the preseason, this was an excellent performance. The no-huddle offense actually did some good things, but Trent Edwards needs to get better and take more shots down the field. The defense will also have to play this well in subsequent weeks to give the Bills any chance to win some ball games.
Chargers 24, Raiders 20 – In the final game of week 1, we got another strange game and a shocking performance from the Oakland Raiders. Just like the Bills, the Raiders looked bad in the preseason and no one expected them to really give the Chargers a game tonight. But Oakland came out rolling and was able to dominate the line of scrimmage with their offensive line. They were able to run the ball effectively on offense and their defense was surprisingly stout as they held Chargers QB Philip Rivers and RB LaDainian Tomlinson in check. Richard Seymour looked great and delivered an immediate impact on defense for the Raiders. If not for a few mistakes, a near miss of a TD catch late in the 2nd quarter, and some bad coverage on kickoff returns against RB Darren Sproles, the Raiders could have had a 14-7 lead at halftime. Instead, San Diego was lucky to go into the half with a 10-10 tie. Things remained ugly as both teams struggled on offense to start the 3rd quarter and both defenses were in firm control, but it was clear the Raiders continued to look better than the Chargers. Things finally heated up in the 4th quarter as the teams traded touchdowns and the lead. Rivers hit WR Vincent Jackson with a 15-yard TD pass to put the Chargers up 17-13. Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell then responded with a beautiful 57-yard touchdown pass to WR Louis Murphy on a 4th-and-15 to give Oakland the lead back. But Rivers and the Chargers had the final say as they drove down the field and Sproles scored on a 5-yard run to give San Diego a 24-20 win. Once again, good teams find a way to win games. This win will now be a good confidence booster for San Diego and it should be one hell of a game against the Ravens this Sunday. The Raiders look like they are buying into Coach Tom Cable’s philosophy and are playing better fundamental football. They actually could win a few more games than expected this season.
Monday Night RAWind: I thought the WWE was able to put on a pretty good show last night, but some things left a great deal to be desired. The show opened with Batista coming out, still in an arm brace, to make a “career altering announcement”. He stated that he was there to tell everyone goodbye, but before Batista was able to say much more, Randy Orton came out to the ring. Orton mocked Batista and claimed that he was retiring because he wanted to get away from Randy Orton. This seemed to amuse Batista, who then swerved everyone by pulling off the arm brace and attacking Orton. He then told everyone that he was saying goodbye to Raw because he was going to Smackdown. He finished off the opening segment by saying that tonight’s guest host, Trish Stratus, gave him one final match on Raw: a no holds barred match with Orton.
I was pretty excited for the show after this segment, but that turned into major disappointment as we got to the main event. Looking at the time, I could see that the match would be short and it was. Batista basically threw Orton around the announce table a bit and then took advantage of John Cena coming out and throwing Orton back in the ring as he tried to run away. He hit a quick Batista Bomb and the match was over. So you mean to tell me that after a man injures you and puts you out for 3 months and costs you your title that you are happy coming back and winning a meaningless match before switching shows? Will someone tell how the hell that makes sense? I could give it a pass if Orton and Batista had a long, kick ass match and Batista ended up destroying Orton, but this type of stuff is crap. Batista looks like a chump as far as I’m concerned and now he will be going to Smackdown to try and ruin CM Punk. I can dream that Punk will go over Batista, but I know better and I expect Batista to make Punk his bitch in the near future and that is sad. I am tired of Batista at this point, at least the face version of “The Animal”. If they turned him heel and allowed him to be a ruthless badass, I could be interested again. But like John Cena, Batista is stale and not that entertaining anymore.
Luckily though, there were some other good things to be found on Raw. The 10 pm main event featured Ted Dibiase against Shawn Michaels. Legacy cut a pretty effective promo before the match where they put themselves over as being the only people to make DX tap out. This was a good move and Rhodes and Dibiase are starting to look better out there. Michaels and Dibiase had a good match that ended in a DQ when Rhodes interfered and then all hell broke loose. DX and Legacy brawled around the ringside area and it was later announced that the teams would face each other in Hell in a Cell at the next PPV (to go along with Orton’s rematch against Cena which was also announced). So there is confirmation of my fear that Legacy will just get destroyed and set back.
We also saw a tag team match between Kofi Kingston and Primo against The Miz and Jack Swagger. It was short, but the most important development is that The Miz stole Kofi’s United States Title belt and walked out with it. So it seems this feud will indeed continue. In other action, Alicia Fox defeated Gail Kim to earn a shot at the Divas Championship against Mickie James. Now why in the hell is Alicia Fox getting a push? That makes no sense to me and she should not be getting anywhere near that belt. I think Beth Phoenix should be challenging James for it, but at least Beth did get a good spot on the card last night. She got in Trish’s face about the #1 contender’s match and Chris Jericho made an appearance as well. This led to a tag team match between Stratus and MVP and Phoenix and Jericho. The Big Show and Mark Henry got involved and it became a 6 person tag. In the end, Trish showed that she still has it in the ring and she was able to pin Beth for the victory. All in all, Trish was a good guest host and this edition of Raw was passable.
- The injury bug bit the Chicago Bears particularly hard on Sunday night as LB Brian Urlacher dislocated his wrist. He was forced to undergo surgery for the injury and he will be out for the rest of the season. This is terrible news for the Bears and they will take a big hit on defense. Urlacher is the heart and soul of the Bears’ defense and the unquestioned leader of the team. He is responsible for being the coordinator out on the field and he communicates what the team is doing to everyone else. And beyond that, he is just a ferocious player and can dominate a game. Chicago has enough playmakers and talent on the defensive side of the ball to still be a good unit overall, but they will not be as good without Urlacher. This is the exact same situation that the Pittsburgh Steelers face when you take Troy Polamalu out of their defense. I expect the Bears to still be tough to score on, but now it becomes a little easier for everyone to score points on them. Through the course of the season, this could be the difference between making the playoffs and coming up a game short. Chicago is already behind the Vikings and Packers and things do not look that good without Urlacher. The Bears have already been talking to free agent and former Buccaneers LB Derrick Brooks, but it looks like they will not be signing him at this time. Brooks knows the defensive scheme that Chicago runs, but at his advanced age, he will not be able to come in and make an impact like Brian Urlacher can. This is a tough situation for the Bears and I’m not sure they can overcome it to make a playoff run. QB Jay Cutler will have to start playing MUCH better to give Chicago any chance.
- Coach Andy Reid says that Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb will try to play through the pain of a fractured rib this Sunday against the Saints. Reports indicate that McNabb was in a great deal of pain yesterday and he found it hard to even sit comfortably. He is not expected to practice on Wednesday and it seemed highly unlikely he will be able to play this week, but his health will be monitored by the Eagles and he is officially “uncertain”. I have heard reports that he could easily be out 2-4 weeks, but apparently McNabb is going to try and give it a go. If McNabb can’t start on Sunday, QB Kevin Kolb will have to assume the starting role. As I have said before, things will be tough for the Eagles without McNabb if he can’t play. Kolb has show an inability to get the ball to the Eagles’ playmakers and that will not get the job done. The Eagles signed free agent QB Jeff Garcia as insurance on Monday afternoon. This is a smart pick up considering that Garcia is a proven veteran and he knows the Eagles offense. At this point, Kolb is the back up but if he struggles, the team can now turn to Garcia. It will be interesting to see what happens if Kolb plays and really struggles this Sunday because Michael Vick will be eligible to play in week 3 and now Garcia is around. Without question, the Eagles will have to sail through some choppy waters.
- A definitive update has finally come in on Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. It was reported that he will not need knee surgery and he should be out for 3-6 weeks as originally speculated. This is a bit of good news for Pittsburgh that it is not more severe, but they will definitely miss Polamalu while he is out. I am hopeful that the Ravens could catch a break and Polamalu’s absence could cost the Steelers a game that they should win. Hey, you have to take whatever you can get.
- Carolina Panthers Coach John Fox stated on Monday that QB Jake Delhomme’s status with the team is “unchanged” and he will remain the starting quarterback. Including last season’s playoff loss, Delhomme has turned the ball over 11 times in his past 2 games. Fox compared Delhomme to Tiger Woods and Roger Federer, saying that they don’t win every tournament. Excuse me while I have a chuckle with that one. Delhomme is no slouch, but he certainly is not on the same level as Woods and Federer. Regardless though, the Panthers really do not have much of an option behind Delhomme so they will have to stick with him. The evidence continues to mount that the Panthers will just not be that good this season. Delhomme will have to regain his confidence and his form to turn this thing around.
- On the college injury front, USC QB Matt Barkley is listed as day-to-day after suffering a bruised shoulder against Ohio State on Saturday. The injury does not appear to be anything serious, but Coach Pete Carroll said Barkley will be monitored. He hopes that Barkley will be able to play this Saturday and that QB Aaron Corp is ready to step in if needed. Considering that USC is playing Washington this week, I don’t think it matters who is starting at quarterback. Washington still has a long way to go to become a powerhouse again and USC should handle them easily, even on the road.
-U.S. Open Update: Due to rain delays, the men’s championship match was pushed to Monday for the second consecutive year. The wait was worth it as #6 seed Juan Martin del Potro shocked #1 seed Roger Federer and beat him in a 5 set classic, 3-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2. Amazingly, Federer seemed to crumble down the stretch as del Potro punished him with strong forehands and played extremely smart by getting in a great percentage of 1st serves. Usually Federer wears down his opponent and brings his game to another level, but in this match it was del Potro who delivered. He came back from 2 sets to 1 down and denied Federer his 16th Grand Slam title, his 6th consecutive U.S. Open title, and snapped his 40 match winning streak at the Open. It was a great match and a huge win for the 20-year old from Argentina. Even the best find it hard to deliver every single time and it was Federer’s turn to not deliver the goods when it mattered.
Serena Williams also returned to the court after her profanity-laced tirade against a linesperson in her semifinal defeat to Kim Clijsters. She won the U.S. Open women’s doubles title with her sister Venus Williams. They defeated defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 to capture their 10th Grand Slam doubles title and first at the U.S. Open since 1999.
And on a final note from the Open, Kim Clijsters’ amazing win in the women’s championship match propelled her all the way up to #19 in the latest WTA rankings. She had no ranking prior to the tournament and she would have come into the rankings at #181 if she lost in the first round after competing in a few warm up events.
Monday, September 14, 2009
NFL Week 1 Review: Flyin' Flacco
*Special note: Analysis of the new AP Top 25 Poll will be posted this afternoon and a full analysis of the results from WWE Breaking Point will be posted on Tuesday.
Yesterday was one of the best days of the year as far as I’m concerned. The opening Sunday of the NFL season is like Christmas morning. There is so much excitement and anticipation as we get to unwrap another year of the best sport on Earth. Being in Baltimore, I am a huge Ravens fan and the excitement for a great season is high around here. I am not a fanatic by any means though, but I do have to admit that my expectations for the team have slowly risen during the preseason. The Ravens seemingly got an easy opener against the lowly Kansas City Chiefs. So let’s analyze how it all went down.
Even before the game, the Ravens got some good news when Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel was finally declared inactive and would not start. That meant QB Brodie Croyle, who doesn’t really strike fear in defenses, would be under center for the game. In the first quarter, it looked like this game would be a total blowout. The Ravens’ defense was dominant and Kansas City was only able to manage 1 first down the entire half. They got nothing against the Ravens in the passing game and they were only able to manage a few decent runs. On offense, the Ravens came out swinging with the passing game. Baltimore was criticized last year for being too predictable and running the ball too much on early downs. But yesterday, they put an emphasis on throwing the ball early and often and did it a great deal on first down, unlike their approach last season.
QB Joe Flacco looked great. He made some really nice throws down the field and also showed good accuracy. He made good decisions and was brilliant on the Ravens’ only touchdown drive of the half. On a third and goal near the end zone, Flacco was able to scramble in the pocket and extend the play until he found RB Willis McGahee for a short 3–yard touchdown pass. This gave the Ravens a 10-0 lead and it looked like they would cruise. However, the offense started to bog down as Kansas City showed some good athleticism on defense. Kansas City also mixed in some luck by blocking a punt and recovering it in the end zone for a touchdown, cutting their deficit to 10-7 at halftime. So even though Baltimore controlled the first half and gave Kansas City nothing on offense, the scoreboard did not reflect the effort and it left the game in doubt. I admit to being a little worried because a few more bad bounces and the Ravens could have been in trouble.
In the second half, the Ravens needed to come out strong and try to put Kansas City away. You don’t want to let an underdog hang around because they start to gain confidence and they start to believe. Unfortunately, this did not happen as Flacco threw an interception that was returned inside the Ravens’ 10-yard line. The Chiefs punched it into the end zone and amazingly, they led 14-10 without moving the ball worth a damn on offense. Flacco continued to sling the ball around though and Baltimore answered with a Flacco 9-yard TD pass to TE Todd Heap to retake the lead.
Kansas City was able to finally move the ball on offense and caught a break when Croyle hit a jump-ball, 50 yard completion which set up a field goal to tie the game. The Ravens answered by slowly but surely taking control with their running game. Both RB Ray Rice and McGahee started to find some holes and the Ravens retook a 24-17 lead on a 1-yard TD run by RB Le’ron McClain. It was short lived though as the Chiefs were able to produce another good drive that ended with a Croyle TD pass to tie the game at 24-24 with about 5 minutes left in the game.
But Flacco and the Ravens would not be denied. Once again, they marched down the field and Flacco completed a beautiful 31-yard TD pass to WR Mark Clayton that put the Ravens up once and for all and they went on to win 38-24.
Flacco was brilliant in this game and he put up his first 300 yard passing game of his career. He finished 26-for-43 for 307 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT. The Ravens amassed 501 yards of total offense, which is a franchise record. The offensive line did a great job providing Flacco with protection and he was extremely crisp and looked very mature. He looked better than he did at any point last season and his decision making was vastly better. Todd Heap also looked very good and if he can stay healthy, it will be an immense help to the entire offense. I also think that WR Kelley Washington can step in as a good #3 and make some big catches during the course of the year.
With that said, I still think the Ravens threw the ball too much yesterday, but they did send a message to the rest of the league that they are not just a running team. Baltimore will have to strike a balance though and get back to ball control and trying to dominant the line of scrimmage with their running game. Kansas City got very lucky to hang in the game as long as they did. The Ravens deserved a blowout victory for how well they played. But that is what a few bad breaks will do and good teams find a way to win even when they are not playing their best. I was pleased to see the Ravens overcome the errors and play well down the stretch. I saw a bunch of other stinker scores out there, so it is clear that not every team was hitting on all cylinders. My hopes remain high after this performance. It wasn’t a perfect opening game, but I saw a ton of good things out there on the field and it was a more than solid effort all the way around.
NFL Wrap Up:
Eagles 38, Panthers 10 – The biggest story of the day happened in Carolina. Even though I expected the Eagles to win this game, I did not expect this big of a blowout. The Eagles were dominant in this game and established themselves as a clear favorite in the NFC. But that is not the big story. Eagles QB Donovan McNabb was slammed by several tacklers on a 3-yard TD run in the 3rd quarter and the hit resulted in McNabb walking off the field with cracked ribs. At this point, there is no exact word on the severity of the injury or if McNabb will miss any playing time. Coach Andy Reid said “there’s a chance” he will play next week. This is not good news for the Eagles and especially for McNabb, who seems to find an injury hitting him every year. This could be an extremely painful injury to play through and even if McNabb does, it could severely limit his effectiveness and he would be putting himself at risk of further injury. If McNabb can’t go next week, the Eagles will have to go with QB Kevin Kolb and there will be no Michael Vick to back him up. Vick is suspended for 1 more game and will not be available until week 3. I’m sure there will be more news on this to come, but if McNabb misses extended time, it could make this dominant performance a distant memory. A healthy McNabb can take the Eagles far, but now we have a huge question mark.
On the flip side, the Panthers looked absolutely horrible. Panthers QB Jake Delhomme accounted for 5 turnovers, throwing 4 interceptions and losing 1 fumble. The Eagles’ defense totally dominated them and they looked nothing like the team that was undefeated at home during the regular season last year. As I speculated in my NFL season preview, I felt that the Panthers would fall off this year. After this performance, I am convinced that is a good call and it will be a supreme struggle for Carolina to regain confidence and get things going. They need to get back to running the ball and find a way to play some better defense. The aerial attack seems to be in bad shape and who knows what Delhomme will bring to the table in subsequent weeks.
Vikings 34, Browns 20 – Vikings RB Adrian Peterson put in a dominating performance to help make QB Brett Favre’s regular season debut with the team a rousing success. Peterson carried the ball 25 times and racked up 180 yards and 3 TDs on the day as he slashed the Browns’ defense to shreds. Favre did exactly what I expect he will do all season. He managed the game well and leaned on Peterson and the Vikings’ defense to do the heavy lifting. Favre was only 14-for-21 for 110 yards and 1 TD, but he did not turn the ball over and he did what was needed to win. The Vikings will be a serious threat in the NFC if they can duplicate this formula all year long. The Browns on the other hand were exactly what you would expect…bad. QB Brady Quinn really did not do anything in the passing game and the only spark they got was Josh Cribbs’ 67-yard punt return TD. Cleveland was also bad on defense and got destroyed by Adrian Peterson. Considering that the Browns will have to deal with the Steelers and Ravens 2 times each this season, it will be a long and mediocre year for the Browns.
Broncos 12, Bengals 7 – The Browns/Bengals game was downright ugly. It only gets a mention this high due to the bizarre ending that occurred. Both teams did squat on offense the entire game and with under a minute to play in the game, the score was 6-0 Broncos. However, the Bengals finally put together a drive on offense that was capped by RB Cedric Benson scoring on a 1-yard TD run to give Cincy a 7-6 lead. The game seemed to be over until a Kyle Orton pass was tipped by the Bengals’ defense and it fell right into the hands of Broncos WR Brandon Stokley. He then proceeded to run down the sideline 87 yards to score and give the Broncos a 12-7 victory. This is definitely one of the craziest finishes I have ever seen. But without question, this game proves that neither the Bengals nor the Broncos are a good team. I heard some so-called “experts” say that the Bengals will finish second in the AFC North and make the playoffs instead of the Ravens. The thought just makes me laugh. QB Carson Palmer was supposed to bring back some punch to the Bengals’ offense and that amounted to a whole bunch of nothing, at least in this game. I see an up and down year for both of these teams and neither will be a contender.
Jets 24, Texans 7 – The hype will probably hit a new level as Jets QB Mark Sanchez looked very good in his debut and he was able to guide New York to an easy 24-7 win over the Texans. Sanchez went 18-for-31 for 272 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. Coach Rex Ryan also brought a little flavor of the Ravens’ defense and the Jets totally shut down Houston on offense. The Texans only got past midfield once in the first 3 quarters and they only gained 183 yards for the entire game. I may have to reconsider how good of a season the Jets can have now. If Sanchez can play this well and limit his mistakes and Rex Ryan can bring in some magic on defense like he had in Baltimore, then the Jets could follow the exact same formula that Baltimore did last year. Ryan knows first hand how to get a rookie QB and a good defense into the playoffs, and he could possibly get it done this year. As for the playoffs, it seems like the Texans will be a tease once again. If QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson get shut down like this on numerous occasions, the Texans will disappoint again and they will only be a .500 team at best.
Saints 45, Lions 27 – Saints QB Drew Brees had a record setting day as the Saints extended the Lions’ losing streak to 18 straight games. Brees threw for 358 yards and 6 TDs in the huge 45-27 win. The 6 TD passes was a Saints’ record and it was the first time a QB threw 6 TDs on opening day since 1959. Detroit rookie QB Matthew Stafford had a very tough day as he completed less than 50% of his passes and threw 3 INTs with only 1 TD. The Lions’ defense is still as bad as advertised and it will be another long year in Detroit. I still believe QB Daunte Culpepper should be starting for the Lions and I have no idea when they will get a win. The Saints’ performance was impressive today, but it was against the lowly Lions, so it might not mean that much. Brees will be a beast all season long, but it remains to be seen what happens when New Orleans faces stiffer competition. I still think New Orleans will miss the playoffs, but maybe this could be a magical season for Brees and he will just carry the whole team on his back and win enough shootouts to get the job done.
Cowboys 34, Buccaneers 21 – Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo had a career-best 353 yards passing and threw 3 TDs to guide Dallas to a 34-21 victory over the Bucs. It appears that Dallas may actually be fine without Terrell Owens and they may have enough weapons to score points and win games. Romo showed good chemistry with his receivers and the offense was just on a roll. The Buccaneers are going nowhere this season, so we will have to wait and see what happens when the Cowboys get into the meat of their NFC East schedule. Dallas was able to get a good pass rush going in this game and more performances like this will be needed for success. I think Dallas has a shot to battle for a Wild Card spot and this was a good start on the year. As expected, the Buccaneers will struggle this year and the defense is no longer dominant enough to win games for them. In fact, the defense may be starting to turn into a downright bad unit. They will struggle to win games all year.
Colts 14, Jaguars 12 – The Colts and Jaguars had a surprisingly defensive battle and Indianapolis needed two stops in the 4th quarter to escape with a 14-12 win. Colts QB Peyton Manning was able come up with a 300-yard passing game, but the lack of a running game hurt the Colts as RB Joseph Addai only had 42 yards rushing. The star of the game for the Colts was their defense. They did just enough to hold Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew in check and the pass defense limited QB David Garrard to only 122 yards. The Colts lost WR Anthony Gonzalez to a knee injury and it was reported he strained ligaments in his right knee and could miss a few weeks. If the defense plays this well for Indianapolis, it will be a huge bonus and allow them to make another solid run at the playoffs. I have to think Manning will round into superior form like he always does and he will steal some victories for the Colts. I would have expected a more dominant performance at home in the opener, so I will remain a little weary as to how good they will be this season. The Jags will most likely struggle to put up points unless Jones-Drew runs wild. I just don’t see them staying consistent enough to be a real threat all year.
Falcons 19, Dolphins 7 – Like the Colts, the Falcons did not have that dominant of a home opener, but they did enough to get a win over the Dolphins. Atlanta QB Matt Ryan had a very solid day, as he went 22-for-36 for 229 yards and 2 TDs. TE Tony Gonzalez had a great debut, catching 5 passes for 73 yards and 1 TD. It is clear that Gonzalez will help the Falcons’ offense immensely. RB Michael Turner was held in check by the Dolphins, but I expect the Falcons to get cranked up as the season goes along. The defense was pretty sharp today and if they play this well all season, the Falcons could turn into a serious contender in the NFC. As I said in my season preview, the Dolphins will not do enough on offense this year and it showed today. The Dolphins were almost shut out and they got little production in the run game and QB Chad Pennington only managed 176 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. Miami’s defense will be good enough to hold them in many games, but I believe the offense will let them down and I still think they miss the playoffs this year.
Giants 23, Redskins 17 – The Giants’ defense turned in a stout effort that was highlighted by a 37-yard fumble return TD by a healthy Osi Umenyiora, who played in his first game since the 2007 season after missing all of last year due to injury. The Giants were in control the entire game and they clearly showed that they are a step above the Redskins. New York did not have a great game on offense and there was no indication of who will become the go-to, game breaking receiver. Still, QB Eli Manning did enough to get the job done, while Redskins’ QB Jason Campbell did not. It is well documented that the Redskins tried to replace Campbell and it remains to be seen if he can drive the Redskins to victories. Washington has a soft schedule, but I just don’t see how they will become a playoff team, even with the money owner Daniel Snyder continues to spend. The Giants will wage a fierce battle with the Eagles for the division title, and those games between the two should be great.
49ers 20, Cardinals 16 – The big upset of the late afternoon games came in Arizona as the Cardinals got off to a bad start in defense of their NFC Championship. As I mentioned in my season preview, the loser of the Super Bowl has had trouble making the playoffs the next year and this performance from Arizona does not inspire confidence. This was a fairly sloppy game all around that was dominated by the defenses. The Cardinals had problems on offense in the preseason and they continued into this game. QB Kurt Warner and the rest of his offensive unit are just not meshing well and they look nothing like the NFC Champions. The defense was very good however, limiting 49ers RB Frank Gore on the ground and harassing QB Shaun Hill. The 49ers did absolutely nothing in the 2nd half, but on the one drive that mattered, Hill was great in directing an 80-yard march that he culminated with a game-winning 3-yard TD pass to Gore. I still think that Arizona can right the ship here, but they need to figure out what is wrong with their offense or they are going to miss the playoffs like so many other Super Bowl losers. Make no mistake, the 49ers will play hard in each and every game and they will probably pull off a few more upsets before the year is over.
Seahawks 28, Rams 0 – There is not much to be said about this one. QB Matt Hasselbeck got off to a shaky start by throwing 2 INTs in his first 3 throws, but then settled down to throw 3 TDs and lead the Seahawks to an easy win. The Rams looked like the same old Rams from last season. They got little on offense and poor play on defense. It will be another long year in St. Louis. It remains to be seen how good Seattle can be until they face tougher competition, but with the way Arizona looked today, I am starting to think that the NFC West title race could be closer than I thought.
Packers 21, Bears 15 – The Sunday night game was a typical slugfest that you would expect from the Packers and Bears. Both defenses showed up and gave the opposing quarterback a hard time, but it was Packers QB Aaron Rodgers who stepped up, while Bears QB Jay Culter faltered. Cutler had an extremely tough game and ended up throwing 4 interceptions. The Bears also made a costly mistake late in the game when they were up 12-10. They tried a fake punt in their own half of the field that failed and allowed Green Bay to hit a field goal and grab the lead. Cutler did manage to drive the Bears down for a field goal to take the lead back, but Rodgers fired a 50-yard TD to WR Greg Jennings with 1:11 left in the game to seal the victory. Green Bay lost a ton of close games last year, so it is a real confidence booster that they pulled this one out. It will be a hell of a battle in the NFC North, and if the Packers and Bears bring this type of defense to the Vikings, it will be something to see. Bears LB Brian Urlacher did not play in the 2nd half due to a dislocated wrist, so it remains to be seen how that could affect Chicago.
The Game’s Quick Hits
Quick results from WWE Breaking Point:
Jericho/Show defeat MVP/Henry to retain Tag Titles
Kingston defeats Miz to retain U.S. Title
Legacy defeats DX
Kane defeats The Great Khali
Christian defeats Regal to retain ECW Title
Cena defeats Orton to win WWE Title
Punk defeats Undertaker to retain W.H.C. (screwjob ending)
-Other NFL tidbits from the day: It was reported that signs are pointing toward 49ers’ unsigned 1st round draft pick Michael Crabtree electing to sit out the entire season and re-enter the NFL draft. Seriously, I can not believe this guy. As evidenced by San Francisco’s win over the Cardinals today, the 49ers under Mike Singletary are heading in the right direction and getting better. Crabtree could come in there and help the cause and be a part of the legacy of pulling San Francisco back up to an elite level. But no, this guy only wants to think about himself. He doesn’t think he is getting enough money and obviously has no concept of a sliding rookie wage scale. He also doesn’t think that the 49ers have a quarterback who can help him make Pro Bowls and making him a star. I say this is bullcrap and very selfish. I thought football was a team game and a wide receiver is supposed to try and make his quarterback better. I seriously have no patience for athletes like this. I hope that if Crabtree re-enters the draft, he is drafted by a team with quarterback issues and he falls flat on his face during his rookie season.
Speaking of “diva” wide receivers, it was also reported that former Denver coach Mike Shanahan was planning to cut WR Brandon Marshall before he was fired. Shanahan felt that Marshall was really not that good and was too much of a headache. Without question, Mike Shanahan knows talent and knows how to coach, so this is a pretty telling statement. Marshall did not have a particularly good game today and the jury is still out on whether he will come close to matching his production from the past 2 seasons. I don’t know if Coach Josh McDaniels’ system is going to allow Marshall to thrive, so maybe they should continue to try and get rid of him. I still think he will try to play for money this season, so they might as well try to milk him.
- Seattle Mariners OF Ichiro Suzuki collected his 200th hit of the season last night. This was the 9th consecutive season that Ichiro has had 200 or more hits and that breaks the 108-year old record held by Willie Keeler, who had 8 straight seasons of 200 or more hits from 1894-1901. I don’t have much else to say here and I marvel at an accomplishment like this. Ichiro is one of the best pure hitters of our time and he is a surefire Hall of Famer.
- BMW Championship: Tiger Woods took the drama out of final round Sunday after his blistering course record 9-under par 62 that he shot on Saturday. He opened up a 7 shot lead and was expected to cruise home to victory. Tiger did just that as he shot a 3-under par 68 to finish at 19-under par, a full eight shots better than Jim Furyk and Marc Leishman. Tiger’s 6th win of the PGA Tour season was the 71st of his career, putting him just 2 behind Jack Nicklaus for 2nd most all-time. The win also gave Woods the #1 ranking in the FedEx Cup point standings heading into the last playoff event, the Tour Championship. He is followed by Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, and Heath “If ya got ‘em” Slocum. If any of these five win the Tour Championship, they will win the FedEx Cup. Obviously, Tiger will go in as the favorite in 2 weeks and if I had to bet, I sure would not bet against him. Considering that Woods came up empty in the majors this year, I am sure he will treat the Tour Championship like a major and he will go out to win it.
- U.S. Open Update: After a long bout of rain delays, the sun finally came out and the men’s semifinals were able to take place. In the first semifinal, #3 seed Rafael Nadal looked totally out of it and was a step slow. He was blown off the court by #6 seed Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. Nadal admitted that his strained abdominals played a factor, but del Potro blistered him with serves and forehands and was clearly better on this day. In the final, del Potro will have to face…who else, but #1 seed Roger Federer. The #4 seed Novak Djokovic tried his best to hang with Federer, but like he has done so many times before, Roger just turned up his game another notch and he dispatched of Djokovic in straight sets. Federer will now go for his 6th straight U.S. Open title and 16th Grand Slam title overall in today’s final.
The women finished up play in the nightcap of Sunday’s action and Kim Clijsters was able to complete her amazing comeback to the game after being away for 2 years due to having a baby. She took care of #9 seed Caroline Wozniacki to capture her 2nd U.S. Open Championship and become the first unseeded player to win the title. She is the first mother to win a Grand Slam title since 1980, so this is a pretty big accomplishment.
And in a related note, Serena Williams was fined $10,000 for her profanity-laced tirade directed at a linesperson who called a foot fault on her at a critical time in the match and eventually led to her defeat. The incident is still under investigation however, and more penalties could be levied against Williams. The $10,000 is less than 3% of her prize winnings at the Open, so I hope they hit her with more. There really is no excuse for what she did and an athlete should never abuse, whether verbally or physically, an official the way Serena did. It is possible she could be fined the entire amount of her winnings ($350,000) and I say she more than deserves it. If you want to make a statement that what she did will not be tolerated, then that is how you do it.
Yesterday was one of the best days of the year as far as I’m concerned. The opening Sunday of the NFL season is like Christmas morning. There is so much excitement and anticipation as we get to unwrap another year of the best sport on Earth. Being in Baltimore, I am a huge Ravens fan and the excitement for a great season is high around here. I am not a fanatic by any means though, but I do have to admit that my expectations for the team have slowly risen during the preseason. The Ravens seemingly got an easy opener against the lowly Kansas City Chiefs. So let’s analyze how it all went down.
Even before the game, the Ravens got some good news when Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel was finally declared inactive and would not start. That meant QB Brodie Croyle, who doesn’t really strike fear in defenses, would be under center for the game. In the first quarter, it looked like this game would be a total blowout. The Ravens’ defense was dominant and Kansas City was only able to manage 1 first down the entire half. They got nothing against the Ravens in the passing game and they were only able to manage a few decent runs. On offense, the Ravens came out swinging with the passing game. Baltimore was criticized last year for being too predictable and running the ball too much on early downs. But yesterday, they put an emphasis on throwing the ball early and often and did it a great deal on first down, unlike their approach last season.
QB Joe Flacco looked great. He made some really nice throws down the field and also showed good accuracy. He made good decisions and was brilliant on the Ravens’ only touchdown drive of the half. On a third and goal near the end zone, Flacco was able to scramble in the pocket and extend the play until he found RB Willis McGahee for a short 3–yard touchdown pass. This gave the Ravens a 10-0 lead and it looked like they would cruise. However, the offense started to bog down as Kansas City showed some good athleticism on defense. Kansas City also mixed in some luck by blocking a punt and recovering it in the end zone for a touchdown, cutting their deficit to 10-7 at halftime. So even though Baltimore controlled the first half and gave Kansas City nothing on offense, the scoreboard did not reflect the effort and it left the game in doubt. I admit to being a little worried because a few more bad bounces and the Ravens could have been in trouble.
In the second half, the Ravens needed to come out strong and try to put Kansas City away. You don’t want to let an underdog hang around because they start to gain confidence and they start to believe. Unfortunately, this did not happen as Flacco threw an interception that was returned inside the Ravens’ 10-yard line. The Chiefs punched it into the end zone and amazingly, they led 14-10 without moving the ball worth a damn on offense. Flacco continued to sling the ball around though and Baltimore answered with a Flacco 9-yard TD pass to TE Todd Heap to retake the lead.
Kansas City was able to finally move the ball on offense and caught a break when Croyle hit a jump-ball, 50 yard completion which set up a field goal to tie the game. The Ravens answered by slowly but surely taking control with their running game. Both RB Ray Rice and McGahee started to find some holes and the Ravens retook a 24-17 lead on a 1-yard TD run by RB Le’ron McClain. It was short lived though as the Chiefs were able to produce another good drive that ended with a Croyle TD pass to tie the game at 24-24 with about 5 minutes left in the game.
But Flacco and the Ravens would not be denied. Once again, they marched down the field and Flacco completed a beautiful 31-yard TD pass to WR Mark Clayton that put the Ravens up once and for all and they went on to win 38-24.
Flacco was brilliant in this game and he put up his first 300 yard passing game of his career. He finished 26-for-43 for 307 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT. The Ravens amassed 501 yards of total offense, which is a franchise record. The offensive line did a great job providing Flacco with protection and he was extremely crisp and looked very mature. He looked better than he did at any point last season and his decision making was vastly better. Todd Heap also looked very good and if he can stay healthy, it will be an immense help to the entire offense. I also think that WR Kelley Washington can step in as a good #3 and make some big catches during the course of the year.
With that said, I still think the Ravens threw the ball too much yesterday, but they did send a message to the rest of the league that they are not just a running team. Baltimore will have to strike a balance though and get back to ball control and trying to dominant the line of scrimmage with their running game. Kansas City got very lucky to hang in the game as long as they did. The Ravens deserved a blowout victory for how well they played. But that is what a few bad breaks will do and good teams find a way to win even when they are not playing their best. I was pleased to see the Ravens overcome the errors and play well down the stretch. I saw a bunch of other stinker scores out there, so it is clear that not every team was hitting on all cylinders. My hopes remain high after this performance. It wasn’t a perfect opening game, but I saw a ton of good things out there on the field and it was a more than solid effort all the way around.
NFL Wrap Up:
Eagles 38, Panthers 10 – The biggest story of the day happened in Carolina. Even though I expected the Eagles to win this game, I did not expect this big of a blowout. The Eagles were dominant in this game and established themselves as a clear favorite in the NFC. But that is not the big story. Eagles QB Donovan McNabb was slammed by several tacklers on a 3-yard TD run in the 3rd quarter and the hit resulted in McNabb walking off the field with cracked ribs. At this point, there is no exact word on the severity of the injury or if McNabb will miss any playing time. Coach Andy Reid said “there’s a chance” he will play next week. This is not good news for the Eagles and especially for McNabb, who seems to find an injury hitting him every year. This could be an extremely painful injury to play through and even if McNabb does, it could severely limit his effectiveness and he would be putting himself at risk of further injury. If McNabb can’t go next week, the Eagles will have to go with QB Kevin Kolb and there will be no Michael Vick to back him up. Vick is suspended for 1 more game and will not be available until week 3. I’m sure there will be more news on this to come, but if McNabb misses extended time, it could make this dominant performance a distant memory. A healthy McNabb can take the Eagles far, but now we have a huge question mark.
On the flip side, the Panthers looked absolutely horrible. Panthers QB Jake Delhomme accounted for 5 turnovers, throwing 4 interceptions and losing 1 fumble. The Eagles’ defense totally dominated them and they looked nothing like the team that was undefeated at home during the regular season last year. As I speculated in my NFL season preview, I felt that the Panthers would fall off this year. After this performance, I am convinced that is a good call and it will be a supreme struggle for Carolina to regain confidence and get things going. They need to get back to running the ball and find a way to play some better defense. The aerial attack seems to be in bad shape and who knows what Delhomme will bring to the table in subsequent weeks.
Vikings 34, Browns 20 – Vikings RB Adrian Peterson put in a dominating performance to help make QB Brett Favre’s regular season debut with the team a rousing success. Peterson carried the ball 25 times and racked up 180 yards and 3 TDs on the day as he slashed the Browns’ defense to shreds. Favre did exactly what I expect he will do all season. He managed the game well and leaned on Peterson and the Vikings’ defense to do the heavy lifting. Favre was only 14-for-21 for 110 yards and 1 TD, but he did not turn the ball over and he did what was needed to win. The Vikings will be a serious threat in the NFC if they can duplicate this formula all year long. The Browns on the other hand were exactly what you would expect…bad. QB Brady Quinn really did not do anything in the passing game and the only spark they got was Josh Cribbs’ 67-yard punt return TD. Cleveland was also bad on defense and got destroyed by Adrian Peterson. Considering that the Browns will have to deal with the Steelers and Ravens 2 times each this season, it will be a long and mediocre year for the Browns.
Broncos 12, Bengals 7 – The Browns/Bengals game was downright ugly. It only gets a mention this high due to the bizarre ending that occurred. Both teams did squat on offense the entire game and with under a minute to play in the game, the score was 6-0 Broncos. However, the Bengals finally put together a drive on offense that was capped by RB Cedric Benson scoring on a 1-yard TD run to give Cincy a 7-6 lead. The game seemed to be over until a Kyle Orton pass was tipped by the Bengals’ defense and it fell right into the hands of Broncos WR Brandon Stokley. He then proceeded to run down the sideline 87 yards to score and give the Broncos a 12-7 victory. This is definitely one of the craziest finishes I have ever seen. But without question, this game proves that neither the Bengals nor the Broncos are a good team. I heard some so-called “experts” say that the Bengals will finish second in the AFC North and make the playoffs instead of the Ravens. The thought just makes me laugh. QB Carson Palmer was supposed to bring back some punch to the Bengals’ offense and that amounted to a whole bunch of nothing, at least in this game. I see an up and down year for both of these teams and neither will be a contender.
Jets 24, Texans 7 – The hype will probably hit a new level as Jets QB Mark Sanchez looked very good in his debut and he was able to guide New York to an easy 24-7 win over the Texans. Sanchez went 18-for-31 for 272 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. Coach Rex Ryan also brought a little flavor of the Ravens’ defense and the Jets totally shut down Houston on offense. The Texans only got past midfield once in the first 3 quarters and they only gained 183 yards for the entire game. I may have to reconsider how good of a season the Jets can have now. If Sanchez can play this well and limit his mistakes and Rex Ryan can bring in some magic on defense like he had in Baltimore, then the Jets could follow the exact same formula that Baltimore did last year. Ryan knows first hand how to get a rookie QB and a good defense into the playoffs, and he could possibly get it done this year. As for the playoffs, it seems like the Texans will be a tease once again. If QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson get shut down like this on numerous occasions, the Texans will disappoint again and they will only be a .500 team at best.
Saints 45, Lions 27 – Saints QB Drew Brees had a record setting day as the Saints extended the Lions’ losing streak to 18 straight games. Brees threw for 358 yards and 6 TDs in the huge 45-27 win. The 6 TD passes was a Saints’ record and it was the first time a QB threw 6 TDs on opening day since 1959. Detroit rookie QB Matthew Stafford had a very tough day as he completed less than 50% of his passes and threw 3 INTs with only 1 TD. The Lions’ defense is still as bad as advertised and it will be another long year in Detroit. I still believe QB Daunte Culpepper should be starting for the Lions and I have no idea when they will get a win. The Saints’ performance was impressive today, but it was against the lowly Lions, so it might not mean that much. Brees will be a beast all season long, but it remains to be seen what happens when New Orleans faces stiffer competition. I still think New Orleans will miss the playoffs, but maybe this could be a magical season for Brees and he will just carry the whole team on his back and win enough shootouts to get the job done.
Cowboys 34, Buccaneers 21 – Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo had a career-best 353 yards passing and threw 3 TDs to guide Dallas to a 34-21 victory over the Bucs. It appears that Dallas may actually be fine without Terrell Owens and they may have enough weapons to score points and win games. Romo showed good chemistry with his receivers and the offense was just on a roll. The Buccaneers are going nowhere this season, so we will have to wait and see what happens when the Cowboys get into the meat of their NFC East schedule. Dallas was able to get a good pass rush going in this game and more performances like this will be needed for success. I think Dallas has a shot to battle for a Wild Card spot and this was a good start on the year. As expected, the Buccaneers will struggle this year and the defense is no longer dominant enough to win games for them. In fact, the defense may be starting to turn into a downright bad unit. They will struggle to win games all year.
Colts 14, Jaguars 12 – The Colts and Jaguars had a surprisingly defensive battle and Indianapolis needed two stops in the 4th quarter to escape with a 14-12 win. Colts QB Peyton Manning was able come up with a 300-yard passing game, but the lack of a running game hurt the Colts as RB Joseph Addai only had 42 yards rushing. The star of the game for the Colts was their defense. They did just enough to hold Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew in check and the pass defense limited QB David Garrard to only 122 yards. The Colts lost WR Anthony Gonzalez to a knee injury and it was reported he strained ligaments in his right knee and could miss a few weeks. If the defense plays this well for Indianapolis, it will be a huge bonus and allow them to make another solid run at the playoffs. I have to think Manning will round into superior form like he always does and he will steal some victories for the Colts. I would have expected a more dominant performance at home in the opener, so I will remain a little weary as to how good they will be this season. The Jags will most likely struggle to put up points unless Jones-Drew runs wild. I just don’t see them staying consistent enough to be a real threat all year.
Falcons 19, Dolphins 7 – Like the Colts, the Falcons did not have that dominant of a home opener, but they did enough to get a win over the Dolphins. Atlanta QB Matt Ryan had a very solid day, as he went 22-for-36 for 229 yards and 2 TDs. TE Tony Gonzalez had a great debut, catching 5 passes for 73 yards and 1 TD. It is clear that Gonzalez will help the Falcons’ offense immensely. RB Michael Turner was held in check by the Dolphins, but I expect the Falcons to get cranked up as the season goes along. The defense was pretty sharp today and if they play this well all season, the Falcons could turn into a serious contender in the NFC. As I said in my season preview, the Dolphins will not do enough on offense this year and it showed today. The Dolphins were almost shut out and they got little production in the run game and QB Chad Pennington only managed 176 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. Miami’s defense will be good enough to hold them in many games, but I believe the offense will let them down and I still think they miss the playoffs this year.
Giants 23, Redskins 17 – The Giants’ defense turned in a stout effort that was highlighted by a 37-yard fumble return TD by a healthy Osi Umenyiora, who played in his first game since the 2007 season after missing all of last year due to injury. The Giants were in control the entire game and they clearly showed that they are a step above the Redskins. New York did not have a great game on offense and there was no indication of who will become the go-to, game breaking receiver. Still, QB Eli Manning did enough to get the job done, while Redskins’ QB Jason Campbell did not. It is well documented that the Redskins tried to replace Campbell and it remains to be seen if he can drive the Redskins to victories. Washington has a soft schedule, but I just don’t see how they will become a playoff team, even with the money owner Daniel Snyder continues to spend. The Giants will wage a fierce battle with the Eagles for the division title, and those games between the two should be great.
49ers 20, Cardinals 16 – The big upset of the late afternoon games came in Arizona as the Cardinals got off to a bad start in defense of their NFC Championship. As I mentioned in my season preview, the loser of the Super Bowl has had trouble making the playoffs the next year and this performance from Arizona does not inspire confidence. This was a fairly sloppy game all around that was dominated by the defenses. The Cardinals had problems on offense in the preseason and they continued into this game. QB Kurt Warner and the rest of his offensive unit are just not meshing well and they look nothing like the NFC Champions. The defense was very good however, limiting 49ers RB Frank Gore on the ground and harassing QB Shaun Hill. The 49ers did absolutely nothing in the 2nd half, but on the one drive that mattered, Hill was great in directing an 80-yard march that he culminated with a game-winning 3-yard TD pass to Gore. I still think that Arizona can right the ship here, but they need to figure out what is wrong with their offense or they are going to miss the playoffs like so many other Super Bowl losers. Make no mistake, the 49ers will play hard in each and every game and they will probably pull off a few more upsets before the year is over.
Seahawks 28, Rams 0 – There is not much to be said about this one. QB Matt Hasselbeck got off to a shaky start by throwing 2 INTs in his first 3 throws, but then settled down to throw 3 TDs and lead the Seahawks to an easy win. The Rams looked like the same old Rams from last season. They got little on offense and poor play on defense. It will be another long year in St. Louis. It remains to be seen how good Seattle can be until they face tougher competition, but with the way Arizona looked today, I am starting to think that the NFC West title race could be closer than I thought.
Packers 21, Bears 15 – The Sunday night game was a typical slugfest that you would expect from the Packers and Bears. Both defenses showed up and gave the opposing quarterback a hard time, but it was Packers QB Aaron Rodgers who stepped up, while Bears QB Jay Culter faltered. Cutler had an extremely tough game and ended up throwing 4 interceptions. The Bears also made a costly mistake late in the game when they were up 12-10. They tried a fake punt in their own half of the field that failed and allowed Green Bay to hit a field goal and grab the lead. Cutler did manage to drive the Bears down for a field goal to take the lead back, but Rodgers fired a 50-yard TD to WR Greg Jennings with 1:11 left in the game to seal the victory. Green Bay lost a ton of close games last year, so it is a real confidence booster that they pulled this one out. It will be a hell of a battle in the NFC North, and if the Packers and Bears bring this type of defense to the Vikings, it will be something to see. Bears LB Brian Urlacher did not play in the 2nd half due to a dislocated wrist, so it remains to be seen how that could affect Chicago.
The Game’s Quick Hits
Quick results from WWE Breaking Point:
Jericho/Show defeat MVP/Henry to retain Tag Titles
Kingston defeats Miz to retain U.S. Title
Legacy defeats DX
Kane defeats The Great Khali
Christian defeats Regal to retain ECW Title
Cena defeats Orton to win WWE Title
Punk defeats Undertaker to retain W.H.C. (screwjob ending)
-Other NFL tidbits from the day: It was reported that signs are pointing toward 49ers’ unsigned 1st round draft pick Michael Crabtree electing to sit out the entire season and re-enter the NFL draft. Seriously, I can not believe this guy. As evidenced by San Francisco’s win over the Cardinals today, the 49ers under Mike Singletary are heading in the right direction and getting better. Crabtree could come in there and help the cause and be a part of the legacy of pulling San Francisco back up to an elite level. But no, this guy only wants to think about himself. He doesn’t think he is getting enough money and obviously has no concept of a sliding rookie wage scale. He also doesn’t think that the 49ers have a quarterback who can help him make Pro Bowls and making him a star. I say this is bullcrap and very selfish. I thought football was a team game and a wide receiver is supposed to try and make his quarterback better. I seriously have no patience for athletes like this. I hope that if Crabtree re-enters the draft, he is drafted by a team with quarterback issues and he falls flat on his face during his rookie season.
Speaking of “diva” wide receivers, it was also reported that former Denver coach Mike Shanahan was planning to cut WR Brandon Marshall before he was fired. Shanahan felt that Marshall was really not that good and was too much of a headache. Without question, Mike Shanahan knows talent and knows how to coach, so this is a pretty telling statement. Marshall did not have a particularly good game today and the jury is still out on whether he will come close to matching his production from the past 2 seasons. I don’t know if Coach Josh McDaniels’ system is going to allow Marshall to thrive, so maybe they should continue to try and get rid of him. I still think he will try to play for money this season, so they might as well try to milk him.
- Seattle Mariners OF Ichiro Suzuki collected his 200th hit of the season last night. This was the 9th consecutive season that Ichiro has had 200 or more hits and that breaks the 108-year old record held by Willie Keeler, who had 8 straight seasons of 200 or more hits from 1894-1901. I don’t have much else to say here and I marvel at an accomplishment like this. Ichiro is one of the best pure hitters of our time and he is a surefire Hall of Famer.
- BMW Championship: Tiger Woods took the drama out of final round Sunday after his blistering course record 9-under par 62 that he shot on Saturday. He opened up a 7 shot lead and was expected to cruise home to victory. Tiger did just that as he shot a 3-under par 68 to finish at 19-under par, a full eight shots better than Jim Furyk and Marc Leishman. Tiger’s 6th win of the PGA Tour season was the 71st of his career, putting him just 2 behind Jack Nicklaus for 2nd most all-time. The win also gave Woods the #1 ranking in the FedEx Cup point standings heading into the last playoff event, the Tour Championship. He is followed by Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson, and Heath “If ya got ‘em” Slocum. If any of these five win the Tour Championship, they will win the FedEx Cup. Obviously, Tiger will go in as the favorite in 2 weeks and if I had to bet, I sure would not bet against him. Considering that Woods came up empty in the majors this year, I am sure he will treat the Tour Championship like a major and he will go out to win it.
- U.S. Open Update: After a long bout of rain delays, the sun finally came out and the men’s semifinals were able to take place. In the first semifinal, #3 seed Rafael Nadal looked totally out of it and was a step slow. He was blown off the court by #6 seed Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. Nadal admitted that his strained abdominals played a factor, but del Potro blistered him with serves and forehands and was clearly better on this day. In the final, del Potro will have to face…who else, but #1 seed Roger Federer. The #4 seed Novak Djokovic tried his best to hang with Federer, but like he has done so many times before, Roger just turned up his game another notch and he dispatched of Djokovic in straight sets. Federer will now go for his 6th straight U.S. Open title and 16th Grand Slam title overall in today’s final.
The women finished up play in the nightcap of Sunday’s action and Kim Clijsters was able to complete her amazing comeback to the game after being away for 2 years due to having a baby. She took care of #9 seed Caroline Wozniacki to capture her 2nd U.S. Open Championship and become the first unseeded player to win the title. She is the first mother to win a Grand Slam title since 1980, so this is a pretty big accomplishment.
And in a related note, Serena Williams was fined $10,000 for her profanity-laced tirade directed at a linesperson who called a foot fault on her at a critical time in the match and eventually led to her defeat. The incident is still under investigation however, and more penalties could be levied against Williams. The $10,000 is less than 3% of her prize winnings at the Open, so I hope they hit her with more. There really is no excuse for what she did and an athlete should never abuse, whether verbally or physically, an official the way Serena did. It is possible she could be fined the entire amount of her winnings ($350,000) and I say she more than deserves it. If you want to make a statement that what she did will not be tolerated, then that is how you do it.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Jeff Hardy and WWE Breaking Point
Well I had planned to only offer my thoughts on the upcoming WWE Breaking Point PPV this Sunday, but then a small piece of news hit late in the afternoon: “Jeff Hardy Arrested for Drug Trafficking, Multiple Felonies”. All I can say is wow. Hardy was arrested on charges of trafficking controlled prescription pills and possession of anabolic steroids. A search of his home yielded 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, powder cocaine and drug paraphernalia. The charges against Hardy include:
- Felony trafficking in opium
- Two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance
- Felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance
- Felony possession of cocaine
- Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia
Again, wow. I honestly could not believe it when I heard this news and it is pretty sad. I was not shocked to hear about Jeff Hardy being in a situation with drugs due to what he has done in the past, but all this? Obviously the worst of this is the intent to sell and distribute. He can be a druggie and take all he wants, but when you try to sell the stuff, then that is going down a bad road.
Reports are saying that his brother and current WWE superstar, Matt Hardy, bailed him out and Jeff was quick to jump on Twitter. He said to not believe everything that you read and expressed his wish that the media would try and portray stories accurately. I am not sure exactly what he is talking about, but what else would you expect him to say at this point? My only speculation is that he will claim he never sold anything or intended to sell anything. The fact that he has so much of it could turn out to be a bad assumption by the cops, but I doubt it. The news stories make it seem like this was an ongoing investigation on Jeff and they finally busted him. They must think they have a solid case to bring those charges on him.
I think it is a safe assumption that Jeff Hardy’s WWE career is now over. I can’t see how they can bring him back at this point. Vince McMahon is trying to make the WWE more family friendly, so bringing back a wrestler who had drug charges thrown on him seems highly unlikely. I am sure at this point that McMahon and the WWE have to be fuming. They caught a lucky break that Jeff dropped the title to CM Punk at Summerslam, but this will still reflect poorly on the company. Hardy was getting a major push on TV and was portrayed as such an inspiration and positive influence. Of course if you have been following things, CM Punk portrayed Hardy as a fraud and said he probably was still high on prescription drugs and everything else. My, my, my…how life imitates art sometimes. Here’s a wild thought on all this too. I wonder if the WWE would dare touch this on their programming. The chances would be slim I’m sure, but CM Punk could get MASSIVE heat if he came out and told everyone that he was telling the truth about Jeff the whole time. A feud with Matt Hardy could be big around this, but I am sure McMahon does not even want to touch it.
Granted, I am not that much of a Jeff Hardy fan, but I did respect his in-ring work and I respected what he did to help put CM Punk over. He did not complain about losing the title or anything like that and he even worked an extra month after his contract expired to help the company and go out the right way. Because of all that, this whole situation now saddens me. Jeff Hardy was portrayed as a guy who made some mistakes, but he took responsibility for them and had turned his life around. Now, it seems like he really hasn’t changed at all. Even if he was to somehow beat these charges, and on the possession ones I don’t see any way in hell how he does that, his legacy is now ruined.
Jeff was supposed to take some time off and come back refreshed and continue on with a great career. But that is not going to happen. I can’t believe the stupidity that it takes for him to put himself in this situation. There are a whole other set of issues now as well. Has Jeff been popping pain pills this entire time? Did the WWE ever let him slide on a drug test? There are many questions now that can’t be answered and who knows if they ever will be. I understand how tough and painful it must be for wrestlers, so I could find a way to give Jeff a pass if he is addicted to pain pills. Addiction can be a bitch and millions of people struggle with it. But I have to draw a line with the cocaine and these allegations that he was trying to distribute. Those are bad choices that fall directly onto Jeff Hardy’s shoulders and he has no one to blame but himself.
So in the final analysis of my initial thoughts on this, I have to say I am just disappointed in Hardy and I hope he gets some help. Obviously he still had some demons in his life that he needs to deal with. I will not crucify the man totally until more facts are known, but this looks bad for him. He had such a good thing going with this last WWE run and now he has flushed it all down the toilet. On a more positive note, let’s get to my Breaking Point PPV preview that I had ready to go for today.
It is time once again for a WWE PPV and the company continues on the trend of trying to make each one have a certain theme. This Sunday will be called Breaking Point and the idea is that all main event matches will have a submission stipulation. I will give credit to the WWE for trying this tactic to increase PPV buys. The different themes give fans something to look forward to and it does break them away from the endless monotony of placeholder type PPVs until each of the “Big 4” roll around. So let’s take a look at the card and I will offer up my thoughts and predictions.
“I Quit” Match for the WWE Championship
Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
Once again we are “treated” to another match between Orton and Cena. The feud between these two just seems so old at this point and it feels like we have seen everything there is to see. In actuality, the two had not squared off one on one for a long while until Summerslam last month, but the fact remains that this confrontation has been recycled from years ago. I predicted that John Cena would walk out of Summerslam with the title and I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. Many thought that the Summerslam match was an overbooked mess, but the WWE had not had a crazy atomsophere like that in a while and I thought it was fun to see. The swerve of letting Orton walk out with the title was a good thing, but knowing that we had Breaking Point coming up, I immediately thought Orton’s reign would only last a few more weeks. John Cena’s whole character and career is built on a never give up, never say die attitude. Cena is a “soldier” and he never quits. There is no way in hell that Cena will say “I quit” at Breaking Point. Unless the WWE recycles the Rock’s trick of knocking the guy out and then playing a recording of his opponent saying “I quit” from a promo like he did with Mick Foley, Cena is walking out with the belt. The only way that doesn’t happen is if something occurs to make the match a no contest.
Prediction: John Cena (new WWE Champion)
Submission Match for the World Heavyweight Title
CM Punk (c) vs. The Undertaker
As expected, Jeff Hardy dropped the title to CM Punk at Summerslam and then lost a “loser leaves WWE” title rematch on Smackdown. I give Hardy a ton of credit for going out the right way and helping to make Punk into a mega-heel before taking his sabbatical. I will definitely miss the Hardy-Punk feud, but the WWE did a good thing by transitioning directly into a Punk-Undertaker feud. At the end of Summerslam, the lights went out and Punk quickly found himself standing over The Undertaker instead of Jeff Hardy and then he ate a chokeslam for his troubles. The Deadman had returned and had his sights set on Punk and the World Title. Teddy Long quickly booked a Submission Match for Breaking Point and I expect a good match between the two. Punk is insanely hot right now as a heel and The Undertaker will always have the crowd behind him. The money in this feud will be in the chase and I don’t see how they can have Punk drop the title so soon. Obviously, The Undertaker, like John Cena, is not someone who is going to give up and submit. Because of that, I see no other call to make but to say that this match will somehow be a no contest or a DQ. I really don’t know how they will do it, but Punk will escape with the title and this feud will continue.
Prediction: No contest or DQ ending, Punk retains
ECW Championship
Christian (c) vs. William Regal
With the formation of William Regal’s “Ruthless Roundtable” which features Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov, this feud for the ECW Championship has been fairly intriguing. I love William Regal’s snobby, arrogant character and he is a perfect challenger for Christian, especially with the muscle behind him. Considering that the match at Summerslam lasted only 8 seconds and was only designed to put over the “Roundtable”, I really have no idea how this match will go. If Christian beats Regal, it seems like the feud would be over and Regal would be out of chances. But then does Christian go on to try and keep Jackson and Kozlov off his back? I ultimately think that Jackson or Kozlov would benefit from a title run, but I am not sure they are ready for it or even if they are worth it at all. I might be going out on a limb here, but it makes the most sense if Regal wins the title with the help of Jackson and Kozlov and then uses them to try and keep Christian from regaining it. The major story arc on ECW seems to be Regal trying to take over things with his henchman, so having the title makes that seem more plausible.
Prediction: William Regal (new ECW Champion)
Submissions Count Anywhere
D-Generation X vs. Legacy
Well this is certainly a different spin on a match stipulation and it really just means this match will be a brawl that should go all over the ringside area and beyond. Legacy put in a really solid performance against DX at Summerslam. I thought Legacy should have won the match to really establish themselves as legitimate threats. Triple H and Shawn Michaels did put in a good effort to make Rhodes and Dibiase look good, but in the end, it is wins and losses that count. I am actually glad that the feud is continuing and I hope Legacy is able to get a big win. The WWE has two great young talents and they need to start letting them shine and get some bigger victories under their belt. Legacy was able to get some heat back by laying out John Cena and DX during Dusty Rhodes’ GM night and hopefully they carry the momentum to this match. Again, with a submission stipulation, it is tough to envision Triple H or Michaels tapping out. However, I can see a scenario where Legacy viciously attacks a knee/leg and is able to get a submission out of it. Against my better judgment, I am going to predict that Legacy gets their big win in this match. If not, the WWE is seriously making them look like chumps and I feel that is just plain stupid. But don’t say I didn’t mention that DX might just destroy them and bury them.
Prediction: Legacy
Unified Tag Team Championship
Chris Jericho and Big Show (c) vs. MVP and Mark Henry
So it looks like Cryme Tyme got their chance in the sun at Summerslam and they quickly will be forgotten when it comes to the Tag Team Title chase. Now the thrown together tag team of Mark Henry and MVP will challenge for the gold. This outcome seems pretty predictable to me and I do not see how Jericho and Big Show can lose here. I will say this though…I could see WWE shocking everyone and putting the titles on Henry and MVP as a sort of “reward” for MVP and Henry actually getting over a little bit with the crowd and especially to Henry for not getting hurt and pulling off a face turn. JeriShow needs to drop the belts to a team who could use the rub though. I think Legacy or the Hart Dynasty are perfect candidates and could benefit immediately, but all three teams are heels, so the WWE would most likely not set up those matchups. I have to wonder if DX will get a shot at JeriShow like I have speculated before. It would be a good little feud and the match(es) would be pretty good as well, but DX does not need the tag titles. Unless they win them and promptly lose to Legacy or the Hart Dynasty, it is a waste. I really do not know what WWE has planned for Jericho and Show, but I don’t think they should be losing to Henry and MVP.
Prediction: Jericho and Big Show (retain titles)
Singapore Cane Match
The Great Khali vs. Kane
I was really hoping that we would not get “treated” to another PPV match between these two but it seems as though we are. I suppose it is better for a solid talent like Kane to make a PPV payday instead of being left out. This match could turn into a real spectacle if they allow it, but it will likely be the same slow and plodding match like they had at Summerslam, except this time they will be hitting each other with canes. If the WWE is determined to drag this feud on, then I have to think Khali will pick up the victory. He introduced the Singapore cane into the equation, so I have to go with him for the win.
Prediction: The Great Khali
The Game’s Quick Hits
Friday Night Smackdown: Once again, Smackdown was a pretty good watch this week and the show got off to another great start. The Undertaker came out to start the show and cut a promo on CM Punk, stating that he would collect his “soul” at Breaking Point and make Punk submit to his Hell’s Gate submission hold. Punk answered and cut another brilliant promo. He is just locked in on his character and manipulating the audience like a puppet master. The way he is bagging on the fans about being seduced by The Undertaker’s “magical” powers because their minds are in a doped up haze is just gold. Punk let The Undertaker know that he will make him tap out to the Anaconda Vice at Breaking Point and this set up the main event, a submission match between Punk and Matt Hardy. The two put on another good performance in the ring and did a nice enough job focusing on attacking different body parts since it was a submission match. The finish was pretty obvious as CM Punk quickly and suddenly slapped on the Anaconda Vice and made Hardy tap out. The very end of the show featured a nice touch of having the lights go out and the bell toll and when they came back on, Punk no longer was grasping his title. The Undertaker was at the top of the ramp holding Punk’s gold up high. I thought the show did a pretty good job at hyping Breaking Point and that’s all you can ask.
There wasn’t anything else earth shattering on this episode, just some good in-ring action. Finlay and Mike Knox battled it out in a pretty good “Belfast Brawl”, which saw Finlay come out on top after a shot with the shillelagh. I do like to see a good garbage match every now and then, and these two put on a solid match with copious amounts of chair and trash can shots. The Unified Tag Team Champions, Chris Jericho and The Big Show, had a decent match with Cryme Tyme. Show knocked out JTG with a huge punch which allowed the champs to get a win and gain some momentum heading into their title defense against Mark Henry and MVP at Breaking Point. Finally, John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler had a nice little back and forth on the mic. Ziggler demanded his title shot that he earned, but only on “his terms”, and Morrison responded by calling him “Mr. Ziggles”. The WWE is now trying to build up more of a feud between these two after plans changed because of Rey Mysterio’s suspension. The Morrison/Ziggler Intercontinental Title match has been pulled from Breaking Point and the rumor is because the WWE wants them to have some matches together first on the house show circuit. I really do not agree with this because I believe both Morrison and Ziggler are talented enough to put on a good match and they should be given the chance on PPV.
- NHL sources have told ESPN that the Ottawa Senators have finally reached a 3 team deal to trade Dany Heatley. The proposed trade would send Heatley to the San Jose Sharks, the Sharks’ Patrick Marleau to the Los Angeles Kings, and the Kings’ Alexander Frolov and Jarret Stoll to the Senators. There is only one catch though. As of right now, the GMs of all three teams have denied the report and say the speculation is complete bull. I hope that the story is not bull because this Dany Heatley saga has gone on way too long. The guy wants out of town in Ottawa, so get him out of town! I’m not sure San Jose is a good destination for him though. The Sharks are kings of the regular season, but always find a way to choke in the playoffs. Imagine the scrutiny on Heatley if he goes there and the Sharks continue to fall short in the postseason. Heatley seemingly doesn’t like the spotlight and pressure on him, but he will feel it full force in San Jose if he contributes to their playoff woes. I’m not sure if getting rid of Marleau is a smart move for San Jose, but something has to change there and shipping away players is one way to try it. Maybe a new lease on life in LA will be good for Marleau. Frolov’s production has dropped the past two seasons, so a change of scenery could serve him well. Stoll can help the Senators on the power play, so all in all, this seems to be a beneficial trade all around…if the rumor is true of course. Stay tuned…
- Usually when you take on the NFL, or any sports league or company for that matter, it is tough to win. But defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams of the Minnesota Vikings received a win in appeals court on Friday when the court ruled that the NFL can not suspend the players for violating the league’s anti-doping policy. The Williamses both tested positive for a banned diuretic during training camp in 2008 after they took the over-the-counter supplement StarCaps. It did not state on the label that it contained the diuretic -- which can mask the presence of steroids. I have to applaud the court on this decision, especially considering that neither Williams has tested positive for steroids. Companies should not get away with failing to disclose each and every ingredient that is contained in a supplement. Since there is no other evidence showing Kevin and Pat Williams taking steroids, I feel the suspension is bogus. They might be guilty of bad judgment by taking the supplement in the first place, but if the diuretic was not listed, then they should not be punished, clear and simple.
- Well it looks like I have to man up and say I was wrong on my speculation about Shawne Merriman. San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis has dismissed Tila Tequila’s accusations against Merriman and the case is now closed. She said there was insufficient evidence to prove that Merriman committed a crime. So it looks like Tequila did get herself drunk and was probably acting stupid. I will give credit to Merriman now because it seems like his story about trying to stop her from driving is the truth. That actually shows some responsibility on his part, something that Tequila obviously did not have that night. Now Tequila deserves to get bagged on because she tried to ruin Merriman’s reputation and hell, she might have been trying to go after some of his money. Maybe she can hook up with that woman trying to extort some money from Ben Roethlisberger. Next time though Shawne, cool it with the 4 am parties and don’t even put yourself in that situation.
-Other NFL News and Notes: Well as if the world didn’t already know, Cleveland Browns QB Brady Quinn was taking the snaps with Cleveland’s first-team offense on Friday, a clear indication he will be the starting QB on Sunday. Like I have said before, Eric Mangini looks like a fool with his little “let’s keep this a big secret” garbage. He is not giving the Browns any sort of advantage and I think it is disrespectful to the Cleveland fans. He should be more open about what is going on with the team, especially when it comes to who is starting at QB. Hey, maybe that is why they didn’t list Brett Favre on the Jets’ injury reports last year…Mangini wanted to keep it a big secret…
Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel continues to practice and his knee continues to improve. He is now expected to be a game-time decision for Sunday’s game against the Ravens. He says that if he is able to walk and go out there, he is ready to play. Matt, I’ll say this one more time…just sit this one out so the Ravens’ D doesn’t hurt you any more…thank you, drive through…
The TV ratings for last night’s NFL opener between the Steelers and Titans shows that the NFL is still king when it comes to sports. The game scored a 13.8 overnight rating, which is equivalent to over 10 million homes watching. This is the highest rating for an opener in 7 years. The game certainly was fun to watch and a great way to open up the 2009 season.
Denver Broncos WR Brandon Marshall declined to comment on Friday about his recent suspension from the team. He politely, but firmly, told a reporter that he was not talking about anything. Marshall could face a fine for not making himself available to the media at least one day during the week of practice leading up to Sunday’s game, but the NFL usually sends a warning first. Hey, I have bashed the guy on here before, but today I will give him some credit. This is exactly what he should do…shut up and play some football and do what you are supposed to do like an adult.
- Philadelphia Phillies P Brad Lidge and manager Charlie Manuel had a talk on Wednesday to discuss Lidge’s role with the team. Lidge claims they had a good talk and are “on the same page”. But Manuel refuses to say whether the struggling Lidge will get his job back as closer. So could this situation spell doom for the Phillies? I think it is possible that they can overcome it, but I believe Lidge needs to find another role for the rest of the season. The numbers do not lie. Lidge is 0-7 this season with a 7.11 ERA and he has blown 10 saves. Manuel says that he still sees Lidge as a closer, but how can he be trusted with numbers like those? Confidence is a huge deal for a pitcher and even though Lidge and Manuel are saying the right things, I have to believe that Lidge is not in the best state of mind. One bad outing in the playoffs can make the difference between a World Series Championship and coming up short. I can only think of the possible horror for the Phillies if the Yankees’ bats get a hold of Lidge in the World Series. My solution to this would be to consider using P Jaime Moyer or P Pedro Martinez as the closer. Pedro has proven he still has gas left in the tank, and maybe it would be the best move to stick Moyer back in the rotation for the playoffs and let Martinez close. Or, they could just move Moyer to role. I have to think he could be good for one strong inning. Whatever the Phillies decide, they need to address this and take care of it by October.
- BMW Championship Update: Tiger Woods played a solid round yesterday and was within striking distance of the lead on Friday. He took advantage of it, shooting a 4-under par 67 to grab a share of the lead after 2 rounds with Mark Wilson at 7-under par. Both Woods and Wilson have a one shot lead over a group of 4 players at 6-under, which includes Padraig Harrington and 1st round leader Rory Sabbatini. As I stated yesterday, Tiger seems to be finding a groove and that is not good news for everyone else. He has won 4 times at Cog Hill and he plays well in the Chicago area. Due to his recent disappointments, I am expecting a really good weekend from Tiger and I think he will close the deal this time and win the tournament. If he doesn’t, then the talk will only grow and he will have to find some way to get his air of invincibility back. FedEx Cup point leader Steve Stricker continues to struggle and is at 3-over par. It now looks like he will lose the points lead to Woods heading into the Tour Championship.
- U.S. Open Update: Rain forced the postponement of both women’s semifinals and the conclusion of the Rafael Nadal/Fernando Gonzalez match. The schedule is now in disarray and for the second straight year, the men’s final will happen on Monday at the earliest. Rain is in the forecast tomorrow, so everyone might still be playing the waiting game.
- Felony trafficking in opium
- Two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance
- Felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance
- Felony possession of cocaine
- Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia
Again, wow. I honestly could not believe it when I heard this news and it is pretty sad. I was not shocked to hear about Jeff Hardy being in a situation with drugs due to what he has done in the past, but all this? Obviously the worst of this is the intent to sell and distribute. He can be a druggie and take all he wants, but when you try to sell the stuff, then that is going down a bad road.
Reports are saying that his brother and current WWE superstar, Matt Hardy, bailed him out and Jeff was quick to jump on Twitter. He said to not believe everything that you read and expressed his wish that the media would try and portray stories accurately. I am not sure exactly what he is talking about, but what else would you expect him to say at this point? My only speculation is that he will claim he never sold anything or intended to sell anything. The fact that he has so much of it could turn out to be a bad assumption by the cops, but I doubt it. The news stories make it seem like this was an ongoing investigation on Jeff and they finally busted him. They must think they have a solid case to bring those charges on him.
I think it is a safe assumption that Jeff Hardy’s WWE career is now over. I can’t see how they can bring him back at this point. Vince McMahon is trying to make the WWE more family friendly, so bringing back a wrestler who had drug charges thrown on him seems highly unlikely. I am sure at this point that McMahon and the WWE have to be fuming. They caught a lucky break that Jeff dropped the title to CM Punk at Summerslam, but this will still reflect poorly on the company. Hardy was getting a major push on TV and was portrayed as such an inspiration and positive influence. Of course if you have been following things, CM Punk portrayed Hardy as a fraud and said he probably was still high on prescription drugs and everything else. My, my, my…how life imitates art sometimes. Here’s a wild thought on all this too. I wonder if the WWE would dare touch this on their programming. The chances would be slim I’m sure, but CM Punk could get MASSIVE heat if he came out and told everyone that he was telling the truth about Jeff the whole time. A feud with Matt Hardy could be big around this, but I am sure McMahon does not even want to touch it.
Granted, I am not that much of a Jeff Hardy fan, but I did respect his in-ring work and I respected what he did to help put CM Punk over. He did not complain about losing the title or anything like that and he even worked an extra month after his contract expired to help the company and go out the right way. Because of all that, this whole situation now saddens me. Jeff Hardy was portrayed as a guy who made some mistakes, but he took responsibility for them and had turned his life around. Now, it seems like he really hasn’t changed at all. Even if he was to somehow beat these charges, and on the possession ones I don’t see any way in hell how he does that, his legacy is now ruined.
Jeff was supposed to take some time off and come back refreshed and continue on with a great career. But that is not going to happen. I can’t believe the stupidity that it takes for him to put himself in this situation. There are a whole other set of issues now as well. Has Jeff been popping pain pills this entire time? Did the WWE ever let him slide on a drug test? There are many questions now that can’t be answered and who knows if they ever will be. I understand how tough and painful it must be for wrestlers, so I could find a way to give Jeff a pass if he is addicted to pain pills. Addiction can be a bitch and millions of people struggle with it. But I have to draw a line with the cocaine and these allegations that he was trying to distribute. Those are bad choices that fall directly onto Jeff Hardy’s shoulders and he has no one to blame but himself.
So in the final analysis of my initial thoughts on this, I have to say I am just disappointed in Hardy and I hope he gets some help. Obviously he still had some demons in his life that he needs to deal with. I will not crucify the man totally until more facts are known, but this looks bad for him. He had such a good thing going with this last WWE run and now he has flushed it all down the toilet. On a more positive note, let’s get to my Breaking Point PPV preview that I had ready to go for today.
It is time once again for a WWE PPV and the company continues on the trend of trying to make each one have a certain theme. This Sunday will be called Breaking Point and the idea is that all main event matches will have a submission stipulation. I will give credit to the WWE for trying this tactic to increase PPV buys. The different themes give fans something to look forward to and it does break them away from the endless monotony of placeholder type PPVs until each of the “Big 4” roll around. So let’s take a look at the card and I will offer up my thoughts and predictions.
“I Quit” Match for the WWE Championship
Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena
Once again we are “treated” to another match between Orton and Cena. The feud between these two just seems so old at this point and it feels like we have seen everything there is to see. In actuality, the two had not squared off one on one for a long while until Summerslam last month, but the fact remains that this confrontation has been recycled from years ago. I predicted that John Cena would walk out of Summerslam with the title and I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. Many thought that the Summerslam match was an overbooked mess, but the WWE had not had a crazy atomsophere like that in a while and I thought it was fun to see. The swerve of letting Orton walk out with the title was a good thing, but knowing that we had Breaking Point coming up, I immediately thought Orton’s reign would only last a few more weeks. John Cena’s whole character and career is built on a never give up, never say die attitude. Cena is a “soldier” and he never quits. There is no way in hell that Cena will say “I quit” at Breaking Point. Unless the WWE recycles the Rock’s trick of knocking the guy out and then playing a recording of his opponent saying “I quit” from a promo like he did with Mick Foley, Cena is walking out with the belt. The only way that doesn’t happen is if something occurs to make the match a no contest.
Prediction: John Cena (new WWE Champion)
Submission Match for the World Heavyweight Title
CM Punk (c) vs. The Undertaker
As expected, Jeff Hardy dropped the title to CM Punk at Summerslam and then lost a “loser leaves WWE” title rematch on Smackdown. I give Hardy a ton of credit for going out the right way and helping to make Punk into a mega-heel before taking his sabbatical. I will definitely miss the Hardy-Punk feud, but the WWE did a good thing by transitioning directly into a Punk-Undertaker feud. At the end of Summerslam, the lights went out and Punk quickly found himself standing over The Undertaker instead of Jeff Hardy and then he ate a chokeslam for his troubles. The Deadman had returned and had his sights set on Punk and the World Title. Teddy Long quickly booked a Submission Match for Breaking Point and I expect a good match between the two. Punk is insanely hot right now as a heel and The Undertaker will always have the crowd behind him. The money in this feud will be in the chase and I don’t see how they can have Punk drop the title so soon. Obviously, The Undertaker, like John Cena, is not someone who is going to give up and submit. Because of that, I see no other call to make but to say that this match will somehow be a no contest or a DQ. I really don’t know how they will do it, but Punk will escape with the title and this feud will continue.
Prediction: No contest or DQ ending, Punk retains
ECW Championship
Christian (c) vs. William Regal
With the formation of William Regal’s “Ruthless Roundtable” which features Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov, this feud for the ECW Championship has been fairly intriguing. I love William Regal’s snobby, arrogant character and he is a perfect challenger for Christian, especially with the muscle behind him. Considering that the match at Summerslam lasted only 8 seconds and was only designed to put over the “Roundtable”, I really have no idea how this match will go. If Christian beats Regal, it seems like the feud would be over and Regal would be out of chances. But then does Christian go on to try and keep Jackson and Kozlov off his back? I ultimately think that Jackson or Kozlov would benefit from a title run, but I am not sure they are ready for it or even if they are worth it at all. I might be going out on a limb here, but it makes the most sense if Regal wins the title with the help of Jackson and Kozlov and then uses them to try and keep Christian from regaining it. The major story arc on ECW seems to be Regal trying to take over things with his henchman, so having the title makes that seem more plausible.
Prediction: William Regal (new ECW Champion)
Submissions Count Anywhere
D-Generation X vs. Legacy
Well this is certainly a different spin on a match stipulation and it really just means this match will be a brawl that should go all over the ringside area and beyond. Legacy put in a really solid performance against DX at Summerslam. I thought Legacy should have won the match to really establish themselves as legitimate threats. Triple H and Shawn Michaels did put in a good effort to make Rhodes and Dibiase look good, but in the end, it is wins and losses that count. I am actually glad that the feud is continuing and I hope Legacy is able to get a big win. The WWE has two great young talents and they need to start letting them shine and get some bigger victories under their belt. Legacy was able to get some heat back by laying out John Cena and DX during Dusty Rhodes’ GM night and hopefully they carry the momentum to this match. Again, with a submission stipulation, it is tough to envision Triple H or Michaels tapping out. However, I can see a scenario where Legacy viciously attacks a knee/leg and is able to get a submission out of it. Against my better judgment, I am going to predict that Legacy gets their big win in this match. If not, the WWE is seriously making them look like chumps and I feel that is just plain stupid. But don’t say I didn’t mention that DX might just destroy them and bury them.
Prediction: Legacy
Unified Tag Team Championship
Chris Jericho and Big Show (c) vs. MVP and Mark Henry
So it looks like Cryme Tyme got their chance in the sun at Summerslam and they quickly will be forgotten when it comes to the Tag Team Title chase. Now the thrown together tag team of Mark Henry and MVP will challenge for the gold. This outcome seems pretty predictable to me and I do not see how Jericho and Big Show can lose here. I will say this though…I could see WWE shocking everyone and putting the titles on Henry and MVP as a sort of “reward” for MVP and Henry actually getting over a little bit with the crowd and especially to Henry for not getting hurt and pulling off a face turn. JeriShow needs to drop the belts to a team who could use the rub though. I think Legacy or the Hart Dynasty are perfect candidates and could benefit immediately, but all three teams are heels, so the WWE would most likely not set up those matchups. I have to wonder if DX will get a shot at JeriShow like I have speculated before. It would be a good little feud and the match(es) would be pretty good as well, but DX does not need the tag titles. Unless they win them and promptly lose to Legacy or the Hart Dynasty, it is a waste. I really do not know what WWE has planned for Jericho and Show, but I don’t think they should be losing to Henry and MVP.
Prediction: Jericho and Big Show (retain titles)
Singapore Cane Match
The Great Khali vs. Kane
I was really hoping that we would not get “treated” to another PPV match between these two but it seems as though we are. I suppose it is better for a solid talent like Kane to make a PPV payday instead of being left out. This match could turn into a real spectacle if they allow it, but it will likely be the same slow and plodding match like they had at Summerslam, except this time they will be hitting each other with canes. If the WWE is determined to drag this feud on, then I have to think Khali will pick up the victory. He introduced the Singapore cane into the equation, so I have to go with him for the win.
Prediction: The Great Khali
The Game’s Quick Hits
Friday Night Smackdown: Once again, Smackdown was a pretty good watch this week and the show got off to another great start. The Undertaker came out to start the show and cut a promo on CM Punk, stating that he would collect his “soul” at Breaking Point and make Punk submit to his Hell’s Gate submission hold. Punk answered and cut another brilliant promo. He is just locked in on his character and manipulating the audience like a puppet master. The way he is bagging on the fans about being seduced by The Undertaker’s “magical” powers because their minds are in a doped up haze is just gold. Punk let The Undertaker know that he will make him tap out to the Anaconda Vice at Breaking Point and this set up the main event, a submission match between Punk and Matt Hardy. The two put on another good performance in the ring and did a nice enough job focusing on attacking different body parts since it was a submission match. The finish was pretty obvious as CM Punk quickly and suddenly slapped on the Anaconda Vice and made Hardy tap out. The very end of the show featured a nice touch of having the lights go out and the bell toll and when they came back on, Punk no longer was grasping his title. The Undertaker was at the top of the ramp holding Punk’s gold up high. I thought the show did a pretty good job at hyping Breaking Point and that’s all you can ask.
There wasn’t anything else earth shattering on this episode, just some good in-ring action. Finlay and Mike Knox battled it out in a pretty good “Belfast Brawl”, which saw Finlay come out on top after a shot with the shillelagh. I do like to see a good garbage match every now and then, and these two put on a solid match with copious amounts of chair and trash can shots. The Unified Tag Team Champions, Chris Jericho and The Big Show, had a decent match with Cryme Tyme. Show knocked out JTG with a huge punch which allowed the champs to get a win and gain some momentum heading into their title defense against Mark Henry and MVP at Breaking Point. Finally, John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler had a nice little back and forth on the mic. Ziggler demanded his title shot that he earned, but only on “his terms”, and Morrison responded by calling him “Mr. Ziggles”. The WWE is now trying to build up more of a feud between these two after plans changed because of Rey Mysterio’s suspension. The Morrison/Ziggler Intercontinental Title match has been pulled from Breaking Point and the rumor is because the WWE wants them to have some matches together first on the house show circuit. I really do not agree with this because I believe both Morrison and Ziggler are talented enough to put on a good match and they should be given the chance on PPV.
- NHL sources have told ESPN that the Ottawa Senators have finally reached a 3 team deal to trade Dany Heatley. The proposed trade would send Heatley to the San Jose Sharks, the Sharks’ Patrick Marleau to the Los Angeles Kings, and the Kings’ Alexander Frolov and Jarret Stoll to the Senators. There is only one catch though. As of right now, the GMs of all three teams have denied the report and say the speculation is complete bull. I hope that the story is not bull because this Dany Heatley saga has gone on way too long. The guy wants out of town in Ottawa, so get him out of town! I’m not sure San Jose is a good destination for him though. The Sharks are kings of the regular season, but always find a way to choke in the playoffs. Imagine the scrutiny on Heatley if he goes there and the Sharks continue to fall short in the postseason. Heatley seemingly doesn’t like the spotlight and pressure on him, but he will feel it full force in San Jose if he contributes to their playoff woes. I’m not sure if getting rid of Marleau is a smart move for San Jose, but something has to change there and shipping away players is one way to try it. Maybe a new lease on life in LA will be good for Marleau. Frolov’s production has dropped the past two seasons, so a change of scenery could serve him well. Stoll can help the Senators on the power play, so all in all, this seems to be a beneficial trade all around…if the rumor is true of course. Stay tuned…
- Usually when you take on the NFL, or any sports league or company for that matter, it is tough to win. But defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams of the Minnesota Vikings received a win in appeals court on Friday when the court ruled that the NFL can not suspend the players for violating the league’s anti-doping policy. The Williamses both tested positive for a banned diuretic during training camp in 2008 after they took the over-the-counter supplement StarCaps. It did not state on the label that it contained the diuretic -- which can mask the presence of steroids. I have to applaud the court on this decision, especially considering that neither Williams has tested positive for steroids. Companies should not get away with failing to disclose each and every ingredient that is contained in a supplement. Since there is no other evidence showing Kevin and Pat Williams taking steroids, I feel the suspension is bogus. They might be guilty of bad judgment by taking the supplement in the first place, but if the diuretic was not listed, then they should not be punished, clear and simple.
- Well it looks like I have to man up and say I was wrong on my speculation about Shawne Merriman. San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis has dismissed Tila Tequila’s accusations against Merriman and the case is now closed. She said there was insufficient evidence to prove that Merriman committed a crime. So it looks like Tequila did get herself drunk and was probably acting stupid. I will give credit to Merriman now because it seems like his story about trying to stop her from driving is the truth. That actually shows some responsibility on his part, something that Tequila obviously did not have that night. Now Tequila deserves to get bagged on because she tried to ruin Merriman’s reputation and hell, she might have been trying to go after some of his money. Maybe she can hook up with that woman trying to extort some money from Ben Roethlisberger. Next time though Shawne, cool it with the 4 am parties and don’t even put yourself in that situation.
-Other NFL News and Notes: Well as if the world didn’t already know, Cleveland Browns QB Brady Quinn was taking the snaps with Cleveland’s first-team offense on Friday, a clear indication he will be the starting QB on Sunday. Like I have said before, Eric Mangini looks like a fool with his little “let’s keep this a big secret” garbage. He is not giving the Browns any sort of advantage and I think it is disrespectful to the Cleveland fans. He should be more open about what is going on with the team, especially when it comes to who is starting at QB. Hey, maybe that is why they didn’t list Brett Favre on the Jets’ injury reports last year…Mangini wanted to keep it a big secret…
Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel continues to practice and his knee continues to improve. He is now expected to be a game-time decision for Sunday’s game against the Ravens. He says that if he is able to walk and go out there, he is ready to play. Matt, I’ll say this one more time…just sit this one out so the Ravens’ D doesn’t hurt you any more…thank you, drive through…
The TV ratings for last night’s NFL opener between the Steelers and Titans shows that the NFL is still king when it comes to sports. The game scored a 13.8 overnight rating, which is equivalent to over 10 million homes watching. This is the highest rating for an opener in 7 years. The game certainly was fun to watch and a great way to open up the 2009 season.
Denver Broncos WR Brandon Marshall declined to comment on Friday about his recent suspension from the team. He politely, but firmly, told a reporter that he was not talking about anything. Marshall could face a fine for not making himself available to the media at least one day during the week of practice leading up to Sunday’s game, but the NFL usually sends a warning first. Hey, I have bashed the guy on here before, but today I will give him some credit. This is exactly what he should do…shut up and play some football and do what you are supposed to do like an adult.
- Philadelphia Phillies P Brad Lidge and manager Charlie Manuel had a talk on Wednesday to discuss Lidge’s role with the team. Lidge claims they had a good talk and are “on the same page”. But Manuel refuses to say whether the struggling Lidge will get his job back as closer. So could this situation spell doom for the Phillies? I think it is possible that they can overcome it, but I believe Lidge needs to find another role for the rest of the season. The numbers do not lie. Lidge is 0-7 this season with a 7.11 ERA and he has blown 10 saves. Manuel says that he still sees Lidge as a closer, but how can he be trusted with numbers like those? Confidence is a huge deal for a pitcher and even though Lidge and Manuel are saying the right things, I have to believe that Lidge is not in the best state of mind. One bad outing in the playoffs can make the difference between a World Series Championship and coming up short. I can only think of the possible horror for the Phillies if the Yankees’ bats get a hold of Lidge in the World Series. My solution to this would be to consider using P Jaime Moyer or P Pedro Martinez as the closer. Pedro has proven he still has gas left in the tank, and maybe it would be the best move to stick Moyer back in the rotation for the playoffs and let Martinez close. Or, they could just move Moyer to role. I have to think he could be good for one strong inning. Whatever the Phillies decide, they need to address this and take care of it by October.
- BMW Championship Update: Tiger Woods played a solid round yesterday and was within striking distance of the lead on Friday. He took advantage of it, shooting a 4-under par 67 to grab a share of the lead after 2 rounds with Mark Wilson at 7-under par. Both Woods and Wilson have a one shot lead over a group of 4 players at 6-under, which includes Padraig Harrington and 1st round leader Rory Sabbatini. As I stated yesterday, Tiger seems to be finding a groove and that is not good news for everyone else. He has won 4 times at Cog Hill and he plays well in the Chicago area. Due to his recent disappointments, I am expecting a really good weekend from Tiger and I think he will close the deal this time and win the tournament. If he doesn’t, then the talk will only grow and he will have to find some way to get his air of invincibility back. FedEx Cup point leader Steve Stricker continues to struggle and is at 3-over par. It now looks like he will lose the points lead to Woods heading into the Tour Championship.
- U.S. Open Update: Rain forced the postponement of both women’s semifinals and the conclusion of the Rafael Nadal/Fernando Gonzalez match. The schedule is now in disarray and for the second straight year, the men’s final will happen on Monday at the earliest. Rain is in the forecast tomorrow, so everyone might still be playing the waiting game.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
NFL Division by Division Season Preview
The time is finally here. The final cuts have been made and the rosters have been trimmed down to 53. All of the meaningless preseason games are over and every team has a fresh start and a clean slate. Indeed, NFL kickoff weekend is upon us and the season starts on Thursday night with a great game between the Titans and Steelers. So today I wanted to give a general overview of how I see every division shaking out this year.
NFC East:
My Division Favorite – Eagles by a slight margin
Playoff Contenders – Eagles, Giants, Cowboys
The NFC East is always one of the best divisions in the NFL and it should be no different in 2009. I think it will be a knock down, drag out fight for the division title between the Eagles and Giants this year. Both teams come into this season looking very similar. The Eagles have been built around the defensive side of the ball for years and they have always gotten enough from QB Donovan McNabb (even through injuries) and RB Brian Westbrook to be perennial playoff participants. For whatever reason though, the Eagles just have not been able to get over the hump and a Super Bowl title has eluded them. After last season’s late surge, the Eagles come into 2009 with renewed hopes though. QB Michael Vick was given a 2nd chance by Philadelphia and he should be able to help the Eagles’ offense be more dynamic and unpredictable, but it remains to be seen how much he will help. The Eagles will once again hope that McNabb and Westbrook stay health and that they continue to get development from their receivers. The defense may not be as dominant as it has been, especially with the passing of Jim Johnson in the offseason.
The New York Giants are built the same way as the Eagles. They rely on a stingy defense to shut down other teams and then ask QB Eli Manning to do enough to manage the game while they pound it out on the ground. The problem for the Giants this year is at the WR position. After the sad situation with Plaxico Burress, the Giants have no big playmaker at WR. The loss of Burress clearly hurt the team last year, as Manning struggled to do anything in the passing game. The Giants did not do anything to bring in a dynamic WR this offseason, so those concerns remain. The Giants and Eagles should be battling atop the division and I really think it could go either way depending on how the two games between both teams shake out this year. I give the slight edge to the Eagles, but the Giants could easily walk away with the division title as well.
The Dallas Cowboys are hoping for a turnaround this season after releasing WR Terrell Owens and hopefully improving team chemistry. The problem though is that the Cowboys are really no different than they were last year and they are minus a future Hall of Fame WR. I am not sure Dallas will be able to take a step up and they should remain behind the Eagles and Giants. I think the Cowboys have a shot to battle for a Wild Card spot if they get some luck and bring consistent play to the field. They do have a good defense and QB Tony Romo can be one of the best in the league sometimes. As for the Washington Redskins, I see them as a .500 team and they should not challenge for a playoff spot. They have the talent to look like world beaters some weeks, but then other weeks they will look mediocre at best. I think they will lose enough divisional games to keep them in the bottom of the division.
NFC North:
My Division Favorite – Vikings by a small margin
Playoff Contenders – Vikings, Packers, Bears
Just like the NFC East, the NFC North is always a great division to watch. The games are rough and hard hitting and the division title race always seems to come down to the final week of the season. The addition of QB Brett Favre to the Minnesota Vikings gives them the edge to win the division this year in my opinion. In the past few seasons, the Vikings have been able to build up a really good defense and the drafting of RB Adrian Peterson instantly gave Minnesota a dangerous running game. However, inconsistent play and mistakes from the QB position has held them back. Brett Favre will be able to come in and offer stability to the position. He knows the offense like the back of his hand and I believe he will not have to be a gunslinger this year. If Favre is able to limit mistakes and lean on Peterson and the defense to do some heavy lifting, it should be a recipe for success. An injury to Favre would obviously derail this plan, but right now, Favre should only develop more chemistry with the offense and the Vikings should be in great position.
Behind the Vikings, it should be a great battle between the Packers and Bears. Both of these teams have the potential to sneak up and win the division if the Vikings run into problems and the Favre experiment does not work. The Packers will be driven by how good QB Aaron Rogers will be this year. Rogers is starting to show that he can be an elite level star in the league and he will carry the offense. The question is if he can get solid help from the running game and if he will get big play help from his receivers. The Packers will also need their defense to step up and try to allow Rogers to win games for them. The Bears have no trouble on the defensive side of the ball and now the franchise may have finally found an answer at QB with the acquisition of Jay Cutler. The Bears have relied on defense and a strong running game to win for years, but now they might be able to hurt teams through the passing game. The Bears still lack a weapon at WR though, so Cutler will only be able to do so much and it remains to be seen how quickly things will gel for the offense. I do think that the Packers and Bears both have a shot at contending for the Wild Card spots, and maybe the division, if they catch some breaks. And as for the lowly Detroit Lions, they will still suffer through a horrible season, but I do think they can get 2 or 3 wins this year. Expect growing pains from rookie QB Matthew Stafford, but if he develops, the Lions could finally be on a path to respectability.
NFC South:
My Division Favorite – Falcons by a small margin over the Panthers
Playoff Contenders – Falcons and Panthers
I feel that the balance of power has shifted to the Atlanta Falcons this year and I believe they will overtake the Panthers and win the division this season. QB Matt Ryan will only continue to develop and he has a wealth of weapons in RB Michael Turner, WR Roddy White, and newly acquired TE Tony Gonzalez. The Falcons also sport a pretty good defense and they should have enough to win the division this year. The taste of success, combined with playoff disappointment, should be enough to motivate Atlanta and give them confidence heading into this year. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I just have a feeling that the Panthers will not be as good this season. QB Jake Delhomme is another year older and the Panthers are still one dimensional in the passing game with WR Steve Smith. The Panthers can pound it out on the ground however, and they still have a really good defense, but I just have a hunch they will not be as good this season. They did not look particularly good against the Ravens in the most important preseason game, so maybe that skews my thinking. I do think the Panthers will strongly contend for a Wild Card spot though, but they could be shut out with the wealth of contenders from the NFC East and North.
The New Orleans Saints will be a fun team to watch with QB Drew Brees running their high powered offense, but I think their defense will hold them back and they will fall short of the playoffs again this year. The Saints pretty much rely on their offense to just outscore opponents, and usually that is not the way to go for long term success. One too many off days from the offense will bring about too many losses and I can only see the Saints being around .500 this year. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be bringing up the rear of this division. The Bucs are still fairly solid on defense, but they are far from the dominant unit they used to be. The Buccaneers biggest problem will be an anemic offense though. QB Byron Leftwich is not consistent enough and the team lacks enough weapons to get the job done. Add in a rookie head coach and I see a team that will be mediocre and finish below .500.
NFC West:
My Division Favorite – Cardinals by a decent margin
Playoff Contenders – Cardinals
The NFC West should basically be a one team division this year. The Arizona Cardinals have become the class of the division and they should have no trouble winning it and being the only playoff representative from the division. The loser of the Super Bowl has had trouble qualifying for the playoffs in the next season, but the weakness of the NFC West should prevent that problem for Arizona. QB Kurt Warner returns with his dynamic duo of WRs in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin and the addition of rookie RB Chris Wells will really help the offense be potent. Throw in a solid and improving defense and the Cardinals should have no trouble winning the division.
The 49ers and Seahawks should be battling for 2nd place, but the ceiling for both of those teams should be around .500. Behind Coach Mike Singletary, the 49ers are slowly improving. The have a pretty tough defense, but are still held back by the offense. They will try to pound it out on the ground, but they lack the ability to have balance because the passing game is weak. Rookie WR Michael Crabtree could have really helped QB Shaun Hill, but he decided to be a fool and “diva” and his contract dispute will hurt the team. The Seahawks get a healthy Matt Hasselbeck back at QB, but even with the addition of WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the Seahawks will still be lacking on both offense and defense and they don’t have enough to make a complete turnaround from last year. The St. Louis Rams will most likely be in the basement of the division. Their only bright spot is RB Steven Jackson, but he is not enough to overcome the other problems and it will be a struggle for the Rams as they continue to try and rebuild.
AFC East:
My Division Favorite – Patriots by a solid margin
Playoff Contenders – Patriots and Dolphins
Barring another injury to QB Tom Brady or another bizarre scenario, the Patriots should be back on top of the division this year. It seems as if Brady’s shoulder is fine and the “injury” he suffered will just be a small scare. The Patriots looked great on offense in the preseason and Brady and WR Randy Moss look ready to pick up where they left off before Brady’s knee injury. The defense will be solid as usual for the Patriots and they should have no trouble winning the division. I think the Dolphins are primed to slip this year. They caught many teams by surprise last season, but they will not do so this year. The schedule is much tougher for the Dolphins and Tom Brady is back to 100% for the Patriots. That combination spells trouble and 2nd place for Miami. The Dolphins lack firepower on offense and I don’t think the methodical, no mistake philosophy will be enough. The defense should keep Miami in most every game, but they will come up short in too many. The Dolphins should still have a shot at a Wild Card spot, but the AFC is very tough and I would not be surprised if Miami’s schedule bites them and they miss the playoffs entirely.
The Jets and the Bills will be fighting to stay out of last place in the division. I probably have to give the edge to the Jets to finish 3rd. New Coach Rex Ryan has had first hand experience with a rookie QB, baring witness to QB Joe Flacco last year with the Ravens, so he should be able to support rookie QB Mark Sanchez in New York. I still think though that the Jets will not be able to do enough to make a playoff run. Their defense is solid but certainly not up to the Ravens’ level and they lack weapons on offense to really help Sanchez. The Jets will be solid and have a shot at .500. The Bills will end up being mediocre at best and will finish last. WR Terrell Owens was brought in to try and make the offense more explosive, but he will most likely be keyed on by defenses and he will not make that big of an impact. The offense looked terrible in the preseason and the defense is nowhere near being dominant enough to carry Buffalo. The Bills will struggle and it will be fun to see if Owens blows up this year.
AFC North:
My Division Favorite – Steelers BARELY over the Ravens
Playoff Contenders – Steelers and Ravens
As I have said a few times already, this should be one hell of a fight this season for the AFC North title. I can’t wait to see the two games between the Steelers and Ravens and the result will most likely decide the division. Both teams are built on defense and look to do enough on the offensive side of the ball to win. I am hearing many so-called “experts” say that the Ravens will miss former defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. You mean like the team missed Marvin Lewis when he left? That is a weak argument and I don’t think the people saying this realize how deep the Ravens are on defense. The Steelers still have an edge when comparing offenses however. QB Ben Roethlisberger has proven himself time and again as a star and he has a solid running game and WR Hines Ward to back him up. Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco is continuing to improve and develop though, and he looks to be better this year already compared to last season. The Ravens still have a good running game with RB Ray Rice improving and RB Willis McGahee now being the 2nd back to help spell him. Again, the Ravens could be held back because they have no game breaking WR, but Derrick Mason is as solid as they come and the Ravens have worked on getting Flacco to spread the ball around. Based on experience and a slight talent edge, I have to give the Steelers the edge to win the division. I think they find a way to be 1 game better than the Ravens, but I would not be surprised at all if Baltimore wins it because they have looked great in the preseason. No matter how it shakes out, both teams will make the playoffs.
The Browns and the Bengals will be fighting to finish in 3rd place, but it seems as though the Bengals have a solid edge over the Browns. Both of these teams have come into the past few seasons with hopes and promise and they somehow find a way to disappoint. The Browns are trying to rebuild around QB Brady Quinn (or QB Derek Anderson…who the hell knows with Mangini) and the Bengals are hoping a healthy QB Carson Palmer will bring more success this year. I do believe a full, healthy year from Palmer can bring more wins to Cincinnati, but I don’t think they have enough to make any sort of playoff run, even though a few misguided “experts” seem to think so. Clearly, the Ravens and Steelers are much better than the Browns and Bengals, so either team will be lucky to get a sniff at .500 this year. I expect the Browns to fall away though and be pretty bad while the Bengals should be able to hang in there. Make no mistake, the Browns and Bengals will still compete in every game, but they just do not have enough to get things done and they are looking at sub par seasons.
AFC South:
My Division Favorite – Titans by a small margin over the Colts
Playoff Contenders – Titans and Colts
The winds of change are slowly sweeping into the AFC South and the division now seems to belong to the Titans for the time being. Tennessee features a tough hitting and solid defense and a great running game. They are built just like the Steelers and Ravens and that is a good recipe for success. QB Kerry Collins remains the starter for the Titans and he will effectively manage the game and provide Tennessee with a lot of wins and a division title, building off of last year’s great regular season campaign. The Titans’ biggest challenge will come from the Indianapolis Colts, but the Colts are slowly starting to slip from dominance. The window is slowly closing on QB Peyton Manning. Coach Tony Dungy and WR Marvin Harrison are gone and the offense is not as explosive as it once was, but they do have young talent in place. The sheer greatness of Manning though will keep the Colts dangerous on offense and he will get the job done. The defensive unit in Indianapolis is still pretty good and I believe the Colts will be able to do enough to sneak into the playoffs. The AFC is going to be a slugfest this year, so I would not be shocked if Indy caught some bad breaks and not even made the playoffs. But then again, they could get hot and win the division outright. It should be a great battle.
The Houston Texans are starting to improve and there is talk that they could make a playoff run this year. I just do not see that happening. The Texans have many weapons on offense and success will hinge on whether or not QB Matt Schaub can stay healthy. He has already looked a bit shaky in the preseason, so I don’t know if that will happen. The Texans are held back by their defense. Mario Williams has developed into a dominating pass rusher and he is starting to justify his #1 overall draft pick status, but he needs more help. The secondary in Houston is extremely soft and I think these problems will be too much for Houston to expect a playoff berth this year. The Jacksonville Jaguars will most likely fall away and finish last in the division. I just do not see them having enough offense to contend and their defense is certainly not one of the tops in the league. Coach Jack Del Rio will have the Jags ready to play each week, but they do not have enough talent to be an elite team.
AFC West:
My Division Favorite – Chargers by a wide margin
Playoff Contenders – Chargers
Just like the NFC West, the AFC’s western division is a one team race. The Chargers should clearly be head and shoulders above the rest and they are a potential Super Bowl contender. The Chargers have an explosive offense and are good enough on defensive to get to double digit wins and win the division handily. Their top competition should come from the Denver Broncos, but there is so much turmoil in Denver that I don’t know how much of a challenge they can provide. Coach Josh McDaniels is trying to install a new system and get the team on board with it and he has had to already deal with the Jay Cutler situation and problem child WR Brandon Marshall. I am not convinced that QB Kyle Orton is the answer and the Broncos continue to have problems keeping a RB healthy. The defense has slipped in recent years and I only foresee a mediocre season at best. The Chiefs and the Raiders will be in the basement of the AFC West and they both have a long way to go to even reach respectability. I think this is the year that the Chargers finally avoid a slow start and they should beat up on their division rivals easily.
The Game’s Quick Hits
ECW Recap: ECW continues to be a fairly entertaining hour of television when the WWE allows the focus to be on in-ring action. I was pleased to see that tonight and glad the no-talent Abraham Washington did not grace my screen. The night started with a match between The Hurricane and Paul Burchill. These two have had a nice little feud going and even though there is nothing ground breaking here and it is only mid-card filler, they produced a pretty good match. I was pleased to see both wrestlers focus on their strengths and show a nice contrast. The Hurricane tried to use his speed and quickness, while Burchill relied on his strength advantage and tried to wear Hurricane down with power moves. The pace was good and the crowd was supportive of Hurricane and into the match. In the end, Hurricane won with an Eye of the Hurricane after Paul ran into Katie Lea on the ring apron. This was a solid effort all around and much appreciated. These types of matches need to happen more on Raw instead of stuff like the Hornswoggle garbage. It also seems as though Shelton Benjamin and Sheamus are headed toward a feud after an altercation they had following a tag team victory over Goldust and Yoshi Tatsu. I still believe Benjamin should be going after the ECW Championship or moved to Raw or Smackdown and challenge for one of the secondary titles. He can put on some great matches when given the chance. Let’s hope that he can produce some good things with Sheamus. I am still on the fence about the “Celtic Warrior”, but he is definitely the best of the “New Talent Initiative” wrestlers.
The main event featured ECW Champion Christian and Tommy Dreamer taking on Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov. We learned that Christian will be defending his belt against William Regal at Breaking Point, so this match turned into the WWE’s hard sell for the PPV tonight. The two sides put on a perfectly acceptable tag team match. As you would expect, Christian and Dreamer had to rely on speed and veteran savvy, while Kozlov and Jackson brought pure power. Jackson was showcased a little more in this match, looking very imposing and dominant at times and he was able to pick up the victory on Dreamer after a grab of the foot from Regal on the outside. The “Ruthless Roundtable” stood tall at the end of the night and we were left to wonder if Christian’s title reign would soon be over.
- Oklahoma could use some more good news, but they did not get any on Tuesday as Coach Bob Stoops told the media that star TE Jermaine Gresham underwent arthroscopic surgery on his injured right knee to determine the severity of cartilage damage. Unfortunately for the Sooners, the injury was not a simple removal of anything and the doctors determined that Gresham needed stitches to repair the cartilage, which will require a recovery time of 5 months and put Gresham out for the season. Gresham returned to school and put off the NFL for a year, so this is extremely bad news for him and could hamper his draft value. He was Oklahoma’s leading returning receiver this year and a real playmaker on offense. Now that he is out for the year, it is pretty much a given that the Sooners offense will suffer and miss his big play ability. At this point, I still stick to my view that Oklahoma will lose against Texas and now the game against Miami is looking more dangerous. It will take a huge effort and tons of determination for the Sooners to fight through this adversity.
- The Richard Seymour watch continues as he failed to report to the Raiders for the 2nd straight day. Raiders Coach Tom Cable said he has nothing new to report and nothing has changed, Patriots Coach Bill Belichick refuses to talk about it since the Patriots no longer have the rights to Seymour, and the NFL is saying to get a statement from the teams. This is quickly starting to turn into some drama now. Reports are saying that Seymour had no advanced warning of the trade and right now, things such as his contract and his role with the Raiders and what they expect from him need to be “worked out”. As I stated yesterday, this move must suck for Seymour, but he really needs to be a professional about it and report to the team or at least give a statement. I would have thought he learned some class and professionalism from the Patriots, even though they did deal him a tough hand. In the NFL, business is business.
- Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick spoke to a group of 200 students on the first day of classes at Nueva Esperanza Academy, a North Philadelphia charter school. He warned the students not to bow to peer pressure and to make good choices that will allow you to be a leader and not a follower. Vick offered himself up as an example of what happens when you lose focus and how your life can go down a bad path. I am happy to see that Vick is getting out in the community and trying to do some good work. As I have stated before, if he can work to make a positive difference and stay on course himself, then the 2nd chance he is getting in the NFL is totally justified. I hope that more schools and organizations give Vick a chance to make a positive impact and not just sit back and bitch and moan about how Vick is bad for young people. That will solve nothing.
- The captain’s selections are in for the 2009 President’s Cup: Ryo Ishikawa, who at 17-years old will be the youngest player ever in the competition, and Adam Scott were chosen by Captain Greg Norman for the International team and Captain Fred Couples chose 2009 U.S. Open Champion Lucas Glover and Hunter Mahan for the United States team. Scott’s selection was a bit curious considering the fact that he has fallen to 53 in the world rankings and is suffering through the worst year of his career. Glover and Mahan bring experience to the U.S. squad, as they also were the Captain’s picks 2 years ago. The President’s Cup is a very fun event to watch, even though it is not at the level of the Ryder Cup. I love seeing the match play format, as well as the different foursome matches. There is some real drama that is created and I still say that even though on the surface golf might not seem that exciting, it really can be some of the best competition that you can watch if you are a sports fan.
- I thought this tidbit was worth mentioning with the U.S. Open going on right now. The new head of the men’s tennis tour, Adam Helfant, said that the tour is planning an All-star event in March to try and boost the sport’s popularity. He said the top players are in favor of the event, which would include a skills competition, celebrity doubles matches, and an awards show. Helfant wants to try and create more buzz at the beginning of the year for tennis, something he claims other sports do well. While I think this is a noble cause Helfant is trying to do, I don’t think it will do much good. Tennis is more of a niche sport that will always appeal to a segment of the population, but it will never grow to the heights of the four major professional sports in America. Tennis is a great recreational sport and it will always be around, but it can only grow so much. Unless you can somehow bring along new stars that grow to the level of guys like John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, and other greats, AND have them develop intense rivalries, tennis will always lag behind in viewership and popularity. That’s just the way it is.
- U.S. Open Update: The women’s side of the draw has reached the quarterfinals and #2 seed Serena Williams still has not really been tested as she cruised by #10 seed Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-3. In the other women’s quarterfinal of the day, Kim Clijsters routed #18 seed Li Na 6-2, 6-4 to reach the semifinals against Williams. This is an amazing run by Clijsters after being away from the game for 2 years and the match with Serena has the potential to be very intriguing. On the men’s side, a huge upset occurred as #2 seed Andy Murray was blitzed and totally outplayed in losing to #16 seed Marin Cilic, who won in straight sets 7-5, 6-2, 6-2. Cilic will now play #6 seed Juan Martin del Potro in the quarterfinals. Men’s #3 seed Rafael Nadal lost the first set to #13 seed Gael Monfils, but Nadal was able to eventually wear down Monfils as he slowly faded away and Nadal won in 4 sets. Nadal will now face #11 seed Fernando Gonzalez, who advanced by beating #7 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 4 sets.
NFC East:
My Division Favorite – Eagles by a slight margin
Playoff Contenders – Eagles, Giants, Cowboys
The NFC East is always one of the best divisions in the NFL and it should be no different in 2009. I think it will be a knock down, drag out fight for the division title between the Eagles and Giants this year. Both teams come into this season looking very similar. The Eagles have been built around the defensive side of the ball for years and they have always gotten enough from QB Donovan McNabb (even through injuries) and RB Brian Westbrook to be perennial playoff participants. For whatever reason though, the Eagles just have not been able to get over the hump and a Super Bowl title has eluded them. After last season’s late surge, the Eagles come into 2009 with renewed hopes though. QB Michael Vick was given a 2nd chance by Philadelphia and he should be able to help the Eagles’ offense be more dynamic and unpredictable, but it remains to be seen how much he will help. The Eagles will once again hope that McNabb and Westbrook stay health and that they continue to get development from their receivers. The defense may not be as dominant as it has been, especially with the passing of Jim Johnson in the offseason.
The New York Giants are built the same way as the Eagles. They rely on a stingy defense to shut down other teams and then ask QB Eli Manning to do enough to manage the game while they pound it out on the ground. The problem for the Giants this year is at the WR position. After the sad situation with Plaxico Burress, the Giants have no big playmaker at WR. The loss of Burress clearly hurt the team last year, as Manning struggled to do anything in the passing game. The Giants did not do anything to bring in a dynamic WR this offseason, so those concerns remain. The Giants and Eagles should be battling atop the division and I really think it could go either way depending on how the two games between both teams shake out this year. I give the slight edge to the Eagles, but the Giants could easily walk away with the division title as well.
The Dallas Cowboys are hoping for a turnaround this season after releasing WR Terrell Owens and hopefully improving team chemistry. The problem though is that the Cowboys are really no different than they were last year and they are minus a future Hall of Fame WR. I am not sure Dallas will be able to take a step up and they should remain behind the Eagles and Giants. I think the Cowboys have a shot to battle for a Wild Card spot if they get some luck and bring consistent play to the field. They do have a good defense and QB Tony Romo can be one of the best in the league sometimes. As for the Washington Redskins, I see them as a .500 team and they should not challenge for a playoff spot. They have the talent to look like world beaters some weeks, but then other weeks they will look mediocre at best. I think they will lose enough divisional games to keep them in the bottom of the division.
NFC North:
My Division Favorite – Vikings by a small margin
Playoff Contenders – Vikings, Packers, Bears
Just like the NFC East, the NFC North is always a great division to watch. The games are rough and hard hitting and the division title race always seems to come down to the final week of the season. The addition of QB Brett Favre to the Minnesota Vikings gives them the edge to win the division this year in my opinion. In the past few seasons, the Vikings have been able to build up a really good defense and the drafting of RB Adrian Peterson instantly gave Minnesota a dangerous running game. However, inconsistent play and mistakes from the QB position has held them back. Brett Favre will be able to come in and offer stability to the position. He knows the offense like the back of his hand and I believe he will not have to be a gunslinger this year. If Favre is able to limit mistakes and lean on Peterson and the defense to do some heavy lifting, it should be a recipe for success. An injury to Favre would obviously derail this plan, but right now, Favre should only develop more chemistry with the offense and the Vikings should be in great position.
Behind the Vikings, it should be a great battle between the Packers and Bears. Both of these teams have the potential to sneak up and win the division if the Vikings run into problems and the Favre experiment does not work. The Packers will be driven by how good QB Aaron Rogers will be this year. Rogers is starting to show that he can be an elite level star in the league and he will carry the offense. The question is if he can get solid help from the running game and if he will get big play help from his receivers. The Packers will also need their defense to step up and try to allow Rogers to win games for them. The Bears have no trouble on the defensive side of the ball and now the franchise may have finally found an answer at QB with the acquisition of Jay Cutler. The Bears have relied on defense and a strong running game to win for years, but now they might be able to hurt teams through the passing game. The Bears still lack a weapon at WR though, so Cutler will only be able to do so much and it remains to be seen how quickly things will gel for the offense. I do think that the Packers and Bears both have a shot at contending for the Wild Card spots, and maybe the division, if they catch some breaks. And as for the lowly Detroit Lions, they will still suffer through a horrible season, but I do think they can get 2 or 3 wins this year. Expect growing pains from rookie QB Matthew Stafford, but if he develops, the Lions could finally be on a path to respectability.
NFC South:
My Division Favorite – Falcons by a small margin over the Panthers
Playoff Contenders – Falcons and Panthers
I feel that the balance of power has shifted to the Atlanta Falcons this year and I believe they will overtake the Panthers and win the division this season. QB Matt Ryan will only continue to develop and he has a wealth of weapons in RB Michael Turner, WR Roddy White, and newly acquired TE Tony Gonzalez. The Falcons also sport a pretty good defense and they should have enough to win the division this year. The taste of success, combined with playoff disappointment, should be enough to motivate Atlanta and give them confidence heading into this year. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I just have a feeling that the Panthers will not be as good this season. QB Jake Delhomme is another year older and the Panthers are still one dimensional in the passing game with WR Steve Smith. The Panthers can pound it out on the ground however, and they still have a really good defense, but I just have a hunch they will not be as good this season. They did not look particularly good against the Ravens in the most important preseason game, so maybe that skews my thinking. I do think the Panthers will strongly contend for a Wild Card spot though, but they could be shut out with the wealth of contenders from the NFC East and North.
The New Orleans Saints will be a fun team to watch with QB Drew Brees running their high powered offense, but I think their defense will hold them back and they will fall short of the playoffs again this year. The Saints pretty much rely on their offense to just outscore opponents, and usually that is not the way to go for long term success. One too many off days from the offense will bring about too many losses and I can only see the Saints being around .500 this year. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be bringing up the rear of this division. The Bucs are still fairly solid on defense, but they are far from the dominant unit they used to be. The Buccaneers biggest problem will be an anemic offense though. QB Byron Leftwich is not consistent enough and the team lacks enough weapons to get the job done. Add in a rookie head coach and I see a team that will be mediocre and finish below .500.
NFC West:
My Division Favorite – Cardinals by a decent margin
Playoff Contenders – Cardinals
The NFC West should basically be a one team division this year. The Arizona Cardinals have become the class of the division and they should have no trouble winning it and being the only playoff representative from the division. The loser of the Super Bowl has had trouble qualifying for the playoffs in the next season, but the weakness of the NFC West should prevent that problem for Arizona. QB Kurt Warner returns with his dynamic duo of WRs in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin and the addition of rookie RB Chris Wells will really help the offense be potent. Throw in a solid and improving defense and the Cardinals should have no trouble winning the division.
The 49ers and Seahawks should be battling for 2nd place, but the ceiling for both of those teams should be around .500. Behind Coach Mike Singletary, the 49ers are slowly improving. The have a pretty tough defense, but are still held back by the offense. They will try to pound it out on the ground, but they lack the ability to have balance because the passing game is weak. Rookie WR Michael Crabtree could have really helped QB Shaun Hill, but he decided to be a fool and “diva” and his contract dispute will hurt the team. The Seahawks get a healthy Matt Hasselbeck back at QB, but even with the addition of WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the Seahawks will still be lacking on both offense and defense and they don’t have enough to make a complete turnaround from last year. The St. Louis Rams will most likely be in the basement of the division. Their only bright spot is RB Steven Jackson, but he is not enough to overcome the other problems and it will be a struggle for the Rams as they continue to try and rebuild.
AFC East:
My Division Favorite – Patriots by a solid margin
Playoff Contenders – Patriots and Dolphins
Barring another injury to QB Tom Brady or another bizarre scenario, the Patriots should be back on top of the division this year. It seems as if Brady’s shoulder is fine and the “injury” he suffered will just be a small scare. The Patriots looked great on offense in the preseason and Brady and WR Randy Moss look ready to pick up where they left off before Brady’s knee injury. The defense will be solid as usual for the Patriots and they should have no trouble winning the division. I think the Dolphins are primed to slip this year. They caught many teams by surprise last season, but they will not do so this year. The schedule is much tougher for the Dolphins and Tom Brady is back to 100% for the Patriots. That combination spells trouble and 2nd place for Miami. The Dolphins lack firepower on offense and I don’t think the methodical, no mistake philosophy will be enough. The defense should keep Miami in most every game, but they will come up short in too many. The Dolphins should still have a shot at a Wild Card spot, but the AFC is very tough and I would not be surprised if Miami’s schedule bites them and they miss the playoffs entirely.
The Jets and the Bills will be fighting to stay out of last place in the division. I probably have to give the edge to the Jets to finish 3rd. New Coach Rex Ryan has had first hand experience with a rookie QB, baring witness to QB Joe Flacco last year with the Ravens, so he should be able to support rookie QB Mark Sanchez in New York. I still think though that the Jets will not be able to do enough to make a playoff run. Their defense is solid but certainly not up to the Ravens’ level and they lack weapons on offense to really help Sanchez. The Jets will be solid and have a shot at .500. The Bills will end up being mediocre at best and will finish last. WR Terrell Owens was brought in to try and make the offense more explosive, but he will most likely be keyed on by defenses and he will not make that big of an impact. The offense looked terrible in the preseason and the defense is nowhere near being dominant enough to carry Buffalo. The Bills will struggle and it will be fun to see if Owens blows up this year.
AFC North:
My Division Favorite – Steelers BARELY over the Ravens
Playoff Contenders – Steelers and Ravens
As I have said a few times already, this should be one hell of a fight this season for the AFC North title. I can’t wait to see the two games between the Steelers and Ravens and the result will most likely decide the division. Both teams are built on defense and look to do enough on the offensive side of the ball to win. I am hearing many so-called “experts” say that the Ravens will miss former defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. You mean like the team missed Marvin Lewis when he left? That is a weak argument and I don’t think the people saying this realize how deep the Ravens are on defense. The Steelers still have an edge when comparing offenses however. QB Ben Roethlisberger has proven himself time and again as a star and he has a solid running game and WR Hines Ward to back him up. Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco is continuing to improve and develop though, and he looks to be better this year already compared to last season. The Ravens still have a good running game with RB Ray Rice improving and RB Willis McGahee now being the 2nd back to help spell him. Again, the Ravens could be held back because they have no game breaking WR, but Derrick Mason is as solid as they come and the Ravens have worked on getting Flacco to spread the ball around. Based on experience and a slight talent edge, I have to give the Steelers the edge to win the division. I think they find a way to be 1 game better than the Ravens, but I would not be surprised at all if Baltimore wins it because they have looked great in the preseason. No matter how it shakes out, both teams will make the playoffs.
The Browns and the Bengals will be fighting to finish in 3rd place, but it seems as though the Bengals have a solid edge over the Browns. Both of these teams have come into the past few seasons with hopes and promise and they somehow find a way to disappoint. The Browns are trying to rebuild around QB Brady Quinn (or QB Derek Anderson…who the hell knows with Mangini) and the Bengals are hoping a healthy QB Carson Palmer will bring more success this year. I do believe a full, healthy year from Palmer can bring more wins to Cincinnati, but I don’t think they have enough to make any sort of playoff run, even though a few misguided “experts” seem to think so. Clearly, the Ravens and Steelers are much better than the Browns and Bengals, so either team will be lucky to get a sniff at .500 this year. I expect the Browns to fall away though and be pretty bad while the Bengals should be able to hang in there. Make no mistake, the Browns and Bengals will still compete in every game, but they just do not have enough to get things done and they are looking at sub par seasons.
AFC South:
My Division Favorite – Titans by a small margin over the Colts
Playoff Contenders – Titans and Colts
The winds of change are slowly sweeping into the AFC South and the division now seems to belong to the Titans for the time being. Tennessee features a tough hitting and solid defense and a great running game. They are built just like the Steelers and Ravens and that is a good recipe for success. QB Kerry Collins remains the starter for the Titans and he will effectively manage the game and provide Tennessee with a lot of wins and a division title, building off of last year’s great regular season campaign. The Titans’ biggest challenge will come from the Indianapolis Colts, but the Colts are slowly starting to slip from dominance. The window is slowly closing on QB Peyton Manning. Coach Tony Dungy and WR Marvin Harrison are gone and the offense is not as explosive as it once was, but they do have young talent in place. The sheer greatness of Manning though will keep the Colts dangerous on offense and he will get the job done. The defensive unit in Indianapolis is still pretty good and I believe the Colts will be able to do enough to sneak into the playoffs. The AFC is going to be a slugfest this year, so I would not be shocked if Indy caught some bad breaks and not even made the playoffs. But then again, they could get hot and win the division outright. It should be a great battle.
The Houston Texans are starting to improve and there is talk that they could make a playoff run this year. I just do not see that happening. The Texans have many weapons on offense and success will hinge on whether or not QB Matt Schaub can stay healthy. He has already looked a bit shaky in the preseason, so I don’t know if that will happen. The Texans are held back by their defense. Mario Williams has developed into a dominating pass rusher and he is starting to justify his #1 overall draft pick status, but he needs more help. The secondary in Houston is extremely soft and I think these problems will be too much for Houston to expect a playoff berth this year. The Jacksonville Jaguars will most likely fall away and finish last in the division. I just do not see them having enough offense to contend and their defense is certainly not one of the tops in the league. Coach Jack Del Rio will have the Jags ready to play each week, but they do not have enough talent to be an elite team.
AFC West:
My Division Favorite – Chargers by a wide margin
Playoff Contenders – Chargers
Just like the NFC West, the AFC’s western division is a one team race. The Chargers should clearly be head and shoulders above the rest and they are a potential Super Bowl contender. The Chargers have an explosive offense and are good enough on defensive to get to double digit wins and win the division handily. Their top competition should come from the Denver Broncos, but there is so much turmoil in Denver that I don’t know how much of a challenge they can provide. Coach Josh McDaniels is trying to install a new system and get the team on board with it and he has had to already deal with the Jay Cutler situation and problem child WR Brandon Marshall. I am not convinced that QB Kyle Orton is the answer and the Broncos continue to have problems keeping a RB healthy. The defense has slipped in recent years and I only foresee a mediocre season at best. The Chiefs and the Raiders will be in the basement of the AFC West and they both have a long way to go to even reach respectability. I think this is the year that the Chargers finally avoid a slow start and they should beat up on their division rivals easily.
The Game’s Quick Hits
ECW Recap: ECW continues to be a fairly entertaining hour of television when the WWE allows the focus to be on in-ring action. I was pleased to see that tonight and glad the no-talent Abraham Washington did not grace my screen. The night started with a match between The Hurricane and Paul Burchill. These two have had a nice little feud going and even though there is nothing ground breaking here and it is only mid-card filler, they produced a pretty good match. I was pleased to see both wrestlers focus on their strengths and show a nice contrast. The Hurricane tried to use his speed and quickness, while Burchill relied on his strength advantage and tried to wear Hurricane down with power moves. The pace was good and the crowd was supportive of Hurricane and into the match. In the end, Hurricane won with an Eye of the Hurricane after Paul ran into Katie Lea on the ring apron. This was a solid effort all around and much appreciated. These types of matches need to happen more on Raw instead of stuff like the Hornswoggle garbage. It also seems as though Shelton Benjamin and Sheamus are headed toward a feud after an altercation they had following a tag team victory over Goldust and Yoshi Tatsu. I still believe Benjamin should be going after the ECW Championship or moved to Raw or Smackdown and challenge for one of the secondary titles. He can put on some great matches when given the chance. Let’s hope that he can produce some good things with Sheamus. I am still on the fence about the “Celtic Warrior”, but he is definitely the best of the “New Talent Initiative” wrestlers.
The main event featured ECW Champion Christian and Tommy Dreamer taking on Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov. We learned that Christian will be defending his belt against William Regal at Breaking Point, so this match turned into the WWE’s hard sell for the PPV tonight. The two sides put on a perfectly acceptable tag team match. As you would expect, Christian and Dreamer had to rely on speed and veteran savvy, while Kozlov and Jackson brought pure power. Jackson was showcased a little more in this match, looking very imposing and dominant at times and he was able to pick up the victory on Dreamer after a grab of the foot from Regal on the outside. The “Ruthless Roundtable” stood tall at the end of the night and we were left to wonder if Christian’s title reign would soon be over.
- Oklahoma could use some more good news, but they did not get any on Tuesday as Coach Bob Stoops told the media that star TE Jermaine Gresham underwent arthroscopic surgery on his injured right knee to determine the severity of cartilage damage. Unfortunately for the Sooners, the injury was not a simple removal of anything and the doctors determined that Gresham needed stitches to repair the cartilage, which will require a recovery time of 5 months and put Gresham out for the season. Gresham returned to school and put off the NFL for a year, so this is extremely bad news for him and could hamper his draft value. He was Oklahoma’s leading returning receiver this year and a real playmaker on offense. Now that he is out for the year, it is pretty much a given that the Sooners offense will suffer and miss his big play ability. At this point, I still stick to my view that Oklahoma will lose against Texas and now the game against Miami is looking more dangerous. It will take a huge effort and tons of determination for the Sooners to fight through this adversity.
- The Richard Seymour watch continues as he failed to report to the Raiders for the 2nd straight day. Raiders Coach Tom Cable said he has nothing new to report and nothing has changed, Patriots Coach Bill Belichick refuses to talk about it since the Patriots no longer have the rights to Seymour, and the NFL is saying to get a statement from the teams. This is quickly starting to turn into some drama now. Reports are saying that Seymour had no advanced warning of the trade and right now, things such as his contract and his role with the Raiders and what they expect from him need to be “worked out”. As I stated yesterday, this move must suck for Seymour, but he really needs to be a professional about it and report to the team or at least give a statement. I would have thought he learned some class and professionalism from the Patriots, even though they did deal him a tough hand. In the NFL, business is business.
- Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick spoke to a group of 200 students on the first day of classes at Nueva Esperanza Academy, a North Philadelphia charter school. He warned the students not to bow to peer pressure and to make good choices that will allow you to be a leader and not a follower. Vick offered himself up as an example of what happens when you lose focus and how your life can go down a bad path. I am happy to see that Vick is getting out in the community and trying to do some good work. As I have stated before, if he can work to make a positive difference and stay on course himself, then the 2nd chance he is getting in the NFL is totally justified. I hope that more schools and organizations give Vick a chance to make a positive impact and not just sit back and bitch and moan about how Vick is bad for young people. That will solve nothing.
- The captain’s selections are in for the 2009 President’s Cup: Ryo Ishikawa, who at 17-years old will be the youngest player ever in the competition, and Adam Scott were chosen by Captain Greg Norman for the International team and Captain Fred Couples chose 2009 U.S. Open Champion Lucas Glover and Hunter Mahan for the United States team. Scott’s selection was a bit curious considering the fact that he has fallen to 53 in the world rankings and is suffering through the worst year of his career. Glover and Mahan bring experience to the U.S. squad, as they also were the Captain’s picks 2 years ago. The President’s Cup is a very fun event to watch, even though it is not at the level of the Ryder Cup. I love seeing the match play format, as well as the different foursome matches. There is some real drama that is created and I still say that even though on the surface golf might not seem that exciting, it really can be some of the best competition that you can watch if you are a sports fan.
- I thought this tidbit was worth mentioning with the U.S. Open going on right now. The new head of the men’s tennis tour, Adam Helfant, said that the tour is planning an All-star event in March to try and boost the sport’s popularity. He said the top players are in favor of the event, which would include a skills competition, celebrity doubles matches, and an awards show. Helfant wants to try and create more buzz at the beginning of the year for tennis, something he claims other sports do well. While I think this is a noble cause Helfant is trying to do, I don’t think it will do much good. Tennis is more of a niche sport that will always appeal to a segment of the population, but it will never grow to the heights of the four major professional sports in America. Tennis is a great recreational sport and it will always be around, but it can only grow so much. Unless you can somehow bring along new stars that grow to the level of guys like John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, and other greats, AND have them develop intense rivalries, tennis will always lag behind in viewership and popularity. That’s just the way it is.
- U.S. Open Update: The women’s side of the draw has reached the quarterfinals and #2 seed Serena Williams still has not really been tested as she cruised by #10 seed Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-3. In the other women’s quarterfinal of the day, Kim Clijsters routed #18 seed Li Na 6-2, 6-4 to reach the semifinals against Williams. This is an amazing run by Clijsters after being away from the game for 2 years and the match with Serena has the potential to be very intriguing. On the men’s side, a huge upset occurred as #2 seed Andy Murray was blitzed and totally outplayed in losing to #16 seed Marin Cilic, who won in straight sets 7-5, 6-2, 6-2. Cilic will now play #6 seed Juan Martin del Potro in the quarterfinals. Men’s #3 seed Rafael Nadal lost the first set to #13 seed Gael Monfils, but Nadal was able to eventually wear down Monfils as he slowly faded away and Nadal won in 4 sets. Nadal will now face #11 seed Fernando Gonzalez, who advanced by beating #7 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 4 sets.
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