overreactions
Denver Broncos Will Go Undefeated.
Peyton Manning is averaging four touchdowns per game so far in 2013. Oh by the way, he has yet to throw an interception. This offense should reset the NFL records that were rewritten just six years ago by Tom Brady and the Patriots.
Peyton Manning is averaging four touchdowns per game so far in 2013. Oh by the way, he has yet to throw an interception. This offense should reset the NFL records that were rewritten just six years ago by Tom Brady and the Patriots.
Houston Texans Will Miss the PlayoffsThe Texans failed, again, to win a big game. They have struggled in recent years to progress deep into the playoffs. On paper, they have a top-three running back combo and a top-five wide receiver. They have a quarterback that should be great to elite by now and a defense that should be among the best in the league. With Indianapolis playing well, the Colts should win the AFC South. Before Locker’s injury, the Tennessee Titans looked like a real threat, too. But only one to two conferences can send more than one representative to the playoffs. The AFC North has three 2-2 teams, two of whom (the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals) most people had making the playoffs. The AFC West boats two undefeated teams (Denver and the Kansas City Chiefs) as well as the San Diego Chargers have played better than their 2-2 record would indicate. The Miami Dolphins have also made an early case for the postseason by winning two big games and they have a favorable schedule down the stretch.
NFC East Winner Will Be 7-9.In the race to mediocrity, the Dallas Cowboys have a slim lead. The Philadelphia Eagles have the fastest team, but it’s not a race of speed. The 0-4 New York Giants still have hope and the Washington Redskins find themselves tied for second place in the division after starting 0-3. The Cowboys could easily notch another 10-14 wins. The problem is that they could easily lose another 10 games. You never know which Dallas team will take the field. The Giants won’t be a factor. The Redskins don’t get to play the Oakland Raiders every week. So this comes down to the Eagles and the Cowboys. The Cowboys may be a coin flip, but their inconsistency is better than the consistently porous defense in Philadelphia.
three-pointer
A Sox Fan’s Farewell to the Sandman, Pettitte, and a Colorado LegendIt has been an honor to watch the greatest closer in the history of professional baseball, Mariano Rivera. A myriad of other sources will quote the stats, count the saves, and idolize the cutter. Not me. Born and raised in New England, I have been a Red Sox fan since before I could say the word “baseball.” There is nothing I hate more in the world than the New York Yankees. And I would hope a Yankee fan would say the same of the Red Sox. But that hatred is underlined by an undeniable and sometimes annoyingly apparent truth: I respect the Yankees above all other non-Boston baseball teams.
I hate Jeter because he is a Yankee. I hate Rivera because he is a Yankee. I hate Robinson Cano and Andy Pettitte because of the pinstripes they wear. (I hate A-Rod because I am human.) But I don’t want to see Cano step into the batter’s box ever because I know what his bat can do. I know that Jeter will sacrifice his livelihood if he thinks it will help his team win. I know that a win will be well-earned if Pettitte takes the mound. But most of all, I know, a win is nearly impossible if Mo enters the game in the ninth.
There has always been a small hope that maybe, just maybe, the Red Sox could get to him. We have done it a couple of times. But far too often, he crushed every hope. Which made it worse. It was a fan lying to his self every time. Here’s the thought process: “It’s only a two-run game. We can do this. Oh no. It’s Rivera. Don’t make the move. Crap. He’s coming in. Game over. Who starts tomorrow? Wait a minute. We got to him once, right? We can do it again. Out number one. Okay, leaves us two to work. Second out. Go figure it’s a strikeout on the cutter. One more. Game over. No, this will be dramatic. Game over. Have faith in your Sox. Game over. It’s not over until…strike three. Dammit! How does he do it every time?!”
The moment he came in you knew the fate of the game was sealed. But you talked yourself into thinking maybe a miracle will happen. But then it doesn’t and the loss of the miraculous makes the loss itself ten times worse.
And for that, we will miss you…except in the ninth inning.
Thank you.
I hate Jeter because he is a Yankee. I hate Rivera because he is a Yankee. I hate Robinson Cano and Andy Pettitte because of the pinstripes they wear. (I hate A-Rod because I am human.) But I don’t want to see Cano step into the batter’s box ever because I know what his bat can do. I know that Jeter will sacrifice his livelihood if he thinks it will help his team win. I know that a win will be well-earned if Pettitte takes the mound. But most of all, I know, a win is nearly impossible if Mo enters the game in the ninth.
There has always been a small hope that maybe, just maybe, the Red Sox could get to him. We have done it a couple of times. But far too often, he crushed every hope. Which made it worse. It was a fan lying to his self every time. Here’s the thought process: “It’s only a two-run game. We can do this. Oh no. It’s Rivera. Don’t make the move. Crap. He’s coming in. Game over. Who starts tomorrow? Wait a minute. We got to him once, right? We can do it again. Out number one. Okay, leaves us two to work. Second out. Go figure it’s a strikeout on the cutter. One more. Game over. No, this will be dramatic. Game over. Have faith in your Sox. Game over. It’s not over until…strike three. Dammit! How does he do it every time?!”
The moment he came in you knew the fate of the game was sealed. But you talked yourself into thinking maybe a miracle will happen. But then it doesn’t and the loss of the miraculous makes the loss itself ten times worse.
And for that, we will miss you…except in the ninth inning.
Thank you.
Andy Pettitte is retiring as well. Another Yankee you hated to see on the mound mostly because you knew he could very well walk off the mound with a win. Mariano may be known for the cutter, but when I think best pick-off move, Pettitte comes to mind. I will miss the excitement of beating him but I will not miss the dread of seeing that he his pitching against us.
Finally, Todd Helton. As a child, I wore number 17. It has become my favorite sports number (outside of Dan Marino in his #13). I love when a great athlete wears 17. The quarterback for my favorite football team—Ryan Tannehill of the Miami Dolphins—wears number 17. One of my favorite QBs—due to his propensity to trash talk opponents and because he played an AFC title game against the Patriots on a torn ACL (2008)—Philip Rivers wears number 17. But the best number 17 of my lifetime is the first baseman of the Colorado Rockies, Todd Helton.
To Jayson Stark, Mike Greenberg, and Mike Golic, he is affectionately referred to as the “human trivia answer.” Chris Berman called him Todd “Highway to” Helton. I’ve even heard him referred to as the “Toddfather.” It was his knee injury that opened the door for Peyton Manning to start at Tennessee. He is a former NL batting champion. He has multiple Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards. He was an all-star on five occasions. He batted over .300 for his career and holds several all-time records for the Colorado Rockies. If Mo is the best closer with the best cutter of all time, and if Pettitte is one of the best postseason pitchers with one of the best pickoff moves of all time, than Todd Helton is one of the best doubles hitters of all time.
To Jayson Stark, Mike Greenberg, and Mike Golic, he is affectionately referred to as the “human trivia answer.” Chris Berman called him Todd “Highway to” Helton. I’ve even heard him referred to as the “Toddfather.” It was his knee injury that opened the door for Peyton Manning to start at Tennessee. He is a former NL batting champion. He has multiple Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards. He was an all-star on five occasions. He batted over .300 for his career and holds several all-time records for the Colorado Rockies. If Mo is the best closer with the best cutter of all time, and if Pettitte is one of the best postseason pitchers with one of the best pickoff moves of all time, than Todd Helton is one of the best doubles hitters of all time.
There are a handful of baseball players that I have had the good fortune to watch in my lifetime that I will respect and admire for as long as I have breath and though a majority of the players I have idolized played for my team from Boston, many of them were never Red Sox. These are players that are no longer playing and whom I would love to see play just one more game. These are players like (but not limited to) Craig Biggio; Cal Ripkin, Jr.; Chipper Jones; Ken Griffey, Jr.; Bernie Williams; Jorge Posada; and Jim Edmonds. Now, I can add three names to the list of highly respected and admired non-Boston baseball players that I have watched and cheered for or against. And I cannot thank Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Todd Helton enough for their respective contributions to my favorite sport, my beloved baseball.
a crowd
Sam BradfordSam Bradford will never be an elite quarterback. He has been on the verge of a breakout season for far too long. He has the talent, but he doesn’t have that extra something—the mentality, the leadership, something—that elite quarterbacks have.
I was at the game against the 49ers last week. Yes, I witnessed receivers running sloppy routes. Yes, I also saw the Rams’ most explosive offensive weapon—Tavon Austin—seemingly spend more time on the sideline than in the huddle. But what really bothered me was that I witnessed a quarterback who moves his feet too much and steps up into the pocket—steps into his throws—too infrequently. His body language in the pocket was fidgety and between plays bordered on complacently overwhelmed. I did not see a leader in the offensive huddle. I was not captivated by a leader at the line of scrimmage. I was, instead, humiliated on his behalf. But not entirely surprised.
I was at the game against the 49ers last week. Yes, I witnessed receivers running sloppy routes. Yes, I also saw the Rams’ most explosive offensive weapon—Tavon Austin—seemingly spend more time on the sideline than in the huddle. But what really bothered me was that I witnessed a quarterback who moves his feet too much and steps up into the pocket—steps into his throws—too infrequently. His body language in the pocket was fidgety and between plays bordered on complacently overwhelmed. I did not see a leader in the offensive huddle. I was not captivated by a leader at the line of scrimmage. I was, instead, humiliated on his behalf. But not entirely surprised.
Matt FlynnI am not the first person to mention that he has now twice been beaten out for the starting job, each time by a quarterback that was supposed to be an also-ran afterthought. He did not play well on Sunday. If he is on an NFL roster to start next year, it means there has been a rash of injuries or the cap hit to cut him is far more than the cap hit to keep him.
Blaine GabbertIn 26 career starts, Blaine Gabbert is 5-22 with 21 TD, 22 INTs and 18 fumbles. In 25 career starts (including postseason), Tim Tebow is 11-14 with 17 TDs, just 9 INTs and 7 fumbles. Tebow even has a playoff win. Fans are not filling the seats in Jacksonville. Tebow is a proven winner. If nothing else, he gives fans a reason to watch the Jaguars games. Blaine Gabbert should be the QB on the outside of the league looking in.
company
Peyton ManningThe man has 14 TDS and 0 INTs. Enough said.
Tom BradyThe three-time Super Bowl champion has lead the New England Patriots to a 4-0 start. He threw for over 300 yards and two TDs against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4. One of those touchdowns went to a guy named Mulligan. When Brady gets real receiving weapons back, this team will only get better.
Sean PaytonThe New Orleans Saints are back. The team has begun to move the ball on offense like we knew they could and the defense is playing its best since they won the Super Bowl at the end of the 2009-10 season. A year after losing their coach to suspension, the Saints look like a real threat in the NFC.
stooges
The St. Louis Rams’ Rushing OffenseThe Rams rushed for 18 yards at home against the 49ers. Yes, the 49ers are a good defensive team. But the Rams were credited with 19 rushing attempts (including a four-yard loss by QB Sam Bradford). That math isn’t hard: they averaged less than one yard per rushing attempt. Embarrassing.
Eli ManningThe antithesis Manning has nine INTs to only six TDs and he’s fumbled the ball once, too. Anti-Manning is completed few pass attempts than Tom Brady, and Brady is throwing to a guy named Mulligan.
The Pittsburgh SteelersBen Roethlisberger can still avoid tackles. He still throws one of the best deep passes in the game. The offense has shown sparks. The defense has shown sparks. And they are still 0-4. They may be the best 0-4 team in the history of the National Football League, but there are no answers.
the hard way
Jacksonville Will Either Win This Weekend or Go 0-16.If there is any hope for a Jacksonville win, it’s against the railing Rams. If the Rams hold serve, than the woeful Jaguars will have the first overall pick after just the second 0-16 season in NFL history (see: 2008 Lions).
The Colts Will Hand the Seahawks Their First LossSeattle struggled in Houston in Week 4. In Week 5, the Colts will not give the game away. Luck is protective of the ball and the Colts win at home.
Cleveland Will Lose to the RaysIt would be an amazing moment to watch Terry Francona lead a playoff team into Fenway Park. However, it won’t happen this year. Tampa Bay had to hold on at the end to even get in while Cleveland won 10 straight. But the Indians will have sat for three days while the Rays had to face Texas on Monday in a play-in game to see who made the playoffs. Rays ride that momentum straight into Boston on Friday.
extra point: and stat’s the way it is
Stat: In four NCAA Football games this year, the Oregon Ducks have scored at least 50 points in each game, have beaten opponents by an average score of 49 points, and have outscored opponents a combined 239-43. All of this without Chip Kelley (now in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles) running the show.
Bonus Stat: The last time both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals had winning teams in the same season, I was an only child.
