Why I am excited for the 2009 NFL Season
Thursday, September 10th 2009. We're almost there. Just 9 more days. 9 more agonizing days. Sure baseball will cut into the agony a little bit. But with the Yankees 6.5 games up, I'm feeling fairly comfortable with their current position (I'll regret saying that).
I'm always excited for the NFL. Always. Even the day after the Super Bowl. I feel it's a sport that should be played on a continuous loop, all year. To hell with the players and their families! Their job is to entertain me. But alas, the teams are required their "offseason" or whatever, and we are stuck with 7 months of pain.
That being said, this year feels different. There is more anticipation for the upcoming season. Maybe it's the old, indecisive quarterbacks. Or the young, whiny quarterbacks. Or the returning, felony-committing quarterbacks. There is just more to talk about. More to speculate about.
So on September 10th, 2009, when the Tennessee Titans face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, I, among millions of others will jump head first into the 2009 NFL Season. And I will tell you why.
Fantasy Football
Full disclosure here: I am an unabashed sports freak. "Obsessive" is the word my family and friends use. I base my schedule off where I will be when my teams are playing. I'm dreading the day when I have to decide between a Yankees playoff game and the birth of my first child (Kidding). So naturally, Fantasy sports, more specifically Fantasy Football is right up my alley. As I type, I have four teams already drafted and ready to go, with 2 more drafts pending.
Michael Turner or Matt Forte? Drew Brees or Tom Brady? Girlfriend or no girlfriend? These are decisions you have to make when competing in a fantasy football league. They're tough decisions mind you. It's tough work trying to figure out which rookies will have stand out years. Or which 'over-the-hill' players will have a comeback year.
My love for fantasy football increased exponentially last year when, for the first time, I won one of my leagues. Boy did that league add a few wrinkles to my forehead. There were plenty of sleepless nights wondering if Matt Schaub will throw for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns, or if my waiver pick-up of Pierre Thomas will payoff (It did, by the way). Now, I'm hungry to defend my title.
Brett Favre
Go ahead, tell me you're not excited for the Brett Favre Era to begin in Minnesota. Tell me. I don't care what your feelings are for the wishy-washy, pill-popping, John Deere riding quarterback. You're pumped. We're all pumped. Just imagine what it is going to be like when he takes his first snaps back at Lambeau Field on November 1st. For his entire career with the Green Bay Packers, this scenario wasn't possible. Favre was a cheesehead through and through. He would never don a Viking jersey. But here we are.
Everything that needs to be said about Brett Favre has been said 90 times over. All that is left is the performance on the field.
Jay Cutler
I wish I had a video camera. Because then I would be able to record my impression of Jay Cutler. Instead I'll just describe it for you. Imagine if you will, me in a ballerina's tutu with chocolate all over my face and whining that my mommy gave some to my sister. Yes, that sounds about right. That is Jay Cutler. He's an incredible talent, but a baby. He begged for a trade ten minutes after his new coach inquired about the availability of another quarterback. Talk about having thin skin. Well, he got his wish. He is now with the Chicago Bears. A team whose window for a Super Bowl is closing and desperately needed a decent quarterback.
Michael Vick
Obviously. Too bad he won't be considered for reinstatement until Week 6. But still, the Eagles are going to be good and Vick will be a part of some very important games this season. It's scary to think that he has been out of the game for two seasons and he is still only 29 years old. No one really knows how much he has regressed as a football player since August of 2007, but if he is anything like he used to be, the Eagles have the best "What If" player in the NFL.
Mark Sanchez
I know I shouldn't be excited for him. I really shouldn't. Sure he looked good in his last preseason game against the Giants, but the expectations are too high to begin with. Yes the Jets are built to win now. But can Sanchez take them to the playoffs with no No. 1 receiver? Highly unlikely. That being said, it's still nice to see this franchise with some sort of future and direction.
I pray for a 9-7 season. Or a win against the Pats. I'll take either.
Headlines
Perfect life continues, Tiger Woods wins another tournament
Supermodel wife: Check. Endless talent and determination: Check. Closing in on a billion dollars in earnings: Check. Dog who poses for cameras and stares into your soul: Check. Yesterday, Tiger Woods added to his career winnings by coming from behind to beat Jim Furyk and the rest of the field in the The Memorial. That makes 67 career wins on the PGA Tour. How long until its called the Tiger Woods Tour? Because I am almost certain that Woods earns more money than the PGA itself. Hell, that dog probably earns more. Look at it, it's starting to creep me out. Moving on.
Lakers win in OT over Magic, take 2-0 series lead
Least. Interesting. Series. Ever. Well, if Courtney Lee doesn't miss that point-blank range lay-up at the end of regulation last night there would have been some interest. Rookies. I blame the mask. Nonetheless, he did not put the biscuit in the basket and the Magic find themselves in more or less a must-win situation in Game 3. I remember when I was a kid and the 2009 NBA Playoffs started. Players like Dwyane Wade and Joe Johnson were in it. Those were the days. Wake me up when it's over.
Vikings give Favre deadlines to decide whether he will play in 2009
My indifference is suffocating me! Help! Someone give me something to care about!...Sweet, a video of a cat on a toilet. Thanks.
I'll be back.
That was a scary couple of hours
Sorry, but the site was down due to "maintenance". At least that's what I was told. Whatever the case, it's back. And perhaps, better than ever.
Honestly, I'm surprised he made it to Cinco de Mayo. It's been about a week since the New York Jets released Favre into the wild and presumably, into retirement. We were even told by Favre's agent Bus Cook that his retirement was for good. But no one believed it. Why would anyone? He has done this song and dance for several years now. What would make this year any different? God knows why he continues to tell anyone that he's ready to "hang 'em up" or "move on". He'll play until someone kills him on the field or until he accidentally shoots himself from "gunslinging" too much. But putting aside his indecisiveness, what is his motivation? I have a few ideas:
- He wants to quarterback for every NFL team as a 31-year farewell tour.
- His John Deere broke down.
- Believe him, Mississippi really is that boring.
- He wants to break the Japanese record for touchdown passes.
- It will cure Peter King's writer's block.
- He's 10 games away from the record, "Most Fun Had".
- He's always considered himself a Viking at heart.
- He literally has no other skills.
- He still wants to throw touchdown passes for the Packers (Interceptions, get it?)
Headlines
Celtics wins in OT over Bulls, lead series 3-2
I don't think I can take it anymore. Someone has got to stop the Celtics. The Bulls were up by 6 with 2:00 left in the game and still lost. Then Paul Pierce did what Paul Pierce does and hit every fade away jumper down the stretch. And he took them all from the same spot. John Salmons was wasting his time trying to man Pierce up around the court, he could have just stood on the right foul line extended and waited for Pierce to come to him. But no, Salmons fell for every head fake and juke thinking that Pierce was going to take him off the dribble. Which of course he wouldn't. The game could have been tied if Brad Miller had hit his two free throws with 2 seconds left. But you have to cut him some slack, he nearly got his head cut off by Rajon Rondo while driving down the lane. If there was wasn't so much home-cooking, the referees would have called that a flagrant foul. I have watched that replay 100 times, and I have yet to be convinced that Rondo was going for the ball. He may have had the intention of going for the ball pre-jumping, but once he was in the air and saw that the ball was out of reach, he decided to take a swipe at Miller's face making sure he didn't make the shot. But you can get away with that if you're a Celtic. Remember, it's good for the league. The Greater Good!
Capitals defeat Rangers 2-1 in Game 7, advance
Well it was fun while it lasted. Those seven games satisfied my hockey fix for the year. It really is a shame that the Rangers choked so bad though. Being up three games to one, it seemed they had a date with the Boston Bruins in the second round. Instead, they'll be heading back to Canada or Mother Russia, or wherever it is they go in the offseason. Now that the Rangers have been eliminated, I have to chose another team to root for. And obviously that team will be any team that is playing the Boston Bruins. So "Go Washington!" Boston has had too many championships over the past several years. The Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and even Boston University has won major championships recently. A Stanley Cup Finals Championship would just be icing on the cake for them. And I don't think I can take another reason for New England to gloat, they're already smug to begin with. With they're Sam Adams and Quincy Park, it's time for them to be cut down to size. Who's with me?!
New York Jets release Brett Favre
This is a fun story. On Tuesday night, Brett Favre was released from the reserve-retired list of the New York Jets. This being on the heels of New York's draft pick of Mark Sanchez. In a statement Favre said, "Nothing has changed. At this time, I am retired and have no intention of returning to football". Oh he's a clever one, isn't he? "At this time". He knows what he's doing. Leaving the door ajar just a little bit, maybe for a possible 97th comeback. I have no problem with him wanting to play football. What I don't understand is his constant flip-flopping on the subject. If you want to play, say you want to play. He knows if he goes back to Pumpkin Nuts, Mississippi, they'll be no crowds, no gun-slinging, no river-boat gambling, no Madden, no fun. There will just be his John Deere tractor and acres of land for him to fiddle around on. He isn't a talking head. He would be lost on ESPN, on FOX, on CBS, or the NFL Network. He would show up to work in his Wranglers and act like Uncle Rico:
Oh what a night!
I'm not feeling too well today. My whole body is sore and one nostril is stuffed at all times. It's one of those days where everything hurts just a little bit. Not only that, I have a stye on my eyelid. Stye's are awful. They hurt. They're unattractive. And they look like eye herpes. So needless to say, I'm having a bit of a lie-in this evening. I mean, if I wasn't sick, I'd be clubbing it up and getting my scrabble on or whatever kids are doing these days. But no. Currently, I am sitting on my couch, a cup of chamomile tea with honey on the table in front of me (not gay), and trying to pay attention to what I am writing while I watch television.
Speaking of television, avoid turning on SNY when Seton Hall is playing. It is a horror film for anyone who enjoys the game of basketball. It's like an And1 game without all the skill. Ill-advised passes, hand-groping defense, token attempts at steals, deep threes. The type of play you might see at a CYO game. As I type, they are blowing their chance at any upset against #1 Pittsburgh. I do not know why I had my hopes up.
Since both Seton Hall and the Knicks are losing, I've decided to watch Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Which I must say, is clearly the best of the trilogy. The second movie of trilogies are usually the better ones. It seems as if the cast, directors, and producers all came together and decided that it needed to be better than the first one. Some examples include The Empire Strikes Back, The Godfather 2, D2: The Mighty Ducks. I'll make a list one of these days (maybe even in blog-form. Stay tuned).
Anyway, there were a few happenings in the world of sport over the past few days. Some of them interesting. Most of them not. But I thought I would share my opinions on them because I know you want them.
Matt Cassel traded to Chiefs for second round draft pick
It was part of the Mike Vrabel trade talked about yesterday. So, to sum up, the Patriots traded Mike Vrabel and Matt Cassel to the Chiefs for a second round draft pick (34th overall). Personally, I believe New England got hosed. But try telling that to a Patriots fan. Prior to the trade, I was talking to a guy I know who is a big New England fan. He was asking me how many first round draft picks Cassel is going to yield when he's traded. Come today, the Pats give up both Cassel and Vrabel, this is the first thing he says to me, "I think it's a good deal. 34th is practically first round". Nice. To them, when Belichick's involved, there is no downside.
When it comes to Cassel as an actual talent, I believe he is an average quarerback. I am from the school of thought that believes Cassel was a product of the system. It's easy to put up numbers when you have two All-World receivers in Wes Welker and Randy Moss. Plus, he didn't even lead his team to the playoffs (Kidding, Pats fans).
Off Topic Digression (Redundant?)
I switched over to watching Old School on TBS and I caught the ending. And underrated ending for an average movie I must say. I was hoping to add that anecdote and then have the clip ready for you to click on. But it's not on YouTube or any other streaming video website. This really upsets me. Usually, I think of a scene from a movie or television show and in two seconds, I am watching the video online. I pray for the day where we can view ANY scene from ANY movie or television show ever made. It's only a matter of time.
Back to your regularly scheduled blog post
Now that I think of it, there really weren't a lot of sports stories over the past few days. Just a bunch of little trades and signings.
Bart Scott signs six year deal with Jets
Believe me, I am happy about this. The Jets need a linebacker, bad. But did they really have to pay him THIS much. I guess that's just the nature of the beast. And I am hoping I say that previous sentence every time Scott sacks a quarterback next season.
Insert Friend: Wow, why did Bart Scott have to sack Tom Brady so hard?
Sean B. Fitzgerald (Me): That's just the nature of the beast.
I'm the beast, and it's my nature.
Based on the signing of Scott and the acquisition of Lito Sheppard for draft picks, it looks as if the Jets are in a "win now" mode. Which is kind of what mode they were in when they acquired Brett Favre last August. But I guess they weren't ready to "win now" then, but are ready to "win now" now? That sounds right, I guess. I'm just happy Favre is back in his Wranglers, chasing critters, riding his tractor, and not adding to his interception record.
I really should not be writing about the NFL as much as I am on February 28th. I understand that it is the most popular sport in this great country of ours, but can we please be obsessive about something else? I enjoy the NFL between September and the first week of February. In that time, I watch 9-12 hours of game footage, 10-15 hours of analysis, and an infinite amount of time worrying about my fantasy team a week. But as soon as the clock hits 0:00 on the Super Bowl, the "caring" part of my brain switches off for the NFL. I feel that it isn't even a conscience decision for me. It's more genetic.
Arod to meet with MLB officials Sunday
In case you want something to not care about. Here.
By the way, I would write about how Manny and Boras declined the Dodgers 2-year, $45 million offer, but the whole thing made me sick. Seriously, I really believe after hearing that, I became sick. Manny made me feel achy, and gave me the stye on my eye. I hate him. (But I want him on the Yankees)
Sounds familiar…
Last August, when Brett Favre decided to be traded to the Jets, I could not have been more for it. I'll be the first to admit that. Finally something to be excited about. Up until that point, I had never walked into an NFL season thinking that the Jets had the slightest chance to go deep into the playoffs. Especially with Vinny "Lead Feet" Testaverde or Chad "Ow! My shoulder!" Pennington. But with Favre under center for the 2008 Season, they were bound to make the playoffs.
Fast forward to now. The Jets lose four out of their last five games and miss the playoffs. In those games, Favre throws two touchdowns and nine interceptions. On February 11th, in a conference call, he announced his retirement (again) from the NFL and I could not be happier. If Favre were to stay another year, it would set the Jets back another five. Prior to the 2008 season, New York had signed free agent veterans such as Kris Jenkins, Alan Faneca, and Damien Woody in an attempt to compete immediately. And with the trade for Favre, they has firmly established themselves as a "Win Now or Else" team.
Well, "Else" is upon them. Without Favre last season, they could have groomed "Insert Young QB" for a year and have him primed and ready to lead for the 2009 season. Now, it's time to start over. Currently, the Jets have three quarterbacks (Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff, Eric Ainge) on their roster who will fight for the starting position come this summer. And with the 17th pick in the 2009 Draft coming up, they have a chance to draft a quarterback like Mark Sanchez out of USC if he were to drop to them.
Kellen Clemens:
The early favorite to win the spot is Clemens. After Pennington went down early in 2007, Kellen stepped in as a third year player and took a majority of the snaps for the rest of the season. He may have struggled (5 TDs, 10 INTs), but he still has the experience over the other two potential quarterbacks.
Brett Ratliff:
Many people haven't even heard of Brett Ratliff. Two reasons: He went to a non-BCS school (Utah) and he was undrafted and signed as a rookie free agent in 2007. But if you take one look at him, you can tell that he can be an NFL quarterback. At 6'4 235 lbs, he clearly has the size advantage over the other potential suitors. In scouting reports he is described as a typical pocket passer (a Jet staple) with a very good arm, with the main concern being his lack of accuracy and mobility.
Eric Ainge:
And finally, Mr. Ainge. At the University of Tennessee he amassed terrific numbers with a strong and accurate arm. However, scouts and teams saw him at best as a backup. Which seems to be his fate come September. Not only is he an average quarterback, he also tested positive for steroids in November 2008 and was subsequently suspended for four games (but no one seemed to notice). So remember kids, you can try steroids all you want, they won't always make you better.
My prediction is that the Jets will go with Kellen Clemens to start the season. He has the tools and the experience to be a successful quarterback in the NFL. Not to mention the fact that new coach Rex Ryan doesn't necessarily even need a competent quarterback to win in this league. Hell, as the defensive line coach for the Ravens, he helped them win the Super Bowl in 2000 with Trent Dilfer as quarterback. You remember him, right? No? Anyway.
Headlines…
Phillies on win away from World Series Championship
It's all set up for the Phillies tonight against the Rays. Cole Hamels on the mound. Ryan Howard has entered another "whenever I swing, the ball disobeys the laws of gravity" mode. They are home. Joe Blanton is hitting homeruns for Christ's sake. Philly hasn't won a sports championship in the past 100 collective seasons. It's time. It's also time for Philly to burn to the ground. And that's exactly what is going to happen tonight if they win. Benjamin Franklin would be proud.
Batting fifth for the Philles, Ryan Howard's penis.
Giants defeat the Steelers at Pittsburgh 21-14
People try to pinpoint on attribute among all championship teams. Great defense. Great coach. Great chemistry. Those things are all nice but they don't define champions. It's capitalizing on opponent's mistakes. There is no way the Giants win that game if Harrison doesn't snap the ball over Berger's head resulting in a safety. Right after it happened the Giants came out of their shell and marched the ball right down the field. The Giants schedule gets a lot tougher, starting next Sunday against the Cowboys. Romo will be back. The season starts now for New York.
I'm the Juggernaut!
Favre and the Jets defeat the Chiefs 28-24
Despite having one of the worst looking games in recent memory. Passes were thrown directly into the DBs chests. Receivers were overthrown by 10-15 yards. However, the Chiefs didn't like that winning feeling, so they decided to give it to the Jets. There is no worse 4-3 team in the NFL than New York. Ugh. But I think its better for the fans. Now, we know not to expect much from them. If they win, unexpected. If they lose, whatever.
Only 3 INTS!
NBA Season starts tomorrow
For a league I don't watch as much as the NFL, MLB, NCAA Football, or NCAA Basketball, I still enjoy the NBA. A lot of stars. Rouge officials. High tempo play. Its all good. And as much as everyone is saying that the Knicks will still be horrible, I'm looking at a 35-40 team this year. D'Antoni will take a dormant offense and make them play hard for 48 minutes. They will win games just by constantly running the floor. The Garden will be relevant this year. I guarantee it.
38 wins here we come!
- @robdelaney His fault. He should've had his hands in fists. Doesn't he understand science?
- @YankeesWFAN So a coaches only responsibility is to make sure his players don't mutiny?
- Amendment 28: All links should open in a separate tab.
- @YankeesWFAN But he can't hit. He hasn't had an OPS over .900 since 2009.
- Oh, I get it. It's "MAID in Manhattan". Because she's a maid.
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