November 2007 Archives
A source who's often been correct for me in the past whispers that the next head coach at the University of Arkansas will be Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville. Whether or not that happens, we already have a situation in which half of the coaches in the SEC West (Houston Nutt, Nick Saban and Tuberville) have coached at another SEC West school. And you wonder why the Black Football Coaches Assocation has its undies so scrunched up?
If Tuberville is headed to Fayetteville, guess who becomes the longest tenured coach in the SEC West? That's right, the only black head coach in the conference, Mississippi State's Sly Croom.
Sean Taylor, Continued
Questions and notes regarding the death of Sean Taylor:
--Why are the Miami police so eager to proclaim that Taylor's death appears to be nothing more than a "random act" of burglary and/or robbery? Do they truly believe that or are they trying not to show their hand?
--Did the person or persons who broke into Taylor's home know that he did not possess a firearm? To me, it seems that way. If I burgled an upper-end home, even if I had no idea who lived there, and noted that the bedroom door was locked, what would compel me to kick it in and start shooting? How would I know that the person on the other side of the door wasn't standing there with a loaded gun?
--Why, if you were robbing a home at just after 1 a.m., would you force your way into a bedroom? Wouldn't you be looking to avoid a confrontation with the homeowner? Almost be relieved that they'd locked the bedroom door so that you could root around the other rooms? Or did you think that the most valuable items were in the bedroom? And if that's the case, after having shot the homeowner, why would you flee?
--Let's try to examine this as a burglary with intent to rob valuable items: You enter the home. You scrounge around for anything you can take. You notice the bedroom door is locked and you already saw vehicles in the driveway. Someone is in the bedroom. So why force your way inside? And once you do, why do you shoot? Is it because Taylor rushed at you with the machete in his hand? Why surprise the homeowner? Why not announce, if you want what's in the bedroom, that they should open the door or get down on the ground if they don't want to be shot? And, barring all that logic, once you shoot the homeowner, why do you flee? Why not take what you can from the bedroom? You certainly aren't worried about the girlfriend.
--Was the shot aimed at Sean Taylor's leg? At his groin? Was it just a random shot?
--Where did Taylor get the machete? I'm not naive enough to not realize that NFL players, most among pro athletes, are fascinated by exotic weapons and movies like "Braveheart", "Gladiator" and "Scarface". But it would be interesting to learn how Taylor came to possess it. And why he did not carry a gun.
--A commenter on my longer blog noted that Taylor seemed to come from a solid, stable, two-parent home. Acknowledged, and understood. But too many young African-American males do not. And being as high-profile an athlete as Taylor was, growing up from birth to the NFL in a city like Miami, he certainly had many friends and hangers-on who grew up in less than stable environments.
--Finally, on the eve of the last game to be played in the Orange Bowl, here's a sobering piece of breaking news:
Despite the imminent loss, what a game for Aaron Rodgers in defeat and Tony Romo.
Should be an interesting postgame.
A 4-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton from Tony Romo makes it 34-24. The touchdown was set up by an iffy pass interference call on Tramon Williams against Miles Austin.
Williams did make contact with Austin's shoulder while the ball was in the air and that seemed to slow Austin down. The two men got their legs tangled and both fell. The call was a long time coming as the officials huddled before calling the 42-yard penalty.
Aaron Rodgers is going to need a big drive now and there will no doubt be significant pressure applied by Dallas.
7:46 remains.
Drew Bledsoe begat Tom Brady. Drew Bledsoe begat Tony Romo. Could Brett Favre begetting Aaron Rodgers.
Since the 38-year-old Green Bay icon left with an injured right elbow in the second quarter, Rodgers has been almost impeccable in relief, turning a 27-10 blowout into a 27-24 ballgame. He's 11 for 14 for 130 yards.
And T.O. just juggled a touchdown pass into the arms of Al Harris to cost Dallas a touchdown and give Green Bay the ball back.
It's getting verrrrry interesting here.
Have we yet seen the replay of the play where Brett Favre -- NFL icon -- injured his throwing arm in a matchup of 10-1 teams?
C'mon, NFL Network, help us out here...replay it, folks.
Greg Jennings scores and it's 27-17.
The Packers training staff just put a compression sleeve on Favre's right forearm. Favre still has yet to even attempt a toss on the sideline. If it were any other player, he'd have gone in for an X-ray by now. Meanwhile, Favre's backup Aaron Rodgers hasn't been bad. He's got GB at the Dallas 16 with 2:04 left in the half. It's 27-10.
He's still getting his inner right forearm worked on and massaged. One difference between the NFL Network and a normal broadcast. We haven't seen a shot of Favre on the sidelines yet on TV that I've seen. A network would have by now gone to a split screen.
This is HUGE news. Not only are the Packers imploding with Favre lighting the match, Favre's ironman streak could be in jeopardy. It's not wise for a quarterback to try and gut out an arm injury, especially if his team is essentially in the playoffs.
Finally, a Favre shot. He's checking to see how swollen it is.
He's got a right arm injury and his return is questionable. He is on the sidelines with a trainer working on his lower right arm. It looks like the trainer is just holding something on it.
Frankly, I wouldn't be the least stunned if it's not fractured.
He came through VERY hard on the throw.
Oh, and Dallas scored again so it's 27-10.
Not a good series for Ol' No. 4. Favre threw up two punts -- both of which should have been picked by Dallas -- then had a completion, then got his arm whacked and ball came out short and got picked.
Favre hurt his arm and Aaron Rodgers is limbering.
See, here's the thing. If Brett Favre WANTS to throw a pass with a rusher in his earhole, without looking downfield and into triple coverage, he's earned that right I suppose.
But if he's going to do that on his team's third possession in a road game between 10-1 teams for absolutely no good reason, get picked off setting up a touchdown that will put his team down 13-3 with 1:14 left in the game, he deserves to be criticized. Harshly.
And that's what he just did. So do me a favor...sing me no songs about Brett Favre's grit and swashbuckling, gunslinger mentality if Green Bay has a late-game comeback that falls short. He put them in the spot where they needed to come back.
Dallas just added another field goal, a 51-yarder by Nick Folk. Tony Romo just threw behind TO on a third-down crossing pattern as he came from left to right. Owens tried to make a one-handed catch and failed. Though it was on his back hip, two hands would have gotten the job done.
6-3 Dallas.
To honor slain Redskins corner Sean Taylor, both teams are wearing decals with Taylor's No. 21 on their helmets.
The second Packers drive just went no where. Ryan Grant got creamed on second down and Favre got harassed by Anthony Spencer on a third down incompletion.
6:49 left in the first.
On third-and-5 from the Packers 7, Dallas just handed off on a draw to Julius Jones who gained 3 yards. Help me out. Why is a team with Terrell Owens and Jason Witten and a guy who can run and buy time like Tony Romo running draws in the first quarter on third-and-5 inside the 10? Even if guys guess wrong, it's not like they're going way downfield.
Stupid playcall by Jason Garrett. It's 3-3.
And Al Harris on Terrell Owens is the early cb-wr matchup. And Owens just caught a pass ovr Harris' head that Harris seemed to pry loose for a fumble recovery. But the refs ruled his forward progres stopped and hence, there will be no challenge it appears.
Nope. Wait yup. Ok, they're challenging whether or not the pass was complete or not. It's definitely complete.
Wasted challenge. Mike McCarthy over his head.
Mason Crosby just ripped through a 48-yard field goal to cap the game's first drive.
Green Bay lucked out on two plays -- first, James Jones fell on an out pattern on the game's second play and Jacques Reeves nearly had a pick six. Next, Brett Favre got strip-sacked by DeMarcus Ware but fortunately for Cheese heads, Ware was offsides.
For a good stat-driven breakdown on tonight's game, check out the boys at Cold Hard Football Facts...they go bananas with the numbers and write with a sense of humor.
I personally disagree with their prediction for tonight but it's a good read.
There must be 300 fans on the Cowboys sideline. That's one of those VIP deals whee the owner lets all the people who pay tribute to hang on the sideline and snap pictures of each other sniffin' and grinnin' while warmups go on behind them.
And how would you too get a chance to do that?
Pay up, buddy.
Dallas is in their throwback unis with the white helmets. Which is a good look. The Pack are in their white jerseys and they've opted to wear the yellow helmets.
We haven't yet gotten the rest of the inactives.
We'll keep you posted on that mess.
Bad news from the joint with the hole in the top...the Packers defense -- which will be stretched to its limits -- will be without cornerback Charles Woodson and pass-rush specialist Kaberr Gbaja-Biamila.
That's a tough recipe for dealing with a Dallas passing attack that can go on you a little bit.
Love shack, baby, love shack,
love shack, baby that's where it's at....
Moments after I read a brutally honest and necessary column by Jason Whitlock of FoxSports.com, I opened my emails to see that my friend Mike had read it, too. He sent me a link to the column and a simple note of "Amen". Which is eerie, because that's the exact word I'd uttered to myself upon having finished reading it.
Here's Whitlock's column, in case you have yet to read it.
Who killed Sean Taylor and why is unknown to us at this point. But the fact that Taylor is a Miami Hurricane is both ironic and symbolic. The Miami Hurricane program is to college football what hip hop has been to popular music, and this isn't about it being a good thing or a bad thing. But it is a cultural thing.
The Canes' rise during the 1980s was embossed by victories over two of the oldest and accomplished (read: whitest) programs in the history of college football: Nebraska and Notre Dame. On January 1, 1984, the upstart Hurricanes beat Nebraska, 31-30, in the Orange Bowl in one of the very best football games ever played. But it was more than that. It was a changing of the guard.
Miami was a commuter school. Its players were loud and brazen and, yes, intimidating. Two seasons later the Hurricanes swamped Notre Dame, 58-7, the second-worst loss in school history. Gerry Faust was already out as Irish coach by then, but that game was the nadir of Notre Dame football in the post-World War II era.
With those victories, and subsequent ones over Oklahoma, the brash and, let's not forget, highly talented, Hurricanes introduced college football to an entirely new culture. Miami, like many of the black athletes who peopled its roster, had no history of which to speak. So when the Hurricanes walked into the Big House or Notre Dame Stadium, they were not awed. They did not speak in hushed or reverent tones. Instead, the Canes just walked in and kicked ass.
And they were even scarier in their own 'hood, the Orange Bowl, where they won 58 consecutive games over a ten-year span.
What's all this have to do with Sean Taylor? Maybe nothing. But Miami's impact upon college football has been no different than hip-hop's on popular culture. Miami was the first school--or first Division I-A school, I should say--where black players could be black. You could talk smack at Miami, and your head coach wasn't going to admonish you for showing up your opponent. You could showboat and that was okay, as well. You could show up to a pre-Fiesta Bowl cookout in fatigues and equate the game to war and then walk out on that cookout and, well, if Tom and Martha in Iowa didn't understand what that was all about, forget those crackers.
Of course, none of the Miami image--the fatigues; Luther Campbell on the sidelines, paying out rewards for great hits; the 7th Floor Crew, etc.--would have mattered if the Canes were not an excellent football team. Which, over the past 23 years, they have been more often than not. It's not just the outstanding talent that has strutted onto the field at the O.B.--just a partial list would include Michael Irvin, Bennie Blades, Michael Barrow, Warren Sapp, Ed Reed, Willis McGahee, Jeremy Shockey, Clinton Portis, Edgerrin James, Dan Morgan, Ray Lewis, Russell Maryland, Cortez Kennedy, etc., etc., etc.--in that era. It was their confidence that blew you away. Miami was never, ever meek.
The Hurricanes never backed down from a fight, figurative or literal. And as the years passed even the most traditional and/or racist college football fans would have to grudgingly give Miami--to use a term that wasn't around before Miami became "The U"--its props. And let's allow that Miami has long been a "black thing". The famed 1988 game at Notre Dame, which was dubbed "Catholics vs. Convicts"? Wasn't that just a euphemism for "Whites vs. Blacks"? Sure, the Irish were led by an African-American quarterback that day--and all season--but only Miami played football as expressively as Run D.M.C. belted out "Walk This Way."
None of which is to blame Sean Taylor for his own murder. Nobody knows what happened. But what you see a lot in Miami football is a lot of what Whitlock, in his essay, either explicity writes about or implies in his essay. Believe it or not, there are college football fans who have grown up having never known a pre-Hurricane world. They do not realize that players never used to believe that "everyone was disrespecting us" before a big game. That there was a time when cornerbacks and wide receivers didn't treat every minor triumph as if they'd just won the Super Bowl.
That all began with Miami. Heck, if Miami had never come along--though it would have, somehwere-- we wouldn't have an "excessive celebration" penalty. Whitlock, in his essay, talks about black culture in a sense being cannibalistic. That black-on-black violence is out of control, and that maybe Sean Taylor's death will propel the African-American community to at last face that fact and rise up against what Whitlock calls "the black KKK."
I'm a white man living in the largest urban area in the country. I don't know everything about black culture, but I live in New York City and I follow big-time athletics for a living, and so what I'm about to write may not be politically correct, but tell me if it isn't factually correct: by and large, what I observe among too many young black males is a grasp for self-esteem that wasn't nurtured in them as children. The bling, the guns, the smack-talk, the misogyny--all aspects that are celebrated frequently in hip-hop music--emanate from a feeling of powerlessness. You don't see white athletes thumping their chests--well, you didn't used to, but now so many young white people want to be black that you do see that.
All of it, to me, stems from insecurity. From a need to be recognized. You will reckon with me, they seem to be proclaiming. The reasons for all of this go all the way back to the slave ships, of course, and I don't have the time, nor the educational background, to explain all of the reasons behind that attitude here. But what you see on the street--the over-arching priority of not being disrespected; the urge to flaunt your wealth or whatever else you have going for you; the complete absence of self-deprecation or humility--is exactly what you saw at Miami.
Is it a coincidence that not a few Miami players have been involved in violent deaths, two of whom have been victims in the past thirteen months? That the greatest hip-hop stars of the past decade, Tupac and Biggie, were murdered violently, their homicides never solved, and that quite likely the shooting deaths of Hurricanes Bryan Pata and Sean Taylor may never be solved? Maybe.
On Wednesday Jalen Rose and Marcellus Wiley appeared on ESPN2's "First Take", and both talked about how big-time athletes are targets. But c'mon. We don't really believe that. I don't. Big-time African-American athletes who live the P Diddy lifestyle are targets. Peyton Manning isn't a target. Tom Brady isn't a target. They may be famous and have the same problems other celebrities such as George Clooney or Lindsey Lohan have in terms of privacy, but they aren't targets. Mostly because they did not grew up in environments where many of their African-American teammates did, have not been exposed to the same people or situations.
And this isn't strictly a black-or-white issue. There was an outstanding feature on HBO's "Inside the NFL" last Wednesday about the Jones brothers, running backs Thomas (Jets) and Julius (Cowboys). The Jones were raised by a pair of utterly devoted parents, their mom a coal-miner, in the predominantly white (and poor) town of Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Thomas graduated from Virginia and Julius from Notre Dame, as you probably know. The Jones--the parents, two sons and five sisters--are a close-knit family and all seven kids even made a written pact to stay in touch with one another at least once a week as grown-ups.
Listening to Thomas and Julius speak, it became evident how little they needed to thump their chests. How apparent it was to them that they owe their success not only to themselves but to the people who provided for them. Watching it all, there was only one answer that was obvious: the difference was love. They knew they were loved as children, and it shows in how they behave as adults.
When the piece on the Jones brothers ended, HBO cut to the studio where Costas, Carter, Collinsworth and Marino were seated. Collinsworth, who I agree with only when I'm breathing, was the first to speak: "All's I can say," said Collinsworth, "is let's hear it for parents getting it done."
Exactly.
But Hannah!! That was so quick.
After five years on the CBS Early Show, Hannah Storm is leaving the show.
Or was pushed out. (?)
One can never really tell.
Staying on the subject of mixing sports with celebrities in Hollywood...
Dissapointed?
Exactly how I felt.
Its just that I thought Matthew McConaughey got all the sports parts.
Jake is just too... too... I don't know.
But I know enough to say he is NO Joe Namath.
After reading this story, are you more shocked to find out that:
A) Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo are dating?
B) Her dad set it up?
or
C) She's recording a country album?
For me, personally, I just can't get over option C. Ya'll.
And you don't even have to be A) registered, B) 18 or C) interested in politics.
Just sports.
The Chiefs have had enough. Having watched Justin Medlock and Dave Rayner wash out as field goal kickers this season, Kansas City has signed veteran kicker John Carney to a one-year deal.
Chiefs cock 'o the walk Carl Peterson said, "With the results of our offense it calls to find a very experienced and accurate field goal kicker. John Carney fits that description and we’ve admired his performance over many years in the NFL."
Rayner was 12 for 18 from beyond 30 yards. On Sunday, he missed a 33-yard fourth quarter field goal that would have put the Chiefs up 10 points. On the next Kansas City drive, coach Herm Edwards eschewed a field goal attempt from 40 yards on fourth-and-1 and the Chiefs running play got stuffed in a 20-17 home loss to the Raiders.
In 20 NFL seasons dating back to 1987, Carney's kicked for Tampa Bay, the Rams, Chargers, Saints and Jaguars. He filled in for Josh Scobee in Jacksonville this season and was 9 for 11.
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The Patriots will activate veteran wide receiver Troy Brown today or tomorrow. The 15-year veteran and career Patriot opened the season on the PUP list. He started practicing with the team 20 days ago and the team had until tomorrow to either activate him or place him on the injured list.
Brown, 36, is joining a roster chockful of wideouts so his biggest role over the final weeks of the season may be on special teams. He has 557 career receptions for New England.
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Tim Graham of the Palm Beach Post is reporting that Dolphins running back Ricky Williams 2007 season is over after one game and four carries. He tore a pectoral muscle when he was stepped on by Steelers rookie Lawrence Timmons. That's one way to dissuade him from inhaling.
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Ravens running back and former University of Miami running back Willis McGahee on former Miami teammate Sean Taylor who died Tuesday morning.
"Sean was a great player, but more importantly a special person. When a senseless tragedy like this happens close to home, it really makes you think about the people in your life. This is much bigger than football life is precious and you are reminded of that every day. I know he is in a better place, and my prayers are with his family."
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Jason LaCanfora of the Washington Post has done a tremendous job this week on the very difficult Sean Taylor story. So too has Post writer Amy Shipley who's on the ground in Miami.
This is sounding less and less like this was a crime perpetrated by someone who merely wanted to relieve Taylor of some money and possessions.
A Post article online this afternoon said that Taylor family lawyer Richard Sharpstein, "has provided details in various interviews. He said Taylor and his fiancee, Jackie Garcia, were asleep with their 18-month-old daughter when they were awakened by noises in the house. Taylor reached for a machete or other form of knife he keeps nearby in case of emergency, Sharpstein said. He told CNN that Taylor then locked the door of the bedroom, but an intruder kicked the door in and fired twice, striking Taylor once in the upper leg."
I can't imagine what'd it be like to lose a loved one in the way Sean Taylor was taken from his family, friends, and teammates today.
I understand many people have opinions on the situation. It is human nature. I'd also like to believe that when moving forward, people will remember to use a certain amount of respect towards the tragic situation.
Regardless of speculation as to what might have happened, who was involved, the motive, and certain life choices made by Taylor... my small opinion is that it is important to remember what actually happened.
That a 24 year old man was shot and killed suddenly. In the flash of a moment, his life taken. And left behind were people who cared and loved him very much. All this at a time of year when we are supposed to be thankful for what we have and aim to give to those who have less.
When the evidence comes out, there will be a right moment and time to voice opinions on what might have led to this. In the meantime, my heart goes out to his family, daughter and friends.
No matter what, 24 is never an age where your life should end.
Head coaches at various college football programs are dropping, dropping, dropping!
So what do you do when your number one guy says "See ya!" You go steal away great talent from other schools. Great talent that is itching/looking/ready/willing to jump into the hot seat. Naturally, its the thing to do.
Normally I would not be concerned. Bobby Bowden is to FSU what Santa is to Christmas. Connected forever. Foorrreeevvveerrrr.
But this! This! This news is a little rise for concern. A little.
Turns out Jimbo Fisher, the man Bobby fought long and hard to get to come to FSU, isn't exactly happy. (After this season and our offensive woes, I can't/don't blame him.) And with alllllll these schools, (GEORGIA TECH) looking to steal away some talent, Fisher knows his name has been dropped more then casually as a candidate.
According to WARCHANT.COM, FSU wants to do all that it can to keep Fisher put. And if that means possibly setting up a path to make him the NEXT head coach.. then that is a real possibility.
Rumor has it Bobby is looking at a final contract. Some say 5 years. Probably closer to the 2-3 range. A key component is the bonus at the end of the contract... which would be if retirement is in fact chosen, a cool $1 million paycheck would be in the mail.
Gonna be an interesting week in Tally.
Sean Taylor, the Washington Redskins safety and -- perhaps more tellingly in this circumstance, a University of Miami product -- is reportedly fighting for his life in a Miami hospital after being shot in his home early Monday morning.
Was this random violence visited upon Taylor by an intruder outside his South Miami Dade home as early reports are indicating?
Or was he shot in the groin at the backdoor of his million dollar home for some other reason? Taylor was no stranger to guns. And, sadly, University of Miami football players -- past and present -- are too often intimate with deadly violence. Violence and too many University of Miami football players are intertwined like strands of DNA.
It was little more than a year ago -- November 7, 2006 -- that Miami senior Bryan Pata was shot to death at his apartment. In July of last year, another Miami player, Willie Cooper, was shot in the buttocks by an intruder outside his home. His roommate, teammate and current New England Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather, returned fire. There was the infamous brawl between Miami and Florida International in 2006.
From there, the line of violence can be drawn through Taylor himself -- accused of wielding a gun at a man and repeatedly hitting him during a fight that broke out after Taylor and some friends went looking for the people who had allegedly stolen his all-terrain vehicles in 2005 -- to Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis' being tangled up in a double murder outside an Atlanta nightclub in 1999, to Lewis' roommate Marlin Barnes being bludgeoned to death in April of 1996, on down to stupidity like rapper Luther Campbell of 2Live Crew offering bounties to Miami players for big plays back in the 1990s.
The University of Miami football community's also had its share of random tragedy. Bills tight end Kevin Everett's near-fatal neck injury in the opening week of this season. Former Miami star Jerome Brown was a Pro Bowler for the Eagles when he was killed in a car accident at the age of 27 back in 1992. In 2002 and 2003, former Canes Chris Campbell and Al Blades died in car accidents as well.
As Taylor, the son of a Florida police chief and father of an infant child, fights to stay alive to see tomorrow, you think of them and pray for him. And yet, inevitably, you also shake your head at the violence surrounding individuals who played football for the University of Miami. So much that it's long gone past being a coincidence or a minor trend.
And it makes you look for a quote you remembered reading. The one from former Miami and current Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason. The one he uttered in July of 2006 after Cooper was shot, "We're targets because we play for the University of Miami. ... These guys, they know who we are."
BRISTOL, CT—The advertising, promotions, and publicity departments of cable sports network ESPN are being lauded for refusing to simply give up on attempting to promote the upcoming lackluster Miami-Pittsburgh Monday night matchup, instead turning in what some are calling a "championship-game level of hype." "Our business is all about blowing things out of proportion, but rarely do we see a game as one-sided as this given this kind of dedication," said Advertising Age columnist Alan Quensbury. "Talk about turd-polishing... I'm in awe. My mind says it'll be hard for Steeler fans to stay awake through the blowout, but the ESPN people have made me believe it'll be one for the ages." ESPN promotions personnel have responded to the praise by saying they were "just doing their jobs" and that they will issue a full statement of thanks after "Monday night's classic clash of tradition-rich AFC powerhouses."
As for me.... my whole entire Fantasy Football season depends on the skills of one man: WILLIE PARKER. Please let Fast Willie find the end zone many many times. PLEASE!!!!
BRISTOL, CT - Craig Kilborn, the former host of The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn, actor from the film The Benchwarmers, and SportsCenter anchor from 1993 to 1997, was spotted at 5:30 a.m. this morning broke, homeless, and passed out in front of ESPN's SportsCenter studios.
If you're keeping score, at least three coaches whose teams played Notre Dame this season will not be returning to their jobs in 2008: Lloyd Carr, who retired from Michigan; and Chan Gailey of Georgia Tech and Ted Roof of Duke, both of whom were fired this morning. Keep an eye out for Karl Dorrell, UCLA, to join this list...based largely on how the Bruins do next weekend versus Southern Cal.
Thoughts before boarding a plane bound from SF to JFK:
--More people probably recognize Wesley Welker now than Wesley Walker . Welker, by the way, was not initially offered a college scholarship and was not drafted by the NFL. New England's perfect season was basically preserved last night by a former 6th-round draft pick and a former non-draftee.
--NBC's own Al Michaels, about midway through Sunday night's Eagles-Pats tussle, said, "The Patriots find themselves in a dogfight...poor choice of words."
--Are you like me? When you see the headline "NFL Player Shot" is your first thought, Florida State or Miami?
--The problem with the hotel bill not naming what movie you watched is that when you actually do purchase "Superbad", some expense account overlord automatically assumes you just watched "Hot Busty Nurses" anyway.
Laurence Maroney just banged in from the 4 yard line to give the Patriots a 31-29 lead with 7:20 left. We'll see if A.J. Feeley can finish off what's been a bang-up night with a drive to retake the lead.
My bet....no...but I give him a puncher's chance...maybe 35 percent.
Brady just hit Wes Welker down to the Eagles 4 and have first-and-goal. Welker has 12 receptions for 140 yards - both career bests.
Patriots outside linebacker Rosevelt Colvin is out for the rest of the game with a foot injury and corner Randall Gay has a back injury that leaves him questionable for the rest of the game.
The Pats held on third down and get the ball back with 12:09 remaining.
The Eagles just held on fourth-and-4 as Brady threw wild over the head of Wes Welker. The Eagles take over at their own 33 with 13:36 left. New England is not a crisp machine. And Bob Kuechenberg is wide awake and just called Mercury Morris out of a deep sleep and told him to get over RIGHT AWAY!
Eagles defensive lineman Trent Cole just wandered across the line before the Patriots were set to punt on fourth-and-3, giving New England a first down. We'll see what the Patriots do with the gift as the fourth quarter begins with New England down 28-24 beginning the fourth quarter.
What a performance by A.J. Feeley who's now 21 for 31 for 276 yards with three touchdowns and a pick. The Eagles offense has outscored New England's 28-17 so far. And nobody saw this coming.
He just hit Reggie Brown inside Randall Gay on third-and-goal from the 4 to make it 28-24 Philadelphia.
Bad miss by New England kicker Steve Gostkowski from 32 yards away to pee away a chance for the Pats to put up points after they got to the Philly 4.
Randy Moss got called for offensive pass interference - an easy call - to back New England outside the 10. Brady then threw behind Wes Welker on a little slant and heat got to Brady on third down to lead to Gostkowski's miss.
With the Eagles playing both safeties back on a third-and-12 play, the Patriots sprung a quick screen to Wes Welker in the slot and he did the rest turning an 8-yard gain into a 42-yard gain showing some bizarre balance to stay upright and get down to the Eagles 4.
The Patriots escape to their locker room with a 24-21 lead at halftime having seen their offense outscored by Philly 21-17 (Asante Samuel's interception return was the other New England score).
With the Eagles devoting five and six defensive backs to the field and New England - going without a huddle - and trying to throw through the Philly defense, the Pats are having success but blitzes and hard licks on wide receivers are taking a toll.
Meanwhile, the Eagles played lights out in the first half and trail by a field goal.
Tough business.
I'll tell you this, the buzz in the press box is one of heavy surprise/shock and writers who three hours ago were lamenting covering another dull blowout by the Pats are enjoying the storyline.
A.J. Feeley's feeling it so far. He's been making quick and accurate decisions to counter New England's blitzes and has found soft spots in the Patriots pass defense.
And Feeley just completed a third-and-10 touchdown pass to Greg Lewis to make it 21-17. Lewis has now scored twice.
Somebody elbow Bob Kuechenburg and tell him things are getting interesting.
On 15 of the first 20 plays (that weren't incompletions, the ball went to Eagles running back Brian Westbrook.
Clearly the Eagles plan was to get it in the hands of Westbrook, the kind of small, quick, jitterbugging back the Patriots have trouble corralling.
From Juqua Thomas' premature burial of Tom Brady on New England's first drive to an aborted pass by wide receiver Jason Avant to a successful onsides kick, the Eagles are clearly going to go down punching in this one.
It's 14-14 with 9:21 left in the half and the Patriots are on the move.
The Patriots, by the way, have one designed run so far in their three drives.
Juqua Thomas just bodybagged Tom Brady. Put him in a frontal bear hug after walking past Nick Kaczur and landed all of his 250 pounds on top of the league's best player.
Brady got to his feet quickly ambled about a little more on the next snap then took the next snap.
Since the hit, he's gone 4 for 5 for 57 yards and scrambled 12 yards for a first down.
Brady's response to Thomas' hit was similar to one after he got decleated by Buffalo corner Nate Clements knocking his helmet off. That time, Brady merely stood up, found the pieces of his helmet and walked back to the huddle.
He's a tough hombre.
Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork was not on the field for the Eagles second drive and defensive end Richard Seymour didn't come in until the goal line situation.
The Eagles just went 77 yards in 14 plays in seven minutes and change to tie the game at 7.
The Eagles have a little drive going down to the Patriots 21...which likely means the interception return for Randall Gay will be that much longer.
The Patriots have begun their Tysoning of the Eagles as Asante Samuel picked off A.J. Feeley and returned it 22 yards for the touchdown to make it 7-0 less than two minutes into the game.
The spread in Vegas was 23 and change and the Pats are already making headway on it.
That was Samuel's third regular season touchdown on an interception return.
By taking care of the Texans today, 27-17, the Browns put themselves in excellent position for an AFC Wild Card.
Check it out...Cleveland's now 7-4 and the Titans -- who began the day tied with Cleveland, got blown away by the Bengals 34-6. So now the Titans are 6-5.
With the Bills and Ravens losing, they're two games up on those clubs. Kansas City lost to go to 4-7. The Broncos could get to 6-5 or 5-6 depending on how their game with the Bears goes (it's 13-13 right now).
The Browns trail the Jags (8-3) for the other wild card spot which - as Jax goes to see the Colts next Sunday - could change hands.
Cleveland closes with some weak sisters down the stretch.
They're at Arizona and the Jets then host Buffalo are at Cincy then close at home with the 49ers.
Who spent last Sunday extolling the resilience of the Giants? This blog.
Who said that Eli Manning was a ball of resourcefulness? This blog.
Who alleged that these New York Giants were well-positioned to deal with the loss of key players because they weren't sniping, sniveling little worms? That was this blog too.
This blog may have gotten it wrong.
Eli completed two passes to Dwight Smith for 112 yards and a touchdown and also threw touchdown passes of 37 and 20 yards to Chad Greenway and Darren Sharper. All those targets play for the Vikings.
"I didn't play well obviously," said Manning who went 21 for 49 for 273 yards with a touchdown and four picks in the 41-17 loss. "It wasn't a matter of confusion they just made a lot of good plays."
From there, Manning went on to three times say that he was - to borrow a phrase from The Big Lebowski - "out of his element."
"It wasnt good," said Manning. "You throw four interceptions, it's never a good day. Every one has it's own story."
Right..."Once upon a time, Eli felt some pressure..."
Anyway, the Giants went into this game without Matthias Kiwanuka for the first time and - again - without monster back Brandon Jacobs. How much their absence impacted the Giants is unclear since so much was given away by Manning.
"I wish there was some simple explanation for this game but there isn't," said Giants coach Tom Coughlin. "In the National Football League, you cannot wrap it up and hand it to the guy across the field and we did. You won't be able to win a football game when you give away three scores on interceptions and have another returned to the 8. Obviously, I did a very ppor job of getting them ready to play. I would have liked to have seen how this game would have played out if we did not provide them with a gift wrapped win."
Asked his level of concern for Manning, Coughlin said, "My level of concern is how fast he's gonna bounce back. People are in shock right now. He'll bounce back. He's bounced back before."
The 7-5 Giants are at Chicago and at Philly the next two weeks. All's not lost but, with the injuries, the Giants couldn't afford to -- as Coughlin said -- giftwrap a game.
The neckties could be tightening in Gotham after all.