Sunday, December 28, 2008

History or just another let down

Hey folks, hope everyone had a good Holiday...and now back to sports.

This Sunday, a couple of moments happened in NFL history, and none of them where a good thing.

Sunday say the Lions fall to 0-16, the first team in NFL history to do so. The question I bring to this is, are the Lions the product of a bad GM--who was fired in the middle of the season--or a bad coach. I look at it as the product that Matt Millen put on field, I mean how man wide receivers does a team need to have in the first round, and doesn't it make it hard for a wide receiver to get the ball when he has an inept quarterback and no offensive line or running game to speak off. With this season in the books, the Lions need to find a new GM and find a decent draft, and hope they can turn the season around. I feel sorry for Rob Miranelli, he will be the scapegoat for a season that was out of his control from the get go.

Second we bring you to the Denver Broncos, a team that was tops in the AFC west for all 16 weeks, and ended the season lossing to San Diego, and not making the playoffs. While injuries hit this team hard--7 running backs on injuried reserve--but having a defense that was 28th in the league was just sorry. While injuries can set a team back, the play of the Broncos was poor for the later part of the season. While out a running game, Jay Cutler was forced to pass the ball on almost every play, allowing defenses to key on the pass. Has the time come for the Broncos to part ways with Mike Shannahan? should he step down as head if personel decisions and just focus on coaching? Do Broncos need new set of Coordinators? there are a number of questions that need to be looked at this off season.

Well folks, the regular season is done, and it's time for the playoffs...should be a good year for some teams.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

So I've been slacking off

Well, I did it again, despite my best efforts--or lack of--I have failed to post a blog in almost a month, so I would say we have some catch up to do.

A lot of stuff has happened since my last blog, the downfall of many NFL team and shots at the playoffs, my beavers getting crushed at home to Oregon in the Civil and having to ship off to the Sun Bowl once again, a classic BCS screw job--how does Texas not get in the Big XII title after beating Oklahoma at a neutral site. But we need to focus on the present.

Bowl season has started, and today features a team that get a bowl game just based on their name alone. I admit that at one time the sports guy followed The Fighting Irish--as any Irishmen in America I think you have too, unless you grew up in Boston. This is not the same ND team of the past, Charlie Weis has had top recruits come to South Bend and they are still losing to teams that they should have beat, I say Victories over North Carolina, Army, Air Force are not enough when you lose to the worst team in the Big East. I give this game to Hawaii, they are playing a home game, and the Warriors always play well at home.

Yesterday, was a low point in the history of the MAC Kennel, as my Zags, fresh off a lost to #2 UConn, lost at home to the Portland State Vikings. While I have nothing against the Vikings win, I wonder if the Zags have let the hype get to their heads. The Zags are not the teams they were when Big C was in the Stands at the Kennel. While I still feel Mark Few is one of the best coaches in the Country--the numbers don't lie people--I wonder if they are getting away from the players that made them great, where is the heart, where is the passion, where is my 6'8" or 6'9" 265+ center like we used to have, this team has not had a player like that since the graduation of JP Batista. The Zags need to start playing Zags basketball. The WCC is no longer a cake walk, with games against Tennesse and Memphis still on the schedule, it's time to start playing like Cinderella again.

The Holidays are a team that we must look to the world and see what hope can come from people, and this season the sports guy has found a cause he can support. Normally, I read ESPN page 2 to get a little humor with my sports, but this year I found a story involving hope, love, rebuilding, and sports. The 9th Ward Field of Dreams is a great story, I will post this link at the end if you want to read the story. I have always felt sports was a way to bring a community and people together when things were bad. Additionally, I have always viewed sports as a way to keep the youth of America involved, in shape, and working as a team and learning about wins and losses and what the real world is all about, and that not everyone will make it to the Pros, but with the help of sports, people who could not go to college can get a chance at a free education. Here is the link the the 9th Ward Field of Dreams story: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=clemmons/081222

On this Christmas eve I wish everyone a happy Holidays, Goodwill toward men (and women) Happy Holidays Everyone