I first saw the news playing blackjack with my brother at a corner table at the Isle today.
I was down about $250 at that point. (And made a tremendous, tremendous rally to get almost back to even from that point on. Hooray Pai Gow!)
Anyways. Every flat screen around us had the NFLN on it.
And the glorious news.
DT is in.
The Hall of Fame.
Derrick Thomas becomes either number 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, or 243, to enter the hallowed grounds of Canton, Ohio, as an illustrious member.
I nearly shed tears watching Clark Hunt give his remarks. I nearly shed tears again getting multiple text messages along the lines of "he's in!", "DT in HOF!", "Wait is over, DTs IN!!!"
My reaction will forever be recorded as the first posted comment to DT's biggest supporter, Bob Gretz', reaction to DT getting in.
For that, I am eternally grateful.
The response speaks for itself.
(Here's hoping Canton, Ohio is a helluva lot more fun that Canton, Illinois ... no offense to anyone affiliated with the Grigsby clan over that remark ...)
--------------------
(the link: http://www.bobgretz.com/chiefs-football/it%e2%80%99s-about-time.html/comment-page-1#comment-12500)
One Response to “It’s About Time”
January 31, 2009 - steve says:
enjoy 15 of them champ! you have earned every one of them. thank you, thank you, thank you, for never letting dr. z’s ridiculous assertations get you down, for never giving up the fight. thank you sir, for this moment. you, by standing up for DT, gave every Chiefs fan … you just gave us what we needed.
on behalf of my little seat in Arrowhead Nation, and I’d be lying if I said what seat in 132 I am next year, since they’re all changing numbers … on behalf of my little section of Arrowhead Nation, thank you for all you did.
Can’t wait until that magical August afternoon when the world will get to appreciate what so many of us did throughout the 90s …
--------------------
I've never looked forward to a "roadie" like this one ...
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
(facebook voice) 25 things about me ...
I already posted "The Ultimate Steve Quiz" last year (go to the July postings, and take the quiz before reading the answers, no cheating on this site, unless it gets Democrats elected ...)
But I keep getting tagged with this "reveal 25 things about you people may not know" tag. So rather than send it to only 25 people, here you go, for anyone and everyone to read:
(and yes, I get more lengthy and long winded the further you go. That's Steve style champ, deal with it).
1. I like kids, but right now I have no desire to ever have one (or more) of my own.
2. My favorite fast food joint is Taco Bueno.
3. I would give just about anything to move back to Texas.
4. Any day below 70 degrees is too cold for my liking.
5. I believe there is no such thing as it being "too hot outside". My ideal day is 105 and sunny with a slight breeze. Which we get here in KC maybe one, two weekends a year. Hence my desire to move back to Texas.
6. There is no event in life that you cannot tailgate at.
7. I believe people who focus entirely on the afterlife, miss the entire reason for our existance in the first place. Life was meant to be enjoyed, to be lived to the fullest, not to be spent in a pew being told how evil you are for daring to enjoy this great gift of life that God gave us.
8. From the "Steve reveals too much" department: I have to be very picky about the clothes I wear / purchase, because I have overactive sweat glands.
9. I love Curious George.
10. The only times in the last year that I cried was (a) when I held my nephew for the first time, (b) when Mario Chalmers hit the 3 to send the National Title Game to overtime, and (c) as the Chiefs knelt down to beat the denver broncos. Priorities.
11. I am a 130 bowler. That is pathetic.
12. I once called former Royals catcher Ed Hearn "that son of a b*tch we traded David Cone for" to his face. Good times!
13. I think if Jesus came back today, and saw what religious conservatives have done to this country in His name, he would shake his head and scream "cracked magazine! unbelievable!"
14. I am still infuriated that the super delegates chose Barry over Hillary. It was a deciding factor in my vote last fall, and it will be a factor in my vote in 2012.
15. I am too laid back and trusting for my own good.
16. The saddest day of my life was either James' funeral, or Randy's funeral. The fact they occurred within 6 weeks of each other just made life miserable for a while.
17. I opted not to attend Baylor University because they drug the live bear mascot out of his cave on a 112 degree day for us prospective students to see. That's just mean. He's a bear! Fur, hair everywhere! Let him sleep in the cool cave.
18. I really only keep in touch with two people from college.
19. There is only one thing in life I have ever done and/or been a part of, that I wish I could do over again. Everything else negative since that moment, I accept as fallout and/or payback, from that decision.
20. Karma is a bitch. And I'm not referring to the deaf chick from Cottey College.
21. My ideal day: wake up at 7am. Stumble out to the main room, turn on the TV. See buddies crashed on the couch, ready for day two of the race weekend experience. Weather comes on FOX 4, forecast is 102 and sunny. Fist pump for joy! Hit the shower. Emerge by 7:15, everyone starting to wake up. By 8am, the Blazer's loaded with coolers, chairs, sunscreen and washer sets. Off to the Speedway we go! In the gates by 8:30. Shirt off by 8:31. Spend 6 hours enjoying a hot, sunny, summer day the way it was intended to be enjoyed: with a washer / baggo / football in one hand, a frosty cold Coors Light in the other, as Incubus or Jack Johnson or Dave Matthews blares from the stereo (and smoke you'd expect at one of their concerts makes its away around the tailgate). Head in at 2:30 for driver intros. The hornets nest of IndyCar engines springs to life at 3. Race ends at 5 with whoever I have in the betting pool winning. Tailgate the rest of the day away, leave as the sun goes down ... and call in sick the next morning before the boss arrives.
Sadly, the IRL deprived me of that magical July day I lived for when they moved our race to April. Damned bastards. But that still describes a weekend in Indy, so for that, I'm grateful ...
22. Greatest grocery shopping spree ever: early November 1998. Me, Frank, Vineet, Mike and Niko are in a Thursday night bowling league at the beautiful Don Carter's All Star Lanes Southwest (yup, with security posted at the door). Its about 12:30am when we leave. We need groceries, so me and Frank head to the Tom Thumb on Collins to do some late night shopping (a 24 hour grocery and liquor provider. God Bless Texas!!!) Anyways, we're working our way through the store and discover Heineken 12 packs on sale for $7.99.
With no limit.
After confirming with the overnight stockboy that there is, in fact, no limit, we literally buy out the entire display. We had like $35 worth of food ... and $300 worth of Heineken.
(Man, I miss having the 'rents credit card sometimes ...)
23. I believe no truer words have ever been spoken than how the Beatles ended their recordings together. "And in the end. The love you take. Is equal to the love you make".
24. I can honestly say my brother is one of my best friends. That's something far too few people can say, sadly.
And finally ...
25. All I want out of life at this point is to meet a girl I can be good friends with. I'm not looking for a "girlfriend", or a "fiance" or (gag) a "wife" ... I just want someone that's fun, that's cool to hang out with, that is one of the group. And if something comes from that, great. But I want to start small, simple. Just a friend. Or as Biz Markie would say, "you say I'm just a friend ..." Yeah, just a friend. (If its with benefits, hooray Steve!). Nothing serious, just a friend. That's a girl. The two words don't have to go (marty page voice on indycar broadcasts) side-by-side ...
But I keep getting tagged with this "reveal 25 things about you people may not know" tag. So rather than send it to only 25 people, here you go, for anyone and everyone to read:
(and yes, I get more lengthy and long winded the further you go. That's Steve style champ, deal with it).
1. I like kids, but right now I have no desire to ever have one (or more) of my own.
2. My favorite fast food joint is Taco Bueno.
3. I would give just about anything to move back to Texas.
4. Any day below 70 degrees is too cold for my liking.
5. I believe there is no such thing as it being "too hot outside". My ideal day is 105 and sunny with a slight breeze. Which we get here in KC maybe one, two weekends a year. Hence my desire to move back to Texas.
6. There is no event in life that you cannot tailgate at.
7. I believe people who focus entirely on the afterlife, miss the entire reason for our existance in the first place. Life was meant to be enjoyed, to be lived to the fullest, not to be spent in a pew being told how evil you are for daring to enjoy this great gift of life that God gave us.
8. From the "Steve reveals too much" department: I have to be very picky about the clothes I wear / purchase, because I have overactive sweat glands.
9. I love Curious George.
10. The only times in the last year that I cried was (a) when I held my nephew for the first time, (b) when Mario Chalmers hit the 3 to send the National Title Game to overtime, and (c) as the Chiefs knelt down to beat the denver broncos. Priorities.
11. I am a 130 bowler. That is pathetic.
12. I once called former Royals catcher Ed Hearn "that son of a b*tch we traded David Cone for" to his face. Good times!
13. I think if Jesus came back today, and saw what religious conservatives have done to this country in His name, he would shake his head and scream "cracked magazine! unbelievable!"
14. I am still infuriated that the super delegates chose Barry over Hillary. It was a deciding factor in my vote last fall, and it will be a factor in my vote in 2012.
15. I am too laid back and trusting for my own good.
16. The saddest day of my life was either James' funeral, or Randy's funeral. The fact they occurred within 6 weeks of each other just made life miserable for a while.
17. I opted not to attend Baylor University because they drug the live bear mascot out of his cave on a 112 degree day for us prospective students to see. That's just mean. He's a bear! Fur, hair everywhere! Let him sleep in the cool cave.
18. I really only keep in touch with two people from college.
19. There is only one thing in life I have ever done and/or been a part of, that I wish I could do over again. Everything else negative since that moment, I accept as fallout and/or payback, from that decision.
20. Karma is a bitch. And I'm not referring to the deaf chick from Cottey College.
21. My ideal day: wake up at 7am. Stumble out to the main room, turn on the TV. See buddies crashed on the couch, ready for day two of the race weekend experience. Weather comes on FOX 4, forecast is 102 and sunny. Fist pump for joy! Hit the shower. Emerge by 7:15, everyone starting to wake up. By 8am, the Blazer's loaded with coolers, chairs, sunscreen and washer sets. Off to the Speedway we go! In the gates by 8:30. Shirt off by 8:31. Spend 6 hours enjoying a hot, sunny, summer day the way it was intended to be enjoyed: with a washer / baggo / football in one hand, a frosty cold Coors Light in the other, as Incubus or Jack Johnson or Dave Matthews blares from the stereo (and smoke you'd expect at one of their concerts makes its away around the tailgate). Head in at 2:30 for driver intros. The hornets nest of IndyCar engines springs to life at 3. Race ends at 5 with whoever I have in the betting pool winning. Tailgate the rest of the day away, leave as the sun goes down ... and call in sick the next morning before the boss arrives.
Sadly, the IRL deprived me of that magical July day I lived for when they moved our race to April. Damned bastards. But that still describes a weekend in Indy, so for that, I'm grateful ...
22. Greatest grocery shopping spree ever: early November 1998. Me, Frank, Vineet, Mike and Niko are in a Thursday night bowling league at the beautiful Don Carter's All Star Lanes Southwest (yup, with security posted at the door). Its about 12:30am when we leave. We need groceries, so me and Frank head to the Tom Thumb on Collins to do some late night shopping (a 24 hour grocery and liquor provider. God Bless Texas!!!) Anyways, we're working our way through the store and discover Heineken 12 packs on sale for $7.99.
With no limit.
After confirming with the overnight stockboy that there is, in fact, no limit, we literally buy out the entire display. We had like $35 worth of food ... and $300 worth of Heineken.
(Man, I miss having the 'rents credit card sometimes ...)
23. I believe no truer words have ever been spoken than how the Beatles ended their recordings together. "And in the end. The love you take. Is equal to the love you make".
24. I can honestly say my brother is one of my best friends. That's something far too few people can say, sadly.
And finally ...
25. All I want out of life at this point is to meet a girl I can be good friends with. I'm not looking for a "girlfriend", or a "fiance" or (gag) a "wife" ... I just want someone that's fun, that's cool to hang out with, that is one of the group. And if something comes from that, great. But I want to start small, simple. Just a friend. Or as Biz Markie would say, "you say I'm just a friend ..." Yeah, just a friend. (If its with benefits, hooray Steve!). Nothing serious, just a friend. That's a girl. The two words don't have to go (marty page voice on indycar broadcasts) side-by-side ...
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
the ten crappiest tv shows ever
My latest addiction in life (joining booze, bowling, basketball, football, motorsports, politics, and fun adult entertainment) is watching crappy old shows on Hulu.
You know, the shows we grew up watching, and look back now and can only shake our heads and think "what the hell were we thinking by watching (insert show here)?!?!"
Me and a few friends have been having a spirited debate lately over what the worst show of all time is. I argue there's one that stands head and shoulders over all other challengers. But to identify the cream of the crap, you have to give all the contenders a chance to prove their crappiness.
Here then, are my top 10 Crappiest TV Shows ever.
Dis-honorable Mention: "ALF". This show is wretched. Its brutally unwatchable at times. And originally this show was 7th in my preliminary rankings. But after pretty much re-watching the entire 3rd season over the last few days ... I had to remove it from the top 10. There are a few moments that are actually funny. Not many. But a few. So its spared being in the worst of the worst. Barely.
10. "Webster". Hey, I've got an idea for a hit show: let's take a gambling addicted former NFL player, pick a not-even-remotely attractive actress to play his wife, and toss in a black midget to boot! Hilarity will ensue! Or not. This show is horrendous. Its beyond awful.
9. "Matlock". I don't know what more unbelievable: the idea of every defendant being innocent ... or the idea that a seasoned citizen attorney somehow, someway ALWAYS finds the one piece of vital evidence to get his client off.
8. "Renegade". Because when I think of believable law enforcement show, Lorenzo Lamas as a wrongly-framed guy on the run, righting the wrongs of society, immediately comes to mind. Aye caramba. And did I mention it stars Lorenzo Lamas! Cracked Magazine.
7. "The Hogan Family". To think NBC once had this AND "ALF" as the opening hour of its Monday night lineup. Cracked Magazine.
6. "Head of the Class". The show that made Robin Givens a star. Just repeat that phrase if you have any doubts about why this show is in the Craptacular Countdown. "The show that made Robin Givens a star".
5. "Mad About You". I hate this show with a passion. Not a Paul Reiser fan. Not a Helen Hunt fan. And once that annoying kid was added, whatever last semblance of watchability this show had went down the proverbial crapper.
4. "Airwolf". Ernest Borgnine plus Jan Michael Vincent? My God. How this show lasted multiple episodes, let alone multiple seasons, defies any semblance of logic. Again, its Ernest Borgnine! Ernest freaking Borgnine! As a frigging renegade pilot!
3. "Major Dad". CBS had some great, and I mean great, sitcoms on Monday night as the 1990s dawned. "Murphy Brown", "Designing Women", "Evening Shade". All thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining, worth the half hour investment of your time. Then, there was "Major Dad". How this retarded idea ever got green-lighted, I have no idea. How it lasted at least 4 seasons, I have no idea. How this isn't number one in this crappy countdown, I do have an idea about. Because there were two shows worse than this. Including ...
2. "Empty Nest". If it wasn't for the strong resume of crapitude of the number one show, this one would have lapped the field. You start with a brutally unfunny Richard Mulligan. Toss in two annoying as hell daughters, played by the irritating Carol Manoff and Kristy MacNichol (who had the common sense to bail on this show midway through its run). Throw in that annoying black chick from "Night Court" as a nurse, and you've already got a recipe for disaster. But no, NBC didn't stop there. They had to throw in David Leisure as the wacky neighbor Charlie. Amazingly, this show was a spin-off from a damned good sitcom ("The Golden Girls"). Not amazingly, you won't laugh for one second watching any episode of this crappy waste of broadcasting bandwidth.
So that leaves our "winner". A show that nails every key component to craptacular perfection. Bad acting, p*ss poor plot lines, utterly unbelievable story ideas, and the single worst character ever unleashed upon the sitcom watching public.
Yup. This is it.
(This is it).
This is life, the one you get, so go and have a ball!
This is it! (This is it!)
Straight ahead, and rest assured, you can't be sure at all.
So while you're here, enjoy the view,
Keep on doin' what you do!
Hang on tight, we'll muddle through,
One Day at a Time!
Yes, the Steve anointed crappiest show of all time is ... "One Day at a Time".
Bonnie Franklin plays Ann Romano, a divorced mom of two who decides to uproot the family and move to Indianapolis. Two minutes of watching her "act", and its easy to see why her husband left her. She's got two daughters, played by Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertanelli. Only one of the two is even remotely appealing and watchable. And as if those three actresses aren't brutal enough, you have the presence of the single worst sitcom character ever, Schneider. The wise-cracking building supervisor who is way too involved in his tenants lives.
There's one episode that stands out above all the rest, and believe me, distinguishing yourself from the other crappy episodes this show unleashed on the public is saying something. Its the episode where Julie debates whether or not to have sex with a guy she's been seeing.
OK, set aside the whole "when's the right time to do it for the first time" cliched storyline that every sitcom plays out (often hilariously). Set aside the obvious sex jokes that are littered in the episode, the totally predictable mother-daughter discussion, and the not even remotely shocking ending (she decides to wait). There's one really big problem with this episode, this storyline, this pivotal episode to the show. And its this:
Who would actually have sex with Mackenzie Phillips? We're talking about a drug addict. She isn't wearing much, if any, makeup in this episode. She's got acne issues. Her hairdo is unflattering. Her outfits are repulsive. And she has a gap in her two front teeth that would make Michael Strahan jealous. And yet, we're supposed to believe that the quarterback of her school's football team is trying to tap that?!?! Come on man! That's more unbelievable than anything I can imagine.
And seals "One Day at a Time"'s spot at the top of this countdown.
You know, the shows we grew up watching, and look back now and can only shake our heads and think "what the hell were we thinking by watching (insert show here)?!?!"
Me and a few friends have been having a spirited debate lately over what the worst show of all time is. I argue there's one that stands head and shoulders over all other challengers. But to identify the cream of the crap, you have to give all the contenders a chance to prove their crappiness.
Here then, are my top 10 Crappiest TV Shows ever.
Dis-honorable Mention: "ALF". This show is wretched. Its brutally unwatchable at times. And originally this show was 7th in my preliminary rankings. But after pretty much re-watching the entire 3rd season over the last few days ... I had to remove it from the top 10. There are a few moments that are actually funny. Not many. But a few. So its spared being in the worst of the worst. Barely.
10. "Webster". Hey, I've got an idea for a hit show: let's take a gambling addicted former NFL player, pick a not-even-remotely attractive actress to play his wife, and toss in a black midget to boot! Hilarity will ensue! Or not. This show is horrendous. Its beyond awful.
9. "Matlock". I don't know what more unbelievable: the idea of every defendant being innocent ... or the idea that a seasoned citizen attorney somehow, someway ALWAYS finds the one piece of vital evidence to get his client off.
8. "Renegade". Because when I think of believable law enforcement show, Lorenzo Lamas as a wrongly-framed guy on the run, righting the wrongs of society, immediately comes to mind. Aye caramba. And did I mention it stars Lorenzo Lamas! Cracked Magazine.
7. "The Hogan Family". To think NBC once had this AND "ALF" as the opening hour of its Monday night lineup. Cracked Magazine.
6. "Head of the Class". The show that made Robin Givens a star. Just repeat that phrase if you have any doubts about why this show is in the Craptacular Countdown. "The show that made Robin Givens a star".
5. "Mad About You". I hate this show with a passion. Not a Paul Reiser fan. Not a Helen Hunt fan. And once that annoying kid was added, whatever last semblance of watchability this show had went down the proverbial crapper.
4. "Airwolf". Ernest Borgnine plus Jan Michael Vincent? My God. How this show lasted multiple episodes, let alone multiple seasons, defies any semblance of logic. Again, its Ernest Borgnine! Ernest freaking Borgnine! As a frigging renegade pilot!
3. "Major Dad". CBS had some great, and I mean great, sitcoms on Monday night as the 1990s dawned. "Murphy Brown", "Designing Women", "Evening Shade". All thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining, worth the half hour investment of your time. Then, there was "Major Dad". How this retarded idea ever got green-lighted, I have no idea. How it lasted at least 4 seasons, I have no idea. How this isn't number one in this crappy countdown, I do have an idea about. Because there were two shows worse than this. Including ...
2. "Empty Nest". If it wasn't for the strong resume of crapitude of the number one show, this one would have lapped the field. You start with a brutally unfunny Richard Mulligan. Toss in two annoying as hell daughters, played by the irritating Carol Manoff and Kristy MacNichol (who had the common sense to bail on this show midway through its run). Throw in that annoying black chick from "Night Court" as a nurse, and you've already got a recipe for disaster. But no, NBC didn't stop there. They had to throw in David Leisure as the wacky neighbor Charlie. Amazingly, this show was a spin-off from a damned good sitcom ("The Golden Girls"). Not amazingly, you won't laugh for one second watching any episode of this crappy waste of broadcasting bandwidth.
So that leaves our "winner". A show that nails every key component to craptacular perfection. Bad acting, p*ss poor plot lines, utterly unbelievable story ideas, and the single worst character ever unleashed upon the sitcom watching public.
Yup. This is it.
(This is it).
This is life, the one you get, so go and have a ball!
This is it! (This is it!)
Straight ahead, and rest assured, you can't be sure at all.
So while you're here, enjoy the view,
Keep on doin' what you do!
Hang on tight, we'll muddle through,
One Day at a Time!
Yes, the Steve anointed crappiest show of all time is ... "One Day at a Time".
Bonnie Franklin plays Ann Romano, a divorced mom of two who decides to uproot the family and move to Indianapolis. Two minutes of watching her "act", and its easy to see why her husband left her. She's got two daughters, played by Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertanelli. Only one of the two is even remotely appealing and watchable. And as if those three actresses aren't brutal enough, you have the presence of the single worst sitcom character ever, Schneider. The wise-cracking building supervisor who is way too involved in his tenants lives.
There's one episode that stands out above all the rest, and believe me, distinguishing yourself from the other crappy episodes this show unleashed on the public is saying something. Its the episode where Julie debates whether or not to have sex with a guy she's been seeing.
OK, set aside the whole "when's the right time to do it for the first time" cliched storyline that every sitcom plays out (often hilariously). Set aside the obvious sex jokes that are littered in the episode, the totally predictable mother-daughter discussion, and the not even remotely shocking ending (she decides to wait). There's one really big problem with this episode, this storyline, this pivotal episode to the show. And its this:
Who would actually have sex with Mackenzie Phillips? We're talking about a drug addict. She isn't wearing much, if any, makeup in this episode. She's got acne issues. Her hairdo is unflattering. Her outfits are repulsive. And she has a gap in her two front teeth that would make Michael Strahan jealous. And yet, we're supposed to believe that the quarterback of her school's football team is trying to tap that?!?! Come on man! That's more unbelievable than anything I can imagine.
And seals "One Day at a Time"'s spot at the top of this countdown.
Monday, January 26, 2009
10 broadcast crews that don't suck
I spent my weekend watching a ridiculous amount of hoops, mostly college, since the season is really beginning to hit its stride.
And after listening to countless Big East, Big XII, and SEC games, plus a few NBA showdowns, it hit me.
The state of announcing in this country is a full on crisis. Seriously, if President Obama wants to intervene in the sports world, forget the BCS. Get rid of the BS in the broadcast booth.
In the past month, we've witnessed the abortion that was FOX broadcasting the BCS. We've had to endure Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond butcher a playoff game. We've had to sit through "Hello Friends" out of Jim Nantz way too many times. (Although to be fair, I don't mind Nantz. He's rock solid on golf coverage. But Phil Simms, yikes. Brutally bad).
But the final straw was yesterday, sitting down on my couch at 11am to watch the Orange in a huge game against Louisville ... and to see the frozen-in-time face of Don Criqui welcome me to central New York. Don Criqui? Really? THIS is the best the Big East can do, is a never-was-decent retread? (And poor Bob Wenzel, a decent color guy stuck with Criqui on this one. Poor Bob.) Criqui actually wondered out loud why Pitino hadn't been credited with a national title as a Big East coach. Apparently Don doesn't realize that Kentucky is in the SEC.
So Barry, its time to tackle the crisis of announcing. In a hurry. CBS gave you the blueprint last summer by kicking Billy Packer to the curb. Just follow the example they set and start cleaning house.
Until then, here are 10 announcing crews that are worth the effort of tuning in to hear.
Honorable Mention (because they no longer are an announcing crew): ABC / ESPN's IndyCar crew (Bob Jenkins, Larry Rice, Jason Priestley). These guys were awesome in the early days of IndyCar racing. Bob Jenkins (thank God) is back on the broadcasts this year. He also is the new voice of Indy, replacing the retiring Tom Carnegie. I love Bob Jenkins. Jason Priestley (and yes, it is THE Jason Priestley) was shockingly good as the third man in the booth. Larry Rice was the comedic relief, which every booth needs. If you ever get a chance, pop in the tape of the 2001 summer IRL race at Texas. Its the best 2 hours of racing I've ever witnessed, and these three absolutely nail it. "Look at this, three abreast!" For 2 straight hours, Scott Sharp, Greg Ray and Eddie Cheever Jr ran three wide at 220 plus mph ... and somehow held the lines. For two straight hours. Its the best race I've ever seen, like I said. And these guys drilled the broadcast. Too bad Priestley decided to take up driving instead of sticking to broadcasting, he had a future in the booth.
10. NBC's golf crew (Dan Hicks, Johnny Miller, Roger Maltbie, Mark Rolfing). I would listen to these guys comment on paint drying. They do a great job of selling the drama (seriously, catch the Golf Channel's replay of the Woods / Mediate playoff in the Open last year, its four hours of brilliance). Johnny Miller holds nothing back. Mark Rolfing is rarely wrong in predicting a shot. And Roger Maltbie is the crazy drunk uncle that provides hours of comic relief. I'm not a huge Dan Hicks fan, but he's kind of the voice of reason, so he gets a mention. Too bad the PGA can't mandate these guys calling every tournament.
9. Dallas Cowboys radio team (Brad Sham, Babe Laufenberg). The best PBP team in the NFL. And that includes the networks. Sham is as rock solid as they come, and Babe can break any play down and make it understandable to the listener -- not easy to do when you're on the radio. Thanks to the magic of satellite radio, you can catch every Cowboys broadcast on your Sirius receiver. Well worth it.
8. ABC's top NBA team (Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy). The best network NBA crew ever? They're certainly up there. Breen is awesome. (He also does Knicks games on MSG, alternating with Gus Johnson). But I love the interaction of Jackson and Van Gundy. You get the game broken down both from a players and a coach's perspective. And the results are usually neat, like yesterday, when they broke down the Spurs defensive issues as the first half drew to a close. Van Gundy explained what Popovich was attempting to have his guys do ... and Jackson showed how the execution was pitiful. Good stuff. Keep it up guys.
7. ESPN's ACC duo (Mike Patrick, Dick Vitale). I'm not a big Vitale fan ... unless he's got ACC duty with Mike Patrick. These two together, its like sitting in a bar and calling the game with some friends. You get a few loopy moments, you go off on a few tangents, but at the end of the day, you've just spent two hours thoroughly enjoying yourself. That's Patrick and Vitale on an ACC broadcast. Its why the ACC tournament rocks. These guys clearly enjoy themselves on the air, and it helps the viewer enjoy the broadcast.
6. ESPN's Big East crew (Sean McDonough, Bill Raftery, Jay Bilas). I used to hate Sean McDonough when he did CBS's baseball broadcasts back in the day. But he's found his niche with the college game (he's great every June on the College World Series as well). Jay Bilas is an annoying little prick, but he's still a very intelligent commentator who adds a lot to the broadcast, especially with his ability to see a play before it unfolds. And Bill ... I freaking love Bill Raftery. Onions! Lingerie ... on the deck! And of course ... well, I'll save that for his next appearance on this countdown.
5. ESPN's Big XII backup crew (Terry Gannon, Stephen Bardo). Yeah, they're buried as the C or D broadcast crew ... but Saturday's broadcast of KU / Iowa State was just hysterical. Gannon is a seasoned pro, and usually has a firm grasp on what's going on. As opposed to Bardo, who just blurts out whatever he's thinking, regardless of whether it makes sense or not. Really, the only way a Bardo broadcast could get better, is if they paired him with Mike Patrick. Consider these beauties from Saturday's broadcast:
* "he scratched his leg" -- for a questionable foul call on Iowa State.
* "he took a 2x4 to him!" -- describing an intentional foul.
* "you have to love a 12-0 run if you're a coach"
* "(ISU coach) Greg McDermott has to be pleased so far" -- said as ISU took the floor down 6, at home, to an unranked opponent to open the 2nd half.
* "I need a blow" -- describing a guy who is gassed on the court.
* "they're running upstream" -- describing the ISU comeback attempt.
And I'm sure I'm missing at least half a dozen other laugh out loud moments. Seriously, this broadcast was just golden. I can't wait to hear next week's excursion.
4. CBS's SEC football crew (Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson). One of the two NCAA football broadcasting crews I'll tune in to listen to, even if I don't give a crap about who's playing. It probably helps that they usually get a great game every week to broadcast, but man, these guys sell the game like nobody else. Their broadcast of LSU / Alabama this year was an absolute treat. Four hours of fun. Which is what a broadcast should be: convey the joy of sport to the audience, while explaining the images or sounds that they see and hear. Verne does this better than anyone.
(More on Verne still to come).
3. ABC's NCAA football crew (Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Paul Maguire). These guys are good for 4-5 laugh out loud moments a week. The "let's put Paul somewhere entertaining and have him broadcast" technique is awesome. One week he's on the camera cart. The next week he's on the sideline. For one game this year he was in a suite in the end zone. These guys play off each other really well too, again, like three friends sitting in a bar, zinging one liners at each other as they enjoy what they're watching. Fun in the booth matters a lot to me. I know enough about the sports that I watch, that I don't need three straight hours of technical analysis.
2. USA's WWE top crew ("Good Ol JR" Jim Ross, Jerry "The King" Lawler). How can you NOT love these guys? I haven't watched wrestling regularly for a while now. But every Monday, if I flip through the channels, I still settle in on USA for a little while, just to hear the soothing tones of these two. "The King" is one of the best in the business with the quip and rapid comeback, and JR's over-the-top selling of the sport is just awesome. Especially the inevitable moment every week when HHH gets the strategically placed sledgehammer from underneath the ring to use on a hapless opponent. I love these two. Too bad the XFL didn't stick around, they weren't bad on football play by play either.
But one crew stands out above all others, on any level, in any sport ...
1. CBS's number two NCAA hoops team (Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery). These two separate have already appeared three times in this countdown. Its only fitting they grab the top spot.
Raftery is awesome. I live for that moment in March, when the tip goes up, and you get the "Verne Lundquist! (insert team here) is opening in the ... MANTOMAN!" And he can adapt too -- the KU / Syracuse second rounder in 2001, when KU won the tip, you got the "Verne Lundquist! Syracuse opens in the ... MANTOMAN! with zone principles".
But Verne ... I don't even know where to begin with Verne. I freaking love this guy.
I didn't even mention his awesome coverage of my favorite hole in golf, Rosewood. The 16th at Augusta, every spring. Seriously, think back on the three best Masters of the last 20 some odd years, and what key moment stands out at each? 1986, Jack Nicklaus drilling the putt to go one up on Ballesteros. Who had the call? Verne, whose ecstatic "YES SIR! There you have it!" has resonated for the last 20 plus years. 2005, Tiger Woods with the 50 foot second shot to hold off DiMarco. "Oh my Goodness! OH MY GOODNESS! WOW!" (And 2004, Nantz actually showing a pulse for once, "is it his time? YES!" as Mickelson birdied 18 to finally win a major).
Verne made non-Olympics figure skating watchable back in the day. He and Scott Hamilton absolutely sold the sport, even to people like me that only tune in for a couple nights every four years to watch the sport.
And Verne has a great sense of humor. He and Hamilton once appeared on a classic episode of "Roseanne", the episode where Roseanne and Jackie take a job as the sample pusher in the supermarket (its one of my 3 or 4 favorite episodes from the series). They appear in the closing credits in a hysterical commentating moment announcing the new Olympic sport of "sock skating". Verne: "And here is Mark Healey, from Lanford, Illinois. Going for the fridge ... he's going to try the difficult open-the-bottle-on-the-counter-edge routine ... and the big finish, a turning shotgun of the beer ... wonderful!"
Anyways, there's my 10 crews that can call any sport, anywhere, anytime, anyplace. Now let's work on getting more guys like the ones above, and less like the washed up garbage currently clogging our airwaves (and yes, I include this weekend's Super Bowl crew in the "washed up garbage" category ...)
And after listening to countless Big East, Big XII, and SEC games, plus a few NBA showdowns, it hit me.
The state of announcing in this country is a full on crisis. Seriously, if President Obama wants to intervene in the sports world, forget the BCS. Get rid of the BS in the broadcast booth.
In the past month, we've witnessed the abortion that was FOX broadcasting the BCS. We've had to endure Cris Collinsworth and Tom Hammond butcher a playoff game. We've had to sit through "Hello Friends" out of Jim Nantz way too many times. (Although to be fair, I don't mind Nantz. He's rock solid on golf coverage. But Phil Simms, yikes. Brutally bad).
But the final straw was yesterday, sitting down on my couch at 11am to watch the Orange in a huge game against Louisville ... and to see the frozen-in-time face of Don Criqui welcome me to central New York. Don Criqui? Really? THIS is the best the Big East can do, is a never-was-decent retread? (And poor Bob Wenzel, a decent color guy stuck with Criqui on this one. Poor Bob.) Criqui actually wondered out loud why Pitino hadn't been credited with a national title as a Big East coach. Apparently Don doesn't realize that Kentucky is in the SEC.
So Barry, its time to tackle the crisis of announcing. In a hurry. CBS gave you the blueprint last summer by kicking Billy Packer to the curb. Just follow the example they set and start cleaning house.
Until then, here are 10 announcing crews that are worth the effort of tuning in to hear.
Honorable Mention (because they no longer are an announcing crew): ABC / ESPN's IndyCar crew (Bob Jenkins, Larry Rice, Jason Priestley). These guys were awesome in the early days of IndyCar racing. Bob Jenkins (thank God) is back on the broadcasts this year. He also is the new voice of Indy, replacing the retiring Tom Carnegie. I love Bob Jenkins. Jason Priestley (and yes, it is THE Jason Priestley) was shockingly good as the third man in the booth. Larry Rice was the comedic relief, which every booth needs. If you ever get a chance, pop in the tape of the 2001 summer IRL race at Texas. Its the best 2 hours of racing I've ever witnessed, and these three absolutely nail it. "Look at this, three abreast!" For 2 straight hours, Scott Sharp, Greg Ray and Eddie Cheever Jr ran three wide at 220 plus mph ... and somehow held the lines. For two straight hours. Its the best race I've ever seen, like I said. And these guys drilled the broadcast. Too bad Priestley decided to take up driving instead of sticking to broadcasting, he had a future in the booth.
10. NBC's golf crew (Dan Hicks, Johnny Miller, Roger Maltbie, Mark Rolfing). I would listen to these guys comment on paint drying. They do a great job of selling the drama (seriously, catch the Golf Channel's replay of the Woods / Mediate playoff in the Open last year, its four hours of brilliance). Johnny Miller holds nothing back. Mark Rolfing is rarely wrong in predicting a shot. And Roger Maltbie is the crazy drunk uncle that provides hours of comic relief. I'm not a huge Dan Hicks fan, but he's kind of the voice of reason, so he gets a mention. Too bad the PGA can't mandate these guys calling every tournament.
9. Dallas Cowboys radio team (Brad Sham, Babe Laufenberg). The best PBP team in the NFL. And that includes the networks. Sham is as rock solid as they come, and Babe can break any play down and make it understandable to the listener -- not easy to do when you're on the radio. Thanks to the magic of satellite radio, you can catch every Cowboys broadcast on your Sirius receiver. Well worth it.
8. ABC's top NBA team (Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy). The best network NBA crew ever? They're certainly up there. Breen is awesome. (He also does Knicks games on MSG, alternating with Gus Johnson). But I love the interaction of Jackson and Van Gundy. You get the game broken down both from a players and a coach's perspective. And the results are usually neat, like yesterday, when they broke down the Spurs defensive issues as the first half drew to a close. Van Gundy explained what Popovich was attempting to have his guys do ... and Jackson showed how the execution was pitiful. Good stuff. Keep it up guys.
7. ESPN's ACC duo (Mike Patrick, Dick Vitale). I'm not a big Vitale fan ... unless he's got ACC duty with Mike Patrick. These two together, its like sitting in a bar and calling the game with some friends. You get a few loopy moments, you go off on a few tangents, but at the end of the day, you've just spent two hours thoroughly enjoying yourself. That's Patrick and Vitale on an ACC broadcast. Its why the ACC tournament rocks. These guys clearly enjoy themselves on the air, and it helps the viewer enjoy the broadcast.
6. ESPN's Big East crew (Sean McDonough, Bill Raftery, Jay Bilas). I used to hate Sean McDonough when he did CBS's baseball broadcasts back in the day. But he's found his niche with the college game (he's great every June on the College World Series as well). Jay Bilas is an annoying little prick, but he's still a very intelligent commentator who adds a lot to the broadcast, especially with his ability to see a play before it unfolds. And Bill ... I freaking love Bill Raftery. Onions! Lingerie ... on the deck! And of course ... well, I'll save that for his next appearance on this countdown.
5. ESPN's Big XII backup crew (Terry Gannon, Stephen Bardo). Yeah, they're buried as the C or D broadcast crew ... but Saturday's broadcast of KU / Iowa State was just hysterical. Gannon is a seasoned pro, and usually has a firm grasp on what's going on. As opposed to Bardo, who just blurts out whatever he's thinking, regardless of whether it makes sense or not. Really, the only way a Bardo broadcast could get better, is if they paired him with Mike Patrick. Consider these beauties from Saturday's broadcast:
* "he scratched his leg" -- for a questionable foul call on Iowa State.
* "he took a 2x4 to him!" -- describing an intentional foul.
* "you have to love a 12-0 run if you're a coach"
* "(ISU coach) Greg McDermott has to be pleased so far" -- said as ISU took the floor down 6, at home, to an unranked opponent to open the 2nd half.
* "I need a blow" -- describing a guy who is gassed on the court.
* "they're running upstream" -- describing the ISU comeback attempt.
And I'm sure I'm missing at least half a dozen other laugh out loud moments. Seriously, this broadcast was just golden. I can't wait to hear next week's excursion.
4. CBS's SEC football crew (Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson). One of the two NCAA football broadcasting crews I'll tune in to listen to, even if I don't give a crap about who's playing. It probably helps that they usually get a great game every week to broadcast, but man, these guys sell the game like nobody else. Their broadcast of LSU / Alabama this year was an absolute treat. Four hours of fun. Which is what a broadcast should be: convey the joy of sport to the audience, while explaining the images or sounds that they see and hear. Verne does this better than anyone.
(More on Verne still to come).
3. ABC's NCAA football crew (Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Paul Maguire). These guys are good for 4-5 laugh out loud moments a week. The "let's put Paul somewhere entertaining and have him broadcast" technique is awesome. One week he's on the camera cart. The next week he's on the sideline. For one game this year he was in a suite in the end zone. These guys play off each other really well too, again, like three friends sitting in a bar, zinging one liners at each other as they enjoy what they're watching. Fun in the booth matters a lot to me. I know enough about the sports that I watch, that I don't need three straight hours of technical analysis.
2. USA's WWE top crew ("Good Ol JR" Jim Ross, Jerry "The King" Lawler). How can you NOT love these guys? I haven't watched wrestling regularly for a while now. But every Monday, if I flip through the channels, I still settle in on USA for a little while, just to hear the soothing tones of these two. "The King" is one of the best in the business with the quip and rapid comeback, and JR's over-the-top selling of the sport is just awesome. Especially the inevitable moment every week when HHH gets the strategically placed sledgehammer from underneath the ring to use on a hapless opponent. I love these two. Too bad the XFL didn't stick around, they weren't bad on football play by play either.
But one crew stands out above all others, on any level, in any sport ...
1. CBS's number two NCAA hoops team (Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery). These two separate have already appeared three times in this countdown. Its only fitting they grab the top spot.
Raftery is awesome. I live for that moment in March, when the tip goes up, and you get the "Verne Lundquist! (insert team here) is opening in the ... MANTOMAN!" And he can adapt too -- the KU / Syracuse second rounder in 2001, when KU won the tip, you got the "Verne Lundquist! Syracuse opens in the ... MANTOMAN! with zone principles".
But Verne ... I don't even know where to begin with Verne. I freaking love this guy.
I didn't even mention his awesome coverage of my favorite hole in golf, Rosewood. The 16th at Augusta, every spring. Seriously, think back on the three best Masters of the last 20 some odd years, and what key moment stands out at each? 1986, Jack Nicklaus drilling the putt to go one up on Ballesteros. Who had the call? Verne, whose ecstatic "YES SIR! There you have it!" has resonated for the last 20 plus years. 2005, Tiger Woods with the 50 foot second shot to hold off DiMarco. "Oh my Goodness! OH MY GOODNESS! WOW!" (And 2004, Nantz actually showing a pulse for once, "is it his time? YES!" as Mickelson birdied 18 to finally win a major).
Verne made non-Olympics figure skating watchable back in the day. He and Scott Hamilton absolutely sold the sport, even to people like me that only tune in for a couple nights every four years to watch the sport.
And Verne has a great sense of humor. He and Hamilton once appeared on a classic episode of "Roseanne", the episode where Roseanne and Jackie take a job as the sample pusher in the supermarket (its one of my 3 or 4 favorite episodes from the series). They appear in the closing credits in a hysterical commentating moment announcing the new Olympic sport of "sock skating". Verne: "And here is Mark Healey, from Lanford, Illinois. Going for the fridge ... he's going to try the difficult open-the-bottle-on-the-counter-edge routine ... and the big finish, a turning shotgun of the beer ... wonderful!"
Anyways, there's my 10 crews that can call any sport, anywhere, anytime, anyplace. Now let's work on getting more guys like the ones above, and less like the washed up garbage currently clogging our airwaves (and yes, I include this weekend's Super Bowl crew in the "washed up garbage" category ...)
Friday, January 23, 2009
a praise ... tribute ... thanks ... and goodbye, to my coach.
"Baby come here and sit down, let's talk.
I got a lot to say, so I guess I'll start by,
Saying that I love you, but you know this thing
Ain't been no walk in the park for us.
I swear, it'll only take a minute,
And you'll understand when I'm finished (yeah),
And I don't wanna see you cry,
But I don't wanna be the one to tell you a lie so ...
How do you let it go when you,
You just don't know what's on,
The other side of the door
When you're walking out (talk about it),
Everything I tried to remember to say,
Just went out of my head,
So I'm gonna do the best I can,
To get you to understand, cause I know ...
There's never a right time,
To say goodbye,
But I gotta make the first move,
Cause if I don't,
You're gonna start hatin' me.
Cause I don't really feel the way
I once felt about you,
Girl, its not you -- its me;
I kinda gotta figure out what I need.
There's never the right time
To say goodbye,
But we know, we gotta go
Our separate ways.
And I know its hard,
But I gotta do it,
And its killing me.
Cause there's never a right time,
A right time to say goodbye ..."
-- Chris Brown, "Say Goodbye"
------------------------------------
The Chiefs will never employ someone with more integrity, more character, more decency, than Herm Edwards.
And that's part of what draws me to him.
Herm is ... Herm.
He's never going to change who or what he is, to fit the situation. He will never compromise his views, his beliefs, to save his position in life.
Sadly, we have too few Herms in this country anymore.
And in Kansas City, we now have one less than we did at this time yesterday.
Herm's tenure here began on January 9, 2006. Noone, and I truly can say this without reservation, NOBODY was happier to see him arrive than me. Nobody.
Its probably good I no longer work for "former employer", so that I can't resurrect my email reactions to his hiring. But on the other hand, I stand behind my initial thoughts.
I truly believed that, if given the full faith and support of the Chiefs organization, Herm Edwards could take the team you and I love to the Super Bowl within 5 years.
Herm didn't get 5 years. He got 3. Only one of which he legitimately was given a chance to show his value with.
And show his value in that season, first season and a half, he did.
Its not often you can neatly split up a person's tenure into two pretty much evenly matched segments. But with Herm you can.
You had 24 games "pre-Greg Jennings". And 24 games "post-Greg Jennings".
The first 24 games, were everything I expected out of a Herm coached team. OK, scratch that. It far exceeded anything even I could have expected out of a Herm coached team.
Seriously, put yourself in Herm's shoes. You come in to take over an aging, underachieving team that probably should have been blown up and rebuilt from day one. You don't get to pick your coordinators, you inherit them from the previous regime. And then, too add injury to insult, in that first game, you lose your franchise quarterback early in the second half. And have to turn to a journeyman who hadn't even seen the field since 2001 to guide your team.
I don't know. In hindsight, maybe Herm was the exact wrong person to come into that situation. Maybe he was the proverbial hot as hell blonde chick you meet at the bar on a Friday night. You start chatting her up, buy her a couple rounds, and can't believe how much you have in common. You head back to your place to, uuh, have some fun ... and then wake up the next morning, find out she has 4 kids by 4 different guys, two of whom she's unsure who the baby daddy is, and then remember that you didn't use a condom for round three. Maybe that was Herm. The worst nightmare imaginable disguised as the greatest thing ever.
The last 24 games of his regime, the analogy certainly applies.
But the first 24 ... he was Herm. The Herm I was excited to see come to town. The guy who took an aging, underachieving Jets team in 2001 to the playoffs. Then rallied from 2-5 in 2002 to win a division and blow out the Colts 41-0 in the wildcard round. Then went on the road in 2004 to beat the 12-4 Chargers in the wildcard round, before losing in overtime at 15-1 Pittsburgh in the divisional round.
You know, the Herm that looked at Trent Green laying unconscious on the field, looked at Damon Huard warming up ... and promptly won 7 of 10 to position the Chiefs to make the playoffs.
The Herm that took Brodie Croyle, Damon Huard, and a ton of contract issues to a 4-3 division topping record, and held a 22-19 lead over 6-1 Green Bay in week 9, with the Packers facing a 3rd and 6 at their own 38 with 3:06 to play.
I've always argued that when it comes to the rise and fall of most things in life, especially in sports, you can point to one specific moment when the rise occurred, and when the fall began.
If the Vermeil era Chiefs began their rise on an improbable penalty-aided toss to John Tait at Cleveland to open the 2002 season ... then the sun set on those years, on those championship aspirations, on that 3rd and 6, when Ty Law got burned, and Jarrad Page was out of position, and Greg Jennings caught a 62 yard touchdown to put Green Bay ahead for good.
Herm's Chiefs didn't win again that year. They only won twice more after that play. But if you're going to judge him for the last 24 games of his regime, you also have to remember the first 24.
You know, the 24 that include the thrilling come-from-14-down last second victory at Arizona. The 24 that include one of the most amazing 7 day stretches in franchise history, to beat the Chargers on a last second 54 yard field goal in the cold and rain ... and then turn around and beat the defending NFC Champion Seahawks on a late touchdown in the 82 and sunny weather. (I obviously liked the latter better. Seriously, that Seahawks game rocked. Anytime its hot and sunny enough on Halloween to have the shirt off in 132, its a f*cking awesome day).
The 24 that include a blowout of our cross state rivals, in their house. That includes a last second goalline interception to beat the raiders ... and includes "Brave" Benny Sapp taunting the donkeys on their bench 4 days later as the Chiefs hold serve at home against denver on Thanksgiving Night.
That includes the "Immaculate Trifecta", as Bob Gretz put it. A win at home in the snow against the Jaguars to keep playoff hopes alive. And then to see the Patriots drop 40 on the Titans, to see the Steelers win in overtime at the Paul ... and to see a team we beat 41-0, the 49ers, overcome a 13 point halftime deficit at fake mile high to nail an overtime victory to propel us into the postseason.
If you're going to bash Herm for the last 24 games, then you have to recognize the over-achieving, the incredible moments and champagne-toasting successes, that the first 24 brought.
In the end, its probably proper to end it this way, a simple termination on a Friday, a week after everyone thought it would happen. I'm not shedding any tears for Herm, and noone else should either. The last 24 games of his regime, was the worst 24 game stretch in franchise history. For that, he must be held accountable. And for that, his termination is justifiable, and probably four weeks overdue.
But the first 24 games ... those have to count as well. They were fun, they were exciting, and Herm delivered in one season everything Dick Vermeil delivered in 5 (a playoff berth, and prompt loss to the Colts).
Those first 24 games, rocked the house for me. And yet, my favorite game, was in the last 24.
The one that ended the 12 game losing streak.
Chiefs 33. donkeys 19.
Thanks Coach, for one final happy moment at that stadium.
Here's hoping your successor, whoever it is, replicates that magical September afternoon 8 times a year ...
I got a lot to say, so I guess I'll start by,
Saying that I love you, but you know this thing
Ain't been no walk in the park for us.
I swear, it'll only take a minute,
And you'll understand when I'm finished (yeah),
And I don't wanna see you cry,
But I don't wanna be the one to tell you a lie so ...
How do you let it go when you,
You just don't know what's on,
The other side of the door
When you're walking out (talk about it),
Everything I tried to remember to say,
Just went out of my head,
So I'm gonna do the best I can,
To get you to understand, cause I know ...
There's never a right time,
To say goodbye,
But I gotta make the first move,
Cause if I don't,
You're gonna start hatin' me.
Cause I don't really feel the way
I once felt about you,
Girl, its not you -- its me;
I kinda gotta figure out what I need.
There's never the right time
To say goodbye,
But we know, we gotta go
Our separate ways.
And I know its hard,
But I gotta do it,
And its killing me.
Cause there's never a right time,
A right time to say goodbye ..."
-- Chris Brown, "Say Goodbye"
------------------------------------
The Chiefs will never employ someone with more integrity, more character, more decency, than Herm Edwards.
And that's part of what draws me to him.
Herm is ... Herm.
He's never going to change who or what he is, to fit the situation. He will never compromise his views, his beliefs, to save his position in life.
Sadly, we have too few Herms in this country anymore.
And in Kansas City, we now have one less than we did at this time yesterday.
Herm's tenure here began on January 9, 2006. Noone, and I truly can say this without reservation, NOBODY was happier to see him arrive than me. Nobody.
Its probably good I no longer work for "former employer", so that I can't resurrect my email reactions to his hiring. But on the other hand, I stand behind my initial thoughts.
I truly believed that, if given the full faith and support of the Chiefs organization, Herm Edwards could take the team you and I love to the Super Bowl within 5 years.
Herm didn't get 5 years. He got 3. Only one of which he legitimately was given a chance to show his value with.
And show his value in that season, first season and a half, he did.
Its not often you can neatly split up a person's tenure into two pretty much evenly matched segments. But with Herm you can.
You had 24 games "pre-Greg Jennings". And 24 games "post-Greg Jennings".
The first 24 games, were everything I expected out of a Herm coached team. OK, scratch that. It far exceeded anything even I could have expected out of a Herm coached team.
Seriously, put yourself in Herm's shoes. You come in to take over an aging, underachieving team that probably should have been blown up and rebuilt from day one. You don't get to pick your coordinators, you inherit them from the previous regime. And then, too add injury to insult, in that first game, you lose your franchise quarterback early in the second half. And have to turn to a journeyman who hadn't even seen the field since 2001 to guide your team.
I don't know. In hindsight, maybe Herm was the exact wrong person to come into that situation. Maybe he was the proverbial hot as hell blonde chick you meet at the bar on a Friday night. You start chatting her up, buy her a couple rounds, and can't believe how much you have in common. You head back to your place to, uuh, have some fun ... and then wake up the next morning, find out she has 4 kids by 4 different guys, two of whom she's unsure who the baby daddy is, and then remember that you didn't use a condom for round three. Maybe that was Herm. The worst nightmare imaginable disguised as the greatest thing ever.
The last 24 games of his regime, the analogy certainly applies.
But the first 24 ... he was Herm. The Herm I was excited to see come to town. The guy who took an aging, underachieving Jets team in 2001 to the playoffs. Then rallied from 2-5 in 2002 to win a division and blow out the Colts 41-0 in the wildcard round. Then went on the road in 2004 to beat the 12-4 Chargers in the wildcard round, before losing in overtime at 15-1 Pittsburgh in the divisional round.
You know, the Herm that looked at Trent Green laying unconscious on the field, looked at Damon Huard warming up ... and promptly won 7 of 10 to position the Chiefs to make the playoffs.
The Herm that took Brodie Croyle, Damon Huard, and a ton of contract issues to a 4-3 division topping record, and held a 22-19 lead over 6-1 Green Bay in week 9, with the Packers facing a 3rd and 6 at their own 38 with 3:06 to play.
I've always argued that when it comes to the rise and fall of most things in life, especially in sports, you can point to one specific moment when the rise occurred, and when the fall began.
If the Vermeil era Chiefs began their rise on an improbable penalty-aided toss to John Tait at Cleveland to open the 2002 season ... then the sun set on those years, on those championship aspirations, on that 3rd and 6, when Ty Law got burned, and Jarrad Page was out of position, and Greg Jennings caught a 62 yard touchdown to put Green Bay ahead for good.
Herm's Chiefs didn't win again that year. They only won twice more after that play. But if you're going to judge him for the last 24 games of his regime, you also have to remember the first 24.
You know, the 24 that include the thrilling come-from-14-down last second victory at Arizona. The 24 that include one of the most amazing 7 day stretches in franchise history, to beat the Chargers on a last second 54 yard field goal in the cold and rain ... and then turn around and beat the defending NFC Champion Seahawks on a late touchdown in the 82 and sunny weather. (I obviously liked the latter better. Seriously, that Seahawks game rocked. Anytime its hot and sunny enough on Halloween to have the shirt off in 132, its a f*cking awesome day).
The 24 that include a blowout of our cross state rivals, in their house. That includes a last second goalline interception to beat the raiders ... and includes "Brave" Benny Sapp taunting the donkeys on their bench 4 days later as the Chiefs hold serve at home against denver on Thanksgiving Night.
That includes the "Immaculate Trifecta", as Bob Gretz put it. A win at home in the snow against the Jaguars to keep playoff hopes alive. And then to see the Patriots drop 40 on the Titans, to see the Steelers win in overtime at the Paul ... and to see a team we beat 41-0, the 49ers, overcome a 13 point halftime deficit at fake mile high to nail an overtime victory to propel us into the postseason.
If you're going to bash Herm for the last 24 games, then you have to recognize the over-achieving, the incredible moments and champagne-toasting successes, that the first 24 brought.
In the end, its probably proper to end it this way, a simple termination on a Friday, a week after everyone thought it would happen. I'm not shedding any tears for Herm, and noone else should either. The last 24 games of his regime, was the worst 24 game stretch in franchise history. For that, he must be held accountable. And for that, his termination is justifiable, and probably four weeks overdue.
But the first 24 games ... those have to count as well. They were fun, they were exciting, and Herm delivered in one season everything Dick Vermeil delivered in 5 (a playoff berth, and prompt loss to the Colts).
Those first 24 games, rocked the house for me. And yet, my favorite game, was in the last 24.
The one that ended the 12 game losing streak.
Chiefs 33. donkeys 19.
Thanks Coach, for one final happy moment at that stadium.
Here's hoping your successor, whoever it is, replicates that magical September afternoon 8 times a year ...
the very definition of "bittersweet"
Nobody ... and I can honestly say that without preconditions, pre-qualifications, ask anyone who knew me on January 9, 2006 ... NOBODY was more happy, satified, fired up, pumped up, ecstatic, at the news that Herm Edwards was to be the man to replace Dick Vermeil as Chiefs head coach.
Nobody wanted Herm in this town more than me. Nobody.
So it is with some sadness and regret that I note that Herm's reign as Chiefs coach came to an end today.
And his alleged rumored replacement ... is my most hated person employed by an NFL franchise last year, Mike Shanahan.
(Just capitalizing the man's name felt weird).
I'm not ready to post my thoughts on Herm's three years here yet. Quite honestly, I don't know what to say. The first 24 games, 3 quarters, and 11 minutes that count, of Herm's reign, I couldn't have been more satisfied with. A playoff berth. Somehow in first place at 4-3, with Green Bay on the ropes with 3:06 to play.
The last 24 games, 3 minutes that count ... were brutally bad. Were historically bad. Were "no Chiefs team ever was this horrific" bad.
So, let me address the people who have written or texted the following to me today:
Damien: "shanahan? you like that move?" and the follow-up: "even though he was a donkey?"
Phil: "are you going to quit on the Chiefs if they go with shanahan?"
Dusty: "wow"
Heath: "you excited about shanarat?"
Anthony: "I love it, he can coach and is great when he's not the gm"
To Damien's texts, I simply replied that I wanted Mike Shanahan because "he's the best mind available". But I should have been more specific.
Week 13, 2005.
The single most amazing, incredible, "holy sh*t, this guy gets it!" moment of coaching I have ever been privileged enough to witness in my lifetime.
To recap: the Chiefs lead 31-27 with 2:07 to play. It is 4th and 2 for denver at their own 47, and Shanahan decides to go for it, mainly because he has no timeouts left (that, and he's at midfield, why not go for it). He calls a run up the middle with mike anderson. Bill Leavy's crew initially marks it as a first down (after the measurement), and we hit the two minute warning.
Only Dick Vermeil challenges the spot.
And wins the challenge. The Chiefs held! Its the Chiefs ball!
The crowd is going nuts. I was going nuts in my little section of insanity known as section 132. Its cold, its a must-win game, and the Chiefs have somehow, someway, won this thing, right? Two minute warning, denver can't stop the clock again, three knees and its over!
Only ... one person in that stadium, despite all the pandemonium, despite all the craziness, never lost his composure.
That man ... was Mike Shanahan.
Who (correctly) called Bill Leavy over to the sideline. And noted that if the runner was stopped short of the line to make ... then 7 seconds didn't run off the clock. Shanahan challenged the clock.
And won his second back.
Putting 2:01 on the clock.
Meaning the Chiefs had to run a play prior to the two minute warning, and had to get a first down to run out the clock. And if we didn't get a first down, denver would get the ball back with about 40 seconds to play.
Mike Shanahan single-handedly kept his team afloat for two minutes ... and one second ... longer than it should have.
THAT is what I want in my head coach. Someone who doesn't get lost in the moment, but rises to it.
As I noted in my thoughts on Obama's inaugural speech and the first three days of his administration, (steve voice) "play time is over. The grown-ups are back in charge".
"The grown-ups are back in charge".
With Scott Pioli, we have a grown-up, not some seasoned citizen in the Depends diaper that has long outlived his usefulness and senility, in the GM's chair.
And with Mike Shanahan on the sideline, well ... the days of calling two timeouts on one play, the days of having to ask Mike White whether to challenge or not, the days of saying your first round pick needs to "take the diapers off", the days of having the smelling salts ready for Gun when he got too excited ... yeah. Those days are over. Playtime is over.
The grown-ups are back in charge.
So if the rumors are true, and its Shanahan's job if he wants it ... then let me, the biggest Mike Shanahan hater known to man, allow me to be the first. Welcome to KC, Mike. Welcome to KC.
(Just forgive me if it takes a few games to get the booing and raised middle fingers out of my system ...)
Nobody wanted Herm in this town more than me. Nobody.
So it is with some sadness and regret that I note that Herm's reign as Chiefs coach came to an end today.
And his alleged rumored replacement ... is my most hated person employed by an NFL franchise last year, Mike Shanahan.
(Just capitalizing the man's name felt weird).
I'm not ready to post my thoughts on Herm's three years here yet. Quite honestly, I don't know what to say. The first 24 games, 3 quarters, and 11 minutes that count, of Herm's reign, I couldn't have been more satisfied with. A playoff berth. Somehow in first place at 4-3, with Green Bay on the ropes with 3:06 to play.
The last 24 games, 3 minutes that count ... were brutally bad. Were historically bad. Were "no Chiefs team ever was this horrific" bad.
So, let me address the people who have written or texted the following to me today:
Damien: "shanahan? you like that move?" and the follow-up: "even though he was a donkey?"
Phil: "are you going to quit on the Chiefs if they go with shanahan?"
Dusty: "wow"
Heath: "you excited about shanarat?"
Anthony: "I love it, he can coach and is great when he's not the gm"
To Damien's texts, I simply replied that I wanted Mike Shanahan because "he's the best mind available". But I should have been more specific.
Week 13, 2005.
The single most amazing, incredible, "holy sh*t, this guy gets it!" moment of coaching I have ever been privileged enough to witness in my lifetime.
To recap: the Chiefs lead 31-27 with 2:07 to play. It is 4th and 2 for denver at their own 47, and Shanahan decides to go for it, mainly because he has no timeouts left (that, and he's at midfield, why not go for it). He calls a run up the middle with mike anderson. Bill Leavy's crew initially marks it as a first down (after the measurement), and we hit the two minute warning.
Only Dick Vermeil challenges the spot.
And wins the challenge. The Chiefs held! Its the Chiefs ball!
The crowd is going nuts. I was going nuts in my little section of insanity known as section 132. Its cold, its a must-win game, and the Chiefs have somehow, someway, won this thing, right? Two minute warning, denver can't stop the clock again, three knees and its over!
Only ... one person in that stadium, despite all the pandemonium, despite all the craziness, never lost his composure.
That man ... was Mike Shanahan.
Who (correctly) called Bill Leavy over to the sideline. And noted that if the runner was stopped short of the line to make ... then 7 seconds didn't run off the clock. Shanahan challenged the clock.
And won his second back.
Putting 2:01 on the clock.
Meaning the Chiefs had to run a play prior to the two minute warning, and had to get a first down to run out the clock. And if we didn't get a first down, denver would get the ball back with about 40 seconds to play.
Mike Shanahan single-handedly kept his team afloat for two minutes ... and one second ... longer than it should have.
THAT is what I want in my head coach. Someone who doesn't get lost in the moment, but rises to it.
As I noted in my thoughts on Obama's inaugural speech and the first three days of his administration, (steve voice) "play time is over. The grown-ups are back in charge".
"The grown-ups are back in charge".
With Scott Pioli, we have a grown-up, not some seasoned citizen in the Depends diaper that has long outlived his usefulness and senility, in the GM's chair.
And with Mike Shanahan on the sideline, well ... the days of calling two timeouts on one play, the days of having to ask Mike White whether to challenge or not, the days of saying your first round pick needs to "take the diapers off", the days of having the smelling salts ready for Gun when he got too excited ... yeah. Those days are over. Playtime is over.
The grown-ups are back in charge.
So if the rumors are true, and its Shanahan's job if he wants it ... then let me, the biggest Mike Shanahan hater known to man, allow me to be the first. Welcome to KC, Mike. Welcome to KC.
(Just forgive me if it takes a few games to get the booing and raised middle fingers out of my system ...)
Thursday, January 15, 2009
buKCs fans get some love ...
((blackstreet voice) play on playa ... play on playa ... left to right back row: "o christmas tree, o christmas tree" ... then brent, sweet television, and gregg. left to right front row: the (no longer self described) hot as hell 32 year old author of this blog, his roommate dusty. photo: ashley).
First allow me to apologize for the lack of posting so far this month. There is so much I want to write and vent about, such as Barack Obama (and "The People's Champ", Joey Biden!!!) assuming control of the country. Scott Pioli assuming control of the franchise I literally give thousands of dollars to every season to watch play.
My only excuses are that (a) I am swamped at work with a profit center reclass that has me working 12 hours a day plus Saturday between the office and home to meet next week's deadline, and (b) I'm in week 7 of the cold / flu bug I got at the KU / MU game. Seriously, this thing is like Al Pacino in Godfather III, "just when I think I'm out, something pulls me back in!"
Anyways, I promise to try to do better going forward. And since its like -5 degrees outside on a Thursday night, what else is there to do but blog?
So in that spirit ...
Two weeks ago, Gregg hosted the latest BuKCs watching party. Only this one had a couple surprises.
The first surprise ... was my birthday present, a fully restored photo of my favorite pic of all time! Me, Jasson and Gregg (plus Gregg's mom) walking into Lot G at the start of tailgating, for the Chargers game in 2000. It was the last season that it was the three of us. It was from a time ... well, before things turned ugly for me for a while. So yeah, that pic has meaning for me. I don't care how cheezy that sounds, that pic has meaning for me.
(That, and it ain't eazy bein' cheezy).
But secondly, we apparently got a belated Christmas / Hanukkah / Kwanzaa / (guy sharing the cab in the fidelity ad voice) "Why Not"? gift from our good friends in the BuKCs front office. On the top of the package was a personalized signed letter from BuKCs GM John Hammond:
("makin' our dreams come true! for me and you ..." a letter from milwaukee's finest! and i don't mean hazzenpheffer incorporated ... photo: the crappy rocketfish webcam. (sleazy 70s game show announcer voice) rocketfish webcams, for all your "reputable singles site" chatting needs! "reputable singles site", as hyped by robin, fred, artie and howard on a memorable mid october howard stern show, uuh, show ...)
In addition to the letter that graced the top of the package, we were sent media guides, calendars, hats, schedule magnets, official BuKCs stationary ... this thing was the freaking Holy Grail of fan-recognition packages.
But the piece de resistance, no matter how you slice it, was the letter from GM John Hammond. To get a personally signed letter from the GM of the BuKCs to his "Bandwagon Fans" in KC ... well, we had to respond.
(Our response package should arrive at BuKCs World Headquarters sometime tomorrow, according to FedEx tracking. Can't wait to see the next response).
In all seriousness ... I expected nothing when this "journey" as BuKCs fans began. I hoped we'd have a few fun nights of basketball and boozing. I never imagined I could pick a team to back, that would actually want a fanbase. After years of throwing money at the Chiefs, I was used to having a stick shoved up my ass as thanks for my loyalty. This has been ...
Well, I'll let our letter do the talking.
Go BuKCs Go!
(sk 1/15: I apologize for the formatting issues. Apparently Word doesn't copy into Blogger as perfectly as I hoped it would. That, and its 10:50pm on a worknight, I am not reformatting this bad boy for your viewing pleasure. Just read it. (assistant principle in "lean on me" voice) Joe Clark! Read this! Read it! Wow I've been watching too many crappy yet inspirational late 80s movies lately ...)
----------------
(my address)
(buKCs world headquarters address)
Dear Mr. Hammond:
The “Bandwagon Bucks Fans” of Kansas City would like to take a moment to
thank you for your generous and completely unexpected gift package that
we received a week ago from you.
When we started this journey as Bucks fans (or “BuKCs” fans, as we call
ourselves) a couple months ago, we had no idea what to expect. Never in
our wildest dreams did we imagine the encouragement and support that you,
your front office, and your customer service department have shown us.
Almost immediately after we sent our initial letter, we received a care
package from the Bucks customer service department. Included in this
package was a letter thanking us for our support, as well as team
schedules, team magnets, team pens, thunder sticks, and other assorted
goodies that are not available anywhere here in Kansas City. Even more
impressively, this package arrived in time for our first watching party,
the November 7 game in Boston. To say the Bucks customer support staff’s
response won us over is an understatement.
But as great as the immediate response from your awesome customer support
staff was, we never imagined receiving anything more than that. So it was
with great surprise and enjoyment that Gregg and his wife returned home
after Christmas to find your package on their doorstep. They managed to
keep the news under wraps from the rest of us for a week, until our first
watching party of the New Year, on January 2 against Charlotte.
When Gregg produced the package you sent us, we were completely blown away.
We must have spent half the game asking trivia questions out of the media
guides you provided. The calendars are hanging in cubicles in three
different companies here in Kansas City. The schedule magnets are hanging
on our refrigerators. And the hats, the lunch bags / coolers, were
incredibly generous and do nothing but boost our support and love for this
team.
Hence the purpose of this letter: we greatly appreciated the personal
correspondence to the "Bandwagon Bucks Fans." There are few, if any,
general managers in any sport that would take the time to personally
address his team's fans, let alone acknowledge them. So we just wanted to
let you know, there is nothing "Bandwagon" about us. We are with this team
for good.
What began as a group of three of us grew to five almost overnight. And
that group of five grew to eight at our first party, the road game in
Boston. A week later, most of us were at a concert we had been looking
forward to all fall ... only we missed the opening songs because we were
huddled around Damien's Blackberry getting play by play updates of the
exciting overtime win in Charlotte. Friday nights have become "date night"
for most of us ... only, it is a date with the television to watch the Bucks
battle the opposition. We have seen two tough losses: to the Celtics at that
first party, and to the Pistons a week ago. We have also seen some great
wins, like the rout against the Bobcats last week, and the awesome win in
San Antonio to complete the season sweep.
We have also had fun trying to top one another with our latest Bucks wardrobe
addition. Everyone has a t-shirt sporting the awesome old-school logo.
Nothing can top the original Bucks logo! It is a timeless classic. Player
jerseys, jersey t-shirts, hats, you name it someone has purchased it to
show their support for our team.
We have also adopted a player to personally cheer for. Brent grabbed up
Michael Redd. Gregg roots on the Awesome Aussie, Andrew Bogut. Steve has
a man crush on Luke Ridnour. Damien backs Ramon Sessions. Dusty is on
board the Richard Jefferson bandwagon.
Which leads us to say this:
We began this initial season as Bucks fans to find a NBA team to unite
around and support. Instead, the NBA team we love has united to support
us, a bunch of NBA fans 500 miles from Milwaukee. It is unbelievable to
find a team, an organization, that actually doesn’t just say “fans first”,
but practices what they preach. The Milwaukee Bucks definitely put their
fans first!
As your "official fans" in Kansas City, we wish you continued success as
2008 turns into 2009. It has been awesome to log onto ESPN’s site and see
the Bucks playoff odds hovering in the 90 plus percent range for the last
week. It has been great to tune in for every game and hear the broadcast of
Jim and Jon. They are so much more energized this season, thanks to your
arrival and personnel moves that have made the Bucks playoff contenders.
And we’ve been doing our part, not only voting early and often at
www.seejoedunk.com to get Joe Alexander in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest,
but encouraging everyone we know to do the same.
We hope to make it to Milwaukee later this year for a game, if we can all
coordinate our schedules and get the time off from work. If it cannot
happen, we will definitely be there next year, Ready to Rise for our
Milwaukee Bucks!
Thank you again for your generosity and for your encouragement of us and
Bucks fans everywhere. As a small token of our appreciation, we hope you
will accept our small gift of some authentic Kansas City barbeque sauce and
some hometown Boulevard microbrew. We also enclosed a few action
shots of your "official" Kansas City Chapter of BuKCs fans doing what we do
best: rooting our guys on to victory!
(Just make sure you hide the Gates sauce from Tyronn Lue; the kid from
Raytown will know good barbeque when he smells it!)
Sincerely,
The Bandwagon “BuKCs” Fans
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
all i can do is recycle those three magical words ...
"Second f*cking Base!" -- Reggie Jackson, responding to a reporter who asked where his third home run (on three pitches) landed, 1977 World Series.
--------------------
Its always been my favorite quote in sports.
"Second f*cking base".
Its so neat. For starters, you get the gratuitous use of the f bomb for no obvious reason, and that's always special.
But its more than that. Its not just acknowledging something sweet that has occurred (like a home run bouncing back so far because of the force it hit the facade with in the outfield, that it landed back in the infield).
Its acknowledging something ... utterly incredible. Something that, if you're lucky, you witness at least once in your lifetime.
(Like me getting laid, for example. (dusty voice) ha! Good one Steve!)
Anyways. "Second f*cking base". Its how I felt this afternoon, laying on the couch, suffering through day three of "Barf Watch 2009", when the news came across the ESPN ticker that the Chiefs had hired Scott Pioli as their new GM.
This was more than a solid personnel hire. This was more than swinging for the fences, connecting on a 98 mph fastball, and clearing the bases.
This was ... this was "second f*cking base".
Chiefs fans, we can emerge from our long, dark depression. The era of trying to bring "Lamar's Trophy home" is over! Let's repeat that, together. The era of trying to bring "Lamar's Trophy home" is OVER!!! Its deader than Republican hopes of stopping the Obama agenda!
No longer is aiming for second place good enough in the eyes of our front office, or of our owner! With one hire, one simple personnel move, Clark Hunt announced to the nation that simply winning his dad's trophy isn't enough.
He wants Vince's trophy. And I don't mean McMahon.
Consider just the last ten years of Mr. Pioli's employment (1999-2000 Ravens; 2001-2008 Patriots). And tell me this isn't the single greatest personnel decision in franchise history (on paper) ...
* 0 Losing Seasons -- the worst a team he was affiliated with finished was 8-8 in 1999. By contrast, the Chiefs have had 5 losing seasons in that stretch (2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008).
* 7 Playoff Berths -- all but 1999 (8-8, one game out), 2002 (9-7, lost division and wildcard on tiebreakers), and 2008 (lost division and wildcard on tiebreakers). By contrast, the Chiefs have two playoff berths (2003, 2006), and one year missing out on tiebreakers (1999) in that stretch.
* 6 Division Titles -- only the 2000 Ravens squad that got in on his watch, failed to win its division. All 6 Patriots teams that reached the playoffs, won the AFC East. By contrast, the Chiefs won one division title in the last 10 years (2003).
* 5 AFC Championships. Lamar's Trophy? Been there, done that for Mr. Pioli, five times in the last nine years (2000 w/ Ravens; 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 w/ Patriots). The Chiefs have never even played for Lamar's Trophy in the last decade ... and a half.
* 4 Super Bowl Championships. Only the 2007 Patriots failed to win of the Pioli teams that reached the sport's ultimate stage ... and they entered that game 19-0. The Chiefs ... yeah, we know.
"Second f*cking base"? We not only hit it today with this hire, we shattered it. We beat that white piece of pillow in the middle of the dirt like Ike Turner beat Tina, like OJ beat Nicole, like Gregg beat(s) me at NCAA on the Playstation. Beaten like the government mule the Reverend Sharpton is still looking for.
Today, the Chiefs were the center of the NFL universe. For a reason other than losing 23 of 25, other than employing a head coach who actually used two timeouts on the same challenge (vs oakland last year). For a reason other than being the worst team in the AFC.
Today, we mattered again. Today, this team, our team, actually was relevant again.
I guarantee you, it won't be the last time under Scott Pioli that the nation noticed the Red and Gold.
"Second f*cking base". God bless it! Holy crap, it feels good to say that phrase and know its my team that hit the bag ...
--------------------
Its always been my favorite quote in sports.
"Second f*cking base".
Its so neat. For starters, you get the gratuitous use of the f bomb for no obvious reason, and that's always special.
But its more than that. Its not just acknowledging something sweet that has occurred (like a home run bouncing back so far because of the force it hit the facade with in the outfield, that it landed back in the infield).
Its acknowledging something ... utterly incredible. Something that, if you're lucky, you witness at least once in your lifetime.
(Like me getting laid, for example. (dusty voice) ha! Good one Steve!)
Anyways. "Second f*cking base". Its how I felt this afternoon, laying on the couch, suffering through day three of "Barf Watch 2009", when the news came across the ESPN ticker that the Chiefs had hired Scott Pioli as their new GM.
This was more than a solid personnel hire. This was more than swinging for the fences, connecting on a 98 mph fastball, and clearing the bases.
This was ... this was "second f*cking base".
Chiefs fans, we can emerge from our long, dark depression. The era of trying to bring "Lamar's Trophy home" is over! Let's repeat that, together. The era of trying to bring "Lamar's Trophy home" is OVER!!! Its deader than Republican hopes of stopping the Obama agenda!
No longer is aiming for second place good enough in the eyes of our front office, or of our owner! With one hire, one simple personnel move, Clark Hunt announced to the nation that simply winning his dad's trophy isn't enough.
He wants Vince's trophy. And I don't mean McMahon.
Consider just the last ten years of Mr. Pioli's employment (1999-2000 Ravens; 2001-2008 Patriots). And tell me this isn't the single greatest personnel decision in franchise history (on paper) ...
* 0 Losing Seasons -- the worst a team he was affiliated with finished was 8-8 in 1999. By contrast, the Chiefs have had 5 losing seasons in that stretch (2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008).
* 7 Playoff Berths -- all but 1999 (8-8, one game out), 2002 (9-7, lost division and wildcard on tiebreakers), and 2008 (lost division and wildcard on tiebreakers). By contrast, the Chiefs have two playoff berths (2003, 2006), and one year missing out on tiebreakers (1999) in that stretch.
* 6 Division Titles -- only the 2000 Ravens squad that got in on his watch, failed to win its division. All 6 Patriots teams that reached the playoffs, won the AFC East. By contrast, the Chiefs won one division title in the last 10 years (2003).
* 5 AFC Championships. Lamar's Trophy? Been there, done that for Mr. Pioli, five times in the last nine years (2000 w/ Ravens; 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 w/ Patriots). The Chiefs have never even played for Lamar's Trophy in the last decade ... and a half.
* 4 Super Bowl Championships. Only the 2007 Patriots failed to win of the Pioli teams that reached the sport's ultimate stage ... and they entered that game 19-0. The Chiefs ... yeah, we know.
"Second f*cking base"? We not only hit it today with this hire, we shattered it. We beat that white piece of pillow in the middle of the dirt like Ike Turner beat Tina, like OJ beat Nicole, like Gregg beat(s) me at NCAA on the Playstation. Beaten like the government mule the Reverend Sharpton is still looking for.
Today, the Chiefs were the center of the NFL universe. For a reason other than losing 23 of 25, other than employing a head coach who actually used two timeouts on the same challenge (vs oakland last year). For a reason other than being the worst team in the AFC.
Today, we mattered again. Today, this team, our team, actually was relevant again.
I guarantee you, it won't be the last time under Scott Pioli that the nation noticed the Red and Gold.
"Second f*cking base". God bless it! Holy crap, it feels good to say that phrase and know its my team that hit the bag ...
Friday, January 9, 2009
the divisional round picks
I might not have "The Coin" with me ... but 4 for 4 last week, both straight up and against the final spread.
As always, these are for recreational purposes only.
* 6 Ravens at 1 Titans: these two staged an old school classic earlier this year, with the Titans winning in Baltimore 13-10. This will be the third postseason meeting for these two relocation teams.
The first, in the 2000 playoffs, saw Brian Billick deliver one of the greatest postgame speeches of all time. "You go in, screaming like a crazed banshee, and ask where's the son of a bitch!" I miss Billick. Someone needs to hire that guy. The Ravens won the game, and went on to win the Super Bowl.
The second, in the 2003 playoffs, saw Tennessee go into Baltimore and win. So the home team is 0-2 in their postseason series.
I see no reason why that will change this weekend. The Ravens defense, barely, outlasts the Titans. Ravens (+2 1/2) 16, at Titans 14.
* 4 Cardinals at 2 Panthers. Good Lord, THIS is the prime time game?!?! I get that the rotation says this year the NFC gets the divisional round prime timer and the AFC gets the championship round ... but really? You put THIS in prime time, instead of Eagles / Giants?
That was my initial reaction. Only ... and the Sports Guy pointed this out in his picks, this slot, the Saturday prime time contest, almost always produces something crazy. Furthermore, of the last 6 teams that were double digit dogs in the divisional round, 4 covered, and 3 won outright (95 Packers, 95 Colts, 05 Chargers; the 07 Jags covered in Foxboro).
So there's that factor. Then there's the regular season contest, a game Arizona had in the bag until some late shenanigans by the Panthers led them to a come from behind 27-23 victory.
I don't think the Cardinals get blown out. In fact, I'm predicting the unbelivable to occur. Cardinals (+10) 34, at Panthers 31.
* 6 Eagles at 1 Giants. I know everyone expects this to be a classic contest. The two NFC East rivals each won at the other's team's stadium this year. Combined score of the two games: Eagles 51, Giants 50.
So like everyone thinking the Cardinals will get rolled ... I think everyone's wrong here. This one won't be close. This one is blowout city.
Behind a rested, healthy Brandon Jacobs, a confident Eli Manning, and 80,000 fired up fans who've had a month to prep for this revenge game, at Giants (-4 1/2) 41, Eagles 6.
* 4 Chargers at 2 Steelers. At least the NFL saved the best for last.
I wish they could move this bad boy into prime time. This game is going to be a classic. The regular season game was. Arguably the greatest gambling game of all time, as in the span of 10 minutes you went from a last second miraculous Steelers cover ... to having the touchdown taken off the board to give the Chargers a one point loss.
(To Mike Pereira admitting the next day that the refs blew it, and the Steelers should have had the touchdown, and the cover. Which was fine by me -- I had the Chargers).
I love this Chargers team. I said last week the winner of Indy and San Diego would go to the Super Bowl, and I stand behind that pick.
Darren Sproles runs for 105, Rivers throws for 200 and a touchdown, and the Chargers front seven does just enough to contain the Steelers rushing attack to escape town with a win.
From 4-8 to hosting the AFC Title Game in the span of 6 weeks. (peter griffin voice) Cracked Magazine. Chargers (+6) 13, at Steelers 6.
As always, these are for recreational purposes only.
* 6 Ravens at 1 Titans: these two staged an old school classic earlier this year, with the Titans winning in Baltimore 13-10. This will be the third postseason meeting for these two relocation teams.
The first, in the 2000 playoffs, saw Brian Billick deliver one of the greatest postgame speeches of all time. "You go in, screaming like a crazed banshee, and ask where's the son of a bitch!" I miss Billick. Someone needs to hire that guy. The Ravens won the game, and went on to win the Super Bowl.
The second, in the 2003 playoffs, saw Tennessee go into Baltimore and win. So the home team is 0-2 in their postseason series.
I see no reason why that will change this weekend. The Ravens defense, barely, outlasts the Titans. Ravens (+2 1/2) 16, at Titans 14.
* 4 Cardinals at 2 Panthers. Good Lord, THIS is the prime time game?!?! I get that the rotation says this year the NFC gets the divisional round prime timer and the AFC gets the championship round ... but really? You put THIS in prime time, instead of Eagles / Giants?
That was my initial reaction. Only ... and the Sports Guy pointed this out in his picks, this slot, the Saturday prime time contest, almost always produces something crazy. Furthermore, of the last 6 teams that were double digit dogs in the divisional round, 4 covered, and 3 won outright (95 Packers, 95 Colts, 05 Chargers; the 07 Jags covered in Foxboro).
So there's that factor. Then there's the regular season contest, a game Arizona had in the bag until some late shenanigans by the Panthers led them to a come from behind 27-23 victory.
I don't think the Cardinals get blown out. In fact, I'm predicting the unbelivable to occur. Cardinals (+10) 34, at Panthers 31.
* 6 Eagles at 1 Giants. I know everyone expects this to be a classic contest. The two NFC East rivals each won at the other's team's stadium this year. Combined score of the two games: Eagles 51, Giants 50.
So like everyone thinking the Cardinals will get rolled ... I think everyone's wrong here. This one won't be close. This one is blowout city.
Behind a rested, healthy Brandon Jacobs, a confident Eli Manning, and 80,000 fired up fans who've had a month to prep for this revenge game, at Giants (-4 1/2) 41, Eagles 6.
* 4 Chargers at 2 Steelers. At least the NFL saved the best for last.
I wish they could move this bad boy into prime time. This game is going to be a classic. The regular season game was. Arguably the greatest gambling game of all time, as in the span of 10 minutes you went from a last second miraculous Steelers cover ... to having the touchdown taken off the board to give the Chargers a one point loss.
(To Mike Pereira admitting the next day that the refs blew it, and the Steelers should have had the touchdown, and the cover. Which was fine by me -- I had the Chargers).
I love this Chargers team. I said last week the winner of Indy and San Diego would go to the Super Bowl, and I stand behind that pick.
Darren Sproles runs for 105, Rivers throws for 200 and a touchdown, and the Chargers front seven does just enough to contain the Steelers rushing attack to escape town with a win.
From 4-8 to hosting the AFC Title Game in the span of 6 weeks. (peter griffin voice) Cracked Magazine. Chargers (+6) 13, at Steelers 6.
our own hall of fame
With the NFL and MLB Hall of Fame votes coming up in a couple weeks, I got to thinking.
We need a "Stuff That Matters Only To Me and My Circle of Friends" Hall of Fame.
With that established, here are the 12 nominees for the Inaugural Class.
1. "Dingy". Anytime you need a laugh, anytime you need a chuckle, anytime you need a reason to take your mind off of a stressful or difficult situation, do one thing. Just say the word "dingy" out loud, and tell me you won't at least smile. Its the funniest word in the English language. "Dingy". Just say it. "Dingy".
2. "Dustyland". Refers to a state of herbally induced bliss that some of us have been known to visit from time to time. Also refers to its namesake's utter inability to type coherent thoughts when in said state of herbally induced bliss.
3. "Double Header Day". That magical day in July 1999, when the Royals hosted the Reds on a Saturday afternoon / evening, and played two. We started drinking early ... and kept drinking ... and kept drinking ... and by the end of the first game, we had over 40 beer cups between myself, Gregg and Jason. By the 2nd inning of game two, we were just bringing the cups back up to the beer vendor for a refill. We wound up taking 81 glasses home with us ... and keep in mind, we were getting refills. Easily the drunkest any of us have ever been. I have no idea how we got home ... but we had to stop a few times on the side of the freeway to puke and pee. Good times!
4. "I wasn't born and raised in Johnson County to ..." Just throw that line in front of whatever it is you don't want to do. For example, "I wasn't born and raised in Johnson County to sleep on the ground", as I once infamously noted before we stayed overnight at a dude ranch near San Antonio.
5. "They've all swallowed". The best line Brent has ever uttered. At Matt's wedding, up on the stage before the food was served, he noted at another table were three of his ex's, plus his (at the time) girlfriend. After pointing out the ridiculousness of them all sitting at the same table, he famously noted, "they've all swallowed". Must be nice, champ.
6. "The Coin". A relative new-comer to the inductee list, but its initial run has been so impressive it deserves consideration. This New Year's Eve, ready to place some wagers online, but unsure how to bet, Brent grabbed a quarter and using the "heads / tails" system, placed two bets. Both won. The next day, we tried again. And kept winning. As of now, "The Coin" has more than doubled the account balance, and has only lost twice (Vikings +3, OU +4.5). It has nailed some absurd bets that seemed to have no shot of paying off. "The Coin" is rapidly approaching gambling god status.
7. "Why?" A simple one word email sent to a good buddy by his sister the day after he hooked up with one of her friends ... while said sister was sleeping on the couch in the other room. Probably should be co-nominated along with another classic line dropped that night, "she had two choices!". Sadly for me, she did not choose to go left, she went straight ahead. Still, good times!
8. "The Poem". First started in 1999, its a sometimes satirical, sometimes hysterical preview of that morning's Chiefs game that is read while walking to the player's entrance. Is known for two classic lines. "But then I stop / Because I spot a car / That might contain / My special little star!", in reference to Chiefs linebacker Donnie Edwards. And the piece de resistance, "Then I open the program / To see who our referee will be / And I shout out in glee / Sweet Jesus! Ed Hochuli!".
9. "She's Better Than That Whore You Took!" A classic "Steve opens mouth, inserts foot" moment from high school. My date dumped me, after hooking up with a fellow classmate while they were on a "missions trip" to the Dominican Republic. (Note: any "missions trip" that involves you having more sex than actually doing the Lord's work ... wait, what am I saying, that is a GREAT missions trip! Why didn't I go? What the hell was I thinking? Wait, where was I? Oh yeah ...) Anyways, I got dumped. And go figure, Gregg and Jason start piling on my plight, so in a moment of rage and frustration I scream back at Jason "Yeah? Well she's better than that whore you took!". The only problem was, said "whore" was (and is) anything but a whore, she was one of my best friends ... and she's standing right there as I said it. Its really a wonder I only got my ass kicked once in high school, I certainly said enough ridiculous stuff to warrant at least a weekly beatdown ...
10. "Vote for the Best Looking Candidate". A definite classic Steve moment. I'm running for student council treasurer. I allow a couple buddies to "run my campaign", and they come up with the inspired idea to super-impose my head onto an underwear model's body, with the slogan "Vote for the Best Looking Candidate". I thought it was brilliant. Everyone thought it was brilliant. (I lost in a landslide).
11. "Life's Great at Super 8!" Refers to the time in Phoenix for a Chiefs road game, when a buddy and his girlfriend couldn't fight the urge at 2:30 in the morning, so they went in the bathroom to enjoy each other ... and somehow thought that turning on the faucet would drown out their sounds of pleasure from us in the other room. (dan dierdorf voice) nice try!
12. "Going for a Steak at the Outback". This might be Gregg's most inspired idea, coming up with the idea of calling the Outhouse the "Outback". So of course, then the adult entertainers at this fine establishment became "waitresses", and their private dances became "steaks". Brilliant!
I have no idea how the field is going to get narrowed down, they're all classic moments in time, or laugh-inducing phrases and memories. But feel free to vote in the comments section. The inaugural class will be revealed in the next couple weeks ...
We need a "Stuff That Matters Only To Me and My Circle of Friends" Hall of Fame.
With that established, here are the 12 nominees for the Inaugural Class.
1. "Dingy". Anytime you need a laugh, anytime you need a chuckle, anytime you need a reason to take your mind off of a stressful or difficult situation, do one thing. Just say the word "dingy" out loud, and tell me you won't at least smile. Its the funniest word in the English language. "Dingy". Just say it. "Dingy".
2. "Dustyland". Refers to a state of herbally induced bliss that some of us have been known to visit from time to time. Also refers to its namesake's utter inability to type coherent thoughts when in said state of herbally induced bliss.
3. "Double Header Day". That magical day in July 1999, when the Royals hosted the Reds on a Saturday afternoon / evening, and played two. We started drinking early ... and kept drinking ... and kept drinking ... and by the end of the first game, we had over 40 beer cups between myself, Gregg and Jason. By the 2nd inning of game two, we were just bringing the cups back up to the beer vendor for a refill. We wound up taking 81 glasses home with us ... and keep in mind, we were getting refills. Easily the drunkest any of us have ever been. I have no idea how we got home ... but we had to stop a few times on the side of the freeway to puke and pee. Good times!
4. "I wasn't born and raised in Johnson County to ..." Just throw that line in front of whatever it is you don't want to do. For example, "I wasn't born and raised in Johnson County to sleep on the ground", as I once infamously noted before we stayed overnight at a dude ranch near San Antonio.
5. "They've all swallowed". The best line Brent has ever uttered. At Matt's wedding, up on the stage before the food was served, he noted at another table were three of his ex's, plus his (at the time) girlfriend. After pointing out the ridiculousness of them all sitting at the same table, he famously noted, "they've all swallowed". Must be nice, champ.
6. "The Coin". A relative new-comer to the inductee list, but its initial run has been so impressive it deserves consideration. This New Year's Eve, ready to place some wagers online, but unsure how to bet, Brent grabbed a quarter and using the "heads / tails" system, placed two bets. Both won. The next day, we tried again. And kept winning. As of now, "The Coin" has more than doubled the account balance, and has only lost twice (Vikings +3, OU +4.5). It has nailed some absurd bets that seemed to have no shot of paying off. "The Coin" is rapidly approaching gambling god status.
7. "Why?" A simple one word email sent to a good buddy by his sister the day after he hooked up with one of her friends ... while said sister was sleeping on the couch in the other room. Probably should be co-nominated along with another classic line dropped that night, "she had two choices!". Sadly for me, she did not choose to go left, she went straight ahead. Still, good times!
8. "The Poem". First started in 1999, its a sometimes satirical, sometimes hysterical preview of that morning's Chiefs game that is read while walking to the player's entrance. Is known for two classic lines. "But then I stop / Because I spot a car / That might contain / My special little star!", in reference to Chiefs linebacker Donnie Edwards. And the piece de resistance, "Then I open the program / To see who our referee will be / And I shout out in glee / Sweet Jesus! Ed Hochuli!".
9. "She's Better Than That Whore You Took!" A classic "Steve opens mouth, inserts foot" moment from high school. My date dumped me, after hooking up with a fellow classmate while they were on a "missions trip" to the Dominican Republic. (Note: any "missions trip" that involves you having more sex than actually doing the Lord's work ... wait, what am I saying, that is a GREAT missions trip! Why didn't I go? What the hell was I thinking? Wait, where was I? Oh yeah ...) Anyways, I got dumped. And go figure, Gregg and Jason start piling on my plight, so in a moment of rage and frustration I scream back at Jason "Yeah? Well she's better than that whore you took!". The only problem was, said "whore" was (and is) anything but a whore, she was one of my best friends ... and she's standing right there as I said it. Its really a wonder I only got my ass kicked once in high school, I certainly said enough ridiculous stuff to warrant at least a weekly beatdown ...
10. "Vote for the Best Looking Candidate". A definite classic Steve moment. I'm running for student council treasurer. I allow a couple buddies to "run my campaign", and they come up with the inspired idea to super-impose my head onto an underwear model's body, with the slogan "Vote for the Best Looking Candidate". I thought it was brilliant. Everyone thought it was brilliant. (I lost in a landslide).
11. "Life's Great at Super 8!" Refers to the time in Phoenix for a Chiefs road game, when a buddy and his girlfriend couldn't fight the urge at 2:30 in the morning, so they went in the bathroom to enjoy each other ... and somehow thought that turning on the faucet would drown out their sounds of pleasure from us in the other room. (dan dierdorf voice) nice try!
12. "Going for a Steak at the Outback". This might be Gregg's most inspired idea, coming up with the idea of calling the Outhouse the "Outback". So of course, then the adult entertainers at this fine establishment became "waitresses", and their private dances became "steaks". Brilliant!
I have no idea how the field is going to get narrowed down, they're all classic moments in time, or laugh-inducing phrases and memories. But feel free to vote in the comments section. The inaugural class will be revealed in the next couple weeks ...
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
kk posts outrageous lie on 810's site
From "Klassy" Kevin Keitzman's anti-Carl rant disguised as a "draft a QB" post at 810's site:
"There are other ways to go. The Chiefs could make a run at New England's Matt Cassel in free agency. Wouldn't bother me at all considering I was on the radio three years ago when Trent Green left imploring Carl to make a deal for the backup."
(brian griffin voice) WHAT THE HELL?!?!
First of all, Trent Green left two years ago, not three. Three years ago, Trent Green was our unquestioned starter entering the 2006 season (three years ago). Sadly, he got concussed in the home opener, but still came back to start the last 8 games, including the playoff loss at Indy.
Only after that loss did people begin to realize the need to move on.
But forget the semantics of being a year off on when Trent Green left town.
Kevin claiming he "implored Carl to make a deal for (Matt Cassel)"?
When the hell did Kevin Keitzman EVER call for us to trade for Matt Cassel?!?! Actually, when did ANYBODY clamor for Matt Cassel in the 2006-2007 offseason? Did anyone in Kansas City even know who Matt Cassel was prior to Opening Day this year?
NOBODY was clamoring for Matt Cassel at this time in 2007! NOBODY! Not one f*cking person in this city was on the radio demanding we swing a deal for Matt Cassel!
Except our "good friend", Kevin Keitzman. Who apparently had the foresight to see Cassel's solid regular season two years before even the most talented, savvy NFL GM could see it coming. (Because they would have made the deal for "the backup" if they had).
And to think the guy wonders why he has zero credibility with ANY legitimate sports fan in this city. Seriously, how the hell does this guy have a job? How the hell does Kevin Keitzman have a job? This is a fireable offense, just flat out lying, in print, for anyone with a browser to see. On your station's website to boot!
Mr. Keitzman, produce the tape and transcripts from 2006 or 2007 where you were "imploring Carl to swing a trade for (Cassel)". Produce one shred of evidence. Otherwise, admit your lie, resign as the disgraced hack you are, and go back to parking on the side streets of Mission Hills.
the link: http://www.810whb.com/scripts/archives/getStory.asp?article=17978
"There are other ways to go. The Chiefs could make a run at New England's Matt Cassel in free agency. Wouldn't bother me at all considering I was on the radio three years ago when Trent Green left imploring Carl to make a deal for the backup."
(brian griffin voice) WHAT THE HELL?!?!
First of all, Trent Green left two years ago, not three. Three years ago, Trent Green was our unquestioned starter entering the 2006 season (three years ago). Sadly, he got concussed in the home opener, but still came back to start the last 8 games, including the playoff loss at Indy.
Only after that loss did people begin to realize the need to move on.
But forget the semantics of being a year off on when Trent Green left town.
Kevin claiming he "implored Carl to make a deal for (Matt Cassel)"?
When the hell did Kevin Keitzman EVER call for us to trade for Matt Cassel?!?! Actually, when did ANYBODY clamor for Matt Cassel in the 2006-2007 offseason? Did anyone in Kansas City even know who Matt Cassel was prior to Opening Day this year?
NOBODY was clamoring for Matt Cassel at this time in 2007! NOBODY! Not one f*cking person in this city was on the radio demanding we swing a deal for Matt Cassel!
Except our "good friend", Kevin Keitzman. Who apparently had the foresight to see Cassel's solid regular season two years before even the most talented, savvy NFL GM could see it coming. (Because they would have made the deal for "the backup" if they had).
And to think the guy wonders why he has zero credibility with ANY legitimate sports fan in this city. Seriously, how the hell does this guy have a job? How the hell does Kevin Keitzman have a job? This is a fireable offense, just flat out lying, in print, for anyone with a browser to see. On your station's website to boot!
Mr. Keitzman, produce the tape and transcripts from 2006 or 2007 where you were "imploring Carl to swing a trade for (Cassel)". Produce one shred of evidence. Otherwise, admit your lie, resign as the disgraced hack you are, and go back to parking on the side streets of Mission Hills.
the link: http://www.810whb.com/scripts/archives/getStory.asp?article=17978
Saturday, January 3, 2009
the wildcard prognostications
5 Falcons at 4 Cardinals: the Cardinals are reeling, having lost four of their last six. They beat one playoff team this year (Dolphins) in week two. They haven't beaten a team with a winning record since week six against the Cowboys. The Falcons, meanwhile, come in flying high, having won five of their last six, with three of those wins (Panthers, at Chargers, at Vikings) coming against divisional champs.
This game to me ultimately boils down to Matt Ryan. He's played extremely well so far this year, but will he choke on the sport's biggest stage? I say ... no. But he won't quite play well enough. at Cardinals 28, Falcons 25.
5 Colts at 4 Chargers: I am really looking forward to this matchup. The Colts have won 9 straight, and are arguably the hottest team in football. The Chargers have won 4 straight, and appear to be putting it together at the right time.
Colts v Chargers is almost always competitive. The Colts won on a last second Vinatieri field goal at San Diego earlier this year. The Chargers swept the Colts last year, winning a one point regular season game, then winning by four in the final game played at the RCA Dome. And three years ago, the Chargers ruined the Colts run at perfection, beating a 13-0 Indy team in Indy.
I'm glad NBC picked this one for prime time; it figures to be an instant classic. I truly believe the winner of this game will reach the Super Bowl. at Chargers 31, Colts 27.
6 Ravens at 3 Dolphins: I gotta be honest -- this game really does nothing for me. Both teams are nice stories, a tale of how you can go from loser to winner literally overnight in this league. I will be rooting for Miami, because my favorite player is now their quarterback (and it was so friggin awesome to see Chad go back to the Meadowlands and cram it down the Jets throat, good for him) ... but there's no way the Ravens lose this game. Their defense is just too good. Unless their flight fails to deliver them to Miami, I guess. Ravens 27, at Dolphins 13.
6 Eagles at 3 Vikings: should be another good wildcard round matchup. I honestly don't know who has the edge here. The Vikings defense is solid ... but its strength is stopping the run. And "Fat" Andy Reid isn't likely to run the ball much. The Eagles defense is also solid ... but the Vikings rushing attack can gouge anyone for 250 and 3 touchdowns. I suppose in the end, it comes down to coaching. "Fat" Andy Reid might be clueless at times, but Brad Childress is a certified idiot who has no business being a head coach at any level of football. Poor Vikings fans. First Mike Tice, now Brad Childress. Eagles 31, at Vikings 24.
This game to me ultimately boils down to Matt Ryan. He's played extremely well so far this year, but will he choke on the sport's biggest stage? I say ... no. But he won't quite play well enough. at Cardinals 28, Falcons 25.
5 Colts at 4 Chargers: I am really looking forward to this matchup. The Colts have won 9 straight, and are arguably the hottest team in football. The Chargers have won 4 straight, and appear to be putting it together at the right time.
Colts v Chargers is almost always competitive. The Colts won on a last second Vinatieri field goal at San Diego earlier this year. The Chargers swept the Colts last year, winning a one point regular season game, then winning by four in the final game played at the RCA Dome. And three years ago, the Chargers ruined the Colts run at perfection, beating a 13-0 Indy team in Indy.
I'm glad NBC picked this one for prime time; it figures to be an instant classic. I truly believe the winner of this game will reach the Super Bowl. at Chargers 31, Colts 27.
6 Ravens at 3 Dolphins: I gotta be honest -- this game really does nothing for me. Both teams are nice stories, a tale of how you can go from loser to winner literally overnight in this league. I will be rooting for Miami, because my favorite player is now their quarterback (and it was so friggin awesome to see Chad go back to the Meadowlands and cram it down the Jets throat, good for him) ... but there's no way the Ravens lose this game. Their defense is just too good. Unless their flight fails to deliver them to Miami, I guess. Ravens 27, at Dolphins 13.
6 Eagles at 3 Vikings: should be another good wildcard round matchup. I honestly don't know who has the edge here. The Vikings defense is solid ... but its strength is stopping the run. And "Fat" Andy Reid isn't likely to run the ball much. The Eagles defense is also solid ... but the Vikings rushing attack can gouge anyone for 250 and 3 touchdowns. I suppose in the end, it comes down to coaching. "Fat" Andy Reid might be clueless at times, but Brad Childress is a certified idiot who has no business being a head coach at any level of football. Poor Vikings fans. First Mike Tice, now Brad Childress. Eagles 31, at Vikings 24.
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