Philly Fans Have Short Memories- What Else is New?

I have never been a huge Donovan McNabb fan; I think he is a good player but not a great one. McNabb is by all accounts is great teammate and model citizen so give him extra credit for that, in other words you can win with Donovan McNabb as your quarterback. Given my view of McNabb, let’s also remember that he did lead the Philadelphia Eagles to 5 NFC Title games and 1 Super Bowl appearance in his 11 seasons as the team’s starting quarterback. Eagle fans will be quick to point out that McNabb never won the Super Bowl; in a place like Pittsburgh or Dallas this may be considered a valid point. However the Eagles, pre-McNabb, would never be confused with the Steelers or Cowboys.

Prior to McNabb joining the Eagles the organization participated in one Super Bowl after the 1980 season and last won an NFL Championship in 1960 when the league had 13 teams and was just discovering the value of a facemask. This is not necessarily a shot at the Eagles franchise as much as a historical fact needed to put McNabb’s success as the Eagles starting quarterback into the proper context.

On Sunday afternoon, after being traded this past off-season to divisional rival Washington, McNabb will come back to Philadelphia for a game against his old team. Admittedly, as a Cowboys fan, it is hard to envision McNabb in the Burgundy and Gold and I am sure it is twice as hard for some Eagle fans as well. My hope is that McNabb will be given a warm welcome back on Sunday but for some reason I doubt it. This is a fan base that actually prides itself having cheered when Michael Irvin, Cowboys Hall of Fame WR, was almost paralyzed on the turf in old Veterans Stadium in 1999. Couple the history of the Eagles fan base with the fact that Michael Vick their current QB has played awfully well the past two-weeks without killing or maiming any dogs in the area and my guess is that McNabb’s efforts in the past have already been forgotten.

Fans often forget that only one trophy is awarded each season in every sport thus not winning a title doesn’t necessarily make the season a complete failure. The Eagles were awfully good for over a decade with McNabb leading their team and before his devastating knee injury, McNabb was a scary guy to play against because of his ability to run with the ball and throw while running. In other words, McNabb could beat a team on his own with a mediocre offensive line in front of him- there is nothing more demoralizing to a defense than to pressure a QB only to have him run 20 yards for a first down.

Donovan McNabb is a proud guy and being traded to a divisional rival that the Eagles play twice annually shows you exactly what the Eagles though of McNabb at the end of his days with the team; they don’t fear him. I expect McNabb to be a bit emotional on Sunday but I also expect him to be very motivated. Based on his history, we should see the best of McNabb this weekend; whether that translates into a Washington win or not remains to be seen.

McNabb didn’t ask to be traded, the Eagles told him he wasn’t wanted anymore. Based on the preceding statement why do I expect the Philly “Boo-Birds” to be in full force? In other words, why would a fan boo a player who didn't ask to leave the team but instead was traded? Why the Philadelphia fans would boo a guy who was a pillar in the community and was the 3^rd most winning QB of the past decade is beyond me but many things fans say and do these days often leave me perplexed. I hope I am pleasantly surprised on Sunday and hear McNabb applauded when announced but given the City of Brother Love’s rabid fan base and short memories, I will expect their worst and hope for their best.

$100MM Dollar Slave in Washington Imprisons ALL Americans

Certain words get thrown around these days about as easily as grenades in World War II. It is fairly easy to turn on the nightly news and hear words like racism, socialism, insane etc. used much more frequently than they were 40-years ago. However, it’s not often that you hear an African-American man making $100 million over a 7-year period liken his situation to that of being a slave. However “insane” the preceding statement sounds, Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth uttered it in the past day or so. The insinuation is that “the man” (the owner of the team) is keeping Albert Haynesworth down. I am sure it is hard to get out from underneath the pile of money that Haynesworth has made playing for Washington.

At first blush on its surface the statement is absurd but it’s even more asinine when one considers what caused Mr. Haynesworth to make this statement. You see when Haynesworth signed his 7-year contract last year with the Redskins they played a 4-3 defense but in the off-season the Redskins changed coaches and switched defenses to a 3-4 scheme which would require Haynesworth to play his position differently. For the rest of the world this would seem somewhat normal considering that companies change CEOs frequently; it would seem logical and even predictable that over 7-years Mr. Haynesworth could assume he may be playing for a different head coach than the one he signed up to play for when his deal was consummated. Most importantly, Haynesworth still collects a check every Tuesday for exactly the amount he AGREED to play for when he signed his contract last year.

Haynesworth has now resorted to calling his plight that of a slave and this is where the dangerous part begins. Slavery is nothing to be taken lightly, if one reads a few books and understands what his ancestors went through they would quickly rebuke Haynesworth’s statement as not only stupid and insensitive but dangerous to the black community. You see when people begin using labels, serious labels, on silly things it diminishes the label and as a society we become desensitized to true meaning of the label. Therefore, when the situation actually occurs, society is so used to the label being used frivolously that we as people no longer become outraged by the activity. The analogy I can easily give you is nudity on television. 30-years ago, if you saw nudity on an HBO movie, you were shocked- now if you turn on USA at 10pm there is a good chance you will see what you saw on HBO 30-years ago- it’s not a big thing to society because it has become so pervasive.

I would hope that the leaders of the black community, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson et al would speak out about Mr. Haynesworth’s dumb comment but for some reason I doubt this will happen. The preceding group of “leaders” traffic in race baiting and love to keep that debate alive and well in this country as it provides them with full-time employment and plenty of TV time, that’s sad.

What I find more troubling is that a guy making about $15 million annually feels he is in a situation akin to that of his slave ancestors. The last time I checked my history books, slaves weren’t allowed to leave the plantation, were forced to work without compensation, sold like property etc. etc. Mr. Haynesworth has a huge bank account and is free to pursue any other line of employment he would like other than playing defensive tackle in the National Football League, unless of course he can find it within himself to play for the Washington Redskins with whom he signed a CONTRACT with last season.

With millions of Americans out of work and unsure where there next paycheck is coming from, what do they get from the place they turn to for their entertainment and diversion from the serious issues in their lives? What they get is some self-absorbed professional athlete who doesn’t understand just how blessed he is to play a game for an extraordinary amount of money and to live in a country where freedom is taken for granted. If we, as a society, keep paying attention to morons like Albert Haynesworth who are paid to entertain us on weekends, then sadly we’re all “slaves”.

MNF 10-27-2010 Pick

Both offenses in tonight's MNF game have been above average so far; That's why I'm doing just the opposite and picking the under of 46.5. Since it is a divisional game of two teams starting off 2-0, I am looking for the defense to step up for both teams. I also believe the media and public have made the Packers a much better football team. Don't get me wrong, they are a talented bunch but I believe da Bears give them a run tonight. Lean on the Bears if you can get +3.5 or +4...or you can always buy the hook.

Mirages Not Limited to Deserts

The NFL has an extremely long season. Don’t get me wrong, I love every game of it but it’s a long season. Being that the season is long, it leads fans and analysts to jump to snap decisions regarding the quality of teams well before all the evidence is in. I refer to these snap judgments as mirages meaning something appears which isn’t real. Every September NFL fans get many mirages both good and bad, let’s try to decipher which teams could be currently winning with smoke and mirrors and which teams should markedly improve over the next 3-months; always keeping in mind that the object is to be the best team in December and January, not in September.

With the preceding paragraph in mind, let’s take a minute and try to assimilate what we’ve seen thus far in 3-weeks that lead us to believe a team will either get worse or improve as the season moves along. First of all, I am a big effort guy- I love a team or player that gives outstanding effort. However, outstanding effort early in the year without equal talent will usually lead to a team that starts fast coming back to the pack. On the other side of the coin, you will see some very talented teams that make a ton of penalties and turnovers early in the year; the bad news is that penalties and turnovers will lead to losses; the good news is that this can be corrected.

I see two teams out there right now that I feel will come back to the pack over the coming months; Kansas City and Tampa Bay. Let me say, I believe both teams are significantly improved over their 2009 versions, however, Kansas City is not a 3-0 quality team and Tampa Bay isn’t as good as their 2-1 start would indicate. We got some inkling of Tampa’s lack of talent as they were undressed at home by Pittsburgh yesterday, 38-13. Kansas City does have nice club but they are closer to an 8-8 type team than the 13-3 team that this type of start would typically indicate. Look for both these clubs to slowly but surely begin to lose in the coming weeks. I expect Kansas City to get lit up in Indianapolis two-weeks from now, despite coming off a bye week. The Chiefs lack big-time playmakers on the outside thus I think they will struggle against better competition as the season wears on. Tampa Bay is playing a 2^nd year QB, Josh Freeman, who has immense talent but a propensity for big mistakes. The mistakes that your QB makes get magnified as the games get more meaningful throughout the season. I believe Tampa is more of a 7-9 type club this season.

There are two teams that I see becoming markedly better as the year moves forward. The first team is September’s perennial slow starter the San Diego Chargers. San Diego lost their first game at Kansas City in a close tussle. After waxing Jacksonville at home, the Chargers went up to Seattle yesterday and managed to lose 27-20 despite gaining 570 yards of offense vs. a Seattle team whose roster may not be as good as Alabama’s. The Chargers committed 5 turnovers, had over 100 yards of penalties and allowed not one but two, 100 yard kickoff returns by Seattle’s Leon Washington. San Diego gets starting LT Marcus McNeil back after the 6^th game as he finally signed a tender offer and is eligible to play after game number 6. This alone should help the offense and I expect at some point star WR Vincent Jackson will realize that with a potential lockout looming next year it might behoove him to make a few bucks this year so I expect him to sign as well. San Diego was 12-4 last season and their roster is littered with Pro Bowl players; this team will go on a run where they win 5 of 6 and before you know it, San Diego should be closer to an 11-5 team than the inverse.

The other team I expect to continually get better is the Dallas Cowboys. Listen, I always admit in these pieces where my rooting interests are, thus for the sake of full disclosure I am big Dallas fan. However, I try to call it as straight as I see it. Before Cowboys Nations begins putting Dallas back in the Super Bowl after their impressive win over a very good Houston Texans team in Houston yesterday; it will mean nothing if the Cowboys come off their bye week and lose at home to Tennessee. I don’t see the Cowboys losing at home after the bye week but it’s not as though they haven’t underachieved in recent history so it’s not beyond the realm of possibility. That being said, the Cowboys have an immensely talented roster, there is no denying that. Demarcus Ware is the game’s best player and he showed that yesterday sacking Matt Schaub three times. Romo is one of the top 6 or 7 triggermen in the game, Miles Austin is one of the top 4 or 5 WRs, Witten is perennial Pro Bowl TE and this rookie Dez Bryant is ridiculously good. The Cowboys lost their first two games due more to them being inept than the other team doing anything to them. Penalties, turnovers, poor play calling all led to Dallas losses to Washington and Chicago- all that can be corrected as evidenced yesterday in Houston. When Dallas plays a relatively clean game, they are as good as any team in this league thus the question becomes consistency. My guess it that like San Diego, Dallas is closer to an 11-5 team than a 5-11 team.

The beauty of an NFL season is that it’s a journey where we must wait for the answers we seek as football fans. Thus my recommendation is that you get a glass of water and try to stay cool because the mirages that appear in September begin to dissipate in October as reality sets back in.

NCAA Football Picks for Saturday, 9-25-10

I have been asked to provide some information and analysis on the games each week thus in giving the folks what they request here goes my two free picks for Saturday, September 25.

Wyoming +13.5 vs Air Force

By all accounts last week, Wyoming was completely waxed at home vs. Boise St. Boise St was motivated as Wyoming had been circled as a possible trap game after their Sept. 6 win vs Virginia Tech. Boise St. came into the game with their hair on fire and blew out Wyoming, who is a traditionally a tough game when you play them at their place. On the other hand, the Air Force Falcons out gained Oklahoma in Norman before finally falling in a hard fought 27-24 game.

Many squares will look at this game and jump on Air Force; I suggest looking to the other side of this game and grab Wyoming as a 13.5 point home dog. First of all, Wyoming is traditionally a good home team as the trip there is not something most teams are used to making. Also, Wyoming has played two of the top 5 teams in the country thus far losing at Texas and home last week vs. Boise St. On the other hand, while Air Force is always a tough customer, I suspect that last week's game with one of college football's "Blue Bloods" Oklahoma took a lot out of the Falcons mentally and physically. Oklahoma has the type of size and speed that Air Force isn't used to going against and it will show up this week in Wyoming. This will be a close game but in the end Air Force has too much talent. Grab the points and Cowboys.

Air Force 31 Wyoming 23


Texas - 16 over UCLA

Go to Austin Texas and ask them about the "Route 66" game. It may not mean much to you but in Austin it represents the worst loss hung on their beloved Longhorns since 1904. It was September 1997, UCLA had one of their few good teams and they came into Austin to play Texas at a down period (one of the few in their illustrious history). Cade McNown, UCLA's quarterback, had 5 TD passes by halftime and when the day was all said and done UCLA hung a 66-3 loss on the Horns.

Now many of you might be thinking; what does a game some 13-years ago have to do with this game? If you ask that question, you don't understand how big football is in Texas and especially how big college football is in Austin. Believe me, the Texas coaches will remind the current players what UCLA did to their predecessors some 13-years ago. Couple the preceding with Texas, while not as good as last year's team which lost to Alabama in the Title game, being a top 5 team with top 5 talent and UCLA being downright awful. Yes, I know UCLA beat Houston 31-13 last week but Houston lost their QB early and folks, it's Houston- they play in Conference USA. Prior to the Houston game, the Bruins played two BCS schools, at Kansas St. which was a 22-31 loss and Stanford which was a 0-35 loss.

I will be surprised if UCLA cracks 10 points in this game and while I suspect that Texas won't score 66 because Mack Brown has too much class for that; Texas will score enough to cover this paltry spread.

Texas 37 UCLA 10

Death and Violence- Something the NFL Can't Tackle

Professional football is a violent game; I think at times we forget that as we watch it on TV far removed from the on-field action. While it would ideal for NFL players to only be violent during practice and for 3-hours on Sunday afternoons, human beings often don’t have a switch that allows them to step into a proverbial phone booth and change back to a “real life” persona.

Over the last several years, a relatively large number of NFL players have met their demise at very young ages. From Darrent Williams being shot in the back of a limousine on New Year’s Eve a few years ago to Sean Taylor being shot during a burglary in his home to last year’s tragic death of Chris Henry, troubled Cincinnati Bengals WR, who was involved in a domestic incident which found him in the back of a pick-up being driven by his girlfriend from which he was thrown to his demise. The commonality among each of these deaths is that all involved young NFL players dying far before their time and each player’s life ended in a violent manner.

I am rarely taken back by the death of an NFL player, based on the evidence previously presented above, but admittedly when 23 year-old Kenny McKinley, a WR with the Denver Broncos, decided to put a shotgun in his mouth and violently end his life, it startled me. McKinley was an up and coming young player who held many of the receiving records at the University of South Carolina, a school that was home to such greats at Sterling Sharpe and Robert Brooks. After all, to most of us these guys live the perfect lives right? They make millions of dollars to presumably play a game they love which they have played since they were 6 and 7 year old boys. However, when the helmets and pads come off what most of us never stop to consider is that professional athletes have problems just like each of us. While it may be hard for a person with three or four children, no job who is behind on their mortgage to understand; money doesn’t automatically make all one’s problems vanish. In some cases, it will make those problems worse depending on the specific issue.

Too many times NFL fans think of the players as the characters they see when their kids (or themselves) are playing NFL Madden Football. If a guy isn’t playing up to par you will hear the casual fan say, “cut him”; if a guy is hurt you will hear “we can win without him, no big deal”. While I am not advocating keeping players who cannot play football, I am merely trying to point out that cutting a football player from the team is the same as someone in your company getting fired. There are family consequences from kids changing schools to selling homes to figuring out where the player’s next paycheck is going to come from.

For every Peyton Manning who makes $12 million per season, there is a Kenny McKinley making $400,000 to $500,000 to cover kickoffs and punts. Before you tell me that you would do that for $500,000 a year, I want you to consider if you would go through all the violent practices, the endless weight lifting and running for a career that may last 4 or 5 years if the player is lucky? At the end, many of these young men are left physically broken without the mental wherewithal to make it in the real world.

Make me no mistake, I am not feeling bad for guys who make half a million dollars a year to play a game while 10% of Americans cannot find a job these days. I am merely trying to point out that the players don’t live lives any more perfect than any of ours. More importantly, they play a sport where their problems are traditionally solved with violence. For all the skill and strategy we say we love about football, it’s a guilty pleasure because deep down most fans love the big hits and huge blocks- aren’t these what end up on SportsCenter every night during the season. Ultimately we should not act surprised when a man who makes his living being violent ends up in a violent situation or solves his “real life” problems with brute force.

I wonder what was bothering young Kenny McKinley so much a few days ago that he decided that the only solution to his problems was to go into a room, put a shotgun in his mouth and literally blow his head off his shoulders? Whatever was bothering him, I’m quite sure that he did not take the time to consider just how permanent a “solution” he chose to deal with his problems. However, based on what we ask these guys to do on Sunday afternoons, we should never act surprised when the path that an NFL players choose to deal with strife is violence.

What's Wrong with the Dallas Cowboys? Where do we start?

The Dallas Cowboys lost on Sunday to the Chicago Bears and all is not right for America’s Team. Like the country, the Cowboys are licking their wounds and looking for reasons for their 0-2 start which Jerry Jones calls the “biggest disappointment of his ownership tenure”. I have some thoughts on what has gone wrong but I am not sure where to begin so I will begin at the top, the management of the organization.

When you want to figure out what’s wrong with a sports team, the answers usually lie somewhere in everyday life. We all have friends, family etc. who just don’t handle success very well. For some reason, some individuals do better climbing the mountain then when circumstances tell them that they “have arrived”. Well, the Dallas Cowboys are that friend you have who landed a good job and spent half his annual salary on a new Rolex.

The Cowboys have a tough enough task as it is, like a Notre Dame, a Duke basketball or the New York Yankees; if the Cowboys field a team they are usually one of the favorites to make the Super Bowl whether that expectation is realistic or not. Couple the teams overwhelming visibility, an owner who is the eternal optimist, a rabid fan base and you have the formula for disappointments of epic proportions.

What’s a bit ironic is that there is a consistent pattern of when the Cowboys have their biggest “failures” and the owner doesn’t even see that he helps contribute to his own unhappiness. Let’s do a quick rewind to 2007; the Cowboys were coming off the Romo fumble in Seattle which cost the Cowboys a potential game winning field goal attempt in their 2006 playoff loss. Bill Parcells had just left as head coach and the Cowboys had hired Wade Phillips to replace him. Cowboy Nation was in mourning, the team was picked 3^rd in the NFC East and what happened? The Cowboys went out and won the division and produced the NFC’s best record 13-3. Despite a division playoff loss to the Giants (who would eventually win the Super Bowl), 21-17, the Cowboys went into 2008 as a favorite to win the Super Bowl.

Well 2008 rolled around and Jerry Jones did what Jerry can’t help doing, he loaded the boat with talent from PacMan Jones to Tank Johnson to Terrell Owens who was already in house. He signed the Cowboys up to be on HBO’s “Hard Knocks”; I mean after all if you’re going to win the Super Bowl, you might as well have training camp preserved for history. The only problem with Jerry’s master plan was that the Cowboys stumbled and bumbled their way to a 9-7 season which ended with a thud in Philadelphia, 44-6.

At the risk of being redundant, I will assume most of you know what happened last year and how the Cowboys rebounded to win the NFC East and a playoff game when nothing much was expected out of that bunch only to once again find themselves the NFC favorite to go to the Super Bowl and host the game in their own stadium this season. Once again, Jerry Jones couldn’t help himself and what did he do, he sent his team on a barnstorming run in training camp which saw Dallas travel more miles then most teams will travel in the first 6-weeks of the season. Jones oozed over his team saying “this is the most talented team I have been around since we were winning Super Bowls in the 1990s”. The Cowboys, devoid of a true vocal team leader among the players, ate cheese as Bill Parcells used to say and we sit here today two-weeks into the season wondering what went wrong?

Well, after a 0-2 start, it’s become evident to me that the Cowboys issues aren’t about talent; the Cowboys have a systemic problem that begins at the top and permeates its way throughout the organization. Jerry Jones is such an optimist, such good news junky, he has a difficult time dealing with reality. This attitude of always wanting to feel good about the team allows players and coaches to make excuses. Ultimately the Cowboys are a team that despite its bountiful talent, finds ways to lose games rather than to win them.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a 9-7 campaign and playing their 3^rd String quarterback to start the season yet they are 2-0. The Steelers are a team that grinds and finds ways to win with defense, special teams you name it. One thing the Steeler organization doesn’t do is allow bad circumstances (their starting QB to be suspended for the first 4 games) to become a crutch for poor play.

The Cowboys have one of the games 6 or 7 most talented quarterbacks Tony Romo, one of the top 3 or 4 WRs in Miles Austin, one of the top 3 or 4 Tight Ends, Jason Witten and the game’s best and most feared defensive player in OLB Demarcus Ware. However because of Jones’ penchant for star players, the Cowboys have an organizational belief that you need 22 Pro Bowl players to win. This explains the difference between teams like the Colts who routinely lose an offensive lineman, a cornerback and some other key player yet they plug in a first or second year player and win 12 games.

If fixing the Cowboys was an X and O type of issue, the problem wouldn’t be that difficult to solve. However, the Cowboys problems begin with Jerry Jones who is the best owner in the NFL but one of its worst GMs. Until Jones cedes the GM job to his son Stephen who is a very solid football guy and hires a head coach who is really in charge of the football team; the Cowboys will continue to fall short of their expectations.

Is Notre Dame Still Relevant?

I always chuckle when I hear the “smart” sports guys on TV and radio asks this question. “Gee Mike, do you think Notre Dame is still relevant in college football?” Apparently the real thinkers in the sports world need a history lesson, like many Americans these days in general. The argument I hear most often interjected to degrade Notre Dame is “oh they haven’t won a Championship in football since 1988”.

It is a bit humorous and downright disingenuous argument that a fan who doesn’t care for a particular team and whose team has recently won a Championship will throw out to denigrate a team with tremendous history like Notre Dame. Notre Dame is a lot like the New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys in that they are their sports most popular and unpopular teams at the same time. No team has as many fans as Notre Dame and no team has as many haters as Notre Dame which is my first reason to state unequivocally that Notre Dame is still relevant. When a team is mentioned and someone just shrugs their shoulders, think Kansas City Royals, you know you have reached the irrelevant stage. When a team is mentioned and regardless of the reaction, love or hate, you get one reaction or the other, think Yankees, Cowboys and Notre Dame then they are definitely relevant.

The other day a good friend of mine asked when the last time my beloved Dallas Cowboys had won a Super Bowl Title and I said it was the 1995 season to which he replied “wow, 15 years” with a smile. However, after I reminded him that it was 26 years between Super Bowl victories for his Black and Gold Steelers (1979 to 2005), the smirk quickly disappeared. Matter of fact, let’s put this whole issue of Notre Dame not winning a title for 22 years to rest, here is a quick history lesson. First we’ll start with college football, when Texas won their Championship in 2005, it was 35 years since their last title, 1970. Ohio St. went 34 years between titles (1968 to 2002), USC 25 years (1978 to 2003). In baseball, the Yankees went 18 years (1978 to 1996), the Cardinals went 24 years (1982 to 2006), the Dodgers are in Notre Dame’s shoes- 1988 and still waiting. In football, the Miami Dolphins are definitely a team that many people follow right; well they haven’t won a title since 1973- 37 years for you people who struggled in math.

My point is simple, the whole issue with claiming Notre Dame is irrelevant due to the recent lack of success is not only a meritless argument but lacks any substance when put in context with other prominent sports teams. Unfortunately we live in a “what have you done for me lately society” which puts a lot of emphasis on right now and in doing this pushes history to background in favor of the newest and best thing. This is how a team that nobody followed in the 60s and 70s, the New England Patriots, can become one of the league’s most popular teams, it is how a guy named Barrack Obama becomes President. History is very important, it is what ties this generation to the previous one and ties the next generation to us. Our history, in sports and as a nation is what makes us who were are.

Notre Dame is an integral part of the history of college football; many of the sports greatest games and moments involved the Fighting Irish. For one to suggest that Notre Dame isn’t relevant in college football speaks volumes to their ignorance regarding the game’s history as well as their utter disdain for Notre Dame. (Remember, my last blog when I gave the disclaimer that I am a big-time USC with a liking also for Texas as well thus none of this is coming from a Notre Dame lover) What the hell, this team has enough interest in it to basically have their own network on NBC Sports which shows all their games including the ones vs. opponents nobody cares about. The aforementioned fact alone speaks volumes to the type of following and support that Notre Dame still drums up nationally.

We live in a world where we can watch football on our cell phone, communicate constantly with one another at any time thus we have lost our ability to be patient and live in the moment. It seems that along with the preceding fact, we have also lost much of our appreciation of history and lineage. That Championship from 1945 that you denigrate today as being old and outdated with the fan of a team that holds said championship will be the same championship your team earned in 2001 that some young kid is telling you doesn’t matter for your team in 2035.

I can only leave you with this thought as I try to help the “haters” understand why Notre Dame is as relevant today as they always have been in the college football world. In 1965 Rachel Welch was probably the best looking woman to walk the planet; today she is a 70 year old woman. (Albeit a very good looking 70 year old woman) If I put a movie on with Megan Fox in it, you may tell me that Ms. Welch couldn’t hold a candle to Megan Fox- 30 years from now Megan Fox will be old too.

Don't Get Bush-Whacked by the NCAA

Before I write anything regarding Reggie Bush, the USC Trojans or the NCAA I will give a full disclaimer; I am a diehard USC Trojans fan and have been for all of my life. I don't believe the preceding is relevant to what I have to say on this subject just I don't believe the dislike that many of you have for USC (due to rooting interests) should be either. To me this issue is about right and wrong along and how we punish people for their indiscretions.

Let's first assume that something went on with Reggie Bush's family receiving some sort of improper benefits; I say assume because it was never proven. Keep in mind the NCAA investigation is not a court of law, there is no evidence presented in public for examination and scrutiny. The NCAA gets to be judge, jury and ultimately the executioner. I find this humorous because outside of boxing, I am not sure I know of an organization in sports more corrupt and self-serving than the NCAA. Let's all keep in mind that this organization makes billions of dollars off amateur student athletes and then they act surprised when a poor kid, without the money to purchase a pizza on a Friday Night takes money from a blood-sucking agent who wants to represent the kid when he heads to the NFL, NBA etc. to make his millions.

If Reggie Bush or his parents received improper benefits, that's wrong. Reggie and his family jeopardized his legacy as one of college football's truly great players. Now I will say that the man who held most of the "evidence" against the Bush's was a convicted felon and former gang member; does that mean he's lying- not necessarily. However, it does make his testimony less than credible.

I want to concede that something happened here so we can move on to the real point of this piece- context. Even if we assume Bush did this and we agree that what he did is wrong, I find it astonishing that this young man, who by all accounts is a fine human being, is being treated like Charles Manson by the NCAA and media throughout the United States. Keep in mind, Bush is a young guy who upon signing his rookie contract in the summer of 2006 watched Hurricane Katrina's aftermath unfold before his eyes while in training camp with his pro team, the New Orleans Saints. What did Reggie Bush do; he donated $1mm to help victims of the hurricane. Does that sound like a self-absorbed professional athlete, a bad person? Again, this action doesn't excuse what he potentially did during the 2005 season while at USC but it puts his actions into context and the bigger picture of his body of work- his life- as a whole.

The NCAA has since required that all references to Reggie Bush be removed from the USC campus- his jersey, his picture, his banner in the Coliseum next to USC's other 6 Heisman Trophy winners. This is where the story makes real life seem like fiction. USC has 6 Heisman Trophy winners besides Reggie Bush; Mike Garrett, Charles White, Marcus Allen, Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and yes a guy named O.J. Simpson. Yes, that guy the double murdering, armed robber now serving 9 years in a Nevada penitentiary. I know, Simpson was found not guilty of murder but I have $30mm reasons to believe he committed the crime since that is what a civil jury (deciding on a preponderance of the evidence, 12-0 not required) awarded the Goldman family. Considering this civil award against Simpson and that the LAPD never looked for the "real killer", I am going to assume Simpson murdered two people and beyond that was subsequently convicted of armed robbery in Nevada for which he is now serving time.

Here is the funny part; Simpson's jersey hangs proudly in the Coliseum and he remains and integral part of the USC history books. The NCAA has no problem with a convicted felon being a part of the history of one of their "Blue Blood" programs. Keep in mind, this is the USC Trojans, the Trojans of 11 National Titles and most Bowl victories (along with Alabama) not some small school in the middle of nowhere. Better yet, when Simpson gets out of jail in 9-years, he can put on a suit and tie and go to the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City for the Heisman ceremony as he is still a proud member of one of sports most exclusive clubs. You think I'm being ridiculous, check it out this is all true.

Context is important for everything we do in life; after all we don't execute someone for robbing $20 of potato chips from the convenient store. For some reason, the NCAA doesn't feel any need for context as they sit in their Ivory Tower in Kansas City dispensing justice upon young athletes and counting money from TV contracts, merchandise sales and other related activities earned on the backs of these kids. Vince Young said it best when asked this week if he would like the 2005 Heisman, "why would I want it, as far as I am concerned Reggie won the award, it's his". At least someone is seeing clearly these days.

Don't Book Those Super Bowl Tickets Just Yet

One thing you learn with age is that the NFL season is a marathon not a sprint thus what you see in Week 1 could be a season long issue or a mirage, it needs to play itself out. However, the preceding will not stop me from pontificating on what we saw thus far in the first week of NFL Action.

Let's start with the Cowboys game vs. the Redskins since that is the title of this blog. This game was much of the same from Dallas O-Coordinator Jason Garrett as the Cowboys were 2nd in the NFL in yards per game last year, 399 yards per game, while scoring but 22.5 points per contest. Garrett is a guy who may be "too smart" for his own good as many times he calls plays where he thinks a bit too much and uses too much trickery when it is unnecessary. The play call at the end of the first half has to have Garrett's parents requesting a refund from Princeton University where he got his degree from. With 4 seconds remaining in the first half, 64 yards away from your opponent's endzone, what does one hope to accomplish calling any play but a "Hail Mary"?

I understand that Tashard Choice, the young man who fumbled for a quick Redskin touchdown to end the half, has to do a better job of ball security or getting to the ground, but why put the player in that position? I would think taking a knee and going to the locker room down 3-0 on the road in a division contest isn't the worst thing. Garrett is an overrated coach, actually as overrated as they come. He has a top 3 WR (Miles Austin), a top 3 TE (Jason Witten), 3 NFL qualtiy running backs and a trigger man in Tony Romo who is easily one of the top 6 QBs in the league and from that he produces what? I could write an entire blog on back-up RT, Alex Barron, who played in place of Marc Colombo but three holding penalties in one game, the final one negating a game winning 12-yd TD pass speaks for itself. Barron should audition for "Dancing with the Stars" as he spent most of the evening groping Redskins defensive players, might as well grab one of those nice looking Russian dancers if you're Barron.

However, I would not bring out the hearse just yet on the Cowboys and conversely I wouldn't get any playoff tickets in Washington. The Redskins offense scored 6 points and managed just 250 yards- this game was more about the Cowboys being inept (12 penalties, 91 yards) than the Redskins being very good.

In Seattle, we found out that Pete Carroll really can coach. How many games did Seattle win last year 3 or 4? I read before the season where ESPN experts were picking San Francisco to go to the Super Bowl, which makes Seattle's 31-6 win even more impressive. Don't get me wrong, I still don't think Seattle will win more than 7 games when it's all said and done and I do think San Fran will regroup to win the NFC West. Yet I cannot help being impressed with Pete Carroll getting that team ready to play and winning as they did; it shows me something about this guy's ability to motivate. Pete has to be even more comfortable now in the NFL where the players actually get a W-2 at year-end as opposed to his Reggie Bush days at SC where payments were so much more complicated. Hey, I'm a USC fan but I couldn't resist that one.

Finally, in Philadelphia, we saw the media's real NFC favorite the Green Bay Packers go into Philly and hold on for an impressive road win. The real story in this game was the reemergence of Michael Vick and what has to be a QB controversy in Philadelphia. Kevin Kolb got knocked out ot his game after spending much of the first half looking like hte family dog playing in traffic only to have Michael Vick come off the bench an almost rally the Eagles from 17 points down to tie the game. The Eagles actually had the ball, down 7, in the final minutes only to have Andy Reid dig into the Jason Garrett playbook for a QB draw on a 4th and 1- Vick was stuffed and the Eagles were losers.

The Eagles will remain losers if they return Kevin Kolb to the starting line-up because Vick looks to me like the guy that was winning playoff games in Atlanta several years ago.

The Colts made some guy named Arian Foster, from Univ. of Tennessee, look like Jim Brown as Foster gashed them for 231 yards and 3 Tds. Again, if you're Houston, don't book the Super Bowl tickets just yet and if you're a Colts fan don't find the local bridge as I suspect Jim Caldwell will get his run defense cleaned up this week and beat the NY Giants.

All in all, it was an interesting week for the kick-off to the season but remember it's a very long NFL season. The object is to be the best team in December and January not in September. You cannot win a Super Bowl in September but you sure can lose one which is why getting some wins this month remains important. Keep it all in perspective though as there remains a lot of football to be played.

Christmas in September

Each year around this time the 2nd Sunday in September feels like Christmas to a true NFL fan. Oh sure, we had the "opener" on Thursday night but to be quite honest, the Sunday games will always represent the true opening of the NFL season to me. Tomorrow is a day where you grab your favorite beer and some food and sit around all day watching NFL football.

Let's face it, while the September games are the less meaningful games on the slate, they are the most fun games to watch. First of all, the weather is beautiful- a cross between Summer and Fall- and every team is 0-0 meaning that hope springs eternal. Tomorrow even the St Louis Rams fan can believe that with some help and some fortunate bounces his team can be in the playoffs too.

As we embark on the 2010 NFL season what do I expect to see tomorrow? (Don't forget as I pat myself on the back here, I did warn you that Brett Favre would decline a lot this season and if Thursday is an indication, I look spot on right now)

I expect a very close game in Philadelphia between the Eagles and the sexy pick for the Super Bowl, the Packers. Kolb is a very good player and the Eagles offense is potent; don't expect a blow-out there as the Eagles will give the Packers all they can handle and then some.

In Houston, the Texans (another sexy playoff pick) play their arch-nemesis the Colts. I expect the Texans to lead about 21-10 going into the 4th quarter and then in typical Texans fashion when they play the Colts, Manning will lead a touchdown drive, the defense will sack Schaub causing him to fumble. Manning will lead another short touchdown drive and as usual the Texans will come really close to upsetting the Colts but lose 24-21.

I fully expect my Cowboys to struggle mightily in Washington before winning a 17-13 type game and I expect the Steelers to struggle at home with Dennis Dixon at quarterback before losing to Atlanta in a close affair.

The Rams will stink once again, no news there and the Lions will be improved, meaning they win about 6 games this season. Monday night's Jets vs Ravens game may end up 3-2 with those two defenses while the Kansas City vs San Diego game is going to be closer than many expect as I think the Chiefs are much improved this season.

So, sit back get the ice cold beer ready and enjoy the best sport in the world- the National Football League- thankfully it's here to stay for the next five months!

Don't Expect Same Results for Favre in 2010

The hands of time catch up with all of us, some quicker than others. There is no denying that Brett Favre was dynamite in 2009. Favre threw for 33 TDs with only 7 interceptions; statistically his best season as an NFL QB, at the age of 40!

Coming off ankle surgery this past off-season and turning 41 in October, 2010 doesn't figure to be as successful as 2009. Couple the preceding with the fact that his top two WRs have issues- Sidney Rice is out for at least the first 8 games with hip surgery and Percy Harvin has been battling migraines all preseason- and one has to believe that Favre will look much more mortal in 2010.

The preceding is not good news if you're a Minnesota Vikings fan. The Vikings have a lot of talent at the skill positions and on the defensive line, however, the back end of their defense is susceptible to big plays and their offense with a QB like Tavaris Jackson would be average. In other words, the Vikings may not need the Brett Favre of the 33 TD and 7 interception variety but they do need him to be something along the lines of 25 TDs and 12 interceptions if they hope to be serious Super Bowl contenders this season.

I think the Vikings are a 9-7 maybe even a 10-6 type team that will finish 2nd to Green Bay in the NFC North this season. I believe you may get a glimpse of their struggles this evening in New Orleans as Minnesota never plays well on the road and the Super Dome will be crazy tonight. While one opening game will never dictate a season, it will be important to see how Favre moves around and what kind of zip he has on his passes. After all, 41 year old guys in most cases are hoisting Heinekens and Budweisers while eating chicken wings during a football game. Brett Favre is no ordinary 41 year-old but he is human and time is not on any of our sides.

Trading Crayton Right Move for Everyone

You can always tell when the preseason has worn out its welcome mat sort of speak. You get situations like this where Cowboy fans are over analyzing the trade of what was going to be their #5 WR. Let me say this as clearly as possible, if trading Patrick Crayton is the reason the Cowboys don't accomplish their goals this season, then they were never going to accomplish those goals.

For Crayton to have been a factor this year that would have meant that Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Roy Williams are either going to be ineffective and/or injured- if the preceding happens trust me when I tell you that Patrick Crayton wasn't going to get your Cowboys over the top.

Listen, the reasons the Cowboys traded Crayton, operative word being plural - "reasons"- are these. First and foremost, Crayton was sitting at #5 on the depth chart as the Cowboys pecking order of WRs would be Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, Roy Williams and Kevin Olgetree. Olgetree is a young player with a nice upside and plays the slot which Crayton specializes in. Like it or not, for all his disappointment to Cowboys fans, Roy Williams still has more ability than Crayton. Thus, based on the preceding, the Cowboys would be paying a guy $2mm to be an "insurance policy".

The next reason is special teams, Crayton does one thing, returns punts and he's ok at it. When I say "ok", I mean he does his job,doesn't drop the ball, catches it when he's supposed to and let's it hit the ground when he's supposed to but make no mistake, Crayton is not an explosive punt returner. Dallas has Dez Bryant to return kicks and if need Terrance Newman is a very good punt returner as well.

Finally, the main point the #5 WR position was essentially a tie between Sam Hurd and Crayton. Hurd is 27 years old while Crayton is 31. Hurd is one of the Cowboys best special team players, he's an excellent gunner on kicks and punts. More importantly, Hurd wants to be a Cowboy in 2010 while Patrick Crayton does not. Thus you see this one is easy if you're in management for the Cowboys because you have a younger player who does more things for your team and wants to play for your team.

I know there are those of the school of thought that Dallas should have just kept both of them but keep in mind, this is the NFL not college. In the NFL a team gets to have 53 players on its roster and 7 on your practice squad. If you keep a 6th WR, Crayton, for insurance that means you have to cut another young player that you may want to develop for the future. This doesn't even address the point of your game day roster which is only allowed to be 45 active players. How would you justify Crayton's roster spot when he would be inactive most Sundays since you're not going to bring a 5th WR to the game who may play two or three offensive plays and return 4 or 5 punts, are you?

I am very confident that Sam Hurd will be a good #5 WR and if given the same number of opportunities as Crayton he would put up similar numbers. More importantly Hurd improves the Cowboys coverage teams and wants to wear the Star; good move by Cowboys trading Crayton and getting a 7th round pick in 2011 which could be a 6th if Crayton catches 40 passes in San Diego.

18-Game NFL Season Not the Answer

The knee-jerk reaction from a football fan when the topic of going to an 18-game regular season while cutting the preseason to two games is predictable; "great idea". On the surface it sounds like a laudable thought from a fan's perspective, after all nobody likes watching 2nd, 3rd and 4th stringers play meaningless games in August nor do we enjoy seeing one of our team's best players hurt in one of those meaningless games.

However, despite everything that I point out above, I am against the 18-game season on several fronts. First of all, it takes time to build a football team, each season is different. Thus, while the fans hate the "long" preseason, it is crucial to building a good, cohesive football team. Remember, the object is not to be the best team in September, it's to be the best team in December and January.

Of course, the NFL is for the fans but let's not forget the players in this equation. Football isn't baseball or basketball; it's not a sport you can play for extended periods of time which is why there is one-week typically between games. An NFL game is like being in a car wreck for 60 minutes, it takes its toll on the human body. Now, the league is considering adding two more "car wrecks" for the players? If you think the NFL is a game of attrition now, wait until you have an 18-game schedule. By the end of the year, you will have guys roaming the field who should be playing in Canada.

Before anyone says "well what's the difference if they have 16 regular season games and 4 preseason games or 18 regular season games and 2 preseason games, either way its 20 games?". It's not even close and if you ask someone who played, coached or even moved the down and distance marker during and NFL game they will tell you that the level of intensity from a preseason game to a regular season game is like comparing Rosie O'Donnell to Megan Fox; they are both women but the similarities end there.

Besides the added intensity of a regular season game, don't forget if you add the total playing time for the starters in the 4 preseason games it amounts to about one whole game. Therefore, you're adding a lot of workload to these players that the human body is just not equipped to handle.

Lastly, the other reason I am against the additional games is simple- what makes the NFL special is that it's like a "rainbow", it's there for a short period of time (Compared to other professional sports), September through January, thus we cherish the sport when it's going on. Unlike the NBA which starts in October and ends in June or the NHL which has a similar schedule, the NFL is an intense fan experience packed into a rather short period of time relatively speaking. Just as you can have too much of a great thing, chocolate, pizza- you can have too much football. The winter is what makes sunny spring and summer days so special, if it was sunny every day well it wouldn't seem like such a big deal.

For sports fans think of the NFL as a beautiful, sunny Summer Day and having more sunny days doesn't necessarily make us savor them more.