Sunday, February 5, 2012
I will forever bleed blue...
HEY GUYS!
I hope you have enjoyed this season as much I have. What's life without a little drama, rage, self-induced stress (the kind that almost gives you a stroke) in short, what is life without Football?
After a long hiatus due to lack of time and inspiration (and possibly self confidence) I have decided to come back just in time for Super Bowl XLVI where the New York Giants will battle the New England Patriots! How about that, huh? But let me not get ahead of myself because what a season it has been!
A season that was threatened by a 130 day lockout, a season dubbed 'The Year of the Quarteback' yet in my opinion it should have been 'The Year of The Rookie, Tight End or Wide Receiver', a season filled with shattered records, a season in which expectations (and emotions) were at an ultimate HIGH yet it was the UNEXPECTED that made most of the headlines, a season WITHOUT Peyton Manning and where we witnessed the catastrophic collapse of the Indianapolis Colts who finished their season 2-14! Who saw that one coming?
Well, needless to say that this season was impressive (both in the good and the bad) and an epic one at that.
So, was I the only one panicking over what seemed to be the never-ending lockout?
As I understand it the major issues disputed were the salary cap, players' safety and health benefits, revenue sharing and television contracts, transparency of financial information, rookie salaries, season length, and free agency guidelines. Which it all translates to: "Blah, blah, blah, more money, blah, blah, blah, more money and MORE MONEY". Don't misunderstand, I am all for the players' safety and health benefits but the rest of their 'issues' seem superfluous, it looks to me that all these players and owners want is MORE and MORE MONEY but are they really worth it? My prime example... Peyton Manning. He is a FORMIDABLE and EXEMPLARY player, a four time MVP, has Super Bowl Championship ring (SB XLI), needless to say that he is Hall of Fame bound...BUT...back in July 2011 Manning was given a 5-year, $90 million contract and once the 2011 season started he was completely sidelined with a neck injury that was highlighted by the fact that the Indianapolis Colts (a favorite contender for the SB) had their most heinous season in recent years. Now he finds himself under constant media scrutiny, wrapped himself in one of the most melodramatic predicaments we have seen since the infamous Brett Favre "Will he or won't he retire?' skit but in this case the question is: "What will happen with Peyton Manning?" With the Colts cleaning house after the season ended the possibility of his release is more than probable and should they decide to keep him the Colts would have to dish out a $28 million bonus option he is due in March. Excessive? I think just a tad (insert sarcasm). Is he worth it? I have my doubts especially with all the here-say of what the status of his condition really is. I'm not bashing the guy by any means, I am trying to make a point. There are many players that are extremely OVERPAID another example would be Michael Vick, riddled with injuries the entire season as well and his 'stellar' performance was actually less than par... If I sat down and properly do a massive research I am sure my list would be a long one of overpaid NFL players throughout history. Look, I am not saying that they don't deserve their money I just believe it to be exorbitant amounts and what makes it worse is that this greed has tainted and overshadowed the greatness of the game.
Anyway, on to better things...
So, the 'Year of the Quarteback' is it? Well, if we take a look at rookie Cam Newton and all the records he broke then I guess they got it right.
Most yards thrown by a rookie QB in his FIRST game: 422
Most passing yards by a rookie in a season: 4,051
Most rushing touchdowns by a QB in a season: 14
And if we add all the accomplishments of Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tim Tebow and Tom Brady then YES it was the year of the Quarterback. However we CANNOT overlook the exceptional performance of rookie Victor Cruz who finished his season with 1,536 receiving yards, 82 receptions and 9 touchdowns - one of them being a 99-yard TD against the New York Jets on week 16. And how about Jimmy Graham? Another rookie who had 99 receptions for 1,310 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also broke Kellen Winslow's NFL record of 1,290 receiving yards in a season by a TE only to be surpassed by Rob Gronkowski who finished with 1,327 yards. Speaking of Gronkowsky he finished his season with 18 touchdown (17 receiving) both NFL records for a TE. So you see... 'Year of the Quarterback'? I think that can be argued quite a bit.
How about Tim Tebow? Anyone here into 'Tebowmania' or 'Tebowing'? Really? It seems to me that his new career has been heightened by the Broncos numerous shortcomings and by the abundant female fan-base he has due to his 'pretty boy' looks. Yes, he's quite good but he still has a lot of things to learn before he can be in the same caliber as Aaron Rodgers or either one of the Mannings, just to mention a few.
On a different note, how amazing were the Green Bay Packers? The Super Bowl XLV champions entered the 2011 season with high expectations and with good reason! They were the defending champions and this season they were the best team of the league! The one to beat! And who wouldn't think that? Having won their first 14 games of the season it was pretty clear to most of us that the Packers were going to take it all. Their one and only loss came to them on week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs and finished their season 15-1 becoming just the sixth team in NFL history to win at least 15 games in the regular season and I am not even going to get into all the records they broke! They were so good that Aaron Rodger was named NFL MVP respectively. The Packers appeared to be a very well rounded team (and they were) and a force to be reckoned, the favorite to win it all once again but all of that came to an end when they lost the NFC Divisional game against the New York Giants... MY NEW YORK GIANTS! I have to admit that I did not think that was going to happen and watching that game aged me a good 5 years because even though the Giants are my team the Packers are my 'other' team. It was absolutely bittersweet watching both of my teams battle it out and secretly wanting both teams to win somehow but in the end the Giants came on top. So much so that they find themselves in a Super Bowl rematch against the New England Patriots today. The AFC's no. 1 seed against the NFC's no. 4 seed, eerily similar to the 2007 season when the wildcard Giants beat the undefeated Patriots in SB XLII. Will it happen again or will the Patriots come back with revenge on their minds? I know a lot of you are not thrilled about it but that's no reason to not sit down with friends and family, and enjoy the culmination of a season unparalleled to any other. A season filled with frustration, angst and heartbreak but also a season full of good surprises, great entertainment and amazing talent that has given us a glimpse that the best is yet to come.
I hope you enjoy SB XLVI... I know I will be watching and cheering on my team and eager for them to win yet again! ... 'I WILL FOREVER BLEED BLUE' ...
Until next season everyone...
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Meltdown thy name is Dolphins
As I reflect back on Week 4 it depresses me that the title of my blog has nothing to do with the all the great talent that surfaced in all the games but rather of the absolute failure and embarrassment the Miami Dolphins turned out to be. It is SAD how their performance, or lack thereof, overshadowed everything else. I am NOT saying that the week was clear of any upsets, I mean seriously, if we really think about it so far it has been THE WEEK of upsets let's recap, shall we?
New York Giants 17, Chicago Bears 3
BOOYAH!!!! Holy sh**!!!! This was an AWESOME game and not an upset really, well at least not to me.
Eli Manning completed 18-of-30 passes for 195 yards, Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 129 yards and a touchdown, and the New York Giants' defense recorded 10 sacks! Nine of those sacks were to Jay Cutler in the first half which forced him out of the game with a concussion. The Bears brought in backup Todd Collins who was also forced out late in the fourth quarter after being crunched which left the Bears with no other choice but to have Caleb Hanie finish the game under center. Just when I thought that the 'Big Blue' that beat the Patriots back in 2008 was nowhere to be seen they come back and leave everyone in the nation stunned once again! (Let's hope they keep it up)
Jacksonville Jaguars 31, Indianapolis Colts 28
Peyton Manning went 33-of-46 passes for 353 yards, two touchdowns and an interception and according to my research he has 51,493 passing yards and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway (51,475) for the second-most passing yards in NFL history!
Joseph Addai gained 63 yards and scored twice on 16 carries for Indianapolis BUT in the end Josh Scobee turned out to be the headliner with his 59-yard field goal as time was running out which gave the Jacksonville the 31-28 win over Indianapolis. I didn't know how to react when this happened... I was upset at the Colts losing but my FF QB brought in big points... In case you didn't know it by now, football is NOT for the faint of heart.
Washington Redskins 17, Philadelphia Eagles 12
This was THE GAME to watch for Week 4 with Donovan McNabb returning to Philadelphia for the first time after being traded in the off-season and facing off with what many called his 'protege' Michael Vick.
McNabb went 8-of-19 for 125 yards and one touchdown, leading the his team to a victory but it was Vick who took the spotlight. The Eagles starter exited the game with a rib injury late in the second quarter and was replaced by Week 1 starter Kevin Kolb. (Can anyone say IRONY?)
Yes, there were many upsets, surprises, injuries, laughter, anger, frustration... In fact the plethora of emotions that went on during Sunday was enough to last me a lifetime! But then came Monday...
New England Patriots 41, Miami Dolphins 15 - W...T...F?????
This was not an upset nor a surprise... This was a humiliation. The Miami Dolphins managed embarrass not only themselves but their fans and everyone who watched this time wasting debacle!
Among the list of plays they were so kind to share with us they included a 103-yard kickoff return by Patriots return kicker Brandon Tate, a blocked punt which had Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellisthat run a 12-yard carry for a touchdown two plays later, AND a blocked field goal Kyle Arrington scooped it up and went 35 yards for a touchdown. (And all of it happened ON THE SECOND HALF!) Oh! And I almost forgot to mention that Chad Henne threw three interceptions and the backup, Tyler Thispen, also had a late-game interception. It was so bad that New England's offense did not need to generate many points getting only 2 field goals.
So, with all of this excitement happening I cannot help but wonder what is in store for us tomorrow, Monday and the rest of the SEASON! We are barely on Week 5 and we are already suffering from panic attacks! Is anyone as excited as I am? Am I the only one who counts down the days, hours, minutes and second leading to 1:00 PM kickoff? Well, for whatever reason, I seem to have fallen in love with football and all that it entails. I root, I fight, I swear, I 'boo', I am a totally different person. It may not be lady-like and it is DEFINITELY not pretty but I enjoy every second of it and I enjoy sharing it with you guys even more!
So until next week my fellow football fans... May your teams win, your hearts be healthy and you fridge have plenty of beer! Good night.
New York Giants 17, Chicago Bears 3
BOOYAH!!!! Holy sh**!!!! This was an AWESOME game and not an upset really, well at least not to me.
Eli Manning completed 18-of-30 passes for 195 yards, Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 129 yards and a touchdown, and the New York Giants' defense recorded 10 sacks! Nine of those sacks were to Jay Cutler in the first half which forced him out of the game with a concussion. The Bears brought in backup Todd Collins who was also forced out late in the fourth quarter after being crunched which left the Bears with no other choice but to have Caleb Hanie finish the game under center. Just when I thought that the 'Big Blue' that beat the Patriots back in 2008 was nowhere to be seen they come back and leave everyone in the nation stunned once again! (Let's hope they keep it up)
Jacksonville Jaguars 31, Indianapolis Colts 28
Peyton Manning went 33-of-46 passes for 353 yards, two touchdowns and an interception and according to my research he has 51,493 passing yards and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway (51,475) for the second-most passing yards in NFL history!
Joseph Addai gained 63 yards and scored twice on 16 carries for Indianapolis BUT in the end Josh Scobee turned out to be the headliner with his 59-yard field goal as time was running out which gave the Jacksonville the 31-28 win over Indianapolis. I didn't know how to react when this happened... I was upset at the Colts losing but my FF QB brought in big points... In case you didn't know it by now, football is NOT for the faint of heart.
Washington Redskins 17, Philadelphia Eagles 12
This was THE GAME to watch for Week 4 with Donovan McNabb returning to Philadelphia for the first time after being traded in the off-season and facing off with what many called his 'protege' Michael Vick.
McNabb went 8-of-19 for 125 yards and one touchdown, leading the his team to a victory but it was Vick who took the spotlight. The Eagles starter exited the game with a rib injury late in the second quarter and was replaced by Week 1 starter Kevin Kolb. (Can anyone say IRONY?)
Yes, there were many upsets, surprises, injuries, laughter, anger, frustration... In fact the plethora of emotions that went on during Sunday was enough to last me a lifetime! But then came Monday...
New England Patriots 41, Miami Dolphins 15 - W...T...F?????
This was not an upset nor a surprise... This was a humiliation. The Miami Dolphins managed embarrass not only themselves but their fans and everyone who watched this time wasting debacle!
Among the list of plays they were so kind to share with us they included a 103-yard kickoff return by Patriots return kicker Brandon Tate, a blocked punt which had Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellisthat run a 12-yard carry for a touchdown two plays later, AND a blocked field goal Kyle Arrington scooped it up and went 35 yards for a touchdown. (And all of it happened ON THE SECOND HALF!) Oh! And I almost forgot to mention that Chad Henne threw three interceptions and the backup, Tyler Thispen, also had a late-game interception. It was so bad that New England's offense did not need to generate many points getting only 2 field goals.
So, with all of this excitement happening I cannot help but wonder what is in store for us tomorrow, Monday and the rest of the SEASON! We are barely on Week 5 and we are already suffering from panic attacks! Is anyone as excited as I am? Am I the only one who counts down the days, hours, minutes and second leading to 1:00 PM kickoff? Well, for whatever reason, I seem to have fallen in love with football and all that it entails. I root, I fight, I swear, I 'boo', I am a totally different person. It may not be lady-like and it is DEFINITELY not pretty but I enjoy every second of it and I enjoy sharing it with you guys even more!
So until next week my fellow football fans... May your teams win, your hearts be healthy and you fridge have plenty of beer! Good night.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Another season...get your defibrillators ready!
Hello everyone! (Or very few followers of mine)
I hope you are enjoying the season so far and if you find yourself wishing the week would fly by and for Sunday to get here know that you are not alone. :)
Another season under way already full of both excitement and disappointment but entertaining nonetheless and I got to say now that I am doing Fantasy Football for the first time ever I find myself rooting for players I don't think I have ever heard of and for teams I don't quite like. I swear it is addictive! Once MNF is over I wonder what am I going to do To keep myself busy and NOT think of the fact that I have to wait 5½ days until the next game! I am hoping the blog gets more followers and comments that will help me get through the week. :-)
That being said, let me get to it!
We pretty much picked up where we left off... My 'Big Blue' is still inconsistent and their new shown lack of discipline has cost them 2 of their first 3 games. Sloppy doesn't begin to describe them! I mean in their match against the Titans they had two failed field goal attempts, three turnovers and eleven penalties which is not only disappointing but it makes me think that the team is not playing with its heart...and it is only Week 3!! A team with a 1-2 start is hardly Super Bowl material but like I said it's only Week 3.
Another team with a 1-2 start is the Minnesota Vikings and I think I have the answer as to why is that... BRETT FAVRE! They are not 0-3 because of Adrian Peterson and his 392 rushing yards!
In an interesting turn of events, Michael Vick replaced QB Kevin Kolb after the latter suffered a concussion in the first half of the Week 1 game against the Green Bay Packers and it seems like Vick's luck is changing because not even a day after the Philadelphia Eagles coach, Andy Reid, insisted that Kolb would return as starter, said Vick had simply performed too well to move him back to the bench. I have mixed feelings about this. He is a phenomenal player but he still gives me the impression that he is the same arrogant, dog-fitting, douche bag he was a few years ago...only time will tell.
A few teams we need to watch out for (in my opinion) are the Cincinatti Bengals, the Pittsburg Steelers and the Houston Texans! These three teams have shown me that the 'experts' are not right all the time. During the pre-season all I kept hearing was of how the Dallas Cowboys are a strong Super Bowl. Really? I mean how is it they are going to make it to the Super Bowl when their QB Tony Romo and its offense have had such a sketchy start? Granted they had a decent game against the Texans but are we supposed to think that THIS is one of the greatest teams in the entire league just because 'the experts' say so?
If there is one thing I have learned about football is that it can be anyone's game, so perhaps the experts are right! Maybe the Cowboys do have what it takes to go all the way but so do the Redskins or the Dolphins or the Jets or the Giants for that matter what I don't understand is what is the relevance in the season predictions. We all saw how in the Super Bowl XLII the 'unbeatable' New England Patriots were stunned by the New York Giants or even last season when the Indianapolis Colts were the favorite to win the Super Bowl XLIV over the New Orleans Saints.
So here is some food for thought...
Are predictions done to intimidate the teams or to encourage them? Is it something that is done for pure entertainment or is it meant to mess with the heads of both the players and spectators? I find it very irritating but from a Fantasy point of view it is actually quite refreshing.
Needless to say that I am very excited about this season! With it finally here and me getting the hang of Fantasy Football (I think I've won this week) I'd say you'll be hearing from me more often that usual.
So until then my fellow football fans, keep rooting for your teams NO MATTER WHAT and remember that the games are much more enjoyable when you have somebody to burn even when your team just lost (or is losing) miserably because in the end there is always another team worse than your own. (Ha ha ha) GO BIG BLUE!
Good night!
I hope you are enjoying the season so far and if you find yourself wishing the week would fly by and for Sunday to get here know that you are not alone. :)
Another season under way already full of both excitement and disappointment but entertaining nonetheless and I got to say now that I am doing Fantasy Football for the first time ever I find myself rooting for players I don't think I have ever heard of and for teams I don't quite like. I swear it is addictive! Once MNF is over I wonder what am I going to do To keep myself busy and NOT think of the fact that I have to wait 5½ days until the next game! I am hoping the blog gets more followers and comments that will help me get through the week. :-)
That being said, let me get to it!
We pretty much picked up where we left off... My 'Big Blue' is still inconsistent and their new shown lack of discipline has cost them 2 of their first 3 games. Sloppy doesn't begin to describe them! I mean in their match against the Titans they had two failed field goal attempts, three turnovers and eleven penalties which is not only disappointing but it makes me think that the team is not playing with its heart...and it is only Week 3!! A team with a 1-2 start is hardly Super Bowl material but like I said it's only Week 3.
Another team with a 1-2 start is the Minnesota Vikings and I think I have the answer as to why is that... BRETT FAVRE! They are not 0-3 because of Adrian Peterson and his 392 rushing yards!
In an interesting turn of events, Michael Vick replaced QB Kevin Kolb after the latter suffered a concussion in the first half of the Week 1 game against the Green Bay Packers and it seems like Vick's luck is changing because not even a day after the Philadelphia Eagles coach, Andy Reid, insisted that Kolb would return as starter, said Vick had simply performed too well to move him back to the bench. I have mixed feelings about this. He is a phenomenal player but he still gives me the impression that he is the same arrogant, dog-fitting, douche bag he was a few years ago...only time will tell.
A few teams we need to watch out for (in my opinion) are the Cincinatti Bengals, the Pittsburg Steelers and the Houston Texans! These three teams have shown me that the 'experts' are not right all the time. During the pre-season all I kept hearing was of how the Dallas Cowboys are a strong Super Bowl. Really? I mean how is it they are going to make it to the Super Bowl when their QB Tony Romo and its offense have had such a sketchy start? Granted they had a decent game against the Texans but are we supposed to think that THIS is one of the greatest teams in the entire league just because 'the experts' say so?
If there is one thing I have learned about football is that it can be anyone's game, so perhaps the experts are right! Maybe the Cowboys do have what it takes to go all the way but so do the Redskins or the Dolphins or the Jets or the Giants for that matter what I don't understand is what is the relevance in the season predictions. We all saw how in the Super Bowl XLII the 'unbeatable' New England Patriots were stunned by the New York Giants or even last season when the Indianapolis Colts were the favorite to win the Super Bowl XLIV over the New Orleans Saints.
So here is some food for thought...
Are predictions done to intimidate the teams or to encourage them? Is it something that is done for pure entertainment or is it meant to mess with the heads of both the players and spectators? I find it very irritating but from a Fantasy point of view it is actually quite refreshing.
Needless to say that I am very excited about this season! With it finally here and me getting the hang of Fantasy Football (I think I've won this week) I'd say you'll be hearing from me more often that usual.
So until then my fellow football fans, keep rooting for your teams NO MATTER WHAT and remember that the games are much more enjoyable when you have somebody to burn even when your team just lost (or is losing) miserably because in the end there is always another team worse than your own. (Ha ha ha) GO BIG BLUE!
Good night!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Searching for glory but finding disappointment...
So... The NFL season is officially over and I will be very honest, I am glad the NO Saints won their first Super Bowl ever. I congratulate Drew Brees and the entire team for a job well done.
That being said I cannot help but feel that this NFL season AND Super Bowl XLIV was a little lackluster.
A season full of records and milestones, highlighted by the return of Brett Favre (yet again!) this time choosing the Minnesota Vikings as his team, the reinstatement AND signing of Michael Vick with the Philadelphia Eagles (SERIOUSLY???), and a season that for the first time two teams go undefeated late into the season (Indianapolis Colts 14-0 and New Orleans Saint 13-0) and let's face it, at this point we all knew that both of the team would be the ones in the Super Bowl. Not to mention that the Indianapolis Colts won 23 consecutive regular season games breaking the 21 game winning streak held by the New England Patriots, the Cleveland Browns' Joshua Cribbs set two records in a day, one by returning two kickoffs for touchdowns, giving him eight for his career and the second by becoming one of only two players to score two 100-plus yard touchdowns in the same game, and Super Bowl XLIV broke rating records by becoming the most viewed TV event in history surpassing the 1983 M.A.S.H. series finale.
Even with all these amazing events I still found the 2009 season a little dim. Of course there are many contributing factors for this...
1. My team's - the New York Giants - lack of consistency and mediocre defense cost them all chances (if any) to make it to the post season. They started the season 5-0 only to lose the following 4, meanwhile Eli Manning improved his passing game and played with foot injuries was left to fend for himself in many occasions. There is only so much the man can do!
2. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING THE NAME BRETT FAVRE! It is time for the 'Favre Era' to come to an end. I mean, I will admit that he is an amazing player and that he did quite well this season (except for that last game against the Saints...yikes!) but the man has been playing football since the invention of the light switch! It is time for him to step aside, hang his jersey, pack up his ego (along with his shortcomings) and retire once and for all. It is time for other quarterbacks to take the spotlight and to thrive. How much more does the man want?
3. Two words... Michael Vick... Need I say more?
4. The Indianapolis Colts...the favorite to win SB XLIV were defeated by the New Orleans Saints! I am honestly happy for the Saints but my anger for the Colts losing surpasses it. The Colts had many things going against them; the referees seemed to be a bit one-sided favoring the Saints, that TERRIBLE onside kick, the SHOCKING officials review AND converted score of a (CLEARLY INCOMPLETE) two-point conversion by the Saints' WR Lance Moore and of course, the game's defining moment... On 3rd & 5 with 3:12 remaining in the 4th quarter Peyton Manning's short pass was intercepted by Saints CB Tracy Porter and returned 74 yards... Needless to say that the Saints got the best of the Colts, and NOT in a good way, but to me what made it worse was when Peyton Manning fell apart completely. I AM SURE that it is not easy and I know for a fact that I would not do it any better or even differently but in my opinion Mr. Manning has always had the ability to maintain his composure and confidence even when things gets tough, in fact I believe he thrives on it! So, what went wrong in this game? It felt like he had given up, something that coming from him is not only unusual but seems unlikely (I distinctly remember that at one point he even threw a towel... SERIOUSLY!).
So I guess the question remains, had he been the Peyton Manning we all know and love would the outcome of the game had been different? And even if it had not, would people and the Colts so called 'fans' be bashing him (and the team) as unfairly as they are now? Or would they have supported their team no matter what as true fans do?
Whatever the answers are one thing is certain, we all better watch out next season (even my NY Giants :-!) because I believe that the Indianapolis Colts will come back with a vengeance and like a bad out of hell!
So, until next season my fellow fans and thank you for waiting so diligently for me to finish my somewhat entertaining yet slightly nonsensical but definitely insightful rantings.
Stay tuned because I'll be back soon with more...
That being said I cannot help but feel that this NFL season AND Super Bowl XLIV was a little lackluster.
A season full of records and milestones, highlighted by the return of Brett Favre (yet again!) this time choosing the Minnesota Vikings as his team, the reinstatement AND signing of Michael Vick with the Philadelphia Eagles (SERIOUSLY???), and a season that for the first time two teams go undefeated late into the season (Indianapolis Colts 14-0 and New Orleans Saint 13-0) and let's face it, at this point we all knew that both of the team would be the ones in the Super Bowl. Not to mention that the Indianapolis Colts won 23 consecutive regular season games breaking the 21 game winning streak held by the New England Patriots, the Cleveland Browns' Joshua Cribbs set two records in a day, one by returning two kickoffs for touchdowns, giving him eight for his career and the second by becoming one of only two players to score two 100-plus yard touchdowns in the same game, and Super Bowl XLIV broke rating records by becoming the most viewed TV event in history surpassing the 1983 M.A.S.H. series finale.
Even with all these amazing events I still found the 2009 season a little dim. Of course there are many contributing factors for this...
1. My team's - the New York Giants - lack of consistency and mediocre defense cost them all chances (if any) to make it to the post season. They started the season 5-0 only to lose the following 4, meanwhile Eli Manning improved his passing game and played with foot injuries was left to fend for himself in many occasions. There is only so much the man can do!
2. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING THE NAME BRETT FAVRE! It is time for the 'Favre Era' to come to an end. I mean, I will admit that he is an amazing player and that he did quite well this season (except for that last game against the Saints...yikes!) but the man has been playing football since the invention of the light switch! It is time for him to step aside, hang his jersey, pack up his ego (along with his shortcomings) and retire once and for all. It is time for other quarterbacks to take the spotlight and to thrive. How much more does the man want?
3. Two words... Michael Vick... Need I say more?
4. The Indianapolis Colts...the favorite to win SB XLIV were defeated by the New Orleans Saints! I am honestly happy for the Saints but my anger for the Colts losing surpasses it. The Colts had many things going against them; the referees seemed to be a bit one-sided favoring the Saints, that TERRIBLE onside kick, the SHOCKING officials review AND converted score of a (CLEARLY INCOMPLETE) two-point conversion by the Saints' WR Lance Moore and of course, the game's defining moment... On 3rd & 5 with 3:12 remaining in the 4th quarter Peyton Manning's short pass was intercepted by Saints CB Tracy Porter and returned 74 yards... Needless to say that the Saints got the best of the Colts, and NOT in a good way, but to me what made it worse was when Peyton Manning fell apart completely. I AM SURE that it is not easy and I know for a fact that I would not do it any better or even differently but in my opinion Mr. Manning has always had the ability to maintain his composure and confidence even when things gets tough, in fact I believe he thrives on it! So, what went wrong in this game? It felt like he had given up, something that coming from him is not only unusual but seems unlikely (I distinctly remember that at one point he even threw a towel... SERIOUSLY!).
So I guess the question remains, had he been the Peyton Manning we all know and love would the outcome of the game had been different? And even if it had not, would people and the Colts so called 'fans' be bashing him (and the team) as unfairly as they are now? Or would they have supported their team no matter what as true fans do?
Whatever the answers are one thing is certain, we all better watch out next season (even my NY Giants :-!) because I believe that the Indianapolis Colts will come back with a vengeance and like a bad out of hell!
So, until next season my fellow fans and thank you for waiting so diligently for me to finish my somewhat entertaining yet slightly nonsensical but definitely insightful rantings.
Stay tuned because I'll be back soon with more...
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