In other news - Tiger Woods is black. I just figured if we were making headline news with stories that are as obvious as the color of the sky, I'd drop a bombshell regarding the race of the world's number ranked golfer.
Of course he landed at Vikings training camp. He wants to play. He will play. He will be successful, just like last year, and he was able to miss a large part of training camp, again, in 2010: same as 2009.
Look, when you are arguably one of the greatest players in the history of a sport, I think it seems pretty obvious that Vikigns brass should just tell him from the get-go "Look, Brett. We want you back. You don't have to come to training camp, until the very end. Then you can drop in, act injured, joke with the fellas, and be ready by the first game. You've earned that right."
Would it be fair to require the league's best runner, Adrian Peterson, to come to camp, but not Brett Favre? Of course it would. When Peterson passes Emmett Smith as the league's all time leading rusher, and still performs at a Pro Bowl level, I am sure Vikings coach Brad Childress will be happy to cut him the same slack Favre gets. We're talking about one of the game's top 5 QB's of all time. He knows how much time he needs to get ready, and his 33 TDs last year were proof-positive that an entire 8 week training camp isn't mandatory for a guy whose spent the better part of 2 decades playing the game.
At least if Minnessotta would acknowledge publicly that they don't expect Favre unilt late August each season, the folks at ESPN and the NFL Network could sleep better at night. Or at least focus on something else. I mean serisouly, has Ed Werner taken up residence inside Favre's butthole, or is he just renting space? Although, after the stinker from Favre during last year's NFC title game, I hope Ed got a discounted rate....
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Why sports teach life lessons....
I'm sure we've all seen what happened to Dustin Johnson yesterday at the PGA Championship. For those of you who missed the final hole, a quick recap: after an amazing instance of "Mashed Potatoes" captivated audiences worldwide, the drama really unfoled with Johnson's 72nd hole, and his apparent gaffe that cost him a chance for the PGA Championship. Lying in what was later identified as a bunker, Johnson buried his club to get out of the muck, a rule which incurs a 2 stroke penaly by course and PGA rules. Johnson's inability to correcly identify the lie as a bunker meant he missed out on the 3 hole playoff for the title.
What we may not have immediately recalled is that Johnson is same person who blew a 3 stroke lead on the last day of the US Open earlier this year. Imagine that - 2 major championships flushed from your grasps within 3 months of each other by one unfortunate person. The anguish running through Johnson as he lumbered off the 18th green Sunday night must have been crushing.
And thus, the world of sports finds a way to teach the rest of us lessons of the world. Is it fair that Johnson loses 2 major championships in such gut-wrenching fassion? Of course it's not. But life's not fair. People lose their jobs, their wives, their husbands, parents, friends, faith, and car keys. Spouses cheat. Children leave home. Friends die in far-away wars. Democrats get elected. Yet, people somehow find a way to persevere. Johnson will do the same.
Oftentimes, folks ask how so many of us can be such suckers for all things sport. Be it baseball, football, basketball, golf, NASCAR, hockey, horse racing, the Olympics...there is drama, heartbreak, triumph. All the things we love about life, and all the things that make life rich, can be captured on camera on one Sunday evening in late August. Is it the Fairy Tale ending we wanted? No, unless you think that Prince Charming should be eaten alive by the dragon while the evil King has his way with the Princess. But that's life - it's not always fair. Not even close. But overcoming the heartbreak and anguish is what drives the human spirit. Just imagine how much better Johnson's first major title will be, having gone through the bummer of a season he's had since June.
Or don't. He may not win one. Ever. Life is like that. As is sports.
What we may not have immediately recalled is that Johnson is same person who blew a 3 stroke lead on the last day of the US Open earlier this year. Imagine that - 2 major championships flushed from your grasps within 3 months of each other by one unfortunate person. The anguish running through Johnson as he lumbered off the 18th green Sunday night must have been crushing.
And thus, the world of sports finds a way to teach the rest of us lessons of the world. Is it fair that Johnson loses 2 major championships in such gut-wrenching fassion? Of course it's not. But life's not fair. People lose their jobs, their wives, their husbands, parents, friends, faith, and car keys. Spouses cheat. Children leave home. Friends die in far-away wars. Democrats get elected. Yet, people somehow find a way to persevere. Johnson will do the same.
Oftentimes, folks ask how so many of us can be such suckers for all things sport. Be it baseball, football, basketball, golf, NASCAR, hockey, horse racing, the Olympics...there is drama, heartbreak, triumph. All the things we love about life, and all the things that make life rich, can be captured on camera on one Sunday evening in late August. Is it the Fairy Tale ending we wanted? No, unless you think that Prince Charming should be eaten alive by the dragon while the evil King has his way with the Princess. But that's life - it's not always fair. Not even close. But overcoming the heartbreak and anguish is what drives the human spirit. Just imagine how much better Johnson's first major title will be, having gone through the bummer of a season he's had since June.
Or don't. He may not win one. Ever. Life is like that. As is sports.
Friday, August 13, 2010
A Few Random Musings from the past week
Golf
The PGA Championship got underway yesterday, and everyone's favorite playboy, Tiger Woods, shot out of the gate with a good showing. Something is weird, though. Despite his dominance of the last 2 decades, I've got this strange feeling that Woods won't be a major player come Sunday afternoon for the 4th and last Major this year. Having a driver smashed into your car (and head - unverified) over the Thanksgiving Holiday can apprently affect you far longer than most experts thought. That or he's got another Perkins waitress on his mind. Either way, Tiger's play is 2010 has begged the question: does the PGA World Rankings use a computer system developed for the BCS? Because this is a guy who has missed cuts, performed poorly, and hardly looks like the best player week in and week out. Yet, he maintains his hold on the #1 spot.
Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush apologized for the troubles at USC, and says no one feels worse than him about what is happening in Southern California. Funny. I would bet the juniors and seniors at USC who won't be able to play in any bowl games in 10 or 11 feel worse than him. I bet those guys who won the 04 natioanl title and didn't go pro, and who just lost their glory moment of their sports lives, feel worse than him. Hell, I bet Matt Leinert, who's struggling in Arizona, feels worse than him. I'm sure those who voted such a blatant cheater for the Heisman Trophy, and now can't do anything about it, feel worse than him.
ESPN Power Rankings
Pat Forde is an idiot. He's voted Boise State #1 in his preseason poll, because its a BCS Bowl Champion (by beating TCU....) with 20 returning starters. I'm not going on another rant about non-BCS teams, especially those in the WAC. Let's just wait until Labor Day, when Frank Beamer takes the wind outta the Boise sails, and sends them packing back to the Poinseittia Bowl this winter.
The PGA Championship got underway yesterday, and everyone's favorite playboy, Tiger Woods, shot out of the gate with a good showing. Something is weird, though. Despite his dominance of the last 2 decades, I've got this strange feeling that Woods won't be a major player come Sunday afternoon for the 4th and last Major this year. Having a driver smashed into your car (and head - unverified) over the Thanksgiving Holiday can apprently affect you far longer than most experts thought. That or he's got another Perkins waitress on his mind. Either way, Tiger's play is 2010 has begged the question: does the PGA World Rankings use a computer system developed for the BCS? Because this is a guy who has missed cuts, performed poorly, and hardly looks like the best player week in and week out. Yet, he maintains his hold on the #1 spot.
Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush apologized for the troubles at USC, and says no one feels worse than him about what is happening in Southern California. Funny. I would bet the juniors and seniors at USC who won't be able to play in any bowl games in 10 or 11 feel worse than him. I bet those guys who won the 04 natioanl title and didn't go pro, and who just lost their glory moment of their sports lives, feel worse than him. Hell, I bet Matt Leinert, who's struggling in Arizona, feels worse than him. I'm sure those who voted such a blatant cheater for the Heisman Trophy, and now can't do anything about it, feel worse than him.
ESPN Power Rankings
Pat Forde is an idiot. He's voted Boise State #1 in his preseason poll, because its a BCS Bowl Champion (by beating TCU....) with 20 returning starters. I'm not going on another rant about non-BCS teams, especially those in the WAC. Let's just wait until Labor Day, when Frank Beamer takes the wind outta the Boise sails, and sends them packing back to the Poinseittia Bowl this winter.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
What Chip Brown and Orangebloods can teach ESPN....
For those of us who are as addicted to ESPN as Rosie O'Donnell is to Ding-Dongs (the cake kind), the last few days have been a whirlwind of Brett Favre coverage, the likes of which we haven't seen since, well....actually last season. Coverage and reports from the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" have run continuously since initial reports came out Tuesday that Favre was leaving football for good.
ESPN analysts talked about the legendary career, and the even more legendary 3 retirements of one of the greatest QB's in history like there was nothing else going on in the world of sports. Including Alex Rodriguez's chase for 600 HRs.
Come to find out, the reports out of Bristol revolved around alleged text messages that Favre sent to annonymous teammates. Think about that. What kind of sports reporting are we expecting of ESPN if we're permitting the Mouse Ears to run with a story about the retirement of a legend based on unconfirmed reports?
It got worse. After Favre confirmed on Wednesday that 1) he sent no text messages to any Vikings players and 2) he would play in 2010 if his ankle allowed, ESPN commentators and reporters spent the day blasting us with coverage about how Brett kept "us hostage" with his decision, how he's an ego-maniac, how the Vikings can't move on until he lets them go from his grasp. Basically, they cried out how unfair it was that the reporting they did the previous was shabby, and Favre called them out, and they had to deal with egg they flipped onto their own face. It was an embarrassing moment in sports journalism, and a warning what the modern world of technology can do. In a world of instant access, facebook, twitter, textings, emails, and mobile device updates, it's becoming more important even to the most trusted sources to be the first to break a story, whether it's right or not.
On a similar note - keep your eye on team specific pages taking over large, broad based sports news agencies in the coming years. Sites like Orangebloods.com, which led the way for reporting in regards to the NCAA football realignment story of 2010, may become the driving source for breaking news - that is actually reliable. Large scale operations like ESPN don't want to be trumped on breaking news by some guy like Chip Brown of Orangebloods, despite the fact that Brown had what turned out to be a reliable source within the Longhorn network. (On the day ESPN reported Texas had a done deal with the Pac-10, Brown reported that the Big 12 would remain in tact, with just 10 teams).
In today's instant access world, the resources with team specific duties are far more likely to be the source of the breaking news. Orangbloods proved it by dropping the Notre Dame vs. Texas football series yesterday, a day before the big boys.
It's quite a statement when a local, pay per user website, proves itself more reliable than the world recognized leader in sports programming in trustworthy news reporting.
ESPN analysts talked about the legendary career, and the even more legendary 3 retirements of one of the greatest QB's in history like there was nothing else going on in the world of sports. Including Alex Rodriguez's chase for 600 HRs.
Come to find out, the reports out of Bristol revolved around alleged text messages that Favre sent to annonymous teammates. Think about that. What kind of sports reporting are we expecting of ESPN if we're permitting the Mouse Ears to run with a story about the retirement of a legend based on unconfirmed reports?
It got worse. After Favre confirmed on Wednesday that 1) he sent no text messages to any Vikings players and 2) he would play in 2010 if his ankle allowed, ESPN commentators and reporters spent the day blasting us with coverage about how Brett kept "us hostage" with his decision, how he's an ego-maniac, how the Vikings can't move on until he lets them go from his grasp. Basically, they cried out how unfair it was that the reporting they did the previous was shabby, and Favre called them out, and they had to deal with egg they flipped onto their own face. It was an embarrassing moment in sports journalism, and a warning what the modern world of technology can do. In a world of instant access, facebook, twitter, textings, emails, and mobile device updates, it's becoming more important even to the most trusted sources to be the first to break a story, whether it's right or not.
On a similar note - keep your eye on team specific pages taking over large, broad based sports news agencies in the coming years. Sites like Orangebloods.com, which led the way for reporting in regards to the NCAA football realignment story of 2010, may become the driving source for breaking news - that is actually reliable. Large scale operations like ESPN don't want to be trumped on breaking news by some guy like Chip Brown of Orangebloods, despite the fact that Brown had what turned out to be a reliable source within the Longhorn network. (On the day ESPN reported Texas had a done deal with the Pac-10, Brown reported that the Big 12 would remain in tact, with just 10 teams).
In today's instant access world, the resources with team specific duties are far more likely to be the source of the breaking news. Orangbloods proved it by dropping the Notre Dame vs. Texas football series yesterday, a day before the big boys.
It's quite a statement when a local, pay per user website, proves itself more reliable than the world recognized leader in sports programming in trustworthy news reporting.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Poop Stoops, Notre Dame, Brett Favre
Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops recently told reporteres he's not sure that scheduling big time non-conference opponents is to his team's benefit, despite the fact that OU has become almost notorius for playing marquee teams prior to the Big 12 regular season.
Interesting. It seemed in 2008, all Stoops could talk about leading up to the Big 12 three way tie breaker was the great schedule his Sooners had tromped through, and why playing the tougher compeitition meant voters should turn out in droves for his Sooners over Texas or Texas Tech in the Harris and Coaches poll. They did and this led to OU's place in the Big 12 and BCS title games. Now, in 2010, Stoops doesn't think strength of schedule matters?
"I don't know how much it advantages you. In the end, it all gets to down to if you lose of those (marquee) games by a point, and someone else plays for teams that are easy and you have one more than they do, they;'re gonna be ranked ahead of you....Most of you guys (media) rank them by who's lost and who hasn't, and forget about who plays who."
Stoops may be right, to some extent, but the drastic turn around in his opinion comes at a funny time, considering last year's 1 point losses to non-conference foes Miami and BYU. Big Game Bob is feeling the pressure from some angles in Norman that he's lost his mojo, especially after so many BCS busts and his recent struggles against Texas (just 1 win in 5 years). Perhaps this is his way of shifting the blame from poor performances in 2009 to his scheduler, the same scheduler who he touted on high in '08 for helping his team jump Texas in the BCS standings.
According to Bob, it seems unfair that a team would be jumped by someone else who played inferior competition, but didn't lose. How about being jumped by a team that beat you by 10 points on a neutral field? Comments like these should remind Texas fans how lucky they are to have a coach like Mack Brown, who for the most part is able represent his program and his university with class and dignity, and not come off sounding like a 2 year old who didn't get cookies after dinner.
The fact is, the AP voters to whom Stoops was lecturing aren't even factors in the BCS standings. Computers, coaches, and Harris poll voters determine who plays for the crystal ball, so if I were Stoops, I'd worry about fixing a defense that has deteriorated since his brother Mike went to Arizona, an offensive line that coulnd't block Mugsey Bogues shooting a free thrown, and a Texas problem that may eventually have Stoops wishing he'd gone to Notre Dame, than worrying about who his AD thinks his team should play each year.
Texas v. Notre Dame
Reports indicate the Texas football team, in an attempt to beef up future strength of schedules, will look into getting more marquee matchups. The biggest name out there right now is Notre Dame. Marquee? You bet. Helping the strength of schedule? Um, no. The Irish (no longer deserving of Fighting) are 16-21 over the last 3 seasons, and while new coach Brian Kelly may eventually build a winner, I don't see a Texas vs. Notre Dame matchup being a contest with 2 highly ranked teams.
The good news for Texas? At least the media always thinks Notre Dame is good. So if the game can be scheduled early in the season, the Horns might be able to change the recent perception they've earned of not playing the "big boys".
Is Notre Dame a "big boy" still? Well, does Nickelback belong in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame? Hardly. But I'm pretty sure ESPN and college football analysts' favorite song includes "Rockstar".
Brett Favre Retires. Or doesn't
Duh. Just avoiding pre-season camp.
Interesting. It seemed in 2008, all Stoops could talk about leading up to the Big 12 three way tie breaker was the great schedule his Sooners had tromped through, and why playing the tougher compeitition meant voters should turn out in droves for his Sooners over Texas or Texas Tech in the Harris and Coaches poll. They did and this led to OU's place in the Big 12 and BCS title games. Now, in 2010, Stoops doesn't think strength of schedule matters?
"I don't know how much it advantages you. In the end, it all gets to down to if you lose of those (marquee) games by a point, and someone else plays for teams that are easy and you have one more than they do, they;'re gonna be ranked ahead of you....Most of you guys (media) rank them by who's lost and who hasn't, and forget about who plays who."
Stoops may be right, to some extent, but the drastic turn around in his opinion comes at a funny time, considering last year's 1 point losses to non-conference foes Miami and BYU. Big Game Bob is feeling the pressure from some angles in Norman that he's lost his mojo, especially after so many BCS busts and his recent struggles against Texas (just 1 win in 5 years). Perhaps this is his way of shifting the blame from poor performances in 2009 to his scheduler, the same scheduler who he touted on high in '08 for helping his team jump Texas in the BCS standings.
According to Bob, it seems unfair that a team would be jumped by someone else who played inferior competition, but didn't lose. How about being jumped by a team that beat you by 10 points on a neutral field? Comments like these should remind Texas fans how lucky they are to have a coach like Mack Brown, who for the most part is able represent his program and his university with class and dignity, and not come off sounding like a 2 year old who didn't get cookies after dinner.
The fact is, the AP voters to whom Stoops was lecturing aren't even factors in the BCS standings. Computers, coaches, and Harris poll voters determine who plays for the crystal ball, so if I were Stoops, I'd worry about fixing a defense that has deteriorated since his brother Mike went to Arizona, an offensive line that coulnd't block Mugsey Bogues shooting a free thrown, and a Texas problem that may eventually have Stoops wishing he'd gone to Notre Dame, than worrying about who his AD thinks his team should play each year.
Texas v. Notre Dame
Reports indicate the Texas football team, in an attempt to beef up future strength of schedules, will look into getting more marquee matchups. The biggest name out there right now is Notre Dame. Marquee? You bet. Helping the strength of schedule? Um, no. The Irish (no longer deserving of Fighting) are 16-21 over the last 3 seasons, and while new coach Brian Kelly may eventually build a winner, I don't see a Texas vs. Notre Dame matchup being a contest with 2 highly ranked teams.
The good news for Texas? At least the media always thinks Notre Dame is good. So if the game can be scheduled early in the season, the Horns might be able to change the recent perception they've earned of not playing the "big boys".
Is Notre Dame a "big boy" still? Well, does Nickelback belong in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame? Hardly. But I'm pretty sure ESPN and college football analysts' favorite song includes "Rockstar".
Brett Favre Retires. Or doesn't
Duh. Just avoiding pre-season camp.
Friday, July 30, 2010
What the Roy Oswalt trade means for Houston....and the Big Puma
Houston traded away ace Roy Oswalt yesterday to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for J.A. Happ and some prospects, including first baseman Brett Wallace and Jonathan Villar. For the first time in 3 seasons, it would appear owner Drayton McLane is admitting that the 2005 World Series season remains a distant memory, and moving into a rebuilding stage is the only salvation for Houston and its fans.
Getting Happ demonstrates the elite ability General Manager Ed Wade possesses, if given the opportunity to demonstrate it. Happ was the Phillies best player last year when he finished the season as the runner up for NL Rookie of the Year. He's spent most of 2010 on the injured list, only recently coming back to pitch, but in 2009 you're talking about a kid who went 12-4 in 23 starts, and over 35 games had an ERA of 2.93. Pretty fine numbers for a guy just 2 years into his career, and you might be looking at the newest Astro ace in the coming seasons.
The intriguing part of the trade is the acquisition of Barrett Wallace, a highly thought of first base prospect from the Toronto Blue Jay who many think will be a power hitter for years to come (think Ryan Howard minus 15 HRs a year). Of course, this leaves Astros fans wondering about the fate of current first baseman Lance Berkman, a Houston and Texas native whose spent the majority of his life in the Houston area playing for the Astros and Rice Owls. But getting a young, talented first baseman in a trade means the wheeling and dealing may not be done, and Berkman could be the next to go.
Houston has the chance now, before tomorrow's deadline, to deal another Astro legend in exchange for even more prospects. There are teams looking to add a power hitter, and bringing a switch hitter like Berkman into the lineup upgrades most teams around the league. Also on the table for numerous teams should be left fielder Carlos Lee, himself a colossal waste of Houston's money who can still provide power to an AL lineup in the DH spot.
I'd love to see Lance stay in Texas and Houston and the Rangers work something out, though the farm system in Arlington may not have the pieces Houston craves. Wade and McLane should do what they can to get another quality starter, some good young relievers, and perhaps a left fielder with some power to take over for the aging and embarrassing Lee.
Move Lee and Berkman, and begin the process of building towards 2013 and beyond. I think acquiring Wallace helped nudge Houston that direction. I can only hope the trend continues.
Getting Happ demonstrates the elite ability General Manager Ed Wade possesses, if given the opportunity to demonstrate it. Happ was the Phillies best player last year when he finished the season as the runner up for NL Rookie of the Year. He's spent most of 2010 on the injured list, only recently coming back to pitch, but in 2009 you're talking about a kid who went 12-4 in 23 starts, and over 35 games had an ERA of 2.93. Pretty fine numbers for a guy just 2 years into his career, and you might be looking at the newest Astro ace in the coming seasons.
The intriguing part of the trade is the acquisition of Barrett Wallace, a highly thought of first base prospect from the Toronto Blue Jay who many think will be a power hitter for years to come (think Ryan Howard minus 15 HRs a year). Of course, this leaves Astros fans wondering about the fate of current first baseman Lance Berkman, a Houston and Texas native whose spent the majority of his life in the Houston area playing for the Astros and Rice Owls. But getting a young, talented first baseman in a trade means the wheeling and dealing may not be done, and Berkman could be the next to go.
Houston has the chance now, before tomorrow's deadline, to deal another Astro legend in exchange for even more prospects. There are teams looking to add a power hitter, and bringing a switch hitter like Berkman into the lineup upgrades most teams around the league. Also on the table for numerous teams should be left fielder Carlos Lee, himself a colossal waste of Houston's money who can still provide power to an AL lineup in the DH spot.
I'd love to see Lance stay in Texas and Houston and the Rangers work something out, though the farm system in Arlington may not have the pieces Houston craves. Wade and McLane should do what they can to get another quality starter, some good young relievers, and perhaps a left fielder with some power to take over for the aging and embarrassing Lee.
Move Lee and Berkman, and begin the process of building towards 2013 and beyond. I think acquiring Wallace helped nudge Houston that direction. I can only hope the trend continues.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Ohio-no
Well, it's official. I am finally going to buy a Madden video game this season. Madden 2011 should feature, after a certain downloadable update, a team with enough WRs to make even the most jaded of fans (me), run to Wal-Mart on the opening night of sales: The Cincinnati Bengals.
Terrell Owens. Chad Ochocinco. Jordan Shipley. Awesomeness. Possibly my three favorite receivers of all time. One for the fact that he does pushups during interviews. One because he hunts and fishes and sings songs about Colt McCoy. One because he changed his name to Ochocinco.
Seriously, though, this move has the potential to take the defending AFC North Champion Bengals to the next level, if TO can keep his head on straight. History indicates the oft troubled future Hall of Famer will do just that. His first year on new teams have been nothing but raging successes, at least from a statistical perspective. His off field shenanigans seem to manifest after that first season be it in Philadelphia or Dallas, when his massive ego takes a hit from media and teammates for a legitimate failure to help deliver a title (or in some cases a playoff win.)
But for now, we can focus on what a wide receiver lineup featuring #81 and #85 may mean to the rest of the league. OchoCinco has averaged 76 catches, 7 TDs, and 1105 yards per season since joining Cinci 9 years ago. TO has pulled down 72 catches, 10 TDs, and 1067 yards per season over his 14 years in the league. If they simply put up their averages, and only account for those two players and no others, Bengals QB Carson Palmer is looking at 17TDs and over 2000 yards from his top two targets.
Of course, these aren't the same players as they were 4 years ago, when they clearly were the best receivers in the league. TO is on the downside of a career that will send him to Canton, while OchoCinco has spent most of his time in the league making highlight touchdown dances that rival....well, his new partner in crime, TO's.
There is a possibility that the combination could be one of the more feared in the NFL's history. Or we could be looking at nothing more than an expansion of VH1 reality TV, an attempt to create the league's first TD dance-off, or more ridiculouness out of the Cincinnati organization.
It appears Jordan Shipley, the Texas grad with an affinity for an acoustic guitar and some rather hokey country lyrics, is going to get a first hand introduction into the world of the professional prima dona WR. Excellent. The good news for Texas and Shipley fans: if he can line up in 3 WR sets as the slot receiver, a spot he excelled at in Texas, then a successful rookie campaign could be in the works. At least on my version of Madden 2011.
Either way, the folks in Ohio will have lots to talk about this season. While Ohioans may have lost Lebron and entire industries to the weak economy, at least they'll get some significant entertainment come this fall.
Either way, folks, get your popcorn ready.
Terrell Owens. Chad Ochocinco. Jordan Shipley. Awesomeness. Possibly my three favorite receivers of all time. One for the fact that he does pushups during interviews. One because he hunts and fishes and sings songs about Colt McCoy. One because he changed his name to Ochocinco.
Seriously, though, this move has the potential to take the defending AFC North Champion Bengals to the next level, if TO can keep his head on straight. History indicates the oft troubled future Hall of Famer will do just that. His first year on new teams have been nothing but raging successes, at least from a statistical perspective. His off field shenanigans seem to manifest after that first season be it in Philadelphia or Dallas, when his massive ego takes a hit from media and teammates for a legitimate failure to help deliver a title (or in some cases a playoff win.)
But for now, we can focus on what a wide receiver lineup featuring #81 and #85 may mean to the rest of the league. OchoCinco has averaged 76 catches, 7 TDs, and 1105 yards per season since joining Cinci 9 years ago. TO has pulled down 72 catches, 10 TDs, and 1067 yards per season over his 14 years in the league. If they simply put up their averages, and only account for those two players and no others, Bengals QB Carson Palmer is looking at 17TDs and over 2000 yards from his top two targets.
Of course, these aren't the same players as they were 4 years ago, when they clearly were the best receivers in the league. TO is on the downside of a career that will send him to Canton, while OchoCinco has spent most of his time in the league making highlight touchdown dances that rival....well, his new partner in crime, TO's.
There is a possibility that the combination could be one of the more feared in the NFL's history. Or we could be looking at nothing more than an expansion of VH1 reality TV, an attempt to create the league's first TD dance-off, or more ridiculouness out of the Cincinnati organization.
It appears Jordan Shipley, the Texas grad with an affinity for an acoustic guitar and some rather hokey country lyrics, is going to get a first hand introduction into the world of the professional prima dona WR. Excellent. The good news for Texas and Shipley fans: if he can line up in 3 WR sets as the slot receiver, a spot he excelled at in Texas, then a successful rookie campaign could be in the works. At least on my version of Madden 2011.
Either way, the folks in Ohio will have lots to talk about this season. While Ohioans may have lost Lebron and entire industries to the weak economy, at least they'll get some significant entertainment come this fall.
Either way, folks, get your popcorn ready.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)