"Man-Genius"....not so much

I have a bunch of stories to post, but I wanted this one to be first. I wanted to wait to hear the results of Brett's MRI on his throwing shoulder before I cast any stones.

Since Brett has a partially torn bicepital tendon, and some calcifications in his shoulder, I owe him a very sincere apology about some of the things I wrote about him in my last post.

That being said, firing Mangini was the correct decision. If Brett hurt his arm during the Bengal game which many people think, the honus was on Mangini to grow a pair and rest Favre. Brett's consecutive game started streak means absolutely nothing. Football is all about winning. Kellen Clemens can stretch the field just as well as Favre can, plus he has been in the system for three years.

Oh and by the way, if Brett was rested for a couple of games, maybe the Jet's wouldn't be sending a number one pick to the Packers because he wound up taking over 90% of the snaps this season.

2008 was just another catastrophe of a season for my beloved Jets. I am thankful it's over.

Has anyone seen my blackberry? Mike Shanhan is waiting for my call.


Ahh....the beauty of the season that never ends.

For those of us that love Brett

I digress. I need to give one of the greatest quarterbacks that the game has ever known his props.

Did the Jets get better because Brett took snaps? Yes they did. Why, because of what one of my loyal readers pointed out to me as per their comments from the previous blog. Brett was able to stretch the field. This was something that Chad couldn't do. Do I agree with the way that the Jets dispatched Chad? No way. He has been the voice and the face of he franchise without compromise since the day he came to town.

That being said, let me get into some of my intimate thoughts as to why Brett let me down.

Since the 12th week of the season, his emotions seem to have changed. He used to be enthusiastic, and seeing the last couple of outings, those feelings have diminished. I know that there is speculation as to the condition of his arm, but I still believe that there are issues that are deeper than that.

I am quite sure that Brett gave Michael Strahan the single season record of sacks by telling his offensive line to let him through. I am OK with that, but seeing his lack luster performance against his on time mentor Mike Holgrem, I believe that Brett didn't give his all against the Seahawks. I have seen Brett play in worse weather conditions than those that presented in last week's game, and sore arm or not, he looked as though he wanted Mike to win.

Brett just can't keep playing God with other people's feelings. He needs to do what he is paid to do. If he can't do that, he needs to hang up the cleats.

What could have been with the New York Bretts....

The time has come for Brett to say goodbye to the game he loves the most. I have to admit that I was the first person to cheer when I heard about the arrival of the second coming that was Brett.

Today, I am not so convinced that Brett is the savior of anything. Are the Jets a better team than they were last year? Absolutely. Are they better because of Brett? I don't think so.

OK, so why are the Jets a better team? Let's start with the offensive line. This bunch is solid from tackle to tackle.

Second, Thomas Jones is running out of his shoes. While he is approaching 30 years of age, he hits the hole between the tackles like a man possessed. Add Leon Washington, Brad Smith, and others that have occupied the backfield this year, and it is easy to see why the Jets are better.

What do the Jets do now? Draft a quality QB while the getting is good. Brett if has any class left in him will retire and quit his second grade bullshit whimpering about how much he loves the game. Call it a career and deal with the emptiness that will be his reality the first week of September of 2009.

Who should the Jet's pick? That's a great question. The Jets will have their first round pick in the 2009 draft somewhere in the early 20's (about 22). If I were in charge, I would draft Graham Harrell (Texas Tech). He is from a system that promotes a pocket passer. Sam Bradford is from the same mold, but I think Harrell will be a better choice.

What is the net net for the 2009 Jets? They will take a step back, but be better prepared for the coming years. I think the Jets will be playoff team for the better part of a decade once the transition period is over.

Call me crazy, but those are my thoughts. Good Bye Brett hello change.

Ahhh........ the beauty of another day.

Let's go bowling

It's that time again. It is Bowl season for the NCAA Division I Football. There are 34 bowls this year. No, that is not a mis-print. 68 teams out of the 119 division I football programs are going bowling. I am not going to get into individual game analysis, but here is the full lineup:

Dec. 20:

Eagle Bank Bowl: Navy vs. Wake Forest. Navy's triple option offense might be too much for the Demon Deacons defense to handle.

New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State vs. Colorado State. Here is where the Bulldog's stronger schedule pays off. The Rams are a little too soft on defense.

St. Petersburg Bowl: Memphis vs. USF: The Tigers of Memphis deserved to make it to a bowl game, but the Bulls played in Conference USA, a much stronger schedule.

Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs. University of Arizona. While the Wildcats are much improved over the last year, I believe that the Cougars are primed to showcase their powerful offensive attack.

Dec. 23:

R&L Carriers (Don't ask me) New Orleans Bowl: Southern Miss vs. Troy: The Golden Eagles may keep the game close, but I think the Trojan's defense is a little stronger.

Dec. 23:

Poinsettia Bowl: TCU vs. Boise State: Without question one of the best non-BCMESS match ups. The Horned Frogs had themselves a 10 win season, and the Boise State Broncos are looking to cap off an un-defeated season. Flip a coin on this one.

Dec. 24:

Hawaii Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Hawaii: If QB Jimmy Clausen had a better group of receivers, I would say that this is a lock for the Fighting Irish. He doesn't so the Rainbow Warriors have a chance on their home field.

Dec. 26:

Motor City Bowl: Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan: Florida Atlantic has a 6-6 season in the Sun Belt Conference. The Chippewas were a little stronger in the MAC. Congrats to the Owls for making a bowl, but I like CMU in this one.

Dec. 27:

Meineke Car Care Bowl: North Carolina vs. West Virginia: A home game for the Tar Heels looks good on paper, but the fans loyal to the Mountaineers are tough to keep quiet. I know the Heels can win this game, the question is......do they?

Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State vs. Wisconsin: This should be a good match up, but I think that the speed of the Seminoles on both sides of the ball should prevail over the smash-mouth thinking of the Badgers hailing from the Big 10. Oh...the game is played in Orlando.

Emerald Bowl: Miami vs. California: I know this is kind of a home game for the Golden Bears, but Miami's first year head coach has this program steered in the right direction. It will be close.

Dec. 28:

Independence Bowl: Northern Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech: This is a home game for the LTU Bulldogs, and the Huskies of NIU had an average season at best.

Dec. 29:

Papajohns.com Bowl: Rutgers vs. NC State: The Scarlet Knights have had an off year under Coach Schiano, and the Wolfpack have been quite impressive on defense at times this year. What does this mean? Order a meat lover's pizza and watch the game to see who pulls this one off.

Dec. 30:

Holiday Bowl: Oklahoma St. vs. Oregon: This game will be filled with offense. If the Cowboys travel well to San Diego, they have a chance against a very good Duck team.

Texas Bowl: Rice vs. Western Michigan: The Owls had quite a good year notching 9 wins in Conference USA. They have a QB that will be playing on Sundays in the not too distant future. The Broncos also had a 9 win campaign this year as well while playing in the MAC. The three Rice losses came on the road to Texas, Tulsa and Vanderbilt all three are bowl teams. My edge to the Owls.

Dec. 31 Armed Forces Bowl: Houston vs. Air Force: Look for the points to be a plenty in this game. The Falcon's 4 losses all came against bowl bound teams, the Cougars put up a ton of points this year. Use the same coin to flip for the outcome of this one as well.

Sun Bowl: Pittsburgh vs. Oregon State: I will pick the Beavers over the Panthers in this one. The Big East was a little soft this year, and the Pac 10 was pretty tough.

Music City Bowl: Boston College vs. Vanderbilt: This is the first bowl game for the Commodores in quite a while, but I think the Eagle's defense is just too tough to overcome.

Insight Bowl: Kansas vs. Minnesota: I think the Golden Gophers will be happy to be in the warm climate of Phoenix as opposed to the frigid confines of Minnesota. The Jayhawks are still quite explosive on offense, and I believe that will be the difference in this game.

Chick-fil-A Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. LSU: Coach Paul Johnson was just named the NCAA coach of the year. This should be plenty of reason that the Yellow Jackets will beat the defending national champion Bayou Bengals.

Jan. 1:

Outback Bowl: Iowa vs. South Carolina: Iowa has a tough defense, and if the Gamecocks knew who the heck their starting QB was, it might make it easier to pick them over the Hawkeyes. That being said, Iowa gets the nod.

Gator Bowl: Clemson vs. Nebraska: It would be bitter sweet if the Tigers could win their bowl game after losing their coach mid-season. The Cornhuskers have put together a nice 9 win season. I have to give the edge to Clemson in this one.

Capital One Bowl: Michigan St. vs. Georgia: Don't ask me why, but the Bulldogs are always well prepared for their bowl games. I think this gives them the edge over an average Spartan team.


Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech va. Cincinnati: This BCMESS game pitts the Big East Champs against the Acc Champs. Va Tech is always so good on defense, and the Bearcats are strong offensively. I will take the Hokies in this one.

Rose Bowl: USC vs. Penn St.: Another BCMESS game should be quite a thriller. Joe Pa has just signed a three year extension to remain with the Nittany Lions until he becomes 85. Yes 85. The Trojans lost to the Oregon State Beavers. If not for that, they may have been in Miami instead of Pasadena.

Jan. 2:

Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech: The key to this game is whether or not the Red Raiders sulk because they were left out of the National Championship picture or they look past it and show how strong their team is on both sides of the ball. The Rebels are not too shabby themselves. This is one game I would not bet on, but I like Texas Tech.

Liberty Bowl: Kentucky vs. East Carolina: All things considered, I like the Pirates of ECU over the Wildcats.

Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Utah: The Utes were the only non-BCMESS at large selection. I hope they make it count. Boise State is licking their chops to play in a BCS game. I think the Crimson Tide will prevail and wonder about their loss to Florida all during the off season.

Jan. 3:

International Bowl: Buffalo vs. Connecticut: Another good match up. Both teams were strong within their respective conferences. Coach Turner Gil just received a contract extension from the Bulls through 2013. The Huskies of UCONN had the nation's top rusher on their side this year. I like the Huskies in a close game.


Jan. 5: Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs. Ohio St.: Two teams that travel well are coming to the valley of the sun. I believe that Colt McCoy and the rest of the Longhorns will light up the scoreboard. The Buckeyes just don't seem to have enough to impress me. We shall see.

Jan. 6: GMAC Bowl: Tulsa vs. Ball State. The Cardinals were undefeated until the Buffalo Bulls beat them in the MAC Championship Game. The Golden Hurricanes are loaded on offense. This one will be fun to watch. I like Tulsa in this one.

Jan. 8: BCMESS National Championship Game: Oklahoma vs. Florida. The Gators have so much speed on both sides of the ball and the Sooners have the Heisman Trophy winner at QB. What does this all mean? You know what they say.......SPEED KILLS.

Gators are national champs. Try to avoid going to the restroom until half time or at the end of the game. You could easily miss 3 touchdowns if you don't.


Be safe and be well during this holiday season!!


Has anyone seen my eggnog?

What is fair, when it comes to justice?

I hope you will forgive me for bringing down what should be a joyous time of the year for all of us, but I need to write this post if nothing else but for it's cathartic effect it will have on me.

We will know if the skeletal remains that were found in the woods in Florida this past weekend belong to Caylee Anthony in just a couple of weeks. Caylee was a beautiful three year old girl. How anyone could do any harm to someone so young, innocent and full of life escapes me.

That being said, her mother is the prime suspect in this heinous crime. The very same person that brought Caylee into this world, took her life..... allegedly. As a Catholic, I am supposed to be forgiving, but I just can't find it in me to forgive someone that would do such a thing to a child.

The same belief that I have as a Catholic is that Caylee is now with God. All I can do is to hope and pray that Caylee has a wonderful Christmas in Heaven.

If it his her mother that killed her whether it was accidental or not, I hope she feels all of the eternal pain and suffering that hell has to offer.

So much for me being a "good Catholic".

For those of you that read this post. I beg of you to enjoy all of the time that you have with your family members this holiday season. Give each and every one of them a hug and a kiss. Let them know that you love them, even if you are on shaky grounds with them, or vice versa. All things can be overcome while we are on this earth. After all.......... this earth and this life is all we know.


To each and everyone of you Happy and Healthy Holiday Season.....and even if you don't believe...may God bless you.

Rest in Peace Caylee, and may you know nothing but happiness for the rest of time.


Ahhhh.....the beauty of life, even if it is one we do not yet know!!

Some fun with numbers

Hi All,

I just wanted to have a little fun with math today. I surely don't want this to be deemed an non-educational web log.

Here is what the now New York Yankees C.C. Sabathia will be working for this upcoming year after signing a 7 year $161 million contract. This will be fun.

Of course the obvious, he will be making $23 million a year.

The average major league starter has 35 starts per year (depending on the number of starters the team has). That equates to $657,143 per start.

A quality start is considered to be 6 plus innings so let's use that as the gauge here (anything more would be gravy). C.C. will make $109,523 per inning.

If C.C. can win 20 of his starts, that would equate to $1,150,000 per win.

If he loses the other 14 or so starts, this assuming that he has zero no-decisions that would total $1,642,857 per loss. Yes that's right, he will make more than a million and a half dollars to suck.

The average pitcher in the major leagues averages between 12-15 pitches per inning. Worst case scenario (15) his price per pitch would be $208.62 per pitch.

Man....I was born in the wrong decade.

Ahhhhh...........the beauty of a global economic downturn.

First big free agent signing of 2008

The Mets have gone and done it. They have made the first big splash in this year's owner's meetings by signing K-Rod. What does this all mean? I am not really not sure. The Angels were more than happy to see him go.

I know that the Mets had to replace Billy Wagner who will be out all of 2009.

What do I know? The 27 year old gunslinger throws hard, he is fearless and the most important intangible about a closer......he knows there will always be tomorrow.

Time shall tell, but three years at a little over $12 million a year is a fair price.

Ahhhhh.....the beauty of a million dollar arm and a ten cent head.

Just a follow up.......

Myron Rolle did in fact win the Rhodes Scholarship he interviewed for two weeks ago. Congratulations to him as it is indeed quite an accomplishment.

The biggest challenge he has to face now is does he taker this prestigious scholarship or does he go to the NFL.

I guess I wish I had his problems.

Myron, good luck and Godspeed in your decision making process.


Ahhhhh........ the beauty of brains over the football beast.

New NFL Power Rankings

Here we are at the 3/4 pole. There has been some movement in the power rankings, let's see how your team is doing:


1) New York Giants (11-1): This team is clicking on all cylinders, and it doesn't seem like they are slowing down one bit.


2) Tennessee Titans (11-1): After a loss to the Jets, the Lions didn't stand a chance against this buzz saw.


3) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3): Mike Tomlin is doing a great job, and their defense is outstanding.


4) Carolina Panthers (9-3): The Panthers have looked great at times, and other times have looked average. The showdown with the Bucs this week will show whether or not the Panthers are ready to take the division title. The one thing I know for sure about this team is that I wish I had DeAngelo Williams on my side.


5) Tampa Bay Bucs (9-3): Smoke, mirrors, a tough defense and Jeff Garcia are the reason the Bucs are where they are right now.


6) Baltimore Ravens (8-4): After losing to the Giants in a rather convincing fashion, the Ravens have rebounded with two thrashings of their own. The victims were Philly and Cincy. They still have a rough road ahead with Washington, Pitt., @ Dallas and the Jags at home. If they can win three of those games, they are in the playoffs.


7) Indianapolis Colts (8-4): While they haven't been winning pretty, they are still winning. We shall see if they can click on all offensive cylinders. They have Cincy, Detroit, @ Jax and finish up with the Titans at home. It looks like 11-5 record to me. Let's see if that gets them a playoff birth.


8) New York Jets (8-4): The latest episode of we need to beat the teams we should be able to beat reared it's ugly head last Sunday when the Jets lost to the Defensively handicapped Denver Broncos at home. The Jets are @49ers, Bills, @ Seahawks and finish up with Miami. Two west coast trips sandwiched with two divisional games. I had stated in the last power rankings that is the Jets can get to 7-4, they will make the playoffs. They did that, but they still have to take care of the 49ers and the Seahawks to make them a playoff team.


9) Dallas Cowboys (8-4): I would be rating the Cowjokes a little higher, but the last four games are brutal. They have Pitt, Giants, Ravens and Eagles. The scheduling gods have not been nice.....that's too bad.


10) Atlanta Falcons (8-4): I could have pretty much any of the five 8-4 teams in any order, but I based some of the picks on the teams remaining schedule. The Falcons have some tough games left @ New Orleans, Bucs, @ Vikings, Rams. If the Falcons do not get to the playoffs this season, their fans should keep their heads up. They have a solid defense, and Matt Ryan looks like he is the franchise QB they were hoping for.

11) New England Patriots (7-5): Forget about the fact that they have an inexperienced QB just for a moment and realize this fact. As of today, all of the Pats line backing corps is a card carrying member of AARP.

12) Miami Dolphins (7-5): The "Big Tuna" is large and in charge in South Beach. Could this be a changing of the guard in the AFC East?

13) Washington Redskins (7-5): Three of their last four games are on the road. This team is on the cusp of taking over the division. Campbell is the real deal at QB.

14) Arizona Cardinals (7-5): Curt Warner is a viable MVP candidate and three of their last four games are at home where they have played well except for the Giants game. This will be their first playoff appearance in 10 years.

15) Minnesota Vikings (7-5): Adrian Peterson is one of the best young backs in the league. The Vikes could use an early draft pick on a QB to be a force in the NFL Norris Division.

16) Denver Broncos (7-5): Worst 1st place team in the NFL. You cannot be the 29th best defense in the league and expect to do much in the playoffs. Cutler is a factor that cannot be ignored.

17) Buffalo Bills (6-6): Trent Edwards is human after all, but Dick Jauron's defense is stingy as usual. They will be good in a very short period of time.

18) New Orleans Saints (6-6): Drew Brees is going to shatter the old Dan Marino record for passing yards in a season 5,084. If Reggie Bush would learn to run between the tackles, this team would be an offensive juggernaut.

19) Chicago Bears (6-6): Someday the Bears will draft a true starting QB and the team will win again. Until then mediocrity...here we are.

20) Philadelphia Eagles (6-5-1): Donovan, I love you, but to not know the rules of the game you play for a living is reprehensible.

21) Green Bay Packers (5-7): They have a chance to go 8-8 after a 13-3 season last year. New York Loves you Brett.

22) Houston Texans (5-7): Looked good on Monday night. They are just a player or two short of being a really good team.

23) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-8): I had them picked to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. I guess that means I suck.

24) San Diego Chargers (4-8): A great team with great promise coming into this season. Referee Ed Hochuli is getting coal in his stocing this year for Christmas.

25) 49ers (4-8): When Coach Mike Singletary dropped his drawers in front of his team during a half time speech, it was the most offensive thing the team has done all year.

26) Cleveland Browns (4-8): Goodbye Romeo, parting is such sweet sorrow.

27) Oakland Raiders (3-9): Al Davis should fire himself. This team is bad....really bad.

28) Seattle Seahawks (2-10): It's a tough way for Mike Holmgren to go out, but those are the breaks. When a tough home team like the Seahawks suck just as bad at home, you know things are bad. Time to draft a running back and QB early in next year's draft.

29) Kansas City Chiefs (2-10): Herm is gone, Gonzalez is probably going to either retire or make enough noise to be traded. The fans in KC deserve better than this.

30) St. Louis Rams (2-10): There are three two and ten teams currently in the NFL, but the Rams suck the worst. Sorry.

31) Cincinnati Bengals (1-10-1): It really stinks when the best part of your season is a tie against a pretty good team, Philly. I know they beat Jacksonville, but it was only by two points, and it was a home game, oh....and the Jags are having a tough season as well.

32) Detroit Lions (0-12) Again I ask which of their 4 remaining games are they going to win? They might get lucky, and the other team's bus breaks down on the way to the game.

What does this all mean? I don't know, but the playoffs should be a lot of fun this year.....Ahem....for those that make them that is.

Ahhhh....the beauty of organized chaos.