NFL Mid Term Report Cards

When I was in college, I always hated getting my mid-term grades because I was either going to apply myself and get straight A's or say screw it and drink my face off. Considering I was an athlete in college, which one do you think I chose.


Luckily for me, all I had to do was remain eligible, unfortunately for some NFL players, the season/glass is only half empty.


1. Titans: Great defense, above average running game, and Kerry Collins is doing exactly what Roethlisberger did in his championship campaign, "Just don't cost us the game".


2: Giants: I can't see any let down from these guys at all. It looks as though Eli has figured out how to be a championship QB. The thorough beat down of the Cowboys is just the latest chapter in how the NFC was won.


3. Redskins: We have to see how they will perform over the second half of the season, but first year coach Jim Zorn has been pushing all the right buttons.


4. Panthers: I could have flipped the Panthers and the Redskins, there numbers are very similar. The one thing I know for sure is that Delhomme is back and looks good, and the defense likes to kick ass and take names. Oakland, Detroit and Atlanta are their next three games.... I wish I were a Panther.


5. Bucs: Between Garcia and the defense, the Bucs are in every game they play. What more could you ask from your guys?


6. Steelers: If this team had not been ravaged with injuries, they would be higher in the rankings for sure. To their credit, they are ranked this high. Next three games, Washington, Indy and San Diego. This could be the three games that sends them to the playoffs. Check that, one down two to go. If Roethlisberger's injury keeps him out, at least they have a competent back up. Unlike the hapless Cowboys.


7. Patriots: It won't be long before we can count these guys out of the playoff race. But as of right now, I have to rank them where I think they should be ranked. I wonder if the NFL will test for Geritol someday. The defense would all be suspended.


8. Cowboys: It almost hurt me to watch this game yesterday as much as it hurt the Cowjokes to play in it. They were manhandled, and then some, oh, and their starting QB was re-placed by a Jet QB has-been.


9. Bills: This is a very good team on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. They have run into a rough patch as of late. New England, Cleveland and Kansas City should make them healthy over the next three weeks.


10. Falcons: At 5-3, this team is overachieving thanks to a heady first year QB. Matt Ryan has been very good. The team's defense has been above average. New Orleans, Denver and Carolina are the next three games for them. If they can win two of them, they have a very outside shot at the playoffs. PLAYOFFS....DID I SAY PLAYOFFS?


11. Cardinals: They are in first place in the less than adequate NFC West, but 1st is still 1st. They are staring 10-6 right in the eyes. If they can get to that mark, they will win their division.


12. Jets: This team is 5-3, and I had previously mentioned that if in week 12 the Jets are 7-4 they will make the playoffs. I believe that to still be true.


13. Bears: The Bears survived a scare from the Lions today. It is my belief that if Rex Grossman is to be the QB for any extended amount of time, the team could be in trouble.


14. Ravens: I know the defense is getting up there in age, but they may just have one last playoff run in them.


15. Eagles: Will the real team please stand up? This team has potential. If the stay healthy, they can do damage for sure. I wish they had a little more depth at running back, but that is not a me problem.


16. Packers: A 4-4 record in the post Favre era. not bad, we will see how long this will last. I hope the Packers do not have to put a stop payment on Aaron Rodgers' new signing bonus check.


17. Broncos: What the heck is going on in the mile high city? 4-4 after eight weeks? Cleveland, Atlanta and Oakland over the next three weeks could keep them in the playoff hunt.


18. Colts: 4-4 record for one of the most prolific offenses ever known to man? Something smells fishy.


19. Vikings: If the Viking could play any kind of defense, they would have a chance to compete for the division title. Peterson is the real deal at RB.


20. Saints: I thought by this time, the Saints would be in a good position to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, they have not been consistent enough on either side of the ball to make this a reality.



21. Dolphins: So far so good for the porcelain prince. He has stayed healthy, and the "wildcat" formation is working for them. Too bad the Super Bowl is not played on a sand lot.


22. Browns: Romeo.... Romeo, where for art thou Romeo. There may not be a team that is more poorly coached than the Browns.....oh wait....there is the Raiders.


23. Texans: With Schaub hurt for the next 2-4 weeks, I am not sure that the Texans can handle the upcoming schedule without needing to sign another QB. Oh, the games are Baltimore, Indy and Cleveland.


24. Jaguars: I am shocked at the Jags record thus far. I had them going to the Super Bowl. They do not seem to have that same swagger as they used to.


25. Chargers: The Chargers have just not been able to get on any kind of a roll since the early season bad calls by Ed Hochuli and other horrible refs.


26. Seahawks: What a shame for coach Holmgren. The guys over at Pike Place Fish Market are making more catches than his wide receivers.


27. Raiders: I thought about using much harsher words than the ones I am about to use, but I just said screw it. This team, ownership and organization just absolutely suck. If they were horses, they would be shot.


28. Rams: This team scares absolutely no one. Haslett seems pissed ever since his new contract has been nixed thanks to the Rooney rule. It is another year in last place for the Rams.


29. 49ers: See ya Mike Nolan. I told you to keep your suit pressed.


30. Chiefs: This team sucks, and I am not sure how much of it is due to Herm Edwards.


31. Bengals: Congrats to them on their first win. Philly, Pitt and Baltimore are their next three games. Please pay up your health insurance premiums.


32. Lions: I know that the Lions played well today. Many props to them but here are the next eight games. Jax, @Carolina, Bucs, Titans, Vikings, @Colts, Saints and Packers. Please tell me which one of these they are going to win.

We are at the half way mark of what has been a great season so far. The next update will be at the three quarter pole. We should have a better indication as to how the playoffs are going to shape up by then....or maybe not.

Has anyone seen my Bratwurst?????

Maple bats = major problems

I went to an Arizona Fall League game this past week, and I have to say that all of the talk of the dangers of the new maple bats that current and future major league players are using these days are a disaster waiting to happen.

I know that MLB is asking all bat manufacturing companies to have a quality assurance team look into ways to stop the bats from breaking so easily and if they do break, try to make the bats so that they do not become splintered wooden projectiles.

The last bat I counted that broke with some kind of problem to either a player or spectator was 11. That's correct 11 times a bat was shattered and either became a hazard to a player or a fan. This is completely unacceptable.

There was one instance where a player was jammed with an inside fastball that ate him up, he tried to swing anyway, and his bat was sawed in half, one part of the bat stayed in the players hand, the other half went into the stands. Thank goodness that on one was sitting in the chair that the bat struck. It made a resounding noise that was heard throughout the ball park. If a fan was sitting there, they could have been killed. That's right killed.

MLB has got to put a stop to this. They need to be proactive instead of reactive. It took the NHL a fatality of a young girl at a Columbus Blue Jacket's game to expand the screens around the ice in the "shot zone" for the problem to be corrected. There are many top round draft choices that play in this league, but as far as a parent is concerned, their child may be their only draft choice, and neither ignorance nor indifference is a plausible excuse for ignoring this major problem. To MLB....... fix the problem and fix it now!!!!

Ahhhhh.....the beauty of Oak

It's time for a re-cap

Hello all, I have missed you this past week, but my dad came into town, and I wanted to make sure he had some fun while he was here. That being said here is where I stand.

The World Series: Bud Selig made the right call to suspend the 5th game after Tampa Bay scored their second run. Why? Because if the World Championship had been decided due to a rain shortened game, it would have been a worse decision than the All Star Game tie debacle. Congrats to the Phillies as much as it hurts me to say that, they looked very good.

The Breeder's Cup: I really don't care too much about horse racing, but the good news for the colts is that they are going to be put out to stud. It has to be tough to eat hay and get laid all day.

Nascar: Jimmie Johnson is going to win his third Nextel cup series in a row. Where is the parity in stock car racing? Is Johnson now to be mentioned in the same breath as Petty, Foyt and Andretti as one of the greatest drivers that ever lived? We shall see.

I am not going to give my NFL power rankings until after this Sunday. I want all teams to have at least eight decisions before I rank them. The match up of the week as far as I am concerned is the Cowboys against the New York football Giants. ( Giants win by two TD's).

College Football: It was great to see Penn State beat Ohio State. The thing that sucks is that computers still have a major say in what is going on with regard to rankings. This is a shambles, but I will get into that at a later date.

I think that covers it. The one last guess I would like to make this week is that Texas Tech will beat Texas by a field goal. This should be a great game if you look at the numbers. The other two big match ups are Penn St. @ Iowa and Georgia @Florida. I can't wait for this weekend.


Light up the grills and hold on for the thrills........

Has anyone seen my jello shot??????

A True Maverick

Webster defines a Maverick as a lone or orphaned calf or cow. It also has a secondary definition of someone that is independent. I am fairly certain that Trevor Wikre is a Maverick in every sense of the word.

Trevor is an offensive lineman at my Alma Mater, Mesa State College in Grand Junction, CO. It seems as though Trevor sustained an injury on one of his pinkies during a practice, and he was told that he was going to require season-ending surgery. Once he heard that, what do you think the Senior lineman that measures in at 6'3", 280lbs. said? Screw that, cut it off. That's right, instead of letting his last season of organized football go down the drain, he made the sacrifice, and had half of the finger removed.

Of course this story conjures up memories of the time that Ronnie Lott, the Hall of Fame Safety also has a portion of his pinkie removed because there was no way that he was going to miss the playoffs.

That being said, Ronnie was getting paid million of dollars to play, and what is Trevor getting for his efforts and sacrifice? Satisfaction. That's right satisfaction. Knowing that he will have a chance to play in the playoffs for his college and his teammates is all that Trevor needs.

If that isn't a Maverick, I don't know what is. GO MAVS!!!!!!!!!

The Diamondbacks of 2009

It's very easy t o see why Diamondback's Manger Bob Melvin has 25 guys on his roster that want to play for him.

I had the pleasure to speak with the D-Back's skipper yesterday, and I have to say that if I were still playing, I would want him to be my boss. He is honest, humble and quite engaging. If you have something to say, he actually listens which is quite an impressive character trait considering that there are some managers in MLB that think because you are a writer, you must not have ever played the game.

That being said, I thank Bob Melvin for his time and candor. I will not relay to you the things that we discussed, but I will tell you what I think the D-Back's roster should look like in '09 for them to win the division.

Starting Lineup by position:

1st Base; Connor Jackson: Connor had an excellent season. He showed that he not only has a great eye at the plate, but that he has the ability to hit .300 every year.

2nd base; Orlando Hudson: I am well aware that O-Dog is a free agent this year, but a second basemen that can hit .300 and win a gold glove at his position deserves at least another three years at about $9 million per year. Pay him, and keep a strong leader in the clubhouse that the young players on this squad need to be successful.

Shortstop; Stephen Drew: Stephen had an All-Star campaign and he has many more ahead of him. He is as solid as it gets at his position.

3rd Base; Mark Reynolds: If you look up raw talent in the dictionary, you will find his picture. I think that the D-Backs may have rushed him into the bigs, but they had no choice. He just oozes power with his swing. I want him to cut down on his swing with two strikes. If he does that, he will probably hit 35 HRS and have 125 RBI's per year for quite a while.

Left Field; Eric Byrnes: If his hammy's did not give him such problems this year, the fate of the team may have been different. All I can say is that when he dresses up for a game, he is always at 100% effort.

Center Field; Chris Young: CY is without question one of the next big superstars at his position. He has great speed, he has a good knowledge of how to run the outfield and he has the power and speed to be a perennial 30/30 guy.

Right Field; Justin Upton: Man, is this kid talented. He has speed, a cannon of an arm and the ability to hit the ball out of the park to all fields. He needs to work on being a better defensive outfielder, and I believe that will come in time. He will not be 22 until August of 2009.

Catcher; Chris Snyder: He had the mother of all injuries last year, but he nutted up.....Ahem...sorry Chris, and played his balls.....Ahem...sorry again Chris... off. He has shown signs of great power, he calls a great game, and his pitching staff love him. He has a chance to be an All Star some day.

Starting Pitchers:

Brandon Webb: Best ace in the NL

Dan Haren: Best pitcher that is not the ace in the NL

Max Scherzer: 23 year old phenom that has a fastball in the upper 90's and a change up that when is kept low in the strike zone is un-hittable. If he develops a major league breaking ball, and learns to pace himself for the long and tough MLB season, he will be 1AA in the starting staff.

Doug Davis: If he stays 4th in the rotation, he will win 15 games.

Randy Johnson: Per my calculation, Randy should have 302 wins right now. He had the misfortune of way too many no decisions this past year. If the " Big Unit" is your 5th starter, look out rest of the NL.

Bullpen:

Edgar Gonzalez: I am not sure how much longer Edgar would be willing to come out of the pen, but if he is willing, the team just got that much stronger. He would be a number 3 starter anywhere else in the majors.

Yusmeiro Petit: He and Edgar can both be bonafied starters elsewhere, but with them both here, the NL West is the D-Backs for the taking. Keep in mind that The Big Unit's decision effects both of them equally.

Chad Qualls: He was named closer for the team after Brandon Lyon showed that he was not cut out for the job since Jose Valverde left for the Astros. I have no problem with this choice. Everything Chad throws is hard. We just have to see if he can really be trusted for 65-70 appearances per year.

John Rauch: Yes I know he got lit up during the second half of the season, but I believe that he can be a major contributor next year. He also seems like a good clubhouse guy.

Wil Ledezma: Good left handed hitter specialist. Slaten needs to shape up or ship out.

Juan Cruz: Strong arm and he chews up innings. I wish the rest of his teammates would stop stealing his meal money so he can put on a few extra pounds.

Reserves: This without question is where GM Josh Byrnes is going to have to earn his money.

Chris Burke: Great experienced player, but a .186 batting average is just not going to cut it.

Augie Ojeda: A no-brainer, I love him as a player, and he will do whatever it takes to help his team win.

Miguel Montero: A nice second choice at catcher. I wish he could put up better offensive numbers, but when he catches, he is in the number eight slot. No harm, no foul.

Adam Dunn: He is listed as a reserve because at $10-$14 million, there is no way the D-Backs are going to resign him.

Jeff Salazar: Great off the bench guy that can provide occasional power. He is a keeper.

Chad Tracy: He showed signs of greatness this year, maybe it would be best for him if e cold land with a team that could use his skills on a daily basis.

Jamie D'Antona: This kid can hit with the best of them, the trouble is, the team has no place to put him. He should be a keeper, we shall see.

Alex Romero: Yet another prospect that can hit with some power, and is not afraid to make the tough plays in the outfield.

Biggest concerns: This team does not have a bonafied leader in the clubhouse. There is so much good raw talent, if they don't win the division next year, it will be a surprise.

Variables: Does the "Unit" return to get 300 wins? Do the D-backs package some young major league ready talent to get a seasoned veteran?

We shall see what happens during the off season, but I think this good core of young talented players could be the Rays of 2009.


Ahhhhh.....the beauty of the hot stove.

The Cow-Pokes are Cow-"Jokes"

Not only did the Dallas Cowboys lose to a much better team on Sunday,they also lost their starting quarterback for the next four weeks.

Dallas was outplayed on both sides of the ball as well as on special teams. That being said, they still had a chance to win the game. I will give them credit for that.

Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt almost gave the game away with his god awful timeout call trying to "ice" the Cowboy's placekicker (Polk) after his team blocked the FG try. The timeout gave the "Jokes" another crack at a 51 yd attempt. The kick was retried, and made, sending the game into overtime. During that OT when Tony "Romeo" broke the pinkie finger on his throwing hand. The Cardinals held the "Jokes" on defense, and blocked the ensuing punt and returned it for a game winning touchdown.

We shall see how Brad Johnson handles the offense for the next month. Luckily for the Cowboys, their upcoming schedule is not that imposing. They have the Rams next week, then the Bucs at home, then they are at the NY football Giants. After that the bye week follows next. Romeo's next game should be against the Redskins in the Nation's Capitol. From what I can see, the Cowboy's would be lucky to get to 10 wins. That being said, the playoffs may be out of reach.

Let's see how TO handles a new QB as well. He is on pace to catch 65 balls, which would be the second lowest total of his career. He caught 60 balls one year with the 49ers. It's a good thing he signed that big contract extension last year. Boo hoo, the petulant TO will not have his baby sitting QB throwing to him for a month. Let the side show begin.

Ahhh...the beauty of turmoil in Big "D"

Sorry I have been away......

Hello all, I have been away for the past week. I will be posting tomorrow. I have some fun things to talk about. Thanks for being patient. Talk to you soon.