Apparently, Eric Mangini does. Because he quickly seconed manangment's decision to dump Braylon Edwards, who despite his "Hands of Stone" nature, was Browns' only deep threat. TheDood always found it weird that he could never make catches that 90% of other NFL receivers could make blindfolded, but can make those one-handed circus catches that appear on SportsCenter. And who have the Browns gotten in place of Edwards, a bunch of Jet backups who will undoubtedly be starters on the Browns because all of the Browns starters would be backups on other teams.
What makes me the most mad about this trade is that Eric Mangini was again has been blinded by his own System. Eric Mangini is a disciple of the great Bill Parcells, along with Tom Coughlin, Bill Belichick, Tony Sporano, and now Josh McDaniels. Bill Belichick took on the role of pompous, know-it-all, who was ran out of Cleveland, a working-class town, because of his pompous, know-it-allness. Whereas Marty Schottenheimer and countless other winning coaches for the Browns were working-class guys.
Parcells and his assistants created a system, which is essentially "We're a team. Nobody is above it, nobody is below it." Guys like Belichick and his little student, Eric Mangini have taken this philosophy too seriously. Thing is, the Patriots are actually a talented team, the Jets under Mangini weren't, and the Browns are not. If you remember back to 2000, when Belichick was hired as coach of Patriots, it was viewed as a mistake. The Pats only went 5-11, they had no running game and a piss-poor defensive secondary, which were key to their Super Bowl victory the next season (that and cameras and videotapes. Oh, wait. I'm not supposed to say that!).
When Josh McDaniels was hired as head coach of the Broncos, I did not think they would be anywhere near where they are today. But unlike Mangini, McDaniels recognizes that you actually need talent to win! Which I believe is why he kept diva/wide receiver Brandon Marshall, because he's a great talent on the field (plus, it seems that McDaniels and Marshall have made peace).
Mangini is so blinded by The System that he takes his no bullshit mentality so seriously that he's jeopardizing his team's success. And not winning leads to grumpy players and grumpy players are bound to do something dumb and get fined or cut.
One thing that has set Parcells, Sporano, Belichick, and Coughlin apart are that are willing to change. They become either looser or tighter depending on the team they're coaching. They're willing to try new things. Most recently, Parcells and Sporano were willing to use the Wildcat. Belichick was willing to change the Patriots' offense from conservative and run-based, to wide-open and pass-wacky. Coughlin got nice and his team won a Super Bowl. Parcells won two Super Bowls with stellar defense and a conservative, run-based offense with the Giants. When he became head coach of the Patriots, they had no running game, but a young, All-Pro quarterback and tight end, so he made the Patriots a passing team that set numerous records for completions and attempts. This lead to a playoff birth for the Pats in 1994. They had a quick exit thanks to none other than Belichick's Browns. In 1996 the Pats lost the Super Bowl. That season, despite with Curtis Martin putting up All-Pro numbers, Drew Bledsoe still led the league in pass completions and attempts. They also had diva wide receiver in Terry Glenn (much like Brandon Marshall), whom Parcells butted heads with because he did not want to use his #1 draft pick on him. Although Robert Kraft, one of the great owners, wanted another deep threat to help out Ben Coates, even though Parcells always likes to use his first draft pick on a defensive player. This lack to total control was the major factor in Parcells retiring after the Super Bowl. In fact, he disliked Glenn so much that when Parcells became head coach of the Cowboys in 2003, he invited him to come to Dallas (notice the sarcasm in my words) to become one of the best receivers in the league.
But, nope. No change for Mangini. He fells he's the king of the team and how dare you have the right to know what's happening with the football team, where your tax dollars finance the stadium and the player's salaries. And you don't need talent, just The Almighty System.
07 October 2009
06 October 2009
Three Jeers
Here are some sour plays from this past weekend of footballness:
The Houston Texans scored 9-points in 12-seconds against the Raiders (a safety, and then they returned the free kick for a touchdown).
Matt Cassel, who recently signed one of the richest contracts in football history, averaged 2.4 yards per pass attempt on 32 throws. JaMarcus Russell, the first overall choice in the 2007 draft, after which he signed one of the richest contracts in football history, averaged 3.4 yards per pass attempt on 33 throws.
While this one is not football related, I found it is a jeer. This is a direct quote from the latest Tuesday Morning Quarterback column, which can be found on ESPN.com Page 2: "David Iott of New Bern, N.C., reports, 'On September 29th, I went shopping at Old Navy in Jacksonville, North Carolina. As I walked in the store, I was greeted by a sign announcing, 'It's Sweater Weather!' The average high for September 29 in Jacksonville is 80 degrees. Do people lie on sweaters at the beach, instead of on towels?'".
The Houston Texans scored 9-points in 12-seconds against the Raiders (a safety, and then they returned the free kick for a touchdown).
Matt Cassel, who recently signed one of the richest contracts in football history, averaged 2.4 yards per pass attempt on 32 throws. JaMarcus Russell, the first overall choice in the 2007 draft, after which he signed one of the richest contracts in football history, averaged 3.4 yards per pass attempt on 33 throws.
While this one is not football related, I found it is a jeer. This is a direct quote from the latest Tuesday Morning Quarterback column, which can be found on ESPN.com Page 2: "David Iott of New Bern, N.C., reports, 'On September 29th, I went shopping at Old Navy in Jacksonville, North Carolina. As I walked in the store, I was greeted by a sign announcing, 'It's Sweater Weather!' The average high for September 29 in Jacksonville is 80 degrees. Do people lie on sweaters at the beach, instead of on towels?'".
04 October 2009
The Ballad of the Squared Sevens
Even though TheDood thinks that Squared Sevens coach and hall-of-fame linebacker Mike Singletary is crazy, I'm glad that they seem to be on a winning track, after years of bad ownership decisions about personnel and talent. TheDood takes you back to the last time San Francisco was a playoff team:
It was 2002, the Squared Sevens were 10-6 and had won the NFC West. Steve Mariucci was a 57-39 coach, Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens were one of the elite quarterback-receiver tandems in the league, they had won one of the most exciting playoff games in NFL history. Then it all came to a screeching halt in the divisional playoffs against City of Tampa, the eventual Super Bowl champs. Steve Mariucci gets fired after compiling a 57-39 record, although he was quickly picked up by Detroit. He would go 15-28 and be fired 11-games into the 2005 season. He was replaced in San Francisco by Dennis Erickson, who was hardly mediocre, at 31-33 with the Seahawks, but not 57-39. The Squared Sevens dumped their fabled West Coast Offense, instead opting for Erickson's college-style, three-wide receiver, vertical passing game. "McSrambles", as Squared Sevens fans called Jeff Garcia, got hurt and wasn't playing well in the first place. Terrell Owens started to complain. Then, there was a glimmer of hope, when Tim Rattay replaced Garcia, going 2-1, throwing seven touchdowns to only two interceptions. The Squared Sevens finished 7-9, missing the playoffs, and were third in the division. So in response, Jeff Garcia scrambled his way to Cleveland, Garrison Hearst went to Denver, Terrell Owens went to Philadelphia and went to the Super Bowl. San Francisco won two games in 2004, with Rattay sharing time with Ken Dorsey and their leading receiver was Eric Johnson, a tight end. Dennis Erickson was fired. The 'Niners savior was to be Nolan the Younger, son of legendary Squared Sevens coach Dick Nolan from the 60s and 70s. Plus, they drafted Frank Gore and Alex Smith. The next Barry Sanders and Joe Montana, right?
Wrong. They won four games in 2005. Alex Smith threw one touchdown to 11 interceptions. The team's sole shining light, Tim Rattay, was traded to City of Tampa, to become a backup at season's end.
Things improved in '06, as the Niners won seven games and Alex Smith *ONLY* threw 16 interceptions. But still, the next Joe Montana. In '07, they started off 2-0 against divisional opponents. They would only win three more games the rest of the year and were ranked last in points scored. The Next Joe Montana Named Alex Smith was benched in favor of wiley, old Trent Dilfer, although Frank Gore and Arnaz Battle played solidly. At the end of the season, Trent Dilfer retired to the TV studio.
Things looked good going into '08. Mike Martz was hired as offensive coordinator, with he and Nolan the Younger having full confidence in J.T. O'Sullivan. The Squarted Sevens started off 2-1, with Nolan staying out of Martz's way with play-calling. But, again, things began to unravel. Sitting at a 2-5 record, Nolan the Younger was fired, and much to my chagrin, defensive coordinator Mike Singletary was promoted to interim coach and not the offensive genius, Martz (how many NFL teams can have the notoriety of having three Mikes on their staff?). Singletary immediately benched O'Sullivan in favor of Shaun Hill. The 'Niners went 5-4 with Singletary as interim coach and haven't looked back since.
It was 2002, the Squared Sevens were 10-6 and had won the NFC West. Steve Mariucci was a 57-39 coach, Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens were one of the elite quarterback-receiver tandems in the league, they had won one of the most exciting playoff games in NFL history. Then it all came to a screeching halt in the divisional playoffs against City of Tampa, the eventual Super Bowl champs. Steve Mariucci gets fired after compiling a 57-39 record, although he was quickly picked up by Detroit. He would go 15-28 and be fired 11-games into the 2005 season. He was replaced in San Francisco by Dennis Erickson, who was hardly mediocre, at 31-33 with the Seahawks, but not 57-39. The Squared Sevens dumped their fabled West Coast Offense, instead opting for Erickson's college-style, three-wide receiver, vertical passing game. "McSrambles", as Squared Sevens fans called Jeff Garcia, got hurt and wasn't playing well in the first place. Terrell Owens started to complain. Then, there was a glimmer of hope, when Tim Rattay replaced Garcia, going 2-1, throwing seven touchdowns to only two interceptions. The Squared Sevens finished 7-9, missing the playoffs, and were third in the division. So in response, Jeff Garcia scrambled his way to Cleveland, Garrison Hearst went to Denver, Terrell Owens went to Philadelphia and went to the Super Bowl. San Francisco won two games in 2004, with Rattay sharing time with Ken Dorsey and their leading receiver was Eric Johnson, a tight end. Dennis Erickson was fired. The 'Niners savior was to be Nolan the Younger, son of legendary Squared Sevens coach Dick Nolan from the 60s and 70s. Plus, they drafted Frank Gore and Alex Smith. The next Barry Sanders and Joe Montana, right?
Wrong. They won four games in 2005. Alex Smith threw one touchdown to 11 interceptions. The team's sole shining light, Tim Rattay, was traded to City of Tampa, to become a backup at season's end.
Things improved in '06, as the Niners won seven games and Alex Smith *ONLY* threw 16 interceptions. But still, the next Joe Montana. In '07, they started off 2-0 against divisional opponents. They would only win three more games the rest of the year and were ranked last in points scored. The Next Joe Montana Named Alex Smith was benched in favor of wiley, old Trent Dilfer, although Frank Gore and Arnaz Battle played solidly. At the end of the season, Trent Dilfer retired to the TV studio.
Things looked good going into '08. Mike Martz was hired as offensive coordinator, with he and Nolan the Younger having full confidence in J.T. O'Sullivan. The Squarted Sevens started off 2-1, with Nolan staying out of Martz's way with play-calling. But, again, things began to unravel. Sitting at a 2-5 record, Nolan the Younger was fired, and much to my chagrin, defensive coordinator Mike Singletary was promoted to interim coach and not the offensive genius, Martz (how many NFL teams can have the notoriety of having three Mikes on their staff?). Singletary immediately benched O'Sullivan in favor of Shaun Hill. The 'Niners went 5-4 with Singletary as interim coach and haven't looked back since.
Jersey/B Reality Check and How 'Bout Those Broncos/Bears/Bengals/Saints/49ers
Jersey/B got a reality check on Sunday against the Saints, who must be for real, because they beat a blitz-happy defense and a team riding a huge surge of emotion with a rookie quarterback and coach. But because of this loss, Mark Sanchez should be benched and Rex Ryan should be fired, right? Not so fast.
The Saints are just so much more balanced than they have been the past several seasons, even though Reggie Bush is quickly becoming an NFL bust. Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell are taking a lot of pressure off of Drew Bress, who, in the first two weeks of the season, threw 9 touchdown passes, but in the past two weeks has thrown no touchdown passes. I think Tom Brady's 2007 touchdown pass record is safe, as Drew Brees is now on pace to throw a mere 36 touchdowns. With their 24-point showing, the Saints are now on pace to score 576 points, dropping their projected total to less than the '07 Flying Elvii's 589. They are also more balanced, meaning that it seems that they now have a defense to go along with their offense. Mark Sanchez certainly looked like a rookie and threw a bonehead interception to Darren Sharper that was returned for a touchdown. Now, I will be the first to say that the majority of NFL interceptions are the receiver's fault, but the one by Sanchez was all on him.
The Flaming Thumbtacks have surpassed their loss total from last year, they are now 0-4. They were 13-3 last season.
Drew Bledsoe Watch Out: Tom Brady so far this season has thrown 174 passes, that's an average of 44 per game. He's on pace to throw 696 passes this season. The NFL record for a single passer is 691 (Drew Bledsoe, 1994).
Since throwing one touchdown and four interceptions against the Packers in Week 1, Jay Cutler has thrown seven touchdowns to only one interception. I guess that trade wasn't a disaster, after all? However, imagine how good the Broncos would be if they had kept him?
If Brandon Stokley hadn't converted the "Immaculate Deflection", the Tootsie-Rolls would be leading the AFC North, because the Nevermores lost to the Flying Elvii, today. This is the same division with the reigning world champion Steelers, who are 2-2.
If Brandon Stokley hadn't converted the "Immaculate Deflection", the Broncos would be 3-1. But they have beaten the Cowboys, who are supposed to be one of the elite teams in the NFL, I think they're on the fringe of mediocrity. However, the Broncos have historically had a huge home-field advantage and supposedly, they have a hard schedule coming up.
Shaun Hill has thrown 23 touchdowns to 10 interceptions on his career. He had a record of 2-0 in '07 (they only had five wins that season), 5-3 in '08, and, so far, 3-1 in '09. All of his touchdowns have come as a member of the Squared Sevens. For San Francisco's sake, it seems the legacy of Nolan the Younger is fortunately vanishing.
Not To Worry, San Diego: Ever since Norv Turner became head coach, The Bolts have gotten off to very slow starts, and then roar back in December, making deep playoff runs the past two seasons. They lost the AFC Championship in '07 to the mythical Flying Elvii, and lost in the divisional round last year to the world champion Steelers at Ketchup Field.
Excluding their quick playoff exit last season, the Lucky Charms have won 12 straight games and Peyton Manning is looking as commanding as ever. Conversely, Les Mouflons have lost 14 straight games.
The Saints are just so much more balanced than they have been the past several seasons, even though Reggie Bush is quickly becoming an NFL bust. Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell are taking a lot of pressure off of Drew Bress, who, in the first two weeks of the season, threw 9 touchdown passes, but in the past two weeks has thrown no touchdown passes. I think Tom Brady's 2007 touchdown pass record is safe, as Drew Brees is now on pace to throw a mere 36 touchdowns. With their 24-point showing, the Saints are now on pace to score 576 points, dropping their projected total to less than the '07 Flying Elvii's 589. They are also more balanced, meaning that it seems that they now have a defense to go along with their offense. Mark Sanchez certainly looked like a rookie and threw a bonehead interception to Darren Sharper that was returned for a touchdown. Now, I will be the first to say that the majority of NFL interceptions are the receiver's fault, but the one by Sanchez was all on him.
The Flaming Thumbtacks have surpassed their loss total from last year, they are now 0-4. They were 13-3 last season.
Drew Bledsoe Watch Out: Tom Brady so far this season has thrown 174 passes, that's an average of 44 per game. He's on pace to throw 696 passes this season. The NFL record for a single passer is 691 (Drew Bledsoe, 1994).
Since throwing one touchdown and four interceptions against the Packers in Week 1, Jay Cutler has thrown seven touchdowns to only one interception. I guess that trade wasn't a disaster, after all? However, imagine how good the Broncos would be if they had kept him?
If Brandon Stokley hadn't converted the "Immaculate Deflection", the Tootsie-Rolls would be leading the AFC North, because the Nevermores lost to the Flying Elvii, today. This is the same division with the reigning world champion Steelers, who are 2-2.
If Brandon Stokley hadn't converted the "Immaculate Deflection", the Broncos would be 3-1. But they have beaten the Cowboys, who are supposed to be one of the elite teams in the NFL, I think they're on the fringe of mediocrity. However, the Broncos have historically had a huge home-field advantage and supposedly, they have a hard schedule coming up.
Shaun Hill has thrown 23 touchdowns to 10 interceptions on his career. He had a record of 2-0 in '07 (they only had five wins that season), 5-3 in '08, and, so far, 3-1 in '09. All of his touchdowns have come as a member of the Squared Sevens. For San Francisco's sake, it seems the legacy of Nolan the Younger is fortunately vanishing.
Not To Worry, San Diego: Ever since Norv Turner became head coach, The Bolts have gotten off to very slow starts, and then roar back in December, making deep playoff runs the past two seasons. They lost the AFC Championship in '07 to the mythical Flying Elvii, and lost in the divisional round last year to the world champion Steelers at Ketchup Field.
Excluding their quick playoff exit last season, the Lucky Charms have won 12 straight games and Peyton Manning is looking as commanding as ever. Conversely, Les Mouflons have lost 14 straight games.
There is Nothing Wrong With the NFL's Overtime Rules
TheDood is currently watching the "Battle of Ohio" slugfest, which has gone into overtime. Many prognosticators just absolutely hate the NFL's overtime rule pointing to that a coin toss determines the game, and that the losing team should get a chance to possess the ball. Well, in fact the team that loses the toss does get a chance to get the ball... on defense. It all comes down to that the toss's losing team's defense can't stop the toss's wining team's offense. That's it! If your defense can't stop the opposing offense then you deserve to lose! Many want college's horrible system of overtime. TheDood believes that the college overtime should be the same as NFL overtime, although that will never, ever be considered.
As I type this, there is 7:24 left in the overtime period, whether the Browns win, whether the Bengals win, or whether the game ends in a tie, the Browns seemed to have played much better, and I believe for one sole reason: Derek Anderson started the game. He has always seemed to be more in-sync with the receivers, even with the "Hands of Stone" Braylon Edwards. The Browns have managed to score more touchdowns in one game than what they could do in the past nine (going back to last season a bit). D.A. threw for a touchdown and ran for another, which was something Brady Quinn couldn't do in a normal game situation (he only threw one touchdown pass and that was against Minnesota's Prevent defense in the final seconds of a blowout loss). Does this make Eric Mangini a slightly better hire, even if they go on to lose or tie? Maybe. But in my eyes, no, because I did not like him as the coach in New York.
Look for an opinion piece about Mangini in the coming days.
TheDood, out, with 3:23 left in overtime.
As I type this, there is 7:24 left in the overtime period, whether the Browns win, whether the Bengals win, or whether the game ends in a tie, the Browns seemed to have played much better, and I believe for one sole reason: Derek Anderson started the game. He has always seemed to be more in-sync with the receivers, even with the "Hands of Stone" Braylon Edwards. The Browns have managed to score more touchdowns in one game than what they could do in the past nine (going back to last season a bit). D.A. threw for a touchdown and ran for another, which was something Brady Quinn couldn't do in a normal game situation (he only threw one touchdown pass and that was against Minnesota's Prevent defense in the final seconds of a blowout loss). Does this make Eric Mangini a slightly better hire, even if they go on to lose or tie? Maybe. But in my eyes, no, because I did not like him as the coach in New York.
Look for an opinion piece about Mangini in the coming days.
TheDood, out, with 3:23 left in overtime.
WTTE to Show Good Games, Today
WTTE, the Fox affiliate in Columbus, Ohio, will show Seattle Green Men Group @ Lucky Charms at 1:00 PM and Denver @ Dallas at 4:15 PM. While CBS is just showing local coverage, there are no nationally televised games today on CBS, today.
On a different note: Remember the show Sunday NFL Countdown? It was a rapid-fire show with just Tom Jackson and Chris Berman that aired at either 7:00 or 7:30 PM before ESPN's Sunday night game. When ESPN no longer showed games on Sunday night, followers of the show worried that it would no longer be around. But never fear. Beginning with the
11:00 PM SportsCenter, Jackson and Berman host a segment called "The Blitz", which is essentially the same as their old show, the same music, the same rapid-fire format, etc. My recommendation would be to tape ESPN from 11:00 PM to 3:30 AM the next morning, because typically NBC's SNF game has not ended by 11:00 PM, and because that game is the premier match up of the week, they want to analyse it.
On a different note: Remember the show Sunday NFL Countdown? It was a rapid-fire show with just Tom Jackson and Chris Berman that aired at either 7:00 or 7:30 PM before ESPN's Sunday night game. When ESPN no longer showed games on Sunday night, followers of the show worried that it would no longer be around. But never fear. Beginning with the
11:00 PM SportsCenter, Jackson and Berman host a segment called "The Blitz", which is essentially the same as their old show, the same music, the same rapid-fire format, etc. My recommendation would be to tape ESPN from 11:00 PM to 3:30 AM the next morning, because typically NBC's SNF game has not ended by 11:00 PM, and because that game is the premier match up of the week, they want to analyse it.
02 October 2009
This Weekend of Woofer Games
This weekend in the Columbus, Ohio TV market, there will be a double-header on Fox, whose games have not been announced at this writing (11:00 pm on Friday). While on CBS, there will just be one 1:00 pm game, the bi-annual "Battle of Ohio" between the Tootsie-Rolls and the Oranges. Now, I could go into specifics on how terrible of a coach Eric Mangini is, and how the Oranges' as a whole are in shambles, but I won't (maybe later). The Tootsie-Rolls should win and I believe they will win.
Because of my Ohio location, I will miss CBS's premiere game, Nevermores vs Flying Elvii, damn it!
None of the 1:00 Fox games look all that intriguing: Peugeots @ Bears, Seattle Green Men Group @ Lucky Charms, Jersey/A @ Chiefs, and City of Tampa @ Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons. More than likely, I will see either Jersey/A @ Chiefs or Seattle Green Men Group @ Lucky Charms. I seem to remember last week that Fox was hyping Broncos @ Cowboys as being their premiere game for this Sunday (and as the only other 4:00 game on Fox is Mouflons @ Squared Sevens, which will hopefully only be shown in those teams' home markets!).
The Sunday night game is Bolts @ Steelers, I'm not waiting on pins and needles for this one, but I'll undoubtedly watch it.
This week's best game will be on Monday Night (although I wish it was the *REAL* MNF back on the alphabet network) as Brett Favre will face the Packers for the first time since his retirement, since his retirement, this time at home in the Twin Cities. MNF analyst Jon Gruden has a interesting personal connection to Favre: when Favre was traded from Atlanta, Gruden (who was a Packers Offensive Assistant) picked Favre up at the Green Bay Airport.
Because of my Ohio location, I will miss CBS's premiere game, Nevermores vs Flying Elvii, damn it!
None of the 1:00 Fox games look all that intriguing: Peugeots @ Bears, Seattle Green Men Group @ Lucky Charms, Jersey/A @ Chiefs, and City of Tampa @ Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons. More than likely, I will see either Jersey/A @ Chiefs or Seattle Green Men Group @ Lucky Charms. I seem to remember last week that Fox was hyping Broncos @ Cowboys as being their premiere game for this Sunday (and as the only other 4:00 game on Fox is Mouflons @ Squared Sevens, which will hopefully only be shown in those teams' home markets!).
The Sunday night game is Bolts @ Steelers, I'm not waiting on pins and needles for this one, but I'll undoubtedly watch it.
This week's best game will be on Monday Night (although I wish it was the *REAL* MNF back on the alphabet network) as Brett Favre will face the Packers for the first time since his retirement, since his retirement, this time at home in the Twin Cities. MNF analyst Jon Gruden has a interesting personal connection to Favre: when Favre was traded from Atlanta, Gruden (who was a Packers Offensive Assistant) picked Favre up at the Green Bay Airport.
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