In sports, this is what is known as All-Star time. The NHL had its All-Star break a few weeks back; the NBA will have theirs in ten days. The NFL has theirs on Sunday.
While I'm cool with the NBA, NHL and MLB All-Star games ... the NFL one needs to go. Please. Go towards the light.
Sorry, but it makes no sense. The game is held after the season has concluded and after the most important game of the season. We have a thrilling Super Bowl this past Sunday ... and then get treated to a high-priced walk through the next weekend.
Sure, the players are happy to be there: it is a paid trip to Hawaii. But no one wants to play. The rosters end up being filled by alternate players because the ones who were voted in just bow out.
You think the Patriot players want to play this game a week after losing their perfect season? You think the Giants players want to stop their celebration to play an extra game? How about players for teams that haven't played since December?
FanHouse
Blog Roll
- Armchair GM
- Awful Announcing
- Ballhype
- Barstool Sports
- Baseball Musings
- Brahsome
- Can't Stop the Bleeding
- D.C. Sports Bog
- Dan Shanoff
- Dave's Football Blog
- Deadspin
- Epic Carnival
- Every Day Should Be Saturday
- Foul Balls
- Free Darko
- Hardball Times
- Kissing Suzy Kolber
- Ladies ...
- Larry Brown Sports
- Lion in Oil
- Mondesi's House
- Most Valuable Network
- Mr. Irrelevant
- Off Wing Opinion
- Playing the Field
- Quick Hits
- Randball
- Rumors and Rants
- SB Nation
- Sports By Brooks
- Sportz Assassin
- The 700 Level
- The Big Lead
- The Big Picture
- The Extrapolater
- The Ghost of Wayne Fontes
- The Offside
- The Sports Hernia
- The Starting Five
- TrueHoop
- We Are the Postmen
- With Leather
- Yardbarker
- Y! Sports Blogs
End the Pro Bowl, Please
Posted Feb 6th 2008 1:25PM by Sportz Assassin (author feed)
Filed under: NFL Fans
42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII: #5 - Giants to Start Fourth Super Bowl QB
Posted Jan 31st 2008 12:00AM by Sportz Assassin (author feed)
Filed under: NY Giants, Super Bowl
The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.
Eli Manning will be the fourth different quarterback to start a Super Bowl for the New York Giants ... tying a record.
- Super Bowl XXI: Phil Simms started against Denver
- Super Bowl XXV: Jeff Hostetler started against Buffalo
- Super Bowl XXXV: Kerry Collins starter against Baltimore
- Super Bowl XLII: Eli Manning will start against New England.
The results of these guys have gone from one end of the spectrum to the other. Simms completed 22 of his 25 passes for 268 yards and 3 TDs. On the other end, Collins competed just 15 of 39 passes for a measly 112 yards ... and four interceptions.
The Giants aren't the only team to have four different starting QBs. See after the jump.
42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII: #22 - Joe and Troy Get You Ready
Posted Jan 27th 2008 12:00PM by Sportz Assassin (author feed)
Filed under: Super Bowl
The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.
Fox's Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will be calling the game next Sunday. So, to prep for the big game, Joe and Troy strap on the aprons and get their popcorn on. Is there a more poignant moment than Troy tossing some popcorn in Joe's mouth. Ah, bro-mance.
By the way, you can order a special popcorn party for yourself.
42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII: #38 - Eli Already Joins Elite Company
Posted Jan 23rd 2008 12:00PM by Sportz Assassin (author feed)
Filed under: NY Giants, Super Bowl
The 42 Stops to Super Bowl XLII is a series that will feature stories, stats and interesting trivia that you can use to act smart as you prepare for Super Bowl XLII.
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning will become the seventh quarterback that was selected #1 overall in the draft to start a Super Bowl.
He joins Peyton Manning, Drew Bledsoe, Troy Aikman, John Elway, Jim Plunkett and Terry Bradshaw.
Let's see: Bradshaw went four-for-four in his Super Bowl trips; Aikman won all his three appearances; Plunkett won both his Super Bowl starts; Eli's brother Peyton won last year; Elway went five times, winning his last two.
Only Bledsoe didn't fair as well. In his only appearance, Super Bowl XXXI, Bledsoe's Patriots lost to the Packers. Bledsoe would go on to win a ring as Tom Brady's backup in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Other #1 picks to win a Super Bowl: Orlando Pace, Keyshawn Johnson, Russell Maryland, George Rogers, Ed Jones, John Matuzak, Bubba Smith and Paul Hornung.
Here is another interesting list that Manning finds himself on: he joins Phil Simms, Jeff Hostetler and Kerry Collins as QBs who've led the Giants into the Super Bowl.
Favre, Manning Laugh at Freezing Conditions
Posted Jan 20th 2008 8:10PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: NY Giants, Packers, NFL Fans, NFL Playoffs
Well, this looked like it was going to be your typical mid-January NFC Championship game played in -23 wind chill. Nope, not even close.
Over the first 30 minutes the Giants controlled the time of possession, but the Packers have a 10-6 lead thanks to one play: a 90-yard touchdown pass from Brett Favre to Donald Driver. Actually, it was more like an 18-yard pass and 72-yard sprint, but the results are the same: six points.
Interestingly, both teams aren't going away from the passing game despite the conditions. I thought the quarterbacks would be most affected by the sub-zero temperatures, but if they are, it's not showing. Manning was 10 of 22 for 131 yards and was this close to hitting Plaxico Burress for a touchdown just before the half. And Favre was 10 of 18 for 163 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
I was also under the impression that kickers could struggle tonight. Nope. The Giants' Lawrence Tynes is 2 for 2 (29, 37), and the Packers' Mason Crosby is 1 for 1 (37). We'll see if that changes in the second half.
Norv Turner Hearts JaMarcus Russell
Posted Dec 30th 2007 3:01PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Chargers, Raiders, AFC West, ESPN, NFL Network
On most occasions, the safe bet would be to ignore anything coming out of Norv Turner's mouth. Sure, he's not done much as NFL head coach (although Turner's turned things around in San Diego after a glacial start), but he's a great offensive coordinator who has a knack for developing quarterbacks. Just ask Troy Aikman.
Anyway, Turner's Chargers face the Raiders today, and the former Oakland coach has a lot of nice things to say about rookie JaMarcus Russell:
"When the Raiders were down here (Oct. 14), JaMarcus went through an extensive workout before the game, and I got a chance to watch him for the first time in person," Turner said in a conference call with Bay Area media Wednesday. "I was just kind of blown away, impressed with his ability, his physical ability, his ability to throw a football, his accuracy and all that. He's going to be an outstanding player."Turner offered the normal disclaimer on such praise: "He's going to go through what all young guys go through ... There's a process to where you get to where you're ready to play."
In the days leading up to the draft, there was some discussion that Russell might be the second-best quarterback after Brady Quinn. NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock pimped Russell throughout the spring (oddly, ESPN's Mel Kiper was a Quinn guy until the 11th hour ... weird), but more importantly, NFL general managers preferred Russell to Quinn. And now we know Norvell's a fan.
Ultimately, none of this matters; Russell will have to get it done on the field. But it's always a good sign when guys like Mayock and Turner have your back. Kiper could be the wild card, though.
Romessica In Full Effect: Jessica Simpson at Cowboys Game
Posted Dec 16th 2007 5:52PM by Sportz Assassin (author feed)
Filed under: Cowboys, NFC East, NFL Gossip, NFL Media Watch, Dallas
Jessica Simpson is attending the Dallas Cowboys' game with the Philadelphia Eagles wearing a white Tony Romo jersey with pink lettering. This throws more on the fire of speculation that Simpson and Romo are an item.
It's just funny to me. I'm sitting here watching Romo as the Cowboys' QB ... always with smile on his face and having a great time out there. Why wouldn't he!?!? Dude is the QB of the best team in the NFC and knows that he gets to snuggle up to Jessica after the game. Even better: he knows that you know that he's gonna be snuggling up with Jessica after the game.
The best part of this whole thing is Fox's Joe Buck asking partner Troy Aikman, "Troy, don't you just wonder what it must be like to be the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys?" and then going gaga over Simpson on the monitor. Later on, he remarks on a female fan in the crowd who is holding a "4get Jess. Marry Me Tony" poster.
Aikman later says, "you get a lot better lookin' when you start winning football games."
Sorry, No Photos
Troy Aikman Thinks the Cowboys Can Beat the Patriots
Posted Dec 11th 2007 11:21PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Cowboys, Patriots, AFC East, NFC East, NFL Playoffs, Super Bowl
Former Dallas quarterback and Hall of Famer Troy Aikman wants you to know that the Cowboys can beat the Patriots, despite what New England fans might have you believe. He made this comments last Friday, so maybe Aikman has changed his mind in light of Dallas' come-from-behind win against Detroit, and the Pats blowing out the Steelers ... but I doubt it.
"I'm amazed really when I hear people say New England blew the Cowboys out," Aikman told reporters Thursday in Irving. "I know what the final score was (48-27 on Oct. 14). I realize all that. It was a seven-point game in the fourth quarter. A different play here, and a different play there, it's a different outcome.That's probably worth remembering -- the Cowboys were leading for most of the game, and had no trouble moving the ball on offense. Still, when the Pats got rolling, well, that was that.
And that's the thing -- the speed with which New England can put points on the board is dizzying. It's a seven-point game, you blink, and the next time you glance at the scoreboard the Cowboys are trailing by three touchdowns.
Pats-Colts Officiating Crew Won't Put Up With Any Foolishness
Posted Nov 4th 2007 12:45PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Colts, Patriots, AFC East, AFC South, NFL Fans
And good news, worry worts: this officiating crew leads the league in calling roughing-the-passer penalties. So hopefully we won't have to concern ourselves with any shenanigans.
'Skins Have Headset Issues, Pats Score on Fake-Spike Play
Posted Oct 28th 2007 6:20PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Patriots, Redskins, AFC East, NFC East
And then there's this:
For the second straight week, the Patriots ran the fake spike at the end of the half, but unlike their efforts against the hapless Dolphins, the Redskins actually gave up a touchdown. To be fair, Troy Aikman pointed out that Washington's defense wasn't fooled by the play call, but that Randy Moss pushed off in the end zone (oddly, a no-call) and "created" space to make the catch.
The Patriots lead 24-0 at the half, so it's not like that one none call will affect the games' outcome. So there's your silver lining Redskins fans.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
