The Bleacher Briefings
Just thought I’d let all you sports enthusiasts know, you can also view my posts, yes, the one and only Kris Fletcher, along with my sidekick Brian Harrington on The Bleacher Briefings, at the link below. There, you’ll find posts that are exclusive ONLY to THAT website! So check it out! Subscribe to it! Become a follower!
HEISTman: How Cam Newton bought glory.
I originally started writing this blog as a chance to give my opinion on how big of a bust I think Cam Newton is going to be in the NFL. And then I got to thinking, it really doesn’t matter at this point, the damage has already been done. He could go on to be a multiple MVP, Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, it still won’t change the fact that he lied, cheated, and stole the 2 most coveted trophies in college football. Oh, and a laptop.
As most of you probably already know, in November of 2008, he was arrested and charged with stealing a laptop from a fellow student while at Florida. He was suspended from the team after is was found to be in his possession and he left the team and the school after the fall 2008 semester. It’s now coming to light that he actually left, not because of the charges, but because he was going to be expelled for THREE instances of academic cheating. Then there’s the story of how his father was the one behind the pay-for-pay scheme at Mississippi State and that they asked upwards of $180,000 for his services. You’ll never get me to believe that Cam Newton had zero knowledge of any of this. And the fact that they actually ruled him ineligible and yet he is reinstated and STILL wins the Heisman is beyond me. I mean, I thought Eric Crouch winning it made it obsolete, but this solidifies it.
Too bad he didn’t wear THIS to the ceremony. . . . (yes, that’s Newton on the left.)
This kid had trouble written all over him. And in a league that has done a lot over the last few years to improve the images of its players, a shady background could spell doom. I thought he was over-hyped to begin with, even before the season started. But the “experts” say he’s the real deal. Then again, it’s hard to take any of that seriously when these are your so-called “draft experts”…..
End Of An Era. . . .But Good Or Bad?
Andy Lyons - Getty Images
Today, in a move that surprised even those that live in Nashville and surrounding areas, the Titans and Jeff Fisher agree to part ways after 16 years as head coach of the team. Fisher took over the team midway through the 1994 season after the then Houston Oilers fired head coach Jack Pardee. Originally named interim head coach, Fisher was officially named head coach the folling year and the Oilers proceeded to draft Steve McNair and Eddie George in back to back drafts. He finished 8-8 in both of those first 2 seasons, ironically, a number that would follow him for most of his time in Tennessee.
So my question is this, how would you view the Jeff Fisher era? Personally, I like Jeff Fisher as a head coach. I think he treats his players better than most coaches in the league. I feel the way the death of Steve McNair showed how much he really cares about his players and showed how much of a stand up guy he is. I think he was hamstrung alot of those seasons by the dictator-like way Bud Adams runs the team, and several faulty draft picks. I also feel like losing Super Bowl XXXIV forever haunted this team. They just couldn’t ever get out of the shadow of that loss. In my opinion the Jeff Fisher era can be viewed as marginally successful, just never quite living up to the potential it showed during the 1999 season. What say you?
Mark Sanchez – Booger Gate
Why isn’t anyone talking about this?
I think if I were Mark Brunell (or anyone for that matter) and a grown man wiped his booger on me, a fight would ensue.
Jay Cutler Is Not A Pansy
I, along with everyone else, was a bit tough on Jay Cutler yesterday. Then again, so were the Packers.
Cutler was diagnosed with a sprained MCL in his knee today. Now, I know how many people will say, “it’s a playoff game, play until your leg falls off!” or “what a pansy, he should be finishing the game!”. I was right there with you yesterday.
Today though, my tone changed.
When I heard Bears coach Lovie Smith, say that it wasn’t Cutler’s decision whether or not he could go back into the game, I knew he wasn’t just trying to cover for Cutler. The Bears ended up pulling Cutler for Todd Collins and then ditching Collins for Caleb Haine.
Cutler’s teammate Olin Kreutz also piped in saying, “I knew one of his ligaments probably went. I can’t remember exactly what play it was. I know it was the second quarter. I remember him walking in the huddle, and I saw (Cutler’s knee) shaking like this. I said, ‘Ah, man.’”
In hindsight though, Haine had better luck recognizing the Packers’ defensive attack better than Cutler or Collins, so it wasn’t much of a bad decision (Haine’s mustache though, was a bad decision).
Ok, so that aside, Cutler could’ve gone to the coaching staff and demanded to go back in. He could’ve helped Collins and then Haine – which Haine stated after the game that Cutler DID give him some words of advice on the sideline. He could’ve spoken to the media more indepth after the game, etc etc etc. All we need is more feedback on what Cutler COULD have done.
Want to pick on Cutler even more? He was sacked an NFL-leading 52 times this season – 10 times in one game against the Giants. I’m not sure you or I could live through ONE of those sacks.
Need a list of other NFL “pansies” that couldn’t hack playing through the MCL sprain? How’s this:
-Troy Polamalu -I know you question this guy’s toughness- played sparingly through 5 games this season, even missing two, while battling a sprained MCL. Pansy.
-Knowshon Moreno missed 3 games this season for the Broncos because of a sprained MCL. Pansy.
-Paul Posluszny, who finished the season with a measly 151 tackles for the Bills, missed 2 full weeks because of a sprained MCL this season. Pansy.
-Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo missed 3 weeks last season for the Patriots with a sprained MCL. Pansy.
-The Jets’ Damien Woody missed 3 weeks and then was placed on the Injured Reserve List January 12. All from a sprained MCL. Pansy.
-Lastly, MCL damage can be so bad it ends even an NHLer’s season. Atlanta Thrashers goalie Chris Mason was put on the I.R. just last week because of a sprained MCL. I dare you to call an NHL player a pansy. Dare you.
And while we’re at it, why in the world would an NFL player criticize another NFL player about an injury?
Isn’t the NFL a fraternity? Don’t they have a PLAYER’S UNION?! These guys fight for the same things and then call each other out rediculously on Twitter saying things like “All I’m saying is that he can finish the game on a hurt knee… I played the whole season on one…” Thanks, Maurice Jones-Drew. You’re such a trooper and all, sitting at home on your couch for another round of playoffs.
Bottom line: Cutler was hurt! His coaches and trainers wouldn’t let him back into the game.
Remember kids: it’s easy to be a critic from your couch.
Terrell Suggs’ Shirt Tells All
As someone I work with said, “Steelers and Ravens ain’t no wussy matchup. If this game were called off because of snow, they’d line up and play anyway.”
Amen.
Wednesday’s Quick Hits
**The Cleveland Cavs who didn’t take their talent to South Beach didn’t take ANY talent to L.A., in what ended in one of the worst beatings in NBA history. The Lakers absolutely pounded the Cavs 112-57. Afterward, LeBron lashed out on Twitter:
@KingJames: Crazy. Karma is a b****.. Gets you every time. Its not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!
I’m not sure LeBron understands Christianity…
**Trevor Hoffman announced his retirement from the MLB. Hoffman will end his career with a Major League record 601 saves and is sure to be a Hall Of Fame inductee in the next 10 years.
**Rex Ryan spoke up to take some of the heat off of his players for the pounding the Jets took from the Patriots earlier in the year, saying this weekend’s upcoming game against New England would be a matchup of Ryan and ’The Hoodie’. Which makes sense, since Ryan is a fiery coach…until Jets DB Antonio Cromartie blasted Tom Brady calling him an ‘ass—-’ because Brady pointed to the Jets bench after throwing a TD in an earlier matchup which the Pats won easily 45-3.
How quickly will a fight break out in this weekend’s divisional matchup?
**Les Miles had another chance to head back to his alma mater, Michigan and again turned it down to stay at LSU. You can’t blame him though, who would want to coach a rebuilding squad in the Big 10 knowing you’re up against Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa, Nebraska or Wisconsin? Only a fool would want that gig.
Enter Brady Hoke. How soon until Ohio State fans are changing Coach Hoke to C.Hoke?
The NFL Is Getting It All Wrong
I really tried to title this “Roger Goodell Is Getting It All Wrong” but let’s make it global.
We’ve all seen (at least a million times) that players are now receiving hefty fines for helmet-to-helmet hits. Hits on a QB have been cracked down on – especially after Tom Brady’s knee injury – for the last few years, but the hits on these receivers would have forced guys like Ronnie Lott and Rodney Harrison out of the league 15 years ago.
Let me preface by saying this: I don’t like seeing guys get hurt. I’m not encouraging that. It pains me as much to see an offensive lineman get rolled up on and blow out his knee than it does seeing a linebacker get ear-holed by a crack-backing wideout.
My issue with these massive fines in the NFL is that it’s totally hypocritical. Guys aren’t getting penalized in the games but afterward (3 weeks afterward in Ernie Sims’ case) they’re getting hefty fines.
How would you feel if you were driving down the road, made a complete stop at a stop sign and then got pulled over and given a ticket for not stopping for 8 full seconds? It’s not a rule that you have to stop for 8 seconds at a stop sign, but the police officer gives you a ticket anyway. You’re forced to pay a fine for not breaking any law.
The same thing is happening in the NFL and it’s getting old.
Need another example of this stupidity? Watch the video below and then seriously convince me that James Harrison wasn’t aiming for Mohamed Massaquoi’s mid-section. It’s CLEARLY visible that Massaquoi drops his head, which results in the helmet-to-helmet contact. But, we didn’t see Massaquoi getting fined, did we?
I rest my case.
