Barry Bonds Wants To Coach
Barry wants to be a hitting coach now. The real life bobblehead spoke up last night from the World Series opener in San Fran.
When asked if he’d like to return and coach, Bonds replied, “I have a gift and sooner or later I have to give it away. I have to share it. Hopefully I’ll get the opportunity here.”
Makes sense really, since Barry has broken Mark McGwire’s homerun record, hat size and attempts at lying – and McGwire has proven himself as a decent hitting coach.
I guess if the hat fits then you wear it.
Barry could hit the ball. No question there. But how well do we remember his effective communication skills? There was the spat with Jason Christiansen in San Fran in 2005. The “Slugout in the Dugout” with Jeff Kent in 2002. Most memorable though, he’s been fighting with the Feds since 2007.
Maybe the Giants will be interested AFTER Barry’s federal trial in March.
London’s Mayor Meets 49ers Cheerleaders
AP
The 49ers are in foggy little London town this week to celebrate the global game of NFL football by squaring off against the Broncos. While they were there, the Niners thought they should take the cheerleaders to City Hall to meet London’s mayor, Boris Johnson.
And now no matter which image comes from the 49ers trip, this will be the only one you’ll be thinking about.
Boise State Haters – SHUT UP!
Shawn Raecke / Idaho Statesman
Alright Boise State haters, it’s time to shut up.
I’ve heard it before. I get it. Your team competes in a big boy league, faces 3 Top 25 teams every year in their own conference and has a heck of a time trying to go undefeated just to get that invite to the BCS National Championship.
And, since Boise plays such a weak schedule, you think they shouldn’t be allowed to be in that National Championship discussion.
You’re an idiot.
First of all, it’s much more difficult for Boise to not only win out, but win every game by 50 than it is to go undefeated in the SEC. Or the Big 10. Or the Big 12. Because in your book, if they don’t win by 50 they don’t deserve a shot at the title.
Boise haters are in outrage today that the Broncos only put Louisiana Tech away by 29 – even though LA Tech scored with 44 ticks left on the clock. And maybe LA Tech did put up some yards, WHO CARES?! They have 1 team in their league to gear up for each year – this is their National Championship.
You think because the teams in the SEC beat the crap out of themselves all year that the team that squeaks out should be dubbed the National Champion? Tell that to Butler’s basketball team. Or Gonzaga – they don’t play anyone but every year they compete with the big boys in March Madness.
Think about this, Mr. BCS conference follower: remember earlier this season when Boise beat the ACC leader, Virginia Tech? VT is on pace to steal that BCS bid. And who are their conference opponents? Let’s take a look – maybe it’ll show us why VT is undefeated in conference play.
Boston College (2-5)
North Carolina State (5-2) lost to East Carolina
Wake Forest (2-5) posted dominating wins over Presbyterian and Duke
Duke (1-6) their sole win was rolling over Elon
Georgia Tech (5-3) with a loss coming from Big 12 North powerhouse Kansas (2-5)
North Carolina (4-3)
Miami (5-2)
Virginia (3-4) with wins over Richmond, VMI and Eastern Michigan
How many ranked teams has Ohio State put down this year? Congrats, Bucky – you beat #12 Miami and then got tossed out of the #1 spot by #18 Wisconsin.
Boise beat then #6 Virginia Tech as well as then #24 Oregon State and is set to square off against current #24 Nevada on November 26. Don’t tell me they don’t play anyone.
Boise haters – shut up.
All in favor of a playoff?
Heat Lose Debut
Boston – 88
Miami – 80
Maybe they should’ve been game planning instead of trying to come up with a nickname for themselves.
Or, maybe we all overestimated how good the Celtics really are.
LeBron dropped 31 but it was Rondo who impressed with 17 dimes.
Why The Chiefs May (Finally) Be For Real
Photo Courtesy David Eulitt
Let’s be real – I’m a Chiefs homer. But after watching 3 seasons in which my team totaled 10 wins, this 3-0 start has me foaming at the mouth to talk about my team.
They’re not blowing up the scoreboard and they certainly won’t win the Super Bowl this season, but the Chiefs are showing signs of being a legit contender in the AFC West.
While they’re only 3-0, they put up a good showing on the Monday Night Football opener against the Chargers, shutting down Phillip Rivers and a solid offense. They held strong against the Browns in Week 2 and they put up their best offensive numbers this past Sunday against a good 49ers defense.
And their rookies aren’t playing like rookies.
Eric Berry is currently 2nd on the team in tackles. Dexter McCluster is 2nd on the team in scoring. Javier Arenas is challenging McCluster as the top special teams player. Tony Moeaki is leading the team in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Add to that the current #1 rushing offense in the league and the #6 rushing defense and you’ve got yourselves a team.
The big question is, how long can the rookies compete? Right now, at 3-0, I think these guys are having a blast. The rookies all came from competitive schools and they know how to win. It’s fun and right now it’s easy. Plus, only 5 teams of their remaining 13 opponents currently have a winning record.
I like this team a lot. Let’s hope the winning stays contagious!
NFL Players Should NEVER Get DUIs
With the recent arrest of the Jets’ Braylon Edwards, the DUI arrests of NFL players is getting ridiculous. 451 players have been arrested for DUIs since 2000.
First off, the NFL has adopted the ‘Safe Ride Program’ that was started by former NFL player, Lorenzo Neal. Neal explains his organization by saying, “It’s a nationwide DUI prevention program that uses off-duty officers or retired officers. They will come pick you up, as well as your car and your friends, and take you home safely. You can get your car home safely, you’re home safely, knowing that the people that are taking you home are professional, trained officers who are providing a service and giving back to the community.”
So…why were you getting arrested, Braylon? You not only signed a $6.1M tender in March and YOU CAN GET A FREE RIDE HOME! And they’ll drive your car home, put it in your garage and take your friends wherever they need to go. I wish the general public could use this.
Bottom line: you’re an idiot, Braylon.
As are these guys – 13 other NFLers who’ve been arrested for suspicion of DUI this year
•Taj Smith, WR Colts
•Ray Maualuga, LB Bengals
•Byron Westbrooke, CB Redskins
•Will Allen, CB Dolphins
•Spencer Havner, TE Packers
•Ronnie Brown, RB Dolphins
•Joey Porter, LB Cardinals
•Ray McDonald, DE 49ers
•Chris Simms, QB Titans
•Quinton Ganther, RB Seahawks
•Gerard Lawson, CB Browns
•Fili Moala, DT Colts
•Braylon Edwards, WR Jets
In June of this year, Lions president Tom Lewand was arrested on suspicion of DUI. He blew a .21. Not setting a good example, there Pres.
We’ll leave you with some no-so-fun facts according to BobsBlitz.com
•Defensive backs arrests: 111 lead the way
•Kickers stay pretty clean. Sorry Sebastian Janikowski
•Fewest arrests? St. Louis/Philadelphia: 6 (Guess family of NFL staff doesn’t count)
•Most? Yeah, Bengals. Tied with Vikings
•DUI lead all NFL arrests at 28%
Brady vs. Bradford
After hearing about New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady’s new four year contract extension of $72 million, I did the math and figured out that it comes out to a $52,000 paycheck EVERY DAY for the next four years. If that doesn’t rattle your cage enough, as part of the deal he receives $49 million of that just for signing the deal, guaranteed. Guaranteed, as in regardless of his performance and or injury over the next four seasons, he has $49 mil coming to him. All told, Brady is looking at a per year average of $18 million.
This of course is only a pre-cursor to what will be coming down the pipe from the Colts in renewing quarterback Peyton Manning’s contract, of which expires at the end of this season. Colts owner Jim Irsay is well documented in stating that he intends to make Manning the highest paid QB in history. One can only assume that Manning will be offered a $19-22 million per year agreement, or more for Irsay to make good on his word.
Now, we all know the success, record setting stats, super bowl appearances and rings that both quarterbacks are responsible for. I won’t go anywhere close to say they’ve necessarily ’earned’ that kind of money. However, even a lazy football fan would not be surprised to hear that Brady and Manning are the two are the highest paid QB’s in the game. These guys are superstars and modern day legends, and getting paid for it. (Quick sidebar; these numbers don’t even account for the millions in endorsements, appearances, merchandising, etc.)
Enter into the discussion, Sam Bradford. The St.Louis Rams selected him as the first overall pick in this years NFL draft. Oddly enough, Bradford is coming off season-ending surgery last year with Oklahoma. Perhaps his #1 draft selection is a testament to his over talent and ability. However, these numbers astound me. He signed a rookie contract of 6 years, $78 million. $50 million of that is guaranteed money. If he never takes a snap or re-injures his shoulder or is simply a bust, he has $50 mil to his name, at 22 years old. Oh, and while we’re doing the math, his contract is the equivalent of $38,690 EVERY DAY for the next 6 years.
Other notable 2010 salaries:
MLB Highest paid salary for 2010: Alex Rodriguez / $33,000,000
NBA Highest paid salary for 2010: Kobe Bryant / $24,800,000
NFL Highest paid salary for 2010: Tom Brady / $18,000,000
NHL Highest paid salary for 2010: Vincent Lecavalier / $10,000,000
Jerry’s Overpaying!
Jerry Jones is at it again. Overpaying for something else. That something just happens to be Miles Austin.
Jerry World inked Miles to a 6-year, $54 million deal early Friday morning. The extension will go into effect starting the 2011 season.
Now, before you tell me how awesome you think Miles Austin is, let’s look at his stats:
2006-2008 – 37 games played – 18 receptions – 354 yards – 3 TDs
2009 – 16 games played – 81 receptions – 1320 yards – 11 TDs
Is one season enough to warrant a massive contract? There are only 3 other receivers who have posted great breakout seasons after starting 9 games or less – Jimmy Smith, Ricky Sanders and Brandon Stokely.
•Jimmy Smith finished his career with 862 receptions and well over 12,000 receiving yards. Not bad. Product of a solid quarterback in Mark Brunell? Questionable.
•Ricky Sanders had a great breakout season in 1988 with the Redskins (73 grabs – 1148 yards – 12 TDs). He did well in ’89 too (80 grabs – 1138 yards – 4TDs), but the following 6 seasons only saw Ricky grab 16 TDs – including only 1 during his last 2 seasons. Product of a great offense? Very possible – Mark Rypien and Art Monk certainly didn’t suck.
•Brandon Stokely had a nice season in 2004 (68 grabs – 1077 yards – 10TDs) but with Peyton Manning tossing the rock, you’d have to have skillets for hands to screw those stats up. Of Stokely’s 11 seasons in the league his 2004 season was by far the best, accounting for 22% of his career receptions – 25% of his receiving yards and 29% of his career TDs.
Don’t get me wrong here, I like Miles Austin. I think he’s a good receiver, but it’s hard for me to buy in to the fact that he’s in the upper echelon of the NFL’s receivers after only 1 season.
Can Miles be in that class? Let’s see him put those numbers up for 2-3 season and we’ll have our answer.
What should happen should Reggie Bush’s Heisman be stripped?
Photo Credit: Greg Grieco 2008
2010 NFL Preview
With the 2010 NFL season finally upon us, let’s take a look at who I think has a chance- and no chance for that matter, to make a run at Super Bowl 45.
-NFC-
The Contenders:
*New Orleans Saints- This one’s a given. Brees and company are primed to make a run at a repeat. That is unless of course, you buy into that whole “Madden Curse” thing. I don’t, so the high powered Saints offense should have New Orleans right in the thick of things all season.
*Minnesota Vikings- Favre’s back, so that, factored in with Adrian Peterson, and Minnesota should once again be one of the NFC’s best. Injuries at wide receiver may hurt them early on though.
*Green Bay Packers- Aaron Rodgers is quickly making people up in Wisconsin forget about Brett Favre. This may be the season he becomes one of the NFL’s true elite quarterbacks. The offensive line has to be more consistent protecting him though. If Green Bay can manage to get the 1 or 2 seed come playoff time and be at home, that equals big problems for the rest of the NFC hopefuls.
*Dallas Cowboys- There’s too much talent on this team for them NOT to contend. The playoffs should be a given, but can Romo and company FINALLY make a legit run once they get in? This years Super Bowl is IN Dallas, so if nothing else, that should help motivate them.
*Atlanta Falcons- Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and company are coming off back-to-back winning seasons, and this could be the year they make a playoff push. Playing in the weak NFC south won’t hurt either.
The Pretenders:
*Arizona Cardinals- It took forever for Arizona football to be relevant , and all it took was Kurt Warner retiring for them to go right back to being a mess. I don’t see Derek Anderson being the answer at quarterback, and the departure of Anquan Boldin, along with Karlos Dansby and Antrel Rolle is gonna be way too much for them to overcome.
*Chicago Bears- I think Jay Cutler will turn it around this season with Mike Martz taking over as offensive coordinator, but the Bears lack of a true number one receiver, and an inconsistent defense will keep them hovering around the .500 mark.
*New York Giants- Eli Manning has never really recovered from losing his little security blanket Plaxico Burress, and the Giants have too many holes on defense to make any real legit playoff run.
*Philadelphia Eagles- This is a clear cut case of “be careful what you wish for” if I’ve ever seen it. Philly fans basically wanted Donovan McNabb gone the same day they drafted him. Well, now he’s gone, so good luck improving on your 11-5 campaign of last season. I actually think Kevin Kolb will be okay, but his inexperience will show at several times during the season. KEY TIMES.
*Washington Redskins- McNabb will help no doubt, but the Redskins don’t have much at wide receiver, and all their running backs are probably on the downside of their careers. If those things aren’t enough for you to think no playoff run for the Skins, I’ve got 2 words for ya- Albert Haynesworth.
*San Francisco 49ers- I suppose by “pretender” I mean no chance at the Super Bowl, but as far as the playoffs go, San Fran should get in by default. Who else is gonna win the NFC west? The 49ers actually have some good talent at several skill spots, like Frank Gore at running back, Vernon Davis at tight end, and Michael Crabtree at wide receiver. However, Alex Smith has yet to show me he’s capable of being a solid NFL quarterback, and the defense is too inconsistent. When they’re good, they’re good, but when they’re bad…yikes.
The Downright Awful:
*St. Louis Rams- Congrats Sam Bradford, you were the number one overall pick in this season’s draft. Your reward for this distinction, will be having your brains beat in every Sunday for the next 4 months, or until you can’t get up anymore, whichever comes first. Enjoy!
*Detroit Lions- The Lions are SLOWLY but surely getting out of the mess that Matt Millen left them in, but they’ve still got a LONG way to go. Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and rookie running back Jahvid Best will have their moments, but they’ll be few and far between.
*Seattle Seahawks- When you go into the season with Charlie Whitehurst as probably your best option at quarterback, lets just say you’ve got problems to say the least. By Week 5, Pete Carroll will be ready to walk back to southern California.
*Tampa Bay Buccaneers- To be honest, Tampa Bay is SOOO insignificant, that I’m not even gonna bother wasting time talking about them. Quick! Name ONE player on the team in less then 3 seconds! (other than Cadillac Williams) Exactly.
*Carolina Panthers- This team lost a lot in the off season, and didn’t exactly add much to replace what they lost. Not to say what they lost was that good to begin with, but still. Losing Julius Peppers on defense hurts, and while getting rid of Jake Delhomme was probably a good idea, Matt Moore isn’t exactly the 2nd coming of Joe Montana. Jimmy Clausen may be the starter by mid season.
-AFC-
The Contenders:
*Indianapolis Colts- So what else is new? Colts went 14-2 last season, and while I don’t think they were necessarily as good as that record would indicate, they still have Peyton Manning, so they’re still gonna be right in the thick of things. Now, if he’ll choke or not on the big game stage yet again, thats the question…
*Baltimore Ravens- With a defense this good, they have to be contenders. I’m still not exactly sold on Joe Flacco being the “next big thing”, but the Ravens front office has definitely surrounded him with some talent. And lets not forget, this same franchise won a Super Bowl not that long ago with Trent Dilfer at quarterback, so apparently, anything’s possible.
*San Diego Chargers- The Chargers are pretty much the AFC’s version of the Cowboys. Loads of talent, but always underachieving. It’s basically put up or shut up time for Philip Rivers. Ryan Mathews steps in to replace the departed over-the-hill LaDainian Tomlinson, so their ground game should be improved. Will this be the year they finally make some noise in the playoffs, or is yet another early exit in their future?…
*Pittsburgh Steelers- This is of course, assuming they manage to stay afloat while Ben Roethlisberger is serving his “nowhere near as long as it should have been in my opinion” suspension for violating the league’s code of conduct policy. The Steelers have too much talent on defense to let as many late game leads disappear as they did last year.
*New England Patriots- Are they young and inexperienced on defense? You bet. Is Wes Welker coming off of MAJOR knee surgery? Sure is. Did they add next to nothing in free agency to fill their many holes? Check. Having said all that, is Tom Brady STILL the starting quarterback? Yep. As long as that’s the case, the Patriots are contenders, period.
The Pretenders:
*New York Jets- Am I the only one that noticed that the only reason the Jets even made the playoffs last season was because Indianapolis decided to shut it down in the 2nd half against them? Otherwise, the Jets would have been 8-8. Did they add some new faces in the off season? Sure. A lot of them being volatile characters to say the least. Not to mention the fact that Mark Sanchez spent the majority of last season stinkin’ it up. I don’t expect that to change much this season. The only thing that would be more enjoyable than watchin’ this group of loud mouths go 8-8 again, would be for their king, Rex Ryan, to have a heart bomb on the sidelines during one of the games. If HBO were on hand to record it, I may actually tune in to watch Hard Knocks.
*Cincinnati Bengals- The real question here is, how many weeks will it take before Terrell Owens sabotages their season? From that week on, it’s all down hill for the Bengals.
*Houston Texans- This team has talent, but I can’t really pick them as a contender until they show me they’re capable of exorcising their AFC south demon: The Indianapolis Colts. If they can finally do that this season, and that’s a big if, than look out.
*Miami Dolphins- Chad Henne looked good at times last season, and the addition of Brandon Marshall helps big time, but this team lost a lot of it’s leadership in the off season on defense, and they also have to play both the Patriots and Jets twice coming out of the AFC east. In several divisions, I’d give the Dolphins a chance…just not in this one.
*Tennessee Titans- On one hand, I could see the Titans makin’ a run in the AFC south this season. They played really good football to close out last year, and managed to finish at .500 with an 8-8 record. This season though, I think defenses are really gonna stack the line to stop Chris Johnson, and I’m just not sold on the fact that Vince Young will EVER be the kind of passing quarterback he needs to be to consistently beat NFL teams. Look for the Titans to be right around the .500 mark again.
The Downright Awful:
*Buffalo Bills- There will be 2 kinds of Bills highlights this season. The ones that C.J. Spiller are in, and the ones where the Bills are getting lit up by whoever they’re playing.
*Cleveland Browns- *See the Tampa Bay Buccaneers section above, and replace “other than Cadillac Williams” with, “other than Joshua Cribbs”.
*Denver Broncos- I suppose the Broncos could have went under the “pretenders” section, but if nothing else, they deserve to drop a tier just for being stupid enough to waste a first round draft pick on Tim Tebow. If this team manages to repeat last seasons 8-8 record, consider it a victory.
*Jacksonville Jaguars- Now THIS is the team that should have been dumb enough to go Tebow first round. At least then maybe people would have come to their games. As is, they’ll probably be in Los Angeles in the next 4-5 years. There will be a lot of 2 things in Jacksonville this year, a lot of Maurice-Jones Drew, and a lot of losing.
*Kansas City Chiefs- I think the Chiefs are moving in the right direction, but it’s gonna be a long process. I kinda see them as the Lions of the AFC. Some good players at several skill spots, but just not enough talent in the grand scheme of things to do much.
*Oakland Raiders- I suppose things can only get better for them. Jason Campbell will be the first thing that’s even remotely resembled a quarterback there since Rich Gannon. I like Zach Miller at tight end, and drafting Rolando McClain should help on the defensive side, but in the end, they just don’t have enough good players to really do a whole lot.
-Playoff Predictions-
NFC:
*Packers over Saints
AFC:
*Ravens over Steelers
Super Bowl 45:
*Packers over Ravens
