Wednesday Morning Quarterback Special
Haters Ruin Otherwise Enjoyable Season
Wednesday Morning Quarterback Special
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Well, it only took about a month, but the Philadelphia 76ers, who haven’t won a game since the Regan Administration, finally traded Allen Iverson to the soon to be struggling Denver Nuggets. Soon to be struggling you ask? Yes, AI is a great addition to any team, but the guy has been hanging out with Coolio for the past month, there’s no way he’s going to be in playing shape until the New Year, at the earliest. But you know what, I realized something when I was writing this piece. I was hating on Allen Iverson, and the 76ers, and the Nuggets; but if I don’t hate on things who would? Honestly, lots of other people are just as interested, if not more so, in hating as I am, just ask Perez Hilton. This isn’t new, there are haters everywhere and today I’m going to discuss some things that I’m less than thrilled with, starting with football.
Haters have been running around the NFL with reckless abandon this season and just because we’re getting down to the wire in both the AFC and NFC (I think every team in the NFC is mathematically still alive for the playoffs except the Bucs). TO is spitting at people; Vince Young has been winning games and barely getting credit outside of Nashville and Houston; people were writing off the Colts after a tough 4-week stretch; Tom Brady dumped on his O-Line then got dumped himself; more Bengals got arrested; Matt Leinart threw Denis Green under the bus faster than Fed-Ex released rumors of his sex tape; Jim Mora, Jr. popped off at the mouth again, although that’s nothing new and Al Davis stopped feasting on the blood of innocents. Yeah, it’s been an interesting few months in the NFL and just knowing that there are still 2 more weeks left in the regular season makes me happy…and not just “happy” but happy like a 6-year old kid with chocolate cake all over his face.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has certainly been a busy man since taking over for Paul Tagliabue suspending and fining players with the abandon of a young David Stern. However, Rog isn’t limiting himself to just players, recently fining the Detroit Lions nude and drunk driving defensive line coach, Joe Cullen, $20,000 and suspending him for one game. All of this apparently started on August 24, when Joe decided that even though he was naked he really needed a Big Mac; so he went through the drive-through window, sans clothes; which must’ve been pretty funny when the cops showed up. “Sir, take your hands off the Breakfast Burrito and get out of the car…”
Pro Bowl selections were announced last night and although a guy who is certain not to play (Tommie Harris) was selected as a starter, another guy who’s only played the last 8 weeks was selected: Tony Romo. Now, I’ve made no secret of my hating on Tony Romo since he took over for the Stone-Footed One, but c’mon man, sending him to the Pro Bowl is like sending a guy to the MLB All Star Game who misses April and May, but has a really big June. I know the Cowboys are 6-and-8 with him at the helm, but the Titans are 7-and-2 with Vince Young as QB and I don’t see him getting a nod. Oh, it’s a numbers thing is it? Well Donovan McNabb, who has been injured for the past 4 weeks is still 3rd in the NFC in passer rating, has more yards passing than Romo and has a higher TD-to-INT Ratio (18-to-6 versus 16-to-10). I’ll tell you what I’m looking forward to is Christmas. Forget the presents, my present is going to be watching Jeremiah Trotter and Brian Dawkins treating Little Tony like their own personal hand puppet. Hey Tony, you want me to stop treating you like the statue to my pigeon? Show me something…show me something against a team that actually has a secondary.
While we’re on the subject of people smoking crack and then making sweeping generalizations about football players, can anyone explain what Jaws and the rest of the NFL Countdown crew have been huffing when they talk about how wonderful J.P. Losman is playing? Sure, he’s the 9th rated passer in the League (QB Rating: 88.5) but I can name at least 6 other QB’s I’d rather have on my team ahead of the Losmantacular Bayou Boy. Tom Brady, Steve McNair, Matt Hasselbeck, and these next 3 might blow your mind; Matt Leinart, Vince Young & Alex Smith. One more thing about our boy J.P., if the Bills were in the NFC, based on “numbers alone” he’d be in the Pro Bowl instead of Tony Romo. Actually, about half the AFC's QB's would be heading to Hawaii instead of Lil' Tony.
One thing I’d like to add is what business does Shawn Merriman have going to the Pro Bowl? Correct me if I’m wrong, but the guy has only played in 10 games this season and while some other players are on their way to the Pro Bowl not having played a full season, I’m pretty sure he’s the only one who decided to supplement his Creatine Powder with a little something extra. The guy not only served a 4-game suspension for steroids but also apologized; but not before he attempted to appeal. What, pray tell, are you apologizing for if you’re going to serve the suspension anyway? Last time I check, the only people who apologize for something are those people who’ve done something wrong. Seriously, what kind of message is the NFL sending when they send a Juicer to the Pro Bowl? That it’s okay to do steroids, just make sure you have a really “lights out” season? I don’t care if Merriman’s numbers are amazing having played in 4 less games than most of the other linebackers in the League. What I do care about is none of the other linebackers making travel arraignments for Hawaii have tested positive for steroids. Say what you will about Barry Bonds and Mark McGuire, but for all of McGuire’s evasiveness and Bonds’ grandstanding neither one of them has actually tested positive for steroids; that we know of. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I don’t think Merriman should get a free pass just because hey plays a sport with pads.
So now that I’ve gone on that little rant am I going to stop hating on teams and players? Not likely. What I’m probably going to do is start being more critical of the guys I’m hating on to see if they can get themselves off the soon-to-be-dreaded Most Hated Athlete List. From taking a quick look at some of my writing, it shouldn’t be tough to pick out the Top 10, but I’ll do you one better. Tomorrow, I will count down my 20 Most Hated Athletes and who knows, I might even give reasons why.
Random Observations:
Don't think I've forgotten about this weeks biggest hater. George Karl, come on down and take a bow.
Wednesday Morning Quarterback Special
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Well, it only took about a month, but the Philadelphia 76ers, who haven’t won a game since the Regan Administration, finally traded Allen Iverson to the soon to be struggling Denver Nuggets. Soon to be struggling you ask? Yes, AI is a great addition to any team, but the guy has been hanging out with Coolio for the past month, there’s no way he’s going to be in playing shape until the New Year, at the earliest. But you know what, I realized something when I was writing this piece. I was hating on Allen Iverson, and the 76ers, and the Nuggets; but if I don’t hate on things who would? Honestly, lots of other people are just as interested, if not more so, in hating as I am, just ask Perez Hilton. This isn’t new, there are haters everywhere and today I’m going to discuss some things that I’m less than thrilled with, starting with football.
Haters have been running around the NFL with reckless abandon this season and just because we’re getting down to the wire in both the AFC and NFC (I think every team in the NFC is mathematically still alive for the playoffs except the Bucs). TO is spitting at people; Vince Young has been winning games and barely getting credit outside of Nashville and Houston; people were writing off the Colts after a tough 4-week stretch; Tom Brady dumped on his O-Line then got dumped himself; more Bengals got arrested; Matt Leinart threw Denis Green under the bus faster than Fed-Ex released rumors of his sex tape; Jim Mora, Jr. popped off at the mouth again, although that’s nothing new and Al Davis stopped feasting on the blood of innocents. Yeah, it’s been an interesting few months in the NFL and just knowing that there are still 2 more weeks left in the regular season makes me happy…and not just “happy” but happy like a 6-year old kid with chocolate cake all over his face.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has certainly been a busy man since taking over for Paul Tagliabue suspending and fining players with the abandon of a young David Stern. However, Rog isn’t limiting himself to just players, recently fining the Detroit Lions nude and drunk driving defensive line coach, Joe Cullen, $20,000 and suspending him for one game. All of this apparently started on August 24, when Joe decided that even though he was naked he really needed a Big Mac; so he went through the drive-through window, sans clothes; which must’ve been pretty funny when the cops showed up. “Sir, take your hands off the Breakfast Burrito and get out of the car…”
Pro Bowl selections were announced last night and although a guy who is certain not to play (Tommie Harris) was selected as a starter, another guy who’s only played the last 8 weeks was selected: Tony Romo. Now, I’ve made no secret of my hating on Tony Romo since he took over for the Stone-Footed One, but c’mon man, sending him to the Pro Bowl is like sending a guy to the MLB All Star Game who misses April and May, but has a really big June. I know the Cowboys are 6-and-8 with him at the helm, but the Titans are 7-and-2 with Vince Young as QB and I don’t see him getting a nod. Oh, it’s a numbers thing is it? Well Donovan McNabb, who has been injured for the past 4 weeks is still 3rd in the NFC in passer rating, has more yards passing than Romo and has a higher TD-to-INT Ratio (18-to-6 versus 16-to-10). I’ll tell you what I’m looking forward to is Christmas. Forget the presents, my present is going to be watching Jeremiah Trotter and Brian Dawkins treating Little Tony like their own personal hand puppet. Hey Tony, you want me to stop treating you like the statue to my pigeon? Show me something…show me something against a team that actually has a secondary.
While we’re on the subject of people smoking crack and then making sweeping generalizations about football players, can anyone explain what Jaws and the rest of the NFL Countdown crew have been huffing when they talk about how wonderful J.P. Losman is playing? Sure, he’s the 9th rated passer in the League (QB Rating: 88.5) but I can name at least 6 other QB’s I’d rather have on my team ahead of the Losmantacular Bayou Boy. Tom Brady, Steve McNair, Matt Hasselbeck, and these next 3 might blow your mind; Matt Leinart, Vince Young & Alex Smith. One more thing about our boy J.P., if the Bills were in the NFC, based on “numbers alone” he’d be in the Pro Bowl instead of Tony Romo. Actually, about half the AFC's QB's would be heading to Hawaii instead of Lil' Tony.
One thing I’d like to add is what business does Shawn Merriman have going to the Pro Bowl? Correct me if I’m wrong, but the guy has only played in 10 games this season and while some other players are on their way to the Pro Bowl not having played a full season, I’m pretty sure he’s the only one who decided to supplement his Creatine Powder with a little something extra. The guy not only served a 4-game suspension for steroids but also apologized; but not before he attempted to appeal. What, pray tell, are you apologizing for if you’re going to serve the suspension anyway? Last time I check, the only people who apologize for something are those people who’ve done something wrong. Seriously, what kind of message is the NFL sending when they send a Juicer to the Pro Bowl? That it’s okay to do steroids, just make sure you have a really “lights out” season? I don’t care if Merriman’s numbers are amazing having played in 4 less games than most of the other linebackers in the League. What I do care about is none of the other linebackers making travel arraignments for Hawaii have tested positive for steroids. Say what you will about Barry Bonds and Mark McGuire, but for all of McGuire’s evasiveness and Bonds’ grandstanding neither one of them has actually tested positive for steroids; that we know of. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I don’t think Merriman should get a free pass just because hey plays a sport with pads.
So now that I’ve gone on that little rant am I going to stop hating on teams and players? Not likely. What I’m probably going to do is start being more critical of the guys I’m hating on to see if they can get themselves off the soon-to-be-dreaded Most Hated Athlete List. From taking a quick look at some of my writing, it shouldn’t be tough to pick out the Top 10, but I’ll do you one better. Tomorrow, I will count down my 20 Most Hated Athletes and who knows, I might even give reasons why.
Random Observations:
Don't think I've forgotten about this weeks biggest hater. George Karl, come on down and take a bow.
posted by EMW at 10:57 AM
1 Comments:
Why no menrion on that Freddy Beans character. He was awesome.
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