It’s 65 degrees at 9:00am. Birds chirp, trees sway, and the blue, cloudless sky stretches on forever.
The bubbly girl skips into Starbucks, invigorated by the cool weather. She bounces to the counter, orders a pumpkin spice latte. Squeals when the barista calls her name. Scurries to the porch to enjoy her favorite fall drink. She’s grown tired of iced coffee and hot, sticky mornings.
The Bucs fan sits on his front porch while his blissful puppy enjoys the wet grass beneath her, light wind around her, and beaming sun above her. The guy opens his laptop, loads ESPN's NFL page and his fantasy football lineups, swigs his coffee, and smiles. He’s grown tired of Sundays sans football.
It’s the first cool Sunday since March. It's the first NFL Sunday since February.
The first day for pumpkin spice lattes. The first full day of professional football. Renewal. Glee. Hope.
The girl finishes her drink and rushes home. She turns the A/C off and opens the windows. She wraps herself in a blanket and dives into the new fiction she just downloaded to her tablet. Homework can wait. It’s the first cool Sunday since March.
The guy flips between the Red Zone channel and the early game. He cracks open a beer and reheats the leftover burger from last night. Yard work and eating healthy can wait. It’s the first NFL Sunday since February.
And then, seemingly out of nowhere, it’s not cool anymore. The sun reminds the girl that she lives in Florida, where fall arrives late and never before a cruel September tease. By mid-afternoon, she's shed the blanket, closed the windows, and cranked up the air conditioner. She powers down her tablet. "Icky heat," she whines. "I thought it was doooonnnnneeeee."
It’s just another hot Sunday.
And then, seemingly out of nowhere, it’s not fun anymore. The Bucs remind the guy that he’s a Tampa Bay fan. By late afternoon, he's on his eighth beer, cursing the coaches and defense, and wishing he could fast forward through the rookie quarterback's growing pains. "How is this happening AGAIN", he moans. "I thought we were done getting blown out!"
It’s just another Bucs Sunday.
The girl pouts as she pours a glass of ice water. She dreads class tomorrow. The guy grumbles as he irons his clothes for work. He vows to not watch or listen to sports programming until Tuesday.
And then, seemingly out of nowhere, the sun begins to set. The heat subsides. The coolness returns.
The girl, who thought she’d have to wait foreverrrrrrr to have another pumpkin spice latte, shivers with excitement. "Yay, another #PSL tomorrow!"
The guy, who thought his team would have the first pick in the draft again, tempers his frustrations. "There were bright spots. We can’t really be THAT bad."
It’s the first cool Sunday evening since March. It's the first Sunday Night Football since February. Next Sunday's sure to be pleasant…right?
14 September 2015
13 May 2015
Brady vs The Man
Yeah, I have some thoughts on this. This whole damn thing is much smaller than it
is being made out to be. It is also much
bigger than it is being made out to be.
This is pine tar on a bat (for which Hall of Famer George
Brett famously gave up exactly nothing).
This is pitcher goop on the brim of every hat and slicked on every quaff
of hair (with which every pitcher in the history of the Major Leagues gets away
every day. Scott-free). This is the Vikings and Panthers illegally
heating balls in the frigid Minnesota cold.
Yeah, that’s right. Same
sport. Recent history. And what happened to the Vikings and
Panthers?
NFL: Hey, you
kids. Stop it.
Vikings and Panthers:
OK, sorry.
This is an equipment violation. An Equipment
Violation!!!!!!!!!! This is one step
up from wearing the wrong color socks.
This is nothing.
OK, I hear you. The
Patriots could have been gaining competitive advantage from this particular
equipment violation. I have seen the
fumble numbers. They seem damning. But I have also seen the numbers on players
on vs off the Patriots and know that those numbers render the Patriots’ ability
to hold onto the football a little harder to explain than some psi
bullshit. Maybe it has to do with that
guy on the sideline with a dick empirically proven to be at least 54 yards
long, since he stuck it in Pete Carroll’s ear from the opposite sideline last
February. Bill doesn’t ever suffer a
running back got the drops. Ever. He’s like Tim McGraw in Friday Night Lights. Somebody
run those numbers against all the rubes in the league who inexplicably
tolerate giving the ball to the other team.
OK, I hear you. Still,
though. Those balls had to be easier to
throw. And this is the dude who
advocated for home team control over the footballs during games.
Pause.
Step One: The
National Football League lets Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and the other
quarterbacks (oh, you mean those guys who completely drive this league since it
is now three steps away from flag football?) have total control over the
footballs they throw.
Step Two: One of these quarterbacks is punished by the NFL
for allegedly utilizing the control over the footballs granted to him by the
NFL.
OK, I hear you. No, Phatty,
seriously. Tom-
Pause. Again.
What? What did Tom
Brady do? There is no evidence that he
did anything other than say “hey, boys, keep those things as low as you can for
me and I will hook you up.” That is in
no way a violation of any law, rule, memo, or arbitrary moral code that the NFL
has ever devised. Not one.
Go ahead. Find
some. Present it. Tell me this is any different from you
telling your buddy a chick is hot and then your wife promptly accusing you of
cheating. I’ll listen.
The problem is, all Wells has is secondhand texts about who
Tom thinks is hot. No evidence of
cheating. None.
OK, I hear you. Tom
did not cooperate. If he was innocent,
he should have coughed up his phone records and texts. He should have cooperated as much as
possible. If he didn’t do it, what does
he have to hide?
Ah, there’s the onion.
This is where this issue goes from something too small to merit this
much analysis, venom, and goddamned ink to something that calls into question
some of the most integral tenets of our society.
I will preface this with one thought, so that I might be
uninterrupted henceforth: I acknowledge
that the NFL is not beholden to the laws of due process that bind our own
governments. I would only counter with
the thought that those same due process laws that protect us from unfair acts
by government at least outline a series of defined steps required to take away
the rights of citizens, while the NFL, with all its high profile and billion
dollar incomes that would be the envy of most governments around the world, is in
possession of no system at all. Instead,
the NFL’s legal system consists of the whims of one man who has proven himself
to be no great distributor of justice. I
would humbly submit that under a system like that, one is one’s own best
guardian of one’s own rights.
That said,
To those of you who say that Tom Brady impeached the
integrity of The League or The Game by not cooperating, to those of you who say
that if he is free of blame then he should have nothing to hide, to those of
you who say that he should just roll over and cooperate:
Just who the hell do you think you are?
To quote many people over the years defending many just and
many unsavory positions, I thought this was AMERICA. Tom Brady has a CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to not
incriminate himself. Tom Brady owes no
one a God damned thing when it comes to his texts, his phone, or any other
personal property. Ted Wells made a
great show of saying that Tom needed only provide what he considered relevant,
and he would have “taken him at his word.”
Well, forgive me, Ted, but if you planned on taking Tom at his word, you
would have done it after his press conference on 22 January, when he told the
world that these accusations were bullshit.
Why in God’s name should a man being investigated believe that the man
investigating him will give him any quarter at all?
Our society is built on a small collection of extremely
powerful and important ideas. At the
very beginnings of our nation, those sacred ideas were enshrined within the
first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. Among those ideas was the right of a citizen
to refuse to incriminate himself. This
is not a free pass to criminals. This is
a vital and holy guarantee to all people of this nation. It forcibly and actively protects our freedom
from oppression and tyranny. To impeach
Tom Brady in the press for merely being aware of his own rights is either
willfully ignorant or enthusiastically vicious.
To punish him, not for cheating, because that cannot be substantiated
under any burden of proof devised by man, but for not helping his enemies to
hurt him, is totalitarian.
In my worst possible case scenario, Tom Brady asked a couple
of guys to keep his footballs at an air pressure that was below legal levels,
which lands him in a moral tie with Aaron Rodgers, who requests people keep his
footballs inflated to a level that is above the legal levels (please do not
forget that he freely admitted this).
Neither man, in my opinion, is perfect, but neither of them is
significantly besmirched. You may
disagree. That is your right as an
American.
What you do not have a right to do is to rob a fellow American
citizen of his Fifth Amendment Rights. I
don’t care what you think. I don’t care
how much you hate the Patriots. I don’t
care what you think of the Patriots’ history. You just can’t do it.
I don’t have to care about your misplaced outrage. Just like Tom Brady doesn't have to roll over for the man.
08 April 2015
Mariota vs. Winston: Some Seminoles' Perspectives
The Other Guy: So, with all the of the NFL draft buzz about to start ramping up, and considering I find the NHL and the NBA about as interesting as paint drying, I thought it might be fun to try and solve the great debate that certainly will be the biggest story line this offseason....
WINSTON.....
Not since Alex Smith versus Aaron Rodgers has there been so much debate regarding the number one overall pick and a pair of quarterbacks. And this happens to be a time honored match up that has occurred a few times in my life time. Manning vs Leaf. Rodgers vs Smith. Luck vs Griffin. Hopefully all you kiddos at home are seeing the very obvious trend in those three examples, and since those are the three easiest, and lets face it, most supportive of the points I hope to make, we are going to stop there and not delve too far into the history of the draft. In every single one of those examples it has become abundantly clear that one team made the choice that saved their franchise and another team made the most dire of mistakes; drafting a QB BUST! So, with so much at stake for the Buccaneers and, as it stands, the Titans, I plan to make it readily apparent who the number one pick should be, if only for the sake of my Bucs friends, but mostly because ESPN decided to post a poll where the country voiced who they would take and an OVERWHELMING majority made the wrong choice, choosing Mariota over Winston.
So, where to start. It would be easy to point to the fact that Heisman winning QBs rarely succeed in the modern NFL, using Griffin, and Leaf as the obvious examples. But lets look a little further. Who are the elite QBs in the NFL today? Manning, Brady, Roethelisburgersteinman (lol), Rodgers, Wilson, Brees, Rivers, Ryan, Flacco, Stafford, Luck? Not a single Heisman in the lot of them. But, as many people are surely thinking right now, Winston and Mariota have both won the trophy. So it might be a wash. Except I would point to the fact that most Heisman winners fail to win their bowl games after winning said trophy and yet Winston somehow managed to make the Award Show rounds and still bring home the last BCS trophy. Which I think leads me to my next point. Winston is a winner. A true and proven winner. I am not going to pretend that he did not benefit from an absolutely stacked roster while at FSU, cause he did. But he followed up his Heisman season by essentially carrying the Noles on his back while dealing with a complete lack of running game, and only two viable receiving threats. He weathered everyone's best shot, week after week, and he did it all with massive distractions off the field. I hate to make this comparison but the last time college football saw a player with such a massive will to win it was a young man by the name of Tebow leading the Gators to win after win after win. Jump passes and all, anyone would admit that Tebow might be one of the greatest college QBs of all times. And despite the NFL deciding that his inability to actually practice like a pro QB, he was a proven winner in the league. He led the Broncos to a gut wrenching playoff win against the Steelers, and if not for Manning basically slapping him out of Denver and essentially out of the league, he would still be winning games. Because that's what he does. Its what Vince Young did too. Another example of a QB who just plain won. All the time. And Winston is absolutely cut from the same clothe.
Now, lets get down to the X's and O's. The differences between these two QBs is best illustrated by referencing the same disparities that exist between Luck/Griffin, and Rodgers/Smith. Winston, Luck and Rodgers were all PRO system QBs in college people! They ran a complex system that required multiple reads on every play. They were all given the chance to audible, check down, and basically free style in the passing game. And they were all wildly successful in doing so. Conversely, Mariota, Griffin, and Smith, were all SYSTEM QBs. For the laymen out there, that means they ran a simplistic system, with plays that called for one or two reads at most, and were expected to free style in the running game. I wont quibble over who was the better college QB, but I think we can all agree that when it comes to the NFL, an ability to free style in the running game gets you nowhere, unless your name is Russel Wilson, and oh by the way, he is a pass first QB who happens to be good with his feet. The same can be said of Luck. Understanding complex passing systems absolutely prepares a QB to be successful not just immediately, but for the long haul. Go back to that list of elite NFL QBs I mentioned above. How many of those guys were system guys in college? None. And of the system guys that are in the NFL now, Newton/Kaperloser/Griffin/
So, in my humble opinion, I think its rather obvious who the Bucs would be smart to pick. And I personally hope that Derrick Brooks still has enough sway with the Bucs brass to convince them that picking Mariota would be yet another Buc-like decision in a long history of Buc-like decisions. This is a franchise that would shock nobody if they made the wrong choice. So, do the right thing. Do what the Colts did; what the Packers did. Pick Winston. And save the franchise.
Phatty: I have to say your argument against Mariota as a system quarterback is compelling, but I noticed something else in those famous draft matchups you listed. Out of Leaf vs Manning and Luck vs Griffin, especially, something else becomes obvious when looking at who is a great QB who will be in the league for a long time and who is a washout: in each of those matchups, one guy is a head case.
Griffin seems to have all the tools to be a great quarterback in the NFL. His skill set is such that there seems to be no reason that he cannot do what Wilson is doing in Seattle. The only problem is (besides a complete lack of any talent around him; my God that team is so damn bad) is because he is too busy undermining his coaches and trying to be some kind of social media guru. He has not handled fame well, he has allowed his money and his position to change him (it would seem) and he does not have the right stuff to lead a team to wins. That is now painfully obvious to a Washington fan base that goes around with him hanging from their necks like an albatross. It is not a lack of talent or a system in college that ruined DC's hopes; it is what is between Robert's ears.
Another example: Leaf is a well-documented crazy person (who is in jail now; nice pick, Chargers) who could not handle all that came with being the star player, a team leader, and the face of a franchise. San Diego ignored all the warning signs and picked him to save their franchise, and that lasted only months before he imploded in on himself under the pressures of fame, fortune, and massive responsibility. I hate to say it, but nothing Winston has done nothing over the last year or so that he can handle the laurels and the burdens of being the number one overall pick, and someone who will be tasked with dragging a team out of the depths of futility (in a season where the team that won that NFC South had seven wins, Tampa was the only team that didn't even manage to figure into that race to mediocrity). Winston is immature, rash, and foolhardy, and it's not like it will be a surprise when he screws up. Everyone knows his long list of transgressions, none of which seemed to teach him a damn thing. Tampa would be extremely foolish to hand the keys to a kid who left his last team dented and scratched all over, and who came within a hair's breadth of totaling the whole thing and his career with it.
You mentioned that system quarterbacks never work, and I mentioned Wilson. It seems reasonable to me that as the NFL completely eliminates defense and moves closer to putting flags on quarterbacks, that quarterbacks who rely to a degree on their legs to create plays can be successful. Wilson is not making a ton of reads in order to make plays. He has good relationships with his receivers, who are ready to improvise when he does, and his feet keep plays alive along to let that happen. It seems reasonable that a proven winner like Mariota (oh yes, he wins, too, including a sound thrashing in the head-to-head meeting; don't pull a Big 12 and discount that) will be able to translate his game to the NFL and develop the timing and the relationships that will make success possible. Wilson's story arc tells us that it might not happen right away, but if paired with a good defense, the sky will eventually be the limit.
In a match-up of two guys who are proven winners and Heisman owners, let me have the one who can handle what is coming. Let me have the guy who will keep his head down, do the work, and lead his team. If I was Tampa I would certainly stay away from the guy who is so obviously
a time bomb that all the pro-style college offense in the world cannot make him worth it.
What I really want to hear, though, is what Cole thinks. After all, it is his shitty team that has the big decision to make. What do you think, Hoops, break the tie?
We'll update when Hoops throws in his two cents. UPDATE, 21 APRIL: HOOP BREAKS THE TIE AT THE END.
TOG: I have to admit, of all the possible arguments I thought you might make I did not see the "head case" one coming, at all. Its hard to deny that most of the examples I gave definitely fit that argument but I think that you're underestimating one key part of your own argument. You are correct to point out the complete ineptitude Winston has displayed in the two, almost three years, he was at Florida State. None of the examples I gave, not Ryan Leaf, or Robert Griffin, managed to display the gamut of moronic decision making that Winston did. Neither one of them, while in college, put it all on display quite like Winston did. Neither one of them was accused of rape, shot up a neighborhood with BB guns, stole soda from a fast food restaurant, stole crab legs, or shouted a popular offensive phrase but you know what? Other than the rape accusation, ALL of those things are EASILY explainable as a maturity issues. And, you glossed over the most important part of those two plus years of stupidity. How exactly did Winston handle all the mishaps, embarrassments, and social miscues? Only by leading the Seminoles to a 26-1 record, that's how. Can you tell me exactly how Mariota will handle the bright lights, the fame, the adversity that comes with being the face of a franchise? I don't think anyone can. I challenge you to consider why exactly it took Mariota so long to win the Heisman. I happen to think that if Mariota had even a little bit of charisma or leadership ability he would have won the Heisman the year that Winston did. Lets face it, Mariota makes Winston his statistical bitch. He was near flawless and yet, somehow, Winston managed to do something, in two less seasons than Mariota.
Also, the four letter network wanted to make a story line out of nothing, as it appears they did with Deflategate, and ran a headline earlier this week about how if Winston showed up to the combine out of shape then teams would have their worries confirmed....and today, when Winston shows up 17 lbs lighter, they make a headline about him potentially scaring off teams because of dietary issues. I didn't talk about it earlier but I think a vast majority of the issues that fuel your head case argument are fabricated because media wants to make him into something he just isn't. He isn't a villain. He isn't a head case. He is a scapegoat. It's disgusting, really.
ColeHoop: Know how I know it's NFL Draft season? Because right now, just like every other April for the past decade, I'm completely over the NFL. We've suffered through months of speculation from bloggers, talk radio and television hosts and scores of other writers whose opinion about the NFL draft isn't worth any more than yours and mine:
This team is high on this guy and will trade up to get him, according to my sources. Watch out for this guy - he robbed a taco stand in college, and I hear he's probably going to be lucky to be drafted before the fifth round. Team A hates Player X, but Team B loves him. I've got Player Y listed as my top Position C.
These sometimes hyperbolic and frequent click-bait headlines shouldn't surprise us. There are roughly six weeks between the final whistle of the Super Bowl and March Madness. When the winning team cuts the nets in early April, there's another few weeks before playoff hockey and basketball start. It's a dead period, and with football as America's reigning, defending and undisputed past time and financial king, most people would rather discuss rumors about 20 and 21-year old soon-to-be rookies than any other sport.
It's enough to make anyone change the channel, turn off the station, self-impose a Twitter ban (I saw several people who quit Twitter for Lent specifically because it aligned with this time frame) and do anything they can to get away from the same tired arguments that I can almost guarantee you GMs are either not having or are looking at from completely different perspectives.
Unless you've been hiding under a rock you know that the "chosen one" of this year's pre-draft speculation is Jameis Winston, the Heisman and National Championship winning quarterback who has created debate about whether he should be the number one pick due to his accomplishments and decisions both on and off the field.
The team that controls the number one pick, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, also controls the destiny of the NFL Draft. If they select Jameis, the drama will shift to where Marcus Mariota lands. If they don't select Jameis, you can expect the Titans to either select the former Seminole or be showered with an abundance of riches in the form of draft picks from a team willing to mortgage its future on Winston. I undoubtedly believe we'll see the former over the latter, and it's the right move.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Tampa Bay Buccaneers counted themselves among the NFL's elite from 1996-2002. Thanks to a monstrous defense the Bucs tallied a 66-40 record, capping it off with a dominating victory in Super Bowl XXXVII. Since then Tampa Bay hasn't won a playoff game and its fans have suffered through a 75-117 record.
The 2015 Bucs lack talent in the areas most critical to success in the NFL: quarterback and offensive line. Picking number one in this year's draft allows the Bucs the opportunity to choose between two quarterbacks who enjoyed incredible success during their college careers. However, anyone with an intermediate knowledge of how the game is played at the professional level will tell you that Jameis Winston is better prepared and equipped to succeed in the NFL than Marcus Mariota - probably for the long term, but most definitely for the short term. If I drafted Marcus it would be with the understanding that he needs to sit for the first year of his contract. If I drafted Jameis, he's my starter the moment his name is called.
Detractors will point to Jameis' interceptions this season as examples of his dangerous inconsistency and poor decision making. I, and more importantly NFL scouts, do not share that sentiment because we have watched every snap of Winston's career. Understand that about half - yes, HALF - of Winston's interceptions in 2014 were not due to bad decisions or poor throws on his part; rather, they were due to wide receivers not completing their routes or simply dropping the ball. Take those away, and Jameis' interception total matches that of 2013.
He makes throws that college quarterbacks can rarely make or even understand why/how they should be making them. There's a reason Todd McShay calls him the best QB prospect since Andrew Luck - it's because Jameis is the best professional prospect since Andrew Luck!
The Bucs need a franchise quarterback and they need one now. Vincent Jackson provides veteran and solid experience at wide-out. Mike Evans would have been Offensive Rookie of the Year by a landslide if Odell Beckham didn't exist. The Bucs run game has potential. Lovie Smith and Jason Licht are beginning to build a championship defense.
Tampa, you have all but two of the main ingredients for long term success in the NFL. Go out and get your franchise QB - I'll be happy to donate some Old Bay seasoning if he costs you too much.
WINSTON.....
Not since Alex Smith versus Aaron Rodgers has there been so much debate regarding the number one overall pick and a pair of quarterbacks. And this happens to be a time honored match up that has occurred a few times in my life time. Manning vs Leaf. Rodgers vs Smith. Luck vs Griffin. Hopefully all you kiddos at home are seeing the very obvious trend in those three examples, and since those are the three easiest, and lets face it, most supportive of the points I hope to make, we are going to stop there and not delve too far into the history of the draft. In every single one of those examples it has become abundantly clear that one team made the choice that saved their franchise and another team made the most dire of mistakes; drafting a QB BUST! So, with so much at stake for the Buccaneers and, as it stands, the Titans, I plan to make it readily apparent who the number one pick should be, if only for the sake of my Bucs friends, but mostly because ESPN decided to post a poll where the country voiced who they would take and an OVERWHELMING majority made the wrong choice, choosing Mariota over Winston.
So, where to start. It would be easy to point to the fact that Heisman winning QBs rarely succeed in the modern NFL, using Griffin, and Leaf as the obvious examples. But lets look a little further. Who are the elite QBs in the NFL today? Manning, Brady, Roethelisburgersteinman (lol), Rodgers, Wilson, Brees, Rivers, Ryan, Flacco, Stafford, Luck? Not a single Heisman in the lot of them. But, as many people are surely thinking right now, Winston and Mariota have both won the trophy. So it might be a wash. Except I would point to the fact that most Heisman winners fail to win their bowl games after winning said trophy and yet Winston somehow managed to make the Award Show rounds and still bring home the last BCS trophy. Which I think leads me to my next point. Winston is a winner. A true and proven winner. I am not going to pretend that he did not benefit from an absolutely stacked roster while at FSU, cause he did. But he followed up his Heisman season by essentially carrying the Noles on his back while dealing with a complete lack of running game, and only two viable receiving threats. He weathered everyone's best shot, week after week, and he did it all with massive distractions off the field. I hate to make this comparison but the last time college football saw a player with such a massive will to win it was a young man by the name of Tebow leading the Gators to win after win after win. Jump passes and all, anyone would admit that Tebow might be one of the greatest college QBs of all times. And despite the NFL deciding that his inability to actually practice like a pro QB, he was a proven winner in the league. He led the Broncos to a gut wrenching playoff win against the Steelers, and if not for Manning basically slapping him out of Denver and essentially out of the league, he would still be winning games. Because that's what he does. Its what Vince Young did too. Another example of a QB who just plain won. All the time. And Winston is absolutely cut from the same clothe.
Now, lets get down to the X's and O's. The differences between these two QBs is best illustrated by referencing the same disparities that exist between Luck/Griffin, and Rodgers/Smith. Winston, Luck and Rodgers were all PRO system QBs in college people! They ran a complex system that required multiple reads on every play. They were all given the chance to audible, check down, and basically free style in the passing game. And they were all wildly successful in doing so. Conversely, Mariota, Griffin, and Smith, were all SYSTEM QBs. For the laymen out there, that means they ran a simplistic system, with plays that called for one or two reads at most, and were expected to free style in the running game. I wont quibble over who was the better college QB, but I think we can all agree that when it comes to the NFL, an ability to free style in the running game gets you nowhere, unless your name is Russel Wilson, and oh by the way, he is a pass first QB who happens to be good with his feet. The same can be said of Luck. Understanding complex passing systems absolutely prepares a QB to be successful not just immediately, but for the long haul. Go back to that list of elite NFL QBs I mentioned above. How many of those guys were system guys in college? None. And of the system guys that are in the NFL now, Newton/Kaperloser/Griffin/
So, in my humble opinion, I think its rather obvious who the Bucs would be smart to pick. And I personally hope that Derrick Brooks still has enough sway with the Bucs brass to convince them that picking Mariota would be yet another Buc-like decision in a long history of Buc-like decisions. This is a franchise that would shock nobody if they made the wrong choice. So, do the right thing. Do what the Colts did; what the Packers did. Pick Winston. And save the franchise.
Phatty: I have to say your argument against Mariota as a system quarterback is compelling, but I noticed something else in those famous draft matchups you listed. Out of Leaf vs Manning and Luck vs Griffin, especially, something else becomes obvious when looking at who is a great QB who will be in the league for a long time and who is a washout: in each of those matchups, one guy is a head case.
Griffin seems to have all the tools to be a great quarterback in the NFL. His skill set is such that there seems to be no reason that he cannot do what Wilson is doing in Seattle. The only problem is (besides a complete lack of any talent around him; my God that team is so damn bad) is because he is too busy undermining his coaches and trying to be some kind of social media guru. He has not handled fame well, he has allowed his money and his position to change him (it would seem) and he does not have the right stuff to lead a team to wins. That is now painfully obvious to a Washington fan base that goes around with him hanging from their necks like an albatross. It is not a lack of talent or a system in college that ruined DC's hopes; it is what is between Robert's ears.
Another example: Leaf is a well-documented crazy person (who is in jail now; nice pick, Chargers) who could not handle all that came with being the star player, a team leader, and the face of a franchise. San Diego ignored all the warning signs and picked him to save their franchise, and that lasted only months before he imploded in on himself under the pressures of fame, fortune, and massive responsibility. I hate to say it, but nothing Winston has done nothing over the last year or so that he can handle the laurels and the burdens of being the number one overall pick, and someone who will be tasked with dragging a team out of the depths of futility (in a season where the team that won that NFC South had seven wins, Tampa was the only team that didn't even manage to figure into that race to mediocrity). Winston is immature, rash, and foolhardy, and it's not like it will be a surprise when he screws up. Everyone knows his long list of transgressions, none of which seemed to teach him a damn thing. Tampa would be extremely foolish to hand the keys to a kid who left his last team dented and scratched all over, and who came within a hair's breadth of totaling the whole thing and his career with it.
You mentioned that system quarterbacks never work, and I mentioned Wilson. It seems reasonable to me that as the NFL completely eliminates defense and moves closer to putting flags on quarterbacks, that quarterbacks who rely to a degree on their legs to create plays can be successful. Wilson is not making a ton of reads in order to make plays. He has good relationships with his receivers, who are ready to improvise when he does, and his feet keep plays alive along to let that happen. It seems reasonable that a proven winner like Mariota (oh yes, he wins, too, including a sound thrashing in the head-to-head meeting; don't pull a Big 12 and discount that) will be able to translate his game to the NFL and develop the timing and the relationships that will make success possible. Wilson's story arc tells us that it might not happen right away, but if paired with a good defense, the sky will eventually be the limit.
In a match-up of two guys who are proven winners and Heisman owners, let me have the one who can handle what is coming. Let me have the guy who will keep his head down, do the work, and lead his team. If I was Tampa I would certainly stay away from the guy who is so obviously
a time bomb that all the pro-style college offense in the world cannot make him worth it.
What I really want to hear, though, is what Cole thinks. After all, it is his shitty team that has the big decision to make. What do you think, Hoops, break the tie?
We'll update when Hoops throws in his two cents. UPDATE, 21 APRIL: HOOP BREAKS THE TIE AT THE END.
TOG: I have to admit, of all the possible arguments I thought you might make I did not see the "head case" one coming, at all. Its hard to deny that most of the examples I gave definitely fit that argument but I think that you're underestimating one key part of your own argument. You are correct to point out the complete ineptitude Winston has displayed in the two, almost three years, he was at Florida State. None of the examples I gave, not Ryan Leaf, or Robert Griffin, managed to display the gamut of moronic decision making that Winston did. Neither one of them, while in college, put it all on display quite like Winston did. Neither one of them was accused of rape, shot up a neighborhood with BB guns, stole soda from a fast food restaurant, stole crab legs, or shouted a popular offensive phrase but you know what? Other than the rape accusation, ALL of those things are EASILY explainable as a maturity issues. And, you glossed over the most important part of those two plus years of stupidity. How exactly did Winston handle all the mishaps, embarrassments, and social miscues? Only by leading the Seminoles to a 26-1 record, that's how. Can you tell me exactly how Mariota will handle the bright lights, the fame, the adversity that comes with being the face of a franchise? I don't think anyone can. I challenge you to consider why exactly it took Mariota so long to win the Heisman. I happen to think that if Mariota had even a little bit of charisma or leadership ability he would have won the Heisman the year that Winston did. Lets face it, Mariota makes Winston his statistical bitch. He was near flawless and yet, somehow, Winston managed to do something, in two less seasons than Mariota.
Also, you mention Wilson as an example of a system quarterback and I think you would have been right if he had stayed at NC State. But, through his transfer to Wisconsin, he exposed himself to a pro style system that helped prepare him to play in the league. Its essentially the same system he ran in college. Heavy run, play action based system. And youre right, he does benefit from a team that was established with quality role players.....but do any of us really see Tampa Bay as a similar situation? I, for one, don't. I see a team that needs a player that can handle the pressure, whether self induced or induced in the form of a crappy organization, coach, and ownership group. They need a guy like Winston, who will smile through it all, not let the outside noise change his play, and keep all the disbelievers fuming.
But you're right my friend, I am curious how Cole feels, as a life long fan of the Bucs and a die hard Seminole....so none of us should be surprised when he sides with me but...hold out hope Rob lol.
Also, the four letter network wanted to make a story line out of nothing, as it appears they did with Deflategate, and ran a headline earlier this week about how if Winston showed up to the combine out of shape then teams would have their worries confirmed....and today, when Winston shows up 17 lbs lighter, they make a headline about him potentially scaring off teams because of dietary issues. I didn't talk about it earlier but I think a vast majority of the issues that fuel your head case argument are fabricated because media wants to make him into something he just isn't. He isn't a villain. He isn't a head case. He is a scapegoat. It's disgusting, really.
ColeHoop: Know how I know it's NFL Draft season? Because right now, just like every other April for the past decade, I'm completely over the NFL. We've suffered through months of speculation from bloggers, talk radio and television hosts and scores of other writers whose opinion about the NFL draft isn't worth any more than yours and mine:
This team is high on this guy and will trade up to get him, according to my sources. Watch out for this guy - he robbed a taco stand in college, and I hear he's probably going to be lucky to be drafted before the fifth round. Team A hates Player X, but Team B loves him. I've got Player Y listed as my top Position C.
These sometimes hyperbolic and frequent click-bait headlines shouldn't surprise us. There are roughly six weeks between the final whistle of the Super Bowl and March Madness. When the winning team cuts the nets in early April, there's another few weeks before playoff hockey and basketball start. It's a dead period, and with football as America's reigning, defending and undisputed past time and financial king, most people would rather discuss rumors about 20 and 21-year old soon-to-be rookies than any other sport.
It's enough to make anyone change the channel, turn off the station, self-impose a Twitter ban (I saw several people who quit Twitter for Lent specifically because it aligned with this time frame) and do anything they can to get away from the same tired arguments that I can almost guarantee you GMs are either not having or are looking at from completely different perspectives.
Unless you've been hiding under a rock you know that the "chosen one" of this year's pre-draft speculation is Jameis Winston, the Heisman and National Championship winning quarterback who has created debate about whether he should be the number one pick due to his accomplishments and decisions both on and off the field.
The team that controls the number one pick, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, also controls the destiny of the NFL Draft. If they select Jameis, the drama will shift to where Marcus Mariota lands. If they don't select Jameis, you can expect the Titans to either select the former Seminole or be showered with an abundance of riches in the form of draft picks from a team willing to mortgage its future on Winston. I undoubtedly believe we'll see the former over the latter, and it's the right move.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Tampa Bay Buccaneers counted themselves among the NFL's elite from 1996-2002. Thanks to a monstrous defense the Bucs tallied a 66-40 record, capping it off with a dominating victory in Super Bowl XXXVII. Since then Tampa Bay hasn't won a playoff game and its fans have suffered through a 75-117 record.
The 2015 Bucs lack talent in the areas most critical to success in the NFL: quarterback and offensive line. Picking number one in this year's draft allows the Bucs the opportunity to choose between two quarterbacks who enjoyed incredible success during their college careers. However, anyone with an intermediate knowledge of how the game is played at the professional level will tell you that Jameis Winston is better prepared and equipped to succeed in the NFL than Marcus Mariota - probably for the long term, but most definitely for the short term. If I drafted Marcus it would be with the understanding that he needs to sit for the first year of his contract. If I drafted Jameis, he's my starter the moment his name is called.
Detractors will point to Jameis' interceptions this season as examples of his dangerous inconsistency and poor decision making. I, and more importantly NFL scouts, do not share that sentiment because we have watched every snap of Winston's career. Understand that about half - yes, HALF - of Winston's interceptions in 2014 were not due to bad decisions or poor throws on his part; rather, they were due to wide receivers not completing their routes or simply dropping the ball. Take those away, and Jameis' interception total matches that of 2013.
He makes throws that college quarterbacks can rarely make or even understand why/how they should be making them. There's a reason Todd McShay calls him the best QB prospect since Andrew Luck - it's because Jameis is the best professional prospect since Andrew Luck!
The Bucs need a franchise quarterback and they need one now. Vincent Jackson provides veteran and solid experience at wide-out. Mike Evans would have been Offensive Rookie of the Year by a landslide if Odell Beckham didn't exist. The Bucs run game has potential. Lovie Smith and Jason Licht are beginning to build a championship defense.
Tampa, you have all but two of the main ingredients for long term success in the NFL. Go out and get your franchise QB - I'll be happy to donate some Old Bay seasoning if he costs you too much.
10 February 2015
Fine, Let's Do This: Ballghazi Discussed
Phatty: Alex and I got into it one night about Deflategate after the Patriots won the Super Bowl. I can't enjoy that properly with this nonsense hanging over me, so we hashed it out. ColeHoops got into the action as well.
The Other Guy: Au Naturel
Phatty: Bold
ColeHoops: Italics
So, as an acknowledged Colts fan I have taken some time to process this entire "Deflategate" issue. Here are my thoughts so far, taking into account the most recent evidence, the Patriots Super Bowl win, and the history of an organization that includes one rather massive blemish.
Alright, I'll bite. What do you have for me?
The easiest place to start would be to state that, as a Colts fan, I fully admit that any tampering that may or may not have occurred to the footballs would have had absolutely zero impact on the outcome of the AFC Championship game. It pains me to say so but the Patriots so completely dominated the Colts that it is very, very difficult to speculate upon what effect a deflated football could have had on a game where the Colts were too soft defensively to stop an overwhelming rushing performance and defensive game plan that completely cancelled out the brilliance that is Andrew Luck. It should be noted that all experts have expounded upon the suspected advantage a team would have, i.e. ability to hold on to a football in adverse weather conditions, ability to throw the ball with greater accuracy, ability to grip the ball quicker and thus release the football quicker; all of those things were readily apparent to myself while I watched the game. Some of those things could be explained away with the simple sweeping explanation of Tom Brady's greatness, Bill Belichick's coaching greatness, and the apparent resurgent prowess of Lagarrete Blunt...er....Blount. I have read the many reports that show a dramatic drop off in fumbles by the Patriots since the league changed the rules to allow teams to bring their own balls to the games. But, as we all know, statistics can be manipulated to suit the purpose of the argument being made.
Did you just claim you noticed that the balls were deflated in real time? Also, stop trying to make the stats I am most proud of into evidence of evil. Bill knows ball protection. He protects Tom, Tom protects the ball, Bill benches guys who fumble, and he benches them for a long damn time. It's not rocket science, though it is a level of football coaching never before attained.
I would tread lightly, too, when it comes to that rules change. You know who else petitioned for that? Ya boy, Peyton Manning. BURN HIM!!!!!
So, lets gloss over those obviously damning reports, and jump right to the issue of the vilification of the Patriots. My good compadre is a die hard Pats fan and has pointed out that despite the admission of a one Mr. Aaron Rodgers that he has regularly tried to over-pump his balls (only in Sports are statements like that deemed acceptable in public conversation, lol) nobody has been screaming about his legacy. The simple and often overlooked reason for Rodgers being forgiven is that the second part of his admission was that the Refs regularly deflate his footballs and that he finds it frustrating. In the same vein, Brady has gone on record a few years ago admitting that he prefers his balls softer to the touch. When his statement was made on the radio there was little to cause an uproar because nothing in stating a preference is inherently wrong. Where the uproar stems from, as far as I can tell, is that this particular issue revolves around a Patriots franchise that has already suffered a rather damaging scandal in its not too distant past.
Aaron Rodgers gets mad when he tries to cheat and the refs deflate his balls? (Psh, I'm sure the refs DO deflate his balls. Zing!) And yet we are still the bad guys.
Are the reports obviously damning, or are statistics unreliably malleable? I'm confused now.
And how much SO MUCH WORSE stuff has to happen in the NFL before we stop hearing about the next thing you are going to make us hear about?
Enter the Spygate espousers.
I would make the case that if this entire deflating issue had been perpetrated by say, the Saints, we would see a larger than expected outcry for the heads of Sean Payton and Drew Brees because of Bountygate. This is an assumption and I will admit we could never know for sure, but consider the multiple supposed transgressions being committed by the Patriots. For those who don't remember, the Patriots were fined and docked a draft pick for video taping another team's practice/play calls on the sidelines. While video taping was not expressly against the rules it had been addressed by in a league memo as prohibited. The easy comparative issue in sports would be in Major League Baseball, circa 1998. McGuire and Sosa were not doing anything that was expressly forbidden but both of those gentlemen will sooner see a pig fly out of my butt than see themselves inducted in the Hall of Fame. Not saying its right, but it is what it is. And it is where I draw the inspiration for my next statement. Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick for that matter, will have a hard time recovering from deflategate if it is discovered that they did in fact unlevel the playing field.
I have to say I think you are wrong about Drew Brees and Sean Payton. They are not routinely villified like the Pats. You know why? Because they don't win as much. Simple math.
Small tangent...if they did somehow tamper with the footballs, this will go down as the dumbest sports decision, something of Watergate proportions. For you kids out there, Nixon did some espionage/spy stuff that was completely uncalled for and completely unneeded during the second election he would go on to win. The Pats were going to win NO MATTER WHAT. If they did tamper with the footballs it just goes to show that no matter the greatness of a player, coach, or person, self doubt affects us all. Its sad if you think about it. And it begs the question that makes my next point....if they tampered with the footballs for a game they were going to win anyways (as they have been proven to have done so in their regular season match up with the Colts....in a dome...so the weather excuse is complete crap) then how long have they been doing it? Its the same doubt that was cast by Spygate. Fans everywhere were made to doubt one of the greatest runs in Football history for the simple fact that if they would resort to filming the lowly Jets, who wouldn't they film. The same can be said of Deflategate. If they felt the need to gain an unneeded advantage over a Colts team clearly just happy to be there then who wouldn't they try the same tactic with. I get that speculation is dangerous and really is a slippery road to walk down, but as a kid who lied quite often to my parents I can tell you that once that first lie is told, parents will never trust you as completely as they did before those tainted words escaped your mouth. If it weren't for Spygate, a proven, albeit not overtly illegal tactic at the time, transgression then these Patriots would not be on the precipice of Sports purgatory. Brady wouldn't be so close to being mentioned with the likes of A-Rod, Bonds, Sosa and McGuire.
First, albeit NOT ILLEGAL are the key words about Spygate. Could not have said it better myself.
Second, we answered Spygate with one of the most dominant seasons in sports history.
And finally, speculating over what kind of assholes the Pats are if they had made the balls squishy is like speculating what would have happened if Russia won the Crimean War. Apparently interesting for some people, but ultimately completely meaningless. Because they didn't.
The mentioning of A-Rod brings me to my next point. I would greatly appreciate it if all fans of other NFL teams would just climb down from their high horses and admit that they too would defend their team with the same unwavering support that the Patriots fans are displaying. I don't see any Yankee fans ready to give back any of their division, league or world series championships just because they continue to employ the absolute worst example of "sports integrity". A-Rod is a proven cheater, multiple times over and yet Yankee fans will still cheer him if he somehow discovers the next great designer drug that allows him to juice his way to another 50 home run season. Its the same Ostrich syndrome that has been exhibited by Cardinal fans, Cubs fans, and fans of any team who has a player doing anything less than savory. It is not exclusive to the Patriots. As a Seminoles fan I know first hand how it feels to have the entire sports world dogging my team for suspected transgressions AND I know how infuriating it is to have reporters abandon their journalistic responsibility just to get more clicks on their articles. Innocent until proven guilty is a pillar of this country and it extends from Ray Rice to Tom Brady and applies to every player, coach and person in between.
Exactly. From Ray Rice, a guilty man with heaps of damning evidence against him, ALL THE WAY to Tom Brady, an innocent man with zero evidence against him. That is what I'd call a spectrum, from one extreme to the other with light years in between. LIGHT YEARS.
Also, WHOA! We are NOT A-Rod fans. He did something WRONG (lots and lots of things... what a fucker). See, there is the difference.
I know it must sound like I am straddling the fence on this whole issue so let me make myself perfectly clear. I believe that Tom Brady has been deflating his footballs since the league made the ridiculous rule that allows teams to provide their own. I believe that it has given him an advantage that has allowed the Patriots to, statistically speaking, defy the odds and turn the ball over less. I believe it has helped neutralize the home field disadvantage the Foxboro provides. I believe that he has lied to the public. I believe that Belichick was in the know. And I believe that the team, the coach, and the QB must pay dearly for their useless transgression. And it saddens me deeply. We have witnessed one of the greatest minds of our time, and one of the greatest passers of our time throw their legacy away much like Bonds and McGuire did. And they did it without needing to. And, in advance of the piping in crowd noise argument, I will go ahead and point out that the owner of the Falcons did the smart thing, admitted his wrong and has asked for forgiveness. I truly believe that if Terrific Tom had simply admitted his wrong doing everyone would have moved on without too much vitriol. I point to Ray Rice and the way the public seems to have easily sided with an admitted wife beater. And I point to Ray Lewis, a man who managed to plead bargain his way out of murder charges and still worked his way onto cable television.
Alright, those are my thoughts so far. The ball is in your court sir.
Your beliefs notwithstanding, they didn't do it. Not to say I do not respect your opinion. I think you have read and watched and listened and come up with something that seems to you very cogent, and I think you did it in a way that is worthy of the respectful candor we are enjoying now. But I am going to now say some strong things directed at the great unwashed masses, and if anyone reading this is among that mob, fuck you straight away. Then suck on this.
There is no evidence against them. There is absolutely nothing but the sour grapes of a nation of sports fans unfortunately for them born outside of New England. I don't blame most folks too much. I hate the Yankees, and their historic success doesn't help (if people still care what happened before color TV (see? I can be bitter)). I hated the Cowboys when they were good. I FUCKING hate the Habs for winning all the damn time against the Bs in the playoffs. I hate Bron Bron, mostly because of how he left Cleveland, but a little for winning two championships, including one that I thought could have gone to the Cs. So I get it. Just admit it to yourself.
I am not going to get into the details. Any of you people can read anywhere about how there is no evidence. It is no secret. I just have to live in fear for a while of Goodell punishing them despite a complete lack of evidence. Because that's how Goodell do.
But what everyone else has to worry about is their willingness to allow bald-faced jealousy to drive what they tell themselves are logical opinions. Come on, America, you know better. Just come to grips with it. You hate us because we win all the damn time. There is nothing wrong with that. Hate away. We will continue beating you in fully legal ways, and you will keep hating it. But clinging to these hare brained notions? C'mon. If ONE THING came out that implicated the Greatest Coach and/ or Quarterback of All Time, just one, I would not be inclined to take such a hard line. But when even The Science Guy can't make an argument stick against you, maybe, just MAYBE, you are actually innocent.
AIR PRESSURE LOW IN COLD WEATHER!
MAN SPENDS 90 SECONDS IN RESTROOM!
Get out of here.
That's my take. I invite your response, and any thoughts that ColeHoop might have on this subject as well.
Ok, so my initial reaction was a lot of garbled, half screamed retorts at my computer screen. Then I calmed down and somehow managed to clear my mind enough to spot a few holes in your side of this whole mess.
First, it's easy to claim that the entire outrage is rooted in hating winners. You and I both know that's fundamentally untrue. Just look at Alabama. Nobody really hates Bama and they have owned cowwege football for years. And why isn't Bama subject to the rage that seems to follow the Patriots? Because they do things clean (enough) to not illicit legitimate outrage with how they operate as a program. It's simplistic to simply say you're on top so of course people hate you. Being on top, when paired with the proper attitude and handling of one's business makes you above reproach. Spygate took away the Pats ability to be above reproach just as A-Rod served as a cementing of most baseball fan's hatred of the Yankees. Outside of rivalries, the Red Sox are not hated. The Giants aren't hated. And why is that? Because they have paired their success with a likability that the Pats don't have. The Pats have players that engender blind hatred and feed into a somewhat irrational reaction to a possible scandal. See Gronk, Edelman, Hernandez, Revis, Blount, and especially Belichick. I, for one, can say that if Brady's reaction hadn't been childish laughter at the mere mentioning of possible tampering to the footballs, followed by a much more serious and thought out cover up, er....explanation, I would have been inclined to continue believing his altar boy persona. And yes, Manning fought for the rule change I mentioned and somehow his name hasn't been dragged through the mud with Bradys... because he spends time cultivating his persona as "good guy". He doesn't put on the piss and moan show every time he thinks something illegal is being done to him like Brady does, so please, at least own that the Pats brought this on themselves as much as FSUs "free shoe university" days brought the media focus onto someone like Winston. History has fed this particular media storm and thus is the basis of this logical beef over deflated balls. And there is no need to sully Bill the science dude's rep. You point to a lack of proof. I point to a league commish who has clearly demonstrated he works for the owners so when it comes out that no measurements were "recorded" prior to the AFC championship I simply see the beginning of a cover up much like was perpetrated during the Ray Rice scandal. The refs came out and said both teams balls were within regs prior to kickoff. The Colts balls stayed within regs. Let's say for arguments sake the the Colts put their balls at the maximum allowed, which is illogical considering the weather conditions, and lets assume the Pats put theirs at the lowest legal PSI. You could make an argument that the Colts balls deflated by the same 2 PSI that it was initially reported that Pats balls were deflated by but that hasn't been ANYONE'S approach to explaining all of it. It's been bold faced denial. So explain how the Pats balls were the only balls to deflate due to "weather". And explain how the Colts made the original complaints to the league after a regular season match up, in a dome. You can cry "circumstantial" all you want. Too many minor pieces of evidence point to wrong doing buddy and sadly, per the Saints ruling regarding Bountygate, it means Belichick is going down cause it happened on his watch. He can claim no knowledge. The players can claim no knowledge. I'm assuming your side is that the balls were never really underinflated, which is in fact contrary to fact. The FACT that they were deflated means someone did something, and all Brady has managed to do is show everyone he is too cowardly to own up to it. My bet is a ball boy loses his job to save Bradys rep much like a video assistant lost his job to cover for Belichick. That's pathetic, bro. Every QB on every network has admitted a QB would notice the deflation. So how can Brady, being the GOAT that you claim he is, be so clueless to not notice a change in the tools of his trade. The statistics are both malleable and damning. I'd cite them but somehow the article I found is missing. It was a significant distance between the Pats ability to avoid turnovers and the next best team, and and the other teams in the top 10 of the lack of fumbles metric since the rule change were DOME teams. Dude, I can relate to people's response to what was a minor and essentially useless bit of cheating but to claim it is all a bunch of smoke, essentially a witch hunt, is kinda redic, 'cause it was cheating. Someone cheated and it happened to a team that already cheated before.
I'll keep my thoughts short because I'm not sure there's anything else I can add. Great job, guys.
I think Rob's got a point when he says that all this attention on the Pats stems from the fact that they constantly win. Hell, they went 11-5 with Matt Cassel as their quarterback (and weirdly missed the playoffs with that record, too). It's hard not to hate that. Let's also not forget that New England is New York's nemesis, and New York media controls a lot.
For the record, I don't hate the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins, or Celtics because they win. I hate them because 99% of their fans are obnoxious, entitled assholes who actually believe their sports teams' success make them superior human beings (of course I don't mean you, Rob). I will never understand why Red Sox fans in particular walk around like their team is the one with 27 World Series titles.
The Other Guy: Au Naturel
Phatty: Bold
ColeHoops: Italics
So, as an acknowledged Colts fan I have taken some time to process this entire "Deflategate" issue. Here are my thoughts so far, taking into account the most recent evidence, the Patriots Super Bowl win, and the history of an organization that includes one rather massive blemish.
Alright, I'll bite. What do you have for me?
The easiest place to start would be to state that, as a Colts fan, I fully admit that any tampering that may or may not have occurred to the footballs would have had absolutely zero impact on the outcome of the AFC Championship game. It pains me to say so but the Patriots so completely dominated the Colts that it is very, very difficult to speculate upon what effect a deflated football could have had on a game where the Colts were too soft defensively to stop an overwhelming rushing performance and defensive game plan that completely cancelled out the brilliance that is Andrew Luck. It should be noted that all experts have expounded upon the suspected advantage a team would have, i.e. ability to hold on to a football in adverse weather conditions, ability to throw the ball with greater accuracy, ability to grip the ball quicker and thus release the football quicker; all of those things were readily apparent to myself while I watched the game. Some of those things could be explained away with the simple sweeping explanation of Tom Brady's greatness, Bill Belichick's coaching greatness, and the apparent resurgent prowess of Lagarrete Blunt...er....Blount. I have read the many reports that show a dramatic drop off in fumbles by the Patriots since the league changed the rules to allow teams to bring their own balls to the games. But, as we all know, statistics can be manipulated to suit the purpose of the argument being made.
Did you just claim you noticed that the balls were deflated in real time? Also, stop trying to make the stats I am most proud of into evidence of evil. Bill knows ball protection. He protects Tom, Tom protects the ball, Bill benches guys who fumble, and he benches them for a long damn time. It's not rocket science, though it is a level of football coaching never before attained.
I would tread lightly, too, when it comes to that rules change. You know who else petitioned for that? Ya boy, Peyton Manning. BURN HIM!!!!!
So, lets gloss over those obviously damning reports, and jump right to the issue of the vilification of the Patriots. My good compadre is a die hard Pats fan and has pointed out that despite the admission of a one Mr. Aaron Rodgers that he has regularly tried to over-pump his balls (only in Sports are statements like that deemed acceptable in public conversation, lol) nobody has been screaming about his legacy. The simple and often overlooked reason for Rodgers being forgiven is that the second part of his admission was that the Refs regularly deflate his footballs and that he finds it frustrating. In the same vein, Brady has gone on record a few years ago admitting that he prefers his balls softer to the touch. When his statement was made on the radio there was little to cause an uproar because nothing in stating a preference is inherently wrong. Where the uproar stems from, as far as I can tell, is that this particular issue revolves around a Patriots franchise that has already suffered a rather damaging scandal in its not too distant past.
Aaron Rodgers gets mad when he tries to cheat and the refs deflate his balls? (Psh, I'm sure the refs DO deflate his balls. Zing!) And yet we are still the bad guys.
Are the reports obviously damning, or are statistics unreliably malleable? I'm confused now.
And how much SO MUCH WORSE stuff has to happen in the NFL before we stop hearing about the next thing you are going to make us hear about?
Enter the Spygate espousers.
I would make the case that if this entire deflating issue had been perpetrated by say, the Saints, we would see a larger than expected outcry for the heads of Sean Payton and Drew Brees because of Bountygate. This is an assumption and I will admit we could never know for sure, but consider the multiple supposed transgressions being committed by the Patriots. For those who don't remember, the Patriots were fined and docked a draft pick for video taping another team's practice/play calls on the sidelines. While video taping was not expressly against the rules it had been addressed by in a league memo as prohibited. The easy comparative issue in sports would be in Major League Baseball, circa 1998. McGuire and Sosa were not doing anything that was expressly forbidden but both of those gentlemen will sooner see a pig fly out of my butt than see themselves inducted in the Hall of Fame. Not saying its right, but it is what it is. And it is where I draw the inspiration for my next statement. Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick for that matter, will have a hard time recovering from deflategate if it is discovered that they did in fact unlevel the playing field.
I have to say I think you are wrong about Drew Brees and Sean Payton. They are not routinely villified like the Pats. You know why? Because they don't win as much. Simple math.
Small tangent...if they did somehow tamper with the footballs, this will go down as the dumbest sports decision, something of Watergate proportions. For you kids out there, Nixon did some espionage/spy stuff that was completely uncalled for and completely unneeded during the second election he would go on to win. The Pats were going to win NO MATTER WHAT. If they did tamper with the footballs it just goes to show that no matter the greatness of a player, coach, or person, self doubt affects us all. Its sad if you think about it. And it begs the question that makes my next point....if they tampered with the footballs for a game they were going to win anyways (as they have been proven to have done so in their regular season match up with the Colts....in a dome...so the weather excuse is complete crap) then how long have they been doing it? Its the same doubt that was cast by Spygate. Fans everywhere were made to doubt one of the greatest runs in Football history for the simple fact that if they would resort to filming the lowly Jets, who wouldn't they film. The same can be said of Deflategate. If they felt the need to gain an unneeded advantage over a Colts team clearly just happy to be there then who wouldn't they try the same tactic with. I get that speculation is dangerous and really is a slippery road to walk down, but as a kid who lied quite often to my parents I can tell you that once that first lie is told, parents will never trust you as completely as they did before those tainted words escaped your mouth. If it weren't for Spygate, a proven, albeit not overtly illegal tactic at the time, transgression then these Patriots would not be on the precipice of Sports purgatory. Brady wouldn't be so close to being mentioned with the likes of A-Rod, Bonds, Sosa and McGuire.
First, albeit NOT ILLEGAL are the key words about Spygate. Could not have said it better myself.
Second, we answered Spygate with one of the most dominant seasons in sports history.
And finally, speculating over what kind of assholes the Pats are if they had made the balls squishy is like speculating what would have happened if Russia won the Crimean War. Apparently interesting for some people, but ultimately completely meaningless. Because they didn't.
The mentioning of A-Rod brings me to my next point. I would greatly appreciate it if all fans of other NFL teams would just climb down from their high horses and admit that they too would defend their team with the same unwavering support that the Patriots fans are displaying. I don't see any Yankee fans ready to give back any of their division, league or world series championships just because they continue to employ the absolute worst example of "sports integrity". A-Rod is a proven cheater, multiple times over and yet Yankee fans will still cheer him if he somehow discovers the next great designer drug that allows him to juice his way to another 50 home run season. Its the same Ostrich syndrome that has been exhibited by Cardinal fans, Cubs fans, and fans of any team who has a player doing anything less than savory. It is not exclusive to the Patriots. As a Seminoles fan I know first hand how it feels to have the entire sports world dogging my team for suspected transgressions AND I know how infuriating it is to have reporters abandon their journalistic responsibility just to get more clicks on their articles. Innocent until proven guilty is a pillar of this country and it extends from Ray Rice to Tom Brady and applies to every player, coach and person in between.
Exactly. From Ray Rice, a guilty man with heaps of damning evidence against him, ALL THE WAY to Tom Brady, an innocent man with zero evidence against him. That is what I'd call a spectrum, from one extreme to the other with light years in between. LIGHT YEARS.
Also, WHOA! We are NOT A-Rod fans. He did something WRONG (lots and lots of things... what a fucker). See, there is the difference.
I know it must sound like I am straddling the fence on this whole issue so let me make myself perfectly clear. I believe that Tom Brady has been deflating his footballs since the league made the ridiculous rule that allows teams to provide their own. I believe that it has given him an advantage that has allowed the Patriots to, statistically speaking, defy the odds and turn the ball over less. I believe it has helped neutralize the home field disadvantage the Foxboro provides. I believe that he has lied to the public. I believe that Belichick was in the know. And I believe that the team, the coach, and the QB must pay dearly for their useless transgression. And it saddens me deeply. We have witnessed one of the greatest minds of our time, and one of the greatest passers of our time throw their legacy away much like Bonds and McGuire did. And they did it without needing to. And, in advance of the piping in crowd noise argument, I will go ahead and point out that the owner of the Falcons did the smart thing, admitted his wrong and has asked for forgiveness. I truly believe that if Terrific Tom had simply admitted his wrong doing everyone would have moved on without too much vitriol. I point to Ray Rice and the way the public seems to have easily sided with an admitted wife beater. And I point to Ray Lewis, a man who managed to plead bargain his way out of murder charges and still worked his way onto cable television.
Alright, those are my thoughts so far. The ball is in your court sir.
Your beliefs notwithstanding, they didn't do it. Not to say I do not respect your opinion. I think you have read and watched and listened and come up with something that seems to you very cogent, and I think you did it in a way that is worthy of the respectful candor we are enjoying now. But I am going to now say some strong things directed at the great unwashed masses, and if anyone reading this is among that mob, fuck you straight away. Then suck on this.
There is no evidence against them. There is absolutely nothing but the sour grapes of a nation of sports fans unfortunately for them born outside of New England. I don't blame most folks too much. I hate the Yankees, and their historic success doesn't help (if people still care what happened before color TV (see? I can be bitter)). I hated the Cowboys when they were good. I FUCKING hate the Habs for winning all the damn time against the Bs in the playoffs. I hate Bron Bron, mostly because of how he left Cleveland, but a little for winning two championships, including one that I thought could have gone to the Cs. So I get it. Just admit it to yourself.
I am not going to get into the details. Any of you people can read anywhere about how there is no evidence. It is no secret. I just have to live in fear for a while of Goodell punishing them despite a complete lack of evidence. Because that's how Goodell do.
But what everyone else has to worry about is their willingness to allow bald-faced jealousy to drive what they tell themselves are logical opinions. Come on, America, you know better. Just come to grips with it. You hate us because we win all the damn time. There is nothing wrong with that. Hate away. We will continue beating you in fully legal ways, and you will keep hating it. But clinging to these hare brained notions? C'mon. If ONE THING came out that implicated the Greatest Coach and/ or Quarterback of All Time, just one, I would not be inclined to take such a hard line. But when even The Science Guy can't make an argument stick against you, maybe, just MAYBE, you are actually innocent.
AIR PRESSURE LOW IN COLD WEATHER!
MAN SPENDS 90 SECONDS IN RESTROOM!
Get out of here.
That's my take. I invite your response, and any thoughts that ColeHoop might have on this subject as well.
Ok, so my initial reaction was a lot of garbled, half screamed retorts at my computer screen. Then I calmed down and somehow managed to clear my mind enough to spot a few holes in your side of this whole mess.
First, it's easy to claim that the entire outrage is rooted in hating winners. You and I both know that's fundamentally untrue. Just look at Alabama. Nobody really hates Bama and they have owned cowwege football for years. And why isn't Bama subject to the rage that seems to follow the Patriots? Because they do things clean (enough) to not illicit legitimate outrage with how they operate as a program. It's simplistic to simply say you're on top so of course people hate you. Being on top, when paired with the proper attitude and handling of one's business makes you above reproach. Spygate took away the Pats ability to be above reproach just as A-Rod served as a cementing of most baseball fan's hatred of the Yankees. Outside of rivalries, the Red Sox are not hated. The Giants aren't hated. And why is that? Because they have paired their success with a likability that the Pats don't have. The Pats have players that engender blind hatred and feed into a somewhat irrational reaction to a possible scandal. See Gronk, Edelman, Hernandez, Revis, Blount, and especially Belichick. I, for one, can say that if Brady's reaction hadn't been childish laughter at the mere mentioning of possible tampering to the footballs, followed by a much more serious and thought out cover up, er....explanation, I would have been inclined to continue believing his altar boy persona. And yes, Manning fought for the rule change I mentioned and somehow his name hasn't been dragged through the mud with Bradys... because he spends time cultivating his persona as "good guy". He doesn't put on the piss and moan show every time he thinks something illegal is being done to him like Brady does, so please, at least own that the Pats brought this on themselves as much as FSUs "free shoe university" days brought the media focus onto someone like Winston. History has fed this particular media storm and thus is the basis of this logical beef over deflated balls. And there is no need to sully Bill the science dude's rep. You point to a lack of proof. I point to a league commish who has clearly demonstrated he works for the owners so when it comes out that no measurements were "recorded" prior to the AFC championship I simply see the beginning of a cover up much like was perpetrated during the Ray Rice scandal. The refs came out and said both teams balls were within regs prior to kickoff. The Colts balls stayed within regs. Let's say for arguments sake the the Colts put their balls at the maximum allowed, which is illogical considering the weather conditions, and lets assume the Pats put theirs at the lowest legal PSI. You could make an argument that the Colts balls deflated by the same 2 PSI that it was initially reported that Pats balls were deflated by but that hasn't been ANYONE'S approach to explaining all of it. It's been bold faced denial. So explain how the Pats balls were the only balls to deflate due to "weather". And explain how the Colts made the original complaints to the league after a regular season match up, in a dome. You can cry "circumstantial" all you want. Too many minor pieces of evidence point to wrong doing buddy and sadly, per the Saints ruling regarding Bountygate, it means Belichick is going down cause it happened on his watch. He can claim no knowledge. The players can claim no knowledge. I'm assuming your side is that the balls were never really underinflated, which is in fact contrary to fact. The FACT that they were deflated means someone did something, and all Brady has managed to do is show everyone he is too cowardly to own up to it. My bet is a ball boy loses his job to save Bradys rep much like a video assistant lost his job to cover for Belichick. That's pathetic, bro. Every QB on every network has admitted a QB would notice the deflation. So how can Brady, being the GOAT that you claim he is, be so clueless to not notice a change in the tools of his trade. The statistics are both malleable and damning. I'd cite them but somehow the article I found is missing. It was a significant distance between the Pats ability to avoid turnovers and the next best team, and and the other teams in the top 10 of the lack of fumbles metric since the rule change were DOME teams. Dude, I can relate to people's response to what was a minor and essentially useless bit of cheating but to claim it is all a bunch of smoke, essentially a witch hunt, is kinda redic, 'cause it was cheating. Someone cheated and it happened to a team that already cheated before.
I'll keep my thoughts short because I'm not sure there's anything else I can add. Great job, guys.
I think Rob's got a point when he says that all this attention on the Pats stems from the fact that they constantly win. Hell, they went 11-5 with Matt Cassel as their quarterback (and weirdly missed the playoffs with that record, too). It's hard not to hate that. Let's also not forget that New England is New York's nemesis, and New York media controls a lot.
For the record, I don't hate the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins, or Celtics because they win. I hate them because 99% of their fans are obnoxious, entitled assholes who actually believe their sports teams' success make them superior human beings (of course I don't mean you, Rob). I will never understand why Red Sox fans in particular walk around like their team is the one with 27 World Series titles.
First, I will admit some things to you guys.
1) We are dicks. New England fans, I mean. Our teams are inexorably part of our own self worth. Since they have done rather well, we pretty much run this shit.
2) The fumble statistics make me nervous. If this is some kind of years-long conspiracy, everything I have been saying, and everything I believe, will come crashing down around me. I can't deal with that. Chalk up the stats in this article to Bill's Dark Side powers and move on...
3) Matt Walsh is a dick. We fired him in 2003, and he is a dirty liar. Nothing to knock us for there.
Now, on to my pompous and uncompromising defense of the Emperor and Tom Terrific:
You make some good points about why we are hated so much. I don't get
1) We are dicks. New England fans, I mean. Our teams are inexorably part of our own self worth. Since they have done rather well, we pretty much run this shit.
2) The fumble statistics make me nervous. If this is some kind of years-long conspiracy, everything I have been saying, and everything I believe, will come crashing down around me. I can't deal with that. Chalk up the stats in this article to Bill's Dark Side powers and move on...
3) Matt Walsh is a dick. We fired him in 2003, and he is a dirty liar. Nothing to knock us for there.
Now, on to my pompous and uncompromising defense of the Emperor and Tom Terrific:
You make some good points about why we are hated so much. I don't get
why Bama gets a pass. They have been sanctioned three times since
1995, and no one seems to care. Also, every football team in the
National Football League has cheated from time to time, and no one
seems to care about that, either. Bill is not a man to win many
hearts and minds from the podium, and Tom Brady's public persona is
one that would make many a drunk from the Bronx scream, "you think
you're better than me?!" I guess that has a lot to do with it.
As for our "reputation for cheating," we didn't break a rule, we were
ruled against anyway, we payed the penalty, and life went on, or so we
thought. Does anyone but PETA still want to throw blood on Michael
Vick? Does anyone ridicule the Saints as a team that hasn't won
anything since Bountygate? Does anyone protest Jim Irsay's mere
presence when he is clearly a giant irresponsible waste of life? No.
Why are we so special? Our success might not be all of it. It might
be the perception and general lack of stupid Papa John's ads of our
GOAT coach and quarterback, it certainly might be our outrageously
entitled and irksome fans (come on, could ANYONE handle this kind of
run of success well?), but whatever it is, our public perception as
"cheaters" is completely groundless in the context of the NFL. We
haven't actually done anything on an organizational level to break
league rules since the Snow Plow Game. Now THAT was cheating. People
should bring that up more.
Let's run through the timeline:
The Colts get pwned by the Pats in the regular season. They whine about balls.
The Pats pwn the Ravens in the playoffs. The Ravens whine about
formations. Despite our "culture of cheating," we are immediately
exonerated, because Harbaugh is a little bitch.
The Pats pwn the Colts again. The Colts (with tacit Ravens support)
whine about the balls again, this time publicly.
Over an issue akin to too much pine tar on a bat (seriously not a big
deal in the grand scheme of things, or should we take George Brett out
of the Hall and tar and feather him in the town square?) a massive
investigation ensues and talking heads from all corners take the
opportunity to pile on. Has this been going on forever? Who knows
about it? Is Tom Brady's entire career, nay, life, a sham?
At some point, someone says that 11 of 12 balls the Pats used were
underinflated. Why they said this and why anyone believed them
remains a mystery to this day.
Bill Nye the fucking Science Guy can't even resist the Patriots hate-fest.
Belichick throws Brady under the bus in a presser. Brady then looks
like we ran over his dog with that bus because his integrity is being groundlessly
questioned.
The ball guy went to the bathroom. This somehow makes the news.
Bill learns a shitload about moles and whatnot and out-sciences the
Science Guy. He is literally the best at everything. Ever.
Bill, who was doubted, is proven correct by a real physicist and an
article in the New York Times. Even New York is starting to see
through the sham.
Kraft throws down the gauntlet on his boy, Goodell. He does so with
the confidence of a man who knows what's up.
It turns out that only ONE of the balls was underinflated. And no one
knows how they were before the game. And no one knows how the Colts
balls were, and no one has any evidence of any wrongdoing, which is
exactly where we were before all the shenanigans began.
We won the Super Bowl. Tom Brady drove down the field twice on the
best fourth quarter defense in the league to win the game and cement
his legacy.
I got hella drunk and screamed my voice away.
I think that brings us up to date.
Could Tom have noticed the balls were a little low? Sure. Is it his
job to inform someone of this? What about the officials who handle
the balls on every play? Are they not professionals? Tom's job is to
win games. Those guys are there to enforce the rules. If they don't
see a problem, why the hell should anyone else?
I don't know if the balls were ever underinflated. No one does. My
side is that A) Tom and Bill are the undisputed GOAT and are beyond
reproach, B) There is more than enough plausibility to this being
either a natural occurrence or no occurrence at all for me not to
worry, C) I am forced to acknowledge that we have been hella good at
not fumbling since 2007, and am admittedly sort of hoping for a ruling of
"not guilty" rather than "innocent," and D) no one would care about this
AT ALL if it wasn't us. So cue the Imperial March, because the Empire
just struck back in a big way. Luck Skywalker will have a new hand
next season, but do not doubt that we will be ready to go, and you
will witness the power of this fully operational battle station.
Your Star Wars references won me over. I have nothing left to say except Luck Skywalker is gonna be my fantasy team name next year and your boys better be ready cause the bullseye on their backs just got WAY bigger. Winning it all just fueled the population that hates the fact that all they do is win and add in the sign/shirts on display during the parade and I think the Pats just became the FSU of the NFL. Which isn't an entirely bad thing in my opinion. The "us against the world" narrative led to an undefeated regular season the last time so...who knows?
Dun dun dun Dun dadun Dun dadun...
15 January 2015
The AFC Championship: Get Ready for a Dose of Homer
ColeHoop:
On to the AFC, where Rob's Patriots are in the conference championship game for the fourth consecutive year. Here's why they aren't going to advance to the Super Bowl:
Andrew Luck is beneath only Aaron Rodgers on the totem pole of elite quarterbacks. Yes, I believe he's better than Brady right now - he's got fewer weapons to work with and doesn't have the benefit of a 15 year relationship with his head coach. And I realize the Colts are going to have to rely entirely on Luck because of their mediocre running game, but if I had to rely on him to win a game I wouldn't be complaining too much. When Ahmad Bradshaw got injured, this team's season officially became Luck's to salvage, and he's done his job thus far.
As far as stopping Brady and the Pats' offense...well, let me first admit that I don't see the Colts holding them to under 35 points. Brady and his teammates are going to score and score lots. It would also be foolish to expect the Colts' defense to play as well as it has over the last two weeks. New England isn't giving the Colts any of the injury advantages the Bengals (A.J. Green) and Broncos (Peyton Manning) did, and the Pats proved earlier this year that they could score on the Colts, racking up 42 points in a victory just two months ago.
It would also be foolish, however, to completely dismiss the Colts' defensive improvements. Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky will have learned from his mistakes during that aforementioned loss to the Pats, and I think they are going to give Brady some headaches.
I'm predicting a higher scoring affair than last time. Colts 42, Patriots 38. Andrew Luck will have to play the game of his career, and I think he does.
Phatty:
I mean, Cole, I know the format of this thing we are doing requires you to argue the case for the Mighty Lucks, but c’mon. It’s the Pats. They look great. They exorcised their Ravens demons by putting the ball in the hands of the best player in NFL history and letting him (virtually; as Giselle once astutely pointed out: he can't catch them, too) single-handedly wall their championship hopes up in a mausoleum, never to be heard from again. Yes, that’s a Poe reference. Too much? Anyway, in contrast, to “break” the Colts this season, WE DIDN’T EVEN OUR BEST PLAYER. AT ALL. ALL WE NEEDED WAS A CAST-OFF PRACTICE SQUAD RUNNINGBACK. But fine, I’ll bite. Let’s go line by line.
First, what the hell is up with your Quarterback Totem Poll? You got Blake Bortles and Tim Tebow up there above Tom Terrific, too? Did you not just read about how he is the greatest player in NFL history? Please. I am not even going to engage this point.
Moving on, Neckbeard has had to carry the Colts O for the most part, but Herron and Tipton have given their run game some signs of life… Why am I making a point in favor of the Colts? How did you make me do that? OK, forget it. With literally anyone the Patriots run game is better than the best the Colts can muster. Soo… we are going to win.
After that you are right for awhile. The Patriots will score all over the Colts. The learning curve of Mandingo aside, New England will once again take those baby horses to school.
I mean, I could also talk about the New England defense, which has literally always made Luck and the Colts look bad. I could also talk about the fact that the Patriots, besides having the greatest player in the history of the sport, also have the greatest coach of all time at the helm. But I am not going to bother. It’s like pulling out astronomical trigonometry and quantum physics to prove the sun will rise in the morning. You could, but why bother? Either way it’s going to happen.
Pats 45, Bad Guys 24. Game is over with 5 minutes left to go in the third.
On to the AFC, where Rob's Patriots are in the conference championship game for the fourth consecutive year. Here's why they aren't going to advance to the Super Bowl:
Andrew Luck is beneath only Aaron Rodgers on the totem pole of elite quarterbacks. Yes, I believe he's better than Brady right now - he's got fewer weapons to work with and doesn't have the benefit of a 15 year relationship with his head coach. And I realize the Colts are going to have to rely entirely on Luck because of their mediocre running game, but if I had to rely on him to win a game I wouldn't be complaining too much. When Ahmad Bradshaw got injured, this team's season officially became Luck's to salvage, and he's done his job thus far.
As far as stopping Brady and the Pats' offense...well, let me first admit that I don't see the Colts holding them to under 35 points. Brady and his teammates are going to score and score lots. It would also be foolish to expect the Colts' defense to play as well as it has over the last two weeks. New England isn't giving the Colts any of the injury advantages the Bengals (A.J. Green) and Broncos (Peyton Manning) did, and the Pats proved earlier this year that they could score on the Colts, racking up 42 points in a victory just two months ago.
It would also be foolish, however, to completely dismiss the Colts' defensive improvements. Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky will have learned from his mistakes during that aforementioned loss to the Pats, and I think they are going to give Brady some headaches.
I'm predicting a higher scoring affair than last time. Colts 42, Patriots 38. Andrew Luck will have to play the game of his career, and I think he does.
Phatty:
I mean, Cole, I know the format of this thing we are doing requires you to argue the case for the Mighty Lucks, but c’mon. It’s the Pats. They look great. They exorcised their Ravens demons by putting the ball in the hands of the best player in NFL history and letting him (virtually; as Giselle once astutely pointed out: he can't catch them, too) single-handedly wall their championship hopes up in a mausoleum, never to be heard from again. Yes, that’s a Poe reference. Too much? Anyway, in contrast, to “break” the Colts this season, WE DIDN’T EVEN OUR BEST PLAYER. AT ALL. ALL WE NEEDED WAS A CAST-OFF PRACTICE SQUAD RUNNINGBACK. But fine, I’ll bite. Let’s go line by line.
First, what the hell is up with your Quarterback Totem Poll? You got Blake Bortles and Tim Tebow up there above Tom Terrific, too? Did you not just read about how he is the greatest player in NFL history? Please. I am not even going to engage this point.
Moving on, Neckbeard has had to carry the Colts O for the most part, but Herron and Tipton have given their run game some signs of life… Why am I making a point in favor of the Colts? How did you make me do that? OK, forget it. With literally anyone the Patriots run game is better than the best the Colts can muster. Soo… we are going to win.
After that you are right for awhile. The Patriots will score all over the Colts. The learning curve of Mandingo aside, New England will once again take those baby horses to school.
I mean, I could also talk about the New England defense, which has literally always made Luck and the Colts look bad. I could also talk about the fact that the Patriots, besides having the greatest player in the history of the sport, also have the greatest coach of all time at the helm. But I am not going to bother. It’s like pulling out astronomical trigonometry and quantum physics to prove the sun will rise in the morning. You could, but why bother? Either way it’s going to happen.
Pats 45, Bad Guys 24. Game is over with 5 minutes left to go in the third.
ColeHoop:
Rob, your reGronkulus confidence plus your coining of the Colts as "The Mighty Lucks" reminds me of a character from The Mighty Ducks: the chief antagonist, Coach Jack Reilly. "Game is over with 5 minutes left to go in the third" will be this generation's "It's not worth winning if you CAN'T WIN BIG!"
It's very likely that this could be the year that Brady gets over his 7 year case of Manning-itis (most common symptoms: playing awesome at first but failing to deliver when it counts) - that's why I'm predicting a very small margin of victory for the Colts. But a victory it shall be!
Phatty:
So much to love about your response. reGronkulus (reGronkulous? I would consult Webster's, but after what they did to "literally" I will never trust them again) used in casual conversation, Mighty Ducks references, brilliant. If we ever have readers, this is why they will love you.
Now, about that Manningitis. We are not supposed to talk about that. It is blasphemy to disparage the legacy of The Mighty Tom, but I would like to address some concerns raised by certain Baltimore defensive personnel in the days leading up to the Patriots' AFC divisional game. By the way, enjoy working on your irons while we play meaningful games, Suggs.
1) The Patriots have not won anything since Spygate. Oh no? Since Bill and the Pats were penalized for what many believed to be a common NFL practice (fairly, of course, but everybody cheats; get caught holding, you lose 10 yards. Get caught filming, you lose three quarters of a million dollars and a couple of draft picks), the Patriots have won double-digit regular season games EVERY YEAR. They have also been to the playoffs in every single year since the incident with the sole exception of 2008, when Tom was out for the season and yet Bill somehow got a guy who had not started a game since high school and a defense in the midst of a major rebuild to eleven wins anyway. Damn you and your dick pics, Brett Favre (but go FSU Cowgirl Jenn Sterger, haha).
Quick aside: The Patriots' ability to be this competitive over this stretch since their championship defenses moved on or retired is all you should need to know about Belichick. Most teams would have taken a couple of steps back, maybe played noncompetitive football for a couple years while they restocked. Not Bill. We have a shot every year, and as 2008 shows, it is thanks to the coach perhaps even more than the quarterback.
Anyway, that stretch from 2008 to the present also includes six division titles, five first-round byes (I always thought Tom's playoff record should include all the games he didn't have to win because of his regular season prowess; seems only fair), a respectable 5-5 playoff record (10 rounds advanced if you include those byes, compared to five losses), two AFC Championships, and two very close Super Bowl losses. No one compares to that level, save teams that have won the big one in the same stretch of time, which Brady fans must acknowledge to be the ultimate trump card (given one of our main points for claiming Brady's dominance over Manning, not that we need it (cough11-5head-to-headcough)). But it wasn't a lack of film that put Super Glue on David Tyree's head in February of 2008, or made Welker and Murdering Psycho Hernandez drop those passes and allow Eli to pull another Rain Man-like miracle out of his ass in February of 2012. It took incredible, unlikely plays to beat the Patriots in those Super Bowls. Manning's last one, for instance? He was toast by the time the first snap bounced into the end zone. So don't give me that shit. We have won plenty.
2) It wasn't Brady winning those Super Bowls, it was that all-world defense. Fair enough, to a point. If you want to point out that we have not won the Big Game since we lost that core of Seymour, Bruschi, and Rodney Harrison, I can't really argue. As I mentioned before, Bill has been rebuilding the defense ever since, and despite the new rules (and some things that I said in the NFC preview) defense is still a critical part of winning in the playoffs. But it's not like Joe Montana won with a bunch of schmucks playing D for the 'Niners. Hell, Terry Bradshaw was flat-out mediocre, and let the Steel Curtain spirit him to his titles. But the defense did not lead game-winning drives in 2002 and 2004, and it did not put the Patriots one goddamned catch away from sealing a victory in 2008. It also had very little to do with beating the Ravens last week. We will need the current version of Belichick's D to play great if we make the Super Bowl, but if you look at his second half against the Ravens, I think it is hard to argue that Tom doesn't have what it takes to put the team on his back.
We'll see about that Manning-itis. I am cautiously optimistic.
Oh, not about this game against the Colts, though. I am recklessly optimistic about that one.
It's not worth winning if you CAN'T WIN BIG!
14 January 2015
Welcome Back NFC Championship Preview Post
Phatty:
To reopen hostilities in The Fourth Seminole War, we have decided to preview the upcoming NFL conference championship games. We will argue one side of each of them, and leave it up to you to decide which of us is more full of shit. First up, the NFC Championship, in which I am taking the Packers.
“But the legion of boom is healthy now and looks amazing! They dominated Carolina in the divisional round!” OK, first of all, don’t brag about beating a team that couldn’t manage to scrape eight wins together in the regular season. And yes, the defense has looked good of late, and they are on a winning streak. But besides the Panthers, that streak includes the Rams, four games against Cardinals and 49ers teams that peaked early and were in the midst of their own crippling issues by season’s end, and the Sanchize. It’s easy for a defense to get healthy against a team marching the Butt Fumble out there (and they were so hopeful when they did it; Philly fans…). And in all those games, the Sea Chickens managed to score over 20 points only twice. Getting held under 20 these days is like getting held to six a couple of decades ago. Fantasy steal, yes; excellent game manager, yes; serious threat in the run game, yes; but Russell Wilson is not going to throw his way into the Super Bowl. If the Pack’s linebackers can contain the running game, they will hold Seattle to a very manageable number. Long story short: I am not drinking the 12th Man Kool-Aid just yet.
The main reason is: the Pack can score on anybody. My old lady’s crush, even on one leg, is good enough to get the ball down the field and find whoever the Legion is willing to give him. A Dallas defense that looked to be playing its best football could not handle Rodgers, even has he gimped around in the backfield completely incapable of doing his usual extend-plays-scramble-for-the-sticks magic. And the there is Eddie Lacy. Even though his first half ruined Girl Cole’s fantasy season, that same shitty first half seems to have left him fresh for this playoff run. If Eddie can do enough to keep the front seven honest, and he and Kuhn can help keep Rodgers upright, Ol’ Dreamy Blue Eyes will find his weapons, Boom or no Boom.
Rodgers has another advantage going for him. He has now played on that leg a lot, and he knows what he is dealing with now. He and his receivers know that the ball will have to come out fast. They can game plan with reasonable expectations of what Rodgers will be able to do. I for one trust Jordy, Cobb, and Adams (Rodgers can make anyone look good; he is like Tommy that way) to give Aaron the targets he needs to see. And heck, maybe Rodgers gets a little bit healthy this week.
The Seahawks’ home field advantage is worth a lot, but the Packers have more to prove. They are hungrier, and are pissed off. They are pissed off about Week 1. They are pissed off that they don’t get the respect that they fell they deserve. Hell, they are pissed off about the Fail Mary. They will come out with fire in their bellies, and I think they will quiet that crowd quickly, at least as much as can be expected.
Defense wins championships, and the Seahawks have a good one, but I don’t think their O can score with the Pack. Green Bay is not without a solid defense in their own right, and Rodgers on one leg is a more complete quarterback than Russell Wilson at 100%. Give me the Pack 27-23 over the Sea Chickens.
Cole
you brilliant and glorious son of a bitch, this is the best idea you have ever
had. I have missed waxing philosophical about sprots with you, and I hope
this is the start of a long run of at least semi-consistent banter.
To reopen hostilities in The Fourth Seminole War, we have decided to preview the upcoming NFL conference championship games. We will argue one side of each of them, and leave it up to you to decide which of us is more full of shit. First up, the NFC Championship, in which I am taking the Packers.
“But the legion of boom is healthy now and looks amazing! They dominated Carolina in the divisional round!” OK, first of all, don’t brag about beating a team that couldn’t manage to scrape eight wins together in the regular season. And yes, the defense has looked good of late, and they are on a winning streak. But besides the Panthers, that streak includes the Rams, four games against Cardinals and 49ers teams that peaked early and were in the midst of their own crippling issues by season’s end, and the Sanchize. It’s easy for a defense to get healthy against a team marching the Butt Fumble out there (and they were so hopeful when they did it; Philly fans…). And in all those games, the Sea Chickens managed to score over 20 points only twice. Getting held under 20 these days is like getting held to six a couple of decades ago. Fantasy steal, yes; excellent game manager, yes; serious threat in the run game, yes; but Russell Wilson is not going to throw his way into the Super Bowl. If the Pack’s linebackers can contain the running game, they will hold Seattle to a very manageable number. Long story short: I am not drinking the 12th Man Kool-Aid just yet.
The main reason is: the Pack can score on anybody. My old lady’s crush, even on one leg, is good enough to get the ball down the field and find whoever the Legion is willing to give him. A Dallas defense that looked to be playing its best football could not handle Rodgers, even has he gimped around in the backfield completely incapable of doing his usual extend-plays-scramble-for-the-sticks magic. And the there is Eddie Lacy. Even though his first half ruined Girl Cole’s fantasy season, that same shitty first half seems to have left him fresh for this playoff run. If Eddie can do enough to keep the front seven honest, and he and Kuhn can help keep Rodgers upright, Ol’ Dreamy Blue Eyes will find his weapons, Boom or no Boom.
Rodgers has another advantage going for him. He has now played on that leg a lot, and he knows what he is dealing with now. He and his receivers know that the ball will have to come out fast. They can game plan with reasonable expectations of what Rodgers will be able to do. I for one trust Jordy, Cobb, and Adams (Rodgers can make anyone look good; he is like Tommy that way) to give Aaron the targets he needs to see. And heck, maybe Rodgers gets a little bit healthy this week.
The Seahawks’ home field advantage is worth a lot, but the Packers have more to prove. They are hungrier, and are pissed off. They are pissed off about Week 1. They are pissed off that they don’t get the respect that they fell they deserve. Hell, they are pissed off about the Fail Mary. They will come out with fire in their bellies, and I think they will quiet that crowd quickly, at least as much as can be expected.
Defense wins championships, and the Seahawks have a good one, but I don’t think their O can score with the Pack. Green Bay is not without a solid defense in their own right, and Rodgers on one leg is a more complete quarterback than Russell Wilson at 100%. Give me the Pack 27-23 over the Sea Chickens.
ColeHoop:
Rob, my friend, it has been too long since we've done this. Let's get into it.
I hope that I am indeed paying for our next tab at Jim and Milt's. First, because that means we'll be in the same place at the same time, which means we can advance our quest for world domination. Second, because I'm not really fond of the Seahawks. That said, I think they're gonna advance to their second straight Super Bowl.
Let's talk first about the Packers, and let's get right to the point: Aaron Rodgers had a hell of a game on Sunday, even though he wasn't able to scramble and use his legs. Quite simply, he's on another level. The problem is he was facing Dallas, whose defense is simply not on SEATTLE'S level.
Rodgers' elite running and scrambling ability make him the best quarterback in the game. His accuracy, precision, and decision making are superb, but it's his ability to get out of the pocket, throw on the run, and run for positive yardage that separates him from Brady, Luck, Manning, and Wilson. And while his overall talent and his offensive line may have been enough to overcome Dallas, it's simply not going to happen against Seattle without him being able to use his legs. Let's also not forget that Seattle beat Green Bay in week 1 by a score of 36-16, when Rodgers was healthy and able to run.
You can bet Seattle's defense will force Rodgers to win this game entirely with his arm. Lacy's gonna get his, but Rodgers isn't going to be able to run, and that's a problem for Green Bay. I realize how contradictory I may sound considering my praise for Rodgers above, but I don't think people fully understand that Rodgers needs to be able to run in order to be 100% - at which point he's rarely beatable. Unfortunately for your girl's crush, he won't be at 100% this Sunday, and without that, I don't see the Pack pulling it off.
As far as Seattle goes, I see them winning this game due to the following factors:
1. The Seahawks' defense will play out of its mind. They know how to beat Green Bay - they stomped them 36-16 in Week 1. Their pass rush, when it gets on a roll, is a scary thing to behold. And quite frankly, that cocky ass secondary has every right to be cocky. They make you pay for even the slightest mistakes.
2. Because the defense will limit the Packers (by limit, I mean to 22 points or so), Seattle will be able to rely on Marshawn Lynch to bowling ball his way to two touchdowns.
3. Russell Wilson rarely makes mistakes. In fact, the number of interceptions he has thrown has decreased each season: 10 in 2012, 9 in 2013, and 7 in 2014.
4. The 12th Man. Green Bay has felt its sting before and will feel it again.
Seahawks 30 Packers 22
Pitchers of beer are only $2.00 at Jim and Milt's!
Phatty:
OK, I have to admit, when I started arguing in favor of the Pack, I could not find a lot of numbers to support my case. Everything from the comparative DVOA of Dallas, Green Bay, and Seattle to, well, Week 1 kind of let me down. Still, that’s why they play the games, right? You can’t measure hunger, clutch, or most of the other things I went to in order to showcase the Packers’ chances, and stat-heads therefore constantly argue that such things don’t exist. But then why do they play, and why do we watch. Aaron Rodgers is a great quarterback, who has won it all (in great part on his own merits with a team that was riddled with key injuries), and I think the quarterback matchup will be key.
I miss 10-6 defensive struggles. I miss 3 yards and a cloud of dust; I miss dust, and dirt, and mud. I miss watching great defenses play (and I am not sold on the Legion of Boom’s long-term memorability). Honestly, I miss watching defenses that are actually allowed to play. Woody Hayes said that “only three things can happen when you throw a football, and two of them are bad.” Now four things can happen, because a pass interference or defensive holding penalty is now almost as common as a reception.
I miss the league that they have been working very hard over the last decade or so to kill. That being said, since it is now a quarterback’s league and everyone else is just playing in it, I am going with the better quarterback, not the guy who is still ultimately young and underwhelming enough to end up on the Brad Johnson Super Bowl Winning Mediocre Quarterbacks Scrap Heap.
Also, Tony Corrente is reffing the game, and last time he was the official for a Seahawks game he threw 14 flags on them. Watch out, Legion of Boom.
ColeHoop
Aaron Rodgers is my favorite NFL quarterback, and I believe if he stays healthy, he will end his career as the best quarterback of all time. I've often wondered if we should consider his sitting behind Brett Favre for three seasons a blessing or a curse. Were we blessed that he was able to learn behind #4, or were we deprived of three years of his phenomenal abilities? One thing's for certain: he'll never be able to make up those three years in terms of statistics, so it's unlikely that he holds any of the major records when he retires. But I maintain that when he retires 7-10 years from now, he's very likely going to be considered the greatest ever.
Even though that is a conversation for another time, I think it's pertinent to my rebuttal. Rodgers is beyond special, but as I said, what makes him extra special is his running ability. If that leg isn't 100%, he can't work that magic. Also, while he's obviously the better quarterback in this matchup, Wilson is also a M-A-N, especially considering some members of his surrounding cast. Besides Marshawn Lynch and Doug Baldwin, can you tell me, without looking it up, who else touches the ball for Seattle? Let's also not forget that in this quarterback's league, Wilson and the 'Hawks ran over Peyton Manning on the grandest stage of them all.
Bottom line for me: Rodgers is the better quarterback, but Seattle is the better overall team, which is why they win this Sunday.
I'm with you on wanting more low scoring games. As a Bucs fan, I long for the days when 17 points scored by the offense means you can close it up, because the defense ain't allowing more than 16.
ALSO DID YOU KNOW THAT BOBBY BOWDEN REJECTED AARON RODGERS
AT FSU? I'M TYPING IN CAPS 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO EXPRESS MY
FRUSTRATION.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)