With The First Pick, the Indianapolis Colts Take…

That’s right, folks, the Colts are officially on the clock. Although, they don’t need to look further than Stanford’s Andrew Luck. Don’t get me wrong, I love Peyton Manning. Drafting Luck is no disrespect to Manning. Manning is 35 years old. He will be 36 before the 2012 season begins. At best, he has 3 PRIME years remaining, and that’s if he is fully recovered from his neck injury. I have no problems with Luck sitting on the bench for a couple of years and taking notes form the best quarterback to ever play the game. Aaron Rogers watched Brett Favre. Carson Palmer watched Jon Kitna. Tom Brady watched Drew Bledsoe. The list goes on. Throwing a rookie quarterback into the fire has proven to be a mistake. Look at all the past qbs that have been disappointments: Jamarcus Russell, Vince Young, Akili Sith, Cade McCown. This past year has been an anomaly. The successes of Ponder, Dalton and Super Cam is something I’ve never seen. Nevertheless, you’re going to hear a lot of jibberish about the Colts taking Luck. They shouldn’t taken Robert Griffin. They shouldn’t draft a running back. They shouldn’t draft defense. They shouldn’t trade their pick. Draft the kid, let him sit for a couple of years. Luckily for us, we still have a month of playoffs, upsets, and the Superbowl coming up.  If you’re team is still in the hunt, don’t watch them from your couch.  Take you son, your buddy, your wife, or just go yourself and support them live.  Ticketnetwork.com has the best seats for all the games.

NFL ACTION… PARITY AT IT’S BEST

I will preface this article by saying that I’m a Kansas City Chief fan. With that said, how the heck to the Green Bay Packers lose to the Chiefs?  13-1 Packers against 6-8 Chiefs? Packers with pretty much all their starters against the Chiefs with a quarterback that just joined the team 2 weeks ago? I don’t understand. The Packers have been destroying most teams every week.  They had gone through the tough part of their schedule and had  one away game left on their schedule, at Arrowhead.  Trap game?  Not sure if you can call it that.  I can call it playing down to the level of your competition.  A lot of dropped balls by the WR corp.  Having watched sports for many, many moons, I’ve learned that no matter who you are playing, if you enter the 4th quarter with a close game when you should be up by a lot, all bets are off.  Pride kicks in? Ask the Trojans a few years ago when the Bruins ruined their National title  hopes.  This was going to be a perfect season for the Packers, capped off by a Superbowl victory.  Hasn’t been done since those wretched Dolphins.  Now we have to hear about how Mercury Morris and his cronies popped a bottle of champagne.  Tom Brady and his bunch could’ve done it a few years ago but Eli and company took him down.  Great win for the Chiefs though.  Not sure why they can’t play like this every week?  The problem with this win is that it will probably get interim coach Romeo Cronell the job, which is not what the Chiefs need.  Oh well, it is nice to play spoiler though.

 

Lakers’ Christmas Wish

So it seems like the Los Angeles Lakers are interested in Chris Paul and Dwight Howard.  Let’s just say it works cap-wise, how the heck would New Orleans and Orlando basically hand the Lakers the Championship. The Lakers starting lineup would be Chris Paul at the point, Kobe at the 2, Ron Artest at the small forward, Dwight Howard in the middle and Derrick Caracter at power forward?  In essence, the Lakers are going all in with this move, if it happens.  I do like trading away Andrew Bynum.  He’s had knee problems for a while and I don’t think he likes being a 4th option. I’d love to see how he is when he’s the man.  Although I’d miss Pau Gasol, getting Howard will give the Lakers a physical presence in the paint.  As for L.O., consistency has always been a problem for Lamar.  Double-double one game, M.I.A. the next. Getting Chris Paul will finally give the Lakers a true point guard, one they haven’t had since Magic. I can see the Dwight Howard trade happening but not Chris Paul. Paul has made it obviosu that he wants to go to NY to play with Carmelo and Amare.  Paul is not an LA guy.  He’s East Coast. If the Lakers made this move, it would be the sickest every.  Better than the Shaq signing, better than the Pau Gasol. Anyway, Lakers better be good if they want Santa to give them title hopes for the next 5 years…

I AM TIM TEBOW

What a game today against the Chargers! Ok, maybe it wasn’t that pretty of a game but it went to overtime and in the wee minutes of the extra period, Tim Tebow, the prophet, marches his followers down the field and puts his team in a position to win it with a field goal… and they do. I’m not hear to talk about the Xs and Os of the game.  I’m here to say one thing: Tell John Elway and John Fox to get off the bandwagon.  I’ve never, ever, in any sport, seen 2 guys high up in an organization VERBALLY and PUBLICLY throw one of their own under the bus week after week.  Everyone has said that Tebow couldn’t make it as a starter in the league; how it was a mistake that the Broncos drafted him; how it was a mistake to bench Kyle Orton and then even release him. Well folks, here’s a slice of crow’s pie.  Tebow is 5-1 in his last 6 starts and has put his team in a position to win the AFC West.  The San Diego Chargers are out.  The Kansas City Chiefs are out.  If the Broncos defense led by Von Miller, Champ Bailey and Elvis Dummerville can continue doing what they do, this fairytale ride might not end as soon as you think.  Next up for the Broncos, the struggling Vikings in Minnesota.  Head over to Ticketnetwork.com where they got the best seats for the best prices.

USC STILL THE CLASS OF THE PAC-12

Bowl ban, shmole ban.  Take away their scholarships, take away their heismans, but you can’t take away their pride  After beating the Oregon Ducks in Autzen a week ago, the Trojans came home to play their final game in of season against the Bruins who were looking to get into the Pac-12 titale game with a subpar 6-6 records.  Matt Barkley threw for over 400 yards and 6 touchdowns in what I believe will be his last game at the Coliseum. There’s no quarterback in the country that’s playing better than Barkley right now, including Stanford phenom Andrew Luck.  How pathetic of a showing by the Bruins. Head Coach Rick Neuheisal is probably out this offseason.  Junior quarterback Kevin Prince needs to be replaced as well.  I know this guy’s only a junior but it seems like he’s been QB for UCLA for 10 years.  Anyway, I’m proud of the Trojans and proud of Lane Kiffin for bringing this team back to the top after Pete Carroll and company ditched them when the going got rough.  Time for the SC contingency to embrace Kiffin. Time for SC to take back the crown.  Time for another Heisman celebration.

 

PENN STATE SLAMS DOOR ON JOE PATERNO

I’m sure by the time you read this you would have already  heard that head coach Joe Paterno was fired from Penn. State.  If you disagree with the decision made by the board of trustees, Google the Sandusky Grand Jury Reports.  If you still disagree with the decision, I want you to think about this: let’s say you had a 10 year old son and you found out that a defensive coordinator of a Division I college football program was sodomizing him.  Then, let’s say that the head coach new about it but didn’t report it to the proper authorities. Now how do you feel about the trustees’ decision?

This had to happen and it had to happen now.  There needs to be additional firings.  The president of the University Graham Spanier is just the beginning.  I would even get rid of the then graduate assistant coach now wide receivers coach Mike McQueary.  How this guy could witness a kid getting raped in the shower and run away is beyond me.  He was probably 23 years old at the time of the incident and should have whooped Sanduzky’s ass.  This is only the 2nd day and look at all that’s unraveled.  It’s gonna get a lot worse before it gets better.  The U.S. Department of Education has gotten involved, the police have gotten involved and the NCAA should get involved too.  They gave USC the death sentence for receiving improper benefits. I’m not even going to suggest how they should handle this.  As for those idiot students that rallied in front of Paterno’s house yesterday night and probably gonna go and riot tonight, I say go for it… GO TEAR UP YOUR SCHOOL FOR FINALLY PUTTING THEIR MORALS AHEAD OF THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM.

 

Colts: LUCKY to be 0-8

Right now, the Indianapolis Colts are 0-8, winless.  They’ve sucked all year and we all know the reason why… PEYTON MANNING.  On the one hand, I get it.  He’s been the league MVP and the best qb for over a decade, take him away and dunzies.  On the other hand, I blame Indy management.  How could you not prepare for this?  And sometimes I wonder, just how bad is Curtis Painter? How can a professional football player be so bad? What happened to the rest of the Colts? Dallas Clark? Reggie Wayne? Garcon? Collie? Freeney? There are some playmakers on this team, or at least I thought there were. Personally, I don’t think Manning is going to return. Sadly, one of my favorite players of all-time, I don’t know how he can, having multiple neck surgeries and even going to the lengths of having stem cell.  It’s very likely the Colts finish 0-16 this year.  Regardless of Manning status, they should draft Andrew Luck from Stanford.  If he’s the next Marino/Elway or even Manning, they owe it to the franchise to draft him.  This is a business.  You can’t worry about feelings getting hurt. I miss Peyton Manning.  Can’t you feel the pain in my words…

NFL Game of the Week, Patriots at Steelers

This is a clash of the titans… Battle for first place in the AFC and what might ultimately be the breaking point for home filed throughout the playoffs.  It seems like it was just yesterday when the Steelers were getting their asses handed to them by the Ravens in the home opener.  Well, fast forward to today and the Steelers have gone 4-1.  Sure their wins have come against Seattle, Indy, Jacksonville, Tennessee, and Arizona, but a win’s a win.  This week against the Pats will be the real test.  The Steelers aren’t the same team they used to be.  Their defense is banged up and the only test they’ve had this year was against Baltimore in week 1.  Luckily for them,  the Patriots defense is just as shitty, especially their secondary.  But you can never count out the dynamic duo of Tom Brady and Wes Welker.  Throw in the Hernandez and Gronkowski tight end combo and you have a passing offense that’s #1 in the league.  If I had to bet on the game, I’d take the Steelers and the points.  That’s right, the Steelers are dogs in their own house.  But I’m taking them only because they’re at home. If this game was in Foxborough, the Pats would be favored by at least a TD.  Either way, if you’re thinking about catching the game, head over to Ticketnetwork.com, they got the best seats for the best prices. And say hi to Steely Dan for me too…

Terrell Owens: Karma’s A Bitch

Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo just to name a few…  Years and years after throwing his quarterbacks and coaches under the bus, after making it all about him, Terrell Owens is getting serve a piece of humble pie. Oh, “I’ve changed, really.” After undergoing knee surgery, T.O. put on a workout show yesterday in front of cameras in hopes of tricking an NFL team into signing him.  I’m sure some NFL team will bite, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.  I’m glad there were no scouts at the workout.  The owners should band together and blackball this guy out of the league.  And how sleazy is Drew Rosenhaus?  Tip for Owen, when working out in front of cameras, don’t hunch over and look like you’re breathing out of your ass. T.O. will definitely go down as one of the top wideouts in the history, definitely a first ballot hall of famer. But at the age of 37, this guy has burned way too many bridges.

NFL GAME OF THE WEEK LIONS AT COWBOYS

I never thought that I would use “lock of the week” and Detroit Lions in the same sentence but after the way they’ve been playing this year, I’m intrigued. They have the best receiver in Calvin Johnson and a streaking quarterback in Matt Stafford.  I love Ndamukong Suh (if that’s how you spell his name). He’s probably the best DT in the league.  It took years of losing and losing but the Motor City finally has something to cheer about. As for them ‘boys, they’re a bad Monday night opener from being 3-0.  Sure Romo’s banged up but there’s something magical happening with this team that I haven’t seen in years.  Dez Bryant is hurt and the running game is struggling but Romo’s got this team believing.  That and having Demarcus Ware on your D isn’t bad either.  Take the Cowboys with the points, they’re 1 point favorites. In fact, if you’re in the Dallas area, go and watch this game. Ticketnetwork.com has tickets available to this and almost all the other NFL games going on this weekend.