Tagged: NFL

Super Aaron

               After beating the Steelers and winning Super Bowl 45 Sunday night,  Aaron Rodgers is now officially an
elite quarterback. In my opinion, you have to do to things to be an elite
quarterback in the National Football League.

First, you have to be well . . . great. You
have to make other guys better. Do you think Wes Welker would put up the stats
he puts up with Tom Brady if say Colt McCoy was throwing at him?

The second thing is pretty simple, yet
hard to accomplish. You have to win at least one ring. When you win a ring it
means that the quarterback is great and tough. He makes his teammates better,
and he is a leader on and off the field.

For example look at Aaron Rodgers, Drew
Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady
(the quarterbacks of last six Super Bowl champions) and tell me that they
aren’t great, they aren’t though, they don’t make their teammates better, and
they aren’t a leader on and off the field. You can’t.

In the case of Roethlisberger I question
his leadership after his actions that got him a four game suspension from the
NFL. After that, his teammates didn’t even select him as a team captain. I mean
most teams have their quarterback as their captain.

At the end of the day though the Packers
won and will be going to the Whitehouse (they has potential for awkwardness
since Obama is a Bears fan).

Continue reading →

Dazed, Confused, and Defeated

                As
I sit here writing, I am still trying to figure out exactly why the New England
Patriots had to lose to the New York Jets. I mean any team but the trash
talking, cocky, annoying Jets. I would have rather gotten killed by the Steelers
next week, murdered in the Super Bowl by the Packers or Bears, heck even lose
in the divisional round to a team like the Seahawks then lose to the foot
loving Jets.

Now I know that when I turn on Mike and
Mike tomorrow, Mike Greenberg will be sitting there saying how much he loves
Mark Sanchez and how good the Jets are.

Any team but the Jets. Any team. Any
team. I would have just loved the Jets to shut up. I mean after the week
thirteen loss, the Jets actually shut up! That was arguably the best two days
of the football schedule, the two days when the Jets were absolutely quiet.

 

 

But now though I think I’m beginning to
understand why exactly the Patriot loss still stings so badly and why it is
still keeping me up at night, two nights later.  My conclusion is, Boston sport fans have been spoiled since
2001.

Name one other city with just one NFL,
NBA, and MLB with stars like Tom Brady, Paul Pierce, and David Ortiz. You just
can’t.

Since 2001 the Patriots have won three
Super Bowls (2001, 2003, 2004), The Red Sox have won two World Series (2004,
2007), and the Celtics won the NBA Finals back in 2008. That’s six
championships out of the possible twenty-seven, or over 22%, of all the possible
championships in the NFL, MLB, and NBA, since 2001.

 

Red Sox Tickets: Red Sox 2007.jpg


No offense to anyone, but many Boston
sport fans, myself included, can be brats when it comes to sports.

 Oh this guy isn’t doing good trade him. We have a weakness at
this position, so we have to get the best guy out there. When we don’t get what
we want, we let people hear it. Same thing for New York, Philadelphia, Chicago,
etc. fans. Again, no offense.

However, that’s part of the “beauty” of
large marker sports. In Kansas City and Baltimore fans are more laid back for
the most part. Again, no offense. Fans are so dedicated and passionate about
winning. They accept nothing but the best. Look at the crazy fans at football
games that paint their whole body. They are either Raider fans, or fans of the
Patriots, Jets, Giants, Eagles, Bears, etc. When you grow up around a winning
culture, you don’t know how to deal with defeat. Do you get angry or sad? Does
it last a few days or a few weeks?

 


Recently though, I’ve been learning how
to deal with defeat (unfortunately). The Celtics lost game seven of the NBA
Finals, the Red Sox didn’t even make the playoffs, and now the Patriots are
potentially “done” with their dynasty.

When you’re a kid, you can’t imagine that
your team will lose. I mean they’re your team.
When your team does lose it teaches you a great lesson in sportsmanship and how
to deal with defeat. I am just now getting that lesson though.

I have a friend who is a Cleveland sports
fan and trust me he has got that lesson . . . big time. Today though, I realize
that when I’m practically screaming at the TV after a Kevin Garnett alley oop,
or a Tom Brady touchdown, or a David Ortiz home run. There is some ten-year-old
kid either upset or mad that that had to happen against his team. But he doesn’t know that he is learning maybe the most
valuable lesson in sports.

Looking back, I wish there was a time
when I was that ten-year-old kid. I wish I had learned that lesson sooner then
latter. The “bad” news is that the Celtics look to be making another title run
and the Red Sox have restocked to win another ring. On second thought, I think
that lesson can wait another year. J

When you don’t know how to deal with
defeat and accept nothing but the best and you don’t get the best it stings more
then anything.



-Photo Credits

1.) http://www.cantstopthebleeding.com/tomase-pats-spied-on-the-rams-before-sbxxvi

2.) http://connect.in.com/red-sox-tickets/photos-1-1-1-                    72693d71aaca1b6b9cf5cbfeec0dac4d.html

3.) http://gallery.neoseeker.com/Lesley%20Pro_04/photostream/2020860158


P.S. Rex Ryan owes me for not making the title Dazed, Confused, and De-feet-ed

NFL Playoff Predictions

Yesterday was a slow news day, but MLB Network did show the 2004 World Series along with part one of five Red Sox memories.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will win the Super Bowl. They have lock down defense and defense beats offense (most of the time). If the don’t get Big Ben then well they will lose in the first game. Here is my bracket.
Colts- The Colts will beat the Chargers because Peyton Manning is riding high after winning MVP and they will beat the Titans because the Titans don’t have that quarterback that can handle Peyton Manning. They will lose to the Steelers because defense beats offense most of the time.
Chargers- The Chargers shouldn’t even be in the playoffs.An eight and eight team shouldn’t even be in the playoffs. LT is great and same thing with Rivers but an eight and eight team shouldn’t be in the playoffs.
Titans- I still don’t think the Titans are real. They don’t have a pro bowl QB like the Colts which in the playoffs you have to have a great QB to survive.
Steelers- The Steelers have one of the best defenses ever thats right ever. They have Big Ben at QB which also helps. If Big Ben is out his back up isn’t that bad, but then the Steelers will lose to the Colts.
Dolphins- The Dolphins are young and haven’t been in the playoffs much. They don’t have enough experience to be a real contender in the playoffs but hey look at the Tampa Bay Rays. The Dolphins had the easiest schedule in the NFL, because they did so badly last year.
Ravens- Baltimore has Michael Phelps, the Ravens, and some really bad teams. The Ravens have a great defense just not as good as Pittsburgh. Look for Ray Lewis to have a big game against the Dolphins and the Steelers. In the game against the Steelers it will come down to offense.
Cardinals- The Cardinals are pretty good. They have a .563 winning percentage. They shouldn’t be in while Tampa Bay, Chicago, Cowboys, and the Jets have the same record and play in a harder division and the Patriots have a better record and blew out the Cardinals when they played them. Kurt Warner has to have a big game if they want to beat Matt Ryan.
Falcons- Matt Ryan is the next hall of fame quarterback. When the Falcons lost Vick it looked like they where going to need a few years. When they started Ryan it was a huge gamble that payed off. Ryan needs a HUGE game to upset the Giants though.
Giants- Eli is no long Peyton’s little brother, Eli is Peyton’s little brother. (Okay maybe that’s a little far.) The Giants have a great offense and have been here before. They have a good punter and a good kicker along with a pretty good defense.
Panthers- The Panthers are the most over rated team in the NFL. They will get “upset” by the Eagles. If they don’t want to get upset then they need to have a huge game from Steve Smith, the Pro Bowl Wide Receiver.
Vikings- Minnesota is like Baltimore. They have a good baseball and football team while they have a bad basketball and hockey team. The Vikings will get upset by the Eagles. If they want to avoid getting upset then they will need to have a big game from Adrian Peterson and great defense from Jared Allen.
Eagles- The 2008-2009 Eagles are last years 2007-2008 Giants, unless they face the New York Giants. The Eagles are the hottest team in the NFL. They have a good QB being Donovan McNabb and pretty good defense.