Tom Brady's Injury Is Proof That God Loves Us And Wants Us To Be Happy

I mean, wow. Wow wow wow. What a weekend. Tom Brady throws three passes and gets his ACL torn. Yes, there is a god. And He is a just god, because boy did Boston deserve this, those arrogant fucking pricks.

In additon to that game, which was glorious, the Eagles beat the shit out of the Rams (who looked terrible), the Phillies took two of three from the Mets (although I was at the loss Sunday night, which was the 2nd time I've seen Santana beat Hamels this season) the Panthers shocked the Chargers, and Brett Favre was, well, Brett Favre.

Now back to Brady. I mean, this is just fantastic. And yes, I am absolutely chugging haterade right now. This team isn't even guaranteed a playoff spot now (though I'm sure they'll get one). To be fair, Matt Cassell looked competent, but he WAS playing the Chiefs. I just really hope a 7-9 season is in the works, even if it means the continual fellation of the first place, Brett Favre led Jets. That's how much I hate the Patriots. Thank you Jebus. This weekend has been divine.

Favraro Needs To Be Taken Out Back And Shot

I don't know who first coined the term "Favraro", but good god is it fitting. This story just wont die, even thought the vast majority of the populace doesn't give half of a shit. What the hell is Brett Favre thinking? He's "got the itch"? Hey Brett, you're always going to have "the itch" to play football. You're a professional football player! It's all you know. Guys don't retire because they stop liking football. They retire because they're skills diminish and training camp takes too much of a toll on their older bodies.

Those two qualifiers certainly seem to apply to Favre. Despite a pretty good season last year, his skills are clearly not what they once were, and let's not forget his shitting of the proverbial bed in the NFC championship game. At home. Against a Wild Card team. And yes, I know they won the Super Bowl. But still. And as for the rigors of training camp, that stuff takes its toll on 21 year olds. Favre is 38. 38 for a football player is downright ancient. Why Favre would want to subject himself to that all for the sake of maybe winning a playoff game is beyond me.

What is also beyond me is why any NFL team would convey interest in Favre. I think the Vikings did it just to screw with the Packers. John Clayton says the Redskins and the Panthers wont get involved. At this point I can't imagine what team would. A 38 year old egomaniac hick who just happens to be a slightly better than average (at best!) quarterback at this point in his career? No thanks. Not even Jerry Jones is crazy enough to take on Favre. Someone needs to convince Hank Steinbrenner that Favre can pitch. No that would be a story.

Anyway, the bottom line is that Favre has ruined what was going to be a shiny, surefire hall of fame legacy. Yes, he'll end up in the Hall, but now were going to remember him as that idiot drama queen who didn't know when to call it a day. Even if he never plays another game, the damage has been done. And I haven't gotten into how disrespectful he's being to Packers fans, arguably the most devoted fans in all of American sports. Well done, Brett. You have achieved irreversible douchetard status. You should be proud. Now please, fuck off.

The Eagles Signed Asante Samuel?

Really? Hmm. I guess that means Lito Sheppard is on his way out. That, or the Eagles are planning on having the best nickelback in the league. If they trade Lito, here's hoping it's for a top of the line receiver. No offense, Mr. Curtis.

Just like the Eagles to try and steal some of the Phillies' thunder. While I'm pleased with the signing, it can't change the fact that baseball is coming.

Only 30 days till Opening Day.

It's Time To Move On

Yes, the NFL season is officially over. True, it was really over last weekend, but the Pro Bowl did manage to give the illusion of football despite the lack of defense and touches for Brian Westbrook. (3 touches? Come the fuck on.) And yet, there is promise for what many consider to be the bleakest annual period of time for pro sports.

The Lakers traded for Pau Gasol without losing any important pieces. The Suns traded Shawn Marion to the Heat for Shaquille O'Neal. And Baseball, sweet, sweet baseball, is less than two months away. So fear not sports fan, we have plenty to look forward to. Hell, there's even some hockey worth watching.



Note: I don't think this is worth watching because the linesman got hurt. (He suffered a broken jaw and needed 60 stitches, but should be ok.) I just love how the players took it as an opportunity to incite a brawl.

Hooray! It's Super Bowl Sunday!

Oh wait. No it isn't. Fuuuuuck. You go to hell, NFL.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I still love you. But hurry with the Super Bowl. I can't take much more of this tennis, golf and figure skating.

The Giants Are Going To The Super Bowl?

Really? They are? These Giants? The 2007 Giants? The ones that allowed 80 points in their opening two games (both losses)? The Giants that this guy quarterbacks?


Really?

REALLY?

Wow. I was in NYC for the game, and many of my friends who are Giants fans had the same reaction. Sure, they're thrilled, but to say this has exceeded expectations would be like saying Eli is a tad tipsy in the above photo. Zwill (yes, he's still alive) said he thought this was a 6 win team at best. After the first two games this season I was convinced this was a bottom 5 team. Now, 17 games and 10 straight road wins later, this team is playing in the Super Bowl. Man, you gotta love the NFC. I will have more thoughts on the big game later. For now, there's one other thing I need to address.

While I hate to admit it, I agree with Angelo Cataldi. PAY. RYAN. FUCKING. HOWARD. PAY HIM NOW AND DO NOT STOP PAYING HIM UNTIL HE RETIRES. This, oh shortsighted and cheap owners of the Phillies, is NOT negotiable. I understand that he is only a third year player and not eligible for free agency until 2011. You know what? I don't give a fuck. He's 28, not 25. The only reason he doesn't have three more years of big league experience is because you shitfucks failed to realize his talent.

I remember going to a Reading Phillies game during the summer of 2004 and seeing some huge black dude swat two monstrous home runs and a double for a cool 5 RBIs. I turned to one of my buddies and said, "Who the fuck is Ryan Howard?" Now I know. If you continue to lowball this man until 2011, do you really think he's going to forget it? I wouldn't. If he ever plays for another team, it will be devastating to the Phillies for the indefinite future, possibly forever. That new generation of fans - you know, the ones even younger than I am - that the Phillies have established over the last two years, thanks in large part to Ryan Howard hitting over 100 homeruns over that span, would be crushed. It would be like letting Babe Ruth go to the Yankees. Is Howard as good as Babe Ruth? No. He isn't even the best player on his team. But he is, all things considered, the most important. And you don't let guys like that walk away and expect to not suffer the consequences. Pay the man. Pay him a lot. And then let us never speak of this again.

Now This Is Bad Parenting

While reading the paper today I came across this article about a Wisconsin man and his 7 year old son. Here's an excerpt:

"Upset that his 7-year-old son wouldn't wear a Green Bay Packers Jersey during the team's playoff victory Saturday, a man restrained the boy for an hour with tape and taped the jersey onto him."

The man was charged with disorderly conduct and fined $186. While what he did seems pretty awful - and it was - the bigger question is, "Why would a 7-year-old boy living in Wisconsin refuse to wear a Packers jersey if his dad was such a big fan?" Why on Earth would your own son not want to wear the team's jersey? I got my first Eagles jersey when I was 9 and it felt 8 years too late. I was thrilled to finally get one. And my dad isn't even that huge of an Eagles fan.

It's one thing if you live in another city and your kids want to root for the local teams because all their friends do. It's another thing entirely when you live in Wisconsin and your son refuses to wear a Packer's jersey. Regardless of whether or not you taped the kid up, you have failed as a father.

This Is Fantastic

I can't believe I didn't see this until 3 AM. He threw McNabb under the bus after the Super Bowl but he's crying for Tony Romo? Good fucking Christ. I could really get used to the Tony Romo era in Dallas if every season is going to end with spectacular failure. Enjoy the clip, which comes to you via KSK.

Oops

Maybe the Colts aren't going to win the Super Bowl after all. Oh well. I guess it'll be the Pats. I certainly can't see the Chargers beating them, but hey, that's what I said about the Colts, so who knows. By the way, what were the odds that Billy Volek would score the game winning touchdown for the Chargers? 800 billion to one? Higher? They were probably about the same as the odds of the Giants playing in the NFC Championship game when the season started. Whatever. I'm just glad the Cowboys lost. Ha. Hahaha. Hahahahahahaha. Fuck Dallas.

Playoff Picks, Round 2

Last week I was 2-2, though I WAS 3-1 against the spread. Whatever. Kickoff is in 2 hours and I need to make this quick.

Seattle at Green Bay: I'm STILL not sold on the Packers, the number 2 seed in the NFC (what a shitty conference!) but the Seahawks are even worse. Shaun Alexander, you can die a slow, painful, embarrassingly homosexual death, a la Vito Spatafore. And Hasselbeck, you can go to hell too. Not because you aren't good, but because I drafted Phillip Rivers instead of you on my fantasy team. Fuck Phillip Rivers. And fuck you for being bald. If you had hair, I probably would have trusted you more and drafted you. Green Bay wins, and the Favre Fellatio continues for at least another week.

Jacksonville at New England: Yeah, the Jags match up well against the Pats, but they didn't look too impressive against the Steelers. If it weren't for a botched holding call on 4th down, we'd be talking about how badly the Steelers would lose tot he Pats. (BADLY.) Anyway, are you really going to take David Garrard against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick at home? I'm not. Pats cruise to the AFC championship.

N.Y. Giants at Dallas: Well, everyone and their mother is picking Eli and his "road warrior" Giants on the road, and not without due cause. The Cowboys haven't looked that good since the Green Bay game. T.O. is banged up (though I think he plays and plays well). Romo's IQ is dropping by association due to his blond love interest. No, not Joe Buck. Her. And the Giants are playing well. Also, this is the third time these teams are meeting this season. They know each other. Either way, it will be close. I hate both of these teams, and nothing would make me happier than a Dallas loss, but I don't think it happens this week. The Cowboys win a thoroughly entertaining game.

San Diego at Indianapolis: Norv Turner and Phillip Rivers against Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning? Ha. Ha ha. Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. Yeah. Fucking. Right. This will be the least close of the games this weekend. Indy will win handily. Remember, they DID win 13 of their first 15 games. And yes, one of those 2 losses was to the Chargers, but had Vinatieri made a relatively close field goal with less than 2 minutes left, they would have won. I'm going on the record now and saying I think the Colts win the Super Bowl.

That'll do it for now. Enjoy the games.

Westbrook Named To All Pro Team

Brian Westbrook was named as one of two All Pro running backs today by the Associated Press. (The other was Ladainian Tomlinson.) Westbrook, who led the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 2,104, certainly deserved it. No other Eagles were selected, and really, none deserved to be. The team seems pretty solid in terms of who deserves to be there; only Ed Reed stuck out as someone who might not have earned his spot. That being said, Reed, who only had 39 tackles, did have 7 interceptions. (The entire team can be seen here.)

My only other real complaint was Devin Hester as the kick returner. That guy is just plain overrated.

Jeff Garcia Does It Again

For the third time in his career, Jeff Garcia led his team past the Giants in the playoffs, outplaying Eli Manning en route to an easy victory for the Bucs. This of course will validate the opinion of many in Philadelphia that Eagles should have resigned the 37 year old quarterback despite having a younger, more talented QB on their roster. Yes, after watching his virtuoso performance today in Florida, one has to wonder why the Eagles didn't resign Garcia. Good luck in Dallas next week Jeff.

Playoff Picks

This is not against the spread. Just who I think will win. I'll be doing this every week through the Super Bowl. Let's get it on.

Saturday:
-Washington at Seattle: The Seahawks aren't very good. Neither are the Redskins. Gotta love the NFC. Seattle is very good at home, and I like Matt Hasselbeck more than Todd Collins. Seattle wins a boring game.

-Jacksonville at Pittsburgh: Contrary to popular belief, the Jags did not blow the Steelers out last time. Also, everyone and their mother is picking the Jags. Not a good sign. Pittsburgh wins at home.

Sunday:
-N.Y. Giants at Tampa Bay: I'm not terribly sold on the Bucs, but the Giants stink. (Again, gotta love the NFC.) It's Eli Manning people. He may never win a playoff game. The Bucs outplay one of the worst 10 win teams of all time.

-Tennessee at San Diego: There's a chance Kerry Collins starts this game. Yikes. Norv isn't going to blow this one. San Diego wins easily.

Ah, playoff football. Even without the Eagles, I still love you. Enjoy the weekend.

This Just In: Donovan McNabb Is Still Good

I don't care if the Saints have a terrible secondary. I don't care if that final TD was a result of mind-boggling play calling. Donny can still play. Fuck all you haters. Yes, Angelo Cataldi, I AM looking at you. Blowhard.

To everyone else, Merry Christmas. That's right, I said it. Merry fucking Christmas. Hanukkah is over, and really, does anyone even know what Kwanzaa is? Kwanzaabot has been handing out that book for over 600 years. If you do know what it is, and you celebrate it, Happy Kwanzaa.

I'll be taking a few days off from this, unless something really awesome or noteworthy happens. Enjoy the holiday(s).

My Thoughts On A Game I'm Not Going To Watch

Hooray, the Pro Bowl! Excuse while I don't give a shit. Still, the selection is interesting. It's always nice to see Eagles going to the game. Westbrook obviously deserves to be there. I suppose Andrews does too, but I don't know much about offensive lines. All in all I don't have much of a problem with the rosters, but I do have a couple legit gripes.

First of all, where is Trent Cole? He is 3rd in the NFL in sacks with 12.5, 2nd in the NFC, and he has been by far the best and most consistent player on the Eagles' defense. I understand that they're 6-8, and that the players taken ahead of him are all on playoff teams, but Osi Umenyiora? Don't get me wrong, he's good, but had William (Tra) Thomas played in week 4, he doesn't come anywhere near this roster. Half (HALF!) of his 12 sacks came in one game against a clearly overmatched Winston Justice. Cole has 65 tackles to Umenyiora's 43, and they have both forced 4 fumbles. Also, Cole doesn't have the luxury of playing opposite Michael Strahan. Why no one else outside of Philadelphia is mentioning this, I don't know.

Second, Al Harris is starting in the Pro Bowl? Really? HE'S A FUCKING BUM. I don't care if he's big and fast, he can't cover anyone! It's like people in the NFL don't actually watch him play. Have fun with Randy Moss, Al. Just don't forget to celebrate the one interception off a deflected pass after Randy has already torched you for 3 TDs and 120 yards in the 1st half.

And last and maybe even least, no disrespect to Adrian "Purple Jesus" Peterson, but Westbrook should be the starter for the NFC. Peterson is a hell of a player. He absolutely deserves to be on the team, and I'm sure this won't be his last Pro Bowl. But if you needed to win a game tomorrow, and you had to take one NFC running back, it wouldn't be Peterson. (It might be Steven Jackson, but he's missed too many games to qualify for this argument.) I'm not saying Peterson won't be a better player than Westbrook, but right now, he isn't nearly as complete. No, Westbrook isn't going to run for 296 yards anytime soon, especially not with the way the Eagles play the game. But he would also never gain only 3 yards on 14 carries. That just wouldn't happen. Westbrook is also the best pass-catching RB in the game. He has 83 receptions to Peterson's 17, with 450 more yards to show for it. Peterson has 13 overall scores, Westbrook has 11. Peterson has lost 3 fumbles, Westbrook has lost 1, and it was his first in over 500 touches. Peterson has a very bright future ahead of him, but I don't think he's had a better year than Brian Westbrook. Call me a homer, but I think the stats back me up.

Well Done Fellas

You beat the Cowboys. That's always nice. Now do us all a favor and lose the next two games. We need the highest possible draft pick. Don't do anything crazy like go and make the playoffs. No one needs that.

Anyway, there have got to be a lot of pissed off fantasy football players today, and not just because Westbrook took a knee at the 1 yard line instead of scoring a TD. At least he put up 140 total yards before that. Needed 5 points from Tom Brady or Tony Romo? Sorry. Needed 8 From Randy Moss? Tough shit. Needed 4 from T.O. Oops. Got stuck playing against Aaron Stecker? Damn. But hey, this happens every year. Once you get to the playoffs, it's a new game. Kinda like real football, though the similarities end there.

Anyway, I'm not crazy enough to think the Eagles' season isn't over, even if, mathematically, it isn't. But beating Dallas in Dallas in a meaningful game always makes me smile.

T.O. or Randy? The Debate Ends Here

Yeah, I know this blog hasn't been updated in almost a week. Sorry. I been busy. Zwill might be dead. It won't happen again. Unless it does. Anyway, moving on. Before I get into the crux of this post - who is a better player, T.O. or Randy Moss - I'd just like to add a couple things about the Birds game.

Um, they stink. I'm not sure the Eagles have ever been this mediocre in my life - they've been better, and they've been worse. The play calling stinks, the execution outside of Westbrook leaves a lot to be desired, and the receivers just aren't good enough to make defenses worry about anyone other than Westbrook. The reason this offense was so fearsome in 2004 wasn't just a healthy McNabb and a superb Westbrook. It had a lot to do with a certain closeted homosexual that was really good at catching footballs.

They had their big 3 and they barely lost to a Patriots team that slightly outplayed them and more than slightly outcoached them, but that's another article I may or may not write. The point is, despite being one or two lucky breaks from the Lobardi Trophy, the Eagles' brass, T.O. and Drew Rosenhaus all came together to ruin a beautiful situation that would have kept the Eagles as Super Bowl contenders for years to come. Instead, the hated player is playing for the hated team and anyone who thinks the Eagles are better off without him is a douchebag idiot. Ditto for anyone who thinks Randy Moss was a risk when all you had to give up was a 4th round pick. Anyway, onto the comparison.

You have to choose one for a whole season. Both of these guys are motivated. Every other player on the team remains constant. Who you pickin', T.O. or Randy?

or

Tagline:
Owens: "Jeff Garica (read: Terrell Owens) ain't straight, homey."
Moss: "Straight cash, Homey."
Edge: Moss, by a lot.

Physical Stats:
Owens: 6'3", 224 lbs, really fucking strong, pretty damn fast, decent leaper, above average hands, but drops a lot of passes
Moss: 6'4, 210 lbs, strong enough, really fucking fast, great leaper, fantastic hands
Edge: Moss, slightly, because he almost never drops a pass and T.O. rarely makes you go "Holyfuckingshit!" when he makes a catch, whereas Moss does it constantly.

2007 Stats (through 13 games):
Owens: 74 catches, 1270 yards, 97.7 yards per game, 14 TDs
Moss: 82, 1264, 97.2, 19 TDs
Edge: Moss, slightly. T.O. isn't the same redzone target Moss is because he doesn't jump quite as high and Dallas has other good options in Witten and Barber. Still, both guys are having great years, but you can't ignore a 5 TD difference.

Career Stats:
Owens: 171 games played, 875 catches, 12,985 yards, 75.9 yards per game, 128 TDs
Moss: 151, 758, 11,964, 79.2, 120
Edge: Owens, slightly, and here's why: He never takes a game off. Love him or hate him, regardless of whatever venom he might spew about his QB or coach or team during the week, he comes to play. Always. Randy had 11 TDs in TWO seasons combined in Oakland - his last two seasons before coming to New England. Not counting Owens' 2005 campaign, when he was still putting up gaudy numbers until the Eagles shut him down after 7 games - he has put up 14 or more TDs in all but two of his seasons since 1998, which was his coming out party. Randy has admitted to not really giving a shit sometimes. When he gives a shit he's phenomenal, but sometimes he doesn't. That isn't cool.

Locker room persona:
Owens: If he's happy, everyone is happy.
Moss: Less influential and less vocal than Owens, but if he isn't pleased, it will be clear.
Edge: Even, although if either is unhappy, T.O. will still perform on the field. Moss might not.

Career defining moment(s) to date:
Owens: That catch he made against the Packers in the playoffs in 1998 remains one of the more impressive grabs I've ever seen. That was the exclamation point to a season that put him on the map. That being said, his career may be more defined by the whole Jeff Garcia and Donovan McNabb feuds than by his extraordinary talent.
Moss: After falling all the way to 21st in the 1998 draft, Moss set the league on fire for a team that holds the NFL record for points scored - a record that Moss' new team is about to break. He put up 1,300 yards and 17 TDs as a rookie, and only had one season with fewer than 10 TDs in Minnesota before going to Oakland. Before he left Minnesota there was no debate as to who the best receiver in the NFL was. His 19 TDs this season make his subpar performance in Oakland easy to overlook, unless of course you're a Raiders fan.
Edge: Moss, slightly. Neither of these guys will be remembered as ideal teammates, but if they both retired today, Moss' legacy would be cleaner and more impressive.

Final Verdict: Moss, but it's close. They're both essentially locks for the Hall, but Moss is the more unique, dynamic talent. Also, he isn't nearly as big of a dick/drama queen.

You've GOT To Be Kidding Me

I... I got nothin'. Despite Brady ending up on his ass multiple times, the Ravens, much like the Eagles, couldn't take care of business. Patriots, 2, mid-Atlantic birds of prey, 0. I'd be lying if I said I was sick, but I'd be lying if I said I was thrilled, too. For the third week out of 4, the Pats had no business winning and somehow still did. Oh well. As I said before, I don't know if someone will best this team, but shit, someone can. Fingers crossed baby, fingers crossed.

How Dare You Boo A.J. Feeley!

Yes you, fellow Eagles fans. You wanted A.J., you got him. Why any of you are the least bit surprised that a back up quarterback played like - gasp! - a back up quarterback, I have no idea. But in a poll conducted by the local NBC affiliate, over 70% of those polled this past week said they wanted Feeley to start regardless of McNabb's health. So, roughly 70% of Eagles fans are morons, give or take? Yeah, that sounds about right.

Well, I'm not a fucking moron. Feeley now has 7 interceptions on the season. Donovan McNabb has 6. A.J. has started 2 games. Donovan has started 10. Hmmm, one of those things is worse than the other. Now look, I understand McNabb is still banged up. It is, after all, December. Given the circumstances, Feeley should have started against the Seahawks. But the circumstances are not "A.J. Feeley is better than Donovan McNabb". The circumstances are "Donovan McNabb is hurt". And Jesus, he needs to heal. Fast.

Honestly? I'm glad Feeley played like dog shit. Don't get me wrong, I wanted the Eagles to win, but I was tired of hearing blowhards like Angelo Cataldi croon on about how McNabb needs to go. SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP. He's the second best Philadelphia athlete of my generation - behind Allen Iverson - and while Chase Utley is one more great season away from surpassing him, he will forever go down as one of the greatest Eagles of all time, and that's saying something.

Before the season started I wrote this, a piece about great Philly athletes of the last 15 years leaving town despite having something left in the tank, something to contribute to the team, and about how I do not want to see McNabb going down that road. A week ago it seemed inevitable that he would be gone well before he retired, before he stopped playing well. A week, later, that seems less certain. After the game reporters were getting fan reactions from Feeley's God-awful performance. One reporter had this exchange with a fan that had brought a pro-Feeley sign to the game:

Reporter: So who do you want to be the starter next week?
Fan: McNabb!
Reporter: But last week you said you wanted Feeley.
Fan: Well not no more!

Without even playing, Donovan has gained back much of the fan support that was rightfully his. And for that, I will not boo A.J. Feeley. I thank him. The Eagles needed him, and he came through in spades. Now let us never speak of him again.

Al Harris Is A Bum

While watching the cowboys-Packers game Thusrday night, Bryant Gumbel - the man that Wayne Brady makes look like Malcom X - said that "there is no finer cornerback in football" than Al Harris. Um, do you watch football Mr. Gumbel? Al Harris stinks. Yeah, he's 6'2" and he's fast, but that doesn't mean he knows how to cover anyone. T.O. was ass-raping Harris all night long to the tune of 140+ yards and a TD - in the first half. And it would have been even worse if Owens hadn't decided to lateral what would have been another touchdown to Harris in the endzone.

Harris was the Eagles' nickelback for a couple years, and my friends and I used to joke about how he was pass interference penalty just waiting to happen. We would actually make bets as to when he would be flagged prior to every game. It was actually kind of fun. Once, as a senior in high school, I was sitting in homeroom discussing Harris and his lack of talent with a friend when a girl in my class, surnamed Harris, overheard us and this exchange took place:

Her: Hey, he's my uncle!
Me: Really? Oh. Well he's still a terrible cornerback.
Her: So, he's still my uncle!

(20 seconds of blank staring).

But you see, even she had no defense for the fact that he was a bum. Not much has changed since then. Al Harris sucks.