35-24 Colts

Don't question it, just roll with it. I'd offer insight but I recently completed digging my car out of 30" of snow and plan on doing no thinking for the rest of the night. I'm just gonna sit back and hopefully watch Ilya Kovalchuk score some goals for my Devils.

Before JMays posts about it...

So Rex Ryan was in Miami yesterday at Herschel Walker's MMA debut and with Miami fans expectedly booing him, he took the time out to acknowledge them a little bit.

He even took the time out to personally acknowledge a couple of other Miami fans. If you'd like to see the salute he gave, just click here. Link name might be a further give away of what you're going to see (it's censored on that site though!)

Now I know many people would call it tasteless and classless. And in some aspects it is. But he's at an MMA event. And it was on Showtime, so he's helping give the people what they paid large amounts of money for...entertainment. Also, would you really expect anything else out of Rex at this point? It's just what he does.

Conference Title Game Picks

AFC Title Game

Well there my Jets are, actually in this thing. I still can't believe it. But I know they're not there by accident. They've got one heck of a squad and their confidence is soaring sky high right now. I struggle to pick against them because it seems like they just have "it." Similar to the Steelers/Giants making the run from Wild Card team to Super Bowl Champs a few years ago. Now Manning is the best QB ever. Period. I won't even try to debate that. For the Jets to win this, they need to do a decent job of bottling up Dallas Clark and force at least one big turnover. That coupled with a big special teams play (perhaps Brad Smith running another one back in Indy?) will see the Jets through. Hey, why stop picking them now?

J! E! T! S! Jets! Jets! Jets! 19 Colts 17...if that's not the score, its gonna be 16-7 Jets. Now that would be something.

NFC Title Game

I honestly don't really care about this game. It's hard to care when your team is in the other game. Only way I'll end up caring about it is if the Jets win the Sunday opener. Guess I gotta pick it anyway. Both teams blew out their opponent last week which makes it a hard call. Both also have explosive offenses with solid Ds. Call it a cop out but I'm going with the Saints solely because they're the home team.

Saints 27 Vikings 20

Jets Win Again. Any more questions?

Wow. Much to the dismay of lead writer JMays, the Jets are in the AFC Championship Game for the first time in 10 years. While I remember that heartbreaking loss like it was just yesterday (I still remember eating pizza and watching the first half at my friend's house before watching the Jets collapse at my house in the second half), this is totally different. That year, the Jets essentially were the Chargers of this year. They had a first round bye, winning 10 of their last 11 regular season games and were also a team that a lot of people had running past the Broncos to the Super Bowl. Basically what I'm trying to say is that people were expecting something from those Jets. These Jets? Not so much.

Indianapolis? That way. (McIsaac/Getty)

So many people were saying these Jets backed into the playoffs and would be one and done. While the Jets were the beneficiaries of some convenient scheduling, they took advantage of what was given to them. Deal with it. The rest of the league should be glad that they're in the AFC Title Game. With it, they proved that they were worthy of that playoff spot. Winning at Cincinnati and San Diego is no picnic, that's for sure. As much as people seemingly don't want to admit it, the Jets have a great team. They're a team that easily could have finished around 12-4 were it not for some terrible errors (Sanchez INTfest against Buffalo, letting Ginn run wild, gift wrapping the Saints games with INTs). These Jets are something to be proud of and really built from the ground up with a foundation from the draft. The Jets TRADED UP in the draft for arguably the 5 most crucial pieces on the team right now: Nick Mangold, David Harris, Darrelle Revis, Mark Sanchez, and Shonn Greene. If that isn't incredible front office work and scouting, I don't know what is, especially with those first 3 (OK, I guess the jury is still out on Sanchez). Imagine if that worthless Buckeye Gholston hadn't turned out to be a bust. For those that think the Jets will take a step back next year (coughJMayscough), I don't think so. Barring serious injuries, they should at least be favored to make the playoffs again. These Jets may be lucky, but they're also good. Both Rex and Sanchez made plenty of rookie errors throughout the year that will not be made again and with Revis on their side, the defense will still be great.

Alright so enough commentary on that other stuff, on to the game. Again, wow. I'll admit, the Jets did not look great. But they were good enough. The first half was uneventful, that's just how the Jets wanted it. Going in to halftime only down by a touchdown was very encouraging for these Jets. Regardless, I knew the Jets needed a huge turnover at some point in the game and they got it with that Leonhard pick on the awful throw by Rivers. It was then that I knew it was the Jets' game to lose. The reason the Jets won was because of their defense. It kept them in the game. If the Jets fall behind by 2+ scores in the second half, they're in trouble. If not, they're in it. The Chargers couldn't seal the deal. Especially Nate Keading. Who I must say, as a PSU fan, has given me closure on the situation with Iowa kickers. Even so, if the Chargers make 2 of those 3 kicks (keep in mind one of those was well over 50 yards), the Jets still would have been in it (their play calling certainly would have changed there in the 4th). It was all about defense and Sanchez minimizing mistakes. It was New York Jets football. And it won. Again.

Shonn Greene sprints to paydirt in the 4th to put the Jets up by 10. (William Perlman/The Star-Ledger)

Now on to the Colts. Interesting game, especially for me on a personal level. The Colts are my dad's team and have always been my 2nd favorite. I was at that playoff game 7 years ago where the Jets decimated the Colts 41-0 with him. He still remembers Super Bowl III and still references it multiple times a year. Now the Jets and Colts square off in the most important game they are able to face each other in. This is going to be one rough game for the Jets but I would not count them out...just like everyone seemed to do for the Chargers game. When a team can shut down an offense and keep it close, anything can happen. They need to put pressure on Manning and hope for one or two errant throws that can tip the balance. All while Sanchez continues to play mistake-free football. It won't be easy, but they can win. Will they? My man Rex Ryan seems to think so, and that is good enough for me.

Can the Jets improve their postseason record against the Colts to 3-0?

Elite 8 Picks

Alright, we're only an hour away from this round kicking off so I'll keep this short and sweet.

Cardinals @ Saints

If you like points, then watch this game. I think the Saints got lucky in a heck of a lot of games this year and haven't looked good in a long time. The Cardinals have this guy called Kurt Warner who I would take over Drew Brees in these playoffs. Cardinals pull away late in the 3rd behind a huge game from Warner.

Cardinals 44 Saints 31

Ravens @ Colts

Close one here. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Ravens pull it off but I think the Colts are just too good. Flacco ailing is certainly a worry too. I see Matt Stover sinking his old team late.

Colts 20 Ravens 17

Cowboys @ Vikings

Simply put, the Cowboys are just too good right now to be shut down by the struggling Vikings (that game against the Giants doesn't count). I see them going to the Super Bowl, to be honest. Cowboys shut down Favre (thankfully) and Peterson and their 3 backs have a huge game.

Cowboys 30 Vikings 20

Jets @ Chargers

I'll be honest, it's tough to pick this game without any bias. I know that this certainly won't be as easy of a game for the Jets as the Bengals game was. Huge matchup issues ahead for New York with the SD tight end attack. I think the Jets will be able to put up some points as the Chargers run defense is suspect and the Jets have the best O-line and rushing attack (statistically at least) in the land. I'm calling for a huge interception by Kerry Rhodes late, leading to a Jay Feely FG in the final minute.

Jets 29 Chargers 27

Wildcard Weekend Picks

The book is shut on college football but still wide open on football of the professional sort. This weekend kicks off what is sure to be an intriguing NFL Postseason. Will the resting players strategy finally work for the Colts? Will another Wildcard team make a run to the Super Bowl? We'll have to wait on those answers but for now, here are my WC Weekend picks...

New York Jets @ Cincinnati Bengals

The first of 3 Week 17 rematches. The Jets completely embarrassed the Bengals though Cincy did not play with their full arsenal. Regardless, the Jets are starting to come together and Cincy has been very shaky since building their big division lead. While common opponents are not something to put a ton of stock in, the Jets are 2-0 to the Bengals 0-2 in common games (Texans and Raiders). Both those games were on the road for the Jets (and won convincingly) while the Bengals traveled to Oakland and played Houston in Cincy. Call me a homer, but I think things are starting to come together for the Jets. As long as Sanchez doesn't go on an INT binge, I think they'll be OK. Revis Island will go a long way to shutting down the Bengals offense.

Jets 23 -- Bengals 13

Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys

Another game, another rematch. Cowboys beat Philly pretty handedly last weekend and honestly, I do not see why they will not do it again. The December/Late Season monkey is finally off of Romo's back and they are catching fire at the right time. Not only that, but the Eagles have lost to every decent team they've faced this year. Unless DeSean Jackson and McNabb go crazy on offense (or special teams with Jackson), I do not see the Eagles winning this game at Jerry's Palace.

Cowboys 31 -- Eagles 14

Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots

I strongly dislike both teams (Pats more than Ravens though, for sure) but I guess I have to pick one. Losing Welker is huge but not crippling. As long as the Pats are able to bottle up the Ravens running attack, I think they should be fine. The Baltimore defense is not as strong as it used to be and I see Brady and Moss having a pretty big game. Should still be a close one though.

Patriots 24 -- Ravens 20

Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals

Rematch number 3 of the first round. Packers are hot, Cardinals are breaking down. It's pretty much as simple as that. Only way I see the Cardinals winning is if Warner plays out of his mind. Which is certainly a possibility.

Packers 35 -- Cardinals 27

Passing thoughts on the Jets

As JMays mentioned early, sorry for the lack of posts. I'll try to pick up on them in the coming days. New Years resolution perhaps? Well I'll start with a few things on the Jets.

For starters, I am incredibly grateful that the Jets made the playoffs. 4 way tie for 2 spots and they got in. Doesn't always break in your favor but luckily for the Jets, it did. Now about the last two weeks that some would deem controversial. OK, so the Colts game was pretty much handed to us. While I won't try to validate that win, keep in mind that we were certainly not out of that game when the Colts benched Manning and other starters. Would we have won if they stayed in? Probably not...but I wouldn't flat out say 'no.' Now yesterday against the Bengals...I've heard a lot of people discrediting that win because the Jets had everything to play for and the Bengals had nothing to play for. Fair enough...but the Bengals went in to that game playing all their healthy starters (outside of Benson) and the Jets just flat out pummeled them for 60 minutes. Sure the Bengals did not want to tip their hand but I'm certain they didn't want to get caught with their pants down on national television when they keep whining about not getting any respect.

The Jets are looking pretty good heading into Wildcard Weekend and I think they could certainly make some noise. Statistically, they have the top defense in the league and Revis is sure to shut down Ochocinco (has he changed his name back to Johnson yet?) again. The Jets also have the top rushing offense in the league and that's due to one thing. The O-Line. I think it's safe to say it's the best in the league and I'm not saying that as a homer. It's stacked. Mangold, Faneca, Ferguson, Woody, Moore...that's a pretty sick line. You need a strong rushing attack and shut down defense to go places in the playoffs and the Jets have both of those things. I'm not going to be a disillusioned fan and say they're going to run all the way to the Superbowl but you can't just count these Jets out.

If anything, these Jets will be playoff (and hopefully Superbowl) contenders in the coming years as long as they stay healthy and Sanchez progresses.



Also, on a sad note, the daughter of Jets owner Woody Johnson was found dead in LA earlier today. She was apparently engaged to Tila Tequila...who knew? Thoughts are certainly with the Johnson family at this time.

Credit the Newark Star-Ledger with the pictures (Andrew Mills)

3 Reasons Why the Yankees Will and Will Not Win the World Series

Well, it has been a long 6 years but my Yankees are finally back in the Series. The Phillies may be the defending champions but you can bet that the Yankees will be up for this series and force them to give everything they got. Scouring over some message boards, I am completely floored at the arrogance of some Phillies fans. I have seen many, many posts saying that the Phillies are going to win the series in 5 games. Really?? That means they have to beat CC at least once AND win with Pedro starting. That also means Cole Hamels has to not implode in Game 3. Quite a tall task if you ask me. I think anybody making that prediction is seriously underestimating the Yankees. With that introduction, here are my three reasons why the Yankees will win and will not win the World Series.

Why the Yankees will win…

CC / 3-man rotation

The fact that the Yankees get to use CC Sabathia 3 times in this series is huge. He has been pitching out of his mind and will be able to go toe-to-toe with Cliff Lee, assuming they pitch him thrice as well. AJ Burnett worries me on the road (similar to the Phillies and Cole Hamels) but in Game 2, I expect a great start out of him. Pettitte has been incredibly solid this entire postseason as well. Yeah, they’ll have a big time line up to go against but I know that they can hold their own.

Pedro Martinez

I was almost giddy with excitement when he was named the Game 2 starter. He has never been that great against the Yankees in the postseason (1-2 record, 4.72 ERA) and now he is 6 years older. Not only that but he has not been tested at all this year. Yeah, he pitched well against the Dodgers but that offense was reeling and is not really that great to begin with. Also, he pitched against NOBODY in the regular season. His only decent starts during the season came against the Mets, Nationals and Giants. Those are 3 of the worst offensive teams in the league. I fully expect the Yankees to tee off on him in Game 2 and hopefully Game 5 as well. Not only that but if the Phillies want to use Cole Hamels twice, that means he is going to have to pitch in a pivotal Game 6 in the Bronx. Regardless, whenever Pedro takes the mound, it will be great theatre.

Mark Teixeira

Cold for pretty much the entire playoffs at the plate, he started to heat up at the end of the ALCS and that is great news for the Yankees. When he is on, the Yankees are nearly unbeatable. A-Rod is also helping this too by protecting him in the order. The Phillies are going to have to throw Teixeira strikes unless they want a man on base when A-Rod comes up. That is what got the Angels in trouble towards the end of the ALCS. Also, I would be remiss not to mention his defense at first base. He is going to win the Gold Glove this year and I am certain his defense alone won them a handful of games this regular season.

Why the Yankees will lose…

Phillies Lineup

It is pretty good. And has been great this postseason. The Angels provided a good warm-up for the Yankees in the ALCS (Yankees and Angels were #1 and #2 in runs scored during the regular season) so I feel like the starters will be ready. But that does not stop the fact that they need to get through Rollins, Howard, Werth, etc. etc.

Stranding runners

Did it wayyyy too much in the ALCS. The Yankees did get better late in the ALCS but I worry about them putting the first couple guys on and then doing absolutely nothing. They may need to rely on the long ball a bit in a game or two.

Bullpen

Thought to be a strong point heading into the postseason, the bullpen has somewhat shaky thus far. Then again, I could be wrong here. Their ERA this postseason is 2.28…but I feel like they have been living on the edge for a lot of the postseason. Joba and Hughes have not been pitching nearly as well as they were down the stretch of the regular season. Rivera does have the second best ERA this postseason (0.84 behind Lee’s 0.74) but Game 6 proved that runs can be scored off of him. I also just have terrible memories of him blowing the clincher against Arizona in 2001.

One way or another, this is going to be an amazing World Series. I would be very surprised if it does not end in a Game 6 or 7 in the Bronx. As for my prediction? I think the Yankees will pull off #27. But not before an epic Game 7 showdown.

Dumbest Analogy Ever

So I'm watching the NYY v. BOS game right now and Jon Miller just said that releasing a name on that infamous PED list without saying what was tested positive for is like saying somebody was arrested and not saying what they were arrested for. Um, no. While new stuff (which I personally believe to be mostly BS) is coming out about the reliability of that list, I think it's safe to say that there is a reason a given person was on it. Something was put in that given persons body that was supposed to give him an unfair physical edge. If your name was on that list, then you took a PED (assuming it wasn't a false positive which is another issue...but likely a minor, minor, minor issue). Who cares what it was?

A more appropriate analogy, in my opinion, would be saying somebody got charged with robbery but not saying where the robbery occurred. It doesn't matter who you stole from. You stole and that is all that matters.

Baby Name(s)

So I was bored today and caught the story about the most popular 2008 baby names and decided to take a peek at the government site that has the full top 1000 name list. While just skimming over the names, I came across an interesting back to back combination of baby names...

Btw, he should be suspended for tonight's game.

YouTube Watch: Where Will Amazing Happen This Year Parody

For those of you that watch a network that shows the NBA (or probably just watch TV at all), you've probably seen the "Where will amazing happen this year?" promo commercial for the NBA Playoffs. Basically, they dramatize plays with the big stars of the game with the black and white color and music. Anyways, my friend tipped me off to these (in my opinion) hilarious parodies of the commercials. The music is just perfect for these videos...I won't divulge in any more details...check them out for yourself! Even if you're not a basketball fan, I'm sure you'll like it. The first video features Zach Randolph while the second one stars Jeff Foster...Enjoy!

A terrible 2 days of being a fan

Hello again! It's been a while but as I sulk in a hotel room (interview tomorrow...) I can't help but be incredibly depressed at the last couple days of sports. Let's just cut to the chase...

As you may (or rather probably don't) know, I am a New Orleans Hornets fan. Last year, the team showed incredible promise by fighting the Spurs down to the wire in the Conference Semis. Many were expecting big things from them this year. Well yesterday we saw something big from them. A loss margin. The Hornets got absolutely dismantled by the Denver Nuggets 121-63. That's a 58 point loss folks. 58. 58. I have to keep typing it in to believe it. To boot, it was in New Orleans. Just wow. As a fan of the Hornets, it's in a way impossible to react. You almost just have to laugh it off. If you lose by 58 points, you know you don't belong so there's no use sulking about it. You suck. Either way, it's not an easy thing to endure as a fan.

And that brings us to this evening. I was at a friends house watching the Devils lead the Canes with about 1:30 left in Game 7, up by a goal. Then I watched them lose. In regulation. Any other game, it really sucks. In a Game 7? It's devastating. Regardless, I'd venture to say that the Devils v. Canes series will easily be the best playoff series this year. I don't know how anybody can top each team having a blow out win, both teams winning in overtime, the Devils having a vintage 1-0 win, as well as the Canes winning one game with 0.2 seconds left on top of what happened in Game 7. It was crazy.

At least the Jets have a nice future at QB and the MLB season is young...that's stuff to look forward to...

E, are you friends with these people?

Go and check out this blog post by ESPNs AFC East writer Tim Graham. Then read my rebuttals below.

To Donnel in New York: No YOU'RE an idiot.

To Gilbert in Palo Alto, Calif.: It's FAVRE, not Farve. And the Jets season was a failure. They spend millions of dollars to make the playoffs. They failed. The coach was fired. It doesn't matter that they improved from last year. The additions of Alan Faneca, Tony Richardson, Kris Jenkins, Calvin Pace, Damien Woody, and Brett Favre should have been able to take the Jets to the playoffs. It didn't happen. Failure.

To Brad in Denver: Who cares about a winning season if there is no playoff appearance and, after the season ends, your team is back in shambles? No QB for the future, unless Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff, or Erik Ainge blossom this offseason. A new head coach and staff. Plus, the salary cap isn't in the best of shape.

To Jack in Sioux Falls, S.D.: You're a football fan but didn't know the Jets were a football team? Favre making the Jets relevant is the point? WHAT? I though it was to win.

To Joe from Parts Unknown: The ramifications aren't that severe? The team was built to win NOW! Like as in 2008! Woody, Faneca, and Richardson aren't spring chickens. Favre is gone. Who's the QB?

To Adam in Rockford, Ill.: Agreed!

To Jim from Parts Unknown: Jim, Tim is one of the most unbiased bloggers I've read. He covers the NFL professionally for ESPN. Just because he had stints in the other AFC East cities doesn't mean he's a fan of any of those teams. I dont' remember where Graham grew up but, if I recall correctly, Graham was a fan of no AFC East team. I want to say he liked the Redskins as a boy. Not 100% sure on that. Mangini leaving is a good thing? Ah, you're one of those. You know the kind, don't you Jim. The one's that call someone "Mangenius" one week and then say "Mangini leaving is a good thing". The Jets line couldn't keep Favre off the ground? They gave up only 30 sacks in 2008, 14th in the league. That's better than average. "How did they do in the playoffs?" about Miami. Wow. Smack talking a team that made the playoffs and beat you on your home turf to win the division. Nice.

To Nate in Las Vegas: For the third time, the Jets having a winning record in 2008 means nothing. It is a failure because the bar was set so high for this group of new and, supposedly, amazing players. The team didn't perform to lofty expectations. Failure. And about Favre's injury... come on! You think Favre hurt was better than Clemens or Ratliff? No way. Favre, as usual, showed his selfish nature and continued to play when he shouldn't have been.

To Dan from Ashwaubenon, Wisc.: Stop making excuses for Brett. He does that good enough for himself. And Tim, if these fools really want you to leave ESPN then you can, by all means, blog for me. The pay is great, right E and Steely McDonati?

OK. No more of this. These fools don't need this much attention from me. Sorry Jeff in Denver, Hawkhunter in Chicago, Steve in Cincinnati, Jeff from Parts Unknown, Pat in New Haven, Conn., Russ in Mobile, Ala. (though I may come back to his, it's a good one!), Steve in Parkersburg, W.Va., and Craig in York, Pa.

Maybin Staying or Going?

Well, first I'd like to apologize for not posting in 90328409 years but I saw something interesting...Take from this what you will, but I saw Aaron Maybin doing some pretty decent shopping at the State College Walmart today...If Maybin had any intention of declaring I:

a) doubt he'd be shopping at Walmart
b) doubt he'd be shopping at the State College Walmart
c) doubt he'd be doing a good deal of shopping at the State College Walmart with his parents.

I'm not claiming this to be solid information one way or the other so again, take from this what you will. The flipside is if he were to declare, he could possibly train here thus proving that my observation means next to nothing.

IMO Maybin should stay one more year but if he's guaranteed to be a 1st rounder as some project, I wouldn't blame him for going after the money. It wouldn't be as idiotic as Justin King's decision last year. This kid just has so much passion in being a Nittany Lion that it's hard for me to see him walking away from the team, especially with JoePa still at the helm but money talks. We shall see.

Greatest. Story. Ever.

If you're a Yankee fan, it's even better. Remember Hideki Irabu??? Click here for the story.

Favre: By a Jets Fan

Now that I've had a little bit of time to digest the situation, I feel I'm capable of offering an official person opinion on the matter. That opinion is that I like this situation.

Heading into this season, it was either Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens. Kellen is alright but won't (at this point) lead us to a division title over the Pats, let alone a Super Bowl. Chad is frail. Very frail. He's also 32 and when you're that age and have a history of injuries like he does, that typically doesn't bode well. Could he have had a good season and take the Jets to the playoffs this year? Absolutely. But that's about it. With Pennington in, NO defense respected the deep ball, and rightfully so. Chad (or Kellen really) couldn't throw it. Because of that, defenses could creep up and snuff out our running game, forcing us to throw short-moderate distance passes for much of the game (I will put part of the blame on our O-Line for this happening last year though). With Brett under center, secondaries are going to have to back off. That, combined with adding Faneca and Woody to the line will help Thomas Jones immensely. He couldn't run at all last year. Our offense will be much more dynamic with Favre.

Also, a free agent signing that mostly went under the radar was our pickup of Bubba Franks. Oddly enough, that signing will probably help out much more than we bargained for. It'll be good for Brett to have a familiar face around that can help translate the NY playbook for him.

Another aspect is attention. Yes, Brett Favre is a drama queen...but the Jets rarely get any attention on the NY sports scene. It always Yankees and Mets and oh yeah, the Giants did win the Super Bowl last year. It's nice to see my team really get put on the map for once. And even with all that attention, Favre can definitely live a pretty low-key life away from Giants Stadium. He will have to deal with a lot more media scrutiny, which I think he's capable of, but the Jets new practice facility is not far away at all from rural areas of NJ.

When it comes down to what we gave up for Favre, I'm actually satisfied. Right now its a 4th rounder, if he plays more than half the season its a 3rd rounder, if we make the playoffs (with him at the helm) its a 2nd rounder, and we give up the 31st or 32nd overall pick if we make the Super Bowl. I like that. We get Favre and keep a first rounder (which GB undoubtedly wanted for him) unless we make a Super Bowl. I personally would do much worse to see my team in the Super Bowl, but that's besides the point.

The NFL is a win now league. If the Jets want to win now, Brett Favre is the right choice. I love Chad Pennington but he just couldn't cut it. With Brett, the Jets should be favored to win at least about 10 games. I wouldn't put them as a Super Bowl contender yet though. We really have to see how all the free agent pickups work out. I would pin them as a Wild Card favorite right now, with room to advance as the year moves on. As for right now, I'm excited to get this season underway and see what Brett can do for the Jets...assuming the Madden Curse doesn't get in the way of that...

I'm now officially ready to embrace Brett Favre as a member of the Jets family.

Brett Favre is a New York Jet

Being a Jets fan, I don't know how to react. I'll probably have to sleep on it, which is what I'll do right now. Expect to hear more from me soon.

Outside the Lines PSU Segment

I made this following post on a cbs.sportsline message board and then realized that it probably works as a blog post too. Here it is:

Personally, I thought it was pretty stupid on the whole but they were admittedly solid on a couple things. Barely.

I still believe that the whole Meridian Apartment fight was terrible for the program. The fact that Scirrotto called up a plethora of players was probably the single most stupid act of that whole ordeal. There is no doubt in my mind that guys like Baker went in and trashed the place (especially Baker because of his history). I believe everyone involved in that incident got off easy (except people like King who shouldn't have been charged at all) but that probably has a lot to do with DA Madiera being incompetent and a lack of evidence. The HUB fight was ridiculous too. We're definitely worthy of criticism for that as well. JoePa was pretty stupid for stopping the stadium cleanup with a couple games left too. I totally understand that he thought they learned their lesson but that just opened up another unneeded opportunity for outsiders to criticize the program.

However, as others have noted, ESPN badly slanted a lot of the story. They put out all those numbers but some of them are retarded offenses. Underage drinking is something that I would guess that probably ~25% of PSU students have gotten. I'm not condoning it but I'm just saying it happens. So many charges have been dropped too. If a player isn't convicted of something, what the hell is the point of noting it? Innocent until proven guilty, perhaps? Not only that, but after the HUB fight which was almost a year ago, the only notable bit of trouble from the program was Chris Bell and he was swiftly booted from the team. JoePa also admitted fault for that saying he should have gotten help for him sooner.

Lastly, bringing in Stephen A. Smith at the end of the segment probably ruined any bit of credibility the segment had. Because he wrote for the Philadelphia Inquirer, that apparently made him a credible source for Penn State football, or sorry, "University of Penn State" football according to him. What a klutz. He knows his basketball (some of the time) but I have no clue why they would bring him in on this. If anything, maybe they should have brought in a dual panel at the end with Todd Blackledge and Smith or somebody else critical of the program.


Another thing to note is that I feel like the emerging story coming out of Iowa makes anything PSU has done over the past year look like nothing. It's one thing for a football player to be falsely accused of rape (Austin Scott) but it's another for a school to COVER UP a rape. Iowa is gonna catch hell for this....they already are in some ways.

Why Steve Phillips was probably fired as Mets GM

I was watching tonight's telecast of the Cardinals v. Brewers game and he dropped a doozy of a line. How did the Mets ever hire this guy? Here's the situation:

Brewers closer Salomon Torres had blown a save in the bottom of the 9th, allowing the Cards to tie the game at 3-3. In the top of the 10th, Bill Hall hit a solo shot to give the Brewers the lead. A couple batters later, Torres came up to bat. Because that meant he would likely come in to try to finish the game (which he did), Steve Phillips seemed to find the situation amusing as he said:

"So what is he going to get, a blown save and a save?"

I am not joking when I say he was dead serious in saying this. He absolutely was. Not only that but the other color guy, Orel Hershiser (a former PITCHER), chimed in and agreed in finding that 'fact' amusing. Fortunately, Phillips had a play by play guy in the booth (Dan Shulman) who knew what he was talking about as corrected him in saying that it would be a blown save and a win if things held up. Something that anyone that is a fan of baseball should know. Phillips tried to cover up his gaffe by saying things like 'its hot up here' blah blah blah. Not buying it, dude.

For the record, Torres did end up getting a blown save andddd....a win.

Soccer is officially getting bigger in this country

Columbus Crew fans brawling with fans of the opposing English Premier League team (West Ham) is a very promising sign. Read about it.