Why Do So Many People Hate This Guy?

Statistically, this man will go down as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time.  1,078 catches for 15,934 yards and 153 yards, second only to the great Jerry Rice.  These are statistics that should make him a first ballot hall of famer right?  I'm sure I'm going to create some controversy here because this player has way too many haters in my opinion. 

The man I'm talking about is Terrel Owens.


Let me ask a serious question?  What really has T.O. done that's been so bad for the media and people to hate him so bad, other than doing sit-ups shirtless in his driveway?  Sure, the man plays with his heart on his sleeve and possesses a great deal of passion, and always wants to win.  They say he's created drama everywhere he's been and made teams worse by becoming a "distraction" in the locker room.  Let's look at what he did with the 49ers with an average Jeff Garcia.  Over 7,500 yards and 71 TD's in seven seasons.  The team hasn't been back to the playoffs since he left.  Yeah, he made that team so much worse.  In 21 games with the Eagles he put up nearly 2,000 yards and 20 TD's but was kicked off the team for causing "problems" with Donovan McNabb.  In an interview Owen's was asked if Brett Favre was their QB would they win more games and he said "probably."  Was he lying at that point in Favre's career?  McNabb came out and called it racial (which makes no sense to me because T.O. is black the last time I checked).  Look at McNabb's career and where he is and where he's been since T.O. left.  Absolutely no where.  T.O came back from a horrific injury to nearly defeat the New England Patriots by himself, but McNabb ran out of gas and couldn't get it done at the end of the game.  T.O commented on this and was criticized.  Mike Shanahan said this same thing of the QB last year and now looks like a genius.

He did nothing but produce in Dallas, Buffalo, and Cincinnati, and still is considered a bad guy.  Yeah, he does reality shows on his spare time, but you cannot question his work ethic.  The guy always shows up to play, is in great shape, knows the playbook inside and out, and doesn't let the outside extracurricular activities effect his play like Ocho Cinco does.  

Still at the age of 37, if you've seen this guy's latest youtube video of his recent workouts, this guy is still in amazing shape and there's not a doubt in my mind that he cannot compete at a high level still.  So why does he have so few suiters?  This is a question I'd like to know.  Yeah he's emotional and will get in players faces if they're not producing but isn't that what you want from a leader and for them to show that passion? 

I'd like to hear your thoughts (good or bad) on what you think of the player and prove to me why this guy shouldn't or should be a first ballot hall of famer>

Raiders Owner Al Davis Dead at 82

It is a sad day for Raider Nation as Al Davis has passed away at the age of 82 today.  He was a football pioneer in his hay day, but times caught up with him and the game eventually passed him by.

I really wish he would have stepped aside years ago and let someone else take over the team.  I think you'll see this Raider team be ran much differently now.  Don't take this the wrong way, but I think the Raiders will be better off moving forward.  It's always sad to see someone go out that way though, and he will be missed around the NFL.

NFC Division Rankings A Quarter of the Way Through the Season

Earlier in the week we looked at the AFC and what changes were made since the preseason power rankings I put out.  Today we're going to take a look at the NFC and see where all the teams stack up after seeing them play for four weeks.  Let's get started!

NFC WEST

St Louis Rams - I had this team winning the division before the year started, but I knew Jackson would not be able to stay healthy.  I did not expect Sam Bradford to look like Charlie Frye.  This offense has been awful, averaging about 11 points per game, and their defense is giving up about 25 a game.  Their schedule outside of the division is not an easy one, and I see them finishing 5-11.

Seattle Seahawks - I know this team beat Arizona earlier this year, but their defense isn't good.  They've given up over 30 points twice and were shutout 24-0 in one of the other games.  I like Pete Carroll's enthusiasm, but they will win 5 games this year as well.

Arizona Cardinals -  This will be interesting because this team will get better as the year progresses.  Kevin Kolb will continue to become acclimated to the system and with a healthy Beanie Wells, he looks like an angry runner that can hit the hole quickly.  As they progress, they will win 8 games and fail to make the playoffs.

San Francisco 49ers - Harbaugh has these boys playing well and they will finally get into the playoffs again, however, they won't do much.  9-7 will get them a divisional title and a 4th seed, meaning they will play the number 5 which will be the Lions or Falcons at this point.

NFC SOUTH

Carolina Panthers - This team is obviously much improved under Cam Newton, but a tough schedule gets them 5 wins this year.  Bolster that defensive line next year in the draft Rivera.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - I'm not sold on this team yet.  I think they lose their next five games to the 49ers, Saints, Bears, Saints again, Texans, and Packers.  They will then win the next five of seven to go 8-8 and eventually miss the playoffs again. 

Atlanta Falcons - Don't give up on the Falcons.  This team will win 10 or 11 games and make it into the playoffs.  I think they beat the Packers this weekend and that will tell us a lot about who they are and what they can do this year.

New Orleans Saints - This team has a tough stretch in a few weeks but end on a lighter note to finish 12-4 with a 1 or 2 spot in the playoffs.  They will struggle against the Giants, Lions, and Falcons here the next few weeks.

NFC NORTH

Minnesota Vikings -  One word - AWFUL!!!  Donovan McNabb should be released, not just benched, and move forward with your future QB Ponder.  I've never been a fan of this guy and I though T.O took a lot of the heat for issues that McNabb started in Philly.  There's a few games on the schedule that they can win if those teams play poorly, like this week at Arizona.  Looks like they will be trading some draft picks to move down and maybe get a receiver that can spread the field.  Prediction: 3-13

Chicago Bears - This team could win five other divisions in the league, but they will find themselves in third here and missing the playoffs.  They will finish 10-6 and could still beat out Atlanta with a tie since they hold the tie breaker for that wild card spot.

Detroit Lions - I love to see the Lions here, and they will finish 11-5 with an decent schedule outside of the division.  This week will prove whether or not they belong here, because in my opinion, they haven't really played anyone yet.

Green Bay Packers - It was nice to see Rodgers win the big one and step out of Favre's shadow, but Brett, shut up and quit making yourself look even worse than what you did when you were carted off the field in Minnesota.  The Packers are very good, although I'm tired of hearing about them, they do look to be the team to beat.  They have given up some points and I think they will struggle in some games this year.  They will finish 12-4 and win the division.

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys - If you remember correctly, I had them at the bottom with the Redskins, which I still do.  I've never been impressed and I think the fans, media, and organization is putting too much pressure on Romo and he will continue to struggle.  This team wins 7 games this year.

Washington Redskins - A good start, but this team will only finish 8-8.  The only team they've beaten this year are the Giants, who were marred with injuries and still trying to figure out how to play with the replacement players.  A good effort and an improvement from last year, but not quite there yet.

Philadelphia Eagles - This team will eventually turn it around and figure out how to win some games.  Not enough to get into the playoffs, so this team will not be together next year, so they will be a different looking team next year.  I see them finishing 9-7 and they may not be able to resign DeSean Jackson if they don't finish better than this.

New York Giants - I love Tom Coughlin and he's backed up Eli Manning who's taken a lot of scrutiny from the media and New York.  Eli has a 105 QB rating by the way and has led his team to a 3-1 record, despite numerous injuries.  This team will go 11-5 this year and be a number 3 seed. 

New Division Rankings After Week 4 For AFC

We are now a fourth of the way through the season and we have a pretty good idea of what teams are made out of this season, and where they are headed.  You can check my preseason rankings blogs from division to division to see where I had everyone.  After 4 games and a lot of parody around the league, some things have changed.  Let's take a look at the Predicted standings for the end of the year.

AFC EAST

4. Miami Dolphins - The bad thing is when you pull up the Dolphins website there is a picture of Dan Marino.  You have to move on and get new talent that can play today.  There will be a new coach next year and a new quarterback.  They finish 3-13.

3.  Buffalo Bills - I love this team, but this schedule is brutal.  They have the play the NFC East, Patriots, Jets twice, the Titans, and the Chargers.  They may play spoiler for some teams, but they will finish 9-7

2.  New York Jets - I'm not impressed with this team this year, and if they get this spot it will be because they beat the Bills in the regular season, which I think they will.  Jets finish 10-6

1.  New England Patriots - This team has the easiest schedule of all the teams in the East, so they will win the division hands down.  I see them ending up 13-3 with a first round bye in the playoffs.

AFC NORTH

4. Cincinnati Bengals - This team has beaten the good teams and lost to the bad teams, so who are they?  The defense looks good, but they are young and play a tough schedule.  They finish 5-11 this year in last place in the North.

3.  Cleveland Browns - This team is one year away from surpassing the Steelers for second place in this division,  They will get swept by Baltimore and could split with Pittsburgh.  They have a lighter schedule, so I see them winning 9 games and finishing with a winning record.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers schedule isn't too bad, but this team isn't great anymore.  They are getting older, and they will miss Harrison on defense.  By beating the Browns and Bengals, they will finish 10-6 but I don't think they make the playoffs.

1.  Baltimore Ravens -  Defense is getting old?  Not quite yet!  This team looks really good.  And with a pretty easy schedule, this team will win 13 games but they will have to travel to Foxborough in the playoffs if it comes to that.  What an interesting match that would be.

AFC WEST 

4. Kansas City Chiefs - There isn't much to say about this team.  They miss Charlie Weiss and they have way too many injuries on both sides of the ball.  They will lose to the Colts this weekend and they will finish 3-13 overall.

3.  Denver Broncos - I never thought I would see a John Fox team with a fan base controlling the team chemistry.  Everyone seems to want Tebow for some reason, but it they get their wish, I don't see them doing much better.  This team finishes 5-11 this year.

2.  San Diego Chargers - So I've waffled back and forth but with an extremely tough schedule and Antonio Gates banged up, I'm not a fan of this team.  Rivers seems to be making some bone-headed decisions this year as well, so I have them finishing 9-7 this year.

1. Oakland Raiders - I'm sticking my neck out here for the Raiders because I love McFadden.  I see them winning 10 or 11 games this year based on their schedule.  Projection:  10-6 cause they will split with the Chargers this year.

AFC SOUTH

4.  Indianapolis Colts - This breaks my heart to put the Colts down here at number four.  Because of what's playing out, I still think Peyton Manning should win the league MVP this year.  They have played better the last two weeks and I do think they win the next two games then sweep the Jags, so they will finish 4-12.

3  Jacksonville Jaguars - This team is bad, and I think they may be below the Colts if the they are swept by Indy, cause they will finish with the same record.  4-12 for the Jags.

2.  Tennessee Titans - This team is much improved and a lot better than I thought they would be.  They will finish 9-7 this year because they have a difficult schedule, but great job to new coach Muchack for having them playing so well.

1.  Houston Texans - Losing Andre Johnson is a huge blow but the Texans still have Arian Foster and Ben Tate, so don't be too concerned with this team.  They will finish 11-5 and win the division easily.

This is my quarter season AFC breakdown and predictions.  Weigh in on your thoughts and if you agree or disagree and let me know what you think will happen going forward!

Most Surprising Players Thus Far in 2011

After watching some highlights of the Bears Panthers game this weekend, I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the guys that have rejuvenated their careers this year and look better than ever.

The first guy that comes to mind is Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers.  He seemingly fell off the map for the past two seasons not producing very good numbers at all.  This year he already has 24 catches for 530 yards and 2 TD's.  That's over 22 ypc if you're keeping track.  This may be because of the emergence of rookie QB Cam Newton, but Smith looks like a pro bowl player once again.

Matt Forte:  Not that's he's went anywhere, but these numbers are worth showing.  Through four games he has 634 combined yards rushing and receiving and 2 TD's.  He's accounted for nearly 60% of the Bears offensive production, and makes $945,250 this season.  Compare that to Chris Johnson's combined 301 yards and $30 million guaranteed contract.  Doesn't seem to make much sense to me.
  
Matt Hasselback:  the resurgence of this man is the biggest surprise of the season in my opinion and why the Titans are 3-1.  He's thrown for over over 1,150 yards, 8 TD's, and a QB rating of over 104.  These are amazing numbers for a guy in his mid 30's that Seattle and everyone else thought was washed up.  Way to go Matt!

Now let's go to the obvious pick, rookie Cam Newton.  He's made rookie mistakes, which are to be expected, but he's thrown for a rookie record 1,386 yard, 5 TD's and 5 INT's.  He's also rushed for 4 more TD's so far this season.  He looks mature well beyond his years and has this Panthers team competing in every game each week.

There have been many guys that have stepped up this year, but these are the guys that stick out the most to me.  Let me know if you think someone else should have been on this list!

Week 5 Bold Predictions and Spreads

Well last week was a tough week for picking games across the league, but I still managed to go 9-7 and help some people win some money on key match ups, especially the Monday night game last night.  We're moving into Wednesday, mid-week, and this is when I start looking at the match-ups and breaking them down, giving preliminary spreads and predictions.  Let's jump right into it shall we?

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers - Surprisingly the Saints are only 7 point favorites in this game, but that's largely credited to the emergence of rookie Cam Newton.  He's had Carolina in every game they've played this season, and he appears to get better and better each week.  Being in Carolina, I don't expect the Saints to run away with this one, but they will cover the spread this weekend, 24-14 

The Titans at the Steelers is going to be a great game.  It looks like Roethlisberger may not play in this game, but remember last year when the QB was out the first four games and they started off 4-0.  This isn't the same team as last year.  The Steelers are playing at home and are 4 point favorites, but I don't see them winning this game.  The offensive line is awful, they can't run the ball, and they are playing the top ranked defense in the NFL.  I like the Titans in an upset here 16-13. 

Kansas City Chiefs at the Indianapolis Colts - The Colts have looked competitive the last two weeks and despite Curtis Painter throwing 13-30, he looked pretty consistent and kept the Colts in the game.  But defensively they've now lost Eric Foster, Melvin Bullit, and Gary Brackett for the season.  This game will be the contest for first pick in the draft possibly in April.  The Colts are three point favorites playing at home, but the Chiefs played the Chargers tough last weekend and beat the Vikings two nights ago so this could be a toss up.  I'm going out on a limb here and saying the Colts will win this game 24-19

Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills -  It looks like Michael Vick is going to play and this team is bound to get things turned around eventually.  The Bills are coming off a heart breaking loss to the Bengals to drop to 3-1.  This is the game of the season for them to see if they are actually for real or not.  The Bills are getting 3 points at home this weekend.  Weather shouldn't be too much of a factor, so the Eagles shouldn't be deterred by unfavorable conditions.  I like the Eagles to get off of the skid here 31-20

Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants - The Seahawks have shown some improvement the last few weeks, but they are traveling to the meadowlands to face the Giants who are looking to find their stride despite all the injuries on defense.  The Giants are 10 point favorites but they are not covering the spread in too many games this year.  I do like the defense to get after Travaris Jackson and shut down the Seattle offense.  Giants will cover this week 27-6

Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars - The Bengals are coming off a huge victory over the Bills and Andy Dalton looks like he's progressing each week.  the Jags are in trouble offensively, and I don't see them winning this game.  They are 2.5 point favorites right now at home, but the Bengals will win this one 16-10

Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans - Both of these teams are good this year, but the Texans are playing this one at home and have a healthy Arian Foster.  Andre Johnson may be hurt, so that will give Oakland a slight edge if Johnson can't go.  Houston is 6 point favorites and they can put up points in bunches.  I do expect them to cover in this one 31-21

Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings - The Cards are a very good team but they play down to their competition at times and they make too many mental errors.  Minnesota is awful, and somehow they are 2.5 favorites, mainly cause it's a home game.  Look for Arizona to rebound from two straight tough losses and hand the Vikings their 5th straight.  Cards win 27-24

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers are surprisingly 3 point favorites in this one, so this one will be considered an upset when the Buccaneers win.  Bucs win 18-15

New York Jets at New England Patriots - This will be the game of the week!  Patriots are the best team in the AFC and the Jets defense is struggling.  Mark Sanchez needs to be better at this stage in his career as well, so I think the Jets are losing some ground here.  Patriots cover the 9 point spread and win big 30-13

San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos - It's no longer September so look for the Chargers to play much better than they have in previous weeks.  It looks like they'll still be without Gates which hurts there game over the middle.  They only have 4.5 points they're getting, so I think they will cover with a 21-13 victory

Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons -  This is where the Falcons crumbled last year in the post season and still haven't found themselves.  Green Bay is not invincible and are bound to slip up sooner or later and I think that this will be that week.  They are 6.5 point favorites but I think the Falcons win at home outright 27-24
UPSET ALERT

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions -  This is going to be a good game, but Cutler will find himself on the ground double digit times.  The Lions are 6 point favorites and will cover because that defense will get after Jay Cutler all night.  They will start fast and finish strong, winning 28-20

NFL officially cuts ties with Hank Williams Jr After 20 long seasons of MNF

ESPN announced earlier today that they will be pulling the intro "Are You Ready For Some Football" from the Monday Night Football broadcasts moving forward, after Williams made some derogatory remarks towards President Obama on a radio program earlier today. 

In a political discussion, Williams voluntarily brought up President Barack Obama's golf game with Speaker of the House John Boehner during this summer's debt ceiling negotiations, calling it "one of the biggest political mistakes ever" and invoking Adolf Hitler.  Williams said it would be like Hitler playing golf with the Prime Minister of Israel.  He also called the president and vice president Biden "the enemy".

Williams apparently plans to run for republican Senate of Tennessee in 2012.

His music has graced the intro of every Monday night football game for the past 20 years.  It's going to be a lot different without him.  This is an unfortunate turn of events for the NFL.