We have all heard of the ‘Big Three’, which consisted of Nicklaus, Palmer and Player.
However, you probably have not heard much about another player during that same era who, at a time, was actually winning more tournaments than Nicklaus, Palmer and Player.
By Ryan McGowan
There will be a head coach from some NFL team who will raise the Vince Lombardi Trophy at Raymond James Stadium on February 1, 2009. It very well might be Tony Dungy and the Colts for a second time. Perhaps it will be Mike Tomlin of the Steelers, or Tom Coughlin of the Giants in a repeat. Maybe even a dark horse rookie such as the Falcons’ Mike Smith or the Ravens’ John Harbaugh. One thing is certain, though–whoever it is will have a giant asterisk next to his name.
The 2008 NFL playoffs (or “the tournament”, as Bill Parcells likes to say) will be conducted for the first time in six years without the New England Patriots, and the rest of the league can breathe a sigh of relief.
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Week 17 2008 NFL Picks and Podcast
And it all comes down to the last week of the season for a handful of playoff spots and positioning. Our featured games this week will determine a lot of that. They are: Giants @ Vikings, Dolphins @ Jets, Cowboys @ Eagles and Broncos @ Chargers.
You can download the podcast directly (running time 90 mins) or subscribe to the feed.
If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.
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Parallel Universe
Ah… all this useless and pointless knowledge. My brain is absolutely inundated with the memory of games and players gone by. We are a society obsessed with the present. I figure this a rare victory for logic, since there is no real sense dwelling in the past, or a future that never occurred.
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2008 NFL Power Rankings Week 16
Every analyst in the country has hop-scotched their way to, from, and ultimately back to the same ending result for the NFL season.
Ever since almost six weeks ago, when we finally realized teams like the Jaguars and Seahawks weren’t quite the title contenders we’d hoped they’d be, we all began to discover that maybe things really are written on the wall.
Maybe, even amidst all the off-season turmoil and the injury-plagued early going of the season, we still had it right from the very beginning. Well, at leasy partially.
Which brings me to the quick and sad conclusion, that yes, this year’s representative in the Super Bowl for the NFC (at least for the now) should be the New York Giants. As for the AFC…
In a conference where we’re still unsure if Joe Flacco is ready for the big dance despite only having to knock off the Jaguars,(we could say the same for Matt Cassel), we’re left with an almost seemingly bottomless pit of possibilities. Can the Jets, with their suddenly weak-armed and frail star quarterback, limp into the playoffs? Can the Chargers pull off the most unlikely and impossible turn around in one of the ugliest division closes of all time?
Hold that thought.
Because, much like all that off-season drama I referred to previously, this might just end up being a sorry pre-game highlight reel for the AFC Championship game.
Because, really, as interesting as all of these scenarios are, do any of these teams have a chance in hell against the Steelers or Titans?
Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. And then there were the Indianapolis Colts…
As an Eagles fan it is somewhat bittersweet to see the Cowboys play their final home game in Texas Stadium on Saturday. There were some good Eagles memories in the stadium, and there were bad ones as well (more bad ones than good I’d say). While I feel that there is no place I would rather see the Cowboys play than their dump with a hole on top, it will be nice, as a fan of the game, to see a storied franchise move in to a new home.
So as the end of Texas Stadium comes tonight (barring some upsets in the playoffs in the Cowboys’ favor), let us take a trip down memory lane and look at the top five Eagles moments in Texas Stadium, in no particular order.
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Ask RJ: Inaugural December Edition
Checking my Sportscolumn article archives, I noticed that it’s been 30 MONTHS since I’ve had an article published. Was it laziness or some subconscious protest to not write something until Michael Vick has received the justice he deserves and rightfully resumes his NFL career with the Oakland Raiders. Since it was just reported today that Vick will only be released into a halfway house in January, I’ve decided to say screw it and make my comeback. Al Davis will be around soon enough to offer another horrible person a shot at redemption. In the meanwhile, I hope to get my shot right here, right now by trying my hand at a regular, Q and A style format that won’t let me focus on a single subject, thereby not giving me a headache. It’s win-win, believe me.
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2008 NFL Power Rankings Week 15
The Titans and Giants, as dominant as they appear to be, fall in the rankings, while their friends in the shadows (Pittsburgh) emerge as title favorites.
Yes, I’m starting to believe in the big-armed Ben Roethlisberger and his sketchy offensive line. But not because they can score, pass, run, or intimidate. It’s what’s backing them.
That defense is so imposing, that the only way to beat this team is to play even more sloppy, get even luckier, and simply out last them.
The Steelers, at least for a week, can grind out wins better than anyone in the business, and that mentality might be exactly what they need to stay at the top.
Other notable changes in the rankings:
I hope you have no sorrow for the Green Bay Packers, as they should have seem this coming. Would Brett Favre playing in green and gold mean a better record? I am positive that is true. Would it mean the Packers would be winning their division? Not necessarily.
Aaron Rodgers needs to get through his lumps, sure, but more of the blame needs to be cast on him than already is. There’s excuses abound for him to not be the scapegoat. The defense is awful, the amount of injuries is ridiculous, the punter was horrible, and the play-calling is questionable.
Hey, when your coach is sending your fullback in on a 4th and 1, it’s pretty obvious the fate of your team isn’t always resting in your hands. In other words, Rodgers can’t control everything-so no-he’s not completely to blame.
The Buccaneers take a big dive after losing back-to-back huge games.
The Houston Texans upset the Titans, and are now 7-7. They move up for their solid play and current hot streak.
My wild prediction of the week is…
The Colts will face the Steelers in the championship game.
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Week 16 2008 NFL Picks and Podcast
Here we go with the penultimate week of the regular season. (I love the word penultimate and use it whenever possible because I’m a huge dork.) This is a huge week in the shuffle for playoff spots and we pick all the games as well as the featured games against the spread. The featured games this week are Steelers @ Titans, Falcons @ Vikings, Ravens @ Cowboys, and Panthers @ Giants.
You can download the podcast directly (running time 90 mins) or subscribe to the feed.
If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.
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Week 15 2008 NFL Picks and Podcast
We spend about 45 minutes complaining about the NBA but eventually get to the NFL picks.
The featured games this week are: Bucs @ Falcons, Steelers @ Ravens, Broncos @ Panthers, and Giants @ Cowboys.
You can download the podcast directly (running time 90 mins) or subscribe to the feed.
If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.