Monday, November 06, 2006

Monday 11/06 A.M. Quickie:
Colts Prove Who's No. 1 in NFL

Colts are No. 1: It's meaningless unless the Colts (finally) win the Super Bowl, but for now, they might be content simply being the NFL's No. 1 team.

Too much Manning-to-Harrison from Indy. Too many INTs from Brady. And, turning the corner into the second half of the season, we have a definitive title favorite: The Colts. How can you disagree?

My 5 favorite NFL Week 9 Storylines:

1. Dolphins stun formerly unbeaten Bears in Chicago: There hasn't been a more unlikely result in the NFL this season, and it's the best evidence yet that the "experts" don't quite know what the hell they're talking about.

2. Redskins steal one vs. Cowboys: What was craziest: Novak's second chance? Vanderjagt missing a would-be game-winner? The subsequent penalty with no time left to set up the Skins' GW FG? (Imagine: The ending was crazy enough to totally eclipse TO's somewhat clever "Nap" TD celebration.)

3. Steelers are finished: There's the Super Bowl Curse, and then there's simply a flat-out collapse. The title defense ended weeks ago, but yesterday was the final nail.

4. LT and LJ: The AFC West is sizzling, and fantasy's top two performers are living up to the draft-day predictions. 6 TDs between them yesterday. Yikes.

5. Marques Colston: Rookie of the Year. The Saints TE/WR has helped turn Drew Brees into a legit MVP candidate – and made fans forget about the increasing likelihood that Reggie Bush is Reggie Bust. (Yesterday was his worst day yet: 11 carries for NEGATIVE 5 yards, a rare feat.)

Complete Week 9 Wrap-Up here.

CFB: Ohio St. is unanimous No. 1. I'm not going to disagree, though I am going to jump Louisville over Michigan into the No. 2 spot. UM deserves the hit after letting Ball State stay in the game; Louisville throttled the No. 3 team in the country in a "Nemesis Game."

NBA: Sixers Rule, Suprisingly. Rather than discount Philly's win over the Heat yesterday (Miami played without Shaq, which makes them a Lottery team), I'm going to praise the rejuvenated AI, who has led the Sixers to a 3-0 start. Does that mean that the Euro team that beat Philly in the preseason would be a strong contender in the East?

MLB: Which team will be bold enough to sign both Barry Bonds AND Sammy Sosa? Which team will trade for Gary Sheffield? Are the Mets targeting All-Star 2B and former Northwestern standout Mark Loretta?

NYC Marathon: Yeah, I saw Lance Armstrong in person yesterday (albeit from a rooftop party on 1st Ave.). It was pretty cool, and I was seriously impressed with his ability to finish in a sub-3-hour time. Give me 2 more hours and I could do it, too.

MNF: Do Steelers' fans heads implode if the Raiders have a better record than the Steelers after 9 weeks? (An unlikely result, given the power of Seattle's 12th Man, not to mention Sensational Seneca)

Finally, it was amusing to hear Pats fans boo Adam Vinatieri, who only happened to win three freaking Super Bowls for them. You stay classy, New England.

-- D.S.

47 comments:

marcomarco said...

I'm from RI and found that classless also.

It's not like Vin wanted to leave, he just wanted to be paid for his talents.

NA said...

Yankee fans booed Jeter when he was in a slump in 2003 and he was still on the Yankees . That's what fans do.

They should have cheered him when he came on the field at first, but once the game starts I don't blame the fans for booing.

Brian in Oxford said...

Obviously Vinatieri didn't learn from Johnny Damon. You can leave, but don't go money-grubbing from a rival. That's a slap in the face of the fans. If he'd gone to the Lions or whatnot, nobody would have booed a reteurn.

My question for the week is how the Bears respond....they could be looking at 7-4 with road tilts against the Giants, Jets, and Pats the next three weeks. (Any chance the Bears just check into the ESPN hotel in Bristol and set up base camp there?

Anonymous said...

i hope the previous post implying the bears could lose to the jets was purely based on the "Any Given Sunday" theory

otherwise i think u just placed the Jets with the Giants and Pats

TJ said...

You can leave, but don't go money-grubbing from a rival. That's a slap in the face of the fans.

Is that what Vinitieri did? Really? And besides, if Jeter left the Yankees in '01 because the Boss didn't want to pay him and he got more money from the Sawx, you would boo the guy who brought you 4 rings in 5 years?

Christian Thoma said...

I can't believe Dan didn't mention Adam Morrison schooling LeBron James Saturday night!

Oh wait, of course I can. Here's the salient text:

But James, who scored 35 against the Spurs, never got into a rhythm. He shot just 3-of-13 from the floor as rookie Adam Morrison kept him off balance, forcing James to get his points at the free-throw line, where he made nine of his 10 attempts.

(from the AP article)

john (east lansing, mi) said...

At this point, you're clearly just being a prick.

Last time I checked, all teams were supposed to do (USC, Auburn, etc. - until they LOST) was not lose.

Seems to me, if we were gonna cut anybody some slack, it would be a team that has played 10 games in 10 weeks, and has 2 games left, including what's looking like the biggest game in CFB history (all 10-10 ties excluded, of course...).

If you had watched a second of the game (if you had been able to), you would have seen some unfamiliar names and numbers on the blue jerseys. Are you surprised Michigan didn't pull out all the stops vs. Ball State? Did Michigan have a statement to make this week?
Give me (and Michigan) a break.

As for Louisville, I said for a month that they would beat up WVa, but I never said that would mean they were good.

28-10, Rutgers.

Gary said...

If Vinateri leaving was a slap in the face to NE, what was literally "slapping" the franchise tag on him the last two years doing?

Players feel that the franchise tag is insulting because it is basically a way for the team to cheap out on giving you a pay-day.

He was going to leave becuase of that no matter what the Pat's offered, he wanted to get his, and he did.

He must have been really pumped up for that game, cuz he doesn't normally miss those FGs...ever

TJ said...

He must have been really pumped up for that game, cuz he doesn't normally miss those FGs...ever

My roommate believes that he must have known that last field goal wasn't going to matter in the final outcome, because he does not miss outcome-determining field goals. He's a nice guy; he wanted to through those fans a bone.

TJ said...

Why not just jump Louisville to #1 if their win was so impressive?

Actually, yes. If Dan wants to be consistent, Louisville probably ahs to be #1 or #3. Because really, what has Ohio State done that is more impressive than what Michigan has done? And don't give me Texas--they're about as good as ND, so that cancels out. And OSU didn't get 'Sconsin.

Christian Thoma said...

what has Ohio State done that is more impressive than what Michigan has done?

--Um, beat 3 top 25 teams in the first month of the season
--Won every game (before Illinois, of course) by at least 17
--Embarassed Iowa at Iowa on National TV
--I'm sorry, Notre Dame is nowhere close to being at Texas' level. Texas wouldn't have needed a comeback at MSU.

Christian Thoma said...

(continued)

I will concede the Wisconsin point, however.

The thing is, everyone talks about the UM defense, but by pretty much every category the OSU ranks better. That's what makes no sense to me.

FreKy J said...

Week 10 of my CFB Ladder Rankings is up. Go have a look and enjoy. Louisville has taken a 7 rating point lead over Michigan for the #2 spot. The ladder agrees with you, Dan.

Brian in Oxford said...

Franchise tags still require that a player get paid the average of the top 5 in the league for that year, right. (not exactly a slap)

Yeah, I tried to gloss over the Jets in there....but they do tend to pesky. Best part for the Bears is that they'll be used to the conditions from the week before. (Not that the Bears aren't used to gusty winds, but the familiarity in NJ probably won't hurt.)

I turned off Ohio St-Illinois at 17-0...didn't realize it got as close as it did.

The one thing about the polls is that it's not like each step along the rankings is cast in stone until you lose. Dan probably IS being a bit goofy voting Louisville over Michigan, but the point made is that Michigan doesn't *automatically* get to stay 2 just because they *were* 2 last week. But John's right, Michigan shouldn't have to make a statement each and every week. (The counterargument then, is, the win still should look a little better than THAT.)

Hey, is this "plus one" bowl they're doing now locked into Arizona? Where's it going to be in future years? How about a cold bowl? Soldier Field, maybe?

Mikepcfl said...

Dan, you are missing the biggest story of the weekend...Doogie Howser is gay! Who would have thought it.

Big D said...

On the Vinateri point:

"He was going to leave becuase of that no matter what the Pat's offered, he wanted to get his, and he did."

Yup. Although, "getting his" equated to roughly about an extra $500k per year. Admittedly, that's more than I'll make in ten years of work, but in the world of pro football, I can't imagine it's all that much.

Especially when you figure in the two or three endorsement contracts Vinateri had in the greater New England area (Papa Gino's Pizza, Bernie & Phyl's Furniture, etc). The difference was probably closer to about $300k/yr.

Not chump change, but not exactly the bank-busting number other players (Patten, Givens, McGinest, Law, Milloy) have left town for.

Usuck said...

Step 1. TO catches touchdown pass
Step 2. TO celebrates
Step 3. TO gets chewed out by Parcells for celebrating
Step 4. TO drops a sure TD when he was behind two defenders and smiles it off.

Anyone think TO is doing this intentionally? He didn't have the dropsies in 2004 or 2005 (when he was playing).

-Greg, admitted bitter Philly fan/conspiracy theorist

Aitch said...

Troy (Gainesville, FL) and Ken, are you guys really gonna sit there and say that if Jeter had left the Yankees for a bigger contract with the Red Sox, that he wouldn't get booed upon his return to Yankees Stadium. Come on. I'll admit that Boston fans can be tough on players, but dudes, New York?? They were booiung their own player this year and they would sit there silently or cheering if a player defected to their biggest rival? puh-lease.

I've met Vinatieri, he's a very nice guy. I'm glad he got his payday and I wish him and his family all the best of luck, except when he plays the Pats. I was cheering when he missed those FGs and if I was at the stadium I would boo him. But if I saw him out in public, I would shake his hand and wish him luck the rest of the year. It's all part of the game.

Liam said...

Okay we can't really call Reggie a total bust yet. For this season maybe. But not for his career. He has not lived up to expectations but it is his rookie year.

He just looked so good in college we all assume he'd easily make the transition.

Sure some rookie RB's are doing very well right now. Mulroney, Addai, Jones-Drew to name a few.

There was a rookie in 1998 that was 3-13 and threw for 28 interceptions. He also had a laser rocket arm.

So let's all wait and see before we write off Reggie.

thebestsportsblog.com

Big D said...

@ h:

"I was cheering when he missed those FGs and if I was at the stadium I would boo him."


Yeah, the cheering at my house got a little out of hand on the second Vinateri FG miss. I made the mistake of jumping...

...and having my knee collapse under me (again) when I landed.

At least I was semi-blinded by pain as the game ended. Thank God for Aspirin and my never ending supply of knee braces.

Gary said...

Where are all the Mario Williams haters these days? He will win Defensive ROY, he is a very solid pass rusher and right now it looks like the Texans made the right pick (right now anyway). We can talk in 3 years

Anonymous said...

Key takeaways from Pats/Colts "Game of the Century":

1. Freeney is damn good. 2 of Brady's picks were ricochets, meaning he was probably rushing his throws, and Freeney was in his face multiple times. No sacks, iirc, but Brady felt his presence. And Madden said that they had their DEs spinning all week in practice to help the O-line block Freeney, so I think he must have gotten into the Patriots' heads a bit. He's clearly the new Sapp, minus the spare tire and the motormouth (Yes, he only has .5 sacks this year and he's probably the reason they can't defend the run but games are won with the late pass rush).
2. Manning still can't call his own plays. Until the last 3 minutes, he didn't call any runs except on 1st down, and the pats knew it, going run on 1st and pass on 2nd and 3rd. He never calls runs twice in a row - so after a run, the Pats just teed off on the O-line. Their running game might not be bad, it's just their play calling is too obvious, Manning calls his own plays, btw.
BUT:
3. Manning is freaking untouchable. He might be the best pure passer ever. Everyone on the best defense in the NFL knew he was going to pass on 3rd down, and he still forced it in there, even when someone blitzed unblocked. I couldn't believe it.

I think maybe he knows he's being obvious with this playcalling and he wants to win with "honest" hard work, i.e., we're running and you know it and we're still going to run it, we're passing and you know it and we're still going to pass. If Belicheck coached this same team, they'd probably be undefeated in multiple seasons.
BUT:
4. Belicheck will figure his offense out. Madden even noticed that if they had just run the ball constantly, they would have kept scoring. It was like Belicheck had Mike Martz on his staff. It was ugly how he stuck with the passing game, like they had something to prove.

I'm not sure this means that the Colts are better. Vinatieri certainly doesn't look better than Vanderjagt. The Colts' coaching staff has to make sure that Manning mixes up his play-calling more in the playoffs. I'm not sure their defense will hold, either, but with all those picks against the best-schemed offense in the NFL, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now.

Their record means that they're the best, but I think we can all still see a playoff collapse in the future. I'm thrilled the Bills get them in a potential letdown game next week! I hope the A-train has some miles left on the odometer.

BLUE said...

MArio Williams hasn't been bad this year, but he's not even the best DE rookie this year, let alone the best overall defensive rookie. Demeco Ryans has played better, and Elvis Dumerville who didn't even play in the 1st 4 games, has 6 sacks in the last 4. He's my darkhorse sleeper for defensive ROY, and he's on a winning team so he'll be on national tv every week.

Trayton Otto said...

At least we know that the Skins-Cowboys game will be on NFL Replay, so those of us depending on the NBC coverage to show us the ending can see the insanity.

TJ said...

Are you really gonna sit there and say that if Jeter had left the Yankees for a bigger contract with the Red Sox, that he wouldn't get booed upon his return to Yankees Stadium.

What I meant was: that would be the same situation as the current Vinatieri thing and I think most people would agree booing Jeter in that situation would be pretty bad. At least one NY fan on here says they'd never have booed him, but it doesn't matter--the point is there's no way they should, just like there's no way Vinatieri should get booed. I mean, come on.

And undefeated Rutgers isn't at least as surprising as 8-1 Wake?

Gary said...

Wake has three tough games left. Rutgers has two.

Both are great stories. Granted Rutgers did make a bowl last year, but it's still Rutgers, not really a bastion of athletic prowess.

Wake at least wins in golf, baseball and basketball occasionally (and Field Hockey from what I hear)

I think the Deacs play Florida State, Maryland and Virginia Tech...not really a cupcake sked.

Rutgers plays Lousiville, WVU, Syracuse and Cincy. Two easy two really tough. (and not in that order)

Anyway, I think Rutgers running the table would be a much bigger story than Wake making a BCS bowl. But if not for the Knights, Wake would take the cake (and that's not fake...)

Christian Thoma said...


So ND can't have close games against big ten opponents but OSU can and its ok? What's that about chrth? And Iowa is not a good football team by any stretch of the imagination. ND embarrassed Penn State on national TV and you would say the same thing about Penn State...OSU is sick and ND is not at their level right now but be consistent in your critiques.


I wasn't comparing ND to OSU. I was comparing OSU to Michigan, and secondarily comparing ND to Texas.

But since you brought it up, OSU completely manhandled MSU, whereas ND needed them to shit the bed to win.

Feel better now?

john (east lansing, mi) said...

chrth -

Did you just act like OSU beat better teams than Michigan beat, just because those teams were ranked better earlier in the season (before they met a Top 5 team and lost)?

You do realize that Michigan beat a #2 team, plus Iowa, plus Penn State, this year, right?

Also - Wisconsin is in the Top 25 now.

Wow, I didn't even realize it until just now, but Michigan has a great claim to #1, even before Nov. 18. Thanks for making that ridiculous argument!

MP said...

Agreed about the classlessness of NE booing Vinatieri. (It's not what fans do, it's what NY and NE fans do).

Agreed that Michigan is clearly NOT the #2.

Agreed that the Steelers season is over.

Agreed that the Colts' season is meaningless without a Super Bowl.

Disagree that the Dolphins were the surprise victor yesterday. Nick Saban motivates them one week, lets them reel the next. I had a feeling this might be one of those motivated weeks.

Not sure if it's time to reconsider ND's overall ranking though...

Christian Thoma said...


Good point - While we're at it, Rutgers and Syracuse both beat up Illinois, so that puts them up there with OSU as OSU narrowly escaped the fightin Illini this weekend, right?


Nope. There's one reason for this. I work under the forward-improvement theory.

Basically, teams get better as the season progresses. The exception is when either the team quits on the coach or when a star player (usually QB) gets injured.

Take Wake Forest for example. They barely beat Duke in September. I called them the worst 3-0 team in history after they barely squeaked by UConn.

Yet now they're beating BC. Honestly, I root for them, and I'm boggled by this. I still expect them to finish 8-4 (you can understand why; I mean, we're talking about a team that hadn't won in November since 2003), but they're obviously getting better.

Now, I know what you're thinking, and the answer is, not every team gets better at the same rate. Some teams (I'm thinking OSU, UM, USC, and ND for this season) start off pretty much at their max; they're not going to improve by much as the season goes on. These teams are characterized by returning starters (especially QB) (ND, UM, OSU) or by coaches with strong systems that allow the teams to play at their max (USC). Other teams (I'm thinking UT especially) will get better as the season progresses and new QBs step up or defenses come together, etc.

I would definitely include Illinois in that latter category. People are talking up Wisconsin: UW only beat Illinois by 6 a week earlier.

So what's my point in all of this? Well, I never like comparing September games to November games. But more importantly, I watched the OSU-Illinois game. I saw what their defense did in the second half. And I'll bet you dollars-to-donuts that it wouldn't be 33-0 if Rutgers and Illinois met again this week.

I'd also bet you dollars-to-donuts that if OSU played Texas again, it'd be a lot closer. Both Texas and Illinois have improved as the season has gone on.

As for Michigan, guys, I think Michigan is an excellent team. I believe they deserve to be #2 easily. But I've watched almost as many UM games as I've watched OSU games, and I honestly don't think UM is as good as OSU. Do I think UM is better than Louisville? Hell yeah. Do I think OSU will win easy? Of course not. But right now I'd have to pick OSU to win. And don't think I'm discounting UM because of the Ball State game. I'm not. Heck, I haven't even looked at the stats/recap yet. Am I surprised by the result? Well, yeah. But who wouldn't be?

One other thing that plays in favor of UM and OSU (to the detriment of ND, sorry) is that games where the 'better' team lets the other team get close is evaluated differently than games in which the 'better' team has to come back to win. OSU or UM go up by 17 points, they're going to get lax. It's in the nature of superior teams, and I don't penalize them for it. On the other hand, if the 'better' team has to scramble back from 10 down in the 4th quarter to win, then that hurts them. Obviously, in a matchup of even-strength teams that's not going to--it'll reflect positively. But when a 9-2 team has to come back from 10 down against a 3-7 team, that doesn't reflect kindly on the 9-2 team.

I hope everyone understands where I'm coming from after all that.

Kurt said...

How about this for an idea: We all just agree that each of us is a homer for his/her own teams and nothing will change our minds. That way NDYanksFan and Chrth dont have to go back and forth for 20 posts about Notre Dame and OSU.

Also, how about we all agree that 95% of the things Dan says are to provoke blog readers into commenting, not because he actually believes them. That way we can save the "Dan you are an idiot" posts, and just ignore him and maybe he will stop with the instant history garbage when he realized nobody wants to respond to it anymore. Or just hold him accountable when every prediction he makes is wrong, and rip him a new ass.

Of course if we didnt remind Dan he's a moron or bicker among ourselves about our teams, no one would post on this blog and Dan would realize he's unemployed and spending his time posting on a blog nobody reads or cares about.

And we wouldn't want that now would we. So bicker away.

Anonymous said...

Ohio State and Michigan were both caught looking ahead. Neither team can be blamed for being conservative, either, but Martyball will kill you every time.

Having said that, If Louisville wins out, they should absolutely be in the Championship game. That's why title games exist: to match teams that don't normally meet (remember baseball before intra-league play?). After OSU/Michigan, I'm sure the losing team will be envious of Louisville, should they go undefeated. But they already lost to OSU/Michigan, so let it go. What's the point in ranking them 1-2 while there's another undefeated team in the poll, and they have to play each other? If Louisville doesn't go undefeated, then make OSU/M 1-2 or vice versa, but for now, Louisville has a better chance at the Championship game that Michigan. Not because Louisville is better than Michigan (we'll probably never know in this BCS system) but because Louisville has a better chance to go undefeated than Michigan. Because there's no one on Louisville's schedule like OSU. If Rutgers does undefeated, then you don't need to do this, because team quality and win quality mean something, but there's no chink in Louisville's armor as of yet. WVU is as real as any team in the top 10.

The games this week didn't prove anything, except that 18 year olds are overconfident and easily distracted.

Christian Thoma said...

Is anyone else looking forward to Dan bitching about UF not getting all the #1 votes in the AP Poll tomorrow?

Aitch said...

Ken, it is not a moot point when Dan and others are calling me and my fellow New Englad fans classless. If booing returning athletes was exclusive to New Englad, then I'd accept it. But it isn't. It is done to returning athletes all the time. If Vinatieri had been traded or not offered a contract by the Pats he owuld not have been booed. It was the fact that he went to the biggest rival for simply more money. Same reason why Damon got booed. Not because he left for more money, but because he went to the one team he was on the record as saying he would never play for.

Troy, maybe you're right and it shouldn't happen in any of those situations, but it does happen, and not just in Boston/New England. That was my point.

Mark, I was watching a hockey game a couple weeks back (i know its not a favorite sport amon the readers of this blog but bear with me), where Marc Savard, now playing for the Bruins, returned to Atlanta for the first time and played his former team. And their fans booed every time Savard touched the puck. But you're right, it only happens in new york or boston. get real

To all of you, I'm not saying that it is right or fair to boo an athlete for taking more money. Hell, if I offered you $4000 for your shoes, you'd walk home barefoot, so would I. My only real point is that this stuff isn't exclusive to my area and feloow fans, so don't get all high and mighty on us when next week it could be your fellow fans who are unfairly booing someone.

Christian Thoma said...

I was saying boo-urns.

Anonymous said...

Meh. OSU has had one bad game this year.

Michigan has had a few..as has everyone else. Simple enough.

I think Ohio State beats Michigan by 13 (30 - 17) and plays Texas for the title.

Anonymous said...

sweet chocolate christ who cares about the 1/2 spot in the BCS? The winner on 11/18 in Columbus goes to Glendale.

Someone asked earlier about a "snow bowl" I'm pretty sure that the NC bowl rotates among the 4 BCS bowl sites just like it used to do, so there will be no chance of Florida playing USC in Green Bay.

The Pats are about 7.5 mil under the cap this year, so don't get mad at Vin for leaving, get mad at bob kraft for wanting more cash on hand to pump into the MLS team or line his pockets.

Vanderjagt is a moron. He completely sells out the rest of the special teams for getting his kick blocked which "he knew from his years of expert chokery was good". Funny how he wants none of the blame when he just clean misses a kick because he's a headcase, but he is quick to point the finger on a block.

marcomarco said...

it does happen, and not just in Boston/New England.

Giambi in Oakland
Arod in Texas
Mussina in Baltimore
Clemens everywhere (Tor, Bos, NY)


Standing O's:
Bledsoe's return with the Bills
Pedro's return with the Mets
Cabrera's return with the Angels
Derek Lowe
Dave Roberts
Doug Flutie

The day Nomar steps back in Fenway will dwarf them all.

Brian in Oxford said...

Did anyone see espn.com has now moved hockey further down the toolbar, not just past nascar, but past the irl?

seems espn only pimps the games it actually shows....

kingofsmoke said...

The only thing is W Virginia is not ranked three anymore. So there win is not as good as Ohio St's win against Texas.

Shums said...

Sixers rule? Thanks for the East Coast Bias, Dan. Sure, I sound like a homer, but who thought the Jazz would be 3-0 after playing Houston, Phoenix, and Golden State? If they beat the Pistons tonight, I demand respect.

What we have learned from this weekend in football: turnovers can ruin anyone (Bears, Patriots, West Virginia).

Jen said...

Update: This has been one of those "If you think you know ANYTHING about the NFL, you don't" kind of days: Dolphins over Bears? Lions over Falcons? Anyone -- anyone?!


Uhhh, yeah....I went 1-12 in my football pool yesterday. I fall right into this category! Geez! At least I took Houston over the Giants. They were my saving grace.

Biggest.Embarrassment.

Marcus T said...

Your comment is way off the mark about Steeler fans. I hope we lose out and get the #1 overall pick. This season is down the drain, who cares if we win another game? It only hurts our draft pick status.

Jen said...

Meant to say "Biggest.Family.Embarrassment." to follow TMQ style.

Aitch said...

Ken, I literally laughed out loud at the last line of your post. Well played, sir! lol

And I know you didn't call me classless, bro, That's why I said Dan and others.

EPorvaznik said...

>>If you had watched a second of the game (if you had been able to), you would have seen some unfamiliar names and numbers on the blue jerseys. Are you surprised Michigan didn't pull out all the stops vs. Ball State? Did Michigan have a statement to make this week? Give me (and Michigan) a break.>>

I certainly applaud Carr's classy (and non-Buckeye) moves, Josh, but welcome to the wacky world of voters who only pay attention to the final score. I raise a glass to you guys joining the club.

Aitch said...

Curtis, if you are gonna say ESPN and the media make Brady their Golden Boy (and I'll listen to the argument) Then you have to be willing to except that they make Manning their Golden God. No QB is as hyped as Manning for having won absolutely nothing. I like Manning, I think he is a good QB and it is inevitable that he will lead a team to a Super Bowl, but the media definitely have at least an equal man crush on him as they do Brady. I'm a Pats fan and I've never seen any home videos of Tom Brady. How many of Manning have you seen this season alone? And it is relevant that Brady has one 3 rings to none for Manning. If they swtiched teams, their careers likely would be the reverse with Manning having the rings. But the fact is up until the 2005 playoffs, it was always Manning making the mistakes in the big game. And until the Colts win a big one in January, that will be part of the equation in judging him, fair or not.