Archive for November, 2010

WATERCOOLER CHAT: SF PULLS AHEAD OF AZ, TCU JOINS BIG EAST, LEBRON HAVING FUN

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, it was a Monday Night match-up between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals.  Both of these teams are having horrible years.  The only difference is… the Niners are making some strides to turn it around.  This mainly includes the switch at quarterback from Alex Smith to former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith from Ohio State.  With him at the helm, the Niners are starting to finally have a sustainable offense.  Could they bring the pain to Arizona?

The answer:  Of course.  The game started out with San Fran bulldozing Arizona’s line with their run game.  The Cards simply had no answer for Frank Gore.  In fact, the only person who could stop Frank Gore… was Frank Gore, as he went out with an injury and it was later revealed to be a cracked hip.  He may be out for awhile.  Fortunately,  this offseason, the 49ers picked up one of the best running backs of the decade in Brian Westbrook.  Westbrook has been waiting for his chance to prove he still has something left in the tank, and last night he got his wish.  He kept the train rolling with 136 yards and a touchdown. Arizona meanwhile couldn’t do anything.  Their offense was dead, their defense lifeless, and their morale truly crushed.  After the game, Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson had a meltdown when accused that he was laughing when they were losing.  Anderson said he puts his heart and soul into this [expletive] every week, and then left the interview room.  Clearly, there is something wrong in Arizona.  Expect them to draft one of the top quarterbacks in next year’s draft.  San Francisco 27, Arizona 6.

In college football, TCU has had enough of trying to prove themselves.  They’ve been outstanding this decade, but, come time for the BCS Bowl rankings, they always have to hope the committee lets them into a big bowl.  Well, they’re tired of hoping, and in 2012, TCU will join the Big East, a conference with an automatic BCS Bowl Bid.  That’s a good conference for them too because it’s one of the weaker major conferences.  They may be able to dominate in there, and sneak into the BCS Championship Game.  However, facing the likes of Syracuse, Pitt, and West Virginia every week will be much more difficult than crushing the Colorado State Rams.

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, the Miami Heat have been under the microscope lately.  They have completely underachieved this season, and it was reported that head coach Erik Spolestra called out LeBron for not taking things seriously.  The two had a private chat, and last night was the byproduct of that meeting.  The Heat took on a John Wall-less Washington Wizards team and looked to dazzle the crowd.  Dazzle they did, as they had control of the game from front to end.  LeBron and Dwayne Wade had 30 and 26 points respectively to bury the Wizards.  They’re hoping this is the beginning of a turnaround.  Recently, LeBron was quoted as saying this season wasn’t as fun.  Well, you came to Miami for the FUN LeBron, better start trying to make the most of it.  Miami 105, Washington 94.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: SUNDAY FOOTBALL WRAP UP

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The rehabilitated and seemingly unstoppable Michael Vick threw his first interception in four years as his Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Chicago Bears Sunday. Vick, as you may recall, used to play for the Atlanta Falcons then dropped out of football for over a year as he spent time in prison for his role in dog fighting.  Bears 31, Eagles 26

With a new coach (Leslie Frazier),  and an old quarterback (Brett Favre),  the Minnesota Vikings managed to beat the Washington Redskins. Vikes QB, Brett Favre miraculously did not throw an interception in this game.  Presumably he is still planning on retiring at the end of this season, but with Favre, you really never know. Vikings, 17, Redskins 13.

In the wildest moment on the field Sunday, Houston Texan Andrew Johnson and Tennessee’s Cortland Finnegan got into a fight in the fourth quarter. Apparently this isn’t the first time these boys have gone at it.  Both players were ejected and could face some serious discipline from the NFL. Texans 20, Titans 0

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: PRE-CONFERENCE COLLEGE BBALL, T.O. TALKING TRASH

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College basketball is BACK! With the pre-conference play tournaments underway, we’re getting a look at some of the Top Teams. Last night, #1 Duke took on #4 Kansas State to see which team was for REAL. One of the top competitors on Duke this year is guard Kyrie Irving. This kid is lightning quick, and can not be stopped in the open court. He put up 17 to lead the Blue Devils. Meanwhile, the man for Kansas State, Jacob Pullen, was held in check. He had only 4 points and shot 1 for 12 on the night. Just a horrible game. With the victory, Duke’s Coach K has his 800th career win. Duke 82, Kansas State 68.

Elsewhere in college basketball, #2 Michigan State took on an unranked UCONN team. Should be pretty easy for Spartans. Um, nope. Suprise hit Kemba Walker dropped 30 points for UCONN against the Spartans in what was a very close game. And he only had 2 points in the first half!!! In the 2nd, he was red hot and put up 28 points!!! Walker said after the upset win, “We just showed the world we can play”. Walker, by the way, is projected to be a lottery pick in next year’s NBA draft. Sure, this game was on a neutral turf, but that’s really all that matters come tournament time. UCONN 70, Michigan State 67.

FOOTBALL

Finally, in football, some more fun gossip. Terrell Owens has called superstar Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis… just an average cornerback. Yep, that’s T.O. talking trash before a game. Owens said that Revis has only had one good year, and isn’t in the top tier of cornerbacks he’s faced. Owens mentioned the top cornerbacks he’s faced were Deion Sanders, Aeneas Williams, Todd Lyght, and Charles Woodson. Owens said he wouldn’t put Revis in that class. Now, the battle is on, as the Bengals take on the Jets. Fellow Jets cornerback, Antonio Cromartie, said he would cover fellow superstar receiver Chad Ochocinco so Revis could have the Owens match-up. Expect to see some serious fireworks on the field between New York and Cincy on Thanksgiving day.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT:MIAMI NOT WINNING,CHARGERS WIN BIG, VIKINGS HEAD COACH SHUFFLE

What is going on in Miami???  After LeBron’s “decision”, the Heat were supposed to win every game by at least 30 points, especially a lowly team like the Indiana Pacers, right? Well, that wasn’t the case last night as Danny Granger and the Pacers gave LeBron a handful.  Granger led Indiana with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Heat simply had no answer down low.  Basically, if you can get to the rim on the Heat, you can score, and you can beat them bad.  That’s why the Heat just signed 7’0 veteran Erik Dampier to a 1-year deal.  They need his big frame down low to block shots and grab rebounds.  If this team ever turns it around, he will be a vital asset.  Indiana 93, Miami 77.

In the NFL, it was Monday Night football between the disappearing Denver Broncos and the surging San Diego Chargers.  The Chargers got off to a rough start, but their offense is starting to click and they almost always put it on display at home.  Phillip Rivers threw for 233 yards and 4 touchdowns in a crushing of the Broncos.  The Chargers have a very well-rounded offense with their receivers making big plays, and their running game, led by everyone BUT their star rookie Ryan Matthews, with Mike Tolbert and Jacob Hester making big runs to keep the defense honest.  Now, the Chargers are at .500 and pushing towards a playoff spot.  If these guys get in, they could be VERY dangerous.  San Diego 35, Denver 14.

Finally, in the NFL, the Vikings have had a horrendous season this year.  Sure, Favre came back, but they just haven’t been playing well.  Plus, their previously robust defense has been lackluster at best.  And a few weeks ago, it was reported that the Vikings hated their coach Brad Childress.  “He doesn’t have our back, so why should we have his”, they said.  Well, the Vikings management thought it was time for a change, and have fired Childress. Remember, this is the guy who convinced Favre to come back AND got a big contract extension.  This means they still have to pay him.  The Vikings promoted defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to head coach for now, and they’re hoping to at least finish the season with some dignity.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: VINCE YOUNG BLOWING SECOND CHANCE, BATTLE OF QB KINGS, VICK AND EAGLES CAME TO PLAY

FOOTBALL

In the NFL, the Washington Redskins headed to Tennessee in a much anticipated match-up of Former Titan/Now Redskin lineman Albert Haynesworth versus his old team. Well, Haynesworth only had one tackle in the game, but the battle itself didn’t disappoint. It was a neck and neck battle the whole way, but the Titans lost their starting quarterback Vince Young in the 3rd quarter. They had to go with back-up Rusty Smith out of the small school Florida Atlantic. The game needed an overtime, where Donovan McNabb would get the call this time around (a few weeks ago, he was benched in favor of Rex Grossman). He got the job done, and the Redskins won on a 48-yard Graham Gano field goal.

However, after the game, there was reportedly a spat between Vince Young and Titans head coach Jeff Fisher. Apparently, Young stormed out of the locker room after the game even though Fisher told him not to walk out on his team. In a post-game press conference, Fisher said that Young wouldn’t be their starting quarterback whether or not he needed surgery. Fisher said they would stay with Rusty Smith for now. Clearly, Young is misbehaving again, and this is during his “second chance”. Remember, Young was sidelined in favor of Kerry Collins a couple seasons ago, lobbied to get his job back, and got that second opportunity. Looks like he’s going to blow it. Washington 19, Tennessee 16.

And, it was time for the annual showdown between the Patriots and the Colts, and by proxy, the battle between the Kings of Quarterbacks: Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning. The Patriots got out to an early lead with two Tom Brady touchdowns. One to Wes Welker and one to new running back, Danny Woodhead. Then, Manning would turn on the jets and bring the game within three points towards the end of the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, with just one last chance, Manning threw a deadly interception to kill their late rally and hand the Patriots a win. The Patriots still boast the best record in the league at 8-2. They are major Super Bowl contenders yet again. New England 31, Indianapolis 16.

Finally, in the night game, it was a battle of two powerful teams in the NFC — the NFC East specifically. The New York Giants headed to Philly to take on Michael Vick and the red-hot Eagles. The Giants are coming off an embarrassing loss against a lowly Cowboys team. Could they rebound? Vick and the Eagles came to play, namely their 2nd year running back, LeSean McCoy. He ran for 111 yards and a touchdown to constantly keep the Giants defense honest. Having a robust running game makes the Eagles even more versatile because of the Michael Vick weapon. Now you don’t know if he’s going to take off or pass the long bomb. Since defenses now have to worry about the Philly running game, their defenders won’t be as ready for Vick’s long bombs to DeSean Jackson. The Eagles are definitely for real, and might meet up with Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. Philadelphia 27, NY Giants 17.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT:SHAKEUP IN BCS, BRONCOS ENIGMA, PITTSBURGH GOES DOWN TO PATS

In a rare shake up atop the college football rankings, Boise State has leaped over TCU to #3 even though both won their respective games.  Why?  Well, this is what makes the college football system so interesting.  Last week #3 TCU took on #5 Utah in what was supposed to be a hard fought brawl.  Except… TCU absolutely pummeled them 47-7.  This made them seem dominant and ready for anybody.  However, on Saturday, that same Utah team that TCU pounded went to play an unranked Notre Dame and got crushed again.  Makes you think they were never as good as their record nor the final scores of their games.  Plus, TCU was supposed to destroy San Diego State.  They got up to a commanding first half lead, but San Diego State soared back in the second half.  TCU had to hold them off, and only won the game by 5 points.  In the minds of championship voters, if TCU can’t bury a horrific San Diego State team, how will they ever be able to compete with Auburn or Oregon.  And Boise takes one step closer to the National Championship Game.  TCU 40, San Diego State 35.

In the NFL, the Denver Broncos have been a total enigma this season.  They started hot, then looked putrid and completely beatable.  Last week they took on a lowly 49ers team in London and lost.  If you can’t beat San Francisco this season, you’re pretty worthless.  They hosted Kansas City yesterday, and the Chiefs were hoping to rebound from a close loss to Oakland the week prior.  Well, Denver turned into good Denver and handed out a whoopin’.  In just the first quarter, Kyle Orton tossed 3 touchdowns to give the Broncos a commanding 21-0 lead.  Then, Matt Cassel would get in on the offensive action, tossing 4 touchdowns of his own on the day.  In fact, both Cassel and Orton would finish the game with 4 touchdown passes.  Wow!  The Broncos just kept on scoring.  Even Florida golden boy Tim Tebow got a touchdown.  So the question remains:  Who are the 2010 Denver Broncos?  Are they good or bad?  Denver 49, Kansas City 29.

And in the Sunday Night Game, it was New England vs. Pittsburgh.  Pittsburgh is definitely a Super Bowl contender, but if you expect to win the AFC, you have to show your home crowd that you can definitely handle the Patriots.  In other words, you need to win convincingly.  While the Steelers have a fantastic defense, the Patriots have Bill Belichick, one of the best offensive minds in the game.  When he wants to really dismantle you… he will.  Tom Brady had a fantastic game, throwing for 350 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Big Ben Roethlisberger did what he could, throwing for an astonishing 387 yards and 3 touchdowns of his own, but they simply didn’t have what it took.  Again, if you can’t beat the Pats, you better hope somebody else does in the playoffs.  The Steelers are definitely hoping the Jets or the Colts get the Patriots first.  New England 39, Pittsburgh 26.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: CARMELO SHOW, FAVRE DEFINITELY NOT COMING BACK

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In the NBA, Kobe and the Lakers were hoping to take their undefeated record to Denver and continue their amazing start.  Denver is coming off an embarrassing loss to the Pacers, who put up 144 points on them.   However, Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets intended to be the first team to finally hand the Lakeshow a loss.  Kobe had a spectacular night with 34 points, and Pau Gasol got in on the action with 17 points and an astonishing 20 rebounds, but, in the end, this was the Carmelo show.  ‘Melo finished with 32 points and 13 rebounds as the Nuggets did in deed deliver the Lakers’ first knockout of the season.  Unfortunately Denver fans, Carmelo is probably playing really hard because he wants to land a sweet deal when he leaves Denver.  Denver 118, LA Lakers 112.

FOOTBALL

Brett Favre has provided a new chapter to America’s favorite sports story of the past few years.  In an interview with the NFL network, Favre said that he will not be back in 2011.  He said that he never set out to specifically play for 20 years, but it looks like the Brett Favre career will stretch 20 years and no more.  A perfectly round number.  This makes sense as the Favre of 2010 is certainly not as good or effective as Favre 2009.  Sure, Favre helped them comeback and beat the Cardinals last Sunday, but this Vikings team is definitely in disarray, and that’s not fertile ground for a playoff run, nor encouraging Favre to play yet another year.  Let’s hope the Vikes can turn it around so we can see Brett in the wild-card playoff run.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: VIKES THINK CHILDRESS SHOULD BE FIRED, UTAH COMEBACK KIDS, WALL TRIPLE DOUBLE

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In the NFL, it was reported that six of Minnesota Vikings players anonymously told the Chicago-Tribune that they thought head coach Brad Childress should be fired.  This is a big deal.  These players came out and said that they hated their coach, although they would still keep playing hard and not “lie down like the Dallas Cowboys”.  Another unnamed defensive player said that Childress doesn’t have their back, so why should they have his.  The Vikings have been extremely dysfunctional this year, and this new revelation certainly doesn’t help.  It will be hard for Childress to mend his relationship with the team, but just like the Cowboys parted ways with Wade Phillips, don’t be surprised if the Vikings separate with Brad Childress.

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, the Utah Jazz had a major comeback victory on Tuesday night against the Miami Heat.  So could they continue their difficult road trip with a win at Orlando just one night after a grueling battle with Wade, Lebron and Miami.  Well, the Magic got out to a big lead because of the stellar play of point-guard Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter.  Everything was going the Magic’s way, but, in the third quarter the Jazz came surging back.  They even finished the quarter with a 10-0 run on the Magic.  Then, in the 4th, they were able to close out the victory to cement their current reputation as “The Comeback Kids” of the NBA.  Derron Williams had 30 points for the Jazz as they continue to prove they’re a serious contender in the Western Conference.  Utah 104, Orlando 94.

And in Washington, the Wizards have quite a bit of talent this year, especially since they nabbed the #1 overall draft pick, John Wall. Wall is off to a tremendous start this season, except the Wizards simply aren’t closing out games.  They know how keep the game competitive, but in the end, when it counts, they simply can’t hold on for victories.  Last night, John Wall and the Wiz hosted a lowly 1-5 Houston Rockets team.  If they couldn’t beat them IN D.C., then who could the Wizards beat?  The good news:  John Wall continued to illustrate his dominance, as last night he became the 3rd youngest player in NBA history to record a triple double.  It took him only 6 games into his career, which puts him 5th in the record books (Oscar Robertson has the record nabbing a triple-double his first ever NBA game).  Wall finished with 19 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds as the Wizards record their second win of the season.  Washington 98, Houston 91.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: MCNABB CONTROVERSY, NEWTON NEWS, MIAMI NOT THE HYPE

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In the NFL, there is still controversy over the benching of Donovan McNabb by Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan.  In a 2-minute drill 2 weeks ago, Shanahan benched McNabb in favor of back-up Rex Grossman.  This raised a lot of eyebrows among a loyal Redskins fan base.  Why not start the quarterback you brought to town to win ball games.  Shanahan has recently said he thought Grossman had a better handle on the teams 2-minute drill and that he knew the playbook better.  It sounds as if Shanahan is skirting the issue that people are starting to sense — that McNabb isn’t working out in DC.  McNabb has laughed off claims that he doesn’t know the playbook, but there is definitely something wrong behind the scenes in Washington.

Finally, another update in the Cam Newton saga.  The Auburn quarterback is under investigation for taking money to play college ball.  He and his father were reportedly shopping for the best deal when choosing a university.  Reportedly, not only were they hoping for a scholarship, but also some additional cash on top of that.  Well, yesterday it was revealed that this story may be leaning more true than false, and that Cam and his father Cecile were, in fact, out there looking for the highest bidder.  If this story is confirmed, it will likely mean very bad news for the Auburn football program.  It essentially insinuates that Auburn pays players to come there.  Not exactly NCAA-rule friendly.  We’ll see how this develops.

BASKETBALL

In the NBA, the Miami Heat have beaten some bad teams this season, but also lost to the good teams.  They certainly haven’t been the dominant, kill-everyone-by-30 points team people were worried about.  Last night they hosted a hot Utah Jazz team.  The Heat got up to a big lead, thanks to a 39 point night from Dwayne Wade.  But the Jazz battled back in the 4th quarter behind an incredible 46 point night from Paul Milsap.  He is on fire this season!  In OT, the Jazz got the job done and the Heat couldn’t finish, giving Jazz an impressive road win in Miami.  The Heat are getting crushed down low, and there are rumblings that they might trade Chris Bosh for some much needed front-court help.  Utah 116, Miami 114.

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WATERCOOLER CHAT: BENGALS STOP CINCY, PHILLIPS FIRED, NEWTON IN TROUBLE

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In the NFL, it was Monday Night Football between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.  The Steelers have been playing extremely well this season, but are still somewhat enigmatic.  Last week, they lost to the Saints in a game they were expected to win.  They traveled to Cincy hoping to grab a win and get back on track.  Cincy, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to turn their season around with an upset win over the Steelers.  Well, Pittsburgh got out to a big lead behind a solid rushing performance from Rashard Mendenhall.  They led 27-7 in the fourth quarter and the game appeared to be over.  But, Bengals QB Carson Palmer caught fire and led the Bengals to two quick scores.  He even put them in a position to win the game, as they had the ball in the red zone with just under a minute to play.  However, the Steelers defense was just too strong and they stopped the Bengals when it counted most.  Tough break, Cincy.  Pittsburgh 27, Cincinnati 21.

Elsewhere in the NFL, as predicted by many, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones fired coach Wade Phillips today.  The Cowboys are a horrendous 1-7, and in Dallas, that is simply not acceptable.  A smaller team like Jacksonville, Kansas City, or Detroit might wait till the end of the season to fire a coach, but in Dallas, they want solutions NOW.  If all the problems can be scapegoated on Wade Phillips, then it is Phillips that must go.  Jones just build a multi-billion dollar stadium, and NEEDS to fill those seats as much as possible.  A Super Bowl competitive Cowboys team is a must, and Phillips just wasn’t cutting it.  Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will take over for now, but expect a major move in the off-season — potentially ex-Steelers coach Bill Cowher.

Finally, in college football, a major development in the investigation of Auburn superstar quarterback Cam Newton.  Newton was said to have possibly taken money to play at Auburn, and now that people are digging into his history, they’re finding out a whole bunch of stuff.  It appears that Newton was caught cheating 3 times while at the University of Florida.  Newton was at Florida 2 years before transferring to a community college in Texas.  While at Florida, Newton reportedly put his name on another student’s paper (without him knowing).  Later, when Newton was given a second chance, he turned in a paper that was found to be purchased off the internet.  He was kicked out of Florida for buying a computer that was reported stolen.  Now he’s at Auburn leading the Tigers to a National Championship, but these recent findings will surely affect the minds of Heisman voters.

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