Check out this 5th grader who wrecks everyone on the basketball court. He plays on a Varsity team and is one of the best players in the league. Fast forward a bit to see the good stuff.
Julian “Handles” Newman
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Category Archives: Everything Else
The Fraud That Is Ray Lewis
Like any Boston fan, I’ve been trying to avoid Sportscenter as much as possible lately. Aside from the Bruins, there’s just too much upsetting news in the sports world right now. I mean the Red Sox are still irrelevant for the time being, the struggling C’s lost Rondo for the year, and Ray Lewis’s face pisses me off now more than ever.
But with said, it’s kind of hard to 
avoid hearing about the latest in the Ray Lewis fraud fiasco. I honestly don’t know how he is getting off so easily with all this. For starters, he may or may not have murdered two guys outside a nightclub, or was at least involved enough to pay off the family of the victims and lead them to cringe each time they see him on TV. I know this is old news and only coming up again now because he’s back in the Super Bowl, but it wouldn’t be nearly as bad if the man didn’t pretend to be a saint. Wes Welker’s wife hit the nail on the head and I really wish she stuck by her words instead of apologizing. As much as he pretends to be and wants to be, the man is no role model.
With the murder situation aside, new insight from Sports Illustrated claims Ray used banned substances to recover from his torn triceps injury. Again, the man just simply denies it when confronted at media day and everyone moves on. HOW? How in the world did the media just give up on that question? Ray says he doesn’t want to talk about it and that’s it? A 37 year old Ray Lewis suffers an injury that would keep a 23 year old specimen of an athlete out at least 6 months. Within 7 weeks, the guy is back on the field. In less than 3 months he’s playing again. Oh and just happens to announce upon return that this will be his last year. I call bullshit.
Now I’m all about a good sports story. Coming back from an injury to end a Hall of Fame career with a Super Bowl win, who wouldn’t want to see something like that? But not from this guy. And I’m not saying that as a Pats fan whose still bitter about losing in the AFC championship game, even though I am. I’m saying that as a human being who doesn’t want to see people praising a murderer, cheater, liar, fraud, etc. In fact, I despise Jim Harbaugh so much I would actually root for the Ravens if it weren’t for Ray Lewis. I know this new story will have no effect on Ray playing Sunday but I truly hope more comes of it after the season and his career gets yet another asterisk next to it. I say this with reluctance, but let’s go Niners!
Coach Sabotaged SuperBowl?
A new story surfaced today about a former Oakland Raiders’ Head Coach. According to multiple players that played for Bill Callahan, he “sabotaged” SuperBowl X
XXVII. According to Wide Receiver Tim Brown, who has almost 15,000 yards and 100 Touchdowns in 17 seasons, Coach Callahan changed their game plan right before the SuperBowl. He said that the whole team called it Sabotage. Callahan was brought into the organization by Jon Gruden, and remained good friends with him. Coincidentally, Gruden was the head coach for their opponent in that game, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brown said that Callahan always seemed fed up with the Raiders’ organization and even walked off the field on them a couple times. Even Jerry Rice, who was on the Raiders during that time at the end of his career said he found it “very unusual” that the coach changed 
everything at the last minute. The Raiders ended up losing 48-21.
Normally, I’m not much for conspiracy theories but this seems fishy. Jerry Rice said that they practiced running the ball all week, and then on Friday, two days prior to the big game, they changed the plan to pass. They didn’t just throw it a little more, Quarterback Rich Gannon threw the ball over 60 times in that game. Many former players are either taking shots at Brown, or backing up his remarks as the story keeps developing.
Do you think a coach would actually sabotage a SuperBowl win, and his legacy by handing it over to a friend?
NFL Coaching Carousel: New Faces In New Places
New Year, New Coaches: A few weeks ago the NFL saw a total of 7 head coaches fired by their old teams. Those teams were the Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, and San Diego Chargers. Since then all 7 coaching vacancies have been filled. Here’s a rundown of who was hired:
Arizona Cardinals: Bruce Arians, who led the Colts to an 11-5 record as interim coach in the absence of Chuck Strong, who battled Leukemia last season.
Buffalo Bills: Doug Marrone, former Syracuse Orange head coach, went 25-25 in four seasons with the Orange and has 7 years of NFL experience with coaching staff stints with the New Orleans Saints 2006-2008 and the New York Jets 2002-2005.
Cleveland Browns: Rob Chudzinski, former Offensive Coordinator for the Carolina Panthers and also was OC for the Browns in 2007-2008.
Chicago Bears: Marc Trestman, former CFL coach for the Montreal Alouettes winning two Grey Cup titles, also has 17 years of NFL coaching experience spending most of that time as an offensive coordinator for a number of NFL teams.
Kansas City Chiefs: Andy Reid, Former Philadelphia Eagles Bench Boss, spent 13 years with the Eagles, leading them to five NFC Championship game appearances and a Super Bowl in 2004, he finished last season with a record of 4-12.
Philadelphia Eagles: Chip Kelly, former Oregon Ducks head coach, went 46-7 while helping to turn the Ducks into a college football powerhouse. Kelly also led the Ducks to a BCS National Championship in 2011. Kelly has no previous NFL experience.
San Diego Chargers: Mike McCoy, former Denver Broncos Offensive Coordinator who helped the Broncos along the way to a 13-3 season that ended with a playoff loss to Baltimore last Saturday (January 12th).
Best and Worst Hire: From the list of recent hires above, here’s my choice for who nailed it and who should have kept looking:
Best: The Arizona Cardinals have earned my nod for the NFL’s best off-season coaching move with the hire of Bruce Arians. I chose the Cards over Kansas City hiring Andy Reid for a few reasons.
1. Arians led a Colts team that nobody had winning more than 4-5 games to an 11 win season and a playoff berth. 2. He coached on a team with a green-horn QB in Andrew Luck and found ways to win. 3. He displayed leadership all season long as he stepped in for Chuck Strong, and picked up the teams spirits to push forward.
It’s all of those reasons that I have Arians having success in Arizona with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Kevin Kolb/ John Skelton, Adrian Wilson, and Patrick Peterson.
Side note on Arians: To have success, he will need to address the teams QB situation. Last year Kolb and Skelton shared duties in leading the team. The Cardinals have the 7th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Which could give them the option to go for either Geno Smith of West Virginia or Matt Barkley of USC (then again, Matt Leinart didn’t exactly workout in Arizona). Any way you slice it though, Arians will need to resolve that position if he is to ultimately succeed.
Worst: This one is pretty clear cut in my mind. The Philadelphia Eagles took a gamble on hiring Chip Kelly and that’s exactly what Kelly will be in Philly, a risk. Kelly certainly isn’t the first college head coach to try his hand on the NFL Grid-iron.
Some college head coaches like Jim Harbaugh (San Francisco 49ers head coach) Pete Carroll (recently with the Seattle Seahawks) Tom Coughlin( New York Giants 2 Super Bowl Rings) and Jimmy Johnson (Dallas Cowboys Head coach in the 90’s who won 2 Super Bowls) are having/had great success in the NFL . However, more often than not, “The Old College Try” doesn’t pan out so well for most NFL teams. Here’s a list of college coaches who weren’t so hot in the NFL:
Steve Spurrier (Washington Redskins for 2 years going 12-20 before retreating back to college ball)
Nick Saban (Miami Dolphins for 2 years going 15-17 before taking the Alabama job and building a college dynasty)
Bobby Petrino (Atlanta Falcons for 13 games of the 2007 season left with 3 games still to play, the Falcons finished with a 4-12 record. Petrino returned to college to coach Arkansas)
Rich Brooks (St. Louis Rams for 2 years going 13-19 and was fired, which allowed him to return to college and coach Kentucky)
Unlike Harbaugh, Carroll, Coughlin, and Johnson, I forsee Kelly falling into the same category as Spurrier, Saban, Petrino, and Brooks. I just don’t see his offensive schemes working at the professional level.
Also, unless Kelly, an offensive minded guy, can somehow work wonders with his defensive coordinator and the Eagles defense (who gave up an average of 27 points per game last year and ranked 23rd in rush defense with 126yds per game) things will not get any better in the city of brotherly love.
Final Thoughts: With the new coaches in place, it will be interesting to see what these new bench bosses can do next season. Which coach do you think will have the best season? Who will have the worst season? Leave a comment below.
The Australian Open: Djokovic and Azarenka Dominate Down Under
The Australian Open began last Sunday (Jan 13th) and action has been underway with the usual suspects, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Rodger Federer, Juan Martin Del Potro, David Ferrer (mens singles) and Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki, and Agnieszka Radwanska (womens singles) advancing with ease. Here’s a rundown of what to expect from this year’s tournament:
Women’s Singles:
Serena Williams, favored to win yet another slam, rolled her ankle in a round one sweep of Romania’ Edina Gallovits 6-0. 6-0. Williams will have to keep an idol eye on her ankle if she is to make a run and capture her 16th singles Grand Slam title.
Azarenka won last year’s Aussie Open title to earn her first Grand Slam victory, and looks poised to repeat again this year. Azarenka and Williams’ paths could cross in the women’s singles draw, which could be an exciting match given the two’s rivalry history.
These two have met 12 times with Williams dominating 11-1, 7-0 in Grand Slam matches. Azarenka will look to change that statistic should the two meet. Keep an eye on both Azarenka and Williams.
Also pay close attention to Agnieszka Radwanska, and Caroline Wozniacki, both could make runs to the Aussie final. Radwanska is in fact favored by some experts to win the Slam should Williams not make it to the tournament Final.
Men’s Singles:
While Novak Djokovic is the favorite to win a second straight Australian Open, he will certainly have some serious competition in this years draw.
Andy Murray is coming off a solid 2012 season with a French open semi-final finish, narrowly losing to Roger Federer in the final at Wimbledon, winning the US Open and bringing home the Gold for Britain in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Federer, though he is aging, won Wimbledon last year and finished with the Silver medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics, and is always a threat in any tournament.
Also, court-grinders like Juan Martin Del Potro, David Ferrer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Nikolay Davydenko have all had run-ins with the likes of Djokovic, Murray, Federer, and Rafael Nadal. Any one of them could pose a threat and make a run to the Aussie Final.
Side note on Nadal, he is out of this year’s Aussie Open due to a stomach virus. Nadal will be entering the Brazil open though, which is slated to begin on February 11th. Nadal has also been recovering from tendonitis in his left knee.
My Predictions for the Australian Open:
Men’s Quarterfinals:
1st seeded Novak Djokovic defeating 5th seeded Tomas Berdych
4th seeded David Ferrer defeating 8th seeded Janko Tipsarevic,
3rd seeded Andy Murray defeating 6th seeded Juan Martin Del Potro
and 2nd seeded Roger Federer defeating 7th seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Women’s Quarterfinals:
1st seeded Victoria Azarenka defeating 10th seeded Caroline Wozniacki
8th seeded Petra Kvitova defeating 3rd seeded Serena Williams in a 4 set shocker
4th seeded Agnieszka Radwanska defeating 6th seeded Li Na
and 2nd seeded Maria Sharapova defeating 5th seeded Angelique Kerber
Mens Semi-Finals:
Novak Djokovic defeating David Ferrer
Andy Murray defeating Roger Federer
Women’s Semi-finals:
Victoria Azarenka defeating Petra Kvitova
Agnieszka Radwanska defeating Maria Sharapova
Men’s Grand Slam Winner:
Novak Djokovic defeating Andy Murray in a thrilling 4 set match.
Women’s Grand Slam Winner:
Victoria Azarenka defeating Agnieszka Radwanska in a grueling 5 set match
Final Notes and Comments: As a reminder, the Australian Open runs through January 27th and can be viewed on ESPN2 and WatchESPN.com from your Mac or PC. Who do you have winning the Australian Open? Can Serena Williams still take the Slam with a bad ankle? Will someone other than Djokovic win for the men’s singles? Leave a comment below.
Playoff Predictor: Broncos vs Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVII
The 2012 NFL PLayoffs are set and with the Wild Card round starting this Saturday, here’s a breakdown of the match-ups and my Bold predictions:
AFC Wild Card: Houston Texans vs Cincinnati Bengals Saturday at 4:30pm
Houston (12-4) will probably feel a sense of Deja Vu as they play the Bengals (10-6) on Saturday as the two tangoed in last years playoffs. The game marked the first time the Texans had made the playoffs resulting in a 31-10 drubbing of Cincy.
Houston Playmakers RB Arian Foster, DE J.J. Watt and WR Andre Johnson were keys to victory against the Bengals last year and will be relied on again come Saturday. Also the Texans will have starter Matt Schaub this year (Schaub was injured last season late).
For Cincinnati, second year studs QB Andy Dalton and WR A.J. Green will be the X factors for Cincy on Saturday. Also, to the Bengals credit, their defense has been solid all season finishing the year with the 7th best passing defense (212.5 yards per game) and the 12th best rushing defense (102.5 yards per game).
Prediction: I foresee a more competitive contest between these two teams in this go-around. The game will ultimately come down to turnovers. Andy Dalton threw 3 interceptions in last years wild card game. The Texans committed no turnovers. I have the Texans winning 21 to 17 over the Bengals.
Baltimore Ravens vs Indianapolis Colts Sunday at 1:00pm
The Ravens (10-6) will take on the surprising Colts (11-5) in a game that will be high with emotions on both sidelines. The Ravens were a few different play calls away from making it to the Super Bowl last year, and went on a campaign to prove themselves this year in the AFC (though they slowed down at seasons end). The Colts came into this season with little to no expectations at all. A rookie quarterback leading a team that went 2-14 the season before didn’t exactly add up to a winning season. However, Andrew Luck and Co. fought their way into the post-season game by game. Not to mention doing so while watching their head coach, Chuck Pagano, battle Leukemia .
The Ravens will be led by QB Joe Flacco and RB Ray Rice as they’ll attempt to mix their power running game and passing attacks together to try and overwhelm Indy’s defensive schemes.
The Colts will no doubt rely heavily on the shoulders of potential Rookie Of the Year winner Andrew Luck. Luck broke Cam Newtons rookie record for passing yards in a single season finishing with 4,374 yards.
Prediction: I see the Baltimore Ravens winning this contest, but not without a fight from Indy. While the Ravens defense hasn’t been up to snuff with the loss of Ray Lewis and Co. I still believe the Ravens have the upper hand in this one. Luck and the Colts have had a phenomenal season, no doubt about it, but I believe the magic ends this Sunday as Luck cracks under the pressures of post-season play. Ravens win 28-13.
NFC Wild Card: Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings Saturday at 8:00pm
The Packers (11-5) were stunned by the New York Giants in last years NFC Divisional Round and have an opportunity in this years post-season to prove their still as good as they were when they won it all in 2011. The Minnesota Vikings were similar to the Indianapolis Colts this year in the sense that they weren’t expected to make the playoffs. With second year QB Christian Ponder at the helm, and Adrian Peterson coming back from a knee injury, Minnesota had a few questions marks to say the least. Well, Adrian “All Day” Peterson had a response…run…a lot. Led by Adrian Peterson’ stunning season, becoming only the 7th NFL rusher to reach 2,000 yards (he finished with 2,097 yards), the Vikes find themselves in the post-season.
Green Bay will no doubt be led by the likes of QB Aaron Rodgers, LB Clay Matthews, and WR Greg Jennings, etc. The Packers started shaky at 2-2 but finished strong going 10-2 to close out the season.
The Vikings will no surprise call an number 28 to once again carry the load and the team on his shoulders in this one. The Vikes could stand a chance in this one seeing as they did beat Green Bay to close out the season 37-34. This one, however, I have going to Green Bay with the Packers winning 21-7.
Seattle Seahawks vs Washington Redskins Sunday at 4:30pm
The Seahawks (11-5) and the Redskins (10-6) are nearly mirror images of one another. Both teams sport sensational rookie QB’s in Seattle’ Russell Wilson and Washington’ Robert Griffin III. Both teams are in the top 5 in the NFL for rushing yards per game, Washington leading the league with 169.3yds and Seattle in 3rd with 161.2yds. The only edge Washington has over Seattle is that the Skins made the playoffs by winning the NFC East division in a season finale this past Sunday over the Dallas Cowboys.
Despite both teams having play-makers on both sides of the ball, this games outcome will be determined by the play of two men. The performances by Seattle’ Russell Wilson and Washington’ Robert Griffin III will decide who moves on and who goes home.
I predict a shootout in this one with both rookie QB’s trading punches all game long. I have Seattle edging out Washington 31-28.
Divisional Rounds and Super Bowl Pick:
The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots earned a first round bye, same for the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers. Both the Broncos and Falcons earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. With the picks I made above the Broncos would play the Ravens with the Patriots playing the Texans in the AFC. In the NFC, based on my picks, the Falcons would play the Seahawks and the 49ers would play the Packers.
My Picks:
I have the divisional rounds and championship rounds going down something like this:
Patriots vs Texans: The Pats send Matt Schaub and the Texans home as they win 24-14 in style led by Tom Brady and Co.
Ravens vs Broncos: Peyton Manning and the Broncos make it look easy in Mile High Denver as they beat Baltimore 28-14.
AFC Championship Broncos vs Patriots: Peyton Manning gets the better of Tom Brady and leaves New England fans heart broken as Denver wins it at Mile High by a score of 24-21.
Falcons vs Seahawks: In an absolute shocker, I have the Seahawks upsetting the Dirty Birds as Russell Wilson and Seattle find a way to keep Matt Ryan and Atlanta at bay winning 17-14.
Packers vs 49ers: The Colin Kaepernick show continues, with help from the defense and a solid rushing performance by Frank Gore, as San Fran sends Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers packing with a final score of 28-24.
NFC Championship 49ers vs Seahawks: In an NFC West battle for the ages I have the Seattle Seahawks pulling off another upset and catapulting themselves into their first super bowl appearance since 2006. The Seahawks recently walloped the 49ers back in week 16 42-13 and split the season series 1-1 with a 13-6 loss to San Fran in week 7. It could happen.
Super Bowl XLVII Broncos vs Seahawks: Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos win the franchises first Super Bowl since 1998 (The Denver Broncos had home-field advantage in 1998 also) as Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks heroics aren’t enough with Denver winning 31-21. Manning wins Super Bowl MVP.
Final Thoughts: I want to here from NFL fans and Pats fans on this one. Can the Patriots win their first Super Bowl since 2005? How do you see the playoffs panning out? Leave a comment below.
2012 NFL Awards: Handing Out the Hardware
The votes for this years NFL awards including MVP, Comeback Player Of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Player Of the Year, and Rookie Of The Year have to be in by this week. Like most years the voting is intense, but this year we may see the closest race yet in nearly all the above categories. Let’s take a look at the awards and their nominees:
NFL MVP: The Nominees: Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and J.J. Watt.
Of the nominees, two men stand above the rest. Peyton Manning has led the Denver Broncos to home-field advantage in this years playoffs by going on an 11 game winning streak to finish the season tied with the Atlanta Falcons for the leagues best record at 13-3 overall. Manning has also done all of this coming back from a neck injury that kept him out all of last season.
Adrian “All Day” Peterson. Peterson much like Manning, had a simply phenomenal comeback season this year. Last year Peterson was out due to a knee injury. Some wondered how Peterson would respond this season. Needless to say, Peterson answered all the questions and then some. Peterson put on a rushing clinic this season eclipsing the 2,000 yard mark, a feat only 6 other NFL running backs have done in the history of the league. Peterson finished the season with 2,097 yards, just 9 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’ record of 2,105 set back in 1984. All Day’s performance this year has helped put the Vikings in the post season.
My Pick: I have to go with Adrian Peterson. The fact that this man came back from reconstructive knee surgery, and nearly broke a 28-year-old NFL rushing record is enough for me. The selling point on Peterson to win this award though, rests in the fact that he helped lead the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs.
A feat few thought to be possible when the season began so many weeks ago. Peyton has no doubt had a great year, and is vital to the Broncos success, but Denver could have made the post-season with someone else at quarterback, especially with the awful play by the rest of the AFC West this year. The Vikings don’t do much of anything without Adrian Peterson this year (or any year for that matter).
MVP is the Most Valuable Player award, and in my opinion there’s no one whose been more valuable to a team than Adrian Peterson this year.
Comeback Player: This year the award for Comeback Player Of the Year is probably the most clear cut award as only two players fit the bill. The two men mentioned in the paragraph above, Manning and Peterson, have both done more than what anybody expected from them. Both have had great seasons. Both have their teams in the playoffs. Both came back from career jarring injuries. However, only one of them can win the award.
My Pick: I’m choosing Peyton Manning for this one. Peterson could very well win this award, but I’m giving it to Manning because he not only had to comeback from an injury, but he had to comeback with a brand new team, brand new offensive sets, brand new targets to throw to, brand new everything. Manning not only came-back as the Manning we all know, but he made us nearly forget he ever left. With that, Manning is my choice for Comeback Player Of the Year, hands down.
Of
fensive Player Of The Year: The Nominees: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Calvin Johnson, Adrian Peterson.
Like the first two awards this is another one that either Manning or Peterson could win, but given they both may win one of the two aforementioned awards Brady, Rodgers, and Johnson have a higher chance at this award.
Brady and Rodgers have both had solid seasons. Brady threw for 4,827 yards with 34 TDS while Rodgers threw for 4,295 yards and 39 TDS. Both are essential to their offenses overall success. However, I’d like to argue my pick for Offensive Player Of the Year, Calvin Johnson.
My Pick: Johnson has been nothing short of amazing this season. Johnson not only had the most receiving yards of any wide receiver this year, he broke Jerry Rice’ single season record for receiving yards with a 225 yard 11 catch performance against the falcons in week 16 against Atlanta. “Megatron” finished the season with 1,964 yards. Johnson averaged 115 yards and 7 catches per game this season. Those numbers are certainly award worthy. Of course, it will be hard for Johnson to beat out the likes of Brady and Rodgers, but he should absolutely be considered and is my pick for this year’s Offensive Player Of the Year.
Defensive Player Of the Year: The Nominees: J.J. Watt, Von Miller, Aldon Smith.
All of the nominees are no doubt a quarterback, heck lets be honest, these guys have any one on offense scared to death on any given Sunday. But, like any award, only one of them can bring home the hardware. Let’s go to the stats:
J.J. Watt- NFL season sack leader with 20.5 sacks, 81 combined tackles, and 4 forced fumbles.
Aldon Smith- Finished second in total sacks with 19.5, 66 combined tackles, 3 forced fumbles and 1 interception.
Von Miller- Finished 3rd in sacks with 18.5, 68 tackles, 6 forced fumbles, and 1 interception.
My Pick: Again, all of these men wreak havoc on opposing offenses week in and week out, but I have to choose one. My choice has to be J.J. Watt. Watt burst on to scene last year in his rookie season with his tenacious play in the regular season, and really broke out in the Texans playoff win against the Bengals with an interception return for a TD. Watt has , asserted himself as a force to be reckoned with this year in the NFL and has earned the right to this award.
Rookie Of The Year: The Nominees: Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson.
The three rookie QB’s listed above have all had incredible seasons in their own right. Each of them have led their respective teams to the playoffs. Here’s the numbers on these newbies:
Luck: rookie record for passing yards with 4, 374 and 23 TD with a 76.5 QB rating.
RGIII: 3,200 yards passing with 20 TD and 102.4 QB rating, Griffin also rushed for 815 yds and 7 TDS ranking him in the top 20 in rushing yds in the NFL.
Wilson: tied Peyton Manning’ rookie record for passing TDS with 26 and threw for 3,118 yards. Wilson also had 489 rushing yds with 4 TDS.
My Pick: My choice for Rookie Of the Year would have to be RGIII. No disrespect to Andrew Luck, but at the end of the day it’s hard for me to not pick a rookie stud who finishes in the top 5 for QB rating with the likes of Rodgers and Manning. Plus with his versatility in the pocket as a rushing threat he is hard to ignore.
Final Thoughts: Almost forgot an award. Coach Of the Year. Mike Shanahan (Redskins), Leslie Frazier (Vikings), Pete Carroll (Seahawks), and Bruce Arians (fill in for Chuck Pagano and the Colts) all up for the honor. I believe for what Arians accomplished, in Pagano’ honor while he battled Leukemia, is more than deserving of the award and has undoubtedly earned it. Who do you think will take home the NFL Hardware? Leave a comment below.
NFL Coaches, General Managers Get Canned
Coaches Cut: With the NFL season over, those teams who are not in the playoffs use this down time to sit back and assess their team needs, staff hiring/firing, and of course financial business decisions. Nine NFL franchises wasted no time at all in addressing the second part of that list I just mentioned. The Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, and Philadelphia Eagles all fired their head coaches before lunchtime this past Monday. Here’s a list of the coaches who will be looking for new work in 2013:
Andy Reid Former Eagles Head Coach
Pat Shurmur Former Browns Head Coach
Lovie Smith Former Bears Head Coach
Chan Gailey Former Bills Head Coach
Romeo Crennel Former Chiefs Head Coach
Norv Turner Former Chargers Head Coach
Ken Whisenhunt Former Cardinals Head Coach
GM’s Going Going Gone: As mentioned earlier in this post coaches weren’t the only ones getting cut by teams. A total of five general managers were all let go. The Browns, Cardinals, Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets all parted ways with their GM’s. Here’s who got the boot:
A.J. Smith Former Chargers GM
Rod Graves Former Cardinals GM
Mike Tannenbaum Former Jets GM
Gene Smith Former Jaguars GM
Tom Heckert Former Browns GM
Final Thoughts: Just to recap the Browns, Cardinals, and Chargers will need both a new GM and head coach. The Bears, Bills, Chiefs, and Eagles will all need new head coaches. While the Jets and Jaguars will need new GM’s. To put these firings into perspective nearly a 1/4 of the NFL will need a new head coach. What do you think? Who should these teams hire next season? Should any other NFL coaches get axed? Leave a comment below.
Ugly Athletes Debate
Gallery
This gallery contains 11 photos.
Below are pictures of some of the ugliest athletes that I could think of. There will be more of these, so I did not include everyone. I am asking you take a look at these hideous faces and take the … Continue reading
D-Will Hires Own Reporters
Do you hate the Brooklyn Nets? Maybe it’s because they still smell like the Dirty Jersey, or even that they have Kris Humphries, or maybe it’s some other reason. But if you like them, you may have to re-evaluate things after this. Deron Williams has hired his own beat reporter to cover him, and only him. Yes, that’s right. Williams thinks that he does not get enough recognition or highlights. The site will be revolved all around him. He says it is only going to be 90% about him, but still, that’s crazy. Kobe tried this before but to a lesser extent.
Do you think it is ridiculous that a player would do this? Do you think it shows how self-centered and conceited he is? I think it proves that he cares more about himself than he does his team. He doesn’t care about winning a championship, he wants money and fame. Do you agree?
Boston Sports Blog 