Complicating Finish

Posted on January 23, 2012 by christoph131

This is clearly old news by now but an article of this magnitude deserves a lot of careful thinking rather than just my normal routine of writing down the first thing on my mind. Former Penn State Coach Joe Paterno has passed away due to complications from lung cancer (AKA Jerry Sandusky inadvertantly murdering him after touching children (allegedly, but totally happened)) Joe Pa lived just over 85 years and coached a 46 seasons for a total of 409 victories. He now holds the record for most wins by a BCS coach when he won his 409th game on October 29, 2011. So at least he finished on top. Sort of. Unfortunately, he will forever be linked with the scandal that we are all sick of hearing about.

I believe that he should be remembered as one of the greatest coaches of all time and the face of NCAA football for years to come. Keep in mind, he didn’t molest anyone, he was just protecting a friend that he believed was innocent. If someone told me that my best friend touched a little boy without any evidence, I don’t know that I would report him either. I do not agree that he should have kept it a secret, but to blame him completely for this is just absurd.

Years from now, no one is going to remember that Sandusky douche. They are going to remember Joe Paterno, the winningest coach of all time, as a man who is linked with the molestation of a child. This is certainly not fair. Obviously I have my opinion and you will have yours, but I am just curious where everyone stands on the subject. If you just select the latter answer because of the media and negative connotations towards him, just forget it. I would like to see how many people believe that he was really a bad person or not.

College Athlete Contracts

Posted on December 28, 2011 by christoph131

There is much debate over whether or not college athletes should be receiving multi-year contracts, or if they should stick with their one-year renewable scholarships that they have now. Many schools have objected to this new NCAA ruling, which means it will be put on hold until they can reach an agreement. There are pro’s and con’s to each side.

Players- Even if they are injured on the field, or they fail to produce the highest numbers, they will still be able to attend school with their original financial help. This means, if there is a freshman star quarterback, the team will still need to cover the costs of the sophomores, juniors, and seniors, even though they are not playing.

Teams- These are mostly cons. They are stuck with players even if they have bad conduct issues, bad performance, as long as they can obtain the minimum GPA. Players have all the power, they can leave and opt out at any time for professional leagues.

I don’t know if it will go through but the board of the NCAA seems to be pushing it pretty hard. It would not be implemented for at least another year or two but it’s a good thing to think about.

Mayor Menino Speaks Out on Cathedral’s Fist Pumping Loss

Posted on December 7, 2011 by davecouture

Mayor Thomas Menino bashed the MIAA this morning when asked about his opinion on the Cathedral High School Super Bowl loss last Saturday. If you missed the story check it out here(https://tullysportsblog.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/fist-pump-costs-owens-cathedral-h-s-super-bowl-title/). Menino stated, “I think sometimes these rules are written by frustrated athletes,” Menino said on a visit to the high school. “They never participated in a sport, and they don’t know what it is to be excited. You play in a football game, you run for a touchdown, and you do something special.”

Mayor Menino even offered to take the Cathedral football team out to lunch to help ease the pain; although I’m sure it would help much. Of course the MIAA will stand up for the referee that made the call, but what I really want to know is how do they really feel about the situation? Do they honestly think the call on the field was the correct call? The MIAA must adjust these rules. Texas and Massachusetts are the only states in the U.S. that have adopted the NCAA’s rules on taunting. If the NCAA took away touchdowns every time a player so much as raised his hand running into the end zone, all games would end up like the LSU v. Bama’ game earlier this season. Bottom line: This referee took away a Super Bowl title from the more deserving team, and every single possible action needs to be taken to make sure this never happens again.

Week 14 NFL Power Rankings

Posted on December 7, 2011 by davecouture

With none of the top 7 teams losing this week not much has changed there, but their were many upsets last week and this weeks rankings reflect that.

1. Packers (12-0) +0 – Even if they lost last week I would still have them here. They’re offense is just too good.

2. Ravens (9-3) +1 – Their running game is dynamic and Flacco is doing a good job managing games.

3. Patriots (9-3) -1 – They started career special teamer Matthew Slater at safety last week. Their defense is a concern but I still see them battling with Pit and the Ravens in the AFC.

4. Steelers (9-3) +1 – They absolutely destroyed the Bengals and their defense looks like Steelers defenses of the past.

5. Saints (9-3) -1 – Their offense looks like it did when they won the Super Bowl, but then again there hasn’t been to many changes since then.

6. 49ers (10-2) +0 – I still don’t believe in their ability to score points against a quality defense.

7. Texans (9-3) +9 – Their defense is going to have to carry them if they want a shot to get through the brutal AFC.

8. Cowboys(7-5) -1 – They just dropped a game they shouldn’t have lost. How typical. I still have faith in this team though.

9. Broncos (7-5) +5 – They are beginning to gain confidence in Tebow and allow him to throw the ball around a little more.

10. Lions (7-5) -2 – Their defense got picked apart last week by a great passing attack, but their offense can still put up points with the best of em’.

11. Jets (7-5) +1 – Sanchez has been playing better and isn’t losing games for them. He’s never going to be All-Pro caliber, but he needs to keep them in games instead of being the reason they are out of them.

12. Titans (7-5) +5 – I see them having a legitimate shot at making the playoffs is CJ keeps it up.

13. Falcons (7-5) -3 – They just lost to a team with T.J Yates at QB. Their offense is to hit or miss to be a top 10 team right now.

14. Giants (6-6) -5 – They showed they can play with the best of them, but at times they also play with the worst of em’. They play to their opponents skill level.

15. Raiders (7-5) -4 – After an embarrassing loss to Miami it wont get any easier when they go up against the red-hot Broncos.

16. Bengals (7-5) -3 – They’re still very young and its showing. Give them some time and they may be a top 5 team in the next couple of years, just not now.

17. Seahawks (5-7) +6 – They are leaning on the run game which is why they have been successful. If they hadn’t been so bad early on they could have been a playoff team.

18. Bears (7-5) -3 – Caleb Hanie really is that bad. They need to make a move for McNabb or say goodbye to their season.

19. Chargers (5-7) +0 – Even at 5-7 they still have a lot to play for with a shot to catch the Raiders.

20. Dolphins (4-8) +4 – They just blew out the Raiders last week and are on of the hottest teams in the NFL right now. It’s just a little to late.

21. Cardinals (5-7) +4 – They showed they have improved when they beat the Cowboys in OT last week.

22. Eagles (4-8) -4 – It’s almost amusing at this point.

23. Bills (5-7) -2 – Their D-Line is an absolute mess.

24. Panthers (4-8) +2 – Cam Newton is the real deal, they need to focus on the defensive side of the ball in this upcoming draft.

25. Chiefs (5-7) +6 – Don’t let them jumping 6 spots fool ya. Same goes for their victory against the Bears. They only scored on a fluke hail mary and only stopped a team with Caleb Hanie under center.

26. Redskins (4-8) -6 – They were embarrassed in the fourth quarter last week. Up next: The Patriots.

27. Vikings (2-10) +0 – For whatever its worth with a healthy AP they are still better than a handful of teams.

28. Buccaneers (4-8) -6 – They haven’t won a game in almost two months. Even a healthy Freeman won’t help them as he hasn’t had a great season.

29. Browns (4-8) -1 – Their offense is just terrible.

30. Jaguars (3-9) -1 – Imagine if they didn’t have MJD to take pressure off Gabbert? They might have been in the same situation as the Colts.

31. Rams (2-10) -1 – After getting shutout Sunday vs the 49ers you can see how bad their offense really is. The worst thing is their defense isn’t any better.

32. Colts (0-12) +0 – They probably won’t win a game all year, Manning out, Luck in?

Fist Pump Costs Owens, Cathedral H.S. Super Bowl Title

Posted on December 6, 2011 by davecouture

Cathedral High School was just about to cap off an undefeated season with a Super Bowl victory when Matthew Owens scampered down the field to put Cathedral H.S. on top against rival Blue Hills Regional Technical School in the Division 4A Super Bowl game held at Bentley University on Saturday. Owens reached the 20 yard-line of Blue Hills Regional, threw up a single triumphant fist pump, ran into the end zone and handed the ball to the referee. When Owens turned around there was a flag on the field. Sure his first thought was probably a holding call on the offense, but when Owens was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty he was stunned. Owens was flagged for “taunting” from when he threw his fist up in the air in celebration and Blue Hills Regional went on to win the game 16-14. Cathedral H.S. Coach was not exactly thrilled either. Coach Duane Sigsbury stated, “If you’re going to take away from a kid being excited because he just made the play of his life, shame on you.” I could not agree more with the coach on this one. It’s an absolute disgrace that this referee flags a player at such an important time in such an important game for such a ridiculous penalty. This referee needs to be reprimanded. The best referee is one that goes unnoticed, and this guy did a really terrible job at that. He took away a Super Bowl title from a whole school and completely ruined Matthew Owens’ dreams. If Owens had spiked the ball and actually taunted the opponent, than shame on him and it would have been well deserved, but when an 18-year-old kid raises his hand in the air when scoring a Super Bowl winning touchdown and a referee flags him for it, that’s a disgrace and the MIAA should be ashamed of themselves. Take a look at the photo below and let us know if you think Owens deserved to be flagged.

NFL Week 13 Recap

Posted on December 6, 2011 by davecouture

Seahawks 31 Eagles 14

Our Pick: Seahawks

Seattle outlasted the Vick-less Eagles as the Eagles fell to 4-8 and the disappointing season continues. Marshawn Lynch ran hard and took over again, and Vince Young did everything he could to lose the game for the Eagles.

Jets 34- Redskins 19

Our Pick: Jets

Shonn Greene scored 3 TD’s and the Jets put up 21 points in the fourth quarter as the Jets kept their playoff hopes alive and improved to 7-5.

Chiefs 10 Bears 3

Our Pick: ~~Bears~~

Kyle Orton lasted one single play in a Chiefs uniform before dislocating his finger and the QB play for both teams went downhill from there. The only touchdown was scored on a hail mary at the end of the first half that got tipped into the hands of Cheifs RB/WR Dexter McCluster. As far as being a Bears fan, Donovan McNabb sounds much better than Caleb Hanie right now. Or even Brett Favre? Imagine that.

Titans 23 Bills 17

Our Pick: Titans

The Titans stayed within a couple of games of the Texans who pulled out a surprising win this week. The Bills are just flat-out horrible. How does that $60 million deal for Fitzpatrick look now? Chris Johnson looks back to old form. Watch out for this team if they sneak into the playoffs.

Dolphins 34 Raiders 14

Our Pick: ~~Raiders~~

The Dolphins proved me wrong this week and blew out the Raiders. This shows the Raiders just aren’t there yet and still have a lot of work to do. The Dolphins look poised to save their coaches job in Miami (Although he already put his home on the market after starting 0-7). The Raiders better not let this one slip away or its going to be a real disappointing offseason in Oakland.

Steelers 35 Bengals 7

Our Pick: Steelers

There were a couple of things that really stood out in this game. The Bengals are too young and just not ready to compete in a division with veteran teams like the Steelers and Ravens; the second being that the Steelers offense can get the job done. With weapons like Wallace, Mendenhall and Big Ben at the helm, this offense is the real deal.

Texans 17 Falcons 10

Our Pick: ~~Falcons~~

The Texans and Rookie QB T.J Yates got the job done this week. The defense played great and it will have to continue if they want to make a run in the Playoffs because I don’t see the offense putting up much more than 17-20 points unless Foster has a freakish game. The Falcons fell apart and if they continue to play this way they’ll find themselves watching the playoffs from the comfort of their homes come January.

Broncos 35 Vikings 32

Our Pick: Broncos

I couldn’t go against Tebow, especially against the Vikings without Peterson. The Broncos defense looked very shaky throughout the whole game but they came up with a huge interception when they really needed it. They seem to be letting Tebow throw the ball and little more and it worked out for them as he threw for a couple TD’s while completing 66.7% of his passes.

Panthers 38 Buccaneers 19

Our Pick: Panthers

Cam Newton ran for 3 TD’s to give him a league leading 13 on the season. Josh Johnson remained winless as a starting QB in the NFL and the Buc’s just keep looking worse each week.

Ravens 24 Browns 10

Our Pick: Ravens

The Ravens got the win they were supposed to get and the Browns continued to struggle. Ray Rice was dominant again and looks like one of the leagues best RB’s this year. The Browns are just unlucky playing in the division they are in.

Packers 38 Giants 35

Our Pick: ~~Giants~~

The Giants look like they had a chance to win this one in Overtime but their poor clock management on their final drive left too much time on the clock for Rodgers and he drove right down the field in under a minute. This shows the Packers are beatable.

Cardinals 19 Cowboys 13

Our Pick: ~~Cowboys~~

This is what I meant a couple of weeks back that the Cowboys often times don’t play up to their talent. This is a game you cannot lose. They had the opportunity to pull two games up on the Giants with only 4 to go and they blow it by losing to a team like the Cardinals. I’m sure Jerry Jones isn’t exactly thrilled right now.

49ers 26 Rams 0

Our Pick: 49ers

The 49ers clinched the division and a playoff bitch this week by improving to 10-2 on the season. Jim Harbaugh has completely turned this team around and will certainly be in the running for coach of the year.

Saints 31 Lions 17

Our Pick: Saints

The Saints continue to keep putting up explosive numbers on offense and the loss of Suh on the defensive side of the ball for the Lions certainly did not help. The Lions have come back to earth after their 5-0 start and have lost five of their last seven.

Chargers 38 Jaguars 14

Our Pick: Chargers

Believe it or not the 5-7 Chargers still have a shot at the playoffs. They just need to hope they can be within a game of the Raiders come their week 17 matchup. The Jaguars passing situation just looks horrible and I’m sure the Panthers are glad they chose Newton of Gabbert.

Our Week 13 Picks Combined Record: 11-5

McNabb Goes Unclaimed

Posted on December 5, 2011 by davecouture

Donovan McNabb went unclaimed last week by all 32 NFL teams and is now currently a free agent. The fact that there are so many teams in need of a veteran QB and no one took a shot at the veteran McNabb just baffles me. What about the Texans? For the first time in the history of the franchise they have an opportunity to go to the playoffs and even make a serious playoff run. They have a great running back, and one of the leagues best defenses yet they are satisfied with T.J. Yates starting the rest of the season. Yes, they picked up Jake Delhomme, but would you really rather start Jake Delhomme over McNabb? Not only do I believe McNabb is better than either of the two options in Houston, but he has the playoff experience. Delhomme started the first 4 games last year for the Browns before being benched for rookie Colt McCoy. He threw 2 touchdowns and had 7 interceptions. McNabb wasn’t great for the Vikings this year, but he still threw 4 TD’s and only 2 interceptions in the 6 games he started. McNabb will manage the game for you and keep your team in it. He is much less likely to cost his team a victory than untested rookie T.J Yates or washed up Jake Delhomme. If I were a Texans fan I would be very disappointed that they passed up on an opportunity to save their season.

NFL Sunday Pick ‘Em – Week 13

Posted on December 2, 2011 by davecouture

Sunday, December 4th, 2011
Jets @ Redskins 1PM

Rex won’t take the loss this week, the games this late in the season mean too much to the Jets to let this one slip away. The Redskins finally got decent QB play from Rex Grossman last week and it is almost a must win for both teams I just don’t see the Redskins coming out on top.

Prediction: Jets 24 Redskins 14

Raiders @ Dolphins 1PM

The Raiders are averaging 25 points per game since Carson Palmer took over the offense, and are 3-1 in those four games. Michael Bush has been great and has averages 106 yards per game over the past 5 weeks. The Dolphins have looked like a completely different team and almost stunned the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. The Raiders look determined to make the playoffs this year and I don’t see this game getting in their way. Raiders improve to 8-4.

Predicition: Raiders 27 Dolphins 17

Titans @ Bills 1PM

Chris Johnson looks much better than he had at the beginning of the season, and the Titans are still in 2nd place in the AFC South. Their defense is has allowed the 7th least amount of points in the whole NFL, and they have a chance to catch the Texans. Buffalo has completely fallen apart since the beginning of the season and I expect to see that continue.

Prediction: Titans 23 Bills 21

Chiefs @ Bears 1PM

Kyle Orton or Tyler Palko? It doesn’t matter. Matt Cassel isn’t a top-tier quarterback but he is still better than both of them, let alone Orton doesn’t even know the offense yet. They weren’t a good team without Cassel, and they certainly won’t be with Cassel. The Bears defense should dominate the Chiefs this week. Expect Matt Forte, Marion Barber combination should run all over the Chiefs defense.

Prediction: Bears 23 Chiefs 10

Broncos @ Vikings 1PM

It’s looking like the Vikings will be without their only true star on the offensive side of the ball again. Peterson’s high ankle sprain will likely keep him out this week and their offense just is not the same without him. Tebow has been shutting up critics week after week and has earned the job as the Denver QB. His mental toughness is incredible and it has rubbed off on the whole team. His 8/1 TD to INT ratio is the main reason the Broncos are winning. He is keeping the team in a position to win and the results have shown. Tebow mania continues this week.

Prediction: Broncos 20 Vikings 13

Bengals @ Steelers 1PM

The Bengals escaped a scare in Cleveland last week for a much-needed victory to stay in the chase with the Ravens and Steelers in the AFC North. This is a must win if the Bengals want any chance of winning the AFC North. The Bengals are 1-4 against teams with a winning record this season; I see that going to 1-5. Steelers win at home.

Prediction: Steelers 23 Bengals 17

Falcons @ Texans 1PM

In a matchup of 7-4 teams the Falcons take on the Texans at Reliant Stadium. T.J. Yates will be making his first career start for the Texans after both Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart went down with season ending injuries. The Falcons offense has been playing much better as of late, mainly because of the improved play from QB Matt Ryan. The injury to Schaub is just going to be too much for the Texans to handle. Don’t be surprised if the Titans take over the AFC South division come playoff time.

Prediction: Falcons 24 Texans 21

Panthers @ Buccaneers 1PM

Cam Newton comes into the game needing just over 650 yards to pass Peyton Manning’s rookie passing record. Although I don’t see him breaking that this week it is a possibility seeing how bad the Tampa Bay defense is (Kidding). This game will be a battle of two of the worst defenses this year as the Panthers and Buccaneers come in at 31st and 29th respectively. Josh Freeman’s shoulder injury might keep him out of this game, but regardless I see Tampa relying on LeGarrette Blount to carry the offense this week. Cam leads the Panthers to their 4th victory of the season.

Prediction: Panthers 31 Buccaneers 23

Ravens @ Browns 4:05PM

The Browns get the Ravens this week then take on the Steelers on a short week next Thursday. I expect two loses, as I’m sure most of you do. Believe it or not Joe Haden and the rest of the Browns pass defense has been one of the best in the league this year. Expect Ray Rice to carry the load for the Ravens offense (although my fantasy football future hopes otherwise.) Expect Cleveland to hang around in the first half, but in the end don’t expect a victory from the Browns.

Prediction Ravens 23 Browns 10

Cowboys @ Cardinals 4:15PM

Kevin Kolb is back this week for the Cardinals so the short-lived John Skelton era is over for the time being. Kolb hadn’t done much up until his injury so don’t expect much from him this week. The Cowboys have been playing better but barely escaped their Thanksgiving matchup with the Dolphins. Expect Dallas to be throwing early and often as always.

Prediction: Cowboys 27 Cardinals 13

Rams @ 49ers 4:15PM

Sam Bradford has had a less than impressive sophomore year after his great rookie season last year, and the rest of the Rams seem to be following in his place. The Brandon Lloyd trade looks like a great move as of now but their defense just isn’t cutting it against the better offenses. The 49ers showed they could at least compete with the best in the league when they lost last week to the hands of the Ravens so this isn’t just some fluke that they are 9-2. Their offense still struggles at times, especially if they get behind early and need to rely on Alex Smith. Expect the 49ers to come out running the ball on this shaky Rams defense.

Prediction: 49ers 23 Rams 10

Packers @ Giants 4:15PM

This has been one of the most hyped up games this week and it’s for a reason. Aaron Rodgers has been 07’ Tom Brady like this year and has a shot at breaking a lot of the passing records Brady currently holds. They attack through the air better than any team in the NFL and so far this season that doesn’t exactly bode well for the Giants defensive strengths. They key to this game are the play of the Giants defensive ends; if they can generate enough of a pass rush and help out their secondary they have a chance at this one. You can’t stop Aaron Rodgers; you can only hope to slow him down. My bold prediction of the week is as follows.

Prediction: Giants 28 Packers 24

Lions @ Saints 8:20PM

Ndamukong Suh’s attempt to get his two game suspension reversed was denied today by the NFL and that is a huge blow to this Lions team. Unfortunately the Lions don’t have that true veteran presence in the locker room to put him in line. Drew Brees and the saints offense has been on fire as of late and they are beginning to look more like the Saints that won the Super Bowl a couple of seasons back. I don’t see the Lions being able to stop the Saints passing attack and the loss of Suh certainly won’t help.

Prediction: Saints 31 Lions 24

Gronk Nation

Posted on November 22, 2011 by jtulz07

From the beginning we knew Gronk was an animal. As Barstool put it, “It’s Gronk’s world, we’re just living in it”. There’s no doubt he had a great time during the lockout and partied like the best of ’em, but it was a question as to how his off-field presence would transfer over come game time. Last night, Gronk answered that question and left no doubt in anyone’s mind as to how much of an absolute beast he really is. With his 20th career TD reception in 26 NFL games, Gronkowski became the fastest TE to reach that mark in NFL history, right ahead of Ditka (31 games). In doing so, the Pats turned a slow start into a good old fashion beat down last night in Foxboro. Oh, not to mention Gronk also shrugged off a broken neck to pop the ball like a balloon in the end zone. No biggie.

Letter to John Madden – Real or Fake?

Posted on November 21, 2011 by jtulz07

So this has to be one of the funniest things I’ve read in a while. Ethan Albright, a long snapper for the Redskins, apparently wrote up this letter to John Madden regarding his player ratings in Madden NFL 2007. The only thing is that I can’t figure out if it was actually written by him or some clever guy with nothing else to do then make Ethan Albright look like a badass. Give it a quick read and decide whether you think it’s real or fake.

Link to Letter: Ethan Albright Letter to John Madden

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