Tuesday Afternoon Linebacker

The Thunderers are in the championship. That’s right. After missing the draft and getting saddled with a less than stellar line-up, I have made it to the promised land. Which is more than I can say for the Bucs who have slipped back under the double-digit loss line again.

10 Again
Late last week, Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber were named to the NFC Pro Bowl team. Congratulations guys. Great work.

For the first time, in my opinion, in a month the Bucs played poorly all around. Of course, the Panthers had a lot more to play for, and it showed. I really don’t know what else to say at this point. The only bright spot is that the high draft position comes at a time when the team has it’s full compliment of picks.

And I’m worried about next week. Arizona has turned into a tough team over the last few weeks. Programming note: the Bucs Post-Season Post-Mortem that I promised last week will be published next week (1/6/05) as a special Thursday edition of Tuesday Afternoon Line Backer. And on January 13, another special edition of TALB, “If TALB Was King Of The NFL” will be published.

The Bucs 2005 list of opponents is nearly set:
Home:
Atlanta
Carolina
New Orleans
Chicago
Detroit
Buffalo
Miami
Washington (probably, though it could be either the Giants or Dallas as well.)

Away:
Atlanta
Carolina
New Orleans
Green Bay
Minnesota
Jets
New England
San Francisco

This has the potential for a lot of cold weather games. I really hope the New England game is early.

Clothesline For Sale: $75,000
Donovan Darius of the Jaguars was fined $75,000 by the NFL for that clothesline hit against the Packers. That’s a steep fine. These things are always tough to judge. When watching on instant-replay in slo-mo it is easy to sit back and say “he could have pulled back”. But when you watch it full speed you have to wonder. Was he just putting his arm out to try and tackle the guy? Did things just go horribly wrong and his arm ended up around the guy’s neck? Football is rough and played at a very high speed. Honestly, I’m surprised that I haven’t witnessed a player being actually killed in the course of a game. The game will only get faster as the players get stronger and more well-conditioned.

Notice A Trend?
Astute TALB reader Tommy submits from last week that: “The NFC champ will be Atlanta. Think about it - In the entire history of the NFC South, the division winner has never failed to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.” This is the kind of hidden insight that true football aficionados must posses. Hopefully, this also means that the Iggles will lose, again.

My 49th Nervous Breakdown
Peyton Manning threw his 49th touchdown pass of the season. Great. These records are great and all. But what really gets up my arse is when the commentators fall all over themselves to praise the record setter. Watching the Indy game I think that one of the bobble-heads must have mentioned a half-dozen times how Manning, after throwing number 49, just huddled up and got ready to go for two. That’s his job dorkus. He is out there to win football games. Not celebrate milestones. Those are things to be discussed and looked at after the game and in retirement. Reminds me of that Chris Rock bit about how some people want credit for things they are supposed to do (”I take care of my kids!”). And not meaning any disrespect, but if not for the passing of Reggie White, the Manning story might have been all there was to talk about in the late games and the post game.

And in all honesty, this is an accomplishment. It should be something of merit. However, it’s not something that is all that important in the grand scheme of life. Or even in the grand scheme of football.

Oh yeah, I think that this record is a direct result of the new crack-down on illegal contact. Ironically, the loss by the Colts last year in the playoffs might have been the start of Manning’s record breaking season.

Could It Be True?
Start Em or Sit Em 0wnz j00. I sat there on Friday morning looking over my line-up, checking the rankings at SE/SE, and once again debating the choice between Plummer and Hasselbeck. SE/SE was right, Plummer was ranked higher than Hasselbeck, who ended up not even playing. So I sit here, poised on the verge of a berth in the league championship game.

Plummer came through with 17 points (only 1 INT this week) to lead the team. And Hasselbeck ended up sitting out his game. I will never doubt SE/SE ever again.

Given the type of draft I had, just getting to the semi-finals is an accomplishment. Making the championship is even more impressive. If I can actually win the whole thing… I don’t even want to jinx it by saying any more.

With a 25 point lead on Monday morning and just Brian Westbrook left for my opponent I was feeling confident, but not so much so that I was ready to declare victory. Upon turning on the news Tuesday morning and seeing the final of Rams over Eagles 20-7, I knew that I had won. With the Iggles scoring just one touchdown, Westbrook would have had to come up with 360 yards of offense just to make it a tie game.

Next week, in the championship, I take on the Teabaggers. They were a half game better than me in the standings for the regular season (8-6-0 vs. 7-6-1) and we split our season series. In fact, my week 8 victory against the Baggers was the start of the 5-2 run that put me in the playoffs. My friends at SE/SE are going to have to come through one more time, this is going to be a tough matchup. But at least there is not a Monday game in week 17. So it will all be decided on Sunday night.

I’ve never done this well in fantasy football before. If I can get to .500 I usually feel pretty good. But to be just one game from winning it all is amazing.

For fun, I’d like to invite Prof Savage and/or Gr8hakr to submit a game commentary for the championship game. Complete with fawning and hyperbole. If either of you so desire, submit to here.

Cease And Desist
The AP poll is out, for now, of the BCS game. Citing concerns that “any animosity toward BCS may get transferred to AP” in the cease and desist letter sent to BCS coordinator Kevin Weiberg. Not to get hyperbolic on you or anything, but maybe this is the first step toward dismantling the BCS. Let’s hope.

Bowling For Dollars
The cash bowls are in progress. You know, the ones sponsored by and named for corporations and intended to be little more than three-hour commercials for said corporation. The bowls that give just about any team with six wins the chance to play just one more game, out of town, during the holidays. At the very least, the Official TALB Second Favorite College Football Team won their bowl game. Georgia Tech took the Orangemen of Syracuse out behind the woodshed 51-14 in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Why is the Rose Bowl so revered? Just because it is old? Just because it normally pits the champions from conferences who have seen their dominance erode significantly over the last few decades? If the Rose Bowl is so sacred, then get out of the BCS. Though, I would probably be all for that plan; since it would be another blow to the BCS.

Philips Or Flathead?
In reviewing my past posts for the AoG from Friday I came across a few items that I’d like to point out. They are things that I screwed up (Football category).

1. I was wrong about Kenyatta Walker. He did turn around his career. Though he still seems to have trouble when playing the Panthers.

2. Neither the Seminoles nor the Hurricanes managed to win the ACC.

3. I guess I didn’t really miss much.

Running Items
WTF?
Bad things in Asia. Help out if you can.

Worst. Call. Ever.
Twice in the span of a few minutes, the officials in the Bucs-Panthers collision missed blatant illegal contact incidents. The first was on the Bucs’ two-point attempt and the other on the ensuing Panthers drive. And both times the officials were looking right at the offending action. There seems to be rash of that this year. Officials looking right at illegal play and doing nothing (or worse, taking the wrong action) about it.

Breath Of A Salesman
Buy a Jaguar for someone, get laid. That seems to be the holiday message sent out from this Ford division this year. I don’t know that any Jaguar commercial in the last month hasn’t ended with off-screen giggles.

Super Bowl XXIX
Steelers vs. Packers
Next week, after the tournament field is set, I will publish my true Super Bowl prediction.

Next Week: Are We The Champions? Desert Storm? Arena Rundown. And much, much more.