Defeated
The Professor said to me just before the end of 2004 that I had a chance to be happy thrice this weekend, with the Bucs, Gators, and Thunderers playing games they could win. Alas, not a one of them could pull out a victory. The Gators and Bucs looked, to say it plainly, pathetic.
Back To The Future
So the Bucs end the 2004 campaign at 5-11, how very 1993. Ladies and gentlemen I present to you the result of trading away a boat-load of high draft picks and insisting on retaining older players long-term. This is what is called rebuilding. Some others might call it “Cap Hell”. It has been mentioned in this space many times, we love our John Lynch and Warren Sapp, but at some point they are not worth the money they deserve or demand. It all started with the Keyshawn Johnson trade. That was the beginning of all of this. We traded away a couple of insanely high picks for the guy. Then we go and trade even more picks to get Gruden. All-in-all it was a decent trade. We won the Super Bowl. But the reality is that the future was mortgaged. And if you must blame anyone for that, you have to start with the Glazers and then move on to Rich McKay. The future is pretty bright (shades not included) because the team now has it’s draft back. So youth can be brought in to shore up the roster. I’ll delve a little more deeply into this subject in Thursday’s special Bucs Post-Mortem.
The game itself was painful to watch at times. And not only because I had Pittman starting on my fantasy team. Just when things would get going, they would change focus and falter. Or the offensive line would crumble and set the offense into disarray. Again, the defense did what it could, but at times it wasn’t enough. A few times this season I thought Clyde Christensen was calling the plays, the offense was that inept. At other times, it was 2002 all over again.
If Chris Simms is the future of this team at the QB position then he needs somWithrk. Or least some help. Griese was able to have success behind this line because he has some experience and could move around and find guys. Simms just doesn’t have that experience yet. So either he has to get it, and quick, or he has to pray the Bucs draft 11 offensive lineman in April. And against the 27th ranked rushing defense (allowing 128 ypg) we managed 62 yards. The maddening part being that to start the second half, the Bucs went to the run and it was working. Then a pass play was called, the o-line collapsed, and there was a sack or incompletion. Thus bringing up a passing down, and the process was repeated.
Mythical National Champions
Last night the Auburn Tigers completed their season 13-0 and are looking for a share of the national title. They aren’t going to get it. Too bad they went and played the Citadel this year. I’m sure there will be much crying and whining from all over about how poor Auburn didn’t get a shot. Well, under the current system they did not deserve a shot. Is the system flawed? You bet it is. I’ve talked about that before. At least Auburn went out and won their bowl game, unlike this season’s other big whiners, the Cal Bears.
Tonight ends the college football season as Oklahoma takes on USC to determine the “real” national champion. Yawn.
NFL Playoffs - Quickies
With all the hand wringing about how teams like Buffalo and Carolina aren’t in the tournament I have to laugh. The Bills were beaten by the Steelers’ second team on Sunday; at home. That doesn’t say much for their chances in the post-season. Then you have the Panthers, also at home, falling to the New Orleans Saints, who have won games in December for the first time since something like 1971.
The Colts have a wild-card home date against the Broncos. Should they win that contest then they face a road trip to Foxboro. Colts lose in the divisional round. The Patriots will expose that defense and the offenst</s likely to falter in the cold.
The Vikings might as well not even bother.
Too Much XBox?
Before the Peach Bowl all of the players from both teams received gift bags. These bags contained, among other things, an XBox. It’s quite possible that the Gators players spent too much time with their new toy and not enough time thinking about the game. The defense did play better than the offense, but not exceedingly so. The announcers were going on about how not having the head coach around might have affected the Gators. Well, it’s not as if they just found out at the end of the season. They’ve known Zook would be gone for a while. One thinks they could have prepared for that some time ago. I think it was more of a case that the Gators were just going through the motions while the Canes really wanted to win a football game. The lone bright spot being that just 24 hours later, at the conclusion of the Fiesta Bowl, the Urban Meyer era would begin in earnest.
I Prefer Scoops
I caught most of the first half of the Fiesta Bowl on Tivo the other day. I wanted to get a look at what was coming to Gainesville. I was impressed. Granted, the players will not be the same. But the kind of offense they were playing makes this Gator fan happy. I’m not really a big fan of the option offense. But this offense does not rely on it (Nebraska of old…) so it’s okay with me. Plus the kind of option they were running is some kind I’ve never seen. There are actually two guys running with the QB. One is “high” and the other “low”. I can’t wait to see it more often. It should provide a nice opportunity to get a couple of backs involved.
Almost
It started with a half-assed draft and ended with a gut check (more below). The Buc Junkies playoffs are over and the mighty Thunderers have come in second place. Falling 84-80 to the Teabaggers. As disappointed as I am about the result, I have to be happy that I made it this far given the way the season started.
My draft had been prepared. A painstaking four hours of effort. I would not be able to make the drat day due to being out-of-town for my first anniversary. So I entrusted my draft board to Gr8hakr, who forgot it at home. He called in a panic the night of the draft to tell me the bad news. I told him to just use his judgment. And on top of that, the people running the league decided that anyone not at the draft had to pick at the end of each round. Even with that against me, my initial draft was not too bad. The core of the team was there; Hasselbeck, Dillon, Rudi Johnson, Jerry Porter, and Jimmy Smith. In fact, I had Kellen Winslow and Micheal Bennett on the team at the start. But of course, fate would intervene and they would fall to injury. But a few waiver wire pickups turned to gold (Witten and Pittman come to mind) and I managed to get into the playoffs.
Taking on the Professor in the first round I expected an early exit. But I managed the most points of any of team in the playoffs that week. The next week I faced the #2 seed, and managed another blow-out.
The championship came down to my gut. My good friend “Start Em or Sit Em” had all three of my running backs rated the same (4 balls). But I was worried about Dillon’s playing time. The Patriots had the 2 seed locked up tight and they were playing the 49ers. Granted, Dillon had a bonus coming if he could get about 80 more yards. And Pittman was facing a team that had a porous run defense. My gut said Pittman and Rudi Johnson should start. Ladies and gentlemen, my gut was wrong. Pittman managed a paltry 1 point while Dillon raked in 9 points on 116 yards rushing and a touchdown. My gut has been wrong three times this year. So next year, I won’t be listening to it. Had I gone with the information in front of me instead of my feeling I would be addressing you as the 88-84 championship game winner over the previously 2-time champ. But, instead I’m in 2nd place having lost to the now 3-time champ of the league.
It’s true that I’m bummed I lost. But with the way it all started I was just happy to be in the game. Next year, we’re not having the draft on my anniversary.
The Indoor War On The Floor
Now that the college season is over and the NFL is just a few weeks away from it’s own off season TALB would like to quickly dive into the Arena League.
The AFL has signed a TV deal with Fox Sports Net. Essentially, home-town teams will now be on TV a few more times during the season. This deal is in addition to the existing NBC contract.
Tampa Bay Storm head coach Tim Marcum signed a five-year contract extension. Marcum is the winningest coach in the history of the AFL by just about any measure. Now if he can just get those judicial matters sorted out…
The AFL season kicks off on Friday January 28 at 7 PM with the Nashville-Columbus collision. The Storm will take on San Jose the following night to open their seasons.
For the first time in Arena Football history, the Arena Bowl will be played at a pre-determined neutral site. Las Vegas will be the host of Arena Bowl XIX.
Out of 16 games, the Storm will appear on NBC seven times this season.
Running Items
WTF?
Randy Moss walks off the field in the waning moments of their game against Washington. How does this guy still have a job? Yeah he can catch balls and run really fast, but he’s a damn spoiled brat. He’s like Keyshawn, except Keyshawn will at least go over the middle or throw a block.
Breath of A Salesman
There’s a spot running for the NFL Network. It consists of various people talking football. The first group is a pair of guys moving a couch or something, one says to the other something like “Gannon to Brown, Gannon to Rice. Raiders all the way!” Another part has a large gentleman in a Browns jersey claiming that Kellen Winslow is the best thing to happen to Butch Davis. It goes on like this (”In the NFC West, I like the 49ers”). The tag line is something like “NFL Network. Get your story straight.”
Reverse Watch
Two occurrences of “Double Reverse” from the Fiesta Bowl. Brent Musburger is a tool. That’s a given, but in the first quarter, TTNHBC calls a single reverse for the Utes. Musburger jumps out of his chair to scream “IT’S A DOUBLE REVERSE!” And local sports tool, Martin Fennelly, seems to have simply parroted Musburger’s call in his column the next morning.
Remember, to be a “single” reverse the ball must REVERSE DIRECTION one time (as it did in the Utah play). To be the rarely seen double reverse, the ball must reverse direction TWICE, returning to the original direction from where it came.
Super Bowl XXXIX
My real prediction for the Super Bowl, as promised.
Steelers vs. Seahawks with the Steelers winning.
Why? Because I think that when the ‘Hawks have it all together they are pretty tough to beat. Granted, they can be pretty bad too. But in the playoffs you have to be good all the time. There is no room for error. And in a prediction rarity, a backup prediction: if the Seahawks don’t make it then I think the Falcons are going to do it.
Next Week: NFL Playoffs, college wrap-up, and wild-card madness!
