Mid-Week Sports Ticker
Thursday, December 3, 2009 14:31
NOVEMBER GOLDEN TAMPON AWARD
The nominees:
- Josh McDaniels or Roger Goodell, after McDaniels apologized for–or was forced to apologize for–an “MF” bomb dropped on the Broncos sideline during a nationally televised game. However, the young coach’s apology sounded so sincere and well spoken, we might for a moment believe it came from his heart and not an edict from Herr Roger.
- Any, pundit, player, coach, or commentator who whines about a team “running up the score.” Ironically, our November winner has been accused of doing exactly that against most NFL teams…
- Bill Bellichick wins in a landslide. We take the position that if you can’t stop a team from scoring, you ought to blame your defense for sucking. We also believe you play until the game is over and last Monday Night Billy Boy and his Patriots crapped out like a weighted pair of dice. Five minutes to play and you take Brady out…? Maybe Robert Kraft oughtta change the pats logo to a white flag…
MORE NFL
What will Roger Goodell do when he realizes the leagues new “concussion policy” will see more and more skill players sitting the bench as those little “dings” and “stingers” we see during a typical game are diagnosed as concussion symptoms…
I-RISH THEY’D SHUT UP ABOUT THE IRISH
Michael Ventre writes in a column at http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/34211200/ns/sports-college_football/ an explanation of what Notre Dame should do now that Charlie Weiss has been fired as Notre Dame’s football coach.
Ventre catalogues sensible strategies for the storied program going forward: lowered expectations, lower academic standards, you know, honesty…
Ventre’s column veers into an absurdist dark side when he writes:
It’s true that college football is much richer when Notre Dame is at or near the top. The Charlie Weis watch, and the quest for his replacement, has garnered far more attention and created more drama nationally than anything being done on the field by any of the current contenders.
HUH?
A literal example of why I always say… NUCK FOTRE DAME!
The Irish haven’t been at or near the top for over two decades. Their status as college football’s golden domed standard has been seriously tarnished. Unemployed coaches are turning them down; even Urban Meyer won’t take his dream job. They can’t get the top academic players like they used to because schools like Nebraska, Penn State, OSU can offer everything Notre Dame can to the academically gifted athlete–including winning tradition, history, and exposure.
And excuse me, Mr. Ventre, any accomplishment Notre Dame lays claim too cannot outdo the excellence we have seen from Florida, Texas, and Ohio State in this decade alone. No ND coach can claim the sustained excellence of a Bowden or Paterno.
College football is just as “rich” today as it ever was when the Irish were at the top.
THURSDAY NIGHT PICKS
Toronto plays host to an AFC East contest between the Jets and Bills. Mark Sanchez has shown he isn’t the savior Big Appleians thought. Meanwhile, interim Buffalo coach, Perry Fewell has infused an injured young team with a new energy. Take the Bills and the home dog points and watch the Jets crash.
I’ll post my pick sheet before Sunday’s kickoff.
Nate Barlow
says:
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Josh McDaniels may have been truly contrite, but the apology itself stinks of the meddling of Roger Goodell. McD should not feel the need to apologize for anything said in the heat of battle of a game. The NFL may thrive because of TV, but the BS restrictions of television should not be imposed or become a distraction to how you run the game.
I agree with your criticism of Belichick, but I feel that the Tampy should go to Goodell based on the general principle that we should take an opportunity we can to stick it to one of these jag-off commissioners.