Wednesday, November 30, 2016

The Unbreakable Record


Another record that might never get broken is the one by Jerry Rice for having a reception in 274 consecutive games.

The closest are Tony Gonzalez with 211 and Marvin Harrison with 199. Larry Fitzgerald just tied with Harrison, but his career is almost over.

A player would need to last for 17 seasons just to have a chance at Rice. They would also need a reception in each game. It will never happen.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Money For Marcus


There has been way too much time wasted on discussing the Pats contract extension for OL Marcus Cannon. It works out to be 5 years for $32 million.

We all know that he will never see all of this money. It's a typical NFL contract that isn't guaranteed. Coach Belichick seems to really like him as player.

Why did they redo this contract with so many other potential free agents? His contract value turns out to be #21 for starting right tackles at $6.6 million annually. Sounds like a bargain.

At some point, he will renegotiate this contract or be released by the team.

Monday, November 28, 2016

Back of Gronk


We will never know the extent of the injury to Rob Gronkowski's back. He injured it during yesterday's win over the Jets.

It remains to been seen if he will miss any time. Gronk is one of the toughest players on the field, but it's hard to see him playing for another ten years.

At 27, his body is showing a great degree of wear and tear. Will he be around in five years?

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Tom Could Get The Record


You always hear that some records will never be broken. Baseball has the 56 game hitting streak by Joe DiMaggio from 1941.

With the Pats win today over the Jets, Tom Brady moves into a tie with Peyton Manning with 200 career wins, including playoffs.

With another victory, Tom will own a record that might never be broken. There is nobody close to him. Drew Brees and Eli Manning will never play enough games in their careers to have a chance.

Longevity has certainly helped him. Now in his 17th season, he didn't see much action in 2000 as a rookie. He also missed 15 games in 2008 because of a knee injury.

Winning 77.3% of his starts never hurt his progress towards the record.




















Saturday, November 26, 2016

The Optimistic Announcer


At this time of year, some college football games get out of hand with their scores. There are many mismatches out there.

It's a challenge for the announcers to keep the interest of the viewers. They can get carried away with their comments which often don't make any sense.

Last night, I watched the Texas Tech and Baylor game with 5:41 left in the third quarter and Tech leading 51-28.

One announcer sounded very optimistic by saying it was just a three score game. He felt that Baylor could get back into it with three good offensive drives.

Baylor lost 54-35. At least they got another field goal.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Too Many Super Bowls


There is no fair way to crown a state high school football champion. Most states use a divisional system where schools are ranked by enrollment size.

In Massachusetts, the MIAA has established a playoff system that seems to have too many teams involved and results in eight "Super Bowl" games.

It was always special for the teams to play for their championship in Gillette Stadium. Unfortunately, the amount of games grew so big that two must be played at another site.

It's a crazy system that has Divisions 1, 1A, 2, 2A, 3, 3A, 4 and 4A. At some point, there are too many champions. In this day and age, everyone needs to be a winner.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Five To Go


The college football bowl game season is getting closer. We will face the absurdity of 80 teams playing in 40 different games. Some of them will be classic. Others will make us realize that they only exist because of the money involved. Too many teams with six losses end up qualifying.

Boston College at 5-6 could still get a bid even if they lose to Wake Forest on Saturday. The NCAA knows that it can be a challenge to fill the schedule. They allow for a team like BC to play if their Academic Progress Score (APR) is exceptionally high.

The excellent graduation rate of BC players could get them a game in spite of  a losing record.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Jets Crashing Again


New York Jets fans are wondering why Ryan Fitzpatrick is starting Sunday against the Pats. They were hoping to see more of Bryce Petty, but Fitz will be back under center, in spite of leading the NFL in interceptions and having the lowest quarterback rating.

At 3-7, the season of the Jets is on the brink of imploding into a total disaster. It looks like the team needs a strong finish for Coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan to keep their jobs.

Fans realize that Fitzpatrick is not in the team's future plans and want to see either Petty or rookie Christian Hackenberg. Coach Bowles is fighting to keep his job. The team just needs to win.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

No Luck For Andrew


Colts QB Andrew Luck is a great example of a player being put into the concussion protocol. He took far too many hits to his head on Sunday. It's hard to determine which play was the one.

It's good to see the league respond with this program. Too many players suffered concussions in the past where nothing was done. They pay the price when they get older.

Monday, November 21, 2016

The Highest Kickoff


Tonight's MNF game between the Raiders and Texans in Mexico City is all about growing the Hispanic fan base. The 22 million NFL fans in the Mexico City area make up the league's 7th largest fan base. The 76,000 tickets for the game were sold out within one hour.

The league makes its first appearance there since 2005, in spite of the concerns about street crime, smog and playing at the high altitude of 7,500 feet.

If things go well, more games will be considered. One of the biggest issues is that one team will lose a home contest.

The Pats have traveled to England to play, but only as the visiting team.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Left Behind


DE Jabaal Sheard must wonder what his future is with the Pats after they left him behind when they traveled to play the 49er's.

He will be a free agent at the end of the season. It doesn't bode well for him, especially because he was healthy. The word is that the coaching staff is not happy with his performance.

Fans will never know the real reason. Coach Belichick will mumble his way through any questions and say that the decision was made in the best interest of the team.

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Three or Nine


I don't gamble, but if I did, it might be a good bet to take 2-8 UMass over 6-3 BYU today. The Minutemen face an uphill battle for a win before they depart for their trip to Hawaii.

Depending on the source, BYU is favored by 28-32 points. UMass has been competitive in most of their loses. They have beaten the spread against some strong opponents.

It seems like everyone has written off UMass today and expects them to be 2-9 before the day ends. 

Friday, November 18, 2016

Law On List


Former Pats CB Ty Law is one of the 25 semi-finalists for the Hall of Fame. He is making progress from just being on the ballot.

Every player on the list is worthy of induction. It's good to see more defensive players and offensive linemen make the cut.

I don't understand why DE Jason Taylor is the only defensive lineman. It's a joke if the only two linebackers don't make it. How could you not include Clay Matthews and Karl Mecklenburg?

Morton Anderson deserves to be the second kicker. The list of the offensive players is loaded with running backs and receivers. It's hard to believe Kurt Warner is the only quarterback.

The voting process is difficult and has its flaws. It's an amazing accomplishment for these players to get this far. Unfortunately, some will never make the final step.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Ban The Fans


If the NFL can make a dollar off some idea, they will try it. Fans can begin voting today to select players for the Pro Bowl. Their input carries weight, along with the players and coaches.

I think it's a bad idea to allow fans to vote. They tend to go with players from their favorites teams or names they know.

The league now has a poll on their website to solicit fan input for Hall of Fame selections. This idea is even worse. The selection process has its flaws. Thankfully, this is just a poll of the fans and carries no weight in the final decisions.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Fitz Passing


New York Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is the ultimate example of a journeyman quarterback. The former 7th round and 250th overall pick in the 2005 draft has played for the Rams, Bengals, Bills, Titans, Texans and Jets. He was benched this past Sunday in favor of Bryce Petty in their loss to the Rams.

After 12 seasons and 112 starts, he has yet to play in a post-season game. He has moved up in all-time stats due to the proliferation of the passing game.

His recent TD broke a tie with Earl Morrall, Jeff Garcia and Jake Plummer. He has thrown for more career TD's than Roger Staubach and yards than Bart Starr.

He has made good money, but it looks like he will watch the playoffs from home again this year

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Breathing Gronk


It doesn't look like fans will know whether Rob Gronkowski suffered a collapsed lung during the team's loss to the Seahawks. Gronk said he took the hardest hit of his career which forced him to the sideline for a short time. He returned and was involved in the incomplete pass on the last play of the game.

Reports first said he had a chest injury. It suddenly became a collapsed lung and was the lead story on the 11pm news last night. The team has been quiet on it. All we know is that he has a chest injury.

The lung issue could certainly keep him out of the game with the 49er's as it would not be a good idea to fly across country.

Monday, November 14, 2016

Cruz To Nowhere


Giants WR Victor Cruz is out of the game tonight against the Bengals because of an ankle injury. He has returned this year after missing most of the last two seasons.

At 30, he is a shell of his former self. He took a huge pay cut to stay on the roster. The hand writing is on the wall. He won't be with the Giants next season unless he plays for the minimum. He will need to beat out others for a roster spot. His career is evaporating.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Not The Same Teams


I have no doubt that the Sunday night game between the Pats and Seahawks will be a great contest. It's being hyped as a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX, but both teams have changed a lot over the past two seasons.

They have a core group of players and most of the same coaches, but roster turnover is a way of life in the NFL.

The most important thing for the league is to have a good television rating. They are floundering big time and hope to calm their sponsors with millions watching.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Telling Lies On Ratings


The NFL knows it must address the downward spiral of television ratings. They blame it on a variety of reasons, including the recent election.

Nothing stops them from telling lies to the public. They claim they will look into making games shorter by having fewer timeouts and commercials. Who are they kidding? The commercials drive the revenue stream that they so covet. How can they control timeouts with all of the replays and injuries?

They say things to pander to the public. They won't admit that many of the marque games are between teams with mediocre records and don't feature the stars of the league.

They are so worried about having to give back money to the sponsors because the ratings were not what they were guaranteed to be.

Friday, November 11, 2016

London Issues


The NFL has ben playing games in London since 2007. It seems like they are determined to have a team there full-time eventually.

Former Giants great Osi Umenyiora is their point man there. He also does some broadcasting work for the BBC with a week in review show and a Sunday game preview.

The league is determined to make it happen in spite of all the push back. Any team based there would face a brutal travel schedule to away games, especially those on the west coast. Teams making the trip to London would also need to deal with jet lag.

The travel is a major hurdle. Will it effect the quality of the games? The NFL is probably ok with having it suffer because of the potential revenue stream.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Election Nonsense


Apparently, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are not allowed to share a friendship with Donald Trump. Both were badgered by the media during their press conferences yesterday.

Belichick has known Trump since his days with the Giants. Brady had been a friend since the start of his career.

Some people don't like that and want to make a point. I can't believe that they are being called out on it.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

No Bowl Chance


With the recent loss by UMass to Troy, they now hold a 2-8 record with two games left at BYU and Hawaii. Hopefully, they can get a win.

The football program has made great strides playing as an Independent, but continue to have a losing record. The critics focus on that.

They have a very ambitious schedule for 2017.Will it be their year?

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Raiders Are Back


The Oakland Raiders are finally back in contention after all these years with a record of 7-2, the second best in the AFC. They seem to be rolling along for a possible playoff spot.

They have a real passionate fan base and one of the worst stadiums in the NFL. Owner Mark Davis wants to move the team to Las Vegas where officials are willing to raise a hotel room tax rate just to get them there with a new stadium.

The league should vote against any move. Fans should not lose their team for a second time.  

Monday, November 7, 2016

Jets On The Brink


It looks like the season is over for the Jets after losing to the Dolphins and having a record of 3-6. They will need to finish at 6-1 to have any remote chance of making the playoffs.

It doesn't look like it will happen. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick hurt his knee. Coach Todd Bowles decided to bench defensive stars Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson for the first quarter because of  being late for team meetings.

If they have a losing season, someone will pay the price with their job. It's usually the coach in the end.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Picture This Fine


The NFL is out of control in its attempt to eliminate player celebrations on the field. They levy fines for almost any type of behavior.

The game between the Rams and Giants during Week 7 in London became a prime example. Giants safety Landon Collins returned an interception 44 yards for a TD on a very exciting play.

Several players gathered to celebrate. DE Owa Odighizuwa pretended to take a fake picture with an imaginary camera.

It looked very harmless. The NFL thought differently by fining him $12,154. It's all about control.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

As The Roster Turns


The NFL trade deadline ended at 4pm today, but that doesn't mean the Bill Belichick has ended his roster tweak. There is still one open spot to replace LB Jamie Collins.

Will it be a defensive player? What about the offensive line? The team needs improvement in various areas. Will a player be promoted from the practice squad or PUP?

It was a bold move to trade Collins, but BB is moving on to the Seahawks.