This Pretty Much Says it All
Doug Buffone, former Bears player and current co-host of “Chicago NFL Live” on “The Score,” tells us how he really feels following the loss to the Cardinals (clip courtesy of WGN). I wonder what he had to say after Cutler threw 5 picks last week?
What the Heck is Going on with the NFL?!?
Well, baseball season is officially over (go Yankees, Cubs I’m still hoping for next year). I’m hoping to get back to a semblance of a normal life, which hopefully equals more posts! So with baseball put to rest for a bit, let’s talk football shall we?
What the heck is going on with the NFL right now? 13 teams are below 500. Thirteen! It is only a little past half way in the regular season, but still! In 2008, 11 teams finished below 500 for the entire regular season. In 2007, things were worse, but this is still astounding. Cleveland, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Detroit (still a better year for them than 2008) and Kansas City have failed to win more than a single game. Oakland, Washington and Tennessee have just two W’s under their belt.
It would take a long time to break down exactly why each team has failed to rack up more wins (cough Jamarcus Russell, Oakland). One thing is for certain, this isn’t making for very exciting football. Aside from an occasional surprise like Tampa Bay’s win over Green Bay, the NFL has been nearly predictable. The sports books in Las Vegas are probably ready to throw in the towel at this point. Unless you’re playing fantasy football, where, depending on you league it could be anyone’s game, this is just ridiculous.
Saints/Vikings v. Colts, see you in the Super Bowl (yes, that’s my mid-season projection, sort of anyways). The rest of the league, get your shit together. In the mean time I am going to be watching college football. Hello Northwestern/Iowa upset!
Clowney Benched by Twitter
Ok, well not by twitter, but certainly because of it. New York Jets WR David Clowney found himself riding the bench during this Sunday’s game against Houston for some comments he made via his Twitter account following Week 2’s game against New England. Twitter and its relation to sports is usually fodder for my work blog (I work in PR and have a special interest in social media), but it is certainly the topic du jour (actually of the past year or so), so indulge me.
As reported by Fanhouse, disappointed by his playing time, Clowney tweeted that although he was happy about the win, he was a bit unhappy about his time on the turf. He followed with two tweets on his intentions to work harder the next week. Coach Rex Ryan, being the cuddly, sensitive, pat your players on the back kind of guy that he is, benched Clowney for week 3. Ryan cited that the tweets were against team rules. The NFL also has rules in place, but those pertain to tweets during games.
The consequences were minor here; the Jets enjoyed a fairly decisive win over the Texans. The offense didn’t seem to struggle too much without Clowney on the field; but then again this offense has looked surprisingly solid all season. What is remarkable is the actual effect Twitter is beginning to have on the game in areas that it shouldn’t affect at all. Last week Redskins linebacker Robert Henson was blasted for lashing out at fans on Twitter. Chad Ochocinco has also managed to ruffle a few feathers (although he primarily just posts hilariously outlandish things).
While I may enjoy seeing how some of these situations unfold (specifically any Ochocinco updates), as a part of the PR community it makes me wonder where these people’s “people” are. When used correctly Twitter can be a great tool to elevate the popularity of a player or organization. It gives fans a unique chance for a two-way conversation with the sports stars and teams they are passionate about. Clowney’s offense was not that severe, although Ryan certainly went to work at nipping any potential for players sullying the team name in the bud, but some of these other guys really could use some help before they give the sport a digital black eye.
So professional athletes: Got a Twitter problem? I work in PR, love sports and will work tickets. Hell, let’s be real, I’d work for free.
In My Happy Place
It is rare that my real-life gig in beauty pr interacts with my fantasy gig of sports commentator, but this week oh how the stars aligned! Through my work on Vaseline I was able to go to the set where we were filming the one and only Michael Strahan. Talk about making this girl’s day!
Michael was as nice, personable and funny as he is on TV, a job that aside from football, he was probably made to do. Only regret: Not asking whether I should start Romo or Eli this week in fantasy. He probably would have said Manning!
Why I Still Have Faith in ‘09 Michigan Football
Michigan pummeled Western Michigan 31-7. Things are looking a bit brighter for the team that has been bogged down by controversy in the past week. They may still have a long way to go, but this video gets me pumped for the rest of the season. Bring it on other teams (ND I see you), let’s hear it for the underdog. (Michigan should never be the underdog, but that is another discussion for another day)
Hit the Road Jack
Week one of college football started off with a bang. From two consecutive blocked kicks to last minute interceptions there was no shortage of heart-pounding college football action to watch this Labor Day weekend. While watching key plays and and slow-mo highlights up close from the comfort of the couch is a miraculous thing (I did an inappropriate amount of this during the past weekend), there is nothing like seeing a college football game in person.
Dan Ackman of the Wall Street Journal, understanding the thrill of watching the game live and in the flesh, put together a list of super-charged college football weekend road trips. Two games, one weekend, non-stop madness. Of the five, my pick would be Oklahoma/Texas and Texas A&M/Texas Tech. match-ups. Football in the land where football is damn near a religion, yes please.
But then again I don’t have a car, or vacation days leftover for that matter. And really, did you look at the picture I posted above? Could there possibly be anything better than that? Ackman, I know we’re not ranked and still building the team under Rich Rod., but how could you leave Mich off the list? Loved the suggestions, but if I go anywhere is season it’s back to A2 and the Big House for me.
Stories to Check Out: A good arguement for why we should cut Eli Manning some slack by my friend, Eugene Michael Santiago for The Huffington Post.
-Ok so yeah he is definitely not a girl (yes this is “Girl on Sports”), but he’s got great insight to share. Check it out!-
Is this Year the Year?
Well, we’re talking the Bears and I’m fairly certain the Chicago sports fan (pick any sport, they virtually all apply) mantra is “this is going to be the year.” This is pretty much always followed by “next year is going to be the year.” So is this year the year for the Bears? Probably not, but I’m liking what I’m seeing so far.
Last week in the match-up against the Giants, Cutler looked good (even if his teammates don’t like him). The return of Forte didn’t hurt either. In the 17-3 win over the G-Men it was clear that things may be coming together for the Chicago team. Now I’m a supporter (first love = da bears) of the Giants, but Chicago proved last week that they have the ability to make things happen offensively. The Bears are always solid defensively, but it was refreshing to see the offense making plays too.
Both teams are still struggling to find their passing game given a young/lack of WR roster, but it was clear that Chicago was able to get around that obstacle last week. Cutler and Hester still need to learn to connect, but hey, a 17-3 win against another team with some serious potential? I’ll take it!
And that brings us to this weekend. Broncos and Bears will meet in Denver with Orton going up against Cutler following the trade that took place this past spring. It’s going to be a good one. It’s looking good for my Bears, especially now that Denver announced today that they have suspended WR Brandon Marshall for the rest of the preseason.
Either way, definitely a game worth watching. A game that I can’t watch all of because I will be flying back to New York. Why can’t United get live games on their planes? You’ve already forced me to check my carry-on which I packed unusually sparsely for the exact reason so that I could bring it onto the plane; throw a girl a bone. (I’m clearly still salty about this)
My prediction: Bears over the Broncos with a good amount of points on the board from both teams. This may not be the year where the Bears go all the way (or they could surprise me), but it is going to be a year for some solid football coming out of Chicago.
For those of you who don’t appreciate the bears in the same way that I do, here is a gift from me to you.
Let’s Hear About Your Fantasy
Football roster…get your mind out of the gutter! This year I’m participating in two leagues (I think). You may find it hard to believe, but I have never really fully participated in a fantasy league until now (yes, you may judge).
My appreciation for various sports has always been focused on the big picture: Team stats, overarching ideas and sentiments, etc. This foray into fantasy football will be a whole new experience for me. Quite frankly, I’m always impressed by friends that can spout out player stats on demand. I’d like to think I know a lot, but I admit, I still have a bit to learn. That’s the beauty of sports, there’s always something to learn. Hopefully this experience (aside for making me feel fantastic when I kick everyone’s ass) will also teach me to be a better writer of this blog.
I will keep you all updated on how it goes, and hopefully even surprise any of those haters out there. Those in my league, watch out I’m coming for you.
Also, heads up during the next few days for my analysis of the Bears/Giants game. 17-3, what! Da Bears!
Shooting Oneself in the Foot… or Leg
Oh Plexico, Plexico, things aren’t looking too good for you right now. On Thursday, former Giant wide receiver Plexico Burress plead guilty to his firearm charge and accepted a plea bargain which will land him in jail for two years. The event has sparked conversation (even more so than normal) because of the long jail term. The man did already shoot himself in his own leg. Talk about adding insult to injury.
People are all over the place with how they feel about the length of the sentencing. Clearly the courts decided to stand their ground and make the point that celebrities do not get special treatment. Fine, I get that, but two years?!? It seems a bit egregious. In a somewhat coherent late night debate with my cab driver last evening we discussed what we thought would be fair sentencing. He argued the for a few weeks as Plexico, being a member of the 2008 Super Bowl champion Giants, brought a lot of good into the city. I said a few months to establish the seriousness of gun charges (Jail, is jail. It sucks no matter how you slice it; whether you’re there for a few month or years. The man has already hired himself a prison coach for christ sakes.) without being harsh for harshness sake. He’s not going to be playing this season anyways so why not just have him serve his term during the football season and let him out in time for training camp?
Now that we know his fate, whether fair or not, it will be interesting to watch if and how Plex bounces back from this. The NFL has already given the go-ahead to return once his sentence is completed. Michael Vick is attempting to orchestrate a successful return right now. Other pro-athletes have also attempted to come-back post slammer with varying degrees of success. Mike Tyson may be the patriarch of this. (If you have a few minutes, read this timeline of his antics and fights. It’s absolutely hilarious)
Only time will tell whether or not Plex can make a triumphant return to the league after two years in prison. In all seriousness, prison is no joke and obviously has a sobering effect on a man. Hopefully he will bounce back and return to a full career in the NFL. Or at least learn not to carry his gun in the waistband of his sweat pants…at LQ… Or perhaps at least shave those chin pubes.
