NFL Recap and Preview: The Final Eight

The Final Eight

In college basketball I have always argued that if a coach guides his team to the Sweet 16 on a consistent basis, his job should always be secure. Everyone aspires for a Final 4 or a national championship but being in the hunt is almost as important. Some programs even lower the bar to just making the NCAA tournament. Nebraska basketball has never won one tourney game.

As fans, you just want your team to have a shot at making a title run.

This same logic can be carried over to the NFL as 8 teams remain with a shot at the Super Bowl crown. While some fans will be crushed if their favorite teams' lose this weekend, 24 teams are already at home and I am just happy my Packers are in the mix.

Last weekend's games provided me little reason to believe the gap between the above average teams and the very good teams has closed whatsoever. I do not see one team who played in the wild card round with a shot at running the table like the Steelers 2 years ago.

I hate running predictions because they are usually wrong and I do not want to jinx the Pack by talking major smack about the Seasquawks. Here are 2 great NFL playoff previews from Five Tool Tool and Uncle Rico's Time Machine.


Here are my thoughts on last weeks NFL games

Seattle beat Skins
The first half of this game was brutal to watch and two things that I already knew stood out . Seattle still can not run the ball and Skins WR Santana Moss is unable to actually catch a football. Unfortunately, Moss's one job in life that he is paid millions of dollars to perform, is to hold on to a football when it hits his hands.

After the coolest kicking team recovery that I ever witnessed, the key play was a Skins TE Chris Cooley drop which would have set up first and goal from the 3. Instead, the skins missed a FG and Seattle drove the length of the field for the decisive go ahead TD. The Skins inability to stop the Seahawks pass rush was probably the deciding factor in the game.

I still pour some out on a regular basis for the Boom Boom King and his memorary will live on forever.

Jags beat Pitt
This was the most entertaining game of Wild Card weekend and the better team won. Maurice Drew was the difference and how much better of a pro is he turning out to be than Reggie Bush?

The Steelers had a chance late to ice the game late but were way too conservative on their play calling. 3rd&6 QB sweep? What is that? My favorite part of the game was Jags CB Mathis possibly being out of bounds after an INT because of his dreads. I think the Jags have the formula to play with the Pats.

Giants beat Bucs
I missed most of this game and it seems like I did not miss much. Everyone is all over Eli's junk because he did not suck and played decent. Talk about lowering the bar and I still doubt Eli's ability to hit open WRs with his high sailing throws. I expect a battle with the Cowboys and the Giants Oline is underrated.

Chargers beat Titans
The one thing that I took from this game was how bad Vince Young looked. His awful play cost the Titans a shot at winning this game as their defense held LT in check. Plus, Titans need to roll Vince out and run the spread offense. He is not a good pocket passer and I still have doubts that he will ever be one.

I can not believe I would ever argue that Kerry Collins would have been the best option for a team to win a playoff game, however, this was shockingly the case.

The Titans secondary was burned late and no one wants to write this but I will, Pac Man Jones would have been a difference maker out there. There is a reason that the Titans will not cut him because he is a helluva player.

Everyone needs to chill out on the Chargers though. Rivers is still highly inconsistent and Turner will find a way to lose a game as a head coach. The defense is playing better but is nowhere near the destructive force it was a year ago.

Have a great weekend, headed to Happy Hour, time to blow off some steam/stress.

Word, Mac G.

Truth Hurts

If LSU and West Virginia would have beaten Arkansas and Pittsburgh respectively late in regular season, we would not have posters like this one.

I think the speed factor is overrated and Ohio State was simply manhandled up front by LSU.

I am trying not piling on Luckeye fan and your football program is top 5 in the country but at least the my beloved Hawks took out Florida and LSU in their 04&05 bowl games.

Step it up for once as you are killing what is left of the Big 10's reputation.

A Team More Terrible than Iowa Basketball

Every University of Iowa fan can explain in 4 letter laced detail about how painful it was to watch the football team's anemic offense last fall. Here is a video of Iowa QB Jake "Wild Thing" Christensen, which sums up the offensive futility.

Oh, this is game 12 by the way, a home loss which cost Iowa a chance at some worthless bowl.
I know I could pull some drunk dart board player out of Vitos with better accuracy than Rick Vaughn.

I am sorry as I keep forgetting that fans are just supposed to fork over portions of their pay checks, kiss players asses and not criticize their play. My Bad.

I will give Wild Thing credit that he has not been popped by the Iowa City PoPo, which on this arrest happy squad earns a player kudos. 15-20 arrests since April, who is counting?

It is not Wild Thing's fault that he plays behind a crappy offensive line (Ferentz the OL guru? please!) and is forced to run a Super Tecmo Bowl offense, with 5-10 plays.

I am trying my best to halt a 1000 word rant about the debacle known as the Iowa football program. Deep Breaths. Inhale, Exhale.

Well, the 2007-08 Hawkeye basketball team is far from a cure and actually might pour more rubbing alcohol into the sports wounds of Hawk fans.

Bottom Line: they are terrible and probably the worst Hawkeye hoops team that I have witnessed in my life. They will be lucky to win 3 more games this season and that is being generous.

Their bigs, who belong in division 2, are incapable of making a basket from 4 feet. When the object of the game is to actually out score your opponents, this is highly problematic for victory. I still have faith in first year head man, Coach Lick. He has been delt an awful 2,7 off suit poker hand. Not good.

The only silver lining to this season is that Super Steve Alfraud is no longer associated with my Alma matter.

Where am I going with this post and who cares about Hawkeye sports? It appears Iowa is not the only team in college hoops unable to put the orange peach in the basket.

Saint Louis set a modern Division I record for fewest points in a game, falling 49-20 to George Washington in the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams.

20 points? 15 percent shooting from the field? WOW! The 7th grade boys basketball team that I coach is able to score more points in a game and my players are turnover machines.

Check out the post game comments of new Saint Louis Biliken Coach Rick Majerus on not having his own players yet. He has to be second guessing himself for leaving a cushy ESPN announcers gig.

"It's like being a stepparent. I didn't pick them. They didn't pick me," Majerus said of the players. "They are trying hard. They are trying. It is a process. The effort is good. If it wasn't I would say it publicly."

Ouch! I hope my step dad does not feel the same about me.

GW Beats SLU, 49-20
Here is the story of their mascot, Billiken.
Video of the worst starting QB in college football

Jacksonville Voodoo

Simon on Sports doubted the effectiveness of Tom Brady Voodoo dolls in recent his Pats/Jag playoff preview.

Well, I hope the following Jaguar fan does not find out because it would ruin his pregame voodoo rituals. I feel the need to poke some fun at this guy but just go 2:05 of this video to see Fred Taylor get walloped.

Soccer Fight

At least soccer players know how to throw down by the contents of this video in comparison to American sports brawls, which usually are weak shoving matches. (Hockey being the lone exception). Happy Friday Fockers.

Link Whores

• Epic Carnival via Mizzourah and DXP delivers a funny South Park themed picture of the Big 12 head football coaches.

• Loser With Socks has funniest post title that I have seen in 2008: Tebow of Nazareth goes to a hockey game.

• Brahsome posts a video of Erin Andrews getting mad love from the Wisconsin dirty Badger student body and the creepy, over the top reactions by announcers Brent Musberger and Steve Lavin. Question: Is the world that void of good play by play men that Musberger, Jim Nantz and Mike Tirico are continually chosen to announce major games in football AND basketball? I just do not understand it. Somehow legend Pat Summeral corpse was held up like Weekend at Bernie's for a few football games this season too. I nearly slipped into a coma listening to him during the Cotton Bowl.
  

• Busted Coverage beat me to the punch on this funny video of a happy LSU fan busting out his celebratory white man dance.

• Tasty Booze further cements my belief that the majority of crazy, weird stories and most COPS episodes take place in the Sunshine state.

• Hottest Girls of MySpace fires high heat with this post on a hot Latina MILF. This link is for my buddy, who is incapable of blowing off hot chicks and now thinks he wants to turn a ho with baggage into a housewife.

• Hottie Hunter is on to something with this sizzling fashion trend post. My request is to find hotties in Uggs as those Fn boots play with my head on a daily basis. Oh Monogamy!

• Brightest Black Internet's post has found one of my sweet spots: hot tennis babes.

• On 205th wants this hot chick to bark like a dog. RUFF, RUFF, RUFF.

• Dont Cost Nothing has a major crush on super model Alessandra Ambronio. I can see why and I had a thing for Brazillian girls until I dated one.

• UK Celeb has more topless photos of Lucy Pinder. Her amazing fun bags make me believe that God is a male.

• The Putdown has a take on Roger Clemens' Linda Tripp like phone habits.

• Pointless Banter's hilarious strip club story and I had like 10 flashbacks reading it. This guy is like Tucker Max but actually funny and not an egotistical prick. Plus, I am a sucker for anything related to gentlemen clubs and I am still pissed that I was not able to make my annual visit to the Pink Pony in Atlanta over New Years.

OOHI

When it rains, it Fn pours. At least the Big 10 has its own network! Take THAT! Oh yeah, most cable companies will not offer the channel, even in Big 10 markets. I am shutting up now.

HT:Tiger Droppings
On 205th

Jon Stewart is BAAACK

The Daily Show is back sans their writers. The first show was OK and Stewart had some funny one liners, ripping the studios and the Writers Guild of America. Last night's second show was much better.

We would need 2 hour long Daily Shows to rip apart how abysmal the tabloid media has been over the past week covering the presidential nomination process. It is disgusting and reminds me why I normally tune these 24/7 news shows out.

Check out Stewart from last night. Great Stuff.



The moment of Zen



Blast from Past with the 2004 NH primary.

End of the BCS Show

Last night's BCS title game was why I did not want a Big 10 team in the championship. I know the conference is down and I do not need 8 more months of the media/fans reminding me.

Playing USC in LA or LSU in New Orleans is not what I call, "neutral" locations either. It would be great to see some warm weather teams come strap it up outside in single degree temps and see how it worked out for them.

The SEC was the best conference all season and LSU was their top team. They earned the crown.

If the Luckeyes had some WRs that could catch or a player who could block a punt, they might have had a chance. Bottom line is LSU dominated the line of scrimmage and thus, ball game.

Fox needs to stop covering these post season college games and for the love of god, STOP SHOWING THE BANDS! Whew, I feel better. The demographic viewing these games, men of all ages, love Poon and not frugly clarinet players. Who needs to be fired to make this happen?

Awful Announcing has the video of Jamarcus Russell's hideous sweater outfit last night. Russell is an absolute monster and I have no idea what he mumbled. Troy Smith had a great one liner crack on his attire.

College football anticlimactically ends with a THUD. March Madness and the NFL playoffs trample these crappy bowl contests.

Railing on the need for a college football playoff is similar to highlighting the disastrous policies of the inept George W Bush presidency. You reach a point where you just run out of motivation to keep beating the same dead horse over and over because nothing changes.

Anyway, I just found this video of LSU tiger fan busting his Bourbon Street cherry early, at age 3. Busted Coverage might have had this video but their server is down.




Less Band, More Cajun Cheer Poon.

Manic Munday

It has been a crazy Manic Munday so this clip is all that I am able to produce right now. I had planned on recapping the NFL playoff games, previewing the BCS title game and breaking down the New Hampshire primaries.

I have 20 writing blog post topics ready to be rolled out too.

My Editor(Me)needs to start cracking the whiskey whip. NO JACK FOR YOU!

Procrastinate in OH Eight was not the lame motto I was looking to kick start in January 2008. Plus, early February is usually the time when New Year's Resolutions bite the dust like the credibility of Roger Clemens roid alibis or the value of the US dollar.

Even though my video camera recording skills are razor sharp from the holidays, this is not my cinematic creation. However, I will recognize the outstanding poon ninja ability of this camera man.