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Archive for September, 2007

Not much to say

Monday, September 10th, 2007

That might have been the worst I have seen an NFL team start a season.

The Browns look like they wait for something to go wrong, and then when something does, they fall apart.

Going with Patrick McManamon's theme of taking responsibility for this mess, the organization can no longer point at the Chris Palmer/Dwight Clark/Butch Davis era as the reason for this.

Every team in the NFL experiences turnover from year to year. Look at the Patriots, they are a Super Bowl contender again, just two Super Bowls removed from their last win, and more than half the team is changed.

Also, by the way, I was no fan of Butch Davis, but the Browns did make the playoffs with him.

Picks review

Monday, September 10th, 2007

Here is how my picks went:

NFL WEEKEND
THURSDAY
Colts (-6) over Saints — CORRECT
SUNDAY
Texans (-3) over Chiefs — CORRECT
Broncos (-3) over Bills — WRONG
Steelers (-4.5) over Browns — CORRECT
Titans (+6.5) over Jaguars — CORRECT
Rams (-1) over Panthers, also take the over (42.5) — WRONG AND WRONG AGAIN
Eagles (-3) over Packers — WRONG
Vikings (-3) over Falcons — CORRECT
Dolphins (+3) over Redskins — PUSH
Jets (+6.5) over Patriots; also the under (41) — WRONG AND WRONG AGAIN
Bucs (+6) over Seahawks — WRONG
Chargers (-6) over Bears, also the under (43) — CORRECT AND CORRECT
Lions (+1.5) over Raiders — CORRECT
Giants (+5.5) over Cowboys — WRONG
MONDAY
Ravens (+2.5) over Bengals WRONG
Cardinals (+3) over 49ers PUSH
(7-7-2 AGAINST THE SPREAD, 1-2 OVER/UNDERS)

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Akron (+28.5) over Ohio State CORRECT
Michigan (-8) over Oregon WRONG
Kent State (+13) over Kentucky WRONG
(1-2 ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL)

NFL in the Beacon

Friday, September 7th, 2007

Our NFL preview will be available Sunday in the Beacon Journal and on Ohio.com.

– Marla Ridenour features the key to the Browns season — running back Jamal Lewis.
– Patrick McManamon looks at what the Browns are terming a "bridge" season.
– Marla also talks to NFL talking heads about what they think of Brady Quinn.
– Patrick gives a quick hit on Sunday in the NFL.
– Marla ranks all 32 NFL teams and picks the weekend games.

Who to replace Carr?

Thursday, September 6th, 2007

No matter what happened this year, it looked like Lloyd Carr would be out at Michigan.
Now it looks more like a possibility.
So who would be called on to replace him?

Rich Rodriguez of West Virginia
Nick Saban of Alabama, I know he signed a lifetime deal but that hasn't stopped him before
Bobby Petrino of the Falcons
Jim Harbaugh of Stanford
Bill Cowher ???
Someone on the staff at Michigan? No one stands out, though.

Any other names?

NFL TV

Thursday, September 6th, 2007

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald did a quick piece breaking down what is new with NFL TV. I thought it hit all of the high points, so here it is:

A quick assessment of the biggest changes in an offseason
filled with turnover and tumult on the NFL broadcasting front:

Ron Jaworski replaces Joe Theismann on ESPN's Monday Night
Football: From an X's and O's standpoint, nobody dissects
strategy better than Jaworski. The issue is whether he will do
a better job interacting with Tony Kornheiser than Theismann
did.
Kornheiser said he's determined to be more than simply "OK"
in his second year in the booth. But he'll need Jaworski to be
far more responsive than Theismann was.

NBC adds Keith Olbermann, Tiki Barber to Football Night in
America: These are two enlightened moves — the best made by any
network this offseason. Barber — polished, articulate and
opinionated — will be a huge upgrade over Sterling Sharpe, who
couldn't stop interrupting and shouting over his colleagues.
Olbermann's sharp opinions, clever writing and witty
narration of highlights will elevate a pregame show that
dragged badly at times last year. And in Olbermann, Bob Costas
and Cris Collinsworth, NBC has three of the sharpest minds in
sports television.

Fox moves its pregame show back to Los Angeles: Wise move.
Viewers — and the announcers — were constantly distracted by
fans shouting over Jimmy Johnson & Co. in stadium parking lots.
The move back to L.A. means Joe Buck returns to doing just one
job (play-by-play) instead of juggling two. And capable Curt
Menefee becomes the program's permanent host. Also, Barry
Switzer joins the cast as Jimmy Johnson's sparring partner on a
"Coach's Corner" segment.

CBS adds Bill Cowher: This is only a pit stop for Cowher,
who likely will return to coaching in a year or two. Two
questions: Will the five-man set be too crowded, especially
considering how often the analysts interrupted each other last
season? (Probably.)And will Cowher say anything remotely
controversial that would risk angering another coach, player or
owner? (Probably not.)
That's why the best ex-coach analysts are the ones who don't
intend to return to the sideline.

ESPN dumps Michael Irvin, adds Emmitt Smith, Keyshawn
Johnson and Bill Parcells. Johnson has the most potential of
this group, but is hardly can't-miss. Though Johnson has TV
presence, he must prove he has substance, too. (His work on the
draft and SportsCenter's embarrassing "Who's Now" series didn't
have anyone nominating him for a Sports Emmy.) If Johnson is
unprepared and doesn't offer real insight — not just
superficial fluff — viewers will know it immediately, and his
act will wear thin.
Smith, who was mediocre in work for NFL Network two years
ago, lacks Irvin's charisma but gained appeal to Disney
executives with his performance on ABC's Dancing with The
Stars.
ESPN will rely heavily on Smith, who will appear on both the
Sunday and Monday night pregame shows. Parcells won't work on
Sundays but will be analyst on Monday Night Countdown, joining
Chris Berman, Tom Jackson, Johnson and others on a set in
ESPN's Bristol, Conn. studios. A second set — featuring Stuart
Scott, Smith and Steve Young — will be based at the game site.

Albert moves up: Besides the Jaworski/Theismann one, there
was only one other significant change in the booth: Kenny
Albert, who has become a first-rate play-by-play man, replaces
Dick Stockton alongside Daryl Johnston on Fox's No. 2 team.
Stockton moves to the No. 3 team with Brian Baldinger.
Albert, who has begun to show a sense of humor in recent
years (like his father, Marv), would have been better served
alongside Baldinger than Johnston, whose commentary seldom
rises above pedestrian.

Football picks

Thursday, September 6th, 2007

TONIGHT
Colts (-6) over Saints
SUNDAY
Texans (-3) over Chiefs
Broncos (-3) over Bills
Steelers (-4.5) over Browns
Titans (+6.5) over Jaguars
Rams (-1) over Panthers, also take the over (42.5)
Eagles (-3) over Packers
Vikings (-3) over Falcons
Dolphins (+3) over Redskins
Jets (+6.5) over Patriots; also the under (41)
Bucs (+6) over Seahawks
Chargers (-6) over Bears, also the under (43)
Lions (+1.5) over Raiders
Giants (+5.5) over Cowboys
MONDAY
Ravens (+2.5) over Bengals
Cardinals (+3) over 49ers

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Akron (+28.5) over Ohio State
Michigan (-8) over Oregon
Kent State (+13) over Kentucky

Fantasy football

Wednesday, September 5th, 2007

Love it or hate it, fantasy football, along with gambling, are what make the NFL the most popular sport in America.

With that in mind, is there anything we can add to Ohio.com or the Beacon Journal to aid fantasy football players? We already run the injury report in the paper along with the box scores and the top news of each day. Online, we add an fantasy football blog.

That might be enough. But we thought we would ask.