Michael Vick Is Quickly Becoming A God In Philadelphia

Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles arrived at FedEx Field in Washington expecting a tough, hard-fought battle against the Redskins amid a driving November rain storm. It took all of 14 seconds for Vick to deliver a knockout blow with the Eagles' opening salvo as Vick connected with WR DeSean Jackson on an 88-yard TD pass on the first play from scrimmage. The Eagles were able to bottle up the Redskins' offense early and Vick went to work once Philly got the ball back. The Eagles scored touchdowns on their first 4 possessions including 2 TD passes from Vick who also added a 7-yard TD and Philadelphia held a 28-0 lead at the end of the 1st quarter, the largest lead by a road team after 1 quarter in the history of the NFL.

On the first play of the 2nd quarter Vick launched a pass down the near sideline hitting Jeremy Maclin for a 48-yard TD and a 35-0 lead. The Eagles would continue their domination for the rest of the quarter going in to halftime with a 45-14 lead, setting the franchise record for points in a half of football. When it was all said and done the scored showed the Eagles 59, Redskins 28 in what was one of the most dominating performances in team history. The Eagles produced their second highest scoring output in team history falling just short of the 64 points they put 76 years ago.

Michael Vick turned in what was possibly the best performance by a Philadelphia Eagles QB ever as he went 20/28 for 333 yards passing with 4 TDs and rushed for 80 yards and 2 more TDs becoming the first player ever to throw for over 300 yards, rush for over 50 yards, throw 4 TDs and rush for 2 or more TDs.

Basically he was unstoppable. Several times during this game I simply marveled about how good Vick was last night. It really wasn't fait when he was playing at that level, there is just no way to defend him when you are trying to cover all of the Eagles' speedy receivers (Jackson, Maclin and slot receiver Jason Avant each had over 75 yds receiver and a TD) and still keep Vick in check in the running game. If Vick can continue to churn out performances like this then the city of Philadelphia will be more excited than it has been in years as the team has the chance to do something special this year with Vick at the helm

Lane Kiffin Still An A**hole

Former Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin has been denied a grievance in which he was seeking unpaid salary from the Raiders after owner Al Davis fired Kiffin 4 games into the 2008 season, his second with the team. Kiffin was looking for somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.6 million from the Raiders but was  denied by an NFL arbitrator. Kiffin was fired amid a myriad of accusations from Davis including a claim that Kiffin repeatedly made negative comments against the Raiders organization which he felt violated the terms of Kiffin's 3-year, $6 million deal.

This is just another example of Lane Kiffin not caring about anyone or anything besides himself. I was initially surprised when Al Davis first fired him but ever since Kiffin has done nothing to improve his image. After being fired Kiffin took the head coaching position at the University of Tennessee only to jump ship after only 1 years when Pete Carroll left USC for the Seattle Seahawks. Kiffin will be spending the next few years trying to keep USC afloat as they are forced to deal with sanctions imposed by the NCAA after the school was found to have a history violations both in recruiting players and providing benefits.

The one silver lining in the whole USC debacle is that Kiffin has had to keep his mouth shut for the most part as he has so little public support as it is. I can only imagine what things would be like now if Kiffin had stayed in the SEC at Tennessee with the Cam Newton saga exploding to new levels every day. I'm sure he do everything he could to make the whole situation even worse if only to bring Newton down.

NFL Week 10: Jaguars Beat Texans On 50-Yard Hail Mary; Announcer Gus Johnson Needs Some Tissues

Week 10 featured a number of thrilling endings including two games that went into overtime (Jets 26/Browns 20 and 49ers 23/Rams 20) as well as Matt Ryan's last-minute comeback against the Ravens on Thursday night. However they were all topped by the ending of the Texans-Jaguars matchup that saw Jacksonville QB hurl up a hail mary from midfield as regulation expired with the score knotted at 24. The ball was tipped by a Houston defender but bounced directly into the waiting arms of Jacksonville receiver Mike Thomas. The finish was made even better because CBS announcer Gus Johnson, known for his extreme enthusiasm in the broadcast booth, had the call and basically blew his load with Thomas came down with the game winning catch.

For those of you unfamiliar with Gus Johnson's work he can pretty much be summed up by his reaction to Brandon Stokely's game-winning 87-yard TD catch in Week 1 of last year (0:31 mark)



He's also the voice of CBS College Basketball (I love Gus Johsnon if you couldn't tell yet)

NFL Week 10: Cowboys Win First Game Under Jason Garrett

The hapless Dallas Cowboys ended a 5-game losing streak yesterday with an explosive 33-20 victory over the New York Giants in the Meadowlands in the first game coached by now interim head coach Jason Garrett. Garrett took over the coaching duties this week after former head coach Wade Phillips was fired following embarrassing losses to Jacksonville and Green Bay to drop their record to 1-7. The Cowboys took advantage of big plays and Giants' mistakes to grab a double-digit lead in the 2nd quarter and never looked back.

The Giants came into the game riding a 5-game win streak and had pretty much been crowned as the class of the NFC during the week leading up to the game. I only bring this up because I predicted that the Giants were likely to stumble once they reached the top (second paragraph). Combine that phenomenon with the fact that the Giants were likely looking ahead to next week's Sunday night match-up against Superman Mike Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles and you have the makings of a major trap game which is exactly what this was. I'm confident that the Giants will rebound (after the Philly game hopefully) and still finish as one of the best teams in the NFC. I'm not so sure about the Cowboys who despite winning this game will have a tough challenge finding success for the rest of the season.

And how have I never seen this before?

Brett Favre Says He Will Not Return Next Season... Again...

Brett Favre has said he will not return to football in 2011 and will retire with his third different NFL team at season's end. Favre has already retired with the Packers following the 2007 season and the Jets following the 2008 season so the question that must now be begged is if he really means it this time. Everything I know about football would lead me to believe Brett is really hanging it up because he would be 42 years old next season and he can't keep up with the weekly beatings he takes. The Minnesota Vikings are also in a state of flux and it is likely they will have a new head coach next season as this year has been one large soap opera lead by current head coach Brad Childress.

Another factor that I feel must be playing into Favre's retirement is the pending investigation involving former Jets employee Jenn Sterger and pictures of Brett's dick. This investigation was thought to be over a few weeks ago when it appeared Sterger was unwilling to cooperate but she has had a change of heart this week and met with NFL officials for 3 hours on wednesday and was reported to have turned over the dick shots "materials" she had in her possession pertinent to the investigation. It is unknown at this point if the NFL will have enough evidence to punish Brett Favre but if any suspension is involved in would likely not take place until next season. That may be on the very forefront of Brett's mind as he prepares to retire.

As in the past we will have to wait and see what Brett does and hopefully we can avoid another offseason of "will he or won't he" if Brett indeed hangs 'em up. I'm not so sure he will however as I have a sneaking suspicion that Brett wants to die on an NFL playing football, it's the only thing that makes sense to me.

Why Do I Not Have A Door That Doubles As A Ping Pong Table?

Definitely filing this under "I want one"

Atlanta Falcons Make Statement As Matt Ryan Leads Comeback In Final Minute

Heading in to the first thursday night game of the year I will admit that I simply didn't have a lot of respect for Matt Ryan and the Falcons despite their 6-2 record heading in to the contest. That was until the Ravens scored 14 4th quarter points to take a 21-20 lead in the game's final stages. Ryan calmly lead his team in the two-minute drill down the field in a drive that culminated with a TD pass to Roddy White with less than 20 seconds to go in the game. I was impressed with the way the Falcons responded after blowing a lead in a game they largely dominated for 3 and 1/2 quarters against one of the top teams in the AFC.

Atlanta is now 7-2 and will most likely be considered the best team in the NFC over the course of the next week as the carousel NFL supremacy continues to rotate. I would not be surprised at all to see the NY Giants lay an egg this weekend after a week of being heralded as the best team in the NFC. I only say this because in the past few weeks every team that has been championed by the football media as the best team in the league or conference has fallen quickly. For instance you now have the Ravens this week, the Patriots last week who dropped a stinker to the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers the week before who lost in New Orleans and the Jets before them who got shut out at home against the Packers coming off their bye week.

Going back to Atlanta I will say that I love Matty Ice (and always have) and that this team is a force to be reckoned with when playing at home in the Georgia Dome. Ryan is now 18-1 in his first 19 home starts and this team just seems possessed there. However the Falcons have looked rather average on the road this season including a loss to the Steelers without Ben Roethlisberger and a bludgeoning at the hands of a Kevin Kolb lead Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. For now though Atlanta is solidifying their position at the top of the NFC and their likely not going away anytime soon.

Ilya Kovalchuk Suffering From "Getting Paid-itis"

27 year-old left winger Ilya Kovalchuk of the New Jersey Devils was the subject of controversy this past NHL off-season after he signed a 17-year, $102 million contract to remain in New Jersey. The league rejected the deal the next day because it was designed to circumvent NHL salary cap restrictions. Amends were made shortly thereafter as Kovalchuk and the Devils agreed on a 15-year, $100 million deal that was then approved by the NHL.

I bring this up because in his first month under his new contract Kovalchuk has been absolutely abysmal on the ice for the reeling Devils who sit in last place in their division with a paltry 4-10-2 record. Kovalchuk has been at the forefront of the team's misery posting only 3 goals and 5 assists in 16 games. If you want evidence of how this season has gone for Kovalchuk than look no further than his shootout attempt in last night's game with his team needing a goal to tie it up.



I think he's doing it wrong...

John Wall Wasting No Time Proving He's The Truth

Washington Wizards number 1 overall pick PG John Wall has wasted no time carving up the NBA during his rookie season. He punctuated his early success with his first career triple-double last night against the Houston Rockets in only his 6th career game. Wall went for 19 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists to go along with 6 steals and becomes the 3rd youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. His performance also ranks 5th all time in fewest number of games needed for his first triple-double, 3 of the 4 players ahead of Wall on that list are in the NBA Hall of Fame including Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson.

Wall burst onto the scene last year as a Freshman at the University of Kentucky where he lead the Wildcats  to an SEC Championship and the school's best record in more than a decade before making it to the Elite 8 in the NCAA tournament. Within his first 10 games at Kentucky NBA teams began ogling at Wall's amazing combination of speed, athleticism and finesse and he became a shoe-in for the number 1 overall pick midway through his Freshman year. Wall is destined to be a star in the NBA and it looks like he is sparing no time in getting there.

Also, he must have graduated summa cum laude at Dougie school

Early Returns From The NBA 2010-2011

The NBA has returned to action in the past two weeks and it seems that the balance of power has finally shifted back to the Eastern Conference after being mostly dominated by the West for the better part of the last decade. That of course begins with the Miami Heat triumvirate of Dwayne Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh who have played some exciting basketball but have started the season 5-3. However what the Heat have been most successful in accomplishing this year has been to help create a renewed sense of animosity between teams that simply don't like each other. This was abundantly clear in the opening game of the season where the Heat were out-muscled by the defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics. Besides Miami and Boston we have seen basketball revitalized in Chicago and even the beginnings of the same in New York where the Knicks are playing some decent basketball with Amare Stoudemire and a myriad of young talent (just wait until they add Carmelo Anthony, which they must do to save Knick basketball).

I feel we are seeing the birth of a whole new set of rivalries that we haven't seen since the 80s when teams like the Celtics and Pistons seemingly engaged in blood-baths every time they took the court together.

Out in the West it appears the LA Lakers are going to run away with the conference after starting the season 8-0 (although the New Orleans Hornets may be the team to give them a run for their money with a 7-0 start of their own.) The only other teams that I can really see challenging the Lakers are the Portland Trail Blazers who had surprising success last season despite some major injuries as well as the super-young Oklahoma City Thunder lead by Kevin Durant. Durant proved that he was one of the best in the game last season and only confirmed that belief this summer as he lead Team USA basketball to its first World Championship in 16 years.

Lastly I wanted to comment on the rookie class which once again is promising fans greatness. Specifically I'm talking about what I have seen from 2009 Number 1 overall pick by the LA Clippers Blake Griffin (who missed all of last year with a knee injury so he is still a rookie) and 2010 top pick John Wall of the Washington Wizards. Both of these stars are flashing their supreme talent night-in and night-out and are going to be the face of their respective franchises for years to come.

Sometimes It's Better To Be Lucky Than Good

I have absolutely no idea about where this video came from, who made it or whose playing but I do know that I've never seen a play like this before. Thank god for the Internet I guess.

MLB Free Agency 2010: The Cliff Lee Saga Begins

The MLB Free Agency period is now in it's infancy stages and the burning question on everyone's mind is where will Rangers superstar pitcher Cliff Lee sign? Lee has been one of the best pitchers in the game ever since he tweaked his fastball prior to the 2008 season and went on to win the Cy Young award with the Cleveland Indians (in 2007 Lee started the season 4-9 with a 5.38 ERA before he was sent down to the minors). Since that time Lee has pitched for the Phillies, Mariners and Rangers and is now poised to cash in on all of his recent success.

The most obvious suitor for Lee will of course be the New York Yankees. The Yankees habitually target the top free agents every year and with a need for another pitcher in the rotation Cliff Lee may be their most coveted prize yet. New Yorkers have become enamored with Lee ever since he began dominating them in the 2009 World Series with the Phillies where he beat them twice and then again throughout all of 2010 culminating in his dominating performance in Game 3 of the ALCS this year where he went in to Yankee Stadium and hurled 8 shut-out innings in an 8-0 Rangers victory that effectively deflated the Yankees for the rest of the series.

However the signing of Lee will be no slam dunk for the Yankees as plenty of other teams including the Rangers will be contending with New York. Another factor that may work against the Yankees is the treatment Cliff Lee's wife Kristen received from Yankee fans during Game 3. She stated that the fans around her and her family continually shouted profanities and her and one fan even threw beer in her direction. Kristen Lee may be able to forgive the Yankee faithful but at this point no one can tell for sure.

The one thing about this saga that is for sure is that it will take at least another month for Lee to sign if not more. Teams are already very active in meeting with Lee and his agent and are looking to get a deal done. Lee will most likely be seeking a deal similar to the one his former teammate and good buddy CC Sabathia received two years ago that totaled $161 Million over 7 years. I'm really looking forward to seeing where Lee signs because it promising to be the only exciting news out of Major League Baseball until next March most likely.

Why Do People Have It Out For Cam Newton?

Auburn University QB and leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy Cam Newton has dominated college football headlines in recent days but unfortunately it has little to do with his on the field play. Newton has been the target of a series of allegations regarding his recruitment last season while he played for Blinn Junior College and has also been accused of academic cheating while he attended the University of Florida.

The story arose when several recruiters from Mississippi State went of the record saying that Newton's representative demanded "more than a scholarship" in order for Newton to play there. They went on to say that Newton's camp was asking for somewhere in the neighborhood of $200,000 to bring the giant QB to Mississippi. As the story developed Mississippi state recruiters stated that both Cam Newton and his father Cecil admitted in separate phone conversations that they were seeking money in return for Newton's commitment.

Only a few days later an anonymous source came out with statements that Newton had been caught cheating 3 different times while at the University of Florida in what appears to be another last-ditch effort to bring down Newton before he has the opportunity to win the Heisman and perhaps the National Championship. Florida head coach Urban Meyer was questioned about the allegations but was adamant that he was not the source and refused to comment further. Auburn head coach Gene Chizik called the accusations "garbage" and was vocal about how disappointed he was in this whole situation.

I really have a problem with these people coming out with unsubstantiated allegations because they are clearly attacking Newton and the Auburn Tigers. No other SEC football recruiter has supported Mississippi States claim that Newton demanded money and even if they did there is simply no way to prove it. I'm not saying Newton is guilty of wrongdoing or not but I am almost certain that we will never see any proof as the only school that would have actually paid Newton would be Auburn and anyone affiliated with the University who might know something will certainly never endanger Newton's legacy.

The only people who have attacked Newton are supporters of rival SEC schools who in my mind are simply jealous of the tremendous success Newton has had in his return to FBS football. I think the Florida cheating claims are even more evident of that as I am sure the team's boosters would kill to have Newton back behind center to replace Tim Tebow.