Another one of my special reminders

As the 2008 NFL season approaches, it's easy to forget the recent past. So I would like to once again point out that last season the Giants won the Super Bowl. Also, the Patriots were caught cheating, and they lost the one Super Bowl they didn't try to cheat in.

Carl Pavano is awesome

Carl Pavano yesterday won his first start for the Yankees in 16 months. Is it time yet to take back everything I said here? All right, maybe it's still a bit early for that. With the hole the Yanks are in, he's going to have to win a lot more games this season to make a difference.

Yes, I just linked to myself above. And yes, I stole the Yes I just linked to myself concept from my friend Mike.

Life imitates Seinfeld, part II

Friend, reader, and 1066 Football 2nd all-time leading receiver Scott raised such a provocative question, that the scenario deserves revisiting: So who/what is the giant ball of oil in this situation?
Well Scott, the giant ball of oil represents the glob of interceptions that Brett Favre will throw this season. Kramer and his intern represent Jets management, as they have dropped the giant ball of oil from high up in the building. And that ball is headed right for an unsuspecting Eric Mangini's head...

"Coles must have ran the wrong route on that play..."

I have to say, I am going to miss Chad Pennington. He didn't have a lot of arm strength, thus his abilities were limited, but the Jets had a couple of great runs with him, and he was a good guy throughout. The team has never had a hotter stretch than they did in the second half of the 2002 season, and in 2004 he led a team that could have gone to the Super Bowl (sandbagged by Doug Brien's missed regulation ending and overtime FGs in Pittsburgh). Sure, he never won a championship, but he was "our guy."

Now, the Jets have traded for a quarterback who isn't "our guy." At least, he's not my guy, buddy. Brett Favre is the opposite of Chad Pennington. He has the arm strength that Pennington does not, but he doesn't make good decisions, and thinks he's bigger than the team. I don't want to sound too much like the police chief in any 1980s cop movie, but he's reckless. The Jets made signings to drastically improve the team last offseason (Faneca, Pace, Woody, Jenkins), and were going to be better no matter what. But now if they do go to the playoffs, I think we'll see the credit go to Favre. If they lose though, we know what's coming...30 interceptions being excused away with "He's a gunslinger," "He's just trying to win," and "{Jets intended receiver} must have ran the wrong route."

The 2008 New York Jets will be quite a circus.

Again, life imitates Seinfeld

This Brett Favre saga is beginning to look more and more like the Seinfeld episode when George worked for "Play Now" and his stand-off with management kept escalating, with each party calling the other's bluff. First, Favre is caught in his lie (Favre's lie being that he was going to stay retired…George's lie being that he was handicapped). Then, the company tries to give away the employee's most precious possession (Packers commit to Rodgers as the starter…Play Now gives away George's private bathroom). I'm surprised the Packers have not changed the locks to the gates to training camp, as Play Now locked George out of his office. I don't know what's next, but I simply say, "Sit back and enjoy the show folks." The more uncomfortable this thing gets for everyone involved, the more fun it will be for the rest of us.

Arizona Republic NFL writer Bob McManaman wears silly-coloured sunglasses

You have to love the locals, and their undying support and jingoism for a football team that does not deserve it.

In this article, Arizona Republic NFL writer Bob McManaman takes a look at the 2008 Arizona Cardinals schedule, and predicts the results, game-by-game. He predicts a 10-win season for the Cardinals, which is funny on many levels. First, the locals do this every year. Second, the Cardinals have not won 10 regular season games since 1976. Third, they are the Cardinals.

Now, I go FJM style. Naturally, my attention was drawn to what McManaman says about the Cards' week 4 visit to the Meadowlands...

"The Cardinals get their running game untracked behind Edgerrin James and they surprise the Jets with some solid special teams play, namely that of return man Steve Breaston. The quarterback position seems a little fuzzy, though. Is that Matt Leinart calling the signals or is it veteran Kurt Warner? We can't tell. Meanwhile, the Jets are having their own issues at quarterback. But the Cardinals improve to 3-1 and people are starting to take notice.

Prediction: Cardinals 31, Jets 17"

I'm not going to tell you this guy is flat out wrong...but for the record, I had marked this game down as an easy win for the Jets when I took my own look at the schedule. Just saying. But let's take a closer look at McManaman's analysis...

The Cardinals get their running game untracked behind Edgerrin James and they surprise the Jets with some solid special teams play.

So prior to week 3, the Cardinals' running game will not be untracked. Until then, clearly, it will be tracked. Also, he scouted the Jets very well, as I happen to know that the Jets never expect solid special teams play from their opponents. I can hear Jets' coach Eric Mangini now..."Solid special teams play? What in the world is going on? I am soooooo totally surprised right now!"

Is that Matt Leinart calling the signals or is it veteran Kurt Warner? We can't tell.

Well, I can't really help you there Bob, but the photo next to your blurb features Jets' punter Ben Graham and Jets' kicker Mike Nugent. Maybe it will be a surprising, solid special team player calling the signals?

But the Cardinals improve to 3-1 and people are starting to take notice.

Is it possible to take notice to a hypothetical situation predicted by a local homer? If so, consider me on notice!

NL West...Uggghhhhh

I already am annoyed at the thought of who will win the National League West division this season. The winner will almost certainly have a below .500 record, because all the teams suck...and it will likely be Arizona or Los Angeles.

If it's Arizona, since I live in Phoenix I'll get to hear from the locals about how great their division-winning, playoff-bound, 78 win team is.

And if it's Los Angeles, I am sure I'll get to hear how great Joe Torre is, and therefore hear another round of "The Yankees made a mistake getting rid of Joe Torre." This is because ESPN hates the Yankees.

I believe a division should be stripped of its playoff berth if no one within that division finishes with a .500 record or better. This isn't just a pipe dream - it could easily be done, in a practical manner. All you do is take away the west's division winning spot, and give a 2nd wild card spot to the East/Central. There would be more incentive for the West teams to get good...and more incentive for the approximately 90-win team in the East or Central who would have missed out on the wild card.

The NL West would lose their playoff spot like every year, but baseball would be better for it.

On racial matters

I noticed something troubling about myself today - a lot of my evalution of NFL players is based on race, and I didn't even know it until I saw a photo of New York Jets' rookie Tight End Dustin Keller.

You see, I never saw Keller play in college. All I saw of him was a highlight package on ESPN the day he was drafted. I couldn't see his face in the highlights. All I saw was a Purdue uniform, and skin a bit on the lighter side. I thought Keller was white. I instantly became critical of this pick. "Great," I thought. "Another stiff at Tight End." Doug Jolley and Kyle Brady came to mind - both are white. Sure, I saw Keller making some nice plays...but you can make any collegiate player look good in a highlight package, especially given a lot of mediocre competition. In the Big Ten's case, you have Indiana and Northwestern. ESPN's hosts tell us how athletic and talented he is. Whatever.

Fast forward to this morning. I saw an article on NJ.com about how Keller has signed his contract, and is ready for camp. The page contains a photo of Keller stretching. What's this I see? He's black. Suddenly I shifted my evaluation of him to a more positive one. I automatically thought of him as more athletic, having more upside, and as simply a better football player than when I thought he was white. Only then did I realize I was guilty of this preconceived notion that white players are not as good. Is there something wrong with me? Or is this simply a product of seeing too many Doug Jolleys and Kyle Bradys come around?

...Or should I just call Jimmy the Greek or Al Campanis and ask them what they think?

Carl Pavano stinks...am I right folks?

I had this fear just hit me (it just comes in waves sometimes, you know), and I wanted to share it. Carl Pavano is in the last year of his contract with the Yankees, and obviously - though you can really never say never* - the Yanks will not re-sign him for 2009. He hasn't pitched for over a year, and may not pitch again in a Yankee uniform. So, with this "out of sight, out of mind" danger, my fear is that Carl Pavano will be able to slowly fade from our memory without getting one last wave of mockery and anger. Please, don't let this happen. Do yourself a favor and appreciate how much Carl Pavano is a bust...before it's too late.

*If the Yankees make the playoffs, which I believe they will, and Carl Pavano comes back in time for the playoffs, and pitches like 36 consecutive scoreless playoff innings helping the Yankees to win the World Series, I will take back everything I said. Better yet, I would probably just erase this post and deny I ever typed it.

We'll miss you, George

George Carlin died Sunday. Anything I could think of adding right now to try to sum up his awesomeness just would seem trite, so I will leave it at this: He was my favorite comedian ever, there will never be another like him, and a countless number of his sayings and jokes have permeated my own vocabulary. 71 seems too young, but I am thankful for all the laughs he left for us to enjoy.