Bleacher Report - Articles by Samuel Bell Jr

NFC Curtain Call: Which Teams Will Be Home Come January?

Samuel Bell Jr — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:30:55 -0500

If you are a true sports fan who eats, drinks and dreams about great sports games and cold beer, then their is no better time of year than now.

College football is heading into the bowl season, college basketball is heating up, the NBA is in full swing and the NFL playoff push has teams literally fighting for their post-season lives.

Grab the 12-pack of Labatt Blue Light. Matter of fact, make that an 18 with a compliment of succulent Buffalo wings.

Dick Jauron had his last wing as the coach of the Buffalo Bills after being fired last week to the tune of Bills fans chanting, "Shanahan, Shanahan!"

That chant may be short-lived, but the Bills seem in good hands for now with interim coach Perry Fewell finally stretching the field the way Bills fans hoped they would when T.O arrived.

We know who the best team in the AFC is at this point (hint: their QB wears the #18, I wonder who that is?).

But do we know who the best team in the NFC is?

I'll pay anyone a milli if they can make a no-holes, convincing argument for any of the top two teams in the NFC, the Vikings and the Saints.

I've heard the analysts say time-and-time again that the Vikings are clearly the best team in the NFC, but they have a loss.

The New Orleans Saints don't, but the Saints QB Drew Brees' achilles heel has always been a lackluster defense. However, they've bent but not broken this season and have been turnover magnets.

Minnesota has a budding defense with Jared Allen sacking anything moving, Kevin and Pat Williams stuffing the run like a Thanksgiving turkey and guys like Chad Greenway exceeding expectations.

And speaking of exceeding expectations, anyone notice slick #4, Mr. Retirement Brett Favre?

I have to take my toes out of my mouth for what I said about him coming into this season about being old and unable to lead a winning ballclub. Let's forget about all of that, shall we?

Favre has been remarkable, and all of that mess about handing the ball off to human robot Adrian Peterson being his only key to success seems long gone like Byron Leftwich' career.

What does all of this mean?

It means that NFC supremacy may have to be determined come playoff time.

If the Saints can obtain homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, they may be the highest scoring Super Bowl team of all time.

Something tells me that homefield is of the utmost importance for New Orleans, and their passionate fans make them play at an unbelievably high-level.

We know the Vikings and Saints are the cash-crops of the NFC, but what happens after that?

Who will join them in the playoffs this year? Here's a look at their contenders and the chance they have of making the post-season by percentage.

This should be fun.

Dallas Cowboys (7-3, 1st in NFC East)

Remaining Games: OAK, at NYG, SD, at NO, at WAS, PHI

Dallas has proven to be one of the most inconsistent teams in the league. That isn't a big surprise, and it must change if the Cowboys want to play in the playoffs in January.

Tony Romo has been the engine running the show, and Marion Barber has been the transmission. Romo's improvisational skills have been good enough to land him on a reunion episode of Who's Line Is It Anyway?

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, injuries and shifty offense may do them in come Week 18.

With games against the Giants, Chargers, Saints and Eagles in the coming weeks, if their offense doesn't get it together they will be home along with their former compatriot, Mr. Terrell Owens.

Playoff Chance: 50%

Philadelphia Eagles (6-4, 2nd in NFC East)

Remaining Games: WAS, at ATL, at NYG, SF, DEN, at DAL

Coming into this season, the acquisition of Michael Vick was supposed to propel the Eagles atop the NFC. That experiment hasn't worked so far, and the Eagles are 6-4.

Vick hasn't been on the field much, and Kevin Kolb filled in well for Donovan McNabb when he was injured in Week 1.

Andy Reid has historically been a pass first coach, and that hasn't changed a lot this season. Brian Westbrook has been gone most of the year with concussion issues, but rookie LeSean McCoy has done well in his place.

Defensively the Eagles have been respectable, allowing over 20 points just twice this season.

The problem is the Eagles don't have an offensive identity. McCoy has ran for 452 yards for 3 scores and also catches well out of the backfield, but McNabb has thrown the ball 250 times despite missing two games.

If Philly wants to earn a division title or Wild Card, they need to run the football more and concentrate on offensive balance.

Playoff Chance: 49.5%

New York Giants (6-4, 3rd in NFC East)

Remaining Games: at DEN, DAL, PHI, at WAS, CAR, at MIN

And, we have the New York Giants.

A team that started the season 5-0, then lost four of their next five games to rest at 6-4.

Who knows which Eli Manning and Giants team we will get. This makes them extremely difficult to gauge, more than any other NFC team.

"Bad Eli" has shown its' face more than Giants fans want to see, but "Good Eli" has been as good as anyone.

This team needs to play more consistent and cohesive as units.

Defensively, the Giants are 24th in total points per game but 2nd in yards per game.

Offensively, the Giants are in the top-10 in most categories, but turn the ball over too much and have 4 losses. If the Giants want to be a playoff team Manning B must limit his turnovers.

Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw must get healthy to help Eli by establishing the run, and the secondary must stop the pass.

Playoff Chance: 55.2%

Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons (GB 6-4, 2nd in NFC North, ATL 5-5, 2nd in NFC South)

GB Remaining Games: at DET, BAL, at CHI, at PIT, SEA, at ARI

ATL Remaining Games: TB, PHI, NO, at NYJ, BUF, at TB

Green Bay was a perennial wild-card choice for many fans entering this season, but nobody could account for the lack of protection the offensive line has given QB Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers has been as good as any QB in the league when given time, and RB Ryan Grant is on pace for a 1200 yard season.

Wins against the Cowboys and Bears made the Packers look great, but a horrible loss against the Bucs makes them a head-scratcher.

Similarly, the Falcons entered the season with lots of promise after last season's playoff run, and some were thinking Super Bowl (including me).

QB Matt Ryan has been good, but has turned the ball over far too much and injuries to the secondary and RB Michael Turner have hurt the teams' fluidity on both sides of the ball.

Green Bay's potential to make the post-season lies on one simple concept: protect Aaron Rodgers. If they can do that, all should come together barring any huge injury.

Atlanta, well they have a little more work to do. They cannot rush Turner back because he has to be healthy for them to have a chance.

That play-action style of offense will get much better when he returns, and Ryan needs to make better decisions in the pocket. As for the Falcon defense, there's no help for them other than intervention.

They'd better pray.

Falcons Playoff Chance: 35%

Packers Playoff Chance: 40%

Monday Morning Hangover: What Offense Just Plain Offended Fans?

Samuel Bell Jr — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:36:52 -0500

Somebody should be asking Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron, "It's Monday morning. Do you know where your offense is?"

Soon they may be asking him, "What do you believe led to your firing as Bills head coach?"

I've never saw an offense so putrid for so long in an NFL season that I could remember. What's more disappointing about it is the Bills defense is actually playing well despite key injuries.

Houston was held to just six points at the half of Sunday's game, and the Bills held a 10-6 advantage.

That was short-lived as Matt Schaub and second-string RB Ryan Moats, a cast away from Philadelphia who was only playing on the strength of Steve Slaton's fumble issues, went up and down the field scoring 25 points in the second half.

How many points did Buffalo score in the second half: zero.

With a high-powered offense featuring Schaub, Andre Johnson, and apparently Moats, the Bills defense finally fell apart.

It was reminiscent of the same meltdown the Bills D suffered in a loss to Drew Brees' New Orleans Saints, with the running game driving the Saints to victory, and not Brees' arm.

Only this time No. 14 was under center, and not No. 5. It wouldn't have mattered, as both QBs seem like carbon copies of one another.

Trent Edwards hasn't looked like he should be starting for the USC Trojans over Matt Barkley, let alone an NFL team. Neither has Ryan Fitzpatrick.

I bet Pete Carroll would take Barkley over them both.

What's really nauseating about the Bills' situation is that they actually have lots of talent on both sides of the ball.

Lee Evans, T.O, Josh Reed, Marshawn Lynch, and Fred Jackson are all good players, but without a threat at the QB position, their talents can't be maximized.

If Peyton Manning or even an Aaron Rodgers were donning Bills blue and red, Buffalo would be a perennial playoff team, and maybe AFC champion.

Unfortunately the franchise has put their stock on college-level QB's, and the Bills won't go anywhere until the regime of Jauron and Edwards comes to a close.

For now, the Bills have to settle for giving their fans a distasteful offensive display that will breed yet another losing season for Upstate New York.

If Ralph Wilson doesn't make moves now, then maybe Toronto will forever hold their peace, and his.

What other stories were especially attention-snatching on Sunday?

Brett Favre Tosses 4 TD's In His Lambeau Homecoming—For the Vikes

I must be honest, I've never received such a huge STFU in the form of an NFL player sticking it to me and my opinions.

I was one of the detractors that suggested Favre stay on his tractor and out of an NFL stadium as a player when he announced coming out of retirement—again.

I always loved Brett as a player, but this retirement blues was beginning to seem like a terrible joke that always had a new twist instead of having a concluding punchline.

Upon waiting for his season to slowly implode a la Jets last year, Favre has seemed to get better as the season has progressed.

He hasn't needed Adrian Peterson to run for 125 yards and two scores every week to win, and he hasn't turned it over in "what the Hell was he looking at, the cheerleaders?" fashion.

In his two victories over his former team including Sunday, here is Favre's stats:

41-for-59, 515 yards, 7 TD, 0 INT, 131.9 Passer Rating

Unbelievable. Aaron Rodgers has played exceptionally well too, but the Vikings are a more complete team and it has showed so far this season.

Kudos to Favre for returning in such a big way, especially after his turnover caused defeat against the world champs last week.

Eagles Blow Out Giants in Philly 40-17 To Take Share of NFC East Lead

When the Eagles signed QB Michael Vick, it was widely believed that they just received the wrapped gift they needed to win a Super Bowl.

So far it has been the crafty vet leading the charge and not the ex-con who obviously doesn't have his legs or mind under him yet.

Donovan McNabb has again proven that he is the man in green and black, something that he shouldn't have to prove anymore. Vick is just an accessory, and in McNabb's absence it was Kevin Kolb who picked up the slack.

The point is, Vick wasn't the start or finish to a hopeful Super Bowl berth in Philly. It always has been and still is No. 5.

The New York Giants visited Sunday and were given a little parting gift in the form of a lopsided loss that landed them in third place behind the Cowboys and Eagles, both 5-2.

Eli Manning has looked lost in the past few weeks after a 5-0 start and the Giants prized running attack has looked minimal at best.

With Ahmad Bradshaw banged up and Brandon Jacobs carrying too much, don't the Giants miss RB Derrick Ward who jumped ship for Tampa Bay, a move I'm sure he regrets?

"Bad Eli" has seemed to drink the same juice Favre did as he finished last season in New York, as Manning B is turning the ball over far too much and has the demeanor he did in Tiki Barber's final season.

New York A and Manning B better get it together, as the infamous arm-fold of Tom Coughlin may become permanent if the Giants completely fall apart and lose the East.

Who Is the NFL's Worst QB Right Now?

I have to poll and ask everyone, who is the worst of too many bad QB's right now?

There seems to be too many bad quarterbacks and watching them play is like slowly picking every nail off of your body while being wide awake.

Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn, Jake Delhomme, JaMarcus Russell, David Garrard, Kerry Collins, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards are just terrible.

This group has combined for 27 TDs and 55 INTs and are all on currently losing teams.

Statistically, the worst of them all is Jake Delhomme, but the worst record is the Cleveland Browns with Quinn and Anderson, and the only game Cleveland won was that ridiculous 6-3 game in which Anderson was 2-for-17.

None of them won yesterday with the exception of the Titans, but that win was picked up by Vince Young in relief of Collins, who was benched.

It just reiterates that the QB position is the most important, and although they can't be blamed for everything and are often criticized unfairly, when QB's perform bad, chances are you lose.

As for my Monday morning hangover, hopefully the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons are just the remedy. Oh, and a Yankee Doodle World Series title.

Monday Headlines: Did Tennessee Quit On Jeff Fisher Sunday?

Samuel Bell Jr — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:13:08 -0400

While watching the Buffalo Bills-New York Jets game yesterday which turned out to be very good, James Brown kept interrupting the game for his infamous Game Breaks, highlights and scores from other games.

At first he showed the Patriots put up a couple of scores against the Titans. Cool, Tom Brady is performing at his highest level again. Expected it.

Brown's next game break wasn't even fathomable. Or so I thought.

Brady and the Pats had put up 35 points in the second quarter. Halftime score was 45-0. No, please tell me that's a misread. Maybe Brown said it wrong.

Tennessee wouldn't go out like that, would they? Jeff Fisher is one of the most consistent coaches in the NFL if not the most consistent.

Is this the same Titan team that went 13-3 last season? It was as improbable as it can get. Brown was right on point. 45-0, halftime.

There's no reason an NFL team should be losing by that much of a margin. Hollywood couldn't make a movie that would make us believe that is possible.

In today's parity-dominated league, even bad teams can put up fights and knock off the best teams (see Oakland over Philadelphia).

How can a team of 53-men lose by nearly 60-points to another team of men and they're both professionals? There's only one-way: they quit.

That's it. Period. Those guys quit on Fisher Sunday, and the ensuing embarrassment is all they have to show for it.

There's nothing else that kind of ineptitude can be attributed to. The weather? Not an excuse, because both teams have to play in it, and all of those guys have played in inclement weather before.

Score three points. At least hit the scoreboard. Man, at least have a quarterback on your team pass for over 15 yards. I thought Vince Young's stat-line was especially funny:

0/2, 0 yards, INT

Wow, really?

I thought maybe this was a bad episode of Friday Night Lights . Unfortunately, it was all real. Just ask Fisher. His guys quit on him.

With the way Tennessee looked, they don't deserve to win a game this season. I thought the Browns-Bills offering was the worst football I'd ever seen. Well, maybe for just one week.

What other stories are burning up the headlines in the NFL today?

Giants give up 48 points to Saints in loss

This was supposed to be an epic battle of the undefeated's. It turned out to just be a one-sided performance of epic proportions.

Drew Brees threw the ball all up and through the Giants pass coverage en route to a 369-yard, four TD performance.

It seemed that Brees could do no wrong as he continuously completed passes to a plethora of receivers. Heck, even Reggie Bush ran one in for a score.

New York A looked like a 1-4 team, and not one who came in undefeated. Eli Manning looked like "Bad-Eli," a name he earned by being so inconsistent in his past.

Can the Giants come back from this?

Of course they can, especially in the once mighty NFC East. But this one had to hurt a little, and put that ounce of fear back into Giants fans hearts about the appearance of "Bad Eli."

Brett Favre and the Vikings stay undefeated with a win over Baltimore

Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised at what Favre is doing considering how well he started the season in New York last year, but I am.

I expected to see Favre throwing more picks and less TD's, but that simply hasn't happened yet.

He and Adrian Peterson were a deadly combination again Sunday, as Favre threw for 278 yards with three TD's and Peterson ran for 143 yards on 22 carries.

I'm more surprised that Baltimore is only playing .500 ball. With Joe Flacco in his second season, and that always good defense, I would've bet on Baltimore coming in and leaving this game unblemished.

For now it's Mr. Comeback leading the charge for a Vikes team that is giving Brad Childress gray hair to fill his bald spots with these last second wins.

Eagles lose to Raiders, 13-9

Soon as everyone became comfortable in lambasting the Raiders for their usual sad-to-watch offense, JaMarcus Russell slightly woke-up and the Raiders D was sensational in a stunning defeat of Philadelphia.

Much as everyone would love to pin this loss on the left side of Donovan McNabb's chest, they can't get away with it. At least not logically.

McNabb completed 22 passes for 269 yards. Yes he passed at under a 50 percent clip, but you can blame Andy Reid for that.

Everyone knows that Reid is a pass-happy coach that can't seem to rely on his running game to give his offense more freedom. Maybe he's used to the oft-injured Brian Westbrook not being around.

Isn't that why they drafted Pitt RB LeSean McCoy?

I don't know why they drafted him, but with Reid's current game-plan nobody will be injured but the WR's and McNabb from being hit so much.

Maybe Sundays loss to the Silver and Black will be enough for the clipboard to slap Reid in the face and wake him up.

Who am I kidding?

NFL Burning Questions: Why Is Jack Del Rio Still Coaching?

Samuel Bell Jr — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:14:43 -0400

Wouldn't it be nice to have Jack Del Rio's job security?

Go to work every day, do a lackluster job at what you do, don't meet job performance requirements, but still keep your highly touted, great-paying job?

Sounds like a bad movie.

For Del Rio and the Jags, it's reality.

In an era where coaches are canned faster than your favorite can of Yellowfin Tuna, it seems unfathomable that a coach with Del Rio's résumé would still be running the team.

After a great start to his coaching career, Del Rio hasn't made much happen since his Jags lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional Playoffs in 2007.

The best word to describe Del Rio's tenure in Jacksonville would be inconsistent.

Here are his win-loss records in his Jags career:

2003: 5-11

2004: 9-7

2005: 12-4; lost in AFC Wild Card Game to NE

2006: 8-8

2007: 11-5; lost in AFC Divisional Playoff to NE

2008: 5-11

2009: 2-3

His records look something like an amusement park attraction—one year up, the next down. If his pattern continues, the Jags should have a winning season this year.

So far they appear to be a step behind their pace. With a 41-0 loss at the hands of Matt Hasselbeck's Seahawks, his best player has had enough.

Maurice Jones-Drew came out this week and publicly lit a fire under the seat of his Jaguar team, and as usual, Del Rio didn't have much to say for himself or his team.

In a media session this week, Jones-Drew spoke out. Among his scathing comments were the fact he was the second-highest paid "decoy" behind Saints RB Reggie Bush; he also said, "I don't like to be embarrassed, so I do get upset about it."

That was just some of the fire he had behind his scorned tongue for his team.

Del Rio's response?

"He's a supreme competitor, and we really love that about him," Del Rio said.

That's all? What about your lack of identity on offense, or the fact that you have a 90-plus overall RB that has carried the ball half the times you've thrown it? What about your team's overall lack of competitiveness?

Del Rio became known for his toughness as a player and coach, but being shut out by 41? Where was the mental toughness?

Perhaps all is not lost for Del Rio and his Jags, because their next three games are against the Rams, Titans, and Chiefs, all winless squads.

If Del-Rio isn't 5-3 in three weeks, his burn factor on the hot seat may reach bakery oven temperatures.

What other burning questions are giving me migraines this week?

Is this the end for Washington Redskins coach Jim Zorn?

We've been hearing about the tension in Washington since this season started. Everyone knows the mercurial Daniel Snyder and how quickly things can change in D.C.

Often a coach is defined by his choice as his starting QB.

Tony Dungy had Peyton Manning. Bill Belichick has Tom Brady. Mike Tomlin has Ben Roethlisberger.

Conversely, Del Rio has inconsistent David Garrard, Raheem Morris has Byron Leftwich and inexperience, and Zorn has Jason Campbell.

Bottom line, Campbell appears to be a second string QB, and as a result Zorn appears to be a second string coach.

It very well may be the end for Zorn, but I don't believe it's justified. He has the oft-injured Clinton Portis, two receivers who are slot players and are the first two options, and an inconsistent offensive line.

Zorn has gotten the shaft in Washington, and if he is canned this season, hopefully he gets a chance to still coach in some capacity in the NFL, because he wasn't dealt a fair hand.

Should the Buffalo Bills cut their losses and deal Terrell Owens?

Maybe the answer to this question isn't about whether the Bills should deal Owens or not, but whether there will be any suitors giving up anything good in return.

Owens was signed to a one-year deal, meaning it was basically a test drive for both sides.

This particular test has already failed after just five weeks of the season. Buffalo stands at 1-4, and Owens stands as ineffective along with that horrible Bills offense.

To believe that the Bills can recover and finish the season 9-2 to have a chance at the AFC playoffs is a really bad joke, and Owens knows it.

He has been quiet, but the likelihood of his trade is extremely low at best.

The Bills sold many tickets and jerseys off of 81, and any team taking on his one-year deal with an expectation to either give him a new deal or lose him in four or five months won't be offering much in return.

But if T.O. walks away after this season, which is a guarantee, the Bills get nothing but another year of failed expectations and ineptitude.

I guess it's familiar territory for Bills fans.

What's wrong with the Tennessee Titans?

Everything. Next question.

No, honestly, the Titans have the most porous pass defense ever seen by man.

Contrary to conventional football wisdom, this is not Kerry Collins' fault. Of course, the rumbles have started about Vince Young, but this team's problems extend much further than QB.

Tennessee is actually in the top 10 for rushing yards and top 20 for total yards on offense. Those numbers don't usually equal oh-fer.

Being 29th in points given up, 23rd in total yards given up, and 31st in pass defense does.

That's where the Titans' fate lies: inability to stop people and being outscored. They've scored double digits in every game except for the blowout at the hands of Peyton Manning's Colts.

That's why the Titans look like the mere shell of last season's playoff team. In other words, Vince Young, Jeff Fisher, or Peyton Manning couldn't save this team.

I'm not sure if even divine intervention would have a shot.

Tuesday NFL Hangover: Five Best and Worst Of Week Five

Samuel Bell Jr — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:21:11 -0400

I must admit, I didn't see this one coming. Not at all. I feel like a drunk guy who talked to a woman and obtained her phone number, only to realize the next day that she looked more like Marion Berry than Halle Berry.

I never thought a guy could have this stat line:

2/17, 23 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 15.1 passer rating...

and actually win the game. I felt like somebody was playing some weird trick on me and decided to go all Criss Angel and make things look like other things.

This was actually a football game. With the MLB Playoffs currently going on, I felt like I was watching Manny Ramirez instead of Trent Edwards. Seriously, what is this garbage?

On a Sunday that featured everything a football fan could ask for, and maybe ask not to see, the fan in me wanted to see an entertaining 1 p.m. game after being less than intrigued by a Giants-Chiefs matchup that had little chance of being competitive.

The best part of that game was that Eli Manning was still throwing good, catch-able balls despite an apparent heel injury—like the back of a woman's stiletto suddenly breaking in two.

I got what I asked for in the Cowboys-Chiefs game, which should've been an easy win for Dallas. But what's easy for them nowadays?

Denver was supposed to be easy for them too, but, well, we know how that one ended.

If the Cowboys had lost to Kansas City, I could see Jerry Jones making the whole team, including Wade Phillips, watch Matt Cassel's TD pass to Dwayne Bowe late in the fourth quarter on new Texas Stadium's ridiculous video screen over and over until they keeled over.

Thanks to Miles Austin, the city of Austin and the rest of Texas can wipe the sweat from its foreheads.

What were the five best performances in Week Five? I can assure you that the Titans aren't one of them.

5. Bengals Stun Ravens, 17-14, Improve to 4-1

"Hard Knocks" is finally seeming to validate it's inclusion on television. Cincinnati is 4-1, and really should be 5-0 after the much heralded luck of the draw for Denver in the form of a Brandon Stokley score.

Carson Palmer is looking like the Carson before knee surgery, Chad Johnson (I refuse to call him that other name) is playing well, and Cedric Benson isn't a bust after all.

If Palmer can limit his turnovers and the defense continues to play well, the Bengals will be a surprise playoff team.

4. Miles Austin Goes for 250 Yards in Cowboys Win Over Chiefs

Dallas up-ending the Chiefs by an overtime touchdown isn't impressive at all. The guy who caught that TD is.

Austin, who hasn't been a big factor in Dallas' offense, decided he wanted to come out and play Sunday.

Everyone has blamed the Cowboys inadequacies on Tony Romo, but he and Austin showed Sunday what they're capable of. Dallas is far from a good team right now, but Austin isn't nearly as far from being a really good receiver.

3. Jake Delhomme Leads Carolina to First Win This Season

After Steve Smith lambasted Delhomme to his face a few weeks back in a clip played on YouTube has since been removed, Delhomme has had an about-face and has turned it around.

Delhomme has thrown four picks in the last three weeks, compared to nine in two games dating back to the 2008 playoffs.

Carolina finally looked like a team Sunday after defeating the Redskins 20-17. The Redskins are bad too, so that doesn't tell us much.

Delhomme playing much better and not beating himself does.

2. Falcons Blowout Niners, 45-10

That headline speaks for itself. All the talk about Mike Singletary and the job he's doing was silenced by Matt Ryan and a potent offensive attack.

Roddy White decided to be the Pro-Bowl receiver he was last season, and the rest was history.

The Falcons are a force to be reckoned with, and Singletary's 49ers are dizzy and still spinning after that whippin'. We'll see how they respond next week.

1. Josh McDaniels and the Broncos Down Former Boss, Patriots 20-17

This was absolutely, hands-down the best game this week and completely lived up to the hype.

If anyone—and I do mean anyone—lies and says they expected this from Denver, they should stop watching sports and cover their growing nose right now.

The Broncos are easily the most polarizing story so far in 2009, and with the way they matched Belichick's Patriots will-for-will, play-for-play on Sunday, they may be the biggest surprise playoff team in recent memory.

Kyle Orton is playing the best football of his career. Brandon Marshall is just ridiculous. What a beast. I'm thoroughly impressed.

Week Five's Worst

5. Tom Brady's Mishaps

Yes, I said it. Tom Brady screwed up on Sunday, not once, but twice.

I'm not used to Brady screwing up. I cannot and will not take anything away from Brady, and he is the second best QB of the millennium. I like the guy, and love watching him play.

But he missed Randy Moss and Wes Welker badly. Not on first-down receptions, but TDs. And I do mean sure-fire TD's. Needless to say, Brady isn't quite himself.

As Rocky Balboa's trainer said on Rocky IV about Ivan Drago, "He's Not A Machine!!! He's A Man!!!"

So is Tom Brady.

4. The Buccaneers Pass Defense

Isn't this the team that made the "Tampa Two" defense popular? What has happened to these guys?

Age and rebuilding has happened. Tampa Bay has some talented defenders, but they are not a cohesive unit and don't play well together.

Romo blasted them, Trent Frickin' Edwards killed them, Eli Manning did them dirty, they lost to the Redskins, and Donovan McNabb came back and played Madden with their defense.

Wow.

3. The Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns

I just have to mention this again. If this isn't the worst football game I've ever watched, then Brett Favre isn't a first ballot hall-of-famer. In other words, there's no debate there.

Everybody and everything associated with this game was bad. Everything. Jamal Lewis ran well, but that just means the Bills defense couldn't tackle him.

And the penalties? There were more penalties than points! Combined!

2. Jaguars Lose to the Seahawks, 41-0

What a way to follow up a big win: get shut out by six possessions.

Jacksonville didn't do anything well in this game. Nothing at all. They weren't even there. Didn't show up. Left all 53 players at home in Florida.

There is no excuse for losing a game in this fashion as an NFL team. Nothing you could tell the fans to make them understand this. No disrespect to Matt Hasselbeck who's a good QB, but this wasn't even Manning-Wayne, Brady-Moss, or Favre-Peterson.

It was Hasselbeck-Burleson. As a teenager would say in a text message, "LMAO!"

1. 'Dre Bly's Celebration

This was despicable. Mike Singletary has made a name as a disciplinarian after what he did to TE Vernon Davis last season. If there was ever a time he needed to discipline anyone, this is it.

After intercepting Falcons QB Matt Ryan, Bly was heading down the sideline trying to score for his team, which was getting their arses handed to them on a platter.

He inexplicably began to showboat as if he were Neon Deion Sanders, and was stripped of the ball from behind by the trailing Roddy White.

Atlanta recovered the fumble, and went down to score again, making the score 42-10. You celebrate a pick like you're some great corner. But your dropped pick let Brett Favre and Minnesota beat you two weeks ago, and you're losing 35-10 this week?

As Singletary once said, "Can't play with 'em. Can't win with 'em. Can't do it."

Can't win with a defender making those types of asinine plays. Bly better humble up fast, cause Singletary won't have that type of behavior, and neither will the 49ers win column if they want to increase it.

Until next week everyone, enjoy the MLB playoffs. That Alex Rodriguez is somethin', ain't he?

NFL Busts: Who Is Stinkin' It Up So Far In '09?

Samuel Bell Jr — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:41:05 -0400

See those gloves Braylon Edwards is wearing in the picture on the right?

With his stat-line so far in 2009, looks like he's not using them.

Or any part of his six-foot-three frame, including his brain buried under his over-inflated ego, which caused him to apparently punch LeBron James' friend after a night on the town for virtually no reason.

Or the fact that James is the only major athlete in Cleveland that is consistently producing.

Braylon is not alone.

There are a myriad of players that came into the season with high expectations, and were the first and second round fantasy picks of many owners that are currently not producing.

Coaches are sitting on fire pits for seats, and fans are becoming antsy in some cities as their beloved teams are facing huge deficits that have implications on their playoff chances.

How does a guy like Edwards who was at the point of stardom suddenly fall into a deafening slump that confuses everyone around him?

I'm sure Eric Mangini would love to know the answer to that. Somewhere Romeo Crennel is laughing at the notion that somehow he was blamed for Cleveland's failures.

Well, on the bright side, we don't have to watch those terrible 5-hour energy commercials featuring Edwards.

So much for the much publicized "quarterback mystery" before the season between Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. At this point, they both look like Don Majkowski.

For the purposes of this article, I took 15 players and grouped them into three separate categories based on their performances so far.

Don't worry, this won't all be ugly, I promise.

The Tina Fey Group For, "I'm Naturally Good at What I Do, and Look Good Doing It"

1. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

The three-time MVP of the NFL just keeps doing what he does best: throw touchdowns, and play in entertaining commercials.

Manning is mustering up another possible MVP season, leading the league in QB rating and passing at a 71 percent clip with nine TD's to just three picks. Oh, and his Colts are undefeated. Again.

2. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

A.D Peterson has been running through teams so far with his new running mate, Brett Favre.

Peterson ran for under 60 yards Monday night against the rival Packers, but it was Brett's night to gash them where it hurt most: in the win column. Peterson took a back seat and scored a touchdown on 25 carries.

With 412 yards rushing, Peterson is 2nd in the league rushing, and long as he stays healthy, don't expect too many games like Monday night out of him.

3. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

The good: Johnson currently leads the league in rushing with 434 yards and a 6.3 per carry rushing average.

The bad: His QB is 36-years-old, and has thrown more INT's than TD's.

The ugly: The Titans are 0-4 and have Vince Young as a backup.

4. Steve Smith, New York Giants

After Plaxico Burress declared war on himself, everyone wondered who would fill his spot once he graced the halls of the pen.

Enter the unknown No. 12.

Smith has been Eli Manning's go-to-guy, with 411 yards and four touchdowns so far, and has exhibited excellent route-running and has helped that Giant team to again be the beast of the NFC East.

5. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Brees has slowed down in recent weeks, but his start to the season was on a downright ridiculously scary path, as he threw nine TD's in two games.

He has zero in the last two games, but has not turned the ball over in boasting a 108.4 passer rating and nearly 70 percent.

Not to mention, his Saints are 4-0.

The Jay Leno Group For, "Who Cares What You've Done? If You Don't Get Better Soon, You're Getting Canned"

1. Kerry Collins, Tennessee Titans

Collins and the Titans are 0-4, he's nearly lost all of his hair, he's thrown more interceptions than touchdowns, he can't blame the running game and your team is already having to come out and publicly stand by you.

As a QB, you know it's bad when your team and coach are defending you at Week Four.

Is the only reason Collins is still starting because Vince Young is the alternative? Jeff Garcia, Jeff Garcia, Jeff Garcia.

2. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Romo and the Cowboy express waltzed into Denver thinking of what they'll have for dinner once they whipped the Broncos.

After that loss, I bet Jerry Jones fed them beans and cow manure.

Romo has been notoriously inconsistent, so has his fellow players and it all amounts to Dallas sporting an equally inconsistent 2-2 record. Didn't anyone teach that man to throw AWAY from Champ Bailey?

Anybody say Romo needs T.O and T.O needs him? I hear 'ya.

3. Dick Jauron, Coach, Buffalo Bills

I didn't put this guy into the worst group because I feel bad for him. He has been given the keys to a Mercury Milan and expected to outrun a Lamborghini Gallardo.

This Bills team lacks mental strength, and they've repeatedly made fans hearts end up in their shoe soles, finding ways to lose games they had in the bag.

Adding Terrell Owens was widely believed to be what the Bills needed to make the playoffs, but firing Turk Schonert has not helped a passing offense ranked 23rd.

4. The Carolina Panthers Offense

We all know about the mishaps of QB Jake Delhomme, and his end to last season and start to this one.

But 'ole Jake has actually been better the last couple of weeks, but his friends on offense haven't been.

Steve Smith has been invincible, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart haven't shown up yet, and no WR has scored a TD.

5. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers

Let's face it, we all feel really bad for L.T. No running back since Emmitt Smith has made us feel so bad to see him slow down and start to lose his edge.

Tomlinson wanted so bad to make all of the critics quiet down and have another breakout year, but that campaign has already started on a limp.

L.T has run for just 70 yards off of 20 carries, has one TD and is already battling injury problems. It's sad to watch, but it looks like our favorite back of the millennium is about cooked. No disrespect.

The Marlon and Shawn Wayans Group For, "Sorry To Everyone Who Watches Us and Spends Their Hard-Earned Money, but We're Just Not Good"

1. Braylon Edwards, Cleveland Browns

I've said enough about Mr. Jealousy, or Butterfinger.

2. Terrell Owens, Buffalo Bills

He can blame the media all he wants for jostling him, but when you have the expectations he came to Buffalo with and you've dropped nearly as many balls as you've caught, you deserve to be jostled.

3. Larry Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs

Absolutely, positively downright horrible. Where is this guy? He smacks helpless women, then loses his career as a star player.

Dick Vermeil was right when he dubbed Johnson a cry baby. Is he the next Shaun Alexander?

4. JaMarcus Russell, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Darren McFadden, Tom Cable, Al Davis, Oakland Raiders

This team is so bad, I don't even know what to say about them anymore. Russell is looking like bust material, Heyward-Bey never should have been a first-round pick, McFadden is hurt too much to tell what he is, Cable is a better heavyweight boxer than coach and Davis speaks for his lonesome.

At least you have Nnamdi Asomugha. I love that guy.

5. The St. Louis Rams

Final scores of the Rams first four games:

Week One—Seattle 28, St. Louis 0

Week Two—Washington 9, St. Louis 7

Week Three—Green Bay 36, St. Louis 17

Week Four—San Francisco 35, St. Louis 0.

Somebody better call Nelly, because for any coach in St. Louis, "It's Gettin' Hot In Herre."

Those are your NFL busts and great players so far in 2009.

Will Edwards continue his path to bum-dom? Will St. Louis be the 2nd consecutive team to go 0-16?

Tune in every Sunday to television's best drama, the NFL.

10 Random Sports Thoughts To Free My Mind Of Clutter

Samuel Bell Jr — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:37:26 -0400

As I rose out of my bed on this great Wednesday morning that featured cloudy skies and rain, my mind felt cluttered with sports thoughts. It was almost like that Bing commercial when the guy is lying down for bed, and as his wife asks him questions, he keeps answering with these random thoughts that he saw as he searched the Internet. They called it, "search overload." I call it, "sports overload." Here is what my bing commercial would be like: Girlfriend: "Hunny, did you search for that hotel information in New York?" Me: "New York. Where dreams happen. Find Facebook friends in the New York area. Mark Sanchez is the best rookie QB of 2009. Rex Ryan is in control of that team. Look at Eli Manning." Girlfriend: "What the Hell is wrong with you?" Me: "Click here to read what Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian are doing. Kanye West apologizes to Taylor Swift. Read what Terrell Owens said about the media. Watch Tony Reali on Around the Horn. How beautiful is Erin Andrews?" Girlfriend: "Who is ERIN ANDREWS!!!" Yeah, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. So what does sports overload mean for you? It means that you get to read about my random thoughts today and take a tour through my sports brain, which I'm sure is over 50 percent of it.

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NFL Week Three Picks and Tweets from Winners and Losers

Samuel Bell Jr — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:04:17 -0400

As much as it hurts me to put a Giant as the picture that corresponds with this article, I have to admit—as a Cowboys fan—that Eli Manning played an amazing game to open up the new Cowboys Stadium.

Seriously, could Eli and the Giants have handed Dallas a worse opening present?

Manning played excellently, repeatedly reading the Cowboys' defense to the tune of a 300-yard passing performance and most importantly, a win.

What's even worse for Dallas is Tony Romo made some of his now signature, "What the hell was he looking at? Is he playing for them or us?" kind of turnovers, with no T.O. to blame for it.

Roy E. Williams was invincible in the game, and Dallas has a nice 0-1 start to the new Cowboys Stadium.

Now that we've got that out of the way, we can move on to Week Three of the NFL season. And if it's anything like the first two weeks, we can rely on witnessing some surprising upsets and nail-biting excitement.

Mark Sanchez outperformed Tom Brady, Frank Gore looked like a speeding 18-wheeler, Aaron Rodgers made himself look like the biggest fluke of the preseason, and Terrell Owens finally caught a pass in Week Two.

Before I make my Week Three picks on the five most important games, I'll give you my disclaimer.

I am historically good at picking games. Really good. Therefore, you should listen to my picks, because I'm a self-proclaimed proclaimer. Oh, and don't bet money on what I say, and if you do, I'm not responsible for bookies showing up at your door.

Let's go.

Oh, and for you Twitter geeks, I have Tweets from your favorite players you can expect to see after the games end this weekend. Man, I hate Twitter.

New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills, 1PM (Line: NO by Six)

Trent Edwards has been surprisingly efficient in the Bills' first two games this season. Against the rebuilt Saints' defense, don't expect that to change anytime soon.

Darren Sharper has been a turnover machine for the Saints, with three interceptions so far this year, including one returned for a touchdown.

Drew Brees could be listed in the dictionary under "pass offense," and Reggie Bush has looked like a stationary bush this season.

What does this all mean for Sunday?

It means that these teams will score on one another.

But the Bills' defense has been better than expected so far, and the Saints gave up 27 points to the Lions. T.O. scores again, Brees goes for 350, Fred Jackson gets 120 on the ground.

Bills win, 31-28.

TOBills81: I'm taking this team to the playoffs, who wants to sign me next year?

Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots, 1PM (Line: NE by Four)

Tom Brady has looked like Kevin O'Connell for the Patriots this season, with the exception of four minutes against the Bills.

The secret formula to beat Brady and the Pats has been revealed in the form of pressure on the quarterback, and teams have gotten the memo.

Laurence Maroney and Fred Taylor haven't been able to get a good ground game going for the Patriots, and Brady has paid dearly for it. Teams have dared him to go down the field, consistently blitzing him.

Matt Ryan has shown no signs of a sophomore slump, and Tony Gonzalez is looking like the best acquisition of the offseason. Atlanta has questions on the defensive side of the ball, but any player can rush, right?

Falcons' D blitzes Brady into submission, Ryan tears Pats' D apart, Michael Turner goes over 100.

Falcons win, 24-17.

TomGisele2009: Can somebody contact those bodyguards who shot at those photogs at my wedding? I'm tired of being hit!!!

San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings, 1PM (Line: MIN by Seven)

Brett Favre looked spectacular last week against the Lions, as he was supposed to. This week, the upstart Niners come to town, and won't be walkovers.

Frank Gore ran for over 200 yards last week, and reportedly will start despite his bum ankle. Adrian Peterson was held under 100, but carried the ball less than 20 times.

Both defenses are playing consistent ball but will be tested in this game. Nobody believes in the 49ers yet, and this is the upset special they need to get for us to do just that.

Favre turns the ball over, Gore runs for a score or two and Shaun Hill ends this game as the more productive quarterback.

49ers win, 17-13.

APetersonAllDay28: I can't win games alone, I'm starting to rethink this whole No. 4 thing.

Tennessee Titans at New York Jets, 1PM (Line: NYJ by Three)

Mark Sanchez has surprised all of us in playing exceptionally well in his first two starts. After this game, make it three.

Tennessee has stumbled out of the blocks, and can join the Volunteers as an underperforming football team. Kerry Collins isn't the blame here, and neither is Chris Johnson.

It's surprisingly the defense, which didn't get stops when it needed to in Pittsburgh and gave up way too many yards to the Texans.

This week, it will be a different story as the offense of Tennessee will sputter and the blitzing schemes of Rex Ryan's Jets will give Collins more than he can handle.

Sanchez manages the game, Thomas Jones and Leon Washington score and somebody loses a fumble in a big moment for the Titans.

Jets win, 16-7.

SanchezTrojanForLife: I am thinking playoffs! Take that Pete!

Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys, 8:30PM Monday (Line: DAL by Nine)

Jake Delhomme finally ended a streak of 11 turnovers with just one and a good performance last Sunday in a loss to Atlanta.

Tony Romo looked less than average in a last-second loss to the rival Giants at home on Sunday night. Marion Barber, who saved Dallas from really getting run out of the stadium last week, has a hurting quad and may not go.

These two defenses have given up way too much pass yardage so far, and with two QBs who chuck it a lot, that won't change Monday.

If DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart can break out, the Panthers won't need Delhomme to do too much. Romo cannot turn the ball over if Dallas wants to give the home fans something to cheer about.

Delhomme will do just enough, Williams will score multiple TDs and Romo will have to rebound from two lackluster performances in a row.

Panthers win, 28-17.

Dware94: Can anyone step up on defense? We need a home win to justify that ginormous video screen!!!

I know I'm going out on a serious limb by picking the 49ers over the Vikings as my upset special, but that's why it's called an upset special.

Happy football weekend my friends, and when Favre loses this Sunday, you can't say I didn't tell you.

I'm out like Kanye West.

Battle of the "New's": Will Tom Brady and Company Get a Win?

Samuel Bell Jr — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:54:27 -0400

We all witnessed the New England Patriots have a close call last week against the Buffalo Bills that was mere minutes from leaving them with a 0-1 home start.

Tom Brady didn't exactly look like the 16-0 regular season record-breaking QB we witnessed just two seasons ago.

Buffalo harassed him and made him make mistakes and all but won until the last five minutes of the game.

Oh, and until then Brady was outperformed by Trent Edwards.

Now that Brady and the Patriots fought through that game and left with a win, they have a new challenge in the form of brazen first-year coach Rex Ryan and his New York Jets.

Rookie QB Mark Sanchez' debut against the Houston Texans last week was eye-popping good, as he went 18-31 with 272 yards passing and a TD, but one ugly interception.

Sanchez did the most damage on third down, going 12-15 and continuously converting to keep that Texans defense on the field, and All-Pro WR Andre Johnson off of it.

New York's defense also played very well, pressuring Texans QB Matt Schaub down-after-down, and he ended with a 18-33, 166 yard performance and also had an interception.

Johnson was kept in-check, with just 4 receptions for 35 yards and no TD's.

Houston, a team that some experts have finishing with a playoff berth, is no walk-over and the Jets seemingly handled them with ease.

With the Patriots coming to town this Sunday, none of what happened last week matters anymore.

You can bet that Brady and the Hoody will come into town with a gameplan that will be geared to make Sanchez and that offense make mistakes.

Costly ones.

Are Ryan and the Jets ready for the Pats?

Judging by what they've been saying in the media this week, I'd say so.

Jets DT Kris Jenkins has been quoted saying that this game is the Jets, "Super Bowl," and FS Kerry Rhodes said that the Jets wanted to, "Embarrass the Pats."

This is you guys Super Bowl? Really Jenkins? What team calls a game in week two a Super Bowl when they aren't out of possibly making the real one?

A team with Super Bowl aspirations doesn't need to make one game against a rival that serious. You don't hear Tony Romo calling the Cowboys home opener against the rival New York Giants this week a Super Bowl.

When you have to come out and pump yourself up to the media and your opponent is known for their silence in these situations, it looks as though you don't really believe you can win.

The Pats know they can win, hence the silence and lack of response.

Brady chose to be diplomatic, saying that, "talk is cheap" and that the Pats, "Feel a certain way," and "don't necessarily need to tell everyone about it."

After listening to Ryan urge all fans to do everything they can to help his ballclub, apparently the Jets do.

Nonetheless, this Sunday Giants Stadium will be on fire as the fans will be locked in to send Brady and the Pats into confusion.

What can each team do to have the higher score when the clock ticks down to zero? Here are two keys to victory for each team.

New York Jets Keys To Victory

1. Pressure Tom Brady!

It's no secret that Brady is just returning from major knee surgery and hasn't gotten his legs completely under him yet.

Buffalo pressured him often, and stymied that Patriot offensive attack for most of the game. This week the Jets will have to be pitbulls unleashed onto the Patriots offensive line to hit Brady and hit him often.

The Giants showed in their Super Bowl XLII victory that consistent pressure on Brady can throw off his rhythm and timing with his receivers.

Ryan will have to come up with blitzing schemes that get to Brady quickly, where he can't get the ball to the ever-dangerous Randy Moss or Wes Welker. If they don't get to him in time, Brady will make chopped liver out of them.

2. Establish the Run Early

The biggest asset for an inexperienced QB is a potent ground attack, and Sanchez got that last week against the Texans from Leon Washington and Thomas Jones.

Jones and Washington combined for 167 yards and 2 TD's off of 35 carries.

They will need a repeat of that performance. The Patriots have a new defense that has lost guys like Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel and injured rising star LB Jerod Mayo.

Therefore, a few holes will be present for the Jets to exploit Sunday.

Jones and Washington will get their chances early, and if that offensive line of the Jets can contain Vince Wilfork and Tully Banta-Cain, the Jets will run all the way through them.

If not, watch out rookie!

New England Patriots Keys To Victory

1. Protect Tom Brady!

Just as the Jets need to pressure Brady and want to hit him much as possible, the Pats offensive line has to give him time and protect him and his reconstructed knee.

If Brady gets hit too much early, he may become slightly gun-shy and scared to follow through on his throws.

Against the Bills last week, Brady started the game squeamish on moving through his throwing motion, seemingly protecting that knee a little.

In the second half though, Brady became increasingly confident and led his team on two touchdown drives to win the game.

The Jets will be blitzing him often, and if Dan Koppen and the big guts up front can give him time with chipping help from Kevin Faulk and Laurence Maroney, Brady might light up the town in New York.

2. Force Mark Sanchez To Look Like A Rookie

Sanchez has everyone in the football world raving about his poise and great decision-making in last week's victory over Houston.

Unfortunately, that was only one game and he has to do it again.

At some point, Sanchez will look like a rookie and make some mistakes that his team will have to back him on.

If the Pats have it their way, that time will come Sunday.

Bill Belichick is historically great at forcing opposing QB's to make mistakes, especially rookies. Belichick will have some schemes ready for Mr. Sanchez Sunday that he's never saw before.

If the Pats execute and pressure Sanchez by stopping the run and forcing him to pass, the young man from USC will think twice about his decision to enter the NFL at about 4:15 Sunday afternoon.

If not, the Pats could be this week's Texans.

Prediction

Much as I like Sanchez, Ryan and the Jets, I have to go with the experienced Patriots in this one.

Sanchez will have his moments, but none solid as what we will see from the incomparable Tom Brady, as he will go over the 300-yard mark with at least two touchdowns.

The Jets will do moderately well on the ground, but not enough as Sanchez will be forced into throwing the ball over 32 times and at least one turnover.

Patriots get the win, 31-21.

Did the Buffalo Bills Just Set the Tone for the 2009 Season?

Samuel Bell Jr — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:17:09 -0400

The Buffalo Bills just laid an egg—a big, fat, ugly, 200-pound egg—in the form of a loss that should have never happened to the New England Patriots.

In Tom Brady's epic return to pro football, the Bills gave him all he could handle, but also all he could ask for in a one-point victory in Foxboro.

Don't get me wrong; Brady flat-out earned that win, courageously standing upright in a pocket that continually collapsed around him like a dilapidated century-old building. Buffalo smelled all kinds of blood in the Monday Night Football opener and continuously applied pressure to the much-heralded Patriots offensive line.

All in all, though, it was the Golden Boy walking out of Gillette Stadium with the win and a lucky 1-0 start to build his comeback season.

Losing a game by double digits is painful, but to lose by one tiny point has to hurt more.

Terrell Owens' look of consternation was the lasting image after that game. Oh, and Tom Brady running from ESPN's Suzy Kolber like she was a man-eating mosquito waiting to give him the hugest, reddest, itchiest mosquito bite ever was rude, but admittedly pretty funny.

Is it just me, or did this latest Monday night loss cause severe deja vu?

Wasn't it the Bills that lit fire under the seats of every fan in Ralph Wilson Stadium two years ago on Monday Night Football by playing the favored Dallas Cowboys to a crushing one-point defeat at the hands of Nick Folk?

They found every way to lose that game and squander every opportunity—and looked like the exact same Bills team in Monday's loss to New England.

Say what you want, but mental advantages sometimes far outweigh the effort of the players on the field.

New England came in winning their last 11 games against the Bills dating all the way back to 2003, and it just seemed the Bills were scared to upend their opponent. The electricity in the air favored the Pats, but Buffalo shut that advantage down by playing solid defense, running the ball, and not turning it over.

Despite the Patriots having the ball for pretty much the whole first half, the Bills led 14-10 and were clearly outplaying the Patriots. In fact, Buffalo outplayed them for almost the entire game—at least up until the final five minutes of the game, when they fell apart like a glass dropped from the kitchen countertop.

Among a myriad of drops and mental mistakes, the Bills gave the Patriots the ball after a great drive ending with a Trent Edwards screen pass to Fred Jackson for a touchdown. It gave them hope.

Hope they could really pull this monumental win off.

With a scared Patriots defense, it appeared the Bills could really win this game after a great tackle in kick coverage left the Patriots with a long field to drive. It was then that Brady found his stride, gashing the Bills' pass coverage time and time again on his way to a beautiful drive capped by a Ben Watson TD reception.

Buffalo was still in good shape with a 24-19 lead and only 2:06 remaining in the game. A Stephen Gostkowski kick and fumble recovery later, the Bills' hope was lost.

Gone.

Leodis McKelvin fielded the kick about two yards into the end zone and contemplated taking the touchback. He would regret not doing so.

Or not, judging by his quote after the game.

McKelvin ran the ball out and was met by a wall of Pats defenders. Instead of patching his wounds and falling to the ground, he stayed up, only to be stripped of the ball, which Gostkowski would recover. McKelvin apparently didn't learn his lesson from earlier in the quarter when backup linebacker Nic Harris recovered his fumble.

A minute or so later, Brady tossed his second TD pass of the quarter to Ben Watson, and the Bills were toast. They knew it, we knew it, and the fans knew it. Edwards and the Bills offense tried to move into FG range in the final seconds, but there was no way the Pats would let that happen.

Somebody pulled the chain, and the Bills were whirling around the stadium toilets.

When asked about his mistake, McKelvin said, "I chose to bring it out because that's me, no matter what it is," adding, "If I had that choice, probably 100 times, I'd do it again."

Really? Put your team and a win at risk for what?

Take the knee and live to fight another drive.

The chances of him returning a kick to the house in that situation are lower than Kanye West getting into a Taylor Swift fundraising dinner after the VMAs, so why even return it? And to not admit the mistake and change ways after the game? Good luck with that one, Mr. Dick Jauron.

The losing culture that has defined Buffalo in the last 10 years is putting a sickening taste in fans' mouths. Owens, who looked dejected all game, said it himself when talking about one of the reasons he decided to come to Buffalo.

"The fans here are very passionate," said Owens.

That's right; they are. All they want is a team that knows how to win—a team that can bring them a playoff berth for the first time in what feels like a lifetime.

If this is the tone the Bills are going to follow for 2009, all of the ballyhooed screams about T.O. and the Bills raising the bar and finally achieving playoff success are invalid and unwarranted.

Can the Bills pull it back together for a potential playoff run? That lies in the players' and coaching staff's hands.

There's one thing I can guarantee you: Owens will not stay quiet if these kinds of losses start to pile up as the season moves along

The Bills showed the world they have the talent last night to get it done. As John Madden once said, "The game is not just physical, but half mental."

Can Buffalo answer this seemingly monumental challenge?

Jauron's job depends on it.

Monday Morning Hangover: 10 Thoughts On NFL's Opening Week

Samuel Bell Jr — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:24:39 -0400

What does a 27-year-old wannabe sports writer and Tom Brady have in common? We're both nearly 6'4"? Maybe we both like tossing footballs around? Oh, we're both good looking?

All of the latter is true, but there's one big thing we have in common. We're both making comebacks tonight. Well, today. I've been on a three week hiatus from Bleacher Report because the Internet suddenly became too rich for my taste.

We all know about the knee injury heard around the world at the beginning of last season to Brady, and today marks the first game of his comeback.

His shoulder injury was much ado about nothing, and he seems healthy and ready to be at center stage again. What better defense to play your first game against other than the Buffalo Bills?

As I prepare for what will be the last of an exciting, breathtaking, heart-pounding opening weekend, I look into my football crystal ball and pull out ten stories that engaged my football intelligence and got me going.

Okay, I'm looking into the dark brown hue of my Coors Light, but hey, it helps to get my football IQ going and, it tastes pretty good freezing cold.

10. The Dallas Cowboys pound the Bucs without T.O.—anyone surprised?

I wouldn't even consider this a story worth mentioning if it weren't for ESPN constantly talking about how the Cowboys would look without T.O.

If anyone thought that Owens was that important to the Cowboys' offense to the point that Tony Romo wouldn't know what to do with himself, they must go on informative football dates with Jessica Simpson.

Romo is a prolific QB that knows how to chuck the ball, even if he had a core of receivers from Bleacher Report.

Not to mention he has a healthy former No. 1 receiver in Roy E. Williams, an emerging Miles Austin, the do-everything TE Jason Witten, and an overlooked Patrick Crayton.

The Cowboys will be better off with the subtraction of T.O's antics, which obviously bothered Romo. All he needs is the help of his defense, which looked shaky at times in Tampa.

With the G-men coming to party at the new Dallas Stadium, DeMarcus Ware and company better practice tackling horses to get ready for Brandon Jacobs.

9. What happened to the St. Louis Rams?

I know the Rams were terrible last season, but we could partially attribute that to injuries to QB Mark Bulger and RB Stephen Jackson amongst other players. What excuse could they use for Sunday's dismal performance?

Maybe Bulger had a finger ache? Jackson had a slightly torn toenail?

I'm not even remotely sure of how you can get blanketed by the Seattle Seahawks 28-0. Zero. Nothing. Dunkin' Donut hole. Not one point.

This was the "Greatest Show on Turf" not too long ago, but now are the greatest show on the sideline because their drives end so fast that's where they always are.

Matt Hasselbeck made his return from an injury-riddled 2008 and looked pretty good, throwing for 279 yards and three TDs, but did turn the ball over with two INTs.

It didn't matter, because the Rams' defense was a tow bridge that just let everything wearing a Seahawks logo on their helmet through. Pitiful. Can they be the 2009 version of the Detroit Lions? Or will the Lions be the 2009 Lions again?

8. The Arizona Cardinals were a fluke last season

When the Cardinals represented the NFC in the Super Bowl last season, I asked myself, "Is this the best team out of the NFC?"

No.

Sorry to Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, but they were not the best overall team in the conference.

They got on a hot streak and beat anybody opposing them in the playoffs. I give them all the credit for that, but this year they may not even make the playoffs. Coming out and starting the season 0-1 to the San Francisco 49ers won't help.

Warner passed for nearly 300 yards, but threw two INTs and his leading receiver was Tim Hightower. Shaun Hill outperformed Warner, and didn't turn the ball over while passing for 209 yards with a touchdown.

This was with a 22-carry, 30-yard performance from Frank Gore and a receiving core of Isaac Bruce, Vernon Davis, Josh Morgan, and Arnaz Battle.

The Cardinals have problems. They better pray for Boldin's quick return.

7. The Detroit Lions will not score 27 points again this season

Matthew Stafford looked okay yesterday. His defense didn't. Good luck, guys.

6. Reggie Bush is officially a bust

Everyone has been scared to admit that Mr. Bush has totally underperformed since he and his lackluster buddy Matt Leinart arrived in the NFL.

I'll do the honors: Reggie Bush is a bust. Period. No arguments.

I actually like Reggie Bush. He seems like a stand-up guy, and aside from his mistake of actually dating Kim Kardashian after Ray J had fun with her on camera, he's made good decisions off of the field.

Unfortunately for him, he hasn't while on it. Aside from a few punt returns for TDs, Bush hasn't provided Drew Brees and the Saints with much.

His stat line from Sunday: 7 carries, 14 yards, 5 receptions, 55 yards, 2 fumbles, 1 lost.

His teammate from USC Leinart has already been topped by Mark Sanchez in one game, and Mario Williams has eaten Bush's lunch. Welcome to mediocrity Reggie. Don't stay too long.

5. The Chiefs put up 24 points on the Ravens, minus Matt Cassel

I always thought Brodie Croyle had a better chance as an actor than a football player, until Sunday.

With Matt Cassel out to injury, Croyle had 177 yards passing with two TDs and no interceptions, all against a much-heralded defense in Baltimore. This was thought to be an afterthought of a game, until about 2:30 Sunday afternoon.

That's when fans figured out Croyle and his Chiefs came to play. Even though the final score looked a bit lopsided, it wasn't at all. Maybe the Chiefs can be this year's Cardinals, especially when Cassel returns.

In the loaded AFC, maybe not.

4. The Washington Redskins need a makeover

DeAngelo Hall has lost it. Albert Haynesworth has gotten rich and no longer hungry. Carlos Rogers and Fred Smoot are second-tier corners. Clinton Portis is beat up from years of hits and injuries. Santana Moss is irrelevant. So is Antwaan Randle-El. Jason Campbell is a career backup.

It's time to start anew, Washington.

3. Jake Delhomme is just plain ridiculous

The Carolina Panthers are loaded with talent and should contend for the division. Oh, and Jake Delhomme has turned the ball over 11 times in his last two games dating back to last season.

Seriously, what the hell is wrong with this guy?

The man who took over the "Jake the Snake" nickname after Jake Plummer suddenly retired is starting to actually look like him. Maybe John Fox should rename him "Jake the Fake" after his latest performances.

At some point, somebody in that locker room is going to LeGarrette Blount him in the worst way, and nobody will care.

His turnovers are causing the whole team to lose, and they know it. Fox tried to be diplomatic in the press conference and say it's never one guys fault, but in this case, it is.

If Delhomme doesn't get his act together soon, like next week, the Panthers will be showing Jake the gate.

2. Ladies and gentlemen, Jay Cutler has a problem

The man who whined, cried, and babied his way out of Denver had his worst nightmare last night at the hands of a healthy Green Bay Packers defense.

The problem everyone knew he would run into neck first showed it's hideous face immediately against the Packers, as Cutler repeatedly had nobody to throw to.

His receivers are young, inexperienced, and just not that good, and there's no Brandon Marshall or Stokley to get the ball to, just Devin Hester (who was his best target), Earl Bennett, and Greg Olsen.

Johnny Knox looks like a good change of pace receiver, but no consistent, dependable target. The Bears made sure that Olsen wouldn't kill them, and the result was four picks thrown by Cutler that could've easily been six or seven.

The overconfident Cutler felt like his arm and talent could overcome the lack of talent and experience at receiver and make those guys great, but so far he's just making himself look bad.

Somebody needs to call Matt Jones. Or someone.

1. Brett Favre: The Decoy

Brett Favre's stat line from Sunday: 14/21, 110 yards, 1 TD.

Adrian Peterson's stat line from Sunday: 25 carries, 180 yards, 3 TD's.

Favre did just what he needs to all season for the Vikings to be successful: hand the ball off to Peterson, watch him run through and around defenders, and throw the ball efficiently when necessary.

That's all he has to do. Favre doesn't need to be the risk-taking gunslinger for this team to be successful. If he makes the right reads and throws when it's time, that offense will speak for itself.

If Peterson stays healthy, the Vikings can win a lot with this formula. With Adrian's running style, though, it's always the high possibility of injury. Chester Taylor is no Peterson, but could fill in well if that does indeed happen.

For now, the Vikings have a winning formula that's potent as it is effective. Wasn't Percy Harvin one of the best picks of the draft for this team? The Vikes are dangerous.

Opening weekend of the 2009 NFL season was like a great night of drinking. You had so much fun and memories that you can't possibly remember it all, but when you wake up with that weird feeling, it was worth it because you had such a good time.

Fortunately, there's more to come in the form of a Monday Night doubleheader featuring T.O, the return of the man Tom Brady, and the always-fun Raiders.

Until next week, enjoy your hangover and your Monday night, and stay thirsty my boys. And girls.

A Bull Market: The Truth Behind the Rise and Fall of NFL Players' Preseason Stock

Samuel Bell Jr — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:39:47 -0400

We have reached the preseason for 2009, and many players have already rose or depleted their stock so far. In the midst of many storylines that make us salivate more than ever for the start of the regular season, some players have emerged to make their upcoming season look promising. In contrast, many players have disappointed so far and need to regain form to enter the season on a high cloud. It may be early, but these players have stood out for the right, and wrong reasons.

Begin Slideshow

32 Bold Predictions for the 2009 NFL Season

Samuel Bell Jr — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:08:27 -0400

I start this opus out with a heavy heart, as my father is currently hospitalized with heart arrhythmia after surgery to remove an abscess from his left knee somehow went wrong.

As I arrived home for a while after being out with him for several hours, I thought to myself, "What a great time to write my annual predictions article."

Football is not only a game and my favorite sport, but it's the gift that never stops giving.

My love for the sport helps me to feel a certain utopia that not many other things can compare to.

When I feel my worst, the feeling of anticipating a season, great matchup, or game that comes down to the last second seems to have a healing effect that nothing else can match.

As the preseason is now just a week away, I look at what has transpired in the offseason and I become very excited about what we as fans are about to witness.

Terrell Owens is a Buffalo Bill. Jay Cutler is a Chicago Bear. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is a Seattle Seahawk.

The Peyton Manning sans Marvin Harrison era begins. Michael Vick is out of jail. Plaxico Burress may be going.

Tom Brady is back. Brett Favre isn't. (There is a God.)

There are so many storylines that I could write a separate article about them all.

One word we will hear a lot this season is "parity." There is so much competition and so many teams that it is virtually a complete toss-up to try to predict who will be the last man standing like Bruce Willis.

I will for the second consecutive year attempt to do the impossible: predict the 2009 season all the way to the Super Bowl MVP.

Last year, I was about 42 percent correct, which isn't bad for blind predictions. I'm aiming for 100 percent this time, but hey, who's counting?

I want all comments, arguments and everything when you read this article. Spill it all, because we can go back to it in February.

After the season ends, I will revisit this article to see just how right I was. Let's get this party started.

32. The New England Patriots Will Win the AFC East

31. The Baltimore Ravens Will Win the AFC North

30. The Tennessee Titans Will Win the AFC South

29. The San Diego Chargers Will Win the AFC West

28. The Philadelphia Eagles Will Win the NFC East

27. The Minnesota Vikings Will Win the NFC North

26. The Atlanta Falcons Will Win the NFC South

25. The Arizona Cardinals Will Win the NFC West

24. The AFC East Will Finish Like This:

1. New England Patriots: 13-3

2. Buffalo Bills: 10-6

3. Miami Dolphins: 8-8

4. New York Jets: 5-11

23. The AFC North Will Finish Like This:

1. Baltimore Ravens: 11-5

2. Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-6

3. Cincinnati Bengals: 8-8

4. Cleveland Browns: 6-10

22. The AFC South Will Finish Like This:

1. Tennessee Titans: 11-5

2. Indianapolis Colts: 9-7

3. Houston Texans: 8-8

4. Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-12

21. The AFC West Will Finish Like This:

1. San Diego Chargers: 10-6

2. Oakland Raiders: 9-7

3. Kansas City Chiefs: 8-8

4. Denver Broncos: 5-11

20. The NFC East Will Finish Like This:

1. Philadelphia Eagles: 10-6

2. Dallas Cowboys: 10-6

3. New York Giants: 8-8

4. Washington Redskins: 7-9

19. The NFC North Will Finish Like This:

1. Minnesota Vikings: 11-5

2. Green Bay Packers: 10-6

3. Chicago Bears: 8-8

4. Detroit Lions: 5-11

18. The NFC South Will Finish Like This:

1. Atlanta Falcons: 12-4

2. New Orleans Saints: 10-6

3. Carolina Panthers: 8-8

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4-12

17. The NFC West Will Finish Like This:

1. Arizona Cardinals: 9-7

2. Seattle Seahawks: 8-8

3. San Francisco 49ers: 8-8

4. St. Louis Rams: 3-13

16. The San Diego Chargers Will Defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-10 in WC1.

15. The Buffalo Bills Will Defeat the Tennessee Titans 14-10 in WC2.

14. The Dallas Cowboys Will Defeat the Arizona Cardinals 29-24 in WC3.

13. The Philadelphia Eagles Will Defeat the Green Bay Packers 27-13 in WC4.

12. The New England Patriots Will Defeat the Buffalo Bills 30-14 in the Divisional Round.

11. The Baltimore Ravens Will Defeat the San Diego Chargers 13-10 in the Divisional Round.

10. The Atlanta Falcons Will Defeat the Dallas Cowboys 24-14 in the Divisional Round.

9. The Minnesota Vikings Will Defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 21-17 in the Divisional Round.

8. The New England Patriots Will Defeat the Baltimore Ravens 28-20 in the AFC Championship Game.

7. The Atlanta Falcons Will Defeat the Minnesota Vikings 23-14 in the NFC Championship Game.

6. The Atlanta Falcons Will Defeat the New England Patriots 24-20 in Super Bowl XLIV.

5. Matt Ryan Will Be the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV.

4. Tom Brady and Adrian Peterson Will Be NFL Co-MVPs.

3. Mike Smith Will Be NFL Coach of the Year.

2. Michael Vick Will Be on a Playoff NFL Roster When the Postseason Arrives.

1. The Top Three NFL QB's in Passing Yards Will Be Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Carson Palmer, with Matt Ryan in a Close Fourth.

**Watch These Three First-Round Rookies

1. Jason Smith, St. Louis Rams

2. Aaron Maybin, Buffalo Bills

3. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles

As usual, this was extremely difficult due to the widespread talent of the NFL, and all of the teams that will surely contend this upcoming season.

I know that there will be many conflicting opinions, but that's the beauty of sport. We all see things differently.

But I can promise you one thing: It will be settled on the field.

Let's get ready for some football!

Why Is Brett Favre Holding Out So Long?

Samuel Bell Jr — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:53:39 -0400

It's late July, and many NFL training camps are just kicking off, with football excitement invigorating the warm, humid air.

Oh, and Brett Favre is mulling over another return to the field. Oh, how exciting. At least ESPN thinks so, amongst others, because if not there would be no market to update every 10 seconds of Favre news to.

We continue to hear, "Favre will make a decision soon" and "he wants to make it to training camp," but Favre is still home trying to convince himself he can still do it.

I can see Favre in his bathroom, looking into the mirror with his hands clasped against the frame, repeatedly turning the lights off imagining his glory days and then turning them on expecting to see something different.

"You are the same Brett! I know it's there Favre! Everyone else sees it!!!"

Yeah, everyone but Favre himself.

As blogs and television personalities continue to put pressure on Favre by swearing by him and cursing any other Viking quarterback without "FAVRE" on their back, he seems like a scared little boy who's afraid to stand up to the bully.

Favre hasn't said much to the media, keeps jostling everyone with his deadlines and just doesn't seem to know what to do.

Even guys like Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen got into the act, texting Brett asking for him to return.

Imagine being Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson in this situation. I can see a texting conversation between Jackson and Aaron Rodgers going something like this:

Message From T-Jack—Aaron, he's doing it again!!! 12:13am

Message From A-Rod Packers—Tarvaris, it will be cool. Favre wont play for Minny. Just wait and c...12:15am

Message From T-Jack—if one more person mentions him to me ill injure him where he cant play! SMFH!!!!!!! 12:15am

Message From A-Rod Packers—ill send you a packers No. 4 jersey, a lighter and a bottle of grey goose! that is the brett favre survival kit...K.I.T 12:20am

We're used to Favre taking his sweet time to make decisions, but this seems particularly interesting to me.

It's almost like Favre feels like he owes the sports world something since he experimented with a potential return to the Packers biggest rival.

What he's really doing is attempting to pay the Packers back for trading him in favor of Rodgers. How juvenile of him.

We knew that Favre wanted to stick it to the Packers from the outset last season, but Rodgers was good enough to buy another season at the helm and people weren't exactly clamoring for Brett's return.

He expected the fans of Green Bay to want to burn Rodgers and his No. 12 jersey in favor of his legendary No. 4.

Sorry Mr. Favre, but humans have the uncanny ability to adjust and accept, especially when they have a good substitute.

While Favre was playing "within the offense" and "managing the game" in New York, Rodgers was tossing the ball all over the field, scoring points in bunches.

Had it not been for an injury riddled defense that saw the likes of Al Harris and Nick Barnett injured significantly, the Pack might have been in the middle of the playoff pack.

As it stands, Favre fell apart at the twilight of the season while Rodgers gave the Packers faithful hope. Compare the numbers from last season, and they tell a story.

Brett Favre: 343/522, 65.7 pct., 3472 yards, 6.7 avg., 22 TD, 22 INT, 81.0 rat.

Aaron Rodgers: 341/536, 63.6 pct., 4038 yards, 7.5 avg., 28 TD, 13 INT, 93.8 rat.

Besides completion percentage, Rodgers was better all across the board. That's why the fans of Green Bay aren't begging for a Favre reunion.

Neither were the Jets. They'd rather go into camp with a rookie in Mark Sanchez and two very inexperienced QB's in Kellen Clemens and Erik Ainge then have Favre.

That's a loud statement, but somehow the Vikings and many fans don't hear it.

If someone were yelling into your ear, you would quickly turn away. How do the Vikings not turn away here?

At the very least how does Favre not turn away? Is self-serving pride that invigorating to the point that conventional wisdom goes out of the airplane trap door mid-flight like D.B Cooper?

Give that man a parachute, because with the way he may hit the ground, he'll surely need it.

Don't get me wrong, I'll make the proverbial Brett Favre disclaimer proudly:

"I, Samuel Bell Jr. am not in any way, shape or form attempting to offend the legendary, beloved Brett Favre or his fans, and by weighing in with my opinion on his return, I am merely stating what I see as factual in a very respectful way. I reserve my freedom of speech rights to do so, and any inflammatory remarks on the latter will be dealt with. Thank you."

Now that that's out of the way, I can proceed without the hubris of Favre fans who can't see the ghost of father time.

Brett is just too old. Period. He knows it, you know it and God knows it. Brett is too old for football, and his body has taken a pounding.

He was a great football player at one point, and God blessed him with longevity in a tough profession, but Favre needs to face the music at this point.

Why do you believe he's waiting so long to make a decision?

Simply because he knows that he isn't in football shape, and will never be again. Sure, he can throw the ball well still, and his surgically repaired shoulder appears fine.

The key word is "appears" and with his age and what his body has been through, Favre knows he cannot make it through another 16-game season.

Even though he remained on the field, Favre didn't really make it through all 16 games last season. His teammates knew it, we knew it and he knew it. His streak intact, he was done after the Week 13 loss against Denver.

Now, for many speculative reasons, Favre wants to further put his legacy on the hook to return to the Minnesota Vikings, his main team's rival?

It's not worth it Brett.

I'm one of the detractors that felt Favre should've given it up before last season, and despite a great start, it just didn't end well.

I'm giving the same proclamation now, and Favre should listen to someone other than the many people who just see the shell of a former superstar QB, like his own body.

As he continues to consider his return to the league, Favre needs to listen to the music his body is playing for him.

We can ignore many things in this world, but when it comes to professional athletics, the very thing that made you will be what tears you down.

The body you've abused for sport, and the invincible mentality that extreme success has bred inside of you.

I'll eat my words if Favre returns and does really well, but for now I'm singing the same song and doing the same matching dance as last summer.

In the words of George Foreman during the infamous Riddick Bowe-Andrew Golota melee, "Don't do it bro. It's not worth it."

Michael Vick- Welcome Back to Society

Samuel Bell Jr — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:09:10 -0400

Today is a new day for a man looking for vindication; a soul-wrenching rehabilitation project for the ages on the horizon. An image is easy to tarnish, but isn't nearly as easy to repair.

Nobody will know that struggle like Michael Vick in the coming months.

He isn't the first public figure to face an uphill battle with the general public's perception of him and his character, and what happens now all depends on his resilience.

He can take the route of one Kobe Bryant and do whatever it takes to make us see that he really is who we thought he was, or he can just make his image look more tarnished until we no longer have interest.

O.J. Simpson repeatedly made the wrong choices in trying to rehabilitate his reputation. Hell, Simpson just accepted the hate role and amplified it. Now he's behind bars for stealing his own stuff. Serves him right.

Barry Bonds just kept ignoring the public and worse was just rude and invincible. Now Bonds remains the face of the Steroid Era and will always be the first name associated with it.

Players since who were convicted of steroids have came out and admitted their mistakes, and the public has lifted their clouds of ire and negative reaction.

Observe the return of Manny Ramirez from his 50-game suspension for taking a women's fertility drug often used after steroid cycles.

Fans held up signs in support, and his Mannywood area in Dodgers Stadium was kept intact, and fans were lined up to be in it.

Had that been Bonds, he would've came to the game to find syringes piled up in his "Barrywood" section, and he would've been booed profusely.

All of this shows that we as a culture have forgetful, forgiving spirits. All you have to do is appear to care about your mistake and atone for it and we're suckered right in.

If Vick wants to rehab his image and change our flawed perception of him, he has to start now. He's served his time and paid his debt to society, regardless if we feel it's enough or not.

He is now a free man, and we want to know, hear and feel his candor. We have to know that it's okay to move on because the justice system has done its job.

After all, jail is not solely meant to punish individuals.

It's also supposed to make them better people, and help them to become better contributors to society. All atrocities in jails aside, the system in jail is in place to help rehabilitate criminals.

One must assume that in a minimum security lockup as a former NFL star, Vick didn't see the worst jail has to offer.

He doesn't need to; going from making $130 million over the life of your contract to less than a dollar an hour is quite enough.

Vick needs to let us know that he knows that. In other words, we need to see that his stint as a convicted felon made the rational side of him the dominant side and that he doesn't look to crime as pleasure.

I'm not an animal lover at the least, but I don't want to see any living thing get tortured and killed, especially an animal as cognitive as a dog.

But one cannot hold grudges and resentment toward another man's mistakes. All we can ask for is prosecution under the law in which we abide, and for the convicted to learn their lesson.

Vick has been through the first part. Now we want to see if the light has been screwed on in his head and heart.

Contrary to popular belief, Vick doesn't have to do some cheesy PSA for PETA, or a public, camera ridden public apology. If Vick wants the public to believe in his reform, these are three things that can make him look sincere.

1. Talk About His Experiences In An On-Camera Interview With A Renowned TV Personality

As I mentioned, Vick does not need to give an impersonal, Manny Ramirez-like apology in front of all kinds of media. It gives off the smell of fakeness, and seems tailor-made to pacify the fans.

What is a better idea is sitting in front of a camera in a personal setting much like the way Alex Rodriguez did in front of Peter Gammons. Much as the public was angry at A-Rod, we respected his up close and personal approach.

Many people don't respect Ramirez anyway for his prior antics, but feel even more negative towards him after that joke of a public apology.

Sitting down with someone like Rachel Nichols or Tom Jackson and answering harsh questions and handling them correctly will get him some great publicity for his impending reinstatement attempt to the NFL and some much needed respect.

2. Reaching Out to Other At-Risk Individuals

Vick would be a perfect candidate to speak at a future NFL symposium for rookies about engaging in harmful behavior.

People would listen to him simply based on what he has been through, and he could really help some people see the light before they make the mistake.

Our society loves to see fallen role-models or past criminals change and speak publicly about what they've been through. Vick can make a lot of people feel confident and able to carry out different choices to better impact their life experience.

This would also score him major points with the Commish, Roger Goodell.

3. Joining Some Organization Other Than PETA Promoting Healthy Treatment of Animals

Vick almost HAS to do something involving proper treatment of dogs or animals in a whole, and he needs to do something that isn't so obvious.

Joining PETA would be difficult because of their solid stance unless he can convince them otherwise, but it will come off to us as a publicity stunt.

Their are plenty of these types of organizations out there, like The Animal Foundation and Animal Legal Defense Fund. If he reaches out to a group like this and not PETA, it will look great for him and not help promote PETA further.

This can be the first or last step in his comeback, but something that he should seriously consider doing.

I myself am happy to see Vick back in our society. He was my role-model on the field at one point, and my favorite player by far.

He's paid his expensive debt to society, thus deserving to get a second chance at this one life we live.

We allow murderers and child-molesters back into the public around our children, and it is time for the hate against Vick to take a rest along with the 23-month sentence that is now behind Vick in every step he's making.

Can Vick rehab his image and wear a NFL uniform again?

That my friend is up to Michael Dwayne Vick. Let's at least clear our minds and give him the proper forum to do it.

We did it for Bryant and Judge Greg Mathis. Give the man his fair due. That's the least we can do.

Andy Roddick Gives Roger Federer His 15th Record Slam

Samuel Bell Jr — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:35:22 -0400

Okay, now that I've calmed down from that tremendous, unbelievable breath-taking Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick, I can vent my frustrations about what I just witnessed.

I won't call it a choke job simply because of the way Roddick responded, but it was, well, I guess a choke job.

Few believed Roddick realistically had a chance against the most celebrated, decorated tennis player of all-time.

Few believed that Roddick had what it took to compete with Federer for five sets, and what was the equivalent to over seven.

What nobody could have guessed is that Roddick actually had this match won. Okay, maybe not won, but in a very winnable position being up two sets.

This championship immediately had the makings of what would end up another classic following in the footsteps of Federer and Rafael Nadal from last year.

Both men stood under the famous words of Rudyard Kipling, looking focused and ready to battle.

Roddick looking very warrior-like wearing nothing fancy over his typical Lacoste shirt. Federer looking like a fancy champion with a great looking RF Nike coat stunningly white. It was game on.

Roddick exploded from the first point, consistently smashing serve after serve all over Fed's half, sometimes nearly going right through Federer's body with 140 MPH bombs.

We expect that from Roddick, but what many haven't gotten used to yet is Roddick's much expanded court game and mental focus.

Andy Murray got an energy shot of Roddick's new found persistence and versatility, as he beat the Scot at his own game infused with power.

Both Federer and Roddick went through the first set trading held service games until Roddick broke Federer and stunned the world. Just like that, Roddick had fought out the first set 7-5.

Amazing as that seemed, Andy wasn't done yet.

The second set took on the same personality as the first, as both players continued to hold service games and trade points. That was until a 6-6 tiebreak in which Roddick had already squandered a 5-1 lead.

It was now 6-5 Roddick, serving for a two-set lead. Federer cranked a shot across court after a great Roddick forehand in which Andy was in a perfect position for.

Roddick had a backhand overhead smash that Federer wouldn't have gotten to. As Roddick raised for a shot he could make, his career defining moment was waiting for just one swing of the arm.

That swing looked to be tainted by nerves, as Roddick mis-hit the shot and watched the ball and his Wimbledon upset chance fly out of play.

Just like that, his lead was gone. Federer held on his service games and won the second set. I'm sure everyone was thinking what I was at the time. Roddick is done.

Period.

As John McEnroe eluded to several times, Roddick needed to get that fail out of his head and come back ready to fight in the third set.

Stunningly, Roddick did and even though he lost another tiebreak set to the king of tennis, he showed Roger that he wasn't going anywhere, and suddenly we all believed in Roddick.

Despite being down two sets to one, Roddick imposed every inch of his battered will and played his best set of the match, breaking Federer on his way to a 6-3 win and date with a fifth and deciding set.

At times even Federer looked stunned at the tennis the man across the net was playing, and in front of legends like Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg, Roger wanted no more than to win that 15th.

He just needed to figure out Roddick's serve, something he used to do better than many players on the tour.

This Sunday though, Roddick played the role of chameleon as his game looked intelligently different than what Federer was used to.

In Wimbledon, there's no tiebreak in the fifth and final set, and that set the stage for the most games ever played in a Wimbledon final.

In an absolutely beautiful fifth set, both players pressed on, making ridiculous baseline shots, chasing shots all over the court and Smokin' Aces like Ray Liotta.

Unfortunately, as the match went on further, it was clear to see that the challenger with the spirit and fight of a wild animal was down.

There would be no James Buster Douglas or Hasim Rahman moments here. The champion would reign supreme this day, as Roddick hit another error to give Federer a 16-14 victory in the final set.

As Roddick fought back painful tears, he had to live with what may have and should have been.

Showing obvious frustration, when Federer was actually praising him, Roddick exclaimed, "you have five titles already!" Although it was said in jest, the pain was obvious in Andy and rightfully so.

Who wouldn't cry their heart out after that kind of loss?

In what felt like a fit of bad taste to me and what is becoming a trend in professional sports, Nike and Net Jets just had to congratulate Federer in the first commercial break after the match ended.

Federer even had "15" on the back of his signature RF track jacket.

Reminds me of the failed Kobe Bryant-LeBron James commercials before Cleveland lost, and Lakers coach Phil Jackson having a "X" hat in Roman numerals for 10 after the Lakers won the NBA title.

Oh how Andy Roddick could have changed the course of history with one overhead smash. Who knows if Federer will ever win another one?

Roddick had this match in Brooklyn Decker's handbag, and he simply couldn't deliver. Sad for a man who's talents were always there, but never fully maximized.

This win would have made us all forget about his previous failures in other Grand Slams. But for now, we the fans and Roddick have to be content with being runner up to Federer, again.

As Roddick looks in the mirror once he gets to his locker room, he only can salivate over what could've and should've been.

As it stands, he's just the runner-up to Roger Federer's record-breaking Wimbledon victory.

Besides, you know what they say about "what-if's." They just make the wound heal better. Try getting Roddick to believe that.

What Do Rafael Nadal and Yao Ming Have In Common?

Samuel Bell Jr — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:50:52 -0400

When someone is great, there's nothing that can stop their light from shining through the cracks of whatever it is that they excel at. Combine that with intensity, heart, and work ethic, they are virtually unstoppable.

Every so often, incredible physical specimens enter into sports that they are not conventionally built for, but use those same advantages to become forces of nature.

For every bit of energy, there is a point in which it stops. No measure of energy ever continued through time. No matter how fast you're going, how strong the swing, or how powerful the momentum, at some point it meets an end.

When Yao Ming entered the NBA six years ago, he was an amazing physical specimen at 7'6", and could do things that guys who were seven feet tall couldn't even do.

Yao was a great jump shooter, and could take big defenders out 18 feet from the basket and connect. He could play by shooting fade-away shots with his back to the basket.

Yao could also do conventional things big men do, such as block shots and rebound. He was extremely talented and was nothing like the NBA had ever seen before.

As a culture, we were ready for Yao and he was ready for us. Nothing against our heralded big men like Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, or Patrick Ewing, but this guy was different.

Yao may not of had the strength of those guys, but his size, skill, and competitiveness was more than enough to compete on a nightly basis. When we really got a load of Yao, nobody believed that he would be anything short of amazing.

What we didn't realize was that the rigors of today's NBA would prove too much for his long, slender frame.

For quite some time, big men have had problems with injury, but not to Yao's extent. His feet were seemingly made of cardboard and not bone.

After playing in 242 of 244 games in his first three seasons, Yao missed 84 of his next 244 games, playing in fewer than 60 games for three seasons in a row. His feet were falling apart on him, and as fans, we hated to see it.

Whenever potentially great athletes fall to injury, it saddens us as fans to see the player will never have the chance to reach their ceiling.

The same thing happened to Penny Hardaway and Jamal Mashburn. Many athletes have felt the burn of serious injury early on, and their careers were destroyed as a result.

We all hoped entering this past season that Yao and his feet would hold up, and he could continue his ascending career. Stunningly, Yao played in 77 games and only missed five of them.

His Houston Rockets team earned a playoff berth without star guard Tracy McGrady, another oft-injured player, and had a chance to move out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in the millennium.

Houston defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, and was confident heading into the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers.

It was then that Yao injured his foot again, shelving him for the rest of the playoffs. His Rockets team played spirited basketball without him, but it wasn't enough as the eventual champion Lakers eliminated them 4-3.

Monday, June 29, the Rockets' world was crushed into tiny pieces among hearing news that they've feared for years.

Yao Ming's foot is not healing, and he may miss the entire 2009-10 season. Silence could be observed across the state of Texas, and earthquake-like seismic waves ripped through the front office of the Rockets.

With their biggest fears shadowing the arena, the Rockets stand in the unenviable position of possibly losing their outstanding, extremely gifted star.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon plays out at the All England Club in London, and an awkward silence could still be heard throughout Centre Court.

Roger Federer continues to reign supreme following his French Open defeat of Robin Soderling to win the title and give him the Grand Slam cycle.

Although he's no longer ranked No. 1 in the world, Federer's fellow competitor and rival Rafael Nadal can do nothing to stop the potential release of his stranglehold of late on men's tennis.

Like Yao, Nadal is an imposing package of power and not the conventional men's tennis player. Nadal is extremely fit, but weighs in at almost 200 pounds while standing at 6'1".

It's not just his weight, but his frame that makes him different than other men's tennis players. His strength rips shots along the line with great spin that makes it hard to compete with Nadal.

Rafa hit the tennis world swiftly, building a clay-court game that could be matched by no one. Future Hall-of-Famer and potentially the best of all time Federer had to take a back seat to Nadal.

Grass was widely considered Federer's surface, but as Nadal overtook him for the No. 1 world ranking, he beat Federer on his own surface.

Someone had taken down the big-bad wolf of tennis, and his name was Rafael Nadal.

As the tennis world embraced this new amazing talent, his knees weren't embracing the physical beating they were receiving each tournament he entered.

At the age of 23, Nadal is in the prime of his career, but is missing tournaments that are hurting his growth and reign over tennis.

Determined, Federer is building himself back up in the absence of Nadal. The new sheriff in town has been forced to leave his post, putting a deafening halt to his choke-hold on the game.

After losing the French Open, his clay court event, Nadal didn't want to make excuses but knew that he wasn't 100 percent, and his knees were crying tears of pain to him.

Not wanting to miss Wimbledon, Nadal played some warm-up matches to test his knee. He lost to Stanislas Wawrinka and Lleyton Hewitt, two players he's expected to defeat.

After those defeats, Nadal chose sadly to forgo Wimbledon to rest the Tendinitis in his knees. Meanwhile, players such as Hewitt, Federer, Andy Murray, and Andy Roddick have life as the game's most dominant figure of late and are quietly absent.

Nadal and Yao are undoubtedly two of sports most imposing, extremely talented figures and represent a new wave of athlete that combine physical gifts with work ethic and talent.

Unfortunately, their size and styles of play put their bodies under significant stress and cause injuries to be deterrents to what otherwise can be historically successful careers.

The plight of the modern athlete is staying strong enough physically and mentally to compete with the world's best.

For Nadal and Yao, the physical gifts were natural. Unfortunately for them, their body's responses to them haven't been.

NBA Draft Preview: Can Stephen Curry Be the Next Reggie Miller?

Samuel Bell Jr — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:39:31 -0400

As the NBA Draft quickly approaches, this year's crop of players seems to be more unpredictable than a game of poker. Apparently, with the exception of Oklahoma's Blake Griffin, the sports public has no idea what hand we're being dealt.

There are no Kevin Durants, Greg Odens, or Michael Beasleys. Just Blake Griffin, and that's it.

Or is it?

The interesting thing about this draft's group of players is that they also have the potential to feature many players with Xenon bright futures. We simply can't call it.

There's a shortage of sure things, but a plethora of possibilities as there's a lot of talent to go around.

Even some people are questioning whether Griffin will be as good as advertised primarily because his strength and quickness were his major assets at Oklahoma, but the NBA features many big men who can match those qualities.

Despite those claims, many of us can agree that Griffin, in this draft, is easily the consensus first pick and the player closest to a sure thing.

As much as people continue to forcefully shove Ricky Rubio into my face, I'm just not sold on the guy yet. When I watch the highlight reel they run of him, I just don't see the second pick written on his forehead.

It's not that he isn't good, but second-pick good? Every time I hear his name and the hype surrounding him, I just can't help but think of Darko Milicic.

Not that there's any Dwyane Wades or Carmelo Anthonys in this draft, but Rubio is largely unproven to many American sports fans.

Yes, we watched him help take the United States to its limit in the Beijing Olympics, but I had more fun watching Rudy Fernandez. Fernandez was a spark plug in that Gold Medal game, and the U.S had trouble with him.

Rubio was good, but Fernandez was better. Fernandez had a very solid rookie season in Portland, where he set a record for most made three-point field goals for a rookie, but he received little-to-no hype in 2007's draft when he was taken 24th.

Brandon Jennings, now known as the guy who said the truth about Rubio, doesn't particularly impress me either. Jennings was quoted as calling Rubio overrated, and I agree, but the problem is so is he.

I don't see much in Jeff Teague from Wake Forest, Jrue Holliday from UCLA, or James Johnson out of Wake Forest. All of those guys appear to be career role players at best.

I am seeing the light with Stephen Curry from Davidson, Jordan Hill from Arizona, and Demar DeRozen out of USC. I also like Hasheem Thabeet from Connecticut and Jonny Flynn out of Syracuse.

In trying to make sense of the 2009 NBA Draft's top prospects, there's one thing I use to try and understand what they may bring to the table: Current NBA player comparisons.

What better way to gauge what a player can offer than by looking at a possible NBA equivalent that already has shown us what kind of player they are?

Here are five players who are difficult to place based on their overall talent level. And no, Blake Griffin isn't on this list. Nor is Ricky Rubio. We've heard enough about them. These guys are potential darkhorses.

Jonny Flynn—Syracuse Orange, Sophomore

2008 stats: 17.4 PPG, 6.7 APG, 2.7 APG

Alter NBA Ego—Nate Robinson, New York Knicks

Flynn is an ultra-talented guard who proved to the nation last season that he was worthy of a top-10 pick. Leading Syracuse to the NCAA Tournament, Flynn's sheer athleticism and overall ability was too much for much of his competition.

He and Robinson share many characteristics including short-stature, extreme quickness off of the dribble, and ability to finish at the rim.

Much like Robinson leaving the University of Washington, Flynn has an erratic outside shot that he must improve if he's going to succeed on the pro level. One thing that is undeniable is his athleticism and ankle-breaking speed.

Biggest Pro—Athleticism

Biggest Con—Shooting

Gerald Henderson—Duke University, Junior

2008 stats: 16.5 PPG, 2.5 APG, 5.0 RPG

Alter NBA Ego—Caron Butler, Washington Wizards

Henderson isn't getting any attention in this draft, and with his humble spirit, he'd probably prefer it that way. Coached by the legendary Mike Krzyzewski, Henderson plays well in every facet of the game.

He improved his outside shooting to complement his slashing and finishing abilities to make him a consistent threat. A three-year starter at Duke, Henderson has improved steadily each year.

Like Butler, Henderson is a swing man with size and the ability to knock down shots from the perimeter. If Henderson continues to become a more viable shooting threat, and if he goes to the right team, he may surprise.

Biggest Pro—Slashing Ability

Biggest Con—Inconsistency

Demar DeRozan—USC, Freshman

2008 stats: 13.9 PPG, 1.5 APG, 5.7 RPG

Alter NBA Ego—Corey Maggette, Golden State Warriors

DeRozan clearly has talent, and nobody can question that. What we can question though, is DeRozan's overall versatility. He does everything good, but not one thing great, and that can be scary.

He's a budding scorer who will only improve with time, but he doesn't shoot the outside shot consistently; he isn't a great passer; and he doesn't rebound particularly well.

At 6'7" and 220 pounds, DeRozan needs to become a better rebounder. Just as Maggette was when he left Duke, DeRozan's an athlete with lots of scoring potential, but he must improve across the board to maximize his potential. But, I like his chances.

He can be a winner if he learns to play defense and can have the right attitude.

Biggest Pro—Potential

Biggest Con—Experience

Tyreke Evans—Memphis, Freshman

2008 stats: 17.1 PPG, 3.9 APG, 5.4 RPG

Alter NBA Ego—J.R. Smith, Denver Nuggets

Evans is a very talented player who's receiving a little flack for starring at Memphis, a Conference USA school. Derrick Rose is doing pretty well, so that doesn't matter to me at all.

Evans is extremely versatile, can get in there and rebound a little, pass some, and bring the ball up the floor if needed. He shoots 27 percent from three and 46 percent from the field.

He's a raw talent much like J.R. Smith was when he entered the league. The ability and talent is there; the potential is there, but it's all about his attitude and willingness to learn from the veterans and work hard. If he does that, the moon's the limit for Evans.

Biggest Pro—All-around ability

Biggest Con—Consistency

Stephen Curry—Davidson, Junior

2008 stats: 28.6 PPG, 5.6 APG, 4.4 RPG

Alter NBA Ego—Reggie Miller, Indiana Pacers (retired)

Steph Curry is probably the biggest wild card of this year's draft. You love his huge numbers and outstanding shooting ability. The problem is, he put those numbers up for Davidson College.

Is that an issue? I'm not sure yet, but one thing I can tell you is I believe in this kid's ability.

Not only did he put on a show against the biggest competition two years ago in the NCAA Tournament, but he also lit up the likes of Duke University and Blake Griffin's Oklahoma Sooners this past season.

Reggie Miller was one of the deadliest shooters of all time; he could shoot off of the screen like nobody we've seen. Curry can shoot well off of the screen too, but he can also pull up his own shots.

What's forgotten about Curry is his driving ability and versatility. If he can keep those things consistent in the league, he may be another installment of "Miller Time."

Biggest Pro—Shooting

Biggest Con—Competition

There are many players in this draft who are consumed with potential, but that's all. This year's draft will be very interesting, as nobody really knows which players will emerge to be next season's Derrick Rose or O.J. Mayo.

One thing we can count on for sure, it will be fun to watch.

I know what I'll be watching come Thursday, June 25. Do you?

Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan: The Debate Ends Right Here

Samuel Bell Jr — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:38:33 -0400

So I'm surfing the best citizen sports journalism site in the country, Bleacher Report, when I come across a headline that had the name "Kobe Bryant" and "overrated" in the same sentence.

What a travesty.

To add to my furor and frustrations, Bryant is being compared to Michael Jordan yet again as a plausible argument for his supposedly exaggerated talents and accomplishments.

Yawn.

Aren't we tired of this yet? How many times does one have to listen to these empty, pointless comparisons between His Airness and the Mamba?

I'd rather listen to the CEO's of Mike's Hard Lemonade and Smirnoff Ice argue about who sells to the most females.

How about Geico and Progressive argue about who has the better ad campaign, the girl who acts like the lost sister of Sarah Chalke or the hairy, dirty faced-looking cavemen.

Does any of that matter to you?

I doubt it, and whether Kobe can win titles with or without Shaq, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom or Kevin Youkilis for that matter doesn't really matter either.

I read a comment by Matt that said something so profound, but really just common sense. He said, "why can't Shaq and Kobe both just be great?" As simple as that sounds, he is hitting the receiver square in the numbers with that pass.

Really, why can't Shaq, Kobe and Jordan just all be great players that brought their own unique extraordinary talents to the game of basketball?

Why are some of us as a culture fascinated with comparing people to diminish one of the two compared's accomplishments and abilities?

Isn't it amazing enough for Kobe that he is even in the same basketball stratosphere as Jordan, or will the naysayers feast on that too and say that he isn't? Can Kobe ever climb Mt. Jordan?

I'm not sure if Bryant aspires to, but as he celebrates his fourth title and first Finals MVP award, I'm sure the last thing he's worried about is whether he can quiet down haters who look to simplify his every accomplishment.

One thing that anyone with eyes and a slight brain can identify with is that Bryant is supremely talented. It seems that every time Kobe triumphs, the references to Jordan rise from the ashes to say, "OK, Kobe, you've won again, but Jordan won more, so ha!"

Everyone agrees that players like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Tim Duncan sit at the top of basketball's elite plateau. Interestingly enough, none of them are compared to Jordan the way Kobe is.

I've yet to read an article where Bird and Magic are compared throughout to Jordan, but I've read enough to last me for a lifetime of Jordan and Kobe. Why is that?

Because Kobe is the best player we've seen since Michael, before and after. Never has a player reflected the will and leadership combined with ultimate skills that Jordan has like Kobe Bean Bryant, period.

Name someone, I challenge you. I challenge you to name someone who has accomplished what Kobe has at 30. Give it a whirl.

Nobody has. Nobody.

Not Magic, not Bird, not Jordan, not one soul. Look it up.

As I said in my last Kobe piece, no player in NBA history has had to endure the verbal lashings that Bryant has just to be great. No other player has been compared to Jordan so vehemently and often.

I don't ever remember hearing someone say that Duncan, Bird, Magic or Dr. J is overrated. Not once, but Kobe Bryant is? There is no rationale to such a terrible argument, but somehow Jordan becomes the scapegoat for such nonsense.

Out of the many myths I've heard regarding Bryant, here's three that make the least sense, but are regurgitated time and time again.

3. Michael Jordan Was a Far Better Shooter Than Kobe Bryant

It just cracks me up when I hear or read someone saying this myth as a reason that Jordan is far superior to Bryant. Look at the statistics, it simply isn't true.

Factually speaking, Bryant is a far better three-point shooter, Jordan is a better shooter inside the arc and they are dead even from the line.

Keep in mind that Bryant played in an era of more complicated defenses, bigger, faster and stronger opponents and constant double-teams. Here is a sample of both players' first eight seasons percentages, not including Kobe's rookie season because he only started six games:

Bryant FG percent: 43, 47, 47, 46, 47, 45, 44, 43

Jordan FG percent: 52, 46, 48, 54, 54, 53, 54, 52

Jordan was the more consistent shooter, but not by as much as one would think based on how much that is used against Bryant. If you think there's a slight disparity here, wait until you see the three-point shooting comparison.

Bryant 3PT FG percent: 34, 27, 32, 31, 25, 38, 33, 34

Jordan 3PT FG percent: 17, 17, 18, 13, 28, 38, 31, 27

Both players improved further in their careers from the three-point line, but Kobe is a far better shooter from long distance. I won't do a line-by-line comparison of free throws, as they both are 81 percent career shooters from the line.

2. Kobe Bryant Didn't Pass the Ball for Most of His Career

This is another myth that people use as heavy artillery against Bryant, but it couldn't be further from the truth.

Kobe has always been a good passer, and even when he went through a few tough years without anybody of extreme talent on his team, he still averaged more assists than nearly 80 percent of the league.

Jordan was a more willing passer early in his career, but not to the extreme that the media and naysayers would make you think. Here's a comparison of both players first ten seasons of assists per game.

Bryant: 2.5, 3.8, 4.9, 5.0, 5.5, 5.9, 5.1, 6.0, 4.5, 5.4= 48.6

Jordan: 5.9, 2.9, 4.6, 5.9, 8.0, 6.3, 5.5, 6.1, 5.5, 5.3= 56

The numbers tell the story. Bryant was a very consistent passer after his second year, and both legends are almost even in total assists per game in their first ten seasons, respectively. Kobe still didn't pass the ball?

1. Kobe Bryant Didn't Play Well in His Playoff Appearances

I've read correspondence recently that challenges Kobe's numbers in the playoffs and Finals, and compares them to players like Duncan and Charles Barkley. Again, another well-dressed up myth.

When you are a guard with a monster like Shaquille O'Neal in the paint, you simply don't have to do as much. It's not fair to compare Bryant's numbers in the Finals with Shaq to what he did in the playoffs without O'Neal.

He simply didn't have to take over games. Why? When you have a man like O'Neal as you center, you ride him to championships. How can Bryant be blamed for that? It's not like Bryant did nothing in the playoffs with Shaq.

Let's compare Kobe, Shaq and Jordan's playoff statistics.

Kobe Bryant: 45% FG, 33% 3PT FG, 81% FT, 5.1 RPG, 4.7 APG, 25.0 PPG, 4 titles

Michael Jordan: 49% FG, 33% 3PT FG, 83% FT, 6.4 RPG, 5.7 APG, 33.4 PPG, 6 titles

Shaquille O'Neal: 56% FG, 50% FT, 12.1 RPG, 2.8 APG, 25.2 PPG, 4 titles

Other than Shaq obviously having a better field-goal percentage and higher rebounding percentage because he's a big man, these statistics aren't all so different.

Jordan's stats were slightly higher, but to call Kobe overrated based on these numbers is like calling Einstein stupid. You lose all credibility by making that type of sweeping, unproven statement.

As I said in defending Kobe Bryant in the past, it's time to sit back and enjoy the unique talents and abilities he brings to the game.

It doesn't matter who's better between Jordan, Kobe or LeBron. All of them are supreme to their competition, and command more respect than being called overrated.

There are a few guys who enter the category of elite status, where no matter how you try and explain yourself, calling them underrated in their profession is just plain ridiculous.

You don't have to like them, but you have to respect what they've done. Guys like Kobe, Shaq, Jordan, Bird, Federer, Woods, James and Jay-Z.

Take it or leave it. And that's word to Bill Simmons.

Does Kobe Bryant Need Another Title to Solidify His Legacy?

Samuel Bell Jr — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:53:57 -0400

To answer the above question in one word: No.

Okay three words: A resounding NO!

Now that I've said that, I can end this article now, but since so many people are on television and in print chastising Kobe for the split of he and Shaquille O'Neal's marriage and downplaying his accomplishments, I'll go to battle for him a little further.

Has one man had to endure so much obscurity and verbal carnage in a 12-year career? Has a superstar of Kobe's stature had to evade so many questions and comparisons to a guy above 100 percent of his competition?

No.

For all of the things thrown around like garbage on a windy day about him, Bryant has shown to have the skin of a whale shark while allowing his play to sing a song to all of his detractors.

Regardless how rhythmic that sound is composed, some still choose not to listen. They hear music not at all indicative of what Bryant is playing, and blame him for what they cannot hear.

Instead of embracing the closest thing we've seen to Michael Jordan as he sprints through his Hall-of-Fame career, we've vilified him for his greatness.

Despite the fact that Bryant is easily the most visible and recognizable player in the NBA, he always makes himself available to the media and speaks eloquently as a tenured college professor.

Some people blame his mishap in Eagle, Colorado as why people are still harsh on Bryant. Others don't really have a logical explanation for their disdain for him other than saying an evasive statement like, "I just don't like him."

Analysts and writers continue to bash him for the split up with O'Neal, and blame him for not winning more titles with Shaq. Those same analysts and writers claim that Bryant needs to win the championship this season to cement his legacy.

Why?

If having more titles than over half of the NBA's top 50 players of all-time, passing Larry Bird and Elgin Baylor to name a few on the NBA all-time scoring list and playing in six NBA Finals series isn't enough, tean what is? Becoming president?

To even shout the claim that Kobe can't win a title without Shaq is just the last towel that Kobe haters have to throw in the legend's face.

Shaq won one title since departing from L.A, and Mr. "35 ppg" Dwyane Wade had a little something to do with that don't you think?

The easily-recognizable point here is that nobody can win a title alone. Not then, not now, and not ever.

If Jordan didn't have Scottie Pippen, he would've had considerable trouble winning any rings. Jordan has said that before, and would say it now.

LeBron James is getting a crash course on playing 1-on-5, and judging by his Cavaliers actually losing 5-of-6 to the Orlando Magic if not for his 1-in-every-10,000 fade away three, he needs that Pippen on his team.

So why are the standards different for Bryant?

Is it because he is so good that we feel that maybe, just maybe, Black Mamba could do it all by his lonesome? We aren't that foolish, are we?

Judging by the echoes of many bloggers and writers, we just might be that foolish.

Bryant is appearing for the second0consecutive season in the Finals, which is a feat within itself. Only two teams since Jordan's Bulls outside of the Lakers have made two consecutive Finals trips: the Detroit Pistons and New Jersey Nets.

Consider the fact that the Western Conference has emerged as the tougher of the two, and you can respect that stat even more.

Statistically, Bryant isn't far from Jordan as many naysayers would think. Here's a comparison of Jordan and Bryant's best three statistical seasons.

Michael Jordan's Best Three Seasons:

1986-87- 82 games, 48% FG, 18% 3 pt. FG, 86% FT, 5.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, 37.1 PPG

1987-88- 82 games, 54% FG, 13% 3 pt. FG, 84% FT, 5.5 RPG, 5.9 APG, 35.0 PPG

1988-89- 81 games, 54% FG, 28% 3 pt. FG, 85% FT, 8.0 RPG, 8.0 APG, 32.5 PPG

Kobe Bryant's Best Three Seasons:

2002-03- 82 games, 45% FG, 38% 3 pt. FG, 84% FT, 6.9 RPG, 5.9 APG, 30.0 PPG

2005-06- 80 games, 45% FG, 35% 3 pt. FG, 85% FT, 5.3 RPG, 4.5 APG, 35.4 PPG

2006-07- 77 games, 46% FG, 34% 3 pt. FG, 87% FT, 5.7 RPG, 5.4 APG, 31.6 PPG

Clearly, Bryant and Jordan have similar statistics, each showing that they can hurt you in all phases of the game.

Nevertheless, Bryant had to hear noise all around him about how he didn't get his teammates involved, shot too many shots and tried to do it alone.

In the immediate years after Shaq's departure, Bryant had no running mate. His best player was the inconsistent Lamar Odom, and Bryant felt he had to shoot more to make up for the lack of talent on the team.

Regardless of that fact, Bryant still averaged over five assists per game during those years. Of course, nobody talks about that.

After the Eagle fiasco, Bryant was turned into the nation's favorite athlete to hate. Jordan was alleged to have cheated on his wife countless times, leading up to their divorce. Whenever Jordan's name is mentioned, that's not on the docket.

Shaq made songs dissing Kobe. Bryant didn't respond to it like a man of class, and has continued to not fuel the many burning gasoline fires that spiral out of control every day from all possible directions.

As we get these 2008-09 NBA Finals between the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers started, it's time to celebrate our generations brightest NBA star.

Instead of spewing verbal discourse and venom toward Bryant's direction, maybe it's time to just shut up and let the man play. Let Jordan rest as the legend that he is, and respect the titles that Bryant already has and what he has done for the game.

Leave the comparisons to those who really know how to determine who's the best.

None of us.

LeBron James and The Cavs: Most Valuable Panic

Samuel Bell Jr — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:08:00 -0400

According to Cavaliers guard Mo Williams, the Cavs are the best team in basketball. Williams was quoted as saying simply, "we're the best team in basketball."

If you watched the Cavs throughout the regular season, the man has a point. If you watched this team go 8-0 in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the man sounds like he may be gloating a bit.

However, if you've watched them in the East finals against the Orlando Magic, the man may just be plain delirious. The best team in basketball wouldn't be down 2-1, and could've been 3-0 if it weren't for an insane shot by LeBron James would they?

The best team in basketball wouldn't be so upset by their under-performing ways that they chomp at the bit to say how great and confident they are, despite the fact that they have sore hinds from the Magic kicking them would they?

That's what Williams and the Cavs want us to believe.

They want us to believe that resting on their regular season and first two round of the playoffs laurels is quite enough.

They want us to believe that being down 2-1 and not playing their best basketball in all three games somehow means that they should talk smack for no apparent reason.

Oh, but there is a reason.

Intimidation, and the word that any athlete shivers upon hearing: panic.

Nobody has to tell the Cavaliers that they could easily be staring at a 3-0 hole right now. They know that.

Somebody does need to tell them that they should be quiet and just go win a game or two. When you win as many games as they did in the regular season and dominate two playoff teams the way they did in rounds one and two, we need more effort.

How about heart? Determination anybody?

Or maybe the Coach of the Year, Mike Brown, needs to figure out that his match-up scheme is not working and he needs to play these guys straight up?

Nope, just keep doing what has you in a hole to a team that you were supposed to be far superior to.

To quote Green Day, "my shallow heart's the only thing that's beating."

LeBron seems to be the only one determined to make a trip to the Finals, and guys like Mo Williams shouldn't be saying anything.

He looked like Zab Judah after he was getting a beat-down from Floyd Mayweather, Jr after he was elbowed by Anthony Johnson.

You could see the look in his eye and couldn't help but think, "this guy might pull a Carmelo Anthony and just swing on somebody and then run because he knows he just did something really stupid."

Fortunately, he made his free throws and didn't have to guard Johnson afterwards by virtue of his trip to the locker room.

Then Williams has the nerve to say the things he said donning sunglasses that he looked like he borrowed from Lauren Conrad?

To refer to text message vernacular, SMH.

With Game 4 on the horizon tonight in Orlando, the Cavs need to rebound like Dennis Rodman. They need to show us that they are who we thought they were, and that Orlando simply just isn't better than them.

Here's three things Cleveland needs to do to win tonight and avoid falling in a 3-1 hole.

1. Get a body on Dwight Howard

Howard's performance in Game 3 was more impressive than LeBron's. You ask why? Here goes:

Howard had 24 points and 9 rebounds in just 28 minutes. He made five of eight from the field and despite being a historically bad free throw shooter, he went 14-19 from the line and knocked down shot after shot when it mattered in the fourth quarter.

James did have 41 points in 42 minutes, but he only made 11 of his 28 shots for a putrid 39 percent field goal percentage, and he went one for eight from the 3-point line and missed more free throws than Howard when his team needed them.

It's time for James and his running mates to step it up.

Howard is way too fast and strong for Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and it's just getting ridiculous watching 'Z' try and guard him.

I actually feel bad for him, because it's also taking a toll on his offensive game. The Cavs need to send more bodies at Howard, and do it fast. At least make Hedo Turkoglu make shots with hands flying in his face.

2. The "LeBronnaires" need to get it going

James has shown one thing so far in his career time after time again: he cannot do it all alone. None of us expect him to.

Except for maybe his teammates.

LeBron needs help from his role players, and he needs it desperately. When James scores over 50 points and still loses, that's a horrible sign. It means that nobody else was making shots and felt he had to do it alone.

Williams, Anderson Varejao, Ilgauskas, Delonte West and that bench have to get it going or else. In Game 3, the Cavs bench scored eight points.

Mickael Pietrus scored 16 by his lonesome for Orlando, doubling the Cavs bench total. That has to stop for the Cavs to win this series. Beside Joe Smith, nobody on that bench has been good.

At all.

3. Mike Brown has to make better adjustments

After a couple of games in a series, teams make adjustments and they show on the floor. The problem for Cleveland is that they don't seem to have made them.

We all know Rashard Lewis, Turkoglu and Howard cause match-up problems for any team, but to this magnitude? Playing James on Rafer Alston has not worked for Cleveland, and Brown needs to stop that strategy before it costs him the series.

Varejao cannot guard Howard because he's too small and can't guard Turkoglu because of Turk's versatility. Nevertheless, I would take my chance leaving him on Hedo.

Turk hasn't played his best in this series, and I would force him to beat me.

Playing Z on Howard, Varejao on Turk, James on Lewis, West on Lee and Williams on Alston is the way to go. Doubling Howard with Varejao and Z off of Turk and allowing defensive rotations is worth a shot.

Turkoglu has to get hot and make the defense stay at home. Brown has to stop trying to employ the "Kobe-strategy" against Rajon Rondo from last year's NBA Finals when Bryant would help off of him because his lack of a consistent jump shot.

It didn't work for L.A, and isn't working for Cleveland because unfortunately for them, Alston's making shots.

The Cavs need to regroup and employ the winning attitude that brought them over 60 wins and a 8-0 run in the playoffs. They cannot get themselves into making bravado- laden statements to the media.

They have to go out and prove it, or else that dream final that Nike is so vehemently pushing may just feature one of its' participants.

Or maybe neither.

Feature Interview: 10 Questions for Bills RB Marshawn Lynch

Samuel Bell Jr — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:59:38 -0400

Entering the summer of 2009, the Buffalo Bills have commanded more attention and excitement than they have since the 1999 season when they made the Wild Card playoffs.

Expectations are high as ever, as the Bills teased the fans with a 5-1 start last season before Trent Edwards was blindsided.

Marshawn Lynch is an integral part of the Bills offensive attack, which only finished in the top-20 of one major offensive category, rushing.

Lynch ran for 1,036 yards and eight TDs on 250 carries last season, his second consecutive 1,000 yard season.

Marshawn has been an extremely hard-to-tackle, slippery back who has combined speed and power to fuel his all-pro rushing attack, and his first round selection has certainly been justified so far.

Recently, Lynch ran into some legal issues, starting with his hit-and-run case that occurred in May of 2008 that has since been resolved.

Three days after he appeared in the Pro Bowl, Lynch was found to be in possession of a loaded gun in California, and was served probation and a three game suspension at the hands of NFL commish Roger Goodell's PCP. (Personal Conduct Policy)

Lynch is currently appealing, but the star RB isn't expected to get the suspension rescinded.

With that said, the Bills presumably have to go forward without their No. 1 back behind Edwards. Will they sustain a viable rushing attack?

Will defenses respect Fred Jackson, Buffalo's substitute for Lynch?

We'll ask Lynch those and other questions as we pick his brain for an interview that talks about football and his 20 interception career that nobody talks about.

10. You were a player of many positions in high school at Oakland Tech. You reportedly amassed 20 INT's as a defensive back and three forced fumbles in one game as a defensive end. What ultimately made you choose to be a running back?

9. Roger Goodell suspended you for three games under his personal conduct policy. Do you feel that your behavior warranted that punishment, or that the policy may be a little unfair?

8. Do you believe that Fred (Jackson) will be able to fill-in effectively for you while you're on suspension, assuming it holds up, or will Trent (Edwards) have to pass too much?

7. You've probably had this question burn in your brain by now, but how do you feel about the signing of controversial WR Terrell Owens?

6. How much do you feel Owens can help this team, and are you worried about any potential conflicts or problems in the locker room with Owens?

5. Your teammate Lee Evans doesn't get the attention he deserves. Do you feel that the arrival of Owens will further deflect attention from Lee, or will the combination of the two be what Lee needed?

4. Dick Jauron has caught heat recently for Buffalo's play. Is it deserved, or is Jauron simply misunderstood and not the right person to place blame on?

3. How do you feel about the Bills defense entering the 2009 season?

2. Will the Buffalo Bills be a playoff team in 2009?

1. I always wanted to ask a NFL player, do you guys really care about your ratings in Madden NFL football games?

Hopefully I will actually get a chance to ask these questions of the Pro Bowl RB Marshawn Lynch, as he and the Bills embark on a mission in 2009 to steal a playoff berth and maybe even a Super Bowl appearance.

As the New York Lottery says, "Hey, you never know."

Utilizing T.O: How The Shotgun Can Solidify Buffalo's Offense

Samuel Bell Jr — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:30:07 -0400

When news surfaced of Terrell Owens signing with the Buffalo Bills, I thought the reports were erroneous. In today's "I must get the story first even if my sources are totally unreliable" society, sometimes things are reported before they're confirmed.

This time though, the reports were true. Buffalo had just signed Owens to a one year deal. Smart move.

Making the deal just one year was downright genius by Ralph Wilson, because if Owens disturbs the calm waters of Upstate New York, he'll pay and the fans will see to it.

On the other hand, if Owens has a great year and helps propel the suffering Bills franchise to a playoff berth, that will be the vindication he's been asking for.

As a wise man once said, "only responsible men are released from prior mistakes; everyone else suffers from the past's bitter wake." If Owens truly wants vindication, then he needs to behave and show us what he knows and what we haven't seen.

One thing Owens can do is catch passes and score touchdowns. Despite more drops than any other elite wideout besides maybe Braylon Edwards, Owens has been a difference maker everywhere he's played.

Playing with the young, inexperienced Trent Edwards can either spell frustration or success for the Bills and Owens.

In his past, Terrell has gotten into quarrels with former teammates Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb, and Tony Romo. Edwards is the least accomplished and experienced of the aforementioned QBs, and has won significantly less games.

The question is, "can Owens learn a new offense and surrender his ego for the success of the team?"

Looking from the outside-in and staring back in the past, the answer is no.

In all fairness to Owens, the past is gone and therefore he has a clean slate to work with, and a whole set of weapons beside him.

Buffalo had another down year on the offensive side of the ball last season, finishing in the top-15 of only one major category, which was 14th in rushing at 115.1 YPG.

The Bills finished 23rd in points at 21.0, 25th in yards per game with 305.1 and 22nd in pass yards per game with 190.0.

Their play calling became increasingly predictable as they attempted to maximize the meager offensive talent they had on every play.

Here's a look into how a typical drive would play out for the Bills:

1st and 10: A hand-off to RB Marshawn Lynch, usually off-tackle or up the middle, but with major penetration Lynch ends up breaking tackles just to gain a few yards.

2nd and 7: Another hand-off to Lynch, either on another off-tackle play the opposite direction or a toss to the strong side. Again the opposing defense reads it well and Lynch is buried after another 2-4 yard gain.

3rd and 4: Trent Edwards runs either the double TE singleback formation and looks for Robert Royal, or a three receiver set with Lee Evans alone on the short side of the field and Josh Reed and Roscoe Parrish in the slot on the other side.

Buffalo finished 40 percent on third down conversions, so four out of ten attempts on average they would obtain a first down.

Of course there were variations to those three plays, but it just felt like that sequence happened all too often.

Welcome Mr. Terrell Eldorado Owens.

Offensive coordinator Turk Schonert has many more options available to him with the addition of Owens.

Running the shotgun formation didn't work well as expected for Edwards, mostly because he didn't have time to get the pass off or the timing of the throw was disrupted.

Even with tackle Jason Peters anchoring the line, the phantom Pro-Bowler, Edwards still managed to get knocked around like a pinata play-after-play.

Now that the unhappy Peters has been traded away to Philly, Geoff Hangartner and Langston Walker need to give Edwards the time to make throws.

The shotgun is supposed to give the quarterback more passing options, and since he isn't directly under center, a few more seconds to pass using mobility and distance between the defensive line.

If your offensive line isn't delivering, it doesn't matter where you stand.

This unit for Buffalo should be able to gel together better without morale-buster Peters in the lineup. That could mean more room for Lynch and Fred Jackson to roam, and more time for Edwards to pass.

Thus, the shotgun formation can become the Bills best friend in 2009.

With the announcement of the return to the no-huddle offense made popular in the 1990's by Jim Kelly and Marv Levy, the Bills are attempting to put more pressure on opposing defenses and tire them throughout the game.

The shotgun could give the offense many advantages, and here are 3 variations of the shotgun that could be very successful for Buffalo in 2009.

1. Shotgun 4WR Trips Formation

This is a formation Buffalo hasn't used much in the past, but it may work well for them this coming season.

This could be a potential third down play with Jackson in the backfield because of his pass catching abilities out of the backfield. Terrell Owens could be alone on the short end of the field, with Lee Evans, Josh Reed and James Hardy bunched together on the other side.

There's many routes that can be ran out of this formation with endless possibilities, and it forces the defense to account for two stars in Evans and Owens, but also the height of Hardy and crafty route running of Reed, which is almost too much to ask the defense.

Also, don't forget that Jackson is very capable of making big plays in the passing game.

2. Shotgun 2RB and 3WR

This is a shotgun formation that the Bills have used before, but not with the personnel they could line up now.

There are two ways the Bills could use this, depending on the defense they're playing against. The first is Owens on the short side of the field, and Evans on the other side with Roscoe Parrish in the slot for speed, and both Lynch and Jackson in the backfield.

That will give Edwards a little less time to pass because Lynch and Jackson would both go out for passes after a Lynch chip-block, but the options are off the charts.

The other way would be Owens on one side, and Evans on the other with Josh Reed in the slot and Jackson in the backfield with a fullback.

This would give Edwards more time to pass the ball because of the fullback helping with protection, and better hands with Reed in the game finding holes in the zone or coverage.

Both those options can be a nightmare for teams to defend against because of the abundance of options.

3. Shotgun 4WR

This is a common shotgun formation in the NFL, but will simply make the no-huddle very hard to stop for opposing defenses.

With Owens and Evans together, there's many ways to line up to throw the defense off. Owens and Evans can be on opposing sides of the ball, and be motioned to the same side of the field, and vice-versa.

Lynch can start in the backfield and be motioned to the same side as T.O or Evans to create trips on one side. Parrish and Reed can be lined up together to create a speed vs. possession receiver type of attack.

The 4 receiver shotgun formation can be very successful for the Bills, and I envision them running it out of the no-huddle numerous times this coming season.

Buffalo will use the shotgun even more now that T.O has arrived in Buffalo, and the options available at Trent Edwards disposal can make him an elite QB by the twilight of the 2009 season.

The biggest question will be can the offensive line keep those pesky defenders off of Edwards' turf?

If so, Edwards and the shotgun will be waltzing into unfamiliar territory: the NFL Playoffs.

I hope they're ready to dance.

Will the AFC East Prove Too Tough for the Buffalo Bills?

Samuel Bell Jr — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:27:15 -0400

The AFC East has historically been a very competitive division, but has seemingly been in a stranglehold by dominating teams for the last 20 years.

In the 1990s, the Buffalo Bills won the division four times and the New England Patriots won it twice, making it six out of 10 years going to those two teams.

The 2000s have been ruled by the Patriots, who have won six out of nine division titles, including five in a row until the Miami Dolphins dethroned them last season.

Even with the loss of Tom Brady in Week 1, the Patriots still nearly managed to win the division again with a 11-5 record under Matt Cassel.

What does all of this mean?

That Trent Edwards and that futile Bills offense has some work to do this season.

Brady will be back in Patriot grey, blue, and red this coming season, and the division is shaping up to be tough as ever.

With the arrival of controversial, mercurial wide-out Terrell Owens, the Bills have to wonder from the outset did they make the wrong decision bringing him into the huddle and locker room.

Fans and media alike will have a lifesize camera lens on the back of Owens, and his every move will be watched more than a "Friends" reunion.

Will he be the difference between a 7-9 season and a 10-6 playoff season?

That remains to be seen, but Owens has at least shown a little more commitment by showing up to the Bills voluntary workouts after the media annihilated him for not being there from the beginning.

That media attention and speculation was a foresight into what this season will mean for Owens, so he better be used to it.

For Buffalo, they need to prove to the world and themselves that they aren't used to a losing culture and that they could make it interesting past Week 10 this season.

The question has never been the talent that shows up on Sunday and wears Bills blue.

Guys like Donte Whitner, Terrance McGee, Trent Edwards, Lee Evans, and Marshawn Lynch have proven that they can get it done on a pro level.

It's what's in the Bills hearts and mentalities that foster losing seasons. That mental edge is what the Bills lack, and one winning season may reverse that misfortune.

Being in a very tough division also hampers Buffalo's efforts, but in today's NFL, every division is tough except, well, the NFC West.

To have a fighter's chance, Buffalo must conquer the AFC East. How possible is that in 2009?

Let's look at the contestants and what they bring to the table in the division.

Contestant 1: Buffalo Bills - 2008: 7-9, fourth in division

Key Players- QB Trent Edwards, WR Terrell Owens, S Donte Whitner

The Bills have given their all to establish themselves as a dangerous team this coming season by upgrading their roster and ridding themselves of potential morale-murdering players.

Nonetheless, adding Owens is always a potential locker room fatality-like move, but the Bills are hoping his talent and expertise as a player will help develop young players while bringing his usual 75 reception, 1000 yard, 10 TD stats to Buffalo.

It was a calculated risk.

Much as it appears the Bills playoff hopes lie squarely on Owens' shoulders, they don't. Other guys like Edwards and Lee Evans have to stay healthy and play their parts.

If the core of Edwards, Evans, Owens, and Marshawn Lynch can remain healthy, the offense should be fine.

If one of them are hurt early or the Bills can't sustain continuity due to Lynch's three-game suspension or a morale issue, December could look quite familiar to Bills fans.

Bottom Line

I expect the Bills to be fine. They won't win the AFC East, but they will contend and win 10 games in 2009.

Contestant 2: Miami Dolphins - 2008: 11-5, first in division

Key Players- QB Chad Pennington, RB Ronnie Brown, LB Joey Porter

Miami surprised the world last season by dethroning the juggernaut Patriots and winning the East. Pennington appeared to have starred in a new "Back to the Future" movie and the Wildcat offense put opposing teams in fits.

Can you say, "one-hit wonder?"

Simply put, it won't happen again in sunny Florida. Chad is a year older, and the nature of the NFL has a way of exposing old, less mobile QB's. Basically, if you aren't named Brett Favre, injuries will likely slow you down.

Heck, even Favre had a shoulder issue that his bad play at the conclusion of 2008 was blamed on.

Defenses have had time to figure out the Wildcat formation, and you have to wonder when aging vet Ricky Williams will slow down.

The Dolphins are not solid on D, and a division that features a lot on offense will put up solid points against the Dolphins. That offense won't be able to trade points and they'll lose games.

A lot of them.

Bottom Line:

I don't see the Dolphins making the playoffs, or even having a winning season in 2009. I say between four and seven wins.

Contestant 3: New York Jets - 2008: 9-7, third in division

Key Players: RB Thomas Jones, WR Jerricho Cotchery, CB Darrelle Revis

When Brett Favre fell into the Jets' laps last summer, it was all the buzz about how the Jets may make the Super Bowl and be significantly improved.

It looked that way until Favre hit a brick wall and the Jets faltered down the stretch and missed the playoffs, resulting in players speaking out against the Hall-of-Famer.

Sometimes reaching into the cookie jar isn't the best idea.

New York B reached into that jar again in the NFL Draft, trading up to get USC QB Mark Sanchez.

Fickle fans in New York expect him to transform the franchise immediately, but if history shows us anything, it's that maybe that's a bit much to ask.

What happened to Kellen Clemens?

He's been lost in this all, and the Jets are a team in turmoil and nobody wants to admit it. They fell apart last season, released Favre who may be silly enough to be a purple people eater, drafted a hopeful rookie savior at QB, lost Laveranues Coles and fired Eric Mangini.

Reports are that Clemens will start, but will also know that if he just whiffs too hard, Sanchez will replace him.

How fun.

Bottom Line:

The Jets were an underachieving team before Favre got there, and just as they ended last season will be one again in 2009. Rebuilding time is underway for the men in green and white.

Contestant 4: New England Patriots - 2008: 11-5, second in division

Key Players: QB Tom Brady, WR Randy Moss, NT Vince Wilfork

Brady is back will be the theme in Foxboro for 2009, and his return from major knee surgery will completely hold the fate of this team.

Bill Belichick has been historically the best coach with the least to work with, and he and his staff had a great year out of back-up Matt Cassel last season.

Unfortunately for Bill, Cassel now wears Kansas City Chiefs colors and Brady's back-up is Matt Gutierrez. Who?

Exactly.

So what does it all mean for New England? It means trouble for the NFL once again and this division in particular.

Brady has been arguably the best signal-caller of the decade and his ride isn't quite over yet. With a good O-line in front of him, Moss and Wes Welker to throw to, a healthy Laurence Maroney and Adalius Thomas on D, the Pats are still scary.

Scary enough to ascend to the top of the AFC East in 2009. New England showed us in 2008 that the championship pedigree that exists in Boston can still power them to success.

Buffalo will give the Patriots some problems, and take one of their division match-ups next season, but ultimately the Pats season will rely on the knee of T.B, and he should be fine.

Bottom Line:

The Patriots will win the division for the sixth time in seven years with a 11- to 12-win season, but Buffalo will break their nearly decade absence from the postseason with a 10-6 record.

And that, my friend, isn't the product of wishful thinking. At least I don't think so.

Comparing The 1990 Buffalo Bills to Last Year's Pittsburgh Steelers

Samuel Bell Jr — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:11:02 -0400

Just looking at the picture of No. 12 in vintage Buffalo Bill gear brings back many good memories for Bills fans across the country.

That very same picture also causes upset stomach's and heartache for those same fans.

In the early 1990's, the Bills were a staple in football's coveted game, the Super Bowl. In the first of 4 straight Super Bowl losses, the Bills established themselves as a NFL powerhouse in a small market.

The same franchise that produced legends like the world's most hated pariah O.J Simpson and the beloved QB Jack Kemp, who recently passed away had ascended once again to the polaris of football glory.

The Buffalo Bills of the early 90's were also arguably the best Bills team ever assembled, and every skill position was covered well.

Five Hall Of Famer's including Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas, five divisional titles in six years, numerous accolades and a legion of loyal fans.

It's easy to forget the accomplishments and victories of the 1990 Bills squad because of the current streak of futility plaguing the franchise.

Currently the Bills are trying to endure a 9-year playoff absence after a heartbreak loss to the Titans in 1999 in what's now called the Music City Miracle, and have had 4 losing seasons in a row.

After a promising start of 5-1 last season, QB Trent Edwards went down and the Bills sunk with him. When he returned from a concussion, he never looked the same and Buffalo finished 2-8.

In a shrinking economy, talk began to surface that the Bills may end up moving, namely to Toronto, and now one home game a season is played in Canada.

The Bills fans remain loyal to the team despite their recent frugal efforts, and the Bills sold out every home game in 2008.

Maybe it's partially the memory of the 1990's Bills that keep the fans hoping and waiting for the day when their Bills will be at the forefront of the NFL landscape again.

In many ways, the 1990 Bills made Buffalo a household team and one that was considered a contender and garnered respect from the entire world of football observers.

Position by position, the 1990 Bills were far above their opposition and if it weren't for the infamous placekicker Scott Norwood, the score would've been 22-20 and not 20-19.

To understand how dominant the 1990 Bills were, here's a comparison to the current Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers by skill position.

The results may just shock you a little.

Quarterbacks- Jim Kelly vs. Ben Roethlisberger

James Edward Kelly, better known as Jim Kelly was drafted in 1983 by the Buffalo Bills, but played in the USFL instead because of poor attendance. He joined the Bills in 1986, and the legend began.

Ben Roethlisberger was drafted in the much hyped 2004 NFL Draft 11th by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Roethlisberger wasted no time stamping his winning attitude and persistence on the franchise, going 13-0 as a rookie.

Roethlisberger lead Pittsburgh to Super Bowl XL and a victory over the Seattle Seahawks in one of the most controversially refereed Super Bowl's of all time. Ben didn't play particularly well, but his team had his back, namely MVP Hines Ward.

Ben also lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl win last season, and his throw to the corner of the end zone to Santonio Holmes will be a play that will go down in championship history.

Kelly lead the Bills to 4 straight Super Bowl appearances, all losses including a 20-19 loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV.

Jim Kelly's 1990 stats- 14 games, 219/346 (63%), 2829 yds., 24 TD, 9 INT, 101.2 rat.

Ben Roethlisberger's 2008 stats- 16 games, 281/469 (60%), 3301 yds., 17 TD, 15 INT, 80.1 rat.

Kelly played two less games than Big Ben, but had better stats across the board besides yards, which he would've been much closer to if he'd played those two other games.

-Advantage Buffalo

Running Backs- Thurman Thomas vs. Willie Parker

Thurman Thomas was a 2nd round draft pick to the Buffalo Bills, in which he slipped because of a knee injury. Willie Parker arrived to Pittsburgh as a free agent out of the University of North Carolina.

Last season Parker's season was shortened by injury, as he ran for 791 yards on 210 carries in 11 games. His performance in the Super Bowl wasn't substantial as the running game wasn't focused on by the Steelers against Arizona's defense.

Thomas turned out to be a complete stud for the Bills, rushing for 1297 yards and 11 TD's in 1990 and catching for 532 yards and 2 TD's.

Thomas ran for 135 yards on 15 carries and had 5 receptions for 55 yards in his Super Bowl loss to the Giants. Although Parker still has years in front of him in his career, he's no Thurman Thomas.

-Advantage Buffalo

Wide Receivers- James Lofton and Andre Reed vs. Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes

James Lofton and Andre Reed became Hall of Fame receivers for the Bills with great hands and route running in the No huddle offense.

Hines Ward emerged as Roethlisberger's favorite target, while Holmes has matured and seems to be the heir to the aging Ward.

Lofton was aging when he arrived in Buffalo after 9 seasons in Green Bay. In 1990 he caught 35 balls for 712 yards and 4 TD's. Reed was a consistent air threat for Buffalo and had 71 catches for 945 yards and 8 TD's.

Ward was an established veteran receiver in 2008, and was known for his toughness. He caught 81 balls for 1043 yards and 7 TD's. Holmes was a young upstart with mounds of potential out of Ohio State in '08.

In his 3rd season, Holmes caught 55 balls for 821 yards and 5 TD's, including a spectacular game-winning TD catch in Super Bowl 43.

Combined, Reed and Lofton had 106 receptions for 1657 yards, while Holmes and Ward had 136 receptions for 1864 yards. Production edge slightly goes to the Steelers.

-Advantage Pittsburgh

Defenses

Despite Ben Roethlisberger not having a huge statistical year, the Steelers still managed to pull off a Super Bowl victory last season. Why?

Great defense.

The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers thrived on defensive intensity. They were ranked No. 1 in points and yards given, and boasted the NFL Defensive Player of the Year LB James Harrison, who made the game changing play of Super Bowl 43.

Harrison had 101 tackles, 16 sacks and 7 forced fumbles. LB James Farrior had 133 tackles, 4 sacks and 1 forced fumble. SS Troy Polamalu had 73 tackles and 7 interceptions, and the accomplishments of the Steelers D were immense.

The 1990 Bills weren't shabby on defense, either. Hall of Fame DE Bruce Smith had 101 tackles and 19 sacks in 1990. LB Cornelius Bennett had 96 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.

The 1990 Bills didn't pick off many balls, but caused turnovers by forcing fumbles. On the other hand, Pittsburgh caused havoc by rushing the QB and picking up huge chunks of loss yardage.

1990 Buffalo ended the regular season ranked No. 6 in defense respectively, while the 2008 Steelers were ranked No. 1. Both units were good, but the Steelers hold an edge.

-Advantage Pittsburgh

Intangibles

The 1990 Bills were NFL Icons and ahead of their time. Nobody knew that they would emerge from small Buffalo to be a 4-time AFC Conference Champion and go to four consecutive Super Bowls.

Good as that sounds, they loss them all.

Despite that fact, the 1990 Bills will always be remembered for their finesse on offense, no-huddle approach and team full of talented players.

The 2008 Steelers bullied their way past opposing teams, beating them up defensively and scoring just enough points to win.

They will be remembered for their defensive toughness and iconic QB, Big Ben Roethlisberger. Also, that catch by Santonio Holmes in the 4th quarter.

Nevertheless, that is reminiscent of the 2007 New York Giants that captivated all audiences with their astronomical upset of the undefeated New England Patriots one-year earlier.

Thus, the 1990 Bills will always be a staple in fans minds for what they accomplished in their glory days of the NFL.

-Advantage Buffalo

Hopefully the Bills return to prominence in 2009 because great as the 1990 Buffalo Bills were, fans need new memories to hang their football fan-hood onto.

But for now we remember the titans, or in this case the Jim Kelly led legendary Buffalo Bills, my favorite Buffalo Bills team of all-time.

Eight Burning Questions Entering the Second Round of the NBA Playoffs

Samuel Bell Jr — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:21:06 -0400

Now that all is well in the NBA world because of LeBron James' crowning of the coveted NBA MVP award, we can get to some second round playoff talk. D-Wade was the favorite to potentially surprise us all, but Kobe actually finished second in MVP voting.

I just had to say that.

Moving on, the first round of the 2009 NBA playoffs is over, and there were no huge upsets. The biggest upset was Dallas' pummeling of San Antonio in just five games.

After the seven-game series between Boston and Chicago, we could only hope that the rest of the playoffs can offer one series that can live up to the dramatics and big shots of that pairing.

It was sad that someone had to win.

Boston did win however, and now stare down the barrel of a Dwight Howard loaded shotgun that will likely have his way with Big Baby Davis and Kendrick "I always look angry but have no offense whatsoever" Perkins.

Seriously, has a player ever argued as many calls as Perkins does? If it were up to him, he'd slap someone across the head and draw an offensive foul on them.

As we know with Perkins, he does his damage on the offensive boards and against smaller guards driving the lane defensively. So does Howard, so their matchup should be fun.

The second round offers up some intriguing matchups that are sure to provide everlasting moments that the NBA will show us next year for some cheesy campaign that is supposed to draw us in.

Showing Kobe Bryant still wearing No. 8 hitting that game-winning shot against Phoenix three years ago is ridiculous. Why not bring out Magic's sky-hook against the Celtics if we're doing big shots from playoffs past?

For many new NBA fans, they didn't even remember that Kobe wore No. 8 before, and hasn't he made enough big shots wearing the No. 24? Why not show the infamous alley-oop to Shaq against the Pacers when LA won it's first of three titles?

I'll stop now.

Entering the second round, I have eight burning questions that will be answered on our way to the conference finals.

There will be two questions for each matchup, and there are eight teams left with four series between them, meaning there is a total of eight burning questions.

As my friend doing a Michael Buffer impersonation said last night before we began to drink, "Let's get ready to, uh, stumble!"

Western Conference Semi's- (1) L.A Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets

1. Can Ron Artest and Shane Battier slow down Kobe Bean Bryant?

This is one of the biggest if not most important questions to be answered in this series. Kobe isn't a one-man show anymore, and the Rockets know that, but they must force Kobe to shoot a low percentage.

Historically, Kobe and the Lakers have used huge 4th quarters to thwart the attack of Houston. Therefore, the Rockets have to keep their defensive intensity for all four quarters.

LA has shown so far in the playoffs that they'll let you score, but they will simply score more than you. That won't work against Houston.

The Rockets are a really good defensive team, and Kobe knows Artest and Battier will look to get in his head. Will he put up too many shots and hover around 40 percent shooting, or will he look for his teammates more often?

The answer will lie in Artest and Battier's hands, but ultimately, nobody can stop Kobe for seven games but himself.

2. Will Yao Ming be able to dominate Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol?

Last season the Lakers went all the way to the NBA Finals without Andrew Bynum, and many people wondered would they have won the NBA title had Bynum been healthy.

It became a scapegoat for Lakers fans to chunk up the loss to the absence of Bynum, and the fear of Pau Gasol.

Bynum is in the Laker lineup now, but he doesn't look comfortable and hasn't been himself. Entering this series against arguably the most offensive center in the game, Yao, Bynum averaged 5 PPG, 3 RPG and 1 BPG.

That won't get it done against Yao. Bynum and the Lakers know that, and this series may very well lie in the hands of Bynum.

The Lakers need him to get it together and to do it fast, because if they allow Yao to average upwards of 25 PPG, the Rockets will have a real chance in this series. Gasol is too small to handle Yao, so Bynum has to try to stay away from foul trouble.

If Bynum is completely outclassed by Yao, look out LA.

Western Conference Semi's- (2) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Dallas Mavericks

1. Can the tandem of Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki out-duel Carmelo Anthony and Nene?

The Nuggets have been my favorite team to watch all season, and the weaponry they bring to the table will scare the crap out of Rambo.

With a healthy Nene Hilario and Melo Buckets, Dallas has its' hands full in this series. Dirk Nowitzki is the best shooting big man in the league, and Josh Howard is an all-everything type of versatile player.

Something has to give.

Howard and Nowitzki were big parts of the train that ran Duncan and the Spurs out of town, and they'll have to be even better against the Nuggets. Denver is better defensively, and have renewed their commitment on both sides of the ball.

PG Chauncey Billups is part the reason for that, and the emergence of guys like J.R Smith and Dahntay Jones has helped solidify the Nugs.

Will the defense of Denver be able to hold down Dirk and Howard, or will the tandem of Anthony and Nene wear down that frugal front-line D of Dallas? The answer may determine your winner.

2. Which team will make more jump shots?

If you've watched the Nuggets and Mavericks play this season, one undeniable fact is both teams shoot jumpers. Lots of them.

With shooters like Melo, Billups, Smith, Nowitzki, Howard and Jason Terry in this series, there will definitely be some jump-shots-a-hoisting. Who will make a higher percentage?

Going by the first round, the best shooter for Denver from three was Billups at nearly 64 percent on 33 attempts. Dallas' best shooter from threewas surprisingly Jason Kidd, at 46 percent on 26 attempts.

It won't just be threes being shot from these teams, though. Both squads shoot a ridiculous amount of jumpers between 10 and 20 feet, and Nowitzki scores most of his points outside of the paint.

Jump shooting is a live and die by philosophy in basketball, and both these teams have lived through the first round making them. However, when that cold streak hits, which team can go inside for buckets?

Eastern Conference Semi's- (1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks

1. Can Atlanta slow down Mo Williams?

We all know any series involving the Cavaliers starts and ends with the name LeBron James. He's almost like Kobe now where teams know they won't be able to stop him.

The question is, "can you stop James' sidekick, Mr. Williams?"

Atlanta knows that Josh Smith and Marvin Williams or whoever they suit up can't stop James, but Mike Bibby has to be the defensive catalyst, and that's a very bad sign.

Bibby is a borderline defender, and Williams is very explosive and can stop and pop. His ability to pass makes him even more dangerous, and if the Hawks aren't careful there'll be a flying No. 23 all over the court catching alley's from Mo.

If Joe Johnson can play better in round two and average something like 24 PPG, 5 APG and shoot over 50 percent while slowing down Williams, the Hawks may hang around in the series.

2. Will Atlanta's role players step it up?

Atlanta is one squad that depends heavily on their role players, and Joe Johnson is the closest they have to a superstar.

Josh Smith is very talented and athletic, but not in the ranks of Kobe, Bron, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo, and those other superstars. Despite depending a lot on role players, the Hawks still finished fourth in the East.

To have any shot against Cleveland, guys like Flip Murray, Al Horford, Marvin Williams, and Zaza Pachulia have to step up big.

Against the Miami Heat, the Hawks role players didn't play well as they usually do and that series went all seven games. If that happens again with the Cavs, Atlanta can book their flights for a nice vacation, early.

Eastern Conference Semi's- (3) Orlando Magic vs. (2) Boston Celtics

1. Can Boston continue to win without Kevin Garnett?

Flat and simple, the Celtics need Garnett. That much we know. What we don't know is how much.

The Celtics went seven games twice in last year's playoffs with Garnett, so that epic series against Chicago could have went similarly with K.G. We won't get a full barometer on the Celts until we witness this series.

If Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo can continue to carry the load, the Celtics will win this series, but if they tire then the Magic will have a great shot of pulling it out.

2. Can Orlando continue to make the three-point-shot?

D-Howard is a beast down low and will get his rebounds, blocks and high-percentage shots. The question is, can Orlando keep making three's?

Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, and J.J Redick reigned three's on Philly's heads in that first round series and closed the Sixers out without Dwight Howard. That was a showing of how impressive they can be when making their shots.

When they aren't making shots they go inside to Howard and run the offense through him. That isn't quite enough to oust the World Champs.

They need to be on their game, and whether or not they're making threes will be imperative in this series.

Those are just eight questions that will surely be answered in this second round of conference semifinal games.

Whose championship dreams will fade away like Kobe Bryant's back-to-the-basket jump shot?

It will be exciting to see, and like Yao Ming said, "hey, like the NBA says, it's where amazing happens." Amazing would be an upset of the Lakers at the hands of the Rockets.

Don't bet your Hyundai on it.

Five Things We've Learned from the NBA Playoffs So Far

Samuel Bell Jr — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:15:01 -0400

I woke this morning to SportsCenter talking about how close the Boston Celtics-Chicago Bulls series has been, and I hadn't gotten over the epic Game Five I'd just witnessed.

Paul Pierce was like the Resurrection in the fourth quarter and overtime, and as he made John Salmons and Derrick Rose look silly over and over again, the game slipped right by Chicago at the hands of the Truth.

Truth be told.

After watching such a close game, the Dallas Mavericks followed in the doubleheader by beating on the Spurs for a fourth and final time. Someone had finally managed to put Tim Duncan out of the playoffs in the first round.

I couldn't have been happier.

As much as I love the Big Fundamental and Eva's man, I'm just tired of them. Period. They've won enough together and are such a boring team to watch.

It still feels weird to say, "The Spurs are out of the playoffs and it isn't even May yet!"

Defensive stopper Bruce Bowen looked like defensive flopper as Jason the Jet, Dirk Nowitzki and Josh "everyone forgot about my horrible offseason because my play shut them up" Howard ran them out of their own arena.

Houston and Portland look like deadlocked even squads in their beauty of a series, and Orlando is struggling with Andre Miller-Lite and Iggy. To put it simply, the NBA playoffs have been all we could ask for.

Only one sweep, and that was the old, dilapidated, outdated Pistons who wish they could enter the Nuggets facility and kidnap Chauncey Billups wearing full riot gear.

LA ousted the game Utah Jazz 4-1 and the Mavericks surprised the world by doing the same to the aforementioned San Antonio Spurs.

Dwyane Wade has nearly single-handedly kept the Heat burning against the Hawks, and Jermaine O'Neal has walked into the time-booth so far for this series.

I love Chris Paul, but he and his Hornets squad just gave up in Game Four against the Nuggets. How do you lose by 58 points?

58 points?! In the playoffs?!

God help Byron Scott's soul.

It was sad to see Scott at the press conference after the game. It was like he felt betrayed by his team. I thought he might cry. All of the quasi-laughter and mood-lighting tactics just attempted to cover the ugly facts.

No way, bro. Losing by 58 at home in the playoffs and scoring just 63 points in four quarters is an atrocity of epic proportions. The Nuggets have managed to make CP3 look normal in this series.

And at times, not very good.

Although the first round is not quite over, and there will be more excitement to come, we've learned some crucial things from these competitive playoffs already.

5. Rajon Rondo Is a Star

Rondo showed us last season that he could lead a championship team with the likes of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. That was very impressive and encapsulated in a title for Boston.

This season, Rondo has shown that he could lead a championship team without a huge piece in Kevin Garnett. Now that's impressive.

The Bulls have played their young hearts out in the series against the Celtics, but if it weren't for the play of one Rondo they would've been swept by Chicago. Rondo has averaged a triple-double with 24.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg and 10.2 apg.

That is a Magic-like stat line, and Rondo's a small PG. To be in the top-five rebounders as a barely 6'1" guard is amazing. To play devil's advocate, he is playing a young rookie guard, which brings me to...

4. Derrick Rose Needs To Work On His Defense

Okay, D-Rose is a complete stud. I love the guy's ability, quickness, and ever-present never-changing demeanor. His look alone could shatter a rock from the Grand Canyon. He has just been great, except for his defense.

A guy with feet as fast as his should be able to shuffle them with anyone, but Rondo has blown by him countless times in the series.

With the exception of his ridiculous 36-point performance in Game One, Rose has been completely outplayed by his PG counterpart. His numbers of 18.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, and 7 apg are good, but aren't Rondo-like in this series.

His decision-making hurt the Bulls late in the fourth as they squandered a 10-point lead, and Rondo's drives to the basket combined with Pierce's heroics is why the Bulls are one down right now.

Rose needs to work on his J from 19 feet and beyond this offseason, but those coaches have more to worry about with Rose. Defense, defense, defense.

3. The Spurs Need To Hit the Panic Button with Manu

Ginobili proved to be the most important part of that San Antonio team in the first round loss to the Mavs, as his driving and slashing ability was missed to the tune of a near-sweep exit for San Antone.

Duncan is the best PF to play, and that we know. What we also know is that he's not able to carry all of the load anymore. Duncan scored 10 points in a row in that Game Five elimination for the Spurs, but it wasn't enough.

Why?

Because Dallas had too many options on offense, and not enough height or experience to defend it in black and white. Other than Duncan, everyone was a defensive liability for Gregg Popovich.

Tony Parker has never been known for defense, Michael Finley either, Bruce Bowen is just old and ineffective, George Hill is too young and inexperienced, same for Ime Udoka.

Only Kurt Thomas was a help to Duncan on the defensive end, and Nowitzki can shoot over him all day. The Mavs just had too many weapons, and without Manu to guard Josh Howard, the series was over from Game One.

Bottom line, the Spurs have to worry about Manu's future. He's been injured a lot lately, and with Duncan slowing down, it may be time to look to someone else. Otherwise, next season might be a carbon copy for the Spurs.

2. Chauncey Billups Isn't Ready To Concede to Chris Paul

As Billups watched his former team get smacked in Bully Beatdown by the loaded Cleveland Cavaliers, he had to feel good about it.

Let's be honest about it: Billups was happy to leave Detroit. He knew their run had come to an end, and he needed a younger supporting cast to lead. Denver was just the right place for Mr. Big Shot, and he embraced it.

After a couple playoff failures at the hands of Allen Iverson, the Nuggets knew they needed a change. Billups has been the psychologist, leader, and all-star all packed into one for Denver.

The result has been an impressive first-round series against Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets. Billups has clearly outplayed Paul so far, and helped lead the Nugs to a 58-point win in Game Four that made history.

Paul is widely considered to be the best PG in the NBA, but Billups has shown that he isn't purchasing that notion. Billups has averaged 25 ppg, 3.8 rpg, and 6.5 apg. Paul has averaged 17.8 ppg, 4 rpg, and 10.5 apg.

Not to mention, Denver has made David West largely ineffective, and kept Tyson "my career is defined by alley-oops" Chandler from, well, catching alley-oops on their way to a 3-1 lead.

CP3 has been thrown around and bullied like never before. Billups is playing a version of Big Brother with Paul, and let's just say Paul is playing the role of Eli Manning. Only if Chauncey wore No. 18...

1. Dwight Howard Is Affected by the So-Called "Soft Talk"

When D-Howard hit the cover of Sports Illustrated smiling as usual around playoff time, I knew the time would come that he would be criticized for being so lighthearted. Great, America, let's turn another athlete into a mean ass because it isn't okay to smile.

Whatever.

Howard represents what sports should be. A great guy who is a perfect role model for children and fans, but can show amazing talent and grit on the court.

Make no mistake about it, Howard is a man too and all of the talk of him being too soft to win a title is eating him away, and he showed it in Game Five of the Philly series.

Entering this series, Kobe Bryant said that he would've never let the opposition use him for a prop for any reason.

As we know, he was referencing Howard allowing Nate Robinson to jump over him to defeat him for the dunk title. It was all in good fun for Dwight, as he won last year.

Lots of things are all in good fun for Dwight, and that's okay.

During Game Five, in the lane after a made shot Howard elbowed Philly big man Samuel Dalembert to the head for no obvious reason. Howard was not ejected, but should've been.

By the time you read this, he may be suspended for Game Six.

His show of supposed toughness may cost his team the series, because if Howard misses Game Six, the Magic may very well lose and you don't want this to go to Seven.

If Kobe doesn't make that statement and talk doesn't heat up about Howard being too nice, maybe he doesn't make that move.

Either way, it has happened and hopefully isn't a sign of things to come for D-Howard because him losing that smile would be a shame.

As we continue to watch the first round play out, it seems that the NBA Finals are destined to feature a Kobe vs. LeBron matchup that David Stern would salivate over.

But if upstart teams like Denver have anything to say about it, at least it will be exciting.

Stay tuned.

The NBA MVP From 200 Down To 1

Samuel Bell Jr — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:52:07 -0400

The term "Most Valuable Player" has taken such a different meaning in today's NBA. It seems more and more that there are so many factors that determine the eventual winner.

Some say that it is the player's overall meaning to the team. In other words, where would the team be without that particular player.

That isn't a very good way to determine who wins because that means at least eight players every year can win the MVP award.

For example, there's eight playoff teams in 2009 that wouldn't be in the playoffs if it weren't for their star player.

Those teams are: Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat and Utah Jazz.

The all-everything star players of those teams are Brandon Roy, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Joe Johnson, Dwyane Wade and Deron Williams in no particular order.

None of those teams smell the playoffs without those guys, so using that criteria is pointless. Others think that the MVP is overall the best player in the league.

That isn't effective in determining the award either, because every great player has a rival that is on the same platform as them.

Magic had Bird and Jordan, Olajuwon had Ewing, Shaq had Duncan and Kobe has LeBron. Who's the best out of LeBron and Kobe? That is highly debatable, but has no clear answer.

The MVP should be the player who meant the most to their team by overall play and team morale for that particular year. Say what you want, but Kobe Bryant was the clear MVP choice last season despite a great year from CP3.

Only if he had upstaged the loaded Celtics in the NBA Finals.

Many players are vital to their teams, but one player usually elevates his play and his teams play beyond expectations and has fun doing it.

Contrastingly, there's guys who hold their teams hostage with not fulfilling expectations and/or creating issues for the franchise.

That my friend is called the LVP or "Least Valuable Player."

We will determine who is both the LVP and MVP in a list that goes from 200 to 1. (Thanks Bill Simmons, one of the best to do it)

Last year the LVP was Stephon Marbury and the MVP was Kobe Bryant. I was right on both accounts. Steph has actually tried to fit in Boston and has become an option behind Rondo. Kobe is Kobe.

Who's MVP? Let's just say lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice. At least not in Los Angeles.

200. Jamaal Tinsley, Indiana Pacers

This year's LVP award winner, Mr. Tinsley has been like a big piece of lard carved from a piece of steak that wasn't good to begin with. It seems like centuries ago when he actually stepped foot in an NBA arena to play.

The guy hasn't played since 2008, has missed 135 games in the last three seasons and is scheduled to make nearly $7 million. Now he wants a buyout? He deserves to be let go for FREE.

192. Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets

What happened to him? T-Mac went from among the league's best to an expensive pest for Houston. He's like the ex-girlfriend that just won't seem to go away, even though there's still some luster there. He's missed a zillion games in the past three seasons, and is clearly not the same player. McGrady's went from 25 ppg to 16 ppg, and he's only 29. Watch out.

184. Jermaine O'Neal, Miami Heat

He's back on this list again. Maine has been terrible, and he's virtually no help to a Heat team that could use front-court muscle. Traded from the Raptors for another declining player Shawn Marion, O'Neal has managed to make the Heat actually miss Marion. After his five seasons of glory, this is his ppg average per year: 19.4, 13.6, 13.5, 13.0. Someone's career is burning with the Camry in the Carfax commercial.

173. Elton Brand, Philadelphia 76ers

One of the biggest deals made in the offseason, Brand was part of a quintuplet of bad players involved in ridiculously dumb moves. Brand, a declining Baron Davis, Corey Maggette and Ricky Davis all swapped places and were paid too much.

None of their respective teams made any noise this season, and Brand hurt himself and missed most the season. The injury wasn't the problem; the fact his team was better without him was.

158. Allen Iverson, Detroit Pistons

This deal was just bad. As Charles Barkley would say, "just terrible!" Chauncey Billups has thrived in Denver and made them a contender in the West. Iverson made the Pistons pretenders like Jarod, and it's sad to watch. His supposedly ailing back has kept him out of the playoffs to get ran out of the gym by LeBron, and that's good for him and Detroit. Maybe keeping his dignity is more important to him.

143. Zach Randolph, Los Angeles Clippers

When your season's highlight is a weak slap-punch to the face of Louis Amundson, your season sucked. Doesn't every season suck for Randolph? He's the proverbial "I'm selfish so I play when I want and I think much more of myself than I really am" guy, and his little impact in the win column for his whole career reflects that. Just look at Portland and weep, Zach.

127. Ricky Davis, Los Angeles Clippers

Just a loser. That's it.

109. Stephon Marbury, Boston Celtics

I commend him for being a backup to Rajon Rondo without complaining or causing a stir. I also commend him for being a fallen star and actually playing still without faking an injury. Keep your head up Steph, at least you're not the LVP again.

100. Baron Davis, Los Angeles Clippers

Thanks to the lying Elton Brand, Baron ended up in the basketball black hole by himself. Never trust a man when it comes to dollar signs. The whole Clipper team should be on this list, and you know what...

94. Marcus Camby, Chris Kaman, Baron Davis, Ricky Davis, Zach Randolph, DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers

These guys are all worthless as NBA players. They deserved their own spot here all together like that joke of a unit they put on the floor every night. I'm just saying. Maybe Baron still has something left, and Eric Gordon and Al Thornton are good players. That's about it.

81. Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors

He was supposed to really break out this year, but he went all jackass mode and screwed up his ankle. There was no way he'd miss the first half of the season and come back in shape and ready to play. Basically, he wasted a year of his career. Maybe he can return to form next season. Maybe not.

72. Jordan Farmar, Los Angeles Lakers

Farmar seemed to be molding himself into a serviceable backup and future NBA starting point guard. That was until Shannon Brown stepped into Staples with attitude. Brown is stealing all of Farmar's minutes like a squirrel in a tree biting nuts, and Farmar doesn't look like the angry squirrel who wants his nuts back.

His shoulders look slumped and he seems to be losing confidence faster than Paris Hilton loses her underwear.

54. Nate Robinson, New York Knicks

The little big PG played very well this season for the Knicks, who for the first time in forever had playoff aspirations for over half the season. The bad part about little Nate is that he simply doesn't pass the ball or make his teammates better. He averages 17.1 ppg, but under 4.5 assists per. If Jason Kidd offers a camp, he's better be first in line.

41. Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers

An injury waiting to happen, Oden has the record for most times a franchise held it's breath in a player's first two seasons. Every time Oden makes a step, Nate McMillan is looking away hoping he will turn his head to see Oden still standing. Oden so far is a out of shape looking softie who can play a little when he's healthy and not fouling. That's a whole 'nother story, bro.

33. Trevor Ariza, Los Angeles Lakers

After his foot injury, Phil and Kobe actually have a hidden gem in Ariza. He's played very well for LA, and his intangibles on the court could mean the difference between watching No. 23 or No. 24 holding up the trophy at Finals end.

21. Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee Bucks

The man with no eyebrows has been a good player for Scott Skiles in Milwaukee. I find it interesting that he gets laid into for Twittering during a game, but Shaq got away with it. Anyway, Villanueva is a difference maker who joins Rudy Gay as UConn players who are still being overlooked. All you fantasy-ers watch out for Charlie next year.

17. Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix Suns

Even though the Suns missed the postseason for the first time since the 2003-04 season, Shaq was a bright spot in his old age for Phoenix. The big man won the All-Star game MVP with his old friend Kobe, did a great performance with the Jabbawockeez, and averaged nearly 18 ppg and over 8 rpg.

11. Derrick Rose/Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks/Chicago Bulls

Both of these guards helped to lead their teams to the playoffs, and were superb. Johnson has been around longer, but his teams maturity and better play may lead them into a second round birth. D-Rose has exceeded all expectations in Chicago and beside being the league's best rookie, is currently pushing Rondo and the champs to the hilt.

10. Chauncey Billups/Carmelo Anthony/J.R Smith, Denver Nuggets

Billups arrived in Denver to a wacky team that never could make sense of their talent. Melo shoots less, J.R realizes how good he is and Billups is the facilitator. Bingo.

9. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

Another great regular season for the German. We expect it now.

8. Yao Ming, Houston Rockets

Full season, no McGrady, Ron Artest, emergence of Landry, Wafer and Brooks, playoffs. Same formula, hopefully for the 20-10-3 Yao, not same results.

7. Deron Williams, Utah Jazz

Second most dangerous PG in the league, Williams can score, shoot and pass. Not to mention, he'll pick your pockets. If the Jazz dump Boozer and pick up someone like Chris Bosh in 2010, the Jazz may be playing tunes in the Finals.

6. Pau Gasol/Tim Duncan, LA Lakers/San Antonio Spurs

Duncan is getting old and his NBA career is winding down, but he's still the most crafty big man to play in a long time. Pau Gasol has been sensational again and will be the difference for Kobe. Can he toughen up?

5. Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers

I just love this guy's game. Since the days in Washington. The consummate pro, Roy is a lethal shooter who can do it all on the court. If the Blazers indeed get past the Rockets, watch out KB24.

4. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

The best center in the game, Howard is developing moves down low everyday. All of the talk about him not being serious enough is wrong, and Rafer Alston is NOT Jameer Nelson.

3. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

Just plain face-scrunching amazing. Period. Best comeback season since Michael Jordan. Never count D-Wade out again. He may be home by May, though. Damn you Michael Beasley!

2. Kobe Bryant/Chris Paul, Los Angeles Lakers/New Orleans Hornets

Last year's MVP, Kobe's been doing it for a long time now. Remember the days he hung out with Brandy? He's not that KB anymore, and if it weren't for someone wearing the No. 23's jaw-dropping year, he may be a two-time MVP. CP3 is the best point in the NBA, and will be back in this position every season. Don't worry Chris, your Maurice Podoloff trophy is on the way.

MVP- LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

I could go on and on about 'Bron's statistics, but I will spare you that. The point is, the young man from St. Vincent St. Mary's has became the best overall player in the game. Kobe's soon ready to hand the torch, and LeBron couldn't be more ready.

Giving him Mo Williams was a brilliant move by the Cavs front office, and may mean a title in Cleveland. LeBron's passion, morale, hard work on both sides of the court, respect commanded from his teammates and the entire NBA and astronomical abilities make him the 2008-09 season MVP.

You can book it.

You can also book the fact that LeBron will win more of these and that he's become that guy that nobody can guard or has any answers for.

Just ask Detroit.

Will Jay Cutler Lead Bears Or Terrell Owens Lead Bills To Playoffs This Season?

Samuel Bell Jr — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:26:21 -0400

The 2009 NFL offseason has been much like an episode of MTV's "The Hills."

There've been so many rich people creating all kinds of drama whether or not it seemed to be necessary. The biggest bomb was dropped when Jay Cutler was dealt to the Chicago Bears.

It was like Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag finally calling it quits. Cutler was Heidi and McDaniels was the Spencer that could no longer be trusted, only there was no emotional connection.

Cutler seemed to be happy to be in the land of the wind, and McDaniels seemed to be singing his own version of "Happy Trails" after Cutler was gone.

Losing a Pro Bowl QB can't make you too happy, but McDaniels better hope that his decision pans out, or his NFL head coaching tenure will end faster than Britney Spears' first wedding.

Bringing Kyle Orton to Mile High will help because it gives the Broncos a veteran presence, and with the two Brandons and Eddie Royal, he'll have targets.

Meanwhile, Cutler has nobody to throw to that has had close to a 1,000-yard season in the last few years and a second-year starting RB who had a very promising rookie season in Matt Forte.

In other words, that offense seems to be a bit anemic, but with a gunslinger like Cutler, maybe in the words of Lupe Fiasco, "It just might be OK."

The other huge news of the free agent period was Mr. First Team Option being released by the Dallas Cowboys and subsequently signed by the small-market Buffalo Bills.

If that wasn't a shock, then maybe his appearance at the voluntary workouts was. Everyone knows that Terrell Owens never shows at these things, but for some reason he felt compelled to go to cold Buffalo to do just that.

Was it a voice in his head? Media pressure? Is he worried about team chemistry all of a sudden because he knows he needs a contract in 2010? Given his history of selfishness, I'll go with the last question.

Regardless, Owens seems to be trying to be on better behavior. If he can be consistent throughout the season, will the Bills risk pay huge dividends? Buffalo faithful hope so.

Which player's arrival will mean a potential playoff berth next season? Buffalo hasn't seen the postseason since the "Music City Miracle" before the millennium and the Bears have faltered since a Super Bowl 41 loss to Peyton Manning and Indy.

Of course Owens and Cutler are just one, and they need a whole team to win, so who has a better supporting cast?

Chicago Bears: 9-7 2008 record

Quarterbacks—This is a no-brainer. Even Tara Reid knows that the addition of Jay Cutler is an upgrade at this position, and the Bears finally have a franchise QB to rely on not named Grossman or Orton. But, with the talent on offense, maybe the fringe ability on O was holding back both Grossman and Orton. With a guy like Cutler in black, we will definitely find out.

Running Backs—After wasting time on first-round draft choice Cedric Benson and trading away 1,000-yard rusher Thomas Jones, the Bears' running attack rebounded nicely with rookie Matt Forte.

His ability to make plays in and out of the backfield assisted Orton and led the Bears to a near playoff appearance. With Forte returning for his second season, and the other Adrian Peterson and Kevin Jones around to take snaps, this position seems to be in good shape for once in Chicago.

Wide Receivers—Now here's the potential stinker in Chi-town. The receivers are second- and maybe even third-tier. Cutler is used to having freak of nature Brandon Marshall and crafty vet Brandon Stokley to throw to. Neither of those guys exist in Chicago.

Instead, he has Rashied Davis and Earl Bennett to throw to. There may be some rapport with Bennett because they played together in Vanderbilt, but that only goes so far. Besides TE Greg Olsen, Cutler may find his targets to throw to frequently on the other team.

Offensive Line—The O-line in Chicago knew it needed to make some changes for 2009, and the Bears have attempted to address that.

They signed All-Pro LT Orlando Pace from the St. Louis Rams and also signed some depth with Kevin Shaffer and Frank Omiyale. Those are good attempts to move forward with more protection, but is it enough?

Does Pace still have what it takes to start in the NFL, and can Omiyale become a serviceable starter? It all remains to be seen, but Cutler can't do much from lying face-first in the turf.

Buffalo Bills: 7-9 2008 record

Quarterbacks—Trent Edwards started off his 2008 campaign as well as any other QB taking snaps in the league, and the Bills were 5-1. Thanks to a hit by a blitzing Adrian Wilson, the puck stopped right there.

Edwards missed a couple weeks with a concussion, but the damage to the Bills' fragile psyche was done. They finished 2-8 with losses to the Browns and 49ers, thus missing the postseason again.

Edwards has shown flashes of being an extraordinary QB, but he needs to prove it this season. With Owens and Evans at WR, he's expected to deliver. We all know how Owens can be if his QB doesn't.

Running Backs—Due to complications of stupidity and irresponsibility, the Bills will be without RB Marshawn Lynch to start the season. That's a huge blow to a team trying to put it all together on offense.

If there's any silver lining here, it's that Buffalo held on to fourth-year RB Fred Jackson, who ran for 571 yards and 3 TDs in limited action last season. This position will be dependent on Jackson's production in the three games that Lynch won't be around. If he can keep the offense from becoming one-dimensional, they'll be fine.

If not, than Edwards will have to throw too much and the Bills could be reeling when Lynch returns from a 0-3 start.

Wide Receivers—This is supposed to be the money position in 2009 for the Bills. Signing oft-problematic WR Terrell Owens to a one-year deal seems like a risk, but a good one for Buffalo, who desperately needs to end their playoff hiatus. The question is, can Owens make that happen?

It depends on many factors, but having the core of Lee Evans, himself, Edwards, and Lynch will be cerebral to their success as a team. If Owens can go with the flow and stay quiet and avoid the injury bug, this unit won't disappoint.

Add in a healthy James Hardy and Josh Reed, and the Bills may win 10 games. Oh, and don't forget about second-year TE Derek Fine out of Kansas.

Offensive Line—LT Jason Peters continues to be the story by spreading grapevine fire in Buffalo, and someone needs to step up and halt it before it gets out of control.

Peters wants to be traded, it seems, and his late report to camp last year is still fresh in the heads of Bills fans. Peters made the Pro Bowl, but his season just didn't seem good enough to warrant that type of recognition.

He now has the front office in knots, and whether he stays or goes and his morale if he stays is the story right now. If he stays and is happy alongside Langston Walker, the Bills should be okay. If he's traded and replaced by Demetrius Bell, Edwards could be on the ground more than he's standing.

Verdict

The Bills seem to be headed in the right direction following the signing of Terrell Owens. With tools already in place, they just need to avoid the injury plague, and winning would keep Owens' mouth shut.

On the other hand, the Bears seem to be missing a few pieces and may need a year or two to maximize the talents that Cutler has brought over from Denver.

I see Owens being more likely to help the Bills to a playoff berth by a slight margin, finishing 10-6. The Bears will finish with a record like 8-8 or 9-7, but not suiting up in the playoffs.

What will we say about Owens if this happens?

Who's the Blame for the Jay Cutler-Josh McDaniels Mess? Consider This...

Samuel Bell Jr — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:48:44 -0400

The recent trade of former Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler was as big news as we've seen recently out of NFL front offices.

I nearly broke my favorite chair when ESPN broke the story that Cutler had been dealt to the Chicago Bears. I actually spilled the Corona I was drinking on the chair, which ironically was a Corona captain chair.

Anyhoo, I couldn't believe a franchise guy had been traded so quickly, and that it seemed like it was trading glasses of Kool-Aid.

There's a lot riding on a trade of that significance, and maybe the young exuberance of incumbent Broncos coach Josh McDaniels combined with a superego is how it happened so easily.

How do two men have this astronomical of a fallout, especially when millions of dollars are involved over soiled emotions?

It's like watching two sororities fight over the winner of a step show. In other words, there had to be a way to iron this thing out.

Apparently it wasn't, and Broncos fans and NFL fans alike are furiously taking sides in this issue. Who's to blame and why?

Is it Cutler because of his tissue-like emotions, and the fact he allowed a little spilled drink to soil them?

Is it perhaps McDaniels because of his flirtation with a former player that he felt comfortable with? There have been so many arguments about this issue, and everyone seems to feel like the answer is so simple.

Clearly it isn't.

The talk has been circled around what the Bears gave up for Cutler, and quite honestly I don't know why.

Draft picks are very important to a team's future, but when you trade them it's obvious the piece you're receiving means more to your future than the possible draft picks.

Who knows what those first round picks would bring Chicago? One thing for certain is more likely than not those picks will take time to show anything.

Cutler can show you something NOW. Risking something on a franchise QB with over 4,500 yards and 25 TDs with no defensive support is worth a few picks.

It's a calculated risk. The argument that Kyle Orton is nearly equivalent to Cutler is an obvious reach and complete fallacy.

Orton passed for less than 3,000 yards and 20 TDs, and ended the season with a 9-7 record. The Broncos were absolutely despicable on D, and everyone knows a QB's best friend is a defense. Just ask Kerry Collins.

Orton has shared time with Rex Grossman, and just won the full time job last season. He had a consistent running threat with rookie Matt Forte, something the likes of Cedric Benson couldn't provide them.

Before that Orton was just, well, very very average. It's amazing how fast people forget when someone breaks out a little.

Nevertheless, with a less than scintillating amount of talent coming out this season, and a possible QB dominated draft in 2010 with Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, Zac Robinson and Tim Tebow coming out to name some, the Bears will be fine.

Denver could pick some players that don't pan out. Maybe one of the picks becomes a consistent contributor. Who knows, but the whole notion that they got the better deal with a whole plethora of potential talent is absurd.

Cutler is already established as a top-level performer in the league, and the Broncos are left with Orton, Darrell Hackney, and Chris Simms on their roster. Cutler's production trumps them all, easily.

At best the Broncos got the best they could hope for in exchange for Cutler, but it wasn't equal. When you give up your house in hopes of winning three, what happens when you don't receive any?

Exactly.

Of course, you could win three mansions and be sittin' pretty forever. I wouldn't want to gamble with that, though.

Neither should have McDaniels, and this scenario is why I believe he was the guilty party here.
Consider this:

You have a girlfriend of three years. She's become an amazing catch, as you've helped develop her into a woman and one who maximizes her personality's potential.

Everything seems OK, but you and her decide that you are better friends and you are taking a job elsewhere and don't want to continue a long distance relationship.

You move away, and are match-made with a new girl that is as beautiful as Eva Mendes. She has what you need in almost every conceivable way, and is far above average.

For some reason though, you find out your old girlfriend may be moving to town and is available.

Without even telling the new girl about it, you call up your ex's parents and tell them that you are in love with her and can't live without her, and try to convince them that she will be fine with you if she moves.

Meanwhile, your new girl finds out about it and the ex-girlfriend decides to move elsewhere. Now you've lost her and broke the trust with your new girl.

Essentially, Matt Cassel is the ex you couldn't get over, Cutler is the new girl, and you've just made a huge mistake. Realizing this, you try and get the new one back but she feels like she can never trust you.

She has that right, and she hasn't even known you that long.

When you look at it that way, Cutler was well within his rights to not trust McDaniels anymore. If someone did you like that, would you feel warm and cozy about going back to that situation?

You sure wouldn't, unless you were a guest on Maury.

Did Cutler kind of act like a baby? Sure he did, but he was within his rights to. If trust is a big thing to him, then why can't he be allowed to want to trust his coach?

McDaniels broke trust he never established, and tarnished his most important relationship as a coach. That my friend is a recipe for dissension.

Let Cutler re-establish himself in Chicago with a new coach he can trust, without sneaking behind his back.

He at least deserves that, right?