Bleacher Report - Articles by Ryan Hogan

The Matt Cassel Trade: A Conspiracy Theory

Ryan Hogan — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 10:22:09 -0500

The truth is out there.

The New England Patriots traded quarterback Matt Cassel and 12-year veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs for a second-round draft pick, the 34th overall.

This trade obviously indicates that the Patriots are confident in Tom Brady’s return after losing him to a season-ending injury in 2008. This trade may also indicate a vast NFL conspiracy of epic proportions.

OK, that is a hyperbole and a much more dramatic way of saying "collusion."

The man calling the shots for the Chiefs is Scott Pioli. He joined the team in January after working for the Patriots’ organization since 2002 as their President of Player Personnel.

(Cue eerie Twilight Zone music).

The Patriots put a franchise tag on Cassel, meaning any team that signed the former USC backup quarterback would have to give New England two first-round draft picks.

By trading Cassel to Kansas City, the Patriots avoid paying him $14.65 million.

The Chiefs get a quarterback they desperately need. Cassel threw for 3,693 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2008. During that year, the Chiefs paraded out Brodie Croyle, Damon Huard, and Tyler Thigpen (or the three geeks from the X-files known as “The Lone Gunmen").

To further the point, three other teams were in the mix: the Denver Broncos, the Detroit Lions, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So, we are to believe that none of the aforementioned teams, two of which desperately need a quarterback, were willing to give up more than a second-round pick for Cassel?

Put on your tin foil hats because here is how the conspiracy transpired:

Pioli and the Patriots knew Pioli was going to get a general manager job in 2009.

Pioli knew whatever team was going to hire him would need a quarterback, and he wanted Cassel.

The Patriots did not want to keep Cassel and pay for two starting NFL quarterbacks if they were sure Brady was healthy. However, if Brady was not healthy, they wanted to keep Cassel.

So at Piloi’s behest, the Patriots put the franchise tag on Cassel, which was a price tag Piloi was willing to pay regardless of which team hired him.

With Cassel franchised, this made Cassel unattractive to other teams since they would have to give up two first-round draft picks if they signed him.

If a team did sign Cassel, great, they get two first-round picks as compensation. If no team wanted to sign him, they already had a deal with Pioli.

This scenario bought the Patriots two more months to see how Brady was healing. When free agency rolled around, they realized Brady was healthy, therefore, Cassel was no longer needed. So, as per their original, furtive agreement, the Patriots traded Cassel to Pioli for a measly second-round pick.

This was all worked out between the two parties sometime in late December or early January. Chris Mortensen announced Cassel would be franchised on Jan. 4, and it became official on Feb. 5. Pioli’s hiring was confirmed as Chiefs new general on Jan. 13, 2009.

While this article may seem like another anti-Patriot exegesis, these types of trades happen frequently, not only in the NFL but in all of professional sports.

Yet, these trades are greeted with zero complaints and complete lack of outrage.

Two entities, with a wink and a nod, may have conspired to complete an unfair trade with major league-wide ramifications and no one seems to care.

An investigation by the league would be appreciated, but they will not find anything. How can you prove collusion in a league built on cronyism?

Still, it is hard to believe that this trade did not germinate while Pioli was still a Patriot.

It is also tough to believe that Pioli does not owe his former team a big favor.

Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to have a smoke with the cigarette-smoking man and wait for the black helicopters to arrive.

Albert Haynesworth-a-Lot to the Washington Redskins

Ryan Hogan — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:44:18 -0500

Just hours into NFL free agency, the Washington Redskins signed All-Pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a seven-year contract worth about $100 million. The deal includes an NFL-record $41 million in guaranteed money.

When it’s all said and done, that will probably work out to around $10 million dollars a face-stomp.

Haynesworth is an outstanding tackle but the Redskins greatly overpaid for his services. Not only that, but the 6'6", 320-pounder comes with a less-than-positive reputation.

The former Tennessee Titan hasn’t played a full season since his rookie year, he’s known to take plays off and he has problems managing his anger.

For instance, Haynesworth was suspended five games—a NFL record for in-game misconduct—in 2006 for rubbing his cleats over Dallas Cowboys’ center Andre Gurode’s face.

Last year the Redskins finished the year with the fourth-ranked defense and allowed the 6th fewest points in the NFL. Those numbers are even more impressive if you consider the Redskins played six games against teams with top 10 ranked offenses.

However, the Redskins had the 19th-ranked offense and the 23rd-worst passing attack. The Redskins scored fewer points than the Detroit Lions and completed only 35% of their 3rd downs.

Therefore, signing Haynesworth doesn’t make the Redskins exponentially better it just bolsters one of their strengths.

So what exactly is Haynesworth going to bring to the ballclub? Is he going to make it difficult for opponents to run out the clock late in the fourth quarter as they lead the Redskins, 24-10?

One critic said Haynesworth makes everyone around him better. Hopefully the Redskins surround him with their offense because that’s what they need to improve.

I also heard a sports writer claim Haynesworth’s signing is a great marketing ploy to get fans talking about the Redskins.

Fine, then here you go:

“Hey Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, here’s another article written about your team and their glamorous off season moves. How the hype is going to win you a Super Bowl, much less a playoff game is beyond me, but congratulations, you’re being talked about!”

Haynesworth is a great player and he will keep the Redskins’ defense near the top of the rankings, but he’s not the best signing, dollar-for-dollar, made on the first day of NFL free agency.

The best signing was the New England Patriots acquiring Fred Taylor. Yes, the 11-year veteran is a 33-year-old running back (ancient by NFL standards), but the Patriots got him for cheap and they will maximize his experience and talents to the fullest.

There will be at least one game in 2009 where Taylor carries the ball 25 times and leads the Pats to victory. Granted, Taylor won’t rush for a 1,000 yards or score 10 touchdowns, but the running back will be worth every penny of his contract.

The same cannot be said of Haynesworth.

David Stern, NBA Set to Receive Bailout

Ryan Hogan — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:20:45 -0500

The NBA is expected to borrow $200 million to help 15 franchises that are struggling through the current economic recession.

The funds will be distributed evenly, with each of the 15 teams getting no more than $13.33 million.

Hopefully, this loan will come with a stipulation that teams can no longer give enormous contracts to busts, stiffs, and malcontents.

The NBA was not searching for a stimulus package. Instead, JP Morgan and Bank of America contacted the league and offered to loan them some money. Meanwhile, most NBA fans can’t even get a loan to buy a pack of gum.

The 15 teams have not been identified, but it’s easy, judging from empty seats and salary dumps, to determine the struggling teams.

Franchises with incredibly wealthy owners, like the Portland Trailblazers and the Dallas Mavericks, are fine. So are teams from large media markets like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston.

However, teams that recently moved, teams in small media markets, and teams run by Steve Kerr are in serious trouble.

As for ramifications, this loan could eventually lead to a lowering in the league’s salary cap from $59 million to $57 million. That’s good news for teams well below the salary cap but bad news for franchises already paying luxury taxes.

It could also mean the elimination of lucrative contracts for coveted free agents. Instead of entering free agency, some players may choose the sure thing and sign contract extensions with their current teams.

Looking further into the future, this loan could be the first sign of a work stoppage. The current collective bargaining agreement ends in 2011 and, according to those in the know, owners are willing to endure a shut-down in order to lower the salary cap and retain more revenue.

As an indication of our dire financial times, when I started writing this article the NBA was only borrowing $175 million. By the time I was finished, the NBA announced they were borrowing an additional $25 million.

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens: Baseball's Eroding Legacy

Ryan Hogan — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 04:16:19 -0500

Imagine the NFL Hall of Fame one day without Joe Montana, Jim Brown, and Jerry Rice. Think of the void in keeping out Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar as NBA Hall of Famers.

Athletes such as major league slugger Mark McGwire, who was left out of the MLB Hall of Fame after accusations he used steroids while playing, face a rough road in being elected in their respective shrine, largely because of speculation that the player might have been juiced.

Two more of major league baseball's greatest players face a more immediate challenge, however, as slugger Barry Bonds faces 10 counts of making false statements to a grand jury, while pitcher Roger Clemens is being investigated to determine whether he lied under oath while testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Allegedly, Bonds and Clemens lied about taking steroids.

Bonds could face a sentence ranging from probation to two years in prison. Prosecutors investigating Clemens are still months away from filing charges—if they file chargers at all.

Their situations remind observers that it’s not so much crime that gets people in trouble, it’s the cover up.

However, it’s doubtful either one will spend a night a jail.

In the Bonds’ case, a federal judge recently excluded three positive drug tests from evidence because they lacked a direct link to him. In Clemens’ case, his accuser is his former personal trainer, the less-than-credible Brian McNamee.

The fortunes they earned on the diamond will pay for their legal defense, but no amount of money can repair the damage they wrecked on their legacies.

Bonds is baseball’s home run king with 762 career home runs, and is a seven-time Most Valuable Player.

Clemens has won seven Cy Young Awards, and is one of only four pitchers to amass 4,000 strikeouts. He’s also won 354 games.

Their legendary accomplishments fail to surmount the stigma of cheating that comes with taking steroids. Voters don’t like it when players, no matter who they are or what they’ve done, step on the integrity of the game.

After all, these are the same voters who didn’t support Pete Rose after he was banned for betting on baseball. Actually, baseball’s all-time hits leader, with 4,256, was officially banned from induction.

All this leads to quite a sobering realization. Major league’s baseball greatest hitter, greatest home run hitter and greatest pitcher won’t be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Pacman Jones' Attending Super Bowl XLIII or Tampa's 43 Strip Clubs?

Ryan Hogan — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:31:16 -0500

The NFL will play its 43rd Super Bowl on Sunday.

Troy Polamalu wears No. 43 for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In Tampa, Florida the No. 43 has its own meaning, it’s the number of strip clubs found in the metropolitan area.

Incidentally, all 43 Tampa-area strips clubs have a dancer named "Shyla."

The week leading up to the Super Bowl is for Tampa strip clubs what the day after Thanksgiving is for shopping malls (minus the g-strings and tassels).

"Based on what we did last Super Bowl (in 2001), the numbers will quadruple during that [week]” says Nick Polefrone, general manager of 2001 Odyssey, a gentlemen’s club within walking distance of Raymond James Stadium.

Depending on the club, time of day, and implants, some dancers will make as much as $2,000 a day—and that’s just from Mike Pereira alone.

Back in 2001, for Super Bowl XV (Ravens over the Giants), Tampa lawmakers passed a law making lap-dances a misdemeanor offense.

However, Tampa Police don’t patrol strip clubs looking for men with strippers on their laps, but they will investigate if someone complains (i.e. the wife, the girlfriend, or NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell).

While the police may not care, surely a platoon of NFL security guards will be stationed at every club to make sure one of its current players doesn’t pull a “Pacman Jones.”

Strip clubs are so much a part of the area, that the Tampa Tribune added a feature to its web site where visitors can search all 43 strip clubs for such information as cover charge, dress code, and peroxide usage.

The Super Bowl and strip clubs...you can’t get much more American than that.

Jerry Jones' Newest Bad Idea: "How 'Bout That Cowboy?"

Ryan Hogan — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:46:18 -0500

Want to play football for the Dallas Cowboys? Then you should audition for a new reality show called “How 'Bout That Cowboy?”

The winner gets to play for America’s Team.

Michael Irvin hosts the new Spike TV show that has 12 “football neophytes” competing for a spot on the Cowboys’ opening 80-player training camp roster.

The desperate dozen will be comprised of six receivers and six defensive backs.

The players will be judged on speed, toughness, football acumen, strip club etiquette, berating coordinators, getting in fights at night clubs, dating vapid celebrities and possessing marijuana.

“I’ve been waiting to do this since the first time I watched American Idol,” Irvin said. “American Idol is about singing and dreams. This is about football and dreams.”

Former Cowboys like Deion Sanders, Troy Aikman and Jay Novacek are scheduled to make guest appearances.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has already promised to suspend the new Cowboy player for four games.

The show will start this spring and run for 10 episodes. The winner will be cut the second after the last episode airs on Spike TV.

Michael Irvin is the show’s executive producer and creator. Appropriate enough, Irvin is working with 3 Ball Productions, the company that produces NBC’s The Biggest Loser.

The reality show that has the Cowboys winning a game in December is still in development.

David Garrard's Run: A Memorable Moment from the 2007 AFC Wild Card

Ryan Hogan — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:40:07 -0500

AFC Wild Card Game: Jacksonville Jaguars 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 29

"I don't want to get fined, but watch the long quarterback sneak. Watch the middle of the defensive line and you'll see. You'll see it. Watch what happens in the middle of the field. ... You see a big old hole open up and you'll see the reason why." - Larry Foote

It wasn’t so much that the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, it was how they did it. The Jags cheated.

Jacksonville had the ball at their 49-yard line, with one timeout and 2:38 left on the clock.

Three plays later, after a solid Steelers’ defensive stand, the Jags were in a fourth-and-two situation.

Lining up in the shotgun formation, Jacksonville appeared ready to pass for the first down. But Jags quarterback David Garrard, after taking two steps back, takes off running.

Garrard sprints pass the line of scrimmage, rushes pass the first down maker and one elusive move later, carries the ball all the way to Steelers 11-yard line before getting tackled. It’s a 32-yard run!

After a few safe hand-offs, Jacksonville’s kicker, Josh Scobee, boots a 25-yard field goal to give his team the lead.

The Steelers have 37 seconds to mount a scoring drive, but Jags’ defensive end Bobby McCary recovered Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s fumble, thus clinching the victory for the visitors.

"I knew they weren't going to stop me for two yards," Garrard said later about his epic dash.

Garrard had wanted to run the ball on third-and-two, but the coaches called a pass play instead—it was incomplete.

Of course if you’re going to run the ball on fourth down, especially with a quarterback not known as a good rusher, it helps if the referees allow your linemen to hold.

In the spring of 2008, NFL's head of officiating, Mike Pereira, admitted that on Garrard’s fourth down run his officials missed a holding penalty against Jacksonville’s offensive line.

Like they say, if you’re not cheating you’re not trying.

Tony Romo's Fumble: A Memorable Moment from the 2006 NFC Wild Card

Ryan Hogan — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:24:19 -0500

2006 NFC Wild-Card Game: Seattle Seahawks 21, Dallas Cowboys 20

“I take responsibility for messing up at the end there. That’s my fault. I cost the Dallas Cowboys a playoff win.” - Tony Romo

For Romo, it was the choke that started it all.

Even after replay overturned Jason Witten’s third-down catch, bringing up fourth down on Seattle’s two-yard line, it still looked like the Cowboys were going to win this Wild-Card playoff game.

Granted, Dallas was trailing 20-21, but with 1:16 left on the clock, all Cowboy kicker Martin Gramatica had to do was make an extra-point length, 19-yard field goal.

However, something funny happened on the way to the hold; the first time Pro Bowl quarterback fumbled the ball while teeing it up for his place kicker!

Thinking and acting quickly, Romo scooped up the ball and sprinted towards the goal line. Even though things looked bleak, Romo and the Cowboys still had a chance at victory.

If Romo made it to the one-yard line, the Cowboys would get a fresh set of downs and a chance to either score a touchdown or attempt another field goal.

Better yet, if Romo made it into the end zone, the Cowboys would most certainly leave the city of Seattle a playoff winner.

What happened next is the stuff of legends.

Seahawks safety Jordan Babineaux tackled Romo on the two-yard line. Game over (eventually, there was still like a minute left but nothing much happened after the fumble).

The Dallas Cowboys suffered one of the most agonizing loses in franchise history, thanks to Tony Romo.

NFL's Ever Changing Moods

Ryan Hogan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:18:46 -0500

The NFL season is only 16 games long but it seems to change more from week to week than other professional sports leagues change in a season. The perception of the NFL in Week 1 is drastically different than it is in Week 17. Here are a few examples of how fast the winds of change can sweep across the NFL.

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NFL Needs to Tweak Playoff Rules Due to 8-8 Chargers

Ryan Hogan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:54:42 -0500

After losing Tom Brady to a season-ending injury, New England Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick, had arguably his best coaching year, as he led his injury-riddled team to an 11-5 record.

Belichick achieved this success with quarterback Matt Cassel, who, prior to Week Two, hadn’t started a football game since high school.

Yet after continually overcoming adversity, the Patriots' only reward was an early start to their off-season.

Meanwhile, the 8-8 San Diego Chargers are not only going to the playoffs, but are hosting a game.

Since the NFL split its conferences into four divisions in 2002, 12 teams finished with nine or fewer victories and made the post season. Only four teams with 10 or more victories have missed the postseason.

The Patriots’ situation is the first of its kind, but it only needs to happen once in order to force a change in postseason rules.

As recent history has shown, once a team makes the playoffs, they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

Fortunately, to rectify this situation, the NFL doesn’t need to do away with divisions or conferences, nor does it need some complicated BCS-like formula to ensure all worthy teams are postseason bound. All the NFL needs to do is adopt the 10-win rule.

The 10-Win Rule

If a team wins their division and they have 10 or more wins, they are automatically in the playoffs. However, if a team wins their division and they have nine or fewer victories, they could be replaced in the postseason if a team (from within their conference) has 10 or more wins.

The team that gets in on the 10-win rule is seeded just like any other wild card team.

There’s no tie-breaker—it’s an either/or proposition. If you win your division with 10 wins or more you’re automatically in the playoffs. But, if you win your division with nine or fewer wins, your postseason chances could be in jeopardy.

This simple rule maintains the integrity of the divisions and creates additional excitement at the end of the year.

Teams that would normally be out of the playoffs can strive for that ten win plateau and a chance to sneak into the postseason.

Meanwhile, the rule prevents teams that have wrapped up awful divisions from coasting through the final games on their schedule (like the Arizona Cardinals did this year).

Even if the subtle 10-win rule is only used once every six years, its mere presence will annually enhance late season playoff runs. When the rule is used, it will ensure that the six best teams are in the postseason.

What more could you ask for in a rule?

Seattle Seahawks Give Mike Holmgren A Harley

Ryan Hogan — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 10:55:48 -0500

The Seattle Seahawks gave Mike Holmgren a cherry red Harley-Davidson motorcycle after conducting his final practice as head coach (judging by the way the Seahawks have played this year, it was also their first practice).

"I'm touched by it. This is really a nice Christmas present. I don't know what to say. It's really something,” Holmgren said while sitting on his motorcycle.

After practice on Friday, eight-year Seahawks' veteran Bobby Engram addressed the team. As Engram was speaking, injured guard Mike Wahle (only fitting it’s an injured Seahawk) drove the brand new, limited edition 2009 Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson into the practice facility.

"They told me (Engram) wanted to talk to the team at the end of practice," Holmgren said. "I thought it was going to be a pep talk. I didn't think it was this."

According to a local Harley-Davidson dealership, Holmgren’s new hog retails for close to $40,000.

Holmgren immediately “jumped” on his motorcycle and revved the engine. Unlike his team this year, Holmgren was able to get his new Harley out of neutral.

The Super Bowl winning coach then rode his bike on the practice field as his player’s cheered—like most of the Seahawks’ drives this year, this one stalled around midfield.

"It's just a token of our appreciation and just thank you [for leading us to a 4-11 record]," Engram said.

Is Mike Holmgren really worth of a brand new Harley?

Holmgren coached the Seahawks to their first ever Super Bowl appearance at the end of the 2005 season. Granted, they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL referees, but anytime you can lead a team to their first Super Bowl you deserve a $40,000 motorcycle.

During Holmgren’s 10 seasons as head coach of the Seahawks, his team made the playoffs in six times. He’s not only the longest-tenured coach in the team’s history, he’s also won the most games (86).

Between 2003 and 2007, the Seahawks 51-29 record (.638) was the best in the NFC.

However, it’s time for Holmgren to step down and leave the Seattle Seahawks. The game has passed him by. He’s become too conservative and too predictable to be successful in the league anymore.

Still, Holmgren is one the NFL’s all-time greatest coaches. He’s a teacher, a motivator and more importantly, a good human being. It speaks volumes to the quality of the man that his players surprised him with such a lavish gift.

Holmgren's final loss as the Seahawks head coach will come Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. After the season is over, Holmgren plans on returning to Arizona. He and his wife own a house in the Phoenix area.

Classless In Seattle? Shaun Ellis Throws Snowball at Fan

Ryan Hogan — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:11:24 -0500

Shaun Ellis of the New York Jets is caught on camera throwing a large snowball at a fan at Qwest Field after the Jets 13-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The defensive end had three tackles in the game, but the only time he was really around a ball was his impromptu snowball fight as he exited Qwest Field in Seattle.

Certainly Ellis was frustrated that the Jets had gone ice cold in the Emerald City, but his throw of a snowball was more playful than hurtful. Also, it was the best pass by a Jet all day and one of the few times a Jet player had time to throw.

Ellis probably won’t even be fined for his snowy toss. After all, the infraction occurred in Seattle and most NFL executives don’t even know where Seattle, Washington is located much less care what happens there.

Of course, if incident had occurred at Gillette Stadium or Texas Stadium, it would be labeled “Snowball Gate” and ESPN would be covering the situation 24/7.

Also, the person that received the business end of Ellis’ snowball had to be a Jets fan. Seahawks fans are too polite to throw snowballs and the only thing thrown in Seattle is salmon at Pike Place Fish Market.

The fan that caught Ellis’ offending ice ball held it up over his head for the crowd to see, further proof the snowy fling was more prank than rank.

Later, the fan tried to get the snowball signed, but the souvenir melted as he was waiting for Ellis to exit the locker room.

It’s odd that a NFL player would get caught on camera throwing a snowball in Seattle, a city where it seldom snows. Then again, it’s odd for a division contending team like the Jets to allow four sacks and a hundred yard rusher in a must win game against a 4-11 team playing out their schedule.

Broncos-Chargers: The Playoffs Start Sunday

Ryan Hogan — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:35:30 -0500

The final game of the 2008 NFL regular season will feature the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers playing for the AFC West title on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

While I’m neither a Broncos fan nor a Chargers fan, I’m highly anticipating this contest.

In a way, it’s not the last regular-season game but the first game of the postseason. Sunday night’s winner will host a Wild Card playoff game, while the loser goes home.

Cynics might say this game isn’t a playoff game but a game to see who gets to lose to the Indianapolis Colts (who will face the winner in the opening round of the real postseason).

Critics will point out that if the Chargers win, an 8-8 team will be hosting a playoff game.

However, if the last few Super Bowl winners have taught us anything, it’s that a team’s regular-season performance is not indicative of a team’s postseason performance.

With the Broncos, you wonder how a team so bad on defense is just a win away from the playoffs. With the Chargers, you wonder how a team with so much talent didn’t wrap up the sorry AFC West in mid-November.

The Broncos surrender more than 26 points a game and allow 366 yards of total offense. The “orange crush defense” is ranked 27th in passing yards allowed and 26th in rushing yards allowed.

The Chargers, who lost all-world linebacker Shawn Merriman after Week One, are 17th in points allowed and a respectable 11th in rushing yards allowed. However, the Bolts are 31st in pass defense.

These awful defenses play to each team’s strength. Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler is third in the NFL in passing yards (4,210) and Chargers signal caller Philip Rivers is the league’s highest-rated passer. Rivers is also leading the NFL in touchdown passes with 32.

From watching these two teams play this year, the Broncos defense is far worse than their stats indicate, while the Chargers defense isn’t as bad as the numbers might suggest.

Still, look for the scoreboard to light up like a Christmas tree. In the teams’ infamous first meeting, way back in Week Two, the Broncos defeated the Chargers 39-38.

Since then, the Broncos’ season has been marred by an unusual loss of home-field advantage. After starting 3-0 at Invesco Field at Mile High, the Broncos lost four of their final five games on home turf.

Mile High suddenly turning into “Mild High” is part of the reason why the Broncos didn’t wrap this division up weeks ago. Fortunately for Denver, Sunday’s game is in San Diego.

The Chargers, on the other hand, wish NFL games were only 59-and-a-half minutes long. The Chargers have lost four games when leading or tied with less than 30 seconds left, and two of those games were decided on the final play.

Of course, one of the Chargers’ late-game collapses was against the Broncos and it involved the infamous Ed Hochuli call.

Late in the game, the usually competent referee mistakenly ruled that a Cutler fumble was an incomplete pass. The blunder eventually robbed the Chargers of a win.

“The happiest guy on the planet is Ed Hochuli because his call will not decide this division,” said NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth.

Collinsworth is partially right. Had the Chargers won that game at Mile High back on Sept. 14, Sunday’s game would still be for the AFC West. Collinsworth is wrong, though, in thinking Hochuli’s call won’t be a factor in Sunday’s game.

If the Chargers have any heart at all—which at times is hard to tell—the loss in the Hochuli Bowl is a demon that must be exercised Sunday Night.

So with the Houchuli chip on their shoulders, home-field advantage, and momentum after winning three straight, the Chargers are poised for a Sunday night victory and a return to the postseason for the third year in a row.

The Broncos will try to forget they are -47 in net points on the year (fifth-worst in the AFC) and play like the team that started the season 6-4—not the team that has lost three out of their last five.

The Broncos-Chargers Week 17 finale is a matchup of two very interesting teams. It’s a nationally televised contest of an always-heated rivalry. It’s the last 60 minutes of regular-season football, and it will decide who goes to the playoffs and who stays home.

What a way to finish the NFL season.

Brandon Roy Scores 52 in Portland Trail Blazers Win

Ryan Hogan — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:19:35 -0500

With Greg Oden getting most of the attention this year, Brandon Roy gets overlooked.
After tonight, no one will overlook Roy again.

On a nationally televised TNT game, guard Brandon Roy scored a career high 52 points, including a tiebreaking three-pointer with 1:01 left, in the Portland Trailblazers’ 124-119 win over the Phoenix Suns.

Roy, the 2007 Rookie of the Year, shot 14 for 27 from the field and 19 for 21 from the foul line. Roy also had five rebounds and six assists.

Roy’s 52 points is the second highest point total of the season. In early November, Tony Parker scored a career-high 55 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The game started as a battle between each team’s respective big men, Shaquille O’Neal for the Suns and Oden for the Trailblazers.

Shaq looked like the Shaq of old in first half, but wilted in the third and fourth quarters. The Diesel finished with 19 points.

Meanwhile, Oden grabbed two huge offensive rebounds late in the fourth quarter to give the Blazers much needed second chances.

However, the hero of the night was Roy. The Suns tried several different defenders on Roy, but none of them could stop the 6’6” guard from Washington from scoring. Roy’s outside shots were falling and he consistently drew contact when he glided to the rim.

This isn’t the first time Roy has shined on TNT. In November, Roy hit a 30-foot jumper as time expired in overtime to lift his team pass the Houston Rockets 101-99.

In Roy’s last four games, he’s scored 30, 33, 38, and 29. However the Blazer were 1-3 during that stretch.

While Roy’s 52 may surprise NBA fans, Blazers’ fans have known all year that it’s Roy team and he’s the go-to-guy.

The only thing holding the Roy back from being a superstar is geography—the game ended around 1 am ET. If Roy played on the east coast, he’d be a household name.

Raiders-Chargers Game Set for 3-D Broadcast

Ryan Hogan — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:03:15 -0500

The NFL Network's Thursday Night Football game on Dec. 4, between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders, will be broadcast in 3-D.

3ality Digital will produce the live 3-D broadcast which is being seen as proof of concept for the possibilities of 3-D televised sports.

The game will be presented to invited guests at theaters in Los Angeles, Boston, and New York.

"This broadcast will be an exciting test of how 3-D could affect fans' experience in the future," said Howard Katz, the NFL's senior VP of broadcasting and media operations.

While this sounds unusual it’s not unprecedented. In 2004, predecessors to 3ality filmed Super Bowl XXXVIII in 3-D. The NBA has experimented with 3-D basketball broadcasts and the BBC broadcast a 3-D version of rugby's Six Nations Championship.

3-D television sets are commercially available but unfortunately you still have to wear the goggles.

According to experts, 3-D will visually enhance JaMarcus Russell’s incompletions and viewers will think the Chargers "wilting under pressure" is coming right at them.

However, experts were suspiciously silent when asked how Norv Turner’s complexion would look in 3-D.

Don’t get too excited about the NFL in 3-D. This isn’t an occasion to tempt fans with yet another way to spend an exorbitant amount of money to enhance their NFL viewing experience. 3-D football in your living room is not coming anytime soon.

Instead, this is an excuse for industry insiders to show off their 3-D technology to NFL executives and an elaborate way to make a Raiders game relevant.

Speaking of the Raiders, the silver and black responded to an announcement by reminding fans that even though the broadcast will be in 3-D, Oakland's game plan will still be one-dimensional.

Tony Romo Treats Homeless Man to Movie

Ryan Hogan — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:39:07 -0500

This week we’ve read about Donovan McNabb not knowing the basic rules of the NFL, Adam Jones being reinstated after another suspension, and Chad Johnson being deactivated for the Cincinnati Bengals’ game against the Pittsburgh Steelers for breaking team rules.

Just another typical week for the NFL and its players.

Thankfully, Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo is doing something atypical for a NFL player. Romo’s making positive headlines.

According to sources, Romo bought a homeless man a ticket to see a movie at a theater in Dallas. If that wasn’t enough, Romo invited the homeless man, who goes by the name of "Doc," to sit next to him and his friend during the flick.

Doc, who hadn’t showered for a few days, expressed concern that he might stink.

"Don't worry about that," Romo said. "I'm used to locker rooms."

Fittingly, Romo and Doc watched the comedy Role Models.

Certainly, Romo isn’t the only Good Samaritan in the NFL, and of course being quarterback for the NFL’s marquee team makes this news. If Matt Hasselbeck had done this, it would have gone unreported.

Cynicism aside, it’s refreshing to hear an NFL player associated with doing something good rather than hearing another story about an NFL player doing something bad.

Also, this isn’t Romo’s first time paying it forward. On the way home from the Cowboys’ season opener, the $67 million quarterback changed a couple’s flat tire.

As for Romo’s response, he confirmed the incident but refused to comment. The Cowboys' signal caller knows when to keep his mouth closed.

"For me, it was a blessing," Doc told the Dallas Morning News. "It came at just the right time. It gave me some encouragement and faith in mankind."

Romo’s gesture has given us all encouragement and faith that there is some humanity in professional athletes.

Raiders, Chargers, 49'ers, Seahawks: Blame Season on East Coast

Ryan Hogan — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:15:05 -0500

Football is known as a game of inches, but for the Arizona Cardinals, the Oakland Raiders, the San Diego Chargers, the San Francisco 49’ers, and the Seattle Seahawks it’s a game of miles, thousands of miles.

While gaining yards on the gridiron has proved difficult for most of the aforementioned “West Coast teams,” overcoming the thousands of miles they have to travel to play teams on the East Coast is proving insurmountable.

West Coast teams are 0-14 in games played on the East Coast. If you include the city of New Orleans, West Coast teams are 0-15. If you include London, their win-loss record falls to 0-16.

For games starting at 1 PM ET, West Coast teams are 2-15 (the two wins coming against the lowly St. Louis Rams and the rebuilding Kansas City Chiefs).

Conversely, East Coast teams are 3-6 in games played on the West Coast.

Now, I know what you’re saying, “West Coast teams are awful this year.”

I understand that. The left coast quintet has a combined overall win-loss record of 18-32. Only one team, the Cardinals, is a lock for the postseason.

However, San Diego was in the AFC championship game last year, and Seattle has made the playoffs each of the last four seasons. There’s still some talent in the west, and that’s why 0-14 is significant, regardless of the region’s current failures.

The fact that a West Coast team has yet to win on the East Coast, the fact that West Coast teams have a 0.133 winning percentage in games starting at 1 PM ET, clearly reveals the five west coast teams are at a competitive disadvantage when compared to the other NFL franchises.

The NFL needs to address this problem. Franchises shouldn’t be punished because they operate in Arizona, California or Washington state. Besides, the NFL would have changed the schedule yesterday if East Coast teams were 0-14 on the West Coast.

The solution is easy: Start all games featuring West Coast teams at 4 PM ET. While that won’t alleviate the problems associated with travel, it will allow West Coast teams to operate on Pacific Time.

Obviously, I’m a supporter of one of these West Coast teams, the Seahawks. While I’m not using their four loses on the East Coast as an excuse for their poor season, I do view their cross-continental trips as a contributing factor to their 2-8 record.

After all, the two divisions in which the West Coast teams plays are very weak. One additional win by any of the five teams and they are right back in playoff contention.

That’s why 0-14 is significant and that’s why the miles matter.

Author’s note: While Arizona is located in the Mountain Time Zone, the state doesn't recognize daylight savings time. Up until Nov. 2, the Cardinals were effectively in the same time zone as the four other West Coast teams.

Eagles-Bengals: "It's Like Kissing Your Sister"

Ryan Hogan — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:50:56 -0500

"A tie is like kissing your sister."

For the 17th time since 1974, NFL fans got to pucker up and lay a big, fat wet one on sis.

After 75 minutes of playing time, nearly four hours of real time, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals finished their game tied 13-13. It was the first tie in the NFL in more than six years.

In the "thrilling" overtime period, the Eagles punted three times while gaining 37 net yards offense. Meanwhile, the Bengals netted 68 yards of offense and missed a 47-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining.

Needless to say, ties are the worst and football fans detest them. NFL fans want a winner and a loser. There’s no solace in tying, only frustration.

To help us recover from the anguish suffered from the Eagles-Bengals debacle, here are some interesting facts about the most uninteresting way for a football game to conclude.

Overtime Facts

In 1974, the NFL instituted one 15-minute overtime period for all regular season games tied at the conclusion of regulation. Prior to 1974, sudden death overtime was only used in playoff games.

The last tie in the NFL was on November 10, 2002. The Atlanta Falcons and the Pittsburgh Steelers finished the game knotted at 34-34. Michael Vick was under center for the Falcons, while Tommy Maddox was the signal caller for the Steelers.

In determining playoff spots and division rankings, a tie is calculated as .5 for a win. For instance, the Eagles are now 5-4-1 so their winning percentage is .550 (5.5/10).

Since the rule changed, the tied game with the highest score involved the Steelers and the Denver Broncos. The AFC foes fought to a 35-35 draw on September 22, 1974.

Since 1974, six games have ended in a 10-10 tie.

The most ties in a season has been two, in 1986 and 1997. In the 1973 season, there were seven tied games.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, and Houston Texans are the only NFL franchises without a tie in their team’s history

Of the 28 teams with a tie, the New England Patriots have the longest tie-less streak. The Patriots last tie was week five of the 1967 season, a 31-31 draw against San Diego Chargers.

The New York Giants last home game at Yankee Stadium ended in a 23-23 tie. The game was played on September 23, 1973 and the Giants opponent was the Eagles.

The Chicago Bears have the most draws in the NFL history with 42. The Chicago/St.Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals are second with 38. The Green Bay Packers have 36 ties.

On October 24, 1983, in what's known as the worst Monday Night Football game of all-time, the Giants and Cardinals played to a 20-20 tie. Cardinal’s kicker Neil O'Donoghue missed three overtime field goal attempts, including one from extra-point distance. It is the only five-quarter tie in Monday Night Football history.

Remember when Gus Ferotte butted his head against a concrete wall during a touchdown celebration and then had to leave the game with a sprained neck? That game, between the Giants and the Washington Redskins on November 23, 1997, finished in a 7-7 tie.

Rodger Goodell: Don't Stop at Ticket Prices

Ryan Hogan — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:27:46 -0500

Recently, the NFL announced ticket prices for this year’s playoff games will be approximately 10 percent lower than tickets prices for last year’s playoffs.

Additionally, the NFL authorized—for the first time ever—lower prices for wild-card games than for divisional playoff games. Previously, the two rounds shared the same price.

This is great news and quite a testament to how highly the NFL thinks of its fans. However, the NFL’s goodwill shouldn’t stop there. Here are five fan-friendly suggestions the NFL should seriously consider adopting.

Proliferation of the NFL Network

I’m not talking about getting the NFL Network on Comast Cable and Time Warner Cable, I’m talking broadcasting over the airwaves like the CW or MyNetworkTv.

Football is our national pastime. The NFL is football’s premier professional league. Americans own a lot of televisions sets. Therefore, all Americans should be able to hook rabbit ears to their TV set and flip on NFL Total Access.

Right now, the NFL Network is available in 40 million homes. The NFL Network should be in every home, like the Foreman Grill.

Super Bowl National Holiday

Not even the most powerful man in sports, Roger Goodell, has the clout to convince congress to make the Super Bowl (or better yet, the Monday after) a national holiday.

Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to try.

After all, if congress is going to continually stick its nose into NFL affairs, then maybe the commissioner should tell them how to organize their national holidays.

NFL fans need a day to celebrate America’s biggest sporting event and a day to mourn the end of another season. Then again, what does congress know about fans? They have none.

Stop Fining Players

I know fines for violent hits are intended to protect players. Still, fans shouldn’t endure hearing their favorite middle linebacker was fined for a hit on the quarterback—when it’s his job to hit the quarterback.

I supposed you can’t eliminate the fines for violent hits, but how about not announcing them right away. Wait until the Pro Bowl to announce them, at least that way no one will be paying attention.

Better yet, when a player enters the league have him lay down an “unnecessary roughness deposit”—it would be like a cleaning deposit when you lease an apartment.

If a player retires after a relatively clean career, he gets his deposit back. If a player retires after a career of cheap shots and late hits, he forfeits his deposit.

Start Fining Owners

Of course owners will get fined for lewd behavior or breaking the law, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m suggesting the league fine owners for making stupid football decisions.

No fan, not even if it’s their team’s owner, will ever complain if an owner receives a steep fine for a bad draft or for hiring another unqualified coach.

Maybe if owners faced the possibility of punitive damages for their poor decisions they might actually take the time to learn a thing or two about football.

Change Overtime

I know why the NFL employs sudden-death overtime, it’s television friendly. Most overtimes end rather quickly, after a possession or two, and usually on a field goal.

A far more fan-friendly way to break ties is to borrow college football’s overtime system. Of course, you couldn’t start professional teams on the 35-yard line, but you could start teams at midfield.

Granted, this would take a lot longer than the sudden-death overtime currently used in the NFL, but this list is about benefiting fans, not keeping television networks happy.

Besides, after 60 minutes of football, a winner should be decided on the field, not on a coin toss.

Obama, McCain: Are You Ready For Some Football?

Ryan Hogan — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:33:10 -0400

This Monday night, on the eve of the biggest presidential election of all-time, candidates Barack Obama and John McCain are planning to appear on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

If their schedules permit, the candidates will record one-on-one interviews with ESPN’s Chris Berman. Those interviews will air during halftime show of the Washington Redskins-Pittsburgh Steelers game from Washington, D.C.

“We worked with our partners at the NFL to schedule a Monday Night Football game in Washington on this special night, and this presents a unique opportunity for John McCain and Barack Obama to reflect upon the last few months and address a large primetime audience on the final day of the campaigns,” said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president.

I appreciate the NFL and ESPN for scheduling a game in Washington D.C. the night before Election Day. I appreciate the NFL and ESPN for acknowledging this historic presidential election.

However, I don’t want politics involved with my football.

That’s why I watch football, to get away from politics, to get away from the real world. I watch football to escape reality, not to be enlightened.

Last year, NBC turned off the lights in the studio during their Sunday Night Football halftime show as part of the network’s “going green” week. I was so furious I sent the peacock network a scathing email (they never replied).

I didn’t need NBC Sports preaching to me about the environment. I needed analysis, stats, and highlights.

Of course, it’s obvious why the campaigns and ESPN are cooperating.

The candidates want airtime on the most watched cable series of all-time. MNF’s average weekly television audience is 12.2 million viewers. ESPN wants to create hype and increase viewership by showcasing the two candidates involved in the most followed campaign in our country’s history.

Still, both parties should resist the temptation to exploit fans and refrain from mixing politics with football.

After all, this is a very serious time for our country. We don’t need to be distracted from important matters by politics? Especially when I don’t know who to start in my fantasy league, Santonio Holmes or Santana Moss?

The Redskins Rule
According to Steve Hirdt of the Elias Sports Bureau, for the past 17 president elections: If the Redskins win their last home game prior to Election Day, the party that won the popular vote in the previous election wins the White House; if the Redskins lose, the party that lost the popular vote in the previous election wins.

Steelers win: Obama victory.
Redskins win: McCain victory.

Blazers, Oden Start On Wrong Foot

Ryan Hogan — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:34:47 -0400

Some guys are 5'6" tall, weigh 125 pounds soaked and wet, and wouldn’t get hurt in a plane crash.

Other guys are seven-feet tall, tip the scales at 285 pounds and tweak their ankle just two-and-half minutes into their NBA regular season debut.

Guess which category Greg Oden belongs too?

Results of a MRI, a CAT, and probably every other kind of imaging possible minus the Hubble Space Telescope, reveal Portland Trail Blazers’ Center, Greg Oden has a mid-lateral right foot sprain.

In other words, Oden will be out from two to four weeks, or between six and 14 games.

Fortunately, he won’t need surgery.

Oden suffered the injury while going for a rebound against the defending Western Conference Champions, the Los Angeles Lakers. Immediately following his awkward landing, every Blazer fan simultaneous slapped their forehead with the palm of their hand and screamed, “no!”

The big guy toughed it out for the rest of half, limping up and down the court, but stayed in the locker room for X-rays and never returned.

The Lakers won 96-76 and dominated the Blazers in the paint. Oden was supposed to be the Blazers’ big presence down low. Instead, he’s the big presence on the trainer table.

“He’s worked so hard to get himself back,” says Blazers coach Nate McMillan. “And you know, we’ve tried to do all we could to get him into the season, and here we are, the first game, and you know, it’s a tweaked ankle.”

Oden played only 12 minutes, grabbed five rebounds, committed two fouls, blocked one shot, went 0-for-4 from the field and 0-for-2 from the line.

You can ignore his lack of scoring. Every Blazer had trouble scoring against the Lakers’ tenacious defense. As a team, the Blazers shot only 34.5 percent from the field.

Besides, the Blazers don’t need Oden to be their leading scorer. The team needs his defense and rebounding.

By the way, Oden did out rebound his counterpart. Laker's center Andrew Bynum had only three boards in 28 minutes of playing time.

Oden’s size, strength, and knack for hanging around the rim will eventually pay huge dividends for the Blazers. However, Oden needs to get into game shape and he needs to get his timing back. In order to do that, Oden must stay healthy.

So far he hasn’t.

While some may want to call Greg Oden “Sam Bowie Junior” or “Ot-Oh-Den” or the team the Portland “Frail”-blazers, Oden’s string of injuries is incredibly disappointing. He’s a hard worker who has ingratiated himself to the city of Portland and to the NBA. At the very least, Oden deserves to be healthy.

Oden’s injury woes

His one-year college career restricted to 32 games by a wrist injury.
A rookie season postponed by microfracture surgery on his right knee.
Suffers mid-lateral right foot sprain in NBA Debut.

San Francisco 49ers Looking to Hire Condoleezza Rice

Ryan Hogan — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:28:20 -0400

The NFL Network recently reported the San Francisco 49ers are looking to install U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as team president.

While this may appear to be far-fetched, Secretary Rice is an ardent football fan and friends with NFL Director of Operations, Gene Washington.

Secretary Rice, former provost of Stanford, is planning on returning to California in January and has told friends she would love to be president of a NFL team (apparently the 49ers qualify as a NFL team.)

However, is the secretary qualified?

Secretary Rice’s current boss is President George W. Bush. Has working for him prepared her to deal with delusional, unpopular, and incompetent bosses like the Yorks?

Secretary Rice has dealt with the likes of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong-il, and Bashar al-Assad. Has dealing with those world leaders prepared her for crazy tyrants like Al Davis and Jerry Jones?

Secretary Rice has made the rounds on the Sunday morning talk shows and answered tough questions about foreign policy. Has that prepared her for going on Sunday morning pregame shows and answering stupid questions from Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, and Jimmy Johnson?

Being Secretary of State for the most powerful country on Earth is a fairly important job, but being the president of a National Football League team is life and death.

She will hold the lives of millions of fans, gamblers, bloggers, and fantasy football geeks in the palm of her hand. Is she ready for the promotion?

When asked about Secretary Rice coming on board, 49ers team spokesman Aaron Salkin went on record by saying, "we don't respond to rumors."

Of course the 49ers are not going discuss shuffling their office structure with Andy Dolich, currently acting as Chief Operating Officer—that would be like kicking your starting Tight End out of a game with 10 minutes left on the clock.

However, the 49ers should strongly consider Secretary Rice as their next team president; her of lack experience would be a perfect fit for the San Francisco 49ers.

With Brady Injured and Patriots Not Dominant, the 2008 NFL Season Seems Odd

Ryan Hogan — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:58:41 -0400

The 2008 NFL season is odd. There’s something missing. It lacks energy. Brett Favre is a New York Jet.

Don’t misconstrue my message. I’ve enjoyed watching the NFL this year. There have been some great games, terrific performances, and fantastic finishes.

However, the most memorable moments have been notorious, not noteworthy: Ed Hochuli’s bad call in Denver, DeSean Jackson dropping the ball in celebration of scoring a touchdown before actually entering the end zone, and Tom Brady’s season-ending knee injury.

Perhaps that last event soured the season. With Brady sidelined, the NFL is without its marquee player and its most dominant team, the New England Patriots. They aren’t at full strength (no offense to Matt Cassel, who’s already been sacked 25 times).

That’s okay. The greatest sports league in the world can certainly overcome such a calamity. One of the other NFL superstars, such as Peyton Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson, or Reggie Bush, can step up and fill the void left by Brady’s sudden departure.

Sadly, none of aforementioned players have stepped up their performances.

Manning’s quarterback rating is 80. Tomlinson is averaging only 3.6 yards per carry. Yes, Bush is tied for the league lead in touchdowns with eight, but that’s only because the Minnesota Vikings’ punt coverage team decided to take Mondays off.

Forget about the players. Let’s look at the teams. Surely, one of the NFL’s perennial powerhouses can step up and replace the Patriots as the league’s most dominant team?

After two bad losses and Tony Romo out with a broken finger, the Dallas Cowboys appear to be slipping out of the playoff picture. They also seem to be self imploding every night on SportsCenter.

The Chargers are up and down. The Broncos can’t tackle. The Colts look old. The Eagles can’t make a big play down the stretch, and in the NFC North, the Packers and Bears are competing to see which team is the most average.

With all these stalwarts playing so poorly, it’s no wonder off-the-field antics have grabbed most of the attention: Al Davis’ embarrassing press conference, Vince Young’s mental state, Adam Jones’ suspension, and three coach firings.

Also, doesn’t it feel like there's been an inordinate amount of injuries? “Out for the season” has been the NFL’s most spoken phrase of the year.

But, before we start panicking like a Fox executive learning the Tampa Bay Rays made the World Series, let’s put things in perspective. Maybe it’s odd now to realize the league’s top teams are the Tennessee Titans, the Buffalo Bills, and the Arizona Cardinals. Maybe it’s odd now to hear Trent Edwards mentioned as MVP candidate, but it may not be odd come playoff time.

So while you’re watching football this Sunday, just remember there was a time when Tom Brady was "Tom Who?" and the New England Patriots were the "Buffalo Bills."

This odd feeling will soon pass.

What if They Threw a World Series and No One Watched

Ryan Hogan — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:06:32 -0400

From the moment the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox to win the American League Pennant and the right to face the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, everyone with a column or blog has been predicting the same thing: The television ratings for this World Series will be the lowest of all-time.

"You could hear the groans coming up because it isn't the Red Sox-Dodgers," said Aaron Cohen, chief media negotiator for ad buyer Horizon Media.

Television ratings have nothing to do with anyone’s enjoyment of the game. No one gets up and leaves the ballpark—or their couch for that matter—because the numbers for the 18-to-35-year old demo are low.

Baseball fans will tune in and watch this World Series because they like baseball, and for some because the Yankees and the Red Sox aren’t in it. Fans have watched the Phillies and Rays all year and know both teams deserve to be in the World Series, regardless of what Madison Avenue says.

As for Fox, does anyone care if they have to suffer through a poorly rated World Series? Wouldn’t losing a little revenue be fitting for the network that gave us Don't Forget the Lyrics!, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader, and American Idol?

"I'm not on a cell phone hanging off the ledge of a building," says Ed Goren, president of News Corp.'s Fox Sports. "It's a little premature.''

Besides, the ads are all paid for and if the series goes six or seven, Fox will be fine.

If you’re worried about MLB, don’t be. In 2006, the Tigers-Cardinals played in the lowest rated World Series of all-time and yet baseball survived. Last year’s Red Sox sweep of the Rockies was second-lowest rated series of all-time, and yet the Fall Classic returned.

Even if this World Series tops them all by being lowest of them all, MLB on television isn’t going anywhere—at least not like it did for the NHL and the Stanley Cup. You won’t see the World Series on Versus next year, or worse yet, on TBS.

However, don’t blame the Philadelphia Phillies or the Tampa Bay Rays for the low ratings. They are the fourth and 13th-largest media markets in the United States.

Instead blame low ratings on Major League Baseball. MLB needs to start promoting more than just six or seven teams throughout the course of its season.

Giants-Browns: New York Takes a Giant Step Back

Ryan Hogan — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:05:20 -0400

The NFC East suffered another big upset Monday night as the New York Giants lost their first game of season, 35-14, to the then 1-3 Cleveland Browns.

At the start of the game, the Cleveland fans seemed apprehensive—like they were waiting for something bad to happen to their team. While the disaster never came, the first quarter was a disappointment for the Browns: They amassed over 120 yards of total offense, controlled the ball for more than 10 minutes, forced one turnover, but committed three penalties and had only three points to show for their efforts.

Giants scored the game’s first touchdown early in the second quarter on a Brandon Jacobs seven-yard run. Jacobs finished the game with 67 yards on 14 rushes. His backfield mate, Derrick Ward, had 101 yards and 10 carries.

It looked like the champs were about to assert their dominance.

However, on the next possession, beleaguered Browns’ quarterback Derek Anderson found Braylon Edwards for a 70-yard reception. Two plays later, Jamal Lewis punched the ball into the end zone on a four-yard run. Browns took a 10-7 lead and never trailed again.

The game was still in doubt in the middle of the fourth quarter, but Eric Wright picked off Eli Manning and returned the football 94 yards for a touchdown. It was Manning’s third interception of the game. Manning finished 18-for-28, with 198 yards and one touchdown pass.

The Browns entered the game with the league’s second worst offense but gained 454 total yards. Anderson was efficient, with dashes of big plays sprinkled in. His final line: 18-for-29, 310 yards and two touchdown passes. Edwards had five catches for 154 yards and one touchdown.

Browns played sloppy at times dropping passes and committing 10 penalties, but they did have three scoring drives longer than 70 yards.

The Giants’ vaunted pass rush failed to sack Anderson. The Giants’ defense also failed to force a turnover or a punt.

Returning from a one-game suspension, Plaxico Burress had four catches for 58 yards and one touchdown.

The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Arizona Cardinals, 30-24, and the Washington Redskins fell to the St Louis Rams, 19-17. The Philadelphia Eagles were the only NFC East team, arguably football’s toughest division, to log a win in Week Six, as the Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 40-26.

Greg Oden Makes Strong NBA Debut

Ryan Hogan — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:33:59 -0400

Over a year in the making but center Greg Oden has finally played basketball as a Portland Trailblazer.

A Rose Garden crowd of over 19,000 gave the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft a standing ovation. Then big No. 52 gave the fans a dunk just two minutes into the game—the Blazers’ first basket of the night.

Oden didn’t play last year after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee.

The former Buckeye finished the Blazers’ first preseason game with 13 points, five rebounds, two blocks, two assists and one turnover. He played just under 20 minutes. Oden shot five for eight from the field and four of his five makes were dunks.

Brandon Roy, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in August, had 14 points and seven assists in 23 minutes. Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez was effective on the defensive end and flashy on the offensive end. In 20 minutes, Fernandez had six points and five assists.

The Portland Trailblazers defeated the Sacramento Kings 110 to 89. It was both teams first exhibition game of the preseason.

Blazers play the Warriors at the Rose Garden Wednesday night.

Hey TBS, Why Won’t You Tell Us When Frank TV's Coming Back!

Ryan Hogan — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:35:38 -0400

The last week has been great for baseball on TBS. The Dodgers shocked the Chicago Cubs. The Phillies defeated the feel-good Brewers. The Angels and Red Sox played an extra-inning marathon. The Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay might go the distance.

However, in between grand slams, strikeouts, and crying Cubs fan, I keep asking myself one thing: When is Frank TV returning to TBS?

Frank Caliendo’s late night impersonation show is quite popular. You’d think TBS would mention it once in a while.

Is the person at TBS who schedules the promos sick? Did Charles Barkley eat Frank? Is Caliendo pulling a Chappelle? Is the economy to blame?

I know Frank’s not dead—I saw him Sunday on the Fox NFL pregame show.

Whatever the reason, I would suggest to the TBS brass the following marketing plan: Air at least one Frank TV promo in every commercial break. You should be saturating the airways with promos. It’s the MLB playoffs, after all, and as we all know, people who like baseball like impersonations.

I would also suggest a return date of Oct. 21. I have no idea if that date will even work. I must admit I pulled it out of thin air.

I will continue to watch the MLB playoffs on TBS. While I do, I’ll have one eye out for baseball and one eye out for the return of Frank TV—it’s very funny.

As Paul Simon wrote:

"Where have you gone, Frank Caliendo

Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.”

Coach Pushes 11-Year-Old

Ryan Hogan — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:13:04 -0400

During the postgame handshake line of a Park Rock Football League game, Coach Tony Warneke pushed an opposing player by the name of Wesley Davenport. That alone is salacious enough but there’s more to the story. Wesley is 11-years old and the incident was caught on tape.

According to the Warneke, little Wesley—who was still wearing pads and a helmet—was berating his players by saying they “suck.”

“When he got close he said you blanking suck. And I reached out and shoved him and said knock it off now,” said Warneke.

He also says he would have done the same thing to his own son.

The father of the precious child, Joe Deavenport, did what any father would have done in such a horrifying situation, he put on a dress and called police.

“An adult no matter whether you’re a man or a woman should not be reaching out and physically touching someone else’s child in this matter, ever. It’s infuriating,” Deavenport said.

What’s infuriating is no one in this story conducted themselves in an appropriate manner. Coach Warneke, instead of losing his temper, should have pulled the child aside and rebuked him for his insolence. That’s what coaches do. That’s also what adults do in public in this age of ubiquitous video cameras.

Daddy Deavenport seems more concerned about his son's scholarship then he does about his son’s character. What do you expect from a grown man who uses the phrase, “physically touching.”

The only person in this story who acted the way were supposed to act was little baby-doll Wesley. Boys talk smack. Sure, this brat deserved a push but he will get plenty from his peers. If the kid is so annoying that he can force a grown man to loss his cool, think of all the drubbings cuddly Wesley will receive from kids his own age.

Ocho Opens Orifice and Opines

Ryan Hogan — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:13:40 -0400

Maybe Al Davis’ “Creep” conference from Tuesday or Terrell Owens’ “heart-to-heart” with Tony Romo has Chad Johnson feeling left out.

How else would you explain his latest verbal barrage in which he claims running his mouth will actually help his team win Sunday in their game against the Dallas Cowboys?

Johnson opened up to the media on Wednesday for the first time in a long time and proclaimed “I’m letting the cat out of the bag” and “I’m going to kiss the star.”

Hopefully “kissing the star” is a reference to the “star” in the middle of Texas Stadium and not something else. He also claimed to have informed his coach and owner about his intentions to flap his gums. Surely, they were thrilled to hear that.

It’s a loony logic to assume moving your mouth will help your team on the turf, but Johnson and his Bengals have little choice. The Bengals are 0-4 and Ocho Cinco has only 11 receptions for 116 yards and one touchdown.

Click here to see video

Hank Steinbrenner Is Right

Ryan Hogan — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:30:18 -0400

Hank Steinbrenner could say the sky is blue and people would disagree. Yankee hatred has the habit of clouding one’s judgment.

So it was no surprise that when Steinbrenner, in a recent Sporting News article, lamented over the MLB’s playoff system, accusing it of being unfair, he received unanimous criticism.

Yet once again, pundits are clouded by Yankee hatred, for Steinbrenner is absolutely correct.

Major league baseball’s playoff system is unfair and needs to be fixed.

Steinbrenner argues that the current playoff system prevents the best teams from making the postseason.

He’s right.

This year, the Los Angeles Dodgers made the National League playoffs with only 84 victories, thanks to a weak N.L. West. Meanwhile, three teams outside of the N.L. West had better records but are watching the postseason from home because they didn’t win their division or the wild card.

In the American League, the Yankees suffered a similar humiliation. That’s bad for baseball.

Steinbrenner’s solution is to eliminate the divisions and send the top four teams from each league to the postseason. While the two leagues have historical significance, the six divisions do not. There are enough games to satisfy rivalries, and with modern transportation technology, travel distances are no longer an issue.

With the divisions eliminated, the four best teams from each league are assured playoff berths, the importance of the regular season is fortified and the integrity of the World Series strengthened.

The elimination of the divisions, especially the always tough A.L East, means baseball’s most important team, the New York Yankees, has a better chance to make the postseason on an annual basis. With the Yankees consistently in the playoffs, the league benefits financially and avoids the embarrassment of not having its richest franchise in the postseason. That’s good for baseball.

Whether you cheer or jeer the Yankees, you must agree with Hank Steinbrenner. Major League Baseball’s current playoff system is unfair, infuriating, and illogical.

Keep in mind that, if Steinbrenner’s playoff system were used this year, the postseason would have included the television-friendly Yankees and Mets, as well as the feel-good, but ratings-killing, Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers. That’s even better for baseball.