Entries from September 2007

Well Coach Lovie Smith sure hopes so.
Smith announced today Brian Griese will be the starting quarterback on Sunday for the Chicago Bears replacing the struggling Rex Grossman. After last year’s Super Bowl appearance, anticipation is high for the now 1-2 Bears. Aside from losing a number of key players due to injuries, former starting quarterback Rex Grossman’s performance has been less than average. Thus far he’s had six interceptions, been sacked nine times, and has only had one touchdown. Not exactly the start the Bears had hoped for. So can Griese save the day for the Bears? It appears he may be the Bears’s only chance. Coach Smith has supported Grossman for weeks now with the hope he would bounce back and at least play as good as he did last season during the first five games. In 2006 he led the Bears to the Super bowl and unfortunately he is credited with helping them lose the Super bowl as he threw two interceptions which caused them the game. He has been inconsistent in his 5 year career, which is why the Bears have yet to give an Extension to his expiring contract. After last week’s performance it was inevitable Grossman be replaced. Well we’ll see on Sunday if a mediocre Griese can bring the NFC Champion Bears out of hibernation.
Categories: NFL · Tia B
The National League teams in the playoff hunt might as well be playing musical chairs; when the music stops, who’ll be the only one without a spot to sit? With the Mets and the Cubs losing 3 in a row at this writing on Thursday night, while the Padres are hanging by a thread with the loss of 2/3 of its starting outfield in one night thanks to Milton Bradley, who’s left to care? Oh yeah, the Rockies seem to want it and the Phillies just keep hitting and hitting and hitting. When it’s all said and done, will the Cubs be undone without the necessity of having another appearance by Bartman? Will the Mets complete a historic collapse of the proportions never seen before? From out here in the West, we are pulling for the Padres over Arizona and we just yawn and see another post-All Star game swoon by the Dodgers who don’t seem to be able to put together a team that can play together or get along. This time next week it will all be over and we’ll be rooting for the eventual winners and NOT feeling bad about the losers since like the kids in musical chairs, when you don’t walk close to the chairs and anticipate the music stopping you fall down and go Boom!How many 0-3 teams are there in the NFL? The answer is 5 and thank God it’s only that many since the teams that were 0-2 and finally won did it by the skin of their teeth or fell into a great situation when the other team coughed up its lunch. Does anyone think that Donovan McNabb and Kevin Curtis will put up those numbers again in the near future? What about Oakland; how many times can the man-child coach, Lane Kiffin freeze the kicker of the opponent and have the guy miss a field goal? The Giants just got lucky and held on for one goal line stand….one, and poof they won a game while the Chiefs still can’t get yardage from Larry Johnson but came face to face with a Vikings team that has no regular and experienced quarterback. These teams aren’t good but lucky. The ones that remain winless are just plain bad. What are the coaches saying about them? Well Sean Payton doesn’t seem upset, Scott Linehan claims he’s being too careful with Marc Bulger, Cam Cameron keeps hoping that the real Trent Green will show up, Bobby Petrino knows his season went to “the dogs”….sorry, couldn’t resist, and Dick Jauron blames JP Losman for getting injured. It’s pathetic. You know how they say that the haves and have-nots in our society are growing further apart…well it seems that way in the NFL as well. If you’re a fan of any one of these teams, be afraid, very afraid that this won’t end anytime soon.
Do you think Mike Vick didn’t know that he’d be drug tested while on bail awaiting sentencing when a condition of his bail deal was to NOT take any? How is that possible if he is represented by an upstanding, super bright and ethical lawyer like Billy Martin? If I’m Billy I don’t want this guy to ruin my reputation. Hey, I know you need to relax when you’re facing prison time and don’t want to think about it but isn’t that why you have doctors who prescribe Valium, Xanax and Ativan? Hey Mike, I can recommend a great MD for you who will feel your pain. Makes you think again about the trap door water bottle from last year doesn’t it? I know it makes me think about it.
Want more? Read my Daily Dose of Duffy column at www.incidentalcontact.com and listen to me on the Sports Journey Radio Show.
© 2007 Incidental Contact, LLC
Categories: NFL · Paula Duffy

Does he deserve the treatment he’s getting? Well that of course depends on who you ask.
As Michael Vick was being indicted today on State Dog fighting charges, supporters of Vick turned out for a town meeting in Atlanta that was sponsored by ESPN. After listening to the panel and a few comments from the audience I had to ask myself what was the point of this meeting. Really, what was ESPN hoping to accomplish? Would this meeting change the public’s opinion, would it help his case, would it make you like or dislike him any more or less? I mean truly what was the point, I just didn’t get it. It was quite obvious the audience was predominately Pro-Vick. For example, when John Goodwin, a spokesperson for the Humane Society vividly described Vick’s actions in the Dog fighting Case he was booed and jeered, but when Pastor RL White gave his comments supporting Vick he was cheered and applauded. I guess the issue I have is not about whether or not we love Vick as an athlete but more about him as a person and his respect or lack of for life, whether it be an animal or a person, his actions were in my opinion barbaric. Do I feel that he deserves a second chance- Absolutely, I sure do; everyone deserves a second chance to fix their wrongs and make them right. We can’t deny that he is a great athlete who has done a lot for the city of Atlanta, the Falcons Organization, and the National Football League. He has definitely made them all a lot of money with his popularity over the years. I don’t condone what he did but I do believe in giving someone a second chance. Yes he made a huge mistake and used very bad judgment and I am not trying to make light of the horrific nature of what he is accused of doing but seeing firsthand in my community how people can get caught up doing bad things for a number of reasons, I’m not that quick to persecute him.
Vick, who already faces up to 5 years in the Federal Case now also faces up to 5-10 years in the state case. He has been indefinitely suspended without pay from the NFL, has been dropped from all his major sponsors, is being sued by a Canadian Bank which claims he defaulted on a $2.5 million dollar line of credit, and the Falcons have recently filed a grievance against him in which they are attempting to recoup $20 million of his $37 million dollar signing bonus. So one has to ask does he deserve the continual ridicule & treatment he’s getting. Some say yes and others say no, it’s really just a matter of one’s opinion. Prior to this case Michael Vick had never been convicted of a crime and was known for doing great things in his community. Unfortunately now Vick will no longer be known as the Superstar athlete but plagued as the face of an awful Dog fighting ring all due to his poor decision making. It’s really not about race and I think it’s sad the media is trying to make it a black and white issue. It’s equally upsetting to see.
Categories: NFL · Tia B

I was asked on TV this week what the listeners of Sports Journey were saying about OJ. I laughed and said that OJ hasn’t been a relevant sports figure in decades and any rabid sports fan doesn’t care about him other than as a gossipy tidbit and a great excuse to stop talking about Notre Dame, the Eagles and the Giants being O-fer on the season so far. But you know what? I spoke to a famous sports agent in this town and he told me that he was a good friend of OJ’s in the old days and was riveted to the screen during the bail hearing; no kidding. So I guess it depends on your age, if you were around when OJ was setting the record for running yardage in a season and became the first Heisman trophy winner to be inducted in the pro football hall of fame. The truth is that HE still thinks of himself as a sports figure and here’s the reason: he was a running back and had an offensive line to block for him as he burst out from behind to grab yardage. Last week he had a group of men burst through the door of a hotel room as he came out from behind them and ranted, raved about his “s—t”. Makes sense to me. And let’s face it, can you think of anything more offensive he could have done? So he has stayed true to the way he became a super star except he’s 60, there IS no offensive line any more and he might be caught up in a Vick-like episode in which he gets snared on a conspiracy charge with the buddies all singing to the cops to get a deal while telling all about OJ. It’s just sad.
The Cubs, Mets and Red Sox are holding their breath. The Cubs took most of the season pushing past the Brewers and Cards for first place in the NL Central, the Mets have been atop the NL East seemingly forever and the Red Sox are revising their theory that they are unbeatable in the AL East. Could we ask for anything more for pennant races in the last week and a half of this season? I think not. The Red Sox are taking out the voodoo dolls to chase away the thoughts of 1978 and a shrunken 14.5 game lead as their vaunted pitching turns to crap. The Mets are losing to the likes of the Washington Nationals and the Cubs are fighting to stay ahead of the Brewers and the monstrously huge and productive Prince Fielder. In the meantime, only the Sox have the wild card sewn up in the event they blow the division; so the Cubs and Mets better get their collective you-know-what together and do it NOW. For Cubbie fans its déjà vu all over again and for Mets fans, they are wondering who to hang from a tree if it all goes up in smoke. Could Willie Randolph face his first true test of how strongly management feels about him as the manager of the club? Tune in next week as the final weekend of the season might prove hard to watch in NY and Chicago.
Does anyone wonder if the NY football Giants will win a game this year? OK, I know I’m pathetic as a follower of the G-men; wearing a Plaxico Burress jersey in public doesn’t get me any points other than on the geek squad but come on, have some heart will you? Haven’t you ever worked for a company you hated and on top of it you didn’t respect your boss? What about a place where there were no super stars but there is a brother of a super star heading up the main division of the company; and he stinks at it? That’s the Giants now with only one player that I know being happy about being on the field; that guy is the back up running back Derek Ward who is becoming a star at the expense of the injured Brandon Jacobs. But looking at the schedule I think at best they can win 3 games and that’s only because the Jets and Atlanta are reeling as well. Then maybe by the time they play the Bills in December, something will have happened to change things. So if they are 2-14 I won’t be surprised nor feel bad. I’ll just pray for Charlie Weiss to blow out of Notre Dame where he will be thrown to the ground by alumni and crawl all the way to the Meadowlands; a place he knows from back in the Parcells era. Now do you see how pathetic I am?
Want more? Read my Daily Dose of Duffy column at www.incidentalcontact.com.
© 2007 Incidental Contact, LLC
Categories: MLB · NFL · Paula Duffy

I’m sure that’s what Donovan McNabb is probably thinking right now.
Being a Philadelphia Native and a die-hard Eagle Fan myself, I know how brutal the Fans of Philly can be. When our Eagles are up, we have nothing but Love for them but when they are down, we can be worst than the opposing team’s fans. Really, where’s the loyalty people of “Brotherly Love”? We need to show McNabb the same type of love the Green Bay Packer’s show Brett Farve when he’s struggling. Just as Coach Andy Reid stated, it’s more than just being about Donovan, he’s one player; it’s more about the team. The team needs to play better. Yes, we are 0-2, but it’s still early in the season, and one thing the Eagles are known for is turning things around mid season. So Eagle Fans relax and stop being so critical, give Donovan a chance as he has been nothing but loyal to the City of Philadelphia, we make it to the playoffs every year. In 2006, the Eagles claimed our fifth NFC East Division Championship in 6 years, and McNabb led us to our First NFC Championship and subsequent Super Bowl appearance in 2004; something the Eagles had not been able to accomplish in over 24 years. So cut McNabb some slack and give the man some credit. If he can stay healthy and increase his accuracy we actually might have a good season, I am very optimistic. E-A-G-L-E-S!!! Go Eagles!
Categories: NFL · Tia B
Tagged: Black Athlete, Donavan McNabb, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Sports Journey Radio, Tia B

The question is can Leftwich save the day for the 0-2 Falcons?
Well it definitely can’t hurt their struggling Offense. This was a good move on the Falcons’s part as it will definitely help the ailing Falcons who have started the season on the road with two losses. It will give them depth and options at the quarterback spot. Don’t get me wrong, Byron Leftwich is no Michael Vick on the field, but he will definitely help the Dirty Birds Offensively and possibly become the new face for the Atlanta Falcons as we know starting quarterback Joey Harrington is not. I must admit I feel for Harrington because he was put in an unfortunate situation with Vick, the Falcon’s high profile star, being suspended from the league due to the Federal Dog fighting Charges. But at this point he has just not been able to step up to the plate. I mean come on, he’s already been sacked 13 times in only two games. Well stay tuned, as I don’t think it will be long for Leftwich to prove that he deserves the No.1 Quarterback position for the Atlanta Falcons. Hopefully this will be his opportunity to redeem his career as well as bring back the excitement to the footballs fans of Atlanta…
Categories: NFL · Tia B
Man, they say women are emotional in the work place! Roger Goodell says he’s shocked, shocked I tell you that there was videotaping on the sidelines of NFL games. He’s so shocked that he levied a record breaking fine, not against the team that allowed it but the head coach. The team was fined as well but only for half the amount of the personal fine. Why? Well that coach is the evil genius Bill Belichick who seemingly is only loved at home by his kids and in New England. If this were a nice guy like Wade Phillips or Norv Turner would the fine be a cool half a million dollars? I doubt it but then again would they have authorized this? See that’s the rub. The scuttlebutt in the league and outside in the press community is that the videotaping of coaches’ signals has been an open secret for a while, and not just in New England. But surely Eric Mangini, Jets head coach knew about the history of this stuff since he was spawned by Belichick and the feud between them, when Mangini left the Pats for the Jets head coaching job, seems to have stemmed from the fact that the Man-Genius was now gonna spill his guts to his new team about his old team. Some had speculated that the feud was begun just because Mangini had the temerity to leave the evil genius; that Bill B had the Hotel California mentality: you can check out any time but you can never leave. No matter why they got pissed off at each other, they now are locked in a death feud and if this were the Sopranos, some one would be booted off the show and not in a nice way. If teams were aware of videotaping then why is this a big story now? Why wasn’t there an investigation into it? You know how Barry Bonds apologists say that he is always targeted, as the face of steroids and it is unjust? Well, you’d be forced to make that argument about Belichick and the Pats if you follow that logic. Here’s another thought on this: did the taping make a difference? Who is to say but the debate will go on forever because that is what we sports fans like to do: argue about controversial subjects for decades. At the NFL owners’ meeting a few months ago teams rejected a notion that the defensive field captain should have a microphone in his helmet like the quarterback to get the signals from the coordinator or coach. Think that might pass now?
Oden out for the season
Is Portland cursed? When have you ever seen a team that has had so many first round picks be injured or just horrible? The young man must be devastated and at the press conference his coach looked like a deer in the headlights when talking about a season without the perceived savior of the franchise. The kid must be shell-shocked and you’ve got to wonder what this will do to his mentality about coming back after a whole year away. Jamal Washburn talked about his mental anguish as he progressed enough in his rebab routine that he was able to sit on the bench with the team during games; he said it was the worst time of his life. Only time will tell how Portland and Oden fair in the face of this awful news. As a Lakers fan I can tell you I now know that we have a better chance of squeaking into the playoffs without Portland in the mix.
Want more? Read my Daily Dose of Duffy column at www.incidentalcontact.com.
© 2007 Incidental Contact, LLC
Categories: NBA · NFL · Paula Duffy