A friend watched the NFL playoff between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings with a Cowboys fan and his pet monkey. The Cowboys started off strongly, and as they gained one first down after another, with each first down the monkey went giddy with excitement, leaping, screeching, and jumping excitedly from chair to chair, from wall to wall. Each celebration was wilder than the preceding. My friend had never seen anything like it.
“That’s incredible!” my friend exclaimed. “What does your monkey do when the Cowboys do something really special?”
“I don’t know,” the Cowboy supporter replied, “I’ve only had him for ten years.”
If Wade Phillips continues as the Dallas coach, the monkey probably won’t live long enough to give us the answer.
Wade Phillips was a strong contender, but Norv Turner can’t be beat for NFL playoff stupidity. In the first instance, his players didn’t show poise or composure. It’s one thing to miss a tackle, or drop some passes – the players are human, and their opponents are trying to make them miss, or make mistakes. However, losing 15 yards for taunting after doing a great job of covering a kickoff, or kicking the challenge flag when instant replay was going to confirm that the player made a good sideline catch are the sort of undisciplined acts that a coach should have indoctrinated his players against.
But what can you expect from a coach like Norv Turner who can’t even discipline himself against making stupid decisions? Turner’s decision to on-side kick was criticized by announcer Phil Simms in detail before the kick was made, and Simms gave all the logical reasons why an on-side kick was a bad idea with over two minutes to play and a timeout and two-minute warning to stop the clock. First, on-side kicks usually don’t work, especially if one is expected. Second, with a normal kick-off, the Jets would probably start deep in their own territory, particularly since they were prepared to defend against the on-side kick and had their “hands” team in with only one kick returner and no blockers deep to receive a normal kickoff. Third, if the Jets started on or about their own 20-yard line, they would probably only call conservative running plays, and if faced with a fourth down and a yard to go, would punt instead of going for it on fourth down.
Not so strangely, after many years of watching NFL football (and playing high school eight-man football half-a-century ago), I had already arrived at the same position concerning an on-side kick as Phil Simms. It’s too bad for the Chargers that Norv Turner didn’t tap his football knowledge to arrive at the same conclusion.
Having the Jets think you were going to on-side kick was a good idea. Actually doing it wasn’t.
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Stupid Football Players (continued)
I have been watching the stupid parade continue in the NFL playoffs. Obviously the playoff teams are the best. Obviously, they still are also as stupid as the teams that didn't make the playoffs.
The Giants-Eagles today included Donovan McNabb picking up nine yards as the Eagles were running out the clock, leading the Giants 23-11. But then his inner stupid came out, and he grabbed a phone on the Giants bench and said something on it. He was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, 15 yards. Fortunately for McNabb and the Eagles, the Giants couldn't do anything with the extra time McNabb's stupidity gave them, but why take the chance?
The Chargers-Steelers started off with a classic stupid play. Vincent Jackson caught a great pass from Rivers, Chargers touchdown!
But then Jackson had to show how stupid professional football players can be, and cost his team 15 yards on the following kickoff with an "excessive" celebration. The Steelers received the kickoff and started almost at mid-field, then Roethlisberger pooch-punted from the Charger's 35 (a great call by Pittsburgh!) to put the ball on the 10-yard line. The Chargers went three-and-out, punted, and Santonio Holmes ran it back for a Steeler's touchdown.
Thanks to Jackson, the Steelers had great field position, and the Chargers didn't. Jackson let all of his teammates down, just to do a show-off celebration. Players sweat and strain to gain 15 yards of field position, then one stupid play pisses it away.
Of course, the players are not the only stupids on the field. The referees get their share too. Yesterday the Baltimore Ravens didn't have a delay-of-game penalty called, even though the play clock hit zero almost a full second before the ball was snapped. Baltimore got a first down on the play instead of losing five yards.
Instant replay challenges and timeouts are two of the most valuable possessions a coach has. Today coaches foolishly wasted challenges (and timeouts) on plays that were not going to be game deciders. For example, San Diego coach Norv Turner challenged the spot of the ball on fourth down and inches, even though a glance at the network replays showed he would lose the challenge - and a timeout.
Not to be undone for stupid, the Steelers coach Mike Tomlin called a fake punt at midfield that failed, and gave the Chargers great field position and led to a Charger field goal.
Fortunately for the Steelers, the Chargers went into their "prevent" defense during the last two minutes of the first half, and the Steelers took advantage of their soft defense and easily scored a go-ahead touchdown.
Steelers 14, Chargers 10 at halftime.
The Giants-Eagles today included Donovan McNabb picking up nine yards as the Eagles were running out the clock, leading the Giants 23-11. But then his inner stupid came out, and he grabbed a phone on the Giants bench and said something on it. He was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, 15 yards. Fortunately for McNabb and the Eagles, the Giants couldn't do anything with the extra time McNabb's stupidity gave them, but why take the chance?
The Chargers-Steelers started off with a classic stupid play. Vincent Jackson caught a great pass from Rivers, Chargers touchdown!
But then Jackson had to show how stupid professional football players can be, and cost his team 15 yards on the following kickoff with an "excessive" celebration. The Steelers received the kickoff and started almost at mid-field, then Roethlisberger pooch-punted from the Charger's 35 (a great call by Pittsburgh!) to put the ball on the 10-yard line. The Chargers went three-and-out, punted, and Santonio Holmes ran it back for a Steeler's touchdown.
Thanks to Jackson, the Steelers had great field position, and the Chargers didn't. Jackson let all of his teammates down, just to do a show-off celebration. Players sweat and strain to gain 15 yards of field position, then one stupid play pisses it away.
Of course, the players are not the only stupids on the field. The referees get their share too. Yesterday the Baltimore Ravens didn't have a delay-of-game penalty called, even though the play clock hit zero almost a full second before the ball was snapped. Baltimore got a first down on the play instead of losing five yards.
Instant replay challenges and timeouts are two of the most valuable possessions a coach has. Today coaches foolishly wasted challenges (and timeouts) on plays that were not going to be game deciders. For example, San Diego coach Norv Turner challenged the spot of the ball on fourth down and inches, even though a glance at the network replays showed he would lose the challenge - and a timeout.
Not to be undone for stupid, the Steelers coach Mike Tomlin called a fake punt at midfield that failed, and gave the Chargers great field position and led to a Charger field goal.
Fortunately for the Steelers, the Chargers went into their "prevent" defense during the last two minutes of the first half, and the Steelers took advantage of their soft defense and easily scored a go-ahead touchdown.
Steelers 14, Chargers 10 at halftime.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Dallas Cowboys Happiness
I share a secret delight with many Americans, feeling joy watching the Dallas Cowboys lose. It all started when the Cowboys named themselves "America's Team," and I started meeting all sorts of Cowboys fans who knew next to nothing about football or the team they supported.
They reminded me a lot of Democrat supporters.
My oldest son's in-laws are all Cowboys fans. They're wonderful people, but they've never lived in Texas, let alone Dallas. My oldest son - actually my three sons and I - have been life-long 49ers fans, although since I was born in 1942 and the 49ers weren't created until 1946, I really become a 49ers fan when we bought our first TV in 1954 and I first saw them play.
Although we lived 140 miles north of San Francisco, everyone in the area was a 49ers fan.
The 49ers are considered to have had the greatest team of all time. It's just that it's impossible to determine whether the 1984 or the 1989 49ers was that greatest team. Certainly the 49ers success from 1981 through 1998, including 16 straight seasons when they won 10 or more games, was one of if not the longest period of sustained excellence in professional sports history.
Along the way the 49ers featured some of the greatest players of all time at key positions - Joe Montana at quarterback, Jerry Rice at wide receiver, and Ronny Lott at whatever defensive back position he was playing.
Tonight I enjoyed watching the Baltimore Ravens take the Cowboys apart in the last game to be played in the Cowboy's old stadium. As a special sweetner, Terrell Owens had an undistinguished game, and will soon probably destroy what little remains of Cowboy team spirit. To Owens, there is one big "I" in team.
The cowboys deserve TO, and they deserved tonight. May they long remember it.
UPDATE: Apparently the Cowboys are not as dumb as Jerry Jones acts. They let TO go, and now he is the Buffalo Bills' problem.
They reminded me a lot of Democrat supporters.
My oldest son's in-laws are all Cowboys fans. They're wonderful people, but they've never lived in Texas, let alone Dallas. My oldest son - actually my three sons and I - have been life-long 49ers fans, although since I was born in 1942 and the 49ers weren't created until 1946, I really become a 49ers fan when we bought our first TV in 1954 and I first saw them play.
Although we lived 140 miles north of San Francisco, everyone in the area was a 49ers fan.
The 49ers are considered to have had the greatest team of all time. It's just that it's impossible to determine whether the 1984 or the 1989 49ers was that greatest team. Certainly the 49ers success from 1981 through 1998, including 16 straight seasons when they won 10 or more games, was one of if not the longest period of sustained excellence in professional sports history.
Along the way the 49ers featured some of the greatest players of all time at key positions - Joe Montana at quarterback, Jerry Rice at wide receiver, and Ronny Lott at whatever defensive back position he was playing.
Tonight I enjoyed watching the Baltimore Ravens take the Cowboys apart in the last game to be played in the Cowboy's old stadium. As a special sweetner, Terrell Owens had an undistinguished game, and will soon probably destroy what little remains of Cowboy team spirit. To Owens, there is one big "I" in team.
The cowboys deserve TO, and they deserved tonight. May they long remember it.
UPDATE: Apparently the Cowboys are not as dumb as Jerry Jones acts. They let TO go, and now he is the Buffalo Bills' problem.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Jeff Garcia, Steve Young, and Joe Montana
Watching Jeff Garcia quarterback the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is a bitter-sweet experience. Garcia is one of the best quarterbacks playing today, and has performed at a high level since Bill Walsh noticed his outstanding playmaking abilities in Canadian football and had the San Francisco 49ers bring him in to replace Steve Young. Even today, at age 38, Garcia makes plays because of his athleticism that other quarterbacks – Tom Brady, Tony Romo, the Mannings, and many others – cannot. Garcia can scramble and ramble with the best, and yet can still pass with pinpoint accuracy.
Just like Joe Montana and Steve Young did before him.
The only problem I have with Jeff Garcia is that he isn’t still playing for the 49ers, and that’s really a problem with the 49ers’ mismanagement. Garcia made the Pro Bowl three of the five years he played for the 49ers, and last year with Tampa Bay. In the previous two seasons he took Philadelphia and Tampa Bay into the playoffs as Wildcards. At Philadelphia he replaced an injured Donovan McNabb, led the Eagles to wins in five of their last six games and an upset of the Giants before losing to the Saints by a field goal in the Division playoffs.
Meanwhile, the hapless 49ers just fired their in-over-his-head coach Mike Nolan. 49ers mismanagement now is a total contrast to the Eddie DeBartolo days of Bill Walsh and George Seifert. The downturn really became apparent when Steve Mariucci was fired after making the playoffs. As 49ers coach, "Mooch" compiled a 60-43 (.583) record, while the 49ers earned playoff berths four times. Mariucci was replaced by Dennis Erickson, and the 49ers began their death spiral. After going 7-9 in 2003, with a good offense led by Garcia and Terrell Owens, but a struggling defense, Garcia was let go and Owens was traded, and in 2004 the 49ers hit rock bottom at 2-14.
I can’t help thinking that if only Jeff Garcia had stayed a 49er, and the 49ers had stuck with Mariucci, all would have been different and much better. As I watched Garcia play the past three seasons, saving the Eagles season in 2006, taking the Buccaneers to the playoffs in 2007, and playing well this season after overcoming an injury, I can’t help thinking that if he had stayed in San Francisco, he would have been well on his way to becoming the third 49er Hall of Fame quarterback in a row.
And the 49ers would still have a place of pride among NFL elite teams.
Just like Joe Montana and Steve Young did before him.
The only problem I have with Jeff Garcia is that he isn’t still playing for the 49ers, and that’s really a problem with the 49ers’ mismanagement. Garcia made the Pro Bowl three of the five years he played for the 49ers, and last year with Tampa Bay. In the previous two seasons he took Philadelphia and Tampa Bay into the playoffs as Wildcards. At Philadelphia he replaced an injured Donovan McNabb, led the Eagles to wins in five of their last six games and an upset of the Giants before losing to the Saints by a field goal in the Division playoffs.
Meanwhile, the hapless 49ers just fired their in-over-his-head coach Mike Nolan. 49ers mismanagement now is a total contrast to the Eddie DeBartolo days of Bill Walsh and George Seifert. The downturn really became apparent when Steve Mariucci was fired after making the playoffs. As 49ers coach, "Mooch" compiled a 60-43 (.583) record, while the 49ers earned playoff berths four times. Mariucci was replaced by Dennis Erickson, and the 49ers began their death spiral. After going 7-9 in 2003, with a good offense led by Garcia and Terrell Owens, but a struggling defense, Garcia was let go and Owens was traded, and in 2004 the 49ers hit rock bottom at 2-14.
I can’t help thinking that if only Jeff Garcia had stayed a 49er, and the 49ers had stuck with Mariucci, all would have been different and much better. As I watched Garcia play the past three seasons, saving the Eagles season in 2006, taking the Buccaneers to the playoffs in 2007, and playing well this season after overcoming an injury, I can’t help thinking that if he had stayed in San Francisco, he would have been well on his way to becoming the third 49er Hall of Fame quarterback in a row.
And the 49ers would still have a place of pride among NFL elite teams.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Greater Respect for Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds and his Godfather Willie Mays celebrate No. 756!
My respect for Barry Bond’s abilities and accomplishments increases each day as I find out more and more pitchers, like Roger Clemens, were “juiced” (on steroids). I suppose I should have known all along that pitchers were the primary users/abusers of steroids. The very act of pitching creates strains on arm, back, legs, the whole body, which keep pitchers on the trainer’s table more than any of the position players.
There were other, not subtle, indicators that pitchers had joined the ranks of the chemically enhanced. The JUGGS guns provide the evidence.
I remember a few decades ago when any pitcher with a fast ball that cracked 90 mph was called a “flamethrower.” Now that we’re in the era of the routine 100 mph fastball, the 90 mph one is called a “change-up.”
How did pitchers go from a century of struggling to top 90 mph, to two decades of 100 mph hummers?
Go ask Roger. Just get in line behind the Congressmen.
While you’re waiting, consider this.
Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Babe Ruth played on an even playing field, because no one was juicing in those days.
Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGuire, Jose Canseco, etc., were playing on an even playing field because almost everyone was juicing.
The guys that weren’t sat on the bench and cashed the little paychecks, and didn’t last long in the majors.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Greatest NFL Team Ever
In the beginning there was...
"The Throw"
Then there was "The Catch"
The rest is history.
It’s easy to pick the 49ers as having the best NFL team of all time, the hard part is to pick which 49er team was the best.
Both teams are consistently picked by experts as among the top five teams ever, and the 49ers are the only team so honored.
Was it the 18-1 1984 team which came four points short of a perfect 19-0 season and romped over the New York Giants 21-10 and the Chicago Bears 23-0 before annihilating the Miami Dolphins and their supercharged offense 38-16 in the Super Bowl? Or was it the 17-2 1989 team, which only lost two games by a total of five points, and blasted through the playoffs and Super Bowl beating the Vikings 41-13, the Rams 30-3, and the Denver Broncos 55-10?
Both teams were led by the greatest quarterback of all, Joe Montana. Among his many accomplishments, Joe never threw an interception in a playoff or Super Bowl, and racked up four Super Bowl victories without defeat.
With the loss in Super Bowl XLII, Tom Brady will never be able to match Joe’s record of never losing a Super Bowl. Of course, Tom Brady is in good company, since among all the greats – Elway, Favre, Simms, Aikman, Starr, Staubach, et al – only Terry Bradshaw can match Joe’s 4-0 record in the Super Bowl.
It takes more than a quarterback to lay claim to being the greatest team. Coached by the incomparable Bill Walsh, the 1984 team had great balance on offense, with Wendell Tyler and Roger Craig running, Craig leading the team in receptions, and talented receivers led by Dwight Clark, Freddie Solomon, and Russ Francis. The athletic and precise 49er offensive line was anchored by Pro Bowlers Fred Quillan, Randy Cross, and Keith Fahnhorst, All-Pro John Ayers, and massive Bubba Paris.
Although the 49er offense was second only to Dan Marino’s Miami Dolphins in points scored, the 49er defense was second to none and led the league in least points allowed. For the first and probably only time, the entire 49er defensive backfield – Ronnie Lott, Dwight Hicks, Carlton Williamson, and Eric Wright – were selected as starters in the Pro Bowl. The 49ers also had an incredible defensive line, led by Dwaine Board, Fred Dean, Gary “Big Hands” Johnson, Michael Carter, Manu Tuiasosopo, Lawrence Pillers, Jeff Stover, and Jim Stuckey. You never heard much about individual accomplishments from this group because 49er defensive coordinator George Seifert rotated them continually to have fresh defenders in the game from start to finish. A good crew of 49er linebackers were led by All-Pro Keena Turner, Ricki Ellison, and Dan Bunz.
In the NFC Championship Game, the 49ers crushed the Chicago Bears 23-0. The following year the Bears had their only Super Bowl season, beating the 49ers 26-10 in the regular season. Some say the 1985 Bears were the best team ever, but while their defense was the best (like the 49ers was in 1984), their offense was only 7th overall, 1st rushing but only 20th passing, while the 49ers 2nd rated offense was balanced, ranked 2nd both in running and passing.
In the two seasons following their Super Bowl win, the Bears were eliminated both years by the Washington Redskins in the first round, and in a 1987 regular season game, the 49ers won their first game with the Bears after the 1985 Super Bowl by a mortally embarrassing score of 41-0.
Although the Bears tout their record 1985 through 1988 as the “best four seasons any team has ever had,” they won the same number of Super Bowls during that period as the 49ers – one – and during the period 1984 through 1989, the 49ers won three Super Bowls.
Getting back to the 1984 49ers, after humiliating Chicago’s legendary “46” defense under Bears defensive guru Buddy Ryan, the 49ers then faced the super-hyped Dolphins top-rated offensive machine. During the regular season Dan Marino had set records for touchdown passes (48) and yards passing (5,084), while only being sacked thirteen times. In the Super Bowl, George Seifert confused Marino with changing defenses that disrupted his receivers’ pass routes and resulted in four sacks and many hits and hurries. The final score of 38-16 clearly reflected the 49ers dominance on both sides of the ball.
As great as the 1984 49ers were, many experts think the 1989 team was better. They have many points on their side. Joe Montana had his greatest season, throwing for 3,512 yards, 26 touchdowns, and only 8 interceptions, giving him what was then the highest quarterback rating in NFL history (112.4). However, Joe’s quarterback rating was 3rd on the 49ers that year, behind Steve Bono’s 157.9, and Steve Young’s 120.8. Joe also won NFL awards for Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year.
Good quarterbacks make good receivers, and vice versa. The 49ers had Jerry Rice at the top of his game with 112 receptions, John Taylor who could take a short toss 90 yards or more (twice for TDs in the 30-3 win over the Rams), Brent Jones catching like a wide receiver from the tight end spot, Roger Craig receiving and running through tackles with his chest-high knee action, and fullback Tom Rathman catching 73 safety valve flips. San Francisco's offense led the league in total yards from scrimmage (6,268) and scoring (442 points), and was ranked #1.
The 49ers defense was ranked #3, 3rd against the rush and 11th against the pass. Overall the 49ers were first in differential between points scored and points allowed, although the differential was not nearly as large as for the 1984 team.
The two games lost could just as easily been won. Ronnie Lott was out, four starters were missing from the offensive line, and the 49ers fumbled the ball away on the Rams 19-yard line while leading 12-10 with just over two minutes to play. Instead of at least a 49er field goal and a 15-10 lead with little or no time left, the Rams got a field goal for a 13-12 win.
The 49ers lost 21-17 to Green Bay on a day when the Green Bay winning touchdown drive of 73 yards was done with 45 yards of 49er penalties, and a 94-yard TD runback of an interception was erased by an offside penalty on the 49ers.
The 49ers ended the regular season shutting out the Chicago Bears 26-0, the third time they had shut them out in five years – 23-0 in the 1984 season, and 41-0 in 1987. In the playoffs, the 49ers #1 offense met the Vikings’ defense which had been ranked #1 for all sixteen weeks of the regular season, and won 41-13 in a “game that was even more one-sided than the score,” according to Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Next the 49ers faced the Rams for the third time, narrowly losing 13-12 in the first regular season game, and coming back twice from 17-point deficits in the second game to win 30-27. However, this time it wasn’t even close, with Montana completing 26 of 30 attempts, the running game with Craig and Rathman clicking, and the defense holding the Rams to 156 total yards, only nine first down, and only 20 minutes time of possession.
Then the 49ers faced the Denver Broncos and their defense ranked third in the NFL. Suffice it to say that Montana’s five touchdown passes, three to Jerry Rice, were only part of a story that included eight 49er touchdowns along the way to winning the most lop-sided Super Bowl ever, 55-10. Elway was held to just 10 completions out of 26 attempts for 108 yards with no touchdowns, and was intercepted 2 times.
So there you have it, two great 49ers teams that in a span of nine Super Bowls won four of them. Both the 1984 and 1989 teams have a lot going for them in claiming to be the best NFL team of all time. Based on what happened in the year each won the Super Bowl, there’s not much to give one team or the other the nod.
The 1984 49ers had a better defense and running game, but the 1989 team had Joe Montana at his peak throwing to Jerry Rice, the greatest receiver of all time, and still had a pretty good running game with Roger Craig and Tom Rathman.
In the final analysis I have to go beyond the outstanding season each team had, and look at each team’s performance before and after their Super Bowl season. Just as the 1985 Chicago Bears had a great season, so did the 1984 49ers.
And just like the Bears, the 49ers lost the NFC Championship Game the preceding season, losing 21-24 to the Redskins (The Bears lost to the 49ers 0-23 in the 1984 NFC Championship Game).
The 49ers were 10-6 in 1985, while the Bears were knocked out of the 1986 playoffs by Washington in the first round losing 13-27. All this leads up to why the 1989 49ers were the greatest NFL team ever. The previous year the 1988 49ers won the Super Bowl, and in the following year the 1990 49ers came within a Roger Craig fumble while they were running the clock out against the New York Giants of “three-peating” in the Super Bowl.
Another objective assessment of the greatness of the 1989 49ers is that their unrelenting success spurred the NFL to adopt the salary cap system starting in 1990 to stop Eddie DeBartolo from collecting and stockpiling the best players that other teams couldn’t afford to keep. For example, the 49ers had certain Hall of Famer Joe Montana at quarterback, and future Hall of Famer Steve Young on the bench.
The 49ers had eight defensive linemen, and their second unit could have started for almost any other team in the league. In fact, the 49ers rotated them constantly to keep fresh players on the field, and the second unit players had about the same playing time as the starters. Their outstanding linebacker group featured Keena Turner, Bill Romanowski, Matt Millen, and Charles Haley playing the hybrid “elephant” (linebacker-defensive end) position. The 49er defensive backfield included Eric Wright, Tim McKyer, Don Griffen, and was anchored by Ronnie Lott, the greatest defensive back of all time.
Not bad, don’t you think? A team with three of the greatest players of all time, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Ronnie Lott. Of course, there are experts who rank the 1984 49ers as the greatest team of all time, and in doing this I’ve come very close to agreeing with them. (This analyst actually picks the 1984 49ers first, and the 1989 team fourth, because he had picked the 2007 Patriots third assuming they would be 19-0 after the Super Bowl. Never assume anything!)
But in the end, I have to pick the 1989 49ers, not just for the 1989 season, but for their sustained excellence 1988 through 1990.
1984 49ers or 1989 49ers? For a 49er fan, what a wonderful dilemma!
"The Throw"
Then there was "The Catch"
The rest is history.
It’s easy to pick the 49ers as having the best NFL team of all time, the hard part is to pick which 49er team was the best.
Both teams are consistently picked by experts as among the top five teams ever, and the 49ers are the only team so honored.
Was it the 18-1 1984 team which came four points short of a perfect 19-0 season and romped over the New York Giants 21-10 and the Chicago Bears 23-0 before annihilating the Miami Dolphins and their supercharged offense 38-16 in the Super Bowl? Or was it the 17-2 1989 team, which only lost two games by a total of five points, and blasted through the playoffs and Super Bowl beating the Vikings 41-13, the Rams 30-3, and the Denver Broncos 55-10?
Both teams were led by the greatest quarterback of all, Joe Montana. Among his many accomplishments, Joe never threw an interception in a playoff or Super Bowl, and racked up four Super Bowl victories without defeat.
With the loss in Super Bowl XLII, Tom Brady will never be able to match Joe’s record of never losing a Super Bowl. Of course, Tom Brady is in good company, since among all the greats – Elway, Favre, Simms, Aikman, Starr, Staubach, et al – only Terry Bradshaw can match Joe’s 4-0 record in the Super Bowl.
It takes more than a quarterback to lay claim to being the greatest team. Coached by the incomparable Bill Walsh, the 1984 team had great balance on offense, with Wendell Tyler and Roger Craig running, Craig leading the team in receptions, and talented receivers led by Dwight Clark, Freddie Solomon, and Russ Francis. The athletic and precise 49er offensive line was anchored by Pro Bowlers Fred Quillan, Randy Cross, and Keith Fahnhorst, All-Pro John Ayers, and massive Bubba Paris.
Although the 49er offense was second only to Dan Marino’s Miami Dolphins in points scored, the 49er defense was second to none and led the league in least points allowed. For the first and probably only time, the entire 49er defensive backfield – Ronnie Lott, Dwight Hicks, Carlton Williamson, and Eric Wright – were selected as starters in the Pro Bowl. The 49ers also had an incredible defensive line, led by Dwaine Board, Fred Dean, Gary “Big Hands” Johnson, Michael Carter, Manu Tuiasosopo, Lawrence Pillers, Jeff Stover, and Jim Stuckey. You never heard much about individual accomplishments from this group because 49er defensive coordinator George Seifert rotated them continually to have fresh defenders in the game from start to finish. A good crew of 49er linebackers were led by All-Pro Keena Turner, Ricki Ellison, and Dan Bunz.
In the NFC Championship Game, the 49ers crushed the Chicago Bears 23-0. The following year the Bears had their only Super Bowl season, beating the 49ers 26-10 in the regular season. Some say the 1985 Bears were the best team ever, but while their defense was the best (like the 49ers was in 1984), their offense was only 7th overall, 1st rushing but only 20th passing, while the 49ers 2nd rated offense was balanced, ranked 2nd both in running and passing.
In the two seasons following their Super Bowl win, the Bears were eliminated both years by the Washington Redskins in the first round, and in a 1987 regular season game, the 49ers won their first game with the Bears after the 1985 Super Bowl by a mortally embarrassing score of 41-0.
Although the Bears tout their record 1985 through 1988 as the “best four seasons any team has ever had,” they won the same number of Super Bowls during that period as the 49ers – one – and during the period 1984 through 1989, the 49ers won three Super Bowls.
Getting back to the 1984 49ers, after humiliating Chicago’s legendary “46” defense under Bears defensive guru Buddy Ryan, the 49ers then faced the super-hyped Dolphins top-rated offensive machine. During the regular season Dan Marino had set records for touchdown passes (48) and yards passing (5,084), while only being sacked thirteen times. In the Super Bowl, George Seifert confused Marino with changing defenses that disrupted his receivers’ pass routes and resulted in four sacks and many hits and hurries. The final score of 38-16 clearly reflected the 49ers dominance on both sides of the ball.
As great as the 1984 49ers were, many experts think the 1989 team was better. They have many points on their side. Joe Montana had his greatest season, throwing for 3,512 yards, 26 touchdowns, and only 8 interceptions, giving him what was then the highest quarterback rating in NFL history (112.4). However, Joe’s quarterback rating was 3rd on the 49ers that year, behind Steve Bono’s 157.9, and Steve Young’s 120.8. Joe also won NFL awards for Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year.
Good quarterbacks make good receivers, and vice versa. The 49ers had Jerry Rice at the top of his game with 112 receptions, John Taylor who could take a short toss 90 yards or more (twice for TDs in the 30-3 win over the Rams), Brent Jones catching like a wide receiver from the tight end spot, Roger Craig receiving and running through tackles with his chest-high knee action, and fullback Tom Rathman catching 73 safety valve flips. San Francisco's offense led the league in total yards from scrimmage (6,268) and scoring (442 points), and was ranked #1.
The 49ers defense was ranked #3, 3rd against the rush and 11th against the pass. Overall the 49ers were first in differential between points scored and points allowed, although the differential was not nearly as large as for the 1984 team.
The two games lost could just as easily been won. Ronnie Lott was out, four starters were missing from the offensive line, and the 49ers fumbled the ball away on the Rams 19-yard line while leading 12-10 with just over two minutes to play. Instead of at least a 49er field goal and a 15-10 lead with little or no time left, the Rams got a field goal for a 13-12 win.
The 49ers lost 21-17 to Green Bay on a day when the Green Bay winning touchdown drive of 73 yards was done with 45 yards of 49er penalties, and a 94-yard TD runback of an interception was erased by an offside penalty on the 49ers.
The 49ers ended the regular season shutting out the Chicago Bears 26-0, the third time they had shut them out in five years – 23-0 in the 1984 season, and 41-0 in 1987. In the playoffs, the 49ers #1 offense met the Vikings’ defense which had been ranked #1 for all sixteen weeks of the regular season, and won 41-13 in a “game that was even more one-sided than the score,” according to Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Next the 49ers faced the Rams for the third time, narrowly losing 13-12 in the first regular season game, and coming back twice from 17-point deficits in the second game to win 30-27. However, this time it wasn’t even close, with Montana completing 26 of 30 attempts, the running game with Craig and Rathman clicking, and the defense holding the Rams to 156 total yards, only nine first down, and only 20 minutes time of possession.
Then the 49ers faced the Denver Broncos and their defense ranked third in the NFL. Suffice it to say that Montana’s five touchdown passes, three to Jerry Rice, were only part of a story that included eight 49er touchdowns along the way to winning the most lop-sided Super Bowl ever, 55-10. Elway was held to just 10 completions out of 26 attempts for 108 yards with no touchdowns, and was intercepted 2 times.
So there you have it, two great 49ers teams that in a span of nine Super Bowls won four of them. Both the 1984 and 1989 teams have a lot going for them in claiming to be the best NFL team of all time. Based on what happened in the year each won the Super Bowl, there’s not much to give one team or the other the nod.
The 1984 49ers had a better defense and running game, but the 1989 team had Joe Montana at his peak throwing to Jerry Rice, the greatest receiver of all time, and still had a pretty good running game with Roger Craig and Tom Rathman.
In the final analysis I have to go beyond the outstanding season each team had, and look at each team’s performance before and after their Super Bowl season. Just as the 1985 Chicago Bears had a great season, so did the 1984 49ers.
And just like the Bears, the 49ers lost the NFC Championship Game the preceding season, losing 21-24 to the Redskins (The Bears lost to the 49ers 0-23 in the 1984 NFC Championship Game).
The 49ers were 10-6 in 1985, while the Bears were knocked out of the 1986 playoffs by Washington in the first round losing 13-27. All this leads up to why the 1989 49ers were the greatest NFL team ever. The previous year the 1988 49ers won the Super Bowl, and in the following year the 1990 49ers came within a Roger Craig fumble while they were running the clock out against the New York Giants of “three-peating” in the Super Bowl.
Another objective assessment of the greatness of the 1989 49ers is that their unrelenting success spurred the NFL to adopt the salary cap system starting in 1990 to stop Eddie DeBartolo from collecting and stockpiling the best players that other teams couldn’t afford to keep. For example, the 49ers had certain Hall of Famer Joe Montana at quarterback, and future Hall of Famer Steve Young on the bench.
The 49ers had eight defensive linemen, and their second unit could have started for almost any other team in the league. In fact, the 49ers rotated them constantly to keep fresh players on the field, and the second unit players had about the same playing time as the starters. Their outstanding linebacker group featured Keena Turner, Bill Romanowski, Matt Millen, and Charles Haley playing the hybrid “elephant” (linebacker-defensive end) position. The 49er defensive backfield included Eric Wright, Tim McKyer, Don Griffen, and was anchored by Ronnie Lott, the greatest defensive back of all time.
Not bad, don’t you think? A team with three of the greatest players of all time, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Ronnie Lott. Of course, there are experts who rank the 1984 49ers as the greatest team of all time, and in doing this I’ve come very close to agreeing with them. (This analyst actually picks the 1984 49ers first, and the 1989 team fourth, because he had picked the 2007 Patriots third assuming they would be 19-0 after the Super Bowl. Never assume anything!)
But in the end, I have to pick the 1989 49ers, not just for the 1989 season, but for their sustained excellence 1988 through 1990.
1984 49ers or 1989 49ers? For a 49er fan, what a wonderful dilemma!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Charles Barkley is an Authentic Idiot
I listened to Charles Barkley’s diatribe about conservatives being “fake Christians,” which included his announcement that he would run for the governor of Alabama in 2014, and am now advising him to not give up his day job.
Charles’ rant centered around conservatives being fake Christians because they don’t follow Biblical teaching to forgive your fellow man and help the poor. According to the highly judgmental Barkley, conservatives are too judgmental.
Of what, he doesn’t say, except that he is for gay marriage and freedom to choose concerning abortions.
I never knew there were so many conservative Blacks until I listened to Charles and he reminded me of the many blacks that oppose abortion. Even Rev. Jackson, back in 1977, called abortion “Black genocide” before he realized that would cost him White liberal votes and contributions, and this caused him to immediately trade his soul to stay on the good side of “Whitey.”
(Click on this link to go to the Black Genocide website)
Unlike the opportunistic Jesse Jackson, and the ignorant Charles Barkley, many principled Black leaders and “authentic” Black Christians oppose abortion, as do many Catholic Democrats.
A Zogby International poll found that 62 percent of Blacks said “abortion should never be legal or be legal only when the mother's life is in danger or in cases of rape and incest.”
Concerning gay marriage, 58 percent of Blacks say they would never vote for a candidate who was for gay marriage. Charles should also be aware that the percentage of Blacks opposed to gay marriage is even higher in the South. As ignorant as he has shown himself to be, he may not be aware of the positions and issues that are important to the people he fancies himself governing in six years.
Since 26 percent of Alabama’s five million citizens are Black, Charles should be aware that most of them disagree with him.
In fact, there are a lot of Black “conservatives” you’re going to have to explain yourself to when you start campaigning in Alabama, Mr. Barkley.
Since the only two issues you raised are sure losers in Alabama, I would be interested to find what positions you hold that you think are winners.
Since Alabama has voted Republican in presidential elections ever since their mistake of voting for Jimmy Carter in 1976, and now has a Republican governor, perhaps Mr. Barkley would find politics more to his liking in Massachusetts, or Berkeley, California.
I am loath to insult your intelligence by assuming your positions are as stupid as the ones you showcased on national television, Mr. Barkley, but apparently there is not much chance of insulting one’s intelligence if one does not have any.
Charles’ rant centered around conservatives being fake Christians because they don’t follow Biblical teaching to forgive your fellow man and help the poor. According to the highly judgmental Barkley, conservatives are too judgmental.
Of what, he doesn’t say, except that he is for gay marriage and freedom to choose concerning abortions.
I never knew there were so many conservative Blacks until I listened to Charles and he reminded me of the many blacks that oppose abortion. Even Rev. Jackson, back in 1977, called abortion “Black genocide” before he realized that would cost him White liberal votes and contributions, and this caused him to immediately trade his soul to stay on the good side of “Whitey.”
(Click on this link to go to the Black Genocide website)
Unlike the opportunistic Jesse Jackson, and the ignorant Charles Barkley, many principled Black leaders and “authentic” Black Christians oppose abortion, as do many Catholic Democrats.
A Zogby International poll found that 62 percent of Blacks said “abortion should never be legal or be legal only when the mother's life is in danger or in cases of rape and incest.”
Concerning gay marriage, 58 percent of Blacks say they would never vote for a candidate who was for gay marriage. Charles should also be aware that the percentage of Blacks opposed to gay marriage is even higher in the South. As ignorant as he has shown himself to be, he may not be aware of the positions and issues that are important to the people he fancies himself governing in six years.
Since 26 percent of Alabama’s five million citizens are Black, Charles should be aware that most of them disagree with him.
In fact, there are a lot of Black “conservatives” you’re going to have to explain yourself to when you start campaigning in Alabama, Mr. Barkley.
Since the only two issues you raised are sure losers in Alabama, I would be interested to find what positions you hold that you think are winners.
Since Alabama has voted Republican in presidential elections ever since their mistake of voting for Jimmy Carter in 1976, and now has a Republican governor, perhaps Mr. Barkley would find politics more to his liking in Massachusetts, or Berkeley, California.
I am loath to insult your intelligence by assuming your positions are as stupid as the ones you showcased on national television, Mr. Barkley, but apparently there is not much chance of insulting one’s intelligence if one does not have any.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
The NFL's Stupid Parade
Everyone on the field – players, coaches, and officials – is a highly paid professional. How do I know? They call it professional football.
So today I watched the Dallas Cowboys at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys were driving for a score in the first half, when the Eagles’ defensive back Quentin Mikkell intercepted Tony Romo in the endzone. Good play. Eagles ball on the 20-yard line.
Except Mikkell, from five yards deep in the end zone, inexplicably decided to run the ball out instead of taking the touchback and the ball on the 20-yard line. He was tackled by Dallas on the 14-yard line, which meant that Philadelphia would lose six yards in field position because of Mikkell’s bad decision to run the ball out.
Except Mikkell fumbled, recovered by Dallas. Stupid is as stupid does.
I guess the Eagles didn’t want to make Mikkell feel he was all alone in stupidity, so at this point the Eagles’ coaching staff joined the Stupid Parade. As Dallas was about to start with their new first and ten on the Eagles’ 14-yard line, the Philly coach, Andy Reid, called a time out.
Why did he call a time out?
To see if he should throw a challenge flag for an instant replay.
Why not just throw the challenge flag? If the Eagles lose the challenge, they’ll lose a challenge and a time out. Apparently the Eagles’ brain trust wanted a chance to look at a replay before deciding to risk wasting a challenge.
After reviewing the play, and seeing the same thing I saw - the ball was coming out before Mikkell was down by contact – the Eagles threw the challenge flag, lost their challenge, and lost another timeout.
Dallas ran three uninspired plays, then kicked a field goal.
The final bill for Mikkell’s and the Eagles’ coaches stupidity? Dallas scores three points (it should have been seven), and Philly throws away two time outs and a challenge.
Eagles coach Andy Reid achieved a “stupid” encore when he chose to attempt a 47-yard field goal instead of going for a first down on fourth-and-short on the Dallas 30-yard line. Before I call his choice stupid, I should review his options on the play.
Punt – which would probably only result in a touchback and Dallas ball on the 20-yard line, a gain of about 10 yards in field position for the Eagles.
Good Eagles’ decision not to punt.
Go for the first down – Philadelphia might make the short yards and earn four more downs inside the Dallas 30-yard line. If not, Dallas’ ball on about their own 30-yard line.
Field goal attempt – three points if the kick is good, Dallas ball on their 37-yard line if it misses. Would it influence your decision if you know that the Eagles’ kicker David Akers was only two for nine in kicking field goals over 40 yards this season?
Akers is now only two for ten for kicks over 40 yards. Dallas ball on their 37-yard line.
I don’t want to just pick on the Eagles’ players on the field or their coaches. Even their sideline players got into the Stupid Parade. On a good defensive play on a Dallas pass attempt, the Eagles’ backup quarterback, A. J. Freely, impeded an official on the sideline and cost his team a 15-yard penalty.
Not to be outdone, the officials got into the Stupid Parade too, and did their usual crappy work. When Dallas defensive back Ken Hamlin put a Philadelphia receiver out for the game with a helmet-to-helmet tackle, the referees appeared to be blind. I am willing to bet that when NFL officials review the hit, Hamlin will be fined. But Dallas should have been penalized during the game. Justice is not served when the penalty is a financial penalty a week after the game is history.
When Dallas running back Marion Barber was tackled for a loss, he spiked the ball in frustration. That’s an automatic delay of game penalty, except when Barber did it right in front of a referee, it wasn’t called.
Earlier in the day, in the Tampa Bay – Atlanta game, the Buccaneer’s defensive end Greg White drew a 15-yard penalty for participating in a “choreographed” celebration of a fumble recovery. Both the Dallas and the Philadelphia players did the same sorts of celebrations following just about every significant play, and after many plays that were of little significance.
What is penalized, and when it is penalized, is capricious and arbitrary.
So that means the management of the National Football League is stupid, too.
They’re responsible for putting an activity worth billions of dollars in front of the American sports public each week that is officiated by referees whose rulings are capricious and arbitrary.
So there we have rampant stupidity in professional football: players whose stupid actions jeopardize their team’s ability to win. Coaches whose stupid decisions jeopardize their team’s chances to win. Officials whose unprofessional rulings reduce fans’ enjoyment of the games.
Any management group that jeopardizes a multi-billion dollar industry by putting unprofessional officiating on every field every week are clearly qualified to be the leaders of the Stupid Parade.
Take a bow, National Football League, and take your well-earned places leading the Parade.
So today I watched the Dallas Cowboys at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys were driving for a score in the first half, when the Eagles’ defensive back Quentin Mikkell intercepted Tony Romo in the endzone. Good play. Eagles ball on the 20-yard line.
Except Mikkell, from five yards deep in the end zone, inexplicably decided to run the ball out instead of taking the touchback and the ball on the 20-yard line. He was tackled by Dallas on the 14-yard line, which meant that Philadelphia would lose six yards in field position because of Mikkell’s bad decision to run the ball out.
Except Mikkell fumbled, recovered by Dallas. Stupid is as stupid does.
I guess the Eagles didn’t want to make Mikkell feel he was all alone in stupidity, so at this point the Eagles’ coaching staff joined the Stupid Parade. As Dallas was about to start with their new first and ten on the Eagles’ 14-yard line, the Philly coach, Andy Reid, called a time out.
Why did he call a time out?
To see if he should throw a challenge flag for an instant replay.
Why not just throw the challenge flag? If the Eagles lose the challenge, they’ll lose a challenge and a time out. Apparently the Eagles’ brain trust wanted a chance to look at a replay before deciding to risk wasting a challenge.
After reviewing the play, and seeing the same thing I saw - the ball was coming out before Mikkell was down by contact – the Eagles threw the challenge flag, lost their challenge, and lost another timeout.
Dallas ran three uninspired plays, then kicked a field goal.
The final bill for Mikkell’s and the Eagles’ coaches stupidity? Dallas scores three points (it should have been seven), and Philly throws away two time outs and a challenge.
Eagles coach Andy Reid achieved a “stupid” encore when he chose to attempt a 47-yard field goal instead of going for a first down on fourth-and-short on the Dallas 30-yard line. Before I call his choice stupid, I should review his options on the play.
Punt – which would probably only result in a touchback and Dallas ball on the 20-yard line, a gain of about 10 yards in field position for the Eagles.
Good Eagles’ decision not to punt.
Go for the first down – Philadelphia might make the short yards and earn four more downs inside the Dallas 30-yard line. If not, Dallas’ ball on about their own 30-yard line.
Field goal attempt – three points if the kick is good, Dallas ball on their 37-yard line if it misses. Would it influence your decision if you know that the Eagles’ kicker David Akers was only two for nine in kicking field goals over 40 yards this season?
Akers is now only two for ten for kicks over 40 yards. Dallas ball on their 37-yard line.
I don’t want to just pick on the Eagles’ players on the field or their coaches. Even their sideline players got into the Stupid Parade. On a good defensive play on a Dallas pass attempt, the Eagles’ backup quarterback, A. J. Freely, impeded an official on the sideline and cost his team a 15-yard penalty.
Not to be outdone, the officials got into the Stupid Parade too, and did their usual crappy work. When Dallas defensive back Ken Hamlin put a Philadelphia receiver out for the game with a helmet-to-helmet tackle, the referees appeared to be blind. I am willing to bet that when NFL officials review the hit, Hamlin will be fined. But Dallas should have been penalized during the game. Justice is not served when the penalty is a financial penalty a week after the game is history.
When Dallas running back Marion Barber was tackled for a loss, he spiked the ball in frustration. That’s an automatic delay of game penalty, except when Barber did it right in front of a referee, it wasn’t called.
Earlier in the day, in the Tampa Bay – Atlanta game, the Buccaneer’s defensive end Greg White drew a 15-yard penalty for participating in a “choreographed” celebration of a fumble recovery. Both the Dallas and the Philadelphia players did the same sorts of celebrations following just about every significant play, and after many plays that were of little significance.
What is penalized, and when it is penalized, is capricious and arbitrary.
So that means the management of the National Football League is stupid, too.
They’re responsible for putting an activity worth billions of dollars in front of the American sports public each week that is officiated by referees whose rulings are capricious and arbitrary.
So there we have rampant stupidity in professional football: players whose stupid actions jeopardize their team’s ability to win. Coaches whose stupid decisions jeopardize their team’s chances to win. Officials whose unprofessional rulings reduce fans’ enjoyment of the games.
Any management group that jeopardizes a multi-billion dollar industry by putting unprofessional officiating on every field every week are clearly qualified to be the leaders of the Stupid Parade.
Take a bow, National Football League, and take your well-earned places leading the Parade.
Michael Vick’s “Friends”
My thoughts about basic human decency included the assumption that Michael Vick’s cruel and inhumane treatment of dogs would disgust everyone who heard the details of their torture and gruesome execution. When I watched the Atlanta Falcons being drubbed by the New Orleans Saints, I saw just the opposite in the Atlanta stands and sideline.
Who were those people wearing the Michael Vick # “7” jerseys? Closet sadistic torturers?
What was in the minds of Vick’s former teammates when they decided to wear “free Michael Vick” t-shirts under their game jerseys, and paint “MV 7” under their eyes, and tape it on their helmets?
Don’t their minds comprehend the pain and suffering Michael Vick inflicted on those dogs? He didn’t just kill them, he tortured them to death. He watched them writhe in pain and agony as he killed them and they slowly died, and he enjoyed their suffering.
Do Vick’s Falcon teammates comprehend that Michael Vick was tried, convicted, and sentenced in a federal court for serious violations? Do they know that he still faces charges for violating state laws? Do they realize that these charges, convictions, and sentences are deserved, and are not an unjust persecution of Michael Vick?
I got the impression watching their sideline antics that his former Falcon teammates were making a show of supporting Michael Vick, and that they thought he had been unfairly prosecuted.
I could sense they were thinking, “They wouldn’t be doing this if Michael Vick was white.”
What human being knows what Michael Vick was found guilty of and then says “Free Michael Vick?”
What is this mindless loyalty to Michael Vick? Atlanta fans and his teammates were counting on him to make exciting plays and help the Falcons win. He was easily the Falcon’s best player, and he let them down completely. And for what?
For the sadistic delight of watching what could have been affectionate and loyal pets kill and maim each other? You know that’s what dog fighting is, don’t you? Do you think you can just deny the reality of what Michael Vick did to those dogs? Can you put it out of your mind that the whole point of what he did was to witness cruel and sadistic injury and death to dogs?
And to gamble on it.
That’s right. In all the outrage about the pain and suffering Vick and his criminal friends inflicted on the dogs, it should never be overlooked that illegal gambling was the key element that motivated the dog fighting.
What was Vick?
That’s right, a professional football player.
What was he doing?
Right again, illegally gambling.
What happens to professional athletes when they are caught illegally gambling?
They’re banned for life, aren’t they?
Why would Michael Vick’s fans and teammates expect him to be treated differently than Pete Rose? Who, by the way, is white. Pete Rose certainly has far greater stature in sports than Michael Vick ever had, or now ever will. Pete Rose was not just a Hall of Fame performer, he was one of the premier or iconic Hall of Fame performers, the record holder for most base hits and games played, among others, and played in six World Series and sixteen All Star games in a 23-year career.
But he’s not in the Hall of Fame.
Pete Rose gambled; Pete Rose was banned for life. The only way he can get into the Hall of Fame is to buy a ticket at the door.
And if justice is served, that will be the only way Michael Vick will ever be able to get into another professional football game.
If it was up to me, he would be banned at the gate.
I couldn’t stand being in the same stadium with such a cruel, sadistic, and inhumane person.
Who were those people wearing the Michael Vick # “7” jerseys? Closet sadistic torturers?
What was in the minds of Vick’s former teammates when they decided to wear “free Michael Vick” t-shirts under their game jerseys, and paint “MV 7” under their eyes, and tape it on their helmets?
Don’t their minds comprehend the pain and suffering Michael Vick inflicted on those dogs? He didn’t just kill them, he tortured them to death. He watched them writhe in pain and agony as he killed them and they slowly died, and he enjoyed their suffering.
Do Vick’s Falcon teammates comprehend that Michael Vick was tried, convicted, and sentenced in a federal court for serious violations? Do they know that he still faces charges for violating state laws? Do they realize that these charges, convictions, and sentences are deserved, and are not an unjust persecution of Michael Vick?
I got the impression watching their sideline antics that his former Falcon teammates were making a show of supporting Michael Vick, and that they thought he had been unfairly prosecuted.
I could sense they were thinking, “They wouldn’t be doing this if Michael Vick was white.”
What human being knows what Michael Vick was found guilty of and then says “Free Michael Vick?”
What is this mindless loyalty to Michael Vick? Atlanta fans and his teammates were counting on him to make exciting plays and help the Falcons win. He was easily the Falcon’s best player, and he let them down completely. And for what?
For the sadistic delight of watching what could have been affectionate and loyal pets kill and maim each other? You know that’s what dog fighting is, don’t you? Do you think you can just deny the reality of what Michael Vick did to those dogs? Can you put it out of your mind that the whole point of what he did was to witness cruel and sadistic injury and death to dogs?
And to gamble on it.
That’s right. In all the outrage about the pain and suffering Vick and his criminal friends inflicted on the dogs, it should never be overlooked that illegal gambling was the key element that motivated the dog fighting.
What was Vick?
That’s right, a professional football player.
What was he doing?
Right again, illegally gambling.
What happens to professional athletes when they are caught illegally gambling?
They’re banned for life, aren’t they?
Why would Michael Vick’s fans and teammates expect him to be treated differently than Pete Rose? Who, by the way, is white. Pete Rose certainly has far greater stature in sports than Michael Vick ever had, or now ever will. Pete Rose was not just a Hall of Fame performer, he was one of the premier or iconic Hall of Fame performers, the record holder for most base hits and games played, among others, and played in six World Series and sixteen All Star games in a 23-year career.
But he’s not in the Hall of Fame.
Pete Rose gambled; Pete Rose was banned for life. The only way he can get into the Hall of Fame is to buy a ticket at the door.
And if justice is served, that will be the only way Michael Vick will ever be able to get into another professional football game.
If it was up to me, he would be banned at the gate.
I couldn’t stand being in the same stadium with such a cruel, sadistic, and inhumane person.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Barry Bonds - King of the Steroid Supermen
Now at 762 and still counting
My admiration for Barry Bond’s home run record just went up like a Roger Clemens rocket off Jason Giambi's bat when George Mitchell’s report of major league baseball steroid use was released.
Say what you will, but Hank Aaron never had to bat against Steroid Supermen.
I’ll go out on a limb (it’s a very thick limb) and state that the ones named are just the tip of the iceberg. As with all illegal and unethical endeavors, the first caught are the dumb and the prominent, often one and the same. Swimming below were the clever and cautious, who dove to the bottom to hide as soon as the net hit the water.
A lot of pitchers are down there. No wonder. Of all baseball players, pitchers get the greatest benefit from steroid use, because pitching is an unnatural act which places unusual stress on the pitcher’s throwing arm and legs. Pitchers also work more intensely when in the game than the other players. With the notable exception of the catcher, the pitcher is the only other player with something strenuous to do on every play when in the field.
Half a century ago I marveled that some pitchers could throw the ball 90 miles an hour. In recent years I have been flabber-foozled that many pitchers routinely throw over 100 miles an hour. Many commentators don’t even mention the now ubiquitous Juggs Gun until it starts registering pitch speed in three digits.
When they report: “He took something off his fast ball,” they now mean the pitcher dropped its speed to the low-nineties, the pitch we used to call a “Blue Blazer,” thrown by a pitcher we called a “flame-thrower.”
Now the same pitch is called a change-up.
Even more remarkable when considering Barry Bonds’ homerun record is that, unlike historical baseballing decades, where starting pitchers paced themselves and tried to pitch complete games, Bonds faced juiced pitchers who came at him in flame-throwing waves, knowing that they were only expected to go a few innings before another flame-thrower would relieve them.
It’s a tribute to Bonds that the managers of the fast-balling phenomena soon decided it was a better strategy to walk Bonds than to chance a few 100 mile per hour fast balls entering his strike zone.
The bottom line is, Bonds cheated, but he was far from being the only cheater. Certainly Hank Aaron was great in his time, in the Age of Clean Ballplayers. And certainly, as a fan, I liked his and Willy Mays’ baseball era more than this steroid-powered period. However, even then efforts were constantly being made to give competitive advantage to the homerun hitters. Pitchers over the years were not thrilled as the pitching mound was lowered and the strike zone shrank because pitchers like Juan Marichal, Bob Gibson, and Sandy Koufax got too good.
Many of Aaron’s homeruns would not have been hit if pitchers hadn’t been handicapped by changing the rules.
In an attempt to increase scores and reverse the dominance of good pitching, the American League went from being a major league to a AAAA minor league by adopting the designated hitter rule, which incidentally created roster spots for the kind of bulked up, immobile, defensive liability power hitters that steroid use produces.
Through this era of chemically crafted supermen, Bonds reigned as the most super, not the only superman. Naturally great players like Aaron and Mays would have been overshadowed by the hitters, and overmatched by the pitchers.
Maybe now, with knowledge and increased surveillance, baseball will return to being a contest of natural abilities.
I hope the fans will be content when the circus leaves and real baseball returns.
You know, sometimes they prefer circuses.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Dreams of Football Glory
When I arrived as a freshman at Humboldt State College, Arcata, California, in the late summer of 1960, I had visions of playing college football. My dream didn’t last past the first time I saw the Humboldt State team practice. I already knew that there were bigger guys than me playing football, and that there were faster guys too, but I didn’t realize there were so many bigger, faster guys.
Unbeknownst to me, the Humboldt State Lumberjacks were a small college powerhouse at the time, coached by a visionary named Phil Sarbo.
The Lumberjacks ended 1960 with a loss by one point (14-15) to Lenoir-Rhyne, North Carolina, in the Holiday Bowl, St. Petersburg, Florida, when Lenoir-Rhyne got three points for a missed field goal to end the game, break Humboldt State’s 22 game winning streak, and win the national small college championship.
Humboldt State was responsible for putting the only blacks on the field that day, either playing or officiating. Apparently that was enough to get Lenoir-Rhyne the winning three points.
Coach Sarbo didn’t have much to go on to build a football program. He didn’t have even one athletic scholarship to tempt potential recruits. Humboldt State was small – enrollment passed 2,000 for the first time when I enrolled in 1960. Humboldt State was in the boondocks, in Arcata north of Eureka, far from big city excitement and big city high school football teams. The primary major at Humboldt State was Forestry, and no girls went to Humboldt State.
Not willingly, anyway.
A lot of the students were “townies,” and went to their homes in Eureka and Arcata when the day’s learning was done.
However, Coach Sarbo came up with a brilliant concept to compensate for his lack of scholarships. He primarily recruited military service veterans!
Coach Sarbo went after older guys, guys who had been drafted or enlisted, served their time, and were now married, starting families, and who were eligible for the GI Bill. He also called on the resources of the saw mills and other businesses in the area, helped his recruits find houses, and helped them and their wives get jobs.
One of the Lumberjacks’ star players was Manuel (Manny) Simas, married with seven children. Manny was the primary reason I went to Humboldt State, and it had nothing to do with football.
It was a good thing I hadn’t pinned my college dreams on football. Not only were there a lot of bigger, faster guys at Humboldt State, I was also very ignorant of two little words: “Weight Room.”
One of the players told me that anyone who wanted to play football should spend more time in the weight room than anywhere else, including practice. Since up to that point in my eighteen-year lifetime I had put in as many hours in the weight room as the average Lumberjack did in a week, I had a lot of catching up to do.
I signed up for Body Building, and soon took the 165 pounds loosely distributed on my 6’ 2” frame down to 156 pounds. Perhaps the pleurisy aggravated by my pack-a-day cigarette habit contributed to my achievement as the only person in Body Building that year who lost weight. The lower weight did help my running, when I wasn’t coughing painfully and spasmodically.
At any rate, my interest in football drew me to watch practices when I had the time, and I knew several guys on the Humboldt State Junior Varsity team which made it particularly fun to watch them practice.
One of my buddies was an offensive guard. For a while in high school he had been a quarterback, but as he developed the mind and skills of a quarterback, his heredity caused him to develop the body of an offensive lineman.
Frequently he would get some of the players to run a few plays before or after practice with him playing quarterback. I was very impressed with his ball-handling skills. He was particularly adept at taking the center snap, and pitching the ball five yards or more to a halfback on a sweep left or right.
Several things about his ability to pitch the ball to a speeding halfback were notable. He pitched the ball fast underhand with a perfect spiral, and he invariably hit the runner’s hands just in front of his body, so the runner never had to reach for it or break stride. He could pitch the ball as well with either hand to the left or the right.
He looked like a fireplug setting up behind center, but Brett Favre would have admired his ball handling. And Reggie Bush can only dream of handling the ball so well.
I expected my friend had an extraordinary talent to handle the ball so skillfully, but he assured me I was wrong. His secret, and the only significant difference between us, was that he practiced, and practiced, and then practiced some more. When he couldn’t get guys to handle his pitches and throws, he drafted his sisters. After awhile, he said, his sisters probably had better hands than most of his team mates, because they got a lot more practice.
Once again, the answer to my day dreams of athletic glory was obvious. I needed to practice more. As usual, the truth revealed didn’t make me dream less, or practice more either.
Unbeknownst to me, the Humboldt State Lumberjacks were a small college powerhouse at the time, coached by a visionary named Phil Sarbo.
The Lumberjacks ended 1960 with a loss by one point (14-15) to Lenoir-Rhyne, North Carolina, in the Holiday Bowl, St. Petersburg, Florida, when Lenoir-Rhyne got three points for a missed field goal to end the game, break Humboldt State’s 22 game winning streak, and win the national small college championship.
Humboldt State was responsible for putting the only blacks on the field that day, either playing or officiating. Apparently that was enough to get Lenoir-Rhyne the winning three points.
Coach Sarbo didn’t have much to go on to build a football program. He didn’t have even one athletic scholarship to tempt potential recruits. Humboldt State was small – enrollment passed 2,000 for the first time when I enrolled in 1960. Humboldt State was in the boondocks, in Arcata north of Eureka, far from big city excitement and big city high school football teams. The primary major at Humboldt State was Forestry, and no girls went to Humboldt State.
Not willingly, anyway.
A lot of the students were “townies,” and went to their homes in Eureka and Arcata when the day’s learning was done.
However, Coach Sarbo came up with a brilliant concept to compensate for his lack of scholarships. He primarily recruited military service veterans!
Coach Sarbo went after older guys, guys who had been drafted or enlisted, served their time, and were now married, starting families, and who were eligible for the GI Bill. He also called on the resources of the saw mills and other businesses in the area, helped his recruits find houses, and helped them and their wives get jobs.
One of the Lumberjacks’ star players was Manuel (Manny) Simas, married with seven children. Manny was the primary reason I went to Humboldt State, and it had nothing to do with football.
It was a good thing I hadn’t pinned my college dreams on football. Not only were there a lot of bigger, faster guys at Humboldt State, I was also very ignorant of two little words: “Weight Room.”
One of the players told me that anyone who wanted to play football should spend more time in the weight room than anywhere else, including practice. Since up to that point in my eighteen-year lifetime I had put in as many hours in the weight room as the average Lumberjack did in a week, I had a lot of catching up to do.
I signed up for Body Building, and soon took the 165 pounds loosely distributed on my 6’ 2” frame down to 156 pounds. Perhaps the pleurisy aggravated by my pack-a-day cigarette habit contributed to my achievement as the only person in Body Building that year who lost weight. The lower weight did help my running, when I wasn’t coughing painfully and spasmodically.
At any rate, my interest in football drew me to watch practices when I had the time, and I knew several guys on the Humboldt State Junior Varsity team which made it particularly fun to watch them practice.
One of my buddies was an offensive guard. For a while in high school he had been a quarterback, but as he developed the mind and skills of a quarterback, his heredity caused him to develop the body of an offensive lineman.
Frequently he would get some of the players to run a few plays before or after practice with him playing quarterback. I was very impressed with his ball-handling skills. He was particularly adept at taking the center snap, and pitching the ball five yards or more to a halfback on a sweep left or right.
Several things about his ability to pitch the ball to a speeding halfback were notable. He pitched the ball fast underhand with a perfect spiral, and he invariably hit the runner’s hands just in front of his body, so the runner never had to reach for it or break stride. He could pitch the ball as well with either hand to the left or the right.
He looked like a fireplug setting up behind center, but Brett Favre would have admired his ball handling. And Reggie Bush can only dream of handling the ball so well.
I expected my friend had an extraordinary talent to handle the ball so skillfully, but he assured me I was wrong. His secret, and the only significant difference between us, was that he practiced, and practiced, and then practiced some more. When he couldn’t get guys to handle his pitches and throws, he drafted his sisters. After awhile, he said, his sisters probably had better hands than most of his team mates, because they got a lot more practice.
Once again, the answer to my day dreams of athletic glory was obvious. I needed to practice more. As usual, the truth revealed didn’t make me dream less, or practice more either.
Football Players - The Dumb Goes On
The subject of dumb football players just won’t go away, because even after I point out their stupidity, they still do dumb things. Obviously, reading comprehension is also one of their deficiencies. Of course, it isn’t only the players who are intellect challenged. Anyone who watched the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers game knows that coaches can take a lot of credit for the idiotic happenings on the field.
Leading 23 to 20 late in the game, less than 30 seconds to play, all New Orleans had to do was run the ball, don’t run out of bounds and stop the clock, and if necessary, punt the ball away. Instead, Drew Brees handed the ball to Reggie Bush on a sweep, a questionable call since it would open the possibility of losing yards or going out of bounds. Still, with time running out, all Bush had to do was hold onto the ball and stay in bounds, because Tampa Bay was also out of time outs.
Not to worry. The play was actually a reverse from Reggie Bush to Devery Henderson, featuring a toss by Bush instead of a handoff.
A toss?
Of course, a toss by a running back, not by a quarterback. Quarterbacks, you see, make tosses, running backs receive tosses. A real role reversal in the making.
A toss by a running back going left, to a wide receiver going very quickly the other way.
As the ball left Bush’s hands, there was less than twenty five seconds remaining for a Saints victory. Only a miracle could save Tampa Bay.
Bush’s toss never looked like it had a chance of reaching Henderson.
It didn’t.
It took Tampa Bay fourteen seconds to score the winning touchdown.
Tampa Bay also took their chances to shine in the dumb. Their back-up quarterback, Luke McCown, playing for the very bright but injured Jeff Garcia, didn’t seem to know that he could leave the pocket and throw the ball away to avoid being sacked. In fact, McCown was tackled for a safety late in the game when he could have easily thrown the ball away. At the time it looked like his boneheaded play took away the last chance for Tampa Bay to come back and win.
The two-point safety gave New Orleans a three-point lead, making a Tampa Bay field goal only a tying score, not a winner. Then after the safety, Tampa Bay had to punt the ball away to New Orleans, thereby sealing the loss.
Actually, it was the best thing Tampa Bay could have made, because it gave the Saints a golden opportunity to mess up and turn the ball over to the Buccaneers in the shadow of the Saint’s goal posts.
There was no way that Tampa Bay could have driven the length of the field to score with no time outs until New Orleans showed them the way.
Bad coaching, plus a) stupidity, b) inattention, c) lack of concentration, or d) all the above on the part of Cincinnati wide receiver “Ocho Cinqo”, aka Chad Johnson, was demonstrated on a fourth down and long yardage to go play, when Johnson slowed several yards short of the first down marker to wait for the pass, then after he caught it casually backed out of bounds several yards short of the enormous, bright red, first down marker.
Yesterday’s stupidity pales besides the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens game tonight. The Patriots should have lost. They lost the game twice, only to be saved by Baltimore’s stupidity as provided by their coaches and players.
It wasn’t like the Ravens were the only dumbies on the field. Patriot running back Kevin Faulk had the choice of getting a first down or getting out of bounds. He ran out of bounds, and if it hadn’t been for the Raven’s boneheaded plays, the Patriots would have lost trying to make the foot or two Faulk left them short for the first down.
Baltimore stopped the Patriots on fourth and short to win! Except the genius coach of the Ravens, Brian Billick, called time out a split second before the ball was snapped, giving New England another chance.
Then the Patriots took it down to the fourth down again, and Brady threw an incomplete pass – Ravens win! Except Baltimore was called for defensive holding and the Patriots got four more downs, and eventually the winning touchdown.
It’s customary for teams to award game balls after victories, and in these games it seems that some of the losing players and coaches deserve game balls, because they contributed more to victory than many of the players on the winning side.
Leading 23 to 20 late in the game, less than 30 seconds to play, all New Orleans had to do was run the ball, don’t run out of bounds and stop the clock, and if necessary, punt the ball away. Instead, Drew Brees handed the ball to Reggie Bush on a sweep, a questionable call since it would open the possibility of losing yards or going out of bounds. Still, with time running out, all Bush had to do was hold onto the ball and stay in bounds, because Tampa Bay was also out of time outs.
Not to worry. The play was actually a reverse from Reggie Bush to Devery Henderson, featuring a toss by Bush instead of a handoff.
A toss?
Of course, a toss by a running back, not by a quarterback. Quarterbacks, you see, make tosses, running backs receive tosses. A real role reversal in the making.
A toss by a running back going left, to a wide receiver going very quickly the other way.
As the ball left Bush’s hands, there was less than twenty five seconds remaining for a Saints victory. Only a miracle could save Tampa Bay.
Bush’s toss never looked like it had a chance of reaching Henderson.
It didn’t.
It took Tampa Bay fourteen seconds to score the winning touchdown.
Tampa Bay also took their chances to shine in the dumb. Their back-up quarterback, Luke McCown, playing for the very bright but injured Jeff Garcia, didn’t seem to know that he could leave the pocket and throw the ball away to avoid being sacked. In fact, McCown was tackled for a safety late in the game when he could have easily thrown the ball away. At the time it looked like his boneheaded play took away the last chance for Tampa Bay to come back and win.
The two-point safety gave New Orleans a three-point lead, making a Tampa Bay field goal only a tying score, not a winner. Then after the safety, Tampa Bay had to punt the ball away to New Orleans, thereby sealing the loss.
Actually, it was the best thing Tampa Bay could have made, because it gave the Saints a golden opportunity to mess up and turn the ball over to the Buccaneers in the shadow of the Saint’s goal posts.
There was no way that Tampa Bay could have driven the length of the field to score with no time outs until New Orleans showed them the way.
Bad coaching, plus a) stupidity, b) inattention, c) lack of concentration, or d) all the above on the part of Cincinnati wide receiver “Ocho Cinqo”, aka Chad Johnson, was demonstrated on a fourth down and long yardage to go play, when Johnson slowed several yards short of the first down marker to wait for the pass, then after he caught it casually backed out of bounds several yards short of the enormous, bright red, first down marker.
Yesterday’s stupidity pales besides the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens game tonight. The Patriots should have lost. They lost the game twice, only to be saved by Baltimore’s stupidity as provided by their coaches and players.
It wasn’t like the Ravens were the only dumbies on the field. Patriot running back Kevin Faulk had the choice of getting a first down or getting out of bounds. He ran out of bounds, and if it hadn’t been for the Raven’s boneheaded plays, the Patriots would have lost trying to make the foot or two Faulk left them short for the first down.
Baltimore stopped the Patriots on fourth and short to win! Except the genius coach of the Ravens, Brian Billick, called time out a split second before the ball was snapped, giving New England another chance.
Then the Patriots took it down to the fourth down again, and Brady threw an incomplete pass – Ravens win! Except Baltimore was called for defensive holding and the Patriots got four more downs, and eventually the winning touchdown.
It’s customary for teams to award game balls after victories, and in these games it seems that some of the losing players and coaches deserve game balls, because they contributed more to victory than many of the players on the winning side.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Greatest NFL Quarterback
The announcers on Monday Night Football spent the entire Colts – Jaguars game comparing the Patriot’s Tom Brady and the Colt’s Peyton Manning, trying to decide which quarterback was the best ever. Late in the game, discussing Manning, they wandered off the game, already safely in the Colt’s win column, and showed a few film clips of John Unitas in action.
As a 49er fan, since 1954, I am sure the greatest quarterback of all time is Joe Montana. But if I had to put Joe aside and pick another, I would pick John Unitas with no hesitation.
For a whole bunch of good reasons that have nothing to do with statistics. In Unitas’ day only 12, later 14, games were played each season, compared to 16 now. Today talent flows through free agency to the best and/or richest teams. Tom Brady is the same quarterback this year as he was last year, but the Patriots (7 wins, 0 losses) have Randy Moss, Donté Stallworth, and Wes Welker for him to throw to this year. The quarterbacks for the Raiders (2-4), Eagles (2-4), and Dolphins (0-7) don't anymore.
But getting to basics, it was a lot harder to pass in the days of Unitas. Receivers were mugged from the moment the ball was snapped until it was in the air. A quarterback had to be able to throw with precision, yet make adjustments instantaneously.
Then be able to take tremendous punishment after each pass, because quarterbacks in the good old days were considered just another football player, and to be called for roughing the passer you really had to flagrantly hit him or run into him after he released the ball. Being penalized for patting the quarterback’s head, or bumping into him while trying to pull up, protect today’s quarterbacks far more than their predecessors.
His offensive linemen had to block pass rushers with their hands firmly clutching their own jerseys, not in the arms extended Sumo wrestler slapping style you see today. The old rules used to heavily favor the running game over passing.
In fact, it was widely known in the NFL of the1950s that holding by offensive linemen was frequently called on passing plays, and rarely on runs.
And as Terry Bradshaw would mention, “You know, we called our own plays too.”
Comparisons are an apples and oranges thing anyway, considering the changes in football over the past fifty years.
However, I know that if Johnny Unitas played today, with the abilities he had fifty years ago, he would be a great player. I have sincere doubts that the top quarterbacks today could have done as well if they played fifty years ago.
Although I must admit, Peyton Manning reminds me a lot of Unitas, except he is nowhere the runner Johnny U was.
As a 49er fan, since 1954, I am sure the greatest quarterback of all time is Joe Montana. But if I had to put Joe aside and pick another, I would pick John Unitas with no hesitation.
For a whole bunch of good reasons that have nothing to do with statistics. In Unitas’ day only 12, later 14, games were played each season, compared to 16 now. Today talent flows through free agency to the best and/or richest teams. Tom Brady is the same quarterback this year as he was last year, but the Patriots (7 wins, 0 losses) have Randy Moss, Donté Stallworth, and Wes Welker for him to throw to this year. The quarterbacks for the Raiders (2-4), Eagles (2-4), and Dolphins (0-7) don't anymore.
But getting to basics, it was a lot harder to pass in the days of Unitas. Receivers were mugged from the moment the ball was snapped until it was in the air. A quarterback had to be able to throw with precision, yet make adjustments instantaneously.
Then be able to take tremendous punishment after each pass, because quarterbacks in the good old days were considered just another football player, and to be called for roughing the passer you really had to flagrantly hit him or run into him after he released the ball. Being penalized for patting the quarterback’s head, or bumping into him while trying to pull up, protect today’s quarterbacks far more than their predecessors.
His offensive linemen had to block pass rushers with their hands firmly clutching their own jerseys, not in the arms extended Sumo wrestler slapping style you see today. The old rules used to heavily favor the running game over passing.
In fact, it was widely known in the NFL of the1950s that holding by offensive linemen was frequently called on passing plays, and rarely on runs.
And as Terry Bradshaw would mention, “You know, we called our own plays too.”
Comparisons are an apples and oranges thing anyway, considering the changes in football over the past fifty years.
However, I know that if Johnny Unitas played today, with the abilities he had fifty years ago, he would be a great player. I have sincere doubts that the top quarterbacks today could have done as well if they played fifty years ago.
Although I must admit, Peyton Manning reminds me a lot of Unitas, except he is nowhere the runner Johnny U was.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Michael Vick is Finished
As the gruesome, barbaric tale of Michael Vick’s involvement in dog fighting unfolds, I have already read of expectations that he will plea bargain, pay a price, and return in a year or two to quarterback the Atlanta Falcons.
Who would cheer for such a monster if he returned to the NFL? What sort of heartless beasts of fans support professional football players, no matter what atrocities they commit?
As I read of the horrors dog fighting enthusiasts inflict on dogs, I look at Buddy and give him a tummy rub. Buddy is so gentle, so trusting, that the idea of someone using Buddy for their own monstrous entertainment makes my heart ache.
Since Michael Vick’s crimes became public, I’ve read reports of dog fighting trainers who get stolen pets and use them to train their dogs to fight and kill. I look at Buddy and imagine a nightmare, that his jaws are taped and he’s thrown into a pit with a fierce fighting dog. Buddy would wag his tail, the same as when he meets other dogs, because he dearly loves to play with them. Buddy would be totally defenseless as the other dog ignored his trusting friendliness with a vicious charge and savage bites.
Alice and I, Buddy showing where the infected thorn was removed, and Buddy's little sister Duchess.
Maybe it’s not Buddy being sacrificed to train vicious killers. It could be a child’s beloved pet, his dear friend and companion, being torn apart pitilessly under the approving eyes of Michael Vick and his dog fighting and gambling friends.
Michael Vick will go to prison, then he will come out, and his fans will say he paid his debt to society and that now it’s time to let him play football and to earn his millions again.
Perhaps they’re right that by serving time in prison Michael Vick will have paid his debt to society for the crimes he committed.
Maybe the NFL commissioner will overlook that Michael Vick gambled, associated with criminals and gamblers, lied to the commissioner about his gambling and criminally cruel acts, and declare him rehabilitated.
But they’re wrong that he will ever again be quarterbacking an NFL team.
What he did is more than a violation of a law.
He violated standards of decency such that he can never pay a high enough price to wash the stains of his cruelty and sadism from our hearts and minds.
Hearts and minds.
The highest courts of all.
Who would cheer for such a monster if he returned to the NFL? What sort of heartless beasts of fans support professional football players, no matter what atrocities they commit?
As I read of the horrors dog fighting enthusiasts inflict on dogs, I look at Buddy and give him a tummy rub. Buddy is so gentle, so trusting, that the idea of someone using Buddy for their own monstrous entertainment makes my heart ache.
Since Michael Vick’s crimes became public, I’ve read reports of dog fighting trainers who get stolen pets and use them to train their dogs to fight and kill. I look at Buddy and imagine a nightmare, that his jaws are taped and he’s thrown into a pit with a fierce fighting dog. Buddy would wag his tail, the same as when he meets other dogs, because he dearly loves to play with them. Buddy would be totally defenseless as the other dog ignored his trusting friendliness with a vicious charge and savage bites.
Alice and I, Buddy showing where the infected thorn was removed, and Buddy's little sister Duchess.
Maybe it’s not Buddy being sacrificed to train vicious killers. It could be a child’s beloved pet, his dear friend and companion, being torn apart pitilessly under the approving eyes of Michael Vick and his dog fighting and gambling friends.
Michael Vick will go to prison, then he will come out, and his fans will say he paid his debt to society and that now it’s time to let him play football and to earn his millions again.
Perhaps they’re right that by serving time in prison Michael Vick will have paid his debt to society for the crimes he committed.
Maybe the NFL commissioner will overlook that Michael Vick gambled, associated with criminals and gamblers, lied to the commissioner about his gambling and criminally cruel acts, and declare him rehabilitated.
But they’re wrong that he will ever again be quarterbacking an NFL team.
What he did is more than a violation of a law.
He violated standards of decency such that he can never pay a high enough price to wash the stains of his cruelty and sadism from our hearts and minds.
Hearts and minds.
The highest courts of all.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Index of Posts Except Political
(Please mouse click on the red, underlined link titles to be magically transported to the articles described. I'll be glad you did. How you will feel about the process may be something else entirely, but go ahead, take a chance!)
Link to Political Posts - Politics is funny, especially when Liberals get serious.
The Galapagos Island cruise and Ecuador trip, January 2006
It's the Family After All - That is no stranger hanging on the cross.
Finding Real Beauty in the Galapagos Islands - A human mind can be beautiful too.
Point Arena Stories, 1949-1960
Big and Smart - Mom, Pop, the Runt and I
Eight-Man Football at Point Arena High - The more you goof off and take things easy, the longer you get to do them.
Jesus Saves, and the Little Red Truck - A thoughtful message from a friend I never met.
Point Arena Apprentice Poker Players - One day we thought we would be the big boys.
The Great Point Arena Fire of 1954 - Everyone likes to help
After the Summer of 1954 - You can't do a "kiss and tell," if you didn't do the kiss.
Pete Bjornavik, a Point Arena character - Fun to be around
Gopher Capital of the World? - There's a bit of larceny in all of us
1960 NCAA Basketball Championships - Thanks, "Chub" Ohleyer - A very generous man
Sweethearts Dance 1960 - Bad weather makes a special memory
Number, Please? - Personal connections before the dial telephone
Puddles the Pup - A big part of the best childhood in the whole world
You Gotta Ring Them Bells - Some wedding nights you don't forget, but you try!
After The Summer of 1954 - 7th and 8th grade, 60 students, one great teacher
The House We Built - Brother Ron and I dug the basement in 1954, with help from "Prince"
The Old High School - When we came to Pt. Arena in 1949, we lived in one big room of an abandoned high school building.
A Capsule Summary of My Life - So far, so good.
Humboldt State Lumberjack Reporter - The beginning of a nine-year, seven-college odyssey.
The Air Force Years, 1962 to 1984
You're in the Air Force Now - A very tiny thing can change a life.
It's a Gig - Sometimes the hard times are the best.
Sober Reflections on Memorial Day - Trying to find my place in Memorial Day.
They Also Served - Marilynn and our three sons were in the front lines.
England, 1970 to 1975 - My best job at my best base.
Traveling with a Water Bed - It's not often your guests bring their own.
Why Planes Break Down in Christchurch - Not just mechanical parts can delay a mission!
The Pineapple Express - Jimmuh and me have something in common.
Life in Gualala, 1998 to present
Our 2006 Christmas Letter - A Christmas letter is like a box of chocolates.
Europe Bicycle Trip of a Lifetime - When you haven't biked much, a four-month trip on bikes through Europe is a natural choice to celebrate retirement.
We Arrive in Europe - Our bike hike, continued.
Klein Gumpen, Here We Come! - Our bike hike, continued.
Uncle Jack - You're never to old to teach or to learn.
The Dublin to Tralee Train, and how Alice stopped it!
Running - Now Buddy keeps me going.
Same Time Next Year - Finding out how the other half live.
Excitement in Anchor Bay - Big doin's in a one potty town.
Mixed Company - When Alice and I stepped in, the company became mixed.
Tales of Alice
Feliz Ano Nuevo! - Wish your friends a new one! Just don't tell them what "it" is!
Alice and Vulcan Incorporated - Only in America
"Heartless" Capitalism is the Most Compassionate - Alice succeeds while France fails.
Alice's Project Complete! - It is worth it
Great Expectations - The tale of our whirlwind "story book" romance, featuring me picking Alice from a book.
The Dublin to Tralee Train, and how Alice stopped it!
Alice, the California Can Carrier - I think the Italian men liked the way she carried her can.
A Burning Desire - How lust landed me on the ski slopes
Murder by Wasabi - Was watching Monday Night Football a capital offense?
The Strong Woman Myth - In conclusion, a tribute to Alice and her daughters
Christmas Letter, 2005 - Alice had a busy year
A Fool Such As I - In a letter to the editor of our local paper, someone called me a fool. Alice didn't like that, and replied.
Some Observations
Almost Fetch With Buddy - It's a great game
Science Fiction - Where's the Science? - UFO's don't exist, and won't ever show up here. Why would they?
Really Dumb Football Players - NFL players are getting bigger, stronger, faster, and a whole lot dumber!
Garcia vs. Owens - Class Against No-Class - Jeff Garcia has class and the courage, Terrell Owens has neither
My Ancestors Owned Slaves - And I haven't.
Country and Western, Telling Life's Stories - Songs for adults.
Making the Army of Reconquista - There's more than one way to build an army of conquest!
Pardo's Push - Bravery, ingenuity, loyalty. It was an honor to serve with guys like these.
The Devil Made Me Do It - When you mess up, you have to blame someone.
Revolutionary Jesus - Seeking Truth at Christmas - It’s time for weak-kneed agnostics to stand up and be counted!
Free Will or Preordination? - Amen
Of Mensa and Me - No excuse for doing dumb things.
For Veterans Today, And Tomorrow - "For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!" But it's "Saviour of 'is country," when the guns begin to shoot"
The Deadly Bigotry of Low Expectations - It's easy to live down to expectations
If I Received a Love Poem - An expanded view of love.
Greatest Baseball Player of All - Willie and the Babe, forever number one.
Fight to get Your Virginity Back! - Once you lose it, abstinence won't get it back.
Cargo Cults, Reparations, and Casinos - The dreams are alive!
Review of Global Warming, What You Need to Know - I was happy to be chosen to review Tom Brokaw's special.
Keep it Simple, Simplifiers - There are two types of people in the world, simplifiers and complicators, and you know who you are.
The Global Warming Suite (Global Warming is science, not politics, according to Liberals, so it can go in this index)
Al Gore and his Merry Band of Global Warming Deniers - In denial that global warming is natural.
Preacher Al Gore and the Global Warming Fundies - "Brothers, let me hear you say 'Hot!' Sisters, let me hear you say 'Real Hot!' What have we got!? "A lot a' hot brothers and sisters! Turn on the air conditioning!"
Global Warming Consensus is not Science - At one time scientific consensus was the earth was flat; now it's global warming is man-made.
We have to get rid of the Medieval Warm Period! - If Al Gore can't get rid of it, his "science" is toast
Harvard Study Disproves Unprecedented Global Warming - And Harvard is not a right-wing stronghold
Global Warming - A Stroll Through the European Countryside - Liberals should be very careful as they stroll, since they can't look down and see signs of the Medieval Warm Period. With any luck they'll fall off the "man-made global warming" cliff.
A Sign of the Coming of the Global Warming Plagues - The Gospel according to Preacher Al Gore
Science Opposed to Global Warming Theory - An Index - If you still believe in Preacher Al Gore's Global Warming after you read these articles, you really got the faith!
Ain't No Big Thing - My advice to Al concerning rising sea levels.
Chilling Out Global Warming Hype - A pre-review of Tom Brokaw's Global Warming, What You Need to Know
Review of Global Warming, What You Need to Know - Presenting the other side.
Bring On Global Warming! - Please! Before we freeze!
The Four Whorsemen Of Global Warming - There are more than four now. Maybe I can add a few by having them ride double.
Hypocrisy of New York Times and Liberals - The champions of personal liberty and freedom of the press look the other way when the Left is doing the violating.
Please click on the labels below to see all my articles on each topic.
Link to Political Posts - Politics is funny, especially when Liberals get serious.
The Galapagos Island cruise and Ecuador trip, January 2006
It's the Family After All - That is no stranger hanging on the cross.
Finding Real Beauty in the Galapagos Islands - A human mind can be beautiful too.
Point Arena Stories, 1949-1960
Big and Smart - Mom, Pop, the Runt and I
Eight-Man Football at Point Arena High - The more you goof off and take things easy, the longer you get to do them.
Jesus Saves, and the Little Red Truck - A thoughtful message from a friend I never met.
Point Arena Apprentice Poker Players - One day we thought we would be the big boys.
The Great Point Arena Fire of 1954 - Everyone likes to help
After the Summer of 1954 - You can't do a "kiss and tell," if you didn't do the kiss.
Pete Bjornavik, a Point Arena character - Fun to be around
Gopher Capital of the World? - There's a bit of larceny in all of us
1960 NCAA Basketball Championships - Thanks, "Chub" Ohleyer - A very generous man
Sweethearts Dance 1960 - Bad weather makes a special memory
Number, Please? - Personal connections before the dial telephone
Puddles the Pup - A big part of the best childhood in the whole world
You Gotta Ring Them Bells - Some wedding nights you don't forget, but you try!
After The Summer of 1954 - 7th and 8th grade, 60 students, one great teacher
The House We Built - Brother Ron and I dug the basement in 1954, with help from "Prince"
The Old High School - When we came to Pt. Arena in 1949, we lived in one big room of an abandoned high school building.
A Capsule Summary of My Life - So far, so good.
Humboldt State Lumberjack Reporter - The beginning of a nine-year, seven-college odyssey.
The Air Force Years, 1962 to 1984
You're in the Air Force Now - A very tiny thing can change a life.
It's a Gig - Sometimes the hard times are the best.
Sober Reflections on Memorial Day - Trying to find my place in Memorial Day.
They Also Served - Marilynn and our three sons were in the front lines.
England, 1970 to 1975 - My best job at my best base.
Traveling with a Water Bed - It's not often your guests bring their own.
Why Planes Break Down in Christchurch - Not just mechanical parts can delay a mission!
The Pineapple Express - Jimmuh and me have something in common.
Life in Gualala, 1998 to present
Our 2006 Christmas Letter - A Christmas letter is like a box of chocolates.
Europe Bicycle Trip of a Lifetime - When you haven't biked much, a four-month trip on bikes through Europe is a natural choice to celebrate retirement.
We Arrive in Europe - Our bike hike, continued.
Klein Gumpen, Here We Come! - Our bike hike, continued.
Uncle Jack - You're never to old to teach or to learn.
The Dublin to Tralee Train, and how Alice stopped it!
Running - Now Buddy keeps me going.
Same Time Next Year - Finding out how the other half live.
Excitement in Anchor Bay - Big doin's in a one potty town.
Mixed Company - When Alice and I stepped in, the company became mixed.
Tales of Alice
Feliz Ano Nuevo! - Wish your friends a new one! Just don't tell them what "it" is!
Alice and Vulcan Incorporated - Only in America
"Heartless" Capitalism is the Most Compassionate - Alice succeeds while France fails.
Alice's Project Complete! - It is worth it
Great Expectations - The tale of our whirlwind "story book" romance, featuring me picking Alice from a book.
The Dublin to Tralee Train, and how Alice stopped it!
Alice, the California Can Carrier - I think the Italian men liked the way she carried her can.
A Burning Desire - How lust landed me on the ski slopes
Murder by Wasabi - Was watching Monday Night Football a capital offense?
The Strong Woman Myth - In conclusion, a tribute to Alice and her daughters
Christmas Letter, 2005 - Alice had a busy year
A Fool Such As I - In a letter to the editor of our local paper, someone called me a fool. Alice didn't like that, and replied.
Some Observations
Almost Fetch With Buddy - It's a great game
Science Fiction - Where's the Science? - UFO's don't exist, and won't ever show up here. Why would they?
Really Dumb Football Players - NFL players are getting bigger, stronger, faster, and a whole lot dumber!
Garcia vs. Owens - Class Against No-Class - Jeff Garcia has class and the courage, Terrell Owens has neither
My Ancestors Owned Slaves - And I haven't.
Country and Western, Telling Life's Stories - Songs for adults.
Making the Army of Reconquista - There's more than one way to build an army of conquest!
Pardo's Push - Bravery, ingenuity, loyalty. It was an honor to serve with guys like these.
The Devil Made Me Do It - When you mess up, you have to blame someone.
Revolutionary Jesus - Seeking Truth at Christmas - It’s time for weak-kneed agnostics to stand up and be counted!
Free Will or Preordination? - Amen
Of Mensa and Me - No excuse for doing dumb things.
For Veterans Today, And Tomorrow - "For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!" But it's "Saviour of 'is country," when the guns begin to shoot"
The Deadly Bigotry of Low Expectations - It's easy to live down to expectations
If I Received a Love Poem - An expanded view of love.
Greatest Baseball Player of All - Willie and the Babe, forever number one.
Fight to get Your Virginity Back! - Once you lose it, abstinence won't get it back.
Cargo Cults, Reparations, and Casinos - The dreams are alive!
Review of Global Warming, What You Need to Know - I was happy to be chosen to review Tom Brokaw's special.
Keep it Simple, Simplifiers - There are two types of people in the world, simplifiers and complicators, and you know who you are.
The Global Warming Suite (Global Warming is science, not politics, according to Liberals, so it can go in this index)
Al Gore and his Merry Band of Global Warming Deniers - In denial that global warming is natural.
Preacher Al Gore and the Global Warming Fundies - "Brothers, let me hear you say 'Hot!' Sisters, let me hear you say 'Real Hot!' What have we got!? "A lot a' hot brothers and sisters! Turn on the air conditioning!"
Global Warming Consensus is not Science - At one time scientific consensus was the earth was flat; now it's global warming is man-made.
We have to get rid of the Medieval Warm Period! - If Al Gore can't get rid of it, his "science" is toast
Harvard Study Disproves Unprecedented Global Warming - And Harvard is not a right-wing stronghold
Global Warming - A Stroll Through the European Countryside - Liberals should be very careful as they stroll, since they can't look down and see signs of the Medieval Warm Period. With any luck they'll fall off the "man-made global warming" cliff.
A Sign of the Coming of the Global Warming Plagues - The Gospel according to Preacher Al Gore
Science Opposed to Global Warming Theory - An Index - If you still believe in Preacher Al Gore's Global Warming after you read these articles, you really got the faith!
Ain't No Big Thing - My advice to Al concerning rising sea levels.
Chilling Out Global Warming Hype - A pre-review of Tom Brokaw's Global Warming, What You Need to Know
Review of Global Warming, What You Need to Know - Presenting the other side.
Bring On Global Warming! - Please! Before we freeze!
The Four Whorsemen Of Global Warming - There are more than four now. Maybe I can add a few by having them ride double.
Hypocrisy of New York Times and Liberals - The champions of personal liberty and freedom of the press look the other way when the Left is doing the violating.
Please click on the labels below to see all my articles on each topic.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Bill Walsh - Thanks from One of the Faithful
Coach Walsh, Joe Montana, 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo - winning the Lombardi Trophy became a 49ers tradition
I became a 49er fan in 1954 when we got our first TV set. We were living in Point Arena, and the Packard-Bell TV was all hooked up and in operation for the New York Giants – Cleveland Indians World Series. Ron and I came home from Point Arena Elementary School – we lived just across School Street, about 50 feet from the south-west corner of the school yard – and sat down with Mom in the living room to watch the game and eat our lunches.
We were lucky to be able to watch the World Series at all. In 1954 there were three television networks – ABC, CBS, and NBC - but Point Arena is over 100 miles north of the San Francisco transmitters, and the only channel we got a decent picture on was Channel 4, KRON, the NBC station.
The Indian’s batter, Vic Wertz, with two runners on and none out, hit a long drive to deep center field, and Willie Mays made the greatest defensive play in baseball history, racing back, catching the ball over his shoulder, and spinning to throw a strike back to the infield to prevent a runner from tagging up and moving into scoring position from first.
Mom immediately recognized how great a play we had just seen Willie make. Ron and I didn’t at first, because we had little baseball knowledge to measure it against.
In only four days the Giants had swept the Indians and the World Series ended Saturday afternoon, October 2. At that point I had only watched a little of the first three games, which were played during school time, and all of the fourth game. Just as I was all exited about watching TV sports, it was all over, I thought.
Fortunately, all was not lost. The next day, Sunday the 3rd of October, I watched my first televised professional football game, the 49ers playing to a 24-24 tie with the hated (since then) LA Rams. With players like Y. A. “The Bald Eagle” Tittle, “Hurrying” Hugh McElhenny, Joe “The Jet” Perry, Bob “The Geek” St Clair, Leo “The Lion” Nomellini, John Henry Johnson, Gordie Soltau, and Billy Wilson, I was soon hooked.
Many football seasons have passed since that early Fall day in 1954, and through it all I have been a loyal and passionate 49er fan – I was one of the “Faithful,” which we long-suffering 49er loyalists called ourselves.
For many years the 1957 playoff for the Western Division title against the Detroit Lions typified the 49ers. Ahead 27-7 in the third quarter, the 49ers lost 31-27 and the Lions went on to easily beat the Cleveland Browns 59-14 for the NFL championship.
Even when they were good in the early Seventies, they couldn’t get past the final hurdle, the Dallas Cowboys. After losing two NFC West championships in a row to the Cowboys, the 49ers led the Cowboys for the 1972 West championship 28-16 with less than two minutes to play.
The Cowboys won, 30-28.
The 49ers were usually entertaining, but they always came up short.
Until Eddie DeBartolo Jr. hired Bill Walsh to coach the 49ers in 1979.
I was stationed in Hawaii at the time, at Hickam Air Force Base next to Pearl Harbor and the Honolulu International Airport. Because of the time difference, I would wake up as early as 6 am Sunday mornings to watch the 49ers. The first year with Bill Walsh as coach they had 2 wins and 14 losses, the same as the preceding season without him. However, the next year they won 6, lost 10, but played well and most of their losses were in close games.
In 1981 the 49ers were 13-3 in the regular season, beat the New York Giants in the divisional playoff, and then faced the Cowboys. Although everything about the Cowboys game is seared in my memory, as it is in the memories of all the “Faithful,” at the time the game was played I was on a 747 returning from a 30-day Pacific Air Forces inspection tour of Korean bases. On the plane with me were most of the 80 other members of the inspection team, and I was the only 49ers fan.
The pilot gave us game updates over the 747’s cabin speaker system, and my lone cheers were lost in the tumult of Cowboys supporters each of the three times the pilot announced the Cowboys had regained the lead. When the Cowboys went up 27-21, with less than five minutes to play, my inspection teammates were cheering and toasting a Cowboys victory and speculating whether they would beat the Chargers or the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI.
When the pilot announced the 49ers had won 28-27, my cheer rang through an otherwise silent plane.
It wasn’t until a day later, when I played the videotape Marilynn recorded for me, and read the newspaper, and watched the sports commentary on TV, that I knew about “The Catch” or the 89-yard drive it culminated, then the game saving tackle Eric Wright made on Drew Pearson, the sack and forced fumble by Lawrence Pillars on Danny White, and the fumble recovery by Jim Stuckey.
After following the 49ers for 27 years, a new era, the winning era, the Bill Walsh era had arrived.
In the years that followed, my “49ers Faithful” cup runneth over.
They won Super Bowl XVI thanks to the heroics of “The Stand,” stopping the Bengals four times inside the three-yard line, and featuring Dan Bunz’s open field tackle on Charles Alexander at the one-yard line on a swing pass.
The 1984 49ers team was the greatest football team ever assembled, up to and including the present. Their offense was 2nd to the Dolphins in points scored, and their defense was the best in the NFL for fewest points allowed. The 49ers were 15-1 in the regular season (their only loss by three points to the Steelers) and easily beat the high-scoring Miami Dolphins led by Dan Marino, 38-16, in Super Bowl XIX. Eleven 49ers went to the Pro Bowl, including the entire defensive backfield and most of the offensive line, and more could have gone but Coach Walsh was so deep in great defensive linemen – Fred Dean, Gary “Big Hands” Johnson, Michael Carter, Dwaine “Pee Wee” Board, Lawrence Pillars, Louie Kelcher – that he continually rotated them to keep them fresh. He had great linebackers too – Keena Turner, Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds, Riki Ellison, Dan Bunz, and Jim Stuckey.
For an offensive genius, Bill Walsh put together a pretty good defensive unit.
I watched Super Bowl XXIII at Alice's house in Dublin, California, about two months after she accepted my proposal of marriage. With a little over three minutes to play, and the 49ers trailing the Bengals 13-16, 49ers ball on their own 8-yard line, I interrupted Alice baking cookies and told her, "watch this."
"The Drive" brought the 49ers their third Super Bowl victory, and added to the legend of Coach Walsh and Joe "Cool" Montana.
I can't believe how calm I was watching "The Drive" unfold. When I think about it now I get nervous, even though I know the outcome.
By far Bill Walsh's greatest legacy was that for sixteen years in a row the 49ers won at least ten games each season. No NFL team will ever beat or even tie that record. In fact, no professional team in any sport has or will ever achieve the equivalent of at least a 62.5% winning percentage for sixteen consecutive seasons, and an overall winning percentage during the streak of 75%.
The 49ers played in and won five Super Bowls. Bill Walsh selected and groomed the best quarterback of all time, Joe Montana, the second best of all time, Steve Young, and three-time Pro Bowler (and still playing very well), Jeff Garcia.
Along the way Bill Walsh also brought the Faithful the greatest defensive back of all time, Ronnie Lott, and greatest receiver, Jerry Rice.
Unfortunately, Coach Walsh was not stingy with his talent, and many of the top coaches in the NFL were his pupils, which makes it more difficult for the current 49ers to continue his winning tradition.
The greatest misfortune was that Coach Walsh retired too soon. He later regretted his decision, and so did the Faithful. I can understand the pressure and frustration that led to his early retirement. The Bay Area sports reporters became spoiled by 49er success, and began to write about 49er games as if they were recitals, not competitions. Even when the 49ers won, the writers faulted them and took away “style” points. “They passed too much.” “They ran too much.” Too many short passes to running backs.”
My comments after reading of 49er victories over twenty years ago was that I didn’t know the 49ers had lost until I read the game summaries the next day in the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Once again,” I wrote, “Chronicle sportswriters have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.”
“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
Thanks for making the NFL a 49er arena.
To the memories of Coach Walsh, from one of the Faithful.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Suspend Michael Vick
I just read the eighteen page indictment of Michael Vick, former Atlantic Falcon, former NFL quarterback, one-time member of the human race before he learned to love savagery and cruelty.
Michael Vick has not been found guilty of anything – yet.
But he will be.
The indictment included information from at least four cooperating witnesses (CWs), who place Michael Vick at dog fights, betting on dog fights, engaging in these activities on his farm, and traveling with dogs to other states to dog fight and bet.
Testimony should show Michael Vick engaged in, or oversaw, the killing of dogs who did not meet his standards for vicious fighting instincts. Dogs that failed his cruel demands were either shot, electrocuted, drowned, or hung.
As a dog lover, but even more a human being, I am repelled and disgusted by the things Michael Vick was alleged to have done. To say his actions were subhuman would be an insult to lower life forms, where fighting and painful death are part of their struggle for existence, not a blood-lust entertainment.
I have already seen some comments by football “fans,” of which I am one, lamenting the unfairness of the indictment and recommending that if it is true, that he be suspended for a year.
I agree with part of their recommendation. Michael Vick should be suspended for a year, and I would like to pick his body part to which the suspending rope is attached.
Then he should be dressed in pork chop underwear and put in a cage with his 55 starving pit bulls.
Then throw whatever is left in prison, and throw away the key.
Michael Vick has not been found guilty of anything – yet.
But he will be.
The indictment included information from at least four cooperating witnesses (CWs), who place Michael Vick at dog fights, betting on dog fights, engaging in these activities on his farm, and traveling with dogs to other states to dog fight and bet.
Testimony should show Michael Vick engaged in, or oversaw, the killing of dogs who did not meet his standards for vicious fighting instincts. Dogs that failed his cruel demands were either shot, electrocuted, drowned, or hung.
As a dog lover, but even more a human being, I am repelled and disgusted by the things Michael Vick was alleged to have done. To say his actions were subhuman would be an insult to lower life forms, where fighting and painful death are part of their struggle for existence, not a blood-lust entertainment.
I have already seen some comments by football “fans,” of which I am one, lamenting the unfairness of the indictment and recommending that if it is true, that he be suspended for a year.
I agree with part of their recommendation. Michael Vick should be suspended for a year, and I would like to pick his body part to which the suspending rope is attached.
Then he should be dressed in pork chop underwear and put in a cage with his 55 starving pit bulls.
Then throw whatever is left in prison, and throw away the key.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Really Dumb Football Players
(In fairness to Tom Brady and the Patriots, I should retitle this as "Really Dumb Chargers, and One Brilliant Patriot")
When football had a brain - and a sense of humor!
(The Longest Yard, 1974)
I have been an avid fan of the National Football League since I watched my first game on the television we had just bought in 1954. The team I watched that day was the San Francisco 49ers, and I’ve been a 49ers fan ever since. So was everyone else in my hometown, 150 miles north of San Francisco.
Over the years the players have become more athletic - better, stronger, faster - and bigger, much bigger. Sort of like Steve Austin, the $6,000,000 man, only more expensive and bigger, but dumb and dumber. A perfect example, Terrell Owens.
Unlike the professional athletes of the 1950’s, today’s athletes are paid so much that they can concentrate on football year round, and never have to work a day after they retire assuming they get professional investment advice and follow it. The ambitious ones devote most of their off-season to working out to maintain or improve their physical conditioning.
Even the star players of the 1950’s had regular jobs in the off season, and had to have an occupation to support themselves and their families after their playing days were done. While playing, they would spend half the year working at a regular job, then struggle to get back into playing shape for the football season.
Therefore, I am amazed by how much more knowledgeable the players fifty years ago were about how to play the mental part of the game. (Maybe it was because they paid more attention then to playing the game, and less to choreographing their celebrations a la Terrell Owens)
Mental part?
Yes, football has a very important mental element, and most close games are won or lost because of it. During my very enjoyable and remarkably undistinguished playing days as a Point Arena High School Pirate, 1956 -1960), I remember Coach Snow frequently yelling at us and pointing at his head when we didn’t use ours in practice. He wanted us to always be aware of the down and distance before every play, and know what we should do because of it and the game situation.
The Chargers lost today because they lost awareness on a fourth down Patriot pass play.
The game I watched today between the San Diego Chargers and the New England Patriots was a classic example of the very ragged football you see today, and neither team seemed particularly capable of challenging for a Super Bowl. The Patriot’s quarterback, Tom Brady, frequently mentioned in the same breath as Joe Montana, didn’t look the part of a three-time Super Bowl winner. (However, please see my update and apology to Tom Brady at the bottom of this post)
The San Diego Chargers seemed to be far superior physically. During the early part of the game I thought that the Chargers would really have to mess up to lose the game. As the game progressed it became obvious that they were capable, even more than willing, to do just that.
The mental element, or the lack of it, seems to be a characteristic of teams coached by Marty Schottenheimer, who has now only won 5 of 18 playoff games, including losing the last six. The Chargers totally dominated the Patriots for all but the last two minutes of the first half, at which point they decided to play it safe and, as is usual when teams decide to play it safe, gave up an easy touchdown to the Patriots. Chargers 14, Patriots 10 at halftime.
The mental lapses of the first half were only a prelude to the collapse in the second. The Chargers had the Patriots stopped and would have forced a punt, but their hot-headed right corner back, Florence, just had to deliver a head butt right in front of the officials after the play was over, which gave the Patriots a first down and great field position. Later, the Charger punt returner, Parker, tried to pick up a punt he muffed instead of falling on it, and the Patriots recovered it in Charger territory and eventually kicked a field goal.
Later, when the Chargers scored a touchdown that seemed to put the game out of reach, their right tackle Olivea committed a personal foul after the point-after-touchdown and the Chargers had to kick off from their 20 yard-line, again giving the Patriots good field position.
At about this time I was exasperated at how poorly both teams were playing. Tom Brady had already been intercepted twice on very poorly thrown balls, and both quarterbacks would have suffered even more interceptions except their teams’ defensive backs seemed to have their hands encased in iron.
Fortunately for Brady, and unfortunately for the Chargers, the Charger free safety Marlon McCree got over his case of “iron hands” at precisely the wrong time. On fourth down, Brady threw a desperation pass right at McCree.
As an aside, when I played high school football we were taught to yell at each other, “If it’s a pass, knock it down!”, whenever the opposing team was about to run a fourth-down play. Our coach knew, and taught us painstakingly, that if we just knocked the ball down we would take possession at the original line of scrimmage. If we intercepted the pass, we probably wouldn’t be able to run it back as far as the original line of scrimmage, so we would be better off just knocking it down.
McCree, a highly trained (and highly paid) football professional, didn’t knock the pass down. He intercepted it, and then fumbled the ball back to the Patriots. Of all the things that could have happened on the play, McCree did the only thing that could set up the Patriots to win. Had McCree knocked the ball down, the Chargers would have gotten the ball at almost mid-field still leading by eight points.
If all they did was hand off to LaDainian Tomlinson, and then punt or eventually kick a field goal, they probably would have sewed up the victory. But McCree made all of this academic. He gave the ball back to the Patriots with four new downs and great field position just because he didn’t learn the basics we learned playing eight-man high school football fifty years ago.
He'll probably want a big raise on his next contract because of his interceptions.
Years from now he’ll brag to his grandchildren, "Your granddaddy intercepted Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady in an AFC playoff game."
UPDATE, and a sincere apology to Tom Brady:
After a night of sound sleep and a morning of reflection, I realize how totally I erred in my disparaging comments about Tom Brady. Tom Brady was flaming brilliant!
As a Bloke might say.
As Tom Brady dropped back to pass, fourth down and five yards to go for a first, trailing by eight points, over half way through the fourth quarter, the situation looked hopeless for the Patriots. His deep receivers were well covered, and a completion to one of them was highly unlikely. The most probable outcome of a deep pass was an incompletion, and the Chargers would get the ball with good field position and just run out the clock with LaDainian Tomlinson.
A short pass would have been easy to complete, but the Charger linebackers had dropped deep enough to be able to tackle the receiver before he made first-down yardage. The Chargers would take over at the spot of the tackle.
At this point Tom Brady’s brilliance took charge. “If I throw an easy interception, what could happen? If I make it easy enough, the defensive back will be able to catch it instead of dropping it or knocking it down like any smart, well-trained defensive player would. Since these guys were coached by Marty, I just know they’ll do the dumbest thing and catch it.
“Then what happens? Anyone dumb enough to intercept it would be dumb enough to try to make a big play instead of just falling down and covering the ball. Then it’ll be easy to strip the ball, and recover the fumble. We get a first down at the spot of the fumble recovery, even if it’s not far enough downfield to get a first down if a Patriot receiver caught it.
“Here McCree, don’t drop it for God's sake!”
As a bonus, Marty wasted a timeout by requesting a useless instant replay review. That timeout would have been invaluable on the last drive to tie the game with a field goal.
Other interesting blogger comments.
Gale Sayers: Locker-room Address to Players on Brian Piccolo's Cancer, from "Brian's Song" - 1971
(When football had a heart) Click on this link, then click on the MP3 player to hear Billy Dee Williams as Gale Sayers ask his teammates to dedicate the game ball to Brian Piccolo. Don't let anyone see you, and have some kleenex handy.
Please click on the label below to see all my articles on this topic.
When football had a brain - and a sense of humor!
(The Longest Yard, 1974)
I have been an avid fan of the National Football League since I watched my first game on the television we had just bought in 1954. The team I watched that day was the San Francisco 49ers, and I’ve been a 49ers fan ever since. So was everyone else in my hometown, 150 miles north of San Francisco.
Over the years the players have become more athletic - better, stronger, faster - and bigger, much bigger. Sort of like Steve Austin, the $6,000,000 man, only more expensive and bigger, but dumb and dumber. A perfect example, Terrell Owens.
Unlike the professional athletes of the 1950’s, today’s athletes are paid so much that they can concentrate on football year round, and never have to work a day after they retire assuming they get professional investment advice and follow it. The ambitious ones devote most of their off-season to working out to maintain or improve their physical conditioning.
Even the star players of the 1950’s had regular jobs in the off season, and had to have an occupation to support themselves and their families after their playing days were done. While playing, they would spend half the year working at a regular job, then struggle to get back into playing shape for the football season.
Therefore, I am amazed by how much more knowledgeable the players fifty years ago were about how to play the mental part of the game. (Maybe it was because they paid more attention then to playing the game, and less to choreographing their celebrations a la Terrell Owens)
Mental part?
Yes, football has a very important mental element, and most close games are won or lost because of it. During my very enjoyable and remarkably undistinguished playing days as a Point Arena High School Pirate, 1956 -1960), I remember Coach Snow frequently yelling at us and pointing at his head when we didn’t use ours in practice. He wanted us to always be aware of the down and distance before every play, and know what we should do because of it and the game situation.
The Chargers lost today because they lost awareness on a fourth down Patriot pass play.
The game I watched today between the San Diego Chargers and the New England Patriots was a classic example of the very ragged football you see today, and neither team seemed particularly capable of challenging for a Super Bowl. The Patriot’s quarterback, Tom Brady, frequently mentioned in the same breath as Joe Montana, didn’t look the part of a three-time Super Bowl winner. (However, please see my update and apology to Tom Brady at the bottom of this post)
The San Diego Chargers seemed to be far superior physically. During the early part of the game I thought that the Chargers would really have to mess up to lose the game. As the game progressed it became obvious that they were capable, even more than willing, to do just that.
The mental element, or the lack of it, seems to be a characteristic of teams coached by Marty Schottenheimer, who has now only won 5 of 18 playoff games, including losing the last six. The Chargers totally dominated the Patriots for all but the last two minutes of the first half, at which point they decided to play it safe and, as is usual when teams decide to play it safe, gave up an easy touchdown to the Patriots. Chargers 14, Patriots 10 at halftime.
The mental lapses of the first half were only a prelude to the collapse in the second. The Chargers had the Patriots stopped and would have forced a punt, but their hot-headed right corner back, Florence, just had to deliver a head butt right in front of the officials after the play was over, which gave the Patriots a first down and great field position. Later, the Charger punt returner, Parker, tried to pick up a punt he muffed instead of falling on it, and the Patriots recovered it in Charger territory and eventually kicked a field goal.
Later, when the Chargers scored a touchdown that seemed to put the game out of reach, their right tackle Olivea committed a personal foul after the point-after-touchdown and the Chargers had to kick off from their 20 yard-line, again giving the Patriots good field position.
At about this time I was exasperated at how poorly both teams were playing. Tom Brady had already been intercepted twice on very poorly thrown balls, and both quarterbacks would have suffered even more interceptions except their teams’ defensive backs seemed to have their hands encased in iron.
Fortunately for Brady, and unfortunately for the Chargers, the Charger free safety Marlon McCree got over his case of “iron hands” at precisely the wrong time. On fourth down, Brady threw a desperation pass right at McCree.
As an aside, when I played high school football we were taught to yell at each other, “If it’s a pass, knock it down!”, whenever the opposing team was about to run a fourth-down play. Our coach knew, and taught us painstakingly, that if we just knocked the ball down we would take possession at the original line of scrimmage. If we intercepted the pass, we probably wouldn’t be able to run it back as far as the original line of scrimmage, so we would be better off just knocking it down.
McCree, a highly trained (and highly paid) football professional, didn’t knock the pass down. He intercepted it, and then fumbled the ball back to the Patriots. Of all the things that could have happened on the play, McCree did the only thing that could set up the Patriots to win. Had McCree knocked the ball down, the Chargers would have gotten the ball at almost mid-field still leading by eight points.
If all they did was hand off to LaDainian Tomlinson, and then punt or eventually kick a field goal, they probably would have sewed up the victory. But McCree made all of this academic. He gave the ball back to the Patriots with four new downs and great field position just because he didn’t learn the basics we learned playing eight-man high school football fifty years ago.
He'll probably want a big raise on his next contract because of his interceptions.
Years from now he’ll brag to his grandchildren, "Your granddaddy intercepted Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady in an AFC playoff game."
UPDATE, and a sincere apology to Tom Brady:
After a night of sound sleep and a morning of reflection, I realize how totally I erred in my disparaging comments about Tom Brady. Tom Brady was flaming brilliant!
As a Bloke might say.
As Tom Brady dropped back to pass, fourth down and five yards to go for a first, trailing by eight points, over half way through the fourth quarter, the situation looked hopeless for the Patriots. His deep receivers were well covered, and a completion to one of them was highly unlikely. The most probable outcome of a deep pass was an incompletion, and the Chargers would get the ball with good field position and just run out the clock with LaDainian Tomlinson.
A short pass would have been easy to complete, but the Charger linebackers had dropped deep enough to be able to tackle the receiver before he made first-down yardage. The Chargers would take over at the spot of the tackle.
At this point Tom Brady’s brilliance took charge. “If I throw an easy interception, what could happen? If I make it easy enough, the defensive back will be able to catch it instead of dropping it or knocking it down like any smart, well-trained defensive player would. Since these guys were coached by Marty, I just know they’ll do the dumbest thing and catch it.
“Then what happens? Anyone dumb enough to intercept it would be dumb enough to try to make a big play instead of just falling down and covering the ball. Then it’ll be easy to strip the ball, and recover the fumble. We get a first down at the spot of the fumble recovery, even if it’s not far enough downfield to get a first down if a Patriot receiver caught it.
“Here McCree, don’t drop it for God's sake!”
As a bonus, Marty wasted a timeout by requesting a useless instant replay review. That timeout would have been invaluable on the last drive to tie the game with a field goal.
Other interesting blogger comments.
Gale Sayers: Locker-room Address to Players on Brian Piccolo's Cancer, from "Brian's Song" - 1971
(When football had a heart) Click on this link, then click on the MP3 player to hear Billy Dee Williams as Gale Sayers ask his teammates to dedicate the game ball to Brian Piccolo. Don't let anyone see you, and have some kleenex handy.
Please click on the label below to see all my articles on this topic.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Garcia vs. Owens - Class Against No-Class
In response to a diminishing number of requests, I am returning briefly to sports blogging. Not just sports, however, but as a conservative, to the character lessons we can learn from sports.
I watched the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys 23-7, and enjoyed, more than enjoyed, relished the victory on many levels. Of course it is always a pleasure for a 52-year 49er fan to see the Cowboys lose. It is even more pleasurable when they lose at home, and when they look pathetic in the process. The sick look on Jerry Jones’ face, the anger boiling in Bill Parcells; it’s like a Christmas present that keeps on giving.
But the greatest pleasure came from watching two opposing players who were never on the field of play at the same time. I was a fan of Jeff Garcia when he played for the 49ers. 49er General Manager Bill Walsh had seen something special in the thin, average speed, average arm, but athletic quarterback from Gilroy, who quarterbacked at San Jose State, then five years in Canada, and finally joined the 49ers as a backup to Steve Young.
The 49ers single season passing record is 4,278 yards. Which 49er quarterback holds the record? Y. A. Tittle, John Brodie, Joe Montana, Steve Young, or Jeff Garcia?
Jeff Garcia, in 2000, his second year in the NFL.
Which of the following quarterbacks are the only ones in NFL history to have achieved two consecutive (back-to-back) 30-touchdown passing seasons at least once in their careers? Steve Bartkowski, Brett Favre, Dan Fouts, Dan Marino, Y.A. Tittle, and Jeff Garcia.
All six have.
Following after the greatest period of sustained quarterback excellence the NFL had ever seen, the Joe Montana – Steve Young years (1979-1999), Jeff Garcia quickly established himself as a quarterback who wouldn’t be embarrassed to be mentioned in the same breath with them. The finest years of Garcia's career came in San Francisco from 1999-2003. He completed 63.3 percent of his passes (355-for-561) for 4,278 yards, 31 TDs and just 10 interceptions in 2000. He averaged 3,720 yards and 28 TDs per season between 2000-02.
He went to the Pro Bowl three years in a row as a 49er.
In Canada he led the Calgary Stampeders to a Grey Cup victory in 1998, and was the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player.
Garcia was an outstanding quarterback at San Jose State, and had a terrific East-West Shrine Game.
He had a great game at defensive back in a high school All Star game, although until a week before the game he had never played defense.
The other player on the field was, of course, Terrell Owens. What praise can be given T. O. equal to what he has already given himself? Terrell Owens almost single-handedly drove Jeff Garcia from the 49ers. In a Playboy interview in 2004, T. O. questioned Garcia’s manhood – in fact, he implied Garcia was a homosexual.
I wonder if T. O. ever saw a picture of Garcia’s fiancée? It would have been easy for him to find a picture, because her name is Carmella Danielle DeCesare, and she was Playboy Playmate of the Year for 2004.
OK Jeff, we believe you! Terrell, eat your heart out.
Owens had a record-breaking day on December 17, 2000 with 20 catches for 283 yards versus the Chicago Bears. His single-game reception total surpassed the 50-year-old mark held by Tom Fears. The quarterback getting the ball to him was Jeff Garcia.
In the 2002 season the 49ers won the NFC Western division and earned a home playoff game against the New York Giants. In that game the 49ers produced the second-greatest comeback in NFL playoff history by coming back from a 24 point deficit (14-38) and winning 39-38 behind notable performances from Owens, who had nine catches for 177 yards – and from Jeff Garcia, who completed 27 of 44 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns, ran 14 yards for another touchdown, and had a total of 60 yards rushing for the day.
But still Owens questioned Garcia’s manhood. Forget the homosexual angle. Owens was very critical of Garcia, and badgered him about getting the ball even as Garcia held the ball until the last split second before the pass rush crushed him to try to complete a pass, and would throw his thin body at charging linebackers to gain an extra yard or two.
On the receiving end, Owens showed “alligator arms” when he thought a defender would hit him hard as he caught the ball. Instead of reaching for the ball, he kept his arms in to protect his body, and many catchable balls fell incomplete or bounced off the tips of his fingers. For the self-proclaimed greatest wide receiver of all time, the number of passes he drops is shameful.
His weak pass catching efforts resulting in dropped passes while protecting his body are disgraceful, especially when you see the beating his quarterback takes while trying to get the ball to him.
Terrell Owens has done a lot to make pass receivers into football’s prima donnas. For most of the past season with the Raiders, Randy Moss has looked completely bored and uninspired about running pass routes, or on concentrating long enough to catch a pass thrown to him.
Even worse is the effect on younger receivers. Now all they practice and concentrate on are their end-zone celebrations. In a game against the Seahawks, the 49ers rookie tight end, Vernon Davis, caught a touchdown pass to put the 49ers ahead 10-7, but did a touchdown celebration that looked like a drunken seagull, placing one foot on an end-zone pylon and drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on the ensuing kickoff. Fortunately for Davis and the 49ers, the Seahawks weren’t able to capitalize on the excellent field position Davis’ penalty gave them.
Terrell liked to practice with McMann, the Eagle's quarterback. I have heard T.O. now has a Tony Romo doll on order. T.O. apparently never had to use his Drew Bledsoe doll, because T.O. spent most of the T.O. - Drew Bledsoe era on the injured list.
Like T. O. before him, Davis called attention to his quarterback not getting the ball to him when he was open in the game against the Packers. Also like his idol, Davis says nothing when he drops catchable balls.
Terrell and the ball are easily separated. The love affair at Dallas hadn't started when this photo was taken.
None of the current crop who choreograph their touchdown celebrations seem to care that they are making it harder for their team and teammates to win. On many touchdowns, the person scoring the touchdown has the easiest part on the scoring play. On a pass play, blockers are engaged in a fierce struggle from the moment the ball is snapped, whereas the receivers are protected by the rules like they are fragile china. As the quarterback releases the ball and a split-second later is slammed to the ground under a 325-pound lineman, a penalty will be called on the pass defender if he rests his hand on the back of the receiver.
“The pass is thrown! The ball is in the air! The running back gave up his body to stop the blitzing linebacker! The quarterback was blasted just as he released it! The pass is thrown perfectly to the back pylon, where only the receiver can make a play on it! He catches it and drags both feet before going out of bounds! Touchdown!”
“Now the receiver shows signs of life for the first time today as he begins his solo celebration! He pulls a ring box from his sock and kneels to propose to the nearest cheerleader! Then he begins a dance along the back goal line that looks like a cross between Ubangi fertility rites and Swan Lake as interpreted by the Radio City Rockettes! As a finale, the receiver ignites rockets in each pants leg and soars to a landing amongst the fans in the second deck! As he prances back to the field doing the Chicken Walk to the Macarena, he waves an enormous banner that says in flashing lights, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”
“All I can say, his touchdown celebrations are almost as good as Marryin’ Sam’s five-dollar weddings in Li’l Abner!”
“Right you are! It’s a shame he dropped those other touchdown passes! If he could have hung on to just a few of them, we would have been in for a real treat! The way it is now, with his team behind three touchdowns with a minute left in the game, his restraint is understandable.”
“True, quiet and dignified is always correct when you’re losing by 21 points with a minute to go.”
T O, always in good taste with quiet dignity.
The football commentators have very low expectations of wide receivers. They rave when one gets between a ball carrier and tackler and call it a great wide-receiver block if the tackler has to slow down. To them it’s unbelievable if the receiver actually hangs on to the ball after he is hit. Understandable, I guess, since often they don’t.
It makes me appreciate former 49ers receivers even more: Jerry Rice, John Taylor, Dwight Clark, tight end Brent Jones, Roger Craig and Tom Rathman out of the backfield – all they did was catch the ball, and they left the celebrating (and griping) to the fans.
And it makes me appreciate football players like Jeff Garcia, who get the job done when it counts. Garcia is 6' 1" and weighs 200 pounds, but when courage is the measure of a man, he's always the biggest on the field.
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