tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007://1 2007-11-06T19:29:31Z Movable Type 3.35 tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007://1.574 2007-11-06T19:26:06Z 2007-11-06T19:29:31Z

McCarver is obvious. Download file...

Download file ]]> tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007://1.573 2007-11-06T17:15:40Z 2007-11-06T17:18:02Z

Czabe, Remember when we had to listen to that hag Martha Burk whenever there was anything deemed an "issue" in regards to women's rights? It seems we have a new hag. C. Vivian Stringer. Apparently the Rutgers womens BBall head...

Czabe, Remember when we had to listen to that hag Martha Burk whenever there was anything deemed an "issue" in regards to women's rights? It seems we have a new hag. C. Vivian Stringer. Apparently the Rutgers womens BBall head coach has transcended as the brain behind the new women's movement, and we all have to listen to her opinions on every issue now. Yay. I'm not mad at Imus for saying what he said. I'm only mad at Imus for making this opportunist famous. -Kyle tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007:/daily//1.572 2007-10-31T05:00:00Z 2007-11-05T20:45:26Z

When Mark Richt of Georgia sent his entire team into the endzone against Florida to “celebrate” a touchdown, I was reminded of why I never shed a tear for coaches who get fired in college sports.

When Mark Richt of Georgia sent his entire team into the endzone against Florida to “celebrate” a touchdown, I was reminded of why I never shed a tear for coaches who get fired in college sports. That was reinforced tenfold when on Monday and Tuesday, almost every other college coach had Richt’s back when asked about it in their respective press conferences. Talk about a “Band of Brothers” in the coaching fraternity. What Richt did was so incredibly wrong, I remain firm in thinking that he deserved a one game suspension for it. In a world of increasing athlete jackassery in the name of showing up your opponent, we can only count on coaches as the last line of defense against this crap. When one actually ORDERS IT of his players, you pretty much throw up your hands in surrender. What if Richt’s motivational mandate had sparked a repeat of the brawl that ended the Miami vs. Florida International game last year? “But it didn’t…” you say. Irrelevant, I counter. Like shooting a gun in the air in a crowd and missing everybody. That’s called stupid luck. It’s not okay. Luckily, I suspect Richt’s idiotic move, will eventually come back to bite him on the ass. Some clown player of his, will get a 15 yard penalty for celebrating when his team CAN LEAST AFFORD IT and they will lose. Then I will laugh. A hearty, deep, you-had-it-coming kind of laugh. >>>>>>>>>>>> Well, since he can’t get any news coverage, looks like John Edwards is getting desperate. His latest set of proposals, if elected president, would be “free everything”, supported by higher taxes. Central to it all, “College for Everyone.” Which is positively insane. College is most specifically NOT for everybody! College is a waste of time for people who are going to be skilled laborers, tradesmen, or the like. College is only for people with a DESIRE for it. Because if you just “give” college to people who don’t really want it that badly, they will almost certainly flunk out. Duh. Why didn’t he also call for government funded $500 haircuts for everybody? What a douchebag. Keep talking, hair pony. You’re only killing your parties chances. >>>>>>>>>>>> I’ve been checkin in on the new “Mike Tirico Show” on ESPN Radio. (Note: Yes, I DO listen to other sports radio shows. ALL THE TIME! In many ways, I am just like you when I am not on the air. I consume the “product” of sports radio just as voraciously. I try not to steal any ideas blatantly, but I do take note of show elements well done, and try to incorporate similar elements into my show. But I digress…). The show is very young, so you gotta give it time to develop. So far, I notice a few things. It’s very nice. It’s very clean. It’s very sincere. It’s very serious. In other words, it’s like what would happen if you give a really good play-by-play man from television a sports radio show. And I like Tirico’s work on TV. I think he’s a very well prepared, skilled, play-by-play voice on both football and golf. But so far, the radio show has absolutely no sense of humor. It does not seem to do more than just tiptoe into any “negative” territory. And it treats almost all subjects with a life and death seriousness that simply isn’t required. Good sports radio should be fun, subversive at times to the status quo, unafraid to laugh at itself and others. It also needs chemistry, which the Tirico show lacks because Mike does it from his home in Michigan (good for him, BTW, I am jealous) and his co-hosts are all over the place. Sometimes it’s Van Pelt in Bristol. Other days it’s Michelle Tafoya from her home city in Minnesota. Time will tell. I’m not sure anybody could do a really kick ass sports radio show under the ESPN umbrella. I know I would be constantly looking over my shoulder, and in my “In-Box” for an email from somebody saying I simply can’t “say that.” >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> George Will is brilliant. His logical reasoning is virtually airtight. If you believe in such crap as the Kyoto Protocol or “Carbon Taxes” you must read this. Chances are, if you believe in such things, you won’t understand some of the words. Look ‘em up if you have to. The notion as Will puts it of a “Global Climate Knob” that we can twist, is a perfect illustration of Al Gore’s folly. The fact that nobody in the Global Warming camp will admit that SOME benefits will come with warming, proves their single minded obsession. Science is not obsessive or morally preachy. Al Gore and his kind are. The environment, global temperatures, weather, climate and everything else is extremely complex. To think that a failed presidential nominee could sum it all up neatly in a power point slide show is absurd. To think that he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for it even more so. Everything has a cost people. The costs of moving the needle a few degrees (the most optimistic estimates of actually achieving Kyoto targets not currently being grazed) would crush developing nations and their economies. Global Warming zealots will not debate you on the facts. They will instead claim a moral high ground, or say that doing “nothing” will cost more in the long run, and then throw out ludicrous doomsday scenarios. If in 2030 we are still driving gasoline powered cars, I’d be shocked. All the while, climate doomsayers and their bogeymen keep falling. Like the shrinking ozone layer. Or the quietest hurricane season in decades. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Instead of players introducing their teammates as is currently the vogue on ESPN broadcast football games – and I like it, don’t get me wrong – how about something to spice it up every now and then. I was sorta hoping the Broncos would have injured RB Travis Henry introduce his kids, and baby mommas. All nine of each! Then he could give us footnotes on the how and where he conceived them all. Tell me that wouldn’t be a “Save Until I Delete” item on your TiVO? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> AND NOW YOUR PIC O' THE DAY!! Um. Little too phallic lookin' Carson.]]> tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007:/daily//1.571 2007-10-30T05:00:00Z 2007-11-01T02:32:49Z

It’s all a big joke. Nice effort. And nice job by Gibbs to soft-mouth, mush-mush, the game afterward. I’d get more mad, but what’s the point? Its obvious now, that paranoid Gibbs just won’t use the middle of the field, won’t allow Gre (he’s lost those last two “G’s” for genius) Williams to play an ears-pinned-back aggressive scheme anymore because Gibbs can’t score enough to spackle over mistakes.

Well, so much for my “fear” of winning. Ha. God, how stupid I was. The only thing the Pats didn’t pull on us, was the ol’ confetti bucket. Guess the Globetrotters still own the rights to that one. But the rest of it? Like a troupe of mischievious clowns toying with the kids in the audience. Fake spike TD? Check. 4th down QB sneaks? Check. Linebacker eligible TD’s? Check. Sack-fumble-touchdowns? Check. Backup quarterback garbage time? Check. For all three guys. The Patriots are at such a high level, it’s not even funny. To watch it “up close” via HDTV on a play-by-play level, really hammers it all home. Take for example the ruthless 1:48 left in the 1st half drive for a TD to make it 24-0. Most teams, would only make a token effort to score here, leading 17-0. I know my Redskins, might take 3 knees. Be forced to punt with 1:06 left, and then get scored on the other way playing a soft prevent. The Patriots just took the ball, and rammed it down our throats like they were filming Caligula XII. So much that went on in this game was just humiliating. Assante Samuel jumping every 5 yard Santana Moss out pattern. Proof that Patriot players pay attention in film session, and bring it to the field on Sunday. Then there was Mike Vrabel with another laughably easy play-action goal-line TD catch. Proof that our guys don’t pay any attention in film session. Marcus Washington, that one’s on your bill. Then the Pats got us with the fake spike. And yeah, Moss “pushed off” on that play. Sorry, but Leigh Torrance is not getting that call against him and the Patriots in Foxboro. Deal with it. Or maybe push back harder. How about THINK as a DB, and realize that a P.I. call there is hardly a bad thing. Of course, the communication went out between our coaches on the sideline and the booth, something I am sure will be coddled like a convenient excuse. Sure it’s damn fishy. But how does that stop the Patriots from scoring 24 points? Gregg’s on the sidelines. Are you saying the Skins would have scored 21 in the first half otherwise? Please. NOTE: Conspiracy theorists are already whispering: Maybe Joe’s “headset malfunctions” with the booth are all in his head. Maybe he just wants to drive the car himself. Hmmmm. The part I really loved was when with 14 seconds left in half, Gibbs gets “aggressive” with a screen pass (always a chance for a tip, a fumble or a jumped route) and then calls timeout to get one hail mary with :05 to go. Super. Hail Mary, indeed. That about summed up our chances. Of course, he then threw another screen. Or, errrr… Al Saunders called it. Right. Whatever. And then our onsides kick down 52-7. Perfect. Well done. Keep fighting! What, is Pepper Rogers coaching this team? It’s all a big joke. Nice effort. And nice job by Gibbs to soft-mouth, mush-mush, the game afterward. I’d get more mad, but what’s the point? Its obvious now, that paranoid Gibbs just won’t use the middle of the field, won’t allow Gre (he’s lost those last two “G’s” for genius) Williams to play an ears-pinned-back aggressive scheme anymore because Gibbs can’t score enough to spackle over mistakes. Saunders is coasting on his $2 million salary, and guys like Clinton Portis can take themselves in and out of games as they please. Dysfunction, thy name is Redskins. The Patriots have such a keen eye for not only talent, but talent that will fit their scheme. I was dubious about the cost in picks and money for Wes Welker. I was wrong. The guy is perfect as a slot wideout. Runs the right routes, tough as shit, great hands, can and will play specials. Compare that to the Skins signing of Brandon Lloyd. He was a known shitbag, who doesn’t play teams, doesn’t practice hard or well, isn’t team guy, and hates contact. Gibbs said: “We’ll take him!” The Gibbs lack of personnel acumen was evident in the dying days of his first tenure, as GM Charlie Casserly’s influence waned, and free agency dawned. Gibbs’ tone deaf ear to what makes a good player, and a good FIT – more importantly – to a team, is worse than ever. The emails that come crashing into my inbox on Mondays (sometimes even after a shady win like Arizona) from fans saying “Fire Gibbs” keep increasing. Their unforgiving tone and harsh language is starting to actually surprise me. The problem is, firing Gibbs won’t really solve anything. The next guy in there, will still be undermined by the short man with the big beltbuckle and cash to burn. This is a team that could perhaps find it’s feet for a 9-7 record and the playoffs. You could I suppose declare that a “success” of a season. But at the rate of 17 ppg (adjusted to 15.5 per game when you factor in two DFTD’s and a safety) you are always going to struggle to win. I think Gibbs has a self-fulfilling prophecy at times about this team. From the moment he came back saying: “This is going to be the hardest thing ever…” to week in week out declarations that “I think its going to do right down to the last play” you start to wonder: is he saying this out of humility, or is he predicting his own destiny? I sorta wish he didn’t play the whole Lou Holtz “we’ll be the biggest underdog in the history of sports” angle, since they sure played like they deserved it. As Warner Wolf would say: “If you had the Redskins plus the 44.5 against the Patriots… YOU LOST!” >>>>>>>>>>>>>> AND NOW, YOUR PIC O' THE DAY!! Another Chinese product that has been recalled for safety reasons!]]> tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007:/daily//1.570 2007-10-29T05:00:00Z 2007-11-01T02:32:49Z

Another week, more mediocrity in college football. You know, by the time this season stops spinning, most of you people scolding me as somehow being “anti” college football will understand the point I’ve been making all along.

Another week, more mediocrity in college football. You know, by the time this season stops spinning, most of you people scolding me as somehow being “anti” college football will understand the point I’ve been making all along. It’s not that college football sucks in general. It’s just that this year, there are literally NO compelling teams to follow on the road to the championship. There is mediocrity, and more mediocrity. Go ahead, call it parity if you want. Either way, it just means that whomever is playing for the fake “National Championship” will likely have lost a game, or be inserted into the game with dubious credentials. Boston College is getting shut down for 58 minutes at Blacksburg, before Beamer’s tepid prevent defense bails them out. Kentucky, just two weeks removed from stunning LSU, mails it in against Mississippi State. Yesterday’s darlings, South Florida, falls to UConn. Many are shocked that discover that UConn plays football. Florida with a chance to loop back into the picture, flops against Georgia. I hear there were cocktails served. I’m not sure the NCAA wants me to mention that one. Southern Cal keeps getting beat. Virginia gaks against a formerly 2-5 NC State team. Texas barely survives a Nebraska team that is on life support, being given mouth to mouth by former legend Tom Osborne. Yawn. I’m actually starting to “believe” in Ohio State seeing as how they rolled into JoePa’s House of Road Rage and layeth down the smack. However this is stupid, because even Brent Musburger accurately pointed out on the telecast itself, that “nobody” in the country will accept the Big 10 as an elite conference because of a) Last year’s twin humiliations in the BCS Title game and the Rose Bowl, and b) App State beating Michigan this year. All I ask of you who still do not see this mediocrity, is to look back at the 2005 season where USC and Texas were 1-2 from wire to wire. The title game went down to the wire. And Reggie Bush and Vince Young went 2-3 in the draft. Or 2004 when USC and Oklahoma played for the title, while Auburn with an almost unheard-of perfect SEC record and Sugar Bowl win had to settle for the consolation game. Or 2002 when 12-0 Miami met 12-0 Ohio State and played a game for the ages, with perhaps the most contested late penalty in overtime to give Ohio State life, and ultimately the win. Only one time in the history of the BCS (1992) has there not been an undefeated team in the championship game (2003). I’m betting it happens again this year. Looking ahead, here’s the unbeatens and their roads ahead. Ohio State hosts quality clubs Wisconsin and Illinois, then closes at the Big House against a Wolverine team that has found its feet. Dicey. Boston College has Florida State at home in a let down spot, then losable road games at Maryland and Clemson, then the Hurricanes at home, then the ACC Championship game. Good luck. Arizona State is at Oregon. That should end this nonsense right away. If not, then at UCLA, home against USC, and a rivalry showdown with Arizona. Somewhere, one of these teams will stop them. Kansas hosts Nebraska, is at Oklahoma State, then hosts Iowa State and Missouri. Iowa State is a chump, but the other three could quite easily stop them. Then there’s little chance they win the Big 12 Title game. That leaves Hawaii as the last unbeaten, and who cares who’s left on their plate, if they finish perfect they’ll be told to call Boise State and ask them what happens to small school gimmick programs when it comes time to choose the BCS title game. Maybe ’05, ’04, and ’02 were all too good, and we’ve been spoiled. Maybe not. Just tell me what team to get truly excited about, and I’ll try to get on board. I just don’t see that team right now. The saddest part of all this, is that seasons like this are PERFECT for a playoff. That way, it would be a wide-open mini-tournament chock full of upsets and cinderellas. It could actually sell me that this season in college football has been “fun”. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> I will say this much for the BCS: their website is very clean, and very helpful with information. Good work. One thing though really made me angry. This from the BCS Website Army and Navy were each allocated a participation fee of $100,000 for making themselves available to participate in a BCS bowl game if selected effective for the 2006 regular season, in recognition of the investment the academies continue to make in their football programs, the programs' historical significance and the unique contribution the institutions make to higher education. It was also agreed that Notre Dame would receive an annual fee of $1.3 million from the BCS in the years when its team does not participate in one of the games, and $4.5 million when its team does participate. REACT: What the hell? Notre Dame gets a $1.3 million stroke just for sitting around in their own vomit this year? You gotta be crappin’ me! Real nice of them too, to give Army and Navy each 100k. Good grief. These kids are only going to be DEFENDING OUR COUNTRY WITH THEIR LIVES! If you want a somewhat hilarious walk through BCS evolution (Remember the famed “Dunkel Rankings? Or when the BCS thought that the New York Times actually had something meaningful to say about college football?) then this page is a must read. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> College Football Loose Ends Class move by Mark Richt sending his ENTIRE team on the field to get a MANDATORY unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the ‘Dogs first touchdown. If it was my league to run, Richt would get a one game suspension. Ridiculous. Did you see Jamal Charles in the 4th quarter against the “Black Shirts” of Nebraska? No? Neither did they. Good god. Cedric Hill stone cold dropped a tying TD from Matt Grothe of USF in the waning minutes. Why do receivers today constantly try to catch balls with their chest and arms, and not their hands? Did you see Jim Tressel talking to Joe Paterno prior to the game? It was friendly, but it looked a lot like a boxing style stare-down. Be honest Penn State fans. When you see this, do you REALLY think that the coaching acumen – ON GAME DAY – that you are getting from JoePa is equal to that of a young stud like Tressel? Honest now. Question: do you think every D-1 football team has at least one player with flowing dreadlocks under the helmet? Except Harvard and Navy, that is. Okay, here’s the deal. Plow through your choice of either a) Holly Rowe b) Doris Burke or c) Michelle Tafoya. Then you get to “trade up” prizes to the large plush toy of either a) Bonnie Bernstein or b) Erin Andrews. You game? The Scarlet Knights’ game day mascot is awesome. Simply awesome. Full Scarlet knight suit. Red clad horse. Well played. Well played. Did you see Mark Mangino in full-body velour (or was it terrycloth?) on Saturday for Kansas? Good choice of fabrics, coach. Smooth, warm, and loose. Plus, expandable waistbands! True Fact: When you google “Mark Mangino” it comes up with “Also Try: ‘Mark Mangino weight’ and ‘Mark Mangino fat.’ As Dave Barry might say: “I am not making this up.” You can try it. You gotta love South Carolina kicker Ryan Succop’s name. Sounds like “Suck Up.” If only his holder could be named “Brad Brownose.” OTHER STUFF…. I’m sorry, but when did anybody give a ground pound of horsemeat about the Breeders’ Cup? They wasted a good 1:25 hi-lite package on this nonsense on SportsCenter Saturday. You can’t make this one up! C. Vivian Stringer has APOLOGIZED to Isiah Thomas for basically calling him the CAD he is in a story that broke late last week. I kid you not. Don Imus fell all over himself to say he’s sorry, and Rutgers nearly made a federal case of it. Thomas hasn’t apologized for a THING, and now she’s backing off. Pathetic. Who can fuck up a simple press conference? FEMA can! That’s who! Remember people, the first letter of FEMA is “F”. It stands for FEDERAL. As in, your big ass, bloated, stupid GOVERNMENT. You don’t want to count on your government for ANYTHING if possible. And after reading this story, there are some who still think government run health care is a good idea. Wake up people. Wake up. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> AND NOW YOUR PIC O' THE DAY!! As they say, sometimes when you are in a dry spell, you'll hit just about anything.]]> tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007:/daily//1.569 2007-10-26T05:00:00Z 2007-11-01T02:32:49Z

My team has been given a title shot at the undisputed heavyweight champ this weekend. I am grateful for it, although I am admittedly a little bit scared. Scared of losing badly, but also scared of – if you can believe it – winning.

My team has been given a title shot at the undisputed heavyweight champ this weekend. I am grateful for it, although I am admittedly a little bit scared. Scared of losing badly, but also scared of – if you can believe it – winning. See, here’s the thing. What happens, if the Skins put together the perfect game, get a call late, and kick a 55 yarder at the gun to win. What if? Well, my friend. Then the entire NFL landscape changes. Overnight. The mighty Patriot battleship will have had a huge hole blown into its side. The Colts would be in the driver seat for home field advantage. A win next week would mean they could cruise home at 14-2, tie the Patriots, and still have the head-to-head edge. Furthermore, it launches the Redskins INSTANTLY into the “Top Contender” status in the NFL’s heavyweight division. Not that they are better than the Colts or Steelers, or perhaps even the Cowboys, but like boxing, they would be seen as the likely entrant from the NFC side of the bracket in February. The expectations here in Washington would soar to outrageous levels. Any subsequent slippage in play – and of course, losses – would bring dramatic hand wringing. “Why can’t they beat the Jets, when they just went up and stopped the Patriots?” It would be delirious at first. Wonderful, intoxicating, and so new for many Skins fans too young to remember 1991 or earlier. You see, the Redskins have NEVER been at the FOREFRONT of the “modern” sports media machine. Remember, in 1991, when the Skins were ripping through the league, the following did NOT exist. 1. National All-Sports Radio (WFAN in New York launched in 1987. Only a handful of large markets had all-day-all-night sports stations in 1991. Washington D.C. did not.) 2. The world wide web. 3. Pardon The Interruption, Around the Horn, etc. etc. etc. 4. The NFL Network 5. Message Boards, Blogs, etc. In short, MY football team hasn’t been relevant in the constantly swirling modern sports media whirlpool EVER! Ever. And man, how cool would that feel? To have the punditry at all levels, seriously assessing how good the Redskins are. To have people actually showing the Skins respect. To be IN THE CONVERSATION at least. We haven’t been in “the conversation” if you know what I mean, since there was essentially nowhere nationally to have it (1991). Of course, that brings its own perils. Perils of overconfidence, lack of focus, a false sense of accomplishment. Believe it or not, you can’t hang a banner in the stadium that says: “We beat a 7-0, but still missed the playoffs.” (Okay. Snyder might do that, but I doubt it.) So I’m as scared of that, as I am of getting our doors blown off. They say most people only fear two things in their careers: success.. and failure. I can definitely dig that vibe here. >>>>>>>>>>>>> The NFL’s foray into Europe this week is pointless, and annoying. Listen up: the rest of the world will NEVER play tackle football at a meaningful level. There are MANY MANY MANY factors in this reality. But I will give you the MOST important factor. The NFL is too violent for most of Western Europe, but not nearly violent enough for the rest of the world. Think about it. Western Europe is mostly made up of spineless socialists, and the rest of the soccer playing countries are into blowing up buses and lopping off people’s heads with a knife. For us here in America, professional tackle football hits the “violence sweet spot” so to speak. And that’s why we love it. >>>>>>>>>>>>> How about that David Stern, huh kids? He finally admitted that almost HALF of his referees had violated the league’s gambling rules in regard to visiting casinos. Of course, NONE of them have been fired, and almost all just got a slap on the wrist. Now, he says they will RE-WRITE the guidelines, which he thinks is OUTDATED! So lets get this straight. Stern was decidedly COOL to the notion of a franchise in Vegas because of (insert dramatic organ music here) GAMBLING! Yet now, he wants to re-write the rules to ALLOW his REFS to go to casinos, in order to stay “modern.” Uh huh. I bet that new rule will say: “It’s okay to be in the pit playing craps, just stay out of the sports book.” Right. That’ll stop ‘em. Referee A tells Buddy B: “Here. Go put a dime on Golden State. I’ll hold your seat.” That was difficult. Sheesh. I think its obvious now why Stern had to put on the furry gloves when dealing with his refs. If he actually laid down the law, he couldn’t field games this fall with the guys remaining. Remember: he only CAUGHT half the guys. I’m sure another huge chunk of them were just too damn smart to get caught in the first place. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> From Jim Ducibella from Roanoke.com… After the game Sunday, running back Clinton Portis blamed the offense's practice habits and said that unit -- coached by Gibbs and coordinator Al Saunders -- could take a page from its defensive counterparts. "If you watch our defense at practice, they're quick, smooth, fly around," Portis told a Washington television station. "For us, the offense, we drop balls in practice, we turn it over in practice. What we do in practice we do in the game." Gibbs didn't agree. "When we turn over a ball in practice, we take a lap, and I take a lap with them," he said. "I know who's turning the ball over and how many penalties we have. What hurt us last week was the people we had to practice with. Todd [Wade] sat out a bunch of them. Jason [Fabini] was at a different position. We had [center Mike Pucillo]. For me last week, practice was a struggle." REACT: Oh, that is RICH. Portis? Complaining about sloppy practices? Again. Portis? Okay, I won’t even dignify that one with anything snarky. Make up your own. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> JIMMY MASTERLOCK PICKS WEEK 8 1. NY Giants -9.5 at Miami Dolphins I don’t know the exchange rate between the US dollar and the pound, but I do know this. The Dolphins 0-7 record would translate into 0-8.2 in British currency. Zach Thomas got into a fender bender, and said: “Ah, boys, sorry. Can’t make it over there. Do call when you get back. Good luck Cleo!” That should tell you Miami’s relative motivation level here. The Giants are far from being a complete team, but they can abuse bad QBs with shaky lines thanks to their 39 different 6-6 defensive ends with massive wingspans. Pick. Giants. STAT: New York teams playing in foreign countries against teams with first year coaches who have the same three-letters starting both first and last names: 15-3 all time ATS. 2. Cleveland Browns -3 at St. Louis Rams I’m not sure why I’ve been so slow to get on the Rams’ “Don’t Pass Line” gravy train. But I’m here now. So what if Stephen Jackson is back? The Browns can actually move the pig, and score. The Rams get called for motion when dropping their pants for a crap. 3. Tampa Bay -3.5 vs. Jacksonville Apparently, the oddsmakers didn’t see the part of Monday’s game where Quinn Gray came in and immediately started playing like the black Heath Shuler. Hey, it was getting late, we were all sleepy. I’m sorry, but I’m not going to put any money on a team quarterbacked by a guy who has tricked out his face mask with a tinted visor. A quarterback? Visor? Dark? Super idea. Bucs rebound after loss in Detroit. Big. BARKING DOG Washington Redskins +16 at New England The ATM machine that has been the Pats is now out of money. I’m callin’ it. Not an upset, but a shockingly “whoa” kind of 10 point victory for the Patriots. Moral victory. Cash it out. Gimme Gregggggggg Williams and his defense plus the heavy lumber. Gimme a backdoor cover. Gimme a little dollop of the Patriots looking ahead to the Colts. Gimme the Skins. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> AND NOW, YOUR PIC O' THE DAY!! ]]> tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007:/daily//1.568 2007-10-25T05:00:00Z 2007-11-01T02:32:49Z

I love Carrie Underwood. I mean, she’s in my “Fave 5” without a doubt. However, when I read the following quote about her “Not Quite Boyfriend” Tony Romo in the current issue of EW, I just had to shake my head in disappointment.

I love Carrie Underwood. I mean, she’s in my “Fave 5” without a doubt. However, when I read the following quote about her “Not Quite Boyfriend” Tony Romo in the current issue of EW, I just had to shake my head in disappointment. “At one point it seemed like that’s where it was headed,” Underwood said about her relationship with the Cowboys star. “But point blank, he is about football. I don’t know if it’s that I’m not quite his type or whatever, but I don’t think he’s at the point in his life where he would be willing to sacrifice football. He hated so much that people thought he was paying more attention to me and that was causing him to not do well.” REACT: Um, “not ready to sacrifice football” at this time? Hellooooooo!!!??? Are you kidding? Why the hell WOULD he “sacrifice” his football career RIGHT NOW? Would he ever ask YOU to “sacrifice” your singing career? I mean, get real! Maybe it’s something hard wired in women. I don’t know. Makes me sad. Very sad. >>>>>>>>>>>>> Baseball is still very much alive and kicking in America, despite repeated attempts to murder it by strikes, steroids, and other scandals. Sunday's Game 7 in the ALCS drew 19 million viewers overall. That number outdelivering the Denver Broncos-Pittsburgh Steelers nailbiter on NBC with 13.3 million viewers. So maybe the NLSC drew a skunk number, but the mighty Red Sox still command a nationwide audience. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> File this one under Chris Farley: “Awessooommmmee. Heheheheheee!” DirecTV has launched it’s first ever BLIMP, which will fly over the World Series in Boston. Of course, the blimp shows HDTV! Sweet! The LED screen is 70 feet by 30 feet, and billed as the biggest screen ever to ride a blimp. Writes Michael Hiestand in USA Today: “What a waste that the blimp won’t be shadowed by fans on giant inflatable couches.” Well done. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The NFL draft has been reduced to 10 minutes per pick not 15. I call it: “A good start.” If NFL teams can’t pick players in 5 minutes per, it’s a joke. They’ve got charts and boards, and experts, and personnel men. Pick and move. Pick and move. What annoys me however, is this media herd mentality that calls the NFL Draft the “second biggest day” of the year for the league. Are you f’in kidding me? The SECOND biggest day? Are you on crack? The draft is nice, and a fun spring reminder of the game we all love. But even with an “impressive” rating of 4.3 last year, you gotta remember that a regular season 4:15 game with any two decent teams, will draw an 11 or 12. So really, Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 et al… are ALL “bigger” that the stupid f’in draft. And don’t get me wrong, I love the draft. But I don’t try to hype it beyond reason, just to sound like I am so kind of NFL “expert.” If a woman does a 4 hour strip tease, I suppose that’s “exciting.” But if the same woman rips off her clothes in 5 minutes, you still get to where you want to go. If the NFL draft was held in a bunker, and they text messaged me the results, I wouldn’t be heartbroken. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> AND NOW, YOUR PIC O’ THE DAY!! ]]> tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007:/daily//1.567 2007-10-24T05:00:00Z 2007-11-01T02:32:49Z

Michelle Wie has got to be one of the stupidest people to ever get into Stanford (this side of Todd Lichti at least). Here’s a few quotes from her about attending the prestigious University while her golf career crumbles.

Michelle Wie has got to be one of the stupidest people to ever get into Stanford (this side of Todd Lichti at least). Here’s a few quotes from her about attending the prestigious University while her golf career crumbles. ON CLASSES "The lectures ... are amazing," she said. "I write pages and pages of notes. I never really experienced that before. It's a lot of fun. When you're in high school, you are usually the outstanding student. But when you go into Stanford, you're like, 'Am I the mistake exception?' Everyone is so smart. Everyone is so outstanding in whatever they do." ON DORM LIFE All freshmen must live in the dorm at Stanford, and Wie said she gets along well with her roommate. She even celebrated Stanford's stunning upset over Southern California last week. "Do you really want to get me started on that?" she said. "I was so happy that we won. No. 48, he lives in my dorm." That would be Owen Marecic, a freshman fullback. ON HER ROOMATE “We both said the same thing to each other: ‘God, I’m so glad you're not psycho or going to kill yourself this year.” And finally… ON HER 2007 GOLF SEASON “The only thing I would do differently, I wouldn’t have played this year. It’s as simple as that. The decision was on my part. But it wasn't really my fault either, because I really wanted to play.'' REACT: This is logically akin to: “The only thing I did wrong, was everything.” Okay, I know that she’s “Only 18.” But I know plenty of kids that age who are far less moronic than this. Plus why the hell is everybody saying that college will be “good” for her? It’s bad! College is preventing her from competing at the appropriate level. And all those pages and pages of lecture notes on Humanities, Introduction to Japanese, and Calculus are completely worthless! Unless, of course, she plans on quoting Shakespeare after finishing dead last in a Japanese Ladies Tour event and needs to calculate how much that finish pays. Memo to Michelle. RE: Life, and Golf Get your ass out on the course, pro. This is your job, and you picked it. Slug it out, like Justin Rose has done. Once you are out of LPGA invites in ’08, go ask the Futures Tour if they’ll have you. Too easy? Fine. Go whomp some ass down there, hold up the cardboard check for $6,500, and start breathing the sweet smell of burnt opponents stuck in the cleats of your Nikes. When you are out of those events, or get bored. Go to Europe. Or Asia. Any ladies tour that will take you. Try to qualify for the US Open (women’s, not men), British, and anything else the hard way. Stage by stage. If and when you struggle, don’t let the media stories about it get you down. Just say: “I’m gonna be back and better than ever. Just you wait.” Repeat whenever necessary. PS: Tell your parents and David Ledbetter to lock themselves in a room together, and wait for an email from you once a week. You’ll give them all the details on your journey that way. Find a new swing coach that restores your long, flowing, naturally gifted swing. Not this herky jerky poke/lunge that has you more crooked than a 3rd world politician. >>>>>>>>>>>> I do love it when karma has a way of boomeranging on people. Take Democratic harpie and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. This nugget from a story a few weeks back…. "But her spirits soured instantly when somebody asked about the anger of the Democratic "base" over her failure to end the war in Iraq. "Look," she said, the chicken breast on her plate untouched. "I had, for five months, people sitting outside my home, going into my garden in San Francisco, angering neighbors, hanging their clothes from trees, building all kinds of things -- Buddhas? I don't know what they were -- couches, sofas, chairs, permanent living facilities on my front sidewalk." Unsmilingly, she continued: "If they were poor and they were sleeping on my sidewalk, they would be arrested for loitering, but because they have 'Impeach Bush' across their chest, it's the First Amendment." REACT: You go girl. Finally talking some sense! >>>>>>>>>>>>> MORE…. In a fight, who would win? Ed Hochuli, or Bob Sanders? Discuss. Nice work, Jacksonville, filling up that stadium for Monday Night Football. New rule: no sellouts, no Monday Night games. I can’t believe there is rumors that Buffalo might get moved to L.A. but “Buffalo By The Sea” gets to keep its football franchise that’s all of 5 minutes old. Oh yeah, one more thing. No more black-on-black uniform schemes. At best, it’s a high school look. At worst, it looks like long underwear with numbers on it. I hate when guys like Paul Byrd INSIST that what they took was hunky-dory, simply because it was PRESCRIBED to them by a DOCTOR. (Note: Please emphasize with dripping sarcasm). You know who ELSE had a PRESCRIPTION from a DOCTOR? Anna Nicole Smith. They found her bloated corpse flooded with chloral hydrate, Valium, Klonopin, and Ativan. Among others drugs! Prescription. Sheesh. >>>>>>>>>>>> AND NOW YOUR PIC O’ THE DAY!!! ]]> tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007:/daily//1.566 2007-10-23T05:00:00Z 2007-11-01T02:32:49Z

The offense is KILLING the defense. Killing it. Gregg Williams must be ready to jump Joe Gibbs on the sideline, Buddy Ryan/Kevin Gilbride style. Furthermore, this team has no killer instinct. None. I think most of that is Gibbs, not so much the players. But there was no less than 4 different game junctures in which the Skins had the dagger in their hand, and yet failed to stick it in.

Well, we’ll take it. Again. 4 and 2. Heading to New England for a sure loss. Which is fine. Nobody is beating the Patriots this year. You’ve heard me say this for weeks now, so let’s just move on. What’s going on with the Redskins at this point in the season? Simple. The offense is KILLING the defense. Killing it. Gregg Williams must be ready to jump Joe Gibbs on the sideline, Buddy Ryan/Kevin Gilbride style. Furthermore, this team has no killer instinct. None. I think most of that is Gibbs, not so much the players. But there was no less than 4 different game junctures in which the Skins had the dagger in their hand, and yet failed to stick it in. 342 to 161. That’s a pretty embarrassing difference in total yards. Especially with a 1-armed aging QB doing it to you. I was hoping this week the Redskins would elevate themselves to a boring, but really solid football team. Instead, they seem to be sinking in as an achingly mediocre team that will struggle to win just about every week. I can only imagine what this week would be like if Neil Rackers’ last second field goal had wafted just a hair right, and gone through the uprights. Can you even fathom the devastation of throwing a game away like that? Having already thrown away two already, this would have been almost too much to take. Taking a longer view of things, there’s reason to be excited about this team. The QB is a stud. The defense is well tuned, even though they gave up too many yards (see, offensive ineptitude, again). But they are going to need more receivers going forward. The o-line is now less than 2 years away from needing a complete re-build. And sadly, at the helm, is a kindly NASCAR grandfather with a bust in Canton, but without much clue as to how to manage games, close out chump opponents, or demonstrate a knack for the bold and confident. I hate to say it, but I know that you and many other people are thinking it: Gibbs might just be holding this team back at this point. There. I said it. Sorry, Gibbs fanatics. The old flair, just ain’t there. >>>>>>>>>>>> RANDOM GAME BLOG NOTES Maybe my 2000 model Mistubishi Diamondvision 65-WS is showing its age. Maybe not. But did that “HD” Fox rolled out for Skins and Cardinals look good to you? I would almost swear it was an upconverted 16x9 analog picture. Figures Arizona would do stupid crap. Holding on Fitzgerald on 1st and 10 flanker screen to Boldin. Late hit by Dockett that extends drive and leads to TD. Tim Ryan does a very good job as an analyst. Unlike most guys in the Matt Millen/Brian Baldinger/Bill Maas/Insert Random Former Lineman Here mold, Ryan doesn’t do a lot of cliché laden chest puffing. He actually knows teams sets and tendencies. Sees what is happening on the field. And does a good job of explaining it all. Even though the Skins made a 1st down, and went on for a TD on this possession, the following still bothered me. Skins get a big pick and return deep inside Cards territory. Then…. They run on 1st down. Snooze. Is it too much to be aggressive and throw in that spot? Even throw into the endzone? If that personal foul hadn’t happened, the Skins would have turned big momentum switcher into a mere field goal. Commercial Analysis: You know that ad for the iPhone where the Southwest pilot talks about dialing up weather.com to see if the storms have passed? Should I be worried that our air traffic “dispatcher” would just tell the pilot… “Ehhh… 3 hours, looks like.” And then a fly-boy with an iPhone would be able to tell him, “Looks good to me, boss” and then get clearance in 30 minutes? Wondering… Good to see Tim Hasselbeck back in the NFL. ‘Bout time he stopped mooching off his celebrity wife on The View. My favorite Timmy memory came when he started for the Skins under Spurrier Portis admitted this week that he’s only now getting into regular season shape. Nice. All summer, Portis kept saying: “It’s not like I’ve forgotten how to run the ball.” We kept saying: “Yeah, but there’s a little thing called ‘conditioning.’” Now Portis says IF he’s here next year (note: cap number over $5 million, thus he’ll need to be re-negotiated) that he’d like to go through camp, but still not play pre-season. Whatever. The day Portis is no longer a Redskin, I won’t shed a tear. Not that I hate him, or that I think we should bum-rush him out, but I’m just tired of the whole drama at this point. The taking himself out of games, and all that. Remember when Portis used to gallop for 50 yard TD jaunts? Yeah, me too. They were all in Denver, or so it seems. That being said about ol’ Coach Hanky Janky, he sure is one HELLUVA a blocker in the backfield. He will jack guys up, and lay them out. Stupid, Stupid, Random Thought: You know that jumping football robot animation Fox uses on rejoins? How many years until we have the technology to build actual football robots like that, and field an actual RFL – Robot Football League? Oh, good. I just found out about Jason Campbell’s bruised wrist from Fox’s broadcast team. How come we didn’t find out about this from any of the media who cover the Skins every day in this town? Maybe it was just a case of EXCELLENT operational security about the (small) injury by the Redskins and their training staff. 4th down and 2 at the plus-38. Joe Gibbs punts. Good god, get some SACK! The defense has been DOMINANT all day so far, and you are worried about punting it for a piddling extra 20 yards of field position. Great Stat by FOX…. Since Start of 2006 Season EVENT/Win Percentage Interception Return for TD (79%) Returned Punt for TD (64%) Fumble Return for TD (64%) Blocked FG (49%) Return Kickoff for TD (41%) Well, Snyder-watchers, the Tom Cruise relationship is off. Funny how this story spins a Republican vs. Democrat tension. But I didn't see that when Snyder was parading Cruise around FedEx Field on opening night. Did you? Maybe Cruise was just biting his lip, and taking a chump's cash. We interrupt this Redskins blog for a great hockey fight. It also just so happens to involve two black guys. There’s no great social significance in this. But it needed to be pointed out, since most people watching will say: “Hey, wow! I didn’t think there were ANY black guys in hockey! And here’s two of them trading knuckles! Sweet!” What was more colossally stupid? London Fletcher’s drive extending taunting penalty? Or was it failing to get even a field goal out of an 80 yard kickoff return to open the 2nd half? Things I Love About This Defense Andre Carter is really earning his money. Pierson Prileau is popping up on more and more plays all the time. Fletcher is a flat out cement truck tackler. Landry has been better as a rookie than Taylor was at the same point. Playing centerfield, Taylor is leading the NFL in picks. The corners are blowing up running plays in the backfield. Awesome speed. Very few missed tackles. Lots of hats to the football. Is this Redskins offense more timid, or just boring? You decide. I do know that the playcalling is pretty meek. After just about every big play (long punt return, INT, long pass) you can pretty much count on Portis toss-left. Credit Ken Whisenhunt for sticking with the ground game. Even though the Cards were down 21-6 with the 3rd quarter winding down, they kept a steady diet of Edge James. It’s the kind of attack that Mike Martz was incapable of disciplining himself to do a few weeks ago, and it doomed him. Why does the NFL penalize end zone celebrations, when they simultaneously run commercials for NFL.com which involve Joey Fatone teaching Shawn Alexander new endzone dance moves? Hypocritical, no? It needs to be noted, Derrick Frost is shanking ‘em again. His two of his last three for the Skins were cold shanks, only he was lucky that the 1st of them bounced forward almost 20 yards. Then, after a 3-and-out, NEEDING a big boomer to push Arizona back, he gaks another. My man Dave Feldman of Fox 5 here in D.C. did a great job on the sidelines. His reports were tight, and well delivered. No boobs though. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> AND NOW YOUR PIC O' THE DAY!!! ]]> tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007:/daily//1.565 2007-10-22T05:00:00Z 2007-11-01T02:32:49Z

My friend and columnist Thom Loverro of the Washington Times has said now for YEARS that the steroid scandal in baseball was far from over. He has said that people waiting for “the other shoe” to drop are woefully naïve. Thom has said there’s a CLOSET full of shoes yet to drop.

My friend and columnist Thom Loverro of the Washington Times has said now for YEARS that the steroid scandal in baseball was far from over. He has said that people waiting for “the other shoe” to drop are woefully naïve. Thom has said there’s a CLOSET full of shoes yet to drop. Well, the Paul Byrd story that broke Sunday morning was like a steel-toed hiking boot that hit us on the head. More to come. Lots more. It will be so widespread, so chock full of huge names, so equal in terms of hitters and pitchers, that it will force everybody to re-evaluate previous positions on guys like Bonds, McGwire, and Sosa. The irony may well be that Bonds looks more sympathetic in light of it all. That he was merely ONE of hundreds of MLB players juicing, doping, cycling, and injecting. That he was forced to suffer almost ALL of the outrage for years, will start looking more and more unfair. Yet, the downside for Bonds will be that any continued stance of denial on steroids or HGH will look laughable. All of this basically SEALS the deal that he was indeed, the “Un-Natural.” >>>>>>>>>>>>> Samuel Johnson once said: “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” Over the years, others have inserted other “refuges” for patriotism, notably “religion.” In sports, this is very, very, true. Whenever an athlete gets into trouble, is on the brink of having his career flame out due to off-field shenanigans, he invariably “finds God.” (See Vick, Michael. Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons. c. 2007.) Religion is also a very nice all-purpose Teflon coating from criticism. Not to say that genuinely faithful athletes don’t exist in pro sports. But many just grasp at the God Shield to deflect some heat. Maybe Paul Byrd is one of them. Maybe not. But if you read this quote from Byrd prior to his stellar outing in Game 4 about his near “miraculous” comeback from shoulder surgery in 2002, you might be a little skeptical. “I started doing (the double windup) in '02 when I was coming back from labrum surgery. I had labrum surgery in 2000, and my shoulder was bothering me. I don't say this to convert anybody, but I'm a Christian and I just prayed -- I could see the writing on the wall. I couldn't throw the ball very hard. So I went out when nobody was around, and I just prayed and said, hey, I'm not looking at You here for healing or anything like that, but I'd love to stay in the game. I don't know how that's possible because I'm throwing 81 and I need to do something to shake it up and be deceptive.” REACT: Yeah, so sure. Just a little goofy motion, good honest prayer, and about $25,000 worth of illegally obtained HGH. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> New nominee for commercial of the year: “The Nerdy Guy Who Is Down $5800 In Vegas.” Calling home to his wife, Mr. Never Gets Out says: “Vegas is great, honey. There’s a casino in every hotel.” Great spot, Cingular/AT&T. Your network still sucks, though. >>>>>>>>>>>>> Forget all the computer formulas. Forget the clunky polls. I’ve got your #1 team in the country right here: Virginia. See, it all makes sense…. Virginia beat Maryland. Maryland beat Rutgers. Rutgers beat South Florida. South Florida beat Auburn Auburn beat Florida Florida beat Kentucky Kentucky beat LSU I mean, clear as day. Look at it! Okay, Ohio State. I know. Let’s call Virginia and Ohio Sate “co-number-ones”, okay? >>>>>>>>>>>>> The ESPN half-hour show State Farm NFL Match-Up is must watch TV for football fans. Too bad the network practically buries it late at night, or early on Sunday morning. The show could easily be a full hour long in my opinion. The show uses the exclusive “All-22” tapes that coaches in the NFL treat as their bible. Jaworski and Merrill Hodge do a great job of selecting, isolating, and explaining key plays from various games. For once, you the couch potato fan, actually LEARNS something about football! What a novelty. Compare this show, to every other pre-game show in the NFL, and it’s a joke what fluff and guffawery they serve up each week. This week, Hodgie and Jaws put Larry Johnson in the spotlight for the Chiefs. They showed two blitz pick-up plays where Johnson either a) fell asleep or b) gave a girl-ish effort to block the blitzer. No shock, both times, resulted in sacks. This is the kind of molecular level analysis of football that only a show like this can expose. It’s the same way that they exposed how half-assed Randy Moss was playing in Minnesota in the dying days before he was traded. Expect this footage to have a ripple effect through other shows, sports radio, and the blogosphere in days and weeks to come. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> AND NOW, YOUR PIC O' THE DAY!! ]]> tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007:/daily//1.564 2007-10-19T05:00:00Z 2007-11-01T02:32:49Z

Sure most fans want more fire and brimstone from players. They want to believe in the fairytale that players live and die like fans. But get real. That’s a myth. Pros are pros. They don’t do it for the love of the game. They do it for a living. There’s a difference.

“(If) It doesn’t happen, so who cares? There’s always next year. It’s not like it’s the end of the world.” Amen to Manny Ramirez. It is, after all, just a game. Besides, what good would worrying about a loss now do for his, or his team’s focus and performance do at this point? Nothing. Sure most fans want more fire and brimstone from players. They want to believe in the fairytale that players live and die like fans. But get real. That’s a myth. Pros are pros. They don’t do it for the love of the game. They do it for a living. There’s a difference. It reminds of me when Elaine wore an Orioles cap in the owners box at Yankee Stadium. “You better take it off” said the Yankee official. Stubborn Elaine: “It’s a BASEBALL game. This is AMERICA!” If anybody doubts Manny’s desire to CRUSH, they are nuts. So why make a big deal of this? Now, I will contest the notion that “there’s always next year.” Next year is not a given. Not for him, not for anybody. Things can fall apart quickly in sports, so you never assume. Now, if you would like a complete history of “Manny Being Manny”, check out the very useful Wikipedia entry with the sub-heading on the very topic. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I must issue a correction on yesterday’s blog entry on the Kimmel-MNF flap. An e-mailer said I missed the OPENING portion of the audio where the MNF hosts did at least chuckle-yuk with Kimmel as he started right in on the “Where’s Joe” routine. Consider me corrected on that point. But the larger point of MNF inserting lame guests, and being too thin-skinned on criticism or controversy, remains. Of course, Kimmel got the most press, and the last zingers on the subject with his interview with SI.com. "Technically, couldn't you say Joe Theismann has also been banned from Monday Night Football?" Kimmel told SI.com in a phone interview from Los Angeles. "If he showed up, they probably would not let him in. I was hoping to get banned from a casino first, but I suppose it's satisfying in a way to be banned from any television show. I don't know what I did exactly but apparently it was horrific." Perfect. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Jason Whitlock is on fire. ON… FIRE! His latest column guaranteed to generate controversy, is about – what else – race and the “hip hop culture.” His basic premise: Hip-hop attitudes are not just dragging down specific teams in the NFL, but they are driving teams to make their rosters more white. It may be a stretch. It may be just a fluke that the Colts and Patriots are the whitest teams in the league. But like most Whitlock offerings, it is not easily dismissed. I’m particularly glad he took stupid-ass Chad Johnson to the woodshed. I have been saying ALL ALONG, that the mainstream (mostly white) media’s “fascination” with his little endzone “skits” was juvenile at best, and enabling at worst. The constant claim that he “does it in a good natured way” and that it’s “all in fun” were complete nonsense. I would always counter: “Oh, really. How does that HELP the Bengals win games? How does that HELP with team cohesion? How does that HELP keep opponents from wanting to knock his block off? How does that HELP with anything?” The answer was always, “Well, I don’t know, but it surely doesn’t HURT anything.” My feeling is, if an optional activity in football is not demonstrably HELPING the effort to WIN games, then chances are it is HURTING to some degree. Yet the Bengals, and Lewis, felt obliged to cater to this act, and bow to Chad’s whims. Doin’ him wonders now, ain’t it? I’m not sure the NFL will end up in 10 years with a 50/50 white/black split, but I would tend to agree that unless criminal/jackass activity doesn’t subside, NFL teams will start moving more and more toward lower risk players, that are more coachable. By definition of culture, that means more white. Not that there aren’t black players who shun the nonsense (i.e. Marvin Harrison, Ladanian Tomlinson, et. al) but in general, it will lead to a reduction in pure numbers of black players. Get ready for Whitlock to be attacked on this one. But he’s a big boy, he can take it. And should be thanked for at least starting a very worthwhile discussion, no matter what your individual take on it. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Time Now For Jimmy Masterlock Dugans Week 7 Picks! Houston Texans +1.5 vs. Tennessee Titans Last year Vince had a breakout game against the Texans in his hometown, with a walk-off TD scramble in overtime. This year, he’s coming off a bad quad pull. He didn’t practice much, and could be a game time deal. Andre Johnson is projecting to be back, and if the Texans can just cash in on Red Zone chances, they’ll have a good chance to win. Patriots -16.5 at Dolphins The “smart” players are saying this run of covers has to end, and being a division opponent on the road, makes you pause. But come on. Forget last year’s shocking 21-0 loss – perhaps with the help of purchased Nick Saban audio signals of the Pats – this is Tom Brady vs. Cleo Lemon minus his best wideout. Come on. I’m gonna keep cashing these Patriot covers until they actually whiff on one. Might be the last time you can buy the Pats for less than 20! Redskins -8.5 vs. Arizona Sure, the Skins don’t score many points. Three TDs – especially on offense – is a BIG day for Gibbs 2.0 these days. Still, against a chump team like Arizona and a muddled QB situation, I’m betting Gregg Williams gets at least ONE DFTD to add to the cause. This game will be piddling along at like 16-10 through 2 and a half quarters, and then the Skins explode for easy win. BARKING DOG Vikings +9.5 at Cowboys So called “let down” spots are supposed to be for teams coming off big WINS, not losses. So why expect the Cowboys to be in “let down” mode here? Because they still think they are better than the Pats, with some guys even saying “if they see us again in Arizona…” Please. I don’t think the Vikes are anything hot, even with last week’s sensational Adrian Peterson display. But they stuff the run, and can bog teams down into low scoring ugly games. Laying 9-plus points? No thanks. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> AND NOW, YOUR PIC O’ THE DAY!!! ]]> tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007:/daily//1.563 2007-10-18T05:00:00Z 2007-11-01T02:32:49Z

I’ve been a Jimmy Kimmel fan for a while now. I’m an even bigger fan after hearing about THIS: Kimmel sending a “shout out” to Joe Thiesmann – while in the booth with Tirico, Jaws and Korny on MNF!

I’ve been a Jimmy Kimmel fan for a while now. I’m an even bigger fan after hearing about THIS: Kimmel sending a “shout out” to Joe Thiesmann – while in the booth with Tirico, Jaws and Korny on MNF! Wow. Classic. As you listen to this clip – and get on it now, since you know it’s gonna get pulled soon – notice the uncomfortable, ass-kissing silence by all three guys. Come on, fellas. LIGHTEN UP! You gakked Joey T, so at least take some ribbing about it in style. Take some good natured nose tweaking. Its just guys, breaking balls. Plus, it’s Jimmy Kimmel being Jimmy Kimmel. Like “Manny Being Manny.” The guy is more than just edgy, he just plain don’t care! He’ll say what is a) funny and b) what everybody else is thinking and wish they could say themselves! That’s why people LOVE HIM! Would it have been too much to chuckle? Laugh a little? Zing him back? Something. Get over yourselves, fellas. Meanwhile, ESPN has said through a spokesmouth that Kimmel is now persona non grata on MNF in the future. “Jay Rothman, ESPN’s “Monday Night” producer, called Kimmel’s comments “classless and disappointing. It was cheap. The more he went on, the worse he got.” Oh, isn’t that rich? “Classless and disappointing?” This from an ESPN employee? What about “Teammates” on Sportscenter? “Who’s Now?” Steve Phillips “Fake” Press Conferences? Boy Ley’s Town Hall Meeting on Mike Vick? You could put together ESPN’s Classless and Disappointing Volumes 1-9 and still have room left over for another box set after that. Rothman himself has been responsible for putting some of the WORST guests in between his MNF announcers over the last two years. Hell, he put the DUDE from Desperate Housewives on for one game! The dude! If you want to promote Housewives, you better damn well get Eva Longoria and make sure you show a full shot of her in the booth, with the game itself in a box in the upper right corner. “The more he went on, the worse he got.” Please. That’s what most of us were saying about CHARLES BARKLEY this year in Redskins-Eagles, when he was given the ENTIRE 3rd quarter to blather on. Look, I am no Theismann apologist. Joe was bad, and only looked worse when Tony tried to lighten HIM up a bit the one year they shared a booth. I also think Jaws is better. I also think Tirico is an excellent PXP man. But is this how timid ESPN personalities have become? So afraid of big bad management, that a little barb like this would make them all clam up like your mom just farted in church? Get a life, MNF. And since you don’t want truly edgy, truly funny people on as guests, do us all a favor – stop putting anybody on, and pay attention to the football. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> AND NOW YOUR PIC O' THE DAY!! ]]> tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007:/daily//1.562 2007-10-17T05:00:00Z 2007-11-01T02:32:49Z

The relentless meat grinder of injuries that is the NFL however, conspired to deliver two quarterbacks who were playing on essentially one week’s crash course prep. I repeat: the QUARTERBACK! The most vaunted position on the field. The most crucial component of an organization.

Let me put this as bluntly as I possibly can. Nobody wants to see Tim Rattay vs. Vinny Testaverde. Not even the Rattay family and Vinny’s kids. Yet that is what we got on Sunday in the Cardinals v. Panthers game in Arizona. Granted, it was supposed to be Kurt Warner vs. David Carr – slightly better, although not enough to change your Sunday plans for yardwork. The relentless meat grinder of injuries that is the NFL however, conspired to deliver two quarterbacks who were playing on essentially one week’s crash course prep. I repeat: the QUARTERBACK! The most vaunted position on the field. The most crucial component of an organization. And these teams had to call Rattay and Testaverde at home like it was Dial-A-Date. “Hey, we’ve got a game Sunday at 1. You busy?” What is this, intramurals? The NFL makes plenty of money. They need to do something about this. What, you ask? Well, we know they can’t fully prevent QB injuries, although god knows they have tried. The accepted hitting area on a QB is now smaller than an American League strike zone for a leadoff hitter. You can’t hit his head, below his knees, when the ball is gone for more than half a second, when he slides, when he’s heading out of bounds, or when he’s “in the grasp.” QB’s can also dump the ball at will without getting a grounding call as long as they have fled exactly 3 steps to either side of center. It’s a joke. There’s not skirts big enough for these guys to save them. The game is too fast, too savage, to unrelenting. So let’s at least do this: MANDATE FOUR QUARTERBACKS per roster. Yep. You heard me. Mandate. How can you do that, you ask? Easy. Make it a rule. The NFL mandates lots and lots and lots of other things. Mandate this. That way, you will have a sufficient number of guys who are with your team FROM DAY ONE, and can at least sit in on meetings, get a few garbage reps in practice, and workout regularly in case it’s down to Emergency QB #4. So what if that guys is rarely used. Let Mr. #4 be your developmental QB. Let #3 be the same Vinny T. or Tim Rattay, just make it so that he’s on your squad from the get go. That way, fans aren’t looking at this multi-billion dollar industry, as a glorified pick-up game in the park when injuries happen. Would it have made Vinny that much better? Eh. Maybe a little. But that’s not the point. At least it would have made him more prepared to play. You wouldn’t have to dumb down the playbook to the size of an index card. In short, the PRODUCT would be more credible and better in the end. It’s surely worth an extra two roster spots where guys get paid a decent, but not exorbitant sum to stand around and BE READY! The league can afford it, and teams might even slowly develop future QB stars as they breast-feed their #4 project for a few years. Plus, how much fun would it be for fans, to have a FOUR-WAY QB controversy in training camp! To hell with the backup! I want our FOURTH STRINGER starting! It doesn’t matter a lick that Vinny played well enough to win Sunday. Results are not the point. Appearance, credibility, and a chance to make a meaningful improvement to the caliber of play on these precious 17 fall Sundays is most important. They say the quarterback is the MOST IMPORTANT position in football. Oh yeah? If so, then the NFL should start acting like it, and get their cheap-ass fists of their wallets to do something about it. >>>>>>>>>>>>> AND NOW, YOUR PIC O' THE DAY!! ]]> tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007:/daily//1.561 2007-10-16T05:00:00Z 2007-11-01T02:32:49Z

My first visit (of hopefully more to come) to the hallowed Lambeau Field, was an incredible adventure. And truth be told, it wasn’t so much that my team the Redskins got shot in the head, they pretty much shot themselves in the foot. Repeatedly.

To quote the joke about Abraham Lincoln: “So, Mrs. Lincoln. Other than the shooting, how did you like the play?” My first visit (of hopefully more to come) to the hallowed Lambeau Field, was an incredible adventure. And truth be told, it wasn’t so much that my team the Redskins got shot in the head, they pretty much shot themselves in the foot. Repeatedly. But more on the game in a moment. Big thanks to the Lynch boys of Lynch Chevrolet in Milwaukee for providing the tickets, transportation, tailgate food, beers, and other logistics for the trip. Michael and Patrick, you are two really good dudes. I hear you’ll even throw in the undercoating for free when you buy a truck or car! We rolled up in a living room on wheels – aka, a luxury MotorCoach – stocked full of booze and snacks. The in-flight DirecTV was working well in a heavy fog/rain, and we watched little nuggets of otherwise worthless pre-game analysis such as: DeShaun Wynn has been given a special water bottle to avoid dehydration. Madden said: “Its Pedialyte!” Much guffawing. Others wondered: “How in the hell does a running back from FLORIDA, somehow cramp up in October in Green Bay – at night!?” At the appointed parking spaces, we ate like Kings. Not just your de riguer bratwurst, but also lightly spiced scallops, shrimp wrapped in bacon, BBQ ribs, and a few delicious chocolate chip cookies to wash it all down. My only small gripe, was that I did not insist upon getting into the stadium EARLY, so I could mull around, and check out all there stuff. We went a bit late. The crowds were thick at the gate. I hustled ahead and made it to my seat just in time for the anthem and fly-over by the F-18 Hornets. Good, gawd! That was awesome. I would have sworn that the pilots had set their flaps and engines to “extra loud” because the noise just shook you to your bones, and loosened your fillings. Watching that display made me feel great about paying my taxes every year. “Let’s buy some MORE of those MO-FO’s I screamed!” It was pointed out that we probably have enough already, that the F-18 was built in the late 70’s, and that pretty much no nation exists that can shoot them down with any regularity anymore. Hmmmpphhh. Oh well. The club seats were perfect. Last row, on the 40, right in front of the luxury boxes. It meant we could stand up and sit down at will. A luxury that many fans wish they had at stadiums. If you ask me, I think there’s so many g-damn timeouts in a live game, that THOSE should be sitting breaks, and the rest of the night you stand. As I surveyed the field effortlessly from our vantage point, never feeling too far away from the action, I suddenly realized: “These aren’t the BEST seats in the house. They might technically be among the WORST! We were at the TOP ring of the stadium. And the view still ROCKED!” This was the biggest difference between Lambeau and FedEx Field. On the top-ring of FedEx, you are pretty much ducking 737s. Plus, I haven’t been to FedEx in a few years, but I am told that replays are very FEW and far between. Not at Lambeau. Even though the screens are relatively small, and not HD, they showed not just ONE replay but TWO of them – FOR EVERY PLAY! I kid you not! Even lackluster 3 yard dive plays, got two nice replays, different angles, that let you see what might have gone wrong. I dare say you get maybe 2 dozen replays total at FedEx during a game. If that. I’ll get confirmation from you regular season ticket holders this week. One area that was lacking, was out of town scores. There was no dedicated scoreboard for it, and they only showed scant highlights of other games during the quarter breaks. Luckily, I had my Verizon SmartPhone for that, and gave updates to my row upon demand. We ducked out “early” at the 2 minute warning. I would have stayed, but my bags were in the RV, and I was staying in GB on Sunday night. I didn’t much mind, seeing as how I just KNEW that this team had very little capacity for a last minute, game winning drive. Sure enough, Gibbs and Co. botched it 3-ways to Sunday. 1. Calling a timeout on offense before 4th and 2. Egad. Don’t you have a play for this ready? Do you really need to “talk about it?” Come on. That timeout was precious. 2. Not calling timeout as time wound down when we were on defense. Even Troy Aikman knew this was stupid, and he’s been severely concussed. Come on, Gibbs. Learn this simple truth: on defense, a team that’s TRAILING must use timeouts to stop clock, because those 40 second chunks are more valuable than a timeout. If you get the ball back, you can get the equivalent of “soft timeouts” in the form of a) incompletions b) runners going out of bounds or c) spikes. I get weary of pointing this out, but apparently, some coaches still don’t “get it.” 3. Excessively timid pass plays as they still had 80 yards to go. Overall, the Redskins should have won this game easily! On the other hand, the Packers should have won this game easily! If you are Redskin fan, you say… a. Sean Taylor should have had 5 INTs. b. Santana Moss played his worst game ever as a pro. c. The Woodson fumble recovery was plain lucky. If you are a Packer fan, you say… a. Favre horribly under-threw two wide open touchdowns, resulting in INTS. b. The Jones TD that was called back for a phantom holding call, was crap. c. Bubba Franks was clearly pushed out in the end zone. d. Mason Crosby needs to pull his head out of his butt. Truth be told, the two teams are pretty similar, in an NFC that is notably weak compared to the AFC. A hot run by either team late, could land them in the NFC title game. Or, they could both miss the playoffs. At least the Packers came out of this largely unscathed. My Redskins were decimated further on the o-line. Counting Jansen and Thomas, throw three more injuries on the pile (Wade, Heyer, and Rabach). Then I heard about Keli Lefotu’s run-in with the law. Super. For a team that already had problems a) scoring and b) holding a lead, this is not very promising. The one comment that came through A LOT here in Wisconsin, was this: “Boy, you guys have to be happy about Jason Campbell, eh?” Indeed, we are. Thrilled. The kid is a stud. And he’s just a puppy. In the seasons to come, if we could get a more diverse array of weapons for him (i.e. a big receiver or two) and stay healthy with aggressive play-calling, we might just do something special with him. That’s a wrap from my trip to Green Bay. Other than a cabbie who jacked me for a meter-less $25 trip that lasted 8 minutes at 4:30 a.m. the folks couldn’t have been nicer. >>>>>>>>>>>>> AND NOW, YOUR PIC O' THE DAY!! ]]> tag:czabe.onmilwaukee.com,2007:/daily//1.560 2007-10-15T05:00:00Z 2007-11-01T02:32:49Z

Right now, it’s Monday. And I am recovering from my Virgin Visit to Lambeau Field. Full write up in my column this week. More notes on the game itself in tomorrow’s blog entry.

Right now, it’s Monday. And I am recovering from my Virgin Visit to Lambeau Field. Full write up in my column this week. More notes on the game itself in tomorrow’s blog entry. For now though, I am either euphoric at a major Redskin victory to send this suddenly relevant team to a 4-1 start. Or I am despondent about chances missed, and again nervous and confused about my football team. Either I’m happy, or you are, Wisconsonites. Sorry it had to be this way. All that aside, I am no doubt going to be thrilled that I crossed off my list another visit to a “Special Place” in sports lore. There aren’t many that belong in the category. I have visited the following… Wrigley Field: A true throwback experience to days when baseball stadiums were jammed into city confines. Amazing. They can never, ever, ever tear that place down. Notre Dame Stadium: Go ahead, hate ‘em all you want. It’s still the Norman Rockwell-esque essence of college football in America. Hang in there, TD Jesus. It’ll get better. Cameron Indoor Stadium: Another place where you may hate the team, but you will simply be in awe of the experience. If you get a chance to go, cancel any plans, and make sure you see it first hand. Augusta National: Impossible, you think, that THIS is actually on earth. Pinch yourself. That grass is real, the Azaleas do bloom, and the early spring weather in Northern Georgia is simply sublime. Still on my list are the following… Yankee Stadium (And I better hurry!) Fenway Park (I might just have to splurge for “Monster Seats.”) Talladega Super Speedway (I’ll make sure my shots are up to date). Perhaps some other venues qualify. I’m gonna bet you guys will email me with lots of college football venues. I don’t doubt that they are fabulous, but I’m more about seeing the “event” with some of them, not so much the stadium. (i.e. Alabama-Auburn). Then when I’m done visiting all the “Special Places” in sports, I will work backward from the most “Mundane Places.” Tropicana Dome FedEx Field Continental Airlines Arena You know…… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> AND NOW, YOUR PIC O' THE DAY!! NFL Uber-Ref, Ed Hochuli, gets JACKED UP!]]>