Nebraska Cornhuskers show little class in pulling scholarship | Sports | thetimes-tribune.com - The Times-Tribune

Cornhuskers show little class in pulling scholarship Sports thetimes-tribune.com - The Times-Tribune

Great piece on why schools should never complain about kids changing their minds when it comes to commitments. Hopefully some school is smart enough to reach out to this kid.

New On Blu Ray: Any Given Sunday Director’s Cut

The terribly underrated and under appreciated movie, Any Given Sunday, is now available on Blu-Ray just in time to help those of us preparing for the long lonely off-season to start after the Super Bowl is finished. For some reason this football movie was not as well received as it should have been when it was initially in the theaters, however it seems to have gained in popularity partially I believe because it does not just focus on the players but everything that goes with the great game of football, the coaches, owners, media (Super Agent, Drew Rosenhaus even has a cameo), the hangers-on and the ever stressed players’ families. How can you beat a cast that includes: Al Pacino (as the battle tested coach), Cameron Diaz (mean spirited owner’s kid), Dennis Quaid (the vet hanging on), Jamie Foxx (as the young QB), LL Cool J , James Woods, Ann-Margaret, Dick Butkus, Jim Brown, Lawrence Taylor, Charlton Heston and John McGinley (as a Jim Rome like reporter). This movie gives the football enthusiast a full spectrum of not just the game but also the business of football. If you are like me and are still in need of an intense football experience after this weekend you would have a hard time finding a football movie better than Any Given Sunday.

Road to the Super Bowl

Philadelphia @ Arizona

All things point to a PA Super Bowl but as we all know come championship weekend things don’t always go the way they are supposed to for the favorites. If this game was in Philadelphia many believe Arizona wouldn’t have a chance as prior to the post season they have had little luck on the road and I agree Philly would probably win by at least ten points. Good thing for football fans and the Cardinals it’s in Arizona, because with the offensive weapons the Cardinals have and the crowd behind them they will certainly look to test the Eagles defense. That means the spotlight is on Donovan McNabb and his resume in these games looks a lot like former Cowboys QB, Danny White, and that’s not a good thing. Some players perform well on the big stage and other wilt under that pressure and this has all the makings of another McNabb choke and vomit game. Arizona 27-Philadelphia 16

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh

They say to beat the same team three times in a year is one of the most difficult things to do in football. Well that’s what faces the Steelers if they are going to contend for their sixth Lombardi trophy. The Ravens almost non-existent offense tells me no matter how out of this world their defense plays they still need something from Flacco and the boys and I wouldn’t bet the house on that one ever happening. This should be a game that looks a lot like the other two meetings with Baltimore doing a great job of knocking every Steelers receiver off their route and hitting Ben on every throw. This should also be a game that they eventually trade touchdowns for field goals with the Steelers preparing for Cardinals and the Ravens deciding how to improve their offense for next season. Pittsburgh 23 Baltimore 15

Ten Things I Need An Answer On

Ten things I’d like some explanation on:

1. Why the NFL Draft is in April but free agency starts in March? Wouldn’t it make more sense to pick the college players first then sign the free agents for the spots you couldn’t fill with the draft.

2. How did the Lions front office keep their jobs but guys like Floyd Reese, Charlie Casserly, and Ted Sunquist remain out of work in NFL circles.

3. Why is the NFL focused on expanding globally when they’ll never touch soccer in popularity in Europe. Wouldn’t it make more sense to focus on increasing popularity in North America? Maybe create a developmental league similar to NFL Europe but in the states. Do you realize every other major sport as a developmental league but the NFL. How about buying the forever struggling CFL and adding two teams in Canada?

4. NFL Network programming. Really lacking any structure or continuity. How many hrs of the same episode of NFL Total Access can you watch? How about a few hrs. of NFL Sirius Radio on the NFL Network (ala Mike and Mike on ESPN)

5. Why is the Pro Bowl voting is done so early for a game that matter so little?

6. What happened to Saturday games in December after the college season was over. One game a week for 3 weeks would be nice instead of a single game slapped on NFL network. I don’t know about you but I rather a Saturday NFL game over a Thursday night one.

7. Instead of the Pro Bowl in Hawaii how about a preseason game? Say as a reward to the Super Bowl Champs.

8. Why pre-season games aren’t part of the NFL Sunday Ticket package? I realize the NFL Network shows many of the games but how about throwing them in on the package too.

9. Why is a list of potential NFL free agents and the current salary cap status of each team next to impossible to locate anywhere on the internet? I think it’s easier to get President Obama’s Blackberry number than to know how much the Raiders have in cap space.

10. Why are Mike Shanahan, Mike Holmgren, Bill Cowher, Brian Billick and Marty Schottenheimer still unemployed but guys like Wade Phillips and Dick Jauron aren’t? I realize some are by choice but why wouldn’t a struggling team turn their teams over to these proven winners.




Let me know if you have any additions for the list!!

A Football Fan’s View from His Man Cave

With the exception of the fans of the four remaining teams the rest of us are just hoping our teams make the right moves this off-season and are counting the days until free agency and the draft. This is the time of the year when coaching staffs get tweaked, front office people move around and some franchises completely revamp the entire face of their franchise. One example was recently in Kansas City where the Chiefs replace King Carl Peterson with the Patriots Scott Pioli. His first crucial decision will be regarding the head coach of the franchise as a wrong step right out of the gate could be fatal to his tenure in Kansas City (see Carmen Policy tenure in Cleveland). Logic dictates that Herm is likely out and with the exception of Iowa head coach, Kirk Ferentz, who is a close friend and former NFL assistant, that Scott will look at assistants with ties to the people and teams that Scott respects as they are franchises he will certainly hope to emulate and use as a blueprint while building the Chiefs.

The top five coaches for the Chiefs will be:

(1) Kirk Ferentz-it’s his job if he wants it but may pass

(2) Steve Spagnuolo—may be a steal for KC but if not may be named head coach in waiting very soon in NY.

(3) Todd Bowles—assistant head coach and defensive back coach in Miami. Working for Scott’s father-in-law in two different spots should get him an interview

(4) Paul Pasqualoni (defensive coordinator Miami Dolphins)—another guy that was recruited to the NFL by Scott’s father-in-law after his tenure as head coach at Syracuse and has now worked at two different spots for the Tuna. While Pasqualoni isn’t yet on the radar for interviews I think he’s a great candidate (check the resume) and would be the perfect guy in Kansas City.

(5) Todd Haley—Offensive Coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals. Another former Parcells assistant who has showed he can light up the score board while calling the shots.

The Saga Known as T.O(hhhh)

Well, it looks like someone has woken up in Dallas and realized that it’s time to say good bye to T. O. and all that comes with him and all I can say is it’s about time. He’s a great talent but a horrible teammate and simply not worth the baggage that comes with him, unless you are winning and the offense is only going through him then he acts like a professional. As soon as a team hits a bump in the road and a QB throws a crucial pass to another player (preventing TO from the spotlight), the flood gates open up and you have what we experienced last season in Dallas. I read a comparison to Dennis Rodman and couldn’t agree more. Owens brings a sideshow atmosphere that won’t ever lead to a Super Bowl ring. By cutting ties with Owens the Cowboys are showing fans that they are serious about trying to win next year during the Lame Duck Year of Wade Phillips.

This move also puts Jason Garrett in the crosshair as if the offense lumbers through another mediocre he won’t have any more excuses and will likely need to update his resume as he will be swept out with Wade next year. JJ Taylor wrote it has to be either Garrett or Owens and it looks like Jerry is making the safer gamble as at 35 (36 in December) TO will be gone in two years while Garrett could be the Cowboys coach for the next 15 years. I wonder what TO will look like in a Raiders uniform (after all that’s where all players go to end their career).

Cowboys Fans Should Take Next Season Off

As I lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, words can not really describe how hopeless I feel this off-season as I sit and wait for 2009 football to come and go and then the franchise can replace Wade with a real head coach. While the rest of the free world realizes that he needs to be replaced with one of the many Super Bowl caliber coaches that will command respect from the players, Jerry instead sits there and for one of the first times in his life shows restraint and loyalty to a guy that truthfully does not warrant it (too bad he couldn’t have kept his mouth quiet and showed this restraint when Jimmy was on the sidelines). Wade seems like a nice enough guy, you know the kind of guy that most of us would be friends and maybe have a beer with while watching the Cowboys games but not the guy you want leading the most recognizable franchise in the world into their new billion dollar state of the art stadium.

It is because of this error in judgment Jerry has stripped Cowboys fans of any hope of a 2009 season that ends with a championship instead we should prepare for another year of embarrassment by players (Anthony Spencer kicked things off nicely for us) and questionable decisions by the coaching and front office staff. Jerry it’s not too late please do the right thing and remove Wade as head coach and by doing it you will give millions if not billions of Cowboys fans a reason to believe that this team of underachievers will play close to their potential and contend for a title. If not I think the fans should follow Jerry’s lead and sit this year out. Maybe you can do all those projects around the house, pick up fly fishing or take a long nap because the 2009 season will be one that everyone will want to sleep through as we wait for it to end.

Feel free to let me know you thoughts at PatSchuster72@gmail.com