Denver's Big Win... TIM-MY!

Finally back from a little sabbatical and while we were gone, the Denver Broncos drafted Tim (MY!) Tebow. Many were shocked, some outraged ( a 25th first round pick on an unproven commodity as an NFL QB?). Yes, it was surprising, and so is this........

It's a stroke of genius and the Tebow experiment will work in Denver.

Let's break this down a little:


Kyle Orton , a mediocre QB but with the potential to excel in Josh McDaniel's system, will be the pre-season starter. He's also in the last year of a contract the Broncos have about as much interest in extending as I do of becoming a Philadelphia Phillies phan ( 1/2 of philly people think that's how you actually spell it.) Orton isn't the long term solution here and that's why Brady Quinn was brought in to compete for the starting job.

But is Quinn the solution either? In three seasons in Cleveland , he....... oh, wait I cant find his stats on Google because all that comes up on the first page is his career at Notre Dame. That's about right. In other words, the overly hyped QB of an overly hyped program has done about as much as Matt Leinart for the Cards. Yes, Quinn thrived at Notre Dame under a "pro-style" offense with Charlie Weis, but he has been unable to turn that into any success at the actual pro level. A change of scenery will be nice and he desperately needed a new system, you know because Cleveland has such a historic winning tradition.

So that's what the Broncos were faced with before the April draft. They needed a spark, and most importantly a reason to energize and invigorate the team, organization, and FAN BASE that has basically sat through 11 meaningless seasons, the gutting of the franchise coach (Shannahan) and players at QB (the one who's name is not spoken in Denver) and WR (300+ catches in 3 years, Mr. Brandon Marshall), and only one playoff win.

You have to admit like him or hate him, Josh McDaniels definitely has a brass pair. So he decided to pull them out on the table, and collectively slap everyone in the head with them and drafted Tebow ahead of Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy, Tony Pike, and many other more tradtional QB's. There was of course a reason for this: The Denver system DOESNT need a QB like Clausen or McCoy. What they do need is an agile, playmaker who can be molded to fit the system McDaniels employs. It is by no means a deep vertical passing game. It is a spread out, quick scheme and you add the athleticism of Tebow as a runner and passer , then a running attack bolstered by Knowshon Moreno and you have yourself a dangerous offense.

On top of that, Tebow is the type of person and athlete that you can be proud to root behind. He hopefully wont be getting his junk out at clubs, involved in gun possession or other serious issues that can interfere with other stars in the NFL.

Its going to take some time and effort to turn Tebow into an every down QB, but even in his rookie campaign dont be surprised to see him in short down situations as a QB/HB or even TE. The versatility this guy gives the Broncos offense will make him the most dangerous Broncos player, especially in the open field, since the likes of Elway, Davis, McCaffrey, and Sharpe.

The taking of Tebow will either be a misguided attempt at landing a future franchise player or a shrewd selection that the Broncos gambled on and created a dynamic, charasmatic face of the franchise. Put me down for the latter.

The Tim Tebow era begins in Denver on August 21 versus the Detroit Lions . I know if I were Ndamukong Suh, I'd be ready for a long night after TIM-MY! planted me in the middle of Buffs country.

And if you don't believe me, maybe you'll take John's viewpoint on it:
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_15015203

How Not Surprising: Karma Haunts Baseball

Here is a list off the top of my head of 3 of the most unsurprising "shocking" news stories in recent memory:

1) Paris Hilton made sex tapes. (still funny)
2) Sarah Palin is now a contributor to Fox News
3) Mark McGwire (dramatic pause).... was on steroids for the better part of the 90's , including the 1998 season when he hit 70 home runs breaking Roger Maris' record that had stood for 37 years to that point.

This ad ran during the 90's and featured Big Mac's biceps that even people in the WWE looked at and were like "That dude is on 'roids." Look at this again and think ' This is a baseball player??' Not that ball players cant be athletic and muscular, but this guy's arms are circus like.

There will be so much written, blogged on, and talked about this for probably the next 3 months. And somewhere Tiger Woods is throwing up tons of fist pumps in glory because were about to all give Mark McGwire a lashing. This one is going to be pretty rough considering most logical fans have convicted him long ago of being way to gigantic in 1998 to not have tarnished the home run record, especially after his 2005 congressional testimony where he didn't deny he used but stated "I'm not here to talk about the past." Its a congressional panel on steroids there ,Mark, they aren't trying to get your forecasts for the economy.

Of course the obvious issues of what to do with his records, statistics, hall of fame candidacy, how this affects other players linked to steroids (hey there Barry Bonds), and if he is even fit to be a hitting coach with the Cardinals which would kind of be like cheating on you income taxes for 10 years then getting a job with the IRS.

But the thought in my mind is this... Baseball needed the McGwire/ Sosa HR chase of 1998 to bring back its fans and revenue after the 1994 strike. The establishment all knew it, the owners, commissioner, and General Managers. Baseball was desperate for attention and slutted itself out by ignoring obvious drug problems and ethics issues in the sport to maximize its profits. Gee, where have we seen this behavior before? Oh yeah, Enron, Worldcom, AIG, Lehman Brothers, etc. So while there was a quick flash of brilliance, the reputation of all players in the Steroid Era is right up there with those infamous businesses that deceived the public because they thought no one would ever find out and they would never be caught.

Funny thing is, everyone always gets caught. Now baseball is going to have to figure out how on earth they are going to deal with this issues. Its the sport that places the largest emphasis on numbers and records, so how will they rectify everything from numbers to wins to hall of famers from the mid 1980's- early 2000's.

Maybe Bud Selig can meet with CEO's of Goldman Sachs, GM, and Bank of America to figure out how to do some damage control. As a lifelong baseball fan, I put Selig in the same category as these clowns. Accountability goes all the way to the top and being complacent in the 90's to get fans and money back into the game is coming back to haunt the game now. Today's game is cleaned up , but as for the dreaded 'Steroids Era' unfortunately many of our favorite players and memories are tarnished forever, and now we all are left to wonder how to pick up the pieces.

Its a sad day for baseball fans, especially thinking of how we were all duped into thinking that 1998 was actually legitimate.

Arenas v. Tiger in the Dumbass-Off!

Possibly the most entertaining debate in the current sports world has to be:
"Who is the bigger dumbass.... Tiger Woods or Gilbert Arenas?"

I will argue for both and then come to my thrilling decision and winner of the coveted
2009/2010 Jon Gosselin Cup, which the winner proudly gets to display.

Gilbert Arenas: So you're a $100 million + professional athlete. You are known as a character and the NBA's Chad Ochocinco. You produce superstar numbers on a lousy team but still are the face of the franchise in a big NBA market. So how do you go from that to "I'm bringing more firearms into my workplace than Keeanu Reeves in The Matrix?" Im still not sure.
Allegedly, the incident in question was Arenas' misguided attempt at a hilarious joke called Watch Me Throw Away My Career.
As an aside, would that not be an amazing NBC primetime show? Watch as America votes for either Michael Richard's 'He's a N^%$#@' rant versus Governor Mark Sanford's 'My Argentinian lover is my soulmate, not my wife' press conference! Ok back to Arenas.
There is no place in this country short of a firing range and any job in Texas where you aren't fired on the spot for bringing a gun into the workplace. Joke or not, Arenas transports guns from Virginia to DC ( a federal offense), into a public gathering place (even worse...), where he works (game over.) This is one of the top players in the league!

Courtesy www.sitv.com

Apparently it was too boring to earn hundreds of millions in contract money and endorsements, so let's risk it all to scare the bejesus out of my teammates!!! Consider this one of the dumbest moves in sports history.

Tiger Woods: "And in this corner... 6'3 from Stanford University... Ladies and Gentlemen.. CONQUERING WAITRESSES FROM VEGAS TO PERKINS... THE UNDISPUTED CHAMPION OF THE NIGHT.... TIIIIIIIGGGGGGGEEERRRRR " KISS MY MILLIONS AND SWEDISH WIFE GOODBYE" WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDSSSSSSSS!!!!!!"
Oh, that didnt play in your head??? Just think of Bob Shepard of Yankee Stadium announcing that.... it doesn't get old.

When the New York Post can make a calendar of people you've cheated on your wife with, I don't know whether that is abhorrently disgusting or one of the most comedic episodes in modern history. Who has ever fallen this hard in two months? Maybe Kobe, but he was acquitted and much as it kills me, now spends his time winning non-stop. The worst part is no one can look at Tiger and not laugh. I flipped around channels and saw a Tiger Woods piece on advising golfer's on their swings. 2 months ago I would have watched with deep concentration, but now the first time he says " You've got to square up to drive it straight" I lose it. He has lost all credibility, at least for now.

Im sure there will be guys secretly cheering him on, but not vocally. If you doubt me, try to cheer him on and make jokes about his "transgressions" when you are around your wife,fiancee, girlfriend, mother, aunts, or even female acquaintances and watch the look you get. Most every woman will be passionately rooting for him to fail now, which interestingly adds a whole new dynamic to the PGA. Hecklers??? For Tiger???? Who knows but its not like he didnt do it to himself. AT&T, Accenture, Gatorade, and Tag Heuer are all gone. Hopefully his splurging (no pun intended) was worth the hundreds of millions and the family he's given up now.

Champion: Although Arenas has put this season in jeopardy, he will be back for next season and its not exactly like the Wizards are on a championship run. Tiger on the other hand is looking at Mount Everest to overcome to even win one major , let alone touch Nicklaus' record. Think about this, ever wiff on a golf shot because you're wondering where your hands are? Ya, now think where his have been and everything he will be faced with every shot, every round, every tournament when he comes back.
So the winner of the inaugural Jon Gosselin Cup: Tiger, Tiger Woods Ya'll!!

Week 15 Picks

Well 11-5 in my first week publically picking. Not bad but looking for an improvement this week:

Indy (-3) over Jacksonville: As much as I dont want to see the Colts continue the undefeated season, I just dont think the Jags have what it takes to compete head to head with the Colts. I dont think Manning will play any less than the full game because they have no backup with Sorgi out. Jones Drew will get a big game, but Indy still chugs along.

New Orleans (-7) over Dallas: Romo and the 'Boys Decemeber blues continue as the Saints match the Colts in the race for a 19-0 mark. Too much for Dallas here to over come in New Orleans and against a phenomenal Saints offense. The Saints outstanding secondary will negate the Dallas passing game, and Wade Phillips is probably on his last limb.

Green Bay (-2) over Pittsburgh: Now that the Steelers have pulled a Tiger and fallen from the top or even playoff contention with unfathomable losses to the Chiefs and Raiders, they wont be able to overcome a strong Packers team. Since the Minnesota/ Favre in purple pummeling at Lambeau in November, the Packers have gotten stronger every game. The Steelers will keep it close , but too much Green Bay in the end.

Tennessee (-3) over Miami: This one is maybe the toughest to call this week. Huge AFC playoff ramifications are spread all over week 15 including this one. I just cant see a Ronnie Brown-less Dolphins team being able to consistantly to make the playoffs. But can Vince Young will this team to a 10-6 or maybe 9-7 and some luck mark to make the playoffs? Dont be surprised.

New England (-7) over Buffalo: Games in Buffalo in December can be a little weird so look for the Pats not to cover, but to squeak out an ugly win. The Pats had a very dismal showing against Carolina but should rebound to stay one game up in the AFC East.

Arizona (-12.5) over Detroit: What draft pick will Detroit have this year? More importantly, the Cardinals need this badly after a horrible 7 turnover effort on Monday. Warner and the offense need to regain some swagger and will against the typically lowly Lions.

Philly (-8.5) over San Francisco: The Niners caught some really lucky breaks to score all their points off 7 Cardinals turnovers on Monday. Philly has a ton of momentum after a huge win over the Giants and is in the drivers seat in the NFC East knowing that an inevitable Dallas collapse is coming and the Giants have to make up too much ground to get the division. Philly cant slip up and open the door for either division rival which is why they take care of business.

Atlanta(+5) over the Jets: My upset special of the week. Did anyone see how competitive the Falcons were without Ryan and Turner last week against the Saints? And you're telling me either a recently banged up Sanchez or Kellen Clemens is going to play better than Drew Brees?

Baltimore(-11) over Chicago: Man, even by Chicago standards this one hurt. Cutler, the boy wonder???, cant stop throwing multiple interceptions and is even more inconsistant than he was in Denver when he went through 10 running backs last season. Baltimore tends to never lose at home , especially late in the season. Cutler is going to look like an antelope after the lions (not detroit) got to it with Ed Reed and Ray Lewis.

Cleveland(+2) over Kansas City: How pissed are Browns fans? The Pittsburgh win made it at least worth the season but now they're just playing themselves lower in the draft. Good luck to their next GM. And will KC ever be competitive again? Give Pioli a few more seasons but not until at least 2011.

Houston (-10.5) over St.Louis: The Rams are bascially the consensus number one pick and the Steve Spagnolo and Giants breakup has gone pretty awful for both parties. Houston continues their trend of winning meaningless games in a push for an 8-8 season.

San Diego (-6.5) over Cincinatti: What can you say after the Chris Henry death? The team's emotions will be too raw to properly focus on this away game. They will still win the AFC North but just not on this day after how unbelievably tragic their sudden loss is.

Denver (-14) over Oakland: You dont need to know much more than the Raiders are going to Denver and playing their third string QB over their former first round pick who is making roughly $80 million. That and Vegas is giving 14 points on this. Is it possible to mercy rule in the NFL?

Seattle (-6.5) over Tampa Bay: The NFL should create a promotion for this game. Film you and your buddies watching this game , no beer or other booze is allowed. If everyone is still awake after the third quarter, send the tape to the NFL office in New York for a chance to win Super Bowl tickets because thats really the only way anyone would even watch a drive of this one.

Minnesota (-9) over Carolina: The Vikings need to keep pace for the 2 seed in the NFC and wont let up versus Carolina. Although, watchout for the Panthers in Week 17 vs the Saints if they are still undefeated.

NY Giants (-3) over Washington: This is a must win for the Giants. They put up over 500 yards of offense last week against Philly , so look for more of the same against Washington. Although, this game will be closer than people think. Fed Ex Field was a death trap for the Broncos and nearly was for the Saints. Something weird is going on there.

Good luck to the Bengals, not only for the Broncos sake, but for their collective hearts and minds.

A Mixed Bag

Quite the whirlwind of events since the last post. A quick list of questions:

• Why cant Dallas win a game in December to save their lives? Thanks Cowboys for letting the Bolts steal the AFC West
• Is anyone surprised that Randy Moss quit on his team?
• Why was Tim Tebow even invited to the Heisman ceremony? Lifetime acheivement awards are for the Oscar's, but don't count him out as a legitimate NFL QB especially if a team like Jacksonville builds their entire offense around him.
• Will Tiger ever be able to recover? Can you imagine being told that because you slept around with a waitress from Perkins,a porn star, and many wife look-alikes (yikes, those probably hurt the most) that you would instantly lose tens of millions of dollars? Hope he enjoyed the ride....
• And for my leadoff, Am I the only one a little baffled by the move of Cliff Lee to the Mariners and Roy Halladay taking his place in Philly?

I get that Halladay has been one of the AL's most dominant pitchers for the better part of the last decade. He led the AL in complete games in 2009 and posted a 17-10 record and a more important 2.79 ERA. Cliff Lee has been equally as dominant the last 2 seasons especially in being absolutely clutch during the Phillies 2009 World Series push , and subsequent hammering courtesy of the Yankees.

What I dont understand about this move is why the Phillies pulled the trigger. In just the Lee and Halladay trades, they have given up 7 major prospects. Two major blockbuster deals within a period of 6 months seems questionable. Yes, there were contract issues that would have been tough to work out with Lee long term, but he was the only stable part of the Phillies rotation in the last month of the season. Hamels was a circus act last year after a phenomenal 2008. Rest assured, Halladay will pitch well in the NL but will he still be as dominant and a better fit for the Phillies in the long run? It seems the Phils are pushing to win right now, maybe thinking Halladay is the missing link between a game 5 defeat in Yankee Stadium and the World Series trophy. I dont get letting Lee go. He was unstoppable in the postseason, and its questionable if Halladay can bring the same stuff in the postseason, a place where he has never been.

The jury's going to be out on this one. I dont think it was the right move, but time will tell. And how about next year's Mariners? They get huge pick-ups in Chone Figgins and then pick up arguably one of the top 5 pitchers in the game in Cliff Lee while the Angels drop Lackey, Figgins, and possibly Vlad Guerrero? Watch out for the M's in 2010.

Week 13 NFL Picks

So I'm a little late with starting this up, but its still one of the most amusing things to do in sports so why not? Here are my Week 14 picks:

Pittsburgh (-9.5) over Cleveland: Don't be surprised if this is closer than you think it may be. The gametime temp is well... 0. Hines Ward will probably not risk the hamstring when its gonna be colder than the moon for kickoff in Cleveland. Of course it is the Browns, who at this point are even wondering who to take with the first or second pick in April. "With the first pick in the NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns select... Jimmy Clausen?"

Denver (+7) over Indy: Im hedging here that Denver can at least cover. Indy had a tough test against the Pats in November, but now that Pats are miring in mediocrity and how impressive does that win look now? Broncos have had a much tougher schedule and have put up some real quality wins at home and on the road. Moreno and Buckhalter need to run like they have the last two games so they can keep Manning and the no-name offense off the turf in Indy. This isnt Shanny's teams who played like seventh graders on defense against the Colts. Indy's secondary is banged up and it comes down to the 2009 Orange Crush to pressure Manning the whole game.

Minnesota (-6.5) over Cincy: No way Favre and the Vikings let this one slip away after a dismal game against the Cardinals. The Bengals are solid, but has shown weak points and flashes of Bungle Syndrome in losing to the Raiders on the road. The dome will be rockin' and the Vikings keep pace with the Saints for #1 in the NFC. Also, how have the Oakland Raiders become AFC North slayers this season?? Just a thought.

NY Jets (-3) over Tampa: How sad is this that Vegas gives the Jets only 3 against a one win Tampa team? Maybe Sanchez can make a quick stop at the Yankees spring training complex where Joe Girardi can put him through some more sliding drills. Josh Freeman has looked solid in his first few games but the Bucs need a few more seasons to get back into contention. Clemens should be fine against a horrific Tampa D.

Buffalo (pk) over Kansas City: Maybe T.O. finally gets going against the god awful KC defense. Look for a 10-9 game in this one. How much does Todd Haley want to be back in Arizona right now as opposed to Arrowhead Stadium in December?

Green Bay (-3) over Chicago: I'll pretty much go on the record saying I hope Jay Cutler throws 5 INT's a game and gets booed out of town after this game. More practically, Cutler has been way too inconsistent this year to the point that Urlacher calls him out from the bench. Ouch. Green Bay has really come on as of late, winners of four in a row. They get to 5 in a row and solidify their playoff chase with a big win in Chicago.

New Orleans (-10) at Atlanta (without their starting QB and RB): This is the joke of the week. I'll be surprised if Brees throws for under 4 TD's. Atlanta started out strong but has really faded and will miss the playoffs this year. The Saints keep rolling and wrap up a dominant win before their Dallas showdown.

Baltimore (-13.5) over Detroit: The Lions are the Lions. That's really all that needs to be said. Baltimore will be able to control every aspect of the game and gets within reach of Jacksonville in the Wild Card race.


Miami(+3) over Jacksonville: The Dolphins outcoached and outplayed the Patriots and take that momentum to upset the Jags and really open up the race for the 6th AFC playoff team. Jones-Drew has a big game, but the Dolphins pull wins out when you least expect them to. Not a huge upset, but the type of game that has Miami winning written all over it and keeps the chase in the East interesting.


New England (-13.5) over Carolina: Carolina just has to hope another storm hits and Bellicheck sends Randy Moss home again. By the way, that story receiving more than 2 minutes of coverage was ridiculous. 48 other guys got there on time, 4 didnt. But its the Patriots so lets talk about it for the next three weeks. Unfortunately the Panthers have no QB and no chance in this one.

Houston (-6) over Seattle: Gary Kubiak has won NFL: Survivor each of the last three seasons. Death, Taxes, and Houston's hot start and talk of "this is the year they break through" turns into a series of questionable losses and a 7-9 record. More of the same here with a meaningless win against Seattle.

Tennessee (-13) over St. Louis: Rams fans should root hard for a Cleveland win this week so they are assured the top pick in the draft. Maybe they'll take an O Lineman because that's worked out so well for the last 10 years for them. Vince Young and Chris Johnson will terrorize the Rams' defense. Titans remain strong in the race for the wild card, and who thought anyone would even consider that about a month and a half ago?

Oakland (+1) over Washington: Its just too fitting that the Redskins would drop a game to a team like the Raiders. Although, the site of JaMarcus Russell riding the pine is classic and Al Davis deserves every second of paying him tens of millions to do nothing. But, Gradkowski shredded the Steelers and may have brought some much needed stability to their offense.

Dallas (-3) over San Diego: This is my wishful thinking pick of the week. Yeah, Romo and Wade Phillips are clowns in December and the Chargers are red hot but maybe its one of those flip-everything-on-its-head type of games. Cowboys need this to keep their hold on the NFC East with the Giants and Eagles still creeping up. Rivers will keep playing big, but I like Dallas to snap out of their December coma.

Eagles (+1) over Giants: I just don't see the Eagles dropping this one Sunday night at the Link. Manning is clearly not the same with his injury and when the Eagles welcomed the division rival Cowboys in Philly, they waxed the floor with them. Vick got a lot of momentum in Atlanta last week and look Andy Reid to use him in key situations.The Giants are going to have their hands full with Maclin and McCoy, and I dont see Brandon Jacobs busting another 75 yd. run to save the G Men.

Arizona (-3.5) over Niners: Cards are regaining their "we're mediocre... wait were really solid... oh my god were in the Super Bowl?" form of last year. Warner destroyed the Vikings last Sunday night and not exactly like the Niners are the '85 Bears. Here comes the Arizona push toward the playoffs.

Go Broncos and (gulp) Cowboys?

Welcome

Hello and welcome to Breakin' The Plane. I've sat around these many months and had more time than I really wanted to pour over sports info, stats, standings, and all that good stuff. So now I'm transforming my random insights that usually end up with me calling buddies for hours on end in Colorado or just go unheard into this.

So what's on tap? Just a BCS slam session for the inaugural address.....

Ah, The B.S. Sorry B-C-S. Can we suggest to Congress that before the bill to ban the BCS from using the name "National Championship" unless its the direct result of a playoff that the BCS and all big conference commissioners have to go on primetime national TV to apologize for making us all rip our eyebrows off every college football postseason for the last 11 years? I don't think its too much to ask. By the way, that ripping of eyebrows? Take that wound, put salt and battery acid in it, then imagine peeling your face off like fruit by the foot and that's what most of Colorado football fans feel like in keeping head coach Dan Hawkins. 16-33 apparently works for CU administrators and the heads that be. Disgusting. Wasn't this program competing for a national championship... THIS DECADE?? Now they are more of an afterthought than Baylor in the Big XII. Lots more on this later. Back to the BCS(uck).

Major props to Congress for enacting legislation to get the ball rolling on killing this contrived post-season. And yes, its not Afghanistan or the economy but it is an issue that drives hundreds of millions of dollars in this country when you add up payouts, game revenues, advertising and TV rights. To relegate this to the big schools is unfair, is as Orrin Hatch says a violation of anti-trust laws (take this from a business school grad), and a disgrace. The only sport in the world that conducts its postseason in a sanitized one MUST play two scenario. Why? I'd point to George Mason in basketball, the NY Giants in 2008, and the biggest sporting event on Earth , the World Cup, to illustrate why this one v. two concept is idiotic. You're telling me George Mason's run wasn't the best part of the NCAA's in the last 15 years? That David Tyree's catch shouldnt have ever happened because the Giants werent the number one seed in the NFC? (By the way, the NFL has a pretty damn important regular season but seems to understand the playoff system) And the World Cup? Imagine the international riots and warfare if FIFA just said, 'Thanks everyone for trying to qualify but its gonna be Brazil v. Spain in the finals.'

Point is this system is flawed. Even its commissioner cant come up with a solid argument for why its the ONLY viable option. Its a shame. People who defend it were like the people during the steroids era just laughing and cheering hysterically as a 350 pound all muscle Barry Bonds hits 89 home runs: they have no concept. Keep the minor bowls. I dont care who wins or even plays in the Emerald, Sun, Gator, or Lil Caesar's games. Let NC State and Southern Mississippi duke it out for some glory. As for the big boys, keep the major bowls and use them in a PLAYOFF format. I guarantee you an Orange Bowl national semifinal between Boise St. and Florida gets a hell of a lot more attention than the Iowa/ Georgia Tech contest where absolutely NOTHING is on the line!