I Make The Call

Archive for the ‘Football’ Category

Matt Leinart played behind one of the NFL prolific quarterbacks, Kurt Warner. Sad thing about that, Leinart did not learn a thing! Nor did he develop into the quarterback the Cardinals thought he would when they drafted him. You have been in the system for 4 years, and you allow a journeyman quarterback to beat you out just after 3 preseason games?  Give me a break Matt. Where is your athletic ability and your Godd given talent that you displayed at USC?

I can’t believe that you have fallen so quickly. Clearly, you have not shown any leadership ability and that is one of the many reasons that Ken Whisenhut passed the job onto Anderson who has a life time ratio of touchdowns to interception of 46 to 45.

You, Matt Leinart, allowed a new comer who was not in the system to beat you out. I suggest a trade while you may still have some value. I don’t think that you will ever be a starting quarterback in the NFL. I MAKE THE CALL.

After watching the preseason game between Dallas and Houston on Saturday night, I came to the conclusion that Dallas is currently an up and down team who exhibited no offense all night long. I realize that the O-Line is banged up, but give me a break. The first team did not even score a point all night, and when they had an opportunity to score they blew it by fumbling the ball away. Don’t give me that it was only a preseason game. I am not buying into that logic.

An elite team like the Cowboys should be looking better than they did three games into preseason. They looked terrible and come opening day, there had better be a whole lot of improvement when they go up against their arch enemy, the Washington Redskins. If they are not up to par, Mike Shanahan and Donovan McNab will begin their era with a vicious beat down of the Cowboys, and the demise of the Boys will be underway in 2010. I MAKE THE CALL.

It is a forgone conclusion that the SEC is the best conference in college football and has been so for sometime.

The SEC is led by Alabama, followed by Florida and LSU. Arkansas will surprise many of the other teams.
The ACC, loaded with quarterbacks just like the PAC 10 will be led by FSU, yes I said FSU. Only Virginia Tech and possibly Miami will be able to compete with the Noles.

Everyone thinks that Texas will be top dog in the big 12. Not so fast my friends. There will be a new sheriff in town called the Cornhuskers, backed up by deputy Sooners.

Going out west to the PAC 10 which is loaded with quarterbacks, Oregan and Oregan State will remain the alpha dogs out there on the left coast. Washington State will show glimpses, followed by ineligible USC.

Coming back to the middle of the country to the Big 10, Ohio State, Iowa and Michigan State will be fighting it out for who goes to the Rose Bowl, but watchout for Wisconsin.

Back on the right coast, the Big East will be led by the Pitt Panthers, followed by Cincinnati and West Virginia. When it is all said and done, and every top ten team will have atleast one loss, the championship game will be between Alabama and Boise State. I MAKE THE CALL.

When Lane Kiffin bolted for USC and an opportunity to return to his roots, he left Tennessee in the lurch and broken promises to his players. Was it a good move?. I don’t think so.

The NCAA came down hard on the Trojans and there will be no post season activities for them for the next few years.

Kippin leaving Tennessee left Derek Dooley to right the Vols ship. I think that Dooley will bring the Vols back to prominence quicker than most people think.

Jimbo Fisher should have the easiest fix. He has been with the Seminoles for a while and has retained most of his players when Bobby Bowden retired at the end of last season.

Joker Phillips at Kentucky will have a hard time bringing Kentucky to the forefront, simply because the SEC is so strong, and he definitely has to rebuild. On the other hand, Turner Gill leaving Buffalo for Kansas should be able to compete in the big 12 soon to be another big 10 come next year with a couple of schools leaving for other conferences.

This brings me to who will be the most scrutinized coach in all of NCAAF this season: the one and only Brian Kelly leaving Cincinnati for Notre Dame. To coach at the Golden Dome, or touch down Jesus University as it is sometimes referred to, one has to be a Lou or and Ara.

They are the only two coaches who stood the test of time in South Bend. I wonder if Brian would have been better off staying at Cincinnati.

Tommy Tubberville of all the new coaches will have a cake walk. Texas Tech is virtually the same time as last season and will be one of those teams that can really compete for a BCS Bowl Birth. I MAKE THE CALL.

Undrafted running back LeGarrette Blount did it again. This time it was against a member of his own team, defensive end Eric Bakhtian. He sucker punched another player last year , but that player was not a team mate but an opponent. No wonder he went undrafted in this years NFL Draft. Blount needs to check his attitude and every time he comes on the football field he needs to leave it in the locker room.

He must realize that he is playing with the big boys now and the pulling of his helmet will be a regular thing come Sunday afternoons. Luckily for Blount, it was his team mate and his apology to the Coach were accepted. Had it been an opposing player, Blount would have experienced his first NFL can of whoop ass. My advice to Blount is to check the attitude in the parking lot, and leave it there if necessary. If you don’t, some Sundays you might just get some behavior modifaction form one of your opponents. I MAKE THE CALL.

I am going out on the limb very early this season and picking the division winners.

Some will surprise you and some won’t , but these are my picks and they are all winners.

Starting with the NFC:

• In the South, Atlanta will rule, and will surprise the Saints each time play.
• In the North, everyone is talking the Vikings, but my bucks are on Green Bay followed by the Da Bears.
• Going out to the left coast and the winner of the west will be San Francisco, but watch out for Seattle.
• Last but not least: the East will be dominated by the Cowboys, but the Giants will be coming on strong.

After the playoffs, the Cowboys in the Superbowl in their own stadium

The AFC will be tough.

• Coming out of the East will be the Jets
• followed by the Patriots.
• In the South, Houston will finally come of age and
• the Titans will be waiting in the wings.
• In spite of Payton Manning, this is not the Colts year.
• Going north, Baltimore is the team to be, but
• the Bengals will prevail.
• Venture out to the left coast again and you will see that Oakland will make a run
• but will be shut down Denver.

In the end, the Titans will be in Dallas for the big game. I MAKE THE CALL.

Coffee was supposed to be the backup for Frank Gore in the back field this season. What happened? Only the Lord knows and I mean that with all sincerity. Coffee told the 49 ers that it was time for him to give up football and join the ministry. He is only 23 years old, but sometime during the last few weeks, he had an epiphany and said that he wanted to return to the University of Alabama and complete the six hours he needed to get his degree, and that he had a calling and it was not football.

It is rare that you find a gifted athlete who is willing to give up the bright lights to pursue a calling. If Glen Coffee is serious about this calling, I wish him well. If it is for some other reason and he is just trying to find himself, that is okay also. All he has to do is be true to himself and follow his calling to the ministry with the same enthusiasm as he did when he was playing football for the University of Alabam and the 49 ers. I MAKE THE CALL.

You hate em, you love em, but they are America’s team in more ways than one.

According to Forbes Magazine, The Dallas Cowboys is the NFL most successful franchise worth about 1.6 billion dollars.

In 2009, the Cowboys were the overall most successful team in both winning games and attendance.

Teams such as the Saints who incidentally was number 2, the Colts, the Patriots and the Jets rounded out the top five most successful teams during the 2009 football season.

The Oakland Raiders who have been perennial losers, is second only to Dallas in attendance. The Cowboys draw an average of 89,000 fans per game and the Raiders draw 70,000. I MAKE THE CALL.

So you rejected the 100 million dollar deal for 11 years. Okay, no problem.

What is it that you want or your advisor Sean Gilbert and your agent are telling you to ask for?

Darrelle Revis, this is your 4th year in the league and you have not completed any contract that you have signed so far. The Jets have been good to you thus far, but in your opinion not good enough. Now, you are going to sit back and see what happens by not reporting to camp and losing time on your free agent schedule by doing all of these stupid things.

Let’s not forget that the Jets will play 16 games this season with you or without you. They will get their TV money and you will get nothing.

Can you afford to sit out an entire year and hope that someone pays you what you think you are worth next season?

Perhaps, but I don’t think so. Yes, you might be the best defensive back in the game but, if you are not playing who gives a damn?

Believe you me, the Jets can play without you and make the playoffs, they will only be better with you. If you choose not to be with them, so be it. In this scenario, you will lose more than the Jets.

Like I said, the Jets will suit 53 players for the season. You can be one of them if you choose. Remember one thing about professional sports: management hardly ever loses, only the player. I MAKE THE CALL.

Plaxico Burress’ lawyers filed for a work release for this better than average wide receiver, but somewhat stupid for what he is actually serving time for. He hopes to know in about 2 weeks. Honestly, any team who needs wide out help should try and get him. He is not a bad guy or a trouble maker. He just did not use his head when he took a gun into a New York Night Club and accidentally shot himself in the thigh. He did know that carrying a weapon in New York is illegal, and that is why I am saying that he was stupid at the time. He was given a 2 year sentence and he deserved it.

Now, he wants to be released to work, and I think that he should be given that opportunity. He has to make a living when he is through serving his time, so if the chance is taken on him by any team, why not?

Plaxico still has a lot of football left in him, and has not played in 2 years. His body should be able to take the pounding, and I am sure he kept himself in shape while serving time.

Please, one of you teams, give him a job. I promise you won’t regret it. I MAKE THE CALL.