I know fire fighters, paramedics, police officers and soldiers are heroes. They go beyond putting their lives on the line everyday. What about coaches? You can compare them to comic book superheroes. The Batman and Spiderman have their logos they wear on their underoos. Coaches in schools wear the school logos on their clothes. Some years when coaches are up in age, it looks like they wear tights. Both Batman and Spider Man do not get paid for their heroics. While coaches don’t get paid extra for going beyond their duties. Fire fighters,  police officers, paramedics and soldiers’ jobs going in are to save lives.

When I was younger I played many organized sports. Lots of coaches were very good. One of them stood out the most out of any of the coaches I have played for. I played grammar school basketball. After two years without winning one single game, it was coming down to the year without an eighth grade basketball team. Finally somebody rose up when the season was on the brink, took the job and was paid no money. He took a rag tag group like the Bad News Bears and turned them around. That year was special because we won three games. It’s not the games we won or all the losses. Coach Mike Berry taught us to be better people. Taught us to be men. Taught us the fundamentals of the game. How to work as a team. The man molded young minds. The things he did beyond was pay his own money to get the team in tournaments to compete. Our own school higher-ups did not want to waste money on a group like us. We were just a bunch skinny white boys from the burbs playing a game we loved. No way none of us would soar into the NBA. But as a group we have been friends forever. Mike Berry was not shy about inviting the group to his house to break bread with him and his own family.

This week a nasty school shooting occurred in Florida. It was a massacre with 17 dead. You can say what you want or who’s to blame. You can say all the schools need armed security guards. The liberals will blame the Congress about the gun laws. The Republicans will respond that if everyone had guns these things would not occur like they have. I think they can make it a tad harder to get a gun. Not make it easy going through a drive thru while you order a burger. These things happen for many reasons. Some people have bad parenting that does not help. Plus the cries for help are not reported from people in authority or peers. It’s probably all of the above in some way. Everyone has their own set of opinions on the subject. But we can all agree that it is horrible. It needs to be stopped.

In these sticky situations, heroes rise up. A football coach who does security at the school he graduated from is a superhero that comes out of this horrible day. Aaron Feis who graduated from the school in 1999. As a student he played on the grid iron and loved the game of football. It did not take him long after he graduated to come back and be the football coach at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. He was head coach of the Junior Varsity team for 8 seasons. He’s been an assistant coach these days for the varsity team. He’s been coaching the offensive line. In which their job is protect the quarterback. He probably played offensive line in his own playing days. This was a man whose job and passion was to protect people. When the shit hit the fan people thought firecrackers were being lit. He had different thoughts as he ran towards the action. Then he came face to face with the danger. A mad man named Nikols Cruz. Like a quarterback that is about to be sacked, Aaron Feis became a human shield once again and this time it cost him his life. However all the lives he was able to save. Just like on the field all the quarterbacks that were able to continue the play. It is very sad but he goes out a Superhero. A real superhero. The people he saved could go on and do great things in this world. Maybe protect schools from this kind of nightmare. He was a guy that probably reached people on the playing field. He was a guy that you could stop in the office and shoot the shit. Those moments he probably made people better. He leaves a family that loved him. It tears their hearts out but they know what he has done for mankind. He was doing it for mankind way before this incident took place this week.

This brings me back to the coach I had named Mike Berry. This was a guy that gave you a mind set you can do anything you want in life, if you work hard for it. Keep dreaming because you can get there. Our Most Holy Redeemer Raiders rag tag group did very well in life. I can not speak for everyone but in my opinion I would like to say Mike Berry had something to do with that. We had a few guys go play high school basketball. One actually played overseas and grew a mustache after high school. This group came out with a fire fighter. It came out with a guy that helps fight forest fires, some would say a smoke jumper. We have some engineers. We even have a guy that went over to Iraq and fought for our country and saw lots of combat. We had some guy that helped the homeless and his work he did for the nursing program at a major University. We have the one guy with some radical ideas, but harmless. We even have some computer savvy men in our group of bad news bears. Those three wins are not many but it built something in every one of us. If Mike Berry did not take the team that year maybe basketball would have been over for most of us. Maybe without him molding us maybe some of us would have turned out different. Maybe some of us take the wrong road in life. I think Mike Berry would of done the same thing Aaron Feis did this week in Florida. Never underestimate a man that carries around a whistle. These are the real heroes that help make the world a good place. It’s too bad some fall through the cracks. Mike Berry and Aaron Feis are probably up in heaven coaching a game as you read this. Abraham Lincoln is probably doing a windmill dunk for one of the teams.

During the 1990’s I was a huge Buffalo Bills fan. Still one on this day. Out painting the town red I was awoken by the phone the next day. One of my friends wanted to console me talk me off the ledge on the bad news about my Buffalo Bills. I could be like Sophia from the Golden Girls, picture this… 1992 Oilers versus the Bills in Buffalo. I was a young lad in high school. Now you will ask what the hell I was doing painting the town red in high school? Drinking under age is what we did time to time. However that is not the power point of this story. I was told my Bills were getting their bums beaten in as that is the rated G version of the conversation that took place. The Buffalo Bills were looking for redemption from losing two Superbowls in a row. This was a game that hall of famer Jim Kelly was hurt and could not play. This game should of been over as the Oilers were up 35-3. I got off the phone and looked at the television. It felt like a gut punch to the tummy seeing that.

Now present day, a team that felt like the sky was falling. The kind of gut punch the Colts probably felt when they hired Josh McDainels then to see the snake weasel out of the job he accepted. He went back to the pied piper who accepted the snakes from Saint Patrick who drove them out of Ireland centuries ago. The pied piper, the leader of the Evil Empire. He needed his Viper back. It was like the Cobra Commander crawling back to the Serpentor. Being a bird that can’t fly the coop without their mommy, the colts were now in a pickle. They were gut punched by the Evil Empire like everyone else has been in some way against the Patriot storm troopers.

In 1992 in Buffalo it was a slaughter. The Houston Oilers invaded like an old Western movie and took over the town. The town was a blood bath. The gates of the old saloon in town were off their hinges. People slumped over their card games. Lots of bottles of whisky shattered. Puddling on the floor next to the crimson colored blood spilled that afternoon. Warren Moon was the black Sheriff from Blazing Saddles as he went through town on his horse with swagger. He looked at the towns people in triumph. Now he’s ready to take his Oilers to the next town over and steal their gold. It was a bad scene. It was that bad taste that was left after that kick by Scott Norwood in the 1990 Superbowl. Where Darth Bill Belicheck was working for the Giants, not quite Darth Vader yet.

The Oilers ready to string up the rest of the Bills in town square that day. However something changed. Somebody rose up from the burnt ashes and dust of the mayhem that took place in the first half. It was like the rise of the Batman. It was like Shane or John Wayne coming back into town to save the day. Frank Reich and THE COMEBACK. This was one of the best games I ever saw. Years later I did watch the first half of this game. Frank Reich’s brilliance that had him finishing 21-34 passes for 289 yards 4 touch down passes and one interception. Most of it was done in the second half as the game was something out of Tale of Two Cities. He brought the Bills back and they went on to win 41-38 in overtime.

Frank Reich is the same man that help come up with a game plan to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles who have never won a Superbowl in their team history. Reich help put in a plan for the Eagles back up quarterback that worked very well against the Evil Empire. Now he’s the new Sheriff in town for the Indianapolis Colts. They even took a picture of him signing the contract then announced the deal to their fans. Last week dark skies were clouding the Indianapolis skies. Now the Colts are feeling hopeful and they should. Frank Reich has accomplished much more as a player and a coach and guy that played College football for a big program, then some snake named Josh McDaniels. Some day… it might not be this upcoming season…might not be 2019 season but the Colts Fans will thank the weasel Josh McDaniels for slithering home to Billy boy. Because when the Colts beat the Patriots. Or if Andrew Luck leads the colts to the Superbowl, it will be Frank Reich that made this come together. Josh McDaniels did set the franchise back a tad for him backing out last minute. If the snake stayed it would of been a city burning from Josh McDaniels stupidness over the burning rubber of the tires flying around the race track. Let the comeback start today in Colts land.

If I was a Colts fan and heard that Josh McDaniels was going to be the next head coach, I think my days as a fan of that team would be done. I would drop my season tickets like a bad habit. Then the sudden news that Josh McDaniels is not accepting the job, I would be setting up the parade route. Can you do what Cleveland did and have a parade route for a perfect season of no wins? Instead of the year without a Santa Claus the year with without a coach. How many times do you get second chances? I’m not a Colt fan. However you know that the owner Jim Irsay is a moron. Maybe this lucky break might be what the franchise needed. Like the day Peyton Manning walked into your building kind of break after you drafted him.

The only thing Josh McDaniels has done right in his career as a head coach was sniff out what Jay Cutler actually was. He inherited a 500 team in Denver. Then followed that year up with another 8-8 season. He was off to a 6-2 season. Then lost 8 out of his last ten games. Then the following year he was 3-9 fired week 13. He drafted Tim Tebow as a quarterback. Where credit was due with Cutler, credit was quickly taken away with Tebow.  Many players at the time did not want to play for this guy. He was a young hot shot thought he knew more than everyone else in the room. Is running an offense that has Tom Brady behind center something pretty much anybody can do? Why is this guy so special? Did not see it then and not seeing it now.

Only thing I can tell you is McDaniels is a tool just like all the assistants that have come from the Belicheck’s tree under the bridge. Belichek chokes the life out of them and sends them on their way to fail. Belichek might only deal with people that are inferior to him.

If I were the Detroit Lions after the Superbowl, I would have hoped for Matt Patricia to run home to Bill Belichek. Was not impressed with that defense on the biggest stage of the year. Look at the bafoons that Belichek let go. Eric Mangini went 23-25 with the Jets. Then actually got another job and went 10-22 with the Browns. Romeo Crennel 24-40 with the Browns. He might have done the best with the Browns. Then 2-14 with the Chiefs. Then Charlie Weis who still being paid for his stellar work in college. For the Irish he went 35-27 and then went 6-22 with Kansas. Then Bill O’Brien did some good work with Penn State. However 31-33 with the Texans. History has only rotten fruit picked off the Belichek tree. It’s no Andy Reid tree where it’s filled with bright big shiny apples of success. Look at most of the league and how many of the successful coaches came from the Walrus.

Could this be some revenge ploy from the Patriots? The Colts are the ones that ratted out the Patriots in deflate gate. If that is the fact then wouldn’t Josh McDaniels even be a bigger moron as he is just a pawn in some rich man’s revenge. Did the Patriots promise him something much bigger? What does this tell you about Matt Patricia? He is the assistant that is replaceable. Everyone gets cold feet and changes their mind. But this idiot accepted the job. They made an official announcement. They even waited until the Patriots were done with the season. McDaniels even screwed people that he wanted as assistants. Now they are in limbo after agreeing to help this sorry ass of a man. If McDaniels knew that Jim Irsay is not the type of guy he wanted to work for, why didn’t he do some research before any interviews? Even McDaniels’ agent quit on him. If this guy does not get something from New England in the future he will not get another offer from any other team in the league. Something definitely smells in the State of Massachusetts. Just add this story to the never-ending Santa’s nice list of why most people hate the Patriots. I think the Colts are now in a tough situation. They are behind as the draft and free agency are on the horizon. Whoever they hire now will be better off in the long run than that bum McDaniels. It will be a tough few months ahead but they will find someone to right the ship that has taken damage from the Evil Empire once again.

 

 

 

 

 

In the 70’s, the World Football League appeared and fizzled instantly. In the 1980’s, the USFL was born. A league that lasted for 4 years. It was a new league with many new ideas. It was known as the fun league. It was a league with many young superstars. It was a league with many old veterans not quite ready to hang up the spikes.

It had celebrity owners. This league had hot cheer leaders. They played in Spring time. The league had some great years and some down years. It was a good brand of football as the games were mostly well fought to the end. Especially the playoffs. Perhaps this league could have stuck around longer. Then the owner of the New Jersey Generals, Donald Trump, screwed that up. His great idea was to compete against the NFL. Change it up and play fall games instead of the spring games like they had been playing in the previous three years. The league folded. Then the NFL took all the moving parts, all the good ideas, and stripped down the USFL carcass to the bone.

Other leagues like World League of the American Football league appeared in the 90’s. It had teams from Europe. Eventually the NFL bought this league. Then they made it NFL Europe subtracting the American teams. The United Football League had four whopping teams. The Canadian League still existed through all of this. They made changes. They had some American teams at one point.

Before the UFL had their cup of coffee, the XFL was a one year wonder as well with more teams and more money to spend. Vince McMahon, the head of WWE, the guy that brings you all the wrestling was like Vanilla Ice, a one hit wonder in the football world.  In 2001 the league started with a bang. Then in week two it definitely had a whimper. The combination of wrestling and football did not go smoothly and like that another football league was born and died in the same year.

In 2020, the XFL is coming back. Same owner Vince McMahon is giving it another go. A do over. This time he’s not going to combine the wrestling aspect with Football. So the WWE will not advertise for the XFL like they did in the past. That means no wrestlers giving the play by play. Vince McMahon says this go around will have reformed his rule book. His game will be safer. Everyone will have to stand up during the National Anthem. There goes Colin Kaepernick’s comeback attempt.

In the original XFL, Vince McMahon rushed things that resulted in poorly played football early in the season. The games got better but nobody was watching. He had crazy rules in his brand of football in the beginning. No fair catches. He had a mad scramble for the coin toss. Two guys running for the ball at midfield. Whoever got the ball won the toss. Resulting in players diving for the ball. One player separated his shoulder out for the year. Teams empty out the strip clubs for cheerleaders. Which could be bad and good. Mom may not like it. Players got to wear nick names on the back of the jerseys rather than their last name. The famous Rod Smart aka “He Hate Me.” The announcers were exhausting to listen to. Like a Mean Gene type doing the play by play. The names on the helmets were from horror movies gone bad. It was a bad scene. Which included rule changes in the middle of the season. Football on the fly.

Vince McMahon and the XFL the second go around could learn from the past mistakes. They even have time to improve their brand of football before 2020. So far they are talking about a quicker game. They will only play ten games. Plus playoffs. They will only have 8 teams to start. They have 40 man rosters with winning incentive contracts.

Is there enough meat left on the bone to add another league like the XFL? The NFL season and the College Football season followed by all those bowl games. Then to continue to watch football after the Superbowl. February is a very bad sports month. Don’t we need time to decompress from all the football?  Then in the month of March things get better. Are we going to watch football during March Madness? The NBA and the NHL games get interesting with playoffs on the line. Will we care to watch Johnny Football battle it out with Tim Tebow for a week five match up in the XFL?

When I was younger I loved the USFL. That was a different league. It was a different time. They had players. They had top players. Players that are in the Football Hall of Fame. The XFL will have players that failed in the NFL. They will have players that have never been drafted in the NFL. I think its just a bad time to bring in another football league with all these concussions. Will the XFL have looser rules? This becomes dangerous. Hope they have a lot of lawsuit money in the kitty. Would an Insurance company go belly up backing that kind of league? How many great players will play for contracts with only incentives and not a worthwhile base salary? In the state Of Illinois the government is trying to ban football under the age of 12.That tells you football in the future might be like the Gladiator fights. Might be prisoners playing the game to get out of their cell for some better food. More yard time.  Plus to go up against the NFL never works well. This league will be like a train that is going too fast and is about to derail. Yes people will be there to watch the derailment. But after that it will be back to re runs of Gomer Pyle and Barney Miller.

 

One the most talked about conversations that happens on your bar stool is which is the best Rocky movie. In what order do you rank the Rocky movies? I’m sorry if you have not seen any of the Rocky’s. I do know a person that has not seen any. Yes and an adult, not a baby just coming out of the womb. I find it hard to believe. However I took an Uber ride home a few weeks back and the girl had never seen a Star Wars movie. Just bad parenting I call it. Kids growing up not seeing the classics. No wonder so much violence is out in the world these days.

The Rocky conversation might take place in the wee hours of the night. The music is down low. Everyone is up to a twelve pack. Then you know that one person out of your  crowd that starts this conversation. Maybe not even a month ago the same scene might have had the same conversation. Maybe take out a few people and add a few new butts on their stools. People have different opinions on which one is the best. People seem to agree Rocky V is the worst of them all. Let’s see if I can shed a little light on this subject and reveal what I think is the best order. I start with the worst to first. Maybe the Bears can do that next season.

#6. ROCKY V   I agree with the majority that this one was the worst of the Rocky series. The part I did like in this was when Rocky punched the Don King wannabe character in the face at the end.

I did like a few lines in Rocky V: Tommy Gunn Morrison punched Paulie. Rocky says, “You knocked him down, how ’bout tryin’ knocking me down?”

Then Rocky says, “my ring is outside”

#5. ROCKY II  I loved all the Rocky’s. But this one they try to live a life away from the ring. The love story continues. Rocky and Adrian get married. Then they struggle to make ends meet. It takes a long time. Finally the rematch happens. Then Rocky wins the belt. Love the ending. Lot of boring stuff to get there.

#4.ROCKY BALBOA   Before this movie even came out, people were all negative about this one. I kept an open mind about it. This movie was done very well. It really goes back to the roots of the original Rocky. Rocky owns a restaurant. Talks to his patrons about the fights he has. Then how he misses his wife Adrian and visits the cemetery every day. Then he steps back in the ring for one final fight.

I love he has the guy he fought in the original Rocky, the very first fight you see, working at the restaurant. This one is a movie that could be moved up I think, it was that good. Those people who spoke out before they even saw it, shame on you. You know who you are.

#3. ROCKY IV   Some would say this Rocky was the best. I think it could be any of the top three. James Brown is jamming in this one. Apollo Creed fights the Russian and gets killed. This has a lot going on in this one. Then Rocky fights the Russian in Russia in a classic fight on Christmas.

Some lines in this I loved. Drago says in Russia, “It’s like punching steel,” referring to Rocky.

Rocky’s trainer says to Rocky in the corner, “he’s not a machine he’s a man”

Then the famous speech at the end  If you can change. If I can change. Can’t we all change? That movie definitely fixed our relationship with the Russians.

#2. ROCKY III  All’s I have to say is Mr. T. He played Clubber Lang and he was a bad ass motherfucker. Rocky III could easily be number one as well. I thought this one had everything you want in a Rocky Movie. Rocky living the dream. Then he’s thinking retirement. Then Clubber Lang challenges him to a fight. They accept. Mickey dies. He loses the first fight against Clubber Lang.Then Apollo Creed trains him. Then Rocky has to fight the mental issues he’s having inside his head. Then the training. Done in a gym where Apollo Creed did his training when he was not a contender at the time. Paulie has some great remarks. Then the rematch which is awesome.

Mr. T playing Clubber Lang had some of the best lines in this film.

“HEY WOMAN, BET YOU DREAM ABOUT HAVING A REAL MAN.”

“BRING YOUR PRETTY SELF OVER TO MY APARTMENT TONIGHT. I’LL SHOW YOU A REAL MAN.”

Then the reporter asks Clubber, “What’s your prediction for the fight?” Clubber Lang says, “PAIN.”

“WHAT DID YOU SAY, PAPER CHAMPION?” “I’LL BEAT YOU LIKE A DOG, YOU HEAR?”

#1.ROCKY  Rocky is about an underdog with a shot for the title. Stallone wrote this script and wanted to play Rocky in it. Hollywood wanted to buy the script off Rocky and get some other actor to play Rocky. Stallone held out until he was able to star in the movie as well. He took less money but he did a great job acting in it as well. The movie Rocky won many awards. It was an inspirational movie for any underdogs in the world. Rocky is a boxer who has not made it to the big stage. Not even ranked. He fights practically for peanuts and the love of the sport. The Creed fight gives him a shot because the other opponent could not fight due to an injury. It’s all about going the distance. He falls in love. It has everything you want in a classic movie. One of the best sports films of all time.

 

The question still is when is the return of Cory Crawford behind the net for the Chicago Black Hawks. Crawford has been out for awhile now as the Hawks have been struggling without their starting goalie. Goal tending is not the biggest issue right now for the Hawks. The Hawks has been too cute on the power play. Results are not many goals. The dirty work in front of the net is not getting done. The lack of not getting the loose pucks around the net and then putting the biscuit in the basket has been a head scratcher. Where’s the beef? Your talented defense men Seabrook and Keith have not scored the usual tallies that we are used to seeing.

With this list of problems the Hawks have sometimes used a line up change to get the team back on track. This is where Scott Darling comes to mind. I know Anton Forsberg and Scott Darling both have similiar stat lines this season. You could even say Forsberg has been a tad better. He has a better save percentage at .911 compared to Darling’s at .895. Goal allowed average Forsberg is doing better with 2.92 compared to Darling’s 2.94. Both are three games under 500 as a starter. Darling has played more games this season. So why would Darling benefit the Hawks right here right now more than the guy they already have?

If Scott Darling was still with the Hawks he would obviously be the back up. Darling had that back up motivation as all back ups should have and want to be the starter. Sometimes this motivation can be far more successful than being the number one guy and holding that job because you always have tomorrow to improve or the next game. When you’re back up and you want to showcase your talent and you do not know when your next game will be, it can be mind boggling. Many back ups at times start off very slow. Darling is the type who can throw a quick shut out in relief of Crawford. In which a shut out can help get the whole team on track as they see a guy come off the bench and stymie a team is huge. Darling has done that in huge playoff games as well. I think Darling also played well because he was in his home town. He’s from Lemont, Illinois. This would give a guy extra motivation to do well in front of family and friends, night after night. The thing that Darling had that is missed, is his relationship with Cory Crawford. That was a tandem they could bounce off ideas with each other. Both of them were great friends and probably still are. They help each other get better every day.

Darling and other former Hawks that were unsung heroes to the team, are big reasons why the Hawks go through these long periods of struggle. Guys like Darling and others did all the little things that no one else liked to do. These jobs need to get done to win lots of hockey games. With the salary cap it is very hard to keep these guys you want on your team. Now you have to keep reworking the lines until someone steps up. Plus you have growing pains with young guys as well. Plus you have your older guys that lost a few of their steps. That’s why a Darling is missed because he came in and helped pick up the team. He would be able to erase some of the mistakes made by guys that lost a pep in their step or rookie mistakes. Oh Darling, do we miss you.

Yesterday, the Saints had the late lead against the Vikings. Winner goes to the NFC championship. With time ticking away the Vikings pretty much needed a miracle to win the game against the visiting Saints. With only 10 seconds on the clock they needed a quick pass to the sidelines to get into field goal range. The problem was they needed a catch and to have the receiver step out of bounds with time on the clock to kick the field goal. Another problem… they needed to get into field goal range. The Vikings needed another 20 yards or a bit more to really have a shot at a field goal in their kicker’s range.   With no time outs remaining the Saints had to defend the sidelines. All’s the Saints had to do was defend the pass. In these situations you would want the line men to blow up the quarterback. If that line of defenses broke down and the quarterback does get the ball off, you want to keep the guy in bounds if he catches the ball. Sure you want an incomplete pass or even an interception. But the big thing for the Saints was keep the guy in bounds so time runs out.

When you’re younger in grammar school football, you are taught to use your arms and wrap up the person at his waist and legs.  Stop the movement in their legs and drive them to the ground. It’s simple tackling 101. They even recommend this style of tackling in  each level football that is played. Even the NFL. However players launch themselves like missiles to try to get the big hit. Try to dislodge the football out of the player’s hands. Some try to make the highlight reels. Players continue to do this style of tackling knowing they can hurt themselves or even the other player. This style of missile tackling leads to many of the helmet to helmet plays that send players out of the game with concussions. Some players take on so many hits to their heads they regret the side effects later in life.

Yesterday Stefon Diggs caught the ball in bounds in between two defenders. Time was ticking fast. Then Marcus Williams whiffed on the tackle. It was like strike three in baseball when the player is swinging with all his might at the ball to hit a home run. Does not even make any contact. Maybe when they only need a single to win the game. In basketball, a game winning shot could be an easy lay up. But the player decides to slam dunk it and it bounces off into the stands. Marcus Williams is only 21 years old. He is probably a good kid. He has had an awesome season with 4 interceptions and 7 pass break ups. He is only a rookie. He even manned up and talked to reporters after the game and answered the tough question. Marcus Williams launched himself like an Iraq scud missile and misses Stefon Diggs, but wipes out his own teammate, the other defender. Diggs catches the ball in bounds untouched and he has nothing but green in front of him. He turns around and takes it to the house for a Viking walk off win.

A simple tackle.The way you were taught – wrap up his waist and legs and wrestle him down cost your team a chance to go to the NFC championship game. To play a team without their star quarterback. This single mishap cost the Saints probably a trip back to the Superbowl. Plus could it of been Brees last chance to get to the big game? He is getting older. Can he repeat this year’s performance another year in the league? Now look at what you are left with as quarterbacks in the championship games next week. Bortles, Keenum, Foles, and the best in the league, in Brady. Now the script looks like it will be another planet conquered by the Evil Empire. Sloppy tackling like this is ruining the game. People getting hurt. Plus it seems like nothing in the league except turnstyle defenses.

LAST WEEK

WILD CARD CARD ROUND WE WENT 2-2

DIVISIONAL ROUND

SATURDAY GAMES

NFC

MATCH UP                      OUR WINNER

FALCONS AT EAGLES     FALCONS

AFC

MATCH UP                       OUR WINNER

TITANS AT PATRIOTS       PATRIOTS

SUNDAY GAMES

AFC

MATCH UP                        OUR WINNER

JAGUARS AT STEELERS    STEELERS

NFC

MATCH UP                        OUR WINNER

SAINTS AT VIKINGS            SAINTS

RANKING     TEAM      RECORD   COMMENTS

#1.NEW ENGLAND 13-3   This weekend the Patriots are ready to defend their title.They take on the Titans. This match up is like the  Evil Empire against the Island of Misfit Toys. In basketball terms, 16th seed versus number one seed. Washington General versus Harlem Globetrotters. It seems like just a practice to tune up the Death Star for the championship series.

                     

This is the Patriots playbook against the Titans. I feel a great disturbance in the force.

#2.NEW ORLEANS 12-5  Even though ole softy Fig Newton was able to get the Panthers back in this game late in the contest, I was still impressed the way the Saints handled the Panthers. Now they go on the road against the Vikings. Vikings have home field but Saints play in a dome. Not much of an edge except noise levels. This game between the Saints and Vikings my bet is whoever wins will get to the Superbowl representing the NFC. Vikings defense has their work cut out for them. I think the big match up is Vikings offense versus Saints defense. Whoever wins that turf war is the key to the game. This could be Brees’ last shot at winning another Superbowl. Unless he gets Brady’s recipe. Love to see Saints and Patriots in the Superbowl. Brees prevails over Brady. Can you imagine all the Tom Brady voodoo dolls that weekend?

However Pittsburgh might buy them all out next weekend.

#3.PITTSBURGH 13-3    Before they can even think about Tom Brady. Steel town welcomes that  high powered offense from Jacksonville. If you stop the Jaguar running game, it is always good. The passing game no worries because Bortles can’t even throw a crossing pattern or simple screen pass. The Jaguars unveiled their new offensive strategy against the Bills last week Called RUN FOREST RUN FOREST.

It involves Bortles Gump running for his life to get the first down. I like the Jaguar defense. But Bills were moving the ball and came across some bad calls that derailed a few drives. I think they can stop the Steelers at home. I do not see Bortles matching up with Big Ben on scores. The Steelers are going to be making a statement early on and dispatching the Jaguars like a bad habit. Dougie Marrone will wish he did not quit sniffing glue.

#4.MINNESOTA 13-3  Viking fans are ready for their team to take down the Saints at home this weekend.

   

They will have their work cut out for them with the Saints offense. They say a great defense can always beat a great offense. In this contest both will be on hand. I will say again, the winner out of this game could be the NFC representative in the Superbowl. Vikings activated Bradford for this game. Just in case Case Keenum’s deal selling his soul to devil expires this weekend.

#5.ATLANTA 11-6  Falcons played very well against the Rams last weekend. Now they have to travel to Philadelphia this weekend. Play the number one seed in the NFC. This is not the same Eagle team that was running down the road trying to loosen their load that had seven women on their minds. The Eagles have lost their starting quarterback in Wentz. The Eagles are not the same team. The Falcons are one of the hottest teams out there. I think they will be like Clubber Lang, go into Philly and spoil the Eagles ceremony.

                 

#6.JACKSONVILLE 11-6 Jacksonville defense rose up against Buffalo offense. A team that has one of the Bears X receivers they cut during the season as one of their main weapons. Receivers go to die in Chicago. Plus Taylor can’t throw the ball downfield. The Jaguars even got many breaks in calls that derailed Bills’ drives. The Jaguars defense will not be able to stop the Steelers offense. Then you have the Jaguar offense, a quarterback that can not make great throws, last weekend in Florida. What’s Bortles going to do in the cold in Steel Town? Bortles will run for his life Charlie Brown. He will be like the back up quarterback in the movie Unnecessary Roughness and run around back there using the ref as a shield. Telling him to blow the whistle.

 

#7.PHILADELPHIA 13-3 The Song Desperado should be playing in Philadelphia this weekend.

Desperado oh you aint gettin’ no younger,

your pain and hunger they’re drivin’ you home.

Your prison is walking this world all alone.

Don’t  your feet get cold in the winter time?

The sky won’t snow and the sun won’t shine

Desperado, as the Eagles will have to wait until next season for their next Superbowl appearance.

#8.TENNESSEE 9-7 I heard Tennessee head coach is on the hot seat. The lucky comeback win last weekend is not enough. They probably need to beat the Patriots to save Mularkey’s job. Now that’s a tall order. This weekend they will be like the Ewoks going up against the evil empire. They will have to resort to using rocks and sticks to defeat Tom Brady and company.

Love to see the Ewokian Titans prevail and take down the Evil Empire. Love to see them bang on the Patriots helmets like the Ewoks using the Stormtroopers’ helmets for drums. However Mariota is no Han Solo. Plus sticks and stones many break my bones, but names will not hurt them bastards.

 

 

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The Bears quickly pounce on former Offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, Matt Nagy and make him their new head coach. It was not a very promising wish list the Bears had in place in their head coaching search. It was not like the search for Spock turning over every rock on every planet in the galaxy. In my pipe dream, if the Raiders were able to lure Jon Gruden out of the booth, maybe the Bears could have done the same thing with X Steeler coach Bill Cowher. That would be a lot of cheddar for that and the Bears are not all about that. So they bypassed the sports models.They bypassed luxury models. They did not buy a snazzy import. They purchased a Cavalier Ford Escort type in Matt Nagy. Let’s hope he’s not like what they say about Ford products. Found on the road dead.

As soon as the Titans finished their comeback against the Chiefs on Saturday night, the Bears brass circled in like Vultures to snag Nagy. Maybe they might have been the only team to grab the former Arena Football quarterback. He comes from Delaware college where he played quarterback for the Mighty Blue hens. He was not a Joe Flacco or even Rich Gannon, former hens themselves who did very well in the NFL.  Is Flacco still doing well? But both have gotten to a Superbowl in their careers. Flacco winning one. He was not even a Kurt Warner who started playing Arena Football then made it big time in the NFL. Back up catchers in baseball and back up quarterbacks who fought to make it on rosters almost their whole entire careers do turn out as great managers or great coaches, history tells you that.

The Bears could have plucked a has been. Guys they interviewed had head coaching experience. They interviewed Pat Shurmur, the Offensive Coordinator from the Vikings. Plus they interviewed Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator from the Patriots. Would these two coaches on their second stint in coaching a NFL team turn out to be like the master mind Bill Belichek? Maybe, nobody is an evil genius like the leader of the Evil Empire. Pete Carol and Marv Levy are two other coaches who in their second stints, did wonderful. First Pat Shurmar, he did not fair tou well with the Browns. Who has though? Do you give him the keys to the new car just because he turned around the Vikings offense? Is that long enough this season and some of last season? Then you have Josh McDaniels. Only thing this guy has done right in his first stint with the Broncos was he got a whiff of the Jay Cutler aroma. He smelled a hack. But after that he got rid of Cutler, he drafted Tebow as a quarterback. Some say he should have been a tight end. He even made a trade to get Brady Quinn. He was up high for sniffing out how much of a goat Cutler was. But now his stock is plummeting with his other choices he has made. Plus New England assistants have not done well in head coaching positions. My evidence: Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel. They are storm troopers. Belichek erases their minds before they leave New England. Case closed.

I will give the Bears some credit.They did pick from a coaching tree that is very well rooted. Maybe like a redwood. The Walrus, Andy Reid’s disciples have been like the Apostles minus Judas. John Harbaugh has won a Superbowl with the Ravens. Ron Rivera has done great things in Carolina including getting to a Superbowl. Just having a soft cookie as your quarterback, I think has been his problem. Then Todd Bowles has done solid in Jet land. Including winning games when experts thought they were going to be the worst team in the league after dumping many veterans before the season even started. Then Sean McDermott exercised some demons in Buffalo by ending the worst playoff drought in the four major sports groups.

The Andy Reid path has the Bears going down the right path. Matt Nagy did help guide his Arena Football team the Columbus Destroyers to the Arena Bowl, but lost to the San Jose Sabercats. Tells me he did not have all the tools to be an NFL QB but he used what he had at the Arena level to be successful. He’s been with Andy Reid ten years. Five of them as a quarterback’s coach.  What position has given the Bears the most trouble? Yes you are correct it is the quarterback.They drafted Mitch Trubisky last year who has flashed some signs of excellence. However Bears fans have seen a lot of crap behind center over the years. Nagy can provide Mitch with some guidance and correct his flaws and perhaps turn him into what Sean McVay did for Goff this season. Andy Reid is the master of the west coast offense. Stuff that Trubisky did in College.  Nagy  has been the offensive coordinator the last few seasons for Reid. In the ten seasons with Reid he has to know that system like the back of his hands. . This will help the Bears to come up with a successful plan for Mitch Trubisky to get better, rather than regress like he did with Fox.  Andy Reid has been the play caller. However Nagy has called the last 5 regular season games where the Chiefs have gone 4-1. One game was won by rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Hopefully the Bears can get the 4-1 guy. Plus the first half of the playoff game last Saturday guy from Nagy. Lets leave that second half Nagy in Kansas City where the Chiefs did not score anything. Even though they had a 21-3 lead at the half and went on to lose.

This is not a very exciting move. I think the Bears had to go down a road to get a guy that can save Trubisky. While Saving the franchise so they do not turn into the Browns. Having a brown out at quarterback position sends your franchise to the dark ages. However I feel like we are going down Trestman boulevard here. Are they going to put all their eggs in the offensive basket?  Then abandon the defense which was very good last year. I think they need to shell out some big bucks and resign their guy from last year, Vic Fangio. If they let him get away, which they probably will, I see him taking the Packers opening. That’s how the eggs break in the Bears baskets. I hope they have a plan to get someone that can keep the defense doing well. I know when they hired John Fox, I think they never had a good plan in place overall . It was old coach young GM butting heads. Old school football against the new wave era of football. I believe Fox and others had no clue that the young GM Pace would draft a quarterback in the first round. I think inheriting Cutler in the Fox and Pace tandem did not help things go smoothly. Maybe now all the pawns in the game are younger. They can all go to the local cybertron cafe for their fancy coffees and collect all the data in the world and form a solid football plan. Maybe they can also impeach the owners of the Bears as well, as they are still around from the Ice Age.