UngsungBlog: A (Fantasy) Sports Blog

I think so, especially if that person is one Brett Favre.

(I’ll give him credit, though; this is the first ‘news’ about Favre that I have no problem discussing.)

Now, I really don’t care much about preseason football.  However, any time a Hall of Fame, flip-flopping, real-life soap opera-starring, washed-up, doubly-injured quarterback throws a block that could’ve ended another player’s career, I’ll talk about it.

At first glance, I thought it was an ugly play but not dirty at all.  Upon watching the clip a second time, however, I caught something I didn’t catch before:  Favre had a running start before he threw himself at the knees of Texans’ safety Eugene Wilson.

I’ve read some comments out there that actually insisted that Favre hit Wilson in the torso first.  Sure, if Wilson’s torso starts below his waist.  How Wilson got off the field without the assistance of a cart is beyond me.

I can’t wait to see what the NFL’s reaction to the hit is gonna be.  Is he gonna be suspended?  However, he better be fined for the hit.  Don’t be surprised if I blog again in a couple days, though, wondering why Roger Goodell didn’t fine the Diva.

Tags: brett favre, crackback, dirty, diva favre, illegal block by Peter
No Comments »

Unlike the subject of this blog entry, I never officially retired from blogging, and therefore, I am NOT a flip-flopper!

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

- Raise your hand if you are surprised by the announcement that the Diva Favre show is scheduled to re-re-re-re-launch this NFL season.

(If your hand is raised…really?  You didn’t see this coming?)

Hooray!  We NFL fans are going to get YET ANOTHER year of the Diva Favre Show, complete with a horrible, season-ending performance in the playoffs, a teary-eyed post-game press conference, hints about retirement, live updates as he flies home to Hattiesburg, and the eventual announcement that he will, finally, hang up his cleats for the last time.

All of this will happen over a 24 hour period; never mind what’s going to happen once the offseason begins.  ESPN might as well park a trailer outside Favre’s Hattiesburg house right now, and offer fans a 24-hour live feed ASAP.

(Brett Favre is stepping outside!  He’s gonna announce a comeback!  No, wait…he just grabbed the newspaper sitting on his doorstep.)

Question #1:  Why now?  Why not wait until Week 3?  Let’s say the Vikings are stumbling after a humbling defeat at the hands of the Lions (!!!) and a narrow victory against San Francisco.  Imagine Favre standing in Vikings’ owner Zygi Wilf’s press box, during a fourth quarter time out, announcing his return to the league!

(It’ll probably sound something like this.)

Why Week 3?  Look at the schedule:  a revenge game vs. GB, a guaranteed win @ STL, two toughies vs BAL and @PIT, and the “Screw You, Green Bay” game.

If Minnesota wins vs. GB, imagine how much more inflated Favre’s ego will get.  See!  See!  Look at me!   I’m not done!  Why’d you guys make me retire, Green Bay? Couple that with the win @ STL, and even if Minnesota loses the next two games—it wouldn’t be his fault if they lost those two games, after all—Favre’s got another revenge game against GB after that.

Hell, why not go all the way and retire after the Vikings’ bye week, only to return, Trevor Hoffman style (do you think he’d loan Favre “Hell’s Bells”?) for the season finale vs. the NY Giants?

Who wouldn’t watch THAT soap opera?  Even I…might.

Question Answer #2:  $12 million.

Question:  How much money is clearly burning a hole in Zygi Wilf’s pockets if he thinks a fragile, 39 going on 40 year old, flip-flopping, attention-starved, interception machine is going to be the difference between a Division Round elimination and a Super Bowl berth?

(I’ll take “Stupid Proclamations” for $200, Alex.  Gosh I miss blogging.)

How is a past-his-prime QB with a rotator cuff tear going to put Minnesota over the top?  Bernard Berrian’s a nice player, but look at the rest of that WR roster.  Unless Percy Harvin turns into Calvin Johnson…yuck.  And what if his shoulder flares up again?

(Tangent:  Quote of the year, so far:

Lance Briggs: On Favre constantly changing his mind.

“I hope he changes his mind when he’s going to throw the ball away, and throws it into coverage…”

Winner!)

Question #3:  What does The Diva Favre Show, Season 3, have planned to top the drama of the first two seasons?  Teary-eyed press conferences and one-on-one interviews are so 2007.  Lying right in front of all of America, or at least those watching his act, is too boring.  A rose ceremony, Bachelor-style?  Nah, too obvious and not exciting enough.

(I doubt this would happen, but the thought did cross my mind.  A tandem press conference announcing the re-re-returns of Diva Favre AND John Madden!

*shudder*

And for the record, I am not, in any way, comparing Diva Favre to John Madden.)

Here’s my idea for the Season 3 finale:  The Brett Favre Dating Game.  Now, we know that Favre wouldn’t want to play for a doormat, and teams with championship aspirations already—NE, BAL, IND, PHI, TEN, etc., and apologies if I left out an obvious team—wouldn’t have interest in him, so let’s eliminate those teams.  Next, we’ll make Favre submit a list of teams he’d like to play for (I guess that will eliminate Green Bay).  We’ll then take these two lists, and all the teams that are on both lists will be invited to the taping of The Brett Favre Dating Game.

On the show, each team will be represented by an anonymous team staffer.  Chuck Woolrey—Chris Mortenson if Woolrey’s not available—will allow Diva Favre to ask each staffer one question, and after the last question is posed, Favre will have a commercial break to decide which team he’d like to date.

After the date—training camp, I guess—we’ll invite Favre and his date back on to the show and see if he’ll be willing to go on a second date.  My bet:  he’ll dump whichever team he picked and sign with Carolina…in Week 9.

Now tell me, who wouldn’t watch this?  I certainly would, just to see Favre do that stupid kiss and wave at the end of each show.

Later.

Tags: adrian peterson, brett favre, diva favre, minnesota vikings, the brett favre dating game, the diva favre show by Peter
No Comments »

My poor blog, how I’ve ignored you over the past few days!

(What can I say? I haven’t had much to talk about lately!)

Quick-hitters:

- It’s been sunny and COLD the last few days.

I miss the heat. I also miss sunlight at 6PM.

And if it’s so cold, why the heck do I really really want some ice cream?

- Small Shot-Online update: I’m still stuck on level 52 (haven’t played much lately), and, due to a bout of complete idiocy, I blew a chance at an easy ONE HUNDRED MILLION NG profit!!!

I don’t wanna talk about it.

One of these days, I will venture onto Cads. One of these days.

- Current rebate-o-meter: $1,500 or so, but I’m sure that the total is closer to $2,000 than $1,500.

That’s what I get for keeping such poor rebate records

- For the first time ever, here’s a tangent to a previous topic topic that deserves its own section!

Tangent: Fry’s/WorldwideRebates.com update: Fry’s customer service sent me this email regarding my “lost” $20 rebate:

Hello Peter, in regards to your Trand Micro rebate in the amount of
$20.00. We have since gotten in contact with the rebate manufacturer in
regards to your denial. Unfortunately after talking with them it seems
as though they are unwilling to help there customers. What we are going
to do for you in this matter is go ahead and give all of your rebate
submission to our home office. They will be issuing you a check shortly.
Please note that this may take up to 2 months. Please feel free to get
back with us in regards to this status. Thank you.

I boldfaced the line above because I thought it looked awfully familiar to me, especially the misuse of the word “there.” Does Fry’s use a form email to respond to rebate complaints? Well, remember my American Telecom rebate rant?

Hello Peter, in regards to your Pay N Talk rebate in the amount of
$25.00. We have since gotten in contact with the rebate manufacturer in
regards to your denial. Unfortunately after talking with them it seems
as though they are unwilling to help there customers. What we are going
to do for you in this matter is go ahead and give all of your rebate
submission to our home office. They will be issuing you a check shortly.
Please note that this may take up to 2 months. Please feel free to get
back with us in regards to this status. Thank you.

That was from an email response sent to me from February 1, 2008! Notice the emphasis in the blog entry linked above!

Once again, kudos to Fry’s!

(EDIT: Just as I finished typing this, I got an email from WorldWideRebates…it appears that they finally got my rebate submission! Should they successfully process my rebate claim, I will contact Fry’s and see if I can get them to not issue me a check. If not, I’ll just destroy it.)

- Fantasy football updates:

I’m riding a three-game winning streak in one league, the third win coming via a 132-88 beatdown of my opponent. It helps that my two RBs, Thomas Jones and Maurice Jones-Drew, combined to score 59 points by themselves. I am now 5-5 in this league, tied for fifth overall, and still a game out of a playoff spot (though I’m trailing badly in the tiebreaker, which is points scored overall.)

In my other league, I won for the sixth straight week. I’m not going to take too much pride in this win, though, as my opponent played three guys on their bye week, and one was on IR. I’m now in first place in this league, and I face the team that I leapfrogged in Week 11. The receivers on this team are really killing me, save for Andre Johnson.

Non-fantasy football thoughts:

- Ask and ye shall receive.  Thank you, T.O., for giving me my lead story of Week 10!  I need not even comment on this (though I will):

“We have to go back to the drawing table and look at the things that made us successful last year, moving me around a little bit, really just making an effort to get the ball in my hands on certain routes,” Owens said Tuesday, during a signing for his new book in Manhattan.

Well, at least he was smart enough to say the word “certain.”  You know, he wouldn’t want to appear to be demanding the ball, or anything like that…

I cannot wait for the upcoming Cowboys-Redskins game.  What will spew out of T.O.’s mouth if the Cowboys happen to lose THAT game???

- As soon as I found out that the Monday Night game was San Francisco at Arizona, I decided that I wasn’t going to watch it.

Boy did I miss out!  What a crazy goal-line “stand” by Arizona!  Of course, I say “stand” because Arizona’s field turf played a huge role on that series, tackling 49ers’ RB Frank Gore on 2nd and goal.  Why was Frank Gore not on the field on the final play of the game?  And why didn’t the 49ers spike the ball on the final play, since it was only 3rd down?

By the way, if Kurt Warner wins his third MVP this season—and personally, I think he’s the front-runner—tying himself with that guy currently on the Jets, that has to be enough to get him in the Hall of Fame, right?  Maybe he doesn’t get in on the first ballot, but he’s gotta get in, right?

- Speaking of the Jets, did you see them running up the score against my hapless Rams?  How sickening!

OK, fine, my Rams horribly stink, and the Jets did not run the score up on them.  However, can we stop giving Favre all the credit for the Jets’ “resurgence,” a 6-3 record against a cupcake schedule, including a LOSS to the RAIDERS?

Kris Jenkins?  Alan Faneca?  Thomas Jones?  Leon Washington?  Eh, forget it; let’s give all the credit to Diva Favre.

(And please stop with the “Oh, if Favre were still a Packer, they wouldn’t be 4-5!  It is not completely Aaron Rodgers’ fault that the Packers are struggling.  That defense of theirs is terrible, and it only got worse with the loss of LB Nick Barnett for the season.)

- Colts fans, begin to send your hate mail!

Is it just me, or are the Colts quickly rounding into that struggling team that, all of a sudden, gets white-hot, and earns the “We don’t want to play THEM!” label?  After back-to-back victories over New England and Pittsburgh (did the Colts really keep the Steelers out of the end zone when Pittsburgh was on the Colts’ 1???), the could-have-been 1-8 Colts could very well be 10-4 going into the final two games of the season.

Of course, they could also get upset by Houston, lose @SD, and then lose one of @CLE, CIN, or DET (shudder…), and miss the playoffs.

- And finally, thank goodness that Jacksonville remembered who they were…as did Detroit.

By the way, would you bet on Detroit going 0-16, or Tennessee going 16-0?  You’d have to be on the latter being more likely, wouldn’t you?

I would…but just barely.

Until next time!

Tags: cadeiger, diva favre, fantasy football, frys, green bay packers, indianapolis colts, kurt warner, mvp, new york jets, nick barnett, rebate-o-meter, shot-online, t.o., worldwiderebates by Peter
No Comments »

Random thoughts:

- Has anyone seen Fall?  Seriously?  Why the hell is it so hot???

I just can’t win…

- Commercials:

1) Any time I see that stupid Sinupret commercials (”I love you more!” “No, I love you more!”), I feel like throwing my remote through my TV.

More WalMart commercials, please!

2) Cheesy cable commercials always bug the hell out of me, but Valley residents have to agree with me that the latest Keyes Woodland Hills commercial jingle (set to “Where in Thumbkin?”) has to rate as one of the dumbest, most obnoxious, cable commercial of all time!

Where is Honda?  Where is Nissan?  Woodland Hills!

(I think I got the line right.  Every time I hear that commercial, my ears start bleeding.)

3) The Guitar Hero:  World Tour commercial.  Enough said.

Now THAT’s a good commercial.

- Latest CVS trip:  bought lots of candy (2 for $3, $1 coupon), and some SoyJoy bars (4 for $4, $3 off 5 coupon, and $4 ECBs).

I will neither confirm nor deny that the candy was purchased for me first, and the Trick-or-Treat’ers second.

Next week, I’ll be buying some Brita pitcher filters which will cost me more than a buck after all my ECBs.  I hope that my favorite cashier isn’t there on that day

- Current rebate-o-meter:  $925, but that doesn’t include the $500 or so that I have not yet entered.

(I’m lazy!)

- Fantasy football updates:

Believe it or not, I actually played Brian Westbrook last week, and believe it or not, I did not hex him!

5-2-1 now (second place), after a blowout victory, and somehow, Rams WR Donnie Avery was available in this league, strengthening my average WR corps (Andre Johnson(!!!), Jerricho Cotchery, Roy Williams, Donald Driver, Lance Moore).

In my other league, I had WR Reggie Wayne, TE Dallas Clark, and a four-point lead over my opponent, who had (gulp!) RB Chris Johnson.  Fortunately for me, Johnson’s garbage-time TD did not hurt me, as Dallas Clark finally showed up in a game.  Now I’m 3-5 in that league, and amazingly, only two games out of a playoff spot.

Non-fantasy football thoughts:

- Let’s start with the big story of the week:  Deanna Favre is hurt over the recent allegations that her husband, Diva Favre, offered ousted Lions’ GM Matt Millen tips against Favre’s former team:

‘Brett does not, in any way, hold a vendetta against his former team…Some incidents, like the locker room pranks appear funny [but they are still untrue]…Others, like the questionable phone calls to other teams, are hurtful, distasteful, and…still untrue as they have been reported.

Because of this, lately, my heart has been so heavy. It is very hard to watch the daily toll this has taken on Brett.

Brett is the same man who has always put his team first, not personal gains or statistics. And, Brett is the same man we know who is filled with great character, strength, goodness and love. Truly, nothing has changed but a uniform.’

1) WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Here’s a kleenex.

2) How can something that is untrue still “appear” funny?

3) Sure, any scrutiny directed at your husband must be hard to take.  However, wasn’t it YOU that pushed your husband to return for another season?

EDIT:  I saw a clip of an E:60 interview with Mrs. Favre—Greta Van Susteren must have been busy—where she denied pushing Favre back into the league.  Maybe you should convince your husband to retire mid-season.  He could always come back in Week 13!

4) That last paragraph makes me LMFAO.  Favre puts his team first?  The same guy that used to throw backbreaking pick after backbreaking pick, and then blaming the personnel around him for his poor play, “put[s] his team first?”  And oh by the way:

*cough* Michael Strahan? *cough*

*cough* The entire drama of the past three offseasons? *cough*

*cough* Declaring that he’s not responsible for the development of Aaron Rodgers? *cough*

Character?  Goodness?  More like selfishness and a swollen ego.

(BTW, I got sick to my stomach over hearing analysts anywhere praise Favre for that fourth-quarter rally against the Chiefs.

1) THEY WERE PLAYING THE CHIEFS!!!!!!!

2) Favre threw three picks in that came, if you don’t recall.  The Jets’ D probably had something to do with keeping Favre in the game, no?

3) Enough with the praise over that pass he threw to Laveranues Coles!  That pass was thrown about two yards behind Coles, and Coles had to adjust to the ball, NOT the other way around!  That pass was so poor that it could easily have been a Pick Six!)

- In lesser news, did you hear that the Tennessee Titans are now 7-0, after a drubbing of the team formerly known as the powerhouse Indianapolis Colts?

That being said, I’m still not sold on the Titans…yet.  Look at some of their past opponents!  KC?  Cincy?  Houston?  An overrated Jags team?  Let’s not put the champagne on ice just yet.  However, looking at their next four games (GB, @Chi, @Jax, NYJ), should they go 3-1 in those games, then we can talk about championship contention.

By the way, does the Pacman Jones trade count as “Ewing Theory” potential?

And even though they are 3-4, I just can’t bury the Colts just yet.  I might after their next four games, though (NE, @Pit, Hou, SD).  I’m thinking a 3-1 record in those four games is the worst the Colts can do if they want to contend for a playoff spot this season.

- Speaking of teams that are for real, is Carolina now on that list?  Not yet, in my opinion, due to the fact that they had to rally against an average Arizona team (and it didn’t help that Arizona’s defenders appear to be allergic to tackling.  Marion Barber a couple weeks ago, and Steve Smith on Sunday?)

- At 3-5, San Diego has to be finished, right?  JAX too, at 3-4.  Washington?  I’m not sold on them being for real yet.  And maybe New England will be OK after all.

And the New York Giants are pretty good.  So is Pitt, that entire fourth quarter notwithstanding.

- The Cowboys eked out a win against Tampa Bay, but not all is well in Dallas, even at 5-3.

And has anyone seen TO?  No comments?

- Can Cincy do it?  Can they go 0-16?  Here’s their remaining schedule.

The final game of the season (KC) scares the heck out of me, but next week’s game (JAX) screams “trap game.”

- Speaking of winless teams, can Detroit do it?  Here’s their remaining schedule, and it looks great!

That “trap game” versus Jacksonville scares me as well.

- And finally…who didn’t enjoy Niners’ coach Mike Singletary’s rant on TE Vernon Davis?

Incredible stuff, all of it deserved, by the way:

‘I told him that he would do a better job for us right now taking a shower and coming back and watching the game than going out on the field,’ Singletary said after the 34-13 loss to Seattle. ‘Simple as that.’

Until next time!

Tags: andre johnson, brian westbrook, dallas clark, deanna favre, diva favre, donnie avery, fantasy football, indianapolis colts, mike singletary, new york bretts, san francisco 49ers, tennessee titans, vernon davis by Peter
No Comments »

I’m in a pretty bad mood right now, so pardon me if this blog is a bit more negative than usual.

(I know, I know…MORE negative?)

Quick-hitters:

- Still no resolution from Costco…though the manager is only partially to blame. I tried calling him twice more last week, and he was not in on either day.

I have yet to call since :P.

- My forehead is still sore from the smackdown I received from my favorite cashier at the Encino CVS.

(You remember this, right?)

Two days ago, I dropped by for the first time in a month (!!!!!), and I ended up spending $7 out of pocket! You should have seen her reaction this time!

“SEVEN DOLLARS??? YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO HAND ME A QUARTER!!!”

And then…***SMACK***, right on the forehead!

(OK, so it was more like a V8 commercial-like tap on the forehead, but still, it was pretty damn funny.)

Fortunately, after seeing the 3-4 ECBs that printed out, she decided that it would be OK to return to the store for my future CVS shopping needs.

- Current rebate-o-meter: $1052, and rising.

Thank goodness for the 2009 FAR software “season!”

Yeah, I know I skipped last week’s NFL Thoughts, but I promise I’ll make it up to you.

- Fantasy football updates:

Fortunately for me, what will forever be known as the “Steven Jackson game” did not ruin me. I was blown out anyway. I am now 2-5 in that league, and facing the top team next week.

(So should I hex the other Steven Jackson owners in the Fantasy Football universe and play him this week?)

In my other league, I’m on a 3-0-1 run to get to 4-2-1, good for third place. I really like my chances in this league, even without a healthy Brian Westbrook.

Non-fantasy football thoughts:

- Awwwww…Brett Favre is angry, over the reports that he spoke with former Lions’ GM Matt Millen, offering “strategic Packers information” to the Lions.

Poor baby.

Where should I start?

“It happens more than you know,” Favre said. “Don’t think for a second that, you know, when Mike McCarthy left in ‘99, went to the Saints, the next year we played them, they put it to us, that he didn’t tell his guys what they thought. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Note to Diva Favre: the “Other people do it, so it must be OK” argument never works! Nice try, though.

“I guess I’m a little bit angry because I think my reputation has been well respected throughout the years,” Favre said. “Any time that’s questioned, the type of teammate I am, it does anger me, I’m not going to lie to you.”

You must have been quite angry over the damage your rep took over this past offseason, huh? Then again, that’s probably the media’s fault.

“Believe me,” Favre said, “I’m trying my best to help this team win, the New York Jets. Spending no time trying to make the Packers lose. I got enough on my plate, believe me.”

“Believe me. I’m trying my best to help this team win by thinking about retirement until training camp.” I can’t wait for him to try this line out during the offseason.

Now that I got the cheap shots out of the way, let me just say that Favre is…R…RIIII…RIGHT. People talk all the time. Exactly how is anybody going to prove that Favre told Millen (assuming they did speak about schemes and strategies) what the Lions’ coaches couldn’t already figure out by watching tapes? More importantly, the NFL has already considered it a non-issue, so I guess that’s good enough for me.

- Do you realize that:

The Cowboys could be 4-6 after their game at Washington?

(Speaking of the Cowboys, how I will live without some T.O. news this week???)

The Colts could be 3-6 after their game at Pittsburgh, and could easily be 1-8?

The Rams are three upsets away from being a legitimate playoff contender?

(I can dream, can’t I?)

The New York Bretts could be 4-8 after their game versus Denver, sparking Favre to consider returning to his team the following week at San Francisco?

(I can dream, can’t I?)

- I thought Chicago and Minny had two premier defenses. Eighty-nine points combined? Yikes.

- So is New England that good, or is Denver that…average?

Of course, Cutler’s finger injury played a huge role in the outcome of that game, but Denver’s D couldn’t stop a Pop Warner RB right now.

(Fantasy football tangent: Selvin Young, please stay injured. I am enjoying the Michael Pittman show.)

EDIT: OK, the tangent above was a bit of a low blow, on the heels of this article chronicling the Broncos’ injury woes. It’s incredible that the 3-4 Chargers (no, you guys should not be 5-2…please stop that) are only a game out of first place in the AFC West, and could very well beat out the Broncos for the division title.

And finally…

- Raise your hand if you had the Tennessee Titans as the only unbeaten team left in the league. To borrow a thought from ESPN’s Bill Simmons, there’s some serious “Ewing Potential” with this team, now that Vince Young is no longer the QB.

It’s probably the media’s fault that Young isn’t the QB any more, though.

Until next time (later tonight, that is!).

Tags: brett favre, brian westbrook, cashier, costco, cvs, dallas cowboys, denver broncos, diva favre, fantasy football, indianapolis colts, matt millen, new england patriots, new york jets, rebate-o-meter, steven jackson, tennessee titans by Peter
No Comments »

Random Thoughts:

- Never, ever, in a million years, could I have seen the Dodgers sweep away the Cubs in three games!

And Cubs fans, please stop saying that the Cubs choked away the series. The Dodgers beat them, plain and simple.

- The weather here has been crazy lately! Late last week, it was chilly; we’re talking mid-70s with winds. Over the weekend, it was a tad warmer, maybe in the 80s.

Today, it was in the mid-90s, and it’s expected to be even hotter tomorrow! Even stranger, the day after, it is expected to be back in the mid-70s!

WTH???

- Shot-Online Update: I’m a Level 48 semi-pro, and yet I’m too afraid to try Cadeiger :P.

(One quick Shot-Online rant: You morons that are clogging the AH with your one-hit items are freaking annoying.

All of you, please go DIAF.)

- Week Five Fantasy Football Updates:

Going into Monday’s Minnesota v New Orleans tilt, I was trailing by 11 points in one league (with only Minnesota’s defense left), and I was up by 30 points in another league (and facing, gulp, Drew Brees and Adrian Peterson).

Then the punt block/TD happened, and I felt really good about the first league.

Then, inexplicably, New Orleans’ run defense started playing really well, practically shutting down AD to the tune of THREE fantasy points! Brees ended up with 13 points, thanks in part to two lost fumbles, and my opponent in the second league ended up with only 16 of the 30 points required to overtake me.

I figured that I was in big trouble in both leagues, and now I’m 2-3 and 2-2-1, with plenty of Fantasy Football left to play.

Some non-fantasy football thoughts from the past week:

- A win is a win is a win, but T.O. going T.O is still T.O., and I love it:

‘This was a great team win,’ T.O. said. ‘It was frustrating out there, but I kept with it. My teammates stuck with it. … God used me today for his glory. Reality is where glory resides. That’s all I’ve got to say.’

What???

First of all, how is holding off a pathetic, winless Bengals team a “great team win”? Second of all…WHAT???

I can’t wait for T.O. to drop a game-tying TD late in the fourth quarter of game, then proclaiming that the loss as a “bad team loss” while staring in the general direction of Tony Romo.

By the way, how would you like to be 4-1 and be in THIRD place in your division? I have a good feeling that the NFC’s Super Bowl representative will come out of the NFC East.

- Another game, another Ed Hochuli controversy. How his crew blew that obvious facemask penalty is beyond me. But can we stop blaming Hochuli for this one? This was not his call!!!

Look, part of sports is the human aspect of it; officials are going to make mistakes! Yes, that’s what instant replay is for, right? Well, why not allow instant replay to reverse non-calls too? If we do that, then where would we draw the line on what is challenge-able and what is not?

Besides, two missed calls in a five-game stretch is not exactly a compelling sample size to determine if a referee needs to retire. Also, what if the Jay Cutler fumble didn’t result in a Broncos TD? What if Reggie Bush did not fumble following the facemask? I’m not arguing that these outcomes would have made the blown calls right, but I will once again hammer the point that one cannot attribute the result of a SINGLE play to the outcome of a game!

- Where are the pro-Diva Favre Packer fans calling for GM Ted Thompson’s head? Is Aaron Rodgers hiding in a bomb shelter? Is Greta Van Susteren getting ready for a second interview, entitled “I Told You So!” with Favre?

(By the way, Packers fans, your secondary looks TERRIBLE. I just thought I’d throw that opinion out there before you mail out your expletive-laden hate mail to the Packers.)

- I guess Kurt Warner shouldn’t retire just yet.

Poor guy, though, to have to witness his teammate—Anquan Boldin—get seriously hurt because of a poor decision on Warner’s part. I immediately became a fan of the guy, and I still am, and I hope that this is not going to be his final season. I would love to see Warner take a team to the playoffs one more time.

(Fantasy football tangent: the goose-egg I got from Trent Edwards, thankfully, did not ruin me.)

- Sage Rosenfels, congratulations on winning the Colts’ Team MVP award. My goodness!

That was kinda cool, I guess, for you to try to channel your inner John Elway. However, you do realize that this was Week Five of the regular season, right?

And Colts fans, isn’t it amazing that you are two failed second-half rallies away from being 0-4?

- And finally…

My Rams did not lose this week! WOOHOO!!!!!

Tags: chicago cubs, choke, controversy, diva favre, ed hochuli, fantasy football, kurt warner, los angeles dodgers, monday night football, nfl, retirement, sage rosenfels, shot-online, sweep, t.o., weird weather by Peter
No Comments »

No quick-hitters tonight.

- So as my loyal readers (all none of you) know, I’ve got idiot neighbors.  The neighbors upstairs, though, are especially rude and inconsiderate.  Everyone up there seems to enjoy constantly running around their condo with absolutely no regards for us downstairs.  I used to wonder if there were nine or ten people in that condo, or if the residents there were just all really…um…lead-footed?

Well, according to my sister, part of the reason why they are so noisy is because there are at least TWO families that share the condo!  Additionally, my sister, being awfully gratuitous, pointed out that several of them are…well…lead-footed?

(Hank—where are you???—might dub some of them “heroically portly.”)

Form your own conclusions; I am just speaking the truth!  Wouldn’t YOU get riled up about being forced awake at 5:30AM to hear what sounds like the National Jume Rope Competition going on upstairs?

- Shot-Online update:  I made it!  I am now a Semi-Pro—thanks to a -8 on Gladsheim—and I absolutely LOATH it.

I hate losing EXP just for making bogeys.  I hate the Pro courses!  Can I go back to being an amateur?

So, because only I care about how I got to Semi-Pro, here’s a brief recap of my Gladsheim round:

• Birdie on 1 (-1)
• Lip-out for birdie on 2
• Birdie on 3 (-2)
• A medium-length (3-7yd; the hardest putt to make consistently) double-breaker par save on 4
• A similar par save on 7
• Another birdie somewhere between 3 and 7 (-3)
• Chip-in birdie on 8 (-4)
• Birdie on 9 (-5)

And then…

• A 2yd putt for par broke unexpectedly, and rolled 4yd back.  A tough putt for bogey kept me at -4
• Pars on 11-13
• Birdie on 14 (-5)
• Par on the toughest hole on the course (IMO):  15
• Birdie on 16 (-6)
• Thinking I needed “insurance,” I made birdie on 17 (-7)
• Birdie on 18 (-8)

Further proof that I’m a Shot-Online dork, right?

- Reason #9080329483242342 why I hate Fantasy Football:

My sister somehow blonded (please save the hate mail!) her way to a 2-2 record, while I’m 1-3 in one league and 1-2-1 (I absolutely stole a tie against a 3-0 team, thanks to Pittsburgh’s DST) in the other.

It’s not fair!

Amazingly enough, Le’Ron McClain was available as a FA in both of my leagues, as well as popular pickups as Lance Moore (WR - NO), Steve Slaton (RB - HOU), and Muhsin Muhammed (WR - CAR).

Hopefully this is the week teams start quitting, so I can start rallying towards respectability

Other, non-fantasy, football thoughts:

- No, the big story of the weekend was not T.O. remembering that he is T.O.  It was not the whole Al Davis-Lane Kiffin ordeal.

Tampa Bay K Matt Bryant playing one day after burying his infant son has to be the story of the week, if not the entire NFL season:

“The biggest thing for me, I wanted to honor [son] Tryson’s name,” Bryant said. “I mean, I don’t think it was very fair for his life to end so short. This is the best way I believe I could get out and honor him. I miss him and wish he was here, but he was here with me. He helped out.”

Prayers go out to the Bryant family.

That being said…

- Thank you, T.O., for remembering that you, not Tony Romo, are the most compelling figure on the Dallas Cowboys’ roster.  Seriously, complaining that you weren’t involved enough in the offense?  By everyone’s count, you were involved in 20 of 58 plays, or over 1/3 of all the Cowboys’ offensive plays!

Should we expect to see T.O. lined up as QB and/or RB sometime next week?

(And nice job, T.O., giving absolutely no credit to Washington DB Shawn Springs, who was in your back pocket all day.)

- Boy…what to make of the entire Al Davis/Lane Kiffen situation?  I certainly don’t know all of the facts, but if anyone has a case against the other, it’s Kiffen for everything Davis has done to him!  Remember the resignation letter Davis drafted for Kiffen to sign?

I sincerely hope Kiffen gets the money left over on his contract.  Should this be his one and only NFL contract, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind having to “settle” for a college football job.

Also, who the hell would want the Raiders’ coaching job, after this entire episode?

- Ninety-one points combined for Arizona and New York (Bretts)?  Crazy.

And I guess the “Greatest [QB] of All Time” can still play.

(Yes, that remark was made tongue in cheek.)

- Speaking of Diva Favre…are Packers fans seriously panicking now that the Packers are 2-2 and Aaron Rodgers might be hurt.

I sense that Diva Favre is quietly celebrating by himself right now.

- I hear there are plenty of job openings available in Pittsburgh’s backfield.

- With Kansas City out of the picture, that leaves my Rams as the only team winless.

The fact that they came from ahead to lose to Buffalo gives me hope!

- I guess Chicago’s defense is for real.  Same with Pittsburgh.  I guess Buffalo is really for real.  I guess L.T. is just fine.  And is Carolina for real?

Until next time!

Tags: aaron rodgers, al davis, diva favre, fantasy football, gladsheim, lane kiffen, semi-pro, shot-online, stupid neighbors, t.o. by Peter
2 Comments »

Four days between updates? Yikes!

Let’s get to it.

One quick thought about the Dodgers, before I get started…

- If that stolen base, by a PITCHER (the Giants’ Brad Hennessey!!!), who came in as a pinch runner, who stole second because our All-Star catcher—Russell Martin—wasn’t paying attention on the play, costs the Dodgers the National League West crown, I am going to be royally pissed off.

That is all.

- For the love of ***, I am going to flip if I see one of those stupid Mercury Insurance commercials again!!!

(Have you seen these abominations? In one, some douchebag wants to call heads and tails on a coin flip. In other, some woman wants to send a packages to two places. HILARIOUS!

Or not.)

Speaking of dumb commercials, what’s with the new “I’m a PC” commercials??? Seriously, is Microsoft trying to out-douchebag Apple?

- Shot-Online update: I’m now at level 44, thanks to Shot-Online giving us a triple EXP/NG day for apparently forgetting to turn on double EXP/NG on Sunday, along with the daily evening double EXP/NG times. A healthy supply of Mageias doesn’t hurt, either. Seeing as how triple EXP/NG day is going to run until 8pm tomorrow night, and seeing as how I have lots of Mageias left, I could probably get to level 50 by tomorrow :P.

As far as my semi-pro quest is concerned, I was also able to shoot -6 on Gladsheim from the semi-pro tees. That’s fairly reassuring to me, considering that one of my guildmates passed the semi-pro test with the exact same score.

(Tangent: As you might recall, I am a Shot-Online Auction House whore. Well, I’ve moved on from flipping Werdandis, Sagittariuses, and Capricornuses, to eight-figure Mageias! In preparation for the events of the past few days, I’ve been flipping Mageias purchased for at ~ 10-10.5 million for nearly 12 million each!

Well, I should have thought about selling the Mageias during the triple EXP/NG times, because they are now selling for ~ 15 million NG each! Whoops!)

Time for this week’s NFL thoughts:

- Is it bad that I got a lot (and I mean a LOT!) of satisfaction out of watching Brett Favre look completely lost in the NY Bretts’ 48-29 loss against the previously unbeaten San Diego Chargers? I laughed hysterically at every terrible pass, every duck, and every pick he threw, especially the Pick-Six!

I wonder if Diva Favre is re-thinking his decision to play this season. Would it surprise anyone if he retired tomorrow?

- How in the hell did Miami put up 38 points on New England???  Was that Ronnie Brown in the Fins’ backfield, or freaking Jim Brown?

Speaking of lots of points, Atlanta (???) scored 38 against KC, Denver and NO scored a total of 66 points, Seattle put up 37 (well, that one’s not THAT surprising), and of course, there’s the 77 point explosion by the Jets and the Chargers.

Fantasy football dorks, rejoice!

- What a backbreaking loss for the Colts against the Jags on Sunday!  A great rally—including a gutsy bomb on fourth and two—only to be stymied by a bad pass interference penalty and a game-winning 51-yard field goal!

Look at the Colts’ remaining schedule.  Is a 4-7 record before Thanksgiving really that far out of the question?  The Colts have no running game, they can’t protect Manning, their run defense is AWFUL, and Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning don’t seem to be clicking at all.

- If Dallas goes 16-0 this season, how much buzz would THAT generate?  It should generate at least as much as the Patriots did last year, right?  Between Terrible Owens being a model citizen, and the whole circus that is Tony Romo, this team has just as much intrigue as the Spygate-infested Patriots of last year.

I don’t see them going undefeated, though, as they have quite a few tough matchups left.

My head hurts, so I’ll stop here.  Until next time!

Tags: auction house, dallas cowboys, diva favre, i'm a pc, indianapolis colts, mageia, mercury insurance, miami dolphins, nfl, ny bretts, peyton manning, ronnie brown, san diego chargers, semi-pro test, shot-online, stupid commercials, triple exp/ng, undefeated, week three by Peter
No Comments »

Boy did it get chilly over the last two days!

Stupid weather girl lied…she said it would be warmer, not colder!

I want summer back =(.

Quick-hitters:

- I now have somewhere along the lines of fifteen rebates that need to go out soon.

(Yes, that includes the ten or so that need to go out by next week.)

- Why do teams continue to pitch to Manny?

Sure, Manny grounded into a double play, struck out on a wicked change, and then hit a towering fly ball in his first three at bats tonight against the Rockies. Come on, Rockies! That’s only going to motivate him to try! RBI single, single to load the bases, and ho-hum…another 2-for-5 day.

I’ll miss you, Manny. Enjoy the Yankee pinstripes next season.

- Better late than never, right?

1) So first Vince Young, allegedly, refused to re-enter a game after injuring his MCL (He only returned after Titans’ coach Jeff Fisher pleaded with him to get back in the game).  Then, after the game, Young went missing.  Later on, we found out that he was at a friend’s house, eating chicken wings.  His mom decided to chime in as well, demanding space for her son.

And now there’s word that he spoke to a therapist about suicide?

I’m not going to pile on the guy, like some people on ESPN; I’ve read enough “You make millions of dollars, you poor baby!” comments to last me ten lifetimes.  All I’ll say is that Young’s MCL injury might be a blessing in disguise; if I were the Titans, I would leave Young in Tennessee to recuperate AND find someone to talk to about his personal issues.

2) I felt a little bit guilty about rooting hard for Chad Pennington to rally against the New York Favres.

(Just a little bit.)

Too bad Chad Pennington remembered who he was, right before throwing that back-breaking pick.

3) I’m so glad everything in the world is back to normal, now that T.O. is once again going after Donovan McNabb.

Thank you, Terrible Owens.

4) I’d worry if I were a Jags’ or Seahawks’ fan.  I’d temper my expectations if I were an Eagles’, Bills’, or Bears’ fan.  Colts’ fans, I wouldn’t worry too much, especially if Jeff Saturday returns next week and is healthy.

And finally, Pats’ fans…

5) Is Matt Cassel going to be the next Tom Brady?  No.  At this point, Pats’ fans better hope Matt Cassel is the next Trent Dilfer, and I mean that with all seriousness.

Remember, it was Trent Dilfer that did not cost the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl XXXV.  If Matt Cassel can do that, and the Pats’ defense stays solid throughout the year, then who knows?  Last time I checked, the Pats still had Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Lawrence Maroney, and Bill Belicheck.

(Can you believe this?  A year ago, I would have puked in my mouth at the mere mention of the Pats, and now, I’m actually being sympathetic???

Part of this is because of Diva Favre, by the way.  If the Jets should win the AFC East, I’m going to plaster asterisks all over that title :P).

Maybe more NFL Week 1 thoughts next time, as well as a Shot-Online update, and the worst piece of steak I’ve ever cooked (*cry*).  Until then!

Tags: cold weather, colorado rockies, diva favre, los angeles dodgers, manny ramirez, matt cassel, nfl, rebates, tennessee titans, terrible owens, vince young, week 1 by Peter
No Comments »

Wow.  It’s been a week since I last blogged?!?

Whoops!

I’ve got lots to talk about, but I’ll split it over two or more blog entries.

Random thoughts (aka an extended version of “Quick-hitters”):

- Speaking of not blogging lately, apparently one week of not blogging has absolutely killed my blog traffic statistics.  I got about one-third of the normal hits over the past few days.

- This is a very cool Eddie Izzard fan site, which I found via Google Analytics shortly after I posted my Stripped mini-review.

Check it out!

- How great is it that Diva Favre is no longer the top sports news story out there?

Thank you, Michael Phelps (more on him another time).

(And do we really have to hear about how his arm was fatigued after a practice?  What’s next?  Will we get an article about him being constipated before a preseason game?)

- In succession, I just viewed the following annoying-as-hell commercials:  a McDonald’s commercial advertising their apparently still “New” Southern Chicken sandwich, a Wal-Mart commercial (Do you know what I like about Wal-Mart?), and a really obnoxious Target commerical (You…say…goodbye…and I…say…hello…).

I need a TiVo.

- Current rebate-o-meter:  $1,100.  I received a couple hundred bucks in rebate checks and gift cards in the last week, and, naturally, I added about $200 in unfiled rebates over the weekend.

- Hey Dodger fans, do you realize that your team could easily be on an eleven game winning streak?

Stupid bullpen.  Damn you, Broxton, Kuo, and Park.

And what the hell was Matt Kemp thinking in the Dodgers’ most recent loss, a 4-3 decision against Milwaukee on Saturday?  For those of you that didn’t see the game, Kemp was at first, and Andre Ethier hit a towering drive to center.  Brewers’ CF Mike Cameron missed the ball as it bounced off the base, but Kemp was only able to get to second?!?  Apparently, he went back to first, thinking Cameron caught the ball.  What the hell?  If Kemp were standing at or near second, like he should have been, he ends up at third at the absolute worst, and a Kent sac fly (he lined out to center eventually) ties the game!

Dumb base running, a terrible bullpen, games choked away…I’ve seen this script before.  Oh yeah, I saw it last year.

Other Dodger thoughts:

- Two more bombs by Ethier, including a game winner.  Shouldn’t that all but cement Andruw Jones’ status as a $36 million cheerleader, and seriously shorten Juan Pierre’s playing time?

- I know Manny has only played a few games as a Dodger, but is it too crazy to consider him a possibility as the NL MVP?

(Call me a homer.  Go ahead!)

Isn’t it amazing what happens when this guy tries?  Six HRs, an NL-leading 21 RBI in August, and look what he’s done for Jeff Kent and Andre Ethier!  Ken’t BA has gone up 20 points or so, and Ethier’s raking!  Now, if Manny can rub off on Loney and Martin, look out!

What scares me about the Dodgers is that, despite their very nice run of late, they’re only tied with the D’Backs, and we know that the D’Backs won’t run into too many prolonged losing streaks (not with Webb and Haren on the mound).

Until next time!

Tags: andre ethier, bullpen woes, chan ho park, diva favre, eddie izzard, fan site, hong-chih kuo, jonathan broxton, los angeles dodgers, manny ramirez, matt kemp, nl mvp, stupid commercials by Peter
No Comments »