Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 1015 of 1503)

      The Cardinals will be one and done come postseason

      December 21, 2008 /

      Ken WhisenhuntThere are three things in life that we can all count on right now: Death, taxes and the Arizona Cardinals not making a Super Bowl appearance this season.

      How could anyone outside of their fan base truly believe that the Cardinals are anything more than a team that will quietly exit in the first or second round of the postseason? They might win Wild Card week because they’ll play at home, but forget this team beating any opponent on the road. They won’t win in Carolina, New York, Minnesota or Timbuktu. They don’t have a chance – forgetaboutit.

      The past two weeks have been an absolute embarrassment for Arizona. Two weeks ago they made Tarvaris Jackson look like Joe Namath and then on Sunday they made the New England Patriots look like the 1972 Miami Dolphins. They could have made a statement on Sunday in Foxboro. Instead, they got off the bus, saw how bad the conditions were and decided to mentally check out for four quarters.

      I realize the Patriots have had a tad more experience playing in a snowstorm than Arizona has. But New England’s 47-7 smack down was less about weather experience and more about a Cardinals team that has given up since they clinched the NFC West three weeks ago. They dropped passes, they missed tackles and they flat out gave up after the Patriots took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

      Cardinal fans have suffered enough throughout the years, so they deserve to finally see a winner. But the fact of the matter is that this team received no challenge in the NFC West this season and that has left them unprepared heading into the postseason. Explosive passing game or not, the Cards’ confidence is shattered right now and whichever team draws them in the first round is getting a great matchup.

      As of right now, Arizona simply is a team that is just satisfied to say it made the playoffs.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Galloway: Jerry Jones should fire himself

      December 21, 2008 /

      Following their 33-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens Saturday night in Dallas, Star-Telegram columnist Randy Galloway writes that Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones should fire himself.

      Wade PhillipsThen again, Jerry Jones is the dumbest general manager in the history of football, and there he was, postgame on Saturday, proclaiming he has no plans, no matter what, to fire Wade. See, it’s real hard to find good puppets these days.

      But please remember that much has changed in the 11 barren postseason years, including five head coaches.

      The one and only survivor of this Titanic?

      Our captain of the ship, general manager Jones. Why won’t this failure fire himself? No other GM in the league could survive this kind of ineptness, unless, of course, the team owner was in a coma. Now there’s a thought.

      Not once, but twice, when Romo had cut the Ravens lead to two points in the last four minutes, the defense caved like a sand tunnel at high tide. Pathetic.

      Any defensive coordinator should be fired on the spot. That’s you, right Wade?

      Phillips had a run blitz called when Willis McGahee burst up the middle, untouched, for a 77-yard touchdown.

      Phillips had a run blitz called when lumbering Le’Ron McClain started outside, broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage, broke two more five yards later, and then just kept running. He stopped in the end zone, 82 yards later.

      The comeback was over. The season is all but over. And Wade should be over and out. But Jerry is, as always, football stupid. Nothing can ever change that.

      I realize Phillips will take the heat because it was him who made the defensive play calls in the fourth quarter that eventually sunk the Cowboys. But it’s not Wade’s fault that multiple players missed multiple tackles on those two plays. All coaches can do is put their players in position to succeed and then it’s up to the players to execute.

      That said, it’s hard to argue with Galloway that something has to be done with Phillips and/or Jones. This Dallas team is on the verge of missing the postseason despite having some of the best talent in the NFC. Somebody has to be held accountable.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Soccer player kills pigeon with kick

      December 20, 2008 /

      Argentine soccer player Gaston Aguirre must have one hell of a kick:

      “I kicked the ball and, poor pigeon,” the San Lorenzo defender said. “Now I will be remembered as the pigeon killer.”

      Aguirre hit the bird in the 2-1 victory against Tigre in a three-team round-robin for the Argentine league title. Surrounded by opponents, he kicked the ball toward the goal and in the direction of a group of pigeons on the grass near the corner.

      A burst of feathers followed and the pigeons flew away — except one.

      Several players surrounded the wounded bird as it tried to fly away but it collapsed. Referee Saul Laverni then scooped up the dead pigeon and placed it off the field.

      I’ve got two things to say regarding this:

      1) “Who cares? It’s a rat with wings.” – Harry Doyle, Major League II

      2) Randy Johnson has you beat, Gaston:

      Soccer, Video

      Will off-field distractions eventually sink Cowboys?

      December 20, 2008 /

      Terrell OwensAt some point it has to happen, right? At some point all of this nonsense that was created by Terrell Owens a week ago has to catch up with the Dallas Cowboys, right?

      As Dallas gets set to take on the Baltimore Ravens tonight, there seems to be a cloud hanging over Valley Ranch just ready to unleash a bolt of lighting and destroy the Cowboys’ season in a moments notice. And while everything looked just peachy in a 20-8 victory over the Giants last week, I’m not buying that things have completely smoothed out for Owens, Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Wade Phillips and everyone else that dons a big star logo on their clothing appeal these days.

      First and foremost, everything is always great among teammates when they win. So it was no surprise to see Owens, Romo and Witten all smiles at the end of the Cowboys-Giants game last week, because Dallas won. Problems seem to get pushed off to the side rather quickly when everything is copasetic on the field.

      But what has to worry Cowboy fans is that eventually, off-field issues rise to the surface at some point. And one has to wonder if some point is tonight.

      The Ravens have a nasty taste in their mouths after losing at home to the Steelers last week when they essentially had a victory locked up. Ben Rothlisberger and the Pittsburgh offense had done virtually nothing until their final drive of the game, yet they made plays when it mattered most and pulled victory out of the jaws of defeat. Now Baltimore’s playoff hopes remain in flux, but a win over Dallas would go a long way in solving that issue.

      If things start going array for the ‘Boys tonight, can they hold everything together? Or will Owens start complaining that he’s not getting the ball enough? And will Romo start turning the ball over again like he has a penchant for doing when the Cowboys are losing? Or will Jason Garrett have an answer for the Ravens’ stout defense if his offense isn’t clicking? (Especially if Marion Barber doesn’t play or cannot be effective with an injured toe and calf.)

      Many purists think the Cowboys are back on track after their impressive victory over the Giants last week. They can’t stop writing about how Phillips has fixed the defense and how the trio of Owens, Romo and Witten are all best friends now. Hey, maybe they’re right. Or maybe the win over New York just kept the issues at bay for a week. Either way, we’ll find out very soon what kind of team Dallas is made out of because a win would go a long way in proving that this team is what many people thought they would be at the start of the year: A Super Bowl contender.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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