Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 1359 of 1503)

Most impressed with: The Packers showed remarkable resiliency in their 31-24 win over San Diego. They could have folded several times in the fourth quarter, including after being thwarted on the goal line with less than six minutes to play. However, the defense came up with a huge turnover and Brett Favre (congrats on 420) comes up clutch yet again.

Least impressed with: Some test for the previously 2-0 Lions in Philly, huh? I think Kevin Curtis (11 rec. 211 yards, 3 TDs) just scored again.

Wake up call goes to: I know he’s an extreme competitor, but LT screaming at Philip Rivers on the sidelines today was uncalled for. Stop being a leader only when your team wins.

Play of the day: It’s a toss up between Joseph Addai’s leaping, helicopter-spin TD run in the Colts 30-24 victory over Houston and Chris Baker’s TD snag and feet-drag in the back of the end zone in the Jets 31-28 win over Miami.

Bandwagon team of the week: Tampa….Don’t get hurt jumping off: San Fran.

Many applauds to: Donovan McNabb (21 of 26, 381 yards, 4 TDs) should spark controversy every week…Nobody blinked an eye when Allen Rossum was acquired right before the start of the season, but what a lift he’s given the Steelers return game…How about Lane Kiffin beating the Browns by pulling the same TO-right-before-the-FG stunt Mike Shanahan burned him on last week?…The Jaguars played their most complete game of the season at Mile High…DeShaun Foster (122 carries, 2 total TDs) owns the Falcons…The NFL should have put its foot down when the Patriots acquired Randy Moss, because giving a weapon like that to Tom Brady and Bill Belicheat just wasn’t fair to the rest of the league…Tony Romo looks like a 10-year vet…

Cheap shots: Still no word on where the hell Lee Evans is …Somebody tell Marc Bulger (3 INTs) what color uniforms his team wears – he’s obviously confused…How Denver has a winning record at this point is beyond me…DeAngelo Hall did a hell of a job on Steve Smith (1 rec. 10 yards), but his immaturity might have cost the Falcons a win…

Anyone who watched FOX’s pregame show last week was treated to the actual video the Patriots used to steal defensive signals from the Jets in Week 1. Reporter Jay Glazer was credited for obtaining the video for FOX, but now he’s apparently in a little hot water with the NFL.

SPORTSbyBROOKS has noted that the league wants to know whom Glazer got the tape from, but he’s apparently willing to lose his job rather than give up his source:

Glazer to the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS today: “I told them (Fox Sports execs) if my source is an issue then let’s not run the video. And if they come to me now and say, ‘Look, you have no job unless you tell us,’ I would tell them: ‘Then I better start looking for a new job.'”

Welcome to the wonderful world of sports broadcasting, where if your employer holds the broadcast rights to the sport you cover, don’t bother scaring up any scoops – they’ll either be spiked before air or get you fired.

What’s ironic about sports reporting, and SbB touched on it, is that to get anywhere in the business, you need creditable sources. Those sources, however, want to remain anonymous. So to move up in a high profile job like sports reporting, you have to have creditable sources. But to retain the job, sometimes you have to give up those very same sources, just like Glazer is finding out. Ironic.

In Jason Whitlock’s latest column for FOX Sports.com, he discussed Donovan McNabb’s comments that black quarterbacks are more criticized than their white counterparts. To summarize the article, Whitlock supported McNabb’s comments, although he also felt that they were, “incomplete and therefore, out of context.” Whitlock went on to defend his opinion by stating McNabb has received less help on the field than Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer and Tom Brady, as well as off the field, citing several instances which I’ve gathered below.

Donovan McNabb has been attacked from every racial angle. A leader of the Philadelphia NAACP ripped McNabb for becoming more of a pocket passer. He’s criticized by some for being too close to his parents. His leadership ability has been questioned because he didn’t respond forcefully enough to TO’s stupidity.

Wow. This dude is as good as it gets. He comes from a great home, wonderful, dignified parents. He’s carried himself with class through a ton of adversity. He’s a winner. He’s exactly what we claim we want pro athletes to be.

But somehow that’s not good enough. And you think there’s not more criticism heaped on black quarterbacks?

I was with Whitlock up until the last sentence. It’s hard to argue that McNabb has seen more trials and tribulations than some of the more renowned white quarterbacks. But McNabb is only one person, making him one black quarterback. Whitlock is referring to McNabb’s troubles, not all black quarterbacks in the league. So it’s hard to insinuate that all black quarterbacks are criticized based only on what has happened to McNabb. If Whitlock made a specific case for all black quarterbacks, then his argument might be stronger. But in my opinion, that still leaves McNabb’s comments shortsighted.