Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 233 of 1503)

      Why on earth would the Vikings continue to play Favre?

      December 5, 2010 /
      LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 28: Brett Favre of the Minnesota Vikings sits ont the bench between offensive series against the Washington Redskins at FedExField November 28, 2010 in Landover, Maryland. The Vikings won the game 17-13. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

      Following the Vikings’ 38-14 win over the Bills on Sunday, interim coach Leslie Frazier told the media that Brett Favre (despite being replaced by Tarvaris Jackson in the first quarter after suffering a shoulder injury) would remain Minnesota’s starting quarterback if healthy.

      My only question is: Why? If you’re the Vikings, why would you play Brett Favre for the rest of the season? If you’re Leslie Frazier and you’re trying to earn a full-time coaching job, why would you play Favre?

      Look, you know Lord Favre is going to say that he’s healthy enough to play next week. The guy hasn’t missed a start in his entire career. If his arm was hanging out of the socket and he only had one foot left, he would play. So you know he’s going to force Frazier to make a decision about who to start next week.

      But Favre hasn’t been the same since he threw that interception in the NFC Championship Game last year. He’s been downright brutal at times and he’s a walking mess in terms of injuries. In other words, stick a fork in him because he’s done.

      If Favre was even an average quarterback at this point and signed through next season, I could see continuing to play him. But not at this point. He has zero future in Minnesota and who’s to say that Jackson doesn’t give the Vikings their best chance to win right now anyway? He threw three interceptions on Sunday, but he also completed 15-of-22 passes for two touchdowns and compiled an 85.0 QB rating. That’s not bad for a quarterback who never plays. Plus, he may be on the roster next year – Favre won’t.

      If Frazier is hoping to rattle off four in a row to finish the year 9-7 and sneak into the playoffs, then he needs a reality check. Especially if he believes Favre is the man to accomplish that unrealistic feat.

      External Sports, NFL

      Brett Favre walks off to locker room with injury

      December 5, 2010 /
      LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 28: Brett Favre of the Minnesota Vikings walks off the field at the end of the first half against the Washington Redskins at FedExField November 28, 2010 in Landover, Maryland. The Vikings won the game 17-13. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

      Is this the end of Lord Favre?

      During the first quarter of the Vikings’ game with the Bills in Minnesota on Sunday, Favre took a massive hit to his back from Buffalo linebacker Arthur Moats and had to come out of the game. Favre then sat down on the sidelines before walking to the locker room. Tarvaris Jackson entered the game and was immediately cheered by the Metrodome crowd. He threw a long completion to Sidney Rice down the sideline.

      Favre held onto the ball too long and he paid for it, as Moats crushed him and caused the ball to be intercepted. Favre’s return is being called “questionable.”

      Jackson just threw a pick-six, so maybe the crowd will cheer Favre back onto the field.

      Update: Check that, Jackson just threw a touchdown to Rice. So stay out, Brett…

      External Sports, NFL

      2010 NFL Week 13 Picks

      December 5, 2010 /
      LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 15: Donovan McNabb of the Washington Redskins waits for play to resume in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 15, 2010 at FedExField in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

      As expected, the wheels have fallen off. I’ve gone 2-6 the past two weeks and my once-winning record is now tattered and torn. But f&$k it, let’s make some picks this week anyway.

      Falcons (9-2) @ Bucs (7-4), 4:15PM ET
      Call it a hunch, a feeling or intuition, but I think the Falcons are due for a letdown. They’ve won five in a row, have covered in three straight games and have not turned the ball over in four straight. Five straight would be a NFL record, so something tells me this house of cards comes down on Sunday in Tampa. That’s not to say that I’m not a believer in the Falcons because I am. But I can see it now: On Monday, everyone will be talking about how the Saints are the “forgotten team” in the NFL. If they win in Cincinnati on Sunday and Atlanta loses in Tampa, the Saints and Falcons would have the same record. The media is dying for a here-comes-the-Saints frenzy and I think they’re about to get it. The Bucs have yet to beat a team with a winning record this year, but they’ve always given the Falcons trouble. I smell an upset.
      THE PICK: BUCS +2

      Saints (8-3) @ Bengals (2-9), 1:00PM ET
      As previously mentioned (if you had bothered to read my write up on the Falcons-Bucs, that is), everyone is ready and waiting to jump back onto the Saints’ bandwagon. The Saints have been lying in the weeds for most of the season and now their crap schedule (the Bucs and Steelers with winning records that the Saints have beaten this year) has allowed them to stay right up the Falcons’ butts in the NFC South. And once they wax the floor with the inconsistent Bengals on Sunday and the Bucs spring an upset over the Falcons in Tampa, New Orleans and Atlanta will be tied at 9-3 heading down the stretch. Oh yes, I can see it all now.
      THE PICK: SAINTS –6.5

      Redskins (5-6) @ Giants (7-4), 1:00PM ET
      Everyone has been ready and willing to write the Redskins off and at 5-6, maybe we can. But when nobody expected the Skins to beat Dallas in the opener, they did. When nobody expected them to take down the Eagles in Philadelphia, they did (albeit without Michael Vick playing most of the game). When nobody expected them to go on the road and beat the Packers and Bears, they did. So now that nobody expects them to pull off an upset in New York this Sunday, will they surprise us again? Donovan McNabb has had the G-Men’s number over the years and even if Washington doesn’t win outright, I’m willing to bet the Skins keep it close.
      THE PICK: REDSKINS +7

      Steelers (8-3) @ Ravens (8-3), 8:20PM ET
      This one is set up too nicely for the Ravens. Big Ben is hobbling around with a bad foot/ankle, the Ravens are at home and they’ve already beaten the Steelers once this year (in Pittsburgh, no less). But Roethlisberger (much like McNabb when it comes to playing the Giants) has had Baltimore’s number over the years. In games that he starts against the Ravens, he’s 7-2 in his career. When he doesn’t start due to injuries or him being suspended for being a perv, the Ravens are 4-0. There’s just something about the Steelers getting points that makes me feel all warm and secure inside.
      THE PICK: STEELERS +3

      Season Record: 21-22-1

      External Sports, NFL

      Deal in place to send Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox

      December 5, 2010 /
      Aug. 03, 2010 - Los Angeles, California, United States of America - 3 August 2010: San Diego Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

      According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Red Sox and Padres have a greed to a deal that will send first baseman Adrian Goznalez to Boston in exchange for several top prospects.

      The team flew in Gonzalez, who had surgery Oct. 20 on his right, non-throwing shoulder to clean up the labrum, for a physical examination Saturday. While there was no official word on the physical, a team source told ESPNBoston.com’s Joe McDonald that Gonzalez “looked good.”

      The Red Sox continued Saturday night to work on a long-term contract with him, a source, who indicated that the negotiation window will close at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, told ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes.

      In exchange, the Padres would receive three prospects in pitcher Casey Kelly, first baseman Anthony Rizzo and outfielder Reymond Fuentes, according to a baseball source. The Padres also would receive a player to be named later, a source told Edes.

      This deal works for all parties involved. The Padres couldn’t/wouldn’t pony up to pay Gonzalez, so they needed to get something for him before he hit the open market in 2012. The Red Sox desperately needed to add another middle-of-the-order bat and Gonzo fits the bill. He should love that short porch in right field at Fenway, although this guy can hit it out to all sides of the field. (He should love hitting in that wind tunnel that the Yankees call a ballpark, too.)

      The only thing that’s unfortunate is that the Padres’ offense was about as explosive as wet tuna last year and now they just traded away their best hitter. This is a club that relied heavily on pitching last year and they’ll have to do it again this season because their lineup is the definition of weak.

      Of course, maybe management knew that their success last year was more fluke than anything and decided that it was now or never when it came to trading Gonzalez. They didn’t want to hang onto him just to finish fifth next year (I’m not saying they would have – I’m just delving into the thought process of San Diego’s brass) and lose out on the chance to acquire Rizzo, Kelly and Fuentes. So they made the trade and will now deal with the fan outcry.

      External Sports, MLB

      Derek Jeter re-ups with the Yankees for three years, $51 million

      December 5, 2010 /
      New York Yankees' shortstop Derek Jeter jesters to a teammate before the Yankees take on the Texas Rangers in game four of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium on October 19, 2010 in New York. UPI/Monika Graff Photo via Newscom

      While the deal isn’t official yet, WFAN’s Sweeny Murti is reporting that the Yankees and Derek Jeter have agreed to a three-year deal worth roughly $51 million. There’s also an option for a fourth year that Murti says is for less than the $17 million Jeter will get annually for the first three years.

      While the back-and-forth bickering between Jeter’s camp and GM Brian Cashman was entertaining for about a week, in the end there was no way the Yankee captain was going to wear anything but pinstripes next season. The Giants got the closest to making a deal with Jeter, and all they did was pick up the phone and call his agent. That’s it. That’s as close as Jeter got to not being a Yankee.

      The Bombers were generous with this deal because Jeter wasn’t going to find that kind of money on the open market. His range at shortstop is rapidly declining, he’s coming off a career-low year at the dish and he’s already 36 years old. He should be fortunate that the Yankees were willing to go as high as $51 mil.

      That said, the Yankees had to overpay. Jeter has meant just as much to the organization off the field as he has on it. He’s a leader in every sense of the word and the Yankees have been able to cash in on his marketability for over a decade. They had to pony up to pay their most recognizable player since Don Mattingly.

      In other Yankee news, Mariano Rivera’s new deal is for two years and $30 million. The Red Sox reportedly attempted to steal Rivera from the Yankees with a three-year offer, as did the Angels. But Mo ultimately decided to stay in New York, which is where he’ll start and finish his career.

      How does Jonathan Papelbon feel right about now that Boston made a last-ditch effort to acquire Rivera? Ouch.

      External Sports, MLB

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