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      Report: Brian Westbrook facing retirement

      January 18, 2010 /

      A great career might end on a sad note, as Philadelphia sports radio host Howard Eskin is reporting that Eagles running back Brian Westbrook is considering retirement.

      From SB Nation.com:

      Earlier in the season, rumors swirled that the oft-injured running back was considering retirement, but those were attributed to his concussions, two of which he suffered this season. Eskin reports that it’s the left knee that is hampering Westbrook, which was surgically repaired in the past.

      Eskin says there is “almost no chance” Westbrook plays another game for the Eagles — he has one year left on his contract — and that the knee is in such bad condition, Westbrook may not even me able to pass a team physical to play elsewhere.

      Looking at this realistically, the Eagles already drafted Westbrook’s replacement last April when they took LeSean McCoy in the second round. McCoy is a near replica of Westbrook, so there is no reason for Philly to pay the $7.5 million that is owed to the 30-year old back next season.

      There will definitely be teams interested in Westbrook as a backup or platoon player, but if he can’t pass a physical then obviously he won’t be signed. If he does retire, it’ll be a sad way to go out for one of the league’s most productive backs over the last decade.


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      NFL

      2010 NFC & AFC Championship Odds

      January 18, 2010 /

      Odds makers have released the point spreads for the NFC and AFC Championship games, with the Saints and Colts opening as the favorites.

      According to theSpread.com, Drew Brees and the Saints have opened as a 4.5-point favorite over the Vikings for the NFC title game. Both teams covered in the Divisional Round, with New Orleans winning as a 7-point favorite over Arizona, and Minnesota easily covering as a 3-point favorite over Dallas.

      In the AFC, the Colts are an 8-point favorite over the Jets after beating the Ravens 20-3 in a Divisional Round matchup on Saturday night. New York pulled off an upset Sunday evening in San Diego, beating the Chargers 17-14.

      Kickoff for the AFC Championship Game is set for 3:00PM ET on Sunday, while the NFC title matchup will start at 6:40PM ET.


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      NFL

      Kirilenko upsets Sharapova at Austalian Open

      January 17, 2010 /

      We already have an upset at the 2010 Australian Open. It took three achingly long hours, but Maria Kirilenko defeated countrywoman Maria Sharapova 7-6, 3-6, 5-4 in the first round. Dressed for late-night dancing in Hawaii rather than competitive tennis, Maria Sharapova never got comfortable as she struggled with her serve and stumbled around the court. After overcoming a shoulder injury, we expected Sharapova to arrive reinvigorated and close to top form. During her loss against Kirilenko, however, it’s obvious that something is simply wrong with her game.

      As for Kirilenko, this is one of the biggest victories of her career. The women’s draw at this tournament is loaded with decorated players, but that shouldn’t frighten Kirilenko. Given her performance in this match, she should give any of them a run for their money.

      Pic of Sharapova (and her night club outfit) after the jump.

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      Tennis

      Let’s call it for what it was: The Chargers choked.

      January 17, 2010 /

      No matter how much more talent, coaching or overall advantages one squad has over another, teams still have to show up ready to play for 60 minutes on game day.

      There’s no way to describe what the Jets did to the Chargers today than to stating the obvious: They just flat out outplayed them in the second half. The Jets were better today and that’s why they’re heading to Indianapolis to take on the Colts in the AFC Championship Game next weekend.

      But let’s not overlook the fact that the Chargers were the hottest team coming into the playoffs and they couldn’t even make it out of the Divisional Round. They hadn’t lost since a mid-October Monday night game against the Broncos and many people considered them the team to beat in the postseason.

      So excuse me for not shrugging my shoulders and saying, “Ah well, the better team won in San Diego today.” It’s not that simple to just write off the Chargers’ loss as another game when everything was set up for them to make a deep postseason run.

      The Bolts had home field advantage, were facing a rookie quarterback playing in only his second postseason game of his career and they had momentum after winning 11 straight games. They weren’t supposed to lose today – no matter how good Rex Ryan’s defense played – and the defeat was eerily similar to their 2007 Divisional Round loss to the Patriots after they finished 14-2 in the regular season.

      The blame cannot fall on just one man’s shoulders; it took a complete team effort for the Chargers to lose today. Norv Turner’s game plan failed, the defense had trouble coming up with a big stop in the second half (especially on Shonn Greene’s 53-yard touchdown run), Philip Rivers turned the ball over twice (although one was a fluke) and the usually automatic Nate Kaeding missed three field goals, including two within 40 yards.

      San Diego just didn’t execute today, which is why they’ll be at home come February when the Super Bowl is being played – the Super Bowl that many people figured they’d be playing in.


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      NFL

      How did Rex Ryan not get a head-coaching job sooner?

      January 17, 2010 /

      The only thing shocking about the Jets’ 17-14 upset over the Chargers on Sunday is how it took Rex Ryan this long to land a head coaching job.

      All right, so maybe there were more shocking things that occurred than that. For example, how a San Diego team that averaged over 30 points a game this season was held to only 14 today, or how that same Charger team went an entire quarter without recording a first down.

      But see, that all plays into the perplexing question I raise about Ryan. How could this guy have not landed a head-coaching job sooner than January 21, 2009 (the day the Jets hired him)? He interviewed for multiple jobs before then, but kept getting passed over. How does Jim Mora get two head coaching opportunities before Ryan gets his first? That’s mind-boggling.

      Ryan continues to prove that he’s the best defensive game-planner and schemer in the league. But he’s more than that to the Jets, because he’s also a master motivator that rubs off on his players in a positive way. He’s brash, cocky and confident – and I mean for none of those three things to be perceived as a negative.

      What Ryan has done this year in transforming the Jets’ defense into the best in the league has been impressive. But for New York to reach the AFC Championship Game with a rookie quarterback that can’t be counted on for more than 100 yards of passing per week has been remarkable. I know the Jets win in spite of Sanchez, but give credit where credit is due: Ryan has been an excellent head coach this season.

      Some are no doubt disappointed that the AFC Championship Game won’t feature the Colts and Chargers, but keep in mind that Ryan has already studied Peyton Manning and Indy’s potent offense once this season. If there’s anyone that can figure out a way to contain what the Colts do offensively, it’s Ryan. Granted, the Colts’ offense shredded the Jets in the first half of that Week 16 matchup, but I for one am still excited about the prospect of watching Manning vs. the No. 1 defense in the league.


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