Finally, the Lions woke up and fired Matt Millen. Hopefully, that’s the beginning of a positive new regime.

Browns vs. Bengals
Pick:Browns

Texans vs. Jags
Pick:Jags

Falcons vs. Panthers
Pick:Panthers

Cards vs. Jets
Pick:Cards
(more…)

Is it a sin to cheer for the 49ers hoping that Millen and company can be fired sometime soon?

Chiefs vs. Falcons
Pick:Falcons

Bills vs. Raiders
Pick:Bills

Bucs vs. Bears
Pick:Bucs

Panthers vs. Vikings
Pick:Panthers
(more…)

With so many major injuries in Week 1, it feels more like Week 10. Brady, Coleston, Merriman, Jags O-line, etc.

Packers vs. Lions
Pick:Packers

Raiders vs. Chiefs
Pick:Raiders

Giants vs. Rams
Pick:Giants

Colts vs. Vikings
Pick:Vikings
(more…)

Finally. After another long off season, football is back.

Redskins vs. Giants
Pick:Giants

Lions vs. Falcons
Pick:Lions

Bengals vs. Ravens
Pick:Bengals

Seahawks vs. Bills
Pick:Bills
(more…)

It’s widely known that I am a Detroit Lions fan. Every year for the past 20 years has ended in disappointment since I have yet to cheer for a Super Bowl champion. Off season after off season has been filled with hopeful draft picks and free agency signings, but usually all of the optimism is lost around the halfway mark of the season. This year is no exception. We have signed multiple former Tampa Bay Buccanear retreads to hopefully improve a lackluster defense. Mike Martz has been replaced as offensive coordinator and we resigned a few decent players. But the most puzzling move in my mind was for them to cut Kevin Jones. Yes, he has had injury issues and yes he hasn’t been as productive as his rookie season, but at least try to trade him or ask him to accept a paycut. In my mind, flat out cutting him was a bad decision. Not because of his role in the new offense, but because he clearly had some value. Philly.com has reported that 12 teams have shown interest in Kevin Jones, including the Eagles. Bad move Matt Millen. I am sure that we can use a late rounder in exchange for a solid running back that has immediately drawn so much attention after his release. Maybe Kevin Jones’ release was a cop out by Matt because getting an extra pick would just force him to make another decision come draft day.

This drama is common for a Detroit Lions fan and sparked me to think about the other teams around the league. Which fans have the most difficult time cheering for their respective team? The Raiders are the first that come to mind, but at least they have recently played in the Super Bowl. Which team do you think gives their fans the toughest job?

Congrats on a fine career. Being a fan of the Detroit Lions for about 20 years, I have watched Brett Favre’s competitive passion for the game on a regular basis. I haven’t been much of a fan because he played for a division foe, but I’ve always respected him. Here is a video of the emotional press conference in which he personally announced his retirement from the NFL.

I think that the Pro Bowl could have a lot more luster if they rotated it amongst the NFL cities just as they do with the Super Bowl. Hawaii is too far away and too expensive to visit for most NFL fans. The NBA All-star game garners a fair amount of appeal from fans throughout the country. I know many people that visit the All-star game city to be a part of the many social festivities of the event. Being that the NFL is the most popular sport in America, it seems like it would generate just as much, if not more interest from fans.

Maybe this could help bring some flare to the Pro Bowl. I know that it would be virtually impossible to conduct this event during the season like the other major American sports leagues, but if you bring the Pro Bowl to the fans “backyard”, then maybe we could be more excited about it.

Last year it was Peyton, this year it’s Eli. What a difference a year makes. This time last year, Eli was a bust and a goat. Fast forward to 2008. Now he is starring in a “League of Clutch”Gatorade commercial. It’s actually, pretty cool. Maybe because he isn’t talking. LOL.

The Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins hired Mike Smith and Jim Zorn respectively to be their new head coaches. Neither is a household name and neither seem to address their teams immediate need from a head coach.

The 2007 season was horrible for both of these franchises. Both were effected by a player and coach. The Falcons star player spent more time in a jail cell than on the football field and their coach gave up on them during the middle of the season. On the other hand, the Redskins banned together due to the loss of Sean Taylor during the season, but their Hall of Fame coach retired after the season.

In my opinion, both of these teams needed an experienced head coach that will be immediately respected by the team. The Falcons have so many issues, that gambling on a coordinator that doesn’t have a captivating personality may set them back even further. According to Marcellus Wiley, a former Jags player and current ESPN analyst, Smith didn’t run the defense, Jack Del Rio was the captain that steered the ship. The Redskins, took even more of a gamble. They hired a quarterback coach. Not even a coordinator. Jim Zorn is going from coaching a handful of people to managing a full roster of players. That will be a challenge to say the least. The Redskins are in a lot better shape than they were in prior to Joe Gibbs returning to the sideline, but if this becomes a botched coaching hire, they could immediately return to being a non-playoff team.

Congrats to the New York Giants for winning a great Super Bowl! Looks like my reverse psychology work.

New England Pick = New York Giants Win.

I was never sold on the Patriots all season. They destroyed the basement teams, struggled badly against the mediocre teams and were really fortunate against the tougher teams (injuries, bad coaching, etc.) I actually believed that the Green Bay Packers could have also pulled off this upset.

Well, I remember a broadcast earlier during this season in which Sean Salisbury claimed that the mantra that “Defense Wins Championships” was hogwash. Of course he was in a segment which deemed the New England Patriots as the best team ever. Well, Mr. Salisbury, defense does with championships. Always has and always will. The New York Giants once again proved this to be true.

As a bonus, here is clip of the great pitch and catch between Eli Manning and David Tyree. True, it’s an offensive play, but if the New England Patriots would have made the defensive stop, maybe they would be celebrating a 4th championship.