Every one's favorite "Round Mound of Sound", Rush Limbaugh, is flapping his lip again. Check out his latest incendiary comments:
Upon naming Tom Brady one of the most overrated players in the NFL, Limbaugh elaborated:
"I don’t think he’s been that good from the get-go. I think what we’ve had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a gay quarterback do well. There is a little hope invested in Brady and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn’t deserve. The defense carried this team.”
Rush! How dare you! Tom Brady is a fine quarterback and probably not that gay at all. Even if he is a tad alternative in his lifestyle, that's his choice, and 18to88 supports Tom Brady's right to be as gay as he wants to be. It's no hair off our chest, though possibly some off his, since we hear he waxes.
Demond Sanders: Yet again Limbaugh has it all wrong. Tom Brady is straight. Chris Collinsworth on the other hand might not be. Any one catch his detailed praise of Brady's sex appeal on Football Night in America last night?
Monday, October 8, 2007
Run Silent, Run Deep
How is it possible that a defending Super Bowl Champion with the highest profile player in the NFL could start 5-0 and get no attention? It's funny really, but during NBC's highlight package, they showed the Colts destroy (in every possible sense) a 3-1 team with a high profile coach, and then went right back to talking about how handsome Tom Brady is. It was just a tad surreal.
I'm having severe internet problems, so I might be more or less silent for a couple of days. Don't look for 18 Plays until tomorrow night probably. For now, just to validate my point, check out the Czar's mention of the Colts. Buried at the end of a column. Awesome.
UPDATE:
Thanks to reader Dan who mentioned the Judge article. I don't know why I always for get to check cbssportsline these days. He also puts the Colts #1 in his rankings.
Also FO Audibles column was great today, virtually repeating my first paragraph verbatim. Scroll down for a long and great discussion of yesterday's game.
Thanks to the reader that posted this in the comments section. Great article! How did you find it?
One more just in: the FO Quick reads has some great stuff today. Tom Brady has the best 5 games of his life and guess what? He's still not better than Manning in DPar. . . ooooh poor Tom. Even at his BEST he can't top an average season for Manning.
Demond Sanders: I'm officially back on the Football Outsiders bandwagon. Good stuff from them today. Although about the Jags he writes "Jaguars 3, National Jump to Conclusions Week 1." This references the fact that when teams lose in Week 1 the media tends to overreacts. This is of course true, but in the Jags' case I'm not sure they were wrong. The knock on the Jags was that they had a below-average quarterback and a stagnant offense. Neither may be completely true, but they are averaging less than 16 points per game. That won't get it done in the AFC South (where they are 0-1 going into this week's Houston game).
I'm having severe internet problems, so I might be more or less silent for a couple of days. Don't look for 18 Plays until tomorrow night probably. For now, just to validate my point, check out the Czar's mention of the Colts. Buried at the end of a column. Awesome.
UPDATE:
Thanks to reader Dan who mentioned the Judge article. I don't know why I always for get to check cbssportsline these days. He also puts the Colts #1 in his rankings.
Also FO Audibles column was great today, virtually repeating my first paragraph verbatim. Scroll down for a long and great discussion of yesterday's game.
Thanks to the reader that posted this in the comments section. Great article! How did you find it?
One more just in: the FO Quick reads has some great stuff today. Tom Brady has the best 5 games of his life and guess what? He's still not better than Manning in DPar. . . ooooh poor Tom. Even at his BEST he can't top an average season for Manning.
Demond Sanders: I'm officially back on the Football Outsiders bandwagon. Good stuff from them today. Although about the Jags he writes "Jaguars 3, National Jump to Conclusions Week 1." This references the fact that when teams lose in Week 1 the media tends to overreacts. This is of course true, but in the Jags' case I'm not sure they were wrong. The knock on the Jags was that they had a below-average quarterback and a stagnant offense. Neither may be completely true, but they are averaging less than 16 points per game. That won't get it done in the AFC South (where they are 0-1 going into this week's Houston game).
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Tampa Bay and Week 5 Thoughts
- 12 rushes for 17 yards. Enough said.
- When Dungy said they wouldn't play, he meant it. It really made for an enjoyable game. We got to see players we aren't used to step up and show their talents.
- Excited for Anthony Gonzalez. He showed that he could develop into a #2 reciever in this league, playing on the outside.
- Another great performance from Manning. Wayne, Clark, and Gonzalez each had seven receptions. Peyton was more than happy to hand off when necessary.
- This game was very different than what I expected. The Colts ran the ball with ease once they figured out that Keith wasn't going to be able get outside and turn the corner. The Bucs wisely gave up on the run after the Colts allowed nothing on the ground in the first half. Garcia wisely went with the short passing game. I like his game, but you just aren't going to keep up with the Colts by dinking and dunking. Just ask Drew Brees.
- Huge win for the Blue. I was very impressed with the defense. The crowd really came through in the first quarter which was crucial because five starters were out.
- The schedule gets brutal for the Colts and Pats from here on out. The Pats play 5 of the next 7 on the road, including next week at Dallas. The Colts don't feel sorry for them. They play 6 of the next 9 on the road. Time to strap it on. It kicks off with a mammoth game in J-ville in two weeks. Should be fun.
- What's up with the AFC South? Houston and Tennessee got miracle wins (Vince Young threw three picks). The division is a crippling 14-4.
- While the Patriots' opponents are a putrid 7-16. The Colts have beaten 3 winning teams (all of whom were in first place at the time). The Pats notched their least impressive win of the season against the hapless Browns. The New England D gave up 377 yards of offense, but forced three picks and fumble which led to 21 points.
Tampa Bay Preview
Still no word on the many injuries for the Colts. I have no idea what to expect at this point as far as who plays. Let's assume they will be playing backups at several key positions. The Bucs should take advantage of the missing linebackers by running the ball early and often. It should have a similar feel to last week's game against Denver, but with a more experienced quarterback in Garcia and a better opposing defense. I see an entertaining and high scoring game with the Colts digging out of a sizable hole to clip the Bucs 31-27.
On an unrelated note: Have you ever seen a quarterback have more time to throw than Tom Brady? Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick (Moss gives up on his original pattern and breaks open) tick, tick, throw. Hey Cleveland, when you get down to the one yard line run the ball! But I do like seeing how easily Derek Anderson and company moved the ball on the Pats' overrated defense. The Browns have run 12 times for 60 yards, but the keep throwing. The result has been 3 embarrasing picks (two on tipped balls). Thanks for giving us this crapfest CBS.
On an unrelated note: Have you ever seen a quarterback have more time to throw than Tom Brady? Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick (Moss gives up on his original pattern and breaks open) tick, tick, throw. Hey Cleveland, when you get down to the one yard line run the ball! But I do like seeing how easily Derek Anderson and company moved the ball on the Pats' overrated defense. The Browns have run 12 times for 60 yards, but the keep throwing. The result has been 3 embarrasing picks (two on tipped balls). Thanks for giving us this crapfest CBS.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Wait 'til next year
Old drunk guy: "I've waited my whole life to see the Cubs win the World Series."
Me: "I think that's the worst thing I've ever heard -- how marvelous."
I pulled a hammy just writing this post
I'm going to chose to ignore the dark cloud that is hovering over tomorrow's game due to the fact that at the rate the injuries are mounting, #18 will also be gunning on the punt team. Given the Colts typically cryptic way of handling injuries, I'm going to continue hoping that Marvin and Addai play. And in lieu of that, I'll just hope that Peyton can be even more amazing than normal. All that being said, a non-conference loss before a bye week isn't the worst thing that could happen.
I had some connection problems yesterday, but here's some decent stuff. . .
Len Pasquarelli wonders if the Colts can afford to sign the oft injured Zombie Bob. We've been wondering aloud on this for some time. I can't tell if the Colts will ante up on Bob and Clark or not. I still think at least one of them goes.
CRAPHONSO THORPE IS BACK!!! All right! Now there is some good news. I took his release at the end of camp very hard.
A Tampa writer chimes in on #18.
Perhaps the most interesting thing that could happen if the Colts lose would be to see if Demond shows up for the 18 Plays podcast this week. Usually, when the team loses he sulks for about 6 days. And if we lose before a bye week, I might not hear from him for a fortnight. This could be a problem, since we are supposed to go to Jacksonville together. Draaaaama. . .
Demond Sanders: It's true there are worse losses, but you have to remember this is a home game. Road games in the non-conference (ala last year's loss at Dallas) are the least important games you can play. You have to hold serve at home because we know New England and Pittsburgh will win their home games.
I agree with you that you have to force yourself to be optimistic about who is going to play because on the surface this game looks like an impending disaster. I haven't been worried about this game all week, but it seems the Colts and Dungy are sticking to their "No one's playing except Peyton and possibly Jeff Saturday because someone has to snap the ball" stance. If either Addai or Harrison plays I'll take it. The other scary one is Freddy Keiaho with a concussion.
I had some connection problems yesterday, but here's some decent stuff. . .
Len Pasquarelli wonders if the Colts can afford to sign the oft injured Zombie Bob. We've been wondering aloud on this for some time. I can't tell if the Colts will ante up on Bob and Clark or not. I still think at least one of them goes.
CRAPHONSO THORPE IS BACK!!! All right! Now there is some good news. I took his release at the end of camp very hard.
A Tampa writer chimes in on #18.
Perhaps the most interesting thing that could happen if the Colts lose would be to see if Demond shows up for the 18 Plays podcast this week. Usually, when the team loses he sulks for about 6 days. And if we lose before a bye week, I might not hear from him for a fortnight. This could be a problem, since we are supposed to go to Jacksonville together. Draaaaama. . .
Demond Sanders: It's true there are worse losses, but you have to remember this is a home game. Road games in the non-conference (ala last year's loss at Dallas) are the least important games you can play. You have to hold serve at home because we know New England and Pittsburgh will win their home games.
I agree with you that you have to force yourself to be optimistic about who is going to play because on the surface this game looks like an impending disaster. I haven't been worried about this game all week, but it seems the Colts and Dungy are sticking to their "No one's playing except Peyton and possibly Jeff Saturday because someone has to snap the ball" stance. If either Addai or Harrison plays I'll take it. The other scary one is Freddy Keiaho with a concussion.
Friday, October 5, 2007
AM Radio
I have developed two life-threatening addictions in the past year. Coffee and Sports Talk Radio. The latter is without a doubt the more serious problem. As anyone who listens during the day knows: it's crap.
This afternoon JMV of The Drive on WNDE 1260 had on former Colts QB Jack Trudeau, Fox 59 Reporter Jenna Maloney, and Chris Hagan also of Fox. These four wizards were drooling over the Patriots. JMV rhetorically asked, "The Patriots have to be considered better than the Colts right now, right?" It was disgusting. A caller mentioned that they have played no one and JMV and Trudeau responded with the usual "It's the NFL. Every game is tough." Actually no guys. I guarantee you the Colts would have rather played the Pats' joke of a slate than take on Tennessee, Houston, and Denver. Chris Hagan insists that the win over the Chargers was impressive. Uh, San Diego is about to be 1-4.
I guess what ticked me off is that everyone was trying so hard to be neutral and unbiased. Trudeau even mentioned that Brady has to be considered the better quarterback. Like Jack's sorry interception-throwing, delinquency-contributing ass should really be judging any one's ability to quarterback. Sorry, I actually liked Trudeau as a player and I feel for his current plight, but come on. Is there a rule that says every former Colt quarterback has to be a caricature? Art Schlister and his gambling, Trudeau and his Prep School parties, Jeff George and his Jeff Georging, Jim Harbaugh and his hilarious cracks on everyone in Division I, Peyton Manning and his children's hospital. Wait, sorry.
For the record, I try to avoid ranting and ripping as much as possible because having an in-your-face Fox Attitude is unattractive and usually boring. Sometimes I can't help myself. If you are really that impressed with the Pats then fine, but you don't need to go out of your way to jock them because the vast majority of your listeners are homers. And we want to hear about our team, not that ticking hype bomb in Foxboro.
This afternoon JMV of The Drive on WNDE 1260 had on former Colts QB Jack Trudeau, Fox 59 Reporter Jenna Maloney, and Chris Hagan also of Fox. These four wizards were drooling over the Patriots. JMV rhetorically asked, "The Patriots have to be considered better than the Colts right now, right?" It was disgusting. A caller mentioned that they have played no one and JMV and Trudeau responded with the usual "It's the NFL. Every game is tough." Actually no guys. I guarantee you the Colts would have rather played the Pats' joke of a slate than take on Tennessee, Houston, and Denver. Chris Hagan insists that the win over the Chargers was impressive. Uh, San Diego is about to be 1-4.
I guess what ticked me off is that everyone was trying so hard to be neutral and unbiased. Trudeau even mentioned that Brady has to be considered the better quarterback. Like Jack's sorry interception-throwing, delinquency-contributing ass should really be judging any one's ability to quarterback. Sorry, I actually liked Trudeau as a player and I feel for his current plight, but come on. Is there a rule that says every former Colt quarterback has to be a caricature? Art Schlister and his gambling, Trudeau and his Prep School parties, Jeff George and his Jeff Georging, Jim Harbaugh and his hilarious cracks on everyone in Division I, Peyton Manning and his children's hospital. Wait, sorry.
For the record, I try to avoid ranting and ripping as much as possible because having an in-your-face Fox Attitude is unattractive and usually boring. Sometimes I can't help myself. If you are really that impressed with the Pats then fine, but you don't need to go out of your way to jock them because the vast majority of your listeners are homers. And we want to hear about our team, not that ticking hype bomb in Foxboro.
Super Star
There's some really great stuff in the Indy Star today:
Manning talking about his favorite scores. I remember each one of those. Great plays all.
Kravitz 'crowning' the Pats. You know, I have to admit, his work has been better for about 3 months now. Granted, I'm only reading his Colts stuff, but his work on the Video Insider is ok too.
A great central piece about Manning's early scores. He's gunning for Johnny U.
Good reads all from the first place I go each morning.
A couple of our regular national guys had decent stuff too:
Simmons was hilarious today. Ok, so he starts acting like the creepy janitor at the day care whenever the Pats come up, we get that. But his line about the Ravens and Rams was worth the price of admission:
"Too bad the Ravens defense can't take on the Rams offense this season. It would be like watching Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone getting it on in "Basic Instinct 3."
That's funny. Creepy. But funny.
Whitlock had a fascinating point also. He says the Colts are 'weaker' than the Pats and Cowboys in terms of the regular season, but that he sees their style of play as conducive to a great playoff run. It's sort of muddled logic, but hey what do you expect from the last known Jeff George defender. He's basically speaking to the 'wear down' factor that you get with the Colts. I think his logic is that with a bye or some rest, smaller guys like Zombie Bob and Freeney can go all out and thus be more effective. It certainly happened last year, but I'm not sure it'll be so relevant this time.
Manning talking about his favorite scores. I remember each one of those. Great plays all.
Kravitz 'crowning' the Pats. You know, I have to admit, his work has been better for about 3 months now. Granted, I'm only reading his Colts stuff, but his work on the Video Insider is ok too.
A great central piece about Manning's early scores. He's gunning for Johnny U.
Good reads all from the first place I go each morning.
A couple of our regular national guys had decent stuff too:
Simmons was hilarious today. Ok, so he starts acting like the creepy janitor at the day care whenever the Pats come up, we get that. But his line about the Ravens and Rams was worth the price of admission:
"Too bad the Ravens defense can't take on the Rams offense this season. It would be like watching Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone getting it on in "Basic Instinct 3."
That's funny. Creepy. But funny.
Whitlock had a fascinating point also. He says the Colts are 'weaker' than the Pats and Cowboys in terms of the regular season, but that he sees their style of play as conducive to a great playoff run. It's sort of muddled logic, but hey what do you expect from the last known Jeff George defender. He's basically speaking to the 'wear down' factor that you get with the Colts. I think his logic is that with a bye or some rest, smaller guys like Zombie Bob and Freeney can go all out and thus be more effective. It certainly happened last year, but I'm not sure it'll be so relevant this time.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Eye, Eye, Eye
I was going to start this post with "Not your stepping stone", but then figured Monkees references are lame. But then went ahead and told you what I intended to do, thus making me utterly as lame as I would have been.
Eyes in the Backfield is up for this week. Seriously, I don't know how anyone can even enjoy the game without reading this. I'm sure there are fans out there that are like, "uh, which team do we root for again? Who's that 18 guy? I'm so confused! Why didn't I read Eyes in the Backfield this week? I'm STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!" Or something like that.
Eyes in the Backfield is up for this week. Seriously, I don't know how anyone can even enjoy the game without reading this. I'm sure there are fans out there that are like, "uh, which team do we root for again? Who's that 18 guy? I'm so confused! Why didn't I read Eyes in the Backfield this week? I'm STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!" Or something like that.
Stuff I'm thinking about
Several things have occurred to me this week that I didn't really have time to blog about, because of you know, working for a living.
1. I love October. The MLB playoffs are the closest thing to March Madness. There are games that count. . . AT THREE PM! How great is that? Of course, I've been working too much to watch them, but it makes me feel good inside that they are on anyway.
2. I was really tempted to pick the Yankees, but Wang's nightmare tonight has me going the other direction. This postseason is hard because three teams I've come to hate (Cle, Chi, Bos) are all vying for a title. I'm left to chose the Angels (whom I sort of dislike because of the whole LA thing. Who are they fooling?), or the Rockies (see rant below), the Phillies (even their own fans hate them) or the DBacks (do we really need another NL expansion team to win? Ugh) I don't know who to root for. . .
3. How can I possibly respect the Rockies? Three weeks ago, I'm in Denver for a game. It's a gorgeous Saturday night. The Rocks are in contention for the first time in a freaking decade. They are playing the Padres, trailing them by only 3 games with three weeks left. GREG FREAKING MADDUX, perhaps the best pitcher of the last generation, is on the mound. How many show up for this game? They didn't break 30K. Baseball in Denver. Catch the very mild fever of about 99.1 degrees.
4. The Cardinals fired Walt Jocketty? Huh. I guess they hate all the. . . winning.
5. I'm not going to kill Sweet Lou for yanking out Zambrano, and you shouldn't either. The #1 mistake managers make in baseball is hanging with a starter too long. It kills teams. If your bullpen can't do the job, you aren't going to win anyway. Better to pull a starter too early than too late. I'm from the Sparky Anderson school of managing. Bring out the hook.
6. Interesting piece in SI about the Chargers decision to fire Schottenheimer. This piece claims it isn't AJ Smith's fault, but he certainly didn't fight to keep Marty, so I'm ok pinning the blame on his pompous ass.
7. The regular "Colts D is really not horrible" articles are coming out again.
8. This is the most depressing article ever. I saw a powerpoll that had the Pacers at 29th. REGGIE COME BACK! We are about 8 years from seeing this happen to the Colts after 18, Polian and Dungy all set sail for green pastures. I'll just have to mix my metaphors and enjoy the titles while I can.
9. A cash basket really would be the best gift. I can't figure out what would come close.
Demond Sanders: I think Lou's problem was justifying it by saying he was saving Zambrano for Game 4. He had given up all of 1 run. 85 pitches? You have to leave him in. Now, they probably won't see a fourth game. Also, I think it may be a tad early for praising the Colts defense. They've done a nice job, but beating Young, Schaub, and Cutler isn't enough evidence for me yet. Between Tampa Bay and Jacksonville we'll find out if they can stop the run. Still, they've been much better than the Colts D we saw in the Jags/Jets/Broncos games of early last season.
1. I love October. The MLB playoffs are the closest thing to March Madness. There are games that count. . . AT THREE PM! How great is that? Of course, I've been working too much to watch them, but it makes me feel good inside that they are on anyway.
2. I was really tempted to pick the Yankees, but Wang's nightmare tonight has me going the other direction. This postseason is hard because three teams I've come to hate (Cle, Chi, Bos) are all vying for a title. I'm left to chose the Angels (whom I sort of dislike because of the whole LA thing. Who are they fooling?), or the Rockies (see rant below), the Phillies (even their own fans hate them) or the DBacks (do we really need another NL expansion team to win? Ugh) I don't know who to root for. . .
3. How can I possibly respect the Rockies? Three weeks ago, I'm in Denver for a game. It's a gorgeous Saturday night. The Rocks are in contention for the first time in a freaking decade. They are playing the Padres, trailing them by only 3 games with three weeks left. GREG FREAKING MADDUX, perhaps the best pitcher of the last generation, is on the mound. How many show up for this game? They didn't break 30K. Baseball in Denver. Catch the very mild fever of about 99.1 degrees.
4. The Cardinals fired Walt Jocketty? Huh. I guess they hate all the. . . winning.
5. I'm not going to kill Sweet Lou for yanking out Zambrano, and you shouldn't either. The #1 mistake managers make in baseball is hanging with a starter too long. It kills teams. If your bullpen can't do the job, you aren't going to win anyway. Better to pull a starter too early than too late. I'm from the Sparky Anderson school of managing. Bring out the hook.
6. Interesting piece in SI about the Chargers decision to fire Schottenheimer. This piece claims it isn't AJ Smith's fault, but he certainly didn't fight to keep Marty, so I'm ok pinning the blame on his pompous ass.
7. The regular "Colts D is really not horrible" articles are coming out again.
8. This is the most depressing article ever. I saw a powerpoll that had the Pacers at 29th. REGGIE COME BACK! We are about 8 years from seeing this happen to the Colts after 18, Polian and Dungy all set sail for green pastures. I'll just have to mix my metaphors and enjoy the titles while I can.
9. A cash basket really would be the best gift. I can't figure out what would come close.
Demond Sanders: I think Lou's problem was justifying it by saying he was saving Zambrano for Game 4. He had given up all of 1 run. 85 pitches? You have to leave him in. Now, they probably won't see a fourth game. Also, I think it may be a tad early for praising the Colts defense. They've done a nice job, but beating Young, Schaub, and Cutler isn't enough evidence for me yet. Between Tampa Bay and Jacksonville we'll find out if they can stop the run. Still, they've been much better than the Colts D we saw in the Jags/Jets/Broncos games of early last season.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Just one today
I'm in the middle of a crazy day, so I really only have time to throw up one link. FO's Scramble for the Ball relives the greatest coaching meltdowns in history. Included is the text of Jim Mora's legendary rant. Can you believe that with him as coach, people blamed MANNING for the playoff losses...years later and I'm still fuming over the end of the Miami game. People KILL Schottenheimer, but at least he won a playoff game in his life. . .
Also for those who are interested, check out the Stampede Blue podcast from last night. The guest was yours truly. . . Click the link and then select last night's episode from the drop down menu on the top right. If you check out the Stampede Blue website, scroll down and check out the hilarious Joe Addai montage.
Demond Sanders: I love that Football Outsiders lists the Tampa game as a best bet. That makes no sense. The Colts have beat their last two home opponents by an average of 24.5 points and are entering with a 12 game Dome winning streak. I wouldn't take the measly ten points if I were you. Remember that Tampa Bay has played the first and second worst scoring offenses during their three game winning streak. I respect Jeff Garcia and actually thought he played well in the Dome last year with Philly. But I wouldn't feel great about entering the game with an inexperienced Left Tackle. Dwight Freeney feels great about it, though.
Also for those who are interested, check out the Stampede Blue podcast from last night. The guest was yours truly. . . Click the link and then select last night's episode from the drop down menu on the top right. If you check out the Stampede Blue website, scroll down and check out the hilarious Joe Addai montage.
Demond Sanders: I love that Football Outsiders lists the Tampa game as a best bet. That makes no sense. The Colts have beat their last two home opponents by an average of 24.5 points and are entering with a 12 game Dome winning streak. I wouldn't take the measly ten points if I were you. Remember that Tampa Bay has played the first and second worst scoring offenses during their three game winning streak. I respect Jeff Garcia and actually thought he played well in the Dome last year with Philly. But I wouldn't feel great about entering the game with an inexperienced Left Tackle. Dwight Freeney feels great about it, though.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Losing my level
One of Bill Simmons great contributions to sports vernacular has been his Levels of Losing. Thanks to the '07 Mets, he updated his classic column, and guess what? The Greatest Game in Indianapolis Colts History makes an appearance, although oddly he's not happy about it (snicker). We roll in at number 5 on the list "The Role Reversal". In honor of the achievement, I want to make my own entries for some of these:
Level XVI - Butler and Florida in 2000.
Level XV - Colts and Tampa in 2003. This game actually revealed that the Bucs D was NOT ok, and we all knew they wouldn't repeat
Level XIV - Pacers Bulls Finals in 1998. No consolation at the time, but now, I can sort of say, hey, that was just Jordan.
Level XII - Indiana Illinois 1989. Hoosiers lose on a miracle 3 at the buzzer in Bloomington. I can still hear Vitale screaming, "THEY'RE CRYING IN BLOOMINGTON BABY!" I was crying in Indy.
Level XI - Reds Braves 1995 NLCS. After the Reds lost game one in extras, it was over. Reggie Sanders had been exposed (he'd go something like 0-12 with 10 Ks in that series), and the Reds offense died.
Level X - Colts Steelers AFC Championship. KORDELL STEWART WAS OUT OF BOUNDS.
Level IX - Pacers Magic 1995 Eastern Conference Finals game 7.
Level VIII - Colts Steelers Playoffs 2006.
Level III - Again we get the Colts Steelers game of 2006. Vandy shanks. . . I can't even talk about it.
I would also add another one to his list: The Brawl. Watching not just one, but two seasons catch fire and come flaming down around us as the Pistons instigated a melee that their fans perpetuated, and then watching David Stern give the Pacers the 2004-5 death penalty was gut wrenching and still makes me sick.
In other news: FO has their DVOA rankings up. Very interesting stuff.
Also, there is a nice piece on Dallas Clark by Jeremy Green. Now, I grant you, Green is a stone cold moron, so take anything he says with a grain of salt, but still, it's complementary.
Chris Mortensen now likes the Colts based on what he saw last night. Wow. I can't believe the Pats bandwagon is already leaking oil.
Demond Sanders: That DVOA stuff just doesn't do much for me. To summarize what Chris Mortensen said for those who don't have ESPN Insider: He basically said the Bengals ran effectively against the Pats (13 carries for 55 yards), and that Brady isn't unstoppable if you can pressure him. He gives the edge to the Colts based on their receiving depth. Mike Tirico on the other hand loves the Pats, but that's not really a surprise. He's a bit effeminate, don't you think? Cheap shot, sorry.
I think we are starting to get a feel for this season. It has the potential to be a similar year to last year. I think the Colts will stay hot with a seven or eight game winning streak before getting worn down towards the end of the season (during the second batch of 3 out of 4 on the road). The Colts have lost McFarland and Morris and its only Week 5. Again please feel free to ignore my pessimism/skepticism. You should see me when they actually lose games. . . If it helps I think they'll win it all in the end.
HYPEHYPEHYPEHYPEHYPE!!!!!!!
It's begun. CHFF came out with an article today already looking forward to November 4. Here's hoping Luke doesn't toss his lightsaber down in a noble gesture of purity this time. RUN HIM THROUGH, LUKE!
And that's why they always suck
In light of Kitna's success, there are some locals wondering just what the Almighty is up to in Motown. And at least some of them sound like they're speaking in tongues. Says Lions backup QB Dan Orlovsky: "Indy can have Peyton. New England can have Tom. We wouldn't trade Jon for anyone."
Morris Out
The Colts haven't lost a game since we started the site back in February. There hasn't been a lot for me to get negative about. Losing Rob Morris for the season, however, is a good place to start. So here's a pessimistic rant:
I don't know if I can go through another year like last year when we learned that watching a team give up 200 yards rushing every week is not entertaining. Watching Peyton Manning throw three touchdowns and no picks and still losing is enough to ruin Christmas Eve.
But they're 4-0 and Rocky Boiman looks okayish!
That's easy for you to say. You don't have to go watch the Colts play at Jacksonville in three weeks.
Deshawn Zombie comments: I'm sad for Rob, because the odds are very good that he's played his last down for the Colts. If Reagor and Stokley have taught us anything, it's that there is no loyalty for injured veterans in the NFL. I hope he recovers well and his career isn't ended by this. As for the Colts, I'm more optimistic than Demond (surprise). The D has looked ok the two previous weeks without Rob, and I'd be much more worried if we had lost Brackett or Junior Seau Junior. Still this does hurt and leaves us pretty thin at LB. Let's all hope we don't wind up like the Bengals last night, playing dime on 1st down. Ugh.
I don't know if I can go through another year like last year when we learned that watching a team give up 200 yards rushing every week is not entertaining. Watching Peyton Manning throw three touchdowns and no picks and still losing is enough to ruin Christmas Eve.
But they're 4-0 and Rocky Boiman looks okayish!
That's easy for you to say. You don't have to go watch the Colts play at Jacksonville in three weeks.
Deshawn Zombie comments: I'm sad for Rob, because the odds are very good that he's played his last down for the Colts. If Reagor and Stokley have taught us anything, it's that there is no loyalty for injured veterans in the NFL. I hope he recovers well and his career isn't ended by this. As for the Colts, I'm more optimistic than Demond (surprise). The D has looked ok the two previous weeks without Rob, and I'd be much more worried if we had lost Brackett or Junior Seau Junior. Still this does hurt and leaves us pretty thin at LB. Let's all hope we don't wind up like the Bengals last night, playing dime on 1st down. Ugh.
18 Plays: Broncos
Once again, we burn the midnight oil to bring you the very best of...well, us. But whatever, that's still something! You can download the podcast from our site, or you can go to Itunes so you are sure to get it downloaded automatically each week. Enjoy!
UPDATE: If you had trouble hearing the podcast because the volume was low, that's because I suck. It's been fixed and the more audible version is up now.
UPDATE: If you had trouble hearing the podcast because the volume was low, that's because I suck. It's been fixed and the more audible version is up now.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Waiting and waiting
All day, I've been hoping I'd find something decent to talk about, but now I'm convinced that the media finds the Colts boring. Other than a terrific article (seriously, read this one, it's funny) by Gregg Doyle, there was precious little mention of the Colts around the web today. I don't blame anyone actually, our Eyes in the Backfield on Friday virtually predicted this game exactly. It was sort of a no brainer. I did really like Doyle and Clayton emphasizing how great #18 was in this game, because he really did dominate it. So far, I've seen nothing this season to persuade me that the NFL is anything other than a two team league.
A late addition: Manning led the league in DPAR this week. What's DPAR? Check it out.
Demond Sanders: It's just a lot easier for the media to get excited about teams like the Cowboys and Packers. Both have huge fan bases, and neither has been good for several years. The NFL is loving every minute of it. The Colts on the other hand are pretty much the same team they've been for several years.
A late addition: Manning led the league in DPAR this week. What's DPAR? Check it out.
Demond Sanders: It's just a lot easier for the media to get excited about teams like the Cowboys and Packers. Both have huge fan bases, and neither has been good for several years. The NFL is loving every minute of it. The Colts on the other hand are pretty much the same team they've been for several years.
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