22 posts tagged “nfl”
Step aside DeShawn and Rocket Roger, a new contender for Pervert of the Year has emerged...
Following last weekend's NFL Draft, it was reported that Demetrius Bell, a seventh round pick of the Bills, was the illegitimate son of Karl Malone. As the story goes, "The Mailman" didn't exactly deliver in the field of responsible parenting. Apparently Bell and Malone had no contact until Bell was 18, at which point Malone told him it was too late for him to be his father and that he'd have to earn money on his own. While that was the extent of the original story, the plot has since thickened...
Yesterday, the Buffalo News reported Bell's mother, Gloria Bell, was 13 when Demetrius was born and that Malone, who was a 20-year-old sophomore at Louisiana Tech at the time, could've served jail time for statutory rape had her parents filed charges. It wasn't the first time Malone had delivered, either -- he fathered twins in high school, one of whom is WNBA star Cheryl Ford. No word yet on whether the mother of the twins had finished elementary school.
All joking aside, this is gross. Like I said with Clemens, it seems like a lot of people are overlooking the fact that his affair (or one of his affairs, at least) was with a child. Though Malone may have gotten away with it at the time, I'd at least hope it leaves a stain on his reputation.
Brett Favre officially closed the door on his legendary career today, announcing his retirement at a press conference in Green Bay. In his 16 seasons with the Packers, Favre started 253 consecutive regular season games (a streak that ran from 1992 through the end of this season) and set NFL records for career touchdown passes (442), career passing yards (61,665), career completions (5,377) and career victories as a starting quarterback (160). Favre was a nine-time Pro Bowler, three-time MVP and won one Super Bowl. So how do you go about memorializing the career of the greatest quarterback in NFL history?
If Favre's play wasn't enough to set him apart, he stood out because much of his personal life was made public. In May 1996, Favre went public with his addiction to painkillers, which he'd developed while taking the drugs to deal with various injuries. After a 46-day stay in rehabilitation, Favre returned to have arguably his best season in 1996, throwing a career-high 39 touchdown passes and leading the Packers to a Super Bowl win. However, Favre's personal struggles, and ultimately his legacy, was defined in a Monday Night Football game in December 2003.
On December 21, 2003, Favre's father, Irvin, suffered a fatal heart attack while driving near his home in Mississippi. Favre, figuring his father would've wanted him to play, started the next night for the Packers, throwing for 399 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-7 win over the Raiders. Afterwards, an emotional Favre said, "I knew that my dad would have wanted me to play. I love him so much and I love this game. I know he was watching tonight."
Favre's struggles didn't end there: In 2004, he lost a brother-in-law in a car accident and his wife, Deanna, was diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed Favre's home. Through it all, Favre remained solid as a rock.
In a perfect world, Favre would've gone out on top with a Super Bowl victory. His last season didn't, however, leave much else to be desired. Favre had one of the finest seasons of his career, throwing for 4,155 yards and 28 touchdowns while leading the Packers to the NFC Championship.
So long, Brett Favre.
I've always liked Chad Johnson. He used to strike me as a harmless version of Randy Moss or Terrell Owens -- an arrogant, yet talented wide receiver that showed up every Sunday without having to question his quarterback's sexuality or run over traffic officers with his car during his leisure time. That is, until now.
As you're likely aware, Ocho Cinco has made no secret his wishes to get out of Cincinnati. He's in the news again today after blowing off a mandatory sit-down with the national media at the Pro Bowl, which he was named to as an injury replacement earlier this week. Though the Bengals have said they have no intentions of dealing Johnson, he's reportedly suggested trades to the Dolphins or Redskins.
Sure, the Bengals are coming off a disappointing 7-9 season, but is this really what you want, Chad? Remember when Owens demanded a trade and ended up being dealt to Baltimore? What about Moss' celebrated tenure with the Raiders? If I were Johnson, I'd hang on to Carson Palmer for dear life, even if it means sharing the wealth with T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who I understand is a friend and former college teammate of Johnson's anyway. If anything, ask the Bengals to beef up their defense a little, because I'm still not convinced they're far from being a playoff team again.
A day in the life of Chris Berman is a walk in the park, right? Think again. This gem, an outtake from a Monday Night Football broadcast in 2000, turned up on YouTube last week. Might want to drink some more Diet Coke to calm yourself down, Boomer.
The title of this post, if you didn't know, is a reference to Berman's world famous pick-up line, "You're with me, leather".
There's not much to say in the way of a game recap -- I'm assuming anyone reading this saw it. Overall, one of the best Super Bowls I've ever watched and a great day to be a Pats hater.
For some, a great performance in the Super Bowl can define a career (see Smith, Timmy), and for others it merely caps an already-illustrious career. Listed below are some of the greatest individual performances in Super Bowl history:
1. Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers (Super Bowl XXIX, 1995)
Young effectively removed himself from the shadow of Joe Montana in Super Bowl XXIX, throwing for 325 yards and a game-record six touchdowns in a 49-26 pounding of the Chargers. Young, who won two Super Bowls as Montana’s backup, became the fifth player in NFL history to win both the league MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same season. During the regular season, Young threw 35 touchdown passes and completed over 70% of his pass attempts.
2. Marcus Allen, Los Angeles Raiders (Super Bowl XVIII, 1984)
Allen’s Raiders, 2 ½-point underdogs coming in, jumped on the Redskins early and often in an eventual 38-9 win, behind a 191-yard, two touchdown performance from the second-year halfback. Allen’s 74-yard touchdown scamper in the third quarter was a Super Bowl record (since eclipsed by Willie Parker) and his 9.6 yards per carry average remains the second-best in game history. The game also served as Allen’s coming out party, as he grabbed league MVP honours two seasons later after rushing for 1,759 yards and 11 touchdowns.
3. Timmy Smith, Washington Redskins (Super Bowl XXII, 1988)
Smith’s game definitely ranks atop the list of most unlikely Super Bowl performances. The rookie running back, who rushed for just 126 yards on 29 carries during the regular season, ran for a Super Bowl record 202 yards in a 42-10 win over the Broncos. Smith rushed for 125 yards in the second quarter alone, including a 58-yard touchdown, and added another score in the fourth quarter. His efforts, however, weren’t enough to reel in the MVP – teammate Doug Johnson took home the hardware after throwing for a then-record 340 yards and four touchdowns.
4. Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers (Super Bowl XXIV, 1989)
Montana’s fourth Super Bowl was his most impressive, as his 49ers rolled to a 55-10 blowout win over the Broncos behind his 297 passing yards and five touchdowns, three to Jerry Rice. Montana completed 22-of-29 passes, including a Super Bowl record 13 in a row, to capture his third Super Bowl MVP in four games. Montana was also league MVP, throwing for 3,512 yards and 26 touchdowns in the regular season.
5. Terrell Davis, Denver Broncos (Super Bowl XXXII, 1998)
Davis rushed for 157 yards and a record three touchdowns in Denver’s 31-24 win over Green Bay, a performance made all-the-more impressive considering he missed much of the second quarter while suffering from a migraine headache. The Broncos, 11 ½-pont underdogs, held off a late drive by NFL MVP Brett Favre to secure the first of two consecutive Super Bowls and the first of veteran quarterback John Elway’s career.
Honourable Mentions: Jerry Rice (Super Bowl XXIII) 11 receptions, 215 yards a touchdown; Phil Simms (Super Bowl XXI) 22-of-25, 268 yards and three touchdowns; Kurt Warner (Super Bowl XXXIV) 24-of-45, 414 yards and two touchdowns; Doug Williams (Super Bowl XXII) 18-of-29, 340 yards and five touchdowns.
Any that I'm missing? Fill me in...
Hoping for another classic Super Bowl? As the Patriots and Giants prepare to do battle, here are five of the greatest games in Super Bowl history:
1. St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16 (Super Bowl XXXIV, 2000)
League MVP Kurt Warner and the Rams, seven-point favourites coming in, looked well on their way to victory after jumping to a 16-point lead midway through the third quarter. The Titans, however, used a pair of Eddie George touchdowns and an Al Del Greco field goal to force a tie with just over three minutes remaining, before Warner hooked up with Isaac Bruce on a 73-yard touchdown on the first play of St. Louis’ ensuing possession. Quarterback Steve McNair and the Titans followed with a furious drive of their own – on the final play of the game, Rams linebacker Mike Jones was able to stop Kevin Dyson a yard short of the end zone, securing a 23-16 St. Louis win. Warner also earned game MVP honours, passing for 414 yards and two touchdowns.
2. New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17 (Super Bowl XXXVI, 2002)
Warner’s Rams were back in the Super Bowl two years later, facing an upstart New England team led by young quarterback Tom Brady. St. Louis, a 14-point favourite, fell behind early and faced a 17-3 deficit entering the fourth quarter. This time it was the Rams playing comeback, as Warner ran for a touchdown and hooked up with Ricky Proehl for another late score to tie the game 17-17. The Patriots, however, got the last laugh, as Brady led them downfield and kicker Adam Vinatieri nailed a 48-year field goal as time expired, handing the Patriots a 20-17 win. Brady’s last minute drive earned him game MVP honours.
3. New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19 (Super Bowl XXV, 1991)
The Giants, eight-point underdogs, used a Matt Bahr field goal to take a 20-19 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Each team followed by trading scoreless possessions before Bills quarterback Jim Kelly led a drive from Buffalo’s own 10-yard line in the final two minutes, setting up a Scott Norwood 47-yard field goal attempt in the waning seconds. Norwood’s attempt sailed wide right as time expired, securing a New York win and handing Buffalo the first of their first of four consecutive Super Bowl defeats. Giants running back Ottis Anderson was the game MVP, rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown.
4. New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29 (Super Bowl XXXVIII, 2004)
Brady’s second Super Bowl was as much as a nail-biter as his first. New England’s Antowain Smith rushed for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to give the Patriots a 21-10 lead, but a pair of quick Carolina touchdowns (and two missed two-point conversions) gave the Panthers their first lead of the game with just under seven minutes to go, 22-21. The teams traded touchdowns and the Patriots added a two-point conversion to tie the game 29-29, setting up another last-minute Brady drive. Like two years earlier, Vinatieri won it as time expired, this time on a 41-yard field goal. Brady won his second Super Bowl MVP, passing for 354 yards and three touchdowns.
5. New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7 (Super Bowl III, 1969)
Think upsets are impossible? If the Giants need any motivation this weekend, they can look at Joe Namath and the Jets, who pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports history in Super Bowl III. 22-point underdogs coming in, Namath boldly guaranteed victory for his AFL Champion Jets, then went out and made it happen. New York completely shut down Baltimore’s passing game, forcing four interceptions. A late Baltimore touchdown erased a Jets shutout, though they still held on for a 16-7 win. Namath captured MVP honours, completing17-of-28 passes for 206 yards.
Great news in the NFL today: Buffalo's Kevin Everett returned to Ralph Wilson Stadium this morning for the first time since his neck injury on September 9. We're all familiar with everything he's overcome in the past three-and-a-half months, so there's no need to get into that. Everett met with his teammates before the game and watched the game from owner Ralph Wilson's suite.
It's great to hear a story like this, especially in light of things like baseball's steroid investigation and another Chris Simon suspension (NHL, in case no one noticed). Still, I can't help but wish Everett would go more public with it, if just for the sake of inspiration. Too bad, I guess he's just not that type. Still a great story though.
I'm in unchartered waters this weekend, at least according to my Yahoo! Fantasy Sports profile. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I'm in the final of my Fantasy Football league. I've never had as much luck with football as with the other games, mainly because of injuries. Maybe, just maybe, there was some poor drafting and managing mixed in as well, but I can't remember, usually because I'm finished by Week 4 along with my starting running backs.
I've been lucky to have no serious injuries this season (with apologies to Todd Heap). My Peyton Manning-to-Reggie Wayne combo has fared far better than last season's Carson Palmer-to-Chad Johnson edition. But that's where my problem lies entering the final: Do I start Manning? The Colts are locked into second place in the AFC and Tony Dungy has been known to bench his starters in these situations. Any suggestions? I was without a backup for most of the year, but picked up David Garrard this week. So who should I go with tomorrow?
I'm already staked to a 23-0 lead after Santonio Holmes' Thursday night game. Other keys for me include Willis McGahee and Randy Moss. I'm up against a team led by Matt Hasselbeck, Frank Gore, Larry Fitzgerald and Jamal Lewis. But yeah, if anyone has any suggestions regarding my quarterback situation, hit me up.
