Added Thoughts on a Slow Day

I was recently informed that Tampa Bay Buccaneer WR Micheal Spurlock returned a kickoff for a Touchdown. No small feat by any means. Why is this important? It was the TEAMS first kick return for a TD in 32 years. By contrast Devin Hester has 4 Kick Return TDs, in 30 games.

Arizona Assistant Coach/Interim Head Coach Kevin O’Neil officially gets to add another title to be introduced as, Arizona Assistant/Interim/Head Coach – in waiting, Kevin O’Neil. I would love to see that on a business card.

The Bears offense looked pitiful last night. Apparently Kyle Orton is not the savior. Who woulda thought? He’s got 2 more chances to prove himself before April when the Bears announce they drafted Andre Woodson/Brian Brohm/Colt Brennan to be the new QB1 for Chicago.

Congress is getting involved, again, in the steroids scandal after the Mitchell Report’s release. They are planning a hearing of epic proportions. Part of me is picturing the scene from Godfather II when Frankie Pants is going to testify, and then recants seeing Michael with his brother. Imagine Radomski getting up there to testify and then turning around and seeing Clemens and Bonds on the flanks of his Mother in the audience. The other part of me is picturing the hearing scene in Casino with Gary Sheffield berating Sen. Mitchell on the stand. Either way, this should be epically more entertaining than the most recent steroid/congress hearings in March 2005, when McGwire refused to comment and Sammy played the whole “No Habla Ingles” card.



Part of me is angry at these coaches jumping ship after promising commits they will be there and signing these contracts. Then again if I’m getting a $1.1 million dollar pay-bump I’m not so sure I don’t do the same thing. With that said it is really disgusting that Rodriguez, allegedly, contacted Terrelle Pryor one of the most sought after recruits and told him to attend Michigan before telling anyone ANYONE that he was leaving the Mountaineers, except maybe Mrs. Rodriguez.

Back to Orton for a second. For those of you who watched the game, that 55 yard, off the wrong foot HEAVE he chucked that got picked off in the end zone, wasn’t a bad decision. Sure he didn’t need to make it, Chicago still had 1 Time Out and 98 seconds to score 7. The problem with the play is purely mechanics. His skills are not that of an NFL starting Quarter Back. Had he thrown the ball a half yard deeper and one and a half to the right, that’s a TD and an amazing play. Unfortunately, in the NFL 2 yards is a big difference. It’s the difference between First and Ten and Fourth and Two, between he caught it with both feet in and he didn’t get his left foot in, and in this instance it’s the difference between a TD and possible win and a Pick and a Loss.

Miami Tackle Vonnie Holliday said of Sunday’s win, “It was like winning the Super Bowl” complete with dancing, celebrating, and tears of happiness, seriously. Uhhh you might finish 3-13, but have the Patriots coming up so most likely you’re looking at 2-14 at best. Vonnie, I have never played in an NFL game, a surprising fact to many, but I am willing to bet, it was absolutely nothing like winning the Super Bowl. I wasn’t even like beating the Niners in the Wild Card game when you were a Packer in 2001. It was however exactly like beating the floundering Ravens to keep your team out of the record book as the worst in NFL history.

Back to Clemens, The "Rocket's Red Flags" piece, is hysterical, please give it a read.

What are the odds on who leaves first Rich Rodriguez (Mich), Dennis Erickson (ASU), Nick Saban (Bama), Bobby Petrion (Ark), or Lindsay Lohan (Rehab)?

How good is LeBron? I knew he was going to be good, but this good. I’ve always said there will never be another MJ, and there won’t. But there will be a LeBron James, and he’s getting better each year. He’s a freak. AND he’s a good guy to boot, he had tea with 4Real’s mom and her friends, seriously. I have been for awhile (since mid 2005 season) on the LeBron bandwagon and I’m not afraid to admit it. With that said how ridiculous is his new commercial, “you don’t want to be me, you want to be better than me”. Yeah, sorry to doubt you, but not possible Bron Bron.

More after the jump...

Random Ramblings

Sore Throat today, which means that making 40-50 phone calls is not my idea of a good time. So in an effort to kill time at work between the occasional call here is a list of things that are going through my head.

If you haven't read my proposed NCAA playoff system, I would suggest it, if you have read it and think I'm wrong, or an idiot, please email me and let me know. CTDomschke@gmail.com. It will become much more clear when the regular season is over and conference champions have been decided. Also it would take some schedule adjustments that I am essentially ignoring in this primary bracket, but let's be honest who doesn't want to see Hawai'i get a shot at Mizzou or West Virginia, the combined score would be over 100, and Brennan and White/Daniel would combine for at least 80 but more likely 90+ passes in the game. It's a shame that game won't ever happen, and especially not before the Heisman voting.

Last night I watched the movie Never Been Kissed, not my choice I hate Drew Barrymore. Does anyone else have a problem with the fact that the teacher has a romantic interest in the student (Drew) and then actually gets angry that she lied about being 17. We're supposed to find this romantic? And Molly Shannon as always makes me wish very bad things for her.

Speaking of very bad things. Is it just me or does every man picture that movie happening at their bachelor party?

Apparently Tood Sauerbrun is pulling a Kevin McHale and secretly helping out his old team. The "Former" Bear said the Broncos would kick to Devin Hester and that they were paid money to make tackles. Apparently, he wasn't referring to himself since he botched a tackle on Hester's punt return. 21 of the Bears points Sunday were the result of the "Former" Bear. A Kick Return TD, Punt Return TD, and a TD run for A.P. a few plays after the Blocked Sauerbrun punt deep in Bronco territory.

Good News for whoever draws Kansas in a Bowl Game. The team that was #2 and lost (which has happened a few times this season) has gone on to lose their next game (in the cases of Oregon to UCLA, BC to Maryland) their next 2 games in the case of South Florida to UConn and Cinci, and Cal to UCLA and ASU.

Let's see 5 days since he started practicing again, 6 carries later in game and...he's done for the year. Let's hear it for Ricky Marley err Williams. 758 yards on 174 carries over the last 3 seasons for a total of 4.36 yards per carry with 2 100 yard games. Probably what was expected of the former Heisman Trophy winner. Ladies and Gentlemen the ultimate me-first player.

And I was just informed that I can get fired for blogging at work.

See ya around sports fans.

GO CATS!
More after the jump...

Perspective

This is a short one, just for the thought provoking purposes:

Devin Hester, arguably the best return man in the game and definitely one of the most dangerous players on the field. In the 2006 season, he scored on 6 returns, the rest of the NFL combined for 18. Here's the math to make it easy for you, Hester scored 1/4 of all kick/punt/FG returns last season out of the entire NFL. Plus he tacked one on in the Super Bowl giving him 7 total returns for his Rookie season. The record holder of most career return touchdowns: 13 Brian Mitchell in 13 seasons. Hester was past halfway there after one season in the NFL. He's already tacked on 3 more this season (73 yard punt return vs. the Chiefs, 97 yard kick return vs. the Lions, and an 89 yard punt return vs. the Vikes)that's 9 regular season and 10 total in less than 2 seasons. And he's on pace to get 8 this season alone scoring one every other week so far. Not to mention he is quickly becoming an offensive threat.

A look at his Rookie season Highlights:
Tied (teammate Nathan Vasher's record) 108 yard FG return for the longest play and return in NFL history
Most TD returns in a regular season (6)
Most TD returns in a season (6)
Most TD returns in a regular season as a Rookie (6)
Most TD returns in a season as a Rookie (7)
Most TD returns in one game (2) *Tied with 5 others
Also set Team records for most kick return yards in a game (225), most punt return yards in a game (152), and punt return yards in a season (518)

He also changed the game, teams are drafting returners now look at Miami picking Ted Ginn, Jr. with the 9th overall pick and Cam Cameron defending his pick (over Brady Quinn who most thought was going in that spot) by saying that Ginn would be a great return man in the NFL.... What, a top ten pick for a guy who will handle the ball maybe 5 times in a game. Quite a difference a year makes, or rather a player.

Oh, and he's the first and only player with a 100 rating in any statistical Madden Category.
More after the jump...

A rare double dip

Apparently the self proclaimed “TheBearDown Blogs Biggest Fan” was unappreciative of my, as he put it “sincere and heartfelt” post because he wanted the cynicism that made me famous (in my own eyes) so first here is a list of new rules to live by and thrown in will be random thoughts of the past running list of rules in the world of sports:

1) When returning the opening kick off, go out at the 1, do not score a touchdown, your team will lose, don’t believe me” ask Devin Hester and Tedy Ginn Jr.
2) Whichever team one of us (This applies mostly to myself and his 4Realness) is rooting for in the post-season will lose
3) If your team hasn’t won a championship in over 50 years, it’s cursed (whether it be by Goat, Babe Ruth, or Rocky Colavito)
4) There is no “too far” when dressing to support your team, head-dress for tribe games in your living room – perfect, face-paint and bull-horns for Bulls games at the local pizza place – expected, Buckeye hat, buckeye beads, and a OSU jersey from about 25 years ago that’s 3…well now it’s 2 sizes too big – fantastic, suit and tie of team’s colors for Bears games – excellent.

Interlude #1: (Now Navy Seal) Morgan, a good buddy of ours, had this to say a few years back, “you can’t spell Stud without STD, and you can’t spell Ridiculously Handsome without Gonorrhea”

5) Research on the game at hand and the other team, not just limited to stats and records. How much? At least twice as much time should be spent on this research than on actual time doing work or school work. And you can do this research at work or at school.
6) When none of your teams can get it done turn it into a city argument, your city is always better than someone else’s city. Of course this is easy for me since I rep the teams from Chicago which is the greatest city of all time. The architecture, the food, we got a beach, we get snow, best franchises in the history of sports, and very much responsible for the history of sports (charter member of the NFL and NHL, and professional baseball before the MLB existed.)
7) Invariably, when someone who writes for your home-town news paper thinks that your team isn’t perfect in everyway, they are wrong, but if they write glowing articles about your team that are undeserved, they are a homer. This will never change, sports fans are always right, and sports reporters are usually wrong, unless they agree with us.

Interlude #2: An actual online exchange between myself and 4Real while I was at the courthouse in Phoenix for Jury Duty (DUI Not Guilty in case you were wondering):

Dom: Kill me please, it's 7:45 AM and I’m in a courthouse in Phoenix stuck watching Good Morning Arizona (cheesy morning show) I’m running on 3 and a half hours of sleep and it's almost 100 degrees already

4Real: Umm well that sounds terrible, I on the other hand was up ‘til 5 in the morning drinking with Andy and writing songs for our boy band...I really need to stop drinking

8) Tailgating has nothing to do with where it is, and in fact trucks and SUVs do not need to be there, the only thing necessary for a tailgate is lots of beer, maybe some mixed drinks, some sort of noise on (TV or Radio), someone needs to be noticeably more drunk than everyone else, it needs to be leading up to an event (not even necessarily sports), and it needs to be outside. Possible alternatives to known tailgating

a. Before your buddies last final of his college career
. i. Hopefully he isn’t the one that is more drunk than everyone else
b. Before Graduation
c. Before a Christening
d. Before a Baptism
e. Before a wedding
f. Before a funeral
g. Before a work function
h. Before and after softball or bowling
i. Before getting on a flight to (Vegas, Bachelor party, Guy’s weekend, etc)
j. Before your baby is born

9) Referring to any one as a “young _______” or “next _______” in sports is over, and done with. No more “young Michael Jordan’s” there will never be another Jordan, as we saw with Harold “Baby Jordan” Minor, there is a LeBron James and a Kobe Bryant they are not the “young” or “next” Jordan. The only exception to this is Brian Urlacher referring to Brett Favre as an “Old Tony Romo”, classic on so many levels.
10) Screw the AP, the BCS, the USA Today, and the ESPN polls. Get rid of all of them and go to the Las Vegas oddsmakers poll. These guys don’t have fans to suck up to, no East Coast or West Coast Bias as with the other polls. Records don’t mean anything, it’s about how good the team is, and until we have a playoff system it’s the best thing out there. These guys aren’t placing their vote for their own team or division teams to beef up their points (coaches, BCS) these guys vote based on what they know about the teams which is significantly more than the guys at ESPN. The guys at ESPN make their money reporting about these teams, it doesn’t matter if they’re right or wrong. The guys in Vegas make their money handicapping these teams and it makes a HUGE difference if they’re right or wrong.
a. Here’s their top 25 with the AP ranking to the right:
1. LSU (5)2. Oklahoma (4)3. Ohio State (1)4. Southern California (13)5. West Virginia (9)6. Florida (14)7. Oregon (7)8. California (10)9. Boston College (3)10. Arizona State (12)11. South Florida (2)12. South Carolina (6)13. Missouri (15t)14. texas (19)15. Virginia Tech (11)16. Michigan (24)17. Kentucky (8)18. Penn State (26)19. Auburn (18)20. Kansas (15t)21. Texas Tech (22)22. Tennessee (20)23. Brigham Young (39)24. Georgia (21)25. Hawaii (17)

That’s it for right now.
More after the jump...