NFL Week 3 Thoughts

Vinnie Chase and Company Do It Again

Until they lose a game I will continue to lead off these NFL recaps by talking about the Jets. Right now they are 3-0 after their victory over the Titans but they have New Orleans this week who is also 3-0 and will be their biggest test.

It will be a match up of 3-0 teams and will also showcase the best defense in the league against the best offense. It will interesting to see how Rex Ryan shuts down Drew Brees and Pierre Thomas but I am sure he has a way.

Sanchez looked shaky for a long time on Sunday after the 1st quarter and if not for Ryan Moudon making some costly errors the Jets may not have been victorious. Maybe Rex Ryan should send him the game ball for all his hard work out there.

Although Sanchez struggled he is 14 yard touchdown run in the 1st quarter was the stuff legends are made of. If he continues to show that kind of heart and determination he will do great things in the NFL.

How Scary Are the Ravens?

Good lord this is a scary team. The defense is just as dangerous as always and now all of a sudden they have an offense. Joe Flacco looked like Joe Montana on Sunday as he carved up the Browns for 342 yards and 3 TDs.

Now I know this was against Cleveland who looks like they couldn't win games in the CFL but still. The only question I have is can they score points quickly? I know they can score a lot of points but they still seem like the Ravens of old who score through long drives and not huge plays. That may be an issue going forward if they happen to get down early.

Still the Ravens are 3-0 and look to be the team to beat in the AFC. I know I wouldn't want to play them anytime soon.

Role Reversal

Last year the Titans and Panthers won their divisions. Right now they are both 0-3. Last year the Steelers and the Cardinals played in the SuperBowl and right now they are a combined 2-4. What a difference a year makes.

The Titans have had a horrible start to their season going 0-3 but they are by far the best 0-3 team in recent memory. Their losses haven't been catastrophic and they have had a lot of positives. They just need to feed Chris Johnson the ball more and NEVER throw the ball to Nate Washington. By the way Kerry Collins finished the game against the Jets Sunday by throwing 13 straight incompletions.

The Panthers look terrible and Jake Delhomme has seemingly lost any ability to play quarterback. He has thrown 7 interceptions through 3 games and is the reason the Panthers lose. If they want to win they need to do what works for them aka RUN THE BALL.

Love watching the Steelers lose and as for the Cardinals they should do alright this season as long as their O-line can keep the pressure of Kurt Warner.

Damn You Brett Favre

As if that happened on Sunday. Why couldn't he just throw an interception or an incompletion and just lose the game. Now I have to go a whole week hearing about how amazing Brett Favre is and how he has the "magic." Don't get me wrong it was a great drive, great throw, and an unreal catch but still I wish it hadn't happened.

I contend that the 49ers are to blame for this. What was Mike Singletary thinking playing the prevent defense and allowing the Vikings to march down the field like that? I don't understand how a team can go 58 minutes playing a certain defensive style that is clearly working and then all of a sudden change it up and play soft coverage. All the prevent defense does is prevent you from winning. You cannot allow the offense to get chunks of yards like that and get out of bounds.

That is why I have loved watching the Jets this season. Late in the game when it is close they bring pressure and don't let up. Thank God for Rex Ryan. Find it hard to believe a defensive specialist like Singletary would play the prevent.

The Lions Win?

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the Detroit Lions finally won a football game. The win ended a 19 game losing streak that dates back to 2008. Glad that the team finally won and now they can move forward.

Also love that after the win the team met in the locker room for their post game talk and immediately went back onto the field to thank their fans for supporting them through their terrible season. Thought that was a nice touch by Jim Schwartz and the team. Also need to point out that I called this as it seems like the Redskins quit on Jim Zorn at the beginning of the season.

Quick Thoughts

- How ugly were those Seahawk jerseys on Sunday? They looked like they were designed by a blind person who went blind from looking at that bright ass green.

- Remember when Denver wanted to run Josh McDaniels out of town? Now he is 3-0 and looks like a genius. The man is a winner, period.

- Jake Delhomme and Tony Romo both idolized Brett Favre growing up and both are referred to as "gun slingers." That is NFL code for interception machines. If you want to idolize a quarterback pick someone good.

- Terrell Owens career is officially over. I am calling it right now. If he gets 10 touchdowns this season I will donate $500 to charity.

- The 49ers are for real but if Frank Gore is out for an extended period of time they will struggle.

- This one is for Jeff Hamilton: The Bengals look like a potential playoff team as long as Carson Palmer is healthy and Cedric Benson can maintain his current pace. The fact that they play physical defense now doesn't hurt either.

- Michael Vick hates his new role no matter what he says. He was useless out there on Sunday against the Chiefs and will certainly want a larger role going forward, especially if Donovan Mcnabb stays on the injured list.

- Joey Galloway is washed up and is single handily killing the Patriots offense.

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NFL Week 2 Thoughts

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!

How about those New York Jets putting up a solid win against the rival New England Patriots to take the lead in the AFC East. The Jets had been doing a lot of talking going into the game, especially coach Rex Ryan, but they backed it up with a 16-9 win.

Mark Sanchez had a rough start to the game going 3-5 for 15 yards in the first half but came out strong in the second half. He looked poised in the pocket and made some really accurate and smart throws. His touchdown pass to tight end Dustin Keller was money and he would have had another one if Chansi Stuckey hadn't tripped over his own feet in the endzone.

The Jets look like the team to beat in the AFC right now as they have been awesome on defense and have been getting the job done on offense. They remind me of the Ravens from 2007 with that solid defense. So far this season they haven't allowed an offensive touchdown and late in the game against the Patriots they didn't play the prevent but instead brought lots of pressure. Tom Brady wasn't comfortable all day and couldn't get into a rhythm.

I also have to mention Darrelle Revis who has been amazing this season shutting down both Andre Johnson and Randy Moss arguably two of the best receivers in the games. Just look at these numbers:

Johnson vs Revis - 4 rec 35 yards 0 TD

Johnson vs Tennessee - 10 rec 149 yards 2 TD

Moss vs Revis - 4 rec 24 yards 0 TD

Moss vs Buffalo - 12 rec 141 yards 0 TD

Revis is turning into one of the best shutdown corners in football and is doing it almost all by himself as he very rarely gets safety help. This helps the Jets send more blitzers as they feel comfortable leaving Revis 1-1 against the top receivers in the NFL.

Thank god the idiot I played in fantasy has pretty much only Patriots players and made this the easiest week I will have all season.

Youngsters Getting it Done

Peter King pointed this out in his MMQB column on Sports Illustrated this week when he wrote that 6 of the starting quarterbacks on Sunday were 25 or under and had bright futures. Mark Sanchez, Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, Trent Edwards, and Joe Flacco are all young guys who have shown signs of greatness (except Stafford but considering he plays in Detroit he has done well).

Both Flacco and Ryan came into the league last year and have shown that they can win. Sanchez is 2-0 and has looked like a veteran. Rodgers looks like the franchise quarterback in Green Bay and is making people forget Brett Favre week by week. Stafford made some really nice throws on Sunday and even had his team up 10-0 at one point. Trent Edwards seems to have mastered the deep ball as shown by his big touchdowns to Lee Evans and Terrell Owens and much like Sanchez he has a lot of poise in the pocket.

It is nice to know that the turnover of quarterbacks may slow down in the coming years instead of the carousel of guys that have been in the league over the last few years.

Sorry Jon

Last week I wrote that Jon Gruden needed to be removed from the booth on Monday Night Football. I blamed him for some poor comments and distracting the other guys and trying to take over the conversation. Well it turns out I was wrong. Don't get me wrong he sucks but I now realize that the whole crew is useless. They called Peyton Manning "The Sheriff" all night. What the fuck is that? The Sheriff? Really?

Peyton Manning throws a touchdown and this nugget escapes the lips of Gruden, "the Sheriff gets his man!!!!" I wanted to go Van Gogh on myself after that one. It is getting to the point where I am going to have to start watching these games on mute. These guys are terrible and need to talk about football and stop handing out shitty nicknames.

By the way Gruden has a massive boner for the Wildcat as every time the Dolphins ran it he would go crazy.

Lack of D

So far this season some great defensive players have been playing like crap. Remember when Shawne Merriman had 17 sacks in only 12 games in 2006-2007? I know I do. So far this year he has 0 and only 6 tackles. That is embarrassing. Maybe if he spent more time practicing and less time choking out C list celebrities he would be having a better season. His troubles might also stem from his doucher mohawk.

Merriman isn't the only one blowing it this year though as DeMarcus Ware is also having a real dumper of a season with only 10 tackles and 0 sacks. Ware is fitting right in with the rest of the Dallas defense though as through 2 games they have yet to register a sack or a turnover. That is god awful. How do they expect to win games without forcing turnovers especially with the interception machine wannabe Brett Favre quarterback known as Tony Romo behind center?

Brett Favre's Dad

That's right Kurt Warner is back. He threw for 3 TDs and went 24-26 which equals 92.3% and a new NFL record for completion percentage. Warner is trying to lead the Cardinals back to the playoffs and become only the 6th team in NFL history to go win less in the preseason and make the playoffs.

Quick Thoughts

- Jamarcus Russell has completed just 35% of his passes through 2 games so far this season. How is he in the NFL?

- I have 27 carries for 66 yards and am averaging 2.4 yards a carry who am I? Why you're James' 5th round fantasy pick and so far massive bust 'Fast' Willie Parker. More like runs like a Welshman Willie Parker.

- The 49ers tampering charges against the Jets are pathetic. Just sign Crabtree or let him go already. Don't cry about it and make up rumors and allegations. The only time a team has actually been charged with this was last year when the 49ers got caught tampering with Lance Briggs.

- Donovan McNabb out for week 3 and Michael Vick is reinstated. Vick will play but not at starting quarterback. That job goes to Kevin Kolb. Thank god for Eagles fans they play the Chiefs who couldn't beat the Toronto Argonauts.

- Drew Brees is on pace to throw 72 TDs while the St. Louis Rams are on pace to score only 8.

- In both the final game of Texas Stadium and the first game in Cowboys Stadium the opponent scored 33 points, and won.

- Despite all the hype about Brady and all of these young quarterbacks in the league there is no one I would rather have on my team than Peyton Manning. He can read a defense like no other.

- The Colts defense needs to learn how to force a 3 and out. They were on the field for over 80 plays tonight. That isn't a winning formula right there.

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Random YouTube Video (This One is for Ryan)

Why College Football is Great

This is a photo taken after the University of Washington Huskies beat the University of Southern California Trojans 16-13 on Saturday. These two teams aren't massive rivals. I mean they are both in the same conference but that is where it ends. USC is a perennial power house and going into Saturday were ranked #3 in the nation where as Washington is mediocre at best and have been dreadful as of late going 0-12 last year.

This picture and this game is why college football is amazing. I was watching the game on TV and the camera was literally shaking because the stadium was so loud and the people were jumping up and down shaking the stands. That just doesn't happen at an NFL game. People get loud but the stadium never shakes.

Another great thing about college football is rushing the field. This is by far one of the most exciting things to do as a fan. In my first year at university I was lucky enough to watch live as my school team won the national championship. It was an amazing game and when the final whistle blew everyone there rushed the field. It was insane as thousands of people rushed the middle of the field to celebrate with the players and share in their joy as if it wasn't the team that won but the school.

College football also has what I feel are more meaningful games than the NFL. So many times you watch games late in the season and you see guys playing who aren't going to go on and become pros and you realize that this will be their last game of competitive football. These kids played football from the time they were 5 and now it is all over. It turns their last game from just another game on the schedule to their SuperBowl.

This is also true of rivalry games. Ohio State plays 12 games in a season but the game that is most important to them is the game against Michigan. This is a rivalry more intense than any rivalry in the NFL and if you need proof of this just watch the HBO documentary "The Rivalry" and you will understand.

Don't get me wrong I love the NFL and I don't buy into the whole argument that college is better because the players actually care. That is serious BS. The NFL is the best sports league in the world and there is no sport better than football. Nothing compares to an NFL game. I am just saying that college football is amazing.

The picture really says it all.

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Show Him the Money

In the past I have been chirped for always supporting the jerks of sports. Guys like Terell Owens and Michael Vick have gotten my support in the past and will continue to do so moving forward. My defense to the positions I often take is that as long as the guy is talented then I am OK with him being a head case or a jerk. Now if T.O was some scrub in the CFL and ran his mouth as much as he does then I would have a problem. But since he is a future Hall of Fame wide receiver I feel compelled to defend the man when he goes off at his quarterback or yells at a coach.

Having said this I am now going to defend another one of the NFL big mouth idiots. Michael Crabtree. Crabtree is currently in a contract dispute with the San Fransisco 49ers and I think they should give him whatever he wants. Before I get into my reasons for siding with Crabtree let me first lay out the series of events that lead to the current situation.

Coming into the 2009 NFL draft Michael Crabtree was being touted as a top 5 pick and the best receiver in the draft. Unfortunately he suffered a foot injury and was unable to compete at the Combine which hurt his stock.

When draft day came around it was presumed that Oakland would take Crabtree at #7 as they were in desperate need of a wide receiver. Too bad everyone forgot the Raiders are run by a corpse named Al Davis and are the worst organization in the NFL. The Raiders decided to take Darrius Heyward-Bey instead of Crabtree. This meant that Crabtree fell to the 49ers at #10.

After being selected Crabtree made it known that he was the best receiver in the draft and wanted to be paid accordingly. So when Heyward-Bey signed his deal with Oakland Crabtree asked to be paid more.

San Fransisco refused however and said that Crabtree would be paid less than Heyward-Bey because he was selected after him. Thus we have a holdout.

Crabtree has stated that if he does not get the money he feels is fair that he will sit out the season and re-enter the draft in 2010. He is not afraid to sit out the whole season and is perfectly willing to forgo a year of his career.

Now some people might look at this situation and say that Crabtree is being greedy and that he should be happy just to be in the NFL. I couldn't disagree more. I feel like it is the 49ers who are in the wrong and are being cheap.

Michael Crabtree is a top 5 talent and was one of, if not the, best players in the draft. The fact he fell to #10 was crazy and the 49ers instead of being grateful have acted as if he was lucky to be drafted by them. If Al Davis wasn't the most incompetent man in sports than Crabtree would be a Raider. Instead he fell to San Fran. They need to realise that they were gifted a great talent and just pay up.

I will also point out that this is a slap in the face to the fans. An organization as storied as the 49ers should not be squabbling with a draft pick over a couple of million dollars especially when they were 7-9 last year and couldn't score points. It makes the team look cheap when they put money ahead of having a good team. Fans don't appreciate this and if the season goes poorly because of this then there will be problems.

The 49ers are approaching the situation all wrong and are blowing an opportunity to have a very special talent on their team. If Crabtree re-enters the draft as he plans to then the 49ers will also have wasted their 2009 1st round pick which would be a huge blow to a team that is in a rebuilding phase.

Crabtree is the best receiver in the draft and deserves to pay as such. He is committed to getting his money and I like that. He knows he is the best and wants to be treated as such. Some might call it arrogance and greed but I believe that he is sticking to his principles and is trying to ensure the best for himself.

Having said that I think it would be detrimental to his career to sit out this season. Not only will he lose a whole year of his career as a professional football player but he will also not be able to play football anywhere. This means that in the 2010 draft there is no way he will go higher than 10th. Who would pick a wide receiver that hasn't played in over a year in the top 10? Maybe the Raiders actually.

Michael Crabtree is standing firm in what he feels is right and the 49ers are doing the same. On the one hand we have an individual who is trying to make something of himself and ensure life long financial security along with protecting his ego where as the other is an organization who is trying to pinch pennies and make a stand. Who will win? If Crabtree doesn't sign then there will be no winners. He will lose a year of his life and the 49ers will lose a potentially great receiver.

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NFL Week 1 Thoughts

Sorry that I haven't updated the site in a while but I was away in Europe getting all the traveling out of my system before I start a new career and am financially unable to leave the confines of Canada again.

I was gone for almost a month but managed to get back to North America in time for the start of the NFL season. Actually i got back on Thursday and was able to watch the Steelers/Titans game which I thoroughly enjoyed (especially when Troy Polamalu went down).

Before I get to my thoughts on Week 1 of the NFL season I need to ask a serious question. Is there anything better than Sunday during the NFL season? Honestly, It becomes a day dedicated to being lazy, watching TV, and eating pizza and drinking beer. Glorious.

Anyway here are some of my thoughts on an excellent Week 1 in the NFL:

Mark Sanchez Debut

I am a Jets fan so and going into this season I was worried. Kellen Clemens and Mark Sanchez as the quarterback options. Not good. Then I sat down and watched the Jets play the Houston Texans and was very impressed with Sanchez. He has poise in the pocket, a strong arm, and he seems to have a genuine love of the game. Throughout the whole game he was smiling and getting excited after catches. He even ran on the field after an extra point when a shoving match ensued in order to break it up. He is taking on the role of team leader very seriously and he showed he knows what it takes. I understand that it is only 1 game but I am now excited about the rest of the season.

Jets Defense

Staying with the Jets I have to comment on the defense. Rex Ryan was the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens last year and I knew he would make the Jets defense tougher but I had no idea that the change would be so immediate. The defense was great and they blitzed all game putting constant pressure on Matt Schaub. Loved it.

Early MVP Race

Drew Brees was a man possessed on Sunday as he lit up the Detroit Lions for 6 touchdowns. 6! Now I know that it was against the Lions but 6 touchdowns is 6 touchdowns no matter how you look at it. Brees is a statistical beast and was only a few yards shy of beating Dan Marino's record for most passing yards in a season last year. Despite his crazy numbers I still feel like he is an afterthought to most people in terms of elite quarterbacks. He is never mentioned with the Mannings and the Bradys despite his talent. However if he keeps having games like the one he had on Sunday he will be hard to ignore.

In the same category Adrian Peterson must be mentioned. Peterson had a monster day on Sunday as he rushed for 180 yards and had 3 TDs. Peterson has been an absolute phenom since he entered the league and games such as this are now considered normal for him. His great play not only lead the Vikings to a win over the Browns but also took pressure of Brett Favre. Speaking of which...

Brett 'I'm a Waste of a Human Being' Favre's Return

God I hate this man. How can he even look himself in the mirror knowing that by signing with the Vikings he is turning his back on an entire state. He was a god in Green Bay and now he is public enemy #1. A real douchebag. I was surprised he didn't retire at half time and then comeback in the 4th quarter to get even more attention. People talk trash about T.O and his constant need for attention but Favre takes it to a whole new level. The man just loves hearing his own name and reading about himself in the news and has 0 consideration for anybody else. I hope that he gets hit by a bus on his way to practice tomorrow. By the way he threw for 110 yards (career low) and also had 1 TD. Thank god he can't stay healthy and I will only need to hear about him for another few weeks.

Need to give props to Peter King. I have ripped on King in the past for having a serious boner for Favre but during the soap opera this summer King made it clear that he was very against what Favre was doing and went as far as to call him "whishy washy." This may not seem harsh to you but this is as mean as Peter King gets. That translates to 'he is a prick' in the political correct world of a Sports Illustrated writer. Way to put down the Kool Aid Mr. King.

Nobody Blows a Game like the Buffalo Bills

Your team is winning 24 to 19. There is 2:06 left in the game. You are about to return the kickoff. You catch the ball a yard deep in your end zone and instead of taking a knee you opt to run it out. Then once you are tackled you decided that instead of just going down you are going to try and fight for that extra yard. You then realise you have had the ball stripped from your hands because you were fighting for that extra yard. After getting up from the bottom of a pile on you realise that the other team has recovered the ball in amazing filed position and you have just given away the game. You are Leodis McKelvin. You are the biggest idiot in New England.

The Bills played an amazing game and made very few mistakes. They were finally going to beatthe Patriots for the first time in 6 years. Then McKelvin ran the ball out of the end zone instead of taking a knee. Watching from the sidelines the Bills players must have had a sick feeling in their stomach. Presidential candidate Trent Edwards looked like he had been punched in the stomach. It was a terrible way to lose.

The Return of Brady

Tonight's game against the Bills was Tom Brady's first game since Week 1 of last year when he broke his leg after being hit by Bernard Pollard. In the opening quarter of the game Brady looked rusty and threw an interception that would eventually be run back for a touchdown. After that Brady really settled down and got into a rhythm. He ended up with 39 completions, 1 short of the Monday Night Football record, and 2 TDs both coming in the 4th quarter. He led his team to victory late in the game and looked like the Tom Brady of old standing strong in the pocket and throwing darts. There didn't seem to be any visible pain when he was throwing and he was planting hard on his repaired knee.

Brady could be counted among with Brees and Peterson as early MVP candidates. His team was minutes away from defeat but then the stars aligned and everything went their way. In a SuperBowl winning season every team needs at least 1 game like that. The Pats got theirs tonight and might end up being a team of destiny.

John Gruden Get Out of the Booth

A more annoying commentator there is not. Gruden has no business being in the booth and should step down and let Jaws and Mike Tarico do their thing. He was constantly talking and had nothing of value to say. His comments were always along the lines of, "he is a solid football player." Thanks John. I had no idea Tom Brady was good. Gruden was a scrub coach and is a scrub broadcaster. The only reason he won a SuperBowl is because he was the former coach of the team he ended up playing against. Gift wrapped.

To be fair to Gruden the 3 man booth doesn't work. There are too many people trying to get their points across. For some reason every network seems to think it works but in reality it doesn't. Pat Summerall and John Madden were the greatest broadcasting team in NFL history. Reason? There were only 2 of them. Imagine Al Michaels in there with them. It would be constant talking which would distract from the game. Get rid of the 3 man booth and get rid of Gruden.

Final Thoughts

- Jay Cutler loses and Kyle Orton wins. Good for Josh McDaniels who can now breathe a sigh of relief after a horrible off season.

- I know the 49ers won but they need to sign Crabtree. They got a top 5 talent at #10. In the words of Teddy KGB, "Pay that man. Pay that man his money." (more to come on this in tomorrow's post)

- Dolphins tried to run the Wildcat on Sunday but were unsuccessful as Atlanta had it covered. Could it be that teams have figured out the Wildcat? If so then Miami is in for a long year.

- The Rams still suck

- Jeremy Shockey caught a touchdown pass for the first time in 22 months. Remember when he used to go to Pro Bowls?

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Vick Deserves 2nd Chance

What is it about dogs that make people lose their common sense? I seriously do not understand it. This might be because I have never owned a dog but I think there has to be something more to it than that.

The reason I say this is because ever since Michael Vick was first arrested for dog fighting over 2 years ago people have been saying some things that blow my mind. Comments that make me stop and wonder if these people are retarded or if they have been kicked in the head.

Comments such as, "what Vick did was worse than rape." Oh really? Killing a dog is worse than raping somebody? I heard a man say this on the radio today and it blew my mind. This man is basically saying that he would rather see his wife raped than his dog killed. You have got to be kidding me.

Bob McCowan of the Fan 590 said today that killing dogs should carry the death penalty. This man legitimately believes that killing a dog equates to the same crime as killing 5 people or bombing a building. He thinks Vick should be on death row with mass murderers. This isn't fake and I am not making this up.

Now I am not going to sit here and condone what Vick did. It was wrong, stupid, and cruel. Is it worse than rape or murder? Of course not. What sane person would say otherwise?

But Vick has paid his debt to society. The man spent 18 months in prison. PRISON. Not some health spa jail but Federal Pound me in the Ass Prison (Office Space reference). He took his punishment and served his time like a man. Now he is a free man and is allowed to live the rest of his life in anyway he sees fit and people are pissed.

He signed a 2 year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles and everyone is in an uproar. People are saying he should be banned from the NFL and shouldn't be allowed to play football again. To these people I have only one thing to say "I thought this was America!!!!"

People need to calm down and realize that everyone makes mistakes and no one is infallible. Michael Vick is just another convict looking for a 2nd chance in life. Does he not deserve that? He made a mistake, who doesn't? I made the mistake of seeing the movie 'The Goods' tonight. No one is perfect.

But in all seriousness Vick has suffered enough. He lost over $100 million. He lost 18 months of his life to prison. Most importantly he lost the respect of hundreds of thousands of people.

If the man wants to play football and a team will sign him than he should be free to do so without any repercussions.

I have a feeling that this whole Michael Vick thing will blow over by mid-season. People will find someone new to hate. Someone somewhere will mess up and the focus will shift away from Vick. It will also help that he will be riding the pine as Donovan Mcnabb's backup. Vick signed as a quarterback and the Eagles already have a starter. Less playing time means less exposure. Although PETA is crazy and will be causing shit all year.

Finally I want to address the people who feel that Vick is bad for the NFL. These people need to learn that there are much worse people in the league than Michael Vick. Leonard Little of the St. Louis Rams was convicted of manslaughter and still plays. Ray Lewis was involved in a triple murder. Donte Stallworth killed a man while driving drunk a few months ago. Compared to these crimes what Vick did was tame.

Vick deserves his 2nd chance at life. He was sent to prison and served his time. He has done everything that has been asked of him by the law. If the law believes that he has paid for his crimes than that should be good enough for the general public.

Let he without sin cast the first stone. That's right. According to Jesus you all need to shut up and let the man be. God just owned you.

Random YouTube Video

Toug Guy Syndrome

One of the most iconic sports photos of the past 15 years is the photo of Nolan Ryan with Robin Ventura in a headlock. The reason the photo is so cherished and sought after is because it displays an aging Ryan in the twilight of his career absolutely manhandling the much young Ventura as if it was an easy task. This photo was a symbol of Ryan's career as he never backed down and was known for being a tough guy. Unlike today's pitchers who simply back pedal, throw their glove, and wait for teammates to intervene Ryan welcome batters who dared rush his mound. Nolan Ryan was a tough guy.

Prince Fielder is not.

Last night His Royal Fatness got beaned by Guillermo Mota in the 9th inning of a game in which the Dodgers were beating the Brewers 17-4. Fielder was clearly upset but instead of taking any serious action he opted to grin like a moron and walk to 1st base. Incident over right? Not even close. Fielder decided his best course of action would be to try and rush the Dodgers locker room after the game as if he was going to bust the door down and lay waste to the whole room. Fielder did this because he suffers from a disease common in modern athletes, TGS, otherwise known as Tough Guy Syndrome.

Instead of rushing the mound and dealing with Mota like a man Fielder instead chose the route in which he would look like a tough guy, by trying to take on security and needing to be held back by teammates, but would never really need to engage in any sort of physical contact.

Fielder is not the only one who suffers from TGS however as today it is an epidemic that is sweeping across professional sports.

Football players, basketball players, baseball players, and worst of all hockey players suffer from TGS. They all try and pretend like they are tough guys who will hand out severe punishment if they are messed with but in the end they are all Cotonelle soft.

One recent moment which will serve as a perfect example of TGS was the 2009 NBA Finals. The participants were Pau Gasol (a lanky Spaniard) and Mickael Pietrus (a Frenchman). Gasol went up for a dunk and Pietrus fouled him from behind. Gasol stepped forward and bumped chests with Pietrus who stood his ground with no retaliation. Now you may be sitting there thinking 'what's wrong with that?' Let me tell you.

You don't bump chests with another man and start swearing at them unless you are going to actually do something otherwise you look like a punk. Yes it proves that you have seen enough movies and rap videos to have learned how to ACT tough but not to actually BE tough.

If you aren't going to actually do something about a situation then don't react at all. Either walk away and be the bigger man or throw a punch and let people know that you don't suffer from TGS but in fact you actually are tough.

It is not just Frenchmen and tall lanky white guys that suffer from TGS though. TGS can affect people of any shape or size. Look no further than the NFL for proof. These so called 'tough guys' who threaten one another verbally on the field and constantly let people know that they are not to be messed with are the same men who cry to officials when calls don't go their way and sulk to reporters about playing time, bad calls, and their role within the team.

Professional athletes put on a front to try and pretend that they are 'hard' or 'mean' when really they are just overpaid cry babies who's last goal in life is to get into a physical altercation where they aren't wearing their pads or equipment.

Prince Fielder is yet another tragic victim of TGS and as sure as I breath not the last.

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