The St. Louis Rams are looking at another dreadful season in 09′. They are one of the worst teams in the NFL – just a few short years ago the Rams were one of the most exciting teams in the history of the league.
The Rams hit rock bottom in 08′ with a record of 2-14 — worse then the 07′ season when they went 3-13. The last winning season for the Rams was in 03′, they went 12-4 winning the NFC West division. If it wasn’t for the Detroit Lions, Oakland raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, the Rams would be the worst franchise of the last 5 years.
The St. Louis fans are good fans that will support a team – they don’t deserve the product that is being produced on the field. I can only imagine what it would be like, but thankfully I’m not a Rams fan.
While nearly winning, the fact that the team only scored 7 points doesn’t bode well for the Rams’ offense. Unfortunately for Steven Jackson, he gets no help.
Marc Bulger has a few good seasons with the Rams – in 06′ Bulger threw for over 4,000 yards and 24 touchdown passes with only 8 interceptions. The last two seasons for Bulger have been less then stellar with more interceptions then touchdown passes.
It is doubtful the Rams will go winless like the Detroit Lions “accomplished” in 08′ – the Rams are not looking at many wins either. It’s hard to find bright spots with the Rams. The only player that the Rams can be proud is RB Stephen Jackson – Jackson has carried the Rams the last few seasons – a running back alone doesn’t win football games.
The NFL has had fast turn arounds before – many feel this isn’t possible with the Rams. The Dolphins in 07′ went 1-15, 08′ the Dolphins went 11-5. Whether that was a fluke or not the turn around was accomplished.
With nothing to lose, the Rams should draft a top quarterback in 2010, as their future may hinge on this position.
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Donovan McNabb is the face of the Philadelphia Eagles. The storied veteran is now in his 30s, but he’s nearly as effective as he’s ever been. With Brett Favre still playing, it shows that even on the wrong side of 30, QBs can still be effective.
Vick could be a distraction and not worth the trouble. Until Vick does something on the field he isn’t worth talking about. I think he has potential to get back to a stud QB, but it’s going to take time and a lot of hard work.
The Eagles have been one of the most successful NFL franchises in the last decade and consistently make the playoffs. With McNabb’s injury Kevin Kolb has been excellent in both of his starts throwing over 300 yards in each game.
The benching of McNabb was the turning point of the 08′ season and gave the Eagles the spark they needed. The eventually lost in the playoffs but the optimism to advance further in the playoffs in 09′ is there.
The Eagles have a good running game with Brain Westbrook and LeSean McCoy with average receivers. The Eagles never had a really number one receiver since Terrell Owens, that didn’t end well as we all know.
New Orleans won easily by a score of 48-22. The Eagles are now 1-1 in a very competitive division, where every win will matter.
The Eagles are contenders to win the NFC East and possibly the NFC conference. Many believe Michael Vick will not be a major factor in the success in the Eagles – who will be is McNabb and how healthy he can stay during the course of the season.
The team should be lucky to have such an opponent in week 3, for a game they couldn’t win would present serious challenges down the road. Will we see more of Michael Vick or will they continue with Kolb? I’d imagine Kolb continues as Vick’s probably still a bit rusty.
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The NY Yankees are the 2009 MLB champions. Having beaten the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6, they denied the defending champions of another title.
I live in New York, and while I’m a fan of the Mets, I do happen to root for my city any time my team isn’t in the postseason (and that seems to be quite often).
When you have the biggest payroll in baseball, one could say that a World Series win should be expected. The Yankees went on a spending spree during the off season, adding some huge names to the mix.
Hank Steinbrenner made some bold moves for a team that had just spent hundreds of millions on dollars on the development of a brand new stadium. Everyone in New York was ready for another victory.
Amazingly, some of the original player from the championship Yankees teams were still in New York. Jeter, Posada, Pettitte, Rivera, and others patiently waited for another shot.
Their newly acquired players played at the level that many had expected of them. CC Sabathia pitched in vintage form through most of the year, getting better when it counted most. Andy Pettitte and AJ Burnett were very reliable, especially in the playoffs. Mark Teixeira was the best home run hitter in the American League.
And in a surprising twist Alex Rodriguez was one of the Yankees’ most clutch players in the postseason. A player constantly criticized for failing to contribute when it mattered finally came through for his team.
Many doubted them through the course of the season and thought they would flop in the playoffs. Others thought the Phillies were simply too strong. In the end, they did what they had set out to do.
Congratulations to the Yankees on a magnificent 2009 season. You undoubtedly earned what you got.
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The San Diego Chargers are one of the most talented teams in the NFL that has yet to win a Super Bowl. They have all the right pieces in place but have yet to get over the hump.
The Chargers have perhaps the easiest division to win, the AFC West – with the Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos there are no serious threats at all to challenge for the division title. Anything less than a Super Bowl appearance will be a disappointment for the franchise.
Starting with Philip Rivers, who is coming off of a career year that saw him breakout in 2008, the passing game has been great, thanks to Vincent Jackson at wide receiver and Antonio Gates, one of the best tight ends in football.
The defense hasn’t lived up to their potential just yet though. Things could turn around and in order for the Chargers to have a big year, it must happen soon.
After almost losing to the Raiders during their opening game, the San Diego Chargers came from behind in a dramatic fashion, sniping the game from the Raiders. This was a game that the Chargers were expected to win by and large, and they almost let it slip.
Turner’s career record is under .500 and if he can’t lead the Chargers to a strong playoff run with the talent the Chargers have, he might be looking at the wanted ads at the end of the season.
The AFC is extremely difficult to win this year – Baltimore Ravens have an offense for the first time, the Indianapolis Colts have Peyton Manning and always a threat, the New York Jets are improved with a top-notch defense, the New England Patriots have a healthy Tom Brady again, and the Pittsburgh Steelers should be a contender.
I do believe their offense is powerful, but not enough to make up for the weak defense. For this team to compete and live up to their expectations, the defense needs to improve immediately.
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The Minnesota Vikings are one of the favorites in the NFC to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. This is even truer now that Brett Favre is the Vikings quarterback.
All that season to be a distant memory because the Vikings are off to a fast start with Favre playing very well. If Favre can stay healthy for all 16 regular season games and the playoffs the Vikings have a great chance at becoming Super Bowl champions.
Through two weeks of the NFL season, the Vikings are really looking good. Of course, one could argue that their two wins both came against weak teams. Even so, they have a chemistry of champions already.
Favre isn’t the only man who needs to play his best for the Vikings to win the Super Bowl, Adrian Peterson will have to have a career year and play like a man possessed. Peterson’s role will be important as the season moves into the colder months, granted the Vikings play in a dome but traveling to Green Bay and Chicago in the winter isn’t fun.
With the NFC North being the competitive division that it is – winning the NFC North won’t be a cake walk. The Chicago Bears are much improved from a season ago despite the loss of Brian Urlacher and the Green Bay Packers will give the Vikings a challenge all season long.
Adrian Peterson looks like the best running back in the NFL, and more importantly, Brett Favre is playing efficient football at the quarterback position. Jared Allen’s also stepping it up and looks like the best defensive end in the league.
More than efficient, in fact. Favre has completed 37 of 48 passes (77.1 percent), and has thrown 3 TDs without throwing a single interception through the first two weeks of football. This gives Favre a QB rating of 110.2.
The Minnesota Vikings hated Bret Favre but he can be their hero if he manages to help them win a Super Bowl come February. He’s off to a very strong start and it doesn’t seem like he’s hated in Minnesota anymore.
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The Indianapolis Colts came into the 2009 season with high expectations. Always a competitive team, anything short of a Super Bowl may be seen as a disappointment in their minds.
The Colts travel to Miami to face the Dolphins on Monday Night Football. The Dolphins, winners of the AFC East in 2008, opened up their season on a sour note with a loss in Atlanta to the Falcons and will look to rebound from their week 1 loss.
The Colts are loaded on offense with WR Reggie Wayne, WR Pierre Garcon, WR Anthony Gonzalez, TE Dallas Clark, RB Joseph Addai, RB Donald Brown and of course QB Peyton Manning.
While Joseph Addai had a down year in 08′, many expect him to regain his form from 07′ and be a major contributor this season. Rookie RB Donald Brown should be able to help Addai get some breathing time during games.
Peyton Manning looked great during the first week of the NFL season, there’s no doubt about that. He connected with Reggie Wayne like they did in 2007, and made use of the rest of his receivers too. However, Anthony Gonzalez, the team’s number two wide receiver, was forced out of the game with injury and will probably miss the remainder of the year as a result. Since the team no longer has Marvin Harrison, this is ample cause for concern.
This is a tough loss for a Colts team that is suddenly not too deep at the wide receiver position for the first time in several years.
Additionally, the effectiveness of Joseph Addai still comes under question after he followed up a great 2007 season with a disappointing 2008 campaign that saw him falling short of expectations and struggling.
The Monday night game at Miami is a must win for the Indianapolis Colts. Expect Manning to rise to the occasion, that’s usually what he does!
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When I make a list like this, I should start out by saying that it’s a really hard thing to do. I wasn’t around to see many of the athletes of the past, and the ones who are fresher in our minds will always seem more meaningful.
After all, we weren’t there to see most of the athletes of the’00s so it’s hard to completely realize what they meant to society at the time. What you should know is that many of the men from the past paved the way for the big stars we enjoy today.
It’s hard to narrow this list down to five, but these are the five men who I think had more meaning to their sports than any others. This is all subject to opinion, and I’d love to hear yours.
Ty Cobb. A pioneer in the baseball world, his time came before Babe Ruth’s. He was one of the first true superstars of the sport and still remains one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game.
As far as boxing goes, Muhammad Ali was the most high profile boxer to ever grace the sport. His personality and charisma were second to none, and the same can be said about his boxing skills.
Pele is often considered the Michael Jordan of soccer. Considering the fact that more people worldwide watch and play soccer than any other sport, he easily commands a top 3 spot on this list.
Babe Ruth. The Babe officially put baseball on the map and made it America’s pastime for nearly a century. He was a legend of his time and still remains the king of the home run in the minds of many. If not for Babe Ruth, baseball wouldn’t be as big as it is today.
You probably know who comes next. The legendary basketball player who is hands down seen as the greatest of all time. Michael Jordan was a hard worker, a clutch player, and highly marketable.
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2009 in baseball was definitely the year of the pitcher. While it looks like Zack Greinke should definitely win the Cy Young award in the American League, things are much closer in the National League, leaving many to speculate about a very interesting race.
While some great pitching was pretty commonplace throughout the entire National League, the race really boils down to two pitchers. Guys like Matt Cain, Adam Wainwright, Jair Jurrjens, Johan Santana, Wandy Rodriguez, and others were absolutely great this season, with many of them having career years.
At the end of the day though, the best pitching was hands down performed by Tim Lincecum, the young hurler with the San Francisco Giants, and Chris Carpenter, the veteran ace pitcher in St. Louis who came back from a two year hiatus that saw him sidelined with injury.
However, there’s a lot more to what both of these aces accomplished than just some incredible stats. Sometimes, intangible factors like these may factor into determining who’s more worthy of an award. That may very well have to be the case this year.
As far as Lincecum is concerned, he was magnificent in 2009. A 15-7 record, a 2.48 ERA, and 261 strikeouts (best in the league) in 225.1 innings pitched were all phenomenal. He was largely responsible for San Francisco’s first winning season in years.
How about Carpenter though? Having missed two seasons in a row, he came back and was better than ever. With an NL best 2.24 earned run average, and NL best 1.01 WHIP, and a 17-4 win-loss record, Carpenter was as good as it gets.
Who deserves it though? Well, that’s all up to the voters. I would give Lincecum a three in five chance of winning it, but I could really see it going either way considering the dramatics of Carpenter’s performance.
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I love basketball as much as any fan, and I’ve been following the league actively since the first day of preseason basketball. This is an exciting season of basketball, and we’ve already witnessed quite a few great moments so far.
Let’s take a look at some of the surprises we’ve seen thus far. We’ll look at pleasant surprises, in addition to some underachieving trends we’ve seen too.
If you’ve been keeping up with the league, you’ve probably noticed that the Suns are tearing it up on the courts. Few people remember that this team was considered a championship contender even just two seasons ago, yet they missed the playoffs last year.
The Suns are no longer with Shaquille O’Neal, and they may very well be better off for it. Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Grant Hill, and the rest of the crew are playing some inspired basketball and they’re back to their fast paced game.
Many laughed at the Oklahoma City Thunder last season, as they had one of the worst records in basketball. Few people noticed that this team gradually improved through the course of the year.
The Thunder have improved some more since last season, and the beginning of their year took many fans by surprise.
The biggest surprise, though, was the fact that Oklahoma City took the Lakers to overtime and nearly beat them. It looks like this team is ready to assert itself.
Lastly, we should look at the weak start in Cleveland. I can’t even remember how many games it took last season before the Cavs lost twice, but it happened in just two games in 09-10.
With some losses to the Celtics and the Raptors, people had to wonder what was going on in Cleveland. While the team has won its three games since those losses, they’ve all come against relatively weak opponents.
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The New York Jets started out with a bang – fans hope that the Jets are as good as they seem. Not many people gave the Jets a chance to beat the New England Patriots (only Jets fans and the Jets team probably).
While the offense is good, the Jets defense is what is carrying them to their current success – Jets are in the top 10 in every major defensive category.
With the departure of QB Bret Favre and coach Eric Mangini and the acquisition of head coach Rex Ryan and QB Mark Sanchez – the Jets seem to be an entirely different team then in 08′.
While Brady showed some rust during the season opener against the Bills last Monday night, he was still able to come through with a game winning drive that brought New England the victory. This was enough to keep the Patriots as the team to beat in the AFC East, and perhaps in the AFC altogether.
The Pats came to New York on Sunday and the Jets looked like an entirely new team. Not only was Brady limited to his first game without a touchdown pass since 2005, but the Patriots lost their first regular season game with Brady as their quarterback since December 11, 2006!
Personally, I’ve never seen a Jets defensive unit that looked this great. I know that Rex Ryan gets all of the credit in Baltimore for what he did with the Ravens defense, but I never fully believed it. Now I’m starting to see that he’s for real, as is rookie QB Mark Sanchez.
You’d never know that quarterback Mark Sanchez was in fact a rookie, because he played with the poise that Brady usually plays with. If he continues to play at this level, I see a rookie of the year in NY.
For the first time in a few seasons, I’m really excited to be a Jets fan. This is one of those seasons that could bring us a solid run in the playoffs. If Matt Sanchez can continue playing like a veteran and their defense keeps improving, this will be a big year in NY.
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