Friday, August 22, 2008

Patriot's Pre-Season

OK...so I'm one of those that take almost NO STOCK WHATSOEVER in NFL Pre-Season games. None. They don't count, and they are for the coaches to work their magic. For me...the Average Joe, who is a football fan...this is just a month earlier that I get to watch football. Albeit watching it half-assed.

It's no secret that I'm a tried and true Patriots fan. That fact, and after reading the previous paragraph, I must admit...I'm starting to become a little worried about the Patriots this year. I have been a big fan of Matt Cassell since he joined the Patriots. He's had some really incredible "tutoring" in his college and pro career, and I have always had high hopes for him. I'm starting to question that now. Why am I worried? Because I'm still stuck between thinking that Brady/Bellicheck are playing "games" with Brady's injured right foot, to them hiding a more serious injury. Maybe it's just that I like, and am used to, seeing Brady, in the pre-season games, leading scoring drives. Maybe it's just me playing devil's advocate. But I'm a little worried.

Let's try this scenario: Brady's ankle/foot injury is real, and a little bit more involved than has been let on to thus far. He misses...let's just say, for conversation's sake, 3 weeks of the regular season. His backup must play those 3 games. First...who will his backup be? I personally think it'll still be Cassell. But it doesn't matter, because none of the 3 backups have been impressive thus far. But could Cassell, Gutierrez, or O'Connell lead the Patriots past the Chiefs, Jets, and Dolphins...before their early bye week??? Hmmmmmmmmmmm...those should be 3 wins. If Brady was out until week 5...could they start the season 0-3? Each of them have had good moments in Preseason, but each of them have also had some really ugly minutes.

And I'm not pinning all of this on the backup QB's. Thus far...the Defense, Special Teams, and even Offensive Line...are either banged up, or just not playing well. And what's up with Wes Welker? He's my Stud Fantasy Football pick...is he "really" hurt??? He took a hell of a hit!

I guess we shall see, when the season starts. I'm not a "Bandwagoner"...I'll support and love the Pat's no matter what happens. But I'm starting to get a little bit nervous.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

It's Been Too Long

I apologize for my recent absence. I started a new job, was still working the old job as well, blah blah blah. Basically, I've been busier than a one-legged man at an ass-kicking contest.

This is meant to be a fairly short post, but I do know I can be long-winded, so we shall see. I do have a couple of things I want to comment on, however.

I'm sitting here watching one of my favorite movies of all time: Smokey and the Bandit. I'm a little too young to be a huge "Honeymooners" fan, but I have to say that Jackie Gleason absolutely makes this movie. He's got some of the best lines, from calling his son a "tick turd", to his slang swear words, "Somma-bitch", to of course one of the most classic lines, "There is no way, no way, that you could have come from my loins. When I get home, I'm gonna punch your Momma in the mouth". Classic movie, classic acting, classic lines.

I was just reading that Intel has just demonstrated a new power system that is totally wireless. Of course, before reading the article, all I could think of is that line from Steven Wright, when doing stand-up and he says, "I want to be the first person to invent the cordless extension cord". After reading the article, I had another thought. Intel states that the human body is affected by electrical fields (Duh!), but not by magnetic fields. So they have devised a way to wirelessly transmit power magnetically. Of course, me being me, my first thought was that everyone with a friggin' pacemaker or implanted defibrillator had better STEER CLEAR of this new technology! Stick to corded appliances! Remember Rodney Dangerfield's line, "My wife's Father just moved in, and he's got one of those pacemakers. Every time he sneezes the garage door opens!"

Football season is HERE! Yahoo!!! I'm about to participate in my Fantasy Football Draft, and of course, everyone wants to know who I'm going to go for for Quarterback. Actually, most people ask me if I'm going to go for Brady for Quarterback. I have to be honest...my first instinct was to go with Peyton Manning. Don't get me wrong...I'm a tried and true Patriots fan...but I honestly just don't see Brady throwing another 50 TD's this year. And I don't see Moss catching 23 TD passes either. Teams have smartened up. Brady and Moss are deadly together. But so is Brady to just about any eligible receiver. Maroney and Morris are healthy (in my opinion...if they could both stay healthy...they could be one of the best tandem running-back combo's in the league!), but now add in Lamont Jordan. The Offense has so many weapons. So what is a Defense's options? First and foremost...blitz Brady. Get him out of synch. His suspect Offensive Line may or may not protect him well. If they do, you're screwed, because now he has his choice of who to lob the ball to. OK...double-team Moss. Go for it. Let Welker catch all the short-route passes and run for another 10-20 yards. And when all else fails, you can never discount Faulk, who will run, block, catch, whatever. So Brady's not my first QB choice, and I'm not getting into whether this new "foot injury" is just Bellicheck smokescreens are possibly something real that may affect his season.

Peyton Manning has a fully healthy receiving corps, and we all know he's a great QB. My worry is this infected bursa sac surgery he had just over a month ago. The little voice in the back of my brain is saying that this could end up haunting Peyton in the beginning of the season. Again, I'm thinking solely Fantasy Football right now, so I'm now thinking further down the list of good QB's, and thinking Romo, Brees, Palmer, and Roethlisberger. My Draft isn't for another week, so I'll keep an eye on things, and probably end up making a last-minute decision as to how I want to rate my QB's. I already know which Running Backs and Wide Receivers I'm going after...but on the oddball chance that any of my Fantasy Football opposition read this Diatribe...I'm not saying!

More later...