Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Steve Spagnuolo, Raheem Morris, Jim Caldwell in danger of losing jobs - Don Banks - SI.com
The arithmetic is unrelenting. Since 1989, NFL teams have hired on
average 6.5 new head coaches a year, and there have been a staggering 82
coaching changes made in the league from 2000-on. Only one team, the
Philadelphia Eagles, has completely sat out the frenzy in that
department, having brought a young and promising Andy Reid to town in
1999.
This season, including elevated interim head coaches in Dallas and Minnesota, there were eight new coaches in the NFL, and that number is likely to be matched or nearly so once again in 2012. That's roughly half the league's 32 teams swapping out the man in the headset in the span of 12 to 13 months. Already in the past month, three teams have dismissed head coaches -- Jacksonville, Miami and Kansas City -- and are preparing to hire replacements.
Is it any wonder that Black Monday in the NFL -- the day after the regular season concludes -- has become something of a national death watch? With the clocking ticking toward the start of firing/hiring season, here's a team-by-team breakdown of what we think we know, with a look at the names and resumes of some potential coaching candidates:
This season, including elevated interim head coaches in Dallas and Minnesota, there were eight new coaches in the NFL, and that number is likely to be matched or nearly so once again in 2012. That's roughly half the league's 32 teams swapping out the man in the headset in the span of 12 to 13 months. Already in the past month, three teams have dismissed head coaches -- Jacksonville, Miami and Kansas City -- and are preparing to hire replacements.
Is it any wonder that Black Monday in the NFL -- the day after the regular season concludes -- has become something of a national death watch? With the clocking ticking toward the start of firing/hiring season, here's a team-by-team breakdown of what we think we know, with a look at the names and resumes of some potential coaching candidates:
Monday, December 26, 2011
Ringing out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with holiday chimes - Tampa Bay Times
Ringing out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with holiday chimes - Tampa Bay Times
(To the tune of Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer)
Geno got run over by a Panther
Running for his life on Christmas Eve
You can say he's still got promise
But as for me and you, we disagree
(To the tune of Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!)
Oh the score on the board is frightful
But Raheem is looking doubtful
And since we've no chance to grow
Let him go! Let him go! Let him go!
It doesn't show signs of stopping
Now the time has come for coach shopping
Christmas tears are starting to flow
Let him go! Let him go! Let him go!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Tim Tebow - The Numbers That Matter
Tim Tebow is the talk of the NFL since taking the helm at quarterback
for the Broncos he has lead them to 7 wins and only 1 loss. In the
process they have seized control of their division by beating the
Raiders, Chiefs, Chargers and by winning in spectacular fashion over the Bears.
In the process every aspect of his game has been scrutinized-his
throwing motion has been criticized by all the supposed experts,
his 3d down conversion percentage has been mentioned as a weakness
by the team president , Bronco great John Elway , and his completion
percentage has been less than 50%.
These are some of the statistics experts use to determine how
effective a QB is. But let's look at a number that REALLY matters
to NFL honchos-bucks!
Denver has the 5th best attendance and are averaging 74,714
butts in the seats per game. Let's compare that to oh let's say
Tebows home town team the Jacksonville Jaguars who are 26th in
attendance and average 62,173 fans per game. If you consider
that the average NFL ticket is $77 the Broncos are making $ 965657
per game more than the Jags.
Bronco ticket prices on the secondary market have increased
exponentially and presently the Broncos are ranked 5th in the
NFL in that category while the Jags are sinking and are ranked 30th
out of 32 teams. According to the website "Seatgeek" the average
Jaguar ticket price for the upcoming Titan game is $47 and only worth 47%
of face value while Bronco tickets have soared to $211 and the face
value of the ticket is up 235% for the upcoming Patriot game.
The bottom line is that Tim Tebow is making the Broncos
management look like geniuses. The Jaguars however..... Well the
Jags missed an extremely rare business opportunity that, most likely,
will never come their way again.
At least not in Jacksonville.
(way to go Mr. Weaver)
Friday, December 16, 2011
Tim Tebow: The New Face Of The NFL
Posted: December 13, 2011 David Lamm
Those of us who live on the First Coast take great pride that Tim Tebow is one of us. To say the First Coast has an epidemic of “Tebowmania” is an understatement. To call him our “Favorite Son” is as much a fact as the sun rising in the East. But, incredibly, Tim has become much more than a product of the First Coast. “Tebowmania” is truly nationwide. He’s become America’s “Favorite Son”. He has become the face and the story of America’s game, the NFL.
Sure, the Green Bay Packers are working on perfection, but they take a backseat to Tebow. Obviously America’s love for Tebow is based on his incredible athletic exploits, but the roots of that love go much deeper. The silent majority now has a hero who is the epitome of the term ‘role model’. When you combine his success on the football with his religious conviction, his humility, his caring, his sharing and his charisma, you have the likes of someone truly special. It would be naïve to think we’d even know much about Tebow if he weren’t a football player. He became a local celebrity at Nease High, becoming a blue chip recruit while leading his team to a state title and setting state passing and touchdown records. He thrilled Gator Nation when he chose Florida over Alabama, and then played a key role as a freshman when Florida won the national championship. His fame went nationwide when he won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore. His name entered the debate as the greatest college player of all time when he quarterbacked the Gators to another national title as a junior.
A 13-1 record and publicly telling the nation he was a virgin as a senior only added to his legacy. Even the incredible controversy surrounding whether or not his game would translate to the pro game added to his iconic status. A rookie season spent mostly on the Denver Broncos’ bench made him the most talked about, loved and disliked football player on the planet. His demotion to third string before this season, his second, made big national news. When he was finally named as the Broncos’ starting quarterback – after many Broncos lobbied for him — critics literally screamed he was nothing more than a run-of-the-mill fullback trying to play quarterback. Since then Tebow has put up poor statistics but helped the Broncos go 7-1. Five times he has led them on fourth quarter comebacks. It has been one near miracle after another. The number of his critics has diminished, but everyone, save for his strongest supporters, remain cautious about buying into his continued success. Meanwhile, Tebow has remained the same humble, loving man, never lashing out at his critics, crediting his teammates and praising the Lord. He seems too good to be true.
My advice to his critics, regardless of where they live, who moan about hearing, seeing and reading too much about him is this: prepare yourself. Chances are you haven’t heard, seen and read anything yet compared with what’s to come.
Those of us who live on the First Coast take great pride that Tim Tebow is one of us. To say the First Coast has an epidemic of “Tebowmania” is an understatement. To call him our “Favorite Son” is as much a fact as the sun rising in the East. But, incredibly, Tim has become much more than a product of the First Coast. “Tebowmania” is truly nationwide. He’s become America’s “Favorite Son”. He has become the face and the story of America’s game, the NFL.
Sure, the Green Bay Packers are working on perfection, but they take a backseat to Tebow. Obviously America’s love for Tebow is based on his incredible athletic exploits, but the roots of that love go much deeper. The silent majority now has a hero who is the epitome of the term ‘role model’. When you combine his success on the football with his religious conviction, his humility, his caring, his sharing and his charisma, you have the likes of someone truly special. It would be naïve to think we’d even know much about Tebow if he weren’t a football player. He became a local celebrity at Nease High, becoming a blue chip recruit while leading his team to a state title and setting state passing and touchdown records. He thrilled Gator Nation when he chose Florida over Alabama, and then played a key role as a freshman when Florida won the national championship. His fame went nationwide when he won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore. His name entered the debate as the greatest college player of all time when he quarterbacked the Gators to another national title as a junior.
A 13-1 record and publicly telling the nation he was a virgin as a senior only added to his legacy. Even the incredible controversy surrounding whether or not his game would translate to the pro game added to his iconic status. A rookie season spent mostly on the Denver Broncos’ bench made him the most talked about, loved and disliked football player on the planet. His demotion to third string before this season, his second, made big national news. When he was finally named as the Broncos’ starting quarterback – after many Broncos lobbied for him — critics literally screamed he was nothing more than a run-of-the-mill fullback trying to play quarterback. Since then Tebow has put up poor statistics but helped the Broncos go 7-1. Five times he has led them on fourth quarter comebacks. It has been one near miracle after another. The number of his critics has diminished, but everyone, save for his strongest supporters, remain cautious about buying into his continued success. Meanwhile, Tebow has remained the same humble, loving man, never lashing out at his critics, crediting his teammates and praising the Lord. He seems too good to be true.
My advice to his critics, regardless of where they live, who moan about hearing, seeing and reading too much about him is this: prepare yourself. Chances are you haven’t heard, seen and read anything yet compared with what’s to come.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
A Game With Meaning
Submitted by Joe O’Neill
Every year for the past 111 years two teams rife with history and tradition line up for a not-so-friendly game of football. This year’s edition, the 112th, takes place this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on CBS. The annual Army, Navy Football Game is the stuff of legend, and it’s coming straight at you this weekend.
Currently, Navy leads the series 55-49, with 7 ties between the two programs. Each school regards any tie game as a loss and a stain on its own record. It is a game steeped in rivalry and competitveness that plays itself out in campus skits and parodies that are good naturedly sent back and forth between Mids and Cadets by virtue of the internet, email, and video’s. You can check many of these out yourself by going to “You Tube” and searching for Army, Navy skits or parodies.
The thing that makes this a truly American classic is that, ultimately, both of these schools fight together against our nation’s enemies. But, at least once a year, for three hours, on a Saturday, come what will, the military academy world, and much of our nation’s armed forces, stop just long enough to watch two teams lock in the fiercest of rivalries on a football gridiron. Many of our sailors and soldiers watch intently, or secretly listen through an earwig, or get updates sent to their duty posts, while we here at home enjoy the peace and sanctity of a quiet saturday afternoon, tailgating, prepping for a party, and enjoying an American pastime. All the while we are doing this, some of America’s finest are standing watch over us, making sure our lives are not disturbed. It’s almost as if they say to us, “Go ahead, America, enjoy the game. We got you covered.”
To be a Cadet or a Mid is the highest of honors that comes with a very high price tag. Years of prepping in school, studying, playing sports, and serving your local community. Rigorous entrance examinations of tests, questionaires, interviews, essays, letters of recommendation, and the vetting of a senator’s or congressional representative’s select committee. In 2010 alone, over 24,000 applicants to Navy waited to see if they were in the lucky 1,300 chosen by way of a coveted “Appointment”.
What makes a young man or woman vie so hard for the right to go to a school of extreme challenges academically, personally, professionally, and militarily? At Navy, there is a popular saying, “Everyone wants to say they’re from the Naval Academy, not in the Academy.” Such is the stress and pressure of the work and expectations that go with an appointment to Army or Navy. Weekly, on a regular basis, it is not uncommon for Mids or Cadets to get to bed at one or two in the morning and be up at 5:30 a.m. getting ready for a new day. After four years of this “grind” then each Cadet or Mid must serve another five year commitment. With this commitment comes the virtual certainty, in this era, of seeing overseas duty and possible combat.
One of the great traditions that this game embodies is the comaraderie and respect that exists between these two storied programs. The most enduring tradition is that of the post-game alma maters. After both teams spend their competitive time trying their best to disembowel the other, they each do homage and honor to the opponent’s school by walking together to each team’s student body and singing that school’s alma mater together. In the 2009 game, at the game’s conclusion, there was a poignant instance of where an active duty Navy Admiral went down onto the field and among the Army team and praised and encouraged their players after an extremely hard fought game.
Americans should be proud of their servicemen and women. We should honor all those who serve. However, when Saturday rolls around, and if you dare take the time to watch the game, know that you’re looking at the “Tip of the Spear” of America’s finest young people. They chose a different path in life, a path of, as West Point proclaims, “Duty, Honor, Country.” All of these young men and women are enlisting in the cause of America, to serve her as our next generation of leaders who stand between us and those who would deprive us of our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Saturday’s game will produce another winner and loser, but, Americans are the true recipients of the blessing of having a nation of young warriors who represent the best of what America is all about.
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