Monday Morning G.M.

How the mighty have fallen....just two years ago Shaun Alexander was ripping up the NFL as the best running back in the league....today, he looks like an old worn out workhorse who does not have the drive or desire to once again become an elite back.....

New England showed why they are the best team in the NFL....after trailing 24-21 early in the third quarter, Tom Brady and company kicked it up another level in order to put away Dallas....this was done without the service of their number 1 running back Laurence Maroney and limited playing time from his back-up Sammy Morris....Tom Brady is the league MVP.....

While he was the starting quarterback, Rex Grossman was taking the heat in Chicago....but since he has been benched, the Bears are 1-2....the blame cannot be put on his replacement Brian Griese who has played well....the blame should be laid on the most over-rated defense in the last 10 years.....the same media wonks who were hellbent on crucifying Grossman should now go after the Bears defense with the same vengeance....

Is Marvin Lewis’ job in jeopardy in Cincinnati?....he has lifted the franchise out of the doldrums of 4-12 seasons, but since their supposed breakthrough season, 2 years ago, the Bengals have regressed....a team of their talent should not be 1-4.....the Bengals need to be more business-like in their approach.....

The Cleveland Browns are on a bye this coming week and it was supposed to be the time that the team would transition Brady Quinn into the starting quarterback position.....but with Derek Anderson’s recent play, it looks like that timetable has been pushed back - possibly to very late this season or even next year....

Indianapolis will be going into a hornet’s nest when they travel to Jacksonville next Monday night.....

It’s unbelievable to think that Vinny Testaverde is still a starting quarterback at his age....this is not a knock on Vinny, but do you mean there are no other serviceable quarterbacks in the entire country who are still in their 30s?....

What ever happened to former Cincinnati quarterback "The Throwin Samoan" Jack Thompson?

Bear Mangino - the REAL Mangenius

Thanks to my friend over at the Money Shot blog who came up with this....forget Eric Mangini of the Jets....the REAL Mangenius is Bear Mangino of the Fighting Manginos of Kansas....get Bear Mangino on The Sopranos....he should be the one sitting at Artie Bucco's restaraunt eating linguine then going and banging Meadow Soprano.....The Fighting Manginos went into Kansas State who was ranked #24 at the time and won 30-24.....The Fighting Manginos are now 5-0!!!!....

BEAR MANGENIUS

The players put The Boss in a difficult spot

With each passing hour, Joe Torre and the entire Yankees Nation await his fate from The Boss....after another disappointing finish to the season, George Steinbrenner has a decision to make - should he renew Torre’s contract or let someone else lead the New York Yankees....

As a Yankees fan, I am torn about what should be done....I could understand why The Boss wants to replace Torre....I firmly believe The Boss has nothing but good will toward Torre, but for the third straight season, the players who are on the field during the playoff games have failed their manager, their owner, and their loyal fans.....with this continuing failure, the players have put Steinbrenner in a difficult situation....maybe the players are no longer responding to Torre and his ways of managing thus a change in day-to-day leadership could be healthy.....

The blood of this disastrous playoff loss is on many hands....obviously the main culprit is Alex Rodriguez....throughout the series he had ample opportunities to provide a spark but failed.....in the ninth inning of game 2, with Bobby Abreu on second and two outs in a tied game, A-Rod could have won it with a base hit....instead he struck out.....in game 4, he allowed Paul Byrd to strike him out twice on just three pitches each time.....believe me, I don’t expect A-Rod to get a base hit everytime he comes up in a crucial situation in the playoffs, but damn, with the money he is making, he needs to come through once in a while....I like A-Rod - I think he is a good person.....you never hear about him involved in DUIs, dogfighting, thuggery, etc....but it may be time for him and the Yankees to part ways....he has $91 million left on his contract and if he opts for free agency in order to make more money, I don’t blame Yankees general manager Brian Cashman for saying that the organization will not pursue him....

Another major culprit who has as much blood on his hands as A-Rod is Derek Jeter.....Jeter is my boy!!!....but just as I praise him when he does well, I will also criticize him too.....he failed throughout the series by hitting into three inning ending double plays that killed possibly rallies....what I did not like the most about Jeter during this series happened the night before game 1....I read on ESPN.com where Jeter went to dinner with Cleveland Indians Kenny Lofton.....I don't think a player should be going to dinner with an opponent the night before a playoff series...this is the same Lofton who supported former Yankee Gary Sheffield in his accusations that Torre was a racist....that is fine if Jeter and Lofton are friends, but I just think it was not appropriate to go to dinner with an opponent prior to a playoff series....when the series is over, they can hook up for dinner whenever they want.....for me, that just did not sit well....

So we come back to the question at hand - should Torre stay or go?.....I just don’t know.....part of me does not want to see Torre go because he is a great manager who has displayed integrity and good sportsmanship....he has proudly represented the Yankees organization and I believe he is still a quality manager....he should be Manager of the Year for the way he guided the team this year after their 21-29 start....but maybe the players are not responding to him anymore....it is not a knock on Torre, but more of a knock on the players.....former Detroit Pistons coach Chuck Daly once said there are only so many ways a coach can motivate a team before they start tuning you out because they have heard the same message over and over.....maybe that is what has happened in the Yankees clubhouse?.....I don’t know.....

If Torre is let go, the players should not rip The Boss for his decision....instead, they should look in the mirror and realize that they were the ones for Torre’s demise....they were the ones who left The Boss no choice....

College Football Rankings - Top 16 + 1

It is time for Week 3 of the Stiles Points Top 16 +1 weekly rankings....

1. LSU (#2) (6-0) - @ Kentucky - Les Miles has the grapefruits baby....a big win for the LSU football program...they must be on Upset Alert this week when they head to Kentucky....

2. Cal (#3) (5-0) - Oregon State - the Golden Bears have the upper hand, but don’t forget that Southern Cal still looms on their schedule....

3. S. Florida (#4) (5-0) - Central Florida - the Bulls played a sloppy game at FAU, but managed to hold off a pumped up opponent....they have to get used to being the hunted instead of the hunter....

4. Ohio State (#6) (6-0) - Kent State - Gentleman Jim rolls Purdue....is Ohio State that good or was Purdue over-rated?....no matter what, OSU is still perfect and deserves a #4 ranking....

5. Boston College (#10) (6-0) - @ Notre Dame - the Iggles handled Bowling Green in a non-conference game....this week they take on their Catholic counterpart....are the Iggles going into a hornet’s nest in South Bend?....

6. Oklahoma (#9) (5-1) - vs. Missouri - OU took care of business against Texas....but a red-hot Missouri team invades Norman this week....

7. West Virginia (#11) (5-1) - BYE - the bye came at a perfect time for the Mountaineers as quarterback Pat Whites tries to heal....

8. Oregon (#12) (4-1) - Washington St. - Oregon saw how Wazzou almost upset Arizona State this past week....

9. Southern Cal (#1) (4-1) - Arizona - the Trojans need to get their shit together right now or they can forget about any BCS bowl....only Jim Tressel wins games even if his team turns the ball over 4 times....and right now, Pete Carroll is no Jim Tressel....

10. South Carolina (#13) (5-1) - @ N. Carolina - will the Tar Heels be on an emotional downswing after holding on to beat Miami this past week....Steve Spurrier vs. Butch Davis - like ole times when they were at Florida and Miami....

11. Missouri (NR) (5-0) - @ Oklahoma - the Tigers lambasted Nebraska....a win this week in Norman shows the country that Mizzou is for real....

12. Illinois (NR) (5-1) - @ Iowa - I like this team a lot!!!....but the Illini better be on Upset Alert when they go to Iowa....the Hawkeyes have lost 9 straight Big Ten games....

13. Auburn (NR) (4-2) - @ Arkansas - two weeks ago it looked like a rebuilding year - suddenly the Tigers have new life....

14. Florida (#5) (4-2) - BYE - Florida could beat over half of the teams ranked over them....they just happen to play in the toughest conference....

15. Kansas (NR) (5-0) - Baylor - the Battle of the Bears - Mangino vs. Baylor....Kansas has a solid running attack....and cb/wr Aqib Talib is an All-American....

16. Kentucky (#8) (5-1) - LSU - I’m giving the Cats one more week in the Top 16....then it is time to scat....

+1 Arizona State (6-0) - Washington - a win this week puts them in the Top 16....this just shows why Dennis Erickson is a good coach....

Dropped out from last week:
#7 Wisconsin - they need to regroup this week at Penn State and show the country they are not over-rated....
#14 Georgia - the Dawgs went into a hornet’s nest at Rocky Top....
#15 Texas - the Longhorns fought valiantly but lost to OU....there are better teams than Texas...
#16 Purdue - they had the home crown behind them, but Joe Tiller’s team put on a horrible effort...Akron gave OSU a better battle...

Monday Morning G.M.

Here are my thoughts on Week 5 in the NFL....

The Green Bay Packers lost a golden opportunity to take a stranglehold on their division....the Packers played like two different teams in each half....and yes, the Evil Brett Favre still looms after his pitiful second half performance....

I know he is pint-sized, but why doesn’t Jack Del Rio run Maurice Jones-Drew (photo) more than just nine times?....

The Atlanta Falcons running game is so bad that Artose Pinner was their leading rusher yesterday....Pinner had 1 run for 49 yards.....

The New York Jets should have made a move to draft running back Brian Leonard from nearby Rutgers....Leonard is a load of a runner as he has stepped in admirably for Steven Jackson.....

New Orleans - done!!!.....

Whatever happened to former Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert?.....

Denver is a team that looks good on paper but is worth crap on the field....

I like how Washington bounced back after that disappoint loss to the Giants two weeks ago....they were without their top 2 receivers and still dominated an up and coming Lions team....

A win tonight by Dallas will give the NFL and CBS what they wanted next Sunday - 5-0 New England at 5-0 Dallas....

Finally, the NFL is always looking for ways to promote their game....the league should consider having annual geographic rivals games....for example:
Giants-Jets
Eagles-Steelers
Cowboys-Texans
Redskins-Ravens
Rams-Chiefs
Buccaneers-Dolphins
Falcons-Jaguars
Lions-Browns
Bears-Colts
Cardinals-Chargers

Sure, not every team will have a natural rival, but the match-ups for these 10 games will sure elicit much attention from football fans around the country....the league offices will come up with an excuse about how the interconference schedules are already set-up years in advance....if there is a chance for the NFL to make, which this will, they will find a way to make it work....the NFL is trying to promote the league by having regular season games in Mexico City, London, and even possibly China....they are clearly missing the boat on these geographic match-ups....

College Football Rankings - Top 16 + 1

It is time for Week 2 of the Stiles Points Top 16 +1 weekly rankings....
1. Southern Cal (#1) (4-0) - Stanford - the Trojans were not impressive, but it was one of those survival games....
2. LSU (#2) (5-0) - Florida - an impressive win this week over the hungry Gators may push the Bayou Bengals over USC....
3. Cal (#6) (5-0) - bye - an impressive, yet close win in a hostile stadium....they were fortunate that Cameron Colvin let the ball slip out of his hands....
4. S. Florida (NR) (4-0) - @ Fla. Atlantic - this is my poll and I am moving the Bulls to number 4....earlier this year they won at Auburn, who went into The Swamp and beat Florida....the win over W. Virginny caught people’s attention....

5. Florida (#3) (4-1) - the Gators lost to a very good Auburn team....a win this week over LSU will have them back in the top 3
6. Ohio State (#9) (5-0) - @ Purdue - beating up on YSU, Akron, Northwestern, and Minnesota does not mean that you will get ranked over Florida just yet....
7. Wisconsin (#10) (5-0) - @ Illinois - a nice win over Michigan State....but like the Buckeyes, the Badgers have a weak non-conference mark....
8. Kentucky (#12) (5-0) - @ South Carolina - the Cats magic ends on Thursday night in Columbia, S.C.....
9. Oklahoma (#5) (4-1) - vs. Texas - the Sooners blew a 24-7 lead....they might have been peeking at Texas with that 17-point lead....
10. Boston College (#13) (5-0) - vs. Bowling Green - Matt Ryan may be the best quarterback in the nation...

11. West Virginia (#4) (4-1) - @ Syracuse - yeh, I know Pat White got hurt in the S. Fla. game, but the Mountaineers were flat overall....a huge disappointment for a team with huge hopes...
12. Oregon (#7) (4-1) - bye - the Ducks had the misfortune of having the ball bounce the wrong way....
13. South Carolina (#15) (4-1) - vs. Kentucky - Spurrier got the ship back on track after the loss to LSU....they can gain some momentum by beating Kentucky....
14. Georgia (#16) (4-1) - @ Tennessee - the Dawgs took care of business against Ole Miss....they face a tough task at Rocky Top this week....Tennessee is looking for a big win....this will be a big test for Georgia...
15. Texas (#8) (4-1) - vs. Oklahoma - the Horns may be over-rated....they barely beat Arkansas State and C. Florida.....this is a watershed game against Oklahoma to determine how the rest of their season goes....
16. Purdue (NR) (5-0) vs. Ohio State - this may be a short stay for the Boilermakers as they take on the mighty Buckeyes....
+1 Illinois (4-1) vs. Wisconsin - a win this week will make the Fighting Illini a legitimate team for the Rose Bowl....

The New Middleweight Champion of the World from Youngstown, Ohio Baby!!!

The New WBC Middleweight
Champion of the World

Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik

From Youngstown, Ohio

Monday Morning G.M.

Here are some thoughts on Week 4 in the NFL:

Maybe the Oakland Raiders are not that bad....the Raiders are 2-2 and have played well in all of their games....the running game may have looked too good yesterday because they were playing the porous Miami defense....but when they come off the bye, Oakland will gain the services of Dominick Rhodes to go along with Lamont Jordan and Justin Fargas....and who is to say that Daunte Culpepper hasn’t found new life with the silver and black....it would not be the first time a "washed up" quarterback has come to lift the Raiders to new heights....remember Jim Plunkett....

Another team showing some life are the Cleveland Browns....it looks like wide receiver Braylon Edwards is finally becoming that homerun threat that he was supposed to be....however, he only had 1 more reception after that long touchdown in the first half....Cleveland needs to get the ball in his hands at least 6-8 times per game....

I’ve been reading that Arizona quarterback Matt Leinart has been a regular in hitting the party scene....he needs to get his act together - now.....Kurt Warner is a nice back-up, but he cannot lead this team through the next 12 games and into the playoffs....Leinart needs to step up now, something he was allegedly not doing concerning child payments for his newborn...

Let’s face it, the Bears are just a bad ball club with no running attack....as a team they finished with 69 yards on the ground....Chicago needs to get help because Cedric Benson is a bust as a featured back....

What ever happened to Neal Anderson? (photo) ....

The October 14th game between the Patriots and Cowboys is shaping up as a possible Super Bowl preview....

Will someone explain to me why Adrian Peterson carried the ball only 12 times for the Vikings?....are they saving him for the playoffs?....

Why didn’t Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Morningweg or head coach Andy Reid make an adjustment and get some help for left tackle William Justice?....the Giants sacked Donovan McNabb 12 times with six of the sacks coming from Osi Umenyiora going against Justice?....

The Lions bounced back nicely after taking a pounding last week from the Eagles...

I love watching games involving NFC East teams...is it just me or does anyone else feel that way too?...whenever the Eagles, Redskins, Cowboys, or Giants play against each other, it seems like the game comes down to the last few minutes...I can't get into watching NFC or AFC South teams and the same goes for NFC West...

LeBron James is rooting for the New York Yankees - who cares!

LeBron James is a New York Yankees fan. He has been a Yankees fan his whole life. He is rooting for the Yankees over the Cleveland Indians when they face off in the Divisional Series this week. Big Deal!! But for most Indians fans, this is a bitter pill to swallow. They have criticized The Chosen One because he is being true to the team he has rooted for since he was a kid. At least James has been true to his team his whole life unlike most of these Indians fans.

Yep, throughout the 1970s and 80s, you couldn’t pay a person in Ohio to wear an Indians cap. Then suddenly, when they started winning in the 1990s, everyone was an Indians fan - caps, jerseys, jackets were everywhere. And as soon as they started losing again this decade, those same fans who piled on the bandwagon once again hid their hats. These so-called "true diehard" Indians fans should be more upset with the fans who are now on the bandwagon; the ones who didn’t fill Jacobs Field over the last few years; the ones who didn’t support their team.

James rooting for the Yankees will have no impact on who will win the Yankees-Indians series. Zero impact. So who cares who he is rooting for?

It bothers people like Bob Feller, the 120-year-old Hall of Fame pitcher for the Indians who spouted off, "I'm going to a Cavaliers game and sit right by their bench, wearing a Detroit Pistons cap. Let's see how LeBron likes that." This is the same Feller who is still living in the 1940s and yearns for the days of Benny Goodman on the radio but will not give a free autograph to a person. Instead he will charge them $20.

Cleveland sports fans have to accept the fact that teams like the Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Dallas Cowboys, Notre Dame, and Los Angeles Lakers are national teams. They have devoted fans all across the nation because of their rich history and dominance in their sport.

These same knucklehead Cleveland fans don't realize how fortunate they are to have a quality player and person like James. He plays hard every time he puts on a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform. Every time! These same people who are sending in emails and letters to the newspapers and calling in talk radio complaining about James should spend more time questioning their councilperson or mayor as to why the city of Cleveland is considered one of the biggest dumps in this country with its high crime and poverty rate. Instead, they are upset because James is "rooting for the Yankees."

Would they rather have an athlete who lies and says that he is rooting for the home team when he really isn't? Or how about having an athlete who does root for the home team -- and also has a personal relationship with the city's police department because he is always in trouble. When was the last time you picked up the morning paper and read that James was involved in drugs, DUIs, beating women, dogfighting, tax evasion, etc. All he is doing is rooting for his favorite baseball team - the Yankees. Get over it! Maybe in a few years the Cleveland fans and old fart Feller won't have that problem anymore because James may be right at home wearing his Yankees hat while he gets ready for games in Madison Square Garden. Think about it.

Bear Watch - the Fighting Manginos are 4-0!!!!!

Yeh, they did not play a tough non-conference schedule....but so did Ohio State....say what you want, but the Fighting Manginos of Kansas are 4-0 going into a bye week.....on Saturday, Kansas pulverized Florida International 55-3.....our boy Aqib Talib brought back an interception 100 yards for a touchdown.....sophomore quarterback Todd Reesing accounted for 415 yards of total offense in the win....

This is the first time Kansas has started a season 4-0 since 1995....the Fighting Manginos start Big XII Conference play on October 6 when they travel across state to take on Kansas State....

News from around the country

Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist and Around the Horn guest Jay Mariotti writes about the end of the Rex Grossman era.... “If Lovie had drawled his dreaded, ridiculed refrain one more time - ''Rex is our quarterback'' - I'm not sure 9 million people wouldn't have gathered at Halas Hall in mass protest.” ....

Jay Mariotti - Rex Grossman

Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist and Around the Horn guest Jay Mariotti writes about Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy and his tirade.... “He tried to make what could have been a reasonable point: why media members shouldn't be hypercritical of college athletes who, in effect, are amateurs. But he was screaming so maniacally, I don't think anyone actually heard his words.” .....

Jay Mariotti - Mike Gundy

Washington Post sports columnist and PTI co-host Mike Wilbon writes about the 0-3 New Orleans Saints..... “It's as if all that Saints magic had an expiration date. The NFL's feel-good story of a year ago appears to be just another rejected script this year. The Saints, inexplicably and virtually overnight, have gone from the hot preseason Super Bowl pick to bag-over-the-head bad, from 10 wins to zero wins.” .....

Mike Wilbon

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that the San Diego Chargers are not panicking just yet, but know they have to get their act together right now..... “A day after losing for the second straight week, things looked a little better to the Chargers. The perspective of time and the realization of the opportunity that lies immediately ahead has the Chargers feeling somewhat better.” .....

Kevin Acee

Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News writes that one year ago there was rumors T.O. tried to O.D., but now things are going well for the superstar.... “A year later, Owens wishes he could erase one of the worst moments of his life. He said he was embarrassed by the incident but has grown from it.” ....

Calvin Watkins

Pittsburgh Post Gazette reporter Ed Bouchette writes how things could be a tad odd this week around the Steelers camp as they prepare to go against their former assistant coaches.... “But the new Steelers coach refuses to be drawn into the passion play involving coaches who might have felt wronged.” .....

Ed Bouchette

College Football Rankins - Top 16 + 1

It is time to roll out Stiles Points Top 16 +1 weekly rankings....the reason I rank 16 teams is because that figure fits nicely for a college playoff....
1. Southern Cal (3-0) - @ Washington - the Trojans are a solid #1...
2. LSU (4-0) - @ Tulane - the Hokies and the Cocks came into Baton Rouge only to leave with a whoopin....
3. Florida (4-0) - vs. Auburn - Gator Nation gets a little scare from Ole Miss....
4. West Virginia (4-0) - @ S. Florida - the Mountaineers will get a stiff test on Friday at S. Florida ....
5. Oklahoma (4-0) - @ Colorado - the Sooners get a little test before the Red River Rivalry against Texas....

6. Cal (4-0) - @ Oregon - this is an elimination game between these PAC-10 foes...
7. Oregon (4-0) - Cal - why not put the Ducks this high?....if they win, they will deserve it...
8. Texas (4-0) - vs. Kansas State - the Horns need to pick up the pace after a lackluster non-conference performance....
9. Ohio State (4-0) - @ Minnesota - the Buckeye fans are already talking BCS Title....
10. Wisconsin (4-0) - Michigan State - a battle of unbeatens when Sparty comes to town....

11. Clemson (4-0) - @ Georgia Tech - maybe, just maybe this is Tommy Bowden’s year....
12. Kentucky (4-0) - vs. Fla. Atlantic - the Cats take down the Cards and the Hogs in back-to-back weeks....
13. Boston College (4-0) - vs. U. Mass - the Battle of Massachusetts....
14. Rutgers (4-0) - Maryland - Greg Schiano’s group are laying real quiet this season....
15. South Carolina (3-1) - vs. Miss. State - the Ole Ball Coach makes a change at quarterback....
16. Georgia (3-1) - vs. Ole Miss - a real nice win in a hostile place at Tuscaloosa....they can’t take Ole Miss lightly this week....
+1. Kansas (4-0) - bye - you gotta love the Fighting Manginos....the bye week allows Bear Mangino to hit all the free buffets in Lawrence in order to get ready for conference play....

Okie State coach goes off on reporter

After Oklahoma State's 49-45 victory on Saturday night over Texas Tech, Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy "went off" on columnist Jenni Carlson from the The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) during the post-game press conference.....in Saturday's edition, Carlson wrote a column detailing the reasons why Okie State quarterback Bobby Reid (photo) may have lost his job.....as they say, the rest is history....check out the links below....

Mike Gundy's Tirade

John Helsley of The Oklahoman writes that Mike Gundy has no regrets about his tirade....

John Helsley

Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes about the tirade on Monday....

Berry Tramel

Jenni Carlson's column which led to the tirade...

Jenni Carlson

Bring Back Bernie Brewer!!!!

The Milwaukee Brewers are sliding out of the N.L. Central playoff race with a week to go in the season.....but one Brewers fan is trying to help bring back some of the old Milwaukee Brewers tradition....

In Sunday's New York Times, an article was written about a Brewers fan who is trying to get the organization to re-adopt the old MB baseball mitt logo and to bring back good old Bernie Brewer and his Beer Barrel and Beer Mug.....

I like the guy's spunk and desire to bring back some of the team's traditions....too many organizations are worried about being "politically correct".....it seemed like the Brewers did not want to bring Bernie back because it might be considered to promote drinking....Screw That!!!!.....

Be a good American and baseball fan and click on the link below and sign the petition....

True Brew Crew

Monday Morning G.M.

I have been in a funk of late between work and trying to get a feel of what is going on in college and pro football....hopefully I could get back into the rhythm of doing Stiles Points on a regular basis....every Monday I plan on writing a column called "The Monday Morning G.M." where I provide five quick thoughts about the NFL.....today is the first installment....

1. I don't like dealing with issues of race, but I have to give a quick comment after Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb stated that African-American quarterbacks are under more scrutiny and criticism than white quarterbacks....I am not here to rip McNabb....if that is how he feels, it doesn't mean he is wrong....however, I believe that quarterbacks in general have that pressure because of the nature of the position.....both African-American and white quarterbacks are under scrutiny....over the last two seasons, both Rex Grossman and Eli Manning, who are white, have been constantly ripped, scrutinized, criticized, booed, etc. by the media and fans....during last night's game, NBC announcer Al Michaels stated the Chicago media calls Grossman "Wrecks Grossman".....in New York, the Jets fans cheered when Chad Pennington got hurt during week 1....and until he won the Super Bowl last season, Peyton Manning was labeled a "choker" and not able to win the big games....I am not saying McNabb was out-of-line with his comment, but he should take some solace in knowing that white quarterbacks also get grilled....and right now, Grossman is the most criticized quarterback in the league.....

2. I like how Brett Favre has changed his attitude involving the Packers offense....in the past, Favre put it all on himself to try and win games by being the swashbuckling gunslinger who would try for the long bomb....after three games this season, it looks like Favre has bought into head coach Mike McCarthy's beliefe that he (Favre) should take what the defense gives him by throwing the short to medium passes....the Packers have been able to move the ball on a consistent basis despite not having a true number one running back.....

3. The Right Guard team of the year so far is the Denver Broncos....what I mean by the term "Right Guard" is that this team stinks but they are able to cover up that odor with an unimpressive 2-1 mark....the Broncos should be 0-3 heading into Indianapolis this Sunday....they were lucky to get off that game winning field goal in week 1 to beat Buffalo....and last week, head coach Mike Shanahan pulled a cheap stunt to ice Oakland lunkhead Sebastian Janikowski.....

4. After just three weeks, only five teams remain perfect: the Steelers, Patriots, Colts, Packers, and Cowboys....to most, the Packers may be the most surprising to still be undefeated....but I think it is the Steelers....with Bill Cowher leaving as head coach, an upheaval of offensive assistants Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm, who were both considered to replace The Chin, and the griping of offensive lineman Alan Faneca, I thought this would be a year of transition - especially early in the season....but credit should be given to head coach Mike Tomlin for easing the team through the transition....any Steeler fan who says they expected the team to be 3-0 has a line of horsedung....this week the Steelers travel to Arizona to take on their old friends Whisenhunt and Grimm....

5. I know this is stating the obvious, but the San Diego Chargers look awful.....will someone please give me a legitimate reason why the Chargers fired Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season?????....maybe the San Diego offense is not that potent?.....besides LT, who else do the Chargers have?....Philip Rivers has been a nice quarterback, but he has not been some wiz either....and Antonio Gates is a stud tight end, but he needs more help from his fellow receivers....suddenly Marty-ball doesn't look so bad....

The Bear Watch - Kansas is now 3-0

Do you hear that growl?....no it is not Bear Mangino’s belly wanting another double cheeseburger with bacon and double mayo.....that is the Kansas football team....the Fighting Manginos are now 3-0 after rolling Toledo 45-13 last Saturday....

Once again, Aqib Talib came over to the offense from his cornerback position and scored on a 58-yeard pass from Todd Reesing (photo) ....Reesing finished with four touchdown passes and no interceptions and has thrown 10 TDs and zero picks so far this season....running back Jake Sharp had 127 yards on the ground on only 13 carries....

The Fighting Manginos close out their non-conference schedule this Saturday by hosting Florida International....they are then off next Saturday (September 29) before opening their Big XII schedule when they travel across state to take on Kansas State.....for right now, the Bear is growling....

The Bear Watch - The Fighting Manginos are 2-0

The Bear Watch
You can have Pete Carroll with his hyper motivation on the sidelines or the sleazy and cool St. Jim Tressel from Ohio State.....give me Mark “Bear” Mangino....I love this guy....plus, he is a graduate of Youngstown State University - my alma mater and place of current employment....

The Fighting Manginos of Kansas are off to a 2-0 mark as they have outscored their first two opponents (Central Michigan and SE Louisiana) by a combined score of 114-7.....the first time in Kansas history that they scored 50 or more points in back-to-back games...right now, Kansas has the ninth best defense in the nation - giving up 184 total yards per game....

This week the Fighting Manginos are looking to avenge their 37-31 overtime loss at Toledo last season....it was a game that Kansas should have flat out won, but they could not finish and Toledo escaped with the victory....so far this season, quarterback Todd Reesing has thrown for 518 yards and six touchdowns....the running attack is shared between Bra McAnderson and Jake Sharp who have combined for 308 yards and four touchdowns....Kansas has also been deadly on special teams as they have already brought back a kick-off and punt for a touchdown....

The weapon that Bear has utilized this year is All-American candidate at cornerback Aqib Talib....Talib has also been used on the offensive side of the ball and has scored two receiving touchdowns....expect more highlights this week as Toledo has surrendered 52 points to both Purdue and C. Michigan....the Fighting Manginos get their revenge.....Kansas 56-14....the Bear is growling baby!!!

Michigan - can the season be salvaged

The goals in Ann Arbor have definitely changed over the last two weeks....talk of a BCS title are over....however, theoretically, Michigan can still go to the Rose Bowl if they win the Big 10 title....but let’s get real, with that anemic offense and porous defense, the closest thing this team will get to a rose is if they get their girlfriend a dozen of the flowers for Sweetest Day.....

The Wolverines can still salvage the season and gain some respect if they can at least make it to the Capital City Bowl or Outback Bowl which are both played on New Year’s Day.....at this point, even an appearance in the Alamo Bowl, which is played on December 29th against a Big 12 opponent, would also be acceptable....however, that is the lowest bowl bid the Michigan athletic department should accept....it would be a disgrace to the Michigan football program to be playing in the Meineke Bowl or the Poulan Weedwhacker Bowl.....the Alamo Bowl is the lowest bowl that they should accept....

Now, to even make one of those three bowl games Michigan has to finish in the top 4 of the conference.....right now they are sitting at 0-2 overall with 10 games left including all its conference games.....hopefully they can beat Notre Dame this week which would put them at 1-2.....Penn State follows on September 22nd and I have already accepted the fact that Penn State will probably beat Michigan’s ass....the Wolverines have beaten Penn State the last eight times they have faced each other....and the last time the Nittany Lions were in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines gave them their only loss of the season on a last second touchdown pass to Mario Manningham.....Penn State will not lose this time.....I could see Michigan losing to Wisconsin too....the Badgers supposedly have a good team this year and this game is the 11th game of the season....Michigan will be focusing on Ohio State the next week....

There are two games the Wolverines must win....they cannot lose to Michigan State and Ohio State....no matter what Michigan’s record is, they must win those two games.....Michigan State is now led by a Jim Tressel disciple - Mark Dantonio.....just like his daddy down in Columbus, Dantonio has the clock ticking throughout the football offices and lockers until the Michigan game....the Wolverines need to put this Tressel wannabe in his place right from the start....the other must win is Ohio State.....and we all know why Michigan must win that game.....

In the end, no matter if Michigan beats Michigan State and Ohio State and even goes on to win their bowl game, Lloyd Carr has to go after the season.....over the last week, many names have been bantered about who is going to replace Carr.....here is a list of names that I have seen:
- Urban Meyer - Florida head coach and Ohio native
- Les Miles - LSU head coach and Michigan grad
- Bo Pellini - LSU defense coordinator and Ohio State grad
- Greg Schiano - Rutgers head coach
- Brian Kelly - Cincinnati Bearcats head coach & former C. Michigan head coach
- Josh McDaniels - New England Patriots offensive coordinator and Ohio native
- Brady Hoke - Ball State head coach and former Michigan assistant
- Norm Chow - Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator
- Chris Peterson - Boise State head coach
- Steve Sarkissian - Southern Cal offensive coordinator
- Steve Kragthorpe - Louisville head coach
- Jimbo Fisher - Florida State offensive coordinator
- Pat Hill - Fresno State head coach
- Steve Mariucci - Former Lions & 49ers head coach and Michigan native
- Corwin Brown - Notre Dame defensive coordinator and Michigan grad
- Jason Garrett - Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator
- Gary Pinkel - Missouri head coach

What they are saying around the league - Week 1

Here's what's being said around the league after Week 1 of the NFL season.....

Pittsburgh 34 Cleveland 7
Plain Dealer sports columnist Bill Livingston writes how the Cleveland Browns have a mess at the quarterback position.... "Oh, wait. Quinn was accurate in the practice games, but, in contrast to Crennel's mentor, Bill Belichick, Crennel doesn't seem to believe in going by what he sees." ....

Bill Livingston

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sports columnist Ed Bouchette writes how the Steelers did not miss a beat with new head coach Mike Tomlin..... "Because the Browns played so poorly, it was difficult for anyone to define the Steelers. It looked like a college opener, Steelers vs. Cupcake State. Before the first quarter ended, the Browns had lost two turnovers, botched a punt and committed what may be an NFL record of four separate penalties on one play, if they kept track of those things." ....

Ed Bouchette

Detroit 36 Oakland 21
Detroit Free Press sports columnist Drew Sharp writes that the Lions victory was not pretty, but they are 1-0.... "There's hope and there's confidence. Good teams know they're good. Bad teams hope they're good." ....

Drew Sharp

Oakland Tribune columnist Jerry McDonald writes that Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin is going to stick with Josh McCown at quarterback..... "Josh McCown is still in, even if a good portion of the psuedo-sellout crowd at McAfee Coliseum wants him out. He was Kiffin's not-so-secret selection to start, and it sounds as if McCown will be under center when the Raiders visit the Broncos in Denver in Week 2." .....

Jerry McDonald

Dallas 45 N.Y. Giants 35
New York Post sports columnist Mike Vaccaro writes how the New York Football Giants defense took the night off..... "What good will an ascendant Eli Manning be to the Giants if he can throw for 312 yards and four touchdowns and put 35 points on the board on the road . . . and still lose by 10?" ....

Mike Vaccaro

Dallas Morning News reporter Calvin Watkins writes how T.O.'s patience paid off in the end..... "Owens didn't have a big night like tight end Jason Witten (six catches for 116 yards and one touchdown), but his two scores provided the spark the team needed." ....

Calvin Watkins

Washington 16 Miami 13 (OT)
Miami Herald NFL blogger Armando Salguero writes that the Miami Dolphins defense was not sharp... "Joey Porter was angry because he watched much of that decisive 10-play overtime drive from the Miami sideline. He wasn't injured and he wasn't tired, but he wasn't in the game when fatigue and a steamrolling Washington offense were getting the better of his teammates." ....

Armando Salguero

Washington Post sports columnist Thomas Boswell writes that the Washington Redskins are thrilled to start 1-0.... "For them, all that matters is if they win. Not how, not whether they play by the book. No matter how humble, a win provides the fuel for more success, just as failure opens the maw of more defeats. Few teams know it better than the Redskins." .....

Thomas Boswell

Minnesota 24 Atlanta 3
Atlanta Journal Constitution reporter Steve Wyche writes about the Atlanta Falcons dismal offense..... "Besides not scoring a touchdown — why stop there? Besides not getting inside of Minnesota's 25-yard line until the next to last play of the game, the Falcons offense provided two of the Vikings' three touchdowns." ....

Steve Wyche

Minnesota Star Tribune sports reporter Patrick Reusse writes how there will be a spike in the sale of Adrian Peterson jerseys.... "There was quite a mix of souvenir jerseys to be found on the ticketholders revolving into the Metrodome late Sunday morning. The finding of an informal survey was that there were more No. 84 Randy Moss jerseys remaining on the backs of Vikings fans than any other outerwear seen at this season opener." ....

Patrick Reusse

The next head coach at Michigan must be . . .

I attended the Oregon-Michigan game on Saturday....after a second straight debacle, it is clear that head coach Lloyd Carr will be gone at the end of the season....Michigan looked slow, unprepared, unimaginative, and by the third quarter the players quit....

Back in 1998, Donovan McNabb of Syracuse carved the Michigan defense with his scrambling and mobility...however, mobile quarterbacks and the spread offense were not en vogue at that time....McNabb was ahead of his time....in 2000, head coach Randy Walker of Northwestern ran a "gimmick" offense called the "spread"....it was a foreign offense in the Big Ten....Michigan quarterback Drew Henson managed to lead the offense to light up the Evanston scoreboard with 51 points – but it still was not enough as the defense allowed the Wildcats to put up 53 points....

So over the years, as the spread offense became more popular Michigan’s defense never made the necessary changes to halt this innovative scoring machine...Michigan changed defense coordinators two years ago after Vince Young shredded the defense in the Rose Bowl...Jim Hermann was out and Ron English was in - but nothing changed...when playing against a spread offense and a mobile quarterback, the defense looks confused....yesterday the Oregon receivers flew past the Michigan corners....and when the Ducks ran the ball, the Blue’s linebackers and d-line missed numerous fundamental tackles...

But the problems do not exist just on defense.....offensive coordinator Mike DeBord has to be the most ignorant, unimaginative offensive coordinator in the country.....opposing defensive coaches must love to prepare for Michigan’s offense because they run the same damn plays every year....and during the course of a game, DeBord makes no adjustments...ZERO....DeBord’s philosophy is to establish the running game - which is fine....however when the defense stacks 8 guys in the box, DeBord refuses to throw the ball downfield.....a 10-yard pass is considered a deep throw in the Michigan playbook....other teams utilize their speed and talent at the wideout positions....in Ann Arbor, they pull back the reigns and now allow players like Steve Breaston, Mario Manningham, Adrian Arrington to fully utilize their skils....

That is why there needs to be a complete overhaul of the mentality within the Michigan football program after this season.....God Bless Bo Schembechler.....I love Bo....in fact, a picture of Bo hangs in my kitchen.....Bo was a great coach and his views and thoughts about football were right on the money – for the 1970s and 1980s.....it is now 2007 and Michigan refuses to move along with the current trends of speed, special teams, mobile quarterbacks, and the spread offense.....even Mr. Conservative - St. Jim Tressel abandoned Tressel-ball last season and opened up the offense to utilize the talent that he had at the skill positions....

The next head coach at Michigan needs to not only change the offense, but also put an emphasis on special teams....I cannot recall the last time Michigan blocked a field goal, extra point, or punt....but I can easily recall the times when Michigan has allowed that to happen to them....the next head coach must also find a way for the defense to properly defend against mobile quarterbacks and speed receivers....both Appy State and Oregon run the spread offense, so Michigan knew what to prepare for....it’s not like these two teams surprised Michigan by changing their offense....but for some reason, the Wolverines cannot defend against that offense....

Finally, the next head coach must put the number 1 and 1a emphasis on winning the national title and beating Ohio State....Bo never cared about winning the national title - his goal was to win the Big Ten and go to the Rose Bowl.....that mentality must stop!!!.....it is 2007 and the young, talented high school football players want to play for a football program who wants to be National Champions.....they want to play in big non-conference games where the spotlight is on them.....they want to be in the BCS title game.....this crap of settling for a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl berth has to stop....time have changed, but Michigan is still stuck in the 1970s....

So who will be the next head coach?....in Ann Arbor there is a philosophy that only a Michigan man can coach the Wolverines....that is crap!!!....that is another philosophy athletic director Bill Martin must change - immediately.....Bo was never a Michigan man when he was hired after the 1968 season....so why has that cement thinking developed at Michigan?.....Michigan is one of the 5 premier college football programs in the country.....the University makes much money from the football program and after this season, the stadium is going to be renovated as loges and luxury suites will be added.....Michigan must put out the money and get a young, dynamic head coach.....supposedly there is an out in his contract for the Michigan job.....therefore, Martin and Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman must go out and do whatever it takes to hire Urban Meyer as the next head coach of the University of Michigan....