Saturday, January 08, 2005
1.08.05 - NFL Playoffs and more
The NFL Playoffs kick off in about three hours. I'm pretty good with the predictions, so here are some thoughts before the teams take the field.
St. Louis at Seattle
The big question in this game will come next week: Does the losing Mike keep his job?
Mike Martz probably stays in the STL for at least one more season because it would cost money to send him down the river to the Jefferson Barracks. The Rams have never been known as big spenders.
Mike Holmgren, well, that's another question. His Seattle tenure has been marginal at best. He, like another Mike, Sherman that is, are in the above-average coaching section of the library because they had a quarterback named Brett Favre. Holmgren should send Favre a royalty check each month because Favre helped Holmgren land the job under the Space Needle. Without Favre, Holmgren is more Dave Wannstedt than Jimmy Johnson. Without Favre, he'd be viewed as a noble coordinator, but a walking definition of the Peter Principle.
But, will Holmgren lose his job if the Seahawks lose? It's hard to say. Paul Allen has plenty of Microsoft, Sporting News, and Charter Communications resources to send Holmgren packing with a paycheck. Allen probably wouldn't even notice the hit in his account. However, Allen didn't amass a fortune by being a fool. He might realize it's not Holmgren who's at the root of the problem. Players need to execute and if the players on the squad aren't NFL ready, it's not the manager's fault. And, according to an NFL source, Seattle has two starters on defense who wouldn't find a spot on the USC team. That's not a starting role for the Trojans, but a spot on the roster.
In the end, Holmgren keeps his job, unless San Francisco is pulling on his heart strings. Allen might view that as an easy way out for his franchise. Allen can save face, money, and the fans by allowing Holmgren to return home and restore the 49ers to glory. It's a fresh start in Seattle and the status quo in San Francisco. Nothing changes in the Golden Gate City until Dr. York steps away from the franchise.
So, who wins? Seattle is favored by 3 or 4, depending on which expert you believe. That's an even game in Vegas speak. Home team gets three just because they where the dark jerseys when they game is even. Now, big players play big in big games if you expect a victory. St. Louis has big players in the backfield and on the ends. Both quarterbacks will be remembered as serviceable, but not exceptional. St. Louis wins.
New York Jets at San Diego
I could really care less about this game.
Although I must say, it's nice to see Cam Cameron doing well in the Gas Lamp District after his Indiana tenure. I never wanted to see anyone fail and accepting the Indiana job was his biggest failure. He might have lost 24+ games in three seasons with the Hoosiers. That's not failure. Failing to decline the job was the biggest mistake. Indiana is a basketball school and it always will be. Football is an after thought.
Take a look at the stadium. Why would a blue chip recruit decide to play in for Indiana when they could line it up at Michigan or Wisconsin? Both have great facilities. But both have something Indiana doesn't - fan support. Tickets are hard to come by in Madison and A-Squared. In Bloomington, you can probably get 4 for the price of one.
Indiana's on their second coach since Cam roamed the sidelines in Bloomington. Nobody has won there. Doesn't mean Cam is a bad coach, just made one bad decision - accepting the job.
Now, in 1990, you could have said the same about Wisconsin. So, until Indiana does it, I won't believe it.
Back to the NFL, San Diego is favored by seven. I'll take San Diego to win, but not cover. I really think the Jets could pull an upset, but I can't take two road teams on the same day.
Two quick things:
1 - Here's a great piece on revenue sharing in the NFL. Certain owners want to mess with the system. I don't like the idea, but certain franchises are less business saavy than others and I can't argue with the owners whose franchises are bringing in a boatload of cash while others operate with a 1960s business model.
Read more here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6801174/
2 - Lou Henson used to coach the Fighting Illini when I was a kid. I loved Illinois basketball as a child and still pay attention as an adult. I just happened to earn a degree from the University of Wisconsin. Lou was the coach of the quality Illini clubs in the 80s. He took them to the Final Four in 1989. He was a superstar in the state when I was in high school. And, with all his status, he was very unassuming and took the time to shake hands with anybody.
In 1988, we had a star player on my high school basketball team. He could go to any school he wanted. Illinois and Indiana recruited him. Both Henson and Bob Knight attended games at my high school. Both had a presence about them in the stands. But Henson was more like a small town politician. He took the time to shake hands and make small talk. Knight was polite, but obviously on a tight timeframe. Knight stood out in the crowd. Henson blended in with the townspeople. He was no different from an insurance executive or a local lawyer, except that his basketball team was consistently in the Top 20.
Now, Henson is an ill septugenarian. Here's a must read:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?id=1961465
-30-
St. Louis at Seattle
The big question in this game will come next week: Does the losing Mike keep his job?
Mike Martz probably stays in the STL for at least one more season because it would cost money to send him down the river to the Jefferson Barracks. The Rams have never been known as big spenders.
Mike Holmgren, well, that's another question. His Seattle tenure has been marginal at best. He, like another Mike, Sherman that is, are in the above-average coaching section of the library because they had a quarterback named Brett Favre. Holmgren should send Favre a royalty check each month because Favre helped Holmgren land the job under the Space Needle. Without Favre, Holmgren is more Dave Wannstedt than Jimmy Johnson. Without Favre, he'd be viewed as a noble coordinator, but a walking definition of the Peter Principle.
But, will Holmgren lose his job if the Seahawks lose? It's hard to say. Paul Allen has plenty of Microsoft, Sporting News, and Charter Communications resources to send Holmgren packing with a paycheck. Allen probably wouldn't even notice the hit in his account. However, Allen didn't amass a fortune by being a fool. He might realize it's not Holmgren who's at the root of the problem. Players need to execute and if the players on the squad aren't NFL ready, it's not the manager's fault. And, according to an NFL source, Seattle has two starters on defense who wouldn't find a spot on the USC team. That's not a starting role for the Trojans, but a spot on the roster.
In the end, Holmgren keeps his job, unless San Francisco is pulling on his heart strings. Allen might view that as an easy way out for his franchise. Allen can save face, money, and the fans by allowing Holmgren to return home and restore the 49ers to glory. It's a fresh start in Seattle and the status quo in San Francisco. Nothing changes in the Golden Gate City until Dr. York steps away from the franchise.
So, who wins? Seattle is favored by 3 or 4, depending on which expert you believe. That's an even game in Vegas speak. Home team gets three just because they where the dark jerseys when they game is even. Now, big players play big in big games if you expect a victory. St. Louis has big players in the backfield and on the ends. Both quarterbacks will be remembered as serviceable, but not exceptional. St. Louis wins.
New York Jets at San Diego
I could really care less about this game.
Although I must say, it's nice to see Cam Cameron doing well in the Gas Lamp District after his Indiana tenure. I never wanted to see anyone fail and accepting the Indiana job was his biggest failure. He might have lost 24+ games in three seasons with the Hoosiers. That's not failure. Failing to decline the job was the biggest mistake. Indiana is a basketball school and it always will be. Football is an after thought.
Take a look at the stadium. Why would a blue chip recruit decide to play in for Indiana when they could line it up at Michigan or Wisconsin? Both have great facilities. But both have something Indiana doesn't - fan support. Tickets are hard to come by in Madison and A-Squared. In Bloomington, you can probably get 4 for the price of one.
Indiana's on their second coach since Cam roamed the sidelines in Bloomington. Nobody has won there. Doesn't mean Cam is a bad coach, just made one bad decision - accepting the job.
Now, in 1990, you could have said the same about Wisconsin. So, until Indiana does it, I won't believe it.
Back to the NFL, San Diego is favored by seven. I'll take San Diego to win, but not cover. I really think the Jets could pull an upset, but I can't take two road teams on the same day.
Two quick things:
1 - Here's a great piece on revenue sharing in the NFL. Certain owners want to mess with the system. I don't like the idea, but certain franchises are less business saavy than others and I can't argue with the owners whose franchises are bringing in a boatload of cash while others operate with a 1960s business model.
Read more here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6801174/
2 - Lou Henson used to coach the Fighting Illini when I was a kid. I loved Illinois basketball as a child and still pay attention as an adult. I just happened to earn a degree from the University of Wisconsin. Lou was the coach of the quality Illini clubs in the 80s. He took them to the Final Four in 1989. He was a superstar in the state when I was in high school. And, with all his status, he was very unassuming and took the time to shake hands with anybody.
In 1988, we had a star player on my high school basketball team. He could go to any school he wanted. Illinois and Indiana recruited him. Both Henson and Bob Knight attended games at my high school. Both had a presence about them in the stands. But Henson was more like a small town politician. He took the time to shake hands and make small talk. Knight was polite, but obviously on a tight timeframe. Knight stood out in the crowd. Henson blended in with the townspeople. He was no different from an insurance executive or a local lawyer, except that his basketball team was consistently in the Top 20.
Now, Henson is an ill septugenarian. Here's a must read:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?id=1961465
-30-
