Red Bulls Rampaging In Harrison!!

Soccer Spookiness in New Jersey!!

Happy Halloween everyone!  There is much to be excited about today - 1.  It's Friday.  2.  It's Halloween.  3.  It's Halloween on a Friday, believe that!!

Playoffs?!  Last night I was fortunate enough to attend the NY Red Bulls - Sporting Kansas City MLS playoff game.  What is interesting about the MLS and the way they conduct their playoffs is that the structure is all out of whack!  First off, European leagues do not have playoffs.  If you stunk the whole season you don't get to participate in the playoffs and make a late run to win a title (I am looking right at you NBA…you know I am, too).  The first round is a winner take all game and then there's the home and home but they don't follow the Euorpean goals aggregate rules (this makes no sense) and above all else…they don't have playoffs!  Wait, I mentioned that already.  Thing about playoffs is that they are exciting as anything.  Last night's game was great, awesome atmosphere and a brilliantly crisp fall evening.  

I have once again turned to the resident MLS & Red Bulls fanatic to run through a recap of last night's tilt.  So without further ado, Steven Humiston, take us through the game - 
For 76 minutes last night at Red Bull Arena, Red Bull fans and players felt that sinking feeling coming across them yet again. Another year over, another playoff let down. Having control of the ball for the majority of the game, a 72-28% possession ration in the home sides favor, a sloppy midfield giveaway saw the RBs down 1-0 to Sporting Kansas City(SKC). 22 goal man Dom Dwyer calmly slotted the ball past RB goalie Luis Robles. For large stretches of the game, the RBs seemed to be okay with holding possession without penetrating the SKC defense. Head coach Mike Petke seemed to pull the right string at the right time inserting 23 year old Cameroon international Ambrose Oyongo in at right back and shifting to a back three allowing right winger Lloyd Sam to shift to the left side to team with Thierry Henry. This switch opened the field for the Red Bulls. In the 77th minute, Sam sprung Henry free down the left side. Streaking down the middle was just the man the Red Bulls need, 27 goal scorer and MLS record holder for goals in a season Bradley Wright-Phillips(BWP). Henry found BWP in the cross and slotted the ball home to tie the game. 

For much of the game, SKC sat back and defended. They took 30-40 seconds and walked every throw-in 15 yards forward before throwing the ball in. Following the goal that leveled the match at 1, SKC did not change their game plan. The next 10-12 minutes were spent watching them waste clock, seemingly trying to will the game to overtime and penalty kicks. In the last minute of regular time, the Red Bulls finally broke free once again. Red Bulls defender Jamison Olave played what could have been his best pass of the year up to this point down the right to the recently inserted Oyongo. Ambrose attacked down the line, and found the Red Bulls talisman once again streaking down the middle. The cross went to near post instead of far, which wrong footed both SKC central defenders and their keeper. BWP leaped and headed the ball just inside the far post for his second goal of the match. Four finger crossing minutes of extra time felt just as long as the first 90, but the Red Bulls did it. They didn’t fold when they went down 1-0, or hit everything but the back of the net. Thierry Henry provided the setup and the magical season of BWP continues as his two goals pushed the Red Bulls into the eastern conference semifinals. 

Next up for the Red Bulls is the Eastern Conference’s top seed, DC United. This is the original rivalry in MLS. Supporters Groups - The Empire Supporters Club vs. La Barra Brava, Coaches - Mike Petke vs. Ben Olsen, DC vs NY is a rivalry rich in MLS tradition. From their 1996 playoff tilt which saw the RBs then METROSTARS win the home leg in a shootout, only to crash in DC, to the recent touch line shouting matches between head coaches, these two clubs flat out don’t like each other. DC United comes into the playoffs as the top seed in the east. They play a high line of pressure and will try to force the Red Bulls into turnovers and mental mistakes. DC Keeper Bill Hamid is one of the best in the league, and the Red Bulls will have their work cut out for them to put goals past him. Perry Kitchen, Nick DeLeon, and Sean Franklin will be key figures working the ball up to a lethal trio of attackers; Eddie Johnson, Luis Silva, and Fabian Espindola. Keys to victory for the Red Bulls remain the same, defend as a team, work the ball to speedster Lloyd Sam through French Legend Henry, and hope that magical dust that BWP seems to have found hasn’t washed up yet. Tune in Sunday 4PM MSG for the first leg in what is sure to be another storied battle in this I-95 rivalry. 
Thanks a ton Steve, I look forward to Sunday's game!  It has a lot to live up to after this one.  AND, as I mentioned earlier this week…if you're hitting up Red Bull Arena, you gotta get one of these.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN - watch out for razor blades in apples, pills pushed into chocolate bars and men with mustaches and trench coats…you've been warned!

HAPPY WATCHING!!

You Go And Do Something Like This...And Totally Redeem Yourself!!

HARRY, I TOOK CARE OF IT!!

So yesterday I wrote about how depressing the sports world had been lately…and you know what, the facets I spoke about are actually still really annoying BUT the sports world as a whole goes ahead and totally redeems itself tonight and tomorrow!!  Finding intrigue and excitement in some dark corners (at least for me) has revitalized my sports interest…for now.  Here's a look at what can get you pumped over the next two day (nights really) - 

Tonight at 8:07PM on FOX the Kansas City Royals host the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of Major League Baseball's World Series.  Last night in KC the Royals rolled on the Giants 10-0 behind more stellar pitching from Yordano Ventura.  Ventura honored fellow Dominican Oscar Tavares by writing an RIP message on the front of his blue Royals hat.  Tavares was killed earlier this week in an automobile accident in the DR.  Ventura's classy move surely would have set him up for some sort of uniform violation had he been playing in the NFL.  KC pounded SF pitching last night and took care of the other side only giving up 6 hits.  I am not going so far as to call anyone who is a citizen "un-American" but you really should tune in for an inning or two on this one with a perennial winner (SF) taking on the underdogs (KC) in a winner take all match up.

Thursday Night Under The Lights!  The MLS Playoffs come to Harrison, New Jersey at Red Bull Arena!!  I will be there in the flesh to take it all in, should be a great time.  Here is some great insight and predictions for tomorrow's game from Steven Humiston (a hardcore Red Bulls fan, adamant sports follower and also happens to be my brother).  Steve take it away - 

Thursday night’s MLS Eastern Conference Play-in game is a rematch of the season finale as the New York Red Bulls (RBs) take on Sporting Kansas City (SKC) from Red Bull Arena in Harrison. Sunday night’s finale saw MLS Golden Boot winner and Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips score in each half leading the Red Bulls to a 2-0 win in Kansas City. With only three days of down time, the teams will play Thursday in a winner take all for the chance to take on Eastern Conference regular season Champ DC United in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Red Bulls are a streaky team led by a strong backbone in the middle of the pitch with central defenders Jamison Olave and Ibrahim Sekagya providing a solid base the RBs rely on to sure up their defense as well as key their attack. Through the midfield, Dax McCarty and Erik Alexander rely on work rate and pin point passes to spring speedsters Lloyd Sam and Wright-Phillips in on goal. The question marks for the Red Bulls are big ones. The first is what Red Bulls team will show up, the one that dismantled SKC to ensure this game would be played in Harrison, or the one that looked sluggish and disinterested in their 3-1 home defeat to the Columbus Crew on October 19th. The second one centers around the RBs big money players. Thierry Henry missed Sunday’s win with an Achilles injury and is a game time decision for Thursday night. The other, Tim Cahill has been the enigma for the Red Bulls all season. He scored perhaps the goal of the 2014 World Cup, but his club form has not been on the same standard. They will need one of them to play up to their potential to see their side through to the semifinals. 

SKC comes into the match with only one win in their last five games. Let in the back by Matt Besler and Aurelien Collin, the defending MLS Cup champions have had the target on their backs all season. SKCs midfield is controlled by US World cup veterans Graham Zusi and Benny Feilhaber, with 22 goal scorer Dom Dwyer leading the way upfront. Questions about this team as they have played more than their fair share of games this season with MLS, US Open Cup, and CONCACAF Champions League games on the schedule. The last few games they look to have been playing on tired legs, and with the short turnaround, this could provide the difference in Thursday’s pivotal match. The main two concerns for SKC are things they have full control over. In Sunday’s match up, they seemed to have trouble keeping track of the runners for New York. Their defensive organization must be better to ensure a different result this time around. Also, Dom Dwyer has scored 22 goals this season. They must find ways to get him the ball in dangerous attacking positions. 

In all, the Red Bulls don’t play their best when the lights are brightest, but have made Red Bull Arena a nightmare for visitors since opening in 2010. Sporting Kansas City does, but are their legs too weary to defend their crown after a long campaign? Will the home field advantage that the Red Bulls have be the difference? Tune in Thursday 8PM on ESPN2 to find out.  Editor's note:  If you are attending the game you gotta grab one of these on the way in at Five Guys!

Thanks a ton Steve!!

And last but not lease the NBA kicks of it's regular season tonight with a whole slew of games.  It is a cool night for basketball, a lot of fan fare BUT I am holding off for tomorrow's NYK vs CLE game.  LeBron plays Carmelo in Cleveland and I assume the TV networks will be bumping with chatter…Worth watching tonight are CHI vs NYK and OKC and POR…the rest of the games are fine but nothing special, check your local listings.

And that my friends is how sports got me interested again!  Let's keep it going.

HAPPY WATCHING!!!

Excuse Me Sir, You're Standing On My Throat

How The Sports World Is Beating Me Down Lately

It's been a while since my last post and I know you're probably thinking that I am a lazy bag.  That I don't care to stick to this nice little side project I have kicked off on the tail end of this past summer's scintillating World Cup...you'd probably be right in most cases (I am pretty lazy), but not here.  The truth is that I am burnt out with the sports world right now.  

My teams have been miserable in 2014.  The Mets actually did the best they could but still ended up below .500 in the win column and really showed zero life at the plate.  The bright side is ace pitcher Matt Harvey returns to the rotation next season and that is a very bright side indeed, but it's not enough to get excited about just yet.  

Manchester United (my favorite soccer team) has been so far below average this season that they just keep making transactions, roster shake ups and increasingly annoying predictions from their front office.  Brand new head coach Louis Van Gaal has been flapping his gums since the summer as to how he was going to shake things up at Old Trafford and revitalize the club who has struggled mightily since the departure (retired) of United demi-god Sir Alex Ferguson.  The team lacks identity as all of their players of yester-year are now gone…Ryan Giggs is on the coaching staff but that doesn't seem to be helping…at all.

The Jets make me just sad.  There is very little upside this season other than at least we now know that Geno Smith is not the QB of the future.  Rex Ryan has benched him a few times already during games and has now decided to flat out start Michael Vick this week.  Geno completed more passes to players on the other team (3) than his own (2) before getting the hook.  It's sad, I have removed emotions from the mess and am looking forward to the playoffs.

Moving right along on the Melancholy March, things haven't improved around the NFL with regards to the domestic and substance abuse policies.  Since the start of the season, players have been arrested, arraigned, sentence and so on…it's pretty depressing when you think about getting excited about an organization that allows this type of thing to go on while raking in the dough and not giving back enough to the fans.  

But you know what?  It's our own fault.  Heck, a report came yesterday that at the miserable Jets-Bills game a few fans got into scuffles in the stands with one of them getting knocked out cold.  Is this what we really want to do with our Sundays?  And it's both sides.  The report quotes a high level of intoxication, Buffalo fans being obnoxious and a Jets fan punching his face off.  That's too stressful for my tastes on Sundays.  I have chosen a different path with sports lately, it's one of indifference most the most part.  I enjoy watching small doses and find some stories utterly fascinating like the Royals playoff run (not going well lately) and the lead up to the insanity that will surely come about when the college football mafia begins to determine which teams will be competing in their brandy new COLLEGE FOOTBALL SUPER PLAYOFF EXTRAVAGANZA!!!  Slow golf clap….

Maybe I am just being a crotchety old man who is having a tough time dealing with a recent rough patch with his favorite teams, but the other day while I was working through my drawers of clothing, rotating my warmer weather clothes into the bins for storage and colder weather gear into the drawers I can across a few items of clothing - 

1.  Marc Sanchez jersey (not sure why this wasn't burned)

2.  Jose Reyes jersey (see comment above)

3.  Carlos Beltran & K-Rod t-shirt jerseys smashed into the back of one drawer (you can tell I have been lazy in rotating some years)

4.  And worst of all - Darrelle Revis jersey (a really nice one that was a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law, incredibly thoughtful!)  The saddest thing about the Revis scenario is now he plays for the Patriots…

Honestly, I have no answers…

Hope this brightened your day by comparison!

HAPPY WATCHING!!!

Get Wifey Off Your Back, It's Only Monday!!

Happy Monday!  My most recent post Saturday afternoon extolled the awesomeness of all that was across the sports universe, especially in college football, MLB, NFL and NHL.  Well, when the dust settled late Sunday night, it was an up and down weekend.  Royals rolled again with a late rally in the top of the ninth to take a 2-0 lead on the O Birds.  The Jets did what they do, which is nothing exciting and even when it gets mildly exciting (making a late 4th quarter drive to tie the game) they find away to throw the game away.  Smith hit the other team with a sick pass that went for 6 points the other way.  At least it wasn't a blow out but it feels bad all the same.  The Rangers got smacked up 6-3 by the Toronto Maple Leafs who are now hang out enjoying Canadian Thanksgiving (get your own holidays!)  Did not make for very good sports TV around the NYC Metro area but the Dallas-Seattle game was a nice one for the national viewers.

You Think Your Wife is Always On YOUR Back?!

All that being said the HIGHLIGHT of the sporting world this weekend was the 2014 North American Wife Carrying Championships held Saturday at Sunday River, Maine.  You would think they would hold them on a Sunday at Sunday River, but whatever.  The rules of the competition are fairly simple - teams of one man and one woman where the woman is carried in some fashion compete in head to head heats to eventually get to the final head to head race.  The 275 yard course includes raised log obstacles, changes in elevation (try running up or downhill with your wife on your back) and what is termed "The Widow Maker" a stretch of waist deep water that essentially turns to a murky mash after competitors start running through it.  

Why do they call it The Widow Maker, you ask?  It's just a dude carrying his lady through waist deep water…sort of like in a romantic comedy starring whoever where the guy valiantly carries his honey to safety and then they make out on the shore of this body of water.  Well, this one is a little different because the male participant typically carries his female counterpart using the sport standard "Estonian carry".  What the heck is the Estonian carry?  Glad you asked!  It's where the "lady" wraps her legs around her partners head and clasps her arms around his waist.  Sounds pretty sexy right?  A whole lot of body contact for an obstacle course…well not exactly.  Picture the hold being an inverted piggyback ride where the woman's head is where her feet would usually be located.  Now image when she is dragged through waist deep (his waist, not hers) and you can see why if the man is not careful to keep his woman's head above the muck he could be looking at a long solo ride home (unless they win of course).  

There are a few other incredibly awesome perks to winning this coveted championship.  First, the winners receive the woman's weight in beer, 5 times her weight in cash and an entry into the World Championships held each year in Finland (where the sport is purported to have originated).  Adding another lay of beauty to the competition - your team's performance (lighter is better) and reward (heavier is better - more beer and dough) all come down to the weight of your wife.  I don't know about you guys, but this is not a conversation that I want to have with me wife heading into this competition.  Maybe this weekend the wife and I will give this a try, probably skipping The Widow Maker.

Enjoy your Monday!!

HAPPY WATCHING!!

Royals Rocking & Rolling

A Very Big Blue Weekend

The BLUES!!!

1.  College Football Jerseys & Natural Light beer cans

2.  Jets blues & The Blueshirts

3.  Big Blue Wrecking Crew

4.  Best one of the weekend the Powder Blue Royals!

Happy Saturday Y'All!!!  College football is in full swing this weekend with some powerful match ups - (2) Auburn vs. (3) Mississippi State, (9) TCU vs. (5) Baylor, (12) Oregon vs. (18) UCLA and a Notre Dame game that is about as close as it gets with UNC as this is being written. (look for updates later in the weekend)

The NFL is looking to continue it's week six with 13 games tomorrow featuring Peyton Manning's Broncos coming to town (NY Jets fan) looking to tie/break Brett Favre's career TD mark.  Peyton needs 5 TDs to tie and 6 to break and honestly with the Jets playing the way they are...this is insanely possible and really I secretly want them to get rolled on.  With Geno Smith going to the movies instead of team meetings, Michael Vick half-assing it in practice as the primary backup with a $4 million dollar salary and above all else, the coaching staff actually siding with them and concocting ridiculous excuses for previous snafus.  I am tired, simply tired of them.  I told a co-worker this week that I was done with them and will instead focus on my fantasy football team and maybe give hockey a shot this year...the New York Rangers looked pretty good the other night in St. Louis, just saying.  My prediction is DEN 42 - NYJ - 6, no record for Peyton this week.

The other major dialogue in the NFL this week seems to be the game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles.  There has been pregame smack talking from both sides, each team has a winning record and more importantly their match ups usually turn out to be close, hard fought games.  Both fans bases are pretty into their teams, the Philly fans are pretty miserable to be around in general and this only makes matters worse.  The game kicks off at 8:30PM Sunday night which means the entire east coast will be watching...the first half at least and then probably flip over to something else or go to bed, thanks for that NFL.  My prediction is NYG 31 - PHI 27 (tiny Eli taunt video can be found on ESPN or just Google it)

The Kansas City Royals have been on fire, but not in the blow out sense.  They haven't been crushing their opponents bones into dust, no they have not!  But man have they been incredibly exciting to watch.  Jumping out to leads, giving them up, getting back in the game and then winning it in extra innings.  This has happened 4 times so far this postseason.  The Powders are 5-0 heading into tonight's game which for a team that hasn't made the playoffs since Ronnie Reagan started his second term as POTUS and that is darned impressive.  They have a nice core of young players who don't have out of this world stats...no 45 homer hitters, no 20 game winners but through timely hitting and smart coaching they are just making it work...so far.  Only time will tell if they can move on to the World Series, it's only one game so far, but those road wins are golden!!

HAPPY WATCHING!!!

The NFL's All Orange Jumpsuit Team

The NFL's All Orange Jumpsuit Team

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the weekend!  It is Friday night and the feelings right!  Everybody getting ready for a fun filled, action packed weekend?  I sure hope so.  We look to be getting a healthy does of rain this Saturday in the Northeast, but I am letting that get me down.  Speaking of having fun, have you ever been at a party and someone is clearly having too much fun.  Like way more fun than everyone else there and you are pretty sure that was not by accident.  By the end of the party that guy has puke crusted on the bottom of his shirt (if he is still wearing one), may be missing a shoe and probably lost some combination of keys/wallet/cell phone/sanity/girlfriend.  We have all seen it happen, heck maybe one time that person was you!  No bigs though right it's not like you ended up in jail or anything…or maybe you did, I don't know.

Well, having fun is pretty much the name of the game when you are a professional athlete.  You workout, practice, play in billion dollar stadiums and get paid nicely.  Pretty sweet!  But just like us simpletons, professional athletes have a little too much fun sometimes.  This has been a bit of a hot topic lately with the recent big name NFL players getting arrested, arraigned whatever.  So I thought to myself, what if we HAD to make an All-Star team comprised of only players and former players who served time in an orange jumpsuit…the answer is you bet your buns we could.  Sure, I thought…there are the notables but not enough to get a team together and where would I be able to get enough guys (let's just say we throw 11 guys together, they will play offense and defense)?  I don't remember every story about NFL players going to jail…so it makes things tougher but let's give it a go shall we.

1.  Jamal Lewis (RB) - Lewis was arrested and convicting of using a cell phone to facilitate a drug deal.  I think it's funny in this day and age that they clarify that he used a cell phone as opposed to say a hand written note on personalized stationery.  Lewis was an awesome running back for the Ravens mostly, some other stops were in there as well.  He once ran for 295 yards in a game breaking the record of 278 set by Corey Dillon.

2.  Nate Newton (G) - Big Nate Newton was pinched for drug trafficking in 2001 after the police found a very small amount of marijuana in his car after a traffic stop.  That small amount was 213 pounds worth, that's a grown man in pot form.  That's a lot!  Nate was a 6 time Pro-Bowler and 2 time Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys dynasty from the 1990's.  He served 2 years of a 7.5 year sentence and is now presumably just chillin'…probably.

3.  Art Schlichter (QB) - Art who?  Who the f$&!* is Art Schlichter?  Ha, you wish you knew!  I didn't know until I came across him doing some Googling and man was I impressed.  So here's the deal on ol' Artie.  He was a former fourth overall draft pick out of Ohio State in 1982 and essentially was a dud.  He holds a career 3-11 NFL record and threw for just over 1,000 yards…not that great, Drew Brees threw for 5000+ last season.  However, he was a beast in the arena league in the early 1990's and was the MVP of the league in 1990.  He makes this list because clearly he can chuck the pigskin and seems to have had quite the gambling problem.  Losing dough to every bookie in town and then the associated stuff that goes along with getting mixed up in that life.  He claims to have swindled and gambled away over $1.5 million over the years and got caught for fraud and theft.  Ouch.  He is currently serving a 10 year sentence.

4.  Leonard Little (DE) - Little Lenny Little (6'3", 267 pounds) was a Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion with the St. Louis Rams in the early 2000's…the period I like to call the Kurt "Flirt" Warner Era.  Lenny was partying waaaaaay too much, got behind the wheel of a car and killed someone.  It's commonly referred to as vehicular homicide but he only got involuntary manslaughter…got a three month sentence.  Seems about right.  You kill someone and go away for three months.  Blame it on the booze it seems.

5.  Ryan Leaf (QB, a bad one) - Mister Leaf was an incredibly highly touted college quarterback.  He was a number 2 selection overall out of Washington State.  That was about the highlight of his NFL career.  He was terrible, granted so were the San Diego Chargers at the time, but man was he bad.  His quarterback rating was 50 (bad) and his TD to INT ratio was 14:36 (bad).  To make matters worse, he was arrested after his career a few times for burglary, theft and drug possession.  He is currently serving out a 7 year sentence for a guilty plea/plea bargain type thing.

6.  Dave Meggett (RB, WR, KR, PR) - I HAD to add Davey Boy Meggett to this list.  He was a fixture of the 1990's New York Giants lineup.  He was one of the "Parcells boys" and man could he do it all.  He could run, pass, catch, return…you name it and he did it…along with criminal misconduct of the sexual nature and burglary which netted him 30 years in state lock up!  Good work Dave.

7.  Sam "Thundering" Hurd (WR) - Dallas Cowboys/Chicago Bears wide out Sammie Hurd was a speedster with great hands and on turf the saying goes, speed kills.  In real life, cocaine does too.  Hurd was arrested for conspiracy to possess cocaine and marijuana with the intent to distribute.  Sounds like a very convoluted way of saying that he called his buddy, asked him for a ton of drugs and was then going to sell them to his buddies…presumably around the NFL.  Weird…that probably never happens, oh wait.  


8.  Orenthal J. Simpson (RB) - It's been long enough in this thing to have not mentioned OJ by now, but honestly I was kinda saving him until just about the end.  OJ Simpson was an amazing running back for the Buffalo Billsin the 1960's and 70's.  His achievements on the field are remarkable and it is no wonder why he in the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, OH.  His off of the field activities are just as legendary.  The Juice was beloved by the American public and even had a few acting roles after his playing days were over.  And then…and then, he alledgedly killed his wife and her lover in cold blood.  All good according to the jury, he was set free, free as a bird now…then he got whoppered in the civil case by the lover's parents.  No dough and down on his luck he broke into a hotel room being occupied by a sports collectibles enthusiast.  He then stole items from said enthusiast that he felt belonged to him.  He was arrested and is now in jail for that crime.  Karma can be a killer sometimes...

9.  Terry "Tank" Johnson - (DT) The Tanker played a mean nose tackle for the Chicago Bears (for the bulk of his career).  He was a force in the middle clogging up running lanes and mauling opposing centers to get to the quarterback.  One could say he assaulted defenses every chance he got.  Which is funny since he was arrested for of all things assaulting people and owning unlicensed assault weapons and hand guns.  His story reads like that of a guy with a good amount of dough hitting clubs living it up and keep a ton of guns.

10.  Lawrence Phillips (RB) - Larry Phil gets almost top billing here because he combines some seriously violent behavior and being a disaster of a draft bust.  He was taken 6th overall and in defense of the Rams, he was awesome in college.  He was a big bruiser but unfortunately for him it just never really clicked at the top level and he was basically out of the NFL in a few years.  He went abroad and played well in Europe.  Speaking of abroad, he got into trouble with the law for punching his girlfriend…that's pretty bad.  BUT even better he got arrested and sentenced to 31 years for driving his car into a group of teenagers, on purpose.  That's pretty messed up, I mean seriously?  That is why he was picked number 10! - You see this photo and think, man life is annoying...

11.  Plaxico Burress/Michael Vick - (WR/QB) - Yes, I get it I have too many WRs and QBs, well just get over it.  Those are the interesting players.  No one give a poop about the linebackers who actually kill people (allegedly but then find Jesus and it's all cool...Ray Lewis, I gotcha bro').  But this twosome is coming into training camp as a tandem.  It's either both or none.  One shot himself in the leg in an NYC club trying to conceal a gun in sweatpants...sweatpants!  The other served time for fighting dogs against each other.  A horrible thing but a crime I think not.  It's brutal and terrible but does a man really need to go to jail for a long time (longer than many rapists and child molesters for this crime)?  Either way I saved these two for the man, THAT SUCKS play.  I love ya both but man, you gotta be better than that.  That's just dumb...silent b.

Honorable mention - L to the Tizzle

HAPPY WATCHING!! 

If All Else Fails…The Fans Are Entertaining

If All Else Fails…The Fans Are Entertaining

Come one, come all!!  Week 4 in the NFL has come and gone!  Some teams are on the rise and some teams are on the fall.  My beloved Jets are 1-3 and pretty much define the teams on the decline group.  It's early still they say.  It's not over 'til it's over they say.  It's going to be alright, one win can turn around the team/season!  Bah, I say!  I have all too frequently seen this start and it ends in a 7-9 season, maaaaaybe 8 wins with 8 losses - missing the playoffs and getting a run-of-the-mill draft pick somewhere around 17th or so.  We could have kept Sanchez around for this.  At least Sanchez gave us Butt Fumble and that snazzy shoelace headband he started using towards the end of his Jets career.  All I am saying is that if you are like me and your team is 1-3 and on the downturn, call it was it is a lost season.  BUT all hope is not lost - many of us still have our fantasy team(s) after all.  The real teams that can actually make us some dough for our blood, sweat and tears.  Oh wait, what's that your fantasy teams are 0-4.  Oh, um my bad.  I did not mean to bring that up at the same time as bringing up how bad your actual team is too.  

Let's try again - BUT watching the games whether at home or in the stadium can really showcase some of the best talents the game has to offer!!  I have at times this NFL season focused too much on the spousal, child and substance abuses shooting through the airwaves and NFL front offices.  It's probably because those things just get me in a bitter, pessimistic mode.  You couple that with summer not yet releasing New Jersey from it's back sweat inducing heat and humidity and September can be a testy time for me.  Oh, the talents part, right.  Watching football games from your couch or line for the men's' room at your local stadium can still showcase some of the amazing talents in the NFL…this of course belongs to the fans who dress up to see games live in the stadium!!  In case you've missed these in the past, here is a quick swing through the most notable football weirdos (in my mind at least).

Kansas City Chiefs - These Guys

I was watching the Patriots - Chiefs on Monday night and I came across some pretty awesome looking characters in the stands.  I couldn't find a pic of the guy who had RedXtreme on the back of his outfit but it led me to do some search for other examples and it turns out that the Kansas City Chiefs have some very colorful fans.

New York Jets - Jet Man

This story is one of the wackiest given that the Jets had a long time fan o' the stadium in Fireman Ed (first picture below).  He would get on his brother or brother-in-laws shoulders, quiet the entire stadium at the appropriate times (touchdowns, key 4th quarter drives and field goals).  It was great and he was great.  He was at every home game and I believe he even hit the road every now and again.  He was a force to be reckoned with when it came to the Jets, fans, and opponents.  The stadium would erupt in unison with J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets!

And then Sanchez came along with his interceptions, the aforementioned Butt Fumble and a whole slew of other on the field miscues.  It boils down to this - head coach backed Sanchez, owner backed Sanchez and to show his support for the failing QB Fireman Ed switched his traditional Bruce Harper jersey to a Sanchez jersey.  Many (well enough) fans thought that he had gone corporate and was no longer a true fan.  This was complete idiocy and was accompanied by constant heckling which led to his eventual refusal to attend games.  Thus his chant leading ended and does not seem to be coming back any time soon.  Not that JetMan (I believe there are a few of them roaming the stadium) is a bad idea in general, but it's no Fireman Ed as the second picture below clearly exhibits.

And now this - 

Washington Redskins - Hogettes

Moving right along, the spotlight scans the country's stadiums and lands squarely on a bunch of dudes.  Not shocking really, a lot of the fans at today's NFL games are dudes.  These dudes however get ready for hard-nosed football and fandom by dressing up as big hogs…in drag.  Yep, grown men dressing up as pigs that kinda look like the nice old lady next door when you were growing up.  I really don't know what to make of that but I guess if that's what they are in to then go for it.  They have been doing it for years so I guess no one messes with them.  I would find it weird though if they dressed up like pigs and chowed down on pork brats and pork ribs…kind of a weird cannibalism thing going on.

It's All About The Make Up & Props!!

This last section is dedicated to the fans who I felt best utilized the combination of make up and props.  They are fierce yet painted…spikey at times yet hair is often braided.  They like silver and black but also deep purple and bright yellow.  Similarly contrasting styles (what?) yet equally as dedicated and intimidating!  They are the Oakland Raiders fans from their Black Hole and Minnesota Vikings fans who come ready to pillage and plunder.  

Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

I can't really determine how much of an impact these fans have on the outcome of their respective team's home games, but man are they entertaining to watch…especially on tv, when they aren’t sweating and yelling within arm's length of me!

Football returns tomorrow night with the Green Bay Packers taking on the Minnesota Vikings in what should be a thrilling NFC North battle.  These teams don't care much for the well being of the other and that makes for great entertainment.

HAPPY WATCHING!!!