bartshan-83

Strongly disagree. I don't think you wait until the third round to draft someone who would give you back-to-back-to-back 1000 yd seasons, who in the prime of his career averaged 67 catches 855 yds and 7 TDs. The man caught 100 balls one season and if he hadn't broken his leg in the opener in 2001 (where he was coming off his best season), he might have caught 100 more. I agree that he was never the feature WR and that he didn't produce much early in his career, but when he got his chance to shine, he made the Broncos a much better team. He also extended and improved Rod Smith's career tremendously. I wouldn't use a top 5 pick on a guy like this, but you better believe in the world of crap shooting draft choices that I would gladly burn a 1st rounder on a guy would give me 13 seasons and catch more than 550 balls.

Smokin, I love you man but let's take a step back or two. Brady Quinn is not the God he was made out to be, but you blaming him for these losses are a little silly. You say his stats dip when he plays the best teams, well I'd like to see this list of great QBs who have don't have worse stats vs. far superior opponents. How about Matt Leinart's stellar 17-32 300 yds. 0 TDs and 2 INTs vs. ND last year? If Ambrose Wooden turns his head around, is Leinart the the goat of that game? How about only throwing 1 TD in the Natl Title game last year? I mean, obviously Leinart has won his fair share and he is a big time player in big games. But USC beat ND DESPITE a very bad game out of their starting QB last year. They were so superior to ND in other facets of the game, that it didn't matter that leader of their offense had the worst game of the season. If Quinn had played the way Leinart had that afternoon, USC wins by 14. Brady has his issues. But you watched the USC game this year. Quinn was the only one on either side of our team who came to play that evening. McKnight completely fcked us, Samardzija took a nap during the 2nd and 3rd quarters and both lines played like their thongs were riding too high. When Quinn goes 12-35 100 yds 3 INTs vs. a good team, then I will hear your argument. Switch him and Jamarcus Russell and guess who wins? Switch him and Chad Henne when ND played Michigan this year, and guess who wins? Switch him and Matt Leinart last year and guess who wins? If your answer was ND in any of those games, then you're wrong. Every game that ND has lost during the last two years has been a result of playing a superior oppenent in multiple facets of the game. Slow defenses and inconsistent offensive weapons aren't a good combination in big time games. EDIT: I didn't see the excellent point above about Penn State. PSU was 11th in the nation is points allowed (14.8) and 16th in yards allowed (279.0). Yet Brady absolutely shredded them for 25-36 287 3-0. I mean, he was 12-16 150 2-0 in the SECOND QUARTER.

Well apparently I didn't pack enough KY jelly because that was an absolute violation. Outcoached, outplayed and basically ran out of the Big Easy. Good news though, with the help of 6 hand grenades and a little friend I like to call Hennessy XO, I really don't remember much of the 2nd half. I got it on TiVo though but I've heard I didn't miss much. Nola was absolutely off the chains. I can't imagine ever doing something as wild as the last 100 hours of my life. From 5pm on the 31st to the time I stumbled off the plane in Philly my head was spinning. I went with three of my best friends and I'm thankful we all made it out in one piece. 1 arrest, 1 removal from the Super Dome, 1 surprisingly successful trip to the Casino, 3 bottles of Dom P, 4 mornings I watched the sunrise, 2 ugly lost bets and about 12 total hours of sleep. The French Quarter was a complete shtshow and I couldn't believe that everything could actually get wilder AFTER New Years Eve....but it did not disappoint. Food was amazing...Hurricanes and Hand Grenades were deadly and wow some of the most beautiful SEC girls I have ever seen on every corner CajunBB, sorry we never hooked up bro. I didn't know our seat #s until after I left and I forgot to get your cell # or some way to contact you. For all I know you were one of the 1000s who screamed "TIGER BAAAIT" in my face. Hope you had a great time! Smokin, you must be proud. Of course knowing that your team was definitely talented enough to play with Ohio State but blew their chances by overlooking their greatest rival probably don't taste too good.

I would never trust the coaches. None of them watch any of the other games besides their own and future opponents. The average college football fan has more widespread exposure to top college teams than the average college coach. It's not to say I blame them, but these coaches put in 70 hour weeks NOT including Saturdays which is the only real chance to see a variety of other games. Plus I feel that coaches are biased towards their own conferences. But I every system will have its flaws.

Once I read it again I will be able to judge it a little better. However, your point about making the I-A Independents join a conference will hurt any chance of this happening. Without trying to sound like some cocky ND grad, Notre Dame will never join a conference until they feel it is economically enticing AND the NCAA will never permit it's most visible football team to be excluded from a championship tournament. So I don't see this happening. I agree with your idea of rotating the championship game, but I think you have to take it one step further. You need to keep ALL the major bowls involved every year. The Big Four (Orange, Fiesta, Sugar, Rose) should be used for the semi-finals, finals and one other game. Moving the final 4 to some arbitrary East/West location would be more fair, but would never be seriously considered in the name of tradition and sponsorship money.

Fair enough...I guess the fact that the NBA is far more visible to the general public than the NHL causes it's players' actions to be scrutinized to a higher degree. I agree that many people around here wanted Nichols to get more than he did...myself included. I guess this goes back to your previous point about visibility. Those who watch hockey reacted as I hoped they would, but I didn't sense anywhere near the outrage from the average sports fan as I did from the Carmelo incident. I agree that I like what Melo did (right before he took off running like a btch). The NBA is a very physical game and yet it is treated like the players should never touch each other. No problem at all with a little pushing and jawing when a ridiculous foul occurs. Actually, I was also referring to Marty McSorley when he cracked Brashear in the head with his stick. I understand that these are exceptions, but so was the Ron Artest incident. Yet every time a fight breaks out in the NBA, the Palace brawl is dredged up although it has no specific relevance to the incident at hand. Plus, a bunch of trailblazers getting busted for pot doesn't concern me all that much. At least Bonzi Wells never attempted a muder-for-hire... Again, fair enough. I believe race is a part of it, but I think this is a very good point you make and something that I didn't give enough credence to.

Normally, I'd completely agree with you. Race is played brought up way too much in sports and usually for the wrong reasons. However, in this case, I think Wilbon is right. There was EXTREME outrage about the Carmelo incident not one week ago. Yet what happened last night was much worse, there was a more lenient penalty and a nowhere near the outrage displayed by the media and public (at least from what I've observed). I'm tired of the trite argument that these kinds of things are more okay because fighting is part of hockey. That holds no bearing on the fact that what happened last night was NOT a fight. It was a cowardly cheap shot to man who was not looking. THAT was the definition of a sucker punch, yet I heard "sucker punch" about 600 times when describing Melo's girl slap to a man who was looking him in the eyes. How many cheap shots in the NBA have caused permanent injury in this decade? How many assault charges have been filed against cheap shot artists in the NBA as a result of "thug/punk" moves in the same time? Less than the NHL, my friend. Race will be continued to be played as a defense to this overwhelming sense of hypocrisy as long as the double standard is perpetuated. The day I see 45 ESPN articles about Scott Nichols and his punch is the day I will be right there with you to call bullsht on race being brought into the discussion. *And I didn't mean to turn this into a rant against you, USMC. Just a general rant...

What, no outrage that he should be banned for the season? Or is that just reserved for punk NBA players?

I gotta agree with BlueFire. Yeah they rest of the league has a better chance to see them, but it's the general public of football fans that the players care about. Popularity=sponsorship deals, leverage in contract negotiations, etc. I think the average NFL player has a MUCH better grasp on who can play in this league than the average NFL fan. As do the coaches. If they really want it to be accurate, let the professional scouts do the voting. Their main job is to evaluate players on different teams every single week.

I just read that whole article. Makes me sick. A young man's life is ruined for what? This is what justice requires? Sad, sad world where people can look at this situation and be okay with it.

Always a good decision

I'M PRETTY SURE THAT HE GOT A SIX THE FIRST TIME AND THEN RE-TOOK IT AND GOT A 16. IN FACT, ALL THE "RESEARCH" I'VE DONE CONFIRMS THAT AS WELL AS IT CAN BE CONFIRMED. MEANWHILE, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR CAPS LOCK?

Sadly, the people who make and enforce these laws are so far out of touch with reality that this kind of disgrace is not surprising. At 17 years old, a 10 year sentence will ruin his life. And as outlandish as this might sound, I'm sure that both he and his poor victim girlfriend would have turned out just fine despite their heinous crime.

I'm not trying to hijack this too much, but whenever I hear that argument, strangely I think of this. With regards to the suspension, I'll echo what many have said...it is NOT enough. Whether fighting is part of the NHL culture, hitting someone when he is not looking should never be lumped into such an argument. Look at Carmelo's sissy punch...15 games. What Nichol did was far worse regardless of the sport he plays. 20+ would have worked just fine I think.

See this is why I hate the NBA. Nothing but a bunch of thugs. Hitting a guy when he's not looking? What a cowardly move that could have gotten a man seriously injured. Fck the NBA... Oh wait...

P-R-I-C-E-L-E-S-S!!

First this: Now this? You fcking serious man? Go back home...

Woah, now...let's not go crazy.

"Donald, do you think Rosie is angry?" "I think Rosie is stupid." That being said, those people were incredible ass-kissers. Of course, I'm not sure there is another way to have Donald Trump call into your show then to agree to glue your lips to his ass for 10 minutes.

I love everything you said except for that. There is no reason to start a one-dimensional hot-cold shooter who just might play the worst defense in the NBA. Right now, Iggy is the best player on the team (2nd best once Andre Miller suits up).

Completely agree. The more assinine law is the one where NO open container can be present in a vehicle and if so, the driver is charged. Way to encourage being a DD. I rarely drink a brew when I'm driving...maybe one on the way to a party every few months. But in college when someone else was driving us to the bar or something, we would all have beers in the car. If the driver isn't intoxicated, there should be no problem whatsoever IMO.

I'm a little confused as to why people would think Schobel isn't a lock. I'd love to see the last time that a player who lead the entire league in the most public statistic for his position was NOT voted to the Probowl... Moorman is an animal and should go every year. Put him on a dome team and he'd crush it. Punting in Buffalo makes his job twice as hard. Clements...iffy. I'd say vote him in, but statistics-minded voters may hold his INTs against him. Lee should go...He is putting up comparable numbers to the big boys while playing on a team that chose to throw less than 16 passes three times this year. There was a stat a few weeks ago that he was leading the NFL in % of his teams total yards gained for WRs. He is a stud.

thank you...

Yes it is a priority to upgrade the line. A serious upgrade at RG is crucial. However, I think the line has done better than you give them credit for. The lineup change was made during the bye week. The first two games after that, the line was still adjusting and gelling together. Since that (and coincidentally since we have opened up the offense a little more), they have done a much better job. Not including yesterday's game (since I haven't looked at the stats yet), this is how they have fared: - Since we "opened the offense up" 4 weeks ago, our pass blocking has improved tremendously. In the last 4 games we have averaged 31 passing plays per game and allowed only 7 sacks (sorry Hochuli, not counting that bullsht in the grasp ). This works out to 1 sack per 18 drop backs. In the prior 9 games, we had averaged 28 passing plays and allowed 30 sacks. That works out to 1 sack per 8.5 drop backs. The run blocking has not improved as much as the pass blocking, IMO. But improvement is there and the line will only get better.

If they are found guilty, then I think doing this to them would work out fine...