sportsfanatic

Brett Favre has decided to hang his cleats up again. Well, at least for the time being. One has to consider that as the season gets closer, that fact may very well change. However, with his retirement being announced, does it mean that the New York Jets are a better team?

Frankly, in my opinion, I have to say “NO”. The reason being is simple when you think about it. First off, you have to consider that the team is now without a quarterback. Secondly, they are without a headcoach. Or maybe I should just state that they lost both of them at the end of the season. Now, both have to be replaced.

Bobby Bowden did not have to “Ponder” long to know that he wanted to patrol the sidelines. He has signed to return to the sidelines for his 34th season. This is exciting news for the Florida State University Seminoles and their fans and alumni. The 2009 season has much promise as it stands.

Even though there have been issues over the last few years, I am glad to see the return of Bobby Bowden. I would like to see him be able to go out a winner and this upcoming season might just be able to bring that to Bowden. For the first time in some time, I am excited about our quarterback.

Lane Kiffin wasted no time getting to his duties as the University of Tennessee Volunteers head football coach. His first job was to recruit and that is just what he has been doing. Lane has been all over the place recruiting. The funny thing is, he is recruiting people that is older than he is. His first task in recruiting was to line up his coaches. Kiffin has brought in his father to head up the defense and that stands to bode well for the Vols.

On the player side of things, Lane has not been coming up short there yet either. Lane has proved that he can get out and recruit with the big boys of the SEC and it will be interesting to see what players actually sign the letter of intent for a chance to play for the Kiffin and Kiffin show.

With the season drawing to an end, a lot of people seem to think that everything goes dormant. That is the farthest from the truth. Actually, things are just getting fired up. Coaches have been fired and replaced for several pro teams. Some of the great NFL coaches have called it quits on their own. Some have decided to go to the college level to play. Then, there are some, that still do not have a place or team to call home or their own.

Now, the coaches are not the only ones that are in disarray. There are players that have been given the boot and released outright. There are players that will head into free agency and actually go on to help their new team put down their old team. Then, there are the players that are sitting on the fence of what they need to do.

If you noticed, I did not name anyone. The reason for this is over the next few months, there will be a lot of changes. When they settle down, we will take a look at the teams at that time.

Since the end of the season, the Dallas Cowboys have been in the news more than owner Jerry Jones would like. Issues that have popped up stem from players being late to meetings to players not taking practice seriously. The biggest issue with this is that two prominent stars, Tony Romo and Terrell Owens, head the list.

The issues with Tony Romo seemed to be affecting the offensive staff. The fact that the offensive squad is upset with Jason Garrett and the fact that he lacks control over Tony Romo is the main issue at this point. From the looks of it, he lacks control over the entire offense. Maybe it would be better if they brought in a coach that could actually control his staff.

As for the issue of tardiness, Terrell Owens seems to be the habitual violator. Even though the Cowboys have a fine system in place, the $100 fine just seems to not get the point across. It seems that Wade Phillips has requested that Jerry Jones change the fine policy, but that seems to fall on deaf ears. In my opinion, maybe Jerry needs to quit coddling these players and put his foot down.

Now, in an effort to make some changes to the team, Jerry has expressed some interest in Ray Lewis. The Cowboys feel that Ray would bring the leadership to the locker room that the Cowboys seem to be missing. Personally, I think that Ray can do it some of the way, but if this team is going to make a change, it has to start at the top and work its way down.

Well, I have to say that I never imagined that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals would be getting ready to face off on February 1st in Tampa, Florida. With that said, that is exactly what has happened as the weekend saw the Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Eagles and the Steelers got past the Ravens.

One thing is for sure in this Super Bowl. We do not have to look for a repeat. I am kind of happy to see the Steelers get a shot now that Cohwer is gone. As for the Cardinals, I do not think that anyone other than their fans would actually say that they picked the Cardinals to go to the Big Game.

So, with that said, it is time to pick your sides and get your party in order. February 1st is just around the corner.

After seven very productive years at the helm, Tony Dungy has called it quits. I have to say though, I liked the way he did it. There was not much hoopla about it and the team was not focused on it. With that said, if you know anything about the man, that is the way he coached; nothing focuses on him.

I am glad to see that Tony got a ring before he left the game that he loved. I was said to see him leave Tampa Bay and the very next year they win the big game. That will always be Tony’s win to me. All in all, I have enjoyed watching this GIANT walk among men. His demeanor is what has led his team and I am sure that he will be greatly missed by the Colts Nation.

Tony, have a great life and thanks for the Memories.

Well, I know that you have heard a lot of people chiming in on this subject and now it is my turn to jump in. So, let’s start out by looking at the 3 top teams that are going to pick.

1 Detroit Lions - The worst of all teams in the NFL. They tried to make something happen by bringing in Dante’ Culpepper and that flopped.

2. St Louis Rams - This team has a great running back, but they lack a supporting cast. Typically, I would say replace the quarterback, but these guys need an offensive line that can block.

3. Kansas City Chiefs - Once again, a team that has a great running back but has the lack of a supporting cast. Tyler is an OK quarterback and he might be better if you get him a supporting cast, but I really think that the Chiefs will go after a quarterback that can win games.

Now, with this being the case for the top 3 teams, then I have to say that the top selection will be a quarterback. The question is going to be, will it be Matt Stafford that has declared eligibity for the draft or San Braddford who is uncertain of what he is going to do. I have to tell you, if I can go 1 through 3 in the NFL Draft, I think I am jumping in. So, with that out there, my pick for the #1 Draft choice in 2009 will be Matt Stafford.

Today, Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno announced that neither of them would be returning to the University of Georgia football team in 2009. Instead, they are entering the 2009 NFL Draft and foregoing the remained of their college eligibility. In my opinion, it is a smart move on both their parts.

For Stafford, he will more than likely going in the top 3 or 4 picks in the first round due to the lack of quality quarterbacks in the NFL. With an arm like his, he can do many of the NFL teams good. As for Moreno, running backs can only take some many hits over a lifetime. He has already proven that he is one of the best at his position, so he really has nothing to prove at the college level. His time is now and it is in the NFL.

With the first of the wild card games behind us and my head hung in shame, it is time to move on to Sunday’s games. I can only hope to more precise in picking winners than I was the time before. With that said, let’s move forward.

The first of Sunday’s games will take us south to Miami Gardens where last year’s NFL punching bag turned this years AFC East Champion Miami Dolphins embark on their quest to achieve a Super Bowl Ring. The first opponent that stands in their way is none other than the Baltimore Ravens. Both of these teams sport rookie head coaches and the Ravens match the Falcons by having a rookie starting quarterback.

One of the first things that you have to look at is not too many people put these teams into the playoffs prior to the start of the season, including yours truly. I really did not give either of these teams a chance. In defense of my prediction of the Miami Dolphins, I rated them prior to having Chad Pennington. So, now, let’s reel it back in and focus on today’s game.

The Miami Dolphins have to pull out every trick play in the book and this time, Ricky Williams has to hold onto the ball. The Dolphins will go with their 2 headed monster attack at running back and Baltimore has to stop it. If the Dolphins can run, it will open up their passing game and Pennington will rip them apart. In their earlier meeting, Chad passed for 295 yards, but the running game was basically non-existent. If the Ravens can repeat that feat today, they will win.

With that said, I am predicting that the Dolphins will win today.

As for the evening game, I am surprised that these 2 teams are not ready to puke. Their season has to be reminiscent of a roller coaster ride. Personally, I do not think that either team really belongs, but it is not my call. Both teams have the type of offense that I would not want to have to depend on each and every week and they sport a defense to match. Personally, I think for a team to win this game, they have to be less sloppy than their opponent.

If I had to pick a winner, I think that the Philadelphia Eagles can not be beat by the Minnesota Vikings.