Breaking News: Eli Manning Agrees to Contract Extension

Eli Manning has reportedly agreed to a contract extension that would make him one of the highest paid players in the league.

The deal is worth an expected $97.5 million and $35 million guaranteed, begging the question: Does he deserve it?

Most people would say no given his inconsistent play in the regular season and less than stellar statistics, but those do not do him justice.

He has turned the corner as a quarterback and cut down on the turnovers that plagued him in the beginning of his career.

The main thing that Eli does so well is win, and no one can question that. He has an uncanny ability to step up his play late in games, and already has more than a handful of comeback wins.

One of those comeback wins came in the Super Bowl, when he led two fourth quarter 80-plus yard touchdown drives to beat the previously undefeated New England Patriots. Always nice when I have an excuse to bring up that terrific game.

Hopefully the deal will not get to his head seeing as how he will need to be on top of his game this season with the departure of Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer.

Eli deserves every penny, in my opinion, and those who don’t believe that will soon be proved wrong.

Best Contemporary Nicknames in the NFL

From Dick “Night Train” Lane to “Prime Time” Deion Sanders, there has been no shortage of nick names for NFL players.

Whether it be a simpler way for the media to say a name (LT-Chargers) or just a player’s supernatural talent provoking media and teammates alike to come up with these nicknames (Sweetness – Walter Peyton).

The following is a list of current NFL players whose nick names have a chance to stand the test of time, much like Captain Comeback (Roger Stauback) and Mean Joe Greene

There is no ranking system to this list, these are just all the nicknames I thought were the best for the best players

Brett Favre to Take a Year Off in Preparations For 2010 Summer [HUMOR]

Brett Favre confirmed this week he will not be playing football for the Minnesota Vikings in 2009.

So with that in mind…why is the media still talking about it?

I can’t figure it out, unless of course, there is an under-the-table assumption that Favre will do this again next year.

Wait a minute…Yes…I’m receiving confirmation that Brett Favre is taking the year off so he can be ready to keep yet another team in limbo until the week before training camp.

Despite the Vikings adamant stance that they are not going to sign Brett Favre, a stance they took about 10 times this summer, rumors still swirled around the future Hall of Famer in purple and gold.

First, they gave him an ultimatum to make a decision before the draft.

Then, in the middle of summer, the Vikings “suspended talks” with Favre.

The next week, he was a Viking.

It was an unfortunate summer yet again as SportsCenter was forced to cover this story every day to some extent.

Every time Favre stepped onto a field, ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols was there, and Favre was loving every minute of it. 

Lets think about this for a minute.

Brett Favre was working out…at a High School, and ESPN felt the need to send one of its best field reporters to Mississippi and cover the story. Maybe ESPN should reevaluate its priorities.

Every time there was an update on his elbow, ESPN producers were scrambling to put the update on the air. No one was killed, though several were injured.

Now that it is over, one would think the coverage would stop. One would be wrong.

When asked why he wants to take a year off, Favre noted several reasons. Those included were spending time with his family, taking vacation, and the fact that he just can’t perform with his elbow injury.

Let’s be honest people, Favre simply wants to help dominate the media in the infamous summer of 2010, when the likes of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and co. will be free agents.

Favre doesn’t want to have to relegate the spotlight to these sub-par individuals, he wants it all for himself.

“I don’t think it’s fair that the NBA get all the attention next year,” said Brett, “I feel responsible for the publicity of the NFL in off-season, so I want to be 100 percent when that time comes.”

For four straight years now we were forced to hear, day after day, updates on the “Brett Favre Situation.” You can almost be sure there will be a fifth.

I’m half expecting Favre to show up in the new “XX” commercials what with all the media coverage he is receiving.

Stay Thirsty Brett.

Jim Johnson Loses Battle With Cancer: A Giant Fan’s Perspective

The NFL lost yet another one of its great sons.

Jim Johnson, former defensive coordinator of the legendary Eagle defenses of this decade, has died at 68. He is survived by his wife, Vicky, two children, and four grandchildren.

Jim Johnson spent 22 years in the NFL as an assistant, never taking the next step to becoming a head coach. However, that does not in any way taint his legacy.

Johnson will forever be known for the continued evolution of today’s defense. His blitz packages and defensive schemes propelled the Eagles to five NFC championships and one Super Bowl.

He entered the league as a defensive line coach and held that title for Arizona for four years. He then held the position of secondary coach, where he excelled and made a name for himself.

In 1994, he became the linebackers coach for the Colts before eventually becoming interim defensive coordinator in 1996. The Colts finished last in the AFC East and he and the rest of the staff were fired.

He first saw a measure of success when he took over as the Seattle linebackers coach. The Seahawks scored 10 defensive touchdowns, including eight interception returns, which is the second most in NFL history for a season.

Before the Seahawks could promote him, Andy Reid snatched him up in 1999, and the rest is history. The two would see seven playoff appearances, and the playoff success is noted above.

Andy Reid gave him complete control of the defense, showing how much respect he showed for Johnson.

As a Giants’ fan, I have the utmost respect for the man and coach. Every time the Giants played the Eagles, the two would battle it out and Johnson always had something new to throw at the Giants.

I almost have to thank Jim Johnson, for Steve Spagnuolo was one of the main reasons the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2007. Spagnuolo mentored under Johnson from 1999-2006 before taking over the defensive coordinators job in New York.

Earlier this week, the Eagles named Sean McDermott as the defensive coordinator for the 2009 season. When asked what impact Johnson had on his life, he had this to say:

“What haven’t I learned from Jim?” McDermott said. “I don’t think it would be fair to Jim, in this setting, to try and limit in one statement, one press conference, the effect that Jim has had on my life.”

Giants head coach Tom Coughlin did not know him personally, but had this to say about him:

“He was great to work with and for, and he had his priorities in order,” Coughlin said. “His players loved to play for him and his coaches loved to coach with him. It is a sad day for the National Football League to lose somebody the quality of Jim Johnson. It is a sad note on which to start the season.”

It is a sad day for the NFL. While the Eagles and the NFL will not forget Johnson, they are forced to move on without him.

Johnson’s impact will not be forgotten by anyone, including this Giants fan.

Myth Busters: New York Giants Edition

As the Giants gear up for training camp, the team is entering uncharted waters. I’m here to prove that these “questions” are nothing more than fallacies.

It has been a while since the offense has been under such scrutiny. Rightfully so, seeing as how they lost both starting receivers and a 1,000 yard rusher.

Rest easy fans, the Giants are well equipped to overcome these losses.

While it will be hard to replace Plaxico Burress on the field, it is safe to say the locker room atmosphere and the overall demeanor will have improved due to his self inflicted release.

Plaxico was no doubt a force on the field, but his constant demand for the ball and apparent need for attention led to his, and the team’s, demise.

Ramses Barden and Hakeem Nicks were called upon in the 2009 draft in an attempt to fill the void left by Burress. It is unclear whether or not they will live up to Burress’ talent individually, but they could thrive as a one-two combination.

Before his setback, Sinorice Moss was emerging as a legitimate candidate for the second wide receiver position. It is so far assumed Steve Smith will have the No. 1 spot.

Moss was blowing by defenders, catching everything thrown his way, and even improving somewhat as a blocker. Hopefully, his injury is not a cause for concern.

The running backs, combined with the stellar offensive line, will make up for the absence of Derrick Ward.

As a Giants fan, I am no doubt blinded by my bias in some way, but I feel that Derrick Ward will not be as effective behind a less than stellar offensive line in Tampa.

Ahmad Bradshaw is ready to step in a be the perfect spell back to Brandon Jacobs. The unsung hero in the 2007 Super Bowl run was forced to take a back seat to Ward, but make no mistake—He is primed for a solid year.

Rookie addition Andre Brown had decent success in college, but showed the Giants enough at the NFL combine to make him a fourth round selection.

He will play the role that Bradshaw had last year, playing only in blowouts or in special offensive packages. However, the Giants hope he can be a part of the backfield in the future.

Eli Manning will play with a chip on his shoulder, with several experts considering he will not be successful without a big receiver to throw to.

I’m using the ‘experts’ term loosely. Most people who consider themselves experts truly do not know the nuances of the NFL.

With both Tiki Barber and now Amani Toomer out of the huddle, Eli emerges as the outright leader of the offense. He already has thrived in that role the past two seasons without Barber, but this season may force him to be a bit more outspoken than usual.

The defense should be able to more than make up for some of the potential problems on offense, but if the Giants want to bring the Lombardi trophy back home, the offense has its work cut out for them.

 

 

Myth Busters: New York Giants Edition

As the Giants gear up for training camp, the team is entering uncharted waters. I’m here to prove that these “questions” are nothing more than fallacies.

It has been a while since the offense has been under such scrutiny. Rightfully so, seeing as how they lost both starting receivers and a 1,000 yard rusher.

Rest easy fans, the Giants are well equipped to overcome these losses.

While it will be hard to replace Plaxico Burress on the field, it is safe to say the locker room atmosphere and the overall demeanor will have improved due to his self inflicted release.

Plaxico was no doubt a force on the field, but his constant demand for the ball and apparent need for attention led to his, and the team’s, demise.

Ramses Barden and Hakeem Nicks were called upon in the 2009 draft in an attempt to fill the void left by Burress. It is unclear whether or not they will live up to Burress’ talent individually, but they could thrive as a one-two combination.

Before his setback, Sinorice Moss was emerging as a legitimate candidate for the second wide receiver position. It is so far assumed Steve Smith will have the No. 1 spot.

Moss was blowing by defenders, catching everything thrown his way, and even improving somewhat as a blocker. Hopefully, his injury is not a cause for concern.

The running backs, combined with the stellar offensive line, will make up for the absence of Derrick Ward.

As a Giants fan, I am no doubt blinded by my bias in some way, but I feel that Derrick Ward will not be as effective behind a less than stellar offensive line in Tampa.

Ahmad Bradshaw is ready to step in a be the perfect spell back to Brandon Jacobs. The unsung hero in the 2007 Super Bowl run was forced to take a back seat to Ward, but make no mistake—He is primed for a solid year.

Rookie addition Andre Brown had decent success in college, but showed the Giants enough at the NFL combine to make him a fourth round selection.

He will play the role that Bradshaw had last year, playing only in blowouts or in special offensive packages. However, the Giants hope he can be a part of the backfield in the future.

Eli Manning will play with a chip on his shoulder, with several experts considering he will not be successful without a big receiver to throw to.

I’m using the ‘experts’ term loosely. Most people who consider themselves experts truly do not know the nuances of the NFL.

With both Tiki Barber and now Amani Toomer out of the huddle, Eli emerges as the outright leader of the offense. He already has thrived in that role the past two seasons without Barber, but this season may force him to be a bit more outspoken than usual.

The defense should be able to more than make up for some of the potential problems on offense, but if the Giants want to bring the Lombardi trophy back home, the offense has its work cut out for them.

 

 

The Top Ten NFL MVP Candidates for 2009

In 2008, we saw Peyton Manning win yet another MVP trophy to add to his future Hall of Fame legacy.

This slide show will give you the top ten candidates I feel have the best chance to hoist the trophy in 2009

With Tom Terrific coming back from knee surgery, it could boil down to another race between he and Peyton; you really have to sit back to appreciate the rivalry that has been manufactured by all NFL fans between Peyton and Brady.

Drew Brees was a wide receiver’s mistake away from breaking Dan Marino’s record for passing yards in a season, and this was the first season in a while the MVP wasn’t also the Offensive Player of the Year, which went to Brees.

Every year, there is no shortage of MVP candidates, 2009 should prove to be the same.

Recasting The Hangover

With the movie sensation”The Hangover” sweeping the box office, I felt compelled to make a comparison of the characters to players on my team: the New York Giants.

If you had not had the chance to go see this masterpiece, stop wasting your time reading this article and GO SEE IT. Don’t bring your kids, though, it’s rated R for a reason.

I tend to draw comparisons to other comedies when I go see a movie of this caliber, and I compared this one to Wedding Crashers, which I saw six times in the theatres (I only payed for it once).

I have seen this movie three times already, and I would gladly see it again.

If you need some idea as to what type of movie you can expect, the director also was behind the scenes of little movies such as “Road Trip”, “:Old School”, “School for Scoundrels”, and “Starsky and Hutch.”

The Way-Too-Early NFL Predictions

Just so you know, I don’t believe in predicting my favorite team to win the Super Bowl. The Eli picture is just a reminder that my favorite team is the Giants, and I expect big things from them this year.

That being said, the following is a break down of each division, where the teams will stand in January, and the most reasonable record for them. I have also included the post season standings and results, as well as the team hoisting the Lombardi Trophy come season’s end.

AFC West

1. San Diego (11-5) – Not too much of a shocker at this point, they were the best team in the division last season until they found out Shawn Merriman was out. They still won the division and getting him back will only improve their chances.

2. Kansas City (9-7) – With the minor improvements they’ve made, they can potentially play spoiler in the division and upset San Diego. However, they have a first year coach and a QB who does not have Randy Moss and Wes Welker anymore, so 9-7 the best they can expect.

3. Denver (7-9) – The Broncos have the highest ceiling, but the question is; will the losses on offense be overcome by the improvements on defense. Josh McDaniel brought his Patriot mentality to the team, which is putting the name on the front of the jersey before the name on the back. He is bringing the hammer down on the organization, he’d better hope it works.

4. Oakland (5-11) – The laughing stock organization of the NFL is at it again. With questionable draft picks at best they are seemingly striving for mediocrity, but it would be ignorant of me to actually believe that. Al Davis needs to hand over the GM position or his legacy will be tainted by the last 10 years of failure, rather than the prior 30 of success.

 

AFC North

1. Pittsburgh (12-4) – Is this really a surprise? The defending Super Bowl champs did not lose much talent, and they stock piled in the draft. I’m not sold on Baltimore taking over and the other two teams in the division have not taken the necessary steps to dethrone the Champs

2. Cincinnati (10-6) – This is one bold prediction if I do say so myself. The Bengals had a fantastic draft and the feeling in Ohio is that they are ready to take the next step. They are getting Kieth Rivers back from injury, and Rey Maualuga and Andre Smith are ready to help the team now.

3. Baltimore (9-7) – I don’t think the defense will be able to carry the offense to the playoffs again the way they did last season. They get older by the year and the only way they can atone for an anemic offense is if they overachieve.

4. Cleveland (6-10) – Eric Mangini has a chance to prove the Jets will regret letting him go, but it will not be in 2009. With the QB carousel and the lack of a defensive identity, they will have more problems than solutions this season.

 

AFC South

1. Houston (11-5) – With Tom Moore and Marvin Harrison gone in Indy, the road is paved for a Houston takeover. With defensive improvements and a top five offense, the only thing that will hinder their chances is injuries. The schedule is laughable at best.

2. Indianapolis (10-6)- Take it easy Colts’ fans, you’ll still make the playoffs. I get the feeling this year the offense will not have to be so dominant, and the defense will be successful enough to carry the Colts to a wild card spot.

3. Tennessee (8-8) – The AFC wild card race should be spectacular this season, but it won’t include the Titans. Kerry Collins will not be able to carry the Titans again this season, because teams will be ready for HIS style, rather than Vince Young’s.

4. Jacksonville (8-8) – Hard to believe a team that has made so many improvements will finish last, but they will miss Fred Taylor more than they think. People are claiming Maurice Jones-Drew can do it all, and he could, because he had Fred Taylor there to keep him fresh.

If Rashad Jennings can fill that role than maybe we can expect bigger things from the Jags. They may be last, but they will still finish with around eight wins.

 

AFC East

1. New England (13-3) – Not much of a surprise here. With Tom Terrific coming back and Rex Ryan running his mouth, the Patriots should have more than enough motivation to walk away with this division. The only question remains the aging defense, but they are getting younger so it may not be as much a question as it was in the past.

2. Buffalo (10-6) – Buffalo is ready to turn the corner with a young, fiery defense and a more than capable offense. T.O may be a cancer, but you won’t find him among the Bills’ medical symptoms until year two. If Trent Edwards can stay healthy and Fred Jackson can weather the storm until Lynch is back, the Bills will be fighting for a wild card spot.

3. Miami (9-7) – The Wildcat offense won’t be as successful as last season because teams will be ready for it. The Baltimore playoff game tape will be played over and over in teams’ film sessions, as they exposed weaknesses in the formation.

4. New York Jets (6-10) – Yea, you read correctly Jets’ fans, Rex Ryan will not be able to back up his talk with a rookie or first year starting QB and a 31 year old running back. The defense will not be able to do what Baltimore did for Joe Flacco’s offense last season. Mark Sanchez could be the answer, but not yet.

 

Seeding and Results

1. Patriots

2. Pittsburgh

3. San Diego

4. Texans

5. Colts

6. Buffalo

 

Wild Card Round –

No. 6 BUF over No. 3 SD

No. 4 HOU over No. 5 IND

 

Divisional Round

No. 4 HOU over No. 1 NE (yea…that’s right)

No. 2 PITT over No. 6 BUF

 

AFC Championship

No. 4 HOU over No. 2 Pitt

Your 2009 AFC champions are the Houston Texans. Say what you want about it but the last three seasons have produced unlikely Super Bowl participants in the Cardinals, Giants, and Bears, and this time the team is from the AFC. I like what the Texans have done the past three seasons in the draft and it is about time they pull it together.

NFC East

1. Washington (12-4) – With the improvements made on defense it’s hard to ignore the Redskins. The big man in the middle will improve their defense drastically, and it was already top ten to begin with. The only hindrance is the QB situation; can Jason Campbell lead the Skins to the division title?

2. New York (12-4) – The Giants have also improved their front seven immensely, not only with off season acquisitions but with the return of Osi Umenyiora the defense will be back to being the best pass rush in the league. The glaring question is whether or not Eli can be successful without his big target, Plaxico Burress.

3. Philadelphia (10-6) – The Eagles will make the playoffs people, so calm down. This year could be the best for the NFC East, as they have three very good teams and one decent team. 

The question for the Eagles is whether or not they will suffer the loss of Brian Dawkins more than people (Eagle faithful) expect. They will.

4. Dallas (7-9) – Sorry Cowboy fans, but it’s the cellar for you this year. The loss of T.O. will be greater than any of you are willing to admit, and I just don’t trust a team coached by a wuss (Wade Phillips). Cowboys go 7-9, fire Wade Phillips and lure Mike Shanahan from the beach to the gridiron

 

NFC South –

1. Atlanta (13-3) – The Falcons are scary this year. Matt Ryan showed that he could play with the best of them, couple that with they just added a hall of fame tight end to his arsenal and you get the No. 1 seed in the conference. Don’t expect the “last to first” tradition to continue this year.

The Caped Crusader: A Giant Hero Lerking In The Shadows

Picture this: Eli Manning hikes the ball and hits a streaking wide receiver down the field who has blown by every defender in sight. Reporters say “who was that? Smith? Hixon? Nicks?”

No. It is Sinorice Moss.

Multiply that by about three and you’ll get what Sinorice Moss has been doing nearly every day since OTA’s started after the 2009 NFL Draft.

Moss heard the “experts” claiming that the Giants do not have one decent wide receiver on the roster, and took it personal.

You hear people say the Giants’ key to success this season offensively will be stretching the field with Domenik Hixon or Hakeem Nicks. I say Moss is every bit as important as any other receiver on the roster.

He has not has his opportunity since being a second round draft pick from “The U.” He was supposed to help the Giants with speed and quickness in the screen game, but injuries derailed his rookie year and was unable to participate in the Super Bowl run.

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