April 26, 2012
NFL Draft picks 6-10

6. Dallas Cowboys - Morris Claiborne
Clearly the number one overall CB. Great hands and speed. Wide receiver with shutdown skills, even been compared to Darelle Revis. Huge asset to a team that needed defensive weapons. First defensive player off the board in a very deep deep defensive talented pool. Surprised Dallas landed Claiborne. Very good pick.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Mark Barron
Mark Barron great leadership. Fast, hits like Bob Sanders, fundamental tackler. Barron is a hybrid type of defender that can play anywhere. Great size. The first to go off of a very talented Alabama defense. Tampa Bay threw me for a loop. Very suprised that Barron went this early. I really like this pick.

8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill
The Dolphins had nothing to lose with this pick and with Mike Sherman they made it very public that Tannehill was their guy. Still think that Tannehill is highly overrated. Not in talent, just in the category of the uncertainty that we have. A wide receiver turned quarterback with little to no experience in my opinion. Tremendous athlete? Yes, but took way to big of a leap on everyone’s boards. Check Tannehill’s numbers, not nearly as impressive as Luck or Griffin, yet still put in their class off of pure athleticism. Dolphins desperately needed a quarterback though, hopefully they have found their guy.

9. Carolina Panthers - Luke Kuechly
I love seeing the Panthers gran Kuechly. Panthers trying to rebuild a defensive unit that was once one of the best. Kuechly is a football player from head to toe. Could not have picked a better first round pick. A tackling machine with high motor and determination, really no questions or down side surrounding Kuechly. I think I like this pick the most so far in the 2012 NFL Draft.

10. Buffalo Bills - Stephan Gilmore
As a Lions fan I am disappointed, really wanted to see them reach for Gilmore. Great NFL combine. Gilmore has great speed and blitzes well from the edge, also an awesome tackler. Buffalo starting to really formulate some sort of defense worth watching out for. The Bills really score at the tenth pick with Stephan Gilmore.


Follow me on Twitter @Ty_HiDef_Hines

9:38pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaCeOwKOcQ5X
Filed under: nfl draft tim tebow cam newton nfl draft mel kiper football 
April 18, 2012
The Jets step in worthless poop, twice.

Picture this; you just walked into a fine diner in the city that Never Sleeps. Upon arrival your left foot steps in cat feces, and bringing your right foot forward your shiny tailored leather shoe crushes into dog feces. This is exactly what the New York Jets are stepping in. After getting over your new Louis Vuitton poop shoes you enter the diner and order the city’s finest meal.     The food is great. Your nights been saved, until your third bite. A cockroach scurries across the table as you bite into a mouthful of wiry hairs. The nights been ruined. New York gets a bad review from you. That is exactly what the New York Jets are biting into.

        

You guys can choose which one Tim Tebow is, and which Mark Sanchez is.

                The Jets added Tim Tebow to their roster this off season in the media shaking trade. Denver received a 3rd and 5th round draft pick or some garbage of that nature. If I were to trade for Tebow I would offer a pocketful of dust bunnies and about a foot of grape Bubble Tape. If I wanted to trade for Mark Sanchez, I would throw in one of those old cassette Walkmans’ to sweeten the deal because those worthless miscellaneous items is about what both these players amount to in the NFL.

            

                               Trading for Tebow? 

                Big Green has needed a quarterback ever since Chad Pennington took his talents to South Beach. Then with the 5th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Jets selected Mark Sanchez of U.S.C. After that draft the Jets…still needed a quarterback. 

Even at U.S.C I found Mark Sanchez to be average at best as far as the crop of NFL talent goes. Sanchez’s sophomore and junior year as the Trojan signal caller he combined for 758 yards on 121 passing attempts. It wasn’t until Sanchez senior season that he finally played in full and threw for over 3,000 yards.

Once Mark Sanchez arrived in New York, he was quickly labeled a winner and the Jets truly thought they had their franchise guy. The only thing Mark Sanchez was a winner of was the cover of GQ magazine. Too bad the cover of GQ isn’t worth seven points.  Mark Sanchez continued to fool critics though. NFL analysts, sportswriters, and fans alike, all believed that they had a winner taking the snap every Sunday. Let me point out some winner type numbers that jump off the page for all the wrong reasons.

2009 - Jets at Saints – Mark Sanchez - 138 yards, o td’s, 3 int’s, 1 lost fumble. 27 passer rating.

Bills at Jets – Mark Sanchez – 119 yards, o td’s, 5 int’s. 8.3 passer rating.

Jaguars at Jets – Mark Sanchez – 212 yards, 1 td, 2 int’s. 59.3 passer rating.

Jets at Patriots – Mark Sanchez – 136 yards, 1 td, 4 ints. 37.1 passer rating.

2010 – Ravens at Jets – Mark Sanchez – 74 passing yds, 0 td’s, 0 int’s. 56.4 passer rating.

Packers at Jets – Mark Sanchez – 256 yards, o td’s, 2 int’s. 43.3 passer rating.

Jets at Patriots – Mark Sanchez – 164 yards, o td’s, 3 int’s. 27.8 passer rating.

The above numbers are only a few examples. The list of poor performances goes on and on. I mean come on an 8.3 passer rating? That would be great if it were out of ten, but it’s not. The Jets could have called Jimmy Johns and slapped a number nine jersey on the delivery guy and gotten an 8.3 out of him. But they still say Mark’s a winner.  How about the fact that in 2009 the Jets running game was first in the NFL averaging 172.2 ypg. A well balanced attack between rookie Shonn Greene and vet Thomas Jones caught fire towards the end of the season, and lit up like a dry California brush fire in the following year. Thomas Jones final year with the Jets, in 2009 was his best career year to date rushing for over 1,400 yards on 331 attempts. But Mark Sanchez was still credited a winner.

The Jets also had a top three defense in Mark’s first two seasons allowing only 252.3 yards per game. That stat line was first in the NFL in 2009. In 2010 the Big Green monster allowed only 291 yards per game. That was third in the NFL. Mark Sanchez was still credited a winner.

 The defensive side of the ball is also where I found Mark Sanchez to be most impressive, on the sidelines, wiping entrails from his nose on unsuspecting Jets staff but on the sidelines none the less. Someone should have planted a Brian Robinson boot to Sanchez nuts for the picking and flicking incident. Mark Sanchez couldn’t hold Mark Brunel’s jock strap.

The most ironic stat of all?

Football experts are finally, FINALLY begin to question Mark Sanchez as a top tier quarterback and the year in which they did, he posted the best stats of his career in every category.

                2009- 196/364 2,444yds. 12 td’s 20 int’s. 53.8% completion.

                2010—278/507 3,291yds. 17 td’s 13 int’s. 54.8% completion.

                2011 308/543 3,474yds. 26 td’s 18 int’s. 56.7% completion.

Shonn Greene rushed for over a hundred yards in both of the Jets 2009 playoff wins. The loss against the Colts Greene had 41 yards. The Jets defense also held opponents to 24 points or less.

A team can make the playoffs or even win a Super Bowl with a bad QB, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens have both done such a feat. But in a passer league, more so now than ever, your quarter back is the most important guy on the field if you want to be great. My point boils down to the Jets had one of the best blitzkrieg style running games paired with a blistering get to the ball hungry defense.  Mark Sanchez is not a winner; he is at best the key to keeping the Jets from possibly back to back Super Bowls. Now the genius plan was to bring in the “dog feces” referred to earlier, in Tim Tebow.

Bringing in Tim Tebow was like trying to fix a relationship by getting married, or having a kid, possibly the dumbest thing the Jets could have done.  With everything I’ve said about Mark Sanchez, apply that to Tim Tebow 1 million times over. Tebow was a hot topic, a trend, and the most over hyped and over rated player in NFL history regardless of position. I will not even exert any energy to compare the two statistically at all, they are the same guy, except Tebow is even worse. I do not understand for a second how you even begin to make a half assed argument to try an defend Tim Tebow, (Skip Bayless) yet he still reaches praise when he won solely off of a solid defense, grinding running game, and a God send of pure luck.

The Jets tried replacing dry clay shit, with a fresh new wet stink pie. I would have searched anywhere in desperation for a QB before trading away a whole foot of Bubble Tape for Tebow. What is Jamarcuss Russell or Tim Rattay up to? You missed out New York. Mark my words, Tim Tebow will never ever win a ring, and New York will never have green diamonds in a Super Bowl ring if Sanchez continues to be “the guy”. 

Ty

10:02am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaCeOwJsKV38
Filed under: jets tim tebow broncos nfl football mark sanchez 
April 10, 2012
If it wasn’t for me going on an extensive pill filled cold streak for the past three months with no posts, I would have loved to have written an extensive piece on Greg Williams and his pay for play/bounty program that has recently had the top blown off like Christina Hendricks character did recently in the film Drive.  (Great film by the way.) Instead of me going in depth with my opinions on this scandal and the punishments handed down, I will stand back and watch like the rest of the nation while the ever increasing dramatic details continue to flourish.  I simply wanted to state that Triple OverTyme is indeed back to anyone that actually read. Thank you very much for the support. Means the world to a young amateur writer like myself. I will also be starting an all football blog for the upcoming NFL season. I hope to have that started soon. Look for that on Tumblr as well. Third and Long I believe the title will be.  Alright, now that all of that is out of the way. This post was mainly just a link to Sean Pamphilon’s website and blog page. To anyone who has not yet read his views and heart felt honest opinions on the Bounty Scandal and the difficult position he found himself in, needs to do so now.  That is why I did not write a story on this subject. Greg Williams is not worth the cramping in my wrist to write about. Also, I believe that Sean says it best. So, without further ado. Read Sean’s story before any judgement is made. Then if you see Greg Williams around in all his visor cap douchey splendor, ask him how the unemployed life is. Then, make him become human by taking out that outside ACL. Because for us blue collar football fans, Greg Williams asinine commands to his players continue to touch and affect our heads… http://theusof.com/2012/04/tru-dat-gregg-williams-saints-audio-bountygate-pay-for-pain/

If it wasn’t for me going on an extensive pill filled cold streak for the past three months with no posts, I would have loved to have written an extensive piece on Greg Williams and his pay for play/bounty program that has recently had the top blown off like Christina Hendricks character did recently in the film Drive. 

(Great film by the way.)

Instead of me going in depth with my opinions on this scandal and the punishments handed down, I will stand back and watch like the rest of the nation while the ever increasing dramatic details continue to flourish. 

I simply wanted to state that Triple OverTyme is indeed back to anyone that actually read. Thank you very much for the support. Means the world to a young amateur writer like myself. I will also be starting an all football blog for the upcoming NFL season. I hope to have that started soon. Look for that on Tumblr as well. Third and Long I believe the title will be. 

Alright, now that all of that is out of the way. This post was mainly just a link to Sean Pamphilon’s website and blog page. To anyone who has not yet read his views and heart felt honest opinions on the Bounty Scandal and the difficult position he found himself in, needs to do so now. 

That is why I did not write a story on this subject. Greg Williams is not worth the cramping in my wrist to write about. Also, I believe that Sean says it best. So, without further ado. Read Sean’s story before any judgement is made. Then if you see Greg Williams around in all his visor cap douchey splendor, ask him how the unemployed life is. Then, make him become human by taking out that outside ACL. Because for us blue collar football fans, Greg Williams asinine commands to his players continue to touch and affect our heads…

http://theusof.com/2012/04/tru-dat-gregg-williams-saints-audio-bountygate-pay-for-pain/

11:03pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaCeOwJSpi_G
April 10, 2012
“I apologize to the peoples here.” How many times does one reach to pet a dog, get their hand bit viscously, and continue to try to pet that dog, before they learn their lesson. How does one even look to see if those screeching breaks in the street behind you were the fatal end to the toothy hound? Ozzie Guillen is that dog. Ozzie apologized for his pro comments about Dictator Fidel Castro, and I am not buying his apology. Guillen’s apology only came across our televisions for the fact that someone shook his arrogant shoulders and rattled the arrogant pebble that bounces around inside Ozzie’s stupid head, and opened his eyes to the fact that he just offended his whole country and all of his “people”. I did not want to spend much time on this topic. I simply wanted to personally see how many people can agree with me that Ozzie needs his jaw wired shut, and to then be shipped to Shutthefuckup Island. Yes, that’s a real place. Ozzie Guillen did not offend me in the slightest, but it still bothers me that any body exerts the energy to turn on a camera when he’s in the tri-state area. Guillen is nothing but an arrogant, asinine, blubbery bag of hot air that should be deflated quickly and no longer asked….anything. Now that I probably offended someone, can I be on Sportscenter?

“I apologize to the peoples here.”

How many times does one reach to pet a dog, get their hand bit viscously, and continue to try to pet that dog, before they learn their lesson. How does one even look to see if those screeching breaks in the street behind you were the fatal end to the toothy hound?

Ozzie Guillen is that dog.

Ozzie apologized for his pro comments about Dictator Fidel Castro, and I am not buying his apology. Guillen’s apology only came across our televisions for the fact that someone shook his arrogant shoulders and rattled the arrogant pebble that bounces around inside Ozzie’s stupid head, and opened his eyes to the fact that he just offended his whole country and all of his “people”.

I did not want to spend much time on this topic. I simply wanted to personally see how many people can agree with me that Ozzie needs his jaw wired shut, and to then be shipped to Shutthefuckup Island.

Yes, that’s a real place.

Ozzie Guillen did not offend me in the slightest, but it still bothers me that any body exerts the energy to turn on a camera when he’s in the tri-state area.

Guillen is nothing but an arrogant, asinine, blubbery bag of hot air that should be deflated quickly and no longer asked….anything.

Now that I probably offended someone, can I be on Sportscenter?

1:41pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaCeOwJQiyHY
January 7, 2012
Just when I thought Oregon’s uniforms could not get any more mind blowing, Nike out does themselves once again with these elite killer force from space threads for the Rose Bowl. Many have blogged about Oregon’s new Rose Bowl project, but most of the reviews are negative. I personally love these uniforms and drool every year over what Nike Pro Combat comes up with next not only for Oregon, but all schools involved. I bet Oregon has tons of “fans” just because of how cool their never ending wardrobe is. Adidas unveiled a new look unit as well for the Badgers. Wisconsin’s look is much more timid and subtle, but still pretty well done. Luckily for the Badgers though the Rose Bowl is a football game and not a fashion show. If I were a betting man, and I am, I would put money on the Ducks for the win. And I did.

Just when I thought Oregon’s uniforms could not get any more mind blowing, Nike out does themselves once again with these elite killer force from space threads for the Rose Bowl.

Many have blogged about Oregon’s new Rose Bowl project, but most of the reviews are negative. I personally love these uniforms and drool every year over what Nike Pro Combat comes up with next not only for Oregon, but all schools involved.

I bet Oregon has tons of “fans” just because of how cool their never ending wardrobe is. Adidas unveiled a new look unit as well for the Badgers. Wisconsin’s look is much more timid and subtle, but still pretty well done.

Luckily for the Badgers though the Rose Bowl is a football game and not a fashion show. If I were a betting man, and I am, I would put money on the Ducks for the win. And I did.

3:56pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaCeOwE5Qwz2
January 1, 2012
Colts good “luck” or bad “luck”

Andrew Luck must have double wide doorways throughout his Standford campus home. I only wonder this because even with his charasmatic easy going personality on camera, his head has to be swelling bigger and bigger every time an analyst states how clear cut of a number one draft pick he is.

I’m not buying it.

I hate to make the obvious comparison of Andrew Luck and his carbon copy, Ryan Leaf for the 1,634,362nd time but, I will. Realisticaly do we expect Andrew Luck to meet the Godly expectations that NFL and college football experts have placed at Heaven heights? I don’t think so. Much like Ryan Leaf, we should maybe feel bad for the kid, as we are setting him up for failure.

I agree Luck has tremendous upside and phenomenal college career stats. But what is it about Luck that has every team buying into him being the next pigskin tossing pro bowler? The mechanics? The vision? What is it that sets him aside from other draftable candidates? I ask this because if it wasn’t for Matt Barkley declaring to come back for his senior season I think that Barkley is just as talented as Luck. Ecspecialy when we saw Barkley match Luck blow for blow in Stanford and USC’s triple over time thriller. Andrew Luck does prove to have clear cut qualities when you look at Stanford’s offense and lack of down field threats or any kind of receiving corp for that matter. Therefore Luck was most likely the reason that Stanford remained undefeated for so long. Mark my words though, I bet the ancient in college years Brandon Weeden matches Luck in a shoot out for the Fiesta Bowl.

Anyway enough beating around the bush. My real problem through all the Luckless banter lies with the Colts and the analysts more so then it does personaly with Luck himself. The Colts organization for some reason has been battling back and forth between whether or not they draft Andrew Luck, stick with Peyton Manning, or trade Lucks’s value for multiple players.

If the Green Bay Packers have taught us anything, letting a rookie with potential (Aaron Rodgers) simmer on the backburner behind the “main course” is not such a bad idea. Colt’s nation though has basically already made up their minds thus leaving Peyton Manning understandably upset; and perhaps un-willing to work with Luck.

The solution seems so apparent, that is if Manning can give his blessing for the Colts to draft Luck. If Manning is healthy, he plays. He has to, and Luck takes valuable notes. If Manning’s neck does not hold up, well then their you go Colt’s fans, there is the next best thing sitting on your bench. Eat your fucking heart out Indianapols. (breathe…xanax….better)

Come on people, Manning has dismantled record books, won a Super Bowl, and will one day go down in the Hall of Fame as one of the best qb’s to ever play the position. To call a twenty year old kid who has never taken an NFL snap the next Peyton Manning is down right disrespectful in every sense of the word.

To go even beyond that, has anyone seen the Colts play this year? I think it would atest to Peyton Manning’s value to the franchise. Perhaps the whole Indy roster and staff is due for a good audit because with Manning they are a 9 to 12 win playoff team; without him they are the laughing stock of the NFL. Jim Caldwell also is clearly not the coach everyone thought him to be. No body noticed a difference when Tony Dungy left because Peyton is the coach, he proves such a title everytime he steps to the offensive line to take a snap. That play call sucked coach, so I will scan the defense and change plans accordingly because you suck. That’s what Peyton Manning does.

Come draft time this April Indy will not be tricking anybody when Roger Goodell walks to the podium and announces that Andrew Luck’s cheeky smile will be tucked in a Colt’s helmet the following season. All the big titted brunetts wearing the blue t-shirts with the huge L-U-C-K can jump around in silicon glee. All the naieve Colt’s fans that tossed out their Manning jerseys for a $200 NFL custom that reads Luck on the back can high five others as they order the real Luck jersey from their smartphones, and the Colts owners can smile for all roads ahead are bright right? God forbid an angry Peyton Manning were to play for another team and instantly make them a playoff contender.

The reality is Andrew Luck has huge shoes to fill if drafted by the Colts. And as much as Luck Nation wants to believe he can fill them and be the next Manning, the odds are greater that he will possibly be the next Ryan Leaf.

I’d hate to say I told you so. I mean to be the next Peyton Manning you would need, well a lot of “Luck” wouldn’t you…

                                                                                           Ty

8:58am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaCeOwE5Xmll
December 28, 2011
There’s no such thing as “running up the score”.

I have some serious ripping to do. I just need to get this on paper.

If I had been Johnny on the Spot I would have like to have posted a column I wrote about Drew Brees a week or so ago. I was late in finding a local cafe or resteraunt with wifi coverage. Anyway, my column would have been about Drew Brees being left in the shadows this season, while he’s on pace to make history and the rest of the media just continually gulps down helping after helping of the Tim Tebow bullshit that I hope is finally over.

My column went un-read and was eventually filed in the back of my folder with the rest of my sports documents. I ended up being correct though, Brees went on to break Dan Marino’s single season passing record by three yards against the Atlanta Falcons. 

Here is where I became angry.

I pull up the Yahoo sports page on Tuesday to check the headlines at about 2:55 pm, and there is a picture of a smiling Drew Brees. I’m thinking great, he’s finally getting the credit he earned and rightfully deserves. Wrong.

Jason Cole of Yahoo sports, who I officially think is an ass clown, covered Brees ginormous feat in the worst of fashions. Cole grazed over Drew Brees’s shining moment only to downplay it with slandering accusations of him and his fellow Saints running up the score. Wow. I bet Mr. Cole also believes it’s not about who wins or loses, but as long as both teams have fun. Running up the score, really? Pardon my French but what a fucking moron.

I have never in all years of involvement in sports understood “running up” the score, at a collegiate level let alone a professional level.

Jason states how Brees and company clinched the NFC South title, a home game in the playoffs, and Brees breaking Dan Marino’s record. That sentence is loosely all the coverage Brees got for his incredible season.

Jason then inserted a tampon and sipped some tea with his legs crossed and pinky in air on the way to his next comment by insisting the Saints were “unclassy” on Monday night by running up the score and, debated if the Falcons could do anything about it. Cry me a river Jason Cole; and no Atlanta there is not a bit of shit you can do!

Someone has to hear me out on this. Theses guys play in the NFL, they are paid millions of dollars. They are not pee wee leaguers on a Monday after school. In the NFL there are no “bad” teams, any team can win any week. The Saints being only weeks away from the post season and playing their arch-rivals I encourage them to step on the Falcons throats, hard.

The point of a defense is to what? Stop the offense from scoring points. I mean I would be insulted as an NFL defense men if I was asked bout the offensive opposition running up the score; because all that means is you couldn’t stop them. Which also means you did not do your job. The Atlanta Falcons defense should feel stupid, and want this story to go away. Fast.

When asked about the stated allegations Falcons linebacker Sean Witherspoon had this to say, ” It’s our job to stop them, I can’t say i’m upset by them running up the score or anything like that when I had a chance to make a play.” Witherspoon was referring to a missed tackle by himself on Darren Sproles that broke the record for Brees, and apparently hurt the Falcons feelings. 

No body should have been fooled Monday night. Neither Sean Peyton nor Drew Brees were out of line. Every single person in attendance on either sideline knew Brees was close to the record and that he would, and should press on for it. With five minutes left, under the prime time Monday night lights, at the Superdome, with the game on ice, why wouldn’t Brees go for gold? Maybe the Falcons should have made a stop instead of letting Drew Brees march right down the field yet again. I don’t know. Just saying. 

The Saints victory was indeed impressive, but on more then one occasion this season teams have been crushed by bigger margins. Week two the Lions crushed the Cheifs 48-3. The Lions were not accused of running up the score. I just think it’s pure foolishness. Let’s grow up everybody. The NFL is suppose to be a man’s game. Do you think Tony Stewart called up Carl Edwards mid race this past Nascar season and told him to slow down because he was beating him by too much? Not a chance. Stop crying and win, or get crushed by forty some points and cry anyway. Were the Saint’s suppose to try an kneel the ball for five minutes, or just lie down short of the end zone? Nope. Again this is embarrassing to defenses. 

Drew Brees broke a long standing record and did so in completely acceptable fashion. My hat goes off to him and I respect him the most out of probably any quarterback in the league. Drew Brees also gets my vote for MVP. Maybe one day, like when the Saints win the Super Bowl this season, Drew Brees will get some credit. As long as they don’t win by too much, i’d hate for them to hurt someones feelings again. 

Congrats Jason Cole you classy son of a bitch, for writing an idiotic article about class and respect instead of about Drew Brees incredible season.

*Here is a forum of Saints fans who I think would agree with me on the stupidity of Cole’s article. http://saintsreport.com/forums/f2/yahoo-sports-jason-cole-saints-record-night-218390/ 

5:18pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaCeOwDwNTYP
(Notes: 5)
  
Filed under: Saints superdome falcons yahoo jason cole nfl football 
December 27, 2011
It is finally raining in Detroit

Christmas is over. The holiday came as fast as it went. A bunch of laughs, good food, and football marks off another memorable year of holiday agenda.

This year was different. I stuffed as many cocktail weenies, cheesy potatoes, and apetizer meatballs into my gluttones gullet as I could. I laughed and loved, and tuned in for the NFL holiday games as I always do. Still though, this year was different.

I was the recipient of a gift that I have been wishing for since I was roughly six years old and started watching football.

The gift I seeked could not be purchased at any shopping mall. Nor could it be gifted by any group of people. The gift had to be earned. Earned by the team I have been a loyal diehard fan, follower, and supporter of for the majority of my life. The Detroit Lions.

That statement is usually where the music stops, the crickets chirp and someone asks if I was dropped on my head as an infant for being a Lions fan in the state of the cheeseheads. No I was not dropped on my head. But unlike fans of the green and gold, Lions fans have not seen the top of “success mountain”. Hell, Lions fans have not even left the base, until now; therefore the climb to the top is so much more meaningful.

Don’t get me wrong I criticized and took my comedic jabs at the team I have grown to love, but every season I wore my blue jersey proudly. Every season I defended the poor or promising roster like they were family or friends I knew personally. Every season, no matter how hopeful my “Motown Squad” looked, my hopes were dropped like ducks from the infamous Nintendo game.

The failures went on and on. A junk yard of failed and used quarterbacks ranging from Joey Harrington to Daunte Culpepper. Then there was Charles Rogers who’s collar bone and itch for some fine kush couldn’t hold up with his shot at being a talented receiver.

Then there was the 07 season, we started off 6-2, leading fans to beleive the playoffs were a faint possibility That possibility was dashed when the Lions lost seven of their last eight games to finish the season at 7-9 and miss the playoffs yet again. Still hopeful, I awaited the 2008 season with a positive attitude. Well, we all remember the infamous 2008 0-16 season. Ouch.

Even once the Matt Millen toxins were all flushed out, promising young stars either did not pan out, or could not stay healthy. For example, I installed all my faith into Matthew Stafford to finally take the reigns to my Lions stuggling offense. My faith has more then paid off. A season without shoulder injuries, 4,518 yards and thirty-six touchdowns.

Through all the pain and suffering, and all the trash talk I endured. I can finally smile and breathe easy. It’s raining in Detroit and the drought is over. Say it with me “Lions Nation, we are going to the playoffs”. On Christmas Eve the Lions crushed a surging Chargers team at Ford Field in front of a sold out crowd. 

Win and we’re in, the signs in the stands all read. Those words were tantalizing, but terrifying with all the obliterated hope I’ve been through, but win indeed the Lions did.

Stafford rifled the Chargers D for three hundred and seventy three yards and three touchdowns with zero turnovers, tossing touchdownds to Brandon Pettigrew, Kevin Smith, and you guessed it, Calvin Johnson.

With the clock winding down, and Phillip Rivers backd up in his own end zone, he attemped to lob a pass to Mike Tolbert out of the backfield, Cliff Avril shed his arm free to reach up and pull down an interception that he walked in for not only a touchdown, but the icing on the cake. One last horrah for Lions fans in attendance to scream for their team until their lungs give out. Trust me, I was screaming.

Every fan has a team. Every team has fans, but to all the organizations in shambles, who’s diehard fans stick around and bleed their colors, my hat goes off to you. Maybe, I take my Lions a little too seriously, but it’s that deep almost religious like passion that some of us hold for our Sunday soliders, that makes us appreciate the game that much more.

Its been a long time coming, and if it wasn’t for all the trials and tribulations, reaching the playoffs may not feel so inetense and undescribeable. Thank you to everyone affiliated with the Detroit Lions organization, for this season is the best I’ve ever witnessed.

Never give up on your team, you never know when success will come your way, but when it does you’ll be proud to say you never left.

10:16am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaCeOwDqk9-P
(Notes: 1)
  
Filed under: Lions stafford playoffs Detroit lions cliff avril nfl football rain 
December 20, 2011
I know it was only a pre season game the other night between the Lakers and Clippers, but there was an electric tension that everyone could feel. The Clippers looked great. The game was none other than some school-yard bullshit to, wait tell the Clippers are all on the same page. Playoffs? Just saying.

I know it was only a pre season game the other night between the Lakers and Clippers, but there was an electric tension that everyone could feel.

The Clippers looked great. The game was none other than some school-yard bullshit to, wait tell the Clippers are all on the same page. Playoffs? Just saying.

2:23pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaCeOwDXTZmC
December 19, 2011
Why won’t Lions let “Megatron” be Mega?

Remember back in week five of the NFL season when the Detroit Lions were 5-0 shortly after defeating the Bears on Monday Night Football? Calvin Johnson led all receivers in the league with 9 touchdowns through those five games. Fantasy owners of the Georgia-Tech alum were happy, the Lions organization was smiling, and being a die hard Lions fan myself, I was happy.

Since week five Calvin Johnson has only found the end zone three times in the previous nine games after being on pace to match or jepoardize Randy Moss’s record for receiving td’s in a single season. The current extreme differential in stats would lead one to believe that the opposition has studied film, planned, schemed, and on Sunday executed a defensive attack that kept Calvin covered like a new born.

That is not the case in the slightest degree. One team all season long has kept the freakish hybrid beast out of the end zone, on multiple occasions. It is not the 49ers, not the Bears, or Panthers, its the Lions. Yes, I said it, the Lions.

Matthew Stafford and Jim Schwartz have dialed up plays to keep the humble and very unselfish wide out involved with twenty-five receptions in the last five games but only one touchdown. That one touchdown came in the unimportant last few minutes on Thanksgiving to a still undefeated Packers squad. 

Here is my point. Calvin will break his own personal bests in yards, receptions, and touchdowns. But there is no reason why Randy Moss should not be at home worried of his own record being broken. It’s like this. Nine times out of ten throwing into double coverage is a bad idea. Ninety-nine out of 100 times throwing into triple coverage is the most “Mark Sanchez-ed”  idea you could mustard up!. (Sorry Jets fans but a “Mark Sanchez-ed” idea is a bad idea. In my opinion Mark is about as useful to football as the booger he wiped on another man’s coat last year. We all saw it.) 

The only time this horrible pass into thick coverage might be acceptable is when there is a streaking Calvin Johnson weaving through defenders like a Chevy Tahoe with Ferrari type speed. If Calvin flips his thumb to the sky mid-route, and if the Cowboys have taught us anything Lord have mercy throw the ball high and far and Calvin will out-muscle and out-rise any coverage in the NFL. He is that good. America has seen him do it and you do not give yourself an out of the world nickname like Megatron, you earn it by making equally out of this world plays. Until a defense completely and absolutely shuts down Calvin, I think it’s more than necessary to continue to throw to him more often than not.

Head coach Jim Shcwartz himself stated in several interviews after losses in the past weeks that he agrees they need to get the ball in Calvin’s hands more. Great idea, I just question why they haven’t yet.

Being a Lion’s fan is tough. It’s tougher than trying to eat a slab of leather covered in honey and rolled in glass shards, and Lions Nation has been eating glass shard honey leather for many years now. But like our last trip to the playoffs if we need to ride our one mega star player to get their, God damn’t then saddle up Seabiscuit.

I love all my Lions and will not abandon them, i’m a huge true fan and I think they have talent across the entire roster on both sides of the ball. But like the rest of Lions Nation all I want for Christmas is the playoffs. Please no more Jim Mora jokes I beg you. Just let Megatron be the intergalactic robot space beast that he is.

How ironic, as I write this Calvin Johnson has ninety-eight yards and a touchdown in the first half against the Raiders. Maybe the football Gods, or Baby Jesus, or fucking Santa Claus is listening to me. To whom ever it may concern though, thank you.

Ty

*Calvin Johnson finished the game against the Raiders with 214 yds and 2 td’s in a last second win while I was finishing this column. Oh, and the Packers went on to lose against the…Cheifs.    

3:06pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZaCeOwDUO8E3
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