§ NFL
Due to the recent broken leg suffered by Seattle’s Shaun Alexander, ESPN has compiled a quick breakdown of the bizzare bad luck that has plagued NFL players ‘lucky’ enough to grace the cover of the Madden NFL series of video games. Amusingly enough, ESPN refuses to comment on the impact that the Madden Curse has had on John Madden himself:... more
§ Raiders
ABOYNE (vb.) To beat an expert at a game of skill by playing so appallingly that none of his clever tactics or strategies are of any use to him. —The Meaning of Liff, Douglas Adams & John Lloyd 1983 The only defence I can offer Raiders coach Art Shell and offensive coordinator Tom Walsh is my theory that Oakland’s latest... more
§ Raiders
I am a Raiders fan. That means that during this NFL offseason: I’ve tried to think that signing Art Shell was a good move that will restore that ol’ Raiders Mystique. I’ve tried ignore the fact that the new offensive coordinator, Tom Walsh, has been out of football and running a bed and breakfast for the last few years. I’ve... more
§ CFL
Joe Theismann is right about Ricky Williams, the running back’s continuous drug problems are an insult to professional football and allowing him to play while under an NFL drug-suspension is a disturbing non-decision on the CFL’s part: Williams joined the Argos on Sunday after being suspended by the NFL last month following a fourth violation of the league’s substance-abuse policy.... more
§ BC Lions
Recently announcing his retirement after 21 seasons of professional football, Doug Flutie remains the most electrifying playmaker that I have ever seen play in person. I remember my father and I siting in the upper deck of a sold-out BC Place in 1991, having witnessed the BC Lions go into the 2nd quarter down by 21-3 to the Toronto Argonauts.... more
§ NFL
As a Raider fan, I yearn so badly for a repeat of that magical season when Gannon, Rice, Brown and Porter exemplified the quick hit and YAC mantra of the West Coast scheme. The 2003 Raiders impressively shredded defences with pure finesse through much of the season. But, do you realize that the last three losing teams in the Superbowl... more
§ NFL
My prediction for Superbowl XL: Seahawks 27 - Steelers 21 No good reason for the prediction: I’m just a homer who desperately hopes that the Seahawks are legitimate contenders. Heck, I didn’t even get any further than week 6 in my fantasy pool this year before giving up any hope of predicting football performances. Give me a truly memorable sound... more
§ NFL
The NFL’s annual college draft is by far the biggest event—and circus—of its kind compared to similar occasions in every other professional sports league. If you can get over some of the boorish fans on the draft floor1, it can be a particularly intriguing event for any sports fan. Yet, what underlies the appeal of draft day is not quite... more
§ NFL
I suppose I did read my tea leaves wrong. Granted, I'm sure that I wasn't far off by some well accepted margin of error--such as pre-war predictions of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. But atleast two of my hopes were fulfilled: the game was close and it did turn into an entertaining affair. h3. Trench Fight "Greg, this is... more
§ NFL
Predicting the outcome of a football game, let alone a Championship game, is a futile excercise. The sample size, a regular season of just sixteen games, is far too small compared to hockey and basktball's eighty-odd-game seasons. Plus, the number of variables that need to be isolated for each phase of the game is just too immense compared to the... more