The CMSB’s Day Off

Matty? Matty?Jeff? Chris? Milwaukee?

In a rare Sunday off from the radio show (we taped our show last night for today), I just want everyone to know that unless something huge happens, we won’t be updating anything until tomorrow. As many of you know a giant snowstorm is already starting to hit us, so it seems like a good day to shut the phone off, turn the NFL Sunday Ticket on, and get rested up for a week of drinking, papercuts, feats of strength, and the airing of grievances. If you’re bored, keep track of a 4 team parlay in the NFL-

KC to win outright
Seattle to win outright
Atlanta to win outright
Giants to cover the -3.5

100 to win 3200.

Remember, gambling is illegal at Bushwoods, sir. Enjoy your snowy Sunday everyone.

Ronnie Brown…Really?

It’s that time of year again! Yes, it’s time to pick apart the NFL Pro Bowl selections. Many players, who seemed to be deserving ONCE AGAIN got snubbed. I understand that it’s difficult to select everyone who is deserving, but some just see mind numbing. Where is Dallas Clark? How about Philip Rivers? Matt Cassel anyone?

The list goes on and on…and on…but today I will be concentrating on one individual, who got the royal screw job. I’m talking about my boy Steve Slaton.

It seemed to be a choice of Ronnie Brown or Slaton, with Brown getting the nod. This decision is embarrassing, and I’ll prove it to you all. Let’s analyze the numbers…

Rushing yards:

Brown: 827 NFL Rank-23rd AFC Rank-10th Slaton: 1,124 NFL Rank-8th AFC Rank-3rd

Advantage: Slaton

Average Yards Per-Rush:

Brown: 4.2 Slaton: 4.9

Advantage: Slaton

Rushing Touchdowns:

Brown: 10 Slaton: 8

Advantage: Brown

Receiving Stats:

Brown: 24 receptions for 218 yards Slaton: 40 receptions for 305 with a touchdown

Advantage: Slaton

Lost Fumbles:

Brown: 1 Slaton: 1

Advantage: Push

Intangibles:

Brown: Runs Wildcat offense…has considerable backfield help with Ricky Williams…2-2 passing 1 TD…Team has a 9-5 record

Slaton: Rookie-of-the-Year Candidate…has NO help in the backfield…has rushed for over 100 yards in four of the last five games on “tired legs”…team has a 7-7 record

Advantage: Push

Final Score: 3.5–1.5 Slaton

Let’s be honest…this decision was made for two reasons: Brown runs that Gimmick offense and Miami has a better record. If you go solely on stats, there is NO DOUBT Slaton had the better year.

I’m glad we honor players by team records, and how many times you line up behind a Fat Guy’s ass.

The NFL All-Injured Team

Everyone knows injury happen in sports everyday. Whether it’s a pulled hammy in a backyard wiffleball game, or a torn ACL on the professional field…nobody is immune(well, maybe Brett Favre). However, injuries are most notable in the NFL.

The other major sports have their share of bumps, bruises, surgeries, and concussions, but it doesn’t compare to the NFL. The league loses a score of marquee players every season, with no end in sight.

Is it the nature of the game? Sure. It is extremely violent, and with a short season, it’s difficult to rehab in time to make it back. But, you can’t help but wonder if there is more the NFL can do to protect the players. Maybe they already are…with more personal fouls and fines coming from gruesome hits, but still we have had a season with numerous season ending injuries.

I don’t believe the league should wear a “collective skirt”…but maybe it’s time for players to start looking out for one another a little bit.

Anyway, here is a list of players, who have either been on the injured reserve all year, or have been placed on it this season. This team could be a serious contender for the Super Bowl.

Let’s also not forget that the NFL can’t be too happy when superstars are out of the spotlight. I’m sure Tom Brady jersey sales are a bit down this season.

note…not all injuries were induced by legal or late hits.

QB: Tom Brady, New England: Last Year’s MVP…enough said.
QB: Brady Quinn, Cleveland: He finally got his chance, and it lasted three weeks before
going down.
QB: Carson Palmer, Cincinnati: A long year in the ‘Nati has been even longer without him.
Honorable Mention: Brodie Croyle, Derek Anderson, Jon Kitna

RB: Earnest Graham, Tampa Bay: Averaging over 4 yards per carry before the injury
RB: Laurence Maroney, New England: Hasn’t been the same since rushing for 300 yards in the playoffs last year.
Honorable Mention: The Denver Broncos

FB: Brian Leonard, St Louis: The Rams lost nearly 500 all-purpose yards from 2007 when Leonard went down.

WR: Nate Burleson, Seattle: Coming off a 50 catch year, only played in one game.
WR: Greg Camarillo, Miami: Don’t laugh…he was leading the Dolphins in receptions before going down.
WR: Javon Walker, Oakland: Tried to make a bit of a comeback…still talented…now injured.
Honorable Mention: Joe Jurivicous, Mike Furrey, David Tyree

TE: Randy McMichael, St. Louis: Just another target missing this season for Marc Bulger.

OL: The Jacksonville Jaguars
OL: Kendall Simmons, Pittsburgh

DL: Kelly Greg, Baltimore
DL: Robaire Smith, Cleveland
DL: Osi Umenyiora, NY Giants

LB: Angelo Crowell, Buffalo: Knee surgery has kept him and his 100+ tackles off the field all season.
LB: EJ Henderson, Minnesota: The Vikings possibly lost 100+ tackles when EJ went down.
LB: Keith Rivers, Cincinnati: Was projected to have over 100 tackles in his first season before Hines Ward jacked him.
LB: Zach Diles, Houston: Had 66 tackles in just games before his injury.
LB: Shawne Merriman, San Diego: They played well while he was suspended…not so much while he has been injured.

CB: Chris McCallister, Baltimore: Still one of the better corners in the league…had 3 picks before going down.
CB: Rasheen Mathis, Jacksonville: Was one of the high points this season for the Jags.
Honorable Mention: Marlin Jackson and Nathan Vasher

S: Rodney Harrison, New England: He may have slowed down, but the Pats lost his intimidation and toughness.
S: Roy Williams, Dallas: Like the Pats, the Boys lose toughness
Honorable Mention: Sammy Knight,

K: Martin Gramatica, New Orleans: 6/10 on field goals and perfect on PAT’s before a groin injury sidelined him

P: Mat McBriar, Dallas: Was averaging 49 yard per punt before the injury

KR: Felix Jones, Dallas

Friday Morning Quick Hitters

The world without Tom Brady might have got just a tad better Thursday Night. The New England Patriots looked like they were going to get rolled over by the New York Jets. The Jets seemed to convert on every 3rd down possible, building a 24 – 6 lead with a little under 5 minutes left in the 1st half. Matt Cassel looked every bit as calm and collected as the departed superstar, finishing a great drive with a 19 yrd TD pass to Jabbar Gaffney with 15 seconds left in the half. The 3rd quarter was promising for the Patriots, as the D stood up and forced a few 3 and outs from the Jets. The offense finally broke through at the very end of the quarter with a nice 10 yrd TD pass from Cassel to Ben Watson. The 4th quarter was a different story, as the Jets seemed able to again convert 3rd downs and jet the running game going again. The Jets took 7:06 off the clock in the 4th with a 17 play drive that resulted in a Thomas Jones 1 yrd TD run to put the Jets up by 7. After a Pats drive petered out, they punted and forced a 3 and out from the Jets, and got the ball back with 1:06 left in the game. Matt Cassel took what the Jets gave them 15 yrds at a time down the middle, used spikes to stop the clock to get to the Jets 25. After a false start on Dan Koppen moved them back to the 30, Cassel then hit Wes Welker for 14 yrds on a 2nd and 15, forcing a 4th and 1 after the spike. After a Jets timeout, the Jets, who had been playing tight bump and run double coverage on Randy Moss all night, inexplicably, put Ty Law one on one, Cassel saw it, rolled to the right and hit Moss on a beautiful pass on the sideline with 1 second left on the clock. Steven Gostkowski hit the extra point to tie the game at 31. The Pats squibbed the kick forcing overtime. In OT, the Jets won the toss and started moving the ball. The Pats forced a 3rd and 15, but again, left Dustin Keller wide open in the slot for a 16 yrd gain for 1st down. That was the back breaker for the Pats, as the Jets ran the ball to field goal range and Jay Feely ended the game with a 34 yrd field goal to take sole possession of 1st place in the AFC East. Jerod “The Clinic” Mayo was a beast, finishing with 20 tackles in this game. The Jets won 34 – 31

Javon Walker possibly out for the rest of the season for the Raiders.

The Dallas Mavericks fall to 2 – 6 as Ben Gordon goes for 35 points for the Bulls as Chicago beat Dallas 98 – 91.

Dustin Pedroia is the 1st Red Sox 2nd Baseman to capture the Silver Slugger Award. In other Sox news, Portland Sea Dogs pitching coach Mike Cather say Clay Buchholz worked extremely hard in the Arizona Fall League.

Cliff Lee is the 2nd Cleveland Indians pitcher in a row to capture the AL Cy Young Award.

Free Agency started at 12:01 AM this morning..keep a close eye on The Steamer for updates

What to do about the Peoples’, er, Patriots’ Elbow

It has been reported that Patriots’ DT Vince Wilfork will not receive a suspension but will be fined for his hit on Broncos’ QB Jay Cutler. The hit was caught by a coaches’ camera where, reportedly, Wilfork blatantly hit Cutler in the head with an elbow. Meanwhile, the NFL will not release the amount of the fine until Friday, but some media outlets are reporting the fine will be $35,000.00. The announcement comes on the heels of a meeting between Commissioner Roger Goodell and Wilfork, a meeting that Wilfork called “very productive”.

Of course it was, he wasn’t suspended. And why not? The league, Goodell in particular, has wanted to protect the safety of the league’s players. Wilfork, meanwhile, is starting to build himself a reputation as a ‘dirty’ player. Last season he was fined $37,500 last season for 4 incidences–though after appeal the final amount was $27,500–and an August article in the Boston Herald quoted Wilfork as saying, “I’d never alter my game just because of something like that. That was in the past. I don’t really Care about it.” It’s obvious that Wilfork has little to no regard for the compromised safety of players because of his actions. Why else has he been swinging the peoples’ elbow into head and knees for the past season and a half? There is, however, a feeling amongst football people that the next incident will result in Goodell suspending Wilfork. What is Goodell Dean Wormer and now he is placing Vince Wilfork on ‘double secret probation’? Hasn’t Wilfork burned up his chances over the past year and a half?

The point is this. If the league truly wants to crack down on late or malicious hits, and wants to protect its players as much as it can in a violent game, then it needs to develop some consistency in handing out suspensions. Fines really don’t work as a deterrent, in fact they are a joke, but suspensions will send a message. When you start talking about suspensions for a player, you start talking about the organization stepping in and at least speaking with that player because the team then feels a loss with that player missing a game or games. Look at it this way. Let’s say that you are the coach/GM/owner of a team, and you’re A#1 guy does something on the field that warrants league intervention. The league comes to you and says that the player in question will either be suspended for 4 games, or will be fined a ridiculous amount, say $500,000 (just for the sake of argument). Which would you rather have? I’d help the player pay the fine to keep them on the field. On top of that, most of the time the fines represent a meager percentage of what a player makes. In the case with Wilfork, the fine will account for only 2.5% of his salary. Wow, that’ll send a message. If the league wants to send a message, then Wilfork should have been suspended. Think of the impact of not having him against the Colts and how that may cause him to change his act–at least get him thinking about it because the fines aren’t working. Otherwise you are telling Wilfork and the rest of the league that you can try to crack a someone’s head open, and you may not suffer for it.

So long as the league continues its practice of dolling out suspensions on an as it pleases basis, the integrity of the league and the commissioner will be called into question. Homerism can only go so far before you get to a point where players on your team start to become an embarrassment.

I would also like to note that the “World Series Champion” Phillies finished with an 8-12 record against the AL, and that I am convinced Brett Myers and Bert from Sesame Street are the same person.

Give into the power of the uni-brow.

Random Ramblings on the NFL

–When is Nick Kaczur going to be suspended? He gets busted with a few hundred pills of oxycontin, turns state’s evidence, wears a wire for the DEA, and yet the NFL has not said anything about a possible suspension. Matt Jones got 3 games for a similar thing, and yet somehow Kaczur gets off scot-free (or so it seems)?

–Are the injuries to Tom Brady and Peyton Manning good for the NFL? While you never want to lose two guys who have been the face of the league, their injuries; coupled with the improvements of other teams, has led to parity in the league where only one undefeated team remained after Week 6, only three teams are more than 2 games back of a playoff spot, and no one has separated themselves from everyone as clear cut front runners. Look at the AFC East in 2007 and 2008 through 8 weeks:

2007 New England 8-0

Buffalo 3-4

New York 1-7

Miami 0-8

2008 New England 5-2

Buffalo 5-2

New York 4-3

Miami 3-4

A division that was suppose to be fairly unbalanced has 4 teams within 2 games of one another, and everyone looks beatable. The same can be said for the other divisions where outside of the AFC South there is no more than a game of separation between first and second. While the NFL may have lost the casual fan (not that we miss you pink-hatters), this parity has people in Miami, Arizona, Denver and Baltimore thinking, “Playoffs?(apologies to Jim Mora) Could be”. Even being a Pats fan I enjoy seeing the team battle for 4 quarters and not knowing whether they are going to get bounced by 20, or win by 34.

–Everyone is making big deal about Mike Singletary’s post-game rant. Why? Yes it is good to see, but he didn’t go overboard, didn’t pull a Denny Green or Mike Gundy and probably said what a lot of Niners fans wanted to say. But let’s face facts, the Niners are bad, have some bad contracts out there (Nate Clements) and have drafted poorly (Alex Smith). All in all, the Niners are an organization with a losing atmosphere and a losing culture in that locker room. Perhaps Singletary can change that, but let’s not thinking this is the start of a return to 80s glory. It is going to take time to change the culture in San Fran.

–What is with the soap opera in Cleveland? The NFLPA should look into the conditions in Cleveland that has led to 6 staph infections since 2005, but why is Phil Savage acting like a scorned teenaged girl and threatening “full disclosure” regarding Kellen Winslow? Was Winslow out of line? Perhaps, but way to take the high road Phil. Can’t wait for the “well he started it” excuse when all of this hits the fan.

–Dear God, please make the Brett Favre saga die. While Jay Glazer’s reporting may need to be questioned as to whether it will be embellished, Favre handled this situation horribly. First he denies the report completely. Then we found out there was a call, perhaps not as long or about what was reported, but Favre had to know that his fallout with Green Bay would lend some weight to the report, and denying it at first only makes him look guilty.

Around the NFL

LB Shawne Merriman has decided to forego surgery and attempt to play this season…..a highly risky move on his part that could, at just 26, put his career in jeopardy.

The Pats continue to experiment with their defensive formations.

The Bengals are hoping to help their banged up WR core by using RB Rudi Johnson as trade bait…… with a 2.9 ypc last year, what are they going to get in reurn?

The Jags finally get DE Derrick Harvey into camp. This guy is suppose to be the pure pass rusher they lack, but his missing most of the pre-season will not help them.

The cracks are starting to show in Indy. Peyton Manning is back at practice, but he will be without his starting center for at least 6 weeks.

The Ravens made a move to replace the injured DL Dwan Edwards.

Also in Ravens news, it appears QB Kyle Boller does not need surgery…..I am sure the Baltimore faithful will sleep at ease knowing that.

Matt Ryan was recently named the starting QB for the Atlanta Falcons, a difficult task for a first year player. Ryan will not have to look too far in his own locker room to see how this could turn out for him.

The Cowboys look to add some depth behind their superstar QB.

Speaking of back ups, SI.com’s Don Banks apparently had a slow news day and ranked all 32 of the NFL’s backup QBs.

Finally, sad news to report. Two days ago, Kyle Eckel, the undrafted fullback from the Naval Academy, was let go by the Patriots despite having as many TDs as Willie Parker and Julius Jones, and more scores than Thomas Jones.

UPDATES

The reasons as to why two former Pro-Bowlers remain unemployed are starting to surface.

First, according to Romeo Crennell, if Ty Law is going to start then he wants starter’s salary, and this is more than likely what has prevented New England from signing him thus far. The Pats brought in a slew of DB and would probably be unwilling to chew up remaining cap space for the 34 year-old.

Second, Daunte Culpepper, despite being injured for most of the past few seasons, has not convinced teams he is willing to accept a back up role as some teams believe he expects to be given the chance to compete for a starting spot. Culpepper is probably not going to get a starting job until he can prove he is healthy and can play at a high level again….playing in Oakland and Miami have done him no favors.

Wednesday Morning Quick Hitters

Dice K pitched as usual and still wins. He threw 105 pitches in 5 innings, walked 6 and struck out 5 an still got his 15th win. The Sox beat the Orioles 7 – 2. In other Sox news, Captain Carl Yastrzemski had successful triple by pass surgery yesterday. For you whipper snappers that haven’t see Yaz in action, check out this 3 partner on YouTube on the 1967 World Series. Yet more Sox news, good times to come, Josh Beckett has numbness in his arm, and to steal a joke, does that mean that Clay Buchholtz have numbness in his head?

Tampa Bay just keeps winning. The Rays beat the Angels again, 4 – 2.

The New York Yankees continue their freefall, losing to the Toronto Blue Jays 2 – 1.

The AL Central stayed the same as the Chicago White Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 5 – 0 , while the Minnesota Twins blasted the Oakland A’s 13 – 2. Kevin Slowey struck out 12 continuing his stretch of masterful pitching. The Pale Hose still have a 1 game lead on the Twins.

While off the field the Mets got bad news on closer Billy Wagner, on the field, the Mets beat up on Atlanta Braves 7 – 3.

Philadelphia Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins heard it loud and clear from the Phillies fans last night, but that didn’t stop the team from defeating the Washington Nationals 5 – 4. The Phils stayed 1 1/2 games back of the Mets.

Rich Harden and the Chicago Cubs had another stellar game, shutting out the Cincinnati Reds 5 – 0.

The Milwaukee Brewers lost another game in the standings as Ben Sheets is just 1 – 5 since the All Star break, losing to the Houston Astros 5 – 2.

The Arizona Diamondbacks held on for dear life as the San Diego Padres scrored 3 runs in the 9th, falling just short of a comeback and finally losing to the D-Backs 7 – 6.

The LA Dodgers lost ground in the NL West, losing to the Colorado Rockies 8 – 3. The Dodgers are 1 game behind Arizona.

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed Theo Ratliff.

Gordan Giricek is the latest NBA vet to bolt for Europe.

It’s a done deal, Chris Henry re-signed with the Bengals.

The Arizona Cardinals seem to be in a standoff with Anquan Boldin.

Trent Edwards leaves Buffalo Bills practice with a leg injury.

Oh oh, Peyton Manning may not be as ready as we all though.

Wednesday Morning Quick Hitters

Fenway Parked looked more like Gillette Stadium as the Boston Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers 19 – 17 Tuesday night. David Ortiz had 2 HRs in the 1st inning and Kevin Youkilis finished the scoring with his second HR of the night. In other Red Sox news, they acquired Cleveland Indians pitcher Paul Byrd for cash or a player to be named later.

Apparently 2 angry 2 run homers for Gary Sheffield were not enough for the Detroit Tigers as they lose to the Toronto Blue Jays 6 – 4. The Tigers put Sheffield on waivers Tuesday.

The Chicago White Sox moved 1/2 game ahead of the Twins by beating the KC Royals 9 – 0. Dye, Swisher and Pierzynski all had homers for the Pale Hose.

Injuries may be taking their toll on the Tampa Bay Rays, as they lost to the Oakland A’s 2 – 1 Tuesday. Scott Kazmir pitched well, but without their 2 spark plugs, the offense couldn’t get going. The Rays are still up by 3 games on the Red Sox.

The Philadelphia Phillies lost in the 9th inning to the surging Los Angeles Dodgers 4 – 3. Andre Ethier singled home Russell Martin for the win. Philly is now only 1 game up on the Mets, and the Dodgers are 1 game back of the D-Backs.

The New York Mets bullpen finally saved a game for Johan Santana, as the Mets beat the Nationals 4 – 3. The Nationals’ Saul Rivera hit the Mets Damion Easley with the bases loaded to bring in the winning run.

The Florida Marlins gained a game on the Phillies as well, by beating the Cardinals 4 – 3. The Cards were held scoreless over the last 8 innings. The Marlins are now 1 1/2 games behind the Phillies.

Randy Johnson continued to look like his old self, leading the Arizona Diamonbacks to a 4 -2 win over the Rockies. Newly acquired Adam Dunn doubled in his debut with Arizona.

Micheal Phelps won 2 more Gold Medals today, winning the 200m Butterfly (beating his own world record) and then, less then an hour later, started the 4×200 freestyle relay win.

US Girls Gymnastics can’t overcome injuries, but still take silver to China’s Gold.

The Miami Dolphins cut A.J. Feely.

The Minnesotta Vikings free agent acquisition CB Madieu Williams, who injured his neck, could be out for an extended period.

The Arizona Cardinals 1st Round pick was carted of the field Tuesday.

The Philadelphia 76ers re-signed Andre Iguodala.

Former Celtic Dan Dickau latest to bolt for Europe.

Saturday Morning Quick Hitters

Mark Buehrle stymied the Boston Red Sox for 7 innings, and Carlos Quentin added an insurance HR in the 8th to beat the Red Sox 5 – 3.

The Tampa Bay Rays moved 3 1/2 games up on the Red Sox by beating the Seattle Mariners 5 -3. Carlos Pena went 2 -3 with 2 RBIs to lead the Rays to victory.

The California Angels used a 17 hit barrage to nail the New York Yankees 10 – 5. Ian Kennedy looked as dismal as ever giving up 5 earned runs in just 2 innings of work. Torii Hunter continued his blazing year at the plate, going 4 – 5 with 4 RBIs.

Chipper Jones returned to the Atlanta Braves lineup Friday, and immediately brought his team a victory. Chipper went 2 – 4 with a HR and 2 RBIs in Atlanta’s 11 -6 win over Arizona.

Brad Penny returned to the LA Dodgers rotation Friday and looked like the Opening Day starter the Dodgers expected. Penny went 5 inning only giving up 1 hit on the way to leading the Dodgers to a 6 -2 win over the San Francisco Giants. With the win, the Dodgers are only 1/2 game back of the Arizona Diamonbacks for the NL West lead.

Former St Louis Cardinal Jim Edmonds, was a 1 man wrecking crew on his former team Friday. Edmonds hit 2 HRs and Henry Blanco singled home the winning run in the 11th inning, helping the Chicago Cubs to a 3 – 2 win over the St Louis Cardinals.

CC Sabathia was on his game again, throwing a complete game, 5 hit shutout against the listless Washington Nationals. Sabathia struck out 9 in the 80’s Old School Pinstripes, to lead the Brew Crew to a 5 – 0 win over the Nats. The Brewers stayed 5 games back of the Cubs.

The Minnesota Twins kept pace with the White Sox, beating the Kansas City Royals 4 -1. Kevin Slowey 5 2/3 innings and the Twins bullpen held it the rest of the way for the win. In other Twins news, Michael Cuddyer is possibly lost for the season, as he was hit in the foot by a line drive while he was leading off first.

The Philadelphia Phillies wasted a gem from newly acquired Joe Blanton, losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates 2 – 0. The Pirates used a bevy of pitchers and survived 2 walks by former Red Sox reliever Craig Hansen, in the 12 inning to secure the win. The Phillies have now gone 23 innings without scoring a run.

The New York Mets moved to within 1 game of the Phils, beating the Florida Marlins 3 – 0 Friday. Carlos Delgado and David Wright homered in the win.

The Atlanta Hawks didn’t waste much time deciding whether to keep Josh Smith. The Hawks kept Smith by matching the Grizzlies’ offer of 5 years, $58 million.

76ers center, Jason Smith, suffers ACL injury.

Tony Parker picked as EA Sports NBA Live 09 cover player.

Chad Pennington didn’t stay unemployed for long, signing a 2 year deal with the Miami Dolphins.

The Philadelphia Eagles locked up Brian Westbrook for another 3 years on Friday.

New York Jets tight end AJ Schable left the hospital after a helmet to helmet collision in Thursday’s game against the Browns.

Michael Phelps opened his quest for USA Swimming history by setting an Olympic record in the 400 meter individual medley. Larsen Jensen improved on his 400M freestyle American record

US Women’s Soccer got into the win to take his prelim heat.column, with a victory over Japan 1 – 0.

USA women’s saber fencing takes the 1st medals of the Olympics for The United States.