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They were the Habs fiercest rivals

2009-12-01T00:12:44Z

from 1924 through 1938 even sharing the Forum with the Flying Frenchmen from 1926-38 when the Habs moved into the Forum with them. The Montreal Maroons were to be the non-French Canadian hockey club in Montreal and they gave it all they had making the playoffs in ten seasons and winning the Stanley Cup twice.

The Canadiens played the Maroons 92 times putting together a 40-35-17 record scoring 214 goals while letting up 201 for a average score of 2.33 for the Canadiens to 2.18 for the Maroons which shows how fierce and hotly contested the games between these two teams were. The rivalry started with the first game on December 27, 1924 when the Canadiens visited the Maroons in their new hockey rink The Forum. Yes, that Forum.... which is forever linked to the Canadiens. In that game The Bleu, Blanc et Rouge fought the Maroon and White through two OTs and ended up with a 1-1 tie and thus began a bitter rivalry that extended from the ice into the stands into the Press Box and even onto the streets.

The Maroons put the pressure on the Canadiens winning the Stanley Cup in 1926 in their second season in the NHL. In 1927 the Maroons were knocked out of the playoffs by none other than the Canadiens in the quarterfinals. Their second Cup wasn't won until 1935.

During this time the Canadiens also won two cups in 1930 and 1931. The Canadiens made it to the Cup finals but lost in 1925 while the Maroons did so in 1928. Yes, during the same time period they both won two Stanley Cups and lost one.

The rivalry was bitter and hard fought and it was made even more bitter by the Great Depression of the 1930's. Attendance fell with many fans being either out of work or having their hours cut so money was tight. Both teams were hurt by this fact of life, but the Maroons were hurt more. Thus, in 1938 they played their last game and were suspended by the NHL who blocked a proposed move to St. Louis. They gave the owner till 1947 to come up with a place to play in Philadelphia and when he failed to do so the Maroons officially were put to rest.

Thus ended one of the greatest rivalries in the history of sports. It is told that after scores, controversial plays and hard fought action that fights and scuffling would break out not only on the ice, but in the stands, on the streets and even in the press box. It was a serious rivalry, one that should not be forgotten.

Tomorrow night the biggest rivals we have in the present era will play our Canadiens. Get ready for a war and get ready to root our Flying Frenchmen to victory over those Leafs from Toronto! Go CANADIENS!!!!!

Below are the Logos from the Habs and the Maroons while they were playing in the NHL against each other.

Is it time for Jake Delhomme to sit?

2009-12-01T01:11:06Z

The Carolina Panthers have a very large problem outside of their very disappointing 4-7 record. QB Jake Delhomme has never fully recovered from a terrible start in lat year's playoffs, and the time has come for him to be benched. For Head Coach John Fox he may be time for him to strip away Delhomme's job before the Owner of the Carolina Panthers decides to strip away his own job.

Fox has showed tremendous patience in allowing Delhomme to keep his job as he tried to work through his problems, but no since Delhomme cannot run the passing game effectively opposing teams are lining up to stop the Carolina running attack.

Delhomme went just 14 for 34 with four picks against the New York Jets. Since Delhomme was able to effectively run the passing attack, the Panthers offense stalled on both fronts. The Panthers managed only 179 yards of offense against the Jets, even though the entered the week as the third best rushing team.

The problem Fox has now is the team has little to no confidence that Delhomme's backup can do any better. Matt Moore has only played in 11 NFL games, and his QB rating is just 63.5 or his career. He has completed just 69 passes with six interceptions to his three TD's.

More Carolina Panthers News and Notes

Maple Leafs To Face QEW Rivals Tonight At The ACC

2009-11-30T22:19:57Z

The Sabres, who have not lost at the Air Canada Centre since March 24th, 2007, will try to put a stop to the Maple Leafs' winning streak tonight in Toronto.

The Leafs are coming off of a win in Florida, which was their second victory in three nights. Before their last two games, the Buds suffered a heart breaking loss to the Islanders in which they fired 62 shots at Dwayne Roloson, however, he stopped all but three which was enough for the Isles to defeat the Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime.

To help the Maple Leafs search for their third straight win, and their fourth in their last six, will be Mike Komisarek. Komisarek has missed the last eight games.

However, with Komisarek returning, and Gunnarson playing so well, it will be interesting to see how coach Wilson inserts Komisarek into the lineup without removing Gunnarson, who Ron Wilson said will be remaining with the big club.

Mike Komisarek is not the only good news for the Maple Leafs, as Niklas Hagman as been on a goal scoring tear as of late, scoring six goals in his last five games, including four in his last two. Phil Kessel has also been having himself a good season, especially considering the fact this is his first season with the Maple Leafs. Kessel scored twice on Friday night in Florida and has eight goals and eleven points in 12 games this season.

The Leafs will still be without Vesa Toskala and John Mitchell tonight.

Meanwhile, in Buffalo, The Sabres are on a two game winning streak of their own after snapping a four game loosing skid on Friday. Tim Connolly has five points in his last four and scored the overtime winner, also his second of the game, when these two met earlier this season in Buffalo. He has six goals and 15 points on the season.

Switching to the goaltenders, Jonas Gustavsson has seen his stats slide lately. The Monster now holds a GAA of 3.23 and a SV% of .897.

Ryan Miller has continued to have a more than stellar season as the Olympics approach. The Michigan born goalie has a save percentage over .900 in his last four games while stopping 30+ shots in his last two games. Miller is 14-4-2 on the season with an outstanding GAA of 1.93.

Tonight should be an interesting game to watch, with plenty of reason to believe Buffalo will come away victorious, while the same can be said about the Leafs.

Tonight's Players To Watch

Toronto - LW - Niklas Hagman

Hagman has been on a tear lately, scoring two goals in each of his last two games while scoring a total of six goals in his last five games.

Buffalo - C - Tim Connolly

Connolly has also been heating it up as of late with five points in his last four games.

Tonight's Prediction

2-1

W - Toronto

L - Buffalo

As long as Niklas Hagman and Phil Kessel can stay hot tonight than the Maple Leafs should be fine. It also would not hurt if Mike Komisarek has a good return and Jonas Gustavsson has a stellar start.

________________________________

Stats thanks to mapleleafs.nhl.com and sabres.nhl.com

Charlie Weis on the way????

2009-11-30T22:13:04Z

As you have all undoubtedly heard by now Notre Dame football has fired headcoach Charlie Weiss. Weiss, a former Giants assistant under Bill Parcells as well as a Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator under Bill Belichek, will likely wind up once again as a coordinator next season in the NFL.

The rather pleasantly plump Mr. Weis may not cut it as a headcoach, but he is a heck of a coordinator (see Rex Ryan, Buddy Ryan, etc). Given that current Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride is likely to be run out of town (lets hope and pray...) and that the Giants would likely opt fot a high profile coach as a replacement (again, assuming Gilbride is a goner but if the Giants miss the playoffs I cannot see him surviving given his alarming ineptitude of late), Weis would make sense.

We will keep an eye on the situation...

Oedipus Had Lou Gehrig's Disease

2009-11-30T20:31:38Z

Do yourself a favor and read this term paper (click on the image to zoom in).

Among the things I did not know:

Oedipus' mother aborted a kitten in a Denver Denny's toilet
Oedipus had a 'benzo' and enjoyed busting caps in 'flagrants of the under city'
Oedipus loved the New York Yankees

Remember: revisionist history does have its place among the learned elite. And this may be the most epic retelling of Oedipus' torturous life EVER.

Let us hope that the sacred annals of time are corrected accordingly.

Hate me 'cuz I fight for the truth, just don't hate me 'cuz I'm right.

Peace,

Jeff

(Special thanks to Skull Swap for the lead)

NFL Week 13 Early Lines

2009-11-30T16:26:20Z

Here are the early lines for this week's NFL games. Home Teams in CAPS. Remember that the Jets and Bills play Thursday night in Buffalo.

NY Jets (-3)	BUFFALO 37
Denver (-4.5)	KANSAS CITY 37.5
PITTSBURGH off	Oakland OFF
Houston (-1)	JACKSONVILLE 46.5
INDIANAPOLIS (-7)	Tennessee 47
Philadelphia off	ATLANTA off
CINCINNATI (-13)	Detroit 42
New Orleans (-8.5)	WASHINGTON off
CAROLINA (-6.5)	Tampa bay 42.5
CHICAGO (-8.5)	St. Louis 41
San Diego (-11.5)	CLEVELAND 43
SEATTLE (-1)	San Francisco 41
Minnesota off	ARIZONA off
NY GIANTS (-1)	Dallas 45.5
New England (-6.5)	MIAMI off
GREEN BAY (-2.5)	Baltimore off

All the information contained in this blog is for entertainment purposes only. The author assumes no liability. Don't be stupid.

Monday Night Football Pick

2009-11-30T16:16:45Z

New England (+1.5) at New Orleans

Game of the year so far this year! Do you think the Saints crowd will be ready for this one? I expect a Super Bowl like atmosphere for this game. New England's offense has really gotten back to form recently and the Saints D has struggled a little because of injury, but that's all different now! The Saints are getting back 3 starters from injury and should be able to match up well with Brady and the Boys. Big Sedrick Ellis will be able to stop the run too. On the flip side, The Saints should have time to throw also and when that happens, watch out! That hasn't recently, because defenses have been getting to Brees. New England really doesn't do that well. Brees will be able to set up the run to use play action well in this matchup. This game will come down to a few things. First, the spread. New Orleans was favored by 3 all week and now its down to 1.5. That means that everyone is picking New England here. Second, the crowd will be nuts. I think they play a huge 12th man tonight. Third, New Orleans wants the respect they deserve this year. I see them coming out with guns blazing and take care of a semi-overrated Patroits club. Give away that 1.5 (2 units)

All the information contained in this blog is for entertainment purposes only. The author assumes no liability. Don't be stupid.

Phightin' Phils Phorum Hall of Fame: Jim Bunning

2009-11-30T16:54:31Z

Jim Bunning pitched in the Major Leagues for 17 seasons. His first game as a major league pitcher was on July 20, 1955 with the Detroit Tigers. After having toiled in the minor leagues from 1950–1954 and part of the 1955 season. The Tigers scouts described him as having "an excellent curve ball, a confusing delivery and a sneaky fast ball". Bunning pitched for the Tigers from 1955 through 1963. He pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1964 through 1967, the Pittsburgh Pirates 1968 to mid-1969, and finished the 1969 season on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bunning then returned to the Phillies in 1970 and retired in 1971. He wore uniform number 15 on the 1955 Tigers, and then switched to 14 in 1956 for the rest of his time with Detroit. He stayed with number 14 on his jersey with the Phillies and Pirates. When he was traded to the Dodgers in 1969 he wore number 17. The Phillies, retired his number 14 jersey after his election to the Hall of Fame in 1996.

Bunning is remembered for his role in the pennant race of 1964, in which the Phillies held a commanding lead in the National League for most of the season, eventually losing the title to the St. Louis Cardinals. Manager Gene Mauch used Bunning and fellow hurler Chris Short heavily down the stretch, and the two became visibly fatigued as September wore on. The collapse of the 1964 Phillies remains one of the most infamous in baseball history. With a six and a half game lead as late as September 21, they lost 10 games in a row to finish tied for second place.

Bunning would routinely shake off catchers' pitch signs that he knew to be signaled into the game from the dugout by Mauch. This would have the effect of irritating Mauch, who broadly applied the practice of signalling pitches from the dugout to his catchers at a time when this was not typically done.

Bunning pitched his first no-hitter on July 20, 1958, for the Detroit Tigers against the Boston Red Sox. His second, for the Philadelphia Phillies, was a perfect game, which came against the New York Mets on June 21, 1964, Father's Day. Bunning's perfect game was the first in the National League in 84 years. He is one of only six pitchers to throw both a perfect game and a no-hitter. the others are Randy Johnson, Sandy Koufax, Addie Joss, Cy Young, and Mark Buehrle. He is also one of only five players to throw a no-hitter in both leagues. He played in the All-Star Games in 1957, 1959, 1961,1962, 1963, 1964, and 1966.

On August 2, 1959, Bunning struck out three batters on nine pitches in the ninth inning of a 5–4 loss to the Boston Red Sox. Bunning became the fifth American League pitcher and the 10th pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the nine pitch three-strikeout half-inning. Bunning's 2,855 career strikeouts put him in second place on the all-time list at the time of his retirement, behind only Walter Johnson. His mark was later surpassed by a number of other pitchers, and he is currently 17th all-time. He ended his career with a 224-184 record and a 3.27 ERA in 591 games.

In 1996 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Is The Dolphins Season Over?

2009-11-30T15:36:45Z

In a game that the Dolphins really needed to win against a seemingly inferior opponent, they instead lost 14-31 to the Bills. After the game, Jason Taylor told the media, "If someone wants to give up on us or thinks it's over then just don't come in tomorrow; Media, fans, players, anybody, coaches; just don't come to work tomorrow. I'll be there. It's not over yet." So, while it may not be over just yet, the Dolphins season is teetering on the brink.

Mistakes highlighted a tough loss with quarterback Chad Henne throwing 3 interceptions and running back Ricky Williams throwing another one from the Wildcat formation. The Williams toss is questionable; Williams has stated publically on more than a few occasions that he is not comfortable throwing the ball and did not ever want to be put in that position. The Fins were in the red zone and poised to score; the interception killed the drive and they came away with nothing.

Aside from the interception, Williams had another great day running the ball. He ended with 115 yards and 1 touchdown. Lex Hilliard and Lousaka Polite filled in nicely in the absence of Ronnie Brown, each gaining 22 yards on the ground. Anthony Fasano led the air attack with 74 yards on 5 catches and Brian Hartline caught a Henne touchdown pass.

But that was all the offense could muster, with the 4 interceptions and 6 penalties holding them back. The revival of Bills receiver, Terrell Owens did not help either. Owens pulled in a 51-yard pass as he blew past rookie defender Vontae Davis and took it to the end zone. That touchdown was set-up by one of Henne’s interceptions.

The Fins defense sacked the Bills quarterback 6 times and Yeremiah Bell nabbed an interception plus he led the team with 8 tackles and 5 assists. The defense allowed only 7 points through the first 3 quarters, but then the dreaded 4th quarter arrived and, as has been routine for this defense, they got destroyed by the Bills offense, giving up 24 points. 17 of those points came with under 2 ½ minutes left in the game, which killed any chance the Dolphins had at a comeback.

What is going on in the 4th quarter is perplexing. Perhaps it is the combination of aging defenders and inexperienced rookies. But it is always the 4th quarter when they self-destruct, so are the older players simply wearing out? 5 of the Fins defenders are age 30 or older, with Jason Taylor and Joey Porter topping the bunch at 35 and 32 respectively. Rookie cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith have great potential, but are not ready yet to keep up with the likes of Terrell Owens and the Patriots’ Randy Moss, as examples.

So sadly, I may have to disagree with Jason Taylor. The rest of the Fins schedule is daunting; the Patriots at 1pm on Sunday followed by the Jaguars, Titans, Texans and Steelers. This schedule does not a pretty picture make as the Dolphins will have to win out to reach 10 games and have any chance at a playoff run. Impossible? No. But highly unlikely….sorry Jason.

LAWRENCE FRANK HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

2009-11-30T15:05:43Z

Lawrence Frank (225-241) began his coaching career with the New Jersey Nets during the 2003-2004 season with 13 wins in a row after replacing Byron Scott. After 16 straight losses to start the 2009-2010 season, Frank was relieved of his coaching duties on Sunday, November 29th. His team went on to tie the mark for worst starts by an NBA franchise after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night to hit the 0-17 mark. The team is now on course to break the record when they play the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

Frank, who was in the final year of his contract, had been saying and doing the right things but with some key injuries and a lack of a go-to-guy, the Nets wouldn't enjoy much success no matter who was coaching. The Nets as an organization had to do something but it was pretty clear early on that Frank would probably be the sacrificial lamb.

Frank was replaced by assistant coach Tom Barraise for Sunday's game and the organization will make an announcement today on who will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season. In addition to Barraise, assistant coach John Loyer and GM Kiki Vandeweghe appear to be the front runners but none of them have head coaching experience.

Rafer Alston said it best when he said that if they could fire players some of the guys would be out of a job too. He explained, "I think in this instance, if they could fire players, some of us would be fired too. But you can't fire all the players because you need guys to play, but when you're 0-16 I think if they could fire 15 players they would probably fire 15 players. I told these guys, 'Don't think for one second they're not looking at some of us to move too with our record and the way we've been playing.' When you're 0-16, players need to go, but the easiest thing to do is put it on the coach."

But one of the more insightful comments on the situation came from Lakers coach Phil Jackson who was offered a very lucrative contract to coach the Nets in 1999. Jackson said, "The offer was the best offer I've ever gotten as a coach, but they didn't have what a team needs to succeed; a heartland, a fan base and an energy source. I don't even know if New Jersey has their own television station, they get most of their feeds from New York and Philadelphia."

I doubt Rod Thorne is ready to give the state of New Jersey a makeover so the move to Brooklyn is looking better and better everyday...

Eagles/Redskins Act 2 complete

2009-11-30T05:27:18Z

The Philadelphia Eagles swept the Washington Redskins this year beating them today 27-24. It wasn't the kind of game we expected but we still won. "Any win in the NFL is a good win." stated Andy Reid at his press conference.

Was it a good win Andy? What were you thinking conducting a trick play at the opening kick off with an off sides type of kick? That cost us 7 points, Andy. What about the 7 penalties for 60 yards, one cost us a Touchdown.

Yeah, we made up the lost touchdown but without Assante Samuel's 2 INT's and David Akers kicking 4 field goals we would've never won this game. Why do we continue to keep shooting ourselves in the foot with unbalanced plays and stupid penalties. Even though I have been a fan of Michael Vick getting into the game this year, it was the wrong time to put him in in the first quarter trying to score a Touchdown. Did Roger Godell call Andy Reid on the side lines? "Hey Andy, it will make the NFL look good if Vick scored today?"

I was impressed with Donovan McNabb charging his team down the field in the 4th quarter for the second week in the row to help the Eagles win. It showed us that he is a better leader than he has been in the past. How could we ever forget the Super Bowl. Oh well, that was ancient history. So was a fan hitting santa claus with a snowball that I still hear about every year. But seriously, I liked his command of the players and they rallied around him.

Who is this Jason Avant that the media speaks of? He's thee Man ! Finally recognized around the league for his play.

The Eagles Defense was a bit mediocre at best with Samuel's 2 INT's and Trent Cole's lonely sack. Definitely need to step it up against the Atlanta Falcons next week.

Let's embrace this win, learn from the mistakes and move on to Atlanta.

2009 Rangers Highlights: May

2009-11-30T02:30:10Z

May was full of great memories, including three sweeps of TWO division rivals - the Mariners (twice for five games total) and the Angels (three games); the return of Tommy Hunter and two emotional walk-offs.

1. May 6 - Rangers officially move into 1st place

Scott Feldman and Derek Holland were the driving force in a 3-2 win over Oakland. Feldman earned his second win, tossing 89 pitches in six innings. In that span, he fanned three, allowed four hits and walked two. Holland's relief effort was even sexier - Two innings. 16 pitches. 13 strikes. One hit. No runs. As the only AL West team to win on this evening, the Rangers moved into 1st place, a post they would hold for several weeks to come.

2. May 8 - Harrison blanks the White Sox

Just prior to this game, Taylor Teagarden was annointed Matt Harrison's personal catcher. Usually, I'd call that pitcher a diva, but if it means a long string of shutout innings, so be it. As of this date, teams had failed to score on Harrison in 19 consecutive innings. He needed just 111 pitches to get through all nine innings. He gave up just four hits and one walk, fanning five en route to the complete game win in Chicago.

3. May 14 - Harrison goes the distance again & Davis walks it off

Harrison's scoreless inning streak ended in the 4th inning at a mark of 22. That's the best for a Texas pitcher in four years. While the streak is over, Harrison definitely showed no signs of hanging his head over it. He had a fantastic day, walking NO ONE and fanning seven in his second consecutive complete game. He gave up just five hits and two runs in his second complete game win in a week's time.

Now, I've heard about people "crying tears of joy," but I have never experienced them until this game. When that ball left Chris Davis' bat, I knew it was a long hit. When the camera panned to the outfield, I knew it was gone - a two-run, one-out, walk-off home run. I shrieked and screamed, and then the waterworks started.

4. May 17 - Hamilton throws his body into it

This play would put Hamilton on the DL a few days later, but it's a spectacular catch nonetheless. (It also allowed me to have a nice convo with Josh when he was in Des Moines on a rehab assignment.)

5. May 20 - Kinsler, Andrus turn triple play in Detroit

This was probably the only good thing the Rangers did in the Motor City this season. It was the fifth triple play in Rangers history.

Honorable mentions (because May was full of AWESOME):

May 4 - Elvis puts on a show

May 13 - Blalock's walk-off double in the 11th inning

May 16 - Kinsler and Davis end Angels' rally hopes with an exclamation point

May 24 - McCarthy's CG shutout in Houston

Philadelphia 27, Redskins 24

2009-11-30T02:28:29Z

Imagine where the Redskins would be if Sherm Lewis had begun the season as offensive coordinator instead of calling bingo in Michigan.

Imagine where the Redskins would be if Lewis had insisted that the team draft an offensive lineman with their third round choice and maybe signed a high-profile free agent to start at right tackle.

Imagine where the Redskins would be if Jerry Gray had been defensive coordinator, rather than a man who wouldn’t know what coverage to call if his life depended on it.

Consider these minor adjustments, and then apply them to the team that played today in Philadelphia.

This is a team that plays hard, every down, no matter what. It has a quarterback who is settling into his role more and more every day. Despite a litany of injuries, it’s held tough with two division rivals with playoff aspirations on the road, two weeks in a row.

The offensive line is coming together. Levi Jones is shaking off the rust and, while he isn’t Chris Samuels, he’s better than many others around the league. Edwin Williams looked solid and may bring some stability to the right guard spot. Stephon Heyer still looks terrible; but you can’t have everything.

The three-headed rushing attack of Rock Cartwright, Marcus Mason and Quinton Ganther only averaged 3.3 yards per carry, but none of the above is about to be mistaken for a starting back in the NFL.

The Redskins running defense still looks awful, no matter who plays on defense. Though we keep banging this drum, we’re going to remind our readers (both of you) that if you routinely keep four of your players 15 or more yards off the ball, that only leaves seven players to defend against the run. You could have Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, Lawrence Taylor and a four-pack of sumo wrestlers up front; seven simply can’t hold up against 11 on a regular basis.

So imagine if the Redskins had made these three moves during the offseason; then consider that all but one of their losses have been by 10 points or less. In a game of inches, how quickly might 3-8 have become 8-3.

Eli Manning injury is worse then thought...

2009-11-30T01:40:14Z

First off, I have been a bit light on the posting this weekend----Family stuff during a Holiday weekend (hooray beer!!!!). Anyhow, as you have undoubtedly heard it was announced this weekend that Giants quarterback Eli Manning may have a stress fracture on his left foot that is related to the Planter Fascia injury on his right foot.

Having suffered from Planter Fasciitis myself I can tell you that it is easy to injure the "good" foot while favoring the "bad" foot---I did it too (in my case it came from running a half Marathon then, instead of stretching going to an Irish Pub for beers and shots; made sense at the time...).

Big picture; there is a chance that Manning, if he suffers a stress fracture, could miss the remainder of the 2009 season. My question is does it really matter?

For this season, which I think is a lost season in more ways then one, it probably does not matter. This team, including Eli Manning, was a disgrace Thursday night and has been for the last five weeks.

You could put a combination of the best traits of Joe Montana, John Elway, Dan Moreno, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and others at quarterback and mix it with a gutless team (like our beloved NY Giants ) and it would not matter.

It kills me to say it but I went back (quite painful) and looked again at the Denver game and realized I was not too harsh on the Giants and their lack of effort-----they just quit on us!

Broncos 26 Giants 6

2009-11-29T23:55:44Z

In what was supposed to be a competitive game, the Giants traveled to Denver to face the Broncos in a rare Thanksgiving night game. The Giants would highly disappoint playing poor on both sides of the ball. They played flat all game and looked like they consumed too much tryptophan before kickoff. What makes this 26-6 loss much harder to swallow is that it was a special Thursday night primetime game on for all of America to see.

The Giants fall to 6-5 and are now two games behind the NFC East Division leader Dallas Cowboys. Bronco receiver Brandon Marshall had a couple of dazzling one-handed catches in the game including one over Corey Webster in the first quarter. After the Broncos blew their second red zone visit in the first half rookie head coach Josh McDaniels was furious and screamed at his players on national television “All we’re trying to do is win a (expletive) game!” On that drive Denver had three false start penalties, which made them kick a field goal for a 6-0 lead.

The Giants only managed to gain 38 yards of offense in the first half compared to 213 for the Broncos. Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride needs to call better plays. Running Brandon Jacobs to the outside has never really worked for the Giants. Jacobs is a downhill, straight ahead runner and needs to be used as such. Jacobs had 11 rushed for 27 yards in the game. For some reason or another he is a different runner this year. Jacobs doesn’t hit the holes hard like he would in the past and seems indecisive tiptoeing up to the line. He has only managed to average 3.9 yards per carry this season compared to his usual 5.0 average.

The defense was just as bad as the offense. Chris Canty has been a ghost ever since he came over from the Cowboys. The Giants red-zone defense is dead last in the league. The defense was unable to stop Denver running back Knowshon Moreno on key 3^rd downs when they needed to. It makes you wonder how their defense can be so bad with the same core guys as they had last year. With their “elite pass rushers”, the Giants have been unable to create the same havoc on opposing offenses that they did last year.

After starting out 5-0, the Giants have lost 5 of their last 6 games. Head coach Tom Coughlin might be stepping on thin ice pretty soon if things don’t change for the better. It looks like they are not the same fundamental disciplined team that they were last year. With notable coaches like Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren, and Mike Shanahan out of work, it will be interesting to see if the Giants make a change at head coach in the offseason. Coughlin has coached the Giants to four straight playoff appearances and a Super Bowl victory, something that Dan Reeves and Jim Fassel were unable to achieve during their time spent as head coach. Having said that it doesn’t matter what you have done in the NFL, it matters what you have done lately.

Next Sunday the Cowboys will look to avenge the week 3 loss against the Giants. If the Giants want to make the playoffs this year they will need to win out the remaining games on their schedule. The entire league now knows that Miles Austin is Tony Romo’s favorite target. The Giants will have to contain him in order to win. The last time these teams met Flozell Adams deliberately tripped Justin Tuck on a play and caused him to hurt his shoulder. Also after the game Marc Columbo shoved Brandon Jacobs as the teams were heading into the locker room. It will be interesting to see what happens between these players as the game unfolds…

MJH

Cowboys get no help from Redskins or Bucs!!!

2009-11-30T00:39:31Z

It looked like the Cowboys were going to get some help in the standings from the Redskins and Bucs but they fell flat late. Anyway the Cowboys are in first place and it feels good so far. The Eagles play the Falcons next week so there may be some help there. Eli Manning is now also complaining about his foot so this Sunday's Bloody Passion Bowl looks like it will be fun.

National Football Conference
NFC	W	L	T	PCT	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	STRK
New Orleans	10	0	0	1.000	5-0-0	5-0-0	3-0-0	7-0-0	369	204	+165	Won 10
Minnesota	10	1	0	.909	6-0-0	4-1-0	5-0-0	8-0-0	342	203	+139	Won 4
Dallas	8	3	0	.727	5-1-0	3-2-0	2-1-0	6-2-0	255	182	+73	Won 2
Philadelphia	7	4	0	.636	4-2-0	3-2-0	3-1-0	6-2-0	293	228	+65	Won 2
Arizona	7	4	0	.636	2-3-0	5-1-0	3-1-0	5-2-0	267	217	+50	Lost 1
Green Bay	7	4	0	.636	4-2-0	3-2-0	3-2-0	6-3-0	296	215	+81	Won 3
NY Giants	6	5	0	.545	3-2-0	3-3-0	2-1-0	4-3-0	272	261	+11	Lost 1
Atlanta	6	5	0	.545	5-0-0	1-5-0	2-2-0	5-4-0	272	245	+27	Won 1

Cardinal Leaders for the 1880's

2009-11-29T23:25:46Z

If we lived back in 1880's we would have been talking about the Redbird leaders of that time. Who were the Cardinals (then known as the Brown Stockings or Browns) leaders in that decade? Below they are listed. Not all stats were kept every year so some will be missing. By the way we would be rooting them on to win the American Association pennant for they had not joined the National League yet. However, the roots of the Cardinals/Cubs rivalry began in this decade. Anyway, these are the guys who led the club for the decade in the following categories. Hope you find this interesting....

1880's Leaders

BA
Tip O'Neill LF .348

HR
Tip O"Neill LF 28

OBP
Tip O'Neill LF .407

SLG
Tip O'Neill LF .498

RUNS
Arlie Latham 3B 829

PITCHING

WINS
Dave Foutz 114

Ks
Dave Foutz 619

ERA
Bob Caruthers 2.51

Best Team of the Decade
1885 World Champions 79-33 .705 +16 World Championship disputed.
1886 World Champions 93-46 .669 +12 Won World Series 4 games to 2 over Chicago White Stockings (today's Cubs).

Pennants
1885, 1886, 1887, 1888

Tip O'Neill

Oh Sure, This Will End Well

2009-11-29T19:40:15Z

"We feel at home here and among our brothers ... we're going to be together until the end," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez during a visit to Latin America on Wednesday.

Both leaders roundly denounced US "imperialism," and Chavez also called Israel "a murderous arm of the Yankee empire."

--The Jerusalem Post

Was anyone else consumed by the heebie-jeebies while reading that little clip? Okay, good. Glad it's not just me.

This odd world political pairing is akin to Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger teaming up on a spooky Friday night while unsuspecting horny high school kids party in a remote campground nearby.

In other words, it's gonna get messy.

And here I thought the only 'murderous arm of the Yankee empire' belonged to a big portly fella by the name of Sabathia, backed by a pair of oversized pinstriped pants for an oversized caboose insured for around $161 million.

Yes, dear readers, I think it is safe to say that Ahmadinejad and Chavez are secret members of the Red Sox Nation.

Hate me 'cuz I expose the truth, just don't hate me 'cuz I'm right.

Peace,

Jeff

Holidays, Baseball and Food Coma’s…

2009-11-29T16:34:38Z

To start with, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and did not lapse into a turkey coma! I also hope no one got trampled attempting to enter Wal-Mart at 3am on Friday ;o) Holidays can either be fun or hazardous to your health…I hope you went with “fun.”

Speaking of holidays and shopping, what would you like to receive this holiday season? I would like for Mike Schmidt to age backwards and play 3rd base for the Phillies again. I would also like the Giants to release Tim Lincecum for his bad, drug induced behavior so the Phillies can have him. I also wish aliens would come down from outer space and give us back Cole Hamels: Version 2008. Clearly, he was abducted and it is time to bring him back.

By the way, 3 years ago, current GM Ruben Amaro Jr., who was assistant GM at the time, asked a room full of female fans if they could sign any pitcher in the league to the Phillies, who would it be? I shouted, “Tim Lincecum!” Ruben looked at me like I was nuts and decided that the woman who suggested Brandon Webb had a better idea. Webb went down with a shoulder injury in April 2009 and did not play the entire season. Lincecum has now won 2 Cy Young’s in a row. Hey Ruben, still think I am nuts? Just a little holiday fun for you there :O)

Ok, so clearly we cannot sign Mr. Lincecum. But the Phillies have a lot of work to do this off-season to improve the pitching staff. It looks to be a quiet market right now. Things should start to heat up when the Winter Meetings begin on December 7th.

The few moves made so far have not even made a small ripple in the atmosphere. The signing of Juan Castro to replace Eric Bruntlett on the bench seems like a lateral move, rather than an improvement. Castro hit .277 last year with the Dodgers but is a career .230 hitter. This news is not exactly knocking Phillies fans out of their boots. We hope bigger and better things will be coming soon…

In other news, Jamie Moyer was recently hospitalized and had surgery to remove an infected blood collection that may have resulted from his previous groin surgery. It should not affect his Spring Training schedule and he appears to be recovering well. I wish him luck!

From the long time veteran to the rookie, JA Happ has been named to the Topps' 51st All-Rookie Team, which is just one of many honors he garnered this off-season. Happ is still up for the Rookie of the Year award in the This Year In Baseball awards. Voting continues until December 11th and many Phillies like Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and others are in the running.

And finally, congratulations to Shane and Melissa Victorino who tied the knot earlier this month in Hawaii! They are two really great people and I wish them all the best!

Lincecum & Happ photos by Jenn

Its about getting the W......

2009-11-29T14:24:14Z

The Habs played a great game last night. But, this game proved its not who plays a better game, its who gains the win that counts in the end. From the second half of the first period till the final 16 seconds of the the third they took it to the Capitals outplaying, out shooting, out manning and simply just looking like the better of the two teams. The first half of the first saw the Capitals go up 2-0 before the Habs took over. When the period was over they had held the Caps to just 4 shots!!! Too bad 2 of them made it in.

The Canadiens then scored at 5:40 in the second with Spacek hitting the net with Hamrlik and Pacioretty assisting. At 13:30 Plekanic backhanded a shot into the net with Hamrlik and Spacek assisting. Spacek was making his return being felt and Hamrlik was right there as normal. The Flying Frenchmen played a great defensive period to hold the Caps to 7 shots.

In the third at 5:34 Moen tipped one in on a power play goal with assists by Bergeron and Cammalleri to put the Flying Frenchmen up 3-2. The Habs played some great hockey in the third. But.....

.... it was the final 16 seconds when with the Capitals goalie pulled that Paul Mara was called for high sticking that put the Capitals up 6 players to 4 that turned the tide allowing them to score to tie the game up with only 12 seconds left! What a blown chance for a regulation win......

The game went scoreless through OT and then in the shootout none of the Habs could put it into the net and it was the final shot in the shootout by the Caps that made it into the net to give them the 4-3 win.

The Habs out shot the Capitals 7-4 in the first, 9-7 in the second, the Caps out shot them 9-6 in the 3rd and 3-2 in OT for a total of 24-23 with the Canadiens actually out shooting a opponent this season!!!

I was very thrilled and very proud of the Canadiens last night as they played some of the best offense and defense in a single game I've seen all year. Each game for the past couple of weeks this team has been showing signs of improving their play as a team, looking like they are starting to gel as a club. Last night they looked great with the exception of the first half of the first period and the end of the game.

Coming back from the 2-0 deficit was impressive. Out shooting the Caps was impressive. However, it was all undone by the bonehead penalty by Mara. With the exception of picking up their shots on goal this has been the other problem that has plagued the Habs all season. Penalties at the worst moment possible usually come back to haunt ya and this one by Mara was no exception to that rule. With 16 seconds left, just focus on stopping that puck from getting to the net.

But, no, Mara gets called for high sticking to give the Caps a 6 to 4 player advantage. It seemed like it took the wind out of the sails of the Flying Frenchmen and gave the Caps the momentum which they rode to victory.

So, this team is improving quite a bit. But, last night showed what this team needs to really work on now is discipline. Don't do something stupid, don't try to bend the rules in a big moment. Keep your head and wits about you and focus on the job at hand and don't do anything to give the other team the advantage. What Mara did has happened in several games this season and cost the Habs several wins. With 16 seconds left, getting a penalty when the other team has pulled its goalie is inexcusable. Its a lack of discipline and while Mara should get a royal boot in the behind for his bonehead play its Coach Martin that needs to get this problem straightened out.

Discipline starts from the top down and the lack of it reflects upon him. While mistakes and bonehead plays will happen during the season it is becoming too much of a regular occurrence for the Habs and last night it cost them the win. It needs to stop if they are to get to the next level of play.

The loss drops the 4th place Canadiens to 12-12-2 26 pts. being -5 points behind Boston. The Bleu, Blanc et Rouge next play Tuesday night at 7:30 pm ET when the arch-rival Maple Leafs come to the Centre. After a loss like last night the Canadiens will be in a rotten mood and who better to take it out on than the Leafs? Should be a fun game.

So, I have mixed feelings this morning for I saw a lot last night that showed me the Canadiens are really improving and coming together as a team, despite all their injuries. They played a great game against a very good team. A game they should've won. If the discipline issue is not addressed this team will end up being a very good team that just missed the playoffs because it will cost them many wins all season. If they do address this issue we could be celebrating far into the playoffs. Lets hope its the later for this team showed last night that they can play some excellent hockey and they are going to only get better.

GO CANADIENS!!!

To celebrate the coming Tuesday night game I thought I would post this 1911 Canadiens logo... They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.... *big grin*