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It's been a long time, let's see if I still know how to write...
You've seen them before. You've heard them numerous times. They're on your tv set non-stop, especially if you frequent ESPN programming as much as I do. I'm writing about the talking heads. The pontificators. The "experts". But of course these "experts" aren't relegated to just ESPN, but also FSN, CBS, and Fox. So why the quotations surrounding that dirty little word? Well, I've watched these people over the last two weeks, and save for very few exceptions, they are far from experts. But that's not the only thing. They're also far from well-spoken. Far from hard working. And, finally, far from objective.
It started before the Indianapolis game versus New England a couple of weeks ago. And before I go further, I'd like to say that I am a Patriots fan, but this doesn't skew my view in any way. So, back to the Indy-New England analysis. For the entire week leading up to the "most anticipated game in the NFL thus far this season", countless commentators kept telling us, the fans, that there was no way that Indy would lose. There was no way that Manning could be stopped. There was just no way that a team that won two of the last three Super Bowls could possibly conjure up a gameplan that could stifle the extraordinary unbelievable offensive powerhouse that was the Baltimore, errr, Indianapolis Colts. Oops, I guess they were wrong.
So, what would happen the next week after at least 2 out of every 3 experts were dead wrong about the Colts/Pats outcome? Would they work harder? Look at film? Talk to coaches around the league? Well, outside of a couple of exceptions, nope. These geniuses who get paid up to seven figures to babble, did much of the same, they told everyone at home how the defending Super Bowl champs weren't physical enough and would succomb to a rookie QB (whom by the way was facing Belichick for the 2nd time, a circumstance in which Belichick is 14-0!!!). Cue Britney Spears, "Oops I did it....", you all understand what I'm getting at.
Now, that the pundits were wrong two weeks in a row because they picked against my favorite team is not the point, nor is it the reason why I'm sick of these know it alls. It's how they come to these conclusions and how they express them. There wasn't many mentions of going back to the film or breaking down the teams. It was also obvious that these station figureheads watched the Colts game and figured the Patriots would replicate that very performance, and as a result, had no shot of "Out-toughing" the Steelers in their home stadium. I guess they all figured that Bill Belichick, seen as a genius by some and at least great by most of the others, wouldn't create a different attitude and gameplan going into this past Sunday. Well, pity them.
But as if their lack of work wasn't repulsive enough, I had to deal with the outright cheerleading of three specific analysts. On ESPN there's the childlike exuberance and obnoxiousness of Michael Irvin, who in short doses can give great energy, while producing great insight into the world of a receiver. But sitting down and watching him for a full program is painful. I can only equate it to sticking a needle through your eyelid. Irvin seems to go with any team that has an offensive player he either likes or at least played against and has formed a relationship with throughout the years. Why will the Eagles win? Well, because Michael loves T.O. Why will the Steelers win? Can't bet against the bus, who ESPN had on just a few short weeks ago, when you could see Irvin's tongue waggling out of his rather large mouth.
But the ra-ra shisk boom ba doesn't end with Mr. Irvin. On Fox we have Terry Bradshaw, the former Steeler quarterback who will never pick against Jake Plummer or Brett Favre. God forbid if the Broncos play the Packers!! What to do Terry, what to do? But Bradshaw is better than Irvin, and without a doubt better than the next two gentleman who absolutely acted deplorable over the past two weekends. Who am I writing about? None other than Dan Marino and Shannon Sharpe. These two acted like clowns during the pregame and postgames during the NFL on CBS coverage. As I sat with my brother and friends I thought I was hallucinating when I saw Sharpe with both thumbs up like an African-American Ebert and Roeper, chanting, "Peyton, Peyton, Peyton," while he picked the Colts over the Pats. Marino picked Indy as well. Why? Hmmm, could've been because Shannon's favorite quarterback Peyton broke Dan's own touchdown record. It's as if Marino was living through the former Tennessee product hoping he could do what Dan couldn't, win a Super Bowl. Besides the fact these two were both completely wrong with their ill-informed assessments, they came back next week with even more embarrasing behavior during the Pats/Steelers pregame. I expected Marino to go for the Steelers, because if anything else it's his hometown. I also figured Sharpe to pick the Steelers because they were in Pittsburgh. Right on cue, there they were picking Pittsburgh, which was fine. But then they proceeded to take out their own "Terrible Towel" and begin waving it, whooping up the Steeler fans acting once again like cheerleaders. Ridiculous.
Outside of these incidents, there's more to scoff at as a football fan. Such as Tom Jackson, who most of the time is very good, every once and a while taking uneccessary shots at people and playing favorites. There's Boomer Esiason (who is actually one of the best talents, more on that later) poking at his broadcast partner (Marino) never winning a Super Bowl. There's even Jim Nantz, who always seems to think a play should be overturned without seeing a replay, nevermind the fact Nantz may be the worst play-by-play guy in the business and somehow is deemed the "A" guy. But out of all of this, Sharpe, Irvin, and Marino took the cake. They also showed why they shouldn't be called "experts," they should be called fans.
Now that I'm done with that, there are some analysts out there that actually, oh my goodness, analyze. Looking at tape, talking to league coaches and players, taking into account coaching and weather conditions, and coming up with actual well documented reasons on why a team will win. Who are they? Well for every shmuck that ESPN employs there's also an extreme talent. These talents include Ron Jaworski (outside of his celebrating the Eagles win, but hey this guy is great 95% of the time), Steve Young (who for the most part takes logic over friendship), and Qaudry Ismail who showed great potential on ESPNews this past year. There's also Boomer Esiason, who is great breaking down each team, on CBS. Fox has the likeable Bradshaw who most of the time calls it how it is and Howie Long who is very good. It's just too bad that these talented and hard working individuals are mostly overshadowed by their lackluster co-"workers".
Random Thoughts:
*Did anyone else notice that idiot Steeler fan try to punch Corey Dillon, after Dillon scored a late TD and threw the football at the Steeler logo?
*It's official, Manning is Marino, Marino is Manning (how ironic that Marino was in that film)
*Michael Vick, right now, is the most overrated football player in recent history. He's a great athlete, but NOT a great football player...yet. It was laughable to see so many drool over his game against such a crappy defense like St. Louis
*Speaking of St. Louis, what else does Mike Martz have to do to get fired???
*With the deals that Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens got over the past two or so weeks, does Nolan Ryan wish he was born a few years later than he was??
*As part of the last point, is that why Fernando Valenzuala and Oil Can Boyd are trying comebacks? And did I read right when the Can said he was throwing 90 mph with good control?
*The Red Sox are only better on paper this year, if they are healthy. I love the Mantei and Miller signings. Low risk (monetarily) high reward everyone!
*I'm on the fence with Paul Pierce. There's nights I want to get rid of him, while on other nights I say to myself "If they get rid of him, who the hell are they going to have?"
*Al Jefferson will be a 20/10 guy barring any health problems, within three years. I said it in the beginning of the year, and the big man has done nothing to change my opinion.
*Don't look past Perk either....15/8 eventually
*The Mets still need a little thing called a BULLPEN
*Scott Pioli, Bill Belichick, Charlie Weis, and Romeo Crennel is the best foursome since the Four Horseman.....WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! And will the Pats go young (Mangini seems to be a lock) after Crennel and Weis leave, to create another foursome that has promise, but ultimately is not as good as the original talent? Smells like Evolution....
*The Pats will win Super Bowl XXXIX.......'nuff said
'Till next time.....Peace
For those of you who may not know, I'm a huge Denver Broncos fan. I have been ever since John Elway beat Cleveland in "The Drive." So this past weekend was a big one for me as my Denver Broncos faced off against the two time defending Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots.
I'll admit, I was scared going into the game. The Patriots stuggled most of the year including a 28-20 drubbing they took in Denver. But this was a different Pats team. This one was healthy and on a roll. But as I watched the pregame shows, my blood started to boil. None of the commentators were giving my Broncos any respect. Everyone picked the Patriots to win, except for Shannon Sharpe who didn't count because he was biased being an ex-Bronco. Some of them were even talking about a rematch between the Patriots and the Colts next week. There was no respect being given to a team that went 13-3 and was playing on their home field where they had not lost a game all year.
The Broncos came out and took care of business beating the Patriots by two touchdowns, 27-13. Yet after the game the Broncos still could not get any respect. Everyone talked about New England and what they did to "lose" the game. They talked about the five turnovers the Patriots gave away rather than the five turnovers the Broncos forced. They talked about bogus pass interference calls. They said the Pats played "uncharacteristically", as if they would win nine out of ten times if the two teams played again. The post game press conference just displayed a lot of poor sportsmanship and whining by the Patriots. There was Bill Bilichick saying they didn't make the plays they needed to make. There was Tom Brady crying about how tough this off season was going to be. Nobody gave Denver any credit.
You can tell even the sports writers are upset about this weekend's turn of events. They were all pumped up for the battle of the two Golden Boys, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Now they get Jake Plummer and Ben Roethlisberger. Any truth to the rumor the two of them made a bet that the loser would shave after the game?
But this is nothing new for Denver. They have been doubted all year. Everyone picked the Chiefs or the Chargers to win the AFC West. While everyone was falling all over themselves trying to land Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy for an interview to ask them if they were going to go undefeated, Jake and the Broncos were quietly going 13-3 and beating some pretty good teams. Now they find themselves in the AFC Championships game, and there are still those who doubt. That's fine. Keep doubting. Mike Shanahan and the Denver Broncos like it that way.
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