Updated: Join us on the Sportaholic Radio Show this Saturday on Beatknockin.com!

Make sure to tune in to the Sportaholic radio show this Saturday as we are joined by Eddie Maisonet AKA “Ed the sports fan”, editor-at-large of The Sports Fan Journal and contributor for SLAMonline magazine just to name a couple of his projects . We will pick his brain on the NBA’s most burning questions including who has been the biggest surprise of the season thus far, what’s wrong with the New York Knicks  (Is Jeremy Lin the answer?), and who his MVP is so far plus much more.







We also speak with Tennessee State University point guard Will Peters who's Tigers team upset the previously only undefeated and # 9 ranked Murray State Racers.He gives us his keys to Tigers victory and tells us how they were able to knock the Racers off. Said Peters:"It's an amazing feeling," "Most people don't get this experience in their whole college career to beat a team that was unbeaten for a long period of time and to share that with your teammates your senior year is very special and I'll probably remember this for the rest of my life." It will be an interview you don't want to miss.

Also lastly recap the best and worse of the past NFL season including the Super Bowl. Was it more that New England lost the Super Bowl New York winning it? As always we will have our “Diss of the week” and cover all the sports headlines of the week so make sure to listen in on Saturday 10 A.M. to noon on www.beatknockin.com

For booking info contact Sportaholic84@gmail.com

For booking info contact Sportaholic84@gmail.com

Super Bowl Week Kick-Off: If Eli wins this year's ring is his career better than Peyton's

Let’s face it Monday’s usually suck. The weekend is filled with movies, concerts, sporting events, drinking, just about all the things most people love to do. As much we all dread the beginning of the work week, we all have a silver lining to the evil weekend snatcher that is Monday. Super bowl week is upon us as folks as New England and New York get ready to do battle in 42nd edition of America’s most watched event. You can’t be help but to be excited at just the thought of the crowning of a new NFL champ on the grandest, most commercialized and hyped event in American sports culture. You have every right in my book to call it a holiday as it brings together that weird combination of crazy family members, close and distant friends and strangers who all are just taking it all in. It’s freaking Tom Brady vs. Eli Manning, chapped face Tom Couglin vs. the hooded evil genius Bill Belicheck, Pepsi vs. Coke in commercials, and Mike Strahan and his gap vs. anyone who picks against the Giants. So this week we here at the Sportaholic will be introducing all Super Bowl related content.

To get things started we ask the question that has begun to be heard in whispers across all astute NFL fans lips. There we say if Eli Manning wins his second Super Bowl, does that make his career more successful than his Hall of Fame bound brother Peyton Manning’s?  Honestly did you ever even think this would  be topic of debate? I mean we all knew Eli was good but Peyton has been considered the golden standard of the QB position over the last decade. The first overall pick of the 1998 NFL draft, Peyton is a 4-time MVP and Super Bowl 2007 champion and game MVP. Just look in Wikepeida for the facts: Manning holds NFL records for consecutive seasons with 4,000 or more yards passing (6) and the most total This doesn’t even include his storied career at the University of Tennessee. His marketability is another remarkable aspect of Peyton as he has been the host of Saturday Nigh Live, made a guest appearance on The Simpsons and endorsed multiple name brand products.

seasons with 4,000 or more yards passing in a career (11)

Manning holds the sixth highest career passer rating (94.9) in NFL history and is the all-

time Colts franchise leader in career wins, career passing yards, pass attempts, pass

completions, and passing touchdowns.[5] In 2009, he was listed by The Sporting News as the

No. 1 player in the NFL.[6] The same year, Fox Sports named him player of the decade. Since the Colts drafted Manning in 1998, the team has the highest conversion rate on 3rd down (44.6%) and 4th down (61.1%) plays in the NFL. the NFL.

Eli Manning’s career seems a lot better if it wasn’t constantly compared by Peyton’s standard. He too was a #1 pick in the 2004 draft ahead of the likes of Phillip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger. He rubbed a lot of fans and NFL guru’s the wrong way as his father Archie forced a trade from the San Diego Chargers to the New York Giants that many still have indifferent feelings about him after that decision to this day. But Eli has become the champion of his family with his epic performance one of the most memorable Super Bowls of all time. Although his Wikipedia bio still refers to him as “Peyton’s little brother”, younger brother has proved himself to be the better playoff QB than Peyton as his 7-3 record is clearly is better than Peyton’s 9-10 mark. It gets even better on the road for Eli on the road as he 5-1 and Peyton is 2-5 and as you look more at the numbers it not even close in the playoffs to compare the two. Of course you can go vice versa in throwing Peyton’s regular season numbers out against Eli’s.

It comes down which more do you prefer. Peyton is as good as we’ve ever seen in the regular season and he has the numbers to prove it. He revolutionized the QB position with his intricate knowledge of tweaks and nusiances at the line of scrimmage that left defenses helpless. It seemed at times that he didn’t even need a offensive coordinator with his mastery of the offense. And yet with a victory in this year’s Super Bowl Eli would definitely move from his brother’s shadow and be the most decorated of the entire Manning family Don’t forget Archie was the #2 pick of the 1971 draft himself and a legend at Ole Miss). For all of the accomplishments Peyton had in the regular season and all the records he has accumulated, nothing speaks more than rings and Eli could have 2 to Peyton’s 1 by the end of this week. Can you just imagine the dinner table one night at the Manning house as Eli embellishes his two rings while Peyton says a few words under his breath looking at his one and only? And to top it off it would have come on the field that Peyton made great, (Although he is being pushed out the door it seems now) in Indianapolis?

You really can’t make this stuff up and that’s why it’s such an ironic and captivating story. As crazy as it was to think back a few years ago, I really feel that if Eli wins this year’s game you really have to give him the nod not to mention that he will still have multiple chances to get even more rings after this season. The rivalry between the brothers that probably started over toys will now have ended with Lombardi trophies and Eli would be the last standing.

So who do you guys think gets the nod, Peyton or Eli?

Sportaholic AFC-NFC Championship Game Rountable

The NFL Divisional round is usually the most entertaining round of the entire playoffs. You have the 8 best teams in the league ready to tear each other apart on the field for four highly captivating games. Only two of the four games lived up to its billing as the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers played an instant classic that produced 3 lead changes in the final two minutes. The mighty and once seemingly invincible Green Bay Packers were taking down by a much crisper and effective New York Giants team that appears to be rekindling its 2007 Super Bowl run.

The Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans played a bore of a game with the Ravens coming out on top even though their offense sputtered at best (more on that later) and Tom Brady (5 TD passes in first half) just obliterated the Denver secondary as the New England Patriots ran the Broncos and Tim Tebow out of town and the playoffs



Now that the dust has settled, we now have our conference championship match ups set with New England vs. Baltimore for the AFC crown and San Francisco vs. New York for the NFC. As always here at the Sportaholic, we will attempt to tackle the five burning questions for both championship games. As usual we have staff regulars Taylor Cannon and the lovely Ashley Danielle. We also have enlisted special guest writer and sports fanatic Qwan Dowell along with the crew this time.



So without further ado, we present to you the burning questions of AFC-NFC games:

AFC Championship: New England Patriots vs. Baltimore Ravens

1. How concerned should the Ravens be with their offense after producing lack luster numbers against Houston?

Carlos Paige: I for one have always questioned the leadership skills of Joe Flacco. It’s especially ironic that he called himself out this off season by saying he belongs in the elite QB talk as well, yeah right. 14-27 for 176 won’t get it done against the Pats high octane offense. Even future Hall of Famer Ed Reed can’t hide his disgust for what he saw out of Flacco saying: “They had a lot of guys in the box on him and they were giving [the pass] to him," Reed said. "I think a couple of times he needed to get rid of the ball. It just didn't look like he had a hold on the offense. I don't know how much of [that was] the play calling … The Ravens offense should be concerned about their ace all purpose back Ray Rice as he was held to 60 yard on 20 carries. Rice will have to be at his best in order for Baltimore to have a chance. He will need to come out and assert himself and to give the Ravens a chance to control the time of possession. So to answer the question, yes I think they should be a bit concerned with their offense and the mindset that Flacco has right now going into the biggest game of his life.



Taylor Cannon: They should be concerned but not too much. The Patriots D is ranked last in the league in defense. The O-line has to step up their blocking though because I don’t think Flacco can take back to back beatings and still win. They have to get Ray Rice and Ricky Williams (wow there’s a name I haven’t said or thought would be a factor in a championship game).

Quawn Dowell: The Ravens offense has never been the focal point of their team or philosophy. The Texans boasted a very good defense under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips this year. Ray Rice and Anquan Boldin have mis matches that can be exploited againts New England's defense. Look for several big plays from screens to Rice and a touchdown from Boldin this Sunday.

2. Is there any way Tom Brady and the red hot Patriots offense be contained?



Carlos Paige: This is a multi faceted offense that seems to add just enough of a new wrinkle each game to throw teams off (See: Aaron Hernandez at running back). Tom Brady seems to be in his zone right now after ripping the Broncos secondary a new backside. I saw no weakness in their offense last game but of course the Ravens defense with Haloti Ngata, Ray Lewis, Terrell “T-sizzle” Suggs and Ed Reed will present a significant upgrade in talent they will face. As the Broncos defense proved, if you don’t get pressure on the golden boy, he will absolutely cold bloodily kill you. The Ravens will most definitely get more pressure on Brady (Ravens team had 48 sacks this year) and have sack extraordinaire Suggs. They also will have to find a way to contain the tempo when the Pats choose to go no huddle as that proved to much for the fighting Tim Tebow’s but if any team can do it then it’s the Ravens.



Taylor Cannon: They might be stalled if Aaron Hernandez can’t go and they have to get Wes Welker involved too keep the Ravens guessing.



Quawn Dowell: Containing Tom Brady is a very tall task for any team to accomplish, even one with the Ravens defense. With that being said Tom has shown this year at times he can get flustered and make a few mistakes. If the Ravens can control the ball running and with short passes that keep the clocking running they help their defense immensly. The Patriots TE's have a match up nightmare for any team and the Ravens won"t be the exception. Look for two TDs from the best TE tandem in football

3. Which is the better strength for both respective teams? The Ravens defense or the Patriots offense?



Carlos Paige: Right now based on the way their playing I have to go with the Pats offense for the reasons I stated above.



Taylor Cannon: Patriots offense, The Ravens D, As the old saying goes offense wins games but defense win championships



Quawn Dowell: The Ravens have a great defense this year but the Patriots have a historically good offense. In this new passing era where running backs are interchangeable the Patriots utilize their complete roster to keep the defense off balanced. In order for the Ravens to win this game they will have to outscore the patriots.



Ashley Danielle: I always say a defense wins games so that will be the test of the night. If the defense can produce a master plan to attack the receivers then they may have a chance. I don't even consider shutting down Brady an option. That just won't happen. The game changer would only come from mistakes on the rest of the offense.

4. Was New England’s new found defense last week just a product of facing Tim Tebow or was it a sign of things to come?



Carlos Paige: A little bit of both I think. Tebow only completed 9 passes but those are typical numbers from him anyway. The key for New England’s defense was limiting the big plays in the passing game that allowed the Broncos to beat the Steelers. The Pats defense is as healthy as it’s been all season with the return of safety Patrick Chung, LB Jerod Mayo, and DB Devin McCourty. Those guys all ar einstrumental to the what the Pats like to do on that side of the ball so I definitely believe that they are playing much better now that they have the right personnel in place for their scheme.



Taylor Cannon: A little of both they stopped Tim Tebow and the offense (sure he didn’t have help or his throwing accuracy was horrible), but that game may have given the Patriots D some confidence in stopping the Ravens offense which had trouble getting Ray Rice going into the game



Quawn Dowell: Lets face it Tim Tebow just isn’t a NFL QB. He doesn’t posses the awareness, the release, the accuracy or the ability to beat you day in day out through the air. Tebow also lacks the speed to go with his ability to run the option. Once the Patriots saw the mistakes Pittsburgh made by giving Tebow the one pass he feels comfortable with, the deep ball, there was nothing he could do. I think this speaks more about Bill Belicheck making adjustments than it does the Patriots defense. I expect Baltimore to be able to effectively do whatever they desire on offense in this one.



Ashley Danielle: That's a good question! I was surprised by the level of confidence everyone had in that game. The defense was in rare form. I won't call it luck but you can tell that the team knows how to play good, clean football when it counts....and that's using good and clean in the filthiest way!







5. Who wins the game and why?



Carlos Paige: The Patriots will win this game and if I had to place it on a scale from 1-10 I would say I’m at about an 8 in the confidence meter. The Ravens offense just doesn’t have enough fire power to hang with Brady and co. Now their defense will keep them in the game for as long as they can but it will come a point in the game when they won’t be able to get the necessary stop they need. The only possible way I can see the Ravens winning is for Flacco to have a major game and as history has told us this year that likely won’t happen. Patriots 35-24



Taylor Cannon: Ravens D will hold for a minute but the D can’t score. The Patriots will do enough to hold and give the Patriots offense field position for them to score. Patriots win 28-21



Quawn Dowell: My heart is telling me the Ravens win and maybe thats because I'd love to see the brother re- match in the Super Bowl, but my gut says New England. Too much fire power and they are too hot at the right time Patriots win 28-21

Ashley Danielle: Umm....I think I've bragged enough for you to know where my money's going....

NFC Championship: New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers

1. How do the 49ers stop Eli Manning?

Carlos Paige: The same way they stopped Drew Brees which they really didn’t with him throwing for 462 yards, they just knocked the hell out of anybody that caught his passes. The 49ers have to be the best tackling team in the league as evident by their performance against arguably the best receiving tandem for gaining yards after the catch. Eli can rack up the yards just as Brees did but as long as the Niners lay the wood like they did against New Orleans they should be just fine.



Taylor Cannon: REPEAT WHAT THEY DID AGAINST THE SAINTS- make him throw picks and pressure him. Also they must shut down the tall athletic Giants receivers. The crowd must get into the game to put some pressure to distract Eli also.



Quawn Dowell: Frank Gore and Patrick Willis. The 49ers got into a shoot out with the Saints; they do not want to take that approach with this one. Pound Frank Gore and blitz the LBs at the right tims to keep Eli under duress. Eli has been playing very well but does have a history of making mistakes under pressure.

2. Can the 49er offense put up points again like they did against the Saints?






Carlos Paige: Alex Smith made me a believer last game with his play. Throwing for 300 yards with 4 TDs (3 passing 1 rushing) and especially doing it when the game was on the line solidified it for me. So yes I think they can put up enough points to beat NY especially with that nasty run game that they feature with Frank Gore. Vernon Davis showed that he finally can be the reliable tight end that we’ve always expected out of him and he is Smith’s go to guy now. It gives me great pleasure that his lasting image now won’t be him walking off the field and being sent to the locker room by Mike Singletary. Who can forget that famous rant that Singletary had: "[As for] Vernon, it was something I told everyone at the beginning of the week. I will not tolerate players who think it's about them when it's about the team. And we cannot make decisions that cost the team and then come off the sideline nonchalant. No. You know what? This is what I believe, I'm from the old school. I would rather play with ten people and just get penalized all the way until we gotta do something else rather than play with 11 when right now that person is not sold out to be a part of this team. I told him he would do a better job for us to take a shower and watch the game on the sidelines rather than take the field."

Taylor Cannon: No, The Giants Front D is a little better than the Saints D so they will not let them get their run game started and they will rattle Mr. Smith a whole lot more than the Saints D, but the Gians secondary has been known to be suspect from time to time.



Quawn Dowell: No the 49ers offense isn't best equipped to play the way they did against the Saints. They get back to their game this week and pass when needed. Also the Giants pass rush is the best in football. Osi, Tuck and Pierre-Paul are nightmares for a team wanting to pass the ball. I see this game staying in the low 20s high teens at best.

Ashley Danielle: San Francisco has some key players including Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree. If Alex can link up with Davis and Crabtree like he did last week then they won't have a problem. I'm not banking on a high scoring game....may even come down to a field goal for the win.....

3. Which WR is likely to have the bigger game for the Giants?



Carlos Paige: Hakeem Nicks or Victor Cruz? Hmm now that is a good question. If I had to pick I guess I would say Nicks who is having a breakout playoff performance so far. Nicks has 13 catches for 270 yards and 4 TDs. The most impressive stat however is the 21.5 yards per catch he is averaging right now. Cruz has received a lot of double coverage to open up that side of the field for Nicks so it almost like pick your poison at this point. I do believe Cruz will make it to the end-zone at least once in this game so get ready for a little salsa dancing.



Taylor Cannon: Wow, I think both need to come up big to help the Giants win cause THIS IS THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP , everyone needs to bring their A game  (especially the receivers) to get to the BIG GAME..



Quawn Dowell: By the way things have been going it appears to be Victor Cruz's time to take the stage. Both of these guys have shown the ability to step up when they other is not having their best game. I see Cruz with his speed being able to get downfield and cause problems for Niners secondary.



Ashley Danielle: Hmmmm.....Hakeem Nicks will be my pick. Last week he had 7 receptions, 2 TD's and longest catch, an impressive 70 yarder to Cruz's 5, 0 and 18, respectively. Since he had such a big game last week, I don't doubt that Eli will ultilize him this Sunday. Hell, either way they both play on the same team....whoever has the best playoff bonuses will probably do the best....haha...money talks....that's all I'm sayin'

4. Which defense is playing better and which would rather have?








Carlos Paige: Both defenses have just been mauling opponents this post season. The Giants defensive linemen are just big powerful men who overwhelm you with power and speed. Justin Tuck, Osi Umineyora, and Jason Pierre-Paul can wreak havoc on any team and they have all come to play in the playoffs. But if I had to choose I think I would have to say San Francisco because they seem to be the more complete unit. The defensive line with Justin Smith and Aldon Smith provide adequate pressure on the QB, the LBs with Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman will hit like a freight train, and the secondary has been all over the field with Carlos Rogers, Donte Whitner and Tarell Brown in coverage. This defense reminds me of the old dynasty defenses that the 49ers had in the late 80s and 90s.



Taylor Cannon: - The Giants -They kind of remind me of the run they did a few years ago when they were the wild card. This team somehow plays its best when they have its backs against the wall. Also if the front line gets going and puts some pressure they cannot be stopped.



Quawn Dowell: The 49ers have the beter defense but the Giants defense is playing the best. Right now there is no better pass rush than the Giants posses and this allows their corners to play more aggressive. The 49ers will be hard to run the football on but the Giants have numerous weapons and will be tough to



Ashley Danielle: If I was still playing fantasy football I'd prefer to have the 49ers defense. They have some impressive men on the line including Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith and defensive end Justin Smith. They were first in the league in run defense (77.3 yards per game) and fourth overall (308.1 yards per game) which means they are a force to be reckoned with. All I have to say is "Watch out Eli!! Them boys are coming for ya, AGAIN!"



5. Who wins and why?


Carlos Paige: The 49ers 27-20 victory in week 8 was one of the better games of the year and gives us somewhat of a blueprint towards how this one will be played. Both teams are physical upfront with New York having the edge on offense, and San Fran the edge on defense. I’m taking the 49ers in this one by the slimmest of margins based on the fact that they have home field advantage and that defense that suffocated one of the most potent offenses of all time in the Saints. Look for it to be tough physical game that will see a few players go down. I do believe that if Eli Manning gets hot then he may just will the Giants to the win but like I said I just think San Francisco with that defense and at home will be too tough. San Francisco 30-23.



Taylor Cannon: Giants defense will set up great field position for its offense and Giants will not turn the ball over and will get the run game going to set up the pass early. Giants 28-17



Quawn Dowell: The Giants win a close game mainly due to Eli Manning out playing Alex Smith. Lets face it Alex Smith impressed everyone last week with his gutsy performance. But I’m not sure it didn’t take everything they had emotionally to win that hard fought battle. The Giants had an easier time with GB and I see them more poised to win the game. Looks like we are headed to a rematch with NY vs. NE, Giants win 24-14



Ashley Danielle: These two teams met up in the regular season with a Giants loss, 27-20. Eli has something to prove since Justin Smith single handedly batted down his 4th down pass to potentially win that game. I'm going to to leave this one up to the God's of Football. I just want to see a great game.

Sportaholic NFL Power Rankings Week 9

 Another week and another shuffle in the rankings. The NFL has been so weird this year. You usually can count on one or two dominant teams but not this year. This has become the year of the unknown. We never know from week to week which teams will show up. There are a few consistent teams ( Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New York Jets) as far as winning, but they are not ripping teams apart. A few teams are playing as well as can in the situation their in ( Indianapolis and Green Bay) and then you have the upstarts, who are no longer the push overs they use to be (Kansas City, Oakland, and even Detroit). Now with that being said, I present to you the week 9 rankings.

1.Baltimore Ravens (6-2) - Its looks like that Bills game was a fluke. I had been reluctant to put them in the top spot without seeing a dominant performance from them and I finally got what I was looking for out of them against Miami. Ray Rice is an underrated back and I always come away impressed with his play when I get a chance to see him. Joe Flacco had a great game going 20/27 for 266 yards 2 TDs no Ints.The addition of Ed Reed has put playmaking back into their secondary as well. They added another playmaker on the offense in Donte Stallworth as too. The Ravens and Pittsburgh will battle the whole season for the AFC north crown.

2.Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) - The Steelers came out dominant at first against the Bengals but had a hard time putting them away. Ben Roethlisberger was less than spectacular but got the job done. They got more than enought breaks from the lowly Bengals (How can this team be so bad at the simple things?) Hopefully James Harrison won't be hearing from the league for his hit on Jordan Shipley, it looked perfectly legal to me. Pittsburg just keeps chugging along beating the teams that they are suppose to. Thats what champions do.

3. New York Jets (6-2) - This is the hardest team in the league to predict on a week to week basis. They almost lost to Detroit, if it wasn't for the last moment heroics. They have a young offense and that leads to inconsistency. Speaking of consistency, Mark Sanchez has to learn to stop thinking so much and just go play some football. The Jets did have the run game working as Tomlison and Shonne Greene combined for 101 yards rushing and 114 yards receving. And the one thing they can always count on is Sexy Rexy's defense.

4. New York Giants (6-2) - Welcome to the rankings Giants (and NFC). The New York football Giants defensive line have become the most domineering and destructive force in the league. They now have taken out Matt Hasselback, Tony Romo (for the season), Jay Cutler, and Matt Moore. This was their recipe for the Super Bowl last time they won in 2008. I know somewhere in Dallas, Jon Kitna is paranoid and he should be.

5.New England Patriots (6-2) - Previously number one ranked New England makes a mighty stumble. I know by the look on Bill Belicheck's face that he hates losing to his former protege Eric Mangini. The Browns actually showed the blueprint for beating the Pats. They ran the ball effectively racking up 230 yards, 184 of those coming from Peyton Hillis (Boy does that trade for Brady Quinn is looking awfully good now). They flustered Tom Brady with with a variety of fronts and coverages, which is the only way to stop him. It's hard to imagine the Browns soundly beating New England at every phase of the game like they did. You have to love the trick play they ran on the goal line with Chansi Stuckey and Josh Cribbs as well. New England will bounce back but that sure was an ugly loss.

Other News and Notes from the league:

The Channing Crowder and Le'ron McClain incident has grown legs. Now Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano is confirming that the Ravens fullback spit in the face of Crowder. I saw the replay of the incident but never saw anything come out of McClain's mouth. Even though I didn't see it, it's hard to say that Crowder would have got that upset if he didn't. The league will review it and if McClain did, he will be fined .

If you saw the Austin Collie hit when it happend, what was your initial reaction to it? I personally don't think it was a dirty hit. It's just football and the nature of the game itself. Collie tried to get down after making the catch but was in between two defenders with another one trying to get out of the way. Its unfortunate the way it turned out. If Quiton Mikell and Kurt Coleman get fined for that, then the rule is officially ridiculous. Even two of Collie's teammates (Aaron Francisco and Jacob Lacey) stated that it was a clean hit. Everyone should hope Collie is ok and makes a full recovery.

Phillip Rivers just won't let the Chargers give up. He is single handely keeping the Chargers season alive. Rivers has had to deal with various reasons for his top four receivers being out. Vincent Jackson had the whole holdout thing and Antonio Gates, Legedu Nanee and Malcolm Floyd all being out with various injuries. He has had to make due with practice squad receivers with rookie Seyi Ajirotutu catching two touchdowns passes last game. The guy just has a will to win and has thrown for 2,944 yards through nine games, 357 more than any other quarterback. He is on pace to break Dan Marino's all -time season mark. I wouldn't be surprised if he breaks it or if San Diego comes back to win the division with Rivers at the helm.

Wade Phillips almost wasn't the first coach to get fired this season. Brad Childress almost got that distinction after he made the impromptu decision to cut Randy Moss, without consulting owner Zygi Wilf. You know that is kind of important Brad. If you going to cut a future hall of famer, you might just want to tell the guy who owns the team not to mention you cost your team 3rd round draft pick. Wilf reportedly so upset he responded by almost firing the embattled Childress rather than cutting Moss. The Vikings owner surveyed his players to see what the atmosphere was like. Fortunate for Childress, Wilf backed off. But now the coach will be based on a week to week performance. The victory they pulled out against Arizona was unbelievable. Favre rescued the Vikings season and his coach's job.

And Finally, what is your over/under on Jason Garrett remaining the coach in Dallas after this season? I say its about 50/50 at best. Jones will let Garrett audition but it really is unfair to Garrett. He has the same players who cost Wade Phillips his job. I will say their is no motivation like knowing your job is on the line. Everyone will be on the hook if they continue to play the way they have been. If Garrett doesn't get the job done, Jones will be relentless in finding a big name coach to fill the vacancy.

I don't necessarily think that you have to go after the big name coach in order for the team to be successful but I'm sure Jerry will chase the big names first. Just look at Mike Tomlin, Jim Harbaugh and Mike Smith.They all have had success and were not big name at the time of their hiring. If Jerry does chase, Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden seem like good hires. Cowher has a track record as a disciplinarian and would add some needed direction in that department but a lot of sources are saying he won't be interested in the position because of the authority Jerry Jones would want to exert on him. As for Gruden, he would come into a similar situation as the one he had in Tampa Bay. There are players in place but the culture of the team needs to be changed. He is a football man in every pore of his body. I think he could turn around the team. Hopefully they can get someone, even if it's not the big name to turn the fortunes of the franchise around for America's team.

Monday Night Review: Disaster in Dallas

If you thought it couldn't get any worse for America's team, you thought wrong. The Cowboys fell to the Giants last night 41-35, but more importantly loss starting Qb Tony Romo for at least 8-10 weeks with a broken Collarbone. That is just a devastating blow to the popular preseason Super Bowl picks. Their season effectively ended with Romo's injury.



The play occurred in the beginning of the second quarter. Linebacker Michael Boley busted through the Cowboys line at full speed and just leveled Romo. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was bad. Romo lay on the ground motionless, grimacing in pain. Boley himself was quoted as saying he heard “Romo let out a little scream.” That scream was surely echoed by owner Jerry Jones, who was witnessing the end of his team’s season. All the Super Bowl talk and being the first team to host and play in the Super Bowl ended on that one vicious hit.



The game itself had such a promising start for Dallas. Eli Manning threw an interception to Terence Newman on the fourth play of the game and Newman returned it to the Giants five yard line. A Marion Barber rush for one yard and than a five yard pass from Romo to tight end Jason Witten would lead to a Dallas touchdown. On New York’s second drive, Manning would be picked off again by Gerald Sensabaugh, who returned it to the Giants 18. From there Romo completed a 13 yard pass to Martellus Bennett but the drive would stall and Dallas would settle for a field goal.



The Giants got back into the game with a good drive that ended with a Hakeem Nicks touchdown catch. On the next drive Romo led the Cowboys to a field goal and the Dallas defense forced New York to punt on their next drive. On the punt, Rookie Dez Bryant made a nice cut up field and was able to find a seam and was off to the races for a 93-yard return. That score made the game 20-7 and that would be as happy as the story gets for Dallas. From that point, New York would go on to five unanswered scores and put the game out of reach. Eli Manning caught fire in the middle of the second and would finish 25 of 35 for 306 yards 4 touchdowns but also 3 interceptions.

Dallas would later add two cosmetic touchdowns going to Dez Bryant but the game was never really in doubt after the Romo injury. The Cowboys now sit at 1-5 without their starting QB. Jon Kitna looked a mess running the offense and could never get it going until the game was out of reach. The season ended all on the Boley blitz in that instant. The question now becomes how far will Dallas fall this season? Will Coach Wade Phillips be able to survive the turmoil that will ensue now? One thing is for sure, for this season the Cowboys are down and out.