Parcells messy situation & Football Picks too

In keeping with my sometimes offbeat references, I’m mulling a theme song for my entries. More often than not the song will refer to something going on in the sporting world. Today’s theme song: Here We Go Again by Mint Condition. This song is for the Tuna, Bill Parcells who is rapidly turning into a football version of Larry Brown. Parcells has confirmed reports that he has been talking with Falcons owner Arthur Blank to possibly take over the football operations of the Falcons. Now keep in mind that I do think that this is a great move for the Falcons and a real chance to rebuild their already woeful image. But I have a hard time imagining Parcells wanting to sit idly by and not control all aspects of the team. I cant see Parcells in a suit sitting on high in a skybox fretting over his teams play. I do think that this may be a shot for Maurice Carthon, a long time Parcells player and assistant coach to move into the head coaching ranks, but I think that Parcells will be the power behind the coaching throne, superior to the throne itself. I think that Parcells is someone that has lived on his rep for way way too long. The media honks and wonks may decry this as heresy but I’m still not convinced that Parcells can win big like he did with the Giants in the 80’s, it helps when you know the oppositition had to game plan for the gamebreaking LB Lawrence Taylor.
But as I write this post, suddenly the offer comes off the table and the Tuna suddenly is now exploring a position with the Miami Dolphins. As if this whole mess with the Falcons cant get any more messier. Blowing a chance to have a solid football mind running things is just inexcusable. Details will be updated, so stay tuned for my thoughts on it on Friday.

In the continued fallout from the Mitchell report, Roger Clemens has come out vociferously denying that he took any PEDs and I’m still wondering how is anyone going to prove any of these allegations. In absence of a time machine that you can go back and retroactively test from back in the day and with no positive test results now, its gonna be pretty hard to prove anything.

Rich Rodriguez was introduced as the new head coach of Michigan and the Buck fans are already squawking. I’m hearing things like the Bucks will continue to dominate and that Rodriguez’s spread offense will not work in the Big Ten, I think that adding the element of speed will be just the boost that Michigan needs. The Big Ten has always had that sameness look about it and it Rodriguez installs an offense that is wildly different it might produce results. I will reserve my judgment until next season.

As promised here is the preview of the NFL game on Thursday, note the added caveat of info: Playoff implications.

Steelers (9-5) @ Rams (3-11)
Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis 8:15 (NFL Network)
Favorite: Steelers by 7 ½
Playoff Implications: Steelers clinch playoff berth with win and clinch AFC North with win and Cleveland loss on Sunday
Fast Fact: This is the Steelers first visit to St. Louis since 1979 when they defeated the then St. Louis Cardinals 24-21.
The Steelers seemed shocked that the Jags wouldn’t roll over and die in the Heinz Field muck this past Sunday and now have the upstart Browns charging hard at them. Still in possession of a valued tiebreaker over the Browns the Steelers need only to win out to clinch the division. The Rams are going through the motions and should provide token resistance. But the Steelers had best use this time to shake out any bugs, they will be playoff roadkill with a performance similar to the past Sunday.
Pick-Pittsburgh

Keeping with the football theme, the most sports saturated time of the year is upon us. Bowl season begins Thursday and you will have at least one bowl game everyday, except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from now through January 3rd and that is only the prelude to the national championship game. But that’s the main course. Let’s start with the smaller dishes. I miscounted and said there would be six games for the first preview but there are only five this time around.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL
Navy (8-4) vs Utah (8-4)
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego 9:00 ESPN
Favorite Utah by 9 ½
Fast Fact The Utes have won their last six postseason appearances, the second longest winning streak in college football.
This is a classic matchup of high powered offense in Navy versus a stingy defense in Utah. The Midshipmen run that classic wishbone and QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada has a hard to pronounce (and spell name) but an easy to enjoy running style. He leads the nations top rushing team. The Utes have a solid defense and give up only 15.6 points a game, trailing only Va. Tech and Ohio State nationally. If the Utes can slow or shut down Navy’s running game they should dominate
Pick-Utah

PAPA JOHNS.COM BOWL
Southern Miss (7-5) vs #22 Cincinnati (9-3)
Legion Field Birmingham, AL Sat 1:00 (ESPN2)
Favorite: Cincinnati by 11 ½
Fast Fact: These two teams were once conference rivals in Conference USA
The Bearcats are finishing their best season in over 50 years and look to finish their first ever ten win season. The Golden Eagles slumped late in the season but has a solid running game led by Daimon Fletcher who scored 14 touchdowns. He will be running in the teeth of a solid Bearcat defense led by hard hitting safety Haruki Nakamura. The Eagles will have their hands full with the Bearcat offense led by Ben Mauk who has thrown for 27 touchdowns, 13 of them to frosh Marcus Barnett. The Bearcats badly want to show the bigger bowls that they erred in passing on a good team and the Eagles will bear the brunt.
Pick-Cincinnati

NEW MEXICO BOWL
Nevada (6-6) vs New Mexico (8-4)
University Field, Albuquerque, NM Sat 4:30 (ESPN)
Favorite New Mexico by 2 ½
Fast Fact: New Mexico has lost its last five bowl games
The Lobos are playing their bowl game at home…again. They lost to San Jose State last year and are facing a better team this year in Nevada. The Wolf Pack have a precocious redshirt frosh quarterback in Colin Kaepernick, who has filled in nicely as an injury replacement, the Wolf Pack have averaged better than 39 points a game with Kaepernick under center. The Lobos will be hampered by the unavailibity of top RB Rodney Ferguson who was declared academically ineligible. Despite playing in essence, a road bowl game. The Wolf Pack should roll to a solid win
Pick-Nevada

SHERATON HAWAI’I BOWL
#24 Boise State (10-2) vs East Carolina (7-5)
Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI Sun 8:00 ESPN
Favorite Boise State by 11
Fast Fact The Broncos play their second straight game in Hawai’i, they lost to the Rainbow Warriors 39-27 a month ago.
The Broncos who captured the nation’s imagination with its stirring rally to beat Oklahoma in last years Fiesta Bowl has a much smaller stage this year. The Broncos still have a high powered and high scoring offense. Taylor Tharp and Ian Johnson are the focal points here. The Pirates have compiled a modest record behind the redoubtable running of Chris Johnson who rushed for 1244 and 16 scores while also catching 34 passes for 496 yards and five more scores. He will have a tough go of it against a rugged Bronco defense.
Pick-Boise State

MOTOR CITY BOWL
Purdue (7-5) vs Central Michigan (8-5)
Ford Field, Detroit 12/26 7:30 ESPN
Favorite Purdue by 8 ½
Fast Fact The Boilermakers beat the Chippewas 45-22 in West LaFayette on 9/15
The Boilers enter this game on a 3 game slide which included a painful late loss to archrival Indiana. The Boilers started the season 5-0 and with QB Curtis Painter throwing for 3,300 yards have a decent offense. This contrasts with the Chippewas who have won seven of their last nine including a 35-10 romp over Miami of Ohio in the MAC title game. Chippewa QB Dan LeFevour can run as well as throw and will be the key man that the Boilers need to stop. This will be a close game, but I think the Chippewas can pull the upset.
Pick-Central Michigan

The next preview will be next week and there will be plenty of games to feast on. 7 to be sure, and yes I counted right this time.

Finally today, lets hand out the Phat Dap/Head Slap Awards

Phat Dap
I could give one to the NFC players who named Sean Taylor to the NFC squad posthumously, but instead I’ll give it to Appalachian State, Valdosta State and
Wisconsin-Whitewater. These are three schools that won the FCS, Division II and Division III national titles respectively in football after a playoff. Gee, it seems that these schools were able to not only play through a playoff and hit the road for at least one game. The quality of football didn’t suffer and wow, these kids still go to class and get good grades. Wisconsin-Whitewater defeated its long time nemesis Mount Union of Ohio who had won the last three D-III titles. For all those that say a playoff cant work, why has it been working in these venues???

Head Slap
Though I could give one to these very same Pro Bowl voters that left playoff bound Jags and Bucs off its respective conference rosters and curiously no teams from the NFC South at all. I have another winner of the dubious honor. I know it may be piling on but I have to give this weeks head slap to the one Peter Edward Rose. Rose got on a moral high horse recently in decrying the alleged PED users, and is trying to link these allegations to his case and continues to shill for his entry in to the Hall of Fame. Rose badmouths the players and tries to make himself a someone who is being persecuted while others skate. Now I speak as a minority in my area. Having grown up in Cincinnati, the legions of Pete worshipers were thick and heavy. I liked Pete Rose as a player but still cannot excuse his breaking the laws of baseball. He bet on the game and bet on his team. These are rules that are clearly defined as verboten. At the entrance of EVERY major league clubhouse is the posted rule about betting on baseball and the severe punishments that are possible for breaking these rules. Rose broke the rules and got punished. I agree with Rose’s assertion that PED use is bad for the game, but until the use is proven. Not with allegation or heresay from a scorned trainer, then I will have something to say about the status of said players. Rose can’t leave well enough alone.

I’ll have the NFL Week 16 preview on Friday, we’re looking at a plethora of playoff critical games on this weeks docket. Also, a holiday season wish and thanks for the 20K mark. Until Next Post Fellow Sports Fans!