Week 1 Column

Watching the Patriots and the Chiefs play on Sunday, it was obvious that the football season was going to be drastically affected by a huge quarterback injury that could alter the landscape of the NFL as a whole and my fantasy football team in particular. That’s right, Chiefs quarterback Brodie Croyle, my 3rd string fantasy quarterback, separated his shoulder and is out for a while. Oh, yeah, and the guy who just had arguably the greatest season in NFL history (regular season, anyway!), Tom Brady, is out for the year. I guess that could put a wrench in the Patriots Super Bowl plans. This is a terrible break for the Boston sports fans. Having to suffer through a football season without a legitimate chance to win a title must be difficult coming off the Celtics championship, the Red Sox World Series, and the 3 Super Bowl titles. We in Philadelphia really feel bad for their suffering.

How is Matt Millen still employed? This continues to be one of the biggest mysteries in sports. It is more bizarre than trying to make sense of an Amy Winehouse interview. Does he have pictures of the Lions owner? Has he threatened his life if he fires him? These are the issues that the Fox pre-game show should be tackling. The team Mr. Millen put together this season managed to make Matt Ryan look like a Hall of Famer in his first career start, and made Michael Turner look like LaDanian Tomlinson should have been his back-up in San Diego instead of vice versa. Falcons fans (are there any??), don’t get too comfortable in your perch atop the division….

After week 1, it looks like Oakland and St. Louis could be battling it out to see who wins the #1 draft choice in 2009. There performances were beyond bad. The Rams made the Eagles receivers look like Jerry Rice, Randy Moss and Lance Alworth. And the Eagles regular starting wide receivers were out with injuries!!! Speaking of Eagles receivers, Hank Basket has three times as many 85+ yard touchdown receptions as any other active player in the National Football League. Yes, Hank Baskett.

Getting back to the Patriots, week 2 presents an interesting dynamic. I would argue that this game at the New York Jets is an absolute, no doubt about it, must win…….FOR THE JETS. They are flying high off their week 1 win behind their new Hall of Fame quarterback, and now find themselves in a completely unexpected position of being the favorite to win the AFC East. They cannot lose serve at home in the Patriots first game without Brady. It would be devastating. I would be interested in see the Jets fan’s take on this issue, but I think the Jets will not win the division unless they win this week in a statement game.

Romeo Crennel got a contract extension as head coach of the Cleveland Browns in the offseason. Has a coach ever been given an extension and then fired less than halfway through the next season? That could happen. Cleveland looks awful, and Derek Anderson had to be a one year wonder, right? Actually, he was more like a 12 week sensation, as he faded down the stretch last year….

Week 2 looks to have some interesting games, and I will discuss some of those later in the week.

As football gets out of the starting gate, baseball is coming down the home stretch. The Mets are looking over their shoulders again at the Phillies, knowing the Phils overtook them last year, and that they have no closer to hold them off this year. With that talent the Phillies have, that should be enough to win the NL East. I am just not sold that this team has enough grit to get over the top this time around. Their hitting just has been so inconsistent all season long. If the Phillies do overcome the Mets (or the Brewers), the MVP of the NL (who will probably not get any votes) should be Brad Lidge. Lidge is 35-for-35 in save situations, and the Phillies are 66-0 in games they have led after 8 innings. Clearly, if the Phillies make the playoffs, there will have been nobody more valuable to his team than the Phillies closer. Not Albert Pujols. Not Lance Berkman. Not David Wright. Nobody. On the flip side, Cole Hamels has as stuff that is comparable with anyone, but his heart is small. He comes up tiny in big situations always, and he always seems more concerned with his long term career (and money making abilities) than with doing whatever he has to in order to win.

Duke football is 1-1. And despite the win coming against James Madison, that is huge!!!!

Lance Armstrong is considering coming back to ride in the Tour de France. Yawn. Does anyone else thing he is proclaiming his innocence of doping charges a little too loudly?

I will be back with more later in the week….