November 7th, 2007 - Lucky and Good
Going into the season the NFL was facing horrendous public relations problems, and you know it's funny? it's hard to remember what they all were right now?
It's like childbirth. Once the season was born, the endorphins kicked in for football fans, and booted out all those nasty memories about interminable off-season labor pains.
Just to jog your memory, here were just a few of the highlights: There was the horrible Michael Vick saga, Tank Williams volume lawyer discount and the remarkable story about Travis Henry who was ordered to provide $3,000 a month in child support for one of the nine kids he has fathered by nine different women. The entire Cincinnati Bengals team looked like they may end up in the slammer. There was that HGH scandal that involved actual NFL coaching staff. And just making it under the wire with only 26 hours to go before the season's opening kickoff - Browns cornerback Leigh Bodden was accused of getting abusive with police after getting caught driving backward down the one-way arrivals ramp at the Cleveland airport.
Who can blame him really? Cleveland would drive anyone nuts.
Nevertheless, those lengthy legal lamentations have been all but forgotten because of two stories that have kept us otherwise occupied: The anointing of a superteam and the emergence of a superstar.
There was a lot of anti-hype hype going into Sunday's ?Game of the Century,? with many claiming the Patriots and the Colts couldn't live up to their advanced billing.
When it comes to New England this year, those nattering nabobs of negativity know nada.
After their weekend comeback win, a projection for the season has Tom Brady completing 364 of 521 passes for 4,575 yards, 51 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. That would give him a 123.92 QB rating which, combined with those 51 touchdowns, would smash both NFL single-season records.
With seven weeks to go in the season, it seems nobody can stop them from being called ?perfect?? except for Don Shula. The last, and thus far only, perfect single-season coach in the NFL thinks the Patriots are pretty good.
?They've got a real shot at doing it,? Shula said. ?They're capable. They make it look easy.?
But you know there had to be a ?but? coming?
?The Spygate thing has diminished what they've accomplished,? Shula said this week.
Oh ya, that story that was almost completely wiped from most memories because of almost continuous Brady-to-Moss highlights. The NFL fined Coach Bill Belichick $500,000 and the Patriots were fined $250,000 and they lost a first-round draft choice next year. It was a big story - for about a day.
Don Shula sees it as a way to add an asterisk to a Patriots potentially perfect season. Even if he gets his way, with the NFL as it is today compared to 1972, 19-0* looks better than 17-0.
This year?s Patriots are so good, they can even make a living legend look bad.
Then there is the emergence of what some are calling the greatest running back in the NFL - perhaps ever. Too early to say, considering the guy has only played ? of one season?
Adrian Peterson is so good, some overly bright-eyed folks are already daring to go there.
It looked like the rookie runner's NFL honeymoon was over going into the second half of last weekend's game against the San Diego Chargers. Their 7th ranked run defense had limited him to a modest-for-him 43 yards on 13 carries. In the second half, when running backs are supposed to be tired and slow down, he ran for 253 yards, breaking the NFL record for rushing yards in a game with 296.
He had already hit the 200-yard benchmark for greatness in only his 5th game as a pro. To put that into perspective, the leading rusher in NFL history, Emmitt Smith, crossed the 200 barrier in his 53rd game, never to do so again.
Peterson, who also ran for three touchdowns on Sunday, has now amassed 1,036 rushing yards on the year in just eight games, the best eight-game performance by a rookie in NFL history. If he throws in another 200-yarder, he would be on pace to set the single season rushing record.
How can you miss with stories like that?
Despite the worst off-season the league has endured since part-time players and the strike, the NFL can do no wrong it seems.
They are lucky.
And the Patriots and Peterson are good.
Cheers ? Gavin McDougald ? AKA Couch
Bet on the NFL here!
Going into the season the NFL was facing horrendous public relations problems, and you know it's funny? it's hard to remember what they all were right now?
It's like childbirth. Once the season was born, the endorphins kicked in for football fans, and booted out all those nasty memories about interminable off-season labor pains.
Just to jog your memory, here were just a few of the highlights: There was the horrible Michael Vick saga, Tank Williams volume lawyer discount and the remarkable story about Travis Henry who was ordered to provide $3,000 a month in child support for one of the nine kids he has fathered by nine different women. The entire Cincinnati Bengals team looked like they may end up in the slammer. There was that HGH scandal that involved actual NFL coaching staff. And just making it under the wire with only 26 hours to go before the season's opening kickoff - Browns cornerback Leigh Bodden was accused of getting abusive with police after getting caught driving backward down the one-way arrivals ramp at the Cleveland airport.
Who can blame him really? Cleveland would drive anyone nuts.
Nevertheless, those lengthy legal lamentations have been all but forgotten because of two stories that have kept us otherwise occupied: The anointing of a superteam and the emergence of a superstar.
There was a lot of anti-hype hype going into Sunday's ?Game of the Century,? with many claiming the Patriots and the Colts couldn't live up to their advanced billing.
When it comes to New England this year, those nattering nabobs of negativity know nada.
After their weekend comeback win, a projection for the season has Tom Brady completing 364 of 521 passes for 4,575 yards, 51 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. That would give him a 123.92 QB rating which, combined with those 51 touchdowns, would smash both NFL single-season records.
With seven weeks to go in the season, it seems nobody can stop them from being called ?perfect?? except for Don Shula. The last, and thus far only, perfect single-season coach in the NFL thinks the Patriots are pretty good.
?They've got a real shot at doing it,? Shula said. ?They're capable. They make it look easy.?
But you know there had to be a ?but? coming?
?The Spygate thing has diminished what they've accomplished,? Shula said this week.
Oh ya, that story that was almost completely wiped from most memories because of almost continuous Brady-to-Moss highlights. The NFL fined Coach Bill Belichick $500,000 and the Patriots were fined $250,000 and they lost a first-round draft choice next year. It was a big story - for about a day.
Don Shula sees it as a way to add an asterisk to a Patriots potentially perfect season. Even if he gets his way, with the NFL as it is today compared to 1972, 19-0* looks better than 17-0.
This year?s Patriots are so good, they can even make a living legend look bad.
Then there is the emergence of what some are calling the greatest running back in the NFL - perhaps ever. Too early to say, considering the guy has only played ? of one season?
Adrian Peterson is so good, some overly bright-eyed folks are already daring to go there.
It looked like the rookie runner's NFL honeymoon was over going into the second half of last weekend's game against the San Diego Chargers. Their 7th ranked run defense had limited him to a modest-for-him 43 yards on 13 carries. In the second half, when running backs are supposed to be tired and slow down, he ran for 253 yards, breaking the NFL record for rushing yards in a game with 296.
He had already hit the 200-yard benchmark for greatness in only his 5th game as a pro. To put that into perspective, the leading rusher in NFL history, Emmitt Smith, crossed the 200 barrier in his 53rd game, never to do so again.
Peterson, who also ran for three touchdowns on Sunday, has now amassed 1,036 rushing yards on the year in just eight games, the best eight-game performance by a rookie in NFL history. If he throws in another 200-yarder, he would be on pace to set the single season rushing record.
How can you miss with stories like that?
Despite the worst off-season the league has endured since part-time players and the strike, the NFL can do no wrong it seems.
They are lucky.
And the Patriots and Peterson are good.
Cheers ? Gavin McDougald ? AKA Couch
Bet on the NFL here!
