Me vs. Skip, part n

When you get to the bottom of it, I'm a football fan. There are games where I want to see one team win, but at the end of the day, I really just enjoy watching a good football game. And that's why I'm excited about the Super Bowl. Skip Bayless doesn't agree with me(shocking, isn't it?). On Page 2, he writes how there's nothing to get up about. There's no controversy, both teams are underdogs, and neither team should be there. Heaven forbid. Maybe we can forget all the off-the-field stuff this year and instead focus on the game itself. No ankles, no nightclub incidents, no nothing. Just good-old fashioned football. Skip himself says this:

"Strictly from a football standpoint, this matchup is pretty intriguing. You have two pretty good, very hot teams that didn't play each other. Will the Seahawks be able to stand up to the spotlight and play as fast and furiously as they did at home? Will the "new" Steelers continue to be pass-first?"

I thought he was old school. I thought he was the sort to look past the smoke and mirrors and try and see what was underneath (never mind that he rarely succeeds in looking past the hype). But I was wrong. He just wants to antagonize something, or somebody. And that just gets old.

Coaches

People are making noises about how strange the coaching changes have been this football offseason. If coaches can be traded for draft picks, then they should be subject to the salary cap. Crank the cap up a bit and count the coaching staff against it.

On second thought, that would create more situations like this year, when a bunch of unexperienced, first-time head coaches were hired, presumably because they were cheaper than the experienced guys.

Is Al Davis going to hire a coach, or just coach the team himself?

Culpepper

There are rumblings that Culpepper isn't happy in Minnesota, and would consider going to, of all places, the Raiders, to be with Moss again. So here's the thing - I don't think a QB with Culpepper's skills fit the West Coast Offense, and I'd assume that's what Brad Childress is likely going to install. But if I were Culpepper, I'd go to Arizona, where my previous head coach, Dennis Green, has two very talented wide recievers. Given the Al Davis factor and the current lack of a head coach, I'd much rather be throwing to Fitzgerald and Boldin than Moss and Joey Porter.

Um...

So there are some prelminary discussions between the Phillies and Mike Piazza. It's an interesting move, using Piazza to spell Lieberthal some (so we're going from a catcher with limited defensive skills who can't hit to a catcher with no defensive skills who can hit) and spell Howard some at first base (uh...didn't that experiment fail?). I'm less concerned about the offense, and much more concerned about the defensive aspects and the handling of the pitching staff. His bat would be nice, especially off the bench when he wasn't starting, but I'd rather bring in a solid defensive catcher and/or a pitcher for the money Piazza would likely command.

Up until last week, it looked for all the world as if the winner of the AFC championship would win the Super Bowl. Now, with three games left in the season, it's not so clear. I think any of the four teams can win the Super Bowl - they're all fairly experienced, balanced teams. The league may not have the marquee matchups they want (are any of these teams top-10 markets?), but both championship games should be competitive, and the Super Bowl will also be quite competitive, regardless of who makes it. We've got two weekends of really good football left this year (with a weekend off in between), let's enjoy them.

I like the Nedved trade. Seidenberg was a solid player, but nothing special. And while Nedved is old, he's a pretty good player. He's a scorer, and while all the Phantoms have played well, they could put the puck in the net a bit more - it feels like there really are only a few guys on the team who put the puck in the net.

I think this is a clear sign that Primeau is done. Nedved's a veteran center who should help the power play, but also fill some of the void at center left by Primeau. I suspect we'll see Desjardins or Gagne get the C shortly.

Offense

Down with the West Coast Offense. You have a quarterback who's great at buying time and running the ball. Why box him in with a system that predicates getting rid of the ball quickly. Your running back is shifty and dangerous in the open field. Why try and run him between the tackles. Your receivers are subpar.

If the Eagles can bring in one legitimite WR, say, Eric Moulds, it's time to drop the West Coast for something more aggresive. Build it from the run and shoot. Spread out Moulds, Pinky, and Brown. Have LJ Smith in tight to block, or lined up as a 4th wideout. Use Westbrook from the backfield and as a WR. Give McNabb space in the middle of the field to run with the ball if nothing opens up, and spread the WRs out so that covering them is harder. You still need a pound the ball back (I'm still hoping for Najeh Davenport, even if they stick with the West Coast), but even on obvious running plays (where you bring in Davenport and a fullback), you're a threat to throw the ball.

This team isn't suited for the West Coast offense, it's time to find something else.

Musings

Firstly, let the record show that this blog cannot stand Skip Bayless. He decides whether he likes a player or not, then praises that guy endlessly or rips him forever, regardless. Nine times out of ten, he can't stand new school and constantly favors the old school. Grawr.

Anyway, Bayless is convinced that the Texans should take Vince Young. I think this is a mistake because I don't buy his throwing motion. He's a great athelete, but that little wrist flip he does isn't going to cut it in the NFL.

All four home teams win this weekend.

The most successful QB from the 2006 draft will be Marcus Vick, if he can get his act together. He's slippery like his brother, but a much better passer.

The instant Palmer got hit, I knew that there was ?CL damage. That both got fried is really a shame. He had a breakout season, and hopefully he can recover to be a top QB in the league.

Did Chad Johnson really have a run-in with the coaching staff at halftime? His schtick has always been the outrageous media comments, but I always got the impression he was always a team player. Maybe not...

:)==>

Gene Simmons has apparently inked a deal to endorse IRL. The announcement was complete with several Indy/Indie ish puns that were just ugh. It's kinda funny, but it sure isn't going to make me watch IRL.

Childress

OC apparently headed to the Vikes. This is just fine with me. It'd be nice to bring in a coordinator from outside the program to shake things up, bring a fresh perspective, but the job is likely just going to get passed on to Marty Morhinweg. Sigh.

Ryan Franklin?

Why? And what does he bring to the table that Padilla didn't?

Comcast, during the second intermission, was all 'you'll never believe who it is', trying to get viewers. Boy, are they going to be dissapointed.