Friday, December 30, 2005

Get by with some help from their friends

Hope and Pray to the football gods. That is all the Cowboys can do now. They can hope and pray that one of the games that require the proper result go down as they need. They put themselves in this unenviable position, and now, there is not a darn thing they can do about their playoff fate. Until 7:30 Sunday Night. Then, they may either play their biggest game of the season, or their most irrelevant game of the season, based on the results of earlier in the afternoon.

Here are, of course, the games that really matter prior to 7:30 pm Sunday:

Carolina at Atlanta, 12pm, Channel 4 …This is the best chance for the Cowboys. Atlanta is good enough to beat Carolina, and does not care for them, either. I think if it happens, it will be thanks to the Falcons.


While the Panthers can clinch a playoff berth with a win, their team mindset is a huge question mark heading into this game. Between the disappointment of Week 16's 24-20 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys and their struggles at the Georgia Dome -- where they are 1-9 -- the Panthers are a team looking for any positives to carry them into this game.


Washington at Philadelphia, 3:15pm, Channel 4 …I don’t like the odds here much at all, given the Eagles status. But, if it is left to Patty Ramsey….hmmm.


Gibbs now can close the second season of his second tenure with the Redskins by clinching a playoff berth, and maybe a division title, if they can defeat the Philadelphia Eagles.

The only time Washington has been to the postseason since Gibbs left after the 1992 season, concluding a 12-year reign that included four trips to the Super Bowl, came in 1999 under Norv Turner. That also was the last time the team had a winning season, until Gibbs clinched one last week as the Redskins ran their winning streak to four games to keep their playoff hopes very much alive.

A win gives Washington a postseason berth, and could mean an NFC East title if the New York Giants lose Saturday night to Oakland. If the Redskins lose, they likely will head for their televisions because they would still make the playoffs if Dallas loses to St. Louis in the Sunday night game.


Incidentally, NFL.com shows some interesting copy points about the 2005 playoff field:


No matter how it all turns out, the 2005 NFL playoff field will be an impressive one indeed:

• All 12 teams could have at least 10 wins apiece -- the third time this has happened (2000, 2003) since the NFL went to the 12-team playoff system in 1990. Looked at in another way, there could be three teams with 10 wins who do not make the playoffs -- equaling the entire total of such teams since 1990 (Philadelphia and San Francisco in 1991; Miami in 2003).

• For the second time in the past three seasons (2003), the NFL could boast six 12-win teams -- the most in a season in history.

• Of the 14 clubs either in the playoffs or seeking playoff berths, nine did not make the postseason last year.

• For the fourth time since 2000, two teams -- Chicago and Tampa Bay -- can go from "worst to first" in their divisions, finishing last a year ago and first in 2005.


The first two suggest the league is as tough as it ever was, and then the second two suggest it is a parity ruined league. Which do you like to believe?

---
Mac Engle and Drew Bledsoe discuss


"This is it. I won't go to another team," the 33-year-old Bledsoe said. "I can say that with 100 percent, no-doubt-about-it certainty."

For the first time since 2000, the Cowboys have a no-doubt-about-it certainty they have a legitimate, playmaking quarterback.

No Cowboy needed this season as much as Bledsoe, and no one on the team needs Sunday's events to fall just right to make the playoffs to formally dispel the notion that he was the second coming of Vinny Testaverde.

"If we don't get into the playoffs," Bledsoe said, "it will be a huge disappointment."

---

Old time hockey when Dallas and St Louis squared off. Guerin was dominant for one of those rare occasions in 2005-06, but we all know what he is capable of (if you are not, click here). Then, some spillover from Monday night, as the Blues and Stars played the fued with 4 fights in 49 seconds. Wonderful stuff. Oh yeah, Stars 3, Blues 0



Ryan Johnson, hardly a brawler, checked Mike Modano hard midway through the period.
Steve Ott stood up for the Stars' best player a couple of minutes later, pummeling Johnson with hard rights. Three more pairings quickly followed.

The last time the Stars had four fights in a period was Feb. 15, 1999, against Edmonton.

"I know fighting is down in the league, but I think after tonight we brought it back again," Ott said.




Our boy, Blue, Patrick Cranshaw, dead at 86 …he is already missed…

I can’t believe it, but someone has invented Nice Piece.org …Furio Fan, I suspect…

Over analyze the USC offense

UFC most annoying of 2005 column

Lest we give Ronaldinho too much love (see yesterday), here is my personal favorite Thierry Henry of Arsenal and France …Soon to join Ronaldinho in Barca? Wow.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Bob, listening to the Millwood press conference had me thinking that the Rangers had signed Trace Adkins the Country Singer. They are dead on match for their voices.

(Ok, so I listen to Country in the car when my kids are with me because Gordon & Corby make it impossible for me to get through the drive without having to explain what "grex" is).

Anyways, Trace Adkins has Gawd Awful song out right now, "Honky Tonk, Badonka-Donk". Ya'll need to do a bit with Millwood using this song.

Anonymous said...

Thanks OU for once again proving what a fraud the Pac 10 is. Other than USC, that conference has a huge bag of nothing. For the second year in a row, a FOUR loss Big 12 team beats a highly overrated Pac 10 team that was ranked #5 in the BCS. And for the second year in a row, we see that the 2nd best team in the Pac 10 would finish no higher than fourth in the Big 12 South.

Norm and the others can run their mouths all they want about how great USC's schedule was, but the Pac 10 sucks (again) and Notre Dame isn't as good as Ohio State either (which will be proven in Tempe on Monday). That doesn't mean Texas will beat USC next week, but it certainly kills any argument over how much better USC's schedule this year might have been. Nice job by both Nebraska and OU to prove that all the Big 12 naysayers are dead wrong once again.

You'll always be our boy Blue! R.I.P.

Anonymous said...

I can't hide that I'm true TTU, but I was pulling for OU to whip the Ducks last night. The Big 12 may be down from a historical perspective, but they aren't down too much.
Norm says tht the Alabama is a double pick to beat the Red Raiders. I guess we'll see but I don't think Alabama has seen a spread offense in the SEC and I think TTU has seen the Defensive speed that Bama has in the BIG12. Just my opinion and we'll find out on Monday.
Goooooo Raaaaaideeers!
signed tvb

Anonymous said...

Is nicepiece.org safe for work? Somebody help me out here.

Anonymous said...

There is a compliation of movies that some guy made of Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Juventus striker) who is probably one of the top 5 strikers in the world. They are large downloads but well worth it i think. www.zlatanmovie.tk

Anonymous said...

nicepiece.org is only safe for work if your co-workers don't mind hearing the Esther Rolle "Michael?" drop a hundred times.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 12:54 is a nerd.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunetly safe...

Anonymous said...

Bob,

My love for you grew over the time you were gone.

You're welcome.

Anonymous said...

Nicepiece.org = Genius!

Anonymous said...

Hey Bob...what's the Mike Leach article you were talking about on Thursday? I just caught the uh..huh huh Tail-end huh huh of that conversation. Always looking for a good paradigm shift (or bm)

later...p1dean

Sturminator said...

p1dean:

http://www.mezomorf.com/emailed/news-14832.html

Leach Article is there.

Enjoy

Anonymous said...

Good. Now I don't have to waste 3 hours watching the Cowboys game tonight. They didn't deserve to be in the playoffs anyway. The NJ fupa can take all of the credit for it too. See ya next September...

Anonymous said...

The previous Anon is wrong. Nothing good ever comes from a Cowboys season ending early. What is he gonna watch tonight instead of the Boys? Some lame CBS movie?

This day just completely bummed me out. The NFC is wide open for any team to win. Not one team scares me. If I were to wager, I would wager on the Giants. And they ain't that good.

cracker1743 said...

man, this sucks. And I can't even get mad at the Iggles for not beating The Hated. They just pissed away too many games that should've been won.

Oh well, it's 45 days +/- until Pitchers and Catchers.