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I normally just publish the articles from my weekly sports letter....today I've decided to publish the articles and the emails from previous articles as well.
We have a double-feature of the Weekly Rant this week. There's one today, and another on Thursday. Let's get started!!!!
"We wear the Silver, We wear the Black, that is what we do, we wear the Silver we wear the Black and we're comin' after you!!!" This line from the Oakland Raiders song in the 1980s will definitely apply next year. Oakland will be extremely effective on offense with the acquisition of Randy Moss. The Raiduz have had a long tradition of picking up the most flamboyant and eclectic players in the NFL. Kenny Stabler, Ted Hendricks, Bo Jackson and others have all donned the silver and black at some point in their NFL career. The Raiders have always been a team of castoffs who have used this commonality to come together and perform at a high level. If there is one thing that you have to give Al Davis credit for its the uncanny ability to restore a player's confidence in himself and his new team. Randy Moss will be no exception. He will inject life into the Raider passing attack and make Champ Bailey look like a chump. Norv Turner's vertical scheme on offense is now much more viable. The Raiders now are only a servicable runningback away from having one of the elite offenses in the NFL.
Ok, on to Minnesota. What the (choose any four letter word of your choice) were they thinking? I know Randy Moss had some headaches off the field, but he provided many more on it. I guarantee you that defensive backs all across the NFL Central are splurging on the Cristal and Moet this week! The Vikings have totally destroyed any chance they had of competing in that league. Daunte Culpepper will realize how hard it is to move the ball without Randy Moss. Whenever he was on the field, you had to pay attention. Now, how do you have? Nate Burleson? Ontarrio Smith? There is no one to fill the huge void that has been created. Minnesota is 0-4 in Superbowls and that record will be unchanged for quite some time. The "Purple People Eaters" will be drinking soy milk and eating veggie burgers. Minnesota has lost their chance for the NFC Central crown.
Email Bag
There is a plethora of emails this weeks on a variety of topics, let's get to them.
The first one is from Kevin, regarding the article on Tom Brady, by Callie Spear
I’m not spending much time on Brady because I do not think he is worth it. I mean yeah he has Super Bowl rings and I know that is a big accomplishment but he is no Montana or anywhere close. He should not even be mentioned in the same voice as Montana. By comparing him to Joe we are saying yeah, he is the best QB in the league today. Which is BS!!!!!!Hello, did someone say Favra? This is simple. Who would you pick? One QB today, to play one game for you? Now lets change the topic a little bit here. The “Great Barry Bonds”, Oh my god I almost lost my lunch. Anyway, Every one says Bardan so great? Because Jois great and I say he belongs in the same boat as Brady. Here is way. Brady is a good QB who has done a lot for his team but he’s team has done so much more for him. Barry on the other hand has done a lot for him self and nothing for he’s team. I know what you Giant fans are saying but look at it this way. I’m a Dodger fan and I do not fear Bonds at all, why? Because he has never hurt us. Actually he has never hurt any team with one of his many homeruns (solo I may add). This is why I compare the two. If Brady is great because he has three Super Bowl Rings than what does that make Barry? Or do we hold baseball players on a different level? Why was Jordan killed you!!!!!!!!!! So did Joe. I do not remember Brady or Bonds killing anyone. Actually I would take Adam Vinatieri over Brady, at least I fear him…………Big Kev, LATE!
Wow, that's what we call a smackdown!! I guess there's no love for Mr. Brady....the next email is from Tim.
BIG AVERY!!!!!
Alright, so I saw the response on my e-mail regarding Jim Brown some
weeks ago. I don't mean to beat a dead horse but I think that Patrick is
missing the much larger point: A team doesn't "get left holding the
bag" if it doesn't want to put itself in the position to prosper. Look at
the tapes or at the "NFL Films Presents", Patrick. Look at Jim Brown's
teams and Barry Sanders' teams. You know what you'd see: A superior
talent who is forced to carry the load of his team due to the lack of
talent put in place around them. Jim Brown's front line couldn't block my
two toddler kids from stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. And let's
not start on what "that little shrimp" Barry had in place around him
(Herman Moore excluded). You'd dance in the backfield like that, too, if
you had two tons of defensive linemen on your ass. You'd move around
faster than Michael Jackson in prison.
When guys like Patrick pull that abandonment card, It's frustrating.
And I have the perfect modern day example: Kevin Garnett. Saw him on TNT
just yesterday talking to Coach John Thompson and you could just feel
his pain. Exceptional, special players welcome the leadership mantle.
It's what sets them apart from the pack. But that mantle sometimes
becomes a boulder of stress, frustration and burden when they see their
efforts going for naught. It pushes some to the point of complacency, some
others break themselves beyond human comprehension, and others recognize
the situation and cut their losses.
Don't tell me their teams got left holding the bag. Those same teams
couldn't even have a bag to hold anything had it not been for those two
gentlemen. Give Jim Brown a dominant receiver or a quarterback who can
throw a decent forward pass and he gets AT LEAST three more rings. Give
Barry an offenisive line that can block their man from the point of
attack and he CRUSHES Walter Payton's record, let alone get a ring. These
two men looked down the figurative roads of their careers and saw the
futility that awaited. Jim left and stayed gone for the reasons Avery
indicated so appropriately. Barry even tried to come back and make some
amends by looking to continue in another city... And the selfish
management of the Lions decided that if they can't have him, then the rest of
the league and NFL history in general would have to suffer.
So I say YEA to those teams and "the bags they were left holding".
Nothing like putting marginal teams around your superstar and then blaming
THEM for the team's shortcomings. Their stats, desire and production
were always there. But I thought these were TEAM sports, anyway?
Both those men proved their worth in the league and anyone who
villifies them for their ultimate departures doesn't fully understand the
mentality of great players. Michael Jordan once said: "Great players like
winning, but they absolutely HATE losing." Barry fit this more than Jim,
but both made tough decisions and have lived comfortably with them ever
since.
Let the great ones live.
HOLLA!
Tim
Game, set and match to Tim.
Thanks for all of the email feedback, and we will have more on Thursday. Our "Battle of the NFL Cheeleaders" will start on Thursday as well. I also recommend taking a look at The Sports Rant (I pasted the URL here), they have an excellent array of articles on the latest sports news. Please send all new membership requests and email inquiries to me.
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