My thoughts on sports and life

     A debate has begun this postseason. Both sides of the debate have good points, and plenty of evidence to support their positions, as well as plenty of support. It could be a discussion for the ages; one that continues on for years, with no clear winner. Lives could be changed forever and families divided. Ok, maybe not that. It's not offense vs defense, or AFC vs NFC, or even Patriots vs Giants. This controversial and colossal clash is...Peyton vs Eli?      Peyton Manning is widely regarded as one of the best quarterbacks to play the game of football in history. He led his team to the playoffs 9 straight seasons up until this year's injury. He won a Super Bowl and made it to another. He is an 11-time Pro-Bowler, a 4-time league MVP, and a sure-fire 1st ballot hall of famer. Yet, there is a large faction who will tell you that Peyton withers in the playoffs, and that his younger brother is the better of the two once the postseason starts. ...

     Knute Rockne said "The essence of football is was blocking, tackling, and execution based on timing, rhythm, and deception." More recently, and more aptly, Gloria Estefan said "The rhythm is gonna get you." Momentum and rhythm are a huge part of football, and any other sport for that matter, turning the tide of games and even entire seasons. This has been on full display over the past several years in the NFL playoffs.      This year's Super Bowl will be played by the AFC's #1 seeded New England Patriots, and the NFC's #4 seeded New York Giants. The Patriots were one of the best teams in football all year long, and they are where most people thought they would wind up. Tom Brady leads one of the best offenses in the NFL, and with a head coach that pushes all the right buttons, they consistently are among the contenders for a championship.      The Giants, however, did not have a great season. After starting 6-2, they los...

Opening Statement: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I intend to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the city of Cincinnati and, more specifically, the fans of the Cincinnati Bengals, deserve a change at head coach, and that the Marvin Lewis era needs to come to an end. I will present evidence to show that the team will be better off, and thus the fans will be happier due to a more successful team. Mr Lewis has now been here for 9 seasons, with a little more success than his predecessors, but still not a lot of success when compared to most other teams. I know he's beloved by a lot of Bengals fans, but the facts will show that his success isn't as clear as it may appear to be, and that they could be much better off. Good people of this jury, I will now present my case. Exhibit A-The illusion of record.      If you just look at the record of the Bengals since Lewis was hired in 2003, you'd see that they only finished under .500 3 times. It should also be noted ...

     It's playoff time, and like any good fan, I've got thoughts about what will happen. I made a preseason prediction of Packers vs Steelers in a Super Bowl rematch. That prediction remains a possibility, but something has happened that I didn't expect. My team, the Cincinnati Bengals, has made the playoffs. Now, they haven't won a playoff game in a long, long time. They swept the AFC North two years ago, and then laid an egg against the Jets in the 1st round of the postseason. This year, they don't exactly go into the playoffs with momentum, and one beat one team with a winning record all season. So, odds are that they will stumble early again. To quote Lee Corso "Not so fast my friend". Here are my playoff predictions (as seen through my orange and black tinted glasses).      In round one, the Bengals draw Houston. Houston also backs into the playoffs, and are missing their starting QB. The Texans beat Cincinnati once this season, on a last se...

The regular season is over, and the playoffs are set. Some teams go into the playoffs with on a roll. Some teams are going in, well, not on a roll. This week Matt Flynn sees Rodgers 5 TDs and raises him 1, the Giants and Cowboys go all in with the Boys leaving the table, the Falcons get the luck of the draw and go to New York instead of New Orleans, and the Jets just decide to fold. Here we go: Week 17 Power Rankings: 32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-They should have cut about half the players at halftime. What an embarrassment. 31. St Louis Rams-At least they tried in their last game. 30. Indianapolis Colts-It's going to be an interesting off-season in Indianapolis. 29. Cleveland Browns-The offense in Cleveland is a travesty. 28. Minnesota Vikings-Joe Webb and Toby Gerhart on one side, Josh McCown and Kahlil Bell on the other. Talk about a lack of star power in this one. 27. Washington Redskins-Fitting end to the year, blown out by the Eagles. 26. Jacksonville Jaguars-Nothing to...

     Well, it's that time of year. It's time for us to make promises and set goals that we have no hope, or intention, of keeping or attaining beyond, maybe, a month. Yes, it's New Year's resolution time. Whether it's to stop smoking or drinking, or to lose weight, or to simply spend more time with the family, we'll all put in maximum effort in for a short period of time before they find us passed out, with a cheeseburger in one hand and a pack of Marlboro in the other.      This year, I'm foregoing this tradition, not because I don't need to improve on things (trust me, that's not the case), but because resolutions always seem so hollow, and therefore, easily broken. I mean, how can you take a person saying they're going to quit drinking seriously, when they make that promise while drunk? I do have some things that need working on,though, like everybody else.      I could vow to not be such a sore loser. I am the most compet...