Ranting With Rizzo Replay 8-31-11

Miss Ranting with Rizzo, or just want
to catch up? Here it is:

The Curse Has Legs

I wrote a story about a curse that hasn't
really picked up the type of steam that
the "Curse of the Bambino" or the "Curse
of the Billy Goat" has over the years,
but I promise you that soon enough,
Jets fans will be all too familiar with
what I'm saying, only curse words are
what they will be using to describe it
as opposed to describing it as a "Curse".
This follow up is merely to acknowledge
a fellow writer, Ed Hawkins of 212Sports
who wrote of his frustrations with the
Jets Offense in their preseason game vs
the Giants last night, and even more so
with OC Brian Schottenheimer.

Frankly I'm not surprised, and if you're a
Jets fan you shouldn't be either. In the
original piece I eluded to in detail how
the Schottenheimer clan (there's 3 of them)
have never won anything on any level, and
now, not too long after Marty, Brian's
father was named head coach of the Virginia
Destroyers of the UFL comes word that the
league is in danger of folding. Their
season is already starting later than they
expected, and one of their five teams won't
play at all due to financial struggles.
Now the economy is bad, we can all agree,
but is the "Curse" worse?

Hey ! You've Been Named Head Coach, But......

Chrisryanphoto.com
Uh yeah, about that. We aren't going to
actually play this season, and next season
is still up in the air, but your the Head
Coach. I'm sure that is something like the
dialogue went went the United Football League
told Jerry Glanville that even though he was
not only the Head Coach and GM of the Hartford
Colonials, the team would never see the field
in his 1st season and they were not sure they
would next year either. Sorry Jerry, that's
the story.

In The Vick Of Time

After spending 18 months in Federal prison on
charges stemming form being involved in a
dog fighting ring Michael Vick led the Eagles
to an NFC East title, was the starting QB in
the Pro Bowl and was the AP Comeback Player
of the Year, and now the payoff. Vick signed
a deal worth $100 million, including about
$40 million guaranteed, terms of the deal were
not disclosed, but you can bet (no pun intended)
there is plenty of language in there involving
conduct, behavior and image. He may no longer
be bankrupt after this deal is complete, but
he better watch his P's and Q's if he wants to
see ALL of this money. I'm sure this new deal
just warms the cockles of Arthur Blanks heart.

The Other Chris Johnson Has A Better Chance

Not many people realize this, but there
is more than one Chris Johnson in the NFL
and even though the lesser know CJ is a CB
and not a RB, it seems that after today the
lesser known one has a better chance of
rushing for the 2,500 yards that CJ2K
predicted he would get last year, this year.
As of today the Titans placed their Johnson
on the reserve did not report list and there
is no doubt in my mind that this is going to
get ugly, NONE!

They Missed Another One

Chris Faytok/The Star-Ledger
NY Giants fans were more than a little annoyed
after the Giants seemingly dropped the ball
so to speak on resigning Steve Smith not more
than mere days after letting Kevin Boss slip
out of there grasp as well, and it seems like
they might be more than a little ticked off
if Derek Hagan turns into something after
knowing that they had him in their possession
at one point as well. The Oakland Raiders
didn't look great against the Saints on Sunday
night football this week, but there were quite
a few bright spots, and for a guy who is trying
to make the team, that means a lot. Hagan was
one of those few bright spots, Derek Hagan led
the Raiders with six receptions for 121 yards
and a touchdown against the Saints and his
performance as well as an impressive training
camp this pre-season is likely to earn Hagan
a roster spot on a team that may actually have
too many decent receivers this year. If there
is such a thing as too many decent receivers,
that is.

He Can See ! He Can Seeeeeeee!

Al Bello/Getty Images

Well, at least it appears that Sandy Alderson
isn't that blind after all. I was getting to
write a piece about how the Mets got to about
3 games over .500 while David Wright was out
of the lineup, and how now they are 7 under
with him in the lineup when up comes a story
from Troy Renck of the Denver Post on how
the Mets earlier this month put David Wright
on waivers. I can see full well that Wright
hasn't lost all these games on his own, but
I feel confident in saying he hasn't won many
either, and even less at Citifield. It is
time for the Mets to cut their losses and hope
that some team makes them a reasonable offer.
Alderson, I hope is preparing for a Jose Reyes
bid to stay here, because it is quite evident
how much more competitive they can be with him
in the lineup, and Mets fans should be glad
Jose is out. The reason you ask? One they
got to see a David Wright led Mets team, and
they got to see a Jose Reyes Mets led team,
and there is no comparison, and secondly,
the injury made Jose more affordable to the
Mets. Contrary to popular belief Jose is not
injury prone, he plays hard and it seems that
way. Sandy, pull the trigger.

Ranting With Rizzo Replay 8-24-11

Last week there was no replay because I was
away and the station played a best of.
This week there was, and it was quite good.
Listen in as we start to get on a roll.

Hall of Fame or Shame Full Group ?

Listed below are the writers, journalists, arrogant
shmucks that vote on who gets into the Pro Football
Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio. Of course it goes
without saying that the above description does not
apply to all these folks, but there are certainly
enough in that bunch that the description needed
to be included, at least in my eyes. These folks
have not always been responsible for HOF voting,
yet they are right now, and the most glaring
omission every year seems to be that on a football
field their are usually 33 positions filled, and
even more blame to pass around when things go bad,
but not one single Punter in those hallowed halls
in Canton. Hard to believe, don't you think?
That in approximately 100 years of football, the
HOF voters have not deemed ONE Punter worthy of
this distinction. Keep in mind that this is not
the NFL hall of fame, but it is rather the PRO
FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME, and though we know that
it is clearly dominated by players that made
their name in the NFL, it is not the NFL HOF.

Going into the HOF is not just something that is
an honor for many players, it is also a way to
continue making a living once it's clear that
they have no other way to do so in the game.
Not everyone becomes a coach, exec, or agent,
and like everything else in real life, not all
of us are good at managing our money. Once a
player is elected he also can right some
financial wrongs. Autographs become a commodity.
You can go from signing your autograph for $5 a
pop to signing them for $25. This is just an
example, but a decent one at that.

And, oh yeah, even though it's not pro football,
college football gives out the Ray Guy award every
year the the country's best punter.

Ray Guy, a three time Superbowl champion, 7 time
Pro Bowler, 3 Time First team All Pro, and the
first Punter to EVER be drafted in the 1st round,
as well as being elected the Punter for the NFL's
75th anniversary team is NOT, NOT in the Hall of
Fame. This fact alone is frustrating enough, but
what probably takes the cake on this is that when
asked most of the writers/voters will tell you,
"oh, he'll get in". To put it mildly WTF??????
What makes someone a HOF'er in ten years, or worse
yet, when he's dead, that doesn't make him one
today? Why must these idiots given this huge
responsibility behave like such children?

Ray Guy in some ways can be seen as a shmuck as
well if you like, but just maybe. You see, Guy
had to file for bankruptcy, and though it's
quite possible that this is very much his own
fault, it is also possible that just like the
rest of us, times are bad, money's tight, and
the economy stinks. Because of this bankruptcy,
he has been ordered by a judge to sell his
Superbowl rings to help raise money to pay off
his debts, and though I agree that this may be
the right thing to do, he may not have to if
there was another way to raise these funds.
Unlike many other ex pro athletes, Guy has not
been accused of Check Fraud, Ponzi Schemes,
Fraud, etc., etc. Ray Guy has put himself in
a bad situation, one he created. Why must
the voters take away something he earned in his
living years only to award it to him when it's
too late for him to enjoy it? Is he deserving
of the same fate as Pete Rose?

It's clear here, and I say/write it often, I am
not the most eloquent writer. Most of my best
work is done verbally in front of a microphone,
but I hope this doesn't get in the way of the
point I have tried to make here. You may not
be a Ray Guy fan, or a Raider fan, or even care
about the HOF, but if you are sports fan enough
to read this far into this piece, then you should
consider email one of these writers, especially
the ones in your city, or all of them if you have
it in you and let them know that this silly
waiting game serves no purpose. It does not
reward these players for the accolades they have
earned. It merely displays a power trip that is
not worthy of true journalistic integrity.
Ray Guy is NOT the only player affected here, but
he merits being mentioned when you consider that
you cannot play football on Sunday without a
punter with the current rules, but these voters
want you to think that they have been all along.


Ari Kent Somers, Arizona Republic
Atl Len Pasquarelli, The Sports Xchange
Bal Scott Garceau, WMAR-TV
Buf Mark Gaughan, Buffalo News
Car Darin Gantt, Rock Hill Herald
Chi Dan Pompei, Chicago Tribune
Cin Joe Reedy, Cincinnati Enquirer
Cle Tony Grossi, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Dal Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News
Den Jeff Legwold, Denver Post
Det Tom Kowalski, Booth Newspapers (Deceased 8/29/11)
GB Cliff Christl, Green Bay Press-Gazette
Hou John McClain, Houston Chronicle
Ind Mike Chappell, Indianapolis Star
Jac Sam Kouvaris, WJXT-TV
KC Bob Gretz, KCFootballReport.com
Mia Edwin Pope, Miami Herald
Min Sid Hartman, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune
NE Ron Borges, Boston Herald
NO Pete Finney, Times-Picayune
NYG Bob Glauber, Newsday
NYJ Gary Myers, New York Daily News
Oak Frank Cooney, The Sports Xchange
Phi Paul Domowitch, Philadelphia Daily News
Pit Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
StL Bernie Miklasz, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
SD Nick Canepa, San Diego Union Tribune
SF Nancy Gay, FoxSports.com
Sea Mike Sando, ESPN.com
Tam Ira Kaufman, Tampa Tribune
Ten David Climer, The Tennessean
Was David Elfin, AOL Fanhouse
Darryl Ledbetter Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At Large Howard Balzer, The Sports Xchange
At Large Jarrett Bell, USA Today
At Large John Clayton, ESPN/ESPN Magazine
At Large John Czarnecki, FOXSports.com
At Large Dave Goldberg, AOL Sports/Fanhouse
At Large Peter King, Sports Illustrated
At Large Ira Miller, The Sports Xchange
At Large Len Shapiro, Miami Herald
At Large Vito Stellino, Florida Times Union
At Large Jim Trotter, Sports Illustrated
At Large Charean Williams, Ft. Worth Star Telegram

Using Your Hands Is Definitely Allowed

What does two girls and a guy getting it on
have to do with sports? Well since it took
place at Fenway during a Red Sox game and it
was captured in a big big way by the ESPN
cameraman, well, then, everything, I guess.
Props to Deadspin for getting their hands
on this video, lol, where are they now, lol

Football Sidenotes

The Tampa Bay Bucs signed CB Ashton Youboty,
pronounced "Ya Booty" to cover their Booty
in case corner Aqib Talib gets suspended for
off the field idiocy.

Found it most interesting to hear that Plaxico
Burress told HBO that before he shot himself
in the leg he didn't know who Mayor Bloomberg
was. Now you know why he's not a QB, all that
thinking must hurt.

The Mets err Giants Win The Pennant !

Courtesy: Metsblob
I am stealing this next line from someone I admire,
Len Berman: On this day back in 1951 The New York
Giants fell 13 1/2 games behind the Brooklyn
Dodgers. What happened after that, was history.
It culminated with, "The Giants win the pennant,
the Giants win the pennant!" The rest is mine:

Last night the NY Mets fell 10 Games behind the
Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card Standings, and
as good and gritty as the Mets have been at times
the Braves just won't lose. It does beg the
question though, is a comeback like the one the
Giants made over the Dodgers possible or is it
just that we don't want to believe it's possible
because it will only break our hearts as Mets fans?
Realistically and speaking of broken hearts, you
need only go back about five years to see an
example that's just about as miraculous, when
the Phillies overtook the Mets 7 1/2 game lead
with only 17 to go, a record collapse.

I for one do not think the Mets will overcome
this 10 game lead by the Braves, but you can't
deny that this is not only possible, but also
not that uncommon. Let's Go Mets !

Follow me on Twitter at @MadStorkSports

In Case Yoiu've Missed It

If you haven't had the opportunity to catch Mad Stork Sports
with Nick Rizzo (<--Me ^) on Scatter Radio yet, here is some of
what you may have missed. Hope you get the chance to tune in
and join me this and every Wednesday at 6PM Eastern. Enjoy !

Ranting With Rizzo Replay 8-9-11

Lots of baseball talk on the show this week,
and smack in the middle of the pennant race
it seems to make the most sense. A few NFL
news and notes in case you missed some,
and the usual antics. Enjoy the show !

Does Steve Williams Understand He's A Douche?

I guess this is sort of a rhetorical question of
sorts, because though it may not need an answer
so to speak, it does make me scratch a hole in
my head. I mean does Steve Williams realize that
in spite of the money he's made as a caddie, he is
really no more than a Men's room attendant on a
golf course? I mean no disrespect to those hard
working Men's room attendants around the world
who actually do a great job dealing with the hand
they've been dealt, but I use this term in the
worst way that a bathroom attendant is stereo-
typically seen. He carried Tiger Woods' bags for
eleven years, he may as well have been hand rolling
the condoms on his penis for all we know. What a
Douche! STFU! Adam Scott won the golf tournament
idiot, not you! Best feeling in all your years in
the game???? What game? Your a friggin caddie, and
an overpaid one at that. You are the best example
of how STUPID people can be sometimes, and in the
process you actually made Tiger Woods look good.
Do you know how hard that is? A man who slept with
porn stars and diner waitress rejects while his kids
and wife knew none the better, and you made him look
good for a moment, Bravo, Idiot ! Oh and by the way,
SFTU !

Ho-Hum

This weekend has the Yankees facing the Red Sox
at Fenway and the Braves visiting the Mets at
Citifield. Good thing one of them means a
little something, or Major League Baseball might
have a TV ratings coronary.

Ranting With Rizzo Replay 8-2-11

Lots of NFL and MLB transaction talk,
so check it out and make sure to drop
the show and email at rizzo@wdisam.com

Could There Be A New Titletown ?

It may sounds strange saying this about a
city that only has ONE Title in the past
20 plus years, and that came three years
ago, but in this past MLB off season there
was one prize jewel on the market and that
was Cliff Lee. The Phillies were no where
to be found when it came to rumors as to
where he might end up, and swoop, out of
nowhere, Mr. Lee the prize jewel himself
decides to take LESS money, that's right
it's not a typo, and go to Philadelphia.

If this sounds familiar, it could very well
be because there was a repeat of that just
this past week. Nnamdi Asomougha was the
prize jewel, of the NFL off season free agent
market and he too took less money to join a
Philadelphia team (sound familiar?). Very
few if anyone thought he would end up with
the Eagles and low and behold, SWOOP, just
like the real life Eagles, here they came,
even though the odds up until the last few
minutes gave the NY Jets an 80% chance to land
him, and the Dallas Cowboys a 20% chance, and
there was NO ONE else in the picture according
to the "EXPERTS".

Now, landing these two big fish does not ensure
that the Phillies and Eagles will win Titles
this season, or even appear in the finals of
their respective leagues for that matter, but
you can't deny that the Phillies are a serious
contender and at the very top of the list to at
least represent the National League with their
stellar starting rotation. The Eagles, dare I say
it, may have the best secondary since Mike Haynes
and Lester Hayes, and yes they won a "Title", and
though that alone won't win it, the Eagles don't
have huge holes on offense especially with a
healthy Michael Vick who has now assured everyone
that he is truly back.

Now with the term "Title Town", you have to have at
least three teams in the four major sports, and
Philly supersedes that by have at least one in all
four, so when you take a look at the other two teams,
you will see that the possibility of earning this
moniker is not so far fetched. The 76ers may have
the toughest road to travel, but they did make the
NBA playoffs this year, so that's a decent start,
and the Flyers were in the Finals just two short
years ago, so it isn't a stretch to believe that
they can not only repeat this feat, but this time
come away with the victory. Anyway you slice this
Philadelphia is no ones second city when it comes to
sports, and it may be a little pre mature to give
them this honor, but there's no doubt they're a
threat to take it. Look out Boston.