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Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

Mad Stork Sports with Nick Rizzo Replay 12-30-11

In case you missed the show this week, we discussed
the Drew Brees Record breaker on Monday night against
the Falcons, the NFL Playoff scenarios going into this
weekend and much much more. Here is your podcast,
Enjoy !



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Who Are These Arkansas Paperbacks, errr Razorbacks?

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Arkansas

In the 2008 NFL Draft the Arkansas Razorbacks had the
honor of having a trio of running backs drafted and
eventually start for three different NFL franchises.
Darren McFadden became the stud back for the Raiders,
Felix Jones was drafted by the Cowboys and has been a
starter for them as well, and Peyton Hillis who was
originally drafted by the Denver Broncos, and was
later traded to the Browns is currently their starter
and leading rusher.

Now to my headline. As previously mentioned, one or
all members of this trio are either the starter for
their team or at have been, but it isn't because of
performance that more often than not that they aren't
the starter. Coming in to 2011 all three were either
the feature back or soon became that, but they cant
stay on the field, they are constantly on the injury
report. In a combined 45 games so far this season,
these three backs have managed to play in a total of
30 of those games, a mere 67%. Darren McFadden is the
biggest culprit of all having missed the all but seven
this season and is listed as out this weekend against
the Chargers. Peyton Hillis has been out for such
things as Strep Throat, and advice from his agent to
not rush back too soon and get hurt. In the last game
Felix Jones had just four rushing attempts in what was
a blowout loss to the Eagles, and was kept out in order
to ensure he would be healthy for this weeks must win
game against the Giants. Three weeks ago he had just
six attempts against the Cardinals in another expensive
loss by the Cowboys.

Jones is a probable this week, Hillis should play in what
is now a meaningless season finale for the Browns, and
McFadden is all but out for sure in a game the Raiders
must have in order to ensure a possible playoff birth.

Going forward can these three be counted on? Hillis is
holding out hope that he will "get paid" this off season,
but how big an investment would you make in him if you
were the one paying? Felix Jones is actually in jeopardy
of eventually losing his starting job, and maybe even his
roster spot. One thing for sure in the NFL is that no one,
including Peyton Manning is beyond that sort of speculation.
You can't be the starter if you can't play. McFadden is
clearly the biggest fish here, and the safest to stay, but
after huge splashes of brilliance last year and a great
start to this season, can the Raiders depend on him to stay
on the field? All three of these backs are obviously very
talented, and lots of questions remain, but my question is
something more along the lines of: Was there something in
the water at Arkansas? NO, I am not implying PED's, though
no one is immune ti that. I just wonder what the heck has
gone wrong with these three.




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Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

Drew Brees Knocks In Hall Of Fame Door

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

In isn't too far of a stretch to say that the way
Drew Brees passed Dan Marino for the all time
single season record for passing yards was a
statement. With the Super Bowl ring on his finger,
five Pro Bowl selection, and a Super Bowl MVP he
is certainly making the San Diego Chargers regret
the day they gave up on him. The only question I
have is, with the game so clearly in hand against
the Falcons on Monday night, did he really need to
do it then, and score to boot? It wasn't the final
home game of the season, he'll most certainly see
snaps next week, no matter how few, and it was just
a case of running up the score at that point, so was
it necessary? I am not necessarily criticising the
decision, I'm just curious if it was the classiest of
decisions? Whether is was Sean Payton's play calling
or Brees just wanting put a bow on it, I don't know,
but I can assure you it isn't a clear cut answer.
It seems a little school yard, it seems a little much,
but whatever the case, it is what it is. I just wish
some of these athletes could show a little restraint
some time. I mean what harm could it do?


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Ranting With Rizzo Replay 12-26-11

Ranting with Rizzo was on the air Christmas Eve
and in case you other stuff going on, and missed
the show, here is your podcast. Happy Holidays !




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Happy Holidays From Mad Stork Sports

Zazzle

Thanks for the Support through out the year, and
regardless of what you celebrate during this
Holiday Season, be safe, and have a good one !



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NFL Stone Cold Locks Week 16

AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

The Stone Cold Locks have cooled off a bit, but last week
I'm sure everyone had the Packers, and we all lost, but
nonetheless I lost, and the record stands at 37-8.
With two regular season weeks left and the playoffs, my
only goal to stay stay undefeated the rest of the way,
let's see how this week goes.

1. Baltimore - They're at home, I should be safe

2. Pittsburgh - Tomlin won't allow a 2nd straight loss

3. New Orleans - Like taking candy from a baby

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Mad Stork Sports with Nick Rizzo Replay 12-23-11

The Podcast is ready for download, so if you missed our
show on Wednesday night you can catch up to the still
fresh items right hear. The talk for this show involves
the upcoming NFL week as well as the past week. Another
scandal with ties to the sports world, and a little bit
of everything else as we gear up for the Holidays.




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Colts Win Again, and The Andrew Luck Plot Thickens

Colts Owner Jim Irsay (Nam Y. Huh, AP)

So the Indianapolis Colts last night won their second
game of the season and after starting off 0-13 did
almost the same thing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did in
1977 when they started 0-12 and won their last 2 games
off the season (16 game schedule began in 1978).
Difference here is that the Buccaneers were dying for
victories, and these Colts, or at least their ownership
would rather not win again, so that they could be in the
drivers seat in the April draft and either draft Andrew
Luck, or at least be able to command a Kings ransom for
him if they decide they don't want him after all.

Though I don't have all the tiebreaker scenarios ready to
shoot at you, should this remain a three way tie at the
end of the season like it is now, between the Vikings,
Rams, and Colts, ESPN'S Adam Schefter did Tweet that as
of right now the Colts still pick first if they are all
at 2 wins after 15 games.

Like the Colts, unless the Rams have given up on Sam
Bradford like Jim Irsay may be ready to cut ties with
Peyton Manning, the Rams have their QB of the future.
Yet since it has not been as rosy in St. Louis as many
thought it would be by now with the Rams, Spagnuolo,
and Bradford, myself included, it is possible that the
Rams move on from Bradford and take Luck if they are in
a position to do so. If this is indeed the case, the
Rams can get quite a bit for Bradford, as the Colts might
hope to get for Manning, if indeed they are in a position
to do so. Then of course there's the Vikings. They too
may be able to pass, if they truly believe in Christian
Ponder that is. Confused yet? The NFL hopes so. All of
this intrigue is what drives the league to an unbridled by
it's fans.

The Vikings still have two games left, at Washington on
12/24, which is a winnable game, depending on which Skins
team shows up, and home to the Bears on 1/1, also winnable,
but not as much if Cutler plays, and the Bears are still
alive. Of course with the new rookie friendly salary cap
numbers that came with the new CBA that was just signed,
ownership of these teams don't necessarily want to win
these games, but don't tell the players that. They have
Christian Ponder, did they see enough this year to make
them believe he is the quarterback of the future for
them?

The Rams are at Pittsburgh on 12/24, so ownership doesn't
have to wish to hard for a loss their, and the finish at
home against the 49er's, but since the 49er's may not
have too much to play for at that point, the Rams may just
fall into a victory in that one.

The Colts are in the best position of all, unless they win
that is. They currently hold the tiebreaker as of right
now, and are on the road for the final game of the season
against a Jacksonville team that will want it more than
they do for various reasons, so they may not have a choice
but lose.

At the end of the day, this is over and done with yet, and
until all the games are played, the plot will remain thick.



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NHL Scores BIG With Rangers Flyers Winter Classic

It's pretty rare that I write about hockey, but make no
mistake about it, I am a hockey fan. As a matter of
fact I am a New York Rangers fan. A Rangers fan that
clearly remembers the night that the chant 1940 was no
longer relevant to the opposition. That being said,
as much as I love the Rangers, I'm not as well read on
the game as I wish I was. Just don't let that fool you
into thinking that I don't enjoy the game.

This year the NHL Winter Classic comes to NY, well sort
of. Realistically it involves New York, but takes place
in Philadelphia, and how could anyone ask for a better
match up than the Rangers and the Flyers to kick of the
2012 part of the NHL season? One of the original six,
and a deep seeded rivalry to boot, WOW.

The NHL often takes a backseat to the NFL, and MLB, and
in the US that is to be expected. Depending on who you
ask, it also takes a little nudge back to the NBA, and
even MLS at times, deserved or not. On this day however
in really moves to the front of the line. The Winter
Classic not only gives the NHL the attention it needs,
and rightfully deserves, but it's been done so well, that
it actually draws National, and Continental attention.
Every match up it's it's short, but successful history
just gets better, and better. Having it appear at such
historical places as Wrigley field in Chicago, and Fenway
Park in Boston only adds to its allure, and the Alumni
game is just a special added bonus.

What drove me to write about this is not just that I
think this is a great idea, but unlike Inter League
play in Baseball, no one is grumbling about it.
The NHL goes on to make the event even better and quite
more interesting by throwing in the Alumni game a couple
of days before the game itself takes place and with two
teams like the Rangers, and Flyers you get such notable
names as, Bobby Clarke, Eric Lindros, Jeremy Roenick,
Rick Tocchet, and Bernie Parent(Ambassador) for the
Flyers and John Vanbiesbrouck, Ron Greschner, Brian Leetch,
Dave Maloney, Ron Duguay, Nick Fotiu, Mike Gartner, Adam
Graves..............the list goes on and on. The Rangers
were even smart enough to invite back Mike Keenan to coach.
It may be alot of fun out there, but I assure you that some
sparks will be flying as well, no matter how many senior
moments you might get.

I can't stress enough what a great event this has turned
out to be, and as a sports fan you owe it to yourself to
take a peak at the very least. This game embodies what it
felt like to be young and hit the streets to play ball
of any sort, no matter the weather, or conditions. It is
sure to bring out the kid in all of us, and might even fool
us into thinking that trying it one more time won't tear
a hamstring or groin, but don't try this at home, they are
of course paid professionals.


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Kobe Bryant, Deion Sanders Divorces: Is This Sports?

Courtesy: Myspace/Prissy

The talk seemingly gets louder whenever these types of
names make the news, whether it's Kris Humphries and
Kim Kardashian, or Tiger, or anyone of these Mega Super
Stars, but just because they are athletes or players of
sorts, is this "Sports" news? It seems that the guys
who want to talk about this are becoming worse than the
women they are with at the supermarket checking out the
tabloids at the checkout line. Quick disclaimer: I am
not calling Kris Humphries a Mega Super Star, I meant
Kim.

I am often left not understanding how these stories make
headlines on sports websites. I understand that they
make the news, they are of course celebrities, but is it
the demand of the sports fan that is getting this so much
attention? We talked about the Tiger fiasco for what was
seemingly forever, and it took up huge chunks of time on
the sports talk radio stations as well as the 24 hour
sports networks. It was news for sure, but was it sports
news? I guess you could make a case that that may be the
only one since it affected his game so much. Deion is
retired, is that sports news? Kobe's game hasn't been
affected at all so far, so should we assume it will?
After all this is the same guy that was on trial for rape,
does it get too much bigger than that? Kris Humphries?
C'mon, really? He married a girl who's only real claim to
fame is that she had sex in front of a camera. Let the
gossip mongers follow that one, but how is this sports news
news worthy. Do we talk about the Dow Jones or stock market
in between highlights?

I guess I just don't get it? How much do you think we will
be talking about this Kobe or Deion thing? I'm done, what
about you?



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Texas Rangers Win Right To Overpay Yu Darvish, Fans Lose

AP Photo

The old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Well it's broke, so why isn't anybody fixing it?
I don't understand how we have gotten to this point.
You would think that after all that has transpired with
Japanese pitchers like Hideki Irabu(RIP), Kai Igawa,
Daisuke Matsuzaka, etc. we might have learned a thing
or two. Trust me, I am by no means saying, don't sign
them, but $51.7 to negotiate a contract and then in
turn pay the pitcher another $40-$80 million more.
That's nuts, insane and just plain stupid, but it gets
done over and over again for one main reason, it's your
money.

The argument is already being made that Darvish is the
best Japanese pitcher to come from Japan since Matsuzaka.
Well Matsuzaka cost the Red Sox $103 Million between
posting fee(51.1M) and contract(6 years for 52M) and his
record after five years he is 49-30 with 4.25ERA with a
very good team. This is not worthy of investing $17Mil+
per year on a pitcher that averages 3.9 games over .500
per year. Would you pay an American pitcher $17Mil if
he would be 10-6 every year? That's what he's averaging.

Yu Darvish has gaudy pitching numbers, but his numbers
hold the ultimate ***asterisk***. He pitches in Japan!
Smaller ballpark, smaller ball, smaller players, six
man rotation = pitching once per week. Do you know who
Tuffy Rhodes is? Rhodes was an American baseball player
who is the all-time leader for foreign-born players, and
tied for 10th overall, with 474 home runs in Japan.*
Do you know what his numbers are in the US? Six seasons,
13 Home Runs, .224 batting average. Get it?

My issue here is clearly not with Darvish, or even the
fact that he is half Iranian. I would never hold that
against him. My issue here is with the posting fee.
It's bad business that eventually only trickles down to
the fans, win or lose. It's broken, and needs to be fixed !

*Wikipedia

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Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

Ranting With Rizzo Replay 12-19-11

The talk was about "Elite" NFL QB's & the matchup
of Tim Tebow higher power vs the defensive mind of
Bill Belichick, some chatter regarding the Sandusky
hearings and the Sam Hurd drug charges. Enjoy




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Stone Cold Locks NFL Week 15

Ronald Martinez - Getty Images

The record stands at 35-7, and to me that is pretty
mediocre for a Stone Cold Lock type of picks segment,
so I will try and finish the season strong, but I
think I just need a little cooperation from the teams
that are supposed to win. Let's see what happens.

1. New England - I've been talking trash all week

2. Arizona - Imagine seeing them here, weird

3. Packers - KC too prone to blowouts this year


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Follow Up: Tim Tebow Not The Answer In 2012

Getty Images

I have gone on the air more than once this week, and
said that not John Elway, nor John Fox should be
trusted when they espouse their support of Tim Tebow.
That sentiment has been supported even today in a
story by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, and quotes
from Broncos head coach John Fox. Fox replied to Jim
Rome during an appearance on his show when asked if
Tebow was the QB for the Broncos for 2012 by saying:

We get that question a lot, whether it’s John Elway or
myself, We’re both his biggest fans. I mean, we love
him. How would you not at 7-1? I think right now, all
our focus is, let’s get this season done. We love him,
he’s great, we’re pulling for him, and you know, we’ll
make those decisions when this season is over and not
worry about next season at this point.

This may be prudent as a head coach, but it also speaks
to how Tebow is truly viewed within the organization,
he is loved, respected, and even admired, but not
necessarily trusted to take them to the promise land.
As long as he keeps winning, they ride the Tebow train,
once the hiccups start, it's time to look in a different
direction. I expected nothing less, and neither should
Broncos fans. Question is will Lindsey Vonn still be
interested in a guy who lost his starting QB job?


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College Bowl Season Underway With A Few Cupcakes

(AP Photo/Andy Carpenean)

If you've been missing your college football, chances
are today is a good day for you, but if you have other
things on your plate and enjoy college football casually,
today is a little bit of a warmup of sorts.

Temple vs Wyoming kick things off at 2:00pm ET in the
Idaho Potato Bowl, at 5:30pm ET Ohio & Utah St try to
spice things up a little, and finally the New Orleans
Bowl features San Diego St against LA Lafayette.
Now these games aren't exactly a who's who of what
college football has to offer, but there are always
bound to be a few diamonds in the rough here that will
wind up on someones NFL roster, and might even play a
huge part next year.

This is only the beginning as the rest of the week will
have more interesting games for some, as the end of the
year starts to come to a close, but it will be mostly
like this until about the last week of the year.
The next one I'm looking forward to won't happen until
Notre Dame meets up with Florida St on the 29th.
Seventy teams in 35 games, that's 58% of all the teams
that play in the first division compared to 37.5% for
the NFL playoff format, but there aren't any playoffs,
so that's why it gets diluted sometimes. Enjoy!


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Mad Stork Sports with Nick Rizzo Replay 12-16-11

If you missed the show, you can get the podcast here,
and listen to the Tebow chatter, as well as what is
up with the Ryan Braun situation, Deidre Pujols tries
to explain why Albert left St. Louis, and why Derek
Jeter has been handing out gift baskets. Click away
and listen to what you may have missed.





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Genius Alert: Chicago Bears Sam Hurd Arrested For Drugs

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Every once in a while we get a story like this one that
makes you scratch your head so hard it leaves a bruise.
Here's a guy who was earning a base salary of over
$650,000 this year, and since it's his sixth year in
the league, it's safe to say that if he is the guy
everyone thought he was, could have a million or two
stashed away for a rainy day, all the while still living
a decent life. Sam Hurd today joined the list of
geniuses in the NFL that don't think it's enough, he
wanted more. Now he may reach the point were he won't
even be getting that base salary anymore, and he will
NEED more.

Is it really to many shots to the head?,Or perhaps the
basket weaving classes he took in college in order to
stay academically eligible to play football that failed
to educate him enough to not make theses types of foolish
moves? What is it about GREED that makes some one who
is at the pinnacle of his profession to do such stupid and
bone headed things? I am truly at a loss. By the way,
forget about that 650k+ base salary. The deal he signed
earlier this year was worth $5.1 million and all he had
to do was play three years for that. Now not only may he
lose that, but he may be asked to give back part of the
$1.35 million in signing bonus. A great example of why
NFL salaries are not guaranteed, and you thought is was
injuries.

The best or worst part of this story, depending on how you
wish to view it is still to come. According to a report
from 670 The Score in Chicago, Bears WR Sam Hurd supplied
drugs to NFL players numbering in the "double digits."*
Roger Goodell is gonna love this, well, not really.
It won't make a difference what Goodell thinks, Hurd's
career is over. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Hurd
was looking to buy "5 to 10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000
pounds of marijuana per week for distribution in the Chicago
area."* A real community guy, huh? Sam Hurd faces up to
40 years in prison. I can't wait to see who the next member
of this genius club is going to be.

*CBS Chicago

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If Colts Fire Jim Caldwell It Would Make Me 4 For 4

Back on October 17th I wrote a piece detailing which NFL
coaches were on the "HOT Seat", and as of yesterday the
first three on that list were gone, not in order, but
gone. Now comes word from Jason LaConfora at NFL.com
that if the Colts finish 0-16, Jim Caldwell is likely
gone. Well punch his ticket, he's done. The Colts next
three opponents are at home against Houston & Tennessee,
games both those teams will need, and at Jacksonville.
The last game is the only real game they have a shot at,
but I don't think the Jags are going to roll over as was
evidenced this past Sunday when they fell behind 14-0,
and came back to win 41-14 by scoring the next 41.

The next few on that list are not very likely to go, but
Leslie Frazier, and Steve Spagnuolo deserve to be looked
at for dismissal, while Ken Whizenhunt, Lovie Smith,
Tom Coughlin, and Rex Ryan should be safe. So who is
going to be the lucky referee in the war of the Roses
between Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning?


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Steelers James Harrison Is No Ndamukong Suh, But...

Associated Press

I'm not going to sit here and write anything that would
compare what James Harrison does on Sundays and say that
it even comes close to what we saw Ndamukong Suh do on
national TV on Thanksgiving day, but he is far from an
altar boy when it comes to dealing out punishment.

What Suh did was dirty, but that's only because it had
nothing to do with the play on the field, was after the
whistle, and he went on to blatantly lie about it after
we all saw it on slow motion replay, not that slow mo
necessary.

I am a huge fan of dishing out hits on QB's and receivers,
make them think twice. The quarterback must go down, and
he must go down hard*, but don't cry to me about it when
your caught going a little too far and you get fined for
it. This is the same guy that a couple of seasons ago
threatened to retire over these fines. As I often ask,
REALLY?, Give up nine figures because you got fined five,
and the other guy is still picking up his teeth, REALLY?
I understand you want to plead your case, and I am
totally with when you say the the rules on hitting may
seem a little strict, but look at it from the other side.
The rules are there to make sure the other guy doesn't
need a colostomy bag the rest of his life, so stop
F@#king crying over your fines when you have already had
the luxury to out earn about 98% of the people who cheer
you on. What really gets me about these rules is that
they call them in the wrong fashion, but like I've said
time and time again: I want the opponent to get carted
off the field, but when the game is over I hope that the
injury is only a stinger and that he feels and is GREAT.

James what you need to clear your head with is, do you
want to retire over these fines and find out what it might
be like to earn a normal living once again? Do you think
you might be interested in feeling the crippling pain that
is the result of one of your hits?, or should you just be
thankful that you haven't paralyzed anyone, and haven't
been paralyzed yourself? Go out there, be the stud defender
we all know you are, and stop whining when it's clear you
crossed that line, it is now a byproduct of the game, and
hopefully a deterrent to some to not accidentally kill
another player by mistake

*Al Davis

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Chicago Bears Sack Tebow, But Is It Fair?

Jack Dempsey - AP

Yahoo sports had a story regarding some of the comments
made by frustrated Bears players following another death
defying comeback by Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos,
and if you were them you might feel the exact same way,
but were those comments fair? Let's look at the ones
pointed out in the story shall we.

Brian Urlacher said: "He's a good running back.", well
he's probably right. Everyone is quick to point out that
Tebow has an excellent Touchdown to Interception ratio,
but he should, he throws much less than he runs, and even
though he's thrown more some weeks than he should, when
he's off the mark it's so bad even defenders can't catch
it. Tim Tebow is no QB.

Julius Peppers said: "It wasn't anything special that he
did" Correct. If it wasn't for Marion Barber failing to
stay in bounds when he went out of bounds, and later
fumbling to give Denver great field position, not Tebow
nor any QB on that team would have had a chance to win
that game.

Lance Briggs said: "He played hard. I respect a guy that
plays hard, him and all the other 10 guys on that field for
the Broncos." Hmmm, I don't see anything wrong with that,
do you?

Folks just want to make this streak he's on to be something
bigger than it is. This will NOT last, and the Bears and
most of his opponents know this, but they hate the fact that
they fell victim to it. The Bears are now losers of three in
a row, one on a Hail Mary pass at the end of the first half,
and another to the "Mile High Messiah", one of which was
about Denver's defense, and the other about Chicago's inept
offensive production, and injuries.

Steve Young of course chimed in with this: "To me … he did it
to you. He Tebowed you. Just take it like a man and walk away.
You lost your shot." this also from a story in Yahoo sports.
But what else is Young going to say? This makes for great
ratings, talk and, controversy. Please let's be real for
a second, if you were on the other side of that line of
scrimmage, would you want to hear any of this? Would you
really believe that the reason you lost is because Jesus
was pulling strings against you or for Tebow? If that were
the case wouldn't he be the one averaging 35 points per game
instead of the Packers? Wouldn't GOD be able to fix his lack
of accuracy? Of course he would.

The Bears were frustrated, annoyed, defeated, and it will
pass, just like this phenomenon in Denver. Denver may not be
able to draft high in the first round, but trust me, no matter
what John Elway is trying to sugar coat you with, they will
draft a QB or bring in a veteran, or they know that eventually
Brady Quinn will be ready to take over as QB, period.
I don't think the comments were unfair, but they do come off
as bad losers, and when things are going bad for you, it's
easy to sound that way. Watch Tebow this week and then line
up the excuses right here.


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Elite NFL QB's: Not Such A Long List

Getty Images(3)

Depending on the results you get every Sunday the
chatter is constantly changing for a handful of so
called "Elite" Quarterbacks, but after taking a
close look at the starting QB's at present in the
NFL today, the fact remains that there is NO top
ten. Not if you want elites. If you just want to
round off your list, well that's a different story,
but if you want a list of QB's that you would feel
could win you a game if you needed it, then here
they are, and keep in mind that they are NOT in any
particular order, because the truth is that we all
differ in our point of view, but here's a list that
I doubt anyone could question.

1. Tom Brady
1. Ben Roethlisberger
1. Peyton Manning
1. Philip Rivers*
1. Eli Manning
1. Aaron Rodgers
1. Drew Brees

* No Super Bowl Ring

That's it ! No one else! There isn't a single solitary
name worthy of making this list that isn't already on here.
Wanna feel better that your guy wasn't left out, well below
is a list of honorable mentions, but they are NOT elite.
Cry, moan and groan, all you want, but the fact remains
that if your life was on the line, you wouldn't want any
of these guys slinging the rock for you. You're welcome to
disagree. In case you lost track of all the one's I put
there, remember no particular order, you can have fun doing
that yourself, there are SEVEN on that list, 21.875%

32. Matt Schaub **
32. Carson Palmer **
32. Tony Romo **
32. Michael Vick **
32. Jay Cutler **
32. Matt Ryan **

** Not even a Super Bowl appearance

If you combine both lists, you get a total of 13 QB's or
less than 50% of the league, which means that the rest of
the league is playing with a QB that is clearly less than
all that. Yes, there are a few winning QB's off that list,
but just because your team is winning games, it doesn't
mean you can be depended on when the game is in your hands.

Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

Chris Paul To The Clippers Is News You Can't Buy

AP Photo: Donald Sterling, Owner, Los Angeles Clippers

I remember someone once saying to me that there is
no such thing as bad publicity, and though I don't
necessarily agree with that exact sentiment, I knew
what they meant. The sentiment there is that if you
are in the news, good or bad it's free advertising,
and though we can easily agree that you don't want
to be involved in any super negative scandal, most
other stuff is easy enough to get by.

When was the last time you heard this much about the
LA Clippers that didn't involve their yearly trip to
the NBA lottery drawing event, or wasn't at the end
of a really bad score? Chances are that before Blake
Griffin hit the scene for them, that was there only
chance of making any headlines, otherwise they
literally had to pay for the honor of having they
name spoken this often and it not be involved in a
punchline of any kind.

The on again off again trade for Chris Paul has been
going on for days now, and there is now real reason to
believe that it will definitely get done or not, but
the Clippers have made headlines like never before in
there history, and it has even made them brash enough
to bid in a claim for recently waived Chauncey Billups.
Before you know it, they may even pretend to be serious
suitors for Dwight Howard. Wouldn't that be a kick in
the Laker rear?

Maybe this new CBA has leveled the playing field, or just
maybe longtime owner Donald Sterling is being played with
like a weekend at Bernies skit, but no matter what comes
of this, they can't say it cost them anything.


Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

Todd Haley Fired In KC

AP/Photo

I wrote about it earlier in the year, and listed Haley
at number three. Candidate number one is a Dead Man"
Walking", Tony Sparano. Number two on that list has
already been let go, Jack DelRio, and number three is
now gone ass well. The writing was on the wall, and
now Todd Haley is gone, and I suspect it will be awhile
before anyone else is ready to give Haley a chance at
running their team again. The Chiefs were never really
scaring anyone, and their first two games where they were
outscored 97-10 to start the season 0-2 was more than
management in KC needed to know to make their decision.


Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

Ranting With Rizzo Replay 12-12-11

Miss the show? Well here's the podcast for you.
We talk about, the Heisman and the order I voted,
a little NBA, yes a little. Bernie Fine, & Jerry
Sandusky the two dirtbags that won't leave the
headlines, and some MLB winter meetings, free
agency chatter. Check it out.




Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

More On: Who's Responsible For The Success Of Tebow.......

Courtesy: Rocky Mountain News

My earlier story below has been further corroborated by
this latest tidbit here:

One high-level league executive tells NFL.com that the Broncos'
original plan with Tim Tebow was to play him for "a few weeks"
to appease fans, and then initiate a rebuilding movement.
The Broncos reportedly "wanted to move on" and "wanted nothing
to do with the (Josh) McDaniels regime," which drafted Tebow in
the first round of 2010. NFL.com's Mike Lombardi now believes
Tebow has made VP of Football Operations John Elway "a believer.
" The Broncos are leading the AFC West, and after winning so
many games, out of position to draft an elite quarterback in
2012.
Source: NFL.com & Rotoworld


Many folks are going to have trouble coming to grips with
this, and the answers are going to range from Fox to Meyer,
and from Jesus to Elway, and though there is no doubt that
if you believe in the latter this isn't even a question,
there is an additional answer to this equation. Ready?
Josh McDaniels, yup, you read right, the EX coach of the
Denver Broncos.

He ran Jay Cutler out of town, banished Brandon Marshall,
practically gave away Tony Scheffler, and I am sure I have
missed a few more names along the way, but without getting
too melodramatic or tripping the light fantastic with big
words I can't pronounce, Denver Broncos fans have Ex-Head
Coach Josh McDaniels to thank for Tim Tebow. McDaniels
started off his inaugural season 6-0 and then stunk up the
joint. He even beat his mentor and guru Bill Belichick in
that span, but couldn't to a thing worthy of his title after
that, and he too was eventually banished from the Mile High
city. He did however draft Tim Tebow and inadvertently
started a fad known as Tebow mania, and he didn't even know
it. Yes I called it a fad. I'm a nay sayer. I do not
expect it to last, but if you have been reading any of my
stuff here, or listen to any of my shows, you would know
that. No matter though, what I think is of no consequence
at this time.

Right now Denver broncos fans are enjoying football like no
other time since they were Super Bowl champs, and Elway was
on the field instead of behind a desk for the Broncos.
It's fun and there is no telling how long it will last, but
remember this: John Fox started Kyle Orton, John Elway pretty
much intimated that he didn't feel that Tebow could succeed
with his style, and yet they continue to win. They are no
fools, they will take the success until Tebow either flops on
his face, and they can give the fans an "I told you so" or
win a Super Bowl, a win win either way. Fans and supporters
of Tebow should enjoy this to the fullest, but when and if
it's over remember to say a nice "Thank You" to Josh McDaniels,
who drafted that QB no one thought was a QB, and even though
he is mired as the offensive coordinator of the 2-10 Rams,
he is still the one stubborn enough to make that pick when
everyone else thought he shouldn't


Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

NFL Stone Cold Frigid Locks

Photo: Dennis Grombkowski/GETTY IMAGES

I included the word frigid to my title this week
because I feel as though my picks have been more
cold, and frigid, than locks, as in guarantees.
Of course there are no sure things in life, but
some of these losses have been a little silly to
be fair, and I hope to end the season with better
luck, if there is such a thing, so here goes:

1. Ravens - Gotta ride the Andrew Luck Express

2. Lions - They Su-h-re need this

3. New England - Just another business trip for Brady

Upset Alert: I got a funny feeling the Raiders take
down the Packers today. Either that or I got gas.


Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

Ryan Braun A Cheat? Who's Next Albert Pujols?

Jeff Roberson -- Associated Press

I can say with total honesty that I would have gone out
of my way to tell you that before A-Rod was outed for
taking any sort of performance enhancing drugs, I was
beyond certain he was clean. I was wrong.

When Manny was being Manny, and got caught for PED's
I once again was a fool for feeling that in no way
could Manny have cheated like that, no way. Yes way,
I was wrong yet again. Well there's an old expression
that goes like this: "Fool me once shame on you, fool
me twice, shame on me". Well I let it get too far,
and I'm sure that many of you feel just about the same
way: No ONE is above suspicion, NO ONE.

Small market, large market, no matter, and Ryan Braun
is a gleaming example of that. How many MVP's in the
last 25 years have had their names shamed in this way?
The answer, far too many. Even one is far too many.
The Ryan Braun is just a nice Jewish kid who didn't
know what he was taking is what Spin Doctors will be
working overtime will say in order to try and get this
under control, but what I will say to you is just this:
Ryan Braun will either get caught again, like Manny, or
his numbers will fall off a cliff, not too much unlike
A-Rod's.

And now to my headline, who's next Albert Pujols?
Let me put it to you this way, I know nothing, have no
facts, and am making no accusations, but would not be
the least bit surprised if Pujols is caught or oughted
sooner rather than later. Not the least bit surprised.
One thing that this latest cheater made me consider is
that if Albert Pujols was totally and unequivocally
clean, he would have stayed in St. Louis. Theory? Yes.
What do I mean by that? He was hell bent on a 10 year
deal. He was adamant on a full no trade, and to me
money isn't always the answer to guys like Pujols.
Guys like him stay where they have the most comfort,
even for a little less money. The difference was only
$32 million dollars, money that he could have easily
made up in some other way in St. Louis. Being the
villain in St. Louis was a chance he can't take, with
the Angels there is no loyalty, so less shame. Now
this is all theory, nothing more, but I'm willing to
bet that Pujols isn't the only STAR that has a shot
at being caught. It finally looks like MLB might just
be getting it right. Now let's see if they are willing
to take down a really BIG fish, not just a small town
MVP. That is if their guilty of course.


Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

Pujols, LaRussa, The Packers & More Random Thoughts

AP/Photo

Usually this posting on Saturday has alot to do with
the college football games on tap for the day, but
today there is only one game, as it should be.
Army - Navy, and these men and women deserve to be
center stage. Let's Support them, thank them, and
show them that we appreciate our freedom thanks to
THEM. Here are some more random thoughts from around
the world of sports this week.

Only Mike Scioscia is capable of not being involved in
any rumors that Tony LaRussa would eventually come out
of retirement if the Angels hiccup this year now that
Albert Pujols is on the team. Scioscia isn't going
anywhere.

Octavio Dotel just signed a free agent contract with
the Detroit Tigers. This is his 13th team !, talk
about frequent flier program.

How soon before some attaches any sort of Dream Team
moniker to either the Angels or Marlins?

Early pick for NFC representative in the Super Bowl
this year: NY Giants, yup I'm nuts, but I feel it

My vote for the Heisman tonight, and no it's not an
official vote, I don't have that level of importance
yet. Robert Griffin III, or RG3 if you prefer, the
kid is impressive, and If I had a ballot it would go
like this: 1. RG3 2. Monte Ball 3. Andrew Luck
Just Sayon'

Jim Mora Jr to coach UCLA is a bad choice, Tom Cable
would have been a better choice.

Arizona St fans making of a stink about the hiring of
June Jones made an even worse choice by making sure the
never went through with it. You could have actually
won some games for a change.

Charlie Weiss to coach at Kansas is a good choice.
Low expectations, but they will get a bigger return,
and this is Notre Dame, so the rules on academics may
be a little lighter, maybe.

I agree with Alan Hahn of NY Newsday on his Tweet earlier
today: "He (Tyson Chandler) and Amar'e may be the fittest
PF/C combo in NBA", I also think they may be the best trio
hen you add Carmelo as well. Now they need a PG, lol

Brandon Roy retiring is a shame, but bad knees are bad news.
Portland loses a good one, a real good one.

Did Dwight Howard really say he wanted to go to the NJ Nets?
Wow, Brooklyn Baby !


Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

A Post Lockout NBA, Still Broken After CP3 Trade Dies

(Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)

If you are one the the people who is upset that the trade
for Chris Paul to the Lakers was rejected by the league
who incidentally is technically CP3's boss, then I have a
message for you: Stop your crying, moaning, groaning, and
ya be-atching, it was the right thing to do. As a matter of
fact, as a NY Knicks fan I will go on record as saying that
he shouldn't be traded until the new owner comes in and
has a say about it, not to the Knicks, and not to anyone.
Either that or the Hornets need to be overpaid in the
compensation they receive for trading CP3.

If you were the next prospective owner of the New Orleans
Hornets, what incentive would there be for you to buy this
team if the best player was gone before you got there, or
were even given a chance to make a decision. Trading Paul
would probably hinder the sale of the team, and let's face
it, it's not good for the NBA or their fans if the league
holds on to this team for too long. Sell ASAP, otherwise
questions like this will continuously pop up every time
the team needs to make a move. Even if the GM is operating
independent of league meddling, the question of favoritism
or even reverse favoritism will constantly be brought up.

Making the Lakers an even bigger powerhouse than the Miami
Heat was supposed to be is not good, unless the trade is
made with independent ownership at the helm, and then we
can all criticize them for being dolts and not knowing how
to run a team. Otherwise we will as fans, and media see it
as the league just trying to fatten up their big media
markets, i.e. NY, LA, Miami, etc..

Time is of the essence Mr Stern, perhaps you can take a page
out Bud Selig's book, and that should be done rarely if ever.
MLB offered the new owner of the Houston Astros a huge price,
and approval to buy the team if he agreed to change divisions
and move to the AL West. A dumb move, I know, but it served
his and ML Baseballs purpose. Perhaps you can offer any
prospective buyer some kind of a price break of sorts in order
to get this mess off your hands as quickly as possible.
Just a thought.



Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

MLB & The LA Anaheim Angels Get Their First $30 Million Player

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Yes, you read correctly, Thirty Million Dollars, and if
you do the math you will be quick to say that a 10 year
$260 million contract only works out to $26 million per
year. Yes I know that too, but you need to do the hidden
math when looking at deals like this, and then you will
see that if Albert Pujols does not retire before the end
of this monster deal, it will be worth thirty million per
year to him.

Albert Pujols will be 32 at the start of this contract,
and no matter how great a hitter you want to tell me or
anyone else he his, just look at him. He has no foot
speed, he used to have "some". He looks like he limps
most of the time, and don't tell me it's because his
legs are soooooo muscular. There is no way that even
in a DH friendly American League Albert Pujols is
going to be the player he was last year at the age of
42, but with at least 2-3 years remaining when he will
truly start to hit the wall of his productivity, do you
think he's going to retire? With almost $100 million
at stake would you? This is essentially a 7 year
contract if everything breaks well for the Angels, and
I mean everything. Now if you break down the contract
and say $260 million over 7 good years, that works out
to $37,142,857.00 per year, remove the excess over the
30 million, and he gets more than he will be worth for
the last three years of his contract $49,999,999.99 or
almost $17 million per year to hit about 17hrs per year,
drive in about 75 runs and maybe appear in 135 games at
the most if he isn't on the DL too often.

Make no mistake, the Angels did their homework here,
this wasn't an impulsive decision. Again do the math,
if you take into account that ten years ago $20 million
was worth what about $25.5 is worth today, then there
you have a similar contract to the one that A-Rod signed.
More? Yes, but similar, and "LA"/Anaheim is a much bigger
market than Arlington, Texas was. So do you overpay to
get the prize free agent? Who doesn't? Pujols will be
able to DH in his senior years, which I will go on record
as to say that they will happen sooner rather than later.
The Angels will market the crap out of him and get back
most of their investment as well as probably see a World
Series appearance at least within the next fives years,
and make wonderful PR headlines all the while.

By the time this contract is over, we may even get to
find out if he is 32 in 2012 or he is 35, but hey,
today they made headlines, so why would anyone think that
this will be the end of that. It's all in the numbers.


Tweet Don't Believe In Plays, Believe In Players - Al Davis

Big EAST?, Who Are They Kidding?

Courtesy: Orlando Sentinel

I know it sounds like I might be nitpicking a little bit,
but when did San Diego, Boise, Idaho, or even Texas get
categorized as "East"? Yes you can go ahead and tell me
that in the NFL the Dallas Cowboys are in the NFC East,
but that is a completely different scenario. I also
won't be too harsh on the "BIG EAST" conference because
this news is still fresh, and won't blame them for taking
these schools on either. I mean who can pass at the chance
of some BCS Bowl money when you see how consistently good
Boise State is year after year. I also won't bee too harsh
because they were pretty much pushed to make this move in
light of all the teams that left the conference and went
elsewhere, but can we please work on a new name?
I know, I know, Conference USA would be the perfect name,
but unfortunately it's already taken, as is the American
Football Conference (AFC), and so is the National Football
Conference (NFC), but how about the "Coast to Coast"
conference? or the "Come One Come All" Conference?
Maybe they can put an exploratory committee together and
research it a little bit.

Teams have changed conference this year more often than some
call girls change undergarments, but this is the NCAA's fault
just like everything else. Instead of being only concerned
with how much punishment to dish out for whatever infraction
they inappropriate, why don't they divide these teams up
geographically, and find some fair to share those Trillions?
Oh wait, they haven't figured out how to solve this whole
BCS bowl thing yet, have they?

Well, at least Boise State, Houston, and SMU will provide a
little football excitement to a usually dull and boring
Big East football conference.

Tweet Thank You Al Davis !

Mad Stork Sports with Nick Rizzo - Live

More on the Syracuse Saga, and there are lots of
other things going on in the world of sports as
well, so join me for a fun filled hour of banter
on Mad Stork Sports with Nick Rizzo live
tonight and every Wednesday on Scatterradio.
Call in and be a part of the show.



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Ron Santo Enter Hall Of Fame, What A Shame

Stephen J. Carrera - AP

The story title may mislead many of you, but it annoys
the absolute cr@p out of me. One year and two days
after Ron Santo died those dictators that hold a man's
dignity in their claws decided that it was time to let
Ron Santo into the Baseball Hall of Fame. What a load
of cr@p, really, what BS.

Their were very few humans associated with the Cubs
organization that were more beloved than Ron Santo.
I never had the pleasure of seeing him play, and I
have no personal stake in this fight, but what a joke.
What? He is a Hall of Famer today, but he wasn't
yesterday, or last week, or last year? These voters
make me sick. I am the biggest Pete Rose detractor
there is out there, but even I can tell you that that
degenerate gambler belongs in the Hall of Fame.
The MLB, and NFL Hall of Fame voters are the most
pompous, arrogant, self centered individuals in all of
sports. They make some of those money grubbing players
that we complain about seem like humble saints.

I don't know his stats well enough to say whether or
not he deserves to be in the HOF or not, but that is
truly irrelevant here. The man died at the age of 70,
he was a cripple for all intent and purposes, and had
more than half his legs amputated, and they couldn't
give one of the most happy go lucky people ever to wear
a Cubs uniform 2 minutes of pleasure? Are you friggin'
kidding me?!

On a side note keep in mind that Pro Football has been
around more than 100 years, and yet the Pro Football
Hall of Fame, Not The NFL Hall of Fame(Doesn't exist)
has one kicker, and no punters in the HOF. They have
one quasi punter, but no true punter, and yet you
don't play game without one. Think these voters are
not worse than most New York City Co-Op Boards?
Then you have not been paying attention.


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Ranting With Rizzo Replay 12-5-11

Last weeks show spoke about whether Peyton Manning
should be considered an MVP candidate this year,
how the Pats and Colts matchup this year is so much
different, and we took a look at the Syracuse Penn
State differences amongst other things.
Enjoy the Podcast!



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Jose Reyes Gone, Mets Not To Blame

Krupa/AP

I am speaking as a Jose Reyes fan who lobbied for
the Mets to keep him all year, and still wish they
had, but at this price, I can't agree. The Miami
Marlins made a play that they are not going to be
able to handle. They are attempting to spend like
drunken sailors, and it won't work for them, you
will see this come to fruition sooner rather than
later. Jose gets hurt too often, Ozzie Guillen
will eventually run out of patience for that, and
Guillen and owner Jeffrey Luria will be at each
others necks before you know it. Expect Reyes
to be on the trade block no later than the third
year of his six year deal, and expect Guillen to
be out in Miami at about the same time or sooner.

New Stadium does not equal instant success, it
just doesn't, and this concoction of new players,
plus current players, plus new manager, and
owner will show that soon enough. I love Jose
and the way he plays, but he has his downfalls,
and they aren't worth close to $20Mil per year.


Tweet Thank You Al Davis !

NFL Stone Cold Locks Week 13

Last week I made the mistake of laying the "Stone
Cold Lock" eggs in the Seahawks nest, and they
promptly ate them so instead of going 3-0 in week
12, I went 2-1. Lime I said that was the first
and last time you would see me pick the Seahawks
this year. Now on to more reliable picks for what
I hope will turn into a 3-0 week in a 30-6 season.

1. New England - It's called a no brainer

2. Chicago - They have the better backup QB

3. San Francisco - A frequent flier Stone Cold Locks


Tweet Thank You Al Davis !