Football Talk and Sports in Vegas

I like Rex Ryan. I like a coach who is willing to have a personality and have confidence. But even I thought Ryan and Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum went too far to make light of the Revis contract situation on the first episode of Hard Knocks. Ryan joked about looking for Revis in his room, and on the practice talking about how Revis should be out there with the rest of the team. For once Rex needs to shut up. Contrary to what Colin Cowherd may think Revis holds all the cards in this contract situation, and the Jets defense will be nowhere near as good without Revis. Antonio Cromartie is good, but he’s no Revis. Rex good luck blitzing every down with no Revis on the field. The Jets management needs to suck it up, and pay Revis his money. He is the best defensive player in the league in my opinion. Pay him so you can play him!


Does anyone think Brett Favre will not be playing on Thursday September 9th against the Saints? Of course he will!

The NCAA has played “bad ass” this summer cracking down on USC, North Carolina, and South Carolina. I’m fine with this. Keep agents out as much as possible. But I don’t agree with Nick Saban shielding NFL scouts from his Alabama practices. Saban will recruit players on getting them to the NFL. Don’t be a hypocrite Saban!

If Ryan Fitzpatrick is not named the starting quarterback when the Bills season starts then he should be cut. There is no point in keeping him on as a backup. We know who Ryan Fitzpatrick is. He is a journey man quarterback. That’s it. At least let Trent Edwards, Brian Brohm, and Levi Brown battle it out through the season, and maybe one of them can find magic. If not then find a QB in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Speaking of Trent Edwards how bad did he look in the preseason game? Did anyone look good for that matter? It was an awful display. C.J. Spiller had a 12 yard run. Ok. David Nelson caught a TD pass. Alright. But other than that OH MY GOD did the Bills look bad. And I’m sorry I don’t want to hear the excuse “well it was just a preseason game, and the first one at that.” No! That’s a terrible excuse. Every other NFL team has looked NORMAL so far this preseason. Donovan McNabb looked like a good QB for the Redskins. Jimmy Clausen made a few nice throws for Carolina. Andre Johnson caught another TD for the Texans. This Bills team is just awful. The players, the coaches, the organization, everyone. Chan Gailey looked like a bumbling Mr.Magoo with his glasses far down his nose. What coach looks like that? We just aren’t normal. The over/under at all the Vegas Strip Sports books for the Bills wins was 5. Anyone who takes the over is an idiot! This team will be lucky to win 4 games!

Alright speaking of Vegas Strip, here are some sports thoughts on my experience in Vegas. For one thing anytime I told someone whether it’d be a bartender, cab driver, or just any random person that I was from Buffalo they would give me a look of disappointment. When the talk of the Bills came up, no matter what age group it was, Wide Right from Super Bowl XXV was one of the first topics of conversation. Followed by how great Jim Kelly, and Bruce Smith were. One guy I talked to mentioned he was a Raiders fan, back from the days when they were the Los Angeles Raiders. I told him we fans in Buffalo are terrified that the Bills will one day move to Toronto or Los Angeles. He said the Los Angeles does not deserve the Bills. He said he remembered going to a half filled LA Colosseum when the Raiders were good. He said they should either move the Jaguars or Chargers to LA, or give LA an expansion team. I agreed. LA is the 2nd biggest market in the U.S. they should have a NFL team. Just not the Bills.

The sports books in Las Vegas are amazing. Caesars Palace, and MGM Grand had really nice ones. New York New York, and Paris had smaller cozier ones. But by far the best one was the Hilton Sports Book. Prior to my trip to Vegas I exchanged emails with the top Vegas Insider for ESPN.com Chad Milliman. He told me the Hilton Sports Book was the best and he could not have been more right. It’s twice the size of Caesars or any other sports book. Huge big screens all around, plenty of betting windows, comfortable seats, and desks with little personal televisions with all the games on. Now there was barely anybody there because it was baseball season. By the way I won 6 out of 8 games betting on baseball which made me very happy. I don’t even really like baseball haha! But I sat watched games, got free drinks with me just giving a nice tip here and there, and could watch whatever games I wanted to watch. Now I can only imagine what the Hilton Sports Book, or any other sports book would be like during a NFL Sunday, or the NCAA Basketball Tournament. It has to be crazy! If I ever go back to Vegas again someday I should try to go during one of those times just to see what it is like.

The Hilton Sports Book was amazing!

Finally if you are in Las Vegas long enough you are bound to meet a celebrity. Now I went to see comedian Frank Caliendo who works on FOX NFL Sunday, but that does not count because I paid to see his show. But sure enough by the end of my week in Vegas I met a celebrity. Pete Rose. He was signing autographs at a sports memorabilia shop at Caesars Palace. I knew I would have to pay to get his autograph. The cheapest thing available was for him to autograph his book on admitting to bet on baseball for $85. Now look Pete Rose is a living sports legend. Whether you like him or not that is a fact. But I wasn’t going to pay $85 for him to sign his crappy book. For other sports legends sure. Bobby Bowden. I would have cashed out my account for him. Joe Montana who was scheduled to sign there the next week. Yeah I would pay $85 for him to sign a book. But not Pete Rose a man who bet on baseball and lied about it for over a decade.

So as I left the store I took a couple of pictures of Rose. Literally no other customers were in there. Finally, he looked at me and asked my name. I told him my name was Andrew. He asked me where I was from. I said Buffalo. He asked me have I been to Las Vegas before and I said no that it was my first time. We then talked about how nice Vegas is, and that Buffalo is a good city. I asked him about this year’s Cincinnati Reds team and if he thought they had a shot. He said if they can keep up their pitching than they definitely had a shot. This conversation lasted about 2 minutes. Then I said goodbye and “have a nice day Mr. Rose.” He may have been nice to me only to try to get me to sign an autograph. But either way a living sports legend was nice enough to talk to shoot the breeze with me for a couple of minutes. Does this change my opinion on Pete Rose? No I still don’t think he belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame. But he is the all time hits leader, made the All Century Team in 1999, and is one of the greatest baseball players ever. I mean come on he’s Charlie Hustle! So it was pretty cool he talked to me for a couple of minutes. I just wished I had asked him what he was planning on doing the rest of his time in Vegas. Or if he still uses Aqua Velva haha?

Pete Rose turned out to be a very nice guy to talk to.

One last thought on Las Vegas. There are so many different “themed” hotels and casinos everywhere. Want to go to Rome? Then head to Caesars Palace. Feeling France? The go to Paris Las Vegas. New York City is your thing? Then head to New York New York. Egypt? The Mandalay Bay is for you. Want a circus show? Then go to Circus Circus where I stayed. So Vegas has all these themed hotels on the strip. Yet there is always room for more. So here is my idea for a hotel/casino on the Vegas Strip. A 100% sports themed casino/hotel. Think about it. You could design it after the most famous sports buildings of all time. Have a wall of the exact replica of The Green Monster. Have a brick wall around the hotel with ivy on it like the outfield wall at Wrigley Field. Have statues of the most famous athletes ever all around, MJ, Babe, Jackie Robinson, Gretzky, and Ali. Have a huge video screen up so when people drive by they see a game on it, or famous highlights. Have the slot machines all be sports themes. Have a show about sports. Put an arena there for MMA and boxing matches. Guarantee a match every week. Have former athletes come for a fee to sign autographs. Have shops dedicated to one sport. A NHL shop, a NFL shop, a NBA shop, a MLB shop, tennis shop, NCAA shop, etc. Have former athletes who lost all their money, like Scottie Pippen who lost over $120 million, work there. Pay them well, and chances are they’ll give it all back in gambling and what not. Imagine Mike Tyson as a bouncer at the top club at the 100% sports book casino/hotel? That would be awesome! Make your sports book bigger and better than the Hilton Sports Book. So if I go to this hotel, on any given week, I’m guaranteed some type of athletic match, an autograph session from a famous athlete, the best sports book in town, and whatever my favorite team or sport is I know they will have a shop for it. Tell me this would not sell?! Tell me guys would not pay big bucks to stay in the Larry Bird suite, with Larry Bird stuff all around the hotel room suite?! Of course they would. Some billionaire should bank on this idea!

Kofod

32 Teams, 32 Questions Heading Into NFL Training Camp and Preseason

NFL Training Camps and Preseason games are upon us. So I have a question for each of the 32 teams as they head into camp and into the regular season.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills: Who will emerge as the Bills starting quarterback?

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards have had their chance. And both have failed. So will Chan Gailey go back to the well with one of these quarterbacks? Or will Chan Gailey go with Brian Brohm? And can 7th round pick Levi Brown make the roster? My predictions are Brohm is the starting quarterback for the Bills to start the regular season and Levi Brown does make the roster.

Brian Brohm has a great shot to be the starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills?

New England Patriots: When will New England give Tom Brady a new contract?

Not only when, but how much is the question here. Will Tom Brady get paid big bucks, or will Brady take another pay cut for the Patriots? And will this contract finally put disputes between Tom Brady and Patriots management to rest?

New York Jets: How will LaDainian Tomlinson fit in the Jets offense?

Will Tomlinson truly get 15 carries a game like Rex Ryan said? Or will be just be a third down back? And can LT find any of that old magic? I think LT will be a completely failure for the Jets. But we shall see.

Miami Dolphins: How successful will the Miami Dolphins be in running the Wildcat with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, and throwing the ball with Chad Henne to Brandon Marshall?

I think this offense will be very successful. I think Brown and Williams will continue to flourish running the ball for the Dolphins. And Brandon Marshall will be happy and content in Miami and will make Chad Henne a better quarterback.

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers: Can Dennis Dixon beat out Byron Leftwich for the Steelers starting quarterback spot?

Remember Big Ben is suspended for at least the first 4 Steelers games, and possibly six. So the Steelers will put Byron Leftwich as the starter to begin the season. However, Dennis Dixon could possibly beat out Leftwich for the job. Dixon played pretty well in that Sunday night game at Baltimore last season. And for those of us who remember his days with Oregon this is a guy with a tremendous amount of athleticism.

Cincinnati Bengals: Will Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco be able to reignite the passing game for the Bengals?

Carson Palmer’s stats last season were pretty good. He had 21 TD with 13 INT. And he threw for 3,094 yards. But anyone could see that last year the Bengals won with their defense, and with the running of Cedric Benson. It seemed often times Palmer and the Bengals passing game was struggling greatly. So it’s up to Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco to find each other, and get the Bengals passing game back to the 2005-2006 days.

Baltimore Ravens: Is Anquan Boldin the final piece needed to get the Ravens back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2000 season?

For everyone that thinks Anquan Boldin will not be the same with Larry Fitzgerald remember Boldin had 101 catches his rookie year without Fitzgerald, and without Kurt Warner throwing to him. Now you put Boldin in an offense with Joe Flacco, a running game of Ray Rice and Willis McGahee, and of course that Ravens defense and it seems Boldin may in fact be the final missing piece for the Ravens to get back to the Super Bowl.

Is Anquan Boldin the final piece Ray Lewis needs to get the Ravens back to the Super Bowl?

 

Cleveland Browns: Can Jake Delhomme find some magic one final time?

Delhomme had the worst playoff performance ever by a QB in the 2008 NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Cardinals. Since then his career has completely taken a nose dive. It reminded me of Kurt Warner who had a similar fall with the Rams, and then the Giants, before he came back to prominence again with the Arizona Cardinals. Is there anyway Delhomme can find the magic he had when he lead Carolina to Super Bowl XXXVIII? If he can the fans of Cleveland can smile for the first time in a long time. And after all the LeBron stuff, Cleveland needs a reason to smile.

AFC South

Houston Texans: Is this finally THE YEAR for the Texans?

Every year it seems the Texans will finally do it. Just like it seemed every year the Cardinals with Fitzgerald, Boldin, and Warner would finally break through. Then 2008 and Super Bowl XLIII happened. Can 2010 finally be the year for Steve Slaton, Andre Johnson, Mario Williams, and the Texans?

Indianapolis Colts: Can the Colts find a sustainable working running game?

It wasn’t until the Super Bowl that Joseph Addai awoke his dead corpse to have a great game. Last year Peyton Manning and the Colts offense thrived without a sustainable running game. Imagine if the Colts can get anything out of Addai or any of their other running backs this year?

Jacksonville Jaguars: Can David Garrard return to his 2007 form?

In 2007 David Garrard threw for 18 touchdowns and 3 interceptions and was sacked 21 times. The Jaguars made the Divisional Playoffs that year. In 2008 David Garrard threw for 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and was sacked 42 times. The Jaguars did not make the playoffs. In 2009 David Garrard threw for 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and was sacked 42 times. Needless to say if David Garrard can cut down on his interceptions and sacks it will be a good year for the Jaguars. If he can’t than the Jags will probably miss the playoffs again and cost him and Jack Del Rio their jobs.

Tennessee Titans: Can Vince Young settle down and be a dependable week in and week out starting quarterback for the Titans?

He’s whined, he’s been potentially suicidal, he lost the team’s trust, he regained the team’s trust, and now he gets into a fight at a Austin strip club, because some Oklahoma fan flashed him an upside down Hook Em' Horns sign. Frankly I think Roger Goodell should suspend him for a few games. I don’t think that will happen. But now is the time for Vince Young to get his act together. If he can be reliable for the Titans, then you add Chris Johnson, and the Titans will be awfully hard to beat.

AFC West

Oakland Raiders: Will Jason Campbell finally find bliss in Oakland?

The Oakland Raiders have had a history of going with “journeyman” quarterbacks to turn the franchise around. It worked for George Blanda, and Jim Plunkett. It did not work out so well with Jeff George, and Kerry Collins. Campbell has gone through countless number of offensive coordinators at Washington, and berating from Redskins fans. If Campbell can find peace in Oakland (talk about irony there) then the Raiders have a chance to greatly improve and compete for a playoff spot.

Denver Broncos: Who will be the first, second, and third string quarterbacks for the Broncos?

Everyone knows Tim Tebow is now in Denver. But don’t forget they still have Kyle Orton, and Brady Quinn. The future of the team is clearly Tebow. But what about the present? If I’m Denver I seriously consider starting Quinn at the beginning of the season to see if he can get any magic going. He only started a handful of games with Cleveland so I think the jury is still out on how good Quinn could be. I doubt Josh McDaniels will do this though. I think he will go with Orton #1, Tebow #2, and Quinn #3. It certainly will be interesting to watch no matter what order he goes with.

San Diego Chargers: Can Shawne Merriman return to his “lights out” form with the Chargers?

In 2005 Merriman had 10 sacks. In 2006 he had 17 sacks. In 2007 he had 12.5 sacks. After missing the 2008 season he had only 4 sacks in 2009 and his tackle totals were almost half of what they once were. This is a guy who tested positive for steroids, who complains all the time, who does that stupid “Lights Out” dance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B4Fo5gtonk , and associates himself with Tila Tequila. Look if you are getting 12-17 sacks a season than any team can look past all those problems. But 4 sacks and you will not last long. This is the make or break season for Merriman with the Chargers.

Kansas City Chiefs: Can the Chiefs find an identity?

Is Matt Cassel a true dependable starting QB in the NFL or was his 2008 season for the Patriots just a fluke? Can Jamaal Charles be a star RB for the Chiefs? Will Dwayne Bowe be in shape for the whole season and not whine and complain? And who will step up to create a presence on defense for the Chiefs? Coach Todd Haley desperately needs to find an identity to this team or else he will be spending a lot more time in the Bemus Village Casino than he would like.

NFC East

New York Giants: How Perry Fewell’s defense work with the Giants?

I was not a big fan of Fewell as defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills. I certainly was not a fan of Fewell as interim head coach of the Bills. I’m glad he’s gone. Saying all that, however, I think Fewell just might be what the Giants need. The Giants certainly have talent on defense. But they underachieved massively under defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan last season. It was clear the Giants missed former defensive coordinator, and now current Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo. If Fewell can fill that void left by Spagnuolo than the Giants will be a playoff team. If not then the playoffs will be an afterthought, as will be the tenure of Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

Philadelphia Eagles: How good can Kevin Colb be?

Whether you agree or disagree with how Philly handled Donovan McNabb the fact is Kevin Colb is now the guy for the Eagles. His success will determine how good they can be. I think he will have his ups and downs in 2010 and Philly will miss the playoffs. I think 2011 and 2012 will be the years the Eagles and Colb can think playoffs and possibly a Super Bowl.

Washington Redskins: Who will be the Redskins starting running back?

I expect Donovan McNabb to play well. So that is not my question for this team. I want to look at the running backs. Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson, and Willie Parker will all be vying to be the starting running back for the Redskins. If Washington can get a consistent running game from one of those running backs than the Redskins will be in playoff contention all season.

Dallas Cowboys: Will Dez Bryant fit in with the Cowboys?

Dallas has had a long history of drafting and trading for start type players and personalities. Bryant certainly fits that personality mode. Can he fit the player part? He has all the talent in the world. But his maturity will be a huge factor. If Dallas can control that than add Miles Austin, and Roy Williams as a third receiver and holy cow does Dallas have a great receiving core!

Dez Bryant has all the phyiscal tools. But does he have the mental tools to succeed?

NFC North

Green Bay Packers: Will the offensive line improve from last year?

Aaron Rodgers was sacked 50 times last year. And yet he still had 30 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions. If the Packers O-Line can do a better job of protecting Aaron Rodgers than the Super Bowl is certainly in reach for this Packers team.

Chicago Bears: Can Jay Cutler flourish in a Mike Martz offense?

He certainly has the arm to make the throws in a Mike Martz offense. But does he have the intellect (i.e. see Kurt Warner), and the toughness to take hit after hit (i.e. see Kurt Warner) to truly flourish under a Mike Martz offense. If Cutler does than watch out the Bears could be the surprise team of the year.

Detroit Lions: Is Ndamukong Suh going to be as dominant in the NFL as he was in college?

He was so good last year for Nebraska at DT that he was named the College Football Player of the Decade by Sports Illustrated. So can he be that good in the NFL? Especially on the Lions? I say yes! I think he and Mount Cody were two DT studs and both will have great careers. The Lions are a year or two away from the playoffs as long as Matthew Stafford continues to improve. Believe that!

Minnesota Vikings: When exactly will Brett Favre show up?

Does anybody really think he is not coming back? The question is when. Will it be during training camp? After training camp? The final preseason game? Week 1 of the NFL Regular Season? I am predicting he will be their sometime for the last week of Vikings training camp. That would be August 12th.

NFC South

New Orleans Saints: How will Jeremy Shockey look?

In late May Shockey went into a New Orleans hospital with seizure like symptoms. It will be very interesting to see if Shockey can return to football shape when the season began. Shockey scored a touchdown in Super Bowl XLIV, and it seemed to bring him redemption after seeing the Giants win a Super Bowl without him. If Shockey can comeback healthy and be used even more in the Saints offense then the Saints offense would become even more scary good.

Carolina Panthers: Can Matt Moore leave his imprint on this Panthers team?

Matt Moore played pretty well at the end of last season for Carolina. If Moore continues to play well in the 2010 season than the Panthers will certainly be a playoff contender, and Jimmy Clausen will have to sit on the bench a little bit longer than he would like to.

Atlanta Falcons: Will Michael Turner be the “Burner Turner” or the “Fat and Out of Shape Turner”?

In the 2008 season he was phenomenal for the Falcons as “Burner Turner.” In 2009 he was “Fat and Out of Shape Turner” and his game clearly suffered. If Michael Turner can stay in shape and return to his “Burner Turner” ways than Atlanta could be this year’s New Orleans.

Atlanta needs Burner Turner to return to his old form.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Does Raheem Morris know what he is doing?

It is a legitimate question to ask. In his first training camp last season he fired offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski. Then in November he demoted Jim Bates as defensive coordinator and started calling plays on defense for the rest of the season. You have to wonder if he is just too inexperienced to be a NFL head coach. Also Tampa Bay did not look great at 3-13 last season. Josh Freeman is certainly a long ways a way from being a great NFL quarterback. So for Tampa the question is does Raheem Morris have a plan, and if he does is it the right one?

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: How will Matt Leinart fit into the Cardinals offense?

One thing that seems clear is that Ken Whisenhunt is not so hot about Matt Leinart. Remember Leinart was drafted in the Dennis Green “Crown Their Asses” Arizona Cardinals regime. From his late nights out, to his MMA training, and his Hollywood persona it seems Ken Whisenhunt is not totally on board the Leinart bandwagon. Leinart may only have a few games, not even a season to impress Whisenunt before Whisenhunt makes a change at QB.

Seattle Seahawks: Can Pete Carroll’s “rah-rah” approach work with this team?

It didn’t work with the Patriots, and it did not work with the Jets. Can the third time be the charm for Pete Carroll in Seattle. A weak division gives Carroll a shot in the short term, but in the long term will Carroll be able to "Win Forever" in Seattle? 

San Francisco 49ers: Will Alex Smith go from a descent quarterback to a star quarterback?

These are Alex Smith’s career numbers for the 49ers; 2005 1 TD 11 INT and a completion percentage of 50.9, 2006 16 TD 16 INT and a completion percentage of 58.1, 2007 2 TD 4 INT and a completion percentage of 48.7, and in 2009 he went for 18 TD and 12 INT with a completion percentage of 60.5. So clearly Smith finally improved in 2009. He’s now a respectable quarterback. But when you are the 1st pick overall in a NFL Draft you have to do better than respectable. Will Smith improve even more in 2010 to be a star that a first pick overall is expected to be?

St. Louis Rams: When will Sam Bradford become the No. 1 starting quarterback for the Rams?

It’s not if but when for Sam Bradford. Will Bradford be the starter right from preseason on? Will Bradford be the starter for the first regular season game? Or will A.J. Feeley be the starter for a while before Sam Bradford steps in the middle of the regular season to be the starter? If I’m Steve Spagnuolo I don’t mess around and I make Bradford the starter right away.

Kofod