This week, Sports Illustrated named Green Bay Packers QB and
soon-to-be Hall Of Famer, Brett Farve, the
2007 Sportsman of the Year. Now I have
nothing against Farve. As mentioned,
he’s already going to the Hall. This we
know. Is he one of the Top 10 QBs in
the history of the NFL? Yes. Top 5?
Definitely. Is he the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All-Time)? It’s very debatable. But, is he the 2007 Sportsman of the
Year? Nope, not even. Last I checked,
the acclamation was for the year, not the past 3 months.
Honestly, I would have nominated Indianapolis Colts Head
Coach Tony Dungy. Let’s take a sec to think back; last
February we witnessed history with Dungy and Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith as the 1st
African-American Coaches to coach the Super Bowl. Of course, due to the odds, one of them would be the first
African-American Coach to win the Super Bowl. As we know, this achievement went
to Dungy. The reason I feel that Dungy
should be nominated is not just because he won the Super Bowl, but also the way
he has represented himself, the Colts organization, and the NFL.
After losing his son James in 2005, Dungy came back for the
2006-07 season to coach the Colts.
Along the way, many in the media have criticized his soft-toned, mild
mannered behavior as a sign of being weak or soft. Top that with his strong Christian belief, in a day in age where
many people question whether or not a God exists, he was definitely a target
for criticism. Throughout it all, Dungy
kept his head high and focused on his faith, his family and his team. In the end, Dungy not only brought class to
a franchise that was at one time, the laughing stock of the league, but also a
Super Bowl Championship.
Now, I can understand why S.I. would pick Farve. I’m going to get my Mel Gibson on and
present my Conspiracy Theory. The NFL this year has had a string of bad
press since the beginning of the off-season.
From Pac-Man Jones, to Michael Vick, to the latest with the Sean Taylor
shooting; the media has made the NFL look worst than the Delta
Tau Chi Fraternity from the movie Animal House.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the NFL conspired with S.I. and
told them that if they put Farve on the cover, they would compensate them with
a hefty payment or endorsement of some sorts.
Why not, they put a good ole boy on the cover and have the rest of the
country forget about the black athletes in the NFL who have done some good and
have represented the NFL in the manner in which is expected from their players
and coaches. You know what; I’m going to stop now. I’m beginning to sound more like the Baltimore Ravens after their
lost to the Pats on MNF with my theories. But when you get a chance, think
about it.
8:15 pm, NFL
Network
Chicago Bears (5-7) vs. Washington Redskins
(5-7)
Location: FedEx Field, Landover, MD
Now before we get any further, let me ask you this, why would
Skins Defensive Coordinator Greg Williams put 10 men on the field as a tribute to Sean Taylor and not run it
by Head Coach Joe
Gibbs? Gibbs has claimed he
didn’t know that Williams and the defense were going to do that. I think he’s lying through teeth and I’ll
tell you why.
Last week in the Ill Community, a topic
was started titled; “Skins will play without
In it, it states the Skins, and quite possibly the Bills, were going to
start the game with 10 men on the field in tribute to Taylor. Before the game on Fox’s NFL Countdown, it
was reported that the Skins were going to do it. So I’m not buying the fact that Gibbs didn’t know. He had to have known and I think he said he
didn’t know just to cover his butt for the loss. Not buying that for one second.
Nice try homeboy.
This is a “do or die” game for both teams. The loser of this game is out of the
picture. The winner is still in the
picture, but barely. As already mentioned, the Skins lost a heartbreaker to the
Bills while the Bears gave the Giants the win last week. With the Skins trying to prepare for
tonight’s game on a short week and the Bears trying to figure out what happened
last Sunday in the loss, the outcome of tonight’s game will be interesting to
see, nonetheless.
The Bears are ranked 24th in offense and 28th
in defense. The Skins are ranked 17th
in offense and 10th in defense.
Just because the Skins have the better numbers, doesn’t make them a lock
for the win this Sunday.
On offense, the Skins’ O-line needs to create running room
for RB Clinton Portis. Portis
is feeling the effects of an ankle injury; so don’t be surprised if RB Ladell
Betts
gets the start. Whoever isrunning for the Skins tonight needs to have the O-line to fight it out in the
trenches to open up some running lanes and wear down the Bears D-line. The Bears need to take it to the air against
the Redskins Secondary.
Despite the tragic loss of Taylor, the Skins’ CBs are banged
up. Carlos Rogers is out for the
year with a knee injury and Shawn Springs is hurting with a bad
back. The Bears have the 14th
ranked passing offense in the league.
Now is the time for Rex Grossman and the Bears’ offense to shake
of their inconsistent play and go on an air strike against the Skins.
On defense, the Skins need to get to Grossman and the Bears’
WRs. With the inconsistency of the
Bears’ offense, the Skins need to disrupt the rhythm of the Bears offense and
force some mistakes. The Bears have to
go after Portis and Campbell. They Bears cannot allow Portis to run all over
them tonight. They have to get into the
Skins backfield shut down the play at the snap of the ball. If the Bears allow Portis any opportunity to
hit them for a big play, it’s going to be a rough night for the Bears defense.
Both teams have not been as focused on the game as much as
they should be, but the Skins have gone to the next level of being
unfocused. There has been too much
going on in D.C. for the Skins to focus in on the prize at hand. As much as it pains me to say this
considering the circumstances of the past week, it looks as though after this
game, the Skins need to start preparing for next season.
My Pick: Bears
