Tebow A Pandora’s Box Ryan Unwilling to Open To Bitter End

December 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

When will I play, Mark?

“For God so loved the New York Jets and their fans he gave his only begotten football player, Timothy, so that anyone who believed in him would not perish but have everlasting Super Bowls.” St. Timothy 3:16

The God in my fictional Bible verse did not bestow Tim Tebow on the Jets as a punt protector. He did not bestow him as a wildcat quarterback or a GQ cover model either. OK, maybe he gave him as a GQ cover model.

God so loved the Jets he gave them Tebow as a starting quarterback. Not just any starting quarterback, but a proven leader and winner of a 2011 AFC divisional playoff. Jets coach Rex Ryan turned his back on Tebow like a modern day Judas. Ryan sealed Tebow’s fate not with a kiss, but by starting Greg McElroy at quarterback in Week 16.

In an ironic twist, Ryan will be crucified by the New York media and Jets fans. Tebow will assume his hallowed seat – on the bench – and then after the game hop a plane to Jacksonville, where he will play next season.

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Manti Te’o for Heisman: Why The Numbers Don’t Add Up

November 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Manti Te'o/US Presswire

All praise/blame for this post should go to Jordy Pujol, the anti-Bayless.

ESPN carnival barker/used car salesman/white devil Skip Bayless pissed in the wind Tuesday to the contrived, shit-starting tune of Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o for Heisman. Bayless is famous for taking contrarian viewpoints, and generally being a pompous, arrogant, spineless piece of shit. His latest piece, I must admit, floored me. He is capable of talking about someone besides LeBron James or Tim Tebow, I learned.

Other than this revelation, Bayless’s Te’o piece followed the same cookie-cutter theme as all his arguments – a lot of bluster and precious little substance. Bayless proclaimed Te’o a deserving Heisman winner but also anointed himself head of the Johnny Football fan club. Johnny Football, for the uninitiated, is Texas A&M Johnny Manziel, believed to be Teo’s chief competition for the Heisman.

Truth is, talk of a Te’o Heisman is laughable – whether or not it comes from Bayless’s well-manicured fingers or anyone else. Te’o Heisman talk has gathered steam for two reasons: A) Te’o plays for Notre Dame, a traditional power in the midst of a national championship run; and B) Notre Dame is 12-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country. Some would argue the Heisman should be awarded to the best player on the best team. I am not one of those people. If anything, talk of Te’o, as Heisman winner, reflects on the dearth of quality candidates this season, Manziel excluded.

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Damn The Tide: An LSU Fan Picks Who To Root For In The BCS Chase

November 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Bama fans ... HA!

Today on the subway a man in a business suit struck up a conversation with me about something near and dear to my heart. The self-described BYU grad and I did not talk about Mormonism or multiple wives or HBO’s Big Love. We talked LSU football.

The bespectacled man offered his condolences after noticing my LSU beanie. The previous night my home state Tigers lost a 21-17 heartbreaker to Alabama. The ebbs and flows of the game led me to curse the entire state of Alabama, as well as its football team.

My fellow “D” train traveler informed me he was rooting for LSU. Like most college football fans, he is ready for the SEC’s six year BCS title reign to end. An Alabama loss would likely have closed the door on an SEC team making the title game, while opening the door wider for teams in other conferences – Oregon, Kansas State – plus Notre Dame. I don’t care about any of that though. I wanted to see LSU win and Bama lose.

You read the headline. I am not rooting for Alabama. I don’t care if a Crimson Tide loss means the SEC fails to win its seventh straight BCS football title. Damn the Tide!

Below are my thoughts on the four undefeated teams still in the hunt and their odds of making the BCS National Championship Game, given their remaining schedules. All statistics are based on information entering Week 11. You can view BCS rankings here.

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5 Thoughts On LSU’s Win Over Texas A&M

October 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Mettenberger via LSU Reveille

Earlier today I wrote about watching LSU’s win over Texas A&M at Legends Sports Bar in Manhattan. It was a pins and needles affair. Then again, that’s the way all the Tigers’ SEC games are this season.

Here are five thoughts on LSU’s win over Texas A&M:

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Cajun Tomato’s NYC 100: “Legends Sports Bar”

October 21, 2012 By 1 Comment

Legends via Hipstamatic

This is the 11th installment of Cajun Tomato’s NYC 100, a daily series chronicling my experiences and observations as a new New Yorker.

Here’s one thing I’ve learned in life: You can take the boy out of south Louisiana but you can’t take the LSU fan out of the boy. That was true in Oregon amid rabid Ducks fans, and it remains so in New York City.

On Saturday afternoon I entered Legends Sports Bar in Manhattan during halftime of LSU’s football contest with Texas A&M. Yes, halftime. I overslept, failing to take into account the subway’s relative weekend sloth. Rookie mistake, I know.

Upon arrival at Legends Sports Bar, I heard Big Tymers’ NOLA rap anthem, “Get Your Roll On”, belting from the venue’s speakers and observed dozens of purple and gold-clad Tigers fans, many of whom were clutching a beer. Behind the bar there were purple and gold signs with the years 1958, 2003, and 2007, representing LSU’s three national championships. It all felt authentic.

And this was just halftime.

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5 Thoughts From Today’s Saints-Panthers Debacle

September 16, 2012 By 1 Comment

Saints!!!!

If only I had a paper bag handy Sunday afternoon …

Yes, it’s only Week 2. The New Orleans Saints can rebound from an 0-2 hole. A healthy Drew Brees behind center can work miracles. Unfortunately, he can’t play defense.

The problem with the “it’s only Week 2″ thinking this season is that means there are 14 games remaining for opponents to abuse the Saints’ defense.

I am trying to resist typing the words “fire” and “Steve Spagnuolo” next to one another. It’s difficult after back-to-back weeks in which mobile quarterbacks – Robert Griffin III and Cam Newton – torched the Saints for an average of 37.5 points. For comparison’s sake, the Saints’ defense yielded 21.2 points per game in 2011.

Here are five thoughts from the New Orleans’ 35-27 loss to Carolina on Sunday:

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My Saints-Redskins Diary Full Of Heartbreak And Pain

September 9, 2012 By 2 Comments

Saints!!!!

Who Dat!

Today’s big story lines in New Orleans today are A) How will the Saints play in the wake of Bountygate without suspended head coach Sean Payton and B) How will Redskins rookie QB Robert Griffin III play in his debut against a leaky Saints secondary?

The Saints received good news Friday when a judge ruled linebacker Jon Vilma and defensive end Will Smith were eligible to play in Sunday’s game. The duo were previously suspended by NFL Commish Roger Goodell for their alleged roles in Bountygate. Smith starts today, and provides a boost to the Saints defensive line. Vilma is out with a knee injury.

I am going Saints, 38-17. There’s a reason, or many reasons, why the Saints won 13 regular season games last season and the Redskins finished last in the NFC East for the fourth straight year.

Here is my Saints-Redskins diary:

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NFL History Shows Randy Moss, Terrell Owens Likely To Struggle In 2012

August 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Randy Moss. Photo via US PRESSWIRE

Diehard San Francisco 49ers fan and award-winning Cajun Tomato correspondent Lloyd Nelson asked me today on Facebook whether I thought Randy Moss or Terrell Owens would produce bigger stats this season. He did so hoping to bait me into an argument, knowing how much I loathe the Niners. The Niners’ repeated floggings of my hometown New Orleans Saints in the 1990s blinded me to rational thought about them, but I am not dumb.

Both Moss and Owens have had superlative NFL careers worthy of Hall of Fame consideration when they retire. What’s left in their gas tanks, however, is in question. I am willing to side with Moss (per Lloyd’s question), merely because he seems to have the easier road to becoming a key part of his team’s passing game. Yet, one has to wonder how he will stay motivated in a run-oriented offense. And, there’s the fact he bounced around three teams during the 2010 season while seeming disinterested in, you know, playing football.

If Moss is the Neptune of sure things at this point then Owens is the Pluto. What is assured is Owens, who recently signed with the Seattle Seahawks, needs the spotlight. He also needs money to pay his baby mamas. But at age 38 and a year removed from the NFL, it is uncertain whether he can beat out fellow Seahawk receivers Doug Baldwin, Sidney Rice, and Braylon Edwards for substantial playing time. Perhaps more damning: Who will be throwing those guys the ball? The Seahawks have three clipboard holders and no starters at quarterback.

As I have mentioned already, there are a slew of reasons not to bet money on Moss or Owens having successful seasons – recent performance, mediocre to subpar quarterbacks, run-first offensive schemes, etc. The most important factor, though, is history. Even the greatest wide receivers, aside from Jerry Rice, experienced steep declines once they reached age 35.

With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of modern-era Hall of Fame wide receivers who played at age 35 or beyond. Eat your heart out, Lloyd!

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Will The 2012 Saints Duplicate Recent Regular Season Success?

August 5, 2012 By 2 Comments

Circa 2007

Who Dat!

My hometown New Orleans Saints start their 2012 NFL preseason campaign tonight against the Arizona Cardinals in a game I have no plans on watching. Nonetheless, I am excited about tonight’s game because it means the NFL regular season is almost here.

The Saints are 37-11 over the past three regular seasons – tied for the best record in the NFL with the New England Patriots. This is without a doubt the Golden Age of New Orleans Saints football. It has been super, but how much longer can it last? Will this be the season that the franchise returns to its inglorious past? Or will the team overcome head coach Sean Payton’s yearlong suspension for Bountygate and reign over the NFC South again?

It’s time for (way too early) predictions!

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Drafting QB With Top Pick Never Safe Bet

March 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I'm going to a bad team! Yessss!!!

With less than a month to go before the 2012 NFL draft, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck remains the overwhelming favorite to be selected No. 1 overall by the Indianapolis Colts. If that happens, Luck would become the tenth quarterback in the last 12 years to go No. 1 overall.

Logic says the Colts can’t go wrong with either Luck or presumptive No. 2 pick Baylor QB Robert Griffin III. Each displayed above average athleticism, arm strength, intelligence, and production during their college careers. But, recent history shows that taking a quarterback as the No. 1 overall pick, or a quarterback in the first round for that matter, is far from a slam dunk. The No. 2 overall pick is far from a slam dunk, either.

Often teams take quarterbacks, not because they are the best overall talent, but because the money attached to the draft slot all but dictates the selection of a quarterback. I do not think that is the case this year, but it has been multiple times over the past decade.

Let’s look back on some NFL history shall we? I listed quarterbacks picked in the first round in the past 10 drafts with their pick number in parentheses, the team who drafted them, and a term or sentence to describe their career. I included the No. 2 picks too, as a reference point, since Griffin will more than likely go second.

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