This Weekend's Losers
1. Andy Dalton
Andy Dalton has gone 0-2 in his first two playoff appearances. Naturally, he felt a lot of pressure playing the Chargers at home on Sunday afternoon. And boy, did it show! He turned it over on three consecutive second half possessions to make his passing numbers a lopsided 1 TD and 6 INT's. Thanks SB Nation for the GIF (and more on their page).
2. JR Smith
See below:
Need I say more?
3. The Kansas City Chiefs
No one likes a 4th quarter collapse. Sure, this season was a dream, going from 2-14 to 11-5 and making the playoffs. However, they Chiefs did not end the season well, and continue their streak of 13 years without a playoff win, eight straight postseason losses.
4. The Philadelphia Eagles
For a team that most thought would finish last in the NFC Least before the season started, the Eagles under Chip Kelly shocked a lot of people by making the postseason. Their future is bright, though, even if some guys on their team, as you will see later on the list, try to stir up some offseason drama. They are on the list so high because they lost, and because they lost at home to a team that no one thought could win on the road. It's strange to see Philadelphia media so positive after a loss in the playoffs - a nice change!
5. The Clippers/Chris Paul
The Clippers star point guard will miss six weeks. While Paul is never really talked about for MVP, at least not as seriously as LeBron or Durant, he is the MVP of the Los Angeles Clippers. The team will miss his leadership significantly, and in a competitive Western Conference, they could drop down to the lower half and lose home court for the playoffs. No surgery required, though, so that's a plus.
6. Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman was named GQ's least influential celebrity of 2013, and it looks like he's keeping up with this. I guess this is what happens when you forge a friendship with a murderous dictator. On his latest visit to North Korea, Rodman has brought a few former NBA players to play an exhibition game for the dictator's birthday. Not a lot of people are fans of Rodman's "basketball diplomacy," especially in light of recent rumors that their leader fed his own uncle to dogs - not true but still gruesome.
7. The Dallas Morning News
Insert foot in mouth. Or in this case, well - think before you tweet. See to the right ---------------->
Of course, this is reference to a Lou Holtz quote from awhile back, but it stirred up a lot because strong is the first black coach in a major sport at the University of Texas. This spurred some controversy as well as some hilarious banter on Twitter which I wrote about yesterday.
8. Green Bay Packers
On this list because they didn't advance. What's colder than the midwest? Well nothing is actually colder. But Rodgers and the offense looked a little frigid - probably because the line allowed a lot of sacks and didn't allow as much time to throw, and he was still returning from injrry. And a shorthanded defense got even more short-handed throughout the game with key losses to guys like Sam Shields. . The Pack should be back in 2014 as a contender for the NFC North - for their sake let's hope they don't have to face the 49ers who are quickly becoming their biggest postseason nemesis.
9. DeSean Jackson
"Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson would like a raise -- even though he has three years remaining on the five-year contract he signed in 2012," reported ESPN. Have you ever heard of the ever popular idiom "Give an inch, take a mile." That is Jackson. It seems that this guy is never happy with his contract, which is make fans less happy with him. A Sports Nation poll proved this. As of 10 pm tonight, 87% of voters felt that this is undeserved. Bad timing, bro! You can't demand more money after a loss.
10. Samuel Dalembert
The Dallas Mavericks lost to the New York Knicks on Sunday night. Their center, Samuel Dalembert was not available to play. Why? He overslept. That's right, he was suspended by the team for oversleeping and missing a team workout - his second oversleeping offense. Dalembert said he was disappointed in himself. I would be too, if I was suffering from the same affliction that plagues teenage boys. You're not Rip Van Winkle, Samuel. Wake up and get on the court!
This Weekend's Winners
1. The San Francisco 49ers
Token Captain Obvious statement of the week - it was cold in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Sunday. However, Colin Kaepernick was not. He continues to use his legs to help stymie the Packers and they advance to face the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte next week. They turned a losing situation into a winning one. Well done! And, Jim Harbaugh taught all of us the importance of layering:
2. Sammy Watkins
The game was on Friday - Watkins was still trending on Sunday, the day he will be playing on next year. Watkins set an Orange Bowl receiving record with 200 yards to help the Clemson Tigers defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes. After this great display, Watkins announced he will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft.
3. Andrew Luck
What a comeback! Luck brought his team back from way down to defeat the Chiefs for his first career playoff win. You can downplay it if you will, but coming back from 28 down is remarkable. I've read quite a bit about people criticizing the praise Luck has earned for this game. In my opinion, this is unfounded.
4. The New Orleans Saints
"Who Dat" saying you can't win on the road? Sorry for the bad grammar, but the pun had all the best intentions. The New Orleans Saints won on the road, in the cold, and now get another tough road test next week in Seattle. With that obstacle behind them, that playoff monkey off their franchise's back, they can maybe move on. It was also nice to see good production from Mark Ingraham.
5. ACC Basketball Newcomers
The Syracuse Orange won their ACC debut on Saturday at home versus the defending ACC Champion Miami Hurricanes. The 'Canes are a different, much weaker squad than last year, but they gave the Orange all they had for a welcoming party to almost upset the #2 Orange. Then, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, new to the ACC for all sports but football, defeated #7 Duke. This has given the Irish a huge confidence boost.
6. San Diego Chargers
This year's playoff edition of a Cinderella story. The Chargers beat a sloppy Bengals team and now have a date with their rival Broncos. Lil Wayne once said, "Confidence is a stain you can't wipe off." (If I lose any cred for quoting Weezy, sorry I am not sorry. It was from a good song.) The Chargers have a lot of confidence right now, but can they really beat the Broncos?
7. Braxton Miller
Great move for the Ohio State QB. If you are not a sure-fire NFL prospect, it is best to stay in school. Heck, it is always best to stay in school and get your education. Miller is a tough player, and displayed a lot of that toughness in the loss to Clemson. He acknowledges that he has a lot to improve upon and wants to help his team win a title, as they came close to getting to the game this year.
8. Miami Hurricanes Football
Amidst rumors that he would be taking the "dream job" at Penn State, Coach Al Golden reaffirmed his commitment to the Miami Hurricanes this weekend. Miami currently has a Top 10 recruiting class, and new recruits are very excited to hear that Golden is staying. Despite what a lot of experts are saying, that Penn State is a better job, Golden did not want to leave one school with sanctions for a school with more sanctions. He also wants to finish what he has started and believes he can bring Miami back to their winning ways.
9. Northwestern forward Aaron Liberman
In Sunday's game versus Michigan, he didn't have a memorable game basketball-wise, but he did make a statement of his faith, and Big Ten history. Liberman was the first player in Big Ten history to wear a yarmulke in a game. Liberman is believed to be the only Orthodox Jew playing major college baskeball right now. It is admirable to see a young person committed to his faith, his school, and his team. That is why I wanted to share this story.
10. Iman Shumpert
After his play in the Texas Triangle trip, can everyone in the Knicks front office, coaching staff, and the media agree that Iman Shumpert belongs on the Knicks? He scored 53 points in the first two games and 7 of his 9 points at the end of the game versus the Mavericks on Sunday. Someone needs to help with the clutch scoring load since JR Smith has left the building, or so it seems. It appears he has his confidence back which is huge for the Knicks.
1. Andy Dalton
Andy Dalton has gone 0-2 in his first two playoff appearances. Naturally, he felt a lot of pressure playing the Chargers at home on Sunday afternoon. And boy, did it show! He turned it over on three consecutive second half possessions to make his passing numbers a lopsided 1 TD and 6 INT's. Thanks SB Nation for the GIF (and more on their page).
2. JR Smith
See below:
Need I say more?
3. The Kansas City Chiefs
No one likes a 4th quarter collapse. Sure, this season was a dream, going from 2-14 to 11-5 and making the playoffs. However, they Chiefs did not end the season well, and continue their streak of 13 years without a playoff win, eight straight postseason losses.
4. The Philadelphia Eagles
For a team that most thought would finish last in the NFC Least before the season started, the Eagles under Chip Kelly shocked a lot of people by making the postseason. Their future is bright, though, even if some guys on their team, as you will see later on the list, try to stir up some offseason drama. They are on the list so high because they lost, and because they lost at home to a team that no one thought could win on the road. It's strange to see Philadelphia media so positive after a loss in the playoffs - a nice change!
5. The Clippers/Chris Paul
The Clippers star point guard will miss six weeks. While Paul is never really talked about for MVP, at least not as seriously as LeBron or Durant, he is the MVP of the Los Angeles Clippers. The team will miss his leadership significantly, and in a competitive Western Conference, they could drop down to the lower half and lose home court for the playoffs. No surgery required, though, so that's a plus.
6. Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman was named GQ's least influential celebrity of 2013, and it looks like he's keeping up with this. I guess this is what happens when you forge a friendship with a murderous dictator. On his latest visit to North Korea, Rodman has brought a few former NBA players to play an exhibition game for the dictator's birthday. Not a lot of people are fans of Rodman's "basketball diplomacy," especially in light of recent rumors that their leader fed his own uncle to dogs - not true but still gruesome.
^ It's kind of like "Where's Waldo?"
7. The Dallas Morning News
Insert foot in mouth. Or in this case, well - think before you tweet. See to the right ---------------->
Of course, this is reference to a Lou Holtz quote from awhile back, but it stirred up a lot because strong is the first black coach in a major sport at the University of Texas. This spurred some controversy as well as some hilarious banter on Twitter which I wrote about yesterday.
8. Green Bay Packers
On this list because they didn't advance. What's colder than the midwest? Well nothing is actually colder. But Rodgers and the offense looked a little frigid - probably because the line allowed a lot of sacks and didn't allow as much time to throw, and he was still returning from injrry. And a shorthanded defense got even more short-handed throughout the game with key losses to guys like Sam Shields. . The Pack should be back in 2014 as a contender for the NFC North - for their sake let's hope they don't have to face the 49ers who are quickly becoming their biggest postseason nemesis.
9. DeSean Jackson
"Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson would like a raise -- even though he has three years remaining on the five-year contract he signed in 2012," reported ESPN. Have you ever heard of the ever popular idiom "Give an inch, take a mile." That is Jackson. It seems that this guy is never happy with his contract, which is make fans less happy with him. A Sports Nation poll proved this. As of 10 pm tonight, 87% of voters felt that this is undeserved. Bad timing, bro! You can't demand more money after a loss.
10. Samuel Dalembert
The Dallas Mavericks lost to the New York Knicks on Sunday night. Their center, Samuel Dalembert was not available to play. Why? He overslept. That's right, he was suspended by the team for oversleeping and missing a team workout - his second oversleeping offense. Dalembert said he was disappointed in himself. I would be too, if I was suffering from the same affliction that plagues teenage boys. You're not Rip Van Winkle, Samuel. Wake up and get on the court!
This Weekend's Winners
1. The San Francisco 49ers
Token Captain Obvious statement of the week - it was cold in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Sunday. However, Colin Kaepernick was not. He continues to use his legs to help stymie the Packers and they advance to face the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte next week. They turned a losing situation into a winning one. Well done! And, Jim Harbaugh taught all of us the importance of layering:
2. Sammy Watkins
The game was on Friday - Watkins was still trending on Sunday, the day he will be playing on next year. Watkins set an Orange Bowl receiving record with 200 yards to help the Clemson Tigers defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes. After this great display, Watkins announced he will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft.
3. Andrew Luck
What a comeback! Luck brought his team back from way down to defeat the Chiefs for his first career playoff win. You can downplay it if you will, but coming back from 28 down is remarkable. I've read quite a bit about people criticizing the praise Luck has earned for this game. In my opinion, this is unfounded.
4. The New Orleans Saints
"Who Dat" saying you can't win on the road? Sorry for the bad grammar, but the pun had all the best intentions. The New Orleans Saints won on the road, in the cold, and now get another tough road test next week in Seattle. With that obstacle behind them, that playoff monkey off their franchise's back, they can maybe move on. It was also nice to see good production from Mark Ingraham.
5. ACC Basketball Newcomers
The Syracuse Orange won their ACC debut on Saturday at home versus the defending ACC Champion Miami Hurricanes. The 'Canes are a different, much weaker squad than last year, but they gave the Orange all they had for a welcoming party to almost upset the #2 Orange. Then, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, new to the ACC for all sports but football, defeated #7 Duke. This has given the Irish a huge confidence boost.
6. San Diego Chargers
This year's playoff edition of a Cinderella story. The Chargers beat a sloppy Bengals team and now have a date with their rival Broncos. Lil Wayne once said, "Confidence is a stain you can't wipe off." (If I lose any cred for quoting Weezy, sorry I am not sorry. It was from a good song.) The Chargers have a lot of confidence right now, but can they really beat the Broncos?
7. Braxton Miller
Great move for the Ohio State QB. If you are not a sure-fire NFL prospect, it is best to stay in school. Heck, it is always best to stay in school and get your education. Miller is a tough player, and displayed a lot of that toughness in the loss to Clemson. He acknowledges that he has a lot to improve upon and wants to help his team win a title, as they came close to getting to the game this year.
8. Miami Hurricanes Football
Amidst rumors that he would be taking the "dream job" at Penn State, Coach Al Golden reaffirmed his commitment to the Miami Hurricanes this weekend. Miami currently has a Top 10 recruiting class, and new recruits are very excited to hear that Golden is staying. Despite what a lot of experts are saying, that Penn State is a better job, Golden did not want to leave one school with sanctions for a school with more sanctions. He also wants to finish what he has started and believes he can bring Miami back to their winning ways.
9. Northwestern forward Aaron Liberman
In Sunday's game versus Michigan, he didn't have a memorable game basketball-wise, but he did make a statement of his faith, and Big Ten history. Liberman was the first player in Big Ten history to wear a yarmulke in a game. Liberman is believed to be the only Orthodox Jew playing major college baskeball right now. It is admirable to see a young person committed to his faith, his school, and his team. That is why I wanted to share this story.
10. Iman Shumpert
After his play in the Texas Triangle trip, can everyone in the Knicks front office, coaching staff, and the media agree that Iman Shumpert belongs on the Knicks? He scored 53 points in the first two games and 7 of his 9 points at the end of the game versus the Mavericks on Sunday. Someone needs to help with the clutch scoring load since JR Smith has left the building, or so it seems. It appears he has his confidence back which is huge for the Knicks.
