ALBANY, N.Y. — Eli Manning has agreed to a new six-year, $97.5 million contract extension with the New York Giants that will make him among the highest-paid players in the NFL with an average salary of roughly $15.3 million, a source told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen…. See Eli Manning as agreed to…
Pretty amazing contract considering he may not be one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL. (He’s probably the third best quarterback in his family.)
He is credited with getting to and winning the Super Bowl. His gun-toting buddy Plaxico Burress, was his savior during that run. Manning would throw passes that Burress would “go and get”. You can see how Manning’s productivity declined once Burress was missing from the field.
Manning also benefits from having the best rushing offense in the NFL. Please take a look at the chart below. Plug in some of the other quarterbacks into the Giants… and consider how much of a better team they’d be…
(It’s 2 hours before the start of the Jets / Titans game…)
A Jets fans broken heart
We, Jet fans have been waiting for a long time for a championship. As Jet fans we get excited time after time only to have our hearts broken (time after time.) We have learned to be cautiously optimistic as a defense mechanism.
Today is the day we finally get our due. Last week we beat the Patriots. This week we will beat the Titans. (It would be interesting if the Jets wore their Titans uniforms today ;>) )
How did we get here?
The Jets organization did a great job in the off season. They improved their offensive line. They improved their defensive line. Of course there is also the Favre deal. But the Favre deal was icing on the cake. They improved the foundation of the team before Favre was in the picture.
Realistically, the Jets can win today. They will win today. Yeah, the Jets WILL win today. (It’s still hard to convince myself.)
ESPN (Outside the Lines 7.27.08 ) did a story on Penn State University Football players getting in trouble off the field. They have been getting in fights, drinking, and other troublesome activities.
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I don’t have the answers but none of this should be unexpected.
Elite athletes, such as Division 1 football players, are recognized at young ages. By the time they are in Junior high school, people are kissing their butts, telling them how great they are, and at times, are being contacted by colleges.
By the time they are in high school, everyone is kissing their butts, colleges are visiting, and they are constantly being told they are special. They naturally start feeling they are better than others and rules do not apply to them. At practice and on the field they are trained to be aggressive, give 100% effort, protect teammates, and leave it all on the field…
So now they accept a scholarship to a big time Division 1 footbal school. Everyone kisses their butts. Girls want them. They get to “cut the line” on their class schedules so they can make practices and games. They generated press and dollars for the university so the administration kisses their butts. They continue to be treated special and feel the rules don’t apply to them….
… and, realistically, the rules don’t appy to them….
So now you have a 20 year old kid who is getting in trouble or fights? Since he was 13 years old, he has been told is special and (directly or indirectly) that the “rules” don’t apply to him .
Are we surprised? Actually, we should all be surprised this isn’t happening more often on more campuses.
I just put on the NY Yankees game against the Kansas City Royals. It was the 5th inning and the score was tied at 0-0. Within 5 minutes of my putting the game on, KC scored. I immediately thought to change the channel because I was bringing bad luck.Rasner (NYY) had been pitching well up until that point, so I changed from the YES Network to TNT where Cast Away (Tom Hanks) was on.
Sounds crazy? Irrational? In one way or another, most sports fans do it!
********************* Does this sound familiar, or similar, to you, or your favorite sports fan?
When we were in SUNY Albany, during football season, we watched the Jets every Sunday. Without fail, if they started to play well, no one was allowed to move, switch seats, go get a beer (yes, believe it) or go to the bathroom. Did it work? Sometimes. But it definitely would not have worked if we didn’t follow the ritual.
Duirng one Yankees season, I always sat on the floor at the foot of of my bed. Every game. The Yankees finished in 1st place and won the World Series. (I also wore out the carpet in the bedroom and had to pay to replace it.)
During Jets season, the Wayne Chrebet Bobble Head had to be on the mantle during the Jets game. (Obviously this only works so well in that the Jets haven’t won the Super Bowl since 1969.)
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Another good one was, at school, we always drank Coors Light during football games.
There are more seemly sill superstitions or patterns, but that’s enough for now.
If you are a real sports fan, I am sure you have plenty of your own.
********************* BTW – I still have Cast Away on the TV and the Yankees lost 2-1… They would have probably lost 5-1 if I watched the game…
I Love ESPN SportsCenter and ESPNradio — but what is a sport?
I watch SportsCenter at least once a day. First thing in the morning. Religiously.
Their format is great. The stories are interesting. I am a perfect fit for their demographic.
I enjoy the major and less-than-major sports. American sports. European. Austrailian. You name it, I watch it.
Hey – The World Series Of Poker is not a sport. I enjoy the coverage and watch it. (Why is watching poker on TV interesting? The reason this is so popular is because of the voyeuristic aspect of seeing everyone’s cards. One of the other TV stations showed a few hands in which you could only one hand — not interesting — you can do that on your own with your buddies.)
Yes – I even watch some of the Spelling Bee. Entertaining. Yes. A sport? No.
Watch this video. How entertaining is it?
My questions are (1) What is a sport? and (2) What next will ESPN start broadcasting that is not a sport?
Willie – I am a Yankee fan. No matter what happens today and going forward, we will love you as a Yankee. Team player.Solid citizen. Good person. We would also welcome you back to Yankee Stadium.
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Just like in a court case, when something is said, even if the judge overrules the statement, it is heard…. And it’s too late.
When an individual is stressed, drunk, cocky, or in a too-relaxed state, their “true feelings” are expressed. Restraint is gone. Inhibitions disappear.
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This week, The Record of Hackensack, N.J. reported , Randolph brought up race when he questioned the way he has been presented by SNY, the team’s TV network.
“Is it racial?” Randolph was quoted in the story. “Huh? It smells a little bit. … I don’t know how to put my finger on it, but I think there’s something there.”
Willie did apologize the next day but it’s too late. You played the race card. It’s understandable. NY is a pressure-packed place. The media tries to lead you down certain paths.
But once it is out there, it is hard to forget. And unfortunately, it can create a permanent blemish or worse.
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Here are examples of a few people who played or discussed race and disappeared from the sports scene.(Willie did NOT say anything as bad as this group.)
Jimmy The Greek – J… makes comments to a Washington, D.C, television reporter about the physical abilities of black and white athletes… black athlete is “bred to be the better athlete because, this goes all the way to the Civil War when … the slave owner would breed his big woman…” Snyder apologized for the comments but his is over. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REFJxwQPQUY&feature=related
Fuzzy Zoeller – makes stereotypical black comments related to Tiger Woods. He has not gotten the visibility nor endorsements that would have previously been expected. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aWS0StFM5I
Howard Cosell – Cosell saying “look at that little monkey run” to describe black receiver Alvin Garrett in a Washington Redskins game. Loses his job and quietly vanishes from the sports scene.
Mel Gibson – Gibson makes anti Semitic remarks while being arrested and drunk. His true feelings come out while drunk. It makes you look at his reasoning for The Passion Of Christ. Gibson’s father is supposedly a Holocaust denier.I do not have first hand knowledge of this affect on his career, but he does not seem to be in the public eye.The reason Gibson, not a sports-related personality, is in this list is because of a great rant Denis Leary performed in the announcer’s booth at the Red Sox’ Fenway Park .(Denis Leary tells Mel Gibson to shove it. http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/40420/)
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Willie — You need to kick ass on that team of yours and WIN GAMES!Excuses and apologies won’t cut it! This will be forgotten (or at least lessened) if you win.
trouble off the field. They have been getting in fights, drinking, and other troublesome activities.
tied at 0-0. Within 5 minutes of my putting the game on, KC scored. 
as a Yankee. Team player.
