Tuesday sports update - Merry Christmas Drew Brees!

Brees breaks Marino passing record

So I simply must dedicate this update to the multiple-record-setting QB of the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees - he set yet another one last night but this one was a doozy! He broke Dan Marino's 1984 single season passing yardage record. Marino had 5,084 in 1984 and now with one game still to go, Brees has 5,087. 

Not only is this an athletic achievement but in my opinion it really couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. 

In 2005, while playing for the San Diego Chargers, Brees suffered what many thought might be a career-ending shoulder injury. He had reconstructive surgery on it, but did not return to the Chargers and the Dolphins passed him over for Daunte Culpepper.

Enter another entity struggling to come back - the city of New Orleans, reeling from the after-effects of hurricane Katrina, was looking for something to lift their spirits. They wanted their beloved Saints back and they needed a new leader. Sean Payton had just arrived as the new head coach and he had a conviction that Drew Brees was the man for the job. 

He brought Drew and his wife down to Nola, but his sales tactics might seem a bit unorthodox. Now I'm not saying they didn't wine and dine him at all - I'm sure they did - but Payton also drove him around to look at the destruction left by the storm. And he was sold. Sort of poetic really - both Brees and New Orleans needed a fresh start - and boy did they get it!

And he has taken on his mission to rebuild the team and the city with equal vigor. Back during the 2009-2010 Superbowl run, a friend handed me a Sports Illustrated magazine with Drew on the cover. The article, entitled “The Heart of New Orleans,” was not really about Saints football – it was about what Drew and the team have done for the city. 

Since his "career ending injury" Drew Brees has:

• Led New Orleans to their first play-off victory (yes, that's right, first in their, at the time, 44 year history)
• Led them to their first Super Bowl win
• Set a record for passing accuracy in 2009 at 70.62% - incidentally if the season ended today he would have broken his own record with 70.7%
• And now holds the all-time single season passing record
• Raised millions of dollars for the city – I found references to over $4M in about a 5 minute Google search

Last night, with characteristic grace he thanked and credited everyone from the owners, coaches and fellow players - to the facilities maintenance staff. 

So in an age of way too many thugs in sport, hats off to a true winner and a class act. As Sean Payton said in the locker room after last night's record setting victory, "this is not the last chapter." May it be so!

GEAUX SAINTS!!!

Tuesday sports update - it's crunch time, folks!

Sorry for not writing in a while – afraid I have succumbed to the holiday craziness and gotten completely buried!

So this is the time of the football year when I have somewhat mixed emotions. I’m a little sad that the season is winding up, but then again, it is getting exciting. At this stage there are a lot of teams fighting to keep playoff hopes alive. So here’s a quick rundown of what I find most interesting.

First, of course I have to start with a few observations on my teams:

• Both the Saints in the NFC and the Steelers in the AFC are projected to have to play wildcard weekend – meaning they make the playoffs but are not the 1 or 2 seeds and therefore miss first round bye’s. Here’s the interesting part, though – both of them have the same record as at least one of the teams currently sitting in the bye spots – so hold on, the “fat lady” hasn’t sung yet
• Second, I’m sorry but I have to rant. The Steelers’ linebacker James Harrison was suspended for one game this week for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Browns QB Colt McCoy Sunday. OK, I get that it was an illegal hit, but how many of them were flagged on Sunday and who else was suspended – oh wait, no one. Tell me the league isn’t targeting the Steelers and I’ve got some ocean-front property…
• And then I could not let this week go by without commenting on my “favorite” Tom Brady’s little sideline melt-down after he threw a pick in the end zone against the Redskins. I saw it live before they had a chance to “bleep” it and it was pretty entertaining. Sorry Pats fans, but next to my teams winning, nothing does my heart quite as good as seeing both Brady and Belichick that worked up! 
• The Lions, Falcons, Jets and Giants are hanging onto playoff spots for dear life. All four had wins last weekend but a few just barely. Nice comeback Giants! They’d better not let down – most of them are one game up at most and there are hungry teams “in the hunt”
• And I’m sorry, but I just have to say it again – WOW! If the playoffs started today, the Bronco’s would be in with 7 wins out of 8 Tebow starts. That’s right, at 8-5 they started 0-4…until Tebow took over, that is. He did it again Sunday – 4^th quarter hits and it’s Tebow time – another comeback and exciting OT win against the Bears. Now, to give credit where it’s due, kicker Matt Prater kicked a 59-yarder to tie the game at the end of regulation and then a 51-yarder to win it. But like Bob Costas said, whether you embrace Tebow’s faith or not, this is fun to watch! Another commentator actually suggested delaying Bronco’s games 15 minutes so everyone could tune in for the exciting finishes after their games are done! Ha! I actually like that idea. They’ve got the Patriots next – tough challenge for sure, but wouldn’t I love it if…

So on to week 15 – what will happen next!

Oh, and I can’t close without a hoorah for the ALL SEC NCAAF championship! Sorry Tigers, but ROLLLLLL TIDE!!!

For all of you who thought Tim Tebow was only a sentimental favorite...

They just showed this on Thursday Night Football on the NFL Network:

Comparison of John Elway & Tim Tebow in first 7 career NFL starts

Who's the hall of fame QB and who does'nt belong in the NFL?

Tuesday sports update - records, firsts and more weirdness

So I'm going to depart from tradition briefly and start with something other than football.

Tonight, Duke's beloved basketball "Coach K" (that's Mike Krzyzewski for those who really want to attempt the whole thing) made Division I basketball history with his 903rd win! The previous record-holder, legendary Bob Knight was on hand for the victory. And funny thing, Mike K. used to play for Knight! What a pair. Hats off to two of the best.

Now, on to Tennis - my other favorite sport. Slightly less auspicious history was made on Sunday, but it warms my heart none-the-less. My man, Roger Federer won the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris for the first time. I know, why is this, his 69th Masters Title special? Well, let's face it, there's not much left out there that he hasn't won - so Federer fans let's hear it - he's NOT done yet!!! On to London...will be interesting to see what happens with #1 Djokovic who pulled out of Paris with a shoulder injury. He hasn't been the same since Fed gave him quite a run in the US Open semi's...hmm...


OK, now to football. 

Bills WR Nelson handing TD ball to Kelsi
Reich, his Cowboys cheerleader girlfriend!

First, I have to share the most amusing story of the weekend - always looking out for you folks who want football fodder for those (now holiday) party conversations. So turns out Buffalo Bills wide receiver David Nelson is dating a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Who knew? Last Sunday the Bills play the Cowboys. Nelson scores a touchdown and...that's right, you guessed it...he runs up to his Cowboy cheerleader girlfriend, lays one on her and hands her the touchdown ball. Sweet, but ouch - isn't that kind of like being employed by Fedex and having a package show up at work via UPS?


OK, now for the results from the weekend.


The biggest story, on the field of play anyway, probably happened in my Saints game vs. the Falcons. I'll skip to the good part. The game goes into overtime, both teams have had one unsuccessful possession and the Falcons now have the ball 4th and inches to go on their own 30. Coach Mike Smith decides to go for it! The Saints get an enormous push off the line, completely stuff the Falcons and they don't get it. This leads directly to a John Kasay game-winning field goal (yep, there's my guy again!) Now, Smith has caught a lot of grief for this, but the Saints defense had been fairly awful the whole game. Not to mention the spectre of Drew Brees getting the ball back with a chance at yet another game-winning drive is enough to send any opposing coach into cold sweats. Bottom line, I might have done the same thing. So lay off Coach Smith and let's hear it for the Saints! WHO DAT!!!


The rest of the week can really be summed up in 3 categories.


The expected:
* Texans man-handled the Bucs (but Schaub probably out for the season with foot injury, Leinart gets the start, oh dear, glory days may be over)
* Packers dismantled the Vikings (45-7 - not quite as bad as Saints-Colts 62-7 beat down several weeks ago, though, just saying)
* Patriots got back on track defeating the Jets


The not so expected:
* Chargers lose to Raiders - I know Raiders have Carson Palmer now, but I thought the Chargers were going to wake up and play football, guess not
* Cowboys spank the Bills 44-7 - wait, I thought the Bills were actually good this year? And Romo sets records for completion % - wait, who is this guy?
* Broncos beat the Chiefs - wait, I thought the Chiefs were on a roll? And Tebow's not for real, right? Well, he did only complete 2 passes the whole game, but when 1 of them is a 56 yard TD what are you gonna' say? Bad news is Cassel's likely out for the season for the Chiefs. Tyler "who" gets the start?
* Cardinals beat the Eagles - WHAT? Broken ribs on Vick or not, WHAT is going on in Philly?


* And my favorite - Ravens lose to the 2-6, now 3-6 Seahawks. WOW. What IS it with them? They beat the Steelers and then they immediately turn around and lay an EGG to a losing team. That's twice now - that deserves a "c'mon man!"


Then there were the rest but we won't go into all of them. I will only say that I bet my Panthers missed their old faithful field goal kicker John Kasay on Sunday. They released him because they thought his leg wasn't what it used to be. Ha! Maybe not, but his replacement Olindo Mare missed a 20-something yard chip-shot, while Kasay hit from 52 and then later won the game in OT for the Saints. Again, I'm just saying...

Tuesday sports update - the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat

So first, let’s talk about my teams – I know, I know, but honestly my teams were big news this week. My personal box score on the week, 1-2  – talk about the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat! 

Panthers - While I’ve been patient this year as I know they are rebuilding, this week they should have won. They had it won, and they shot themselves in the foot repeatedly. In fact, I’m wondering if someone did shoot kicker Olindo Mare in the foot before he missed a chip shot that would have sent the game to overtime. Cam still looks pretty good, but talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Saints – UGH! Really? You bludgeon the Colts 62-7 on a Sunday night and then come back a week later and hand the 0-6 Rams their first win? Don’t really know what to say, except HUH? 

And then there was the Steelers – Patriots game. The other two I expected my teams to win, but not this one. I was emotionally prepared for the loss, but lo and behold, the Steelers D looks like the Steelers of old, Tom Brady spends a lot of time looking up at the sky (woohoo!) and they get a decisive if improbable win. Yeehah! The power rankings have them at #2 again and the pundits are talking about a Super Bowl rematch. I say not so fast, but still it was fun for this week!

In other parts of the NFL:

• The Dolphins and the Colts remain winless, although the fish came close and would have had the win without another come-back win by Eli Manning and the Giants
• The Ravens barely eked out a win over Arizona and only after a huge come-back of their own
• Buffalo, San Francisco, Cincinnati and Detroit continue their surprising runs, with the Lions seeming to get back on track this week after losing the previous two
• Tebow had a really rough day – the nay-sayers are back in force
• The Chargers and Eagles continued to prove out my Jekyll and Hyde theory – Eagles (Jekyll) looked great, THIS week but the Chargers (Hyde) didn’t really show up and lost to the Chiefs in overtime – another head-scratcher, sort of
• The Redskins seem permanently stuck in Hyde-land now, shut out by the Bills…in Toronto

In other sporting news, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) year-end championships came to a close with #3 Petra Kvitova (Czech, and defending Wimbledon champion) defeating #4 Victoria Azarenka (Russia). Meanwhile, most of the top men (sans Nadal) are playing an indoor hard court tournament in Federer’s home town of Basel, Switzerland. Fed and Djokovic are both through the first round already. Both looked a little rusty after significant time off due to injury and the need for rest after a grueling US Open, but they got it done. Go Roger!!! : )

Tuesday sports update - an unpredictable, record-setting, heroic week!

It was an exciting week in the NFL - complete with crazy upsets, colossal collapses, record wins and heroic comebacks. And for me the best part was that all 3 of my teams won for the first time this season!

The Panthers got win #2 - equalling last year's win total - woohoo! I know, they are 2-5, what am I cheering about? Cut me some slack, it's a rebuilding year and Cam Newton is still looking good.

The Steelers looked like they were going to let Arizona back in the game in the 2nd quarter, but then they put the pedal down and got a solid win. Oh, and they set a record for the longest TD pass from scrimmage in Steelers history - 95 yards from Roethlisberger to Mike Wallace - good Mississippi boy, and BOY is he fast!

And the Saints - wow. The kind of thrashing they put on the Colts really should be illegal. The final score in case you missed it, 62-7. Ouch! Incidentally that was a record for margin of victory - no, really? Drew Brees' QB rating was almost perfect and as my mother pointed out, he had more touchdown passes than incomplete passes! (5 vs 4). I really felt sorry for the Colts but it was fun if you're a Saints fan. Who dat!!!

And then there was Tim Tebow. If you thought the debate over his future as an NFL quarterback was raging before, the pundits are talking about it non-stop now. If Brees was almost perfect, Tebow was the absolute opposite - until the 4th quarter. And then as FL fans will tell you, he flipped that switch and it was Tebow time. He threw 2 TD passes and ran for a 2 pt conversion in the last 5 minutes to tie the game, which they went on to win in OT 18-15 over the still winless Dolphins. You know, his throwing motion aside, you've got to respect a guy who can motivate that kind of effort when the game seems lost. Not to mention he's just a wonderful human being - hard not to root for him.

In other NFL news:
• The Jets also pulled off an impressive comeback win over the Chargers
• The Raiders, Buccaneers and especially the Ravens completely fell apart
• The Lions have now lost 2 in a row, prompting the return of questions over whether they are "for real." On the other side of that one, it looks as if Atlanta might be back on track
• Greenbay continues to roll but was unexpectedly pushed a bit by the Vikings in rookie QB Christian Ponder's first start

Meanwhile in my other favorite sport, the WTA women's end of the year championship tennis tourney is happening in Istanbul, Turkey this week. Let's go Sam Stosur! Speaking of Turkey, let's not forget to keep that country in our prayers after their earthquake.

Never Give Up - Lessons from the World of Sport

So I admit I'm a sports fanatic for the entertainment, the adrenalin, etc…but today I was reminded in several instances of another reason to value sports – the way that it can remind us never to give up. A game, or a match can turn on a moment, a play, a point…as can life. We just have to hang in there, be ready to capitalize on the turning moment and never give in to defeat.

First, prime examples – if anyone saw the Seahawks defeat the Giants or the Raiders (a day after the death of their arguably crazy but storied owner Al Davis) hang on to beat the Texas, you will appreciate the value of not giving up and playing to the end. Both teams, potentially on the verge of defeat were saved by end zone interceptions that sealed their victories.

Second is one of my favorite stories of NFL resilience this year. For anyone who has followed the Carolina Panthers since their inception (as many know I have) you will know that until this year, John Kasay, the kicker and all time Panther’s scoring leader was the only remaining member of the original Panthers from their founding in 1995. Kasay was released this off-season, with the team citing his “aging” leg as the reason. This man is the definition of a class act. If you have time, I would encourage you to read the open letter he wrote to the Charlotte Observer upon his release – thanking the team and the city for some of the best years of his and his family’s life (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/08/09/2516320/a-classy-farewell-from-a-classy.html). This gracious man was cut, but then picked up by the Saints when their kicker was injured early this season. Today he returned Charlotte – and the Saints won by his field goal. 

But most significant was what I witnessed. I ran the Army 10-miler this morning, and headed into a stretch down by the Potomac River I heard cheering up ahead. When I got there I saw a wounded soldier with a prosthetic leg making his way along the side of the pack. Needless to say any aching legs I was feeling really didn’t matter much at that point. What a lesson – both in not giving up, but also in being grateful for all that we are able to do. Enough said.

Tuesday sports update

So for those who know me, you know I'm a fanatical fan of 2 sports - football and tennis. On more than one occasion I've had male friends ask me questions about the game or the match. Freakish I know, but there it is...I love this stuff.

So, I think it is only appropriate for me to blog on one of my favorite topics - and for you my readers (I realize most are my family and my mom's friends, but that's OK), hopefully it will give you something to talk about at parties when the subject of sport comes up.

At this point in the football season, most of the pundits are talking about the teams on the margins - and here I'm speaking NFL - only 4 weeks in and you have a few unbeaten teams left. On the flip side you have a few with a dismal 0-4 start.

Let's start on the bright side. At 4-0 you've got one expected, the defending champion Green Bay Packers, and one surprise, the Detroit Lions! Now the Lions haven't started 4-0 since the mid-80s and over the past few decades their play is more to be reviled that revered. But clearly after taking Matthew Stafford with the #1 pick 2 years ago (good GA boy - go SEC!) they have been rebuilding. One of my friends today told me that he's picking them to win it all this year. Who knows, at 4 games in, I'm with Lee Corso - "not so fast..." Then again after several impressive comebacks to get to that 4-0 (including a 24 point comeback last Sunday against the Cowboys) they are going to be fun to watch.

As for the downside, there are 4 teams at 0-4: Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings. What can I say - ouch, ouch, ouch and ouch! The discussion here is always about who's in the most trouble. Now I'm not saying any of these are going to end up play-off bound, but IMHO the Vikings and the Dolphins (and their coaches / QBs?) have the most to worry about. The Vikings have given up significant leads every week to collapse and lose in the 4th quarter - that is just not good. As for the Dolphins, the coach is reportedly just happy that he isn't going to be fired in this their bye week. Again, who knows, we'll see. My prediction, even without Peyton, Indy's about ready for a win - maybe this week against an equally hapless KC?

As for college FB - let's just say, go SEC! 3 of the top 10 in the latest AP poll - including LSU and Alabama at #1 & 2 respectively. Woohoo!

So there's your party sports chit-chat for the week. Perhaps I'll give you an update heading into the weekend!