Erring on the side of ruining the game

I'm breaking radio silence because I am still fuming over a couple of things from Sunday's Eagles victory over the Colts.

One is the "illegal" hit on "defenseless" receiver Austin Colllie late in the first half.  The officials negated a probable fumble because of an unfortunate series of inescapable non-malicious events that resulted in them throwing a ridiculous penalty flag on Eagles safety Kurt Coleman.  Matt Mosley exposes just how bad the officials got it:

It's wonderful news that Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Austin Collie looks like he'll make a full recovery from a concussion after he was strapped to a backboard and carted from the field in the second quarter of Sunday's Eagles-Colts game. The Eagles were flagged for unnecessary roughness on a defenseless receiver on the play, and the officials provided a confusing explanation following the game. Eagles safety Quintin Mikell unloaded on Collie after he appeared to make a catch with 2:23 left in the first half. Mikell led with his shoulder and it appeared to be a clean hit as he made contact with Collie, who then pin-balled into Eagles rookie safety Kurt Coleman. After watching several replays, I'm not sure how Coleman could have avoided the helmet-to-helmet contact, which appeared to cause Collie's injury. A pool reporter asked referee Carl Cheffers and back judge Todd Prukop for a clarification following the game, and that's when things really got interesting. They both agreed that the penalty was actually on Coleman, who sounded stunned about the ruling when reporters showed up at his locker. Since Collie appeared to have possession of the ball before the hit caused it to pop out, Cheffers was asked to define "defenseless receiver." "Well, if he is completing the catch, his second foot is not down yet or it's just down, we still give the defenseless receiver protection. So if it is a bang-bang type play, with his second foot coming down, he still gets protection on that play. The fact of the matter is, is that ball was incomplete. So, he has protection throughout that entire process on that play because we don't even have a completion -- at no time did he have possession and become a runner to where he would have transitioned out of being a defenseless receiver." Well, that really clears things up. Asked what Coleman did to deserve a penalty, Prukop chimed in, "So, he makes contact with the shoulder to the back of the helmet of the receiver." If you've watched a replay, you know that's flat-out wrong. Coleman never used his shoulder to hit Collie in the back of the helmet. Eagles coach Andy Reid was very careful with his words following the game because he wanted to avoid a fine for criticizing the officials. "The way the game is today, close things are going to be called in the safe direction," said Reid. "When you're in the heat of it, do you like it? No. but maybe the longevity of the player down the road and for life after football." Reid went on to say that it was a "bang-bang" play, but some of his players were a little bit more visceral in their responses. Cornerback Asante Samuel, who had two interceptions in the Eagles' 26-24 win, joked that the league would soon ask defensive backs to wear flags. Coleman, a seventh-round choice out of Ohio State, was still trying to figure out what happened. "I never lead with my head," he said. "That protects myself and the other players." He vowed not to change his style and said he wouldn't become "conservative" in how he makes tackles. But it's not like seventh-round draft choices can afford to pay many $50,000 fines, a figure the league has been enamored with in recent weeks. Perhaps the league will review the play and determine that Coleman couldn't have avoided the contact. But then, it's not like defenders have been getting the benefit of the doubt lately. It was a bad call, but with so much pressure coming from the league office, you can certainly understand how it occurred. It seems like this officiating crew could use some extra film work this week.

That's an understatement, but I'm gratified that someone is calling bullsh*t on the field.  Unfortunately, that was only the first game-fixing call made by the referees.  With the clock running down on in the 4th quarter, on a 4th and 18, Ernie Sims stripped Peyton Manning for a fumble to apparently seal the game.  But no, wait, that's a quarterback up there my friend, and you cannot breath on him.  During the replay, you can see the Sims' hand, while going over Manning's head to get the football, slaps the helmet right before crashing down on the football.  The resultant 15-yard penalty kept the game alive for the Colts, who then marched down the rest of the field against a stunned Eagles defense (who was similarly stunned in the crap call against Coleman earlier) to pull within two.

We knew the league would have games like this, where its new stringent policies (same as the old policies, only more fining and just the same amount of vagueness) nearly cost a team a game.  If this game was played last year, it's not even this close.  Those two "penalies" led directly to 14 Colts points.

We survived the game, and played great.  But if Coleman somehow gets a fine for his "illegal" hit, it'll be a black eye for Goodell.

TIE

Normally, when I put the word "tie" in the title, you'd expect me to talk about Twin Ion Engines, but I am just as surprised as Donovan McNabb that the Philadephia Eagles tied the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, 13-13, in what I can only describe as a game that was so pathetic and evenly-sucked as to deserve to be tied.

But let's get to the statement that was even bigger than the tie; Donovan McNabb didn't know you could tie a game in the NFL:

"I've never been a part of a tie. I never even knew that was in the rule book," McNabb said after the game. "It's part of the rules, and we have to go with it. I was looking forward to getting the opportunity to get out there and try to drive to win the game. But unfortunately, with the rules, we settled with a tie."

The overtime rule isn't an obscure one. It was adopted fully by the NFL in 1974 and 17 games since have ended tied. The Eagles have been involved in four of those games.

"I guess we're aware of it now," McNabb said. "In college, there are multiple overtimes, and in high school and Pop Warner. I never knew in the pro ranks it would end that way. I hate to see what would happen in the Super Bowl and in the playoffs."

They keep playing if it's tied in the playoffs or Super Bowl. But McNabb didn't know that, either.

I don't blame Andy Reid for failing to tell your team, because the information is so painfully common knowledge that it would be embarrassing to convey. I mean, should I have to tell my franchise quarterback who has been in the league for nine years that you tie a game after 1 overtime period?? Should I have to tell my franchise quarterback, who gets paid to know this stuff, knows less about overtime than my girlfriend or anyone I know? What kind of effort would it take for me to find another adult who didn't know they have ties in the NFL? As for Andy Reid not thinking it affected the game, I disagree; from the following video clip, McNabb admits he didn't know the game was about to end until the last play was called. To me, that lack of urgency must be a factor...It is just outrageously and embarrassingly dumb of Donovan, not so much for not knowing it but not thinking it was a big deal enough to actually admit it to the press! That is even more stupid. Look, it is okay to not know the Earth is round, just don't go around telling people that unless you want to be treated like Forrest Gump.

The Greatest Game Ever Played

I'm prone to hyperbole, it's true, but not by much. Last night's Monday Night Football game, Eagles versus Cowboys, was the most thrilling, crazy, exciting, fun time I've had watching a game ever. For me, there is nothing as good (no, not even being at the game, sorry) as being in a bar with fans (and not all for one side, but a good jovial mix) watching on HD with the sound up and just rollicking and yelling and laughing at every play. There is nothing better for me, and last night was the peak of such activity.This 7-minute recap covers the best of it, but it really doesn't capture the feeling of the frenetic non-stop pace. When it was over, I was consoled by Dallas fans (!), but I was too exhausted to feel anything. Final assessment: that bungled handoff Q4 cost us the game. Whew!

Team Allegiances: A Reference Guide

Brace yourself, because this is one long and blustery blog about my allegiances to sports teams. (It started out small, but I found that I had a helluva-lot to rant about when it comes to this.) If there's anything that I tend to take flack from "true" fans of sports teams is that I root for more than one team from just about every sport I follow. For people that have only followed one team in a particular sport, the idea that you can pull for more than one professional sports team feels, well, wrong.

College Sports
And the way that I can tell you that I can testify what these fans feel is that I agree with that sensation for college sports. When it comes to college, I am a die-hard Penn State fan. There is something about attending a school that really gives you a sense of ownership and pride, and a lovely bloodlust for crushing certain teams and screaming "fucking kill him!!!" and meaning it, at least for the four seconds their quarterback is scrambling around. I'm looking at you, Nebraska and Ohio State. And any team from Florida but I digress; that's just general displeasure with teams from that state. So, college football is the one sport where I really have only one team.

In college basketball, to the annual chagrin of local ACC fans, I also root for, wait for it, Duke. OH MY GOD, NOOOOOOOO!!! But, yes.If your head has not exploded in righteous indignation, allow me to explain why. Before I ever went to Penn State, I was a fan of college basketball. In the days way before on-demand sports and ESPN8: The Ocho, you didn't have a lot of options as to who you wanted to watch. As it happens, Duke was starting to become a perennial powerhouse in the early-to-mid 80's, so they were getting a lot of exposure on TV. Plus, right around the time I was a junior in high school, they recruited a kid named Bobby Hurley to run the point. At the time, I was a short, white point/shooting guard, so there was instant emulation. Anyway, that's when I started watching Duke games as a fan.

Does the fact that I have been a Duke basketball fan for over 20 years get me any street cred down here? Of course not. Granted, I am in Maryland Terp country, and they love to hate Duke, so what do I expect. It makes for more fun watching, frankly. Now, that all said, if Duke and Penn State played, I like Duke, but I bleed PSU. No contest. I watched just about every PSU game they played this season that was televised (don't get me started about the Big Ten Network) and though we finished 15-16, was satisfied with a season where we lost our best two players to injury. PSU basketball has a long tradition of 'suck', but I love my team. Hey if you only have one tournament highlight in the last ten years (2001), that says something. But we beat Carolina and that is worth arms-raised-in-victory cred for years. In looking up the results for that tourney, I forgot that Duke was the eventual champion. Puts my priorities in clear relief, but man, that was a good tourney.

Now before we get into the rest of the discussion, here are the general guidelines for figuring out allegiances:

1. I grew up south of BUFFALO, and my mother's side of the family is mostly up there.
   
2. I migrated to PHILADELPHIA to finish high school, and my father's side of the family is mostly up there. My best friend lives up there.
   
3. I lived with many PITTSBURGH natives in college (PSU is 40% Pittsburgh, 30% Philly, 30% miscellaneous), so I grew to appreciate their teams.
   
4. I have lived in the WASHINGTON, DC area for the last 10 years (has it really been that long?).

These four notes will help you to understand most of my choices. But there are quirks in every system, most of these driven by sweet, sweet bitterness.

NHL
Now, moving on to professional sports (and I am only talking about the big four), that's when we get a little murky. Let's start with the murkiest and the one currently on the brain as we are hip-deep intro round one of their playoffs: the National Hockey League.I fully admit, I'm a playoff hockey fan only. I have a hard time finding interest in any sport where the regular season is more than 30 games; for me it has to do with the import of each game. (I cannot understand how baseball fans can bother to care about each game, especially in April. I have seen fans get so upset over something that matters 1/162 of their season. NOOOOOOO!!!) That all said, my favorite team is the Flyers, (Reference Guideline #2 above) followed closely behind by the Sabres (Reference Guideline #1). This is as close to a wash as I get in sports; it seems that just about every year they play each other in the playoffs, and I just kind of shrug and wait for the outcome.At least that's what I tell my family. I figured out that Philly trumps Buffalo because Philly fans are mean. I like that. So put that as unofficial guideline #5: when in doubt, go with the mean fans.

Now, because of Reference Guidelines #3 and #4, I root for the Penguins and the Caps when neither the Flyers nor the Sabres are involved, but it's not even close to as strong a feeling. So they get no logo post. It just doesn't feel right. Honorable mention: Detroit Red Wings. This is my girlfriend's team. She loves to watch playoff hockey, too (she actually smiles when she sees blood on a player's face -- I'm not joking). I don't root against them, but I like to see her happy. But am I going to root for them if they come up against any of the above four teams? Not really.

MLB
Moving on to the longest season ever and one that certainly doesn't start for me (although I always check scores) until August, baseball. Another very tight race for me, but ultimately, I take the Phillies over the Cubs.Using the Reference Guidelines, the first choice should be easy to figure out, but the Cubs? Well, western New York obviously has no baseball team, so how do you get the Cubs? Cable TV, that's how. In the early 80's you had two choices (other than the friggin' Yankees: blech) for daily baseball coverage: TBS and WGN. Braves and Cubs. My brother is a Cubs fan, and they always (used to) play their home games in the daytime, which means I came home from school early enough to catch the fourth inning on and Harry Caray.However, in terms of allegiances, although I have to admit I'd love to see the Cubs win the WS for the first time in 100 years, I think I'd be pulling against them if the Phillies played them in the playoffs. Because neither team has won in at least 25 years, I don't think I'd be too upset either way. Still, slight edge to the Phillies.

As for my current "home town" Washington Nationals... well what can you say about a team that's been around for three years? Not much, is my conclusion, and no logo for you.

NBA
Continuing our tour of the major sports, we hit professional basketball and arrive with a more solid thwacking. Again, without a major team in the Buffalo (or Pittsburgh (discounting the Fish That Saved...), for that matter), the choice is easy: the 76ers. Watching the early 80's Sixers with Dr. J, Bobby Jones, Mo Cheeks, Andrew Toney, and Moses Malone (effortlessly recalling the starting lineup of the 1983 Championship team for your approval) was indeed the golden age of this team. Since then, I've watched many an Alan Iverson game in my time, and even though he's kind of a thug, I'm sad to have seen him go. Probably the highlight of his era was lighting up the Lakers for 48 to steal Game 1 of the 2002 Championship series. Certainly the Sportscenter highlight was his infamous "We talking about practice" press conference, which still gets a lot of airtime.
Iverson's point of view was comically made by his repeated (and by repeated, I mean like 25 times) mention of "practice" versus "the game". It's too bad that he ended the rant with the question, "How the hell can I make my teammates better by practicing?" Up until that point I was laughing with him. Anyway.

I certainly have watched my share of Washington Wizards games around here, but are they logo-worthy? I think you know the answer. The team really took a down-turn once they changed their name from "Bullets" to "Wizards", which is about as limp a change as I can imagine. I guess it's not as bad as a nickname like "Heat" or "Magic", but it certainly sucks. And sucky nicknames. But I will put a Boston Celtics logo on here as a distant second team, surprising even the most prophetic prophesiser! This is the negative-postive inversion support (or NPIS) case, where I pretty much can't stand any other team (excluding the Sixers) in the East, and I also grew up watching the Lakers-Celtics battles of the 80's. Guess which Western Conference team I hate?

NFL
Finally on to the main course, pro football. This one is tough because you again have two football teams that I have followed for a long time: Buffalo and Philly.Again, Philly gets the nod by the slimmest of margins, but only in recent years. I grew up a Bills fan and slowly evolved my preferences to the Eagles by being immersed in the NFC East environment that is Washington, DC. Obviously, there are plenty of Redskins fans around here, but you'd be surprised there are a great many Dallas, Eagles, and Giants fans around, too. It makes for great rivalrys, and great games. But it's the fans that bring it out in me, specifically the Redskins fans. You'd think that being down here this long would have swayed me towards their camp, but in fact where I used to support them (for my friends who liked them as long as we weren't playing each other), their incredibly delusional fans have driven me to embrace fully my hatred of the Redskins fans. Over the last couple years, this classic video of the fantasy football guy continually butchering "T.J. Houshmandezadah" and, finally getting it correct, intones "Championship" had come amongst my friends to represent your typical Redskins fan: cluelessly confident.

So, you see that it is a combination of Reference #2 and pure irritation that puts Philly over the top in my heart. It's like milk chocolate and caramel coming together, and it is oh, so sweet.
Worth mentioning: I put the logo of Green Bay up there because I once made the mistake of not supporting Danielle's team in the fullest amount. All my guidelines and irritations cannot stand up to an intense frowning and/or withholding of affections.

Not that good
To quote a Giants fan, the Eagles are not that good, but somehow good enough to have won 7 in a row, including at Lambeau and in Carolina. Yeah, right. This team is as good as it gets right now.

Although I think McNabb should have sat at least a game or two when his throwing hand was injured (the source of most of his interceptions, and we do have two backup quarterbacks who were a combined 5-1 last year), he's steadied and become more consistent, and is downplaying his own role while emphasizing team play.

The Eagles are a more complete team than anyone else, which is most evident in this startling statistic: This was the seventh straight game the Eagles have given up 100 or more yards on the ground, the last four having a single back achieving the 100-yard mark alone. Well, maybe not startling, but for all the talk about having to run the ball to win games, the Eagles are apparently good enough to win even if other teams play by this old rule. If I had a nickel for every time Jaquandor harped about running the ball... well, I'd probably have $1.10.

Not that there isn't any pressure
I'm a Philly fan, and I don't very often 'talk smack', but this season in particular is going to be a low-key, tense one. Thanks to the hype and urgency that goes with having one of the top (if not THE) teams in the league, we are the team to beat, and every game we win is just another notch, whilst every other team will be euphoric to beat the favorite.