Sports

[jayson]

Honestly, I've never been impressed with McNabb, except for maybe his first couple of seasons, when he used to scramble and move much more. Now, he seems rather mediocre to me.

once again, the statistics seem to suggest otherwise.

last season mcnabb...

- threw for more completions than any previous season (passing his previous high by 15 completions)

- had his third highest completion ratio (the highest being 2007, which also suggests he is getting better as time goes on, not worse)

- threw for the most yards in a season in his career

- threw for the third most touchdowns in a season in his career

- led the eagles to score a franchise high 416 points in the season

- led the eagles to, yet another, nfc championship game. a game in which he threw for 375 yards and 3 touchdowns. oh, and he also ran for 31 yards on 2 carries so it sure seems like he can still scramble when he needs to.

and, as ruthful pointed out, mcnabb does this with a core of receivers that is, well, less than stellar.

so, i'm not sure what more mcnabb can do to impress people. if people in philly think the lack of a championship prevents him from being an elite quarterback, perhaps they should look up how many super bowls dan marino won. that guy is considered one of the greatest to ever play the game and yet, no rings for mr. marino.

and yes, i most certainly did just compare donovan mcnabb to dan marino. believe me, as a jets and bucs fan, it pains me to say anything positive about either of them, but objectively, it's hard to deny their greatness.

[SpaceMaN]

Go Chiefs

[turtlex]

jayson - Well, heck, he sure looks more impressive in your words than I've seen him on the field. Admittedly, I don't watch all the games like the guys I work with do. I guess it's one of those things where - yeah, it's all about the Super Bowl ring. At least here in the Philly area... the grumblings the last couple of years have been all about getting rid of him and bringing in another QB who can step up and win when the championships are on the line.

Oh, and jeeze, but are folks upset about Vick!!! Wow.

[jayson]

I guess it's one of those things where - yeah, it's all about the Super Bowl ring. At least here in the Philly area... the grumblings the last couple of years have been all about getting rid of him and bringing in another QB who can step up and win when the championships are on the line.

i guess my question remains, who do they think can do this?

again, it comes down to a qb not being able to do this himself.

i'm curious as to who eagles fans think will do "better" than mcnabb?

brady has randy moss to throw to.

petyon had marvin harrison and reggie wayne.

mcnabb has nobody, and he still managed three touchdowns and 375 yards in the nfc championship game. he can't play defense, and in that game, neither could the defensive players. one stop in the second half and they'd have gone to the super bowl, again.

the saying is a cliche for a reason, defense wins championships. if the eagles had one that could play, they'd have been in tampa last february.

whatever their problem is, it is clearly not mcnabb and i'd suggest that anyone who says that he is what needs to be changed doesn't understand the game.

[Jon]

Peyton no longer has Harrison...but your point is taken. I just wonder...has the NFL created too many teams? That is to say, there are only so many "NFL quality" QBs in the world. I just wonder. I have watched Seattle struggle for a QB for many years.

[jayson]

Peyton no longer has Harrison...but your point is taken.

that's why i said "had"

I just wonder...has the NFL created too many teams? That is to say, there are only so many "NFL quality" QBs in the world. I just wonder. I have watched Seattle struggle for a QB for many years.

i agree with you here jon. i think there are too many teams and the talent pool has become rather watered down. the league claims its objective is "parity" but when parity comes in the form of uniform mediocrity, is that really what we want as fans? i think the league is overdue for contraction instead of further expansion.

as for seattle specifically, injuries aside, you had a quality qb in hasselbeck. look at some of the qb's who have won super bowls and my point about defenses makes itself. guys like trent dilfer and brad johnson won super bowls. neither is ever going to be considered an elite qb, but both of them played on teams with outstanding defenses, and both we competent enough qb's to manage the game on the offensive side of the ball and avoid mistakes which would cost their teams the game.

bringing this conversation full circle, look at eli. i'd say he's better than dilfer or johnson, but i agree with ruthful that eli is not the same calibre qb as his brother. and yet, they've won the same number of championships. eli played well in clutch situations, but what really made that giants team what it was? outstanding defense.

seattle at least showed they understand that in drafting aaron curry instead of a young qb. linebackers like curry don't come along every year. he's the kind of guy you build a defense around. they can get a free agent to replace hasselbeck in a year or two. this year, he should be healthy and he now has one of the league's premier receivers to throw to in t.j. houshmandzadeh. barring injury, i would expect a good season from hasselbeck this year. he'll never be an elite qb, but he doesn't need to be.

[turtlex]

jayson - You bring up a good question, and I'm going to ask the guys at work on Monday. Honestly, they talk a lot about getting a rookie and "bringing him up" so that in a couple of years the Super Bowl will be a done deal. I'm not sure where that comes from - I think they're just tired of being an also-ran, and being disappointed.

[Ruthful]

Peyton no longer has Harrison...but your point is taken. I just wonder...has the NFL created too many teams? That is to say, there are only so many "NFL quality" QBs in the world. I just wonder. I have watched Seattle struggle for a QB for many years.

I think people exaggerate the dearth of quality quarterbacks in this league. There are very few teams that have terrible starting QBs, and for every Minnesota or Oakland there's two or three Atlantas, or Baltimores. So even if there are only a handful of legendary players at that position, e.g. Brady, Manning, the flip side is that there are very few abominable ones.

Compare this to MLB, where you can probably count the number of shutdown starting pitchers on one hand.

[jayson]

hey denver broncos, regret it yet?

after allowing new head coach josh mcdaniels, a 32 year old with no prior head coaching experience, to come in and unceremoniously run jay cutler out of town, last night began the kyle orton era in denver. orton promptly responded to his new role as starting quarterback by throwing three interceptions.

already the denver fans are clamoring for a look at chris simms. let me tell you something broncos, i watched chris simms start for the bucs a few years ago. if you think he's the answer, you aren't asking the right question.

face it, you blew it. you had a kid with all the upside potential in the world who was getting progressively better each season. you threw it away to attempt a trade for matt cassel, who (a) proved nothing last year as anyone could succeed in new england with that all-star team they have assembled, and (b) who they didn't actually get in denver anyway.

now they've lost cutler and get to watch two guys who are lucky to be backups fight for a starting job. should be a fun year for denver fans.

[Jon]

Compare this to MLB, where you can probably count the number of shutdown starting pitchers on one hand.

I had not considered this fact.


I must disagree with any praise for Hasslebeck. He was carried by Alexander and the men on both sides of the line of scrimmage. I think Holmgren just could not see the truth through their friendship. I am concerned that they gave up Peterson though.

[Ruthful]

I don't know. From my perspective, Hasselbeck was a pretty decent starting QB. Definitely better than a lot of the previous SB-winning QBs, e.g. Dilfer, Rypien, Doug Williams, among others. I think the main problem with The Seahawks-other than getting jobbed by the refs-was that so many other parts of their team-especially on defense-were overhyped. Plus, their receiving crew could have used some improvement.

[Ruthful]

I would be shocked if the Bears don't win the NFC Central this year, and expect them to make it to the NFC Championship game. Anyone who's buying into this Brett Favre garbage needs to have his or her head examined, IMO.

[jayson]

Anyone who's buying into this Brett Favre garbage needs to have his or her head examined, IMO.

i'm glad the jets aren't dealing with that circus again this year. i will admit, it was exciting while he was healthy. truth be told, i am happier with sanchez plus a spectacular running game and a rex ryan defense. i am 15 minutes from getting my first look at the 09 jets, but my expectations for the running game are high. thomas jones has led the afc in rushing before. leon washington is always dangerous, and when the draft was happening, i thought shonn greene a better prospect than moreno or wells (but not donald brown, i knew that kid was awesome, i saw him crush my usf bulls). i am also looking forward to seeing this new defense.

9-7 last year plus rex ryan and some key free agents. i am tentatively hopeful, meaning once again, it's late august and i am jets fan. hope isn't usually gone until week 8.

oh, and i feel compelled to say

j-e-t-s
jets
jets
jets

[Ruthful]

Has Jim Rice jumped the shark?

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9...ittle-Leaguers

I kinda agree with Jason Smith-the sports talk host, not the highly paid NFL player-on this one.

[MPatrick]

Jim Rice is unreal. He tried to take it back, he said he was misquoted. Right.

As for McNabb, as a Giants fan I've always hated him because he is so good. The problem I think is that Eagles fans have had a love/hate relationship with him from the start. The media has never known how to label him. Then TO throws him under the bus about what happened in the Super Bowl.

Eli Manning is not the best QB in the league, never will be. But I find it funny that Giants fans I know were already back to trashing him last year. After he won a SB ring. I know we can break down the near picks in that game, or one of the best catches I've ever seen, but still. He just won!

I was shocked when I heard that they picked up Vick. Why? If you want to start over, then draft or trade for someone younger. When you add in half a season gone, and the PR nightmare, I really don't get it. It's not like the fans were thrilled either...

[Ruthful]

Yeah, that's why I can't comprehend some of the people who keep saying that Vick is being groomed to replace McNabb. To me, it makes absolutely no sense to bring in a QB who's about the same age, but who isn't nearly as good. Granted, he probably has less wear and tear than McNabb does at this point, but how does that compensate for the downsides, the chief one being that he's not as good as the guy he's replacing? When Philadelphia gets rid of players it's usually after it determines that the cost of paying them outweighs their contributions on the field, e.g. Dawkins, Joyner, etc., not when they're still vital to the franchise's success.

[MPatrick]

Exactly! I do wonder how much Reid's son played into him wanting to help Vick. I did hear that Reid wanted him...

Seriously though, Vick had the reputation as a game changer, but the stats don't really back that up. Maybe in a Madden game...

[jayson]

this right here is a perfect example of why i am opposed to the "guaranteed money" portion of contracts offered to many football players.

bengals' andre smith breaks foot

just yesterday, the bengals signed smith to a four year deal with $21 million in guaranteed money. one day later he breaks his foot. now, it is not a season-ending injury but it is widely known that injuries to the feet can be devastating to offensive linemen. often one leads to further injuries down the line for a position that is extremely grueling on the body.

there was no guarantee smith was ever going to be a top caliber player. there are no guarantees about anyone. now he's facing his first injury rehab before he ever plays a single down in a real game.

it is possible that smith will never set foot (injured or otherwise) on an nfl field during a game, and yet he still gets $21 million?

and still, people wonder why leon washington is pissed off that the jets only pay him $500,000/season when he's one of the most explosive offensive talents in the afc.

[Ruthful]

On the other hand, there is all that money that's not guaranteed, e.g. Eli Manning's 100 million dollar contract, which was more like 40 million. Trust me, if the management of The Knicks could have walked away from Marbury's contract by paying him half of his contract he would have been gone a few seasons ago. Donnie Walsh would love to be able to work the NFL's rules.

The contracts being paid to rookies have to be renegotiated though, I don't think anyone is arguing over that.

[jayson]

all of it is why i think the sport with the most reasonable pay system is golf. you want money? win.

[Ruthful]

Golf is ridiculous though. I checked out the money leaders on the Web once, and found out that the top 100 players on the PGA tour make at least two million dollars. I guarantee you that the fiftieth best defensive lineman or wideout in the NFL isn't making two million dollars a year.

[jayson]

well, if you think about it, are we comparing the earnings of the fiftieth best golfer to the fiftieth best wide receiver (or lineman) or to the fiftieth best player overall in the nfl?

if it's the latter, i tend to think that yes, the fiftieth best player in the nfl probably does make $2 mil per year, perhaps more. with the number of teams, that 50th ranked player is the 2nd best player on his team. i think i might have just proved and disproved my point simultaneously.

of course with golf we are dealing with different pools of prize money every week based on who is sponsoring each individual tournament as opposed to the nfl with a capped total salary for each team.

it's really just the principle of the golf pay system i appreciate. those that succeed make the most money. it may not be perfect, but it's the best merit-based compensation system i can find in sports.

so to sum up

i don't know

[mystima]

Mighty Morphin Power Ranger morphs into an MMA fighter


Jason David Frank, who was once a Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger, is now trying to use his super powers to turn into a mixed martial artist.

The former action star from the hit series "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" has officially made the move to mixed martial arts, and while training with UFC lightweight Melvin Guillard, he hopes to make his real fighting experience as successful as he did on television.

Frank is hoping to fight as soon as possible.

"I was supposed to fight in 2007, but it fell through. In truth, I've wanted to put the work in until I'm ready," Frank said in an interview from the Suckerpunch website. "I know I have a target on my back. Everyone is going to want to beat up the Green Ranger."

And this is the moment where I weep for MMA.

Frank may just turn into a great fighter, though it's doubtful considering that he is 35 and worried about signing a management team before trying to schedule a fight. But this just furthers the notion that MMA is a fad, and can be used as a publicity stunt for someone with a flailing career. Considering that Frank's last acting job was a 2007 direct-to-video film called, "The Junior Defenders," he clearly needs a career boost.

At the same time, the beauty of MMA is that there is no hiding in the cage. When pretenders have tried it out in the past, they've been shown the floor of the cage, very quickly. Right, Jose Canseco?

[Ruthful]

Going to my first NFL game on Sunday, and am pretty psyched about it.

Even if New York loses, at least I'll be able to say I went to the old Giants Stadium before they close shop.

[jayson]

Going to my first NFL game on Sunday, and am pretty psyched about it.

Even if New York loses, at least I'll be able to say I went to the old Giants Stadium before they close shop.

i have so many memories of that place.

we had season tickets to the comsos in pele's last year and for the next few after. we had jets tickets. we had generals tickets. i saw so many concerts there. that place both sucks and rocks at the same time.

enjoy it g.

giants stadium is one of a kind.