Week 8 of the Coin Flip Challenge was truly remarkable. Never in my wildest imaginations did I think that what occurred this week was possible. Out of fourteen picks, the Coin Flip managed to garner one correct selection. You read that right! The Coin Flip got 1 out of 14. I’m sure there are some math people out there that can give the actual odds of picking one out of fourteen correctly but I have to imagine that it’s at least 1,000 to 1. Since the Coin Flip doesn’t differentiate between the match-ups, the coin has a 50/50 chance of picking a game correctly. So, the Coin Flip’s feat is the same as flipping a coin fourteen times and getting heads 13 times and tails once. I don’t know exactly how to figure this out but I can give a ballpark figure. Since the Coin did get one pick correct, we’ll give him/her 1 out of 2 which is what the odds should be on any given flip. If we take 1 out of 2 picks away from 1 out of 14, that leaves us with 0 out of 12. So, I’m guessing that the Coin Flip’s fate is somewhere in the ballpark of the odds of flipping 12 straight heads which I think is 1 out of 4096. I’m confident that the actual odds are different (and probably a little less) than that but it has to be somewhat close. My math skills leave a lot to be desired so don’t trust anything I say. I do feel comfortable saying that the odds were astronomically low of picking 1 out of 14 games correctly.
Regardless, the Coin Flip truly defied the odds this week in achieving the worst pick selection I’ve ever seen in my life. In fact, I would doubt that there are too many people out there that have seen a group of picks that were this poor. If there’s someone out there that can pass along the odds of picking one correct game out of 14 selections, I’d appreciate it. To be fair, the coin did get a push in one of the games so it’s more like one out of 13.
Overshadowed by the Coin’s record setting week was my 8-5-1 week which I desperately needed. That was good enough to put me at .500 for the season which is an accomplishment in itself considering how terrible my first two weeks were. Over the last seven weeks, I am 45-36-3. Aside from my 10-19-1 debacle in the first two weeks, I’ve actually managed to put together a respectable season. In just three weeks, I went from a one game lead to a fourteen game lead thanks, in large part, to some very bad luck by my worthy opponent.
Here are the totals to date:
Jake--------55-55-4
Coin Flip---41-69-4
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Question of the Week
Question of the Week: "If you were in charge of the Eagles, would you have sent T.O. home for the season?” Email your answers to: UMjake49@hotmail.com and include first name and where you're from.
Question of the Week answers
Question of the Week: "Who do you consider the greatest quarterback in NFL history, and why? Feel free to list your top five and then your final choice.”
Matt from Columbus, OH
Hard question to answer since I'm too young to have seen many of the old-time greats like a Sammy Baugh or Bart Starr. If I were to list the five greats I would include (in no particular order):
Joe Montana
Dan Marino
Terry Bradshaw
John Unitas
Tom Brady
Is Brady a homer pick? Maybe, but look at the his record and the era that he had done it in. Three Super Bowl rings and he always gets the job done when he has too. That's why he earns the nod over Manning, who could be on this list eventually if he wins the big one. His defense has been a handicap in the past, but not this year.Of course I didn't see Unitas play, but I saw film and read a lot about him.
Montana, probably the best of all time. He's got the rings to prove it. Bradshaw too with the hardware.
Marino, he's got all the stats, the ultimate gunslinger, but never could run, and obviously has empty fingers.
I am sure people will include Brett Favre on their list. He will be a HOF'er no doubt. His durability is unquestioned, especially in the current era of bigger and faster. But in my mind, I don't know if there has ever been a more overrated QB than Favre. He's a product of the John Madden mouth. For all the great comebacks, he's made just as many bonehead plays and throws, and I'm only thinking of the ones against the Lions.
Matt from Germany via MI
I'll be criticized for leading your question this way but Joe Montana, not Brett Favre is overrated.
Montana had Rice, Craig, Taylor, Clark, a new and unstoppable system created by Bill Walsh, and a great line. Favre, Marino, and Eric Hipple would have won just as many if not more with that team.
Now to the question...
My top five are Elway, Brady, Bradshaw, Unitas, and Marino. I must say that Brett Favre would be sixth.
To me Elway not Michael Vick is the most physically gifted QB ever. Plus being a Seahawks fan I grew up watching him and Steve Sewell carve up my team twice a year. He won two Super Bowls when the Broncos finally got him a running game and a decent defense, and his presence on the field eclipsed everyone I've ever seen.
Marino was really snakebitten like Dan Fouts before him. They had great elements on that team but never a running game (Tony Nathan in da hizzy) nor a defense. Marino's numbers speak for themselves and top five list would be remiss without Marino being an entry.
Terry Bradshaw got it done. He was the leader on a team of leaders and incredible talent. The Steeler teams were the best of my generation and maybe the best ever. Bradshaw didn't stun you with his stats, he dazzled you with his determination. Any one who ever said Bradshaw is dumb, is dumb. Anyone who has seen Terry play will tell you he commanded respect and killed defenses with perfect spirals that make the best of highlights when watching NFL films in the off-season. Bradshaw IS THE MOST UNDERRATED QB EVER. I had the pleasure to meet him three times and talked with him about football for 45 minutes once. I asked him, who was the best QB you ever played against? He gave it some thought and I said Stabler, Fouts, or Jaws? He said, "I'll tell you that Bert Jones was the best guy I ever played. He was an athlete, he had a big arm, and he commanded respect. And Fouts? Fouts was a good QB but a complete asshole as a person. Not a nice guy at all." Wow. I was stunned.
Johnny U made the modern day QB position what it is. First to get over 40k, three Championships, and the All-American haircut. Johnny is the Dr. J of football and a legend of the game ten times over.
Tom Brady is a Michigan guy who didn't get to play a whole lot under Lloyd which always makes me think when I run into Carr haters. Brady is a genius. He is calm, cool, and absolutely terrifying if your team plays against the Pats. I think he is Joe Montana without the personnel. He is Joe Montana without the painful bandwagon. He is Joe Montana without the annoying references to Joe Montana. Brady will win the four Montana won and maybe one extra. Then we can stop hearing about the Montana touchdown Jesus, greatest of greatest crap and Brady will be the best ever.
It comes down to Elway and Bradshaw to me and I'll go with Elway because I watched him more closely than any of the others. He is one of the few guys in NFL history that could almost win a game by himself (The original LT, Reggie White, Barry Sanders, Sweetness are otehrs that come to mind). To tell you the truth he almost won three championships by himself while the team around him looked more like the St. Louis or Illinois St. Cardinals. Elway is my guy.
Jake from Germany via MI
Since the quarterback position has changed so much since the early days of the NFL, it’s difficult to compare players like Johnny Unitas, Otto Graham and Frank Tarkenton to more recent stars like Brett Favre and John Elway. Nonetheless, this is a personal opinion question so I’ll compare those players as best as I can.
Five I’ll consider:
Johnny Unitas/Otto Graham
John Elway
Brett Favre
Joe Montana
Dan Marino
I originally had Terry Bradshaw in my five but the combination of average career numbers (212 touchdowns and 210 interceptions while making three pro bowls) and the fact that he played for one of the greatest teams ever assembled keeps him just out of my top five. In reality, his career is really no different in my mind than Troy Aikman’s. Both were very good quarterbacks who played on even better teams. Bradshaw’s Steelers really could be the best teams in NFL history. That doesn’t mean that Bradshaw can’t be the best ever but I certainly won’t attribute the four Steelers Super Bowls to Bradshaw only. Then, I thought that maybe Tom Brady would take his place. Brady has only played four full seasons so there’s no way I can say he’s the best ever. In fact, Steve Young and Fran Tarkenton might have a better argument in being on the list than Brady as of 2005. But, Brady has won three Super Bowls. He has an outstanding 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio. He’s had more 4th quarter comebacks than any other active qb since 2001 with 20. Brady may end up being the best ever, but he would have to keep playing for a long time. So, I’ll compromise by picking Johnny Unitas and Otto Graham to share a spot. They should be on the list anyway. They were the best of the early quarterbacks.
As good as Elway was, he never, ever, threw for 30 touchdowns in a season. That’s saying a lot for a guy who’s in the running as best quarterback of all-time. In fact, he never threw more than 27 TD’s in one year. That’s amazing. Keep in mind that Elway’s Super Bowl’s came after Denver became a complete team with Terrell Davis in the backfield. When the Broncos were just Elway, they got crushed by the Giants, Redskins and 49ers by a combined 137-40. Elway was very, very good but he doesn’t have nearly the career numbers as Favre and he didn’t win his Super Bowls until his team was loaded.
I have the same feeling about Montana as I do about Bradshaw. Those 49er teams were so great that attributing all of those Super Bowls to Montana’s greatness would be a bit much. Montana was phenomenal in the 4th quarter but I do think he benefited greatly from a fantastic team. Having said that, I think Montana has to be considered in the top five of all-time. His touchdown to interception ratio is ridiculous (272-139). His career quarterback rating is through the roof. He was awesome. But, Steve Young’s numbers were even better than Montana which lends some credence to the thought that Montana benefited from the system he played in. Based on clutch performance, Joe Montana really could be the best ever but since his teams were so stacked, it’s hard to tell how good he really was. So, I have to turn against my long-held belief that Montana was probably the best ever. I think the clincher on that is how well Steve Young played in the same system.
That brings me to Marino. I have a hard time penalizing Marino because the Dolphins never gave him a running game. I don’t think that precludes him from being the greatest ever. Throw him on the 70’s Steelers, the 80’s 49er’s, or the 90’s Cowboys and Marino would’ve easily won a Super Bowl. Having said that, Marino’s numbers are greatly enhanced by his 17 seasons. He only threw 30 touchdown passes four times in a season which is actually quite a bit compared to the previous three quarterbacks I mentioned but doesn’t even come close to Favre.
The only guy left is Favre. Favre threw 30+ touchdown passes in a season eight different times. That’s twice as much as Marino. In fact, there have only been 49 seasons of 30+ touchdowns in NFL history and Favre has eight of them. He has twice as many as the next highest total. Remember, Elway NEVER did that. Favre threw for 4,000+ yards in a season four different times. Elway did it once. Favre is second all-time in touchdowns and passing yards. He won a Super Bowl with the Packers who were not nearly as talented as the Steelers, Cowboys, and 49er’s. His touchdown to interception ratio is better than Elway’s. I actually think Favre is underrated because he’s generally considered to be overrated for whatever reasons. Keep in mind, the Packers made the playoffs in 10 of the last 12 years with Favre. Name me some other Green Bay superstar/Hall of Famers that played for GB over that time?
I don’t think Favre will ever be considered as the best quarterback in NFL history. But, as far as I’m concerned, nobody else in NFL history has a better combination of career stats and playoff performance than Favre. Marino has the career stats. Montana has the playoff performance. Elway has the playoff performance. Favre has them both. Unbelievably, there haven’t been many great quarterbacks in NFL history. I think Favre benefits from that and he’s my pick. However, I don’t feel strongly one way or another. In fact, my real answer would be a split between Montana and Favre but that would be a cheap way of answering the question. Any of these guys could really be considered the best ever which is why I asked the question in the first place. There’s really no other position, in any other sport that has so much ambiguity in terms of who was the best ever. However, it is possible that either Tom Brady or Peyton Manning will make this a moot point in 10 years. As much as I hate to admit it, Manning really could end up doing big things. In fact, I’d probably be willing to bet that he’ll be regarded as the best of all-time when he’s finished. His career numbers in just seven seasons are ridiculous. My only hope is that Tom Brady can keep doing what he’s doing and prevent Manning from claiming the mythical title as greatest ever.
Matt from Columbus, OH
Hard question to answer since I'm too young to have seen many of the old-time greats like a Sammy Baugh or Bart Starr. If I were to list the five greats I would include (in no particular order):
Joe Montana
Dan Marino
Terry Bradshaw
John Unitas
Tom Brady
Is Brady a homer pick? Maybe, but look at the his record and the era that he had done it in. Three Super Bowl rings and he always gets the job done when he has too. That's why he earns the nod over Manning, who could be on this list eventually if he wins the big one. His defense has been a handicap in the past, but not this year.Of course I didn't see Unitas play, but I saw film and read a lot about him.
Montana, probably the best of all time. He's got the rings to prove it. Bradshaw too with the hardware.
Marino, he's got all the stats, the ultimate gunslinger, but never could run, and obviously has empty fingers.
I am sure people will include Brett Favre on their list. He will be a HOF'er no doubt. His durability is unquestioned, especially in the current era of bigger and faster. But in my mind, I don't know if there has ever been a more overrated QB than Favre. He's a product of the John Madden mouth. For all the great comebacks, he's made just as many bonehead plays and throws, and I'm only thinking of the ones against the Lions.
Matt from Germany via MI
I'll be criticized for leading your question this way but Joe Montana, not Brett Favre is overrated.
Montana had Rice, Craig, Taylor, Clark, a new and unstoppable system created by Bill Walsh, and a great line. Favre, Marino, and Eric Hipple would have won just as many if not more with that team.
Now to the question...
My top five are Elway, Brady, Bradshaw, Unitas, and Marino. I must say that Brett Favre would be sixth.
To me Elway not Michael Vick is the most physically gifted QB ever. Plus being a Seahawks fan I grew up watching him and Steve Sewell carve up my team twice a year. He won two Super Bowls when the Broncos finally got him a running game and a decent defense, and his presence on the field eclipsed everyone I've ever seen.
Marino was really snakebitten like Dan Fouts before him. They had great elements on that team but never a running game (Tony Nathan in da hizzy) nor a defense. Marino's numbers speak for themselves and top five list would be remiss without Marino being an entry.
Terry Bradshaw got it done. He was the leader on a team of leaders and incredible talent. The Steeler teams were the best of my generation and maybe the best ever. Bradshaw didn't stun you with his stats, he dazzled you with his determination. Any one who ever said Bradshaw is dumb, is dumb. Anyone who has seen Terry play will tell you he commanded respect and killed defenses with perfect spirals that make the best of highlights when watching NFL films in the off-season. Bradshaw IS THE MOST UNDERRATED QB EVER. I had the pleasure to meet him three times and talked with him about football for 45 minutes once. I asked him, who was the best QB you ever played against? He gave it some thought and I said Stabler, Fouts, or Jaws? He said, "I'll tell you that Bert Jones was the best guy I ever played. He was an athlete, he had a big arm, and he commanded respect. And Fouts? Fouts was a good QB but a complete asshole as a person. Not a nice guy at all." Wow. I was stunned.
Johnny U made the modern day QB position what it is. First to get over 40k, three Championships, and the All-American haircut. Johnny is the Dr. J of football and a legend of the game ten times over.
Tom Brady is a Michigan guy who didn't get to play a whole lot under Lloyd which always makes me think when I run into Carr haters. Brady is a genius. He is calm, cool, and absolutely terrifying if your team plays against the Pats. I think he is Joe Montana without the personnel. He is Joe Montana without the painful bandwagon. He is Joe Montana without the annoying references to Joe Montana. Brady will win the four Montana won and maybe one extra. Then we can stop hearing about the Montana touchdown Jesus, greatest of greatest crap and Brady will be the best ever.
It comes down to Elway and Bradshaw to me and I'll go with Elway because I watched him more closely than any of the others. He is one of the few guys in NFL history that could almost win a game by himself (The original LT, Reggie White, Barry Sanders, Sweetness are otehrs that come to mind). To tell you the truth he almost won three championships by himself while the team around him looked more like the St. Louis or Illinois St. Cardinals. Elway is my guy.
Jake from Germany via MI
Since the quarterback position has changed so much since the early days of the NFL, it’s difficult to compare players like Johnny Unitas, Otto Graham and Frank Tarkenton to more recent stars like Brett Favre and John Elway. Nonetheless, this is a personal opinion question so I’ll compare those players as best as I can.
Five I’ll consider:
Johnny Unitas/Otto Graham
John Elway
Brett Favre
Joe Montana
Dan Marino
I originally had Terry Bradshaw in my five but the combination of average career numbers (212 touchdowns and 210 interceptions while making three pro bowls) and the fact that he played for one of the greatest teams ever assembled keeps him just out of my top five. In reality, his career is really no different in my mind than Troy Aikman’s. Both were very good quarterbacks who played on even better teams. Bradshaw’s Steelers really could be the best teams in NFL history. That doesn’t mean that Bradshaw can’t be the best ever but I certainly won’t attribute the four Steelers Super Bowls to Bradshaw only. Then, I thought that maybe Tom Brady would take his place. Brady has only played four full seasons so there’s no way I can say he’s the best ever. In fact, Steve Young and Fran Tarkenton might have a better argument in being on the list than Brady as of 2005. But, Brady has won three Super Bowls. He has an outstanding 2:1 touchdown to interception ratio. He’s had more 4th quarter comebacks than any other active qb since 2001 with 20. Brady may end up being the best ever, but he would have to keep playing for a long time. So, I’ll compromise by picking Johnny Unitas and Otto Graham to share a spot. They should be on the list anyway. They were the best of the early quarterbacks.
As good as Elway was, he never, ever, threw for 30 touchdowns in a season. That’s saying a lot for a guy who’s in the running as best quarterback of all-time. In fact, he never threw more than 27 TD’s in one year. That’s amazing. Keep in mind that Elway’s Super Bowl’s came after Denver became a complete team with Terrell Davis in the backfield. When the Broncos were just Elway, they got crushed by the Giants, Redskins and 49ers by a combined 137-40. Elway was very, very good but he doesn’t have nearly the career numbers as Favre and he didn’t win his Super Bowls until his team was loaded.
I have the same feeling about Montana as I do about Bradshaw. Those 49er teams were so great that attributing all of those Super Bowls to Montana’s greatness would be a bit much. Montana was phenomenal in the 4th quarter but I do think he benefited greatly from a fantastic team. Having said that, I think Montana has to be considered in the top five of all-time. His touchdown to interception ratio is ridiculous (272-139). His career quarterback rating is through the roof. He was awesome. But, Steve Young’s numbers were even better than Montana which lends some credence to the thought that Montana benefited from the system he played in. Based on clutch performance, Joe Montana really could be the best ever but since his teams were so stacked, it’s hard to tell how good he really was. So, I have to turn against my long-held belief that Montana was probably the best ever. I think the clincher on that is how well Steve Young played in the same system.
That brings me to Marino. I have a hard time penalizing Marino because the Dolphins never gave him a running game. I don’t think that precludes him from being the greatest ever. Throw him on the 70’s Steelers, the 80’s 49er’s, or the 90’s Cowboys and Marino would’ve easily won a Super Bowl. Having said that, Marino’s numbers are greatly enhanced by his 17 seasons. He only threw 30 touchdown passes four times in a season which is actually quite a bit compared to the previous three quarterbacks I mentioned but doesn’t even come close to Favre.
The only guy left is Favre. Favre threw 30+ touchdown passes in a season eight different times. That’s twice as much as Marino. In fact, there have only been 49 seasons of 30+ touchdowns in NFL history and Favre has eight of them. He has twice as many as the next highest total. Remember, Elway NEVER did that. Favre threw for 4,000+ yards in a season four different times. Elway did it once. Favre is second all-time in touchdowns and passing yards. He won a Super Bowl with the Packers who were not nearly as talented as the Steelers, Cowboys, and 49er’s. His touchdown to interception ratio is better than Elway’s. I actually think Favre is underrated because he’s generally considered to be overrated for whatever reasons. Keep in mind, the Packers made the playoffs in 10 of the last 12 years with Favre. Name me some other Green Bay superstar/Hall of Famers that played for GB over that time?
I don’t think Favre will ever be considered as the best quarterback in NFL history. But, as far as I’m concerned, nobody else in NFL history has a better combination of career stats and playoff performance than Favre. Marino has the career stats. Montana has the playoff performance. Elway has the playoff performance. Favre has them both. Unbelievably, there haven’t been many great quarterbacks in NFL history. I think Favre benefits from that and he’s my pick. However, I don’t feel strongly one way or another. In fact, my real answer would be a split between Montana and Favre but that would be a cheap way of answering the question. Any of these guys could really be considered the best ever which is why I asked the question in the first place. There’s really no other position, in any other sport that has so much ambiguity in terms of who was the best ever. However, it is possible that either Tom Brady or Peyton Manning will make this a moot point in 10 years. As much as I hate to admit it, Manning really could end up doing big things. In fact, I’d probably be willing to bet that he’ll be regarded as the best of all-time when he’s finished. His career numbers in just seven seasons are ridiculous. My only hope is that Tom Brady can keep doing what he’s doing and prevent Manning from claiming the mythical title as greatest ever.
Monday, November 07, 2005
The Pistons are running on all Cylinders
I have not enjoyed being a Detroit Pistons fan as much as I’ve enjoyed the first three games of this year since the Bad Boys era. It’s not necessarily that I think this team is the best team or that they’re going to win the NBA Championship. To be fair, three games is not a whole lot in a long, 82-game season. It’s just that with this team, all things seem possible. I’d like to thank Joe Dumars for making this happen. If he didn’t dump Larry Brown in the off-season, this year would be an exact replica of last year. The Pistons would be inept, at best, on offense and consistently under-perform in the regular season to the point of not getting home-court advantage. But, because Joe Dumars did what was best for the organization, even if it meant getting rid of one of the “best coaches in NBA history”, the Pistons are now working on all cylinders. The Pistons now have the offense and depth to go with their relentless defense.
Those of you that are familiar with my thoughts on Larry Brown know that I think Larry Brown is the most overrated coach in NBA history. Granted, Brown knows how to coach the fundamentals and he knows a good deal about the sport. However, the Pistons rarely reached their potential under Brown and often won in spite of Brown rather than because of him. Brown was no better for the Pistons than Rick Carlisle who was mercifully booed out of town for doing the exact same things that Brown did to win an NBA Championship. Brown won a NBA Championship with the Pistons after replacing Carlisle but it’s important to look at the facts. The Pistons added Rasheed Wallace after Brown arrived and Tayshuan Prince was a fledgling rookie under Carlisle. There is no reason to think that the Pistons wouldn’t have won the NBA Championship under Carlisle. The Pistons were a great defensive team with an inept offense under Carlisle and they were still a great defensive team with an inept offense under Brown.
The day that Joe D announced that Larry Brown would not be back this season was like lifting a 165 pound weight off the shoulders of all Pistons fans. Various NBA analysts who bought into the Larry Brown hype proclaimed the Pistons as NBA “also rans” with no shot at the NBA Championship. Little did they know that the key to the Pistons winning the NBA title was getting rid of Brown. LB focused on defense. The Pistons would have a good defense even if I was the coach. In that respect, Brown’s emphasis on defense was redundant. The only thing keeping the Pistons from beating the Spurs last year was an efficient, fluid offensive performance throughout the game. LB was totally incapable of mounting any sort of offensive game plan and it was obvious. The Pistons almost beat the Spurs (supposedly the best team in the NBA by a mile) last season with a deplorable offense.
Joe Dumars fixed the problem by bringing in Flip Saunders and you’re already seeing the difference as the Pistons have averaged 102 points through their first three games while maintaining their defensive intensity. We’ll find out a lot more about the Pistons on their upcoming five-game road trip. But, you have to imagine that Flip Saunders knows a little bit about the Western Conference after coaching the Minnesota Timberwolves for the last ten years. Throw in the fact that the Pistons have a formidable second team (Antonio McDyess, Maurice Evans, Carlos Arroyo, Carlos Delfino and Darko Milicic) and the Pistons are not only more fun to watch but much more effective throughout the game. With the ten-man rotation that Saunders has been using, the Pistons starters will be spared the regular season beating that they took the last few years under Larry Brown. This should keep the team fresh come playoff time. The positives that Flip Saunders brings over Larry Brown are countless while the drawbacks appear to be none. Even the “belief” that Chauncey Billups would somehow fall apart without the Jedi-esque Brown to rein him in has proved to have no weight. Billups is shooting less than ever before while maintaining a sick assist to turnover ratio.
On the other hand, Larry Brown has brought his offensive futility to the Knicks and they are falling down like Danny Bonaducci on two for one night at the local pub. The Knicks have scored a grand total of 85 points per game while starting off 0-3. The Knicks have lost to such NBA powerhouses as; Boston, Washington, and Golden St. Joe Dumars took a lot of heat for saying “good-bye” to an NBA coaching “legend”. Many sports writers bashed the Pistons for showing no loyalty in a business where winning trumps all. NBA teams trade players all the time. Where’s the loyalty in that? The goal, above all else, is to put the best product on the court. Anything less would be a slap in the face to NBA fans. The cold, hard truth was that Larry Brown was way too much of a liability to justify bringing him back. Remember, Joe D didn’t let Brown go because of his hip or the uncertainty of Brown’s health. He let Brown go because he was holding the Pistons back. A few games into the season, it’s great to see how the other side lives. I’m enjoying the new brand of basketball at the Palace even if it falls short of an NBA Championship. All of my complaints and issues with the Pistons over the last few years were addressed with one bold move. What more could I ask for?
Those of you that are familiar with my thoughts on Larry Brown know that I think Larry Brown is the most overrated coach in NBA history. Granted, Brown knows how to coach the fundamentals and he knows a good deal about the sport. However, the Pistons rarely reached their potential under Brown and often won in spite of Brown rather than because of him. Brown was no better for the Pistons than Rick Carlisle who was mercifully booed out of town for doing the exact same things that Brown did to win an NBA Championship. Brown won a NBA Championship with the Pistons after replacing Carlisle but it’s important to look at the facts. The Pistons added Rasheed Wallace after Brown arrived and Tayshuan Prince was a fledgling rookie under Carlisle. There is no reason to think that the Pistons wouldn’t have won the NBA Championship under Carlisle. The Pistons were a great defensive team with an inept offense under Carlisle and they were still a great defensive team with an inept offense under Brown.
The day that Joe D announced that Larry Brown would not be back this season was like lifting a 165 pound weight off the shoulders of all Pistons fans. Various NBA analysts who bought into the Larry Brown hype proclaimed the Pistons as NBA “also rans” with no shot at the NBA Championship. Little did they know that the key to the Pistons winning the NBA title was getting rid of Brown. LB focused on defense. The Pistons would have a good defense even if I was the coach. In that respect, Brown’s emphasis on defense was redundant. The only thing keeping the Pistons from beating the Spurs last year was an efficient, fluid offensive performance throughout the game. LB was totally incapable of mounting any sort of offensive game plan and it was obvious. The Pistons almost beat the Spurs (supposedly the best team in the NBA by a mile) last season with a deplorable offense.
Joe Dumars fixed the problem by bringing in Flip Saunders and you’re already seeing the difference as the Pistons have averaged 102 points through their first three games while maintaining their defensive intensity. We’ll find out a lot more about the Pistons on their upcoming five-game road trip. But, you have to imagine that Flip Saunders knows a little bit about the Western Conference after coaching the Minnesota Timberwolves for the last ten years. Throw in the fact that the Pistons have a formidable second team (Antonio McDyess, Maurice Evans, Carlos Arroyo, Carlos Delfino and Darko Milicic) and the Pistons are not only more fun to watch but much more effective throughout the game. With the ten-man rotation that Saunders has been using, the Pistons starters will be spared the regular season beating that they took the last few years under Larry Brown. This should keep the team fresh come playoff time. The positives that Flip Saunders brings over Larry Brown are countless while the drawbacks appear to be none. Even the “belief” that Chauncey Billups would somehow fall apart without the Jedi-esque Brown to rein him in has proved to have no weight. Billups is shooting less than ever before while maintaining a sick assist to turnover ratio.
On the other hand, Larry Brown has brought his offensive futility to the Knicks and they are falling down like Danny Bonaducci on two for one night at the local pub. The Knicks have scored a grand total of 85 points per game while starting off 0-3. The Knicks have lost to such NBA powerhouses as; Boston, Washington, and Golden St. Joe Dumars took a lot of heat for saying “good-bye” to an NBA coaching “legend”. Many sports writers bashed the Pistons for showing no loyalty in a business where winning trumps all. NBA teams trade players all the time. Where’s the loyalty in that? The goal, above all else, is to put the best product on the court. Anything less would be a slap in the face to NBA fans. The cold, hard truth was that Larry Brown was way too much of a liability to justify bringing him back. Remember, Joe D didn’t let Brown go because of his hip or the uncertainty of Brown’s health. He let Brown go because he was holding the Pistons back. A few games into the season, it’s great to see how the other side lives. I’m enjoying the new brand of basketball at the Palace even if it falls short of an NBA Championship. All of my complaints and issues with the Pistons over the last few years were addressed with one bold move. What more could I ask for?
Friday, November 04, 2005
Coin Flip Challenge week 8 picks
Of course, after I write an article stating that 80% of all Las Vegas lines this year have favored the home team, this week there are eight (!!!!) road teams that are favored. What are the odds of that? Even still, I’m much happier with this week’s lines than I was with last week’s nightmare. I was nervous about last week’s games and my nervousness proved to have merit as I sputtered to a 6-8 record. I don’t ever expect to win a game with the crazy things that happen in the NFL but I think there are some good picks this week. Hopefully I can put together a better than .500 week. If I’m going to do it, this is the week to get it done. After a few important weeks with big differences, this week doesn’t stand as big with nine similar picks. I guess if there’s good news, it’s that even if I get every pick wrong this week, I’m still guaranteed to be in the lead. Let’s hope (unless you hate me) that doesn’t happen.
det PK MIN
Now this line just isn’t fair. Detroit and Minnesota are two of the most pathetic football teams in the NFL. Neither team can do anything right except underachieve. They’re both very good at that. This might be the only coaching match-up of the year that Steve Mariucci has the advantage in. Charles Rogers and Roy Williams will likely return but it won’t matter since Mariucci and Ted Tollner are as conservative as the love child of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter. The first team to three points wins. I think I’ll take Minnesota at home.
sd -6.5 NYJ
San Diego pummeled the New York Giants earlier this year and the Giants are twice as good as the Jets. A better way to look at it is a three-man tag team match featuring Drew Brees-Ladainian Tomlinson-Antonio Gates vs. Vinny Testaverde-Curtis Martin-Chris Baker. The Chargers should dominate this match-up and win by at least a touchdown. Picking Marty-ball on the road might come back to haunt me but the Chargers are the choice.
CLE -3 ten
I am surprised by this line. On one hand, you have a bad team that can’t score (the Browns). On the other hand, you have a bad team that can score (the Titans). The Browns just gave the Houston Texans their first win of the season last week. I’ll take the team that can score. The Titans should cover.
KC -4.5 oak
I’m beginning to despise Kansas City lines. KC could pretty much lose or win any game by ten points which makes it incredibly difficult to forecast the outcome. The Raiders are good enough to keep this game close but the Chiefs haven’t had a strong performance in a few weeks. I have a feeling that they’ll be on their game at home in a must-win game. I’ll take the Chiefs to win by six.
chi -3 NO
This game is just as brutal as the Cleveland/Tennessee game. New Orleans is terrible but whenever I think they have no chance, they end up winning. The only thing Aaron Brooks is good for is to anger millions of gamblers in America. He never has a good game until the 4th qtr, if that. I thought the Saints would come out strong against an offensively challenged Miami team last week since they were playing their first game in the state of Louisiana this year. Instead, they embarrassed themselves. My other choice is to take Kyle Orton on the road. He won in Detroit on the road last week which is akin to the Red Wings winning on the road against Alaska-Fairbanks. I’ll take the Bears. I just know whatever team I pick will implode.
cin -3 BAL
The Steelers made the Ravens look so much better than they actually are last week. The Ravens were without a). Ray Lewis, b). Ed Reed, and c). an offense. Yet, they still almost beat the Steelers on the road. However, the Steelers have struggled at home this year which makes the Ravens look a little less intimidating. I’ll take the Bengals to do what the Steelers should’ve done last week.
car -1.5 TB
Ok, I have to question Vegas on this one. Tampa Bay goes on the road against San Francisco (which has been 10+ point underdog four different times this year) and promptly loses and that earns them a miniscule + 1.5 line against an impressive Carolina team? Anything can happen in the NFL but this is the most favorable line I’ve seen all year. If I was a gambling man (and I’m not), I would ante up on this one. Carolina should easily cover. Unless, of course, you believe in Chris Simms.
JAX -13.5 hou
This is another line that seems a little awkward based on last week’s performances. The Jaguars went to St. Louis (who was without Bulger, Holt, and Bruce) and laid an egg. As a reward, Vegas gives the Jags a -13.5 spread over Houston? I don’t get it. The Jags have enough offensive troubles of their own. I’ll take the Texans to cover.
atl -2.5 MIA
I understand that road games are a whole different monster for NFL teams but if Atlanta isn’t 2.5 points better than Miami, then I don’t know anything anymore. I mentioned in my article NFL Road Rage that too many NFL teams roll over in road games simply because they don’t want to match the home team's energy. Well, I also added that road teams that know they’re better than the home team generally show up. In this case, I think Atlanta knows they’re better than Miami. So, I’ll take Atlanta.
nyg -11 SF
This is a tough game to call simply because the 49ers covered in a similar spread against Tampa Bay last week. However, I think that had more to do with Tampa Bay choosing to play the game without a quarterback. The 49ers are still terrible. The Giants aren’t the same team on the road but they’ve won four games this year by 17+ points. That tells me that the Giants drop the hammer on inferior teams. I’ll take the Giants.
sea -4 ARI
These two teams played already this year and Seattle won 37-12. So, yeah, -4 sounds reasonable. Vegas is dropping the ball on this game. Unless the Cardinals just signed the Fearsome Foursome circa 1970, they won’t be able to stop Shaun Alexander. Throw in the fact that you have Kurt Warner starting for the Cardinals without the services of Anquan Boldin and you have to wonder why this line isn’t -20. I’ll take the Seahawks.
pit -4.5 GB
The Steelers have been winning close games all year. They barely escaped by the hair on their chinny-chin-chins last week against a pathetic collection of serial killer (Ravens). The only way I would take the Steelers in a line of -4.5 is if the opponent was missing it’s pro-bowl wide receiver, pro-bowl running back, and back up running back while not having a defense. Oddly enough, the Packers are just that. But, it has come to my attention that the Steelers will be starting Charlie Batch at quarterback. While I think that the Steelers are a considerably better team than the Packers, I don’t think I have enough faith in Eastern Michigan University to take Batch on the road at Lambeau Field. I’ll take Green Bay.
WAS -3 PHI
Great. I wrote an article about how embarrassing Washington and Philly’s performances were for themselves and for the league and now these bozos square off against each other. Washington gave the worst performance I’ve ever seen in the NFL last week. They quit when Wellington Mara’s granddaughter was still singing the National Anthem. Maybe this week they’ll make it to halftime before quitting. On the other hand, the Eagles didn’t even starting playing until the 3rd qtr last week when they were getting destroyed in Denver. Throw in the fact that Philly might be without McNabb and TO is hobbled and you have to wonder if this game will end in a 0-0 tie. All I know is that this is a MUST win for Philly. I would like to think there is at least an ounce of professionalism on that team so I’ll take Philly to win and keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
ind -3 NE
The Colts really have no reason to win this game other than to prove to themselves that they can beat New England in Foxboro. The fact of the matter is that winning in Foxboro (and winning this game) really means nothing to the Colts. They’ll finish the season with the best record in the AFC and thus play all their playoff games in the friendly confines of the VCR Dome. It would not surprise me to see the Colts sluggish in this game. The only motivation they have is if they really believe they have a shot at finishing undefeated this year. With the teams left on the schedule, I think they do have a shot. I’m taking a leap of faith here but I think the Colts might play hard to maintain the perfect record and come away with the win.
My Picks:
Min
SD
Ten
KC
Chi
Cin
Car
Hou
Atl
NYG
Sea
GB
Phi
Ind
Coin Flip’s Picks:
Det
SD
Ten
KC
Chi
Cin
TB
Jax
Mia
SF
Ari
GB
Phi
NE
det PK MIN
Now this line just isn’t fair. Detroit and Minnesota are two of the most pathetic football teams in the NFL. Neither team can do anything right except underachieve. They’re both very good at that. This might be the only coaching match-up of the year that Steve Mariucci has the advantage in. Charles Rogers and Roy Williams will likely return but it won’t matter since Mariucci and Ted Tollner are as conservative as the love child of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter. The first team to three points wins. I think I’ll take Minnesota at home.
sd -6.5 NYJ
San Diego pummeled the New York Giants earlier this year and the Giants are twice as good as the Jets. A better way to look at it is a three-man tag team match featuring Drew Brees-Ladainian Tomlinson-Antonio Gates vs. Vinny Testaverde-Curtis Martin-Chris Baker. The Chargers should dominate this match-up and win by at least a touchdown. Picking Marty-ball on the road might come back to haunt me but the Chargers are the choice.
CLE -3 ten
I am surprised by this line. On one hand, you have a bad team that can’t score (the Browns). On the other hand, you have a bad team that can score (the Titans). The Browns just gave the Houston Texans their first win of the season last week. I’ll take the team that can score. The Titans should cover.
KC -4.5 oak
I’m beginning to despise Kansas City lines. KC could pretty much lose or win any game by ten points which makes it incredibly difficult to forecast the outcome. The Raiders are good enough to keep this game close but the Chiefs haven’t had a strong performance in a few weeks. I have a feeling that they’ll be on their game at home in a must-win game. I’ll take the Chiefs to win by six.
chi -3 NO
This game is just as brutal as the Cleveland/Tennessee game. New Orleans is terrible but whenever I think they have no chance, they end up winning. The only thing Aaron Brooks is good for is to anger millions of gamblers in America. He never has a good game until the 4th qtr, if that. I thought the Saints would come out strong against an offensively challenged Miami team last week since they were playing their first game in the state of Louisiana this year. Instead, they embarrassed themselves. My other choice is to take Kyle Orton on the road. He won in Detroit on the road last week which is akin to the Red Wings winning on the road against Alaska-Fairbanks. I’ll take the Bears. I just know whatever team I pick will implode.
cin -3 BAL
The Steelers made the Ravens look so much better than they actually are last week. The Ravens were without a). Ray Lewis, b). Ed Reed, and c). an offense. Yet, they still almost beat the Steelers on the road. However, the Steelers have struggled at home this year which makes the Ravens look a little less intimidating. I’ll take the Bengals to do what the Steelers should’ve done last week.
car -1.5 TB
Ok, I have to question Vegas on this one. Tampa Bay goes on the road against San Francisco (which has been 10+ point underdog four different times this year) and promptly loses and that earns them a miniscule + 1.5 line against an impressive Carolina team? Anything can happen in the NFL but this is the most favorable line I’ve seen all year. If I was a gambling man (and I’m not), I would ante up on this one. Carolina should easily cover. Unless, of course, you believe in Chris Simms.
JAX -13.5 hou
This is another line that seems a little awkward based on last week’s performances. The Jaguars went to St. Louis (who was without Bulger, Holt, and Bruce) and laid an egg. As a reward, Vegas gives the Jags a -13.5 spread over Houston? I don’t get it. The Jags have enough offensive troubles of their own. I’ll take the Texans to cover.
atl -2.5 MIA
I understand that road games are a whole different monster for NFL teams but if Atlanta isn’t 2.5 points better than Miami, then I don’t know anything anymore. I mentioned in my article NFL Road Rage that too many NFL teams roll over in road games simply because they don’t want to match the home team's energy. Well, I also added that road teams that know they’re better than the home team generally show up. In this case, I think Atlanta knows they’re better than Miami. So, I’ll take Atlanta.
nyg -11 SF
This is a tough game to call simply because the 49ers covered in a similar spread against Tampa Bay last week. However, I think that had more to do with Tampa Bay choosing to play the game without a quarterback. The 49ers are still terrible. The Giants aren’t the same team on the road but they’ve won four games this year by 17+ points. That tells me that the Giants drop the hammer on inferior teams. I’ll take the Giants.
sea -4 ARI
These two teams played already this year and Seattle won 37-12. So, yeah, -4 sounds reasonable. Vegas is dropping the ball on this game. Unless the Cardinals just signed the Fearsome Foursome circa 1970, they won’t be able to stop Shaun Alexander. Throw in the fact that you have Kurt Warner starting for the Cardinals without the services of Anquan Boldin and you have to wonder why this line isn’t -20. I’ll take the Seahawks.
pit -4.5 GB
The Steelers have been winning close games all year. They barely escaped by the hair on their chinny-chin-chins last week against a pathetic collection of serial killer (Ravens). The only way I would take the Steelers in a line of -4.5 is if the opponent was missing it’s pro-bowl wide receiver, pro-bowl running back, and back up running back while not having a defense. Oddly enough, the Packers are just that. But, it has come to my attention that the Steelers will be starting Charlie Batch at quarterback. While I think that the Steelers are a considerably better team than the Packers, I don’t think I have enough faith in Eastern Michigan University to take Batch on the road at Lambeau Field. I’ll take Green Bay.
WAS -3 PHI
Great. I wrote an article about how embarrassing Washington and Philly’s performances were for themselves and for the league and now these bozos square off against each other. Washington gave the worst performance I’ve ever seen in the NFL last week. They quit when Wellington Mara’s granddaughter was still singing the National Anthem. Maybe this week they’ll make it to halftime before quitting. On the other hand, the Eagles didn’t even starting playing until the 3rd qtr last week when they were getting destroyed in Denver. Throw in the fact that Philly might be without McNabb and TO is hobbled and you have to wonder if this game will end in a 0-0 tie. All I know is that this is a MUST win for Philly. I would like to think there is at least an ounce of professionalism on that team so I’ll take Philly to win and keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
ind -3 NE
The Colts really have no reason to win this game other than to prove to themselves that they can beat New England in Foxboro. The fact of the matter is that winning in Foxboro (and winning this game) really means nothing to the Colts. They’ll finish the season with the best record in the AFC and thus play all their playoff games in the friendly confines of the VCR Dome. It would not surprise me to see the Colts sluggish in this game. The only motivation they have is if they really believe they have a shot at finishing undefeated this year. With the teams left on the schedule, I think they do have a shot. I’m taking a leap of faith here but I think the Colts might play hard to maintain the perfect record and come away with the win.
My Picks:
Min
SD
Ten
KC
Chi
Cin
Car
Hou
Atl
NYG
Sea
GB
Phi
Ind
Coin Flip’s Picks:
Det
SD
Ten
KC
Chi
Cin
TB
Jax
Mia
SF
Ari
GB
Phi
NE
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