Archive for September, 2009

Fixing The White Sox Part 2: The Bullpen

Posted: 29th September 2009 by Joe Slowik in MLB
One of the biggest issues for the Sox this season has been the bullpen. They have the 21st ranked bullpen ERA in baseball and are 18-27 in one-run games. They simply haven't been able to win games late, and a major factor in that is their suspect bullpen. Their relievers put way too many hitters on base and aren't good enough to pitch through troubles. Fixing the pen will be a challenge. ...

Steelers Have Become a First Half Team

Posted: 29th September 2009 by George Kroger in NFL
Much has been written about the Steelers' changing personality and image.á They are no longer a smash-mouth, run first team and haven't been in the Mike Tomlin era.á The result is that instead of wearing down teams in the fourth quarter, they are the ones who wear down.á The offense has looked strong in the first half of all three games, but in the last two, they downright wilted in ...

The Forlorn Era Of Cerrato And Zorn

Posted: 29th September 2009 by JW Nix in NFL
When Vinny Cerrato joined the Redskins, he had just come from a successful time working with the San Francisco 49ers. He has joined the Niners after working for Lou Holtz at Notre Dame University for many successful years, including a championship season in 1988.In his eight years in San Francisco, he was part of a machine that went to the playoffs seven years in a row. The team never won ...

Miami Dolphins Acquire QB Tyler Thigpen From Kansas City Chiefs

Posted: 29th September 2009 by Chris J. Nelson in NFL
The Miami Dolphins didn't waste much time finding a new backup quarterback following Chad Pennington's season ending shoulder injury, acquiring third-year quarterback Tyler Thigpen from the Kansas City Chiefs.Acquired for an as-of-yet undisclosed draft pick, Thigpen will serve as the primary backup to 2008 second-round pick Chad Henne, who moved into the starting lineup in Pennington's absence.BackgroundA South Carolina native, Thigpen became the first quarterback in the history of the ...

An Open Letter to Raiders’ JaMarcus Russell : Do You Care?

Posted: 29th September 2009 by Justin Smith in NFL
Dear JaMarcus, I have been an Oakland Raiders fan for nearly twenty years now. From the moment I saw Bo Jackson on a football field, I was hooked.á There have been some good times, some great times, and, especially recently, some bag-over-the-head, crying in your Sunday beer times. Like a good fan I have stuck by the team during these times, pushing for victory even when everyone thought I was insane. The Oakland ...

Week Three Review: Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots

Posted: 29th September 2009 by Richard Bridges in NFL
The Atlanta Falcons will be heading into their bye week with plenty of time to review the tape on this game. I believe it's safe to say that the Falcons were out coached, out played and just physically beaten in all aspects of the game. In the first half, the two teams looked almost like mirror images of one another. It's what happened around half-time that made the difference. Tied at ...

Week Three Review: Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots

Posted: 29th September 2009 by Richard Bridges in NFL
The Atlanta Falcons will be heading into their bye week with plenty of time to review the tape on this game. I believe it's safe to say that the Falcons were out coached, out played and just physically beaten in all aspects of the game. In the first half, the two teams looked almost like mirror images of one another. It's what happened around half-time that made the difference. Tied at ...

Hanging Chad: With Pennington Out, Dolphins Should Start Pat White

Posted: 29th September 2009 by Josh Rutledge in NFL
Will the spread work in the NFL? Tony Sparano might have the answer. A shoulder injury to Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington is expected to keep him sidelined for the remainder of the 2009 season. With Pennington out, Chad Henne is the likely starter. But that would be a mistake. Instead, the Dolphins should start Pat White. Chad Henne is the safer choice, no doubt. HeÆs been on the team for two years. HeÆs ...

NFL Week Three: Snap Judgments and Quick Reads

Posted: 29th September 2009 by Kimberley Nash in NFL
At this point in the season, as early as it may seem, we are beginning to develop a definite opinion as to who is for real and who isn't.Dallas played in last night's Monday Night Football event and nearly lulled their fans into a stupor with their mediocrity in the first half. However, the players saw fit to earn their million dollar paychecks by half number two and managed to ...

Beer Thinker’s Rant: The Detroit Lions Did Beat an NFL Team

Posted: 29th September 2009 by Seattle Lion Fan in NFL
I have just about had itáwithásome of theácomments being made about the Lions first victory since 2007. The last time I looked, the Washington Redskins were a member of the National Football League, right? The Lions finally put a good, not great, game together minimized their mistakes, ran the ball very well, played decent defense, and Matthew Stafford had his best game in his short career as a starting QB for the ...