Aaron Rodgers

This will be my last desperate (and maybe pathetic) attempt to push the Green Bay Packers into the throats of any football fan. I’m well aware this is Seattle / Denver week, and I’m also well aware that I’m partially delusional to hold the Packers on such a large pedestal as I currently do. Lets be real, they’ve been getting their asses kicked for the last three years. Oh wait, what a perfect segway!

But first, a disclaimer: I love the Green Bay Packers. I really do. I have professional football love for Aaron Rodgers, and did I mention I love the Green Bay Packers. That’s why it kind of kills me to write this…

There aren’t many players in the NFL with distinct badass football moves. When I say moves I mean celebrations, not jukes, or hurdles that running backs do. We’re talking very specific association with one action and one player. The few that come to mind are Colin Kapernick kissing his dumb bicep, Cam Newton doing his Superman thing, and… wait. Is that it? I think it may be. But there used to be one more and it was Aaron Rodgers doing the “Title Belt” which somehow is now associated with State Farm Insurance as the “Discount Double Check” and this really pisses me off.

I hate to say this but, Aaron Rodger sold the fuck out (and not in the good way). Not only did he sell out but he stripped us all of seeing him toss a fake WWE belt around his waste for the next god knows how many years. We’ve lost the arrogance that any good celebratory move has. If you were or are a wresting fan you know how important “moves” are, it’s a calling card. It’s a moment for all of us to say, “oh shit, Aaron Rodgers is about to do something crazy”.

The mind blowing thing about all of this is that the Aaron Rodgers was literally set up to be stuck with the “Title Belt” association forever. If we recall, Clay Matthews draped a fake WWE belt over his shoulder when they won the Superbowl (picture above). He was primed to be stuck with it! What happened!? Why’d he sell it to State Farm Insurance!? Why’d he just give away the rights to something so great!? WHY!?

Was it the money? Maybe, but two years after he became associated with the belt he got the best contract in NFL quarterback history.  He had to know something big was coming, right? Or is that naive of me? Was it the fact he didn’t want to be associated with the WWE? Maybe, but I doubt it, because he wouldn’t have done the belt gesture in the first place. Was it the fact that he was hooking up his buddy at State Farm? No, probably not.

You know the worst part about all of this? It’s that he doesn’t even do the move anymore, he just stopped. He allows some moron on TV to do in front of him. He literally sold out, and I don’t know if he expected so many people to pick up on this but they did, and it sucks because we’ve been stripped of happiness, and I feel deep down he wants to do it. NAY, not think, he does want to do. Just watch his reaction against the Bears.

So what’s the deal? Why’d he go State Farm? How did this happen? Is it a coincidence that once he stopped the “Title Belt” they’ve been going down hill? God, I just can’t get into that.

Aaron Rodgers sold out. But not just sold out, he sold a longterm move, he sold an association. He stripped millions of kids around the world doing something awesome when they score a touch down on the playground. These kind of things come along once every so often so to see it is special, especially when it happens organically - that’s even more special. Dammit it pisses me off.

Go Packers.

Oh God, I just found this and it break my heart: Shit!

Packers VS 49ers: The Aftermath

Well, that was painful. Not sure I want to go through that every again. I started the game telling myself that I’d do a liveblog because I wanted to document my ups and downs. It only took about half of the first quarter to realize there was not a fucking chance I’d be able to multi task and things weren’t looking great for my Packers. I turned my computer off (grabbed my phone) and stared at my TV screen while pacing and being a fan from the Midwest. Wait. Shit. This feeling sucks.

I can’t think. I don’t want to write. I don’t want to think about Jim Harbough on the sideline, Colin Kapernick running, that dude Hyde who dropped a 4th quarter interception, Colin Kapernick running, Packers injuries, Colin Kapernick running, dropped balls, the entire first quarter, and Colin Kapernick.

Damn. This one stings. Fortunately I’m a *tad bit older and wiser and I won’t go into a shit fit like I would've done a few years ago. The Packers took one on the chin, again. Kapernick owns the Packers and it kills me to say it, but I won’t hide from the truth! I can’t. I’m about to cry.

Fuck it. It’s just football. Onward 2014.

—————————————————————————————————————————

Actually, just one final thing: I had a text thread going with a few people. Specifically my good friend, DJ. This was his final text to me:

Bad play calling in the first quarter came back to haunt us. Dumb, stupid, conservative McCarthy play calling. 

Can’t say I disagree with that. Honorable mention for his text that came an hour earlier:

There is something to be said about pre-mixing Micheladas for Packers games. 

Can’t say I disagree with that either.

Good Bye Packers Season... And Probably The NFL.

Well. Shit.

Lets rewind for a second and return to Saturday…

It all started when I was walking with my friend to a terrible Hollywood bar called “The Tavern.” Terrible for the service, not really anything else. As we were walking my friend said, “Hey do you know whose winning the Broncos game?” I said, “no.” It was at that moment I realized, I don’t really care about other games, and I’m probably not going to care about football if the Packers lose.

This thought scared because this is what I call… The 2007 zone.

The 2007 Zone:

In 2007 Brett Favre was in his final year and the Packers were doing work on the Giants in the NFC Championship game. In what can only be described as overtime madness the Giants proceeded to beat the Packers 23-20, which sent me in to a tailspin of hell. That night I proceeded to drink more than Charlie Sheen and argued with anybody. I was irrational. I was angry. But most importantly, I was embarrassed the next morning.

I called my friend and I told him I couldn’t get like that again, ever! He agreed. And I didn’t. It was my unofficial Frank The Tank moment.

I digress…

When we arrived to the Tavern the Broncos game was coming to its unbelievable conclusion. The Broncos were about to lose on an improbable bomb from Matt “Jack” Ryan. Two guys, who were Broncos fans, and their girlfriends, who probably don’t care about sports, were sitting across from us. Watching them watch the game was basically foreseeing a domestic violence incident. These guys were pissed. At one point one of the guy’s girlfriends tried to kiss him and he batted her hand away. It was one of those moments where you could have swooped in on the girl and stole her from her boyfriend simply because the guy looked so fucking stupid.

I leaned over to my buddy and said “Dude, I really hope I don’t feel like these guys when our game is over.” He agreed and we had a nice laugh. But then it hit me - Watching these guys depressed in all their glory reminded me… The 2007 Zone. I mentally prepped for the worst-case scenario. I should have seen it coming. These guys were an omen.

And then it happened…

Colin Kaepernick decided to go Bo Jackson Techmo Super Bowl on everyone and he ran the Packers in circles. It was a difficult thing to watch. The last time I watched a Packers playoff game and felt so helpless was when Mike Vick crushed them in 2003 at home. I knew Kaepernick was going to be a problem, I felt it, I just didn’t realize how big of a problem and I still felt good about the game.

900 rushing yards later the game was over. At the start of the 4th quarter I asked my stupid waitress to close out. I wanted to bail and not deal with what was happening but apparently someone misplaced my credit card. Watching them try to find this thing was excruciating. It took about 20 minutes to track down and in that time I was surrounded by TVs and 49ers fans, all I wanted to do was run. It felt like one cruel joke. The Packer Gods wanted me to absorb what was happening.

The absorption and my stupid waitress may have been the best thing that happened to me. I realized that as much as I hated the game I’m fortunate it didn’t end like the Broncos game. I’m not sure I could’ve handled that. But I could handle this. I made peace knowing that the Packers got it handed to them. It was another game in a seemingly never-ending cycle of emotional ups and downs. I realized that I pretty much have moved on from the 2007 zone, I’ve grown. Fucking time does crazy things to a person.

The Packers season ended and so did my football-watching season. Every year I go through this push and pull. I wonder why I like sports and why I waste my time. I don’t know if I can go through another season of this. I wonder how long my push and pull love hate with sports will last. Hopefully I’ll come to terms sooner or later.

Damn you, sports.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Holiday and Culture

The combination of a mother who doesn’t think I eat enough and the culture that is (most of) Wisconsin has created the perfect storm of complete and total over fucking indulgence… I wish I didn’t drop an F-bomb right there but I needed it for emphasis.

Quick backstory - I left Wisconsin and moved to Los Angeles to find a career, or really any job in the entertainment industry. It took a while to figure out what the hell I was doing and I’ve often wondered if I should have prepped myself a bit more before I blindly moved. The truth is: a) nothing can “prepare” you for a move to LA and b) The other part to why I moved so quickly was because of the lifestyle I was living.

I was drinking and eating as though it was the final days of the world. A glutton who lay on a bed and was served s’mores dipped in grease and then deep fried then wrapped in cheese while I washed it down with a Keystone Light. Okay, no, not really, but almost really. I was eating but mainly because I was drinking so much, and yes, it was Keystone. Of course I was drinking so much – I was in college and this was Wisconsin.

To honestly understand the culture is to live in the Midwest, it’s difficult to express if you don’t experience it. During my early 20’s in Milwaukee I may have spent more days blacked out than I did coherent, and it felt okay, not because it was okay but because I was just one of many doing it. I thought that’s how college was but actually it’s how Milwaukee was.

Wait, am I talking about Milwaukee or having a mini intervention right now?

At some point I knew I wanted to move and I also knew I needed to stop living how I was living. I imagined my liver probably was that of a 75-year-old man and my brain was becoming deformed. So I booked it to Los Angeles and started doing coke… KIDDING. I chilled out and essentially continued on with my life in a culture that I preferred.

Over the last 7 years or so I’ve come to appreciate Milwaukee for all the things that I missed while I lived here, which is standard protocol for just about anyone who returns to somewhere. It took me a minute to realize that the culture is more than just getting black out drunk. Having said that… Drinking is still a MASSIVE part of Milwaukee and there is no getting around that.

Regardless - it’s holiday season 2012 and I’m back. I guess I’m a little wiser and I’m definitely older and I’m fully prepared to embrace the things I once couldn’t handle. The culture that I once was being tornadoed in is no more. It’s not as though I stopped drinking or something, it’s just that I’m aware of what the hell can happen to me, I’ve been down that road before.

Fuck it. Bring it on, Wisconsin. Bring on the Packers, Bucks, not the Brewers, the cold, the cold forcing me to stay inside and do nothing, the booze, and did I mention the Packers? This is a culture to embrace head on like you’re staring down a bull, and just like staring down a bull - if you’re able to coherently discuss it after it’s over, then you’ve succeeded.

The NFL: I'm Done.

 

For the sake of attempting to keep this clean I am replacing the F bomb with the word “flipper.” Not only is he a friendly mammal but also, well… it’s Flipper.

Monday Night Football. Green Bay Packers VS Seattle Seahawks 9-24-12. The replacements refs just blew a call, and a game.

I’m flippering done with the NFL. I just wasted the last 3.5 hours of my life watching a game that ended in a blown flippering call that was clearly the wrong call. Let’s be clear about something, the Green Bay Packers won that game, but there is a bigger issue here. That issue being the idea of the NFL and what it is.

Multiple sports players have made it clear that the NFL is a business. When us fans get upset when their favorite player jumps ship to another team or an organization cuts a great player it’s chalked up to being a “business” see Brett Favre and Peyton Manning for this. But they’re right, it is a business, but flipper this business.

This business strives on its fans and its loyal following. It strives on its superstar players like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers. It strives on excitement and the idea of a national pastime. But you know what, it’s a flippering business, and the reality is, is that they don’t care about us as much as we care about them… which is fine… sort of.

I think the NFL has reached its tipping point tonight. An obvious blown call that cost a team (Packers) a game in a 16 game season is hard to swallow. From a fans point of view I want better. I put too much time and effort to watch a football game to watch what I just watched.

As a collective group of fans we should stop watching the garbage that’s being spewed every week, it’s unfair. I cannot even imagine from the players point of view or the coach’s point of view where each game could be the difference between a bonus and an extension – it’s their livelihood, as it should be… it’s there passion.

Coming full circle, I’m done. I’m done watching my favorite team. I’m done supporting a business that won’t put its best in a position to allow others to succeed. I’m not going to waste my time anymore to watch this flippering garbage. Something that can be determined by fluke or questionable calls is not what I want. I want better, we all should expect better. I will not exert any more energy to spend money or time to watch this, I can’t.

I don’t support businesses that suck. I just can’t do it anymore. I’ve been the fool too many times when dealing with the NFL. If the NFL wants to tout this business thing whenever something major happens as though us fans are so stupid to think otherwise then we should treat them the same way, fans deserve better, not what is happening right now.

Today I mark it. The day after the Packers and Seattle debacle on Monday Night Football I mark the day that I stop going out of my way to support the NFL. Truthfully, I wish I wasn’t fully committed (and kicking ass I might add) to my fantasy football team otherwise I could fully detach. But I will still be somewhat into football simply because I have to be.

Until the NFL starts giving me it’s best I’m not willingly giving it any more of me.

I hope that players have some kind of mutiny and decide not to play, I hope the NFL figures out how to get the normal officials back on the field, I hope that this travesty of blown football games doesn’t happen anymore. These replacement refs are total flippering shit and they represent the NFL. Until the NFL changes the replacement refs then the NFL should be considered flippering shit.

Flipper you NFL for being who you are. You suck. You should be ashamed of your product.

Flipper!

(The Packers won that game in my book)

Seattle 14 – Packers 12 ********** (Asterisk Game)

The Green Bay Packers 2012: I'm Confused

Wait. Wasn’t this supposed to be the 90’s all over again? Weren’t the Packers and 49ers supposed to meet in the playoffs and I could banter with my friends about living in the past and Jerry Rice fumbling? I thought it was, at least that’s where my arrogance was. Instead life reminded me that trends are recycled every 30 years and it’s the 80’s… Oh… whoops. Now I have to relive The Giants VS the 49ers, hmm I missed the memo on this one.

Yesterday was rough. It was so rough that I woke up a few times in the middle of the night unable to turn off my brain.

This is my exact text I sent my friend Alex at 4am this morning:

“I can’t sleep and I’m not happy. It was a good season… Confused …. Eh”

At 7:44am he got back to me:

“I’m trying not to think about it. It was a good season, but that was a terrible game. Worst they played all season.”

His text pretty much sums it up, it was the worst game they played all season. The worst part about it is that you could kind of see it coming, and you could definitely feel it coming. When I watched the Packers lose to the Chiefs earlier this season I felt the same way at half time, things just didn’t feel right. Those passes that they usually connect on just weren’t connecting. I was trying to stay positive during the game but deep down inside I knew this wasn’t happening. The Giants just looked better. Even my mom wrote me a text that said they didn’t look good… MY REALLY OPTOMISTIC MOM!

I need to push through this because it’s not that hard to diagnose, just hard to swallow. The Packers were just rusty and out of sync. The normal amazing shit that’s been happening since 2010 just wasn’t happening and if I may state the obvious – more dropped passes than that one really bad kid on the playground who you don’t throw too because he drops all the passes.

I need to write this out because I’m too cloudy to do it any other way…

Jermichael “I’m suddenly a headcase” Finley: He’s been dropping passes all season and it finally got to him. It’s as if every time Aaron Rodgers threw the ball to him some little voice inside his head said “DON’T MISS, DON’T MISS, DON’T MISS” then he dropped the ball.

Running Game: This is obvious, we haven’t had one all season.

You can’t spell Elite without Eli: Damn you Manning! Eli channeled his inner Peyton and picked apart the defense like he was in the Matrix and two steps ahead of everyone.

Oh yeah the Defense: For a defense that relies on letting everyone throw all over them because they’ll eventually pick it off, this didn’t exactly work this time around.

The Hail Mary: Tebow stepped on the field for a brief second and guided that pass right before the half into Cruz’s hands. I will toss this play into the category above. Seriously, how do NFL players let Hail Mary’s happen?

A Rodg: It seemed like Rodgers really wanted it yesterday. He was their leading rusher but the fact he couldn’t rely on anyone trying to catch a ball didn’t help.

If I had any control over anything: I would have said “Yo team, we’re going to throw the ball to Jordy Nelson and Donald Driver every single play. No, I’m not joking.”

Final Thoughts: Like I wrote the other day, I was worried about this game. Watching the playoffs reminded me that other teams are very good and you cannot afford to have a bad day, or even a bad quarter. Unfortunately, the Packers had 4 bad quarters. The Packers were rusty, too rested, and not prepared. I’m reminded of a quote that Mike McCarthy made when asked if they’re going for 16-0.

“We don’t play scared.”

Well, yesterday they looked like they were being chased by sloth from the Goonies, with a handful of confusion.

It’s moments like this that I need to remind myself that I had no control over the game, and even though I specifically went to the one sports bar that the Packers never lost at when I watched a game last season… I had no control!

Time to move on and get ready for the Manchester United VS Arsenal game next week on FOX!

Kidding. I’ll watch the NFC championships.

Final predictions: 49ers VS Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Oh wait, nevermind… A Manning is in the playoffs…

Giants VS Patriots in the Super Bowl with Peyton sitting in the box seats watching his younger brother on the brink of getting one more Super Bowl than him.

What I Learned From The Weekend

The Packers: For the first time all season I started to justify why it was okay if the Packers didn’t go undefeated, then Mason Crosby hit a field goal and I it was as though the thought had never been there. Truthfully, I was a bit upset it was even planted in my head.  

I’m not hiding the fact that I want the Green Bay Packers to go 16-0 in the regular season and win the Super Bowl, I’m greedy and I know it, but it’s what I want. If you’re a Packers fan then you’re thinking it too, if you’re a Packers player you’re thinking it, whether or not you’re admitting it is another story.

I don’t know exactly what I should take away from the Packers VS Giants this weekend. On one hand I was happy about their resilience and the fact they won in the final seconds. On the other hand I was worried once again because they seem somewhat exploited by Old man Coughlin and Eli Manning. But come to think about it… doesn’t someone always exploit them, but they manage to win?

Biggest fear is the injuries; I don’t like seeing Charles Woodson get injured at any time. So let me say this to any and all Packers people – Don’t think about injuries, go 16-0!

Tebow: How can a human not be Team Tebow? What other team is there to be on? I’m rooting for Tebow as though he’s Rocky Balboa, and you know what the weird thing is, he’s the underdog.

Think about it – he’s wasn’t exactly handed keys to the kingdom. He took advantage of a situation. Sure, he passes the ball like a blindfolded 8th grader but he’s winning games. Yesterday when the Broncos were down by 1 going into the 4th quarter I text my friend and asked if he had any doubt if Tebow would not win the game – he said no. Next week the Packers play The Raiders, who’s tied with the Broncos for first. So lets be clear – The Bronco’s will be in first after next week.

Tom Coughlin Looks So Worried: Whenever I see someone whose totally disgruntled and looks completely disoriented I always think they have The Coughlin Look.

Detroit = Not For Real: You can only go so long in the NFL being something that you’re not and the Lions have met the end of their road. I haven’t believed in this team from the beginning and now they’re starting to unravel.

I’m not exactly a Lions hater either, I actually was rooting for them and happy to see them start out so strong. But I never thought they’d continue on with a full head of steam and the luck of a Goonie. When I see the Lions I see:

A quarterback that looks like he’s going to pop champagne if he doesn’t get injured this season.

A wide receiver that is a monster and wants the ball more.

A angry coach.

A weak defense that thinks they’re the “bad boys” of football when actually they’re trying harder than the Ravens to be the Ravens of 2001.

More angry people who look insecure – including their coach.

A tight-end that spent a week on my fantasy football squad and is underachieving.

More Favre Rumors: What would an NFL season be without Brett Favre penis pictures - I mean stories? Rumors are swirling that Favre may be interested in helping the depleted Bears – I don’t buy it, but I like hearing about it.

Moving on to things not NFL…

I Really Want Dwight Howard in LA: Rumors started to swirl that Howard and Chris Paul may be traded, ahem, will be traded… when is the question.

Truthfully I’d be a bit upset to see any of the current Lakers go but they’re old and Dwight Howard is a superhuman… if he’s even human. To the rich go the spoils – bring on Dwight Howard and start the script for Kazaam 2.

Breaking Dawn is #1 for a 3rd Week In a Row: What a shitty weekend for movies. The box office isn’t exactly surging so Bella, Edward, and Dr. Muscles are in the top spot at the box office yet again.

There is no hiding how much this movie made me want to do anything else in the entire world when I was watching it, so to see this at #1 says one of a few things:

There are shitty movies out.

I am too old to get Twilight.

I’m losing my mind and this movie is good (NO!)

I am probably too old for Twilight.

People Are Still Freaking Out About YouTube: Not sure how intertwined you may be with the YouTube community but they recently did an overhaul of their site and everyone seems to be talking about it too much (like right now).

Long story short it’s easier to unsubscribe to channels at any given point. Lots of people (myself included) have subscribers because they subscribed to someone else and when they subscribed to them – I would get one too. Make sense? Well now when a person says “you know what, I want to flush out channels I don’t watch” they will… and they are.

YouTubers are up in arms about it, but it kind of makes sense. The beauty of technology and creativity is there is a sense of transparency and also the viewer has the control…. That’s the point, right?

The Walking Dead Is Overrated: I tried to get into it this weekend. Here’s how my Season 1 viewing went:

Episode 1 – Pretty cool.

Episode 2 – Ehhh.

Episode 3 – I’m done.

I kind of found it cheesy, not the concept (which has been done 100 times) but other aspects. Also, why the shit didn’t they say how long he was in the coma!? That’s the first fucking question I’d ask and the second would be “How’d this happen!?” Please don’t hold this from me, why won’t you tell me!?

Super 8 is Underrated: It’s late and my lady is out of town, so what do I do? Watch Super 8 of course – and it’s a really cool movie.

My friends would argue with me on this point but I stand by it – Super 8 is badass. So what it’s sort of a Spielberg “rip off” and JJ Abrams uses too many camera flares – it’s fun, entertaining, and adventurous. Watch it again.

Netflix Streaming Needs More Movies: It’s amazing that when you want to watch something specific and it’s not streaming on Netflix you can turn on Netflix. When I couldn’t watch Oceans 11 I was back to bashing it like it was releasing Quikster.

NFL Players: What Are You Talking About?

It’s time I come to terms and try to open a discussion about the culture that is NFL lingo. I don’t know if I should be ashamed with what I’m about to say or if others have been concealing this too. I know I can’t be in this boat by myself but as an NFL fan I’ve been lying to myself.

David Fleming from ESPN the Magazine had a conversation with Aaron Rodgers for their “Interview Issue.”

Side Note: Out on Stand Dec 12^th, and also a great read.

The conversation is essentially a breakdown and the progress of Aaron Rodgers. Being a massive Packers fan I took a little more interest in what he had to say, then I read something…

Coming off of a question about James Jones and a Touchdown. Flemings question is in BOLD.

Is part of that getting to a place where complicated reads, such as the TD to Jones, just become second nature?

"It's quicker reactions and being more decisive with my checks. When you really start figuring things out as a quarterback, you realize you don't have to be perfect every time, but you do have to be quick and decisive. On that play, we had James on the left and Greg Jennings on the right. The pass check was for James to run a man-beater route -- a route with a double move that works well against single coverage. We were hoping the Chargers would go to a one-high safety look. Instead, they played more quarters, where each DB plays a quarter of the field, and they used high-low coverage on Greg. My quick reaction was that we still have man coverage on the other side with James, who is running a man-beater route. It wasn't perfect, but we still had good options to work with."

When I finished reading A Rodg’s response I thought - “Oh, So Rodgers makes quicker decisions and he passed to Jones because Jennings was initially covered.” But that’s the problem right there! That’s only sort of what Rodgers said, as a matter of fact he said a few things that I have no fucking clue what they mean:

“We were hoping the Chargers would go to a one-high safety look.”

“…The pass check was for James to run a man-beater route -- a route with a double move…"

”Instead, they played more quarters, where each DB plays a quarter of the field…”

“…and they used high-low coverage on Greg.”

In one answer I’m partially confused, not totally but partially, and the thing is – this isn’t some fluke answer, this is how regular repartee is in the NFL. Come on. As a fan when I talk to my buddy I don’t say “Wow, did you see the secondary in that nickel defense? I can’t believe the corners dropped back.”

I say “Dude, Jones just caught a good fucking pass from Rodgers! Touchdown!”

I can appreciate the coaches/players analysis and it’s not as though I want it to be stopped, I just want a better explanation. There’s no way these guys can think we all know what they’re talking about. Come to think of it, Ron Jaworski from Monday Night Football has great breakdowns and explains regarding what he’s talking about. But he’s one of the few.

Can I be alone on this? No way, I just can’t. I want a simplistic analysis from these guys; they have to know it’s what we want (or I want). I’m kind of getting tired of sitting in a room with my football friends and hearing some rubix cube of an explanation of what just happened and then nobody acknowledges it.

Am I alone on this? Is it just part of the football culture? Did I just out myself as a moronic football fan?

A link to the article: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7295185/nfl-green-bay-aaron-rodgers-greatest-season-qb-ever-had

Brett Favre, um, please come back to Football.

Brett Favre, um, please come back to Football.

Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers - Esquire

Link: Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers - Esquire

Good article. Thanks, Ottford.

RAPID NFL BOX SCORE REACTION

When the Mom comes to visit over the weekend it usually means one thing – I’m not watching much TV. Fortunately it’s early in the NFL season and I’ve yet to become completely attached to this season. I’m just mildly attached. So, as her and I were walking through the Grove in Los Angeles I quickly jumped on a computer at the Apple store. I looked to see the score of the Packers game– it was 3rd quarter and closer than I anticipated. I check the box score and saw that Cam Newton was about to throw for 400 yards again… What the hell was I missing?

Box scores are probably the greatest thing ever. Who cares if your team is winning, I want to know how everyone is doing individually. After I saw Newtons yards I text my friend and asked if he was outplaying Aaron Rodgers, my friend didn’t respond. I actually still don’t know if he was.

This is Cam Newton’s numbers: 28/46, 432 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT’s.
This is Aaron Rodgers’ numbers: 19/30, 308 yards 2 TD’s , No INT’s.

What does this tell me? It says Cam was slinging the football like a running back didn’t exist. I looked at the running back stats – turned out Cam Newton was their leading rusher – Yards and Attempts.

The Box Score tells us this dude doesn’t trust his team. He’s trying to do it all. If he wants to toss the ball 50 times a game and go for 400 yards, be my guest, but there will come a point when Wins will be more impressive. Having said that biased POV from a Packers fan, I think Cam Newton may be the real deal (2 games in to his career).

I looked through the remaining Box Scores and checked out the one thing that stuck out, which basically allowed me to determine the fate of each team. I present to you:

RAPID NFL REACTION BASED OFF OF BOX SCORES:

Jaguars (1-1): 3
Jets (2-0): 32

ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT: The Jaguars quarterback Luke McCown was 6/19 for 59 yards and 4 INTs. Apparently they benched him for Blaine Gabbert who threw for 52 yards. Maurice Jones Drew ran the ball 18 times for 88 yards.

The Jets D is very good. They’re the combination of the Ravens from 2001 and the Cowboys from the 90’s. They’re really dysfunctional, entertaining, and good. If they had a Ray Lewis type personality then they may never let anyone score a point again. But then again, this is the Jaguars, and the Jags fans are dreaming about David Gerrard right now.

Seahawks (0-2): 0
Steelers (1-1): 24

ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT: Sure, the Steelers didn’t allow 1 point. Sure, Ben Roethlisberger looks great in his 22/30 298 yard performance. Sure, the Seahawks are still thinking about the Playoffs last season when they somehow won. But the one bright star to all of this is Tarvaris Jackson! Yes, Jackson: 20/29 159 yards passing. It’s weak, yes. But the Steelers D is tough and The Seahawks have a weak offensive line.

The Seahawks may actually win a game this year with the Vikings forever back up.

Cardinals (1-1): 21
Redskins (2-2): 22

ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT: The score itself. The Redskins are 2-0 under Rex Grossman. If you forgot the Grossman predicted the Redskins would win the NFC East this year. Well, so far he’s right.

Also, Larry Fitzgerald had 133 yards, that’s over half of the passing yards from Kevin Kolb (251). He’s got to be the best receiver in the NFL.

Packers (2-0): 30
Panthers (0-2): 23

See above. But one more thing: I don’t think the Packers know who their running back is…yet. However, this isn’t a bad thing – if we’ve forgotten, they won the Superbowl with a depleted backfield last year.

Cowboys (1-1): 27
49ers (1-1): 24

ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT: No, it’s not the 345 yards from Tony Romo, nor is it how bad Frank Gore was (20 rushes, 47 yards). It’s the 3 fumbles from the Cowboys – Romo, Miles Austin, and Felix Jones. Fortunately they didn’t lose the ball… but this could be a problem down the road.

Also, Jon Kitna came in and replaced Romo, he proceeded to throw 2 INTs. I can’t explain why I like Kitna, maybe it’s some sort of pity or because he resembles KANE from the WWE, but it’s not the 90’s anymore and with Romo out, the Cowboys will always lose.

Bengals (1-1): 22
Broncos (1-1): 24

ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT: Easy – Bengals QB Andy Dalton throwing for 332 yards, 2 TD’s and no INTs saying F-U Carson Palmer.

The secondary thing that sticks out: Cedric Benson only rushing for 59 yards on 16 carries… ehhh… not looking good for the Bungles.

Texans (2-0): 23
Dolphins (0-2): 13

ONE THING THT STUCK OUT: Yo! Reggie Bush! Screw you. You’re on my fantasy football team and you’re more up and down than the stock market - 18 yards rushing and 3 yards receiving? Come on, man.

Right now the Texans have so much hope, and I like that, they’ve been on the “verge” for so long.

Raiders (1-1): 35
Bills (2-0): 38

ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT: The Raiders were winning 21-3 at halftime and they lost this game? Are the Bills for real?

Lions (2-0): 48
Chiefs (0-2): 3

ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT: Matt Cassel and his 3 INTs. I thought he’d be a little better than this after his Kenny Powers Adidas campaign in the off-season. Looks like the Lions D may be gaining some confidence.

Could the Lions actually be for real? Stafford = healthy, then maybe.

Ravens (1-1): 13
Titans (1-1): 26

ON THING THAT STUCK OUT: If Matt Hasselbeck throws for over 300 yards on the Ravens D then that’s 100% obvious proof that this defense has officially declined. They’ve been so good for so long this was only a matter of time. But on the flip side they held Chris Johnson for 53 yards. What’s happening?

Flacco looks like he was struggling (against the Titans?) I can’t really get a gauge on either of these teams but my gut says the Titans will slip and the Ravens will be above average.

Browns (1-1): 27
Colts (0-2): 19

ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT: Adam Vinatieri’s 4 field goals (39 yards, 27 yards, 52 yards, 36 yards). Peyton Manning must be going nuts.

Buccaneers (1-1): 24
Vikings (0-2): 20

ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT: Adrian Peterson had 120 yards, 2 TD’s and they still lost? Man, this could be a long year for the Vikings… and for AP.

Bears (1-1): 13
Saints (1-1): 30

ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT: Matt Forte doing double duty with 10 carries for 49 yards and 10 receptions for 117 yards. Apparently Jay Cutler has found his man. Also, the Bears had 4 fumbles (Cutler, Hester, Hurd, Tillman) - they lost 1. That’s either a shaky offense or the Saints D is pretty good.

Brees and the Saints rebounded nicely from last week… they may be very very good. Not to mention they seem to have forgot about Reggie.

Chargers (1-1): 21
Patriots (2-0): 35

ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT: The obvious is Tom Brady throwing 3 TDS, no INTs, 423 yards, and spreading the field like mayo to 7 different receivers. Brady… please don’t get injured you’re too fun to watch.

But the story here is Antonio Gates getting 1 ball thrown his way with 0 catches.

Eagles (1-1): 31
Falcons (1-1): 35

ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT: Matt “Tom Clancy” Ryan shedding the Vickness and tossing 4TD’s.

I actually caught the first half of this late game and when I heard Vick was injured I felt really bad. Watching him scramble is so exciting because of how vulnerable he is. Yesterday he looked a little forced and he was playing a possessed city, I can’t figure out why the fans were booing him. Don’t you think prison was enough?

A general overall take away from these box scores is the ridiculously high QB numbers. The new league is paving the way for records to be shattered and QB’s to run wild. If you don’t know – The NFL now protects their QB’s more than ever to “prevent injury”. But what that means is they want to keep their golden boys on the field for $$$ reasons. A perfect example is Peyton Manning. Who the F cares about the Colts if he’s not on the field? I kind of like this new rule just for excitement purposes.

Should I be scared that the box score is sometimes just as exciting as games themselves? (Words of a Fantasy Football player).