Return of the Junkie

Return of the Junkie

The Bad Guy makes the news again

So Ndamukong Suh is again in trouble for rage related issues. By now its clear that Suh has anger management issues. He may need a bit of help (yes that's sarcasm). What's interesting to me is that when interviewed, Suh is the most soft spoken and sincere sounding player in the league. He reminds me a lot of Bill Romanoski. He was also soft spoken, intelligent and always sounded like a good guy but always played and lived on the edge. If you listen to Courtland Finnegan, he also has the same characteristics. So how can three intelligent soft spoken guys be considered some of the dirtiest players ever? My theory is that the game is so violent that if you are generally nice, you have to psyche yourself up and get in a different mental state just to compete. I think Suh is taking the kill or be killed mentality off the field and this is what is causing these problems. Either way, he needs to gain better control over his emotions both on and off the field. But of course, I do love a great bad guy so I will still cheer for the crazy kid!

Week 6 NFL Power Rankings

Week 4 Rankings

1. Houston Texans - The Texans are an example of what happens when and organization is patient and sticks to a plan. The stayed true to their plan and have developed a complete team. They have depth at WR and RB and star players at every level of the defense. Brian Cushing's injury will hurt, but this team is built to survive it. The key concern will be keeping Matt Schabb healthy.
2. Baltimore Ravens - I have really been impressed with Joe Flacco's progress.  Their defense is no longer the 3 and stalwart its been for so long. The are more of a bend but don't break unit without T-Sizzle (Terrell Suggs) rushing the passer. He is expected back soon and that will change everything for this defense.

3. San Fransico 49ers - Despite the hic-up against, this is still the toughest, most physical team in the league. They will most likely lose more games this year because their division is improved. Alex Smith's hand injury is a concern.
4. Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan has played great but their team still doesn't impress me. The Panthers should have beat them but as Bill Parcells famously stated, "you are what your record says you are." The Falcons are undefeated and that's all that really matters.

5. New England - Even though this team has two losses, the are still a Super Bowl favorite from the AFC. Stevan Ridley has really balanced the offense. They are score at will.

Call It Maybe (NFL Replacement Officials Parody) - KFAN FM 100.3

Star Driven Day in Sports

Some sports day we had yesterday. It was a day of comebacks so its only fitting that I "comeback" to blogging. First Tiger Woods has a tremendous day and wins an event to tie The Golden Bear for second place on the al1-time wins list. To do it in Jack's on tournament is special. To accomplish this a full 10 years younger is elite. Tiger has that unquantifiable "it" factor that makes people "stars".  I don't watch golf but I pay attention when Tiger is in the hunt. No other golfer has that factor.

This second comeback did not quite make it. The Heat had a ferocious 2nd half to make it interesting down the stretch. They just couldn't seal the deal. I am rooting for the Heat to make the finals and face OKC. Why? The same reason I watch Tiger play golf. I want to see stars in the finals. While the Spurs and Celtics both have all-time great players, they don't have stars in my opinion. The Spurs do not have a single player that I have to watch. For all the great play that Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce have produced their careers, you can take your eyes off them. True star players grab your attention and force you to watch them regardless if you like the player or not. The closest thing to a star on Celtics is Rando. If he can fix that broken jumper of his he may become a superstar. Let's pray for a Heat vs Thunder Finals so the true stars can shine.

Say Hello to the Bad Guy.....

Thank You Ndamukong Suh. Pro football was in dire need of a dominant bad guy. The NFL has become too sanitized. Too clean. Gone are all the players who push the envelope. No more Andre Waters. No Bill Romanoskis. No Kevin Gogans. I grew up watching the Philadelphia Eagles place bounties on players heads. Now you can't breathe on quarterbacks and wide receivers can safely go across the middle. The league also had rogue coaches like Buddy Ryan and Jerry Glanville. Now pretty much everyone toes the company line. There are few characters. So I salute you Mr. Suh. Dare to be different. Be aggressive. Be a dirty player. The game is just more fun to watch when you have a healthy hatred for players on the opposing team. And I for one, love a good bad guy.

Players like Suh are good for the league. Fans love to see athletes they dislike lose. Think about the last NBA finals. The story wasn't that the Mavericks won, it was that the Heat lost. Likewise its not just Floyd Mayweather's immense talents that drives his Pay Per View sales, its also that people want to see him get his ass kicked. Hatred equals ratings. Ndamukon Suh's dominant play and off-kilter demeanor have made the Detroit Lions relevant for the first time since Barry Sanders retired. That's good for the league. Now if we can only get a couple of more players like Suh and really make this league exciting.


Note: Even I can admit Suh's stomp was dirty and significantly hurt his teams chances of winning. However, players such as Suh, make the game more interesting.

Should you cheer for your team to lose?

So what makes a true sports fan? I ask this because I work with people who have been actively rooting for their beloved sports team to lose. Yes, you read that correctly. These so-called die hard fans actively want their favorite team to lose. That team, Ole Miss, has lost at such a level that their head coach has been fired after four seasons. These "fans" believe that the massive losing was worthwhile since it served the purpose of getting Houston Nutt and Athletic Director Pete Boone out of town.

Personally, I have a hard time following this line of thinking. I can't stand losing. I could never actively hope my favorite teams lose just to get rid of a coach. I truly can not fathom hating an individual coach enough to WANT my team to lose.  Maybe I played and coached to long and I'm totally off base. I want to win every time my team lines up. It appears many would disagree with me.  So tell me. If you are a true fan, is it every ok to root for your team to lose?