It’s Not What You Do But The Way That You Do It ….
By tophatal ………
The NFL season is down to its last two games with pretty much every division being sewn up with the exception of the NFC East . In what is a ” must win game ” for both the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants , the victor will end up be the divisional champion as well as the fourth seed in the NFC .
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Slide show gallery for your perusal .
It would be remiss to suggest that coaches Jason Garrett and Tom Coughlin are under undue pressure , given the respective woes of their teams this season . Anything short of a postseason berth and the fans could very well end up calling for the heads of both coaches. Granted , Cowboys’ owner and general manager Jerry Jones has steadfastly stood by his young coach and all of his missteps over the course of the season . But you simply cannot deny that Jason Garrett and this team have very much underperformed in spite of the public statements made by the team’s ambitious owner .
It’s hard what to make of the New York Giants this season as Coughlin , his coaching staff and this team have simply once again lured their fans into a fall sense of security . If there’s a Giants’ fan out there who can simply explain to me why and how over the last three seasons this franchise has simply lumbered from one midseason collapse to another without there being any backlash against the players or coaching staff then I am in need of some type of an explanation ! Is ineptitude and apathy par for the course amongst the New York Giants ? Also can we simply get over this idiocy that Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning can now be classified as being amongst the elite players at the position over the course of this season . Nothing at this juncture could be further from the truth and the idiots buying into this idea , I would suggest they simply look at the player’s statistics as to the real worth of the player in spite of his alleged efficiency in the fourth quarter of a game . Manning’s touchdown to interception ratio is 2:1 and that if anything to me is even of a greater bearing on his so called performances rather than this asinine notion as to his overall efficiency. Those mistakes can’t be hidden or deferred by other stats and bear an even greater burden upon a team in terms of losses. Those stats if anything are even more pertinent when one is talking about Eli Manning’s displays this season. That asides beyond his success in the Superbowl (SBXLII) ( SB42) , the player’s aspirations and qualifications are simply borne out by the Manning last name and his riding on that moniker .
The match-up between the Cowboys and Giants as I stated earlier will have a great deal riding on the outcome as it relates to the aspirations at the culmination of the season. From my own perspective I do not believe that either team will prove to be a stern enough test for either the Green Bay Packers , New Orleans Saints or San Francisco 49ers should either of the aforementioned teams be an adversary for either of the duo during the playoffs. Such is my belief that those three teams stand head and shoulders above the rest of the playoff contenders within the conference ! Now all that now awaits the most ardent of NFL fans just happens to be schedule playing itself with all of the drama that we have come to expect that tends to go alongside the uncertainty of the NFL season.
Is it me but are the so called purists within the NFL fraternity that damn naive to think that Drew Brees’ breaking of Dan Marino’s long standing record isn’t of merit ? This idiocy that the records aren’t meant to be broken because of an ever changing area and the evolution of the game somewhat demeans the Saints’ quarterback’s feat this season . But I digress , as the NFL analysts providing the so called analysis and commentary tend to show about as much insight with regard to the game as Paris Hilton might have when addressing the nuances of the English language and literature in any great depth . ! The NFL records are no more sacrosanct that many of the now tarnished records within baseball (MLB) ! But then again one simply has to to look at the pompous oafs who now oversee baseball game to realize how inept that they have been while the players have simply flouted the rules of the sport. From my own perspective this record was bound to be surpassed either this season or next given the proliferation of the game and the preponderance of the quarterbacks in relying upon the use of their arm . The NFL has in essence become a pass happy and pass first with the running game now taking second fiddle and merely being used at the outset to stifle the opposition .
So the NBA season is off to an inauspicious start with the marquee matchup on the opening day having been the game between the reigning NBA champions the Dallas Mavericks in their rematch against the Miami Heat . With the Heat trio of Chris Bosh , LeBron James and Dwyane Wade looking to avenge last season’s unexpected series loss , this year will be one which will truly test this reconstructed Miami Heat team . There is no doubt in my mind that head coach Erik Spoelstra in conjunction with his mentor team President Pat Riley know that all eyes will be upon them as well as the entire organization . Operational losses by the Miami Heat prior to the acquisition of both Bosh and James led to the Riley and team owner Micky Arison engineering the deals that would bring both NBA All Stars to South Beach.
Now the Miami Heat arguably are the best team within the Eastern Conference but many argue that the Chicago Bulls and the veteran presence of the Boston Celtics could possibly be amongst the claimants who could also offer themselves up as viable candidates . Whilst Spoelstra has a further year of experience under his belt as the Heat’s head coach , I do believe that Tom Thibodeau and Doc Rivers are actually better coaches in many facets of the game beyond the capacity shown by Erik Spoelstra . LeBron James for his part was very much the primary reason why the Heat failed so miserably in the NBA Finals last season . But it would be remiss to suggest that the two time league MVP is solely to blame for his team’s woes but it was very clear that James does bear the brunt of the responsibility for the Miami Heat’s poor showing in that historic series . Dwyane Wade as well should now be taking a look at himself in the mirror along with teammate Chris Bosh as they failed to show the leadership one would have thought could from such seasoned veterans . Instead all of the proverbial excuses one would come to expect from coddled NBA superstars whom NBA Commissioner David Stern believe should be the face of the NBA and the league’s biggest selling point .
The league hierarchy and team owners have done themselves no favors this season with their rather inept handling of the NBA induced work stoppage but even more so the greed of all parties concerned in particular by the NBPA (union) gives even more credence as to the main reason why there is literally no common sense being shown by the NBA ! What might be even more absurd however is this rather naive belief that the league even with its new collective bargaining agreement there is this sense financial fiduciary responsibility being shown by the NBA . There is still a great deal of resentment amongst the owners themselves over this new deal which the commissioner himself has failed to acknowledge even knowing that five prominent owners led by Micky Arison (Miami Heat) and Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks voted against the ratification of this deal in total opposition of their peers .
While there now seems to be a great deal of delight in the fact that the Chris Paul … trade has taken place with th former New Orleans Hornets’ player now happily ensconced with the Los Angeles Clippers , very little has been made of or mentioned of the fact that the Hornets are now fighting for their very survival as an NBA franchise , all this while the organization is now under league ownership , without the commissioner himself said to be actively pursuing a new owner of the team. Someone please explain to me the absolute apathy of the fans and that of the league hierarchy itself ___ never mind the idiocy now being shown by team GM Dell Demps and Jac Silver the de facto lead executive of the of the organization who is directly answerable to the NBA commissioner in all matters as it relates to the franchise ? The New Orleans Hornets have been hemorrhaging red ink amongst its bottom line for the last five years and has been one of the least favorable teams in terms of attendance over that period and that is spite of being the recipient of some $55 million from the league hierarchy over the last two years . What is even more staggering , is that in spite of all of these moves Dell Demps and David Stern are of the belief that the New Orleans Hornets as an organization and team can remain solvent and competitive . I for one would like to know what they are now basing those findings on rather than merely speculating that things are about to get better for this franchise !
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Picture gallery for your perusal .
As the NFL season now plays itself out with week seventeen’s schedule now awaiting the culmination of another arduous regular season it remains to be seen what dramas are left to unfold . Obviously there are a number of teams this season that have disappointed the NFL fans in general , while others have simply exceeded their own expectations and that of their very fans . The NBA itself with its own truncated season could well fail to live up to the perceived hype and expectations that the league hierarchy and union (NBPA) still believes that the fans yearn ____ but here again it will be about how these teams adapt to their environment and the rigors of the season . What thoughts if any do you have on the points raised within this piece ? Simply leave a comment as to your thoughts .
Picture and slide show details below .
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(1) Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek (87) scores a touchdown against Dallas Cowboys free safety Gerald Sensabaugh (43) during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. The Eagles would end up defeating the Cowboys 20-7 . AP Photo/Sharon Ellman …
(2) Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) sits out with his throwing hand wrapped after being injured on the first series during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. The Eagles won 20-7 . AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald, Jose Yau ….
(3) ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 24: Stephen McGee (7) of the Dallas Cowboys on the field during play against the Philadelphia Eagles at Cowboys Stadium on December 24, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images …..
(4) ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 24: Dez Bryant (88) of the Dallas Cowboys runs the ball past Nate Allen (29) of the Philadelphia Eagles at Cowboys Stadium on December 24, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images ….
(5) EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – DECEMBER 24: Eli Manning (10) of the New York Giants looks to throw a pass against the New York Jets during the first quarter of a game at MetLife Stadium on December 24, 2011 in East Rutherford. New Jersey. Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images …..
(6) EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – DECEMBER 24: Head coach Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants yells to his team during the second quarter of a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on December 24, 2011 in East Rutherford. New Jersey. Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images ……
(7) EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – DECEMBER 24: Mark Sanchez (6) of the New York Jets reaches for the ball as Jason Pierre-Paul (90) of the New York Giants tackles him during the second half of a game at MetLife Stadium on December 24, 2011 in East Rutherford. New Jersey. Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images …
(8) NEW ORLEANS, LA – DECEMBER 26: Quarterback Drew Brees (9) of the New Orleans Saints throws a pass against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 26, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Falcons 45-16 . Brees during the game would go on to surpass Dan Marino’s single season passing record of 5084 yds in a season which had stood since 1984 . Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images ………
(9) NEW ORLEANS, LA – DECEMBER 26: Jimmy Graham (80) of the New Orleans Saints signals for a first down against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 26, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Falcons 45-16. Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images …
(10) Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) dribbles during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas, Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011. James scored 37 points in the 105-94 season-opener win. AP Photo/LM Otero …..
(11) NBA Commissioner David Stern, right, looks on as Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban speaks to fans before an NBA basketball game between the Mavericks and the Miami Heat in Dallas, Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011. AP Photo/LM Otero …..
(12) DALLAS, TX – DECEMBER 25: Dwyane Wade (3) of the Miami Heat takes a shot against Vince Carter (25) of the Dallas Mavericks during the NBA season opening game at American Airlines Center on December 25, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. AP Photo/Ronald Martinez/Getty Images …….
(13) DALLAS, TX – DECEMBER 25: Dirk Nowitzki (41) of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball against Joel Anthony (50) of the Miami Heat during the NBA season opening game at American Airlines Center on December 25, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images ….
(14) Trevor Ariza (1) of the New Orleans Hornets drives the ball against Steve Nash (13) , Grant Hill (33) and Channing Frye (8) of the Phoenix Suns during the season openning NBA game at US Airways Center on December 26, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Hornets defeated the Suns 85-84 . Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images …
(15) Chris Kaman (35) of the New Orleans Hornets puts up a shot over Josh Childress (1) of the Phoenix Suns during the season opening NBA game at US Airways Center on December 26, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Hornets defeated the Suns 85-84 . Getty Images /Chris Petersen …
(16) Chris Kaman (35) of the New Orleans Hornets puts up a shot over Josh Childress (1) of the Phoenix Suns during the season opening NBA game at US Airways Center on December 26, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Hornets defeated the Suns 85-84 . Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images …. …..
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NBA results and schedule 25th December 2011
NBA results 26th December 2011
NBA games scheduled for 27th December 2011 5 games scheduled today
NBA standings by conference
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Hot chic pic of the day Lucy Becker . Feast your eyes upon her assets and we can then converse about those attributes .
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Tophatal's Blog 
If Tom Coughlin sees the Giants fall against the Cowboys then his ass ought to be put out to pasture once and for all !
David Stern is selling the fans of the NBA a whole load of bull_hit concerning the impending future of the New Orleans Hornets . His lying ass and that of the .league hierarchy are not even actively pursuing a new owner much less setting about the notion that the NBA actually wants to sell the team /(organization) to a potential owner . I’ve yet to hear anyone within this forum suggest anything to the contrary ! Instead it’s all about how this trade ( Paul to the Clippers ) has made the Clippers the ” envy ” of the league . All this while the Hornets are on track once again to lose millions of dollars this upcoming season . Tell me “Stern-O” how much does your bull_hit work with your idiocy and apparent lack of communication bearing in mind that you’re qualified to practice law in several states around the country ?
Shinn and former Hornets’ coach Byron Scott .
If the Hornets were a piece of dung on the ground they couldn’t attract flies to sniff their fecal matter as they have rarely attracted fans to their arena over the past few years . Former owner George Shinn was about as much of a businessman/NBA franchise owner us as Paris Hilton could be likened to being a porn star much less having a f_##ing brain ! The Hornets in their present and former guise have literally been a ” bust” from a competitive and economic standpoint !
Jenna certainly knows her way around a foreskin imaginary or otherwise don’t you think ?
Shinn may well have been a kind hearted philanthropist within the New Orleans area but that was all he ever has been ! As an NBA franchise owner the guy simply sucked ! So much so , that porn star Jenna Jameson was said to be envious because he didn’t know how to swallow successfully without gagging .
tophatal ……… 😉
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You got Manning Jr. spot on. Without Tyree’s catch, he’d be run outta NY long ago. Now to more important topics. Mainly Lucy Becker. You’re dissing her by putting her on the same page as Jumping Jenna. What a piece!! I just folded Fiore and Wendy.
Coaching dismissals? Military man Coughlin will stay regardless. Garrett also. Coughlin still has laurels left on SB win. Jerry has shown more restraint in the last few years. Besides, who’s available for that environment, Rich Kotite?
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Ronbets
If Eli’s last name weren’t Manning would we really be actually having a conversation as whether or not he’s an elite QB in the NFL ? But yet we have idiots who are said to be NFL on air analysts with alleged insight drooling over the guy like they’re in some sort of homoerotic trance and that they are simply beguiled by the Giants’ quarterback ?
I loves me some Lucy Becker !
I only drool over ” naked pics of hot chics ” and the girlfriend when she’s ready to behave like a really slutty ………. well let’s just say the name rhymes with a certain type of garden implement !
Meet Lucy the librarian .
Now that’s what I’m talkin’ bout ! I’d nail this in heartbeat and then go back for seconds and thirds ! ‘nough said !
tophatal ……..
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I think the Giants will beat the Cowboys and go to the playoffs. With Romo’s hand injury, I see Manning outplaying him in a tight one. Giants 31, Cowboys 24.
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brief 22
Given the choice between the Cowboys and the Giants I think I’d have to go with the Giants but at the same time I’m no great admirer of either team ! The NFC East this season has been a complete joke and to my mind the division is vastly overrated in terms of the talent and teams on display there . This upcoming game between the two may well be suspenseful but it would come as a complete surprise to me if either were able to make a deep run into the playoffs !
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I totally agree with you. The NFC East division is always talked about on SportsCenter, yet, at the end of the year they will only have 1 team over .500. While I do see the Giants winning, I think they’ll lose to a team like the Lions in the first round.
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brief22
This season the NFC East has been a complete … abomination ! Anyone who believes otherwise simply hasn’t been watching the teams there and overall lack of quality and talent said to be on display .
tophatal ……. 😉
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Yes, we should be paying more attention to divisions like the NFC North.
Check out my latest power rankings at sambrief.com
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brief22
When you have the top two teams within the division ( NFC North) with a combined 24-6 record and their conference record is an equally impressive 15-5 then you simply can’t argue with those credentials !
The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers have been outstanding this season and credit has to be given where it’s due .
In the midst of that though I think that Matt Stafford will certainly have to rise above the fray if his team are to go deep into the playoffs !
Mike McCarthy , Jim Schwartz and John Harbaugh ought to be amongst the top nominees for (NFL) Coach of the Year Award for the seasons that their teams have had .
🙂
tophatal …… 😉
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Both the Giants and the Broncos are three-point favorites in their own stadiums.
Personally, I plan on sitting down with some cold beer, some hot wings, and watching them both.
As far as who I’m picking? I have no earthly idea.
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Chris Humpherys(@SportsChump)
This upcoming game between the Giants and Cowboys piques my interest about as much as the federal government’s ” cash for clunkers” gimmick ! That was a fraud and so is this upcoming game ! I can’t see either team challenging the likes of the Packers , Saints , Lions or Niners during the postseason ! As for the fate of the Denver Broncos as it concerns the …… does anyone really care beyond the diehard Broncos’ or Tebow fans out there ?
And at some during this NBA season David Stern will have to make a real decision as to the immediate future of the New Orleans Hornets rather than the sheer and utter stupidity that he has continued to show throughout this whole saga !
tophatal …………….
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Chris Humpherys(@SportsChump)
It’ll probably be more interesting to watch someone pick a booger out of their nose than to watch the Cowboys and Giants go at it again this season even if it’s for all of the marbles as it relates to the fate of the division . That’s simply my take mind you ! How’ bout yourself ?
Holly Peers & Peta Todd .
You’ve just got to love this !
We Brits love the girls on page 3 of the UK tabloid “The Sun” .
tophatal ………
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Chris Humpherys
The Tebow “dog-n-pony show” was good while it lasted but now he’s truly got to show his mettle . If he can’t lead this team to the divisional title and at least beyond the wild card round of the playoffs then I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet that next season he will be back on the bench whilst the Broncos either draft a top notch college qb or opt for an experienced veteran .
The Broncos’ front office this offseason have some real decisions to make not just concerning Tebow but also certain members of this team .
tophatal ………
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Last week I posed a hypothetical question about Marinos possible numbers given the new pass friendly changes in the rules. I’ve realized that was just the ramblings of an old man adverse to change. Drew Brees is a great quarterback and is deserving of MVP consideration. On the other hand Eli Manning has played with some elite defensive teams (especially in the Super Bowl victory) that has aided greatly in his success. He is not an elite qb.
Happy New Year my friend!
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aero
Marino’s record at the time was exceptional but like all good things it has to come to an end ! These idiot NFL analysts out there decrying Drew Brees’ … feat and who are out there talking about the eras of the game and its evolution have to remember that this is simply the norm . Brees broke the record ( 5084yds) and made it his own but that too may well be broken at some point in the future .
I wonder if those very same pundits will also question Rodgers’ quest in terms of the QB rating (122.5) ? He’s on course to obliterate that record given the outstanding season that he’s having .
He’s now making the fans at Lambeau Field as well as across the country forget about that ” bloviated asshole” and ingrate named Brett Favre !
As for Eli Manning let’s not get carried away with a player whose TD/ INT ratio (25:16 ) this season places him amongst the worst in the NFL but yet idiots are talking about how great he’s been this season ? What god damn planet are they living on ?
tophatal …. 😉
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aero
Records are meant to be broken that’s even the sullied ones of Major League Baseball (MLB) . And as we all know Bud Selig simply hasn’t the stomach to erase those records that without a certainty we know are tainted .
In the NFL only an idiot would now question the merits of Brees’ feat this season !
tophatal ……………
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I wish the Giants and Cowboys would lose…
I’ve been really excited hoops are back. It’s been some sloppy basketball at times, but I’m thankful we have it at all! The Heat look waaay better than they did last year as far as ball movement goes. I see the Clippers going deep in the playoffs as well. CP3 gets everything out of everyone, and now that he has great players getting the most out of them is going to be hard to stop…
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chappy
Like I said in my comment to Chris I’d rather see someone perhaps remove a booger from their nasal cavity than watch either the Giants and Cowboys ! I simply cannot stand either of those two teams !
There’s no doubt that the Clippers of this season will be much better than last year’s team . Addition by subtraction simply tells you that right off the bat ! And in Monty Williams they have one of the up and coming coaches within the NBA . The “Clippers’ Road Show ” show may well push the Los Angeles Lakers into the background for the moment but given the fact that the Lakers’ roster seems tired and somewhat nonplussed . But that came about with their idiocy and insistence that going after Chris Paul ( CPIII) would make them immediately better . That team has far more issues that need to be addressed and Kupchak , Mike Brown and Steven Buss know that to be , oh so true .
‘ We’s gonna get ” Krunk” up in this here bitch ’cause the Staples Center is our house ‘ ! .
Metta World Peace ? WTF ? Send his ass to Baghdad or Kabul !
tophatal ………
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Drew Brees prove dhe is one of the best arfter being run out by the idiots at San Diego. Turner is a loser at best. he was given the keys at two places and Turner screwed it up. The Cowboys Giants will be a good one. Both teams found new ways to blow it. Who will win? It depends on who shows up. The Eagles have beaten swept the boys and spilt with the Giants. My bums are 4-1 in the NFC East. We have a better record in the NFC East than the Giants and Cowboys but we lost how many games in the final moments. I am pulling for the Giants Fuck the Cowboys.
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Bobby Gee
Do you get the feeling if the Chargers’ front office had it to do all over again they’d have kept Drew Brees ?
Team GM AJ Smith and head coach Norv Turner couldn’t spot “talent” much less spell the word even with an assist from Webster’s Dictionary . Rivers has been a complete . bust this season and I don’t care if injuries have played a part ! He has lost complete confidence not only in his game but also a number of his teammates .
tophatal . …….. 🙂
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Their all screwed up
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al clements
That’s an understatement to say the very least concerning the league hierarchies of the NFL and NBA ! If their lives depended upon it both Roger Goodell and David Stern (NBA commissioner ) would bring down their very own institutions with the very little insight that they have recently shown . The unions of both the NBPA and NFLPA are not that much better either when one considers their own recent behavior as well .
Step into her boudoir and then you can both talk about the first thing that just happens to pop up .
tophatal ……. 😉
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Eli lost my respect once he started pouted about being drafted by SD. I’ve always seen his as an average QB, but I’ll admit, he just finds ways to win big games. It may not be pretty, but he gets it done. This season, however, he’s actually lookin like his brother in the pocket. After that disappointing performance by Dallas, they need to start making major changes on the defensive side of the ball. Our players don’t fit Ryan’s scheme. Newman needs to retire and we need to find another pass-rusher to compliment Ware. In all reality, I wish the Eagles woulda made it outta the NFC East this season. They are clicking on both sides of the ball now.
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