What They Are

The Cowboys find themselves in the middle of the herd for the play-off race. They have won three straight games, and four out of their last five. The ‘Boys stand at 8-4, which is a decent record. This year, if the season ended today, the Dallas Cowboys would be watching on TV…like you and me. The Cowboys trail the Giants by three games, with four to play. The division is out of reach. The ‘Boys must travel via the wildcard route.

The Cowboys actually have a better record than two of the division leaders. The Vikings and Cardinals are both 7-5, but they would be in the tournament, and the ‘Boys would be out! I don’t think that it’s fair, but that’s the rules…and you can’t argue the rules! They are what they are!

Being a wildcard isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The G-Men (last season) and the Steelers (three seasons ago), where both wildcards, and they both advanced to and won the Super Bowl. It’s not an easy task, as you must win on the road in the play-offs!

The Cowboys face the Steelers this Sunday. Pittsburgh is 9-3, and in first place in their division by one game over the Ravens. The ‘Boys must travel to the Steel City, and face the No. 1 defense in the league, and come home with a win. That’s not an easy task for any team, but if the Cowboys want to be considered serious Super Bowl contenders…than that’s what they must do!

Bill Parcells would often tell us to wait until after Thanksgiving to evaluate the team. I recall him saying, “You are what you are” many times. Well, it’s a week past Turkey Day, and the ‘Boys will face a formidable Pittsburgh Steelers team on the road. Come Sunday, we will all know…what they are!


Short Shots:


Sheriff Goodell was a busy man, as he finally dished out the 4-game suspensions to the players who were caught taking the “water” pills…it's about time! Those players are filing a suit in court for an injunction on the Sheriff’s ruling…good luck on that one!

Plaxico Burress was fined, suspended (without pay) for the remainder of the season (including the play-offs), and put on the non-football injury list by the Giants. His days as a member of the New York Giants is numbered…and that’s the least of his worries!


From The Mail Room:


Kyle P., Willow Grove, PA: Pacman is back on the team will he be a factor?

Utopia1dc: Adam Jones is now officially back as a member of the Cowboys. To make room for Pacman, the Cowboys placed Pat Watkins on IR. Jones will contribute mainly on punt returns. He will also play on the defensive sub-packages when the ‘Boys go into the nickel and dime. I wouldn’t expect a lot from him, as he has been away from “live” action for some time now!



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Predictions Week 13

Each week, on Friday, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend games. I will always prognosticate on the Eagles and Cowboys games and then pick two more games of interest (to me, that is, not necessarily to you). Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling. That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!

The crystal ball was 2-2 last week, and that’s not acceptable. The crystal ball is now 19-20-1 for the season, just a tad under .500 (.488 to be exact). Hopefully this week, it will rebound on the short week. Today is Thanksgiving Day and both the Cowboys and Eagles square off (separately) in very important conference games. Each team needs a win if they want to move on into the play-offs. Let’s take a look at what the crystal ball has to say.

Last Week: 2-2

Overall: 19-20-1

Seattle @ Dallas: The Cowboys are coming off a big win against the 49ers. Owens and Romo both had huge days, and the offense seems to be back on track. Seattle shouldn’t be taken lightly, as they gave Washington all they could handle last week. Though the ‘Hawks lost, they played well against a formidable Redskins team. Look for a close game early, as the Cowboys take over late in the contest. Dallas 31, Seattle 20.

Arizona @ Philadelphia: Last week, the Eagles were grasping at straws for answers, as Reid pulled D-Mac in the second half. Kolb couldn’t provide the Eagles with a spark either. The Ravens defense confused the inexperienced Kolb into many mistakes. Arizona has a big lead in their division, but don’t look for them to be handing out any sympathy cards to the Birds. The Cards are hungry, but west coast teams on the road have not fared well against east coast teams this year. That shouldn’t be a factor though, as this is a late kick-off. In a squeaker, the Birds prevail. Philadelphia 24, Arizona 23.

Tennessee @ Detroit: The Lions are in a world of hurt as they try to get a win. Could a team in this era of parity actually go 0-16? Probably not, but today is not their day. The Titans were stunned by the Jets last week, and they look to avenge their only blemish of the season. The Lions should just pray that the Titans don’t embarrass them as the entire country watches while downing their turkeys. Tennessee 27, Detroit 9.

Pittsburgh @ New England: The Steelers are a force defensively and they will look to shut down Matt Cassel. The one time clipboard holder is playing well with back-to-back 400-yard games. The Steelers need a win to keep their 1-game lead in their division and the Pats don’t want to fall any further behind the division leading Jets. This should be a great game, but the edge must go to the Steelers, as they will bring Cassel back down to Earth. Pittsburgh 24, New England 20.


Short Shots:


Today is Thanksgiving, so we should all give thanks for what we have, and remember that not everyone is as fortunate as we are. I want to send a special shout-out to Je’Rod Cherry for his efforts to raise money for the needy by raffling off his Super Bowl ring. The drawing takes place today.

I wonder what kind of reception D-Mac will receive by the Philly fans as he is introduced at the Linc? The fans should go easy on him. It’s Thanksgiving after all…but it’s also Philadelphia!



From The Mail Room:


Pete F., Philadelphia, PA: If the Eagles lose this week should they play Kevin Kolb to see if he is the quarterback of the future?

Utopia1dc: Pete, even though I am not an Eagles fan, I think that McNabb should never have been pulled last week. At-least not in the manner in which it was handled by Reid. I think Andy is grasping at straws because he knows his job is on the line. Did he really think that Kolb would provide a spark against the Ravens defense? If the Eagles lose, their play-off situation becomes very bleak. At that point it might be a good idea to see what they have in Kolb. The McNabb era looks to be over after this season. Reid could be packing his bags as well!




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No Respect For The Game

Just this past Sunday (November 16th), something occurred in the NFL during a post-game news conference that has left me dumbfounded. The Eagles and Bengals played to a 13-13 tie. Usually that would be news in of itself, since ties are very rare in the NFL. In fact, the last tie came in 2002. The last time an Eagles game ended in a tie was, coincidentally, on November 16, 1997 against the Baltimore Ravens. But what’s got my panties all up in a bunch is what Donovan McNabb had to say after the game.

By now, I’m sure you have heard his idiotic statements regarding OT. McNabb did not know that the game would end in a tie, if neither team scored during the 15-minute period…pathetic! If that’s not bad enough, he went on to wonder how the NFL would handle that situation in the Super Bowl or the play-offs…oh my God, he was actually serious when he said this! I am flabbergasted!

Maybe I am being to hard on Donovan? Should he be expected to know every single rule in the NFL? The referees don’t get the rules correct all the time (as in the TD at the end of the Pittsburgh-San Diego game). Should the players be held to a higher standard? Is it even possible to memorize the entire NFL rulebook? Probably not!

As the QB, and leader of his team, D-Mac should know the rules about OT. I don’t expect him to know every nuance of the rulebook, but I do expect him to have knowledge of the game he plays professionally! A game in which has rewarded him financially beyond his dreams. A game in which has made him a household name. A game that he clearly enjoys playing. What’s clear to me is that Donovan McNabb has…no respect for the game!


Short Shots:


Roger Goodell will be one busy man this week as he is about to rule on the fate of several players. Deuce McAllister, Will Smith, Charles Grant, Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, and Grady Jackson are all waiting to see if the Sheriff will rescind their 4-game suspensions. Pacman Jones is also on deck to find out if he is reinstated, so he can rejoin his fellow Cowboys.

Today on my morning commute; I was listening to WIP (local sports talk radio). They were taking a poll to see if the fans wanted the Eagles to win or lose against the Ravens this Sunday. The reasoning was that if the Eagles keep losing that they might fire Andy Reid. It was about a 50-50 split! If it were up to the fans…Andy…start packing!


From The Mail Room:

Bill R., Ft. Worth, Texas: I herd that miles Austin injured his knee against the redskins. Will this hurt the cowboys being able to stretch defenses?

Utopia1dc: Bill, it’s true. Miles Austin sprained his knee against the ‘Skins and he is due to miss 2-4 weeks. With Romo’s pinkie still not being 100%, I don’t know how much the Cowboys will be going deep anyway. The Cowboys spent a lot for Roy Williams; he needs to step up. Austin will be missed mostly as the kick returner.


Ken S., Horsham, PA: i read ur posts alot. Do you think the eagles will fire coach Reed if they not make the playoffs.

Utopia1dc: Ken, thank you for reading, and you’re not too far from me, in Horsham. The Eagles aren’t that bad of a team and I personally like Andy Reid as a coach. If I were the owner…I’d keep him on board. But if the ‘Birds do fall below .500 and miss the play-offs; then maybe it’s time for the organization to go in a different direction.



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Week 4 Review

Once again, my crystal ball failed me. I don’t understand what happened…I shined it up last week. I even purchased a stand for it…so now it sits on top of the mantel. I’ve treated it with the utmost respect. For who? For what? (Yes…that was a shot at Ricky Watters!) Once again, I was one up and three down last week…not good…awful…embarrassing even! I have to do something different for next week…maybe I will punish it…have it stand in the corner…or give it a time-out! Something has to give…and I’m not backing down! Let’s take a closer look and see what went wrong:

Last Week: 1-3

Overall: 2-6

Washington @ Dallas: This was a shock to me. I did not see this as a close game at all. I expected the Cowboys to take over at any given moment and put the ‘Skins away. Not only did they not put the visitors away, but they were beaten at their own game…Portis abused the Cowboys all day long. In the end, Dallas made it close. If they would have recovered the onside kick…who knows? But ifs don’t cut it. They got beat. The NFC East is going to be a bear this year.

Philadelphia @ Chicago: Wow…Chicago and Kyle Ortin get a win against the Eagles? Are you kidding me? Now the Eagles were without Westbrook, but still, the Eagles should have won. Woulda, coulda, shouda…but they didn’t…they could not finish! They had their chance to punch it in, but could not seize the opportunity.

San Diego @ Oakland: After a slow start, San Diego is back to even. Nothing surprising here…they beat the Raiders. They should be able to beat Oakland…they are awful, pathetic! Al Davis spent a lot of money during free agency, traded for DeAngelo Hall, and drafted Darren McFadden…all for nothing! This team has a dark cloud over it…Al Davis!

Cleveland @ Cincinnati: The “Ohio Bowl” goes to Cleveland. I don’t know if there is an actual trophy or not, but let’s give it up for the Browns! Well…let’s not, Cincy stinks, and someone had to win…right?


Short Shots:

Rumor has it that Al Davis might be interested in Matt Millen…there’s a marriage made in heaven!

I usually don’t talk fantasy football, but I have Braylon Edwards and Chad Johnson on my team. Needless to say…I’m in last place!

With four chances inside the 4-yard line (3 chances from the 1), the Eagles failed to score a TD and win the game. The Eagles ran the ball 4 straight times. Why not let McNabb role out with the option to run or pass? The Eagles are not known as a power running team…why would they try to be one against the Bears?

I can’t wait to watch tonight’s game…”Text Gate”…Rashard Mendenhall vs. Bart Scott…Let’s get ready to rumble!

Bulletin Board Material

The other day, Rashard Mendenhall (Rookie RB for the Pittsburgh Steelers) sent his buddy, Ray Rice (Rookie RB for the Baltimore Ravens) a text message. So why is that football news? Because LB Bart Scott of the Ravens made it so! Mendenhall’s text was only intended for his buddy Ray. It claimed how great of a day Rashard was going to have against the vaunted Raven’s Defense. Ray Rice took it upon himself to let his defense know about the text message…Bart Scoot took offense.

You see, the Steelers play the Ravens on Monday Night Football this week. Bart Scott had this to say about Mendenhall, “He said later that he was just joking, but it’s too late. Thanks for the bulletin-board material, rookie.” Obviously, Bart is beside himself…what was the Rookie to say? Was he to predict he would have an awful day…that he would fumble 3 times…that in his 1st NFL start (Willie P. is down and out for the contest) he would be labeled a bust…that the Steelers wasted a first round pick on him? Of course not! He said in a simple text to his friend that he was going to have a good performance. Should he not be confident in his abilities?

What’s worse about Bart Scott is that he is a wiley veteran player…does he need a Rookie to motivate him? Isn’t getting paid millions of dollars to play a kid’s game enough motivation? Do the Ravens even have a bulletin board? And if so, who is in charge of the posting? Is it a dry erase board, or an old-fashioned corkboard? Could I have that job? Please! Enough! Just play football!

Football is a violent game, played with emotion…the object is to smother the man with the ball in his hands…does Bart Scott not understand that he shouldn’t need bulletin board material for motivation? I expected more professionalism than that from Bart…here’s some motivation…do your job, Vet!