Tim Tebow Officially Back in the NFL; Signs With Philadelphia Eagles

Football’s most interesting team this off-season, the Eagles, just got even more interesting – if that were possible. 

Philadelphia has finalized an agreement with the 27-year-old Tebow, the framework of which was put into place when he worked out for the team last month.

Image Credit: twitter.com/Eagles

Before signing Tebow, the Eagles first wanted to try to trade backup quarterback Matt Barkley. But when the team could not get enough in return, it decided to bring in Tebow anyway so that he could be present for the team’s entire off-season program.

This signing isn't totally unexpected. Philadelphia obviously brought in Tebow for a workout earlier this offseason. After leaving town without a deal, one report indicated the Eagles were going to sign Tebow if the team could trade Matt Barkley. As Schefter notes, the team couldn't trade Barkley, so they just signed Tebow anyway.

Image Credit: twitter.com/Eagles

Tebow, a former first round pick of the Denver Broncos, hasn't been in the NFL since the Patriots released him in August 2013. He used to be teammates with Sanchez when they both played on the New York Jets in 2012.

It is one thing to stockpile receivers or defensive backs. But teams can use only one quarterback at a time, and sometimes having even two candidates for starter can lead to a controversy that eats up a team. Now the Eagles have five quarterbacks, three of whom have started N.F.L. games.

Eagles coach Chip Kelly loved going for two points during his coaching days at Oregon. He knows Tebow can be a two-point specialist if nothing else.

The NFL, at its owners meetings May 18-20 in San Francisco, is expected to amend its extra-point rules for the 2015 season. The proposal that seemed to have the most traction as the owners, coaches and top executives adjourned from their league meetings last month in Phoenix: Move the one-point extra point back 13 yards to a 33-yard kick and nudge the two-point conversion in a half-yard from the 2-yard line to the 1 1/2.

Tebow rushed for four touchdowns of 2 yards or less in his two Bronco seasons (2010-2011) and was two-of-two in two-point rushing attempts during his impressive 2011 season.

The nominal starter at this point is Sam Bradford, acquired in March from the St. Louis Rams in a surprising trade for the Eagles’ starter last season, Nick Foles.

His status as starter there, and even his roster spot, may not be locked up. Though jerseys of the Eagles’ other new acquisitions are readily available, Bradford jerseys were not in stock at local stores, NJ.com reported last week. Is Bradford just a pawn in Chip Kelly's trading game? We will find out soon enough. 

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

DeMarco Murray Finds His New Home With the Philadelphia Eagles

Now that the Eagles have landed DeMarco Murray, they'll be replacing the NFL's leading rusher in 2013 (LeSean McCoy) with 2014's leading rusher.

Image Credit: phi.247sports.com

"I felt that this was a great opportunity for me to win a Super Bowl, at the end of the day," Murray said Thursday after signing a five-year, $42 million contract with the Eagles. "It wasn't about financial security or anything like that. Obviously, you want something that you deserve, something that is respectful. Those two things are important to me, and I was able to accomplish that. I think the Eagles have a great chance to win a Super Bowl."

Eagles coach Chip Kelly said the team originally thought that Murray, the NFL's leading rusher in 2014, would be out of the team's price range. The Eagles tried to sign former San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore. After initially agreeing to terms with the Eagles, though, Gore decided to sign with the Indianapolis Colts.

After Gore told the Eagles he was joining the Colts, Kelly placed a call to Murray.

It's strange to say that Lesean McCoy, someone who racked up 2,926 rushing yards over the past two seasons with the Eagles -- collecting a rushing title in 2013-- is a poor fit for Chip Kelly's system. However, DeMarco Murray seems to be a better fit for the offense that Kelly runs. In an Eagles offense designed to give runners multiple tracks at the line of scrimmage, Murray's combination of body control, vision and power will make him a first-down machine as the designated workhorse of a zone-based running scheme.

Although Eagles fans were baffled and upset by some of the moves the team made, the Eagles saw their Super Bowl odds improve with this latest move in their offseason overhaul. After initially holding steady on the Eagles, the Westgate SuperBook moved the Eagles from 20-1 to 16-1 to win the Super Bowl following the Murray news.

Do you think DeMarco has improved his chances of winning a championship? Did Chip Kelly upgrade the situation in the Eagles' backfield by trading away McCoy and getting Murray?  

Let me know what you think:

@christineeeeO

Christine O'Connor

The Recent NFL Off-Season Shakeups. The Eagles "Shady" McCoy, Nick Foles, Chip Kelly & MUCH More.

Hide your quarterbacks, hide your running backs & tight ends, because everyone is getting traded in the NFL.

The opening of the NFL’s free agent market and trading period erupted Tuesday afternoon not with free agent signings, but with a flurry of trades involving big-name players that could shift the sport’s balance of power. Whatever has caused the NFL to become more trade happy, thank goodness for it.

The NFL once was known as a no-trade league, with teams focusing on the NFL draft and occasional forays into free agency for their roster construction. That, apparently, is no longer the case. The NFL is more fun when general managers are wheeling and dealing like they do in Major League Baseball. We’ve seen a lot of trades including picks for picks or picks for players, but we don’t see a ton of deals that are basically player for player.

The LeSean McCoy-Kiko Alonso trade just turned out to be a precursor of things to come. There were three major trades on Tuesday, as free agency began. With most of the real suspense taken out of free agency by teams and agents agreeing to deals long before the signing period began, the trades took center stage.

​Image Credit: espn.com 

The Philadelphia Eagles traded Nick Foles to the St. Louis Rams for Sam Bradford. Eagles coach Chip Kelly isn’t afraid to make a move. He’s been upsetting Eagles fans with his moves. He also has changed the dynamic of the NFC East. I feel like I'm missing something with this deal, because I don't see any benefit for the Eagles. 

In the deal, the Eagles also sent a fourth-round draft pick in 2015 and a second-round pick in 2016 to the Rams. The Eagles get the Rams' fifth-round pick in 2015. There’s also a conditional pick. If Sam Bradford, who is coming off a second ACL tear, misses the entire 2015 season, the Eagles get a third-round pick in 2016. If he plays less than 50 percent of the snaps, they get a 2016 fourth-rounder. There’s no conditional pick if he plays more than 50 percent of the downs.

Foles has been the more productive NFL quarterback. Bradford doesn't seem to fit what Kelly does on offense, especially after two major knee injuries. Bradford's base salary in 2015 in a bit less than $13 million, while Foles makes about $1.52 million, according to OverTheCap.com.

So the Eagles might not be getting the best quarterback in the deal (even if you prefer Bradford, it's a lot harder to sell that when Bradford is recovering from a second straight ACL surgery), have to pay Bradford more than eight times what Foles will make, and on top of that they're giving up better picks than the Rams did. Bradford has been a below-average NFL quarterback for any extended period of time.

Maybe there's a subsequent deal that nobody knows about will clear all this up so it makes a little bit of sense. If the Eagles somehow draft Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota as a part of this deal, then it does make sense. But as it stands now, it's baffling. 

Now this was a shocker. Tight end Jimmy Graham and the New Orleans Saints battled over his franchise tag status last year, but that was just business. Graham is one of the best pass-catching tight ends ever. He’s one of the NFL’s most unique players as a matchup nightmare for defenses. He was a face of their franchise.

And just like that, he was gone. The Seattle Seahawks, who are in need of a No. 1 target for Russell Wilson to throw to, they got creative. They sent center Max Unger and a first-round pick (31st overall) to the Saints for Graham and a fourth-round pick.

​Image Credit: sportsworldreport.com

The Saints have made a mess of their salary cap, so trading Graham and his massive deal makes sense from that aspect (although it’s just a $2 million savings on Graham this season, according to Spotrac). They did get a very good center and a late first-round pick back. But, it’s Jimmy Graham.

He doesn’t seem to fit with the Seahawks’ offense because it is built on the running game and Graham isn’t exactly an enthusiastic blocker. But they’ll make it work. Graham is incredible in the passing game and the Seahawks desperately need that.

Seattle clearly got the better end of the deal. The Seahawks got a lot better. And there’s no way the Saints can just replace someone like Graham in the passing game.

​Image Credit: twitter.com/kalenirsay

The Indianapolis Colts caught running back Frank Gore after his heel turn on the Eagles, signing the 49ers' all-time leading rusher. They landed a pass rusher in Trent Cole, who was cut by Philadelphia. And reports indicate they're the favorites to land receiver Andre Johnson, who was released by AFC South rival Houston. If they can pull off the Johnson signing, that's a lot of championship- hungry veteran talent on a team that seems close to pushing through to a Super Bowl.

Gore upgrades a bad running back situation. Johnson isn't going to be the Hall of Fame talent he once was, but he seems to fit well alongside T.Y. Hilton, especially with Andrew Luck throwing him the ball. Cole is still an effective pass rusher.

There's no excuse for a team like the Colts, with a star quarterback and a team that is on an upward path, to not be aggressive in their pursuit of a title. They're closer now than they were before free agency, especially if they can get Andre Johnson. 

The NFL season is far from the season starting, yet there is just as much excitement. I think I can speak on behalf of all NFL fans when I say I can't wait for football season. 

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

2014 A Bad Year for the NFL. They'll Take More, Please.

2014 was a bad year for the NFL, right? Problems with domestic violence, drugs, rampant repeat cheaters won the title, the commissioner is loathed by most everyone. Bad news, no doubt. And all true. The league has problems. Question is, does anyone care?

Do a quick google search - after you read this, of course. For now take my word. None of this is anything new. Hollywood Henderson, a DB for the Dallas Cowboys, reportedly had a cocaine habit rivaling Tony Montoya's in the 1970's. Brandon Marshall has been accused of domestic violence as often as the Patriots have been accused of cheating. Paul Tagliabue, patron saint of commissioners, started the NFL's ritualistic cover up of brain damage caused by playing football. All of this information is readily available.

Image Credit: Forbes.com

2014 was a bad year for the NFL. Only 113 million viewers, on average, watched the Super Bowl. This doesn't count people steaming the game, parties of multiple viewers, or packed bars. 30 second commercials (most of them awful) only raked in $4.5 million for NBC. Ticket sales and prices were up. Jersey sales were up. Television coverage of everything NFL related, good and bad, was up. Oh, and, although the numbers aren't in yet, revenues are, no doubt, up. 

So why were things bad for the NFL? Because saying 2014 was a bad year for the NFL implies 2015 will be different, will be better. Because $7,000,000,000 of the NFL's revenue comes from the networks that carry it. Because if 2014 wasn't a bad year, it was a normal year. And no one wants to believe that. Next year will be better.

Article by: Josh Henderson

Twitter: @verybadwrong 

The Super Bowl Half Time Show May Have Sparked Missy Elliott's Comeback

Article by: Christine O'Connor

Twitter: @ChristineeeeO

​Image Credit: usmagazine.com

Sunday night, in the middle of Katy Perry's flashy Super Bowl Halftime Show featuring dancing beach balls and sharks, rapper Missy Elliott and her dancers dropped in. They stole the show with a three-song medley of "Get Ur Freak On," "Work It" and "Lose Control." Those songs are, respectively, 14, 13 and 10 years old, so any teenagers watching might be forgiven for assuming Elliott was a brand new act that Perry was introducing to the world.

Still, it's been 10 years since we've been blessed with a full-length project from the Virginia native who blended R&B and hip-hop into a futuristic funk that still sounds a bit out of arm's reach of today's musicians. 

However, Missy is one of the most revered rappers and producers of her generation. She helped pave the way for female MCs. But she has been quiet in recent years. She reportedly has Graves' Disease, which is a disease of the thyroid and has very different symptoms depending on the person who has it. So it makes sense that she has been on hiatus. 

According to Forbes, her collection saw a 676% bump overall on Spotify. As if an almost 700% increase wasn’t amazing enough, the growth Spotify saw on each of the three songs she performed was astronomical. “Lose Control” was the biggest winner here, with streams increasing by just under 1,400%. After that, “Get Ur Freak On” was up 922%, and “Work It” went up almost 900%.

Those same folks apparently rushed to iTunes to download Elliott's music. Eight of her songs cracked the iTunes top 200 chart, including 2002's "Work It," 2001's "Get Ur Freak On" and 2005's "Lose Control." It really shows that Missy's music is timeless when it resonates with people over a decade later. 

I think we are all ready for a comeback from Misdemeanor!

A Recap of Superbowl XLIX

Article by:Christine O'Connor 

Twitter: @ChristineeeeO

Image Credit: CBSSports.com

Seattle, seeking to become the first repeat NFL champion since New England a decade ago, was outplayed for the first half, yet tied at 14. The Seahawks scored the only 10 points of the third period, but the NFL-leading defense couldn't slow the Tom Brady when it counted most.

Strong early play by the Patriots gave way to a halftime tie and a 10-point Seahawks lead as the Chris Matthews came out of the woodwork, but things were only getting warmed up. Matthews was one of Seattle's least-used players before the postseason. Matthews recovered the onside kick that helped the Seahawks beat Green Bay in overtime for the NFC crown, and had a breakout performance during the big game.

The Pats grabbed the lead with two fourth quarter touchdowns, the second of which set Seattle up with the ball and a little more than two minutes to play. A crazy catch with by Jermaine Kearse put them on the doorstep, but then we were introduced to Malcolm Butler intercepted the ball on a slant pass as he sealed a 28-24 win for the Patriots.

Brady was intercepted twice (the total of two times he was intercepted in his previous five Super Bowls),

yet he surpassed Joe Montana's mark of 11 Super Bowl touchdown passes with a 4-yarder to Danny Amendola to bring the Patriots within three points. Brady has equaled Montana with four Lombardi Trophies and three Super Bowl MVPs. He stands alone with 13 Super Bowl touchdown passes. He was 37 for 50 for 328 yards against the NFL's top-ranked defense.

The Patriots will celebrate their title with a victory parade at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Boston mayor Marty Walsh said. The parade will start at the Prudential Center and end at City Hall.

The NHL All Star Game and Why It Gets No Attention

Article by: Christine O'Connor 

Twitter: @christineeeeO

Image Credit: nhl.com

The NHL All Star Game happened last weekend. So why didn't we hear about it? Maybe because the media has been completely wrapped in Deflate Gate or what Marshawn Lynch is getting fined for daily.

The NHL All Star game seems to lose more entertainment value and meaning year after year. 

The NHL's All-Star game has had many formats and has grown into a weekend extravaganza without any logic behind the selection of players or teams. Like the All-Star game in other sports, its relevance is up for debate in a long sports calendar. 

The game was once played before the season as a matchup between the previous season's Cup champion and stars from other teams. Now the NHL's All-Star game has been an East-vs.-West game at midseason. Sunday's game at Nationwide Arena, a game between teams whose captains were chosen for being a fan favorite or the face of the team. 

So with the NHL All Star game becoming almost irrelevant and ratings continuing to plummet, why does it still happen yearly (excluding the years when the Winter Olympics take place)? 

It's just business. 

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the weekend's festivities will generate $12 million in visitor spending. Owners love to host the event because they can promote their teams during fan festivals and other related events.

Maybe the NHL can do something make it a little more interesting and bring some more importance to the game like it once had. 

A Look At The NFL Pro Bowl

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

​Image Credit: nflcommunications.com

The NFL held its coin toss leading up to the 2015 Pro Bowl on Tuesday, and NFL Media's Michael Irvin won.

Following Tuesday’s press conference and initial captain selections, 26 players (13 per team) were subject to pre-draft selection from the position groups: guards, centers, fullbacks, interior defensive linemen, placekickers, punters, return specialists, and special team players. 

The second-ever Pro Bowl Draft will continue with 56 players yet to be selected during a nationally televised primetime broadcast on NFL Network at 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, January 21. The 2015 Pro Bowl Draft is being held at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. All 88 Pro Bowl players are expected to be in attendance for Wednesday’s live show. won the coin toss and chose the pair of Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray and Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden as his captains. Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter in turn has Texans star defensive end J.J.Watt and Steelers receiver Antonio Brown.

The captains are determined by being the players receiving the most votes among those no longer playing after the Divisional Round who are also healthy and participating. In this instance, J.J Watt, the defensive player receiving the most votes, was paired with the offensive player receiving the second most votes and meeting the above criteria, which was Antonio Brown. The offensive player receiving the most votes and meeting the requirements (DeMarco Murray) was paired with Joe Haden.

​Image Credit: timesunion.com 

TEAM CARTER (THROUGH DAY 1 PRE-SELECTION)

WIDE RECEIVERS 

Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh (Captain)

GUARDS  

Evan Mathis, Philadelphia

Mike Pouncey, Miami

Josh Sitton, Green Bay

CENTERS

Jason Kelce, Philadelphia

Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh

FULLBACK 

John Kuhn, Green Bay

DEFENSIVE ENDS

J.J. Watt, Houston (Captain)

INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

Marcell Dareus, Buffalo

Dontari Poe, Kansas City

Kyle Williams, Buffalo

SPECIALISTS

Justin Bethel, Arizona

Devin Hester, Atlanta

Pat McAfee, Indianapolis

Cody Parkey, Philadelphia

TEAM IRVIN (THROUGH DAY 1 PRE-SELECTION)

RUNNING BACKS

DeMarco Murray, Dallas (Captain)

GUARDS

Kyle Long, Chicago 

Zack Martin, Dallas 

Marshal Yanda, Baltimore

CENTERS

Travis Frederick, Dallas 

Nick Mangold, New York Jets

FULLBACK

Marcel Reece, Oakland

CORNERBACKS

Joe Haden, Cleveland (Captain)

INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

Geno Atkins, Cincinnati

Aaron Donald, St. Louis

Sheldon Richardson, New York Jets

SPECIALISTS

Kevin Huber, Cincinnati

Darren Sproles, Philadelphia

Darrell Stuckey, San Diego

Adam Vinatieri, Indianapolis

Nike unveiled the jerseys for Sunday:

​Image Credit: bleacherreport.com

This Week's NFL Preview- Colts vs. Patriots

Article by: Christine O'Connor

Twitter: @christineeeeO

Image Credit: bostonblogger.sportsblog.com

The Colts are coming off 3 consecutive wins. Now they have Brady, a gridiron assassin going into his ninth AFC Championship Game after the largest playoff comeback victory in franchise history. Since Andrew Luck entered the league in 2012, the Patriots have crushed the Colts by an average score of 48-22 in three meetings. Brady is 60-7 in his last 67 home games.

Image Credit: nypost.com 

All of the signs and numbers point to the Patriots getting the win.

So why should we believe Indianapolis has a legitimate chance to get the victory? Andrew Luck, for one. They have the best young quarterback in the game, a magician in the pocket who makes more spectacular throws and works more defenses than any other passer.

Beyond that, the Patriots realize this is a  completely different Colts team than the one they crushed in Week 11. With young players such as versatile tailback Daniel "Boom" Herron, versatile tight end Colby Fleener, deep threat Donte Moncrief, star cornerback Vontae Davis, pass rusher Jonathan Newsome, and the talented threat T.Y. Hilton, this team is firing on all cylinders. 

​Image Credit: Fansided.com

This should be a great game to watch.

Players to watch:

Patriots:

Tom Brady (surprise, surprise), Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Darrelle Revis. 

Colts:

Andrew Luck (but of course), Daniel Herron, Donte Moncrief, Vontae Davis

Does Ray Rice Deserve A Second Chance?

Image Credit: www.usatoday.com

By: Kai Jones

Edited by: Dana P. (E.I.C.)

Ray Rice has done something almost unprecedented. He beat a Roger Goodell suspension. Ray Rice was suspended indefinitely after a video of an assault on his wife, (then fiancé) was leaked, which may have been justified. However considering that, he's already been punished, which is not right. Of course Roger Goodell claimed he was lied to or misled. On Friday, Judge Barbara Jones ruled that Goodell was wrong and made the suspension arbitrarily. So Ray Rice is now an NFL player, what does that mean though?

It means Rice can move past this ugly in incident and focus on himself, his family, and his career. Before this incident, Rice had been a law-abiding citizen and loved by people who knew him. Nothing speaks more to Rice’s character than right after the incident, while his high school removed his jersey from its walls, current students questioned the decision. Also, while the Ravens allowed fans to exchange his jersey, some fans still showed their support of Rice and wore his jersey to the games. After the decision, Rice even had two former teammates tweet their support. Rice was clearly well liked and have never been in the news before for criminal activities, and clearly he made a huge mistake, which he acknowledged. Rice is sorry and ready to get back to football. People may have forgotten but before the incident, Rice was an all-pro, championship winning running back. Who will give him a shot? The biggest rumor has been the Indianapolis Colts because of the injuries to Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson isn’t living up to expectations, could use a running back for their playoff run.

Aside from Rice, there's Roger Goodell. Roger Goodell has ruled the NFL with almost an iron fist. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ players in 2011, during the lockout, chose not to ratify the new CBA because Goodell gets to be the judge, jury, and sometimes executioner. This was overlooked at the time, but now it seems smart, and maybe Rice and the New Orleans Saints understand. It’s easy to overdose on power, and Goodell has overdosed. With this decision, it shows how much of a snake Goodell can be, as he lied to cover himself. While I respect what he tries to do, the NFL needs a system of checks and balances.

This decision was the right thing to do. Even the constitution won’t let a man be punished twice, so no way should the NFL be allowed to use double jeopardy to save face.

Why LaGarrette Blount's Release Should Bother You As A Football Fan And A Person

Image Credit: deadspin.com

by: Josh Henderson

Twitter: @verybadwrong

In late August, Pittsburgh Steelers' running back Lagarrette Blount was arrested with teammate LeVeon Bell for marijuana possession. Sports media, fantasy football players, and fans speculated what his arrest's impact would be on the Steelers' season. In the middle of November, we got our answer when Blount was released by the Steelers.

The Steelers have been owned by the Rooneys since, well, forever, and the Rooneys are often cited as exemplifying how teams should be run. Steelers' fans love to say, "Well, the Rooneys would never tolerate that behavior." They do, though. They have. Just not when bad behavior is directed internally.

Regardless of your personal beliefs of how marijuana should be treated legally, it's illegal in Pennsylvania, federally, and in the NFL. LaGarrette Blount broke this law. The Steelers knew and accepted this. After his arrest, head coach Mike Tomlin said "everything was on the table" as far as disciplining Blount. That table turned out to be bare. Later, he said they would deal any punishment internally: NFL speak for "We'll do nothing. Let Godell be the bad guy."

The Steelers did grow tired of Blount, though. Why? Because he questioned his role in the offense. Because he had no carries and dressed to leave their game against the Titans early. Oh, and because he still has a suspension pending from the NFL stemming from his arrest. But that's not the Steelers' problem anymore. They cut him because he disrespected the Steelers, after doing nothing when he broke the law. That's how the NFL works. Remember the code from A Few Good Men? Unit, Code, God, Country? In the NFL, it's team, league, production, contract.

Good luck, LaGarrette, you're on your own now. Oh, and thanks for the early season production.

Update on The New York Giants and New York Rangers Courtsey of DOINow.com

This picture has been included to make me laugh and to make my friends to shake their heads!
Thank you for visiting DOInow.com, I appreciate you taking time out to check out my random thoughts and opinions in the sports world. Make sure to check out the archives for columns on Frank Boucher, Anthony Duclair, NY Jets, Carmelo Anthony, A-Roid, The Giants, WWE, The Rangers & more!

I am sick of everyone always saying "MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK", so for this piece we will go with the silly Tuesday Morning Hangover title, considering it took 18 beers to get through the NY sports events this past Monday night.

The Rangers just wrapped up another home game, with another shoot-out loss this past Monday night. This was going to be a tough test for the Rangers, considering they were missing many starters due to injuries and suspensions, as talked about in my last blog here on DOINow.com.

For a team featuring 7 non-starters (McIlrath, Talbot, Kotska, Malone, Hunwick, Allen, & Mueller), I thought the Rangers played a good game. The Rangers blew several opportunities at the net and there was no puck luck to be found. Poor Rick Nash, a league leader in goal scoring, missed his chance to hit the double digit mark in goals several times in the contest.

The Rangers, taking on the hot St. Louis Blues, were banged up, but I liked what I saw. Both Anthony Duclair and Kevin Hayes, the two young studs of the Rangers, are living up to their billing. Duclair assisted on Chris Kreider's first goal of the game while Hayes continues to create goal scoring opportunities. I am hoping both continue their level of play as I think they have the potential to be the cornerstones of the Blueshirts in seasons to come.

Matt Hunwick, receiving a ton of ice time this season due to the injury of Dan Boyle, continues to impress and plays a solid defensive game. He could be a diamond in the rough for the New York Rangers.

While Conor Allen, who played several games for the Blueshirts last year, had a defensively sound game, he didn't make much noise. His Hartford Wolfpack counterpart, defenseman Dylan McIlrath made his presence felt for the team, for better or worse.

I am a McIlrath fan. I think the Rangers need that goon who can make other teams fear playing dirty or being liberal with their checks. However, McIlrath takes way too many stupid penalties and needs to improve his speed. Whether McIlrath can figure out some discipline and hold his own cleanly remains to be seen. He is obviously nervous playing in the World's Most Famous Arena, but at some point, he needs to be accountable for his actions. Taking penalties, that lead to power-play goals, for the opposition will not be tolerated by Alain Vigneault.

A future Vezina Winner?

With fat cat Henrik Lundqvist getting the day off, rookie Cam Talbot held down the net for the second time this season. Cam Talbot, making nearly 1/20th the salary as the King, gave the Rangers the same result as this past Saturday night - a shootout loss in the third frame. Hank, making $8.5 Million this season compared to Talbot's half a million a year deal doesn't seem much of a deal, does it?

The Rangers, who could use some of Hank's exorbitant contract to sign some defensemen (How bad are Ranger fans missing Anton Stralman right now?) made the best of a bad situation, salvaging a point in last night's contest. However, it looked like the Rangers should've won the game, as they had several opportunities to put the game away in the third period during a scramble to the net and seemed to have a Nash OT goal winner.

Talbot, who this writer thinks is a great piece of talent to a fault, where I have an on-going joke with several friends about his abilities (Cam Talbot is so good that he cured cancer!) , put out a valiant effort, despite playing his second NHL game this season. The defense broke down several times, leading to soft goals for the Blues, but Talbot made incredible saves to keep the Rangers in the contest. Talbot was tested, and despite giving up 3 goals, made an incredible 31 saves.

If there is anything to worry about right now as a Ranger fan, sans the injuries, is the fact that the Rangers are still taking time to figure things out. The injuries are a major factor, but Ranger fans would rather this happen with the majority of the games on the road. The Rangers lead the league in home games played this season and with 10 in the month of November, the Rangers need to pick up two points on their home ice. Getting one-point moral victories in OT is nice on the road, but it is here, at home, that the Rangers need to make some noise. All these home games now, will lead to tough road games later on in the season.

Eli Manning, the man who possesses the worst body language in all of sports.

As much as I love my New York Rangers & New York Yankees, I am also a diehard Giants fan. However, I admit, it's time to throw in the towel. Despite injuries to division rival quarterbacks Tony Romo & Nick Foles, this Giants team will not make the playoffs for one simple reason - they can't defend the pass.

Last night's Monday Night Football contest between the red-hot Colts and Giants, was another example of the Giants having no pass defense whatsoever. Just like in the Philly and Dallas game, the Colts were seemingly 38433375734737 out of 38433375734737 on third down whenever they passed the ball. You can say whatever you want about the Giants missing their top two running backs (Wilson & Jennings) and their best receiver (Victor Cruz), but the fact is that the Giants allow more first downs during the opponent's third down than any other team in the league.

Who would've thought, that during week 9, in this year's NFL season, that the Buffalo Bills would have more wins than their "NY" counterparts combined?

The Colts threw the ball 85% of the time and had no issues doing so. The Giants swiss cheese pass defense allowed Andrew Luck to rape them like a drunk sorority girl at Ben Roethlisberger's house. They had 15 days to prepare for this game and instead were embarrassed like sharting yourself at a quiet, but packed funeral.

I can't blame Eli. Despite having the worst body language I've ever seen from an athlete in my fucking life (Check my archives for more on this subject), it's not his fault. You can't win games when the defense is on the field watching the chains move every 120 seconds. It's time to switch defensive coordinators, but at 3-5, in a tough division and with a tough schedule, it's not going to happen until next year.

For more on the article and similar articles to this, visit DOINOW.com

NFL News: The Awfully Disappointing NFC South

Image Credit: MaddenEliteEvolution.com

By: Kai Jones

If you’re reading this article, I’m sure you’re smelling something: that smell…is the NFC South. If you have been following the NFC South you know that the Panthers are in first place…with a 3-4-1 record. This conference has always been inconsistent since the realignment in 2002; no team has repeated as division champs since the division was formed. While no team has been able to repeat as champs, this division has normally been pretty solid against the rest of the league, as 7 of the 12 years a team from the division has been in the NFC Championship game. Coming into this season some highly esteemed football people had the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl. So what is wrong with these teams?

First off, let’s start with the defending champs and 1^st place team. The Carolina Panthers opened up the season against the Buccaneers and looked strong, even without their starting QB Cam Newton. They even played an impressive game against the Detroit Lions the next week. Then came the nosedive, since their win against the Lions, the Panthers have gone 1-4-1 (you know it’s bad when you can’t even outright win). The offense has been about on pace with their pace from last season, but what has taken a step back is their defense. The defense last year was 2^nd in the league, but this year they are only 21^st. The defense is missing Quinton Mikell, Michael Mitchell, and Captain Munnerlyn; all left in free agency. The secondary was looked at last year as the Achilles’ heel of the defense and with the lost of 3 starters they got even worse, not to mention that star defensive end Greg Hardy is inactive due to his ongoing domestic violence case. While the Panthers have been bad, their biggest threat has been just as bad.

The New Orleans Saints were thought to be a much-improved team coming into this year. The Saints brought in high-profile safety Jarius Byrd and timeworn legendary cornerback Champ Bailey. While these additions seemed great, the Saints still lost multiple players including: Will Smith, Jonathan Vilma, Jabari Greer, Darren Sproles, and Lance Moore among other important players from last year’s playoff team. So maybe inevitably they have struggled, especially their defense. The team looked better in the last game the played, routing the Packers 44-23, so maybe they’re on the upswing.

The team on the lowest downturn in the division is the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons sit 3^rd in the division, so why are they on the worst downturn? Considering they were just in the NFC Championship game two seasons ago, their downturn is much worse than the Buccaneers who have not been good since 2010. The Falcons are on a 5 game losing streak, and have not won since the bludgeoning of the Buccaneers. The Falcons seem to lack depth, outside of the wide receiver position, and Matt Ryan has no time to get the receivers the ball behind his porous offensive line. Without the offense playing well, this defense cannot be masked. The defense hasn’t played terribly, but with a bad offense as well, the team is not going to win very many football games.

Speaking of not winning very many football games, let’s discuss the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers since their 2010 10-win-season, have won just 16 games since. There aren’t many bright spots on this team, despite Herm Edwards picking them to go to the Super Bowl; this team has just been bad. The defense many thought would be great, has been the worst in the league. The offense has been as bad as many thought it would be, as it ranks 28^th in the league. The solution? Keep rebuilding. The Buccaneers have been rebuilding since they fired the prominent head coach, Jon Gruden. Although, their biggest problem has been firing two coaches since Gruden. In the NFL, it’s hard to rebuild and change coaches simultaneously, so hopefully the Buccaneers will keep Lovie Smith and let him rebuild their once winning culture.

The NFC South has been very bad these first 8 weeks, but hopefully one or two of the teams can get it together and make this proud division formidable before the postseason begins. While in 2010 the 7-9 Seahawks defeated the defending Champion New Orleans Saints in the playoffs, no one wants to see a below .500 team in the playoffs. The Panthers and Saints face offon Thursday Night Football tonight, so maybe we can gauge how the division will look going forward.

The NFL Is Losing Money Because Of Suspensions? Wait just ONE second...

Image Credit: NYDailyNews.com

By: Kai Jones

Since 2012, the NFL has dealt with a major scandal every season. In 2012, it was the New Orleans Saints with Bountygate. In 2013, it was the Dolphins with Bullygate. This year, it has been multiple incidents: most famously Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and Josh Gordon. The NFL suspension list has increased since Commissioner Roger Goodell came into office. In 2005, Ricky Williams was the only player suspended. In 2006, Goodell’s inaugural year as commissioner, it jumped to seven players suspended throughout the year. The number has seemingly increased almost every year, as Goodell tries to hold the players to a higher standard. But this year over 40 players have been suspended. That does not include Ray Rice who has been nearly erased from anything NFL related. Also does not include Peterson, who was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List for allegedly abusing his son; or Greg Hardy who was also placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List for his ongoing domestic violence case.

It seems like the NFL cannot avoid bad publicity this year, as the St. Louis Rams received outrage because they cut the first openly gay player: Michael Sam. Many believed he was cut for being gay. The Dallas Cowboys picked him up as a favor to the league, so the league could avoid more bad publicity as they were dealing with the backlash of Ray Rice’s domestic violence case. Sam was cut two days ago, and the league avoided the LGBT community’s backlash that they had began to receive after the Rams cut him. Other than that incident, it seems like the league’s image has taken a hit at almost every other angle. From having to suspend Josh Brent for intoxication manslaughter (a case from 2012) to Josh Gordon for drug abuse: but does it matter?

With all these suspensions and outrage from various groups you would think the NFL would be hit where it hurts (the wallet), right? Nope, the Super Bowl rematch received a 44 percent increase in TV ratings from the Super Bowl game, and Monday Night’s matchup between the Texans and Steelers received better TV ratings than MLB’s World Series Game 1. The NFL has moral issues, but do the owners really care considering their wallets aren’t hurt? Probably not, but do the fans care? Probably not, but Commissioner Goodell doesn’t care as long as he can flex his iron fist and receive his paycheck. It seems we all turn a blind eye to the shortcomings of these athletes. Even though these athletes play a gladiator sport, but at the end of the day they are just humans and make mistakes: so grab a beer and watch football since we all have our vices, even millionaire athletes. 

Week 8 NFL, Picks, Storylines, Michael Sam, Mettenberger, Da Bears, and whole lot more

Wait for it. Wait for it. How ‘bout dem Cowboys? That is only the second time that phrase has been used here on Down the Line Sports and possibly not the last. The team is on fire and my pick for MVP, DeMarco Murray, is playing like is possessed. The entire offense is clicking on all cylinders and the defense is containing the opposing offenses. I expect the ‘Boys to get their next loss on November 23. They would be 9-1 going into that week 11 matchup with the New York Football Giants. By the way it has been a long time since I’ve heard a good Tony Romo joke.

Enough kissing up to Dallas! Congrats to Peyton Manning on overtaking Brett Favre as the all-time touchdown passer. Have a look at how many people he has thrown TD passes to.

By the way, that’s Peyton Manning not Gary Payton. Payton played in the NBA for the Seattle SuperSonics.

Week 8 Storylines

• Who are the Bengals and Bears? These two teams are pit-i-ful. Cincy has a great excuse A.J. Green has been injured and there really is no one that can take his place. The Bears need Jesus or whomever they collectively believe in.
• Will the real Atlanta Falcons please stand-up?
• Can Aaron Rodgers continue his hot streak against a pathetic New Orleans secondary?
• To the Cleveland Browns, please please please know that you are the Cleveland Browns. Why go for a first down last in the first half when you have the lead against the sorry Jags. Oh, and don’t be stupid. Brian Hoyer has been phenomenal quarterback for this team. Normally, the Brown would be 0-6, but because of him they are 3-3. Johnny Manziel has a comfortable seat on the bench don’t move him.
• Then, there are the Raiders.. Who cares??

Percy Harvin

Last week, Percy Harvin was traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the New York J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS. Reports are still coming out as to why he was traded. Some are saying that he was disagreeable and he did not get along with Russell Wilson. Harvin will now pay for his sins. Would I rather Russell Wilson pass me the ball or Geno Smith? Whatever idiot just said Geno please excuse yourself from this conversation.

To read more on this click here for information.

Michael Sam

The Dallas Cowboys released Sam earlier this week. He had been on the practice squad since the season started. The team picked him up because they had a lack of health on the defensive line. Now that the defenders are healthy it really makes no sense to keep him around. Before the season started we knew it would be hard for him to make a team. I’m sure it really wasn’t from a lack of skill and I’m also sure it wasn’t because he gay. Let’s be real. There is a reason this story has not made a lot of noise. Simply put, he’s not that good, but I hope he gets another chance.

What a return to great we had last week! Nobody expected the Rams or the Dolphins to win last week, so we didn’t lose that much ground. I really can’t complain. Considering now that I have a .700 winning percentage. Any who to the picks…

Last Week: 11-4

Total: 70-35-1

Byes: San Francisco & New York (N)

DENVER over San Diego

ATLANTA over Detroit   Game in London. Kickoff is at 8:30 AM Eastern.

Buffalo over NEW YORK (A)

Baltimore over CINCINNATI

NEW ENGLAND over Chicago

Miami over JACKSONVILLE

Minnesota over TAMPA BAY

Seattle over CAROLINA

TENNESSEE over Houston

KANSAS CITY over St. Louis

ARIZONA over Philadelphia

CLEVELAND over Oakland    If you watch this game you should be committed!

Indianapolis over PITTSBURGH

Green Bay over NEW ORLEANS

DALLAS over Washington

Please comment, as I value all opinions.

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Have a great week!