About those digits...
Len, friends of Len, and foes of Len (assuming any exist and subscribe to this web site?)... Okay, okay, so it's not as moving as "Friends, Romans, and countrymen, lend me your ears"! (Everyone knows this is by Shakespeare, right?)
How many of you were told by your parents or other adults "there's a time and place for everything"? C'mon, folks, raise your electronic hands! Every now and then, I wonder where Rex Ryan was while adults were passing along this wisdom during his youth!
Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE Rex Ryan as our Jets' head coach. He's been a breath of fresh air (actually, he's proven he has a PULSE and above-zero respiration rate compared to other Jets head coaches...), and he has the personality and bravado our Jets need to forge ahead towards the championship team we all crave. But tweaking and flipping off Dolphins fans in a packed civic center probably isn't the right time or place. As wonderful as it is for Rex to be like one of us, the fan base, he does need to be more cognizant of his status as a public figure and as the face & mouth of our NY Jets.
I'd like to see Coach Rex continue his style as uninhibited as possible, but maybe Woody Johnson and Mike Tannenbaum could splurge a few bucks to hire an image consultant, so Rex's rough edges (i.e., his "inner Buddy") could be smoothed out for certain public appearances? You know... hire somebody to provide Rex some "home charm schooling"?
Oh, and Rex, if you're reading Len's web site, allow me to offer you advice... You could've had the national media in the palms of your hands for life if you blew kisses and doffed your hat to those trash talking idiots in Miami... then all of your fingers would've been kept together and kept you $50K richer!
Showing posts with label February 2010 postings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label February 2010 postings. Show all posts
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Originally posted on www.ThatsSports.com -- February 4, 2010
Two thoughts...
1. Re: Anti-Semitism at the 1932 Lake Placid Winter Olympics. Sadly, this was not an isolated incident. Let's not forget the 1936 Summer Olympics in Nazi Berlin, where Jesse Owens won four gold medals, but it was at the expense of one of Len's broadcasting mentors, the late Marty Glickman. Glickman, once the radio voice of the Knicks and Jets, along with Ben Stoller, both Jewish, were dropped from the US track team by USOC President Avery Brundage. Neither Glickman nor Stoller ever returned to the Olympics.
In case the name Avery Brundage sounds familiar, he was the president of the IOC during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. It was his decision not to postpone or cancel the remainder of the summer games after the hostage taking and murdering of almost a dozen Israeli athletes by Arab terrorists. Brundage's infamous quote of "The games must go on" rang hollow in the echo of the late Jim McKay (father of CBS Sports chief Sean McDonnough) somberly telling us on television "they're all gone". Another trivia tidbit... the late Howard Cosell, in his book I NEVER PLAYED THE GAME openly blamed Brundage for the hostage crisis and never forgave him for the rest of his life.
2. It's time for my super bowl prediction! In my head, I have to go with the Colts. They're a more complete team in all 3 phases (offense, defense, special teams) than the Saints. The Saints live and die by forcing turnovers on defense, and Peyton Manning is hardly mistake-prone. However, I'm rooting for the Saints... not because I'm a Jets fan and have any ill will towards the Colts, but because I think it's a great story having the Saints in the super bowl and lifting the city of New Orleans to incredible pride.
So... drum roll, please... BET THE OVER! With Dwight Freeney nowhere near 100% for this game, the game has evened out for the Saints, and we're going to see a barn burner, a track meet... heck, these two offenses might just blow up the scoreboard! Points should be scored like we're watching a pinball machine (well, the Who are performing at half-time, so why not root for a Pinball Wizard). I would be very surprised if both teams couldn't combine for 56-1/2 points, and I wouldn't be shocked if that was the point total by half-time!
Don't be shocked if we witness the highest scoring super bowl in history, but we likely won't see a lopsided score (e.g., San Francisco 49, San Diego 26 in SB XXVIII). I think we could witness a back and forth game like SB XIII, where Pittsburgh beat Dallas 35-31.
Are you ready for a 49-45 score, or maybe 40-35 (if we see some defense once in a while)? This is what I envision. Who wins? Whomever has the ball last! Don't be surprised if the Colts OR Saints win this game. Oh, and be prepared to have a conniption if the game goes into OT!
Don't you hate these kinds of predictions? :o)
Have a great weekend and enjoy the game!
If you're out at a party, please drive back home safely...
1. Re: Anti-Semitism at the 1932 Lake Placid Winter Olympics. Sadly, this was not an isolated incident. Let's not forget the 1936 Summer Olympics in Nazi Berlin, where Jesse Owens won four gold medals, but it was at the expense of one of Len's broadcasting mentors, the late Marty Glickman. Glickman, once the radio voice of the Knicks and Jets, along with Ben Stoller, both Jewish, were dropped from the US track team by USOC President Avery Brundage. Neither Glickman nor Stoller ever returned to the Olympics.
In case the name Avery Brundage sounds familiar, he was the president of the IOC during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. It was his decision not to postpone or cancel the remainder of the summer games after the hostage taking and murdering of almost a dozen Israeli athletes by Arab terrorists. Brundage's infamous quote of "The games must go on" rang hollow in the echo of the late Jim McKay (father of CBS Sports chief Sean McDonnough) somberly telling us on television "they're all gone". Another trivia tidbit... the late Howard Cosell, in his book I NEVER PLAYED THE GAME openly blamed Brundage for the hostage crisis and never forgave him for the rest of his life.
2. It's time for my super bowl prediction! In my head, I have to go with the Colts. They're a more complete team in all 3 phases (offense, defense, special teams) than the Saints. The Saints live and die by forcing turnovers on defense, and Peyton Manning is hardly mistake-prone. However, I'm rooting for the Saints... not because I'm a Jets fan and have any ill will towards the Colts, but because I think it's a great story having the Saints in the super bowl and lifting the city of New Orleans to incredible pride.
So... drum roll, please... BET THE OVER! With Dwight Freeney nowhere near 100% for this game, the game has evened out for the Saints, and we're going to see a barn burner, a track meet... heck, these two offenses might just blow up the scoreboard! Points should be scored like we're watching a pinball machine (well, the Who are performing at half-time, so why not root for a Pinball Wizard). I would be very surprised if both teams couldn't combine for 56-1/2 points, and I wouldn't be shocked if that was the point total by half-time!
Don't be shocked if we witness the highest scoring super bowl in history, but we likely won't see a lopsided score (e.g., San Francisco 49, San Diego 26 in SB XXVIII). I think we could witness a back and forth game like SB XIII, where Pittsburgh beat Dallas 35-31.
Are you ready for a 49-45 score, or maybe 40-35 (if we see some defense once in a while)? This is what I envision. Who wins? Whomever has the ball last! Don't be surprised if the Colts OR Saints win this game. Oh, and be prepared to have a conniption if the game goes into OT!
Don't you hate these kinds of predictions? :o)
Have a great weekend and enjoy the game!
If you're out at a party, please drive back home safely...
Originally posted on www.ThatsSports.com -- February 8, 2010
It was Super Duper
OH MY, to quote the great broadcaster Dick Enberg!
Talk about a SUPER SURPRISE last night! Not because the Saints won (and they WON this game. The Colts didn't lose it). Not because The Who demonstrated we can have a great half-time show by aging rockers who are sober, remember all their lyrics, keep their clothing intact, and don't yell out insipid lines like "I love you, Super bowl" (see Rolling Stones, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Paul McCartney). And not because the Great Peyton Manning couldn't pull out a game at the end. And not even because the Saints came back from a 10-point deficit.
This game was a super surprise because the Saints rolled the dice, played gutsy, bended without breaking, and stalled out a potential shooting match to keep the final score well under its expectation, hence giving itself the best chance to win.
So the Saints scored 31 points, right? We expected at least this many points. Well, 7 were courtesy of the defense, specifically Terry Porter, who cut in front of Reggie Wayne (who may or may not have been hampered by a tweaked knee) and went 74 yards with what ended up being the clinching touchdown. What about the other 24 points? The top scoring offense in the NFL this season put together a "six card Sammy" with 2 touchdowns and 3 long field goals by their newest hero placekicker.
Give credit to Indy's defense for keeping the Saints under wraps on several drives, forcing the Saints to settle for field goals or coming up empty on a second quarter goal line stand. And they did it mostly without Dwight Freeney, who played as best as he could until his right ankle was no longer able, no matter how many sideline tape jobs were done.
But let's give credit to the Saints' defense too. Let's face it, folks. Peyton Manning drove his troops up and down the field last night, generated over 400 yards of offense, but couldn't consistently finish off drives in the red zone. Take away Porter's pick-six, Peyton had his offense in position to tie the game at 24-24 and set up the stage for a potential sudden death. The Colts were able to run the ball, and then they forgot about Joseph Addai when the Saints' defense was still vulnerable up the gut. Former 49ers QB Steve Young noted on ESPN after the game that Indy only had 8 offensive possessions last night. EIGHT! The Colts usually have TWELVE. New Orleans' defense, coached brilliantly by their coordinator, Greg Williams, limited the Colts' offense to two-thirds of their typical number of opportunities. The Saints' defense took a page from the book of Parcells-Bellichick and shortened the game.
And they didn't even have to pummel Peyton Manning into submission (see Brett Favre)!
How else did the Saints win this game besides play keep-away? Let's give props to Sean Payton for calling that onside kick to start the second half. Was it gutsy? You bet. Was it crazy? Only if it didn't work. Coach Payton rolled his dice and prayed for 7, and 7 is what his offense produced. 13-10 in the Saints' favor makes the third quarter a lot more comfortable than 13-6 or 17-6 Indy. That onside kick was the tide turner, and allowed the Saints to keep playing their game and mess with Indy's.
For weeks, fans and talking heads have wondered how to deflate the Colts and their Superman QB Peyton Manning. Several teams have tried with different degrees of success: the Pats, Ravens, and Jets come to mind. Each week, an opponent provides little bread crumbs of hints at how to thwart the Colts and their incredible offense.
Peyton Manning studied the game films of that terrific Rams-Titans super bowl from January 2000, in order to gleam some insights into the mind of Greg Williams. Perhaps Peyton Manning should've gone back and re-watched the films from week 15, when the Jets won their "gift" game. Crazy idea? The Jets were only down 15-10 when Indy's varsity players got pulled, Brad Smith scored on a tide turning 106-yard kickoff return, and the Jets defense was pesky enough to mess up the timing and flow for Peyton and his receiving corps. And when opportunity knocked, the Jets grabbed it. Sound familiar?
Greg Williams' defense gave us all a little deja vu last night, doing just enough on defense to short-circuit Peyton's gameplan, buying time for the offense to do enough to put points on the scoreboard, more than the Colts could produce. Peyton's Colts fizzled out trying to cope with a "four corners" defensive scheme. Dean Smith should be smiling from ear to ear!
Was it a great season for Indy? Yes, it was, but it only reminds us of what differed between the Colts of SB LXIV compared to the champs from SB LXI three years ago. The champion Colts had a more balanced offense, stayed with their running game, and had a defense humming on all cylinders. This year's Colts showed us how indispensable their QB is, because they wouldn't be in Miami without him. The Colts will be back in the AFC mix next year, and the next year, until Peyton Manning hangs up his helmet and cleats. But for the Colts to get over the hump and take all the marbles, they need all parts working besides Peyton Manning.
OH MY, to quote the great broadcaster Dick Enberg!
Talk about a SUPER SURPRISE last night! Not because the Saints won (and they WON this game. The Colts didn't lose it). Not because The Who demonstrated we can have a great half-time show by aging rockers who are sober, remember all their lyrics, keep their clothing intact, and don't yell out insipid lines like "I love you, Super bowl" (see Rolling Stones, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Paul McCartney). And not because the Great Peyton Manning couldn't pull out a game at the end. And not even because the Saints came back from a 10-point deficit.
This game was a super surprise because the Saints rolled the dice, played gutsy, bended without breaking, and stalled out a potential shooting match to keep the final score well under its expectation, hence giving itself the best chance to win.
So the Saints scored 31 points, right? We expected at least this many points. Well, 7 were courtesy of the defense, specifically Terry Porter, who cut in front of Reggie Wayne (who may or may not have been hampered by a tweaked knee) and went 74 yards with what ended up being the clinching touchdown. What about the other 24 points? The top scoring offense in the NFL this season put together a "six card Sammy" with 2 touchdowns and 3 long field goals by their newest hero placekicker.
Give credit to Indy's defense for keeping the Saints under wraps on several drives, forcing the Saints to settle for field goals or coming up empty on a second quarter goal line stand. And they did it mostly without Dwight Freeney, who played as best as he could until his right ankle was no longer able, no matter how many sideline tape jobs were done.
But let's give credit to the Saints' defense too. Let's face it, folks. Peyton Manning drove his troops up and down the field last night, generated over 400 yards of offense, but couldn't consistently finish off drives in the red zone. Take away Porter's pick-six, Peyton had his offense in position to tie the game at 24-24 and set up the stage for a potential sudden death. The Colts were able to run the ball, and then they forgot about Joseph Addai when the Saints' defense was still vulnerable up the gut. Former 49ers QB Steve Young noted on ESPN after the game that Indy only had 8 offensive possessions last night. EIGHT! The Colts usually have TWELVE. New Orleans' defense, coached brilliantly by their coordinator, Greg Williams, limited the Colts' offense to two-thirds of their typical number of opportunities. The Saints' defense took a page from the book of Parcells-Bellichick and shortened the game.
And they didn't even have to pummel Peyton Manning into submission (see Brett Favre)!
How else did the Saints win this game besides play keep-away? Let's give props to Sean Payton for calling that onside kick to start the second half. Was it gutsy? You bet. Was it crazy? Only if it didn't work. Coach Payton rolled his dice and prayed for 7, and 7 is what his offense produced. 13-10 in the Saints' favor makes the third quarter a lot more comfortable than 13-6 or 17-6 Indy. That onside kick was the tide turner, and allowed the Saints to keep playing their game and mess with Indy's.
For weeks, fans and talking heads have wondered how to deflate the Colts and their Superman QB Peyton Manning. Several teams have tried with different degrees of success: the Pats, Ravens, and Jets come to mind. Each week, an opponent provides little bread crumbs of hints at how to thwart the Colts and their incredible offense.
Peyton Manning studied the game films of that terrific Rams-Titans super bowl from January 2000, in order to gleam some insights into the mind of Greg Williams. Perhaps Peyton Manning should've gone back and re-watched the films from week 15, when the Jets won their "gift" game. Crazy idea? The Jets were only down 15-10 when Indy's varsity players got pulled, Brad Smith scored on a tide turning 106-yard kickoff return, and the Jets defense was pesky enough to mess up the timing and flow for Peyton and his receiving corps. And when opportunity knocked, the Jets grabbed it. Sound familiar?
Greg Williams' defense gave us all a little deja vu last night, doing just enough on defense to short-circuit Peyton's gameplan, buying time for the offense to do enough to put points on the scoreboard, more than the Colts could produce. Peyton's Colts fizzled out trying to cope with a "four corners" defensive scheme. Dean Smith should be smiling from ear to ear!
Was it a great season for Indy? Yes, it was, but it only reminds us of what differed between the Colts of SB LXIV compared to the champs from SB LXI three years ago. The champion Colts had a more balanced offense, stayed with their running game, and had a defense humming on all cylinders. This year's Colts showed us how indispensable their QB is, because they wouldn't be in Miami without him. The Colts will be back in the AFC mix next year, and the next year, until Peyton Manning hangs up his helmet and cleats. But for the Colts to get over the hump and take all the marbles, they need all parts working besides Peyton Manning.
Originally posted on www.ThatsSports.com -- February 9, 2010
Choke Job?
Why must the Colts' late-season actions be "shameful and cowardly" or proved they "didn't have the heart to win a Super Bowl"? I don't necessarily agree with Sherry S. In fact, I'm a little tired of hearing all the "Colts lost it" and "Colts blew it" talk. Isn't it possible that the Saints had more of the ingredients for a championship team than Indy?
So the Colts rested their players at the end of the season and didn't get their perfect season or Super Bowl championship? The Patriots kept their pedal to the medal all through the 2007 season and ran out of luck during the last two minutes of their Super Bowl game against the Giants. How may of us called the Patriots cowards or said they lacked guts? Most of us were stunned by how well and gutsy the Giants played.
As I wrote yesterday, there are some distinct differences between the 2006 Colts who won SB XLI and these Colts who lost SB XLIV, and those differences may be glaring deficiencies we all overlooked during the 14-0 start. The Colts are among the top teams, but maybe not the TOP TEAM we thought a month ago. It's quite possible the Saints were a better team, not only for one game, but perhaps the entire 2009 season.
Why must the Colts' late-season actions be "shameful and cowardly" or proved they "didn't have the heart to win a Super Bowl"? I don't necessarily agree with Sherry S. In fact, I'm a little tired of hearing all the "Colts lost it" and "Colts blew it" talk. Isn't it possible that the Saints had more of the ingredients for a championship team than Indy?
So the Colts rested their players at the end of the season and didn't get their perfect season or Super Bowl championship? The Patriots kept their pedal to the medal all through the 2007 season and ran out of luck during the last two minutes of their Super Bowl game against the Giants. How may of us called the Patriots cowards or said they lacked guts? Most of us were stunned by how well and gutsy the Giants played.
As I wrote yesterday, there are some distinct differences between the 2006 Colts who won SB XLI and these Colts who lost SB XLIV, and those differences may be glaring deficiencies we all overlooked during the 14-0 start. The Colts are among the top teams, but maybe not the TOP TEAM we thought a month ago. It's quite possible the Saints were a better team, not only for one game, but perhaps the entire 2009 season.
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