You’ll have to forgive my tardiness. I needed to take a few weeks to grieve the loss of this NFL season. As quickly as it came, it has now left and left me alone to face a notoriously depressing and ruthlessly cold February. But now that the eyes of March are almost upon us, with the Combine beginning and the 2007 NFL Draft a mere 62 days away, I am finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.
That being said, I would be remiss if I neglected to hand out my end of season awards. Again, not the most original notion but lets do it and have some fun in the process, shall we:
The 'Getting Out While The Getting Is Good' Award; Tiki Barber.
Barber has come under a firestorm of criticism since announcing that 2006 would be his final season. Criticism that is well deserved. Where does Barber get off, wanting to leave a sport, known for debilitating long term effects on its players, while he is in good health in order to pursue career goals in other fields. What has Barber done for his team, the New York Football Giants besides rush for over ten thousand yards, accumulate over five thousand receiving yards in his 10 year career, become a role model and an ambassador of the game, all the while avoiding scandal and arrest. (Wow. Maybe I deserve the sarcasm award)
The 'Highlander' Award; Matt Millen.
Much like the lead character in the popular Movie / TV series, this guy can’t be killed. Since taking over as Detroit General Manager in 2001, the Lions are a collective 24-72, reaching double digits in the loss column in each season. With such terrible seasons come high draft picks and a chance to rebuild, correct? This is where Millen has been at his worst, making top 10 draft picks out of Joey Harrington, Charles Rodgers and Mike Williams. A veritable Draft Blunder Hall of Fame. Yet Millen is still Detroit’s GM. Go figure.
The 'Space Mountain' Award; Tony Romo.
What a timultuous season it was for Romo. After being named the Cowboys’ starter in week 7, Romo won 4 of his first 5 games, tossing 10 Touchdowns versus just 2 Interceptions and in the process, invoked images of a young Brett Favre. Then Romo sputtered down the stretch, with 6 TD’s but 8 picks as Dallas lost 3 of its last 5 games and Romo resembled, well, an old Brett Favre. The Cowboys season abruptly died with Romo’s infamous botched hold on a field goal attempt in the Divisonal Play off round. Lets not offer Romo too much pity, after all, he still gets to go home to Carrie Underwood.
The 'More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same' Award; Arizona Cardinals.
New blue chip Quarterback, new state of the art stadium, new All-Pro running back to compliment the best wide receiver tandem this side of Indianapolis, results in…same old sorry Cardinals.
The 'Wake Up Call' Award; Houston Texans.
The only way I can explain the debacle that took place on draft day is that perhaps the Texans’ brass overslept and missed the entire first round. How else can you explain, despite desperately needing a running back and some explosiveness, passing on Reggie Bush in favour of defensive end Mario Williams who went with out a sack in the first 3 games, and the last 9 games of the season. Then with the first pick of the second round, Houston selected linebacker DeMeco ryans whose 125 tackles lead the league, on route to garnering Defensive Rookie of the Year honours. One of life’s great mysteries.
The 'If I Could Turn Back Time' Award; Miami Dolphins.
Figuring that a premier Quarterback is the missing link on an up and coming Dolphins team, Miami passed on Drew Brees in favour of Daunte Culpepper. Although both pivots suffered season ending injuries in 2005, Brees returned with a vengeance, throwing for over forty four hundred yards in his first year as a Saint, whereas
Culpepper started Miami’s first 4 games, throwing only 2 Touchdown passes, then was shut down for the rest of the year because of further problems with his surgically repaired knee.
The 'Nice Guys Finish First' Award; Tony Dungy.
His mind, as it pertained to football, was never a question. It was his stoic and reserved demeanor, his critics insisted, that would keep Dungy from ever winning a Super Bowl. When Dungy spent so many frustrating yet encouraging seasons in Tampa Bay building a contender, only to be unceremoniously dismissed a season before the Buccaneers would win a championship, it seemed that he had caught a bad break. The series of events that left Dungy and his new team, the Colts, defeated and eliminated from the 2005 play offs by the eventual champions, Pittsburgh, may have left one to wonder whether there was some higher power that would forever keep dungy from achieving his goal. After the Colts Super Bowl XLI triumph over Chicago, Dungy, whenever he decides to leave coaching, can be remembered as a man of class, dignity, integrity, and as a champion.
Gotta Go, ‘Rudy’ is on
That being said, I would be remiss if I neglected to hand out my end of season awards. Again, not the most original notion but lets do it and have some fun in the process, shall we:
The 'Getting Out While The Getting Is Good' Award; Tiki Barber.
Barber has come under a firestorm of criticism since announcing that 2006 would be his final season. Criticism that is well deserved. Where does Barber get off, wanting to leave a sport, known for debilitating long term effects on its players, while he is in good health in order to pursue career goals in other fields. What has Barber done for his team, the New York Football Giants besides rush for over ten thousand yards, accumulate over five thousand receiving yards in his 10 year career, become a role model and an ambassador of the game, all the while avoiding scandal and arrest. (Wow. Maybe I deserve the sarcasm award)
The 'Highlander' Award; Matt Millen.
Much like the lead character in the popular Movie / TV series, this guy can’t be killed. Since taking over as Detroit General Manager in 2001, the Lions are a collective 24-72, reaching double digits in the loss column in each season. With such terrible seasons come high draft picks and a chance to rebuild, correct? This is where Millen has been at his worst, making top 10 draft picks out of Joey Harrington, Charles Rodgers and Mike Williams. A veritable Draft Blunder Hall of Fame. Yet Millen is still Detroit’s GM. Go figure.
The 'Space Mountain' Award; Tony Romo.
What a timultuous season it was for Romo. After being named the Cowboys’ starter in week 7, Romo won 4 of his first 5 games, tossing 10 Touchdowns versus just 2 Interceptions and in the process, invoked images of a young Brett Favre. Then Romo sputtered down the stretch, with 6 TD’s but 8 picks as Dallas lost 3 of its last 5 games and Romo resembled, well, an old Brett Favre. The Cowboys season abruptly died with Romo’s infamous botched hold on a field goal attempt in the Divisonal Play off round. Lets not offer Romo too much pity, after all, he still gets to go home to Carrie Underwood.
The 'More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same' Award; Arizona Cardinals.
New blue chip Quarterback, new state of the art stadium, new All-Pro running back to compliment the best wide receiver tandem this side of Indianapolis, results in…same old sorry Cardinals.
The 'Wake Up Call' Award; Houston Texans.
The only way I can explain the debacle that took place on draft day is that perhaps the Texans’ brass overslept and missed the entire first round. How else can you explain, despite desperately needing a running back and some explosiveness, passing on Reggie Bush in favour of defensive end Mario Williams who went with out a sack in the first 3 games, and the last 9 games of the season. Then with the first pick of the second round, Houston selected linebacker DeMeco ryans whose 125 tackles lead the league, on route to garnering Defensive Rookie of the Year honours. One of life’s great mysteries.
The 'If I Could Turn Back Time' Award; Miami Dolphins.
Figuring that a premier Quarterback is the missing link on an up and coming Dolphins team, Miami passed on Drew Brees in favour of Daunte Culpepper. Although both pivots suffered season ending injuries in 2005, Brees returned with a vengeance, throwing for over forty four hundred yards in his first year as a Saint, whereas
Culpepper started Miami’s first 4 games, throwing only 2 Touchdown passes, then was shut down for the rest of the year because of further problems with his surgically repaired knee.
The 'Nice Guys Finish First' Award; Tony Dungy.
His mind, as it pertained to football, was never a question. It was his stoic and reserved demeanor, his critics insisted, that would keep Dungy from ever winning a Super Bowl. When Dungy spent so many frustrating yet encouraging seasons in Tampa Bay building a contender, only to be unceremoniously dismissed a season before the Buccaneers would win a championship, it seemed that he had caught a bad break. The series of events that left Dungy and his new team, the Colts, defeated and eliminated from the 2005 play offs by the eventual champions, Pittsburgh, may have left one to wonder whether there was some higher power that would forever keep dungy from achieving his goal. After the Colts Super Bowl XLI triumph over Chicago, Dungy, whenever he decides to leave coaching, can be remembered as a man of class, dignity, integrity, and as a champion.
Gotta Go, ‘Rudy’ is on
posted by average john at 10:21 PM
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