Last night on Twitter, I saw Steelers S Ryan Clark asking (*cough*begging*cough*) for more followers. It seems as though Mr. Clark was looking for 10,000 followers for his page. (He should have asked his long haired teammate, Troy Polamalu. He rarely tweets, yet has 33K followers).
Clark started out his by having a simple incentive to following him:
What I found funny is that Clark followed up his tweet by giving reason why he may not be as successful as some on the social networking website:
WHOA!!!!!
Of course, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out, Clark is possibly referring to the oh so boisterous, Chad Ocho Cinco of the Cincinnati Bengals, who is Twitter royalty and just finished showing his reality show, "The Ultimate Catch" on VH1. This actually may have had more steam, had Clark had more followers (at the current moment he has 12,602 followers, while Ocho Cinco's page has 1,293,946 followers).
At least Clark surpassed his 10K mark like he asked.... I was uninterested in following him (The Ravens fan in me makes me petty like that), until I saw this tweet:
Hopefully this applies to Steelers AND Ravens fans alike! *Hits follow button*
Earlier this week, I read an article about Tom Brady's thoughts regarding Patriots fans leaving the home opener against the Bengals, a bit too early. Brady admitted that he wasn't too happy about fans rolling out before the clock said 0:00 and even indicated that Jets fans probably don't hit the road before their team is done playing.
With Brady's comments(comments I agree with), I started to think about Fairweather fans. For the record, I'm not saying the Patriots have them, but if you're a Pats fan and was offended by my segue, then maybe the shoe fits more than you thought. Anyway, I wanted to know what teams did folks think were a "Fairweather Fan" team, a team that has support (or maybe not) when they are doing good, but they disappear into thin air when they do bad.
So I took the question to my Twitter and Facebook pages. I wanted to get an idea of what the general public thought about this. I calculated the Top 3 teams that were mentioned the most. Here's what I got based on my social networking survey:
#3
When asked why people mentioned the Bengals, I had one tweeter say the following:
The Bengals are a hard team to follow. They haven't been the most consistent team in terms of winning. And even though they won the AFC North last year, fans still haven't gone out and bought season tickets. One can blame it on the bad economy, but ticket sale problems were long before America faced such issues. As for the tweeter, maybe there is some truth to that. Neither the Bengals nor Browns have won a playoff game since the Browns came back to Cleveland in 1999. No excuses, but I understand.
#2 /
I found it ironic that I had an equal amount of folks say both the Jags and the Panthers. Especially since both teams became expansion teams in the same year, 1995. This is probably the one that's a head scratcher. The Jags have been pretty competitive and have even won playoff games. The Jags beat the Steelers at home, twice in one season in 2007, something that had never been done before they did it. The Panthers have been to the Super Bowl and was very close in beating the Patriots, a team that many consider a dynasty. But when asked about the reasoning behind the vote, one tweeter summed it up for both teams:
I disagreed with this initially, simply because the Ravens aren't 20 yrs old yet they have always had the backing of their fans at home. But I had to remember that Baltimore was and still is a football city, even when the Colts left town. These 2 cities, not so much. Jacksonville is Gator Country and Carolina fans already had teams they rooted for and have yet to fully converted. After further review, maybe she has a point after all.
#1
I received the most votes for the Falcons.... and it wasn't even close. The reasoning was pretty much the same amongst many: Atlanta is a transplant city, full of non-natives. So people already have a team prior to moving there. Even with the Braves and Hawks in town, it's pretty common to know that it's not just the Falcons, but all Atlanta teams struggle with the Fairweather syndrome. One person's response made me giggle a little:
>
Another person thinks it's more about fans liking a player and not the team that they play for:
The public has spoken. Falcon fans are as fairweather as they come. Not a good look when you have other cities that would rob and steal for an NFL team. The thing about it is, the Falcons have a pretty decent squad right now (on paper, at least). Time to get out and support them, people!
Honorable Mentions:
Many folks believes the city of Miami belongs to "The U", the University of Miami. So the loyalty to their NFL isn't strong.
Most people believe that before Brady, no one cared about the Pats. Need I remind folks that Drew Bledsoe was the QB before Brady and led his team to a SB, but I digress. It's also noted that Boston is Red Sox crazy, so there is No Country For Pats Football in Beantown.
This week, the Ravens head to Cincinnati to play the Bengals. This is a BIG divisional matchup against the 2 teams that made it to the playoffs last year. While both teams look to repeat last year's success, none of this would be interesting if it weren't for Twitter's greatest sports tweeter- Chad Ochocinco.
Ocho has started with his trash talking to Ravens players already. Tweets from 85 started yesterday evening with his good friend, Ray Lewis:
But it didn't stop there. Chad then went after Ravens RB Willis McGahee:
In the midst of this "Tweet War", Ravens FB LeRon McClain jumped in to defend his teammate. Chad wasted no time to turn his attention to #33:
Although I'm sure these guys are friends in real life, this is great entertainment for tweeters like myself. How can you NOT love Twitter. Hopefully Sunday's game is as good as the Twitter trash talk!
Okay, this is where the fun begins. I've did my own rendition of picking the AFC and the NFC for the upcoming season.. and of course, folks want to know who my Super Bowl picks will be. Although I'm not the best at picking divisions, I've been pretty decent in picking my potential SB picks (I chose San Diego and New Orleans last year, so I was half right LOL).
So without further ado... DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUN!!! Here are my 2010 Playoff Scenario picks:
AFC Wild Card Weekend
Texans @ Jets- The Texans are my dark horse pick this year, beating out New England for a playoff spot by strength of schedule. They finally get in the dance! But I don't forsee them advancing. This Jets D is ferocious and the Texans are more of a pass happy team, not as balanced. Sexy Rexy gets the win this time.
Winner:
Baltimore @ San Diego- The Chargers will get in, but they will really miss Vincent Jackson come playoff time. The Chargers D won't be enough to stop all of the weapons the Ravens have on offense. The Ravens win easy, simply because their D won't be able to handle it.
Winner:
(sorry boo boo, I love you but my squad will prevail)
Divisional Playoffs Baltimore @ Indianapolis - The Colts are Ravens Killers. They know how to beat them better than any other team in the league. This is the year the Ravens get the monkey off their back.
Winner:
Jets @ Bengals- In a rematch of the 2009 Wild Card game, I don't forsee the same result. This is where the buck stops for Rex and company. It all comes down to the QB play. If Palmer stays healthy, the sky is the limit for this team. I still don't trust Sanchez enough, despite the weapons he has. The think Cincy pulls it out
Winner:
AFC Championship
Baltimore @ Cincinnati- Yes, I'm picking an AFC North AFC Championship. And I am far from biased. But the NFL is like a crap shoot, and to a lot of you, this is not something you would see happening. But it's extremely realistic. These two teams know each other.. and well! Carson Palmer is second behind Peyton Manning in making the Ravens eat their own crow. But in the end, the Ravens will prevail. Ed Reed will be back and Carson Palmer wants no parts of that, trust me.
Winner:
NFC Wild Card Weekend Washington @ Dallas- These two bitter rivals will meet for Wild Card weekend. By then, I expect McNabb to either be hurt, or out of gas. Sorry Skins fans, I think Dallas has what it takes to go further. Sucks that it's to your arch nemesis though Winner: Minnesota @ San Francisco- This is my upset pick. While the Vikings are a good overall team, I think this is when we really see how good the 49ers are on defense. Adrien Peterson fumbles away another game. The End
Winner:
NFC Divisional Weekend
Dallas @ Green Bay- Sorry Dallas, Aaron Rodgers is on a mission. And you're in the way. Cowboys fans are gonna throw tomatoes at me, but if you're playing GB in the Divisionals, it looks like another 1 win playoff year for you.
Winner:
San Francisco @ New Orleans- San Francisco may not be able to handle all that New Orleans can throw at them. The Saints have way too many weapons and the 49ers can't outscore the Saints. Winner:
NFC Championship
Green Bay @ New Orleans- This is going to be epic. Better than the Vikings- Saints NFC Championship game. Aaron Rodgers, the NEW face of the Packers, against Drew Brees, the NFL darling. High powered offenses, good defense, and plenty of points. But in the end, I think Green Bay prevails.
Winner:
Super Bowl XLV Baltimore @ Green Bay- Looks like this is the sexy pick amongst other bloggers and sports writer. When I first predicted this earlier in the year, I thought I was doing something. I guess I really wasn't doing that much, because a lot of other people have this same prediction. I refuse to change my pick, because I'm going with my gut. However, everyone is picking Green Bay to be the winner. And while I picked them to win as well, someone has to pick the underdog. And since my squad is the underdog...... allow me to be the one to do it!
Ravens 27, Packers 24 With a last second FG from Billy Cundiff!!!!!
The NFL Season is here!!!!!!!!! LEGOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
ESPN's Monday Night Football crew Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski had a round table session regarding the AFC North and how they will fare this season. Jaws and Gruden pretty much had great things to say about Baltimore and Cincinnati. But when it came to Pittsburgh and Cleveland, only Gruden was a little more optimistic regarding how they will fare in the 2010 season.
Do you agree or disagree? Is this the yeah Flacco becomes the cusp of being elite? Does Cincy repeat as AFCN Champs? Will Pittsburgh be better than last year or decline without Big Ben? Or will Cleveland win more than 6 games?
Unless you were under a rock yesterday, then you know by now that football on Sundays have officially made its return. Granted, it's only in preseason form, but it's still football, nonetheless.
Yesterday, the Dallas Cowboys and the Cincinnati Bengals played in the yearly Hall-Of-Fame game in Canton, OH. And even though the starters played no more than 2 series, it was still good to see some type of football on my TV screen. I learned a few things about both teams during that game
People Missed Football... A LOT! I was sitting at the bar in the Outback restaurant last night, watching the game and eating.... and it was extra crowded in there, more than usual. Tons of folks crowded the area to watch a preseason football game. At one point, the bartender changed the channel to the Red Sox-Yankees game and the bar erupted! As he turned the channel back to football (preseason football, by-the-way), a lady who wanted to watch the baseball game had a BIG tantrum and stormed out of the restaurant. All of the football fans (myself included) clapped and cheered as she made her way to the exit.... did I say all of this was over a PRESEASON football game??? Yeah.. I think people are happy football is back.
The Cowboys Have Depth The Cowboys backups looked good during yesterday's game, especially on defense. They have some hungry, fast linebackers who are young and could provide depth at a position that has aged a little with the starters. John Kitna is a good backup for Tony Romo, and the RBs looked great. The WRs did a great job with separation. Hell, even Roy Williams decided to catch a ball or two. And let's not forget that Dez Bryant is still on the bench, resting from an ankle sprain. Overall, the Boys have some talent.
The Bengals Backup QB's SUCK! If I had to choose who would be the butt of all of my awful QB jokes today, between JT O'Sullivan and Jordan Palmer, I'd have to flip a coin. If Carson Palmer goes down, the Bengals season is over!
There is a reason why O'Sullivan is on his 8th team in his 8th season. It's because he's just not that good.... He buckles under any kind of pressure and he throws INTs. To make matters worse, Jordan Palmer (Carson's younger brother) is right behind him. While Jordan throws the ball the same way as his big brother Carson, he definitely doesn't get the same results. Palmer threw 2 bad INTs directly to Cowboys defenders. If I'm Cincy, I'm looking to make a deal for a backup somewhere else. Carson hasn't been the healthiest in the past few years, so this is a major concern.
Carson Palmer May Need Prayer And Aspirin........ if what I saw last night is a staple of what's to come. And no, this isn't about Batman and Robin, AKA T.O. and Ocho Cinco. Palmer's starting offensive line struggled during their 2 series against the Cowboys. ESPN's AFC North blogger James Walker mentioned last week that the Bengals defense was getting a lot of pressure on Palmer in camp, but it continued last night. Palmer was sacked once, and was hurried at LOT. Memo to the Bengals O-Line: Do you know who your backup QBs are? If you want any kind of special season this year, then I suggest you take care of your bread and butter, which is Carson Palmer. Or else this could be 2008 all over again for you.
In any event, whether it be a scrimmage, preseason game or whatever... I'm just glad football is back on my TV again! The football gods are shining down, and it feels good!
I'm sure most of you were like me and were plastered to the TV the entire weekend, with your full attention on the NFL Playoffs. Whether it was a blowout, total domination or an OT game, all of the games were good to me. It's the playoffs, so anything that can happen, did happen. Here are my thoughts over the weekend's games:
Ocho Cinco celebrated his birthday on Sat, the same day as his playoff game against the New York Jets. That was pretty much all there was to celebrate though. The Bengals looked dazed and confused, and Palmer looked like a deer in headlights. The Jets beat the Bengals the week before to secure their playoff spot, so they had all the confidence in the world coming into Cincy's house. While Bengals RB Cedric Benson did run wild on a league-leading Jets defense with 169 yards, Gang Green simply made more plays and beat the Bengals convincingly, 24-14. There may have even been an Ocho Cinco tears sighting. But it was hard to tell.
*extra point* How does Mark Sanchez play more like a veteran than Carson Palmer on such a large stage???
Sanchez has said numerous times that Palmer was someone he looked up to, back from their days in Southern Cali when Sanchez attended Palmer's high school games. But it was Sanchez who was schooling Palmer on Saturday, passing 12/15 for 182 yards and a TD. It was kind of sad to see, the Bengals just can't get right in the playoffs.
The Cowboys.... wow!!! First off, let me congratulate you on your playoff win. It was long overdue. But good lord, who knew you were gonna come out swinging like that?! You made the Eagles look like some regular team that didn't belong in the dance. Even Roy Williams came out to play and caught some good passes, which means he was in RARE form. I'm finally a believer that the Cowboys have a serious chance of representing the NFC come February. They earned it, and Tony Romo had a very good day.
*extra point* I must say, the highlight of the night was McNabb "taunting" the Cowboys fans. I didn't find it taunting at all, I thought it was kinda funny.... But I'm not a Cowboys fan so...........
There is nothing I love more than what I saw yesterday. The Ravens treated the Patriots like they stole something, and I was like a proud mama, cheesing the entire time. They came to play and they did just that, which was one of the best games the Ravens played the entire season. Of course I wrote a column about it on Gridiron Gals, but I had to show my boys some love over here too. They beat the Darlings of the NFL, there is nothing cooler than that.
*extra point* Shout out to the Ravens fans that went to Boston. Baltimore may not be recognized as a well traveled team, but we do more than alright. Just ask Vince Wilfork.
By far the best game was the Packers-Cardinals game. It had the most offense out of all the games this weekend. The Pack were down 17 points in the 1st qtr, but found their way fighting back and staying alive in the game, eventually tying up the score 45 all and taking the game to OT. Over 1,000 yards of total offense and 96 totals points from both sides combined. The biggest thing that has me scratching my head, is the Packers were ranked #2 overall in defense prior to yesterday's game, but still managed to give up over 500 yards of offense.
So with such a high scoring, offensive game, imagine every one's surprise when the play ended because of defense. If I didn't see if for myself I, wouldn't have believed it.
Congrats to the Cardinals. That was the most exciting game of the weekend. You earned that win.
*extra point* I kinda feel bad for the Packers. Aaron Rodgers was clearly hit in the face mask which startled him and the fumble then came. I hate ticky tacky calls and giving the QBs extra leniency, but that was a blatant call that was missed. I'd bet money that if Brady or Manning were the guy behind center, three flags would have come out. The officiating this season has been horrific, and it showed again in the OT game.
*2 pt conversion* That being said.... the Packers shouldn't have let them get up 17-0 in the 1st qtr. I'm just saying........
This weekend's matchups are set and ready. The Cardinals travel to the Crescent City to play the Saints while the Ravens go to Indy to play the Colts on Saturday. On Sunday, The Cowboys head to Minnesota and the Jets will be in San Diego to face my boo Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers. I doubt that any of these games will disappoint, unless your team is on the losing end when the game is over. Each team earned the right to be there, so I expect big things for the Divisional Weekend.
*extra point* I found this on Blitz Nation and I couldn't resist.... What in the world is LT doing???? And Why??????
Chris Henry's fiancee' Loleini Tonga with ESPN's Outside the Lines on the events that led to Henry's tragic death, just a few weeks ago. Tonga states that she wasn't going fast when Henry was on the back of the truck and that she couldn't pull over right away because the rode didn't allow her to. She looks like she hasn't slept in weeks, and my heart goes out to her and their children. The remainder of the interview will air this Sunday on OTL at 9:30
Bengals WR Chris Henry passed away this morning, after an alleged domestic dispute with his fiancee'. Henry was 26 years young. This is an absolute tragic situation, not only for the Bengals organization, but for the NFL as well.
Henry leaves 3 young children behind, as well as his fiancee', Loleini Tonga, who Henry once told a newspaper that she was responsible for helping him turn his life around.
This is a huge loss for the Bengals, who already suffered tragedy when defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's wife unexpectedly passed away earlier in the season.
Chris Henry was always athletic, and was a pain the AFC North's ass. No matter what you thought about him, you could never say he couldn't play the game. Henry was overshadowed by teammates Chad Ochocinco and TJ Houshmandzadeh, but as a slot receiver he was a DB's worst nightmare. I've seen Henry do work against the Ravens many of times, and he was a great talent.
My prayers go out to the Henry family. This was a kid who had a troubled past but finally found peace and was consistent on using his second chance to the fullest by turning his life around. Not only did the league lose a brother, but a father, son and friend has been lost from this.
R.I.P. Chris Henry
*Disclaimer* Vulgar language used on this highlight video. But a very good video to watch
Bengals WR Chad Ocho Cinco was fined $30,000 by the NFL this week, over his sombrero celebration after his touchdown against the Lions. Clearly, the NFL doesn't approve of his antics and will continue to fine him until he tones it down. But is he really doing more harm than good??? Or is he just a kid at heart and having a good time?
I think Ocho Cinco is a fun loving guy, for the most part. He loves the game of football and treats the game like sandlot football, having fun and enjoying what he loves to do. But there are times that his antics was pushed too far. Here are my fave and worst memories of Chad's celebrations:
Funny Celebrations:
River dance Celebration
Clearly he practiced this dance in the mirror a few times before his debut. Dude does it too well. I think Ocho's found his career after football.
Getting his Tiger Woods on One of the funnier moments, Chad grabs the pile on and pretends he's playing golf with the football.
Dear NFL letter Call me corny, but asking the NFL not to fine him, when he already knows they are going to, is hilarious to me. It looks like he told his kids to do a project for daddy, before Sunday's game.
Sitchoazz Down Celebrations:
Lambeau-less Leaps
This antic wasn't "bad". The best part about both leaps are the opposing fans. Between the beer bath in Cleveland and the old bearded dude in the white shirt beating on Ocho's back at Lambeau, it makes it funny. But Green Bay's namesake leap was kinda wack because it seemed as if he planted the only 3 Bengals fans in the stadium, right where he could leap. Overall, the leaps itself were blah!
Hall of Fame jacket
Before the 2007 season started, 85 declared that if he scored against the Ravens during the Week 1 showdown, he was gonna do something that blew the other celebrations away. This was flat as week old Pepsi. I felt cheated, I expected so much more. If this were T.O., he would have rose to the occasion, especially with that promise.
$1 Bribe I don't care what anyone says. Pretending to bribe a ref isn't funny. While I'm sure 85 meant no harm and was having fun, bribes and sports is an extremely touchy subject, particularly since the NFL refs have been awful this season. Everyone sees what happened with the NBA and ex-referee Tim Donaghy. I initially thought that the $20K fined he received was a bit much. But after thinking it over, he's lucky he wasn't fined more, actually. Note to 85: Stay away from fake bribery.
Last night's Jets-Dolphin game was great, from start to finish. It reminded me so much of the 2000 game Monday Night Game, in which the Jets came back to beat the Dolphins in OT. While the game didn't play out the same way, it was great nonetheless. From Braylon Edwards making a spectacular debut to QB Chad Henne helping his team win the game, 31-27, with 6 seconds left.
The Monday Night Football crew was in love Jets QB Mark Sanchez. So much, to the fact that they pretty much ignored Henne and his heroics. Let's take a look at the two QB's numbers from last night:
It wasn't until the end of the night that Henne was shown some love. I know that New York teams are on a roll right now (Giants are 5-0 and the Yankees are in the ALCS), but ESPN and other media outlets need to do a better job at showing love to those that deserve it. Not saying Sanchez didn't, because he played well. But last night, Henne was better
-Even though my Ravens lost, I can't be mad at the fact that the Bengals played well, especially their defense. With the passing of Mike Zimmer's wife, I really felt the team played extra hard for him. I've always had a soft spot for the Bengals, mainly because of Marvin Lewis and Chad Ocho Cinco. Congrats on sole place of the AFC North........ for now
*extra point* I found this on KSK... and I can't stop watching it. Regardless of your opinion on the hit, how can you NOT love football?! This made my adrenaline rise to the max!
-The Colts, Giants and Vikings scare me
-The Bucs, Raiders and Rams do not
-The Redskins play yet another winless team this Sunday, when they play the Kansas City Chiefs. Since they've been so nice to give Detroit and Carolina their first win, will Redskins be so nice against a Chiefs team that actually puts up a fight???? We'll find out Sunday.
-I think I'm ready to start giving Denver the props they deserve. No one should go 5-0 without getting respect, especially with the hectic offseason the Broncos had. Josh McDaniel was so fired up at the end of his game, he had ME fired up and I'm not a Broncos fan. Congrats Denver!
-I'm not a big Vince Young fan... quite frankly I always though he was slightly overrated. But I think it's time for his 2nd chance. The Titans stink and Kerry Collins is starting to look his age
-Did anyone see Brandon Marshall on Football Night in America???? If there was ever a "Bama Of The Week" candidate, he is definitely it!
-Damn Buffalo.... you lost to the lowly Browns in an awful 6-3 defeat. Not even T.O. can help you with this madness. Looks like paper bag time has officially made it's way to Buffalo
