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.

Thanks to all that participated in my survey.

Apparently, Miami Dolphins DE Kendall Langford has money to blow. Athletes have expensive jewelry, nice cars and a wardrobe most people probably dream of. It comes with part of being a baller, so you can afford to wear them and lose them as you please, right?!

Langford wore is 2.5 carat diamond studs to practice earlier this week. But one of the earrings fell out. And now Kendall- along with his teammates- are on a wild goose chase to find them.



The earrings are at an estimated value of $50,000. You read that right... if the numbers didn't get you, let me spell it out for you: FIDDY THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!!!! He lost one, which means he lost $25,000!!

First off, why are you wearing Fiddy Thousand dollar earrings to practice? To a game? Hell, anywhere NEAR a football related event? Isn't that kind of bling good for extra curricular events, like clubs, events, etc? Of course, it's possible that he simply forgot that he still had them in, but for $50K, I'm gonna have a GPS on them and a voice messenger to remind me to take them off and put them away.

In light of this unfortunate situation, Chad Ochocinco tweeted a few words of encouragement to Langford:





Maybe next time you'll take his advice and rock the Claire's studs during football activities. SMH.

When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong.

The Colts- Dolphins game in Miami was a star studded even in South Florida last night. All of the minority owners came out to the sidesh... I mean, game, to make themselves look important.


J-Lo and hubby Mark Anthony, Gloria Estefan and her husband, along with the Williams' sisters and even Tiger Woods came to see Peyton and Co. take on Chad Pennington and the Miami Dolphins. To take a look at more pics, check out my girl Pigskin Loving Lady's site.

I'm personally not impressed by this fan fare. If I want to see stars, I watch award shows. But this is football. All of that doesn't matter, nor help me win my football pools that I'm in. Keep football the way it is, please and thanks. That red carpet-esque attire is not needed.

The Colts always find a way to win, and last night was no different. Although Indianapolis had the ball less than 15 minutes and only 35 offensive plays, they always seemed to stay toe-to-toe with Miami and ultimately win the game, 27-23.

While the Colts played a great game, I must point out Miami's lack of urgency towards the end of the game. The entire offense was sluggish getting to the line, with no timeouts left, and some of the play calling at the end of the game were questionable at best. By far, the worst 2-minute drive I've seen this season.

But my hat goes off to Colts QB Peyton Manning. At the end of the game, Suzy Kolber mentioned that he passed Johnny Unitas' record for most wins in the franchise*. When asked about his accomplishment, Peyton said the following,

"I don't feel comfortable with these comparisons to Unitas. But I'm very proud to wear the same uniform as Johnny Unitas. He was a real winner."

As a Baltimore native, that showed class to me. While I was young when the Baltimore Colts left and have really grown with the Ravens, every now and then I get uneasy when it comes to, attaching Peyton Manning to the Baltimore Colts. The fact that Manning avoided that comparison spoke volumes to me. He's always been a classy guy and that was a classy move. Not to just Johnny U, but to the fans of Baltimore who still have some disdain for what happened 25 years ago.

Thanks for staying classy Peyton.. and Great game!

The 2009 NFL season slowly approaching its debut. There are a ton of things to get excited about. Will Tom Brady go back to his old form after a huge injury? Will Miami repeat last year's miracle season?? Will Detroit win ONE game this season??

With all the things we have to look forward to, one of the most important things is the run game. Defenses are bulking up their D-lines to make sure a running back won't get more than 2 yards per carry. But there are a few RB combos that can test defenses and can ultimately succeed. I've listed my 2009 RB tandems to be on the look out for.


Minnesota Vikings- Adrian Peterson/Chester Taylor


We all know that Adrian Peterson is a great talent at the RB position. That being said, knowing the life span of a RB in pro football, I wonder how many years he can be so great without breaking down too soon.

Which brings in Chester Taylor. Before there was AD (short for All Day), there was Taylor. And he was a pretty good back as the Vikings starter,before Peterson was drafted (Taylor rushed for 1,216 yards in 2006). This can be a good year for both players. While I'm sure Peterson would love to take the rushing title for a 2nd consecutive year, the best thing AD can do to stay fresh is let Taylor take a few carries while he catches a breather.

Taylor could very well be a starter on another team. Combined, they could be a huge headache for defenses.



New York Jets- Thomas Jones/ Leon Washington


This tandem is one of my favorites. Jones' rushing yards was ranked 5th overall, with a 4.5 avg in 2008. Quite impressive. Washington didn't run for a lot of yards, but had a 5.9 avg per run.

The problem is, right now both are looking for new contracts. How long both will be able to co exist together is a big question mark. But if they are able to work out their issues with the organization, this is definitely a great tandem to have.

Add draft pick Shonn Greene (Iowa), into the mix, and this could be a pain for coordinators to game plan against.



Miami Dolphins- Ronnie Brown/Ricky Williams


The Jets have a great running game but their division rivals down I-95 says they also have a great duo. While Brown's and Williams' numbers from 2008 aren't mind blowing (Brown rushed for 916 yards, Williams for 659 yards). We all know why this is a dangerous group.

The wildcat made it's comeback with these two. When the Dolphins debuted the Ronnie and Ricky show to the New England Patriots, they failed to contain the two in the formation, made popular to many by the Arkansas Razorbacks. Overall they were successful in their formations. I can only imagine what the Pats were thinking when they couldn't do anything to stop them.


I expect more surprises from this group. But I also expect them to run the ball as efficiently as they run the wildcat. Ricky Williams finally looks comfortable and Ronnie Brown has the potential to rush over 1,000+ this season.



Baltimore Ravens- Willis McGahee/Ray Rice


This is a tandem that no one really noticed last year, but I think will be a one to reckon with in 2009. McGahee's 2008 numbers weren't much to write home about (671 yds), but he had an injury plagued year last season. Ray Rice was a rookie RB out of Rutgers and usually came in for 3rd down conversions.

Last season FB LeRon McClain was the Ravens' leading rusher, with 902 yards. But with FB Lorenzo Neal signing with the Oakland Raiders this off season, McClan is expected to go back to his natural position.

This could be McGahee's final year in Baltimore. He's participated in OTAs, something he didn't do last year, and has been seen more around the Ravens facility this off season. He knows what's at stake. I fully expect him to get back into 2007 form. And with a year under Rice's belt, his sophomore season should be very successful.



Carolina Panthers- DeAngelo Williams/Jonathon Stewart


The Panthers had one of the most successful running games in 2008, and I expect to see the same in 2009. Williams was the #3 rusher in 2008, with 1,515 yds. Stewart didn't do so bad himself, rushing over 800 yds and 10 TDs.

With the struggles of QB Jake Delhomme during the 2008 playoffs, I expect to see more off the Williams-Stewart duo. This will allow Delhomme to use play action more and get the ball to one of their best offensive weapons- Steve Smith




Tennessee Titans- Chris Johnson/LenDale White


Team Smash and Dash is back for the 2009 season and with a chip on their shoulder. Chris Johnson felt slighted for not getting '08 Rookie Of The Year honors. Now he has his sights set on MVP status. The rook was 8th on 2008's top rushers list and looks to be even higher in '09.

White's bruiser style of running reminds me of Jerome Bettis in Pittsburgh. He's a TD machine. Put him inside the 20 and you're pretty much going to get 6 points. White had 15 TDs, which tied for 3rd best in 2008. They are a great compliment to one another. One is the speedy, elusive back that can make players miss tackles. The other is the bulldozer, that runs defenders over and forces his way to the end zone.

With QB Kerry Collins being one year older than last year (he will be 37 by the end of the '09 season), he'll allow his RB's to help him with his throwing game.

If you've missed the verbal venom between Jets head coach Rex Ryan and Dolphins Channing Crowder, talk a brief look:



It all started when Crowder took shots at Ryan for being confident about his team. Ryan came back and said he had no idea who Crowder was. Then they kept responding to each other like 5th graders. "I know you are, but what am I?" type responses. And it got dumber and dumber and dumber each time.

I love Rex Ryan. He never backs down from anything. He's a confident guy who believes he can beat any and every team, no matter how good they are. While I've gotten the chance to meet Ryan and even learn a couple of things from him, this is idiotic on his part. He's a rookie head coach. I'm not saying he should tone down his confidence, but there are bigger fish to fry here. Get your QB situation taken care of. Better yet, get your RB situation taken care of (both RBs Jones and Washington want new contracts). This is your inaugural season as a head coach of an NFL team. Verbal battles with Channing Crowder should NOT be one of them. Rex, go sitchoazz down.

As for Crowder... well... he really needs to shut up. One, most folks outside of South Florida don't have a clue on who he is. When Joey Porter made the statement that the Dolphins are the AFC East Champs and the team to beat, people listened. Why? Because he's a Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl winner. What has Crowder ever done??? The best memory I have of him is Matt Light bashing his head in during a football game and him not retaliating


Yeah, you better get your uncle and daddy to fight this battle. You've shown what you can do (or can't do, depending on how you look at it). Go sitcho punk azz down!

Now, I love the intensity of the two guys. It's June, and it's slow... they gave us football lovers something to buzz about for two days. But none of this matters when the whistle is blown Week 1 of the season.

Thanks for the show guys.... but Go sitcho azz down!