Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Things I Learned This Weekend 4 (or since the last time I dispensed knowledge), 10-14-09

It's been a little while so let's get right into it...

1. Reports of parity in the NFL have been greatly exaggerated. See - Week 5 scores. In six of the fourteen games this weekend the margin of victory was ten points or more, with five them being decided by at least twenty points. For years all of the talk has been about how the salary cap, revenue sharing, and free agency have evened the playing field for all teams in the NFL. For many years in the late 90's and early 2000's there was, this thought that teams could go from worst to first and back, and many teams did just that. I think during this time teams were evolving and getting used to the cap and free agency, but now the smart owners, GM's, and coaches are separating themselves. For the first time in a long time you have teams that you know are going to be bad, and teams that should be good. See also - Week 4 scores, 9 of 14 games decided by 10 points or more. Week 3 scores, 10 of 16 games decided by 10 or more.

Speaking of really bad teams...

2. The Redskins are bad....really bad. Fact: The Redskins have scored just 87 points in 5 games this year. The Saints could do that in 8 quarters. Fact: The Redskins two wins this year have come against teams that haven't won a game. Fact: The Redskins have been the team against which two different 0-fer teams ended their losing streaks. I have an 0-5 fantasy football team on Yahoo.com and I am scrambling to get on the 'Skins schedule so I can get off the snide. Fact: Owner Daniel Snyder is trying to put together a real life fantasy team. Fact: The Redskins have drafted two offensive linemen in the last four drafts. Those last two facts are the reason they are so bad. The offensive line is the key to the offense. A team can gather as many skill position players as it wants, but without a good cohesive O-line they are toast.

3. Lots of Redskins fans have moved on to the Caps already. See above.

4. The WNBA finals were between the Phoenix Mercury and the Indiana Fever, which is every hack sportswriter's dream...The Fever is up and the Mercury is Rising!!

5. The best plan for a rookie quarterback is to walk the sidelines with a headset and clipboard for a year or two, and then play. See - Dolphins QB Chad Henne. Henne was 20 of 26 for 241 yards, 2 TD's, and no interceptions last week. He also won on Monday Night Football against the hot shot Jets and their pretty boy Mark Sanchez. Lately a few quarterbacks have come in and won right away, but many more have fallen flat on their faces. Letting a quarterback learn without getting beaten up seems to be the best way to make sure they are successful. See also - Aaron Rodgers, Carson Palmer, Matt Schaub, Kevin Kolb.

6. Rush Limbaugh - who cares? If the man has the means to be part owner of an NFL team, let him. At the end of the day the NFL is a business and no amount of player protest is going to stop the machine.

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