Sports Blog of the Day

Take note, Yanks and Mets, the rivalry between the New York Giants and New York Jets is rejuvenated since Brett Favre jumped into the action and is leading his first-place Jets on a run for a playoff spot after the team suffered an underachieving season last year.

While the Jets struggled last season, the Giants were putting together a win streak that took them all the way to their Super Bowl upset victory over the heavily favored, previously-undefeated New England Patriots. Trash-talking in the parks and coffeehouses are picking up momentum since the first place Jets defeated the Titans 34-13. The Giants in the meantime are continuing where they left off and have only lost one game all year and are a favorite to make a return trip to the Super Bowl. The Jets host the Broncos while the Giants are in Washington in today’s NFL action.

After being benched for the first time in his career last week, five-time Pro Bowler, Donovan McNabb responded with a great performance, completing his first six passes and throwing for 260 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-20 win in Philadelphia.McNabb also kept the away from the opposition with no turnovers after throwing seven interceptions in the previous two weeks.

Eagles coach praised his QB during the post game, “He was under some scrutiny and he was able to block everything out and he went about his business. That’s a credit to him and the kind of person he is.”

McNabb showed great poise and class through the benching that followed him admitting not knowing the “tie rule” for OT games in the NFL. “You know what, I kind of went back to the basics. I was watching the film and understanding if the opportunity was there to go down the field, take it. If not, hit the check down and buy time with your legs if you have to. I think that was important.”

“I don’t focus on what people may say on the outside or how one may feel about me. When it’s all said and done and I decide to hang the shoes up, how do you want to be remembered? This is all important to working on your legacy.”

NFL back judge Phil Luckett is the NFL back judge who made history during the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers Thanksgiving Day game in 1998.

Lined up for the overtime coin toss, Steelers captain and running back, Jerome Bettis called “tails”. Everybody at the stadium and at home heard Bettis’ call over the audio except for Luckett.

After Bettis called “tails”, the coin landed tails up.

Luckett: “Heads is the call. He said heads. It’s a tails.”

Bettis: “I called tails!”

Luckett: “No you didn’t”

Luckett awarded the ball to the Lions and the rest is history.

The Lions drove down the field on their first possession and Jason Hanson booted a 43 yard game-winner.

Averaging 45.0 point per game, the NFL is on pace to break the league’s record for scoring.

The current record for a 16 game season is 43.4 per game and that was set last year.

This past weekend, Week 12, also set an NFL weekly scoring record and was the first 800 point week ever recorded.

The high-scoring Monday night game when New Orleans defeated Green Bay 51-29 pushed the numbers for the week above 800 to 837.

The 837 points scored broke the previous record of 788. Like in most other major sports, offense and scoring normally sells tickets so this is news the league is sure to appreciate.

Judge Susan Illston dropped three of the charges against ex-San Francisco Giants slugger, Barry Bonds, lightening the load of perjury charges he will be facing in his upcoming March trial.

You have to wonder if Bonds may walk completely from any charges like his fellow MLB players who all found a way to avoid any major legal ramifications.

In 2005, Texas Ranger player, Rafael Palmeiro said to Congress, “I have never used steroids. Period!” In a blood test that followed, the steroid stanozolol was detected in his system.

There was never a charge or follow-up by the Congressional committee. The scenario was quickly brushed under the rug.

When Roger Clemens was questioned under oath by a Congressional committee about steroid use, he pretty much dug a deep hole for himself he is still trying to climb out of.

The overwhelming consensus is that Clemens lied under oath and as the world waits to see what will happen, Bonds stands alone, taking a beating from the fans, media and federal prosecutors.

Hard not to wonder what the hold-up is on pressing charges on either of these other two players and others who have appeared in front of Congress and had questionable interviews.

Don’t be surprised if Bonds ends up walking from all of this with only a blemish on his MLB career but no jail time or conviction.

Maylan Studart, a 19-year-old horse jockey from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil is turning more than a few heads.

The attractive competitor had a recent interview after winning the $50,000 Lindsay Stakes race at Calder Race Track, guiding Got Clearance to the finish line in record time.

She seems to be taking it all in stride and her enthusiasm is evident, “Horse racing is in my blood, it’s my addiction and I can’t run away from it. I’ve been involved with horses since I was four-years-old with jumping competition”.

When asked if it is tough riding against the guys, she responded with a shy laugh, “No not at all it’s something every woman does in this world, I mean, out on the track, it’s ‘Every man for himself’”.

The sexy photo shoots are already starting so expect horse racing to market this pretty jockey as car racing marketed Danica Patrick.

The Notre Dame non-Fighting Irish and Michigan are in desperate trouble after both confirmed they are currently bottom-of-the-barrel football programs.

The non-Fighting Irish program is at an absolute low after allowing a (2-8) Syracuse team to embarrass them on their home field with a 24-23 win. The 20 point underdog Orange actually trailed 23-10 in the fourth quarter before rallying to score and eventually winning the game with an 11-yard pass with 42 seconds remaining.

For the Irish (6-5), losing to an underdog like Syracuse ranked among the worst losses in team history and left coach Charlie Weis with an inexcusable 28-20 record in four seasons.

The Michigan Wolverines and coach Rich Rodriguez had a giant-sized can of whoop pulled out on them–getting totally dominated by their rival Ohio State, 42-10 in the most lopsided score of this rivalry game since 1968.

Charlie Weis and Rich Rodriquez have their work cut out for them because recruiting is going to be an extremly challenging chore now. Top recruits tend to go with teams with current success and both of these teams will depend on signing some top prospects to turn there dismal seasons around, it’s a desperate situation.

The Atlanta Falcons are out of the gate with a vengeance. The unexpected early success of the 6-4 Falcons are contradicting the predictions of those who expected this young team with a rookie head coach to find a permanent position at the bottom of the standings.

Rookie QB Matt Ryan is turning more than a few heads with his performance this season and has a difficult task facing him in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.

Ryan and rookie head coach Mike Smith will try to find a way to upset the first-place Panthers at the Georgia Dome where the Falcons have a 4-1 record.

A win would put them one game out of first place and turn a few more heads.

The NFL has taken already notice of the Falcons. The league pushed this November 23 Falcons/Panthers kickoff to 4:15 and upgraded the match-up to a national game. Coach Smith commented on that compliment from the league, “It’s an honor for our football team for that to take place.”

Okay, is this guy for real or is this all a PR stunt? This is like the old-school, Boy Scout walking the old lady across the street stuff.

Dallas Cowboy QB Tony Romo ran into a homeless guy who was digging in his pockets for change to go see a movie. Romo bought him a ticket and even invited the guy to sit with him.

When the guy warned Romo about his potential stench from not bathing in several days, Romo laughed it off and said he is used to that in the locker rooms. Romo and ‘Doc’ shared a few laughs during the film and the media took off with this story the following day.

In another incident weeks ago, Romo stopped to help a stranded older couple change a tire on the side of a dark road when he was driving home after flying back into Texas after a road game.

This is the best PR and nicest, everyday guy incidents any agent or team could ask for. I believe the guy is sincere though which makes it hard for the ‘Boys haters out there to take a shot at this millionaire who continues remaining a part of normal society.

What will the NFL’s Boy Scout do next? Stay tuned.

It seems like Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, has created a part-time gig for himself called, “NFL spokesman” after Jones insisted to the media, his troubled player Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones is returning to the field in a few weeks.

According to Jerry, Pacman has “completed the inpatient portion of his NFL-ordered alcohol treatment in the Boston area and was being reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell” and will begin limited practice before returning to the field when the Cowboys play in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 7.

The league responded to Jones’ comments with an email from the real NFL spokesman Greg Aiello that read, “When there is a final determination, we will announce it.”

Jones went on to say he would not have bodyguards for ‘Pacman’ in the future. Is this insinuating the bodyguards were the fault of the “brawl in the stall?”

Pacman’s attorney, Worrick Robinson had this to say, “It all starts with him (Pacman) and his decision-making. He’s comfortable making decisions for himself.”

And there lies the problem.