Favreism's Sports Emporium : CBSSports.com Blogs

Thoughts after the Eagles victory

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:22:52 EST

The Eagles victory over the Giants earlier this afternoon underscored two important points I think have typified this season. First off is one point that I think holds true over any postseason, which is that the bye (and to a lesser extent, clinching early) is overrated. The number of low seeds or underdogs advancing through the playoffs are classic examples of teams that built momentum while other top seeds rested on their laurels.

The Giants and Titans had wrapped up postseason births early on, and coasted to the end of the season, losing games here and there and generally not keeping on top of things. This clearly hurt both teams, as the Titans had costly red zone turnovers by Alge Crumpler, LenDale White, and Kerry Collins. If the Titans had even held themselves to the lofty goal of merely two turnovers in the red zone instead of three, we wouldn't be having this conversation. But as it is, the top three seeds (New York, Carolina, Tennessee) are gone, and upstarts like the Ravens, Cardinals, and Eagles are moving on.

The Media is to Blame for the Favre Debacle

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:09:58 EDT

I know most won't agree with me on this, but seeing as Brett Favre is my namesake on here (and the pseudo-religion I've coined using his name), I feel a need to defend both him and the Packers organization.

Who do I blame for this whole debacle? The media.

Each year, the media began a "Brett Favre watch" to see when and if he would announce retirement. Most players have the benefit of waiting the duration of the off-season with little or no scrutiny (like Johnathan Ogden of the Ravens, or Steve McNair). Instead, Brett felt additional pressure, as people began to proclaim him a "media queen" for drawing out the process of retirement each year.

In reality, Brett should have the right to that time without the media hounding him. Most players have an entire offseason to think about their future. This time, Brett was tired after a long season, and didn't want to put the team through the usual histrionics, and decided to call it a career in March.

Brett Favre retires: My life changes forever

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 1:55:43 EST

I woke up on a usual day here at UW, content that I didn't have class until 2:25, yet had decided to wake up at 9:45 so I could get some breakfast. Then I flipped on Sportscenter, and stopped dead. I will not lie. I teared up. Brett Favre has been my role model, my hero, and my favorite NFL player since my youth. I'm only 20, so Favre has been a constant for me. Ever since I understood the concept of football, Brett Favre has been with the Packers. Now, I will have to get used to Aaron Rodgers under center, tossing bombs to Greg Jennings and Donald Driver.

It's hard to believe for me... it seems like the end of an era. Brett Favre has always been my favorite player, because of the way he comported himself, his mental and physical toughness, and his desire to play the game. Still, if what they say is true, that he no longer had the "fire" in him to prepare week in and week out, then I feel it was good for him to retire. Though right now I am heartbroken, I feel that I would rather Brett Favre go out (almost) on top. He was within a few plays of the Super Bowl, he was voted the starter for the Pro Bowl, and he had a good young team around him. Now, with Aaron Rodgers left to man a team with a lot of potential, I wish the best for him. I would rather see Brett go down on a good note than come back and be like Jerry Rice or Emmitt Smith, slowly puttering to a stop with mediocre years. Instead, his legacy is left untarnished, and he has cemented his status as one of the top 5 QB's of all time (in my mind anyways.)

Chris Berman is a jerk! Watch this video!

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:37:13 EST

Well now that I have your attention, I'd like to talk about the Patriots.

No, just kidding, here it is. www.collegehumor.com/video:1799919

Ironically, this entire week I have posted nothing but stuff about Chris Berman. Once Gregg Doyel posted his little Berman rant in his article, I felt like I had to share my personal story about him. For those who read it, I hope you enjoyed it. For those who didn't, here it is again.

My friend Mike went to the same overnight camp as Chris Berman's son, who is apparently also a jerk. Camp Caribou, in Maine, is a camp for fairly wealthy kids, and the camp is nearby a hot dog stand with "Maine's best hot dogs." On the last day of camp, when parents came to pick up their children, my friend and his mom went to the hot dog stand, and lo and behold, Chris Berman and his son were in front of them in line. Unfortunately, there were only 3 hot dogs left, and the stand was getting ready to close up. So what does Berman do? He gets one for his son, two for himself, and turns to my friend, who was 10 years old at the time and says "Tough break, bucko."

Scattered Thoughts from Today

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 0:46:10 EST

I planned to come on here and blog again as soon as the NFC Championship game was done. Here I was, all prepared with my post, all about how difficult it was for me to be a Packers fan who had lived in Patriots territory all his life, and how life would become increasingly difficult once I went back to school in Madison.

Alas, that dilemma is one I will not have to face. The Packers played a horrid 2nd half, highlighted by costly interceptions by Brett Favre and a nonexistent running game from Ryan Grant. My hats are off to the Giants, and I wish them the best of luck as they face the behemoth known as the Pats in the Super Bowl.

Now, on to the non-sports stuff.

First off, rest in peace Heath Ledger. While it is still hard to tell how your legacy will be remembered, initial reports have painted him to be a James Dean figure, a loner with Hollywood looks who couldn't stand the labels of "heartthrob" and "hottie" he was forced into. In reality, his acting was insightful and showed many great sides. I eagerly look forward to the release of "The Dark Knight," as Ledger is rumored to have immersed himself into the role, even using a razor to cut the sides of his mouth a la the General in "Pan's Labryinth" to give his Joker an authentic look. I loved Jack Nicholson in the original role, but wow, that is commitment...

Starting Out

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 22:41:32 EDT

Well, I've had a few blogs in my time. Mostly they have turned into meandering treatises on my life in general, and often lack in substance. Still, I think having a blog on CBS, a site to which I am a frequent visitor, would be a good idea. Here, rather than bringing in posts about entertainment, politics, or the everyday happenings of my life, I'll write about sports, and sports only.

That being said, here's what I'm thinking for the AFC and NFC Championship games this weekend.

NFC: New York Giants at Green Bay Packers:

As a Packers fan, I was elated when the Giants were able to bring down the Cowboys in the divisional playoffs. While I did think Dallas had slipped in recent weeks, the fact that Brett Favre was winless in Dallas over his illustrious career was troubling. Now, the road to Super Bowl 42 is going through Lambeau, so there are no excuses. The Packers are the youngest and most inexperienced team in the NFL, but their team chemistry and natural athletic talent have shown through that. The Giants are on a hot streak, however, and pose a worthy opponent. Watching Eli Manning dissect the Dallas secondary with his 53 second scoring drive at the end of the first half in the previous game showed me that even with his inconsistencies, he can show courage under fire. Still, with Plaxico Burress still not 100%, Amani Toomer getting up there in age, and relative youth at the other receiving slots in Steve Smith and tight end Kevin Boss, I think the physical Packers secondary will frazzle them. During the Seattle game, Matt Hasselbeck and the Seattle receivers were constantly losing their composure calling for flags on Al Harris and Charles Woodson, and the Giants can't let that happen if they want to stay in this game. On the other end of the field, the Giants depleted secondary still played well against the Cowboys at the end of the game, yet one wonders how well they will hold up against Brett Favre spreading the ball all over the field for the duration of the game. In my mind, both of these factors will lead to a close Packers victory.