David Letterman has a top ten list. Why can’t I? Here are my top ten sports moments for this third week in September.
1. Jay Cutler’s Outburst:
Love him or hate him, Jay Cutler has a flair for the dramatic. Former Pats offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels took over for Mike Shanahan as the head coach of the Denver Broncos after the 2008 season. Shortly after, news broke that the Broncos were considering a three-team trade involving Cutler. Cutler’s feelings were hurt. He immediately requested a trade. Evidently, the phrase “there is no crying in baseball”, only applies to baseball. Crying in football is becoming more common.
Cutler’s first season as a Bear was drama filled. After starting the season 3-1, the Bears went on to lose eight of the next ten games. Cutler’s second season with the Bears was full of ups-and-downs, but they finished 11-5 and clinched the NFC North. In the NFC championship game against the Green Bay Packers, Cutler left in the third quarter among speculation if he was genuinely injured or not. An MRI ended up revealing a MCL sprain. Critics were shocked, Cutler faking an injury would not come as a surprise to anyone.
Fast forward to the 2012 season, the second week of the season Cutler was sacked seven times by the rival Green Bay Packers en route to a loss. Cutler exploded on the sidelines, yelling and shoving left tackle J’Marcus Webb. His teammates since have commented, disapproving of the outburst.
Ok, I get it. Your offensive line did not provide protection, I would be angry too. Have some class, shoving your teammate on the sidelines only cements your reputation as a punk.
2. Kevin Durant-Skip Bayless feud:
Skip Bayless has made quite a few enemies in his career. He loves to push the envelope, consistently ruffling feathers and playing devil’s advocate. This past week, Bayless turned his attention to Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant via twitter. Bayless criticized Durant, accusing him of letting Lebron James “own” him. Skip then proceeded to lecture Durant, telling him not to be friends with his “primary rival”. Durant replied by accusing Skip of “brainwashing” people.
This feud has just begun. Too be continued….
3. Sandusky sentencing scheduled:
I had to stick this story in my top ten list. A child predator is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9th for unspeakable crimes. Jerry Sandusky got away with his antics for too long and is finally going to face the consequences. His journey is just beginning. It is gratifying to see the legal system get something right.
4. Referee scandal:
No doubt that the replacement referees for the NFL have caused quite a stir. It is not an easy job, and one wrong call could bring unruly fans out of the woodwork. In the case of Brian Stropolo, common sense would have benefited him a tad. Stropolo posted pictures of himself with his New Orleans Saints gear all over facebook. Here is the thing Brian, when you are a referee for the NFL, you might want to keep your biased photos off the internet, especially when you are officiating a game with your favorite team playing. There are already enough problems with officiating throughout the NFL with the replacement referees, there is no need for added drama.
5. Patriots:
Patriots were handed their first loss in Gillette Stadium History this past Sunday. A combination of things led to the loss, but there is no doubt that this is not the same team that carried a dynasty. Brady felt the pressure, something he is not used too. In the past, he would have an eternity to throw the ball, in the home opener against the Arizona Cardinals, Brady was sacked four times and had only one touchdown. What is going on with Welker? One of Brady’s favorite target was seemingly absent in key parts of the game. Nothing seemed to mesh for the Patriots, their offense was stagnant, their defense was unsettling. They struggled to move the ball, and lost their star tight end, Hernandez to a high ankle sprain. The boo birds were out, from the fans that didn’t leave early. The Patriots showed a fight in the second half, only to have their hopes shot down when the most accurate kicker in Pats history, Gostkowski missed a game winning field goal with one second left on the clock. It is quite early in the season, but there is no doubt that the Patriots have some work to do.
6. NHL Lockout:
Here we go again. Just in case fans didn’t have enough of the NBA lockout and the NFL lockout, the National Hockey League did not want to be left out. The collective bargaining agreement expired this Saturday at 11:59pm. Even though the lockout is not even a week in, sources speculate the lockout could last a year. Many players have already sought out alternative options like the AHL or KHL. The season is scheduled to begin on Oct. 11th, but with the owners and players worlds apart, an agreement does not look promising.
7. Wild Card:
If there was ever a season when the wild card would be decided on the last day of the season, this is it. The AL East is tight, the Orioles consistently find a way to win, while the Yankees consistently find a way to “hang in there”. The Rays haven’t gone away yet, they lurk behind the O’s and Yanks, hoping to jump in someone’s grave. Over in the AL Central, the Tigers are three games behind the Chicago White Sox. Miguel Cabrera’s MVP season has not yet propelled Detroit over Chicago. With Detroit 5.5 games back, the Wild Card appears far out of reach, it is division or bust for the Motor City Tigers. The Oakland A’s are three games behind the Texas Rangers and are currently heavy in the running for the wild card. With four rookie starters, and a blossoming star in Josh Reddick, Oakland will be right there in the end. Let’s not forget about the Angels, even though they are 7.5 games back in the division, they are only three back in the Wild Card race, with the potential of that offense and MVP candidate Mike Trout, they should not be discounted.
8. Coughlin vs. Schiano:
After the Giants impressive comeback win in the game on Sunday, head coach Tom Coughlin exploded on Tampa coach Greg Schiano after Eli Manning was hit after taking a knee at the end of the game. Kudos to Coughlin for sticking up for his team. Shame on Schiano for making up some lame excuse as to why it happened, “If people watched Rutgers, they would know that’s what we did at the end of the game. We’re not going to quit. That’s the way I coach and teach out players”. Newsflash Schiano, the game was over, there was no fight left to fight. Oh yeah, and Rutgers football is not NFL football. You don’t need to coddle your players. You win with class, you lose with class.
9. Oscar De La Hoya:
This week Oscar De La Hoya admitted that he was drinking during camp leading up to his 2008 fight against Manny Pacquaio. De La Hoya admitted, ” I have the height, the weight, he couldn’t beat me.” Wow, that is amusing. I finally have my explanation as to why De La Hoya looked as if he was portraying the role as a punching bag rather than a formidable opponent. As an avid boxing fan, that was one of the worst displays of competition I have ever seen. Oscar De La Hoya didn’t lose that fight because he drank the week before. He lost that fight because, he was old, cocky, slow, and had no heart. It was obvious to everyone watching, that Oscar wanted his last big payday. The fight was quite embarrassing. What is even more embarrassing is hearing De La Hoya’s sense of entitlement bragging about the excessive drinking preparing for the fight. For those of you that weren’t lucky enough to have seen that fight, I envy you.
10. Yunel Escobar
Blue Jays shortstop, Yunel Escobar is being investigated by MLB for a reported homophobic slur that was written in the eye-black during Saturday’s game against the Red Sox. I can’t imagine what Yunel was thinking when he did that, or if he was even thinking at all. There is no place in baseball for a player to write words on his face that could hurt or alienate someone. Stupid move on his part, I wonder if he has a publicist. If he does, she needs to be fired.
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