Tag: packers

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Denver Broncos

Jan 25 in Sports History: Elways finally loses the *


In 1998: 11 years to the day they were beaten by the New York Giants, the Denver Broncos won their first Super Bowl with a thrilling 31-24 victory over the Green Bay Packers in San Diego. The win was quarterback John Elway’s first in four tries. Terrell Davis was named Super Bowl XXXII MVP with 157 yards and a record three rushing touchdowns, despite almost leaving the game in the first half with a severe migraine headache. The game was historic not only for Elway’s and Davis’ feats, but it was the first time an AFC team had won the big one in 13 years. It was also the last game that aired on NBC until this season, as CBS took over coverage for the American Conference starting in 1998. Sports Illustrated called it “the greatest Super Bowl ever,” and they were right (at least up to that point) as the game see-sawed back and forth and was not decided until the final minute.

Green Bay, a heavy favorite to repeat as champs, jumped out to a quick lead. Elway, always known to fold like a cheap tent in these situations, rallied the Broncos, and Davis dominated on the ground. Tied at 24 with under two minutes left, the Broncos were near the goal line. Then Packers’ Coach Mike Holmgren made one of the biggest bonehead moves in Super Bowl history. Instead of ordering a goal line stand, he had his defense “stand down” and let Davis score. The Packers were unable to convert a fourth down on the ensuing drive and the Broncos were champs. Just to make sure his hall of fame career was complete and people would forget his previous tank jobs, Elway led the Broncos to another Super Bowl win the following year.

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Green Bay Packers

Favre! Come back, Favre!


Was it the last time? Was it the last Lambeau Leap? (Wait a minute, no touchdown means no leap right? Or did Favre go ahead and do that anyway.) Can Brett please come back next year? We’ve got an awesome fantasy football strategy – start either the defense that’s playing the Oakland Raiders or the Green Bay Packers – and we can’t afford to let that advantage slip away. The Raiders will most likely be just as bad next year but Favre… man, Favre is irreplaceable.

Check out the box score: 26/50 for 285 yards is decent but… 1 sack, 0 TDs, and 2 INTS (1 returned for a TD!). You can’t replace that type of anti-production from an opposing quarterback on such a consistent basis.

So come back Favre. Grace us with another year of setting INT records and defensive fantasy football points. And if not for us, do it for the announcers out there. Where else are they gonna satiate their oral fixation?

Speaking of announcers, all those people complaining that they don’t get the NFL Network? You might consider yourself lucky. In addition to the snoozefest that was last night’s 9-7 game, listening to Bryant Gumble announce a game is excruciating. For a veteran TV guy, he’s just awful as an announcer. We’re not sure exactly what it is but some combination of his voice and delivery for the play by play that actually makes us wish Chris Collingsworth would do more of the talking. Yeah… that’s how bad it is. Time to hire away the “B” team from ESPN.

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Washington Redskins

Dec 21 in Sports History: Vince Lombardi’s last game


In 1969: Vince Lombardi coached his last NFL game with the Washington Redskins, losing 20-10 to Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys. Ironically, Landry became coach of the Cowboys on the same day 10 years earlier. Lombardi took a terrible Green Bay Packers team and led them to five NFL championships and the first two Super Bowls. He had a lifetime record of 105-35-6. Although Lombardi would be dead of cancer just nine months later, his legacy as an NFL coach is still unmatched.

In 1997: Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions became the third player in NFL history (O.J Simpson, Eric Dickerson) to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. Sanders’ 184 yards that day gave him a total of 2,053 for the season and helped the Lions clinch a playoff spot with an important 13-10 win over the New York Jets. It was the 14th straight 100-yard game of the season for Sanders, also an NFL record. Sanders retired after the following season despite being on the brink of passing Walter Payton on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. Sanders is the only player to have 1,000 yards in ten straight seasons.

Sanders’ moment was somewhat overshadowed when teammate Reggie Brown was severely injured in the same game. Brown collided with a Jets’ player and lay motionless on the turf for almost 20 minutes while paramedics scrambled to save his life. He suffered a career-ending spinal injury, but was able to walk again.

Categories
NFL General

Dec 20 in Sports History: The Sweet Sound of Silence


In 1980: In a move that was either experimental or lazy, NBC decided not to use game announcers for their broadcast between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. Instead of hearing someone like Beasley Reece yap about how the Dolphins “are going to have to put points on the scoreboard to win,” viewers were treated to a blissful, if not eerie silence. Apparently, people complained because NBC never tried it again. If only FOX had replicated this move during that Minnesota-Green Bay playoff game a few years ago. The Jets won 24-17, if you care.

In 1998: In a 30-22 win against the Tennessee Oilers, Brett Favre became the first NFL quarterback to throw for 30 or more touchdowns in five consecutive seasons. Favre has thrown for at least 30 touchdowns eight times in his career, the most recent coming in 2004.

In 1946: Sugar Ray Robinson defeated Tommy Bell at Madison Square Garden to become welterweight champion. Robinson held the title for five years, had a 91-match winning streak, a career record of 175-19-6, and was never knocked out. He also had his nickname stolen repeatedly from future fighters.

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San Francisco Giants

Odds and Ends: What if no one signed Bonds next year?



Very nice… how much?

We’re trying to ignore it as much as we can but Barry Bonds is inching closer to Hank Aaron’s homerun record and he’ll likely break it next season if he decides to play. Well, today, the owner of the Giants said that he’s going to delay making a decision on Bonds until the end of the season. Now, it’s unlikely that the Giants won’t resign him if Brett Favre Barry Bonds wants back in but what if… what if the Giants didn’t resign hi and nobody else in the league stepped up. That’s one way to end his home run chase.

In other news…

[ebay]: ebay fun: dress worn by Jose Lima’s wife up for auction. “It is 13” across at the bust. Obviously, there is considerable stretch and give in this material.”

[Deadspin]: Remember the SNL skit saying you could hire the Black Eyed Peas for your bar mitzvah? Dead on. Is there anything these guy won’t do for a buck?

[Railbird Central]: Hey look, a record crowd got to see how washed up Brett Favre is. (Yes, we realize that’s the second shot at Favre this post.)

[The Hater Nation]: Holy crap, Brenda Warner doesn’t look like a man anymore… sorta.

[There’s your Karma Ripe as Peaches]: Mrs. Manning is not doing her son Peyteypie any favors

Categories
Denver Broncos

Javon Walker is talkin trash


We’re so sick of the cliches that athletes throw around that anytime someone starts talking trash, it’s … like someone stopped taking it one game at a time and only gave 97%. God bless Javon Walker for this quote in the Denver Post:


Obviously, we have a chance to be a Super Bowl team. Obviously, they have a chance to win four games.

It just made me happy to know I’m here and not dealing with that anymore. This is a winning organization, and I’m better off here.

Walker went on to say that he still had some friends on the Packers and wished them well. Oh, if only he’d added that Brett Favre was a washed up selfish prick, Walker would be our favorite WR of all time.

Links:
[Denver Post]: WR Walker glad he’s an ex-Packer

Categories
Green Bay Packers

August 21 in Sports History: Packers join the NFL



Curly Lambeau

In 1922: The Green Bay Packers franchise gained admission into the fledgling NFL. The Packers – named for a local packing company – were owned and coached by the legendary Curly Lambeau (not Brett Favre, as he would like you to believe) and finished 4-3-3 in their first NFL season, including a 3-0 loss to the Chicago Bears (who they would play another 169 times through 2005). They have won the most championships in league history with 12. (packers.com)

In 1967: Ken Harrelson became baseball’s first free agent when he was released by the Kansas City Athletics. The “Hawk” was let go by A’s owner Charles O. Finley after he called Finley “a menace to baseball.” The Red Sox won Harrelson’s services for the rest of the season for $73,000, and he helped them win the pennant in 1967. He retired in 1971 to join the pro golf tour and went on to become the most annoying broadcaster in history with the White Sox. (baseball library.com)

Categories
Green Bay Packers

Lions, Vikings and Bears fans rejoice: Favre will be back!



Yes! Another INT closer to 277

Fans all over the NFC North are celebrating today. Brett Favre has announced that he will be back for the 2006 season. After sitting on the pot for 4 months, the gunslinger is back to break the all-time INT record. Like all competitive athletes, Favre is back to prove that he is in fact the best — the best interception thrower in the history of the NFL. Take that, George Blanda!

They are going wild in the streets of Detroit, Minnesota and Chicago today because they are guaranteed easy victories over one of their division rivals and any coach or player with INT incentives will be able to reach them. Hmmmm… perhaps not all over the NFC north — they can’t be celebrating in Green Bay. All this does is delay the development of first round draft pick Aaron Rodgers so that the Packers will be a bad to mediocre team for at least another two years.

Fans will argue that Favre has earned the right to play another season in the NFL. Yes, we agree. But that season was 2002.


Links:
[Green Bay Press-Gazette]: Favre tells Packers he’ll be back
[Sportscolumn]: Even Packers fans are sick of Favre

Categories
Satire

The Friday Sports Satire Roundup: Not so much a roundup

From The Sports Pickle, one of our favorite sites, comes this excellent take on Favre’s retirement.

Brett Favre tells waitress he needs another 45 minutes to look over the menu

Brett Favre entered his fourth hour of deciding what he would like to eat for dinner this evening at a Waveland, Mississippi, Olive Garden with no end in sight.

“Brett and his wife got here around 5:15 pm and I was excited to wait on them,” said Mindy Payne, the Favre’s waitress. “But this is getting a little ridiculous now. My shift was over two hours ago and I’m still waiting for the guy to make up his mind. It’s really rude on his part. Not only am I supposed to be home by now, but other people want a table.”

Favre said he is close to making up his mind, but needs a bit more time.

“Supposedly the kitchen closes at 11 pm, and that makes me feel kind of rushed,” said Favre. “I’m close to deciding on an appetizer – the fried calamari – so I’m getting there. As for entrees, though, I don’t have a clue. I’m hoping they’ll come up with some great new menu items by the time I have to decide and it will make my decision a lot easier.”

The Olive Garden’s manager, Mike Redd, said he may have to decide to ask the quarterback to leave.
“It’s tough to ask a local legend like Brett Favre to leave your establishment,” said Redd. “But he’s taking advantage of our goodwill. He’s been here for going on five hours and hasn’t paid a dollar yet while we’re losing business because we can’t get other customers to a table. I’ve really lost a lot of respect for the guy.”

(Republished with permission from Sportspickle.com.)

If you were looking for more satire stories this week, we don’t have any for you. It was a pretty weak offering by the usual suspects this week, except for this excellent sportsgraphic NHL Season Highlights from the Onion.

Categories
Green Bay Packers

Favre passes T.O. for biggest ego



Favre loves him some Favre

Brett Favre has quietly passed T.O. for having the biggest ego in sports. On Saturday, after a “family friend” (we’re giving 3-1 odds that it was actually Favre with a Darth Vader voice changer) alerted reporters that Favre would make an announcement about his decision, a whole bunch of reporters showed up at his charity golf tournament just to be chastised by Favre.

What did you guys waste a trip down here for? Y’all brought the cold weather, too.

Perhaps the reason the media wasted a trip down there is that you wanted some pub for your little golf tournament and you wanted to be in the papers again so Packers fans and management can beg you to stay for one more year.

Last week, Favre caught some flak for saying “What are they going to do, cut me?” He defended that statement this weekend with “If you know me, you’re not concerned about that comment.” What? So, if we knew you at all, we’d know you’re a selfish arrogant s-o-b and wouldn’t be concerned about that statement. Gotcha.

Finally, if you want to see some very different reports of the same event, check out the links below for the articles from a Biloxi MS newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, and the Associated Press. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel even has an article by Bill Glauber subtitled Favre is just like everyone else: Big decisions take time. The difference is that most people quietly make a decision and go with it. They don’t hog the media spotlight in an effort to gratify their own ego.

Links:
[Sun Herald (Mississippi)]: For Favre, it’s still a no-decision

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]: Favre wants a Super Bowl contender

[AP]: Favre’s scoop? He’s still firmly undecided