Free Updates
Navigation
Categories
| November, 2009 (11) |
| October, 2009 (18) |
| September, 2009 (18) |
| August, 2009 (19) |
| July, 2009 (23) |
| June, 2009 (17) |
| May, 2009 (15) |
| April, 2009 (22) |
| March, 2009 (19) |
| February, 2009 (22) |
| January, 2009 (19) |
| December, 2008 (25) |
| November, 2008 (18) |
| October, 2008 (22) |
| September, 2008 (11) |
| August, 2008 (2) |
Search
Archives
More Links
|
 Thursday, October 22, 2009
Beat The Blogger Picks
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Congrats to Mike Bonner, who won the Beat the Blogger contest. Bonner won by picking 9 of 10 games and hitting his doubler for a 10 total. Sam tied three others with a score of 9
but won again by virtue of her tiebreaker score. This week's matchups will be posted later today so make sure to check back and get your picks in.
This week's matchups are posted so make
sure you get your picks posted prior to the
week's first game, designate a doubler and include your tie-breaker to be eligible to win. Good luck and spread the word
and help grow the contest.
While I
enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly
winner, from this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week's last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants
will now be asked to predict the total score from the last game on the
list and the closest to the actual score will be deemed the winner). I'll also require contestants to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his  choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
This week's matchups (Blogger picks in parenthesis)
College FB
Saturday, Oct. 24
TCU at BYU (TCU)
Oklahoma at Kansas (Oklahoma)
NFL Football
Sunday, Oct. 25
Minnesota at Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh)
San Francisco at Houston (Houston)
Buffalo at Carolina (Carolina)
Chicago at Cincinnati (Chicago)
New Orleans at Miami (New Orleans)
Atlanta at Dallas (Atlanta)
N.Y. Jets at Oakland (N.Y. Jets)
Arizona at N.Y. Giants (N.Y. Giants)
Tiebreaker: Total points in Arizona/N.Y. Giants game (40)
Thursday, October 22, 2009 7:42:33 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00) 
|
|
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Beat The Blogger Matchups
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Congrats to Sam, who won the Beat the Blogger contest for
a record fourth time this week. Sam tied three others with a score of 9
but won again by virtue of her tiebreaker score. This week's matchups will be posted later today so make sure to check back and get your picks in.
This week's matchups are posted so make
sure you get your picks posted prior to the
week's first game, designate a doubler and include your tie-breaker to be eligible to win. Good luck and spread the word
and help grow the contest.
While I
enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly
winner, from this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week's last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants
will now be asked to predict the total score from the last game on the
list and the closest to the actual score will be deemed the winner). I'll also require contestants to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
This week's matchups
College FB
Saturday, Oct. 24
TCU at BYU
Oklahoma at Kansas
NFL Football
Sunday, Oct. 25
Minnesota at Pittsburgh
San Francisco at Houston
Buffalo at Carolina
Chicago at Cincinnati
New Orleans at Miami
Atlanta at Dallas
N.Y. Jets at Oakland
Arizona at N.Y. Giants
Tiebreaker: Total points in Arizona/N.Y. Giants game
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 4:41:18 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Not So Deep Thoughts: Manny needs to start being somebody else
Posted by Tuff Stuff
For years now, some have excused Manny Ramirez's "quirkiness" as Manny simple being Manny. And for the most part, I've been OK with it. Until now.
In the latest episode, Ramirez didn't non-chalantly misplay a routine fly ball and he didn't lazily jog out a grounder. He didn't toss any teammates under any buses and he didn't rip his manager in the media. In this particular episode of "Manny Being Manny," all he did was hit the showers. Unfortunately for the Dodgers and their bleeding Dodger-blue fans, Manny's bathing came about 15 minutes too soon.
With the Dodgers holding a precarious 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning in Monday's NLCS Game 4 in Philadelphia, Los Angeles manager Joe Torre took Manny out of the game. The Dodgers skipper replaced Manny with Juan Pierre for defensive purposes as closer Jonathan Broxton came out looking to record the final three outs and even their best-of-seven series at two games each.
Taking a defensive liability out in the late innings of a tight game is nothing new and its a practice that Torre had employed many times throughout the season. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, Broxton wasn't able to close out Philadelphia, as the Phillies put together an exciting two-run rally to steal the win and take a commanding 3-1 lead.
Broxton had been virtually untouchable all season so there were many players in the Dodgers' dugout looking on in disbelief as Carlos Ruiz scammpered home with the winning run. But not Manny. The cameras searched to get a reaction shot of the Dodgers superstar but they came up empty. The dejected look on Manny's face couldn't be captured because after being taken out of the game, Manny does as Manny does, and he went into the clubhouse and took a shower.
"I come out of the game early, I take a shower," Manny said Tuesday, his
feet propped up in front of his locker at Citizens Bank Park before an
off-day workout.
So you never saw Broxton give up the ninth-inning, two-out, two-run double to Jimmy Rollins?
"No, I was in the shower," he repeated.
What? So you missed the final three outs of Game 4 in the NLCS? The final three outs of a game that couldv'e either put you your team two wins from its first World Series appearance in 21 years or one loss away from all the shower time you could ever need. Just so we're clear, you missed that?
Last time I checked, baseball was a team game, with guys nervously chewing sunflower seeds on the top step of the dugout right up until the final out is recorded. Once it is, they smile from ear to ear, they high five like there's no tomorrow, they scurry onto the field to celebrate with their teammates on the field, they dogpile on top of the pitcher, you know the drill.
Torre, in typical Torre fashion, downplayed the incident as yet another Manny being ... you know the drill.
"I think the way it turned out, it probably doesn't look good," Torre said. "But it's nothing different than he has done before."
We all understand that superstars get preferential treatment but when you're making $25 million a year, you should show up early and stay late. You should cheer on your teammates and be there with a hug if they need one after a heartbreaking loss.
What you shouldn't do is abandon your squad 15 minutes prior so you can make sure you don't get stuck with the low-flow shower stall. Manny being Manny was fun for awhile, but it's time for Manny to start being somebody else, anybody else.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 2:58:20 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Beat The Blogger Results
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Congrats to Sam, who won the Beat the Blogger contest for a record fourth time this week. Sam tied three others with a score of 9 but won again by virtue of her tiebreaker score. This week's matchups will be posted later today so make sure to check back and get your picks in.
Make
sure you get your picks posted prior to the
week's first game, designate a doubler and include your tie-breaker to be eligible to win. Good luck and spread the word
and help grow the contest.
While I
enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly
winner, from this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week's last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants
will now be asked to predict the total score from the last game on the
list and the closest to the actual score will be deemed the winner). I'll also require contestants to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
This week's matchups (winners in parenthesis)
College FB
Saturday, Oct. 17
Oklahoma at Texas (Texas)
Iowa at Wisconsin (Iowa)
USC at Notre Dame (USC)
NFL Football
Sunday, Oct. 18
Houston at Cincinnati (Houston)
Baltimore at Minnesota (Minnesota)
N.Y. Giants at New Orleans (New Orleans)
Kansas City at Washington (Kansas City)
Arizona at Seattle (Arizona)
St. Louis at Jacksonville (Jacksonville)
Chicago at Atlanta (Atlanta)
Tiebreaker: Total points in Chicago/Atlanta game (35)
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 4:00:51 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Beat The Blogger Picks
Posted by Tuff Stuff
This week's Beat The Blogger contest matchups are posted below
so make sure you get your picks in before the first game on Saturday to
be eligible to win. As always, good luck.
Make
sure you get your picks posted prior to the
week's first game, designate a doubler and include your tie-breaker to be eligible to win. Good luck and spread the word
and help grow the contest.
While I
enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly
winner, from this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week's last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants
will now be asked to predict the total score from the last game on the
list and the closest to the actual score will be deemed the winner). I'll also require contestants to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
This week's matchups with Blogger picks in parenthesis)
College FB
Saturday, Oct. 17
Oklahoma at Texas (Oklahoma)
Iowa at Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
USC at Notre Dame (USC)
NFL Football
Sunday, Oct. 18
Houston at Cincinnati (Houston)
Baltimore at Minnesota (Baltimore)
N.Y. Giants at New Orleans (NY Giants)
Kansas City at Washington (Washington)
Arizona at Seattle (Arizona)
St. Louis at Jacksonville (Jacksonville, Doubler)
Chicago at Atlanta (Atlanta)
Tiebreaker: Total points in Chicago/Atlanta game (47)
Thursday, October 15, 2009 9:45:49 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Not So Deep Thoughts: Limbaugh An NFL Owner, Not Bloody Likely
Posted by Tuff Stuff
The news regarding radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh attempting to become a minority owner of his hometown St. Louis Rams has set off quite the firestorm. Really?
Who knew a controversial, divisive, right-wing talk show host known for his conservative views and his racist comments would be met with opposition when trying to buy an NFL team which just happens to be made up of 2/3 Afro-Americans. What a shocker.
I guess the most surprising news to me regarding his possible acquisition is not that it was quickly opposed by Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, but that Limbaugh and his massive following are outraged that  he wasn't met with open arms.
"I, myself, couldn't even consider voting for him," Irsay said at an
owners meeting. "When there are comments that have been made that are
inappropriate, incendiary and insensitive ... our words do damage, and
it's something that we don't need."
Irsay likely isn't alone on this but was the first one to speak out publicly about his opposition to Limbaugh becoming part of the NFL family. Prospective owners must be approved by 24 of the league's 32 teams.
Irsay is the first owner who has stated unequivocally he would reject
Limbaugh because he made a habit of "demonizing individuals" but my guess is that many more exist and will surface when the behind-closed-doors vote is taken.
Several NFL players have already stated publicly that they would never play for a team owned by the controversial Limbaugh and who could blame them. Limbaugh has made several derogatory comments regarding blacks during his lengthy stint as a syndicated radio talk show host and those comments didn't go unnoticed by the league or its players.
Some of the disparaging comments Limbaugh has made include:
(According to transcripts posted on his own website), in 2007 Limbaugh
said: "The NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and
the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it."
During his brief stint as an analyst with ESPN in 2003 Limbaugh said (regarding Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donavan McNabb):
"I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The
media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well."
Limbaugh was forced to resign from his position with ESPN shortly after the comment. One would think the experience would've gave him some indication about how his current situation would be viewed by league officials and owners, but Limbaugh threw his name in the hat nonetheless. While making statements such as those don't necessarily make Limbaugh a racist, they certainly don't add many new faces from the black community to his fan club.
But seriously folks, did anybody really believe that a guy with his history of controversy and a laundry list of racist comments attributed to him would be met with open arms? The NFL is a cash-cow juggernaut that spends millions of dollars each year to grow its marketability, polish it's already tarnished image and steer clear of anything remotely close to being considered controversial.
While Limbaugh becoming an actual owner is still just a thought at this point and an actual vote wouldn't take place for several months, judging by how quickly the commissioner, Irsay and others spoke out against the premise makes it all a moot point because it just ain't happening. The NFL takes a mob-like approach to people that can say or do things to tarnish it's well-groomed image, it eliminates them. While there will be no bounty put out on his Limbaugh's head, the idea of him becoming an owner is already dead in the water and he might as well be swimming with the fishes because in the eyes of those who will ultimately decided his fate, he's already gone.
Maybe Limbaugh misunderstood the true definition of minority ownership and believed that he had found a legal loophole that would allow him to actually own minorities. Whether that was the case or Limbaugh was trying to become a part of the league he's loved his entire life is irrelevant because his chances to succeed in this venture are about as good as slavery making a comeback. Sorry Rush, no team for you.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 4:37:34 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Beat The Blogger Matchups
Posted by Tuff Stuff
This week's Beat The Blogger contest matchups are posted below so make sure you get your picks in before the first game on Saturday to be eligible to win. As always, good luck.
Make
sure you get your picks posted prior to the
week's first game, designate a doubler and include your tie-breaker to be eligible to win. Good luck and spread the word
and help grow the contest.
While I
enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly
winner, from this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week's last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants
will now be asked to predict the total score from the last game on the
list and the closest to the actual score will be deemed the winner). I'll also require contestants to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
This week's matchups
College FB
Saturday, Oct. 17
Oklahoma at Texas
Iowa at Wisconsin
USC at Notre Dame
NFL Football
Sunday, Oct. 18
Houston at Cincinnati
Baltimore at Minnesota
N.Y. Giants at New Orleans
Kansas City at Washington
Arizona at Seattle
St. Louis at Jacksonville
Chicago at Atlanta
Tiebreaker: Total points in Chicago/Atlanta game
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 7:42:28 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Beat The Blogger Results
Posted by Tuff Stuff
The name of the contest is Beat The Blogger and for the first time in many weeks, nobody did. We had several ties but nobody managed to beat the Blogger's total of 8 this past week so we'll double the prize and try again this week.
This week's matchups will be posted later today so check back to post your picks. Make
sure you get your picks posted prior to the
week's first game, designate a doubler and include your tie-breaker to be eligible to win. Good luck and spread the word
and help grow the contest.
While I
enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly
winner, from this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week's last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants
will now be asked to predict the total score from the last game on the
list and the closest to the actual score will be deemed the winner). I'll also require contestants to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
Last week's Results (winners in parenthesis)
College FB
Saturday, Oct. 10
Alabama at Mississippi (Alabama)
LSU at Florida (Florida)
NFL Football
Sunday, Oct. 11
Cleveland at Buffalo (Cleveland)
Washington at Carolina (Carolina)
Cincinnati at Baltimore (Cincy)
Atlanta at San Francisco (Atlanta)
Jacksonville at Seattle (Seattle)
Houston at Arizona (Arizona)
New England at Denver (New England)
Indianapolis at Tennessee (Indianapolis)
Tie-breaker: Total points in Indianapolis/Tennessee game: (40)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 3:14:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Friday, October 09, 2009
Beat The Blogger Picks
Posted by Tuff Stuff
This week's matchups are posted below so make sure you get your picks
in before the deadline and here's hoping you fare better than the Blogger did with last week's selections. The blogger will look to bounce back this week, with his picks posted below.
Make
sure you get your picks posted prior to the
week's first game, designate a doubler and include your tie-breaker to be eligible to win. Good luck and spread the word
and help grow the contest.
While I
enjoy giving prizes to several people vs. having just one weekly
winner, from this point forward contestants will be asked to provide a tie-breaker on the week's last game so we narrow our winner down to one. Contestants
will now be asked to predict the total score from the last game on the
list and the closest to the actual score will be deemed the winner). I'll also require contestants to post their e-mail address with their picks so I can track down the winners easier.
For those unfamiliar with the Beat the Blogger contest,
the idea is simple. The Blogger posts 10 matchups each week and then
selects his choices for the winners of those matchups. Contestants
enter the Beat the Blogger contest by clicking on the "Comment" section below the post with the matchups and then select their own 10 winners. You can also designate one of your picks as a "Doubler"
and you will receive an extra point if you're correct so don't forget
to designate your "Doubler" pick and increase your chances of winning.
If you Beat The Blogger's total and post the high score for the week, you win. The regular weekly prize is an authentic signed 8-by-10 color photo of stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, Gale Sayers, Catfish Hunter
and many more. From time to time, the Blogger will sweeten the pot for
the weekly contest so look for special prize packages.
This week's Matchups
College FB
Saturday, Oct. 10
Alabama at Mississippi (Alabama)
LSU at Florida (Florida)
NFL Football
Sunday, Oct. 11
Cleveland at Buffalo (Cleveland)
Washington at Carolina (Carolina)
Cincinnati at Baltimore (Baltimore) (Doubler)
Atlanta at San Francisco (Atlanta)
Jacksonville at Seattle (Seattle)
Houston at Arizona (Arizona)
New England at Denver (New England)
Indianapolis at Tennessee (Indianapolis)
Tie-breaker: Total points in Indianapolis/Tennessee game: (41)
Friday, October 09, 2009 4:49:41 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Not So Deep Thoughts: Crabtree's cards will soar, but not for a couple years
Posted by Tuff Stuff
I recently read a story where it stated newly signed San Francisco receiver Michael Crabtree's trading cards will soar in value now that he has ended his holdout and reported to the 49ers. Only time will tell on that one but the funny part of the story is that the quote was attributed to Crabtree's agent Peter Miller.
While I applaud Miller's efforts to get in front of the situation which has seen his card values drop dramatically since his lengthy holdout that ended on Oct. 7. When I first saw the headline I was interested to know who it came from but after finding out it was his agent, all credibility went out the window and the story was a complete waste of time and print.
Miller's comments read as follows:
“Being positive, I think (his cards) are going to skyrocket because
he’s going to do great things when he gets on the field,” Miller said
Wednesday afternoon. “The team’s going to do well and he’s going to
help be part of that. I think he’s going to have a great season. “Truthfully,
it’s going to depend on what happens on the field.That’s the truth. If
he goes and ends up making the playoffs and has a catch like Santonio
Holmes did (in the Super Bowl), then his trading card values are going
to go through the absolute roof.” If you read a headline claiming "Tuff Stuff's Sports Collectors Monthly readership will soon double that of Time and Sports Illustrated combined" you'd likely be intrigued enough to take a closer look at the article, right? But, if upon closer examinination you found out the quote came from the Tuff Stuff editor, you'd likely giggle and move on.
While I understand Miller is simply doing his job. He's trying to create some hype for his client and help increase his card values in the process but there are more creative ways to do the same thing. For example, I'm sure Miller has some friends in the hobby that would be considered a much more reliable hobby source. Miller could make his claim but also add a quote from a true hobby source reitterating his point in the next sentence and his words would then hold a lot more water than they currently do. Just because someone says it doesn't make it fact. Especially when that person is in position to make significant monetary gains by saying things like that. I just hope collectors are smart enough to recognize a man with an agenda vs. a man spreading factual information.
As for how Crabtree will fair in the NFL, the jury is still out. Missing the amount of practice time that Crabtree will likely make Crabtree a non-factor for the entire season. While there are exceptions to the rule, most receivers don't make a significant impact until their third year in the league. It takes time to develop a repoire with your quarterback not to mention the 49ers propensity to run first and throw only when necessary. Through the first four games, only five teams have thrown for fewer yards than the 49ers who are averaging just 156 yards in the air.
While some could argue that Crabtree's presence will open up the passing game, let's not forget coach Mike Singletary is an old-school guy who believes in running the ball and playing defense. If Crabtree would've got his contract signed during Training Camp and was ready to go in Week 1, he might have been allowed to display his skills while star runner Frank Gore rehabs from an ankle injury. But the long holdout, coupled with his team's style of play and Gore's return coming sooner than later, Crabtree's breakout performance likely won't be seen for a long time.
I do believe Crabtree has talent and he will eventually excel in the league which will lead to success in the hobby. And for those who believe that as well, I hope you took advantage of his card values dipping from their once-revered spot among the NFL rookie elite and bought low. Because while I believe Crabtree has the potential to make his card values soar as his agent predicts they will, I just don't see it happening any time soon.
Thursday, October 08, 2009 4:24:00 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
|
|
|