How To Deal With Acute Withdrawal from the NFL
It's Sunday morning. The night sweats returned again last night. I woke up early, ran into the bathroom, sweating profusely, after the nightmares, then vomited for 5 minutes.
I have horrible chills. I don't want any chips or dip. The thought of sausage and peppers on a roll, makes me feel like there will be nothing to fill the void.
I would like to grill a steak, but what will i do while i eat it?
It's the Sunday after the Super Bowl and I need a fix bad. The Pro Bowl will be on later, then cold turkey will have me on the run.
There is hope, however. I will go to a meeting where others like myself, can talk, vent their experiences, and frustrations, and somehow find some ,meaning for life once more.
These are the brave folks who take their own valuable time, just to help people. These are the people of the FA. Football Anonymous.
Find a meeting in your local area. Most of the time, they take place in sports bars. Blank television screens, but fans wearing their game day jerseys,hats, and giant fingers can meet weekly and discuss the teams they love so much.
Here are some valuable tips to help you through this rough time ahead. Read and write about football. Follow your team or all the teams efforts to draft players, and improve the quality of play in the league.
Keep watching re-plays of your favorite games to ease the pain of withdrawal.
Find something fun to do, like a hobby to occupy your Sundays. Many addicts reconnect with their families and loved ones, and find they were missed and are still wanted around the household.
Have some quiet time to reflect and meditate on your problem. Golf is a way many NFL players relax in their off time, so get out there and hit some balls.
Golf is also on television, and it's hypnotic effect can help you get some much needed nap time on Sunday afternoons.
Try also watching NBA basketball games in the last two minutes of close games. This may get you the adrenaline rush you are missing, during the off season.
Pick one team, and this will give you the thrill of victory, or the agony of defeat. You can 't win every time, much like a point spread bet on the NFL.
I could also recommend an NHL game for the hitting and occasional fights that can occur, although the fighting is slowly slipping away from this sport. A high stick or a trip is much like a horse collar tackle, a clothesline, or a clip.
Baseball season will start soon, then you can follow your city's team and root for those guys until Summer and Fall workouts commence.
Go to a baseball game if you get a chance. It will relax you and people find the crowd noise helps calm your soul. If you go early, you could do a little tailgating and practice your grilling skills for the next football season.
Baseball fans eat even more than football fans , so your tailgate pregame meal will be welcomed. Try not to overdo it, as the action is a bit slower, which gives you more time to eat during the game.
I am going to do some chores around the house today. Some snacks at the store need to be bought, because there is football today. I will try to enjoy the game, watered down as it is from a regular game.
Player's don't want to get a career ending injury in a meaningless game, but i think this game is more about excellence during the season, and honoring our great stars from the past couple of seasons.
I will take the AFC to win today, with a good passing attack, and wide receiver play.
Don t expect much running of the ball today, and we will see some trick plays and flea-flickers, I'm sure.
Find a meeting next week of the FA or start a local meeting of your own.
Good luck, and remember God loves football, and you.
Copyright (c) 2009 Bleacher Report, Inc
Call them the Sixburg Steelers!
TAMPA, FLA - Resilient.
It's the one and only word that is needed to define the 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers.
Then again, you can toss in the word heart, and maybe team of destiny, because in the year of change, the tides have suddenly turned in the National Football League as the Steelers have suddenly emerged as the newest league powerhouse.
Well not that it ever wasn't considered a power, but by virtue of its record setting sixth Super Bowl championship, a 27-23 win over the Cardinals, a game being billed as one of the greatest in Super Bowl history, Pittsburgh are champions again.
"It never gets old, that's for sure. We'll take as many as we can get," team president Art Rooney II said as he walked through the lockers after.
But how they won No.6, is how legends are made.
Pinned deep in their own territory with just over seven minutes remaining, and clinging to a slim lead, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made a great play to Santonio Holmes, which appeared to be a first down to give the team some breathing room.
It was called back, and even worse, the Cards got two points on a safety when center Justin Hartwig was called for holding.
It was the first safety since Bruce Smith sacked Jeff Hostetler in Super Bowl XXV, ironically also held in Tampa.
Two plays later Kurt Warner hit Larry Fitzgerald, who blazed 64 yards for a touchdown. It gave the Cardinals their first lead of the night 23-20.
"I said it's now or never," Roethlisberger said. "I told the guys all the film study you put in doesn't matter if you don't do it now."
And the comeback kid held true to his words delivering not only an eight-play, 78-yard game-winning drive, but also a record sixth Lombardi trophy to the city of Pittsburgh. He pumped once, looked across the middle then floated a pass Santonio Holmes way.
The former Buckeye who is no stranger to championships, made one of the best catches ever in Super Bowl history and well, the rest is history.
"There has been a lot of talk about this offense," Roethlisberger said "and you know what I'm so proud of the way we responded on that last drive, hope we silenced some critics."
The Steelers are now 11-0 after taking a lead of ten points or more, but without Roethlisberger and Holmes heroics, may be sitting and wondering what went wrong, instead of heading up the road to Disney World.
“We’re so happy to be able to do this for the Rooneys.," Roethlisberger said. " This is also for the fans. We love winning this for the fans and we know right now in Pittsburgh they’re going crazy. There are people in the streets and I am sure there is snow on the ground, but it’s really special to win one for the Rooney’s. They’re very special."
examiner.com
Jerry Jones' Newest Bad Idea: "How 'Bout That Cowboy?"
Want to play football for the Dallas Cowboys? Then you should audition for a new reality show called “How 'Bout That Cowboy?”
The winner gets to play for America's Team.
Michael Irvin hosts the new Spike TV show that has 12 "football neophytes" competing for a spot on the Cowboys' opening 80-player training camp roster.
The desperate dozen will be comprised of six receivers and six defensive backs.
The players will be judged on speed, toughness, football acumen, strip club etiquette, berating coordinators, getting in fights at night clubs, dating vapid celebrities and possessing marijuana.
"I've been waiting to do this since the first time I watched American Idol," Irvin said. "American Idol is about singing and dreams. This is about football and dreams."
Former Cowboys like Deion Sanders, Troy Aikman and Jay Novacek are scheduled to make guest appearances.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has already promised to suspend the new Cowboy player for four games.
The show will start this spring and run for 10 episodes. The winner will be cut the second after the last episode airs on Spike TV.
Michael Irvin is the show's executive producer and creator. Appropriate enough, Irvin is working with 3 Ball Productions, the company that produces NBC's The Biggest Loser.
The reality show that has the Cowboys winning a game in December is still in development.
Copyright (c) 2009 Bleacher Report, Inc
Did the Jets even consider Jon Gruden for head coach?
Bob Glauber of Newsday wrote a piece on Saturday encouraging the New York Jets to look at Jon Gruden to fill its head coaching slot.
We now know that Rex Ryan has accepted an offer to take the job but I want to continue Glauber's thinking process just a bit.
We have no idea at this moment if Jon Gruden is going to kick back and love life for a year. But it sure looks like that since the open head coaching jobs have been filled. Unless you consider coaching the Raiders a real job.
Gruden has a few things that Rex Ryan lacks: Super Bowl experience and a way of working with older quarterbacks that squeezes the last drop of blood they have out onto the football field.
Isn't there an old guy at the QB spot in New York? Oh yeah that fellow Brett Favre. I think I recall Gruden souring his relationship with the Tampa Bay starter, Jeff Garcia after rumors surfaced he was interested to bring the gunslinger into the Bucs organization.
Whatever you think about Brett's potential to return to the Jets, you just know that Gruden could look him in the eye and tell him it's time to go if in fact it is.
But the Jets are on the band wagon of hiring men who have never coached a football game at the pro level. It's a trend that seems to make sense if you look at the performance of the big three this past season: Smith in Atlanta, Harbaugh in Baltimore and Sparano in Miami.
Gruden might seem like damaged goods at this point but recycling losers is in the blood of the NFL, despite the trend to hire coordinators and position coaches. It will never go out of style particularly if the recycled candidate won a Super Bowl. There aren't that many of those guys in the availability pool who want to coach next season that I can see.
Rex Ryan had two legs up on Gruden since he had been interviewing for weeks. Sometimes a club doesn't want to get distracted from its process and this would have been a huge one. But if you think the head coach is the most significant factor in determining whether or not a team can win with the players it has then I think the Jets could have taken a moment to contact Gruden to determine his interest. If there was none then move on.
Think Scott Pioli is dialing up Gruden's agent now that he has set up shop in Kansas City?
(c)2008 Copyright Examiner.com
Situation More Important Than Money
Titans Quarterback Kerry Collins said he has made his desires to stay in Nashville heard inside the organization, but admitted now he will have to wait.
''Don't know what their plans are,'' Collins said after the final team meeting Monday morning. ''If it works out, which I hope it does, I'll be ready to go. But basically the ball's in their court."
Collins will become an unrestricted free agent February 27 when the free agency period opens around the league. During his three seasons in Tennessee, Collins has started 20 games, throwing for more than 3,800 yards. In 2008, Collins started all but the opener against the Jaguars, completing better than 58 percent of his passes, throwing 12 touchdowns to just seven interceptions.
He said his 13-3 record as a starter made him realize he still has football left.
"There's no question I have several good years left," Collins said. Physically, I feel great. I still have the passion to do it and know I can still do it."
While several teams may be in need of starting quarterbacks this off-season, Collins said the situation will be more important than the money, noting the Titans offensive line kept him protected to the tune of eight sacks in 2008.
"I want to be on a good team and I think we have a good team here, we can be even better next year," Collins said. "A team that's looking for a quarterback may not be in the best shape as the Titans are, but at the same time I've got to look at every option."
While not willing to directly answer whether he would not to be guaranteed the starting job rather than an open competition to return, Collins said "a lot of factors" would need to be in place for him to return to the Titans.
General Manager Mike Reinfeldt told Titans Radio in December that the Titans could conceivably carry another quarterback at a starting salary along with Vince Young's contract because Young's cap number remains relatively low in 2009.
"I like playing here," Collins said. "My family likes Nashville a lot. I hope it works out, but this is the NFL. Nobody knows what's going to happen. We have to be ready to move on if that's what happens."
Copyright (c) 2009 Citadel Broadcasting Company and MediaSpan
Predicting 2009 (with a little help from 2008)
"History repeats itself." -- Anonymous
Touche, Anonymous, touche. You are always so wise.
But while history might repeat itself, it never does so exactly. There is always a slight tweak due to new or modern circumstances and contexts. With that in mind, here are my sports predictions for 2009.
2008: At his retirement press conference, Brett Favre tears up, but he later returns to the NFL.
2009: At his retirement press conference, Brett Favre's tears are intercepted by his eyelashes and returned to his eyelids.
*
2008: Golfer John Daly is found drunk and unconscious outside a Hooters.
2009: A Hooters is found inside a drunk and unconscious John Daly.
*
2008: The Olympic torch relay causes havoc in cities across the globe.
2009: A random guy running with a flaming torch causes havoc in cities across the globe.
*
2008: Jimmie Johnson passes his competitors like they are standing still, winning the Sprint Cup for the third year in a row on the NASCAR circuit.
2009: Jimmie Johnson passes the Sprint Cup into the stands, soliciting donations for the NASCAR circuit.
*
2008: Rich Rodriguez has difficulty getting a release from his contract in Morgantown.
2009: Rich Rodriguez has difficulty getting a table at an Ann Arbor restaurant.
*
2008: Michael Phelps becomes the first Olympian to win eight gold medals in a single Games.
2009: Michael Phelps become the first Olympian to be on eight covers of "Sideways Hat Fancy Magazine" in a single year.
*
2008: Upon seeing a bank of cameras, Sean Avery of the Dallas Stars wonders aloud why other NHL players go for his "sloppy seconds."
2009: Upon Sean Avery's being signed by another team, the Dallas Stars wonder why other NHL teams go for their sloppy, third-line players.
*
2008: Tatum Bell takes Rudi Johnson's luggage after being cut by the Lions.
2009: A player is forced to take up a career in luggage sales after being cut by the Lions.
*
2008: Tiger Woods wins the U.S. Open despite having torn knee ligaments and a stress fracture in his leg.
2009: Phil Mickelson plays in the U.S. Open despite having a torn inseam and a stress fracture in his belt.
*
2008: Yankees slugger Jason Giambi says he wears gold thongs as a way to get out of hitting slumps.
2009: Yankees slugger Jason Giambi says he wears black thongs as a way to get out of doing laundry.
*
2008: The Bengals are exasperated when former All-Pro Chad Johnson changes his name to Chad Ocho Cinco.
2009: The Bengals are exasperated when former Heisman winner Carson Palmer apparently becomes Gino Torretta.
*
2008: Alex Rodriguez is spotted accompanying Madonna to popular Manhattan nightspots.
2009: Alex Rodriguez is spotted accompanying Madonna to popular Boca Raton early-bird special, buffet-style restaurants.
*
2008: China receives criticism for putting a "cute" girl out front to sing at the Opening Ceremonies over her more talented counterpart.
2009: Sports teams receive praise for putting "hot" girls on cheerleading squads over their more talented counterparts.
*
2008: Michelle Wie is disqualified from the final round of the LPGA State Farm Classic for forgetting to sign her scorecard.
2009: Michelle Wie is disqualified from the final rounds of the LPGA State Farm Classic for shooting 82-87 in the first two rounds.
*
2008: Slovakia's women's hockey team beats Bulgaria 82-0.
2009: Slovakia's women's football team beats Marc Bulger and the Rams 82-0.
*
2008: Chinese officials deny claims that the Olympics will be plagued by dirt and pollution.
2009: Chinese health insurance officials deny claims from Olympians who got the plague from all the dirt and pollution.
*
2008: Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky runs out of the back of the end zone while trying to attempt a pass.
2009: Lions fans run out of the stadium and into the street trying to get hit by a bus.
*
2008: The New England Patriots have their hopes of a perfect season dashed when Eli Manning leads a clutch scoring drive in the final minutes of the Super Bowl.
2009: The New England Patriots have their hopes of a perfect season kept alive when Tom Brady does a clutch "game re-start" in the final minutes of the Super Bowl on Madden 2009.
*
2008: Plaxico Burress injures himself when he drops his gun down his sweatpants.
2009: Plaxico Burress enriches himself when he sells a ton of sweatpants holsters.
*
2008: The Big Ten is humiliated again in BCS bowls.
2009: The Big Ten is humiliated again in BCS bowls.
(Wooo! I got one right already!)
(c)2008 ESPN Internet Ventures
Edwards resolute after Chiefs lose season finale to Bengals, 16-6
CINCINNATI -- The Chiefs could have made the decision on Herm Edwards' future more difficult for Clark Hunt and the next general manager had they simply been more competitive Sunday against an opponent almost as down and almost as out.
Instead, the Chiefs barely showed up for their season finale, losing to Cincinnati 16-6 and ensuring a 2-14 record, worst in franchise history.
That promises to make an already uncomfortable interlude for Edwards even more agonizing as he waits on word whether he will coach the Chiefs again next season. Until then, it's business as usual, or as usual as it can get under some strange circumstances.
"It's real simple," he said afterward Sunday, maintaining his even keel. "I'll go back to work. Unless I'm told something different, that's what I'm going to do.
"We'll evaluate the players Monday and Tuesday. We'll kind of go from there. I'll set the calendar as far as offseason program goes and free-agency goes."
All busy work, perhaps. Chairman Clark Hunt will hire a general manager to replace the outgoing Carl Peterson. The two will then decide whether Edwards, who lost 23 of his last 25 games, stays.
Edwards, it would seem, is standing on ground that would be far less than firm. But he said the feedback he's received from Hunt has been nothing but positive and he won't make any pleas, publicly or privately to Hunt and the new general manager, to keep his job.
"I'm not looking to defend myself," Edwards said. "Going into a situation like we went into, a rebuilding mode, you never know what's going to happen. You anticipate the best, but it didn't turn out like we'd like for a lot of different reasons. I'm not going to state the reasons. I don't need to do that.
"Since the Jets game, we've improved tremendously. We played a lot of young guys and they gained experience. That's going to help this football team next year. That was key. We wanted to make sure we did that. A lot of players improved. You wish the record was better You hate to go through this to get that done, but there is a silver lining. A lot of good will come from this.
"We've lost a lot of close games. We lost seven games by seven points or less. We'll figure out a way to win those games next year."
Edwards said the Chiefs' decision might ultimately be more about whether he's a good fit with the new general manager and less about whether he's a good coach or he's doing a good job.
Hunt has indicated he will be responsible for the decision on Edwards, but he also said he wouldn't want to saddle a new general manager with a coach he wasn't comfortable with.
There's also a business aspect to the decision. The firing of Edwards could energize a fan base that is rapidly becoming apathetic. Season tickets, once stopped at about 70,000, topped out at about 60,000 this year.
Either way, Edwards said the developments of the last two seasons haven't shaken his confidence in his ability to coach. Edwards took the New York Jets to the playoffs three times in five years and guided the Chiefs to the postseason in the first of his three Kansas City seasons.
"I think I'm a good football coach," he said. "I don't doubt myself. What I've had to go through the last two years was for a reason. The first year you come in and take a team to the playoffs and you know that's probably as far as that team can go. It took two years to get to this.
"You wish your record was better. There's no doubt about it. You've got to win games. I understand that part of it. We fell short too many times. If you win those games, there aren't a lot of questions."
The Chiefs never came close to winning Sunday. The game wasn't as close as the 10-point margin would indicate. Cincinnati, 4-11-1 and last in the league in scoring going into Sunday's game, had 239 yards in the first half. The Chiefs scored with just more than 2 minutes left to avoid the shutout.
That wasn't the type of closing statement Edwards was hoping to make.
kansascity.com
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