The 2008-09 NFL regular season came down to the wire as several teams battled their way into a few remaining wild-card spots and division titles. You have to appreciate the fact that none of these teams backed into the playoffs, they all came out victorious on Sunday.While the Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and San Diego Chargers secured playoff spots with wins at home, the Miami Dolphins had to travel to the Meadowlands and beat Brett Favre and the New York Jets to capture the AFC East division title.

In that much-anticipated match-up between quarterbacks Chad Pennington and Favre, the Dolphins capped their miraculous turnaround season with a 24-17 win.

Pennington completed 22 of 30 passes for 200 yards and two TD’s while Favre struggled; throwing three interceptions in the game.

The Eagles went into their afternoon game against the Dallas Cowboys knowing the Tampa Bay Bucs and Chicago Bears had already lost and that a win would put them into the final wild-card spot. The Eagles responded by blowing the Cowboys off the field in a lopsided 44-6 win.

The stumbling Cowboys turned the ball over 5 times in the loss.

A few of the games came down to final-second heroics from the placekickers.

The Vikings’ Ryan Longwell nailed a 50-yarder with just five seconds on the clock to defeat the New York Giants 20-19 and John Casay buried a 42-yarder through the uprights with just one second left on the clock for the Carolina Panthers 33-31 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Casay’s kick earned the Panthers the NFC South division title and a first-round bye in the playoffs.

In addition to the Dolphins, the biggest surprise teams in the playoffs are the Atlanta Falcons and Ravens who both finished 11-5 with rookie quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco at the helm.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

This week’s bitch slap goes to Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator Joe Barry and it comes from every NFL offense he has faced this season with an additional few backhands coming from a handful of columnists who have had enough with him holding on to a job he clearly is not qualified for.

After last week’s shellacking and shredding of Barry’s defense in a 42-7 loss to the Saints, Detroit News columnist Rob Parker asked Rod Marinelli if he wishes his daughter had married a better defensive coordinator. Barry is married to Marinelli’s daughter.

This question triggered a negative reaction by the national media toward Parker but what the underlying root of this whole scenario is, is the fact Barry has retained a job due to the Lions’ nepotism program and Parker was drawing attention to that.

National Examiner sports columnist Tom Ferda had more to say on this topic in his column this week, “Marinelli was comfortable giving offensive coordinator Mike Martz the ax before this season and handing his first defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson a pink slip after only one season due to ‘lack of performance’ so why not address Barry’s performance after last year’s disaster and during this year’s debacle”.

Barry’s toothless defense is dead last in the NFL giving up 486 points through 15 games while allowing a league-leading 400 yards per game. That’s one entire football field per quarter!

This is the second year Barry has accomplished creating one of the worst defenses in the league. Many believed he should have been long gone after last season.

Some blame the Bobby Layne Curse but the fact is, Joe Barry is one of the major contributors to this record-setting joke of a team. Without you on the sideline running a defense that put them out of most every game before the half, they may have tweaked out a few victories.

The recognition you are beginning to receive regarding your incompetence has justifiably earned you the Sports Climax Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week.

Copyright ©2008 Sports Climax

NEW YORK – Heading into Week 17 in the NFL, it’s time to give serious thought to who may be voted the AP NFL Offensive Rookie-of-the-Year for 2008.

Last year’s voting was cut and dry with Minnesota Viking Adrian Peterson running away with the honors but this year’s rookie crop is overflowing with a smorgasbord of talent.

Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan is drawing a lot of attention but there are some AP voters also keeping a close eye on Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco.

Both quarterbacks have started their NFL careers at a phenomenal winning pace, going 10-5.

The running back position is also stacked. Three rookies have already joined this year’s 1000-yard club.

Chris Johnson Titans (1,228 yds) , Steve Slaton Texans (1,190 yds) and Matt Forte Bears (1,115 yds) all deserve to be considered. In addition to leading the Bears in rushing yards, Forte also leads his team in receptions with 58 for 424 yards.

Another rookie offensive showcase can be found in the Rocky Mountains. In the first NFL game of his career, WR Eddie Royal of the Broncos came out of the gate with a vengeance, taking former Pro Bowler DB DeAngelo Hall to school much of the game.

Royal finished his inaugural game with 9 catches for 146 yards; a 16.2 yd. average. Royal’s stats have been steady since totaling 80 receptions for 904 yards.

Voting for the NFL Offensive Rookie-of-the-Year will be a difficult task for the AP voters this season and it’s hard to predict who will be crowned the king of this year’s collection of rookies.

If I had to vote today, I would choose one of the quarterbacks since it is the hardest position to step into and the hardest to master.

So Matt Ryan is my choice because his QB rating is higher and some other important stats like his TD to INT ratio is better than Flacco’s.

Go vote on our Sports Climax poll located on our homepage. The ballot contains all 6 of these star players and last time I looked, there was a three-way tie for first.

It will be interesting to see how you sport junkies will stack up against the final tally of the Associated Press.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

DETROIT – As the Detroit Lions are staring 0-16 right in the face, we must not forget who is responsible for leading them down that road of collapse.

As former team president and CEO Matt Millen sits comfortably in his home, states away in Pennsylvania, fans and the media must remember to honor him as the orchestrator of this disaster called the Lions.

Owner William Clay Ford, with the coaxing of his son, Junior, made a long overdue move after week three when he fired Millen, earning Millen the Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week award. 

Millen has long packed up and gone but like three-month-old fish, his stench remains.

That stench comes in the form of the coaching staff, blown draft picks and free agent signings Millen had pieced together over his historic record run of failure.

Millen’s Lions team is 0-14 with a game at home Sunday against the Drew Brees led New Orleans Saints and a final road game in frigid Green Bay where the Cheeseheads always play to win.

Many expect Millen to make NFL history next Sunday, surpassing the Tampa Bay Bucs 0-14 record of futility, a record that held for decades.

Things will not change in Detroit overnight. A bumper-to-bumper refurbish job needs to be done. Marinelli, who is on the verge of emotionally imploding, and the rest of the staff Millen hired needs to go, there is no doubt about that.

Joe Barry, defensive coordinator and benefiter of Detroit’s nepotism program, has managed and created the worst defense in the NFL over the past two seasons. And how sorry is it to actually hear him in yesterday’s press conference in Detroit talking about how the defense will definitely improve if returns next year.

Besides Millen, Barry may be the biggest cause of this year’s implosion. If he had half of a conscience, he would refuse his paycheck and would have resigned the week Millen got his pink slip.

Only in Detroit can a coach speak like there is any possibility of returning to the team even after a 0-16 season. Look at Millen. He was actually signed to an extension after taking a 7-9 team to 3-13 and wasting high first-round draft picks.

It looks like the Lions will be getting another No. 1 overall pick in a draft and the good news is, Matt Millen will not be the one making the selection.

In the meantime, Lions fans should plug their noses from the stench Millen has left; a stench that may linger for years to come.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

As we let the news settle in that Brett Favre, QB of the New York Jets, has made the Pro Bowl for the umpteenth time in his career and take side bets if he’ll schlep to Hawaii with Deana and the family, let’s remember what it took to get him to this place.

Winter

Favre, still a member of the Green Bay Packers, slinks home to Mississippi after a cruel loss in the NFC Championship game on the home field of Lambeau. He threw an interception in overtime that paved the way for the New York Giants to go to the Super Bowl.

Speculation begins about his future in Green Bay.
The Packers press him for a decision to avoid the previous year’s strung-out process. Aaron Rodgers keeps mum on it all and waits to learn his fate as the new starter on the Packers or the perpetual backup.

Favre calls a press conference and mesmerizes the public with a tearful and seemingly clear statement: I am retiring of my own volition.

Speculation begins anew that he is not clear on that statement. He has conversations almost immediately including with the Packersa bout returning. The team’s concern is that he isn’t 100% certain, just as he wasn’t prior to the announcement.

The Packers are relieved, name Rodgers their starter and set about planning for their first draft without having to keep Favre in mind, except they do. Brett is having retirement remorse.

Spring

Favre, the Packers and sports media begin a months’-long soap opera about whether the Packers gave Favre the signal that they wanted him gone and if he jumped too soon.

The contractual side of the story gets ugly as the Packers refuse to consider Favre’s return. If he doesn’t file retirement papers the team owns his rights and refuses to consider releasing him which would net them nothing in return, especially if he goes to a rival.

Favre takes the bait and starts taunting the team with going to a division rival but…he can”t say for certain if he wants to play at all. He still might retire but he doesn’t understand why he wouldn’t be welcomed back to Green Bay.

The war of wills continues as Packers fans are split down the middle on the loyalty front. Half believe he should come back, half don’t.

Summer

Favre shows up in Green Bay via private jet, as training camp is in progress, won’t take questions about his future and realizes there isn’t much sentiment left for him in Wisconsin. The impasse over him wanting a release and not being accommodated with one gets deeper.

He goes on Fox News with Greta Van Susteren to tell his sad tale of woe. Still can’t understand why the Packers won’t release him from his contract if they don’t want him to start for them any longer.

The commissioner gets involved and asks both sides to enter counseling. The Packers show their good faith by saying he’ll be benched and hold a clipboard for Rodgers if he wants to stay in Green Bay. Favre threatens to go to Minnesota and beat the Packers brains in. This is why they needed counseling.

Favre signs reinstatement papers but doesn’t file them.

The Packers get down and dirty and claim he is a malcontent who just wants it all his way. Immediately, the team hires a PR specialist who used to work at the White House but some say it’s too late.

Reinstatement papers are filed and commissioner expresses sadness as he accepts the inevitable.

Packers and Favre’s agent get down to business to try to break the impasse of where his rights get traded.

Minnesota Vikings look like jerks for having had conversations with Favre supposedly about fishing and hunting, not about coming to their team.

The sweepstakes begin in the NFL. Jon Gruden pisses off his QB by considering Favre joining him. The Packers have offered Brett an alternative to playing for them or anyone: a ten year marketing agreement with unspecified responsibilities but a pay check of $25 million in total.

And that is a first offer.

Favre who a month prior wasn’t interested in New York signs with the Jets, gets welcomed by the Mayor of New York and Jets fans dance in the streets. EA is forced to provide download image of Favre in Jets’ uni after their game went to press with him in Packers’ colors.

Fall

Favre starts slow, gets on a roll, settles back down to earth and proceeds to take the moribund team to the brink of the playoffs and gets voted into the Pro Bowl.

Future?

What’s in store for this offseason? Why wait for that? Favre is already starting the cycle of drama again as he told the media in New York that these last few games might be his last. Don’t act surprised. It’s got to be this way for him and unfortunately for fans of the team he plays for.

Happy New Year, everyone.

See the slideshow pertaining to this article at Paula’s Examiner column.

Selections were announced for the NFL Pro Bowl game on Tuesday and here’s a quick run-down.

The N.Y. Jets had the most selections with seven and QB Brett Favre who leads the league in interceptions is on that list.

There are 17 first time appearances for the AFC and 14 for the NFC.

Titans RB Chris Johnson is the only rookie selected.

Both Mannings will participate. QB Peyton is starting for the AFC while QB Eli is on the NFC squad.

The combined age of the NFC kickers is 86 years (see below).

Teams not represented are Detroit, Jacksonville, Cincinnati and St. Louis.

Players not selected included Cowboys QB Tony Romo and pot-stirrer WR T.O.

A few comeback players are also joining the NFC team.

Topping that list is 44-year-old John Carney who actually put on the pads early in the season to play “fill-in” for a few games while the Giants’ starting placekicker Lawrence Tynes was nursing an injury.

Carney responded by kicking 27 of 29 field goals and his only two misses were blocked. The kicker has remained in the position on a full-time basis and was rewarded by being selected to represent the NFC this year. Carney, the oldest player ever selected for the game, will be joined by teammate 42-year-old punter Jeff Feagles.

Arizona Cardinals QB Kurt Warner who joined the Cardinals to mentor young Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart finds himself in the limelight again after rebooting his career in the desert.

Warner, who has passed for 4,290 this season and led his team to a guaranteed home playoff game, will start for the NFC. He will have familiar targets as teammates, WR Anquan Boldin and WR Larry Fitzgerald both were voted in.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

DETROIT – After yesterday’s Vikings/Lions game in Detroit, Fox made an inadvertant move that is sure to attract more of us female NFL fans.

During a ‘live’ feed after the game showing Vikings owner Zygi Wilf handing a game ball to coach Brad Childress, tight end (there’s a bad joke there) Visanthe Shiancoe was standing directly in the shot, stark naked, his prize hanging right out.

There it was, a huge one being part of the game ball presentation and the crew did not notice until it was too late.

As this blooper makes it’s way through the media, you have to wonder if coach Childress is “looking in the wrong direction” and may need a lesson in locker room etiquette.  

Maybe this event will divert the attention away from the Vikings’ legal matters like drug tests and player suspensions.

Besides entertaining the female football world, Shiancoe led his Vikings in receptions, total reception yards and caught the winning pass in the fourth quarter. Talk about hogging the spotlight.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

NEW YORK – Coach Tom Coughlin and his New York Giants have lived up to the challenges they have faced and continue to find a way to win.The Giants (11-1) own the best record in the NFC and have a chance to clinch the NFC East with a victory today at home against the Philadelphia Eagles.

While WR Plaxico Burress’ shooting incident dominated the news, the team maintained their composure and responded well last week by going into Washington and defeating the Redskins 23-7. QB Eli Manning completed 21 of 34 passes for 305 yards and he did it without Plaxico in the line-up.

That seems to be the Giants pattern over the past few seasons. Adversity hits . . . shrug it off and win.

After the 2006-07 season, the Giants star running back Tiki Barber hung up his spikes as the team’s all-time rushing and reception leader.

The team turned to Brandon Jacobs to fill Barber’s spot. Jacobs responded by rushing for 1,009 yards for the season and helped his Giants pick up playoff road wins in Green Bay and Dallas then defeat the heavily-favored New England Patriots in the Super Bowl 17-14.

This year, the Giants started their season without a huge part of their defense, Michael Strahan, who decided to retire with a franchise leading 141.5 sacks and again, the team is shrugging it off. After 12 weeks into the season, the Giants defense, led by Justin Tuck (11.5 sacks) is third in the NFC in sacks with 36.

There is talk that LB Antonio Pierce’s involvement in the Plaxico incident could be a distraction to the team this week but it’s hard to imagine Coughlin not having his team focused and ready for this game.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

The Detroit Lions fans only hope for a future may be Congress voting through a bailout plan for the poorly-managed faltering Ford Motor Company.

Last I noticed, Ford Motor Company was asking for $9 billion of fans/taxpayers dollars while making no indications they intend to sell the Lions which are valued by Forbes to be worth $917 million.

Ford’s recent reported losses have been huge. According to their media.ford.com website they had a net loss of $8.7 billion in the second quarter of 2008 and according to CNN Money.com burned through another $6.3 billion in the third quarter of 2008. At that rate, it is possible they could eat up a loan of $9 billion in a short time.

With support from some of the local politicians and pressure from taxpayers around the country, Michiganders can present a scenario to Congress that includes the Fords being required to sell the Lions if they are included in any bailout.

I have had a few emails from people explaining how technically William Clay is not the owner of Ford Motor Company. Corporations are legally laid out however companies decide to lay them out. Ford’s website has William Clay listed at the highest position, Executive Chairman and you have to assume William Clay owns a decent portion of that stock recently valued at less than a Starbucks small coffee.

It is absurd to allow the Ford family to maintain an entity like the Lions in their portfolio while agreeing to hand over billions of tax dollars to save their auto company’s sinking ship.

If Joe Citizen is in desperate financial shape and asks a bank to bail them out of a foreclosure on their home, shouldn’t that bank make them sell his Bentley and second home on the ocean first? Even though the Bentley is not related to the house going into foreclosure, it is part of that family’s portfolio. Don’t get me wrong, the Lions are more like a rusted-out Yugo but you get my point.

If the Ford Motor Company is asking for $9 billion, Congress should minus the $917 million they are forced to acquire from the sale of the Lions then give them $8.08 billion instead.

First of all, handing these auto companies $34 billion is like flushing the money down the toilet but if Congress did approve a ridiculous bad investment of tax dollars like that, the people of Detroit could seize the opportunity and possibly get the Ford family off their field.

The Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons are great examples of how an NFL franchise can turn it around in one year if they are under the proper ownership and management.

Matt Millen, the creator of the Lions current dismal coaching staff and player personnel was sent packing the day after Mike Martz’ San Fran 49ers whipped the Lions earlier this season, earning Millen the Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week award on Sports Climax. 

Removing another cancer like owner William Clay Sr. would open the door to new ownership and a possible turnaround. Imagine, new ownership would lead to new management which leads to a new coaching staff (Google Bill Cowher) and smart draft selections, something this NFL team hasn’t experienced in a decade.

Congress, if you do bail out Ford Motor Company, remember to bail out the Detroit Lions fans as well, these poor loyalists have been through enough.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

NEW YORK – It’s amazing how a small bottle of over-the-counter pills can stir so much controversy.

Roger Goodell and the NFL suspended six players for taking Bumetanide, a diuretic used for weight-loss.

Bumetanide can be used to mask steroid use and there lies the reason it is on the banned substance list for the league and why these players were sent packing for the remainder of the regular season.

Normally failing drug tests are a cut and dry situation. A player tries to cheat, gets the random call, fails a test and has no argument.

This case is different.

The suspended players who failed their test because of consuming StarCaps pills may be victims of illegal manufacturing by the company making the pills. Starcaps list of ingredients were natural and included garlic, papaya and corn spices but did not include Bumetanide.

Bumetanide is an FDA regulated drug so it is illegal to dispense it without a prescription. If that is the case and the company added it without the player’s knowledge, spiked their product in other words, these players may be classified more as victims than cheaters.

Regardless, the NFL has good justification for the suspensions backed by a letter they sent out to the players last year.

That letter contained the following warning, “There is a list of stimulants and diuretics banned by the NFL in the Policy for Anabolic Steroids and Related Substances.

However, remember that the contents of supplements may not match what is listed on the label of the bottle. If you test positive for a banned stimulant or diuretic or water pill, this constitutes a positive test. I urge you not to take products to that claim to “burn fat”, “lower weight” or other similar claims”.

The letter went on to say, “Remember that as NFL players you are responsible for whatever is in your body”.

In December 2007, the National Center for Biotechnology Information released test results taken after one Starcaps pill was taken and those results confirmed that Starcaps contained Bumetanide. See the full report here.

This scenario is far from over with all the legal paperwork that has been filed concerning the case.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax