Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

Desperation permeates New York both at Yankee Stadium and NFL Headquarters.  Rule changes ( enforcement changes as the league is calling it) and lineup changes are abound as both organizations face desperate situations.  Both come after painful events.  For the Yankees the consequences are serious, but not nearly what the NFL is facing.  It is no surprise the NFL's actions come after a weekend of violent hits one of which included Eric LeGrand of Rutgers being tragically paralyzed.  New York is a place where everything is done in a hurry and this is a perfect example of just how fast things can change and be implemented in New York. Maybe baseball should move their headquarters.  Let's hope at least one of these changes is for the better.

Friday Farewells for August 6, 2010

This edition of Friday Farewells is brought to you by your local Truck Dealer & High School Wide Recievers catching passes from NFL Quarterbacks everywhere (or is that Former NFL Quarterbacks everywhere).

Farewell:


Slump. Eric Hinske snapped an 0 for 17 streak with a home run off Tim Lincecum in the bottom of the 6th to break a 2-2 tie in a game the Braves won 3-2 over the Giants.  What do you say to someone that hits a home run of Lincecum when he is 0 for his last 17 equates? Happy Birthday! In this case it fits as the former Razorback, Hinske turned 33.  This is one he'll remember.  Tears of joy for a Brave & a Razorback. No better combination in my book.  

Elvis Dumervil. The Broncos sack man is out for what appears to be four months with a torn pectoral. Can you say YEOOOOOOOOOW! Yes, that is right a torn pectoral muscle.  I had pectoral muscles once, but they left along with my talent, coordination, and endurance.  Sadly the only thing left is my memory (my wife disagrees).  Tears of pain for both Dumervil & the memories of my once chiseled physique (at least in my mind it was chiseled).    

Extortionist.  Everyone can finally feel safe again Rick Pitino's blackmailer has been convicted.  Karen Cunagin Sypher is now safely behind bars so that no will be tempted to commit adultery with her in an Italian restaurant.  Wait that is not what she is guilty of it was asking for money afterwards.  Does this woman's name look eerily similar to Con-again Siphon. Let this be a lesson do not do anything with someone named SYPHER or even worse ConAgain SIPHON that you may not want revealed later.  Also forgo such  acts with people named Leach, Vampire, Bloodsucker, Gold Digger, or Robert Halderman (Ask Dave Letterman on this one).  Tears? Uhhhhhhh... hmmmm...ahhhh, what happened again, oh yeah nope no tears for anyone involved here.  I have a general policy of no tears for MORONS especially for events caused by their MORONIC Behavior.    


Summer of Tranquility. Don't worry people Favre Mania has begun again and we all know how excited I am about it.  If you have forgotten go here.  Nothing like watching an interview 15 times of Ed Werder yelling at Brett over the sound of his diesel engine.  That is quality TV & I am glad it is back so I have something to do besides Guiding Light.  Let the Drama Begin!  My ankle hurts, I'm old, I want to spend time with my mommy, and oh I am playing as soon as the tough part of training camp is over.  Tears? The reason I cry my self to sleep at night or drool the dreadful drool of regret in my pillow of remorse is no one's business.  Besides I don't want to be blackmailed. MAKE A DECISION ALREADY!  


Cleveland.  In an exodus that needs someone named Moses leading it Shaq is the latest to leave the Cavaliers.  Did all of these people forget that Cleveland rocks?  Well with Lebron being Legone maybe the general population is next to follow what use to be an NBA franchise.  One thing for sure is Dan Gilbert is staying, but maybe his mind left when he lost it.  Tears for the love I have for the Four6Three Band.

Need more Farewells for your weekend pleasure or pain? Just click here.

Four6Three Questions of the Week?

It is time for a little reader participation.  We want to know what you think on the following questions so leave us your comments or we will never know.  Comments can be one word or one page, but let us and the rest of the Four6three readership know what you think on this weeks big topics. 

Is Ryan Howard worth $25 million a year for the next 5 years?

Which teams were the NFL draft's biggest winners & losers?

After a week of playoffs what is your NBA Finals matchup?

Answer any or all of them and we will post the answers.  Feel free to debate amongst yourselves too.

NFL Draft in Primetime

Below are my picks for the inagural NFL Primetime Thursday night draft. Coming up with this list was a mix of bingo and pin the tail on the donkey and consulting a guru known as THE PEACHANATOR.

1- Sam Bradford- Rams
2- Ndamukung Suh - Lions
3- Gerald McCoy- Buccaneers
4- Russell Okung- Redskins
5- Bryan Bulaga- Chiefs
6- Trent Williams- Seahawks
7- Eric Berry- Browns
8- CJ Spiller- Raiders
9-Dan Williams- Bills
10- Derrick Morgan- Jaguars
11-Bruce Campbell- Broncos
12- Sergio Kindle- Dolphins
13-Joe Haden- 49ers
14- Jimmy Clausen - Seahawks
15- Rolando McClain-Giants
16- Jason Pierre Paul- Titans
17- Anthony Davis- 49ers
18- Mike Iupati- Steelers
19- Brandon Graham- Falcons
20- Kyle Wilson- Texans
21- Jermaine Gresham- Browns
22- Dez Bryant- Patriots
23- Jerry Hughes- Packers
24- Earl Thomas - Eagles
25- Devin McCourty- Ravens
26- Demaryius Thomas- Cardinals
27- Charles Brown- Cowboys
28- Ryan Mathews- Chargers
29- Jared Ordick- Jets
30- Colt McCoy-Vikings
31- Kareem Jackson- Colts
32- Sean Weatherspoon - Saints

Friday Farewells for April 2, 2010

This Final Four edition of Friday Farewells is brought to you by the number 4 & the letter F (I have spent way too much time watching television with my 2 year-old daughter).

Farewell:

Freedom. Cleveland Browns tackle Shaun Rogers attempted to board an airplane, but was arrested. He was not however arrested because he took up two seats, but because his gun and bullets with him apparently did. So in a role reversal the tackle was tackled by airport security. Taking a loaded gun in your bag with you on an airplane produces the same results as a bad roll of the dice in monopoly, both land you directly in jail without passing go. Tears? Oh yes a few tears of laughter at his stupidity & at the thought of twelve TSA officials trying to take down this mammoth of a man.

Mind. Jim Playfair coach for the Abbotsford minor league hockey team bid farewell to his mind and self respect with his tirade.  I can't say more except if you have 53 seconds watch this meltdown. The only tears will come if you attempt to read lips.

John Wall’s Player of the Year Award. The AP apparently didn’t believe all the hype it was responsible for creating and made the correct decision choosing Evan Turner from Ohio State as the AP’s Player of the Year. Some may disagree with this decision, but they are wrong. Hard to feel bad when they got it right.

Privacy. The probe into Santonio Holmes alleged assault of a college student will be reactivated. The difference this time the victim will cooperate. Holmes is said to have thrown a glass at the student, hitting her in the face resulting in a laceration. TMZ has already reserved curbside parking at Holmes’ house along with the rest of the paparazzi. The upside his quarterback Ben knows a good attorney. Innocent until photographed looking guilty.

Championship Hopes. This just in UNC’s championship hopes vanished last night well at least for the NIT. Roy Williams stated what we all knew, that winning the NIT is not in his hopes and dreams. It is not in my hopes and dreams either Roy.

Security Guard. If you want to keep your job at Lucas Oil Arena, you probably should not mistake the coach of the Butler Bulldogs for a player. This is what a security guard did to Coach Brad Stevens on Thursday. Feel bad for the guy, but really Stevens doesn’t look old enough to play he looks like one of the player’s little brother. I feel your pain Brad, I got asked why I was skipping my Junior High Classes last Friday.

Olympic Roster Spot. USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo has informed Dwayne Wade & Lebron James their roster spots for the Olympic Roster is not guaranteed if they skip this summer’s World Championships.  Both have indicated the plan to take this summer off.  No King, No Flash…No Gold Medal?Gulp!?!

Anonymity. Four6Three is no longer unknown as we received a comment from the Famous Dan Brown. No not the author of The DaVinci Code & Angel’s & Demons, but the one who runs podcasts and blogs. Yes Dan you are the famous one in our eyes and we would like to invite you to make a guest appearance on the Four6Three. Ecstatic someone famous is leaving comments, next stop ESPN.

Are you like Jo Dean Gates and can't get enough of Friday Farewells wll then here you go?

Who Will Pay The Bills?

Last week, amid the Tebow Super Bowl commercial controversy another story was written about another Tebow controversy. Unlike the Super Bowl commercial, this one might actually have some substance.

Amid the speculation that the Jacksonville Jaguars might draft Tim Tebow, Holly Anderson broke a story about Uche Nwaneri an offensive lineman for Jacksonville ranting about how Tebow could never help the Jags win. He used his expertise to deduct that Tebow will never be successful in the NFL. His analysis included that Tebow: cannot throw, cannot take a snap from under center, cannot read defenses except maybe cover two or man, and oh yeah he cannot throw. Yes, he mentioned cannot throw twice. He then asked the fans to buy tickets because he is tired of coming to an empty stadium.

As to whether Tebow can throw or not I believe I have seen him throw the football. As for reading defenses and taking the ball under center, these are things someone can learn and cover two and man happen to be two very popular defenses even in the complex NFL. Do not mistake me for a Tebow fan. I am still of the belief that Tim Tebow owes Darren McFadden a Heisman Trophy. I am a realist though and I understand that the NFL is a business. Although I personally do not think Tebow will make a great NFL quarterback.  However, I do think that unlike Nwaneri that if Tebow asked fans to show up they might actually come.

Jacksonville is an organization with horrible attendance and is in danger of being moved to a more lucrative location. Nwaneri’s likelihood of saving this organization is a whopping 0.0%. He could go on the evening news every night and beg fans to show up, but it won’t help. However, Tim Tebow, regardless of how good he is at quarterback, will put pants in seats. Pants don’t normally bring themselves, even if they are on the ground, which translates to ticket sales. This would only last for a year or two unless the team starts to win, but that is far more tickets than Nwaneri and his family buy.

Can Nwaneri and Tebow coexist? No! The lineman’s job is to protect the quarterback. How hard do you work for the boss you despise? How closely do you watch out for the neighbor you cannot stand? So what should Jacksonville do? Ditch the lineman. No one will care. It doesn’t matter if you can get equal value or not. If you want to keep the team in Jacksonville draft Tim Tebow. Do not start Tebow just draft him. Start to develop him and occasionally put him in to a standing ovation to run the wild-cat. Half the NFL is running it a few times a game anyway. Who knows maybe people will show up to see it? Or don’t and keep the lineman who has brought no one to the stadium in his three years in Jacksonville. It's your decision, but there are bills to pay.

My First Big Interview - Michael Strahan

This morning I received a call from Sprint asking me if was free from 1-3 PM EST to speak with Michael Strahan. I figured the former Super Bowl champion & seven-time pro bowler must be a big fan of the Four6Three and wanted to chat with me about the big game. I figured I could reschedule all my other appointments and interviews. The phone call was coordinated with an online-video stream so the world could see my first big interview. I was pumped, this was my big break!

Not even a week in and the Four6Three was going to have an interview with its first big sports star. For the next two hours I watched with anticipation as Strahan spoke with Giants fans, Jets fans, and even a fellow Seahawks fan. I sat with my cell phone next to me plugged in for maximum battery life. As I listened to fan after fan after fan, I planned my conversation. I was ready. I wrote down the questions I would ask, the possible answers I might receive in return, and my witty responses.

I sat & waited & waited & waited then suddenly my phone rang this was my moment of glory. It was my brother calling to see if Strahan had called yet. The remainder of the two hours passed uneventfully. I watched tearfully and distraught as Strahan signed off the webcam and thanked Sprint for setting up the calls. I thanked Sprint for taking two hours of my life that I can never get back and for raising my expectations to all-time high and then driving them off a cliff in the car of my dreams.

Super Bowl XL Was FIXED?

The worst officiated Super Bowl ever, now has a hint of conspiracy to it. Both a Heisman winner & a NFL MVP have questioned whether Super Bowl XL was fixed. Wednesday on the Scott Van Pelt show Eddie George and Shaun Alexander discussed Super Bowl XL between the then Alexander’s Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former Heisman, Eddie George, said the referees cost Alexander his Super Bowl. Although Alexander admitted he wondered about the calls- he would not go much further than to say he wouldn’t be surprised if something came out 10 years from now. Scott Van Pelt, the host, was obviously a little uncomfortable with the whole conversation and said I bet the NFL loves us talking about this the week of the Super Bowl and joked that this was the Herd or the Mike and Mike show.

Is there something to this? Did you see the game? It was either fixed, the officials all forgot their contact lenses, or it was the worst officiated game in NFL history. Either way it is interesting that two former NFL stars would bring this up the week of the Super Bowl four years later. Let the conspiracy theorists begin, but if George feels this way and he never played in the game what do others in the NFL ranks think. Is there any hard evidence to support this theory? Just a lot of little yellow flags!

Listen to the audio here.

Super Bowl XLIV Might Finally Be SUPER!

There is no doubt that this year’s Super Bowl features this year’s two best teams. This rarely happens. In fact, the last time two number one seeds from each conference met was 1993. This isn’t to say that there have not been some great games like the Giants upsetting the Patriots, the Rams vs. Titans, etc., but rarely is the matchup this even.

The Colts are 4.5 to 6 point favorites as of noon EST. However, football gurus can see this game going either way. The Saints are loaded with weapons on offense and a ball hawking safety in Darren Sharper. The Colts have the best quarterback on the planet in Peyton Manning. Both teams have very explosive offenses and very solid underrated defenses. So which is the more complete team? I guess we will find out Sunday. One thing is for sure this Super matchup will be Super to watch.

Super Tough or Super Selfish?

Dwight Freeney the star defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts has a torn ligament in his ankle. As if that isn’t bad enough a quarterback is the one that hurt him. A misstep on Mark Sanchez’s foot has Freeney possibly missing the Super Bowl. There is a long history of players playing despite horrible injuries in the big game. The question is whether this is Super Tough or Super Selfish?

All players want to help their team win the big game and no one wants to be sidelined with an injury, but at what cost? Is the back up so bad that you are better hopping on one leg? Or is it the pride and satisfaction of saying I had a broken leg and still played in the Super Bowl. After all, Jack Youngblood is a legend because he did this very thing.

At what point does Dwight Freeney say the best thing for the Colts is for me to sit the bench and let someone who walk without a limp play. I don’t envy Dwight, but the toughest thing he might do is to say I won’t play because the team needs me not to.  Now that is tough.