Archive for nfl
Sent Packing by the Green Bay Packers
Posted by: | CommentsAn interesting topic came up at the Upper Deck offices earlier today. Since the big news was the Vikings firing of head coach Brad Childress, this discussion produced an interesting tidbit concerning the Green Bay Packers. As it turns out, this actually marks the second week in a row that the Packers have ended a coach’s tenure with his team. Green Bay ended the Wade Phillips saga in Dallas a week before they finished off Brad Childress. That’s quite the coach-killing resume considering both coaches were on thin ice but expected to finish out the season. Fans of teams with bad coaches should take note: a well placed knockout punch from the very strong Packers can help end your misery with a head coach you can’t stand.
Chill in the Air: Things were never warm and cozy between Brett Favre and Brad Childress. Never.
This revelation probably caused you, like everyone else, to look forward to the Packers’ next game and see if they can make it three in a row. Unfortunately they face the Atlanta Falcons, who are definitely not ready to let Mike Smith go no matter what the final score is this weekend. However, there are some more potential targets on the Packers’ schedule. In two weeks, the San Francisco 49ers (1-9 as of this writing) represent a prime target, especially after entering the season as divisional favorites. One week later the Packers get to feast on the perennial snake bit Detroit Lions, and their head coach Jim Schwartz is on the hot seat 24/7 simply by default. Even the New York Giants toward the end of the season could be a possibility should they continue to struggle. Players seem to dislike Tom Coughlin already, so a poor season culminating in a Packers blowout may be all it takes. Someone should really look this up, because the Packers may be on their way to setting an NFL record for most coaches to be forced out in a season.
Woe is Me: Phillips knew his days in Big D were numbered following the 'Boys 45-7 trouncing by the Packers.
But getting back to this coming weekend’s game, it’s a great barometer for how the NFC will shake out this year. No coaches will end up in the unemployment line over this game, but right now the Packers and Falcons are two of the top teams in the conference. In a year where most agree there are few truly elite teams and everyone is jockeying for the top spots, this game could go a long way toward sorting out who rules the NFC heading into the stretch run. Not only that, both teams have divisional opponents breathing down their necks. This is a huge game as the winner is on the fast track to a race for the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed. The loser, meanwhile, may be fighting just to keep pace in its division with a playoff spot not even guaranteed. It’s the definition of a must-win game when your season outlook can be so different depending on whether a single game goes down as a win or loss. The Packers need it slightly more if only because the Falcons have one more victory and the Bears are neck-and-neck with Green Bay compared to the Saints being just behind the Falcons. However if I’m the Falcons this is no time to let up with the Saints offense slowly starting to find its groove. You have to shut the door when you can, and from that perspective I’d be more worried about leaving the door open for New Orleans than I would leaving it open for Chicago.
The key matchup has to be the passing game. Matt Ryan is going head-to-head against Aaron Rodgers in a battle of two young albeit very good quarterbacks. Then there’s Greg Jennings and Roddy White clashing for the right to be called the NFC’s best wideout. No doubt it will be a star-studded shootout. From that standpoint it’s hard not to give the edge to the Packers. The Green Bay pass rush has been deadly, and you have to expect Clay Matthews and company to knock Ryan around at least a few times in this game. In the secondary, veteran Charles Woodson has the ability to keep White in check. Of course keeping White in check means holding him to 70-80 yards and one TD, but that’s where the Green Bay offense comes in. The Falcons rank a measly 24th in the NFL against the pass, and if Donald Driver is healthy the passing game should be going full out. The Falcons will still get their points, but they won’t be enough to keep pace with a Packers offense that should be in line for a big game. My gut says the Packers prevail in a close, high-scoring affair; something along the lines of 38-31.
Either way, both teams are very good. The losing team will have to work a lot harder to finish out the regular season, but really both teams are looking like locks for a playoff spot. Even if the Bears or Saints win one of these divisional battles, both the Packers and Falcons should be right there for a Wild Card spot. Confidence is what will really be on the line Sunday. One team is going to come out of this game with a lot of swagger, and they will truly be feeling like the best squad in the NFC. Get full on that Thanksgiving turkey and enjoy the Thursday NFL action, but the real feast will be on Sunday. The Packers-Falcons clash for the main course sounds good to me!
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Are You the Ultimate Green Bay Packers Fan?
Posted by: | CommentsHe was a drafted in the first round. He is a Pro-Bowl quarterback. He is leading one of the most storied franchises in the NFL. And if you play Fantasy Football, you definitely want him on your team. His name is Aaron Rodgers and currently he has his Green Bay Packers in first place in the NFL North standings.
Upper Deck Authenticated will be conducting a signing with Aaron Rodgers for a variety of new memorabilia items to be offered up to the Packer’s faithful. Now Upper Deck Authenticated Memorabilia is typically seen as the most valuable memorabilia in the market because of the quality products we use and because of our patented 5-step authentication process. As a thank you however to our Facebook, Twitter and Blog fans however, we will be giving away a full sized Aaron Rodgers signed helmet from the signing. Oh, and to make it even more special, Aaron Rodgers will personally inscribe it to you!
All you need to do is prove to us you are the biggest Green Bay Packers fan out there. Post images or video to the wall of our Upper Deck Authenticated Facebook page and show us why you deserve to win this special item. We will announce who we felt was the Ultimate Green Bay Packers fan on Friday afternoon and get their information so Aaron can sign their new helmet for them.
Who will give this personalized piece a new home? Will it be you? Show us you are the Ultimate Fan before time runs out!
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The New NFL: The National Flag-Football League?
Posted by: | CommentsWell we are not quite there yet, but the talk about extreme hits in the NFL and new penalties, including suspensions, seem to have everyone up in arms. This week the NFL levied a series of very large fines against defensive players from last weekend’s games and threatened suspensions in the future. The most interesting situation seems to be with James Harrison, a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who has been extremely upset and frustrated over the $75,000 fine he received. He’s so upset that he is actually considering retirement if he cannot play the game the way he knows how.
Don’t believe me? I thought he was joking too when I heard him share this in an interview last night, but the Pro Bowl linebacker wasn’t at practice today and his agent said his client is “very serious” about retiring after being fined so heavily. His agent Bill Parise also said, “This is a very serious issue. James is very concerned about how to play football. If James is going to be fined $75,000 for making a legal tackle, then how do you go play football?”
We all know that the league is trying to do more to protect players, but there seems to be a double standard here. Did you know that the NFL was actually selling photos of the “illegal hit” James Harrison put on Mohamed Massaquoi this week and said today that it was “a mistake” they were up for sale?
Additionally, the NFL has been selling big hits as a key driver to consumers for years now. Every Monday Night, Chris Berman is on at halftime with the feature, “Jacked Up” where he goes through the biggest hits of the weekend. Mark Schlereth of ESPN was talking today about a video for sale on the NFL website now called “Maximum Impact” that just features some of these violent tackles. And do you remember NFL Blitz and Blitz: The League? You know, the NFL licensed video games where you could execute wrestling moves on players after the play was completed? Was that a good idea?
Recent video games that reward users for delivering extra hits on players have been approved by the NFL
Heck, last season even we got in on it. Upper Deck had an insert set called “Crunch Time” featuring players like Harrison who are known to deliver the type of huge tackles that get fans fired up. We were giving fans what we believed they wanted and the insert set was approved by the NFL.
Harrison was featured in Upper Deck's "Crunch Time" insert set just last season
If the NFL is really serious about eliminating big hits and reducing concussions along with other serious injuries with their players, they have got to change their paradigm on how they market the league. And more than anything they need to educate players and fans that hard hits like this come with serious consequences. They are not necessarily something that should be celebrated and certainly not emulated. While they can be a big part of the game, they are very dangerous.
The NFL should feature hits that have gone wrong during the halftime of games each week. Unfortunately, they happen all the time. An amazing athlete can find themselves without the use of their body from the neck down in a split second. I would likely start with the viscous hit Eric LeGrand of Rutgers put on a player during a kickoff and tragically found himself partially paralyzed.
Interviewing players that have lost the use of their body and sharing that with other players in the league will hopefully encourage them to spend more time on technique, rather than just getting faster, stronger and bigger. In the meantime, I think it is unlikely Harrison will retire. I don’t think the league will suspend any defensive player this year either. They are trying to send a message to the players, but they need to look at the messages they have been sending to the fans for years as well.
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Idol Worship: Which Player Do You Follow?
Posted by: | CommentsAs a serious sports fan, nothing disappoints me more than a professional athlete showing poor judgment. I don’t know about anyone else, but if someone offered me the chance to be rich and famous with the only requirements being play sports and don’t do anything stupid, I would probably end up locking myself in my house between games just so I didn’t make a mistake and mess up what a good deal I had going for me!
With football season well underway, fans are being presented with a new crop of rising superstars. So which players among these young NFL stars represent the combination of right attitude and athletic prowess that could make them the chosen few, the ones who we will be remembered decades from now as the best of the best both on and off the field? Here are my three favorite rookies who I predict we will look back on as the best of the best from the year’s draft class; not just as athletes, but as ambassadors of what is good in sports:
By all appearances, Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow looks to be a player kids can look up to.
Tim Tebow, quarterback, Denver Broncos: His off-the-field behavior doesn’t need to be scrutinized (he’s squeaky clean). Tebow, however, does possess ability on the field that can allow him to be more than an off-the-field sideshow. While not blessed with traditional passing mechanics and a playing style that is in some dreaded no man’s land between a pocket and a scrambling quarterback, many believe Tebow has the intangibles that will allow him to make good decisions under pressure. There’s no reason why Tebow can’t turn into a good game manager who knows exactly the right time for a pitch, shovel pass, or quick scramble that can turn out to be a game-changer.
San Diego rookie running back Ryan Mathews is a former Fresno State standout.
Ryan Mathews, running back, San Diego Chargers: Mathews is the real deal. He’s quick but stocky, built to take a hit and keep on running. He has the potential to become the kind of grinder that die-hard fans love; a guy who gets nicked up now and then buts keeps on going. He already showed this potential when he was taken out with an ankle injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Expected to be out for the rest of the game, he came charging back onto the field. Only the coaches’ collective hesitation with their No. 1 draft pick kept him from getting back out there. Not only that, he comes from humble beginnings as his mother delivered him at a very young age and had to raise him as a single parent. No doubt his humble upbringing will keep him grounded and his desire strong.
A former Golden Domer, Golden Tate is now running his routes for the Seattle Seahawks.
Golden Tate, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks: When a guy’s greatest offense is trying to score a tasty doughnut at three in the morning, you know he’s is only out for some good clean fun. Tate has attended private school all the way up to his collegiate career at Notre Dame, so you know he was focused on sports and academics more than he was parties. Not only did he have a great football career at Notre Dame, but his talents on the baseball diamond prompted him to be drafted multiple times by MLB. Guys like Tate who could have had legitimate pro careers in different sports are rare, and he’s already getting looks as a return man and wide receiver in Seattle. He may not be an athletic freak like Calvin Johnson, but he has the ability to be sneaky good, and a career as a slot receiver/return specialist seems like a nice niche for him.
All of these guys have the potential to post solid careers in the NFL. However their true appeal is that they seem likely to stay away from the dark side of being a famous professional athlete, and these days that counts for a lot. I feel like when I collect cards, I like to own cards of guys who have the potential to have great careers, but also will not betray me and make me embarrassed to own a bunch of cards of a guy who isn’t exactly a great human being. Hopefully there will be more and more guys like these coming up in the future; sports could use a few more good guys if you ask me!
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Is the Michael Vick of Old Back?
Posted by: | CommentsAs a sports fan, there’s nothing quite like the excitement that goes along with the opening weekend of college and pro football. It is kind of like a hug from an old friend. Given I am a huge sports fan, please take a moment to imagine my frustration when I found out that I would be spending all of my Sunday at an internet marketing seminar. And while I love to learn tips and tactics to hone my skills at my profession, I prefer to do those during work hours and if I have to work weekends, does it have to be on the same Sunday that pro football starts? It reminded me of the time when a friend invited me to his wedding – which I thought was awesome – right up until I found out it was scheduled for Super Bowl Sunday. Who does that?
When he wasn't shredding Green Bay's D with his feet, Vick passed for 175 yards through the air.
I asked a couple of my buddies to provide me with text updates on how my fantasy team was faring yesterday. But they never came, so I began obsessing about whether or not to “defriend” them on Facebook. When our two-hour afternoon break finally arrived, I was like a motivated Randy Moss on a fly pattern straight to the hotel lounge so I could see what was happening.
The Eagles/Packers game was on, but something just didn’t seem right. Philly’s QB Kevin Kolb, who was drafted in my fantasy league before proven veterans like Matt Ryan and Brett Favre, wasn’t playing. After I found out from the bartender that he was pulled after sustaining a concussion, courtesy of Clay Matthews, I spent the next couple of hours going on a trip down memory lane with none other than Michael Vick. Kolb’s replacement.
Michael Vick proved to be elusive on Sunday, rushing for 103 yards against the Pack.
I couldn’t stand what Michael Vick did off the field, but there was always just something so awesome about watching him play on the field. Like many great athletes, he was special because you never knew what he was going to do next. You just had to see it to believe it. And here I was, seeing it all over again, amazed as he danced around would-be tacklers and helped lead the Eagles back against the Packers, who are considered a Super Bowl favorite this year. The only thing was missing was Vick’s dark visor that he used to wear during his playing days in Atlanta.
But for Vick it ended in a very bittersweet way. He was unable to convert a fourth-and-one at the Packers 42 that would have given the Eagles a chance to tie the game in the fourth quarter and potentially win it. That is actually a lot like how things used to end during his days in Atlanta too – amazing performances, but heartbreaking losses.
Will there now be a quarterback controversy in Philly? Not according to Andy Reid who said after the game that Kolb will be the starter when he is healthy enough to play again. But he’s got to say that right? Vick certainly is a polarizing player with so much talent, but has such a tragic history of making horrifically wrong decisions when he’s not playing football. It seems as though fans, especially in Philly, are willing to forgive Vick. As a sports fan, I’ll just enjoy watching him play when he gets the opportunity to play again because one thing is clear to me: the Michael Vick of old is back.
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