The Daily Hat Trick 2010 NFL Good, Bad, and Ugly Awards

"It's the most...wonderful...time...of the (NFL's) year!!! With the playoffs a-coming and analysts humming; the Super Bowl's near! It's the most wonderful time of the year!"
Too bad I could not find a musical accompaniment. The NFL's regular season is over, the playoffs are upon us. There are four more weeks of National Football League action (plus the Pro Bowl) remaining. The Daily Hat Trick will dive in and give you the in-depth, top-secret analysis of the playoffs later this week. First, I would like to take a moment, before the Associated Press steals my spotlight, and recognize the best, worst, and most hideous of the 2010 regular season in the National Football League.

Good, Bad, and Ugly Awards

The Good - Michael Vick from pariah to premier quarterback. From monster to MVP. From insufferable to inspirational. In three decades of watching this sport, I have never seen a comeback story that measures up to this one. Vick's Philadelphia Eagles team not only has a dog in the hunt, but he, single handedly is responsible for the NFC's top-seeded Bears and Falcons being on the run from said dog. Nobody but nobody wants to face this team and Eagles Coach Andy Reid and Eagles fans have Vick to thank for that (and dogs).

From sporting a "Mean Machine" jersey to this jersey,
which was sent to the Hall of Fame after a
record setting Monday Night Football performance. 3

Honorable mention deserves to go to a few people. Andy Reid for having to step out of his comfort zone (both on the field and in the media) to take the risk of giving Vick the opportunity to excel.... Peyton Manning for succeeding in the equivalent of racing in NASCAR with two bad cylinders and four bald, spare tires and STILL winning the AFC South and reaching the playoffs for a post-merger record tying ninth consecutive season (Dallas Cowboys 1975-1983).... The Detroit Lions for fighting every week, in spite of losing some extremely close games under some very questionable circumstances.


The biggest honorable mention goes to Tom Brady, the probable NFL MVP in 2010. Brady, assuming there are no spycams involved, is having one of the best all-around (decision making, passing, leadership, improving the performance of his teammates, adjusting to adverse changes, etc.) seasons that any quarterback can have. "Wes Welker is coming off a knee injury? No problem. I've got Moss. Randy Moss is traded? No problem, bring Deion Branch back. Deion is washed up and I can't move the offense with him? Watch me. Danny Woodhead is too small? The defense will see me coming from a mile away? I hope they can play with binoculars so they can see us housing it from 50 yards away. "

Perhaps UGG should start making fluffy, furry cleats? 4

The Bad - The Carolina Panthers were not expected to be Super Bowl contenders, but this franchise is expected to be a well prepared challenge for its opponent, no matter who the opponent is, every week. John Fox has been one of the best coaches of his time, which goes back to 2002. So what do the Panthers do? They make Jake Delhomme into the scapegoat for its underachieving and cut him, paying Delhomme $13 million in the process. 1 Whether that was fair or not, they replace him with a completely unproven and untested Matt Moore and rookie Jimmy Clausen, who, all knew going into the season, had a LOT to learn and would not be ready to start effectively in 2010.

And John Fox, the best coach in the team's history? Fired. I think of it as euthanasia.

Fox: FIRED?!? I thought I'd never get to leave! BYE! 5 

There is not too much honorable mention to mention. Many of the NFL stories in 2010 that were "not good" were so "bad" that they were "ugly" (see below). The Houston Texans were bad. Explosive offense...possibly the worst team defense in the history of the National Football league, in spite of the presence of DE Mario Williams and LB Brian Cushing. The expectations after 2009, the first winning season in franchise history, were high and the potential for Toro the Bull to gore Blue the Colt in the AFC South was at its peek, heading into the 2010 season. After Jaxson de Ville (Jaguars) shredded Toro's hopes and dreams on a flukish Hail Mary in Week 10, the Texans became bull jerky.

FAIL! 6

Toro to 2010: "Goodbye and
good riddance! NO MORE TEXANS!" 7





The Ugly - This was the toughest Hat Trick award to decide upon. With so much to choose from - the Minnesota Vikings Favre/Chilly/Moss drama, the Vince Young/Jeff Fisher fiasco in Tennessee, the Dallas Cowboys/Wade Phillips catastrophe, the woeful and disappointing underachieving of the Cincinnati Bengals (in spite of T.O. more than pulling his weight and keeping uncharacteristically quiet) - there was PLENTY of "ugly" to choose from in the NFL in 2010. The only shock is that the Oakland Raiders are nowhere near making this season's list, yet their coach, Tom Cable, may still get the ax.

The Vikings, with Dong-gate/Text-gate/Sterger-gate (or whatever sensational label you prefer), the Chilly schism, and trading a second day draft pick to acquire Randy Moss for a MONTH and CUTTING HIM (REALLY??)...seemed to be a run away for the 2010 Hat Trick Ugly award at one point. However, even Grace Jones, Rosie O'Donnell, and Amy Winehouse had to stand, in shock and awe, at the ugliness that became the 2010 Washington Redskins.

NOT UGLY: The first Jenn Sterger photo of 2011. Sterger (right) and who really cares about the name of girl on the left? She's hot.
Who didn't see this photo coming after the word "Sterger" appeared? 8

Redskins Head Coach Mike Shanahan must have understood that owner Daniel Snyder had a long, time honored tradition of throwing money down the toilet after overpriced, underachieving free agents. But guys with gambling addictions, followers of the Wesely Snipes tax plan, and graduates of the Bernie Madoff School of Investments were sending mail to Redskins Park offering financial advice to Snyder in the wake of the $40 million Albert Haynesworth write-off. To make matters worse, Shanahan attempted to "shame" Haynesworth, for not participating in voluntary offseason mini-camps, by requiring Fat Albert to pass a conditioning test for which Usain Bolt would need to rigorously train. Fat Albert flunked his "conditioning tests" and sat his fat butt on the sidelines since he was not "allowed" to practice. Oh yeah! They sure taught him a lesson!

Ugly 9

Snyder is a known spend thrift. Haynesworth is a known attitude problem. Shanahan, while I think he handled the Haynesworth situation poorly, had a stellar reputation, going into the 2010 season. So while the situation was ugly, it was not superlative. The comic-tragic manner in which Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator, and Mike's son, Kyle Shanahan treated and handled possible future Hall of Fame quarterback Donovan McNabb, whose reputation is that of the consummate team player, leader, and class act, created one of the most unfortunate and ugly situations I have ever seen on an NFL team.

Uglier 10

McNabb was brought over from Philadelphia to help lead the Redskins back into contention. Mike Shanahan and McNabb were never on the same page. The Shanahans insulted the intelligence of McNabb, football fans, and any creature with an IQ greater than that of a walnut by trying...badly...to whitewash McNabb's benching, in favor of Rex Grossman, in the closing minutes of a loss to the Detroit Lions as a "cardiovascular" issue. Fired Vikings coach Brad Childress, who said he cut Randy Moss because he was a "programmatic non-fit", called "B.S." on that move. The Redskins appear to reward McNabb for his professionalism and patience with, what was announced to the media, as a lucrative contract extension, only for the public to find out, within 24 hours, that McNabb signed up for some magic beans and fool's gold. The final insult: McNabb is effectively made inactive (emergency QB) for the final games of the season.

Ugliest 11

A lot of media outlets have had fun, affectionately, comparing Broncos QB Tim Tebow to Jesus Christ because of Tebow's well publicized, strong Christian faith. I am not the strongest person on Bible knowledge, but turning the other cheek, enduring undeserved tribulations, perseverance, standing upright in the face of indignity...many of these themes recur in the Bible and are thought of as Christ-like characteristics. After 2010, maybe the press should give McNabb just a little "Jesus ink" like Tebow. More power to Tebow, for trying to carry out God's mission, but McNabb has certainly endured a missionary-like persecution!

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WWJD? 2   

1) Source: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/04/371139/panthers-cut-delhomme.html
2) Image from profootballweekly.com
3) Image from rootzoo.com
4) Image from thepigskindoctors.com
5) Image from bleacherreprt.net
6) Image from torotimes.com
7) Image from footballbabble.com
8) Image from xuqu.com via deathvalleyvoice.com
9) Image from from dragoart.com via rekotrill.com
10) Image from redskins.com

11) Image from lehighvalleylive.com