Hate is a strong word, in its pure, original form. However,
Americans throw the word around in casual conversation, usually having a true
meaning of “strong dislike”, “slight dislike”, or a meaning produced by the use
of that word in jest. I do not genuinely hate anyone that immediately comes to
mind. In the sports fanhood context, I hate Tom Brady and the Bill Belichick
era New England Patriots.
If you know me personally or read this blog regularly before
its recently discontinued hiatus, this is no secret. They’re arrogant. They’re
entitled. They are not likable. And the bastards won’t go away like cockroaches
and toilets after a nuclear bomb; they keep on winning.
Over the years I have found myself in the ironic and
reluctant position of either defending or mitigating the criticism of Tom
Terrific, The Hoodie, and the Minutemen amidst their many controversies. I
thought the Tuck Rule was a stupid rule, but it was a rule and was applied to
its letter in the infamous Tuck Rule Game that launched Brady’s stardom and the
modern Patriots dynasty. I thought Spygate was unethical, but I don’t think it
warranted any punishment until the league asked the team to discontinue its
sideline filming practices. There is no evidence (not even circumstantial
evidence) to show that the Patriots filmed the St. Louis Rams’ walk-through
before Super Bowl XXXVI, yet detractors of the Patriots organization often
freely toss the allegation around a though it were fact.
1
THEY ARE NOT ANGELS
I think that the Patriots organization and Tom Brady are
guilty as sin in the Deflategate controversy in which Patriots footballs used
during the first half of the 2014 AFC Championship Game against the
Indianapolis Colts in January of 2015 were allegedly deflated below league
specifications after the game officials inspected the balls. I also think the
impact on the lopsided Patriots victory was between “zero” and “negligible”.
More importantly, I think that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell overreached in
his punishment of Brady and his team. As reported my multiple news outlets, the
penalty on the books in the NFL at that time for equipment tampering is a fine
up to $25,000. The Patriots were exponentially fined beyond that threshold,
were penalized draft picks, and Brady was suspended for four games at the
beginning of the 2015 NFL season.
Of course, the long arm of the real law, not that of Sheriff
Goodell, reached out and slapped the NFL, enjoining Brady’s suspension. The
court opined that Goodell overreached in his authority, notwithstanding the collective
bargaining agreement in place between the league and its players, Brady played
the entire 2015 season without interruption. An appellate court recently ruled
that the lower erred in its ruling and reinstated Brady’s four game suspension,
effective at the start of the 2016 NFL regular season.
2
BLACK MO
If Goodell is the Sheriff in this western style legal drama,
then NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith is Black Bart.
And he is coming for the sheriff. This morning on ESPN’s SportsCenter, Smith
described the intent of the Players Association to take legal action to, once
again, invalidate Brady’s suspension and possibly put some handcuffs on the
sheriff in the long run. Smith described his disdain for the far reaching authority
of Goodell in player discipline issues. With the existing collective bargaining
agreement in place until 2021, Smith acknowledged the challenges in curtailing
Goodell’s authority. However, the appeals to public opinion and use of the
court system are within Smith’s wheelhouse and have proven effective in the
past.
We need a new sheriff in town. 3
HOLDING MY NOSE
In this chapter of NFL drama, I am (not so) reluctantly on
the side of one of my least favorite players in NFL history. This case is much
bigger than Tom Brady or the Patriots and, to a degree, it is bigger than
football. In so many words, this is about The Man putting his boot on the
throat of the little guy. As rich and famous as Brady is, he is just an
employee in and being used as a pawn by the National Football League.
Goodell’s arbitrary exercise of power has become
increasingly egregious and grown exponentially during the past several years.
What was once an effort to maintain the public image of the league through
player and organizational discipline has mushroomed into an untargeted
dispersal of power to send a message from one man, the Commissioner, to the
people under his authority. It is to the long term detriment, not benefit of
the game of football at the professional level.
When you are a two-time defending champion in any sports, you are the hunted, not the hunter. This is also true in the NBA. The Miami Heat are so good, that they often can be seen sleepwalking through games. Every now and then, the sleeping giant wakes up. LeBron James dropped 61 points on the Charlotte Bobcats earlier this week in spite of the major mismatch between the two teams.
Then, of course, there is the 2013 NBA Finals rematch at the defending Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs. Disregard any downplaying of this game. Both teams want to win.
The Heatles are so popular that you will find "fans" dressed in Heat gear at nearly every road game in which they play. San Antonio is no exception. Today's retweet Stephen Anderson (@andersonstevem) pokes a little fun at the nationwide Heat bandwagon as the Spurs put it to the Heat, 111-87, tonight.
"In other news: Fans in Heat jerseys at the arena were seen switching to Spurs uniforms after the game. #SpursNation"
Every time I have written about Yankees third baseman Alex
Rodriguez (.319, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .897 OPS) in light of the Major League Baseball
Biogenesis performance enhancing drugs (P.E.D.s) investigation, I tell myself
that it will be the last time for “a while”. There is no benefit in beating a
dead horse. It isn’t interesting.
Yet every time I think this story is going to cool off, it
takes a new twist or dramatic turn. I’ve consistently explained how much I am
not a fan of the New York Yankees and never have been. I think their
operational philosophy is bad for baseball and bad for sports in general.
The putrid stench of the handling of the Biogenesis investigation
and discipline is making a piece of me root for the Yankees to have success in
2013. That part of me is the part with a short tolerance for hypocrisy, self-righteous
double-talk, and pawns being used as scapegoats. I probably will not be able to
bring myself to cheer the Yankees along the way. However, if the Yankees have
any measurable postseason success in this season (particularly if Rodriguez
continues to play a significant role in their success), I will have a sense of
gratification with the outcome when their season has concluded.
A picture says a thousand words, even if only one word is written. 1
VIGILANTE BASEBALL
The A-Rod story took another turn late last week when multiple
sports media outlets revealed that a 60 Minutes report would allege that
members of Rodriguez’s “inner circle” leaked information to Yahoo! Sports
implicating Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers and teammate Francisco Cervelli
in the Biogenesis flap in February, when the spotlight shone heavily on Rodriguez’s
involvement. In essence, A-Rod was accused of ratting out his peers to deflect
attention from his role in the scandal, taboo in any fraternity of any kind in
any organization.
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Ryan Dempster (6-9, 4.77
ERA) was the starting pitcher in last night’s rubber match against the Yankees
at Fenway Park. Rodriguez came up to bat in the second inning. Demspterthrew a pitch behind Rodriguez’s back followed
by two pitches way inside that forced Rodriguez to move to avoid being hit. On a
3-0 count, Dempster release a pitch that drilled A-Rod in the back. The attempt
to hit Rodriguez could not have been more blatantly obvious to anyone with a
baseball I.Q. greater than that of a raisin.
Rodriguez's girlfriend: Rebeca Yunen Finke: "Why you gotta hate?" Again, A-Rod is having the last laugh. 4
At this point, all but the most vitriolic of anti-A-Rod
fans, in my opinion, should have been able to empathize with Rodriguez had he
charged the pitcher’s mound and served Dempster a fresh knuckle sandwich. Dempster
took it upon himself to police the game, which is traditional in baseball, and
made his intentions crystal clear by making four consecutive over-the-top, obvious attempts to hit Rodriguez with the ball.
Dempster should have been ejected on the spot.
Was Dempster ejected? No. What happened? Umpire Brian O’Nora
issued a warning to both benches, essentially saying the next incident would
result in an ejection (meaning the Yankees could not return the favor – also traditional
in baseball). Yankees Manager Joe Girardi was beside himself, vaulted from the
dugout to argue O’Nora’s handling of the situation, and then O’Nora ejected
Girardi.
I am sure Girardi thought, “Let me get this straight. Their
pitcher deliberately hits my player. You warn OUR bench and throw ME out of the
game? Somebody’s getting hit.” On his way to the Yankees clubhouse, his lips
could clearly be read saying, “Somebody’s getting hit!”
You be the judge.
KARMA
Rodriguez didn’t charge the mound. The Yankees’ bench didn’t
empty. Instead, Rodriguez would go on to score the first run of the game. A-Rod
would later drive in a run and then hit a home run off Dempster to spark a
Yankees comeback in the 6th inning. New York would go on to win the
game, 9-6.
I’ve read about how egg is a great source of protein for
athletes, but I thought it was supposed to be eaten, not smeared on one’s face.
Ryan Dempster was brought in via free agency to help the Red Sox make a serious
push in a very tight American League pennant race. He is underachieving relative
to last season and his career. His season has been in a tailspin since the
All-Star break.
So what do you do to help your career? What do you do to help
your team, only one game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the A.L. East at a time
of the season in which the significance of the outcome of every game is magnified?
You walk a leadoff runner in a manner so blatant that you are all but certain
to be suspended for five games (meaning you miss your next start and your team
needs to find a less desirable replacement). Why? You’re choosing now, in the
middle of August on national television, to be the sheriff of Major League
Baseball.
But wait! There’s more! So now you’ve pissed off one of the
best power hitters in the history of the game and given his team, which was
dead in the water two weeks ago but is now surging in part because of that
hitter, a rallying point…you fire up your archrival. What does he do? Goes 3
for 4, makes a jackass out of you by getting an RBI at your expense followed by
a homerun that gets them back in the game and gets you pulled out of the game. You
go on to get the loss and your slim division lead gets slimmer. Bravo! Nice
going! Cue in the “sports movie slow clap” for a job well done!
It's deep and I don't think it's playable. Dempster sure taught A-Rod a thing or two! 2
WHAT COMES OUT OF THE SOUTH END OF A NORTH BOUND BULL
I’m glad Dempster’s antics blew up in his face and the Red
Sox faces. I’m glad Rodriguez had the last laugh and proverbially danced on
Boston’s grave yesterday. I’m glad that every new development in this story
looks worse and worse for Major League Baseball and its interests in the public
eye.
Depmster isn’t holding up his end of the bargain when the
Red Sox signed him for $27 million for two years. He decided to be a champion
for the integrity of baseball. Because, of course, no Red Sox player ever
juiced.
Major League Baseball reaped the benefits of juiced up
players bashing out homeruns at unprecedented rates in the late 1990s and
re-engaging the fans it turned off in the strike-shortened, conclusion-less
season of 1994 with a more exciting, higher scoring offensive brand of baseball.
MLB decided to make a scapegoat out of its least likable, most polarizing, and
most overpaid superstar whose contract is an albatross on its most storied
franchise in its biggest market.
The Yankees enjoy an oppressive competitive advantage over
most other Major League Baseball teams because of its relatively limitless
ability to spend money on player salaries and the absence of a salary cap in
baseball. They knew they would be over paying Alex Rodriguez on the back end of
a 10 year, $250 million contract extension to which they signed Rodriguez,
taking effect following his American League Most Valuable Player award winning
season of 2007. They knew that the salary they were offering Rodriguez would
make it impossible for any other team to compete for his services because they
were overpaying him.
Some call this "funny". I call it "a motive". 3
YOU MADE YOUR BED, NOW LIE IN IT
The Yankees thought they were getting a company man whose
reputation would remain squeaky clean for the remainder of his career. They
thought they were getting a player who, even on the decline, would surpass
Barry Bonds’ record of 762 career home runs and do it in a Yankee uniform without
the taint of P.E.D.s. Their deep pockets and fiscal bullying in free agency
saddled them with possibly the worst value for a player’s contract in the
history of American sports.
MLB brought the hammer to 12 other first-offender players
tied to Biogenesis and then attempted launch a nuke on Rodriguez for the same
first offense, justifying the attempt at the augmented punishment with claims
of aggravating factors. Rodriguez is
still playing. He is playing so well that his contribution is impacting the pennant
race and rejuvenating a team that was left for dead before his return. He has embarrassed
every entity that has attempted to profit from his P.E.D. ties and controversial
image.
Dempster? Embarrassed…. The Red Sox? Embarrassed…. Yankees
GM Brian Cashman, who is dying to find any avenue to weasel out of some or all
of Rodriguez’s contract? Embarrassed almost weekly…. Major League Baseball Commissioner
Bud Selig? Embarrassed almost daily….
You get out what you put in. Something has stunk from the
beginning of the Biogenesis/Alex Rodriguez witch hunt. It appears that MLB is
completely full of crap.
I don't see too many signs like this for Bud Selig or Brian Cashman at MLB parks. Don't hate the player; hate the game. 5
Don't forget to vote in the fan polls! To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.
The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.
First and foremost, I am a Saints fan. With the 2013 NFL season right around the corner, I thought I would share an opinion by Dan Delaney of Saints Stuff. As a fan, it is great to be the hunted for once.
It’s Good to be Hated
First
Lets face it guys from 1967 to 2008 most people who are not in the
Metro New Orleans area were not aware we had an NFL team. To them the
2006 season was a fluke in the wake of hurricane Katrina never to happen
again. Now when you read comments on various sports blogs you can see
we are not only hated by the Falcons fans. We are also hated by Vikings
fans, and the fan bases of many of the teams in the league. It is the
same reason people hated the Cowboys in the 70s and 90s, the same reason
why people hated the 49ers in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. That
reason is the success the Saints and all of the teams I mentioned had at
the time of their hate. More importantly the lack of success the teams
that the haters are fans of.
As you can see above this is the best QB to ever play until one day
someone better comes along, or someone who is already playing surpasses
his accomplishments. He caused us Saints fans many sleepless nights with
those last minute comebacks. We probably make 3 more playoff
appearances without having to face the Joe Montana lead 49ers twice a
year. Back then I hated him, but now I respect his accomplishments on
the field, and I wish the Saints would not have passed over him twice in
his draft year.
And so it begins. If anyone had any illusions that the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal wasn’t going to morph into some “It’s OK to hate New Orleans again” anti-spirit by the national media … well, you don’t know the national media, and you don’t know New Orleans. Take it away, Josh Zerkle of Bleacher Report:
Ever since the Gulf coast was flooded by the effects of
Hurricane Katrina, the city of New Orleans and their football team have
been a beacon of goodwill, sympathy and other warm fuzziness. From a PR
standpoint, the team was bulletproof, and the Saints’ rise to prominence
became a symbol of the city’s efforts to rebuild itself.
That’s great…unless you grew up hating the Saints. …
But the Saints made the most of their moment in the sun.
They won 10 games in 2006 and made the playoffs. Three years later, they
won the Super Bowl. The storybook finally had its ending, but
the Saints still had that air of distinction that made them impossible
to hate. This bounty scandal nullifies all of that, and while I generally disagree with the sentiment that it should, I’m more than happy to accept that it does.
Etc. Etc. This may not be quite the first and it surely won’t
be the last; it’s just a sidebar to the story that’s going to spin out
in the weeks and months ahead.
Believe me, we understand what’s going on here; it’s the sports
equivalent of the political dog whistle. I know a lot of people who
don’t like the Falcons or the Giants or the 49ers, but don’t seem to
bear a general animus toward Atlanta or New York or San Francisco per
se. The Saints, somehow, are different — and have been different ever since 2005. So
much of the distaste for the Saints seems wrapped up in a distaste for
New Orleans the place that it’s hard to separate the two.
I watched a short video of Kat Williams right before writing this on
haters. He puts it best a haters job is to hate, and if you read
comments about the Saints on national media sites like ESPN you are
going the see they are doing their job. People hate success, think about
it no one hates the Jaguars. Sorry Jaguars fans maybe you can gain some
haters too.
It's good to be hated.
When it comes to sports hate comes from jealousy, and that jealousy
comes from your team outperforming all of the other teams. So to 2013
hate is great. Lets check out comments from NBC.com.
jasons81 says:May 17, 2013 3:25 PM
How funny would that picture be if half of the lights were out
This proves how mentally weak this team is. Instead of having the
mind set of trying to blow out every team you faced to get back at
Goodell, you whined and cried like b______ for the entire year. Not a
Colts fan but I never heard them crying about their coach and the man
could have died for cancer.
22
117
melkipershero says:May 17, 2013 3:39 PM
Hes probably passing out pain killers
On a serious note the Saints will be a force again as long as their D is even middle of the road.
39
19
vikes8480 says:May 17, 2013 3:55 PM
rickastleydancemoves says: May 17, 2013 3:35 PM
This proves how mentally weak this team is. Instead of having the
mind set of trying to blow out every team you faced to get back at
Goodell, you whined and cried like b______ for the entire year. Not a
Colts fan but I never heard them crying about their coach and the man
could have died for cancer.
====================================
Well said!
17
89
tombstone7 says:May 17, 2013 3:55 PM
@rick…..
YOU are comparing apples to oranges. Coach Peyton was suspended w/o
the privilege of communicating w/his teammates whereas the Colts’ coach
could have and did communicate whenever & however he wanted or
needed to. No whining, just facts!
Keep it straight otherwise you lose credibility w/your comments.
93
10
sb44champs says:May 17, 2013 4:00 PM
rickastleydancemoves says:
May 17, 2013 3:35 PM
This proves how mentally weak this team is. Instead of having the mind
set of trying to blow out every team you faced to get back at Goodell,
you whined and cried like b______ for the entire year. Not a Colts fan
but I never heard them crying about their coach and the man could have
died for cancer.
===========================
What a queen… stop acting like a little girl and face the facts….Saints
will be formidable!! Sounds like someone is getting a little jealous and
scared, lol..
I felt the Saints would pull together. The Saints fans and the city
felt betrayed. Payton is back and the team is exploding (literally).
However, the NFL is still on them. 30 teams would have been perfect for the Saints in the first game.
Unfortunately, the one team that visits New Orleans at least yearly and is their major rival comes in.
The Falcons have seen the madness in the dome. they have continually
fought the crazy fans in the ridiculously loud stadium. The falcons have
the best record in the NFL over the last few seasons and feel this a a
Super Bowl or Bust year. The Falcons detest the fans and the city of New
Orleans and they will not feel sorry for the Saints or give any
quarter.
I am not a fan of either team, however, this will be the “Game of the Year” to watch.
This game should go down to the last minute.
Great for all NFL fans!!!!
paulnoga says:
May 17, 2013 4:03 PM
“Unfortunately, the one team that visits New Orleans at least yearly and is their major rival comes in.
The Falcons have seen the madness in the dome. they have continually
fought the crazy fans in the ridiculously loud stadium. The falcons have
the best record in the NFL over the last few seasons and feel this a a
Super Bowl or Bust year.” ___________________________________
The Falcons have only beaten the Saints twice under Mike Smith (11-2 in
last 13 games)…the Falcons actually lost a big “revenge” game to the
Saints who had no head coach last year.
46
4
Deb says:May 17, 2013 4:59 PM
I would expect so! No matter what you think of Payton or the Saints,
he’s one of the best motivators in the business. Kenny Chesney’s
full-length video for “The Boys of Fall,” which opens with Payton
speaking to a high school team, still gives me chills.
Will this be labeled “Return From The Crypt”? “Return From The Dead”? “Return From The Tomb”? “Return From The Great Beyond”?
The only thing missing from that picture of Payton is the portable I.V. unit. Or the autopsy scars.
With or without Sean the Saints would have had a tough year with that
defense and lack of running game. Maybe 9-7 instead of 7-9. This year
gotta figure the d can’t be any worse (right?). Better d means better
running game. Should be a special year.
The Saints have always had die hard fans. Now we have die hard
haters. I guess we’ve arrived. You have to be good to be hated. Nobody
hates the Jaguars.
4thqtrsaint you are correct. Long before Brees and the gang or even
the dome patrol…other than Archie, there were names like Dave Wilson,
Lindsey Scott, Bobby Scott, Johnny Poe and many more that anyone other
than a diehard long suffering Saints fan would never know. I have been a
Saints fan since I was 8, hence my moniker. I suffered through the 1980
season…I grew up in Slidell and now live in Missouri with a 23 year
stop in Texas along the way. But I will be a Saints fan for life. You
are right…no one hates the Jags…
4
0
bobzilla1001 says:May 18, 2013 1:39 PM
Contrary to popular belief, the NFL is not a quarterback-driven league. The NFL is a coach-driven league.
While a mediocre coach might be able to win with exceptional talent, the
mark of an exceptional coach is being able to win without exceptional
talent.
I saw Bill Cowher do that for years in Pittsburgh, which is what separates him from any other coach in Steelers history.
I’m convinced the Saints are better with Payton than they were without him.
I could tell you half of the things that one of them will say without being able to hear them. 2
“THE COACH IS TOO NICE” GUY
This guy cracks me up. This is the sports fan who thinks
that by the head coach yelling and screaming, foaming at the mouth, and
cracking the whip, the team will magically and miraculously improve, win more
games, and/or score more points in the second half of a game in which the team
is trailing.
This is all but certainly someone who never played organized
sports at the high school level or above. The solution to his team’s woes
aren’t rooted in training, preparation, scheme, personnel, injuries, matchups,
or offsetting external factors like travel fatigue or home field advantage.
Nope. The coach just needs to knock over the water cooler, put his foot through
the chalkboard, curse like a sailor, and THEN his team will get the message and
respond.
All coaches at the major college or professional level got
as far as they got because of their general personality. They aren’t changing.
They may adjust their approach to their players, do a little more of this and a
little less of that, but the general coaching philosophy isn’t changing. The
yellers and screamers, former NFL coach Mike Ditka, University of Alabama
football coach Nick Saban, and University of South Carolina Men’s Basketball
Head Coach Frank Martin come to mind, are wired to yell and scream. They will
yell and scream when they are up 21 points near the end of the game but a
player ignored a command. It is who they are.
Much like the yellers and screamers aren’t changing, neither
are the “laid back” guys who do not blow their stacks. Losing one’s cool is
simply not in the DNA of the cool, calm, and collected coach. It cannot and
will not work for them. Their players know their assignments and know the
consequences for failure equally well and the screamer’s players. While the
Type A coach may be more entertaining for us to observe during his antics, it
doesn’t make him more effective. For examples, see Tony Dungy, Dick Vermeil, Mike
Tomlin, Les Miles, and Mike Krzyzewski.
I'm at my best at work with some asshole bellowing in my ear, too. 1
“IF I DID THAT AT MY JOB” GUY
Athletes are known for their off the field activities as
well as their on-field actions. While there are countless anonymous acts of
community service and charity by athletes, the acts of a handful of miscreants
such as arrests and anti-social behavior in the locker room tend to produce the
most sensational and attention grabbing headlines.
Those talented enough to be pro athletes make up a very tiny
percentage of the population. They don’t grow on trees. Most starters are not
immediately replaceable and most replacements for reserve/backup players are a
step down from the incumbent. In games that are decided by inches with intense
public pressure to win, unnecessary personnel turnover is costly and undesirable.
So remember, your services at Jiffy Lube can be replaced by
anyone with a pulse. Your crap is not worth the trouble of tolerating. A wide
receiver who runs a 4.3 forty is hard to find and most coaches will tolerate
just about anything but hard time if the productivity at “the office” is good
enough.
If they toss this guy out of the door, it won't cost them a second round draft pick. 3
“I WOULD DO WHATEVER THEY ASKED ME IF THEY PAID ME THAT
MUCH” GUY
This guy is in a similar vein as “If I Did That at My Job,”
guy. This is the guy who believes that, because athletes are paid much more
money in a season than he might see in ten years, athletes shouldn’t speak or
think and just function as zombies or robots on command.
Mind you, this is probably the same guy who complains about
something in the break room or his lack of a parking space with regularity.
This is the guy who probably mumbles under his breath when he’s asked to lift
an extra bag of soil at the Wal-Mart at which he works. But, suddenly this guy
would clean the bathroom for the customers with a smile if there were a few more
zeroes in his paycheck?
You wouldn't do whatever if they paid you that much, because
you CAN'T DO ANYTHING that someone would pay you that much to do. Kobe Bryant
could tell his (former) coach, Mike Brown, to kiss his ass because he is Kobe
freaking Bryant, future Hall of Famer. They pay him that much because he’s
worth that much. And in the end, Bryant effectively fired Brown, not the other
way around, and rattled off an “Amnesty THAT” blast at another league owner. I don't
think Kobe is worried about being in trouble for smarting off to the boss man
for another team in the league.
Contrary to what "that guy" might think, with the work ethic it takes to become a star athlete, I think Dwight Howard would make a better shoe salesman than 'that guy" would make an NBA Center. 4
Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!
To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.
Today's retweet is from The Fake ESPN (@TheFakeESPN). Unless you have avoided all sports media today until now, you are aware the Matt Cain pitched a perfect game against the Houston Astros last night. It was only the 22nd perfect game in the history of Major League Baseball.
Apparently, some fans are more knowledgeable than others, according to The Fake ESPN. Here is the Retweet of the Day.
""Who did Matt Cain combine with on his perfect game?" -Mariners Fans"
Last year, the Hat Trick ran a piece during the divisional playoffs highlighting pinnacle playoff moments in the histories of each of the eight remaining franchises. With critical playoff matchups coming this weekend, the Hat Trick is delivering a version for each of the teams in this year’s divisional round. While it may be mentioned, for any of the teams that were also in the divisional round last year, none of last year’s moments will be repeated.
8) Houston Homecoming – January 7, 2012 – 2011 Wildcard Round, Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans
Texans 31 Bengals 14
The City of Houston hosted its first NFL playoff game in 18 years, when the Houston Oilers hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the 1993 Playoffs. This is a new franchise and a new era in Houston sports. The Texans ushered in their first, ever, playoff appearance by literally running all over the Bengals. Arian Foster finished with 153 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Arian Foster 1
7) Giant Shellacking – January 28, 2001 – Super Bowl XXXV – Baltimore Ravens vs New York Giants
Ravens 34 Giants 7
The only single season defense to rival the 1985 Chicago Bears, the Ravens’ D, which yielded 10 points per game in the regular season, did not allow a single point to the NFC Champion Giants. Were it not for a Ron Dixon kickoff return for a touchdown for the Giants, the Ravens would have posted the first, ever, shutout in Super Bowl history. Of the Ravens four games in the 2000 NFL Playoffs, the Ravens allowed a total of 23 points, a total that the Ravens exceeded in single playoff games against the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round (24 points) and in the aforementioned Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XXXV MVP Ray Lewis 2
6) “We’re gonna score!” – January 4, 2004 – 2003 Wild Card Round – Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
Packers 33 Seahawks 27 (OT)
The Packers and Seahawks were all tied up after four quarters in Brett Favre’s final season before the annual offseason speculation, which would last until the 2011 offseason, of whether or not Brett Favre would retire would commence. The Seattle Seahawks won the coin toss. When asked whether the Seahawks wanted to kick or receive, team captain and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, audible to the television audience, exclaimed, “We want the ball and we’re gonna score!”
After swapping opening possessions of the extra period, Hasselbeck threw a pass resulting in a score: a 52 yard interception return for a touchdown by Packers cornerback Al Harris.
You're gonna score? Settle down, Beavis! 3
5) Garrett Hartley sends the Saints to the Super Bowl – January 24, 2010 – 2009 NFC Championship Game – Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
Saints 31 Vikings 28 (OT)
Being a Saints fan, and trying to single out the most profound and/or memorable and/or dramatic playoff moment, new to the readers, in the team’s history, I was torn between high drama in three playoff games. One was the Saints first ever playoff win in the 2000 season, ending with a sudden, snatch victory from the jaws of defeat moment. Another was Super Bowl XLIV, in which the Saints slammed the door on their opponent in dramatic fashion.
I chose the 2009 NFC Championship Game because it was a true breakthrough for the franchise. The goal of every team is to win the Super Bowl, but the rise in a franchise’s standing from never having reached a Super Bowl to reaching one is far greater than the rise from reaching the Super Bowl to winning it, in my opinion. In addition, the win prompted a fundamental change in the overtime rules in playoff games.
In addition, the tension in the Superdome could have been cut with a butter knife. I have missed very few home games in the last 25 years. The silence I heard in the bathroom after the 4th quarter and before overtime was deafening. If you have ever attended Saints games, you understand how the bathroom, or any part of the stadium, in never, ever “silent”.
After being in the driver’s seat for most of the game, the Vikings tied the score and had marched into Saints territory in the final minute of the game. Brett Favre, in what was becoming an unfavorable annual tradition, threw his final pass of the year, an interception to Tracy Porter of the Saints, when the Vikings were just on the edge of kicker Ryan Longwell’s field goal range.
The Saints wasted no time moving the ball in overtime after winning the coin toss. After advancing to the Vikings 23 yard line, Hartley booted a 40 yard game winning field goal. The Vikings never took possession in overtime. The sudden death playoff win via a field goal on the opening drive prompted changes to the NFL’s playoff overtime rules to preclude sudden death on an opening drive field goal by the team winning the coin toss or a matching field goal by the opponent of that team.
"Hartley...SENDS THE SAINTS TO THE SUPER BOWL!" 4
4) The legend of Vinatieri begins – February 3, 2002 – Super Bowl XXXVI – New England Patriots vs St. Louis Rams
Patriots 20 Rams 17
Being a blogger instead of a journalist, I have the freedom to be biased. To poke a little fun at myself, fanhood, and NFL fans, The Daily Hat Trick ran a piece last year detailing my NFL fanhood by team. In the very bottom tier were the St. Louis Rams and New England Patriots.
Being from New Orleans, where Super Bowl XXXVI was played, and because of my mother’s connections in corporate America at that time, I had the privilege of bringing my younger brother to the first and only Super Bowl I was able to attend in my life. And WHO would be in the game? Two of my least favorite teams on the planet.
Fortunately, because the Rams were still in the same division as the Saints that year, I had no reservations about rooting for the Patriots. At least I could cheer for SOMEONE during the experience. I was also privileged to attend the game because it was the first Super Bowl after the 9/11 attacks. The theme of patriots and patriotism went far beyond the AFC’s representative in the game. It was a memorable experience.
It was also memorable because of the ending of the game. The Patriots were considered an upstart, and a huge underdog heading into the game. Some, myself included, thought their very survival past the second round of the playoffs in The Tuck Rule Game, made their appearance a fluke. The stage was set for the second coronation in three years of the Greatest Show on Turf and 2001 Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Kurt Warner of the Rams.
The Pats forced key second half turnovers, and the score was tied in the final two minutes of the 4th quarter. The Patriots had the ball deep in their own territory and could have run out the clock and forced overtime, as was suggested by Fox Color Commentator and Super Bowl XI champion coach John Madden.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick elected to drive for a winning score in regulation. Tom Brady carved up the soft underbelly of the Rams defense. The Patriots advanced the ball to the Rams’ 31 yard line and stopped the clock with seconds remaining. Vinatieri, who kicked a 45 yard game tying field goal in the snow to save the Patriots’ season in The Tuck Rule Game, further cemented his legacy with a 48 yard game winning field goal as time expired to win the Super Bowl.
One of many legendary kicks for Vinatieri. 5
3) Missing Perfection – February 3, 2008 – Super Bowl XLII – New York Giants vs New England Patriots
Giants 17 Patriots 14
The New England Patriots entered the Super Bowl with two playoff victories and a perfect 2007 regular season for an 18-0 record. The Giants clawed their way in as a Wild Card, having to win three consecutive games on the road to advance to Super Bowl XLII. The regular season finale at Foxboro between the Pats and G-Men was one of the closest contests the Patriots were in all season, winning by only three points. The Patriots came out to Arizona, which hosted the game, for a coronation. The Giants came out to the desert for a dogfight!
The game was punctuated by two plays on the Giants’ final drive. The first was a miraculous catch on third and long on a 32 yard bomb from Giants quarterback Eli Manning to wide receiver David Tyree, in which Tyree pinned the ball to his head as he was falling, but never lost control of the football. The other was 13 yard fade route from Manning to 6’5” Plaxico Burress for a game winning touchdown.
David Tyree: Are you KIDDING me?? 6
2) “The Drive” – January 11, 1987 – 1986 AFC Championship Game – Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns
Broncos 23 Browns 20 (OT)
The Hat Trick contrasted this famous moment in NFL history with Tim Tebow’s late game dramatics in the Wild Card round last weekend. This game launched the legend of Hall of Fame Broncos quarterback John Elway. It is one of the most stories moments in the history of the National Football League.
Trailing the Browns by 7 points in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, the Broncos took possession of the ball at their own two yard line. Elway methodically drove the Broncos down the field, having never faced a fourth down. He completed what is referenced universally by NFL fans as “The Drive” with five yard touchdown pass to a sliding Mark Jackson in the end zone to tie the score and send the game into overtime. The Broncos went on to win on a Rich Karlis field goal.
Mark Jackson: forever frozen in time. 7
1) “The Catch” – January 10, 1982 – 1981 NFC Championship Game – Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers
49ers 28 Cowboys 27
Trailing by six points in the final minutes of the game, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana of the 49ers marched his team down the field against America’s Team and the Doomsday Defense with a series of short and intermediate range passes underneath that the Cowboys could not find an answer to. At the Cowboys six yard line on third down, Montana was flushed all the way to the right sideline by Hall of Fame defensive tackle Randy White and defensive end Ed “Too Tall” Jones of the Cowboys. Montana jumped in the air and heaved the ball over the leaping Jones and White and connected with wide receiver Dwight Clark in the corner of the end zone in the final minute.
The 49ers went on to Super Bowl XVI in Pontiac, Michigan and defeated the Cincinnati Bengals for their first of five Super Bowl Championships in 14 years. The play has forever been known as “The Catch” and, by many, is considered by many sports writers and broadcasters to be the starting point of the modern era of NFL football in the Super Bowl era.
You could skip to the end, but why miss the build up, with play-by-play from the legendary Vin Scully and color commentary by the late Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram? 8
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To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.
On a serious note the Saints will be a force again as long as their D is even middle of the road.
This proves how mentally weak this team is. Instead of having the mind set of trying to blow out every team you faced to get back at Goodell, you whined and cried like b______ for the entire year. Not a Colts fan but I never heard them crying about their coach and the man could have died for cancer.
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Well said!
YOU are comparing apples to oranges. Coach Peyton was suspended w/o the privilege of communicating w/his teammates whereas the Colts’ coach could have and did communicate whenever & however he wanted or needed to. No whining, just facts!
Keep it straight otherwise you lose credibility w/your comments.
May 17, 2013 3:35 PM
This proves how mentally weak this team is. Instead of having the mind set of trying to blow out every team you faced to get back at Goodell, you whined and cried like b______ for the entire year. Not a Colts fan but I never heard them crying about their coach and the man could have died for cancer.
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What a queen… stop acting like a little girl and face the facts….Saints will be formidable!! Sounds like someone is getting a little jealous and scared, lol..
However, the NFL is still on them. 30 teams would have been perfect for the Saints in the first game.
Unfortunately, the one team that visits New Orleans at least yearly and is their major rival comes in.
The Falcons have seen the madness in the dome. they have continually fought the crazy fans in the ridiculously loud stadium. The falcons have the best record in the NFL over the last few seasons and feel this a a Super Bowl or Bust year. The Falcons detest the fans and the city of New Orleans and they will not feel sorry for the Saints or give any quarter.
I am not a fan of either team, however, this will be the “Game of the Year” to watch.
This game should go down to the last minute.
Great for all NFL fans!!!!
May 17, 2013 4:03 PM
“Unfortunately, the one team that visits New Orleans at least yearly and is their major rival comes in.
The Falcons have seen the madness in the dome. they have continually fought the crazy fans in the ridiculously loud stadium. The falcons have the best record in the NFL over the last few seasons and feel this a a Super Bowl or Bust year.” ___________________________________
The Falcons have only beaten the Saints twice under Mike Smith (11-2 in last 13 games)…the Falcons actually lost a big “revenge” game to the Saints who had no head coach last year.
The only thing missing from that picture of Payton is the portable I.V. unit. Or the autopsy scars.
While a mediocre coach might be able to win with exceptional talent, the mark of an exceptional coach is being able to win without exceptional talent.
I saw Bill Cowher do that for years in Pittsburgh, which is what separates him from any other coach in Steelers history.
I’m convinced the Saints are better with Payton than they were without him.