Archive for August, 2009
Divers Beware
Posted by Jacquie Franciulli in Miscellaneous on August 31, 2009
After years of threatening, UEFA are taking action against the ugly side of football – diving. Arsenal’s striker, Eduardo fell too easily in the penalty area mid week and was granted a weak penalty. UEFA have now charged the striker with “intent to deceive the referee.” And now the Gunner frontman awaits his penalty – a punishment that can include suspension for two matches.
Arsene Wenger of course is not happy. The Frenchman told the media that:
“I find it a complete disgrace and not acceptable. We will not accept the way Uefa treated this case. Having seen the television again nothing is conclusive from that and it singles out a player in Europe to be a cheat and that is not acceptable. I have seen some obvious cases where Uefa didn’t intervene and that is on and off the pitch. Things have happened in Europe on and off the pitch where Fifa did not act at all.”
NFL Season Preview: AFC North
Posted by Chris Cwik in Fantasy, Football on August 31, 2009
Can the Steelers Repeat?
The AFC North was a top-heavy division in 2008. Both Baltimore and Pittsburgh won double digit games, while Cincinnati and Cleveland both managed only 4 wins. Although only the 6th seed, the Ravens wrecked havoc in the playoffs, beating Miami and Tennesee before advancing to play the Steelers in the AFC Championship game. The Steelers would come out on top, of course, and go on the win the Superbowl. The Bengals lost franchise Quarterback Carson Palmer early on with an arm injury and never recovered. The Browns failed to capitalize on their 10 win season in 2007. Derek Anderson came back to earth, and Braylon Edwards was plagued by dropped passes. With Cleveland and Cincinnati starting to rebuild, can Pittsburgh become the first team since New England to repeat? Or will Joe Flacco lead the Ravens to a division title this season?
Favre Has Another Injury?
According to ProFootballTalk.com Brett Favre suspects he has a cracked rib. O boy, that’s two official excuses by my count, the rotator cuff and now the cracked rib, that Favre has in case he doesn’t play well this season. Favre went on to say he won’t wear any extra padding since “the damage is done”. The Vikings haven’t mentioned the injury previously.
NFL Season Preview: AFC South
Posted by Chris Cwik in Fantasy, Football on August 31, 2009
Can Kerry Collins Lead the Titans to Another Division Title?
The Tennessee Titans were the toast of the AFC South, and the NFL, last season. Led by a great running game, a strong defense, and a Kerry Collins, the Titans went 13-3 and earned the number 1 seed in the playoffs. Despite the record, the Titans lost in the Divisional Round to the Ravens. The Colts, however, finished right behind the Titans with a 12-4 record. Peyton Manning struggled a bit initially, but once he fully recovered from his knee injury, the Colts were as good as ever. In third, were the upstart Houston Texans. Led by a strong offensive showing, the Texans were able to finish 8-8. Finally, the Jaguars suffered through an injury riddled season and fell to 5-11. With two AFC juggernauts, the up-and-coming Texans, and the Jaguars returning to health, the AFC South just might be the best division in the NFL this season.
Andre Smith Signs, Where is Michael Crabtree?
Posted by Chris Cwik in Football on August 30, 2009
Andre Smith Can Buy a Lot of Donuts With That Money
Well, it took quite some time, but Andre Smith is finally at Bengals Camp. This leaves Michael Crabtree as the only 1st round rookie that remains unsigned. Crabtree, picked 10th overall by the 49ers was supposed to have a major impact as a rookie this season. With the Pre-Season almost over, it doesn’t appear that Crabtree will be on the field any time soon. The 49ers have, supposedly, offered Crabtree a contract that is on par with what the 10th pick in the draft should make, but Crabtree is still holding out for more money. There have even been rumors that Crabtree may sit out the entire season if he and the 49ers cannot get a deal done. Meanwhile, Crabtree is losing valuable practice and conditioning hours…not to mention millions of dollars. What the hell is Crabtree thinking?
New Season In Tampa, New QB, Same Result
Byron Leftwich is going to be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting QB after a heated (not) training camp. He joins the list of Jeff Garcia, Brian Griese, Bruce Gradkowski, Tim Rattay and Chris Cwik’s BFF Chris Simms as QBs to start in Tampa the last four years. Leftwich is playing for his fourth team in four years and is an equivalent to a replacement level player in the NFL, if not slightly worse. This isn’t a surprising move by any means, but it falls right in line with the Buccaneers as an organization.
What the Hell is Going on in Denver?
Posted by Chris Cwik in Fantasy, Football on August 28, 2009
Is Brandon Marshall on His Way Out?
Well, the Josh McDaniels era is getting off to a wonderful start. First, his star quarterback forces his way out. Now, his star wide receiver has been suspended for the remainder of the pre-season. After a recent video surfaced of Marshall acting like a child at practice, it’s hard to argue with McDaniels on this one. Marshall initially wanted to restructure his contract, it appears that he now has no desire to be a part of the Broncos organization. Will Marshall be the next Bronco to force his way out of Denver?
The Forum: Starting Rookie Quarterbacks
Posted by Chris Cwik in Football on August 27, 2009
When Should Matthew Stafford Play?
Each season, a few teams draft the next franchise-saving quarterback. However, many fans and analysts argue over when that quarterback should start. With the recent announcement that Mark Sanchez will get the starting nod for the Jets, we here at Foul Pole have decided to debate this yearly phenomenon. Without further ado, this week’s Forum question is as follows… Is it more beneficial to start a rookie quarterback immediately or allow them to develop on the bench?
Champions League Draw
Posted by Jacquie Franciulli in Miscellaneous on August 27, 2009
UEFA draw in Monaco
Europe’s biggest competition is finally getting started. Today’s draw brought some intriguing, yet obvious, matches. The groups and fixture dates will be as follows:
Group A:Bayern Munich, Juventus, Bordeaux, Maccabi Haifa.
Group B:Manchester United, CSKA Moscow, Besiktas, Wolfsburg.
Group C:AC Milan, Real Madrid, Marseille, FC Zurich.
Group D:Chelsea, Porto, Atletico Madrid, APOEL Nicosia.
Group E:Liverpool, Lyon, Fiorentina, Debreceni.
Group F: Barcelona, Inter Milan, Dynamo Kiev, Rubin Kazan.
Group G:Sevilla, Rangers, Stuttgart, Unirea Urziceni.
Group H:Arsenal, AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos, Standard Liege.
Michael Vick Debuts Tonight
Posted by Chris Cwik in Football on August 27, 2009
Vick Makes His Debut Tonight
After two years of waiting, Michael Vick will finally play in an NFL game tonight. Vick’s pre-season debut tonight will be the fist time Vick has played in the NFL since 2006, when he threw for 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. While much of the pre-season is meaningless to the causal NFL fan, Vick’s debut will undoubtedly be a top news story. However, it seems as though things may actually be quite tame in Philly tonight.
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