Titans Reign Over

The Tennessee Titans lost their first game Sunday against the New York Jets with Brett Favre leading the pack. The Jets beat the Titans 34-13 and Favre broke Dan Marino’s record by wining in his 32nd different stadium throughout his career.

Coming back from a win against the Patriots last weekend, the Jets crushed the Titans and tore their 13-game winning streak to shreds. They have won five straight games for the first time since 2004 and are on a role with an 8-3 record moving on top the American Football Conference East teams. Wide receiver Leon Washington sealed the Jets win by breaking free for a 61-yard touchdown run giving them a 27-6 lead over the Titans and became the longest play of the season for the Jets.

Favre has shown that age is not an issue with him and he has a lot more left in his bones at almost 40 years old. Against the Titans he threw two touchdown passes and had 224 passing yards total. He helped the Green Bay Packers dominate during his reign in the previous years and made even the fans of other teams love him. After deciding he didn’t like sitting on his butt in retirement he’s helped the Jets dominate as well.

A fan could be a Favre lover and still love his or her team just as much because Favre is that likable. He’s also known for sucking it up when he has an injury and it was great to see him tell Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo to suck it up when he injured his pinky.

If Favre keeps up these victories, the Jets might have a chance at the playoffs this season with the Patriots one game behind. But if the Jets go to the super bowl, no matter if they win or not, Favre should consider retiring on top and stay there. I’d rather see the hero go out on top then keep up these victories and then start to slide on his performance. If he stays, he’ll be known for being a hardcore football player that’s too stubborn to know when to quit. Also if he stays, he will be the laughing stock of football with the stunt he pulled in the beginning of the season by coming out of retirement. People would respect him more if he quit while he’s ahead. Not that I don’t want to see Favre on the field anymore, but I’d rather him go down as a great quarterback then go down in flames.

Captain America Defeated by the Gorilla

The underdog and reigning heavyweight champion was defeated in “the biggest fight in Ultimate Fighting Championship history” on Saturday. Olympic Roman fighter, also known as “Captain America”, Randy Couture was beat by rookie Brock Lesnar.

Couture was at a disadvantage going into the match because Lesnar had about 40 pounds on him with an 81 inch reach that’s over six feet. Lesnar definitely overpowered Couture in size, but Couture had the experience. Lesnar had only three matches under his belt winning two of them. Couture had 24 matches under his belt winning 16 of them to strong guys like Tito Ortiz and Tim Sylvia.

I still don’t understand why these two were matched up and the event hyped up. I think although Lesnar won the match he should not have even fought Couture with the amount of fights he’s been in. UFC President Dana White thought Lesnar vs. Couture would be a great fight because of Lesnar’s gorilla size. White should’ve had Couture fight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria who took over the Heavyweight Champion title while Couture was off the grid for a year. That would be a good match up to see who really deserves the title instead of giving it to a rookie that has barely been in the UFC fighting world.

Lesnar only won because he used his size to exhaust Couture by pushing him up against the cage and then using his hammer hands to pound his head in. There were many times that Couture had an advantage in the match and when he was pinned down he would always be able to get out of it. But, one hit to his temple sent him to the ground.

“I can’t believe it,” said Lesnar I want to thank (UFC President) Dana (White), the UFC, and especially Randy Couture. It takes a lot of balls to come back after a year off and fight a young buck like me,” said Lesnar after the fight.

If Lesnar stuck to a standing fight, he would’ve lost so quickly because Couture has so much more skill in that area than him. Couture lasted for a long time for being 45 years old and having taken a year off from Mixed Martial Arts. It was sad to see Couture fall to the baby of the MMA as far as experience because Couture has taken down guys just as big as Lesnar. He showed that he still had a fight in him and we probably won’t see the last of him in the near future.

“We’ll let things settle down. I still feel like I’m getting better as a fighter, and we’ll see what happens,” said Couture after the match.

Lesnar might go a few more matches before finally getting so beat that he gets knocked out. His size is a great advantage, but that can only go so far before skill needs to come into play. Without the skill that Couture has and many of Lesnar’s future opponents have Lesnar won’t go far in the UFC world. He’s solid and 6’3, but size doesn’t always help in MMA fights.

TItans Still Reign

The Tennessee Titans are the only National Football team that is still undefeated with a record of 8-0.

A few weeks ago I thought they were only undefeated because they haven’t played any real hard teams in the beginning of the season. The first game the Titans beat the Jaguars that are 3-5 right now and not the best. Then they went on to beat the Bengals, who finally won their first game on Sunday and is one of the worst in the league. The third week of the season they beat the Texans, who have the same record as the Jaguars. But, the first real challengers were the Vikings with a 4-4 record and then the Ravens who are 5-3. They also recently beat the Colts and on Sunday the Packers, both whom are good teams this year. So, half of the teams the Titans have played have been against low ranked teams. The team has just recently shown what they were worth against higher ranking teams like the Packer.

The Titans came out of nowhere and surprised many football fans. Many of those fans are still doubting the Titans success and waits for their defeat. But, unlike the hatred towards the Patriots when they went on a winning streak the Titans have clean victories. No one is bitter about them cheating with taping the opponent and doesn’t hate the Titans, but just wonders where this streak came from and how long it will go.

The quarterback is a no name Kerry Collins that played horribly for the Raiders and found his place with the Titans. Collins has a 56.4 percent pass completions with only two fumbles and three interceptions this season. He started with the Titans as a back up quarterback for two seasons watching Vince Young start. But, once Young injured his knee Collins showed his stuff. He did so well that the coach kept him as the starter.

Rookie running back Chris Johnson is ranked number one in the most rushing yards and has made five touchdowns running. LenDale White has the most touchdowns rushed with 10. So, the Titans definitely know how to run the ball and make plays to get down the field. The team is also great in fourth down conversions and can defend its territory very well against its opponents when the offense fails. Both the offense and defense lines are strong and can take over the field in any game so far. Usually a team is stronger on the offense or defense, but not both.

So, will all the numbers each player is putting up and having a great quarterback to lead the team really get this team to the playoffs and possibly the super bowl? Well, the only challenging teams they play the rest of the season will be the Bears, Steelers and the Colts again. If the Titans keep it up during the games that count, then they will have no problem getting to the playoffs. From there we’ll have to see because that’s when the best teams come out to play the hardest to get to the super bowl.

Doug Weight Knocks Out NHL Player

New York Islander center Doug Weight hit Carolina Hurricanes Brandon Sutter so hard that he knocked him unconscious and into the hospital. Many people are wondering if the hit was even legal since the National Hockey League is trying to cut down on hits to the head.

Hockey is all about checking the opponents and hitting other players as hard as they can. This is the main reason why people watch this sport. Sutter was looking down at the puck the moment Weight made a clean hit without using his elbows or jumping into it. He would’ve hit Sutter’s shoulder if he wasn’t looking down besides it’s hard to go that fast and be in control of where he hits. I’ve seen the Sacramento State Hornets Hockey Club make clean hits and receive penalties because of it, but that just doesn’t happen very often in the NHL.

The NHL is trying to make “head-checking” illegal and if so will suspend Weight for an unintended injury. Weight was just playing hockey and going after the puck-carrier. If the NHL creates another rule on how the players shouldn’t hit then many hits will be called because they look like a head-check. “High-sticking” could even be mistaken for “head –checking”. Minor calls will become major calls and the fighting in hockey will decrease along with the fans. How will the officials separate the clean hits with the dirty hits if they both hit the head? One may be unintentional and uncontrollable and vice versa. But, they both look the same to the officials because everything happens so fast that lines start to blur.

This is happening in the NFL already with the association creating more and more rules for the sake of keeping the player’s safe and making it a fair game. Football players can’t even organize celebration dances unless they want to pay a fine like the Dolphins and Terrell Owens of the Cowboys. Creating more rules makes the game duller because it’s putting more limitations on what the players can actually do.

Weight isn’t to blame for playing the game right. Sutter chose to stare at the puck and focus on his advance instead of focusing on his surroundings. Otherwise he would’ve seen weight was trailing him. Every hockey player knows to keep their head up at all times and always be aware of who is around you. If the NHL decides to make “head-checking” illegal, it will most likely come down to if the elbows are used, how long the payers down and end in how much damage was done.

I only watch hockey because it has an entertainment level to it and keeps the fans interested with all the fights. It’s fun to yell and cheer on the fights when a defender goes after my team. Then there’s that whole element of getting revenge, which the players always seem to do. Hockey is a great sport, but adding more rules will only be the downfall of yet another All-American sport.

Committed College Football Player Cuts off Pinkie

Trevor Wikre had two choices; he could either recover for six months and be out the rest of the season or cut off his dislocated pinkie to keep playing football. Mesa State College’s senior right guard chose the latter of the two because his team was so far undefeated in conference games and had four games left in the season.

The injury happened when he was blocking for a play and caught his finger in a teammate’s jersey. He took off his glove thinking it was nothing and found a bone sticking out of his pinkie. The doctor said it would take six months to heal and that’s when Wikre straight up told the surgeon to cut it off saying that it’s only a pinkie.

Most people thought he would’ve chosen the first option because this is his last year of college and there are only a handful of games left. Besides, there’s no chance of him going to the pros, so why would he make this huge sacrifice for the team?

Many people that have seen him play would not be surprised with Wikre’s decision because he’s played with a bad knee and also the flu, throwing up in between plays. This guy is hardcore. But, as committed as is he I don’t think it was worth it since he’s not an NFL prospect. He’s just a serious college football player that will go on to other careers in his life. Also, the team could lose its last game of the conference and all of his commitment to the team would have been a waste. Then he would have to live with never being able to grasp anything the same way again.

After all the media coverage on this situation the Mesa Mavericks have come to laugh about this by talking about giving high fours to his fellow players and giving him nicknames like "Stubs" and "Fantastic Four". The biggest joke is that he will now get 10% fewer holding calls.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo on the other hand could’ve asked to have his pinkie amputated so he could play this past Sunday against the 1-4 St. Luis Rams for an easy win. But, instead he was out with a broken pinkie and the team lost to a low ranking team in a trap game with many other players out.

Wikre now makes anyone who seriously injures a finger playing a sport look like a pansy, but right now Wikre looks like a hero to his team and in a few weeks a nobody with one less pinkie. He made an irrational decision without thinking of the consequences down the road. A person uses their pinkie more then they think and is an important part of the hand.

Obviously I would never have done that no matter how much I love football because in Sign Language the pinkie makes up many words and numbers. But, to the avid Mesa College football fan, enjoy Wikre’s commitment while you can and hope he actually helps the team to a victorious season.

Sports Columnist Michael Silver

Michael Silver is a witty sports columnist for Yahoo! Sports and wrote for Sports Illustrated in the past. He loves body boarding, sushi, hip-hop and Rock n’ Roll music and incorporates those hobbies into his writing.

He’s co-authored books about NBA’s Dennis Rodman, NFL quarterback Kurt Warner and in 2002 covered five games in five different states in five days called the “Football Odessey”.

The sports columns he writes for Yahoo! are unique because instead of just recapping games or events in the sports world he tells a story and makes it interesting. He talks to as many players as possible to find all the different views and adds jokes here and there.

For example, he recently wrote the column “Smith brighten’s the Falcon’s days” about the new coach of the Falcons Mike Smith creating a positive environment for the team. In the column he gives an analogy comparing the old cold hearted coach of the Falcons Bobby Petrino to the new vibrant coach:

“The best analogy I can give is it’s like Dorothy when she was looking for the Wizard of Oz,” veteran safety Lawyer Milloy says. “When she finally accomplishes her goals, you just see the dark skies open up and all of a sudden it’s glorious sunshine.”

Ding dong, the wicked witch is dead!

Even better, Petrino’s replacement is the NFL’s version of Glinda, minus the pink dress and fairy dust. A man whose pre-Falcons profile was as extraordinary as his name, Smith has been energized by an opportunity he never saw coming and carries a near-constant smile to prove it.

He writes the story in a way that even people that barely watch sports can understand. After the main story, his column is separated into sections like the rumors floating around about different stuff under the section “Lies, Lies, Lies” and some fantasy football information under the section “My Buddy’s Annoying Fantasy Adventure” then post’s e-mails readers have sent him in the “Trippin’ on E(Mail)” section. Lastly, he wraps up his witty and creative column by incorporating music into sports. He alters the lyrics of many songs to talk about a certain team, player or event in the “Lyric-Altered Song Dedication of the Week” section.

Sometimes he changes it up with his column and has a list of the best teams to the worst while asking a question about each. For example, the most recent list his top five were:

1. Tennessee Titans: When he found out Pacman Jones punched his bodyguard, how loudly was Jeff Fisher cackling?

2. New York Giants: No offense to li’l bro, but can we please stop with the “Eli is the best Manning” nonsense already?

3. Pittsburgh Steelers: Can you see any scenario under which this team won’t repeat as AFC North champion?

4. Washington Redskins: The next time Pete Kendall tries to run with the football, how many of his teammates will try to tackle him?

5. Dallas Cowboys: If Brad Johnson becomes Bad Johnson, how far will this talented team fall?

This man puts personality into his columns and makes the readers want to know what he thinks. More sports columnists should use him as a model for their columns because he keeps me coming back for more.

You can find his work at Yahoo! Sports or Sports Illustrated.

Cowboys lose to Cardinals in Overtime

Today was the first time in NFL history that a blocked punt for a touchdown ended a game in overtime.

The Dallas Cowboys always fights back in the second half, but couldn’t pull it off in overtime against the Arizona Cardinals, who ended the game 30-24 in overtime.

The game started out horrible for the Cowboys when the Cardinals scored on the Cowboys’ kickoff for 93 yards. Dallas didn’t score until the end of the second quarter and came back after the half to score again in their first possession. But, Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner tied up the game and then helped the team take the lead in the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Breaston.

But, with 3:07 left in the game Dallas pulls out another touchdown. They didn’t try an on-side kick at this point because they received a penalty for taunting, which made the kickoff too close to try. They had to wait until they got the ball back since they had two timeouts left to slow the Cardinals down. Once the Cowboys got the ball back with 50 seconds left, they drove it down the field with the help of tight end Jason Witten’s 30 yards. At this point the attempted field goal would’ve been 57 yards. But, the Cardinals received a penalty, which gave the Cowboys five more yards to work with. With four seconds left, Cowboys’ kicker Nick Folk cranked out a 52-yard field goal that would’ve been short if they didn’t have those five yards from the penalty.

At this point the Cowboys fans are happy because their team got the ball first and had a chance to score in overtime. But, quarterback Tony Romo could not get a good pass out because the Cardinals defensive line was all over him. The game ended when the Cowboys’ punt was blocked and ran in for a touchdown.

This was a crazy game that had everyone in the Dublin Pub and Grill on their feet holding their breathe waiting to see what would happen. The turning point in the game was when Folk missed his first field goal of the season at the end of the second quarter when the football bounced off the left side of the goal post. If he would’ve made that field goal then the game would’ve been tied up earlier. The Cowboys would’ve been able to fight even more and won the game before overtime.

But, Dallas didn’t make that field goal and many other things went wrong for them. The team lost speedy running back Felix Jones in the first half due to an injury and Romo was sacked three times with two fumbles. The Cardinals were all over the Cowboys by getting through the line fast to pressure Romo and double covered the receivers many times.

The good thing that came out of the Cowboys line was that outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware made his ninth consecutive sack in a game and is now tied for the National Football League’s second longest streak in consecutive games with a sack.

The Cowboys are now 4-2 and will play the St. Luis Rams next, who was 0-4 before today and ended up defeating the Washington Redskins 19-17 in a trap game. The Rams took them by surprise, but should be an easy win for the Cowboys.