Go Giants! Go Virginia Tech! Go Pittsburgh Pengins!

[RACastanet]

What a great weekend of sports. Tech beats UVA, The Pens beat Carolina and the Giants beat the Pats. To top it off my current Alma Mater - University of Richmond - beat Charlotte in basketball.

I have some interesting pics of Eli I will post later in the week if my daughter will allow me to.

Rich

[Bill Glasheen]

What? Virginia's inside players are all on the injured reserve, and it took OVERTIME for Tech to beat UVa AT HOME? Tch, tch, tch... Sorry, bro, but I'm not impressed.

I saw UVa play Hartford at the John Paul Jones arena over the Christmas holidays. Without their inside players, they look god-awful. They can't shoot inside, and they can't rebound. That spells death in the ACC. And in case you hadn't noticed, they've only won one ACC game (against BC, by the way).

The victory of the Giants over the Pats WAS impressive. That was a hell of a game. I tip my hat to Eli. Mostly I tip my hat to the Giants' defensive line. They won that game. Eli was good; they were spectacular.

- Bill

[RACastanet]

Bill replied:

Sorry, bro, but I'm not impressed.

Rich replies:

Beat 'em in Charlottesville too!

Rich

[MikeK]

The victory of the Giants over the Pats WAS impressive. That was a hell of a game. I tip my hat to Eli. Mostly I tip my hat to the Giants' defensive line. They won that game. Eli was good; they were spectacular.

- Bill

Not to take anything away from the D as they played nearly flawless and kept the Pats pressured, but they didn't score one point. It was Eli and the offense that won that game.

Go Jints!

You gotta love the story for this bowl.

[Bill Glasheen]

I beg to differ, Mike.

And for what it's worth... I called it first. But if you listened to Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN radio, they absolutely agreed with me.

Eli really wasn't that good in the game. In fact in the first half, he suked big time. As Mike Greenberg would say with his New York accent, "He was awwful." Three (3) total points is all he could manage. Seventeen points shouldn't win you a Super Bowl. He was one slip of the hands away from throwing an interception on that final drive. That would have ended the quest.

As Mike Golick said this morning, "Defense wins championships." That's true in football, and it's true in basketball.

Defense sets up your offense. The defense kept Brady off the field and the ball away from the best wide receiver in the NFL. Brady never had time for more than short passes. And he was cleanly sacked five (5) times, including on a final drive that could have set up a field goal and put the game into overtime.

In basketball (as I mentioned above), defense is key. A defensive rebound or defensive steal sets up your offense for a fast break and uncontested jam on the other end. Just ask Coach K. That is his formula to success in the ACC and with all his national championships.

But I like this line the best.

As Mike Tyson would say, 'Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.'

-- Michael Strahan, after the Giants punched Tom Brady in the face for most of Super Bowl XLII



- Bill

[gmattson]

The best football game I've ever watched!

Of course, I'm not much of a football fan, but last night I was glued to the tube for the entire game. (Minus the halftime entertainment)

[Bill Glasheen]

Beat 'em in Charlottesville too!

Yes... In OVERTIME once again. Only this time UVa had THREE injured players.

But in case you didn't know the details...

• Tunji Soroye, their 6 foot 11, 252 pound senior center from Nigeria is probably out for the season. He's played all of two games this year.
• Laurynas Mikalauskas, their 6 foot 8, 255 pound junior forward from Lithuania is probably out for the season as well. He hasn't played since November 27th.
• Sean Singletary - the best guard in the ACC - has been suffering from a hip pointer most of the season. Knowing that he produces most of the remaining offense with the inside game completely gone, teams have been sacrificing their flunkies by committing assault on the basketball court. And shut him down they have.

Before all this started, UVa beat a ranked Arizona team on the road, and jumped into the top 20 themselves. Then it all fell apart. This is a team sport. Lose a few key players and the house of cards collapses.

The year Ralph Sampson SHOULD have gotten Virginia a national title, All American guard Othell Wilson got a knee to the thigh in the ACC tournament. The team was never the same, and lost to the eventual national champion NC State in the regional finals.

It is what it is. Tech suks this year. UVa just happens to suk on a grand scale. Might as well send the cheerleaders out to play them. At least we can enjoy the game that way...



- Bill

[MikeK]

Eli really wasn't that good in the game. In fact in the first half, he suked big time. As Mike Greenberg would say with his New York accent, "He was awwful." Three (3) total points is all he could manage. Seventeen points shouldn't win you a Super Bowl. He was one slip of the hands away from throwing an interception on that final drive. That would have ended the quest.

As Mike Golick said this morning, "Defense wins championships." That's true in football, and it's true in basketball.

Defense sets up your offense. The defense kept Brady off the field and the ball away from the best wide receiver in the NFL. Brady never had time for more than short passes. And he was cleanly sacked five (5) times, including on a final drive that could have set up a field goal and put the game into overtime.

In basketball (as I mentioned above), defense is key. A defensive rebound or defensive steal sets up your offense for a fast break and uncontested jam on the other end. Just ask Coach K. That is his formula to success in the ACC and with all his national championships.

I don't think the basketball example works as the defense in football isn't on the field the same time your offense is. The defense did their job masterfully in taking away the Pats offensive game, but they didn't add any points to the score board, and to paraphrase former Giants coach Bill Parcells after losing a game in which they statistically dominated, the only numbers that count are the ones on the score board. And the Giants offense delivered the big plays that put the points on the board.

[Bill Glasheen]

We'll agree to disagree on this one, Mike.

I don't think the basketball example works as the defense in football isn't on the field the same time your offense is.

Ahh, but the analogy holds up pretty well. For most of the game in basketball your defense is on the opposite side of the court as the offense. And you can't play offense until you get possession of the ball. They just happen to be the same players performing two different roles.

And in case you didn't notice, that happened in the Super Bowl as well. Did you see who was playing defensive end for the Patriots on that Hail Mary pass just before halftime? It was none other than the record-setting best offensive end in pro football.

I was impressed, but not by Eli Manning. He frankly wasn't that good. It's the supporting cast that gave him the game on a silver platter. Tiki Barber had him pegged pretty well. He should know.

This was the equivalent of a 2-1 baseball game. It was fun to watch, but not because of the offensive production. This was a game for the sports purist.

- Bill

[RACastanet]

P.S. Rich's daughter (the brunette on the right) has been my little hugging buddy for years. She grew up to be a BIG hugging buddy, and a smart one at that. I'm very protective of her.

Shame on you Bill. She will not appreciate the comment. Guess you do not remember your buddy very well. That is not Sam. Sam took the picture. She stayed at arms length.

Originally posted by Bill Glasheen: Eli really wasn't that good in the game. In fact in the first half, he suked big time. As Mike Greenberg would say with his New York accent, "He was awwful." Three (3) total points is all he could manage.

Do not overlook the fact that although they scored only 3 points in the first half, they held the ball for over 8 minutes in the 1st Qtr and Brady and company were shut out. Ball control on offense is an excellent defense. The Steelers have made that their trademark for the last 35+ years and they have 5 rings to show for it. Brady can only wish...

Bill said:

Yes... In OVERTIME once again. Only this time UVa had THREE injured players.

Excuses, excuses.

Tech suks this year.

Hmm.. they beat Boston College on the road, and Maryland as well. Does everyone Tech beats ******?

UVa just happens to suk on a grand scale.

We do agree on this.


GEM said:

Hey Rich... thanks for posting that photo. Eli looks like a young kid just out of High School! He looked much more mature on TV last night!

Hope you don't mind that I posted it with a bit of commentary on my home page...

Please leave out Bill's commentary though. He does not even remember what Sam looks like.

Sam said Eli was very nice and fun, but as I heard the networks describe him, that he was a bit of a dork.

He really is just a kid by our standards. Remember, he is less than 4 years removed from college.

No more pics.

Rich

[Bill Glasheen]

Tech suks this year.

Hmm.. they beat Boston College on the road, and Maryland as well. Does everyone Tech beats ******?

Tech is an unranked team beating unranked teams (unranked in the SI power rankings poll, AP poll, and coach's poll). In the words of a player from UNC when stuffing a Hokie in Chapel Hill, "Welcome to the ACC!" The standards for ACC basketball are much higher than from whence Tech came.

Even the Tech coach calls this a rebuilding year. Their class is almost all freshmen.

UVa fell into an impossible situation with both their big men falling to injury. It isn't a pretty sight.

- Bill

[MikeK]

I was impressed, but not by Eli Manning. He frankly wasn't that good. It's the supporting cast that gave him the game on a silver platter. Tiki Barber had him pegged pretty well. He should know.

I guess giving the game MVP is the new way of telling someone that they sux.

Tiki who?
Oh yes, Tiki, the guy who criticized his team mates and coach in public? That Tiki, who is without a Super Bowl ring? What will the Giants ever do without Tiki?

[Bill Glasheen]

I guess giving the game MVP is the new way of telling someone that they sux.

Did you listen to any of the sport commentary shows this morning, Mike? A lot of the commentators were disagreeing with the selection of Eli Manning for MVP. Just like me, they suggested that the entire Giants defense should have gotten the award.

That's the problem with these awards. Like the Heisman, the bias is to give it to the quarterback. But he isn't always the one who deserves it.

Eli deserves kudos for scrambling well. But frankly it was numerous circus catches - and not the very average and in some cases desperate throws - that made the difference.

As they say, photos don't lie. Why were these passes thrown where they were? Who gets credit for the execution?





I challenge you to come up with some photos that similarly make Eli look good. Other than the scramble above, you won't find them.

And what's up with getting called for too much time in the huddle? In a Super Bowl? That kind of rookie error isn't MVP performance. It's a mental error that falls purely on the shoulders of the QB.

Eli also got lucky on the game-winning final drive. He threw one pass right through the hands of a New England defender. In a victory, luck counts. However that doesn't make you MVP material.

Here's Peter King from Sports Illustrated.

The game, though, was won by the Giants' defensive front seven. In holding the Patriots to a season-low 14 points -- their lowest offensive output in 24 games -- New York did exactly what teams have been trying to do to Tom Brady for years. They pestered him. They knocked him to the ground 23 times. They made him rush.

Here is Bucky Brooks from the same magazine.

Defensive Line: After allowing the Patriots to score on their opening drive, the Giants' defensive line dominated the line of scrimmage the remainder of the game. Justin Tuck, who finished with two sacks and a forced fumble, was a terror from his defensive tackle position, and his relentless penetration up the middle was a big reason Tom Brady was unable to find a rhythm. But Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora also played key roles in helping the Giants limit the Patriots to 274 yards and 14 points. The defensive line accounted for four of the Giants' five sacks and generated 15 hits on Brady in the pocket.
Grade: A+

That's a better grade than he gave Eli and his "shaky start."

'Nuff said.

Tiki who?

The ALL TIME LEADING GIANTS RUSHER Tiki.

Oh yes, Tiki, the guy who criticized his team mates and coach in public?

The guy who was doing his job (according to every sports commentatory and sports writer) Tiki. The Tiki who probably was responsible for their turning a miserable season into a successful one with his barbs. Sometimes a kick in the pants is just what the doctor ordered. Every dad knows that.

Whatever works! The Giants very well may have Tiki to thank for their rings.

- Bill

[MikeK]

[quote="Bill Glasheen"]Did you listen to any of the sport commentary shows this morning, Mike? A lot of the commentators were disagreeing with the selection of Eli Manning for MVP. Just like me, they suggested that the entire Giants defense should have gotten the award./quote]

Bill, Guess what? I don't care what sports commentators say. Most were wrong about the Jints all season and suddenly they're experts on the team. If one of the Giants came out and said it should have been Strahan, Toomer, Tuck, Tyree or someone else I'd give it weight, but sports commentators? Nah.

And Tiki should be proud as he's accomplished a lot, to bad for him alienating his team with his words is also something he can claim. Anyway without that big old super bowl ring I'm sure he'll find something to put on that finger.

[Bill Glasheen]

In Eli's defense, he exuded a relaxed attitude that very well may have been an effective leadership strategy. Everyone has to do it their way. But you do have to give credit where credit is due. If my team had played that well around me, I certainly would be accepting the MVP trophy with a generous dose of humility and gratitude.

Is he as good as Joe Montana? Tom Brady? Brother Payton? Not yet... but he's still young. Time will tell.

Tough luck for Tiki, but I don't blame him. He left the game on his terms, and has a new career. For his sake, let's hope the transition doesn't go the way of a Katie Couric.

And I absolutely back Tiki for doing his job as a reporter. New York fans, the coach, and Eli can whine like babies all they want. Hurt feelings? F-ing get over it! This isn't a corporate boardroom; this is the NFL! Speaking of which... Jack Welch I'm sure roasted his own employees while CEO of GE. His career was all about leaving a trail of bodies and accepting nothing but excellence.

Tiki's relatively mild critique very well may have been the "Thanks, I needed that!" slap that got them going. No blood, no foul. Playing with a chip on the shoulder works in football. As you imply, the rings say it all.

One thing I really admire about the VA Tech football coach (Frank Beamer) is that he doesn't badmouth the opposition. Before every game he talks up the talent that his team will face - no matter how certain their victory is. Very smart! In a sport that thrives on emotion, the last thing you want to do is give the other team bulletin board material.

- Bill