Monthly Archives: August 2009

NFL Quick Hits

Here are some of today’s top stories and reads.

• Michael Crabtree sitting out this season and entering the 2010 NFL Draft (Niners Nation)

• If Roger Goodell allowed twittering during games what would we see? (Sharapova’s Thigh)

• The future for Colts long time assistants Howard Mudd and Tom Moore (Indy Star)

• Phillips Rivers isn’t an elite quarterback (Souvenir City)

• Jay Cutler badmouths Denver fans (Predominantly Orange)

• Kyle Orton is booed during a team scrimmage (Yahoo Sports)

• Which players won’t return to their team in 2010 (Football Jabber)

• Who would you build a franchise around? (Foul Pole to Foul Pole)

NFL Quick Hits

A new feature here at Cippin at Sports: NFL Quick Hits will provide a few links to popular and interesting stories relating to the NFL.

• ESPN is laying the hammer down on twittering.  Adam Schefter must be devastated by news as he is joining the worldwide leader later this month.

• Football Outsiders came up with a metric for measuring catch rate: Receiver Plus/Minus. Part 2 which will analyze the results and tell you what it all means will be out later this week.

• Peter King doesn’t think Ramses Barden will make an impact during his rookie season after spending time at Giants camp.

• Larry Johnson looks rejuvenated at Chiefs camp.

• Look for Michael Vick to land east of the Mississippi.

• Jason Campbell is taking charge on the field.

• Esquire interviews Vince Young.

• Bear Goggles On has a fun, interesting article about William “The Refrigerator” Perry as a G.I. Joe.

• See how the Eagles and Martin Scorsese are related courtesy of Inside the Iggles.

NFL All Decade Team: Special Teams

Vinatieri is famous for his clutch kicks like in the snow against Oakland in the 2001 Playoffs.

You can check out the All Decade Offense here and All Decade Defense here. Now time for what coaches describe as one third of the game yet they don’t play their stars in fear of an injury: Special Teams.

Kicker: Adam Vinatieri

Could you pick someone else?  Vinatieri has become the most famous kicker is recent history and is perhaps the greatest clutch kicker we’ve ever seen.

Vinatieri hit game winning field goals in the final minute in Super Bowls 36 and 38 and also hit an overtime winner in the snow against the Raiders in the so called “Tuck Rule” game in the 2001 playoffs.

He has won four Super Bowls this decade and earned two Pro Bowl appearances.  Vinatieri is likely  headed to Canton and if so would become only the second kicker enshrined.

Runner Ups: Jeff Wilkins, Ryan Longwell, David Akers

Punter: Shane Lechler

Training Camp Injury Bug

Training Camps are starting to head into full gear now and with that comes the unfortunate but unavoidable injury bug.

In the past two days alone 3 starters went down with season ending injuries.

It doesn’t get much worse than losing a valued member of the team just as the summer starts and in some cases before full pads are even on.

For the Eagles, Panthers, and Bengals who were the teams to suffer these injuries and now have to deal with them we feel your pain.

Kemoeatu (torn Achilles tendon) was one of three players to suffer season ending injuries recently

Let’s start with Stewart Bradley, middle linebacker of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Bradley tor his ACL in practice on Sunday but actually walked off the field under his own power but the injury proved to be much more serious.

Bradley led the Eagles in tackles last season in only his first year as a starter.  Many expected a breakout season from Bradley but that will have to wait a year.  He wore the defensive headset and his leadership will be missed.

The Eagles will replace him with Omar Gaither, who actually started in the middle in 2007 but is not the same caliber player that Bradley is.  The Eagles also just signed former Chargers linebacker Matt Wilhelm for depth.

Rachel Alexander Wins Again

To see the most recent news about Rachel Alexander click here.

As we take a break from the recent football content (if you didn’t get the catch that will be our main focus form now on but we will still occaisly post about other sports like we are now) we update you on the latest news on horse Rachel Alexander.

At the Haskett Invitational yesterday, Rachel Alexander went up against the boys and came out victorious once again bringing her record to 2-0 against the boys.

Rachel Alexander easily won the race winning by six lengths.  On a sloppy track at Monmouth Park the horse finished in 1 minute 47.21 seconds just behind the race record.

Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird came in second.

Rachel Alexander easily wins the Haskell Invitational

This was the filly’s second race since the Preakness after capturing the Mother Goose Stakes by 19 1/4 lengths.

As for Rachel Alexander’s next race as of now that information is unknown. 

NFL All Deade Team: Defense

Taylor is one of two defensive ends to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year this decade.

As we continue in Part 2 of this series we will detail the All Decade Defense after dealing with the offense in Part 1 which you can check out here.  And further ado here is the All Decade Defense.

DE: Jason Taylor, Michael Strahan

Defensive end has several worthy candidates but Strahan and Taylor stood out among the rest.

Taylor has been to six Por Bowls and recorded over ten sacks six times this decade including 18.5 sacks in 2002.  He is also one of two defensive ends to win Defensive Player of the Year this decade, which he did in 2006.

Strahan had a record 2001 season in which he set the single season sack record recording 22.5 sacks.  Although the record breaking one against Favre is questionable there is no doubting Strahan’s ability.  He took home Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2001 and helped lead the Giants to an unlikely Super Bowl victory in 2007.

Runner Ups: Julius Peppers, Richard Seymour, Dwight Freeney, Simeon Rice

DT: Warren Sapp, La’Roi Glover

Defensive tackle was one of the hardest positions to pick because of no player has truly dominated this decade.  In the end I give the honors to both Sapp and Glover with Kevin Williams a close third but if Williams has a dominant 2009 season he may bump one of the guys off.

Sapp, a member of the 1990’s All Decade Team, was the most feared defensive tackle in the game when he played.  He was selected to four Pro Bowls and had 54.5 sacks this decade.  He also helped transform the Buccaneers from basement crawler into Super Bowl champion.

Glover did his damage in the first half of the decade earing six strait Pro Bowl appearances from 2000-2005.  He complied 58 sacks this decade including and astounding 17 in 2000 while with the Saints.

Runner Ups: Kevin Williams, Casey Hampton, Kris Jenkins, Jamal Williams