leviramsey Posted February 3, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted February 3, 2013 Sapp and Strahan do have eerily similar palmares: 7 time Pro Bowler: check 4 time 1st team All Pro: check 2 time 2nd team All Pro: check 1 time DPOY: check These are some of the first players where I basically watched their whole career, and I can see why Sapp gets in ahead of Strahan. Even though Strahan came into the league two years before Sapp (thus got two more years in the 90s), Sapp made the 90s All Decade team, but not Strahan (both made the 2000s team). And I guess that's the biggest thing in Sapp's favor: for a good five or six seasons from 1997 to 2002, 2003, he was the best DT (especially 4-3... only 3-4 specialist Ted Washington maybe rivals him) in the game. I have my doubts that Strahan was ever the best DE in the game (it's tougher to say, though, because of the number of one-or-two season wonders at the DE position; that Strahan was a top shelf DE for over a decade is **** amazing). Bruce Smith - Jevon Kearse - Dwight Freeney. Also, it would absolutely not surprise me if Favre's slide cost Strahan a few votes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted February 3, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted February 3, 2013 What the NY Times wrote, thenWhen Giants defensive end Michael Strahan broke the N.F.L. sack record yesterday, there was not a player who deserved it more. That is what Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre, the man Strahan sacked to bring his total to 22 1/2, said after the Packers' 34-25 victory.And Favre, a close friend of Strahan's, is right. Strahan is one of the hardest-working, classiest people the sport has seen in some time. But the next time Strahan sees Favre at a golf tournament, or they're having a beer, Strahan should slap his good friend silly.Yes, Mr. Favre, Strahan deserves the record, but please, handing it to him the way you did, as if you were throwing change into a Salvation Army bucket, is the kind of mistake Favre may never live down.It is not the Chicago Black Sox, or Nancy-Tonya, but it is u-g-l-y.What the heck was Favre thinking?Strahan broke the record set by Mark Gastineau, the former Jet, because of a gift from Favre with less than three minutes remaining in the game. Green Bay Coach Mike Sherman, with his team comfortably ahead, called for a running play to Ahman Green. Favre changed it, without telling his offensive line, to something called a key play, meaning Favre is to fake a handoff to a back and then run the opposite way, in this instance, toward Strahan's left defensive end spot.Since the linemen thought Favre was handing off, they did not pass protect, and Strahan was free. He steamrolled right into Favre for a 7-yard sack. It went just as Favre had planned it.Until that point, Strahan had no sacks, three quarterback hurries and two quarterback hits. He was not going to get the record.There is no question that Favre knew this, so he changed the play so Strahan could get the sack. ''Strahan can get sacks on his own,'' Sherman said, stressing that the original call was for a handoff. ''We don't have to give it to him.''Sherman was clearly irritated. Favre had committed a basic sin in football: nothing is free. When Lawrence Taylor was in the same position in 1986 -- facing Green Bay, just a sack and a half behind Gastineau -- did the Packers' quarterback then do a little fixer-upper so Taylor could get it? No. Taylor was shut out.When asked about the sack, Packers center Mike Flanagan, also irritated about Strahan's gift, said: ''That's not something I'm talking about. Go ask Brett.'' Other offensive linemen were equally bothered.Favre denied he gave his friend the sack, but he could barely do it with a straight face.''We wanted to win the football game,'' Favre said. ''If a sack happens, great. But when we leave today, we wanted to leave here as a winner.''Favre is missing the moon-sized point. By tanking it, he hurt his friend Strahan more than he helped him, because now, that is what the talk is about, not what Strahan did. It cheapens the record -- not a lot, but enough.It would have been better for Strahan not to get the record than to get it the way he did.Sport is a place for answers. You may not like them, but they are usually concrete. And records are part of that. They are supposed to be blemish free, honest and clear, everything that life is not. We may not know if our plane will land at its destination or if the economy will sour like a rotten apple, but we do know what we see on the field is real.Strahan is happy to hold the sack record, and that is understandable. It has stood for 17 years, and he has worked extremely hard to get to this point. If he continues on this path, he will sack his way into the Hall of Fame.And Strahan plays the most brutal position in a brutal game, where players are routinely kicked in the groin, gouged in the face, punched in the stomach, spat on and bitten. Things have been done to Strahan that dogs don't do to each other.Some will maintain, who cares if Favre gave him the record? Just by virtue of playing nine rough years in the league, for him to get that close, he deserves it anyway.And this is not to blame Strahan. He simply took advantage of what Favre did. Strahan said that if Favre did throw him the high, slow curveball: ''I was not in the huddle calling the plays. I can just react to what happened.''Favre hugged Strahan after the sack, and even some Packers players -- not on offense, mind you -- applauded Strahan. There isn't a player in football who dislikes the defensive star. He's that good a guy.But Favre, in the end, didn't do Strahan, or himself, any favors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted February 3, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted February 3, 2013 (edited) Watching the NFL Honors award show on a bit of a DVR delay...Alec Baldwin: "Jim Harbaugh and John Harbaugh, brother against brother, one of them will be victorious and will have to assume the burden of being the most successful brother. It's a curse ... am I right, Eli?" Edited February 3, 2013 by leviramsey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted February 3, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted February 3, 2013 Interesting that Favre is sitting with the Vikings...JJ Watt beats out Von Miller for DPOY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted February 3, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted February 3, 2013 "The New York area was hit by a disaster that New Jersey governor Chris Christie says will take years and billions of dollars to recover from. I am speaking of the New York Jets." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted February 3, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted February 3, 2013 The only thing in football more imaginative than Manti Teo's girlfriend is the Jets' offensive package for Tim Tebow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted February 3, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted February 3, 2013 Where the QBs on facebook began (and also where we learned about Eli's "proclivities"...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkr Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Did not realise that Sapp was 2 time all decade team along with Larry Allen so i suppose its fair enough they get in. Its such a difficult process too, to cut that list of 10 down to 5 and at least they were consistent as i believe its the guys who vote at the HOF who pick the all decade team also. By all accounts Alec Baldwin was a great success at the NFL awards, putting on a roasting of the NFL's finest. I think it was PFT that said he completely killed Peyton on numerous occasions and that Eli quote is hilarious! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkr Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 And as for the Strahan sack record, it is what it is and i think its just very typical of Bret Favre that he did what he did. He is a joker, and has been as much on NFL Gameday morning today, some amusing stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted February 3, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted February 3, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Flacco said he's the best in the league. He has the ring for this year, can't really argue with it. That's 2 straight years the eventual Super Bowl winning QB has came out with a lot of self confidence, being criticised for it, and shut everyone up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted February 4, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted February 4, 2013 18 days to the Combine37 days until the free agent window opens81 days until the Draft181 days until the Hall of Fame inductions182 days until the Hall of Fame Game214 days until the 2013 season kicks off (presumably in Baltimore)364 days until Super Bowl XLVIII from the swamps of New Jersey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 81 days until the draft, doesn't feel that long ago since the last one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 4, 2013 Author Moderator Share Posted February 4, 2013 Would I be far wrong in thinking that the Ravens will struggle next season? Certainly struggle more than your average superbowl champion does. I'm not suggesting they'll be 3-13 or anything like that but ... they're a seriously ag(e)ing side. They will be losing key players and putting others on pensions (metaphorically speaking). Having the last pick in the draft couldn't have happened at a worse time for them - albeit they'll take the payoff of having that ring. They'll need to be fantastic in free agency and lucky in the draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted February 4, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted February 4, 2013 Having to give big bucks to Flacco will also probably limit their ability to sign players, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leviramsey Posted February 4, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted February 4, 2013 Old Milwaukee advert which aired in a few places in the US during the Super Bowl starring Will Ferrell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFCforever1991 Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Would I be far wrong in thinking that the Ravens will struggle next season? Certainly struggle more than your average superbowl champion does. I'm not suggesting they'll be 3-13 or anything like that but ... they're a seriously ag(e)ing side. They will be losing key players and putting others on pensions (metaphorically speaking). Having the last pick in the draft couldn't have happened at a worse time for them - albeit they'll take the payoff of having that ring. They'll need to be fantastic in free agency and lucky in the draft. Yeah i'm guessing we will struggle, still confident we can make the playoffs though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Would I be far wrong in thinking that the Ravens will struggle next season? Certainly struggle more than your average superbowl champion does. I'm not suggesting they'll be 3-13 or anything like that but ... they're a seriously ag(e)ing side. They will be losing key players and putting others on pensions (metaphorically speaking). Having the last pick in the draft couldn't have happened at a worse time for them - albeit they'll take the payoff of having that ring. They'll need to be fantastic in free agency and lucky in the draft. I'd like to think we have some depth so the struggle won't be as bad as some think, but there are a few players who will be FA as it stands who I would definitely like back. Signing Flacco to a big deal (Which he WILL get) will seriously harm the chances of this happening. Kruger, Ellerbe, Reed.. all guys who are important pieces of the puzzle. Especially Kruger (our best pass-rusher this season) and Ellerbe (with Ray retiring, plus he's a beast and I think he was nearly leading tackles). Also IMO this draft class isn't one of the better ones I've seen so picking last isn't as harsh as it could be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Merril Hoge's top 5 QBs. 1. Flacco 2. Rodgers 3. Brady 4. Roethlisberger 5. Ryan That's a pretty awful list. No Brees in the top 5? Or Peyton? WHAAAT!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkr Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Would I be far wrong in thinking that the Ravens will struggle next season? Certainly struggle more than your average superbowl champion does. I'm not suggesting they'll be 3-13 or anything like that but ... they're a seriously ag(e)ing side. They will be losing key players and putting others on pensions (metaphorically speaking). Having the last pick in the draft couldn't have happened at a worse time for them - albeit they'll take the payoff of having that ring. They'll need to be fantastic in free agency and lucky in the draft. I think thats the nature of the league now. The last Super Bowl champion to win a game the next post season was the 2005 PATs. These championship runs seem to be taking a lot out of the teams both in terms of physical and mental fatigue but also with player turnover seeing as impending free agents will want to use their ring to cash in during free agency. It is also very interesting to me how the past few winners have all been lower seeds, all been ravaged by injury and all been very very desperate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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