Heisman Winners Who Couldn't Hack The NFL posted by Colin Linneweber

The 2009 Heisman Trophy will be awarded to the most outstanding NCAA college football player by the Downtown Athletic Club at an annual ceremony at the Nokia Theatre in New York City on December 12. 

In recognition of college football’s greatest individual accolade, I decided to rank the five Heisman winners who ultimately had the smallest impact playing in the National Football League (NFL) over the course of the past 25 years.  

1)      Jason White- White, 29, won the Heisman Trophy in 2003 as a quarterback for the University of Oklahoma Sooners. 

White finished his collegiate career as the Sooners all-time leader in passing yards (8,012) and touchdown passes (81). 

Despite his stellar achievements in Norman, White garnered very little interest from the professional ranks and he was not selected in the 2005 NFL Draft.  

To compound the frustration of not being selected, White was further disrespected when he was not even invited to tryout for any NFL squad after he was snubbed in the draft. 

The Tennessee Titans eventually threw White a bone and signed the former Sooners superstar as an undrafted free agent before the start of the 2005 season. 

White’s stint as a Tennessean was extremely brief and he prudently decided to quit football altogether because of his balky knees.  

2)      Gino Torretta- Torretta, 39, was awarded the Heisman Trophy in 1992 because of his stellar play at the quarterback position for the University of Miami Hurricanes. 

Joe's Final Drive: Week 6 posted by Joe Anello

In a crazy week six in the NFL, we saw both New York teams fall, one squad completely give up, and three teams continue their undefeated ways. The Final Drive of week six starts right now! 

(3-3) Houston Texans 28
(4-2) Cincinnati Bengals 17 

Every once in a while, Houston goes ballistic and puts up mega-points. Matt Schaub once again proves he’s a fantastic fantasy QB… five games a season. The Bengals aren’t an elite team, so you had to expect a letdown eventually after winning four straight. Now they dropped back with Pittsburgh, who are also 4-2, but technically behind since the Bengals beat them head-to-head.  

(6-0) Minnesota Vikings 33
(3-3) Baltimore Ravens 31 

Why won’t anyone beat the Vikings?! Steven Hauschka’s missed 44-yard field goal keeps the legend of Brett Favre in Minnesota going strong for another week. Who thought that the Baltimore defense would be the team’s weakness this season? They don’t deserve to be called “good” with the amount of points they’re allowing. Take that Ray Lewis.

(5-0) New Orleans Saints 48
(5-1) New York Giants 27 

What was supposed to be the best game of the weekend was over by halftime. Drew Brees let loose with another four TD’s as the Saints pwned the Giants in Louisiana. But the football sky isn’t falling in New York… at least not for Giants fans. 

Pick Six: Week Six posted by Randolph Charlotin

That was not nice. I was starting to feel sorry for the Titans. That kind of beating you only wish for your worst enemies (New York Jets) or someone you have a vendetta against (Denver Broncos for that OT loss).

Not that it was all merciless. Tennessee was their worst enemy. Sometimes you can’t help it when you’re given chance after chance to bury the opponent.

1. Way to bounce back, Tom Brady. He tied a personal record with six touchdown passes, five of them in the second quarter. The last time a player had five TDs passes in a quarter was 1950. I’m not ready to say Brady is back, but it was a great day to fine tune his game.

2. They grow up so quick. OT Sebastian Volmner and CB Darius Butler got their first starts of their careers. Butler made the best of it, coming away with his first interception.

3. Another rookie that got his first taste of the pro life was QB Brian Hoyer. He led a touchdown drive that ended with his first career rush touchdown.

4. The 12th player award goes to…Mother Nature. Clearly Tennessee couldn’t handle the cold. Six fumbles (three for turnovers) and countless dropped balls…the Titans missed the mild weather.

5. That’s one way to handle the red zone problems. Five touchdown plays of 28 yards or longer. And when they reached the red zone, the Patriots came away with three touchdowns and a field goal.

6. The 59 points broke the franchise record set in 2007. To do so, the Pats scored on nine consecutive offensive drives.

Hours Before Kickoff: Week 6 posted by Randolph Charlotin

I’m not buyin’ it. Tennessee is 0-5, but they are the best 0-5 team in the NFL. Usually that’s a tongue-in-cheek jab at a bad team, but I mean it this time. I wasn’t a true believer in Tennessee’s 13-3 record last year, but I’m positive they are not as bad as 0-5.

The Titans have been decimated by injuries. What was the best secondary in football last year with Pro Bowlers CB Cortland Finnegan and S Chris Hope is being held together with tape.

Finnegan is out, which means both starting corners won’t play as Nick Harper is sidelined with a broken arm. That’s just the start of the injury problems as six other defenders have a 50 percent or less chance of playing. The list includes S Michael Griffin who is questionable with a neck injury. The secondary could be very ripe for the picking if all three are out.

Until the losses to Jacksonville and Indianapolis, Tennessee lost three games by a combined 13 points. That includes an overtime loss to defending Champion Pittsburgh and a seven-point loss to the AFC East-leading New York Jets.

Kerry Collins doesn’t have a lot of tread left on his tires, but he has enough to spread the ball around to his group of tall receivers. That will be a challenge within itself as Nate Washington, Justin Gage, and Kenny Britt are all 6-1 or taller.

Say what you want about the Titans record, but you know what you’re gonna get from a Jeff Fisher-coached team. They will run the ball down you throat with RBs Chris Johnson and the slimmed down LenDale White. The defense will be physical, relentless, and opportunistic. LB Keith Bullock is still one of the league’s underrated defenders. And even without DT Albert Haynesworth, the rotation at the position is difficult to handle with Tony Brown and Jovan Haye. Jason Jones, the interior pass rusher, is questionable.

Late Night Rant posted by Charles Bisbee

Its recently been brought to my attention that, over the past couple of weeks or so, my readership has doubled in volume, from 2 to 4. Thanks to these good natured and sympathetic followers, I’m left to wrestle with a serious question: Do I quit while on top (never had I anticipated the blog becoming this great a success), or do I continue to dribble out these “bi-weekly” blunderbusses, even though there is likely nowhere to go from here but down?

I’ll continue…

Lets see… The Red Sox lost. It was a rough series. I was in San Francisco, missed most of it. Jonathan Papelbon is a turkey, Daniel Bard is the second coming of Rod Beck (‘90s Rod Beck, minus the mullet and a metric ton, give or take). Lets can Pap, keep Bard and save everyone from another year of Pap’s guido shenanigans…. The Celtics won a pre-season game against Toronto the other night and Tommy Heinsohn almost invited an unknown rookie named Lester Hudson to the altar. Should be another interesting season for the C’s, provided Tommy is allowed to pursue his increasingly befuddling tangents, wherever they may take him… I’m mildly afraid for the Patriots this week. The Titans are not a 0-5 team, regardless of what their record might indicate. This is the exact same team (minus Albert “Stomp-On-Your-Face” Haynesworth) that went 10-0 to begin the season last year. And they have Jeff Fisher patrolling the sidelines, who, aside from looking like a 70’s highway cop, also happens to be a damn fine coach.   

Welcome to Fantasy Land! posted by Amari Harris

Good morning fantasy friends!

Today is Saturday September 26, 2009 so you have a little more than 24 hours to get your fantasy act together or you may end up with that crucial week 3 L.  

It has been a very interesting week in fantasy land for me.  Lots of wheeling and dealing, some unfortunate attempts at cheating and a hazy injury to Marion the Barbarian.  Let’s begin with this “cheating” situation:

So, I am in a random NFL.com fantasy football league. We’ll call it the “Bush League” which is a very appropriate title for so many reasons.  One great fantasy insight that I’ve picked up this year is setting up my fantasy alerts.  (In most leagues you can set up regular e-mail alerts that notify you of a player’s status, league transactions, starting line-ups, trades, etc).  These alerts are very useful because it allows me to check on important league activity without having to log into the site every five minutes.  My fantasy alerts proved to be very useful this week. 

You can imagine my surprise when I received notification of a pending trade involving “Bush team 1” and “Bush team 2”.  (Although I have aliased the names of these two teams for confidentiality and competitive purposes everyone should know that the real names of these two teams were very similar which raised a red flag in my head from the beginning, but I digress.)  My notification revealed to me that there was a pending trade that would send Chris Johnson and Andre Johnson from Bush team 1 to Bush team 2 for Joseph Addai and Michael Jenkins.  Now to the average person this is no big deal because the players play the same position and 2 equals 2.  But to “fantasy landers” this is sheer blasphemy.  Consider the fact that Chris Johnson scored 3 touchdowns last week of 50 yards or more and amassed

Cards Continue September Tear and Recent Sports Oddities posted by Ryan Turner

The Cardinals continued their dominance of the National League Central this week, going 5-1 on a road trip with a blown save on Sunday, meaning it could've been a 6-0 trip. Last night the Cards got a boost from John Smoltz who was rocky early, giving up three runs in the first two innings, but he stuck with it and shut out the Brewers over the next three innings before turning it over to the bullpen. The Brewers had their chances for a knock out blow, but they couldn't capitalize, just as the Cards couldn't do so with runners in scoring position. When a team goes 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and can still grind out a win, that's the make of a championship caliber team. Even when they don't play that well, they win.

Today, the Cards played much better as Adam Wainwright was back to his normal self after only going five innings in his last start. He went seven scoreless innings today, while striking out six, and also helped himself by doubling and scoring a run. Albert Pujols has officially entered beast mode, as he jacked two more homers today, including the first of his career against former teammate Jeff Suppan. Over his last 14 games, he's batting .460 with seven home runs, six doubles, 17 RBI, 10 walks, and a 1.000 slugging percentage in 50 at-bats. He now has 47 home runs for the season, just two shy of his career high of 49 and he now has three and a half weeks left to pass that mark. The guy is unbelievable. As for his partner in crime, Matt Holliday, he left the game today after stumbling across first base on a ground out with what the team is calling a bruised knee. He had a minor injury a few weeks ago and it didn't phase him, so even though I cringe every time I see him or Chris Carpenter stumble, I'm not worried about this particular injury.

Big 10 Network posted by Chad

I have a love/hate relationship with the Big 10 Network.  You see, I am from Wisconsin, land of cheese, cows, brats, burgers and Big 10 Sports.  The weather, the game atmosphere, the rivalries, the fans, and the ugly fights in the trenches appeal to me.  So, naturally the Big 10 previews, the classic games, and the live games are amazing to me.  Look, I hate Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, and Ohio State; I mean really hate.. yet, here I tun in and watch Iowa beat LSU on a hail mary, Michigan vs. Ohio State, Ohio State's improbable win over Miami.  Why?  I think they are clearly great games; I know the players, the tradition, and the result.  I laugh to myself watching Jeff George sling the rock, ol Jess Settles battling in the paint, and seeing Desmond Howard strike the pose.  Just classic.
Yet, the channel recently crushed me.  Single handily.  I was on top of the world, and the next thing I know I was Brandon Marshall/Jay Cutler.  Laying over in the corner, crying.  Sobbing uncontrollably.  It was a beautiful Saturday; I had gone to the Farmer's Market to help out the locals.  A great cause.  Upon returning to the car, I had a voicemail from my dad; the classic battle of titans on the Big Ten Network.  No, not Indiana vs. Northwestern.. #5 Purduh vs. #12 Wisconsin at Ross-Ade Stadium.  A colossal showdown, Purduh hyped it up as "When Mega-Powers Collide"  Sound familiar?  Yeah, that's because they stole it from Savage vs. Hogan (true megapowers).  Allegedly, this was bigger, West Lafayette, a city of intense cabby drivers, one of the best food joints in the Midwest, and a typically mid-level football team was on top of the world.  Kyle Orton was doing his best Jeff George impression and the defense appeared as tough as nails.  The city was full of big talk and Rose Bowl aspirations.

Steve McNair Was Not The Man We Thougt He Was posted by Colin Linneweber

Former Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Steve McNair was shot and killed Saturday night in his downtown Nashville condominium.

Nashville authorities have indicated that McNair, 36, may have been slain by his 20-year-old mistress, Sahel Kazemi, in a murder-suicide.

The fuzz revealed to the press that McNair, a 3-time Pro Bowl selection and the 2003 Co-AP NFL MVP, was shot four times and the strumpet that he dated on the side for four months died from a single bullet wound to her head.

“Air McNair,” who was selected out of Alcorn State by the Houston Oilers with the third pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, became only the third player in league history to pass for 30,000 yards and run for an additional 3,500 yards in his career.

“If you were going to draw a football player, the physical part, the mental part, everything about being a professional, he is your guy,” said former Titans and Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle, who played with McNair on both teams. “It is a sad, sad day. The world lost a great man.”

“Stevie Wonder,” the winner of the 1994 Walter Payton Award as the top player in NCAA Division I-AA football, was the second African-American quarterback behind Doug Williams to take his team to the Super Bowl when he led the Titans to within a yard of a championship versus the St. Louis Rams in the 1999-2000 season.

“The man had ice running through his veins,” said Eddie George, the featured running back on that Titans squad. “He was so cool under pressure, so calm.”

A Fallen Titan posted by Daniel Doyle

Steve McNair's untimely death has struck the hearts of Tennessean's and football fans all over.

Toughness. It's a quality that is not only wanted, but is of the utmost importance in the National Football League. Not many players had more of it than Steve McNair. He played with terrible knees, worn out legs, and even a ruptured sternum. Titans fans became spoiled being able to have a quarterback with such a high tolerance for pain. He was the Superman of the Tennessee Titans franchise.

Living in Tennessee for the past nine years, I have seen and read quite a bit about McNair, from his play on Sunday's to some off his off the field run ins with the law(mainly D.U.I's). I consider myself a fair-weather Titan fan, and for whatever reason, McNair was a very likeable figure in this state. Playing through injuries is always a great way to earn fans' respect, but there was something more to "Air McNair." Behind his facemask, there was a certain twinkle in his eye. He could often be found wearing a big smile and was always considered a consumate teammate during his tenure with the Titans. Even with the aforementioned D.U.I's, his reputation never took a hit in Nashville. Additionially, none of his problems with the law were ever related to violence, which makes the circumstances surrounding his death even more shocking.

Steve McNair was not perfect, but for some reason,  I feel much harder hit by his death than any of the other celebrities who have recently passed away. Maybe it was because I had to opportunity to see McNair perform a few times in person, but I am more inclined to think it has to do with how personable Steve was. He always made time for reporters and fans alike, never forgetting where he came from. McNair had just recently opened a restaurant here in Nashville, and could often be found cleaning dishes or windows, busting a table, or serving beverages to his customers. That was just the kind of guy Steve McNair was. His money and fame never changed his view of the world or other people.

Titans WR Britt arrested on traffic warrants

Authorities say Tennessee Titans wide receiver and former Rutgersstar Kenny Britt was arrested in New Jersey on outstanding trafficwarrants during a motor vehicle stop. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL

Kenny Britt arrested on traffic warrants (AP)

Authorities say Tennessee Titans wide receiver and former Rutgers star Kenny Britt was arrested in New Jersey on outstanding traffic warrants during a motor vehicle stop. Police say the 21-year-old was pulled over in Glen Ridge on Friday night and found to have three outstanding traffic warrants from two New Jersey towns totaling $865. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Manning, record-breaking RB lead All-Pro team

Chris Johnson from the Tennessee Titans was the only unanimouschoice for the squad, announced Thursday. He's joined in thebackfield by Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who won anunprecedented fourth Most Valuable Player Award last week, whenonly quarterbacks received votes. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NFL

Titans' Johnson only unanimous All-Pro (AP)

[read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Titans' Johnson leads AP All-Pro team (AP)

[read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports