Monday Morning Bullets Complete With My Bachelorette Prediction

1- T.O. and I are so in sync lately. I can't even handle it. When it comes to sports, there is nothing I like more than watching talented players, and I am giddy about being able to appreciate TO again now that he is over in the AFC. I have also been going out of my way to convince everyone I can that Michael Vick needs to be reinstated to the NFL immediately. TO is on the same page, of course. In a league where everyone seems to be terrified to speak out against the commissioner, guys like Owens are more valuable than ever:



I will direct you to a direct quote from Babcock (our CFO)which was given to me when I was preparing to write my own piece on Vick's case:

"If we can't throw a guy in jail, take everything he has, make him pay for his crimes, and then turn him loose with the freedom to get it all back, then we've really lost our way as a nation."

The man has paid for what he has done, and he did not receive the celebrity discount on his jail time. He spent nearly two years in prison. As far as we know, he has committed no crimes since. He should now be free to put his life back together. It is not our job as a society to punish him further. If our goal as a society is really to rehabilitate crimals when possible, then we should want them to get back on their feet. We should hope that they can all find work and build a life that keeps them clean, and that helps the future generations not make the same mistakes. This Vick case is a great scenario. I wish all released inmates had skills as marketable as Vick's...we'd certainly see significantly fewer repeat offenders.





2-I've hosted and attended many Big Lebowski parties over the past 8 or so years. Nothing that I've experienced rivals the Seattle Lebowski Fest, which Jim Caple recaps in this column. Caple describes the event as a cooler man's Star Trek convention: where fanatics gather in meticulously constructed costumes to mimic the mannerisms and recite the lines of their favorite characters.

Caple also introduces us to the real life dude, Jeff Dowd. I had no idea that such a man existed. The greatest quote comes when Dowd explains that he wasn't actually in to bowling, and instead was really into running:

"Well, you had to be in shape to drink all those White Russians and make love to all those women."

Here he is, the real dude, with Jeff Bridges:



alright.




3-I'm not going to waste too much time justifying this, I'm going to try to just jump in to it. I'm a married man. My wife has watched virtually every Celtics and New York Giants game since we've lived together (and many before that as well). Most of the time, she enjoys that. It's only fair that I have taken in my fair share of reality tv as well. So yes, I have watched every episode of this season's Bachelorette. And, I'll admit that most of the time I enjoy that.

Judge me if you want, but I know there is at least one other member of the roomofzen staff who is in the same boat. Also, let me just point out that this is really not much different than Rock of Love or Flavor of Love. In fact, in the last episode, we had to watch Jillian and Ed rub lotion all over each other as foreplay, and then we learned that the night came to an abrupt end because Ed was too tired and couldn't get it up. If that's not entertainment, then I don't know what is.

You may be wondering whether or not this is appropriate for the roomofzen, and I assure you that I would never post this unless I felt like I had a chance to be correct in my prediction for tonight's finale. Here it is:

So, we're now down to two men, Ed and Kiptyn. However, because of the unusual way this season has unfolded, we cannot assume that Jillian is limited to picking one of those two men tonight. Ed has already left and returned to the show. To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about this. If it is indeed, a competition, then once you're gone you should have lost your chance to win. However, we're all supposed to be worrying about Jillian "finding love", so clearly the integrity of this competition means nothing.

Anyways, because of the way things have gone, we have to assume that a previous contestant could appear. Now, there were only two eliminated contestants not present at last weeks "Men Tell All". One was Wes, who is off promoting his new country album, and who may have been too controversial (I actually think he came into the show with a much more realistic and attainable goal ((promoting his music career)) than any of the other men, but this isn't the time for that) to feature. The other was Reid, who was the last man eliminated. Chris told us that Reid was not in attendance because he had "a prior engagement." I thought it seemed strange: these guys get paid for being on the show, and they are obviously all doing it as an attempt at fame. So, why would Reid not be there? Plus, I imagine that the men knew about this WAY ahead of time, and were told that they all had to be there. So, I wonder exactly what must have kept Reid away.

At the end of the show, they showed a preview of tonight's finale. There was a definite screenshot of Reid in there. And then, I suddenly remembered Chris's words: "a prior engagement". A clever play on words? I think so. Reid seemed like he had the best chemistry with Jillian on the dates in Spain and Hawaii, and I was surprised to see him go. My prediction: he returns, finally tells her that he loves her and wants to get married. She will then choose him.

It's a little out there, but if it happens, remember that you read it on the roomofzen first.

A little note here: When Reid does this, he won't actually mean that he wants to get married. But, he will say it anyways. No guy wants to get married after spending 6 MONTHS dating a girl. Nevermind 6 weeks, with her dating 29 other dudes simultaneously, including banging a few of them in the fantasy suite. It's completely unrealistic, but you have to say that's what you want if you want to stay alive in this game. Kiptyn, Ed, Jake, and Michael S. all knew that. Reid clearly didn't understand what it took to be a champion. It's not surprising that he's from Philadelphia.

UPDATE: I was close, but not quite on the money. Reid did return in a minivan, looking quite disshevled. He did also propose to Jillian. Then, in typical Philadelphia fashion, he was sent home crying right before a winner could be crowned. The winner was Ed. Worth mentioning that Babcock picked him to win in week 2.

Joanna Krupa: Devil Woman

I can't believe I'm actually about to defend TO (maybe his departure from the NFC East made me like him more). I just watched the first episode of "The Superstars" on DVR, and it is clear that in Joanna Krupa TO finally found the one thing we never thought he would: a worse teammate than himself. Every other team had partners encouraging each other. Capriati totally shat the bed on two straight challenges. Her partner was very supportive. Lisa Leslie got caught in the cargo net and then went out the wrong way. Her partner was very supportive. TO (who was very supportive of Joanna throughout), got his foot caught in the cargo net in one of his trips through the obstacle course, and it totally derailed Krupa. Here is the video (and this is only one part, it got a lot worse).




In the final heat of the obstacle course, TO got his team a lead, which Krupa blew. And yet, after it finished all she could do was scream "you call yourself an athlete!?" I think TO's teammates are justified in just about everything they have ever taken up with him. However, his athletic prowess is really the one thing you can't question. She looked foolish.

TO stayed very calm and pleasant throughout, and even had a great line on the way out: "I feel sorry for her boyfriend."

Hearing Crickets

Forget his reputation as a team destroyer. I really believe that the impact of his personality is minimal here. Certainly, his history of being a me-first guy would scare some teams away. But, more often than not people are willing to completely look past those character flaws if you have the kind of talent that Terrell Owens does.

I am living proof of this phenomenon, as I sit here hoping that somehow Plaxico Burress will get off on his gun possession charges so that I can get back to the good old days when he would show up late to practice, skip workouts, and butt heads with the coaching staff and front office on a regular basis. I should not want him anywhere near the Giants training facility. But I do, because what he does on Sunday afternoon totally makes up for his behavior during the rest of the week (accidental self-inflicted gunshot wounds included).

Historically, Owens has been able to draw suitors regardless of what he might have done to tear apart his previous locker rooms. Someone was always willing to give him another shot. He makes his team better on the field. Nobody can dispute that. You can't coach height and you can't coach speed. That's what they say about guys like this, and it's true. Unfortunately for TO, you also can't coach youth, and that is why the 35 year old receiver has very little leverage in this situation.


The kind of contract that TO will be looking for is typically backloaded pretty heavily. I can see a team dumping a lot of money into TO for one season, but Drew Rosenhaus will no doubt be trying to get his volatile client something more long term. But, if you're a GM, how in the world can you justify pledging a large sum of money to a 37 or 38 year old Terrell Owens? I know the guy is a freak, but all the hyperbaric chambers in the world won't keep his speed from diminishing as he approaches 40. And, as his skills diminish, so to will his role in the offense. And then....once his physical skills are less of a factor.....his personality suddenly seems so much more important. This is not a guy who is going to be willing to take a lesser role for the team, and he's certainly not the kind of guy (a la Vinny Testaverde or Sam Madison) that you bring in to help mentor your younger players. There is just nothing positive that an almost 40 year old TO can bring to your franchise.

This whole thing reminds me of the Manny negotiations in a way. Teams will be happy to pay big bucks in the short term, but are going to be hesitant to fork over long term money. Drew Rosenhaus (like Scott Boras) will drag it out because he will be completely unwilling to accept any reasonable offer (which I have no problem with. These two are very good at their jobs). In the end, TO will end up settling for something less than he wanted and more than what he really should be getting. And, because teams already know that they either want a happy and motivated TO or no TO at all, they are not even going to bother entering the sweepstakes.

There are really only three teams stupid enough(yes, I have a group of smart teams and dumb teams) to pay TO the way he might want. The first one just cut him. So I guess they're out.


The second is the Raiders. Al Davis has no fucking idea what's going on in terms of the cap, and he clearly has no concept of how age can affect one's performance at work. It's hard for me to believe they have cap room to make this happen after all the contracts they took on last season, but if he wants it bad enough, it can happen. All he has to do is give the order. People will make cap space or heads will roll. He's just crazy enough to do it. He loves players with character issues. He loves the long bomb down the field and refuses to incorporate the principles of the West Coast offense into his team's offensive system. TO would be a nice fit here.

The third is the Redskins. Nothing they do ever makes football sense (except signing Albert Haynesworth. I'm surprised they knew that was a good idea). It's all about increasing ticket sales. They also have a long and well-documented history (at least over the past 8-10 years) of dishing out huge amounts of money for old veterans that are clearly past their prime. It started with Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders is probably the most memorable, and most recently it was Jason Taylor. TO could be the next link in the long line of washed up veterans to receive handouts from Dan Snyder.

Foil in the Oven: Week 7 Picks

I was 6-8 last week, compiling a losing weekend record for the first time. Unlike Ocho Cinco, I will not offer any excuses. And, as embarrassing as it is to fall below .500, I couldn't be happier with what is currently happening in the league.

There are many who are opposed to parity, preferring instead to watch a handful of dominant teams. I prefer what we currently have, because it means that you have to watch every game. You can't take any outcomes for granted. Even more importantly, it means that we can look forward to lots of meaningful end of season games as the playoff picture shakes itself out. Finally, we have been seeing incredibly exciting games. If NFL games were one minute shorter, I would have been right about 4 more of my picks. Sure, I'd love to have those wins, but I can't help being excited.

Over the past two years, we've been able to predict at least one of the Super Bowl teams without difficulty. That's not the case now. I have no idea who will win this week, never mind February. I have never been less confident in my picks, and that's the way it should be...........


Buffalo over San Diego: There is huge potential for the Chargers to win big in this one. I just want to get that out there. Either Buffalo is going to win a tight game or San Diego is going to roll, and I feel like both are equally likely. But, I'm basing my pick on two trends that have been pretty reliable so far this season. The first trend is that teams playing on opposite coasts have not looked good. In fact, I don't believe that a west coast team has won on the east coast yet this season. The second trend is that teams coming off a bye week have looked rejuvenated and extra-prepared.



SIDENOTE: I will remember last week's Sunday night game as the night the Charger Girls put themselves on the map. Dallas and Oakland obviously have great traditions, and recently my understanding has been that the Redskins cheerleaders were the league's best. However, the Charger girls really made a statement against New England. I'm not somebody who usually notices or spends time discussing the cheerleaders, but how could you not notice them last week? There were times when the camera was focused on a clear cleavage shot for 15 seconds straight (possibly because the game was a sleeper). I can't say enough in support of this production decision. I checked with Babcock before writing this to make sure I wasn't the only one and he said he definitely noticed too.



Chicago over Minnesota: The Vikings are not good. I've been saying it all season, and I don't think anybody can argue with me after last week. They had the Lions at home, and were it not for Dan Orlovsky accidentally taking a safety that game would have gone into OT. Their other two wins were the result of seemingly flukey defensive and special teams plays (although the win over Carolina was more legit than the win over New Orleans). In a way, they're sort of like a poor man's Chicago Bears.



Pittsburgh over Cincinnati: Thank god the Falcons/Bears game ended up being great last week because I nearly choked on my own vomit watching the Bengals and Jets (and the Jets throwback uniforms weren't helping). The downgrade from Carson Palmer to Ryan Fitzpatrick has rendered the Bengals unwatchable. On the flip side, the Steelers just had a week off to do some healing.




Tennessee over Kansas City: I don't think this Tennessee undefeated run is going to last much longer. In fact, earlier this week I was going to take Kansas City. They have been a tough out at home. But, the combination of the bad karma that is due to them after refusing to free Tony Gonzalez and the fact that they will be without Larry Johnson this weekend was enough to change my mind.



Dallas over St. Louis: It will take a lot more injuries and distractions than this to make Dallas as bad as the Rams.






Miami over Baltimore: The Dolphins are dangerous and I can't figure out why John Harbaugh would want to rile them up. I like the fish at home.



Giants over 49ers: I said two weeks ago that I was uncomfortable with the Giants being at the top of the power rankings. As upset as I was with Sunday night's loss, I feel much better about the rest of the season. The Giants weren't good enough for the kind of expectations that were being laid out for them by the media. That doesn't mean I don't think they're good enough to win the Super Bowl. They are. But, they're not just going to cruise through the regular season like the dominant Patriots and Colts teams of the past few seasons. There just aren't any teams like that out there this year. They will however, cruise past the Niners at the Meadowlands this weekend.



New Orleans over Carolina: I've been a little too high on both of these teams so far. I expect this to be high scoring, and I give the Saints the edge in a shootout.



Houston over Detroit: Kill me.



Raiders over Jets: I have a feeling that Favre throws at least two INTs here. I'm going with the opposite coast trend again.



Indy over Green Bay: Close one here. I really like this Packers team, but I can't get that ass-whooping the Colts put on the Ravens out of my head.



Washington over Cleveland: That Browns game on Monday night reminded me of the Bills Monday night home game against Dallas last season (except that obviously Dallas came back to beat the Bills). They were at home on prime time, which has not been the norm for the past few years. The fans were outstanding. There was just a feel throughout the entire game that this was going to be Cleveland's night. For that reason, I need to see how they do this weekend before I can know whether or not they have really turned things around.



Tampa Bay over Seattle: With Matt Hasselbeck out and this game being played in Tampa, there is absolutely no way the Seahawks win this game. It's a lock.



Denver over New England: I can't take the Patriots. How could I after last week?




College Pick of the Week:

Missouri (+6) over Texas: This is really more wishful thinking than anything. A win for the Tigers would totally shake up the college football world. And, it could definitely happen. The burnt orange played great last week, but that secondary is still very concerning. We know that Mizzou is lethal through the air. Texas is coming off a big win that for many associated with the program already makes this season a successful one. Missouri is coming off a frustrating loss and is looking to prove that they are still one of the nation's best teams. Put these factors together, and you've got the recipe for an upset in Austin.

Foil in the Oven: Week 6 Picks

The Michael Beasley watch is officially on. If you read this blog over the summer, you know that I thought the Bulls were crazy to pass on Beasley, and I also thought that all the knocks on him were totally overblown as a result of the media's Derrick Rose lovefest. Beasley looked solid last night, accumulating 21 and 7 in 28 minutes of action. The guy is going to be a superstar in this league for a long time. If not for the threat of Greg Oden, I'd already be proclaiming him rookie of the year. We'll be tracking Beasley's progress all season long just to show how powerful the sports media has become. They can convince you to make decisions that go against all logic. I just don't understand how you could see Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose play in college and not think Beasley the better NBA prospect.

Quick Celtics thoughts: Patrick O'Bryant looked great on Wednesday night, and I feel good about having him come off the bench for the nights when Perk picks up 2 fouls in the first two minutes. People have been talking about Bill Walker (and his dunks were sick) but O'Bryant was the most significant performer in my mind. I'm also really happy that we still have Tony Allen. I can't stress enough how valuable I think he is to the Cs as a shutdown defender and a penetrator.

Yes, preseason basketball is exciting, and it reminds me what a great stretch of the year we are entering. But I won't talk any more about it now. A lot of dreams will be crushed this week in the NFL, as we take our next step into weeding out the pretenders.

I was 8-6 last week. Not a great showing, although I was looking pretty money after the one o'clock games. The late ones did me in. Let's shoot for better........



Baltimore over Indy: The Colts officially suck. I've given them the benefit of the doubt over the past few weeks. I chalked their poor performances up to the injuries to Peyton Manning and Jeff Saturday. It made sense. I figured things would fall in to place eventually. They had to. These are the Colts. The Colts, Chargers, and Patriots are always good. Well, obviously this year is different. I have serious doubts about Indy after seeing that fluke win last week. Eventually, their offense may start clicking, but I doubt that it will happen against the Ravens. Look for McClain and McGahee to have big days against this soft Indy run defense.


Minnesota over Detroit: It's very clear now that none of us were giving the Lions enough disrespect in the offseason. It's time that we start giving them the lack of respect that they deserve. They are one of the league's most irrelevant teams, and they are hands down the worst team in the league's second worst division.


New Orleans over Oakland: Al Davis' press conference after Lane Kiffin's firing was so hard to watch. I know this man's place in NFL history, and I hate that my only memory of him will be as a senile old relic who refused to acknowledge that the game had passed him by. Lane Kiffin didn't con anybody. There was nothing in his past to indicate that he was ready to be a head coach in the NFL. In fact, I think he did great considering the circumstances. There was no coach that could have made the '07 Raiders successful. Furthermore, I'm a firm believer that it is ALWAYS a bad move in the NFL to change coaches mid-season. The Raiders are building around a young group of players with tons of potential. What they need more than anything else is stability this season while they gain experience. This move will most likely hurt them. And, what has been accomplished? The BEST case scenario is that Cable keeps Kiffin's systems in place and doesn't make any changes. I have no problem with the firing of Kiffin, but it should have come after the season.


Jets over Cincinnati: You know how I feel about the Bengals.


Chicago over Atlanta: I've been impressed with Matt Ryan, and obviously Michael Turner was a great acquisition. Last week was a huge win at Green Bay. Atlanta is headed in the right direction. But, the Bears are playing too well.


Carolina over Tampa Bay: These NFC South games are always tough to call. But, I don't think there's any question that the Panthers are the class of the division.


Washington over St. Louis: What's scary is that Washington has already finished their road division schedule. Things will only get easier for them.


Miami over Houston: Hey, why not. Good for Miami. They've made headlines for discovering that Ronnie Brown is a more effective quarterback than Chad Pennington (not all that surprising), but their defense has really been the key to the last two impressive wins. I think they'll make it tough on the Texans this weekend.


Denver over Jacksonville: The Broncos are a lock at home.


Philadelphia over San Francisco: I hate to do this, but make note that I am picking against the Niners for the first time in week 6. Hopefully our many readers who watched the Patriots last week have a better understanding now of why I thought there was so much potential in this San Francisco team. I still think they have a shot to win the NFC West. However, I can't put my faith in JT O'Sullivan against the pressure of Jim Johnson's defense.


Green Bay over Seattle: There is something very strange happening with this game. The line is different everywhere. ESPN has the Packers favored by 4. Sportsbook.com has the Seahawks by 1.5. Depending on where you look, it varies from the Seahawks giving 2 to Green Bay giving 6. So, if you're planning on wagering this weekend (and by no means am I encouraging you to do so), you should explore your options. I understand the confusion, but I'm surprised that the handicappers are not presenting a more unified front. I understand the argument for Seattle. They need this game after getting blown out last weekend, and they are tough at home. But, I still believe in this Packers team. My initial reaction was to take the Pack, so I'm sticking with it.

.............on second thought, you may want to stay away from that one. Too many unknowns. And, if the handicappers can't agree on it, what makes you think that you know what's going to happen?


Dallas over Arizona: If Anquan Boldin was playing, I'd be screaming upset in Arizona. However, without him, the 'Boys are too strong.

......Now, on to more important business. Can't you just feel the Cowboys starting to crumble? TO has downplayed whatever drama was happening last week, but we know better. Where there's smoke, there's fire. That's the way it is with TO. Adam Jones is already in trouble again, despite having men on a constant rotation who are being paid to keep him out of trouble. Wade Phillips and Jerry Jones feel that no action is warranted on the part of the team. As a Giants fan, this could not be going better. I'm not trying to make too much of this, but it's just that we've seen the way these things usually play out in Big D....





San Diego over New England: This is a tough one to pick. The Patriots have dominated recent matchups, but this isn't that same Patriots team. But, the Chargers are banged up. Chris Chambers is out. Antonio Gates is banged up. LaDainian "you don't do another man's dance" Tomlinson (why don't people call him that instead of LT?) is banged up. Merriman is out. So, I think things are pretty even. Basically for me, it comes down to the fact that the Chargers need this game more. A few months ago, I was already circling this on the calendar as one of the best night games of the season. Now, I'm just glad the NLCS will be on so I can watch that instead.



Giants over Cleveland: I've stated several times that I did not want the Giants to draft Eli Manning (and they didn't, but you know what I mean). I wanted them to take Sean Taylor. But, as soon as the trade was made to get Eli, I was on board. What choice did I have? I have stuck by him all along, and I couldn't be happier to finally see him playing with such consistency. I'm not ready to go overboard and start proclaiming him the superior Manning brother, but I think it's safe to say that he's arrived. He has had great starts to seasons before (In week 5 of 2006, he was an ESPN early season MVP candidate after a white hot start. Four weeks later, ESPN said that the trade the Giants made may have been the worst in NFL history), but there has always been the fear of inconsistency. I don't have that fear anymore. I have more confidence in this team than I have had in a long time. I'm not talking perfect season or even perfect division record. Hell, they may even lose this game. But, in the past I would worry about a loss causing the team to totally spiral out of control. That's not the case anymore.





College Pick Of The Week:

Texas (+6) over Oklahoma: I've always preferred the name "Red River Shootout" to "Red River Rivalry". Shootout sounds much more badass, and it is much more appropriate for this game, which features two of the nation's most prolific quarterbacks. I think Colt McCoy is the better of the two, and I think that the Longhorns shake up college football even more this weekend. I've been a supporter of the BCS all along, because I think it has given us the right champion in just about every year. But, if things continue as they did last season and this season, changes are going to have to be made. There's too many good teams for us to continue putting our faith in the current system.

Addition By Subtraction?

I hoped that it would never get to this point, although I think I knew all along that it would. I still wasn't totally convinced that the relationship between Jeremy Shockey and the Giants was completely irreconcilable. However, if the Giants had allowed these circumstances to reach that level, there's no telling what damage may have been done to this team and their quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

I can't say enough about what Jeremy Shockey has done on the field for the Giants. He is one of the most dangerous pass-catching tight ends in the NFL, and an even more effective run blocker. A four-time pro bowler, Shockey has perennially been considered among the elite class of professional tight ends. His accomplishments speak for themselves. But what I will miss most about this player, and what I believe will make it difficult for many Giants fans to accept this move, is the emotion that he brought to the field every Sunday.

It's hard not to like Jeremy Shockey when you watch him play. The image of him fighting for yards against the Eagles in Philadelphia after losing his helmet is one that will stay with Giants fans forever. This image really sums up the way Shockey played on gameday. He is an extremely tough competitor that always fought for every yard. There is no denying this, despite everything that has happened that may sour the way he is remembered in New York.




Unfortunately, in the National Football League, it takes more than just playing hard on Sundays. Everybody does that. In order to be successful, it takes somebody who puts winning and the good of their team ahead of themselves. It sounds corny and it sounds cliche, but it holds up. Just think about Terrell Owens.

In thinking about the Shockey situation, Owens kept popping into my mind. I think there are some clear parallels between these two players. Regardless of how you may feel about TO, there are two truths that you cannot deny: 1) he's an incredibly gifted football player and 2) He competes hard whenever he takes the field. The list of receivers with the ability to impact a game the way that he can is virtually nonexistent. Think about his catch in the final seconds to give the 49ers a three point victory over Green Bay. Remember the tears that came after. Remember him suiting up for Philadelphia in the Super Bowl on a broken ankle, and what it must have taken for him to perform the way he did in that game. You can't question how much this guy cares. That someone with his talent and drive would be run out of two different cities would seem very unlikely. And yet, as we all know, it has happened. Teams have cast TO out, and never seem to have regretted that decision for one day.

As I said at the start, what makes this tough to take is that things never got as bad in New York as they did with TO in San Francisco or Philadelphia. As far as I know, there is no video footage of Jeremy Shockey doing crunches on the news. We haven't hit rock bottom. However, in reviewing the way this thing has gone, I have little doubt that it was only a matter of time (of course, the details may have been different).

Let's review some reasons why I believe this was the right move for the G-Men:


- Behind the images of Jeremy Shockey as the valiant warrior who leaves it all on the field is the man who "accidentally" hit fans in San Francisco with ice in 2002, and gave us this quote in 2006: "we were outplayed, and out coached. Write that down." Outbursts and the deflecting of blame were staples of his time in New York.

- Throughout the 2006 season, there were rumors swirling about the negative affect that Jeremy Shockey was having on Eli Manning's psyche. He was allegedly berating him quite frequently during the second half of the season (probably the worst stretch of Manning's career). Many predicted that the offense would run more smoothly in week 17 against the Redskins because Shockey was not playing. These predictions were correct. The Giants won handily, in what was probably their most impressive performance of the season.

- 2007, week 15, Shockey breaks his leg in a Sunday night loss to Washington. I go to bed devastated. This had been a piss poor performance, and I thought that the Giants are doomed without Shockey. And yet, from this point on, they begin to play their best football of the year. They lost only one game during this stretch. In that loss, they came as close as anybody had to knocking off the undefeated New England Patriots, a feat they would accomplish 5 weeks later.

- After watching his team find their rhythm and win the Super Bowl without him, Shockey begins to demand that his role in the offense be changed. Logically, he was also suggesting that the offense itself be changed. He was calling for the Super Bowl champs to change their system to fit his needs. He wanted the ball more. Sound like anybody else you know?

- The Giants felt that Shockey was most valuable when he was used primarily as a blocker. He was unwilling to fill this role. More of the balls were instead going to Plaxico Burress, who had spent the off-season in New York working out and establishing a strong connection with Eli Manning. This connection paid huge dividends on the field (it has been reported that Steve Smith has also been working out with Manning this off-season, which is good news given Shockey's departure). Manning extended this same invitation to Shockey last off-season and the off-season before that. He refused both times, opting instead to stay down in Florida. This certainly did not help his case to get the ball more, and yet his demands were stronger now than they had every been.

- Despite all of this, players like Manning and Burress have reportedly gone to management to give Shockey their endorsement. Like me, it was hard for them to accept that this player, who adds so much on the field, wasn't right for this team. Management made a very tough decision, but it was for the best.



I don't mean to bash Shockey here. I think that he will be a star in New Orleans, where he will be reunited with Sean Payton. As he did in New York, Payton will no doubt line Shockey up in many different places on the field, and he will get him the ball often. Shockey will add another legitimite downfield threat to an offense that was already extremely wide open. On top of that, his blocking will help to improve the Saints' running game. I think he will be happy about having a fresh start. But, regardless of how well he performs and how happy he seems, I don't think we would have seen the same results from him in New York. The Giants were handcuffed here. And, as much as it hurts me to say it, I think this was the right move.