Front Row.com Blog

 With apologies to Bob Dylan but I had to use the title to his song for this article. By the way Dylan is continuing his “Never Ending Tour”. Catch it if you can.

It seems that Plaxico Burress, wide receiver for the New York Giants, has been treated for a self inflicted gunshot wound according to news reports. Burress, who has had his share of troubles this year, has added another foolish incident to a resume that already includes more than one. This comes when the Giants are in good shape and gearing up for another run at the Super Bowl. My gut feeling is that the NFL will take a dim view of this latest incidents if the news reports are true that it happened in a nightclub in New York. Must be a great nightclub if you have to go armed. Kind of like a drunken night in a Tijuana bar.

Tags: sports by edrouant
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 Here in Afghanistan the NFL went over big. Problem is we’re 10 hours ahead of you guys so we’re watching NFL football in the morning. Still, AFN replays the games so it’s like having NFL tickets to any game you want. Thanksgiving Day was America in Bagram as we feasted on excellent turkey, ham, a variety of sidedished and plenty of sweets for afterwards.

 Some NFL teams feasted as well. Just one week after an embarrasing benching Donovan McNabb came back with a vengeance for the Philadelphia Eagles, leading his team to a 48-20 victory over a sluggish looking Arizona Cardinals team. On this day the Cardinals got eaten. The Dallas Cowboys also were gluttons, chewing up Seattle 34-9. There’s some life in the Cowboys but the Seahawks looked overstuffed.  Finally, the Tennessee Titans recovered from their first loss to overwhelm the winless Detroit Lions by 37 points.

What does it all mean? The road to the playoffs and the Super Bowl is still alive for some and the door has shut for others.

Tags: sports by edrouant
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 The Green Bay Packers have been the focus of a lot pf attention this year due to the movement of Brett Favre and the ascension of Aaron Rodgers. The road got tougher on Monday Night Football as the Pack suffered a 51-29 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Now nearing the end of the season, every game gets more important. For Green Bay the loss puts them a game behind the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears. More importantly it calls into question whether the Packers have the defense necessary to make the playoffs. Giving up 51 points, and having your publicity hunded quarterback throw three interceptions is not the way to get on roll. The boo birds will be out if Rodgers doesn’t get his act together and right now the shadow of Brett Favre looms large over Lambeau Field. Until Rodgers delivers a Super Bowl, Brett will always be best.

Tags: sports by edrouant
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 A quick look at the NFL this week leads to 3 thoughts:

Philadephia Eagles – After McNabb got benched on Sunday word is quickly swirling that the quarterback is finished in Philadelphia. Maybe in Philly but I don’t think he’s finished in the NFL. He’s been in a tough situation for awhile now and I think a fresh start would do him good. Look for him elsewhere next season and expect success.

Atlanta Falcons – After trouncing the Carolina Panthers you have to consider Atlanta as a legitimate playoff threat. They’ve got a good running game and a quarterback who seems to make it happen. This team has come from nowhere and put the rest of the NFL on  notice.

New York Jets – Are the Jets really that much better? Earlier in the year I expressed my opinion that Brett Favre could inspire the Jets to greater glory. He’s done just that. A win over the formerly unbeaten Tennessee Titans confirms that. This is a team playing over their heads and that’ sa hard team to keep down.

Tags: Uncategorized, sports by edrouant
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 Lest we forget, in the midst of our pigskin madness, those National Finals Rodeo Tickets I’ve had pinned to the fridge for the last few months will become gold in early December. It’s not too late to latch on but you better get hopping. The action starts on December 4th in Las Vegas and for the next 10 days you won’t find more or better action anywhere. Get out of your armchair, forget the economy, and get out to the National Finals Rodeo. You’ll be glad you did.

Tags: Featured Events by edrouant
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 This was an old fashioned butt whipping. Anytime you beat someone 65-21 you’ve dished out some pain. Was anyome surprised? Yes, I was. While I know the  Oklahoma Sooners are one of the best teams in the country (My friend Dancin Dave Purdum constantly reminds me), I wasn’t expecting this. Texas Tech was on a roll and looking dominant. The Sooners dealt a crushing blow to their season and elevated themselves into contention for a shot at a BCS National Championship Game appearance in my opinion. Dancin Dave is now Dancin on the Tables Dave. Congrats you soon to be Papa.

Speaking of Papas. Papa Joe Paterno and his Penn State Nittany Lions in the Rose Bowl should be a winner this year. Old Joe gives me renewed hope for my old age. Heck, if he can still be sharp enough to take a college football team to the Rose Bowl I should be able to get something done too right? Right? Right? Hello?

Tags: sports by edrouant
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The NBA is a great place for housecleaning and the New York Knicks are doing it. They’ve traded away two of their top players in a bid to bring in more productive talent that fits their system. Some will scream that the two players they’ve unloaded were two of their top scorers and should have been retained. The problem with trades, in the NBA or any sport, is that in order to get value you have to pay value. Anyone can pick up on a journeyman or a fill in. But to get real value you have to have something to offer. In this case the Knicks are not directly trading for talent, only opening up the possibility of bringing in some down the line. The moves free up salary space and offer the chance to bring in a big name. Lebron James has been mentioned along with others. For the New York Knicks, who have to contend with the Boston Celtics within their division, the road ahead is filled with challenges. Making the right move in the next few weeks will determine their immediate future.

Tags: sports by edrouant
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 OK, so I’m sitting in the air terminal on a military base in Qatar. I’m waiting for a flight to Afghanistan, and watching a news report on MLS soccer. My traveling companion, a Columbian by birth, is expounding on the virtues of the World Cup and which teams will make it. All I’m thinking is “Where’s the beer?”. You see, Qatar is about the only place around here where you can acyually have a drink. Since I haven’t seen or tasted REAL beer in over 4 months, it’s at the top of my list. One cold beer, one NFL FOOTBALL game.

Tags: sports by edrouant
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 Seems like Kurt Warner has been in this position before. Remember Warner took over from an injured Trent Green and led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl? Now in the desert, the Arizona Cardinals have established themselves as the team to beat in the NFC West. Sure, they’ve got the advantage of sharing the division with three impossibly pitiful teams. But it wasn’t too long ago that the Cardinals could have out-pitifuled anyone.

The current success in Arizona can do nothing but polish the reputation of Kurt Warner. While some have called him over the hill, he has stuck to it, bided his time, and now finds himself at the helm of a team that’s almost assuredly playoff bound, bringing joy to a city that has had none in three decades.  The fun is back in Phoenix.

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 Lurking in the NFC are a number of possible contenders to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. There are even more teams that can make the playoffs and possibly disrupt the expert picks.

Leading the pack are the New York Giants. This is a team that has enough disruptive assets on defense to keep them in any game. Suddenly, on offense, they pound it down the throats of a Baltimore Ravens defense that can scare anyone. With a three game lead over the rest of the NFC East the Giants are a lock for the playoffs and only a miracle will stop a first round bye.

Next most likely contender is the Carolina Panthers. John Fox has always fielded an up and down team and 2008 is up. The Panthers have a gritty ground game, a quarterback with moxie, and a Pro Bowl caliber Julius Peppers wreaking havoc on opposing offenses again.

The NFC North is too close to call with the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears refusing to step up and take control.

Meanwhile the Arizona Cardinals of all teams, seem to have the upper hand in the NFC West, mainly because there are nothing but Three Stooges organizations in St. Louis and San Francisco, and a lame duck hospital in Seattle. The Cardinals make the playoffs by default.

Tags: sports by edrouant
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