READ TODAY'S STORIES AND E-EDITION SUBSCRIBE |  CONTACT US |  SIGN IN
Sports Extra!



SPORTS EXTRA BLOGS

FOR THE RECORD
LOCAL PROS

ALL SPORTS

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

OUTDOORS

FIND A STORY

EMAIL ALERTS

SOCIAL MEDIA

RSS FEEDS

CONTACT US
BUY PHOTOS & PAGES

ADVERTISE ON SPORTS EXTRA


Print story only Print story with comments Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest
TV Warps Minds
Published: 12/20/2010 5:40 PM
Last Modified: 12/20/2010 5:42 PM

By now you have seen the way the Giant-Eagle game ended and have heard the way numerous ESPN analysts deplore the manner in which the New York punter handled the last play of the game.

He punted the football onto the field of play.

So?

He's one guy.

Where were the ten other over-paid people responsible for tackling?

The Eagle player ran the punt back for a touchdown as time expired.

How many punts are returned for a touchdown, one a weekend? A tiny, tiny percentage. Try to kick it out of bounds, it could go ten yards. Why not just do your job and tackle somebody?

First, the special teams coach should be fired. Then the Giant head coach should follow him out the door.

TV hacks immediately made the punter the heavy.

TV football work has never been lousier. Phil Simms has gotten, if such a thing can be comprehended, worse. And he started the season as the worst color blabbermouth in the history of sports. He never stops talking. And he never says anything. One of his tapes could be used against an enemy of the state to cause a confession.

Most of what CBS does on sports is sentimental slop, just look at the Masters golf, a show of elite tripe unlike any other.

ESPN owns the bowl season and loves all of them. Did you see the crowds at the first three? Barely anybody. Did you see the scores? Boring. The winner of the final game is not the national champion. It is the Sportcenter Fave. Here's who should be playing, at the very least: TCU versus Oregon, Auburn versus Ohio State.

Thank heavens Fox has this year's Super Bowl.







Reader Comments 18 Total
sax5084 (2 years ago)
Of course, FOX is just as likely to replace the Superbowl with animated football playing robots for their telecast. Be careful what you wish for!
Soonerwinagain (2 years ago)
The mere sound of Simms voice will make me change the channel.

As far as blaming the kicker goes, I'm good with that. In fact, I say take the field goal kicker completely out of the game of football. Just have a kicker for kick off's and a punter. Being a Sooner fan, that would have been a bonus as of late. I have never liked the idea that a team wins a game, based on the fact that they might have a guy that can kick a ball more accurately and longer than your guy. Make every TD require a two point conversion. Don't allow the wimpiest dude on the field to decide a game.

If you can't put it in the end zone, you don't deserve to win.
Soonerwinagain (2 years ago)
Sorry, I sort of took off on a tangent about the kicker, even though the story was about blaming a punter. The story scratched an old itch of mine about how much I dislike FG kickers deciding games.
dumbokie (2 years ago)
Last time I noticed it was still called "football",implying that kicking the ball might be an important aspect of the game. If some little guy with a big leg can be the hero (or goat) once in a while, more power to him. He shoulda' kicked it out of bounds.
MexiMike (2 years ago)
Pick, even if he would have only kicked it 10 yards and out of bounds it would have resulted in overtime.

But your overall point is correct. First of all, Jackson dropped the punt, had to pick it up behind him off the turf, and still found a huge running lane right down the middle of the field.

It seemed like the other ten Giants were content with going into overtime and didn't really make the effort to play solid coverage. They deserve just as much of the blame as the kicker does on this one.
mgsooner (2 years ago)
Another Picker NFL column, another Phil Simms reference. SHOCKER. Come up with some original material for once, you dullard.
dcood (2 years ago)
Gotta agree with mgsooner on this one...we all get it that you dont like Phil Simms, you've only referenced that about 300 times!
wgspost (2 years ago)
A playoff system for college football incorporating about half of the bowl venues is desperately needed. Period. If you're not a gambler--if you do not have a vested financial interest in a bowl game--they are pointless, meaningless; except for, of course, the BCS Championship game. It's a sad situation for long-time old-time guys who grew up watching four bowls on New Years Day; the "fictitious" national champion could conceivably have emerged from any one of the three had the circumstances been right (just ask OU fans about the 1975 and 1985 national title years). Very, very sad indeed.
The Picker (2 years ago)
Wgspost, half-full bowls with half-hired coaching staffs, you're right, without point spreads, the college football post season would live in small type.

It's almost like having a couple of Sarah Lee banana cakes before starting a diet, or having to smoke 50 non-filters before giving up cigarettes --having to wager on all the horrific bowls would cause anybody to repent.

How do you handicap a team without a coach? A team with guys about to head for the NFL? Very inexpensively. Picking winners in games that count is hard enough. Handicapping pick-up games is a coin flip.

It is thought that Uconn could lose $3 million on its bowl.

Rotten bowls and wretched teams have infiltrated Jan. 1.

Even the ESPN Invitational, Auburn-Oregon, looks boring. We'd put TCU ahead of Oregon. But under the current system, achieving its best got TCU nothing. But money.
wgspost (2 years ago)
Who wouldn't want to watch a Wisconsin / TCU matchup...Auburn / Boise State...Oklahoma / Ohio State...Oregon / LSU...all leading up to a final championship game? The current system is blind to coming events and it will eventually consume itself; the very people concerned with losing money if the current bowl system is abandoned will eventually lose money by the fistsful as interest in the status quo fades...and then dies. It's institutionalized corporate insanity.
Don's World (2 years ago)
Oh thats right. The games take place for you to handicap them! I had forgotten that was their reason for existence.
wgspost (2 years ago)
Don, I truly believe that your ability to scribble thoughts in crayon-like fashion on blogs such as this is giving you delusions of adequacy.
Glenn616 (2 years ago)
The Giants football team also deserves part of the blame for blowing a 3 touchdown with less than 8 minutes to play. However, how do you not cover a punt with just 11 seconds left in regulation? That's pathetic. When your a team that expects to compete for the Super Bowl, you don't blow that kind of lead. Firing a guy who led the Giants to a Super Bowl title 3 seasons ago over the undefeated Patriots? Not a smart decision. Coughlin has done a fine job in Jersey despite Sunday's gaffe.
Don's World (2 years ago)
Now THAT was funny WG. Finally. Jimm1 he doesn't need crayons or even keyboard as he is the Picks alter ego. Or his mother. The quickness of his agreement with pick is breathtaking to watch. It is like a little lap dog at his masters feet, whole body shaking as he wags his tail. Yes master, oh I love you master. WG, when are you going to learn, the Pick just isn't that into you.
jctblue (2 years ago)
Took Tulsa +10 and the money line. Kicking myself for not taking the over. Bling bling!
jctblue (2 years ago)
Took Tulsa +10 and the money line. Kicking myself for not taking the over. Bling bling!
gus (2 years ago)
TU - OSU best mid-majors in country. If they played now TU-78 / OSU 21
MexiMike (2 years ago)
Wow Gus, did you use every last bit of your three brain cells to put that rambling thought together?
18 comments displayed


To post comments on tulsaworld.com, you must be an active Tulsa World print or digital subscriber and signed into your account.


Out Pick The Picker

The Picker began entertaining – and infuriating – sports fans in 1993. Each week during football season, he writes about his picks of college and NFL games in his Thursday Sports column. He's never afraid of sharing his opinions about the game and the personalities who play it. Readers have a chance to go against him each season in the Outpick the Picker contest. He welcomes the competition.

Follow The Picker on Twitter

Subscribe to this blog


Archive

Past Articles By The Picker

1/31/2013
      The Picker: Super Bowl merely a distraction from OU woes
 
The Picker's Blog Archive:

2/2013  1/2013  12/2012  11/2012  10/2012  9/2012  
8/2012  7/2012  6/2012  5/2012  4/2012  3/2012  
2/2012  1/2012  12/2011  11/2011  10/2011  9/2011  
8/2011  7/2011  6/2011  5/2011  4/2011  3/2011  
2/2011  1/2011  12/2010  11/2010  10/2010  9/2010  
8/2010  7/2010  6/2010  5/2010  4/2010  3/2010  
2/2010  1/2010  12/2009  11/2009  10/2009  9/2009  
8/2009  7/2009  6/2009  5/2009  4/2009  3/2009  
2/2009  1/2009  12/2008  11/2008  10/2008  9/2008  
8/2008  7/2008  6/2008  5/2008  4/2008  3/2008  
2/2008  1/2008  12/2007  11/2007  10/2007  9/2007  
8/2007  7/2007  6/2007  5/2007  4/2007  3/2007  
2/2007  1/2007  12/2006  11/2006  10/2006  9/2006  
8/2006  





Home | Contact Us | Search | Subscribe | Customer Service | About | Advertise
Copyright © 2013, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.