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The NFL announced their schedule the other day and it went mostly unnoticed here at CrabAppleLane. Last year’s disappointing Saints season still lingers here and the team hasn’t done much in my eyes to rectify their deficiencies. The Redskins play the Giants in New York on Thursday, September 4 to kickoff the season. The Saints played in the opening game last season and had high expectations going in. That loss took some of the luster off of things and was the beginning of an 0-4 start. They recovered briefly and got to 4-4 but went back into their funk by season’s end. All said, I think I prefer they stay out of the spotlight for a while. They open the season against NFC South rival, Tampa Bay, in the SuperDome, the site of the dumbest play call of the entire 2007 NFL season. It was a double reverse pitch that was fumbled and recovered by Tampa Bay, allowing the Bucs to go in for the winning score. The NFL has deemed that the Saints are worthy of four showcase games. They have Monday night home games with the Packers and Vikings, a Thursday night tilt with the Bears in Chicago, and a home game with the Chargers in London.

I'm liking the NFC this year. The AFC still has more star power, particularly at QB, but the young, rising stars of the league, like Adrian Peterson, Ryan Grant, Marques Colston, Ernest Graham, Brandon Jacobs, etc ... they're in the NFC. It’s a cliché but in the NFL, probably more than any other professional sport, youth will be served. There’s no escaping it.

140 days until football season ...

Quote of the Day

I think it's the best job in the world. Where else can you go to play with such big toys?

Harrison Ford

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "A lot of people criticized the draft of the Bucs last April but no one is now."

Ryan Perrilloux, LSU quarterback, is a mystery to me. He has the keys to a Mazzeratti and a ticket to the NFL if he could just keep himself out of trouble. Apparently, that's too much to ask. He was going to start at QB next year for defending National Champion LSU. That's his Mazzeratti. The Tigers have a lot of talent on offense. He has a great arm and has good presence on the field. That's his ticket to the NFL. He also has a propensity for screwing up off of the field and for being at the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people. That's going to derail his career. I hope he straightens himself out and makes something of himself but I surely support Coach Les Miles handling of him. He has been suspended indefinitely.

Caught a glimpse of two horses on my long way home today. Thought I'd share.

Folsom, LA - March 8, 2008

Quote of the Day

So many people are doubting us coming into the season because we lost so many guys. But they haven't seen a lot of the other guys who've been waiting their turn. I have, and they're going to step up and make big-time plays for us, just like last year.

Demetrius Byrd, LSU Tigers

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The fledgling baseball league called Major League Baseball is trying to squeeze some money out of the juggernaut Cape Cod Baseball League."

Brett Favre finally retired. I like Brett. He plays hard, seems to be a good guy off of the field, and has a great sense of humor. Once again, to quote Adrian Monk, “Here’s the thing”: I was never enamored with his game. He has talent and a great arm. You'll never get me to dispute that. I’ve been watching him since he became the starter at Green Bay. I've been a fantasy football player for most of Brett's career. Fantasy football is all about statistics. Stats are not the true measure of a player and never will be but they sometimes provide a piece of the puzzle. Brett has been a decent fantasy QB in systems that don't subtract for interceptions. That's one of his things. He can throw five touchdown passes or five interceptions in any game. Here's another thing: It's not like he had to do it all alone. Here's a guy who has had more than his share of playmakers on his team. At wide receiver, he had Sterling Sharpe, Antonio Freeman, and Javon Walker. At running back, he has had the very best years of Dorsey Levens and Ahman Green. All of those players, and maybe a few others that I can't remember, had good years at Green Bay. Favre had some great games, some awful games, and he was great and awful in the same game sometimes. He seems to be a smart guy but he hardly ever played smart. One of our local sportscasters said of him once that he keeps both teams in the game. In a nutshell, that is Brett Favre. In his 17 years in the NFL, he never really outgrew that. His already bullet-proof legend will only grow over the next few years and he’ll be a first ballot Hall-Of-Famer but I don’t consider him one of the great quarterbacks of his era. I wish him well, though. Good Luck, Brett.

Quote of the Day

It's been a great career for me, but it's over.

Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I am not sure how ducks are supposed to walk--nor, for that sake, how other birds walk--so I cannot use that criterion."

Congratulations to the New York Giants on their great win yesterday in Super Bowl XVII. Their defense, mainly that spectacular pass rush, was the difference. They kept the Pats at bay until the offense came alive in the 4th quarter. It was a fun game. They flat outplayed the Patriots.

A testament to when things are going right: Eli Manning and David Tyree combined to make one of the most unlikely plays in Super Bowl history. After making a miraculous escape from several Patriot defenders (Good play on his part), he set and threw the ball up for grabs (Bad play on his part). Usually, that’s an interception. Tyree somehow came down with it clutched against his helmet (Great, great play on his part). That he made that play in front of Rodney Harrison, one of the dirtiest players in the NFL, was icing for me.

The Giants are a prime example of how much of the NFL game is between the ears. This team was 8-8 last season and about as ordinary as a team could be. They made no major moves in the offseason and their best player, Tiki Barber, retired. Tiki was a source of dissension last year by questioning the head coach in the media and this year by questioning the leadership skills of Eli Manning in the media. I suspect many/most Giants fans and players are saying “good riddance” about Tiki this morning. In November, this team was waxed by the Vikings at home. No one saw them as any kind of contender then. As that famous philosopher once said, “It aint over til it’s over.”.

For the first time this season, the Patriots are answering the “What went wrong?” questions. They’ll be answering those questions and some other Spygate questions the entire offseason. It’s Coach Bill Belichick’s worst nightmare and it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Enjoy, Bill.

And, finally, it’s a testament to the NFL’s priorities that the Giants home page shouts “Click here to purchase Super Bowl Gear NOW”.

Quote of the Day

By the time this season is over I’m confident Eli will be ranked right up there among the biggest busts of all-time, so I can’t very well put a wrap on this until I get him. It will be very disappointing if I don’t. But then I’m quite often disappointed by Eli Manning.

SportsPickle.com parody of Tiki Barber & Eli Manning

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "THE NEW YORK GIANTS ARE NOW WORLD CHAMPIONS!"

If I were forced to place a bet on today's Super Bowl, I'd probably have to take the Pats. I am rooting for the Giants for reasons previously mentioned and think they have a chance if they can keep it close early, The Pats want to get ahead early and coast. They don't want 60 minutes of football. The Giants have a chance because they have a better running game and a better defense. Here's my game plan for the Giants: On defense, keep Moss and Stallworth in front of you and rough them up. Put your best cover guy on Wes Welker. Pass rush, pass rush, pass rush. Get to Brady and put some hits on him. You have to be smart about that, though. The referees are not going to tolerate any cheap shots on the golden boy. If it's close, it will be called. On offense, just move the chains and keep Brady and co on the sidelines. Their defense is not dominant. They have to take chances to get off of the field. There will be opportunities for plays downfield when they do. If they sit back, pound them with Brandon Jacobs. If the Giants can get the Pats into a 60 minute war, they'll win.

It's a CrabAppleLane Upset Special. It says here: Giants 28 - Pats 24

On this Super Sunday, I'll be pulling for my numbers and various contests first, Giants second. I have 4-4 on one pool, Pats 5 - Giants 4 and Pats 2 - Giants 7 on another. Erasers and Ragpickers don't have much chance today in the CrabAppleLane Playoff League. I expect my Erasers will pass my Ragpickers today but both are too far behind to make up ground on the leaders.

One from the backyard on this lovely Super Sunday. Have to work on sharper focus. Still having a lot of trouble with that in some conditions. The poor lighting this morning surely had something to do with the result. Still, it didn't turn out all that bad. Good enough for this place. :)

American Goldfinch and Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Red-Breasted Nuthatches come around CrabAppleLane fairly often but don't go to the feeders much. This was a rare treat. Wish I could have gotten a better shot but this will have to do. That a Goldfinch was there at the same time is lagniappe. I love our backyard. The diversity of wildlife never ceases to amaze me.

About today's QOTD. I don't know where Sabol grew up or what circles he runs in but a lot of people I know say Marciano was the greatest. Larry Holmes got so disgusted hearing it and being compared to him when he was undefeated that when he finally lost and was asked once again about the comparison, he delivered his famous quote: "Rocky Marciano couldn't carry my jockstrap."

Quote of the Day

Rocky Marciano never lost a fight, but I never hear anyone say he's the greatest heavyweight champion of all time.

Steve Sabol, President of NFL Films

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "They cannot lose, because if they do this magical tale they have weaved like a suit of gold grows tattered and frayed."

My two fantasy playoff teams (Ragpickers and Erasers) find themselves in an unfamiliar position halfway through the Colts-Chargers game. They're in contention. Both teams benefited from Ryan Grant's huge day yesterday. Indy's loss will hurt both of those teams, though. Hopefully, it will hurt everyone else about the same. There will be a new Super Bowl Champion. I suppose I'm now rooting for the Chargers, Giants, and Packers. Not wild about the Pats or Cowboys.

A little joke I read today that my friend, Ken, might appreciate:
Perfect Pitch - When you throw an accordion into a dumpster and it lands on a banjo

Started tinkering with one of my Christmas presents yesterday. The first record I tried was Joe Walsh's Barnstorm from 1972 ... because it was already out. Mixed results. I think I'll need some headphones. On my computer speakers, it's hard to listen closely enough to hear through the pops whether the record skipped or not, especially on songs you haven't listened to in 30 years or so. I also determined that a little practice will be required to get good results. I can't tell you the last time I had to balance a tone arm and I'm still not sure I did it satisfactorily. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you might want to ask your parents. :)

I offer three images depicting the three stages of my 15-mile road trip today. The weather here at CrabAppleLane is simply magnificent. Was yesterday, too, but I squandered most of the day. Would surely like a do over.

On the way out - January 13, 2008 - In Whippoorwill Grove near CrabAppleLane

In between - January 13, 2008 - Lance Armstrong would not approve of my training regimen.

On the way in - January 13, 2008 - Off Highway 40 in Bush, LA - Near CrabAppleLane

Quote of the Day

Hey now
The wells run dry
Pages of your book on fire
Read the writing
On the wall

Joe Walsh, Turn To Stone

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I myself celebrate Festivus. Not because I'm just a Seinfeld fan, but because I know every line... word for word... and I know every single possible thing there is to know about Seinfeld. I could answer any question about Seinfeld."

Ohio State Buckeyes vs LSU Tigers
The anticipation has been almost unbearable for most around here. For predictions, everyone keeps going back to last year's game between Ohio State and Florida. The line of thinking goes something like the Buckeyes were too slow for the much faster and more athletic Florida Gators. I buy some of that. The Gator defense ate Troy Smith up. This year's Ohio State team, who lost a good portion of last year's team, suffer those same comparisons to LSU. The Tigers are as fast and athletic as Florida was last year but they're more experienced than Florida was and a lot more experienced than Ohio State is this year. They also have the advantage of a near home game. Though Buckeye fans are in town in force, they will be outnumbered by a pretty wide margin tonight. For all of those reasons, I originally thought this game had blowout written all over it. I now think Jim Tressel is smart enough to realize that he has to slow this game down. Playing fast and loose is LSU's game, not theirs. I expect the Tigers to be very aggressive but I think the Buckeyes will play smart enough to keep it close for a while. The Tigers will win convincingly but there will be no blowout. LSU Scores a late TD for the final score. It says here:

Tigers 38 - Buckeyes 21
Oh yeah, just one more thing:

Quote of the Day

It was one of those 'No! No! No! Yes!' plays.

Kevin Fayard, LSU Tigers Fan

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I haven’t seen the early line yet, but I’m jumping all over LSU. People are saying the Buckeyes are underdogs this time, and they’ll be prepared this time, but I’m just not buying — they didn’t play anybody all year and, after all, they’re The Ohio State University, and second place is what they do best."

I suppose a tip of the cap is in order for the New England Patriots. They finished the regular season undefeated and are going to now attempt to finish as Super Bowl Champions. In so doing, they’d join the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only team to do so. Whereas the Miami Dolphins did it with class and humility, the Patriots chose a different route. With the exceptions of Tom Brady and Kevin Faulk, the Patriots are thugs. Most people rooted FOR the Dolphins. Most people are rooting AGAINST the Patriots. Count me in the latter group. It wasn’t always like this. Until this season, I thought their organization was the class of the NFL. Spygate, running up scores, and Belichick’s supreme arrogance changed all of that. They have an Us Against The World mentality. I’m rooting for The World and I think they have a chance. The Pats are not playing the kind of football now that they were playing earlier in the season. They can be beaten.

As for the New Orleans Saints, their season came to an end today. They weren't mathematically eliminated but it would have taken a monumental turn of events to facilitate entry into the playoffs. 1) They had to win today in Chicago (Failure 33-25). 2) The 9pt favorite Redskins would have had to lose at home to the Cowboys, whose starting players aren't going to play much if at all. 3) The 3pt favorite Vikings would have had to lose at Denver today. Denver is awful. I'm glad it's over.

One from the backyard on this dreary CrabAppleLane Sunday.

CrabAppleLane Chipping Sparrows - December 30, 2007 - OK, some of you need to move over to the right side.

Quote of the Day

Hats off to us

Randy Moss, New England Patriots

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Just realized the first round competition for candidates happens next week, 'though why anyone thinks havin' a bunch a people vote on somethin' when they're still nursin' a hangover from New Year's Eve is beyond me."

Congratulations to Tim Tebow on winning the Heisman Trophy. He’s a great player by any measure. I think Darren McFadden should have won it and I’ll bet 92,000+ Tiger fans in Baton Rouge would agree with me but those two are surely the best of the bunch this season. As an LSU fan, I don’t relish having the Tigers play Florida and Tebow two or more times over the course of his career. I’m pretty sure they won’t have to see McFadden any more and that’s a good thing. Darren will be coming to NFL Stadiums and he’s a real treat to watch when he’s not playing your team. Ahh, hell ... even when he is playing your team. As for you, Tim, see you next year in The Swamp.

One from the CrabAppleLane backyard today.

CrabAppleLane Backyard - December 9, 2007 - The changing of the seasons comes a little later here. I have one more date with yardwork this season. Will probably be next weekend. Like the blue here.

Quote of the Day

The bride wore mud.

Richard Robbins, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "The question that comes up now is “How many Heismans will he win?”"

Big weekend in football at CrabAppleLane.

First, we have the LSU Tiger's fine victory over Tennessee yesterday. It was close and hard fought as EVERYONE expected it to be. The Tigers were ripe for the upset. Their starting QB was out and their All-American defensive tackle was hobbled. Their crushing loss to Arkansas last week and the controversy swirling around their coaching staff made this a tough week. To their everlasting credit, they stayed focused and got the job done. A lot of dominoes fell afterwards yesterday and the Tigers should find themselves in the hunt for a national championship. They should have no trouble jumping over Georgia, Kansas, and Virginia Tech AND staying ahead of Oklahoma and USC. LSU is the champion of Georgia's conference and they also own a 48-7 victory over Virginia Tech. Kansas is not a conference champion. It will be Ohio State and LSU. Some "experts" will claim LSU doesn't belong in that game and other "experts" will probably make them a double digit favorite.

The Saints are playing division-leading Tampa Bay today in the Superdome and I'll be there. This will be the first Saints game I've attended since 1998 and I've been looking forward to it for a few weeks. The Saints pretty much have to "win out" to get in the playoffs. I have no confidence in their ability to do that but a win today would be a good start and would make the day go by faster. :)

This is the last week of the regular season in fantasy football. One of my teams, Erasers, has won their division and will play a first round opponent next week. No idea who that will be but there's a pretty good chance that it will be CrabAppleLane Blog contributor, Hyde. The other, Ragpickers, is essentially in the playoffs now because they have to win to move on. That league features 8 teams playing for four playoff berths this weekend. Glad I'm not the commissioner ... OH, wait.

The Sunday picture was taken on Saturday and it was inspired by Susan’s comment a few days ago. I just love red versus blue. Hoover calls this color “Ferrari Red”.

The red vacuum cleaner meets the blue carpet - December 1, 2007

Quote of the Day

I’d line up against anybody and look forward to that opportunity.

Les Miles, LSU Head Coach

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "It's Championship Weekend and the SEC Championship Game is no longer compelling so it's not too much of a surprise to see GameDay headed to San Antonio for the Big 12's title match between Oklahoma and Missouri."

A little more compelling now. -Rob