2012 NFC Preview

NFC East


Cowboys (10-6)

The Cowboys could have easily won this division last season. Between a second half collapse against the Jets Week 1, and two weeks in a row with a missed potential game-winning field goal as time expired, the 'Boys cost themselves a playoff spot. Tony Romo is a good quarterback, but lacks the clutch gene, and that separates him from the elite. DeMarco Murray showed flashes of brilliance when he was healthy last season. The trio of Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, and Jason Whitten gives Romo a variety of targets. The second season under Rob Ryan, their 23rd ranked pass defense should improve with the additions of Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne.

Giants (9-7)

The defending champs were a 99 yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz (against the Jets on Christmas Eve) away from not even making the playoffs. That just goes to show how crazy the NFL season is.  They are as talented on the offensive side of the ball as any team in the NFL. Eli Manning proved he was Eli-te last season after making controversial statements in the offseason by saying he was one of the best QB's in the game. Ahmad Bradshaw is an average back and isn't asked to do much. The loss of Brandon Jacobs hurts Big Blue in goal line and short yardage situations, but rookie David Wilson has looked explosive in preseason. Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz each bring a unique weapon to their passing game. Defensively, after their great defensive line, the Giants are below average. Osi, Tuck, and JPP know how to get after the QB, they combined for 30 1/2 sacks last season. I just don't see much talent in their group of linebackers. Injuries to Prince Amukamara and Terrel Thomas weaken an already poor secondary. The fact that they can get pressure on QB's can hide the fact that their secondary is under par though.

Redskins (8-8)

The Redskins invested in their future, pulling off a blockbuster trade for Robert Griffin III. RG3 in my opinion is a perfect mix between Michael Vick and Cam Newton. Roy Helu, Tim Hightower, and Evan Royster gives Mike Shanahan a three-headed attack at running back. Pierre Garcon is a good addition to an average receiving corps that includes Santana Moss. The 'Skins have an underrated defense that includes DeAngelo Hall, Brian Orakpo, and London Fletcher.

Eagles (8-8)

The "Dream Team"is in for another disappointing season. Michael Vick is becoming way too fragile, and I wouldn't bet on him playing more than ten games this season. LeSean McCoy is a top tier running back and is in the conversation with Arian Foster and Ray Rice. DeSean Jackson is a good receiver when he is motivated. The defense is pretty good, but they have a very tough schedule and if/when Vick gets injured again the Eagles are in trouble.

NFC North 

Packers (13-3)

Green Bay ran through the NFL last season, and it's usually difficult to have that kind of success in multiple seasons. However, Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the league, and as long as he's still standing you have to consider Green Bay the favorites of the NFC. They bring back the same group of wide receivers as last season. Cedric Benson is an upgrade to their almost inexistent running game. Clay Matthew, AJ Hawk, and rookie Nick Perry are the one of the most talented linebacker groups in football.

Lions (11-5)* Wild Card 

The Lions took a step up last season mostly due to their great passing game. Matthew Stafford showed he was worth of a number one overall pick in the 2009 draft passing for over 5,000 yards. Calvin Johnson is the best receiver in the game (unless the Madden Curse hurts him). Mikel Leshoure and Kevin Smith don't provide much of a running threat, even if they can stay on the field. Aside from a great defensive line, that includes Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, the Lions defense doesn't scare anyone.

Bears (10-6)* Wild Card

Da Bears finally have a receiver that scares the opposing defense. Teaming Jay Cutler with his former Broncos teammate Brandon Marshall could be the biggest trade this offseason. After a controversial couple seasons with Miami, Marshall should be happy in the Second City. Teaming Michael Bush and Matt Forte at running back gives Chicago a legit two-headed attack. The Bears defense is good, but I think that they may start to show their age a little bit.

Vikings (3-13) 

Christian Ponder had a rough rookie season, and I don't see things getting easier for him in year two. Adrian Peterson's health is a legit question mark . Without him the Vikings are going to struggle to score points. The defense was ranked 31st in points allowed last season, and they didn't make any real additions.

NFC South

Falcons (12-4)

Atlanta has all the offensive weapons to be able to have a good run this season. Matty Ice had a good 2011 campaign with receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones along with tight end Tony Gonzalez. Michael Turner is one of the more consistent running backs in the leagues. The addition of Asante Samuel should help improve their 20th ranked pass defense.


Saints (10-6)

After an off-season that was filled with controversy the Saints will be distracted this season.  Bounty Gate cost the Saints head coach Sean Payton and starting linebacker Jonathan Vilma, as well as creating a huge distraction to the team. Drew Brees is still a great quarterback, and the three headed running attack of Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles, and Pierre Thomas provide a spark to the offense. Steve Spagnuolo has a tough task of running a defense that was the center of the Bounty controversy.

Buccaneers (8-8)

I have faith that Greg Schiano is a great coach that can help turn around the Bucs franchise. Josh Freeman took a step back 2011 after an impressive sophomore season in 2010. The additions of Vincent Jackson and Dallas Clark will help him tremendously in the passing game this year. Rookie running back Doug Martin will get a chance to start over LeGarrette Blount who had attitude problems last season.

Panthers (7-9)

Cam Newton had a history-making rookie season, and the Panthers still finished 6-10. Even if Newton improves this season, I don't think the Panthers have enough around him. Steve Smith is a good receiver when his head is in the game. Their running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are average. Carolina didn't try to improve their 28th ranked defense, and that is going to be a glaring hole on this team.

NFC West


49ers (10-6)

San Francisco doesn't always look pretty, but they win games. Jim Harbaugh's formula worked last season, and in a weak division it should work again, but it will be a little more difficult because they're not flying under the radar this season. The additions of Randy Moss, Mario Manningham, Brandon Jacobs, and LaMichael James on the offensive side of the ball will go a long way in making this team better in the playoffs. Alex Smith is an average quarterback, and is at his best when he isn't asked to do a lot. Frank Gore should be healthier this season, especially since his workload will be lessened by the additions of Jacobs and James. Their fourth ranked defense comes back almost completely intact. Patrick Willis and Justin Smith are two important cogs to their front seven.

Seahawks (8-8)

After signing Matt Flynn to a big contract, Pete Carroll made the interesting call to name Russell Wilson his starting quarterback.  The rookie Wilson wowed the Seahawks in camp and in preseason, but if he falters in the regular season Flynn may be given a second chance. The Skittle loving Marshawn Lynch had a resurgent 2011 season, and should be a 1,000 yard back again. After trying out Terrell Owens, Seattle stuck with Sydney Rice and Braylon Edwards, and sophomore Golden Tate may get a chance to prove his worth.

Rams (6-10)

After a horrific 2011 season, new coach Jeff Fisher is hoping to instill some faith in the franchise again. Sam Bradford had a disappointing season, and with no real wide receiver threat, I find it hard to believe that he is going to be successful this year. Steven Jackson puts up 1,000 yard seasons despite missing a hand-full of games every year. With 6 projected new starters on defense including Cortland Finnegan they should improve but not before some growing pains early on.


Cardinals (5-11) 

First, Arizona has to decide if they want Kevin Kolb or John Skelton as their starting quarterback. I see it more as one guy losing the position more than either one of them winning it. Larry Fitzgerald will be teamed up with rookie Michael Floyd to provide a powerful one-two punch at wide receiver. Beanie Wells doesn't wow me at running back. Patrick Peterson and William Gay man the two corner spots for an average defense.

NFC Playoffs

Divisional Round

Packers over Bears
49ers over Falcons

NFC Championship 

Packers over 49ers  

Super Bowl

Packers over Broncos

2012 AFC Preview

AFC EAST

1) Patriots (13-3)

Unfortunately, the Pats show no signs of slowing down. With Tom Brady and Bill Bellicheat at the helm, they will always be considered the top team in the AFC. There's not much else that can be said about Tom Brady, and he will go down as one of the best guys ever to play the quarterback position. The addition of Brandon Lloyd to a team of receiver that includes Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Rob Gronkowski, and Aaron Hernandez is almost unfair. Stevan Ridley isn't a starting RB on most teams, but the running game won't be asked to do too much. Using two first round picks on defense, Chandler Jones (brother of UFC fighter Jon Jones) and Dont'a Hightower, should help shore up their  biggest weakness in 2011. Cornerback Devin McCourty, the Rutgers grad, needs to bounce back from a bad sophomore season.

2) Bills (9-7)

A lot of people forget that the Bills were off to a hot start last season, even defeating the Patriots in Week 3. The wheels starting off the wagon, and a multitude of injuries started a 7-game skid that all but ended there season. The addition of Mario Williams should help a defense that was 30th in points allowed last season and 28th in rushing yards allowed. After a Cinderella first half Ryan Fitzpatrick was not very good in the final 8 games. Depending on which Fitzpatrick shows up will have a huge impact on the team. Stevie Johnson returns as the team's biggest pass catching threat, but there isnt't much depth at receiver . The two-headed rushing attack led by Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller give Buffalo a multi-dimensional running game.

3) Jets (7-9)

The Jets are a team on the brink of disaster, and are now their furthest from being a Super Bowl contender in the Rex Ryan Era. They have absolutely no playmakers on offense, aside from their backup quarterback.  If Rex and Sparano think that the Wild Cat in 2012 is the key to a winning team than they are even more dilsusional than I thought. I like Mark Sanchez, but he still makes the same dumb mistakes that he's made since his rookie season. I hate to say it, but it seems to me like he's a front runner, and only plays well when everything around him is perfect. Tim Tebow is the most popular backup quarterback in the league, but he definitely isn't the most talented. He can pull a great play seemingly out of his ass, but a large percent of the time is below average. Shonn Greene hasn't shown enough to be a full-time starting back, and with Tomlinson gone the onus is going to be on him to carry the running game. Santonio Holmes is talented, but is a head case.  Stephen Hill and Jeremy Kerley are talented, but are still young and inexperienced. The team's dark cloud, Wayne Hunter, is gone so the offensive line should be fine.

Defensively, they are one of the best teams in the league. Quinton Coples and Aaron Maybin gives them a good pass rushing duo. Darelle Revis is arguably the most valuable defensive player in the league. LaRon Landry is a great signing if he can stay on the field. The defense is going to have to play up to it's potential, because I don't see Gang Green's offense scoring a lot.

4) Dolphins (5-11)

The Dolphins franchise is starting to take some steps in the right direction. Joe Philbin is a good hire for head coach, and they are starting to build around rookie QB Ryan Tannehil. He is the winner of a three-man competition with David Garrard and Matt "Moops" for the starting job. Losing Brandon Marshall might turn out to be addition by subtraction because he always felt like a ticking time bomb ready to explode. The signing and subsequent release of Chad Ochocinco was interesting. The team is severely depleted at receiver with Davone Bess and Brian Hartline their projected starters.  Plus, as I've seen on Hard Knocks, they have some offensive line issues. Reggie Bush has a chip on his shoulder after his first 1,000 yard season in the NFL. The defense was stingy last season, led by Vontae Davis and Cameron Wake. I expect more of the same from that unit, but the offense is still a couple of years away from being dangerous.

AFC North

Ravens (12-4)

The Ravens are the favorites to win this division after their 2011 season ended heart-breaking fashion, but I think that makes them only hungrier this year.  The team is still led by two Rays (Lewis and Rice), but Joe Flacco had his best season as a pro last year. You can See Ray Run and also be the teams leading receiver.  Their 3rd ranked defense will be hurt by the loss of Terrell Suggs, but rookie Courtney Upshaw from Alabama should be able to shoulder the load.

Bengals (10-6)* Wild Card

The Bengals can be mentioned in the same breath with the Steeler and Ravens as one of the better teams in the AFC. The Red Rocket, Andy Dalton, had a good rookie season, and is building a relationship with fellow sophomore, WR A.J. Green. Rutgers rookie Mohamed Sanu is going to be  thrown into the proverbial fire as the teams probable #2 receiver. BenJarvus Green-Ellis made the move from the pass-first Patriots offense, and is talented enough to be a good starting running back. 

Steelers (9-7)

The Steelers started showing their age a little bit last season, and I can see them taking a little step back this year. Ben Roethlisberger had his third career 4,000 yard season, but the offensive line has gotten the guy killed. I don't know how much longer he can take that kind of punishment. The defense will still be led by veterans LaMarr Woodley, Troy Polamalu, and Ryan Clark, arguably one of the best players in their respective position.

Browns (4-12)

The Browns were one of the worst teams in football last year, and I see more of the same this season. The offense will be run by two rookies Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson (who already has a knee problem). I don't see a real number 1 wide receiver (or even a good number 2 guy on almost any other franchise) on this team.

AFC South

Texans (10-6)

The Texans are led by a great offensive attack. Arian Foster is one of the most talented backs in the league, and in case he gets hurt, Ben Tate is ready to step in. Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson have developed a great relationship, but he is really the only dangerous pass catcher on the team. The loss of Mario Williams is going to hurt their defense.

Titans (9-7)

The Titans are a wild card in this conference. Jake Locker has been named the starting quarterback over Matt Hasselbeck, and the second year player looks ready to take over the reigns. If Chris Johnson and Kenny Britt play up to their potential (and stay out of trouble), the offense has a chance to be dynamic.

Colts (5-11)
The Colts sucked for Luck, and got their man. Andrew Luck has the skills to be one of the best quarterbacks of the future. I just don't see there being enough talent around Luck to be a competitive team this year.

Jaguars (4-12)

As I write this there is no end in sight to Maurice Jones-Drew's lockout, and until the Jaguars figure out what to do with him it's going to be a black cloud over the franchise. The team got Blaine Gabbert a pair of receivers to throw the ball to Justin Blackmon and Laurent Robinson, but they are still a run first team. Without Mo-Jo they could be one of the worst teams in the AFC.


AFC West

Chargers (11-5)

After being one of the AFC's top contenders for several years, the Chargers took a step back last year. Their offense is still very good, and Phillip Rivers should bounce back from an average year last season. Ryan Matthews, who was injured in their first preseason game, shouldn't miss much time in the regular season. The loss of Vincent Jackson is going to hurt, but I think Malcolm Floyd is ready to step up. The defense dragged the team down last year, but I don't see that happening again.

Broncos (11-5)* Wild Card

The Broncos finished last season with one of the worst passing quarterback's in the league, and enter this year with perhaps the best quarterback of this generation. If Peyton Manning is healthy and he returns to form than Denver is Super Bowl contenders. The defense, led by Von Miller and Champ Bailey kept the team in games long enough for Tebow to pull off another miraculous comeback. This year, they shouldn't have to worry about carrying the slack for the offense.

Raiders (8-8)

The Raiders are an average team, but I can't see them competing in this top-loaded division. Darren McFadden is a great back, but call me when he plays a full season. Carson Palmer had one of the stranger stories in the NFL last year, and he should be better having a full training camp with the team.

Chiefs (8-8)

The Chiefs have an interesting team. Matt Cassel hasn't lived up to the hype after having a great season with the Patriots. I'm curious to see how they use Jamaal Charles and Peyton Hillis at the running back position. They have an opportunistic defense, and with Eric Berry returning after missing the entire 2011 season, will be better.

Playoff Predictions

Divisional Round:

Broncos over Ravens
Patriots over Texans

AFC Championship Round

Broncos over Patriots

Johnny "The Coward" Jones

I was in the middle of writing my AFC Preview when breaking UFC news hit this afternoon. UFC 151, scheduled for September 1 in Las Vegas has been cancelled following an injury to Dan Henderson. Hendo partially tore his MCL in training and after consulting a doctor he was forced out of his Light Heavyweight Championship fight against Jon Jones.

Instead of making another blog focusing on injuries in MMA (injuries happen in all sports, it's just unfortunate that in MMA is an individual sport and a fight is canceled, in football if your quarterback is hurt you still "play to win the game') Jon Jones and Greg Jackson made this blog very easy to write (I'll get into why Zuffa is partly to blame too).

Late last night rumors were swirling that Dan Henderson would have to pull out of his fight. Once Zuffa announced a press conference call for 2 pm, their fears became a likely reality.

Once Chael Sonnen announced a move to the 205 lb division, Chael did what he does best, calling out the champion. However, his tweet around a half an hour before Dana's conference call was the most revealing:

30 min to cement your legacy. Champ or Coward? I make a lot more than you do... Show up in 8 days I'll give you my purse.

Then at 2:00 Eastern time, Dana dropped the bombshell that for the first time in history, UFC was going to have to cancel their Pay-Per-View event that was a little over a week away. White called it "One of my all time lows as President". It was announced that Chael Sonnen was the only guy to accept a fight on 8 days notice, but Jon Jones turned it down.

Jon Jones already was gaining a bad reputation from many UFC fans for being fake, and for his comments about not wanting to fight Lyoto Machida because it's a high risk low reward fight and not very profitable. Now he has made an enemy out of his boss, who said "A world champion turned down a fight, that's never happened", White even said through all the battles with Tito Ortiz, even he never turned a fight down.

White then began to take his anger out on Greg Jackson, Jones' trainer, calling him "a fucking sport killer" for advising Jon against taking the fight. Dana closed the call by saying " I don't know what to expect from Jon Jones anymore. He just selfishly made a terrible decision that affects a lot of people."

I'm speechless that Jon would turn a fight down. If you want your name to be in there with some of the greats of the Octagon, you just can't do that, plain and simple.
       
It was announced that Jones would fight Lyoto Machida on September 22, at the UFC 152. That fight joins a card that was headlined by Joseph Benavidez vs Demetrious Johnson to crown the Flyweight Champion, and Michael Bisping vs Brian Stann (which is likely a #1 Contender fight for Anderson Silva's belt). As for the other fights on the UFC 151 card, their status is unknown. Knowing Dana White though, I'm sure that they will be taken care of.

To take my attention off of Jones for now, some of the blame has to be placed on Zuffa's shoulders as well. It's been said for some time now that UFC is stretching itself thin by having too many cards, between PPV, Fox, FX, and Fuel. They had scheduled 32 fight cards this year, as opposed to just 20 in 2009, 24 in 2010, and 27 in 2011. On top of that, the buys for lower cards are lower than ever, because UFC is starting to do what they have criticized boxing for, putting on one fight shows.

To make a comparison, I took a random fight card from 2010 to compare to UFC 151

UFC 113                                              

Lyoto Machida vs Shogun Rua 2          
Josh Koscheck vs Paul Daley
Sam Stout vs Jeremy Stephens
Kimbo Slice vs Matt Mitrione
Patrick Cote vs Alan Belcher

While not a great card, all ten fighters were known by UFC fans. Compare that to UFC 151

Jon Jones vs Dan Henderson
Jake Ellenberger vs Jay Hieron
Dennis Siver vs Eddie Yagin
Dennis Hallman vs Thiago Tavares
John Lineker vs Yasuhiro Urushitani

I think the quality of the current pay-per-views are very inconsistent compared to what the UFC was giving fans just two years ago. They still have really good cards (Fox 5 for example), but the UFC 151 formula is a lot more common.

While I understand it's not realistic to put on 5 great fights every show, there is no reason to think that there won't be at least a great main and co-main event, and 3 decent fights. As a big UFC fan, I should never have to check Wikipedia to see who a pay-per view fighter is. Hopefully this embarrassing situation helps improve things for the future.

At the end of the day, people will forget what the undercard fights were. What will be remembered however, is Jon Jones had an option, and he chose to be a chump.

Frankie Edgar

Frankie gave "The Answer", and now all the speculation about his future can take a rest. Edgar chose to cut ten pounds, and move to the Featherweight Division. Edgar stated that he wants to try and get back in the cage before the end of the year (maybe he could be involved in the fourth and final fight on Fox 5 in December) to try out the 145 pound division. 

Despite Jose Aldo's recent comments, he wants Frankie to move down so he could banish him to Bantamweight or back up to Lightweight, Dana already said he would have to win a fight or two before getting a title fight. The two matchups that make the most sense would be either Korean Zombie or Chad Mendes.

The move down makes sense, because as long as Bendo holds the 155 lb belt it's almost impossible to give Frankie a third fight. A Frankie Edgar-Jose Aldo fight has always been a dream matchup, and now Aldo's trash talk might have helped convince Edgar to make the move. Also, Frankie has an opportunity to join Randy Couture and BJ Penn, as just one of three guys to hold the gold in two different weight classes 

I hope that Frankie chose this path because that's what he really wants, and not because of the pressure put on him by Dana and the media. 

Do We Want Tebow?

Jets

It took only one and a half preseason games, but the chants were heard last night at Jetlife Stadium. After not scoring in all of 8 preseason drives!!!! (unless you count Sanchez's TD pass to the Giants corner), the first team offense heard it from Jet's Nation. Chants of "We want Tebow (clap clap clap) We want Tebow (clap clap clap)" rang out from most of the 70,000 fans at last night's Jets-Giants Snoopy Bowl game. Tony Sparano might wear sunglasses so he doesn't have to look at the mess he created, but maybe he should invest in a pair of earmuffs so he doesn't have to hear the "Fire Tony" chants.

I don't understand how people are putting the blame on Sanchez for the offense's slow start. Not only are they learning a new offense without their two starting wideouts (Santonio and Kerley), but Mike Tannebaum has done NOTHING to clear up the team's biggest hole (literally and figuratively) in Wayne Hunter. I don't care if you're Aaron Rodgers, nobody could be asked to perform well when you have JPP and Justin Tuck in your face before you complete your three step drop. Not to place the blame entirely on Hunter, where has D'brickshaw Ferguson been since signing his contract extension? D'Brick Wall has looked more like a revolving door for the past year.

Last night was just another cruel reminder that the only way the Jets could beat the Giants is in headlines. In the past 4 years the Giants won two Super Bowls. The Jets: "beat" an undefeated team, ate "Goddamn Snacks" on Hard Knocks, found out that their head coach loves feet more than a kitchen-sink blitz, signed a corner who has enough kids to field his own football team, their franchise QB dates a 16 year-old, Brett Favre dick pics, their head coach gave someone the bird at a UFC fight, Braylon's DUI, and in-fighting between their franchise WR and the rest of the offense ruined last season (am I forgetting anything?).

At least the Jets are the only football team to have two different quarterbacks pose shirtless for GQ in back-to-back seasons, so we have that going for us.

Too bad there weren't any goats involved, right Tom?

That picture never gets old.

Back to business though. I thought Sanchez took a step in the right direction by saying he's going to start taking control of his huddle earlier this week, but his confidence must have gotten shaken again. That's what happens when you have the most popular player in the NFL as your backup. I've said from the beginning that I like Tebow the football player, but it was a high risk-low reward move for Gang Green. 

Instead of helping his current QB by getting wide receiver that can stretch the field, or begging Damien Woody to leave ESPN to get his right tackle job back, Tannenbaum and Woody Johnson hired a built-in QB controversy. Not even in WoodyBaum's wildest imagination did they think it would start to blow up in their face before the regular season even starts.

In case I didn't make it clear, I want Mark Sanchez starting all 16 games this season for the Jets. If they do replace him for Tebow, it is probably a move out of desperation for Rex to save his job. By the way, no worms were hurt on Timmy's pass intended for a wide open Stephen Hill in the end zone last night. 

Don't miss Woody Johnson's Traveling Circus, which will be coming to an NFL Stadium near you every Sunday for the next 18 or so weeks.

Yankees

The Yanks have been battling through injuries all season. From Mariano to A-Rod, Joba, Gardner,  CC Sabathia, Mike Pineda, Andy Pettitte, and now Mark Teixiera it's amazing that they're still in first place in their division. Nobody is going to feel bad for the underdogs with a $200 million pay-role, but with David Phelps and Freddy Garcia pitching every five days, Casey McGehee and Eric Chavez platooning in third, and until recently Andruw Jones and Raul Ibanez were starting in our outfield every night, you have to give them some props.

The question now as we're nearing October is which of those guys might be healthy enough to make an impact. We can already cross Mo, Gardy, and Pineda off the list. With another setback it's likely Andy will be shut down for the year. You expect A-Rod and Tex to be ready, but they weren't even playing that well before their injuries. The only guy I really feel confident in now is CC.

It might be a little early, but guys are now starting to position themselves for their roles in the postseason. The lineup is pretty much set barring further injury, with Martin, Tex, Cano, Jeter, Ichiro, Grandy, and Swish. Jones or Ibanez will probably DH depending on if they're facing a lefty or righty. I think A-Rod's role could be diminished because of how good Eric Chavez is defensively. 

Assuming CC is healthy, he will start game 1, and probably Kuroda will start Game 2. That leaves Hughes, Nova, and Garcia to pitch Games 3 and 4 if Pettitte doesn't come back. Right now it looks like Nova winds up on the short end of the stick. However, Hughes was essential coming out of the bullpen in the 2009 run, so that may play a factor in the Yankees decision. 

Is it any surprise that Joba Chamberlain has looked awful since returning from his Tommy John/ankle injury? I give the guy credit for working his ass off to even make it back to the majors this season when every doctor told him it couldn't be done. Joba was over-hyped in 2007, and never lived up to expectations as a starting pitcher. He can still be a good addition to the Yankee bullpen and doesn't deserve the criticism he is receiving this season.

Mark my word, the Red Sox are going to make a late season push, saving Bobby Valentine's job. It could be too little too late to make the playoffs, but with the extra Wild Card it's not impossible.

MMA

Ronda Rousey left another arm in her wake last night. She is 6-0 as a professional fighter, winning every fight via armbar submission. She's been in the cage for less than 8 minutes combined in her six fights! Rousey's the only UFC fighter with a finishing move. She just needs a nickname for it, like a Stone Cold Stunner.

Recent comments from Jon Jones and Anderson Silva about only taking easier fights that will make them more money are disturbing. UFC avoids the problems that boxing has because Dana White and Joe Silva rule with an iron fist on who fights who. When the sports two biggest stars make these comments publicly it could start to hurt the reputation of the UFC. 

Frankie Gets Screwed Again

UFC 150: "The Answer" is Wrong

I was so pissed I had to write a little about this tonight. In what will likely go down in the history books as one of the worst judge's decisions in UFC history, Ben Henderson retained his Lightweight Championship against Frankie Edgar at UFC 150. I'll give you a brief breakdown of how I would judge each round along with statistical information from fightmetric.com....

Round 1

Henderson clearly won this round. He landed several brutal leg shots, which I felt was a great strategy for the champion. If he took away Frankie's legs than he would lose his speed, which is one of his biggest advantages. When Edgar went for a takedown Henderson locked on a guillotine for the last 15 seconds of the round. Henderson out-struck Edgar 12-7.

10-9 Henderson

Round 2

This was clearly Frankie's biggest round. Edgar dropped Bendo with a big right hand, and took control on the ground for around a minute. Edgar avoided Henderson's takedown and landed another punch before the end of the round. Frankie outstruck Bendo 12-9 and won this round easily.

10-9 Edgar (19-19)

Round 3

The third round was as close a round that there is in MMA. Both guys exchanged, but there really weren't any significant strikes. Even though he was out-struck 15-13 Let's play Devils Advocate and give Bendo the round since he is the defending champion and it was a very close round.

10-9 Henderson (29-28 Henderson)

Round 4

Frankie began to get into a rhythm in the Championship rounds. He looked much more aggressive, landing a solid leg kick and following it up with a takedown. Edgar got Bendo into a headlock and was looking for a submission. Frankie got the better of the exchanges as the round wound down. They were even with 17 strikes a piece, but Frankie's takedown secured the round for him.

10-9 Edgar (38-38)

Round 5

I had the fight even going into the fifth and decisive round. Henderson again came out a little lackadaisical and showed no signs of urgency. Frankie was counterpunching really well here. Edgar once again landed more strikes, this time out-striking Henderson 19-14.

10-9 Edgar

I had the fight 48-47 and a new Champion Frankie Edgar. Tony Weeks scored the fight 49-46 for Edgar, giving him every round but the first. Judge's Dave Hagen and Mark Van Tine scored the fight 48-47 for Henderson giving him rounds 1, 3, and 4. I agree with giving Bendo rounds 1 and 3, but if their strikes were even, and Frankie secured a takedown, how does Henderson win round 4?

Aftermath

This bad decision could really hurt Frankie Edgar's career. It is his second "loss" to the current Lightweight Champion, and now he is in the back of the line in a top-heavy division. Nate Diaz was guaranteed to get the next shot at Henderson. Anthony Pettis (who was promised a shot for almost 2 years) and Donald Cerrone (after his big win tonight) should fight to be the new #1 Contender. That leaves Frankie lumped in with Joe Lauzon, Gray Maynard, Clay Guida, and Jim Miller as they round out the top contenders.

In my opinion, as long as Henderson is still champion it is almost impossible to give Edgar a third fight. No matter how bad the decision is, if you lose to a guy twice you shouldn't get a third chance. That being said, Frankie is probably going to need to win at least 2 fights (more likely 3) to even get another chance at a title fight (even if Henderson loses the strap).

Another option Frankie has is to move to Bantamweight . Dana White has been begging him to move down to the 145 lb division (because Jose Aldo is running out of credible opponents). Aside from Aldo and Mendes, Frankie would have a hard time being challenged by anyone else in that weight class. 

Instead of being a two-time champion, "The Answer" leaves Denver as a two-time loser, and his career now has come to a fork in the road. A lot of questions need to be answered both by Frankie Edgar and Zuffa. Another controversial decision is the last thing anyone wanted tonight. 

The Best 15 Fights UFC 100-UFC 149

Since UFC 100 in 2009 we've seen legends hang up their gloves; Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, and Tito Ortiz; the rise of unstoppable champions in Jon Jones and Jose Aldo, the rise and fall of heavyweight king Brock Lesnar, the debut of three new weight classes; Featherweight, Bantamweight, and Flyweight, plus the debut of UFC on a major broadcast television network. During that period, there has been 80 events and close to 900 fights. Here are my top 15 fights of the past 3 years in the UFC.

15) UFC 132: Urijah Faber vs Dominick Cruz II

Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz wanted to prove that a Bantamweight fight could headline a UFC pay-per view, and put on an exciting 25 minute clinic. Both guys went at it at a frenetic pace, with some good back and forth exchanges, and Cruz trying to avoid Faber's takedowns. At the end of their five-round war, Cruz won via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 48-47). Both guys did a great job representing the defunct WEC, and in turn made the Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions must see TV.

14) UFC 100: Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir II

UFC 100, which is still the highest grossing UFC Pay Per View of all time, was headlined by the rematch between Interim Champion Frank Mir and Champion Brock Lesnar. In the hype leading up to the fight it was clear that these guys didn't like each-other. Brock Lenar put on a dominating performance that night, taking Mir down in the first round and hitting Mir with his lunchbox like fists. The second round saw much of the same, with Brock winning via TKO at 1:48 of the second round. Lesnar's post fight promo after the fight was almost as memorable as the fight. Brock told Mir that he "took the horseshoe out of your ass and beat you over the head with it", and knocked the UFC's sponsor by saying "I'm going to go home and drink a COORS LIGHT because Bud Light ain't paying me". 

13) UFC 140: Frank Mir vs Antonio Nogueira II

Big Nog and Frank Mir still had a score to settle after their first fight at UFC 92. Minotauro claimed he was suffering from staph infection before the fight, and Frank Mir always disputed the claim as an excuse for why he lost. Nogueira had Mir stunned, but instead of going for the TKO he tried to get Mir to tap by putting him in a guillotine. Mir rolled out of it though, and locked on a sickening kimura that broke Nog's arm. It was the first time in his extensive MMA career that Nogueira lost via submission. The brutal submission will be ingrained in my mind for a long time.

12) UFC 128: Jon Jones vs Shogun Rua

Jon Jones tore through Light Heavyweight contenders until securing a championship shot against Shogun Rua. At the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ Jon earned his bones by putting on a dominating performance against Rua stopping him at 2:37 of the third round. This fight helped cement Jones' legacy, even at the young age of 23.

11) UFC 100: Dan Henderson vs Michael Bisping

Coaches on The Ultimate Fighter, Bisping got under Hendo's nerves to say the least. When they finally had a chance to meet in The Octagon at UFC 100 Henderson made sure it would be a night that Bisping would never forget. Bisping was circling to his right, and his face ran right into Hendo's right fist knocking him out at 3:20 of the second round. To add insult to injury Henderson nailed him a second time on the ground to ensure that "The Count" would shut up for awhile.

10) UFC 126: Anderson Silva vs Vitor Belfort

Coming off of his fight against Chael Sonnen, journalists began to question the skills of Anderson Silva. The Spider put all of their doubts to rest with a highlight reel front kick that knocked out Vitor Belfort at 3:25 of the first round.

9) UFC 124: GSP vs Josh Koscheck

Georges St Pierre proved why he is considered one of the most dangerous mixed martial artists on the planet against Josh Koscheck. Much like Michael Bisping, Koscheck tormented GSP while they were coaches on The Ultimate Fighter. During their fight though, GSP methodically picked Koscheck apart with jabs, breaking Josh's orbital bone in the process.

8) UFC on Fox: Clay Guida vs Ben Henderson

The first fight most viewers saw on FOX was a 1:04 fight between Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez. Unfortunately, the fight that aired on Facebook between Clay Guida and Ben Henderson was one of the best fights of 2011. All three major aspects of mixed martial arts (wrestling, striking, submissions) were on display, and would have been a great introduction to UFC for new fans. Clay and Henderson fought tooth and nail for a great 15 minute fight for a shot at Frankie Edgar's Lightweight Championship.

7) UFC Live: Cheick Kongo vs Pat Barry

Cheick Kongo and Pat Barry put on the craziest one round heavyweight brawl I've ever seen. Barry got off to a hot start and had Cheick Kongo hurt, but got a little reckless. Kongo hit a huge uppercut that knocked Barry clean out at 2:39 of the first round.

6) UFC 137: BJ Penn vs Nick Diaz

Nick Diaz, the Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, was supposed to fight GSP at UFC 137, but after missing a press conference Dana White took away his title shot. In a crazy turn of luck, GSP got injured and Nick Diaz and BJ Penn headlined the pay-per view. Both guys brought the fight to each-other from the very beginning trading a variety of strikes. After 15 minutes of great back and forth action, Diaz won the fight by unanimous decision.

5) UFC 116: Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin

The deck was stacked against the reigning Champion Brock Lesnar in this fight. He was coming off his first battle with diverticulitis, and was facing a man who never lost in The Octagon (none of Carwin's fights even went out of the first round). Brock was almost another victim to Carwin's power, but did enough to survive the first round. Going into the second round Brock actually smiled (who smiles after getting punched in the face for 5 minutes?), which is something I will never forget. Lesnar seemed rejuvenated in the second round, taking Carwin down fairly easily and locked in an arm triangle getting Carwin to tap at 2:19 of the second round. Brock claimed he was now a "humble champion" but was "still the toughest SOB around".

3b) UFC 125: Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard II

Frankie Edgar went into UFC 125 trying to avenge the only loss in his career, and successfully retain his Lightweight crown. After a brutal first round that saw the Champ bloody and bruised, Edgar was lucky just to survive. The tide began to change though as Frankie started to take over the fight by using his superior wrestling. As the fight went on Frankie got into a rhythm as Maynard began to look gassed. Neither man was able to finish the other, and the fight went to the judge's scorecards. Because of the 10-8 first round the fight was ruled a draw, and set up an immediate rematch.

3a) UFC 136: Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard III

What nobody could have predicted, the rematch was even better than their previous fight. The first round was almost identical, as Maynard has Edgar hurt, but just couldn't finish him. After surviving the first round Edgar once again took over the fight in the second round! This time Edgar wouldn't leave "The Answer" up to the judge's scorecards as he finished Maynard with a barrage of punches at 3:54 of the fourth round. These two fights showed that Frankie Edgar's heart and resolve can't be matched inside The Octagon (he represents the Garden State well). With their trilogy tied up at 1-1-1 you have to think that a fourth fight with Maynard is in Frankie's future depending on what he does at UFC 150 (but that's for another blog after he beats Bendo on Saturday).

2) UFC 117: Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen I

The second best fight of the past 50 UFC's is also a Cinderella Story. This time Anderson Silva, arguably the best pound for pound fighter in the world, needed a last second submission to retain his Middleweight Championship. After taking shots at Brazil, Anderson Silva, Ed Soares, and the Nogueira Brothers, Chael Sonnen had a target on his back. The challenger responded by taking Silva down and keeping him there for the first four rounds of the fight. At 3:10 of the fifth and final round though Sonnen made his first and only mistake of the fight, and it cost him. He let Silva gain wrist control, and The Spider struck with a last minute triangle choke and Chael had no choice but to tap.

1) UFC 139: Shogun Rua vs Dan Henderson

The 25 minute all out war between Mauricio "Shugun " Rua and Dan Henderson might be the best fight in MMA history. Shogun and Hendo will go down as some of the best strikers the sport has ever seen, and they came ready to fight at UFC 139. The first three rounds saw both fighters trading vicious blows, but Dan Henderson got the better of Shogun. The last two rounds Shogun made a great comeback, coming close to stopping Henderson, but came up just short. The pace that these two warriors kept up for the 25 minute fight will never be matched.

The Future

The future of UFC is as bright as ever. The careers of future Hall of Famers BJ Penn, Wanderlei Silva, Forrest Griffin, and Rampage Jackson are nearing the finish line. Will GSP and Anderson Silva fight each-other to prove who the top pound-for-pound guy really is before hanging up their gloves (unlike Pacquiao and Mayweather in boxing)? Can a contender come in to stop Jon Jones and Jose Aldo's runs as Light Heavyweight and Featherweight Champion? Will Junior Dos Santos take the next step to keep his reign as Heavyweight Champion alive? Will young prospects like Rory MacDonald, Alexander Gustafsson, and Chris Weidman be the next stars of the sport? 

More importantly, will the judging and refereeing of the sport show signs of improvement? What will happen to Strikeforce and Bellator, and will another contender come up to challenge Zuffa? Will MMA become more mainstream with the help of Fox, or will it continue to be a fringe sport that only attracts a limited audience?

The answer to these and many more question will be answered. I've seen a lot of changes to the sport in the three years I've been a fan, and wonder where the sport will be in 3 years at UFC 200. 

UFC on Fox 4: Best One Yet?

UFC on Fox 4

I criticize the UFC when it is deserved, but I also have to praise them when they deliver the way they did yesterday. UFC on Fox 4 was the best broadcast television show that Zuffa has put on, but unfortunately it was also their lowest rated (The Olympics are largely to blame). According to Nielsen, the overnight numbers were 2.14 million viewers, down from 2.25 million viewers in May (Diaz vs Miller). Like I said though, as far as UFC is concerned I'm going to be mostly positive. 

The opener between a returning Mike Swick, who hadn't fought in 2 1/2 years, and DaMarques Johnson set the bar high (Swick won via KO at 1:20 of the first round). Jamie Varner and Joe Lauzon took that bar, and raised it even higher. Both competitors came in swinging, and it was obvious that someone was going to finish the fight looking up at the lights. Jamie Varner gassed considerably as the fight wore on, and J-Lau took advantage by getting him to tap to a triangle choke at 2:44 of the third round. This was far and away the best fight so far on Fox.

The co-main event and main event would clear up the Light Heavyweight Championship's future, because Dana White announced whoever won most impressively would get the next shot at the winner of the Jon Jones-Dan Henderson fight. The first fight between Lyoto Machida and Ryan Bader started slowly. Bader got picked apart in the first round, but none of the strikes threatened a KO. In the second round Bader stopped being patient, and he charged at Machida, but directly into his fist knocking him out at 1:32 of the second round. Was Lyoto's knockout enough to earn him #1 contender status?

The Main Event between Shogun Rua and Brandon Vera was a great fight. Both guys brought it to each-other (similar to Shogun's fight with Dan Henderson), until Shogun hit a couple uppercuts in the clinch that dropped Vera, and finished him with ground and pound at 4:09 of the fourth round. The fight was a lot more competitive than I thought it would be, and Shogun showed signs of gassing in the third round. Dana White agreed with me, and announced that Lyoto Machida is the new #1 contender.

All in all, it was an entertaining night of fights. Mike Swick's win was a feel good story. Joe Lauzon's performance on such a big stage raised him to the top of the Lightweight Division, along with Anthony Pettis and Gray Maynard. On top of it all, Machida's impressive knockout makes him a worthy contender for a potential rematch with Jon Jones.

UFC 150

UFC 150 is going to be headlined by a rematch for the Lightweight Championship between Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson. Those of you who have been Costa's in the Cage readers from Day One know that I don't even think Frankie Edgar lost their first fight. Henderson's up-kick after being dominated for the better part of 2 rounds gave him some momentum in the third and fourth round, but Frankie won the fifth and final round. Dana White decided to give Frankie a much deserved rematch, and now on Saturday, it's up to Edgar to prove that Dana made the right decision.

It was clear in their first fight that Ben Henderson has a huge size advantage over Edgar, but Frankie's been outsized in most of his fights. Edgar has an advantage in wrestling, and it is a push once the fight hits the ground. When striking, Henderson is stronger, but Edgar has better movement and speed. I see this fight being very close, much like their first battle in February. If Ben-do can't hit a big shot, like his up-kick, I see Frankie out-pointing him and retaining the title he never should have lost. Another thing I'd like to point out is that Edgar always does better in rematches. He won more decisively against BJ Penn in their second fight, and went from losing, to a draw, to leaving Gray Maynard out cold in their trilogy. 

UFC 150 Quick Predictions

I went 1-4 in my UFC 149 predictions, bringing my record to an even 8-8.

Frankie Edgar over Ben Henderson by Decision

Donald Cerrone over Melvin Guillard by Submission

Jake Shields over Ed Herman by Decision

Yushin Okami over Buddy Roberts by KO

Justin Lawrence over Max Holloway by KO

NFL

One of the all-time greats, Curtis Martin, is now officially a Hall of Famer. Curtis not only put up HOF numbers on the field (14,101 rushing yards, 102 total TD), but according to everything I've read he is an all around great guy. After playing his first three years for the Patriots, Martin joined his head coach, Bill Parcells, in moving to the green and white. Curtis played 8 years with the Jets before retiring due to knee problems. Martin was the model for consistency rushing for 1,000 yards in ten straight seasons. 

"At my eulogy, I don't want my daughter or whoever it may be giving my eulogy to talk about how many yards I gained or touchdowns I scored.  I want my daughter to be able to talk about the man that Curtis Martin was.  How when she was growing up, she looked for a man who was like her father.  That he was a man of integrity, a man of strong character, and a God fearing man.  That's what I want.


Then at the end of the day, she could say, oh yeah, and he was a pretty good football player.  Thank you all. -Curtis Martin 8/4, 2012 Hall of Fame Induction Speech

Thank You Curtis.

Jets

I hate the Jets. No, I've really been thinking about this, and the Jets are a real hate-able team. I love Rex Ryan, even though most people hate him. I love David Harris, Nick Mangold, Dustin Keller, Jeremy Kerley and Mark Sanchez. But there are a couple Jets I can't stand the sight of. 

Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes should just STFU and play football. If they make headlines for something they do on the field for every-time they make one for what they say, than they would be perennial Pro Bowlers. The Jets made a huge mistake taking on the locker room cancer that is Santonio Holmes instead of Braylon Edwards. I think Cromartie has more pass interference penalties than babies, and he has a shit ton of babies. Too bad they both couldn't have collided harder at practice and knocked some sense into each-other.

Darelle Greedvis is a great player, and used to be my favorite Jet, but I've heard enough of his bitching and crying. If you don't want to wear the green and white then get the hell out of here. He can't think anyone's naive enough to think he really hurt his hamstring on the second day of camp (he couldn't be creative and have a different "injury" than in 2010 when he first complained about his contract). He only showed up for training camp because if he held out he would be forced into a contract he doesn't like. The whole point of his contract was that he got paid more in the first two seasons, then his salary will drop in the third and fourth year. Now he wants to get paid more. That's not what a front loaded contract is meant for!

Tim Tebow the player, I like. But Tebowmania, I hate. Tim Tebow could help the Jets on the field and in the locker room because he is a good motivator. He isn't an NFL starting quarterback (I'd rather have Greg McElroy QB than Tebow if anything happens to Sanchez), but he is a tough nosed football player. He could play multiple positions, and be an asset to the team, but I like QB's whose main strength is passing. The problem I had with Tebow from the very start is Tebowmania. I don't care how many time Tim prayed, or what he ate for dinner, or how many times he pooped. ESPN is obsessed with this guy, and they have a permanent anchor desk installed in Cortland for training camp. The Daily News has a Tebow Watch column everyday, and it's only practice (they're talkin' 'bout practice man, practice).

Those four guys have created enough headlines and distractions for the entire tri-state area sports scene, but they're all on one team, my favorite team, the Jets. If we get off to a bad start things are going to get ugly fast. Mike Tannenabum has created this roster of goofballs, and probably will be fired if they don't perform. I'm just afraid, as the great Shawn Michaels once said "If I go down, I'm going down in a blaze of glory, and taking everyone with me" I hope the Jets don't go down.