New Year, Same League, Different Logo

Watching Week 1 of the NFL on Sunday was indeed awesome. Except for the fact that just about every team I saw (aside from the Rams) made me realize more fully how much my Redskins are going to probably suck this year under Zorn.

Philly got spectacular plays from their wideouts in beating the Rams. This, despite missing their supposedly "top 2" guys. Meanwhile, the Redskins continue to get mediocrity from Moss, Randle El, and Thrash. As a co-worked so accurately put it: "Our #1 is really a #2. Our #2 is a legit #3. And our #3 is a special teams player. Period." He's right. For a long time, I kept thinking Moss could be a real #1 if it weren't for Joe Gibbs holding him back. What the hell has kept me so delusional? Like a fat guy wearing bigger and bigger shirts. I was just kidding myself. And our 3 second round picks to help that void are nowhere to be found.

Tom Brady was NOT on the injury report for the first time in 3 years Sunday going into the game. This, despite a report by WEEI in Boston that he has a broken bone in his foot. This despite not having played all pre-season. Now, the injury he sustained in the game, is different, but I think it's karmic blowback against that CHEATER Bill Belichick who has been illegally manipulating injury reports for YEARS. The NFL should have cracked down on these false reports a long time ago, but it's obvious that the league doesn't want to do much to hurt its current cash cow Tiffany product.

Side note: How much is it worth to pick up Matt Cassell in fantasy now? Wondering.

Kim Kardashian sighting! Kim Kardashian! I scream at the TV. I absolutely LOVE how this is now picking up steam in the NFL. First Romo and Jessica Simpson. Now Reggie Bush's big-bootay'd gal. I want more. I need more!

Is Shawn Rodgers the fattest man to ever play in the NFL? Listed at 355, you KNOW that's a total lie.

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I'm all about having a logo on the uniform to honor Gene Upshaw. I just want it to look good. Apparently, the NFL let the interns come up with something, and a big, (too big, actually) black circle with the #63 and the initials "G.U." was the "winner" of that lunchtime contest. How about an actual graphic artist come up with something more appropriately sized, placed, and styled?

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Speaking of logos, my verdict is in on the new NFL "shield." Hate it. And trust me, I gave it a chance. Right now, I bet many of you are wondering: "What the hell is he talking about?" Here, look. The old NFL shield was one of the purest, most bad-ass emblems in sports history. The new one, is easy to overlook, because they just changed the font and reduced the # of stars. Harumph. I don't like it.

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How many times do you wonder if a so-called "expert" on ESPN is just "taking a side" because a producer behind the scenes has decided that somebody simply "has to" take a contrary view for their little produced "argument-isodes"?

I had that feeling watching Mark May and Lou Holtz debate how Ohio State "looked" in their rallying win vs. feeble Ohio. May, properly, crushed the Buckeyes. Holtz, meanwhile, just kept reading from statistical bullet points.

My take, like any football fan, was "geez, they suck!" If Ohio hadn't committed 5 turnovers and allowed that punt return for a TD late, they might have WON the damn game! Unthinkable. USC, go tear their asses apart!

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Watching the Cowboys with my main man Andy P. who came all the way out to Western Loudoun County to watch some games in the 5-Hour Energy Dome with me for Week 1, we struck up a conversation about Pac Man Jones and Terrell Owens.

When Pac Man nearly had a pick-6, I said "can you imagine Pac Man and T.O. eaching having a TD in Week 1?" Andy said yeah, but made the distinction that T.O. is hardly Pac Man Jones. "He's never been arrested."

Which got me to thinking: "My god! He's right. T.O. has NEVER been arrested. Like, for anything. Not speeding, not DUI, not weed and gun in his car, not a nightclub disturbance. No domestic dispute. NOTHING!"

I know some would say: "Well, what does he want! A cookie! You ain't supposed to be arrested!"

Still, in this day and age of the NFL where Playmakers Style arrests continue un-interrupted, that's still interesting to me.

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It's a rule: no matter where Mike Martz ends up as an O.C. (and there's probably 3 more stops before he's done) TV networks MUST show him on the sideline as often as the head coach. No matter what! I don't get why Martz is still considered "interesting" enough to merit the iso cam, but there he was again Sunday, wearing Niners gear.

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All you West Virginia fans who were talking shit about Rich Rod and Michigan losing last week? Uh huh. Can't hear you this week.

Nice finish to the BYU vs. Washington game. Yes, the ref made a HORRIBLE call in that one, given the circumstances. But, real blame lies in college football's horrible rules. Celebration penalties - while admittedly too strict - should be applied on the KICKOFF, no the XP. This rule, like the "once you touch the ground you are down" rule in college is stupid. While we are at it, let's push the hashmarks in to match the pro game, especially since you scrunched the goalposts in many years ago to match the NFL.

Maryland lost to god-awful MTSU over the weekend, a team which was severely injured for this game. Another blow against the ACC, yes. But more importantly, when are the check writers in the Terrapin Club going to make a move against Ralph Friedgen? That is, of course, assuming people really care about Terp football. I never got that vibe, but apparently hard core Terp fans say, yeah, football is important.

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"Hole In The Wall." That's an actual show on Fox now. Humans, playing a game of human Tetris with Styrofoam tackling dummies and a pool of water. Egad. I'm sure it costs like $732 per episode to produce from soup to nuts. People wonder why I get so in love with shows like Deadwood. It's because shows that rich - in detail, set and costume design, writing, acting, everything - are damn near extinct. Mostly, because they cost too damn much money.

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From a recent Phil Mushnick column:

It's worth noting that during his interview with Barack Obama, ESPN's Stuart Scott spoke English as opposed to "brotha." For example, he didn't ask Sen. Obama to explain "you all's plan." When interviewing African-Americans, Scott, depending on the individual, goes one way or the other.

REACT: It's this kind of thing, that makes Mushnick the best when it comes to media critics. He goes places others won't dare, and he notices almost everything. I also think he's right about 80% of the time.