NFL Two-A-Days: Rams and Ravens

1. 2-A-Days: Ravens and Rams

St. Louis Rams: Odds to Win Super Bowl XLI: 60-1
The Rams return a depth chart on offense with skill players that are very familiar. Bulger, Jackson, Holt and Bruce. But the defense has been given a wholesale oil change. Gone are underachievers like d-tackles Ryan Pickett and Damione Lewis. Adam Archuleta and his nagging back problem are now the Redskins problem.

With money to spend, the Rams did just that. Adding DT LaRoi Glover, LB Will Witherspoon, and S Corey Chavous.

Will it make the Rams better on D? Let’s hope. They were 30th last year.

The Mike Martz soap opera is over. That’s a huge letdown to everybody outside of St. Louis, who reveled in the absurdity of it all. “What? He called the coaches booth from his hospital to suggest plays! Harharharharhar!!”

In the Gateway City, I am sure most fans are simply relieved. Scott Linehan has an excellent offensive pedigree – as a coordinator. Head coach? Who knows. He’s never worn the big boss hat in the NFL, and one league writer I spoke to said he was almost never on any team’s “short list” until this year.

The key for the Rams being decent – and let’s be honest, they have about a 10% chance of somehow being a true contender – is Bulger’s shoulder not popping again. When that happened last year, the Rams stopped being even a good fantasy football stat farm.

Baltimore Ravens: Odds to Win Super Bowl XLI: 25-1
Everybody who thinks the Ravens are a good “dark horse” to win it all should just slow down. Adding Steve McNair was a good short term move. But the questions about life beyond McNair remain. Will Brian Billick still stick up for Kyle Boller? Will he even be around if McNair doesn’t pay dividends immediately?

Last year’s team did play Pittsburgh tough, winning one and losing the other 20-19. And they did score 48 against a hapless Packer team on Sunday night. (CUE Homer: “Hey, how ‘bout that.”)

The Ravens also got housed by Jacksonville (30-3) and Detroit (35-17).

I have well placed Ravens sources who swear that there are locker-room issues far more serious than anybody in the media is reporting on. Apparently, there’s a split between Ray Lewis’ “crew” and everybody else.

Lewis still thinks it’s 2000, where he is the alpha dog of the roster, and everybody should fall in line. Well, that was 6 long years ago. Injuries and age have morphed Lewis into being just very good, not all-world. I don’t think he’s ready to admit that, or handle it with grace.

Adding Mike Anderson to Jamal Lewis looks like fantasy teams I have assembled before. Like the time I was all proud about having Jerry Rice AND Herman Moore!

Sadly, I had them both about 2 years past their last productive season.

If you people want to drink the Purple and Black Kool-Aide, go ahead. I’m not.

2. A Wie Bit Short, Again

Another great Michelle Wie choke. Up 2 shots at the Evian Masters with just 7 holes to play, she wobbles down the stretch, and allows Karrie Webb to rally for the one shot win. Here was the part of the AP copy I thought was very interesting…..

Wie was in a good position to become the youngest player to win an LPGA event Saturday, trailing Webb by just one shot after the third round. She has come close to victory on other occasions, leading after the third rounds of the U.S. Open in 2005 and 2006.

Despite waking up with a stiff neck, Wie looked strong all day as she played in a group with Webb and Davies.

REACT: Now, they didn’t say exactly how that “stiff neck” affected her play. Or if it only got “stiff” once she was closing in on a win. I just wonder what physical “ailment” is too small for the media to mention, when it comes to Wie. “Michelle Wie shot 69, despite waking up with a dry mouth and a severe case of bed head.”

3. Supercharger In the Trunk

And another one bites the dust. Justin Gatlin, the reigning world champion and co-record holder in the 100, tested positive recently for steroids and the “dance” has begun.

Athlete sound shocked. Claims he never KNOWINGLY took any banned substance. Then cites a whole bunch of drug tests he has passed in his career.

Gatlin followed this playbook down the letter over the weekend.
But here’s the problem. The “knowingly” comment always stands out as overtly lawerly when athletes use it. Keeping their “hey, how did that nandralone get in my body! I never saw “nandralone” on the back of my cereal box!”

And saying you passed a lot of drug tests before, means nothing. It would be like telling a cop: “Yeah, but I’ve been doing the speed limit all weekend, and I haven’t had a ticket in 5 years.”

Repeat after me everybody: “Why do athletes take streroids?”

A: “Because they work.”

Period, amen. End of story.

4. Ann Coulter

Say what you want about Ann Coulter. Most people hate her. Some say she’s really a man when they hear her raspy voice. It’s pretty easy to just call her nuts. But if you are at all honest, you will at least acknowledge her ability to present extremely logical arguments on her topics.

Does she use hyperbole? Of course. But it does come back to logic and facts.

This column is the most factual, straight forward, hit you over the head with the point column I’ve ever read about terrorism and what’s going on in Lebanon today. In fact, it’s a useful crib sheet on modern Muslim terrorism, anytime somebody wants to tell you about the “religion of peace.”

The piece opens with…

On Sunday, John Kerry said of Israel's war against Hezbollah, "If I was president, this wouldn't have happened," adding, "we have to destroy Hezbollah."

Coulter goes on to thoroughly destroy that idiotic statement by Kerry. So go ahead, call her a psycho right wing bitch. Feels good, I suppose. But then I want you to read the column, and try to refute her point.

5. And Now, Your Pic O' The Day!

Thank God! Somebody, finally said it!