New England coach Bill Belichick, bless his cheating heart, again found himself at the center of a raging controversy over the past week following his decision to try (and ultimately fail) to pick up a fourth-and-2 from his 28 rather than punt the ball back to the Indianapolis Colts and their white-hot quarterback, Peyton Manning, late in the fourth quarter.
Worked out pretty well the previous time the Buffalo Bills fired coaches in the midst of a season. It was 1986, and they dumped Hank Bullough for some guy named Marv Levy, who stayed 12 years and put up so many of the AFC roadblocks that kept Don Shula and Dan Marino from getting back to a Super Bowl.
For the second consecutive season, I spent an NFL Sunday rotating through a handful of Las Vegas sports books. And as in 2008, it was plainly evident there were just as many fantasy football players as gamblers in the house.
Showed up pretty stout both ways last week, including a bull's-eye on our Upset of the Week with Panthers over Falcons (``Aawwk!''), another outright upset hit with Chiefs winning at Raiders, plus Jags with-points over Jets. Here's how tough this gig can be, though, folks. I predicted Indy would beat the Pats 38-34. Indy beat the Pats 35-34. But that was a loss against the spread. Oy! Nevertheless, momentum remains in my pocket. Must protect the pocket! (Note: Records below do not include Thursday night's game. Pick was Panthers (-3) over Dolphins, 24-20).
DOLPHINS (4-5) AT PANTHERS (4-5)
When: 8 p.m. Thursday (NFL, CH. 39) Line: CAR by 3 Cote's pick: CAR 24-20
Imet an old friend for dinner one evening last winter in a South Florida restaurant, a big-name guy who had played double-digit years in the NFL back in the 1950s and '60s. Even before our house salads had been delivered to the table, he told me he was starting to take a new medication, Arocept, used to ``slow the progression of Alzheimers symptoms,'' according to the website of the drug company that makes it.
It is time now for our King Sport Halftime Awards at the NFL regular-season's midpoint. By the way, any media outlet that published midseason awards last week did so prematurely. That's cheating, and those outlets are now subject to suspension by commissioner Roger Goodell, or even-worse punishment, such as having to cover the Cleveland Browns.
I am trying to figure a way to distill last week into something I can bottle and peddle on street corners in Las Vegas. What a week!
As a nationally syndicated fantasy columnist and radio host, I am in constant contact with the subjects of my columns. As far as you know . . .
If it's already the second Sunday in November, it must be time for our midseason NFL report card, featuring the good, the bad and the baffling.
Two key cogs in the Dolphins defense, middle linebacker Channing Crowder and nose guard Jason Ferguson, are listed on the final injury report as ``doubtful'' for Sunday's game against New England, which has the AFC's No. 1 offense.
Two key cogs in the Miami Dolphins defense -- middle linebacker Channing Crowder and nose guard Jason Ferguson -- are listed on the final injury report as ``doubtful'' for Sunday's game against New England, which has the AFC's No. 1 offense.
Defiantly, or perhaps obliviously, Edgerrin James told reporters in Seattle last month, ``It's up to me how long I want to play and how far I move up that [all-time rushing] chart.'' If only.
Well, let's see here. I missed on Dolphins-Jets game, missed on Vikings-Packers ``Favre Bowl,'' missed badly on my Upset of the Week pick (Houston-Buffalo), and totally misread Giants-Eagles, too. The only person in South Florida who had a worse week than me: Disgraced Fort Lauderdale attorney and accused scam-artist Scott Rothstein. Close call, though.
As the Dolphins get used to starting three rookies in the secondary, safety Yeremiah Bell embraces a new, bigger role as a defensive leader.
Halfway through the 2009 fantasy season, are you kicking yourself for letting Cedric Benson slide by round after round? Did you cast your lot with the wrong Steve Smith? Have you hurled epithets in Larry Johnson's direction that could get you suspended by the NFL?
It was a sports fan's dream: Dolphins vs. Jets, an NBA game, an NHL game and Game 4 of the World Series. Four games, four sports, four states in one day - all attended in person.
It has been wild and wacky up in Wisconsin this week in the buildup for what promises to be one of the most emotional football games in Green Bay Packers history.
Anthony Fasano and Joey Haynos have modest reception statistics so far, but is that a byproduct of the Dolphins' running game or their failure to get open?
Although middle linebacker Channing Crowder missed all the practice reps this week as the Dolphins installed their defensive game plan for the Jets, coach Tony Sparano said he doesn't anticipate any problems with Crowder being mentally ready if his left shoulder is ready to go Sunday.
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