SCOTT JACOBS

They say in sports that if your talent is as big as your ego most teams will let it slide.  But when your ego becomes bigger than your talent, most teams will steer clear of you like the plague.  Terrell Owens learned that lesson the hard way after the Cowboys cut him yesterday, ending a tumultuous three year relationship that was rockier than Shaq’s recent ‘hate tour.’

The mantra goes like this: the guy is very talented, but now 35 years old and on the downside of what has been a “Real World-esque” career (drama anyone).  He drops a lot of passes, says some really stupid things, and seems to have a will to cause problems even when things are going well. As soon as things fall apart he is the first to implode.

Some people are shocked by this, others caught off guard.  I’m happy about it.  Goodbye T.O., don’t let the door hit you on the way out.  Guys like T.O. shouldn’t be relevent.  He’s a jerk, incredibly egotistical, and he comes first before his team.  T.O. is the anti-role model.  He calls team-mates gay, calls out his quarterback for wimping out on him, and he always has that inconvienently timed sideline blowup. Everywhere he goes they hate him at the end.  And the feelings seem to be mutual the other way around.

No one denies T.O.’s talents, but its about time the Cowboys finally came to their senses.  After all that controversy what did T.O. really accomplish in Dallas?  He didn’t help them win a playoff game, and the duo of him and Roy Williams, well let’s just say it didn’t work out.  And he called out Jason Witten.  Great team-mate, sure hands, T.O. is neither of those things.

I’d like to see him remain on the open market so he has a chance to think over how royally he’s screwed up what should have been a surefire Hall of Fame career.

Now some of the things he did were funny. Taking out a sharpie and autographing a football after scoring a touchdown: that was funny.  I remember hearing about that, and cracking up (of course the No Fun League didn’t agree).  Other things he did though were downright stupid: like when he stomped on the star as a 49er against the Cowboys.

I remember the first time he truly exploded onto the scene:  it was in that spectacular 1998 Wild Card game against the Packers, with San Fran trailing 27-23 and 25 yards separating the 49ers from a win or a loss.  Well, T.O. got in between coverage, Steve Young threw a perfect pass, and Owens caught it for a stunning touchdown with just three seconds left to put the 49ers up for good.  That was T.O.’s coming out party.

”I have never made a bigger catch in my life, never played in a bigger game and never been more thankful to the Lord that I got a chance to redeem myself to my teammates,” said Owens that day, referring to the four dropped passes and one fumble he had earlier in the game.

That was good Owens, likeable Owens.  He was in just his third season then and the football field looked like his oyster.

But then in his eigth season Owens asked to be dealt from the 49ers, and got his wish when the Ravens agreed to send their 51st pick  for the disgruntled, all world talent.  But confusion ensued, Owens refused to take a physical with Baltimore, and an arbitrator ruled T.O. could become a free agent.  The Ravens got their second round pick back, and a three team trade involving the 49ers, Eagles, and Ravens was worked out to send Owens to the Eagles.

Owens and Donovan McNabb were supposed to be the perfect match, but it never quite worked out that way.  The Eagles made Super Bowl XXXIX despite the fact that Owens was hurt, and T.O. “bravely” came back to play in the Big Game, even though the Eagles lost to New England 24-21.  Owens played well, catching nine balls for 122 yards, but he ruined his good name once again by taking shots at McNabb after the game, when he said that McNabb didn’t have anything left in the tank in the waning moments of the fourth quarter.

On March 14, 2006 after a reality TV like two seasons with Philadelphia, Owens was released.  The move was inevitable after the Eagles kicked him off their team back in November following a plethora of incidents and infractions.

NFC East rival Dallas signed him to a deal that offseason, with the thinking that Bill Parcells could discipline T.O. But that didn’t come to fruition.  After Parcells retired Wade Phillips had the fun task of keeping T.O. happy.  That didn’t work either.  Spats between team-mates, complaints about not getting the ball enough, and Ed Werder around Cowboys camp so much one offseason that SportsCenter became OwensCenter, were just a few of the lowlights during a bizzare three year stint with Dallas.

Well, that’s done with now.

So, Owens is now looking for team number four, and the only team believed to be interested is the only team that is seeminly never scared off by anyone: the Oakland Raiders.

Well, have fun in the Black Hole T.O.  They’re the only ones that want you, and it’s not like winning is that important to you anyways right? (You’ve already screwed up with three winning teams!)  Besides, just think of all the passes JaMarcus Russell will throw your way!

Photo: Getty Images

Cardinals are officially Super Bowl bound, Steelers win another AFC title crown; Thoughts, observations, and an early look at Super Bowl XLIII

SCOTT JACOBS I just want to say this: In the last two weeks of the playoffs, I’m 5-1, with the only loss coming courtesy of the Eagles when they beat the Giants.  No hard feelings though, their win gave Arizona a home playoff game, so I’ll let it slide this time.

Shaun King challenged me to a bet before this weekend.  The bet was as follows:

“aight time to raise the stakes if the cardinals win i do the article for juicedsports, but if philly wins for a week u have to go to 20 facebook sites a day and say Shaun King is the MAN”

Well, the Cardinals prevailed, and if King is a man of his word (which I know he is) we should have him on Juiced Sports for you in the next few weeks leading to Super Bowl XLIII.

*How night and day are the Cardinals and Steelers?  Well, the Steelers are such an AFC mainstay on a year in and year out basis that people actually worried if them getting the AFC title game this year at home was a good thing.  Why?  Because, in their last five title games at home, that’s right I said five, they were 1-4.  The Cardinals on the other hand, dipped their toe in the NFC title game for the first time ever today.  They must have liked the feel, because they came flying out of the gate.

*Kurt Warner: washed up?  Safe to say you won’t hear that again this year.  What a game Warner had in fully cementing his legacy as a now surefire NFL Hall of Famer in my humbled opinion.  What he did with this team is nothing short of mesmerizing.  Warner was a a sterling 21/28 with 279 yards passing and four touchdowns. Not in that line, zero interceptions.  Yup, Philly was able to get to Warner at times, but they didn’t force the ageless one to cough up the ball a single time.  A far cry from their Thanksgiving meeting.

*Did you hear how loud that University of Phoenix crowd was?  They were deafening.  It was an incredible atmosphere, that the Cards could only have dreamed of when they officially started construction of the palace.  But today it was real, and the Cardinals, who for years played in front of sparse crowds, usually made up of the road team’s fans, had a home field advantage that few could have foreseen just a decade ago, when they made their last post-season appearance.

*That wasn’t over-bloated running statistics with the game out of reach.  Arizona actually ran the ball effectively today, and consistently too.  Edgerrin James had 73 yards, Tim Hightower contributed 33, and the rallying cry of stop their passing game because they have NO running game is officially dead.  Dead I tell ya.  The new Cardinals can run.  No one will confuse them for the Steelers, their opponent in the Super Bowl, but their running game is officially respectable and good enough to keep opposing defenses on their toes.

*Donovan McNabb played a bizarre game.  At times he was brilliant, other times not even close to his targets.  He threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns, but let it be known that it took 47 throws to get that.  And after the Eagles fell behind early McNabb was forced to throw the ball.  So I’ll say this: McNabb had a terrible first half (not quite Jake Delhomme-esque), but not good.  He missed wide open receivers, threw the ball behind a lot of his guys, and was pestered like crazy.  But in the second half he came out, and really played pretty well.  Yeah, people will say that once again he failed when the lights were brightest, but I look at it this way: he helped lead the Eagles back from the brink of embarrassment to an improbable come from behind lead late.  The defense for Philly couldn’t hold it.  The blame will go on McNabb, and people will say that he needs to go, but how much can you ask from him?  He helped the Eagles come back from an 18 point deficit, and then they just sort of ran out of gas at midfield.

*I’m going to say it: how about that Arizona run defense.  Wow.  First they held Atlanta’s high octane running game in check.  Then they went to Carolina and took DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart out of it.  And here, in the NFC title game they shut down Brian Westbrook, who mustered just 45 yards on 12 carries.  Arizona forced the Eagles to beat them through the air, because they didn’t even allow 100 yards today on the ground.  And the Eagles fell short.

*Larry Fitzgerald: the best wide receiver in the NFL.  The numbers speak for themselves folks, but records aside, how can you even argue otherwise.  What Fitz has done this post-season is turn the playoffs into his own personal playground.  Put the ball in his vicinity and he’s going to get it.  He has incredible hands clearly, but what Fitzgerald also has, is incredible body control.  He managed to make a great downfield catch, and then kept his footing to score.  The guy is clutch with a capital C.  He made every play, got a boatload of yards after the catch, and even after it became clear that you had to blanket this guy, he still made defenses look silly.  And Carolina, and Philadelphia have pretty good defenses.

*Great comeback from the Eagles.  Down 24-6 Philly could have easily folded and gave up.  But even after a McNabb fumble gave Arizona great field position from midfield, the Eagles D tightened and held.  Then McNabb and Co. started building their 19 point rampage in less than 10 minutes, in what appeared to be an epic comeback.  But their defense couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain.  Unlike the game against the Giants, the Eagles were unable to get a crucial stop on 4th and 1, and they were unable to stop Timmy Hightower from finding his way into the end-zone on 3rd and goal late in the game.

*What happened to David Akers?  He missed a field goal, and an extra point today.  Usually one of the most sure-fire kickers in the game, Akers didn’t have the greatest game today.  And it cost his team some crucial points.

*On January 15th, 2007 the Arizona Cardinals hired Ken Whisenhunt to lead the Cardinals to respectability.  I’d say he’s done a lot more than that.  In two seasons with the perennial losers Arizona is 8-8, and 9-7 in Coach Whiz’s first two seasons.  And o yeah, he helped lead them to triple their number of playoff wins, from 1 to 3.  Add an NFC West title, and an NFC Championship to that list, and what more can you say: he’s a miracle worker.  And it just snowed in hell.

*So, who had the Steelers-Cardinals Super Bowl match-up pegged before Labor Day?  Anybody?  If you did, you just became a very rich man.

*Arizona goes to their first Super Bowl, while the Steelers win their 7th AFC title.  Could there be anymore night and day of a franchise stack-up?  No.  And lest us forget: the Steelers have won five out of their first six trips to the Big Game (O sorry, was I supposed to trademark that?)  Whoops.

*The Steelers were the better team today against Baltimore.  Nough said. Yeah the game was close towards the end, but when push came to shove, Joe Flacco finally reminded us that he is indeed still a rookie.  I called it too.  I said he’d have a few turnovers, including the one that gave the Steelers the win in overtime.  Well, the game never got that far, but Flacco’s forced pick six to Troy Polamalu with just 4:24 left in the game sealed the Ravens fate.  Yup, no encore trip to Tampa for the Ravens, who hoisted their only Lombardi Trophy (since moving to Baltimore) in Tampa eight years ago. Instead, the Steelers, who got to stay close to home in their last Super Bowl trip (Detroit) get a sunny stage for Super Bowl XLIII.

*Flacco’s forgettable day: 13/30, 141 yards, 0 TD’s, 3 INT’s.  I guess Baltimore’s offensive woes aren’t exactly cured yet.  And I guess it’s safe to say the Ravens are still a year or two away from becoming an offensive force.  Still, what Flacco did in this post-season was impressive.  He won two games as a rookie.  He’s all by himself there.  No shame in that.

*Our thoughts and prayers go out to Willis McGahee who was obliterated by Steelers safety Ryan Clark with just 3:29 left in the game, and down 23-14.  McGahee was down for several minutes before being carted off the field with apparent neck pains.  But word is that he’s talking and moving, so that’s good.  I couldn’t help but think that Willis has horrible championship luck.  In his last huge game, as a Miami Hurricane, McGahee suffered a brutal injury against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, and it almost ended his football career.  He was done for that game, just like he was for this one, and his team lost both times.  Just an unfortunate injury for a good player.  We wish him a full recovery.

*Nothing Big Ben does is pretty.  But I think it’s safe to say he’s one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL.  Some days it’s hard to say that, but Big Ben does just enough to help his team win.  Sure the Steelers have a great defense, but Roethlisberger is a perfect fit for what Pittsburgh does, and the man wins.  Two Super Bowls since 2005.  I’d say he’s pretty darn good.

*Third times a charm?  Not this time.  The Steelers beat the Ravens for the third time this year, becoming the first team since the 1999 Titans to victimize a team three times en route to the Super Bowl.  If you remember, the Jags had three losses that year, and 14 wins.  You do the math.

*Early line for the Super Bowl: Steelers by 6 1/2.  What do the Cardinals have to do to earn respect?

SCOTT JACOBS

You ever play the game four corners as a kid?

It’s simple really. A group of people start out, and one person is tabbed as the “it” guy.  Everyone else has 10 seconds to pick a corner as the “it” guy closes their eyes.  Then after 10 seconds they pick a corner.  The people in that corner are out.

Now take the NFL’s frisky four, blind fold ‘em, and send them spinning around the room, until they each find their way into a corner.  Then pick a corner.  Eliminate each team accordingly.  Eventually you should be left with a winner.  Did you see that?  Did you see what we just did there?  We picked the Super Bowl champion for you!  Because, hey, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to pick a name out of a hat, or a card out of a deck.  Afterall, the way this wild post-season has shaped up, you might improve your odds, instead of going with what you think you know.

So how do the NFL’s mashed up four stack up?  Pick a card.

Aces: Steelers- The best defense (statistically) left in the NFL.  But that high scoring game they had against the Bolts was an abberation; Pittsburgh is usually only good for 22 points, not 35.  Against the Ravens, we have them pegged at under 19.  Random?  Definetley.  But a 3-2 game doesn’t seem so absurd with an all expense paid trip to Tampa on the line. As long as Pittsburgh pretends they’re on the road, they should win.  They’re 1-4 at home in these things since 1994.

Clubs: Ravens- They’ll club you and beat you and leave you kicking and screaming.  It works too.  The Ravens have the most ferocious defense in the league and a battle-tested one too.  But their quarterback is still a rookie (allegedly) and no rookie quarterback has ever collected three wins in one post-season.  Then again, weren’t records made to be broken?

Diamonds: Eagles- The new media darlings of the NFL.  Ever since Donovan McNabb got benched, and then responded by shredding Arizona’s then porous defense apart, the Eagles have been America’s sweethearts.  The defensive line has dominated in both playoff games, and the Iggles have proven they can win without Brian Westbrook.  And they’ve turned a lot of luck late in the regular season into an appearance in the NFC title game.

Hearts: Cardinals- How else can you explain Arizona’s rise from the post-season dead, to host of the NFC title game?  With a ball hawking defense, and a receiver that can catch anything (hey look Larry just grabbed the moon!) the Cards advanced to their first NFC title game since… ever!  And if the Rays can do it,  and if Davidson can almost do it,  and if Obama can be president, well why the hell not can’t the Cards make a Super Bowl? One other thing: we’ve learned not to mess with Kurt Warner when he’s motivated.  You won’t like Kurt when he’s angry. He’ll shred you apart.

Go ahead, pick a card.  you’ve got a one in four chance of picking the next Super Bowl champ.  And did we mention that you can double up on Pennsylvania?  You can triple up on the birds (pick one, pick all of ‘em!) or can you wager that the best team really is probably the worst.  Go ahead, we won’t judge.  This is the whackiest, craziest playoffs ever.  And you can’t spell playoffs without flop.  So expect at least another favorite to fall again this weekend.  We don’t make the rules.  We just make sure you know them before you’re wrong.  Like everybody else.  Again!

SCOTT JACOBS

R.I.P. Texas Stadium.

R.I.P. Dallas Cowboys 2008?

Hello Drama!

The last football game at Texas Stadium won’t exactly go down in the history books as a memorable one (not for the Cowboys at least).  In fact, many Cowboy fans will probably choose to forget it ever happened.  With the playoffs within their grasps and a chance to make a huge statement on Saturday night on national television one team made a statement.  The other laid down and played dead.

In as lackluster, and shocking a fourth quarter as you may ever see, the Cowboys usually stout defense allowed a close game to get away, and all it took was two plays.  Clinging to a 19-17 lead, with both teams playoff hopes hanging in the balance, and a hostile (but cautious) Dallas crowd on their feet, the Ravens gave the ball to their running backs with the hopes that they could eat up the last three and a half minutes or so of the clock.  They didnt quite do that. They didn’t have to.  Willis McGahee took the handoff on 1st and 10 at Baltimore’s 23 yard line, and broke a few lifeless Cowboy tackles, and never looked back, running all the way to daylight and a stunning touchdown.

That was shocking.

But after the Cowboys came right back and Tony Romo connected with Jason Witten for a 21 yard touchdown, closing the gap to three, they opted not to kick the onside kick.  That was a mistake.

Again, trying to just run down the clock, the Ravens conservatively handed the ball off to Le’Ron McClain, who tilted his shoulder, broke a tackle or two, and then he too, dashed for freedom and the game clinching 82 yard touchdown.  Two plays, two running calls, two touchdowns.  And possibly the defining blow to a whacky, wild, made for reality TV Cowboys season.

McClain’s 82 yard scamper was the longest in Texas Stadium history, and if you ever get this on a Trivial Pursuit card one day– the last ever touchdown in the ‘ol stadium.

The Ravens moved to 10-5, after a heartbreaking loss to the Steelers the week before.  The Cowboys, a week after an exhilirating 20-9 win over the Giants, laid a giant gutless egg.  Baltimore looked ready for the playoffs.  Dallas looked ready to go home, and try again next year.

Tony Romo was pestered all game long and never truly found a rythm.  Roy Williams once again looked lost.  Hey Detroit: your fleecing of the Cowboys for Williams earlier in the year may be the only win you get this year.  Terrel Owens caught a touchdown, and made a few other nice plays, but was not ultimately a factor, and as always we eagerly await what he has to say after this one.

The road to the post-season for Dallas just hit a major road-block.

Instead of controlling their destiny going into a loaded with storylines Philadelphia game next week, the Cowboys now need to win next week, and have either A) Atlanta lose one of their final two games (at Minnesota, vs. St Louis), or B) for the Bucs to lose their last two games (vs. Chargers, vs. Raiders). So they’re not out of the woods yet, but I don’t think anyone left this one impressed by the Cowboys effort.  And they certainly didn’t look like a playoff team to me.

Instead the Cowboys looked like a team beaten down by drama and turmoil, a team that lost its swagger, and brought an effort tonight that didn’t match the magnitude of this game.  The Cowboys had that self-defeatist attitude throughout the game, almost as if their spirit was broken, an their hopes diminished.  Say what you will, the Ravens were without a doubt the better team.  They are a win against Jacksonville away from booking playoff tickets to most likely an AFC East city.

The Cowboys are on the outside looking in.  And after losing to one rookie quarterback, they’re at the mercy of another rookie quarterback and his team, Matt Ryan and the Falcons.  So that’s where we stand.  What a great game.  And what a great NFL Network telecast.  The best I’ve ever seen on this channel.  Bob Papa with Deion Sanders and Marshall Faulk was a brilliant three team booth, one with knowledge, energy, and excitement, something NFL Network broadcasts usually lack.  So I for one, hope that this broadcast team gets a chance to work together more often.  Sorry Chris Collinsworth, it’s nothing personal.

That wraps up the NFL Network’s slate of games for 2008.  I must say, they got some great games this year.  That Pats-Jets game could cost a potential 11 win Patriots team a spot in the playoffs.  That Colts-Jags game was great theater.  And tonight’s game was very entertaining. So kudos to the NFL for finishing off their coverage on a high note.

The Cowboys, will need to do that and more, if they want to have a chance at making the playoffs.

Spring is finally upon us and there is plenty to speak about in the world of sports. I thank you for giving me some of your time and I hope I am able to entertain.

BLACKS IN BASEBALL
Anybody who knows me well will readily acknowledge that I have a surplus of quirks and drawbacks. Despite my issues, one thing I am not is a racist or a bigot. With that mentioned, I couldn’t help but chuckle and scoff at the latest report that only 8.2% of Major League Baseball players are African Americans. I found the statistic comedic because I curiously can’t recall any mainstream report documenting the percentage of Caucasians that are currently employed by the National Basketball Association. Why is it that the lack of blacks in baseball is always noted by the media and the minuscule number of whites in basketball never is discussed? Seeing a white American man playing on an NBA hardwood is akin to finding a virgin in Vegas and the media needs to become more balanced in their reporting. If they don’t, I will continue to “scoff” and “chuckle” at their unbalanced disclosures to the public.

BARACK OBAMA
On cue with what I broached in my first topic, below is a quote by Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama on a recent segment of HBO’s “Real Sports” when he discussed his love of playing basketball during his youth. “Here is a place where being black was not a disadvantage.”

JAMES DOLAN
James Dolan, a recovering drug addict and alcoholic who moonlights as a singer in the blues band “JD and the Straight Shot,” is the most incompetent and rudderless owner in the history of the New York Knicks franchise. Since taking over the Knickerbockers in 2000, he has transformed a once proud and upstanding organization into a national laughingstock and one of David Letterman’s favorite punch-lines. Despite his status as a mental gimp for the ages, Dolan genuinely came through for the Garden faithful at Monday’s home finale against the Boston Celtics when he provided long-suffering fans with free food and non-alcoholic drinks throughout the game. Without sarcasm, the Miles Davis wannabe deserves great credit for his tremendous gesture. Knicks fans may never have a chance to drink championship champagne with Dolan at the helm. But, at least some supporters received grub on the house thanks to the silver spoons chairman.

LEBRON IS OVERRATED
Washington Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson called Cleveland Cavaliers icon Lebron James “overrated” prior to their teams first game in the 2008 playoffs this past Saturday. Stevenson, a mediocre player who was charged with statutory rape in 2001, obviously has either a 24th chromosome or he is horribly delusional. King James is, at 23 years of age, already one of the greatest players to ever perform in the history of the NBA and it is uproarious to hear someone of Stevenson’s lowly stature claim otherwise. Stevenson calling Lebron “overrated” is like Chelsea Clinton calling Elizabeth Hurley ugly and I am quite confident that Stevenson dug his and his teammates graves before the first round even got underway.

NEW YORK YANKEES
In direct contrast to what I said in my baseball preview last month, the New York Yankees (10-10) pitching staff does appear too “green” and their everyday players do seem “too long-in-the-tooth” to seriously contend this year. It is only April and things can be dramatically altered between now and late-September. But, after 20 games, it looks like it could be a quiet autumn in the Bronx.

KYLE FARNSWORTH SUSPENSION
Yankees liability and relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth was suspended for three games yesterday after intentionally throwing at the Boston Red Sox Manny Ramirez during a game Thursday in the Bronx. For fans of the Yankees, this is an absolutely ideal scenario. In one pitch, the Yankees simultaneously sent a message to their northern rivals that they won’t be bullied in the bean ball warfare anymore and they shed themselves of their worthless right-hander for a few days. Talk about a classic example of killing two birds with one stone.

STEVE MCNAIR
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Steve McNair retired this week after 13 highly-productive seasons in the NFL. McNair, 35, threw for over 31,000 yards in his career and he was the leagues Co-MVP in 2003. Despite his impressive accolades, “Air” McNair will be remembered as much for his toughness and ability to play through pain as he will be for his actual accomplishments on the gridiron. Unfortunately, toughness does not earn you a ticket to Canton. McNair was a very good signal-caller for both the Ravens and the Tennessee Titans. But, Steve McNair was definitely not a Hall of Fame quarterback.

HOPKINS VERSUS CALZAGHE
Joe Calzaghe (45-0), 36, defeated Bernard Hopkins (48-5-1), 43, via a narrow split-decision Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. If Calzaghe had fought “the Executioner” before Hopkins was eligible to receive social security checks, the Welshman would have entered, as Walter Sobchak said, “a world of fucking pain.” Time stands still for no man and that adage holds true even for the great Bernard Hopkins.

I am appreciative that you took the time to give me some of your time. Enjoy the weather and one of the best times of the year on the sports calendar.