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For the Count I must have transported the new Canadian Swine Flu across the border. I have been flat on my back all weekend, except for a trip with the family here and there. Needless to say, the Canadian Swine will not stop me from posting a new batch of Ripe Gripe....nor will it stop me from showing up and doing my radio and TV obligations this week, too. Onward and upward..... Tell me the truth, what was the first thing you thought of when you heard that the Vikes' Tarvaris Jackson was injured in practice? Me, too. Damn, I hope Brett Favre stays away forever. I'm sick of him and his amazing ability to act like a confused woman in a shoe store by changing his mind every other minute. I had a bigger nightmare scenario go through my head a dozen times last week. Can you imagine if Jake Delhomme of the Panthers gets dinged halfway thru the year, and the Panthers made a call to the farm in Mississippi? It is my worst-case scenario nightmare for the upcoming NFL season. No Favre....No problem. The Panthers reported to camp in Spartanburg on Sunday, and Julius Peppers wanted to remind all the fans and media of one thing..... He doesn't plan on taking off any plays. That's reassuring. It's a good thing that he reminded all of us that for a mere million dollars a game (that's 250K per quarter), he doesn't plan on taking off any plays. What a joke. Julius better play his tail off after all the garbage he spewed about the team, the city, coaches and anything associated with Charlotte. Since the Panthers have 21 of 22 starters returning from a team that won the NFC South with a 12-4 record, the foundation of a quality football team is intact for the 2009 season. Depth is a major issue, but (and this is always the biggest "but") if the Panthers can stay relatively healthy, the sky is the limit again for this bunch in 2009. Both the Panthers and Falcons are dreaming big for the upcoming year, and both are touting unfinished business after successful 2008 campaigns, but neither franchise has ever been able to put back-to-back playoff years together. It's that reason alone that I think the goofy unwritten rule about the NFC South's worst-to-first scenario might take shape again in 2009. I think the Saints are going to be a bitch.....and the Panthers and Falcons are going to be really good, too. I just can't see Carolina going 12-4 in the regular season again. I sure hope I'm wrong....NFL Network's Brian Baldinger told me last week on the radio show that he thought it would be a major disappointment, if Carolina won less than 10 games. Most of the area college teams start gearing up for the season this week, too. Just a reminder: I will announce the 2009 Southern Fried Football™ Tour schedule and relaunch the website (www.southernfriedfootball.com) next Monday, August 10th. The Tour will be a blast, as we have some new elements for our roadshow, radio show and website....all the details happen next Monday. The 1st weekly Southern Fried Football™ Radio Show takes place on Wednesday, August 19th, and it will be syndicated in select markets throughout the Carolinas. Tiger Woods has to be the best closer in all of sports. Nobody wins like that guy...and when he gets the lead, it's over. Not only did he win his 69th PGA Tour event over the weekend by taking the last Buick Open in Michigan, but he added to a stat that which is untouchable. When Tiger has the outright lead after three rounds of a golf tournament, he has won 36 of the 37 events. The only time he lost was back in 1996, when he was only 20 years old! That's insane. The win also marked the fourth time this year he tasted victory two weeks prior to a major. The PGA Championship is in two weeks at Hazletine, and we all know that Tiger is still winless in the "Major Department" so far in 2009. You'd be crazy to pick against him in two weeks. I loved watching the Summer X Games this weekend. I don't ride motorcycles and I don't skateboard....in fact, I don't relate to any of that crazy stuff....but man, they do some cool jumps. You'd have to be out of your mind to try those stunts. Where do they practice that junk? I'd still like to see one of those dudes jump over ESPN's Dana Jacobson...now that would be an impressive feat. I've had the chance to interview Tony Hawk a couple of times on my radio show, and each time he was terrific. He seemed very down-to-Earth, and humbled by all the great success he's achieved. Who knew that it would turn into a mega-million dollar industry? The Yankees and Red Sox resume their hate-fest this week. I don't need to remind the Yanks and their fans that Boston is still undefeated against them this year. It appears that they are on a crash-course for not only the AL East title but also in the post-season, too. My SF Giants continue to dazzle and amaze despite their offensive limitations. If, and this is a big "if"....if they can get to the post-season, they will be a nightmare for everyone. Cain and Lincecum are a deadly 1-2, and nobody wants a piece of those two in a short series. But we still have a long way to go. Finally, our condolences go out to our buddy, QCB, and his entire family. Q lost his father last week after a long battle against cancer. |
Packman
on Sports Commentary
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