Well the draft has come and gone.  There were some major head scratchers, some draft day steals, and hours and hours of breakdowns from “expert analysts” on the four letter network.  One thing I find hilarious, is these guys do about 15 Mock Drafts before the event takes place.  Then once a guy is picked by a specific team, they can claim, “I had this guy going here in my mock draft” yadda, yadda, yadda.  Nobody knows how Andrew Luck is going to turn out or if RG3 is going to be Mike Vick 2.0.  One thing we do know is that we will have plenty to talk about as mini camps get underway, training camp begins, and rosters start getting trimmed down.   At this point we have no business ranking anyone, but hey it’s May and baseball is a joke here in Boston now a days.  So for starters, let start the beef over who ranks where in the first portion of our Voodoo Brown Power Rankings of 2012.  Part two with teams who are ranked #9-16 will be released next week.

1)      New Jersey Giants – They are the champs.  Plain and simple.  Regardless of how hard their schedule is or how much roster turnover there has been, these guys still hold the Lombardi Trophy.  Eli Manning is an elite quarterback, no matter which way you slice it.  He also said the word “dickhead” on Saturday Night Live.  That has to count for something right?

2)      New England Patriots – Nobody was happier than Tom Brady when the Patriots drafted two pass rushing studs in the first round.  The Patriots loaded up more than anyone this offseason in Free Agency.  Throwing free agents up against the wall and seeing which ones stick will be the method to BB’s madness this summer.   The window is closing for TB12, and they know that up in Foxboro. 

3)      Green Bay Packers – Aaron Rodgers will most likely be named the Top player of 2012.  He deserves it.  The Packers were chasing perfection late into December and I don’t think ever recovered from that loss in Kansas City.  The Packers, if they can remain healthy and play better on defense will have a good chance to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

4)      Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens came as close as possible to making it back to the Super Bowl for the first time in a decade.  If Lee Evans holds onto that ball, Baltimore in my opinion wins the Super Bowl over the Giants.  The health of T Sizzle is a major wild card in this year’s Ravens success.  Drafting Courtney Upshaw looks genius at this point. 

5)      Pittsburgh Steelers – Pittsburgh drafts as well as any team in the league, and they do it quietly.  Addressing areas of need with the best player available at that position is typical of the Rooney family.  Big Ben, whom always seems to be ‘playing hurt’, will need an improved running game to take some of the pressure off of him.  Outside of Mike Wallace, the Steelers receiving core isn’t one that strikes fear into opposing defenses.  An aging defense can’t be relied on week in and week out, especially against elite teams.

6)      San Francisco Forty Niners – Alex Smith may have the most talented pass catching core in the NFL.  With the acquisitions of Mario Manningham and Randy Moss, the drafting of A.J. Jenkins, an improved Michael Crabtree, one of the best TE/WR hybrids in the league with Vernon Davis, and also adding LaMichael James in a Darren Sproles type role out of the backfield the success of the offense falls all on his shoulders.  Not to mention they have Frank Gore pounding the rock and Jim Harbaugh running a stout defense that lead the league in takeaways last year.  The Niners will contend, but a tougher schedule this season may result in a few less wins than 2011.

7)      Denver Broncos – How you can go not rank a Peyton Manning lead team in the top 25% of the NFL?  Manning will be as well prepared as anyone (queue the Rex Ryan video) regardless if it is a preseason game or the regular season opener.  A strong running game and tough pass rush should allow the Broncos to win the AFC West and host a playoff game.  The secondary will be a bit of a concern, Champ Bailey isn’t getting any younger and Brian Dawkins retiring is a big loss as well.

8)      Houston Texans – Losing Mario Williams is not as big a deal as most people are making it out to be.  He was hurt more than he was healthy last season, and this team was a few third string quarterback brain cramps away from going to the AFC title game.  Arian Foster, Ben Tate, and the freak on the outside will allow the offense to throw up points each game.  A tough linebacker core, strong defensive front, and hard hitting secondary coached by Wade Phillips will keep opposing teams from putting up big yards.  Matt Schaub has to stay healthy and Gary Kubiak needs to coach aggressively, not this passive crap week in and week out.

This weeks Voodoo Doll of the Week is a fan favorite here in Boston.  Ms. Taylor Stevens , whom has been featured on 98.5 The Sports Hub, is not only an avid football fan but she picks winners week in and week out against the spread. 

Gives the term "Bottom Line Bombs" A New Meaning

 Want to see more or get in touch with her first hand?  Follow her on Twitter @taystevens

It’s been two and a half months since the debacle in Indianapolis that left me speechless for a week or so.  There was no listening to sports radio, the four letter network, reading of blogs, websites, or Twitter for that matter.   This one stung, it stung possibly more than 2007 because we saw it coming.  There isn’t one Patriot fan who thought the defense would hold Eli and the Giants late in the fourth quarter.  From the get go we knew it wasn’t our day on the Patriots first play from scrimmage.  You have to tip your hats to the Giants, their defense, and coaching staff.  They were the better team who made more plays and didn’t make mistakes that day.

We now turn our attention to the NFL Draft.  The schedule release date and the NFL Draft are the two most anticipated dates of the offseason.  The NFL knows how to market itself, with the draft being played in primetime across two different networks this year.  Radio City Music Hall will be hosting the event per usual.  Personally I can’t wait to hear the hundreds of boo birds come out when the Jets draft a fullback in round one.   Just kidding Jets fans, I think they do the right thing this year.  I’ve been itching to start writing again.  In order to start building the Voodoo Brown brand and web presence, I’ll be adding a Voodoo Doll of the Week to check out at the end of each article.  In return they will be attracting visitors and readers to our site.   Without further ado, I give you my 2012 NFL Mock Draft.

1)      Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck (Stanford) QB

2)      Washington Redskins – RG3 (Baylor) QB

3)      Minnesota Vikings – Matt Kalil (USC) OT

4)      Cleveland Browns -Trent Richardson (Alabama) RB

5)      Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Morris Claiborne (LSU) CB

6)      St. Louis Rams – Justin Blackmon (OSU) WR

7)      Jacksonville Jaguars – Michael Floyd (Notre Dame) WR

8)      Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M) QB

9)      Carolina Panthers – Dontare Poe (Memphis) DT

10)   Buffalo  Bills – Stephon Gilmore (South Carolina) CB

11)   Kansas City Chiefs – Melvin Ingram (Alabama) LB

12)   Seattle Seahawks – Quinton Coples (North Carolina) DE

13)   Arizona Cardinals – Luke Kuechley (Boston College) LB

14)   Dallas Cowboys – Courtney Upshaw (Alabama) DE

15)   Philadelphia Eagles – Michael Brockers (LSU) DT

16)   New Jersey Jets – Nick Perry (USC) DE

17)   Cincinnati Bengals – Dre Kirkpatrick (Alabama) CB

18)   San Diego Chargers – Cordy Glenn (Georgia) OT

19)   Chicago Bears – Dont’a Hightower  (Alabama) LB

20)   Tennessee Titans – Stephen Hill (Georgia Tech) WR

21)   Cincinnati Bengals – Riley Reiff  (Iowa) OT

22)   Cleveland Browns – Kendall Wright (Baylor) WR

23)   Detroit Lions – Jonathan Martin (Stanford) OT

24)   Pittsburgh Steelers – Cordy Glenn (Georgia) OT

25)   Denver Broncos – Kevin Zeitler (Wisconsin) OG

26)   Houston Texans – Coby Feener (Stanford) TE

27)   New England Patriots – Chandler Jones (Syracuse) DE

28)   Green Bay Packers – Shea McClellin (Boise State) LB

29)   Baltimore Ravens – Peter Konz (Wisconsin) C

30)   San Francisco 49ers – Jamal Fleming – (Oklahoma) CB

31)   New England Patriots – Anyone who thinks they are keeping this is insane

32)   New Jersey Giants – Brandon Thompson (Clemson) DT

Our inaugural Voodoo Doll of the Week goes to Brandy Aniston. 

Follow her on Twitter @brandyaniston

Good day all! Before I start, I just want to thank Voodoo Brown for the opportunity to write my thoughts on this fine website. It really is a great honor! I know, the NBA and NHL seasons are in their playoff pushes, but baseball is about to begin. The season is getting underway this week, either tonight, tomorrow or Friday depending on your favorite team. So, this time is as good a time as any time to give you a primer on the MLB season that’s about to get underway.

We’ll leave the top 10 lists to David Letterman, so, here are my top seven teams, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, who can be parading come late October.

 
1. St. Louis Cardinals
This is a good team to start with since they’re the defending champions. Yes, I know that Albert Pujols signed with the Angels and manager Tony LaRussa retired, but I am one of those that doesn’t put a lot of emphasis into the manager. Ron Washington has gone to two straight World Series by making a lot of weird and bad moves. The Cardinals brought in Carlos Beltran to help offset the loss of Pujols, and that move allows Lance Berkman to move to his best position, which is first base. Can Berkman come to close to what he did last year? That’s a big question plus it’s an older team with a lot of DL visits over the years, but with Matt Holliday, Allen Craig, who is coming off of knee surgery and David Freese the lineup should be productive. What do they get out of Rafael Furcal? He can go either way. Two years was a lot to give him, but they should get one good year out of him. Now, the biggest addition for the Cardinals is getting Adam Wainwright back. It might take him a little while to get back to his usual level, but it’s not the strongest division in baseball. By the time he hits his stride off of Tommy John Surgery, St. Louis could put the division away. They still have Kyle Lohse, and they have Shelby Miller waiting in the minors. He was 9-3 with a 2.70 ERA last year in AA. Pitching is the name of the game, and not having Cris Carpenter will hurt. For now their top three will be Lohse, Wainwright to Cris Carpenter and Jaime Garcia, and I think they’re the team where Roy Oswalt ends up. Adding him to that group and Carpenter could be big in October. But if we’re talking pitching in the National League, you have to talk Philadelphia. That leads me to team two of out seven who can win it all.

 
2. Philadelphia Phillies
They still have the best pitching in baseball. With Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels there isn’t another top of the rotation that can match up. Adding Jonathan Papelbon in the bullpen gives the Phillies the second best reliever in baseball, and he’s the top one in the NL. They still have Vance Worley, who was really effective last year as a rookie. Now, the question with the Phillies is the lineup. The last two years in the postseason they just never got that one big hit. With Ryan Howard coming off of an achilles injury and probably out until June, and Chase Utley being out to mid to late May, the lineup should have its struggles in the first half. They need Jimmy Rollins to be the Jimmy Rollins of old, and for Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino to take on a bigger role. Also, put a calendar in the clubhouse that’s permanently set on October to fool Carlos Ruiz. Still with those issues on offense, the pitching will carry the day in a division which might be more competitive, but I’m not sold on the rest of the NL East. Atlanta used to be old reliable, but you can’t count on them anymore. Plus, their late season collapse and really tough schedule. Look at their interleague schedule, Tampa, the Yankees twice and Boston. That’s a gauntlet I wouldn’t wish on anyone. The Mets suck, and can Washington and Miami win something first before we give them the respect. So, I don’t think the Phillies road to October will be tough, because of their pitching, and their competition in the division. Once they get there it will be tough, but Halladay, Lee, Hamels and Papelbon will be help greatly. ll they need is the extra one or two hits. Like in 2008, this could be the year for them. Now onto the American League for the rest of the list…

 
3. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Yes, the Angels made the biggest splash in free agency by signing Albert Pujols, but this team is loaded! Again, they have top notch starting pitching. Do you see a theme here? Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, Ervin Santana and CJ Wilson give the Angels a formidable top 4. Jordan Walden is their young closer, and he was very good last year. Can he take the next step? That’s the big question on this team. He might be the weak spot, but the Angels have a lot of depth in the bullpen. But the lineup is going to mash. Pujols added to Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells, Mark Trumbo and a returning Kendrys Morales, who looks all the way back from his injuries. The lineup also has speed with Erick Aybar and Peter Bourjos. The Angels are ready to make a run in the American League, but it won’t be easy. It won’t even be easy in their own division, and that leads me to my next team…

 
4. The Texas Rangers
Again, another loaded team. We all know about their lineup, Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Michael Young, Mike Napoli, Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler. That lineup will mash, especially in the launching pad of Rangers Ballpark, but don’t get fooled by the stadium. This team could play in San Diego or the old Astrodome, and they would still put up huge numbers. Their ballpark just makes it easier to put up huge numbers. Now, the ballpark will hurt their pitching, but the Rangers pitchers have learned how to pitch there. The game plan for Texas with their pitching is to beat you numbers. They don’t have what you would call a true ace, but they have lots of good pitchers. Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison have been really good. Again, they won’t wow you, but they would have headlined a World Series championship team if it wasn’t for former closer Neftali Perez, who will be a starter now. Their big splash was bringing Yu Darvish over from Japan. He appears to have really good stuff, but who knows how effective he will be this year. He does have the stuff and the element of surprise on his side. What will be against him is the league and the ballpark. If he can adjust, look out. Their bullpen will be interesting. They have a lot of good names and arms in the pen. The one issue I have with their bullpen is no lefty, but I’d rather have quality right-handed pitchers than a lefty who couldn’t get a dead person out. Again, in the end, there overall pitching is good, but they don’t have the ace. It didn’t hurt them last year, but how many times can you go to the well? Speaking of aces, the next team just might have the top ace in baseball.

 
5. Detroit Tigers
Justin Verlander is a no-hitter waiting to happen. He’s got no-hit stuff. There’s no doubting that. The reigning AL Cy Young and MVP is the lead man for the Tigers. He has a good supporting cast, too. Doug Fister as the number 2 guy was great for the Tigers after they got him from Seattle. Add in the young Max Scherzer, who has electric stuff, and that’s a formidable top 3. If Rick Porcello realizes his potential, they can be downright filthy with their staff. Their bullpen with Jose Valverde closing and Joaquin Benoit setting him up can be nasty. Add in Octavio Dotel who brings a veteran presence, and it’s a good bullpen. The lineup will be able to mash teams. The middle of the order of Miguel Cabera, Prince Fielder and Delmon Young, who has been a different player in Detroit could be the best in baseball. Add in guys like Jhonny Peralta and all star catcher Alex Avila, and you have a team that can drive in runs. Of course, you need guys to get on base, and that’s where Austin Jackson comes in. He’s an up and coming player who might be the key to the offense. If he’s getting on base, they will be unstoppable. Speaking of unstoppable, our next team just keeps bringing in young guys as if they’re growing on trees.

 
6. Tampa Bay Rays
They might have the best rotation in baseball, and the best of the bunch could be a rookie. Matt Moore won’t start in the first three games, but in his short time in the majors last season, he impressed. He dominated. You don’t see that from guys that young. What made it more impressive, he’s a lefty. So much for it takes time for lefties to find their ground. James Shields, David Price, Jeremy Hellickson and Jeff Niemann round out the rotation. The talent there is impressive. Their long man Wade Davis, would be a three for many teams. They are loaded with arms! As for their bullpen, I’ll be honest, Kyle Farnsworth scares the hell out of me as closer. The other relievers Joel Peralta, Fernando Rodney and J.P. Howell are good, not great, but if their starters pitch the way they should, it might not matter. Now, the lineup is shaky. Evan Longoria is a top player, and Desmond Jennings, who just had a three homer game in Spring Training, is a young player with immense talent. B.J. Upton is an enigma. He has all of the talent you want in a player, but he doesn’t always try hard. He’s also up and down when he does try hard. Carlos Pena will hit the long ball, get on base and play a great first base. His average will probably hover around .200-.220, but he will help them despite that. Tampa’s biggest problem is the division they’re in because they can’t add the way some of the other teams can. Which brings me to my last team that I think can win it all as presently constituted.

 
7. New York Yankees
This team is powered by a great lineup, awesome bullpen and good starting pitching. Don’t let the name Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez fool you, the man on this team is Robinson Cano. Jeter and A-Rod are still effective, but Cano is the straw that stirs the drink in New York. Add in Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, and Nick Swisher, who is in a contract year, and that lineup will score, score and score. Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones will platoon at DH, while Brett Gardner supplies the speed and stolen bases. This is another team helped by the ballpark they play in, but again, it doesn’t matter where they play, they will put up runs in bunches. The big worry is if Jeter and A-Rod show their age and break down. As for their pitching. They have a true ace in CC Sabathia. He pitches a lot of innings, and is a shut down guy at the front of the rotation. I have my doubts about Hiroki Kuroda going from the NL West to the AL East. Ivan Nova was solid for them last year, and Phil Hughes has been great in Spring Training. Freddy Garcia uses guile to get guys out, it worked last year, will it work again? If not, they still have Michael Pineda, who is on the DL to start the year and Andy Pettitte waiting in the wings. The bullpen is probably the best in baseball. Mariano Rivera closing games is the best ever. David Robertson, Rafeal Soriano, Cory Wade and Boone Logan round out the bullpen. Lots of good arms there, and they have a few waiting in the wings in the minors. Also, it’s the Yankees, if something fails, they have the ability with their prospects and money to make a trade during the season. They have a budget, but they’ll stretch it to win. As for teams who just missed the cut, Boston, San Francisco, Arizona and Milwaukee. With the right moves during the season and a few surprises, who knows, they might bump one of the seven teams I have listed out of the way.

Welcome to the very first installment of the “McChronicles”, a documentation of Donovan McNabb’s post-football adventures, where his comedic insight is put on display for all to enjoy.

Let me set the record straight before I dive in head first: I am an Eagles fan and I loved McNabb as a player in his Eagle years. Up through their Superbowl appearance, he was able to overcome his shortcomings as a slightly inaccurate passer with his elusiveness both in the pocket and as a scrambler. He was amazing to watch. Over the past few years, his speed has diminished, and because he never really developed his accuracy he has not been able to remain an efficient quarterback. I would not even be writing this article if his skills simply had deteriorated and he rode off quietly and respectfully into the sunset. It’s his constant passive aggressive interaction with the media and martyr-like nature that has irked Philly fans, because even with all of the undying support at the games, he never really seemed to accept the Eagles fanbase.

Thanks for making all Philly fans look like a bunch of ungrateful morons, Angelo

Outsiders say we didn’t appreciate McNabb for the same reason they believe we throw batteries at people on a daily basis – unfair prejudice. Sure, fans called 610 WIP trashing McNabb, because radio callers love to hate (in EVERY city). But if these same people went to the Eagles tailgates & games, saw the amount of #5 jerseys, and witnessed that we actually cheered for him, then they’d realize that he was appreciated. When the Redskins played in Philly after he was traded, everyone outside of Philly was wondering if Philly fans were going to boo him. No surprise to us, he received a standing ovation. What really happened when he was drafted? Radio personality Angelo Cataldi and 29 other losers decided to boo ANY pick that was NOT Ricky Williams. It wasn’t personal. But McNabb took it personally, and never really let it go.

Fast forward to 2010, and like an addict in denial, McNabb once again avoided accountability – this time for his part in a failing partnership after he was traded to Washington. Everyone outside of Philadelphia thought the Eagles organization was crazy and the fans were ungrateful. Well, we all know how Washington turned out: it was a circus. Washington wondered what the hell they just signed up for, fans around the league started taking notice, and fans in Philly were collectively saying “SEE?!?!? We know what we’re talking about!”. Once he got benched for Rex Grossman, he cried “disrespect”, as if playing quarterback in the NFL is a birthright for players that have accomplished some previous success at the position. Even though he couldn’t grasp the offense, he had a harder time grasping why he wasn’t just being handed the keys to the car. That’s called arrogance, my friends.

The next year he went to Minnesota, and his first pass as a Viking was an interception. His 2011 season ended well before the Vikings’ season ended – Donovan was cut by Minnesota asked the Vikings to release him so he could pursue an opportunity with another team, like maybe his hometown Chicago Bears? After all, Jay Cutler was just knocked out for the season and the Bears were in the hunt for a playoff spot. Sounds like a Hollywood story. Well, the Bears did not pursue McNabb because, of course, they had Caleb Hanie running the show in Cutler’s absence. Ouch. This would be the addict equivalent of waking up in a puddle of puke with your pants around your ankles, money gone, and having missed your daughter’s dance recital… Reality check, yo.

LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL: The ESPN Years
I am really hoping that McNabb stays on ESPN and provides his biased insight, because honestly it is slowly revealing the enigma that, during the later years, frustrated and puzzled the Eagles fan base. He is bashing heads nicely with resident oppositionist Skip Bayless who I, admittedly, find to be unbearable 99% of the time. Everyone knows Skip’s position on the “First Take” show: whatever the consensus is, argue the other side. It’s brilliant, as one of our good friends Sean Flannery explains in this contribution to Bleacher Report.

Well this past week, McNabb made waves with some ridiculous comments on two fronts. One was regarding Tim Tebow’s Tweets, where he used it as an opportunity to whine about being the most unfairly criticized QB in the history of the league. The other was regarding RG3 being a likely bust on Washington, claiming Shanahan was not going to cater the offense to his skillset, MUCH LIKE Shanahan’s inability to cater the offense to McNabb’s skillset when he played there 2 seasons ago. Give me a break. This is the same guy that on more than one occasion announced that he was going to take the “high road” and not comment on whatever personal attack was being thrown at him. For the record, if you are taking the high road, you should never announce it. Just do it. Part of taking the high road is leading by example and not looking for praise for being a good guy.

For the first installment of the McChronicles, I am showcasing two videos from ESPN’s “First Take”…

CLIP #1: Tim Tebow being the most criticized QB in recent history
This all started with McNabb having a problem with Tim Tweeting about the fact that he’s happy to be on the Jets. The tweet in question: “I’ve already said it 44 times so here goes number 45: I’m really excited to be a Jet! Haha! All joking aside it’s truly an honor…”

The video is below. Get yourself some coffee and enjoy it in its entirety, but if you want to skim through, I have highlighted some key exchanges along with some commentary:

0:30 – McNabb is curiously frustrated with Tebow’s harmless, uncontroversial Tweets

3:33 – McNabb interrupts Skip with a claim that he is the most unfairly criticized QB ever…
Skip: Tim Tebow is the most unfairly, overcriticized quarterback in the history of this league
McNabb (interrupting in the background): Negative. I am. I am. Nobody’s been criticized as much as I have.
(Note: It’s worth watching this interaction all the way through to the 6:45 mark)
This is a very revealing statement to me because, correct me if I am wrong, but the national media has always had a slobbering love affair with McNabb. Aside from Rush Limbaugh’s comments about him being overrated because the NFL wanted to see a successful black QB, he was never dissected on a national stage week after week. Quite the contrary, actually. He was handled with kid gloves on the national stage. So what McNabb is REALLY referring to the Philly media. Which is ridiculous because he received plenty of love during his tenure here. Yes there were some critical periods, but 75% of the time he was being showered with credit & praise. This goes back to my point that the Philly-McNabb relationship was fractured right from the start and never really fully healed.

The most amazing thing about this exchange is that McNabb’s point is so off-base that he makes Skip Bayless sound logical.

12:00 – McNabb interrupts M. Smith with a claim that he is the most unfairly criticized QB ever…
Michael Smith: Skip, I disagree with your original point that he’s the most over-criticized, unfairly criticized player.
McNabb (interrupting in the background, AGAIN): I am the champion of that. I am.
In case you didn’t hear him before, he’ll tell you again. And again. And again. Incidentally, his whole argument throughout the video claiming starting QBs shouldn’t use Twitter is ridiculous. It depends on the individual. Just because Brady & Manning don’t use it to connect with their fan bases doesn’t mean Tebow can’t. There’s a certain future Hall of Famer named Drew Brees that Tweets on the regular. He Tweeted right after they got bounced by the Niners in the playoffs. I don’t think that connecting with your fans with thoughtful Tweets is a problem at ALL.

CLIP #2: RG3 is not going to be a good fit with the Redskins
This is the real cry for help. He comes out guns a blazin’, emphatically using this platform to plead his case and rewrite his history with the Redskins. This has nothing to do with RG3. He is unable to accept the fact that he wasn’t the same QB by the time he got to Washington, and he is smearing Shanahan & the Redskins organization in the process.

The video is below. Like the previous video, I have highlighted some key exchanges along with some commentary:

Start of the video – McNabb explains his 2010 Redskins shortcomings in the RG-3rd person…
Intro: Is Washington a good fit for RG3?
McNabb: NO. I say that because a lot of times ego gets too involved when it comes to being in Washington… Here’s a guy who’s coming out who’s very talented, mobile, strong arm, we’ve already heard he’s intelligent. Football mind. Are you going to cater the offense around his talent, and what he’s able to do? Or are you going to bring the Houston offense with Matt Schaub over to him and have him embedded in it?…
Sounds like he has an axe to grind.

2:17 – McNabb admits that he DOES have an axe to grind, but not really. Kinda sorta. LOL, JK…
Skip: OK, we have to ask, do you have an axe to grind because of the way you were treated in Washington?
McNabb: You know what, I do but I don’t. The whole deal about it is we hear so much about players who move on somewhere, how the next year will be a lot better. Give them a chance to learn the offense and understand what we do. Give him a chance to get his feet up under him and get used to the guys around him. I never got that chance.
Aside from basically saying “Yes, I’m bitter. But wait, that sounds really petty, so let me backtrack”, the facts are that he was traded to the Redskins in April of 2010. He had all off-season to get acclimated, study the playbook, work with his teammates in camp and through the preseason. Instead of accepting the fact that he’s just not that dual threat any more and couldn’t accomplish what was asked of him, he blames his shortcomings on the regime in charge of bringing him to Washington. I’ll use Drew Brees as an example again – how did he do in New Orleans in his first season after coming over from San Diego, AFTER a major shoulder surgery? He carried a previously 3-13 team to a 10-6 record, had 4,418 passing yards, 26TDs, and 11INTs. Not too shabby for having a short window to get acclimated. Yes, New Orleans “used his talent” properly… that talent, simply put, is Drew Brees’ Hall of Fame greatness.

3:00 – Michael Smith asks McNabb the tough question…
Michael Smith: So given how bad it went with you, are you truly qualified to say … that RG3 would not be a good fit? Maybe it was just YOU weren’t a good fit.
McNabb: No. Well, I just went over 4 quarterbacks besides me.
Michael Smith: You know, Cutler’s pretty good… and Jake Plummer went to the AFC title game…
McNabb: You’re only as good as the guys around you. And also, you have to be in a system that is catered to your ability…

Great players make their teammates better. Just ask the Indianapolis Colts.

Whoa. Say it with me: “You’re only as good as the guys around you.” Try telling that to Peyton Manning. Look at what happened to the Colts last year in his absence. They were LOST. Proof positive that Manning makes people around him BETTER. Like Drew Brees does. Like Tom Brady does. Like Michael Jordan did. In his career, he always spoke about needing “weapons”. When he finally got a weapon in T.O., the Eagles were lighting up the league, but T.O. was unfortunately injured late in the season. McNabb responded to this injury by telling the media the Eagles didn’t need T.O. to win. Um, what?!? At the time I didn’t think much of it, but looking back, maybe T.O. was on to something. McNabb might just be his own worst enemy when he speaks before he thinks.

“You’re only as good as the guys around you” is possibly the most telling insight into McNabb’s mind. He’s not that on-field general that will put a team on his shoulders. He’d rather just come along for the ride. That’s not the best quality for your QB, who is supposed to be the leader of your team. This statement is a microcosm of McNabb’s mindset as a quarterback.

6:16 – Michael Smith nicely tells McNabb that the “ego” in question is, in fact, McNabb’s…
Michael Smith: You mentioned off the top that egos can get in the way in Washington.
McNabb: Absolutely.
Michael Smith: You had been a 4 or 5-time NFC Championship game, 1 Superbowl QB, had been in Pro Bowls. You come in having done things a certain way, and you got a young guy, Kyle Shanahan, who hadn’t done anything as the offensive coordinator trying to fit you into his offense if I’m following you right.
McNabb: You’re right.
Michael Smith: So what I’m saying, could there be a difference with RG3 coming in and not having accomplished…(gets cut off)
McNabb: (Oh shit, you bastard. That’s entrapment!) Blah Blah more deflection of blame, yadda yadda yadda
McNabb proceeds to backpedal and shovel shit, but the bottom line here is that Michael Smith, whether intentionally or unintentionally, made a compelling point that the main “ego” that got in the way in Washington was actually Donovan’s.

In closing, I loved Donovan as an Eagle. He is still the greatest QB the franchise has ever had, and if he had been able to bring home a Superbowl then we might be having a different discussion. Unfortunately, his sense of entitlement and lack of accountability are what kept him from addressing his shortcomings throughout his career, and they really contributed to his downfall as a first-rate QB.

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That concludes the first installment of the McChronicles. As long as McNabb keeps up with the crazy talk, this series will continue!

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All video rights go to ESPN. Videos from YouTube’s ESPN page

In the spirit of March Madness, we are posting a very rare basketball clip before we load up videos on the best buzzer-beaters of this year’s Tourney.

Last night, Blake Griffin served up a double airball at the free throw line. I played basketball as a kid for about 8 years. I went to the foul line MANY times. At the time I was probably about 5’1″, 120 pounds. And I might have thrown up an airball, but I NEVER shot back-to-back airballs. In all fairness, I was never able to leap over a car to dunk, either.

This really is something that I don’t even think Shaq was capable of. I hope for Blake’s sake, this isn’t a foreshadowing of a shortly-lived one-dimensional career.

All video rights go to the NBA. Video from YouTube’s NBAorbit

The gap between Superbowl Sunday and the first day anything exciting happens in the sports world is a very large one. There’s honestly not much to talk about. Football is over. We love our hockey & hoops here at Voodoo Brown, but let’s be honest – they are both far from the meaningful home stretch of the regular season. Nothing is happening in baseball except free agent signings and teams unveiling the ugliest uniforms we’ve ever seen. Pitchers & catchers reported, but besides Roy’s bad-ass ride, I’m not really dialed in just yet. Basically, this 3-4 week stretch must be what it feels like to NOT be a sports fan. I’m getting restless, but in the next few weeks things will start to pick up.

Here are 5 milestones on the horizon that will usher in the beginning of the 2012 Sports Year:

MLB Spring Training – Wednesday, February 29th:
Although it’s just a taste of baseball, it’s a nice break from the Jeremy Lin overkill seen & heard on every sports outlet. For Phillies fans, this Spring Training might feel redundant. We have 3/4 of last year’s pitching staff that was supposed to mow through the league – which it did, no thanks to the inconsistent offense. Oswalt is gone, but he had a rough year anyway… so tack up our sophomore Vance Worley as a wash. Ryan Madson is gone, enter Papelbon. Ryan Howard is rehabbing his Achilles, enter a Mayberry/Wigginton platoon situation, which honestly might not be much of a dropoff. What will Thome contribute? Will a full season for Hunter Pence equate to his same production before his hernia injury? Without going into too much depth, they have made some good acquisitions, there’s normal turnover that any team experiences, but nothing major has changed. The obvious concerns are: 1) are they too old, thus injury-prone? and 2) are they going to be able to generate consistent offense, especially come playoff time? Two questions that aren’t going to be answered in Spring Training. So this is a major sports calendar milestone, but by no means the one that is getting me overly hyped up.
 

Kentucky's Anthony Davis
(AP Photo/James Crisp)

March Madness – Thursday, March 15th:
Arguably the most exciting sports weekend of the year, running from Thursday through Sunday. This weekend wakes up the sports fan inside of everyone with 4 days full of buzzer beaters, brackets, upsets, and my personal favorite: Barackotology. We get to watch the President give his reasons as to why he’s gone out on a limb and chosen all four #1-seeds to make the Final 4. Must see ESPN TV. I remember years ago (before these pools were easily accessible online) being at a bar on Thursday and/or Friday with no less than 3 printouts – ”Upset” bracket, “#1 seed Barack” bracket, and my “gut” bracket – and a highlighter to mark the winners. Total loser move, yes, but guess what – I wasn’t the only one. 2 out of 3 people reading this article did the same exact thing. This date is circled on everyone’s calendar.

The Marlins’ new logo is hideous

MLB Opening Day – Wednesday, April 4th:
The St. Louis Cardinals & The Miami Marlins open up this year’s festivities in the Marlins’ new digs. You have to imagine that the new stadium in Miami is absolutely amazing. It’s just a matter of whether or not they can fill it. Let’s hope so; it’s tough watching the Phillies/Marlins games in the summer and being able to hear actual fans’ conversations in between the color commentary. The Phillies open up their season in Pittsburgh on Thursday April 5th, a place that they have really struggled at in recent years. Another date to mark: Monday April 9th, the Phillies’ home opener against the new-look Marlins.
 

Flyers forward Claude Giroux
(David Maialetti/Staff Photographer)

NHL Hockey Playoffs Set – Sunday, April 8th:
The end of hockey’s regular season marks the beginning of its second season. I don’t think any professional sport has a more intense postseason than hockey, given the level of physical play, the stakes during every shift, and the duration of the playoffs (almost 2 months!). Every goal is huge. Every missed assignment creates a goat. Watching people WATCH playoff hockey is even fun – it looks like they’re watching a horror movie. Nothing comes close to the anticipation of doom, followed by a sudden rush of adrenalin and celebration… all paced by the frantic back & forth play for the duration of every game. This can’t come soon enough.
 

NFL Draft – Thursday, April 26th (thru the 28th):
Otherwise known as the weekend that justifies Mel Kiper’s career, this is when everything commences in the sports universe: baseball is almost 1 month into the season, hockey playoffs are in the second round, the NBA playoffs are about to start, and the NFL is BACK! Last year I didn’t even care about the draft with the potential lockout looming. It was a down year for almost every football fan. But this year, fellow Eagles fans, we have at least ONE MORE DRAFT to see what Andy does with his first round pick. Does he bypass a Jason Pierre-Paul to draft an undersized Defensive End with short arms? Does he draft a 26-year old fireman that’s played football for about 5 minutes of his life? I don’t know, but I do know this: if they don’t address their Linebacker needs in this draft – preferably in the first round – you are going to hear an uproar from the entire fan base that will make Angelo Cataldi’s idiot “Boo McNabb on draft day” squad look like a Saturday morning yoga class.

The time to do that better job is now
(Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)

I was speaking with our fellow NFL contributor Darren DeGaetano the other night, and he had some good input on what they need for a Linebacker. It’s simple: he must be at least 260 pounds, have an intense field presence, and preferably come from Alabama. Incidentally, Alabama could have 5 players selected in the first round, 4 of them on defense. That is ludicrous. Anyway, Luke Kuechly (LB, Boston College) seems to be a name the experts and scouters are touting as a complete football player, NFL-ready, fundamentally sound, sure thing, etc… he’s 6’2″, 235 pounds. Another undersized player on an undersized defense. We need a monster. We need a Dawkins-like lunatic. We need… Vontaze Burfict! As I’m writing this, he’s probably slipping further down in the rankings due to his “character issues”. Guess what, I am willing to accept the Eagles organization taking a slight risk on a 6’3″, 252 pound LB that could develop into one of the most intimidating forces in the game. They’ve made worse picks. In the 1995 draft, Warren Sapp was supposed to have character issues and we passed on him for Mike Mamula (coincidentally from Boston College). How did that work out? If they don’t grab Burfict, I’d be happy with Dont’a Hightower from Alabama, a 6’3″ 260 pound beast that has the pedigree. If they could get two of these guys (probably won’t happen) then you are looking at a defensive force for years to come.

Let us know who you want to see the Eagles draft…
Take Our Poll

Here are a few videos of the three LBs, take a look if you need to do a little research before casting your vote. Obviously, this is not a comprehensive scouting process, it should just give you an idea of what these athletes are capable of.

Vontaze Burfict:

Luke Kuechly:

Dont’a Hightower:

Great sports anthems are a lot like great mascots: Corny enough to not take seriously, but enough substance to not be a total embarrassment. That perfect recipe makes the Sixers’ new/old anthem burst with that feel-good “Saturday morning cartoon happiness” that the 80s emulated. Can’t get enough of this song! Lots of credit to 76ers CEO and Co-Owner Adam Aron for this and many other great decisions to date.

Philadelphians are looking for anything to be excited about in the sports world, and the Sixers are giving it to us on a silver platter. Can they win the NBA title this year? Who cares? If they can go out there and give us some good basketball night in & night out without the egos and without that “me” guy that basketball has become plagued with, then I am more than happy to come out and support them. It’s the brand of basketball that I grew up on.

1-2-3-4-5-SIXERS!

10-9-8-76ers!

Video courtesy of YouTube’s Rascalvision
 
 

Sometimes believing you can do something great is more powerful than actually being great. I think that’s where we are with these Giants. Tony Robbins must have been hired to talk to them after they dropped that home game to the Redskins in Week 15. You talk about an across-the-board average team just strapping it on and playing like a Champion out of the blue – it’s more apparent with this Giants team than any team I can remember.

It seems to be an annoying formula for sports anymore. Survive the regular season just enough, turn it up at the end of the season, go into the playoffs hot, and win a Championship. It’s worked in baseball the last few years. Last year with the Packers. And the Giants have also gotten the breaks: eg, New Orleans getting ousted in the playoffs on a last minute drive by Joe Montana Alex Smith, thus avoiding a sure loss in the Thunderdome; now we’re looking at the most dominant tight end in the 2011 season – Gronkowski – being hobbled by a high ankle sprain. Talk about a huge break. Everything seems to be adding up for the Giants.

Give them credit. They got everything together at the right time. That D Line is nasty. Eli has really been lethal in clutch 4th quarter situations AND on 3rd downs. The WRs have been unstoppable. And Tom Coughlin has proven again to be a great coach. All the important pieces are working in unison.

What about the Patriots? They have won ten straight games including the playoffs. They haven’t lost since November 6th – a game at home against these very Giants (uh-oh). Here’s an interesting tidbit: after that loss the Patriots cut Albert Haynesworth. They haven’t lost since. The team that picked Fat Albert up? The Tampa Bay Bucs. How did they do once they snatched him up? They went 0-8. Let’s hope Haynesworth doesn’t show up to the Superbowl or we might see both teams lose. On second thought, get that man a ticket.

We have done fairly well with our playoff picks, with Voodoo, Mike, and CJ all going 7-3. Darren must be blinded by his regular season success, going an abysmal 3-7 so far.

2012 playoff results:
Voodoo: 7-3
Mike P: 7-3
CJ: 7-3
Darren D: 3-7

Here are our Superbowl predictions…

Voodoo Brown: This is a tough game to call, because although the Patriots have had impressive wins and they’ve scored at will this year, they really haven’t seemed too dominant this season. It comes down to their defense being GOD AWFUL, which will be a problem against the Giants. Look on the other side of the ball, the best case scenario for the Pats is that this Giants D line just never gets off. If they do get pressure on Brady, I think most people will agree the Giants will control this game.

Look at it like this:
• Pats have no running game.
• Pats won’t stop the Giants offense.
• Pats CAN light up the scoreboard with their passing game.
but…
• If the Giants DO stop the Pats passing game by pressuring Brady? Game over.
• If the Giants DON’T stop the Pats passing game and give up 30+? Well, the Giants are capable of keeping up with that pace.

I see too many signs pointing to a Giants win here. As an Eagles fan, it pains me to say, but I don’t see any other outcome than a Giants Superbowl victory for the reasons stated above. They will bring the Lombardi Trophy back to East Rutherford, New Jersey for the 2nd time in 4 years.

Giants 31, Patriots 27

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Darren DeGaetano: I keep hearing how this Superbowl will be yet another shootout. I don’t see it that way at all. Both of these teams are in this game, surprisingly, because of their defenses. New England’s defensive squad appears to be in the midst of the biggest one season turnaround in NFL history. The Giants’ defense has been stifling through it’s three post-season games. I think we’ll see a lot more of that this Sunday in Indianapolis. I do recognize, however, that a defensive game isn’t what one would expect from two quarterbacks that save their best for big games, have a full aresenal of weapons and less than desired running games. Take a look at the history of this matchup.

The Patriots have a solid revenge intangible on their side. It was only five years ago when David Tyree (how many times have you heard his name in the last two weeks?) became a football folk hero, helping NY lay that one Giant loss on the Patriots bid for 19-0 and football immortality. On top of that, the Giants went in to Foxboro in early November and upset New England again. In both games, Tom Brady struggled against a strong pass rush.

On Sunday, New England will get it’s revenge. Though Tom Coughlin has had Bill Belichick’s number, I expect the hoodie to have the game’s most improved defense ready to take away the deep passing game of the Giants. If New York can establish the run, they may prove my pick incorrect but I like New England’s defense to be the best unit on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. Patriots win, the forgettable 2011 season ends and I can finally focus my attention on April’s draft.

Patriots 23, Giants 17

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CJ Sullivan: Everyone seems to assume that this years Giants are going to finish off the Super Bowl just like they did in 2007, and for good reason. Both teams were wildly inconsistent all season, got the rare moral victory against the best team in football, then rode a hot wave of luck to the title game. Tom Coughlin has figured out how to make a mockery of the game simply by benching his most important players (the defensive line) until the second half of the year when things matter. If the Giants do win this second super bowl I argue that it would be more annoying than the Patriots winning their 4th smug title. As hateable as New England is, at least they are a great team. The Giants are a painfully mediocre squad that have simply exposed a flaw in the system.

Eli Manning has his greatest season of his career, in a year where several quarterbacks put up record breaking stats. Meat heads think that if Eli wins this game he should be considered better than his brother Peyton because he will have one more ring than him. Jim Plunkett also has one more ring than Peyton. Even better, some media members want to say he is as good as Brady because he would have beat him twice. None of this is true of course – not that Eli is a terrible quarterback, he just isn’t as good as Brady.

Tom Brady is aware of these recent comparisons and knocks on his legacy. This Super Bowl, Brady will remind America that he is in fact Tom fawhkin Brady. The only celebrity that America gave a pass to when he left his actress girlfriend while she was pregnant to upgrade to a super model. A recent poll of American women showed that they would rather have an affair with Eli than Brady. This is because even in anonymous online poll, women don’t want to be humiliated into realizing the fact that Tom Brady will not sleep with them, but Eli might.

Patriots 27, Giants 20

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Mike Procopio: Having experienced my first Super Bowl atmosphere a few days ago, I sat there on the plane ride home asking myself… why didn’t I do this before? The city of Indianapolis shows Hoosier Hospitality from the second you get off the plane until the moment you head home. The entire city is showered with NFL logos, branding, and memorabilia was being sold at every corner store and street vendor. Media Day was amazing to say the least. The NFL really did it’s fans a great service opening it up to them this year. There really was nothing like it. Now to the game…

The Giants are confident and borderline cocky it seems this time around. This is a team that – yes – did beat the Patriots, but lost to Rex Grossman twice, Vince Young, and Tavaris Jackson. They almost got beat by Matt Moore as well. The Patriots are much more relaxed and “talkative” to the media than they have been in years past, which is a bit odd watching it from Patriot fan perspective. I don’t see Brady having two bad games in a row. I also don’t see the defense playing as well as they did against Baltimore and Denver. Eli is an elite quarterback in this league now. Like him or not, he is in that discussion after Brady and Brees. The biggest questions of the game is can the Giants offense keep up with the Patriots offense? Can the front seven of the Giants get to Brady? The fact the Giants and their obnoxious fan base (I thought Jets fans were bad) are so confident this is going to be a blowout and they will steamroll the Patriots is mind blowing. I like the Patriots here. There is too much going for them with this record setting offense, the death of Myra Kraft, and Brady playing with a chip on his shoulder.

Patriots 31, Giants 23

This is definitely an instant classic… to be played on those legendary highlight reels for years to come. LeBron James leapfrogs over John Lucas of the Chicago Bulls to finish the Dwyane Wade alley-oop. Sick.

Courtesy of YouTube’s nbavideosnow2