Quote: Toes14The emergence of Marc Bulger allowed the Rams to save money at Quarterback.
It saved them a lot of victories, too.
But in all fairness, the loss that brought down the Rams was the retirement of Dick Vermeil.
Quote:It's not like Warner dropped off the face of the earth, or was out of the game after that. He was the starting QB at New York the next year,
Yes, and he was terrible. When Coughlin replaced him with Eli Manning, Warner didn't argue. He's reported to have told Coughlin "Don't go back to me. This only works for the kid if you stick with him." Which was both sensible and generous on his aprt.
Quote:then was the starter in Arizona for the next 5 years. He was a Pro-Bowl quarterback in both 2009-2010.
I don't know much about his career in Arizona, but I do know he was replaced as a starter by Matt Leinart until Wisenhunt took over the team.
Quote:Many people believe he's a decent candidate for the Hall of Fame.
Decent? I'd say he ought to be a shoo-in. He led the best offense of his time, he took two teams to three superbowls and won one of them. What more do you need to do? At that I can argue he was two passes away from winning against the Steelers. One was the pass intercepted by Harrison at the close of the first half. The other was Roethlisberger's pass to Holmes near the end of the game. Had either of those been an incompletion, the Cardinals might have won the game.
Quote: zippyboyHow can you say soccer is not a sport when those players run about 6 miles per game?
An atheltic contest with an objective on the field, remember? There's no objective in sucker that I can discern.
Quote:I'm not a fan,
Good for you.
Quote:but it's the world's most popular spectator game. Can't argue there.
Argue that it's the most popular spectator game? No, of coruse not. Why argue with the facts. But so what?
Quote: timberjimAbsolutely!! All the guys are on tour are superb golfers with incredible skills. Tiger has consistently demonstrated that he had the ability to perform at a level a notch above the best players in the world. The mistakes he made in his personal life have definitely affected his ability to concentrate on his game.Quote: odiousgambitI think it shows how much golf is a mental game
There have been a number of posts in this thread talking about how golf is a mental game and that pressure, clutch shots, choking, etc., can have tremendous impact on performance.
So just for the fun of it, here is a side topic: I earned "athletic" letters from two colleges for my participation in a varsity "sport". (The quotation marks are for Nareed's benefit; I actually have the letters from the sweaters framed and hanging on my office wall.) I consider this sport to be one in which the mental aspects and the effects of pressure, clutch shots and choking have far greater impact than in golf. This sport (in a slight variation from the way I competed) is part of the modern Olympics. From that description, can anyone identify the sport? As a related question, what Olympic sport do you consider to have the highest mental component, with the greatest potential risk that a case of the yips will lead to choking in the clutch?
He should renew his prescription to Ambien, get a luxo suite in Las Vegas, and hunker down with some ho's for a bit of R&R.
His mind should clear a bit once he cleans his pipes.
Works for Charlie Sheen ...
Quote: DocSo just for the fun of it, here is a side topic: I earned "athletic" letters from two colleges for my participation in a varsity "sport". (The quotation marks are for Nareed's benefit; I actually have the letters from the sweaters framed and hanging on my office wall.)
:) That's so cute!
But really, does my opinion affect you so much? Or do men place a particular emphasis on the meaning of "sports"? I have noticed I get a bigger reaction by calling boredom-inducing activities like soccer or golf "not sports" than by saying they are so bad they ought to come with warning labels. I just don't understand why.
Quote:From that description, can anyone identify the sport? As a related question, what Olympic sport do you consider to have the highest mental component, with the greatest potential risk that a case of the yips will lead to choking in the clutch?
Archery? Whatever the proper name is for shooting at still or moving targets with a gun? You didn't say Winter Olympics, so that rules out the Biathlon.
I was going to say archery, but I don't think that's an NCAA sport (does that matter?), so I will say riflery, and hope you went to West Virginia or Alaska-Anchorage.Quote: DocSo just for the fun of it, here is a side topic: I earned "athletic" letters from two colleges for my participation in a varsity "sport". (The quotation marks are for Nareed's benefit; I actually have the letters from the sweaters framed and hanging on my office wall.) I consider this sport to be one in which the mental aspects and the effects of pressure, clutch shots and choking have far greater impact than in golf. This sport (in a slight variation from the way I competed) is part of the modern Olympics. From that description, can anyone identify the sport? As a related question, what Olympic sport do you consider to have the highest mental component, with the greatest potential risk that a case of the yips will lead to choking in the clutch?
By the way, riflery was my favorite spot to watch in the last Olympics. Check out online next time. The pressure is incredible. So that's my answer to your second question, too.
Quote: Docwhat Olympic sport do you consider to have the highest mental component, with the greatest potential risk that a case of the yips will lead to choking in the clutch?
Balance beam. (kidding - but, I would consider testicle smashing a chokable event when having to practice over a narrow beam for years, although males don't do that sport in the Olympics.)
Quote: NareedAn atheltic contest with an objective on the field, remember? There's no objective in soccer that I can discern.
Score more goals than the opposition.
Which is, durrh, Winning.
Quote: thecesspitScore more goals than the opposition.
I've heard that claim before. I don't buy it. The goal is huge and the goal keeper is tiny in comparison. Most shots allegedly at the goal don't even come close, which leads me to believe they're doing something else. I do't kbnow what else, which is why I say there's no ojective I can discern.
The fans' reactions are no guide, either. They're very excited at shots around the goal rather than disappointed the shots didn't get in. I've yet to see football fans seem excited when their team drops the ball in the end zone or misses a field goal.
Quote:Which is, durrh, Winning.
That's the goal of any contest, sport or not. But winning how? In Football you win by outscoring your opponent, an objective achieved by driving the goal down the field and either gettign the ball, carried or caught by a player, inside the end zone, or kicked through the goal posts for a field goal. That's a clear objective the offense is working to achieve and the defense is laboring to prevent. There's no such equivalent in soccer. it's 20 men, or women, kicking the ball up and down the field, kicking it towards the general vicinity of the goal, and sometimes overacting when someone dares touch them.
A contrast could be made to athletes who died in plane crashes before their careers were over, such as Thurman Munson, Payne Stewart and Roberto Clemente. Unlike these folks, but similar to Pete Rose and perhaps Bonds, Tiger was all along living a lifestyle that was pernicious to his long-term success. It was a matter of time before it caught up to him.
One problem Tiger has regards forming an identity. He can't be all-out golf and hookers and nothing else the way he used to be. (Maybe he could do this, but he claims to be sorry for all the hookers. If he goes back on this people will dislike him even more.) He can't just flip a switch and be a family man like Phil Mickelson. It's probably too early to be a "comeback kid" -- no one really thinks he's an underdog at this point. But his abilities slowly keep sliding down the bell curve due to age. He has to find some skin to be comfortable in.
Quote: 7outlineawayOne problem Tiger has regards forming an identity. He can't be all-out golf and hookers and nothing else the way he used to be.
He would probably be better off if it was hookers. The public would probably be more forgiving, as it would be seen as just an indulgence.
Quote: NareedWhatever the proper name is for shooting at still or moving targets with a gun?
Quote: teddysI was going to say archery, but I don't think that's an NCAA sport (does that matter?), so I will say riflery, and hope you went to West Virginia or Alaska-Anchorage.
Dang! I didn't think the question was going to be that easy! Or was my reference to "clutch shots" a giveaway? Yes, riflery, and you'd better believe that the yips could destroy performance. No, I was not at WVU (though I think we competed against them) nor at Alaska-Anchorage. At the time that I was in college, I think the premiere rifle teams were all located at the military schools, not at the kind of place I would choose.
Well done, Nareed and teddys!
Quote: rxwineBalance beam. (kidding - but, I would consider testicle smashing a chokable event when having to practice over a narrow beam for years, although males don't do that sport in the Olympics.)
Have you ever watched any of the "Paulette Huntinova" videos? Here is a link to videos of "testicle-smashing" uneven parallel bars, floor exercise, and balance beam that I think you might enjoy.
Quote: DocAt the time that I was in college, I think the premiere rifle teams were all located at the military schools, not at the kind of place I would choose.
I should think so. A US Army sniper can hit a remarkably small target from over a mile away. Even ordinary soldiers rank high in marksmanship.
The NCAA riflery was .22 caliber at a range of 50 ft. When I was drafted and in basic training, we sighted in an M-16 at a range of 25 meters using a special target: aim at one spot with the bullets supposed to hit another spot a couple of inches higher. That was designed to sight the rifle properly for a range of 200 or 300 meters. I could keep a pretty darn good pattern at 25 meters, since it was similar to what I was accustomed to, but I was terrible at the distances at which we were actually tested -- with my vision I could hardly even see the targets.Quote: NareedI should think so. A US Army sniper can hit a remarkably small target from over a mile away. Even ordinary soldiers rank high in marksmanship.
Even so I got a seargent to let me shoot a burst from his M-16. He was very nice about it.
And that's my entire experience with firearms.
Quote: Nareed...
Stupid me, trying to debate a Troll.
I should have remembered one of Nareed's rules. :)
I'm thinking... teams drive-by shooting at each other out of Group B rally cars, set on minefield courses, with tiebreakers and penalties decided by Russian Roulette?
Quote: thecesspitStupid me, trying to debate a Troll.
I should have remembered one of Nareed's rules. :)
See? I knew the so-called objective in soccer is indefensible :P
How do you determine defense in racket sports, like tennis, squash, or badminton?
What about individual competitions, like Track & Field events, archery, shooting, marathons, & cycling races?
What about performance based events that are judged, like gymnastics and ice skating?
I'm uncomfortable with this criteria now though. Using this, fencing would be considered a sport, but the 100 meter dash wouldn't! Which one draws millions more viewers once every four years?
Quote: Toes14My friends & I always used the 'defense' criteria to decide what was a sport & what wasn't. If you can play defense and directly impact your opponent from scoring, it's a sport. If not, it's a game/skill/other.
So figure skating is a sport, or at least Tonya Harding tried to make it one.
Quote: Toes14My friends & I always used the 'defense' criteria to decide what was a sport & what wasn't. If you can play defense and directly impact your opponent from scoring, it's a sport. If not, it's a game/skill/other. But questions still remain!
The bigger question is "why do so many people care what is and is not a "sport?" Is there nothing on the other 5 ESPNs when the WSOP is being covered? Do men not like looking at curling hottie Jennifer Jones? Is it less masculine to enjoy watching a "skill" game than the NHL? ANd what of the WWE which labels itself "sports entertainment" and we all know what it really is?
If you don't like like it, don't watch. But "Wide World of Sports" was big for years for a reason and the reason was you could see "sports" there that you had never seen before and saw once a year on that show. Sports is more than football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. Saying you like fencing or ladies curling does not make you a girlie man.
Quote: LVJackalIt took me 6 months to think up an equivalent epic collapse... finally I have one close (this may have been mentioned, didnt read it all). Not in sports, I had to go to music.. Guns N Roses!!! Their first two contributions to music (arguably three) put them on pace to redefine hard rock.... then .... FAIL!
Too much dancin' with Mr. Brownstone.
Quote: EvenBobIs it all over for Tiger? Many golf experts think it is. He was out with injuries and before the Players tournament he said he was fine and had been playing daily.
I know about back strain* from playing golf, because I did that myself, but I can't fathom other injuries related to playing golf. At least not compared to a lot of other pro sports. I mean, I could certainly understand how a tennis player could mess up a whole assortment of bones, ligaments and all without so much as running into another player -- but I can't figure out how golf could take you down so much.
*of course, back injury alone could end a career, but Tiger has more than that going on.
a club in round 2 and will probably be fined. He said:
“Well, I didn’t hit the ball very good this week, and what’s
frustrating is I know what to do, and I just don’t do it,” Woods said.
“I get out there, and I just don’t trust it at all.”
This is a revelation coming from Tiger Woods. He knows
how to win, he knows how to swing the club, but because
his life has collapsed around him, he no longer trusts
anything, not even his game.
I don't like him, its no secret. But for the first time
I really feel sorry for him. He must be going thru
hell, having all that ability and not trusting it anymore.
Quote: Wavy70I wouldn't bury Tiger yet. He is still ranked the #4 player in 2011 as of last week. He is the top ranked American.
I don't see how it is possible to bury an athlete of his caliber at the age of 36. Golf players have long careers. People recover from all kinds of setbacks. Sexual impropriety is rarely something that destroys a man's career. I mean look at Bill Clinton!
He should be at the peak of his career, not years
behind. He'll be on the senior tour in a few years.
"Next!"
Quote: MrVTiger's washed up.
"Next!"
Wanna bet? He may not dominate ever again, but he is certainly not washed up. He just won a strong field event a few weeks ago. I'd bet he's at least top 10 in the world after this season's Fedex Cup. I believe he shot the same score in the Master's that the best player in the world, Rory Mcilroy, shot. I don't hear any "Rory's washed up" chants.
I don't think he will. I think he might have 2 - 3 more majors left in him. His last 5 years since the death of his father, the knee surgeries, and the sex scandal were all devastating to his life and career when he should have been at his prime (ages 33 - 37),
But this should be the prime of his career. But given his devotion to athleticism and the way he's torn up his body, I'm not sure he will be dominant as he was. Nicklaus won his last 4 majors at ages 38, 40, and 46. Tiger's 37 now. Between the ages of 30 and 39 for Jack, he was in the top 10 in 36 of 40 majors played.
all over the map. He kicks clubs, spits on greens,
shows little or no respect for the game or his
fellow players. Life's a bitch when the world
ceases to be all about you, I guess. He's been
an arrogant spoiled baby since he was 6. Time
to grow up.
He has glaring physical AND mental health issues which combine to prevent him from being at the top of his game.
Mostly mental, LOL.
As a non-gofer myself, my only real interest in him has been observing his performace these past couple of years as a human train wreck.
Tiger parody
around on his wife with beautiful women, world famous
celebrity, do what he wants when he wants, live life
like he's the son of a Saudi prince.
Here comes a crack in the facade of his perfect life,
and its something Woods thought could never happen.
He's so arrogant and full of himself, he really thought
he could get away with it forever. As a result, he doesn't
understand what happened, not really. So he trusts
nothing anymore, not even his ability to play golf. He
said after the Masters, I know what to do, I just don't
trust it anymore. His former life was an illusion, a bubble
waiting to burst, and he doesn't know how to recover
from it.
he even made the top twenty on this list:
most expensive divorces
But as of today, he's now tied with Jack Nicholus(sp?) for most PGA wins.
Quote: YoyomamaI'm not a golfer, but continue to be amazed by the fall of Tiger Woods. Has there ever been a sports figure as successful & talented as Woods & then fallen as far as him because of a divorce or other similar situation?
Revived this thread for a second.
Not sure where pro cycling is in the hierarchy world of sports, but now that Lance Armstrong has been stripped of all 7 wins on the Tour de France, he may be right up there.
As I heard a joke about it tonight, today we can all claim to hold the same number of Tour de France wins as Lance Armstrong.
years and years of training and 3 weeks of grueling riding to win each one -- all zip now.
Quote: rxwine
years and years of training and 3 weeks of grueling riding to win each one -- all zip now.
He probably would have won some of them,
just not so many. I heard he got trasfusions,
had his blood totally replaced in between
heats. WTF, dude, you really want to win
that badly?
Surely no sport has contributed more to culture.
Quote: treetopbuddyTiger is ranked 2nd in the world. Leading money winner on tour last year. He has been playing competitive golf for 30 years and his age is slowly becoming a factor. He's played well in the majors....just no breakthrough. He's had significant injuries....(not including running into tree near driveway at the house.). The crop of players is considerably better at this moment when compared to the set of players he faced during his 10-12 year year run. There is some talk out there he and Elin my be getting back together.....did I dream that?