TIME TO HOLD THE REF’S ACCOUNTABLE


Meet Wilbur Hackett, Jr. (Referee pictured in video). Not only is this person a referee in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) but he obviously has what it takes to still play ball. Notice how he comes to the breakdown position, shuffles his feet and then delivers an old school Dick “Night Train” Lane forearm to the QB. Not bad technique Mr. Hackett but allow me to vent if you will…

How the hell does this guy in his position get away with this and yet we still see players (NFL and NCAA) get fined for throwing balls into stands, wearing the wrong color shoes, or even penalized for “excessive” celebration after scoring meaningful touchdowns.

A perfect scenario (video above) to the “excessive” celebration happened back on September 6, 2008 (Washington vs BYU) with two seconds left Washington quarterback Jake Locker made a nice run, scoring the potential game-tying touchdown and capping off an exciting drive. After he crossed the goal line, he threw the ball over his shoulder and went to celebrate with his teammates. The back judge called an unsportsmanlike penalty, turning a simple game-tying extra point into the equivalent of a 45-yard field goal try, a try that was eventually blocked, and caused Washington to lose the contest.

This was just the case of a young kid getting excited about scoring the tying touchdown. These unnecessary penalties cost teams on a much bigger scale than simply the win/loss column for one game. There’s a huge ripple effect - Unnecessary or incorrect penalties cause players to become frustrated and their play on the field suffers. As a result, multiple games are lost, lost games result in lost coaching jobs, and the vacancies move right up the ladder until they reach the top, all because of a bad call.

I like to believe that the games are won in the trenches and decided between the players and coaches but when we continue to see unnecessary and horrendous calls from these overpaid punks in the zebra suits, it makes it tough when you have to compete against these ridiculous calls.

It’s time to hold the officials accountable for blown calls and unnecessary penalties, they need to be suspended, fined, or even fired if deemed necessary, otherwise, what the hell is the point of having them out there.

Oh…and some advice to our forearm shivering official, Mr. Hackett, next time rap up!

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G-MEN START THEIR TITLE DEFENSE RUN

The New York Giants kicked off their Super Bowl title defense with a “truck” and what else — defense.  As the cleanup crew at Giants Stadium dealt with the usual morning of paper cups, beer bottles and hot dog wrappers, they should’ve checked the 35-yard line for pieces of Redskins safety LaRon Landry.  Brandon “The Beast” Jacobs supplied the “truck” as he literally ran over Landry for a punishing 17-yard run (see video above).  Jacobs racked up 116 yards on 21 carries.  Overall, the Giants had 154 rushing yards, averaging 4.8 per play.

Meanwhile, the defense that was suppose to feel the “pain” from both the loss of Michael Strahan (retirement) and Osi Umenyiora (injury) instead inflected pain to Jason Campbell and the Redskins all night.  Justin Tuck, Strahan’s replacement and a force in Superbowl XLII - just ask Tom Brady, started the defensive series with a sack.  Any doubts on whether the Giants’ defense can be nearly as dominating as last year’s run were answered Thursday night.  The Redskins only got in New York territory three times all game…Dominating to say the least.

Last season, the Giants started with two straight losses.  The reflection in the Lombardi Trophy on Thursday night looked just fine to me.

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A SHOCKER?

The trade Jeremy Shockey wanted finally came true. Will the fans miss the unnecessary penalties, the fumbles after getting hit, the spiking the ball after a 5 yard catch, the throwing up the arms when the ball didn’t come his way? Of course not. However, even though this trade makes a lot of sense for both sides, I still will miss his enthusiasm and talent on the field. While most fans (me included) are taking their shots at Shockey, I’d like to take a moment and remember Shockey for the good things he did while in a Giants uniform.

Shockey had some great moments with the Giants, maybe none better than that fade he caught for a touchdown over the Eagles’ Dawkins to put us in the playoffs back in 2002. My wife and I remember that game vividly because we were there waving our “Win & In” towels going crazy! Some other great moments:

- The Hall of Fame game in his rookie season against the Texans…’nuff said
- Losing his helmet against the Eagles in 2006 (see picture above)
- Making Dallas’ safety Roy Williams his beotch
- Killing the Skins with 11 catch games (my brother-in Law won’t miss that)
- Running over Colts’ safety (Gibson) after he called him out in the media
- Handing touchdown balls to soldiers on the sidelines

I’ll miss his tenacious attitude, brashness, and excitement. He’s not just made the team better, but he’s made other guys act that way on the field with the confidence he has. No one can ever say he didn’t play his heart out everytime he stepped on the the field. This ended ugly, but both teams got what they wanted and hopefully the Giants we’ll be better because of it. I have no hard feelings and I wish him success in New Orleans…until we face them of course.

Thanks Shock…Good luck with Saints.

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FAREWELL TO A LEGEND

For the last 28 years of my life I’ve enjoyed watching NFL football. We’ve all seen the greats of the past and tried to compare every imaginable player and position we possibly can. Brett Favre has recently announced his retirement from the NFL and I can’t help to feel like I’ve been punched in the gut. I have seen some great players since 1979, players like Lawrence Taylor, Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, and Dan Marino. These players and many more like them have had outstanding careers and retired in the past but never have I felt like something will be missing when the next season resumes.

Favre brought a kid’s heart to the game that we can all relate to which made our player/fan relationship with him genuine. His love for the game was authentic and validated by sprinting down the field after he threw a TD and often you would see him tackle his own player or jump onto their back celebrating like we as kids did back in the day. Although his star power was as high as any major celebrity his humble character and funny sound bytes humanized him and allowed us as fans to embrace him even more.

His statistics are mind blowing and I could speak forever on the numbers alone but I’d like to keep this short and simple and say, “Thank you Brett.”

Thank you for…

Your never-ending devotion to your skill, including the crazy number of hours in the film room, training room, and locker room.

Leaving everything you had on the field, regardless of the score or your team’s record.

Playing 275 consecutive games, including most of the 2003 season with a broken thumb on your throwing hand.

Playing the game with a child’s energy and a love and passion rarely seen in modern professional sports.

Playing long enough so that my two boys, Jimmy and Derek, could watch you play so I can tell them “that’s how you should always play the game.”

Being human–not only on the field but off it as well.

Teaching us all the importance of hard work, humility, and family.

We’ll see you in Canton in 2013.

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A TRIBUTE TO MY DAD: David F. Bedner

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My father is the main reason why I am such a big NY Giants fan. When I was 7 years old I remember asking my dad, “who’s your favorite football team dad“, he said, “the NY Giants.” Of course my natural reply was, “me too.” Ever since then I was hooked. It was 1979, so, I grew up watching Phil Simms, Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor, Rob Carpenter, Ernest Gray, and all the other great Giants of the past. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to wait 20 years like my dad did to see the Giants win their first Super Bowl.

On Saturday, 9 February 2008 my dad passed away after an 18 month battle with lung cancer. Although his passing was hard on our family, the stories told and sweet memories relived were enough to take the pain away. My dad was a great man and an even greater father. But what I will always remember is his passion for the game and his beloved NY Giants.

I can remember many Sunday’s where my dad would settle in his usual seat in the house and indulge in his traditional snack: beer and peanuts. Even though I did not inherit his traditional snack time, I did however become heir to his passion for the game. Whether it be yelling at the referees through the television or screaming with joy after a solid touchdown drive, my enthusiasm for the game and my Giants are forever injected into my soul thanks to my dad.

Dad: Thanks for teaching me the nuances of the game so I can pass them down to my boys just as your dad passed them to you. From gripping the ball correctly to the fundamentals of tackling to the explanation of a 4-3 defense and on and on. Watching the Giants from now on will have more meaning and when they make a big play or score the winning touchdown, you can bet I’ll be picking up my kids just as you picked up me and my sister, jumping up and down cheering and making noise. Those are the wonderful moments I had with you growing up as a kid while watching football and will certainly be remembered and relived for years to come.

…I love you Dad…Go Big Blue!

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