Friday, December 31, 2010

Troy Aikman Jersey - Football Throwback Jersey - Authentic, Replica

Troy Aikman was the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys during their consecutive Super Bowl runs in the 1992, and 1993. He also guided the Cowboys to a Super Bown in 1995. The Dallas Cowboys were a 5 year dynasty and put together some of the football teams ever assembled.

This Troy Aikman jersey if made from Reebok sports apparel. These throwback jerseys are "replithentic", meaning that they are much cheaper than authentic and Mitchell and Ness jerseys, but made from high quality material built to last for many years of wear.


Troy Aikman Jersey - Replithentic (cheaper than the Mitchell and Ness Authentic style)

Troy Aikman Jerseys, Throwback Dallas Cowboys Jersey

This throwback jersey of Troy Aikman is nearly as cheap as the relica jersey, but made from much higher quality than the replicas. Relive the dynasty with a Cowboys throwback jersey. Not only do we carry Troy Aikman jerseys. Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Ed Too Tall Jones, and many more.


This is the Replica Troy Aikman Throwback Jersey - Less than $50.00

Troy Aikman Reebok NFL Replica Throwback Dallas Cowboys Jersey

Troy Aikman Biography - NFL Throwbacks - Dallas Cowboys

Troy Aikman Biography

Dallas Cowboys Quarterbak Legend from NFL Throwbacks Collection

Troy Aikmain Biography - Dallas Cowboys Throwbacks Collection
Is there a more perfect quarterback for the 1990's than legendary Troy Aikman?  The Dallas Cowboys certainly didn't think so.  Aikman was built perfectly for the demands of the NFL.  He wasa big, smart, talented and aggressive.  Aikman was also a fearless, go for borke field general whose willingness to "take one for the team" resulted in his share of injuries, including a fractured back and several concussions.

This fearless attitude has earned him the total devotion and loyalty of his Dallas teammates. Aikman has repaid their confidence by taking the franchise from a disastrous 1-15 season in 1989 to back to back Super Bowl wins in 1993 and 1994.  In doing so, Troy proved that an old time "blood and guts" guarterback still has a place at the top of the NFL.

Focus, dedication, perseverance and self confidence.  Thats what it takes to become an NFL quarterback and that's what Troy Aikman did his entire football career. Going all the way back to his youth Troy Aikman was primed to step into the unltra competitive world of Southern California high school sports.  However, a few months before school started, his father took a job in Oklahoma.  Aikman found himself in a little house at the end of a dirt road. With no place to ride his bike, no neighbors to play with and a school with one of the worst football teams in the state. By his senior year at Henryetta High School, he led his team to a winning record and earned scholarship offers from several colleges, including football powerhouse Oklahoma Sooners.  After Barry Switzer convinced him that the Sooners' run based offense would be altered to suit Aikman's passing style, he accepted the offer.

Within a year, he had won the starter's job, but in the fourth game of the season he broke his left leg and had to sit out for the rest of the year.  A frustrated Troy Aikman watched from the bench while his teammates went on to win the National Championship.  The following year Troy Aikman switched schools and went to UCLA.

In Aikman's first year at UCLA, he led the Bruins to a No.9 ranking.  The following season the team went 10-2 as Aikman threw 24 scoring passes and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Troy Aikman went on to have a Hall of Fame career playing quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He was the perfect quarterback to lead the hapless 1-15 Dallas Cowboys to be back to back NFL Super Bowl Champions!

Troy Aikman Timeline Biography
  • Age 11 : Hero Roger Staubach leads Dallas to Super Bowl win.
  • Age 15 : Troy wins starting High School quarterback job
  • Age 16 : Stars as pitcher and shortstop on High School baseball team.
  • Age 17 : Accepts scholarship to Oklahoma University.
  • Age 19 : Transfers to UCLA
  • Age 22 : Voted All American, takes UCLA to #6 in the rankings. Drafted #1 by the Dallas Cowboys.
  • 1991 : Leads Cowboys to first winning season since 1985
  • 1993: Throws four touchdowns in Super Bowl Win

    Derrek Lee going to Baltimore

    Veteran First baseman Derrek Lee has agreed to go to the American League for the first time in his career when he signed a 1-year deal with the rebuilding Baltimore Orioles pending a physical. Dollars have not come out to the public just yet but it seems to be worth about $8-$11 million. The Orioles have been in contact with Lee for most of the off season but had been mainly linked to other first baseman Adam LaRoche and the Nationals had seemed to be the favorites to snag Lee until recently when the two team switched interests at basically the same time and thus Lee is now with Baltimore. Which means that the Nationals are likely to land LaRoche.

    Lee had a down year (by his standards) in 2010 and after a slow start, he was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Atlanta Braves (while the two teams were in the middle of the a series!)on August 18 for three minor league pitchers: right handers Robinson Lopez and Tyrelle Harris and left-hander Jeffrey Lorick.

    In 475 PA with Chicago, Lee had a line of .251/.335/.416 with 16 homers and in 151 PA in Atlanta, his line was .287/.384/.465 but only hit 3 home runs. His ISO was .168, still above average, but in 2010, it was .273. His plate discipline stats look average all the way down the line for his career except his O-Contact% which was 60.5% in 2009 and 65.6% in 2010. So even though his BABIP (.306 in 2010) shows that he was not getting unlucky, his O-Contact% suggests that he was indeed getting unlucky and ended up beating balls into the ground. But also his strike-out rate was up from 2009 (20.5%) and in 2010 it was 24.5%. He saw 4.24 P/PA which is outstanding but that is out of line compared to previous seasons: 2009: 3.95; 2008: 3.95; 2007: 4.02.

    So consider this: he struck out more often then usual but in the process, he swung at pitches out of the zone more often and thus fouling them off which means that he saw more pitches in any given plate appearances then in previous years. Espn.com tells us that when he gets behind in the count, he does poorly and he got behind in the count quite often in 2010 mainly because of the amount pitches that he fouled off.

    Keep in mind that he had a sore back later in the season and so that could be why he only had 3 homers with Atlanta. The wrist that he had surgery on in 2006 is a non-issue when he proved that it was healed when he smashed 35 home runs in 2009.

    I think that is going to be an adjustment period for him since he is moving to the AL East, let alone, it's the first time that he will be playing in the American League. But at least he doesn't have to face the Phillies pitching.

    Expect somewhere around a .265-.280/.355/.425 line with around 25 home runs. But his impact will not be that big being that he's only in Baltimore for a year. Lee is basically done with his prime but still a lot left in the tank. He is 35 years old and will turning 36 in September.

    OTHER SIGNINGS: In another notable signing, the Boston Red Sox re-signed reliever Hideki Okajima to a 1-year deal. He is 35 years of age.

    (Statistics in courtesy of: espn.com, fangraphs.com and baseball-reference.com)

    CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

    Finally it's good to be back home and settled into the ol' comfy chair. Here is the listing of people who entered in no particular order:



    the results and the winner picked by Random.org:


    Congrats: Dawgbones!!!

    Please email me Dawgbones your mailing info and congrats to everyone for helping to make someone's Christmas a little brighter this year. As always I will not post what the prizes were as I leave that up to the winner to post on their blog. Besides......some prizes are worth being surprised by! Thanks again for all who participated! More contests to come in the future!!!


    "Giant" 2010 Comes to a Close

    Well, with how things were looking at this point last year, I would have called you crazy if you would have told me the Giants would have become World Champs in the 2010 season, and as good as this year was to the Giants, all good things must come to an end. 2010 is in it's waning moments, bringing an end to the Giants memorable run in 2010, but also indicating we're only about 6 weeks away from starting it all up again, and this time, I think Giants fans will be ready for anything.

    2010 was up-and-down year for the Orange and Black for much of the first half of the season, and even through a lot of the 2nd half, but as they often say in regards to a Baseball team especially, the regular season is a marathon and it's not how you start, it's how you finish. The Giants finished the year off strong, and cruised right the playoffs, without having to force any series' the full 5 or 7 games, and that's something we can never forget. Not only did the Giants win the World Series this year, they dominated the postseason with that pitching and clutch hitting, and showed you exactly why pitching and defense can prevail, when you have just enough offense. For the first time in their San Francisco tenure, the Giants will enter a year and a season in which they'll have the targets on their backs, at least for the NL teams, and after the quick and precise early offseason planning by Brian Sabean and Co., they have already put themselves in position as NL West favorites, and right now, there really isn't a team in the NL that I think can take the Giants in a postseason series.

    Now, that all is moot unless the Giants make the playoffs, which they have to focus on first. As I said, right now, it seems like all NL West teams, outside of the Giants, are scrambling a bit as the offseason winds down. The Padres are nowhere near the team that they were in 2010, and the Dodgers seem to lose somebody important every time they add someone of significance, so they just seem to keep running in place. The one wild-card this division still has though are those darn Rockies, who got Jorge De La Rosa back to keep their rotation in place and have an plethora of young hitters throughout the roster, an area where they have the Giants beat. As good as Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval and Brandon Belt have the potential to be, Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez are MVP-caliber ballplayers and have already established themselves at this level. Still though, right now, I think the Giants are an all-around deeper ball-club than Colorado, and still have the upper hand in the pitching department, by far. And again, there's still about a 7 weeks left before teams report to Florida and Arizona for Spring, and there are a lot of admirable free agents still out there. Sabean has said the Giants are still actively seeking a left-handed hitting outfielder, a infielder with versatility and strong defense up the middle, and possibly another starting pitcher/long reliever candidate to add some depth to the rotation, so stay tuned!

    I hope everyone has a happy and safe New Year, and then time to go repeat in 2011!

    Natrone Means Jersey - San Diego Chargers Throwbacks

    Natrone Means Jersey

    San Diego Chargers Throwbacks

    Natrone Means was a huge bruising back known for going through the line like a bowling ball through pins.  At the height of Natrone Means careers as the San Diego Chargers running back, defenses simply could not stop him.  One of the most bruising running backs in the history of the NFL.


    Natrone Means Autographed San Diego Chargers Powder Blue Throwback Jersey

    Throwback Natrone Means, Autographed San Diego Chargers Throwbacks
    Natrone Means played in one Super Bowl and rushed for 45 touchdowns in his NFL career. He played college for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

    Dan Fouts Throwback Jersey - San diego Chargers

    Dan Fouts Throwback Jersey

    San Diego Chargers NFL Quarterback

    Dan Fouts led one of the most exciting offenses in NFL history. Under the leadership of Don Coryell Dan Fouts threw for over 40,000 yards and was the quarterback for the famed "Air Coryell" high powered offense.

    With wide receiver weapons such as Wes Chandler, Kellen Winslow, and Charlie Joiner the San Diego Chargers become on of the most prolific offenses in football history.

    Dan Fouts throwback jersey is made from Reebok.  This is a replithentic jersey meaning that costs less than HALF the price of an authentic Dan Fouts throwback jersey from Mitchell and Ness, but made with the same high quality materials as that of an authentic.  Higher quality then the replicas.

    Nylon / polyester.  Officially licensed by the NFL.  Finally, high quality throwback San Diego Charger jerseys at an affordable cost!

    Dan Fouts Blue Reebok NFL 1982 Throwback San Diego Chargers Football Jersey



    Not looking for a Dan Fouts Throwback jersey? Wes Chandler, Lance Alworth, Natrone Means, and Kellen Winslow throwbacks are available as well.

    Dan Fouts Biography - San Diego Chargers

    Dan Fouts Biography

    San Diego Chargers NFL Quarterback

    As the San Diego Chargers' backup quarterback in 1973, Dan Fouts watched in awe aas his teammate and idol Johnny Unitas became the first quarterback in NFL history to top the 40,000 yard mark.  Without a single pro pass to his credit, Dan Fouts hoped that, when he was called upon, he could perform half as well as his hero.  Over the next 15 years, Fouts proved that he could, and more.

    His first five seasons as a starter were the most difficult.  Behind a porous offensive line, he took a frightening beating en route to a 22-47 record.  It wasn't until 1978 that his strong and accurate arm was put to its most effective use.

    That year, Don Coryell took over as San Diego's head coach and set about bolstering the offense. Don Coryell built a solid line around his rugged quarterback and invested his full confidence in Dan Fouts ability to read defenses andthink on his feet.  Suddenly, after some pretty lean years, Fouts had the pass protection he needed and the green light to air it out.

    Throwing between 35 and 40 times a game, Fouts was awesome, leading the NFL in passing from 1979 to 1982.  While Joe Namath was the only other quarterback to pass for over 4,000 yards in one season, Dan fouts did it three straight times, bringing three AFC West crowns to the San Diego Chargers.  In one 1981 game against the Oakland Raiders, he threw six touchdown strikes.  In the playoffs that season, he led the San Diego Chargers over the Miami Dolphins with 433 yards in the air.

    By 1986, San Diego's passing game (nicknamed Air Coryell) had revolutionized football. Other teams realized they, too, could thrive using an aerial attack.  In the process, Dan Fouts moved ahead of Johnny Unitas on the all time quarterback passing yardage list.  He never considered himself a better quarterback than his idol, but Fouts knew he belonged in the same league.

    Dan Fouts Timeline Biography
    • Born: June 10, 1951 -Father is the 49ers radio voice
    • Age 8: Works as 49ers ballboy
    • Age 10: Switched from end to quarterback in Pop Warner football
    • Age 15: Plays football, basketball and baseball at St. Ignatius High School
    • Age 17: Leads football team to city title.  Accepts scholarship to University of Oregon
    • Age 19: Passes for 2,333 yards and 16 touchdowns in sophomore year.
    • Age 21: Named All-Pac-8 and Oregon MVP in senior year. Drafted by the San Diego Chargers in third round.
    • 1973 : Dan Fouts passes for two TDs in first start
    • 1979 : Leads NFL with 4,082 passing yards.
    • 1982 : Averages 321 yards per game. Named NFL MVP
    • 1985 : Plays in sixth Pro Bowl Game
    Dan Fouts Throwback Jerseys are available for purchase. View all the NFL throwbacks available.

    Thursday, December 30, 2010

    Mike Ditka Throwback Jerseys - Bears and Cowboys - NFL

    Mike Ditka Throwback Jerseys

    NFL Football Chicago Bear Throwbacks

     Mike Ditka was a Hall of fame tight end for the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys.
    This unique Mike Ditka throwback jersey is from Ditka's Gridiron assistance fund which benefits retired NFL players.

    Mike Ditka Navy and Orange Gridiron Greats Jersey


    Name and number on the jersey. Jock tag on the lower left hem. 100% polyester and machine polyester.

    Dallas Cowboys Mike Ditka Throwback Jerseys


    Mike Ditka Navy Gridiron Greats Jersey

    Did you Know?

    When Ditka was a coach for the Bears, he met a terminally ill 11 year old girl from the Chicagoo area. After visiting her in the hospital, he was touched by her courage and arranged for her to attend a Bears home game. When her condition took a turn for the worse, Ditka went back to the hospital for another visit and presented her with the football from the team's most recent win.

    Mike Ditka Biography - Chicago Bears Football

    Mike Ditka Biography

    Dallas Cowboys - Chicago Bears - Tight End

    Mike Ditka NFL BiographyThe story goes that the Chicago Bears owner and former coach George Halas drafted Mike Ditka because the youngster reminded Halas of himself - A tough, ornery end willing to do whatever it took to win.  The talented newcomer didn't care about statistics. He just wanted to contribute to the team's success, and contribute he did.

    In 1963, Mike Ditka played a central role in Chicago's divisional title.  In a race that the Chicago Bears won by half a game. Ditka was a pivotal player in four crucial contests.  Early in the season against the Baltimore Colts, he led the blocking on Ron Bull's winning score, crushing the final defender with a devastating hit. In the next game, he single handedly destroyed the Rams with four touchdown grabs.

    Late in the season, Mike Ditka made a key reception against the Pittsburgh Steelers to set up a game tying field goal.  Taking a short toss up the middle, the broad shouldered Chicago Bear plowed through six Steeler tacklers en route to a 63 yard gain.  In the must win season finale against the Detroit Lions, his spectacular leaping catch in the end zone clinched the game and the division crown for the Bears.

    The NFL Championship game proved to be a classic defensive battle in which the Bears and Giants scratched and clawed for every yard, the type of contest tailor made for Mike Ditka.  Late in the third quarter, with the Bears down 10-7 and facing third and long.  Chicago quarterback Billy Wade went to his most dependable receiver, Ditka.  In heavy traffic, the big tight end outfought defenders for a short pass and bullied his way to the Giants 1 yard line, setting up Bobby Wade's game winning plunge. When the gun sounded, the Bears had their first title in 17 years and Mike Ditka had his first, sweet drink of victory, a taste he would grow accustomed to throughout his illustrious career.

    Mike Ditka's Timeline Biography
    • Age 7 - Accidentally sets woods on fire trying first cigarette behind his home.
    • Age 12 - Chases brother over center field fence for dropping a fly ball in a Pony League baseball game.
    • Age  15 - Challenges larger Aliquippa HS teammates to run at him during practice; gets up crying but never backs down.
    • Age 19 - Knocks himself out charging full speed into steel blocking sled during University of Pi - Leads Bears to first NFL Championship in 17 yearsttsburgh football practice.
    • Age 20 - Not allowed to scrimmage with Panthers during the week because he goes too hard in practice.
    • Age 21: Drafted in the first round by the Chicago Bears.
    • 1961 - Named Rookie of the Year after scoring 12 touchdowns.
    • 1963 - Leads Bears to first NFL Championship in 17 years.
    • Chosen for third consecutive Pro Bowl.
    • 1972 - Scores Touchdown in Dallas Super Bowl victory
    • 1976 - Plays final game.
    • 1986 - Coaches Bears to 15-1 record and Super Bowl win.
    Looking for a Mike Ditka Jersey?

      Enjoy Mike Ditka's Biography?

      Conversation: The (almost) Revamped Oakland Athletics

      Yes, my favorite team is the New York Yankees but I am dithyrambic about the Oakland Athletics. I love to watch them play because of the way that their team is formed. I also love Oakland GM Billy Beane and how he runs the team (I read Moneyball by Michael Lewis...amazing book). I'm so interested in how they are an up and coming team being led by their first baseman who can't really hit home runs (Daric Barton) but he makes the pitcher work like crazy (4.40 P/PA) and has a sky-high OBP (.393 in 2010) and therefore holds a 4.9 WAR. For Comparisons, Derrek Lee, who about an average offensive year, had 19 home runs (Barton: 10), a .168 ISO (Barton: .131), and a better slugging percentage at .428 (Barton: .405), yet Lee had just a 2.0 WAR. This teaches us two things:

      1.) That conventional stats don't tell us shit about how much a baseball player is worth (which is a blog post for another time and please excuse my bad language).

      2.) It Also teaches us that Billy Beane is extremely smart and that is why he traded for Barton when he was still in the Cardinals organization.

      It is also why he went out and brought in three players that can make an impact on the offensive side this year after winning 81 games (and losing 81 games). Their offense was poor last year...very poor. They were near the bottom in a lot of offensive categories and did not really get on base very much despite efforts of the great Daric Barton. The Oakland pitching, on the other hand, was just amazing. The bullpen was great especially with closer Andrew Baily shutting the door and the rotation was hard to beat and is now ranked in the top 5 (and even top 3) starting rotations in baseball by the majority of baseball fans. That's the reason that they won 81 games but the reason that lost 81 games was the offense...or lack there of. So as I mentioned before, Billy made moves.

      He traded for David Dejesus, pulling him off the rebuilding Royals, who plays good defense (4.3 UZR/150), runs the bases well, gets on base (.384 OBP) and sees a good amount of pitches (3.96 P/PA). Keep in mind that he was injured last year and missed some time. One thing that worries me about Dejesus is his OBP/ BA differential. He hit .318 and, as mentioned before, a .384 OBP, a 66 point difference. If he has a down year and hits around .270, then all the sudden he has around an average .330 OBP and knowing how Billy Beane plays the game, Dejesus would probably be benched. But I don't expect a down year at all from him. There isn't anything that says he's set up for a down year and he already had one in 2009. (NOTE: stats from 2010.)

      The second player that the Athletics acquired was the powerful Josh Willingham. Willingham was added in a trade with the Washington Nationals in exchange for Henry Rodriguez and Corey Brown, two young players who do not have a future as impact players. In a year in which he missed about the last month and a half of the season, had a great season. In 370 at-bats, he smashed 16 home runs which is good for around 25 in a full season, maybe even about 27, and that's above average. Looking a little deeper at his stats, he had an outstanding .389 OBP and an above average .459 SLG. He had an above average and even great walk rate at 14.9% and a solid .196 ISO. And according to the stat wRC (Runs created), he created 72.5 runs which is, again, above average. But arguably his best stat is his O-Swing% which was 18.9%, the Major League average in 2010 was 29.3%. So he does not swing at pitches out of the zone and Billy Beane loves that kind of plate discipline. Hence why Willingham is playing for Oakland. (NOTE: stats from 2010)

      Hideki Matsui is another nice addition (through the free-agent market) and will provide some more pop along with Willingham. Though he does not have as much power anymore and is 36 years old, he can still get on base well and can around 20 home runs (21 dingers in 2010). He also sees a very nice amount of pitches with 4.06 last year. He will likely be the teams DH because he does not run very well any more from two knee surgeries and the age of 36. He is signed to a one-year deal and will be turning 37 in June.

      These three players are going to bring a lot more of a kick-in-the-butt offence. The A's just need one more bat to really contend with the Rangers (and possibly the Angels). And that bats name is Adrian Beltre. The Athletics have recently claimed that they are out of the race for Beltre and as mentioned in a previous post, he's probably gonna go to the Angels, but the A's could use him. If not for his offense, then for his defense.

      The Athletics have a decent offense at this point, which is better then last year, but really still need another solid bat but I think that they could definitely win about 85-90 games. A decent offense and an amazing, young pitching staff in a non-overwhelming devision is a very good thing. Good job Billy.

      (Statistics in courtesy of: espn.com and fangraphs.com )

      End of Decade Sports Chowdah Update- Whack A Bowl; Pats Rout Bills, Secure 1st Round Bison; C's Winning Streak Snapped? Must be Magic; B's Head South

      NEW POLL UP: What a decade, huh? For those of you so inclined, I'm wondering what your thoughts are regarding the defining moment in New England sports between 2000 and the end of 2010. The best part is that there's just so much to choose from (I'm even leaving a few out for the sake of brevity). C'mon people! Celebrate diversity!

      But with that said, I have some catching up to do. Between my shuttling around between Cape Cod and the southern tier of New York state as well as waiting out the blizzard this week, I was able to follow some of the NFL action on the radio (not so much the NHL, NBA or many of the Bowl games).



      NFL: To hardly anybody's surprise, the Patriots came into Sunday's game at Orchard Park and routed the Buffalo Bills. The 34-3 win came thanks in part to two TD receptions by Buffalo native son and Pats TE Ron Gronkowski. New England was helped considerably by seven Bills turnovers, including five from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Brady was 15 for 27 with 3 TDs on the day while Gronkowski had 54 yards on 4 receptions, including two TDs.

      New England will close out the regular season with a home game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at 1PM ET.

      ELSEWHERE IN THE NFL: The NFL commissioner decided to postpone Sunday night's game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings at Philly's Lincoln Financial Field as the region was in the teeth of a massive snowstorm.

      The game was rescheduled to Tuesday night as many cities across the Northeast were digging themselves out from the global warming blizzard [OK...what is it about the Vikings- an indoor team, no less- and snowfall this season? You know those cartoon characters that are sometimes walking around with a rain cloud over their head? Substitute the solitary cloud for a blizzard dumping 3 feet of snow overnight and that would be the 2010 Vikings- NANESB!].

      Last week's Sunday night game featured the nationally televised Sunday Night debut of one surprising NFC North QB in Green Bay's Matt Flynn. But there would be no Sunday Night game. There would be no Brett Favre on Tuesday.....or Tavares Jackson for that matter. Instead, the Vikings 6th round draft pick from the University of Alabama-Birmingham- Joe Webb- got the start for the beleaguered and depleted Vikings on Tuesday.

      You'd think that even with most of their starters healthy, the Vikings wouldn't have stood a chance against the NFC East leading Eagles. Lord knows I did, but I watched anyways. As it turns out, I was glad I did as Minnesota staged a stunning come-from behind rally thanks to RB Adrian Peterson and the rookie Joe Webb.

      The Eagles got out to the early 7-0 lead, but with less than a minute to go before halftime, Philly QB Micheal Vick fumbled as he was sacked by Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield. Winifield then scooped up the loose ball and returned it 45 yards to paydirt to tie the game at 7-7. The Vikings would then score on their first 2 posessions of the 2nd half, getting a FG off the foot of Ryan Longwell and a rushing TD from Joe Webb to take a 17-7 lead. The Eagles would take about five minutes to march down from their own 47 to score a TD of their own and close the gap to 14-17. But that would be it for the Eagles while the Vikings got another TD from Adrian Peterson to put them up 24-14, in what could only be described as a stunning upset given the way how easily the Eagles handled other (and better) NFC teams this season.

      That would be the final from a snowy Philadelphia, and as the Brett Favre era no doubt comes to an end in Minnesota, I'm sure the Vikings fans had to have liked what they saw in QB Joe Webb who went 17-26 with 195 yards (as well as 6 rushes for 31 yards and a TD)



      NCAA HOOPS: I normally leave the NCAA Basketball coverage to others, but I couldn't let the UConn Women's Basketball team breaking the all-time NCAA Hoops record for regular consecutive wins (either men's or women's) set by the late John Wooden's UCLA Bruins Men's Basketball between 1971-74 pass without mention. The Huskies 89th straight win came against #22 Florida State on December 21st at Hartford's XL Center, with UConn downing the Gators by a 93-62 final to break the 88 straight win mark set by Wooden's Bruins (Wooden's Grandson was present at the game).

      The Huskies women's team is in the midst of a west coast road trip where they handled the University of the Pacific Tigers for win #90 by an 85-42 margin in Stockton, CA. Their next game will be a rematch of the 2010 NCAA Women's Championship between UConn and the #8 Stanford Cardinals on Thursday night. Stanford's lady Cardinals currently have a streak of their own going- 51 straight home wins- and was actually the last team to defeat UConn- an 82-73 win in the NCAA semifinals in April 2008.

      NHL: Well, while I was away the Boston Bruins clawed their way back to the top of the Northeast Division and are working on a win streak of their own. Apparently getting out of town ahead of blizzard and heading to Florida was just what the B's needed (although they have been burned by Southeast Division opponents before).


      One night after Blake Wheeler scored the only shootout goal (and a flukey one at that) to beat the Florida Panthers by a 3-2 final, the B's travelled to Tampa to take on the Lightning. Tim Thomas turned aside 31 shots and the venerable Mark Recchi got the game-winning goal on a power play with 20 seconds remaining in the 3rd. Micheal Ryder, Brad Marchand and Steve Kampfer also tallied goals for Boston in Tuesday night's 4-3 win (Ryder's also coming on the power play).

      The Bruins trip through the Southeast will continue Thursday night as they travel to Atlanta to play the Thrashers for the second time in a week- Boston beat Atlanta 4-1 on Dec 23rd at the TD Banknorth Garden.

      ELSEWHERE IN THE NHL: Preparations have been well underway for the 2011 NHL Winter Classic at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field on New Year's Day. There are some concerns about the integrity of the ice surface as the weather forecast for the Pittsburgh area is calling for temperatures in the high 40s/low 50s and rain showers for New Years Day.

      The Pittsburgh Penguins are scheduled to take on the Washington Capitals on Saturday at 1PM ET, although both the league and NBC has said they'd be willing to delay the start of the game.

      NCAA FOOTBALL: I have some catching up to do as far as this is concerned. As I'm writing this, it looks as though the Army Black Knights are going to hold off a 2nd half rally by the Southern Methodist Mustangs to win by a 16-14 final for their first Bowl win since I was in the Army.

      As disappointing as the first trio of Bowl games were, there were some good ones to follow those up. Interestingly, this included some of the bowl games whose corporate names lent themselves to easy ridicule and derision (i.e the Beef O'Brady Bowl, Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl).

      Here are some of the finals:

      12/21- Beef O'Brady Bowl:
      Southern Mississippi 28- Louisville 31

      12/22- MAACO Bowl:
      #20 Utah 3- #10 Boise State 26

      12/23- SD County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl:
      Navy 14- San Diego State 35

      12/24- Hawaii Bowl
      #24 Hawaii 35- Tulsa 62

      12/26- Little Cesar's Pizza Bowl
      Florida International 34- Toledo 32

      12/27 Independence Bowl
      Air Force 14- Georgia Tech 7

      12/28 Champs Sports Bowl
      #22 West Virginia 7- North Carolina State 23

      Insight Bowl
      #14 Missouri 24- Iowa 27

      12/29 Military Bowl
      East Carolina 20- Maryland 51

      Texas Bowl
      Illinois 31- Baylor 14

      Alamo Bowl
      #16 Oklahoma State 36- Arizona 10

      12/30 Armed Forces Bowl
      Army 16- Southern Methodist 14.

      Pinstripe Bowl
      Kansas State 34- Syracuse 36

      A couple of random notes- Thursday's win for the Black Knights was their first bowl appearence since 1996.

      The Little Cesar Bowl was the first ever appearance (and win!) for Florida International.

      The SDSU Aztecs appeared in their first bowl game since 1998 and the win over Navy was their first Bowl win since the 1969 Pasadena Bowl (against Boston University).

      The rest of the games for Thursday include the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl (Kansas State vs Syracuse), the Music City Bowl (North Carolina vs Tennessee) and the Holiday Bowl (#17 Nebraska vs Washington).

      Friday's slate of games include the Meineke Bowl (South Florida vs Clemson), the Sun Bowl (Notre Dame vs Miami-FL), the Liberty Bowl (Central Florida vs Georgia) and the Chick Fil-A Bowl (#19 South Carolina vs #23 Florida State).

      NBA: Humbug! The Celtic's winning streak was snapped on Christmas day at Orlando by an 86-78 final. The C's then swung through the Midwest where they beat the Pacers 95-83 before losing to the Detroit Pistons by a 104-92 final.

      OTHER CELTICS NEWS: GM Danny Ainge announced Thursday that Kevin Garnett could be out for up to two weeks with a strained right calf after undergoing an MRI.

      Shaquille O'Neal was fined $35,000 by the NBA this week after comments questioning NBA officiating and calling the referees 'control freaks'.

      Point Guard Rajon Rondo is listed as day-to-day with a sprained ankle and has been out since the December 15 game against the NY Knicks. Doc Rivers said there was some swelling on the ankle that would make his return to Friday night's home game against the New Orleans Hornets questionable.

      Wednesday, December 29, 2010

      Today's Train of Though- Wedge Strategy, Dec, 29, 2010


      Today's train of thought comes to us with plenty of ice to go around, between the frozen West Fork of the Des Moines River and the reporting marks on equipment from the Illinois, Chicago & Eastern.

      The IC&E Predecessor was the I&M Rail Link- a sister company of the Montana Rail Link which purchased the former Soo Line trackage between the Twin Cities and Kansas City and the former Milwaukee line across Northern Iowa and on into Chicago back in 1997. In 2002, the line was purchased by the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern and renamed the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern before both the DM&E and IC&E themselves were acquired by Canadian Pacific in 2008.

      However, one would be hard pressed to tell that CP was running the show for over a year in this shot taken by railpictures.net contributor Scott Marsh. Here, IC&E SD40-3 #6442 is in charge of a plow extra as it cautiously treads its way over the West Fork of the Des Moines River at Emmetsburg, IA on Dec 27, 2009. The train was sent out to clear the line and retrieve any cars along the Mason City line that were left out in the snow. It's slow going on the 90 pound rail, and the crews must also clear any highway crossing they come to by hand, as the accumulated snow there is packed down by passing cars and could cause the plow to derail.

      Democrats Starting to Remind NYC's Russian Immigrants of Bad Old Days Back in Old Country

      Fresh off of electoral wins in which the borough will be represented in Albany and Washington D.C. by the GOP, Republicans in Staten Island are finding themselves embraced by a growing number of the city's Russian community.

      Some of the Russian immigrants are expressing concerns that the increasingly burdensome regulation and micro-management faced by businesses from the city and federal officials is becoming reminiscent of the Soviet era in which they fled.

      "We decided we had to support this club," said Fridman, a former Soviet Army officer who came to the United States in 1992. "They are very close to our political and business vision."

      In the wake of the national GOP's big wins this year, when the party took back control of the House, Republicans everywhere are more confident that their bedrock message of smaller government and lower taxes will resonate with American voters.

      Fridman said that the Democrats "are going in an absolutely different direction," focusing on "income redistribution" and rich-versus-poor "class war."

      "It's too socialistic," said Fridman, head of the non-profit Staten Island Community Center and president of Citizens Magazine, a public affairs publication. "It's very painful for us to see."
      The Democratic state senator from across the way in Brooklyn is trying to convince them it's all in their heads, however.
      State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) said she understands the Russian aversion to anything that looks like big government, but thinks the criticism of the Democratic Party is off-base.

      "You can't ignore the fact that the Russian population here came of age during the Soviet era," said Ms. Savino, who counts many Russians among her Brooklyn constituents.

      "They have different thoughts on what communism and socialism mean. They are a little more sensitive to it.

      "But, that being said," she added, "you can't compare the policies of the Democratic Party with communism. It's absurd."
      Of course! State Senator Savino's absolutely right! I mean, under communism you had the government trying to control every aspect of your day-to-day life such as whether or not you could travel or worship freely and ration provisions such as meat, diary products or vegetables. Democrats simply want to warm up by dictating to us what kind of light bulbs we must use, what kind of car we must drive, whether or not McDonalds can sell Happy Meals and mandate that every American purchase health insurance. Once Americans cede control of those seemingly mundane things to an ever-expanding government, then they can step up to the old Soviet style controls on the economy or freedom of expression.

      Kind of interesting that another ethnic group in another American metropolitan area tends to be solidly conservative- the Cubans down in Miami. Between the Russians and the Cubans, it's almost like they know firsthand something about the dire consequences of big government that the rest of us don't.

      [Hat Tip: Pundit Press; Lonely Conservative]

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