11
Nov
2009
ReadAndReact Mid-Season NFL Awards
Yep, it’s that time of year again! Time for bloggers and sportswriters across the land to create meaningless mid-season NFL awards lists!
And who are we to buck the system? If nothing else, this exercise allows us to take a step back to examine the first 9 weeks of action, and heap accolades on those whose performances have set them apart from the pack thus far (in either a good or not-so-good way).
So without further adieu, here they are, the inaugural ReadAndReact Mid-Season NFL Awards:
Why yes, the crow does taste fine. Thanks for asking (Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
MVP: Brett Favre, MIN - As much as we hate to admit it, the old man has been the difference maker in Minnesota, and is the main reason they’re sitting atop the NFC central. So far. It’s mainly about the attitude he brings, and the belief the rest of his teammates now have in their chances. But so far, Favre has put up excellent numbers (16TDs vs 3 INTs), and shows no signs of slowing down. But then, we were saying the same thing about Favre and the Jets at this point last year. We’ll see how the arm holds up come week 16.
Coach of the Year: Josh McDaniels/Mike Nolan, DEN – in a total shocker to everyone in the league, McDaniels has come into Denver and changed the team culture in record time, leading the team out to a fast 6-0 start. And Nolan’s defense – currently 3rd in the NFL in Total Yds/Gm, and 1st in defensive touchdowns (8 so far) – has been the main reason for their success.
Still pointing at us (Photo: C. Schneider/AP)
Offensive Player of the Year: Drew Brees, NO – I’m taking Brees over Peyton Manning here, mainly because we’ve come to expect this sort of ruthless efficiency from Peyton, but Brees seems to have entered a new stratosphere in 2009. He’s playing about as well as you can at the position (106 QB Rating), and has the Saints leading the NFL in total offense.
Defensive Player of the Year: Darren Sharper, NO – With a league-leading 7 interceptions (3 of them returned for TDs!), Sharper has changed the attitude of the Saints defense, and helped turn them into a force. Is it scary that a Saint is getting the award for both offense and defense? Yes, and it’s why I like the Saints to go all the way this year.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Percy Harvin, MIN – One of the most exciting offensive playmakers to come along in a while, Harvin is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. With 5 TDs in 8 games – 3 via reception and 2 via KO return – Harvin has challenged the Vikings coaching staff to develop more ways to get the ball into his hands.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jairus Byrd, BUF - The first-year DB has been a ball-hawking machine, with multiple interceptions in 3 consecutive games! With 7 interceptions so far, Byrd is tied for the NFL lead, and is on pace for 14 this season, which would tie an NFL record.
Continue reading after the jump for more RnR Mid-Season Awards
29
Oct
2009
REMIX: REF GETS BLOWN UP — TECHNO STYLE!
UPDATE:
Yup. Somebody’s gone nuts with the “ref down!” video. Enjoy:
PS – Last time we’ll mention this one today… we promise.
22
Apr
2009
Percy Harvin & Brandon Tate like the weed
Brandon Tate looking for cheetos in the back of the endzone
Remember those false reports a couple weeks back that a couple of USC LBs and DT BJ Raji had tested positive for steroids and marijuana, respectively?
Well, the real combine drug test results were released this week, and FoxSports.com is reporting that Wide Receivers Percy Harvin (Florida) and Brandon Tate (UNC) both tested positive for marijuana.
Harvin and Tate were the only high-profile players to flunk their combine drug tests, the sources said. Fewer than a dozen players tested positive for recreational drugs, one source said.
NFL teams received the drug-test results earlier this week. Players who failed are subject to entry into the NFL’s substance-abuse program.
Sports Illustrated’s Web site reported that Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji had flunked a combine drug test. Raji was not on the list of failed players, one source said, and SI.com has since retracted its story.
So basically, everyone in college smokes pot … athletes included. This shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone, and I doubt too many teams are going to be overly bothered by that. So did the president, so does Michael Phelps. It’s just not that big of a deal anymore.
The bigger issue is that these two geniuses were just too stupid to figure out to pass the drug test. Remember, Harvin just scored a 12 on his Wonderlic score, so put him down as the early favorite to fall the furthest in the draft this weekend.
And, this seems like as good a segue as any to post this Family Guy video from earlier this week, in honor of the unofficial stoner holiday, 4/20 (CAUTION: COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE HUMOR):
