|
Home
| A Word from The Writer: The Monday Analysis - 25 July 2005 Rookies are in Camp, with veterans scheduled to report at Gillette on the 28th. There is also news on the Patriots Quarterback of the Defense. But first, let's trip to Paris and ring in the Tour de France Champion. Lucky 7, Lance Wins Again
In the final race of his professional cycling career, Lance Armstrong won his
seven consecutive Tour This year's tour was a grueling 2,232.7 mile trek over 21 stages for 23 days. And though Armstrong did not win a stage until the second to last day, his lead was well staked, going into Stage 20 with a 2:46 margin over the second place Basso. Armstrong is certainly a dominate sports figure, coming back from near-death cancer in 1996 to even race professionally again is an incredible feat by itself. His name runs along the likes of Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretsky, and Michael Jordan, however, he isn't thinking much about his legacy at the dawn of his retirement. "In five, 10, 15, 20 years, we'll see what the legacy is," Armstrong told reporters after the ceremony. "But I think we (Teams US Postal and Discovery Channel) did come along and revolutionize the cycling part, the training part, the equipment part. We're fanatics."
"Finally, the last thing I'll say for the people who don't believe in cycling -- the cynics, the skeptics -- I'm sorry for you," Armstrong said. "I'm sorry you can't dream big and I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. But this is one hell of a race, this is a great sporting event and you should stand around and believe." Many in the press and on the talk radio circuit, particularly here in Boston, have claimed that the Tour is a "scam," and have refused to discuss the progress over the past three weeks, opting for lesser important news items like the Baseball trade deadline and the return of Ricky Williams and Tedy Bruschi sitting out for the 2005 season. I find their failure to talk about Armstrong's accomplishments, and the Tour in general as just another narrow minded, low intellectual move on the part of the low-brow populous, particularly in the States. The Tour is the Super Bowl of Cycling, and to finish this race at all is an incredible accomplishment. 2,000 plus miles over three weeks on the bike requires ideal conditioning, a lot of luck to avoid crashes and stay healthy, and a dedicated team behind you for strategic, physical, and moral support. Lacking preparation forces elite riders to bail out before the end. It is sad that some "sports fans" do not see any other athletic triumph beyond the big four in the United States as newsworthy or special events, such as the Tour or the Olympics. It seems that if you cannot bet money on a sport, it can't be talked about, and that is just wrong. I suppose when these people get off their fat asses and try something new beyond NASCAR racing on a Sunday afternoon, or Fantasy Football and Baseball, then maybe they'll get a clue. But I doubt it. These are the folks who cannot think beyond their own egotistical, shallow-minded arrogance. And for that, they bring the world to a lower level, simply by refusing progress, and remaining in a conservative view. It's a shame these do not see the greatest of sport, particular the Tour and cycling in general. There is tradition and history here that overwhelms you and excites you, if you could only bother to see it. Armstrong retires form the Tour with 83 yellow jersey stages under his belt to sit along his seven trophies. He plans to spend some time in the south of France with his family over the next few weeks before returning to his home in Austin, Texas. His intended focus during retirement is to continue his fight for cancer awareness and research and raise his three children. Finally, congratulations to Lance and Team Discovery Channel over a great victory. The Monday Analysis always believed in miracles! Bruschi to Sit out 2005 Season Heartbreaking news out of Patriots Nation Headquarters this week. Linebacker Tedy Bruschi is sitting out the 2005. The decision stems from a mild stroke the Pro Bowler suffered just days after winning a third Lombardi trophy over the Philadelphia Eagles and participating in the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. The Patriots announced the news on Wednesday, ending any speculation whether or not Bruschi would report to training camp on July 28th. A statement from team director of media relations Stacey James said: “Since suffering a mild stroke on Feb. 16, 2005, Tedy Bruschi has focused on the short-term goal of getting better every day. ... Tedy has reached a decision on his playing status for the upcoming season and has declared his intentions to forgo the 2005 campaign." Placed on the physically unable to perform list (PUP), Bruschi can return to action between weeks 6-9, though is it unknown what kind of impact this moves makes on the salary cap. Bruschi's salary for 2005 is $850,000, $1.35 million in 2006 and $1.7 million in 2007, the final year of his current contract. The deal is void if he retires. By placing Bruschi on PUP, he could earn his full salary this season. In anticipation of missing Bruschi this season, the Patriots signed linebacker Chad Brown and Monty Beisel, and drafted Ryan Claridge. The Monday Analysis wishes Bruschi a speedy recovery. Dallas Big Three in Ring of Honor The Cowboys Triplets of the 1990s: QB Troy Aikman, WR Michael Irvin, and RB Emmitt Smith were inducted into the Dallas Cowboy Ring of Honor. The three were the nucleus of three championships in the 1990s. "To be inducted into our Ring of Honor as a threesome gives us one of the most unique opportunities of any sporting team or franchise that they've ever had,'' Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. Aikman retired in 2000 after multiple concussions. Irvin retired the previous year following neck and head injuries. Smith continued playing, becoming the NFL All-Time rusher, and spending two seasons with Arizona. Smith retired this past offseason. Each was drafted a year from one another and played massive roles in the Cowboys winning Super Bowls XXXVII, XXXVIII, and XXX. Williams Returns to the NFL One year after retiring, running back Ricky Williams returned to the NFL and the Dolphins training camp. Williams arrived first thing Sunday morning, avoided reporters, and faces a four-game suspension at the beginning of the season as a violation of the league's drug policy. The Dolphins took Williams to court over $8.6 million of bonus money, and won. The Dolphins have not commented on the return of the funds, however, new head coach Nick Saban offered Williams another chance to return to the team and compete for a spot on the roster. Patriots News The Patriots signed third-round pick CB Ellis Hobbs...The Patriots released rookie running back DeCori Birmingham. League Movements Former Patriot Marc Edwards signed a one-year deal with Chicago...Carolina signed their third round pick Evan Mathis...The Saints released LB Derrick Rodgers...The 49ers signed LB Derrick Johnson to a three-year deal...Miami signed LB Channing Crowder and OT Anthony Alabi to four-year contracts and TE Lorenzo Diamond. They also waived TE Joe Munson...WR Derrick Alexander has retired from the Chiefs... Training Camp Division Talk: The AFC South
AFC South
2004 Division Champion: Indy Indianapolis got off lucky in 2004. They had no divisional competition, which helped get them the 12-4 record, but they still came up short in Foxboro twice. And while I still think they are the team to beat in the AFC South, the competition is getting hotter. Houston is maturing enough to heat the pot for a wild card spot. No longer the expansion team, the Texans should and need to step up enough to see the playoffs from the other side for once in their short franchise existence. Tennessee can be chalked up as a re-building team, which means Steve McNair may play, but play well he will not. Titans need a QB of the future, and did not address that need in the draft. In Jacksonville, Jack Del Rio should be the first coaching casualty on Black Monday on January 2. Del Rio is an energetic coach, but the Jaguars are in need of serious help, not my coach-is-my-best-friend help. QB Byron Leftwich suffered in 2004 with 15 TDs, 10 INTs for 2,941 yards. Houston upgraded the secondary with the trade for Philip Buchanon from Oakland. Buchanon is a talented player, Pro Bowler, however, he is a problem child, a royal pain off the field full of complaints and whines. But having the former Raider in the back field to go against the Indianapolis receiving corps could be the key defensive measure against the pass that Houston needs. Houston's on the verge of making the playoffs, missing in 2004 by losing three straight in the middle of the season. The Texans were 4-2 in their division - being swept by Indy for their two losses. They were also a sour 3-5 at home. A veteran defensive back like Buchanon should help their 29th ranked pass defense, particularly over the top ranked offensive Colts. The key to beating the Colts on offense, a machine that saw 51 passing touchdowns in the regular season, is to play the receivers physical. With all their talent, a pool slightly skewed with the release of TE Marcus Pollard, their lack of physical play became their downfall when the Colts went into Foxboro for the Divisional Playoff game last January and were held to three points. New England's secondary plays tough, fierce football towards opposing receivers, something the Colts wideout crew could not match. Houston has upgraded their defensive backs quite a bit, also adding Lewis Sanders and drafting CC Brown. The linebackers ranked 13th at stopping the run. With an upgrade in the secondary, the Texans have a chance to narrow the margin against the pass, and possibly steam one away from Indy. Indy is not getting any younger, and apparently not changing much form last season. They lost a few veterans, including Pollard to Detroit, but added only one veteran, tackle Juaquin Gonzales. Too much of the Colts' salary cap is dedicated to Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, and Marvin Harrison. Head coach Tony Dungy hopes to gain some on defense with the drafting of three defensive backs and a defensive end, but the Colts still rely on their offense to score lots of points. In Jacksonville, head coach Jack Del Rio is in a make or break season. There has not been a push forward to get to the playoffs, and Leftwich's quarterback numbers are not that much to write home about: 15 TDs, 10 INTs. Furthermore, the Jaguar offense failed to produce a double digit scorer on touchdowns, and ranking 30th in the redzone and 29th in scoring. The defense continues to hold points scored against, ranking 7th in the league, which was their best stat overall. They were 17th in sacks and interceptions, and 12th in turnover differential. Don't get excited for Tennessee anytime soon; the Titans were worse. Steve McNair's injuries caught up with him enough to open the door for Billy Volek to take the snaps. McNair managed a terrible 8 TDs and 9 INTs before Volek's 18 TD and 10 INT performance. However, as a team, the place stinks. 30th in kick returns, 32rd in punt returns, 27th in sacks, 20th in turnover differential, 26th against the pass, 18th against the run. Beyond that, they were 30th in points allowed and only 15th in offensive scoring. The problem in Tennessee is poor salary cap management, and they've had to drop a lot of good players in the past two seasons, including Derrick Mason and Antowain Smith. Their big offseason pickup is Travis Henry, who could give McNair that buffer Eddie George once gave him before injuries took over. Henry is coming in off lots of injuries physically and mentally, after losing his starring gig in Buffalo. It is all water under the bridge now, and Henry can use his angry running back talent to prove many wrong. They've also drafted Adam "Pac Man" Jones as the future for their defense, but it will take Jones a couple of seasons to become a good veteran, and there are no promises there. Both the Jaguars and the Titans are terrible in the division, leaving lots of room for the Colts and the Texans to be dominant in the AFC South. Houston's schedule has its share of tough opponents - hosting Pittsburgh, Indy, and Kansas City, plus a road trip to Indy. But their schedule gives the Texans an open shot at the Wild Card for the AFC, and closing the gap on the Colts. Houston faces NFC West teams in the fall, an easy target for some solid road and home wins. Nine of their opponents did not make the playoffs, while four did, including Indy. Two of those teams are also the sorry Seahawks and Rams, and the fourth, Pittsburgh, is the only other real contender. Indianapolis will most likely finish on top of the division once again, but the Texans are maturing fast enough to possibly take that title away in 2006 and certainly 2007. Next Week: NFC North Top Ten List of the Week 1. LANCE! LANCE! LANCE! LANCE! LANCE! LANCE! LANCE! 2. Get well, Tedy Bruschi! 3. Good luck to the Dolphins with the return of Ricky Williams. To Nick Saban, might I suggest Extra Strength Tylenol. 4. I can see Houston possibly slipping into the Wild Card in 2005. But the must be better at home. 5. Indy is still the team to beat in the South, and will most likely stay that way another year or two. 6. Still unsigned: Ty Law. 7. Indy has no real competition this year - except to go into Foxboro on November 7 at 9 PM. 8. Jacksonville has a big uphill battle, but I think there is too little talent - on the field and the sidelines - to protect Jack Del Rio's job. 9. Just a few more days until the start of training camp! 10. One more for Lance Armstrong! ejh25 July 2005 |
| ` |
© copyright 1999-2005 writersmarch, Ltd.& Unestone Press
All rights reserved.
The Writer
de France victory with an overwhelming margin of 4:40 over number two Ivan
Basso, the Italian from Team CSC and 6:21 over third seed Jan Ulrich, the
German from T Mobile. Lance won the individual time trial in Stage 20 to lock
up the victory and coast to a Stage 21 rain and sunshine infested final lap
around the Arc de Triomphe and down le Champs-Elysees.
In
a rare move by the Tour de France committee, Armstrong was given the
microphone at the end of his award ceremony to address the crowds gathered to
watch history. Flanked by Basso and Ulrich, and Armstrong declared those two
the Tour dominators to beat in years to come, but he also addressed the
critics of professional cycling.