Yearly Archives: 2009

Dec 31 2009

Good Bye 2009, Hello 2010!

Happy New Year!

What a year it has been, but luckily, Noontime Sports wants to say good-bye to 2009 and get everyone set for 2010!

There was change in Washington, D.C. … Hello Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States.

Our economy tanked… Bernard Madoff ran off with money until he was thrown behind bars.

Michael Jackson, the king of Pop passed away, along with so many big name figures, including Senator Ted Kennedy, former Charlie’s Angel Farrah Fawcett, CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite and salesman Billy Mays.

The New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Gators, UNC Trojans, UConn and Los Angles Lakers won championships.

Does anyone know how Governor Mark Sanford is doing these days or if his affair will affect future state laws?

Michael Vick came back to the NFL and Brett Farve could not make up his mind again, but returned as the quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings.

Kanye West said, “excuse me” to Taylor Swift, but no excuses were made between John and Kate Plus 8.

Lady Gaga, Flo Rida, Sean Kingston and Jay-Z all rocked the music world, along with Akon, T-Pain and Andy Samberg.

Obama received the Nobel Prize, but was mad that Chicago was outvoted by Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Sarah Palin stepped down from office, but wrote a book, is it any good?

Twilight, Hang Over, Transformers and Grand Torino were just some of the biggest blockbusters.

T.I. finally went to jail and Lil Wayne is going soon.

Twitter becomes big, especially in Iran, but also some fraud in Afghanistan!

Swine Flu, Crowley-Gates, Health Care, Michael Phelps smoked a bong, A-Rod admitted to using steroids, Tiger Woods, Miss California Carrie, ESPN’s Steve Phillips and that my friends was 2009!

Happy New Year to everyone and may 2010 be a better year!

By Noontime • Posted in Uncategorized
0
Dec 26 2009

Should the NBA Allow Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve Games?

Van Gundy may want to ask Santa for his non-NBA game wish!

Happy Holidays again and hopefully everyone had a wonderful Christmas, although I doubt Orlando Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy did.

Following a loss to the Boston Celtics, Van Gundy expressed strong negative views toward having or even allowing the NBA to feature the rising stars or legendary teams play during important family holidays.

I can understand that he had to have been incredibly frustrated or possibly aggravated with his teams play, as well as losing to the Boston Celtics, (possibly a new rival in the Eastern Conference), but is it necessary to lash out? Seriously Stan, having a few games on Christmas, New Years Eve and Thanksgiving is truly enjoyable for many fans of the NBA and not a waste of anyone’s time.

The holidays have changed drastically over the past few decades and may not be the same routines our parents experienced, but there is nothing more enjoyable after shoveling delicious food inside yourself to sit back, relax and watch some professional basketball.

Between this Christmas and last year’s, I have enjoyed sitting down in my favorite comfortable chair and watching the Celtics play against the Lakers and Magic.

Being an avid Celtics and basketball fan I have enjoyed viewing these particular games and clearly feel if the NBA were to have featured Oklahoma City Thunder vs. New Jersey Nets, I would certainly not waste my time, but as long as the NBA continues to schedule the Celtics against the Magic, Lakers and Cavaliers, I will watch!

Dec 24 2009

Happy Holiday's Boston Sports!

With very little time remaining before Christmas tomorrow, I thought I would share with you a few thoughts and some inside knowledge that I acquired from Santa Clause regarding who has been naughty or nice this past year in the Hub. Boston witnessed some great games, became amused by various front-page headlines, as well as watched our idols performances fluctuate, but fortunately, I have already done my shopping for the following people, so take a look at my naughty and nice list for Christmas 2009!

Tom Brady: For the most part, myself and other avid Patriots fans would express Tom Brady has been good this year. He returned to the gridiron following the doctor’s orders, has led the Patriots to a current 9-5 record and welcomed his second son, Benjamin Brady to the world not to long ago. Besides receiving negative feelings at times this fall from the media, Tom Brady has been nice this year.

Theo Epstein: I have gone back and forth deciding if Theo has been good or bad. For the most part, how can one argue and say that Theo has been bad? Ever since he became the General Manager of the Sox back in 2002, he has always put forth his best efforts in putting together a championship caliber squad on paper.

In 2009, the Sox were up and down, up and down, and up and down, but after being eliminated in the first round of the American League Divisional Series to Los Angles, Theo’s moves have been like the past season, up and down. The signing of John Lackey for $85 million was a true stunner, but unless Theo can resign outfielder Jason Bay or find another powerful infielder or outfielder that has great plate presence, I would say he is borderline nice this year.

Bill Belichick: Some analysts and sports writers believe this has been Coach Belichick’s best season with the New England Patriots, but I strongly disagree. 2008 in my mind was Coach Belichick’s best season, especially with all the injuries and losing the best quarterback in the game currently, Tom Brady. What Belichick has had to deal with this fall included loads of media scrutiny since the pre-season, answering to allegations of signing Michael Vick, 4th and 2 in Indianapolis, a trouncing defeat in the Bayou, as well as an inexperienced defense that seems to change every week. In my mind Belichick for the most part is somewhat of a good man this year, which is why he is on my nice list.

Peter Chiarelli: Boston Bruins hockey is slowly coming back and revamping itself in the Hub, which is all owed to general manager, Peter Chiarelli. This past April and May, I watched more Bruins hockey than probably ESPN’s PTI (Pardon The Interruption) or various FOX dramas. The NHL playoffs were so exciting, especially because the Bruins were the number one seed in the East, as well as just a point behind the best squad, the San Jose Sharks in the West.

After sweeping rival Montreal in round one, Boston and its fans believed they were a sure lock for a run at their sixth Stanley Cup, but sadly the B’s fell apart against the Carolina Hurricanes and forward Scott Walker joined the hated “Massachusetts Athletic Club,” which includes Bucky “Bleeping” Dent and Aaron Boone.

Bringing hockey back is a great thing for this once hockey town, but until you lead your team to victory, as well as beat the Carolina Hurricanes too in the second season, I am saying Peter, you have been somewhat nice this year.

Jonathan Papelbon: I don’t have too much to say about Mr. Papelbon. Clearly, I blame him, not certain members of the Red Sox organization or front office, but simply Papelbon for losing the 2009 American League Divisional Series and ending the Sox chances of acquiring another World Series banner. With a chance to secure at least one win in the series at Fenway Park of all places, Papelbon blew it and allowed the go-ahead runs to help the Angels sweep away the Sox. Papelbon is on my naughty list this year.

David Ortiz: Similar to Jonathan Papelbon, I too agree that Ortiz was naughty this entire 2009. First for slumping and then for admitting use to steroids, which did come as a shocker. Lets just keep our fingers crossed and hope that the Ortiz of 2006 could possibly emerge next spring.

Randy Moss:You want me to say he has been not nice this year, but I say no, he has been a good guy.

Moss has received tremendous amounts of taunting, negativity, as well as blame from the media or other players in the league. Moss may not be producing the numbers that we saw throughout the historic 2007 regular season, which included 23 touchdown receptions, 98 catches and 1,493 yards receiving yards, but clearly what he has done is allowed Tom Brady to find other open receivers.

Brady has been my starting quarterback in fantasy football this season and as much as I would love to see some deep “Hail Mary” passes to Moss, which I attempt all the time in Madden’s video game, I have come to realize that this man is a competitor, has adapted to the Patriots hard working/blue collar ways and will do whatever he can to help his team win. Randy, you have been nice this year, happy holidays!

Adalius Thomas: Mr. Thomas clearly is not on my nice list because he certainly has been naughty every day this fall. First it was the Houston Oilers, excuse me, Tennessee Titans game where he was a last minute scratch. Then after Thanksgiving, he insulted one of my favorite cartoons when he acknowledged that even George Jetson would probably have difficulty making an 8AM meeting on a snowy Wednesday in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Thomas has received a lot of heated comments from everyone in New England about his words toward being late, but also illustrated to his young fans that one should not be afraid to call out your boss through the newspapers. Adalius is on my naughty list!

Well there you have it, my complete naught and nice list for Christmas 2009, Happy Holiday’s everyone!

Dec 24 2009

Happy Holiday’s Boston Sports!

With very little time remaining before Christmas tomorrow, I thought I would share with you a few thoughts and some inside knowledge that I acquired from Santa Clause regarding who has been naughty or nice this past year in the Hub. Boston witnessed some great games, became amused by various front-page headlines, as well as watched our idols performances fluctuate, but fortunately, I have already done my shopping for the following people, so take a look at my naughty and nice list for Christmas 2009!

Tom Brady: For the most part, myself and other avid Patriots fans would express Tom Brady has been good this year. He returned to the gridiron following the doctor’s orders, has led the Patriots to a current 9-5 record and welcomed his second son, Benjamin Brady to the world not to long ago. Besides receiving negative feelings at times this fall from the media, Tom Brady has been nice this year.

Theo Epstein: I have gone back and forth deciding if Theo has been good or bad. For the most part, how can one argue and say that Theo has been bad? Ever since he became the General Manager of the Sox back in 2002, he has always put forth his best efforts in putting together a championship caliber squad on paper.

In 2009, the Sox were up and down, up and down, and up and down, but after being eliminated in the first round of the American League Divisional Series to Los Angles, Theo’s moves have been like the past season, up and down. The signing of John Lackey for $85 million was a true stunner, but unless Theo can resign outfielder Jason Bay or find another powerful infielder or outfielder that has great plate presence, I would say he is borderline nice this year.

Bill Belichick: Some analysts and sports writers believe this has been Coach Belichick’s best season with the New England Patriots, but I strongly disagree. 2008 in my mind was Coach Belichick’s best season, especially with all the injuries and losing the best quarterback in the game currently, Tom Brady. What Belichick has had to deal with this fall included loads of media scrutiny since the pre-season, answering to allegations of signing Michael Vick, 4th and 2 in Indianapolis, a trouncing defeat in the Bayou, as well as an inexperienced defense that seems to change every week. In my mind Belichick for the most part is somewhat of a good man this year, which is why he is on my nice list.

Peter Chiarelli: Boston Bruins hockey is slowly coming back and revamping itself in the Hub, which is all owed to general manager, Peter Chiarelli. This past April and May, I watched more Bruins hockey than probably ESPN’s PTI (Pardon The Interruption) or various FOX dramas. The NHL playoffs were so exciting, especially because the Bruins were the number one seed in the East, as well as just a point behind the best squad, the San Jose Sharks in the West.

After sweeping rival Montreal in round one, Boston and its fans believed they were a sure lock for a run at their sixth Stanley Cup, but sadly the B’s fell apart against the Carolina Hurricanes and forward Scott Walker joined the hated “Massachusetts Athletic Club,” which includes Bucky “Bleeping” Dent and Aaron Boone.

Bringing hockey back is a great thing for this once hockey town, but until you lead your team to victory, as well as beat the Carolina Hurricanes too in the second season, I am saying Peter, you have been somewhat nice this year.

Jonathan Papelbon: I don’t have too much to say about Mr. Papelbon. Clearly, I blame him, not certain members of the Red Sox organization or front office, but simply Papelbon for losing the 2009 American League Divisional Series and ending the Sox chances of acquiring another World Series banner. With a chance to secure at least one win in the series at Fenway Park of all places, Papelbon blew it and allowed the go-ahead runs to help the Angels sweep away the Sox. Papelbon is on my naughty list this year.

David Ortiz: Similar to Jonathan Papelbon, I too agree that Ortiz was naughty this entire 2009. First for slumping and then for admitting use to steroids, which did come as a shocker. Lets just keep our fingers crossed and hope that the Ortiz of 2006 could possibly emerge next spring.

Randy Moss:You want me to say he has been not nice this year, but I say no, he has been a good guy.

Moss has received tremendous amounts of taunting, negativity, as well as blame from the media or other players in the league. Moss may not be producing the numbers that we saw throughout the historic 2007 regular season, which included 23 touchdown receptions, 98 catches and 1,493 yards receiving yards, but clearly what he has done is allowed Tom Brady to find other open receivers.

Brady has been my starting quarterback in fantasy football this season and as much as I would love to see some deep “Hail Mary” passes to Moss, which I attempt all the time in Madden’s video game, I have come to realize that this man is a competitor, has adapted to the Patriots hard working/blue collar ways and will do whatever he can to help his team win. Randy, you have been nice this year, happy holidays!

Adalius Thomas: Mr. Thomas clearly is not on my nice list because he certainly has been naughty every day this fall. First it was the Houston Oilers, excuse me, Tennessee Titans game where he was a last minute scratch. Then after Thanksgiving, he insulted one of my favorite cartoons when he acknowledged that even George Jetson would probably have difficulty making an 8AM meeting on a snowy Wednesday in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Thomas has received a lot of heated comments from everyone in New England about his words toward being late, but also illustrated to his young fans that one should not be afraid to call out your boss through the newspapers. Adalius is on my naughty list!

Well there you have it, my complete naught and nice list for Christmas 2009, Happy Holiday’s everyone!

Dec 20 2009

Cowboys-Saints Wrap Up

DeMarcus Ware helped the Cowboys defeat the undefeated Saints

This is why I love sports. The drama, last second chances and of course, great defenses that prevail.

DeMarcus Ware, who was carted off with minutes remaining in a crucial Cowboys-Chargers week 14 match-up last Sunday, came up with the game winning play, sacking Drew Brees and any chances of an undefeated season for the New Orleans Saints. Ware recorded 2 tackles, 2 sacks and forced 2 fumbles and clearly was the catalyst in the win.

The Cowboys were heavily doubted for their date in the “Bayou,” but prevailed and pulled out a much-needed victory, which could be beneficial pending the Philadelphia-San Francisco outcome and Monday’s New York-Washington affair. With a 9-5 record the Cowboys remain locked for a possible playoff spot, but will it be as the NFC East representative or wild card?

Tony Romo continued to put the December blues behind him, by adding another touchdown pass to his resume this fall, as well as threw for 312 yards. Miles Austin led the team with 139 yards and the first touchdown of the evening. Tight End Jason Witten caught 5 passes for 44 yards.

Drew Brees played a spectacular fourth quarter, leading his team to two quick scores in the final minutes. Although, with roughly 2-minutes to play, Brees and the Saints high powered offense tried to tie the game, following another Nick Folk missed field goal, but were unsuccessful.

The Saints drop their first game of the 2009 season, but don’t expect possibly any more losses to come against the Panthers and Buccaneers in the next two weeks, yet anything is possible. This offense is too powerful, has loads of offensive weapons, as well as a great defense and will clearly be a fun squad to follow during the post-season.

All in all, this was truly a terrific game, but still the question remains, will Dallas be able to use this win to help with ending their season on a good note against division rivals Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins or will the December and January swoon continue?

Dec 19 2009

Cowboys-Saints Week 15 Preview

By the time night time falls on the west coast, we should know if the New Orleans Saints will continue their path to perfection or if the Dallas Cowboys were able to put an end to their December swoon.

The Cowboys come into this evenings contest with an (8-5) overall record and are in dire need to win in order to remain in the playoff hunt. With a loss tonight, they will certainly have to hope for a New York Giants to lose on Monday Night Football against the Washington Redskins in order to keep pace in this complicated wild-card race.

Will Romo lead the Cowboys to victory tonight?

Quarterback Tony Romo has played exceptionally well this December, which includes 5 touchdown tosses, no interception and 641 yards through the air. Romo will indeed have to put all the talk of his teams loom and gloom behind him if he wants to help his squad be successful, as well as become the first team this season to add a loss to an undefeated team’s record. He has the potential to lead the Cowboys to victory, but can he do it?

In order for the Cowboys to be successful and win this game they need to score points on every single drive. Between the Giants and Chargers, the Cowboys have not done so well with putting points on the board, nor has their offensive weapons, including halfbacks, (Marion Barber, Tashard Choice and Felix Jones), as well as an array of receivers, (Miles Austin, Roy E. Williams and Jason Witten) played to their full potential. This offense needs to be on the same page every play in order to take advantage of a weak Saints secondary.

On the other side of the ball, New Orleans Saints have been terrific, unstoppable and displayed very few flaws, but have allowed some blue prints for Dallas, Carolina and Tampa Bay, which are the teams that remain in their way toward perfection. If Dallas was smart, possibly they have looked at the various game films when the Saints played against the Dolphins, Falcons and Panthers, which showed how keeping this explosive offense off the field could come in handy.

Drew Brees will certainly have a field day against the Cowboys

Quarterback Drew Brees will have a field day against this up and down Dallas Cowboys secondary, which means Dallas needs to have their defense focused or else they could be in for a long Saturday evening. Brees is currently ranked second in touchdown passes this season, but if he can find his favorite targets, which includes Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem then the Super Dome will become even more electric than it has been in the past few weeks.

Overall, this game has the makings for a true classic and even a possible upset, but it all relies solely on the shoulders of each member of the Cowboys roster. If Sean Payton can have his way again against his former squad, which he did in 2006, surely he will be the happiest man on the planet. Look for lots of touchdowns through the air, a controlled running game by both sides, as well as possibly some turnovers, which will dictate the final outcome.

PREDICTION: New Orleans Saints 41 – Dallas Cowboys 24

Dec 17 2009

A December to Remember

Will Romo Lead the Cowboys to the Playoffs or will Dallas end the 2009 season early again?

Don’t ask Tony Romo what month it is because he clearly knows. Don’t even consider asking Dallas Cowboy’s owner Jerry Jones if he is optimistic about his teams chances during the month of December because it is an almost guarantee that they he will state something along the lines of … his team can and will win.

Unfortunately for Dallas and its fans, December has never been the month to get excited about or remember. It is quite possible that in Texas there are only 11 months of the year, not 12, but that is just a guess.

Ever since quarterback Tony Romo took over calling plays, mid-way through the 2006 season, the Cowboys have struggled immensely during the 12th month of year and combine for 5 wins and 10 loses, which is certainly not anything special. Romo’s emotions have gotten the best of him at times, the defense seems to get derailed and nothing seems to go right for this entire organization.

Cowboys games in December remind us of Charlie Brown playing football

When watching any Cowboy’s game over the past few years during the month of December it just seems as if we are watching constant replays of Charlie Brown attempting to kick the football over and over again.

Last year the Cowboys had a golden opportunity to earn a few “W’s” in the win column and secure a playoff spot, but instead they fell apart. In 2007, the story was more about winning 13 games and in 2006 nothing was going in favor of the Big Tuna, (Bill Parcells), Tony Romo or newly acquired wide-out Terrell Owens. The Cowboys even lost on Christmas Day in 2006, so I am guessing Santa thought coal was what his least favorite team deserved that day.

So then why do they struggle in December? Why is it that the Cowboys seem to lose their first half momentum during this month? Should we blame every loss on Romo? Do the coaches deserve the blame? Who do you think we should point the finger at in this organization? Overall, why do the Cowboys always lose in December?

It is quite possible that they just run out of steam. The motivation is lost completely. No swagger is on display and I could continue to state various thoughts or reasons, but that won’t help with coming up with an answer. The Cowboys seem to have this mental block and always know that after Thanksgiving they are not supposed to win a single game in December. If they do win it is possibly luck, faith or just the fact that they out schemed their opponent, but once again, wins don’t come often for Dallas at this time of the year.

With the 2009 regular season just weeks away from being complete and two of the remaining kickoffs scheduled in December, what should we expect? Should we plan for the worse or possibly bet on the Boys? I say, lets be optimistic! Look at the glass half full rather than half empty. Don’t assume the usual will happen, which some may believe has already begun.

The Cowboys are 8-5 and once again in prime playoff position, but can they hold onto the last wildcard spot this time. All three of their opponents, (New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles) will want to embarrass the Boys and reenact week 17 of the 2008 season when they were humiliated by their biggest and most hated rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, 44-6. Each team will do everything to make Romo uncomfortable, stop the three-headed running attack of Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice, as well as rip apart the defense.

All three of these teams are capable of adding more frustration to Dallas’s December resume, but clearly this season all relies now on every single player on this 53-man roster. Romo knows it is time to start playing, quit jabbing and making excuses. Roy Williams has fired up the media with his comments and all the players know the bookies are betting against them. So clearly it all comes down to one thing, which is will Dallas decide to play or pack it in for another season?

Nov 28 2009

How Good are the New Orleans Saints?

Drew Brees has been awesome this season, but can he continue this success?

With Thanksgiving 2009 in the books and Black Friday literally complete on the East Coast, I thought I would take some time to not discuss yesterday’s three awful, pathetic and un-enjoyable NFL games, but look ahead to Monday evening’s marquee match-up between the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots.

When the 2009 NFL schedule was released, I literally circled this particular game. I told everyone I knew that this would be the game of the season, but little did I know my prediction was going to be correct.

I know the Saints are a very talented team, but with a record of 10-0, I just wonder, how good is this particular squad? Are they the best team in football or is this just a big fat, no good, rotten joke?

Beginning the 2009 season, the New Orleans Saints took on two sub-par and below .500 teams, the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills. Now don’t get me wrong, but when I saw Drew Brees torch the Lions secondary, my jaw literally touched the kitchen floor. He threw 6-touchdowns that game and I believe someone in the media world wanted to hand Brees the 2009 MVP trophy following his week-1 performance. Sounds like a great plan, why don’t we hand him a super bowl ring too?

Two weeks later against the Buffalo Bills, the Saints slowly began to show every NFL fan that maybe, just maybe, they aren’t that powerful or the best squad. They struggled to take an early lead against a Bills team that was still recuperating from their week 1 hic-up against the New England Patriots. The Bills throughout this game seemed poised and ready to stop the Saints, especially when trailing at halftime, 10-7, but instead, the winds and fortunes of Ralph Wilson Stadium blew in the direction of the black and gold. The Saints 17-points in the 4th quarter possibly shows that being held out of the end zone for two strait quarters means the Saints are indeed beatable and not the best team.

Believe it or not, half of the games the Saints played in so far have either a 3 or 0 in the box score for various quarters. Against the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons the Saints were unsuccessful in punching in a touchdown in the 3rd quarter and when facing the St. Louis Rams and Carolina Panthers, they were unable to put points on the board in the opening quarter or get off to their usual roaring start.

So what does this all mean?

Simply, the Saints are beatable, but lets not forget that Drew Brees is a top-3 quarterback in the league, Sean Payton is still establishing himself as a quality head coach and Greg Williams has not been calling the plays on defense for even one year. The offense has been spectacular, putting up loads of points in the past few games, especially against the Buccaneers, but when putting pressure on Brees is when the Saints falls off the tracks.

Does Sean Payton deserve all the credit this season?

As for the Saints defense, they have allowed close to 20 points a game, roughly 330 overall yards of offense and nearly 115 yards on the ground. Their defense has improved this season, but as of recently, cannot always be trusted.

I admire the fact that all Saints fans are acting exuberated, but having a 10-0 record doesn’t mean anything at the moment unless these players and coaches are holding a Vince Lombardi Trophy in the air. Being undefeated is great, but in this modern day losing sometimes can teach more than winning. The Saints 2009 season has been wild and crazy at times, but also very nerve-racking too. Squeaking by the Panthers, Dolphins and Rams shows they do have flaws and once again, are not the best team.

All in all, Monday night’s contest will be a great one, but just remember, the Saints are not an amazing 10-0 team and certainly are beatable.

Nov 18 2009

LeBron James in the NFL?

 

Should LeBron James play NFL football?

 

 

First it was Glenn Davis on the Boston Celtics who approached NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about playing football when he finishes his basketball career, but now, LeBron James? Yes folks, LeBron James indeed wants to play football for his hometown Cleveland Browns and I totally disagree with this decision.

Could you imagine James playing football? I know he played in high school, but could he translate his success from the hardwood to the green grass of Cleveland Browns Stadium? I doubt it!

Football is a much more of an aggressive sport than basketball and would James like to be hit numerous times at all different angles? He is a terrific athlete and admired by many, but seriously LeBron, do you really think that you and only you would change the faith of the Cleveland Browns this season or in the future?

With this question up for debate, how silly does it seem that even head coach Eric Mangini is somewhat on board with the possibility of having LeBron join his team? He told reporters today, according to the associated press, “I think he should come on down.”

Whether or not that State Farm Insurance commercial from played a part in making this decision, I say that James should remain in the NBA and that’s final!