Sports Sunday 9/21

America Wins First Ryder Cup Since 1999

Granted the Ryder Cup only happens every two years, but America had been beaten three straight. This year's team had it all. They had flash (Anthony Kim). They had pizazz (Boo Weekley). They had experience (Justin Leonard & Jim Furyk). They had... no Tiger. Woods was not playing out in the tournament he often struggled in, and you have to wonder if that helped the American team finally get over the hump. However, Team USA had out the red shirts, to the likes of which Tiger traditionally dons, and you must think that they were in attack mode all day.

Three big players

It started with Anthony Kim's dismantling of Sergio Garcia. Kim got off to a hot start and just never looked back. He was so focused on his play that when he won he had to be told his match was over. The 23 year old native was just excited to be playing, and he was certainly fearless.

How about Boo Weekley? If you have seen any of this guy's interviews you know how simple and sincere of a guy Boo is. He just goes out and plays for fun, regardless of the situation. In case you missed it... do yourself a favor and check out Boo's "Happy Gilmore Bull Dance" where he pumps up the crowd by feeling the flow, working it. While you're at it, check out some of Boo's other interviews and you're basically guaranteed a laugh. Oh and by the way, he won.

The oldest player on the team, Jim Furyk finished the match off with his win over the Spaniard Jiemenez. This was a great moment for Team USA and was a very special moment to watch. Seeing the crowd erupt with cheers of USA was a great moment. Go ahead and check it out. Sunday's Ryder Cup Highlights

Without Tiger, golf can often be quite mundane and tough to watch, but there are plenty of characters on the tournament that are great stories and great personalities to watch. Watching the Ryder Cup and all the different individuals in the game gave me a greater appreciation for the game and the other players not named Tiger. I am excited for the future of golf, and although it's not the same right now without Tiger, it will thrive forever through the individuals that pursue the game at its highest level.

On to football

Buffal 24 Oakland 23
This game was (basically) dominated by the Silver & Black for three and a half quarters, and then it fell apart. A quick drive after and Oakland TD that put the Raiders up 23 - 14, made it a 2 point game for the third time in the contest. With four minutes Oakland had the chance to put the game away but they got stuffed twice on runs, followed by an overthrown pass on third down. A punt, a drive, and a clock mismanagement session later, and Buffalo won the game. It was a tough way to go down for Oakland, and the fate of Lane Kiffin still hangs in the balance.

Tampa Bay 27 Chicago 24 (OT)
If your fantasy league allowed points for attempts, you would be sitting pretty. Griese threw the ball 67 times! He was picked off three times, had two touchdowns, finished with 407 yards, and completed passes to nine different players. I guess the Bears will have to straighten up that Pass defense... yikes. After a couple of possession changes in OT, Tampa Bay marched down the field and Matt Bryant kicked the game winning field goal from chip shot range at the 4:24 mark. Man, I would have loved to see a tie, but it just didn't happen.

NY Giants 26 Cincinnati 23 (OT)
The Good News: Palmer actually looked pretty good in this game, and he even led his team down the field for a game tying field goal. The bad news: The Bengals are 0-3. Eli Manning made a great pass to Amani Toomer in OT to give the Giants great field position. A few plays later and Carney boots the game winning field goal from 22 yards. Although 0-3 is never good, it looks like the Bengals are ready to take on the stumbling 0-3 Browns.

Baltimore 28 Cleveland 10
It is hard to believe a 10-6 team from last year can look as bad as they do, but they have made no improvements, and quite frankly look like they well fall to 0-4 against Cincinnati. Flacco managed them game okay even though he through two interceptions. Baltimore's running game was key as they pounded the ball and kept the time of possession heavily in their favor. Cleveland looks to be in for a long season... again.

Seattle 37 St. Louis 13 & Atlanta 38 Kansas City 14
I'm not sure which state is more disappointed this year: Ohio or Missouri? I am going to say Missouri just for the fact that I think the Bengals are a decent team, but the Chiefs, Rams, and Browns are somewhere on the bottom of the rankings.

Miami 38 New England 13
I'm not surprised to see the Patriot's offense struggle, but to give up 38 points to the Dolphins, in Foxboro, that is just bad. The Pats must not have been ready from top to bottom, because starter or not, no one should get beat by Miami by that much. In Yahoo leagues 75% of fantasy owners did not start Ronnie Brown, and they are kicking themselves for it after his 5 TD performance, a la LT, as one of his TDs was a pass. I bet he gets a second look next week.

Minnesota 20 Carolina 10
The purple people eaters came to play as their defense came to play, and they also happened to be my starting team this week in fantasy football. Former Buckeye standout, Antoine Winfield had a sack on Delhomme, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, and scored a touchdown all on the same play. Bernard Berrian was back and finished with a respectable 79 yards on the day. I think Minnesota is capable of finishing 3rd or 4th in the NFC.

Jacksonville 23 Indianoplis 21
Another game winning field goal after a crucial Pass Interference penalty against a Colts' lineback. It was the correct call and it allowed the Jaguars to get in position for the win. Josh Scobee made the 51 yard field goal in the dome to finish the Colts off. Peyton Manning could only watch the Colts go down again after he had put his team in position to win the game. When these two teams matchup it always seems to be a great game; today was no exception.

San Francisco 31 Detroit 13
As if it wasn't bad enought the Tigers were closing in on last place, the Lions just keep on losing. Fans haven't been happy about this team and forever and you can certainly see why. Detroit may be giving the Missouri and Ohio teams a run for their money. I'm not sure anyone watched this game, except for 49ers fans. I know I didn't care about it.

Tennessee 31 Houston 12
Vince Young going down may have been a blessing in disguise. There is a lot of balance in the Titan offense, and their defense is playing pretty well. Kerry Collins is just the type of veteran that can keep the stability in Tennessee. Lendale White rushed for two TDs, while Collins threw for one. The one bright spot for Houston: Steve Slaton. He rushed for 116 yards on 18 carries. Unfortunately over 100 of those yards came in the first half. I think the Texans will improve, but they have an uphill battle ahead of them.

Washington 24 Arizona 17
Turnovers plagued this Cardinals in this close game, but they played okay. I'm not overly impressed with either of these teams, but I think they will do alright with Campbell and Warner, respectively. I'm not quite ready to proclaim it Zona's year, but their weaker NFC division will still give them a great shot at making the playoffs.

Philadelphia 15 Pittsburgh 6
This was a sluggish turnover-ridden game. I only enjoy games like these when both teams are under double digits. Injuries were probably the biggest story of the day, as Big Ben and Brian Westbrook both went out of the game. McNabb also went out briefly, which may raise some questions among Eagles fans if he can sustain his health for an entire season.

Dallas 27 Green Bay 16
Dallas has proven they are the supreme team in the NFC. Even after a slow start, they eventually got it going as Marion Barber picked up 142 running yards, and Romo connected with Miles Austin 115 yards of their own. Whenever the Cowboys are playing you can't key on one guy, because eventually Romo will find someone, and with their potent running game, they are a very scary team. On the flipside, Aaron Rodgers did a pretty decent job. He finished 22/39 passing and had 290 yards with no INTs. Green Bay is a solid team, but they are not at Dallas's level yet.

NY Jets (1-1) vs. San Diego (0-2)
San Diego may be the best 0-2 team in the league and I have a feeling they take out all their frustrations against the Jets. My only hesitation in this game is that Favre often pulls rabbits out his hat on Monday nights, but I just think the Chargers are a better team, and their offense should put up a large amount of points. The Jets will get theirs, but not enough to stop the Bolts.

Prediction: San Diego 34 NY Jets 20

I hope everyone enjoyed the football action this weekend. There were a lot of great games, college and pro, and I know I enjoyed being sedentary for a couple of days.

Quote of the Day:

If you burn your neighbors house down, it doesn't make your house look any better.

- Lou Holtz