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The NFL's 10 best QBs
A year ago this week, in this exact spot, I ranked the top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL. It was based on how they were playing at that time. In order, the list was: Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Josh Freeman, Matt Ryan, Michael Vick and Eli Manning. So today, the list is revisited and updated. Again, this isn’t based on career achievements, but where they rank now.
1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
Coming off, perhaps, the greatest individual season ever. He threw for 4,643 yards with 45 touchdowns and only six interceptions. His 122.5 passer rating was an NFL record. He led the Pack to a 15-1 record. Counting the playoffs, he is 20-2 over his past 22 starts. He is only 28. ... Read more
Sports Babe faces health concerns
Nanci Donnellan, better known as the "Fabulous Sports Babe'' and one of the pioneers of sports talk radio, is battling serious health problems and is no longer hosting an afternoon show on ESPN 1040-AM. Donnellan hasn't been on the air since Jan. 20. It isn't known when or even if she will be able to return.
Donnellan, who is thought to be in her late 50s (she has never revealed her age publicly), is believed to be the first and only woman to have a nationally syndicated sports talk radio show when she hosted on ESPN Radio in the 1990s. She took a hiatus from radio, partly to recover from breast cancer, in the early 2000s, but returned to Tampa Bay radio and 1040-AM in 2008. She has hosted a show there from noon to 3 weekdays.
The station would only say Donnellan is out for "personal reasons.'' Attempts to reach Donnellan were unsuccessful. ... Read more
Shooting from the lip
Recently I was watching a clip on YouTube of CBS's coverage of Super Bowl X between the Steelers and Cowboys in 1976. With about four minutes left, announcer Pat Summerall informed viewers that broadcast partner Tom Brookshier was heading to the locker rooms for postgame interviews. My goodness, can you imagine?
Sunday, NBC had more than a dozen on-air personalities for the Super Bowl, including two who stood outside the team hotels and told us what time each team had breakfast. Yes, things have changed. But ultimately, the high-definition cameras, state-of-the-art graphics, cast of thousands and other bells and whistles don’t mean much if the game is a dud.
A bad broadcast can get in the way of a good game, but a great broadcast can’t spice up a boring game. NBC covers the NFL better than any network, but even it was limited by Sunday's game, which was close but not necessarily dramatic or memorable for much of the evening.
Here's a look at Sunday's Super Bowl coverage, as well as the rest of the weekend in televised sports ... ... Read more
Did Bucs play in worst Super Bowl ever?
What was the worst Super Bowl ever? According to Sports Illustrated, it might have been the Bucs' 48-21 victory over the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. SI gave grades to each of the Super Bowls and the Bucs' easy blowout victory received an "F,'' probably because it was an easy blowout victory. The author of the piece, Richard Rothschild, writes:
The Raiders grabbed a 3-0 lead, but a 34-0 Buccaneers burst ended this contest early. The savage Tampa Bay defense forced five turnovers and returned three interceptions for TDs. Bucs coach Jon Gruden, who wore a mike, seemed more manic than Hank Stram. ... Read more
Shooting from the lip/Jan. 30th edition
Looking back at a weekend of televised sports ...
Most enigmatic coverage
Fox had another UFC mixed-martial arts card in primetime on Saturday -- the second ever and the first of four in 2012. So far, Fox has had some rotten luck. The first card back in November featured one fight that lasted less than one round. On Saturday, there were three fights and all went the distance, making for a boring night.
Early numbers are that Fox won Saturday night among adults 18-to-49, but that viewership was down compared to the first primetime broadcast in November. ... Read more
First impressions of Greg Schiano
Lousing up an opening news conference is hard to do.
Unless new Bucs coach Greg Schiano came out Friday dressed in fishnet stockings and called Pol Pot his hero, his Tampa Bay inauguration likely was going to go down in the win column. After all, in opening news conferences, you don't have to explain how that fourth-quarter lead got away or defend some lamebrain fake punt call.
Opening news conferences are about the hopeful future, not the disappointing past. They're about all the things you are going to do right because you have yet to do anything wrong. They're about potential and promise and optimism.
We saw that Friday when Schiano was introduced as the new Bucs coach, and for a moment, you couldn't help it. You wanted to strap on some pads, charge out into the streets and look for someone to pancake. ... Read more
Someone doesn't like the Bucs hire
Sports Illustrated's Michael Rosenberg isn't crazy about the Bucs hiring Greg Schiano as coach. Actually, you could go a step farther. He hates it. Among Rosenberg's thoughts:
How do you go from Tony Dungy to Jon Gruden to Raheem Morris to Greg Schiano? Does that seem like progress to anybody on this planet? If Schiano fails (did I say "if?) then whom will the Bucs hire? The nearest high school coach?
And ...
Schiano is a lousy game coach. And if he was a lousy game coach in college, where the schemes (generally) are not as sophisticated, how can he outfox guys like Sean Payton, Jeff Fisher, John Fox or Tom Coughlin, who have been winning in the NFL for years? (Those guys are all on the Bucs' 2012 schedule, by the way.)
And ... ... Read more
Nike founder Phil Knight defends Joe Paterno
Here's video of Nike founder and chairman Phil Knight speaking at the memorial service of former Penn State coach Joe Paterno. Knight defends Paterno over the Jerry Sandusky alleged abuse case, and criticizes the university's board of trustees, as well as the investigation.
Shooting from the lip/Jan. 23rd edition
Looking back at a weekend of televised sports ...
Best coverage
ESPN takes a lot of criticism from sports fans for a variety of reasons, but there's no doubt that it is the destination station whenever there is breaking sports news. Case in point: ESPN's Sunday coverage of the death of Penn State coaching legend Joe Paterno. ... Read more
About the blogger
For sports talk filled with strong opinions, Tom Jones is here to give you his two cents -- and get yours as well. Tom might be commenting on the best coverage of TV sports, the dumbest thing said by sport announcers, the best sports trivia lists, or whatever three things just popped into his head. Want his ear?
E-mail Tom Jones:
tjones@tampabay.com.
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