When the NFL first announced that it was going to host an Oscars-like awards ceremony for the league’s season awards, my first thought was, “Great news for people who like the ESPYs but have ADHD.” But Alec Baldwin was hosting and I like football, so I figured I’d at least be able to watch it for the sake of making fun of it. Yet as I watched it Sunday morning on my DVR, I couldn’t help but admit to my dog that it wasn’t terrible.

The NFL Honors were far from perfect, though, and if they’re going to make this event a tradition, league officials are going to need to make a few tweaks to the overall process. For starters, as much as I love Baldwin, he didn’t exactly hit home runs with his jokes. I mean, I laughed, but they showed more blank faces in the audience, and I really don’t know if Clay Matthews appreciated being called Madonna.

As for the actual award process, I know that they need to make it seem like each category was so close and it was so difficult and arduous to determine which players were going to win, but we’re not stupid. Offensive Rookie of the Year couldn’t have been more obvious, so clearly we didn’t need two minutes of intro footage that included Mark Ingram and Julio Jones. If anything, it felt like some guys were being teased.

Most of the awards were dead on – I only really disagreed with one – so we can debate them and some of the evening’s finer moments after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

Most of you have already caught Jets coach Rex Ryan picking a war of words with Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who mumbled away from the bait, and then there was Antonio Cromartie calling Tom Brady an @sshole. Tom says he’s been called worse, and I’m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt on that. Besides, that totally sounds like something an @sshole would say.

But today there was an image revealed on Twitter of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs wearing a less-than-subtle tee with a Baltimore Raven flipping, uh, the bird under the words HEY PITTSBURGH.

Suggs spoke to reporters with a black shirt with yellow letters that read “Hey Pittsburgh.” Beneath the script was a purple hand extending its middle finger. Told he might give motivation to his rivals, Suggs said (via the Baltimore Sun), “Do I seem worried? This game is going to be what it is regardless.

“It’s a physical dogfight, so I ain’t expecting nothing different. And this is the shirt I wore this morning. This is just the shirt I chose.”

–The Huddle.

Yep, Suggs called the upcoming AFC game between the Steelers and Ravens a dogfight. My sensibilities will never recover. Sorry, but I’ve run out of Michael Vick jokes for that. I’ve already gone to the rape stand well too many times this season. Suggs also called Brady’s three Super Bowl wins “questionable.” Really? Maybe Cromartie should revise his @sshole list.

Terrell Suggs didn’t play up to his usual standards last season, and while some of the blame should rightfully fall upon an injury plagued season, a lot has to do with the LB packing on a few too many lbs.

A year ago, Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs tipped the scales at 283 pounds.

“It wasn’t just Popeye’s, it was also Kentucky Fried Chicken,” Suggs said. “It was also the cookies. You know, I did like the cookies. It was kind of a reward. When I started getting the weight down and I reached a certain goal it was like, ‘OK, you can have a cookie.’ She did a good job helping me, especially down the stretch.” –Guyism

It really is a sad state of affairs when you see someone get hooked on Popeye’s like that. While I’ve never had to deal with the symptoms of withdrawal, I’ve heard stories of how the aroma from just driving by a Popeye’s can drive the strongest of men mad. I’m almost positive that the ‘she’ he is referring to is Mrs. Fields. Funny, I always thought her to be a Steelers fan. Read the rest of this entry »

Before yesterday, Rodney Harrison had contributed absolutely nothing in his first year as an “analyst” for NBC’s Sunday Night football coverage. He’s done nothing to separate himself from the notion that analysts are nothing more than notable ex-players thrust in front of the camera without any ability to bring the viewer closer to bring the viewer into the game. And so instead of trying to make any sort of notable point about this questionable roughing-the-passer call in the Patriots-Ravens game yesterday, he called out Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for…something.

Horrible call. You can’t make this call. And Tom Brady, if you’re listenin’, take off the skirt and put on some slacks. Toughen up.

To be fair, Harrison is the guy lost in the shuffle with the addition of Uncle Tom Dungy; Rodney’s opportunities to say anything are fairly limited. That said, let’s back the truck up. Brady didn’t throw the flag on Terrell Suggs, the referee did. And secondly, if taking two steps and falling into a guy’s knee isn’t a personal foul [depending on the language of the rule], it should be. Regardless of the amount of contact, how can a lunge into a guy’s knee like that be construed as anything but forcible?

And Ray Lewis, if you’re going to play the victim on-camera again anytime soon? Try a different hat.

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