Great Balls of Fire: This N'@

PFW really gets into it this week with their Audibles. It's good stuff, probably none of it is true or accurate, kind of like the E! channel for NFL junkies:

"Randy Moss, I don’t know if he is a premier receiver."
"Reggie Wayne drops too many balls."
"Ownership does not have a clue. They try one thing and it does not work and now they are going back and trying to reinvent the wheel."
"He does not get it. He cannot figure out right from left."

Great stat passed along by a couple and noted by TMQ: Since 1970, the two winningest franchises are Miami and Pittsburgh. Those two have been 1-2 for several years now (Dallas is a close third - check here for an update as of last week). As of today, November 28, 2007, the Dolphins have 353 winns, as they have had since last year. The Steelers have 349. There are five games to go this season. It is now possible that the Steelers will pass the Dolphins this season.

Ricky Williams' season is over after 6 carries. How does this surprise anyone? That he received so much attention is what is surprising. This is a guy who continues to come back to football because if he doesn't and retires instead, owes the Dolphins millions of dollars that he no longer has because he's spent it on pot and whatever else. So he comes back and the Dolphins welcome him back, which in itself is amazing, and decide to play him after 2 years off and 1 week of practice. Only two things will happen to an RB in this situation: he will fumble because he has not been hit by an NFL player for 2 years and he will get hurt because he hasn't been hit and involved in a real play against a real NFL defense for 2 years. Don't make a mockery of the game and pretend anything else could have happened in this situation - the Dolphs and Cam Cameron should be ashamed of themselves.

Gotta love Nick Bakay. He's not breaking things down this week but does offer up some tidbits:

"Know what else was wrong? All the whining about the rain and the turf... Okay, the game's gonna be a mudder -- so what? Yes, the field looks like one of those high school games we all played in when you had to make a mental note not to step on the exposed metal drain grids. When did football become so damn precious?"
"It's time for Kornheiser to drop the comb-over. It's giving "Bacon strip" a bad name."
"The image of chicken wings getting sauced or massive sandwiches being cut in half, or etouffee, or sausages, or any food product represents one of my favorite parts of prime-time football. Until they mess it up. Mark my words, you hear that John Williams Gladiator music, and you're lucky if you get a nano-glimpse of a porterhouse sizzling in a pan before they fly in the sponsor logos ... right smack in the middle of the screen! Right over the food! Instead of jambalaya, I'm staring at a logo for Hampton Inn -- a chain that doesn't even have room service, I might add!"

Yep, they're still around, and this isn't good news. I may have to rethink my pennant winning prediction because they didn't land the infield coach they wanted. But getting Don Long to coach the hitters may balance things out.

Don't miss the chat with new GM Neil Huntington today at 1:30. You can ask is he's going to institute any rules against bring food into PNC or how many firework shows will be held this year.

Highly touted prospect Neil Walker isn't exactly tearing the cover off the ball in the Mexican Pacific Winter League. Again: he's an above average prospect as a catcher. As a third baseman, he is not even average.

Yet, our friend Jenifer Langosch in her Bucs Q&A this week says:
"As for Walker, I don't think it's a stretch at all to assume that he will be making his Major League debut in 2008. Walker is currently tearing it up at the plate while playing winter ball in Mexico."
Since when is hitting .268 with 4 HRs and 17 RBIs in 149 ABs in Mexico tearing it up? Keep trying to reset my expectations lower Jenifer!! I'm sticking to a pennant run in '08!

Great Balls of Fire