Robert Hegyes, who played Juan Epstein on '70s sitcom "Welcome Back, Kotter, died Thursday, the New Jersey Star-Ledger reports. Hegyes, who died of an apparent heart attack after suffering chest pains at his Metuchen, New Jersey home, was 60.
With his distinctive walk and tough guy character and always pulling out an excuse note signed by "Epstein's mother" this Puerto Rican jew held his own as one of the original sweat hogs. At least we still have Barbarino, Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington, and Horshack.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Gigantes vs. Pats in Super Bowl
GREAT championship weekend. Both games went down to the wire and both games decided by mistakes which is common in tight games.
Going into the Raven/Pats game, the big story was Flacco and what he would do. I thought he had himself a good game. He started out a little rocky but calmed down and really put his team in a position to win the game. With less than 2 minutes remaining, Flacco engineered a late drive culminating with a nice throw to the corner of the end zone to Lee Evans who had it but couldn't hold on to it as the Pats DB got a hand on it to knock it out. Still, it was a ball the veteran Evans should have had. Funny because Evans was brought in this offseason to be that second receiver to complement Boldin. Evans got hurt early in the year and never really amounted to much for the Ravens. He had a chance to redeem a disappointing year but he did not come through. The drop forced the Ravens to kick a game tying 32 yard FG for Billy Cundiff (a Pro Bowler last season) but he pulled it. The faces of the Ravens on the sidelines said it all. I imagine the entire Raven nation had the same looks on their faces. They showed Suggs on the sideline mouthing in slow motion "OH MY GOD!" Tough way to lose but it seems common for big games that are close to come down to a mistake.
The Giants/49ers game was equally entertaining. It was a soggy field and a defensive struggle. The game really boiled down to the 49er punt returner flubbing two punts and costing his team the win. The first punt occurred in the 4th quarter with the 9ers up 14-10 and the punt bounced and he thought about picking it up but didn't. However, the ball clearly bounced off of his knee. He tried to play it down but it was obvious. The Giants recovered and it set up a 3rd down and about 15 yard strike from Eli to Manningham. Great route, great throw, great catch. 49ers ended up coming down and were stopped deep inside of Giants territory forcing a game tying Akers FG. Game ended up going to OT and with both teams getting opportunities it came down to another botched punt return. This time to 9er dude got it but as he was going upfield, he was stripped with the Giants recovering again inside of 9er territory. Tynes ended up kicking the game winner and it was another tough way to lose but again, we have all seen these mistakes happen in big games that cost the game. Interesting game as I thought Alex Smith showed he could not do much late in regulation and OT. He threw a number of balls into the ground and just seemed scared to not be the one to make a mistake. Also, don't like Jim Harbaugh that much. He has done wonders this season however, just seems like an arse in terms of sportsmanship. We all know how he boasted and gloated in the victory over the Lions earlier this season but he barely gave a handshake to Coughlin in the loss. He's an arse.
Anyway, it sets up a rematch of the Super Bowl a few years back with the Giants taking on the Pats. That's the obvious story line going into the game. Another big story line will be Brady and if he is to come away with another victory only furthering his legendary status (same with Belichik). Another is if Eli can pull out a victory, he will prove that he is an elite QB in the league and will have entirely crawled out from his brother's shadow. It'll be interesting to see how this one unfolds. Congrats to both teams for making it.
Going into the Raven/Pats game, the big story was Flacco and what he would do. I thought he had himself a good game. He started out a little rocky but calmed down and really put his team in a position to win the game. With less than 2 minutes remaining, Flacco engineered a late drive culminating with a nice throw to the corner of the end zone to Lee Evans who had it but couldn't hold on to it as the Pats DB got a hand on it to knock it out. Still, it was a ball the veteran Evans should have had. Funny because Evans was brought in this offseason to be that second receiver to complement Boldin. Evans got hurt early in the year and never really amounted to much for the Ravens. He had a chance to redeem a disappointing year but he did not come through. The drop forced the Ravens to kick a game tying 32 yard FG for Billy Cundiff (a Pro Bowler last season) but he pulled it. The faces of the Ravens on the sidelines said it all. I imagine the entire Raven nation had the same looks on their faces. They showed Suggs on the sideline mouthing in slow motion "OH MY GOD!" Tough way to lose but it seems common for big games that are close to come down to a mistake.
The Giants/49ers game was equally entertaining. It was a soggy field and a defensive struggle. The game really boiled down to the 49er punt returner flubbing two punts and costing his team the win. The first punt occurred in the 4th quarter with the 9ers up 14-10 and the punt bounced and he thought about picking it up but didn't. However, the ball clearly bounced off of his knee. He tried to play it down but it was obvious. The Giants recovered and it set up a 3rd down and about 15 yard strike from Eli to Manningham. Great route, great throw, great catch. 49ers ended up coming down and were stopped deep inside of Giants territory forcing a game tying Akers FG. Game ended up going to OT and with both teams getting opportunities it came down to another botched punt return. This time to 9er dude got it but as he was going upfield, he was stripped with the Giants recovering again inside of 9er territory. Tynes ended up kicking the game winner and it was another tough way to lose but again, we have all seen these mistakes happen in big games that cost the game. Interesting game as I thought Alex Smith showed he could not do much late in regulation and OT. He threw a number of balls into the ground and just seemed scared to not be the one to make a mistake. Also, don't like Jim Harbaugh that much. He has done wonders this season however, just seems like an arse in terms of sportsmanship. We all know how he boasted and gloated in the victory over the Lions earlier this season but he barely gave a handshake to Coughlin in the loss. He's an arse.
Anyway, it sets up a rematch of the Super Bowl a few years back with the Giants taking on the Pats. That's the obvious story line going into the game. Another big story line will be Brady and if he is to come away with another victory only furthering his legendary status (same with Belichik). Another is if Eli can pull out a victory, he will prove that he is an elite QB in the league and will have entirely crawled out from his brother's shadow. It'll be interesting to see how this one unfolds. Congrats to both teams for making it.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler Are Expecting!
OH GAWD!!! This is going to be a show.
Pears end the year in a spiral downward. Aging players. Contract disputes. New GM. Looking for O coordinator. May lose Tice. And now Jeff Cutler is not only back on again with Cavallari but they are having a kid. Wonder how long the marriage will last (assuming they make it to a wedding).
JoePa dies
Kind of interesting in the timing of his passing. It was just a couple of months ago when the whole Sandusky thing came out and then Paterno was fired and then he died. All happened pretty quick.
So ESPN had stuff running on Paterno all day yesterday. I understand that he is a legend. He has the most victories of any college football coach. He is Penn State. He holds many records. I also understand that he has had a positive impact on many of his players and that is all well and good. However, I also get that he had a tremendous impact on the young boys that were allegedly molested by Sandusky. Paterno did not do enough to protect those boys.
I really didn't have any feelings for Paterno one way or another six months ago. It's sad what has happened in the last 2-3 months to him but he brought that stuff on himself. He did NOT do what he should have done. It severely tarnishes his legacy and frankly he will be remembered just as much for his lack of action in this scandal and his ultimate firing as he will for his decades long service and coaching at Penn State.
I understand people are sad at his passing and want to glorify him and so forth. However, what about those young boys and their lives? I know Paterno wasn't the one that molested them but he knew about it and didn't do as much as he should/could have. Sandusky was allowed to continue to have an office at Penn State and use the facilities there. It's a shame on all that knew of this. The thing is if this had happened under any other college coach, he would be vilified but because it is JoePa we should allow some leeway because of his accomplishments and he was old and he was sick? I say no. He was wrong in his actions. Any one that disagrees should read the indictment of Sandusky and read the allegations of what happened to those boys and what they had to endure. It's horrific and Paterno knew that was happening. I am not trying to spit on the man's grave but we should certainly be upset by what took place at Penn State under Paterno's watch.
So ESPN had stuff running on Paterno all day yesterday. I understand that he is a legend. He has the most victories of any college football coach. He is Penn State. He holds many records. I also understand that he has had a positive impact on many of his players and that is all well and good. However, I also get that he had a tremendous impact on the young boys that were allegedly molested by Sandusky. Paterno did not do enough to protect those boys.
I really didn't have any feelings for Paterno one way or another six months ago. It's sad what has happened in the last 2-3 months to him but he brought that stuff on himself. He did NOT do what he should have done. It severely tarnishes his legacy and frankly he will be remembered just as much for his lack of action in this scandal and his ultimate firing as he will for his decades long service and coaching at Penn State.
I understand people are sad at his passing and want to glorify him and so forth. However, what about those young boys and their lives? I know Paterno wasn't the one that molested them but he knew about it and didn't do as much as he should/could have. Sandusky was allowed to continue to have an office at Penn State and use the facilities there. It's a shame on all that knew of this. The thing is if this had happened under any other college coach, he would be vilified but because it is JoePa we should allow some leeway because of his accomplishments and he was old and he was sick? I say no. He was wrong in his actions. Any one that disagrees should read the indictment of Sandusky and read the allegations of what happened to those boys and what they had to endure. It's horrific and Paterno knew that was happening. I am not trying to spit on the man's grave but we should certainly be upset by what took place at Penn State under Paterno's watch.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Redskins QB situation
Okay, so it's obvious that our biggest need going into next year is the QB position. With some of the better college QBs returning to school for the next year (Barkley, Jones) it leaves Luck and RG3 as the prime college QB candidates. I think it is fair to say that Luck will go #1 overall (whether it is to the Colts or someone that trades for that #1 overall pick).
The Skins have the #6 overall pick and the teams currently in front of them all have QBs (Rams - Bradford, Vikings - Ponder, Browns - McCoy, Bucs - Freeman). Now one of these teams may surprise and end up wanting to draft RG3. The Rams may consider trying to unload the injury riddled Bradford and his hefty contract and take RG3. The Browns and Vikings may not be satisfied with what they have and try and get RG3. Or another team may trade up and go for him. However, it is possible that RG3 is available at #6. In that case, I think it is a no brainer that we draft him. The question is do we commit ourselves to RG3 enough where we trade up to ensure we get him? If he is drafted before our pick, do we draft another QB with our pick?
Here are my thoughts. We need to try and get RG3 but we shouldn't overspend for the guy. If he is there at #6, take him. If we feel like we need to trade up, go ahead but do not give up too much. If we don't land him, I'd like to make a play for Matt Flynn. Was listening to Sean Salisbury yesterday about Flynn and he was saying that Flynn is better than half the QBs in the league starting right now. He also commended the Packers for their development of QBs (Favre, Rodgers, Brunell, Hasselbeck, Aaron Brooks, Flynn). The good thing about Flynn too is that he has been in the pros for a few years now and has had the opportunity to sit and study and learn from some of the best. The down side is that he will probably cost a whole lot more than RG3 who is now affected by the rookie contracts. This is also a reason why the Rams may want to rid themselves of Bradford. Bradford's contract is a lot more expensive and by trading him they would rid themselves of the contract, be able to draft solid QB in RG3, and also be able to gather picks with the trade of Bradford. I wouldn't mind getting Bradford either but at the right price. It is also well known that the Shannys are high on Bradford so this is a possibility.
Bottom line, I do believe there are options out there for us. What I do not want to have happen is for us to settle on a second rate college QB at #6 (assuming Luck and RG3 are gone). I also do not want to settle for a FA like Kyle Orton or someone of that caliber as our QB. It certainly is going to be interesting how this plays out but again, I'm hoping the Skins brass does not disappoint here. Since the Shannys arrived they have pretty much botched the QB position (getting rid of JC, bringing in McNabb, going into the season with Rexy and Beck, replacing Rexy with Beck when we were 3-2 an atop the East). This will be a defining move for the Shannys and a defining season for them as well.
The Skins have the #6 overall pick and the teams currently in front of them all have QBs (Rams - Bradford, Vikings - Ponder, Browns - McCoy, Bucs - Freeman). Now one of these teams may surprise and end up wanting to draft RG3. The Rams may consider trying to unload the injury riddled Bradford and his hefty contract and take RG3. The Browns and Vikings may not be satisfied with what they have and try and get RG3. Or another team may trade up and go for him. However, it is possible that RG3 is available at #6. In that case, I think it is a no brainer that we draft him. The question is do we commit ourselves to RG3 enough where we trade up to ensure we get him? If he is drafted before our pick, do we draft another QB with our pick?
Here are my thoughts. We need to try and get RG3 but we shouldn't overspend for the guy. If he is there at #6, take him. If we feel like we need to trade up, go ahead but do not give up too much. If we don't land him, I'd like to make a play for Matt Flynn. Was listening to Sean Salisbury yesterday about Flynn and he was saying that Flynn is better than half the QBs in the league starting right now. He also commended the Packers for their development of QBs (Favre, Rodgers, Brunell, Hasselbeck, Aaron Brooks, Flynn). The good thing about Flynn too is that he has been in the pros for a few years now and has had the opportunity to sit and study and learn from some of the best. The down side is that he will probably cost a whole lot more than RG3 who is now affected by the rookie contracts. This is also a reason why the Rams may want to rid themselves of Bradford. Bradford's contract is a lot more expensive and by trading him they would rid themselves of the contract, be able to draft solid QB in RG3, and also be able to gather picks with the trade of Bradford. I wouldn't mind getting Bradford either but at the right price. It is also well known that the Shannys are high on Bradford so this is a possibility.
Bottom line, I do believe there are options out there for us. What I do not want to have happen is for us to settle on a second rate college QB at #6 (assuming Luck and RG3 are gone). I also do not want to settle for a FA like Kyle Orton or someone of that caliber as our QB. It certainly is going to be interesting how this plays out but again, I'm hoping the Skins brass does not disappoint here. Since the Shannys arrived they have pretty much botched the QB position (getting rid of JC, bringing in McNabb, going into the season with Rexy and Beck, replacing Rexy with Beck when we were 3-2 an atop the East). This will be a defining move for the Shannys and a defining season for them as well.
Raheem Morris joins Redskins' staff
Morris has signed on to coach the DBs. He comes with good experience as he had a one-year stint as Kansas State's defensive coordinator then coached the Buccaneers defensive backs. Morris was Tampa Bay's defensive backfield coach for four seasons. He replaced Monte Kiffin as defensive coordinator in 2008.
Our DBs need some help and Morris seems like a no nonsense type of guy that has leadership qualities and should be able to command the respect of our DBs.
Our DBs need some help and Morris seems like a no nonsense type of guy that has leadership qualities and should be able to command the respect of our DBs.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Congrats to London Fletcher
For making the Pro Bowl. Actually, I feel bad for the guy as year in/year out the guy is one of the best at his position but he never gets his just due. He got in the Pro Bowl because Urlacher said he wasn't going to make the trip. Fletcher is the ageless wonder and he led the league in tackling this year and had another stellar performance this season yet he never gets his just due. I imagine it's largely because Fletcher is not a flashy player nor is he a prototypical LB. He is short, stocky, older and he plays for a team that has been down and doesn't get much attention. He doesn't get the recognition from the average fan like Urlacher or Willis. Still, the guy puts up better numbers than them and while he may get the respect of his peers and those that know football (as evidenced by his 2nd team All Pro honors), he is definitely under the radar when it comes to the national fans. While I know he must be happy to get in to the Pro Bowl, I am sure it would mean much more to him to get voted in as a starter as opposed to going as an alternate.
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