Gun Slinger

Nick Creegan

Steelers fans cheered a week ago when they found out their team would be playing a freefalling Denver Broncos team that had lost three straight with an impotent passing game that Tim Tebow led.  

Why would the defending AFC champion Steelers have anything to worry about?

Who’s Tebow anyway? His magic ended four weeks ago.

If he couldn’t move his team against an 11^th-ranked defense in the Kansas City Chiefs, how the hell would one of the most inaccurate QBs in the NFL have any success against coordinator Dick LeBeau’s No. 1 ranked defense?

Champ Bailey would have to run back a 99-yard interception for a TD with a few seconds left in the fourth quarter, right? Or maybe while Tebow was on bended knee, Matt Prater would kick a 65-yard FG and get another win in miraculous fashion.

Well, neither of those scenarios came to pass.

Some “Tebowing” was involved at the end of the game, though. It came right after Tebow threw for 316 yards -- an average of 31 yards per throw -- and connected with Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard, game-winning TD in overtime.

All right, wait a minute here. Time out!

Am I writing this correctly? Tebow threw for not one but two touchdowns? You mean he was actually the main X-factor for his team against the best defense in the NFL?

With a little Mile High magic and a whole lot of trigger-pulling, Tebow shredded the Steelers from the second quarter until the thrilling and odd-defying ending. He hit the best defense with three of the biggest pass pays it had allowed all season and has now brought his Broncos farther than anyone — besides Skip Bayless — could have imagined.

The key to Denver’s offensive success was its read-option threat. The Steelers were so concerned about stopping the runs of either Willis McGahee or Tebow, they left no deep coverage, which opened the field for Tebow to throw bombs and for his playmakers to come up big. He passed for 72 more yards than Ben Roethlisberger with half the attempts and half the completions.

Absurd, I know.

With some help from his defense and his playmaking wide receivers, Tebow ultimately defined this win. It appears now that Brady Quinn, the Broncos backup QB, is out of the postseason equation, and No. 15 has cemented his spot as the starter.

In the game Sunday, Tebow did even better than team vice president John Elway, a Hall of Fame quarterback, by actually winning his first playoff game against the same team Elway lost to in his playoff debut.

For the Mile High City, this was its highest moment in more than 10 years. It appears this will remain the high point unless, of course, the magic continues Saturday in Foxboro, Mass., against an old friend: New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniel, the former Denver coach who drafted both Tebow and Thomas.

The Broncos are a 14-point underdog against the Patriots, the top seed in the AFC. But if you like keeping your money, don’t bet any of it against Tim Tebow.

A View From a Bridge #FreeToTweet

This was a speech I delivered at the NAACP ACT-SO National Competition after winning the regional competition. This exemplifies my freedom of speech #FreeToTweet

I have just come back from a journey in the world of nearly five months. I have traveled 15,000 miles. I set foot on three continents. I have visited five countries, four African islands and five African colonies. I have sailed under five flags. I have seen a black president inaugurated. I have walked the African big bush and heard the night cry of leopards. I have traded in African markets, talked with African chiefs and been the guest of white governors. I have seen the Alhambra and the great mosque at Cordova and lunched with H.G. Wells; and I am full, very full with things that must be said. - Written by W. E. B Dubois on December 16, 1923.

I too stand before you today full of questions that beg to be answered. Why am I a 17 year old high school senior plagued with concern in a world of uncertainty? It is perpetuated for many reasons. Some of those reasons are the lack of adult leadership, the lack of economic security, and the lack of knowing our history. The tale goes if you do not know your history; you will be doomed to repeat it. I am committed to learning and practicing the steps that are necessary to doing my part in healing our country economically and culturally.
  

Is it fair
that a young 8 year old boy was turned away with his mother from a barber shop because of the texture of his hair? That young 8 year old boy was me and at the time I did not understand the concept of discrimination. As the product of a socially accepted inter-racial couple, I understand that America has come a long way from the bigotry of generations before mine. This is exemplified in recent events such as Senator John McCain delivering his concession speech. He sited, "A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt's invitation of Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage in many quarters. America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States." This is proof that we are moving towards a more UNITED States of America.

When one thinks of anything that is beneficial
in times of crisis- we should not be thinking of the weapons of war or pointing the finger in order to place blame but instead think of the knowledge that is overflowing everywhere for the taking. The weapon of knowledge has saved the heart of America in economic crisis and War-time before and can do the same today. I hope the leaders of our beloved country take advantage of it. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke out against the Vietnam War and his motto was saving the soul of America. I believe Dr. King was explaining that if our leaders did not use the necessary knowledge to end the war at the right time our country would be like an 18 wheeler truck going full speed without a driver. To end this present economic crisis and gain back our morality and economic security the U.S. must not be a blind pilot handing out bailouts left and right but instead look deep into the problem and see where the foundation started to deteriorate and start repairing the damage not patching it up.
 

Building goodwill and better friendships
among American citizens is the necessary first step to unifying our country. The overall enthusiasm in our recent electoral process shows proof that America is ready and willing to build a bridge over our differences to help restore our prosperity and to defend our security in a dangerous world. The Former Triboro bridge was renamed the Robert F. Kennedy bridge not too long ago and RFK Jr. believed this tribute to his father was appropriate because his father was "about bridging all the differences". I like many Americans preceding me, am a literal embodiment of what can happen when different worlds come together. A bridge; African American, Caucasian and West Indian cultures came together to create the young man standing before you today. I am the bridge between our history and the future. I am the bridge that can increase communication between young and old. I am the Bridge that can articulate why my generation's pants may sag lower than the Dow Jones stock market. I am the BRIDGE that must find a way to maintain, nurture, & restore a planet passed onto my generation in such dire state. I know that I am not alone on this interstate- 911 as you can see by the presence of my peers who are also here today. It is only by BRIDGING our gaps together that we can create a real bridge over troubled waters. We as a people must unite together and construct this bridge- Our nation, the present, and your future depend on it. Many of our former leaders built their legacy on these four points so that I could stand upon them and have a VIEW from a BRIDGE.

Nick Creegan Interviews ESPN's Skip Bayless & Rob Parker

Part 1

Part 2


Nick Creegan

Skip Bayless and Rob Parker share their opinions about Blake Griffen's race along with their thoughts on other athletes.

Give Him a Chance

Nick Creegan

Through the “Tebowing” imitations, to being considered a QB who will never prosper in the NFL and to being mocked for wearing his religion on his sleeve, Tim Tebow still manages to stay poised.

After a devastating blowout loss a week ago to the Detroit Lions, Tebow was challenged for the first time in his football career. He responded Sunday to this adversity he faced from the media and from his Denver teammates by leading the Broncos to a 38-24 victory over their division rival, the Oakland Raiders.

He not only rushed for 118 yards — the only QB to do so this season — on 11 carries, Tebow also threw touchdown passes of 27 yards to Eric Decker and 26 yards to Eddie Royal with no interceptions.

Tebow’s dual-threat game complemented running back Willis McGahee well, and they became the Broncos' first quarterback-running back combination to rush for 100 yards each in the same game since Norris Weese and Otis Armstrong pulled off the feat in 1976.

Now, Tim Tebow is far from the team’s savior, but why not give him a chance to develop?

It’s too early to consider him a bust. Five starts into a NFL career do not define an elite quarterback or turn him into the next Ryan Leaf. Just look at the first five starts of some of the current “elite” quarterbacks:

• The Colts' Peyton Manning, a No. 1 overall pick, went 1-4 with four touchdowns and 12 interceptions before going on to win a Super Bowl.
• The Giants' Eli Manning, No. 1 pick (traded from Chargers after the draft) went 0-5 with three touchdowns and seven interceptions. He, too, went on to win a Super Bowl.
• The Packers' Aaron Rodgers, after sitting behind Brett Favre, went 2-3 as a starter, finally, in his fourth season. His record included nine touchdowns and four interceptions. He has also won a Super Bowl.

In his first five starts, Tebow has passed for 984 yards, rushed for 321 yards and completed 48.3 percent of his passes. So he’s in good company in terms of his mixed results, but he has shown signs of future success. He just has to fine-tune his accuracy and learn to convert third downs.

But some who follow the Broncos argue that veteran Kyle Orton should still be starting because he’s the best option that the team has for winning this season.

What are these Tebow critics basing that on?

The last time I checked Orton won only three games last year.

In the past two seasons, the Broncos are 4-15 when Tebow doesn't start; they are 3-3 when he does. So it looks as if Denver has found its quarterback of tomorrow, and it’s not Orton.

But, then again, Andrew Luck hasn’t entered the NFL draft yet.

Get Ya Popcorn Ready!

Nick Creegan

Terrell Owens said in an interview on Wednesday that he plans on playing football, and Owens said he could be ready in a month or less.

Owens, almost 38, is coming off surgery for a torn ACL, and as talented as he is, he’s often been a sideshow who serves as a distraction for most of the teams he’s played for.

But he has always produced at a high level.

When Owens was asked what a team can expect if it signed him, he said, “They gonna get the T.O. that they expect. Don’t expect anything less. I’m not gonna waste your time, so I wouldn’t expect you to waste my time. When I step on the field, you know what you gonna get.”

T.O. is definitely onto something here. An NFL team that has playoff aspirations should take a gamble and sign this guy. What do they have to lose?

Nothing.

If he’s 100-percent healthy, he can still be productive — not a difference-maker, per se, but still productive. With the Cincinnati Bengals last season, he had 983 receiving yards and scored nine touchdowns.

So if a team signs him, a coach could be looking at 550-600 yards and seven touchdowns with what remains of the 2011 season, assuming T.O. learns the offense quickly.

If everything had gone as planned and he’d been healthy to start the season, you'd easily be looking at 50-to-60 catches, 1,000 yards and eight-10 TDs. Owens has done that everywhere he’s gone.

Hate him or love him, the man can produce anywhere — well almost anywhere.

He can only be an asset on the right team, a team that can handle his mercurial personality.

If I were the GM on a team that needed a few offensive additions to launch it into the playoffs and had an experienced QB, I’d sign him, no doubt. Even though a team like the Vikings could use whatever help it can get, Owens and Donovan McNabb don’t work, as we all saw in Philly.

A team like the Texans with Matt Schaub behind center might, however, be a wonderful fit. Not just because Andre Johnson is hurt, but also because Owens would be a great No. 2 or No. 3 WR, along with Kevin Walter, to help take the attention off Johnson when he returns.

The Chargers also could benefit from signing T.O. in case Vincent Jackson gets hurt mid-season.

And if T.O. could somehow shut his mouth, the St. Louis Rams might also be a fit for this talent and a place where he’d be able to get the most accomplished. As anyone who follows the Rams can attest, Sam Bradford needs a dependable wide receiver — badly. Owens could give Bradford a No. 1 target.

Shoot, Jerry Rice or Cris Carter could help the receiver-challenged Rams at this point.

A talented player like T.O. can help any number of teams that need a wide receiver, and his return to the field might allow him to end his NFL career on a high note.

But at 37, he’ll have to leave all the drama behind him. If he can’t prove he has, he makes himself unmarketable to teams that might have even a slight interest in his talent.

NABJ: Stephen A. Smith

Stephen A. Smith shares some of his personal background information and provides advice to aspiring journalists on how to break into the world of sports journalism. This interview took place at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Philadelphia, PA. NABJ is an excellent organization and I recommend every young journalist of color to join. (Please excuse the sound quality, we were using a hand held camera)

Dream...What?

Nick Creegan

Philadelphia's so-called “Dream Team” is starting to look like a nightmare. 

Once viewed as the Super Bowl favorite in many people's eyes, the high-profiled Eagles now sit in last place in the NFC East. They have been on a free-fall for three straight weeks, and their fall does not seem to be slowing. 

Going into yesterday's game, the Birds had lost two straight, including their home opener.

The worst part about these first two losses was that the Eagles held leads going into the fourth quarter, and Sunday proved to be the same.

It was yet-another embarrassing meltdown for the Eagles as they gave up a 20-point lead in the second half at home to the San Francisco 49ers — which was the franchise's biggest blown lead since the Eagles blew a 21-point lead in 1999 against the Arizona Cardinals. 

The only Eagle who's living up to expectations is Michael Vick — injured hand and all. He threw for a career-high 416 yards and two touchdowns; he also rushed for 76 yards. Vick's stellar performance was wasted by these floundering pigeons. Vick would set up rookie kicker Alex Henery with big plays, including the 61-yard bomb to DeSean Jackson, and Henery failed to come through, missing a field goal from 39 yards out. LeSean McCoy, who was the leading NFL rusher in yards going into Week 3, rushed for only 18 yards on nine carries. 

In the last three weeks, Vick and the Eagles have been owned in the fourth quarter. They have been outscored 36-0  and have turned the ball over three times. Their “shutdown” secondary has not been able to force one turnover in any of those fourth quarters. 

The Eagles defense is proving to be a weak link of “star” athletes who are not playing good football. They're playing downright awful. The interior defense is continuing to get exposed. It has given up the most yards in the league on runs of the middle and 6.2 yards per rush, and the defense is allowing the third-most rushing yards per game in the league (139.5 yards). 

Are the Eagles defensive backs going to learn how to tackle? 

Will the linebackers get faster and more alert? 

The Eagles have 12 games left to do so, or they can kiss the division title, and maybe even they playoffs, goodbye.

They have come back from early-season deficits before and still ended up with a winning record, such as when they were 0-2 in 2003 and finished 12-4. The problem with this year's team is it hasn't proved itself in situations like this yet. There are many new faces that have never played together, and they are under more pressure than some Eagles teams have faced in the past. There has to be a point where these talented players get sick of losing games they were expected to win and actually feel embarrassed enough to take action.

Coach Andy Reid and his coaching staff are not free from blame here either, but they aren't the ones out on the field missing tackles, missing field goals and fumbling. There is enough talent on both sides of the ball to turn the season around, but Philly better find that sense of urgency -- and fast. 

Unfortunately, signing big-name free agents does not guarantee a championship for a team.

Just ask Dwayne Wade.