Post by mexicanjunior on Sept 4, 2008 15:28:32 GMT -6
sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/dr_z/09/03/week.1/index.html?eref=T1
Dr. Z NFL POWER RANKINGS
"I'm in a dark corner, fighting out..."
--Mark Stevens, in the film, The Dark Corner, 20th Century Fox, 1946.
That's me, fighting out of a dark corner, trapped in the eternal darkness of ignorance. Think I know who the great teams are, before they've played a game, a half, a quarter? Ha and ha.
"I don't know nodding!"
--Sig Rumann, Stalag 17, Paramount, 1953.
Now you know what to expect. No, not more movies, just a different corner of the dream factory, and this one is called The Power Rankings:
NFL Power Rankings, Week 1
1 New England Patriots
Tom Brady's Foot. Not quite as devastating as Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, which lit up Chicago, but serious enough to occupy most of the Patriots' press conference Monday. Here's an excerpt from the transcript of Tom boy's Q&A session, smuggled to me under cover of darkness by Casey The Transcript Thief of Foxboro, and in case you're wondering, yes, it's real, the real thing.
Q: Everyone keeps asking you about your health. How big of a distraction is it?
A: It is as big of a distraction as anyone wants to let it become, which I don't think anyone will let it become a distraction.
And there you have it, folks. Breaking news from Foxboro, the foot capital of New England, and yes, I am making the Patriots my top dog right now, until some more significant feet, uh feat, displaces them.
2 San Diego Chargers
I've died and gone to heaven. My first day there, I drop over to the stadium to watch a contest between Sid Gillman's True West Coast Offense and Tom Landry's Doomsday Defense. Keith Lincoln against Lee Roy Jordan, Lance Alworth vs. Cliff Harris, San Diego-Dallas for the ages.
3 Dallas Cowboys
Attention Cowboys! You're the custodian of a Hall of Fame career, kindly don't screw it up and get the guy hurt. I'm talking about Zach Thomas, who follows in a long line of great southwestern linebackers.
4 Minnesota Vikings
Yeah, you're right, in June I picked them as my Super Bowl winner. I've got a copout available. They told me Tarvaris Jackson was their man. Twenty minutes later they made a big move toward Brett Favre. Cross me up, will ya?
5 Indianapolis Colts
All I'm reading about is Peyton's bursa sac. Is that when they blitz all three linebackers?
6 Jacksonville Jaguars
Everybody's excited because they needed a pass rush so they devoted their first two picks to edge rushers. Then the top pick, Derrick Harvey, became the last first rounder to sign, so deep into the preseason that he might need a ticket for the Tennessee game. Note to Jaguars: Got to have it both ways. First you draft 'em, then you sign 'em. One won't work without the other.
7 Philadelphia Eagles
Yeah, I know, I picked them for the Super Bowl. But not right away. They'll get better during the season. Since I didn't get to see everyone preseason, I asked some of the PR men I know pretty well who has been their best player so far. "Gotta be No. 5," said Philly's Derek Boyko. Sharp, happy, more confident within himself. Man, that's what I like to hear about my Super Bowl picks and especially Donovan McNabb, No. 5.
8 Pittsburgh Steelers
Carrying through on this lame crutch of an angle, the name I hear here is Lawrence Timmons, an inside LB who couldn't crack the starting lineup as a No. 1 draft choice last year. If he's the real thing, this should wrap up the best LB corps in the league.
9 New York Giants
The defending champs could surprise us. And Justin Tuck could emerge as one of the truly great linemen this season, but with both starting DE's gone, the temptation might be to keep Tuck on the field longer than what makes sense, and then the whole equation goes kaboom!
10 Green Bay Packers
For the first time in memory, the Pack faces a hostile fan base. I think Aaron Rodgers will do all right, not great right away, but hardly a disaster.