Happy Saturday, All.  In what I think will become a semi-regular part of the Sun Tzu Saturday Extravaganza, I am pleased to present the first edition of the Saturday Morning Face-Off.  To start things off, I am taking a look at winter sports, both real and imagined.  I look forward to the debate.

NHL versus NBA

For me, this is a no-brainer – I’ll take a hockey game any time over a basketball game, and to take that one step further, I will take the over the NBA.  Consider that 9 teams have won all the NBA championships over the last 40 years.  That is a staggering statistic.  The average years between titles for teams not named the Lakers or Celtics is over 30!  Half of the league has never even been in an NBA Final!  As a fan, how do you continue to support a product when you have almost no chance of rooting for a championship season?  Other things I don’t like about the NBA include…traveling & palming – not called.  It takes 30 minutes to play the final 2 minutes of game clock.  Officiating and officiating crews biases have a huge impact on outcome.  Individual players are more important than team play. 

So the NHL is a faster game with more continuous action, the refs, while imperfect, are tolerable and usually equally bad for both teams, stars are important but team play decides champions, teams can emerge each season and challenge for a title.  (In the NBA, you can name the pool of potential champions of about 4 teams with great reliability).  Aside from their absurd labor issues, the NHL is a better game.

Pro Bowl versus NBA All-Star Game

Which All-Star game is the worst?  A touch football game or a playground basketball game where defense is outlawed?  The Pro Bowl was bad and the NBA game is this weekend.  I think the NBA game is slightly better because we can all enjoy a beautiful passing sequence and the skill that is on display.  The NFL guys just want to be in Hawaii and cash their bonus checks.

Banana Joe versus Any Other Breed of Dog

The Westminster Dog Show picked an obscure breed of dog -  an affenpinscher - to win this year’s best in show.  I think this dog might be better off in some of the ugly dog show.  I would prefer a more distinguished breed like that of my dog, a Cavalier King Charles or my previous breed a Keeshond.  How about the ol’ reliable German Shepard?  What’s your breed of choice?  And while on the subject, there is only ONE movie of merit on the topic…”Best in Show.”  If you haven’t seen it, now is the time.

SI Swimsuit Issue Vs. ESPN Body Issue

The 2013 SI Swimsuit Issue hit the stands this week with a whole new level of titillation on display.  The question is that is the ESPN Body Issue a better sports “body” magazine than SI’s Swimsuit?  The Body Issue does not pretend to be something other than the celebration of the Body Athletic.  It also balances out the male form with the female athlete.  From a purely sports prospective, I think I appreciate ESPN’s The Magazine Body Issue over the SI Swimsuit Issue…although it is hard to argue with Kate Upton.

Argo versus Lincoln

The Academy Awards are just a couple of weeks away and I thought we should take a quick look at the top picks for movie of the year – Argo and Lincoln.  I have seen all of the top candidates for MOY and I think the Academy has their hands full with this year’s crop of movies.  I loved Daniel Day Lewis’ portrayal of Lincoln – you really felt like you were in his presence.  On the other hand, Argo was a compelling story that strikes a cord very much like Zero Dark Thirty but does it with a little more style.  Both movies were brilliant but I think I have to pick Argo as my favorite for MOY. 

Will  you spend any time watching the Pro Bowl?

When the Los Angeles Rams took a flier on wide receiver Drew Hill in the 12th round of the 1979 draft, they knew they were getting a 5'9" player with excellent speed.

It was also a long shot that he'd make the team, having spent much of his time at Georgia Tech University blocking for running back Eddie Lee Ivory.

Ivory was the Green Bay Packers first-round draft pick that year. Offensive linemen Kent Hill and Roy Simmons were the only other Tech offensive players drafted that year.

Kent Hill happened to be the Rams first-round selection and would be Drew Hill's teammate his entire career except for the 1985 season.

Hill made the team as a kick returner. He took a return 98 yards for a score in his second season and led the league in returns in his third. He was rarely used as a receiver in his first three years, as the Rams leaned on veterans like Ron Jessie, Preston Dennard, and Bill Waddy.

Yet he did help the Rams reach their first ever Super Bowl as a rookie. After missing the entire 1983 year because of injury, Hill returned with luster.

Los Angeles finally used him more on offense, where he teamed with Pro Bowler Henry Ellard and Olympic sprint Gold Medalist Ron Brown to comprise of a very exciting receiving trio.

Though the Rams leaned on Hall of Fame halfback Eric Dickerson and his then-record 2,105 yards off a whopping 379 carries, Hill averaged an amazing 27.9 yards on 14 receptions. Brown averaged over 20 yards and Ellard averaged over 18 yards per catch as well that season.


Despite just 60 receptions in five years, Houston traded two draft picks to acquire Hill to help out Warren Moon, who was signed in 1984. Moon, a future Hall of Fame quarterback, came to the Oilers with new head coach Hugh Campbell and quickly bonded with Hill.

Moon and Campbell won five Grey Cups together with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. Campbell won nine CFL titles total with the Eskimos.

Campbell was focused on stocking the defense in the draft. He drafted two players, Steve Tasker and Mike Golic, who went on to help other teams.

Hill caught 64 balls his first year as an Oiler, while gaining a career best 1,169 yards. The nine touchdown catches he had had year would be the second best total of his career. Campbell was fired before the season ended, replaced by Jerry Glanville.

Glanville began getting Moon and Hill players on offense by drafting wide receivers Haywood Jeffries, Ernest Givens and Curtis Duncan in the 1987 draft.

Kent Hill had come over from the Rams in 1986 to help Mike Munchak, Bruce Matthews, and Dean Steinkuhler form an excellent offensive line. Munchak and Matthews would later be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Oilers reached the playoffs in 1987 for the first time since 1980. They would go to the playoffs every year until 1993. Though they lost in the first round for times and reached the second round just thrice, their "Run and Shoot" offense was prolific.

Though Hill weighed 170, he was the inside receiver for Houston. While he often would stretch the seam of defenses, he was tough enough to go over the middle and was a good blocker. He soon became the guy Moon could rely on most.


“Drew was a great receiver, one who knew the offense and was always in the right spot,” Moon said. “I always knew exactly where Drew would be. He had a low-key demeanor. He didn’t get upset. He was always cool under pressure.”

While the 1987 season is most noted for losing four games because of a players strike, Hill was still able to pile up 989 yards on 49 receptions. He then followed that up the next year with perhaps the finest season of his career.

While obtaining his first Pro Bowl nod, Hill set a career high mark of 10 touchdown catches while grabbing 72 passes for 1,141 yards. He got dinged up with injuries the next year, missing four starts, but still was able to gain 938 yards on 66 receptions and eight scores.

The 1990 season was his last Pro Bowl year after Hill caught 74 passes. He followed that up with a career best 90 receptions the next season despite being 35-years old. Hill also has a knack of making his fellow wide receivers better too.

His leadership and influence helped Jeffries, Givens, and Duncan all become Pro Bowl players as well. The quartet caught 315 passes as a group in the 1991 season. Hill and Jeffries had 190 by themselves. He left the Oilers after that year to back to his home state and join the Atlanta Falcons.

He was the Oilers leader in career receptions and receiving yards when he left. He still ranks fourth in receptions and second in receiving yards and touchdowns. Hill caught 94 balls in two tears with the Falcons before retiring after the 1993 season.


Though he was a humble man who shunned the spotlight, Hill had over 1,000 yards receiving in five of his seven years with Houston. His 15.6 yards per catch average shows his ability to get deep into a defense despite working through the heart of the defense most of the time.

While he was old school, just doing his job in a steady fashion that was as reliable as the sun rising and setting, Hill never made waves or wanted superfluous attention. Yet his 634 career receptions for 9,831 yards and 61 touchdowns show he was beyond spectacular.

Former teammates said he lived his last years an avid golfer who ran a business in the Atlanta area. Alonzo Highsmith saw Hill in December, saying Hill told him he was doing well. Yet he had two massive strokes Friday and passed away. News of his passing has slowly been trickling out at a low-key pace since.

Even in passing, Hill has found a way to temporarily avoid the spotlight. Yet now is the time for any fan anywhere, especially those blessed enough to actually get to watch him play, to take a moment of silence and appreciate the gridiron exploits of Drew Hill.

I'm coming to the slow realization that everyone is right about January being terrible. It seems that all I really want to do this month is sleep. I think bears have it right with the hibernation idea; or maybe I need to tweak my C-Pap.

What do you think shock-rocker and recent Rock Hall inductee Alice Cooper?

Speaking of Michigan, things seem to be getting sweeter for them. They got a new coach, Brady Hoke, even though the fans still seem really down about not getting Harbaugh for some reason. If you land a guy like Hoke who has turned around programs like Ball State and San Diego State, I figure you should be happy. If not I figure I know a few people who want him back.

Michigan was also able to lure away the Baltimore Raven's defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. Mattison has been with Michigan before, most notbale during the 1996 season. He's got his work cut out for him to improve their defense. More impressive is that he'd be willing to leave the NFL for a down program in UofM. Maybe it's another sign that next season may be off in the NFL?

Speaking of which, I am coming off another .500 week of picking. I'm about as good as the Lions here. I am really hoping that the Steelers can beat the Jets and make the voices stop. In the words of my inner Wes Welker: I am hoping that Ben Roethlisberger can take advantage of a Jets team that may still be drunk with joy after beating the Pats. Now both defenses are good (happy Bart Scott?0, but I think i give the Steelers the been there before edge. Not only that, I know they'll act like it.

On the other side of the league, looks like another grudge match in the Bears-Pack series. I am hoping for a blizzard at Soldier Filed as that would just be classic. As of right now, the weatherman is calling for 20's with a chance of snow. Either way, I think the Packers offense beats out the Bears offense. Aaron Rodgers has too many weapons and someone got Jones catching the ball.

I'm jumping on the Steeler's-Packers super bowl train. This is a great match-up. Both teams have a great defense and great histories. I am going to call for a Packers win.

Well, the NHL picked it's captains for it's all star game and gave Nikolas Lidstrom and Eric Staal. The starters are still the guys voted in by fans, so that means we'll probably see Crosby...

But, I have to say the new system impresses me and I'll be tuning in to see how it goes. The captain system could be an interesting way to shake up all star games. I'd like to see the NBA try it and even baseball if they can get off the This one counts crap.

Which brings me to my next point: why do we still have an NFL pro bowl? Honestly, have any of you ever watched it? I used to watch the NFL QB Club Challenges when I was little, but I don't remember ever watching the game. It's just highly watered down football. It seems pointless to even invite a defense. Also, moving it to before the Super Bwol doesn't help. If anything, it means the few people that watch will be missing good players from two teams. I think the NFl should scrap it and just go with an all NFL first and second team.
Finally, Fan brought up a great point about Blake Griffin being a player that could bring some of the disillusioned back to the NBA fold. He's exciting and dunks, but he's also a bad ass. The only problem...

This guy gets it.

ESPN has fallen in love with Blake Griffin. They keep trying to compare him to Shawn Kemp and yelling about how he can dunk. Yeah. I know. But, he's also probably one of the most marketable players out there aside from Durant. Please go back to Bron and Kobe and leave Blake alone.

Which brings us to our word of the week: ESPN.

 Adj. Something which is incredibly overplayed and overdramatized.

That's it for this week. I'm gonna try to get some sleep. Thanks as always for the read and any comments you leave along the way.

Michael Vick is the top dog of Philadelphia now, the leader of an Eagles pack looking for championship gold, and the alpha male people remembered him being back in 2005.

Vick's recent development as a quarterback can be attributed to maturity and also to finally getting the coaching he so desperately needed. When he was the first pick of the 2001 draft by the Atlanta Falcons, he joined a rapidly aging club entering their third season away from a Super Bowl loss.

Dan Reeves was the head coach of the team at the time, and is best remembered as the guy who helped develop Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway. Like Vick, Elway was also an extremely mobile player with an extremely strong throwing arm. Veteran Chris Chandler, a two-time Pro Bowler who had led the Falcons to Super Bowl XXXIII, started 14 games that season as Vick learned.

Chandler joined the Chicago Bears in 2002, so Vick had the job. He threw for a career high 2,936 yards under Reeves, as well as having a two-to-one touchdown to interception ratio, as Atlanta made the playoffs. He also led the league with a 6.9 yards per carry average and piled up 777 yards and career best eight scores on the ground.

The future looked extremely bright for the 22-year old kid who just made his first Pro Bowl by electrifying the gridiron with a skill set never quite seen before in the history of the game. All that was missing from his arsenal was the obvious need for more experiences to learn from.

Then things got sidetracked.

He spent much of 2003 injured, only playing in five games. Atlanta fired Reeves at the end of the year and replaced him with the inexperienced Jim Mora Jr., the son of veteran coach Jim Mora Sr. The young Mora specialized as a defensive secondary coach before getting his first head job by Atlanta.

Being so inexperienced with limited offensive knowledge at 33-years old, Mora Jr. seemed to basically keep out of the local hero Vick's way and allow him to do as he pleased. It worked for awhile, as Atlanta won 22 of 33 games and Vick went to two more Pro Bowls before the bottom fell out. The Falcons lost nine of their final 14 games in 2006 despite Vick setting a NFL rushing record for quarterbacks with 1,039 yards and leading the league best 8.4 yards per carry.

Reports started to leak out about his behavior off the field since 2004. A truck carrying two men and marijuana was stopped by police. The truck belonged to Vick. Later that year members of his entourage were observed stealing an expensive watch at an airport.

In 2006, a woman talked about him carrying the alias "Ron Mexico" and giving her herpes. There was a huge run on Falcons jerseys with Vick's number and Mexico's name on the back of it, causing NFL commissioner Roger Goodell banned any further sale of that type of garment.

Later that year, he walked off the Falcons field following a defeat sticking both of middle fingers up in the air towards fans. It was one of his last acts as a member of the Falcons.

In the early part of 2007, a family members drug activity caused authorities to stumble over a dog fighting ring being held on property owned by Vick. After initially denying all charges, he admitted his role and was sentenced to three years in jail. After serving over a year, he was released.

Because of the loss of endorsements, living an expensive lifestyle, having to give moneys back to the Falcons and other, court costs, and many bad financial moves, he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. He signed with the Eagles for $1.5 million and spent 2009 barely playing in an undefined role.

Upon his recent explosion in 2010, it appears he was doing more than holding a clipboard for Eagles legend Donovan McNabb. Head coach Andy Reid spent two years as a quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers, who had future Hall of Famer Brett Favre at the helm.

He had replaced Marty Mornhinweg, who held the job in 1996 and coaxed Farve to his only Super Bowl win. Mornhinweg then left Green Bay to be Hall of Famer Steve Young's quarterbacks coach with the San Francisco 49ers, as well as develop future four-time Pro Bowler Jeff Garcia. He left the Niners after Garcia had the best season of his career in 2000.

After a disastrous stay as head coach of the Detroit Lions, he reunited with Reid in 2003 in Philadelphia. Reid and Mornhinweg, with the help of second year quarterbacks coach James Urban, have obviously taught Vick the much needed intricacies of his position to make him more lethal by taking advantage of his entire skill set.

Vick freely admits his days in Atlanta were spent relying on natural abilities instead of trying to be the best he could. Had he had the work ethic of Peyton Manning, along with a semblance of the coaching he is receiving now, the possibility of him now being on his way to Canton could seem probable.

With Atlanta, he would take off running if his first passing option was covered. He was easily rattled in the pocket, looking for a seam to escape. Now he is hanging in the pocket and taking time to look over all of his options before thinking of running.

Fans of Vick like to point out he now has DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Brent Celek to throw to in Philadelphia. as opposed to Brian Finneran, Peerless Price, Shawn Jefferson, and Alge Crumpler with the Falcons. Only Crumpler was a Pro Bowler, and with Finneran, were the only receivers there for each of Vick's Pro Bowl years. A young Roddy White and Michael Jenkins spent some time with him, and still start with Atlanta.

While an upgrade of talent around him certainly helps his recent success, so does the fact his starts in 2010 have come against two of the weaker teams in the NFL. His first real test against an upper echelon defense may not come until week 12 against the Bears, but fans look forward to his clash with the Washington Redskins next week.

McNabb, now a member of the Redskins, was traded a few months ago because the Eagles planned to go with Kevin Kolb at quarterback. Those plans changed in the opening game when Kolb was taken off the field with a concussion and replaced by Vick, who played very well and sparked the Eagles to making the game look closer than it actually was.

Two weeks after the Redskins, he will face the Falcons. Though the game will take place in Philadelphia, it is an opportunity for Vick to show the Atlanta fans and organization what exactly they are missing by having parted ways with him in 2007. Emotions may run high at this game, but Reid and Mornhinweg will try to put together a strategy that leads the team to the more important victory over retribution.

Though Vick is breaking new ground in some areas at just 30-years old, he most certainly reminds Eagles fans of one of their very own legends in some ways. A legend who was put in the teams Ring of Honor last season.

Randall Cunningham was the teams second round draft pick in 1985. Though not quite as fast as Vick, he was very athletic, elusive, and possessed just as strong of a throwing arm, if not stronger.

Like Vick, he was told to run if his first option was covered by a defensive oriented head coach. In 1990, his third and final Pro Bowl season with the Eagles, he ran for 942 yards. It is still the third most rushing yards in a season by a NFL quarterback, and he was when he was named PFWA NFL MVP, UPI NFC Player of the Year, and won the Bert Bell Award.

He did not leave Philadelphia because of legal trouble in 1995, but because of injuries. He found himself on the Minnesota Vikings two years later, then made the Pro Bowl in 1998 by throwing to fellow Pro Bowlers Randy Moss, Robert Smith, and Cris Carter. He enjoyed perhaps his finest season ever, winning 13 of 14 starts, and winning his third and last Bert Bell Award.

The Vikings scored 556 points that season, which was a record at the time. People marveled how Cunningham had settled into an effective pocket passer, no longer relying on just his legs. Part of that reason was his past injuries and due to the fact he was 35-years old.

Now Vick is enjoying his moment in a similar sun, yet he has the ability to stretch this ride out a lot longer than Cunningham was able to. With Reid at the helm, the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL, he knows stability is at his disposal for the first time since his collegiate days at Virginia Tech University under Frank Beamer.

Though he still owes people money, and some others feel more apologies for what he did to canines, the world is his oyster again. If he keeps learning and progressing, perhaps he can win more than happiness from repaying debt.

A football championship is something Philadelphia has sought since 1960, and something Michael Vick can attain to justify his struggle to be relevant again.


Week 4 Picks

Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns

Chad Ocho Cinco might hand out his OchocincO's to Cleveland after this one. Not just for the sugar and nutrition, but for the phone-sex number printed on the box.

Bengals 34 Browns 20




Seattle Seahawks @ Saint Louis Rams

A game only those teams fans will watch, yet they can take solace at the obvious improvements each have had.

Seahawks 24 Rams 21




Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers

The Lions defense is all banged up and three key offensive starters will not play. Guard Stephen Peterman may also sit out.

The Packers have to happy with this news, considering they embarrassed themselves last Monday with a huge amount of self-defeating penalties.

Packers 37 Lions 13




Denver Broncos @ Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson might not be killing the NFL like last year, but he does have 401 rushing yards already. Denver's defensive strength is stopping the run, but they are only ranked tenth.

The Broncos passing game is tops in the league, but the Titans pass defense ranks fifth.

It will come down to whose strengths are greater than the others weaknesses, as well as whose weaknesses can compete best against the others strengths.

Titans 27 Broncos 24






Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints

The Saints are upset dropping a game they should have won last week, as well as the fact their offense hasn't really been that sharp this season.

Expect Saints defensive coordinator Greg Williams to load up a complex blitz package to confuse rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen most of Sunday.

The Panthers defense is mediocre and the offense is worse. The running game, their strength, cannot get going because no one respects the passing game and crowds the line. The Saints rank 30th in run defense, so the plan of attack is evident.

Saints 24 Panthers 14



Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers

The best rivalry in the NFL today normally is Game of the Week material, except Pittsburgh is missing their star quarterback. Even so, it is one of the weekends best games,

Defense will reign supreme, as bruises will be handed out easier than Halloween candy.

Though Baltimore's Ray Rice is dinged up, their offense is better than Pittsburgh's right now. Last possession wins?

Win or lose, kudos to the Steelers going into their bye as one of the NFL's best stories so far this year.

Ravens 13 Steelers 10




San Francisco 49ers @ Atlanta Falcons

The 49ers are desperate. So desperate that they fired offensive guru Jimmy Raye, who got his first NFL job in 1977 with the 49ers, a man who has been an NFL offensive coordinator since 1983. He was replaced by a guy with no experience as an offensive coordinator, but who has been a NFL quarterbacks coach since 2000.

Too bad for them they face a Falcons team fresh off a big win against the previously undefeated defending champions. They love to run the ball, but have been moderately disappointing in the pass so far.

A mediocre 49ers defense will have their hands full.

Falcons 28 49ers 16






New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills

The Jets have their swagger back, while the Bills already cut their opening day starting quarterback.

Jets 23 Bills 9







Houston Texans @ Oakland Raiders

Oakland will have previously injured halfback Michael Bush toting the rock more, even though Darren McFadden has been excellent and is third in the NFL in rushing after consecutive 100-yard rushing games.

Houston ranks second in rushing defense, but are last in passing. Oakland pass defense ranks second, but the run defense is 24th.

Expect a heavy dose of Houston's Arian Foster, the leagues leading rusher, and Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski Sunday. The Raiders receivers are the x-factors.

Texans 26 Raiders 17




Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Statistically, future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning is off to the best start of his career so far. Is there anything more he can do?

Jacksonville is struggling with consistency, a prevalent theme the past few years.

Colts 34 Jaguars 20





Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins
Game of the Week

How weird will it be for Eagles fans watching Donovan McNabb scrambling for a touchdown wearing the Redskins burgundy and gold colors?

The former Philadelphia legend wants to show everyone what they are missing, but he has so far been suffering with the issue of no running game in Washington that he dealt with most of his Eagles career.

Philadelphia's pass defense ranks seventh, but their rush defense ranks just 23rd. The 28th ranked Redskin rushing offense needs to step up now. Especially since their defense gives up the most total yards per game.

Redskins 28 Eagles 27




Arizona Cardinals @ San Diego Chargers

Arizona, with the exception of running back Tim Hightower, has been pretty bad offensively so far this year. Hightower will have to carry the load against the ninth ranked run defense, because both of his backups are hurting.

They also will be missing wide receivers Steve Breaston and Early Doucet, and guard Alan Faneca is banged up.

Considering the Chargers rank first in offense and fourth in defense in the NFL, it is surprising they have just one victory.

Chargers 34 Cardinals 17




New York Giants @ Chicago Bears

According to ex-Giants star Tiki Barber, now working with the NBC network, many current players told him head coach Tom Coughlin's job is in jeopardy, Why any Giant would talk to a social pariah like Barber may be the bigger mystery.

The undefeated Bears strength is passing, while the Giants pass defense is the fourth best in the NFL. Their run defense ranks 26th, but Chicago's run attack is the third worst in the league.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning is the key player this game. He leads the ninth best pass attack against the 28th best pass defense. Chicago has the best run defense in the NFL, so Manning will need to be on his game.

Giants 27 Bears 24




New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins

A stout divisional battle. New England's defense has been mediocre at best so far. With newly acquired Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall breaking out last week, the Pats 25th ranked passing defense will have their hands full.

Miami's defense has been pretty average so far, giving the seventh ranked New England offense hope.

It may come down to who runs the ball best.

Dolphins 24 Patriots 23




Record 27 - 19



Power Rankings

1. Steelers
2. Saints
3. Packers
4. Patriots
5. Bengals
6. Bears
7. Ravens
8. Jets
9. Texans
10. Colts
11. Titans
12. Chargers
13. Falcons
14. Eagles
15. Dolphins
16. Cowboys
17. Chiefs
18. Broncos
19. Giants
20. Vikings
21. Buccaneers
22. Cardinals
23. Seahawks
24. Redskins
25. Raiders
26. Jaguars
27. 49ers
28. Lions
29. Browns
30. Bills
31. Rams
32. Panthers