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By Ben Maller

This week Ben Maller gives his opinion on Terrell Owens and the "Score & Sign" play from Monday Night Football. Ben thinks the NFL would be more fun with more post touchdown celebrations. Big Ben also breaks down the big NFL and college games this weekend and give you the insider stats you need to know. Also get Ben's pick for the World Series.

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Monday, October 14, 2002

Monday Morning Quarterback

By Ben Maller

I'm happy for the few Angel fans who have stayed with the team that the club finally got it done and have gone to the world series.

Tim Mead who is in the front office is a good guy he deserves to be in the World Series as does John Madden a long time coach.

Watching the Angels jump up and down on the field yesterday I thought of the many days I spent watching them suck when I grew up in Orange County. I used to ditch school to go watch many of their midweek day games. Even snuck in to the Big A in the back when It was a football stadium.

I remember the great Angel names of those years like Brian Downing, Luis Polonia, Chili Davis, Dick Schofield, Jack Howell, Bryan Harvey, Chad Curtis, Jim Abbott, Willie Fraser, Vance Lovelace, Kirk McCaskill, Mark Eichhorn, Joe Grahe, Julio Valera, Johnny Ray, Torey Lovullo, Wally Joyner, Ron Tingley, John Orton, Jim Eppard, Max Venable and Bobby Rose

The Angels join the Nets and Patriots as losing franchises who have gone on to win in the last year.

Angel fans should thank former Dodger GM Kevin Malone for firing Mike Scioscia when he was the manager in Triple A. Their was a time when Scioscia was thought to be a future dodger manager. It was Bill Russell and Mike Scioscia who were up to replace Tommy Lasorda. The Dodgers chose Russell.

NFL

After watching the NFL weekend I'm thinking Tony Soprano must be running the NFL.

The St. Louis Rams get three touchdown passes from some guy named Marc Bulger and beat the Raiders by 15 points. Did Oakland decide to not practice this week? Its amazing how often professional teams don't show up and aren't ready to play.

My favorite story of the week six is Michael Lewis of the Saints, the former beer delivery truck driver who didn't make the NFL till age 29 and then returns a punt and kickoff for touchdowns against the Redskins.

I'm guessing that beer drivers from coast to coast are going to start working out again waiting for that big break. Look for a movie deal to be coming soon for Lewis' if he has a good season.

I wonder if the Buffalo Bills would trade Drew Bledsoe to the New England Patriots for Tom Brady. I don't think that anyone wants Brady the way he's played the last couple of weeks. It looks like those "experts" (Me) who said the Patriots would be a .500 team this year got it right.

Leave it to the Chiefs defense to give a game away against the Chargers. San Diego turned the ball over five times and yet it was the Kansas City defense that allowed a Drew Brees 2-yard game winning TD pass with 14 seconds left.

Ricky Williams does look like he's playing back at Texas. He's in great shape and running over people. The Dolphins are the best team in the AFC. I said it before the season and I feel even stronger about it now.

Tony Dungy should be embarrassed his Colts needed a late field goal from Mike Vanderjagt to beat the Ravens. Ray Lewis the heart and sole of the Baltimore team didn't play and your telling me Indianapolis had to struggle to win. The Ravens held Edgerrin James to a career-low 43 yards rushing on 17 carries, the second straight week he failed to crack 100 at home after doing it in 10 straight games.

Leave it to the Carolina Panthers to make Quincy Carter look like Joe Montana. Nice job boys. Since winning their first three games, the Panthers have lost three straight by a combined seven points, all in the closing minutes.

The Lions had a 21 point lead and looked like a lock to be a 2-2 team with a win against the Vikings. Thanks to Daunte Culpepper, Detroit is back to 1-4 and tied with Minnesota.

I bet Steve Spurrier had alot of kind words to say to Patrick Ramsey. The Redskins rookie QB threw three interceptions in his first five passes. He has future Bengals QB written all over him.

Tampa Bay and Notre Dame have alot in common. They have great defenses and horse bleep offenses.

Michael Pittman is officially a bust for the Bucs.

Just when you thought it was safe to say that Jacksonville was going to be the suprise team in the NFL. They lose in Nashville to the Titans. Not only do the Jags lose but they gave up 113 yards to Eddie George who had done nothing in weeks.

The Falcons don't need Michael Vick as long as they have WR Brian Finerran. I think he's one of 5 white recievers in the NFL.

On his 40th birthday, Jerry Rice, Raiders, caught seven passes for 133 yards. I guess the 49ers were right when they said he was done two years ago.

You know that the Bills are going to have a good year when Drew Bledsoe has his worst passing game of the year and Travis Henry picks up the slack with 159 yards on the ground agains Houston.

The New York Jets gave up 73 points and they didn't even play anyone.

While the NFL has no winning dynasty they do have a losing dynasty. The Cincinnati Bengals are 0-6 for the fifth time since 1991. Cincinnati has been outscored 123-17 in the first half this season. Now thats an 11 year run of excelence.

College Football

Miami proved they are human with their performance against Florida State. The Canes rush defense must get better. If Greg Jones can run for 189 yards then what will Lee Suggs and Kevin Jones of Virginia Tech do?

Bobby Bowden should get ripped. The Seminoles while prepared to play blew a 13 point fourth quarter lead.

Texas QB Chris Simms is 0-4 against top 10 teams with 15 turnovers. The Oklahoma defense showed why they got all the national love before the season on the magazine covers of Sporting News and Sports Illustrated.

The Sooners won despite Nate Hybel. The question is can they run the table the rest of the way with poor quarterback play. OU and Notre Dame both have the same problem. That said the Sooners are the Big 12 favorite and the BCS title game favorite.

Georgia can't get a break. They beat Tennessee and that dosen't mean anything because the Vols didn't have Casey Clausen.

Bob Toledo is spending to much time in the athletic center at UCLA. Toledo looks like the football version of Steve Lavin. Ever since Cade McNown went to the NFL the Bruins have been more incosistent then any one in college football.

I had a funny thing happen as I entered the press gate at the LA Coliseum. The California Golden Bear mascot was not allowed to enter. Despite having credentials the old guy at the gate told the bear to go away. Now thats tight security. It worked because SC rallied to beat Cal.

Mike Williams the freshman WR at SC will be remembered in the same class as Keyshawn Johnson and Johnnie Morton when his days wearing a Trojan uniform are over. He's a superstar in the making. permalink