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This week Ben Maller gives tells you why the Falcons must be "Dirty Birds" if they want to upset the Eagles. Ben gives you his playoff thoughts as well.

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Monday, January 06, 2003

Monday Morning Quarterback

By Ben Maller

The New York Giants did there best Houston Oilers impersonation on Saturday in choking a 24 point lead against the San Francisco 49ers. Warren Moon must be proud of that effort.

You really have to try hard to blow a lead that big. Not only did the Niners have to score four touchdowns but they had to get all those two point conversions. If Trey Junkin snaps the ball right then all is forgotten and the Giants would be saying everything is okay.

Last time I saw Trey Junkin he was getting released by the Dallas Cowboys on HBO's "Hard Knocks." Even the pathetic Cowboys knew that Junkin's long career was over. Maybe someone should get Giants coach Jim Fassell HBO.

If Kelly Holcomb and Tim Couch had both been drafted in the same round and were making a similar salary their would be no debate who should be the starting quarterback for the Browns. Holcumb had a much better year for Cleveland yet will be stuck as a backup because Couch was the first pick in the NFL draft.

Tommy Maddux said he learned from John Elway in Denver how to lead a team back. The Steelers QB should also learn to stop throwing first half interceptions.

Pittsburgh has a good chance to advance to the AFC title game again this season. The Steelers can beat the Titans this weekend but they figure to lose in the title game yet again. The Winner of the Jets, Raiders game will win the AFC.

Philadelphia will take home the NFC. The Eagles will stop Michael Vick and the Falcons running game this week. After that Phillie gets Tampa Bay in the cold at the Vet and we all know what happens when these teams get together.

I watched the Jets game with Jason Smith at a Jets bar and was amazed how many fans think Chad Pennington is god. I'm not yet ready to compare Pennington to Joe Montana, he's more like Tom Brady. Lets see what Pennington does after this season.

Look for Keyshawn Johnson to ask the Bucs to trade him to the Cowboys after the season. Its just a gut feeling I have that Key wants to play for Bill Parcells again.

I played the roll of Dr. Laura on my Fox Sports radio show this weekend. Packer fans from both Green Bay and Milwaukee flooded the lines all night. It was interesting to hear them complain because you could tell they really didn't want to. They sounded more sad then upset. Now Giants fans sound angry.

Hot rumor going around last week is that an NFL team will go after USC coach Pete Carroll for its coaching job. Would Carroll be dumb enough to leave a good thing for a job with the Cardinals or Bengals?

The best college football game I have ever seen took place on Friday. Ohio State upsetting Miami in the Fiesta Bowl was a classic. I felt the Buckeyes would give the Hurricanes a game and even cover the point spread. I can't believe they won the game out right.

I've been told by NBA people that even if LeBron James wanted to play college basketball he couldn't. According to reports James has been getting lots of "extra benefits" from shoe companies trying to get him to sign with them. Lets just say that James could be making more than the NBA minimum salary this year to play high school ball in Akron, Ohio.

I attended by my first Lakers game in a few weeks and saw the same old struggling Lakers. Even when the Lakers win they struggle to do it.

The Clippers are not playing to get coach Alvin Gentry fired. The Clips are playing bad because they hate Donald Sterling. The early buzz has Michael Olowakandi going to San Antonio and Andre Miller ending up in Denver after the season.

If Gentry does get fired look for the Clips to hire the cheapest coach possible. Unless they decide to hire a retread like Lenny Wilkins after he is fired by the Raptors in the next few weeks. Donald Sterling likes pays coaches as much as UCLA does.

The Dodgers start offseason workouts this morning at the Stadium. I was going to go out but then I thought what's the point? How excited can one be when the biggest offseason pickups are Todd Hundley and Fred McGriff. If this was 1996 that would be great but its 2003.

I turned on a sports radio station in Los Angeles this morning that is licensed by the FCC and heard the Mexican National Anthem. I thought I still lived in America. Yikes! permalink