The 2011 fantasy football season may go down as one of the least predictable years ever. Looking back at this crazy year, most fantasy drafts ended up being busts.

The so called fantasy football experts got most of it wrong missing out on guys like Cam Newton and over valuing players like Felix Jones. Interestingly enough you had a better chance building your championship team this year through the waiver wire than the draft.

Playing the fantasy football waiver wire is a tricky game. It requires patience, foresight, and the ability to look at a player’s situation objectively. Remember, any starting quarterback or running back can look like a monster for one week in the right situation. Having the ability to see through that and find that diamond in the ruff that will shine for an entire season is a talent all in itself.

The season may not be over yet but I think we are far enough along to start analyzing studs and duds. I went back and looked at all of the guys that fell through the draft and onto the waiver wire and the amount of talent available on the wire this season was stunning. If you picked up any of these players chances are you are either in the playoffs or were a contender. While leagues vary in size of 6-16, I based this roster on a 10 team league. Without further a due I give you the 2011 All Waiver Wire Fantasy Football Team.

Quarterback

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers - May I present your 2011 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire MVP! This was a an easy choice as far as I am concerned. Newton wasn’t drafted in any of my 10-team leagues after a horrendous preseason. Even after he threw up over 400 yards and went into high double digits in his opener against the Arizona Cardinals, he still remained unclaimed. Fantasy experts called him a fluke but if you were savvy like me you picked him up simply for the possible upside. He is number two overall in standard scoring leagues only behind Aaron Rodgers (ahead of Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Michael Vick) and he was yours for the taking on the waiver wire. If you waited to take a QB late and drafted heavy on RB and WR early, you are probably rolling if you grabbed Newton off waivers.

Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals - If you can find me the guy that predicted Dalton would come in to a Bengals team as a rookie without the usual Cincinnati supporting cast and put up the numbers he has produced, I would crown that analyst a genius. Nobody could foresee the chemistry between Dalton and AJ Green, who have the potential to become one of the most explosive QB-WR combinations in the NFL. Dalton wasn’t drafted in any of my leagues and if you needed a QB, he was a great fix. In standard scoring leagues he is ahead of Joe Flacco, Matt Hasselbeck, Josh Freeman, and Jay Cutler, all guys that were predicted to have better years than Dalton. He certainly isn’t the difference maker that Newton was, but you weren’t going to find much better on the wire.

Running Back

Michael Bush, Oakland Raiders - While nobody at the position came off the wire with the same kind of impact that Peyton Hillis had last year, Michael Bush came pretty darn close. Once Run DMC went down, Bush emerged as one of the elite running backs in the fantasy. He has teetered off a bit in recent weeks, but he still remains the best value of any RB in fantasy football considering the fact that you probably got him on the draft. If you were a cautious Darren McFadden owner, you already had him on your bench. However in two of three leagues I am in he was out there for the taking and became a big difference maker for his new owners.

Darren Sproles, New Orleans Saints - I went back and forth between Sproles and DeMarco Murray but overall, Sproles has had a much better season. In two of three leagues he was on the waiver wire as nobody expected him to come into New Orleans and become Drew Brees’ favorite running back ahead of Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram. His ability to catch out of the backfield and make plays happen in space have resulted in some huge games for the new Saint in standard scoring leagues and some monster weeks in PPR.

Wide Receiver

Victor Cruz, New York Giants - Going into the season it was Hakeem Nicks that was the favorite among most fantasy experts, ranked number four overall in ESPN’s preseason rankings. Yet thanks to injuries and opportunity, it was Cruz that emerged as Eli Manning’s go-to guy in New York. In my standard scoring league he is currently fourth overall, ahead of everyone in ESPN’s top 10 preseason rankings other than Calvin Johnson. The guy has been a monster and if you have him, you grabbed him off the wire. Rarely does a wide receiver with that much impact wind up on the waiver wire, but this year Cruz did.

Laurent Robinson, Dallas Cowboys - This was a tough one as I bounced back between Antonio Brown, Robinson, and Jordy Nelson. In the end it appears Nelson was not nearly as available as these guys on the wire and Brown has not had as many huge games as Robinson has. Robinson has quickly turned into the go-to guy in a high powered offense. Right now Robinson is in the top 15 in my standard scoring league overall and would likely be higher if he got his opportunities earlier in the season. Since Week 8 Robinson has had at least one touchdown every week but one. He has become an every week starter for me in three of my leagues and has saved a lot of seasons for struggling owners at the WR position.

Tight End

Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots - Quite frankly, I bounced back and forth between Gronkowski and Newton for the overall MVP. Gronkowski has not only emerged as the best fantasy tight end in the game, he has more points than any wide receiver in the NFL in standard scoring leagues. Think about that one for a second. This guy has outscored Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Wes Welker, etc and he is a tight end! To get that kind of production at your tight end position is just insane. I was lucky to get him in one of my leagues and I am reaping the benefits in the playoffs. As a matter of a fact, every Gronkowski owner is in the playoffs in all of my leagues. Hopefully you are too if you were lucky enough to grab him.

Fred Davis, Washington Redskins - Davis was on pace to have a top five fantasy season at tight end until he was suspended for the remainder of the year. Davis wasn’t giving anyone Gronkowski numbers, but he was a fantastic pickup at one of the most inconsistent positions in all of fantasy sports. He is currently tied for fifth overall among TEs with Antonio Gates in standard scoring leagues (number four before he was suspended). ESPN had him at #24 coming into the season, while Yahoo Sports didn’t even have him in the top 25. Savvy players did see the potential last season, yet even they weren’t gutsy enough to draft him.

Fantasy Football Almanac 2011: The Essential Fantasy Football Refererence Guide

NFL Jerseys on Amazon.com

Madden 12 video game

NFL America’s Game Super Bowl I-XL on DVD

Well, eight weeks of the 2011 NFL Season has passed. Time flies when you’re having fun, as the old adage says. So far, this season has been full of twists, and turns, and it has been a lot of fun. I am really enjoying the season. I really think that outside of a few teams that just about ANY team could wind up with the proverbial blanket of roses, meaning of course, the Lombardi. Week to week, fans are seeing upsets, and surprise teams coming up with wins, and favorites having difficulties. This aspect is what makes the NFL so great. Any team can beat any team in the NFL.

In this blog, I will be giving a brief examination of each of the 32 NFL teams, and give out some half year awards to players and coaches. I will be giving letter grades for the teams’ performances, and some of the “awards” will be not only the usual (MVP, Rookie of the Year, etc) but a little unorthodox. Please remember that these grades and awards are for the FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON.

Without further ado, here are my grades and awards for the NFL at the Halfway Point:

AFC EAST

New England Patriots - Offense being lead by QB Tom Brady and WR West Welker started out hot. Both guys started out on pace to smash passing and receiving records respectively. However, the team’s young defense which is the worst ranked defense in the league is not helping the team. Opposing teams like the Bills and most recently the Steelers have learned how to stop Brady. I don’t buy into the “blueprint” nonsense though. Overall, this is still very , very good team. GRADE: A

Buffalo Bills - A very surprising team. For years, this team was a doormat, but with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick , and RB Fred Jackson, the team is perking along. They even lead NE by 1/2 a game. This was a shocker. Of course, I want to see more. GRADE: A -

New York Jets - As the song from “West Side Story” goes, “When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet……” Well, it seems to me that Head Coach Rex Ryan is acting as if his team is in some sort of “West Side Story” war with the Patriots considering how obsessed he is with them (and vice versa even though the Pats don’t make it known publicly). To concentrate on HIS team. There are problems with O line, and OC Brian Schottenheimer can’t decide if he want to have QB Mark Sanchez throw, or RBs Shonne Green and Ladanian Tomlinson run. The pass rush is lacking despite a very good secondary. GRADE: C+

Miami Dolphins - Head Coach Tony Sporano is a walking dead man so to speak. He is going to get fired. It is just a matter of when. I thought owner Stephen Ross would have done the decent thing to do and fired Sporano after LAST season and THEN go look for someone else, but , oh well. Nothing much to say about this team. GRADE: EPIC FAIL

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens - Well, the Ravens won their “Super Bowl” so to speak in Week One when they pounded on the Steelers. What have they done lately? They have been just alright. Defense is great, but they do realize they have to put some points on the board, right? I had to just laugh when the commentators on ESPN were saying how the Ravens were the “best in the AFC.” Really? Is that why they couldn’t beat a sorry Jaguars team? I don’t see much in Flacco. Ray Rice , the RB, is about the only weapon they got. They do a lot talking, but actions speak louder than words. GRADE: B+

Cleveland Browns - Well, this team is still the Browns. They are playing a little better, but that stinker against the Seattle Seahawks was just yuck. I mean, they do know they are playing football and not baseball, right? Not much to say. GRADE: D

Cincinnati Bengals - WOW. This team is one of the surprises. I thought they would win just a couple of games, but I was wrong. Good to see Andy Dalton at QB having success, and his fellow rookie WR, A..J Green also having success. Of course, when the schedule gets tougher, and the rookie wall hits, that is when the team’s season will be interesting. GRADE: B

Pittsburgh Steelers -  Well. Well Well. I hope that Warren Sapp is watching the Steelers. After all, he was leading the charge of naysayers saying the Steelers were “old and slow.” The team is being hit with injuries to their Offensive Line every week. They are hurting in their defense, but they keep on winning. Big Ben is showing naysayers once again why he is an elite QB. GRADE: A

AFC WEST

San Diego Chargers- Well, A.J Smith must really love Norv Turner. Sorry, but I don’t think the team is as good. Rivers SAYS there is nothing wrong, but his accuracy is way off, and his judgment is off. I am not a fan of the guy, but he is not this bad. I just can’t seem to pinpoint what’s going on with this team. Grade: B -

Oakland Raiders - What a tumultuous eight weeks it has been for the Raiders. They start out well, but then they lose their owner, the great Al Davis (RIP), and they then lose QB Jason Campbell to a collar bone injury. They then go out and make a crazy trade with the Bengals for QB Carson Palmer. You could knocked me over with a feather because I thought Michael Brown, the Bengals owner would never make a deal. The first game after that was a disaster. They used Kyle Bollar AND Carson Palmer, but got blown out by the Chiefs. We will have to see after the bye if Palmer is any better. GRADE: C+

Kansas City Chiefs - They stumbled out of the gate for sure, starting out 0 -3. However, they got themselves up, and now thanks to the infamous fumble on Monday Night Football by Philip Rivers of the Chargers, the Chiefs are in a three way tie for first place in the AFCW. Destiny can change in a blink of an eye for sure. GRADE: C

Denver Broncos - What a mess. If you want and example of “the tail wagging the dog,” just google it, and the Denver Broncos should pop up. Now I admit that Kyle Orton was not having a good run, and the record was 1 -5, but fans need to remember that THEY don’t run the organization. Fans don’t make the big decisions. That is why John Elway, and John Fox were hired. They made decisions for the team. What I am getting at is that I THOUGHT that Brady Quinn was the #2 guy on the roster. If Orton failed, I thought Quinn was the “next man up.” Since when do you skip #2 to go to #3? I guess because this Tebow guy has a rock star like following he had to start. Well, start he did, and from the two games he played, it is quite obvious that he had set QB play back 100 years. The kid can’t play.. GRADE: EPIC FAIL

AFC SOUTH

Indianapolis Colts - This one is easy. What we are seeing is the result of Bill Polian, as brilliant an NFL GM as he is, and the Colts’ ownership (that means YOU Mr. Isray) putting their eggs in one basket , and when that basket breaks, all the eggs are scrambled. In other words, I feel that the Colts organization over the years have kowtowed to Peyton Manning (as good as Peyton was, I totally get it) , and paid him so much, that they couldn’t pay other players, and also as Manning AGED, never drafted a young QB to groom when Manning retired. They very well MIGHT have had an Aaron Roders/Brett Farve drama thing, but I am sorry. All that worked out for Green Bay, didn’t it? Do people in Indy think Manning is going to play forever? Even in New England, they drafted Ryan Mallet who likely will be Brady’s replacement. Like Colin Cowherd says on ESPN Radio, “Don’t fall in love with one player.” As for their playing, there is a lot of talent on that team, and I don’t get it.. They can’t win ONE GAME without Manning? GRADE: EPIC FAIL

Jacksonville Jaguars - Much like Miami, this is another team with a coach that may be a dead man walking. Right before the season, Del RIo cut QB David Garrard. That was a bit puzzling. Of course, now that Garrard just had back surgery, it makes sense. The Jags defense has shown it could be stifling. Ask the Steelers, and especially the Ravens. Offensively though, young Gabbert needs a lot seasoning. GRADE: D

Tennessee Titans - This team is a minor surprise. There is a first time coach having success. There is Matt Hassellbeck as QB who is having a pretty good season. They had that contract drama with Chris Johnson settled, but Johnson has yet to return to his old form. Titans defense is not too bad either. GRADE: C+

Houston Texans - Well, the wiseguy team may just come through. In a couple of games, I wasn’t sure, but they are on top the AFC SOUTH. My concern is when Andre Johnson, their top WR will return. Arian Foster , their star RB , is fantastic. Defense is still good, even without Mario Williams, However, I want to see more. GRADE: B+

NFC EAST

NEW YORK GIANTS - The New York Giants have been a MASH unit since pre -season. Good grief. They are just injured all around. They are without Steve Smith who went to the rival Eagles. They are starting to imitate the 2007 Giants by giving their fans coronaries. Eli Manning came through in the 4th quarter in the Miami game for the win this past week. They have gone through the “easy” part of their schedule. It is tough sledding the rest of the way for the G Men. GRADE: B+

Philadelphia Eagles - This team stumbled out of the gate, and just lost ground in this race. They are going to really get their rear ends in gear. They may have needed to get used to playing with the new players (Nnamdi, Cullen Jenkins, etc). and such. In the game against the Cowboys, QB Vick was sensational. He really did a great job. The team , at least in my opinion, finally showed what it could be against the Cowboys. The question I have, and I think it is a fair one: can they keep it up? GRADE: C -

Washington Redskins - Earth to Rex Grossman: Don’t start what you can’t finish. I mean, I understand that you are confident, but saying your team is going to win the division with YOU of all people at QB, come on. The Skins started out great, but as they usually do, they start to falter. Yeah, they have been hit by injuries as well. GRADE: D

Dallas Cowboys - I don’t know what to make of them, honestly. They look like a powerhouse one week, then they look like a high school team the next. I mean, the offensive line has a lot of problems, and their defense, especially their secondary, is suspect. DeMarcus Ware is a beast, but he can’t be the only defensive person doing his job. That Newman dude they got is ok at times. Now, I am not a Romo basher. The guy is a good QB. A lot of times, the wide receiver will run the wrong routes, and such. Yeah, Romo has the issues with some dumb mistakes, but he isn’t the horror story that the media makes him out to be. GRADE – C

NFC WEST

San Francisco 49ers - What a surprise. This team went from the outhouse to the penthouse since they got Jim Harbaugh as head coach. This team is much more physical, and runs the ball, and takes care of the ball much better than last year. I am NOT saying this team is going to bring home a Lombardi this year, but outside of a historical collapse, this team should have the division sewn up soon, and should be in the running for the #2 seed in the playoffs. GRADE: A

St. Louis Rams - Well, at the expense of the Saints, the Rams finally got a win. They are a young team, and such, but it took them till week EIGHT to win a game? Sam Bradford, who is hurt, may being going through the sophomore slump as QB. GRADE: D

Seattle Seahawks - Nothing much to say about this mess of a team. They give Tavaris Jackson a good sized contract for what reason exactly? He can’t play QB, and neither can that Charlie Whitehurst. They are a mess on both sides of the ball. GRADE: EPIC FAIL

Arizona Cardinals - This was the team that most people ,including me, to win the division. Well, we were wrong. Should have known. Kevin Kolb is not much of a starting QB. Larry Fitgerald must be frustrated. Poor guy. Great receiver on a terrible team with NO defense. GRADE: D

NFC SOUTH

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Well, this team had a lot of promise last year, especially QB Josh Freeman. However, Freeman seems to have regressed a bit. The team seems to have regressed as well. Hopefully, Head Coach Raheem Morris can get these guys going again when they get off their bye. GRADE: B -

Carolina Panthers- During the pre Draft hype, all I heard from the naysayers was that Cam Newton should not go #1 because of the allegations or he was gonna be a bust, or because people just hated him. Former QB Warren Moon believed in Cam, and Moon turned out to be right.. Cam has the ability to stand tall in the pocket. He makes great throws. He doesn’t automatically run. Yes, he is making rookie mistakes, but he will get better. He is going to need a couple of more weapons. Defense could be much better. GRADE: C -

New Orleans Saints - This team’s first half the year has been filled with some ups and downs. Drew Brees is still showing that he is an elite QB, but the team as a whole, I don’t know. Something seems to be missing. The defense is up and down to me. However, I think they will be in the playoff hunt. GRADE: B

Atlanta Falcons - Boy , this team is mind boggling. Last year, they were destroying teams, and the #1 seed. Now, they are just an above average team in comparison. I think that by using RB Turner more, they are getting their sea legs under them. I do think they will be getting better on defense as well. GRADE: C+

NFC NORTH

Green Bay Packers- This is the defending Super Bowl champs. Of course, the 1972 Dolphins are cheering for the Packers’ opponents every week, because those guys like Mercury Morris are so vain about their record. Those dudes are so waiting to have their silly little celebration and pop their champagne when the last undefeated team loses. Anyway, offensively, Aaron Rodges and his bunch are on fire. Defensively, I don’t think they are as good as last year. They are giving up a lot of yards, and giving up points. Could be vulnerable when the winter months come. GRADE: A

Chicago Bears - Hey Head Coach Lovie Smith, do you guys HAVE an O line? I thought Pittsburgh’s was bad. The Bears’ line is worse. No wonder QB Jay Cutler is running for his life. The Bears have a wonderful defense, and the special teams is great, especially when Devon Hester gets the ball. Offensively, they have to get that offense together. Cutler hasn’t been terrific, and neither has Martz. I never thought Martz was a great choice for Chicago. GRADE: C+

Minnesota Vikings - Oh boy. This team gave up 3 or 4 fist half leads in the early part of the season. Gosh, I just could not believe it. I think what could have helped them was if they had started Christian Ponder as QB earlier. I mean in the first game, McNabb threw 39 yards the whole game. 39 yards? REALLY? They have a good defense, Adrian Peterson, and stuck with McNabb for 4 or 5 weeks? What a mess. GRADE: D

Detroit Lions - A big surprise here. They started 5 -0, but then remembered they were the Lions and lost a couple of games. They took their frustrations out on the Broncos and Tim Tebow this past week. Stafford is becoming a very good QB, and Megatron is just awesome. Their defense is nasty. Awesome defense, especially Mr. Suh. GRADE: A -

MY AWARDS AT THE HALFWAY POINT:

NFL MVP: Aaron Rodgers (GB) – playing out of his mind.
Honorable Mentions: Tom Brady (NE), Steve Smith (CAR)

COACH OF THE YEAR: Jim Harbaugh (SF) – Turned around a losing franchise, and Alex Smith
Honorable Mentions: Mike Tomlin (PIT), Jim Schwartz (DET)

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Wes Welker (NE) – He is just racking up yards for New England.
Honorable Mentions: Aaron Rodgers (GB), Arian Foster (HOU)

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lamar Woodley (PIT) He has been just a beast.
Honorable Mentions: Troy Polamalu (PIT), DeMarcus Ware (DAL)

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Cam Newton (CAR) He is very impressive for a guy who has only played one year of college ball at QB.
Honorable Mentions: Andy Dalton (CIN), Nate Solder (NE)

DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Patrick Peterson (AZ). Very good player. Did a good job on special teams against Ravens.
No Honorable Mentions

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Wes Welker (NE) Welker suffered an ACL tear in the last game of the 2009 season against the Texans. He returned in 2010,and had a so so season, but this year, he has been fantastic.
No Honorable Mentions

MY OWN AWARDS (meant to be in jest, so don’t take them seriously. Just for fun)

THE “I HAVE A BIG MOUTH” AWARD: Terrell Suggs (BAL).. This award goes Mr. Suggs of the Baltimore Ravens who runs his mouth so much, that I just want to put a sock in there.
Honorable Mentions: Rex Ryan (NYJ), Philip RIvers (SD)

THE HOTTEST NFL PLAYER AWARD: Tom Edward Brady (NE). Enough said. The guy is gorgeous. When God made him, He broke the mold.
Honorable Mentions: Ben Roethlisberger (PIT), Adrian Peterson (MIN) , Christian Ponder (MIN)

Last but not least: MY MEDIA AWARDS: (again in fun)

THE “MUTE THE TV” AWARD: Jon Gruden God, if I weren’t DVRing Raw at the same time, I would MUTE Monday Night Football. Gruden drives me NUTS. OH GOD. The guy pretty much has an orgasm over every QB right there on the air. It makes me nuts. Of course, now that I mention it, maybe I should mute it………I won’t have to hear that dope Michael Cole either.
Honorable Mentions: Chris Collinsworth, Joe Buck

THE “MUTE THE ESPN COMMENTATOR” AWARD: Tom Jackson. ESPN, that huge conglomerate residing in Bristol, CT has a lot of guys and gals who are pretty much cheerleaders for certain teams, and haters for others, it is not even funny. Occasionally, they will break some news and do some analysis though. However, Tom Jackson is one guy out of all of them I can’t stand. I can tolerate just about the rest, and I like quite a few of them, but this guy is a moron. In 2003, when the Patriots cut Ty Law right before the season, and the Pats lost 31 -0 to Law’s new team, the Bills, Tom Jackson said “The Patriots hate their coach.” That is so irresponsible. How does he KNOW that? Last year, in the playoffs, he picked the Pats to beat the Jets. After the Jets won, he said he “picked the Patriots to motivate the Jets.” Say what?? He then said he was rooting for the Jets. Say what? Well, I lost all faith and all respect for him after that. If he wanted the Jets to win, he should have picked them. My point is who can believe him? He is still a moron getting on his high horse about Tebow, and stuff.

ESPN PERSONALITY I WOULD LIKE TO HUG: Adam Schefter. So far this season, Adam has been on the ball giving updates about injuries, and things like breaking news, and all. He came over from NFL Network , and has been awesome.

ESPN PERSONALITY I WOULD LIKE TO HIT: Mike Greenberg. Oh God. Greenberg is so annoying. Why is it that the only cool Jets fans I know are FEMALE?? This guy is so overboard as a Jet fan, it is ridiculous. Every time they talk football or whatever, it seems to go back to how it effects his Jets. He puts his “Jinx” on the Patriots because he needs them to lose. He did it twice this season so far. I know the show is set up as Golic looks at things from the “player’s” perspective, and Greenberg is supposed to look at things from a “fan’s” perspective, but his obsession with his Jets is just silly, and he is an idiot, and he is bordering on being a word I can’t write on here but it is a 7 letter word that starts with an “A” and ends with an “E” so you can figure it out. Just makes me nuts at times.

Well, that was a fun blog to do. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Terri Bey currently blogs for CamelClutchBlog.com about Wrestling, NFL, and other sports/pop culture related subjects. Her work has appeared in BleacherReport and for F4WOnline.com. Terri can be found here at Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/TerriBey and at Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/missedgehead

Fantasy Football Almanac 2011: The Essential Fantasy Football Refererence Guide

NFL Jerseys on Amazon.com

Madden 12 video game

NFL America’s Game Super Bowl I-XL on DVD

In 1976, a film about a small time boxer from the streets of Philadelphia named Rocky Balboa who gets a shot at the World Heavyweight Title by the champion named Apollo Creed was released. The film starred and was written by a fairly unknown actor named Sylvester Stallone, and went on to become one of the largest grossing films, and won the 1976 Academy Award for Best Picture. The film I am talking about is, of course, “Rocky.” The film went on to have several sequels, and went on to become one of the most successful movie franchises.

This past Tuesday, ESPN FILM’s 30 on 30 series presented, “The Real Rocky,” by Jeff Feuerzeig. The film discusses the life and career of boxer Chuck Wepner. During Wepner’s career, he was nicknamed “The Bayonne Bleeder” because during a fight between himself and Sonny Liston, he got his nose broken and was bleeding profusely. Wepner is interviewed, and he was saying how he was hoping that in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle” match between then Heavyweight Champion George Foreman, and challenger Muhammad Ali, he was pulling for Foreman because he knew he would get a title shot.

Well, as most people know, Ali won that fight, and became the new Champion by knocking out Foreman. However, a couple of months later, Ali gave the Title shot to Chuck Wepner. Wepner then describes the build up for the fight.which included Ali telling him to call him (Ali) the “n” word right before both appeared on the Mike Douglas show. Wepner said he couldn’t do it, and would not do it as he had African American friends, and his sparring partners were also African American. Well, on the Douglas show, Ali claimed that Wepner called him an “n” word, and Wepner and Ali got into it. As for the fight itself, it was a very good bout. Ali won in the 15th round when Wepner could not go anymore, and the referee stopped the fight. Wepner said that he felt good about the fight as he felt that at least he was able to go 15 rounds with the champ

Now, what does this story of Wepner’s life and boxing career have to do with the movie, “Rocky?” Well, according to the documentary, Wepner’s lawers who took depositions from Stallone were talking about how Stallone got all defensive when certain aspects of Wepner’s life were used in the film. Stallone tried to say that the film was based on Rocky Marciano, but in interviews, he mentions Wepner over and over. According to the docutmentary, it was quite evident that Stallone used the Ali vs Wepner fight as inspiration for the movie. In fact, when Wepner attended a showing of “Rocky,” people gave him a standing ovation as a lot of them felt the film reflected many aspects of his life.

In the original “Rocky” film, there is that famous scene where Rocky runs up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum during training. According to Wepner, as part of his training, he would run up the main library steps. During the documentary, Wepner talks about meeting and fighting a worked match with the late WWE (then WWF) star Andre the Giant. Vince McMahon is interviewed briefly. Wepner said that near the end of the match, Andre would throw him over the top rope into the crowd.. In the 3rd sequel, “Rocky III,” there is a scene where Rocky fights wrestler Thunderlips played by current TNA wrestler, Hulk Hogan. Thunderlips throws Rocky over the tope into the crowd. Also in the original film, Rocky Balboa is a debt collector for a loan shark. Wepner also had worked in a similar line of work.

Wepner felt slighted by Stallone. He went to prison for cocaine charges, and Stallone was doing a movie at the prison he was in, and Stallone just asked how he was. Wepner felt that Stallone didn’t give him (Wepner) any credit even though Wepner felt it was obvious that his life was the basis for the “Rocky” movies. He felt he should have gotten something. It was the filming of the movie “Cop Land,” that really frustrated him, and he then decided to sue. On the DVDs for the “Rocky” movies, Stallone mentions Wepner, so it is rather strange that during his depositions, he got agitated when asked by Wepner’s lawyers about whether the Ali fight was the inspiration for the film. Vince McMahon says that he advised Stallone to settle, which is exactly what happened.

I thought the film was very well done. It was a very interesting documentary. Sad to see that Wepner is still working as a liquor salesman. It was also disappointing to see that Stallone didn’t give Wepner any credit. I mean, from watching the documentary, it was just too obvious to me that the Ali/Wepner fight was the inspiration for the film, and that Chuck Wepner was the inspiration for Rocky. There was way too many similarities between events in Wepner’s life, and the “Rocky” movies. I definitely recommend the documentary.

Follow Chuck Wepner on You Tube on The Chuck Wepner channel.

Terri Bey currently blogs for CamelClutchBlog.com about Wrestling, NFL, and other sports/pop culture related subjects. Her work has appeared in BleacherReport and for F4WOnline.com. Terri can be found here at Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/TerriBey and at Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/missedgehead

Muhammad Ali vs Chuck Wepner DVD

EA Sports Fight Night Champion Video Game

An Unforgiving Sport: An Inside Look at Another Year in Boxing

Boxing Is . . .: Reflections on the Sweet Science

In my past blogs, I have written about a couple of my favorite spectator sports, the NFL, and professional wrestling. I have even blogged about my favorite rock band, KISS. I love the action, the excitement, and even the drama.

Trust me. The off the field stuff in the NFL rivals what the so called Creative Team in WWE puts out on both Raw and Smackdown. Drama over the QB controversies, trades, trash talking by players and coaches, and even post game handshakes just give me enough entertainment to enjoy that I almost don’t even NEED to turn on Raw, and put up with Johnny Laryngitis. Trust me. I had more fun watch Gene Simmons and his girlfriend of 28 years, Shannon Tweed getting married, then I did watching poor Jim Ross getting humiliated for the 1000th time.

All this being said, I have yet to blog about my all time favorite sport. It is the sport known as the “Sport of Kings.” I am talking about thoroughbred racing. I am a horse lover. I have been a fan of the sport since I was about 8. The first sports hero, or any hero I ever had was a racehorse named Seattle Slew who won horse racing’s Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes) in 1977, and was undefeated to boot. Just loved him as he was bought for 17,000 by this couple and their partners from Seattle. Back then, 17 grand was very small for a yearling. Seattle Slew went on to be one of the greatest horses ever, both on the track, and at stud.. My all time favorite racehorse is a horse that came along as a three year old the following year in 1978, a horse named Alydar. Unfortunately for him, a horse named Affirmed was born in the same year (1975), and the two met 10 times between their two year old and three year old campaigns, including all three Triple Crown races. Affirmed won 7 , including the Triple Crown, and Alydar won 3. Alydar became the first and only horse, so far, to have finished 2nd in all 3 Triple Crown races. Their head and head battle in the 1978 Belmont is legendary. Since 1978, no horse since Affirmed has yet won horse racing’s Triple Crown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apBIGFWMFr0

This leads me to the subject of this blog. Yesterday, ESPN FILMS debuted their new film, an hour long documentary called “Charismatic, ” directed by Steve Michaels. Michaels is the son of sportscaster Al Michaels (known famously for the “Do you believe in miracles??” “Yes!” lines at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics when the US Hockey Team beat Russia.). The story covers the comeback of the late jockey, Chris Antley who spent 1998 in drug rehab, and a horse named Charismatic, who despite being trained by one of the best trainers in the business, D. Wayne Lukas, and owned by the late Bob and Beverly Lukas who were two of the most prominent owners in racing at that time was
described as fat and lazy. The horse was so mediocre on the track, that a couple of months before the 1999 Derby, he was put in claiming races. Former Jockey great and friend Gary Stevens, and two of Lukas’ assistants at the time, and Antley’s dad, and his then agent tell the story of the unlikely pairing of jockey and horse, and how Antley and Charismatic took the racing world by storm and won the 1999 Kentucky Derby and Preakness, only to lose the Belmont where Charismatic broke down, and Antley saved the horse’s life.

I thought the documentary was very well done, and very touching. I nearly cried a few times. It starts where former jockey Gary Stevens talks about Chris Antley’s demons getting to him as he became a very successful jockey. A narrator also highlights some of Chris Antley’s big races, one being his first Derby win on Strike the Gold in 1991 (my personal favorite Derby). The pressures of being in the racing business is brought up, and it is very tough for a young jockey like Antley who showed brilliance as a rider. Unfortunately, according to his parents, and Stevens, Antley caved into his demons. First Antley was suspended, but then folks didn’t trust him, and he wound up in rehab. His mom said he wanted to stay there as he felt he wasn’t being judged.

His dad discusses how when Antley came out that Antley’s weight ballooned to 147 pounds. Despite his mom’s trepidation, Antley lost the weight, and went back to races. In the meantime, the documentary covers Charismatic’s issues. The film goes into how good a horseman Wayne Lukas was via interviews with his assistants. The films goes into how the horse was fat and lazy and didn’t show much, until Charismatic ran in claiming races. Charismatic’s run in the Santa Anita is shown, and his win in the Lexington is show with the great Jerry Bailey up. The film then discusses how a lot of people thought the horse was a fluke, and how he had different riders on him, and only won 3 of 14 starts. The documentary revealed that people didn’t think Lukas could get a top jockey like Chris McCarron to commit to the horse.

In the meantime, Chris Antley was building up his business. He was getting former clients to trust him again, and his former clients were trusting that he would show up for his mounts. The film talks about his desire to be in the Kentucky as he said that in his last experience, he was “messed up.” Antley was approached to ride Charismatic and jumped at the chance. Gary Stevens reveals that Antley took the red eye from California to ride in the Derby. Antley told Stevens he was going to win. Stevens said “Yeah right. Good luck.”

Well, when the gates opened on that first Saturday in May of 1999, and the horses got to the top of that long stretch at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY, Charismatic made his one big move from mid pack, and had a slight neck and neck battle with Cat Thief (also trained by Lukas), and wound up (holding off a hard charging Menefee) with the blanket of roses. Charismatic’s odds were 30-1. Two weeks later in the Preakness, there were still non believers as Charismatic went off at odds of 8-1. Well, the horse won the Preakness even easier than he won the Derby. The horse and his jockey had developed a following,and it was on to the Belmont.

The document did a good job covering the high pressure atmosphere that Antley faced going into the Belmont Stakes. The race is run at Belmont Park, in Elmont, NY out on Long Island. New York is a very tough place as far as being a celebrity, or being an athlete. If you ask a fan of any of the teams who play in that area be it the NY Yankees, the Mets, the Jets, the Giants, the NY Islanders, the Rangers, etc. If any of those teams LOSE, boy do the NY Media go bananas. Imagine how it must be for a jockey like Chris Antley who just came out of drug rehab the year prior who is going to ride a horse going for the Triple Crown. The three weeks of pressure had to be hard on him. Chris’ psyche was a concern for trainer Wayne Lukas who was concerned that Antley was not focused. Lukas was thinking of a jockey change, and asked the Lewises who owned Charismatic about the idea of a jockey change. Bob Lewis, ever the standup guy, wanted to stick with Antley. There was news going around that Antley was missing appearances, and may have relapsed. Antley denied he had relapsed and said he was sick and was taking cough syrup. Gary Stevens and Antley’s agent were thinking that it was possible that Antley had relapsed. Lukas got a report that the night before, Chris Antley had been partying. It was a concern to Lukas, but he didn’t make the jockey change.

Well, now we are at the Belmont Stakes. Champion trainer Bob Baffert had entered the top 3 year old filly that year, Silverbulletday in the race. When the gates opened, surprisingly, Silverbulletday went to the front, and took the lead. What was even more surprising, and to the dismay of Wayne Lukas, and his assistants, Chris Antley took up the chase. Charismatic’s usual style of running was settling around mid pack or so, and then he would make a huge run at the end. The pace got really fast, and in mid stretch, Charismatic took the lead for a brief moment, but two horses went by him, Lemon Drop Kid, and Vision and Verse. Lemon Drop Kid would wind up being the winner by a head over the long shot “Verse,” and Charismatic’s dream of a Triple Crown went down the tubes.

However, that was not the end. Charismatic had broken down around the 8th pole, and after the race, Chris Antley pulled him up right away. Dr. Larry Bramlage, a top veterinarian said that Antley had saved the horse. If Antley had not pulled the horse up when he did, the horse would have had to have been euthanized as a lot of times, the bone would have pierced the skin, and the vets would not have been able to get antibiotics to the area due to lack of circulation. However, according to the documentary, there were some, according to Lukas’ assistants who felt it was the way Antley rode the horse that caused Charismatic’s injury. Wayne Lukas to this day feels that Antley’s ride caused the horse to break down. The theory behind this is that instead of riding the horse the way the horse usually runs (stalking the pace and then making the big run at the end), Antley got the horse in a speed duel with Silverbulletday, and that caused the breakdown. After the race, Antley was very distraught. Eventually, he would continue to ride top horses such as River Keen per the documentary.

However, due to a knee injury, and his desire to be married and have a family, and some hard feelings about Charismatic, Chris Antley retired in March 2000. He and his wife (she appears in the documentary) have a daughter together. Sadly, according to his wife, his demons seem to take over. Tragically, on December 2, 2000, Chris Antley is found all bloodied up. The firemen tried to revive him, but it is no use. Antley was dead. At first, police thought it was a homicide, but further investigation revealed it was a drug overdose. Gary Stevens then talks about how he still misses him.

My thoughts: I thought this was a very well done documentary. Watching all the footage brought back a lot of memories, and a lot of sadness. I hate seeing a talented guy like Chris Antley throw his life away due to drugs. From watching the film, it is quite obvious that he was a young man who effected a lot of people. He seemed to be a fun guy. I guess the trappings of fame hits people differently. I know fellow horse fans who love Charismatic. From watching the documentary, one can see why. For me, this triple crown series is a bit more sad for me when I think about it. Eight days after Charismatic’s Preakness triumph, WWE wrestler Owen Hart died tragically in that accident at Over the Edge.

As for why Charismatic broke down, let me start with Wayne Lukas. I could write a blog about my disdain for Lukas. In a nutshell, I admit he is an awesome trainer. The guy has had a lot of success as a trainer. As the documentary said, he trained ten winners of Triple Crown races. He has trained a ton of champions. However, the guy is just one of the most arrogant people in the sport. I find him to be callous. He treats horse racing like a business. Quite a few of his horses break down on him. Let’s put it this way. If you look at his track record, there is a reason he rarely had a horse that he started training as a 2 year old, that raced past 3. I mean, for Wayne Lukas to put the blame for Charismatic’s breakdown on Antley is just ludicrous. I mean, the horse took a bad step. Period. The break down was going to happen. Should Chris have ridden the horse like the horse normally runs? Yes. However, Chris’ ignoring instructions had nothing to do with the break down. You should be thanking Chris, and not condemning the guy.

Overall, I totally recommend this documentary. Jockeys, heck, everyone who works in the racing industry, are under incredible stress and strain to perform at their best. They are very much like top NFL players, NBA players, etc in that they have to answer to tough bosses, and have to constantly perform at a high level. The film shows the ups and downs of the sport of racing. However, and this is what is at the heart of the film, the film shows that what is so wonderful about the Sport of Kings is that even the underdog can triumph, and touch people’s hearts.

Chris Antley aboard Strike the Gold in the 1991 Kentucky Derby (Pink silks)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATgn_HEGVq0&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLC829330486A2A22B

Chris Antley aboard Charismatic in the 1999 Kentucky Derby (Green and Yellow Silks)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=LnD5jN03s40

Chris Antley aboard Charismatic in the 1999 Preakness Derby (Green and Yellow Silks)
(at 6:45 mark)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ1qY3nEuLc&feature=related

Chris Antley aboard Charismatic in the 1999 Belmont Stakes (Green and Yellow Silks)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlB_N1DrwoI

Dr. Larry Bramlage and Chris Antley discussing the Belmont Aftermath

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ddAvRGfm4Q&feature=related

Terri Bey currently blogs for CamelClutchBlog.com about Wrestling, NFL, and other sports/pop culture related subjects. Her work has appeared in BleacherReport and for F4WOnline.com. Terri can be found here at Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/TerriBey and at Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/missedgehead

ESPN Films 30 For 30: Charismatic DVD

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.- Amendment 1 of the United States Constitution

As the large majority of Americans know, or SHOULD know, and as most people in other developed countries know, the above mentioned statement is the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It is the first of the the first ten amendments of the Constitution known as the Bill of Rights. As it states, United States citizens have a right to belong to any religion they want to. In other words, the US government can not establish a state religion. Americans can get together peacefully, and more importantly, have the FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

Freedom of speech is one of the greatest attributes of being an American. You are allowed to speak your mind about anything. I am allowed to write this blog without government censorship. It is absolutely wonderful. However, what needs to be understood is that just because one has freedom of speech, one is not absolved of responsibility for one’s speech. If you say something, you have to own it, and take responsibility if what you say gets you in hot water, especially if you are a celebrity, and you are associated with a large corporation.

The latest celebrity to get himself in some rather hot political water is Hank Williams, Jr. Most NFL fans who have watched “Monday Night Football” over the past two decades are quite familiar with his “All Our Rowdy Friends” song that kicks off the “MNF” broadcast, with it’s famous chorus, “Are you ready for some football….a Monday Night Party………” Well, on Monday morning, October 3, 2011, Hank Williams, Jr, who is an ultra conservative, went on the Fox News show, “Fox and Friends.” He , unprompted , was talking about President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner going golfing togethers, and stated, “It’d be like Hitler playing golf with (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu.” He then was asked to clarify , and said that they (meaning Obama and Biden ) “were the enemy.” Well, ESPN yanked his “All Our Rowdy Friends” intro from that night’s “MNF’s” showing of the Indianapolis Colts vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

ESPN made the following statement: “While Hank Williams, Jr. is not an ESPN employee, we recognize that he is closely linked to our company through the open to Monday Night Football. We are extremely disappointed with his comments, and as a result we have decided to pull the open from tonight’s telecast.” Hank William’s made a statement on Monday night via his publicist with the following: “Some of us have strong opinions and are often misunderstood. My analogy was extreme — but it was to make a point. I was simply trying to explain how stupid it seemed to me — how ludicrous that pairing was. They’re polar opposites and it made no sense. They don’t see eye-to-eye and never will. I have always respected the office of the president.” Williams made an apology again on Tuesday with the following: “The thought of the leaders of both parties jukin and high fiven on a golf course, while so many families are struggling to get by simply made me boil over and make a dumb statement,” Williams wrote on Facebook and his website. “I am very sorry if it offended anyone.”

Now, there is, of course the debate of whether ESPN did the right thing, and the issue of censorship. There were quite a few people on the conservative side saying ESPN censored Williams. What I found interesting about that is that these are the same people who preach responsibility. These are probably some of the same people who slammed the Dixie Chicks for expressing THEIR free speech rights. Of course, there were people on the liberal side saying that ESPN did the right thing because Williams criticized Obama, and compared him to Hitler. Well, morons called George W. Bush “Hitler” also. No one should compare anyone to Hitler, but that is not the point I am trying to make right now (more later).

ESPN is a business. They are a very large business, and they happen to be 80% owned by Disney. Disney has a corporate, and a certain public image to keep. I don’t care about one’s politics, but it does not take a genius to figure out that if a celebrity, or anyone working for a conglomerate like ESPN says something so controversial as what Williams said, or says something that ESPN or any huge corporation disapproves of, ESPN has every right to disassociate themselves with said celebrity. Does Hank Williams have a right to say what he wants? Yes. It is in the Constitution. However, he is not free from responsibility for what he says. Hank is not being censored. ESPN is not censoring him. They are not stifling free speech.

ESPN fired Hank Williams, Jr on Thursday, October 5th, and released the following statement, “We have decided to part ways with Hank Williams, Jr.,” ESPN said in a statement. “We appreciate his contributions over the past years. The success of Monday Night Football has always been about the games and that will continue.”‬‬ However, Mr. Williams claims he “quit” and said the following on his website, “After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have made MY decision. By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It’s been a great run.” — Hank Williams Jr

Well, I see a couple of things going on here. It seems to me that Mr. Williams does not fully understand the First Amendment, and Freedom of Speech. He seems to think that he can say what he wants, which is true under the First Amendment, and just because of that fact, he should not receive repercussions for the words that come out of his mouth. After all, he is a celebrity, and he shouldn’t have to follow any rules. As WWE wrestler Edge once said, “Wrong. Wrong. Wrong Wrong Wrong WRONG!!!!” People who are saying Williams is being censored are also having a hard time with the following concept: Freedom of speech does NOT mean freedom from responsibility for what comes out of your mouth. If you say it, own it. If you get bad backlash, then you have to take responsibility. Hank Williams, Jr’s comparing Obama to Hitler is something that would likely upset ESPN’s corporate culture. ESPN is NOT the Federal Government.. ESPN is a private company that is allowed to hire or fire anyone it wants.

Some time in the mid-1960s or so, Beatle member John Lennon made a statement to the effect of “The Beatles were more popular/bigger than Jesus Christ.” The Beatles suffered a huge backlash. People destroyed their records. There were protests. Beatles records were burned. Now, did Lennon mean the Beatles LITERALLY were bigger that Jesus? No. He meant it as a metaphor, but people got upset, and he and the band suffered a back lash. Did the government come in and censor them? No. The Dixie Chicks suffered a terrible backlash from fans and such for their anti Bush statements.

Sports personalities like Jimmy “the Greek” Snyder, and Al Campanis have lost jobs because of racially charged statements. The rock band KISS was removed from a Michael Jackson Tribute show due to take place in October, 2011 because a couple of years ago when Jackson died, Bassist Gene Simmons made some silly remark calling Jackson a perv and a molester. Well, KISS was supposed to be featured on some Michael Jackson tribute show, and because the Jackson Estate or the promoters found out about Simmons’ statement, they removed KISS from the show.

The point is, just because Hank Williams has a right to say whatever he wants, and he DOES, he is not free from any consequences. Besides, I loved how he said “All my rowdy friends are out of here.” Seriously, Hank? How much of an ego does he have to have to think that millions and millions of people are going to stop watching Monday Night Football just because ESPN yanked his stupid little song that takes 2 minutes? Sure, there will be those who don’t understand how the First Amendment, and those who are Obama haters who will follow suit and will stop watching Monday Night Football because of ESPN’s firing Williams, but people are going to continue to watch Monday Night Football regardless. I am just amazed at his audacity, and his failure to understand that the First Amendment applies to the Government in that the Federal Government can not censor free speech, NOT a company like ESPN. It is not a hard concept to grasp.

Terri Bey currently blogs for CamelClutchBlog.com about Wrestling, NFL, and other sports/pop culture related subjects. Her work has appeared in BleacherReport and for F4WOnline.com. Terri can be found here at Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/TerriBey and at Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/missedgehead

Fantasy Football Almanac 2011: The Essential Fantasy Football Refererence Guide

NFL Jerseys on Amazon.com

Madden 12 video game

NFL America’s Game Super Bowl I-XL on DVD

On Tuesday, September 27th, ESPN Films debuted director Alex Gibney’s documentary, “Catching Hell” as part of their excellent “30 for 30″ film series. Before I continue with this blog, I want to say that I have lots of beefs with ESPN in general, but this “30 for 30″ series of documentaries is one thing they do very well, producing great films about such subjects as The University of Miami and their controversial reputation, Southern Methodist University getting the Death Penalty from the NCAA and the aftermath, and about Ricky Williams, and many others. “30 for 30″ is a great film series I do admit.

That being said, “Catching Hell” is about one of the most infamous scapegoats of all of sports, a young Cubs fan named Steve Bartman who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was Game Six in the 2003 NLCS at Wrigley Field between the visiting Florida Marlins and the Chicago Cubs. Now, before I go further, the Chicago Cubs had not won the World Series since 1908, and were considered “cursed,” when in 1945, Chicago tavern owner Billy Sianiswas was asked to leave a World Series game at Wrigley Field between the Cubs and the Tigers because he had his Billy goat with him, and Sianiswas said because of that, he cursed the Cubs and the Cubs would never win the World Series ever, which they haven’t.

The 2003 season for the Cubs, was a magical season, and fans were very excited to see their “lovable losers” on the precipice of a World Series appearance. Pitchers Mark Prior and Kerry Wood were having great seasons. Sammy Sosa hit for 40 homers that regular season. The Cubs had a great post season, and here they were, on the brink of an appearance in the World Series, and the following occurs: As I said previously, it was Game Six in the 2003 NLCS at Wrigley Field, the Florida Marlins are down 3-0 to the Cubs, and down 3 games to 2 in the Series, and were five outs away from going back to Florida for their off season. Marlins’ second baseman Luis Castillo comes to the plate, and eventually hits one of the most notorious foul balls in MLB history.

As most people know, several fans reached out for the ball as Moises Alou coming in from right field tried to make the catch, but could not because the ball was deflected by a fan. Alou then had a Fred Sanford like hissy fit, and was very irate. Pitcher Mark Prior was upset, and the Cubs wanted “Fan interference” called. The umpires refused because they ruled that the ball crossed the plane and was not in the field of play. Thanks to the TV producers replaying the incident over and over, it was eventually revealed that the fan who deflected the ball was a Cubs fan named Steve Bartman.

I think everyone knows by now what happened next. I have seen collapses in sports (Dolphins/Jets on Monday Night Football in 2000 comes to mind), but this one was crazy. Mark Pryor walks Castillo on a wild pitch. Ivan Rodriquez hits an RBI single, and the score is now 3-1. What happens next is very baffling. Cubs SS Alex Gonzalez misfields a ball , which would have been a sure fire double play which would have gotten the Cubs out of the inning. Derek Lee doubled, and Pryor was done for the night. I won’t go through everything, but a total of 8 runs scored, and even Sammy Sosa screwed up on a defensive play as well during this fiasco. Cubs eventually lost Game 7 even though they lead 5-3 at one point. Marlins went on to beat the Yankees 4 games to 2.

As for Steve Bartman, a lifelong Cubs fan, his life was destroyed. Fans outside the stadium eventually found out who he was thanks to a guy with a TV on his head , and the TV producers repeatedly showing the incident over and over. They started chanted ***hole, and then the chant permeated through the stadium. He had to be removed from his seat, and put in a room to be shown what he did, as he was sitting there all game with earphones listening to the broadcast. The media put out his home and work address, and he is now pretty much a recluse, all because he did what MOST FANS would do.

The movie itself was pretty well done. The director Alex Gibney, who is from Boston, tries to use two incidents of scapegoating, and try to show some correlation. At least, that is how I saw it. The large majority of the piece did discuss the Bart incident, but he tried to also tie in the infamous Bill Buckner incident also. As most sports fans know, in the 1986 World Series, Bill Buckner was the scapegoat for Boston fans when he mishandled a ground ball hit by Mookie Wilson of the Mets. I think he did get his point across somewhat. The Unitarian Minister’s explanation was very good when she talked about how back in Biblical times, the Priest would have a goat, and the people would put their sins on the goat, and then the goat would be taken away, or in some cases, the goat would be thrown off the cliff.

As fans, and by the way, fan is short for fanatic, we sometimes get so into our love for our team, athlete, wrestler, etc, that sometimes we get blinded, and rational thinking goes out the window. I think Gibney’s bringing up Buckner is that Boston fans wanted that Curse of the Bambino off their backs so badly , and that they were so mad that the Sox lost (especially to a New York team at that), that they could not think straight, and that someone had to take the blame, and that someone was Buckner. They didn’t care that before the play , the pitcher had given up some singles, and I think a run came in. They didn’t care that Buckner had bad knees and the manager should have known better than to keep him in there. They didn’t care there was a game 7 and the Red Sox should have tried to win that. All they could think of is that their Sox lost and it was Buckner’s fault.

Gibney tries to tie Buckner’s story and Bartman’s story together. Both have a lot in common, I admit. Both incidents involved “cursed” franchises. Both incidents happened late in game sixes of series. Both guys were blamed so badly that they had to put themselves in exile. Bill Buckner and his family moved out of Massachusetts.Steve Bartman continues to live in seclusion in the Chicago area. Buckner played for both franchises. The ACLS, and the NCLS of 2003 featured both “cursed” franchises, Boston Red Sox and Cubs. In both of those series, the Red Sox would lose to the dreaded New York Yankees on a home run in an infamous game where star pitcher Pedro Martinez may have been left in too long, and reliever Tim Wakefield gave up the winning home run to Aaron Boone of the Yankees, and once again be haunted by the Yankees, and the Cubs would also be haunted by the Marlins in the aforementioned Bartman incident game.

I thought though that it seemed like it was a bit too much like a documentary. The director was in it too much. I thought someone else should have narrated it. I understood why he brought up Buckner , and the Red Sox, and I know the guy was from Boston, but if Mr. Gibney was going to make a documentary about Bartman, he should keep it about Bartman. He could mention Buckner in passing as another example, but I really didn’t need about 30 minutes of the film dedicated to Buckner. The lack of an interview with Steve Bartman, although considering the circumstances it is understandable, hurt the product. I certainly understand though.

What I DID like was that the director talked to people who were sitting in the surrounding seats, and get the Bartman story from their perspective. I liked hearing their side of the story how they were also going for the ball. The director also showed different footage from other video cameras of the incident from different angles. You also saw his seat. They show from a different angle how the ***hole chant got into the stadium, and the whole scene became a lynch mob. The TV producers did confess that they may have shown it too much.

They felt that it was such an important play. The director also pointed out that they didn’t repeatedly show Alex Gonzalez’ screw up over and over. The movie also went into how Cubs fans are so used to the team losing that they were waiting for something to go wrong, as that night they were very tense. When Bernie Mac sang “Take me out to the ball game, ” he sang “Root root root for the Champions” or something like that…..that is when , according to the documentary, that fans started thinking that they were doomed. I enjoyed how they got different perspectives on what Bartman did. I loved how they showed his little league team who stood up for him. Overall though, I think it was a good study on human behavior, and well worth watching the repeats on ESPN or any of the ESPN affiliates

I am going to end this by giving my opinion on the Steve Bartman incident. I remember when it happened, and watching the documentary just reinforced my beliefs, so here it goes:

I thought the whole Steve Bartman incident, and especially the overreaction to it was ridiculous, and “Catching Hell” did nothing to change my mind. In fact, all the film did was reinforce my beliefs. I mean this guy’s life was destroyed. The Chicago papers put his name and his home and work addresses out in public. The guy got death threats. When he was being escorted down the hallways, some idiot bully took his sweatjacket off his head, and said that he wanted everyone to know who the person was who cost the Cubs a trip to the World Series. My beliefs then as they are now is that I was embarrassed as an MLB fan and as an American.

How can people treat a human being like this? I mean, over a baseball game? Good Lord. People better get their priorities straight. There was no excuse to ruin the guy’s life. Bob Costas really irked me on the film saying Bartman made “a mistake.” What mistake? Going for a ball like some of the OTHER FANS were doing? The TV producers should be ashamed. That “play” wasn’t so important as they thought. The Alex Gonzalez play was much more important. It was a shame that Bartman had to apologize when it should be that then idiot Governor Blogavich who said “If Steve Bartman commits a crime , he won’t get a pardon from this governor.” and those idiot Chicago Cubs fans who should apologize to Bartman. Funny that Blogavich is learning about what a bitch Karma can be. I just thought Bartman didn’t deserve that horrible treatment he got, and still don’t.

As ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd says, “Let’s take the emotion out of it, and calm down.” Let’s examine what actually happened in the game after the incident, and even during the incident, and maybe get this guy off the hook, shall we?

1. The wind, other fans going after the ball, and Moises Alou.

One thing the movie brought up was that as Castillo’s foul ball was going towards the stands and headed down into the stands was that the wind was blowing the ball back towards the infield. The movie also brought up that Alou was not the greatest fielder on the planet. If you watch the Incident, you can see quite a few other fans going for the ball. People who blame the loss solely on Bartman evidently ignore the other fans going for the ball. There was a part in the movie were several circles were drawn around people going for that ball. Moises Alou wasn’t all that as a fielder that I remember. The wind could have blown the ball past Alou’s glove, even IF Bartman had pulled back. Let’s supposed that Bartman pulled back, and Alou does NOT catch the ball. I just what happened next was going to happen. No one told Alou to lose his temper. Can’t blame Bartman. I wonder why the other fans weren’t blamed in this as well. Can’t blame one and not the others. I mean, Bartman can’t be blamed for the wind. He can’t be blamed for the others going after the ball. It is easy to act like God Almighty and tell a fan what they are supposed to do. Until you are in that situation, you do not know what you would do.

2. Mark Prior’s meltdown.

After the incident, Mark Prior started a meltdown which led to him walking Castillo with a wild pitch, and a couple of batters later, giving up a double to Derek Lee which got him out of the game. Well, I would like to know how could Bartman be blamed for that? Prior got THAT distracted by Alou’s hissy fit, or whatever that he could not control his pitches? I don’t see how Bartman can be blamed for that.

3. Alex Gonzalez’ misfielding the ball.

If ANYONE should the so called “Goat” in this game, it should be Gonzalez. Let’s see, he gets a routine grounder that he messes up, that would have been a sure fire double play that would have gotten the Cubs out of the inning? Wow. Instead of THIS error being replayed ad nauseum, it is this poor Bartman guy’s going for a ball. Steve Bartman is the cause of this, how?

4. The 8 run explosion in totality.

The Florida Marlins eventually scored 8 runs after the Bartman incident. The Marlins were there to win the game (and the Series). They kept on hitting, and kept on trying, and took advantage of mistakes made by the Cubs. I just think that the Cubs can’t be that mentally weak that they let some fan in the stands distract them that much. If they are that weak, then they deserve to lose. In other words, the CUBS made the mental mistakes, and such, not Steve Bartman.

Therefore, to paraphrase Vincent Kennedy McMahon, circa 1997, “Steve Bartman didn’t screw the Cubs. The Cubs screwed the Cubs.”

Terri Bey currently blogs for CamelClutchBlog.com about Wrestling, NFL, and other sports/pop culture related subjects. Her work has appeared in BleacherReport and for F4WOnline.com. Terri can be found here at Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/TerriBey and at Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/missedgehead

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Bring a team a Super Bowl and you are hero for a year. Don’t return and quickly your name pops up everywhere in rumors of leaving, firings, etc. We know how the NHL and NBA work, in that the second a team sinks, booting the coach seems to be easy. We never really saw that as a common practice in the NFL, where a head coach comes in and tries to put a “system” in place, and usually has a few years to see if the team can succeed within it.

We have seen some NFL head coaches like Philadelphia’s Andy Reid, and the recently fired Jeff Fisher from Tennessee that had lasted 10+ years with the same team. Then we have some like Mike Singletary, who seemed to have the Niners growing one year, bad the next, and then he was gone. Coaches in the NFL breed from so many places like college, and all types of coordinating positions on the 32 pro clubs. A hot team can have its coordinators become valuable to lots of teams really quick.

This NFL season gets even trickier in that the league currently has no bargaining agreement with the players union, so everyone is watching dollars and cents. We saw San Francisco bring in Jim Harbaugh as the new head coach, and we saw Jon Fox get a new job already, but the usual huge names like Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden not getting many looks. Yes, they are excellent coaches, but with dollars tight does anyone want to give them a big contract only to go into a lock-out? Or do teams just love the new wave of coordinator or young gun college coaches?

No, I don’t have all the facts as to how or why these moves get made, but being a sports fan and a guy who always has his nose in the news, you see more than enough rumors, and hear more of the same old stories of who is going where, who could be drawn to leave and who wants what job. What I did here is give you some names, and the recent things that have been going on as potential rumors etc.

Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles: Andy has had tremendous regular season success with the Eagles, and always has them playing near the top of the league. However the city and its desperate wanting of a Super Bowl can have Reid in hot water. Over the past few years you could hear Eagles fans asking for Reid to be let go. His relations with players such as Donovan McNabb, and his recent QB mess with Mike Vick and Kevin Kolb could prove that Reid may be out of ideas, and out of love with this team. With former Eagle coaches like Jon Gruden, Jeff Fisher and Brad Childress roaming around without head jobs, a move could be possible next year if Reid can’t get this team on track. Moves like naming former Offensive Line Coach Juan Castillo as new Defensive Coordinator could be the type of thing to doom Reid.

Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints: A recent leak on ESPN by reporter Ed Werder gave us the scoop that Payton is moving his family to Dallas, Texas. Already the rumblings have started: “Is Payton leaving the Saints for the Cowboys, where he was an assistant in the past?” or “Is he going to be distant from the Saints now?” Well Payton is a good coach and a smart one as well so I think the Saints are in good hands, but now-a-days some owners, like Jerry Jones, are willing to pay anything to get the fans what they want.

Jon Gruden, Monday Night Football: Jon Gruden is still under contract with ESPN this year, so it is safe to assume he won’t be going anywhere this season, but his name is always a hot topic. Why, you may ask? Well Gruden has won a Super Bowl, and has had good success. Plus Gruden is also a good sell as a younger, excitable coach. Being in the Monday Night booth keeps him on top of what is going on in the league, so it is not like he will be stale. Random blogs have him linked to Dallas, Philly and just about any big time college team. He is a certain asset, but his asking price may be way too high, eh hem, Washington.

Jeff Fisher, Free Agent: Fisher had a good run with the Titans, and despite what we first heard about how he was fired in favor of Vince Young, is not all that true. The Titans also have been heard to be looking to trade Young. Fisher is a hard-nosed coach that also seems to always have pretty good relations with his players. Many were buzzing about him being a great Defensive Coordinator candidate, but he will most likely take at least a year off. He seems to be very much on top of the game and his style has not gotten stale. As much as the Titans thought it was time for a change, it may have been needed for Fisher as well.

Some coaches are still hanging on to jobs and we cannot help but wonder for how long. Marvin Lewis is still hanging on in Cincy, but it may have been the surprise run of 2009 that may have saved him for another season. Gary Kubiak continues to get the Texans to play decent football, but they still can’t get a good enough defense on the field to make the playoffs. Yet his good offensive skills keep him on board. And of course, we always have an eye on Eric Mangini, who is always on the chop block.

Than we have the guys who are back in coordinating, like Charlie Weis and Josh McDainels. McDaniels had a very short run as head coach of the Denver Broncos, but shortly after losing that job he took the spot as the Offensive Coordinator of the St. Louis Rams. Weis was the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010 after a 5 year run as head coach for Notre Dame. Instead of looking for a pro spot, he opted for the offensive coordinator spot at the University of Florida. How long before he opines for a head job will most likely be determined by his success.

The off-season in the NFL is always loaded with fun rumors, exciting changes and new surroundings, so stick around because before you know it, you will have football on your lips again.

If you’d like to hear anything else from me on topics or ideas I can be reached at [email protected].

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