Cleveland Calamity: A Browns Fan's Testimony

Today, it's a pleasure to introduce RSS's First Fan Testimony! Today, our long lost friend and favorite commenter Brother Yohey takes us down the long and winding road to the Dog Pound. With the news of Mangenius' ridiculous fines, Secret Service coaching, and losing his team within a month, we thought it might be nice to hear from one of the biggest Browns fans of them all after such a promising start to another season. This should be fun! Brother Yohey, take it away....

3 TD; 3 INT; 768 yards; 1-5 as starter.

As a Browns fan, you would assume that this stat line would belong to a QB from the early parts of this decade: Doug Pederson, Spergeon Wynn, Luke McCown, maybe even Tim Couch. Not so. That is the stat line for Brady Quinn, the Golden Boy drafted with the 22^nd pick in the 2007 NFL Draft by Phil Savage of the Cleveland Browns. That draft was supposed to be the cornerstone for future success. LT Joe Thomas is a two-time Pro-Bowl starter and Eric Wright is coming into his own as a solid CB. Then there was Quinn, who was to be under center, leading the Browns on championship drives that he envisioned as a child growing up in Dublin, Ohio.

After such expectations, it seems as though Quinn has taken a David Caruso-esque drop (except, there may be no CSI: Miami for Quinn’s future). I can’t put this all on Quinn; he has only 6 starts under his belt. Yes, he was 6 of 8 when he got pulled last week, but his 6 of 8 only garnered 34 yards and one INT. Not to mention the Browns were 6 of 30 on 3^rd down conversions this season.

My frustration, as a Browns fan though, goes to the handling of Quinn by the coaching staff, primarily Eric Mangini. I can’t lie; I liked the hire that the front office made at that point. He had some success in New York, albeit 3 years, after turning them around to 10-6 his first year there. I wasn’t expecting 10 wins in 2009, but every fan expected a HELL of a lot more than they have shown this year. Last year, before he was fired, Romeo Crennell announced Quinn the starter for 2009. Mangini, wanting to put his stamp on the team, announced an open competition. The off-season competition reeked of the sorry Frye-Anderson “duel” of 2007, where Romeo flipped an f’n coin before one game. Mangini, trying his best to emulate the KGB, waited until the morning before the season to “officially” proclaim Brady the starter, even though, for a fan like me, we already knew Brady won the job.

I fault Mangini and the staff, because we know that offenses run the best when they have established a consistent rhythm and timing. All preseason, the Browns seemed like a grandfather clock that was 10 minutes behind on the dong every hour. Who's to blame? Maybe it's the head coach who constantly alternated QB's and didn't even play Quinn or Anderson in the last preseason game.

I try to stay positive as a Browns fan and give them the benefit of the doubt on certain occasions, but this was a horribly managed farce from the start. The most important position can’t be handled so badly. I’m starting to lose faith in Mangini after 3 weeks. And what’s even more troubling is that the team has obviously lost faith in him as well. His dictatorial grasp on the team is wearing thin.

Most fans don’t care who is named the starter, we just want the team to do good. It’s been a rough couple decades for Browns fans. Since I’ve been born we’ve had to deal with The Drive, The Fumble, Art Modell, losing our team, Tim Couch, and now The Mangini Era. The outright deception Mangini used to fool his opponents by initially not naming a starter worked in the opposite direction: it deceived us fans, who felt he was competent. Usually fans are worried about team chemistry and cancers in the clubhouse. Whoever you root for, just be thankful that your team doesn't have a cancer in the clubhouse coming straight from the coach's office.

Athletes of the Decade-#4 Tom Brady/Peyton Manning

Our greatest athlete countdown reveals an RSS Decade Series first, ladies and gentlemen, a tie! For our #4 athlete, there was no way to separate these two quarterbacks. For the past decade, they've been the unquestioned face of the NFL. When you think of one, you think of the other...Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, or is it Peyton Manning and Tom Brady?

Tom Brady's Resume

-3-time Super Bowl Champion (36, 38, 39)

-2-time Super Bowl MVP (36, 38)

-4-time Pro Bowl selection

-2007 NFL MVP

Peyton Manning's Resume

-1-time Super Bowl Champion (41)

-1-time Super Bowl MVP (41)

-9-time Pro Bowl Selection

-3-time NFL MVP

The Facts

-In 2004, Manning set an NFL record by throwing for 49 TDs. The record was broken by Brady in 2007 with 50 TDs.

-Brady holds the record for most completions in a single Super Bowl and most career completions in the Super Bowl.

-Manning currently sits 4th on the career TD list and 6th on the career passing yards list.

-Manning has made the playoffs every year this decade except 2001, while Brady has made the postseason 6 times this decade.

-Brady holds the advantage head-to-head over Manning 7-3.

-Both have hosted episodes of Saturday Night Live.

Why They're Here

Clearly, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady belong on this list because they have been the two greatest athletes in the most important professional league in the country, the NFL. They truly are the Magic Johnson and Larry Bird of this generation. Throughout history, they will be linked as the two greatest quarterbacks of this, or perhaps any generation. Perhaps the greatest irony is the difference between the two's path to the NFL. Peyton Manning was born to be a professional quarterback. As the son of Saints great Archie Manning, Peyton was always pushed towards greatness. After attending Tennessee, Peyton was drafted first overall by the Colts in the 1998 Draft.

Meanwhile, Tom Brady had to compete for playing time at Michigan with future baseball flameout Drew Henson and future journeyman Brian Griese. In the 2000 NFL Draft, Brady would be drafted 199th overall, behind such great quarterbacks as Giovanni Carmazzi (0 career passing yards), Tee Martin (69 career passing yards), and Spergon Wynn (589 career passing yards). Both would also take different paths to the top of the NFL. Manning was the prototype for the perfect quarterback who could never win the big game until he finally won his Super Bowl. Brady was the cinderella champion who came from nowhere to become one of the winningest quarterbacks of all-time.

Lasting Impact

Interestingly enough, their lasting impact on the sports culture may find Brady switching his humble roots with Manning's pedigree. These days, it's Brady who finds himself as tabloid material on a daily basis. With his supermodel wife, Brady has gone from sixth-round draft pick to the glamour boy of the NFL.

Manning on the other hand feels like the everyman's quarterback, methodical and hard-working. His down-home blue-collar charm appeals to the masses, which might be why Manning's face is all over products from Gatorade to MasterCard. Who can forget this favorite?

So, both are proven winners in the biggest sport in the country at the single most important position in American sports, quarterback. Battles between these two in the past, and in the future, will go down in NFL lore among the very best rivalries in the game's history. By the end of Brady's career, he could have more Super Bowl victories than any other quarterback. By the end of Manning's career, he could hold nearly every important passing record there is. That's why it's impossible to separate the two. Which one is truly better than the other, you be the judge. For now, they both share the stage in our Athletes of the Decade countdown.

Only three more athletes to go! Who will claim the final podium positions on our Athletes of the Decade countdown? Remember, we at RSS want to know what you think, so feel free to leave your comments below. Also, don't forget to vote up our stories on BallHype, I'm sure we can pay you back someday. Until next time, it's bye for now!

Protecting The Shield - Week 3 Thoughts

Time for our look back at Week 3 in the NFL. A lot of exciting stories and games in the young season has Shield Nation at a fever pitch. What are the stories you need to pay more attention to, and the stories you wish would just go away? Oh, and the Lions finally won a game, much to the chagrin of the nation's capital. Let's cover the NFL's week that was and Protect the Shield!

Overrated Story of The Week: Too Much TO

-Please make it stop. Every time TO opens his mouth we have to suffer through wall to wall coverage. So what if he didn't have a catch against New Orleans? Everyone should know TO is not an elite receiver at this stage of his career. Give credit to a vastly improved and underrated Saints D (Wooo!) for shutting out TO, but honestly he wasn't a huge factor in the game. In the postgame, you could tell the Buffalo reporters were baiting TO into saying something incriminating, but to his credit he didn't bite.

So, not knowing how to react, we have to criticize Owens for not speaking out and acting strangely in his press conference. But, being counter-cultural at RSS, TO is actually in the right here. Owens didn't do anything wrong, and yet he found himself in the center of a media firestorm. And then there is the Twitter war with Rodney Harrison. I say good for TO for defending himself against the arrogant new analyst. (Why is NBC not holding Harrison accountable for his first Twitter war with Jets safety Kerry Rhodes? You can't tell me this guy isn't still waving the Patriot flag and is objectionable.) Anyways, every Tweet TO produces is treated and analyzed like one of Einstein's theories. Who cares? In this case, the media created a story when none was present. Now that TO has spoken out again about the media's bias against him I'm sure it will be analyzed to death once more because the sports media loves talking about themselves and TO as much as anything else. Ugh. Please make it stop.

Underrated Story Of The Week: The Colts Are Still The Colts

-Lost in the hype of the first three weeks amongst the dominance of the Ravens, the tributes to Mark Sanchez, the Saints awesome offense, Michael Vick, and that Favre guy has been the Colts' 3-0 start. How could they possibly continue their run without Dungy and Harrison? Everyone is another year older, they have a first year head coach, the window is closing was what we heard coming into the season. However, a nice influx of youth (Donald Brown, Mount Union's Pierre Garcon above), and the stepping up of Clark and Wayne has buoyed Indy to the top of the AFC South in what appears to be a weakened division. Depending on the severity of the injury to Dwight Freeney, the Colts might be in the hunt for the whole AFC, as a surprise contender.

3 Stars:

3rd Star: Maurice Jones-Drew (RB-Jags)

-23 carries, 119 yards, and 3 TDs earn MoJo our 3rd Star of the week honors. While the Texans defense has been quite less than stellar, it was a yeoman's effort by the UCLA alum which got the Jags out of the winless column. Enjoy it Jacksonville fans, my guess is there aren't many more star performances coming your way.

2nd Star: Greg Lewis (WR-Vikings)... and Brett Favre, sigh

-Ok, we're big men here at RSS, so Brett Favre can earn 1/2 a star this week for his TD pass in the final seconds in Minny's win over San Francisco. Favre looked old throughout the game and did jack in the 2nd Half until that final pass. But, we'll give credit where it's due for now. Favre made the play when it counted, but he has Greg Lewis to thank. Lewis unbelievably leapt for the ball in coverage, dragged his foot, and held onto the ball. That was as good a catch as we've seen in the NFL this season, too bad #4 threw it to him and he's already forgotten.

1st Star: The Lions

-And the whole state of Michigan is rejoicing. Come out and see the light of day Detroiters! Congrats to every Lions fan who has been through a lot of suffering. No team deserves to go winless in an entire season, so good for the loyal fans who have stuck it out. Also, give credit to the players for giving homage to those fans by coming out of the locker room after the game. At least the Lions have some hope again, even if that's all they have. In the end, that's all sports fans can ask for.

Fab 5:

1. New York Giants

2. Baltimore

3. New Orleans

4. Minnesota

5. Indianapolis

-A thought about our rankings: The G-Men stay atop percentage points ahead of Baltimore, but it could really be 1 and 1A. Minny rises above Indy by beating a very game 49ers ballclub. The Saints are at #3 after showing their defense can win a game. The Jets are on the outside looking in, but really should be in the Top 5 based on their impressive wins. However, at this point in the season would they beat any of the teams in front of them? Probably not.

11 Random Observations:

1) Random bit of amazing, shocking, mystifying news: Referee Mike Carey is 60 years old?!? This was a jaw-dropping bit of news dropped by Dan Dierdorf during the Jets/Titans game. For anyone looking for the Fountain of Youth, just ask Mike Carey where it is.

2) Pretender 3-0 Team of the Year Award goes to your Denver Broncos. As it has been astutely pointed out by some (I'll even give credit to The Herd here), Denver might go 1-7 in their next 8 games. Congrats on cleaning up the state of Ohio and Oakland's semi-pro team, because it's all downhill from here.

3) Tony Romo held off the critics for a week, but calling him a "winner" just because he has more wins than losses in his career is meaningless. How many games has he won when it counted? None. Who fumbled the ball in Seattle? Who played like Bad Rex against the G-Men? Is a constant choke-artist in the clutch really a winner? I don't think so. Prove it in January Tony.

4) The demise of Jay Cutler has been greatly over-exaggerated. 2 game-winning drives in 2 weeks will make folks forget about that 4 INT job at Green Bay in Week 1. He might have a lot of critics and doubters, but Jay Cutler has what it takes to win in Chicago.

5) How quickly can you lose your team? The Skins and Bucs aren't exactly rallying around their Head Coaches right now. Zorn has always been over his head, and the Skins are playing like a team with no heart, heck they lost to the Lions. Meanwhile, Raheem Morris fired his Offensive Coordinator and has already changed QB's. It'll be long seasons in DC and Tampa.

6) But, the early candidate for the Rich Kotite Award has to be Eric Mangini of Cleveland. First the QB controversy, then it comes out that 5 players are filing grievances with the league against their leader for insane fines. All you have to do is check out this awesome article about the "ManGenius" from CBS' Gregg Doyel. I've never seen a coach ripped like this before, simply brilliant!

7) The comeback of #7 Michael Vick was fairly anticlimactic. No protesters ran on the field, no pack of dogs chased him down, and he didn't perform any superhuman feats in his comeback. He ran a few Wildcat plays, a couple incompletions, and that was it. Turns out he might not be a big factor this season for the Eagles.

8) The most surprising event this weekend was the Saints D stepping up in a huge way in Buffalo. Holding the Bills to 7 points (on a fake FG mind you) is unheard of with this group of Saints. This was their most impressive win of the season because it didn't depend on Brees and the offense. A Top 10 D in NOLA is a scary thought for Saints fans and the rest of the NFL.

9) 3 surprise 0-3 teams are the Dolphins, Panthers, and Titans. Of the bunch, Tennessee is the most likely to climb out with Miami the least. Poor Chad Pennington. His season, and perhaps career could be over after another shoulder injury. The Dolphins will look closer to that 1-15 team than the AFC East champs from here on out.

10) Jim Mora's rant was entertaining, but out of line. You win and lose games as teams. Is it Olindo Mare's fault that your offense couldn't get the ball in the endzone? Was it Mare's fault that the defense didn't stop Jay Cutler in the last 2 minutes? Also, you've got a long way to go before you rant as good as your daddy did.

11) What can I do to the Raiders to get banned from their facilities besides lead them to a Super Bowl? Take away Al Davis' teddy bear? Bring back Bill Callahan? Punch out Tom Cable? Find JaMarcus Russell some quarterbacking ability?

What Happened In Week 3 That Will Change The Season: The Bengals Show Some Heart While Pittsburgh Folds Again

-We highlighted Chad 85 in our Hot Off The Grill preview and thought that the Bengals would give Pittsburgh a run, and they did. For the first time in a long time, the Bengals showed some guts and toughness. No Hall of Fame jackets, no suspensions, no whining, just playing some hard-nosed football. Their comeback over Pittsburgh will give them the statement win needed to perhaps chase a Wild Card spot. Remember, this team should be 3-0 if not for the "Immaculate Deflection" against Denver. On the other hand, Pittsburgh lost a game they had won for the 2nd week in a row. The defending champs have to be worried at their inability to close out games. We'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now, but they need to get back to winning ways soon.

YCS/Heisman Watch - Week 4

Well, I guess a picture is worth 1000 words in this case as Week 4 not only saw Superman take a dose of kryptonite, but also saw several top 10 teams fall in stunning fashion. So, who's left to pick up the pieces in the YCS? Will anyone please step forward in the Heisman Watch? If you're just trying to make sense of it all, you've come to the right place. Everything you needed to know about Week 4 in college pig, right here, at RSS!

YCS STANDINGS

1.Florida (4-0, last game W at Kentucky 41-7, up next Oct. 10 at LSU)

-If the Gators were nervous last week after only beating Lane the Lip by 10, they have to be a nervous wreck over the health of Tim Tebow. After seeing that brutal hit over and over again, one has to wonder if JC QB will really be playing with a full deck when Florida visits LSU. Florida's one saving grace is their upcoming bye week, so they will have 2 weeks to prep for their toughest test of the season.

2. Alabama (4-0, last game W vs. Arkansas 35-7, up next Sat. at Kentucky)

-The Tide finally looked impressive once again for the first time since their opening win over Va. Tech. They held Arkansas QB Ryan Mallet to only 160 yards passing one week after he torched Georgia for over 400 yards and 5 TDs. The offense also seems to be getting more balanced every week. If Greg McElroy can continue to find phenom Julio Jones, Alabama should be set for an effective national semifinal in the SEC title game.

3. Texas (4-0, last game W vs. UTEP 64-7, up next Oct. 10 vs. Colorado)

-Finally, it's about time the Longhorns dominated a beatable opponent from start to finish, like they did to UTEP this past Saturday. Texas took a 40 point lead into halftime behind a better performance from Colt McCoy and never looked back. They have another warm-up game in two weeks against Colorado before the Red River Shootout, but it looks like the Horns may be peaking at just the right time.

4. Boise St. (4-0, last game W at Bowling Green 49-14, up next Sat. vs. UC Davis)

-The Blue Turf Band keeps rolling as Boise St. remained undefeated with an impressive performance at Bowling Green. Once again, it seems it will be up to Boise to bust up the BCS. Also, they get a nice scrimmage this week against I-AA UC Davis before perhaps their only remaining hurdle on the schedule, at Tulsa. If they get past that game, we could see not only the BCS busted, but the national championship picture.

5. Cincinnati (4-0, last game W vs Fresno St. 28-20, up next Sat. at Miami (OH))

-Still the most underrated team in the country, the Bearcats further beefed up their resume with a gritty win against Fresno St. Led by the dynamic duo of QB Tony Pike and WR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati could not only make a second consecutive BCS bowl game, but could sneak into the national title picture. The quality of the Big East seems to be on the rise though, so Cincinnati will need to continue to improve if they harbor big ambitions.

6. LSU (4-0, last game W at Miss St. 30-26, up next Sat. at #18 Georgia)

-LSU seems to be one of the big winners after all of the Top 10 losses, rising to #4 in both polls. Still, they were very unimpressive and should have lost if not for a 90-yard punt return and a last-minute goal line stand. Their ranking may be the latest beneficiary of a lack of quality teams this year in college football. The next two weeks will reveal a lot as they go between the hedges at Georgia and then host the Gators.

7. Houston (3-0, last game W vs. Texas Tech 29-28 up next Sat. at UTEP)

-The Cougars finally break in to the YCS after an exciting win against Texas Tech. QB Case Keenum led from the front, running in the winning TD in the final minute and throwing for 435 yards. Count Houston among other mid-majors who will need to go undefeated to be taken seriously by the BCS, a feat that is possible in the weak Conference USA.

8. TCU (3-0, last game W at Clemson 14-10, up next Sat. vs SMU)

-The last of the unbeatens in the YCS is Texas Christian, who earned their way in the hard way, winning on the road against SEC foe Clemson. While they're probably the least likely BCS Buster, they'll look to carry the Mountain West banner after BYU's choke job against Florida St. Oddly enough, BYU is the biggest obstacle to another Mountain West team making a national impact at the end of the year.

9. Va. Tech (3-1, last game W vs. Miami (Fl) 31-7, up next Sat. at Duke)

-The YCS finally has to include teams with one loss after only 4 weeks. The best of the bunch has to be Virginia Tech after their home drubbing of The U. As we told you in our Hot off the Grill Preview, the Hurricanes were the victim of an overanxious media hype machine as they were beaten soundly in every facet of the game in Blacksburg. The Hokies are now the clear favorite to be the ACC Champs, but that's as far as this team will go, unless college football goes completely nuts!

10. Ohio St. (3-1, last game W vs Illinois 30-0, up next Sat. at Indiana)

-Ok, fine, call it a home pick. But, back-to-back shutouts don't lie as this defense looks as dominant as the Buckeyes have since their national championship. If the BuckNuts can just let Jim Tressell coach and allow Terrelle Pryor and the offense to develop an identity, Ohio St. should make a return visit to Pasedena, perhaps for a rematch with the Trojans?

Dropped from the YCS: Miami, Cal, Penn St., Ole Miss

Just Missed Out: Oklahoma, USC, Iowa

-The casualty list is longer than ever with 4 teams dropping out of the YCS after embarrassing defeats. Miami, Cal, and Ole Miss were exposed as frauds after each was severely outplayed by conference opponents while Penn St. failed to show up at home on a Saturday night against Iowa. Once again, this goes to show the rankings mean almost squat until at least Week 6 (which is why we at RSS try to cut through all the BS to get you the real rankings). Meanwhile, USC and Oklahoma are knocking at the door still sitting on one loss. Even though USC did defeat Ohio St., they've been less than impressive the last 2 weeks and in all honesty should have lost at the 'Shoe. Iowa is also knocking at the door of the Top 10, which means they will probably lose this week against Michigan.

RSS HEISMAN WATCH

1. Tim Tebow-QB-Florida (last game 5/10, 103 yards, 1 TD; 16 rushes, 123 yards, 2 TDs)

-For now, Tebow remains atop the Heisman Watch. It remains to be seen if Tebow will be held out of any games (Urban Meyer says he'll be ready for LSU in 2 weeks, but we're not so sure). A concussion that appears to be that serious is nothing to mess around with. Before the injury, Tebow ran like a man possessed, even breaking off a 30 yard run. If he comes back to that form healthy, he may find a lonely perch in the Heisman race.

2. Colt McCoy-QB-Texas (last game 28/35, 286 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT)

-McCoy gains 2 spots, merely from the struggles of those around him. McCoy has been beneath nearly all of his stats from last season, but as long as Texas remains in the Top 3, McCoy will be in the same contention for the trophy. Some spotlight games are approaching for McCoy to shine once again on the national stage.

3. Case Keenum-QB-Houston (last game 38/58, 435 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 rush TD)

-Keenum wasn't out of this world impressive against Texas Tech in a Wild West shootout, but he did something perhaps more important... led a game-winning drive in the clutch. If Keenum can keep up his pace by throwing for over 400 yards per game and Houston keeps winning, Keenum might be a Cinderella bid to make it to New York.

4. Tony Pike-QB-Cincy (last game 18/26, 300 yards, 3 TDs)

-A cordial welcome to the Bearcats field general. We thought about putting WR Mardy Gilyard on the watch, ya know, just to shake things up a bit by adding a non-quarterback, but Pike's case is a little stronger. He put up some good numbers against Fresno and has complete control in the offense. Like many other possible fairytale stories, Cincy just has to win out against teams they'll be favored against and hope the voters take notice when all the hands have been layed out on the table.

5. Jimmy Clausen-QB-Notre Dame (last game 15/26, 171 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT)

-Someone, anyone, take this 5th spot. By default it goes to Clausen after throwing a game-winning TD in the final seconds at Purdue. Another nod to Clausen for playing through the pain and sticking it out. Of course, in Clausen's mind, he should already have won 2 Heismans and 2 National Titles... but he'll have to settle for his first appearance in the Watch instead.

Dropping Out of the Race: And probably for good are Javhid Best (RB-BYU) and Jacory Harris (QB-The U), when your teams get thoroughly outplayed (Cal especially) and you are helpless to aid the team's cause, that isn't Heisman material. Best and Harris join the many who have laid claim to a legitimate Heisman hope, only to see it slip away after a poor team performance.

Keep an Eye On: Blaine Gabbert (QB-Mizzou)

As a Tigers fan, this is a homer pick. But, after watching 2 of Gabbert's first games as a Sophomore starter I have come away impressed. Everyone thought this was a down year for Mizzou, but Gary Pinkel has effectively reloaded the program with Gabbert the next in line to play QB. Another Big XII North crown might not be out of the question. He might even be more physically gifted than Chase Daniel, and with time could master Mizzou's high powered attack. By no means is he a Heisman threat this year, but be on the look out for Mr. Gabbert in the years to come.

Coming up tomorrow we shall do our best to Protect the Shield... will we cave in, swallow our pride, and salute Brett Favre's heroics from Week 3? It might take a few nausea pills or a hefty bribe, so tune in tomorrow to find out as we also highlight a different QB (or two) in our Athletes of the Decade Countdown! Bye for now!

7 Things We Missed This Weekend

Since it's Monday morning it's time once again for some quick hits on all of the non-football headlines of the past week and weekend. Today we cover golf, racing, soccer, baseball, cheating, and some guy named Dude Perfect. Yes, I'm serious. Here now, 7 Things We Missed...

1. The Tour Championship

-Phil Mickelson came back from a shocking 8 on Thursday to take the Tour Championship by storm and pull away with a comfortable win. Of course, El Tigre took home the 10 Million Dollars (like he needs it) by winning the Fed Ex Cup. For everyone in golf, it was the perfect year-ending scenario with Lefty and Tiger both winning a trophy. Even with winning the Cup and multiple tourneys, after the round you could sense Tiger's disappointment when mentioning his 0 majors this season. If we remember anything from the 2009 PGA Tour Season, it was the close calls in the Majors (Perry, Mick, Watson, Woods) and the drama and anguish of the fan favorites falling just short. Mickelson and Woods have one more bow on the grand stage at the vastly underrated President's Cup in 2 weeks. Here's the highlights from Yahoo...

2. 4-Peat??

-Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin finished 1-2 in the NASCAR race at Dover yesterday. While Mark might be the sentimental favorite, the 48 is looming large in his mirror in the standings. You also have to be impressed with Juan Pablo Montoya, finally making his mark with the good ol' boys and sitting 3rd in the standings, without a win this season. It should be nip and tuck throughout the chase with the old man fighting for his first title vs the superstar going for his 4th in a row. Should JJ get that 4th title, it'd be the most impressive accomplishment in NASCAR history. If you really wanna know what JJ and Crew Chief Chad Knaus think, here's a link to the postrace interviews.

3. The Yankees Clinch

-Look out America, your favorites are back! The Yanks swept the Sawx this weekend to win the AL East, become the first team to 100 wins, and they locked up homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Boston has to be worried, especially since NYY are 9-1 against the Red Sox in their last 10 meetings. The Tigers and Twins meet for a 4 game series starting today to decide the AL Central, but the winner will only get a bonus week before being knocked out by the Bronx Bombers. Roll the soon to be taken down footage...

4. Gretzky Quits

-This week, Wayne Gretzky stepped down as Coyotes head coach and GM. He was 143-161-24 in 4 seasons as coach. He has to be considered a major flop in the desert. Oh, and the team is bankrupt. Oh, and his wife was involved in the Tocchet gambling scandal. It's a close race between him and Michael Jordan for "Best Player, Worst GM" award, although at least the Bobcats aren't going under. With the NHL as hot as it's been since the lockout, the league doesn't need rumors about the spiraling future of a franchise associated with Wayne Gretzky in the news. Evidently the AP has a Youtube channel, so here's the Gretzky Era Recap!

5. The Night Life Ain't No Good Life...

-A huge scandal in world sport was exposed this week as F1 Team Renault were found guilty of race-fixing at last year's Singapore GP. Nelson Piquet Jr. admitted to intentionally crashing to help teammate Fernando Alonso win. The news only came out a year later once Piquet was released. Former team boss Flavio Briatore has been banned from F1 for life and Renault lost all major sponsorship. Because of the inherit danger in F1 it's been called the worst cheating scandal in sports history. I won't go that far, but it was pretty shocking. Ironically, Alonso picked up Renault's first Top 3 finish this year... at Singapore. Here's the scandal footage...

On the other hand, this week's Singapore GP and watching the F1 cars race at night on the Marina Bay Circuit is one of the coolest sights in sports. It is awe-inspiring to see those cars race under the lights. Lewis Hamilton picked up the win this weekend, but Brawn's Jenson Button has had the title wrapped up for a while after winning 6 of the first 7 races. Former Ferrari director Ross Brawn built an amazing car and Brawn's rise has been one of the surprises of the season in all sports as they have dominated F1.

6. Where's Becks??

-The Crew pretty much wrapped up the Supporters' Shield with a 2-0 win over the LA Galaxy Saturday night in MLS action. Of course, the Yoders and the rest of the sellout crowd were disappointed that David Beckham was held out due to a hangnail or something. The fans did respond nicely with a "Where's Your Spice Boy" chant, which was entertaining. Becks might not have transformed MLS's on-field product, but he does put the butts in the seats. Impressive victory for the boys from C-Bus, especially with a crucial Champions League game vs Saprissa on Tuesday. Here's the highlights.

7. Dude... whaa??

-This video (made by something or someone named Dude Perfect) is one of the sweetest things I've ever seen. Of course, this probably took 300 times to do, but it's still pretty awesome.

That's what we missed, we'll be back later today with a shaken up YCS!

Athletes of The Decade - #5 LeBron James

Our #5 Athlete of the Decade may not have that title yet, but he has just about everything else. The argument can be made that he has been the most transcendent athlete this decade though. He shot on the scene out of a cannon straight from high school and the constant speculation about his future has a city and a league in paralyzed anxiety. Breaking into the Top 5 is the King himself, Lebron James.

The Resume:

-5 Time All-Star

-2 Time All-Star Game MVP

-2008 Olympic Gold Medalist

-2009 MVP

-3 Time All-NBA 1st Team

The Facts:

-Youngest player to score 50 points, have a triple-double, and make an All-Star Team

-2008 Scoring Champ

-One of 2 players to average 27, 6, 6 for 5 years (Oscar Robertson)

-Youngest player to reach 10,000 points

-Holds or shares 49 Cavaliers records

-Most consecutive points in a playoff game (25)

Why He's Here:

-LeBron James is a freak of nature. Nobody else in sports is able to do what LeBron can. His passing, rebounding, and relentless attacks to the basket make him an unstoppable, all-around force on the hardwood. The only possible criticism of James is his lack of a consistent jump shot, and the lack of a championship ring. The skillset of James is only paralleled by Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson, only they weren't 6-8 and also built like the Rock of Gibraltar. You want proof as to how good LBJ is exactly? Watch the awesomeness and the diversity of these plays....

Oh, and do you remember this....

Lasting Impact:

-Off the court, LeBron has perhaps exceeded his on-court skills. Without a doubt, he's in the Top 2-3 most famous and recognizable athletes in the world. LBJ is everywhere. Posters, advertisements, magazines, commercials... you name it, LeBron is there. Heck, I even passed through the Charlie Rose show this weekend and he was interviewing... LeBron James!! His marketability is what takes him past Kobe Bryant on our list. Sure, if you have one shot you might want #24, but in terms of being an all-around athlete, #23 comes first. He's hosted SNL, he's got a mostly spotless reputation (handshakegate and dunkedongate aside) and he seems to be incredibly likeable and popular, especially with his teammates. Perhaps only Tiger Woods is as marketable worldwide as King James. Think of all the hype, expectations, and pressure when he came into the league from St. Vincent St. Mary. And yet, with everything that was laid upon LeBron James, he has surpassed expectations. Future stars take note, LeBron is the blueprint for all athletes coming into the pros on and off the court.

Of course, James' greatness helps his marketing ability. On the court, James is transcendent. The NBA has not seen an athlete like LeBron James, period. He moves with the grace of Clyde Drexler, the power of Karl Malone, and he can jump out of the gym like David Thompson. All LBJ needs is a title. Odds are, he will get it, and it could even be this year with Shaq at his side. When he hangs them up, LeBron will go down as a Top 5 all-time player. He'll eventually pass Kobe amongst the greatest players of this generation when he retires. Even if by some chance he never wins a title, the mere wow factor of being able to watch an athlete like LeBron James play will leave us telling our grandkids about how lucky we were to be a Witness. If I haven't convinced you he belongs on this list yet, here's my last piece of evidence...

Does LBJ belong or not? Leave us your feedback with what you think. Check back with RSS as we'll be continuing our Athletes of the Decade Countdown. We'll move into the Top 4 this week and look tomorrow for the YCS and what we missed this weekend! Good night, and good luck.

Hot off the Grill-NFL Week 3

RSS is back with Hot Off The Grill's NFL Week 3 Preview. Don't worry, all costumes and scary masks are welcome. Unlike the No Fun League, we accept any and everybody to RSS without the worry of 5 digit fines. In our opinion, the only thing Sheldon Brown did wrong was that he should've waited till he took the field to wear Jason's mask so he could hide from Drew Brees...

Big Kielbasa's Game Of the Week - Atlanta (2-0) @ New England (1-1)

The game of the week takes place in Foxboro where suddenly the Pats are in crisis. A boneheaded fumble aside, they're staring at an 0-2 record. The biggest concern for the hoodie has to be how teams have taken it to Brady and the Pats Offense. The Golden Boy has looked quite skittery (yes that's now a word) in his first two games back from the knee injury and the D is missing a ton of vets. When Bill Simmons breaks out the "Is the Pats era over column" you know it's a good day for the rest of the NFL.

Looking to add to the Pats' misery will be Matt Ryan and the Falcons. The ATL has been boosted by Tony Gonzalez as he has caught TDs in their first two games. Ryan isn't lighting the statsheet on fire like his NFC South counterpart Drew Brees, but even the most loyal Saints fan will admit that Atlanta has the more complete team. The running game with Michael Turner will be the key to taking the Pats O and the crowd out of it. It will be interesting to see how Belichick and the Pats react with their backs up against the wall. PICK-Falcons

Beer Brat's Spotlight Game Of the Week - San Francisco (2-0) @ Minnesota (2-0)

Our spotlight game takes us to the only matchup of unbeatens in Week 3 as the Vikes host the Niners. San Fran has had the more impressive wins beating two divisional opponents including the NFC Champs on the road. Minny has stuffed itself on Detroit and Cleveland the first two weeks. The running backs will tell the story. Can Frank Gore outdo AP in the dome? Can Shaun Hill outduel Brett Favre? Given our NFL success rate, I'm picking the Vikings, which means I think the 49ers will win, that covers all my bases! PICK-Vikings

Chorizo's Upset Of the Week - Tennessee (0-2) @ New York Sanchezs (2-0)

No, it's not a conspiracy against the Jets here at RSS, but as a lot of folk have pointed out this week, this is a classic upset pick. Upstart 2-0 team coming off of winning their Super Bowl faces desperate, good team that has started 0-2. If the Jets do happen to get up for this one after the win over the Pats, then I'll believe their legitimacy. However, you have to figure that Jeff Fisher will give Rex Ryan all he can handle and the real Tennessee will finally show up. PICK-Titans

Andouille's UTR Game - Indianapolis (2-0) @ Arizona (1-1)

It's interesting that the Sunday night game is the Under The Radar Game this week, but with all of the attention elsewhere this matchup gets lost in the shuffle. Peyton Manning made the most out of his 15 minutes with the ball last week, and could do some more damage against the Cards. This promises to be a great QB duel with Kurt Warner coming off of a 24/26 game at Jacksonville. The game has toss up written all over it, Arizona's run game won't hurt Indy as much as Miami, but they'll make the plays down the stretch the Dolphins didn't. PICK-Cards

Hot Dog Of The Week - Bengals WR Chad 85

An unorthodox pick for our star of the week, but hey, that's what we do here at RSS. The OC has averaged 90 yards per game in his first two, and caught the game winning TD at Green Bay (and got in a Lambeau leap!). It seems the connection between him and Carson Palmer has been repaired, and he would love nothing more than to put up a huge day against the hated Steelers. A surprising number of people are backing Cincinnati to upset the Steelers and The WR Formerly Known As Chad Johnson would be the main reason why.

Extra Toppings -

-The 1st Rotten Topping of the Week award has to go to Kings Island Amusement Park in Cincy. For their Halloween extravaganza they decided to put up a replica skeleton of Steve McNair and his girlfriend. The scene of the shooting was replicated almost to a tee before it was pulled down. Oh, but apparently skeletons of everyone from Heath Ledger to Michael Jackson to Billy Mays will remain. Nothing screams amusement more than a murder/suicide dramatization, eh? The whole idea brings one word to mind: disgusting.

-No 0-2 teams besides the Titans will get in the win column. The next best chances would be Miami and Carolina, but they face tough road games at San Diego and Dallas respectively.

-It'll be an exciting race between Detroit, Cleveland, St. Louis, and Jacksonville for the last winless team! Hey, it's never too early to start tanking for the draft...

-The Bears catch a break catching Seattle without Matt Hasslebeck. Probably not a good idea by TJ Houshmandzadeh to rile up Lance Briggs and company either.

-So, wait, you're telling me the winner of Denver and Oakland could be alone in 1st place in the AFC West? That is a funny joke!

-Drew Brees might not get to 46 points this week, but expect him to get 300 yards and a couple TDs in a Saints win.

-I'm sure everyone tuned in for that Brothers premiere. If you want to play What Are the Odds, let's give the Over/Under for the show's survival at 4.5 weeks...

Randall's Got His Eye On You... Andy Reid & Michael Vick

A logical choice for who is under the most pressure this week, eh? Vick hasn't played a regular season game since 2006, but at least he gets to face the Chiefs in his first week back. The real pressure though is on Andy Reid. His Eagles got smoked last week, protege Kevin Kolb threw for a lot of yards, but had some crucial mistakes. Watching that entire game it was interesting to see the variety of plays and packages Reid used... most though with little effect. Will he merely use Vick as a Wildcat threat, or will he throw? What the heck happens once McNabb gets back? Will he field 3 QBs at once? One way or another, Philly will be the center of attention this week.

I'm still trying to recuperate from a half-nighter watching Geelong narrowly beat out St. Kilda in the AFL Final last night. Thanks St. Kilda for following through and making my pick look good, pause not. Enjoy the footballing weekend, we'll be back on Monday with what we missed and the YCS... and the Top 5 Athletes of the Decade!

Going Down Under - Aussie Rules Grand Final Preview!

For the first time in a long time, the Australian Football League's Grand Final is on US TV live at 11:30 on ESPN Classic. Geelong faces St. Kilda at the MCG for Australian supremacy, which promises to be one of the best games in any country in 2009. If you've never heard of or seen a game of Australian football, at least give it a look see. The sport is pretty fast paced, and very entertaining. The Yoder Bros. are pumped up for tonight's game and you should be too!

We consider ourselves incredibly cultured with a global perspective here at RSS. And, we like to pretend we know everything there is to know about sports too. So, let's go down under for the first time for an AFL Grand Final Grand Preview by answering some of your likely questions.

Umm... Australian Football?

-Ok, let's start with what Aussie Rules is exactly. Basically, it's a cross between soccer, American football, and basketball. You kick for goals (6 points) or behinds (1 point), there's a lot of action, a lot of high flying, and some hitting, too. Basically, it's some of the best of all of these sports rolled into one. Plus, it's not a complicated sport to watch on TV, you get the hang of what's going on very quickly. Scroll down to the Youtube highlights of Geelong and St. Kilda's first meeting this season, (an all-time classic) to give you a taste of footy!

Gee what and St. Who?

-Geelong and St. Kilda are two of the traditional Melbourne based clubs in the AFL. Both are founding members of the Victorian Football League in 1896. St. Kilda went 20-2 this season and are looking for only their 2nd title in over 100 years. (I know some fans in Chicago that can sympathize...) Geelong has had more success in their history, especially recently going 57-9 the last three years. They've made 3 straight GF's, beating Port Adelaide by a record margin in '07 and being upset by Hawthorn in '08.

So then these teams are pretty good, right?

-Yes. St. Kilda has been absolutely dominant this season with an average winning margin of 35 points per game (scoring has a wide range in footy; St. Kilda's high this year is 161 points, and their best defensive effort was only giving up 28 points). They had the #3 Offense and the #1 Defense in footy while Geelong boasts the #2 Offense and #4 Defense. Geelong and St. Kilda have 10 of the 22 players on this year's All-Australian Team. These teams met in Round 14 while both teams were 13-0 (imagine a 13-0 Patriots team visiting 13-0 Dallas). In what was widely regarded as one of the best AFL games in recent memory, St. Kilda won by 1 goal 91-85. Everyone is expecting an absolutely titanic struggle in the Grand Final. Here's the highlights!

So who are some guys to watch?

-The battle will be in the midfield, where some of the brightest stars in the AFL will lineup for both sides. For Geelong, Gary Ablett Jr. (left) is the 2009 Brownlow Medal Winner (MVP) and reigning 3-time Player's Association Player of the Year. His father was one of the greats of the game and also played for Geelong. Midfielders Jimmy Bartel (2007 Brownlow winner) and Joel Corey can also dominate the game with a lot of possessions and disposals. For St. Kilda, Half-Forward Nick Riewoldt (right) took the most marks of anyone this season and kicked 65 Goals in being named captain of the AA team. Midfielders Nick Dal Santo, Lenny Hayes, and Leigh Montagna were also named to the All-Australian team this season. Whoever wins the midfield battle will likely come out on top.

Ok Crocodile Dundee, who's going to win?

-The best team of the last 3 seasons meets this season's best team. This promises to go down to the wire much like their Week 14 Showdown. Expect it to be played a little tighter like all finals usually are. St. Kilda might have the slight edge on Geelong up front, Riewoldt kicks the pressure goal down the stretch to give it to the Saints. Since I'm a New Orleans Saints fan, it's only natural to pick the Saints. WINNER - St. Kilda

The Yoder Bros hope you've enjoyed our brief vacation down under and that you check out the Aussie Rules Grand Final tonight. We'll be burning the midnight oil and brewing the coffee and the Mountain Dew all night long while enjoying the game. If you happen to check it out on ESPN Classic leave us a comment and let us know what you think. Bye for now!

Athletes of The Decade - #6 Michael Phelps

Our #6 Athlete of the Decade was only on the national stage for about a month this entire decade. Well, that's if you don't count those bong photos... But, when you break one of the most famous records in sports on the world's grandest stage, you qualify as an athlete that defined the decade. Next up on the list, the Sultan of Swim: Michael Phelps

Resume:

-14 Olympic Gold Medals (all-time record)

-8 Gold Medals in 2008 Olympics (all-time record)

-16 Olympic Medals (2nd all-time to Larissa Latinya)

-22 Gold Medals in World Championships

The Facts:

-5-time world swimmer of the year

-2008 Sportsman of the Year (SI)

-Has broken a world record a record 37 times

-Currently holds 6 world records

-Eats six times the normal male per day

Why He's Here:

-The Olympics define the best in athletic competition. So, it's only natural that the best Olympic athlete of this or perhaps any generation makes our list. Before Phelps, was Mark Spitz's 7 Gold Medals in one Olympics thought of as being a threatened record? Whenever Phelps swims in the Olympics, it is appointment viewing. Even if he doesn't come back in 2012, he is the most decorated American Olympian of all-time. The case could even be made that Phelps is the most dominant athlete in sports this decade. Of course, Phelps largely has Jason Lezak to thank for that 8th Gold Medal. Our Phelps clips pay tribute to that relay and first the dramatic comeback in the 100m Butterfly!

Lasting Impact:

-Much like our last athlete, Kobe Bryant, Phelps has had his share of out-of-pool instances that has taken some of the shine off of his golden boy reputation. Does this photo ring a bell? The Bonggate saga along with his 2004 DUI produce some stains on Phelps' lasting impact. Of course, not every athlete is perfect. But, the bong photos produced a hysteria not seen when other athletes get in trouble. If that was a defensive tackle or a shooting guard would there be the same outrage that was thrown towards the greatest Olympic champion of our day?

If Phelps is the most dominant athlete and greatest Olympian of the decade, then why isn't he #1? Or at least in the Top 5? Well, his Olympic pedigree works against him in this regard. Michael Phelps shows up for 2 weeks on the national radar every 4 years and then disappears again. Phelps isn't in the national conversation on a 24/7 basis like the stars of the NFL or the NBA. Sure, if he swims in a World Championship or other meet he might show up on SportsCenter, but that's about it. 14 Golds is an amazing achievement, but does it mean as much in a here & now Twittering world?

And, he swims. He doesn't play quarterback. He doesn't hit home runs. Heck, he doesn't even drive a stock car. Swimming is somewhere between poker and bass fishing in the grand sports lexicon. Swimming's stature and popularity means that Phelps isn't the breakthrough, transcendent star that he could be if he played a more consistently popular sport. At least Phelps can take solace in being the greatest swimmer, and perhaps greatest Olympian in recorded history (unless there was some superhuman Roman swimmer at the turn of the first century that we don't know about...)

Check back with RSS as we hit the Top 5 in our Athletes of the Decade Countdown! And a special Championship Game Preview coming later today of something you need to see!