Frankly Plank Pigskin Preview by Duane Plank Okay, Corp Didn’T Screw Up
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Page 6 September 03, 2009 MANHATTAN BEACH SUN Frankly Plank Pigskin Preview By Duane Plank Okay, Corp didn’t screw up. He was hurt. By Duane Plank with the 31st pick out of the Ohio State, Congrats to the kids playing for the Chula But while he was on the shelf, Barkley took One week from the kickoff to the NFL has been banged up in the preseason, but is Vista Little League team that captured the charge of the number one offense and per- season, and tell me the truth, Raider and expected to add a big play dimension to the LL World Series on Sunday. Did you know formed well enough for Carroll to promote Ram fans. How many games do you think Arizona offense. And he did last weekend that in an earlier tournament, that they got him to the starting job. your and my sad-sack teams will win this against the Packers. mercied 18-0 by the kids from Torrance? And The 18-year-old is slated to start for the season? Do you think that they will get to So some of the preseason publications were did you know that the kids from Torrance Trojans Saturday when they demolish San Jose double digits? Not each team, kind reader, touting the Minnesota Vikings as the NFC barely beat our kids from Gundo? We were State at the Coliseum. But guess who played but if you combine the Raider and Ram North favorite before coach Brad Childress so close to going to Williamsport. Okay, not better last Saturday in the final scrimmage? victories for the ‘09 season, will they total bent as far over as humanly possible and al- that close. But we did hang in there with the Carroll didn’t think Corp was sufficiently 10? Let’s hope so. Raiders looked great on lowed himself and the Vikings to be played Torrance kids. For a while. healed up to start this Saturday. Said the coach Saturday, losing about 73-3 to the Saints. At by the has been Brett Favre. The Vikings Almost time for you to get your first dose to reporters after the decision was announced: home. Pride and poise, baby. Ayiyi! had a productive season in ‘09, winning the of Fantasy Football info from Plank. The kid “It’s going to be awhile (with Corp). He’s not Looked last week at a few of the presumed division with a 10-6 mark before folding and I played in a family league the past two okay...I need to protect him longer.” contenders in the AFC as the regular season in the playoffs, bowing out in game one to years, winning a ton of money last season Barkley, who struggled with interceptions beckons. Time to take a quick gander at the Philadelphia Eagles. Much more will be after getting royally hosed by Philadelphia last season as a senior at Mater Dei High, the favorites in the NFC to advance to the expected this season of the guys once known Eagle running back Brian Westbrook at the has also tossed a boatload of picks during January playoff tournament. And if I don’t as “The Purple People Eaters.” conclusion of the ’07 campaign. Mr. Westbrook preseason workouts and scrimmages. But list your favorite team, relax, I am sure to Will Favre make a difference? Maybe. had the audacity to think of his team first as the Trojans could probably play without a mention them somewhere down the line. Should be an upgrade over the now-benched opposed to racking up fantasy points for us quarterback and still win against SJ State, Either to make fun of their ineptitude or to QBs Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. wannabes, and his selfish motives cost us a which is traveling south for a nice payday laud their stellar exploits on the old gridiron. But this ain’t the Brett Favre of 1999, folks. big-buck victory a few years back. Westbrook and some quality sightseeing time in L.A. We’ll start in the NFC West, with the In fact, a case could be made for the fact will not be included on either of our teams Don’t miss the Hyperion plant! almost-Super-Bowl-defending-champion that the waffler Brett has had only had one this fall. Probably. The dude just turned 30 The kids from San Jose State should be Arizona Cardinals, quarterbacked by the standout season, 2007, in the last five. But and is coming off ankle surgery. No dice. nothing more than a tune-up for next week’s bounce-back signal-caller, Kurt Warner. stats are stats and can usually be twisted Anyway, the kid and I shared a team in biggie, when Carroll and the boys trek to Warner, you may recall, had the Birds on around to fit darn near any scenario. years one and two, but this season one of Columbus, Ohio to tangle with the Ohio the verge of a SB championship very, very Whoever takes the snaps for the Vikings the Fantasy players dropped out of the com- State. We’ll see how young Mr. Barkley deals late in February’s contest, only to see his will be spending a good part of each game petition. Probably couldn’t take the losing, with that frenetic environment. It could be defensive mates falter and allow the game- handing off the ball to Adrian Peterson, who or maybe actually has a life, so the kid and raining interceptions. winning Ben Roethlisberger TD pass in the led the NFL in rushing last season, finishing I each have our own team. Stop the presses! Schism reported in Min- final minute. Too bad, so sad. with 1,760 yards and 10 TDs. Some say Pe- We took part in the preseason draft last nesota. Nice word, “schism.” Apparently He returns at QB, keeping ex-USC thrower terson is a late-game liability, cuz he does put week, and ...Whoops! We were supposed to certain members of the Minnehaha Vikings Matt Leinart standing on the sidelines, sport- the ball on the turf (nine fumbles) and isn’t take part in the draft last week, but it turns aren’t in love with the has-been QB (Brett ing a nifty visor, holding a clipboard. Maybe renowned as a blocker. Sure, like Peterson out that one of the players didn’t get signed Favre) who is now piloting the Vikes. Reports Matt can do some Tweeting while he watches has ever been expected to lower a shoulder up in time, so our draft had to be rescheduled. surfaced that some players would rather see the contests? But give Leinart credit; he did pad and block a blitzing linebacker. Kinda And to think, I was all prepared for the big Tavaris Jackson or the Joe Namath clone throw for three TDs and 346 yards last week like making Chef Emeril hit the restaurant event, sitting in the front room of the man- Sage Rosenfels run the show up north. Lots against Green Bay. floor and wait on the customers. The Vikings sion, poised over the keyboard, bonding with of words being spewed by lots of folks, but Kurt put up some great numbers in ‘08, must advance deep into the playoffs, or the the kid as we pondered who we were going I guess that is just another sports soap opera surprising the heck out of most all alleged ax could fall on Childress, who may regret to select in the draft. Coulda been another that will play out over the course of the football gurus, who counted the ex-St. Louis selling his soul for Favre. great father/son moment, but I guess it will next five months, right? Nothing to lose but Ram SB-winning quarterback not only out, On to the NFC East, where the New York have to wait until whenever. Can’t fret about football games for the Vikes, right? but down and out. He set franchise records Giants should be the team to beat. At least things that you have no control over, right? Anyone out there ever lose anything? Oh, for attempts, completions, touchdowns and that is what most of the East Coast-biased Speaking of no control, how would you I don’t know, like your car, or your keys, passer rating. And avoided getting injured, networks will tell ya. Some publications like to be USC back-up quarterback Aaron or your purse, or your wallet, maybe? Well, working behind a line that was no better pick the Cowboys to lead the pack, but the Corp? The sophomore signal-caller had been when I was a young boy and couldn’t find than average by NFL standards. Dallas-based circus seems to find a way to anointed by Coach Pete Carroll as the number something, my fantastic mom Lupe would Course, it doesn’t hurt that the Arizona implode each season, and with erstwhile Coach one one guy behind center for the men of tell me, “It’s right where you left it.” Which aerial circus that Warner will be flinging the Wade Phillips being set up as the fall guy in Troy. But the kid screwed up, suffering a leg is pretty sound advice. Except Mom didn’t pigskin to houses the best wide receiver corps case of another flameout, I gotta believe the injury on August 10, an injury that apparently necessarily listen to her own advice. When in the game. Superstar Larry Fitzgerald had steady-eddy Giants and their happy-go-lucky hasn’t healed sufficiently enough for Corp she lost something and asked me if I had seen a breakout year in ‘08, with 1,431 yards and coach Tom Coughlin will come out on top to regain the mobility that helped him beat said item, I never gave her the smart-alecky 12 TDs.