Redstate Sports

Posted at 9:55am on Mar. 15, 2008 Trent Dilfer's playing career is OVER.

By Mark Kilmer

Lost in the recent noise about Obama spiritual guru Jeremiah Wright and his hateful invective concerning our nation and some of its citizens, obscured by the pus-filled lesion on baseball who is the craven and singularly untalented "baseball player" named Johnny Gomes, is news that would elsewise shatter the earth: the San Francisco 49'ers have cut Trent Dilfer last Thursday. On his 36th birthday.

He'd been around the NFL for fourteen years and in 2000, he let the dogs out, QB'ing the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl. (He blazed a trail of mediocrity in that game, and indeed throughout his career.)

Before I got on about what a scrub Dilfer was, I'd better point out that I couldn't play a down in the NFL anywhere near the line of scrimmage, let alone the ball. Dilfer did it, and he did so at the highest level. (No Ryan Leaf, he.)

So Dilfer's career is over. He's not bound for Canton, but he'll get a decent job as a network analyst somewhere.

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Posted at 1:09am on Mar. 6, 2008 And Not A Moment Too Soon

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

Once the paeans have been offered--and let us admit, paeans are deserved--let there be no doubt that this article is right on the money and that the Chicago Bears and their fans will not miss Brett Favre. Sure, my beloved Bears did quite well against the Favre-led Packers over the past few years, but for most of Favre's career, he dominated the Bears like few other football players ever did.

Now he is gone and the worst we have to fear is Aaron Rodgers. And as the article rightly points out, the balance of power in the NFC North may have shifted enough to give the Bears a chance at being competitive again. Yes, I know, this all depends on what the Bears' front office does and yes, I know, Rex Grossman may well set us up for yet another season of heartbreak. But I will take my chances with this situation rather than face the Packers with Favre at the helm for yet another season.

Again, Brett Favre was a great quarterback and even Bears fans will pay him the proper degree of respect. Then, we'll make sure that he doesn't get to keep any of his equipment or jerseys so that he doesn't even think about making a comeback.

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Posted at 1:29am on Feb. 4, 2008 What I Take Away From The Super Bowl

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

The 2007-2008 New England Patriots ended up with the same record as the 1985-1986 Chicago Bears.

And unlike the Patriots, the Bears won the Super Bowl.

And curiously enough, the Bears did it by beating the Patriots.

I love football. Also, I should go buy lottery tickets, or something.

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Posted at 2:37am on Jan. 5, 2008 Wild Card Weekend Open Thread

By Darin H

Best time of the year. Talk about football, talk about whatever!

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Posted at 1:16pm on Jan. 3, 2008 Well, who didn't see *this* coming?

By docj

Cam canned: Dolphins fire Cameron after 1-15 season

Cam Cameron was fired as the Miami Dolphins' coach Thursday by new boss Bill Parcells after plunging to an 0-13 start in his first year on the job and finishing with just one victory.

The dismissal comes three days after Parcells ousted general manager Randy Mueller and means the reeling franchise will have its fifth coach in five seasons.

The Fish were a pretty dreadful team to watch most of this year, but they did have some pretty OK moments. Still, there's a new sherrif in town - and that usually bodes poorly for the old deputies.

It will be very, very interesting to see who The Tuna brings in to try to fix this fine mess in Miami.

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Posted at 9:24pm on Dec. 30, 2007 Meh

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

Bears win. Chicago's effort over the past two weeks has been laudable and impressive, but as noted here and here, there are legitimate questions as to why we didn't see this kind of effort and hustle from the Bears throughout the season.

And the answers are relatively clear. The Bears remain unsettled at quarterback. The running game has only just recently found an effective combination with Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe--too much time has been wasted, it would appear, on the Cedric Benson era and losing Thomas Jones at the beginning of the season because of his personality conflicts with Benson was a disastrous decision that cost the Bears offense plenty. The defense has been riven by injuries throughout the season thanks to the fact that it has had to play significantly more minutes due to an ineffective offense.

Challenges for the coming year: Nail down a franchise quarterback. Either fish or cut bait on Peterson and Wolfe--fishing seems to be the best suggestion, as both have shown dedication and talent. Integrate Devin Hester--God love Devin Hester--into the offense fully and completely. And hang on to as many free agents from the defense as possible, with the re-signing of Lance Briggs being a priority in order to ease as much pressure off of Brian Urlacher's shoulders as humanly possible.

There is no reason why this season's disappointments need to be revisited. And there would be no excuse if they were.

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Posted at 8:30pm on Dec. 23, 2007 The "What Might Have Been" Season

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

It is nothing short of wonderful that the Bears were able to sweep the Packers this year.

Just imagine if the Bears could have played the way they played today more often this season. Chicago could potentially look forward to another winning trip to the Super Bowl if they had. A winning trip, one might add.

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Posted at 12:57pm on Dec. 9, 2007 Do I Even Need To Say It?

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

This just has to have been one of the most utterly disappointing seasons in Bears history. There is no other way to put it and there certainly is no way to sugar coat it.

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Posted at 6:41pm on Dec. 1, 2007 Da Bears

By Pejman Yousefzadeh

I have been remiss on doing Bears-blogging, but given the disappointing loss to Seattle two weeks ago, I thought that doing Bears-blogging was something akin to doing Titanic-blogging.

And yet, with last week's win, the Bears are still clinging to life. Who knows how the season may ultimately turn out?

Well, I think I know, but I hope that I am wrong.

In the meantime: Go Bears! Beat the Giants! Oh, and please kick it to Hester.

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Posted at 4:18pm on Nov. 30, 2007 Bad news for Vick?

By Darin H

Two co-defendants in the Michael Vick dogfighting case were sentenced today, and both were at the high end of the guidelines:

Two of fallen NFL star Michael Vick's co-defendants were sentenced Friday to 18 months and 21 months in prison on federal dogfighting conspiracy charges.

Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach could have received up to five years in prison — the same maximum Vick faces when he is sentenced Dec. 10.

Peace, Phillips and Tony Taylor of Hampton pleaded guilty last summer and agreed to testify against Vick, prompting the suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback to enter his own plea agreement a few days later. Taylor will be sentenced Dec. 14.

read on

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Posted at 12:08am on Nov. 28, 2007 The Last Line: RIP Sean Taylor

By Ben Domenech

Taylor and his fiancee, Jackie Garcia, were asleep with their 18-month-old daughter when they were awakened by noises in the house. Taylor reached for a machete or other form of knife he keeps nearby in case of emergency, Sharpstein said. He told CNN that Taylor then locked the door of the bedroom, but that an intruder kicked the door in and fired twice, striking Taylor once in the upper leg. Garcia and the child were uninjured.

“This was a deliberate attack,” said Vinny Cerrato, Redskins vice president of football operations.

In pro football, the Free Safety is the last line of Defense against the opposition. He is expected to cover ground at an incredible pace, snag key interceptions on long passes, run stride for stride with the best speed receivers in the league, and outleap the best jumpers at the endzone. He must play smart yet fearless, guard against the big play, be an exceptional open field tackler, and never give up anything. He must guard the line of the endzone.

It is not a position for the weak of heart. So Sean Taylor’s heart was huge.

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Posted at 5:46pm on Nov. 27, 2007 That was quick

By Darin H

At least this time his season didn't end because of the reefer.

Ricky Williams' 2007 season reportedly lasted just six carries.

The Miami Dolphins running back, who was reinstated last month after a one-year suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, suffered a torn chest muscle in the Dolphins' 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, the Palm Beach Post and Miami Herald reported, citing unnamed sources.

The injury apparently happened when Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons, pursuing a Williams fumble, stepped on Williams' right shoulder blade.

"It's just sad," Williams' agent, Leigh Steinberg, told the Post. "As hard as he's worked. He worked so hard physically to get back into shape and in therapy. He worked so hard for that moment and to have it end this way is sad."

So for all of you who went out a picked him up in fantasy football before anyone else could.... time to drop him faster than the Colts dumped Simeon Rice.

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Posted at 1:33am on Nov. 22, 2007 2nd Greatest football day in America

By Darin H

Well of course Superbowl Sunday is king, but just behind it is a Turkey Day filled to the brim with football goodness. And for those of us giving thanks that we have satellite dishes, we will be sitting/sleeping through 3 games instead of 2. I really like the additional game (maybe not this year though) for it isn't the Lions or Cowboys.

The big game will be (I cant believe I'm about to say this), the Lions at home against the Packers. Detroit wins and they have the inside track to the 2nd wild card, Green Bay wins and they pretty much wrap up the division. Party like it's 1995!

Dallas should roll easily over the J-E-T-(show us your ****)-S.

And too bad it's a snoozer of Indy/Atlanta for those of us watching on the NFL Network.

Be thankful for the family, food and football everyone!

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Posted at 7:21pm on Nov. 19, 2007 Are you ready for some Football?!?!?!!

By Darin H

Monday Night Football is upon us. My beloved Denver Broncos face the Tennessee Titans. I think this will be a good matchup. Some news and notes for tonight below the fold.

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Posted at 2:17pm on Nov. 19, 2007 Shawne Merriman - just a good player without the juice.

By Darin H

Last year Shawne Merriman had 17 sacks in only 12 games, was considered for Defensive Player of the Year (losing out to Jason Taylor and Champ Bailey), and was a terror on the football field. He was also suspended for the other 4 games by the league for violating the league steroid rules, claiming that he took supplements which were unknowingly tainted with the 'roids.

This year, he has a pedestrian 5.5 sacks through 10 games (including this Sunday's game). And thanks to the boys over at ProFootballTalk we have some visual proof of the transformation from last year to this (Disclaimer: Always take PFT stuff with a huge grain of salt):

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