tuesday museday SEQUEL

... and we're back for part 2 of the NFL "of the Decade" edition of tuesday museday (on a wednesday no less!)

with no further ado, nos. 6 through 10!

6) Play of the Decade: Manning to Tyree in Super Bowl XLII

Apologies to the Music City Miracle (which actually occurred in the playoffs following the 1999 regular season, so I don't feel that bad), but this play was one of the wildest, perhaps flukiest, and definitely memorable plays of the decade. This play came on a career-defining drive for Manning, going for the win against a Patriots team that nearly everyone expected to go 19-0. After Manning gets out of the clutches of the Patriots pass rush, he seemingly lobs the ball into the middle of the field, where shockingly there is a Giants receiver waiting for the pass. Tyree goes up for it, and PINS the ball to his helmet and deftly prevents the pigskin from touching the ground. Rodney Harrison is simultaneously too shocked and unaware to try to strip the ball from the receiver. A few plays later, the drive is completed with a Manning TD pass to Burress and the Super Bowl of the Decade is pretty much over.

7) Upset of the Decade: Giants over Patriots in Super Bowl XLII

Recency effect! You are a Giants fan! What about the Patriots over the Rams in XXXVI?! STFU, I say. You can't tell me that beating the team that had YET TO BE DEFEATED and which had set NUMEROUS OFFENSIVE RECORDS in the process doesn't qualify as the upset of the decade. At least this is my last post that involves the Giants. The Patriots on the other hand...

8) Call of the Decade: Tuck Rule in 2001 Raiders vs. Patriots AFC Divisional Game

Note: I am not saying its the best or worst call of the decade, I am simply noting its importance. The "tuck rule" becomes the savior of the Patriots and the doom of the Raiders. Three weeks after Walt Coleman's controversial call, the Patriots win Super Bowl XXXVI and two subsequent titles, the Raiders make it to XXXVII, but slide into ignominy for the rest of the decade (one can envision an alternate universe where if the call were different, the Raiders win the game and somehow don't end up drafting this "quarterback" some years later). I am not sure if one call so dramatically impacted the fates of the teams and careers of the players involved so much as this one.

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Things that rank among "of the Decade" are not always great. For items 9 and 10, I have some thoughts on things that were not so hot this decade. Even though there are only two selections, I think you will notice a distinct pattern:

9) Bust of the Decade: Detroit Lions 1st Round Draft Picks (2002, 2003, 2005)

Mssrs. Harrington, Rogers, and Williams all join forces to create a megabust for this worst thing of the decade. Since their suckitude is patently clear, I will not elaborate more.

10) Worst Team of the Decade: Detroit Lions

42 wins DTD (decade to date) with a record setting 0 win season thrown in there qualifies this team for the inglorious title of Worst Team of the Decade. Again, the craptastic quality of this team is self-evident, so the analysis is unnecessary.

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I hope you, dear reader, have enjoyed this DiR as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I may feel inspired to do a few more before we finally say goodbye to the aughts, but not before Saturday, as I will be on an epic road trip until then.

tuesday museday

Another Tuesday, another (two part!) muse:

Ah, its that truly magical time that comes around every ten years, when we can take a subject matter and analyze it through the lens of the decade gone by. The subject matter at hand today is the NFL. The aughts represent my first full decade of football memories, and to celebrate this fact (and to gloss over its corollary, that I am getting old) I propose a Decade in Review for the NFL. The DiR consists of a series of "of the Decade"s. For example, if I were to have a "Top Restaurant Discovery of the Decade" it would surely be Chipotle. Before being introduced to its burritos back in 2002, Mexican food was purely a 3rd rate sit down dinner experience for me. Discovery of Chipotle was a watershed moment in restauranting for me for the rest of the aughts. As such, it gains "of the Decade" status. Make sense? Alright, now that I am hungry for a burrito, back to football we go. Seeing as how the decade represents 10 years, I chose 10 areas to highlight. With pictures! Please and thank you!

1) Offensive Player of the Decade: Peyton MANNING

Peyton Manning was selected to the 2000 and 2002-2008 Pro Bowls; was named NFL MVP in 2003, 2004, and 2008; was Super Bowl XLI MVP and Champion; and has been the face of the NFL for a greater part of the decade. He has coached the winningest team of the decade, the Colts, a team that would be a mere shell of itself without him running the show from the quarterback position. Some might cry out that Brady is 3x as much of a champion and thus deserves the award, but I will hear no such arguments. The Pats could have probably achieved a portion of their success without him as QB. The Colts, not so much.

2) Defensive Player of the Year: Ray LEWIS

Ray Lewis was selected to the 2000-01, 2003-04, and 2006-08 Pro Bowls; was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2000 and 2003; was Super Bowl XXXV MVP and Champion; and has some of the sickest pre-game dance moves in the league, which are an inspiration to millions of Baltimorons (I was going to link to a Ravens-themed wedding reception, in which the overweight white groom does his best Lewis impression - God help us - but sadly its a private vimeo video now). Anywho, Lewis is a physical freak, being a bulwark on a formidable defense for the past decade.

3) Team of the Decade: New England Patriots

The Pats appeared in Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVII, XXXIX, and XLVII - claiming the championship in the first 3. They were also the first team to ever go 18-0, which was great and all, except that season had 19 games. Haha! But seriously, even though I hate them, I have to give credit where credit is due. Spygate, 18-1, and Bill Belichick's loathsomeness aside, this team will forever be synonymous with 2000s success.

4) Coach of the Decade: Bill BELICHICK

Bill Belichick started off the decade with a shrewd move - vacating the Jets coaching job within a day of receiving it, and went on to coach the Pats to their three Super Bowl crowns and their memorable Super Bowl loss to the Giants. I really dislike this dude (he may even be a cheater), but he, like his Pats, will forever be synonymous with success in the aughts.

5) Super Bowl of the Decade: XLII (Giants vs. Patriots)

Undefeated Pats cruise to their crowning moment, 4th Super Bowl in the decade, and a special place in the history boo... OH WAIT. The GIANTS win this one. Guided by a MANNING?! This is a total nightmare for the Pats, a wondrous event for Giants fans/Pats haters/and the '72 Dolphins all the same. In my (clearly) unbiased opinion, hands down Super Bowl of the decade, perhaps of all!

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[Numbers 6 through 10 to appear in tomorrow's muse sequel]

kit quick hit!

A possible feature? In the future? We'll see...

For now, though, two hearty helpings of FAIL in the world of kits, sadly both involving my favoured (note the English spelling!) sporting apparel maker adidas.

1) Just wandered over to Kitbag today to see what was going on in the world of purchasable kits and other soccer paraphernalia and noticed this little gem in the upper right of my screen. What would that be? Stevie G and his mug hawking "Liverpool European Away Kits." Ah yes, those kits that you will be donning in the prestigious Europa League, Mr. Gerrard? And, what? They are 15% off you say? What a shock! A great value for an item that will remind Liverpool fans of an utterly uninspiring and miserable European campaign this year. They should be giving these horrible things away, as a courtesy to fans, so they have something with which they can wipe away their salty scouser tears.

Liverpool better shape up before they get the Newcastle Treatment

2) Apparently, adidas unveiled the WC 2010 Nigeria kit a little too early. How early? Well, it would appear so early that the Nigerian FA didn't even have time to approve the design! I know adidas are eager to trot out their WC2010 offerings, but before the country's federation has time to approve them? Slow down there, Adi.

[image via football shirt blog @ footballshirtculture]