The Countertop Chronicles

Did they just pull one of the all time greatest comebacks ever??

Not quite Doug Flutieish in its last play glamor, but the total swing of events of the last two minutes and 11 seconds is right up there with Vinny Testaverde’s great comeback against the Dolphins.

In fact, when Lamar Smith scored with 12 seconds left in the third quarter to give the Dolphins a 30-7 lead, Fiedler walked over to Jason Taylor and told him the game was over. Little did Fielder know that Taylor was being miked by Monday Night Football. Or that he just jinxed his team.

And how cool is it that I’ve seen all three of what will go down as the greatest comebacks in football?

no doubt, you know what’s phrase is driving the majority of my incoming google search hits today.

and fire Phil Fulmer

I don’t care if the UNRANKED Vols are up 28-0 at the half over the 12th ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Nope. Doesn’t matter. They had to win this game, and it is in Neyland Stadium.

Heck, even that idiot Steward Mandel saw this one coming

No. 12 Georgia (4-1) at Tennessee (2-2)
Speaking of Vegas, the Vols opened the week as favorites. Now they’re not. Some are calling this the most important game of increasingly embattled coach Phillip Fulmer’s career. Coming off a bye week, Tennessee is in perfect position to give him a lift — and then return to mediocrity later.
Upset Special:
Tennessee 27, Georgia 24

He’s right, of course, they’ll blow it later this season. Fire Phil Fulmer!

Wow!

Between here and the old Blogspot blog, I’ve gotten well over a 1000 hits from Google (and a fair chunk from Michael Silence too!) with variations of the search term Fire Phil Fulmer.

Hopefully, someone in some authority can make it happen.

Update Look under the fold for an example of what I’m talking about.
A 1000 hits a day is well over my normal traffic to begin with, so this is almost Instalanche like in its volume - though admittedly split between two blogs.

(more…)

Its 42 to 20 49 seconds into the 4th quarter. I don’t see Tennessee scoring much more, nor do I see Florida letting up on offensive.

This one’s ugly.

Fire Phil. Fast!

Update here!

I’ve been hard on Major League Baseball and its commissioner for his acceptance (indeed encouragement) of cheating. He’s ruined the game. Roger Goodell, the new commissioner of the NFL has wisely taken a different path - one he hopes will ensure the NFL remains a class act. And in that vein, it comes as no surprise that he is considering serious sanctions against the Patriots after discovering that they were stealing the Jets play calling signals.

While the league’s investigation is still ongoing, sources with knowledge of the situation say the NFL is treating the matter as a very serious potential violation. The expectation is that Goodell will take swift and stern action if the allegations are true.

In his first year on the job as commissioner, Goodell has built a reputation for meting out stiff disciplinary measures, and for his sensitivity toward anything that challenges the integrity of the game and the league. A third option for him in this case would be a suspension to a club employee, although that scenario is not considered as likely as a fine and/or the forfeiture of a draft pick.

The Patriots’ history in matters dealing with video-taped subterfuge for purposes of gaining a competitive edge is likely to increase the severity of any penalty handed down by Goodell. Last year New England was reportedly the impetus of a sternly written memo from the league office to all teams, reminding them that it was illegal for any club official to bring a video recording device into the press box, video box or onto the field for the purposes of taping an opponent’s signals or play-calling gestures from the sideline.

Now, I’m a Giant fan and hate the Jets. I hold Belicheck, a former Giant mastermind under Bill Parcell’s in high regard. However, if this is true and he has a history of cheating, its a terrible indictment. Dr. Z has more:

Last year the Lions played the Patriots in Foxboro. At one point their coach, Rod Marinelli, phoned up to the press box, “There’s a camera pointed right at our defensive coach making his calls. Is that allowed?” A Lions’ employee called the NFL booth. No, it certainly was not. So the videotaper was stopped. Then after a while he began again. The same process was repeated and he was asked to stop again. Now that’s dedication.

“You don’t really know for sure,” Marinelli said. “I mean you don’t know whether he might be doing something for NFL Films or a coaches’ show or whatever.”

“At one point we had a good drive going against the Patriots,” said one Lion who doesn’t want his name involved in this mess, but was willing to talk about it. “Mike Martz really had ‘em going. They were getting fouled up, lining up wrong, we were moving the ball. Then boom, the headset from the sidelines to the coaches’ booth goes out.

“Next possession we were moving the ball again and the same thing happened. You know it only takes two or three plays to mess up a drive.”

Matt Millen, the Lions’ GM, was talking to Bengals’ coach Marvin Lewis at the league meetings. He started telling him the story.

“Yeah, I know,” Lewis said. “Headset went out. It happened to me in Foxboro, too.”

So the question then becomes, what kind of punishment is befitting?? Draft picks? Suspend the coach? Mandatory forfeits? Take away their past Super Bowl victories? A huge fine?

Well, Formula One just set a new standard for punishment:

McLaren Mercedes, the leading auto-racing team in the Formula One world championship, was fined $100 million today and excluded from the constructors championship this season, after the International Automobile Federation found the team guilty of cheating by using data obtained from Ferrari, its main rival, to improve its own car.

What would be the result of a $100 million dollar fine on the ability of the Patriots to continue their winning ways?? Would that be an effective death penalty?? Will it be for McLaren Mercedes??. I don’t know, but I do like how (notwithstanding all the other complaints I have about Europeans) between Formula One and the Tour de France, they know how to punish cheaters swiftly and harshly.

Let it be a lesson for American sport leagues.

Like I had to say it again . . . .

it looks like others are joining the chorus.

And we return to a familar theme … how in gods name do the Vols lose (even with a pathetic defense and an injured QB) to a bunch of pot smokey pantywaisted homosexuals from Berkley?

BERKLEY?!?!?!?

These guys were probably listening to the Grateful Dead before hand to get motivated.

And the suckage was all around (well, no. The offense did put up decent numbers even if they let up a defensive touchdown): special teams sucked! Defense - the Volunteer pride and joy - was wholly nonexistant. Do we even have a secondary?? And, its one thing if they were throwing on us all day, but how the hell does our front line allow so many hippies to rush down field so far so often.

Did Phil not hold summer camp? Has recruiting really suffered so much under his misguided leadership? Where all the thugs unable to travel because of probation?? Or maybe the crack and raping and carjacking is just more exciting and glamorous for your typical Fulmer recruit and so they aren’t showing up on game day???

I’ve said it before, Ill say it again - Fire Phil Fulmer. (and boy is he thankful we weren’t playing Appalachian State).

Tennessee has won the last 12 consecutive season openers, including last years shellacking of Cal.

Consider this my one and only post on the situation.

For more on the picture, see this great post. Brilliant.

Oh, and Courtland Milloy is an ignorant idiot. To compare dog fighting to livestock production is asinine. And while I am as appalled as the next person over the cruelty of dog fighting, the fact is Vick actually appears to have committed a crime, as opposed to those “gun runners” Milloy is so worked up about.