Upon Further Review, it’s Clear That the Replacement Refs are Inferior
Posted: September 26, 2012 Filed under: Weekly Issue | Tags: baltimore ravens, green bay packers, L.Jon Wertheim, New England Patriots, nfl, nflpa, Replacement Refs, Roger Goodelle, seattle seahawks Comments Off
They’re Really That Bad
The replacement officials, collectively, are the headache that won’t go away. Thanks to a labor standoff, the NFL has been using replacement refs who so far have shown themselves to be alarmingly mistake-prone, star-struck and shaky on the rule book. It’s easy to pick on the scabs and any casual viewer can snicker at the comedy of errors. But are these guys really that bad (page 48)?
KRAFTWORK: PATRIOTS THE NFL’S MODEL FRANCHISE
Posted: February 1, 2012 Filed under: NFL, Peter King, Sports Illustrated Cover, Weekly Issue | Tags: Kraft, New England Patriots, Patriots, Patriots owner, Peter King, Robert Kraft, SI cover, Sports Illustrated Cover, Super Bowl Comments OffHow Robert Kraft’s Instincts Turned the Patriots into the NFL’s Model Franchise:
Just over six-months ago, as the NFL lockout dragged on, only the most optimistic fans believed there would be a Super Bowl XLVI. When the players and owners finally reached an agreement, Patriots owner Robert Kraft stood out among his peers. Kraft, who was grieving for the loss of his wife, Myra, who died during the negotiations, was a vital force throughout. Senior writer Peter King (@SI_Peter King) spent time last week with Kraft to discuss the transformation of his franchise since he bought the team following the ’93 season. 
Kraft acknowledges that the Patriots success over the years is due to the unorthodox decisions he has made including spending too much to buy the team, hiring Bill Belichick and trading Drew Bledsoe. Kraft says, “The key to life is you try to see things other people can’t see. This league is set up for everyone to go 8 – 8. How do you differentiate? You have to be bold in any business and do things you take a lot of criticism for but you believe are right.”
Kraft appears on the Feb. 6, 2011 cover of Sports Illustrated. This is the first time the Patriot’ owner has ever appeared on the cover.
Tom Brady is Fired Up on this week’s cover
Posted: January 25, 2012 Filed under: Damon Hack, NFL, NFL Playoffs, Peter King, Sports Illustrated Cover | Tags: Damon Hack, Eli Manning, New England Patriots, New York Giants, nfl, NFL Playoffs, Pats, Peter King, Robert Kraft, SI cover, Super Bowl, tom brady, Tom Coughlin Comments OffFollowing their triumph in the AFC Championship Game, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots appear on the cover of this week’s Jan. 30, 2012, issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands today. This is the 27th time the Patriots have appeared on the cover, and Tom Brady’s 24th appearance. They last appeared on the Jan 9, 2012 issue.
This week’s SI recaps the last Sunday’s epic NFC & AFC Championship Games, as well as looking forward to the “REMATCH” between the New York Giants and New England Patriots:
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: ONE MORE FOR MYRA – DAMON HACK (@SI_DamonHack)
During the off-season, Patriots owner Robert Kraft lost his wife, Myra, to cancer. She was an extended mother to the players and her loss deeply affected the entire franchise. After the Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens to win the AFC championship, in thrilling fashion, Kraft spent some time by himself, choked up by emotions from both the win and for not being able to share the victory with his “sweetheart.” The players felt the emotion as well (page 38):
- Said WR Deion Branch: “Mr. Kraft has done a great job keeping himself together. I can’t even fathom how the guy is feeling right now, for us to have an opportunity to play for another Super Bowl without his better half. It’s special, but at the same time it’s bittersweet.”
- Said LB Brandon Spikes: “I told Mr. Kraft I was going to leave it all on the field for Myra. I personally wanted to come out and get that game for her and for him. I told him not to worry about a thing.”
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN – PETER KING (@SI_PeterKing)
The NFC Championship Game had the feel of old school football, defense, defense and more defense. The New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers battled through four quarters and into overtime. The game ended with a winning overtime field goal from Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes, eerily similar to his game winning in the ’07 NFC Championship Game. As the Giants press on, much of the credit for their playoff run can be given to the strong bond between head coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning (page 33):
Coughlin notes, “Eli’s just so….so….reliable. Totally reliable. Trustworthy. Smart. Tremendously hardworking. Consistent as the day is long. What I love about him is, I know what he’s doing 365 days a year. He’s doing something that will help us win football games.”
This week’s Sports Illustrated: Prepare for a Patriots-Giants rematch; Muhammad Ali turns 70; the emergence of Ricky Rubio; the “art” of overpaying NHL goalies; why perhaps the best player in women’s CBB plays for Delaware
Posted: January 18, 2012 Filed under: Alex Wolff, Ben Reiter, Damon Hack, Jim Trotter, Jon Werthiem, Lee Jenkins, Neil Leifer, NFL Playoffs, Peter King, Phil Taylor, Sports Illustrated Cover, Tim Layden | Tags: baltimore ravens, elena delle donne delaware, muhammad ali 70th birthday, muhammad ali photos, New England Patriots, New York Giants, NFL Playoffs, pekka rinne nashville predators, ricky rubio minnesota timberwolves, san francisco 49ers, super bowl xlvi prediction Comments OffFollowing their triumphs in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs, the Giants and 49ers appear on regional covers of this week’s Jan. 23, 2012, issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands today. Below is the last time each team appeared on the cover and how many appearances it has overall.
- Giants: Aug. 4, 2008 (David Tyree); 22nd appearance
- 49ers: Oct. 26, 1998 (Kevin Gogan); 34th appearance
AFC AND NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FORECASTS – TIM LAYDEN (@SITimLayden)
Patriots 27, Ravens 17: “Neither [Ray] Rice’s rushing nor the Ravens’ D will relieve QB Joe Flacco of the pressure to make as many big plays as [Tom] Brady does. And that won’t happen.”
Giants 31, 49ers 21: “San Francisco’s seasonlong ascent was built on the NFC’s best defense, but Drew Brees picked it apart last Saturday for 462 yards. Expect the red-hot [Eli] Manning to be nearly as effective—and counterpart Alex Smith much less so against a better pass rush than new Orleans’s, with higher stakes.”
On the Tablets: Senior writer Peter King’s guest on his weekly podcast is Joe Horrigan from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Plus, King’s “Last Word on the NFL” leading up to the AFC and NFC title games.
NFL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: PETER KING PREDICTS SAINTS OVER PATRIOTS 34–24 IN SUPER BOWL XLVI
Posted: January 4, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: aaron rodgers, Atlanta Falcons, baltimore ravens, Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Newton, Cincinnati Bengals, denver broncos, detroit lions, Drew Brees, green bay packers, houston texans, jim harbaugh, Justin Smith, New England Patriots, new orleans saints, New York Giants, nfl, NFL Playoffs, Peter King, pittsburgh steelers, san francisco 49ers, tom brady, Von Miller Comments OffThe four quarterbacks on the regional covers of Sports Illustrated’s NFL Playoff Preview—Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, New England’s Tom Brady, New Orleans’s Drew Brees and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger—have combined to win seven of the past 10 Super Bowls, including four Super Bowl MVP awards. Senior NFL writer Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) predicts that Brady and Brees will square off in a duel of record-breaking quarterbacks in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, with the Saints beating the Patriots 34–24. King’s complete predictions are listed below:
