"Now What!?"


by: Don Groth

Hi sports fans! I hope all is well in your world!

What do you do and watch now that football is over and baseball hasn't started yet? Basketball? Hockey? Personally they're ok but I love baseball and football. After a boring super bowl and a boring pro-bowl, let's analyze the NFL for 2003.

Over the last 4 years, there has been 4 different super bowl winners, all of them 1st timers: St. Louis, Baltimore, New England and Tampa Bay. This tells us that there is a very good chance we will have a new winner next season, and it could possibly be a team that has not won before. This proves that the salary cap in place for the NFL, although doesn't help player-team loyalty and longevity, creates parody around the NFL except of course with the Bengals and the Lions! (-;

So let's list some teams in that category; Atlanta, Cleveland, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Philadephia and Tennessee who have never won a super bowl, but could make it next year. We also had 5 teams in the play-offs this year that were not in last year: Atlanta, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Tennessee and the N.Y. Giants. I believe we again could have 5 new teams in the play-offs next season also: Buffalo, Miami, Minnesota, (yes, the Vikings), San Diego and Seattle. Of all the teams, the Vikes may be the biggest sleeper.

Before you laugh so hard and pull a muscle, consider that the Vikes won their last 3 games against tough opponents, they had one of the top offenses in all of football, they now have one of the most respected head coaches with Mike Tice, they have high draft picks again, they need defensive help and are targeting that in the draft and in the free agent signings. Best of all the Vikings are $30 million under the $75 million NFL team salary cap. Don't be surprised if the Vikes sign all-pro DE Hugh Douglass from the Eagles and a top cornerback. Time will tell.....

FYI: Look for the Detroit Lions to soon have x-49er head coach Steve Marriuci named as their new head coach. He is a class act! Thought of the week: "Why flock with the turkeys when you could soar with the eagles?"
Have a great week everyone!


Previous Articles

February '02
March '02
May '02
"June '02 The Stadium Issue"
"I Want My Muscles"
"To Strike or Not to Strike"
Retirement
So I was wrong!

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Don Groth is a 45 yrs. old, x-minor league baseball player, Yankee A farm club, Ft Lauderdale, Fl. Still very active in playing baseball, softball and volleyball and coaching. Husband, father of 3, 2 girls(23 & 22) 1 boy, 18. He and Betty are loving life in too cold Minnesota. You can reach Don at; Don@boomerjournals.com