Four in a Row! Cowboys 20, Eagles 16

**Hey all. Matthew filling in for Josh with the Cowboys post-game reaction. Josh is enjoying our fine nation's other coast, but he'll be back next week.**

Four weeks ago, the Cowboys were limping towards a bye week facing a 2-3 record if they couldn't come back against the lowly Chiefs. The Eagles were 3-1, and the Giants were considered #1 in the NFL by some at 5 - 0. The Cowboys were ranked 19th in ESPN's weekly PowerRankings just a week later.

Fast forward.

The Giants' four-game skid and the Cowboys four-game roll - culminating in a hard fought 20-16 win against Philadelphia - now has Dallas sitting in the catbird seat in the NFC East, and gives the 'Boys the rightful claim to #3 in the NFC.

The Cowboys won the game tonight because they legitimately outplayed the Eagles in a division game on enemy soil. Offensively, the Cowboys had 11 possessions. Only once did the Philadelphia defense hold them to 3-and-out. Defensively, the Cowboys did let the Eagles move the ball a bit, but came up with HUGE stops when it counted, including stuffs on successive plays from 2nd-and-Inches, 3rd-and-Inches, and 4th-and-Inches with 12 minutes left in the game. Those stops set up the Miles Austin go-ahead Touchdown. The Cowboys are finally fixed their turnover woes as they picked-off McNabb twice, while only giving it up once as Romo threw his first interception in 4 games. The did not put the ball on the ground once - even when Gurode left the game temporarily after getting hurt.

It wasn't always pretty. While Dallas did effectively use their Razorback formation during the opening script, their run game posted a measly 76 yards. However, it was Marion Barber who sealed the deal by pounding away the last 4 minutes on the clock. The offense didn't always finish what it started by going only 1-of-3 in the redzone this week, which isn't always going to be enough to get it done.

The Cowboys will now look forward to next week's meeting with the Packers, who gave the Buccaneers their first win of the season today. WIth home games against Washington and Oakland after the visit to Lambeau, the Cowboys could very well be rolling into December with a 9-2 record if they make it 3-in-a-row on the road by beating the Packers.

Some quick positives from tonight's game:

+ Roy Williams was finally a #1 receiver on the field tonight. He didn't catch long bombs like Austin and Crayton, but his 5 catches, 75 yards all looked pretty good. There's still plenty of room for growth, however.

+ Despite not scoring on their opening drive for the umpteenth time in a row, the Cowboys did get on the board first, putting pressure on the Eagles.

+ Choice out of the Razorback formation looked pretty good at the start of the game. He ran the ball 3 times for 13 yards and the opening TD.

+ In addition to the interceptions by Jenkins and Sensabaugh, the Cowboys were very close to a handful of others. However, most of those were from either very bad throws by McNabb, or poor catching from the Philadelphia receiving core.

+ But, credit McNabb's poor performance in part to the Cowboys defensive line. They had four sacks, and McNabb almost never had enough time to find a rhythm. All-arond great defensive day for the Cowboys.

Some quick negatives:

+ The Cowboys accepted a holding penalty after stopping the Eagles just short on a 3rd-and-13 instead of declining the penalty forcing the punt. I think Wade must have wanted to try to pin the punter deep or use the penalty to grab some field position, but it almost backfired horrendously when the Eagles completed a 22 yard reception on 3rd-and-23. That would have energized the Eagles and their fans in a very unpleasant way.

+ Scandrick has twice in two weeks played a receiver very well out of the slot keeping himself in great position to make a play, only to have the ball somehow quantum tunnel through his body into the receiver's waiting arms. I'm not sure what the deal is, but if he can step up and not allow those types of mistakes, the Cowboys secondary will be better for it.

+ Romo was not his best in the redzone today. He rebounded and played well throughout, but he missed Williams in the endzone at the end of the half, then failed to see Witten wide-open in the corner of the endzone on the next play.

+ This was rookie kick-off specialist David Buehler's worst game by far. He didn't put a single ball inside the 5 yard line. It's true that he didn't have too many opportunities, and I'm not sure how much the cooler Northeastern weather had to do with it. If he's not doing something special as the kick-off specialist, the Cowboys could just as easily have Folk kick-off and save a spot on the 45 man roster. He needs to do better.

Spreading the wealth: Dal 38, Sea 17

Dallas will have a chance to redeem themselves for last season's embarrassment in Philadelphia, but if the Cowboys play to the level they played in a walk-thru victory against the Seahawks, it could be another unfortunate ending at the Linc. Five different Cowboys scored touchdowns in the 38-17 win over Seattle on Sunday, but there were several "oh what the hell" where Romo and company did not look the part of a team capable of claiming the outright lead in the NFC East next weekend.

The Cowboys put the ball on the turf several times, but were fortunate to recover all but one time. The sole lost fumble resulted in the Seahawks taking over inside the 10 yard line and cashing in for a touchdown two plays later. The running game looked sluggish all day, as if Marion Barber and crew had a foot stuck in a bucket during the contest.

But because it was Seattle, the Cowboys rolled to a no-doubt victory for the second straight year.

A triumph next week against the Eagles will require a much more complete game to erase the memories of the embarrassing 44-6 loss that ended the Cowboys 2008 campaign. For that to happen, Tony Romo will need to continue his trend of taking care of the football, and the defense must continue to create turnovers.

The Cowboys were +1 in the turnover ratio on Sunday. Dallas now has eight forced fumbles with five recovered to go along with four interceptions. The ball-hawking Eagles have 14 picks on the year (2nd most in the NFL) with eight forced fumbles, seven of which they recovered. The Eagles will work to take the ball away. The Cowboys must not only protect it on offense and special teams, but the defense has to at least keep the turnover ratio even if not win the turnover battle outright.

It'll be a Sunday night showdown at Lincoln Financial Field. The last time the Cowboys faced the Eagles on Sunday night in Philly, Dallas emptied the seats early, taking a 21-7 lead in the second quarter and the route was on. In fact, the Cowboys and Eagles frequently meet on Sunday night, with the Cowboys winning the 2008 home-opener battle as well.

The win over the Seahawks wasn't nearly as impressive as it was necessary. The Cowboys have to win the games they're supposed to win in this 2009 quest to return to the playoffs and actually win a game. A few more thoughts on the second Seahawk stuffing in the last two years:

+ Quarterback Tony Romo spread around the ball to 10 different receivers in completing 21 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns. Heck, he even completed a pass to a Kevin Ogletree for 19 yards. And for the third straight game, Romo went without an interception, the first time in his career he went mistake free for three straight games. There were ugly moments, however, against the Seahawks. At one point, Romo faked a handoff to no one, and his fumble in the fourth quarter set up a gift touchdown for Seattle.

+ The receiving corps - the entire receiving corps - got in on the action on Sunday. Roy Williams, Miles Austin and even Sam Hurd grabbed TDs, and Patrick Crayton ran back a punt for a score for the second straight week. When games like this happen, it can help to force opposing defenses to respect all of Romo's options, and let's not forget Jason Witten. If Miles Austin is left one-on-one, he can win a foot race to a deep ball. Roy Williams has had some trouble hanging onto the ball, but drops are forgivable if #11 can come up with big plays on a clutch 3rd down. As for Hurd, he did a great job to maintain his balance and turn the corner to get into the open field. Poor tackling by the Seahawks secondary allowed him to get into the end zone.

+ Keeping with the receivers, Mile Austin really needs to work on his touchdown celebrations. His attempted dunk over the crossbar isn't quite on par with the Cowboys former top wideout #81.

+ Bobby Carpenter ran right through the Seattle o-line for a sack, his first sack since 2006. He now has a whopping 2.5 career sacks since being selected in the first round four years ago. Thanks, Bill.

+ It was nice seeing Julius Jones again. The former Cowboys second-round pick ran 15 times for 56 yards in his second game in Dallas since signing with Seattle before the 2008 season.

+ Not nearly as many penalties in this game compared to previous games this season. The Cowboys were flagged five times for 43 yards. Here's a look at the Cowboys penalty issues from the first seven games this season:

Date	Opponent	Result	Penalties	Yards
Sept. 13	@ Tampa Bay	W 34-21	4	41
Sept. 20	New York Giants	L 33-31	4	50
Sept. 28	Carolina	W 21-7	9	80
Oct. 4	@ Denver	L 17-10	7	70
Oct. 11	@ Kansas City	W 26-20	13	90
Oct. 25	Atlanta	W 37-21	8	50
Nov. 1	Seattle	W 38-17	5	43

After a four-game stretch of ugliness in the penalties department, the Cowboys look to be a little more under control. They'll need to keep that up in Philly next week.

Area where Miles Austin needs work

Watching the Cowboys-Seahawks game in progress, Miles Austin has nabbed a touchdown to continue his impressive run for the third straight week. However after the TD catch, Austin went for the slam dunk over the crossbar. After further review, he still needs some work.

Fall Classic gets first look at instant replay

When the umpires went to review an Alex Rodriguez double in Game 3 of the 2009 World Series, the precedent of playoff-tested, playoff-approved instant replay became the final straw in a mounting argument that will undoubtedly culminate with the expansion of instant replay in baseball next season.

The umpires overruled a double, calling the ball a homerun off a camera in the first row of the outfield seats - the first ever postseason use of instant replay. And the question must be asked: really, just how hard was that?

That's all it took to get a call right. The umps discussed the play, decided they needed to take a look at a replay of the could-be homerun - the only reviewable aspect of baseball. After a brief delay, they came out and signaled homerun. Easy. Simple. That did not seem to stop down the game for what amounted to an additional hour. The game was already behind schedule because of a rain delay, and yet the umpires had time to saunter into the dugout, find a television, and get the call right.

And getting the call right is the ultimate goal. It's not about being close enough. It's not about being right most of the time. The objective of having umpires, six unbiased umpires spread across the field, is to get the calls right. Instant replay was able to provide the World Series with the correct call and give the Yankees what could have become another Don Denkinger type of blunder in the Fall Classic.

The fuss of keeping the purity of the game cannot be nearly as important as keeping the integrity of the game (Granted, integrity went out the door with HGH and other performance enhancers, right A-Roid?). Still, to maintain that integrity, the calls must be right, and instant replay will be the way this happens in future MLB seasons.

Knocked the FuDuck out: USC 20, Ore 47

The folks at ABC made a big deal about the Trojans' troubles in the state of Oregon over the past three seasons. Guess they were right to do so as USC was beaten by Oregon Ducks on Halloween night. And while this 47-20 loss was the worst in Pete Carroll's tenure and biggest defeat since 1997, it is not as disturbing as any other loss that USC has suffered in recent years. The reasoning is simple: the Ducks are simply better this year.

The game doesn't have to mean the end of a Pac-10 dynasty as we know. Perhaps the streak of seven straight Pac-10 titles and BCS bowl games is just going to be taking a one-year hiatus to make way for the Ducks. Maybe Chip Kelly's ugly-uniformed army is going to be the real deal for years to come. Whatever the case, on this night, and in this season, the Oregon Ducks gave the Trojans too tough a challenge, and USC couldn't respond.

The most shocking aspect of the game was not that the Trojans offense couldn't keep up, it was that the defense didn't allow the offense a chance to keep up. With each possession, the Ducks made their way into the red zone and onto the scoreboard. USC allowed Oregon to march down the field to the tune of 613 yard, including almost 400 yards on the ground -- 392 to be specific. USC hadn't been allowing a fourth of that this season, but a pair of 160+ rushers didn't help the Trojans' cause. Ducks QB Jeremiah Masoli proved too versatile, too quick, too elusive for the USC front seven. He was Vince Young light, a smaller package containing the same toxic results that the Longhorn delivered in the 2006 Rose Bowl.

If USC (now 6-2) had lost its game at Notre Dame two weeks ago, Trojans fans would have reason to lash out. The Trojans were overly penalized and utterly sloppy - albeit in victory - in South Bend. It was a game that USC could have lost because it played poorly. The disappointment in Seattle could be pinned on Aaron Corp's offensive abortion of a performance at the quarterback position.

But while it would be easy to blame the Trojans loss in Eugene on the handful of injuries leading up to or suffered during the game, the sheer lopsidedness of the outcome makes the difference seem somewhat negligible. How much could a healthy Anthony McCoy or any other single Trojan really helped to lessen that gap. Nothing short of the Wild Bunch up front would have stopped the Oregon running game; the Ducks knew it, and the Trojans found out soon enough.

Freshman QB Matt Barkley played about as well as he could be expected to at one of the most raucous stadiums in the nation. He completed 21 of 38 passes for 187 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was intercepted on the final play of the game, shutting the door on the Trojans hopes for a record-extending eighth straight Pac-10 title.

Oregon was better. Arguably, they were better two years ago before then-QB Dennis Dixon got hurt and the Ducks went into a tailspin down the stretch, making way for the Trojans to win the conference. You could say this is a win two or three years in the making. After nearly a decade of dominance on the West Coast, the Trojans faced the a better team that was too tough to stop. The Oregon offense ran wild. The defense held USC to 4-of-14 on 3rd down conversions. The Trojans punted six times and four times went three-and-out.

The Ducks are now atop the Pac-10 and firmly in control of their own destiny in terms of a BCS berth and Pac-10 title. Their only loss is to BCS-contender Boise State in the first game of the season. Expect Oregon to crack the top 5 in the rankings this week. As for the Trojans, two losses knocks them from the ranks of the elite, and now their slip up at Washington is much less forgivable. Pete Carroll's Trojans won't be Kings of the conference in 2009, and while future seasons remain uncertain, Saturday night's game put the west coast on notice.

Duck season now is open.

Recent USC losses:
The Trojans have lost just eight football games since the undefeated 2004 season that culminated with a national championship drubbing over Oklahoma. Beginning with the heartbreaking loss to Texas in the BCS championship game one year later, the Trojans haven't been in too many positions to concede that USC lost to a better team. It happened Saturday for the first time in a long time.

Date	Opponent	Score	What happened?
Jan. 4, 2006	Texas (Rose Bowl)	41-38	USC had a chance to close the game out but couldn't convert on 4th and 2. Vince Young drove Texas down the field for the game-winning touchdown.
Oct. 28, 2006	at Oregon State	33-31	USC failed to convert a 2-point conversion to tie the game in the final seconds as John David Booty struggled.
Dec. 2, 2006	at UCLA	13-9	USC offense held under 20 points for the first time since 2001 costing Trojans a BCS Championship game berth.
Oct. 6, 2007	Stanford	24-23	Trojans stunned at home by 41 point underdog.
Oct. 27, 2007	at Oregon	24-17	Mark Sanchez filling in for the injured John David Booty can't get the Trojans a win at Autzen Stadium.
Sep. 25, 2008	at Oregon State	27-21	Sanchez again baffled in state of Oregon as Trojans underestimate Beavers.
Sep. 19, 2009	at Washington	27-21	Backup quarterback Aaron Corp passes for lowly 110 yards as former Trojans offensive coordinator leads Huskies to upset win as head coach.
Oct. 31, 2009	at Oregon	47-20	Ducks dominate on the ground for almost 400 yards at USC is beat by a team that can truly be described as better, not just catching them off-guard.

New Mental Makeup: Mavs 94, Lakers 80

The Dallas Mavericks opened the season with a toe-stubbing loss at home against the Washington Wizards. And while it looked like it would be an easy 0-2 hole to fall into with the World Champion Lakers up next, the Mavs came out as gangbusters and rocked LA at Staples Center for a 94-80 win on Friday.

The Mavs don't beat the Lakers. They especially don't beat the Lakers at the Staples Center. Heck, Dallas even has occasional struggles with the lowly Clippers in LA.

But last night the new-look Mavs - literally, they debuted some sleek new blue jerseys - were firing on all cylinders against a Lakers team that couldn't find its shot until it was too late. The Mavs out-rebounded LA 46-40 with Dirk and Damp each notching 10 boards. But the most impressive line of the night came from the newest Maverick Shawn Marion, who dropped 18 points and six rebounds with a steal and an assist. Marion, along with other newcomers Quinton Ross and Drew Gooden, bring a new mentality to a team that has lacked fight in past seasons.

And while Dallas is without the injured Josh Howard to begin the year, perhaps his absence is best to give these new players a chance to alter the mental makeup of the Mavs. Howard is one of the Mavs who hasn't been as dialed in or focused as he needs to be for Dallas to be successful in past seasons. J-Ho has yet to become the Robin to Nowitzki's Batman.

Now with the addition of talented role players, Howard will be forced to step up his game upon his return. Until that time, Dallas can gel with new players who represent a tougher mindset, something this franchise has lacked in past seasons as evidenced by collapses in the 2006 Finals against Miami and 2007 opening round series against Golden State.

The win against the Lakers is only one win. It only counts for one in the win column, but it's a W that the Mavs don't usually pick up, especially not in LA.

Miles ahead of the rest: Dal 37, Atl 20

A year ago, the Cowboys traded a handful of picks to the Detroit Lions to acquire Roy Williams, the team's true #1 receiver of the future and the heir apparent to Terrell Owens as a go-to option for Tony Romo. Flash forward to 2009, and there is now little doubt the Cowboys have found that successor ... Miles Austin.

Austin made just his second career start, but if that's any indication, then the young wide out shouldn't be left out of the starting lineup until doesn't turn a game into a track meet. Austin caught a team-high six passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns just two weeks after his breakout performance in Kansas City where he set a franchise record with 250 yards receiving on 10 catches. The fourth year receiver is making frequent big plays in the Cowboys offense. His five touchdown passes are more than all other Cowboys receivers combined including Jason Witten.

Receiver	Receiving TDs
Miles Austin	5
Patrick Crayton	2
Roy Williams	1
Jason Witten	1

Austin is setting himself apart from all of quarterback Tony Romo's other options -- even super tight end Jason Witten. Roy Williams has caught 12 balls in five games (2.4 receptions per game doesn't seem like a true #1. Hopefully the Cowboys (4-2) don't work themselves into another "he's not throwing to me" dispute. Romo is developing more confidence with Austin than the other targets. It's why Patrick Crayton was dropped below Austin on the depth chart. And with his latest performance, is Austin going to officially leapfrog Williams as well.

Here's the Cowboys 2009 receiving numbers after Sunday's 37-21 win over the Falcons.

Receiving Statistics
Player	Rec	Yds	Yds/Rec	Long	TD
Jason Witten	33	312	9.5	22	1
Miles Austin	21	502	23.9	60	5
Patrick Crayton	17	252	14.8	80	2
Tashard Choice	13	115	8.8	28	0
Roy E. Williams	12	230	19.2	66	1
Martellus Bennett	7	72	10.3	15	0
Sam Hurd	5	79	15.8	53	0
Marion Barber	5	59	11.8	26	0
Felix Jones	3	26	8.7	20	0
Deon Anderson	1	5	5.0	5	0

In the last two games, Austin has 421 yards and four touchdowns. That is not only the best for a Cowboys over a two-game span ever, it's also the indicator that Austin is Romo's top-performing target. Based on that, there's your true #1. While it may have been necessary to rid the roster of Terrell Owens in the offseason to allow Austin a chance to shine, the brightness from Miles Austin is now casting a glaring and judgmental spotlight on the underachieving Roy Williams.


A few other thoughts on the first big Cowboys win of 2009...
+ Tony Romo continued to show why he can drive fans and opposing defenses absolutely crazy all at the same time. He continued to show his magician-like ability to escape the clutches of defenders on his touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton, and Romo posted his 19th career 300+ yard game, most of all Cowboys quarterbacks ever. Three touchdown passes and no interceptions while completing 21 of 29 passes shows that Romo was able to take care of the ball this week.

+ The Cowboys signed Allen Rossum this week as a return specialist. He was injured on his only return, a 16 yarder that he should have downed. Not only because it would have meant more yards, but also because he was hit hard enough to knock him out of the game. Patrick Crayton went on to return a punt 73 yards for a touchdown. If Felix Jones is healthy enough to return kicks, and with Crayton now out of the punt returners dog house, look for the Cowboys to release Rossum within the next week.

+ It's not surprising that the one Cowboy defender who looked unafraid to tackle in this game is a Cowboy who wasn't on this team last season. Gerald Sensabaugh was constantly breaking up plays, crashing into the ball carrier, and setting a tone for the defense the likes of which the Cowboys haven't seen since Darren Woodsen. Sensabaugh could have added an interception to his day as well if he could have cradled the ball into his heavily bandaged hand.

+ The Cowboys running game was lackluster at best. Dallas gained 115 rushing yards as a team with 31 of those yards coming from a scrambling Tony Romo. With the entire trio of running backs healthy for the first time since September, the Cowboys rushing game was constantly swallowed up by the Atlanta front seven. Barber seemed sluggish, and Felix Jones appeared rusty after missing the last few weeks. It's nice the Cowboys were able to dominate through the air so well, but closer games will be decided on the ground, and this was not the same unit we saw over the first few games. The rushing stats from the day:

Rushing	ATT	YDS	TD	LG
M. Barber	14	47	0	13
F. Jones	8	37	0	12
T. Romo	6	31	0	17

The Cowboys are now 4-2 with their first win over a team above .500 on the season. The Cowboys only wins prior to Sunday came again the still winless Buccaneers (0-7), the struggling Panthers (2-4), and the hapless Chiefs (1-6). The Cowboys have now earned a sliver of legitimacy to match their record. The only way to truly legitimize this team will be with a return to the postseason and snapping the playoff losing streak that dates back to the days of the Triplets. The emotional overtime win over the Chiefs two weeks ago began the process. The victory over Atlanta is now a true testament that the Cowboys are heading down the right track.

Dallas will need a win over Seattle next week to ensure the proper momentum that will be needed before consecutive road games in Philadelphia and Green Bay in November before returning home Thanksgiving week.

Jeff Fisher isn't this bad

Titans coach Jeff Fisher is taking a lot of heat for recently wearing a Peyton Manning jersey, declaring he wanted to "feel like a winner" at a charity function with Tony Dungy. The prank angered Titans fans and players, who are struggling through a currently winless season. Fisher's team might limp to the finish in 2009, but considering that years like this were an aberration for Fisher, perhaps the Titans and everyone calling for his head should hesitate on terminating the longest-tenured head coach currently in the NFL. Fisher has been the Titans head coach since they were Oilers and played in the Astrodome in Houston.

In 15 full years as the franchise's head coach, he's had five different starting quarterbacks to work with, he's had only two seasons where he's been more than one game under five hundred. He's had six 10+ win seasons. Granted, he's taken his team to only six postseasons, and if a guy like Mike Shanahan can get fired after last season, then Fisher is definitely on a hot seat. But he's not exactly cut from the same cloth as the scrubs listed below who have coached the most utterly hopeless teams of the last two decades. If his Titans get onto this list of big-time losers, will that be it for Fisher?

Year	Bad Team	W-L	Coach	Years Before Bad Season	Result
2008	DET	0-16	Rod Marinelli	2	fired
2008	KC	2-14	Herm Edwards	2	fired
2008	STL	2-14	Scott Linehan (0-4) Jim Haslett (2-10)	2 --	fired [interim]
2007	MIA	1-15	Cam Cameron	0 (1st year)	fired
2006	OAK	2-14	Art Shell	0** (1st year)	fired
2005	HOU Texans	2-14	Dom Capers	3	fired
2004	SF	2-14	Dennis Erickson	1	fired
2002	CIN	2-14	Dick LeBeau	1	fired
2001	CAR	1-15	George Seifert	2	fired
2001	DET	2-14	Marty Mornhinweg	0 (1st year)	Given 1 more season [3-13 in 2002, fired]
2000	SD	1-15	Mike Riley	1	Given 1 more season [5-11 in 2001, fired]
1999	CLE	2-14	Chris Palmer	0 (1st year)	Given 1 more season [3-13 in 2000, fired]
1996	NYJ	1-15	Rich Kotite	1	fired
1994	HOU Oilers	2-14	Jack Pardee (1-9) Jeff Fisher (1-5)	4 --	fired [interim]
1992	NE	2-14	Dick MacPherson	1	fired
1992	SEA	2-14	Tom Flores	0 (1st year)	Given 2 more seasons [6-10 both '93, '94 fired]
1991	IND	1-15	Ron Meyer (0-5) Rick Venturi (1-10)	4	fired
Year	NE	1-15	Rod Rust	0 (1st year)	fired

**Art Shell in first season of second stint with Raiders

Such bad announcing, even Bryan Gumble is cringing

This must be some sort of joke or this guy is the worst announcer ever.

"...and that happens!"

Seriously, could this phrase become the next "boom goes the dynamite"? Only time will tell.


World's Worst Sports Announcer - Watch more Funny Videos

Seriously, there are bad broadcasters and announcers, but this can't even be real. If it is, then I feel much better about my chances to make it as a broadcaster. Hey, Long Beach Armada fans, don't you feel so fortunate now?!

Schwarzenegger is ready for some LA football

The government of California has moved aside all remaining environmental hurdles for the group interested in building an NFL stadium in the Los Angeles area. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill exempting the stadium from environmental laws for a potential stadium in the City of Industry, squashing a lawsuit filed by residents in the neighboring town of Walnut.

The group working to make the stadium a reality - Majestic Realty - is not guaranteeing that the stadium will be built. For that to happen, they will need one of the NFL's teams to be willing to relocate to Los Angeles. The seven teams on the hit list: the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams and Oakland Raiders.

And yet, don't we have to wonder why there isn't already pro football in Los Angeles. There hasn't been since both the Raiders and Rams left town in 1994. Granted, there is already too much going on in this city for the Los Angeles community to need an NFL team, but I'm sure the fairweather fans of Los Angeles would get behind a team ... once the team started winning of course.

please don't bring up the idea of an expansion team. It's not happening unless there is an even number of teams entering the league at the same time.

So which of the seven teams we've listed could most easily make the move to Los Angeles, a city that already has enough going on, both in the pro and collegiate sports realm and outside of it that it hardly needs an NFL franchise. There are several elements to consider including a team's history in its current market, any potential need for division realignment, and would current NFL fans in Los Angeles accept the franchise in question after already spending time with other teams. The follow seven teams all could use new stadiums. Who might call Los Angeles home?

With stadium OKd, who wants LA?

Let's start by looking at the currently 2-4 Buffalo Bills. This franchise has a strong history in Buffalo as an original AFL team. The franchise has been to a record four consecutive Super Bowls and does have a die-hard following. However owner Ralph Wilson has recently been pushing for regular season games in Toronto, so it's not entirely out of the blue that this franchise might leave Buffalo. If it did happen, however, I would assume they would stay in the region as opposed to moving to the west coast. The five-year deal to play eight regular season games in Toronto runs through 2013. If Buffalo's Bills moved to LA, I can't imagine them still playing in the AFC East with trips every year to New England, New York and Miami. That's rough.


Onto the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are currently 3-3 on the 2009 season. An expansion team in 1995, the Jags don't have nearly the extensive history as the Bills. Jacksonville has been to the postseason six times in 14 seasons but only twice in the last nine years. Their stadium is relatively new, built for the team when they joined the NFL, but only three 9+ win seasons since 1999's 14-2 mark aren't stellar numbers. Yes there are worse teams, but have the Jaguars put down deep enough roots not withstand the lure of Los Angeles? Of the three teams that don't have California ties, Jacksonville seems like the most likely, and the rest of their division opponents are geographically west of them. It's not a graceful move, but it's not impossible.

Moving to the north, the Minnesota Vikings are coming up on the end of their lease at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which runs through 2011. There are proposals for a new Vikings stadium, but nothing has gotten quite off the ground yet. Owner Zygi Wilf wants the new stadium located in downtown Minnesota, but that may not be as easy as it sounds. Most new monster stadiums end up being out in the suburbs where land is cheaper and more readily available.

Could the Vikings end up following the Lakers from the state of Minnesota to the hills of Hollywood? The City of Angels has already made the former Minneapolis Lakers arguably the most recognizable and successful franchise in the NBA. The Vikings do have a strong history in Minnesota, but they need to find a way to get their stadium deal done in the land of 10,000 lakes. If not, the draw of 75,000 fans from all over Los Angeles might be enough to pry Ragnar from the Twin Cities. Moving the Vikes would break up the nice cluster of NFC North teams (Minnesota, Chicago, Green Bay, Detroit) which is perhaps the most geographically close-knit division.

Now the teams with California ties. Each of the following four teams have strong followings in Los Angeles, which is why I feel bringing any other team from the outside into LA would alienate fans of the 49ers, Rams, Raiders and Chargers.

My second reason - which also would explain why the Chargers would be a good choice for which team to move - deals with Los Angeles football fans favorite teams. The majority of LA football fans mostly like either the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Rams. The 49ers have been the state's most successful franchise. The Raiders played in LA from 1982 to 1995. The St. Louis Rams played in Los Angeles from their inception in 1946 until 1995.

...

Moving any team to Los Angeles other than one of the four mentioned above would be awkward because not only would the NFL be taking a team away from its current market - which I don't really agree with - they would also be introducing yet another team to Los Angeles. There are plenty of Rams fans, 49ers fans, Raiders fans and Chargers fans here. LA is big, but introducing a different team to the area alienates fans of these four teams.

Another positive for moving any of these four teams would be to avoid problems with division realignment. All of the following teams play in the NFC or AFC West, so there won't be an cross-country rivalries that get broken up. So which of these four teams is most likely to make the move to LA, or in three of the four cases, back to LA.

At first glance, the San Francisco 49ers appear to be the least likely of the quartet. Unlike the others, they have never played in Los Angeles and have a strong history in the Bay Area to the tune of five championships. The team has been trying to get a new stadium deal done for several years in the city of San Francisco but couldn't get on the same page with the city. With the team looking outside the city at other Bay Area locations, there is always the outside chance of the franchise moving much farther south than just Santa Clara. Again, the least likely of the four teams with strong California ties.

What about LA's original team, the St. Louis Rams? Even without Rush Limbaugh, there is still a St. Louis-based group interested in buying the team to keep it in place. The Rams have had more success in St. Louis since 1995 than they did in the nearly 50 years of football in LA that preceded. Two Super Bowl berths and one championship however seem like a long-time ago for the currently weary and dreary Rams who are 0-5 so far this season. The Ed Jones dome is a more than suitable facility in St. Louis, but the Rams still have plenty of fans in LA despite them walking out on the city like an angry ex-girlfriend almost 15 years ago.

The Oakland Raiders are a wild card simply because of owner Al Davis. He bounced the team from Oakland to LA to Oakland like Marcus Allen bounced off defenders. Would he do it again? I'm inclined to say no simply because he's much older now - although not necessarily wiser - but he may not have the energy and resolve for that kind of move. The Raiders still have more than enough fans in the Los Angeles area (just visit the cheap seats at Dodger Stadium), and their current stadium in Oakland is a pit. If they did come back, it wouldn't be to the Coliseum, the place that Al Davis was trying to get away from in the late '80s. He would move to get what he originally wanted, a new stadium. The old guy is just crazy enough not to put it past him. This could potentially be the "last big thing" Davis does while still acting as captain of the pirates.

The last piece of the puzzle is the closest NFL team to Los Angeles, the San Diego Chargers, who play at the aging Qualcom Stadium. The "Q" opened in 1967 as the home of the Padres and Chargers. The organization has been pushing for a new stadium but with little success. They are currently looking at other cities outside the city of San Diego but still in the local area. Nothing looks solid, and there is history of San Diego teams moving north to Los Angeles, although perhaps adopting the Clippers was a step backward for Los Angeles sports. San Diego may not have as strong a fan base as the Raiders have in Los Angeles, but getting on the bandwagon wouldn't be a major leap for most LA sports fans.

So who is coming to Los Angeles? Well perhaps one of these? Maybe even two tenants sharing the place a la the Giants and Jets. Or maybe this environmental exception will set a precedent that will backfire, allowing the California NFL teams - the 49ers, Chargers and Raiders - to be able to get similar exceptions that will help them keep their teams in their existing communities. It's open season for football in Los Angeles. Prepare to hop onto the bandwagon!

1996 Wide Receiver Draft Class

Only three receivers from the famed 1996 draft class are still in the NFL, and all three are on terrible teams. Perhaps that class of standouts is finally on its last leg. Recent reports about arguably the most successful receiver of the class, Terrell Owens, being in drastic decline in Buffalo are surfacing, and while having to play in Buffalo might be fate's punishment for all his antics of the years, let's see how he stacks up with the rest of his '96 draftmates.

'96 Wide Receiver	Rec	Yards	TD	Played Thru	Now...
Marvin Harrison	1,102	14,580	128	2008	Out of the game after gun problems. Peyton Manning and the undefeated Colts seem to be adjusting fine.
Terrell Owens	966	14,337	140	present	Wasting away in Buffalo, but at least they're selling tickets, right?!
Muhsin Muhammad	829	11,062	61	present	Back in Carolina after stint in Chicago, but far from the 2003 Panthers that went to SB XXXVIII
Keyshawn Johnson	814	10,571	64	2006	ESPN analyst who made the job permanent after saying he'd help mold new Panther draft pick Dwayne Jarrett. Johnson was cut the next day.
Eric Moulds	764	9,995	49	2007	Cut in camp by Tampa Bay Bucs in 2008.
Amani Toomer	668	9,497	54	2008	Signed by Chiefs in August only to be cut before the year thus making him a 1-team guy his who career. Enjoy the ring.
Bobby Engram	650	7,751	35	present	Limping along in KC after spending 8 years of his prime with the then-high-flying Seahawks.
Joe Horn	603	8,744	58	2007	Looking for his cell phone. Can you hear me now?
Terry Glenn	593	8,823	44	2007	Serving as Intern Coach with the Dolphins and Tony Sporano, who ran the offense in Glenn's time with the Cowboys.
Eddie Kennison	548	8,345	42	2008	Out of the game after a hokey-pokey year with St. Louis in 2008.

First of all, what a hell of a class. It's odd seeing how some of these guys ended their careers while three are still limping along, clinging to the glory they once found. Each of the three receivers still active from this class participated in a Super Bowl, and each is currently struggling in 2009 as their teams are a combined 5-12.

Owens is currently fifth all time in receiving yards, with Marvin Harrison and Tim Brown well within striking distance. Only the still-active Isaac Bruce (15,111) and Owens' former teammate Jerry Rice (22,895) remain ahead of him. He's sixth in receptions and second in touchdowns (one ahead of Randy Moss as of this week, although neither will catch Rice). It's surprising not to see any contender make a serious play for Owens in the attempt to have him do for a contender what Randy Moss did in New England, be reborn, rejuvenated, and retaliatory on the rest of the league.

If this season is the swan song for the 1996 draft class, they gave it a hell of run.