Week 5 Power Rankings

When week 5 started not too many people could predict that the Redskins would win on the road against another NFC Divisional opponent, or that the once Proud Seattle Seahawks would put up the second least amount of points for week 5.  The Power Rankings for week 5 were a little tougher this week but once again from Overtime Sportswear here they are.

5. THE DALLAS COWBOYS - The Cowboys were coming off their first loss of the young season to the Divisional rival Washington Redskins, so how did they look in week 5???  The Cowboys looked like Cowgirls but still managed to get it done week 5 and are in jeopardy of jumping out of the top 5 rankings.  They could barely beat the Cincinnati Bungles winning 31-22.  Tony Romo once again show how average he really is and not an elite QB in this League YET. He will be and I think it will be soon but he is just lucky he has all the offensive weapons around him in Dallas because he would not succeed if he were in Donovan McNabb’s position or one of many other QB’s in this great league.

4. THE CAROLINA PANTHERS - Balance, Balance, Balance, if you have it you will win. The Panthers have had it all year and it is really showing. The destroyed the Chiefs holding them to 127 total yards, let me repeat that 127 TOTAL YARDS!!!!  Carolina was 10-18 on Third Down and held the Chiefs to 4-13. Julius Peppers only had one Tackle but made it count with his 3rd sack in as many games and he also had a Forced Fumble leading the Carolina Defense in Dominating the Kansas City Chiefs and treating them like the bottom 5 team they are.  De Angelo Williams had his best game as a Pro rushing for 123 Yards on 20 carries and had 3 Touchdowns 2 Rushing and 1 Receiving.

3. THE TENNESSEE TITANS - D-FENCE (CLAP CLAP) D-FENCE - The Titans are just dominating people with their Defense and showing the league how good they really are.  I know they only played the Ravens but a controversial call helped the Titans win the game. Kerry Collins got hit on a 3rd and 5 by Terrell Suggs around the head and kept the Drive alive leading to a Touchdown pass from Kerry Collins to Alge Crumpler with 6 minutes left in the game.  Jeff Fisher had the Titans off to their best start EVER at 5-0.  As long as Kerry Collins remains the starter and they have a legitimate down throwing threat they will continue to do well.

2. THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS - For the second consecutive week the Washington Redskins went on the ROAD to a DIVISIONAL OPPONENT and WON!!  The Redskins are for real folks believe it or not. Their only loss of the season came by the hands of the number 1 ranked team in the NFL, the New York Giants on the Opening Thursday game.  Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell have gelled more than Dr. Scholls Insoles and incerts. Are you Gellin???????  Clinton Portis is looking better than he ever has in the NFL, the last time he looked this good he was as the U.  Jason Campbell has yet to throw an interception this young season and is looking like The player we though he was!!

1. THE NEW YORK GIANTS - The Giants Dominated and decimated the Seattle Seahawks like they were playing in the Slack 10 this year.  It was hard to determine if the Giants were beating up the Seahawks or the UW Huskies.  The Giants didn’t have their Best Wide Receiver in Plaxico Burress and it didn’t even look like it at all. Domenik Hixon filled in for Burress with over 100 yards and a TD looking like he could be the number 1 WR for the Seahawks until he left later in the game with a mild concussion from a helmet to helmet his from Josh Wilson.  Eli Manning looked like Eli Manning and the Running game looked like someone left the water faucet flowing. Brandon Jacobs looked like he was a Man among boys running a meager 15 times for 136 yards and 2TD. Ahmad Bradshaw and Derrick Ward ran wild combining for 105 yards on 18 carries on the ground once again showing they have the best combined running attack in the NFL.  The Giants have won 8 straight going back to last year in the Playoffs and Superbowl.  The Giants are rolling and it doesn’t look like they are slowing down anytime soon at all.

JOSH HAMMER - OVERTIME SPORTSWEAR

Tampa Bay Rays 9 = 8, We’re not Done Yet

When the Tampa Bay Rays hired Joe Maddon from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the the United States of America of the Northern Hemisphere they knew exactly what they were doing. Joe Maddon is one who knows to how to work with young players and is excellent in motivating his players as well.  Right after the All-Star Break Joe Maddon had shirts made up saying 9 = 8.

Everyone around the league didn’t know what it meant but the Rays knew and they showed it as well. 9 = 8, 9 People each day in the line up working towards one of the 8 playoff spots. Joe Maddon’s Message got threw to more than his Pitcher Big Game James Shields it inspired Fellow Ace Scott Kazmir.

Kazmir has been one of the biggest leaders of the young Rays team ever since he was acquired for a bag of balls from the Mets in a deadline deal a few years ago.  Kazmir is a Leader on the field and his fellow teammates aren’t too shy to come up and ask for advice from the former Baseball America Player of the Year in 2002.

9 = 8 rings so true for the Rays and many other teams, 9 guys every day striving for 1 goal, A playoff spot. I for one would like to see the Rays in the World Series showing how 9 = 8 can really come together to accomplish a goal not really seen in this day in age in American Sports.  A team is much better than the individual parts. 9 = 8, only if I would have thought if it first Joe Maddon.

JOSH HAMMER - OVERTIME SPORTSWEAR

WEEK 4 - TOP 5 POWER RANKINGS

We come to the Quarter Pole of the NFL season and some teams are really starting to show how bad and how good they really are.  The teams with the most balance are generally up in the top 5 consistently week after week. Starting from the bottom to the top this is the week 4 power rankings for OVERTIME SPORTSWEAR

5.  THE CAROLINA PANTHERS - The Panthers have one of the most balanced teams in all of the NFL.  A great running attack with Johnathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams and a pair of veteran receivers who have been there and done that before in Steve Smith and Mushin Muhammad and a speedy outside threat in D.J. Hackett.  Had the Panthers not been the Vikings only win thus far in the season they probably would have been in the top 3 for sure.

4.  THE DALLAS COWBOYS - The Cowboys are America’s Team supposedly but they are going to start being America’s Red Headed Step Child unless they start being more physical and start running the ball more than 10 times.  The Cowboys are in jeopardy in being the NFC’s Colts.  The Colts for years were called a finesse team and were knocking on the door for years before they finally got it done. The Cowboys in their division don’t have that luxury to play teams like Houston and Tennessee and Jacksonville who are all good teams but in the past have been on the bottom of the power rankings.  Tony Romo needs to Yell at T.O. and put him in his place if the Cowboys are going to go anywhere, anytime you allow a Receiver to dictate what you do on offense you are going to come up short for the division every time. Receivers are Divas and Drama Queens and are always open, ALWAYS according to T.O.

3.  THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS - After the Opening Thursday game the Redskins and Rookie Head Coach Jim Zorn both looked dead in the water.  Zorn took control during the next 10 days of practice and worked his MoJo with the Offense and has turned around the Skins in a tough NFC EAST.  The Redskins got a very tough road win in Dallas and Jason Campbell is looking like the Quarterback that Joe Gibbs drafted out of Auburn.  The Redskins are 9Th in the league in Offensive Yards and 14Th in Defensive Yards against, after getting their lunch handed to them week one and to come back to where they are now really shows how good they have been their last 3 games.

2.  THE TENNESSEE TITANS - The Titans might not be one of the best Offensive teams in the league but they surely are one of the best Defensive teams by far. At 4-0 the Titans have 15 sacks from names like Haynesworth, Kearse, Vanden Bosch anchoring one of the leagues toughest and most physical defenses.  Ball control and Defense is what the Titans do best, learning from the model the Ravens set up in 2000 which won them a Super Bowl. Jeff Fisher is one of the leagues toughest coaches and one hell of a defensive minds.  With Chris Johnson and Lendale White running the ball the Titans are looking like they might make a Changing of the Guard in the AFC SOUTH.

1. THE SUPER BOWL WINNING NEW YORK GIANTS - Well they have yet to be knocked off and even with a Bye week the Giants are very well Balanced.  Eli is looking like the beginning of his prime has just started last year in the playoffs.  The Giants have 3 fantastic running backs any of whom could be the starter in New York.  Eli is looking like he relishes the pressure of New York and like he is here to stay on top of the NFC EAST for a very long time.  The Giants Defense is allowing 252 yards a game which is 4Th in the league at the moment and only getting better.  This week will be a real test since they won’t have their best WR this week against the Seahawks a team getting their WR’s back from injury in Branch and Engram.

JOSH HAMMER - OVERTIME SPORTSWEAR

Sports Owners….HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

Why do sports owners in the major sports think they know more than the people they employ????  Most of the sports team owners in the major sports say they want to win, which just means they want to make their wallet bigger.  Then there are the sports owners who REALLY want to win and those are the owners who don’t trust the people they employ.  For instance, since it is the most recent news, Al Davis.  Why does he feel like he knows more than his coach or GM??? I know back in the day Al Davis has done a ton for the NFL and was a huge part in making the merger happen. Davis has himself been a Coach, GM, and Owner.  You can’t talk about the NFL or AFL without mentioning the two words, AL DAVIS, but that was then and this is now.  20 to 30 years ago I would have backed Davis even though I don’t care for him too much at all, but he is getting to controlling and hands on for an owner.  I know the Raiders are his baby and he brought them to the forefront in the NFL but AL, that was over 5 years ago. 6 coaches in 7 years, not too good for a once great team.

Jerry Jones is an other Owner who has taken on both jobs of Owner, and GM in the NFL.  Jerry Jones lives by the motto of “No Press is Bad Press”. Jones signs T.O., Tank Johnson, Pac-Man Jones and he takes on all of these guys not only for the sole purpose of everyone deserves a second chance but to get another press conference with the Cowboys logo on TV.  The guy who fires a legendary coach in Tom Landry right when he becomes owner must really want to make a splash and get some media attention right away.

Then in the NBA, you have Mark Cuban. What qualifications does he have to be so hands on??? I know he has always been a fan and I love a Fan being an owner but get your hands out of the cookie jar now and again Mark.  I love how honest Mark Cuban always is and how he treats his players but going around and running on the court after calls and trying to break up fights and such, not a great look for an owner.

George Steinbrenner and Son with the Yankees, need I say more???

I’m not saying owners should not keep an eye on their investments or their passions when it comes to their teams. Owners just need to trust.  They need to trust themselves that they made the right hire in a GM, Coach and so on and so forth. They need to trust that their guy is the right guy and making the right decisions.  If an owner acts like Al Davis and meddles in the day to day operations, then your team will end up just like the Raiders.

Josh Hammer - Overtime Sportswear