Author Archives: Noah Cohan

With a thunderous crack, in the arms of the Killer P’s they fell. Like mighty redwoods, their thudding collapse resounded throughout football. Indianapolis and Philadelphia defeated. Super signal-callers and sexy storylines sacked. Peyton Manning, passing maestro. Smashed. Donovan McNabb, just plain winner. Trashed. Tony Dungy, genius reborn. Bashed. Andy Reid, coaching legend. Crashed. Eagles’ Defense, »

There are plenty of unsavory acts committed within the realm of professional sports. There are players who taunt. And cheat. And do drugs. Coaches who tell players to injure other players. And cheat. And do drugs. Owners who raise ticket prices. And cut payroll. And otherwise spuriously maximize their profits. But there is one transgression »

In October, the Red Sox and Yankees played seven epic games. Steve Bartman provided Chicago with a pariah of Buckner-esque proportions. Josh Beckett emerged as baseball’s pitcher du jour. Jack McKeon proved that managers, like fine wines, simply grow better with age. Without question, the 2003 baseball playoffs were the best in years. But now »

Now that we’ve all slept off the tryptophan from Thursday’s annual gorgefest, it’s time to give thanks for the most indulgent aspect of Turkey-week tradition. No, not pie. Though that’s always a close second, at least in my book. Let’s give thanks for football. Thanks for four full days of pigskin pleasure, both college and »

Mar-vin! Mar-vin! Mar-vin! As the 1972 Dolphins popped their champagne corks in South Florida and the 2003 Chiefs reminded themselves that 9-1 is nothing to be ashamed of, there was heard from southwestern Ohio a thunderous roar. Mar-vin! Mar-vin! Mar-vin! Was there ever greater proof of the importance of coaching in the NFL than the »

Miami, meet your worst nightmare: Tennessee football. On Saturday, Knoxville’s Volunteers snapped the Hurricanes’ 26-game home winning streak, handing them a 10-6 defeat in the Orange Bowl. Yesterday it was the Dolphins who faced the pigskin wrath of the Volunteer State, falling 31-7 to Nashville’s Titans for their first road loss of the season. Suffice »

Did you blink? Because the NFL season is now more than half over. Yeah, I know it went by fast. Don’t let your guard down now, or you’ll wake up in the playoffs. I complain, but the lightning-fast pace of the NFL season is part of what makes it so great. The product is so »

Sometimes you just need a fresh face in the huddle. Someone with a different cadence, a new rhythm. Somebody with a little bit of nervous energy. A spark to light a fire under guys. Somebody like Marques Tuiasosopo. For the reeling Oakland Raiders, things were looking pretty dismal on Monday Night Football last week. Their »

Sunday evening, Orchard Park, New York. FOX’s broadcast of Redskins-Bills. Kenny Albert: “Let’s send it down on the sideline to Tony Siragusa. Tony?” Tony Siragusa: “Hey, you guys got me on camera? I was just hangin’ out!” Congratulations, FOX. You’ve one-upped the other networks and hired someone so incompetent, so lacking broadcasting polish, so … »

There isn’t much room in football locker rooms for guys who like to cry. Yet Dick Vermeil never seems to have trouble placing himself inside the NFL’s sweaty sanctuaries, sobbing about how much he loves his players. Maybe his knack for turning losers into winners has something to do with his acceptance. Let’s review the »

After a week of media furor, ESPN faced the music. Put before the harsh eye of the camera, the faces on Sunday NFL Countdown were somber, and their tone was apologetic. They agreed that Rush Limbaugh’s remarks about a media conspiracy favoring black quarterbacks with regard to Donovan McNabb were unfounded and racist. Their response »

Hey Bill! Boring Bill Belichick! Remember Adam Vinatieri? You know, your kicker! Remember how he won you the Super Bowl? Know how he is one of the best kickers in the NFL? How he’s eight-for-13 from 50-plus yards in his career? Yeah, he’s pretty good, huh. Then let me speak for all of New England »