FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ Coach Killers, Week 11: The Steelers http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/25/coach-killers-week-11-pittsburgh-steelers/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/25/coach-killers-week-11-pittsburgh-steelers/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/25/coach-killers-week-11-pittsburgh-steelers/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

You're the Pittsburgh Steelers. You won the Super Bowl last year. You're a big-game-ready team that has matched up against the likes of the Patriots and Colts in recent history. The Chiefs are the very definition of a rebuilding project, with 29 players on the active roster having three or less years of experience. Before you stepped on the field with them, they had only beaten two teams -- the Redskins and Raiders. You just lost to the Bengals. You were angry and had something to prove.

So to walk off the field at Arrowhead, 27-24 in overtime to a team far less talented, is not the sign of one player or one coach bringing the team down. It's the sign of an organizational fail.

 

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]]> coach killers 09CoachKillers09 Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-11-25T16:13:00 00:00 Coach Killers, Week 10: Roy Williams http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/coach-killers-week-10-roy-williams/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/coach-killers-week-10-roy-williams/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/coach-killers-week-10-roy-williams/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

This is where the divide between fantasy and reality becomes apparent.

For fantasy owners who had him in their lineups, Roy Williams, who posted five catches for 105 yards and a touchdown -- his best game of the season and his best yardage day since Nov. 18, 2007 -- was probably a factor in a winning performance.

But for the Cowboys, Williams was a primary factor in a momentum-killing 17-7 loss to the struggling Packers.

 

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]]> coach killers 09roy williams Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-11-18T14:30:00 00:00 Coach Killers, Week 9: Packers ST http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/coach-killers-week-9-packers-st/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/coach-killers-week-9-packers-st/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/coach-killers-week-9-packers-st/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

My colleague Tom Herrera sometimes talks about this generation of hyper-knowledgeable NFL fans, thanks to the proliferation of fantasy football and better exposure to all 32 teams. And yet there are still large amounts of people who underestimate, outside of your obvious game-changing and/or explosive plays, the impact of special teams on the final score.

So it goes.

For the second straight week, our focus is on a Florida team pulling out a win in which special teams made a large impact. Sometimes that impact was obvious, sometimes it wasn't. Yet it was a constant presence in one of the most embarrassing losses of the season, one which might have broken the camel's back in Green Bay.

 

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]]> coach killers 09CoachKillers09 Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-11-11T16:36:00 00:00 Lou Lamoriello: A Man All His Own http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/09/lou-lamoriello-a-man-all-his-own/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/09/lou-lamoriello-a-man-all-his-own/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/09/lou-lamoriello-a-man-all-his-own/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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As anyone who struggled to get the new health care legislation passed over the weekend can attest, it's hard to make systemic changes. The momentum of history carries us along, forcing the boldest and most tenacious of us to aggressively fight the tide in the name of progress.

It may not be nearly on par with lowering the unemployment rate or giving our education system a breath of fresh air, but in the world of this lovely escape we call hockey, few in recent history have had as big of an impact in these terms as Lou Lamoriello. It's entirely appropriate that he's being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday night as a "Builder," because he built a dynasty out of a doormat as well as a hockey nation out of a nation with just a curious interest in the sport.

But when I think of what makes Lou Lamoriello great, I don't think about what he's done. I think about the character and personality that drove all that success.
The Hockey Hall of Fame Class of '09:
Steve Yzerman | Brian Leetch | Brett Hull
Luc Robitaille | Lou Lamoriello

 

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]]> lou lamorielloLouLamoriellonhl hall 09NhlHall09 Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-11-09T10:00:00 00:00 Coach Killers, Week 8: Jets' Kickoff Unit http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/coach-killers-week-8-jets-kickoff-unit/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/coach-killers-week-8-jets-kickoff-unit/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/coach-killers-week-8-jets-kickoff-unit/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

The Jets entered Week 8 allowing 20.4 yards per return. The Dolphins entered Week 8 gaining a hair over 22 yards per return. It seemed we were set for an unremarkable day of kickoffs.

And then Ted Ginn, Jr. happened.

 

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]]> coach killerscoach killers 09CoachKillersCoachKillers09ted ginnTedGinn Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-11-04T16:20:00 00:00 Coach Killers, Week 7: Jake Delhomme http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/coach-killers-week-7-jake-delhomme/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/coach-killers-week-7-jake-delhomme/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/coach-killers-week-7-jake-delhomme/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

In light of their recent faux pas, it'd be easy to make JaMarcus Russell or Larry Johnson the Coach Killer of the week. After getting benched in a loss to the Jets, Russell explained that he wasn't Oakland's problem, proving that he's as aware of himself as he is of a blitz. Or how to line up for the first play of the game, despite practicing it all week.

Larry Johnson, well, we know that story by now. Johnson added insult to ineffectiveness in the wake of the Chiefs' 37-7 loss to the Chargers, making life harder on a first-year coach trying to retain any shred of credibility with a terrible roster.

But Russell is not an NFL-capable player, and Johnson is a headcase. They haven't fooled us into believing otherwise. Jake Delhomme, however, had us all believing he was an NFL quarterback. A gambler, sure, but one who came through more often than not. ... D'oh.
More Coverage: Carolina Sticking With Delhomme as Starter

 

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]]> coach killers 09CoachKillers09jake delhommeJakeDelhomme Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-10-28T13:16:00 00:00 Moyes Agrees to Sell Coyotes to NHL http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/jerry-moyes-agrees-to-sell-coyotes-to-nhl/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/jerry-moyes-agrees-to-sell-coyotes-to-nhl/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/jerry-moyes-agrees-to-sell-coyotes-to-nhl/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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We are one step closer to some semblance of finality surrounding the Phoenix Coyotes, after owner Jerry Moyes (pictured right) agreed to sell the franchise to the NHL. The agreement was announced in U.S. Bankruptcy Court Monday, but still must be approved by Judge Redfield T. Baum. Attorneys say the deal is for $128 million.

With no money to cover the franchise's expenses, and the inability to sell to Jim Balsillie after the court nixed that idea, selling the franchise to the league was Moyes' only realistic answer. They'll take control of the day-to-day operations of the franchise while looking to find an independent owner. Of course, after the way this has played out, any prospective owners who would move the team out of Arizona need not apply.

 

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]]> Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-10-26T21:22:00 00:00 Darcy Tucker Removed on Stretcher After Hit From Tuomo Ruutu http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/darcy-tucker-removed-on-backboard-after-hit-from-tuomo-ruutu/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/darcy-tucker-removed-on-backboard-after-hit-from-tuomo-ruutu/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/23/darcy-tucker-removed-on-backboard-after-hit-from-tuomo-ruutu/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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Avalanche forward Darcy Tucker was immobilized and taken away on a stretcher after he was checked into the boards by Carolina forward Tuomo Ruutu.

The hit came just over five minutes into the second period in Friday night's game in Colorado. Tucker had turned away from Ruutu to play the puck, and Ruutu drove Tucker into the glass from behind. The game was tied 2-2 at the time.

Video of the hit after the jump.
UPDATE: Tuomo Ruutu Suspended for 3 Games

 

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]]> darcy tuckerDarcyTucker Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-10-23T22:49:00 00:00 Coach Killers, Week 6: The Lions http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/coach-killers-week-6-the-lions/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/coach-killers-week-6-the-lions/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/coach-killers-week-6-the-lions/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

This has nothing to do with the 26-0 shutout the Packers laid on the Lions last Sunday.

Typically, this space is reserved for a player or players whose performance on a given week made his coach's week miserable or job status shaky. But we're going a little bit bigger picture this week.

In this instance, it was the Lions' brass playing the role of coach killer on a coach manning sidelines over 500 miles south.

 

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]]> coach killers 09CoachKillers09jim schwartzJimSchwartzkerry collinsKerryCollins Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-10-21T19:10:00 00:00 Coach Killers, W5: Browns Pass-Catchers http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/14/coach-killers-w5-browns-pass-catchers/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/14/coach-killers-w5-browns-pass-catchers/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/14/coach-killers-w5-browns-pass-catchers/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

Derek Anderson is by no means Tom Brady. Matter of fact, as far as quarterbacking skills go, he's probably just a notch above Kyle Brady. And when you lead your unit in posting such a pitiful day -- six points, 193 yards, 3.3 yards per play, 22 net passing yards on a 2-for-17 performance -- you're at least partially to blame.

That being said, in the Browns' 6-3 win over the Bills, Anderson got by with no help from his friends. He sang out a tune, and his pass-catchers stood up and walked out on him.

 

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]]> braylon edwardscoach killers 09coachkillers09derek andersonmohamed massaquoi Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-10-14T12:08:00 00:00 Coach Killer, Week 4: Kris Jenkins http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/06/coach-killer-week-4-kris-jenkins/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/06/coach-killer-week-4-kris-jenkins/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/06/coach-killer-week-4-kris-jenkins/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

Sometimes, picking one player for the week's Coach Killer is tough. When you've got Tony Romo's decision-making, JaMarcus Russell's ineptitude, Mark Clayton's stone hands and the entire St. Louis Rams' existence to choose from, you wish the bounty of bad could be spread across multiple weeks so you can hit them all. Alas, we can't.

There has been no shortage of criticism lobbed at those people thus far this week (including at FanHouse). It seemed easy to pick on them more. While there's been some heat in the general direction of this week's subject of Coach Killers, tucked away in the trenches you're obscured a bit more from the national media. Until now, that is.

 

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]]> coach killers 09CoachKillers09kris jenkins Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-10-06T15:20:00 00:00 Biased Banter: Jets vs. Saints http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2009/10/02/biased-banter-jets-vs-saints/ http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2009/10/02/biased-banter-jets-vs-saints/ http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2009/10/02/biased-banter-jets-vs-saints/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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Josh Alper is a Jets fan. Tom Mantzouranis is a Saints fan. With New York and New Orleans facing each other on Sunday they decided to mock each other over e-mail.

 

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]]> Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-10-02T10:00:00 00:00 More FanHouse NHL Predictions http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/01/more-fanhouse-nhl-predictions/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/01/more-fanhouse-nhl-predictions/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/01/more-fanhouse-nhl-predictions/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom MantzouranisWe're just like anybody else -- we can't help but pretend to be experts and forecast the future. We've gone down the more well-traveled road, predicting how the conferences will and championship will shape up, but we weren't done there. Here are some more predictions on the verge of the NHL season.
NHL FanHouse Season Preview:
Season Predictions | Other Predictions
Hot Seat Coaches | Coaches in Waiting
Ray Shero Discusses Life After the Stanley Cup
The John Tavares Handbook

 

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]]> Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-10-01T12:00:00 00:00 Coach Killer, Week 3: Olindo Mare http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/30/coach-killer-week-3-olindo-mare/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/30/coach-killer-week-3-olindo-mare/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/30/coach-killer-week-3-olindo-mare/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

Football is very often a game in which the 21 men not carrying the ball all do significant work in determining what happens on the given play. Field goals and extra points are usually the exception. While, yes, there is the occasional bad snap or missed block that throws everything into oblivion, most of the time kicking is like clockwork -- the ball is safely pinned to the ground by the holder, and everybody becomes irrelevant except for one guy. The kicker.

I think it's pretty stupid, personally.

 

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]]> jim moraolindo mare Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-09-30T10:00:00 00:00 T.O. Catchless for First Time Since '97 http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/27/t-o-catchless-for-first-time-since-97/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/27/t-o-catchless-for-first-time-since-97/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/27/t-o-catchless-for-first-time-since-97/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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It's the first question people ask whenever Terrell Owens joins a new team: when is he going to blow everything up with his me-me-me attitude?

Well, uh, getcha popcorn ready.

In the Saints' 27-7 win over the Bills Sunday, Owens was held catchless in a game for the first time since Jan. 4, 1997, a 35-14 playoff loss for Owens' 49ers against the Packers.

 

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]]> terrell owens Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-09-27T19:06:00 00:00 Coyotes Hire Dave Tippett as Coach http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/24/coyotes-hire-dave-tippett-as-coach/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/24/coyotes-hire-dave-tippett-as-coach/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/24/coyotes-hire-dave-tippett-as-coach/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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The Coyotes didn't waste much time announcing the long-term replacement for Wayne Gretzky, who stepped down as coach and director of hockey operations on Thursday. Seven hours after Gretzky made his announcement, the club held a press conference to introduce Dave Tippett as their new bench boss.

 

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]]> dave tippettwayne gretzky Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-09-24T19:10:00 00:00 Wayne Gretzky Resigns From Coyotes http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/24/wayne-gretzky-steps-down-as-coyotes-coach/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/24/wayne-gretzky-steps-down-as-coyotes-coach/ http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/24/wayne-gretzky-steps-down-as-coyotes-coach/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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While the NHL and the fans in Phoenix (and perhaps Hamilton) are awaiting any sort of final resolution on the future of the Coyotes, a major piece of the puzzle leveled a major announcement on Thursday. Wayne Gretzky, the legendary player who took a prominent role in the franchise as head coach and minority owner, has stepped down as coach and director of hockey operations.
Gretz: Mixed Results for Players Who Coach
Botta: Next for Gretzky, a Return Home?

 

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]]> wayne Gretzky Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-09-24T12:02:00 00:00 Coach Killer, Week 2: Ted Ginn Jr. http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/22/coach-killer-week-2-ted-ginn-jr/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/22/coach-killer-week-2-ted-ginn-jr/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/22/coach-killer-week-2-ted-ginn-jr/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

After Monday night's 27-23 Colts win over the Dolphins, Chad Pennington had this to say: "It's not about statistics, it's about scoring points and winning football games." He was referring to the now-infamous advantage in time of possession the Dolphins wildcat'd together, and how the game proved to be the exception to the rule that typically links time of possession with victory.

He could have just as easily been talking about his "No. 1 receiver," Ted Ginn Jr.

 

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]]> coach killers 09CoachKillers09ted ginnted ginn jr.TedGinnTedGinnJr. Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-09-22T15:05:00 00:00 Coach Killer, Week 1: Patrick Mannelly http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/15/coach-killer-week-1-patrick-mannelly/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/15/coach-killer-week-1-patrick-mannelly/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/15/coach-killer-week-1-patrick-mannelly/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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Every week, NFL FanHouse hits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.

You're a long-snapper. You only have one job, and it's an important one. It's also a job borne out of repetition and mindlessness -- you crouch, you grab the ball, you fire it backwards. Over and over and over again. After so many reps, muscle memory kicks in and you don't have to think about it. You shouldn't think about it, either, because thinking instead of just feeling it through gets you in trouble.

 

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]]> coach killers 09patrick mannelly Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-09-15T13:17:00 00:00 Suggested Acts for Super Bowl Halftime Show: A Public Service http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2009/09/15/suggested-acts-for-super-bowl-halftime-show-a-public-service/ http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2009/09/15/suggested-acts-for-super-bowl-halftime-show-a-public-service/ http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2009/09/15/suggested-acts-for-super-bowl-halftime-show-a-public-service/#comments Tom Mantzouranisby Tom Mantzouranis

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Football is crafted perfectly for memorable moments. The sense of spectacle; the holidaic stature of Sundays; the speed and violence; the fact that each play is isolated, a mini-highlight unto itself -- it all comes together to form these powerful little pieces of time, these experiences, that stick with us forever.

This past weekend we got our first taste of that most delicious autumn fruit, and it was no exception: memorable moments abound. Yet the ones that stand out the most to me didn't happen on any field.

 

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]]> Tom Mantzouranis tom-mantzouranis 2009-09-15T09:00:00 00:00