Anatomy 101

The biceps muscle of the arm (the hamstring is also a biceps) is called this because it has two muscle bellies. At the shoulder there are two places that the biceps inserts into the scapula. The two bellies merge and form one attachment below the elbow. This makes the biceps a "two-joint" muscle. As we all know, it flexes the forearm, but it also helps in flexing the arm at the shoulder (raising the arm in front of you). The tendon that Farve had released was likely the long tendon that attaches at the front of the shoulder. He will still be able to raise his arm becuase he still has his deltoid and the 4 rotator cuff muscles to help with this. His other tendon at the shoulder is also probably intact, and the insertion below the elbow (the one primarily responsible for showing your guns) is definitely intact, otherwise Mr. Favre would not be throwing a ball any time soon.

Basically, his throwing motion should not be greatly impacted, nor should the power behind his throws, which comes primarily from his legs and core. Releasing that tendon will serve to relieve the pain he felt in his shoulder that limited the amount of torque he could apply with each throw. The risk to him is that his shoulder will be less stable without that attachment and could and likely will eventually lead to rotator cuff problems.

As for hoping that Stan Van Gundy would out coach Phil Jackson...one listen to his pep-talks during time-outs should clue you in to his coaching deficiencies.

I agree with the Kobe-face moratorium. However, I like to think of it as the "Angry Wallace Face", (referencing Wallace and Gromit).

I Need a Consult

I am definitely not a doctor. And one reason I know this, besides my failure to take any science classes in college or spend four years of my life in medical school (though if I had to go, I'd choose this one: Dominica is phenomenal), is that I am befuddled by the descriptions of Favre's recent shoulder surgery. That is, the procedure doesn't make sense to me, and I don't see how it's going to allow Favre to be a decent quarterback.

Getting into specifics now, apparently the reason Favre was gargling raw sewage for the last third of the '08 season was that he partially tore the bicep tendon in his throwing arm. That is, he partially tore the portion of his biceps muscle that connected it (I believe) to his shoulder bone. As you would think, this injury hurt and made Favre less effective as a quarterback. That much seems straightforward. So one would think that the solution to this injury would either be physical therapy, to help the tendon heal up on its own, or surgery where doctors would stitch up the tendon and reattach it to the shoulder. However, early reports said that Favre wasn't interested in that type of surgery, as it would be quite invasive and the rehab would be too arduous and lengthy. All this makes sense to me.

But then this weird second option emerged--- instead of having the partially torn tendon fixed, Favre could just have it completely severed. And this, it seems, would alleviate the pain he'd have in his shoulder and allow him to throw the ball at "100%" again while also allowing for a far simpler surgery and quicker recovery. So Favre consulted with the doctor in Alabama everyone talks with (Why is the nation's most preeminent sports orthopedic surgeon living in Alabama by the way? Low malpractice insurance rates?) and now news reports have surfaced that he apparently had the surgery done last month. (I guess Favre's entourage got nervous after more than 8 days passed without some useless, anonymous bit of Favre news leaking out.)

But I still don't understand how this is going to work. I mean, Favre now has a completely unattached biceps in his throwing arm. First off, how does he bend his arm up? Are there other, smaller muscles that get used? And second, in the football world, you'd think that not having a funcational biceps in his throwing arm would, at the least, make that arm a lot weaker than it was before. When one winds up to throw, you use your biceps, so I don't see how it wouldn't affect his throwing motion or accuracy. Plus, you especially rely on that muscle to secure the ball when you get tackled. So you'd think he might have increased problems with ball security. But this is all speculation. Really, I don't understand how this surgery "fixes" the problem or how it might impact Favre's abilities.

Can Papa Sal, the site's resident physician, provide some explanation?

p.s. I guess it was too much to hope that Stan Van Gundy would be able to top Phil Jackson in the NBA finals, eh? Also, Kobe's PR guys need to tell him to stop making that weasel/unrepetant rapist face.

Randomness

Mike Vick will be great in the wildcat. He was the wildcat before the league knew his phylum. 7 plays a game of hell to pay for the defense. I would love to have a green&gold Mike Vick beat Benedict Favre in the snow at Lambeau. He's done it before. He will be effective for someone in a limited role.

Also, I hope there aren't any people who object to him for moral reasons. Atleast any people who eat meat. Now, I don't condone his behavior and am glad our society prohibits it, but let's leave our EXPENSIVE jails for criminals who are threats to society. Mike Vick has paid a tremendous price for thinking that dog-fighting was normal behavior. Time to move on.

TO got the key to the city of Buffalo yesterday. That is so pathetic. So pathetic. Buffalo looks like the downtrodden loser who just spent his life savings on a pair of diamond earrings for the fickle, bitchy, self-absorbed and aging girl who just moved into town after being discarded by men in other cities. The girl also fumbles balls and cries a lot. Buffalo.

On second thought, this might be totally acceptable behavior from Buffalo considering that they are in mortal fear of LOSING THEIR NFL TEAM. That is a seriously bad outcome. I suppose Buffalo fans that have to be self-conscious because of a Canadian city (read that again) have good reason to delude themselves so thoroughly. Take the key TO! Our doors are open to you! Did you see him! That's the real TO!

What spectral plane does Geno Malkin see light through? He makes passes that my brain can't process quickly. When he skates through the neutral zone he does so with such fluidity that he appears to be kayaking. He can skate into the offensive zone while stick handling every time. Crosby and Malkin on Versus! Making the NBA unwatchable this year. 

Oh its comin'

I can't wrap my brain around this. It hurts me on my insides. I can't not root for Favre. He's my hero and my favorite player of any sport of all time (Close second- Tracey Webster). I didn't care what happened to him on the Jets. I mean I didn't want him to get hurt. I loved touchdowns and liked the interceptions. I didn't have to worry about him hurting the Packers at least. Some said that it finally allowed them to fully enjoy his game. I agreed. I felt like I was moving on. In the back of my head knowing, that soon, he would be released, and available to the dirtdome trashtown scumcolored boatpirate waitressmolesters.
Now I have a choice to make. And it will get less and less difficult to make as the season nears and as footage of Favre throwing out routes to Bobby Wade start flyin around. I'm gonna want to see him get fucking body slammed. Period. Screw this shit.
Because he'll be good. He's still great!! He's a top 10 qb easy. He was hurt for half of the season last year. Torn throwing biceps tendon. Before that he was going to the probowl. A week ago, I texted my viking buddy that he was coming, and he asked me, "do we want him?". HILARIOUS. That's the worst part; he'll go up there and be awesome. Visanthe Shianco will go to the probowl, and Purple Jesus will gang rape gang tacklers. This is NOT a good thing. Sentimentality aside, this could keep us out of the playoffs. Or have us playing against Favre in the dome. Which would actually be the easiest draw in the playoffs come to think of it. Yeah he's got to get through the year. But he's definitely, I GUARANTEE, suiting up against us twice.
I hope he gets fucking body slammed. I hope he gets absolutely body slammed. What would be a good injury? Broken collarbone. Painful, but healable.


Top 10 Worst things about Favre playing for the vikings

1. Adrian Peterson.

2. It'll be for 2 years.

3. Purple 4 jerseys.

4. Whiney Viking fans that hold a grudge and wont have the class to appreciate a
real legend.

5. There will be at least one suicide in Wisconsin (actually hilarious).

6. Watching him get hurt.

7. "Zygi" Wilf's pronunciation of Favre. Faaf. I'm guessing.

8. The gay comrodery shit that he'll try and pull to undo the image he had in NY
as someone that wasn't a team guy. Starring Jared Alan as, Mark Chmura/white
gorilla.

9. Having cable.

10. Idiot packer fans that will blame Ted Thompson.



Top 10 best things about Favre playing for the vikings

1. Brad Childress will keep his job.

2. Hopefully Ted Thompson's vindication.

3. Watching Raji swallow him like a chicken.

4. Favre shitting on the bears still.

5. Charles Woodson owning his tired ass arm.

6. The horn operator will be totally confused.

7. Getting him back out in the cold in the playoffs.

8. Watching him under throw Bernard Berrian.

9. Favre getting confused by our 3-4.

10. Aaron Rodgers.

I'm over it. Get body slammed, old man. Lets do this.

G B P

Neat Look Inside Tryout Process

So the Washington Post followed a University of Maryland senior, offensive lineman Dane Randolph, through his tryout (and eventual signing) with the Packers. Of course, Randolph faces seriously long odds in making the Packers regular season roster, but the story's a neat look inside the tryout process, and a decent read for the fellow football-starved. See here.

Kevin Greene...

is hilarious. But I don't think his line about concussions is a joke.

I Feel a Draft In Here

I enjoyed this draft immensely. The junction of college football and pro football (my two favorite spectator sports) is tons of funs to watch. The NFL will soon air the first round on its own night and then show round 2 and 3 the next night. And for good reason, because it's good football fun at the halfway-until-football-comes-back mark.

Now I'm not a paid NFL talent evaluator, but I thought several teams did well. I will start with the ACME Meat Employees.

I wanted Raji a month ago. Of all weakness, I hate to be run on the most. Getting the biggest fattest guy in the draft was my hope. I am glad to have had the choice and I am glad we selected him. Give me D-line depth please. He was the consensus #1 D-Linemen. Ours. Minnesota has led the lead in rushing D for 3 years because they have 2 huge fat guys. It's not even disputed. Glad to have a highly rated fat guy.

When the jingle came on and I heard (of all things!) the Packers traded up I was all aflutter.

The Packers select Clay Matthews

Warrior of Troy

Son of Clay, and Clay before him

Nephew to Bruce Matthews, Master of Durability

Needless to say, I love this pick. He plays like a downhill long jump skier, with a forward lean. We need a blitz/cover OLB and we TRADED up to get him. With our first 2 picks we filled 2 major holes. The defense became so much easier to envision in 2 hours. Matthews as weak OLB, opposite of Kampman playing over the tight end. Hawk and Nick in the middle. Viola. Raji, Pickett, Jenkins, Jolly, Harrell. On the line. I like it.

Then in later rounds we get bigger. Big strong tackle, and then we sneak up and get another big tackle. Big FB to lead Block. Then a D-Line pick.

I also like the Underwood pick. Underwood was on his way to being a stud at Ohio State, but he flunked out. That's what we need is guys who are too dumb to stay at Ohio State. That's talent.