Jersey Jeff Fisher

Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher is a favorite around the Grill Room, but what in the hell was he thinking (or drinking) the other night when he showed up at a fundraiser wearing a Peyton Manning jersey?!

And don't bring that sports-fans-are-maniacal-and-need-to-lighten-up-a-little crap around here, to excuse the coach's bizarre behavior.
Yeah, sports fans are often completely and ridiculously over the top, but whether that's right or wrong has nothing to do with it. They just are and always have been. It's best we accept this as fact and move on.

Without these maniacal fans, sports as we know them, would dry up and go away. It's that simple.

So if I am a Titans fan, and I have lost hard-earned cash, and hair supporting this football team, I deserve better return on my money and loyalty than to see the guy who is coaching my team wearing a rival's jersey.

Tennessee is frickin' 0-6 this year, just lost, 59-0, and the guy who's job it is too pull them out of this mess, is yucking it up and making jokes at his team's expense?!

As the longest-tenured coach with one team in the NFL, and generally a stand-up guy, Fisher has earned a pass for this indiscretion, but he better know he's treading on very thin ice here, or the joke just might ultimately be on him.

And while you're chewing on that one, there are few other questions that are gnawing at us, starting with the never-ending nonsense in our nation's capital...

Even in a corrupt, sleazy city like Washington, don't you marvel at just how bad things are going for its football team?
Here's why we're asking:
Because the classy Steve Largent is the latest to weigh in on the dysfunction that passes for a football team in D.C.
The Hall-of-Fame receiver, was throwing lightning bolts at Redskins owner Dan Snyder during a radio interview earlier this week in Seattle.

Largent who used to catch passes thrown by Jim Zorn, the poor guy who is coaching the 'Skins, said, among many other things, "...in my opinion, and this is just totally my opinion -- Jim has never said this, never implied this -- I think what Daniel Snyder was trying to do (when he relieved Zorn of his play-calling duties) was to force Jim to resign so he was not liable for his contract any longer. And Jim is just not going to do that."

And Largent went on...

"[Zorn] inherited everything that he has to work with today and yet all the blame is being laid on his feet because he can't make them a Super Bowl champion, which I could have told you two years ago, they don't have a Super Bowl-quality team," Largent told KJR radio. "And so it doesn't matter how good a coach you have, you are not going to get there with the players the owner gives you.

"I know it's frustrating for Jim. He is making the best of it."

And on...

"I don't know what a Dan Snyder coach looks like and I don't think Dan Snyder knows what a Dan Snyder coach looks like, and that is fairly obvious now as he has been through about six head coaches in 10 years."

Largent's harsh assessment of the Redskins follows last week's roasting of the team by former players. Except the outspoken Redskins' retirees seemed more interested in putting most of the blame at Zorn's feet rather than at the owner's, who in some cases signs their paychecks.
They're all class in D.C., I tell ya.

Will ESPN see the forest through the trees when it televises Monday night's tilt between those hapless Redskins and the Eagles?
Here's why we're asking:
Because, bluntly, too often the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is all about the entertainment, at the expense of the programming, and viewers' intelligence.

Let's hope they don't play patty-cake with Snyder and his gang, or worse, ignore the whole sad affair altogether, and instead use their bright light to expose this sad circus, rather than play a part in it.

Is the Southeastern Conference looking down the barrel of a major scandal?
Here's why we're asking:
Because the news that the Southeastern Conference has suspended the officials who worked (over) last weekend's Arkansas-Florida game has the potential to become a full-blown tsunami.

Nothing, not even the average fan's waistline, is bigger in the South than college football. If there is even a hint that refs could be affecting the outcome of games with their whistles in order to fatten their wallets, it could get very ugly.

This is the second time this officiating crew made an awful call that directly impacted the outcome of a game. They also threw a flag in the Georgia-LSU game that set LSU up with great field position following a late TD by the Bulldogs.

The same kind of questionable call helped Florida to its win over the underdog Hogs last Saturday. In fact, the argument could be made the officials were inordinately leaning the Gators' way the entire day.

To be clear, we have no knowledge there has been any provable evidence, other than the shoddy officiating, that the fix was in on these games. However...If the SEC says they aren't looking into that possibility, they are completely full of it. They better be, because something smells around here.

Take your pick

For informational purposes only...some picks for Week 7 action around the NFL brought to you by folks who most likely know as much about the game as you do:
ESPN
YAHOO!
CBS Sports
CNN/SI
NBC
SportingNews
AP

College:

SportingNews
CBS Sports
NBC

This Week's Grill Room NFL 100-PROOF lock: Philadelphia over Washington, minus-6.5:
Well, we're not sure what to say. We've made a mess of things the last two weeks, and now you are wondering why you even frequent this joint.
We figure the only folks more embarrassed than the staff at the Grill Room, are the Philadelphia Eagles, who somehow found a way to lose at Oakland last Sunday.
Well, we figure the best way to start feeling good about ourselves again, is to bet on Philly feeling good about itself again after a rock 'em, sock 'em trip to the nation's capital.
The Eagles soar, 34-10.

(Season record: 3-3)

Tape it up

To get the latest on all the aches and breaks around the NFL go here.

TV Time
If you can't stop by the Grill Room, here's the college and pro football fare that's cooking on the tube this weekend:
(For our U.S. military viewers and their families overseas the games American Forces Network will be showing are in bold.)

COLLEGE:

Friday, Oct. 23
Rutgers at Army, 8 p.m., ESPN2

Saturday, Oct. 24
Minnesota at Ohio State, Noon, ESPN
Illinois at Purdue, Noon, ESPN2
Georgia Tech at Virginia, ACC
Indiana at Northwestern, Noon, Big Ten Network
Connecticut at West Virginia, Noon, ESPNU
S. Florida at Pittsburgh, ESPN-GP
Oklahoma State at Baylor, 12:30 p.m., Versus
Iowa State at Nebraska, 12:30 p.m., FSN
Tennessee at Alabama, 3:30 p.m., CBS
Boston College at Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m., NBC
Michigan at Penn State, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Clemson at Miami, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Oregon at Washington, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Oklahoma at Kansas, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Louisville at Cincinnati, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU
Wake Forest at Navy, 3:30 p.m., CBS CSN
Air Force at Utah, 4 p.m., Versus
San Diego State at Colorado State, 4 p.m., Mtn.
Vanderbilt at South Carolina, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Iowa at Michigan State, 7 p.m., Big Ten Network
Florida at Mississippi State, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Auburn at LSU, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
TCU at BYU, 7:30 p.m., Versus
SMU at Houston, 7:30 p.m., CBS CSN
Texas at Missouri, 8 p.m., ABC
Oregon State at USC, 8 p.m., ABC
UNLV at New Mexico, 8 p.m., Mtn.
Arizona State at Stanford, 10:15 p.m., FSN
Fresno State at New Mexico State, 10:15 p.m., ESPNU

NFL:
Sunday, Oct. 25
(Byes: Baltimore Denver Detroit Jacksonville Seattle Tennessee)
Chicago at Cincinnati 1 p.m., FOX
Green Bay at Cleveland 1 p.m., FOX
San Francisco at Houston 1 p.m., FOX
San Diego at Kansas City 1 p.m., CBS
Minnesota at Pittsburgh 1 p.m., FOX
Indianapolis at St. Louis 1 p.m., CBS
New England vs. Tampa Bay at London 1 p.m., CBS
Buffalo at Carolina 4:05 p.m., CBS
N.Y. Jets at Oakland 4:05 p.m., CBS
Atlanta at Dallas 4:15 p.m., FOX
New Orleans at Miami 4:15 p.m., FOX
Arizona at N.Y. Giants 8:20 p.m., NBC

Monday, Oct. 26
Philadelphia at Washington 8:30 p.m., ESPN
(All times EST)

Maybe it's best you don't drink here

We try to run a respectable joint around here. Really.
But hold your nose and take a look at all the sorry teams that have stumbled toward the end of the NFL 100-proof rankings, and are already pulling on the rot gut this year.
For cripes sake, we count 11 of 'em!

Good golly, is Jeff Fisher's team really hanging with that gang? Is that John Fox's squad we see down there spilling all over itself? And isn't it a shame the younger Mora is taking after his under-achieving dad?
Hey, Wade, what are you doing down there?! Stay away from those boys, you'll get there soon enough.

Man, has there ever been this many down-and-outters drinking the loser's hooch so early in the season? Can anybody possibly make the case that any of these sorry suckers will pick themselves up off the floor and turn their fortunes around over the next three months?

Yeah...didn't think so.

Oh well, drink up, boys. It's gonna be a long season.

Prost!

THE STRONG STUFF

• 1 (1) N.Y. Giants (99 proof, 4-0) These dudes are so reliable on the road they've ditched their AAA policy and that ridiculously expensive N.J. car insurance.
  
• 2 (3) New Orleans (96 proof, 4-0) Get a week off and await the No. 1 road warriors, in what will be the Game of the Year, Part I of the 2009 season.
• 3 (4) Indianapolis (95 proof, 4-0) OK, last week we mentioned that Peyton Manning is the best player in the NFL right now. Any questions?
• 4 (5) Minnesota (92 proof, 4-0) Forget Brett Favre for a minute, PLEASE! If Minnesota makes a deep run this year, it will do so on the heels of its nasty defense.
• 5 (8) New England (89 proof, 3-1) Like a good Scotch whiskey, this team perseveres.
• 6 (2) Baltimore (88 proof, 3-1) Didn't see anything Sunday against the Patsies that has us believing any less in this team. Ray Rice is running toward stardom.

WORTH A SHOT

• 7 (7) Philadelphia (85 proof, 2-1) Endured silly Week 4 bye laughing at rival Redskins as they almost choked against a Bucs team they will swallow whole on Sunday.
• 8 (9) San Francisco (84 proof, 3-1) Rams are still picking themselves up off the field, after this angry bunch took out their frustrations on St. Losers following tough loss to Vikes.
• 9 (16) Pittsburgh (82 proof, 2-2) OK, for the last time, we rank teams based on what they would do against another team on a neutral field. Think any squad below them beats the Steelers on that field? Didn't think so, Broncos fans.
• 10 (11) Atlanta (81 proof, 2-1) Spent bye week making sure their fillings were tight for game of the day Sunday against Iron Mike's 49ers.
• 11 (17) Denver (78 proof, 4-0) They aren't what their record says they are, but they are getting closer.
• 12 (12) Chicago (75 proof, 3-1) Had their hands full at home against Lions for one half, but did what good teams do in the second half and pulled away.
• 13 (6) N.Y. Jets (74 proof, 3-1) Sanchez might become a very good NFL QB, but he will be the reason Buddy boy's team doesn't go farther this year.
• 14 (13) Cincinnati (71 proof, 3-1) Cincinnati has never, ever been good enough to play with the fire they have been playing with this year. Call the burn unit.
  

WATERED DOWN

• 15 (10) San Diego (68 proof, 2-2) Norv is right, his team is overrated. And Norv knows overrated.
• 16 (21) Jacksonville (65 proof, 2-2) The Jaguars are one of the few teams on the rise. Too bad their fans could care less.
• 17 (22) Houston (62 proof, 2-2) Houston is one of many teams that takes an inconsistent approach to the season.

CHEAP STUFF

• 18 (14) Dallas (59 proof, 2-2) Jerry Jones is the owner. Wade Phillips is the coach. Tony Romo is the QB. Nah, this sinking team doesn't need a general manager...
  
• 19 (15) Green Bay (57 proof, 2-2) Yes, the offensive line is a complete embarrassment, but Rodgers holds the ball too long. What did all the 'experts' see in this team before the season?
• 20 (20) Arizona (54 proof, 1-2) Took the bye week to decide whether to just quit, relax and enjoy the sun, or play on.
• 21 (26) Miami (50 proof, 1-3) Season will be on the line when they host the Jets Monday night.

ROT GUT

• 22 (27) Washington (36 proof, 2-2) It's so bad at this end of the bar that you get credit for beating the Bucs at home by 3.
  
• 23 (24) Carolina (35 proof, 0-3) Took the bye week to give thanks that the Redskins come to town this Sunday.
• 24 (19) Tennessee (33 proof, 0-4) Who are these guys?
  
• 25 (18) Seattle (30 proof, 1-3) When he couldn't blame the kicker for the 34-3 mess his team found itself in last week, Mora resorted to blaming Holmgren for leaving him the mess.
• 26 (23) Buffalo (28 proof, 1-3) Speaking of coaches...If the fumbling Dick Jauron somehow survives the season, he gets a leading role in "The Untouchables..."
• 27 (25) Detroit 27 proof, 1-3) Played six straight quarters of good football before becoming the Lions again.
• 28 (32) Cleveland (26 proof, 0-4) They didn't quit Sunday. That's the best we can say.
• 29 (31) Tampa Bay (25 proof, 0-4) Had the Redskins on the ropes, but those Washington guys are slippery.
• 30 (29) Oakland (20 proof, 1-3) Visit the No. 1 Giants Sunday. The spread is still rising.
• 31 (28) Kansas City (18 proof, 0-4) Hope is on the way. The Cowboys come to town.
  
• 32 (30) St. Louis (15 proof, 0-4) At least if Limbaugh buys the team something will go right.

(*) -- denotes last week's ranking.

It's Pittsburgh with a Philly chaser

After clearing the joint last night, our bartenders knocked back the good hooch and set about putting together our inaugural NFL 100-PROOF RANKINGS.

Why bartenders, you ask? Because in all of your life, and all the people you've ever known, have any of them, even once, made more sense than a bartender?

Prost!

THE STRONG STUFF

• 1) Pittsburgh (100 proof) The Grill Room subscribes to the thinking that the champ is the champ until proven otherwise. Plus, Pittsburgh runs the best organization in football.
• 2) Philadelphia (94 proof) This is a nasty team, and the controversial Vick signing signals that they are all-in this year for a title. Better be, because the window's closing fast.
• 3) N.Y. Giants (93 proof) Who does Eli Manning throw to? Otherwise, the best combined O- and D-lines in football keep the Giants in the hunt for the promised land.
• 4) New England (91 proof) Were No. 2 until dumping Seymour. Know Belichick's a genius and all, but hard to see how giving up your best defensive player makes any sense.
• 5) San Diego (90 proof) Despite coach Norv Turner, but because the Chargers are loaded on both sides of the ball. Need to stay away from Tequila, though.
  

WORTH A SHOT

• 6) Indianapolis (83 proof) Big falloff between No. 5 and 6, but Manning's still around, and the schedule is reasonable. Even catch their nemesis Patsies at home this year.
  
• 7) Tennessee (82 proof) Because Jeff Fisher is the GR's favorite coach. The dude gets every bit of talent out of his hard-nosed squad year in and year out. How long can Collins keep chucking it, though?
• 8) Minnesota (80 proof) We're buying this team's chances. All Favre has to do is make a couple of big plays each game and hand the ball to his magnificent RBs. The defense is mean.
  
• 9) Dallas (77 proof) You either like the Cowboys or you hate them. We hate them in the GR. Maybe in a year when nobody is licking their boots, the 'boys can step up and actually do something?
• 10) Arizona (74 proof) Because the GR subscribes to the thinking that the Super Bowl loser has to be in the Top 10 until proven otherwise. How long can Warner go on?
• 11) Atlanta (72 proof) Another squad we're buying. The Gonzalez pickup made too much sense. Coach Smith also seems to be the real deal.
  

WATERED DOWN

• 12) Houston (69 proof) If the season ended now, they'd be in the playoffs with this ranking. Schaub must somehow stay healthy, though.
• 13) New Orleans (68 proof) This team reminds us a lot of the Chargers in the 80s. All O and no D. But, dang, they got plenty of O, and the best QB in the conference.
• 14) Chicago (66 proof) The bouncers at the GR would run Cutler and his big mouth in a minute. Let's see what happens if he struggles early and has some real press to deal with.
• 15) Carolina (64 proof) Not sure why we are showing so little love for this squad. Call it bartender's instinct. Delhomme just seems finished to us.
• 16) Green Bay (62 proof) Suddenly every one's designer pick. If defensive wizard Dom Capers can work his magic with this defense, we'll get on board with the hype. Until and if...
• 17) Cincinnati (59 proof) Yeah, a bit of surprise but if QB Palmer's back and healthy, and if the 12th-ranked defense from a year ago keeps stepping up, this team could surprise. Shut up, Chad.

CHEAP STUFF

• 18) Baltimore (58 proof) LB Scott, gone. WR Mason, gone. D-Coach Ryan, gone. Playoff chances, gone.
• 19) Washington (56 proof) Too bad they play in the toughest division in football. Too bad Dan Snyder's their owner.
• 20) San Francisco (54 proof) We like Mike in the GR. Coach Singletary will have this squad playing hard...or else.
  

ROT GUT

• 21) Miami
• 22) Seattle
• 23) N.Y. Jets
• 24) Buffalo
• 25) Jacksonville
• 26) Oakland
• 27) St. Louis
• 28) Denver
• 29) Tampa Bay
• 30) Cleveland
• 31) Kansas City
• 32) Detroit