The Feel Good Stories of 2006

[Schaddy]

Amid all the negatives that are constantly written about sports, it's sometimes hard to get any recognition for the good guys or the uplifting aspects of a grueling season. That's why Schaddy is taking a time out from the bad and shining some light on the good. Every sports season gives us heros and positive storylines; here's a look at a few of the feel-good performances of the 2006 NFL season.

[|(evin|(olb|(ritik]

good read, could have been a tad longer though. There are some feel good stories that deserved mention here, some even more than the ones that were mentioned.

The re-birth of Jeff Garcia?

Steve Mcnair gets another shot at a SB?

Ben Roethlisberger survives onslaught of pain?

Devin Hester hustles the league as a rookie?

[jjflr]

Schaddy.........I like your selections of the Saints, Jets, L.T., and Gore but are you sure there wasn't a tinge of homerism with the Favre selection as a 'feel good story of 2006' ?

For most people on the outside, including myself, he has actually been quite disappointing the last couple of years in many ways (from his lack of leadership and lack of 'team' mentality and he really hasn't 'carried' the Packers this year on his back with his play on the field)..........in fact, the more his saga goes on, the more I think Favre is just all about Favre, which doesn't make me 'feel good'..........it is eerily reminiscint of Marino's final years.............

here are several other options that I think most of us would put ahead of Favre and there's even one of them on your own team that might have been more appropriate:

Drew Brees--this guy was thrown away as garbage by the Chargers and has actually looked BETTER than he ever did in San Diego and is leading the league in passing right now

Jeff Garcia--forgotten by most after getting stuck with a couple of horrible teams, this guy has done everything that has been asked of him and helped lead an Eagles team towards a division crown or at least a WC spot

The Tennesee Titans, Vince Young and Jeff Fisher---after people began to question whether this franchise would EVER recover, the Titans have begun to make waves in this league and vindicated the Titans for their selection of VY.

Carson Palmer---after his horrible injury, many questioned whether he would be back for week 1 (or if he would EVER recover). Not only was he starting under center for the Bengals in week 1, he has not missed a beat this year. He is statistically in the top of the league's best in almost every category and has his Bengals in position to make the playoffs for a 2nd straight year.

Charles Woodson--ridiculed and considered a failure by the time he left Oakland, he has resurrected himself and played his butt off this year, helping the Packers to improve their defense and put themselves in a position for a playoff berth.

Tony Romo--any 'feel good' story MUST include this guy........it's eerily reminiscint of the Tom Brady situation with a young guy replacing a legend (possibly) and sparking a team to a............ (who knows at this point where their season will end up)..........but it's still a 'feel good' story that is high on the list

Steve McNair and the Baltimore Ravens--whether you like Ray Lewis or Billick or any of the other Ravens, fact is, they have come back to life after several mediocre years..........there is still fire in Ray Lewis..........Billick still knows how to out-coach his opponents..........and for Steve McNair........well, he's finally back to winning ball games after being stuck with a JV squad in Tennessee that was in the beginnings of a re-building process..........this may be McNairs last chance at a championship and he has made the most of it.............

[Blackmallard]

Drew Brees--this guy was thrown away as garbage by the Chargers and has actually looked BETTER than he ever did in San Diego and is leading the league in passing right now

I agree on this, but he probably felt like it was already covered by the New Orleans Saints section he has in.


The Tennesee Titans, Vince Young and Jeff Fisher---after people began to question whether this franchise would EVER recover, the Titans have begun to make waves in this league and vindicated the Titans for their selection of VY.
Charles Woodson--ridiculed and considered a failure by the time he left Oakland, he has resurrected himself and played his butt off this year, helping the Packers to improve their defense and put themselves in a position for a playoff berth.

Tony Romo--any 'feel good' story MUST include this guy........it's eerily reminiscint of the Tom Brady situation with a young guy replacing a legend (possibly) and sparking a team to a............ (who knows at this point where their season will end up)..........but it's still a 'feel good' story that is high on the list

Steve McNair and the Baltimore Ravens--whether you like Ray Lewis or Billick or any of the other Ravens, fact is, they have come back to life after several mediocre years..........there is still fire in Ray Lewis..........Billick still knows how to out-coach his opponents..........and for Steve McNair........well, he's finally back to winning ball games after being stuck with a JV squad in Tennessee that was in the beginnings of a re-building process..........this may be McNairs last chance at a championship and he has made the most of it.............

I love all these stories also, especially the McNair one since 1. I like the guy a lot and 2. He's making me look smart for wrangling with people in the pre-season and early season about whether the Ravens had made the right moves to get back into the AFC contender picture. If he wins the Superbowl I think he could get into the Hall of Fame.

There's also the "Titan's Mascot hits Adrian Macphearson With a Golf Cart" story. That one sure made me feel good.:chuckle:

[YoHoChecko]

I've got to agree with borat here in saying that i don't feel too good about Brett Favre this year. Perhaps if he hadn't fumbled on three stright possessions earlier in the season, costing them at least one game... and then finished the season with his team winning despite him rather than because of him... even against poor pass defenses in Detroit and Minnesota. 0 TDs, 5 INTs, around 50% completion leaves him struggling down the stretch for two consecutive seasons... which is a sign of age impacting his play (ya know, the long season seeming longer; the throws not being there by season's end) that sort of thing doesn't make me feel good.

A 60% completion %
A 1.5:1 TD:INT ratio
7.0 yards per attempt
A winning season

THOSE would make me feel good about Brett Favre this season. Those are not high standards to hit.


Otherwise, though, good little article. Thanks for omitting Vince Young. I don't feel good about him yet, either.

[Schaddy]

Borat, I'd ask you to take a poll of Packer fans around PSH and ask 'em if I'm a homer. I think you'd find that I'm often the most overly-critical Packer fan around. When they don't play well, I tend to rip them far more than I should. When we play well, I don't mind admitting it. If only that would happen a bit more often! :lol2: And I think I've been one of Favre's tougher critics - search last year's posts in the Packer forum. I was ripping him on an almost daily basis.

However, I feel he's definitely a feel-good story this year. When the season began, most people thought he was washed up, many expected him to breeze past the all-time INT record sometime in the Packers' third game, and almost no one expect him to guide such a young team to more than five or so wins. Well, he's cut his picks, prove he's capable of dominating a game still, and almost doubled the Packs' win total. I think that after enduring all the crap he got last year, ESPECIALLY from the media, he should definitely get a shout out in this article.

All of you guys' other suggestions are solid - I wish I had time to make this a longer article, but I wrote it before finals and had to post it as it was :(

The one thing I feel I must explain myself on is Romo - obviously he's as big a feel-good story as there has ever been in the NFL. However, I am so damn sick of hearing his name that I couldn't live with myself if I contributed to the frenzy over him! :lol2: And that's saying something, considering he's another good 'ol Wisconsin boy :)

Thanks for the comments guys, and all of your insight, too!

[jjflr]

Borat, I'd ask you to take a poll of Packer fans around PSH and ask 'em if I'm a homer. I think you'd find that I'm often the most overly-critical Packer fan around. When they don't play well, I tend to rip them far more than I should. When we play well, I don't mind admitting it. If only that would happen a bit more often! :lol2: And I think I've been one of Favre's tougher critics - search last year's posts in the Packer forum. I was ripping him on an almost daily basis.



My definition of homer doesn't necessarily mean that you are never going to criticize your own team or players............

My definition of 'homer' includes the fact that someone who is a fan of one particular team (and it's usually their 'hometown' team) that they've usually been following their entire life...............sometimes.......may............ have difficulty seeing the 'big picture' of the ENTIRE league and this may have been an illustration of that. Most people are taught to follow a team from the time they are in diapers............it's just the way it is

.........it's just a part of the NFL and it's fan base...........and it's one of the main reasons it is SO popular........the same thing happens in EVERY sport on EVERY continent........however, when looking at someone who is compiling a 'list' of "The Most XXXXX in the NFL" (no matter WHAT the subject is)..........the person who has grown up with a team and known them their whole life and never missed a game and been to the stadium countless times 'may' know a little more about 'their' team than the 'other' teams in the league and will naturally gravitate towards 'their' team or 'their' players..........it's a perfectly natural reaction

It's what they know

It's what they live for

It's what they were taught

It's what they are passionate about

AND IT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL !!

Favre and the Packers is what you know, Schaddy, and my feeling is that your extensive knowledge of Favre and the Packers is what got Favre on the list..............I am NOT saying that you just wanted to see his name up there.........it's just what you know

Having said that, my point was that most people who are not Packer fans would probably have had a 'different' list that did not include Brett Favre..........I pointed out several others that would probably be ranked ahead of Favre with non-Packer fans...........it doesn't make your list right.........it doesn't make your list wrong..........it is what it is.............it was an 'editorial' and was meant to spur discussion and that is exactly what it did..............

kudos to you, as usual, on good writing

[Blackmallard]

I'm a Favre fan and really I don't "feel good" about this year for him. He's still out there, he's still playing, but he's lightyears behind where he was in terms of performance. So what if the Pack isn't having another 4-win season? It isn't like he's elevating them this year. He's not a rookie, he's a future hall of famer so I don't see how we can celebrate that he managed to (maybe) pull off an 8-8 season while playing at what I would describe as an average level. Since its the NFC and he didn't get yanked I guess its a little above average.

If he were definetly retiring I could see his career retrospective being a "feel good" story, but he may not be retiring. Last year and this year are a really akward time where he can still play in the NFL, and he might be better than anyone else the Packers can get, but he might not be. Honestly its entirely possible that if a young guy got a shot he could do better with the same team.

I could see the Packers team as a whole being a feel-good story for Packer's fans since the Packers have a shot at a .500 season with a very young team and they might even make the playoffs, but it has been a lousy season for Favre.

Also, the year that Driver actually does make the Pro-Bowl you aren't allowed to claim that he never gets any credit. You can go back to that later if you like, but he beat out some pretty good recievers for his pro-bowl spot, so clearly he is getting some credit this year.

[Blackmallard]

Ben Roethlisberger survives onslaught of pain?


I'm not sure how the Ben Roethlisberger saga is a "feel good" story unless you hate the Steelers. I'm glad that he survived, but I think it would have been an even more "feel good" story if he either hadn't been injured in the first place or hadn't had the worst season of his career by far. For another example, I was glad that Chris Simms did not die, but I would not call it a feel good story.

[BigBenCan7]

I'm not sure how the Ben Roethlisberger saga is a "feel good" story unless you hate the Steelers. I'm glad that he survived, but I think it would have been an even more "feel good" story if he either hadn't been injured in the first place or hadn't had the worst season of his career by far. For another example, I was glad that Chris Simms did not die, but I would not call it a feel good story.

:lol2:

If Ben could have come back and not skipped a beat and taken the Steelers to the playoffs, it would have been a lot more feel good.

It's nice that he came back and performed, and I see where Phil is coming from, but leading the league in interceptions isn't exactly feel good, even with everything he had to go through.

[Remix 6]

Patriots doing just fine w/o Adam, Willie and David

[jjflr]

Patriots doing just fine w/o Adam, Willie and David

I agree that the Pats are a 'feel good' story to Pats fans.........they have been able to hold the season together with a lot of challenges...........

however............

to the rest of us who are bored with watching the Pats win SB after SB, it only 'feels good' to see them not in the big game............

and it's nothing against the Pats or their fans........it's just unless you're a fan of theirs, you want to see something new and the Pats are getting boring for the rest of us to watch.............

[Soel v25]

I agree that the Pats are a 'feel good' story to Pats fans.........they have been able to hold the season together with a lot of challenges...........

however............

to the rest of us who are bored with watching the Pats win SB after SB, it only 'feels good' to see them not in the big game............

and it's nothing against the Pats or their fans........it's just unless you're a fan of theirs, you want to see something new and the Pats are getting boring for the rest of us to watch.............


Boring? Never!!! Lmao, I get what you're saying, Borat. I can understand it from a non-Pats fan's point of view too. I know I'd feel the same about any other team. But, it feels good from this side.;)


As for my feel good picks, in no particular order; Jeff Garcia, Steve McNair, the Titans, Drew Brees/Saints, and oh yeah, the Patriots:D

[patriotfreakfan]

I agree that the Pats are a 'feel good' story to Pats fans.........they have been able to hold the season together with a lot of challenges...........

however............

to the rest of us who are bored with watching the Pats win SB after SB, it only 'feels good' to see them not in the big game............

and it's nothing against the Pats or their fans........it's just unless you're a fan of theirs, you want to see something new and the Pats are getting boring for the rest of us to watch.............

This coming from someone that hasn't grasped what it is to be a true fan, makes sense. Even when another team succedes and yours fals you can apreciate what they have accomplished.
When one of yur tems does poor, you concentrate on whatever team has done well.

You don't really understand what it is to show allegience, and havefaith n any one team.

You don't really know what it is to be a real fan.

[Schaddy]

^ I think that's kinda unfair to Borat, man. Not everyone can claim allegiance to just one team; many of us do, but just because people root for multiple teams doesn't make them a bad fan or not a "true" fan. I tend to agree that I personally don't like seeing fans root for multiple teams, but when a person can maintain objectivity and have a broad knowledge of multiple teams, I think that's something to be respected. You could argue Borat's a better fan for intimately understanding multiple teams and being able to write about and discuss a broad range of topics because of it.

I'm not meaning to come down on you, but I don't think you should criticize a guy like Borat just because he likes multiple teams, because I feel that he and many other fans have demonstrated that they are well-rounded and more knowledgeable than your run-of-the-mill homer because of their liking for many teams.

Just my two cents though :)

[jjflr]

^ I think that's kinda unfair to Borat, man. Not everyone can claim allegiance to just one team; many of us do, but just because people root for multiple teams doesn't make them a bad fan or not a "true" fan. I tend to agree that I personally don't like seeing fans root for multiple teams, but when a person can maintain objectivity and have a broad knowledge of multiple teams, I think that's something to be respected. You could argue Borat's a better fan for intimately understanding multiple teams and being able to write about and discuss a broad range of topics because of it.

I'm not meaning to come down on you, but I don't think you should criticize a guy like Borat just because he likes multiple teams, because I feel that he and many other fans have demonstrated that they are well-rounded and more knowledgeable than your run-of-the-mill homer because of their liking for many teams.

Just my two cents though :)

Where do I send the check ?................

Seriously, I couldn't have said it better myself............

everyone enjoys the game in different ways and the way I have always enjoyed the game the most is by studying it, analyzing it, discussing it in it's entirety........therefore, because of that, I obviously get more enjoyment out of the game when 'different' teams are succeeding...........it makes analysis and discussion more interesting.............

[TexecutedInTampa]

Boring? Never!!! Lmao, I get what you're saying, Borat. I can understand it from a non-Pats fan's point of view too. I know I'd feel the same about any other team. But, it feels good from this side.;)


As for my feel good picks, in no particular order; Jeff Garcia, Steve McNair, the Titans, Drew Brees/Saints, and oh yeah, the Patriots:D

True, you can't expect non-Pats fans to care, I mean I don't care what Brett Favre does (except I do wish he'd retire, already).

I vote for Drew Brees (and maybe more so since Miami passed on him - SO happy he's not in our division, because if he were, we'd be fighting for a WC this weekend.)

After that I have to vote for Jeff Garcia. Who thought he'd be heard from again? Never MIND what he's done since McNabb got hurt....that is HUGE. Name a team whose backup could do that?? Maybe Dallas - nah:)

[patriotfreakfan]

^ I think that's kinda unfair to Borat, man. Not everyone can claim allegiance to just one team; many of us do, but just because people root for multiple teams doesn't make them a bad fan or not a "true" fan. I tend to agree that I personally don't like seeing fans root for multiple teams, but when a person can maintain objectivity and have a broad knowledge of multiple teams, I think that's something to be respected. You could argue Borat's a better fan for intimately understanding multiple teams and being able to write about and discuss a broad range of topics because of it.

I'm not meaning to come down on you, but I don't think you should criticize a guy like Borat just because he likes multiple teams, because I feel that he and many other fans have demonstrated that they are well-rounded and more knowledgeable than your run-of-the-mill homer because of their liking for many teams.

Just my two cents though :)


I'm not being unfair at all. A true fan sticks with his or her team in good and bad times. it desn't stop them from watchng what other teams are doing or accomplishing.

I love to watch football, the only time I root for another team is if their success will benefit my team. The ultimate goal is to see my team the Patriots, go as far as they can, and hopefully make it to the Super Bowl. I spent many years seeing them fall , and finally see them playing strong. I wouldn't jump to another team once my favrite team is out of the picture,
That doesn't mean I wouldn't watch any games just because they weren't involved. But the Passion wouldn't be there without them playing

[ancatdubh]

I just want to weigh in on the liking of multiple teams. I stand on the side of liking, and rooting for, multiple teams. Born and raised in Pittsburgh makes one a steeler fan for life. I was also born and raised on the sport of football and over the years have come to like other teams for various reasons. I can speak objectively about any team. IMO, I think liking other teams and wanting to see them do well comes down to degrees of passion. The Steelers runs through my veins and I almost belong in a freak show when rooting for them and rooting agst rivals (think: Baltimore) Then, I turn to the NFC and my second love of TB. I will always be in the Sapp fan club, as I followed him from college to TB and I fell in love with their hard hitting, top 5 defense of the last 10 years, playing. I could go on and on about some other teams I root for, but the basic idea is that for various reasons, some of us like other teams, want them to do well, and it all comes down to degress of passion. That DOES NOT in any way take away from the fanatic die-hard steeler worshipping.

Great article, Schaddy. I find the Saints story is the most feel good story. Anyone who has sat through their games can see this is a team playing for it all. They want it and show it on the field.