Kurt Warner, age 38, is calling it quits. In addition to being a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH, he was also the rarest of rare things in this age of all encompassing media: Kurt was a guy who TRULY took a professional sports league by storm. Kurt didn’t play his high school ball on ESPN; he didn’t come to the league with a 100 million dollar endorsement deal in tow. Not only was Kurt not drafted but he wasn’t even invited to the combine!

Kurt Warner played his college ball at Northern Iowa where he was able to parlay his on field success into a prolific career as a grocery bagger. There were stints in arena football and NFL Europe but it was mostly “paper or plastic” until the St. Louis Rams took a flier on him in 1998 and made him a backup to a couple of Big Guns named Tony Banks and Steve Bono. In 1999 the Rams signed Trent Green to be their starting QB only to lose him for the year to injury during the third pre season game. Coach Dick Vermeil actually wept at the press conference. (To be fair Vermeil wept at everything, he was the NFL equivalent of Glenn Beck, but sincere… I can’t imagine watching the Notebook with those two?)

Kurt Warner stepped in the NFL, undrafted, uninvited, UNKNOWN. All he does his rookie year is throw 41 touchdown passes and lead a Rams team that managed 4 wins the previous season to their first Super Bowl Championship. Oh yeah, something about an MVP and a Super Bowl MVP as well. He would go on to win another MVP, make 4 Pro-Bowls, and become only the second QB to lead two different teams to the Super Bowl. In three Super Bowl appearances Kurt averaged 385 yards a game! If Tom Brady was the draft day steal of the century, then Kurt has got to be the undrafted equivalent.

I doubt if this will ever happen again because nowadays the “scouting services” are ranking every kid that moves so the odds of eluding their prying eyes are infinitesimal. Forget college. Forget high school. Draft experts are now eyeing pre-teens. I can just see it now “When we come back Mel Kiper will join us to take a look at the top 10 sonograms to watch in 2010!” Farewell to Captain Kurt, the closest thing to an overnight sensation we may ever have again. He played in 3 Super Bowls or, one more than some guy name “Fav-ruh.” Perhaps if Kurt un-retires and then retires and then un-retires and then retires and then throws a season ending interception three straight years he will get his due.

- How bad did Scott Boras piss off Brian Cashman by the way??? I’m sure by now you’ve heard that Boras’ client, Johnny “26 homer, great 2 hitter, single handed stealer of game 4 of the world series” Damon, who is also one of the best clubhouse guys EVER, got let go because the Yanks can’t afford him. The Yankees have a budget? Something tells me “budget” is Cashman for “Hey Boras, you douche, your lucky Hank Steinbrenner caved to you on the A-Rod extension or the two of you would be in Toronto for 18 million a year, demanding a trade right now.”

- I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to be writing this column because I’m almost certain I’m going to be the fifth starter for the METS this year. Who else do they have?

- So we’re getting another season out of Jersey Shore….I thought Obama said we were a country that doesn’t torture? By the way I love those people from Jersey that take pains to point out that most of the cast isn’t from Jersey, as if that’s their states ONLY problem. That other shore where the senior citizens get bussed in toting oxygen tanks and social security checks isn’t a blemish at all…Shoot, Lady Gaga canceled on Atlantic City and something tells me that little troll whore would play the Staten Island Ferry if the dough was right

- I had Chris Carlin from SNY and previously WFAN in my cab the other day, talked a little NFL, most notably about my Oakland Raiders, we came to the conclusion that the only way for them to be good again is for Al Davis to die…I’m just putting it out there for you guys before I post the ad on Craig’s List…Carlin, by the way, was one of those people who pointed out the Jersey Shore cast wasn’t from there!!!! Cool dude, though, one of those people whose voice could make him sound like a dick but is definitely a softie…He’d probably play Santa at the holiday party…

- Also saw Mike Huckabee outside Fox News on 6th avenue and he is eating like he’s going to the chair-and not the host’s chair either…

- I’m still stuck on the Kurt Warner thing for some reason. The way I see it, the only thing that could keep him out of the Hall on the first ballot is his wife’s hair. But just to be safe Warner fans let’s destroy every copy of the game tapes from the Giant years…

- One week until Colts/Saints and I’m yet to find ANYONE who thinks the Saints can do this…that alone is reason for me to think they can but stay tuned as the pick will be out on Friday. I have to remind everyone I went 2-0 (Colts -7′ / +Vikings 3’) last week because my man Bower made a point to tell all of North America that I ate it on the Cowboys the week before. I didn’t even eat it, I drank it, the Cowboys got put in a juicer, and I was never in it…

- So Tim Tebow looked bad running a pro-style offense for a day and that’s supposed to be the end of the guy? How did Peyton Manning and Troy Aikman, to name a few, look after a FULL SEASON of running a pro offense? Just asking….

- I saw Miss Virginia win Miss USA last night with Rush Limbaugh sitting in as a judge. She was the only black finalist. I’m sure under any other President she would’ve lost but under the “socialist, Marxist, wealth redistributing administration” we have right now it only makes sense that she won. Can’t wait for his show Monday when he proclaims that he hopes she fails!!! Listening to Rush, Levin, Hannity, Savage, BECK, ya start to wonder if they really hate this Obama fellow or if maybe, just maybe, juuuuuussssssttttt maaaaayyyyyybbeeeeeee….they have to oppose every word he says because it’s good business. Juuuuuuuuussssssssstttttttt maybe, these ENTERTAINERS, are doing what’s best for their show and it’s, I mean their, bottom lines…

- The other day I heard Rush bitch that Obama is handling 911 like it was a crime…last I checked killing a few thousand people WAS AGAINST THE LAW in just about every state I know of, and while I didn’t find any laws that said it was illegal to steal a plane and fly it into a building, I’m pretty sure it’s frowned upon in most circles…

Jimmy Failla can be reached at JIMFAILLA@yahoo.com or the Ann Service Taxi Dispatch on w’ 21st street because he’s making something of his life. Honest.

Jimmy Failla is a guest contributor “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse and at www.errorfm.com @ 2am ET/11pm PT

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows and see all the latest happenings with the show at www.wheelhouseradio.com

If you would like to subscribe to “The Wheelhouse” on iTunes simply subscribe for free at iTunes by typing in “Wheelhouse Radio!”

You can catch out Jimmy Failla at his official website at www.jimmyfailla.com you can also check out his blog at http://jimmyfailla.blogspot.com/

Wear a Kurt Warner Jersey: Reebok Red Replica #13 Arizona Cardinals Jersey.

Read First Things First: The Rules of Being a Warner.

Read Kurt’s story in All Things Possible: My Story of Faith, Football, and the First Miracle Season.

Watch the Greatest Show on Turf on the NFL: America’s Game: 1999 St. Louis Rams DVD.

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

After 12 NFL seasons Kurt Warner retired today from playing Football. Kurt Warner the last 12 years has given us one of the best real life stories that we may ever see in the NFL. He came from the bottom of the gutter working in grocery store, to holding up the Vince Lombardi trophy. He’s been from hell and back multiple times leaving a lasting impression on the game of Football.

Kurt is riding off into the sunset with the question that most people are asking themselves today. Is Kurt Warner a Hall of Famer? This may be the last time we see Kurt Warner in the spotlight until his day in Canton, Ohio…if that day ever comes.

We all know the heartfelt story of Kurt Warner where he bounced around working in a grocery store, playing in the Arena Football league and playing over in the NFL Europe league. With him lining up at center he took two franchises that were in the same gutter that he himself once lay in and brought them to being part of the NFL elite. Despite the Super Bowl trophy, despite the two NFL MVP awards, I still feel like Kurt Warner maybe an underrated player.

Underrated in the sense that his play was always overshadowed by the flashier, more mainstream quarterbacks like a Brett Favre, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning; he wasn’t the draw the America media wanted to grab a hold of. For the most part Kurt Warner seemed fine with his role in the social ladder of the NFL as he was more in tune on what was taking part on the field and not off it. He was one of the “good guys” in the NFL and truly embarked that moniker.

Warner led one of the best offensive units in the last decade in football when he was the quarterback for the early 2000s version of the St. Louis Rams aka “The Greatest Show on turf.” In his first season as a starting quarterback thanks to an injury from Trent Green that put him out for the year, he took a team that was 4-12 in its previous season, led them to a 13-3 record and helped guide them to winning the Super Bowl. In his first season as starting quarterback in the NFL (1999), he was named NFL MVP.

Kurt Warner had continued success in St. Louis guiding them back to the Super Bowl in 2001 where they lost to the eventual champion New England Patriots. Poor play and injuries his final two years in St. Louis led him to being released. His release led critics start wondering if this was it for the former 2-time NFL MVP and if it was time to write the final chapter in this good heartwarming story.

Warner would get picked up by the New York Giants to serve as a mentor to new first round quarterback Eli Manning. The Kurt Warner mentorship in New York lasted only nine games before they handed the keys to the city to Eli Manning for good. Once again people were wondering if this was the curtain call for Kurt Warner.

Enter the Arizona Cardinals, a team very much similar to that of the St. Louis Rams where embarrassment and bottom feeder went hand in hand with the team. Warner in his time in Arizona continued to fight for a starting job with the younger highly touted left hander from USC, Matt Leinart. Warner displayed the same fight he showed his entire NFL career when he joined the Arizona Cardinals.

While the final chapter many felt was being written in the book of Warner, Kurt Warner continued to fight for more pages in that book. Getting opportunity after opportunity in Arizona to continue to show his craft as a quarterback to the world and finally in 2008 he would reach the top of the NFL pedestal again by leading the upstart Arizona Cardinals ballclub back to the Super Bowl where they would fall short to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a great game.

For everything Kurt Warner has been through to where he is today, he is one of the most respected players in the game by fellow players and their fans. The truly feel good story ended today Friday January 29th, 2010 opening up the question whether or not we will see #13 be displayed in Canton. Is Kurt a Hall of Famer?

My answer is yes. Will it be a first ballot? Probably not, but he is without a doubt a Hall of Famer. Putting numbers and credentials aside, he displays the mental & physical toughness that it takes to be a top player in the NFL. He is a description of what it means to be motivated. When people tell you can’t do it, he was the type of person that would question it and say “watch this.”

He is the embodiment of a hall of fame football player and person. One of the few real “good guys” that whether you wearing a Raiders jersey or Patriots jersey you can applaud for everything he has given to the game. He rose from the bottom to the top, was written off and rose from the ashes yet again to prove us all wrong. He is a true fighter.

Someday Kurt Warner will don the coat of the NFL Hall of Fame. It may not be in 5 years, in may not be in 10. But someday when I take my family and my children through the NFL Football Hall of Fame Kurt Warner’s name will be etched in stone, his jersey enshrined and his legacy on display.

Top 10 Kurt Warner Moments

Jeff Peck is the producer for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse and at www.errorfm.com @ 2am ET/11pm PT

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows and see all the latest happenings with the show at www.wheelhouseradio.com

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You can follow “The Champ” Jeff Peck on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/therealjeffpeck or you can follow Wheelhouse Radio! on Twitter by visiting their page @ www.twitter.com/thewheelhouse. You can also e-mail them @ wheelhouseradio@gmail.com

Wear a Kurt Warner Jersey: Reebok Red Replica #13 Arizona Cardinals Jersey.

Read First Things First: The Rules of Being a Warner.

Read Kurt’s story in  All Things Possible: My Story of Faith, Football, and the First Miracle Season.

Watch the Greatest Show on Turf on the NFL: America’s Game: 1999 St. Louis Rams DVD.

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

This week of Studs and Duds will feature names that have been there all too many times and those who have again disappointed fantasy owners who believed they would have a huge point game.

STUDS:
Chris Johnson: No surprise here. The man is an absolute animal. Johnson had another game over 35 points and another game over 130 yards with 2 TDs. He is literally carrying fantasy owners who were lucky enough to stick with him through his mini slump. Oh yea, and he added in 100 yards in the receiving game. If the Titans give him the touches he deserves, he could easily be on this list every single week from here on out. And Titans owner, Bud Adams, don’t get too cocky about winning against the Bills by flipping the bird; we all knew you should’ve given Johnson the ball more and now you’ve finally realized it.

Randy Moss: The Colts secondary is almost completely on the injury report and Randy Moss made it known to a national audience. With a 63 yard touchdown and a total of 179 on 9 receptions, Moss was his old self. Dominance with speed was Moss’s game on Sunday night and although the Pats fell a little bit short, Brady to Moss will be feared every single week from here on out because clearly they are angry. And you wouldn’t like them when they’re angry.

Reggie Wayne: On the opposite side of the ball, Reggie Wayne was equally impressive but in different ways. His longest catch was for 25 yards and it happened to be his first catch of the game. The way that Wayne and Peyton Manning carve out defenses the entire game is like poetry in motion. He may have gotten away with a slight push at the end of the game, but that catch was perfect; it looked like he had stick ‘em on his hands. The 9-0 Colts will go to Wayne all day every day they can.

St. Louis Rams: The Rams went step for step with the mighty Saints and almost came up with an epic upset. Steven Jackson looks like the first round pick he was in many drafts and even Marc Bulger stepped up and was only 2 yards shy of a 300 yard passing game. His last total that was this high was Week 8 of 2008 when he threw for 304 yards. Even when the Saints opened up the second half with a kick return for TD, Rams didn’t go away. I thought the Rams were absolutely awful, but they played like an actual professional football team this week and not one that would have a tough game against the Florida Gators.

Notables: MJD (even though he went down at the 1 and lost me my fantasy week), Manning/Brady of course, AP, and Justin Forsett (he’s the RB for the Seahawks for those who didn’t know)

DUDS:
Jay Cutler: What a disappointment he was in this game. How many red zone interceptions can he throw? As a huge Bears fan this game was just embarrassing to watch. I understand that some of the INTs were not his fault, but it doesn’t matter. In the box score he has 5 INTs against the slumping 49ers D. And for the fantasy owners that I know who have him, well they sent me “Jay Cutler sucks” text messages all Thursday night. Fantasy owners may give him one more chance but they have all but given up on him. As a Bears fan I haven’t given up on him because, hey, at least he’s not Rex Grossman.

New Orleans Saints Offense: Marques Colston, negative points. Pierre Thomas, 3 points, Drew Brees 12 points. In a box score like this you would have expected them to be playing the Steelers D or someone equally as good. Nope, the Saints played the awful Rams defense who is giving up over 378 yards per game. I’m sure fantasy owners were attempting to ride the Saints offense into a win this week and were blindsided by the lack of production. There isn’t too much to worry about here because the Saints are still coached by Mike Martz Jr. in Sean Payton and they still have Drew Brees; but they really slumped this week against a weak team.

Jason Witten: This has been a season full of disappointment for Witten owners. His highest receiving total is 77 yards way back in Week 3 and his highest point total has been 9 in Week 2. Every week fantasy “experts” predict that he will have his breakout week that we all thought he should have. Well, it’s Week 11 now and he has done little more than Nate Washington and Benjamin Watson, players who may have not been drafted in your draft. Witten needs to start producing this coming week against the Redskins or it looks like Witten may be benched across fantasy nation.

Notables: Joe Flacco, Bills offense, Steelers offense, and JaMarcus Russell (he got benched against the Chiefs)

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Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

One fantasy football player’s nightmare could be your fantasy football dreams come true. If there is any bright spot to losing a fantasy football game, it is the fact that you will get top dibs on the waiver wire. This may be the best week of the season for players with running back needs to get a quick fix. Four starting running backs went down in NFL Week 10 which means that there are four potential starting running backs on the waiver wire this week. Let’s check out some quick fixes and long term solutions as we near the fantasy football playoffs.

Justin Forsett - Of all the running backs I will suggest this week, he may be your best long term option here. Forsett came into the game Sunday for Julius Jones and had over 100 yards and a touchdown against a very good rushing defense. Jones has a bruised lung and could be out longer than any of the other running backs who got hurt over the weekend. Forsett was a really good back in college and is the kind of small, fast running back that could give defenses fits the rest of the way. Don’t be scared of the Vikings rushing defense, Ray Rice had a very good game against them and Forsett is a lot like Rice. Not too mention, the Seahawks have games against the Rams, the Bucs, and the Titans down the stretch who all give up big points to running backs. Jim Mora loves to run the ball and Forsett could really thrive in his West Coast offense in both the running and passing game.

Ricky Williams - The only downside here is that while Ricky hasn’t technically been a starting running back, he is probably unavailable in your league. In the Wildcat offense, Ricky has thrived this season and is putting up better numbers than half of the starting tailbacks in the NFL. Ronnie Brown is hurt and likely out for this Thursday’s game. Williams is a very good one-week option, and quite honestly is one of the best flex players in fantasy football even with Brown in the lineup. The Panthers are a good running defense, but an even better passing defense. Pat White and Lex Hilliard will allow the Miami Dolphins to continue the Wildcat offense, with Williams getting the bulk of the carries. Grab him if you can, and keep him even if Brown comes back in the near future.

Jason Snelling - The verdict is still out on Michael Turner’s injury, but it doesn’t look good. Turner’s primary backup Jerious Norwood is hurt also. The Falcons have a great schedule for running backs the rest of the way. Snelling got a touchdown Sunday against the Panthers, who once again have a terrific running defense. Keep in mind that while Turner is down, his offensive line isn’t going anywhere. The Falcons have a great line and Snelling will get his holes down the stretch. Turner’s injury didn’t look good and I would be shocked if he comes back anytime in the next three weeks. Having a starting back in this offense for Weeks 11, 12, and 13 in fantasy football could make the difference in whether you make the playoffs or not.

Leonard Weaver - Unfortunately, Weaver would probably be your worst option here. However, with Brian Westbrook’s future in serious doubt Weaver will get carries. I tend to lean more towards Weaverthe course of the season than LeSean McCoy, because Weaver is likely to get the goal line carries. At the same time, Andy Reid never runs and rarely ever wins in short yardage situations. Both of these guys are low recommendations, but if you need some improvement at running back Weaver could give you numbers throughout the season. In the end, I have a feeling that Weaver is in line for a big fantasy game.

Jake Delhomme - Lord strike me dead for recommending Delhomme, but I kind of like him if you need help at quarterback. I think the worst is over for Delhomme and he and Steve Smith actually look like they are starting to get in sync with each other. Quarterbacks can be really streaky and just when you think they are done, they can turn it around and run the table with great games. For starters, he has a great matchup against Miami on Thursday. The Dolphins give up a lot of points to quarterbacks and I don’t expect things to be any different on a short week. Should Delhomme remain hot, he has two great quarterback matchups in Weeks 15 and 16 which are your playoff and championship weeks. Look for Jake as a high recommendation this week in my NFL preview column.

Brandon Gibson - At wide receiver, Gibson is a good waiver wire add if you are desperate for some receiver depth. Gibson’s role is expected to increase due to Keenan Burton’s injury. Like Delhomme, Marc Bulger is on the verge of turning it around and getting hot. Gibson had 7 catches for 93 yards against one of the best passing defenses in the NFL on Sunday. Gibson has some tremendous fantasy matchups in the coming weeks against the Seahawks, Bears, Cardinals, and Titans. As a Philadelphia Eagles fan, I watched Gibson in the pre season and I liked him a lot. He made some really difficult catches and was just simply a casualty of numbers in Philadelphia. I look for big things from him in the future and they could come as soon as this Sunday against the Cardinals.

I won’t hit on everyone, but if you have followed this blog you have gotten some very productive fantasy players off of the waiver wire. Jamaal Charles, Vince Young, Ryan Moats, Shonn Greene, Mike Wallace, Vernon Davis, Sidney Rice, and Ladell Betts have all been suggested here and have all had some big weeks since then. I look at upcoming matchups, situations, coaching habits, and breakdown their fantasy opponents before I make a high or low recommendation. They all won’t hit every week (nobody will not named Peterson or Jones-Drew), but read closely what I am saying and when to play these guys. Take Jamaal Charles for example. I recommended him solely for the Raiders game and he hit as expected Sunday. So use this information wisely and get a step ahead of the players in your league with some diamonds in the ruff.

Make sure to check out my NFL previews every week for the not-so-obvious high fantasy recommendations.

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When I last left the loyal readers of CamelClutchBlog.com, I was speaking about this year’ s cream of the crop in the NFL. Those teams, who after three weeks of play, remained undefeated. There will be two less teams with perfect records going into Week 5 due to the losses suffered by the Jets and the Ravens. Everyone else played the way I expected them to, and the list of the flawless has shrank down slightly.

Enough gloating from me, as I turn to the not so bright side of the NFL season. We see it virtually every year, and this is certainly no exception. There are always the teams a few weeks in who are absolutely winless. It’ s painful to watch their games, as you really start to root for them, hoping they’ ll pull it together and get at least one taste of sweet victory before the end of the season. Entering Week 4, there were seven of these winless teams. A Dolphins victory narrowed that down to six. For many of them, there isn’ t much hope in sight.

First up on our list of baddies are the Cleveland Browns. You know you’ re bad when starting quarterbacks are being shuffled in the fourth week of the season. You know you’ re terrible when it takes you about three weeks between touchdowns for your team. I won’ t even begin to talk about Eric Mangini (anyone else notice how he’ s suddenly not the “Man-Genius” anymore?)’ s terrible coaching. It’ s not looking good for Cleveland. They obviously have some of the lowest ranks in offense and defense.

It’ s downright pitiful. These guys just need a hug. It doesn’ t get much easier from here. Next week they play what is likely to be their “weakest” opponent for a while, the Buffalo Bills. From there, they have the Steelers, the Packers, and then the Bears, then a bye week. Ouch. Expect half the team to kill themselves during week nine, as they pick up in week 10 and take on the Ravens. God definitely hates the Cleveland Browns, I’ m convinced. To be quite honest, I don’ t blame him.

The surprise winless team this year are the Tennessee Titans. A team that many thought was playoff bound entering the season, they’ ve come in cold as you can be. While their offense certainly has a pulse, and they’ ve managed to put points on the board, their defense reminds me of your little brother and his friends trying to block you when you’ re in high school playing football against them.

They just can’ t contain a damn thing. I doubt they can contain a wheelchair bound team at this point. They’ re just bad. For the next two weeks, they just keep getting the short end of the straw, as they take on the Colts and then New England. Poor Titans, they had a lot of hope too. Now they should just hope for a win in Week 8 against the Jaguars as it looks like their only shot for a while.

The Kansas City Chiefs had some high hopes entering the season. After picking up Matt Cassell, who led the Patriots to a near playoff berth after becoming a starter due to Tom Brady’ s injury, the Chiefs thought they had their franchise quarterback. The man that would lead them to victory every week. Well, they have yet to be led anywhere other than the L column on Monday mornings.

I feel bad, mostly because I thought he had a lot of potential to be a great Quarterback. However, when you’ re surrounded by subpar talent, your quarterbacking abilities fall into doubt. They’ re just about dead last on both sides of the ball. Todd Haley will certainly have a few more grey hairs at the end of this season, especially because I believe we’ re looking at the second incarnation of the Detroit Lions. Yeah, I said that. Write it down. Oh yeah, I already did. Hold me to this one, because I’ m positive the Chiefs will be that bad for the duration of the season.

The Carolina Panthers had a bye week at the best possible time. After three straight losses to start the season, a bye week is just what they needed to sit back, regroup, and come back strong. Their upcoming schedule isn’ t that tough either, so they may give themselves a lot of hope to make a run for the playoffs this year with a shift in momentum going their way. Don’ t expect that to happen, though. They do play some difficult teams toward the middle of the season, right up to the very end. That’ s what happens when you go up against teams like the Patriots, the Giants, the Saints, and the Jets. They will more than likely finish the season at 6-10 from the way I see it. While their secondary is one of the strongest in the league, their offense has been lacking, and their run defense is downright abysmal.

If I were to own an NFL Franchise, I’ d actually like to own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Before you check me into a psych ward, hear me out. You can take that stupid ship of theirs, and slide down the gigantic pirate flag, waving a sword and wearing funny pants. Then you can take that sword, and lop off the heads of all their awful fans and put them out of their misery. They are just an abominable franchise. A far cry from their Superbowl win in 2002, they are flat out painful to watch.

So far, opponents are outscoring them by 54 points, and the JV team that is the Bucs are doing nothing to put an end to it. They have a similar schedule to Carolina, playing in the same division and all, but I think the Bucs are just about the worst team playing right now. Only the Chiefs surpass the Buccaneers’ atrociousness. Maybe Byron Leftwich can put on the silly pirate hat so he can lead the rest of his teammates, and all the coaches and fans on that dumb ship, and sail off into the Atlantic. God willing, the US Navy will consider it a terrorist threat, fire a missile into the ship, and we’ ll be rid of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers forever.

Finally, we look at the Greatest Snore on Turf. Ranking dead last in points scored, and second to last in both total yards and passing yards we have the St. Louis Rams. I suppose the city of St. Louis is only allowed to have one successful team at a time. Sorry, St. Louis Blues, you have a long time to wait. They have a light-to-moderate schedule, which most certainly works in their favor, but don’ t expect a run for the playoffs. Their backup quarterback has more TD passes then their starter. Ouch. They don’ t have a single rushing touchdown this season, and their only glimmer of hope is a receiver without a single 100 yard receiving game this season.

It’ s pitiful. If I was the GM of the Rams, I would definitely be scratching my head, wondering where Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, and Isaac Bruce all went to. Then I’ d realize I spent so much on those guys, that now I have to start from scratch. It really is hard to have a dynasty in the NFL. It’ s not impossible, it’ s just hard. The Patriots did everything they’ re supposed to do, and the Rams obviously did not. Now they’ re paying for it dearly. There’ s not much to go into here that hasn’ t been touched on already. If the Rams get 4 wins this season, I will be surprised. Expect a 3-13 season out of St. Louis. Expect the entire city to hang themselves on that awful arch in December.

All in all, the bad teams will more than likely remain bad, with an exception here and there. But there will certainly be no miracle run for the playoffs for any of them. At best, an 8-8 record for one of them, but this won’ t be a “season to remember” for any of them. Unless you happen to mean “remember not to do THIS anymore.” These are your worst of the league this year, so sit back and enjoy the ride, the ridicule, and the embarrassment that will be sure to make us all cringe watching them for the rest of the season. I know the Detroit Lions certainly will, after all, they are ahead of six other teams right now, so why wouldn’ t they?

Erik Espenberg is a native New Yorker who is an avid fan of the Yankees, Rangers, and Jets. When not writing for Camel Clutch, he can be found killing his brain cells playing assorted video games. He can be contacted at camelclutcherik@gmail.com.

Read the ESPN Fantasy Football Guide 2009 week to week for tips by clicking here.

Get your NFL jerseys discounted now on Amazon.com by clicking here

Play and Win Fantasy Football with the National Football Post – Buy Now

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Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

Going in to week #3 of the NFL Season, there are 9 teams that are on pace to once again embarrass themselves, their hometowns and their fans. The pressing question as we prepare for kickoff: Which teams have the die-hard basement staying power and which surprising, slow-starting contenders are headed for the disappointment of an above .500 season?

Most have toasted their league records with a swig from the keg of mediocrity. Some have held their solemn frosty mugs of failure high in a toast heralding not so much as one victory. In any case, lets investigate which team has the inability to succumb to disappointment, win and move up the Wild Card food chain and which team has the wherewithal to embarrass and frustrate their fans for the remainder of the season?

- Tennessee Titans: Who are we kidding? Even IF Kerry Collins were leaving happy hour at TGIFriday’s to drunkenly drive one of Vince Young’s many personalities over to the stadium to assume control the Titan’s offense for the rest of this season – this team has too much talent – despite whatever QB train wreck comes their way. By default, this team has to win. It’s just not in their DNA to go 0-16. Worst Case: 2 wins just by the fact that they play the Jags twice.

- Miami Dolphins: It’s hard to follow up a perfect 1972 season with anything less than perfection. Yet, since Ace Ventura, Dolphin’s fans have managed to see the team through disappointment-colored glasses. The same could be said for anyone following Jim Carrey’s career. Unfortunately for the Dolphins they clinched the division last year and have two guys who will not let a long-term losing streak prevent them from claiming their .500 season: Ronnie Brown and Bill Parcells. Hurray for average!

- Jacksonville Jaguars: Ewww…and fresh off their attempts to freeze the Fred Durst wart off the Ol’ Jacksonville genitals. Who am I kidding? Florida is the wart on the taint of America…point here is that while M.J.D. HAD it, the remainder of that team is devoid of any true, useful talent. That’s a good start. So there IS hope for a long-term stay in the “OH-FER” history, but because of M.J.D., their hopes at a “OH-FER” season will be shut down faster than an erection within 13 feet of Kathy Griffin.

- Kansas City Chiefs: WOW…the one team that year in/year out, make Lions fans happy they are in the league. Yet, last year, managed to score 2 wins and celebrate like Milli Vanilli winning a Grammy: excited, but praying hard that nobody noticed their mammoth lack of talent. A future “OH-FER” Hall Of Fame organization! However, despite the acquisition of a solid back-up QB, look for a repeat nod of their Grammy Award Winning performance.

- Carolina Panthers: I don’t know about you, but I feel like I have been watching this team’s demise in slow motion since it was first stillborn into existence. It’s hard to comprehend how the Cardiac Cats manage to make it through a season without an implosion that would make Tori Spelling’s chest look like the sweet baby Jesus did the implants himself. They have brought us a few names that have scored HUGE points in Fantasyland, but little real talent to help them win games. They have the desire and drive to lose for 45 minutes that somehow forget about it in the 4th. No amount of cheerleaders having sex in a bathroom with each other will keep this team under 3 wins, no matter how hard they try.

- Tampa Bay Bucs: WTF? How did Tampa go from one of the most dominant defenses with Warren Sapp to an offense that looks like it was pieced together by Michael Jackson’s plastic surgeon? Thin, weak and somewhat black. It always seemed to be that Tampa was able to throw together some yards, a few touchdowns and a couple of wins along the way. Tampa’s return to “OH-FER” Greatness – and the standard by which all others are judged – are truly screwed if Ward can get it together. The bad news there is that they’ll be able crap out a win. In spite of the Byron “Wave The White Flag” Leftwich pick-up.

- Detroit Lions: Tight race here for the worst of the worst. Tough to argue with the “hey, we’ve been there”mentality of the record breaking 0-16 Lions. Tough to find flaws in the “how many years have we done this?” logic of putting all of your eggs into a rookie QB’s basket. The Lion’s undoing will come in the form of hope, luck and the Rams. There will be a sad, sad “OH-FER” battle brewing in Week 8 (see: “St. Louis Rams”)

- St. Louis Rams: One year from now, every last one of you will be saying “..Stephen who?” Add those to the list of every NFL team that his people will be contacting to take on his hefty, worthless contract and all of a sudden, Shawn Alexander is starting to look good. This team is for real. They will make a run at – the very least – an 0-7 start. Look for the battle of “Well…Someone HAS to Win” to take place November 1 in Michigan.

- Cleveland Browns: In my humble opinion, this is the only real team with the chemistry, leadership and talent to solidify the longest “OH-FER” streak the 2009 NFL season will see. They turned the heads of perennial cellar-dwellers by losing by 3 TD’s to Denver last week. Their chemistry is so bad, that they make the creators of the Antonio Banderas cologne look like Nobel Prize Winners. :Week 11 they have Detroit. The final week of the season they have Jacksonville. With an 0-10 start, the Cleveland Dawg Pound will be thankful that a man like Mangini will skillfully and handedly lead their team over that annoying “possible victory hurdle” in Week 11 to keep the dream alive.

A lot can – CAN happen in the next 24hours. And as we have seen (Cincinnati V. Green Bay) parity is all aflutter in the NFL. One thing we know for sure, one thing that remains true and reminds us that the more things change, the more they stay the same: Lions fan’s will always have hope. Despite their last win on December 23, 2007.

Bower is a host for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse

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