Darren Aronofsky Creates Movie Magic With ‘The Wrestler’

Director Darren Aronofsky brings pro wrestling to life in ‘The Wrestler’ and in the process creates one of the best films in recent memory. The pro wrestling backdrop makes his virtuosity even more amazing.

Pro wrestling has been a popular part of American entertainment culture for nearly a century, but until now has been depicted very poorly in the movies. 1962′ ‘Requiem for a Heavyweight’ may be the best wrestling movie ever made until now almost by default. Requiem starred Anthony Quinn as an aging boxer who is at the end of his career and running out of options. After a final knockout he turns to the pro wrestling out of necessity. The unique moral ambiguity of pro wrestling is completely foreign to Quinn’s character (I fought 111 fights and never took a dive”) and is at the crux of the films dramatic tension.

While Requiem is certainly a great film with some excellent performances by Quinn and Jackie Gleason it is at its core a boxing film. Pro wrestling is portrayed as the nadir of an over the hill pugilists decline, which has historical precedent (Joe Louis most notably) but does nothing to explain the phenomenon itself. Pro wrestling has endured as a popular attraction for over a century, and until now no one has bothered to do the work in order to get this right.

Pro wrestling has been featured in a lot of other movies, almost all with poor results. With the exception of a few movies with a small pro wrestling component (Jim Carrey’s excellent portrayal of comedian Andy Kauffman in ‘Man In The Moon’) and a half dozen or so documentaries, wrestling and movies have never seen eye to eye.

In the starring role of Randy The Ram Robinson, Rourke doesnt just hit the ball out of the park: he turns in a performance that will almost certainly take its place among the greats in film history. Before seeing the film, comparisons that critics were making to Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, Paul Newman in The Hustler, and Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull seemed somewhat hyperbolic. After watching Rourke firsthand, such lofty comparisons not only seem appropriate but obvious”his performance leaves the viewer at a loss for superlatives. For a wrestling fan, its even more impressive due to his in-ring work. With the exception of a couple of extremely high risk spots, Rourke did all of his own wrestling and took all of the bumps himself. Its unfortunate that the Oscar voters couldnt see past their disdain for the subject matter to give Rourke the Best Actor award he so obviously deserved.

Aronofsky had a high degree of difficulty in creating an honest portrayal of professional wrestling. On one hand, he had to illustrate the raw and gritty reality of life at the lower levels of the profession. On the other hand, he had to convey to the audience the appeal of pro wrestling”why men like The Ram put themselves through hell to stay involved and why hardcore fans care so much. Miss the balance in one direction and the result is a film that misses the ability of pro wrestling to touch magic in its own way that keeps wrestlers in the ring and fans watching them. Err in the other direction and youve got a film that overly romanticizes a business that is at best tough and unforgiving and at worst barbaric and dehumanizing. Perhaps the most amazing thing about The Wrestler is how well it succeeds on both levels, which likely accounts for the effusive praise it has garnered from film geeks who wouldnt know a headlock from a padlock as well as pro wrestling enthusiasts.

Thats what makes Rourkes performance so amazing and The Wrestler such a great film”it simultaneously depicts pro wrestling at its best and worst and gets them both right. It accurately depicts the brutal downside of a sometime unforgiving profession, but also demonstrates the seductive appeal that keeps both the ‘workers’ and fans captivated. Aronofsky and Rourke manage to convey the lure and revulsion that is unique to pro wrestling and simultaneously extrapolate them to much larger truths about human existence.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and noted authority on NFL football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

categories: pro wrestling,sports,movies

Lyon Just A Bit Better Than Real Madrid In Champions League Play

Jean Makoun scored early in the second half to give Lyon a hard fought 1-0 victory in the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League matchup against Real Madrid. The Spanish champions lost for the third straight time on Lyon\’s Stade Gerland home field and will now have an uphill battle when the teams meet at Bernabeu to advance to the next round. With the Champions League final slated to be held in their stadium, an exit this early in the competition would be nothing short of an embarrassment for Real Madrid.

Lyon controlled the play in the first half and held a decisive possession advantage. Unfortunately, they didn\’t get many accurate scoring chances with a number of them going wide or high of the net. Despite Lyon\’s time of possession advantage in the first half, Madrid actually got the best scoring chances in the first half. Following Makoun\’s goal just 2 minutes from the start of the second half, Madrid controlled play but could not score the equalizer. For the game, Madrid held a 66% to 34% time of possession advantage.

Real Madrid has won the Champions League title 10 times, but now must rally from this 1-0 deficit when play resumes on their home field in May. Despite their tradition of success, Madrid hasn\’t made it past the round of 16 for six straight years. Cristiano Ronaldo isn\’t particularly worried heading into the home half of the matchup:

\”In football anything is possible. We\’ve lost here but we have a game at home in which we can repeat what they did here. I\’m calm. In this competition you have to suffer. I\’m sure that we will give a good answer in the return game and that we will win. The Bernabeu will help us. We will have to give to give it everything from the first minute until the last. The tie is not lost.\”

Madrid General Director Jorge Valdano added:

\”It\’s been a bad night in general, especially the result. We had ups and downs during the match, but at no moment were we ourselves. The result means we have to really concentrate at the Bernabeu. Lyon barely stepped out of their half in the final minutes, but they made things very difficult for us for a long time, especially in midfield.\”

Real Madrid will have to do without a couple of starters in the rematch. Marcelo and Xabi Alonso are suspending for the May contest due to bookings in previous contests.

Ross Everett is a widely published writer specializing in sports handicapping, horse racing, soccer, ballroom dancing and falconry. He is also a highly respected NFL football betting expert who has made many TV and radio appearances. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a retired racing wombat.

Oklahoma QB Bradford Looking At Season Ending Surgery

Oklahoma\’s junior quarterback Sam Bradford will likely opt for season ending shoulder surgery. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was to announce his plans at a Wednesday night press conference, but that has been canceled with no official word from Bradford expected before Saturday. Despite the delay, unnamed sources close to the situation indicate that there is \”a very good chance\” that Bradford will go under the knife in hopes of insuring a better opportunity with a NFL team next season.

Despite every indication that the decision to undergo surgery to repair an injured AC joint in his throwing shoulder is to eliminate the potential perception that he is \’damaged goods\’ in advance of the NFL draft, University officials stressed that there has been no official decision in this regard.

On Wednesday, Sooners\’ coach Bob Stoops addressed the media about Bradford and the canceled press conference:

\”He just wasn\’t ready to fully answer everything that\’ll want to be asked and for sure what he wants to do just yet, until he has a few more people to visit with. That\’s it. I won\’t say another word about it.\”

\”Sam\’s whole situation, he\’ll have something to say when he knows what his path will be, and that isn\’t right now. I\’m not the one to answer it. He will. And I will once he feels he\’s ready to and knows for sure what he wants to do.\”

OU quarterbacks\’ coach Josh Heupel talked about the conflicting issues that Bradford is currently dealing with as he tries to decide what the best course of action to take is:

\”I think it\’s extremely difficult for him, coming back for all the right reasons, wanting to have an opportunity to go compete on the football field, compete for championships and then having all those things taken away from you. There\’s a lot of hard work that goes into it and when you invest that much, it\’s going to be extremely disappointing. It\’s not an easy situation for him, certainly.\”

Despite their 3-3 record, Oklahoma has played well this year. The losses came to top level opponents BYU, Miami and Texas by a total of five points. Still, there\’s no real hope for a return to national championship contention.

Had Bradford opted to go to the NFL last season, he could have been one of the highest players selected in the draft. He had a monumental season last year, throwing for 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns. With his struggles this season and his injury, his future at the next level has grown somewhat more problematic. He could elect for surgery and opt for the draft this season, realizing that he\’d be viewed as something of a \’risky choice\’. Otherwise he could return for his senior season in hopes of improving his stock though that is always a dicey proposition due to the risk of additional injury.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and noted authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Paul Expected Back For NBA Playoffs Following Knee Surgery

The New Orleans Hornets got some good news regarding injured point guard Chris Paul on Wednesday. Paul will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Thursday, and the diagnosis is favorable for a return before the playoffs. Paul suffered a partially torn meniscus in a game against Golden State last week. Preliminary diagnoses suggested that he’d be out of action one to two months, with some concern that he would not return to action this year.

Paul will have surgery in Pensacola, Florida with Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham, Alabama performing the procedure. Andrews is considered among the best in the world at treating sports related injuries, and is considered especially effective at treating knee and ligament injuries. Andrews has worked on a ‘who’s who’ of professional athletes from pro wrestler Ric Flair to New England Patriots’ QB Tom Brady.

Hornets’ coach and GM Jeff Bower sounded relatively upbeat in discussing Paul’s procedure on Wednesday:

“We are anticipating a very successful process. We look forward to his return to action at some point later on. The time frame will be determined after the surgery. I won’t speculate on that.Obviously you never want to be in this position to replace a guard like Chris Paul in the middle of the season. We want to continue to take advantage of the talent and skills that Darren [Collison] and Marcus [Thornton] have shown over the course of this season. We’re encouraged with the play of our current group and will continue to monitor that. We feel confident in their capabilities.”

Paul originally hurt his knee in a game against Golden State last Wednesday and then re-injured it on Friday night against the Chicago Bulls. He sat out Saturday’s game against Memphis. Paul averages a team-high 20.4 points and an NBA-best 11.2 assists. Darren Collison has taken over his spot in the starting lineup and has played well, including a Hornets’ rookie record 18 assists to go along with 17 points in a win over Memphis this past weekend. After the victory, Collison stressed the importance of maintaining team continuity:

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before. We’ve been jelling with Chris, and without him I don’t think it’s going to stop us.”

New Orleans lost to Phoenix on Monday night but will play five of their next 7 games at home. It’s not a particularly easy schedule, however, with visits from improving Oklahoma City as well as Boston and Utah. The two road games are against NBA East playoff bound teams in Charlotte and Orlando, so the Hornets will have the mettle of Collison and the rest of the team tested early in Paul’s absence.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on NFL football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

categories: NBA basketball,sports,recreation,entertainment,hobbies,leisure,marketing

Discover The Pros of Online Guitar Tutorials

The good news for aspiring guitarists is that today\’s online tutorials are a great, efficient and practical way to learn to play the guitar or fine-tune your more advanced skills. The popularity of this learning method has generated the creation of some pretty stellar online instructional programs.

Many of these online tutorials feature accomplished performers and instructors that would normally not be available to students. New online courses walk the student through a natural progression merging guitar basics with the basics of music. The online tutorials offer unparalleled flexibility and are always available as a reference guide.

Learning to play the guitar has never been easier. Learning to play the guitar has never been as uncomplicated. Hey, you will still have to log hours of practice time, but it will all be flexible, positive and fun. What a difference!

Do It Your Way With Online Tutorials

Forget that personal instructor! Forget the expense! Say goodbye to deadlines and all that pressure. Say hello to the judgment-free learning zone known as online tutorials for guitarists.

And, don\’t be restricted to one style of music. Learn to play the sounds you have always liked. Learn from true playing and teaching professionals in the confines of your own home on your own schedule. These are the options beginning guitarists are comfortable with and that\’s what online tutorials provide.

Online tutorials for guitarists are backed by sturdy 24/7 support networks, which include voice, e-mail or forum venues. Musicians tend to practice and play at unusual hours and you never know when a student might need technical or moral support. Your program has both.

Practice Make Perfect

Practice time is the musician\’s best friend. Especially when starting out, those sessions can be awkward and somewhat frustrating. Online tutorials strive to relax the student and maximize the fun. When the student needs a break from their practice, they simply stop the lesson knowing they can begin afresh or resume play at any time. Learning guitarists can re-work the material over and over again until they achieve the result they want. Then, it\’s on to the next progression but the completed lessons are always available for reference or a quick brush up.

It\’s All Available

Now the student can select the style they want to play rather than the style the instructor wants to teach. Rock, blues, jazz, classical or just about anything else can be learned with your online tutorial. Best of all, there are carefully composed discs that allow the student to play along. What a great way to learn tempo and find out how far you have progressed!

No Comparison

The efficiency, convenience and cost factors give online tutorials for beginning guitarist a significant advantage over traditional instruction. Imagine you have all that technology and all the experiences of professional instructors compiled into your own personal learning program. And, you have a permanent practice and learning tool at the ready to use as long as you want for one low, affordable fee. Ask yourself, is there a better way to learn to play or practice the guitar than with an online tutorial?

If you want to learn how to play the guitar quickly with a guitar tutorial, be sure to view our articles to learn which best guitar tutorials you should purchase!

Internet Piano – Learn To Play Piano Fast

Would you like to learn how to play the piano? Learning to play piano can be super easy if you have the right program. While learning to play the piano isn\’t very difficult (just takes practice) you do however need a firm understanding of the basics, like reading sheet music. Once you understand the basics you will be well on your way to becoming a pianist.

Seems as though there are a lot of people who can play the piano but can\’t read the music they are playing, you know they play from memory! Not good! Don\’t be in such a hurry while learning to play, and spend some time learning how to read sheet music too. Just like when you\’re typing you want to get to the point that you don\’t even have to look at the piano keys while you play, you can just read your music and play right along. you\’ll be able to play a new piece of music very quickly, using this approach.

Another little tip for beginner piano players is that not only do you need to be able to read your music as you play but you need to be reading ahead of the actual notes your playing. You stay ahead of yourself while playing so your rendition will flow smoothly. While this may be difficult at first, with a little practice you\’ll be playing music you have never played before, and sound good doing it!

Keep a very light touch as you play the piano, as it is hard to play well if you are stiff and uptight. Don\’t put a lot of pressure on yourself to play well, especially at first, just relax and enjoy the experience, playing the piano, or any musical instrument is supposed to be fun…right? As you learn how to read music and play the piano you will lean how to play by ear, and this can be one of the best ways to learn to play well, even songs you don\’t know as the more you play the better you\’re going to get. Playing the piano well is, like a lot of things in life, all about practicing and then practicing some more!

One last tip to help you play the best piano you can is that you need to have a firm understanding of scales and chords. Any musician whether you\’re a professional or hobbyist, you will need to learn the chords. The more you know about the piano chords the more it will show in the range of your playing. Also, if you ever aspire to write your own piano music, you will again have to know your scales and chords. Bottom line: learn your chords and you will have a leg up on any other budding musicians.

Or just visit Learn From The Best! Click Right Here!

NFL Flashback: Saints Beat Vikings To Advance To Superbowl

Until Sunday, it looked as if the return of Brett Favre to the NFL would have a storybook ending and propel the Minnesota Vikings to the Superbowl. Instead, the New Orleans Saints will be heading to the Superbowl for the first time in franchise history. Garrett Hartley nailed a 40 yard field goal in overtime to give the Saints a 31-28 victory in the NFC Championship game after Brett Favre was intercepted deep in Saints territory during the final seconds of regulation.

The Vikings did reward NFL betting fans who took them as +4 underdogs with a pointspread cover. Minnesota finished the season a solid 11-6-1 against the NFL pointspread. The 59 combined points scored went OVER the posted total of 53\’. The Saints went OVER for the second consecutive game after playing four straight UNDER verdicts to close out the regular season.

After the game, head coach Sean Payton drew an analogy to the city of New Orleans\’ recovery after Hurricane Katrina:

\”This is for everybody in this city. This stadium used to have holes in it and used to be wet. It\’s not wet anymore. This is for the city of New Orleans.\”

Winning quarterback Drew Brees extended that same metaphor:

\”In reality, we had to lean on each other in order to survive and in order to get where we are now. The city is on its way to recovery, and in a lot of ways has come back better than ever. We\’ve used the strength and resiliency of our fans to go out and play every Sunday and play with the confidence that we can do it, that we can achieve everything we\’ve set out to achieve.\”

Place kicker Hartley was low key despite securing the victory with his overtime field goal:

\”Just helping my team get to Miami. Just doing my part.\”

Brett Favre didn\’t have much to say in defeat:

\”I\’ve felt better. It was a physical game. A lot of hits. You win that and you sure feel a lot better.\” Mississippi native Favre did throw his support behind the Saints:

\”I would have loved to represent the NFC. But, as I told Sean throughout the year when we talked, if it\’s not us, I hope it\’s you guys.\”

The Vikings gave up a total of five turnovers including three fumbles. That, said running back Adrian Peterson, was the game:

\”We really gave those guys the game. Too many turnovers. It\’s eating me up inside.

Ross Everett is a consulting handicapper for Oddsbay. He\’s a highly respected expert on soccer betting, as well as a published freelance writer specializing in sports betting, harness racing, fencing and model railroading. He lives in Las Vegas with his Asian houseboy, three Jack Russell Terriers and a retired racing wombat.

Football Flashback: Defense Is The Key As #1 Florida Beats Tennessee

Tennessee put up a gutty effort against #1 ranked Florida in The Swamp, but ultimately the Gators defense were too much for the Vols. Florida held Tennessee to 210 yards of total offense en route to a 23-13 SEC victory on Saturday and in the process won their school record 13th consecutive game. The Vols fell to 2-7 all time when playing a #1 ranked team.

Sports gamblers who took the points with UT in their bet on college football were smiling at the end, as Florida never really threatened to cover as -29 home favorites. Despite the ATS setback, Floridas pointspread records remain outstanding–they\’re 20-7 ATS overall in the past three years, as well as 13-4 ATS in SEC games and 10-3 ATS at home. The 36 points scored went well UNDER the posted total of 52. It was only Florida\’s 4th UNDER verdict in their last 14 home games, while Tennessee has now gone UNDER in 14 of their last 18 Southeast Conference contests.

Florida QB Tim Tebow didn\’t have a great day, though he did rush for a touchdown. On the other hand, he failed to put a touchdown pass on the board for the first time in 30 games. He sounded almost disappointed that the Gators didn\’t win by a wider margin:

\”It wasn\’t how we envisioned or hoped. But it\’s a win and it\’s good enough for all of us.\”

First year Vols coach Lane Kiffin had become a target of scorn for Florida fans and suggested that it was all part of a strategic plan:

\”It worked perfectly. It took all the pressure off the players. We played the No. 1 team in the nation with no pressure on them. … It was all on me. We were 30-point underdogs in this place and it really helped them go out and play ball.\”

Vols QB Jonathan Crompton was held in check by the Florida defense and was less happy with the moral victory than his coach:

\”I\’m not happy. Don\’t want to lose if you\’re a competitor. Hate losing more than you like winning. Look at the positives. Got a chance to capitalize early and late.\”

Gators coach Urban Meyer was more upbeat than his hyper competitive quarterback:

\”Unbelievable. Vintage Tebow. He had a hell of a day. … He kind of took that game over on that drive. That was one of the best plays. I can\’t wait to see that on film. He was this far from out of bounds and got the first down.\”

Even the Vols Kiffin had praise for Tebow:

\”I don\’t think he\’s human. I really don\’t. There were times when I asked the coaches in the booth on the headset, \’Is he ever going to wear down?\’ But he never does. Our defense worked hard and you just prayed to get it to third-and-4, because if it was third-and-3, he was going to put his head down and run over people.\”

Meyer also addressed the pressure his team feels to perform well every week:

\”I think there\’s so much pressure on this team to perform perfectly, which is good. I\’d rather be on that end than on, \’Boy, great job. We lost by 10.\’ I don\’t want to do that. There\’s a lot of pressure on these guys and I felt it in there.\”

The Gators will play their next two games on the road, starting with a trip to the University of Kentucky next weekend. After a bye week they\’ll face perhaps their toughest test of the season as they take on LSU in Baton Rouge on October 10th. They\’ll return home the following weekend to face the University of Arkansas. Tennessee will play their next three games at Knoxville\’s Neyland Stadium, beginning with a non-conference tilt against the University of Ohio next Saturday. They\’ll then face a couple of SEC heavyweights in back to back weeks as they welcome Auburn and Georgia to town.

Ross Everett is a respected freelance writer who covers travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, flower arranging and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Kelly Pavlik To Face Paul Williams In Middleweight Title Bout

Kelly Pavlik will defend his unified middleweight championship against Paul Williams on October 3rd in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Despite some fits and starts in the negotiations between the two sides, they finally came to terms on Tuesday night. An official announcement of the fight will be forthcoming.

Talks had gone back and forth between Top Rank president Todd DuBoef, who promotes Pavlik, and Williams promoter Dan Goossen with the primary bone of contention being the split of the $3.75 million rights fee from HBO and the live gate at Boardwalk Hall which could approach $2 million. Also under dispute was a rematch clause requested by Pavliks side. Eventually, the two promoters worked out a deal for the money and agreed to the rematch request and the fight was made.

DuBoef confirmed to the media that a deal had been reached:

\”Goossen and I have agreed to all terms and we are going to contract for the fight. We look forward to a formal announcement.\”

Goossen also said the fight was a done deal:

\”I\’m just happy that we\’ve finally come to terms and gotten this resolved. Now we can move forward.\”

Pavlik will be defending the middleweight title for the third time. Williams, a rangy southpaw, could be his most dangerous challenge to date. A difficult matchup for any fighter, Williams has fought at three different weight classes in an effort to advance his career and Goossen talked about the stern challenge his fighter will present Pavlik:

\”Paul Williams, as we have said over and over, will fight anyone at virtually any weight. This is another example of him willing to take on the best. He wants to take over the 160-pound division.\”

Pavlik promoter DuBoef shared his thoughts on the matchup:

\”I think it\’s an interesting matchup. It\’s a fight that Kelly wants and he\’s highly motivated for this fight. People have said there is no real opposition in the 160-pound division, but this fight can bring a lot of interest to a division with a rich history.\”

Pavliks co-manager Cameron Duncan added:

\”Paul Williams is a terrific fighter and so is my guy. It\’s a terrific match and it\’s good for boxing. It\’s a fight people are going to want to watch. Williams comes to fight and Kelly definitely comes to fight. It\’s going to be a really fun fight to watch with lots of lots of punches and lots of action.\”

The fight got made despite almost no hands on input from Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. Early negotiations for the fight broke down on several occasions due to the strained relationship between Arum and Williams\’ manager Al Haymon.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer who covers travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and deep sea diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Indy Nips Jacksonville As NFL Season Gets Underway

The Indianapolis Colts, finding their offense shut down by a relentless Jacksonville Jaguars attack, fought back in kind. The often maligned Indy stop unit matched the ferocity of their Jaguars counterparts play for play, and one touchdown pass from Peyton Manning proved to be enough to earn victory by a 14-12 margin in the NFL season opener for both teams. With the victory Peyton Manning tied the great Johnny Unitas for the franchise victory lead.

NFL sports betting enthusiasts who took the Jaguars as +6 road underdogs were rewarded with the pointspread cover. Indianapolis dropped to 11-16 ATS over the past three years when favored. The 26 combined points went well UNDER the posted total of 45. Despite their reputation as an offensive juggernaut, the Colts have actually trended to the UNDER over the past three seasons, with 19 UNDERs in their past 35 lined games. The Jaguars, conversely, have a slight edge to the OVER in that span with a 19-14 mark over the past three years. Thats somewhat counterintuitive for a team best known for their defense.

After the contest, Manning displayed his characteristic humility when asked about tying the mark held by the iconic Unitas:

“I’ve never felt comfortable with comparisons with him. I think he’s kind of in his own category. But I am proud of those wins.”

Manning was more concerned about the welfare of receiver Anthony Gonzalez:

“I asked Rashean Matthis what happened and he said, ‘I didn’t even touch him . He has worked so hard in the offseason, I just hope it’s not a season-ending injury.”

Colts coach Jim Caldwell was pleased with the effort of the defense:

“Obviously, the defense played well and came up big at the end. We thought it would be a grind, and it was. I think our team certainly played tough, played hard, played with a lot of energy.”

Jacksonville wasnt overly discouraged after the contest either, pleased with the intensity and their effectiveness in shutting down one of the NFLs best offenses. Maurice Jones-Drew praised the tenacious Indy defense after the game:

“They just did a great job in the red zone stifling our offense. My hat’s off to them. But we have to learn how to finish.”

Quarterback David Garrard also gave credit to the tenacity of the Indy pass rush:

“I thought, ‘Here we go again, we have a great chance. You love to be in that situation. We were trying to get the ball to Maurice, but you’ve got to slow those pass rushers down. We did what we could do.”

The Jaguars will open their 2009 NFL home slate on Sunday as they host the Arizona Cardinals. Theyll travel to Houston for a game against the Texans the following week. The Colts will head to south Florida for a game against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night. Theyll return to Indy for a date with the Arizona Cardinals on the following Sunday.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and respected authority on football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

categories: NFL football,National Football League,NFL,pro football,football,sports,recreation,hobbies,entertainment

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