The Loss Column — Baltimore Sports Blog and Community

With Sunday night’s close call against the Eagles, the Patriots have cemented their position as not just the class of the league but the class, potentially, of the era. If they go undefeated and win the Super Bowl they’ll not only have done something nobody else has ever done (go 19-0), they’ll have won four of the last seven league titles.

Impressive, by any measure.

Some folks would like to see it happen for no other reason than to have been witness to history. Many others (if websites and talk radio are any kind of guide) find Bill Belichick’s act tiresome and would like nothing more than for some team — any team — to bring them down a peg or three.

So in honor of their visit here to Baltimore on Monday, let’s take a look at who they have left:

Ravens
Steelers
Jets
Dolphins
Giants

Let’s assume that the Ravens don’t pull the upset this week. I don’t think it’s impossible, but I certainly don’t think it’s likely.

You know who else likely won’t beat them after that? The Jets, Dolphins, or Giants.

So I submit to all of you that there is really only one team standing between New England and an undefeated regular season run: the hated (by some) Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Just a quick opening of the floor for any baseball thoughts you’ve got. Santana to the Janqs, the whole O’s-interested-in-Guillen nonsense, the possibility of picking up Scott Podsednik, latest on Miguel Tejada…you name it.

Time to get back to normal.

I’ll get back to regular updates tomorrow or the next day (that’s what we do, after all) but in the meantime I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m really broken up about this. Sean Taylor’s murder has made it hard for me to think about sports the same way.

I want to share with everyone this Washington Post article about Taylor, from almost exactly one year ago.

On one level it’s almost impossible to read, highlighting as it does the best qualities of a man we just lost. But I point it out because the very thing that makes it so sad also brings a smile.

Washington had a rough year last year, and in this article about a victory over Carolina you have Sean Taylor as the focus, doing everything right and blossoming into a great player.

“That game was testament to him as a player, his all-around tackling and going after the ball,” Fox said. “You got to see every facet of his game Sunday, and we’re just hoping that as the weeks continue to progress you’ll see more of that. He’s a great player, and when he’s clicking on all cylinders you get to see those types of performances.”

Taylor, who, teammates say, can be difficult to get to know, politely declined to comment for this story yesterday when his six-tackle, one-interception performance earned him NFC defensive player of the week honors.

Coach Joe Gibbs and Gregg Williams, assistant head coach-defense, have been lauding Taylor all season (”Sean’s play has been a bright spot for us,” Gibbs said) and they did so again Sunday. It was without a doubt Taylor’s best game, including the Dallas game, when his return of a blocked field goal attempt set up the game-winning field goal. Against Carolina, there were no missed tackles on critical plays. Instead, he was focused throughout, reacted well to the ball in flight and did not get turned around or pursue poor angles to the ballcarrier.

I’m not here to claim that Taylor’s life was more important than anyone else’s simply because he played football. I get that there are tragedies every day, and I get that it’s somewhat unfair for media types (of which I’m a member) to only bemoan a tragic circumstance when it happens to someone famous. That said, I’m damn sick of people making that point on the radio, in print, on sites, etc. For god’s sake, let people grieve.

What I would love above all else is for two nuggets of good to come from this. First, I’d hope that sports fans use it as a chance to remind themselves of why they watch. We love the games for a lot of different and often personal reasons, but one thread that runs through it all is the sense of community and joy that they create. We shouldn’t ever lose sight of that, and in fact we should remember to appreciate it more than we sometimes do. It’s a wonderful luxury to have.

Second, if Taylor’s death shocks even one young kid into realizing that he needs to pay close attention to the company he keeps, and to look after himself and his family, then it won’t have been in vain.

Hard to know what to say here except that this is one of the saddest things I’ve ever witnessed as a sports fan.

Any time a life is lost like this, it burns. It burns for thousands of “ordinary” people every day who happen not to make their living in the spotlight. I know and respect that, and they deserve every bit the same compassion and empathy we feel today for Sean Taylor’s family and friends. No question.

But strictly as a sports fan, this death burns in a way I’m not sure how to handle. Sean Taylor was one of the reasons I enjoyed watching football. His was the name most often mentioned among my Redskins fan friends as the guy to watch. More so than pretty much any other player, Sean Taylor put me on the edge of my seat. He brought something unique to the game of football, and to have it taken away in this manner is just incomprehensible. I literally can’t believe it’s real. Not yet.

I watch sports for the stories, because it’s a microcosm of the ups and downs of human life. It’s inevitable that tragedy will eventually enter into it, as it will, unfortunately, into each of our “real” lives eventually.

So take a moment and reflect. Pray if that’s your thing. Step back and remind yourself of the things that matter to you. Send some positive thoughts to Taylor’s girlfriend and young child, and to the Redskins family as a whole.

Sunday won’t be the same for awhile.

One day has passed and here’s what we know (as best as we can):

Sean Taylor was shot this morning around 2 am by an intruder to his home. Apparently, the incident occurred outside of Taylor’s bedroom after the Redskins safety had gotten up to investigate a noise in his home.

The bullet hit him in either the thigh or the groin, and it either hit or nicked the femoral artery. He spent most of the day unresponsive and unconscious before showing some signs of improvement this evening when he squeezed a doctor’s hand.

He is, literally, holding on for his life. And if he does live there are concerns about the long-term effects of massive blood loss.

As BBM noted in the comments on the last post, this kid by all accounts was turning his life around. We’re probably going to read a lot of nonsense from bitter media members (I’m looking at you, douchebag Michael Wilbon), but keep in mind that Taylor’s teammates and coaches all love him and speak highly of his character. There is no need — and, indeed, no excuse — to jump to conclusions about the “why” based solely on the fact that Taylor had some troubles in the past.

Send him your best, folks, and stay tuned to Jason La Canfora at the Post for the latest updates.

There are not too many good things you can say about getting steam rolled by the Chargers yesterday, so I’ll start with an observation about Phillip Rivers. He had a great day yesterday. Good for him. He is a complete asshole.

Now, I know some of you are going to say that I am being a sore loser. Believe me I am not a sore loser. I took yesterday’s loss extremely well. I only punted one beer can at the TV. A stellar day at the Justin household.

Back to Rivers. I’ve always heard he’s a dick but I’ve never actually seen him play on TV. They cut to him on the sidelines a lot and it seems he is always either grab-assing with the backup QBs or trying to complain to whatever referee will listen. He is ear-fucking every man in stripes that comes within five feet of him.

What is he complaining about? I’m not sure, but I would guess he feels he is being beat up a little too much after he releases the ball. That’s where the smart money is. Apparently this is what Phillip Rivers does.

Another thing about Phillip Rivers: When he gets booed he tells the fans to “Shut up.” I don’t know how I feel about fans booing their teams. I know it happens in Baltimore a lot, and sometimes I understand it and sometimes I don’t. I will say this: I will never agree with a player who screams like a maniac for the fans to shut up and then runs to the sidelines berating the fans after throwing a TD. I don’t think this is a double standard. The fans are the entire reason that players have jobs, and, guess what? Being an NFL fan is expensive. Especially if you are fortunate enough to go to a game. So Phillip Rivers…fuck you.

Onto the Ravens. The mistakes were painfully obvious yesterday so I won’t go into to much detail.

Samari Rolle: Thanks for gracing us with your presence. Hopefully next week you’ll raise your game even more and cover someone. That Tom Brady likes to throw.

To the Ravens receivers, secondary and special teams: Anyone who has any opportunity to come in contact with the ball, for every ball that hits your hands and you actually catch, I will personally give you a dollar. That may not be much for these guys, but I feel as though they have no incentive as of right now.

The Chargers completely tore apart our secondary. Everyone was getting burned. There was no semblance of coverage.

I thought Kyle Boller did OK yesterday. Maybe it’s the beard? When he actually had a second or two before the entire Charger front line was in his face, he made some great throws. That said, he got killed most of the time. The hit he took on the roughing the passer call was probably the weakest hit he felt all day.

At some point we all have to admit to ourselves that the problem with our offense begins and ends at the line of scrimmage. No QB would be doing well behind this offensive line.

Looking forward, we have the Patty’s coming to B-more on Monday night. The Eagles showed everyone last night that there are ways to beat the Patriots. You have to look in the middle of their secondary for holes. You have to shut down Randy Moss and keep Wes Welker in check. Most importantly, you have to play like you have a pair. You have to take the big risks. The Ravens have nothing to lose. They need to play like it. The only thing that could redeem this season for me as a fan would be to see the Ravens ruin the Patriots perfect season. Can it happen? Ask Philadelphia.

(Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images, swiped from nfl.com)

Terrible, terrible news reached me about half an hour ago courtesy of my pal Luke, the Loss Column’s designated Florida correspondent: Redskins safety Sean Taylor was shot at his home early this morning, apparently during a robbery attempt.

The reports are all sporadic right now. Some say he was shot twice, some say he was shot in the leg/groin and is in serious condition fighting for his life. What’s clear is that something very serious has happened, and it doesn’t look good no matter how you cut it up.

Read more here, here, or here (scroll down).

I’ll try to update today as things move along. Hopefully it’s not as serious as it looks, but in the meantime send some positive thoughts his way.

UPDATE: Lots of information from Jason La Canfora at the Post, including the news that Taylor might be “stabilizing”.

With both Thanksgiving and my article for PressBox behind me, expect a return to normal ’round these parts. Starting, naturally, with today’s NFL action.

The Ravens visit San Diego at 4:15 today for a game that means much more to the Chargers than it does to Billick’s Boys. Who would have guessed that coming into the season? Did anybody — even the staunchest critic — think the Ravens would enter their “difficult” games at 4-6?

Here’s a topic for the gallery: if Brian Billick can manage to salvage an 8-8 season, does he deserve to keep his job? Right now it seems like he ought to be on his way out no matter what, but maybe that’s just the fact that I can’t stand him talking.

The Redskins are at Tampa Bay at 1 o’clock as they seek to right the ship and re-establish themselves as legit playoff contenders. Still very doable, but a loss today would sting.

Cincy hosts Tennessee, while the Browns welcome the Texans — both at 1. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has the Monday Night affair at home against the Dolphins.

The game of the week is Thursday night as the Packers visit Dallas to find out who’s tops in the NFC. Most of us, unfortunately, won’t be able to watch it because Comcast doesn’t want to break its perfect record of shitty customer relations. It’s not a surprise, just a disappointment.

Saddle up as you enjoy the last day of your extended holiday, and join us in the comments for revelry and whimsy.