Rented Mule of the Week
| 16
|
by Woodsmeister
This week brings the advent of a new regular award - The Rented Mule. You may have heard the phrase "beat like a rented mule" to describe someone or something that took a merciless beating. The point of the Rented Mule award is note teams or players that took a merciless beating during a game in the last week. This differs from the Friday Fryer, which seems to be designed to indicate "losers" or "idiots" and also encompasses off-field behavior.
Honorable Mention: Jason David, defensive back for the New Orleans Saints. After jumping ship from the NFL Champion Indianapolis Colts, David signed with the Saints in the off-season, In his first game back, against his old team, David was torched by Peyton Manning three times for touchdowns. Welcome back, Jason.
Runner-up: University of Michigan Football. After embarrassing themselves in the Big House against Appalachian State, one would think that the Wolverines would be inspired to play better football the next week against the Oregon Ducks. Instead, the Quack Attack came out and thoroughly owned the Wolverines, bending them to their will and forcing them to say uncle in a 39-7 humiliation that, frankly, wasn't even that close.
This Week's Rented Mule: My Cleveland Browns. In an opening-week rivalry game, the Browns were thoroughly beaten and owned by the Pittsburgh Steelers from the very first series, which featured a muffed punt with 4 (count 'em - 4) penalties on one play. At the end of the first quarter, it was 17-0 and it was all downhill from there for the Steelers, who toyed with the Browns the rest of the way the way a cat toys with a mouse.Final score: 34-7. Mockery of the Browns by the Steelers included the Steelers going for it on fourth down late in the game, a reverse play late in the game, and an after-the-whistle blindside block of Daven Holly by Hines Ward late in the game that left Holly on the ground with a concussion The Steelers have now won 14 of the last 15 games between the two teams, creating a situation of total and thorough ownership worthy of this week's Rented Mule award.
