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Stat of the Week
Week of December 31, 2007
(6)
The number of NFL records (6) set by the Patriots during their week 17 match-up against the New York Giants.
Honorable Mentions
(1)
The number of playoff losses (1) it will take to make the Patriots entire regular season irrelevant.
(23)
The NFL record number of touchdown receptions (23) for Randy Moss during the 2007 regular season. Moss broke the previous record of 22 held by Jerry Rice when he caught a 65-yard pass from Tom Brady during the Patriots season finale against the Giants. The long bomb also rallied the Patriots past the Giants with 11:06 left in the game.
(50)
The NFL record number of touchdown passes (50) for Tom Brady during the 2007 regular season. Brady tied the previous record of 49 held by Peyton Manning with a 4-yard pass to Randy Moss early in the second quarter—and then he broke the record with a 65-yard scoring strike to Moss in the fourth quarter.
(75)
The NFL record number of touchdowns (75) for the New England Patriots during the 2007 regular season. Laurence Maroney led the team with six rushing touchdowns and 835 yards on the ground. The second highest total for touchdown receptions—behind the record 23 for Randy Moss—was eight for Wes Welker, who also led the club with 112 catches (14 more than Moss). Eight different receivers made at least one touchdown grab on the season, while six different backs scored at least one touchdown on the ground.
(246)
The number of points (246) the Patriots defense gave up during the 2007 regular season. The defensive unit was the fourth best in the NFL—and the 343 point differential between their offensive and defensive units set an NFL record.
(589)
The number of points (589) the Patriots offense scored during the 2007 regular season. The offensive unit is officially the highest scoring in the history of the game. When Tom Brady connected with Randy Moss on a 4-yard touchdown pass during the second quarter of their season finale against the Giants, he tied Peyton Manning’s touchdown record, Moss tied Jerry Rice’s touchdown record, and the club surpassed the Minnesota Vikings NFL scoring record of 556 points—all on the same play.
(1000)
The winning percentage (1.000) for the New England Patriots during the 2007 regular season. The franchise became the first in history to complete the regular season 16-0 after a thrilling 38-35 come from behind victory on the road against the New York Giants during their season finale on Saturday. The game was viewed by the largest television audience for a non-playoff game since 1995, as 34.5 million fans tuned in to catch history in the making.
Stat of the Week
Week of December 24, 2007
(39)
The number of points (39) Kobe Bryant scored during the Lakers 95-90 victory against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. He became the youngest player in NBA history to score 20,000 career points when he was good on a three-pointer during the first minute of the third quarter. Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan are the only other players to reach that plateau prior to turning thirty. Bryant reached the plateau at 29 years and 122 days, Chamberlain did it at 29 years and 134 days, and Jordan did it at 29 years and 326 days.
Honorable Mentions
(7)
The number of consecutive wins (7) during bowl games for the Utah Utes after they beat Navy 35-32 in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego. The streak dates back to 1999, but it also includes the last five consecutive seasons—meaning some fifth-year seniors are graduating with five rings. Check that again, five rings. Look for the SBTN title on Utah Utes football in August of 2009—the numbers that tell the stories from every bowl appearance will be there.
(15)
The number of wins (15) for the New England Patriots with one week remaining on the regular season schedule. The Patriots are 15-0 after beating Miami 28-7 on Sunday. The Dolphins went 14-0 during the regular season in 1972, and stayed perfect throughout the playoffs on their way to winning the Super Bowl—a feat New England would like to match this season. If the Patriots do run the table and win the Super Bowl—and considering the Red Sox won the World Series—anyone betting against the Celtics being in the NBA finals?
(36)
The number of players (36) for FSU who are likely to miss the Seminoles Music City Bowl appearance against the Kentucky Wildcats on December 31. As many as 25 players will be absent because of suspensions resulting from an academic cheating scandal—try putting that on the recruiting poster when your in-state rival has Heisman winner and all-around good guy Tim Tebow.
(82)
The percentage (.82) of responders to an on-line poll by Yahoo! Sports who think Roger Clemens used steroids. Only 18 percent of the first 72,332 responders said they think Clemens did not use steroids. FYI, check out the numbers Clemens posted at the University of Texas during his collegiate career as well as the major league numbers he compiled prior to the time he allegedly used steroids. Clemens denies using steroids or HGH, and in reality, career longevity is the only possible benefit he could have received from using either one—of course, he did throw a bat at Mike Piazza during the 2000 World Series.
(100)
The percentage (1.00) of MMA fans who would absolutely love to see Mark Cuban’s bid to get Floyd Mayweather into mixed martial arts become a reality. Cuban said, “Floyd understands he would have a lot to learn, but there is no one that would work harder."
Stat of the Week
Week of December 17, 2007
(86)
The number of players (86) named in the Mitchell Report. The list includes Roger Clemens, who is mentioned 82 times in the report. Clemens denies using illegal drugs to improve his performance, but now pundits are suggesting his legacy is in question and his ticket to the Hall of Fame is in jeopardy. Seriously?
Honorable Mentions
(1)
The USA Today/ESPN ranking (1) for the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team. UNC beat Rutgers 93-71 on Sunday to improve to 9-0 on the season. Ty Lawson scored 26 points for a career high, and Tyler Hansbrough scored 20 points with 11 rebounds in the victory. The last time UNC started a season this strong was 1997-98, a season that began 17-0 and ended with a trip to the Final Four.
(13)
The percentage (13) of Yahoo! Pro Football Pick'em players who correctly predicted a week 15 upset victory for Miami against the Baltimore Ravens. Only two weeks ago, Baltimore nearly upset New England's perfect season in a game that 95 percent of Yahoo! Pro Football Pick'em players predicted the Patriots would win. This week, the Ravens replaced Miami as the team with the longest losing streak in the league. Miami is now 1-13, but finally on the board in the win column. Baltimore has lost eight straight.
(14)
The number of years (14) since the Boston Celtics last posted a nine-game win streak. They beat the Toronto Raptors 90-77 on Sunday for their ninth straight victory, and they now boast a 20-2 record on the season. The last time Boston started a season 20-2 was 1963-64, and they went on to win the NBA championship.
(227)
The number of passing yards (227) for Brett Favre during the Packers week 15 match-up against the St. Louis Rams. It was enough to move him past Dan Marino in the NFL record book as the all-time leader with 61,405 career passing yards. Green Bay won 33-14 and locked up a first-round playoff bye in the process—and when asked about his record, Favre responded by saying, "I would much rather win."
(387)
The final score (38-7) of the week 14 match-up between the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders. Brett Favre, who is a huge fan of MMA legend Randy Couture, and his teammates watched some Couture highlights in the team locker room prior to the game—but they were shocked when "The Natural" came through the door and delivered the pre-game motivational speech. Packers DB Frank Walker made a special request that drew uproarious laughter from the other players, asking Couture if he could knock around teammate Brad Poppinga because "he was always picking on him." Couture's speech must have worked, as Green Bay abused the Raiders the entire game.
Stat of the Week
Week of December 10, 2007
(25)
The weight in pounds (25) of the Heisman Trophy. Tim Tebow became the first sophomore in history to hoist the hardware when he beat out Arkansas running back Darren McFadden on Saturday night for the most prestigious individual honor in collegiate athletics. The Florida quarterback, who won the BCS title last year as a freshman, has Gator country asking what he will do for an encore in his junior season—perhaps a second Heisman and a second BCS title in the same season?
Honorable Mentions
(9)
The number of come-from-behind wins (9) for Dallas after week 14 of the NFL season. The Cowboys clinched the NFC East title after quarterback Tony Romo connected with Jason Witten for a 16-yard touchdown strike with :18 left in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions. In a post-game interview, Romo said, “We’re good enough to win a Super Bowl.”
(39)
The number of victories (39) for WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather. He is a perfect 39-0 after a tenth round TKO of British contender Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand Hotel Arena in Las Vegas this weekend. Mayweather landed 129 of 329 punches during the bout as he handed Hatton (43-1) the first loss of his career. He also landed an $11 million payday, plus a cut of the pay-per-view profits. All in all, it was a pretty good night for the champ.
(291)
The number of first-place votes (291) in the Heisman balloting for Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. He received 1,703 total points, but placed second in balloting for the second consecutive season—a feat that has not been done since 1949.
(399)
The number of passing yards (399) for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady against the Pittsburgh Steelers during week 14 of the NFL season. New England is now 13-0 despite Steelers safety Anthony Smith’s prediction that Pittsburgh would end the Patriots perfect season. Patriots coach Bill Belichick said after the game, “We’ve played against a lot better safeties than him.” Brady threw four touchdown passes—including strikes of 56 and 63 yards to receivers who were “covered” by Smith.
(1000)
The winning percentage (1.000) during Mixed Martial Arts competitions for female fighter Gina Carano. She was 12-1-1 during Muay Thai competitions, and is now 5-0 during MMA fights. Carano is going to take the name “Crush” for her upcoming role on the new “American Gladiators” airing on NBC in January. The show is a remake of the old classic that featured gladiators bashing contestants around a variety of rings in some very cool ways, and will be co-hosted by Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali.
Stat of the Week
Week of December 3, 2007
(5)
The number of Big 12 titles (5) for the University of Oklahoma under Coach Bob Stoops. OU dominated top-ranked Missouri 38-17 in the conference championship game on Saturday and became the first team in conference history to win consecutive titles. QB Sam Bradford tossed a pair of touchdowns and now has an NCAA freshman record 34 on the season. Coach Stoops lobbied voters to give his squad a shot at the BCS title game, saying, “No one else played the number one team in the country.” OU is BCS bound, but they are going to the Fiesta Bowl to face West Virginia.
Honorable Mentions
(7)
The number of times (7) the second-ranked team in the country lost during the 2007 NCAA regular season. West Virginia QB Pat White was poised to carry the number two-ranked Mountaineers to New Orleans and the BCS title game, but a dislocated thumb contributed to the latest in a season full of unprecedented upsets. Appalachian State knocked off Michigan, and Stanford picked off USC—but the centennial edition of the Backyard Brawl was supposed to be a cakewalk for WV against a Pitt squad with only four wins all season. It turned into a 13-9 nightmare instead that left the Mountaineers in Glendale, and let LSU slide into the title game against Ohio State with a pair of losses.
(12)
The number of games (12) the Hawaii Warriors won during the 2007 NCAA regular season. QB and Heisman hopeful Colt Brennan rallied his club from a 21-point deficit to a 35-28 victory over Washington on Saturday to close out the regular season as the only undefeated team in the bowl subdivision standings. Brennan completed 42 of 50 passes, good for 442 yards and five touchdowns. The WAC champions earned a BCS invite to the Sugar Bowl, and will square off against Georgia on January 1.
(18)
The length in yards (18) of the interception return for LSU senior cornerback Jonathan Zenon during the fourth quarter of the SEC title game. Tennessee led at the half, and held a 14-13 lead with under ten minutes left in the game when Zenon picked off Volunteers QB Erik Ainge and returned it for a game-winning touchdown. LSU was good on the 2-point conversion, and held on for a 21-14 victory that earned them a conference championship and a spot in the BCS title game.
(286)
The winning percentage (.286) for the Chicago Bulls after posting their first back-to-back wins of the season. It took Chicago 14 games before they won consecutive contests. The Bulls are now 4-10, after beating Atlanta 90-78 and Charlotte 111-95. Chicago also got off to a slow start last season, but closed out their schedule with a 7-3 run before opening the playoffs with a four-game sweep of the defending NBA champion Miami Heat. Right now though, Miami is the only team in the Eastern Conference with a worse record.
(309)
The number of passing yards (309) for Dallas quarterback Tony Romo during the Cowboys week 13 showdown with the Green Bay Packers. Romo tossed four touchdown passes, and with 33 on the season he is second in the NFL only to Tom Brady. The win locks up a playoff spot for the 11-1 Cowboys, who knocked Packers QB Brett Favre out of the game on their way to a 37-27 victory. Green Bay came into the game riding a six game win streak, but it is the Cowboys who have now won six in a row and control their own destiny in the race for home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.
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