Sports Festivus 2012: Jets, NHL Lockout, Cardinals' Collapse Mentioned In 'Airing Of Grievances'

New York Jets

The Airing of Greivances for Jets fans could last until next Festivus, but in short let's say the front office and coaching staff didn't handle the quarterback situation as gracefully as they could. <em>-Brian Bassett, Editor of <a href="http://thejetsblog.com/">The Jets Blog</a></em>

St. Louis Cardinals

This team couldn't take that smug smirk off your face Lincecum. The Cardinals should have been the champs in 2012. But choked away a 3-1 series lead against the Giants. Worse, people <a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20121022211245AAORgVu">started asking about it on Yahoo! Questions</a>. <em>-Aaron Hooks, Managing Editor of <a href="http://www.cardsdiaspora.com/">Cards Diaspora</a></em>

The NHL, NHLPA

My sports grievance in 2012 is the fact that the NHL and NHLPA are dumb enough to go through another extended lockout. The NHL is the only sports league that seems fine with halting progress. <em>-Sean Leahy, <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/">Yahoo! Puck Daddy</a> </em>

Lane Kiffin

I've got a lot of problems with Lane Kiffin! Having players switch jerseys against Colorado, the ball deflation scandal, lying about his coaches poll vote, cutting press conferences short, banning a reporter who did nothing wrong, and his playcalling in general. <em>-<a href="https://twitter.com/adjoro">Adam Rose</a>, Standards Editor at The Huffington Post</em>

New England Patriots

Grievance: Nagging Injuries When covering the Patriots, there isn't truly anything to grieve about without nit-picking. Blaming the defensive backfield during the playoffs can be formed into a legitimate complained, but those guys have been playing well since the recent trade to acquire Aqib Talib. I'm fairly certain that most teams can complain about this, but I feel like injuries (especially the persistent pains key players had to deal with) was a factor in the Patriots Super Bowl loss to the Giants and has hurt them this season. In the Super Bowl, both Sebastian Vollmer and Logan Mankins were severely hindered on the offensive line with Mankins playing through an ACL tear and Vollmer through ankle and back pains. Their lack of health allowed the Giants pass rush to take full advantage of disrupting Tom Brady's timing. Rob Gronkowski was also clearly not at his best in the big game due to injuries. This season, Gronk, Vollmer, and Mankins have been dealing with various ailments, and Gronk was injured for a large chunk of time with a broken arm that stemmed from a fluke injury. Ras-I Dowling and Julian Edelman were placed on the IR, and Aaron Hernandez is another player who was out for several weeks with an ankle sprain. The main grievance that I have is losing the Super Bowl for the second time to the New York Giants, especially since the Patriots could have had that game if things swung a certain way. But that's football, and all of these grievances are things every fan has to deal with. I'm just hoping that this season will be different for New England- in a good way. mind you. <em>-Joe Soriano, Lead Editor Of <a href="http://musketfire.com/">Musket Fire</a></em>

Paul Holmgren, GM of the Flyers

The case for trading Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, whom you signed to long-term contracts, took a festivus pole to the face when the pair ended up in Los Angeles (offensive) together (gross) hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup (the worst). <em>-<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-marmon/">Eric Marmon, Blogger</a></em>

Ted Leonsis

Let GM Ernie Grunfeld keep his job. Turned down a trade for James Harden. And you're apparently one of the "hardliners" of NHL owners who's fine with canceling the season. May have surpassed Daniel Snyder in the category of worst owners in D.C. <em>-Michael Klopman, Associate Editor at HuffPost Sports</em>

New York Mets

Grievance: New York Mets fans treatment of Jason Bay. <em>-Denis Gorman, Metro - New York</em>

St. Louis Rams

Grievance - How desperate is St. Louis to have a football team we don't have to double bag before falling in love with? Jeff Fisher gets hired and he instantly becomes the most marketable football face in the city. We <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2012/09/st-louis-rams-opening-day-giveaway-is-a-jeff-fisher-mustache/1#.UNSgRonjm18">have the horrible fake moustaches</a> to prove it. <em>-Aaron Hooks of <a href="http://stlouis.sbnation.com/">SB Nation St. Louis</a></em>

Hockey

The lockout the NHL is currently imposing is the most needless work stoppage in American sports history. Unless it ends in the next few weeks, it may become the most damaging in American sports history. <em>- Seth Rothman, <a href="http://insidehockey.com/">Inside Hockey</a> </em>

U.S. Men's Soccer

The back four problem that has been plaguing the USMNT for years continues to rear its ugly head through a lack of focus and communication, which may be in part to a different starting line up for every match under Jurgen Klinsmann. We need a resolution fast, especially a partner for Geoff Cameron. -Doug Smith, <a href="http://theamericanpitch.com/">The American Pitch</a>

Donald Fehr, Manny Mulhotra, Ron Hainsey

NHL and NHLPA, I'VE GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH YOU PEOPLE! How do you take a $3.3 billion industry and shut it down over a few million bucks? You'd be smarter trading Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps. The lockout is the owners' fault, because it's ultimately their decision to have a lockout, and because of their preferred tactic of offering take-it-or-leave-it proposals, but the players get plenty of blame for slow-playing negotiations from the start. Next time you guys think you have a good idea for how to stick it to the other side, do the opposite. We want to see Feats of Strength on the ice. <em>-Jesse Spector, The Sporting News</em>

Ivy League Football

Penn?s football team claimed its 16th Ivy League championship in 2012, certainly a Feat of Strength. This year, they went an Impressive 6-1 in Ancient Eight play. However, my Airing of Grievances, is related to this Feat of Strength. Despite the impressive season, the Quakers were denied the right to play for an NCAA championship. This is because the Ivy League bans its football champion from participating in the NCAA FCS National Championship Tournament. While all other Ivy League sports teams are allowed to play for national titles, the League has stubbornly refused to allow its football champion to compete, due to a series of lame/illogical excuses. <em>-David Burrick, AOL</em>

Rhode Island Football

Would it kill you to win one lousy game?!? Or at least lose by less than twenty? The conference stutter step and lack of scholarships is no excuse for being out of almost every single game by halftime. When a one-win season next year will be an improvement, you know things are bad. <em>-Dave Ascoli, <a href="http://rhodyrampage.com/">Rhody Rampage</a></em>

Andrew Bynum

You were suppose to be a sign of change. Instead you've made the fanbase long for Elton Brand. And now you're playing the ?if this was the NBA Finals, I'd be playing? card. Doctors are concerned about your lack of knees. I'm more concerned about the lack of heart. <em>-Eric Marmon, Blogger</em>

Biggest gripe: Dumb fans. Instead of understanding that injuries to four offensive linemen and the starting quarterback would sink a team's season in any league, fans jumped onto this obnoxious "YOU CAN'T RUN THE SPREAD IN THE SEC!" bandwagon, even though Urban Meyer and Gene Chizik ran the spread to the tune of a collective three national championships in five years. Seriously, I'd love for you to diagram how Mizzou's zone-read works, and explain which opportunities it sets up in the passing game. The fans' incessant clamoring got so bad that the offensive coordinator resigned because the job was so stressful. Good job guys - you ran off the guy who was so good at his job that he fooled an NFL team into thinking Blaine Gabbert was worth a top-10 draft pick. <em>-<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hank-koebler/">Hank Koebler</a>, Blogger</em>

Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

So many reasons this season went horribly wrong, it's unfair to blame it all on you. But coming out before it even starts and speculating about dynasties gave every hater an easy punchline. Who would have thought Vince Young could be one-upped. <em><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-marmon/">-Eric Marmon, Blogger</a></em>

Notre Dame Football

It is difficult to air the main grievance against the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame went 12-0. They are playing for the National Title. What else could fans want? However, fans who hyperventilated through many of Notre Dame's games might desire more. The Irish caused chest pains in every fan late in the Stanford game. Fans could not even bear to look when Pittsburgh's kicker lined up to end Notre Dame's unbeaten streak, only to have his attempt fall wide right. It seemed like we were checking our heart rates just as much as we were checking the score board. From now on, can Notre Dame just crush their opponents? Perhaps, it will begin in the New Year. <em>-Andrew Hall, Lead Editor of <a href="http://slapthesign.com/">Slap The Sign</a></em>

Seattle Sports Scene

The Sonics still not existing? <em>-<a href="https://twitter.com/whitneysnyder">Whitney Snyder</a>, Senior News Editor at The Huffington Post</em>

<blockquote>Tweet your Sports Festivus grievance to @HuffPostSports with #SportsFestivus and we'll add it to the list. </blockquote>

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/23/sports-festivus-2012-airing-grievances_n_2357204.html

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