I Love to Hate Brian Billick

As much as I dislike the Steelers, there is nobody in all of sports that I despise more Ravens coach Brian Billick. I thought after last week's heartbreaking loss to the Steelers that my hatred form them had surpassed the Ravens, but yesterday confirmed to me that I was wrong. The so-called "offensive genius" is an arrogant prick. Tony Kornheiser has always referred to him as a "preening schmo." He thinks he is smarter than everyone, treats the media as if he was the professor and everyone else in the room is a student. Plus, anyone who thinks Kyle Boller is the answer at QB must be a little off kilter. After all of his arrogance and poor treatment of others, the chickens are coming home to roost and he is getting his.

His defense has saved him for so many years. It won him a Super Bowl with an offense that did just enough to get by. The worst thing that happened to a Billick-hater like me was that he won a Super Bowl with a guy like Trent Dilfer at QB. That defense is now getting old and slow and the Ravens offense has never caught up. Again, these are things that happen to any coach. But when your own arrogance gets in the way of winning games, its time to get your cord cut.

Take yesterday. Everyone in the league now knows Browns kick returner Joshua Cribbs is the best return man in the league not named Devin Hester. Last week against the Steelers, he not once, but twice, changed the game with long returns. What did the Steelers do after the first one? The either squibbed kicked or kicked high in the air and short, where Cribbs couldn't get to the ball. Not Billick. Even with long kick and punt returns early in the game, Billick kept kicking deep. Even with 21 seconds left and a three point lead, Billick eschewed the squib, and kicked to Cribbs. He responded by carrying tacklers and giving the Browns a chance with a return to the 43 yard line. Two Derek Anderson completions later, Phil Dawson was on the field to attempt a game tying 51 yard FG attempt, which we all know now was good, then no good, then good again. Tie game. Overtime. "I wouldn't begin to try to explain what happened at the end of the game," Billick said. "I'll leave that to those who think they know it better."

The Browns won the toss and guess what Billick did? HE KICKED TO CRIBBS AGAIN!!! Cribbs again stuck it right up Billick's ass with a 41 yard return. Anderson hit Winslow. Jamal Lewis pounded the ball, and Dawson kicked a 33 yard game winning FG that sent the Ravens home a loser.

A loser. Just like their coach. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.