Already at the pretty much half way point of the season! Hard to believe how fast the year is moving. Anywho, another 10-3 week, very nice. Had a couple last week that I don't think anybody saw coming. How many blow outs were there? Good times! So here we got for week 8!
Denver @ Baltimore: Both teams coming off of byes, should be well played. Baltimore is a tough place to play, but the Broncos are capable of beating anybody at any time. Their D against the run will make it be a Flacco show, which a the Broncos can handle, if you ask me. I definitely like the Broncos' chances in this one, and I can't doubt McDaniels and his staff. I'll take the Broncos, in a pretty close game.
Houston @ Buffalo: Buffalo is still awful, and Houston is a team on the rise. They do need to prove that they can win road games like this against teams that they really should beat. But I'll still take them over a really sorry Bills team in this one.
Cleveland @ Chicago: I really, really wanna take Cleveland in this one, but I just can't find it in me to do it. I'll say that they could win it as long as they pressure Cutler, but their D and offense is so bad that even the few turnovers that that would cause wouldn't really help them that much. Give me the Bears.
Seattle @ Dallas: Seattle just isn't any good anymore. Dallas should beat them easily.
St. Louis @ Detroit: **flush** That's right folks, it's the toilet bowl. Between last years winless team, and this year's best bet to be the winless team. In a very exciting game **rolls eyes**, I think that Detroit will pull it out. They have at least shown the ability to stick with teams. The Rams always seem to just be going through the motions.
San Francisco @ Indianapolis: Indi is just rolling right now, and I just can't bring myself to bet against them. Peyton manning is a machine, with a whole bunch of fun new targets to play with! He just makes everybody on his team better. San Fran is much improved, but they aren't anywhere near on the level of the Colts yet. Colts take it.
Miami @ NY Jets: This is a good game here. Fins are without their #1 QB, and Henne showed he couldn't really take high pressure stuff. Sanchez will continue to have a simple plan on offense, and I think that the Jets will take this one.
NY Giants @ Philadelphia: What has happened to the G-men?! I know I didn't see the loss to Arizona coming. And Philly's D is MUCH more aggressive than Arizona's. I think we will continue to see a downward slide with the Giants here, and Philly will keep moving up. Eagles at home!
Oakland @ San Diego: Oakland barely even exists, especially on the road. Chargers easy.
Jacksonville @ Tennessee: Jacksonville has really struggled on the road, and Tennessee doesn't have a stable QB. This is a really tough one to call, but Tennessee has let me down far too much so far! I'll take the Jags.
Minnesota @ Green Bay: I cannot possibly see the Packers letting Brett Favre come in and beat them in their own house. On the other hand, what other QB in the world is more comfortable in Lambeau than Brett Favre? Not too many. I think this could really end up being a high scoring game, but I see the Packers winning. The fans may riot otherwise.
Carolina @ Arizona: Carolina is still pathetic, and Arizona surprised a lot of people by beating the g-men. I think they'll keep playing good football, and beat a really demoralized Panter team.
Atlanta @ New Orleans: Another team that you just really can't bet against right now is the Saints. After being way down to the Fins, what a rally to take the game back. They can handle the pressure of a close one, or they can blow you out. They don't care. I like the Saints, at home.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Fast Game for a Fast World
This is a conversation that I've had with a few friends of mine at various times, but allow me to share it with my other sports brethren. Let me, of course, preface this with the somewhat obvious statement that I am a gigantic hockey fan, so I already don't understand why people don't just love the game as I do. Just as most of the rest of the world doesn't really get why the United States hasn't embraced soccer any more than we have. That being said, allow me to make my case to you possible hockey fans out there.
First, I think we can come to a reasonable consensus that football is currently the most popular sport in the United States. What are the characteristics of this game? Hard hitting, team oriented, violent, highly competitive, but slightly choppy at times. Hockey has all of those things, except for the choppiness. It's hard hitting, incredibly violent, the only sport that actually allows fighting on the ice, incredibly competitive, and very much based off of the performance of a team.
Second, let's look at the various sports and talk about some of the injuries that are seen that keep people out for a considerable amount of time. In baseball, a guy with a sore shoulder can be out for weeks at a time. Simple soreness can keep you out. I mean, I understand, mostly, with pitchers as they are gunning it out there every single pitch, but what about the rest of the guys who don't all even see the ball much of the game? They get a sore arm and they're out for weeks. Basketball, how many times have we seen Shaq sit out for long stretches of time with nothing more than a sore toe? I mean, I know the guy is a 300 pound tree, but come on! If your nickname is "The Diesel" a sore toe should not keep you on the bench. Football, for the most part, keeps up with the actual injuries. But there have been times where somebody sits out with a bruised shoulder. Now the tackling can really affect that, but how about the checks in hockey?
Hockey players are the gladiators of our time! I have a vivid memory of Paul Kariya in my mind, years back. He was on the Ducks, and they were in the Stanley Cup Final against the Devils, and Scott Stevens took his head off!! He was knocked completely unconscious. You actually saw his body jerk him back awake so that he would continue to breathe. I think he missed 1 shift, and ended up scoring a huge goal in that game to win that game. You had better believe that nobody in any other sport would have been back out there after that. So if you're looking for toughness, look no further than a hockey rink.
My biggest pet peeve regarding people's dislike for hockey is when they say "I don't understand the rules!" The rules of hockey are really not that difficult to follow for anybody that has about 10 minutes to spend on figuring things out. Things like icing, once properly explained, are quite easy to understand. When I first started watching hockey, I wasn't totally sure about what offsides was, but a simple explanation was given to me and it was all clear! People who use this excuse are simply too lazy to ask somebody who would know, or just find the answer online. As I tell my students, laziness is never an excuse.
The last thing that I don't really get is people who complain about hockey being too fast. Too fast? Have they seen the world that we live in? Everything happens in the blink of an eye. We don't have to wait for letters to be sent through the mail anymore, we just e-mail a person and things are there in a matter of seconds. Fast food, instant coffee, ridiculously fast internet connections, and they're complaining about the game being too fast? I'll tell you what they mean by this. They mean, "I can't follow the puck." Ok, I will grant that a puck is awfully small and, with it being moved around so quickly, can be hard to follow. But let me ask you this, when you're watching a football game, do you watch the football? Or do you look at the guy carrying the football? In basketball, do you look at the ball, other than when it has been shot, or do you watch the guy carrying the ball? Same thing with hockey! Don't watch the puck, look for the guy who has the puck. How can you tell, you might ask? He's the guy with his stick always on the ice, and puck handling. He stands out, I promise.
So, I have made my pitch! If you're looking for a game that is hard hitting, competitve, strongly team-based, with a foundation in toughness, and rules that can easily be figured out, then hockey is the sport for you! It is the sport of the 21st century as it is the world's fastest game! Don't be that guy/gal that says they watch hockey only for the fights. There's so much more to it than that! I'll be more than happy to help ya learn!
First, I think we can come to a reasonable consensus that football is currently the most popular sport in the United States. What are the characteristics of this game? Hard hitting, team oriented, violent, highly competitive, but slightly choppy at times. Hockey has all of those things, except for the choppiness. It's hard hitting, incredibly violent, the only sport that actually allows fighting on the ice, incredibly competitive, and very much based off of the performance of a team.
Second, let's look at the various sports and talk about some of the injuries that are seen that keep people out for a considerable amount of time. In baseball, a guy with a sore shoulder can be out for weeks at a time. Simple soreness can keep you out. I mean, I understand, mostly, with pitchers as they are gunning it out there every single pitch, but what about the rest of the guys who don't all even see the ball much of the game? They get a sore arm and they're out for weeks. Basketball, how many times have we seen Shaq sit out for long stretches of time with nothing more than a sore toe? I mean, I know the guy is a 300 pound tree, but come on! If your nickname is "The Diesel" a sore toe should not keep you on the bench. Football, for the most part, keeps up with the actual injuries. But there have been times where somebody sits out with a bruised shoulder. Now the tackling can really affect that, but how about the checks in hockey?
Hockey players are the gladiators of our time! I have a vivid memory of Paul Kariya in my mind, years back. He was on the Ducks, and they were in the Stanley Cup Final against the Devils, and Scott Stevens took his head off!! He was knocked completely unconscious. You actually saw his body jerk him back awake so that he would continue to breathe. I think he missed 1 shift, and ended up scoring a huge goal in that game to win that game. You had better believe that nobody in any other sport would have been back out there after that. So if you're looking for toughness, look no further than a hockey rink.
My biggest pet peeve regarding people's dislike for hockey is when they say "I don't understand the rules!" The rules of hockey are really not that difficult to follow for anybody that has about 10 minutes to spend on figuring things out. Things like icing, once properly explained, are quite easy to understand. When I first started watching hockey, I wasn't totally sure about what offsides was, but a simple explanation was given to me and it was all clear! People who use this excuse are simply too lazy to ask somebody who would know, or just find the answer online. As I tell my students, laziness is never an excuse.
The last thing that I don't really get is people who complain about hockey being too fast. Too fast? Have they seen the world that we live in? Everything happens in the blink of an eye. We don't have to wait for letters to be sent through the mail anymore, we just e-mail a person and things are there in a matter of seconds. Fast food, instant coffee, ridiculously fast internet connections, and they're complaining about the game being too fast? I'll tell you what they mean by this. They mean, "I can't follow the puck." Ok, I will grant that a puck is awfully small and, with it being moved around so quickly, can be hard to follow. But let me ask you this, when you're watching a football game, do you watch the football? Or do you look at the guy carrying the football? In basketball, do you look at the ball, other than when it has been shot, or do you watch the guy carrying the ball? Same thing with hockey! Don't watch the puck, look for the guy who has the puck. How can you tell, you might ask? He's the guy with his stick always on the ice, and puck handling. He stands out, I promise.
So, I have made my pitch! If you're looking for a game that is hard hitting, competitve, strongly team-based, with a foundation in toughness, and rules that can easily be figured out, then hockey is the sport for you! It is the sport of the 21st century as it is the world's fastest game! Don't be that guy/gal that says they watch hockey only for the fights. There's so much more to it than that! I'll be more than happy to help ya learn!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Wk 7 picks
Welcome to week 7 of the NFL regular season! Having a good regular season so far! I'm 43-15! Had a couple of heart breakers last week! Ravens miss a field goal, and the Eagles lay an egg in Oakland. Very happy about my Broncos, really impressed with the Saints. 4 unbeaten teams left, who will fall this weekend? Let's find out!
Green Bay @ Cleveland: Green Bay's D played very well against a not so great Lions team. They have an even worse Cleveland team this week, so I wager they'll still do pretty well. Packers.
San Fran @ Houston: The niners got DESTROYED by Atlanta and their pretty good passing game. What will they do against the likes of Andre Johnson and Houston? I think the niners could be in for another long one. Texans!
San Diego @ KC: KC played a good game against a really bad skins team. The Chargers are in absolute desperation mode. Lose this one and go down a full 4 games on the idle Broncos. They cannot let that happen. Desperation helps the Chargers take this one.
Minnesota @ Pittsburgh: Really good game here. Polamalu is back, and that will make a huge difference! The Vikes are very resilient, though, so don't count them out. I give the edge to Pittsburgh here, because they're playing at home. I think they take a highly competitive game. I also think that Favre will make a couple mistakes in this one, and Polamalu will make him pay.
Indianapolis @ St. Louis: Manning will have 4 TD in a route of the pathetic Rams.
New England @ Tampa Bay (in LONDON): Now that everybody believes the Patriots are gods again, even though all they did was trounce a horrible Titans team in a blizzard, they will be able to continue to pat themselves on the back after this one. Bucs stink, and the Pats score a lot, again.
Buffalo @ Carolina: Buffalo got a good win against a now struggling Jets team. Of course, I doubt they'll get 5 INTs in this game to just barely squeak by. You get 5 picks in one game, you should destory the other team, which tells us a lot about the Bills' offense. They stink. Carolina has won a couple in a row, and I think they will continue to build up some momentum by taking down a really unimpressive Buffalo team. Panters.
Jets @ Oakland: Speaking of those struggling Jets, they go to Oakland against a really inconsistent and not very good Raiders team. They are also short one of their best DTs, so this could end up poorly for the Jets. The thing that helps them, they have a pretty darn good running game, and the Raiders are quite unable to stop that. A very simple game plan of lots of runs and easy passes to keep Sanchez comfortable will help lead the Jets to a win here.
Chicago @ Cincinnati: Cinci keeps being my bugaboo team. When I pick them to win, they lose. When I pick them to lose, they win! What's up with that?! Well, at any rate, Cinci also has some serious injury issues on D, which is going to make this quite difficult for them to win. If you can't pressure captain huggies back there, you won't force him to make stupid passes, which he will under duress. Could be a close one, but I like the Bears here.
Atlanta @ Dallas: This will be a very good game. Dallas coming back after a bye week against a rolling Atlanta team. Dallas has the better defense, overall, but Atlanta has the more consistent Quarterback. So what to do, what to do? I think Dallas' ability to run the ball will help them out in this one. One of those, I won't be surprised either way games. But I'm going to go with Dallas, at home, in this one.
New Orleans @ Miami: I don't think that anybody can beat the Saints right now. Not with the way they can score at will, and the way their D is dominating. They are probably the best team in the NFL right now. That won't stop in Miami.
Arizona @ NY Giants: Well, that Giants secondary is quite vulnerable, as we saw against the Saints, and the Cardinals are a team that has another very talented receiving core. That could make things difficult for the Giants; however, their O-line isn't as awesome as the Saints one was, so I do think that the G-men front 4 will be able to put some pressure on Warner. Plus, the Saints D is way better than Arizona's. I like the G-men.
Philadelphia @ Washington: After laying a giant egg in Oakland, the Eagles play a struggling team's best friend, the Washington Redskins. The Skins have been the only victory for KC, Detroit, and gave Carolina their first win of the season as well. They have beat such impressive teams as the Rams (9-7), and the Bucs (16-13). Clearly a force to be run over. Philly needs to come out blazing to make sure they don't embarrass themselves any more than they did against the Raiders. I like Philly to dominate this game.
Share with me your picks! And I do think that they Vikes will fall from the ranks of the unbeaten. Which will leave, but 3!
Green Bay @ Cleveland: Green Bay's D played very well against a not so great Lions team. They have an even worse Cleveland team this week, so I wager they'll still do pretty well. Packers.
San Fran @ Houston: The niners got DESTROYED by Atlanta and their pretty good passing game. What will they do against the likes of Andre Johnson and Houston? I think the niners could be in for another long one. Texans!
San Diego @ KC: KC played a good game against a really bad skins team. The Chargers are in absolute desperation mode. Lose this one and go down a full 4 games on the idle Broncos. They cannot let that happen. Desperation helps the Chargers take this one.
Minnesota @ Pittsburgh: Really good game here. Polamalu is back, and that will make a huge difference! The Vikes are very resilient, though, so don't count them out. I give the edge to Pittsburgh here, because they're playing at home. I think they take a highly competitive game. I also think that Favre will make a couple mistakes in this one, and Polamalu will make him pay.
Indianapolis @ St. Louis: Manning will have 4 TD in a route of the pathetic Rams.
New England @ Tampa Bay (in LONDON): Now that everybody believes the Patriots are gods again, even though all they did was trounce a horrible Titans team in a blizzard, they will be able to continue to pat themselves on the back after this one. Bucs stink, and the Pats score a lot, again.
Buffalo @ Carolina: Buffalo got a good win against a now struggling Jets team. Of course, I doubt they'll get 5 INTs in this game to just barely squeak by. You get 5 picks in one game, you should destory the other team, which tells us a lot about the Bills' offense. They stink. Carolina has won a couple in a row, and I think they will continue to build up some momentum by taking down a really unimpressive Buffalo team. Panters.
Jets @ Oakland: Speaking of those struggling Jets, they go to Oakland against a really inconsistent and not very good Raiders team. They are also short one of their best DTs, so this could end up poorly for the Jets. The thing that helps them, they have a pretty darn good running game, and the Raiders are quite unable to stop that. A very simple game plan of lots of runs and easy passes to keep Sanchez comfortable will help lead the Jets to a win here.
Chicago @ Cincinnati: Cinci keeps being my bugaboo team. When I pick them to win, they lose. When I pick them to lose, they win! What's up with that?! Well, at any rate, Cinci also has some serious injury issues on D, which is going to make this quite difficult for them to win. If you can't pressure captain huggies back there, you won't force him to make stupid passes, which he will under duress. Could be a close one, but I like the Bears here.
Atlanta @ Dallas: This will be a very good game. Dallas coming back after a bye week against a rolling Atlanta team. Dallas has the better defense, overall, but Atlanta has the more consistent Quarterback. So what to do, what to do? I think Dallas' ability to run the ball will help them out in this one. One of those, I won't be surprised either way games. But I'm going to go with Dallas, at home, in this one.
New Orleans @ Miami: I don't think that anybody can beat the Saints right now. Not with the way they can score at will, and the way their D is dominating. They are probably the best team in the NFL right now. That won't stop in Miami.
Arizona @ NY Giants: Well, that Giants secondary is quite vulnerable, as we saw against the Saints, and the Cardinals are a team that has another very talented receiving core. That could make things difficult for the Giants; however, their O-line isn't as awesome as the Saints one was, so I do think that the G-men front 4 will be able to put some pressure on Warner. Plus, the Saints D is way better than Arizona's. I like the G-men.
Philadelphia @ Washington: After laying a giant egg in Oakland, the Eagles play a struggling team's best friend, the Washington Redskins. The Skins have been the only victory for KC, Detroit, and gave Carolina their first win of the season as well. They have beat such impressive teams as the Rams (9-7), and the Bucs (16-13). Clearly a force to be run over. Philly needs to come out blazing to make sure they don't embarrass themselves any more than they did against the Raiders. I like Philly to dominate this game.
Share with me your picks! And I do think that they Vikes will fall from the ranks of the unbeaten. Which will leave, but 3!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tiger's Lebron test
I think everybody remembers the story that was so big this past summer. Lebron James was running his summer skills camp and got dunked on in a scrimmage. As a result of his getting dunked on, Nike, or Lebron, or both, had all the tapes of this game collected so that nobody would see King James get dunked on because that sort of thing is never allowed to happen!!! It was something that gave Lebron's image a bit of a blow. People have started looking at him as more of a whiner now because of that.
Which is why I was very happy to see Tiger Woods's response to a similar situation. Tiger was out in North Carolina making a public appearance at what is to be his first golf course design. Well, I came across this story on Yahoo Sports, I'm sure you'll be able to find it. Tiger took the opportunity to hit a ceremonial golf shot, off a mat, towards what will be the first fairway but is currently a bunch of dirty with trees lining the side. Shot #1 went wide into the trees. So Tiger decided that this would be an okay moment to take a mulligan. Shot #2, same result. So Tiger asked if anybody wanted to step up and take a shot so that they could do better than he did. He chose the 12 year old son of a local country club co-owner. Totally cool on Tiger's part, since this would have to be the biggest moment in this kid's life! Getting to take a ceremonial shot on Tiger's first golf course, with Tiger! I mean give me a break! The ball was teed, he took his back swing, and BOOM! The kid knocks it straight down the middle! Tiger gave an appreciative clap and said he had to see that again! Shot #2, another one, straight down the middle of the fairway.
This is the Lebron test now. Tiger just hit 2 drives straight out the trees, and a 12 year old kid came out and knocked it straighter than Tiger did. What did he do? Did he quickly have everybody with a camera tackled and restrained for questioning? Did Nike helicopters come swooping in to steal the kid's club so that he couldn't hit another one? No, Tiger clapped for him. Gave him a high five, and told him that he was proud of him. A guy like Tiger has to know that what is more important than anything, than winning all those majors and shooting in the low 60s, is encouraging those who idolize him for the future. This doesn't just encourage this 12 year old North Carolina boy to keep playing golf, this makes every kid look out know they can make their own heroes proud.
So before the Nike van comes to take me away for revealing what happened to Tiger, and before King James comes to steal my computer for reminding people that he got dunked on, let's all remember that golden rule of sports. It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game. And Tiger has, once again, played flawlessly.
Which is why I was very happy to see Tiger Woods's response to a similar situation. Tiger was out in North Carolina making a public appearance at what is to be his first golf course design. Well, I came across this story on Yahoo Sports, I'm sure you'll be able to find it. Tiger took the opportunity to hit a ceremonial golf shot, off a mat, towards what will be the first fairway but is currently a bunch of dirty with trees lining the side. Shot #1 went wide into the trees. So Tiger decided that this would be an okay moment to take a mulligan. Shot #2, same result. So Tiger asked if anybody wanted to step up and take a shot so that they could do better than he did. He chose the 12 year old son of a local country club co-owner. Totally cool on Tiger's part, since this would have to be the biggest moment in this kid's life! Getting to take a ceremonial shot on Tiger's first golf course, with Tiger! I mean give me a break! The ball was teed, he took his back swing, and BOOM! The kid knocks it straight down the middle! Tiger gave an appreciative clap and said he had to see that again! Shot #2, another one, straight down the middle of the fairway.
This is the Lebron test now. Tiger just hit 2 drives straight out the trees, and a 12 year old kid came out and knocked it straighter than Tiger did. What did he do? Did he quickly have everybody with a camera tackled and restrained for questioning? Did Nike helicopters come swooping in to steal the kid's club so that he couldn't hit another one? No, Tiger clapped for him. Gave him a high five, and told him that he was proud of him. A guy like Tiger has to know that what is more important than anything, than winning all those majors and shooting in the low 60s, is encouraging those who idolize him for the future. This doesn't just encourage this 12 year old North Carolina boy to keep playing golf, this makes every kid look out know they can make their own heroes proud.
So before the Nike van comes to take me away for revealing what happened to Tiger, and before King James comes to steal my computer for reminding people that he got dunked on, let's all remember that golden rule of sports. It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game. And Tiger has, once again, played flawlessly.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Brady's Big Quarter
I will be the first person to admit that anybody who throws 5 touchdown passes in no quarter definitely did something very special, there is no denying that. But before we get back to the Patriot-worship that so many people seem to be so fond of, let's try and put this whole thing in perspective, if we're capable of doing that.
The first thing that I'll come to point out, as so many people were so eager to do when my Broncos started off so strongly, is that the Patriots were playing one of the weakest opponents that the AFC has to offer. Yes, Tennessee was a league best 13-3 last year, but the NFL is all about what have you done for me lately? With an 0-5 start to the season, the Titans are among the saddest of the crop, especially on defense. They no longer have Albert Haynesworth up front to attract all the attention from 2 or 3 offensive lineman. As a result, teams are able to focus on Kyle Vanden Bosch and keep him from getting to the QB. Not to mention the loss of Cortland Finnegan, their pro-bowl cornerback from a season ago. This defense is not the dominant group that it used to be. Plus, Kerry Collins has been playing like, forgive me but it's true, an old man. He's not as solid as he's been, and we all know that Vince Young isn't the answer to anybody's problems.
Secondly, Tennessee is not a team that is used to playing in that kind of weather. They are a hotter weather team, so it is natural to assume that they won't be as prepared to play in that kind of a terrible snow storm as a team like New England that gets that sort of snow every other week after the middle of October. That may not account for all of the points given up, but it is certain to account for a certain amount.
Thirdly, if Tom Brady was so back, where was he just a week ago in Denver? Isn't this the guy who, when he is "back", makes all the throws at all the clutch moments? Plus, all these analysts can't seem to make up their mind. Before this game, all of them were saying that there has never been anything wrong with Tom Brady all season, and now everybody is saying that he's back as if there HAD been something wrong with him up to this point. Which is it? I know that Patriot fans love to have their cake and eat it too, but come on. This is just like I said it would happen in my picks for the week section. I predicted that New England would win big, and that everybody would go back to congratulating them for being the best team in the history of everything after beating up on a bad team. Let's remember, folks, at this moment, they are only 1 game up on their division, and they are down in the tie breaker. If this is the best team in the history of everything, then why do they need assistance from the Jets, who should really be ashamed of their effort against the Bills, to get back on top of their division?
I'll say it again, I recognize that 5 TDs in one quarter is an amazing achievement. But come on people, the bottom line is that the Patriots are still nowhere near as good as people, including themselves, believe that they are. And to Chris Collinsworth, and the rest of the sporting world, can you guys at least pretend to be a bit more unbiased when it comes to Brady and the Patriots? It makes me sick the way that you guys continue to throw yourselves at his feet as if he is some great idol to be worshiped. Did he have an amazing game and quarter of football? Absolutely, he did. But get real folks, this is not a sign of things to come.
The first thing that I'll come to point out, as so many people were so eager to do when my Broncos started off so strongly, is that the Patriots were playing one of the weakest opponents that the AFC has to offer. Yes, Tennessee was a league best 13-3 last year, but the NFL is all about what have you done for me lately? With an 0-5 start to the season, the Titans are among the saddest of the crop, especially on defense. They no longer have Albert Haynesworth up front to attract all the attention from 2 or 3 offensive lineman. As a result, teams are able to focus on Kyle Vanden Bosch and keep him from getting to the QB. Not to mention the loss of Cortland Finnegan, their pro-bowl cornerback from a season ago. This defense is not the dominant group that it used to be. Plus, Kerry Collins has been playing like, forgive me but it's true, an old man. He's not as solid as he's been, and we all know that Vince Young isn't the answer to anybody's problems.
Secondly, Tennessee is not a team that is used to playing in that kind of weather. They are a hotter weather team, so it is natural to assume that they won't be as prepared to play in that kind of a terrible snow storm as a team like New England that gets that sort of snow every other week after the middle of October. That may not account for all of the points given up, but it is certain to account for a certain amount.
Thirdly, if Tom Brady was so back, where was he just a week ago in Denver? Isn't this the guy who, when he is "back", makes all the throws at all the clutch moments? Plus, all these analysts can't seem to make up their mind. Before this game, all of them were saying that there has never been anything wrong with Tom Brady all season, and now everybody is saying that he's back as if there HAD been something wrong with him up to this point. Which is it? I know that Patriot fans love to have their cake and eat it too, but come on. This is just like I said it would happen in my picks for the week section. I predicted that New England would win big, and that everybody would go back to congratulating them for being the best team in the history of everything after beating up on a bad team. Let's remember, folks, at this moment, they are only 1 game up on their division, and they are down in the tie breaker. If this is the best team in the history of everything, then why do they need assistance from the Jets, who should really be ashamed of their effort against the Bills, to get back on top of their division?
I'll say it again, I recognize that 5 TDs in one quarter is an amazing achievement. But come on people, the bottom line is that the Patriots are still nowhere near as good as people, including themselves, believe that they are. And to Chris Collinsworth, and the rest of the sporting world, can you guys at least pretend to be a bit more unbiased when it comes to Brady and the Patriots? It makes me sick the way that you guys continue to throw yourselves at his feet as if he is some great idol to be worshiped. Did he have an amazing game and quarter of football? Absolutely, he did. But get real folks, this is not a sign of things to come.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
NFL Picks, week 6!
Man, thanks to Ronnie Brown, I missed going 11-3 again by that much. Oh well, another wildly successful 10-4 week will just have to do! Here we go! Week 6 picks!
Houston @ Cincinnati: The Bengals are for real ladies and gentleman! The last 2 weeks they have had huge wins over division opponents. Nobody expected that they would be where they are this year, I think they expected their record to be turned around instead of where it is right now. Cinci wreaks havoc on Matt Schaub, and comes away with another win.
Detroit @ Green Bay: Detroit is much better than people, or their record, give them credit for. They just can't find a way to put together a full game. Green Bay has some questions, but they manage to have an answer for the Lions.
St. Louis @ Jacksonville: What happened to Jacksonville last week!?!? Oh man, did I not see that one coming. They didn't even get off the plane in Seattle! I think they have a lot to prove this week, and, lucky them, they have the winless and gutless Rams to play against. Big problem is that we have now seen a problem in their pass defense that will make this win much harder to get. Like I said, though, they're playing the Rams and will take this one down.
Baltimore @ Minnesota: AWESOME matchup here. 2 great defenses and 2 very good offenses. Differece here is Adrian Peterson. Although, he does have some fumble problems, and you know how thirsty for turnovers this Ravens defense is. This a tough one to pick, but it will be a fun one to watch. Minnesota has the homefield advantage, but that hasn't mattered to the Ravens before, and I'm going to say that it won't matter again. Ravens take a good win after 2 heartbreakers in a row.
NY Giants @ New Orleans: Another amazing matchup. Both teams playing very well. That Saints D is way better than they are given credit for, because everybody talks about how amazing that offense is! Well, both of them come to play this Sunday, and the Saints are going to take this one down.
Cleveland @ Pittsburgh: gee, tougie. Pittsburgh. Early and often.
Carolina @ Tampa Bay: 2 struggling teams. Carolina just got a pretty good win against the skins and continue to build some momentum against a sad Bucs team.
Kansas City @ Washington: Another couple of bad teams. KC is starting to show some backbone, something the Skins are lacking. Skins keep on giving to the winless, and lose this one as well.
Philadelphia @ Oakland: Philly is rolling. Still one of the best teams in the NFC. They utterly destroy the raiders.
Arizona @ Seattle: Sleeper of a good game here. Seattle can do damage against inconsistent teams. Enter Arizona. I do think the cards keep it together enough in this one. AZ in a close one.
Tennessee @ New England: What a game against the Broncos last week. So good, even though Brady and Bellichick are sore losers. This week they get to pretend like they're still the best in the world, though. I don't think that Tennessee is going to be able to do anything. Their D had some seriously good flashes against the Colts, but they just miss Haynesworth so much! What has happened? Titans may keep it interesting for a little bit, but the Pats win this one.
Buffalo @ NY Jets: Buffalo should be utterly ashamed of the way that they played last week. 6-3 LOSS?! I mean, what the hell!? They are just awful, and the Jets just keep kicking the guy that's down. Jets, easy.
Chicago @ Atlanta: Another pretty good game, but I just think Atlanta has too much going for it. They're a more complete team than the Bears, and they keep building off the beat down that they gave to the niners. Atlanta beats the Bears and sends Cutler back to the WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHMbulance. Got a fresh pair of diapers in the locker room for ya Jay!
Denver @ San Diego: As I mentioned in a previous post, I cannot doubt Josh McDaniels. The Broncos lost in San Diego last year for many reasons. They were questioning their coach, they had no back bone, couldn't stop the run to save their life, and constantly made stupid mistakes. Each of those things is different. They believe in McD, and McD believes in the players. Not only do they have back bone, they have some serious swagger and a very opportunistic defense that is now creating turnovers and havoc. They are money against the run, and their QB hasn't thrown an actual interception, other than a hail mary pass at the end of the first half, all season. The Broncos will go into San Diego, and establish a dominant position in the AFC West.
Houston @ Cincinnati: The Bengals are for real ladies and gentleman! The last 2 weeks they have had huge wins over division opponents. Nobody expected that they would be where they are this year, I think they expected their record to be turned around instead of where it is right now. Cinci wreaks havoc on Matt Schaub, and comes away with another win.
Detroit @ Green Bay: Detroit is much better than people, or their record, give them credit for. They just can't find a way to put together a full game. Green Bay has some questions, but they manage to have an answer for the Lions.
St. Louis @ Jacksonville: What happened to Jacksonville last week!?!? Oh man, did I not see that one coming. They didn't even get off the plane in Seattle! I think they have a lot to prove this week, and, lucky them, they have the winless and gutless Rams to play against. Big problem is that we have now seen a problem in their pass defense that will make this win much harder to get. Like I said, though, they're playing the Rams and will take this one down.
Baltimore @ Minnesota: AWESOME matchup here. 2 great defenses and 2 very good offenses. Differece here is Adrian Peterson. Although, he does have some fumble problems, and you know how thirsty for turnovers this Ravens defense is. This a tough one to pick, but it will be a fun one to watch. Minnesota has the homefield advantage, but that hasn't mattered to the Ravens before, and I'm going to say that it won't matter again. Ravens take a good win after 2 heartbreakers in a row.
NY Giants @ New Orleans: Another amazing matchup. Both teams playing very well. That Saints D is way better than they are given credit for, because everybody talks about how amazing that offense is! Well, both of them come to play this Sunday, and the Saints are going to take this one down.
Cleveland @ Pittsburgh: gee, tougie. Pittsburgh. Early and often.
Carolina @ Tampa Bay: 2 struggling teams. Carolina just got a pretty good win against the skins and continue to build some momentum against a sad Bucs team.
Kansas City @ Washington: Another couple of bad teams. KC is starting to show some backbone, something the Skins are lacking. Skins keep on giving to the winless, and lose this one as well.
Philadelphia @ Oakland: Philly is rolling. Still one of the best teams in the NFC. They utterly destroy the raiders.
Arizona @ Seattle: Sleeper of a good game here. Seattle can do damage against inconsistent teams. Enter Arizona. I do think the cards keep it together enough in this one. AZ in a close one.
Tennessee @ New England: What a game against the Broncos last week. So good, even though Brady and Bellichick are sore losers. This week they get to pretend like they're still the best in the world, though. I don't think that Tennessee is going to be able to do anything. Their D had some seriously good flashes against the Colts, but they just miss Haynesworth so much! What has happened? Titans may keep it interesting for a little bit, but the Pats win this one.
Buffalo @ NY Jets: Buffalo should be utterly ashamed of the way that they played last week. 6-3 LOSS?! I mean, what the hell!? They are just awful, and the Jets just keep kicking the guy that's down. Jets, easy.
Chicago @ Atlanta: Another pretty good game, but I just think Atlanta has too much going for it. They're a more complete team than the Bears, and they keep building off the beat down that they gave to the niners. Atlanta beats the Bears and sends Cutler back to the WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHMbulance. Got a fresh pair of diapers in the locker room for ya Jay!
Denver @ San Diego: As I mentioned in a previous post, I cannot doubt Josh McDaniels. The Broncos lost in San Diego last year for many reasons. They were questioning their coach, they had no back bone, couldn't stop the run to save their life, and constantly made stupid mistakes. Each of those things is different. They believe in McD, and McD believes in the players. Not only do they have back bone, they have some serious swagger and a very opportunistic defense that is now creating turnovers and havoc. They are money against the run, and their QB hasn't thrown an actual interception, other than a hail mary pass at the end of the first half, all season. The Broncos will go into San Diego, and establish a dominant position in the AFC West.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Rain outs
I would start this off by saying that I was watching the MLB post-season, but that would just be a lie, as I don't watch baseball. But while I was at work the other day, checking up on my usual sporting information, I noticed that game 3 of the Rockies and Phillies series got rained out, which got me thinking a little bit. Is baseball really the only game where they allow regular and post-season games to be postponed on account of weather?
Now, I know this is a rather strange topic, but it was just something that got me to pondering. I do remember that the Avalanche had a game postponed a couple years back. But I also remember that they had just gotten a record snowstorm and that the airport was closed, or at least completely messed up, for weeks so their opponents couldn't get into town. That, I understand. The only football game that I remember being canceled was a pre-season game, so that doesn't fall into my heading. It was the Hall of Fame game, Sports Center showed highlights of lightening striking right next to the stadium multiple times in very spectacular flashes. So again, that I understand.
So why is it that this is such a frequent thing in baseball? I mean, the can't argue that they would be more affected than any of the other sports. The wind blows a football around just as crazily as a baseball. And the field gets just as wet and hard to run around on. Yet, just last year, we saw two games that were severely affected by weather. Steelers played the Dolphins with the remains of whatever big hurricane hit last year on a completely decimated and mushy field. The Pats played the Bills in Buffalo with 50 mph winds blowing across the football field. Yet all 4 quarters were played, and a winner was determined. Hell, I played little league baseball in Colorado in the middle of snow and rain, but the pros seem to rain out constantly.
You'd think that with all the guys on steroids in baseball right now, they probably wouldn't actually be able to feel the weather, or would be able to power through it. (there it is, there's the rip for the steroids. I know you were waiting for it.) Yes, their season is 162 games long, but seriously, why prolong it any more than people already have to? I mean, we have football games that we want to watch for crying out loud.
One good thing that does come from the rain delays at baseball games, though, the fat guy that runs across the tarp and slides face first through all of the water. Now THAT is entertainment!
Now, I know this is a rather strange topic, but it was just something that got me to pondering. I do remember that the Avalanche had a game postponed a couple years back. But I also remember that they had just gotten a record snowstorm and that the airport was closed, or at least completely messed up, for weeks so their opponents couldn't get into town. That, I understand. The only football game that I remember being canceled was a pre-season game, so that doesn't fall into my heading. It was the Hall of Fame game, Sports Center showed highlights of lightening striking right next to the stadium multiple times in very spectacular flashes. So again, that I understand.
So why is it that this is such a frequent thing in baseball? I mean, the can't argue that they would be more affected than any of the other sports. The wind blows a football around just as crazily as a baseball. And the field gets just as wet and hard to run around on. Yet, just last year, we saw two games that were severely affected by weather. Steelers played the Dolphins with the remains of whatever big hurricane hit last year on a completely decimated and mushy field. The Pats played the Bills in Buffalo with 50 mph winds blowing across the football field. Yet all 4 quarters were played, and a winner was determined. Hell, I played little league baseball in Colorado in the middle of snow and rain, but the pros seem to rain out constantly.
You'd think that with all the guys on steroids in baseball right now, they probably wouldn't actually be able to feel the weather, or would be able to power through it. (there it is, there's the rip for the steroids. I know you were waiting for it.) Yes, their season is 162 games long, but seriously, why prolong it any more than people already have to? I mean, we have football games that we want to watch for crying out loud.
One good thing that does come from the rain delays at baseball games, though, the fat guy that runs across the tarp and slides face first through all of the water. Now THAT is entertainment!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
That's it, I'm a believer!!!
Ok, I have to admit that when I picked my Broncos to beat the Patriots this weekend, I wasn't entirely expecting it to happen. I argued with my emotional and realistic selves and ended up going with the emotional one, but look at the result!
Firstly, let me just say that that was a hell of a game! It had everything! Momentum changes, turnovers, great offense, great defense, a coaching match up for the ages, and some ridiculous looking throw-back jerseys! And in the end, the Broncos were able to pull out an amazing win that, although there are still sure to be some folks who will try to downplay the significance of this win for the Broncos, absolutely should send a message to the rest of the football world. That message is this: The Denver Broncos are for real!
I admit that I was a naysayer at the start of the year. I figured that the Broncos would be fortunate to win 6 games this year. I wasn't aware that those 6 were pretty much going to be taken care of after the first 5 weeks of the year! I mean, all that drama, and look what has come of it! A defense that has allowed the fewest points in the league through 5 weeks, a quarterback that isn't flashy but gets it done, a team that believes in its coach and a coach that believes in his team. What more can you ask for?
At this point, I admit freely and clearly, I was completely and totally wrong about Josh McDaniels. He knows his stuff, and the people that have been brought in, Mike Nolan and every single free agent, were absolutely right moves. The mentality that has been created around this team is exactly the thing that a winning team needs. From this point on, I will never doubt Josh McDaniels again. He has proven to me, to Bronco land, and the rest of the NFL what he has believed from day one. The Broncos are winners, and we WILL see them in the playoffs this year!
Firstly, let me just say that that was a hell of a game! It had everything! Momentum changes, turnovers, great offense, great defense, a coaching match up for the ages, and some ridiculous looking throw-back jerseys! And in the end, the Broncos were able to pull out an amazing win that, although there are still sure to be some folks who will try to downplay the significance of this win for the Broncos, absolutely should send a message to the rest of the football world. That message is this: The Denver Broncos are for real!
I admit that I was a naysayer at the start of the year. I figured that the Broncos would be fortunate to win 6 games this year. I wasn't aware that those 6 were pretty much going to be taken care of after the first 5 weeks of the year! I mean, all that drama, and look what has come of it! A defense that has allowed the fewest points in the league through 5 weeks, a quarterback that isn't flashy but gets it done, a team that believes in its coach and a coach that believes in his team. What more can you ask for?
At this point, I admit freely and clearly, I was completely and totally wrong about Josh McDaniels. He knows his stuff, and the people that have been brought in, Mike Nolan and every single free agent, were absolutely right moves. The mentality that has been created around this team is exactly the thing that a winning team needs. From this point on, I will never doubt Josh McDaniels again. He has proven to me, to Bronco land, and the rest of the NFL what he has believed from day one. The Broncos are winners, and we WILL see them in the playoffs this year!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Hockey Shootouts
Just finished watching the Avs play the Blackhawks, a game which ended with Chicago winning in a shootout, and it got me thinking. What is really so great about the shootout anyways?
I think that I may be in the minority with this one, but still, what is the need for a shootout in the NHL? How long did we manage to survive with teams tying? There have been a lot of OT rule changes over the last 10 years, and, as time has gone by, I've become less and less of a fan of this one. I liked the change of having OT played 4 on 4. I didn't initially like giving each team 1 point at the end of regulation, but have grown to at least be okay with it as it has created some pretty exciting and wide open overtime sessions. But I just continue to like the shootouts less and less. It can skew the standings in favor of a team who did well in the shootouts, but isn't really that great of a team. Saw this with the Stars a few years ago when they were the #2 team in the west and got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. That year that had won more shootouts than any other team, and it got them a great seed, but the were bounced in 5 games, I think (back in 2006).
The appeal, at first, was obvious. It had just been another Olympic year with one of the semi-final or final rounds going to shootouts and everybody was so excited by them. So it only made sense to do it in the NHL. Here's the difference though. Olympic tournament, once every 4 years, NHL 82 games a season, every year. I think the awe factor of the shootout, at least to me anyways, has worn off. I truly believe that the game is better off without the shootouts.
My biggest reason for wanting the shootouts to go away completely is this. You just know that the worst commissioner in any league's history, Gary Bettman, is going to want to make that the way that the playoffs are decided instead of the continuous, until somebody scores, overtime. This would be tragic. Think about it. Do you want the Stanley Cup to be decided based on a best of 3 shootout? It would diminish the team factor of the game and puts the fate of a championship in the hands of 4 people, if you include the goalie, on each team instead of on the performance of the team as a whole. Hockey is the ultimate team sport, and to do that to it would be tragic.
The shootout was really just a ploy by Bettman to try and get more people to watch the game, which hasn't really worked considering he still hasn't managed to get the NHL back onto a cable station that exists in each American household. And until THAT happens, I'm afraid that it won't really matter too much what Bettman does.
What do you think?
I think that I may be in the minority with this one, but still, what is the need for a shootout in the NHL? How long did we manage to survive with teams tying? There have been a lot of OT rule changes over the last 10 years, and, as time has gone by, I've become less and less of a fan of this one. I liked the change of having OT played 4 on 4. I didn't initially like giving each team 1 point at the end of regulation, but have grown to at least be okay with it as it has created some pretty exciting and wide open overtime sessions. But I just continue to like the shootouts less and less. It can skew the standings in favor of a team who did well in the shootouts, but isn't really that great of a team. Saw this with the Stars a few years ago when they were the #2 team in the west and got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. That year that had won more shootouts than any other team, and it got them a great seed, but the were bounced in 5 games, I think (back in 2006).
The appeal, at first, was obvious. It had just been another Olympic year with one of the semi-final or final rounds going to shootouts and everybody was so excited by them. So it only made sense to do it in the NHL. Here's the difference though. Olympic tournament, once every 4 years, NHL 82 games a season, every year. I think the awe factor of the shootout, at least to me anyways, has worn off. I truly believe that the game is better off without the shootouts.
My biggest reason for wanting the shootouts to go away completely is this. You just know that the worst commissioner in any league's history, Gary Bettman, is going to want to make that the way that the playoffs are decided instead of the continuous, until somebody scores, overtime. This would be tragic. Think about it. Do you want the Stanley Cup to be decided based on a best of 3 shootout? It would diminish the team factor of the game and puts the fate of a championship in the hands of 4 people, if you include the goalie, on each team instead of on the performance of the team as a whole. Hockey is the ultimate team sport, and to do that to it would be tragic.
The shootout was really just a ploy by Bettman to try and get more people to watch the game, which hasn't really worked considering he still hasn't managed to get the NHL back onto a cable station that exists in each American household. And until THAT happens, I'm afraid that it won't really matter too much what Bettman does.
What do you think?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
NFL Week 5 picks!
I've been feeling good the last couple of weeks with an impressive 23-7 record! Take it to the bank! Here's what we'll do for week 5, be warned I am listening to a hockey game at the moment, so we'll see how that affects things. :-)
Cincinnati @ Baltimore: Cinci has been much improved, but you know that the Ravens are looking to punish somebody after a very close game with the Pats. I don't wanna be Carson Palmer in this game, Baltimore takes this one.
Cleveland @ Buffalo: I tell ya, I just can't say anything good about Cleveland right now. Buffalo takes it easy.
Washington @ Carolina: Carolina has had a week to regroup and hopefully get their act together. Skins are severely underachieving. The game should be pretty close, but I'll take Carolina to get a win here.
Pittsburgh @ Detroit: hehe, umm, Steelers, easy.
Dallas @ Kansas City: Dallas's defense played very well against Denver, and just got beat on one hell of a play. They need to bounce back, and, lucky them, they have the Chefs, yes the Chefs, this week. Long day for Cassel, Cowboys win.
Oakland @ NY Giants: This is a good week for Eli to take off. Doesn't matter who the QB is here, G-men take this very easily.
Tampa Bay @ Philadelphia: Tampa still stinks, Eagles getting Westbrook back. This should be an easy one for the birds!
Minnesota @ St. Louis: I think that St. Louis is this year's threat to go winless. They are just awful. Vikes take this easily.
Atlanta @ San Francisco: Here's a good game. Niners are very confident, and Atlanta is well rested. Should be one hell of a game, but I take Atlanta in this one.
Houston @ Arizona: Could be another good one, a couple of really high powered offenses. This could be quite a shootout. If it gets to be a shootout, it's hard to root against the Cards. I'll take Arizona in a close one.
New England @ Denver: This is the toughest one for me to pick. Do I listen to the homer in me? Or do I try to stay realistic? It's a tough one. Either team can win. Denver D is for real, held the #1 rushing offense to 75 rush yards last week. Offense can't take as many penalties as they did against Dallas last week, and Orton just needs to keep consistent. Broncos can run against the Pats. I'm talking myself into this one, I'm going to take the Broncos at home in a very, very close game.
Jacksonville @ Seattle: Hawks get Hasselbeck back, but I'm not really thinking that that will do too much for them. They are too inconsistent. I like the Jags in this one.
Indianapolis @ Tennessee: I keep picking Tennessee to get their first win, and they keep letting me down. So, naturally, the opposite will happen to me this week. With as bad as they've been playing, I can't possibly pick them over the red hot Colts. Manning and the Colts roll and stay unbeaten.
NY Jets @ Miami: Should be a very good game. Divisional rivalry game. Jets D plays really well against the Saints, if the Saints D hadn't scored 2 TDs then the Jets win that one. They did very well against Brees, I think they still do well against the fins. We will start to see what Sanchez is made of in this one. I take the Jets.
Take them to the bank! Let me hear your thoughts on my picks, and tell me yours!
Cincinnati @ Baltimore: Cinci has been much improved, but you know that the Ravens are looking to punish somebody after a very close game with the Pats. I don't wanna be Carson Palmer in this game, Baltimore takes this one.
Cleveland @ Buffalo: I tell ya, I just can't say anything good about Cleveland right now. Buffalo takes it easy.
Washington @ Carolina: Carolina has had a week to regroup and hopefully get their act together. Skins are severely underachieving. The game should be pretty close, but I'll take Carolina to get a win here.
Pittsburgh @ Detroit: hehe, umm, Steelers, easy.
Dallas @ Kansas City: Dallas's defense played very well against Denver, and just got beat on one hell of a play. They need to bounce back, and, lucky them, they have the Chefs, yes the Chefs, this week. Long day for Cassel, Cowboys win.
Oakland @ NY Giants: This is a good week for Eli to take off. Doesn't matter who the QB is here, G-men take this very easily.
Tampa Bay @ Philadelphia: Tampa still stinks, Eagles getting Westbrook back. This should be an easy one for the birds!
Minnesota @ St. Louis: I think that St. Louis is this year's threat to go winless. They are just awful. Vikes take this easily.
Atlanta @ San Francisco: Here's a good game. Niners are very confident, and Atlanta is well rested. Should be one hell of a game, but I take Atlanta in this one.
Houston @ Arizona: Could be another good one, a couple of really high powered offenses. This could be quite a shootout. If it gets to be a shootout, it's hard to root against the Cards. I'll take Arizona in a close one.
New England @ Denver: This is the toughest one for me to pick. Do I listen to the homer in me? Or do I try to stay realistic? It's a tough one. Either team can win. Denver D is for real, held the #1 rushing offense to 75 rush yards last week. Offense can't take as many penalties as they did against Dallas last week, and Orton just needs to keep consistent. Broncos can run against the Pats. I'm talking myself into this one, I'm going to take the Broncos at home in a very, very close game.
Jacksonville @ Seattle: Hawks get Hasselbeck back, but I'm not really thinking that that will do too much for them. They are too inconsistent. I like the Jags in this one.
Indianapolis @ Tennessee: I keep picking Tennessee to get their first win, and they keep letting me down. So, naturally, the opposite will happen to me this week. With as bad as they've been playing, I can't possibly pick them over the red hot Colts. Manning and the Colts roll and stay unbeaten.
NY Jets @ Miami: Should be a very good game. Divisional rivalry game. Jets D plays really well against the Saints, if the Saints D hadn't scored 2 TDs then the Jets win that one. They did very well against Brees, I think they still do well against the fins. We will start to see what Sanchez is made of in this one. I take the Jets.
Take them to the bank! Let me hear your thoughts on my picks, and tell me yours!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Pros vs. College.
Man, I'm really enjoying this picking teams! Let's me examine all kinds of games from an analyst's point of view. Plus, I seem to be picking things pretty well! This weekend I was 11-3! Take it to the bank!
At any rate, getting on to the topic of this particular post, I had noticed something in my preferences of sports rather recently. I have seen, in myself anyways, that I seem to not enjoy College Football as much as pro football. I know that's not that much of an epiphany or anything, and that it's different for everybody, but it got me thinking about why that was. I mean, when you think about it, there's a lot more to like in the college game than there is in the professional game. The players are always playing to win, not for their next contract. There are tons of teams. With all those teams are the varying kinds of offenses. And bowl season is really, really exciting. I love the bowl season, I'm just not nearly as interested in things that lead up to the bowl season. All things considered, I feel like I should like college football at least as much as the pro game, but I just don't. I mean, when it comes to basketball, which I'm not that much of a fan of anyways, I am much more interested in watching a college basketball game than a professional basketball game. Then, I think I figured it out.
It's really early in the football year to be bringing this up already, but the BCS system has really ruined the college football game for me. I mean, didn't they put this thing into place in order to clear up the national championship picture? Yet all it has done, since its inception, is create even more disorder, chaos, and controversy then before it was there. It was designed to have #1 play #2 to decide the champion, yet it has happened, on at least one occasion, that #1 played #3, and then everybody was all POed. The scoring seems to be biased towards certain programs, so that when those programs lose they aren't fully put out of the running as they should be. It just makes me less eager to follow the game that is decided by a computer, essentially, in the end with no real clear winner. In the pro game, there is always a clear winner, and I think that it may be time for College Football to come up with something, ANYTHING, that can give a clear #1 at the end of the year. Not necessarily a playoff, but maybe getting things down to 1 poll so that we don't have these split national championships anymore. Naturally, though, nothing like that would ever happen. They like their bowl system, but the BCS just kills me, and lots of other people that I know as well.
So, mystery solved! Come on College Football, give the fans what they want! A clear champion at the end of the season, that gives all programs an equal shot.
At any rate, getting on to the topic of this particular post, I had noticed something in my preferences of sports rather recently. I have seen, in myself anyways, that I seem to not enjoy College Football as much as pro football. I know that's not that much of an epiphany or anything, and that it's different for everybody, but it got me thinking about why that was. I mean, when you think about it, there's a lot more to like in the college game than there is in the professional game. The players are always playing to win, not for their next contract. There are tons of teams. With all those teams are the varying kinds of offenses. And bowl season is really, really exciting. I love the bowl season, I'm just not nearly as interested in things that lead up to the bowl season. All things considered, I feel like I should like college football at least as much as the pro game, but I just don't. I mean, when it comes to basketball, which I'm not that much of a fan of anyways, I am much more interested in watching a college basketball game than a professional basketball game. Then, I think I figured it out.
It's really early in the football year to be bringing this up already, but the BCS system has really ruined the college football game for me. I mean, didn't they put this thing into place in order to clear up the national championship picture? Yet all it has done, since its inception, is create even more disorder, chaos, and controversy then before it was there. It was designed to have #1 play #2 to decide the champion, yet it has happened, on at least one occasion, that #1 played #3, and then everybody was all POed. The scoring seems to be biased towards certain programs, so that when those programs lose they aren't fully put out of the running as they should be. It just makes me less eager to follow the game that is decided by a computer, essentially, in the end with no real clear winner. In the pro game, there is always a clear winner, and I think that it may be time for College Football to come up with something, ANYTHING, that can give a clear #1 at the end of the year. Not necessarily a playoff, but maybe getting things down to 1 poll so that we don't have these split national championships anymore. Naturally, though, nothing like that would ever happen. They like their bowl system, but the BCS just kills me, and lots of other people that I know as well.
So, mystery solved! Come on College Football, give the fans what they want! A clear champion at the end of the season, that gives all programs an equal shot.
Friday, October 2, 2009
My picks for Wk. 4 of the NFL Season
Here are my picks for week 4!
Detroit @ Chicago: Detroit CAN win this game. I think they are starting to seem confident, after finally holding a lead. The key for them is to pressure the man in the Pampers (Jay Cutler), because he makes irresponsible throws under pressure. That being said, they won't win this game. Bears win easily.
Cincinnati @ Cleveland: Man oh Mangini, that guy just hasn't earned the respect of his team. I think a switch to Derek Anderson helps, but they are just nowhere near being on the same page. Cinci, by 2 TDs.
Oakland @ Houston: Oakland is just horrible. They seemed to have some swagger back during their week 1 loss, I think the last couple of weeks have just shown that that was a pretty unprepared Chargers team more than seriously improved Raider team. Houston will walk all over the Raiders.
Seattle @ Indianapolis: Man, Matt Hasselbeck just can't stay healthy, and Seneca Wallace shouldn't even be a back up anymore. Indi in a laugher.
Tennessee @ Jacksonville: This is kind of a toughy, mostly because you expect these teams to remain competitive, but they have both been pretty bad. I'm not even certain who is favored in this one, but I like Tennessee to get off the schnide on the road. Kerry Collins needs to improve and become that rock in the huddle that he was last year. Just rock solid.
NY Giants @ Kansas City: KC stinks, G-men by a lot.
Baltimore @ New England: If New England has proven anything about themselves in the last couple of years, it is that they aren't really able to handle it when another team comes in and smacks them in the mouth. We saw it with the Jets a couple weeks ago, we saw it with the G-men in the Super Bowl a couple years ago, and we will see it again with the Ravens this week. Plus, now that Ravens offense is SCARY! I like the Ravens by 10, at least.
Tampa Bay @ Washington: **flush** Ah yes, the toilet bowl. 2 teams playing horrible football, but there must still be a winner. Tampa just has no confidence in anything right now. Portis goes for 75 and a TD, and the Skins take it at home.
Buffalo @ Miami: Another tricky game to call here. Miami has played well, but just gotten the short end of the stick. Pennington is out, Henne is in. Henne has a bigger arm than Pennington, but then again so does my grandma. Though the Buffalo secondary did pretty well vs. the Saints' air it out offense. Still, Miami and their wildcat have shown an ability to hold onto the ball for LONG periods of time. I will take the Fins for their first win.
NY Jets @ New Orleans: This will be the best game of the week. Great defense vs. Great offense. I'll take the Berman route on this one and say that the great defense will usually prevail. Jets pull one out in one hell of a game.
Dallas @ Denver: This is one of those either way games. This is the first really big test for Denver, but they are clicking very well! Cowboys get their #1 RB back, but the Denver D is just playing out of its mind. I like the D to keep the confidence going and force Romo to make a couple of mistakes. Broncos take a pretty competitive game.
St. Louis @ San Francisco: St. Louis will be the Lions of this year. They get steamrolled by a 49ers team with some frustration to take out after a hell of a game against Minnesota. Niners.
San Diego @ Pittsburgh: Another kinda tough one. 2 teams that have been good that have so far played very mediocre seasons. Pitt just gave up a game against Cinci, and San Diego coming off a win vs. the Dolphins. But the champs are the champs for a reason. The Charger D isn't as dominant as it had been, and I like Pitt to rebound at home.
Green Bay @ Minnesota: Another awesome match up. You know Favre will be all fired up for this. The Vikes will, too. This will be a really good game, but the Vikes will take this one with the home field advantage, the great D, and the awesome back, AP.
Let me know your picks! Enjoy wk 4!
Detroit @ Chicago: Detroit CAN win this game. I think they are starting to seem confident, after finally holding a lead. The key for them is to pressure the man in the Pampers (Jay Cutler), because he makes irresponsible throws under pressure. That being said, they won't win this game. Bears win easily.
Cincinnati @ Cleveland: Man oh Mangini, that guy just hasn't earned the respect of his team. I think a switch to Derek Anderson helps, but they are just nowhere near being on the same page. Cinci, by 2 TDs.
Oakland @ Houston: Oakland is just horrible. They seemed to have some swagger back during their week 1 loss, I think the last couple of weeks have just shown that that was a pretty unprepared Chargers team more than seriously improved Raider team. Houston will walk all over the Raiders.
Seattle @ Indianapolis: Man, Matt Hasselbeck just can't stay healthy, and Seneca Wallace shouldn't even be a back up anymore. Indi in a laugher.
Tennessee @ Jacksonville: This is kind of a toughy, mostly because you expect these teams to remain competitive, but they have both been pretty bad. I'm not even certain who is favored in this one, but I like Tennessee to get off the schnide on the road. Kerry Collins needs to improve and become that rock in the huddle that he was last year. Just rock solid.
NY Giants @ Kansas City: KC stinks, G-men by a lot.
Baltimore @ New England: If New England has proven anything about themselves in the last couple of years, it is that they aren't really able to handle it when another team comes in and smacks them in the mouth. We saw it with the Jets a couple weeks ago, we saw it with the G-men in the Super Bowl a couple years ago, and we will see it again with the Ravens this week. Plus, now that Ravens offense is SCARY! I like the Ravens by 10, at least.
Tampa Bay @ Washington: **flush** Ah yes, the toilet bowl. 2 teams playing horrible football, but there must still be a winner. Tampa just has no confidence in anything right now. Portis goes for 75 and a TD, and the Skins take it at home.
Buffalo @ Miami: Another tricky game to call here. Miami has played well, but just gotten the short end of the stick. Pennington is out, Henne is in. Henne has a bigger arm than Pennington, but then again so does my grandma. Though the Buffalo secondary did pretty well vs. the Saints' air it out offense. Still, Miami and their wildcat have shown an ability to hold onto the ball for LONG periods of time. I will take the Fins for their first win.
NY Jets @ New Orleans: This will be the best game of the week. Great defense vs. Great offense. I'll take the Berman route on this one and say that the great defense will usually prevail. Jets pull one out in one hell of a game.
Dallas @ Denver: This is one of those either way games. This is the first really big test for Denver, but they are clicking very well! Cowboys get their #1 RB back, but the Denver D is just playing out of its mind. I like the D to keep the confidence going and force Romo to make a couple of mistakes. Broncos take a pretty competitive game.
St. Louis @ San Francisco: St. Louis will be the Lions of this year. They get steamrolled by a 49ers team with some frustration to take out after a hell of a game against Minnesota. Niners.
San Diego @ Pittsburgh: Another kinda tough one. 2 teams that have been good that have so far played very mediocre seasons. Pitt just gave up a game against Cinci, and San Diego coming off a win vs. the Dolphins. But the champs are the champs for a reason. The Charger D isn't as dominant as it had been, and I like Pitt to rebound at home.
Green Bay @ Minnesota: Another awesome match up. You know Favre will be all fired up for this. The Vikes will, too. This will be a really good game, but the Vikes will take this one with the home field advantage, the great D, and the awesome back, AP.
Let me know your picks! Enjoy wk 4!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Joe Sakic Night
As much of an admitted homer as I am, I doubt that anybody can disagree with me in my absolute awe of one of the greatest hockey players of all time, Joe Sakic.
Joe Sakic is one of a dying breed. Not too many players in any sport, let alone just in hockey, ever spend their entire career with the same team. Not only with the same team, but remaining at such a high skill level from day 1. He may have possessed the most potent and dangerous wrist shot in the entire game. Just ask any goalie that had to face it! 2 time Stanley Cup winner, Conn Smythe trophy winner, Hart Trophy winner, Lady Byng Trophy winner, Gold Medal Winner, MVP of the Olympic Tournament, 2 time 50 goal scorer, over 600 career goals, etcetera, etcetera! What hasn't this guy done?
As aweinspiring as his numbers have been through the years, what makes him even more of an amazing player is how he handles himself on and off the ice. I don't think a person in the league who has ever played him has anything bad to say about him. He's just a classy guy. He scores his goal and immediately looks for the guy who passed him the puck. He gets the cup handed to him and immediately gives it to Ray Borque, and just says he did it because he "thought it was the right thing to do..." A guy who, because Steve Yzerman wasn't selected to an Olympic team, refused to wear the number 19 out of respect. In a time where we see football players change their name to "ochocinco", and try to post tweets in the middle of games, it is so refreshing to know that people like Joe Sakic still exist.
I have always loved watching the Avalanche play. From when they first got to Colorado up until now. Joe Sakic has always been a part of those teams. I have to say that it's already a little weird to see somebody else with a C on their sweater. But I have to say that I, and everybody else that has watched him play, have been absolutely blessed to watch him. So, on Joe Sakic night, I want to boil all of this down to one simple thing. Thank you. Thank you, Super Joe. Thanks for the memories.
Joe Sakic is one of a dying breed. Not too many players in any sport, let alone just in hockey, ever spend their entire career with the same team. Not only with the same team, but remaining at such a high skill level from day 1. He may have possessed the most potent and dangerous wrist shot in the entire game. Just ask any goalie that had to face it! 2 time Stanley Cup winner, Conn Smythe trophy winner, Hart Trophy winner, Lady Byng Trophy winner, Gold Medal Winner, MVP of the Olympic Tournament, 2 time 50 goal scorer, over 600 career goals, etcetera, etcetera! What hasn't this guy done?
As aweinspiring as his numbers have been through the years, what makes him even more of an amazing player is how he handles himself on and off the ice. I don't think a person in the league who has ever played him has anything bad to say about him. He's just a classy guy. He scores his goal and immediately looks for the guy who passed him the puck. He gets the cup handed to him and immediately gives it to Ray Borque, and just says he did it because he "thought it was the right thing to do..." A guy who, because Steve Yzerman wasn't selected to an Olympic team, refused to wear the number 19 out of respect. In a time where we see football players change their name to "ochocinco", and try to post tweets in the middle of games, it is so refreshing to know that people like Joe Sakic still exist.
I have always loved watching the Avalanche play. From when they first got to Colorado up until now. Joe Sakic has always been a part of those teams. I have to say that it's already a little weird to see somebody else with a C on their sweater. But I have to say that I, and everybody else that has watched him play, have been absolutely blessed to watch him. So, on Joe Sakic night, I want to boil all of this down to one simple thing. Thank you. Thank you, Super Joe. Thanks for the memories.
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