Well, here we go again! It appears that A-Mac sat out last week for one reason or another, so I've cushioned my stats. I believe that I was 9-5 last week, getting both the Sunday night and Monday night games in order to assure a pretty good week, putting me up to 62-42 for the season. Still looking for that awesome week of picks, but man oh man has the league been a tough one to choose this year. Well, here we go.!
Miami @ Cincinnati: Cinci's secondary stinks, and their offense is anemic. Miami has a very underrated receiving core, and I have a feeling that the Bengals are going to get shredded in this one. Fins.
Jacksonville @ Dallas: No Romo, bad defense, stupid penalties, Cowboys just have everything running against them. I have a feeling that the Cowboys are going to just keep falling down. I think the Jags may have this one.
Washington @ Detroit: Last year, Washington was a winless team's best friend. They are better this year, and the Lions have been ever so close to pulling things out, but just can't. This could be a good game, and I think it will stay close, but I think the Skins will take this one.
Buffalo @ Kansas City: Buffalo has random weeks where they score a ton, but still lose because their defense stinks. They just aren't going to go anywhere this year. Bills lose again.
Carolina @ St. Louis: St. Louis is so improved this year, and actually have a fighting chance to make the playoffs. They keep those chances pretty healthy this week and beat a horrible Panthers team.
Green Bay @ NY Jets: Packers just can never seem to pull away, and if you let the Jets hang around, they'll beat you. Home field doesn't hurt either, give me the Jets.
Denver @ San Francisco (kinda): This one is out in England, in a game that nobody actually cares about back in the states. The niners are this year's biggest disappointment, and the Broncos just plain suck. I have a feeling that this team has quit on the boy king again, and I may be fairly shocked if the Broncos win 2 more games all year. So the players clearly don't care about McD, so I won't be surprised by how bad things will get for the Broncos. Niners win across the pond.
Tennessee @ San Diego: How bad does San Diego have to play in order to no longer be favored? These guys have forgotten how to win. Tennessee is too tough for them. Phillip Rivers will get hammered, but still not nearly as badly as he deserves to get creamed. Titans.
Seattle @ Oakland: Was Oakland really that good? Or is Denver just really that bad? I'm going with the latter. Seahawks move closer to an NFC West title with a win in Oakland.
Minnesota @ New England: I bet Favre plays, because his ego is too huge, and continues to hurt his team. Then, if Jackson plays, he's just not that good of a QB. Pats, either way.
Tampa Bay @ Arizona: Arizona is in disarray. Who'd have thought that Kurt Warner held together that team this much! Give me the Bucs.
Pittsburgh @ New Orleans: I am officially off the Saints wagon. These guys have forgotten how to dominate. And that is not a good thing to forget when you are playing a team like the Steelers. You turn the ball over that many times against Cleveland, it makes people scared about what will happen to you against the Steelers. No need for a blown call in the endzone this week, the Steelers will win.
Houston @ Indianapolis: Houston shocked the league with a huge win against the Colts in week 1. I don't think that the Colts will let that happen again. Colts take this one at home.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
9 games in, my thoughts on the Avs thus far.
Well, we're nearly 10 games into the NHL regular season, and we are once again seeing some great action from the Colorado Avs. Craig Anderson has been good, although we are now awaiting word on his injury from warm ups in Vancouver (other than it is a knee injury), and the team has its skating legs. But there is definite room for improvement.
First off, bright spots. John Michael Liles has been a HUGE bright spot. 0 goals, but 11 assists in 9 games, with a record setting assist in each game. He's not a big guy, and he doesn't have a huge shot, but he's a very fast skater who can get the puck to the net and let the bigger guys get things done. With 11 points in the first 9 games, you have to think that cracking 40 points will be a no brainer. Could be a career year for Liles.
Daniel Winnik was possibly the best offseason pickup by the Avs this year. This guy is fast, and smart. He's great defensively, and is able to contribute offensively. He logs a bunch of penalty minutes, and may get you 15 goals, great contribution from a 3rd line guy. I have been amazingly impressed by this guy, and won't be surprised to see his ice time continue to go up.
Chris Stewart. Always wonder about a guy who really busts out in a contract year. Wonder if he can put out that same type of effort now that he got a raise. So far, so good. 5 goals, including that amazing bomb (at 33 seconds) that beat the great Martin Brodeur. This guy is the real deal. I'm expecting 30 goals from him.
Minuses.
Special Teams.
As pointed out by several people, such as Adian Dater, have pointed out that the Avs are very undersized on the blue line, which hurts both your special teams. Hard when you don't have a big guy to get a big shot on the PP, and then you also can't keep your crease clear on the PK. Avs PK is located towards the bottom of the league, and the PP has given up 4 short handed goals, which you just can't do. This could be a big deciding factor in whether or not the Avs make the playoffs.
Defense
Again, thus far, the Avs D has looked about the same. Giving up tons of shots against, and just not getting involved enough offensively (with the exception of Liles of course). They're small, and very young. Holos has been a great surprise, and has even helped out the PP a bit, but this team lacks a really big #1 style shut down defensemen that isn't in his 20th year in the league. I love Footer, but that guy is old, and not long for this league.
4th line.
Really, we don't have one. They play, but we really don't get much productivity out of them. And, again, they are small. Our biggest guy, David Koci, is also our most worthless guy. He was a healthy scratch almost all of last season, and when he was on the ice, his job isn't to play, it's to fight. We lack a strong checking, very physical, and intimidating 4th line.
Question marks.
Craig Anderson
Slow down, I love this guy! The question is definitely not about his ability, it's more about whether or not he can handle the same type of load that Joe Sacco gave him last year. He faced more shots than anybody in the NHL, and made more saves, last year. Had 7 shutouts, and was just amazing. I'm more questioning how he will be used, because I think he was tired by the time we were giving up 50 shots each playoff game to the Sharks. He needs help. edit: Of course, now the question has become when is he going to be back for the Avs?! Currently, he is being listed as indefinitely out. This, needless to say, is bad. So now the bigger question is how will Budaj respond, and will we try and make any moves to get another goalie to help shoulder the load?
Matt Duchene
He's playing well, and has decent numbers (2 goal and 6 assists), but he seems like he is trying to do too much at times. He's getting chances, but really looks like he's trying to be too cute sometimes. I think he'll get through it, but you gotta hope that this Calder finalist won't fall victim to the sophomore slump.
All in all, my general assessment of this team is that they are, by and large, exactly the same as last year. Lots of shots, will rely heavily on their goalie and on a bunch of really young players that we aren't totally sure are going to be able to live up to their expectations. I'm not going to write them off yet, but I do believe that the Avs will be fortunate to make the playoffs this year. So here's hoping. GO AVS!
First off, bright spots. John Michael Liles has been a HUGE bright spot. 0 goals, but 11 assists in 9 games, with a record setting assist in each game. He's not a big guy, and he doesn't have a huge shot, but he's a very fast skater who can get the puck to the net and let the bigger guys get things done. With 11 points in the first 9 games, you have to think that cracking 40 points will be a no brainer. Could be a career year for Liles.
Daniel Winnik was possibly the best offseason pickup by the Avs this year. This guy is fast, and smart. He's great defensively, and is able to contribute offensively. He logs a bunch of penalty minutes, and may get you 15 goals, great contribution from a 3rd line guy. I have been amazingly impressed by this guy, and won't be surprised to see his ice time continue to go up.
Chris Stewart. Always wonder about a guy who really busts out in a contract year. Wonder if he can put out that same type of effort now that he got a raise. So far, so good. 5 goals, including that amazing bomb (at 33 seconds) that beat the great Martin Brodeur. This guy is the real deal. I'm expecting 30 goals from him.
Minuses.
Special Teams.
As pointed out by several people, such as Adian Dater, have pointed out that the Avs are very undersized on the blue line, which hurts both your special teams. Hard when you don't have a big guy to get a big shot on the PP, and then you also can't keep your crease clear on the PK. Avs PK is located towards the bottom of the league, and the PP has given up 4 short handed goals, which you just can't do. This could be a big deciding factor in whether or not the Avs make the playoffs.
Defense
Again, thus far, the Avs D has looked about the same. Giving up tons of shots against, and just not getting involved enough offensively (with the exception of Liles of course). They're small, and very young. Holos has been a great surprise, and has even helped out the PP a bit, but this team lacks a really big #1 style shut down defensemen that isn't in his 20th year in the league. I love Footer, but that guy is old, and not long for this league.
4th line.
Really, we don't have one. They play, but we really don't get much productivity out of them. And, again, they are small. Our biggest guy, David Koci, is also our most worthless guy. He was a healthy scratch almost all of last season, and when he was on the ice, his job isn't to play, it's to fight. We lack a strong checking, very physical, and intimidating 4th line.
Question marks.
Craig Anderson
Slow down, I love this guy! The question is definitely not about his ability, it's more about whether or not he can handle the same type of load that Joe Sacco gave him last year. He faced more shots than anybody in the NHL, and made more saves, last year. Had 7 shutouts, and was just amazing. I'm more questioning how he will be used, because I think he was tired by the time we were giving up 50 shots each playoff game to the Sharks. He needs help. edit: Of course, now the question has become when is he going to be back for the Avs?! Currently, he is being listed as indefinitely out. This, needless to say, is bad. So now the bigger question is how will Budaj respond, and will we try and make any moves to get another goalie to help shoulder the load?
Matt Duchene
He's playing well, and has decent numbers (2 goal and 6 assists), but he seems like he is trying to do too much at times. He's getting chances, but really looks like he's trying to be too cute sometimes. I think he'll get through it, but you gotta hope that this Calder finalist won't fall victim to the sophomore slump.
All in all, my general assessment of this team is that they are, by and large, exactly the same as last year. Lots of shots, will rely heavily on their goalie and on a bunch of really young players that we aren't totally sure are going to be able to live up to their expectations. I'm not going to write them off yet, but I do believe that the Avs will be fortunate to make the playoffs this year. So here's hoping. GO AVS!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
KGs week 7 picks!
Well, I was 10-4 last week, for a season total of 53-37. Of course, on my best week, A-mac also had her best week, going 11-3. Well, here's hoping that I can keep the spread between us. Week 7!! Let's do it!
Jacksonville @ Kansas City: Jacksonville got absolutely smoked last week, so we know that they are going to want to come out and put their best foot forward. Kansas City is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Houston, a game they really should have been able to put away. But that's what happens to teams while they are learning to win. I'll take KC bouncing back at home in this one.
Philadelphia @ Tennessee: Kevin Kolb is playing very well, and the Titans may have to go back with Kerry Collins again. Not that that is a horrible thing, we know Collins knows how to get things done with that offense. And the Tennessee D is always in people's faces. This has the makings of a very good game, but I'll take Tennessee at home in this one.
Buffalo @ Baltimore: This isn't a tough one at all. I feel bad for Buffalo, they are going to get hammered in this one.
Cleveland @ New Orleans: New Orleans had a great game last week, and now gets another team with absolutely no secondary to speak of. This should be another route for the Saints.
Washington @ Chicago: Yeah, Washington's secondary isn't that great, but they have a very good pass rush, against a really, REALLY bad offensive line. Cutler will get to know Brian Orakpo pretty well during this game. I think we can expect another 7+ sack game for the Bear's offensive line.
Cincinnati @ Atlanta: This could be a good game, here. Cinci is struggling, but it coming off of their bye week. Also, chances are decent we may not see Dunta Robinson this week, as he is still recovering from his mutual concussion that he shared with Desean Jackson last week. That will weaken their secondary a bit. This is one of those swing games. I look for the Bengals to get back to .500 in this game.
Pittsburgh @ Miami: Steelers head into Miami, fresh off of James Harrison's sparsely attended pity party. She Said No had a great game last week, throwing for 3 TDs. Miami's D probably won't let him do that, but the Miami offense is going to have to be at their unpredictable best if they want to have any shot in this game. Again, potential for a hell of a game here, because Miami's offense can keep lots of people guessing, nonetheless, I'll pick the Steelers in this one. I wonder what the odds are that Harrison gets fined again, or suspended after this week is.
San Francisco @ Carolina: The Niners have a chance to win 2 in a row, and this is the team to do it against. Definitely need to keep giving Crabtree a chance to make the big plays, and Carolina doesn't have much of a run D, so that could open things up for play action and such. Niners win 2 in a row, and the heat continues underneath Mike Singletary's rear end.
St. Louis @ Tampa Bay: Hats off to St. Louis this year, they have definitely over-achieved. I don't think anybody expected them to do any better than they did last year, and now they're in playoff discussions (because the NFC west is really weak again). Tampa has done better than expected as well, but has still shown how bad they are at times. St. Louis still has a good running game, and that has really helped keep Sam Bradford comfortable. That will be the key again here, give me the Rams.
Arizona @ Seattle: Arizona is struggling, understandably so. They need to get that chemistry built up again between Anderson, or whoever is quarterbacking this week, and the wide receivers. Seattle is another team overachieving. Nobody expected anything from them, but they are also in playoff discussions. I think the Seahawks keep things going against the Cards.
New England @ San Diego: San Diego is favored in this one, though I'm not terribly sure why. San Diego has played the choke artist all year. Granted, that's all this team has really ever done, but still. These are probably the 2 teams that I like to see lose the most right now. Sadly, in this game, only 1 team can lose. I would love to see them tie, because I can only imagine the fit that Brady would throw after that. Well, Tomara Brady and her (sorry, it's the hair) Pats should win this one.
Oakland @ Denver: Well, Denver should win this game, but they have this weird habit of always looking past the Raiders, even when they are having bad years like this (the broncos) and getting beat by them at home. Again, they should win, but seem to usually find a way to lose. I'll still take the Broncos, but it won't shock me if they choke this one away. I'm still wondering what week they will quit on McD this year.
Minnesota @ Green Bay: Well, we're still waiting for the Packers to be the clear cut NFC leaders that everybody expected this year. I think they need to give themselves more balance before that will happen. Favre is old, and nowhere near as good. He will hurt himself and his team in this game once again. Packers.
NY Giants @ Dallas: I have the perfect solution for how the Cowboys can avoid those stupid celebration penalties they seem to keep giving themselves. Don't score any touchdowns. This team continues to beat itself, and then wonder why they lose. Until they grow up, they'll just continue to spiral downwards. And the G-men have definitely risen back up to where they should have been all year. Look for Romo to get beat around in this one, and for a good Giants victory.
Here goes another good week!! Bring it on A-Mac!!
Jacksonville @ Kansas City: Jacksonville got absolutely smoked last week, so we know that they are going to want to come out and put their best foot forward. Kansas City is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Houston, a game they really should have been able to put away. But that's what happens to teams while they are learning to win. I'll take KC bouncing back at home in this one.
Philadelphia @ Tennessee: Kevin Kolb is playing very well, and the Titans may have to go back with Kerry Collins again. Not that that is a horrible thing, we know Collins knows how to get things done with that offense. And the Tennessee D is always in people's faces. This has the makings of a very good game, but I'll take Tennessee at home in this one.
Buffalo @ Baltimore: This isn't a tough one at all. I feel bad for Buffalo, they are going to get hammered in this one.
Cleveland @ New Orleans: New Orleans had a great game last week, and now gets another team with absolutely no secondary to speak of. This should be another route for the Saints.
Washington @ Chicago: Yeah, Washington's secondary isn't that great, but they have a very good pass rush, against a really, REALLY bad offensive line. Cutler will get to know Brian Orakpo pretty well during this game. I think we can expect another 7+ sack game for the Bear's offensive line.
Cincinnati @ Atlanta: This could be a good game, here. Cinci is struggling, but it coming off of their bye week. Also, chances are decent we may not see Dunta Robinson this week, as he is still recovering from his mutual concussion that he shared with Desean Jackson last week. That will weaken their secondary a bit. This is one of those swing games. I look for the Bengals to get back to .500 in this game.
Pittsburgh @ Miami: Steelers head into Miami, fresh off of James Harrison's sparsely attended pity party. She Said No had a great game last week, throwing for 3 TDs. Miami's D probably won't let him do that, but the Miami offense is going to have to be at their unpredictable best if they want to have any shot in this game. Again, potential for a hell of a game here, because Miami's offense can keep lots of people guessing, nonetheless, I'll pick the Steelers in this one. I wonder what the odds are that Harrison gets fined again, or suspended after this week is.
San Francisco @ Carolina: The Niners have a chance to win 2 in a row, and this is the team to do it against. Definitely need to keep giving Crabtree a chance to make the big plays, and Carolina doesn't have much of a run D, so that could open things up for play action and such. Niners win 2 in a row, and the heat continues underneath Mike Singletary's rear end.
St. Louis @ Tampa Bay: Hats off to St. Louis this year, they have definitely over-achieved. I don't think anybody expected them to do any better than they did last year, and now they're in playoff discussions (because the NFC west is really weak again). Tampa has done better than expected as well, but has still shown how bad they are at times. St. Louis still has a good running game, and that has really helped keep Sam Bradford comfortable. That will be the key again here, give me the Rams.
Arizona @ Seattle: Arizona is struggling, understandably so. They need to get that chemistry built up again between Anderson, or whoever is quarterbacking this week, and the wide receivers. Seattle is another team overachieving. Nobody expected anything from them, but they are also in playoff discussions. I think the Seahawks keep things going against the Cards.
New England @ San Diego: San Diego is favored in this one, though I'm not terribly sure why. San Diego has played the choke artist all year. Granted, that's all this team has really ever done, but still. These are probably the 2 teams that I like to see lose the most right now. Sadly, in this game, only 1 team can lose. I would love to see them tie, because I can only imagine the fit that Brady would throw after that. Well, Tomara Brady and her (sorry, it's the hair) Pats should win this one.
Oakland @ Denver: Well, Denver should win this game, but they have this weird habit of always looking past the Raiders, even when they are having bad years like this (the broncos) and getting beat by them at home. Again, they should win, but seem to usually find a way to lose. I'll still take the Broncos, but it won't shock me if they choke this one away. I'm still wondering what week they will quit on McD this year.
Minnesota @ Green Bay: Well, we're still waiting for the Packers to be the clear cut NFC leaders that everybody expected this year. I think they need to give themselves more balance before that will happen. Favre is old, and nowhere near as good. He will hurt himself and his team in this game once again. Packers.
NY Giants @ Dallas: I have the perfect solution for how the Cowboys can avoid those stupid celebration penalties they seem to keep giving themselves. Don't score any touchdowns. This team continues to beat itself, and then wonder why they lose. Until they grow up, they'll just continue to spiral downwards. And the G-men have definitely risen back up to where they should have been all year. Look for Romo to get beat around in this one, and for a good Giants victory.
Here goes another good week!! Bring it on A-Mac!!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
NFL and the Head Hits
The only thing that I can say here is wow. The players are going absolutely nuts with the NFL's newest points of emphasis here when it comes to the hits to the head. Now, this was an especially brutal weekend, as many people have brought up, where there were 4 pretty darn serious hits that would make any of us cringe a little bit. I was also watching Sports Center last night, and they were also reporting that, to this point in the season, there has been a jump of 14 concussion/head related injuries amongst players, from 21 to 35. Now that is pretty significant.
That jump, as well as the rather brutal weekend, led the NFL to say that they may begin to do more than just fine people for those particularly violent hits to the head. They may begin suspending players for this. So here's the long lasting, and very heated, debate that is going to be looming with players now. Is the league going too far in their punishment of these types of violent hits?
We certainly know where many of the players stand on this debate, as mentioned here by Yahoo Sports contributor Chris Chase. By and large, of course, the defensive players are going to be more riled up, as you see with Urlacher's comments in the article above. James Harrison has even threatened to retire because he isn't sure how to play football anymore. The players certainly have hit the right note of overly dramatic reactions to this whole situation.
The players are insinuating that the NFL is trying to take out one of the inherent attributes of football, the big hit. They are saying that people should expect injuries in football, that it is violent by nature, and to take this kind of a stand on hits to the head is analogous to, as Urlacher said, just putting flags on everybody and making it the National Flag Football League instead of the National Football League.
Now, I teach high school, so I am very familiar with the concept of people blowing things out of proportion when it doesn't work for them. Personally, I'm with the league on this; and I have a feeling that if the players think about this, instead of going with their initial, emotional reactions, then they will see this as well. The NFL is not out here saying, don't tackle hard, don't make big hits, don't make the play that you've always been taught to make in this situation. The NFL is saying respect your fellow players, and don't go for the kill, so to speak. There is a difference, no matter what the players say, between good, hard tackling that adheres to the fundamentals everybody is taught, and trying to hurt people.
Look at that hit that Brandon Meriweather put on Todd Heap on Sunday. That hit is exactly the kind of thing the NFL is trying to get rid of. That is an incredibly dangerous hit on a play where Meriweather had to have seen that the ball was already out of Heap's hands and the pass was incomplete. Then there was the Dunta Robinson hit on Desean Jackson. I understand the flag during the game because it was bang bang, and if you see the hit, you see Jackson's head fly back, as if his head got nailed. But the fine for this one, I have to believe, will be overturned because he clearly lead with his shoulder, not his head. This type of hit is the one that is not illegal, and that people are not trying to get rid of.
Then there's James Harrison. I feel that the announcers do a good job of differentiating why the hit on Cribbs was not flagged, versus why the hit on Massaquoi was. Here are both of the hits. So, people against these new points of emphasis are to tell me that Harrison wouldn't be able to make a legal tackle that doesn't involve him driving his forearms through Massaquoi's chin and still prevent him from making the catch? Really?
Now, let's also be realistic about this. The NFL has made these types of hits a point of emphasis in the last few years, doing more fining and flagging things like this more often. Yet, as I said at the beginning, there has been this spike of head injuries on these types of hits. What is the NFL supposed to do, just allow it to continue? Here's why I think the NFL is in the right on this. People say that this is what makes football exciting. Well, in my opinion, if the excitement comes from the types of hits that can end people's careers, or even their lives, then there is something wrong in the sport. If there aren't people willing to play the sport, because this injury gets out of control, then there won't be a game at all. Your players are what make the game exciting, and the NFL is doing the absolute right thing in protecting them.
I am open to other's opinions on this, so please share away!
That jump, as well as the rather brutal weekend, led the NFL to say that they may begin to do more than just fine people for those particularly violent hits to the head. They may begin suspending players for this. So here's the long lasting, and very heated, debate that is going to be looming with players now. Is the league going too far in their punishment of these types of violent hits?
We certainly know where many of the players stand on this debate, as mentioned here by Yahoo Sports contributor Chris Chase. By and large, of course, the defensive players are going to be more riled up, as you see with Urlacher's comments in the article above. James Harrison has even threatened to retire because he isn't sure how to play football anymore. The players certainly have hit the right note of overly dramatic reactions to this whole situation.
The players are insinuating that the NFL is trying to take out one of the inherent attributes of football, the big hit. They are saying that people should expect injuries in football, that it is violent by nature, and to take this kind of a stand on hits to the head is analogous to, as Urlacher said, just putting flags on everybody and making it the National Flag Football League instead of the National Football League.
Now, I teach high school, so I am very familiar with the concept of people blowing things out of proportion when it doesn't work for them. Personally, I'm with the league on this; and I have a feeling that if the players think about this, instead of going with their initial, emotional reactions, then they will see this as well. The NFL is not out here saying, don't tackle hard, don't make big hits, don't make the play that you've always been taught to make in this situation. The NFL is saying respect your fellow players, and don't go for the kill, so to speak. There is a difference, no matter what the players say, between good, hard tackling that adheres to the fundamentals everybody is taught, and trying to hurt people.
Look at that hit that Brandon Meriweather put on Todd Heap on Sunday. That hit is exactly the kind of thing the NFL is trying to get rid of. That is an incredibly dangerous hit on a play where Meriweather had to have seen that the ball was already out of Heap's hands and the pass was incomplete. Then there was the Dunta Robinson hit on Desean Jackson. I understand the flag during the game because it was bang bang, and if you see the hit, you see Jackson's head fly back, as if his head got nailed. But the fine for this one, I have to believe, will be overturned because he clearly lead with his shoulder, not his head. This type of hit is the one that is not illegal, and that people are not trying to get rid of.
Then there's James Harrison. I feel that the announcers do a good job of differentiating why the hit on Cribbs was not flagged, versus why the hit on Massaquoi was. Here are both of the hits. So, people against these new points of emphasis are to tell me that Harrison wouldn't be able to make a legal tackle that doesn't involve him driving his forearms through Massaquoi's chin and still prevent him from making the catch? Really?
Now, let's also be realistic about this. The NFL has made these types of hits a point of emphasis in the last few years, doing more fining and flagging things like this more often. Yet, as I said at the beginning, there has been this spike of head injuries on these types of hits. What is the NFL supposed to do, just allow it to continue? Here's why I think the NFL is in the right on this. People say that this is what makes football exciting. Well, in my opinion, if the excitement comes from the types of hits that can end people's careers, or even their lives, then there is something wrong in the sport. If there aren't people willing to play the sport, because this injury gets out of control, then there won't be a game at all. Your players are what make the game exciting, and the NFL is doing the absolute right thing in protecting them.
I am open to other's opinions on this, so please share away!
Monday, October 18, 2010
BCS Drama...Already!?
It's no secret that most people in the world of college football cannot stand the BCS ranking system. Every year there seems to be somebody left out, or just completely screwed over, for lack of a better term, by the BCS. This year, we've only had one poll brought out by the BCS, and there is already controversy.
Even though they are ranked #3 by both of the "important" human polls, Oklahoma has managed to grab the #1 ranking in the BCS system, with Oregon #2 (but #1 in both important human polls), and Boise State (#2 in both important human polls) rounding out the top 3. People say it every single year, but this BCS system makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, and people have been calling for its head almost since it began! The original intent was that it would get rid of the controversy and provide a clear cut national champion every single year. Well, that hasn't happened.
Why does this happen, you might ask. Well, that's a fantastic question. I've actually been trying to pay attention to college football this year so that I can be a better informed sports writer, and I've looked into the whole system for creating the BCS ranking. If you dare read on, I warn you, you will be confused by the end of this.
As best as I can understand it, the BCS ranking is figured by averaging 3 rankings. One coming from the Harris Interactive Poll. The second coming from the coaches poll. The third from the computer ranking system. They will then take all 3 of those rankings, and average them. Seems straight forward enough, I suppose, but here's the problem, none of the 3 of these use the same criteria. Some of these polls are influenced by things like margin of victory, or rank of your opponent. Others are not.
Then, the big issue that jumps out at me with this is that the computer rankings take 6 other people's ranking systems, which are also not the same, and use those to calculate its rank. Plus, the explanation for it is ridiculous and incredibly difficult to follow. Here is the explanation I got from a web page saying it was explaining all of this for us all to understand.
"The computer rankings percentage is calculated by dropping the highest and lowest ranking for each team and then dividing the remaining total by 100, the maximum possible points. (Example: the 6 rankers have Team A ranked 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, and 4. Take away the 2 and 4 which leaves an average of 3rd place. The BCS quotient of this component would be 0.92. (23 / 25 = 0.92)."
Here's what I understand. Each rank has a qualifying number of points to go along with it, 1-25. Rank #1 has 25 points, and the points descend by 1 until they get to the #25 team, which only gets one point. So, how does this relate to the BCS computer formula. Well, let's look at it this way. Back to the same problem. We have the ranks as follows from our 6 computer guys. 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4. 2 & 4 get dropped for an average of 3. Meaning out of the 25 possible voter points, they get 23. 23/25 = .92. Then we get to average the others out here. So if they are #1 in the other polls, they would get the solution of 25/25, which is 1. So, 1 + 1 + .92 / 3 = .973. Then, whoever has the highest point total is the #1 rank.
Now I know what you're thinking. How can something this clear possibly cause any type of controversy whatsoever? Seriously, this thing is insane!!! How can anybody possibly understand this!? There are far too many cooks in this kitchen! 3 polls, with multiple pollsters in each of them using different criteria to rank the teams. There is no way this can match up.
Solution? There's a few. First, since college football will almost never go to a playoff system, which would be the clearest way to fix this, means there just needs to be a better way of ranking these. Now, I have no idea why there are so many polls, but one of the simplest solutions, to me anyways, seems like we should just get rid of, or at least not recognize officially, some of these polls. For years there was the Coaches Poll and the AP Poll, which created several split championships. Why not just trust the coaches? Aren't they the ones that know the most about all of this? If you just went by the coaches poll, then you only have one team to recognize. You can keep the whole national title game where #1 plays #2, but that way there aren't any convoluted formulas, which vary by person and computer, to screw you up. Or maybe just go with the AP, but come on, people want a clear cut, no questions asked, national champion. You could even throw a special clause in for a just in case and 1 game.
All I know is that fans of college football, and of sports in general, are sick and tired of the garbage that the BCS has put us through several times. The BCS will never, EVER, give love to teams that deserve legit shots at the national title like Boise State and TCU and others because it doesn't take into account things it should. So let's get something that is straight forward, transparent, can be understood by everybody, and that gives all schools an equal shot at things. Come on NCAA, it's long past time.
Even though they are ranked #3 by both of the "important" human polls, Oklahoma has managed to grab the #1 ranking in the BCS system, with Oregon #2 (but #1 in both important human polls), and Boise State (#2 in both important human polls) rounding out the top 3. People say it every single year, but this BCS system makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, and people have been calling for its head almost since it began! The original intent was that it would get rid of the controversy and provide a clear cut national champion every single year. Well, that hasn't happened.
Why does this happen, you might ask. Well, that's a fantastic question. I've actually been trying to pay attention to college football this year so that I can be a better informed sports writer, and I've looked into the whole system for creating the BCS ranking. If you dare read on, I warn you, you will be confused by the end of this.
As best as I can understand it, the BCS ranking is figured by averaging 3 rankings. One coming from the Harris Interactive Poll. The second coming from the coaches poll. The third from the computer ranking system. They will then take all 3 of those rankings, and average them. Seems straight forward enough, I suppose, but here's the problem, none of the 3 of these use the same criteria. Some of these polls are influenced by things like margin of victory, or rank of your opponent. Others are not.
Then, the big issue that jumps out at me with this is that the computer rankings take 6 other people's ranking systems, which are also not the same, and use those to calculate its rank. Plus, the explanation for it is ridiculous and incredibly difficult to follow. Here is the explanation I got from a web page saying it was explaining all of this for us all to understand.
"The computer rankings percentage is calculated by dropping the highest and lowest ranking for each team and then dividing the remaining total by 100, the maximum possible points. (Example: the 6 rankers have Team A ranked 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, and 4. Take away the 2 and 4 which leaves an average of 3rd place. The BCS quotient of this component would be 0.92. (23 / 25 = 0.92)."
Here's what I understand. Each rank has a qualifying number of points to go along with it, 1-25. Rank #1 has 25 points, and the points descend by 1 until they get to the #25 team, which only gets one point. So, how does this relate to the BCS computer formula. Well, let's look at it this way. Back to the same problem. We have the ranks as follows from our 6 computer guys. 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4. 2 & 4 get dropped for an average of 3. Meaning out of the 25 possible voter points, they get 23. 23/25 = .92. Then we get to average the others out here. So if they are #1 in the other polls, they would get the solution of 25/25, which is 1. So, 1 + 1 + .92 / 3 = .973. Then, whoever has the highest point total is the #1 rank.
Now I know what you're thinking. How can something this clear possibly cause any type of controversy whatsoever? Seriously, this thing is insane!!! How can anybody possibly understand this!? There are far too many cooks in this kitchen! 3 polls, with multiple pollsters in each of them using different criteria to rank the teams. There is no way this can match up.
Solution? There's a few. First, since college football will almost never go to a playoff system, which would be the clearest way to fix this, means there just needs to be a better way of ranking these. Now, I have no idea why there are so many polls, but one of the simplest solutions, to me anyways, seems like we should just get rid of, or at least not recognize officially, some of these polls. For years there was the Coaches Poll and the AP Poll, which created several split championships. Why not just trust the coaches? Aren't they the ones that know the most about all of this? If you just went by the coaches poll, then you only have one team to recognize. You can keep the whole national title game where #1 plays #2, but that way there aren't any convoluted formulas, which vary by person and computer, to screw you up. Or maybe just go with the AP, but come on, people want a clear cut, no questions asked, national champion. You could even throw a special clause in for a just in case and 1 game.
All I know is that fans of college football, and of sports in general, are sick and tired of the garbage that the BCS has put us through several times. The BCS will never, EVER, give love to teams that deserve legit shots at the national title like Boise State and TCU and others because it doesn't take into account things it should. So let's get something that is straight forward, transparent, can be understood by everybody, and that gives all schools an equal shot at things. Come on NCAA, it's long past time.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
AMacs week 6 picks
A Mac has been experiencing some technical difficulties, so I am going to post her picks for her. They have been texted my way. So, here they are.
Winners will be as follows, according to a-mac.
Seattle
Miami
San Diego
New England
NY Giants
Falcons
Pittsburgh
Saints
Chiefs
Jets
Vikings
Colts
Titans
San Francisco
Winners will be as follows, according to a-mac.
Seattle
Miami
San Diego
New England
NY Giants
Falcons
Pittsburgh
Saints
Chiefs
Jets
Vikings
Colts
Titans
San Francisco
Saturday, October 16, 2010
KGs Week 6 Picks
I was a respectable 9-5 last week, which has brought my season total to 10 games over .500. I'm still pretty short of my really awesome record from last year (146-78 for a percentage of 62% right), but my record thus far is 43-33 (56%) but there is still plenty of time left. So here we go with our week 6 picks!
Atlanta @ Philadelphia: This is sort of a tough one to pick because both teams have played well and not so well. Nobody really seems to be able to tell who these teams are quite yet. Vick is still out, so it's still Kevin Kolb. Falcons are 4-1, but haven't exactly been terribly convincing, with the exception of their beat down of Arizona. Philly is still struggling to find out how to play consistently with either of those 2 QBs. Atlanta has more stability, and, as a result, will take this one.
Cleveland @ Pittsburgh: Cleveland has played teams very tough, but no team comes tougher than the Steelers. Even with She Said No back in the lineup, and all the distraction that will be brought on by the media from his "extra curricular activities" that got him suspended in the first place, the Steelers know how to stay focused and win football games. They will beat the Browns.
Seattle @ Chicago: The Bears are the worst 1st place team in football. After a truly pathetic game in Carolina, and the Panters are included in that pathetic description, Bears get QB Cutler back. He's still a turnover waiting to happen, and the Seahawks have new energy under Pete Carroll. I'm going out on a limb and taking the Hawks.
Miami @ Green Bay: Green Bay has been very underwhelming this year. They are supposed to be the team that comes out, moves the ball at will, and scores a ton of points, but they haven't been doing that. Aaron Rodgers is going to play after the concussion that he got last week, but he hasn't been that great either. They're very inconsistent, and are facing a team that really knows how badly they need a win. The Fins have got to start winning if they want to get into the playoffs since they currently trail both the Jets and the Pats. They'll be ready to play, but I think GB's defense is the big difference maker here. They've played well enough to win, and have been let down by the offense. I think they will continue to make good plays, and will probably get some special teams help this week to get by the Fins.
Detroit @ NY Giants: Detroit absolutely clobbered St. Louis, but the G-men have found their feet and are starting to play like the team we always expect them to. Eli will have a field day against Detroit, and the G-men will win big.
New Orleans @ Tampa Bay: What is up with the Saints here? Give up the game against Atlanta, barely beat Carolina, and then lose to Arizona!? Who are these guys and where is the group that won the Super Bowl last year? Tampa has surprised everybody, and has really made the teams that are inconsistent pay for being inconsistent. I'm going to go with the Saints on this one because they've got to know how bad it would be to lose to this team. That will make their road just to get back to the playoffs extremely difficult. I'm not jumping ship yet, but I'm pretty close. Still, Saints win.
San Diego @ St. Louis: San Diego has been allowing teams that shouldn't beat them, beat them. They are definitely missing LT and Vincent Jackson, though their offense does still continue to produce. Nonetheless, I still have a hard time picking St. Louis in this game, so give me the Chargers.
Kansas City @ Houston: Now here's a tough game to pick. KC is coming off their first loss of the season, and Houston is looking to avoid losing 2 in a row here. Both of these teams have legit playoff hopes for the first time in a while, so who will play like the better playoff team? My gut tells me to go with Houston on this one, but it's going to be a really close game. If they can get their run game going against this suddenly stout KC defense, then it will be a good day for the Texans. I'll take Houston.
Baltimore @ New England: This one was a good game last year, that got spoiled by some late, really stupid calls against Baltimore since the league has to always protect girly man Tom Brady. The Ravens are stingy as ever on defense, and have made some offensive improvements. The Pats are still old on D, just traded away their biggest receiving weapon, and resigned another undersized receiver. The Pats are always tough at home, but, just like last year, I will take the Ravens in New England.
Oakland @ San Francisco: Man oh man, San Fran has fallen so far. I completely over-estimated the Niners this year when I predicted that Mike Singletary could very well be coach of the year. I suppose he still could, but they'll have to win every remaining game. Oakland is riding high after beating the Chargers in San Diego, so there may be a bit of a let down in this game. So, I'll take the Niners in a squeaker at home.
NY Jets @ Denver: My Broncos showed how they responded to a tough team that doesn't take penalties, they fold like a cheap lawn chair. The Broncos had an absurd amount of penalties, and never really had a chance. They also got run all over by Ray Rice and Willis McGahee. Look for that to be the same type of formula that the Jets follow. Run it hard, and let your tough defense beat up the other team. Orton will get his passing yards, only because they'll be playing from behind early on. Oh yeah, that and they have absolutely no running game. McD has definitely been a step backwards for the Broncos. Look for this team to quit on McD again very soon, just like they did last year.
Dallas @ Minnesota: 2 teams that we all expected a lot from, that are now going to be very lucky to even make the playoffs. Both teams are 1-3, and both have just killed themselves at times. Moss is back for the Vikes, which is a good thing for them, and Favre seems like he might not play this week, which may be better for the Vikes with all of the distraction from Favre's "sexting" that he's doing (allegedly). The Cowboys just keep doing stupid things to themselves. I know they weren't happy with that penalty from last week, but you have to know the rules regarding celebrations. But then you can't blame the fact that your special teams gave up a 73 yard run, and your defense couldn't stop the other team when they needed to, on the stupid penalty that you took. Dallas, to me, will find another way to beat themselves, and the Vikes will improve to 2-3.
Indianapolis @ Washington: Washington has been perplexing. They haven't really been that great, but they haven't given up a lot of points and have stayed in games. Indy has been moving pretty well, but hasn't scored a lot of points. They had a gutsy win against a much improved KC team last week, and I look for them to build on that this week. Colts win.
Tennessee @ Jacksonville: Tough division this one. All teams sitting at 3-2, and all in need of a win. Jacksonville has managed to hang around, and Tennessee has lost some close games. I still see Tennessee as the superior team here, so I'll go with them on my Monday night game.
Here's hoping for 14-0!! Let's see your picks A-Mac!
Atlanta @ Philadelphia: This is sort of a tough one to pick because both teams have played well and not so well. Nobody really seems to be able to tell who these teams are quite yet. Vick is still out, so it's still Kevin Kolb. Falcons are 4-1, but haven't exactly been terribly convincing, with the exception of their beat down of Arizona. Philly is still struggling to find out how to play consistently with either of those 2 QBs. Atlanta has more stability, and, as a result, will take this one.
Cleveland @ Pittsburgh: Cleveland has played teams very tough, but no team comes tougher than the Steelers. Even with She Said No back in the lineup, and all the distraction that will be brought on by the media from his "extra curricular activities" that got him suspended in the first place, the Steelers know how to stay focused and win football games. They will beat the Browns.
Seattle @ Chicago: The Bears are the worst 1st place team in football. After a truly pathetic game in Carolina, and the Panters are included in that pathetic description, Bears get QB Cutler back. He's still a turnover waiting to happen, and the Seahawks have new energy under Pete Carroll. I'm going out on a limb and taking the Hawks.
Miami @ Green Bay: Green Bay has been very underwhelming this year. They are supposed to be the team that comes out, moves the ball at will, and scores a ton of points, but they haven't been doing that. Aaron Rodgers is going to play after the concussion that he got last week, but he hasn't been that great either. They're very inconsistent, and are facing a team that really knows how badly they need a win. The Fins have got to start winning if they want to get into the playoffs since they currently trail both the Jets and the Pats. They'll be ready to play, but I think GB's defense is the big difference maker here. They've played well enough to win, and have been let down by the offense. I think they will continue to make good plays, and will probably get some special teams help this week to get by the Fins.
Detroit @ NY Giants: Detroit absolutely clobbered St. Louis, but the G-men have found their feet and are starting to play like the team we always expect them to. Eli will have a field day against Detroit, and the G-men will win big.
New Orleans @ Tampa Bay: What is up with the Saints here? Give up the game against Atlanta, barely beat Carolina, and then lose to Arizona!? Who are these guys and where is the group that won the Super Bowl last year? Tampa has surprised everybody, and has really made the teams that are inconsistent pay for being inconsistent. I'm going to go with the Saints on this one because they've got to know how bad it would be to lose to this team. That will make their road just to get back to the playoffs extremely difficult. I'm not jumping ship yet, but I'm pretty close. Still, Saints win.
San Diego @ St. Louis: San Diego has been allowing teams that shouldn't beat them, beat them. They are definitely missing LT and Vincent Jackson, though their offense does still continue to produce. Nonetheless, I still have a hard time picking St. Louis in this game, so give me the Chargers.
Kansas City @ Houston: Now here's a tough game to pick. KC is coming off their first loss of the season, and Houston is looking to avoid losing 2 in a row here. Both of these teams have legit playoff hopes for the first time in a while, so who will play like the better playoff team? My gut tells me to go with Houston on this one, but it's going to be a really close game. If they can get their run game going against this suddenly stout KC defense, then it will be a good day for the Texans. I'll take Houston.
Baltimore @ New England: This one was a good game last year, that got spoiled by some late, really stupid calls against Baltimore since the league has to always protect girly man Tom Brady. The Ravens are stingy as ever on defense, and have made some offensive improvements. The Pats are still old on D, just traded away their biggest receiving weapon, and resigned another undersized receiver. The Pats are always tough at home, but, just like last year, I will take the Ravens in New England.
Oakland @ San Francisco: Man oh man, San Fran has fallen so far. I completely over-estimated the Niners this year when I predicted that Mike Singletary could very well be coach of the year. I suppose he still could, but they'll have to win every remaining game. Oakland is riding high after beating the Chargers in San Diego, so there may be a bit of a let down in this game. So, I'll take the Niners in a squeaker at home.
NY Jets @ Denver: My Broncos showed how they responded to a tough team that doesn't take penalties, they fold like a cheap lawn chair. The Broncos had an absurd amount of penalties, and never really had a chance. They also got run all over by Ray Rice and Willis McGahee. Look for that to be the same type of formula that the Jets follow. Run it hard, and let your tough defense beat up the other team. Orton will get his passing yards, only because they'll be playing from behind early on. Oh yeah, that and they have absolutely no running game. McD has definitely been a step backwards for the Broncos. Look for this team to quit on McD again very soon, just like they did last year.
Dallas @ Minnesota: 2 teams that we all expected a lot from, that are now going to be very lucky to even make the playoffs. Both teams are 1-3, and both have just killed themselves at times. Moss is back for the Vikes, which is a good thing for them, and Favre seems like he might not play this week, which may be better for the Vikes with all of the distraction from Favre's "sexting" that he's doing (allegedly). The Cowboys just keep doing stupid things to themselves. I know they weren't happy with that penalty from last week, but you have to know the rules regarding celebrations. But then you can't blame the fact that your special teams gave up a 73 yard run, and your defense couldn't stop the other team when they needed to, on the stupid penalty that you took. Dallas, to me, will find another way to beat themselves, and the Vikes will improve to 2-3.
Indianapolis @ Washington: Washington has been perplexing. They haven't really been that great, but they haven't given up a lot of points and have stayed in games. Indy has been moving pretty well, but hasn't scored a lot of points. They had a gutsy win against a much improved KC team last week, and I look for them to build on that this week. Colts win.
Tennessee @ Jacksonville: Tough division this one. All teams sitting at 3-2, and all in need of a win. Jacksonville has managed to hang around, and Tennessee has lost some close games. I still see Tennessee as the superior team here, so I'll go with them on my Monday night game.
Here's hoping for 14-0!! Let's see your picks A-Mac!
Friday, October 15, 2010
NHL Season Preview: Eastern Conference
A couple of days ago we dealt with the Western Conference, and tonight we get to deal with the Eastern Conference. So, here we go!
Atlantic Conference:
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
When you talk about this division, you have so much to talk about. Crosby, Malkin, Kovalchuk, Parise, Fleury, Broduer, Tavares, Richards, Lundqvist. This is a loaded division. The Pens have had a rough start in their new arena, but you know that they'll rebound. Though the loss of Sergei Gonchar is not something that should be taken lightly. Philly, you know, must be brimming with confidence after their playoff run. And if their new young goalie continues on his good beginning, then they could be the next cup champs. Islanders will still stink, and the Rangers could sneak in if they are very, VERY lucky. We could probably see 3 playoff teams from this division again. But, in the end, I think our division winner may be the one returning to the cup finals. Most people are going to ride the Pens or the Devils;
Division Winner: Philadelphia Flyers
Northeast Division:
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Montreal Canadiens
Ottowa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Another very decent division. Though the Leafs have been down and out from the beginning, I think that they may be THE Eastern Conference dark horse that comes out to play. J.S. Giguere is an outstanding goalie that has won a Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe (of course not in the same year). Hard to look down on the Sabres while they have Ryan Miller, thought their offense has a lot left to be desired. The Habs, I bet, will still probably make the playoffs, but I doubt they win this division. Look for the Bruins to repeat.
Division Winner: Boston Bruins
Southeast Division:
Atlanta Thrashers
Carolina Hurricanes
Florida Panters
Tampa Bay Lightning
Washington Capitals
I don't think that there is any secret about who is going to win this division. The Capitals have been one of the best teams in the NHL for the last few years, yet always come up short in the playoffs. The question isn't whether or not that Caps win this division, it's whether or not they will win the President's tropy, the entire Eastern Conference, and the Stanley Cup. Plus, 2 teams from Florida in the NHL? I mean, come on. Move one of these guys back to Canada where they appreciate their hockey. Easy choice.
Division Winner: Washington Capitals.
Though watch for tampa to make a run at the playoffs. This team is much better than they were.
Atlantic Conference:
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
When you talk about this division, you have so much to talk about. Crosby, Malkin, Kovalchuk, Parise, Fleury, Broduer, Tavares, Richards, Lundqvist. This is a loaded division. The Pens have had a rough start in their new arena, but you know that they'll rebound. Though the loss of Sergei Gonchar is not something that should be taken lightly. Philly, you know, must be brimming with confidence after their playoff run. And if their new young goalie continues on his good beginning, then they could be the next cup champs. Islanders will still stink, and the Rangers could sneak in if they are very, VERY lucky. We could probably see 3 playoff teams from this division again. But, in the end, I think our division winner may be the one returning to the cup finals. Most people are going to ride the Pens or the Devils;
Division Winner: Philadelphia Flyers
Northeast Division:
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Montreal Canadiens
Ottowa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Another very decent division. Though the Leafs have been down and out from the beginning, I think that they may be THE Eastern Conference dark horse that comes out to play. J.S. Giguere is an outstanding goalie that has won a Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe (of course not in the same year). Hard to look down on the Sabres while they have Ryan Miller, thought their offense has a lot left to be desired. The Habs, I bet, will still probably make the playoffs, but I doubt they win this division. Look for the Bruins to repeat.
Division Winner: Boston Bruins
Southeast Division:
Atlanta Thrashers
Carolina Hurricanes
Florida Panters
Tampa Bay Lightning
Washington Capitals
I don't think that there is any secret about who is going to win this division. The Capitals have been one of the best teams in the NHL for the last few years, yet always come up short in the playoffs. The question isn't whether or not that Caps win this division, it's whether or not they will win the President's tropy, the entire Eastern Conference, and the Stanley Cup. Plus, 2 teams from Florida in the NHL? I mean, come on. Move one of these guys back to Canada where they appreciate their hockey. Easy choice.
Division Winner: Washington Capitals.
Though watch for tampa to make a run at the playoffs. This team is much better than they were.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
NHL Season Preview: Western Conference!
We are still plenty early in the season, so I thought that I would take a moment to give my season preview for the NHL. People are quite familiar with my feelings on hockey, as I do believe that it is currently the most exciting game to watch in the world right now, and I certainly hope that you all will join me and my excitement for this exhilarating game! Now, let's have a look at each division and conference. Starting with the best conference, the Western Conference.
Central Division:
Chicago Blackhawks
Columbus Blue Jackets
Detroit Red Wings
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues.
All of these teams, except for the Preds, have colors in them. Fun fact, but completely irrelevant to the conversation. Now, as many people know, the Blackhawks are the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. They just raised their Stanley Cup Championship Banner the other night. But their offseason was not pretty. Serious salary cap issues forced them to get rid of a number of the players that were key to getting them to that Stanley Cup. Most notably, Dustin Byfuglien and Antti Niemi. Niemi played incredibly on their way to the cup, and Byfuglien could not be stopped from in front of the net. They did pick up Marty Turco, life-long good regular season goalie but playoff choke artist, to help them out in goal, but the physical presence that Byfuglien brought will be sorely missed.
The Detroit Red Wings made waves by signing long time rival Mike Modano. Jimmy Howard played great for them in goal last year, and was a Calder finalist, NHL rookie of the year award, the big question will be about whether or not he can avoid a sophomore slump. They didn't really do too much, otherwise, to make themselves any younger, and the question for the Wings does revolve around whether or not they remain too old. There is no doubt of their skill, with players like Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and others, but will they be able to push past other teams in their division.
The sleeper team in this division is the St. Louis Blues. Now, you might say what about Nashville, well they've been the sleeper in this division for a while. Usually competitive, but just not quite there. The big thing that makes the Blues a possibility is their big goalie acquisition this year. Jaraslov Halak. Now, Halak played OUT OF HIS MIND in last year's playoffs with the Montreal Canadiens. The big question is was this just a random fluke, or can he be the real deal? Now, people are fare too excited about him right now, claiming that he is this absolutely legit goalie, but one decent playoff run does not a franchise goalie make. He played scary good last year, no denying that, but we'll see what he's made of with a young Blues team that has a lot of talent, but a lot of shortcomings too. This team could be a surprise.
Columbus is the sad story in this division. Mainly because they just are never able to get over that hump. They have never been able to build a solid foundation around Rick Nash, and probably won't. Nash's contract keeps him in Columbus until 2018, but he may want out before that since he will never, EVER win a Stanley Cup in Columbus.
Division Winner: I hate to do it, but I think Detroit will benefit from Chicago's losses. Chicago will play well, and make the playoffs, but I think Detroit will take this division.
Northwest Division:
Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
Edmonton Oilers
Minnesota Wild
Vancouver Cannucks
This is always one of the most difficult divisions to win. Each team, regardless of how well they are playing that season, always plays the others very hard. Vancouver has had a stranglehold on this division for the last few years, and I really don't see that changing this year. I'm a bit perplexed though. Vancouver is over the salary cap, and I'm not certain what the penalty is for that. You would think they would be forced to comply, but it doesn't look like anything is happening. I'll have to try and figure more of that out.
Edmonton managed to win their opening game of the season, and they will be quite exciting to watch, with a lot of really young talent, but I wouldn't count on them getting out of the basement this year. They may be ahead of Minnesota, but they won't make the playoffs by a long shot.
The big question, in my mind, in this division revolves around the Colorado Avalanche. Not just because they are my favorite team, but because they had a huge turn around last year, and everybody is curious about whether that was a fluke, or if they will be the real deal. Matt Duchene is the real deal, and that kid will only get better. Chris Stewart showed some amazing game last year, but the contract year question lingers around him. Did he play that well because it was a contract year, or because he's really that good? I think it is the latter, but we will see. And, of course, Craig Anderson. Last year, no goalie saw more shots, or stopped more shots, than Craig Anderson. Can he be as lights out as he was last year? In my opinion, they aren't going to want to play him as many games as they did last year. If they can get 10 more quality starts than last year out of Budaj, Anderson should stay fresh. Anderson, as it happens, is now in a contract year as well. So count on him playing his best so that he can lock up a long term deal with the Avs.
Division winner: Vancouver.
Pacific Division:
Anaheim Ducks
Dallas Stars
Los Angeles Kings
Phoenix Coyotoes
San Jose Sharks
San Jose has dominated this division for years, but are they now yesterday's news? They are still loaded, there is no doubt about that. Marleau, Thorton, Heatley, plus the likes of Pavelski and Setoguchi, and Dan Boyle. Now a Stanley Cup winning goalie in Antti Niemi. People seem to think that San Jose managed to life their stigma of choke artists last year. I disagree. When you are the best team in the conference, you should be expected to win your conference. They have yet to do this. Should we say that they aren't choking just because they managed not to lose right away? To me, they are still chokers, they just didn't choke as bad as they usually do. Here's the cookie that you so richly deserve.
A lot of other interesting things though. The LA Kings are hot on the heels of the Sharks, as are the Phoenix Coyotes. The Kings are young, but have great veteran leadership as well. Ryan Smyth isn't what he used to be, but that guy will always work his guts out for you, and is a great stabilizing presence on the power play. The youth of this team is insanely gifted. Led by Drew Doughty, a finalist for the Norris Trophy (NHL's best defenseman last) last year, they also have the best scorer that nobody knows about, Anze Kopitar, on their team. Jonathan Quick also had a great year last year, in goal, and, should he improve, may be able to push the Kings to places they haven't seen since The Great One was in town.
The Coyotes are also quite talented. They finally have a stable goalie in Ilya Bryzgalov, who is also in a contract year. They also have an amazing core of young talent. A great acquisition from the Avs, Wojtek Wolski brings size, speed, and ability. Then add in the wiley veterans Shane Doan and very savvy offseason pick up of Ray Whitney, and you have a dangerous team. They're quite big and powerful on the blue line, as well, and really have great potential for this division. They are kind of the sexy pick to win the division.
Divison winner: I can't resist the sexiness, Phoenix wins the division, but people in Arizona still don't care about hockey. Sorry Gary Bettman.
Tune in next time for the preview of the Eastern Conference! Should be a good one!
Central Division:
Chicago Blackhawks
Columbus Blue Jackets
Detroit Red Wings
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues.
All of these teams, except for the Preds, have colors in them. Fun fact, but completely irrelevant to the conversation. Now, as many people know, the Blackhawks are the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. They just raised their Stanley Cup Championship Banner the other night. But their offseason was not pretty. Serious salary cap issues forced them to get rid of a number of the players that were key to getting them to that Stanley Cup. Most notably, Dustin Byfuglien and Antti Niemi. Niemi played incredibly on their way to the cup, and Byfuglien could not be stopped from in front of the net. They did pick up Marty Turco, life-long good regular season goalie but playoff choke artist, to help them out in goal, but the physical presence that Byfuglien brought will be sorely missed.
The Detroit Red Wings made waves by signing long time rival Mike Modano. Jimmy Howard played great for them in goal last year, and was a Calder finalist, NHL rookie of the year award, the big question will be about whether or not he can avoid a sophomore slump. They didn't really do too much, otherwise, to make themselves any younger, and the question for the Wings does revolve around whether or not they remain too old. There is no doubt of their skill, with players like Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and others, but will they be able to push past other teams in their division.
The sleeper team in this division is the St. Louis Blues. Now, you might say what about Nashville, well they've been the sleeper in this division for a while. Usually competitive, but just not quite there. The big thing that makes the Blues a possibility is their big goalie acquisition this year. Jaraslov Halak. Now, Halak played OUT OF HIS MIND in last year's playoffs with the Montreal Canadiens. The big question is was this just a random fluke, or can he be the real deal? Now, people are fare too excited about him right now, claiming that he is this absolutely legit goalie, but one decent playoff run does not a franchise goalie make. He played scary good last year, no denying that, but we'll see what he's made of with a young Blues team that has a lot of talent, but a lot of shortcomings too. This team could be a surprise.
Columbus is the sad story in this division. Mainly because they just are never able to get over that hump. They have never been able to build a solid foundation around Rick Nash, and probably won't. Nash's contract keeps him in Columbus until 2018, but he may want out before that since he will never, EVER win a Stanley Cup in Columbus.
Division Winner: I hate to do it, but I think Detroit will benefit from Chicago's losses. Chicago will play well, and make the playoffs, but I think Detroit will take this division.
Northwest Division:
Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
Edmonton Oilers
Minnesota Wild
Vancouver Cannucks
This is always one of the most difficult divisions to win. Each team, regardless of how well they are playing that season, always plays the others very hard. Vancouver has had a stranglehold on this division for the last few years, and I really don't see that changing this year. I'm a bit perplexed though. Vancouver is over the salary cap, and I'm not certain what the penalty is for that. You would think they would be forced to comply, but it doesn't look like anything is happening. I'll have to try and figure more of that out.
Edmonton managed to win their opening game of the season, and they will be quite exciting to watch, with a lot of really young talent, but I wouldn't count on them getting out of the basement this year. They may be ahead of Minnesota, but they won't make the playoffs by a long shot.
The big question, in my mind, in this division revolves around the Colorado Avalanche. Not just because they are my favorite team, but because they had a huge turn around last year, and everybody is curious about whether that was a fluke, or if they will be the real deal. Matt Duchene is the real deal, and that kid will only get better. Chris Stewart showed some amazing game last year, but the contract year question lingers around him. Did he play that well because it was a contract year, or because he's really that good? I think it is the latter, but we will see. And, of course, Craig Anderson. Last year, no goalie saw more shots, or stopped more shots, than Craig Anderson. Can he be as lights out as he was last year? In my opinion, they aren't going to want to play him as many games as they did last year. If they can get 10 more quality starts than last year out of Budaj, Anderson should stay fresh. Anderson, as it happens, is now in a contract year as well. So count on him playing his best so that he can lock up a long term deal with the Avs.
Division winner: Vancouver.
Pacific Division:
Anaheim Ducks
Dallas Stars
Los Angeles Kings
Phoenix Coyotoes
San Jose Sharks
San Jose has dominated this division for years, but are they now yesterday's news? They are still loaded, there is no doubt about that. Marleau, Thorton, Heatley, plus the likes of Pavelski and Setoguchi, and Dan Boyle. Now a Stanley Cup winning goalie in Antti Niemi. People seem to think that San Jose managed to life their stigma of choke artists last year. I disagree. When you are the best team in the conference, you should be expected to win your conference. They have yet to do this. Should we say that they aren't choking just because they managed not to lose right away? To me, they are still chokers, they just didn't choke as bad as they usually do. Here's the cookie that you so richly deserve.
A lot of other interesting things though. The LA Kings are hot on the heels of the Sharks, as are the Phoenix Coyotes. The Kings are young, but have great veteran leadership as well. Ryan Smyth isn't what he used to be, but that guy will always work his guts out for you, and is a great stabilizing presence on the power play. The youth of this team is insanely gifted. Led by Drew Doughty, a finalist for the Norris Trophy (NHL's best defenseman last) last year, they also have the best scorer that nobody knows about, Anze Kopitar, on their team. Jonathan Quick also had a great year last year, in goal, and, should he improve, may be able to push the Kings to places they haven't seen since The Great One was in town.
The Coyotes are also quite talented. They finally have a stable goalie in Ilya Bryzgalov, who is also in a contract year. They also have an amazing core of young talent. A great acquisition from the Avs, Wojtek Wolski brings size, speed, and ability. Then add in the wiley veterans Shane Doan and very savvy offseason pick up of Ray Whitney, and you have a dangerous team. They're quite big and powerful on the blue line, as well, and really have great potential for this division. They are kind of the sexy pick to win the division.
Divison winner: I can't resist the sexiness, Phoenix wins the division, but people in Arizona still don't care about hockey. Sorry Gary Bettman.
Tune in next time for the preview of the Eastern Conference! Should be a good one!
NFL Season Predictions by 11points!
We've had the good fortune of being featured, as A-Mac mentioned in her picks for the week, in a very fun blog called 11points. A-Mac was a guest prognosticator for the site, and his 11 ways of picking certain games on Sunday (always a very entertaining read, his parent's dog is quite adept at picking games!). The writer of said blog has honored us with some predictions for the NFL for the rest of the season. Who's going to take the divisions, conferences, and Super Bowl. We're hoping that this will become a regular thing between the 2 sites! So, without further ado, here is the 11points predictions for the NFL!
I feel like you can't really make predictions about the NFL season until the quarter mark. No one knows anything. And I choose not to appear like a fool. But now, after four weeks, I feel far more confident in making my NFL picks, and will assuredly NOT look like a fool because of any of these.
AFC North - Baltimore was supposed to emerge and might, but I've never bought into the Joe Flacco thing -- he has a similar last name to one of my late grandmother's next door neighbors who never liked me (seriously). Pittsburgh was supposed to struggle without Roethlisberger but had a cake schedule and an easy ride. Cincinnati has the league's two best talkers... and they're going to lead to Carson Palmer getting benched later in the season. Cleveland is far, far worse than expected and can't put anyone away. Pick: Pittsburgh. Wild card: Baltimore.
AFC East - The Jets may just win by default. New England showed unreal cracks in the foundation by first not throwing to, then eventually trading Randy Moss. Miami is whatever Miami is -- somehow, of the 32 teams, every single year I have the most difficulty paying attention to Miami. Buffalo is looking worse than expected, and quarterback and running back switches have already happened. Pick: Jets.
AFC South - Houston is surprisingly in first, looking strong with Arian Foster... who will inevitably let everyone down. Jacksonville seems shaky at best (and while I hate being one of those guys who talks about fantasy football, Mike Sims-Walker is going to singlehandedly cost me hundreds if not thousands of dollars). Tennessee has flown under the radar into a very quiet .500 record. Indianapolis is technically in last place at 2-2 with both losses in the division... and yet, would anyone in the world pick against them to take this thing? Pick: Indianapolis. Wild card: Houston.
AFC West - Kansas City is the lone remaining undefeated team in the NFL; that's too weird to even write. Denver looks like a middle-of-the-pack team and has for quite some time. San Diego shows signs of promise, but always shows signs of promise, so that's boring. Oakland's latest plan worked out just as well as all of their previous plans -- and no one's drinking their Kool-Aid (or cough syrup). Pick: San Diego.
Prediction for conference champ: Pittsburgh.
NFC North - Chicago and Green Bay are both 3-1, but Green Bay feels much, much more convincing. This season of Favre in Minnesota has "legacy murder" all over it. Detroit has had some close calls on wins but always -- and I mean always -- knows how to lose. Pick: Green Bay.
NFC East - Biggest mess of any division. The Giants look good one week and terrible the next. Philadelphia is playing quarterback roulette which is never, ever, ever the way to make a real run. Washington looks OK one week, really not OK the next. Dallas looks weaker than usual but doesn't quite feel out of it. Pick: Philadelphia. Wild card: Washington.
NFC South - Atlanta looks good but doesn't seem to be inspiring confidence. New Orleans is a very shaky 3-1. Tampa has put together some wins but doesn't seem to have close to the talent necessary to make a run. Carolina misses Jake Delhomme, which is yet another very strange thing to write. Pick: New Orleans. Wild card: Atlanta.
NFC West - As promised -- and harped on by Bill Simmons -- it's a tragic scene. Right now Arizona is tied for the lead at 2-2, but could readily finish 2-14. Seattle had a chance to step on the division's throat but lost to St. Louis. St. Louis has won two in a row but just doesn't feel right. And San Francisco, who was the sexy preseason pick, is 0-4 and looks every bit of it. Pick: Seattle by default.
Prediction for conference champ: Green Bay.
Prediction for Super Bowl champ: Green Bay.
I feel like you can't really make predictions about the NFL season until the quarter mark. No one knows anything. And I choose not to appear like a fool. But now, after four weeks, I feel far more confident in making my NFL picks, and will assuredly NOT look like a fool because of any of these.
AFC North - Baltimore was supposed to emerge and might, but I've never bought into the Joe Flacco thing -- he has a similar last name to one of my late grandmother's next door neighbors who never liked me (seriously). Pittsburgh was supposed to struggle without Roethlisberger but had a cake schedule and an easy ride. Cincinnati has the league's two best talkers... and they're going to lead to Carson Palmer getting benched later in the season. Cleveland is far, far worse than expected and can't put anyone away. Pick: Pittsburgh. Wild card: Baltimore.
AFC East - The Jets may just win by default. New England showed unreal cracks in the foundation by first not throwing to, then eventually trading Randy Moss. Miami is whatever Miami is -- somehow, of the 32 teams, every single year I have the most difficulty paying attention to Miami. Buffalo is looking worse than expected, and quarterback and running back switches have already happened. Pick: Jets.
AFC South - Houston is surprisingly in first, looking strong with Arian Foster... who will inevitably let everyone down. Jacksonville seems shaky at best (and while I hate being one of those guys who talks about fantasy football, Mike Sims-Walker is going to singlehandedly cost me hundreds if not thousands of dollars). Tennessee has flown under the radar into a very quiet .500 record. Indianapolis is technically in last place at 2-2 with both losses in the division... and yet, would anyone in the world pick against them to take this thing? Pick: Indianapolis. Wild card: Houston.
AFC West - Kansas City is the lone remaining undefeated team in the NFL; that's too weird to even write. Denver looks like a middle-of-the-pack team and has for quite some time. San Diego shows signs of promise, but always shows signs of promise, so that's boring. Oakland's latest plan worked out just as well as all of their previous plans -- and no one's drinking their Kool-Aid (or cough syrup). Pick: San Diego.
Prediction for conference champ: Pittsburgh.
NFC North - Chicago and Green Bay are both 3-1, but Green Bay feels much, much more convincing. This season of Favre in Minnesota has "legacy murder" all over it. Detroit has had some close calls on wins but always -- and I mean always -- knows how to lose. Pick: Green Bay.
NFC East - Biggest mess of any division. The Giants look good one week and terrible the next. Philadelphia is playing quarterback roulette which is never, ever, ever the way to make a real run. Washington looks OK one week, really not OK the next. Dallas looks weaker than usual but doesn't quite feel out of it. Pick: Philadelphia. Wild card: Washington.
NFC South - Atlanta looks good but doesn't seem to be inspiring confidence. New Orleans is a very shaky 3-1. Tampa has put together some wins but doesn't seem to have close to the talent necessary to make a run. Carolina misses Jake Delhomme, which is yet another very strange thing to write. Pick: New Orleans. Wild card: Atlanta.
NFC West - As promised -- and harped on by Bill Simmons -- it's a tragic scene. Right now Arizona is tied for the lead at 2-2, but could readily finish 2-14. Seattle had a chance to step on the division's throat but lost to St. Louis. St. Louis has won two in a row but just doesn't feel right. And San Francisco, who was the sexy preseason pick, is 0-4 and looks every bit of it. Pick: Seattle by default.
Prediction for conference champ: Green Bay.
Prediction for Super Bowl champ: Green Bay.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Straight Cash Homey- Aly's Week 5 Picks!
With the Return of the Randy Ratio to Minnesota, this week's Monday Night Game got juicy!!!
Our lowly blog was featured in a link on 11 points as I was a guest picker for the Carolina-Chicago game.
Jags@Bills- Wow. This game depresses me on the lowliest level. I think Jags win. But who cares? Poor Buffalo.
Bucs@Bengals- Bucs are a scrappy team and Carson Palmer isn't being himself. I think the Bucs win in a close game. Is this the week Ocho and Owens get into it? Probably!
Falcons@Browns- Well the Falcons are continuing to impress but they did have a gimme win over the 49ers. This should be another gimme win. All of Cleveland will now commit ritual suicide.
Rams@Lions- A better game than most would think. Lions are scrappy and the Rams are continuing to prove me wrong. Still, I am taking the Lions in this game.
Chiefs@Colts- Wow who would have thought KC would be the last remaining unbeaten team. It helps that the AFC East, North, and South have cannabalized each other already. KC will go down and this year will not see a long run undefeated team. Manning will trash the KC defense aka NE Light in Indy.
Packers@Redskins- Rodgers=MVP, Shanahan is losing his team. I think the Packers defense will harass McNabb and Rodgers will light up the Skins D.
Bears@Panthers- Captain Pampers is out. Panthers are a mess but guess what. I am doing it anyway, taking the Panthers. Williams, Smith, and Stewart will have good games.
Broncos@Ravens- Somehow the Broncos are still in it, but this week they play the Ravens in Baltimore. I want to take the Broncos but am going with the Ravens.
Giants@Texans- Arian Foster and CO. will have the pleasure of defeating both Mannings this year as the Giants mess cannot stand up to the united Texans offense. Matt Schaub is looking great and the Texans have found they can use anyone in their back field.
Saints@Cardinals- The Saints are looking pretty darn well, the Cardinals aren't. Derek Anderson has been serviceable but they are missing Dancing Kurt Warner. Saints take it to the hole and win.
Chargers@Raiders- Wow Raiders still suck and the Chargers are worse than I thought. Philip Rivers though should help them defeat the evil Robot's team.
Titans@Cowboys- Both teams are still looking for an identity and both coaches potentially could be on their last legs. Romo needs to prove he can be an elite QB. Roy Williams emerged from Cryo freeze last week to kick some ass. I think the Titans still win it though.
Iggles@Niners- Eagles win even with the crazy QB situation there. The Niners have disappointed me this year. I thought Singletary was a good motivator but instead it looks like he motivated too much. Loosen the reigns a bit, Mike and let them fly!!
Onto the Monday Night Game,
Oh wow the Return of Randy Moss to Purple and Gold. The return of Brett Favre to his middle home. Revis Island is back. Revis Vs Moss, Favre Vs His Sexual harassment allegations, Ryan vs Childress Its Monday Night! I think the Jets win though with Randy not being quite integrated back into the Vikings office.
Our lowly blog was featured in a link on 11 points as I was a guest picker for the Carolina-Chicago game.
Jags@Bills- Wow. This game depresses me on the lowliest level. I think Jags win. But who cares? Poor Buffalo.
Bucs@Bengals- Bucs are a scrappy team and Carson Palmer isn't being himself. I think the Bucs win in a close game. Is this the week Ocho and Owens get into it? Probably!
Falcons@Browns- Well the Falcons are continuing to impress but they did have a gimme win over the 49ers. This should be another gimme win. All of Cleveland will now commit ritual suicide.
Rams@Lions- A better game than most would think. Lions are scrappy and the Rams are continuing to prove me wrong. Still, I am taking the Lions in this game.
Chiefs@Colts- Wow who would have thought KC would be the last remaining unbeaten team. It helps that the AFC East, North, and South have cannabalized each other already. KC will go down and this year will not see a long run undefeated team. Manning will trash the KC defense aka NE Light in Indy.
Packers@Redskins- Rodgers=MVP, Shanahan is losing his team. I think the Packers defense will harass McNabb and Rodgers will light up the Skins D.
Bears@Panthers- Captain Pampers is out. Panthers are a mess but guess what. I am doing it anyway, taking the Panthers. Williams, Smith, and Stewart will have good games.
Broncos@Ravens- Somehow the Broncos are still in it, but this week they play the Ravens in Baltimore. I want to take the Broncos but am going with the Ravens.
Giants@Texans- Arian Foster and CO. will have the pleasure of defeating both Mannings this year as the Giants mess cannot stand up to the united Texans offense. Matt Schaub is looking great and the Texans have found they can use anyone in their back field.
Saints@Cardinals- The Saints are looking pretty darn well, the Cardinals aren't. Derek Anderson has been serviceable but they are missing Dancing Kurt Warner. Saints take it to the hole and win.
Chargers@Raiders- Wow Raiders still suck and the Chargers are worse than I thought. Philip Rivers though should help them defeat the evil Robot's team.
Titans@Cowboys- Both teams are still looking for an identity and both coaches potentially could be on their last legs. Romo needs to prove he can be an elite QB. Roy Williams emerged from Cryo freeze last week to kick some ass. I think the Titans still win it though.
Iggles@Niners- Eagles win even with the crazy QB situation there. The Niners have disappointed me this year. I thought Singletary was a good motivator but instead it looks like he motivated too much. Loosen the reigns a bit, Mike and let them fly!!
Onto the Monday Night Game,
Oh wow the Return of Randy Moss to Purple and Gold. The return of Brett Favre to his middle home. Revis Island is back. Revis Vs Moss, Favre Vs His Sexual harassment allegations, Ryan vs Childress Its Monday Night! I think the Jets win though with Randy not being quite integrated back into the Vikings office.
KGs week 5 picks!
Welcome back ladies and gents! I was a measly 7-7 last week, but that's ok. Had a lot of surprises happen. Also had a heartbreaking fantasy loss last week. My yahoo team lost by slightly more than 1 point thanks to the monday night football game. Ah well, another week to try and rebound. So here we go!
Denver @ Baltimore: I give my Broncs credit for hanging in there against Tennessee and having the physical and mental toughness to pull it out. I don't think that they can do that 2 weeks in a row though, especially against a team like the Ravens that has a lot of offensive weapons. I see the Ravens taking this one.
Chicago @ Carolina: This could be a tough one. The Bears showed more of who they are last week, being completely manhandled by the G-men. The Panthers still have that 2 headed run monster, but their defense is definitely suspect. Cutler is out, which might actually be a better thing for the Bears, the big questions is how will the respond this week. Until Carolina proves that they know how to win, I can't really bring myself to pick them, though this one wouldn't surprise me if the Panters did upset the Bears, I will still take the Bears.
Tampa Bay @ Cincinnati: Cinci had good offensive numbers last week, but came up shorts against a really bad Browns team. Tampa has performed much better than most people thought that they would, however, they definitely need to improve on their pass defense if they even want to have a hope of winning this game. Charlie Batch SMOKED them, and we know what kind of a pass game Cinci has. I think the Bengals rebound in this one on the power of the pass game.
St. Louis @ Detroit: Detroit just can't seem to find out how to win. St. Louis is a very tough team to figure out. They have been quite consistent, surprisingly, but have played quite well! This could end up being a pretty good game. I think that the thing the Lions really need is a shaky defense to play against, and they have that against the Rams. Their offense has been quite good, and I think they'll get over the hump, kind of, against the Rams. Give me the Lions.
NY Giants @ Houston: Which NY Giants team is going to show up to this game, is the big question. Texans O-line is nowhere near as bad as the Bears, so I don't see another 10 sack game happening. Houston is not the team they were in the past, and are earning respect. I'll take the Texans in this one.
Atlanta @ Cleveland: Cleveland still stinks, despite a good performance against Cinci. Atlanta really should have no trouble with this one, Dirty Birds.
Kansas City @ Indianapolis: Is KC for real? I think so. Indy has struggled, but they will handle a much better Chiefs team in a game that will be much closer than anybody thinks.
Jacksonville @ Buffalo: Buffalo stinks. Jacksonville wins.
Green Bay @ Washington: Green Bay needs to have a strong performance for a full game in this one. Washington also needs to get that offense going more. They pretty much disappeared after the one touchdown they scored against Philly. They'll need more than that against Green Bay, but I don't see them getting it.
New Orleans @ Arizona: 2 inconsistent teams right now. But Arizona is far more inconsistent. Saints aren't nearly what they used to be, and really need to find that swagger. Weird that you have to say that about the defending champs. I will take the Saints again.
Tennessee @ Dallas: Dallas is still in desperation mode. They really need to find more of an offensive rhythm. I have been impressed with Tennessee, though they just need to not beat themselves and keep those fingers in their pockets on the sidelines. This team does have the most personal foul penalties called against them in the league right now. They are a very tough, physical team, we'll see if the Boys can stick around with that. I don't think that they can. Titans.
San Diego @ Oakland: Oakland stinks, San Diego will win this one.
Philadelphia @ San Francisco: Niners are just playing for respect right now, Philly still has a shot in their division, but they need a big game here. Niners are such a big bust right now it isn't even funny, and their bust of a season continues with another loss this week. I'll take the Eagles.
Minnesota @ NY Jets: This will be a great game. Moss is now back in Minnesota. But will that be enough to get this team going? They definitely need that big receiver threat that they lost with their injury to Percy Harvin. I don't know that he'll be enough. Jets D is still among the best that there is, and I think that they will take this one at home. Jets are looking like a very good bet to win the AFC East, and quite possibly win the AFC!
Tough week of picks! Let me know what you think!
Denver @ Baltimore: I give my Broncs credit for hanging in there against Tennessee and having the physical and mental toughness to pull it out. I don't think that they can do that 2 weeks in a row though, especially against a team like the Ravens that has a lot of offensive weapons. I see the Ravens taking this one.
Chicago @ Carolina: This could be a tough one. The Bears showed more of who they are last week, being completely manhandled by the G-men. The Panthers still have that 2 headed run monster, but their defense is definitely suspect. Cutler is out, which might actually be a better thing for the Bears, the big questions is how will the respond this week. Until Carolina proves that they know how to win, I can't really bring myself to pick them, though this one wouldn't surprise me if the Panters did upset the Bears, I will still take the Bears.
Tampa Bay @ Cincinnati: Cinci had good offensive numbers last week, but came up shorts against a really bad Browns team. Tampa has performed much better than most people thought that they would, however, they definitely need to improve on their pass defense if they even want to have a hope of winning this game. Charlie Batch SMOKED them, and we know what kind of a pass game Cinci has. I think the Bengals rebound in this one on the power of the pass game.
St. Louis @ Detroit: Detroit just can't seem to find out how to win. St. Louis is a very tough team to figure out. They have been quite consistent, surprisingly, but have played quite well! This could end up being a pretty good game. I think that the thing the Lions really need is a shaky defense to play against, and they have that against the Rams. Their offense has been quite good, and I think they'll get over the hump, kind of, against the Rams. Give me the Lions.
NY Giants @ Houston: Which NY Giants team is going to show up to this game, is the big question. Texans O-line is nowhere near as bad as the Bears, so I don't see another 10 sack game happening. Houston is not the team they were in the past, and are earning respect. I'll take the Texans in this one.
Atlanta @ Cleveland: Cleveland still stinks, despite a good performance against Cinci. Atlanta really should have no trouble with this one, Dirty Birds.
Kansas City @ Indianapolis: Is KC for real? I think so. Indy has struggled, but they will handle a much better Chiefs team in a game that will be much closer than anybody thinks.
Jacksonville @ Buffalo: Buffalo stinks. Jacksonville wins.
Green Bay @ Washington: Green Bay needs to have a strong performance for a full game in this one. Washington also needs to get that offense going more. They pretty much disappeared after the one touchdown they scored against Philly. They'll need more than that against Green Bay, but I don't see them getting it.
New Orleans @ Arizona: 2 inconsistent teams right now. But Arizona is far more inconsistent. Saints aren't nearly what they used to be, and really need to find that swagger. Weird that you have to say that about the defending champs. I will take the Saints again.
Tennessee @ Dallas: Dallas is still in desperation mode. They really need to find more of an offensive rhythm. I have been impressed with Tennessee, though they just need to not beat themselves and keep those fingers in their pockets on the sidelines. This team does have the most personal foul penalties called against them in the league right now. They are a very tough, physical team, we'll see if the Boys can stick around with that. I don't think that they can. Titans.
San Diego @ Oakland: Oakland stinks, San Diego will win this one.
Philadelphia @ San Francisco: Niners are just playing for respect right now, Philly still has a shot in their division, but they need a big game here. Niners are such a big bust right now it isn't even funny, and their bust of a season continues with another loss this week. I'll take the Eagles.
Minnesota @ NY Jets: This will be a great game. Moss is now back in Minnesota. But will that be enough to get this team going? They definitely need that big receiver threat that they lost with their injury to Percy Harvin. I don't know that he'll be enough. Jets D is still among the best that there is, and I think that they will take this one at home. Jets are looking like a very good bet to win the AFC East, and quite possibly win the AFC!
Tough week of picks! Let me know what you think!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Hockey Is Back!
Great time of year! Early in October, we see the return of the toughest gladiators in sports. Yes, that's right, hockey is back baby!! I know that I'm one of the minority in the United States that believes hockey is the sport to watch, but I am okay with that. I make my case yearly to people, and I'm fairly certain that I've made it on this blog before. I just believe hockey is the fastest, hardest hitting, most exciting game there is.
Plus, you have the players that are the most athletic that there are in sports. These guys all have to be in incredible shape to play this game. You watch how these guys skate, they are going all out the second that they step on the ice. Also, these guys are the classiest athletes in professional sports. You hear these guys making the Randy Moss comments after their first regular season game for their contracts? You see these guys making their own talk show because they simply can't stand to hear anything other than the sound of their own extremely annoying voice? No, these guys are all business. They go out, do their thing, play their game, and then they are good role models in the community. How many of these guys are dog fighters, or gang bangers, or other types of convicted felons? Hockey players have their head in the right place.
I will close by saying my usual comment. In this world where everything happens so fast; e-mail, food, music, news, everything, it shocks me more people aren't into this game. The thing people need, is education. Let me tell you right now, if you feel you can't understand the game of hockey, drop by my place, or A-Mac's place, and we'll teach you the ins and outs. Once you know it, you will be a fan for life. Bring on the pucks! LET'S GO AVS!!!
Plus, you have the players that are the most athletic that there are in sports. These guys all have to be in incredible shape to play this game. You watch how these guys skate, they are going all out the second that they step on the ice. Also, these guys are the classiest athletes in professional sports. You hear these guys making the Randy Moss comments after their first regular season game for their contracts? You see these guys making their own talk show because they simply can't stand to hear anything other than the sound of their own extremely annoying voice? No, these guys are all business. They go out, do their thing, play their game, and then they are good role models in the community. How many of these guys are dog fighters, or gang bangers, or other types of convicted felons? Hockey players have their head in the right place.
I will close by saying my usual comment. In this world where everything happens so fast; e-mail, food, music, news, everything, it shocks me more people aren't into this game. The thing people need, is education. Let me tell you right now, if you feel you can't understand the game of hockey, drop by my place, or A-Mac's place, and we'll teach you the ins and outs. Once you know it, you will be a fan for life. Bring on the pucks! LET'S GO AVS!!!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
A-Mac's Week 4 Spectacular
Denver @ Tennessee: Ok So the Titans are worse than we thought they were and the Broncos are doing ok. But The Broncos need to stop All World RB, Chris Johnson and I don't know if that can happen. It depends on who is playing QB for the Titans. I will take the Titans in a squeaker.
San Francisco @ Atlanta: Well the Niners have officially blown my NFC west pick. Falcons looked good against the Saints. Matt Ryan needs to show me he can be consistent which he should do as long as he stays away from Patrick Willis. Falcons win.
NY Jets @ Buffalo: Wow the Bills cut their Week 1 starter finally and Harvard Alum Ryan Fitzpatrick has the job full time now. But with all that said, no Revis Island is necessary this week as the Jets romp.
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh: Wow are the Steelers really going to go 4-0 without She Said No. I think they will. Baltimore is good but Troy Big Hair has restarted the Pitt Defense to be awesome. Steelers win 10-9
Carolina @ New Orleans: Well the Panthers can't figure out how to use their talented RB duo. Its a shame but the Saints kick their puny butts.
Cincinnati @ Cleveland: Poor Cleveland is the theme of my picks this year and should be the name of the Browns fan club! The Bengals win this won fairly easily even with the Browns showing some life.
Detroit @ Green Bay: Detroit showed their division rivals they can play after doing well against the Vikes. They won't be able to handle the awesome defense of Clay Matthews though. Aaron Rodgers continues his march to MVP with this game. Packers win again.
Seattle @ St. Louis: Seattle is good, not great. They might even be just slightly better than mediocre. That is still enough to beat the Rams. Rams won't have Steven Jackson this game so that even hurts their chances more.
Indianapolis @ Jacksonville: Peyton Manning generally does well against the Jags even though the Jags can get close. David Garrard has regressed as a QB the last two weeks and Jack Del Rio is probably the first coached fired this season. Colts win.
Houston @ Oakland: Raiders can't play O. Raiders can't play D. Texans win.
Arizona @ San Diego: San Diego sucks without V Jax but the Cardinals still miss Kurt Dancing with the Stars Warner. I think the Cardinals win this game though as Rivers is still floundering without LT and V Jax.
Washington @ Philadelphia: Vick. McNabb. All the juicy storylines this week are in Philly. McNabb won't be booed because he was the one shown the door much like Brian Dawkins. Philly fans remember the good times but they are having a bit of a good time with Michael Vick. Philly wins at home and McNabb wonders what might have been.
Chicago @ NY Giants: This game smacks of Take the Giants at home game. They have been floundering but Jay Cutler is due for a bad game. So Giants at home it is.
New England @ Miami: Pats are awful in Miami especially early in the season. Straight Cash Homey has been enjoying a nice few weeks though but White Wes Welker has disappeared. In order for the Pats to win, Tom Terrific has to hit both WRs. The real questions are on the defensive side. Can the Pats stop Ronnie Brown? I don't know if that is the case. I think the Dolphins win in a close shoot out game.
San Francisco @ Atlanta: Well the Niners have officially blown my NFC west pick. Falcons looked good against the Saints. Matt Ryan needs to show me he can be consistent which he should do as long as he stays away from Patrick Willis. Falcons win.
NY Jets @ Buffalo: Wow the Bills cut their Week 1 starter finally and Harvard Alum Ryan Fitzpatrick has the job full time now. But with all that said, no Revis Island is necessary this week as the Jets romp.
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh: Wow are the Steelers really going to go 4-0 without She Said No. I think they will. Baltimore is good but Troy Big Hair has restarted the Pitt Defense to be awesome. Steelers win 10-9
Carolina @ New Orleans: Well the Panthers can't figure out how to use their talented RB duo. Its a shame but the Saints kick their puny butts.
Cincinnati @ Cleveland: Poor Cleveland is the theme of my picks this year and should be the name of the Browns fan club! The Bengals win this won fairly easily even with the Browns showing some life.
Detroit @ Green Bay: Detroit showed their division rivals they can play after doing well against the Vikes. They won't be able to handle the awesome defense of Clay Matthews though. Aaron Rodgers continues his march to MVP with this game. Packers win again.
Seattle @ St. Louis: Seattle is good, not great. They might even be just slightly better than mediocre. That is still enough to beat the Rams. Rams won't have Steven Jackson this game so that even hurts their chances more.
Indianapolis @ Jacksonville: Peyton Manning generally does well against the Jags even though the Jags can get close. David Garrard has regressed as a QB the last two weeks and Jack Del Rio is probably the first coached fired this season. Colts win.
Houston @ Oakland: Raiders can't play O. Raiders can't play D. Texans win.
Arizona @ San Diego: San Diego sucks without V Jax but the Cardinals still miss Kurt Dancing with the Stars Warner. I think the Cardinals win this game though as Rivers is still floundering without LT and V Jax.
Washington @ Philadelphia: Vick. McNabb. All the juicy storylines this week are in Philly. McNabb won't be booed because he was the one shown the door much like Brian Dawkins. Philly fans remember the good times but they are having a bit of a good time with Michael Vick. Philly wins at home and McNabb wonders what might have been.
Chicago @ NY Giants: This game smacks of Take the Giants at home game. They have been floundering but Jay Cutler is due for a bad game. So Giants at home it is.
New England @ Miami: Pats are awful in Miami especially early in the season. Straight Cash Homey has been enjoying a nice few weeks though but White Wes Welker has disappeared. In order for the Pats to win, Tom Terrific has to hit both WRs. The real questions are on the defensive side. Can the Pats stop Ronnie Brown? I don't know if that is the case. I think the Dolphins win in a close shoot out game.
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