There are too many bowl games today and most of them I could care less about. Below are my picks on the Sun Bowl, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and BCS title game between Alabama and Texas.
Sun Bowl
Stanford 21 O.U 17 (Since Stanford Quarterback Andrew Luck may not play, this is a tough game to pick but this year OU should stand for overrated and underachieving)
Oregon 30 Ohio State 14 (The trend of the Buckeyes playing and losing to faster more skilled teams continues)
Florida 24 Cincinnati 21 (Both teams will be down but Florida has the better defense and won't let Tim Tebow go out on a losing note)
TCU 28 Boise State 14 (TCU will show that they should have been selected to play for the National Championship.
Alabama vs Texas
To blow my own horn again, before the season started I predicted these two team would be competing for the National Championship. As this season has gone on it is clear that Alabama has the stronger offensive and defensive line and a better running game. Texas Quarterback Colt McCoy is one of the most overrated quarterbacks in college football and has played below average in big games against Oklahoma and Nebraska. After all this the score in the game will be
Texas 17 Alabama 14.
The reason I'm picking Texas is simple. Before the season started I picked them to beat Alabama for the National Championship and if they do I will look like a genius.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Star Trek
The latest Star Trek movie now out on DVD is a fast paced adventure film with unexpected twists and subtle humor that shows the characters of the late sixties television series when they were younger and just starting out on their careers. It is a more ambitious film than previous Star Trek movies thanks to Director J.J Abrams. Like he does with his TV show "Lost", Abrams injects time travel, paradoxes and concepts of changing one's fate into "Star Trek" while maintaining the appeal of the characters made popular in the television series.
The film opens with a Federation Ship being sneak attacked by a Romulan Ship headed by the vengeful Romulan Nero. The father of Captain James T Kirk is forced to take control of the doomed ship and his last act is to evacuate the crew including his pregnant wife as she gives birth to their son James. From there we see James Kirk as a very intelligent young man with an unrelenting wild streak. He drives fast, drinks hard, and hits on every type of woman (even green women, wo!). Spock is shown to be intelligent as well, wrestling with the conflict of acting on logic he got from his vulcan father or emotion he got from his human mother. Ohura, Dr. McCoy, Sulu, Chekov, and later on Mr. Scott are introduced as well and the beauty of the film for fans of the television series is that we believe that these are what the characters would have been like in a younger day.
As the film moves on we learn that the Romulan Nero and his ship is from the future and that Nero is out to destroy every federation planet for Spock's failure, that occured in the future, to save the Romulan planet. Here is where the time travel element is introduced. A movie that contains time travel runs the risk of confusing the audience, but Director Abrams keeps the film moving at a fast pace to where the time travel elememt becomes a welcome addition to the film instead of a bothersome intrusion. It also lets us see the character of Spock as both a young and an old vulcan (part human) and seeing Leonard Nimoy in a brief role as the older Spock had to be a great delight for all trekkies.
This latest "Star Trek" movies provides first rate special effects and actions scenes as the young crew of the Starship Enterprise battle to stop the Romulan Nero. It is a film that will satisfy both viewers who are unfamiliar with "Star Trek" and the most hard core trekkie.
The film opens with a Federation Ship being sneak attacked by a Romulan Ship headed by the vengeful Romulan Nero. The father of Captain James T Kirk is forced to take control of the doomed ship and his last act is to evacuate the crew including his pregnant wife as she gives birth to their son James. From there we see James Kirk as a very intelligent young man with an unrelenting wild streak. He drives fast, drinks hard, and hits on every type of woman (even green women, wo!). Spock is shown to be intelligent as well, wrestling with the conflict of acting on logic he got from his vulcan father or emotion he got from his human mother. Ohura, Dr. McCoy, Sulu, Chekov, and later on Mr. Scott are introduced as well and the beauty of the film for fans of the television series is that we believe that these are what the characters would have been like in a younger day.
As the film moves on we learn that the Romulan Nero and his ship is from the future and that Nero is out to destroy every federation planet for Spock's failure, that occured in the future, to save the Romulan planet. Here is where the time travel element is introduced. A movie that contains time travel runs the risk of confusing the audience, but Director Abrams keeps the film moving at a fast pace to where the time travel elememt becomes a welcome addition to the film instead of a bothersome intrusion. It also lets us see the character of Spock as both a young and an old vulcan (part human) and seeing Leonard Nimoy in a brief role as the older Spock had to be a great delight for all trekkies.
This latest "Star Trek" movies provides first rate special effects and actions scenes as the young crew of the Starship Enterprise battle to stop the Romulan Nero. It is a film that will satisfy both viewers who are unfamiliar with "Star Trek" and the most hard core trekkie.
Friday, December 25, 2009
When "The Bird" was the word
At the end of every year sports fans look back to the athletes who provided to them everlasting memories that passed away that year and 2009 was no exception. For me, the athlete that was sadly taken too soon in 2009 was Mark "The Bird" Fidrych and the memories he provided will remain in the hearts of every baseball fan fortunate enough to have seen him in action.
It was the summer of 1976 on ABC's "Monday Night Baseball" when I and most of America were introduced to a pitcher with a 7 win and 1 losss record at the time named Mark "The Bird" Fidrych. It was a game in late June when Fidrych's team the Detroit Tigers faced the New York Yankees. The word was that Fidrych was an exciting young pitcher and a unique character. When watching him on the mound, it was obvious that those words completely underrated him. Fidrych was a tall and lanky man with curly brown hair that looked like the seventies version of "Napoleon Dynamite". If you saw him walking down the street you would never guess that he could possibly be a major league baseball pitcher, but when you saw him on the baseball field, you would never be able to get him out of your mind. That game in late June against the Yankees, Fidrych would remove cleat marks with his hand from the pitching mound, talk to the baseball and aim it as if he was telling the ball where he wanted it to go, and shake the hands of all his teammates on the field after he had successfully held the Yankees scoreless that inning. There was nothing staged or pretentious about "The Bird's" behavior. He was just a quirky baseball pitcher with an infectious charm that captured the imagination of baseball fans. He was also a great pitcher. That game the Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees 5 to 1 and the sold out crowd in Tiger Stadium was all there to see Fidrych get the last out in the 9th inning. Every person at that game was on their feet and many more baseball fans at home who had little interest in the Tigers were cheering "The Bird' as well. Even though it was a regular season game, as Fidrych got the last out to win the game, it almost felt like the Tigers had just won the world series. As the baseball season went on visiting ballparks would sell out every game that Fidrych pitched. A geniune media star was born without any publicist or marketing "expert" telling him how to act or what to say. At the end of the season Fidrych would win rookie of the year with a 19 and 9 record, a 2.34 ERA ,and 24 complete games.
Unfortunately, the only thing as fast as Firdrych's rise in baseball was his fall. The following year a knee injury and undetected torn rotator cuff tear would cut short his season and Fidrych would finish the season with a 6 and 4 record. He would only pitch 3 games in 1978 and after being released by the Tigers, tried unsuccessfully with the Red Sox to make a comeback in 1981. He would then go back to his farm living with his wife and daughter and working moving gravel and asphalt in a 10 wheeler. Fidrych never complained about it or in any way felt regret. He was a simple man who was more than content living a simple life.
In one way "The Bird" was right for his time. In 1976 baseball was seen sparingly on television and mostly heard on radio. There was no ESPN, no all day news, no TMZ, and thankfully no reality television. If Fidrych were pitching today, his behavior would be seen more skeptically by viewers who would be thinking that he was simply trying to get attention. In another way, Fidrych may have been better off if he pitched today. In the seventies, there were no set up men or long relievers in bullpens and no pitch counts. Starting pitchers were expected to pitch complete games. Fidrych pitched 24 complete games in one season. That is more than most modern day pitchers will pitch in their entire careers. One can only wonder if Fidrych would have sustained a longer career and avoided his rotater cuff injury if he would have been taken out of games early to let the bullpen finish what he had started.
Whether the majority of baseball fans see Fidrych's career as triumph or tragedy is a bit unknown but "The Bird" for me will remain one of the most unique pitchers ever to play major league baseball. He is not a pitcher that is judged liked most pitchers by his career number of victories, complete games, strikeouts, or no hitters but by an unusual quirky charisma that fans embraced. While it is clear his career was too short for him to be inducted into Cooperstown, it is even more clear to every baseball fan with any memory of 1976 that for that one brief moment in time baseball belonged to "The Bird".
It was the summer of 1976 on ABC's "Monday Night Baseball" when I and most of America were introduced to a pitcher with a 7 win and 1 losss record at the time named Mark "The Bird" Fidrych. It was a game in late June when Fidrych's team the Detroit Tigers faced the New York Yankees. The word was that Fidrych was an exciting young pitcher and a unique character. When watching him on the mound, it was obvious that those words completely underrated him. Fidrych was a tall and lanky man with curly brown hair that looked like the seventies version of "Napoleon Dynamite". If you saw him walking down the street you would never guess that he could possibly be a major league baseball pitcher, but when you saw him on the baseball field, you would never be able to get him out of your mind. That game in late June against the Yankees, Fidrych would remove cleat marks with his hand from the pitching mound, talk to the baseball and aim it as if he was telling the ball where he wanted it to go, and shake the hands of all his teammates on the field after he had successfully held the Yankees scoreless that inning. There was nothing staged or pretentious about "The Bird's" behavior. He was just a quirky baseball pitcher with an infectious charm that captured the imagination of baseball fans. He was also a great pitcher. That game the Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees 5 to 1 and the sold out crowd in Tiger Stadium was all there to see Fidrych get the last out in the 9th inning. Every person at that game was on their feet and many more baseball fans at home who had little interest in the Tigers were cheering "The Bird' as well. Even though it was a regular season game, as Fidrych got the last out to win the game, it almost felt like the Tigers had just won the world series. As the baseball season went on visiting ballparks would sell out every game that Fidrych pitched. A geniune media star was born without any publicist or marketing "expert" telling him how to act or what to say. At the end of the season Fidrych would win rookie of the year with a 19 and 9 record, a 2.34 ERA ,and 24 complete games.
Unfortunately, the only thing as fast as Firdrych's rise in baseball was his fall. The following year a knee injury and undetected torn rotator cuff tear would cut short his season and Fidrych would finish the season with a 6 and 4 record. He would only pitch 3 games in 1978 and after being released by the Tigers, tried unsuccessfully with the Red Sox to make a comeback in 1981. He would then go back to his farm living with his wife and daughter and working moving gravel and asphalt in a 10 wheeler. Fidrych never complained about it or in any way felt regret. He was a simple man who was more than content living a simple life.
In one way "The Bird" was right for his time. In 1976 baseball was seen sparingly on television and mostly heard on radio. There was no ESPN, no all day news, no TMZ, and thankfully no reality television. If Fidrych were pitching today, his behavior would be seen more skeptically by viewers who would be thinking that he was simply trying to get attention. In another way, Fidrych may have been better off if he pitched today. In the seventies, there were no set up men or long relievers in bullpens and no pitch counts. Starting pitchers were expected to pitch complete games. Fidrych pitched 24 complete games in one season. That is more than most modern day pitchers will pitch in their entire careers. One can only wonder if Fidrych would have sustained a longer career and avoided his rotater cuff injury if he would have been taken out of games early to let the bullpen finish what he had started.
Whether the majority of baseball fans see Fidrych's career as triumph or tragedy is a bit unknown but "The Bird" for me will remain one of the most unique pitchers ever to play major league baseball. He is not a pitcher that is judged liked most pitchers by his career number of victories, complete games, strikeouts, or no hitters but by an unusual quirky charisma that fans embraced. While it is clear his career was too short for him to be inducted into Cooperstown, it is even more clear to every baseball fan with any memory of 1976 that for that one brief moment in time baseball belonged to "The Bird".
this week's picks
My nemesis Mr.Slag will verify that I picked San Diego to beat the Titans 21 to 17 before the start of the game (it looks like they will beat them by much more) so like last week I am off to a good start but hopefully unlike last week the rest of my picks will have better results.
Atlanta 21 Buffalo 20 (this game could go either way)
Bengals 27 KC 10
Oakland 17 Cleveland 14 (Pick your poison. Oakland is the least toxic)
Packers 24 Seahwawks 7 (Green Bay will make Seattle pay for last week)
Pittsburgh 17 Baltimore 14 (Toughest game to pick. At home the Steelers make their last stand)
Dolphins 21 Texans 14
Patiots 24 Jaguars 21
Saints 35 Bucaneers 7
Giants 28 Panthers 7 (Carolina had their best game against the Vikings. This week they come back down to earth)
49ers 30 Lions 7 (Stafford is out and the Lions are back to their old ways of losing)
Cardinals 21 Rams 14
Colts 24 Jets 14 (The Colts cannot afford to take it easy at this time of the year if they want to be successful in the playoffs)
Eagles 28 Broncos 10 (Even Cowboy fans have to admit in the last few years there are few teams better in December than Philadelphia)
Dallas 21 Redskins 10 ( The Redskins will keep it close in the first half but Tony Romo and the rest of the offense pull away in the 2nd half)
Vikings 23 Bears 14 (The Favre and Childress distraction will persist but thankfully for Minnesota, Jake Cutler will throw enough interceptions for the Vikings to win comfortably)
Atlanta 21 Buffalo 20 (this game could go either way)
Bengals 27 KC 10
Oakland 17 Cleveland 14 (Pick your poison. Oakland is the least toxic)
Packers 24 Seahwawks 7 (Green Bay will make Seattle pay for last week)
Pittsburgh 17 Baltimore 14 (Toughest game to pick. At home the Steelers make their last stand)
Dolphins 21 Texans 14
Patiots 24 Jaguars 21
Saints 35 Bucaneers 7
Giants 28 Panthers 7 (Carolina had their best game against the Vikings. This week they come back down to earth)
49ers 30 Lions 7 (Stafford is out and the Lions are back to their old ways of losing)
Cardinals 21 Rams 14
Colts 24 Jets 14 (The Colts cannot afford to take it easy at this time of the year if they want to be successful in the playoffs)
Eagles 28 Broncos 10 (Even Cowboy fans have to admit in the last few years there are few teams better in December than Philadelphia)
Dallas 21 Redskins 10 ( The Redskins will keep it close in the first half but Tony Romo and the rest of the offense pull away in the 2nd half)
Vikings 23 Bears 14 (The Favre and Childress distraction will persist but thankfully for Minnesota, Jake Cutler will throw enough interceptions for the Vikings to win comfortably)
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Best TV show of the Decade
The easiest question for me to answer regarding this decade is what was the best television program. Every once in a while a program can come along that can make you see television in a completely different light. This decade that program was carried by HBO. HBO definitely carried programs that could be considered "must see tv". Shows like "Sex and the City", " The Sopranos" and "Entourage" generated the most buzz but while flying under the radar, "The Wire" not only would become HBO's best show but a truly original American classic.
The fact that "The Wire" didn't attract a large viewing audience was unfortunate and the fact that it was bypassed for cable Ace and Emmy awards was unforgivable. Creator David Simon using his hometown of Baltimore showed viewers, in the most brutally honest way, the problems and decay of the American inner city and the devastating consequences that will result if these problems are ignored or handled with superficial easy answers that only serve to make those in power look like they are in control.
"The Wire" ran for five seasons and every season built on the prior season to show viewers different aspects of Baltimore.
The first season introduced viewers to the drug trade that infected the city by showing the hierarchy of drug dealers, the dope fiends using the drugs, the stick up men who rob the dealers and the cops trying ,sometimes in vain ,to put the dealers in jail.
The second season, while continuing to show the police's conflict with the drug dealers, brought in the port area of Baltimore and showed an international drug smuggling operation that resulted in murder and union workers who turned to crime to try to save their dying union.
The third season introduced viewers to local politicians trying to deal with the drug trade while advancing their careers and other drug dealers looking to defend and expand their territory.
The fourth season, which was the most heartbreaking, showed viewers four middle school boys who were tempted at every turn to enter the world of drug dealing while being failed by every government institution that was suppose to support them.
The fifth season showed a light on the decline of Baltimore's print media and how it resulted in murders from the drug trade going unreported and a reporter trying to advance his career unethically by writing fictitious stories.
In every season "The Wire" showed the complexity of the problems facing the inner city and refused to provide easy answers. Every situation and every character had different dimensions. Cops were thrwarted to make progress on their cases against drug dealers every bit as much by their own actions and the police bureaucracy as the drug dealers themselves while the drug dealers faced more trouble from rival dealers and the drug heirarchy than the cops. The characters were even more complex. There were cops that were good and cops that were bad. Some were hardworking and others were lazy, and even the good cops that were hardworking were moral failures in their private lives. There were drug dealers that were ruthless with no regard for life and dealers who were conflicted and disillusioned with the world of the drug trade. It's impossible to get into the multiple dimensions of every character on the show but while some mistakenly perceived "The Wire" to be a "black" show, in reality the color of almost everyone in the show was gray.
In the same way that Charles Dicken's novels showed the problems and despair of 19th century England, David Simon thru "The Wire" showed us the all to real problems currently facing inner city America. Ultimately Simon has shown that television remains an important medium in our society that can enlighten viewers on problems facing the inner city and hopefully bring about positive change.
The fact that "The Wire" didn't attract a large viewing audience was unfortunate and the fact that it was bypassed for cable Ace and Emmy awards was unforgivable. Creator David Simon using his hometown of Baltimore showed viewers, in the most brutally honest way, the problems and decay of the American inner city and the devastating consequences that will result if these problems are ignored or handled with superficial easy answers that only serve to make those in power look like they are in control.
"The Wire" ran for five seasons and every season built on the prior season to show viewers different aspects of Baltimore.
The first season introduced viewers to the drug trade that infected the city by showing the hierarchy of drug dealers, the dope fiends using the drugs, the stick up men who rob the dealers and the cops trying ,sometimes in vain ,to put the dealers in jail.
The second season, while continuing to show the police's conflict with the drug dealers, brought in the port area of Baltimore and showed an international drug smuggling operation that resulted in murder and union workers who turned to crime to try to save their dying union.
The third season introduced viewers to local politicians trying to deal with the drug trade while advancing their careers and other drug dealers looking to defend and expand their territory.
The fourth season, which was the most heartbreaking, showed viewers four middle school boys who were tempted at every turn to enter the world of drug dealing while being failed by every government institution that was suppose to support them.
The fifth season showed a light on the decline of Baltimore's print media and how it resulted in murders from the drug trade going unreported and a reporter trying to advance his career unethically by writing fictitious stories.
In every season "The Wire" showed the complexity of the problems facing the inner city and refused to provide easy answers. Every situation and every character had different dimensions. Cops were thrwarted to make progress on their cases against drug dealers every bit as much by their own actions and the police bureaucracy as the drug dealers themselves while the drug dealers faced more trouble from rival dealers and the drug heirarchy than the cops. The characters were even more complex. There were cops that were good and cops that were bad. Some were hardworking and others were lazy, and even the good cops that were hardworking were moral failures in their private lives. There were drug dealers that were ruthless with no regard for life and dealers who were conflicted and disillusioned with the world of the drug trade. It's impossible to get into the multiple dimensions of every character on the show but while some mistakenly perceived "The Wire" to be a "black" show, in reality the color of almost everyone in the show was gray.
In the same way that Charles Dicken's novels showed the problems and despair of 19th century England, David Simon thru "The Wire" showed us the all to real problems currently facing inner city America. Ultimately Simon has shown that television remains an important medium in our society that can enlighten viewers on problems facing the inner city and hopefully bring about positive change.
Friday, December 18, 2009
this week's picks
1 for 1 so far with the Colts victory last night. Here are the rest of my picks
Patriots 17 Bills 13 (Patriots finally win on the road)
Cardinals 24 Lions 7
Miami 24 Titans 14 (I'm assuming Vince Young will not be healthy enough to play)
Chiefs 21 Browns 17 (Who will want to watch this game)
Houston 20 Rams 10
JETS 21 Atlanta 20 (toughest game to pick)
Eagles 28 SF 17 (Eagles surge continues)
Denver 30 Raiders 13
Chargers 27 Bengals 14 (Chargers may be the best team in football right now)
Seattle 20 Tampa Bay 7
Ravens 17 Bears 7 (Cutler will throw 4 interceptions)
Green Bay 21 Steelers 10 (Has there ever been a superbowl winning team play this poorly in the following year)
Vikings 31 Panthers 17
Giants 17 Redskins 14
Cowboys vs Saints
Psychologically Dallas is wounded and the Saints will smell the blood and go for the kill. Christmas is the season of miracles and the Cowboys may need one to get a victory in New Orleans.
Saints 31 Dallas 17 (That is assuming Demarcus Ware will play. It will be worse if he doesn't play)
Patriots 17 Bills 13 (Patriots finally win on the road)
Cardinals 24 Lions 7
Miami 24 Titans 14 (I'm assuming Vince Young will not be healthy enough to play)
Chiefs 21 Browns 17 (Who will want to watch this game)
Houston 20 Rams 10
JETS 21 Atlanta 20 (toughest game to pick)
Eagles 28 SF 17 (Eagles surge continues)
Denver 30 Raiders 13
Chargers 27 Bengals 14 (Chargers may be the best team in football right now)
Seattle 20 Tampa Bay 7
Ravens 17 Bears 7 (Cutler will throw 4 interceptions)
Green Bay 21 Steelers 10 (Has there ever been a superbowl winning team play this poorly in the following year)
Vikings 31 Panthers 17
Giants 17 Redskins 14
Cowboys vs Saints
Psychologically Dallas is wounded and the Saints will smell the blood and go for the kill. Christmas is the season of miracles and the Cowboys may need one to get a victory in New Orleans.
Saints 31 Dallas 17 (That is assuming Demarcus Ware will play. It will be worse if he doesn't play)
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Wake Me Up When December Ends
Christmas is the season of giving and every December the Cowboys certainly keep in line with the season giving victories to their opponents. Now the Cowboys have to go to New Orleans to play the undefeated Saints Saturday night. Some have said the Cowboys can win due to New Orleans sub par play the last two weeks against Washington and Atlanta. The problem is both those games were on the road and the New Orleans Superdome may be the toughest place for visiting opponents to play in. At home the Saints have beaten their opponents by a combined total of 220 to 128. New Orleans has scored 30 or more points in 5 of their 6 home games and if Defensive End Demarcus Ware does not play, this game could be another December nightmare game for the Cowboys. Unless something completely out of the ordinary happens later this week (i.e. Drew Brees getting caught with a hooker on Bourbon Street), it will be a long and painful night for the Cowboys when these Saints come marching in.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
NFL week in review
12 and 4 in my picks last week which makes me 114 and 78 overall.
It is more than obvious the Steeler won't repeat as superbowl champions but who will win this year is less clear. Indianapolis is undefeated but Peyton Manning threw 3 interceptions last week. The Colts would be well advised to start all their players in their remainding games to get ready for the playoffs. The last time they were in this spot Tony Dungy benched some of his starters and all that time off made them vulnerable in the playoffs against the Steelers. San Diego continues to win while flying under the radar and they have defeated the Colts the last two years in the playoffs. It looked like Cincinnati was making a push but the way they played against the Vikings this week exposed their weak offensive line and the fact that Carson Palmer is playing injured.
In the NFC Minnesota is looking strong again and the Eagles are starting to surge which they usually do in December. New Orleans has been winning but not very convincingly lately. They will get a gift this Saturday called the Dallas Cowboys which I will have more on in my next blog.
Before the season started I said the two teams in the superbowl would be San Diego against Philadelphia with San Diego winning. I'm starting to like this pick
It is more than obvious the Steeler won't repeat as superbowl champions but who will win this year is less clear. Indianapolis is undefeated but Peyton Manning threw 3 interceptions last week. The Colts would be well advised to start all their players in their remainding games to get ready for the playoffs. The last time they were in this spot Tony Dungy benched some of his starters and all that time off made them vulnerable in the playoffs against the Steelers. San Diego continues to win while flying under the radar and they have defeated the Colts the last two years in the playoffs. It looked like Cincinnati was making a push but the way they played against the Vikings this week exposed their weak offensive line and the fact that Carson Palmer is playing injured.
In the NFC Minnesota is looking strong again and the Eagles are starting to surge which they usually do in December. New Orleans has been winning but not very convincingly lately. They will get a gift this Saturday called the Dallas Cowboys which I will have more on in my next blog.
Before the season started I said the two teams in the superbowl would be San Diego against Philadelphia with San Diego winning. I'm starting to like this pick
Friday, December 11, 2009
Upcoming week and some bragging
As a friend of mine (Mr. Slag) can verify, before the college football season I picked Texas and Alabama to compete for the BCS National Championship. Right on the mark with that pick but I predicted before the season that Texas would win the National Championship and after last week it is clear that Alabama is the stronger team.
This week of NFL football has already gotten off to a bad start for my picks. I didn't think Pittsburgh was bad enough to lose to Cleveland but they are. Pittsburgh's Head Coach Mike Tomlin said they would "unleash hell" in December. The only hell unleashed yesterday was Cleveland's defensive line on Ben Rothlisberger. This week has some good matchups and below are my picks.
New Orleans 35 Falcons 24
Green Bay 20 Bears 10 (Packers victory over the Cowboys has turned their season around)
Jets 17 Tampa Bay 14
Miami 24 Jacksonville 21 (toughest game to pick)
Baltimore 21 Detroit 17
Seattle 20 Houston 17 (Matt Schaub is playing but will get hurt in the first half)
Colts 24 Denver 20
Buffalo 24 Chiefs 17
Bengals 28 Vikings 14 (Like last year with the Jets, Favre will spiral downward in December and against the Bengals defense he will throw at least 3 interceptions).
New England 17 Panthers 10 (Belichick won't stand for 3 losses in a row. The score would be worse if Brady was healthy).
Redksins 13 Oakland 10 (Redskins have been improving lately)
Titans 24 Lambs 13
Eagles 21 Giants 10 (Giants have not beaten the Eagles since they lost Plaxico Burress)
Cardinals 30 SF 17
For the Cowboys to have a chance of beating San Diego they must establish the running game earlier. San Diego has been weak against the run. The Chargers have given up more than 100 yards rushing in their last three games and this is the time to get Felix Jones more involved with the offense. Even with that, from the way that San Diego has played the last 5 games and how unlike the Cowboys they have excelled in the month of December, the Chargers will pull away at the end.
San Diego 27 Dallas 17
This week of NFL football has already gotten off to a bad start for my picks. I didn't think Pittsburgh was bad enough to lose to Cleveland but they are. Pittsburgh's Head Coach Mike Tomlin said they would "unleash hell" in December. The only hell unleashed yesterday was Cleveland's defensive line on Ben Rothlisberger. This week has some good matchups and below are my picks.
New Orleans 35 Falcons 24
Green Bay 20 Bears 10 (Packers victory over the Cowboys has turned their season around)
Jets 17 Tampa Bay 14
Miami 24 Jacksonville 21 (toughest game to pick)
Baltimore 21 Detroit 17
Seattle 20 Houston 17 (Matt Schaub is playing but will get hurt in the first half)
Colts 24 Denver 20
Buffalo 24 Chiefs 17
Bengals 28 Vikings 14 (Like last year with the Jets, Favre will spiral downward in December and against the Bengals defense he will throw at least 3 interceptions).
New England 17 Panthers 10 (Belichick won't stand for 3 losses in a row. The score would be worse if Brady was healthy).
Redksins 13 Oakland 10 (Redskins have been improving lately)
Titans 24 Lambs 13
Eagles 21 Giants 10 (Giants have not beaten the Eagles since they lost Plaxico Burress)
Cardinals 30 SF 17
For the Cowboys to have a chance of beating San Diego they must establish the running game earlier. San Diego has been weak against the run. The Chargers have given up more than 100 yards rushing in their last three games and this is the time to get Felix Jones more involved with the offense. Even with that, from the way that San Diego has played the last 5 games and how unlike the Cowboys they have excelled in the month of December, the Chargers will pull away at the end.
San Diego 27 Dallas 17
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Disturbing Historic Trends
It has been well documented the Cowboys poor record in the month of December the last few years but the record of the Cowboys upcoming opponents paints an even more disturbing picture. Their next game is against San Diego who in the month of December is 12 and 0 with Norv Turner as their Head Coach. Later in the season they play Philadelphia who is 11 and 3 in December since 2006. The Cowboys other two games are against the undefeated Saints and the slowly improving Redskins on the road. Head Coach Wade Phillips should avoid using a movie line to get the Cowboys going (just ask Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin on how his "unleash hell" line from "Gladiator" worked against the Raiders) and instead make every player listen every day for the rest of the season to the Fleetwood Mac song "Don't Stop Thinking about Tomorrow" because if the Cowboys start listening to the media about how they have played in the past in December they will be easy pickings for their upcoming opponents.
Quarterback Tony Romo was decent against the Giants but the running game is still not playing at a high level and if this along with Kicker Nick Folk's inexplicable kicking slump continues Cowboy fans are in for another dark December.
Quarterback Tony Romo was decent against the Giants but the running game is still not playing at a high level and if this along with Kicker Nick Folk's inexplicable kicking slump continues Cowboy fans are in for another dark December.
Irish moving on
As everyone expected this week Irish Quarterback Jimmy Claussen and Wide Receiver Golden Tate opted to enter the NFL draft. This was no surprise. With most of the Irish offensive line graduating it made no sense for either player to stay with the team when they could better utilize their talents in the NFL. That being said both players will be sorely missed.
Jimmy Claussen's first season with Notre Dame was a nightmare. The Irish gave up more sacks than any other team and Claussen's toughness for the first time in his young football career was put to the test. Thankfully he passed this test with flying colors. Watching Claussen mature over the years and develop into the strong armed quarterback with the ability to handle a complex offense was great to watch. Clausssen did not quite develop into the quarterback that could generate comebacks consistently like Joe Montana did but if he can keep progressing he will make a first rate NFL starting Quarterback.
This past season Notre Dame on offense had some good players, a few great players and one special player named Golden Tate. How fitting that a man named Golden Tate would come to play football at Notre Dame and provide moments that truly were golden. Tate's ability to catch footballs in double coverage and run past, through, and around would be tacklers created for every Irish fans memories that will never be forgotten. Not since the great Rocket Ishmael has there ever been a more exciting player than Golden Tate and if he keeps progressing, fans of whichever NFL teams drafts him will be in for a real treat.
Here's wishing nothing but the best for both players as they pursue their careers in the NFL.
Jimmy Claussen's first season with Notre Dame was a nightmare. The Irish gave up more sacks than any other team and Claussen's toughness for the first time in his young football career was put to the test. Thankfully he passed this test with flying colors. Watching Claussen mature over the years and develop into the strong armed quarterback with the ability to handle a complex offense was great to watch. Clausssen did not quite develop into the quarterback that could generate comebacks consistently like Joe Montana did but if he can keep progressing he will make a first rate NFL starting Quarterback.
This past season Notre Dame on offense had some good players, a few great players and one special player named Golden Tate. How fitting that a man named Golden Tate would come to play football at Notre Dame and provide moments that truly were golden. Tate's ability to catch footballs in double coverage and run past, through, and around would be tacklers created for every Irish fans memories that will never be forgotten. Not since the great Rocket Ishmael has there ever been a more exciting player than Golden Tate and if he keeps progressing, fans of whichever NFL teams drafts him will be in for a real treat.
Here's wishing nothing but the best for both players as they pursue their careers in the NFL.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
this week's picks
Off to a bad start with picking the Bills to beat the Jets. There will be some close games this week.
Philadelphia 20 Atlanta 13 (Atlanta has been a major disappointment this season)
Chicago 24 St Louis 13 (Cutler is not that bad. Even he can beat the Lambs)
Bengals 31 Lions 13
Steelers 24 Raiders 10
Colts 27 Titans 23 (tough pick but at the last minute I resisted drinking the Vince Young Kool Aid)
Denver 17 KC 13
Patriots 27 Miami 14 (when was the last time the Patriots lost two games in a row)
Saints 35 Deadskins 7 (worse mismatch of the week)
Carolina 14 Bucanneers 12 (zzzzzz!!!)
Jaguars 21 Texans 17 (the Texans will have the lead in the first half and we all know what will happen in the 2nd half)
Chargers 35 Browns 7 (Chargers are on fire)
49ers 20 Seahawks 13
Vikings 24 Cardinals 20 (Warner's health is still too much an issue to pick the Cardinals for the upset)
Green Bay 27 Baltimore 17
The Cowboys and the Giants is a tough game to pick. The last two years the Cowboys are 3 and 5 in the month of December and the Giants can resurrect their season with a victory against the Cowboys. The Giants will come out strong but in the long run Eli Manning's foot injury and the Cowboys running game will be too much for the Giant to overcome.
Dallas 23 Giants 16
Philadelphia 20 Atlanta 13 (Atlanta has been a major disappointment this season)
Chicago 24 St Louis 13 (Cutler is not that bad. Even he can beat the Lambs)
Bengals 31 Lions 13
Steelers 24 Raiders 10
Colts 27 Titans 23 (tough pick but at the last minute I resisted drinking the Vince Young Kool Aid)
Denver 17 KC 13
Patriots 27 Miami 14 (when was the last time the Patriots lost two games in a row)
Saints 35 Deadskins 7 (worse mismatch of the week)
Carolina 14 Bucanneers 12 (zzzzzz!!!)
Jaguars 21 Texans 17 (the Texans will have the lead in the first half and we all know what will happen in the 2nd half)
Chargers 35 Browns 7 (Chargers are on fire)
49ers 20 Seahawks 13
Vikings 24 Cardinals 20 (Warner's health is still too much an issue to pick the Cardinals for the upset)
Green Bay 27 Baltimore 17
The Cowboys and the Giants is a tough game to pick. The last two years the Cowboys are 3 and 5 in the month of December and the Giants can resurrect their season with a victory against the Cowboys. The Giants will come out strong but in the long run Eli Manning's foot injury and the Cowboys running game will be too much for the Giant to overcome.
Dallas 23 Giants 16
Friday, December 4, 2009
Cowboy's True Tests are Coming
A fried of mine (I should say nemesis since he is currently beating me on NFL football picks) wrote about the myth of the Minnesota Vikings in showing that their record this year is mostly against below average teams. While that is valid, the same thing can be said about the Cowboys.
In looking at the 8 victories the Cowboys have had this season, only two teams (Atlanta and Philadelphia) currently have wining records and the combined record of the opponents they have beaten is 31 wins and 57 losses. In terms of wins that only comes to 35% and it took the Cowboys overtime to defeat a 3 and 8 Kansas City team on the road and a last final drive to defeat a 3 and 8 Redskin team 7 to 6 at home. The other disturbing sign is that the Cowboys losses are to the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers and as the season has gone on it has become clear that none of those teams at this point has demonstrated that they belong with the current elite teams of the NFL like New Orleans and Indianapolis.
The month of December will show if the Cowboys are a team that can make a push for the superbowl or be like the Chan Gailey coached teams that would play decent in the regular season and get humiliated by a superior team early in the playoffs. The games they have against San Diego and New Orleans in December will give a good indication as to what type of team the Cowboys have.
In looking at the 8 victories the Cowboys have had this season, only two teams (Atlanta and Philadelphia) currently have wining records and the combined record of the opponents they have beaten is 31 wins and 57 losses. In terms of wins that only comes to 35% and it took the Cowboys overtime to defeat a 3 and 8 Kansas City team on the road and a last final drive to defeat a 3 and 8 Redskin team 7 to 6 at home. The other disturbing sign is that the Cowboys losses are to the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers and as the season has gone on it has become clear that none of those teams at this point has demonstrated that they belong with the current elite teams of the NFL like New Orleans and Indianapolis.
The month of December will show if the Cowboys are a team that can make a push for the superbowl or be like the Chan Gailey coached teams that would play decent in the regular season and get humiliated by a superior team early in the playoffs. The games they have against San Diego and New Orleans in December will give a good indication as to what type of team the Cowboys have.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Notre Dame's future
CharlieWeis was finally fired today. Even though every Irish fan saw it coming, it is still sad to see a man who was so passionate about Notre Dame football be let go as Head Coach. Notre Dame had no choice to remove Weis. A 6 and 6 record this year with all the home games and relatively weak schedule was not acceptable by anyone including Weis's standards. This season and Weis's tenure at Notre Dame reminded me of some thoroughbred horses I use to bet on at the track. They would start out fast, at the midway point look like they were making a push for the lead and at the final turn fade out into the back of the pack.
As for the future, Weis will have no problem becoming an offensive coordinator in the NFL but the future for Notre Dame football is less certain. It will be crucial for A.D. Jack Swarbrick to hire the Head Coach who is a good fit with Notre Dame. It is not enough just to hire a coach with a good offensive or defensive mindset. Notre Dame's new Head Coach must be ready to have his team play top caliber football every week and be able to sell the idea of playing at Notre Dame to high school recruits.
Cincinnati's Brian Kelley and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops are reported to be the top candidates now and both would be solid choices but Irish fans need to be patient with the new Head Coach whoever he may be. In all likelihood Quarterback Jimmy Claussen and Wide Receiver Golden Tate will decide to enter the NFL draft and that along with the graduation of most of Notre Dame's offensive linemean will make next year's team very young and inexperienced in key positions. It will be difficult for the Irish to have a winning season next year but that may not be a bad thing in the long run. Charile Weis looked to be the savior his first two seasons with 9 win and 2 loss records and Tyrone Willingham had Irish fans excited after his first year which was 9 and 2 as well. We all know what ended up happening to both Coaches so here's hoping if Notre Dame's new Head Coach does not have a winning record his first season, Irish fans will be patient and excited for better things to come. Just remember, Lou Holtz was 5 and 6 his first season before turning Notre Dame around. Let's hope Notre Dame selects wisely who their next Head Coach will be and if they do Irish fans must give their new Head Coach the support they need and with patience there will be better days on the horizon for Notre Dame football.
As for the future, Weis will have no problem becoming an offensive coordinator in the NFL but the future for Notre Dame football is less certain. It will be crucial for A.D. Jack Swarbrick to hire the Head Coach who is a good fit with Notre Dame. It is not enough just to hire a coach with a good offensive or defensive mindset. Notre Dame's new Head Coach must be ready to have his team play top caliber football every week and be able to sell the idea of playing at Notre Dame to high school recruits.
Cincinnati's Brian Kelley and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops are reported to be the top candidates now and both would be solid choices but Irish fans need to be patient with the new Head Coach whoever he may be. In all likelihood Quarterback Jimmy Claussen and Wide Receiver Golden Tate will decide to enter the NFL draft and that along with the graduation of most of Notre Dame's offensive linemean will make next year's team very young and inexperienced in key positions. It will be difficult for the Irish to have a winning season next year but that may not be a bad thing in the long run. Charile Weis looked to be the savior his first two seasons with 9 win and 2 loss records and Tyrone Willingham had Irish fans excited after his first year which was 9 and 2 as well. We all know what ended up happening to both Coaches so here's hoping if Notre Dame's new Head Coach does not have a winning record his first season, Irish fans will be patient and excited for better things to come. Just remember, Lou Holtz was 5 and 6 his first season before turning Notre Dame around. Let's hope Notre Dame selects wisely who their next Head Coach will be and if they do Irish fans must give their new Head Coach the support they need and with patience there will be better days on the horizon for Notre Dame football.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
This week in the NFL
What stood out in this week's games. Some obvious and some under the radar trends are starting to develop.
It is obvious now that the Houston Texans are a team that can't close the deal. In the first half they dominated and in the second half got dominated by the Indianapolis Colts. Only playing 30 minutes of solid football will never beat the Colts and if this trend continues for the rest of the year, look for Head Coach Gary Kubiak to become a coaching casualty.
As expected, the Chicago Bears and Jake Cutler continue to struggle. While it is easy to pick on Jake Cutler, the Bears need to look into getting the much maligned Quarterback more offensive weapons to work with.
The Colts and Vikings are generating headlines with their impressive season's to this point but flying under the radar is the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers dominated Kansas City today and are a team that in the past has had the Colts number in the playoffs. This is a team that shoud continue to improve and don't be surprised if finally make it to the superbowl this year.
The Philadelphia Eagles are another team that is getting somewhat overlooked. While they only beat the Redskins by 3 today, this is a team that has traditionally finished strong in December. It would not be a shock it they overtake the Dallas Cowboys to win the NFC East.
While the season is not over yet, my pick for rookie of the year at this point would be Houston Linebacker Brian Cushing in the AFC and Minnesota Wide Receiver Percy Harvin in the NFC.
It is obvious now that the Houston Texans are a team that can't close the deal. In the first half they dominated and in the second half got dominated by the Indianapolis Colts. Only playing 30 minutes of solid football will never beat the Colts and if this trend continues for the rest of the year, look for Head Coach Gary Kubiak to become a coaching casualty.
As expected, the Chicago Bears and Jake Cutler continue to struggle. While it is easy to pick on Jake Cutler, the Bears need to look into getting the much maligned Quarterback more offensive weapons to work with.
The Colts and Vikings are generating headlines with their impressive season's to this point but flying under the radar is the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers dominated Kansas City today and are a team that in the past has had the Colts number in the playoffs. This is a team that shoud continue to improve and don't be surprised if finally make it to the superbowl this year.
The Philadelphia Eagles are another team that is getting somewhat overlooked. While they only beat the Redskins by 3 today, this is a team that has traditionally finished strong in December. It would not be a shock it they overtake the Dallas Cowboys to win the NFC East.
While the season is not over yet, my pick for rookie of the year at this point would be Houston Linebacker Brian Cushing in the AFC and Minnesota Wide Receiver Percy Harvin in the NFC.
Friday, November 27, 2009
More NFL Picks
So far I'm 2 of 3. Picked the Cowboys to beat the Raiders 20 to 7 and the score ended up being 24 to 7. Almost perfect on that pick. This rest of the games this week are tough ones and I see a few upsets coming.
Atlanta 24 Tampa Bay 14
Miami 30 Buffalo 10
Bengals 27 Browns 13 (Brady Quinn can't have two good games in a row)
Seahawks 18 Lambs 12
Carolina 21 Jets 17 (Sanchez and Delhome could set a record for most combined interceptions thrown in a game)
Eagles 17 Redskins 13
Houston 23 Colts 20 (Upset special. Kris Brown won't let us down this game)
Chargers 28 Chiefs 10 (The Chargers are quietly making their move to become one of the elite team in the NFL).
49ers 17 Jaguars 13 (Tough game to pick. I'm taking the home team)
Vikings 35 Bears 14 (The dark days for Jake Cutler continue)
Titans 21 Cardinals 20 (Warner will be playing injured. That will be the difference in the game)
Ravens 24 Steelers 20 (Steelers should reconsider starting Rothlisberger. Playing a quarterback a week after he sustained a concussion is very dangerous)
Patriots 31 Saints 27 (The Patriots should have beat Indianapolis if it weren't for Belechick's bad decision late in the game. He won't make the same mistake in this game.
Atlanta 24 Tampa Bay 14
Miami 30 Buffalo 10
Bengals 27 Browns 13 (Brady Quinn can't have two good games in a row)
Seahawks 18 Lambs 12
Carolina 21 Jets 17 (Sanchez and Delhome could set a record for most combined interceptions thrown in a game)
Eagles 17 Redskins 13
Houston 23 Colts 20 (Upset special. Kris Brown won't let us down this game)
Chargers 28 Chiefs 10 (The Chargers are quietly making their move to become one of the elite team in the NFL).
49ers 17 Jaguars 13 (Tough game to pick. I'm taking the home team)
Vikings 35 Bears 14 (The dark days for Jake Cutler continue)
Titans 21 Cardinals 20 (Warner will be playing injured. That will be the difference in the game)
Ravens 24 Steelers 20 (Steelers should reconsider starting Rothlisberger. Playing a quarterback a week after he sustained a concussion is very dangerous)
Patriots 31 Saints 27 (The Patriots should have beat Indianapolis if it weren't for Belechick's bad decision late in the game. He won't make the same mistake in this game.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thanksgiving day picks
Three games this thanksgiving and these days can be tricky. Some of the most bizarre plays have happened on Thanksgiving. Does the name Leon Lett ring a bell to Cowboy fans on that snowy Thanksgiving day game against the Dolphins. Here are my picks
Dallas 20 Raiders 7 ( Leon Lett is retired and Dallas's defense will bail out the offense again)
Green Bay 30 Lions 7 (Without Stafford and Johnson the Lions don't have a chance)
Giants 34 Broncos 27 (Giants will finally show who the real football team in New York is)
Dallas 20 Raiders 7 ( Leon Lett is retired and Dallas's defense will bail out the offense again)
Green Bay 30 Lions 7 (Without Stafford and Johnson the Lions don't have a chance)
Giants 34 Broncos 27 (Giants will finally show who the real football team in New York is)
Monday, November 23, 2009
Update on my picks
I was 11 and 5 with my picks. Some were right on like the Patriots destroying the Jets but I have a feeling everyone saw that one coming. My apologies to all the fans of the Detroit Lions for me believing that the Lions game against Cleveland would be so boring that everyone who paid to see it would fall asleep. In reality they were the only football fans that got to see some exciting football with plenty of touchdowns while most of the rest of the country got to see a pathetic Dallas Cowboy offense play an even more pathetic Washington Redskin defense.
The Cowboys did prevail 7 to 6 but watching that game was like watching a boring 3 hour Hollywood epic movie on T.V. You find yourself dozing off half way into it and when you wake back up you have lost all interest in how it ends. If the Cowboys offense keeps playing this way, then I have one piece of advice for all sports writers who have to report on Dallas's upcoming games. Drink plenty of coffee!
The Cowboys did prevail 7 to 6 but watching that game was like watching a boring 3 hour Hollywood epic movie on T.V. You find yourself dozing off half way into it and when you wake back up you have lost all interest in how it ends. If the Cowboys offense keeps playing this way, then I have one piece of advice for all sports writers who have to report on Dallas's upcoming games. Drink plenty of coffee!
End of the line
Even the most passionate Charlie Weis supporter cannot defend him now. With another season ending home loss to an inferior team Notre Dame is now forced to bite the bullet and remove Coach Weis from his position as Head Coach. Looking back maybe the worst decision ever made by a Notre Dame Athletic Director was former A.D. Kevin White's decision to extend Weis's contract to 10 years early into Weis's first year. It was too soon to extend a contract at that time and now Notre Dame will have to take a big hit financially when they have to buy out the rest of Weis's contract. On top of that if Notre Dame wants to replace Weis with an established successful Head Coach, they will need to offer a big contract along the lines of Urban Meyer's $3 million a year contract when he signed on with the University of Florida.
The Head Coaches being talked about to become Notre Dame's new Head Coach are Brian Kelly, Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer, and Jim Harbough. Stoops and Meyer are already fixtures with their respective teams and it is hard to imagine them taking the Notre Dame Head Coaching job. Brian Kelly looks to be the best choice. He has been successful everywhere he has been starting with the job he did coaching Grand Valley State University to two Division II national championships in 2002 and 2003. After going on to Central Michigan, Kelly took the Head Coaching job at the University of Cincinnati in December of 2006 and has put that program on the map. This year's Bearcat team is currently undefeated and has a great chance to make it to a BCS bowl game this year. Jim Harbough is definitely an intriguing choice as well particularly with the success he has had at Stanford but a former Michigan Quarterback as the Head Coach of Notre Dame seems pretty awkward. Since Harbough has been able to outcoach USC's Pete Carroll two of three years now, Notre Dame fans should be willing to overlook where Harbough went to college.
Whoever the new Head Coach is, they will have a difficult task ahead of them especially since there is a strong possibility that Quarterback Jimmy Claussen and Wide Receiver Golden Tate will opt to enter the 2010 NFL draft. The good news is that if Notre Dame can make the right choice as Head Coach, they can go a long way in getting the football team back on the right track. USC was barely an average team before they hired Pete Carroll and OU was not even average before they hired Bob Stoops. Both those Head Coaches turned their respective teams around and so can the next Head Coach of Notre Dame. Let's hope Notre Dame's current Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick makes the right choice.
The Head Coaches being talked about to become Notre Dame's new Head Coach are Brian Kelly, Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer, and Jim Harbough. Stoops and Meyer are already fixtures with their respective teams and it is hard to imagine them taking the Notre Dame Head Coaching job. Brian Kelly looks to be the best choice. He has been successful everywhere he has been starting with the job he did coaching Grand Valley State University to two Division II national championships in 2002 and 2003. After going on to Central Michigan, Kelly took the Head Coaching job at the University of Cincinnati in December of 2006 and has put that program on the map. This year's Bearcat team is currently undefeated and has a great chance to make it to a BCS bowl game this year. Jim Harbough is definitely an intriguing choice as well particularly with the success he has had at Stanford but a former Michigan Quarterback as the Head Coach of Notre Dame seems pretty awkward. Since Harbough has been able to outcoach USC's Pete Carroll two of three years now, Notre Dame fans should be willing to overlook where Harbough went to college.
Whoever the new Head Coach is, they will have a difficult task ahead of them especially since there is a strong possibility that Quarterback Jimmy Claussen and Wide Receiver Golden Tate will opt to enter the 2010 NFL draft. The good news is that if Notre Dame can make the right choice as Head Coach, they can go a long way in getting the football team back on the right track. USC was barely an average team before they hired Pete Carroll and OU was not even average before they hired Bob Stoops. Both those Head Coaches turned their respective teams around and so can the next Head Coach of Notre Dame. Let's hope Notre Dame's current Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick makes the right choice.
Friday, November 20, 2009
picks for this week
Already off to a slow start. While I did not publish it I verbally told Mr. Slag yesterday that Carolina would be Miami 20 to 13. Why did I put any faith in Jake Delhome. Here are my picks for the rest of the games this weekend in the NFL
Dallas 21 Washington 10
SF 20 GB 14 (upset pick)
Steelers 27 Chiefs 10
Cleveland Detroit
Vikings 31 Seahawks 14
Giants 24 Falcons 14 (here is where the Giants turn their season around)
Saints 27 Buccaneers 14
Jaguars 14 Bills 10
Colts 20 Ravens 17
Arizona 30 Lambs 10
Chargers 27 Broncos 7 (broncos downward spiral continues)
Cincinnati 24 Raiders 7
New England 35 Jets 10 (J E T S will get K I L L E D)
Eagles 20 Bears 10
Houston 24 Titans 21 (tough one to pick)
No I did not forget to put a score down for the Cleveland vs Detroit game. I just thought about the game for a second and fell asleep.
Detroit 6 Cleveland 0
Dallas 21 Washington 10
SF 20 GB 14 (upset pick)
Steelers 27 Chiefs 10
Cleveland Detroit
Vikings 31 Seahawks 14
Giants 24 Falcons 14 (here is where the Giants turn their season around)
Saints 27 Buccaneers 14
Jaguars 14 Bills 10
Colts 20 Ravens 17
Arizona 30 Lambs 10
Chargers 27 Broncos 7 (broncos downward spiral continues)
Cincinnati 24 Raiders 7
New England 35 Jets 10 (J E T S will get K I L L E D)
Eagles 20 Bears 10
Houston 24 Titans 21 (tough one to pick)
No I did not forget to put a score down for the Cleveland vs Detroit game. I just thought about the game for a second and fell asleep.
Detroit 6 Cleveland 0
End of the Line
It's sad to see the direction Notre Dame's season has taken these last two weeks. With the loss to Pittsburgh it is difficult to see how Charlie Weiss can remain as Head Coach when the season is over. There is no doubt that Weiss is more passionate about Notre Dame than most of the prior coaches Notre Dame has had but another season of just barely above average football is not going to cut it. We all heard how Notre Dame was finishing in the top ten for their recruiting classes the last few years and the results of that have not shown on the football field. That all falls on the shoulders of Charlie Weiss. He does have the mind of an offensive coordinator but a Head Coach needs to have his entire team play consistently at a high level. Under Weiss's reign the defense have consistently given up big plays and the special teams have at times been nothing short of a disaster. The last few years there were kickers that struggled to make extra points and this year, they have a punter who doesn't look like he can punt a ball more than 20 yards. Weiss's inablity to put together a solid team will probably lead to his dismissal at the end of the year.
If the players want Weiss to return next season then tomorrow, at the final game in South Bend this season, they must play better than they ever have and soundly defeat UConn. Let's hope that happens so every Notre Dame senior can go out on top at their last game in South Bend.
Go Irish!!!!!!!!!
If the players want Weiss to return next season then tomorrow, at the final game in South Bend this season, they must play better than they ever have and soundly defeat UConn. Let's hope that happens so every Notre Dame senior can go out on top at their last game in South Bend.
Go Irish!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Cowboys troubles
Ouch. Glad I didn't go to Las Vegas to make bets on these games. A very disappointing record of 7 and 7 this last time out and I was done in bad decisions by Bill Belichick and just overall bad play by the Dallas Cowboys. With Marco Columbo out for the season it will be interesting to see if Romo can scramble his way out of sacks since the Cowboys are so thin at offensive line. Another point of concern is Felix Jones who looked to be a game breaker for the Cowboys last year until he got hurt. So far he has hardly factored into any game this year and there is concern that he is having trouble recovering from injuries. The Cowboys should still be the Redskins this weekend but this is in no way a sure thing like Cowboy fans might have thought it was a week ago.
Stay tuned
Stay tuned
Friday, November 13, 2009
football picks
I am 1 for 1 so far and plan on finishing strong. Here are my picks for the rest of the NFL games this week
New Orleans 42 Lamb chops 10 (gross mismatch)
Miami 21 Buccanneers 14
Vikings 31 Lions 14
Jets 20 Jaguars 10 (Mark Sanchez will get his confidence back)
Titans 21 Bills 7 (Would love to take another shot at TO but it's just too easy now)
Steelers 24 Bengals 20
Broncos 27 Redskins 17
Atlanta 20 Panthers 17
Raiders 16 Chiefs 10 (a once great rivarly is now a who cares game. Sad)
Cardinals 24 Seahawks 17
Dallas 35 Packers 10
Chargers 21 Eagles 18 (toughest game to pick)
Patriots 31 Colts 24
Ravens 20 Browns 14 (Outside of Brady Quinn & Derk Anderson, can anyone name 3 players on Cleveland's offense).
New Orleans 42 Lamb chops 10 (gross mismatch)
Miami 21 Buccanneers 14
Vikings 31 Lions 14
Jets 20 Jaguars 10 (Mark Sanchez will get his confidence back)
Titans 21 Bills 7 (Would love to take another shot at TO but it's just too easy now)
Steelers 24 Bengals 20
Broncos 27 Redskins 17
Atlanta 20 Panthers 17
Raiders 16 Chiefs 10 (a once great rivarly is now a who cares game. Sad)
Cardinals 24 Seahawks 17
Dallas 35 Packers 10
Chargers 21 Eagles 18 (toughest game to pick)
Patriots 31 Colts 24
Ravens 20 Browns 14 (Outside of Brady Quinn & Derk Anderson, can anyone name 3 players on Cleveland's offense).
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Cowboys vs Packers
Aaron Rodgers is the perfect quarterback to have on your fantasy football team if you hate the Packers. His passing statistics are great and his pocket presence is deplorable. Many of the sacks Green Bay has allowed this year are because of Rodgers inability to feel his pass protection breaking down. All great quarterbacks have that clock in their head to tell them when they need to get rid of the ball and the clock in Rodgers head's timing is off as bad as Jay Leno's comedic timing (Cheap shot, even though his ratings are way down, Leno's comedic timing isn't that bad). This will play right into the hands of Dallas's intense pass rushing defense and there should be plenty of Green Bay turnovers for the Cowboys this Sunday.
I've heard various Packer players say this is a must win which only shows desperation. Sorry Packer fans but Brett Favre is long gone and so is any chance of the Packers making the playoffs after the debacle that will occur this Sunday.
Cowboys 35 Packers 13
I've heard various Packer players say this is a must win which only shows desperation. Sorry Packer fans but Brett Favre is long gone and so is any chance of the Packers making the playoffs after the debacle that will occur this Sunday.
Cowboys 35 Packers 13
Charlie's Last Stand
Notre Dame's loss to Navy was nothing short of devastating. I'm not sure if it will finish Coach Weiss's coaching career at Notre Dame but what was once a pretty good season just took a very wrong turn. While Navy does have a good team that will fight their opponent to the end, it is inexcusable that the Irish with more talented players and playing at home should lose to them. Notre Dame's three turnovers cost them dearly and their defense looked overmatched. You know your defensive line is bad when outside of South Bend there may only be 5 people in the entire United States that can name just one of them. It is simply asking too much of linebackers like Brian Smith and freshman Manti Teo to create turnovers consistently when the defensive line creates little if any penetration.
Now the Irish need to go on the road to play Pittsburgh and there are some very disturbing signs. If Notre Dame's defense gave up 100 rushing yards to Navy fullback Vince Murray just think of what Pittsburgh's freshman sensation running back Dion Lewis can do to the Irish. Pittsburgh is ranked 8 by the AP and have a wave of momentum on their side. The Irish under Coach Weiss have yet to beat a ranked opponent and for the Irish to have any chance there can be no turnovers. If the players believe in Coach Weiss as they say, now is the time to show it and put out their best effort of the season especially on defense. A victory over Pittsburgh can go a long way in changing people's minds about Weiss's future at Notre Dame but a loss will have every Irish fan trying to find out who the next Notre Dame coach should be. Let's hope for the best.
Go Irish!!
Now the Irish need to go on the road to play Pittsburgh and there are some very disturbing signs. If Notre Dame's defense gave up 100 rushing yards to Navy fullback Vince Murray just think of what Pittsburgh's freshman sensation running back Dion Lewis can do to the Irish. Pittsburgh is ranked 8 by the AP and have a wave of momentum on their side. The Irish under Coach Weiss have yet to beat a ranked opponent and for the Irish to have any chance there can be no turnovers. If the players believe in Coach Weiss as they say, now is the time to show it and put out their best effort of the season especially on defense. A victory over Pittsburgh can go a long way in changing people's minds about Weiss's future at Notre Dame but a loss will have every Irish fan trying to find out who the next Notre Dame coach should be. Let's hope for the best.
Go Irish!!
new week
I was 8 and 5 for last week. Still deciding for this week but for tonight's game it will be
49ers 20 over DA Bears 13.
49ers 20 over DA Bears 13.
Friday, November 6, 2009
NFL Predictions
This is a tough week for predictions but at least we won't have to see St. Louis, Cleveland or Buffalo play this week.
Atlanta 27 Deadskins 14
Chicago 24 Cardinals 20 (Warner will throw more interceptions)
Bengals 23 Ravens 14
Texans 21 Colts 17 (upset of the week)
Patriots 27 Dolphins 10
Green Bay 31 Tampa Bay 14 (This years Bucaneers remind of the Bucaneers expansion year team)
Jaguars 14 Chiefs 10 (The total of these teams scores will probably be the same amount of fans who will attend the game. Boring!)
Saints 35 Carolina 10
Seahawks 17 Lions 14
49ers 24 Titans 13 (Vince Young can't win two in a row)
Chargers 31 Giants 17 (Giants downward spiral continues)
Cowboys 28 Eagles 21
Broncos 24 Steelers 17
Atlanta 27 Deadskins 14
Chicago 24 Cardinals 20 (Warner will throw more interceptions)
Bengals 23 Ravens 14
Texans 21 Colts 17 (upset of the week)
Patriots 27 Dolphins 10
Green Bay 31 Tampa Bay 14 (This years Bucaneers remind of the Bucaneers expansion year team)
Jaguars 14 Chiefs 10 (The total of these teams scores will probably be the same amount of fans who will attend the game. Boring!)
Saints 35 Carolina 10
Seahawks 17 Lions 14
49ers 24 Titans 13 (Vince Young can't win two in a row)
Chargers 31 Giants 17 (Giants downward spiral continues)
Cowboys 28 Eagles 21
Broncos 24 Steelers 17
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
ND's upcoming challenges
Finally Irish fans got to see a Notre Dame victory without needing to take high blood pressure medication after the game. Golden Tate is a player that Irish fans are becoming in awe of and he will be remembered long after his playing days at Notre Dame are over.
The remainder of the season has some significant challenges for the Irish to overcome especially having to play Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, but the Irish cannot take their eye off this weeks game against Navy. I was glad to hear Wide Receiver Michael Floyd has been cleared to play but Coach Weiss would be well advised to keep him out another week or use him very sparingly. Even though the doctors have cleared him to play, the true test on if a broken collar bone is healed will be when he is tackled. Sam Bradford reinjured his shoulder against Texas on a hit that wasn't very severe and it would be ashame to see the same thing happen to Floyd.
If the Irish keep playing like they have, even without Micheal Floyd they should be able to defeat the Midshipmen somewhat handily.
Go Irish!!!!!!!!!!!
The remainder of the season has some significant challenges for the Irish to overcome especially having to play Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, but the Irish cannot take their eye off this weeks game against Navy. I was glad to hear Wide Receiver Michael Floyd has been cleared to play but Coach Weiss would be well advised to keep him out another week or use him very sparingly. Even though the doctors have cleared him to play, the true test on if a broken collar bone is healed will be when he is tackled. Sam Bradford reinjured his shoulder against Texas on a hit that wasn't very severe and it would be ashame to see the same thing happen to Floyd.
If the Irish keep playing like they have, even without Micheal Floyd they should be able to defeat the Midshipmen somewhat handily.
Go Irish!!!!!!!!!!!
Cowboys season
At this point of the Cowboys are playing their best football and Tony Romo is playing with confidence both in himself and the wide receivers especially Miles Austin. The defense led by Demarcus Ware is creating enough pressure to make even good Quarterbacks like Matt Ryan and Matt Hasselback look below average. Right now outside of the New Orleans Saints, the Cowboys look to be the best team in the NFC.
Cowboy fans though need to take a line from the title of a popular HBO series and "Curb your Enthusiasm". The history of a Wade Phillips coached team is to be strong in the regular season and to start declining at the end of the season and into the playoffs. Just two years ago, the Cowboys looked to be the team to contend with New England in the superbowl for most of the season but lackluster play against Detroit and Philadelphia at the end of the season indicated the Cowboys were vulnerable and this came to fruition with an early playoff loss to the Giants. Last year the Cowboys season ended sooner against Philadelphia but that was more due to Terrell Owens disruptive behavior. One of the criticisms against Wade Phillips is that his teams are undisciplined and poorly conditioned and this will be validated if the Cowboys play at this point in the season does not sustain itself at the end of the season. Time will tell if the Cowboys outstanding play at this point is a sign of things to come or a mirage that will faid into oblivion.
Stay tuned.
Cowboy fans though need to take a line from the title of a popular HBO series and "Curb your Enthusiasm". The history of a Wade Phillips coached team is to be strong in the regular season and to start declining at the end of the season and into the playoffs. Just two years ago, the Cowboys looked to be the team to contend with New England in the superbowl for most of the season but lackluster play against Detroit and Philadelphia at the end of the season indicated the Cowboys were vulnerable and this came to fruition with an early playoff loss to the Giants. Last year the Cowboys season ended sooner against Philadelphia but that was more due to Terrell Owens disruptive behavior. One of the criticisms against Wade Phillips is that his teams are undisciplined and poorly conditioned and this will be validated if the Cowboys play at this point in the season does not sustain itself at the end of the season. Time will tell if the Cowboys outstanding play at this point is a sign of things to come or a mirage that will faid into oblivion.
Stay tuned.
Friday, October 23, 2009
nd versus boston college
Last week's game was a tough loss to take and Irish fans had to wonder if the results would have been different in the final part of the game if Wide Receiver Michael Floyd was healthy and on the field.
The Irish must put the USC game behind them and remain confident in what they can do offensively. If Notre Dame can put up 27 points against one of the top defenses in the country, there is no reason why they can't do the same or better against Boston College. Even if the weather conditions include rain , Quarterback Jimmy Claussen should still be able to maintain his high level of play and lead Notre Dame to multiple scoring drives. Claussen will need to realize that Boston College is a team that likes to blitz as a way of creating turnovers (which is why they have had success against Notre Dame in recent years) and if he does, passes both long and short to Golden Tate and the other Irish Wide Receivers should be there for the taking.
The Irish defense is still a work in progress but is getting better at pressuring the Quarterback so hopefully Notre Dame will win the turnover battle this time around. Freshman Linebacker Manti Teo is showing signs of improvement and if this continues along with the rest of the defense the Irish can win this game and have a strong second half of the season.
Irish fans would love this to see Notre Dame wins this game going away but are expecting yet another close game. If Notre Dame's offense keeps playing like it has this season and the defense improves, the Irish will come out on top Saturday.
Go Irish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Irish must put the USC game behind them and remain confident in what they can do offensively. If Notre Dame can put up 27 points against one of the top defenses in the country, there is no reason why they can't do the same or better against Boston College. Even if the weather conditions include rain , Quarterback Jimmy Claussen should still be able to maintain his high level of play and lead Notre Dame to multiple scoring drives. Claussen will need to realize that Boston College is a team that likes to blitz as a way of creating turnovers (which is why they have had success against Notre Dame in recent years) and if he does, passes both long and short to Golden Tate and the other Irish Wide Receivers should be there for the taking.
The Irish defense is still a work in progress but is getting better at pressuring the Quarterback so hopefully Notre Dame will win the turnover battle this time around. Freshman Linebacker Manti Teo is showing signs of improvement and if this continues along with the rest of the defense the Irish can win this game and have a strong second half of the season.
Irish fans would love this to see Notre Dame wins this game going away but are expecting yet another close game. If Notre Dame's offense keeps playing like it has this season and the defense improves, the Irish will come out on top Saturday.
Go Irish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Irish vs the Men of Troy
Notre Dame's long awaited game against USC is almost here and a victory over the Men of Troy can go a long away in helping the Irish have a successful season.
For Notre Dame to win, they have to be at their best in all phases of the game. Jimmy Claussen has been excellent so far but he is facing a huge test with USC's defense which is both athletic and fast. This is the best defense Claussen will face this year and safety Taylor Mayes covers ground better than any other safety playing college football. Claussen must recognize this to avoid any turnovers because Notre Dame must have no turnovers to have any chance of winning. Hopefully a healthy Armando Allen can establish a solid running game and make it easier for Claussen to establish a rhythm in his passing game.
The defense won't have it any easier trying to contain USC's offense. As always USC is loaded with high caliber running backs and Joe McKnight looks to be the most dangerous of the bunch. The pass rush has been improving though and there is the possibility they can create turnovers by pressuring freshman quarterback Matt Barkley into throwing interceptions.
On special teams Notre Dame will need to take a few more chances. While Golden Tate has been outstanding this year as a wide receiver, he has been taking too many fair catches on punt returns. This is the game for Tate to take some shots and returning a punt for a touchdown because those types of big plays determine the outcome of the game.
There's no doubt this is easily the toughest game the Irish will have this season but if their defense can create turnovers and the offense plays aggressive and smart, the Irish can prevail.
Look for another close game which all Irish fans are getting use to by now with the Irish coming out on top.
Go Irish!!!
For Notre Dame to win, they have to be at their best in all phases of the game. Jimmy Claussen has been excellent so far but he is facing a huge test with USC's defense which is both athletic and fast. This is the best defense Claussen will face this year and safety Taylor Mayes covers ground better than any other safety playing college football. Claussen must recognize this to avoid any turnovers because Notre Dame must have no turnovers to have any chance of winning. Hopefully a healthy Armando Allen can establish a solid running game and make it easier for Claussen to establish a rhythm in his passing game.
The defense won't have it any easier trying to contain USC's offense. As always USC is loaded with high caliber running backs and Joe McKnight looks to be the most dangerous of the bunch. The pass rush has been improving though and there is the possibility they can create turnovers by pressuring freshman quarterback Matt Barkley into throwing interceptions.
On special teams Notre Dame will need to take a few more chances. While Golden Tate has been outstanding this year as a wide receiver, he has been taking too many fair catches on punt returns. This is the game for Tate to take some shots and returning a punt for a touchdown because those types of big plays determine the outcome of the game.
There's no doubt this is easily the toughest game the Irish will have this season but if their defense can create turnovers and the offense plays aggressive and smart, the Irish can prevail.
Look for another close game which all Irish fans are getting use to by now with the Irish coming out on top.
Go Irish!!!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
nd vs washington
Whether you like Notre Dame or hate them, you can't say their games are boring. Saturday's game against Washington should be no exception.
It's starting to get redundant, but if the Irish cannot consistently get pressure on the quarterback, there will not be a game where any Irish fans can take it easy during the second half. Washington quarterback Jake Locker is an excellent scrambling quarterback who can create big plays and Defensive Coordinator Jon Tenuta will need to devise some schemes to take him out of his rhythm.
The Irish will need to see quarterback Jimmy Claussen continue what he has done so far this season and to have running back Armando Allen establish an effective running game for the Irish to win this weekend. The concern of course is how effective Claussen can be with his turf toe injury. Turf toe is an injury that rarely heals quick and it was obvious last week that backup quarterback Dane Crist is not yet ready to take over running the Irish offense. Claussen so far has proven to be a solid leader with the ablity to take pain and if he can play at the level he has so far this season, the Irish will prevail again.
The only other concern I have (like all Irish fans I suspect have) is the play calling of Charlie Weis. For reasons that are near impossible to understand, Weis decides to go for it on 4th down at times when it is completely counterproductive. Weis's decision to go for it on 4th and 10 with a backup quarterback in the second half gave the momentum to Purdue and almost cost the Irish a victory. Weis needs to find that line between courage and stupdity and realize that keeping your opponent deep in your own territory is how you can win games as well.
It looks like another close one but when it is all done, Notre Dame will come out with another victory. Let's just hope we don't need another last second touchdown or interception to get it. There's only so much the heart can take.
Go Irish!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's starting to get redundant, but if the Irish cannot consistently get pressure on the quarterback, there will not be a game where any Irish fans can take it easy during the second half. Washington quarterback Jake Locker is an excellent scrambling quarterback who can create big plays and Defensive Coordinator Jon Tenuta will need to devise some schemes to take him out of his rhythm.
The Irish will need to see quarterback Jimmy Claussen continue what he has done so far this season and to have running back Armando Allen establish an effective running game for the Irish to win this weekend. The concern of course is how effective Claussen can be with his turf toe injury. Turf toe is an injury that rarely heals quick and it was obvious last week that backup quarterback Dane Crist is not yet ready to take over running the Irish offense. Claussen so far has proven to be a solid leader with the ablity to take pain and if he can play at the level he has so far this season, the Irish will prevail again.
The only other concern I have (like all Irish fans I suspect have) is the play calling of Charlie Weis. For reasons that are near impossible to understand, Weis decides to go for it on 4th down at times when it is completely counterproductive. Weis's decision to go for it on 4th and 10 with a backup quarterback in the second half gave the momentum to Purdue and almost cost the Irish a victory. Weis needs to find that line between courage and stupdity and realize that keeping your opponent deep in your own territory is how you can win games as well.
It looks like another close one but when it is all done, Notre Dame will come out with another victory. Let's just hope we don't need another last second touchdown or interception to get it. There's only so much the heart can take.
Go Irish!!!!!!!!!!!!
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