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
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