Monday, November 29, 2010

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend (11/26-11/28)

10. R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen
            While watching “Airplane!” on cable a few weeks ago, I went on an extended rant about how I felt Nielsen was one of the most underrated comedic actors of all time. Perhaps now that he’s passed he’ll get his due.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: I don’t think it’s awesome that Nielsen passed away, but I do think it’s awesome that we can recognize the man’s career. Just wanted to clear that up for anyone who may have been confused.)

9.  Derek Jeter and New York Yankees Still Far Apart
            There are rumors that Jeter has asked the Yankees for a six-year deal worth $150 million. New York is sticking to their offer of three years, $45 million. They have also encouraged Jeter to try to find a better offer if he is not satisfied with what the Yankees are willing to pay him.
            Isn’t it about time for the Red Sox to swoop in and offer Jeter a $100 million contract? If I’m Jeter, I’m placing calls to Theo Epstein everyday. This is the only way he’s going to get the Yankees to budge, as I find it hard to believe that A) Jeter would sign with Boston, and B) New York would let him go to Boston. It would be a bold bluff by the Red Sox (as there is no way they should actually want him on their team at this point), but if it could potentially result in New York paying a 36-year old shortstop $100+ million for several years, I would make the gamble and try to stir the pot.

8. Miami Heat Lose to the Dallas Mavericks, Fall to 9-8
            I promise that this will be the last time I write about a basketball team that is barely over .500. Well, at least until Thursday when Lebron returns to Cleveland for the first time since taking his talents to South Beach. I might have to do an instant reaction after that game.

7. No One in the United States Died at a Wal-Mart on Black Friday
            Although footage from a Target showed that we almost lost a couple of shoppers there. I understand that many people feel pressure to get the perfect gift, but do we have to trample over other human beings to do it? I’ll take Cyber Monday, where I can sit in my boxers in the comfort of my own home and order stuff online, over Black Friday, where I have to where body armor to survive, any day.
           
(QUICK TANGENT ALERT: Why had I never heard of Cyber Monday until just now? How long has this been going on? And does Cyber Monday just involve shopping, or does it include online poker, World of Warcraft, and porn? I don’t get how we all of a sudden decided to name the Monday after Thanksgiving Cyber Monday. In related news, I just named the second Wednesday after President’s Day “Wiggles Wednesday”. TOOT TOOT CHUGGA CHUGGA BIG RED CAR)

6. Chargers Destroy Colts in Indianapolis
            I missed an hour of this game while watching “The Walking Dead”, but I did manage to catch all four of Peyton Manning’s interceptions. Everyone talks about how the Colts have a lot of banged up receivers, but it looks to me like they are in need of some serious upgrades along the offensive line. If Manning didn’t get the ball out in less than two seconds, he was toast. I have a feeling that the Colts aren’t dead (they are still tied for first in their division), but I don’t see them making a lot of noise come playoff time.

(QUICK TANGENT #2: NBC needs to ditch the “I’ve Been Waiting All Day For Sunday Night” song. Faith Hill hasn’t made it work in four years. Pink bailed on it after the first season. The original song, “I Hate Myself For Loving You” by Joan Jett, was not one of Joan’s finest efforts. Come on NBC. Start the game five minutes earlier so we don’t have to listen to that terrible song)

5. Obama Gets 12 Stitches After Getting Elbowed in a Pick-Up Game
            No word yet on whether or not the GOP is blaming the cut on Obama’s failed economic policies, although I’m sure they are looking for a link.

4. Falcons Kick Late Field Goal to Beat Green Bay
            Impressive win by Atlanta. If they finish 4-1, they should have home-field throughout the NFC playoffs.

3. Andre Johnson Wins a Unanimous Decision Over Cortland Finnegan
            About 70,000 people went to Reliant Stadium in Houston to watch a football game, and what do ya know, a boxing match broke out. One of the strangest NFL brawls I’ve ever seen. Rarely do you see two players end up with both of their helmets off, and then trying to punch each other in the face. If I were Finnegan, I would’ve quickly tried to put my helmet back on. You don’t want to mess with Andre Johnson.

2. Boise State Kicker Misses Two Chip-Shots, Nevada Takes Advantage
            I stayed up about two hours past my bedtime to watch the end of this game. Here is the list of events and circumstances that made this game particularly memorable.

-         Nevada came back from a 24-7 deficit to tie the game.
-         On their first offensive play after Nevada tied the game, Boise State completed an 80-yard screen pass for a touchdown.
-         After falling behind again, Nevada drove down the field to tie the game with 15 seconds left. As soon as the referee raised his arms to signal a touchdown, a cannon was shot off. This has no relevance to the game, but there was a lot of smoke and it was really loud. Good times.
-         On their first offensive play after Nevada tied the game, Boise quarterback Kellen Moore completed a ridiculous 53-yard bomb to wide receiver Titus Young with two seconds left to play. If Boise State went on to win the game, this could have been the most memorable play of the college football season.
-         After being set up on the 9-yard line with two seconds left, kicker Kyle Brotzman pushed a 26-yard field goal wide right. This goes down in my book as the most shocking moment of the college football season.
-         Kyle Brotzman missed a field goal attempt again in overtime (this time wide left), setting up Nevada to kick a field goal with their overtime possession to win the game.

This was a truly epic game. I hope a few of you were able to take it in. 

1. Auburn Tigers Stage Dramatic 24-Point Comeback at Alabama
            While this contest didn’t have as many dramatic moments as Boise State-Nevada, the contest was magnified by what was on the line for Auburn. Cam Newton wasn’t as effective as he normally is on the ground, but made plenty of plays through the air to lead a comeback. I hope Auburn and Oregon take care of business in their last games, because if that match-up can hold up, we will be able to see the best National Championship Game since USC-Texas in January of 2006.
           

Friday, November 26, 2010

Week 12 NFL Picks

            My Thanksgiving picks weren’t too hot (although if I was playing the money line, I would’ve won all three games, but that’s not the gimmick here). Hopefully we’ll get back on track here with the Sunday slate.

 

Vikings (+1) over REDSKINS


            This line has move 1.5 points since Wednesday. Apparently most of America is on board with a team playing much better after firing an incompetent coach (see Wade Phillips and the Dallas Cowboys). I expect to see a much stronger effort from the Vikings than we’ve seen the past few weeks.

Vikings 23, Redskins 10

Steelers (-7) over BILLS


            Buffalo has been a fun little team the past few weeks. I’m not sure how many teams in NFL history have comeback from being down 17 to end up winning by 18, but that’s exactly what the Bills pulled off in Cincinnati last week. I’d like to see Buffalo win this game, but their offensive line will not hold up against the Steelers defense.

Steelers 30, Bills 13

TEXANS (-6.5) over Titans


            I need to see Rusty Smith cover a point spread before I endorse a team quarterbacked by him to do so.

Texans 27, Titans 14

Jaguars (+7) over GIANTS


            The Giants should win this game, but they will have a hard time covering this spread without their top two wideouts. Whatever you do, don’t bet the over with this game.

Giants 13, Jaguars 10

BROWNS (-10) over Panthers


            Word on the street is the Panthers signed an employee from a Jiffy Lube in Charlotte to play quarterback this weekend. Okay, I made that up, but would you have been surprised if it was actually true? I would’ve only been mildly stunned.

Browns 24, Panthers 12

FALCONS (-1.5) over Packers


If Atlanta is really a serious threat to win the NFC, they need to win this game.

Falcons 20, Packers 17

SEAHAWKS (+2) over Chiefs

            Kansas City gave up 263 points at Denver two weeks ago (alright it was only 49, but it felt like 263). Kansas City is a solid young team, but I’m not sure if they know how to win on the road. We’ll see how they do in a very hostile environment.

Seahawks 27, Chiefs 17

RAIDERS (EVEN) over Dolphins


            I honestly don’t know what to think about this game. The Steelers smashed Oakland last Sunday (as accurately predicted in my week 11 picks column, thank you very much). Miami was shut out at home by Chicago (not accurately predicted, we won’t talk about that game). I guess I’ll take the team that’s at home and not playing their 3rd string quarterback.

Raiders 13, Dolphins 7

Buccaneers (+7.5) at RAVENS


            Las Vegas has no love for Josh Freeman and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last week, they were three point underdogs to a 3-6 football team. After pitching a shut out, they still can’t get respect. I won’t sit here and guarantee a Buccaneers win, but there’s a good chance they keep it very close. If Buffalo can push the Ravens to overtime at home, why can’t Tampa give them a game?

Ravens 21, Buccaneers 17

Eagles (-3.5) over BEARS


            I refuse to believe in the Chicago Bears.

Eagles 24, Bears 10

BRONCOS (-3.5) over Rams


            This is one of those match-ups where you pick whoever is playing at home. I don’t believe that either team is better than the other, but St. Louis is not good enough yet to win a game in an environment like Denver.

Broncos 37, Rams 16

COLTS (-3) over Chargers


            I’ll use the same logic I used when picking last Sunday night’s Eagles-Giants game. San Diego looked much better than they are on Monday night. Indianapolis didn’t necessarily look bad, but didn’t get the job done against New England. This will be my “market correction” pick of the week (keep in mind I incorrectly picked the Giants to win last week. If I miss this game, there will be no more “market correction” picks).

Colts 34, Chargers 27


 CARDINALS (+1) over 49ers

            After this season, I vote that we give all four NFC West teams to the CFL. No one will notice that any of those teams are gone.

Cardinals 17, 49ers 6

Week 11 Record = 10-5-1
Thanksgiving Record = 1-2
Total Record = 11-7-1

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Thanksgiving Day NFL Picks

            I don’t mean to brag or anything, but I was quite pleased with myself for going 10-5-1 against the spread last week (okay, I do mean to brag). I’m just posting picks for the Thanksgiving Day games tonight. I’ll post picks for Sunday and Monday night Friday or Saturday (I just mentioned four days of the week in the same sentence. That must be some sort of record). Home teams will be listed in all capital letters. Enjoy the picks, and I hope all 15 of you that read this column have a very happy Thanksgiving.

LIONS (+7) over Patriots

            At first glance, this looks like a slam-dunk pick for the Patriots. If you dig a little bit though, you can make a compelling case for the Lions (if I lose this pick, than I promise to not to dig too much into any further games). Detroit has outscored their opponents by 44 points in four home games so far this season. Their only two losses at home were to Super Bowl contenders (Philadelphia and the Jets), and both were by three points. Calvin Johnson should have a field day against the Patriots’ 31st ranked pass defense.
This match-up also sets up to be a classic trap game for the Patriots, having already played the Steelers and Colts the past two weeks, and an epic showdown with the Jets coming up in their next game. I still like the Patriots to win, but I will pick the Lions to keep it close.

Patriots 31, Lions 27

Saints (-3.5) over COWBOYS


            People are a little too excited about Jason Garrett and the Dallas Cowboys. New Orleans remembers that Dallas ruined their perfect season a week ago. Drew Brees will encounter very little resistance from the Cowboys’ secondary. I would love to see the Cowboys pull off the upset, but I can’t in good conscious recommend betting on Dallas to win this one.

Saints 38, Cowboys 21

JETS (-9) over Bengals


            If you are in a fantasy league, and you own Terrell Owens, DO NOT start him. After Owen’s comments he made about Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, he’s going to need firearms to get open. I have a feeling the Jets are tired of having every game come down to the wire. They are due for a blow out victory.

Jets 27, Bengals 6

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

In 6 Months We'll Forget Victor Martinez

            Victor Martinez is leaving the Red Sox to play for the Detroit Tigers. Detroit offered Martinez an extra $8 million than Boston was willing to pay. Martinez hit .313 in 183 games with the Red Sox, smacking 28 homers and driving in 120.
            Offensively this is a blow for the Red Sox, but his production can be replaced either this off-season or next. Adrian Gonzalez and Prince Fielder could be had via trade, or signed after the season. Arizona has also been rumored to be dangling Justin Upton, who would find his inner monster smacking line drives off or over the Green Monster. Gonzalez would be the perfect acquisition, as his hitting approach fits in perfectly with what the Red Sox do (make sure games last 4 hours by taking tons of pitches). Throw in the possible signing of Carl Crawford, and the healthy returns of Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, and the Sox should have a powerful offense in 2011.
            The less talked about aspect of this trade for the Red Sox is the upgrade on defense. Martinez has one of the weakest arms of any major league catcher (and with David Ortiz signed up for 2011, there would’ve been limited opportunities to use Victor as the DH). Tampa Bay made every game against the Red Sox look like a track meet. Just about any catcher is an upgrade over him. I’d be happy to see the Sox sign one of the 16 Molina brothers and have them bat ninth and play catcher.
            Detroit will get a nice bump from this acquisition. The Tigers crumbled last year when the entire line-up around Miguel Cabrera got hurt during the summer. Martinez is a great second banana to pair up with Cabrera. Detroit has more flexibility with their DH slot, so Martinez should have to catch less for the Tigers.
            This move is a win-win for both sides. Boston gets the Tigers 1st round pick in a loaded 2011 draft class (because of the Tigers signing Martinez. MLB has some quirky rules involving the signing of free agents). The additional draft pick in round 1 will neutralize the blow of losing a pick if they sign Carl Crawford. The Red Sox have as much flexibility as they have had in many years. Let’s see what they do with it.   

Monday, November 22, 2010

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend (11/19-11/21)

            Sorry to you soccer fans, but Colorado winning its first MLS Cup in overtime over Dallas did not make the cut. Without further ado…

10. My Mom Bringing a Box of Mint Fudge Covered Oreos to My House
            My mom and grandmother came over to visit on Saturday. She was nice enough to pick me up a box of the mint fudge covered Oreos, which I haven’t seen in years (apparently they are only out for a limited time). They were divine. Thanks Mom!

9. Denny Hamlin Doesn’t Win the NASCAR Sprint Cup
            This is the only positive event I can take away from Jimmie Johnson winning his 5th straight championship.

8. BJ Penn KOs Matt Hughes in 21 Seconds at UFC 123
            It’s a good thing each UFC pay-per-view has multiple fights. So that way we can enjoy one quick knockout and not feel guilty about the money spent.

7. Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini Goes Bonkers
            I had the Nebraska – Texas A&M game on for background noise while my in-laws were visiting Saturday evening. Every time I looked at the TV, Pelini was screaming at someone. First it was a referee. Then it was his 19-year old freshmen quarterback Taylor Martinez, who had just rolled his ankle. Then it was back to the officials. I’m not sure which was a deeper shade of red, Pelini’s face or the Cornhuskers pants. Pelini even ran out of his way to scream at the refs after the game was over. The performance by Pelini was so embarrassing during their 9-6 lost to the Aggies that the Chancellor of Nebraska announced Sunday that there would be potential for punishment against the coach.
            I never want to accuse anyone of using some sort of substance, but Pelini was beyond crazy. I’m not sure what his blood pressure was, but I’ll estimate that it was around 225 over 140. I hope there weren’t too many potential recruits watching the game.  
           
6. New York Jets Pull Off Another Miraculous Comeback Against Texans
            Either the Jets are intentionally trying to add a degree of difficulty to all of their games, or they have been compromised by a bookie. There’s no other explanation for the wins they’ve been able to pull off against the Lions, Browns, and Texans. They were aided Sunday by a completely incompetent Texans defense. How do you allow a team with no time outs to complete a 50-yard fly pattern along the sideline? It was totally ridiculous. I suppose we shouldn’t be to surprised, based on the Hail Mary they gave up to Jacksonville to lose a week ago, but it was still stunning to watch.             

5. Packers Annihilate Vikings 31-3
            Green Bay was kind enough to end Wade Phillips’ coaching career with the Cowboys a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully for my Dad’s sake, they’ve done the same thing to Brad Childress.

4. Barbara Bush Says Sarah Palin Should Stay in Alaska
            This is a direct quote that Babs made to Larry King in an interview that will be aired on CNN Monday evening…

“I sat next to her once. Thought she was beautiful…and she’s very happy in Alaska, and I hope she’ll stay there.”
           
            This is another fun story for FOX News to talk about. Hopefully for the GOP’s sake the infighting between regular Republicans and Tea Party candidates is taken care of before the 2012 election.              

3. Richard Seymour Slaps Ben Roethlisberger
            It’s a shame Seymour couldn’t of done this at that Georgia bar before Big Ben went into the bathroom with an underage girl. 

2. Eagles Win a Sloppy Game Over the Giants
            Both teams tried to make cases as to why they should not be considered serious contenders. New York could only manage 208 yards of total offense and turned the ball over five times. Philadelphia stormed out to a 16-3 lead before falling behind by a point in the 4th quarter. The Eagles are clearly in the driver’s seat to win the NFC East, but I don’t see them beating Green Bay or the Saints in the playoffs. There only chance is if Michael Vick continues playing like he’s not from planet Earth. Vick took about 10 vicious hits last night. We’ll see if he can stay healthy for the rest of the year.

1. Patriots Survive Against the Colts, 31-28
            The game of the week lived up to it’s billing. New England had the pedal to the metal early, but let off just enough so the Colts could get back into the game. I’m not sure if the Patriots can survive giving up 350 passing yards a game, but they keep winning so I won’t argue with success.
            I wrote this last week, but this season feels even more like 2003 than it did seven days ago. New England is playing turnover free football, and their defense is making timely plays to win games (none more needed than James Sanders' interception with 31 seconds left. That was the most shocking play of any game Sunday). Their match-up with the Jets on Monday, December 6th, will be a mammoth game. If the Patriots can win that game, and then secure home-field (which shouldn’t be a problem since they’ve already beaten the Steelers, Colts, and Ravens), New England will be awfully hard to be at home in January.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Ideas for Irrelevant Sporting Events

            If you told me a week ago that the lead story on “Pardon the Interruption” would be the football game between Northwestern and Illinois, I would’ve said that you are on drugs. You’re telling me that a match-up between two unranked Big-10 teams is more important than the Colts-Patriots game this Sunday? Apparently it is, thanks to the quirky field dimensions at Wrigley Field. If you haven’t seen footage of the east end zone, take my word that it harkens back to the days of the Arena Football League. Padding over the outfield wall literally hangs over the field (keep in mind the padding is covering bricks). In the name of safety, it has been decided that all offensive plays will be run towards the west end of the field (sorry to the poor saps who bought seats in the east end zone. Good luck getting a refund).
            I don’t know who came up with the field layout at Wrigley Field, but they should get an immediate raise. This person inadvertently created more buzz for this game than any promoter ever could. Other than fans of the two schools, I’m sure there weren’t more than 500 people in the country that even knew the two teams were playing this weekend. Kudos to you, idiotic field layout guy.
             Shortly after watching the segment about the game on “PTI”, I started thinking about other irrelevant sporting events that could use gimmicks like this to raise their profile (I’m talking about you Major League Soccer). Here’s my quick list I came up with.

1. Regular Season MLB Games
            When you have 30 teams playing 162 games a year, it’s hard to get super jazzed about a regular season baseball game (on second thought, I have a hard time getting excited for any baseball game at this point, but that’s my personal opinion). This is a very simple fix…bring back steroids.
            Baseball was way more fun when we had 12 guys a year hitting 50+ homers. Remember when Luis Gonzalez randomly hit 57 home runs in 2001 (he had only one other season in his 19 year career where he hit more than 30)? Those were good times. I’d like to bring them back.

2. NASCAR
            The NASCAR season concludes with their race to the Cell Phone Cup (alright I digress, the trophy is called the Sprint Cup) this Sunday. I was going to suggest planting explosives in various points of the track that detonate at random, but instead I’ll go with a more realistic suggestion.
            NASCAR starts their season a week or two after the Super Bowl in February. It ends the Sunday before Thanksgiving. The season is too damn long. The start date is fine, but NASCAR should consider ending their season in September. Competing with college football and the NFL is a battle NASCAR will never win.

3. PGA
            Someone from the PGA needs to tell Tiger Woods that he’s no longer married. He doesn’t need to keep up the “born-again-family-man” routine. If lining up the ladies like pins and knocking them over like a bowling ball was what got Tiger’s golf game going, then that’s what the executive’s for the PGA need to make happen. Television ratings make it very clear that the majority of America doesn’t care about golf unless Woods is doing well.

4. MLS
            This fix is so simple. I’m not sure why it hasn’t been used already. All we need to do is take footage from the Spanish Premier League, use a little CGI to replace the Spanish players with images of Americans, and we’re good to go. People will be raving about the quality of play.
            In all seriousness, I have a feeling that the United States will be one of the strongest soccer nations in the world within 20 years. More and more parents are not letting their children play football because of perceived risks of concussions. Soccer stands to benefit the most from this. Imagine if athletes like Tennessee Titan’s runningback Chris Johnson were playing soccer instead of football? Soccer will soon see an influx of quality athletes.

5. Horse Racing
            More jockey fights. Enough said.

            That’s all I have for now. Within the next couple of weeks, I’ll post some thoughts for lacrosse, curling, and figure skating. Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

 

 
           

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Pay for the Past or Let Go for the Future? The Derek Jeter Debate

            Derek Jeter as a baseball player is like an 11-year old dog. He’s starting to go blind in one eye. His fur is starting to get a little patchy in spots. He doesn’t chase after toys the way he used to. However, he still holds the same standing with the family he’s always had. This sums up the dilemma for the New York Yankees as they try to sign him. (EDITOR'S NOTE: This analogy only applies to Jeter the ball player. Jeter is one of the coolest dudes to ever play sports. His performance on Saturday Night Live in 2001 sealed the deal for me. Check out a list of his past girlfriends, which reseals it) 
            For the first time in his career, Derek Jeter is a free agent. He’s coming off a season where he posted his lowest batting average, fewest home runs, and worst on-base percentage of his career. Jeter’s range at short-stop is also dwindling with each passing season (don’t let the ridiculous Gold Glove award he just won fool you. Jeter is a stiff in the field). There’s a very real possibility that Jeter will be forced to change positions, which he is hesitant to do. Amazingly enough, the Yankees have offered him a contract worth $63 million over the next three seasons. What’s even more stunning is that Jeter has refused this offer and is holding out for a four or five year deal.
            This is a very fascinating situation. I’m not sure if there’s necessarily a right answer in the short-term no matter how the Yankees play it. Sign him, and get ridiculed for devoting so much money to a player that appears to be in decline. Let him go, and get heat for not keeping one of the five greatest Yankees of all time. Knowing that there is no short-term win, let’s look at all the factors that will come into play.


Q: Do the Yankees need Jeter more than Jeter needs them?
A: You’ll be hard pressed to find another team that would offer Jeter $21 million a year. To be honest, there wouldn’t be a team that would offer him more than $10 million. Jeter has no leverage if the Yankees want to play hardball.

Q: What are the odds that Jeter will be in decline for the rest of his career?
A: Hard to say. Jeter’s numbers in home runs and stolen bases have been erratic for his entire career, so you can’t point to those numbers as indicators of whether or not he’s fading. The scary number is his batting average. His lowest average in a season before 2010 was .291, and he had 11 seasons hitting over .300. Is it realistic to expect him to train hard in the winter and come back with a vengeance in 2011? I don’t see it happening (especially with his marriage to Minka Kelly. Jeter was in the discussion of greatest bachelor of the past 15 years. He’s second to George Clooney in my book. Maybe Jeter tying the knot is the most telling sign that he’s moving out of his prime. Not that I would complain about being married to Minka Kelly. Moving forward…).
            His declining defense can’t be overstated either. Unfortunately, they don’t have a good place to move him. First Base would be the perfect candidate, but do you want to have a guy at 1st that hits .265 with 12 home runs? And pay him $21 million? First is moot anyway because of Mark Teixeira. Outfield would make some sense, but teaching a 37-year old to play left field would more than likely be a disaster. The DH spot will already be clogged by some combination of Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez.

Q: Who could replace Jeter?
A:  A stiff. There are not a lot of shortstops on the free agent list. World Series hero Juan Uribe would be the most interesting option, but I’m not sure if his World Series performance would carry over to a full season in the Bronx. One option that has been floated is swapping Robinson Cano over to short, which would make Orlando Hudson an option for second. The Yankees have no viable replacement in their minor league system.

Q: Does overpaying Derek Jeter really matter to the Yankees?
A: Not really. This team is made of money. They could give Jeter $600 million for 3 years, and still have money to sign Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford.

           I fully expect Jeter to eventually sign the three-year deal for $63 million. There might be some messiness as Jeter lobbies for a 4-year deal (leading to wall-to-wall coverage by ESPN causing Tim Kurkjian’s voice hitting an octave level only heard by small dogs), but Jeter realistically can’t complain too much. It will be quite comical to watch the Yankees in 2013 when half their roster is eligible for an over-40 softball league. As a Red Sox fan, I can’t wait.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Week 11 NFL Picks

            Whenever I think of gambling on sports, I get downright giddy. That’s why I figured I would alleviate that urge somewhat by posting NFL picks for week 11. I don’t necessarily encourage anyone to wager thousands of dollars based on these selections, but if you do, please don’t get mad at me if I go 4-12.
            The home team will be in caps. I’m using Sportsbook’s betting lines for my picks. Without further ado…

DOLPHINS (-1.5) over Bears, Thursday 8:20pm

            Can’t say I like the Bears and their shoddy offensive line traveling on short rest to humid Miami. My Dad has been complaining about the Bears being a fraud all year (even after they beat his Vikings last Sunday), so this pick will make him happy.
            Dolphins 20, Bears 10
           

STEELERS (-7.5) over Raiders, Sunday 1:00pm

           
I really wanted to take the Raiders in this game, but I have a feeling Pittsburgh will be fairly motivated after their performance against the Patriots. Could be similar to the beat down the Steelers gave the Buccaneers earlier this season.
            Steelers 34, Raiders 7

Texans (+7) over JETS, Sunday 1:00pm


            Sexy Rex Ryan and company have a bad habit of making games a little too dramatic. If the Lions and Browns can push the Jets to overtime, then the Texans should be able to keep this game within a touchdown.
            Jets 21, Texans 17

Ravens (-10) over PANTHERS, Sunday 1:00pm

           
            Carolina should get some sort of award for putting together the worst collection of offensive talent in the past decade. They are so bad they have made Steve Smith irrelevant in fantasy. Can we start a “Save Steve Smith” campaign, before he goes completely nuts and stuffs Jimmy Clausen headfirst into a urinal?
            Ravens 27, Panthers 3

TITANS (-7) over Redskins, Sunday 1:00pm


            Between Donovan McNabb’s benching, and then the ‘Skins trying to appease him with “an extension” (in quotes because they can cut him after this season and only pay him $3.96 million), Albert Haynesworth taking a nap on the field, and Mike Shanahan confirming that he has in fact gone completely senile, I think I’ll take the Titans in this one (how was that for a sentence?).
            Titans 28, Redskins 13

COWBOYS (-6.5) over Lions, Sunday 1:00pm

            Not nearly enough publicity for a match-up involving a quarterback who is among the all-time leader in passing yards squaring off against his former team. That’s right, I’m talking about Jon Kitna versus the Detroit Lions.
            Cowboys 34, Lions 21

Packers (-3) over VIKINGS, Sunday 1:00pm

            The Vikings are a zombie from AMC’s “The Walking Dead”. The Packers are Sheriff Rick Grimes, who is about to blow the zombie’s head off.
            Packers 24, Vikings 17

            (QUICK TANGENT ALERT: If you haven’t seen “The Walking Dead” yet, you need to. The show is much more about the characters as opposed to slaughtering zombies. Not to mention that each episode plays like a mini-movie. It’s a fantastic watch. Sunday nights at 10. Believer it or not AMC did not pay me to post this. I think I'll be able to find advertisers once my audience is greater than 25 readers. I'm just rambling now so lets move on to the next game)

Bills (+5.5) over BENGALS, Sunday 1:00pm

            On paper, the Bengals are a much more talented team. In reality, the Bills have much more fight and heart.
            Bills 27, Bengals 23

Browns (+1) over JAGUARS, Sunday 1:00pm

            This is a tricky one. The Browns played out of their minds against the Jets, but lost with 30 seconds left in overtime. Jacksonville won on a Hail Mary. Both teams are classic candidates for a letdown game. If they were playing anyone else, I would pick both teams to lose (well, maybe not if they were playing the Panthers). Unfortunately they are playing each other. I’ll take Cleveland’s letdown game over the Jag’s letdown game.
            Browns 13, Jaguars 9

CHIEFS (-7.5) over Cardinals, Sunday 1:00pm

            What’s the perfect recipe for the Chiefs to end their losing streak? Playing a team quarterbacked by Derek Anderson.
            Chiefs 30, Cardinals 14

SAINTS (-11.5) over Seahawks, Sunday 4:05pm

            I was going to pick the Seahawks to cover in this one, but after checking their season performance I was turned off. Of their first nine games, seven of them have been decided by more than 10 points (whether they won or lost). I don’t see Seattle keeping this close.
            Saints 37, Seahawks 16

RAMS (+3) over Falcons, Sunday 4:05pm

            The Rams are a very pesky home team. I can see Atlanta laying a bit of an egg after their dramatic win against Baltimore.
            Rams 23, Falcons 21

            (QUICK TANGENT ALERT: Can we get Sam Bradford some wide receivers? His best receiver right now is Danny Amendola. That sounds to me like a character from a Nickelodeon show (“Big Time Rush” perhaps) instead of a wide receiver. We need to get Steve Smith to St. Louis right now)

Buccaneers (+3) over 49ERS, Sunday 4:05pm

            This is the weirdest match-up of the week. I don’t understand how a team that is 6-3 is an underdog against a team that is 3-6. Thanks for the points Vegas.
            Buccaneers 24, 49ers 16 

PATRIOTS (-3) over Colts, Sunday 4:15pm

            My brain started hurting after a couple minutes of looking at this game. On one hand, the Patriots should not be able to stop Peyton Manning. On the other hand, this season looks very similar to 2003 when the Patriots looked over-matched in every big game, but somehow always found a way to win. I’ll stick with Brady for this one.
            Patriots 28, Colts 24

Giants (+3) over EAGLES, Sunday 8:20pm

            Philadelphia is not as good as they looked Monday night against Washington. The Giants are not as bad as they looked against Dallas. I’m anticipating a little market correction with this game.
            Giants 24, Eagles 20

CHARGERS (-10) over Broncos, Monday, 8:30pm

            I’ll conservatively estimate that Phillip Rivers will throw for 672 yards in this game. This one’s going to be ugly.
            Chargers 45, Broncos 24

(EDITORS NOTE: THE AUTHOR AGAIN STRESSES THAT HE IS IN NO WAY A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL HANDICAPPER. HE'S WATCHED A LOT OF FOOTBALL OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS OR SO, AND HE'S REALLY GOOD AT MADDEN, BUT HE HAD NO INSIDE INFORMATION WHEN MAKING THESE PICKS. PROCEED WITH CAUTION IF USING THESE TO HELP MAKE GAMBLING DECISIONS)








 

           

Monday, November 15, 2010

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend (11/12-11/14)

10. Wisconsin Scores 83 Points on Indiana
           
            Anytime a team hangs 80+ on a fellow conference opponent, and the sport is football, I’ll tip my cap. It’s hard to score 83 points in a game of Madden (unless you’re a sally and play on a level less than All-Madden), much less in a Big-10 game.

9. Carl Edwards Does a Back Flip After Winning the NASCAR Race at Phoenix

            This feat doesn’t get enough credit. I made two separate three hour drives this past weekend. Each time I got out of my car, my legs felt like jelly (perhaps this applies to just me and my poor athletic conditioning, but I hope a few of you share the same sensation). Edwards is able to climb out of a car after racing for 300, 400, or 500 miles, climb on top of it, and then do a back flip and land on pavement. Keep in mind that the cockpits of these cars are made so the drivers are wrapped up in a cocoon, and the temperature inside of them is usually around 120 degrees. I don’t know how he does it. 

8. Wade-less Cowboys Win in the Meadowlands

            I would’ve ranked this higher, but I can’t in good conscious get too excited about a team that’s still 2-7. I will say that I’m downright giddy about Dez Bryant’s future. If he can stay out of trouble, I have no doubt that he will be a top 5 receiver in THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE (that was a tribute to ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski for those who didn’t get the joke. My caps lock key didn’t break or anything).         

7. U.S. Authorities Stop Mac-Truck With 3 Tons of Marijuana on Board

            Can we devote one of my 648 cable channels solely to covering large drug busts 24 hours a day? I love these stories. This drug bust happened near Falfurriaa, Texas, on Friday. This is the conversation I think would’ve occurred on this truck shortly before it was pulled over (assuming that there was a passenger along with the driver).

Passenger: “Dude, there’s like, so much weed on this truck man.”
Driver: “Ya dude. It’s like, a lot.”
Passenger: “Wouldn’t it be cool if we just pulled over somewhere, and you know, smoked all of it?”
Driver: “Whoa dude, my brain just broke.”

            (EDITOR’S NOTE: The writer’s favorite all-time drug bust story involved former Cowboys offensive lineman Nate Newton. He was stopped once with about 210 pounds of marijuana, and then 10 days later was stopped again with 180 pounds of marijuana. Remarkably, both stops occurred while Newton was driving the same van)

6. Manny Pacquiao Wins a Unanimous Decision Over Antonio Margarito
           
            It’s a damn shame that 90% of the country stopped caring about boxing 20 years ago. Pacquiao doesn’t get nearly enough credit.

5. Jaguars Complete Hail Mary to Beat Texans at the Buzzer

            This could’ve been ranked second or third, but unfortunately the play involved two irrelevant teams. You have to feel bad for the Texans. Most of the time a Hail Mary is completed, it’s usually because the defense tried to catch the ball as opposed to knocking it straight to the ground. On this play, the Texans defensive back did attempt to knock the ball straight into the turf. Unfortunately, the ball landed squarely in the chest of the shortest player on the Jaguars team. Better luck next year Texans.

4. Bill Clinton Films Scene for “The Hangover 2”
           
If there are any jokes during his scene about a stain on a black dress, my aorta will detonate into 12,000 pieces.

3. Patriots Demolish Steelers 39-26

            It was a vintage performance by Tom Brady and the Patriots on Sunday night. The Steelers had no answer for the Patriots three wide receiver sets, or their two tight end formations. They couldn’t get any pressure on Brady, and they couldn’t cover the receivers. I thought the Patriots would be toast without Randy Moss to draw two defenders, but I was wrong.
            I’m a big nerd for match-ups like this. Measuring stick games go along way in predicting what will happen come playoff time. The Steelers are the big bullies that want to arm-wrestle their opponents, but the Patriots turned it into a chess match. Brady knew where every blitz was coming from. The Steelers secondary is serviceable, but they can’t hang with receivers forever if there pass rush isn’t getting there. I’m not sure what they can do to better disguise their blitzes in a future playoff match-up. I would suggest just rushing three and having 8 defenders back in zone coverage (the Patriots used this strategy with great success against the Colts in the early ‘00s).

2. Cam Newton Accounts for 4 TDs as Auburn Blasts Georgia

            I’m not sure what Cam Newton ever did to ESPN. Everyday last week, there was new allegations about him. Ole Miss started the firestorm by saying Newton’s father had informed them that Newton would need to be paid in order to attend the school. Then Florida jumped in and said that he stole another student’s assignment and claimed it as his own while playing for the Gators (interesting that this comes out years after the event occurred while the Gators are floundering and Newton is a Heisman Trophy candidate).
            My question to you readers (all nine or so of you) is, do you actually care if a kid in college gets paid to play football? Would you get angry if a law student got $10,000 from a prospective firm as an incentive to be employed there after graduating? I think the answer is no. The NCAA makes millions of dollars off of college football and basketball. If some of there players make a couple of bucks, then so be it.
            This wouldn’t even be a story if it weren’t for the aftermath of Reggie Bush giving up his Heisman trophy. I guess the media wants to make sure that there on top of this story from the get go. I don’t know how many of you remember Reggie Bush while he was at USC (I was in my late teenage years, so I can recall about 35% of that era, which I don’t think is half bad), but Reggie Bush and the USC Trojans were rock stars. They were as famous (if not more so) than every single NFL team. Is it so ridiculous that this kid would be offered certain benefits and accept them? Would you be able to turn down large sums of money when you’re currently not earning anything? The NCAA needs to worry about more important things (instituting a playoff system in college football, working with the NBA to extend the 1-year of college rule, kids tumbling to their death from a tower that is blown over by 50 mph wind gusts) than kid’s taking money.

1. My Son Evan Meets His Great-Great Grandfather and Great-Grandfather

            I didn’t want to spend much time gushing about my family in this space, but the two visits we had this weekend were definitely worth the cut. We made our first long-distance excursion as a family since our little guy was born 4 ½ months ago. Both grandparents were very excited to meet the newest addition to our family. My dad also made the trek to my grandfather’s, so we were able to take the “4-generation” photo. Pretty cool.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Good Ads, Bad Ads

            Ever since my youth, I’ve always had a fascination with commercials. My all-time favorites were the Budweiser Frogs from the mid-90s. Whoever thought of having a lizard hire a ferret to kill three frogs was a genius (those ads aired during Super Bowl XXXII in 1997). In this space tonight, I’ll quickly run through some ads that are getting it done, and a couple that aren’t working out so well. Thankfully, there is nothing as bad as the old Chevrolet “THIS IS OUR COUNTRY” ads (John Mellencamp should’ve been deported to Istanbul for that song. If I live to be 97 years old, I know I’ll be able to recite every word of that song that aired during every commercial of every NFL game for 3 years. Even if I’m completely senile). 

GETTING IT DONE

  1. Geico – Between the “Does the little pig go we-we-we all the way home?” and “Does a woodchuck chuck wood?” spots, Geico has been on a roll. The little pig ad is just about perfect. I’m not sure who came up with the idea to stick the pig in a booster seat while holding a pinwheel, but those touches push it to the next level.
  2. Dos Equis – We haven’t seen to much of the Most Interesting Man in the World Lately, but he’s still worthy of making the cut.
  3. Miller Lite – The man up ads are solid. My personal favorite is the one with the guy dressed up in the cat costume.
  4. Nike/Jordan – Lebron’s ad is about 30 seconds to long, but the buzz it has generated makes it compelling. Dwayne Wade’s spot has very clever inside jokes that make it enjoyable. Nike rarely misses with an ad (with an exception being the Tiger Woods spot with his deceased father providing the voice-over).

SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE AIR

  1. NBA TV’s “Big Heads Ad” – I’ve watched way too much NBA in the last 3 weeks, so this ad has begun to drive me crazy. It’s way too creepy. I’m not sure if the creator of this ad wanted me to start hating the NBA because of it, but that’s been the result.
  2. Skechers – I’m just going to come out and say it. Shape Ups are a joke. It would’ve been a good idea for the Skechers people to not listen to Jimmy from a hidden-classic episode of “Seinfeld” suggest a style of footwear. How they can sucker people into paying $60 to a $100 for these things, I’ll never know. What I do know is that the ad with Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is terrible (despite Malone’s moustache’s heroic effort to save it. It’s an epic ‘stache).
  3. TNT Drama’s – TNT dumps way to much money into these commercials. Perhaps if they used that money on the actual shows themselves, they would be much better.
I'll be traveling this weekend to visit some family. Look out for my "10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend" column that should be posted sometime Monday. Drive On.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

The NHL Makes a Bold All-Star Game Change

            All-star games have been terrible for years. I don’t care what sport it is. None of the participants care, since there is really nothing to play for (don’t bother bringing up how the winner of the MLB All-Star Game gets home-field advantage in the World Series. I have a hard time believing that the lone all-star representative of the Pittsburgh Pirates gives a damn about the National League having home-field). Believe it or not, NASCAR has the only all-star event that has anything on the line ($1 million), but sadly the sport is NASCAR so very few people care. The NHL today made an announcement that will hopefully turn this trend around.
            The players that are chosen to be all-stars will elect four captains, with the four being split into groups of two. They will then take turns choosing players to fill out their roster. The teams will not be limited to one side being the eastern conference and the other the western conference. This is true playground style roster building in the purest sense. Each team has to have a specific number of forwards, defenseman, and goalies, but the captains can fill out the roster in any order they want.
            I’m not sure if I can use enough superlatives to describe how awesome this idea is. What would be better than Sidney Crosby’s team versus Alexander Ovechkin’s team? I know those guys would care about that game. Not to mention all the pressure on the guys that are picked first. I would like to know what the guys who get picked last would be thinking also (I believe they’ll have a chip on their shoulder). Killing the notion that the East needs to play the West is the most brilliant aspect of this. This opens up the possibilities of having players from the same team split, which always spices things up. All this game needs is a frozen pond in the middle of the Canadien woods, and we'll have ourselves some spectacular television.
            I’m not sure if this will create a ratings win for the NHL, but the fact that they are thinking outside of the box is encouraging. The league hit rock bottom during the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season, and fortunately for their sake they have been aggressive in rebuilding their fan base. Hockey currently has a salary cap system that is the envy of the NBA (it’s been widely reported that the NBA hopes to adopt a hard salary cap that is very similar to what the NHL has put in place). If they can just move one or two of the southern US teams back up into Canada, where people actually care about hockey, then the NHL will really be in business. What makes more sense to you, having a team in Quebec or a team in Phoenix?
            The NHL is slowly on its way back to its pre-lockout form. The New Year’s Day Winter Classic has been a hit for three years running, more than holding it’s own against college football bowl games. Last winter’s Olympics tournament created the most buzz that hockey has had since Mark Messier led the Rangers to a Stanley Cup in 1994. I hope the playground-style roster building becomes a trend (imagine Lebron vs. Kobe in the NBA All-Star Game choosing their own teams. Yikes.) As long as the NHL All-Star Game isn’t hidden on Versus, I’ll make a point to watch.                

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Instant Reaction: Utah Jazz 116, Miami Heat 114

            I didn’t plan on doing too many of these spur of the moment posts, but the Heat-Jazz game I just watched is certainly worthy of being the subject of the first such column. This game was crazy. The Heat was up by 22 at one point during the 2nd quarter, with Dwayne Wade doing most of the heavy lifting early. However, once the second half began it was a different story. Paul Millsap was having his way in the paint (which isn’t hard to do, with Chris Bosh being the only major deterrent down low for the Heat), and Deron Williams started to heat up. With about 5 minutes to play, Utah took its first lead of the game, 81-79.
            It was at this point that the game went into overdrive. Wade responded with a three (he was on his way to 39 points for the night). Lebron James hit Wade with a perfect laser pass at the hoop for two more (Lebron was on his way to his first triple-double with the Heat). The Heat built up a 7-point lead, 88-81. Game over, right? Not exactly.
            To put it simply, Paul Millsap went bonkers. He had already put up 18 in the 3rd quarter to slowly drag the Jazz back into it. He topped that by hitting three 3-pointers in about a 1-minute span (he was 2-20 for his career entering this game from downtown). It was ridiculous. He then forced overtime by snagging a missed three and making a lay-up at the buzzer. It was a truly epic performance by Millsap (who finished with 46 points).
            Deron Williams had fouled out just before the end of regulation, which appeared to tip the odds of victory heavily in Miami’s favor. Wade came out in overtime looking like a man possessed, scoring the first 7 points of overtime (capped off by a huge dunk that he slammed over two Jazz players). The Jazz kept at it, largely thanks to Andrei Kirilenko, who looks like he’s almost back to his form from 3 or 4 years ago. The Jazz had a 114-111 lead before Wade hit a ridiculous corner 3 (Wade was clearly the alpha dog in overtime. Lebron James was invisible) to tie it. The ending was a bit anti-climatic, as Wade fouled backup center Francisco Elson with 0.4 seconds left after an offensive rebound, giving the Jazz two easy free throws and a 116-114 victory.
            Despite the dull free throw ending, this was a fantastic game. Lebron was great to watch before he pulled the invisible man act in overtime, playing point guard in the 4th quarter and creating great shot opportunities for Chris Bosh. Deron Williams was too much for Wade on the offensive end, forcing double teams by the Heat in the 4th quarter. Paul Millsap’s three-balls were improbable, and enjoyable at the same time. Combine those shots with the put-back that forced OT and finishing with 46 points, and this will more than likely be the best game of Millsap’s career. This game supports my point I made in my “10 awesome things” column about the watchability (for those who missed Monday’s post, I invented watchability yesterday) of the NBA. If we are having games like this in November, how good are the playoffs going to be?  

Monday, November 8, 2010

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend (11/5-11/7)

This post consists of my 10 favorite things that happened over the course of this past weekend. Enjoy.

10. New Orleans Hornets Defeating the Miami Heat
            I’m not on the “Lebron is a gutless bum” bandwagon that most of the country is, but it’s still fun to see “The Big Two Featuring Chris Bosh” (as named by the Sports Guy Bill Simmons) lose. Wouldn’t the Heat of been better off picking up two other dudes that can actually rebound and block shots instead of Bosh? Bosh is much better as the best player on a mediocre team than he is as the third wheel on a championship caliber team.

9. Colts Tight End Jacob Tamme Catching 11 Passes for 108 Yards and a Score
            (WARNING: WRITER IS ABOUT TO TELL A FANTASY FOOTBALL STORY THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS RELEVANT TO REALITY. IF YOU DON’T LIKE SUCH STORIES, SKIP TO NUMBER 8. THANK YOU)
            I’m in two fantasy football leagues this year. The only starter I drafted on both teams was Antonio Gates. With Vincent Jackson holding out, and the rest of the Chargers wide receivers dropping like flies, Gates has been a monster this year (in both reality and fantasy). However, Gates has now succumbed to the bug. He’s been battling ankle and foot problems for the past three weeks. He was listed as doubtful before the game, and was declared inactive roughly an hour before kickoff.
            Gates was the only tight end on my team (I typically don’t carry two tight ends), so this left me in a bit of a quandary. Fortunately for my sake, the new Colts tight end was left on the free agent list in not one, but both leagues. Since I could line up at tight end and catch a few passes from Peyton Manning, I gladly scooped him up. He scored all sorts of points for both of my teams. Good times.   
             
8. Keith Olbermann Suspended By MSNBC
            Olbermann was suspended Friday from his TV show for donating money to democratic candidates. I’ve been an Olbermann fan for years (he was great back in the day on “Sportscenter”), but this issue brings to light the huge problem we have with cable “news”.
            I personally don’t have a problem with a television show that features Mike Huckabee praising the merits of the Tea Party. I don’t mind Keith Olbermann cracking jokes based on his left-leaning bias. The problem is the fact that these shows are advertised as news. Which leads to many ignorant people taking these individual’s words as unbiased truth (there are plenty of stories that can be found online about the conflicts between the regular NBC news department, which operates without bias, and MSNBC, which leans to the left).
            The solution to this problem is simple. Stop advertising these programs under the category of news. We should change Fox News to Fox Right Wing, or Fox Tea Party, or Fox Palin. MSNBC can be “Left of Center Network”. I think this idea has legs. Probably won’t happen though.

7. Peyton Hillis Leading the Browns to Victory Over the Patriots.
            I have two simple reasons for enjoying this victory. One is that I live in New England, but I’m not a Patriots fan. So whenever the Pats get beat down, I’m all for it (you’ll notice that most of these involve me enjoying a team losing. I didn’t realize I took so much pleasure in other people’s pain).
            The second reason involves Hillis. I have a good friend who despises him. I’m not really sure why, but I’m pretty sure it’s related to fantasy football. So whenever Hillis does well, I’m again all for it.

6. Alabama Losing Their 2nd Game of the Season to LSU
            I’ll sign off on anything that results in Nick Saban’s football team being eliminated from National Championship contention.

5. A Jockey Fight and a NASCAR Fight
            These two events are lumped together because they were essentially the same thing. Two short people getting angry and pushing each other. Doesn’t sound entertaining on paper, but man was it good television.        

4. George W. Bush Criticizing Sarah Palin, John McCain, and Dick Cheney
            Like most of America, I was not a fan of W’s eight years in the White House. I will say though that I’m thoroughly enjoying W post presidency. Is he going out of his way to irk the last few people that cared for him? I don’t get it. I’m not sure what the poor executives at Fox News think of this story, but I’m sure there heads are exploding. Did you read that he even complemented Obama? I’m not sure what kind of crazy Bush is, but I like it (well now that he’s not commander in chief).

3. Boston Celtics Survive the Chicago Bulls in Overtime
            I hope a few of you were able to check out this game last Friday night. You can’t go wrong with a playoff-like atmosphere in early November. The Bulls will be rock solid when they get Boozer back (and if they get Carmelo Anthony via trade, than forget about the Eastern Conference), while the Boston Celtics are playing fantastic team basketball. Everyone on that team is focused on getting the ball to the open guy (except for Nate Robinson, but thankfully he only plays about 10 minutes a game).
            While I’m on the subject, I would like to praise the quality of play in the NBA right now. We could have the best collection of talent since the mid-80s through the early-90s. It’s a damn shame that there will probably be a lockout next year, because the NBA is creeping up on the NFL in watchablity (not sure if that’s a word, but I just invented it, so there).

2. Daylight Savings Time Ending
            Can we get an extra hour of sleep every Sunday? I love it when the clocks fall back an hour.

1. Green Bay Packers destroying the Dallas Cowboys 45-7
            I’ll start this paragraph by saying that I’m a Dallas Cowboys fan. The loss to Green Bay on Sunday night was the best thing that’s happened to the Cowboys’ franchise since winning Super Bowl XXX. I’ll take a 38-point beating on national television, as long as it got Wade Phillips kicked out the door. When I found out Phillips was officially fired today, I raised my hands like I had just won the lottery. I can’t wait for the 2011 season.