Sounds pretty convincing, but I'm not sold. For a few reasons.
The Colts do have an explosive offense, but the Bears have a better defense, better special teams and a better running game. They are better in every aspect except for the passing game, and I don't think that the Bears passing game is as bad as every one makes it out to be.
Really, the passing game does some things exceptionally well, like hit the long ball. And I got Grossman's back. I think he's got some serious cajones. He's a play maker. (How can you slurp Brett Favre so hard and completely dismiss Grossman? Just because Favre has three MVPs and Grossman handed in two sub-2.0 passer ratings this season? C'mon!) And I don't think he'd like anything more than to shut up every stupid reporter who's asked him and his teammates and his coaches about pulling him halfway through the game.
His counterpart, the immortal Peyton Manning, basically has a ring on his finger already. But I don't trust Peyton on the big stage quite yet. Peyton doesn't strike me as the type of guy who succeeds at something the first time he does it. He fails, works his ass off, fails again, works even harder and then eventually figures everything out and succeeds.
He never beat Florida at Tennessee, but something tells me if he would have had a few more years, he would have found a way to own them. He showed flashes of brilliance early in his career, but it took him a while to master the own-the-game-at-the-line-of-scrimmage routine. It took him forever to get past the Pats but he finally did with a brilliant second half in the AFC title game. Where is the precedent for him ever, ever succeeding the first time around? Peyton will win at least one Super Bowl in his career, but the first time around? I'd be surprised. Not stunned, but surprised.
And it isn't like Peyton is having a stellar post-season either. He was so-so against the Chiefs and then did not play well at all during the Ravens game. No touchdowns. Ed Reed owned him. If the Ravens offense wasn't as slow as the turtles from those Comcast commercials, they would have lost. What is a more realistic representation of the Super Bowl vs. the Bears: going against the Ravens or an old and depleted Pats D? And his first half against the Pats wasn't even anything to write home about either. He did have a career-defining second half, but that's been it. Taken as a whole, he's played poorly the entire post season (Grossman's stats have been much, much better).
Its ironic, I think, that Peyton finally dispatched the Patriots but it is their ghost that can still haunt them.
The AFC title game exposed the Colts' kick covering ability (well, maybe it didn't expose it, per se - I wasn't really paying that close attention to the Colts special teams throughout the season, but it certainly was obvious after that game). Their lackluster tackling and coverage gave the Pats prime field position time and time again; if the Colts cover even one of those kicks mildly adequately, that game isn't nearly as interesting as it ended up being.
The Pats also showed that the Colts receivers absolutely detest being played physically. The Bears D is going to rough them up and those receivers don't exactly have a history of handling that kind of contact well. I mean, they couldn't find the end zone against the Ravens and the Bears D is better than the Ravens D, at least in my opinion. Throw in the fact that there's a good chance it rains Sunday night - how great would a Super Bowl in the rain be? - and the Bears D has the edge over the Colts O.
And that Colts rushing defense...I mean, yea, they've been lights out in the playoffs, but they sucked - sucked - in the regular season. They were on pace to break the record for most yards allowed per game - ever. They were historically bad. What do you think is a more accurate representation - three games in the playoffs or 16 throughout the course of the regular season? Throw in how long the Super Bowl is - its going to be over four hours; its an absolute grind which just drains players - and that d-line is going to wear down. Even if the Bears don't have success right away, if they stick with it, they will have their way by the end.
So there's a million reasons why the Colts will lose. Why will the Bears win?
The prevailing line of thought seems to be that Grossman has to have himself a ball game for the Bears to win; he can't go out and be the reason the Bears lose. Which is true, I think, but to a degree. I think Sexy can turn it over twice - but just twice - and the Bears can still win, provided those TO's don't come in horrific times or places: run back for scores or in their own territory.
So: the Bears get up early, run and run, hit a few big, timely plays, Hester and the special teams make a few big plays, and the Chicago D takes advantage of a suddenly one-dimensional, panicking offense. MVP? Thomas Jones.
I said it at the beginning of the season, I'll say it now: Bears 34, Colts 17.
Plus, Merril Hodge took the Colts and I'm pretty sure he is wrong about everything.
(Oh and if the Colts go buck wild and win 42-3, forget I said anything.)
Friday, February 02, 2007
Super Bowl XLI...Please, Please Let There Be Some Rain. A Lot of Rain.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
What is the Most Famous Play in NFL History?
I was watching a little Mike & Mike this morning and their tease heading into the break was something like "we'll be right back with the man who made arguably the most famous play in football history." So I thought to myself, sweet, it's either Montana or Dwight Clark. I mean, it's the only play I know of that's referred to simply by what happened - "The Catch." I may be more than a little biased towards the Niners and their place in history, but I really thought that was who it was going to be.
Turns out it was Franco Harris. Hard to argue with the Immaculate Reception, really. But is it the most famous play in the history of the NFL? If it isn't, what is then?
So what is it? Something is telling me I'm forgetting it or missing something incredibly obvious. help me out. What play gets your vote?
Kobe Takes Down Manu; I Ponder Sports
Kobe Bryant getting suspended for jacking Manu Ginobili in the face raised more than a few issues, in my mind, at least.
And I actually agreed with Skip Bayless (There are more than a few reasons not to like Skip - like his flawless irrationality - but why is he so angry? The tiniest things make him so, so mad. Why the squinty face, Skip?): I think Kobe thought it was Bruce Bowen, and he just couldn't resist getting a shot in on him. I've said it before, I'll say it again: Bowen is the dirtiest, chintziest player in the NBA, and it isn't even close. Add Kobe to the ever-growing list of players who hate him (Francis, Steve; Allen, Ray; Carter, Vince...I'm forgetting someone here, I think). It is kind of interesting that Bowen can get under Kobe's skin like that, though, and Raja Bell famously pissed him off, too. Whether thats good, bad or irrelevant I don't know, but it does make me feel a little better than certain defenders used to infuriate me to no end back in the day.
But he certainly did make a "non-basketball act" - that's a pretty clever and succinct definition, I think, although hitting Bruce Bowen in the face should be made to fall under that category - and he did so above the neck - again, that phrasing was designed to describe a punch, but this certainly falls under that category, too - but did he deserve a one-game suspension? No, I don't think so, but the NBA is scared to death of any bad pub involving fights, and Kobe clearly did break the rule, if not the spirit of it, then certainly the letter of it.
What I don't understand is why he just didn't hand in his appeal and then play that night against the Knicks. Maybe I just don't understand the NBA's rules on appeals, but can't you play until your appeal is heard, or am I confusing the NBA with MLB? If that isn't the case, what, then, is the point of an appeal exactly? Just to get your money back? Maybe the Lakers thought they could beat the Knicks without Kobe - I mean, really, if you are going to miss a game, who better to miss it against than the Knicks (oh, the Celtics) - so why chance missing him for a more important conference or division game down the road. I don't think the Lakers are winning too many games with the Kobester in street clothes, though; I would have done everything in my power to get him on the court. Phil Jackson's threat to intentionally sit Kobe against Cleveland in a week in retaliation was genius if not empty; only Phil's coming up with that one.
There was a sentiment from the media, though, summed up if not the best, then at least the most bluntly, by Mitch Lawrence from the NY Daily News that professional hoops is entertainment and that they should keep that in mind when they sit down their best entertainer on their biggest stage. He asks, "Doesn't anyone over at the NBA remember that it's in the entertainment business, first and foremost?"
Is it really entertainment, though? If it was entertainment, wouldn't every game be more like an All-Star game, with players trying to be as impressive as possible? Would the league allow certain franchises to turn putrid, who no chance of every entertaining anybody? It is all debatable, and it is unarguable that the trappings of the entertainment industry aren't all over the NBA, but is itsn't purely entertainment. And that, I think, is the reason why I love sports so much. Not just hoops, but all sports. As much as people want to compare it to other aspects of life, it just can't convincingly be done.
Sports is entertainment. Sports is a business. Sports are pure athletic competition. Sports is all about winning. Sports is an escape from the real world. Sports can help rebuild a city. None of these are true, but all of these are true. Sports is a completely unique situation comparable to nothing else in life. It takes aspects of nearly everything from the "real world," which is why it can be used as a metaphor for basically everything, but there is nothing completely like it.
Is sports entertainment? Sure it is. But a lot of times the best way to be successful are the least entertaining - think banking home the fifteen-footer instead of driving into traffic, kicking the field goal on 4th and 1, hitting the sac fly to move over the runner, laying up instead of going for the green - perhaps "purists" can derive some pleasure from that, but it is by no means entertaining.
Is sports a business? Sure it is. But would a real business actively and repeatedly hire employees who were by no means ready for the job in which they were hired? Would they agree to let the worst business in their market have the best new employee in a given year? Is there another business sector in the world where employees are forbidden from making over a certain amount of money? There might be, but I can't think of it, and yet teams routinely draft players who won't be ready to help thier team for three years, lousy teams are given the best players through drafts and most sports have some form of a salary cap. That doesn't seem to reflect the real world to me.
Are sports about competition? Sure they are. But teams and players routinely tank games, they leave venues in which winning is a better possibility for worse situations in which they are paid more and teams throw games and seasons to improve playoff position or draft order.
I don't know what my point is exactly, but it is just all incredibly interesting to me. There really isn't anything else you can compare it to in which the analogy works 100%. It doesn't fall under any one category. Any "breaking news" that takes place in the sporting world could probably be reclassified in another section of the newspaper - Business, Life, Arts, News - it really covers all the spectrums.
If anyone can compare sports to anything else in life, I would love to hear it. I don't think you can, though, and that is a huge reason why sports is so appealing to me.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Peace Out, Barbaro
Well, Barbaro's dead. Didn't see that one coming.
That wasn't sarcastic; I genuinely had no idea they were even discussing euthanizing him. That horse was getting better medical treatment than hundreds of retired NFL players and the media was irrationally obsessed with bringing the nation all the irrelevant minutia of the horse's progress and setbacks. I actively tried not to make myself aware of anything Barbaro-related and even I knew about laminitis and all those screws in his leg (29, I think) and the thousands of people with nothing better to do than make crappy cardboard signs and hang them on Barbaro's fence.
I wasn't hoping the horse would die - really, I didn't care either way - but I'm glad he's going to the glue factory in the sky (actually, that makes no sense; he's going to the glue factory here on earth) just so I don't have to here any more breathless updates on Sports Center (Honestly: how the hell wasn't Pedro Gomez assigned to this beat? What lottery did he win?) or see headlines on SI. I'd rather hear about Brett Favre's retirement plans or about Barry Bonds' contract negotiations. The horse was like highlights of split-squad exhibition baseball games during Sports Center. It isn't even a real game, and only half the team is there. Can we move on now? I wouldn't be moved in the slightest if those games got the ax, and I'm equally reactionless that Barbaro is sleeping with the fishes. (Incidentally, how do they kill a horse? A huge needle? An electric stable? Cut his head off, Godfather-style? I wouldn't mind knowing this.)
The amount of time and energy devoted to this animal drove me nuts. I think it was like seeing Peyton Manning in all those commercials: he didn't really do anything to me personally, but I don't really care, and I would like you to go away. Now. (Actually, that analogy doesn't work either because I have totally lol'ed at every commercial Peyton has been in. But you get the point.)
The whole thing baffles me. I really don't get it. If someone can explain to me how this horse can galvanize a nation and move seemingly normal people to tears, I would love to hear it. I mean, it's a horse, correct? It doesn't have a personality, he never connected on an emotional level with anyone, no one can relate to its plight...really, what is the appeal? If anything, wouldn't the inordinate amount of time and effort being given to a horse piss of the average citizen? It's not lke there's a shortage of horrific things involving actual human beings - New Orleans is still in tatters, thousands of soldiers are dying overseas - but a horse is worthy of tears and vigils? Why?
I guess I can see the level of sadness and grief from those who where around the horse, the trainers, owners, grass pickers - I guess - but the people who have never met him, who saw him once on TV or maybe twice at the race track, how did they become this emotionally attached?
I think it is fair to say that if the jockey riding Barbaro was thrown from the horse, was stampeded by the rest of the horses and was on life support for a few months before finally reaching stable condition, he wouldn't have received nearly this much attention. There certainly would not have been a wall covered in posters wishing him a speedy recovery or a message board set up where endless amounts of people would wish him well, that's for damn sure.
Admittedly, I don't really understand people wailing and sobbing when famous humans die, either, so maybe I just don't get the whole concept. Like all those Americans who were so saddened when Princess Di died...it was tragic and awful, but you never knew her or anything and she never really did anything for you. Why the tears? But at least that's a human; I'm not going to criticize anyone for crying over the loss of a human life, regardless of their connection to it. At least that's a person.
I understand crying over the death of a pet, too. Hey, it lived with you for years. Tears are legit. But would you cry if your neighbor's dog died? Would you even be sad? Maybe for your neighbor - and only if you really liked your neighbor - but would it really tear you up that the dog was gone? I'm doubting it, and this was a dog you saw running through the neighborhood all the time. A lot of these people never even saw Barbaro in person!
The other thing that confused the hell out of me was that Barbaro died without passing on his, ah....seed. Wasn't that the entire point of keeping him alive? I thought the owners wanted him alive so they could make millions of his sperm. This makes it seem like they just wanted him alive because they liked him. I always thought those insane Barbaro supporters were missing the boat here; the horse was being kept alive solely so the owners could profit from him later down the line, but I guess I was wrong. Learn something new every day, I guess.
Either way, he's dead and the updates are finally over with (Jeremy Schapp had a touching piece on him; I'm sure he was thrilled with that assignment). My Sport Center viewing just became a little bit more pleasurable and I enjoy reading headlines just a little bit more now. If my convenience requires a horse being put to sleep, so be it.
Monday, January 29, 2007
:35 Second Shot Clock
Since we are all up-and-running again and what not, why don't we try to start a regular post that I'd like to do every Monday morning, but that we all know will last three, maybe four weeks, mysteriously dissapear for a couple of weeks, have a brief resurgence for a week or two, and then die forever a week before March Madness?
Since we're a little late to the party, let's start at the top: Who's the class of '07? Seems like there are two, maybe three choices here: North Carolina or Florida, and Ohio St. just because no one has any idea how good Greg Oden is going to be once The Dance starts.
UNC, at least to me, is the odds-on favorite to go home with the hardware in April. Yea, they are ridiculously loaded (witness the dismantling of Arizona without Brandan Wright). Yea, they are the deepest team in the country. Yea, they have a brilliant (yes, brilliant) coach. But the thing about the Heels that has to scare the hell out of every team in the country is its up-tempo transition game. No one in American runs like the Heels and it isn't even close.
Carolina's transition game is like a devastating rushing attack in the NFL. If your defense is a little suspect, or your stretch-the-field passing attack takes the occasional day off, or your offense is having trouble executing between the twenties, you know that grind it out rushing attack can bail you out. Just hand it off to your clock killing running back and let him run behind his mammoth offensive line, you'll own the time of possession and field position categories and cover up a few deficiencies. It makes the rest of your team look better.
This is what the Carolina transition game does. Even if UNC isn't shooting particularly well (this has happened, and will happen in The Tourney) or if the defense is getting exposes (no one is confusing Carolina with the Bulls or even Pitt for that matter) or their half-court sets are being well-defended, they always have the transition game to rely on. It is relentless, and it is available every single game.
As deep as they are, they can run all game, although it is much more effective with human blur Tywon Lawson pushing the ball, and it changes the way teams have to play. Teams can't send as many rebounders to the rim as they'd like; if they do, they risk easy 2-1's at the other end. Long jumpers, not high-percentage to begin with, come with long rebounds as consequences; those are death wishes disguised as open invitations to run. The less you execute on offense, the more you pay for it on defense. Even if you score, Carolina has it out of the net and past half court before you've finished your follow through. If there was a stat for "most layups made within 5 seconds of an opponent field goal" UNC would easily be the nation's leader.
Could I see Florida's experience getting them a tough, March Madness win? I guess (although I refuse to admit they are good; something about them rubs me the wrong way and that something is Joakim Noah). Could I see Greg Oden dominating a game at both ends for the upset? Sure. Kevin Durant handing in a virtuoso performance? Absolutely. But the point is, to beat Carolina, some team is going to have to play a brilliant game and get a monster effort from its best player. Carolina doesn't need to hand in their A game to win the National Title. That's the difference.
As of right now, who are the four No. 1 seeds? Seems fairly straightforward: UCLA, Carolina, Florida and Wisconsin. Those four seem to be the consensus top-four in the nation right now and I think anyone would be hard pressed to see another team sneak in there. Maybe Ohio State. Maybe.
That maybe all hinges on Greg Oden. He opened up the Michigan State game with seven straight points, all on unguardable baby hooks, from both the right and the left. Izzo had the absolute right strategy - make him make actual moves, limit his dunks and second chance points - and by the end, it nearly worked for the Spartans. Oden's physical ability is light years - light years - ahead of his actual skill, but he's playing with a bum right hand for God's sake. That's why he's the x-factor in the tournament: how good (read: healthy) can he be by March? If he plays the way he did in the first five minutes of the MSU game - hooks from either block over either shoulder, pinning shots all over the place - Ohio State is a very real title contender. If he's up and down, their chances decline considerably.
That said, who would you take No. 1 next year, Oden or Durant?
(Quick aside: how pissed is Rick Barnes that he gets a talent like Durant to come and he doesn't have a title-worthy team around him? Imagine Durant a few years ago with PJ Tucker, LaMarcus Aldridge, Daniel Gibson, that Paulino dude who bombed threes and that huge white guy with really, really blond hair? I mean, I'm sure Barnes isn't mad, per se...but he really has to be frustrated with the timing, I think.)
I think Oden can be a Bill Russell-type and dominate both ends of the court. (Not win 11 title - shutup. Just that style of player.) He has a long way to go offensively - can he face up? his a mid-range J? does he have any actual moves? - but I think will be able to do it all eventually. and defensively...no one scores on Ohio State in the paint. Ever. He gets everything, or he alters it, or guys are so conscious of him they don't even drive. He gets help side blocks and few times has someone scored directly on him. He's just a defensive terror.
One thing that is completely arbitrary: I can see Durant hitting game winners in the playoffs; I can't see Oden doing that. I don't know why, maybe its because Durant is already so polished and Oden isn't exactly the most suave public speaker (but, hey - that's why he's in school, damnit!). I really don't know why; chalk it up to an irrational gut feeling.
That said, I'd still take Oden. He has the potential to dominate at both ends. Few players today can make that claim. Kobe? Yao? Artest, maybe?
A few quick thoughts:
Speaking of the draft, Alondo Tucker reminds me of Dwyane Wade. Not their style, necessarily, but just the way they go nonchalantly about their business. They both have that same uber-confident, unfazed look in their eyes.
Virginia Tech is overrated. They beat a Duke team that isn't that good to begin with (and it was a revenge game to boot) and then played the game of their life against UNC (and if you think this is all a not-so-subtle attempt to make UNC look goo by comparison, well...you're correct).They have lost to Marshall, GW and Western Michigan for God's sake. They have one-and-done written all over them in the NCAA Tourney. Although I did love that guy putting his nuts right in Greg Paulus's face. Made my day.
That's alot to talk about - Who's the four No. 1 seeds? Oden or Durant? Name one reason UNC won't win the title?
Friday, January 26, 2007
D'Antoni's Right: Gilbert WOULD Kill Duke
My appreciation of Gilbert Arenas' candor and my hate of Duke basketball collided beautifully the other day. In case you haven;t come across it yet, here's Gil's response to D'Antoni's statement that Gil would kill Duke:
"One college game, that's five fouls, right? 40-minute game at Duke, they got soft rims...I'd probably score 84 or 85. I wouldn't pass the ball. I wouldn't even think about passing it. It would be like a NBA Live or an NBA 2K7 game, you just shoot with one person."
There's so much there - so, so much - that I'm not entirely sure where to begin. First, it's terrific how serious Gil took it. He contemplated the different rules of the college game, the type of court he would be playing on and even adopted a strategy for gettin his "84 or 85" (with a superb analogy thrown in for good measure). I can't think of any player in the NBA that would seriously take the time to figure out how many points they would score in a college game, even if he is having fun with it, and I'm not entirely convinced he is. Maybe old Kobe, before his new found maturity began to seep through.Personally, I think Gil underestimated himself. If he plays the whole game, and really gets it going, he could score 100. Definitely; especially with the much closer three. Really, who would stop him on that current Duke team? Even a box-and-one wouldn't do anything; they would have to double-team him from the time he crossed half court. (I love semi-colons; really, they are really special.)
Is 100 reasonable? It might be in the high end, but I think its definitely doable. If I was reading that Arenas snuck onto one of those teams from Russia that play exhibition games against colleges, and he scored 100 points, I wouldn't be remotely surprised. I mean, there are dozens of guys that could drop 100, I think, if they were really motivated.
How many? Let's get the "Who Could Drop 100 on Duke" List going.
Arenas also throws this in:
"I thought it was funny because if I have the chance to go back to college, I’ll give up one NBA season to play against Duke."In the words of Seth and Amy, Really?!?!
It is a pretty harmless thing for Arenas to say; after all, he can't go back to college - unlike Jim Mora's secret desire to go coach Washington, this has no possibility of ever happening - but it is interesting. Arenas would willingly give up a full year of being paid over 10 million bucks a year to go back to Arizona and play with like the ninth Marcus Williams? I think it's a cute thing to say, and something that he'll obviously never have to back up, and that's that. It would be like me saying
Would any pro willingly give up his salary and lifestyle to go back to college? Does the grind just get to you after a while? Would it be good for every pro to take a break, like a college professor going on sabbatical or MJ going to play with the Barons, and go beat up on some college kids for a year? Or how about the 11th, 12th guys on the roster, just barely hanging on? Would they go back to their scholarships and a chance to crush kids five or six years younger than them? Would a top 25 program even want Stephon Marbury?
If somehow David Stern could make this happen, would any pro ever take advantage of it? Probably not; the money is just too good and roster spots are just too hard to come by, but the TV ratings would be phenomenal. If anyone would do it, though, it would be Gilbert, just because. Or Mike Dunleavy.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Told You So.
A couple of days ago, Deadspin mentioned in it's Leftovers section that only one blogger in the entire blogosphere was able to correctly forecast this season's Super Bowl match up: Dan Shanoff was, apparently, the only blogger able to foresee the Bears meeting up with the Colts for XLI. Look, here's the proof.
While props are certainly do to Mr. Shanoff, I, unlike Obie Trice, need to toot my own horn here (because I have to): Back at the beginning of September, I predicted the Bears and Colts would be meeting in Miami. The whole entry is pretty surreal; it was an NFL Preview, and here's how it started:
Before the start of every season in the National Football League, I seem to make one sweet prediction. Granted, that one sweet prediction comes amongst about 30 or 40 inane ones, but I still get that one. So here's 40 or so odd things that most certainly will not pan out, but I guarantee one of these will be a real gem. A diamond in the rough, if you will. Your job is to find it.That...that is just unreal. The rest of the entry is absurd, of course; it's like one of those commercials on the NFL Network where the guy is like "of course I didn't draft Drew Brees.."Just listen to some of this stuff: "Everything seems to be falling in line for the Dolphins, doesn't it?" "I will say this: Larry Johnson is overrated! Yea, I said it..." "Shaun Alexander is cracking 2 grand on the ground and gettin 30 TDs. Mark him down. Right now. Do it."
What a train wreck. But at least I warned you going in, and there was that one dead-on prediction: "Super Bowl: Bears 2, Colts 0. Print it." I don't have any other reason for brining this to your attention other than my own ego gratification (I didn't even remember I made this prediction until I saw that Shanoff was the only one who got it right, wondered who I had picked, and looked it up).
So, yea. I was right.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
I Apologize. Really, I do. But Just Hear Me Out.
Alright, here's the deal: my academic life is going into overdrive for a good while, probably at least until the New Year. This means one thing: I have zero time to devote to Point 23. A sad reality, but a true one. Single tear.
I really wish there was something I could do about it, and I'd much rather be writing on here than some term paper, but really, I'd like to get the hell out of college at some point. I think it will benefit everyone in the long run.
So: what to do in the interim?
My goal when I started this site was to get a type of community atmosphere going. Get familiar with the people leaving messages and comments, that type of thing, but at the same time, still make it a site where anyone could leave a comment and just have some fun arguing about sports. Kinda like sitting in a bar (and hey, if you wanna down a few pitchers before posting on here, I'm all for it). I really, really just love to argue about sports (well, anything, actually, but mainly sports). So while there aren't going to be any new posts for a while (The Picks may still keep going; we'll see if everyone can get on the same page for a stretch run), I think it'd be cool if the arguing and the debating and the general ranting and raving continued. Escalated, even.
First, in the comments section of this post. The first couple or so can be about how much I suck (alright, it can get to double figures, but once it hits triple figures, that's excessive...but maybe not), but after that, just post whatever random shit you want to talk about. It doesn't even have to be strictly tied to sports (R. Kelly's zorro mask is always fun). Throw an opinion out there; doesn't matter how well thought out it is. I'd just like get some conversation going. About anything. Anything.
Same goes for the little Chatterbox in the right hand column. Love the chatterbox. And the Chatterbox loves you. Make it your friend.
A third option would be be adding some new material to the slowly-outdating-themselves lists that run down the right and left hand columns (you have no idea how much I love those columns; seriously, no idea). So far, there are five lists:
The Cool Lunch Table: A list of people that just hold a special place in your heart. Reasons can range from "he won me my fantasy league" to "he's hilarious" to "man, she's really freakin' hot."
Please Go Away. Now: People you just can't stand. Think Paul McGuire, Dick Vitale, Billy Packer, or people from Duke.
Makes Sense: For things that don't make sense (see the irony?). Like the BCS or the March Madness play-in game. Billy Packer fits here, too.
GOAT: Here's where we're keeping track of the greatest things of all time. This list is woefully small. Let's do something about that.
If you look in the upper right hand corner, you'll see links for each of those lists where you can leave suggestions, but if that is too much work (and it would be for me), just leave 'em right here.
I've tried filling the sidebars with some other things - a poll, a video of the week, a top 10 list, a list of links out there I enjoy - all to varying degrees of success. If you have any suggestions for these things, let me know, and I'll get on it. Things you want to see voted on in Vote or Die, a topic for the Top 10 List, a funny/aweseome YouTube clip for the Video o' the Week, a new link, just let me know.
Actually, if you have any suggestions at all - like a new category altogether, for instance - I'd love to hear them. I really love those sidebars, and the more material in them, the better.
All this kinda sounds like I'm saying, "Hey, I'm bouncing for a while...while I'm gone, do all the work." Which I am. So get to work. And I'll be back before you know it. You won't even miss me.
Friday, November 17, 2006
The Picks: Week 11
Alright, Week 11. Some notes: Point 23 has no idea what the records are, he'll get around to adding them up next week sometime when he has time; Kilcs will be pulling a Constanza and picking the opposite of every game (which is completely against the spirt of this competition; no one can pick above .500, but whatever) and everyone will be mad at him; Mr. Em is on pace to break the record for most exlamation points in one season - handily; and Zero has a real job which requires him to put in mad hours this weekend, so he has no witty comments about Michael Vick being Ron Mexico or the Giants all balling (wait, yes, he did get in a ballin' reference - well done, Zero).
Onto the picks...
Oakland at Kansas City (-9.5)
Kilcs: Kansas City. Trent Green coming back may not be a great thing for KC. I thought they were rolling under Huard. Oakland's defense has been playing very very well actually against pretty good teams. 9.5 seems like a lot of points for a team that's been playing as competitvely on the defensive side of the ball as Oakland has.
Mr. Em: Raiders. Trent Green turned into a Celtic God since his injury, I see hearts coming out of analysts ears when they talk about him. OK, he's a solid player, but he'll be rusty against a tough Raider defense. Nine.5 points...tippy toe over thisa way!
Zero: Kansas City.
Point 23: Oakland. The TGC will not allow this. Oakland may win this game striaght up. Idiots, Kansas City, idiots. Seriously, Herm: Trent Green has not been good for some time now. I'm sure he'll be great coming off a half-season concussion. Just because you two are the same age is no reason to play him. And why is KC always the first game on the gambling docket? Anyone?
Cincinnati at New Orleans (-3.5)
Kilcs: New Orleans. Cincy's offense last week was what I thought it would be like all year. New Orleans just lost to a Steelers team that has beaten Miami and Kansas City all season long. Despite the fact that Cincy lost to San Diego (who i think is one of the favorites to win the super bowl), I think they're reight there and about to get over the hump.
Zero: New Orleans.Point 23: Cincy. It'll be a shootout, but it looks like that Bengals offense is finally clicking (also known as Carson Palmer Stopped Flinching Like a Sixth Grade Girl Every Time Someone Came Within Six Feet of his Knee Just Because He Had Some Pathetic Surgery.)
Pittsburgh (-3.5) at Cleveland
Kilcs: Cleveland. Let me get this straight. Pittsburgh is a favorite against Denver and New Orleans in back to back weeks then all of a sudden, they're only 3.5 favorites against Cleveland? Something's fishy and it's Vegas being smarter than us again. The Steelers got back to what they do best last week and that is running the football. Their defense still struggled, but that shouldn't be a prblem against Chaz Frye and company.
Mr. Em: Steelers. Last meeting, 41-0 Steelers.
Zero: Pittsburgh
Point 23: Cleveland. Screw you, Pittsburgh defense. Friggin' busts. And um, Troy? Remember in sixth grade when they taught everyone that if you lead with your head, you are gonna get hurt? No? Well that makes sense then. While we're here, I think players should get a penalty for not getting off the pile more quickly during a fumble recovery. Its so freakin stupid. We know you don't have it, get up so we can figure this shit out.
Tennessee at Philadelphia (-13.0)
Kilcs: Philly. Tennessee played baltimore close last week and have been playing pretty well save one game since Vince Young has been given the reigns. Jeff Fisher always has his team prepared and they rarely get blown out, plus that dude that stomps on people's bare face with metal cleats is coming back. He weighs about 400 lbs, I can't imagine he would hurt them. 13 just seems like too many points for a team that's been fighting as hard as Tennessee has.
Point 23: Philadelphia. Donovan McNabb: 4 TDs (all to Reggie Brown) 401 yards, no picks. Yay.
Atlanta at Baltimore (-4.0)
Kilcs: Atlanta. Vick is done. He's toast. Baltimore got one of their stinker games out of the
way last week and still came away with the victory. They can really almost seal the division if they win a couple of more games and Steve McNair is that gritty, veteran leader that everyone was hoping he would be in Baltimore. (On a serious note, I heard one of the ESPN talking heads say that he should be considered for MVP. Are you f*$(ing kidding me?! MVP is a 2 man race, Manning and LT and someone bringing up McNair's name is absolutely ludicrous).Mr. Em: Falcons. The Mexican jumping bean seems to play best when you least expect it.
Zero: Atlanta.
Point 23: Baltimore. We have the most maddeningly inconsistant weapon in NFL history against the luckiest team in the NFL this season. Who the hell knows what can happen. I'll take the home team. No screw that, I'll take Atlanta. I forgot about Ray Lewis making shit up about racism and then being on the cover of SI as "God's Linebacker." Everyone except Ray and SI knows that he'll be burning in hell for eternity. I hate him more than any player in the NFL.
St. Louis at Carolina (-6.5)
Kilcs: Carolina. See Steve Smith. See previous Carolina picks. (there is a little bit of a contradiction here for me cause Steven Jackson is one of my horses too and I think that CArolina actually makes more sense, playing at home, no Orlando Pace, etc and my new reverse theory says I should take the Rams, but #1 rule is still Steve Smith)
Mr. Em: Panthers. Why did the Rams change their colors after they won the Super Bowl. First off, those yellow Ram horns were flippin sweet, second, you just don't do that after you win the title (and don't even come at me with the Arch excuse). It's no coincidence: the Penguins won Stanley Cups, and then changed to girly gold, and look what happened.
Zero: St. Louis.
Point 23: Carolina. Once again, this is purely to spite Simmons (who has been absolutely on fire lately. With the exception of that rambling Doc Rivers column, his last two months have been phenomenal. This is awesome.)
Buffalo at Houston (-2.5)
Kilcs: Buffalo. It's hard to pick the opposite when you don't know what you would pick normally. I think that I talked myself into going with Houston because they're playing at home and because Buffalo blows. David Carr played well at the beginning of the season and the running game has shown some signs of life. I can't name one player on their defense besides Mario Williams though. Anyone know a lineback that plays for Houston? I think Phillip Buchanon might play DB?
Mr. Em: Texans. Lyla's from Texas! <33333333>Zero: Buffalo.
Point 23: Houston. I have never cared less about a game, ever.
New England (-6.0) at Green Bay
Kilcs: Green Bay. This is a classic, everybody is burying the Patriots, Brady and Belicheck which is apparently the worst thing anyone could ever do. "How many times have we said you can't write off the Patriots. This is why they are champions, blah blah blah." (Side note: Belichek or however u spell his name is a jerk. An absolute jerk. Mangini is supposed to be one of your proteges, you don't turn your back on him. Plato didn't turn his back on Aristotle nor Aristotle on Socrates or whichever way that goes or maybe they did. (How crazy is it that those 3 dudes, like the 3 smartest guys in a 2,000 yr span all hung out together)).
Mr. Em: Packers. There was a sale out at the mall, buy a Bill Bellicek sweatshirt and get 6 points, I bought it!!!!!!!
Zero: New England.
Point 23: Green Bay. I have no reasons here.
Washington at Tampa Bay (-3.0)
Kilcs: Washington. See Hous/Buffalo. I have no idea. Both these teams are done and you can stick a fork in both of them. They suck. No Portis, Jason Campbell getting the start on the road. Has to be tough right? Would think Tampa should be able to win, hence go with Washington.
Mr. Em: Two pitiful offenses here, so give me the under on this one, Bucs 2-0.
Zero: Washington.
Point 23: Washington. Jason Campell gets a little beginners luck. And you're telling me Tampa Bay couldn't find a QB better than Chris Simms and Brad Gradkowski? Not one single player? Chris Simms has sucked forever, why they hell were they going into the season with him? He'll never, ever, ever be good. Ever. And now they're stuck with his backup. For as smart as John Gruden allegedly is, he really screwed the pooch on this one.
Chicago ( -7.0) at NY Jets
Kilcs: Chicago. I'm kind of violating my rule here, but kind of not. The Jets have been playign a lot better than people expect, so people are now beginning to expect them to play well. Also, this pick has major fantasy implications as we here at Psychos camp, are hoping to make a historic playoff run led by Thomas Jones running all over the T-Birds. "Psychos T-Bone T-Birds" (hey that was kind of gay..you know that youtube clip with the announcer?)
Mr. Em: Bears. Two wins in two weeks at the Meadowlands for the Bears.
Zero: Chicago.
Point 23: Jets. Rex Grossman....stop your Michael Vick impersonation and either suck or be great. Enough of this in-between bullshit.
Minnesota at Miami (-3.5)
Kilcs: Minnesota. I've been rambling and I apologize. Miami is suddenly good again, Saban can coach again and they're "playing like one of the best teams in the league the past few weeks" ESPN people are so stupid sometimes. In the words of another stupid ESPNer, not so fast my friends.
Mr. Em: Dolphins. Low scoring, one touchdown might win this game.
Zero: Miami.
Point 23: Miami. Finally. I've been saying it all year - Minnesota sucks. Finally I have some proof. Minnesota sucks! (You can have that ! back later, Em.)
Detroit at Arizona (-2.5)
Kilcs: Detroit. Arizona has too much talent right? Detroit will be looking forward to their annual SuperBowl in November on Thursday. Larry Fitzgerald, welcome back. We've missed you. Unfortunately, Roy Williams goes down with a hammy in the first quarter after fumbling on a 1 yard hitch.
Mr. Em: Lions. Bring back Wayne Fontze!!! and give me the points!!!!!!!Zero: Detroit.
Point 23: Arizona. What the hell happened to the Matt Leinart Bandwagon? Dennis Green is fucking it up, thats what. How 'bout this for a general rule: If your coach has one of the five worst post-game press conferences ever, he gets fired immediately. Michigan St. kept the legally insane John L. Smith around, where did that get them? Dennis Green shoulda been fired months ago, and there isn't a reason good enough to even defend him. This is why Arizona annually blows.
Seattle (-3.5) at San Francisco
Kilcs: San Francisco. Wait. Seattle just beat a good Rams team last week without Alexander the Great and Hasslebeck and they're only 3.5 pt favorites agsint SF with those 2? Easy money. Unfortunately for the Great, the Madden Curse does not end until the season is over. He comes back this week has 27 yards on 9 carries with a fumble and a reaggrivation of his foot injury.
Mr. Em: Seahawks. Mike Holmgren's belly will be too much for the 49ers to handle.
Zero: Seattle.
Point 23: Santa Clara. Why wouldn't I pick a team to cover a week after announcing it was leaving a city in which it had played forever and is going up agiant the reigning MVP in his long-awaited debut. And Frank Gore is the best active running back from The U. Also, can we stop calling it "The U"? They suck now, they don't deserve a nickname.
Indianapolis (-1.5) at Dallas
Kilcs: Dallas. Indy can't lose. They're too good. Nobody can beat them and 1.5 means all htey have to do to cover is win basically. Peyton Manning won't let them lose. Romo's playing out of his mind and will come back down to earth in his debut @ Texas Stadium. Julius Jones goes off and a befuddled Psychos coach says I hate the Jones brothers, they always screw you.
Mr. Em: Cowboys. Romo outduels Manning???? Yes!Zero: Indianapolis.
Point 23: Indianapolis. Nick Buno-cunt-i is gonna be dissapointed this week. And for the rest of the season. Indy is goin undefeated and winning the Super Bowl. Frankly, Ol' Nick can't die fast enough for me.
San Diego at Denver (-3.5)
Kilcs: Denver. Denver has no offense to speak of. San Diego has scored 30 points in 6 of its 9 games and has the best RB in the league and one of the best QBs in the league. Their defense should be able to shut down Denver's offense and nobody can seem to shut down LT and company. Getting 3.5? Easy money.
Mr. Em: Broncos. Denver defends the run well, and LaDainian struggles against the Broncos.
Zero: San Diego.
Point 23: San Diego. Whale's vag. That's huge.
NY Giants at Jacksonville (-3.0)
Kilcs: Jacksonville. I think because the Giants are on TV a lot and they're in a major market, we have higher expectations for them. Everyone thinks that Eli is really good and he's just not playing well? What has he done to make us think this? Garrard and the Jax offense can't do anything and Fred Taylor's 43.
Mr. Em: Giants. Tiki torches the Jags.
Zero: New York. Ballin G-men.
Point 23: Jacksonville. Jax plays well on the big stage and it turns out Eli isn't that good yet. I was debating between drafting him and Donovan McNabb for my fantasy team. Glad I took McNabb. Well, not that it really matters, since my team defended its title worse than the Steelers, but at least I had a silver lining for the first five weeks.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
The Picks: Week 10
Well, at least we aren't all tied anymore. Here's the standing heading into Week Ten:
Point 23: 23-36-4
Zero: 27-37-4
Mr Em: 27-37-4
Kilcs: 26-38-4
Onto the picks...
Kansas City (-1.0) at Miami
Point23: Kansas City. The Trent Green Corollary is just too powerful. See ya in the Super Bowl, Houston.
Mister Em: Dolphins. This game will be put in the hands of Damon Huard, whoages ago believe it or not, backed up Marino. Huard is good enough to reallytake advantage of teams that can't stop run because it opens up things inthe passing game, but he'll struggle against a team like Miami who willsomewhat contain Larry Johnson and force Kansas City to make plays in thepassing game. Miami will pound the ball with Ronnie Brown, and rely on theirdefense to win a close one at Dolphin Stadium. With all that said, gimme thepoint!
Kilcs: Miami. Here's my strategy for this week. Pick the opposite of what I convince myself is gonna happen. Vegas is so smart and they prey on people like us who think we know what we're tlaking about because one team played bad last week or the other has a rookie QB or whatever. They know what we know and use it against us. I think KC is gonna win this game, but Vegas knows better.
Houston at Jacksonville (-10.5)
Point 23: The Trent Green Corollary is just too powerful. See ya in the Super Bowl, Kansas City.
Zero: Jackonsville. No seriously Rex, suck it.
Mister Em: Jaguars. Garrard's a solid player, and he'll win the Jaguars alot of games this season if he continues to start, but he's not taking thisteam to the Super Bowl. Jaguars are hot. Houston, you have a problem.
Kilcs : Houston. Jacksonville has been playing real well with Garrard at the helm. You would think that Jacksonville, trying to solidify a playoff spot will be firing on all cylinders and taking advantage of the Texans being the Texans.
San Diego (-1.0) at Cincinnati
Point 23: San Diego. Cincinnati is in the midst of imploding. There's just too much bad stuff going on there. I can't believe the frickin' Ravens are running away with this division.
Zero: San Diego, I think it means whale’s vagina. Wouldn’t it be funny if ocho-cinco had that on his jersey this week. The Bungals just aren’t getting it done this year.
Mister Em: Bengals. Give me the point! because 1. at Cincy and 2. it's amust-win game for them.
Kilcs: Cincy. Ladanian Tomlinson is hte best player in the NFL not named Peyton Manning. HE scores more TDs than everyone else, but he isn't doing it Jerome Bettis style, he's busting off 30 yard scores and making moves and dominating games. Cincy's run defense is suspect. Cincy.
Point 23: Baltimore. In a route, too. The Ravens have several things going for them: the best lucky streak since Ferris Buehler decided to skip school, Brian Billick's ego is growing exponentially, and Ray Lewis thinks that racists locked the door on Steve McNair in Tennessee (and then those same racists went and drafted Vince Young ahead of the poster child for the white race, Matt Leinart). I love how Ray Lewis can just make up racist allegations and no one bats an eye. Whatever; he'll play out of his mind. This could be a shutout.
Zero: Ravens. Vince Young meet Ray Ray. And I think the Ravens get the most bullshit points on defense, but every week they get them so I guess it’s a little more than luck.
Mister Em: Titans. Man Law: Do not bet against a home team getting 7+POINTS!!!!!!!!!!!
Kilcs: Tennessee. Baltimore'sa way better team than Tennessee is and Tennessee was exposed last week. Confuse Vince Young, make him beat you with his arm and he won't. Baltimore's defense is one of hte best in the league even with the status of Ed Reed and Ray Lewis up in the air.
Cleveland at Atlanta (-7.0 )
Point 23: Atlanta. I want to believe in Michael Vick. Make me believe, Mike, make me believe.
Zero: Atlanta. Mike Vick returns to form as serviceable Mike Vick, not I missed my herpes meds Mike Vick. I hope that Charlie Frye takes a page out of LBJ23’s book and throws a pick with 1:00 left in a seven point game and walks directly to the locker room.
Mister Em: Falcons. If the Browns keep playin' like this they're gonna turninto Ravens again.
Kilcs: Cleveland. Atlanta is very good, way better than what we saw last week against Detroit. Mike Vick will show up and be the Mike Vick that everyone is afraid he might be for the rest of his career and Cleveland's defense will continue its impressive ineptitude. Cleveland.
Buffalo at Indianapolis (-12.5)
Point 23: Buffalo. I don't think indy has been covered one of these huge spreads all season, but people must still be picking them to cover, because Vegas won't stop posting them. With that historically atrocious run D and no real running threat, Indy just can't blow teams out. And London Fletcher-Baker will have a huge day.
Zero: Buffalo. This will be a ten point game. Why? I don’t know. Little bit of a let down week for the Colts after the big W last week. Plus its about time for Payton to only throw for about 220, 2 touches and 2 picks. Both touches of course to Reginald Wayne.
Mister Em: Colts. Willis McGahee is out, which negates the only advantagethey had over the Colts, which was running the football. Peyton Manning isamazing, it's so incredible when he throws an incompletion.
Kilcs: Buffalo. Indy at home against Buffalo will put up 35 points at least, right? And JP Losman playing from behind seems to spell interceptions for me. No McGahee either. And the Colts are one of the best regular season teams ever. 22-2 their last 24 regular season games or something, that's off the top of my head, it might be better.
Point 23: Philly. Coming off a bye week? After all those close losses? Against an overrated washington secondary that let Byron Leftwich throw all over it? Donnie Mac is ' bout to go off. If he's done one thing his whole career, its bounce back. He'll bounce back this week.
Zero: Redskins. This would be a great week for Clinton Portis to pull out another character. Like say maybe, Rufus Merriweather, newly elected Senator that wants to be a special advisor to Portis in his spare time. Donovan F. needs to get his head out of his ass too.
Mister Em: Eagles. Andy Reid has never lost after the bye week with theEagles. And that has nothing to do with covering but it's a step in theright direction.
Kilcs: Washington. Washington just came off a huge win last week, but Joe Gibbs doesn't care. He's been watching Tony Stweart make left turns better than anyone else and wants to get back in that action. He was so emotionless after one of the craziest finishes I've ever seen. He's done. They're done. And Donnie McNabb @ home after laying an egg last time against Jax.
Green Bay at Minnesota (-5.5)
Point 23: Green Bay. For some reason, I find myself cheering for the Pack. Don't know why. Maybe it's Greg Jennings, maybe it's Favre's salt-and-pepper beard.
Zero: Sex Boat. Steve Hutchinson has really made the difference. Poison pill be damned.
Mister Em: Vikings. That hot girl on "The Fantasy Show" with the implants said the Packers will make a run at the playoffs. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Mewelde Moore will find the endzone in this game and Chester Taylor will run for 100 yards.
Kilcs: Minnesota. They've not played wlell the last two weeks, including an embarassing performance against the 49ers. This is really a nothing game. Neither of these teams matter at all. So I don't really care, but I think I would pick GB normally, so I'm going Minnesota this week.
New York Jets at New England (-10.5)
Point 23: New England. I think Belichik hates Mangina and is mad his son is smoking pot. I think he takes it out on the Jets. And whatever happened to Jericho Cotchery. I was deciding who to add to my fantasy team this season, and I picked Marques Colston over Cotchery - barely. Good move by me. I still suck, but it was a good move.
Zero: Pats. Well, the newly acquired Thomas V. Brady will bounce back with huuuuuge numbers this week. Plus the 2 headed monster of a RB will get them to the goal line everytime and then Brady will either throw it to one of this 6 TE’s or Mike Vrabel.
Mister Em: Patriots. New England hasn't lost back-to-back games since 2001(Mike and Tommy, just to remind you that was the year I said they'd make itto the Super Bowl over the Steelers and you said 0.0 percent chance). 2 more reasons: at New England, and Tom Brady is jacked.
Kilcs: Jets. New England is one of the best teams in the league. They've lost to Indy and Denver. They don't lose back to back games, esp at home. Plus the Hooded One is pissed at Mangina. Real pissed. He's gonna give it to him. Hard. Jets.
Point 23: Santa Clara. That Detroit offense is kinda scary, but I've been picking the Niners irrationally all season. Why stop now?
Zero: SF. They have to win again sometime right. And they should go back to the old jerseys like they wore last week, those were always classics. Santa Clara what?
Mister Em: Lions. Roar! I just wanted to put "Roar" and leave it at that,but let's talk about something: 49ers throwback uniforms. They wore themlast week and of course they played awesome and won. Only the powder bluesof San Diego are better. John York has ruined this team and I guarantee he'sthe uniform picker guy.
Kilcs: San Francisco. Detroit just beat Atlanta, surely they can beat San Francisco by a TD, right? SF is horrible, they haven't played well for a while and Martz offense is clicking and Roy Williams is suddenly maybe the best receiver in the NFL (Marvin Harrsion for my $).
Denver (-9.5) at Oakland
Point 23: Last time they played, Denver kept it close. I see them doing the same thing again, which amazed me, considering how much Shanahan hates them. You think he'd blow them out, just for bitterness's sake. I guess that is the power of Jake Plummer.
Zero: Denver. I think Oakland blows a lot more than they showed the past couple weeks. Gimme Jay Cutler, he would make this team more exciting, I just don’t like Plummer.
Mister Em: Raiders. If Walters doesn't act like a little you know what Iactually like Oakland in this game. Doesn't he just remind you of a bleepinbleep. Raiders have a playoff defense and they played the Broncos toughearlier this year at Mile High, losing 13-3. If Oakland upgrades their linein the off-season (it's really surprising to me that their line is THAT badwith two hall of fame offensive lineman as coaches in Art Shell and Jackie"don't you dare call me AC" Slater) they could be a .500 team next year.
Kilcs : Oakland. The Raiders are so bad. A. Walter makes Raiders fans long for Aaron Brooks. Their D has played alright, but Denver has that running game that's great and Javon Walker's come back witha vengence and that play action game that they have is frightening.
Point 23: Is Myrone Cope setting these lines? How they hell is Pittsburgh favored? What do they have to do for people to realize they suck, lose to the Raiders?
Zero: NO. I can’t trust this Stiller team. I would never bet on them. They turn it over sooo much and you just don’t know what team is gonna show up. Kinda like the Heat. I take it they are only favored because they are at home.
Mister Em: Steelers. I just talked to Cowher's brother, Doug, on the phone. Sounds pretty upbeat.
Kilcs: Pittsburgh. I don't understand it. The Steelers are supposed to be good, but they aren't. They turn the ball over, they don't stop people on 3rd downs, they turn the ball over, they don't establish the running game the way that they should, they turn the ball over and they get burnt. New Orleans is a really good team and Pittsburgh hasn't beat a really good team, much the less by 5.
St. Louis at Seattle (-3.0)
Point 23: Seattle. Seneca Wallace and Mo Mo Morris rule.
Zero: St. Louis bounces back and stays in the play-off hunt. Seneca Wallace and Mo-Bam Morris can’t get it done this week. Sorry for these shits being so short, I haven’t had a chance to watch too much football lately and I apologize.
Mister Em: Rams. This is another one of those fantasy picks. I have Wilkins,my opponnent has Bulger and Holt, 9-0 Rams.
Kilcs: Seattle. No Hasslebeck, no Alexander? I'll take my chances with Bulger and Jackson and Holt. (Wow 3 great fantasy players, which is what people follow most maybe, I bet people bet on the Rams way more than they should). Seneca Fallacy is exposed.
Dallas (-7.0) at Arizona
Point 23: Arizona. Matt Leinart owns Tony Homo. Plus, he went on a "date" with Jessica Simpson. If that's not the touch of death, I don't know what is. Romo will be writing crappy loves songs in a month.
Zero: Dallas. They beat the Suns the other night, the Cards have too many ouchies on D too.
Mister Em: Cardinals. See: Man Law.
Kilcs: Arizona. I still think Dallas is a way better team with Romo than with Bledsoe. TO dropped a ball last week that would have put the game away. The handled the Panthers, who are a very good team, on the road. Arizona just isn't that good and Edge James, man what happened to him? ACL injuries are crazy. Before he got hurt back in like 2000, he was freaking unbelievable. He had a few good years since then but a shell still, and now he's a shell of the shell.
Point 23: Chicago. There's so many players out, I don't even know what to make of this game. Tiki annoys me to no end, so I'll say the bears. And yes, Grossman can suck it.
Zero: Giants. Did I mention Rex Grossman can suck it?
Mister Em: Bears. Giants are banged up at a number of positions, mostnotably at wide receiver with Toomer and Plax hurt. You have to be at fullstrength against a physical team like the Bears. Watching one your fantasyplayers play the Bears is scarier than Nightmare on Elm Street. You don'teven want your guy to score, you just want him to get outta there without abroken torso.
Kilcs: Chi-Town. Mark it down.
Tampa Bay at Carolina (-9.5)
Point 23: Tampa Bay. Gruden will keep it close. And the chances of me watching Studio 60 instead of this game is about 1:1.
Zero: Panthers. Steve Smith shows the entire nation who the best receiver in the L is. My guess is Mike Jordan in the booth.
Mister Em: Panthers. Nothing beats watching football and Child's Play at the same time. Here's to hoping this week's MNF game is as good as last week's!
Kilcs: Carolina. My love for Carolina trumps all. Steve Smith for life.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Tonight in the Assocation
I need NBA League Pass. I can't even fathom what it would be like to have an NBA game to watch every night. I just really wish I had it. That's all. Here's some picks.
Charlotte. If Charlotte does nothing in the FA/Draft depts. for the next five years, and just lets Felton/May/Wallace/Morrison grow together, they could be pretty good right? Or do they need a go-to type guy? Is this a younger version of Chicago? Maybe? I think they could be really, really good if the just stew for a few years.
Orlando at Indiana (-4.5)
Indiana. Three Pacers have permits to carry concealed weapons. Guess who they are?
Atlanta at Toronto (-4.5)
Atlanta. Joe Johnson is on a mission to prove he deserves to be included in "Our Family." So far, so good.
Milwaukee at Washington (-6.0)
Washington.
Denver at Philadelphia (-3.0)
Denver. I'm not giving up on Denver. They're too good to bail on this early.
Utah (-4.0) at Boston
Utah. Can we trade Paul Pierce to someone who doesn't suck? I like watching him play, and it would be cool to see him on TV every once and a while. Plus, he has the sweetest pull up moves ever: Dribble once with the left hand, then slighty palm it like he's about to start a crossover, then wap - he's into his shot. He's releasing the ball before you realized he wasn't going to dribble again. And Boston's wasting it.
New Jersey. This seems like a great game for Miami to say, "Eh. Whatever." I think they're due for one of those, which is kind of like saying I think TO's due to drop a pass.
New York at Houston (-4.5)
Houston. This semi-decent record the Knicks are cobbling together just isn't working. We need to get a 10, 15 game losing streak going. C'mon, Houston: do us all a favor.
New Orleans (-2.5) at Portland
Portland. What's Zacn Randolph's motivation? Is he in a contract year or something? Is he betting on his own team?
Detroit at LA Lakers (-4.5)
LA Lakers. This west coast trip aint going so well for the Pistons it it? It says here it only gets worse.
(Oh, the Pacers that are strapped: Jamaal Tinsley, Marquis Daniels and, of course, Stephen Jackson.)
Yesterday: 2-1. Season: 26-23-1.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Tonight in the Association
Just three games on the slate for tonight, but there's some good ones. Well, two anyways. Let's get to 'em.
Chicago at Cleveland (-4.0)
Cleveland. LeBron? On national TV? He'll show up.
But why doesn't anyone mention this with Cleveland? If any team is the poster child for deferring to its star player, its the Cavs. Do you remember the Cavs offense last year in the playoffs? You know, give the ball to Bron Bron and get the fuck out the way? (Sorry to swear like that right there - I'm really trying not to do that - but the offense was that ridiculous.) Now they have this motion offense, which is nice, but when it comes down to it, its still give it to Bron, but now you only have to get the hell out of the way. Baby steps, I guess.
Big matchup in this game, I think, is on the boards between Ben Wallace and Drew Gooden. If Gooden keeps it competitive, Cavs should win.
Oh yea, the Eric Snow Match Up of the Night: Kirk Hinrich. Yea. The Bulls actually have two point guards that are better than snow. Cripes.
Dallas at Phoenix (-5.0)
Dallas. Phoenix has a pretty bad habit of blowing late-game leads. So far this season they've blow leads of 19, 15, 9 and 9. Probably why they are 1-4. But that's going to happen; when you don't really focus on defense and just try to outscore your opponents, leads will come and go. If your shots aren't falling, you can't maintain a lead. Feast or famine, basically.
As bad as Dallas is playing, Phoenix will keep them in it. Dallas was gettin their ass beat at this time last night; PHX was playing a hard-fought OT game. And Dallas has to be a little more desperate. I hope they are, anyways.
NOOCH at Golden State (-2.0)
NOOCH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOCH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCH!!!
Last night: 5-6. Season: 24-22-2.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
The Trent Green Corollary
You know what I would do if I was the Texans and i was unsure if David Carr was my quarterback of the future? Or if I was the Raiders and wanted to improve Andrew Walters? Or if I was the Jaguars and needed to resolve the burgeoning quarterback debate between David Gerrard and Byron Leftwhich?
I would trade for Trent Green.
Look at that! Three for three. That really is remarkable; he's like a recyclable Wally Pipp. Judging by his track record, I'm penciling in the Chiefs for at least an appearance in the Divisional Playoffs, if not further. 