Twins 1B Justin Morneau will be participating in pregame activities before the team's game in Toronto tonight and could be aiming for a return in the Division Series next week to open the playoffs. Prior to suffering a concussion on July 7 Morneau was hitting .345 with 18 HR and 56 RBI in 81 games, but he has not played since and the Twins have actually played better in his absence. On July 7 they were 45-39, 1.5 games behind Detroit, and since they are 48-26 and have clinched the AL Central title. Getting Morneau's bat back into the lineup would be a big plus for the Twins, but I am concerned about the amount of time it will take him to find his swing and get into a groove. If he can come in and pick up where he left off, then the Twins would be crazy not to put him back in the lineup. However, there is a huge difference in coming back mid-season from an injury and getting your swing back while playing 3 meaningless games against the Royals in Kansas City and rehabbing and getting your swing back in 3 pressure packed games in the Bronx against the Yankees. If Morneau is going to be back, hopefully he can pick up where he left off right away and he and the Twins can usher the Yankees out of the playoffs.
Note - After this post was originally published the Twins announced that Morneau will not be available for the ALDS, but might be available for the ALCS, if the Twins advance that far.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Smoking the Dickey Pipe
Tonight R.A. Dickey will take the mound for the final time in 2010 for the New York Mets. Dickey, 35, was signed by GM Omar Minaya as an insurance policy in case any of the starters on the major league level were injured or performed poorly, and since he was brought up in mid-May he has gone 11-8 with a 2.92 ERA. While the fate of Minaya is unknown at this point, the Mets should not hesitate to bring back Dickey, who is arbitration eligible this winter. To open the 2011 campaign the Mets will begin the year without Johan Santana, who will not begin throwing until spring training after recently undergoing surgery, and the only other two arms who figure to have spots locked up are Mike Pelfrey and Jonathan Niese. If Dickey were a pitcher who relied heavily on his fastball to get hitters out, then bringing him back at 36 years old would be a dicey option, but instead, he relies on a pitch, the knuckleball, that has allowed pitchers to pitch well into their 40s; Tim Wakefield, this era's most famous knuckleball pitcher, won 17 games at the age of 40 and is still taking the mound for the Red Sox at age 43. Hopefully the Mets will have the sense to bring back R.A. Dickey, a pitcher who has shown enough class and guts to deserve a spot in the 2011 rotation.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
United States vs Europe
For those of you who thought that this post was going to be about the upcoming Ryder Cup, I'm sorry to disappoint.
In the United States a team's uniform is about the only place that is devoid of advertising in North American sports. Even though the stadiums in which the games are played, and the broadcasts we watch and listen to are sponsored by just about every corporate entity you can think of, the team's uniform is left untouched. A few years ago the NFL started allowing corporate sponsors to advertise on practice jerseys and this was the subject of debate on talk shows and newspapers. The New York Giants, for instance, wore advertising sponsoring a watch company, but their star quarterback, Eli Manning, was a paid spokesman for a rival watch company. So while the debate over whether advertising belonged on the uniforms raged over here, the Europeans must have been having a good laugh at the silly Americans. In European all teams wear a corporate sponsor on their game jersey, and this does not seem to cause much of an uproar. I don't know, however, the effect that this has on the old saying "the name on the front of the jersey is a lot more important than the one on the back."
Now, to take things further, some of the European football clubs are sponsored by various casinos. In addition, you can find the betting lines and solicitations for bets on the scrolling ads along the sidelines during soccer games. It is hard to imagine that anything like that would ever happen in the US in one of the major sports. Ever since the Black Sox scandal in 1919 when the Chicago White Sox were paid to throw the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds, baseball and the other major sports (football, hockey, and basketball) have struggled to maintain their distance from the influences of gambling. The 8 White Sox who threw the 1919 World Series were banned permanently from the game, Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were suspended for a year by the NFL for betting on football, and Pete Rose has been banned from baseball since 1989 for gambling on baseball. In the US the reason that this arm's length relationship exists is to preserve the legitimacy of the games we watch. The belief is that fans would no longer watch if they thought that the results were fixed, which would basically equate professional sports with professional wrestling.
It would be wrong though to say that the 4 major sports in the US do not recognize that gambling has an impact on their popularity. Fantasy sports leagues, for instance, are a form of betting. And while I am not a fan of fantasy sports (sorry, except for the draft, I think the whole idea is boring), I join many others by entering into a football pool each week, a practice followed by millions. Each week in the NFL the teams are required to release an injury report to the media. The NFL does this because it knows that gamblers and bookmakers require this information in order to set point spreads and make bets. After all, no coach in his right mind would actually want to make such information available to his opponent.
So, while the relationship between the gambling community and the professional sports leagues will never have, at least for the time being, the explicit relationship in the US that they do in Europe, there is an implicit one. The New Jersey Nets may never wear the logo of the Borgata on their jersey, but as long as the point spread in their game with the Miami Heat is published in the paper, that relationship between the league and the gambler will always exist.
In the United States a team's uniform is about the only place that is devoid of advertising in North American sports. Even though the stadiums in which the games are played, and the broadcasts we watch and listen to are sponsored by just about every corporate entity you can think of, the team's uniform is left untouched. A few years ago the NFL started allowing corporate sponsors to advertise on practice jerseys and this was the subject of debate on talk shows and newspapers. The New York Giants, for instance, wore advertising sponsoring a watch company, but their star quarterback, Eli Manning, was a paid spokesman for a rival watch company. So while the debate over whether advertising belonged on the uniforms raged over here, the Europeans must have been having a good laugh at the silly Americans. In European all teams wear a corporate sponsor on their game jersey, and this does not seem to cause much of an uproar. I don't know, however, the effect that this has on the old saying "the name on the front of the jersey is a lot more important than the one on the back."
Now, to take things further, some of the European football clubs are sponsored by various casinos. In addition, you can find the betting lines and solicitations for bets on the scrolling ads along the sidelines during soccer games. It is hard to imagine that anything like that would ever happen in the US in one of the major sports. Ever since the Black Sox scandal in 1919 when the Chicago White Sox were paid to throw the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds, baseball and the other major sports (football, hockey, and basketball) have struggled to maintain their distance from the influences of gambling. The 8 White Sox who threw the 1919 World Series were banned permanently from the game, Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were suspended for a year by the NFL for betting on football, and Pete Rose has been banned from baseball since 1989 for gambling on baseball. In the US the reason that this arm's length relationship exists is to preserve the legitimacy of the games we watch. The belief is that fans would no longer watch if they thought that the results were fixed, which would basically equate professional sports with professional wrestling.
It would be wrong though to say that the 4 major sports in the US do not recognize that gambling has an impact on their popularity. Fantasy sports leagues, for instance, are a form of betting. And while I am not a fan of fantasy sports (sorry, except for the draft, I think the whole idea is boring), I join many others by entering into a football pool each week, a practice followed by millions. Each week in the NFL the teams are required to release an injury report to the media. The NFL does this because it knows that gamblers and bookmakers require this information in order to set point spreads and make bets. After all, no coach in his right mind would actually want to make such information available to his opponent.
So, while the relationship between the gambling community and the professional sports leagues will never have, at least for the time being, the explicit relationship in the US that they do in Europe, there is an implicit one. The New Jersey Nets may never wear the logo of the Borgata on their jersey, but as long as the point spread in their game with the Miami Heat is published in the paper, that relationship between the league and the gambler will always exist.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday Morning Quarterback - Week 3
NFL - So far in week 3 I'm a disappointing 9-6 and hopefully the Packers can knock off the Bears tonight to get me to 10-6. The Saints-Falcons game, 27-24 Falcons, was as close as expected, but a loss for me nonetheless. Leon Washington appears to be healthy again as he returned kicks for 99 and 101 yards for touchdowns in Seattle's win over San Diego.
Tennessee Titans @ New York Giants - The Giants did a great job of beating themselves as they turned the ball over 3 times, twice inside the red zone, and committed 6 personal foul penalties, which is uncharacteristic of a team coached by Tom Coughlin. So at 1-2 the Giants seem to be at a similar crossroads that the Jets were at a couple weeks ago. The good news is they're only 1 game behind first place Philadelphia (2-1) and their two losses have not come against other NFC East or NFC teams, so they are still in good shape so far for tie-breaking scenarios come playoff time.
New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins - It looked like the Jets were going to run away with this one early on, but give the Dolphins credit for making a game of it. The Jets should have little problem getting to 3-1 with a victory over Buffalo next week, and after that they still have games against Detroit, Cleveland, and another one with Buffalo so they will have a chance to fatten up and make a big playoff push.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The Steelers were hoping to be 2-2 without Ben Roethlisberger. Instead, they're 3-0 after Charlie Batch dismantled the Bucs and now a matchup with Baltimore looms. Even if they lose next week they're still in good shape as they'll have 4 games left with Cleveland (twice), Carolina, and Oakland.
Tennessee Titans @ New York Giants - The Giants did a great job of beating themselves as they turned the ball over 3 times, twice inside the red zone, and committed 6 personal foul penalties, which is uncharacteristic of a team coached by Tom Coughlin. So at 1-2 the Giants seem to be at a similar crossroads that the Jets were at a couple weeks ago. The good news is they're only 1 game behind first place Philadelphia (2-1) and their two losses have not come against other NFC East or NFC teams, so they are still in good shape so far for tie-breaking scenarios come playoff time.
New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins - It looked like the Jets were going to run away with this one early on, but give the Dolphins credit for making a game of it. The Jets should have little problem getting to 3-1 with a victory over Buffalo next week, and after that they still have games against Detroit, Cleveland, and another one with Buffalo so they will have a chance to fatten up and make a big playoff push.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The Steelers were hoping to be 2-2 without Ben Roethlisberger. Instead, they're 3-0 after Charlie Batch dismantled the Bucs and now a matchup with Baltimore looms. Even if they lose next week they're still in good shape as they'll have 4 games left with Cleveland (twice), Carolina, and Oakland.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Big Stein
Earlier this week the Yankees unveiled a monument to their late owner, George Steinbrenner. It's the sixth such monument out in Monument Park, joining the likes of Miller Huggins, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth. Like him or not, Steinbrenner has left an indelible mark on the Yankees and baseball. Though he initially said that he was against free agency and that it would ruin baseball, he changed his tune and signed pitcher Catfish Hunter away from the Oakland A's in 1975 for $3.75 million, and that was only the beginning of his uncontrolled spending on free agents. Steinbrenner's spending forced the other teams in Major League Baseball to open up their coffers as well in order to compete. One of the biggest reasons the Yankees have been able to spend as they do in recent times is the development of their own regional cable network, an innovation spurred on by Steinbrenner. The revenues generated by the YES Network, which are not shared with the other major league teams, provide a distinct advantage to the Yankees that few, if any, teams can match. Following the success of the YES Network other teams have developed their own regional cable network, or acquired an existing one; the New York Mets launched the SNY Network and the Boston Red Sox acquired NESN, New England's regional sports network. Since Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees in 1973 for $8.7 million their value has grown to be conservatively valued at $1.6 billion, according to Forbes magazine and under Steinbrenner the Yankees have 11 American League pennants and 7 World Series championships. There is no mistaking his impact on the game as we know it today, and if the Yankees want to honor him with a monument that is up to them.
I have no problem with the Yankees honoring Steinbrenner with a monument; however, the monument in honor of Steinbrenner seems to lack perspective. The monument is significantly larger than the monuments honoring Huggins, Mantler, DiMaggio, Gehrig, and Ruth, which gives the impression that Steinbrenner's contributions to the game are greater than those of those other 5. As I mentioned above, Steinbrenner has made significant contributions to the game of baseball, but are they that much greater that they deserve a monument which dwarfs the other 5? I say no, sir! DiMaggio won 9 World Series championships, hit in a record 56 consecutive games, a record which has not been seriously threatened since it was set in 1941; Huggins led the Yankees to 3 World Series; Mantle was a 3 time MVP and perhaps the greatest switch-hitter of all-time; and Gehrig was as durable as they come and is one of, if not the greatest first baseman of all-time. Now, Steinbrenner may have made a bigger contribution than those 4, but there is NO WAY that Steinbrenner is bigger than Ruth. Ruth is a player that revolutionized and saved the game. Following the 1919 Black Sox scandal, when the Chicago White Sox took money from gamblers to throw the World Series, the game needed a savior, and that savior was Ruth. Ruth hit home runs at such a prolific pace, often hitting more home runs than entire teams, that the fans came back to see the Babe hit his mammoth home runs. (The game's integrity was also restored by the game's first commissioner, Judge Kenesaw Mountin Landis, whose hard line stance against the players involved in fixing the World Series helped restore the game's public image.)
So, while Steinbrenner has made significant contributions to the game and has certainly changed the economic aspect of baseball forever, there is no way that he can, or should, trump the accomplishments of Ruth, the greatest player to ever play the game. Besides, Steinbrenner traded away Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps!
I have no problem with the Yankees honoring Steinbrenner with a monument; however, the monument in honor of Steinbrenner seems to lack perspective. The monument is significantly larger than the monuments honoring Huggins, Mantler, DiMaggio, Gehrig, and Ruth, which gives the impression that Steinbrenner's contributions to the game are greater than those of those other 5. As I mentioned above, Steinbrenner has made significant contributions to the game of baseball, but are they that much greater that they deserve a monument which dwarfs the other 5? I say no, sir! DiMaggio won 9 World Series championships, hit in a record 56 consecutive games, a record which has not been seriously threatened since it was set in 1941; Huggins led the Yankees to 3 World Series; Mantle was a 3 time MVP and perhaps the greatest switch-hitter of all-time; and Gehrig was as durable as they come and is one of, if not the greatest first baseman of all-time. Now, Steinbrenner may have made a bigger contribution than those 4, but there is NO WAY that Steinbrenner is bigger than Ruth. Ruth is a player that revolutionized and saved the game. Following the 1919 Black Sox scandal, when the Chicago White Sox took money from gamblers to throw the World Series, the game needed a savior, and that savior was Ruth. Ruth hit home runs at such a prolific pace, often hitting more home runs than entire teams, that the fans came back to see the Babe hit his mammoth home runs. (The game's integrity was also restored by the game's first commissioner, Judge Kenesaw Mountin Landis, whose hard line stance against the players involved in fixing the World Series helped restore the game's public image.)
So, while Steinbrenner has made significant contributions to the game and has certainly changed the economic aspect of baseball forever, there is no way that he can, or should, trump the accomplishments of Ruth, the greatest player to ever play the game. Besides, Steinbrenner traded away Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Week 3 Picks
This week I look to rebound off a rather weak 9-7 week 2. And without further delay, the picks for week 3...in the league...where they play......for pay...
Sunday, September 26
Tennessee Titans (1-1) @ New York Giants (1-1) - The Giants defense let Joseph Addai run crazy on them last week in Indianapolis. The Steelers bottled up Titans RB Chris Johnson to the tune of 34 rushes on 16 carries last week to the point that Steelers WR Hines Ward said he thought that Johnson "gave up." Pick: TENNESSEE
Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) @ Carolina Panthers (0-2) - The Bengals rebounded after an embarrassing week 1 loss in New England by defeating Baltimore 15-10 last week; however, they failed to get into the endzone. The Carolina defense is not as good as Baltimore's and the Panthers are starting a rookie QB in Jimmy Clausen. Pick: CINCINNATI
Dallas Cowboys (0-2) @ Houston Texans (2-0) - Don't let the Cowboys 0-2 record fool you, they are better than an 0-2 team. Both teams struggled in Washington against the Redskins, the Cowboys in week 1 and the Texans in week 2. I think the Texans were overlooking the Redskins in between their big opener against Indianapolis and this week's matchup with in-state rival Dallas. Pick: HOUSTON
San Francisco 49ers (0-2) @ Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) - Despite their loss to New Orleans last Monday the 49ers played fairly well, but need to do a better job of protecting the football. The Chiefs barely escaped with a victory over Cleveland. Pick: SAN FRANCISCO
Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) - The Bucs are a surprise at 2-0, but they will struggle to score against an outstanding Pittsburgh defense. The issue here will be whether Charlie Batch can lead the Steelers to enough points to win. Pick: PITTSBURGH
Buffalo Bills (0-2) @ New England Patriots (1-1) - New England will be able to rebound from their loss to the Jets last week quite easily at home against the Bills, who were blown out in Green Bay last week. It's going to be a long year in Buffalo. Pick: NEW ENGLAND
Cleveland Browns (0-2) @ Baltimore Ravens (1-1) - The Browns have played tough against two 2-0 teams, but they're taking a step up in class this week against the Ravens. Pick: BALTIMORE
Detroit Lions (0-2) @ Minnesota Vikings (0-2) - The Lions are not that bad and I am very tempted to pick them here. If the Vikings can avoid turning the ball over, which they did seemingly at will last week, they should be able to win. Pick: MINNESOTA
Atlanta Falcons (1-1) @ New Orleans Saints (2-0) - Tempting to pick the Falcons here, and if they were home I probably would take them, but they aren't. Interesting stat, in the last 4 meetings the total score is Saints 110-Falcons 109. Pick: NEW ORLEANS
Washington Redskins (1-1) @ St. Louis Rams (0-2) - The Redskins had a chance to grab the early lead in the NFC East, but let the Texans come storming back and lost in OT. The Rams are not good and will be fighting with Buffalo for the #1 pick in the draft. Pick: WASHINGTON
Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) - The QB controversy continues to storm in Philadelphia and Donovan McNabb is still being booed. The Michael Vick Experience has looked good in the 6 quarters it's been off and running. Pick: PHILADELPHIA
Indianapolis Colts (1-1) @ Denver Broncos (1-1) - The Broncos will be playing this game with heavy hearts after WR Kenny McKinley died after an apparent suicide. The Colts looked to be back to their old selves in picking apart the Giants. Pick: INDIANAPOLIS
Oakland Raiders (1-1) @ Arizona Cardinals (1-1) - The Cardinals are not nearly as good as they are with Kurt Warner under center for them, but they're playing the Raiders. Pick: ARIZONA
San Diego Chargers (1-1) @ Seattle Seahawks (1-1) - San Diego should outclass the Seahawks here. Pick: SAN DIEGO
New York Jets (1-1) @ Miami Dolphins (2-0) - This is one of those division rivalry games that could go either way. The Jets are without Darrelle Revis and Braylon Edwards has created plenty of controversy and distractions for this team. I like that Miami is at home and the Jets defense has struggled against Miami's Wildcat offense. Pick: MIAMI
Monday, September 27
Green Bay Packers (2-0) @ Chicago Bears (2-0) - Green Bay is the better team, and I think Aaron Rodgers vs Jay Cutler is a potential shoot out that could get the total points near 50. GREEN BAY and 50 total points
Sunday, September 26
Tennessee Titans (1-1) @ New York Giants (1-1) - The Giants defense let Joseph Addai run crazy on them last week in Indianapolis. The Steelers bottled up Titans RB Chris Johnson to the tune of 34 rushes on 16 carries last week to the point that Steelers WR Hines Ward said he thought that Johnson "gave up." Pick: TENNESSEE
Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) @ Carolina Panthers (0-2) - The Bengals rebounded after an embarrassing week 1 loss in New England by defeating Baltimore 15-10 last week; however, they failed to get into the endzone. The Carolina defense is not as good as Baltimore's and the Panthers are starting a rookie QB in Jimmy Clausen. Pick: CINCINNATI
Dallas Cowboys (0-2) @ Houston Texans (2-0) - Don't let the Cowboys 0-2 record fool you, they are better than an 0-2 team. Both teams struggled in Washington against the Redskins, the Cowboys in week 1 and the Texans in week 2. I think the Texans were overlooking the Redskins in between their big opener against Indianapolis and this week's matchup with in-state rival Dallas. Pick: HOUSTON
San Francisco 49ers (0-2) @ Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) - Despite their loss to New Orleans last Monday the 49ers played fairly well, but need to do a better job of protecting the football. The Chiefs barely escaped with a victory over Cleveland. Pick: SAN FRANCISCO
Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) - The Bucs are a surprise at 2-0, but they will struggle to score against an outstanding Pittsburgh defense. The issue here will be whether Charlie Batch can lead the Steelers to enough points to win. Pick: PITTSBURGH
Buffalo Bills (0-2) @ New England Patriots (1-1) - New England will be able to rebound from their loss to the Jets last week quite easily at home against the Bills, who were blown out in Green Bay last week. It's going to be a long year in Buffalo. Pick: NEW ENGLAND
Cleveland Browns (0-2) @ Baltimore Ravens (1-1) - The Browns have played tough against two 2-0 teams, but they're taking a step up in class this week against the Ravens. Pick: BALTIMORE
Detroit Lions (0-2) @ Minnesota Vikings (0-2) - The Lions are not that bad and I am very tempted to pick them here. If the Vikings can avoid turning the ball over, which they did seemingly at will last week, they should be able to win. Pick: MINNESOTA
Atlanta Falcons (1-1) @ New Orleans Saints (2-0) - Tempting to pick the Falcons here, and if they were home I probably would take them, but they aren't. Interesting stat, in the last 4 meetings the total score is Saints 110-Falcons 109. Pick: NEW ORLEANS
Washington Redskins (1-1) @ St. Louis Rams (0-2) - The Redskins had a chance to grab the early lead in the NFC East, but let the Texans come storming back and lost in OT. The Rams are not good and will be fighting with Buffalo for the #1 pick in the draft. Pick: WASHINGTON
Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) - The QB controversy continues to storm in Philadelphia and Donovan McNabb is still being booed. The Michael Vick Experience has looked good in the 6 quarters it's been off and running. Pick: PHILADELPHIA
Indianapolis Colts (1-1) @ Denver Broncos (1-1) - The Broncos will be playing this game with heavy hearts after WR Kenny McKinley died after an apparent suicide. The Colts looked to be back to their old selves in picking apart the Giants. Pick: INDIANAPOLIS
Oakland Raiders (1-1) @ Arizona Cardinals (1-1) - The Cardinals are not nearly as good as they are with Kurt Warner under center for them, but they're playing the Raiders. Pick: ARIZONA
San Diego Chargers (1-1) @ Seattle Seahawks (1-1) - San Diego should outclass the Seahawks here. Pick: SAN DIEGO
New York Jets (1-1) @ Miami Dolphins (2-0) - This is one of those division rivalry games that could go either way. The Jets are without Darrelle Revis and Braylon Edwards has created plenty of controversy and distractions for this team. I like that Miami is at home and the Jets defense has struggled against Miami's Wildcat offense. Pick: MIAMI
Monday, September 27
Green Bay Packers (2-0) @ Chicago Bears (2-0) - Green Bay is the better team, and I think Aaron Rodgers vs Jay Cutler is a potential shoot out that could get the total points near 50. GREEN BAY and 50 total points
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Raise the White Flag
The baseball season is over. With their 5-2 loss last night at the hands of the Florida Marlins, the New York Mets have been officially eliminated from post-season contention. Now, the Mets have been out of the post-season race for a few weeks now, but last night's loss made it official that there will be no serious October baseball for the Mets this year. Hopefully the final 11 games of the season will also be the final 11 games in a Met uniform for Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez. It would make little to no sense to retain either player for 2011 considering that they have both been used sparingly in the 2nd half of the season. When fellow second baseman Luis Hernandez was injured in Saturday's game against the Braves, Castillo was left on the bench in favor of Joaquin Arias, and Perez has only been used for 5 innings since August 1.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Braylon Edwards
The New York Jets can't catch a break thusfar in the 2010 campaign. The loss in week 1 against Baltimore in which their offense could not get anything going had fans believing the season was on the brink going into their matchup with the Patriots in week 2. Then they come up with a huge win at home vs the Patriots to level their record at 1-1 and all was right in Florham Park. But this morning, two days after that huge victory, Braylon Edwards has created a distraction. Edwards was arrested Tuesday morning for DWI, with a blood alcohol content of .16, twice the legal limit. This is not Edwards' first run in with the law and he is on probation for an incident stemming from his days with the Cleveland Browns. In addition, while with the Browns, Edwards was a teammate of Donte Stallworth, who was convicted of second degree manslaughter for killing Mario Reyes, 59, while driving under the influence so Edwards should be well aware that drinking and operating an automobile are not a good mix.
Unfortunately, people driving under the influence is an all too common occurrence; however, in the case of athletes and other celebrities it is even more pathetic because one would think that they have more than enough money to afford to pay a driver to drive them home at the end of the night. I mean, most non-celebrities take care of such a problem by asking a friend to be a designated driver for the night or they call a friend or family member to ask them to pick them up when the night is done, so why celebrities can't avoid a DUI is incomprehensible. If money is the issue with Edwards, it shouldn't be because the NFL or the teams offer 24 hour security and driving services at no cost to its players.
Everybody, obviously, makes mistakes, but this is one that could have easily been avoided for Edwards and the Jets. Now instead of riding high into their game in Miami with the 2-0 Dolphins, they'll have to deal with more distractions, which is never a good thing.
Unfortunately, people driving under the influence is an all too common occurrence; however, in the case of athletes and other celebrities it is even more pathetic because one would think that they have more than enough money to afford to pay a driver to drive them home at the end of the night. I mean, most non-celebrities take care of such a problem by asking a friend to be a designated driver for the night or they call a friend or family member to ask them to pick them up when the night is done, so why celebrities can't avoid a DUI is incomprehensible. If money is the issue with Edwards, it shouldn't be because the NFL or the teams offer 24 hour security and driving services at no cost to its players.
Everybody, obviously, makes mistakes, but this is one that could have easily been avoided for Edwards and the Jets. Now instead of riding high into their game in Miami with the 2-0 Dolphins, they'll have to deal with more distractions, which is never a good thing.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Monday Morning Quarterback - Week 2
NFL - Week 2 was a rough one as I only went 9-7 in my picks to bring my season record to 20-12.
New York Giants @ Indianapolis Colts - Peyton Manning and the Colts rebounded quite nicely from their week 1 loss in Houston as they picked the Giants apart and raced out to a 24-0 halftime lead. The Colts offense looked great and the Giants offense and defense looked awful. If you watched the second half, you must have had money on the it because this one was unwatchable.
New England Patriots @ New York Jets - The Jets did a great job in shutting out all of the doubters after their week 1 debacle vs Baltimore. They were dominated by the Patriots in the 1st quarter and early into the 2nd, but only trailed by 7 early in the 2nd quarter thanks to a missed field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. Once CB Darrelle Revis was sidelined with a hamstring injury I expected the Patriots to beat the Jets handily, but the Jets did a great job in forcing the Patriots to turn the ball over and the offense actually had a pulse. Now the Jets have a big early season showdown in Miami against the 2-0 Dolphins.
Miami Dolphins @ Minnesota Vikings - Once the Vikings chose to forgo a chance at a 3-0 lead by going for it on 4th down early in the 1st quarter I had a bad feeling about this game. The Dolphins held and then drove down the field and scored a touchdown and the Vikings were left chasing points the rest of the day. The Vikings were victimized by Brett Favre all day as he threw 3 interceptions and fumbled once, which was recovered for a touchdown. So, thanks to Brett Favre and his coach, Brad Childress, this is another pick that I got wrong.
NCAA - I'm still not into College Football yet, but I did see the final minutes and overtime of the Notre Dame-Michigan State game. A gutsy call by the Michigan State coach to run a fake field goal in OT down by 3. If you didn't see it, check it out on youtube (I do not own any rights to this clip). Where is the luck of the Irish? Has Touchdown Jesus forgotten about his team?
New York Giants @ Indianapolis Colts - Peyton Manning and the Colts rebounded quite nicely from their week 1 loss in Houston as they picked the Giants apart and raced out to a 24-0 halftime lead. The Colts offense looked great and the Giants offense and defense looked awful. If you watched the second half, you must have had money on the it because this one was unwatchable.
New England Patriots @ New York Jets - The Jets did a great job in shutting out all of the doubters after their week 1 debacle vs Baltimore. They were dominated by the Patriots in the 1st quarter and early into the 2nd, but only trailed by 7 early in the 2nd quarter thanks to a missed field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. Once CB Darrelle Revis was sidelined with a hamstring injury I expected the Patriots to beat the Jets handily, but the Jets did a great job in forcing the Patriots to turn the ball over and the offense actually had a pulse. Now the Jets have a big early season showdown in Miami against the 2-0 Dolphins.
Miami Dolphins @ Minnesota Vikings - Once the Vikings chose to forgo a chance at a 3-0 lead by going for it on 4th down early in the 1st quarter I had a bad feeling about this game. The Dolphins held and then drove down the field and scored a touchdown and the Vikings were left chasing points the rest of the day. The Vikings were victimized by Brett Favre all day as he threw 3 interceptions and fumbled once, which was recovered for a touchdown. So, thanks to Brett Favre and his coach, Brad Childress, this is another pick that I got wrong.
NCAA - I'm still not into College Football yet, but I did see the final minutes and overtime of the Notre Dame-Michigan State game. A gutsy call by the Michigan State coach to run a fake field goal in OT down by 3. If you didn't see it, check it out on youtube (I do not own any rights to this clip). Where is the luck of the Irish? Has Touchdown Jesus forgotten about his team?
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Trivia Answers
1. Which current major league team has gone the longest without winning the World Series?
Answer: The Chicago Cubs have not won the World Series since 1908; they have not even played in the World Series since 1945.
2. Name the 4 players to quarterback the New York Giants in the Super Bowl
Answer: Phil Simms, Jeff Hostetler, Kerry Collins, and Eli Manning
3. Since the NFL went to a 16 game schedule in 1978, 26 teams have started 0-2 and made the playoffs. Name the 3 of those 26 teams who have won the Super Bowl.
Answer: Dallas Cowboys (1993), New England Patriots (2001), and the New York Giants (2007)
4. Who was the last National League team to play in the World Series 3 years in a row?
Answer: The St. Louis Cardinals won the National League pennant in 1942, 1943, and 1944. The Philadelphia Phillies have a chance to accomplish the feat in 2010.
Answer: The Chicago Cubs have not won the World Series since 1908; they have not even played in the World Series since 1945.
2. Name the 4 players to quarterback the New York Giants in the Super Bowl
Answer: Phil Simms, Jeff Hostetler, Kerry Collins, and Eli Manning
3. Since the NFL went to a 16 game schedule in 1978, 26 teams have started 0-2 and made the playoffs. Name the 3 of those 26 teams who have won the Super Bowl.
Answer: Dallas Cowboys (1993), New England Patriots (2001), and the New York Giants (2007)
4. Who was the last National League team to play in the World Series 3 years in a row?
Answer: The St. Louis Cardinals won the National League pennant in 1942, 1943, and 1944. The Philadelphia Phillies have a chance to accomplish the feat in 2010.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Trivia
1. Which current major league team has gone the longest without winning a World Series?
2. Name the 4 players to quarterback the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
3. Since the NFL went to a 16 game schedule in 1978, 26 teams have started the season 0-2 and made the playoffs. Name the 3 of those 26 who have won the Super Bowl.
4. Who is the last team to represent the National League in the World Series 3 years in a row?
2. Name the 4 players to quarterback the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
3. Since the NFL went to a 16 game schedule in 1978, 26 teams have started the season 0-2 and made the playoffs. Name the 3 of those 26 who have won the Super Bowl.
4. Who is the last team to represent the National League in the World Series 3 years in a row?
Friday, September 17, 2010
Week 2 Picks
Last week I went 11-5 in my NFL picks, which do not factor in the point spread. And now, the picks for week 2 in the league...where they play......for pay...
Sunday
Arizona Cardinals (1-0) @ Atlanta Falcons (0-1): Last week the Falcons lost a hard fought game with the Steelers in Pittsburgh 15-9 and the Cardinals beat the Rams in St. Louis 17-13. The Cardinals are still developing chemistry between new QB Derek Anderson and WR Larry Fitzgerald, meanwhile the Falcons are well settled with franchise QB Matt Ryan and a quality defense. One cause of concern for the Falcons has to be RB Michael Turner's lack of production, but that could be attributed to a superior Pittsburgh defense in week 1. Pick: ATLANTA
Baltimore Ravens (1-0) @ Cincinnati Bengals (0-1): The Ravens won 10-9 in a low scoring defensive struggle against the Jets at the new Giants Stadium and the Bengals were shredded by Tom Brady and the Patriots 38-24 in Foxboro. Last year the Bengals swept the season series from the Ravens en route to winning the AFC North, but the Ravens have added big play WRs Anquan Boldin and TJ Houshmandzadeh to make a run at winning the division and the AFC. If they're going to beat the Bengals they'll have to stop Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco with a suspect secondary and keep RB Cedric Benson contained. The Ravens' run defense should be good enough to keep Benson from running wild and I think they'll get enough pressure on QB Carson Palmer to keep the passing game in check. Pick: BALTIMORE
Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) @ Cleveland Browns (0-1): The Chiefs beat San Diego 21-14 at home on Monday night in the rain and the Browns lost 17-14 to the Bucks in Tampa last week. The Chiefs defense and special teams looked very good against San Diego and the Browns lost to Tampa Bay, predicted by many to be one of the worst teams in the league. Pick: KANSAS CITY
Chicago Bears (1-0) @ Dallas Cowboys (0-1): The Bears beat the Lions 19-14, and were fortunate to do so, and the Cowboys lost in Washington 13-7. Dallas did not look like a team that should be good enough to threaten to win the NFC in losing to the Redskins. An awful play to end the half resulted in a fumble and recovery for a touchdown for the Redskins pretty much summed up the night for the Cowboys. The Bears are fortunate that the NFL rulebook saved them from a loss to the Lions after WR Calvin Johnson made what seemed to be a game-winning touchdown catch for Detroit. Dallas should be able to win this game. Pick: DALLAS
Philadelphia Eagles (0-1) @ Detroit Lions (0-1): Philadelphia rallied behind QB Michael Vick, but lost 27-20 to Green Bay in week 1 and the Lions lost on an unfortunate call to the Bears in Chicago, 19-14. Both teams will be without their starting QBs from week 1, but for the Eagles this seems to be an improvement. The Lions did look like a team that really is improving, but they should be overmatched by the Eagles. Pick: PHILADELPHIA
Buffalo Bills (0-1) @ Green Bay Packers (1-0): Buffalo looked punchless at home against Miami in their 15-10 week 1 loss and the Packers hung on at Philadelphia, 27-20. Even without RB Ryan Grant the Packers should be good enough to get to 2-0. Pick: GREEN BAY
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) @ Tennessee Titans (1-0): The Steelers slugged it out with Atlanta and won 15-9 in OT and the Titans rolled over the Raiders 38-13 at home. The Steelers have a top 5 defense, which they are going to need against QB Vince Young and RB Chris Johnson. Johnson will have a tough time getting his 100 yards, but I think the Steelers will struggle behind backup QB Dennis Dixon, who should face relentless pressure from Jeff Fisher's relentless defense. Pick: TENNESSEE
Miami Dolphins (1-0) @ Minnesota Vikings (0-1): Miami relied on its defense to hold on for a 15-10 win in Buffalo and the Vikings played a low scoring physical contest against the Saints in New Orleans, but lost 14-9. Without Pro Bowl WR Sidney Rice the Vikings could not get much going offensively against the defending Super Bowl champions, but they should have an easier (but not easy) time of it against the Dolphins, who held the one dimensional Bills down all day. WR Percy Harvin should help the Vikings free up RB Adrian Peterson for some big gains. Pick: MINNESOTA
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) @ Carolina Panthers (0-1): The Bucs beat Cleveland last week, 17-14, and the Panthers lost to the Giants, 31-18. QB Matt Moore did not look good for the Panthers in week 1, and certainly not as good as he looked in the last few games of last season. The Bucs won one of the few games last week they'll win all year. Pick: CAROLINA
Seattle Seahawks (1-0) @ Denver Broncos (0-1): The Seahawks created a lot of doubts about the NFC West in beating the 49ers, 31-6, and the Broncos lost in the final minutes to the Jaguars, 24-17. Both of these teams come from each conference's weakest division, the West in both cases, and they're both probably the 2nd or 3rd best team in their division. Seattle has the edge at QB with Matt Hasselbeck, who is probably on the 2nd tier of the league's QBs, and the Broncos over the last two years have rid themselves of two of their better players, QB Jay Cutler and WR Brandon Marshall. Denver started 6-0 last year, but closed 2-8 under first year coach Josh McDaniels. While playing in the thin air of Denver is an edge for the Broncos, I don't think it's enough. Pick: SEATTLE
St. Louis Rams (0-1) @ Oakland Raiders (0-1): The Rams lost 17-13 at home to the Cardinals in QB Sam Bradford's debut and the Raiders were beaten up by the Titans, 38-13. These two teams are bad, but the Rams are supposed to be worse. Pick: OAKLAND
New England Patriots (1-0) @ New York Jets (0-1): The Patriots opened up strongly and sent a message to the rest of the AFC East in their impressive 38-24 victory over Cincinnati at home and the Jets did nothing but cause panic and questions in doing very little in a 10-9 loss to the Ravens. There is little doubt that Jets CB Darrelle Revis will shut down whoever he lines up against, whether it is WRs Randy Moss or Wes Welker, but the Jets will still have to cover the other, and they looked very poor against the Ravens WRs on Monday night; the Jets did, however, shut down the Ravens running game. Playing a disciplined game and avoiding penalties will be crucial to the Jets' success. On offense the Jets are going to have to find their game quickly, because they do not want to dig themselves too deep a hole while they wait for WR Santonio Holmes to come back from his suspension. While it is hard to call a game in week 2 must win, this is pretty close.
I also think that the Jets might be better off if this game were up in Foxboro because it might galvanize them into the "us against the world" mindset that they seemed to adopt during last season's run to the AFC Championship. Another reason that they would be better off being on the road this week is that if things don't start out well for the Jets, the crowd could turn ugly and then panic may set in. Pick: NEW ENGLAND
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) @ San Diego Chargers (0-1): The Jaguars used a 4th quarter touchdown to beat the Broncos 24-17 and the Chargers struggled in the rain in Kansas City while losing 21-14 to the Chiefs. I think this game is very similar to the Chicago-Dallas game and I think the Chargers will keep RB Maurice Jones-Drew in check and get back to .500. Pick: SAN DIEGO
Houston Texans (1-0) @ Washington Redskins (1-0): The Texans finally beat the Colts, winning 34-24, and the Redskins knocked off the Cowboys 13-7. The Redskins relied on their defense to hold the Cowboys down, although it was a hold by the Cowboys that was the difference in this game on the last play. The Texans defeated their longtime nemesis, Indianpolis, and now may be ready to break through and make the playoffs for the first time in team history. Houston should use the momentum from that win to defeat the Skins, who may be too satisfied after defeating their rivals last week. Pick: HOUSTON
New York Giants (1-0) @ Indianapolis Colts (0-1): The Giants beat the Panthers to open the new Giants Stadium and the Colts fell to division rival Houston in week 1. The Giants may be able to exploit the porous Colt run defense, but even if they do that it is hard to imagine that they will be able to stop Peyton Manning, who will be well prepared to prevent his team from falling to 0-2. Pick: INDIANAPOLIS
Monday Night Football
New Orleans Saints (1-0) @ San Francisco 49ers (0-1): The Saints opened their title defense with a win over the Vikings and the 49ers, picked by many to win the NFC West, were humbled by the Seahawks. I still think the 49ers are going to win the NFC West, but they're going to have to do it after an 0-2 start. Pick: NEW ORLEANS and 43 total points for the tie-breaker
Sunday
Arizona Cardinals (1-0) @ Atlanta Falcons (0-1): Last week the Falcons lost a hard fought game with the Steelers in Pittsburgh 15-9 and the Cardinals beat the Rams in St. Louis 17-13. The Cardinals are still developing chemistry between new QB Derek Anderson and WR Larry Fitzgerald, meanwhile the Falcons are well settled with franchise QB Matt Ryan and a quality defense. One cause of concern for the Falcons has to be RB Michael Turner's lack of production, but that could be attributed to a superior Pittsburgh defense in week 1. Pick: ATLANTA
Baltimore Ravens (1-0) @ Cincinnati Bengals (0-1): The Ravens won 10-9 in a low scoring defensive struggle against the Jets at the new Giants Stadium and the Bengals were shredded by Tom Brady and the Patriots 38-24 in Foxboro. Last year the Bengals swept the season series from the Ravens en route to winning the AFC North, but the Ravens have added big play WRs Anquan Boldin and TJ Houshmandzadeh to make a run at winning the division and the AFC. If they're going to beat the Bengals they'll have to stop Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco with a suspect secondary and keep RB Cedric Benson contained. The Ravens' run defense should be good enough to keep Benson from running wild and I think they'll get enough pressure on QB Carson Palmer to keep the passing game in check. Pick: BALTIMORE
Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) @ Cleveland Browns (0-1): The Chiefs beat San Diego 21-14 at home on Monday night in the rain and the Browns lost 17-14 to the Bucks in Tampa last week. The Chiefs defense and special teams looked very good against San Diego and the Browns lost to Tampa Bay, predicted by many to be one of the worst teams in the league. Pick: KANSAS CITY
Chicago Bears (1-0) @ Dallas Cowboys (0-1): The Bears beat the Lions 19-14, and were fortunate to do so, and the Cowboys lost in Washington 13-7. Dallas did not look like a team that should be good enough to threaten to win the NFC in losing to the Redskins. An awful play to end the half resulted in a fumble and recovery for a touchdown for the Redskins pretty much summed up the night for the Cowboys. The Bears are fortunate that the NFL rulebook saved them from a loss to the Lions after WR Calvin Johnson made what seemed to be a game-winning touchdown catch for Detroit. Dallas should be able to win this game. Pick: DALLAS
Philadelphia Eagles (0-1) @ Detroit Lions (0-1): Philadelphia rallied behind QB Michael Vick, but lost 27-20 to Green Bay in week 1 and the Lions lost on an unfortunate call to the Bears in Chicago, 19-14. Both teams will be without their starting QBs from week 1, but for the Eagles this seems to be an improvement. The Lions did look like a team that really is improving, but they should be overmatched by the Eagles. Pick: PHILADELPHIA
Buffalo Bills (0-1) @ Green Bay Packers (1-0): Buffalo looked punchless at home against Miami in their 15-10 week 1 loss and the Packers hung on at Philadelphia, 27-20. Even without RB Ryan Grant the Packers should be good enough to get to 2-0. Pick: GREEN BAY
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) @ Tennessee Titans (1-0): The Steelers slugged it out with Atlanta and won 15-9 in OT and the Titans rolled over the Raiders 38-13 at home. The Steelers have a top 5 defense, which they are going to need against QB Vince Young and RB Chris Johnson. Johnson will have a tough time getting his 100 yards, but I think the Steelers will struggle behind backup QB Dennis Dixon, who should face relentless pressure from Jeff Fisher's relentless defense. Pick: TENNESSEE
Miami Dolphins (1-0) @ Minnesota Vikings (0-1): Miami relied on its defense to hold on for a 15-10 win in Buffalo and the Vikings played a low scoring physical contest against the Saints in New Orleans, but lost 14-9. Without Pro Bowl WR Sidney Rice the Vikings could not get much going offensively against the defending Super Bowl champions, but they should have an easier (but not easy) time of it against the Dolphins, who held the one dimensional Bills down all day. WR Percy Harvin should help the Vikings free up RB Adrian Peterson for some big gains. Pick: MINNESOTA
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) @ Carolina Panthers (0-1): The Bucs beat Cleveland last week, 17-14, and the Panthers lost to the Giants, 31-18. QB Matt Moore did not look good for the Panthers in week 1, and certainly not as good as he looked in the last few games of last season. The Bucs won one of the few games last week they'll win all year. Pick: CAROLINA
Seattle Seahawks (1-0) @ Denver Broncos (0-1): The Seahawks created a lot of doubts about the NFC West in beating the 49ers, 31-6, and the Broncos lost in the final minutes to the Jaguars, 24-17. Both of these teams come from each conference's weakest division, the West in both cases, and they're both probably the 2nd or 3rd best team in their division. Seattle has the edge at QB with Matt Hasselbeck, who is probably on the 2nd tier of the league's QBs, and the Broncos over the last two years have rid themselves of two of their better players, QB Jay Cutler and WR Brandon Marshall. Denver started 6-0 last year, but closed 2-8 under first year coach Josh McDaniels. While playing in the thin air of Denver is an edge for the Broncos, I don't think it's enough. Pick: SEATTLE
St. Louis Rams (0-1) @ Oakland Raiders (0-1): The Rams lost 17-13 at home to the Cardinals in QB Sam Bradford's debut and the Raiders were beaten up by the Titans, 38-13. These two teams are bad, but the Rams are supposed to be worse. Pick: OAKLAND
New England Patriots (1-0) @ New York Jets (0-1): The Patriots opened up strongly and sent a message to the rest of the AFC East in their impressive 38-24 victory over Cincinnati at home and the Jets did nothing but cause panic and questions in doing very little in a 10-9 loss to the Ravens. There is little doubt that Jets CB Darrelle Revis will shut down whoever he lines up against, whether it is WRs Randy Moss or Wes Welker, but the Jets will still have to cover the other, and they looked very poor against the Ravens WRs on Monday night; the Jets did, however, shut down the Ravens running game. Playing a disciplined game and avoiding penalties will be crucial to the Jets' success. On offense the Jets are going to have to find their game quickly, because they do not want to dig themselves too deep a hole while they wait for WR Santonio Holmes to come back from his suspension. While it is hard to call a game in week 2 must win, this is pretty close.
I also think that the Jets might be better off if this game were up in Foxboro because it might galvanize them into the "us against the world" mindset that they seemed to adopt during last season's run to the AFC Championship. Another reason that they would be better off being on the road this week is that if things don't start out well for the Jets, the crowd could turn ugly and then panic may set in. Pick: NEW ENGLAND
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) @ San Diego Chargers (0-1): The Jaguars used a 4th quarter touchdown to beat the Broncos 24-17 and the Chargers struggled in the rain in Kansas City while losing 21-14 to the Chiefs. I think this game is very similar to the Chicago-Dallas game and I think the Chargers will keep RB Maurice Jones-Drew in check and get back to .500. Pick: SAN DIEGO
Houston Texans (1-0) @ Washington Redskins (1-0): The Texans finally beat the Colts, winning 34-24, and the Redskins knocked off the Cowboys 13-7. The Redskins relied on their defense to hold the Cowboys down, although it was a hold by the Cowboys that was the difference in this game on the last play. The Texans defeated their longtime nemesis, Indianpolis, and now may be ready to break through and make the playoffs for the first time in team history. Houston should use the momentum from that win to defeat the Skins, who may be too satisfied after defeating their rivals last week. Pick: HOUSTON
New York Giants (1-0) @ Indianapolis Colts (0-1): The Giants beat the Panthers to open the new Giants Stadium and the Colts fell to division rival Houston in week 1. The Giants may be able to exploit the porous Colt run defense, but even if they do that it is hard to imagine that they will be able to stop Peyton Manning, who will be well prepared to prevent his team from falling to 0-2. Pick: INDIANAPOLIS
Monday Night Football
New Orleans Saints (1-0) @ San Francisco 49ers (0-1): The Saints opened their title defense with a win over the Vikings and the 49ers, picked by many to win the NFC West, were humbled by the Seahawks. I still think the 49ers are going to win the NFC West, but they're going to have to do it after an 0-2 start. Pick: NEW ORLEANS and 43 total points for the tie-breaker
Thursday, September 16, 2010
More Mets Injuries
Things could not get much worse for the Mets in 2010 and thankfully the 2010 season is almost over. Last night their prized pitching prospect, Jennry Mejia, came out in the third inning with a rhomboid strain on the right shoulder blade and it is not yet known when Mejia can resume throwing. Even more alarming is the fact that this is Mejia's second shoulder injury this season; he strained his rotator cuff in June and missed 6 weeks.
So once again the health of this team will be the question ending 2010 and heading into 2011. The news on Johan Santana, who was shut down for the year and underwent surgery this week, is not good. Santana is not expected to resume throwing until Spring Training at the earliest, so there is no timetable on his return. Jason Bay has not been seen since the team's disastrous west coast trip when he suffered a concussion. Carlos Beltran will hopefully be ready to return to top form next season after 2010 was essentially a lost year for him, and he should be motivated as he'll be playing for a new contract.
So once again the health of this team will be the question ending 2010 and heading into 2011. The news on Johan Santana, who was shut down for the year and underwent surgery this week, is not good. Santana is not expected to resume throwing until Spring Training at the earliest, so there is no timetable on his return. Jason Bay has not been seen since the team's disastrous west coast trip when he suffered a concussion. Carlos Beltran will hopefully be ready to return to top form next season after 2010 was essentially a lost year for him, and he should be motivated as he'll be playing for a new contract.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Mets Fans For Yankees...seriously
OK, I know that I said that no Mets fan can ever root for the Yankees, but, given the way the standings are right now, I am rooting for the Yankees to win the AL East. Let me explain why, as a Yankee Hater, I am actually rooting for the Yankees to win the AL East. In the American and National League playoffs the four teams that qualify from each league are the 3 division winners (East, Central, and West) and the team with the best record among the non-division winners qualifies as the wild-card. Now, the wild card is precluded from playing the champion from its own division; for example, if the Mets, who play in the NL East, were to win the NL East and the Phillies, also an NL East team, were to win the NL wild card as the best second place team, then the Mets and Phillies would not be able to face each other in the Division Series. Any match-up between the two would have to wait until the next round, the National League Championship Series. The Phillies would face the division champion with the best record out of the Central or Western division champion, and the Mets would get the remaining team in the Division Series. So, let's now go back to reality...
Currently the Yankees (88-57) lead the AL East by half a game over the Tampa Bay Rays (87-57), who are actually the 2nd best team in the American League; the Minnesota Twins (86-58) lead the Central by 7 games over Chicago; and the Texas Rangers (81-63). So, the Rays could not play the Yankees in the Division Series because they are from the same division. Therefore, if the season ended today, The Twins, by virtue of having a better record than Texas, would draw the Rays in the Division Series and the Yankees would play Texas. Now, if the Rays were to overtake the Yankees for the division lead and championship, then the Rays would play Texas and the Yankees would play the Twins. The latter scenario is just about the worst thing a Yankee Hater could hope for because the Twins cower when they see the Yankees on the same field; last season the Yankees swept the Twins in the Division Series, swept them at home in 4 straight during the regular season, and this season the Yankees beat the Twins in 4 of 6 meetings. Against Texas, however, the Yankees have split their 8 meetings this season, including losing 4 out of 5 to the Rangers since Texas acquired Cliff Lee from Seattle; Lee, mind you, also beat the Yankees twice in last year's World Series.
As a Yankee Hater I want the Yankees to have the toughest road possible through the playoffs and World Series; therefore, if the standings remain the way they are, I want the Yankees to win the AL East so that they have to play Texas and Cliff Lee in the Division Series instead of Minnesota, who the Yankees would sweep with little effort. If the Yankees got through Texas, then they would have to face, hopefully, the Tampa Bay Rays, who are 7-6 vs the Yankees. And if the Yankees win the American League, then hopefully they don't face the Braves, Phillies or Giants. If they do make it to face those teams, then at least football will be in full swing and hockey will be starting up. But yes, for the rest of the regular season while the standings remain the way they are, I will be joining the church of METS FANS FOR YANKEES!
Currently the Yankees (88-57) lead the AL East by half a game over the Tampa Bay Rays (87-57), who are actually the 2nd best team in the American League; the Minnesota Twins (86-58) lead the Central by 7 games over Chicago; and the Texas Rangers (81-63). So, the Rays could not play the Yankees in the Division Series because they are from the same division. Therefore, if the season ended today, The Twins, by virtue of having a better record than Texas, would draw the Rays in the Division Series and the Yankees would play Texas. Now, if the Rays were to overtake the Yankees for the division lead and championship, then the Rays would play Texas and the Yankees would play the Twins. The latter scenario is just about the worst thing a Yankee Hater could hope for because the Twins cower when they see the Yankees on the same field; last season the Yankees swept the Twins in the Division Series, swept them at home in 4 straight during the regular season, and this season the Yankees beat the Twins in 4 of 6 meetings. Against Texas, however, the Yankees have split their 8 meetings this season, including losing 4 out of 5 to the Rangers since Texas acquired Cliff Lee from Seattle; Lee, mind you, also beat the Yankees twice in last year's World Series.
As a Yankee Hater I want the Yankees to have the toughest road possible through the playoffs and World Series; therefore, if the standings remain the way they are, I want the Yankees to win the AL East so that they have to play Texas and Cliff Lee in the Division Series instead of Minnesota, who the Yankees would sweep with little effort. If the Yankees got through Texas, then they would have to face, hopefully, the Tampa Bay Rays, who are 7-6 vs the Yankees. And if the Yankees win the American League, then hopefully they don't face the Braves, Phillies or Giants. If they do make it to face those teams, then at least football will be in full swing and hockey will be starting up. But yes, for the rest of the regular season while the standings remain the way they are, I will be joining the church of METS FANS FOR YANKEES!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Giving Back
Reggie Bush is giving back his Heisman trophy from 2005 because his family accepted money, a violation of NCAA rules, after his alma mater, USC, already gave their copy of the award back. Meanwhile, a[n accused] murderer, OJ Simpson, who won the award back in 1968, did not have to give up his award, nor was he pressured to; however, his award was auctioned off in 1999 to settle part of his debt following a civil suit in the wrongful death of Ron Goldman. Following Simpson's self-inflicted troubles with the law USC has not removed references to Simpson on campus, nor have they given back Simpson's Heisman. There is just something wrong with this picture.
Just End The Season
The New York Jets lost to the Baltimore Ravens last night and now the sky is falling and everything is wrong. They are now being told to be quiet after doing nothing but tell everyone who would listen how great they are. They are 0-1 and it would seem that the fans are ready to give up the season on what they perceive to be a paper tiger. While it was enjoyable to see them taken down a peg after all their talk while accomplishing little, the fans have to have a little more faith. I mean, if you're going to say the season is over after 1 game, then what is the point of even being a fan and watching the games. Certainly each game in the NFL season does take on added importance because the season is so short, but to be ready to give up after 1 loss is just ridiculous. To be fair, only two teams made the playoffs last season after losing their first game (Bengals and Cardinals) so the road to the playoffs is not easy; however, the Broncos started the season 6-0 and didn't make the playoffs.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Monday Morning Quarterback - Week 1
NFL - The Giants need a new punter, but at least they won the first game in the new Giants Stadium. It really is a shame that the Cowboys and the Eagles can't both lose everyday, but at least they accomplished the feat today, which is nice. Tom Brady seems to have not been impacted by the accident he had last week and the Patriots looked good in their win over the Bengals. Pete Carroll seems to have made the right decision after 1 week in Seattle; at least there it's not a problem if his players talk to agents.
Miami @ Buffalo - Miami was very disappointing offensively and, truthfully, was lucky to escape Orchard Park with the 15-10 victory. The plays were there to be had for the Dolphins, but dropped passes and a running game that was bottled up (make sure you cut up those plastic things that hold your six-packs! as they're very injurious to marine life!) kept this game close. Bills coach Chan Gailey did show some major cajones by going for it on 4th and 11 late in the 4th quarter down 13-3 instead of taking the field goal, but the move paid off as Trent Edwards found Roscoe Parrish for a touchdown to make it 13-10.
Green Bay @ Philadelphia - Fans were heard calling for Eagles coach Andy Reid to bench quarterback Donovan McNabb...for old time's sake. Kevin Kolb and the offense sputtered and the Eagles fans again called for McNabb to be benched. Instead Kolb suffered a concussion and Michael Vick came on in relief. Vick looked very good at quarterback for the Eagles in rallying them back from deficits of 20-3 and 27-10, but the Packers won 27-20 when they stuffed Vick on a 4th and 1 near mid-field late in the 4th quarter; the Packers then ran out the clock to seal the victory.
Indianapolis @ Houston - Didn't see any of this game, but there is a good thing about the Colts losing right away: we won't have to hear any debate about whether or not they should play or sit their starters in pursuit of a perfect season. Instead, once they've clinched the division with a week or two to play, they can sit Peyton Manning and co. and nobody will care.
As for my week 1 picks, through Sunday I was 10-4, losing with Indianapolis, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Dallas.
NCAA - Forgive me for not being into college football yet. I know it's the only sport in which even early season games are extremely crucial, but I just can't get into it yet; perhaps if I were involved in some kind of pool, I would be, but I am not. That said, I did see a little bit of a few games.
West Virginia (23) @ Marshall - I was glad to see that WVU was losing to the Thundering Herd 21-6 in the 4th quarter on Friday night. Marshall looked very good in front of their home crowd and WVU was having trouble holding on to the football. Unfortunately, I didn't see the rest of the game and when I turned on the TV on Saturday morning I saw that WVU had pulled out a 24-21 OT win.
Michigan @ Notre Dame- HAIL TO THE VICTORS! (...except for Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez) What a shame that luck was not on the side of the Irish on Saturday afternoon in South Bend. Maybe instead of hiring Brian Kelly, the Golden Domers should have hired Saint Jude, the patron saint of lost causes. Keep trying Notre Dame, you used to matter...
Rutgers @ Florida International - Rutgers barely escaped with a victory over this glorified community college football team. While the defense showed up and created 5 turnovers, the offense went missing and put up 10 points off those turnovers and 172 yards in the 19-14 victory. If Rutgers does not find a way to create some offense during the upcoming bye week, they will be in for a long day against North Carolina in 2 weeks in Piscataway.
And the answers to the Mets trivia questions:
1. Which two Mets have won the National League Cy Young award?
Answer: Tom Seaver won the award 3 times and Dwight Gooden
2. Who managed the Mets to their two World Series championships?
Answer: Gil Hodges (1969) and Davey Johnson (1986)
3. Who scored the winning run in game 6 of the 1986 World Series?
Answer: Ray Knight scored as Mookie Wilson's ground ball trickled up the first base line and under the glove of Bill Buckner.
4. Which two members of the 1969 World Series champion Mets were also high school teammates in baseball and football?
Answer: Outfielders Tommie Agee and Cleon Jones
Miami @ Buffalo - Miami was very disappointing offensively and, truthfully, was lucky to escape Orchard Park with the 15-10 victory. The plays were there to be had for the Dolphins, but dropped passes and a running game that was bottled up (make sure you cut up those plastic things that hold your six-packs! as they're very injurious to marine life!) kept this game close. Bills coach Chan Gailey did show some major cajones by going for it on 4th and 11 late in the 4th quarter down 13-3 instead of taking the field goal, but the move paid off as Trent Edwards found Roscoe Parrish for a touchdown to make it 13-10.
Green Bay @ Philadelphia - Fans were heard calling for Eagles coach Andy Reid to bench quarterback Donovan McNabb...for old time's sake. Kevin Kolb and the offense sputtered and the Eagles fans again called for McNabb to be benched. Instead Kolb suffered a concussion and Michael Vick came on in relief. Vick looked very good at quarterback for the Eagles in rallying them back from deficits of 20-3 and 27-10, but the Packers won 27-20 when they stuffed Vick on a 4th and 1 near mid-field late in the 4th quarter; the Packers then ran out the clock to seal the victory.
Indianapolis @ Houston - Didn't see any of this game, but there is a good thing about the Colts losing right away: we won't have to hear any debate about whether or not they should play or sit their starters in pursuit of a perfect season. Instead, once they've clinched the division with a week or two to play, they can sit Peyton Manning and co. and nobody will care.
As for my week 1 picks, through Sunday I was 10-4, losing with Indianapolis, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Dallas.
NCAA - Forgive me for not being into college football yet. I know it's the only sport in which even early season games are extremely crucial, but I just can't get into it yet; perhaps if I were involved in some kind of pool, I would be, but I am not. That said, I did see a little bit of a few games.
West Virginia (23) @ Marshall - I was glad to see that WVU was losing to the Thundering Herd 21-6 in the 4th quarter on Friday night. Marshall looked very good in front of their home crowd and WVU was having trouble holding on to the football. Unfortunately, I didn't see the rest of the game and when I turned on the TV on Saturday morning I saw that WVU had pulled out a 24-21 OT win.
Michigan @ Notre Dame- HAIL TO THE VICTORS! (...except for Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez) What a shame that luck was not on the side of the Irish on Saturday afternoon in South Bend. Maybe instead of hiring Brian Kelly, the Golden Domers should have hired Saint Jude, the patron saint of lost causes. Keep trying Notre Dame, you used to matter...
Rutgers @ Florida International - Rutgers barely escaped with a victory over this glorified community college football team. While the defense showed up and created 5 turnovers, the offense went missing and put up 10 points off those turnovers and 172 yards in the 19-14 victory. If Rutgers does not find a way to create some offense during the upcoming bye week, they will be in for a long day against North Carolina in 2 weeks in Piscataway.
And the answers to the Mets trivia questions:
1. Which two Mets have won the National League Cy Young award?
Answer: Tom Seaver won the award 3 times and Dwight Gooden
2. Who managed the Mets to their two World Series championships?
Answer: Gil Hodges (1969) and Davey Johnson (1986)
3. Who scored the winning run in game 6 of the 1986 World Series?
Answer: Ray Knight scored as Mookie Wilson's ground ball trickled up the first base line and under the glove of Bill Buckner.
4. Which two members of the 1969 World Series champion Mets were also high school teammates in baseball and football?
Answer: Outfielders Tommie Agee and Cleon Jones
Friday, September 10, 2010
Trivia
Rather than include the answers to yesterday's trivia quiz among the September 11 post, I'll post the answers here in a separate post. Following the answers to yesterday's trivia will be 4 new questions, this time focusing on the New York Mets.
Yesterday's questions:
1. Who was the last Yankee to win the American League Rookie of the Year award?
Answer: Derek Jeter won the award in 1996
2. Who caught the final out of the 1996 World Series?
Answer: Yankees 3B Charlie Hayes
3. Prior to winning the World Series in 1996, when did the Yankees last win the World Series and who did they beat?
Answer: They defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 2 in the 1978 World Series.
4. Name all of the players who have worn the numbers 1-10 to have their numbers retired by the Yankees.
Answer:
1 - Billy Martin
3 - Babe Ruth
4 - Lou Gehrig
5 - Joe DiMaggio
7 - Mickey Mantle
8 - Bill Dickey
8 - Yogi Berra
9 - Roger Maris
10 - Phil Rizzuto
Today's questions
1. Which two Mets have won the National League Cy Young award?
2. Who managed the Mets to each of their World Series championships?
3. Who scored the game-winning run of game 6 of the 1986 World Series?
4. Which two members of the 1969 World Series champion Mets were also high school teammates in baseball and football?
September 11
Nine years ago today the United States was suddenly and deliberately attacked by Islamist terrorists who hijacked 4 airplanes and turned them into missiles. Two of those planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City; one was flown into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.; and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, PA before the plane could reach its believed destination in Washington.
There were many heroes that day and in the days that followed; firefighters, policemen, and other emergency response personnel risked and, many of them gave, their lives to save others; they ran into danger while everyone else ran from it; the passengers on United Airlines Flight 93, the plane that crashed in Shanksville, who overtook their hijackers and brought the plane down before it could fly into a target in Washington; the 9,000 people of Gander, Newfoundland in Canada, where 38 planes were diverted while US airspace was closed, for showing hospitality to 7,000 people for 4 days; in addition, there were countless other heroes who deserve our thanks.
That day was one of the most tragic days in American history and should never be forgotten. It is a day everyone remembers where they were when they heard that we were under attack, much like December 7, 1941 when the United States was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor, HI, and November 22, 1963 when President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX. I remember watching the New York Giants lose to the Denver Broncos in Denver on Monday Night Football the previous night and then I turned on the TV the next morning to see smoke billowing out of one of the twin towers. If Monday Night Football had been on ESPN at the time (it was on ABC still), I'm not sure I would have known about the attacks when they were happening because I would have been watching SportsCenter while getting ready for class. I did not know classes were cancelled that day until I got on the bus, and after finding out classes were cancelled and the bus going about 50 feet I got off the bus and went back in to watch the TV coverage.
In light of the attacks, Major League Baseball and the National Football League did not play games in the week that followed. The NFL had played games the weekend after President Kennedy was assassinated and Commissioner Pete Rozelle called it the worst decision of his career. The commissioners in this case, baseball's Bud Selig and football's Paul Tagliabue, decided they should not play immediately afterward. However, soon sports were back on and provided a welcome distraction for the workers carrying out the rescue effort and digging out the rubble. There were big moments, like Mike Piazza's 8th inning 2-run home run to put the Mets ahead of the Braves 3-2 in the first game played in New York following the attacks.
Most importantly though, it is important to never forget the events of that day. Many people lost their lives that day in one of the worst events in American history and they should not be forgotten.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Mets Fans For Yankees
The church of Mets Fans for Yankees is now open thanks to WFAN's Craig Carton, co-host of the Boomer and Carton show. Carton does a great job on WFAN and I am a big fan of pretty much all the bits that he and Boomer do on the show, and normally I would say that a church (or temple, mosque, etc.) should be respected and not defamed, but this is not one of those cases! If you want to be a bandwagon fan, then by all means go and join Carton and the other infidels in this church. However, if you're a real Mets fan, there is no way that you can possibly bring yourself to root for the Evil Empire; nor will I ever root for the Braves, Phillies, or Marlins. Once you choose your team there is no switching allegiances, especially to a rival; however, I do believe it is acceptable to root for your rival's rival (the enemy of my enemy is my friend).
Pink Yankee hats, another thing that bothers me: I'm sorry, but I can't stand seeing people wearing a team's hat that is not the official one. Seriously, how stupid do these pink, yellow, orange, green, or white Yankees [or Mets, et al.] hats, and the people who wear them, look? The same thing goes for pink Yankee shirts...and A-Rod jerseys. I also don't think I could wear a jersey that had the wrong style lettering for a player's name; in the case of a Yankees jersey, you should not wear a Yankees jersey that has ANY name on the back. I mean, you go to a sporting goods store and you see a David Wright jersey, but the lettering on the back is in all blue, which is not the style of a real Mets jersey. To me, this is just a waste of money. I realize that the authentic player jerseys are ridiculously expensive, which is why I prefer to get the player t-shirt, especially since these players don't last with their teams for very long. I was at Modell's the other day and saw Mets player t-shirts with "Reyes", "Wright", "Santana", and "K-Rod." NO! Even though K-Rod, Francisco Rodriguez, is obviously a stain on the Mets now almost as bad as Oliver Perez, the name on the back should be "Rodriguez." Alright, enough of me sounding like a total sports snob.
Finally, a few trivia questions about the Yankees. If you're a real fan of the team, you should know these; and, if you really hate them, you should know these too.
1. Who is the last Yankee to win the American League Rookie of the Year award?
2. Who caught the final out of the 1996 World Series?
3. Prior to winning the World Series in 1996, when did the Yankees win their last World Series and who did they beat?
4. Name all of the players who have worn numbers 1-10 to have their number retired by the Yankees.
Answers to be posted tomorrow
Pink Yankee hats, another thing that bothers me: I'm sorry, but I can't stand seeing people wearing a team's hat that is not the official one. Seriously, how stupid do these pink, yellow, orange, green, or white Yankees [or Mets, et al.] hats, and the people who wear them, look? The same thing goes for pink Yankee shirts...and A-Rod jerseys. I also don't think I could wear a jersey that had the wrong style lettering for a player's name; in the case of a Yankees jersey, you should not wear a Yankees jersey that has ANY name on the back. I mean, you go to a sporting goods store and you see a David Wright jersey, but the lettering on the back is in all blue, which is not the style of a real Mets jersey. To me, this is just a waste of money. I realize that the authentic player jerseys are ridiculously expensive, which is why I prefer to get the player t-shirt, especially since these players don't last with their teams for very long. I was at Modell's the other day and saw Mets player t-shirts with "Reyes", "Wright", "Santana", and "K-Rod." NO! Even though K-Rod, Francisco Rodriguez, is obviously a stain on the Mets now almost as bad as Oliver Perez, the name on the back should be "Rodriguez." Alright, enough of me sounding like a total sports snob.
Finally, a few trivia questions about the Yankees. If you're a real fan of the team, you should know these; and, if you really hate them, you should know these too.
1. Who is the last Yankee to win the American League Rookie of the Year award?
2. Who caught the final out of the 1996 World Series?
3. Prior to winning the World Series in 1996, when did the Yankees win their last World Series and who did they beat?
4. Name all of the players who have worn numbers 1-10 to have their number retired by the Yankees.
Answers to be posted tomorrow
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Week 1 Picks
The picks for week 1 in the league...where they play......for pay...
Thursday, September 9
Minnesota @ New Orleans - The Saints beat Brett Favre up in last season's NFC Championship game at the Superdome, which the Vikings vow will not happen again. The Vikings may do a better job of protecting Favre, but he'll still be without Pro Bowl receiver Sidney Rice, which certainly will not help their cause. One thing the Vikings can't promise is that Favre won't do THIS! Pick: NEW ORLEANS
Sunday, September 12
Miami @ Buffalo - Last season the Bills were 30th (out of 32) against the run and Miami loves to run the football. (What, you thought they would run the basketball?) Miami quarterback Chad Henne also has a new favorite target in Brandon Marshall, acquired during the off-season from Denver. The Bills are not without talent, however, and CJ Spiller, their #1 pick in the draft should be fun to watch...unless you're a Dolphins fan. Pick: MIAMI
Detroit @ Chicago - The Lions are finally starting to get past the Matt Millen (more on him in future posts) era. I mean, it's been [3] YEARS since they've drafted a wide receiver with their first pick! Matthew Stafford seems like he could be a franchise quarterback, and you certainly can't question his toughness after he led the Lions to victory by throwing a game-winning touchdown with a separated shoulder. The Bears are still the better team. Pick: CHICAGO
Oakland @ Tennessee - Tennessee almost made the playoffs last year after starting 0-6; they won't have to wait that long for their first victory this year. Pick: TENNESSEE
Cincinnati @ New England - I think this is a toss-up game, but I like the Patriots at home. Pick: NEW ENGLAND
Carolina @ New York Giants - The Giants closed down the old Giants Stadium by basically giving up and getting blown out by these same Panthers last season. This season there are still some questions for the Giants, especially on the offensive line and how will the defense respond to their new defensive coordinator, Perry Fewell, but they'll find a way, most likely through the air, to open the new Giants Stadium with a win. Pick: NEW YORK GIANTS
Atlanta @ Pittsburgh - Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger earned himself a 4 game suspension to start the season, so the Steelers will rely on backup Dennis Dixon to keep them alive until Big Ben comes back. Pick: ATLANTA
Cleveland @ Tampa Bay - These two teams are bad and hopefully Tampa Bay can use home field advantage to their benefit in this one. Pick: TAMPA BAY
Denver @ Jacksonville - Denver looked great through their first 6 games last year in starting 6-0, but fizzled out and went 2-6 to close out the year. Denver is probably the second best team in the AFC West, but that doesn't say much. Pick: JACKSONVILLE
Indianapolis @ Houston - This should be an outstanding game, but I'm still not betting against Peyton Manning. This guy seems to be obsessed with him.... Pick: INDIANAPOLIS
San Francisco @ Seattle - San Francisco will win the NFC West. Pick: SAN FRANCISCO
Green Bay @ Philadelphia - I just don't like the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay is pretty good. If the Eagles were playing the Browns or Lions, for instance, then I would pick Philadelphia, but not here...Pick: GREEN BAY
Arizona @ St. Louis - Even without Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin the Cardinals are still better than the Rams. Pick: ARIZONA
Dallas @ Washington - The Redskins will be much improved this year under Head Coach Mike Shanahan and Quarterback Donovan McNabb, but Dallas is much better. Pick: DALLAS
Monday, September 13
Baltimore @ New York Jets - This one should be a fairly low scoring game considering the ability of the two defenses; however, I think Baltimore has the more potent offense and that's why they'll win...and they have Ray Rice. Pick: BALTIMORE
San Diego @ Kansas City - San Diego is still the class of the AFC West and should be a top threat to win the AFC again. Pick: SAN DIEGO
*Note: All picks are straight up and not against the point spread*
Thursday, September 9
Minnesota @ New Orleans - The Saints beat Brett Favre up in last season's NFC Championship game at the Superdome, which the Vikings vow will not happen again. The Vikings may do a better job of protecting Favre, but he'll still be without Pro Bowl receiver Sidney Rice, which certainly will not help their cause. One thing the Vikings can't promise is that Favre won't do THIS! Pick: NEW ORLEANS
Sunday, September 12
Miami @ Buffalo - Last season the Bills were 30th (out of 32) against the run and Miami loves to run the football. (What, you thought they would run the basketball?) Miami quarterback Chad Henne also has a new favorite target in Brandon Marshall, acquired during the off-season from Denver. The Bills are not without talent, however, and CJ Spiller, their #1 pick in the draft should be fun to watch...unless you're a Dolphins fan. Pick: MIAMI
Detroit @ Chicago - The Lions are finally starting to get past the Matt Millen (more on him in future posts) era. I mean, it's been [3] YEARS since they've drafted a wide receiver with their first pick! Matthew Stafford seems like he could be a franchise quarterback, and you certainly can't question his toughness after he led the Lions to victory by throwing a game-winning touchdown with a separated shoulder. The Bears are still the better team. Pick: CHICAGO
Oakland @ Tennessee - Tennessee almost made the playoffs last year after starting 0-6; they won't have to wait that long for their first victory this year. Pick: TENNESSEE
Cincinnati @ New England - I think this is a toss-up game, but I like the Patriots at home. Pick: NEW ENGLAND
Carolina @ New York Giants - The Giants closed down the old Giants Stadium by basically giving up and getting blown out by these same Panthers last season. This season there are still some questions for the Giants, especially on the offensive line and how will the defense respond to their new defensive coordinator, Perry Fewell, but they'll find a way, most likely through the air, to open the new Giants Stadium with a win. Pick: NEW YORK GIANTS
Atlanta @ Pittsburgh - Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger earned himself a 4 game suspension to start the season, so the Steelers will rely on backup Dennis Dixon to keep them alive until Big Ben comes back. Pick: ATLANTA
Cleveland @ Tampa Bay - These two teams are bad and hopefully Tampa Bay can use home field advantage to their benefit in this one. Pick: TAMPA BAY
Denver @ Jacksonville - Denver looked great through their first 6 games last year in starting 6-0, but fizzled out and went 2-6 to close out the year. Denver is probably the second best team in the AFC West, but that doesn't say much. Pick: JACKSONVILLE
Indianapolis @ Houston - This should be an outstanding game, but I'm still not betting against Peyton Manning. This guy seems to be obsessed with him.... Pick: INDIANAPOLIS
San Francisco @ Seattle - San Francisco will win the NFC West. Pick: SAN FRANCISCO
Green Bay @ Philadelphia - I just don't like the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay is pretty good. If the Eagles were playing the Browns or Lions, for instance, then I would pick Philadelphia, but not here...Pick: GREEN BAY
Arizona @ St. Louis - Even without Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin the Cardinals are still better than the Rams. Pick: ARIZONA
Dallas @ Washington - The Redskins will be much improved this year under Head Coach Mike Shanahan and Quarterback Donovan McNabb, but Dallas is much better. Pick: DALLAS
Monday, September 13
Baltimore @ New York Jets - This one should be a fairly low scoring game considering the ability of the two defenses; however, I think Baltimore has the more potent offense and that's why they'll win...and they have Ray Rice. Pick: BALTIMORE
San Diego @ Kansas City - San Diego is still the class of the AFC West and should be a top threat to win the AFC again. Pick: SAN DIEGO
*Note: All picks are straight up and not against the point spread*
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