Another great weekend of college and pro football ahead, as I look forward to the action we also have the World Series going on. What an exciting time for a sports fan!
Let me start with my thoughts on the World Series. The 1st 2 games have been very close and exciting to watch, lets hope this continues. As I watched the game last night, Mariano Rivera came out to shut the door in the 8th inning. I love the move by Joe Girardi as he gets his best pitcher out there to get the most important outs. As I watch Rivera, I see how great he is but I have to ask myself "Am I the only person that realizes he only throws a 90 mph cutter?" I just do not understand how major league hitters can not crush a pitch that they know is coming - I guess it speaks to his greatness...
Alas, we continue to with the football
Ohio St takes on mighty New Mexico St. If this game is not a laugher, I think Jim Tressel will have to have an armed guard with him at all times to ensure his safety. Ohio St is favored by 44 pts and New Mexico St ranks dead last in college football in total offense. Just 1 time, I would like to see domination from start to finish.
MAC pick of the week - I know Ball St is bad. But my prediction is that the OU football team is looking forward to their Halloween celbrations too much and Ball St shocks the world.
Big 11 pick of the week - I think Illinois is pathetic this year and I will go with Michigan on the road.
UPSET ALERT - I am putting UF on upset alert until they lose. They have proven that they have not found a playmaker to make up for the loss of Percy Harvin and I expect Georgia to give Florida all they can handle. Imagine if Mississippi St had an Offense to go along with those 2 INT return for TDs, I really think they would have pulled out the upset.
BIG GAMES - Texas travels to Stillwater, Ok to play Oklahoma St. While Ok. St. is having a fine season, Texas has answered every challenge so far this season and really seemed to pick it up last week against Mizzou. Last year, Texas lost @ Texas Tech which had an explosive offense and Ok. St. has the players for a big offensive output. But without star Dez Bryant, Ok. St will not be able to pull out the upset. I like Texas in this one.
USC @ Oregon - Since the loss to Boise St, Oregon has been on a roll winning 6 straight. USC has given up points this season, and this game has all the makings of the game of the day, but I still like USC because they always seem to perform well when they have to. I know it is at Oregon and they will have some super freaky uniforms, but Boise beat Oregon by going right at them and attacking, and I think USC is perfectly capable of doing the same.
The Browns travel to Chicago and I think this is the game that Chicago puts it all together. The Browns are very susceptible against the run and Chicago does have a dangerous running back in Matt Forte. I do not believe Chicago is as bad as they were last week against Cincinnatti and the Browns will continue to struggle.
The game of the day has to be St. Louis @ Detroit. Can St. Louis get a win? It is possible, but I say unlikely as Detroit is coming off of a bye and hopefully will have healthy Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson.
The real game of the day is Brett Favre going back to Lambeu. Will he be booed? Or cheered? If beer bottles and batteries are not tossed in his direction I will be disappointed with Packer Fans. As for the game, the Pack need this 1 desperately. But I do not know if they can slow down the pass rush of the Vikings. I think Jared Allen has another big day and Brett Favre has a happy homecoming.
The Monday nighter should be a good one. New Orleans is on a roll and even when they are down by 21 points it is not a problem as evident by their come from behind win at Miami last week. The defense is playing well and causing turnovers. I like Matt Ryan, but not enough to pick him on a Monday night in the Superdome. Saints win it.
For my Stone Cold Lead Pipe Lock of the week I like Dallas -9.5 @ Jerry World to beat the banged up Seattle Seahawks. They ran it up on them last season and this year should be no different as Dallas' running game should be getting back to full strength this week. Miles Austin has burst onto the scene and I think Tony will have another good day as Dallas rolls.
Enjoy the weekend!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
A Ring for the King
As I get ready for the Cavs and Celtics to tip off the 09-10 NBA season tonight, I decided to give my NBA predictions.
Eastern Conference
1. Cleveland
2. Boston
3. Miami
4. Orlando
5. Chicago
6. Washington
7. Toronto
8. Atlanta
Breakdown - It looks like the Southeast Division will be the most competitive as I have 4 teams to make the playoffs from that division. The Cavs will be pushed by the up and coming Bulls. I expect the Cavs to beat out Boston for home court advantage because I have a feeling Boston will not be pushing during the regular season as they try to get ready for the playoffs.
Eastern Conference Finals:
Cleveland defeats Miami in 6
Western Conference
1. Lakers
2. Utah
3. New Orleans
4. Ok City
5. San Antonio
6. Dallas
7. Denver
8. Phoenix
Breakdown - It is very difficult to pick against the Lakers. I would say that their division is the weakest in the NBA but it is still the Western Confernece. I really like young point guards Deron Williams and Chris Paul for Utah and New Orelans, respectively. I have a bold predictions in Oklahoma City earning the 4th spot in the playoffs, that is because I do believe in the young talent they have there. Portland is the team I probably incorrectly bumped out, but somebody has to not make it in the West. Im open to listen to comments...
Western Conference Finals
Utah over Lakers in 7
NBA Finals
Cleveland over Utah in 5
NBA MVP
Kevin Durant
With the First Pick...
Charlotte Bobcats
Eastern Conference
1. Cleveland
2. Boston
3. Miami
4. Orlando
5. Chicago
6. Washington
7. Toronto
8. Atlanta
Breakdown - It looks like the Southeast Division will be the most competitive as I have 4 teams to make the playoffs from that division. The Cavs will be pushed by the up and coming Bulls. I expect the Cavs to beat out Boston for home court advantage because I have a feeling Boston will not be pushing during the regular season as they try to get ready for the playoffs.
Eastern Conference Finals:
Cleveland defeats Miami in 6
Western Conference
1. Lakers
2. Utah
3. New Orleans
4. Ok City
5. San Antonio
6. Dallas
7. Denver
8. Phoenix
Breakdown - It is very difficult to pick against the Lakers. I would say that their division is the weakest in the NBA but it is still the Western Confernece. I really like young point guards Deron Williams and Chris Paul for Utah and New Orelans, respectively. I have a bold predictions in Oklahoma City earning the 4th spot in the playoffs, that is because I do believe in the young talent they have there. Portland is the team I probably incorrectly bumped out, but somebody has to not make it in the West. Im open to listen to comments...
Western Conference Finals
Utah over Lakers in 7
NBA Finals
Cleveland over Utah in 5
NBA MVP
Kevin Durant
With the First Pick...
Charlotte Bobcats
Monday, October 26, 2009
NFL Week 7 Thoughts
With Brian Westrbook's injury in the Monday night game, it is time to start recapping the weekend that was. I should start by telling you that my Stone Cold Lead Pipe locks are guaranteed losers. Man, I did not see the Giants coming out and laying an egg for the second straight week. I did not understand why the Giants decided to use Ahmad Bradshaw as many times as they did Brandon Jacobs, but that is for another day. Good game Arizona, you spoiled another lock of the week.
As I was watching the Browns/Packers game yesterday, I couldn't help but think that this may be one of the worst teams I have ever seen, even worse than the '99 expansion team. Yet, there is more than a handful of teams that are completely uncompetitive. The Rams, Bucs, Chiefs, Lions, Titans, Raiders, Panthers, Bills (any team that loses to the Browns is on this list, how they have won 3 games I will never know), and the Redskins make up the list of teams that will continue to lose by double digits. For a league that is proud of its parody, I just listed 10 teams that will not win more than 5 games. This is going to be a long NFL season if we have to sit through 10 more weeks where half of the games are decided by more than 28 points (literally, 6 out of 12 games on Sunday!).
But 2 games that highlighted the weekend reminded us why we watch every single Sunday. In the Steelers/Vikings game, one could have assumed that the QB who had the ball last would win the game, but the Steelers defense won the game for Pittsburgh and avoided any of Brett Favre's late game magic as they created some of their own with 2 4th quarter defensive touchdowns to preserve the win. And the Saints came back from a 21 point 1st half deficit to defeat a Miami team that is better than their 2-4 suggests. What I found interesting is that both games ended with defensive touchdowns off turnovers that would not have had an outcome on the game, but changed the winners against the spread. I would love to know how many games end with scores that have no bearing on the outcome but affect the Vegas odds.
Busy sports week ahead - the Lebronaliers and the NBA tip off on Tuesday, former Tribe aces square off as the World Series starts on Wednesday, of course a full slate of college and NFL football games, plus I plan on attending the Columbus Blue Jackets v. Pittsburgh Penguins game Friday night and the OSU v. New Mexico St game Saturday. Should be fun!
As I was watching the Browns/Packers game yesterday, I couldn't help but think that this may be one of the worst teams I have ever seen, even worse than the '99 expansion team. Yet, there is more than a handful of teams that are completely uncompetitive. The Rams, Bucs, Chiefs, Lions, Titans, Raiders, Panthers, Bills (any team that loses to the Browns is on this list, how they have won 3 games I will never know), and the Redskins make up the list of teams that will continue to lose by double digits. For a league that is proud of its parody, I just listed 10 teams that will not win more than 5 games. This is going to be a long NFL season if we have to sit through 10 more weeks where half of the games are decided by more than 28 points (literally, 6 out of 12 games on Sunday!).
But 2 games that highlighted the weekend reminded us why we watch every single Sunday. In the Steelers/Vikings game, one could have assumed that the QB who had the ball last would win the game, but the Steelers defense won the game for Pittsburgh and avoided any of Brett Favre's late game magic as they created some of their own with 2 4th quarter defensive touchdowns to preserve the win. And the Saints came back from a 21 point 1st half deficit to defeat a Miami team that is better than their 2-4 suggests. What I found interesting is that both games ended with defensive touchdowns off turnovers that would not have had an outcome on the game, but changed the winners against the spread. I would love to know how many games end with scores that have no bearing on the outcome but affect the Vegas odds.
Busy sports week ahead - the Lebronaliers and the NBA tip off on Tuesday, former Tribe aces square off as the World Series starts on Wednesday, of course a full slate of college and NFL football games, plus I plan on attending the Columbus Blue Jackets v. Pittsburgh Penguins game Friday night and the OSU v. New Mexico St game Saturday. Should be fun!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
College Football Wrapup
This weekend served as a great distraction for my CPA preparation Monday morning! Let me give a shout out to my friend, Jon Lamb, and his blog www.fourthandxx.blogspot.com. Check it out!
Minnesota proved that they are the cure for what ails the Buckeyes, but man do the Buckeyes look beatable. The defense continues to impress but at some point you have to score points. Here is how I rationalize the Buckeyes season: The expectations thrust onto Pyror were much too high. The "class" that included Terrelle Pyror has underachieved, but most are seeing game action, in this their 2nd season, and an Ohio State fan can only hope that the lumps they take this season will provide dividends in the future.
My College Football top 5
1. Alabama - I do not care that they "struggled" at home, they have the best defense, they have the best running game. Mark Ingram deserves the heisman love he is starting to get.
2. Texas - Impressive victory over Mizzou on the road, now must go on the road and play Oklahoma St. this week. McCoy should be the Heisman frontrunner.
3. Cincinnati - Another big victory, and this week was with the backup QB. I believe they are the best team that ESPN refuses to talk about.
4. Iowa - The BCS does not want them, but they continue to win and they just might get stuck with them. Another impressive, come from behind victory this time on the road at Michigan St. How would a Cincy v. Iowa national championship game be? It is beginning to sound realistic, because both teams have big conference games remaining(Iowa @ OSU, Cincy plays #20 West Virginia and is @ #16 Pittsburgh).
5. Tie. Florida and TCU. I refuse to give in to Florida. I am not going to crown a team national champion because they won last season and they have a likable QB. They are very talented, but they continue to struggle and I believe that is from missing Percy Harvin's big play capabilities. I understand that the SEC is very competitive, but I believe they will lose a game that they are not supposed to (perhaps South Carolina or Georgia?).
TCU went on the road in the national spotlight game and destroyed BYU. Most impressive victory of the weekend. They are the mid-major everybody should be talking about, not Boise St.
Minnesota proved that they are the cure for what ails the Buckeyes, but man do the Buckeyes look beatable. The defense continues to impress but at some point you have to score points. Here is how I rationalize the Buckeyes season: The expectations thrust onto Pyror were much too high. The "class" that included Terrelle Pyror has underachieved, but most are seeing game action, in this their 2nd season, and an Ohio State fan can only hope that the lumps they take this season will provide dividends in the future.
My College Football top 5
1. Alabama - I do not care that they "struggled" at home, they have the best defense, they have the best running game. Mark Ingram deserves the heisman love he is starting to get.
2. Texas - Impressive victory over Mizzou on the road, now must go on the road and play Oklahoma St. this week. McCoy should be the Heisman frontrunner.
3. Cincinnati - Another big victory, and this week was with the backup QB. I believe they are the best team that ESPN refuses to talk about.
4. Iowa - The BCS does not want them, but they continue to win and they just might get stuck with them. Another impressive, come from behind victory this time on the road at Michigan St. How would a Cincy v. Iowa national championship game be? It is beginning to sound realistic, because both teams have big conference games remaining(Iowa @ OSU, Cincy plays #20 West Virginia and is @ #16 Pittsburgh).
5. Tie. Florida and TCU. I refuse to give in to Florida. I am not going to crown a team national champion because they won last season and they have a likable QB. They are very talented, but they continue to struggle and I believe that is from missing Percy Harvin's big play capabilities. I understand that the SEC is very competitive, but I believe they will lose a game that they are not supposed to (perhaps South Carolina or Georgia?).
TCU went on the road in the national spotlight game and destroyed BYU. Most impressive victory of the weekend. They are the mid-major everybody should be talking about, not Boise St.
Friday, October 23, 2009
FOOTBALL FRIDAY!
Each Friday during football season, I would like to take a look at the weekend ahead and breakdown the action.
My beloved Buckeyes look to rebound against a Minnesota team that has been struggling. I have been very disappointed in the offense this season, but if there is a game they are capable of breaking out it is this one. Even if the offense continues to stall, the Buckeyes D has been flying around all year making plays, no way the Buckeyes lose this game.
ESPN's College Gameday is going to Provo, UT to highlight #8 TCU vs #16 BYU. BYU has had a good season, beating Oklahoma in the 1st game of the season, but they have proven they are vulnerable at home by losing to Florida State. TCU is not a paper tiger. They have gone on the road and beaten BCS schools Virginia and Clemson. I think TCU edges out BYU.
I expect Bama to roll right over Tennessee. Mark Ingram is an animal and I believe the Crimson Tide's defense will be too much for Lane Kiffin's Volunteers.
Iowa is starting to gain believers with each win. They have a feel of a team of destiny to me, because it seems like they are winning games they shouldn't. Iowa has another tough test this week traveling to Michigan St. The Spartans seem to have righted its ship since losing 3 straight early in the season. I like Michigan St, but I like Iowa a little bit more as the dream continues.
Upset Alert:
I am putting 2 SEC teams on upset alert this week. First, I am putting #9 LSU on upset alert because I believe their offense is pathetic. Auburn has stumbled the past 2 weeks, but this Auburn team is different than Tommy Tubberville's put you to sleep offense. They have some explosive plays in them and if they can get to the end zone a few times, LSU is in trouble.
#1 Florida, does not have the look or feel of the Gator teams that won National Championships the past few seasons. They lack the explosiveness in their offense. Do you realize that the Gators have not won in Starkville, MS since 1985??? Mississippi St's head coach is Dan Mullen, the Gators former Offensive Coordinator. One of the signature upsets of this season is Washington beating USC, which featured Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian (former USC offensive coordinator) beating his old boss Pete Carroll. I think Florida will survive, but I think it will be closer than the 23 point spread indicates.
A look at the NFL this season reveals more teams that have been uncompetitive than I can ever remember. One of the teams competing for the "worst team" distinction is my hometown Cleveland Browns. After a horrendous start, they have covered in the last 3 games. The Green Bay Packers come to town and I like to think that the Browns are done. They put D'Qwell Jackson on IR this week, and Shaun Rogers has not practiced as he has been quarantined with 11 other teammates with the flu. After seeing Pittsburgh throw for over 400 yards on this Browns team, I look for Aaron Rogers to light it up against the Browns.
Another good game is taking place in the state of Ohio as the Bears come to Cincinnati. After Houston's offense had a field day against the Bengals, I expect there defense to bounce back and cause a few turnovers against a very turnover prone team. Cedric Benson has had big days when the Bengals have needed it, and I expect this game to be no different.
Looking at the other big games on Sunday, Minnesota travels to Pittsburgh. I do not know whether to call it a Super Bowl hangover, but the Steelers have started 1-5 against the spread. The Steelers are struggling to find an identity and I believe the Vikings, who are humming right along, will win this game.
For my Stone Cold Lead Pipe Lock of the week, I like the GMen in the Sunday night game against Arizona. Arizona capable of making big plays and embarrassing the Giants defense like New Orleans did last week, but what makes New Orleans so dangerous is they have a balanced attack. Arizona is not trying to fool anybody, they are going throw the ball all over the field. I think the Giants defense will get to Kurt Warner, force a few turnovers and Eli Manning and will spread the ball around as the Giants win by more than 7.
Enjoy the Action!
My beloved Buckeyes look to rebound against a Minnesota team that has been struggling. I have been very disappointed in the offense this season, but if there is a game they are capable of breaking out it is this one. Even if the offense continues to stall, the Buckeyes D has been flying around all year making plays, no way the Buckeyes lose this game.
ESPN's College Gameday is going to Provo, UT to highlight #8 TCU vs #16 BYU. BYU has had a good season, beating Oklahoma in the 1st game of the season, but they have proven they are vulnerable at home by losing to Florida State. TCU is not a paper tiger. They have gone on the road and beaten BCS schools Virginia and Clemson. I think TCU edges out BYU.
I expect Bama to roll right over Tennessee. Mark Ingram is an animal and I believe the Crimson Tide's defense will be too much for Lane Kiffin's Volunteers.
Iowa is starting to gain believers with each win. They have a feel of a team of destiny to me, because it seems like they are winning games they shouldn't. Iowa has another tough test this week traveling to Michigan St. The Spartans seem to have righted its ship since losing 3 straight early in the season. I like Michigan St, but I like Iowa a little bit more as the dream continues.
Upset Alert:
I am putting 2 SEC teams on upset alert this week. First, I am putting #9 LSU on upset alert because I believe their offense is pathetic. Auburn has stumbled the past 2 weeks, but this Auburn team is different than Tommy Tubberville's put you to sleep offense. They have some explosive plays in them and if they can get to the end zone a few times, LSU is in trouble.
#1 Florida, does not have the look or feel of the Gator teams that won National Championships the past few seasons. They lack the explosiveness in their offense. Do you realize that the Gators have not won in Starkville, MS since 1985??? Mississippi St's head coach is Dan Mullen, the Gators former Offensive Coordinator. One of the signature upsets of this season is Washington beating USC, which featured Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian (former USC offensive coordinator) beating his old boss Pete Carroll. I think Florida will survive, but I think it will be closer than the 23 point spread indicates.
A look at the NFL this season reveals more teams that have been uncompetitive than I can ever remember. One of the teams competing for the "worst team" distinction is my hometown Cleveland Browns. After a horrendous start, they have covered in the last 3 games. The Green Bay Packers come to town and I like to think that the Browns are done. They put D'Qwell Jackson on IR this week, and Shaun Rogers has not practiced as he has been quarantined with 11 other teammates with the flu. After seeing Pittsburgh throw for over 400 yards on this Browns team, I look for Aaron Rogers to light it up against the Browns.
Another good game is taking place in the state of Ohio as the Bears come to Cincinnati. After Houston's offense had a field day against the Bengals, I expect there defense to bounce back and cause a few turnovers against a very turnover prone team. Cedric Benson has had big days when the Bengals have needed it, and I expect this game to be no different.
Looking at the other big games on Sunday, Minnesota travels to Pittsburgh. I do not know whether to call it a Super Bowl hangover, but the Steelers have started 1-5 against the spread. The Steelers are struggling to find an identity and I believe the Vikings, who are humming right along, will win this game.
For my Stone Cold Lead Pipe Lock of the week, I like the GMen in the Sunday night game against Arizona. Arizona capable of making big plays and embarrassing the Giants defense like New Orleans did last week, but what makes New Orleans so dangerous is they have a balanced attack. Arizona is not trying to fool anybody, they are going throw the ball all over the field. I think the Giants defense will get to Kurt Warner, force a few turnovers and Eli Manning and will spread the ball around as the Giants win by more than 7.
Enjoy the Action!
Welcome to my blog!
Hi All and welcome to my 1st blog! My goal for this blog is simple, to share my opinions about a topics that are important to me. If you are wondering if this blog is for you, here is a list of things that I am passionate about: family, friends, sports (especially fantasy sports!), TV, and good food!
Hope you enjoy!
Hope you enjoy!
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