Inside the head of a sports fanatic

Greetings everyone! It has been almost two weeks since my last entry. Life gets busy sometimes, especially when you're a restaurant general manager and a single father taking care of a three and a half year old that thinks he's seven. Anyways I thought it would be fun for everyone to take a dive into my brain and see what it's like viewing life through the eyes of a sports obsessed guy. So here goes...

So much time so little to do! Wait... strike that, reverse it! Tiger apologies. My opinion: he has a really, really good PR team writing for him. Like I've told people before, in this day and age, all famous need to do is apologize on TV, completely throw themselves at the mercy of the public, shoulder all the blame, and ask for forgiveness and support. I especially like when took a stand against the paparazzi and told them to leave his family alone. Very powerful stuff, and it will go a long way with people everywhere. I expect Woods to return sometime around June, three more months of training for the most colossal heckling he's about to receive should do it. Seriously though, you think college students are bad at sporting events? drunk 38 year old men at NFL games? Think again. We will see a whole new low of fan taunting when Woods returns to the PGA Tour. And my belief is most people will react with: that's so terrible, the man apologized give him a second chance. Yet they will keep their TV on and read every article about the jeers and jokes directed Tiger's way.

College basketball is really starting to heat up. Lots of great games left and right. Pitt defeated West Virginia in a triple overtime classic recently. UConn went into Villanova and handed the Cats their first home loss of the season. The Orangemen lost at home to Louisville. I'm telling you this will be one memorable March. The conference tourneys will be intense and the big dance is going to turn your world upside down. Selection Sunday is three weeks from Sunday, one of my favorite days of the year. I was checking out my boy Joe Lunardi's latest bracketology predictions and low and behold he has Purdue as the 4th number 1 seed. Anyone care to go back to my last article and see one of my darkhorse favorites for the Final Four is.... Purdue? Nuff said, my sports knowledge is unreal and unfair.

Spring Training is upon us. Pitchers and catchers reported 2 days ago, position players report on Monday and first official workout is scheduled for Wednesday the 24th, that is the schedule for my beloved BoSox at least. I really don't get too pumped for baseball for another month. The start of MLB 2010 regular season takes place at the greatest venue in sports - Fenway Park. Fate would have it that the Sox open and close their season in Beantown against a familiar foe, our bitter rivals, the defending champion Yankees. Personally, this is the smartest thing major league baseball has done in years. Start and end the season with the most intense rivalry in sports. Anytime the Sox n Yanks meet up it's an epic clash of titans. In one month's time I will extremely juiced up (sorry Canseco for stealing your line) for baseball and we'll breakdown the upcoming season for Boston and NY. Till then let's just sleep on beautiful thoughts such as A-rod striking out on three pitches in the ninth inning with the Fenway faithful going bonkers in the background. Now that's what I'm talking bout!

The NBA trade system needs some revamping and retooling. It's absolutely absurd to me that Cleveland can retrieve one of the essential players in 30 days that they just gave away in a trade. Just makes the entire trade a joke. Go ahead, ask Phil Jackson or Doc Rivers. They'll give spirited responses. With that said, I think the Cavs made a big mistake. Reports throughout all-star weekend had Amare heading to Cleveland to pair with King James and form an unstoppable tandem. Instead they chose Antwan Jamison. This move could prove deadly on two counts: 1 - it could cause them a championship. Stoudemire was the missing piece to the puzzle. Now they will have to rely on an aging Shaq, who is a shell of his former self. I for one can't wait to see how he performs in the playoffs. Jamison is 33 years old and has never played for a team with such huge expectations. Undoubtedly the Cavs will head into the playoffs for the 2nd consecutive year as the favorite to represent the East in the Finals. We all saw what happened last year when the world penciled in Kobe and Lebron to meet up, my boys, the Magic, spoiled the party. I have good reason to believe the same thing could happen this year. Orlando has one of the deepest teams in the league, next to the Lakers. And last time I checked, LA plays in the Western Conference. Case in point, watch an NBA game this Sunday. The Magic host the Cavs in what should be a great game and most likey a preview of the Eastern Conf. Finals. Cleveland won the most recent matchup but that was in the friendly confines of Ohio. Best thing to remember about the NBA is that the real season starts in April, when the playoffs begin. Till then enjoy some dunks here and there and the occasional nail-biter between two powerhouse teams.

Lastly, the NFL Draft is on the horizon. It's amazing that the NFL has become so damn popular that people get so amped up for an event where no live sport takes place. It's astounding. And just think, we might not have football in the fall of 2011! Unbelieveable? yes. Preposterous? absolutely. Impossible? unfortunately not. Personally, I'm preparing myself for a lockout. The owners and players are both stuck on their sides of the spectrum and neither appears like they will budge any time soon. I know we have a whole season to go but the comments we are hearing from players high up in the union are extremely discouraging. Here's an interesting point of view on this situation: 1) The NFL is a multi-BILLION dollar business for starters but let's pretend it's a regular business. Imagine an employee telling their boss, "hey I want to see all the paperwork from 2009 on income, profits, losses, etc." What would the boss say? Imagine if a boss went to an employee and said "Hey can you take a slight paycut so we can enhance our facilities to ensure our growth in the future?" Interesting questions right? Well the first question is what the players are asking of the owners. The second question is what the owners aren't asking, they are demanding of the players. Owners say too many teams have lost money in recent years and the costs of new stadiums are ballooning at an exponential rate. Players feel they are being misled by the owners and want to see the proof of these losses, requesting to see financial statements for each team. I just can't believe a business that creates BILLIONS of dollars annually can't look at the harsh reality of today: we make a lot of money, more than a lot of money, people love our product, the demand for our product is at an all-time high, we can't risk our image and lose the faith of our fans, let's compromise and find a happy medium for the sake of this long-time American sport and the desire of our die-hard fans. Sadly, I believe the rich just want to get richer and once greed sets in there's not a whole that can be done. What happened to the fat cat CEOs on Wall Street when the housing market crashed? Now I'm not saying the NFL will crash, but if football does not take place in the fall of 2011 it will take a serious hit. We are a year and a half away from this devastating, possible catastrophe. For now, let's just enjoy the draft and try to understand exactly what the hell is going to happen in this "uncapped" season.

That's enough for now. Gotta get ready for work and the lil guy is tearing my house apart. Hopefully the next article will come sooner than two weeks. Till then, enjoy college basketball Saturday. Lots of good games today, upset special to watch for: Vandy over Kentucky. UK has been on a roll, especially with the likes of John Wall flying all over the court. Something just tells me to expect a big home win for the Commodores. Happy basketball season everyone! The countdown for March Madness is on!

Super Sunday and my top ten debuts

It's been a while since my last blog, I apologize for my hiatus. Today is one of my favorite days of the year: SuperBowl Sunday! The best and worst day. It's the greatest because we get to watch two teams fight for NFL supremacy, but extremely sad due to the fact that we won't have any meaningful football games until September, damn that hurts just saying that out loud. But let's focus on the positive. I thought I would discuss the top 10 things on my mind lately, and let you get into the head of a sports fanatic! SuperBowl pick lies ahead. Let's dive in...

10) Golf without Tiger Woods is really boring: I have a hard time getting into golf already. Actually in all honesty I can't stand when people come to my restaurant and request golf on tv. However with Tiger at least there's someone who can capture your interest in only the way truly special athletes are able to. It will be very interesting to see how the public reacts when he finally resurfaces. I predict we will get an on camera apology in the next month, followed by a mediocore performance at the first tournament he participates in, but be cautious. Does anyone remember what A-Rod did went through controversy? He only went on to the Yanks back to the promiseland and win his first championship. People will be very critical and judgemental of Tiger at first, but don't forget this is the 2010 version of America. We love drama. We enjoy watching someone fall and fall hard Tiger did no doubt about that. Yet we also admire those who pick themselves back up and rise to the occasion to achieve greatness. Should be a wild, fun ride watching Tiger on the PGA Tour in 2010, just sayin.

9) Lannnnnne Kiffin, it's time, you got that right: I personally found it amusing how angry and upset the people of Tennessee got when they lost this snake. I'm not particularly fond of Kiffin, especially after the way he went after Gator coach Urban Meyer with false accusations almost immediately upon his arrival in Volunteer state. Funny that Kiffin was the one the NCAA ended up investigating isn't it? He left Tenn high and dry and that the most crucial part of the year, the week before signing day. The Vols survived and USC got their man. Who is else is rooting for a USC/Tenn bowl game in December? Talk about some good drama!

8) Scott Brown pulls the upset of the decade at the final hour: you all know I'm not one for politics. I just couldn't help but like the way Brown approached the situation. Apparently Kennedy's widow kept saying over and over again in publications, "we need everyone's help to save Kennedy's seat". Upon hearing this Brown fired up enough massholes to vote in his direction with a strong a statement as any, "It's not the Kennedy seat, it's the peoples' seat!" Should be quite interesting to see how this affects the world of politics this year and next!

7) Beware the ides of March: As football winds down, basketball is in full bloom. Pro ball won't be interesting until late April when the playoffs begin. Till then we will have plenty of exciting college basketball to keep us entertained, especially when rivalry games are played. There's already been a ton of upsets and don't see it stopping anytime soon. March Madness will hopefully be extra mad this year causing bracketbusters all around the country. Nothng beats days one and two of the tournament. 32 games in 2 days! Sounds like heaven to me! If I had to give you my Final Four favs right now I would go with: Kansas, Syracuse, Kentucky, and Michigan State. However, darkhorse favorites have to be West Virginia and even Purdue.

6) NFL 2011 season... cancelled: WHAT THE $#&*#$@!?!? Ok take a deep breath everyone. That statement is not true... at least not yet. The looming war between players and owners has already begun. The owners say the players are getting too much of the pie right now. Players know they have a great thing going for them right now. The sport produces over $8 BILLION!!! Can you believe that? What a crazy amount of money! Don't point a finger at anyone though, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We created this beast and now must deal with the idea of losing it for a short period of time. The players say the owners want a lockout. Sources say the NFL owners would still get $5 Billion from tv contracts even if no football is played in 2011. This situation needs to be monitored closely. The first domino to fall will be on March 5 when the 2010 season will officially be a uncapped year if no deal is in place. With no salary cap there is no floor or ceiling. No player mininum or maximum. There will be certain restrictions on free agents. Basically chaos will slowly begin. Don't worry I'll keep an eye on all this for you.

5) NBA superstar sweepstakes is only 4 months away: Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki just to name a few. All of these incredible players will be on the free agent market able to sign with any team they like. Lebron and Wade figure to be at the top of the class. Many believe King James is on his way out of Cleveland. I think he'll test the waters and ultimately end up back in Ohio. The craziest rumors I heard is that Bron n Bosh are trying to go to the same city. Now that's an idea. Either way, this summer figures to be filled with lots of breaking news updates on ESPN with where Lebron's private jet landed, who had dinner with, etc etc. I'll be watching Mr. Wade to see if he leaves Miami for oh I don't know, say Dallas?

4) College football needs a playoff system, says Mr. Prez: Now we all know how important the spots world is to me. I tell people all the time that I don't watch CNN. I watch the real news, ESPN. After all that being said, what the heck is our president doing focusing on bringing a playoff system to college football? Didn't we elect him to handle all that politics garbage so we can focus on the good stuff - sports?! I appreciate his efforts but c'mon Obama get this country going in the right direction and leave the pigskin problems to men like Kirk Herbstreit, Chris Fowler, Mel Kiper Jr., hell even Lee Corso! Would I love to see a playoff system for college football? Absolutely. Do I expect to see it in the next 5-7 years? Not a chance. The current system is setup perfectly to handle all the money brought in by college football. I understand the situation and how it affects the sport. The regular season is one giant playoff tournament. Like it or hate it, it is what it is. I just think our president should leave sports to us and focus on creating more jobs, fixing our economy or even fixing the mortgage situation so people like me can live with just a regualar amount of stress in life instead of the current super-stress environment that is currently engulfing our nation. Ok that's all. How did I get back to politics? No more, I promise.

3) As Favre's world turns begins its next season in March: It's almost that time of the year where we start guessing what America's favorite gunslinger will do. My guess is he finally hangs up his pads. Anyone happen to see his last game? Sure he hates his last throw of the game, a back-breaking interception that sealed the Vikings fate in regulation and gave the Saints new life in overtime. What felt like moments later, Favre sat on his bench and could only watch the New Orleans players and fans rejoiced together as the Saints clinched their first-ever berth in the NFL's big dance. But more importantly did you see how badly the Saints D beat up the 40 year old QB. Brett took some vicious hits that would have sidelined many a player. But the notoriously tough Favre played the entire game and fought through all his teammates fumbles, coming up just 3 points short of achieving his goal of making SuperBowl XLIV. Now what does he do? Come back for one more year to try and lead the Vikes to the big show? My first instinct tells me he retires due to the punishment his body took this season, particularly his last game. However, my gut tells me Favre's competitve juices are still flowing and maybe even stronger than ever. Don't be suprised to hear in July that he's flying on a jet to Minnesota, and that same day we see that old, familiar face on tv, grey beard and all, coming back for 'one more year'. As I said - As Favre's world turns!

2) World Cup 2010 is almost here: To be honest with you I don't know a lot about soccer. I wish I knew more. I really never used to get into the World Cup until 2006. I thoroughly enjoyed cheering for Italy and loved watching them hoist the trophy at the tourney's end. (I actually was running through the kitchen at Truffles yelling "VIVA ITALIA!!" much to the dislike of the cooks.) I wish I could tell you who the favorite is this year, but I can't even tell you that. Obviously Brazil is always a contender but beyond that your guess is as good as mine. As we closer to this worldwide event, more info will come. Till then you know who I'll be rooting for at least: VIVA ITALIA!

1) Superbowl XLIV: This game could have been one for the ages. Just imagine for a minute if both Jim Caldwell and Sean Payton had the same brass cockiness and swagger that Bill Belichick had in 2007 and pushed their teams in the final weeks instead of resting them. We could have had a meeting of two 18-0 teams, talk about a super matchup. And if that's not enough, the game is taking place in the home of the only undefeated team in the history of football: Miami. What an unbelievable scene. The 72 Dolphins remain the only team ever to start and finish a season unblemished. Truly, this game really could have been the greatest game ever played. We would have been guaranteed the first 19-0 team in the history of the league. Instead we'll just have to deal with watching the two hottest offenses in the league go back and forth. I'm just hoping it's not a blowout. Understand I am pulling for the Saints 100% but that doesn't mean I believe they'll win. Unfortunately for the city of New Orleans, Archie's oldest son is playing the best football of his career right now. Watching Peyton Manning on the field right now is like watching Jordan in the final minute of a game, Michael Phelps on the last leg of a race or Lance Armstrong in the mountains. These athletes have the incredible rare ability to rise above all others in their sport and perform at a level very few reach. Manning truly is in a class of his own. Personally, I don't like the Colts and I can't stand Peyton as he leads my team's rival. But regardless of if you love him or hate him, you have to respect him. I believe the Saints will learn this by the end of Sunday night. Dwight Freeney's injury could be devastating to the Colts defense but the game's most important player will play. Manning's experience combined with his physical and mental dominance should lead the Colts to a win. I love the story of WHO DAT nation but I just don't see the Saints D getting critical stops when they need to. Darren Sharper needs to make big plays throughout the game and Brees must lead his team to touchdowns every time they touch the football. I envision the Colts flying out of the gate on their way to a double digit lead. Initially the Saints might struggle with the big stage but the game will be won in the 4th quarter. Both the Colts and Saints played games on this field earlier in the season. Indy only scored 13 points through the first three quarters, but torched the Miami D for two late TDs to win the game by 4. The Saints on the other hand were getting massacred by the Dolphins, trailing by 21 at one point in the first half. However, Brees led a furious rally, outscoring Miami 36-10 in the 2nd half, including 22 points in the fourth quarter alone. I believe we might see a similar New Orleans rally late but Peyton is too good right now with the game on the line and the ball in his hands. I mean, c'mon the guy calls his own plays for crying out loud!!! Let's look forward to a high-scoring, competitive game but in the end Indy wins by a score of 38-33, winning their 2nd championship in four years. And so the debates will begin about who is the better QB: Brady or Manning. Let's leave that one for another day shall we? I'm already having a hard enough time dealing with the Colts' success this season. No need to throw salt in my wounds right? Happy SuperBowl Sunday everyone!

Fearless predictions for championship sunday

We are less than 13 hours away from knowing the matchup of Superbowl XLIV. Championship sunday has always been one of my favorite days. It's an awesome day but also a sad one. Awesome because there's two great games to watch. However, depressing at the same time because after Championship Sunday there's only one game left and then we must wait a very long, painful seven months for the next meaningful football game. Yikes! The sound of that statement just hurts.
The final four for the 2009-10 season consists of: Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings, and yes, indeed, the New York Jets. Four teams + two spots up for grabs = one helluva day of football! I am super-stoked to watch lots of football Sunday beginning at 3pm, ending somewhere around 10pm. First game: Colts vs. Jets. Best regular season quarterback Peyton Manning leads his team against the upstart underdogs that came out of nowhere. Led by a rookie QB how much of a chance do they really have? Actually, a pretty good one. I see this game going one of two ways. 1) Indy gets out to a quick 14-0 lead, the Jets go away from the gameplan of running the ball and Sanchez turns the ball over a couple times, 24-3 Colts at the half and thirty minutes later Manning is all smiles.... or.... 2) Tight game throughout the first 45 minutes. 4th quarter rolls around and the Jets get a monstrous turnover that leads to points and then one of the their beast running backs tacks on a TD for some breathing room, the defense holds and the Jets pull off one of the biggest upsets in NFL history. I don't know why but I have a bad feeling we'll be seeing Rex Ryan smiling ear to ear at his press conference after the game sayin, "I told you we would be in the Superbowl." I went 1-3 last week in my picks, let's hope I'm wrong on this one - Jets 24 Colts 20.
NFC Championship: Vikings at Saints. This game will be the first ever NFC Championship game hosted by New Orleans. The Saints are one of the few teams in the NFL that have never played in the Superbowl. Think about it for a minute. The rowdy crowd down in the bayou behind their fans like never before with such a huge prize on the line. Only one small problem. On the other side of the field stands a man who's been there before. At 40 years old, Brett Favre knows he doesn't have much time left. He understands he must make the most of his opportunities. That's what makes this game so crucial for him and the Minnesota Vikings. The up and down season of the Vikes all came together last week in a playoff game against Dallas. Minnesota held the the hated Cowboys to a measly 3 points and Favre threw 4 touchdown passes. The most impressive part of their game was their defense that harassed Tony Romo all day long, never allowing him to get comfortable. I don't see them doing this to Drew Brees. This game is on the road and I believe that will be the deciding factor for the Vikings as they struggled all season away from the Metrodome. Look for a high scoring game but in the end the Vikes won't be able to keep up with the potent Saints offense. Their will be an unreal party down in the bayou tonight, wish I could be there. New Orleans 42, Vikings 28.
This sets up a New Orleans vs. New York Jets Superbowl in Miami. I sure do hope I'm wrong about the Colts/Jets game. I bet everyone does. The world wants to see the two high scoring offenses face off on the biggest stage. I just worry that Ryan and the Jets didn't get the memo. Happy Championship Sunday everyone! Enjoy the games!

Colts forced to face monster they created

I've been wrong before and I'll be wrong again. After all I'm not perfect, only human. I like to analyze games, matchups, players, coaches, strategies, etc. However I must admit to you all that was 100% WRONG about one particular team. Maybe my personal feelings blinded me? Perhaps my hatred prevented me from seeing the big picture? Either way I was way off when it comes to the playoff success of the most red-hot team in the league right now, the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS! Wow what a performance by New York! (God it pains me to say this, I'm biting down hard on a piece of wood right now to ease the pain) I chastised their first year coach when, during the first week of the playoffs, he said "we should be favored to win the Superbowl". Rex, I'm sorry for doubting you, I should have listened. I laughed at the regular season stats of rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, even went so far as to proclaim to fellow co-workers that "this is a quarterback's league and Sanchez has no business being the playoffs." Apparently, I forgot to take my crazy pills that day. Interestingly enough, Sanchez threw the game changing TD pass in the fourth quarter Sunday evening in a hostile environment to give the Jets their first lead of the game. Although the former USC quarterback did throw one interception, the crafty defensive player of the year runner-up, Darelle Revis, made arguably the most unbelievable play of the postseason when he somehow managed to keep the football off the ground on a jump ball of the fingertips of the Chargers' Vincent Jackson. Another Rivers interception, and a bulldozing run by rookie Shonn Greene put the Jets up 1-pts and they went on to win by 3 in one of the biggest playoff upsets in recent history.

Remember, I HATE all New York teams. Ask my cousins, I was screaming, ranting, pacing all througout their house watching this game. After getting all my personal emotions out (trust me it took a while) I started analyzing this unforseen run of the J-E-T-S. Unexpected. Gut-wrenching. Unreal confidence. Relentless defense. Persistent running attack. Heart of a champion? All of these phrases describe this young team of New York. The last one remains to be seen of course until February 7th in Miami. I will tell you right now: the Jets are going to Superbowl XLIV. Let's go back to Week 15. The Indianapolis Colts were 14-0, riding the NFL's longest winning regular season streak in the history of the game and preparing to become the 2nd team ever to go 16-0. The matchup would be: Jets vs. Colts in Indy. New York had just lost their previous game at home, virtually knocking them out of the playoffs, alive only mathmatically due to tiebreakers n such. Throughout the week, Rex Ryan made multiple comments through the media encouraging the Colts to rest Peyton Manning. The game began with Manning on the field for Indy. After a very competitive first half, the Colts were clinging to a 15-10 lead midway through the 3rd quarter, and then... it happened. The single most important decision this season (If you would have asked me this question before the game I would have said Belichick's 4th and 2 choice took the cake but thankfully the focus is no longer on my vanished Patriots).
The decision made by the Colts' first year head coach, Jim Caldwell, will surely go down as one of the most questionable calls in the history of the NFL. Go for it on 4th down? Nope. Challenge a fumble decision by a referee? Way off. The choice to sit the NFL MVP with your 14-0 team about 24 minutes away from acheiving a 15-0 record. Caldwell decided to 'rest' Peyton Manning and put rookie Curtis Painter in the middle of a hurricane on the field. A few Painter turnovers later, a fiesty homecrowd, a bunch of pissed off Colts starters, and the NY Jets got what they came for: a win. The loss for the Colts derailed their thoughts of a perfect season, ended their NFL regular season record winning streak, and sent shockwaves all throughout Indy. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. Peyton had defeated Brady, Belichick and Co. The Colts had come back to win in Baltimore. Every time a team challenged them, Manning had an answer. The Colts were unflappable. They were 'perfect' until... the decision.
In a game that meant everything to the Jets and should of meant everything to the Colts, clearly it didn't. The Jets were playing for their lives in this game and threw everything they had at the Colts. Indy had the game in control and then abruptly decided winning the game wasn't all that important. I agree with Tedy Bruschi. I believe the Colts coaching staff was scared. Scared of the idea of going 16-0 and having that 'monkey' on their back in the playoffs. We saw a team go into the Superbowl at 18-0 a few years ago and... yada yada yada they fear the pursuit of perfection. (Don't even try to go there, I'm warning you) To pick up where we left off, the Jets went on to win the game thus changing everything in the AFC playoff picture. The Colts' record fell to 14-1, the Jets used the win as a springboard for their four game winning streak in which they beat and physically dominated four division winners, and the controversy began.
Fast forward to yesterday. 1:15 left in the game, the Jets clinging to a three point lead. Fourth and one inside the San Diego 35 yard line. CBS did a great job of catching Rex Ryan immediately after the 3rd down run. "We're going for it!" screamed the NY head coach. One final run for the Jets, one last display of unreal confidence, one last yard to gain. As Thomas Jones ran for the last first down of the game, you know Jim Caldwell was sitting somewhere in Indianapolis somewhere saying "Oh shi#!" Peyton locked up somewhere is his hidden Manningcave rolling his eyes in digust, cursing out his head coach with the words "I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME IN THE GAME!!!" I believe Rex Ryan said it best once again with the simple words "Well it may not be the matchup everyone wanted to see but too bad, get ready, HERE WE COME!"
Despite all the predictions by countless sports analysts, the New York football Jets are going to the AFC Championship game. And you heard it here first: The Jets will be in the Superbowl February 7th in Landshark Stadium. The football gods are paying back the Colts. Everyone who was soo upset in Indy about the Colts saying thanks but no thanks to a perfect season, just wait, you'll be seething Sunday evening about, oh say 615pm. I honestly believe the Jets will go into Indy the more confident team with absolutely nothing to lose. Fans of football all around the globe who were angry about the Colts and Bengals laying down for the Jets the last two weeks allowing them acceptance in the 12-team postseason tournament, get over it. The Jets are for real, especially that defense. Indy will realize they should have eliminated New York back in Week 15. Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong. One thing is for sure: every single Colts player will be thinking about the what if factor at some point this week. Imagine this moment: It's the 4th quarter in the AFC Championship game. The game is tied at 13 and Shonn Greene runs for a 30 yard TD to put NY up by 7 with 5 minutes to go. Peyton comes on the field, only to be picked off by Darelle Revis on the Jets 20 yard line. As Peyton walks up the field, he looks up at the clock, shaking his head in disbelief, horror, and shock. Shocked that their magical season has come to a close at the hands of a team that should never have been there. A team that they should have eliminated back in December. A team that has played with much more confidence, swagger, and conviction. The Colts used to be this team. The wish they were still that team. Too bad their coach didn't decide to embrace the pursuit of perfection, instead choosing to buckle under pressure and pass on the challenge of being the undisputed NFL champion ever.

NFL Playoff Predictions: Divisional Round

Chris Berman calls it 'the best weekend of football'. When the big boys come out to play. The best four teams in football had a week off to rest and now they are ready to fight. We'll start with the first game of the weekend: Cardinals vs. Saints. This game will be played in New Orleans and just like the bayou I have a feeling it's gonna get crazy. Last time we saw the Cards they were scoring every way possible against the Packers. I believe they start this game just as hot and really put pressure on the Saints. What I also expect is the Saints to struggle to get some momentum going. It's been quite sometime since they've played meaningful football. However, as the third quarter finishes up I believe Brees n Co. start firing on all cylinders. This game will come down to clutch defense in the fourth quarter, who can get a stop. Seeing the Cardinals defense give up play after play after play last week late in the game wasn't encouraging. However, the Saints losing a 17 point lead at home to the lowly Buccaneers in their last home game was quite unnerving. Bottom line: Saints peaked too early this year, Kurt Warners is playing inspired football. Arizona wins 41-38.
Ravens travel to Indy to battle Manning and the Colts. What an instant classic this game will be! Second time this two teams will face each other this year. Lasting image from previous game in Baltimore? Peyton throws a TD pass to Dallas Clark on a fade route where the ball is lofted perfectly over the defense only for the Indy TE to catch the ball with ONE hand. Ridiculous catch, one of the best this season. The Colts would win the game 17-15. Flacco threw a pick on Baltimore's final drive to end the game. The Ravens settled for field goals ALL day, they actually kicked five of them, no touchdowns. That will not get it done if they want to win tonight. I believe if the Ravens are to win the game, their defense has to set up their offense. Last week in NE, Ray Lewis and friends bothered Tom Brady unlike we've ever seen before in a playoff game. Obviously they will try to rattle Manning the same way. But Peyton has a few more weapons at his use than Brady, and I expect him to use them early and often. Peyton loves to throw and that's been the Ravens achilles heel all season: cornerback. Dallas Clark has been the thorn in the opposing defense's side all season, and I don't see it playing out differently this week.
Another huge part of this game is Baltimore's running game. The offensive line was a group to be reckoned with last week. If they can domintate the Colts' front four the same way Saturday evening we may have a very intriguing ball game. Joe Flacco isn't playing at 100% but hey who is this time of year? He only threw for 34 yards last week against the Pats, he will need a much better effort this time. X factor in this game? RR. Ray Rice. He's been on fire the last few weeks and if can play the game of his life we may just see the greatest upset in Ravens history. However, I predict Manning will be ready for this one, especially after he was pulled prematurely when his team was less than 2 quarters away from going 15-0. The Colts offense scores touchdowns, once again, the Ravens only put up field goals. Indy advances, 21-16.
Dallas visits Minnesota. Talk about a monster matchup. This game is exactly the reason the Vikes worked so hard to get Favre, to win this game. The Cowboys come into this game red hot. Their defense has been staggering as of late, shutting down the Eagles twice, and evening handling the Saints in their own building. Minnesota has been terribly inconsistent the last four to six weeks. Biggest problem for Vikings - Adrian Peterson inability to get going. If AP can't put the petal to the metal in this game and the offense relies solely on Favre, things will not go well for the Vikes. We all know Brett presses too much in big games and I feel a turnover or two by him will setup big scores for the Cowboys. Tony Romo is playing like a man among boys. I have been particularly impressed with his composure in games of huge magnitude. He doesn't appear flappable like he was in previous seasons. The quarterback position is the X factor to me. Again, Favre likes to take chances and I see this ultimately leading to his demise. The Dallas D will keep Peterson in check and force some key turnovers. Romo leads his team on the road, in a hostile environment to a huge playoff win. Dallas over Minn 31-24.
Last but not least, San Diego welcomes the NY Jets. I'd like to say I see this as a closely played, intense matchup. But I just don't see it. The Chargers come into this game as cool as the other side of the pillow, winners of their last 11 games, WOW! Tomlinson is no longer the focal point, this is Philip Rivers' team. The former Wolfpack quarterback had an MVP type season and appears poised to take his group on a run. The Jets have been playing their best football of the season but I don't think they go any farther. Sure they can run the ball extremely well, Shonne Green may be the next big thing. However, when you're trailing early in a game it's very hard to stay dedicated to the run game. Down early? Don't they have the league's best defense? Yes they have the #1 ranked D in the NFL. But they haven't seen a team like this before. The receivers from SD are among the tallest in the league and Rivers loves throwing jump balls. The Jets blitz regularly, thus leaving one-on-one coverage all around the field. Revis will blanket one receiver but if he chooses Vincent Jackson, look for Antonio Gates to have a career day. So let's just say the Chargers go up 13-0 in this game, then New York will be forced to ask Sanchez to make some plays with his arm. Unfortunately for Jets fans, Sanchez isn't quite ready yet. He will be one day, maybe in a few years. As much as I hate to admit it, the Jets are playing great right now, and their coaches are drawing up sensational gameplans. Even a great gameplan though doesn't spell success against a stronger team. The Chargers play super in this game as Rivers leads them to their 12th consecutive victory. SD over NY 31-17.
There you have it. Two upsets in the NFC, combined with the two home wins in the AFC. Here's an interesting thought for you: homefield advantage means everything this time of year right? Well, not really. Did you know that in the last 4 years, home teams in the divisional round of the playoffs are only 7-9!? The road team actually has a better winning percentage?! Crazy I agree! Unbelieveable? Not really. It just goes to show you that if a team is on a roll it doesn't matter where they play.
I leave you with one parting shot. Everyone makes their predictions, experts pick the winners, and teams are penciled in for the Superbowl. But we really don't have a clue what's gonna happen. It's like our dear friend Chris Berman says, "And that's why... they play the games!" Happy playoff football weekend everyone!

Quick thoughts for today

• May God be with all the people that have been affected by the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Seems like these awful disasters keep happening every couple of years, might the world really be coming to an end in December 2012?
• Lane Kiffin hired on as USC's head coach. Apparently people in Knoxville aren't too happy with Mr. Kiffin's decision. He coached there for one year, recorded 7 wins, and bolted back to the west coast in stunning fashion. If you are curious about how upset Volunteer fans are, and foul language doesn't bother you please click the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYAsxnRaTAg
• One more thought about the above link: this is a prime example of someone taking sports WAYYYY too far! Understand me, I'm a sports fanatic and damn proud of it! I love my teams and sports in general. I enjoy fantasy sports as well. The important thing to remember is that it's a form of entertainment. Not life or death. When people let others influence them so much, especially to the point of our friend above 'BigVolDaddy', only bad things will happen. Life is too short to get that upset over a coach leaving your team. Wouldn't you also think, well let's get someone here who really actutally wants to be here and not somewhere else? Nuff said on this topic.
• College hoops are heating up. Clemson spanked UNC last night, thoroughly enjoyable for every Wolfpack fan, including myself. Big East basketball appears as strong as ever. NC State even got a road win a few nights ago, getting huge contributions from a rookie! How bout that?
• Kobe Bryant's hurt: broken finger, bad back spasms... and he still manages to hit the game winner!? C'mon MAN!!! Gimme a break! This guy is unreal!
• NFL Playoffs resume on Saturday evening in New Orleans, then Indy. Looking forward to a couple upsets possibly?
• Saw the movie 'Taken' last night. Great suspense thriller. However, I was left with a sick feeling in my stomach for quite some time after. This move is extremely disturbing because it leaves you wondering: Does this really go on overseas? Unfortunately, we live in such a sick world, it wouldn't suprise me one bit.
• Mets superstar Carlos Beltran has knee surgery and doesn't tell the team. WHAT!? Talk about ultimate miscommunication. Actually, correction, NO communication at all. I don't understand how this happens. Boston went through similar issues with Matsuzaka last season. Why do these players feel the need to be dishonest with their bosses? These athletes are making unreal $$$$ and yet they have to 'hide' their physical state? You know the Mets coaching staff can't like the start of 2010.
• The idea of a NFL lockout is 2011 is unfortunately very realistic. Scary actually how close we inch to this catastrophe each and every day. Like I was explaining to someone earlier in the week, greedy owners want more, players want more, and neither side is willing to give ground. Players insist owners have been preparing for a lockout for almost 2 years. Regardless of who is behind it, ultimately, the fans will be left wanting more from the sport that is easily at the top of the worldwide totem pole of sports. Can you imagine... no fantasy football!?! WHAT!?!?!?
• That's it, that's all! Have a great day! Playoff previews and predictions coming soon!

Jets suprise Bengals, Ravens stun Pats

Alright I said in my last article that I needed some additional time to gather my thoughts. I'm ready. First of all: The NY Jets are in the divisional round of the playoffs!? Are you kidding me right now? Not to mention that I loathe this team but in all fairness, no one picked the Jets to be sitting here, one win away from the AFC Championship game. It's so hard to be unbiased sometimes, especially when you really REALLY hate a city and every team that's affiliated with it. But I've grown up some and I'm trying my best to give you an honest, realistic sports evaluation... here goes...
The Cincinnati Bengals were dominated in every single way last weekend in a terrible loss to the Jets. Carson Palmer started the game well but then as things progressed the New York defense started to dictate everything. Cedric Benson ran the ball with great heart and produced some big plays, if not for him I'm not so sure the Bengals break single digits in the score column. But if you want to call anyone a lame duck, say the name Shayne Graham, Cincy's kicker. Unbelievable how much this guy choked Saturday afternoon! You just felt bad watching him react to his mistakes. With all the men standing on sideline wearing team colors, Shayne looked awfully lonely towards the end of the game when he was sitting on the pine by himself. The Bengals peaked too early in the year and weren't expected to do anything big this postseason (unless you live in Ohio).
Now let's breakdown the play of the Jets: WOW. New York looked very strong in all facets of their game, maybe the lone exception in the punting unit where Feeley took over while the regular guy was out with a injury. The defense was nasty, rough, and intimidating. Revis held Ochocinco in check once again, collecting one INT in the process. I think we witnessed a star being born watching Shonne Green bulldoze over the Cincy defenders early and often throughout the game. The Jets offensive line played one of their best games of the year. Last but not least let's discuss young QB Sanchez and the coaches. Sanchez looked sharp thanks in no small part to a amazing gameplan by the coaching staff. Placing a heavy emphasis on the run, the Jets coaching staff instructed Mark to keep it simple: be careful with the football and execute the gameplan. Sanchez did one better by safeguarding the pigskin and throwing a TD pass to a wide open tight end in the first half. The plan was ingenious: limit touches for Sanchez, play tough, physical defense, and run, run, RUN!!! Jets seem to be playing their best football of the year as they head west to visit the Chargers. We'll preview this game later in the week.
The story of the 2009 New England Patriots. What a crazy dramatic one it was! Had all the makings of a true drama: hero (Brady), villian (Adalius Thomas) , victim (Welker), I could go on and on. The worst part of dramas though, is they come to a screaching halt at one point or another. The massacre that took place in Foxboro Sunday was a huge shock to many around the league. Baltimore came in and took it strong to New England from the very beginning. The Ravens received the ball and on their first offensive play of the game Ray Rice ran 83 yards for a TD. To make things even worse on the first series for the Patriots, Terrell Suggs stripped the ball right out of Brady's hands giving the ball to the dirty birds in New England territory. Needless to say, 24 first quarter points by the Ravens, 4 Tom Brady turnovers, no NE pass rush, and disappearance by Randy Moss yet again in a playoff game = a giant, disappointing finish for the Patriots. The first thing that needs to be acknowledged is the play of the Baltimore Ravens. From start to finish the Ravens played lights out, fired-up football. They were the agressors all day and deserved to win. Ray Lewis had commented earlier that this was the most complete team he has ever played on, hard to disagree with him. Baltimore avenged their early season loss at Foxboro and beat the Pats for the first time ever (Balt was previously 0-5 all-time against NE). Now the Ravens move on to bigger and better things, gathering great momentum from this game heading into a showdown with the number one team in the league, the 14-2 Indianapolis Colts. Wouldn't suprise me one bit if Ray Lewis & Co are smiling once again this upcoming weekend. Anyone remember who the Steelers beat in last year's AFC Champ game? The Titans? Nope. It was the Ravens that went into Tennessee the previous week and beat the then league best Titans on their field. Interesting isnt' it? I am looking forward to this weekend's monster matchup with Indy and expect another barn burner.
And now we dissect the New England Patriots. Oh my Patriots. They looked overmatched, outsmarted, outplayed, and just plain beatup. As I watched with horror as my beloved team was being beaten sideways I started to remember the good 'ole days. Brady throwing for a touchdown after a long, ten play drive. The Pats defense clamping down on the opponents running game and forcing a three and out whenever necessary. Clutch kicking at crucial points of the game to provide a mental edge. Tough, gritty players that refused to crumble in the face of adversity. A coach who was always one step ahead of the opponent with creative gameplans. All of these wonderful, feel-good statements are done. They have run their course. The Patriots are not the Patriots from 2001-2008. They are only a fragment of a former championship caliber team that is headed for rebuilding.
Sure the Patriots have Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker (who we shouldn't expect to see until 2011 sadly). However, beyond these three there is an abundance of youth. On the defensive side of the ball, three of the Pats best playmakers, Vince Wilfork, Tully Banta-Cain, and Leigh Bodden are free agents. The Patriots are stocked well with draft picks for the NFL Draft in April but I feel like we could be in for another disappointing season next year. Understand one thing though, a "disappointing season" for a Patriots fan is a great season to most other NFL fans. If you are a Patriot or a fan of the Pats you expect to be playing for a SuperBowl championship. Anything less is a disappointment. That is what we have come to expect in the last 9 years. I must say 4 Superbowl appearances in 6 years is pretty damn good and 3 Superbowl wins is a huge accomplishment. However, it's never easy to accept the eventual downfall.
It's the law of gravity: what goes up, must come down. Like my best friend Jason told me in college - "Enjoy the highs Mike, cause while you're up everything's going great and awesome. Just remember though you'll eventually have to come down and sometimes those valleys can be awfully deep but perservere through the tough times because you will rise up once again." I guess that's my message to Patriots fans everywhere: We've had a great run at the top. We've been on the top of the mountain for a long time and it's been fantastic! But that time is coming to a close. We got knocked off the mountain last Sunday and it hurt like hell. I know Belichick will work harder than ever to get the most out of our players, draft smart, talented players in the draft, and Brady will work diligently to get back to where he needs to be in terms of health accuracy. Just remember the higher you go, the harder you fall. My support for the Patriots will not falter and I will always love my team. We will be back NFL, at some point down the road, Tom Brady and the nasty Pats will be back to run all over everyone once again. When that time comes though... will remain TBD. To be determined...
Looking ahead to this weekend we have some awesome games to break down. Saints hosting Arizona, Ravens visit Indy, San Diego welcomes the Jets, and perhaps the marquee matchup: Dallas at Minnesota. Looking forward to another weekend of exciting football!

Cardinals escape Cheeseheads, Dallas powers past Philly

In case you didn't know, it's the best time of the year for football fans: the draft may be fun but ends up boring, opening night is exciting if you're a fan of one of the two teams playing, and the first Sunday of the year just makes you feel good! All that pales in comparison to football in January/February. The NFL Playoffs gets your heart pounding, your stomach in knots (as my mom so eloquently told me this morning), and can create unreal drama between friends, coworkers, and even family members. This past weekend was no exception. We had every kind of game: shocker, blowout, massacre, meltdown, comeback, collapse and much more. Let's review the NFC games first...
Arizona 51 Green Bay 45 in OT. What a game! Holy impressive offense Batman! Or perhaps we should say 'Holy nonexistant defenses Batman!' Either way the Cards and Packers put on quite a show Sunday night. I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the TD passes. I mean that is what the NFL's become: pass happy (at least that's what we thought until we get to the AFC playoffs). Kurt Warner threw 5 touchdowns, Aaron Rodgers had four of his own. Kind of iron though that the game was won by an amazing defensive play by two Cards players. GB fans cry foul that Rodgers had his facemask touched but let's be realistic: this game is in the desert, not the cornfield. The Pack would never get that call at a crucial moment of the game, such as this one in overtime. Just imagine if the latest hunk of beef on 'The Bachelor' committed an illegal act such as call one of his lovlies the wrong name towards the end of the series. Unbelievable? yes. Wrong? absolutely! Forgivable? HELL NO! But will anything happen to him - definitely NOT. The show's all about him and heaven forbid he be shown in a negative light. Again, that's why they call it homefield advantage. I picked Arizona to win this game, but never imagined they would put up an NFL postseason record 96 points! I still believe AZ is the better team, even though their kicker tried to ruin my chance of winning our $80 playoff pool! I'm standing in my cousin's living room watching this play, thinking to myself - "ok, the Pats may have gotten spanked earlier but at least all my final four teams are still alive" and then he missed the potential game winning field goal. Good thing Brendan was standing nearby otherwise I might have taken a step back in my New Year's Resolution of eliminating ugly words from my vocabulary.
To conclude discussion on this game let's remember: Aaron Rodgers may have started rough with an INT that led to immediate points for the Cards, but he finished the game throwing over 400 yards, a Packers postseason record. Yes that means he passed Brett Favre's best postseason game, whatever that was. Although Rodgers and the Pack came up short this year, they show much promise for the future. This is a young team with lots of weapons on offense, a decent defensive group (they just chose to nap during the game) and a bright future ahead of them. The only reason I wish GB would have won would be a chance for them to meet up with Favre and the Vikings with a SuperBowl berth on the line, talk about sports drama. That would be a media dream! But the Packers are out and the Cardinals will move on to the Bayou. 'Down by the bayou' - DMB, great song by the way. Saints will definitely have their hands full this week preparing for the experience road warriors the Cards have become over the last year and half.
The other NFC game was about crossing the point of no return, getting past a huge hurdle, achieving a long saught after goal: the Dallas Cowboys winning a playoff game for the first time since 1995, Boys head coach Wade Phillips winning his first playoff game ever, Tony Romo playing big in a huge game, we could go on forever. How bout them Cowboys?! What a dominant performance this weekend in big D. Philly limped into this contest after being blown out and shut out the previous week, which resulted in the loss of a bye and division crown. Many people said it's too hard to beat a division rival 3 times in one year. Other said Romo, Philips and the rest of the team would crumble under the pressure of a 14 year playoff win drought. None of the above happened. Dallas dominated from the beginning, pushing the Eagles around and showing them the exit door much earlier than Philly fans expected. I found myself just amazed at how Dallas dictated everything in every facet of the game. The only time the Boys looked vulnerable was when the infamous Michael Vick came in and caught the defense off guard to tie the game with a quick 76 yard score. The next series would prove to be the biggest of the night.
Romo overthrew a pass and it was picked off by Philly. The Eagles returned it to the Dallas 10 yard line, instantly every Cowboys fan felt sick to their stomach. It's happening again they said, as McNabb trotted out on the field, looking to give Philadelphia its first lead of the day. However, there was something on the field: laundry. Red to be exact. Wade Phillips made probably the most important decision of his Dallas career - he challenged the previous play. After a long review the referee came out and shot the city of Philly right in the heart worse than Cole Hamels did in the 2009 World Series (my cousins are seriously cursing at me somewhere). He overturned the call. No interception, no change of possession, no first and goal for the Eagles. Just a incomplete pass and it was 2nd & 10 for the Cowboys. Romo went on to lead the Boys to 17 straight points and the Eagles were finished. I picked Dallas to win but never expected the blowout we witnessed Saturday night. McNabb was pressured, bullied, harrassed, beaten and bruised all night long. The Cowboys defense played inspired football and Jerry Jones was all smiles. Who would have ever thought at the start of the year, with no Terrell Owens, that this team would be playing the Vikings in Minn and actually have a fighting chance? In my opinion they have more than a fighting chance but we'll get to that later in the week.
Next article will be on the AFC games... still trying to gather myself to breakdown that game in Foxboro on Sunday... yep, I need more time...

Wild Card Wknd part 2

We tackled the NFC games earlier in the week, now it's on the AFC! New England, Cincinnati, Baltimore and the NY Jets comprise the four teams competing to get a crack at Indy and San Diego. Let me first go on the record and say: The New York Jets should not be in the playoffs. They have an overrated defense, an ignorant big-mouthed head coach, and a quarterback is so inaccurate with the football he couldn't hit the ocean if he fell out of a boat. Fortunately for the Jets, they played the Colts when they decided to step away from the challenge of going 16-0, and if that wasn't enough in their next game they hosted the Bengals in a game that meant absolutely nothing to Cincy (as evidenced by the fact that they held a large number of players out and followed a vanilla gameplan for the entire game). Now I've told you all before that I try to be very unbiased when I discuss sports but I'm sorry, sometimes my personal feelings win out and it just so happens that I'm right on the mark, and NY fans the truth does indeed hurt. Don't worry I'll explain my position later on, let's start breaking down the matchups...
Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots: What a matchup! Baltimore comes in fresh off a win in Oakland, a closely played game that they needed to have to get into the playoffs. NE limps into this game after losing more than just their last game in Houston. The NFL 2009 leader in receptions, Wes Welker, suffered a torn ACL and MCL and has been put on season ending IR. This is a HUGE blow to the Patriots. Anyone who doesn't admit this is a liar. Welker is one of the toughest, grittiest players in the league and demands constant attention of opponent's defense every snap of the game. The connection between Brady and Welker was evident throughout the entire season as both players could almost anticipate what the other would do next. Many sports analysts and reporters have proclaimed this loss will cripple not only the New England offense but also the heart and soul of the team. However, don't buy into it. Don't count them out. Anyone that believes the Patriots are out obviously doesn't watch enough football or sports period.
Does anyone remember the 2001 NFL season? The Patriots had their "greatest quarterback ever" (at the time) Drew Bledsoe freshly signed to a new 10yr contract the previous year, and things were on the up and up in New England. Then came their 2nd game of the season. Ironically, it was against their arch-rival, the Jets, and a severe hit by Mo Lewis on Bledsoe knocked him out of the game. After the game we would find out that Bledsoe would be out indefinitely with internal bleeding. Enter Tom Brady. A late round draft pick out of Michigan. No one knew much about him at all. After experiencing some regular season success, the Patriots entered the playoffs and beat the Raiders, Steelers, and Rams to claim their first NFL Championship. My point behind this little history lesson is this: injuries don't always cripple a team, many times they open doors for the next great players to be discovered. What if Bledsoe never got hurt? Brady never discovered? Patriots never 3-time champs? Perhaps. Understand me right, I'm not trying to tell you that Julian Edelman is the next great wide receiver that will be better than Jerry Rice. No not all, probably not even close. What I am trying to get across is this simple point: When adversity strikes that's when you find out the true character of a person, team, etc. I have strong faith that they will handle this adversity with great mental toughness, move forward as a team, and put their best foot forward on Sunday afternoon.
Breaking down the actual game I look at many interesting stats that favor NE. First of all, did you know that the Ravens have never EVER beaten the Patriots??? Balt is 0-5 lifetime against the Pats. Another glaring bit of information: Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have never lost a home playoff game, 8-0 in the playoffs in the great state of Massachusetts. Tom Brady's playoff record: 14-3, not bad, not bad at all. The Ravens have a very strong ground game that I expect them to put to work early and often. However, with Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren starting for the defense I believe yards will be hard to come by. The biggest concern for the Patriots has to be pressuring the quarterback. Their inability to sack the opponent's QB has been the achilles heel of the defense all year long. In games against Jax and Buffalo they did improve, however they'll need to put together a strong showing if they want to rattle Flacco. Brady made a rather interesting comment this week concerning their offense. "It may actually be an advantage to us, not having Wes. Now they won't have any idea where we're going with the ball," Brady said. Welker received so much attention not only from the defense but also from Brady every game he played. Now the Patriots will have to look elsewhere to move the chains. I think that with Fred Taylor healthy they will try to run him, along with Sammy Morris, regularly to balance the pass and run. The key matchup for this game will Benjamin Watson/Kevin Faulk vs. Ray Lewis/Balt linebackers. I believe at some point in this game Faulk or Watson will be called upon by Brady to make a play - a big play. If they can complete it, New England will march on to SD looking to eliminate the Chargers for the 3rd time in four years. Ultimately, I see the Patriots winning by a final score of 34-24.
The Cincinnati Bengals host the NY Jets. The Bengals looked like the dark horse SuperBowl contender earlier in the season but the whieels started to come off their bus in the later part of the year. Yes they won the AFC North but I don't see them making it to the big dance. I absolutely believe they will beat the Jets on Saturday afternoon, quite handily too, for a few simple reasons: 1) Carson Palmer has been waiting for this moment. Ever since he went down with the knee injury in the 2005 playoffs, he's been itching to get back to the postseason. This is his chance, his opportunity to shine. 2) The week 17 meeting means absolutely nothing. The Bengals went into that game knowing exactly what they controlled: their opponent for the playoffs. If they would have beat NY, they would be playing the Houston Texans and their explosive offense. Therefore they chose to rest some starters, bow out against NY thus setting up a rematch against the inexperienced young Jets. 3) Mark Sanchez was 2nd in the NFL this year for most interceptions. The only person to throw more INTs than Sanchez was Jay Cutler, sorry Al. The NFL used to be a run the ball, play tough defense league. Key words in that sentence - "used to be". Thanks to the crying of Bill Polian and the rest of the Colts' organization in 2004 after they lost to the Patriots for the 2nd year in a row, the NFL changed around rules and created this passing joyland that we now know and I guess love. It is a quarterbacks league. If you don't have a high profile effiicent quarterback that knows how to win you will not be successful. Why do you think the Rams won 1 game this year? The Jets rookie QB may have a strong arm, a convincing smile and a sweet resume from USC but that doesn't translate into immediate NFL success. I have watched Sanchez quite a few times this year and I saw a quarterback that was inexperienced, unintelligent, and ill-prepared to win. For all these reasons I do not see the Jets winning this weekend. But remember, the best thing about the NFL is on any given Sunday (or Saturday for this example) any team can win if they play better than their opponent. I still don't buy it for the Jets. Sanchez will turn the ball over at least 2 times and it will lead to Cincy points. At some point in this game, their will be a crucial moment, Sanchez will need to make a decision. Now whether that decision is to throw the ball away, throw a checkdown pass, take a shot down field, or run with the ball, that I don't know. But I can guarantee you that he will make the wrong choice and his team will suffer for it. Again, understand, I'm not saying Mark Sanchez will never be a good player, he might go on to have great success next season, in 3 years, who knows, but we are talking about right here, right now. At this point in time he just doesn't have what it takes, and this will be New York's undoing.
Let me just take one minute to explain to you why Rex Ryan, head coach of the Jets, is an idiot. This guy loves his team, he's emotional, he's cocky, loves to win, and will back his players no matter what. However, when you make a statement to the world that "your team should be favored to win the SuperBowl" I take serious umbrage. C'MONNNN MAN!!!!!!!! Give me a break! I understand being confident, I understand liking your matchup, hell I know you beat the crap outta Cincy less than a week ago but this is different. This is... the playoffs. The game speeds up, everything gets more intense, each play matters that much more, and the time quarterbacks have to break down a defense shrinks in half. Yes, the Jets have 2 great running backs. Yes they have one of the best shutdown corners in the NFL (Revis really has put together a remarkable season). Yes their defense is tough, attacking, relentless, and intimidating. However, without an experienced, mentally tough quarterback you can't advance in the NFL Playoffs. You just can't. Those are the rules I didn't write 'em!
To conclude this discussion on the Cincy/NY matchup, I see the game starting off very competitive and close. Once the game gets into the 2nd quarter and beyond I do believe the Jets will start imploding and the Bengals will pull away, setting up a date with the Colts in the divisional round. Cincinnati 24, New York 13.
Can't wait for Saturday. I love the NFL Playoffs, best and worst time of the year. Best because its the best football of the year with the best teams fighting for ultimate glory. Worst because it also signals the season is coming to an end and football will soon be gone for a long, long time. No more talk of that. Let's enjoy the games while they last!

NFL Playoffs are on the horizon - looking ahead to a Willlld wild card wknd

It seems like August was just yesterday. Every NFL fan in the country had that special feeling deep inside... "Could this be the year?" Ok, maybe Rams and Bucs supporters were thinking more about the 1st pick in the draft but that's besides the point. You could smell it in the air in late August, as the final preseason game wound down the countdown was officially on for the season opener. I can still see Troy Polamalu jumping towards the stars in that first game, intercepting a Kerry Collins pass with one hand deep in Pitt territory, sending the Steelers fans into a state of pandamonium. Well, we found out just how valuable Troy was to Pitt because as he fell hard and off the field of play for the majority of the season, so too did the Steelers from the list of contenders for this year's grand prize. They will not get a chance to defend their title in this year's gauntlet known as: THE NFL PLAYOFFS!
I love those words together! Literally sends chills down my spine. I can hear Chris Berman now... "(in a deep voice) the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field"...."Marshalllllll Marrrsshhhalll Marshallllll!"...."daaaaaah Raaaaaiiiiddddeeeerrrrrrssss!" "TD pass makes the score 10 nothing GGGggggggggmennnnn!!!!!!!!!!".... and here ya go panther fans, you haven't had much to cheer about this year- "daylight come n ya gotta Delllhome!!"
Do you hear it? The music in the background, classic Fox n CBS NFL music, nothing beats it! The playoffs are here indeed! As January continues we will start to eliminate teams one by one. We start with 12 teams and by the end of the month there will be two.... vying for NFL supremecy! Who will those two teams be? I could tell you right now, but then you wouldn't continue reading right? haha! ON WE GO! (I love Willy Wonka)
Lets breakdown each conference, NFC first: New Orleans, Minnesota, Dallas, Arizona, Green Bay and Philly. Talk about a crapshoot. You could argue that any of these teams will be playing in Miami on February 7th. Honestly I see three of these teams actually having a realistic shot at the SuperBowl. Let's play contender or pretender... First we examine the Green Bay vs. Arizona matchup: Now the casual sports fan will tell you the Packers are gonna steamroll the Cards just like they did in Week 17 - NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND! Arizona had nothing to play for in week 17, they knew it, they planned for it, and accomplished it. Green Bay absolutely dominated AZ in every way, leading the nation to believe the Packers were the "darkhorse favorite to make a run". Don't be misled. The Cheeseheads are far from favorites. They have many flaws and simply don't have what it takes to run the gauntlet and win 4 games in a row. Could they pull off a win in the desert on Sunday night? maybe, but not likely. Does anyone remember last year's playoffs? Everyone was hailing the Falcons as the next big thing. No one could stop them, oh wait a minute no one except... the Arizona Cardinals. The week after that Kurt Warner was leading the Cards into hostile territory, on the road in Carolina. 5 interceptions later, AZ completed the upset win over the Panthers and they were on their way home to host the NFC Championship game. And with a win over the Eagles the next week, just like that... Arizona was in the Superbowl! Go figure?! It would not shock me in the least if the Warner and his outstanding receivers led their team on a run once again. I think they get it done over the Packers and move on to the divisional round to face.... TBD
Theres a showdown in Texas Saturday night. Eagles and Cowboys... part 3. Bring the big guns boys n girls, this is gonna be an all out war. I believe that the winner of this game could possibly ride the momentum all the way to the big finish. For me, picking this game is excruciatingly painful. On one side of the field is Andy Reid, Donovan McNabb, and quite possibly the most explosive player in the league, DeSean Jackson. On the other side you have "America's Team" led by Wade Phillips, a terrible coach that the Cowboys win in spite of, not because of. Jerry Jones' brand new stadium was simply electrifying last Sunday when the 'Boys won the division, keeping the Eagles off the scoreboard for 60 minutes. The Eagles have been oh so close to the ultimate prize for the last 7 years. Their window of opportunity is closing. Here's a little trivia question: How many appearances have they made in the NFC Championship game since 2002? Anyone??? Four times they have been there, winning once. That was 2004 when they advanced to play New England in Jacksonville. The Patriots would win the game by 3 points and once again the Eagles were left thinking what if? Now they stand as the #6 seed for the second year in a row. Last year they won on the road in Minnesota and then went right into NY and eliminated the defending champion Giants, putting them one step away from the big dance. Can they do it again? Can they win in a hostile environment? The answer - maybe. Their performance in big games is a coin toss, they've won their fair share but also lost some crucial battles as well. McNabb has been Philly's greatest hero occasionally but also their most infamous goat. The Cowboys showed how to beat Philly last week - control lightning-quick Jackson, put pressure on McNabb, protect Romo, and run the ball down with no regard for human life. Philly's number one problem - Dallas is hotter than Megan Fox in Transformers 2 right now, that's ridiculously hot by the way in case you haven't seen it yet. Romo is throwing the ball as well as anyone in the league and Miles Austin has come out of nowhere to be dangerous down the field. Not to mention I really enjoy hearing Joe Buck say... "and Marion the Barbarian is at it again, causing mayhem with every step!" And then we have Jason Witten who catches everything that comes his way, throw in Patrick Crayton playing at his best, combined with the speedy Felix Jones and this is the recipe for success. I expect a very close hard fought battle but in the end I believe the Dallas D is up for the task of stopping Jackson and McNabb. I see Dallas winning this one and moving on to an extremely hostile evironment in Minnesota! (And this sends the Cardinals down to the bayou to play the Saints, very intriguing matchup) Wow that was a tough call! Keep in mind, this game really could go either way and I have very mixed emotions about putting my NFL playoffs bracket life in the hands of the Cowboys. My cousins will kill me for this pick but it's just my gut instinct right here, right now! We'll take a look at the AFC Wild Card games next time...

Sports characters and their "character"

First off let me apologize for the disappearance of my writing. Life is very busy, especially when you have a 3yr old and it's the holiday season. We did some great business at the Truff and I was even able to sneak away to the frozen tundra of Massachusetts for a vacation before Christmas. What a great holiday season! And now we move forward into 2010, a new year, a new decade, no better way to start it than with a thought provoking sports article!
So often in sports we hear the word "character" thrown around. "He's a great player, amazing athleticism but his character isn't quite where it should be". What's more imporant skill or character? A person's performance in their form of occupation or what they do outside of work? Interesting questions, right? If a person excells beyond all others in the their profession should that be given special rules? Should they be examined under a microscope because "America's youth" look up to them? I want to go on the record and say character is extremely important in life. Hopefully after thinking long and hard on this subject with me you'll see where I'm coming from when I ask everyone to: STOP being so pushy when it comes to knowing every little detail about your favorite athlete, celebrity, performer! Enjoy what they get paid to do and dont' try to clean out their closet until you've cleaned your own.
Perhaps you've heard about this athlete in our country, he doesn't play one of the major sports (football, baseball, basketball), he prefers golf. Tiger Woods is probably one of the most heralded sports players of all time. He reminds me of Madonna, Jordan, Brady, Vick (don't worry we'll get to him eventually). Why? Well, what do they have in common? Their celebrity status is overwhelming to the point that it's almost sickening. At one point or another, they truly excelled in their specific field beyond all expectations. The recent news of Tiger Woods' off field activities have caused a great stir throughout our country. Suddenly the media's focus on Tiger's winnings has faded away, instead they are now pointing their cameras at his residence, his wife, his mother-in-law, and pictures from the ill-fated night. Now understand, I am in no way shape or form condoning what Tiger Woods did. What I would like to discuss is how disgustingly obsessed the media has become with this whole ordeal. Is it me or does it seem like every day a new woman comes forward to share her "night with Tiger"? Magazines with headlines "Exclusive photos of Tiger's mistress". Breaking news every other day on Sportscenter to inform Woods he's lost another endorsement deal. Why do they focus so intently on his personal life?
Unfortunately I know the answer... us. The general public. Sports fans and non-fans of sports alike. We have become disturbingly attracted to the personal lives of celebrities, be it athletes, performers, etc. Why is it that we care sooo much about what Tom Brady does when he's not on the field tossing touchdown passes? (honestly this doesn't apply to me, I could care more or less what he does and doesn't do with Gisele, what a lucky guy).
Wouldn't it make more sense for us to be so curious about the personal life of our physican? maybe the cook at our favorite restaurant? better yet, your local "trustworthy" auto doctor? Understand my logic here: I have never met Tiger Woods one on one. Most people never will. This man will never have a personal impact on your day to day life. Yet many of us are so very curious as to what happened the night he got into a car accident on his own property. We are enamored with the notion of him having extra marital affairs and want pictures of these women so that men can say "damn she's fine, I woulda got with her too" and women can say "what a whore". I think knowing how honest your mechanic is outside the job would be much more helpful. If you knew he was a lying, cheating p.o.s. then you probably wouldn't trust him with your car, right? Let's face it, the only thing that matters to you is if he fixes your car and makes the problem go away. All I'm trying to say is that we need to back off the personal lives of our beloved heroes and let them be exactly what you and are whey they aren't showcasing their talent: human.
At the end of the day, Michael Jordan is just another man, Madonna is just another woman (yes, I agree that's debatable). They sit down on their couch, curl up in sweats, grab a bowl of ice cream and watch the Kardashians just like the rest of us. Focus on Brady throwing TDs to Randy Moss, track Tiger on his chase for his next major tournament win, hit up youtube and watch Miley Cirus sing Party in the USA: whatever floats your boat! Discuss those things, argue who's the best golfer ever, the most clutch quarterback of alltime, the most captivating performer. Enough with the damn drama! I guess being the sports enthusiast that I am, I hate when people lose focus of the matter at hand: THE GAMES!
Tiger made mistakes in his life, haven't you? Michael Vick took part in some dispicable acts, was held accountable by the law, given punishment for his actions, and served his sentence in prison. Vick appears to sincerely regret his poor judgement and merely seeks a second chance, have you ever asked for a second chance? Tom Brady dated someone, had a child out of wedlock with her, and went on to marry someone else. People then look at him as a bad father without even knowing all the information of the situation. Again, please understand, I'm not defending Brady! I'm asking you to stop pursuing the details of his personal life because you know what it doesn't have anything to do with you or me. Grade his performance on the field. Compare his play in the postseason with any other quarterback's playoff record. That's what we should be talking about, breaking down, and trying to understand.
The point of this article is to get you thinking about how misconstrued the thought process of the media has become. I often get a kick out of these celebrity magazines: US, Star, In Touch, etc. They dig so deep beyond the point of no return that it's almost comical to read some of the headlines - "Reese Witherspoon is high... on caffeine! Her 2nd visit to starbucks in one day has us thinking she's got an addiction problem!" Unbelieveable. But we have no one to blame but ourselves, we always want more. We're never content.
Maybe we can start something, a movement. Change some things, better yet, stop some things. Turn the focus back to the field, oh wait... I think they just announced Tiger's latest vice... gotta go check this out, it's gonna be one hell of a story! Gotta be ready to spread the news!