NFL Regular Season Wrap-up

--As I've been saying for several weeks now, Brian Billick was fired this morning as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. Billick seemed to have worn out his welcome a couple of years ago and then with the acquisition two years ago of QB Steve McNair the team seemed somewhat revitalized. But McNair's injury-prone status and a 9 game losing streak sealed the deal. Billick will undoubtedly resurface somewhere in the NFL, maybe.........Miami?

--Speaking of which, the bloodbath has begun. Bill Parcells fired GM Randy Mueller today and the assistant of player personnel and college scouting coordinator also went bye-bye. Parcells will be meeting with head coach Cam Cameron later this week but the rats have already begun to desert the ship. Both players and coaches have been saying Cameron's holier-than-thou religious routine has already worn out in the locker room and even with some of his coaches. Look for the hook here as well. As Parcells said several years ago, "If you want me to cook, at least let me shop for the groceries". He is going to rebuild this team from the top down and it looks as though it has started.

--Congrats to the Redskins and Titans for making the playoffs. Washington has played inspired football the last month and will be very dangerous in the playoffs. Tennessee got by a self-depleted Indy team, but who knows what will happen now? More on that later this week.

--Speaking of the Colts, I know that Tom Brady is going to win the MVP award, but after watching the Colts last night with Jim Sorgi in at QB, is there any question about what this team would look like without Peyton Manning?

--Pittsburgh better get it together and fast. I know they sit their starters in a meaningless game against the Ravens but there is this thing called "momentum" going into the playoffs and right now the Steelers have none. They have to play a very, very tough Jacksonville team next week without their star running back Willie Parker. They better move and move fast.

--Kudos to Tom Coughlin and the NY Giants. It would have been the easiest thing to get his starters out of that game Saturday night and go into the playoffs but instead Couglin did the right thing. I gained a lot of respect for both him and the Giants the way they played New England right up to the end. The are now battle-tested and are going to make some noise in the playoffs. And for all the Eli haters out there, he put up 35 points against the Patriots. Anybody else done that this year?

--Being an old St. Louis Cardinals fan, I know how the Baltimore fans feel when they watch the Colts. But I'm going to say this about the Arizona Cardinals: Get a defensive player or two and this team could be in the playoffs next year. Kurt Warner looked rejuvenated the last part of the year and is there a better pass-catching combo than Fitzgerald-Boldin?

--Rams, please help us. Fire Scott Linahan, PLEASE!! At least find a coach that will get this team to play with some fire.

--Bengals fans might want to get ready for some changes as well next season because I have a feeling Marvin Lewis is gone. No word yet and everything that has been said would seem to point to him being back but I say he is as good as gone.

Everyone have a great New Year, enjoy all the football and we will see you later this week with playoff picks for Wild Card Weekend!!

Bowl Games: Part II

Alright folks, here we go with Part II of the college bowl season.

Meinike Car Care Bowl (12/29/07) UCONN +1 1/2 over Wake Forrest--Lose

Liberty Bowl (12/29/07) Miss. St. +2 1/2 over Central Florida--Win

Alamo Bowl (12/29/07) Penn St. -5 over Texas A & M--Win

Independence Bowl (12/30/07) Colorado +3 1/2 over Alabama--Lose

Armed Forces Bowl (12/31/07) California - 3 1/2 over Air Force--Win

Sun Bowl (12/31/07) South Florida -6 over Oregon--Lose

Humanitarian Bowl (12/31/07) Fresno St. +6 over Georgia Tech--Win

Music City Bowl (12/31/07) Kentucky -10 1/2 over Florida St.--Lose

Insight Bowl (12/31/07) Indiana +4 over Oklahoma St.--Lose

Chick-fil-A Bowl (12/31/07) Auburn +2 1/2 over Clemson--Win

Outback Bowl (1/1/08) Tennessee -2 over Wisconsin--Win

Cotton Bowl (1/1/08) Missouri -3 over Arkansas--Win

Capital One Bowl (1/1/08) Michigan +10 1/2 over Florida--Win

Gator Bowl (1/1/08) Virginia +6 over Texas Tech--Win

International Bowl (1/5/08) Rutgers -10 over Ball St. --Win

GMAC Bowl (1/6/08) Tulsa -4 1/2 over Bowling Green--Win

And now for the BCS games:

Rose Bowl (1/1/08) : Illinois has been better this season than most people thought and capped off a great year by beating then-#1 ranked Ohio St. USC is again a strong juggernaut but has been plagued this year by inconsistent play, particularly at QB. But USC just has too much firepower for the Illini. USC -13 1/2.--Win

Sugar Bowl (1/1/08): Yeah, we know how great the SEC is, we hear it about 20 times a day. Hawaii is underrated, underestimated and Colt Brennan is going to be the real deal in the NFL. Hawaii +7 1/2.--Lose

Fiesta Bowl (1/2/08): QB Sam Bradford will win a Heisman before his career at Oklahoma is over and the Sooner defense is just too strong and too fast for the one-dimensional West Virginia offense. Oklahoma -7 1/2. --Lose

Orange Bowl (1/3/08): Kansas struggled against Missouri at the end of the Big 12 season but make no mistake about it, this team can score points and I think they take it to Virginia Tech. Kansas +3 1/2.--Win

BCS Championship Game (1/7/08): Another butt-kicking for the Big 10 by the SEC. Actually neither of these teams should be playing for the National championship but with that said, LSU will totally dominate Ohio St. LSU -4.--Win

Good luck, Happy New Year and enjoy the games!!

NFL Predictions: Week 17

Happy Holidays to all!! Hope everyone had a great Christmas and I hope that everyone has a very joyful and prosperous New Year!! The regular season winds down this week but some important games will be played so here we go:

New England @ NY Giants: The Patriots go for history on Saturday night as they try to become the first NFL team to go 16-0 in the regular season. Giants coach Tom Coughlin has been mum this week on how much his starters would play in an otherwise-meaningless game for the Giants. Coughlin is in a no-win situation here and he would be crucified by Giant fans and the media if he were to have a key starter injured in this game. If the Pats get up early, look for the quick hook for the Giant starters. New England -13 1/2.

Dallas @ Washington: Dallas is playing for nothing and Washington is playing for their playoff hopes. Dallas has nothing to gain and lots to lose. Washington +9.

Jacksonville @ Houston: The Jags will need to get it geared up for the playoffs. QB David Garrard has carried this team so far and along with Fred Taylor they will continue the trend of solid offensive football and will let their defense do the dirty work. Jacksonville +6.

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore: The Ravens hellish season finally comes to a close and probably the last game that Brian Billick will coach for Baltimore. Pittsburgh -3 1/2.

Detroit @ Green Bay: Green Bay has nothing to play for but some much-needed momentum heading to the playoffs and they need to get that bad taste out of their mouths after the thumping last week by the Bears. Green Bay -4.

Tennessee @ Indianapolis: A must-win game for Tennessee but I still think the Colts have too much fire-power for the Titans. Indianapolis +6.

Good luck, enjoy the games and let's get ready for the playoffs!!

Bowl Games: Part 1

We're going to hit you with some of the early bowl games and save the juiciest games for a bit later so here they are:

Poinsettia Bowl (12/20/07): Utah -7 1/2 over Navy---Lose

New Orleans Bowl (12/21/07): Florida Atlantic -3 over Memphis---Win

Papa John's.com Bowl (12/22/07): Cincinnati -11 over So. Mississippi--Lose

New Mexico Bowl (12/22/07): Nevada +2 1/2 over New Mexico--Lose

Las Vegas Bowl (12/22/07): BYU -6 over UCLA---Win

Hawaii Bowl (12/23/07): Boise St. -10 1/2 over East Carolina--Lose

Motor City Bowl (12/26/07): Purdue -7 1/2 over Central Michigan --Lose

Holiday Bowl (12/27/07): Arizona St. +2 1/2 over Texas--Lose

Champs Sport Bowl (12/28/07): Boston College -3 1/2 over Michigan St.--Lose

Texas Bowl (12/28/07): TCU -4 over Houston--Win

Emerald Bowl (12/28/07): Oregon St. -5 over Maryland--Win

Good luck, Merry Christmas and we will see you next week with Part II of our Bowl picks series.

NFL Predictions: Week 16

Sorry I'm a little late this week, been battling some illness and the holiday craziness. Lots to play for this weekend so here we go:

Pittsburgh @ St. Louis: Pittsburgh has now played themselves into a position of really needing to win out to win their division and hold onto the #3 seed in the playoffs. St. Louis is playing for pride and possibly coach Scott Linahan's job. Pittsburgh -7 1/2.

Dallas @ Carolina: Carolina has struggled this year offensively, starting four different QBs this season due to injuries and ineffectiveness. The Cowboys quite simply looked terrible last week and this game will say a lot about this team's chances come playoff time. Their still the elite team in the NFC but there are definitely some chinks in the armor now. Dallas -10 1/2.

Cleveland @ Cincinnati: A great rivalry game that usually doesn't have a lot of meaning this time of year but this year is different. Cleveland still has a chance to not only make the playoffs but win the AFC North title. The Bengals have shown very inconsistent play this season. Cleveland -3.

Green Bay @ Chicago: A little payback time for the Pack this week. That inept Bear's offense looks like fresh meat for the Pack D and Favre should have no trouble carving up a less-than-stellar secondary. Green Bay -8 1/2.

Miami @ New England: Could it finally happen? Could the lowly Fins knock off the mighty Patriots in Foxboro? It is HIGHLY unlikely but with the weather and conditions, I gotta go with the number. Miami +22 1/2.

NY Giants @ Buffalo: Another yo-yo performance for Eli and the Giants last week. They must win this week to secure a playoff spot or they will have to beat New England next week to do so. I think they better beat Buffalo. Giants -2 1/2.

Denver @ San Diego: San Diego still has a chance to capture the #3 seed in the AFC playoffs with a little help but they have to take care of their own business first. Denver has the worst defense against the rush in the NFL, enough said about that. San Diego -8.

Everyone have a great Christmas, be safe and I'll see you next week!!

Be All You Can Be

He was drafted in second round by the Atlanta Falcons in 1991. He spent the year on the bench and then in February 1992 newly-hired GM of the Green Bay Packers Ron Wolf traded a first round draft pick for him. The Packers had a starting QB in "The Majic Man", Don Majkowski. In the second game of that 1992 season he got into the game in the second half when Majkowski was benched for poor play. His very first play from scrimmage he threw a pass, it was deflected back to the young QB and went to a seven yard loss. Not the start he had envisioned. The very next week Majkowski tore ligaments in his ankle and was going to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. The kid got a chance to start. Majkowski never got off the bench again.

This past Sunday Brett Favre broke Dan Marinos all-time passing yardage record, just has he had broken Marino's touchdown record earlier in the year. It was typical Favre, a 7 yard slant pass to his favorite receiver Donald Driver for the record. The most important thing to Favre is that the Packers won the game convincingly, they are 12-2 this season and now with Dallas losing to Philadelphia they actually have a chance to have homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Playoff football at Lambeau Field in January. Not a pretty site for visiting teams. And when Brett says that is really what is important to him, he really means it.

Just consider a few things about Brett Favre:

--Counting playoff games, he has now played in 271 consecutive game. During that streak he has played with shoulder separations, tendinitis in his elbow and he played most of 2003 season with a broken thumb.

--He has had 17 different backups in Green Bay.

--There have been, at current count, 209 starting QBs in the NFL since Favre began his streak.

--He has won 3 league MVP awards. He has 8 30-touchdown passing season, twice as many as his nearest competitor (Marino), and he has thrown a touchdown pass in 16 straight NFL playoff games, another NFL record.

None of these things really tell the story of Brett Favre. Watching him admit after a series of treatments for various injuries that he had become addicted to the painkiller Vicodin, seeing the pain and confusion on his face, wondering what was happening to him. In 2004 the discovery that his wife Deanna had breast cancer, her subsequent battle and victory over this dreaded disease. The loss of his family's home in Hurricane Katrina. And perhaps his greatest performance of all, watching him play on Monday Night football against the Raiders, the biggest stage in sports, the day after his beloved father Irvin has passed away. He threw four touchdowns in the first half and after the game watching a tearful Favre tell a national audience that his Dad would have wanted him to play, so he did.

These stories are the heart and soul of who Brett Favre is. He's a family man, deeply committed to his family and their well-being. He's a friend, the guy that if you needed something, no matter when or where, he would be there. He's a compassionate man, donating more time and money to such a wide variety of causes both in Green Bay and in Mississippi that it would take too long to document here. He's a big kid, running around the field, slapping teammates on the back and the butt, smiling and having the time of his life. He is without a doubt one of the toughest men to ever play this game at any position, playing through injuries that sideline most players for a game, if not for multiple games. He's a leader, make no mistake about it. This team belongs to Brett Favre and it will until HE decides to walk away, period.

The perfect ending to this season would be for the Packers to win the Super Bowl, Brett announce his retirement and ride off into the sunset ala' John Elway. I hope the Packers win, but don't leave just yet Brett. You can still play. Stick around as long as you can and believe me, you still can get it done. This particular version of the Packers has some great young talent and they are only going to get better. But they NEED #4 calling the shots. And we all want to see the greatest QB who has ever played the game play a couple of more years. Thanks Brett for everything.

Brett Favre breaks NFL's All Time Passing Record

Monday Morning Coffee: 12/17/07

--Well the big news in sports this week was the release of the Mitchell Report, the culmination of a 2o month investigation into steroid and other banned substances in major league baseball. Some of the names in the list were not really surprising but the finding the names of Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens among those alleged to have used HGH and other substances certainly have been fodder for conversation. Clemens has threatened to sue Major League Baseball for including his name in the report but Pettitte admitted on Saturday that he has used HGH to recover from an elbow injury in 2002. HGH wasn't banned by MLB until 2005. It is going to be very interesting to see how this plays out through the winter and into next season. Stay tuned, this is just getting started.

--Jose Canseco had to try and extend his 15 minutes of fame a bit longer this week. First he tried to attend the media release of the Mitchell Report and was informed by security it was media only. He then proceeded to make a statement saying that he couldn't believe that A-Rod's name wasn't on the list. Hey loser, grab a clue. As if you weren't already pitiful enough, now you're trying to smear yet another player for which you have not provided any evidence of anything. It takes a very sad individual to leave a game then accuse people of doing the exact same thing you were doing under the 5 yrs. old mentality of "Everyone else was doing it" and then what may be even more pathetic is trying to profit both monetarily and from the notoriety of those claims. Just go back to beating your wife, wrecking your cars or whatever else it is that washed-up never-weres do after the limelight evades them. Pathetic!! And in case you missed it, "60 Minutes" did an interview tonight with A-Rod where among other things, he denies every using any type of performance enhancing drugs, saying that he never felt he needed to in order to compete on the field. Unlike some others, eh Jose?

--Trust, no one is more disappointed that the Pats couldn't hang at least 50 on the Jets. Fact is, they won the game, they are 14-0 and with Miami at home next week and then travelling to the Meadowlands to take on the Giants in Week 17, 16-0 is looking pretty good. And before anyone starts complaining about how they are fading, remember this: The '72 Dolphins beat Minnesota on the road 16-14, squeaked by Buffalo at home 24-23, got by Pittsburgh 21-7 in the AFC championship game and then beat Washington in the Super Bowl 14-7. A win is a win, no matter how impressive or unimpressive it might be. Also, it's worth noting that starting QB Bob Griese broke his leg in game 5 of the season and backup QB Earl Morrall finished the season although Griese did come back to play in the Super Bowl victory over the Redskins. Point being here is that impressive is nice, but wins are even nicer. Gotta have some luck and things bounce your way on a streak like this and frankly, New England hasn't need much of either this season.

--Team the Pats need to worry about in the AFC? Might surprise you with this, but I think the.........San Diego Chargers. Yes, I know that I have bashed the Bolts all season from firing Marty to under utilizing the best running back in the game. But the Chargers seem to be getting all together at the right time. Their offense could cause problems for that again Pats' defense and their defense is just good enough to throw Brady off his game. You never know..............

--You could see it coming for the last couple of weeks and today it happened. The Cowboys had a minor melt-down of sorts in losing to the Eagles. T.O. was getting frustrated on the sidelines and that is never a good sign. T.O. blowup coming soon to a city near you, wait and see. And I don't want to hear about Romo's little hand injury. Note to Tony: See Brett Favre.

--How bad do the Ravens feel right now? They lost a heartbreaker against New England on a time-out called by a coach from the sideline, they get pounded by the Colts the next week and now they finally give up the first win to the previously winless Colts, on a touchdown in overtime nonetheless. Think they're ready to go play some golf about now?

--Cleveland keeps finding ways to win and Pittsburgh keeps finding ways to lose. It's going to go down to the final two games of the season for the AFC North crown. Pittsburgh definitely has the easier road with its final two games against St. Louis and Baltimore while Cleveland will face Cincinnati on the road and then get San Francisco at home. One of these teams will win the division and the other should be the last wildcard but having a playoff game at home would be nice to say the least. Cleveland in the playoffs, I just can't get use to saying that.

--Scott Linahan of the Rams needs to go. The Rams have had more than their fair share of injuries this season to be sure, but the meltdown and undisciplined play from their defense at the end of the game Sunday belies what I feel is a more serious problem. Throwing the ball around, taking bench penalties for arguing, very unprofessional and especially embarrassing for a team with a big audience to watch Favre hopefully break the all-time passing yardage mark, which he did. Linahan and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett both need to be gone.

--This might start a few arguments, but it almost looks like the Saints may actually be better off without Reggie Bush in the lineup. The Houstan Texans took an immense amount of criticism last year for drafting DE Mario Williams ahead of both Bush and QB Vince Young. The way Williams is starting to mature and play, they may have been the smartest guys in the room on that draft day.

More on football, basketball and other sports news later today!! Have a good week, and don't spill the coffe in your lap. It really stings.

Deangelo Hall on Bobby Petrino

Hump Day Ramblings: 12/12/07

--Bobby Petrino now joins the ranks of Nick Sabin and Larry Brown as coaches you can't trust. Less than 24 hours after losing to New Orleans, Petrino phoned in his resignation as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Then within a couple of hours he is holding a press conference and being introduced as the new head coach at the University of Arkansas, saying "how happy" he was. What a fraud and a joke he is! I wouldn't let my 18 yr. old anywhere near any program that he was associated with. He obviously can't be trusted to tell the truth and what is Arkansas going to go in a year or so when he goes looking for another job. He has also succeded in burning bridges for both himself and possibly other coaches who want to make the jump to the NFL. If you were an NFL general manager you are going to think long and hard about getting burned by yet another college guy who thinks he can coach with the big boys. Some coaches can handle professional athletes, some cannot. There is no shame in that. The shame is that Bobby Petrino can do neither. Hope you go 2-9 next year.

--Speaking of the Falcons, owner Arthur Blank deserves much, much better than the hand he has been dealt this season. Blank is one of the class owners in the NFL and he has had to suffer through being lied to by and losing Michael Vick and now being lied to and abandoned by Petrino. Blank and the veterans on this team deserve much better, especially a guy like Warrick Dunn, not only one of best RB ever in the game but an upstanding citizen as well. I'm not a big Falcons fan but I hope they make the right move, get the right coach and make the playoffs next year. And when they do, I hope Blank sends Petrino a big bouquet of "Kiss my ass".

--If the Patriots get a chance to run the score up this weekend, you better believe that they will. The animosity that continues to fester between coaches Bill Belichek and Eric Mangini may reach a peak this weekend when the two meet. Look for this game to get very ugly very early and stay that way.

--I just knew we couldn't get through the NFL season without a T.O. meltdown, at least of sorts. T.O took some potshots last week at former coach Bill Parcels. Not a good move T.O. ESPN analyst and former NFL WR Keyshawn Johnson took T.O. to task for trying to denigrate the legendary Parcels. Johnson reminded T.O. that if the Cowboys win the Super Bowl this year, Wade Phillips might be the head coach but Bill Parcels built this team. Tony Romo, Marion Barber, Jason Witten, Terrance Newman, Julius Jones and yes, you, T.O. were brought to the Cowboys under Parcels. So T.O. did what T.O. does best, he then proceeded to take a shot at Johnson, trying to compare their careers and basically calling Keyshawn out. Now Johnson was known to run his mouth a bit as a player, but I have to say that as an analyst, I have found him refreshingly candid and pretty spot on in his assessments of both players and teams. It's interesting to note that both Tom Jackson and Emmit Smith both echoed Johnson's sentiments. T.O., don't take on a legend. You're not there yet.

--Tomorrow baseball is slated to release the Mitchell report which will in detail reveal what has been discovered during its 20-month long investigation. The sad thing is that with all of this time and money invested, more than likely nothing will come of it. The biggest fish in the pot, Barry Bonds, has already been indicted on federal charges and the rest is just window dressing. The fact of the matter is baseball, and more sadly the fans, really don't care.

--And last but not least, Jim Rome has to have the most annoying sports talk show on the air. Remember a few years ago when then-Rams QB Jim Everett kicked his ass on the air for referring to him as "Chrissy Everett"? God, I wish someone would do that again. In reference to this weekend's Pats-Jets game, Rome used the terms, "street creed", street rep" and "curb stomping". Someone please shut him up!!!

Have a great week!!

NFL Predictions: Week 15

What a crazy week it has been in the NFL. More on that in my Hump Day blog later today. On to the games:

Denver @ Houston: Every game is an elimination game from this point on for Denver. They are going to have to get some help to catch San Diego but first they have to take care of their own business first. Denver -1.

Cincinnati @ San Francisco: What a disappointing season it has been for the Bengals. Marvin Lewis' job is more than likely on the line without a very strong showing here at the end of the season. Cincinnati -8.

Baltimore @ Miami: Miami may have the dubious distinction of being the only team to every have an undefeated season AND go winless in a season. Baltimore looked extremely out manned against the Colts last week but Miami brings water guns to the fight while everyone else is shooting bullets. They are perhaps even more pitiful than the 1976 Buccaneers. Both head coaches in this game will more than likely not be back next year. Baltimore -3 1/2.

Green Bay @ St. Louis: The last time Brett Favre played in St. Louis he threw 6 INTs. Not today. Green Bay -10.

Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh: A big game in the playoff picture for the AFC. Pittsburgh needs a win to maintain the #3 seed in the playoffs and get a game at home. Plus these two teams could very well meet again in a few weeks. Pittsburgh -3 1/2.

NY Jets @ New England: This game reeks of all kinds of storylines, including the recently published story that it was head coach Eric Mangini, a protege of Pats head coach Bill Belichik, and the Jets who tipped the NFL off to what led to "Spygate", and the subsequent fines and loss of a draft pick for New England. There will be no calling off of the dogs in this game. New England -23 1/3.

Philadelphia @ Dallas: This game mean a whole lot more to Dallas than it does Philly. That being said, Donovan McNabb is playing for a job somewhere next year, probably not with the Eagles, and this team will not quit on Coach Andy Reid. I'm going out on a limb a bit here, but I like the Eagles. Philadelphia +10.

Washington @ NY Giants: The Giants can lock up the #5 seed in the playoffs with a win here. Although Todd Collins look pretty good last week for Washington, he will see something completely different with the Giants defense, maybe the best in the league. Giants -4 1/2.

Chicago @ Minnesota: Minnesota is playing for a playoff spot and with rookie RB sensation Adrian Petersen, no reason to thing they will fall to the Bear. Minnesota has a very underrated defense and the Bears have shown no real ability this year to generate big plays outside of special teams. Minnesota -10.

Good luck and enjoy the games!!

NBA TV Top 10: December 7th

Monday Morning Coffee: 12/10/07

NFL:--For all of those Eli Manning doubters out there, the Giants are now 9-4 and virtually assured a spot in the playoffs. The Giants don't appear to be headed for that late-season swoon that doomed them last year and their defense is keeping them in almost every game.

--Another team that has very quietly put together a strong season are the Seahawks. They've been very inconsistent but if this team gets on a roll, look out. This may be coach Mike Holmgren's last season as head coach and I'm sure he would like to go out swinging. Keep an eye on Seattle come playoff time.

--The Boy's escaped a trap game today, barely edging out the Lions. They keep finding ways to win but those mistakes come playoff time are going to come back to haunt them, right Mr. Butter Fingers?

--Don't think for a minute that the 63 yd. touchdown pass Brady through to Moss and the 56 yd. TD pass to Jabbar Gaffney wasn't intentionally targeted at Pittsburgh safety Anthony Smith who guaranteed a victory over the Pats this week in the Pitt media. Note to Anthony: You might want to zip your lip next time you play the best team maybe ever in the history of football. To quote a pretty good QB, "Well done is better than well said".

--Chargers alert, Chargers alert!! LT is starting to run wild and if you can't stop him you can't beat the Chargers. Another playoff spoiler working down stretch. Denver is on life-support even after beating up on the Chiefs (no big accomplishment there) and are going to need some help down the stretch besides winning their own games, starting this Thursday against Houston.

--Brett, please come back and play a couple more years. I'm having too much fun watching you again. 2 more TB passes today, 266 yds. and he only needs about 186 yds. to pass Dan Marino for the all-time yardage record.

--Troy Smith, last year's Heisman trophy winner and 4th round draft pick of the Ravens, got in some mop up duty tonight in their blow-out loss against the Colts. Smith look surprisingly comfortable, confident, made a couple of good throws and ran one in from about 10 yds. for a touchdown. I'm not saying he's the answer in Baltimore but at 4-9, out of the playoffs, why not give him a start and see what he can do. McNair is getting up there and has a long, long history of not making it through the season injury free. Kyle Boller is NOT the man, good backup, not a starter. Give Smith a chance and let's see him run the game and what he can do. Billick more than likely won't do something that smart, which is why he will gone at season's end.

--Some of you reading this might remember the expansion 1976 Tampa Bay Bucs whom many consider the worst NFL team of all time. They 0-14 in their first season and then lost the first 12 games of the next season before finally winning a game against, of all teams, the Saints, another franchise with a losing history. But I have to say that the 2007 Miami Dolphins may be the WORST team in any sport I have ever seen. This wasn't an expansion team. They were 9-7 in 2005, 6-10 last year and had some hopes for this year. But to go 0-16 with this team under these conditions, they are the worst team ever in the NFL, period.

Right now the NFC playoffs look like this:

1-Dallas
2-Green Bay (both would get first round byes)
3. Seattle
4. Tampa Bay
5. Giants
6. Minnesota

In the AFC it looks something like this:

1-New England
2-Indianapolis (first round byes for both)
3.-Pittsburgh
4. San Diego
5. Jacksonville
6. Cleveland (not a typo, yes the Browns)

Of course this is probably going to change over the next three weeks so stay tuned!

Baseball:--Barry Bonds surrendered this week to federal authorities, was booked and released on a 500K recognisance bond. He pleaded not guilty on 4 counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. This is obviously going to be an ongoing story for the next who knows how many months.

--The Detroit Tigers appear to be serious about getting back to the World Series RIGHT NOW! They may have mortgaged their future with the deals that have now brought Dontrelle Wills and third baseman Miguel Cabrera to the team. Can't say they didn't spend their allowance this time around.

--Another big signing was outfielder Andruw Jones by the Dodgers. It gives them a big bat in their lineup and now if they can acquire that starting pitcher that they so covet, look for the Dodgers to make some noise this season in the NL West.

--Andy Pettite has accepted arbitration from the Yankees so the 35 yr. old lefty will be back in pinstripes next season. Can Roger Clemens be far behind? This team isn't going to look drastically different than the team from the last couple of years so Joe Girardi better get something done and now. After everything Joe Torre did for this club, and couldn't get a pass even though they still made the playoffs, Girardi might want to consider renting before buying.

--St. Louis Cardinal's manager Tony LaRussa took some uncharacteristic shots in public at one of his players this week, that player being Scott Rolen. Rolen has been unhappy ever since LaRussa sat him down for one game during the 2006 NLCS. Fact is, the Cardinals may be stuck with him. Rolen is 32, has only played 300 games the last three seasons and hit 35 homeruns. He is slated to make $36 million over the next three years and quite frankly hasn't always been a big bundle of sunshine in the clubhouse, one of the reasons the Cardinals were able to obtain him from the Phillies midway during the 2002 season. This could get really interesting before the season starts but if anybody can patch it up and make it work it will be LaRussa.

--Another example about how "serious" MLB is about the steroid problem in their sport. Jose Gullien has been suspended 15 games for using a banned substance by MLB. This right after he signed a 3 yr, $36 million dollar deal with Kansas City. Just remember kids, act like a punk, break the rules, whine and complain and you too can be a big league ball player. Sickening.

NBA:--Guard Jamal Tinsley and several other people were apparently the target of a shooting early Sunday morning in Indianapolis while at a nightclub. This is starting to become a very disturbing trend that all major sports are going to have to do something about, although I'm not sure what at this point. All lot of these players are young, single guys who like to go out and have a good time, not against the law last time I checked. But they are going to have to start using better judgement or these senseless shootings and deaths are going to continue to occur.

--Boston has run their record to an impressive 17-2 and continue to dominate the East. Miami has begun to show signs of life with D-Wade throwing up 35 points today but they have put themselves in such a hole they are going to have to work really hard to dig themselves out of it.

--Jason Kidd missed the Nets game this past week against the NY Knicks because he allegedly had a migraine headache, but sources close to the story are saying that this was a case of the "blue flu" and that Kidd wants out of New Jersey. Know what, Jason? I bet you aren't the only one that wants out of that smelly hell hole known as the "Garden State" (whoever thought that one up must drink a lot). Fact is, you've got a contract that you signed and you need to honor that contract, or quit. You're a world class athlete, a great player and you deserve a championship but don't do it like this. Be a man.

Have a great week and stay warm!!!

NFL Predictions: Week 14

Some very good games last week and we can only hope for the same this week, so let's get going with this weeks picks:

Chicago @ Washington: The Redskins are coming off a very tough loss to Buffalo on Sunday not to mention trying to deal and copy with the Sean Taylor situation. The Bear MUST win this week to have any chance at all of sneaking into the playoffs and as I have said for two seasons now, they can't win a big game with Rex Grossman at QB. I look for the Redskins to rebound with an inspired performance. Washington -3.

Dallas @ Detroit: Detroit is another team in really a must-win situation. They are struggling to stay ahead of the competition to gain a wildcard spot and this really isn't the game to have to try and do that with. Detroit has been very inconsistent this year and Dallas has been......well.........they have been the best team in the NFC so far this season, as much as it pains me to say that. Dallas -10 1/2.

NY Giants @ Philadelphia: Another game with huge playoff implications and a nasty division rivalry game. The Giants showed me something last weekend with that come-from-behind victory over the Bears. I think that that game might have been a turning point for them, they had a chance to fold like they did last year and didn't. McNabb may be back for the Eagles, but I don't think it really matters. Too much Giant defense. NY Giants +3.

Oakland @ Green Bay: This game scares me a little because the Raiders have showed some life the last few weeks and this is exactly the type of game that you've seen my man Brett throw 5 INT in before. That being said, I think the Packers push towards the playoffs with a big home win. Green Bay -10.

Pittsburgh @ New England: Not a lot of people are giving the Steelers much of a chance against the Pats but remember this: The last two games Brady and the offense have struggled against tough, agressive defenses and there is none tougher or more physical that Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh +10.

San Diego @ Tennessee: San Diego has sprung to life, now can they do it two games in a row. Tennessee has struggled but did pick up a win against Houston last week and need this game to stay in the wildcard hunt in the AFC. I think LT does his magic and the Charger defense keeps Vince Young bottled up. San Diego Pk.

Indianapolis @ Baltimore: The Ravens are 4-8 and will not make the playoffs. They lost a heartbreaker on Monday night to the Pats in a game marred by controversy. They've lost Steve McNair for the rest of the season and their head coach is 96% gone after the season. So what do they really have to play for? I don't think they have the leadership to recover from that devastating loss. Colts -9.

New Orleans @ Atlanta: Probably looked like a great game when the schedule game out. Now Atlanta is just trying to end the season with some positives and New Orleans must win out pretty much to have any shot at making the playoffs. I like New Orleans to pick apart the Falcons secondary in this one. New Orleans -4.

The college bowl season will begin on Dec. 20 and before that date I will have a very special Bowl Selection post where you can get the best info available on the bowl games and their outcomes. Stay tuned for that!! Good luck and enjoy the games.

NFL Recap: Week 13

--I'm still trying to catch my breath from the Monday night thriller. That has turned out to be maybe the best game of the year so far, in my humble opinion. Baltimore completely outplayed New England through most of the game and looked to have Brady really rattled in the pocket but as he has done so often, when it counts, he made the throw, New England wins and are still undefeated. You just can't seem to beat these guys no matter what you throw at them. Tom Brady must have a horse tattooed on his butt. He keeps winning games, marching towards the undefeated season that while it is not spoken of would mean a tremendous amount to the organization. Brady is young, talented, making millions and he gets to date a supermodel. It's just not fair.

--Mark the Broncos off of your playoff schedule. After the loss to Oakland on Sunday they are going to need some serious help to win the West division. They go to Kansas City next week, always a tough trip and the following week they have the Chargers at home. They have to win at least both of these games and hope that San Diego reverts back to their early season problems to have a chance at playing in January. Cutler is still struggling to find his role as the on-the-field leader and Denver's defense has shown signs of cracking in the last couple of games.

--Eli and the Giants live again!! After another poor start by the Giant QB, Eli led the Giants to a come-from-behind win over the Bears after trailing 16-7 going into the fourth quarter. They travel next week to take on the Eagles and Eli has another chance to establish himself as a take charge QB and lead this team in the playoffs.

--I think you can mark off Brian Billik in Baltimore as "fired" after the latest debacle on Monday night. Calling a time out when they had the Pats stopped on 4th down which would have been the ball game, and then when they did get the ball back, the unbelievable lack of communication with the offensive unit proves once again that change is a coming in Baltimore. Baltimore has struggled all season long and while it was a great performance against the best team in football, it is still a loss that drop the Ravens to 4-8.

--I thought I had seen some bad officiating in the Dallas-Green Bay game but the call at the end of the game that cost the Cleveland Browns against Arizona was simply awful. After a great throw and a greatest catch by Kellen Winslow he managed to hand onto the ball and got one foot down before being forced out of bounds by the AZ defender. You see this call almost every week but not in this case. Replay showed time and time again that Winslow had the ball was were it not for the force out would have come down in bounds. Terrible call, but hey, what else is new? Years ago a good friend told me when we were in Las Vegas "Always bet with the zebras". Boy, was he right. Oh wait, that was the NBA.

--Pittsburgh moved to 9-3 with their victory over the Bengals. This team is going to cause many sleepless nights for coaches and players come the playoffs. They have the tools to go all the way, can they execute with those tools is the big question. We shall see come January.

--Speaking of the Bengals, their loss against Pittsburgh assures them of ANOTHER non-winning season, the 15th one in the last 16. Marvin Lewis has to go. I know that he has brought this franchise back from the dead but they are becoming stagnant once again and the off-field problems that have plagued this team the last couple of seasons have definitely had an effect to what is happening on the field. Something has to change.

--Gus Ferrotte had a big game and the Rams were victorious over the Falcons on Sunday. Not that big a deal but I just haven't had a chance to say that very often this season. The Rams have definitely played much, much better the second half of the year, although I'm still not sure if head coach Scott Linahan can save his job or not. Stay tuned for more on that.

--Two other quick notes: The BCS system is a joke. Just say what it is, a big money game for high profile schools only. Neither Ohio St. or LSU are the best team in the nations and if ever there was a need for a playoff system, this season PROVES it. Secondly: Tim Tebow is probably going to win the Heisman this coming Saturday and that's a shame. First, he's not even the best QB in college, you can easily make an argument for Hawaii's Colt Brennan, Tech Tech's Graham Harrell or MU's Chase Daniel not to mention Arkansas RB Darren McFadden. But Tebow will probably win and will be another in a long line of great QB's to come out of Florida and play in the NFL like Danny Weurfel..........ah.............oh, Rex Grossman.......okay I give. He will end up being another NFL footnote. Won Heisman, NFL BUST!!!

Have a great day and see you later this week!!

PITT upsets #2 WVU

Monday Morning Coffee: 12/2/07

--The big news from the weekend is the final BCS standings are out and it is going to be Ohio. St. and LSU in the National Championship game, neither of which deserve to be there. But, let's face it, the BCS is all about making money. But this year more than ever begs for an answer to the eternal question: Why can't we have a playoff system in Div. 1 football? For years university presidents have said that a playoff system would put an undue burden on the students trying to study for finals and such. The lower divisions, formally known as Div. II and III, have had a football playoff system in place for years. I guess their students are just smarter than Div. I students.

--LSU defeated Tennessee to capture the SEC title and right before the game, head coach Les Miles held a hastily organized press conference to announce that despite reports broadcast that morning on ESPN that he was heading to Michigan to take over as head coach there, he would be staying at LSU. Translated: LSU officials were afraid that if he happen to win the SEC title game and then go on to the national championship game his price would skyrocket. Better to lock him in now at the lower rate. Hiring a head coach is a lot like buying a house, you know.

--Congrats to Oklahoma for winning the Big 12 title, crushing Missouri 38-17 Saturday night in San Antonio. Oklahoma's defense was simply too quick and too physical for the Missouri O-line and they put QB Chase Daniels under constant pressure all evening. In my opinion the Big 12 is the toughest football conference in the nation and the fact that there are 3 teams from the Big 12 in the top 10 in the nation speaks volumes about the quality of competition.

--Glad to see Hawaii get into a BCS bowl game. They will be taking on Georgia at the Sugar Bowl on January 1. Hawaii is an underrated and overlooked team and I predict that they will beat Georgia. Coach June Jones has built a great program in the islands and QB Colt Brennan will probably be a first round pick in the NFL draft next year.

--Why didn't the BCS put Oklahoma and Kansas in the Fiesta Bowl? What a great game that would have been. Instead we get Oklahoma against West Virginia. First, nobody outside of West Virginia really cares about this team and secondly they are COMPLETELY one dimensional as their loss to 29 point underdog Pittsburgh proved on Saturday. Booooring!!!!!!!!

--Speaking of Pittsburgh, head coach Dave Wannstedt was given a three year extension through 2012 despite the fact that he is 16-19 in three seasons as Pitts' head coach. Since Wannstedt has been at Pitt they haven't even smelled a bowl appearance after appearing in five straight bowl games under previous coach Walt Harris. Is this a great country or what?

--Parents, pay attention: If you child can throw a baseball, particularly left-handed, practice with them every single day. The market for pitches in major league baseball continues to spiral towards the ridiculous with the Tigers resigning 43 left-hander Kenny Rogers to a 1 year, $8 million dollar deal. This after Rogers made an astounding 11 starts in 2007 and went 3-4 with an ERA over 4 in a season cut short with injuries. Rogers was a good pitcher in his time, but come on!!! Some of these deals are starting to make A-Rod's contract look reasonable.

--The Boston Celtics continue to roll, running their record to 14-2. Is anybody going to step up and give these guys a battle in the East? Orlando appears to be the only team that might have a shot.

Here is a list of the upcoming bowl games, times and where you can view them. Hope everyone has a great week!!!!!!


PoinsettiaSan Diego
Utah vs. Navy
Dec. 20, 9 p.m.
ESPN

New OrleansNew Orleans
Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis
Dec. 21, 8 p.m.
ESPN2

Papajohns.comBirmingham, Ala.
Cincinnati vs. Southern Miss
Dec. 22, 1 p.m.
ESPN2

New MexicoAlbuquerque, N.M.
Nevada vs. New Mexico
Dec. 22, 4:30 p.m.
ESPN

Las VegasLas Vegas
UCLA vs. BYU
Dec. 22, 8 p.m.
ESPN

Hawaii Honolulu
Boise State vs. East Carolina
Dec. 23, 8 p.m.
ESPN

Motor City Detroit
Central Michigan vs. Purdue
Dec. 26, 7:30 p.m.
ESPN

Holiday San Diego
Arizona State vs. Texas
Dec. 27, 8 p.m.
ESPN

TexasHouston
Texas Christian vs. Houston
Dec. 28, 8 p.m.
NFL Network

Champ Sports Orlando, Fla.
Boston College vs. Michigan State
Dec. 28, 5 p.m.
ESPN

Emerald San Francisco
Maryland vs. Oregon State
Dec. 28, 8 p.m.
ESPN

Meineke Car CareCharlotte, N.C.
Wake Forest vs. Connecticut
Dec. 29, 1 p.m.
ESPN

Liberty Memphis, Tenn.
Central Florida vs. Mississippi State
Dec. 29, 4:30 p.m.
ESPN

Alamo San Antonio
Penn State vs. Texas A&M
Dec. 29, 8 p.m.
ESPN

Independence Shreveport, La.
Colorado vs. Alabama
Dec. 30, 8 p.m.
ESPN

Armed ForcesFort Worth, Texas
California vs. Air Force
Dec. 31, 12:30 p.m.
ESPN

HumanitarianBoise, Idaho
Fresno State vs. Georgia Tech
Dec. 31, 2 p.m.
ESPN2

SunEl Paso, Texas
Oregon vs. South Florida
Dec. 31, 2 p.m.
CBS

Music CityNashville, Tenn.
Kentucky vs. Florida State
Dec. 31, 4 p.m.
ESPN

Chick-fil-A Atlanta
Auburn vs. Clemson
Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m.
ESPN

InsightTempe, Ariz.
Indiana vs. Oklahoma State
Dec. 31, 8 p.m.
NFL Network

OutbackTampa, Fla.
Wisconsin vs. Tennessee
Jan. 1, 11 a.m.
ESPN

CottonDallas
Missouri vs. Arkansas
Jan. 1, 11:30 a.m.
FOX

GatorJacksonville, Fla.
Texas Tech vs. Virginia
Jan. 1, 1 p.m.
CBS

Capital OneOrlando, Fla.
Michigan vs. Florida
Jan. 1, 1 p.m.
ABC

RosePasadena, Calif.
Southern California vs. Illinois
Jan. 1, 4:30 p.m.
ABC

SugarNew Orleans
Hawaii vs. Georgia
Jan. 1, 8:30 p.m.
FOX

FiestaGlendale, Ariz.
Oklahoma vs. West Virginia
Jan. 2, 8 p.m.
FOX

Orange Miami
Virginia Tech vs. Kansas
Jan. 3, 8 p.m.
FOX

InternationalToronto
Rutgers vs. Ball State
Jan. 5, noon
ESPN2

GMACMobile, Ala.
Bowling Green vs. Tulsa
Jan. 6, 8 p.m.
ESPN

BCS Championship Game New Orleans
Ohio State vs. LSU
Jan. 7, 8 p.m.
FOX
ALL TIMES EASTERN

Hump Day Ramblings: 11/28/07

--Watch out for the little dudes with halos next year in southern Cali. The Angels have now added Torii Hunter, Jon Garland and are still on the hunt for Johan Santana. Garland adds to an already strong pitching staff and with Hunter joining Garrett Anderson and Vlad Guerrero the Angels should be a force in the AL next season.

--One rumor making its way around the Hot Stove league is that Omar Minaya, GM of the NY Mets, might be willing to part ways with shortstop Jose Reyes in the Mets' pursuit of the aforementioned free agent ace Johann Santana. Hmmmmmmmm...........

--LSU head coach Les Miles has received permission, or rather Michigan has received permission from LSU, for Miles to interview for the head coaching position at Big Blue. Miles has said publicly that nothing will happen until after the SEC Championship game this weekend but I know that he's chomping at the bit for that coveted job. Miles is definitely a good fit for the job, having played and coached at Michigan under the legendary Bo Schembechler. My only question is that if he thinks it's tough in Baton Rouge losing to an unranked opponent, costing your team a shot at glory, what does he think is going to happen in Ann Arbor?

--Ole' Miss introduced new head coach Houston Nutt today. This only 5 days after Nutt led Arkansas to a major upset win over #1 ranked LSU in Baton Rouge. I guess going 8-4 and getting a bowl game for the school (translation here, bowl game=$$$$$$) wasn't enough for the Arkansas faithful. Players love playing for the guy and by all accounts he runs a good program. Definitely Arkansas' loss and Ole' Miss' gain. But at least Arkansas gets to host the International Redneck Olympics again next year.......oh wait, it's held there EVERY year.

--It is really a shame that many media outlets are using the tragic death of Sean Taylor to somehow draw a parallel between athletes and crime. Taylor had some scrapes with the law in the past but over the last year or so had greatly matured not only as a team leader but as a man and a father. He was a young man who made some poor choices, but was able to refocus himself on his career and his family and was headed towards what I believe to be not only a great career and towards being the best father to his daughter that he could. We all haven't been fortunate enough to live in the 'burbs with Buffy and Biff, go to the club for Sunday brunch and drive Mommy and Daddy's expensive cars around. But just because we don't doesn't mean we are all thugs, gangsters or white trash. From accounts of those that knew him Taylor grew up in a very loving home with a father who is still a police officer. Let's all reserve judgement until all the facts are in and let's not lose sight of the fact that a young, talented father and son has lost his life in another senseless act of violence.

--Does anyone still watch the NHL in the U.S.? How can you consider a sport a "major" player when they don't even have a television contract with anything resembling a major network or player in the sports market? Locally there are some games available and if you want to pay extra you can get several different packages through your satellite provider but is that enough? Recent studies have shown that both NASCAR and MMA events such as The Ultimate Fighter and UFC PPV have now surpassed hockey dropping it to seventh on the list of watched sports.

--To everyone complaining about the NFL Network's coverage of the Cowboys-Packers game this week, get over it. I remember when ESPN started carrying both college and pro games and everyone complained because they couldn't get ESPN. Now with satellite dishes springing up like gold teeth at a 50 Cent concert, it's pretty easily available. If your cable company doesn't offer the NFL Network, go get a satellite dish. It's cheaper anyway, the picture is better and more channels to choose from. Just quit whining!!

Have a great rest of the week.........and Go Packers!!!

NFL Predictions: Week 13

Everyone please remember the family and friends of Sean Taylor, the Pro Bowl safety of the Washington Redskins who tragically passed away today after being shot during a home invasion early Monday morning. Taylor was a dynamic player and when he was on the field, no one gave it any more or played any harder than Sean Taylor. After some clashes with authority both on and off the field his first couple of years, the birth of his daughter Jackie last year seemed to have matured Taylor and he was fast becoming a leader on the Redskins defense and seemed destined for greatness. Another young life cut short by violence, it is so incredibly sad. The whole NFL community will remember Sean Taylor this weekend at stadiums around the country and let's all keep his family, friends and especially his 1 yr. old daughter Jackie in our thoughts and prayers. Forward we go.

I nailed it last week, going 6-1. I should be charging $50 a shot for this info, but hey, what are friends for, so here we go with Week 13 in the NFL:

Green Bay @ Dallas: These two teams have a storied history of great games in the NFL. They played what may be one of the greatest championship games in NFL history, the 1967 NFL Championship game, known fondly as "The Ice Bowl". This year these teams have pretty identical stats and are both 10-1 going into this game. Although Favre is 0-8 in trips to Dallas, no one is playing better QB right now in the NFL than Brett Favre. Green Bay +7.

Buffalo @ Washington: This game is going to be an incredibly emotional time for the Redskins. They are going to play their hearts out for their fallen teammate, question is can they focus enough to get the win. I say yes. Washington -5 1/2.

Detroit @ Minnesota: This game may have big playoff implications. The wildcards are still wide open in the NFC and the winner of this game may have enough momentum to guide them to the playoffs. Minnesota's defense looked fantastic last week against the Giants. Adrian Petersen looks like he will play this week. Minnesota -3 1/2.

Denver @ Oakland: Simply put, this is a must win for Denver if they have any hope of making the playoffs. Denver - 3 1/2.

NY Giants @ Chicago: The Giants need a win badly to stay in the playoff hunt, as do the Bears. Chicago has consistently been inconsistent this year and can't seem to string two good games together. I look for that trend to continue and the Giants to bounce back from the trouncing they took from Minnesota last week. NY Giants -2.

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh needs a good showing to silence the critics and regain momentum towards the playoffs after losing to the Jets and barely getting by Miami this past Monday night in the Slog Bowl. Cincinnati has been a huge disappointment this season and in my opinion, coach Marvin Lewis' job is on the line. See ya Marv. Pittsburgh -7.

New England @ Baltimore: I know the Pats were almost upset last week by the Eagles. I also know that Baltimore has maybe the worst looking offense in the league right now.I usually love these big lines, but this could be really embarrassing really early. New England -20 1/2.

Bonus Picks************

Tennessee & LSU (SEC Championship game, Atlanta): I've said all year LSU was overrated. Last week Arkansas proved it. Coach Les Miles said this week that they were undefeated in regulation play. I guess when you blow your chance at a national championship by losing to an unranked team you can always find excuses. On his worst day Phillip Fulmer outcoaches Les Miles. Tennessee +7 1/2.

Missouri & Oklahoma (Big 12 Championship game, San Antonio): I'm not even going to pretend to be objective here. Goooooooooooo Tigers!!! Missouri +3.

Good luck and enjoy the games.

Hot Topic: Packers vs. Cowboys

NFL News and Notes: 11/26/07

--Pittsburgh-3, Miami-0. That may have been the worst NFL game I have ever seen. Steve Young said after the game that it really wasn't a test of skill because of poor field conditions. When you're making the kind of money these guys make, you should be able to perform upside down naked on concrete if you have to. The Steelers were lucky to escape with the win, if you can call it that.

--Speaking of MNF, Michael Wilbon of ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption" basically said at halftime that this season especially shows why there should be a playoff system in college football. While I agree that there should be a playoff system similar to what the lower divisions use, why "especially" this year? Oh, I know. It's because two teams like Mizzou and West Virginia have a chance to play for the championship instead of one of the network sweethearts like Notre Dame or USC or Ohio St. Wait, last year Ohio St. played for the championship and got their ASSES kicked by Florida, that's right. I remember.

--Andy Reid said today that IF Donovan McNabb is healthy, he's their QB. After the Eagles near-upset of New England last night, you have to wonder why in the world wouldn't you at least consider starting A.J. Feely. Reid is a loyal guy to a fault sometimes, and this loyalty will probably cost him his job. Both NcNabb and Reid will be gone from Philly at the end of the year.

--Baltimore and Carolina also will be looking for new head coaches at the end of this season. Brian Billick's putrid offense continues to sputter and after firing offensive coordinator Jim Fassel last year and taking over play calling duties, well...........enough said. Carolina's John Fox is gone as well. Carolina has simply struggled all year. The talent seems to be there but there is something missing, something that a coach like.....oh.......say........Bill Cowher might be able to find?

--The Patriots looked almost human Sunday night. Is it possible that the magic is wearing off, have they finally hit the wall? Um..........nah!!!

--Cleveland in the playoffs. You don't get to say those words in the same sentence very often.

--All of our thoughts and prayers go out to Redskin's safety Sean Taylor and his family. Taylor was shot in his home early Monday morning by an intruder and is in critical condition. Let's all pray for his speedy and full recovery.

--Hey, Nick Saban. There are two openings for head coaches at Georgia Tech and Arkansas. Time to jump ship.

NFL WEEK 11 HIGHLIGHTS

Monday Morning Coffee: 11/26/07

--Yes, Yes, Yes!!! For the first time since 1960, Missouri is the #1 team in college football. After the big win over Kansas on Saturday night, Mizzou jumped from #4 to #1 in the AP, Harris and BCS rankings. A win over Oklahoma this coming Saturday in the Big 12 Championship game to be played at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, TX and the Tigers will be headed to New Orleans on Jan. 7 to play for the National Championship. Chase Daniel showed why he is one of the Heisman candidates this season and although he probably won't win it this year, he will have to be a front-runner for next season.

--Speaking of impressive, West Virginia looked incredible against #20 UConn, crushing the Huskies 66-21. Pat White, the impressive QB from West Virginia, is a force to be reckoned with and if things stay the way they are, it is going to be a great match up with Missouri's defense trying to find a way to stop White.

--I've been saying for several weeks now that I thought that LSU was overrated, and I was right. Losing to unranked Kentucky at home will probably be the excuse that Les Miles uses when he jumps ship and heads to Ann Arbor to take the Michigan job. He probably got some pointers on that move last week from Nick Saban.

--And speaking of Saban, wonder how long it's going to take for the lynch mob to start calling for Saban's now-shrinking head. With three losses to unranked teams and the loss to dreaded foe Auburn, it shouldn't be long. Most overrated coach in the history of football.

--I've thought for a while that the best move in sports in years was New England's acquisition of Randy Moss for a fourth round draft pick, but I'm starting to think that Boston made the move of the century (okay, I know the century is only 7 years old, give me a break) when they acquired Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Celts are 11-1 and look pretty much unbeatable. In his 13th season, it appears Garnett has finally found his place with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. You heard it here first: Celtics win the NBA championship next spring. Like Boston needs something else to cheer about.

--For anybody who watches "The Ultimate Fighter", you know that the big build up this year has been the welterweight fight at the UFC pay-per-view in December between former champ and UFC icon Matt Hughes and current champ Matt Serra. These two have faced off as coaches on this season's TUF and the dislike and lack of respect on both sides has made for some good moments on the show and great build up to the fight. Word came down this past Friday that Serra would not be able to make the fight in December due to a herniated disc in his back he suffered this past week while training. Yesterday it was announced that Hughes will fight George St. Pierre, the man Serra beat for the title and the winner of the Hughes-St. Pierre fight will meet Serra sometime next year if and when Serra is able to come back. Too bad really, I was looking forward to watching Matt Hughes kick Serra's foul-mouthed cocky butt all over the cage. Serra beat St. Pierre for the title with an illegal shot to the back of the head that the referee didn't see and GSP never recovered from. Serra was pretty much down the food chain in the welterweight division when he surprised GSP and even though he constantly has run his mouth saying he was going to destroy Hughes, conventional wisdom says that Serra probably couldn't last two rounds with one of the greatest champions in UFC history. Serra's injury is said to be legit, but I wonder........

--In baseball news, A-Rod and the Yankees have agreed on a $30 million dollar bonus package for his pursuit of the all-time home run record that would push his 10 year contract to $305 million dollars. I guess he just couldn't get by on that $275 million. Other baseball rumors include a potentially big one that the Oakland A's might try to move either Danny Haren or Joe Blanton, both top-notch starters, in the hope of garnering some great young prospects. Note to GM Billy Beane: Starting pitching is WAY too hard to come by, just ask the St. Louis Cardinals. Keep your pitchers, bring your young talent up and build your club around that. Yes, it may cost you some money, but you're either going to pay now, or pay later. Better the devil you know. Oh, and Barry Bonds still sucks.

--I can't remember a regular season NFC game that had as much meaning as this Thursday's game between Dallas and Green Bay. For those of you that don't have the NFL Network, sucks to be you!!!!!!!! Just kidding. Seriously, ask yourself this question: With the game on the line, who would you rather have behind center, Tony Romo or Brett Favre?

Everybody have a great week and remember, if you're driving be sure and take a car!!!!!!!

NFL Predictions: Week 12

Alright, football junkies. Thanksgiving week is always one of the best football weekends of the year. Games, games and more games. Let's see who is going to win........and the losers will be:

Green Bay @ Detroit: For years, this was the traditional Thanksgiving Day game. Good to see it mean something again this year. The Lions have a lot of firepower this year and are hanging on the their playoff hopes, but this is the year of the Pack. They are simply playing too good and have everything working. Close game I think, but I like Brett and the Pack. Green Bay -3.

NY Jets @ Dallas: We all keep waiting for the Dallas blow-up and it hasn't happened yet. Romo and Owens have made a solid connection and that spells trouble for everybody else. The Jets got a big OT win over Pittsburgh on Sunday, but the short week and playing in Texas is just too much for them this week. It's a big number but I like the Cowboys. Dallas -14.

Indianapolis @ Atlanta: I don't know which version of either team will show up. The Colts are beat up and struggling it seems and Atlanta, well when they are bad, they are really bad. Time for the Colts to make a statement. Indianapolis -12.

Houston @ Cleveland: You can't say enough about the job that Romeo Crennel has done this year in Cleveland. The Browns are looking like a playoff team, although they have to find some consistency overall. With that crowd and the Dawg Pound, Cleveland is too tough for Houston at home. Cleveland -3.

Philadelphia @ New England: Ok, this is starting to get ridiculous. No one should be a 3 touchdown dog in the NFL. Philadelphia +22.

Miami @ Pittsburgh: When you have to pay people to come to your games, you know you suck. Ricky "Puff, Puff, Pass" Williams may play in this game. Why not, what's the worse that can happen? Pittsburgh comes off a very tough loss in OT to the Jets and I have a feeling that Coach Mike Tomlin is going to have this team fired up. Pittsburgh -16.

Missouri @ Kansas: This game very well might end up being for a birth in the National Championship game. Without a doubt the biggest game ever in the history of this great rivalry. Kansas has been amazing this season and keeps finding new ways to win. Missouri's Chase Daniel will get some Heismann votes and along with Jeremy Macklin have provide one of the best QB-WR combos in the nation. Missouri + 2 1/2.

Good Luck, enjoy the games and Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Phil Dawson Crazy Field Goal

The Rules of the Game

Does anybody follow the rules any more? Can anyone participate in a competitive activity without trying to find an advantage that violates the rules? Is this even possible

Consider the following:

--NFL Spygate: Bill Belichik is fined a record amount by the NFL after it is discovered that he was illegally taping the NY Jets defense from the sidelines during a game. Like Bill, did you really need to do that to beat the Jets?

--Steroids: Every major sport is under scrutiny for its players using illegal substances, particularly of the anabolic variety. Almost makes you wish for the good old days when they would just a joint or two and then go play the games.

--NBA referee scandal: Whenever and whatever all the facts come to light, this is another black eye for the Nothing But Assclowns league. People for years have accused the NBA of manipulating games to get the "best", translated biggest TV markets, into the later stages of the playoffs and this isn't going to cause that argument to die anytime soon.

--The Tour de France: Yeah, they ride bikes and yes it's in France (two strikes) but the fact that an American, Floyd Landis, was stripped of the title for blood doping is just another example of the cheating boom.

--Remember a few years ago when the Little League coached phonied up a birth certificate so a 15 yr. old kid could pitch in the 12 yr. old championships? Is nothing sacred?

These are only a few examples. What the hell is going on? Yes the athletes involved ultimately are making the choice as to whether or not to cheat and must be held accountable thus. However, the problem runs much, much deeper.

We live in a "win at all cost" world. Watch TV and watch the advertising. If you don't drive this car, you're a loser, You get the chicks, the money, the glory. As I always liked to say, "Girls, guns and glory". Cheating is not only overlooked, but in many circles encouraged. The media and fans are huge participants in this plague. Win and win right now. No five year building program, no bringing guys up through the system. Go out, sign some big name free agents, pay them whatever it takes. Just win, baby. Oh, and if you have to cheat, just don't get caught. Because after all, if you don't get caught, it's really not cheating.......right? Right?

Coaches are perhaps the true victims of player cheating. On one hand, most of them don't want it on their team. On the other hand, they also don't want to know about it. In our society, coaches are not hired or keep their jobs because of their honestly and integrity, they are hired to win. Nick Saban at Alabama, perfect example. No loyalty, no integrity. He suspended a player from this past weekend's game but when Alabama was losing at halftime he suddenly inserted the player back into the lineup in the second half to "give a spark" to his offense. When asked about it after the game his comment was typical coach speak, "It was what it was". Yeah, well I know bull shit when I see it. Nick isn't interested in building character, rewarding those who follow the rules, building a team unit, Nick is interested in winning because he knows at $4 million dollars a year, he better win.

Guys like Lloyd Carr at Michigan, Joe Torre, now of the Dodgers, Jim Leyland, Tony LaRussa, Bill Cower, Joe Paterno..........The world of sports needs more people like these classy and extremely talented guys. Guys that know how to win and how to do it right. So media and fans, time to pick sides. Do you want to be right, or do you want to do it right?

Monday Morning Coffee: 11/19/07

I'm going to make this a regular feature on the blog. Hopefully it will give something to do while you begin dreading the week and are trying to suck down that first cup of joe, or Pepsi, or whatever your particular early morning vice is. I can't even begin to start the day myself without some very stiff coffee and a cigarette, so here we go:

--Okay, okay I give. The Patriots are THE most dominating team that I have ever seen in pro football. They are not just winning games, they are simply destroying other teams. And before anybody else says it, they were trailing the Colts on the road and came back to win that game. They are simply unstoppable at this point. Maybe an indictment or two could slow them down.

--Congrats to Jimmie Johnson for winning his second consecutive Nextel Cup. Just watching Jeff Gordon NOT win was good enough for me. I hate that guy.

--Green Bay and Dallas just keep winning and winning, setting up a huge game on November 29 that will more than likely be for home field advantage come playoff time. Yes, Romo and Owens look better each week it seems, but for those that thought that Brett had lost a step or some zip off his fastball, don't you feel stupid now.

--The Colts managed to eek, and I mean eek out a win over the Chiefs on Sunday. They have got to get some people healthy or they are going to have a short playoff run this year.

--Pittsburgh's Mr. Hyde came out this week. How in the hell do you go and lose to the Jets? The Jets, for Christ sake. I still say they will be there come playoff time but consistency has to be an issue for this team and Coach Mike Tomlin right now.

--The Rams won their second straight game. I only mention this for my friend Slydawg and for the fact that if the Rams keep winning and can finish the season with 5 or 6 wins, Linahan just might keep his job for another year.

--Think Ricky Williams will help the 0-10 Dolphins? Well, I've got a great deal for you..........

And last but not least, the winner of this weeks What The Hell Are You Doing Award:
Jody Powell, 35, hung on to a 12-foot statue of "Hannah Montana" for the better part of six days to win tickets to a sold-out concert by Miley Cyrus, star of the Disney Channel TV show. The concert will be held next week in Tampa. Personally, I can think of a lot better things to do in Tampa.

Have a Good Week and remember: Don't Hunt What You Can't Kill!!

Hawaii vs. Nevada 2007

College Football: 11/17/08

--Looks like Lloyd Carr is out at Michigan. He has called a press conference for Monday presumably to announce his retirement as the head coach. Even though Michigan has had a tough season, Carr is one of the class acts in college football and his leaving is a loss for the sport.

--Nick Saban is the biggest joke in college football. First, Alabama loses to LA-Monroe at home, a team they were favored over by 24 1/2 points. Then Saban, who had suspended WR DJ Hall who happens to be the leading receiver in the SEC for a violation of team rules, allowed Hall to play in the second half of the game. When asked about this after the game, his response was "It was what it was". Let me tell you what it is Nicky boy. You are the most overrated coach to ever hit college football. You're a mercenary for hire, and the thing is, you're really not that good on top of the fact that you obviously aren't going to enforce your own rules. I can think of better ways that the Crimson Tide could've spent $4 million dollars a year.

--I'm sick and tired of hearing about Tim Tebow, the Florida Gator QB. He will probably be another Heismann Trophy bust following in the footsteps of such noted QBs as Gino Torretta and Andre Ware. He won't win it, but Chase Daniel from Missouri is the real deal. He's the most exciting player to watch in college football and he has a chance to possibly play for the National Championship.

--I can't wait to see the BCS polls tomorrow. I've got Kansas @ 1, LSU @ 2 and Mizzou @ 3. Probably wishful thinking.

--Oklahoma and Oregon both suffered losses this week which should take them out of Championship contention. Oklahoma lost their starting QB freshman Sam Bradford with a concussion in the first quarter and QB Dennis Dixon was lost to Oregon for the rest of the year. A real shame for Dixon, as I think had Oregon run the table and won out that he would have won the Heismann. Let's hope he heals well and we see him on Sundays in the future because he is a great talent.

--By the way, the last time that Kansas was 11-0 was 1899, 108 years ago!!! So Cub fans, quit your whining and bitching.