Thursday, December 20, 2007

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!!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

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.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

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!!