So I have to tell you about this crazy football dream I had the other night.  It was a two-parter and the first act was set in sunny North Carolina.  The 12-4 Panthers, the NFC's number two seed, were hosting the 9-7 Cardinals, a team that could arguably be no better than the fifteenth best team in the entire league.  The mighty Panthers were fresh, having earned the right to have a bye week the weekend prior.  The mediocre Cardinals on the other hand were not fresh, having played the Atlanta Falcons in a close matchup in the first round seven days before.  Carolina was three whole games better, played in a much tougher division, were ready and rested...what chance did the Cardinals and their unreliable defense and ground game have?  No chance.  Or so it seemed.  But this was truly one wild and vivid dream as Arizona proceeded to drop 27 first half points against the credible Panther defense.  The images were actually quite beautiful I must say, as I watched the football soar through the sky into the hands of Larry Fitzgerald, who caught everything and anything.  It was as if only Cardinals could catch the football as even the defensive "receivers" caught FIVE different "completions" from that quarterback guy on the Panthers who use to be a Pro Bowl caliber slinger.  I don't remember much of how this segment of my dream ended but I can remember seeing Kurt Warner point to the sky and I can remember how John Fox's face looked like that of a choking victim who couldn't believe he had done it again.  Apparently, cardinal is a tough bird to swallow.  

 

Now here's where my dream gets far out there into a realm of utter ridiculousness.  As images of Steve Smith pouting starting fading into black, I started dreaming about the 9-6-1 Eagles going into the Meadowlands and playing the 12-4 Giants.  Wow, what a joke I thought to myself.  The beastly Giants were going to slaughter the Eagles like this was eagle hunting season and eagles weren't protected by any hunting regulations or endangered species lists.  But much like the first part of my dream, where the lowly Cardinals had decimated the fierce Panthers, this segment of my dream began taking some very odd turns.  The game started off with both teams playing strong, smash 'em up defense.  The G-Men even got a safety!  The score at halftime was an odd one, 10-8.  Even stranger, the team in the lead was the Eagles!  The Eagles, with their quarterback who had been benched six weeks prior, were leading!  This was a team that had been inconsistent most of the season and played to a TIE with the lowly Ben-GALS and now they were leading the defending world champion Giants at halftime, on the road?  Wow the crazy things we dream up!  From there my memory of this dream gets a bit spotty.  Though, I do remember at one point after Eli threw a ball right into the arms of the Asante Samuel, the Eagles cornerback who was the only man within seven yards of the play, I started thinking that I was dreaming of a game from like 2005.  Eli looking like a scared, confused, skittish, turnover prone quarterback?  No way that Eli version '09 was playing like it was me quarterbacking the Giants.  Even crazier was that Donovan McNabb was also playing like it was a game from 2005, which was a really good thing for the Eagles.  But in this wild and crazy dream (remember Nickelodeon's Wild and Crazy Kids hosted by Omar Gooding?  Good times), Eli kept throwing wobbly incompletions, John Carney kept missing field goals, and the Eagles handled the champs on their home turf.  

 

Eagles at Cardinals for the NFC Championship?? Haha, dreams can be so silly sometimes!  Like that matchup could ever happen.  That would mean that BOTH the top dogs in the NFC lost to two mid-level teams that didn't even have double digit wins.  That would mean that the Carolina Panthers choked yet again.  That would mean that the Giants only scored 11 points in the post season right after they won the Lombardi.  Good thing dreams aren't reality, right?

 

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Here are my sure to be wrong predictions for Championship Sunday:

 

Steelers d. Ravens 16-13

I am torn worse than Natalie Imbruglia ever was on this one.  Up until the other day I was picking the Ravens but now I'm not.  Heres what it comes down to: both defenses are filthy and will harass the opposing QB but at the end of the day, Joe Flacco is a rookie.  Yes he has looked great and he is the first rook to ever win two playoff games but Pittsburgh is a tough place to play at between the die hard fans and the rough field.  And when it comes down to it, the Steelers and Big Ben have been here before and have brought home the Lombardi.  Experience wins here.  Do I smell an all PA showdown brewing here?

 

Eagles d. Cardinals 30-28

This is another tough call for me.  The Cardinals are red hot right now and are playing like a team who is demanding respect.  Combine that with the fact that Kurt Warner is a proven playoff quarterback and they've outscored opponents 63-37 thus far in the playoffs, and you get a team that could easily win this game.  But they won't and I have a very unscientific reason for thinking that: it feels like it may finally be the Eagles year.  Think about it for a second.  More often than not the teams that win championships in any sport are the teams that faced many obstacles and at one point or another during the season looked to have no chance.  Examples you ask for?  Sure why not.  Lets start with the most recent one: the 2007 Giants.  Eli looking terrible all season, no way Tom Coughlin will keep his job, Jeremy Shockey shattering his leg, the beat down by the Vikings...almost no one saw the Giants going 4-0 and winning it all against the undefeated Patriots.  Almost no one.  Where did the 2006 baseball Cardinals come from?  How about the 2007-2008 Celtics who won it all when all the world expected them to choke it away?  More often than not, it's the team that most had written off that rides off into the sunset.  The Eagles have had a Buffalo Bills-esque aura around them for some seven years now and I in my gut, which is a nice roomy place, I feel that this will be the year that McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Andy Reid, and the defensive staples are finally vindicated.  If all goes according to the way I see it, no one will remember the benching, the not knowing the overtime rules debacle, Brian Westbrook's injuries, or Reid's questionable play calling.  All they will remember is that the 2008 Eagles brought home Philly's second championship in four months.  

 

(If the Steelers play really beastly though against the Ravens, that prediction may change.  Don't judge me, it's my blog!)

 

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Congrats to Florida and Urban Meyer on winning their second national title in three seasons.  That's a heck of a program he has built down there and while I absolutely despise the BCS system, I think Florida would have won a playoff as well.  In my mind, however, Utah are the co-champions and it's an absolute robbery to fans of the game that we never had the chance to see Utah challenge the Gators for that crystal ball.  

 

Seriously, there should be a playoff.  No questions asked.  I'm not even going to waste my time and reiterate the same pros and cons of a playoff system that have been debated for decades now.  I'm just going to state what I consider to be the only acceptable opinion: there should be a playoff in Division 1 College Football (blah to sub-division labeling, it's D1 dammit)

 

What I love the most about the bowl games is the ridiculous names they come up with for them.  For example, such gems as: The PapaJohn's.Com Bowl, The Meineke Car Care Bowl, and The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl are some of the current ones that most stick out.  The Salad Bowl, The Vulcan Bowl, The Raisin Bowl, The Glass Bowl, and the Refrigerator Bowl are some of my most favorite defunct collegiate post season games.  

 

So with that, here are some whacky bowl game names that I would like to see instituted:

 

The CitiBank Even Though the Federal Government had to Give us Billions upon Billions of Dollars to Bail us out we are Still Paying Millions upon Millions of Dollars to Sponsor Sporting Events and Venue Bowl

 

The Suffolk County Credit Union Kissing Under the Mistletoe Bowl

 

Porntube.com Bowl

 

The Zuckerberg Bowl sponsored by Facebook

 

Your Access to Nexus Bowl sponsored by Groupnex

 

The MySpace.com Tom Bowl

 

The Bill O'Reilly Conservative Crap and Bias Bowl

 

The BCS Really Sucks a Big Fat One and This Game Should be a Part of a Series of Games that Determines the True Champion Like You Know a PLAYOFF Bowl

 

The National Wholesale Liquidators Strawberry Mango Banana Kiwi Smoothie Bowl

 

The Two Days Past the Expiration Date Mixed Fruit Bowl

 

The Town of Scranton Bowl sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon

 

The University of Phoenix Online is Not a Legitimate College Bowl

 

The PF Changs Kung Pow Chicken is Pretty Good But I like Spicy Foods Bowl

 

The Brawny Paper Towel Man versus Mr Clean Bowl sponsored by SHAM WOW 

 

The Applebees Half Off Appetizers and Two-fers are Really the Only Reason to Dine Here Bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow it's 2009...crazy how as you get older, times moves by faster.  2008 went by at mach speed to me, especially the NFL season.  It feels like Week 1 was only three weeks ago, not seventeen.  But alas, with the bitterness and darkness that is the end of the regular season, comes the sweetness and bright sunshine that is the playoffs (pardon the dramatic metaphor, I just get amped for this stuff).  If the unpredictable, turmultous regular season is any indication, these next four weeks are going to be nothing short of amazing.  

 

How unpredictable was this season?  Well just look at the teams that did and didn't make the playoffs.  Anyone who says that they predicted before the season that Miami, Baltimore, Tennessee, Arizona, and Atlanta would be playing into January, is lying.  When the Chargers were 4-8 and the Eagles were 5-4-1, anyone who thought EITHER one of them would get in, would have been committed to a padded room.  The Cowboys missing the playoffs?  Impossible.  The Jaguars, Browns, and Packers all being double digit loss teams that were eliminated pretty much before Week 10?  No way.  The Jets were so much of a playoff "lock" at 8-3 that the NFL began discussing what would happen if both the Jets and Giants hosted the Conference Championship games.  The Jets went 1-4 the rest of the way, losses that came against two losing teams and a .500 team, and missed the playoffs altogether.  Then there are the Broncos.  Oh those sad, sad Broncos.  They were 8-5 with three games left to play.  The Chargers, the second place team in the NFC West were 5-8.  All Denver had to do was win one of three measly games.  Heck, Denver would've of even fallen into the playoffs if San Diego had even lost one of those measly three games.  In fact, San Diego almost did lose.  But cursed be the Broncos, the Chargers scored two touchdowns in the last minute and thirteen seconds to beat Kansas City by a single point in Week 15.  Now that's what I call crazy.  All of what transpired during the 2008 NFL season can only be described as crazy.

 

So now my job is to try and predict the upcoming playoffs?  Yeah right, good luck with that Dave!  That's like trying to predict which celebrity couple will cal it quits first of who the next pro wrestler to die will be.  Talk about mission impossible!  But I shall channel my inner Ethan Hunt and complete my assignment before this blog self destructs! 

 

AFC Wildcard round:

Baltimore at Miami

Indianapolis at San Diego

 

Both of these squads have enjoyed storybook turn arounds this season.  The Ravens won six more games than they did last year but that isn't nearly as impressive as the Dolphins, who won a whopping TEN more games in '08 than they did the year prior.  In fact the only team Miami beat in '07 were the Ravens, in a "thrilling" overtime contest.  This will be a close game and the Dolphins have playoff experience out of the quarterback position but the Raven defense is too strong and the offense has been clicking on all cylinders the last half of the season under rookie Joe Flacco.  Plus the Ravens beat the Dolphins in Miami, 27-13 in Week 7.  Prediction: Ravens 24, Dolphins 13

 

The most fascinating thing about the Colts-Chargers matchup is that both are being billed as "the team nobody wants to face".  Well they'll face each other and it will surely be one hell of a football game.  I can honestly say that with how insane and all over the place this entire season has been, I can definitely see the winner of this game taking it all.  I'm not saying that they will but the momentum and ability of both of these teams is frightening.  Imagine for a second if San Diego did win it all.  An 8-8 team winning it all in a year where a 11-5 team was left out of the playoffs completely!(more on that later!)  Insane!  Indy has won nine games in a row after a rocky start and I see that number hitting double digits.  The Chargers will put up one hell of a fight though but the Colts and the MVP will take it.  Prediction: Colts 31, Chargers 23

 

NFC Wildcard round:

Atlanta at Arizona

Philadelphia at Minnesota 

 

The Falcons give the Dolphins a run for their money as the best story of the year.  The team from the Dirty South wasn't quite as abysmal as the Dolphins last season as they went 4-12 but their future looked much darker than that of the Fins.  But along the way came a fantastic head coach hiring, a superb draft, and a brilliant free agent running back signing.  That coach was Mike Smith, who will compete with the Ravens head ball coach for Coach of the Year honors.  That running back was Michael Turner, who almost won the MVP, and that draft featured the strong arm, poised, wise beyond his years quarterback Matt Ryan.  Atlanta went 7-2 after their bye and have looked excellent.  In the last five weeks they have beaten the Panthers and Vikings and I have full faith they will knock off another playoff team this weekend.  Arizona has stumbled mightily after starting the season 7-3 and Kurt Warner has started looking his age.  The Cardinals defense is spotty and I expect Ryan-Michael Turner-Roddy White to run wild on them.  Prediction: Falcons 38, Cardinals 20

 

The Eagles-Vikings matchup is the hardest one to predict as both teams are fiercely inconsistent and unpredictable.  I can see why many don't have much faith in Philly as they shockingly got into the playoffs after Dallas, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Washington, and New Orleans all failed to seal the deal.  But I see the Eagles as being one of the most dangerous and talented teams out there and think they will just snip past the Vikings.  Donovan McNabb has played like a stud since his Week 12 benching and the defense has been poised and consistent all season long, particularly down the stretch.  The Vikings have won five of their last six, including victories over playoff teams such as the Cardinals and the Giants, but the wins in that span also include Jacksonville and Detroit.  Not to mention that the Cards cooled off and they only beat the Giants who were playing with their reserves by a point.  I just can't see Tarvaris Jackson guiding this team to a playoff victory, despite how good of a game Adrian Peterson will have.  Neither of these teams are going very far though but the Eagles are going to advance.  Prediction: Eagles 23, Vikings 20

 

This season has been so nuts that I don't even have any shame in predicting all four road teams will be victorious this week haha.  That could have something to do with the fact that Indianapolis and Atlanta both have more wins than their opponents but because of seeding are playing on the road.  In fact, the Ravens and Dolphins have the same record and the Vikings are only one game better than the Eagles in the win column.  Crazy!  

 

I do want to talk a little bit about playoff seeding.  I understand the purpose and logic behind divisions but I really am not comfortable with four division winners and two wild cards.  There should be two divisions per conference and the playoffs would feature the two winners of those divisions and four wild cards.  This has always been an issue that irked me in years past but after watching the Patriots go 11-5 and be left out of the playoffs, it's absolutely ridiculous.  The NFL is no better than the college game here!  The 8-8 Chargers have a chance at Lombardi's trophy, but not the 11-5 Patriots?  How is that in anyway acceptable?  There is no perfect scenario ultimately but under my suggestion an 11-5 team would not miss the playoffs, unless there was some fluke scenario where the best eight teams were in the same division but that is unlikely.  Under my scenario, the worst possible team in the AFC playoffs would be 11-5!  Now that's what I call really exciting!  I'm sure it will never change but it's nice to fantasize at least.  

 

I wish you wouldn't, but take a look back at my preseason predictions.  I only successfully predicted three of the eight division winners and in general my picks pretty much stunk.  Oh well I never claimed to be a prophet!  I did win my main fantasy football league this season (<3 you Matt Forte), does that count for anything?  

 

As always thank you for reading and I hope this year is full of nothing but health and love for each of you

Just dropping in to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas!  Be safe and have a blast!  And never fear, a brand new blog entry is coming this weekend!!

Thanksgiving week is arguably my favorite week of the year.  Not only do you have Thanksgiving Day, where you get to stuff your face full of delicious fowls and side dishes, but you have Thanksgiving Eve, the greatest drinking night known to man.  Some years the celebration is even a four day one, depending on how frisky you're feeling.  Black Friday has some sweet deals and Saturday is a day where many people play touch football and enjoy the collegiate game.  Heck, tack on Week 13 of the NFL season for a fifth day of festivity while you're at it.  Monday and Tuesday aren't even half bad as it's easy to get through them, knowing what awaits you come Wednesday.  Yes sir, Thanksgiving week is the most festive of any week to this writer (Christmas into New Years gives it quite a run for its money though I must admit).  The only way this week stinks is: if you work in the retail, the foodservice, or the movie theatre industry or if you have nothing to be thankful for, which I hope is not the case for any of my beautiful readers.  

 

I know I have a lot to be thankful for and will reflect on all of them this week.  From the shallow things we should only like when we're somewhat young and even somewhat more stupid (alcohol and spending the money we don't have), to the kinda important things (relaxation, good eats, and football), to the things that matter more than anything (family, friends, laughs, and love), this is the week when we should really sit back, smile, and say thank you.  Not that any other week or day isn't deserving of the expressing of our gratitude and thanks but lets face it, we're busy and sometimes life just gets in our way.  Just make sure that this week, particularly tomorrow, you stop to take it all in, smile, and say thank you to everyone you love.  

 

Now with that Hallmark stuff out of the way, lets talk about something else that is synonymous with Thanksgiving: Sports!  Football in particular has been intertwined with Turkey Day since 1934 when Detroit Lions owner G.A. Richards first scheduled a Lions game on the holiday.  32 years later, The Cowboys joined in on the annual November tradition, and simutaneously reinforced the stature of Thanksgiving football and became America's Team.  Although the NFL dominates the sports airwaves on Gobble Gobble Day, other sports leagues have also embraced the Thanksgiving sports phenomonen in recent years.  Tomorrow the NBA will air two games, the number 2 Long Horns will be in action, and thirty four college hoops teams will be on the courts.  For the sports lover, an already wonderful day just keeps getting more and more wonderful.

 

So logically, well at least in my twisted mind, when I got to thinking about what Thanksgiving means and how big a part sports plays in making the magic of the holiday, I started to think about all the things in the world of sports that I was and was not thankful for.  After a few minutes I felt I was on to something and BAM, just like that, I had an idea for an article.  So without further ado, I present to you a short list that I am thankful for the in the world of sports and an even shorter list that I am in no way thankful for!

 

I'd like to say thank you to: Parity.  You are like an angel parity, descending from the heavens to make sports even more beautiful and exciting.  Your God like touch on the 2008 NFL season in particular has not gone unnoticed sweet parity.  Twenty of the 32 teams in the league are .500 or better and two losing teams are still in contention!  With barely over a month left to play, 70% of the teams still have a shot to play for the Super Bowl championship.  Three whole divisions have squads that sport .500 or better records!  It's almost sexy how much parity there is in the NFL right now.  Baseball also had a lot of parity last season as seventeen teams had winning records and four of the six divisions were decided by three games or less.  Seven different teams have won the last eight Fall Classics!  Each season, all sixteen teams in the NHL playoffs have an almost equal shot of hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup and college basketball has the most exciting, invigorating post season of any sports league because you know there about twenty different teams that can win the title and another thirty who can play legitimate spoiler.  Parity you are a gorgeous thing and I hope you keep on strutting your stuff in the sports world.  

 

I'd like to say thanks but no thanks to: The BCS.  Just go away already!  Nobody likes you except for the fat cat conference commissioners and the fat cat TV executives.  The everyday fan, the ones who pay to go to the games and tune in faithfully every week, H-A-T-E you!  Personally, you sicken me.  I may just puke up my stuffing and cranberry sauce if I think about you tomorrow.  Have I mentioned I hate you?  You have failed over and over and over in your decade of existence and is time for you to go.  Under your format, six teams have a legitimate shot to play for your national championship but you can only pick two.  Okay, as of now Alabama is a gimme but who is their opponent going to be?  Oklahoma?  Texas?  Florida?  Texas Tech?  Hmmm?  You've made a real mess of things once again and not just with the National Title Game.  With your whole automatic conference bid structure for the BCS, the potential exists that Oregon State, Cincinnati, and Georgia Tech could all be playing in BCS games while teams such as USC and Boise State will not be.  Have I mentioned you make me sick BCS?  You know what?  Even though I hate to see great teams jobbed out of the highest profile bowl games, I would love to see a potential Missouri/Cincinnati BCS Bowl Game absolutely tank in ratings.  Because poor ratings equals poor revenue and the lack of revenue may just be the only thing that can finally slay the BCS beast.  Even in an eight team playoff, some teams are being left out as there are really at least a dozen teams that deserve consideration, but that format is still the fairest.  I'm even open to a six team playoff or a sixteen, I don't care just as long as the BCS and computers largely picking who they feel are the best two teams go bye, bye.  Oh and Ohio State's back to back National Championship Game losses is also in large part to blame on the BCS structure as both years they went SEVEN WEEKS between their last game and the title game.  SEVEN WEEKS!  Are you f*$%ing kidding me???  How can any team compete with a layoff equivalent to almost a quarter of an off season?  They can't.  BCS I hate you and will never say thank you for existing.  Unless of course I become one of those fat cats.  

 

I'd like to say thank you to: Instant Replay.  Oh instant replay, since your inception in the Seventies, you have been a loyal, admirable friend to the sports fan.  You have been able to show us things that we missed in game speed the first time around and you have made the games more exciting and interactive.  You have also made us hate officials more, which while I don't whether or not that is a good thing or not, it is part of your legacy.  Oh instant replay, you became even more thankable when sports leagues started using you to help out their officials.  The NFL uses you the most and you help the zebras to better determine whether or not a receiver was in bounds, or if the ball carrier fumbled or if he crossed the goal line, and so on.  For years now, you have helped hockey officials determine if the puck ricochetted out of the net or if it crossed that little blue line.  You have helped basketball officials determine whether a shooters foot was on the three point league or wasn't and most importantly have helped officials figure out if the orange sphere left the shooter's hand before the buzzer sounded.  Instant replay, you just recently celebrated a new milestone when Major League Baseball started using your services to determine whether or not baseballs were home runs or not, the first time the notoriously old fashioned sport has let you party with them.  You are a beautiful thing and in the grand scheme of the sports world, still relatively young.  I look forward to growing old with you instant replay.  XOXOXOXOXO!

 

I'd like to say thanks but no thanks to: The limited use of instant replay in sports.  We have established how infatuated I am with instant replay, now lets establish how aggravated I am by how underutilized it is.  Listen I understand the arguments about tradition and how human error should be a part of sports and to an extent I agree with some of those arguments but the fact of the matter is that it's 2008 and times have changed.  We have a black president for God's sake!  Haha, I just wanted to get that in there.  But I digress.  I love tradition and a part of me likes the factor of human judgement in sports but the fact of the matter is all the technology around officials has improved while their eyes have not.  Players are faster and stronger and plays in each sport unfold quicker and with more chaos than ever.  The NFL does a decent job with the replay factor but still it is not enough.  A part of me likes that teams lost timeouts if they lose a challenge but that means that they only have three a half and that the choice to use the challenge flag can potentially change their entire game strategy.  What if officials blow four calls in the first twenty minutes of the game?  Sorry coach and players, you're screwed?  It just doesn't make sense.  With how fast and hard hitting the game of football is, it is often impossible for referees to see whether players stayed in bounds or whether or not the ball hit the ground before being caught or if a player fumbled and so on.  Between how much faster the players move than the officials eyes and between blocked angles and focusing on other infractions such as holding and illegal blocking, how can NFL officials not be pushing for greater use of replay?  Replay is not undermining their authority or making them obsolete, it's simply helping them to due their job better and more accurately.  Instant replay to sports officials is like the calculator is to accountants and the MRI machine is the doctors, it's there to help them do their job to the best extent possible.  

Football is like a virgin, reluctant to let it's oversexed instant replay boyfriend go much beyond petting.  Baseball is even worse as it has a chastity belt on and only let instant replay finally kiss it two months ago after years of casual flirting and constant persistence.  While it's great and all that baseball finally accepted that their umpires needed help in determining what balls had and had not cleared the wall, baseball and it's umpires still need a lot of help, help that only instant replay can provide.  For instant replay to get into the pants of baeball, it's going to be very tough as it's traditionalist father is very strict and overprotective.  We all know how much he hated letting baseball play with the designated hitter.  He'll be damned if he lets it run wild with television monitors and all that witchy technology.  But even the biggest of traditionalists can't deny that this year's World Series was a showcase for terrible umpiring.  Too many big mistakes were made during each game and as a die hard baseball fan it bothered me tremendously and was proof enough for me that instant replay is desperately needed in baseball.  Now it's going too far to use replay for balls and strikes but for plays at bases, plays at the plate, balls batted down the lines, home runs, and whether or not the ball was caught or trapped, replay has to be implemented.  It just has to be.  In every sport.  In this day and age, the players are getting quicker, the game action faster and the officials just can't keep up and it's not fair to expect them to when the technology exists to help them.  Fans at home and even in the stands should not be more informed than the officials on the field.  

 

I'd like to say thank you to: The Internet.  You have done a lot of wonderful things for the world of sports, including making this very blog possible!  But in all seriousness, it is phenomenal that at any time stats, history, schedules, breaking news, and tickets are only a mere finger tip away.  Truth be told, this goes for all things.  The Internet, while it sucks because it preoccupies a lot of peoples time and there is some harmful stuff out there, is arguably one of technologies greatest inventions.  The exchange of information and ideas in seconds is invaluable and the sports community has been one of the biggest to gain from it.  Perhaps the biggest thing the Internet has helped sports gain is the next thing I'm thankful for:

 

I'd like to say thank you to: Fantasy sports.  Fantasy sports, you're like that girl who I know is no good for me but I just can't seem to shake her because she challenges me and keeps me coming back for more with her sweet scent.  Playing fantasy sports is absolutely intoxicating and I hate to admit that I spend many hours on my baseball and football teams each year, trying to win the championship.  And I don't even play for money, how crazy is that?  But I'm thanking fantasy sports because it allows guys for me, who never had much of a shot of playing any sport competitively past 18 years old, a chance to stay involved in a different way.  I get to draft, sign, and sculpt my very own team.  I'm owner, general manager, and manager all wrapped into one.  As sad as it sounds, I feel very accomplished when my fantasy teams succeed.  On the flip side of that, I do have a bit of a hatred for fantasy sports as it takes away from the real games a bit.  Scrappy guys who have a larger than life impact on the real game with all the little things they do well like David Eckstein and Darren Sprowles have very little value in the fantasy game and that bugs me a bit.  The thing that bothers me the most though is that loyalty to your fantasy team often conflicts with loyalty to your real life team.  Whenever I play the guy who owns A-Rod, Brett Favre, or Vince Carter, it makes it very hard for me to root for my real life guys over my fantasy team.  Sure I want to see the Yankees win but I'd prefer A-Rod to go 0-4 that particular day.  Any other day I want to see him go 4-5 with three jacks, but not when I'm facing him.  Playing fantasy sports and being a real live fan often is a conflict of interest, but I love it 

 

The rest of the rest:

 

I am thankful for: cheerleaders, ESPN, old fashioned stadiums, college marching bands, tennis, playoffs, discounted ticket prices, championship celebrations, my readers (all 20 of you! haha)

 

I am not thankful for: cheerleaders, ESPN, absurd bowl game names, state of the art stadiums that have no feel, golf, sports talk radio, horse racing analysts, high ticket prices

 

Be well and remember what I told you!  Happy Thanksgiving all!

My first order of business today is to say congratulations to our new President-Elect, Barack Obama.  This is a sports blog and I hate bringing outside topics into it, especially hot button ones like politics, but the Presidential Election of 2008 was an event that affected all aspects of life and I would be amiss if I did not bring it up at least briefly.  

 

I truly believe Americans made the correct choice in this election and am excited to see how the next four-plus years pan out.  This country is amazing but in my opinion it has been stuck in a rut for the past six years, especially the past two.  Obama is better suited to change things and help Americans fix their woes than John McCain is and I am feeling a bit more optimistic about my own and my country's future today.  

 

With that being said, lets move onto the reason Groupnex has me here: to talk about SPORTS!

 

A congratulations also needs to be said to the Philadelphia Phillies for winning the 2008 World Series.  From September 1st on, no team played harder or more intelligently than the Phils and that's why Charlie Manuel's team can call themselves champions.  Philly won it because they had healthy, stable starters, a rock solid bullpen, sparkling defense, and gritty players.  The only thing they sometimes lacked was clutch hitting, but the brilliant pitching offset the Brewers, Dodgers, and Rays long enough for the Herculian-power of the Phillies lineup to come through.  

 

The Cubs were the best team in baseball for 6 months, the Mets made it tough for the Phillies to win the East, and the Rays had the support of the world behind them.  The Brewers and Dodgers were recharged by CC Sabathia and Manny Ramirez respectfully and then men from Boston had capture two titles in four seasons.  Going into October, the Phillies were an afterthought by many.  Sure they were dangerous and the favorites against the Brew Crew in the NLDS but the hype belonged to teams like the Cubs, Red Soxs, Angels, and Dodgers.  Somewhere along the line, the Phillies would be tripped up.  Either by the team fighting a century of futility or by Manny's bat or by the mightiness that is the Boston Empire.  But when it was all said and done and the dust had settled, it was Brad Lidge, Carlos Ruiz, and the rest of the Phillies who collapsed on the field in tears of joy.

 

Much of Phillies success can be contributed to lefty Cole Hamels, who went 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA during the playoffs.  The 24 year-old truly shined on baseball's biggest stage and blossomed into one of the elite aces right before our eyes.  By this time around 2012, I bet Hamels is unquestionably regarded as the best pitcher in the game.  

 

The staff behind Hamels pitched solidly as well.  Joe Blanton, acquired mid-season from Oakland, posted a 3.18 ERA during the post season and dominated Game 4 of the World Series.  Heck, he even went deep, the first time a pitcher had done that in the World Series in 34 years.  Jamie Moyer struggled badly for most of October but pitched a gem in a Game 3 no decision despite battling a vicious stomach virus.  You could see how much the 45 year-old Philly native wanted that ring.  Brett Myers was fantastic but he went 2-1 with a 4.74 ERA and most importantly did not self implode.  It was nice to see him contribute to a championship after how terribly most of the season went for the seven year vet.  

 

What Cole and Co started, Brad Lidge finished with authority.  Equally his perfection of the regular season, Lidge recorded seven saves in seven tries and posted a 0.96 ERA.  I think it's save to say that the days of Albert Pujols being in Lidge's mind are long gone.   Well maybe we won't know that until he has to face him again in the NLCS, but for now Lidge is coming off a perfect season in every sense of the word.  

 

The rest of the pen was clutch, as they were all season, as well.  J.C. Romero did a tremendous job of neutralizing the Rays left handers and Ryan Madson recorded two holds in the series and despite giving up the game tying HR late in Game 5 to Rocco Baldelli, was breathtakingly good all of October.  

 

Offensively, the Phillies prospered despite being unable to drive in runners when they were in scoring position for three and a half games.  Ryan Howard took Rays pitching deep three times and most importantly reemerged as an imposing figure who pitchers and coaches had to come up with a game plan to stop him.  Jayson Werth had his share of running blunders on the big stage but the fact is, the man was always on base.  In five World Series games, he recorded eight hits and drew six walks.  All World Series champions have a player who gets as hot as and comes up as big (David Eckstein in 2006, Dave Roberts in 2004, etc.) as Werth did this October.  Utley, Rollins, and Burrell all generally struggled at the plate but in crunch time, all three delivered with at least one huge hit that helped to catapult the Phillies to the championship.  

 

Most importantly, the Phillies were managed well.  Charlie Manuel got the most of his starters while not sticking with them too long and perhaps even more importantly, he managed the bullpen extremely well.  He went to Madson and Romero a lot but didn't abuse their arms, which is something many other managers in this league have never master (::cough:: Joe Torre ::cough::).  He always seemed to pick the right pitch hitter, as evidenced by when Geoff Jenkins led off the resumed Game 5 with a double and when Matt Stairs tanked a pitch hit dinger in Game 4 of the NLCS.  Manuel let his players play, didn't panic when his veterans were struggling, and should be lauded for leading his men to championship glory.  

 

This was a tremendous season, one of my favorite ones of recent memory, and I believe that the best team truly won it all.  God I love this game!

 

The other night I was a bit bored and flipping through the channels when I stumbled upon something I had not seen in awhile, WWE Raw.  I must admit I was always a pro wrestling fan growing up and even as an adult have attempted to follow it at times, so it was kind of nice to see it again.  Now I will never call wrestling a sport ( I will call wrestlers athletes though without hesitation) and I will never try to say that most of the storylines they do are not ridiculous but I will defend it against people who call it "fake".  The whole world knows that wrestling is staged, that the outcomes are predetermined, and that the wrestlers are trying to protect one another.  The WWE themselves and all wrestling companies for that matter, basically admit that.  People who call wrestling 'fake" are idiotic and just plain annoy me.  It's a television show meant to entertain.  Would you call "24". "Lost", "Greys Anatomy", or "The Bold and the Beautiful" fake?  No, you would call them scripted television shows that are meant to entertain the people who watch them.  Wrestling is not a sport, but it certainly isn't "fake".  

 

That being said, I got to thinking: What if conflicts and rivalries in sports took place in the world of wrestling.  Here's how I imagine it would shape up:

 

The Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers drama would have been settled in a "Loser leaves Green Bay" match.  Favre, the crafty veteran, would have dominated most of the match and even wrestled a bit like a heel- taking too long to let go of a hold, using closed fists, and taunting Rodgers, but Rodgers would have pulled it out at the end, probably with a small package or some other type of quick pin.  

 

Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson, Chris Henry, and Cedric Benson would form a heel fraction, constantly harassing the commissioner Roger Goddell, a bit of a heel himself for fining every wrestler every week for no reason whatsoever.  

 

The Kansas City Chiefs would have had an over the top rope battle royal.  Damon Huard would have thought he won it but out of nowhere, Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw would sneak in and eliminate him, earning the Chiefs starting Quarterback gig.  

 

After injuring his ankle in a match, Kyle Orton would declare that he would attempt to lead the Chicago Bears survivor series team next week and out of nowhere would come Rex Grossman delivering a vicious attack.  After knocking out Orton, he would put a steel chair around his counterparts ankle and stomp down on it, assuring that he would be the man leading the Bears for the short term.  

 

50 Man tag-team match: Yankees versus Red Soxs.  The Yankees had previously been the good guys but have slowly transitioned into being the bad ones and win the match after Joe Girardi sneaks into the ring and delivers a DDT to everyones favorite little man, Dustin Pedroia.  A-Rod gets the pin and then taunts the Boston fans.  

 

King of the Court tournament: First round: Kobe Bryant vs. Paul Pierce, Dwyane Wade vs. Kevin Garnett, LeBron James vs. Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan vs. Steve Nash.  Second round: Kobe Bryant vs. Kevin Garnett, LeBron James vs. Tim Duncan.  Finals: Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James.  In an absolutely thrilling match, Kobe pulls out the victory over LeBron, earning the King of the Court trophy and crown.  LeBron is forced to change his nickname.  

 

Martin Brodeur vs, Sean Avery in a grudge match.  Avery gets the win with a roll up while holding a handful of tights.  Post match, Brodeur injures his elbow after beating the tar out of Avery, much to the delight of the fans.

 

Handicap match: Matt Jones and Brandon Marshall vs. Joey Porter.  Lets face it, there is a lot of animosity here and this match has to happen.  It was suppose to be a tag match originally but the ONLY person who likes Porter enough to tag with him is Ben Roethlisberger, but Big Ben was hurt the week before when 300 pound Cornelius Griffin landed on his right arm.  The match ends as a no contest when Marshall attempts to pull a foreign object out of his crotch and Brandon Stokley comes flying down to the ring like a white Usain Bolt, pushes Marshall's arm down and gently whispers, "Brandon, stop actin' a fool".  Post match, Porter talks trash on the microphone for four and a half hours while Marshall talks to a reporter backstage, incoherent and fighting back tears.  Brandon Stokley is rewarded with a steak dinner, a lap dance from a stripper named "Buckin' Betty", and a tricked out Escalade for his quick thinking that stopped Marshall from doing something moronic that could have cost his team the match.  Matt Jones was last seen in his truck with a bag of white powder and a credit card.  

 

Mike Gundee cuts a promo backstage.  At the end he walks away, but then suddenly comes back into the camera and screams his patented catchphrase, "I'M A MAN, I'M FORTY!"  The crowd goes wild.  

 

In yet another 50 man tag match, Brad Lidge hits Eric Hinske, who doesn't even as much raise a hand or a bat in effort to stop him, three consecutive times in the face and then pins him to win the WORLD SERIES TITLE for Philadelphia. Lidge and Carlos Ruiz embrace and Ryan Howard proceeds to join the celebration by spearing the two of them.  It takes eleven minutes and a tank of oxygen but Charlie Manuel finally gets in the ring to help celebrate.   

 

Alabama, Texas Tech, and Penn State would all pick one representative and stage a triple threat match.  First pin fall earns the one seed, second pin fall the second seed.  The loser is left out of playing for the National Title.  Just when the PSU player is about to pin the Texas Tech player, a BCS official would distract the ref long enough to allow the Crimson Tide player to hit the Nittany Lion with a steel chair and get the first fall.  Later on, when the PSU player has the Tech player in a sharpshooter about to submit, an Ohio State player is sent out by the BCS officials to deliver a kick to the skull of the Nittany Lion, out of the sight of the ref.  The Red Raider covers the Nittany Lion to get the pin.  

 

The BCS has screwed Penn State out of the national title game.  And wrestling is fake?

Hey there Groupnex Universe.  I know it's been a long time since my words have graced these pages and I apologize for my absence.  Life sometimes can be so busy and then all of a sudden copious amounts of free time land plump in your lap and vice-versa.  But nevertheless I have returned and it's perfectly normal for you to be excited.  

 

A lot has been going on in the sports world, as it always is during this time of the year.  Baseball is down to the final two teams, the NFL season is in full swing, the NHL quietly has begun its season, and the NBA season is knocking on the door.  Excellent time to be a sports fan.  In fact, October into November may be the best time of the year to be a lover of sports.  

 

So my mission with todays blog is two-fold: Analyze and Predict a World Series winner and to present to you my NFL top half power rankings through seven tumultuous weeks.  

 

I will say this right off the bat about the 2008 World Series: it should be a thrilling, competitive series.  It has to be for our sake, baseball's sake, and FOX's sake.  The last Series to go to even a sixth game was in 2003.  Since then, three of the series have been swept and the Cardinals and Tigers played a very boring, ugly five gamer in 2006.   Prior to that baseball was enjoying a nice run of great Series, including back to back seven game series in 2001 and 2002 and the run of the Yankees from '96, '98-'00.  

 

This series will be decided in no less than six games and could very well be a classic 7-gamer.  These two teams are simply too good, too similar, and too hungry to go down without a fight and unlike 2007 when the Rockies were off for over a week and grew rusty, both of these teams are rested and hot.  While the Phillies versus the Rays may not sound sexy on paper, the best two teams that could be playing for it all are and it's really exciting in a poetic justice kind of way when that happens.  

 

So how do they matchup?  Very evenly actually.  In fact, the Phillies were the second best team record wise in the National League and the Rays held the same distinction in the AL.  The Rays scored 774 runs and gave up 671, the Phillies plated 799 and surrendered 680.  Tampa Bay won the AL East by two games, Philadelphia won the NL East by three games.  Both squads committed 90 errors this season.  Both teams play on the East coast!  Okay I was just pulling at strings on that last sentence but you get my point: the Phillies and Rays are fairly evenly matched and both teams deserve to win the World Series.  

 

When it is all said and done however, there can only be one champion.  Which team has the better shot?  Lets break it down:

 

Starting Pitching

Advantage: Rays

 

The best evidence for arguing that the Rays will not be a one year fluke, is the depth and talent of their young rotation.  Lefty Scott Kazmir is the ace and has the potential to be a top tier starting pitcher for the next decade as long as he doesn't succumb to injuries.  Most don't realize this but Kazmir has a record of 45-34 with a 3.50 ERA since 2004, his first full season in the bigs.  For his career, he has a 9.7 K/9 rate, which in case you did not know, is excellent.  As long as the injuries he battled this season and in 2006 are not going to be reoccuring, he will be a star.  For this series, he will come up huge as he is more apt to be the pitcher he was in Game 5 of the ALCS rather than the one he was in Game 2.  

 

James Shields enjoyed his second consecutive season of throwing 215 innings, winning double digit games, and posting a sub 4.00 ERA.  He isn't the power pitcher that Kazmir is but he is an intelligent pitcher who hits his spots with the best of them.  He hasn't been dominant this post season but he also hasn't given up more than three runs in a playoff start and may be the sleeper player to watch in this series.

 

Normally I hate when the media compares one player to another but the comparison of '08 Matt Garza to '91 John Smoltz seems to be an accurate one.  For the Braves in 1991, Smoltz went 2-0 in four starts, posting a 1.51 ERA and struck out 26 in 29.2 innings.  Atlanta ultimately lost to the Twins in the World Series but it was certainly not because Smoltz didn't pitch his heart out.  Seventeen years later Matt Garza has come up just as huge for the Rays thus far this post season.  Against the Red Soxs in the ALCS, he posted a 1.45 ERA, struck out 14 in 13 innings and notched two of the four wins Tampa Bay needed to move onto the championship round.   He did give up five runs over six to the White Sox in Game 3 of the ALDS but when a guy is that hot, it's hard to argue against them.  

 

Andy Sonnanstine will probably end up as the 5th starter behind David Price next season but for now he is the fourth man in the Rays young rotation and he has been more than solid in the role.  The 25-year old went 13-9 with a 4.38 ERA this year and was particularly strong down the stretch with a 3.16 ERA and a .205 batting average against.   That September success has carried over into October as he is 2-0 with a 3.46 ERA during the Rays playoff run.  

 

If anything were to happen to one of these four the Rays have the depth to turn to Price, Edwin Jackson, or J.P. Howell which is a beautiful thing to have.  

 

The Rays have four starters going strong right now but it may not matter because of how beastly Cole Hamels has been pitching for Philadelphia.  He is 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA this post season and has been nothing short of dominant if not virtually unhittable.  No big surprise as he posted a 3.09 ERA this year.  Within the next three years or so, Hamels will be regarded as the best pitcher in the game and he may just be enough for the Phillies to be called champions in 2008.  

 

As good as Hamels is, the rest of the Phillie rotation does not match up well against the young Rays pitchers.  Brett Myers gave up only two runs over seven innings to Milwaukee in the NLDS but then gave up five in five to the Dodgers.  He is a Jekyl and Hyde pitcher who has walked seven men this post season and cannot be relied on.  That being said, he can throw up a dominant game out of nowhere.  Jamie Moyer is a grizzled veteran and it would be great to see the hometown player get his ring but the fact is he has to step up and pitch like the 21 year vet he is.  The Dodgers absolutely raped him in Game 3 of the LCS and he only lasted four innings in his only first round start.  When you're cold, you're cold.  When the Phillies acquired Joe Blanton from the A's, I believe their intention was for him to be just merely adequate.  He isn't going to shut anyone out but he has only given up four earned in eleven innings this post season and can throw the ball past inexperienced hitters.  

 

The Phillies rotation is more experienced and Hamels is lights out but the Rays have four hot pitchers who are immensely talented and unlike Moyer and Blanton, don't have to rely on just their guile. 

 

Bullpen

Advantage: Phillies 

 

The fact of the matter is Brad Lidge went 41/41 in converting saves in the regular season and has again been perfect in October, going five for five thus far.  A part of me almost feels like he is overdue for a heartbreaking blown save at the worst possibly time but I really don't see it happening.  He has struck out ten in 7.1 innings and has only been touched for one run and that was in his first appearance against the Brewers.  The best closer in baseball during the season, Lidge may just be the key to a parade in Philadelphia.  

 

Ryan Madson has been absolutely sensational at setting up Lidge during October.  He has posted four holds, a win, and a sexy 1.00 ERA.  He doesn't have overpowering stuff but he has been dead accurate and has mixed his pitches well all season.  Don't forget, it was only three seasons ago that he collected 32 holds.  It would have been nice to see him make it as a starter but he has become a studly setup man for a championship caliber team.  Best of all for Philly, he is capable of throwing two innings or more with ease.  

 

J.C. Romero over the last two seasons has reemerged as an elite lefty specialist out of the 'pen and got some big outs in his four appearances this October.  His ability to neutralize Rays sluggers like Carlos Pena, Carl Crawford, and Cliff Floyd is huge for the Phillies.  

 

Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey, and Scott Eyre are veterans who have been solid all season and provide the Phillies pen with nice depth.  

 

The Rays at times can have a lights out bullpen but not nearly as consistently as the Phillies do.  The main problem lies in the fact that the Rays have no real closer and it shows.  At any time Joe Maddon can call on almost any man in the bullpen to close and while it's nice to have that versatility, teams with closers by committee very rarely win in big spots.  

 

Dan Wheeler had a big season for Tampa but the fact is he has looked mediocre in October.  He has given up four runs in six innings and has blown two saves.  Doesn't sound like an October closer to me.  Although, Lidge vs. Wheeler with their history in Houston is a mildly interesting subtopic.  Grant Balfour was downright dominant during the season and has had flashes of success in the playoffs but he got rocked by Boston in Games 2 and 5 of the ALCS and has shown signs of being unreliable.  Plus he has only closed four games in his career, all this season.  Chad Bradford has gotten pretty much everyone out every time this postseason and the uber-submariner may be the biggest component to the Rays bullpen.  Excellent pickup.  J.P. Howell has been the stud of the bullpen, recording four holds and striking out 12 in 9.2 innings.  The youngster may still pan out as a starter one day but it may not be a bad idea for the Rays to give him a shot at closing if Wheeler or Balfour can't handle it against the Phillies.  Trever Miller is the lefty specialist and will almost certainly stare down Ryan Howard and Chase Utley at least once.  David Price has been sensational in his brief cup of coffee and may be the spark plug that lifts the Rays to the promise land but at the same time, he is a rookie with only a month of experience.  That's risky.  Last but not least, Edwin Jackson, who should have been on the roster from Game 1 of the ALDS, could eat up some innings nicely in the event of a blowout.  

 

The Rays have talented fireballers in the bullpen but the fact is, the Phillies have experienced, consistent, talented relievers and a clear cut closer who is a dominant one at that.  

 

1B

Advantage: Rays

 

Ryan Howard has won an MVP in the past and is a candidate this season after a monster September, but he has been ice cold in the playoffs.  He has struck out ten times in thirty-five at bats in comparison to only eight hits.  He hasn't hit one out and looks lost at the plate.  Carlos Pena, much like Howard, struggled with his batting average for much of the season but unlike his counterpart, has hit big in October.  He is sitting at .333 with 3 dingers and 8 RBI through eleven playoff games.  He is also not a defensive liability.  

 

2B

Advantage: Phillies

 

This is a no brainer and warrants minimal discussion.  Utley put together an MVP type season for the fourth consecutive season and is the premier 2B in the game.  He hasn't crushed the ball in the playoffs but has drawn a walk an average of once a game and is clutch.  Akinori Iwamura is a nice player but he has little pop and doesn't handle the bat as well as Utley.  

 

3B

Advantage: Rays

 

Again, a no brainer.  The Rays sensational rookie Evan Longoria has sent six balls into orbit this post season and is feared.  My only concern is that he is prone to striking out a lot and may never really be a big average guy.  Defensively, he is Gold Glove caliber.  Pedro Feliz has swung a poor bat during the playoffs and is nothing more than mediocre.  This is the most lopsided position in the series

 

SS

Advantage: Phillies 

 

Both teams shortstops have come up short with the stick in the year's tenth month but the fact is, this isn't even close.  Rollins is the reigning MVP and capable of breaking out into a hot streak at any point.  Jason Bartlett is a nice player with a sweet glove but no pop and not much experience.  

 

LF

Advantage: PUSH

 

Left Field was the toughest position for me to determine who had the advantage and after exhaustive thought, I realized that neither team has an advantage here.  Pat Burrell collected many big hits for the Phillies this season and during the playoffs has hit .300 with 3 home runs.  He shredded the Brewers in the decisive Game 4 and is capable of that type of three hit, two homer, four ribbie game at any time.  Carl Crawford hasn't went yard since June (missed much of August and all of September though with an injury) and isn't as big of a threat with Burrell in terms of power and driving in runs but once Crawford gets on base, which has happened 17 times this post season, he is a game changer.  He is six of six on steals and his defense and arm is excellent.  Both are valuable in their own way.

 

CF

Advantage: Phillies 

 

Wow and I thought LF was hard to pick.  This one is a doozy.  B.J. Upton has hit seven home runs and driven in 15 runs this October while flashing that deadly arm on a few occasions.  Shane Victorino has been almost as good on the other side, driving in 11 runs and hitting .281.  This could be a push but it's not.  The Advantage goes to the Phillies and Victorino.  Consistency is why.  The Hawaiian has gotten on base in every game except one and has struck out only once.  He also reads the ball excellently and possesses an arm that can compete with Upton's rocket launcher.  Upton has been sent back to the pine from a strikeout over a dozen times and if not for his hip hop speed and arm would be a terrible outfielder.  Seriously, he can't read the ball off the bat.  While Upton has been a stud for the Rays so far in October, I can see him going cold in a hurry.  Victorino, I only see getting better as the games get more meaningful.  

 

RF

Advantage: Phillies

 

RF may be the weakest position on the diamond for both squads.  Gabe Gross has looked God awful with the bat for Tampa and Rocco Baldelli has only played five times.  He has three hits and five RBI which is two hits and five RBI more than Gabe Gross.  You can say, Gabe has been playing gross haha.  Okay, I'll shut up.  Wily Aybar should be the RF, despite his ugly defense, when the series goes to The City of Brotherly Love.  Jayson Werth has been the primary RF in Philly during the playoffs and has responded by hitting .268 but striking out a ton.  I'll take Werth, Matt Stairs, Geoff Jenkins, Gregg Dobbs and whoever else they could throw out there over the guys Tampa has been running out there.  

 

C

Advantage: Rays

 

Carlos Ruiz is a nice defender but the light hitting catcher has looked ghastly offensively in the playoffs and the Rays clearly have the advantage here.  Dioner Navarro was an All-Star and flirted with .300 during the regular season and in the post season has hit .250 with five RBI which is adequate.  Amazingly, Navarro is only 24.  It seems like he has been around for years already.  Chris Coste can hit and has some pop but has only batted once this post season.  He may get some play as the DH but I don't expect much from him.  It would've been nice if the Rays still had Shawn Riggans backing up Navarro but hopefully for them it won't matter.  

 

DH

Advantage: Rays

 

This is simple if only because the Rays use a DH on the regular whereas the National League Phillies don't.  Willy Aybar has belted the heck out of the ball and when the designated hitter is thrown out the window in Philly, Aybar needs to play as the right fielder.  The DH for Philadelphia is up in the air and it can be anyone from Gregg Dobbs to Jenkins to Stairs to Coste.  Personally, if I were Charlie Manuel I would make Howard the DH and try Dobbs at first bag.  

 

Manager

Advantage: Push

 

Joe Maddon is only in his third season as a manager but his third season has been quite the good one.  He has proven to be a brilliant game manager who seems to be able to pick the right guys to put out on the field each day.  He has done the best he can with the bullpen since Troy Percival went down and has brought along his young staff wonderfully.  He was the bench coach for Mike Scioscia in 2002 when the Angels won it all so he has an idea of what it's like to win it all.  

 

Charlie Manuel is a smart baseball man who in his six full seasons as a manager has posted nothing but winning records.  He has done an excellent job of managing a team full of a plethora of young, emerging stars and has certainly gotten the most out of his 'pen.  While the victories over the Brewers and Dodgers marked the first time he had ever won a playoff series as a manager, the fact is that Manuel has managed during October before and that may be the deciding factor in this matchup as sometimes experience is everything.  

 

Overall

Advantage: Phillies

 

I absolutely love what the Rays have done this season and am beyond impressed with them but at the end of the day, I think the Phillies are just a tad better.  This series is going to go to seven games and be a battle but I fully expect Philadelphia to be the city hosting a victory parade.  Between Utley-Rollins-Victorino-Burrell and Howard they have a more dangerous, experience lineup and there bullpen will be almost impossible to score upon.  Cole Hamels will start Game 1 and how he performs may truly be indicative of how the series goes.  If he is lights out, the Rays are in trouble.  As long as Myers, Blanton, and Moyer don't implode, the Phillies offense and bullpen along with Hamels Superman effort should be enough to hoist the trophy.  

 

For the Rays to win this series, all of the young hitters have to continue to come through in a big way and the almost painfully young rotation needs to be just as good as they've been all post season.  The glaring weakness is the bullpen as a closer by committee system is always shaky.  That being said, if Wheeler and Balfour are on then the Phillies hitters could be left weeping and the streets of St. Petersburg may come alive in celebration.  

 

But I'm confident in picking the Phillies in seven.  

 

So now I will do a complete 180 and transition to discussing the NFL.  It's been a crazy season thus far and this was no easy list to make but here are my top 16 teams after seven weeks:

 

1) Titans (6-0)

 

2) Steelers (5-1)

 

3) Bills (5-1)

 

4) Giants (5-1)

 

5) Buccaneers (5-2)

 

6) Redskins (5-2)

 

7) Panthers (5-2)

 

8) Patriots (4-2)

 

9) Cardinals (4-2)

 

10) Packers (4-3)

 

11) Jaguars (3-3)

 

12) Eagles (3-3)

 

13) Colts (3-3)

 

14) Falcons (4-2)

 

15) Bears (4-3)

 

16) Broncos (4-3)

 

See you guys soon, stay beautiful

Guess who's back?  Back again.  Dave's back again.  Not only am I back, I also have brought my shiny new, updated NFC predictions along for the ride.  After three weeks of football, here's what I project for the NFC in 2008:

NFC EAST:  

Before the season:

1.  Cowboys 12-4
2.  Eagles 10-6
3.  Giants 10-6
4.  Redskins 6-10 

Now:

1.  Cowboys 14-2
2.  Eagles 11-5
3.  Giants 10-6
4.  Redskins 8-8

The NFC East is by an far the best division in football and maybe even in all of sports.  So good in fact, that it will send three teams to the playoffs and the team on the outside looking in, Washington, will be huge spoilers down the stretch.  The Cowboys are unquestionably the best team in the game, having already defeated division foe Philadelphia and fellow NFC superpower, Green Bay.  Offensively, the Cowboys are the most talented team in the league.  Marion Barber and Felix Jones form the deadliest 1-2 running attack in the game, Jason Witten has become the NFL's premier tight end, and as long as he isn't throwing interceptions, Tony Romo is as good as they get.  Dallas' high octane offense has averaged 32 points a game thus far and don't look to be slowing down, barring injury.  My only concern with them offensively is that the wide receiver core is either a complete home run or a bust.  Terrell Owens is a beast but he's also a drama queen who's antics can drag down an entire franchise.  Patrick Crayon is too inconsistent as he will have a solid game one week and then follow it up the following weekend by being a complete non-factor.  Miles Austin and Sam Hurd are both intriguing wild cards but have proven nothing in this league.  An Owens injury could be devastating to this team.  Defensively they still stink and will be scored upon but as long as they give up less than their elite offense puts up, they'll be fine.  In the long run, another January/Romo meltdown would not shock me.  This team has to prove it can win when it matters.  

How terrified were Philly fans when both Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook left the same game with injuries?  I reacted with a sigh and chuckle, because we know both of them were going to be hurt at one point or another but during the same game?  Ouch.  It does look like the Eagles dodged a bullet though, as Westbrook is only day to day with an ankle sprain and McNabb appears to be fine.  But the question has to be asked: how long will it be before one or both of these guys go down for a substantial amount of time?  This has been the story of both of their careers and has been a dark cloud looming over the franchise each season.  If the tandem miraculously, and that's what it would be - a miracle, stays healthy, than this may be the team to beat in not only the NFC but the entire NFL.  McNabb looks like a man with new found energy who has something to prove (and he does) out there each week.  Westbrook has gotten into the endzone five times already this season and his versatility is crucial to the success of this team.  The Eagles D is talented and hungry and hasn't allowed two of three opponents into the end zone.  The 41 they gave up against Dallas was alarming but it has to be kept in mind how good that Cowboy offense is.  Andy Reid is a tremendous coach and this could finally be the year he leads this squad back to the big game.  As long as they stay healthy that is.  

I don't know what it is but I find myself being anti-Giants more often than not.  I picked against them all of last year, including the playoffs, but they got hot and took home the championship (reminiscent of the 2006 baseball Cardinals).  Before this season I reluctantly picked them to be a 10-6 playoff team and I am reluctantly going to stick with that projection.  I did not like the way they played this past week against the pathetic Bengals and I did not like how they played for three quarters against the even more pathetic Rams the week before.  The point I'm making is that their 3-0 record seems misleading to me. The defending champs 2008 schedule gets much tougher going forward, including four total games against Philadelphia and Dallas and showdowns with Pittsburgh, Carolina, and Minnesota.  Now comes the news that Plaxico Burress will be suspended for the game against Seattle in week 5, which makes me think that a "w" is no longer a slam dunk in that contest.  Burress is by and far Eli's best target and I don't know if Armani Toomer and Steve Smith can fill the void if Burress' antics continue or if he gets hurt.  I do love the the triple-headed monster running game and I think Manning has made the greatest improvement in the shortest length of time of any quarterback in recent memory.  He went from being a mediocre, mistake prone quarterback to a confident, poised quarterback who will take charge.  I said it last season and I will say it again, Manning became a better quarterback and this offense became more well rounded when Jeremy Shockey went down.  No knock on Shockey, but I think it's in large part because the play calling was too focused on getting him involved, which minimized the potential of the talented WRs and RBs.  Oh and Kevin Boss is a much better blocker, as evidenced by the fact Manning has had much more protection and time in the pocket since Shcokey got hurt.  The schedule is tough and the G-Men haven't looked very consistent thus far but at the same time this a team that has become a squad that knows it can win tight games and that's a dangerous thing for opponents especially come the playoffs.  

I wasn't very high on the Redskins going into this season but through three games they have already changed my mind. Washington could easily be 3-0 as they played tough against the Giants in the season opener and Jason Campbell is quickly becoming one of the most intelligent, poised quarterbacks in the game.  He reminds me of David Garrard from last season, but with a better arm and group of receivers.  Clinton Portis, a premier running back in my opinion, is averaging 82.6 yard/pg and has gotten in the end zone three times and Santana Moss may be playing the best football of his career thus far.  Chris Cooley is an elite tight end (perhaps not the smartest man on the face of the Earth after accidentally posting a picture of his junk online) and I love the offensive line.  On the defensive side of the ball, Jason Taylor was a big addition as he can still play this game at an elite level.  Hopefully his leg injury will not linger past this upcoming week.  LaRon Landry, Carlos Rodgers, and Shawn Springs are part of a solid secondary and Rocky McIntosh and London Fletcher lead a talented linebacker core.  This team's record will be much like it's personnel, competitive and promising but ultimately not enough to matchup against the superior teams in the division.  Washington is not a team I'd want to face though in a must win game.  

NFC North:  

Before the season:

1.  Packers 10-6
2.  Vikings 9-7
3.  Bears 5-11
4.  Lions 4-12

Now:

1.  Packers 12-4
2.  Vikings 9-7
3.  Bears 6-10
4.  Lions 3-13

The Packers improved two games for me for two reasons: 1) I don't like the Vikings as much as I did and 2) Aaron Rodgers proved he can definitely be a star at this level.  I thought Rodgers would play solidly and lead the Pack to playoff contention going into the season but now I think he's capable of taking them deep into the post season.  The best may yet still be coming as Green Bay hasn't turned the fourth year pro completely loose yet, as the play calling was a bit passive against a mediocre Dallas defense last week.  He is yet to turn the ball over this season and looks confident in the pocket, a skill that cannot be taught.  Donald Driver and Greg Jennings form one of the top five wide receiver duos in the game and that can only help Rodgers.  The Packers have got to get the running game going to be effective.  So far week 1 is the only time they have done that this young season.  The defense has a lot of talent in Charles Woodson, A.J. Hawk, and Nick Barnett but it is a unit that teams can drop 20-25 points a game on very easily.  The Al Harris injury only further limits the defense.  Mason Crosby is 6/7 on field goals thus far and is quickly becoming one of the game's elite kickers.  They have a challenging schedule and an inconsistent defense but Green Bay will be one of the top teams in the game all season and should return to the NFC Championship Game if Rodgers is the real deal. 

One of these days Tarvaris Jackson may be a good quarterback but that day will not be anytime in 2008.  Brad Childress made a tough but gutsy call to change his starter after two close losses.  The change to Gus Frerote resulted in the Viking's first win of the season but when it is all said and done the journeyman in his second stint with the Vikings, will not be good enough either to guide this team to January play.  Adrian Peterson is a stud and it's not surprising that he has been this beastly since joining the NFL but as he proved at Oklahoma, he can't stay on the field.  He missed two games in his rookie campaign and I expect that number to at least double this season.  Chester Taylor is a phenomenal backup however, and the Vikings ground game may not suffer that much in Peterson's absence.  Then again, I could probably run for a 1000 yards behind that line, which is led by Steven Hutchinson and Matt Birk.  Antonine Winfield has the ability to be a shutdown corner and the acquisition of defensive end Jared Allen may have been the best move made by any team during the off season.  Allen, and his sweet mullet, alone put that defense in the top half of the league.  In the end, I think quarterback play and injuries cause Minnesota to fall just short of the playoffs.  

Lovie Smith absolutely made the right decision by going with Kyle Orton as his starter.  Realistically, Orton should not be starting in this league but he was the best choice out of himself, Rex Grossman, and Caleb "who?" Hanie.  Orton was excellent at Purdue before getting hurt and if used right, can be a solid game manager at this level.  He won't win games at this level by throwing the ball all over the field, but he is highly accurate and as long as he isn't being forced to try and win the game with his arm, shouldn't make too many big mistakes.  Devin Hester, who is already hurt, won't be a great receiver and the rest of the aerial targets are a joke.  But I absolutely love their running back, second round pick Matt Forte who is also proving himself as a game changing pass catcher out of the backfield.  He's my early season choice for offensive rookie of the year, as long as the passing game doesn't completely dwindled and die.  The defense still has a lot of talent in Brian Urlacher, Nathan Vasher, Danieal Manning, Lance Briggs, and the oft injured Mike Brown but it is not remotely as dominate as it was in 2006 and with that offense, that spells trouble.  Chicago has shown a lot of tenacity thus far, pummeling the Colts on the road and losing their two games by only a field goal each time and it wouldn't shock me if they rallied to an 8-8 season but I just don't think the talent is there to stay this competitive.  

Finally, finally, finally Matt Millen has been fired!  After eight pathetic, terribly mismanaged seasons, the Lions have moved on. With all due respect to Millen, he was terrible at his job and has put this franchise in a hole it will have a brutal time climbing out of.  The Lions have basically averaged a 4-12 record since Millen took over and have failed to make any really successful, lasting draft picks in that time except for Calvin Johnson.  Jon Kitna is a backup at best in this league and the running game is a joke.  Rookie Kevin Smith and cut veteran Rudi Johnson both have a lot of work to do.  Detroit's defense cannot stop anyone, as indicated by the 37.6 points per game they are giving up thus far.  The only thing to like about this team are the receivers led by Johnson, Roy Williams, and Mike Furrey.  Then again, Williams and Furrey aren't remotely as good as their 2006 seasons' suggest.  This team is going nowhere in 2008 and even three wins may be asking a lot but they have a lot of money and motivation to rebuild which is at least a good thing.  Good news, the quarterback of the future may already be on their roster, as in Drew Stanton.   

NFC SOUTH:

Before the season:

1.  Panthers 11-5
2.  Saints 9-7
3.  Buccaneers 8-8
4.  Falcons 3-13

Now:

1.  Panthers 10-6
2.  Buccaneers 9-7
3.  Saints 7-9
4.  Falcons 5-11

 

NFC SOUTH:

Before the season:

1.  
   1.  Panthers 11-5
   2.  Saints 9-7
   3.  Buccaneers 8-8
   4.  Falcons 3-13

Now:

1.  
   1.  Panthers 10-6
   2.  Buccaneers 9-7
   3.  Saints 7-9
   4.  Falcons 5-11

Carolina has let me down a lot over the past two seasons, going a combined 15-17 in that span.  2008 is looking like it may have the potential for another disappointing Panther squad but ultimately I think they win the division and go to the playoffs.  Defensively they have to play a bit better but I think the main reason they are giving up twenty a game is due to Julius Peppers and Chris Harris being a little banged up early.  Jake Delhomme has looked solid after coming back from major elbow surgery but only 1 touchdown through three games isn't going to cut it, especially if they continue only giving rookie back Jonathan Stewart ten carries a game.  John Fox is an excellent coach but he is on the hot seat.  This team has the motivation and schedule to win the South.  

True New Orleans beat Tampa Bay in week 1 but in the long run I think the Bucs will be better.  One thing that could doom the Bucs is that the quarterback position is going to be saturated with controversy all season.  Jeff Garcia played well in week 1 but got banged up and now it looks like Brian Griese, who torched Chicago for 407 yards last week in an overtime win, is the new man behind center.  If Griese gets hurt, you have to wonder about Garcia's mental commitment if he is asked to start again.  Earnest Graham came on strong last season to become a factor back and thus far this season is averaging six yards a carry but the running game has to get more involved in Jon Gruden's play calling if this offense is going to continue to be successful. Defensively, with Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber, Cato June, and Phillip Buchanon they are old but talented.  They could win this division with a 9-7 record like they did a year ago.  

Much like their losses in week 2 and 3, I feel as if the Saints season will ultimately be a "close but no cigar" campaign.  It's impossible to root against them, not only because of Katrina, but also because they're young, exciting, and talented but the fact is they may just always be on the cusp of breaking through and nothing more.  I don't think they can be that ten win team that played for the NFC title in 2006 this season.  Drew Brees will continue to put up big numbers, numbers that will only grown when Marques Colston returns next month and eventually one has to believe Deuce McAllister will be able to contribute.  Throw in Reggie Bush and his versatility and the Saints have one of the most thrilling, high octane offenses to ever step on the field. Scoring points is not the problem, preventing the opposition from scoring is.  New Orleans has averaged 27.6 points a game offensively and defensively has given up exactly the same!  That kind of symmetry is not going to win you titles.  

Going into this season I had Atlanta ranked as one of the bottom three teams in the entire league, with the chance of even being the worst.  Through three weeks they have proven to be a bit better than that.  They may be the best of the worst teams as they have demolished Detroit and Kansas City, two of the top four most pitiful teams in the league.  The Falcons have proven that they can handle the weakest of teams mightily but they really only have one more peon left (Rams).  Their schedule gets considerably more difficult and as they proved against Tampa, they have no business playing against good teams. Matt Ryan is only throwing the ball an average of twenty-one times a game but that is largely due to free agent signee Michael Turner already having a 200+ and 100+ yard game.  Obviously it's a lost season record-wise for the Falcons but the Boston College alum is going to play each week and is going to spend an entire season learning, which may mean more for the Atlanta franchise than anyone will ever know.  

NFC West:

Before the season:

 

1.  Seahawks 10-6
2.  Cardinals 9-7
3.  4'9ers 5-11
4.  Rams 5-11

 

Now:

 

1.  Seahawks 9-7
2.  Cardinals 8-8
3.  4'9ers 6-10
4.  Rams 2-14

 

Football is unquestionably the hardest sport to predict in my astute opinion.  More than any other sport, predicting the outcome of the National Football League's season is a complete and utter crapshoot.   Even from game to game, I find it damn near impossible to pick who is going to emerge with the "w".  Here are some examples of my failings from last season:

-Picked San Diego to go to the Super Bowl                                                                                                      -Picked Titans to finish 5-11                                                                                                                                                                -Picked Cardinals to win an NFC Wild Card spot                                                                                                                                                            -Picked Giants to miss playoffs                                                                                                                                                       -Took Pittsburgh as my lock pick four times for my school paper and went 0-4 with them                                                                                                                                                          -Picked New Orleans to go to the Super Bowl

That's only a sampling of my laundry list of failed predictions from last season.  With the exception of calling the Colts to win in 2006, I have been pretty subpar in general throughout the past few seasons.  This is why I have decided to cheat.  Well no, not cheating, I don't like that connotation.  Lets just say that I am adding an insurance policy of sorts to my season predictions.  I will list the honest, unaltered predictions I had from two weeks ago before the G-Men and err R-Men, kicked off the 2008 season.  Along with those, I will post my newer, more confident predictions after watching all that transpired in the first two zany weeks of the 2008 NFL season.  

And without further ado, here are the most absolutely correct, unquestionably accurate, in depth, enjoyable 2008 AFC predictions you will find anywhere in the universe.  Or at least on Groupnex.  Maybe.  

 AFC East 

 Before the season:

 

1.  Patriots 13-3     
2.  Jets 10-6
3.  Bills 7-9
4.  Dolphins 5-11      

 

Now:

 

1.  Patriots 11-5
2.  Bills 10-6
3.  Jets 9-7
4.  Dolphins 3-13

 

Obviously the Tom Brady injury impacted the Patriots, the AFC East, and the entire league.  Obviously.  However, New England is a veteran team with a championship pedigree and a chip on their shoulder and even without Brady, this bunch is still a double digit win team and a legitimate threat.  Matt Cassel only has to do what he did in Week 2 against the Jets: manage the game and don't turn the ball over.  This is a guy who has learned behind a three-time Super Bowl champion and backed up two Heisman Trophy winners at USC.  While that may not be as important as experience on the field, it counts for a lot.  And how many guys can say they were drafted to the NFL out of college without starting a single collegiate game (at quarterback, he did once start a game at tight end believe it or not)?  Someone believed in him in 2005 enough to draft him and I believe he will be more than adequate in 2008.  That being said, the Patriots with Brady are deadly favorites and now without him are merely just a really good team with a chance to win big.  

I'll admit that I am a bit of a Jets fan and probably jumped on the bandwagon a little.  I still have one foot on that wagon but the other one is touching the road and I am embraced to jump off at any week now.  Brett Favre is a legend, one of the top 5 quarterbacks of all-time and there is no questioning he is an upgrade by leaps and bounds over Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens.  That being said, he plays the game like a reckless gunslinger and can just as easily lose a big game for you as his arm can win it.  In terms of intelligence and reading defenses, Favre has always been mediocre in those areas and that is a large part of the reason why he also owns the all-time interception record.  I don't believe he is a quarterback that can win deep into January on a mediocre team because of the mistakes he makes.  The offensive line has completely been rebuilt which is a good thing and that secondary with Kerry Rhodes and Darrelle Revis is quickly becoming top-tier but the effectiveness of Thomas Jones and the running game throughout an entire season remains to be seen and teams can run on the front seven.  They are no lock to make the playoffs.

You should have noticed that I had the Bills leapfrogging the Jets for second place in the East.  I have been impressed with what I have seen out of Buffalo against Seattle and Jacksonville teams that were suppose to be good squads.  Don't forget, this Buffalo squad also showed flashes of success last season, winning 6 of 8 games at one point.  They play three winnable games the next few weeks and could be 5-0 when San Diego comes to visit.  They have a relatively easily schedule after that as well, with the possible exception of two with New England and one with Cleveland.  10-6 may be selling this team short.  Their defense has been impressive and Trent Edwards is playing tight, consistent football thus far.  Lee Evans, Roscoe Parrish, and James Hardy are all three big potential playmakers at wideout as well.  The running game and Marshawn Lynch have been a bit underwhelming through two games however.  

One of the Groupnex founders will hate me for saying this but the Dolphins are an awful football team.  They have absolutely no real playmakers on offense, including Chad Pennington who is really only a transitional quarterback for a franchise at this point in his career (in fact, I thought Josh McCown was a better fit).  The offensive line is young and inexperienced and the Ricky Williams/Ronnie Brown tandem is going to have a brutal time being effective on the ground, if they can both even stay on the field.  Through two games, Williams' 52 yards is the best on the team through two games.  Not good.  While Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas are both aging veterans, the former Dolphin staples will be sorely missed in that porous defense.  Miami may not even play a game they can win until week 11 against Oakland.  For what it's worth, however, they may be the best of the worst teams.  

AFC South  

Before the season:

1.  Colts 12-4
2.  Jaguars 11-5
3.  Texans 9-7
4.  Titans 6-10

 

Now:

1.  Colts 10-6
2.  Jaguars 9-7
3.  Texans 8-8
4.  Titans 7-9

 

Lets face it, Indianapolis has plenty of weaknesses and after two weeks of the season they have all clearly shown.  The defense has been a complete Jekyll and Hyde, getting lit up by Chicago and holding the Vikings to only 15.  The Bob Sanders injury is going to only further complicate things for the Indy D.  His presence is as big as his physical ability for the Colts, as he energizes that defensive unit.  On the offensive side of the ball, Indy has been touch and go thus far but come on, it's the Colts' offense, they'll be fine.  Peyton Manning already threw for a 300 yard game, Anthony Gonzalez showed in week 2 that he is ready to break out as a big play making second receiver, and Dallas Clark and Jeff Saturday should both be back from injury soon.  As long as the o-line stays healthy and at least adequate, the Indy O will eventually clicked and fire on all cylinders.  The only question is how long will that take to happen.  

Jacksonville has got to be the most disappointing, underachieving football team of recent memory.  They put together a very nice 11-5 season last year and upset the disappointing Steelers in the Wild Card round before going down in a game to New England where they just simply faded away in the second half.  In 2005 they were 12-4 before getting demolished by that same Patriots team.  In 2006, the season in between, they went 8-8 and 2008 can very much be another mediocre season for the inconsistent franchise.  The Fred Taylor/Maurice Jones-Drew running tandem has been stellar for two years now but has sputtered out of the gate thus far this season.  David Garrard and his weak crop of receivers are not nearly good enough to overcome a running game stuck in the mud.  The defense has to play tighter and make bigger plays.  Through two games, they've given up only an average of 15 points a game but the offense has put up only an average of 13 points, and may not get much better than that.   

Thanks to Hurricane Ike, we've only gotten to see the Texans in action once thus far this virginal season so we really have no idea what the young squad is all about.  The first adjectives that comes to mind: inexperienced and unproven.  Matt Schaub is still nothing but potential, as we only saw him in 11 injury plagued contest last season.  Andre Davis has shown flashes of being a solid #2 WR but still nothing substantial.  Owen Daniels is only in his third year and with the exception of Chester Pitts, the O-line has minimal experience.  The Texans are also loaded with young talent on the defensive side of the pigskin.  Mario Williams is on the cusp of real superstardom and Amobi Okoye is oozing with skill.  In the end, however, I think Houston is being a bit overhyped and will run into more hiccups than expected this season.  

The Titans may be 2-0 and the South leaders after two weeks but I am not buying it.  Tennessee pulled out a .500 season out of nowhere in 2006 and pulled out an even more inexplicable wild card berth last season.  Neither will happen this season.    Offensively, the only real weapon is rookie back Chris Johnson, who has looked studly thus far.  The Justins', Gage and McCareins, are mediocre wide receivers at best and Alge Crumpler is a shadow of the tight end he used to be.  Behind center, Vince Young has been a train wreck of a saga thus far and will never be able to lead a team with his arm and Kerry Collins is not a playoff caliber quarterback anymore, if he ever really was.  Kicker Rob Bironas may be the best scoring weapon on a team that is not nearly as good as their early record is.  That being said, the defense is very impressive.  The Titan D has a nice mixture of emerging talent (Cortland Finnegan, Tony Brown, Ryan Fowler) and savvy veterans (Albert Haynesworth, Kyle Vanden Bosch, and Jevon Kearse).

AFC North  

Before the season:

1.  Steelers 11-5
2.  Browns 10-6
3.  Ravens 6-10
4.  Bengals 5-11

Now:

1.  Steelers 13-3
2.  Browns 9-7
3.  Ravens 5-11
4.  Bengals 2-14

 

The season ending injuries to Shawne Merriman and Tom Brady, along with the long-term one to Bob Sanders, means that barring colossal injury of their own, Pittsburgh may now be the favorites out of the American Football Conference.  I felt that too many people were writing off Willie Parker too early and he has thus far proven be right, running for 138 and 105 yards respectively in the first two contests on the season.  Hines Ward continues to be an underrated star, Heath Miller is one of the most consistent tight ends in the game, and Big Ben looks healthy and energized (I don't have any concern over his shoulder).  This team let me down a bunch of times last season but they have the offensive balance and defensive poise needed to play in their second Super Bowl in four seasons.  

The story of the 2008 Cleveland Browns has the perfect foundation for disaster: the pressure of living up to a fairy tale 2007 campaign and the toughest schedule in all of the league.  Through the season's first two games, the Browns have shown some alarming signs of failing to meet expectations.  Derek Anderson, Braylon Edwards, and Jamal Lewis have all been slow to get started and the entire offense looks out of synch.  The defense looked bewildered against the deadly offense of Dallas in week one and now Willie McGinest is battling a hammy injury.  There is a silver lining on both sides of the ball for Cleveland however.  Kellen Winslow has looked solid and eventually Joe Jurevicious and Donte Stallworth, both clutch playmakers, will step onto the field.  Eric Steinbech and Joe Thomas form a solid core on the offensive line and I'm confident Anderson will get it going sooner than later.  Defensively, the Browns held the Steelers to only 10 points and showed consistency in a losing effort last Sunday.  They are definitely wild card contenders but between the toughness of their schedule and stumbling out of the gate, the Browns may not have enough to play into January.  

You can't be a football fan and not love the Ravens' defense.  It's impossible.  Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Chris McAlister, Terrell Suggs, Samari Rolle, and a healthy Trevor Pryce form one of the greatest defensive cores in the history of the game.  The Ravens will surely shut down plenty of offenses this season.  The problem will be that the offense will absolutely struggle to score points.  Joe Flacco may wind up being a solid quarterback one day but for now he is a rookie who will most likely struggle and even worse is that Baltimore has no better internal options.  Troy Smith is barely a backup in this league and Todd Bouman won't get it done either.  Willis McGahee, Ray Rice, and possibly Le'Ron McClain have the potential to form a deadly ground game but that threat will quickly dissipate once opposing defenses shut down the passing game early.  Their victory over Cincinnati, who is terrible, says nothing.  

I just said it and I will say it again, Cincinnati is terrible.  Beyond terrible.  I'm struggling to find one thing I like about them actually.  This franchise enjoyed a nice four of five year revival but the run is over.  Carson Palmer may have a lot of targets but he has looked awful dating back to late last season and his offensive line is underwhelming.  Chad Johnson is a cancer who management would be best served to deal away.  The defense has been terrible during Marvin Lewis' entire tenure and now it is downright disgusting.  Lewis, who previously was regarded as a defensive guru, needs to be and will be fired during the season. This franchise is in turmoil.  Oh but I found one thing I like: T.J. Houshmandzadeh is the real deal.  

AFC West:

Before the season:

1.  Chargers 12-4
2.  Broncos 9-7
3.  Raiders 5-11
4.  Chiefs 4-12

 

Now:

1.  Chargers 11-5
2.  Broncos 10-6
3.  Raiders 5-11
4.  Chiefs 3-13

 

Obviously the Merriman injury is a very big deal but I think it is very naive for anyone to think that the Chargers expected him to be able to play.  No shock here that he was only able to handle two reps before bowing out for the year.  Merriman's ability on "D" will be sorely missed but Shaun Williams, Luis Castillo, and Antonio Cromartie are all big playmakers who are talented enough to lead a championship quality defense.  LT will play like he did in week 1 and not the way he did in week 2, 90% of the time and I have no concerns about him.  Philip Rivers is really this good and he will continue to play very well, although he won't get to throw the ball nearly as much when Tomlinson is firing on all cylinders.  Chris Chambers and Vincent Jackson have the potential and ability to shock the football world with the numbers they could put up this season.  The giant question mark for San Diego will be health.  The defense cannot afford another big injury and the health of Antonio Gates is always a concern. If anything happens to Rivers, I love his backups, Billy Volek and Charle Whitehurst.  Both men could be and probably should be starting in this league.  The Chargers could just as easily be 2-0 instead of 0-2 and notoriously start slow.  I'm not worried.

I may be jumping on the Denver bandwagon prematurely but I can't help it.  I love what I've seen out of the Broncos through two weeks, beating up on a team that they should and fighting and clawing to a win over the division favorite, San Diego.  Working in their favor is that their schedule is not a brutal one, as they play at least five more lame duck teams through the year.  I said it during the 2006 draft: Jay Cutler is better than Vince Young and Matt Leinart and I have never backed down from that and never will.  Going into the season, I expected the Vanderbilt alum to make some noise and after two weeks I expect the youngster to be an MVP candidate.  Brendan Marshall is one of the premier receivers in the game as long as he doesn't implode off the field and second round pick Eddie Royal has looked like a stud thus far.  Brandon Stokley, as he showed for the Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV and for a few years in Indianapolis, is a big catch receiver that helps any squad.  One thing that is odd is that Mike Shanahan has always been a run first coach, yet the ground game has been used minimally thus far by the veteran coach.  I fully expect youngsters Selvin Young and Andre Hall to get more touches from here on out and provide nice balance to the aerial game.  Defensively, Dre' Bly and Champ Bailey form arguably the best duo of cornerbacks as the veterans combined for eight picks last year.  It won't be fun for opposing quarterbacks to pass into that secondary.  Expect Denver to give the Chargers a run for their money.  

Al Davis is a lunatic and needs to sell the team and move to Boca Raton quietly.  He is an absolute tyrant who has been running the Raiders into the ground for half a decade now.  I'm amazed a fanatic from "the Black Hole" hasn't assassinated him yet.  I don't care who the team is, playing for a title or playing for a top 5 draft pick, you cannot have a lame duck head coach who the owner is undermining at every corner.  Just fire Lane Kiffin already!  The whole world knows it's coming, just do it now.  Why live with that elephant in the room?  Perhaps he hasn't yet because he knows nobody wants to work for him.  As my friend James, an avid Raiders fan, said "If Al Davis called my cell phone tomorrow morning asking me to be head coach I'd probably say no."  Perhaps this would not bother me as much if the Raiders clear intent was to rebuild this season but Oakland added $178 million in payroll this offseason!  You bring in four very, very high priced veterans into a situation where they have no idea if their coach will be sticking around for another week or the entire season?  Inexplicable.  I am flabbergasted.  I predict five wins only because I do love McFadden, Fargas, and Russell and the defense can play when they want to.  

The AFC is going to be good this year, with potentially ten deserving playoff teams.  However, the AFC is also home to about five God-awful franchises and the Chiefs may be one of the worst.  Tyler Thigpen is now their starting quarterback and before too long I'm sure it will be Ingle Martin who tries to stop the bleeding.  I actually like Thigpen but he is the type of quarterback who has to sit on the pine and mature through the years, soaking up all that he can.  He won't be effective at all in his second season.  Larry Johnson is not the same back who scored 37 touchdowns over a two year span.  He is now injury plagued, playing behind a mediocre line, and is completely disenfranchised with Kansas City that it's hard to believe he cares. Defensively, they traded away superstar DE Jared Allen and his absence is a gaping hole.  I like Herm Edwards but he has nothing to work with here and KC is going to be as bad as expected.  Top 5 draft pick bad.  

I will return later with my NFC picks, take care!

Well hello there Groupnex users.  It's an absolute pleasure for me to be the official sports blogger for the site I have dubbed as "the next big thing in social networking".   I hope that you will find this blog to be a number of adjectives starting with the letter "I": insightful, interesting, informative, and interactive.  Perhaps most important to me is the latter.  I'd love to hear feedback, comments, opinions, and really anything else you may have to say (heck, it doesn't even have to be about sports, but I would prefer it to be about the best thing man ever did next to the Constitution, Arizona iced tea, and the Pill).  

Before we embark on this long, sweaty journey together as blogger and reader, let me give you a little background on me.  I am a recent graduate from Binghamton University in the Southern Tier of New York.  During my two years there, I wrote for the sports section of the school paper (www.bupipedream.com), mostly covering men's tennis but writing on a variety of sports related topics such as why fantasy baseball is my biggest love and biggest hatred all at once and an op-ed chastising the media for their coverage of Matt Leinart's social life.  While at BU, I attended a ton of basketball and soccer games, and weeped numerous times about the lack of a football team.  I also played intramural softball, co-rec football, and portrayed on many occasions, the lovable mascot, Baxter the Bearcat.  Oh and I also made a few dozen very poor alcohol related decisions but that's a different story for a different blog.  

 

In all seriousness though, I have been watching sports religiously since I was about five and have been analyzing and studying the art of sport (yes, it is an art form) since I was about ten.  I call athletics an art because anything that takes so much skill, creativity, and grace is art to me.

Sports can be as beautiful as: Peyton Manning hitting Dallas Clark with a perfect spiral for an 8 yard score in the back of the end zone.  Kobe driving the lane, darting through defenders like a slalom skier, and putting two on the board with a layup that rolls off his fingers with nothing but defiance for gravity.  Derek Jeter's picturesque swing, head down and eyes on the ball the way they have taught you since you were playing tee ball.  Eli Manning finally figuring it out.  Michael Phelps floating through the water with more grace than a dolphin.  The "Dawg Pound" and "The Black Hole", in love with their respective teams like Browns and Raiders football were religion. Wayne Gretzky.  David Tyree, little used and even lesser known, making the greatest catch of all-time in arguably the greatest Super Bowl of all-time.  The thought that Maddux, Smoltz, and Glavine may all retired and be enshrined together.  Taking the extra base on instinct.  The way Brett Favre plays the game.  The fact that Chad Pennington is the most accurate quarterback of all-time.Michelson finally breaking through.  "Joe Cool", "Mean Joe", "Shoeless Joe", and "Broadway Joe".  Federer vs. Nadal, Ali vs. Frazier, Yankees vs. Red Soxs, Cowboys vs. Giants, Lakers vs. Celtics, Rangers vs. Devils, and Tiger vs. the world.   

And much like art, sports can be painfully ugly:  Brodie Croyle, J.T. O'Sullivan, and Kyle Orton as starting NFL quarterbacks. The brilliance of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior that will never be realized.  Shaq aging four years every season since 2005.  Andy Roddick walking off court a loser, head shaking, agony and disbelief painted on his face after he failed again.  The Buffalo Bills losing four consecutive Super Bowls.  Alex Rodriguez's swing going from fluent and concise to jerky and out of synch the moment the calendar hits October 1st.  The Patriots going from perfect and deadly to painfully imperfect and old in a single game.  Watching Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, and Marion Jones fall from grace in a blink of an eye.  Dan Marino blowing out his Achilles.  Getting picked off at first.  The antics of Sean Avery.  The Bengals, Jaguars, and Cowboys employing a small fleet of criminals.  Tropicana Field and Dolphin Stadium, ghost towns despite the Rays and Marlins playing like October teams.  The way Brett Favre plays the game.  The fact Chad Pennington is the most accurate quarterback of all-time.  The current state of boxing. "Ocho Cinco", "He Hate Me", "Pacman", and "Tank".  A 4-10 team versus a 5-9 team on Monday night in December, the Nationals vs. the Pirates on a Sunday night in December, Clippers vs. Bobcats, Sergio Garcia vs. himself, and the world vs. Tiger.  

 So, long story short, I really do adore sports and everything about them, good and bad.  I look forward to writing about what I love on this very page and I hope you enjoy.  Thanks for reading this rather long introduction and I will be back very soon with a football preview.  

-Dave