The first college basketball game I watched this season was an 8-point Pittsburgh win over Rhode Island. It was November 8th- nearly 3 months ago- and I'm still asking myself, where are the great teams? Because I don't see any.
Ohio State is close. Undefeated actually, but does anyone think the Buckeyes will cut down the nets in Houston? I don't. Jared Sullinger is great, no doubt, but he's still a freshman, which should raise a few concerns if you're picking them to win it all in your office pool.
This weekend saw a remarkable 13 ranked teams lose, and 9 of those losses came against unranked opponents.
The Big East looked to be head and shoulders above the other conferences, but its top teams continue to lose. The AP's No. 2 Pittsburgh lost to Notre Dame this week. Uconn lost to Louisville Sunday. Syracuse has lost 4 in a row. Villanova has dropped 3 of 4. We hear every year how great the conference is, but the Big East hasn't had a national champ since Uconn in 2004.
The loss of Duke's Kyrie Irving has hurt the Blue Devils, who were were taken out early by St. Johns Sunday. That's another questionable loss for Duke, who lost to Florida State on January 12th.
Kansas and Texas are the teams in the Big 12 this year, and one of the two will probably grab a No. 1 seed in the dance. Kansas lost to the Longhorns last Saturday, ending their 69 game home winning streak and undefeated season. Texas already has 3 losses but are playing as well as anyone right now.
BYU and San Diego State look like potential Butlers or Davidsons this year, but neither looks truly great so far.
Most years by this time, I have 2-3 teams who I think will win it all. Last year it was Kansas or Duke.
Right now I could fill out 10 brackets and have 10 different winners. The level of parity should make for a ridiculous NCAA tournament, which might have more upsets in 2011 than any year in recent memory.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Nobody watches the Pro Bowl anymore
Do they? I've probably watched the game once or twice in the last 10 years. And when I say "watched the game" I mean I turned it on for a few possessions before turning the channel or throwing the remote through a window out of sheer agony.
Football is as popular as it is in America because of the violence. We love the hits, hate the penalties for big hits, and want to see more violence. Football's main draw is the exact reason its all-star game is on par with figure skating and billiards on ESPN 2.
Baseball, basketball, and hockey all have much more entertaining all-star games. Baseball is the best in my opinion, because it's the hardest to fake.
You can decide whether to take a charge or not. Or whether you want to check a guy into the boards, or lay out a receiver coming across the middle. But you can't decide if you're going to hit a curveball. You just do it. Pitchers go all out for their 1 inning and guys are swinging for the fences. It's easily the closest to a real game you'll find among the 4 major sports.
So how should they fix the Pro Bowl? Any of these would be more entertaining:
-Make it 7-on-7. Take out the lineman and just the skill positions play.
-Take the 2 worst teams in the league and let the winner get the #1 pick in the draft.
-Make the game mean something: One member of the losing team gets shipped to...... Detroit. Just one year though. Let's not be too harsh.
-Take notes from the NHL and have a draft.
-Make the entire losing team watch a replay of the Pro Bowl immediately following the game.
-Get rid of it
Any of these would work, commissioner. No one is watching anyway.
Football is as popular as it is in America because of the violence. We love the hits, hate the penalties for big hits, and want to see more violence. Football's main draw is the exact reason its all-star game is on par with figure skating and billiards on ESPN 2.
Baseball, basketball, and hockey all have much more entertaining all-star games. Baseball is the best in my opinion, because it's the hardest to fake.
You can decide whether to take a charge or not. Or whether you want to check a guy into the boards, or lay out a receiver coming across the middle. But you can't decide if you're going to hit a curveball. You just do it. Pitchers go all out for their 1 inning and guys are swinging for the fences. It's easily the closest to a real game you'll find among the 4 major sports.
So how should they fix the Pro Bowl? Any of these would be more entertaining:
-Make it 7-on-7. Take out the lineman and just the skill positions play.
-Take the 2 worst teams in the league and let the winner get the #1 pick in the draft.
-Make the game mean something: One member of the losing team gets shipped to...... Detroit. Just one year though. Let's not be too harsh.
-Take notes from the NHL and have a draft.
-Make the entire losing team watch a replay of the Pro Bowl immediately following the game.
-Get rid of it
Any of these would work, commissioner. No one is watching anyway.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
108-3?
This will be my first and last post about high school girls basketball, I promise.
I just read about a beating of epic proportions. Christian Heritage High (Utah) utterly destroyed conference foe West Ridge Academy 108-3 last week.
The soccer moms might want to leave the room for this one, because I have no problems with that score after reading the winning coach's comments after the beating.
Heritage's coach after the game, from the article:
"That's why I'd rather have a team play me straight up, and that's why I played them straight up. Because I didn't want to taunt them, I didn't want to embarrass them, I didn't want them to think we could do whatever we want."
Someone gets it. This isn't 2nd grade CYC basketball on a 7-foot hoop. These are 17 and 18 year old kids. If the score was so bad, they could have forfeited. Or, if they were feeling really crazy, they could have hit a shot or two. Or 50.
So maybe West Ridge doesn't belong in the same universe as Heritage, let alone the same conference.
It's not the other team's fault they played a terrible squad.
And anyone who's ever played at the YMCA has seen that guy. He's the guy who played in college. He's better than anyone else in the gym and it's not even close. And for some reason, he likes to mess around, passing up easy layups or dunks just to dribble around instead of putting you out of your misery. That's 100 times worse than losing 11-0 and stepping off the court.
If a bunch of hacks at the local rec would rather be played straight up, a legit high school varsity team should feel the same way.
And if not, I'm sure there's a CYC league they can join. Maybe their moms will give them capri suns and cookies after the games too. And if they're lucky, maybe they won't keep score.
I just read about a beating of epic proportions. Christian Heritage High (Utah) utterly destroyed conference foe West Ridge Academy 108-3 last week.
The soccer moms might want to leave the room for this one, because I have no problems with that score after reading the winning coach's comments after the beating.
Heritage's coach after the game, from the article:
"That's why I'd rather have a team play me straight up, and that's why I played them straight up. Because I didn't want to taunt them, I didn't want to embarrass them, I didn't want them to think we could do whatever we want."
Someone gets it. This isn't 2nd grade CYC basketball on a 7-foot hoop. These are 17 and 18 year old kids. If the score was so bad, they could have forfeited. Or, if they were feeling really crazy, they could have hit a shot or two. Or 50.
So maybe West Ridge doesn't belong in the same universe as Heritage, let alone the same conference.
It's not the other team's fault they played a terrible squad.
And anyone who's ever played at the YMCA has seen that guy. He's the guy who played in college. He's better than anyone else in the gym and it's not even close. And for some reason, he likes to mess around, passing up easy layups or dunks just to dribble around instead of putting you out of your misery. That's 100 times worse than losing 11-0 and stepping off the court.
If a bunch of hacks at the local rec would rather be played straight up, a legit high school varsity team should feel the same way.
And if not, I'm sure there's a CYC league they can join. Maybe their moms will give them capri suns and cookies after the games too. And if they're lucky, maybe they won't keep score.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Conference championship weekend
Could you get 4 better teams in the conference title games? Tradition, titles, and hall-of-famers falling off the bone here:
Bears: Home of the Super Bowl Shuffle, Bill Swerski's Super Fans, and 26 members in the Hall of Fame (most in the NFL) including Gale Sayers, Dick Butkus, and Walter Payton. Not bad at all.
Packers: The Super Bowl trophy is named after a Packers coach, There's about a 50 year waiting list for season tickets, 21 members in the Hall of Fame (second only to Chicago), 3 Super Bowl titles, and their fans wear cheese on their heads.
Jets: A New York team (So they'll never be as good as the media wants us to think, but we'll still hear about them non-stop) One Super Bowl title in 1968, Home of one of the craziest fans ever, Fireman Ed, A hilarious head coach, and last but not least, Bart Scott. He can't wait!
Steelers: A ridiculous 6 Super Bowl wins, One of the best football dynasties ever in the 70's, third most Hall Of Fame members, One of the league's best fan bases (tied with Green Bay as best in my book), and a quarterback looking to tie Tom Brady with 3 rings.
Packers (-3) @ Bears, Sunday 2:00 CT: The greatest rivalry in professional football right here. These teams have been playing since 1921, the longest in the NFL. 181 meetings but only once in the playoffs, in 1941 with the Bears winning 33-14. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been playing out of this world lately, throwing for 22 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions in his last 9 games. The Green Bay defense has played even better recently, only giving up 12 points per game the last 3 weeks. The Bears dominated the Seahawks with the help of a great performance by QB Jay Cutler, throwing for 2 TD's and rushing for 2 more. However, I couldn't tell how much playing the Seahawks had to do with the big game. Cutler is only 1-4 against the Packers all-time and I think Green Bay's blitzing defense will be too much on Sunday. The Packers were my pre-season Super Bowl pick (I had them beating Peyton Manning) and I'm not turning back now. Packers 30, Bears, 20
Jets @ Steelers (-3.5) Sunday 5:30 CT: Bart Scott's tirade after the Jets' win over the Patriots is an all-time great, especially after that war of words the two franchises had over the course of the week. For some reason, The Jets shut up this week. I don't know why. I get that they respect the Steelers, Big Ben, and Mike Tomlin. But the Patriots are identical to the Steelers. Why stop now, Rex? Maybe he understands Roethlisberger does nothing but win in the post-season? Tom Brady is the same way, I'm still confused. Anyway, it's going to be mighty tough for the Jets to knock off THREE super bowl winning quarterbacks in a row, all on the road no less. They've already taken out Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. I think their run stops in the big ketchup bottle on Sunday night. Steelers 27, Jets 14.
Bears: Home of the Super Bowl Shuffle, Bill Swerski's Super Fans, and 26 members in the Hall of Fame (most in the NFL) including Gale Sayers, Dick Butkus, and Walter Payton. Not bad at all.
Packers: The Super Bowl trophy is named after a Packers coach, There's about a 50 year waiting list for season tickets, 21 members in the Hall of Fame (second only to Chicago), 3 Super Bowl titles, and their fans wear cheese on their heads.
Jets: A New York team (So they'll never be as good as the media wants us to think, but we'll still hear about them non-stop) One Super Bowl title in 1968, Home of one of the craziest fans ever, Fireman Ed, A hilarious head coach, and last but not least, Bart Scott. He can't wait!
Steelers: A ridiculous 6 Super Bowl wins, One of the best football dynasties ever in the 70's, third most Hall Of Fame members, One of the league's best fan bases (tied with Green Bay as best in my book), and a quarterback looking to tie Tom Brady with 3 rings.
Packers (-3) @ Bears, Sunday 2:00 CT: The greatest rivalry in professional football right here. These teams have been playing since 1921, the longest in the NFL. 181 meetings but only once in the playoffs, in 1941 with the Bears winning 33-14. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been playing out of this world lately, throwing for 22 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions in his last 9 games. The Green Bay defense has played even better recently, only giving up 12 points per game the last 3 weeks. The Bears dominated the Seahawks with the help of a great performance by QB Jay Cutler, throwing for 2 TD's and rushing for 2 more. However, I couldn't tell how much playing the Seahawks had to do with the big game. Cutler is only 1-4 against the Packers all-time and I think Green Bay's blitzing defense will be too much on Sunday. The Packers were my pre-season Super Bowl pick (I had them beating Peyton Manning) and I'm not turning back now. Packers 30, Bears, 20
Jets @ Steelers (-3.5) Sunday 5:30 CT: Bart Scott's tirade after the Jets' win over the Patriots is an all-time great, especially after that war of words the two franchises had over the course of the week. For some reason, The Jets shut up this week. I don't know why. I get that they respect the Steelers, Big Ben, and Mike Tomlin. But the Patriots are identical to the Steelers. Why stop now, Rex? Maybe he understands Roethlisberger does nothing but win in the post-season? Tom Brady is the same way, I'm still confused. Anyway, it's going to be mighty tough for the Jets to knock off THREE super bowl winning quarterbacks in a row, all on the road no less. They've already taken out Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. I think their run stops in the big ketchup bottle on Sunday night. Steelers 27, Jets 14.
Unwritten rules for fans
We all know about the unwritten rules in sports. In baseball you never lay down a bunt to break up a no hitter. When intentionally throwing at a hitter, don't aim high. If a pitcher gives up back-to-back home runs, step out of the box and give him a second before digging in. The list goes on and is used in every sport.
Fans should have a code too. Maybe they do and I just don't know about it. Either way, after watching Santa Clara students storm the court tonight after Santa Clara beat Gonzaga 85-71 it got me thinking. Why exactly did they storm the court? Gonzaga isn't great this year. Sure, they had dominated 23 of the previous 25 meetings, but they aren't special this season.
There should be rules for this. You should never, under any circumstances, storm the court if:
1) Your team is favored
2) You beat an unranked team
3) You are ranked
4) You've won a national title in the last 20 years.
I didn't think #4 needed to be said, but I found this video of Syracuse fans storming the Carrier Dome court in 2008 after beating Georgetown.
In case you forgot, Syracuse won the 2003 National Championship. Why their fans felt the need to act like Tennessee Tech just beat the Lakers is beyond me.
Irrational storming of courts is just one of my fan pet peeves, followed closely by:
-fair-weather fans in general.
-Saying a score with the lower score first. "It's only 4 to 9 right now!"
-Saying "we" when referencing your favorite college team when you never actually attended the school.
-Telling everyone within earshot, "The refs are out to get us!"
Fans should have a code too. Maybe they do and I just don't know about it. Either way, after watching Santa Clara students storm the court tonight after Santa Clara beat Gonzaga 85-71 it got me thinking. Why exactly did they storm the court? Gonzaga isn't great this year. Sure, they had dominated 23 of the previous 25 meetings, but they aren't special this season.
There should be rules for this. You should never, under any circumstances, storm the court if:
1) Your team is favored
2) You beat an unranked team
3) You are ranked
4) You've won a national title in the last 20 years.
I didn't think #4 needed to be said, but I found this video of Syracuse fans storming the Carrier Dome court in 2008 after beating Georgetown.
In case you forgot, Syracuse won the 2003 National Championship. Why their fans felt the need to act like Tennessee Tech just beat the Lakers is beyond me.
Irrational storming of courts is just one of my fan pet peeves, followed closely by:
-fair-weather fans in general.
-Saying a score with the lower score first. "It's only 4 to 9 right now!"
-Saying "we" when referencing your favorite college team when you never actually attended the school.
-Telling everyone within earshot, "The refs are out to get us!"
Thursday, January 20, 2011
My college hoops top 10, January 20th edition
1) Ohio St.: This could be Ohio St. or Kansas at #1, as both teams have had recent struggles with less than stellar competition. The Buckeyes escaped Iowa, Michigan, and Penn St. by less than 5 points in the last 2 weeks.
2) Kansas: After struggling to beat Michigan, Iowa St, and Nebraska, the Jayhawks put on a clinic against Baylor Monday night, 85-65. Texas travels to Lawrence on Saturday, and the winner will be in the driver's seat in the Big 12.
3) Pittsburgh: If I was picking a national champion right now, Pittsburgh would be my team. After opening Monday night's game against Syracuse on a 19-0 run, the Panthers held on for an eight point win and improved their record to 18-1.
4) Syracuse: The Orange almost recovered from that ridiculously bad start Monday, but spotting Pittsburgh 19 points was too much. This is still a really good team, though. They have another big game Saturday at home against Villanova.
5) Duke: I'm still not sold the Blue Devils can win a title without Kyrie Irving. I think the outstanding guard trio of Irving, Nolan Smith, and Kyle Singler can make up for the lack a of post presence, but without Irving it might be tough.
6) Connecticut: Another Big East team? Yes, the conference is that good right now. Kemba Walker is on the short list of national player of the year honors, and they just beat my #7 team, 61-59.
7) Villanova: Last Big East team, I promise. The two Coreys, Fisher and Stokes, are getting 16 and 15 ppg respectively. Fisher went off for 28 points in Monday's loss to Connecticut, but the Wildcats are still a game ahead of Uconn in the Big East standings.
8) Texas: If head coach Rich Barnes can somehow stay out of the way, Texas can make a deep run in March this year. They certainly have the talent to compete with Kansas for the Big 12 title with Jordan Hamilton averaging 19 points a game.
9) San Diego State: I'm not really sure about San Diego State yet. They're undefeated, but they haven't played a ton of good teams so far. The rest of their schedule only has three obstacles remaining: @BYU Jan. 26th, @UNLV Feb. 12th, and BYU at home on Feb. 26th. 3 wins there and we might have an undefeated team this season.
10) BYU: The only reason I like BYU here is Jimmer Fredette's ability to score at will most nights. The Cougars are 18-1 and are 6th in the nation in scoring, getting 84 points a game.
2) Kansas: After struggling to beat Michigan, Iowa St, and Nebraska, the Jayhawks put on a clinic against Baylor Monday night, 85-65. Texas travels to Lawrence on Saturday, and the winner will be in the driver's seat in the Big 12.
3) Pittsburgh: If I was picking a national champion right now, Pittsburgh would be my team. After opening Monday night's game against Syracuse on a 19-0 run, the Panthers held on for an eight point win and improved their record to 18-1.
4) Syracuse: The Orange almost recovered from that ridiculously bad start Monday, but spotting Pittsburgh 19 points was too much. This is still a really good team, though. They have another big game Saturday at home against Villanova.
5) Duke: I'm still not sold the Blue Devils can win a title without Kyrie Irving. I think the outstanding guard trio of Irving, Nolan Smith, and Kyle Singler can make up for the lack a of post presence, but without Irving it might be tough.
6) Connecticut: Another Big East team? Yes, the conference is that good right now. Kemba Walker is on the short list of national player of the year honors, and they just beat my #7 team, 61-59.
7) Villanova: Last Big East team, I promise. The two Coreys, Fisher and Stokes, are getting 16 and 15 ppg respectively. Fisher went off for 28 points in Monday's loss to Connecticut, but the Wildcats are still a game ahead of Uconn in the Big East standings.
8) Texas: If head coach Rich Barnes can somehow stay out of the way, Texas can make a deep run in March this year. They certainly have the talent to compete with Kansas for the Big 12 title with Jordan Hamilton averaging 19 points a game.
9) San Diego State: I'm not really sure about San Diego State yet. They're undefeated, but they haven't played a ton of good teams so far. The rest of their schedule only has three obstacles remaining: @BYU Jan. 26th, @UNLV Feb. 12th, and BYU at home on Feb. 26th. 3 wins there and we might have an undefeated team this season.
10) BYU: The only reason I like BYU here is Jimmer Fredette's ability to score at will most nights. The Cougars are 18-1 and are 6th in the nation in scoring, getting 84 points a game.
Monday, January 17, 2011
NFL playoffs: Does seeding really matter?
In the last 10 years, at least one wild card team has made the Super Bowl 7 times.
2001, 2002, and 2009 are the only exceptions. And if the Packers or Jets win this weekend, we'll have another wild card team representing their conference, which begs the question: How much does seeding really matter?
Every team fights all year for that first round bye and home field advantage, but it often seems like it doesn't even matter. Take this season as an example. The Jets and Packers are 6-seeds, yet they've already won two road playoff games as underdogs. The Jets just beat Peyton Manning and Tom Brady on the road, and if they beat the Steelers this Sunday, they would have beaten three Super Bowl winning quarterbacks in a row, all on the road no less.
The Packers had to win their last two regular season games just to get into the post-season, only to have a date on the road with the Falcons, the #1 seed. The Falcons had a week off while Green Bay was already in playoff mode for two weeks. We all saw what happened, the Packers put on a clinic on their way to a 48-21 win.
Obviously every team and it's fans want a bye to rest up and home field advantage, but as we see every year, it doesn't really matter.
2001, 2002, and 2009 are the only exceptions. And if the Packers or Jets win this weekend, we'll have another wild card team representing their conference, which begs the question: How much does seeding really matter?
Every team fights all year for that first round bye and home field advantage, but it often seems like it doesn't even matter. Take this season as an example. The Jets and Packers are 6-seeds, yet they've already won two road playoff games as underdogs. The Jets just beat Peyton Manning and Tom Brady on the road, and if they beat the Steelers this Sunday, they would have beaten three Super Bowl winning quarterbacks in a row, all on the road no less.
The Packers had to win their last two regular season games just to get into the post-season, only to have a date on the road with the Falcons, the #1 seed. The Falcons had a week off while Green Bay was already in playoff mode for two weeks. We all saw what happened, the Packers put on a clinic on their way to a 48-21 win.
Obviously every team and it's fans want a bye to rest up and home field advantage, but as we see every year, it doesn't really matter.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
NFL Divisional Round
I was 2/4 with my picks last week, but I don't think anyone outside Seattle had the Seahawks beating the Saints, so I should really be 3/4. Either way, I never claimed to be a handicapping expert. I'm looking at a few more upsets this weekend.
Ravens @ Steelers (-3) Saturday 3:30 CT: The people who say you can "throw out the numbers in a rivalry game" might actually be right this time. These teams are eerily similar in every facet of the game. Record, points a game, defense, conference record, etc. It goes on and on. The number I do like however, is Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's 6-0 record against the Ravens. Pittsburgh has the experience here, and I'll take that in the playoffs. Pittsburgh 20, Baltimore 16
Packers @ Falcons (-2.5) Saturday 7:00 CT: This is my first upset of the weekend. In the first matchup in week 12, a late Atlanta field goal gave the Falcons a 20-17 victory at home. However, the Packers defense has been playing lights out the last 3 weeks, only giving up an average of 12 points per game. While Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan is 20-2 all time at home, he's never won a playoff game, so I'm taking the Packers and their defense in this one, 24-20.
Seahawks @ Bears (-10) Sunday 12:00 CT: Somehow the 7-9 Seahawks beat the Saints last week, and I'm not sure the argument of whether a 7-9 team should host a playoff game was finished or not. On one hand, they proved they were good enough to win a playoff game. On the other, would they have won that game without the home field advantage? It doesn't matter, because the Saints didn't want to be there, just look at the tackling in this highlight:
Seattle might be on a roll here, and I've never been sold on Chicago anyway. Seahawks 30, Bears 23, and a 7-9 team will host the NFC championship game.
Jets @ Patriots (-8.5) Sunday 3:30 CT: The Jets and their head coach Rex Ryan are the anti-Patriots. They trash talk better than anyone in the league and Ryan is the league's best soundbite. The Patriots don't say a word and their coach, Bill Belichick, is as lively as watching paint dry. But he wins. I guarantee this Patriots team had the quietest 14-2 season in the history of the NFL, and that's exactly the way they like it. Tom Brady should win the MVP, but that's not surprising. What's surprising is the Patriots went 14-2 with offensive leaders like Wes Welker and BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Who? Exactly. They just win, and I like them to win comfortably on Sunday, 30-17.
Ravens @ Steelers (-3) Saturday 3:30 CT: The people who say you can "throw out the numbers in a rivalry game" might actually be right this time. These teams are eerily similar in every facet of the game. Record, points a game, defense, conference record, etc. It goes on and on. The number I do like however, is Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's 6-0 record against the Ravens. Pittsburgh has the experience here, and I'll take that in the playoffs. Pittsburgh 20, Baltimore 16
Packers @ Falcons (-2.5) Saturday 7:00 CT: This is my first upset of the weekend. In the first matchup in week 12, a late Atlanta field goal gave the Falcons a 20-17 victory at home. However, the Packers defense has been playing lights out the last 3 weeks, only giving up an average of 12 points per game. While Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan is 20-2 all time at home, he's never won a playoff game, so I'm taking the Packers and their defense in this one, 24-20.
Seahawks @ Bears (-10) Sunday 12:00 CT: Somehow the 7-9 Seahawks beat the Saints last week, and I'm not sure the argument of whether a 7-9 team should host a playoff game was finished or not. On one hand, they proved they were good enough to win a playoff game. On the other, would they have won that game without the home field advantage? It doesn't matter, because the Saints didn't want to be there, just look at the tackling in this highlight:
Seattle might be on a roll here, and I've never been sold on Chicago anyway. Seahawks 30, Bears 23, and a 7-9 team will host the NFC championship game.
Jets @ Patriots (-8.5) Sunday 3:30 CT: The Jets and their head coach Rex Ryan are the anti-Patriots. They trash talk better than anyone in the league and Ryan is the league's best soundbite. The Patriots don't say a word and their coach, Bill Belichick, is as lively as watching paint dry. But he wins. I guarantee this Patriots team had the quietest 14-2 season in the history of the NFL, and that's exactly the way they like it. Tom Brady should win the MVP, but that's not surprising. What's surprising is the Patriots went 14-2 with offensive leaders like Wes Welker and BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Who? Exactly. They just win, and I like them to win comfortably on Sunday, 30-17.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Enjoy this title while you still have it, Auburn
Cam Newton's dad, Cecil, wasn't supposed to be at Monday night's National Title Game.
After reports surfaced in November that he allegedly asked Mississippi St. for $180,000 for his son's commitment, Auburn told him to stay away. He didn't attend the Heisman trophy presentation last month, either, as Auburn officials have been trying to distance themselves from the situation during this year's title run.
I guess there's that small chance that the Newtons had a change of heart and didn't ask Auburn for a Brinks truck for Cam's services. But if that's the case, why didn't he just play for Mississippi St? It was his first choice, and he was obviously interested. No need to play at Auburn for free if MSU was your first choice, right?
Well, it was pretty obvious the NCAA would brush the investigation under the rug until the season was over, as I predicted they would back in November. Now we'll see when this investigation starts up again. I'm predicting 2016, and I'm not really joking, which is sad.
Anyway, Cecil was at the game, seen here hugging Cam after the Tigers beat Oregon 22-19 last night.
This picture tells me a few things:
1) The Newton's (especially Cecil) don't give a damn about Auburn. They know the scrutiny this story has brought upon the school and that Cecil was supposed to stay away, yet he didn't.
2) Cam is NFL-bound. I can't see him doing this and then returning to Auburn next year, especially if the NCAA surprises me and actually finds something in the next 8 months.
It's just a hunch, but I don't think Auburn has this title in 5 years. And If you ask Auburn fans, coaches, or the Newton's especially, it was well worth it.
After reports surfaced in November that he allegedly asked Mississippi St. for $180,000 for his son's commitment, Auburn told him to stay away. He didn't attend the Heisman trophy presentation last month, either, as Auburn officials have been trying to distance themselves from the situation during this year's title run.
I guess there's that small chance that the Newtons had a change of heart and didn't ask Auburn for a Brinks truck for Cam's services. But if that's the case, why didn't he just play for Mississippi St? It was his first choice, and he was obviously interested. No need to play at Auburn for free if MSU was your first choice, right?
Well, it was pretty obvious the NCAA would brush the investigation under the rug until the season was over, as I predicted they would back in November. Now we'll see when this investigation starts up again. I'm predicting 2016, and I'm not really joking, which is sad.
Anyway, Cecil was at the game, seen here hugging Cam after the Tigers beat Oregon 22-19 last night.
This picture tells me a few things:
1) The Newton's (especially Cecil) don't give a damn about Auburn. They know the scrutiny this story has brought upon the school and that Cecil was supposed to stay away, yet he didn't.
2) Cam is NFL-bound. I can't see him doing this and then returning to Auburn next year, especially if the NCAA surprises me and actually finds something in the next 8 months.
It's just a hunch, but I don't think Auburn has this title in 5 years. And If you ask Auburn fans, coaches, or the Newton's especially, it was well worth it.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
College hoops top 10
With conference seasons finally under way, here's my college basketball top 10. It might not look the the lists on ESPN, but they don't pay me, so I don't care.
I think there's clearly three teams who have separated themselves.
1) Duke: This one is easy. The Blue Devils haven't lost in forever, and this spot is there's until they do. Kyrie Irving's injured toe will hurt in the long run, but it hasn't affected them much yet.
2) Ohio St.: The Buckeyes shoot over 50% from the field and can score with the best of them. And if you thought former Buckeye star Greg Oden was good, get this: Jared Sullinger is better.
3) Kansas: The Jayhawks have as much talent as anyone in the country, and are basically interchangeable with Ohio St at 2 and 3. KU shoots even better than OSU, and kenpom has them 1st in the nation in adjusted defense. (If you follow college basketball and don't read kenpom, you should. The guy is scary smart.)
After the top three teams, I see a giant cluster of 2nd tier teams who haven't separated themselves in my book.
4) Pittsburgh: I love the way the Panthers move the ball. They're 1st in country in assists, and their only loss was to a ranked Tennessee squad.
5) Syracuse: The Orange haven't really beaten anybody yet (Can Michigan St. be considered “anybody” this year? I say no) but they're still undefeated. Balance has been the key, with three guys averaging double figures.
6) Purdue: JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore are legit, getting 19 and 18 ppg, respectively. The Boilermakers will be in a fight with Ohio St. and Wisconsin for the Big 10 title all year.
7) Washington: 3 losses notwithstanding, I like the Huskies' offense here. They shoot 49%, they're top 10 in assists, and they're getting 88 points a game. Not to mention the 103 they just dropped on conference foe Oregon St.
8) Texas: If Rick Barnes doesn't screw things up, Texas has the potential to advance far in March. The talent is there, with Jordan Hamilton emerging as a Big 12 POY candidate while freshman Tristan Thompson is getting 12 ppg.
9) Uconn: I know. Uconn just beat Texas and the Huskies have one less loss, but I'd be worried if I were a Uconn fan. Kemba Walker is all they have, and anything resembling a cold streak from Walker will kill the Huskies this season.
10) Villanova: The Wildcats don't do anything that great, but they've done nothing but win since that November loss to Tennessee. Sunday's win over #25 Cincinnati improved the Bearcats to 3-0 in that rugged Big East.
Monday, January 10, 2011
I'm no Lou Holtz
I can't understand him very often, but I'm 100% positive I've heard him pick both Oregon and Auburn at different times this week. Must be nice to get paid for that.
Oregon hasn't played anyone compared to Auburn's rugged SEC schedule. Also, something like the last 5 BCS champs are from the SEC. And the Tigers have the Heisman winner (And highest payed player in the SEC) Cam Newton under center.
With that said, I like Oregon. 41-37.
Oregon hasn't played anyone compared to Auburn's rugged SEC schedule. Also, something like the last 5 BCS champs are from the SEC. And the Tigers have the Heisman winner (And highest payed player in the SEC) Cam Newton under center.
With that said, I like Oregon. 41-37.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Pretenders being umasked?
As I type this, 5 ranked teams have already lost to unranked conference foes.
*Missouri is supposedly the #9 team in the country, but they certainly didn't look it Saturday, getting beat badly by Colorado 89-76. I watched this entire game, so I know more about this game than the others. Here's why I think Mizzou is going to struggle from here on out:
-They give up way too many open looks. Whenever Colorado beat the press (which was more often than I predicted) they had a layup or wide open 3 way too often.
-They don't rebound. (76th in the nation)
-They don't get to the free throw line enough.
-They have terrible shot selection.
* #10 Kentucky just lost to Georgia, 77-70. This is what happens when you recruit 8 All-American freshman every year and there is zero continuity from year-to-year. Plus, I have no problem saying John Calipari is the biggest scumbag in all of sports. I'd quote something for you, but there aren't enough hours in the day. Any day a Calipari team loses is a good day in my book.
*#13 Georgetown dropped it's second Big East game in a row after losing to St. Johns' earlier this week. West Virginia is good, so this isn't a terrible loss. But coupling that with the St. John's loss and I'd be worried a little worried if I was a Hoyas fan.
*I know two things about #17 Kansas State's Jacob Pullen:
-He shops at Dilliard's.
-He doesn't lack confidence, saying Friday: "I feel like everything's got to come through Manhattan this year," Even though the Wildcats had 3 losses entering Big 12 play. A day after that bold statement, KSU lost rather convincingly to Oklahoma State, 76-62.
The preseason Big 12 favorites now have 4 losses, but I'm not surprised.
*#18 Michigan State, who was somehow still ranked with 4 losses, now has 5 with today's loss to a very average Penn State squad. I understand that Tom Izzo has a reputation for underachieving early before making a deep run in March, but it can't happen every year, right? I don't think so.
*Missouri is supposedly the #9 team in the country, but they certainly didn't look it Saturday, getting beat badly by Colorado 89-76. I watched this entire game, so I know more about this game than the others. Here's why I think Mizzou is going to struggle from here on out:
-They give up way too many open looks. Whenever Colorado beat the press (which was more often than I predicted) they had a layup or wide open 3 way too often.
-They don't rebound. (76th in the nation)
-They don't get to the free throw line enough.
-They have terrible shot selection.
* #10 Kentucky just lost to Georgia, 77-70. This is what happens when you recruit 8 All-American freshman every year and there is zero continuity from year-to-year. Plus, I have no problem saying John Calipari is the biggest scumbag in all of sports. I'd quote something for you, but there aren't enough hours in the day. Any day a Calipari team loses is a good day in my book.
*#13 Georgetown dropped it's second Big East game in a row after losing to St. Johns' earlier this week. West Virginia is good, so this isn't a terrible loss. But coupling that with the St. John's loss and I'd be worried a little worried if I was a Hoyas fan.
*I know two things about #17 Kansas State's Jacob Pullen:
-He shops at Dilliard's.
-He doesn't lack confidence, saying Friday: "I feel like everything's got to come through Manhattan this year," Even though the Wildcats had 3 losses entering Big 12 play. A day after that bold statement, KSU lost rather convincingly to Oklahoma State, 76-62.
The preseason Big 12 favorites now have 4 losses, but I'm not surprised.
*#18 Michigan State, who was somehow still ranked with 4 losses, now has 5 with today's loss to a very average Penn State squad. I understand that Tom Izzo has a reputation for underachieving early before making a deep run in March, but it can't happen every year, right? I don't think so.
Friday, January 7, 2011
It's January 7th
Why is the Cotton Bowl on TV right now?
I like the Cotton Bowl. It's my favorite non-BCS bowl every year, usually pitting two pretty good teams from the Big 12 and SEC. I'm just wondering why it's on January 7th.
The only bowl game after New Year's Day should be the National Title game. And that should be no later than the 2nd.
These Bowl games keep getting pushed back and more spread out every season. (I get it. It's all about the benjamins, I'm not that naive.) But still, I won't be surprised if next year we have an MLK Day double header, followed by the National Title game after the Super Bowl.
I'm sure Jerry Jones had a big part in this game being played tonight.
Enjoy this one, Jerry. It's not like you'll be busy during the playoffs.
I like the Cotton Bowl. It's my favorite non-BCS bowl every year, usually pitting two pretty good teams from the Big 12 and SEC. I'm just wondering why it's on January 7th.
The only bowl game after New Year's Day should be the National Title game. And that should be no later than the 2nd.
These Bowl games keep getting pushed back and more spread out every season. (I get it. It's all about the benjamins, I'm not that naive.) But still, I won't be surprised if next year we have an MLK Day double header, followed by the National Title game after the Super Bowl.
I'm sure Jerry Jones had a big part in this game being played tonight.
Enjoy this one, Jerry. It's not like you'll be busy during the playoffs.
Harbaugh to San Francisco
Jim Harbaugh just agreed to a 5-year deal worth $5 million a season, according to ESPN.
I think this is a great move for Harbaugh. His stock is sky-high after recently embarrassing Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl, and it won't get any higher. Stanford isn't Alabama or Florida. Orange Bowls aren't happening every few seasons. With the strict admission standards in Palo Alto, sustaining a top-10 program is nearly impossible. If the NFL comes calling, you have to go. Harbaugh is no dummy, and he'll have one of the 32 dream jobs for football coaches.
Not only that, but the NFC West is the worst division in football. If he can win 9 games next year he might just get a statue. The track record for college coaches making the leap to the NFL isn't great, however. Maybe he'll be more like Bill Walsh and less like Steve Spurrier.
Now all he needs is a Quarterback.
I think this is a great move for Harbaugh. His stock is sky-high after recently embarrassing Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl, and it won't get any higher. Stanford isn't Alabama or Florida. Orange Bowls aren't happening every few seasons. With the strict admission standards in Palo Alto, sustaining a top-10 program is nearly impossible. If the NFL comes calling, you have to go. Harbaugh is no dummy, and he'll have one of the 32 dream jobs for football coaches.
Not only that, but the NFC West is the worst division in football. If he can win 9 games next year he might just get a statue. The track record for college coaches making the leap to the NFL isn't great, however. Maybe he'll be more like Bill Walsh and less like Steve Spurrier.
Now all he needs is a Quarterback.
Big 12 basketball starts tomorrow
The final season of the Big 12 as we know it begins tomorrow, with 5 conference matchups on the slate. Texas and Kansas will begin Big 12 play next week, as both schools finish up their non-conference schedules this weekend.
The Big 12 isn't as good as I thought it would be in October, but there are still a handful of good teams who can potentially make some noise in March. Here's how I think everything plays out:
1) Kansas: The Jayhawks are 14-0 and #3 in the latest polls while leading the nation in field goal percentage. Freshman guard Josh Selby has looked as good, if not better, than advertised, and the Morris twins have stepped up as well. Marcus is averaging 15 points a game while Markieff is grabbing 8 rebounds per. Foul trouble has been a problem though, and will be the only reason if Kansas doesn't make the final four in Houston. Prediction: Elite 8.
2) Texas: I've never been sold on Rick Barnes as a great head coach, but he certainly has the talent in Austin this season. Jordan Hamilton has been playing like an All-American, averaging 19 points and 6 rebounds a game. Freshman big man Tristan Thompson has played great also, averaging 12 ppg and 8 rpg, so talent won't be an issue for the Longhorns. Prediction: Sweet 16.
3) Missouri: I think Missouri's guards will win them enough games in the Big 12 to net a 3rd place finish, but the overall lack of inside presence won't get them higher than that, and could easily slip farther in the standings. Rebounding will kill the Tigers, who are currently 76th in the nation. In 2009, Mizzou's best season in a long time, Leo Lyons (6'9") and DeMarre Carroll (6'8") could handle the ball, run the press, and wreaked havoc on defense. The 2011 Tigers don't have anyone like that, and it will hurt them. Prediction: Sweet 16.
4) Texas A&M: The Aggies are a 2-point loss to Boston College away from being undefeated, and also have two wins over ranked teams already this year (#20 Temple, #22 Washington). A&M isn't really great at anything, they just know how to win. However, their inability to put away bad teams (beating Stephen F. Austin, McNeese St, and Nichols St by less than 12) doesn't bode well for conference play. Prediction: 2nd round.
5) Kansas State: The loss of senior guard Denis Clemente hurt more than any Wildcat fan wanted to admit. Clemente was the fastest Big 12 guard I saw in person last year, and he was the perfect compliment to pre-season AA Jacob Pullen, who is still scoring but is only getting 3 assists per game. The team can't shoot, sitting at only 44% from the field, but are 5th in the nation in rebounding. Prediction: Sweet 16.
6) Baylor: The Bears were my pick for second place before the season started, but they've lost to every decent team they've played. Losses to Gonzaga, Washington St, and Florida St. have dropped them from the top 25 and have questioned their ability to truly make up for the loss of center Ekpe Udoh, who left early for the NBA. Prediction: 2nd round.
7) Iowa St: The Cyclones are 13-2 with wins over in-state rival Iowa as well as Virginia back in December. They've taken care of the cupcakes, with their only losses coming back-to-back against Norhern Iowa and Cal. First year coach Fred Hoiberg has looked good so far, and a NCAA tournament appearance is possible. Prediction: 1st round.
8) Nebraska: The Big 12 hasn't been kind to the Cornhuskers, who are still looking for their first ever win in the NCAA tournament. Head coach Doc Sadler might need an NCAA tournament appearance to save his job, but the loss of forward Christian Standhardinger really hurts the team going forward. Standhardinger was averaging 9 ppg before leaving the team in December. Prediction: NIT.
9) Oklahoma St.: Sitting at 12-2 is nice, but who have the Cowboys beat? Stanford and Alabama, and that's about it. Head coach Travis Ford is a year or two away from making a splash in the new Big 12. Prediction: NIT
10) Colorado: Sophomore Alec Burks is the best player nobody has heard about, averaging 19 points a game with a potential future in the NBA. That's about it for the Buffs, though, who can score with the best of them (84 points a game) but are allergic to defense. Prediction: NIT.
11) Texas Tech: The Red Raiders aren't very good. At all. They've already lost to North Texas, TCU, and UTEP. If head coach Pat Knight's last name wasn't Knight, he'd be coaching some NAIA school already. Nevertheless, he should be gone after this season. Prediction: Do they still have that CBI tournament? Who knows, maybe the Red Raiders can make that. Otherwise, they'll be sitting at home in March.
12) Oklahoma: Blake Griffin isn't walking through that door. The Sooners already have a nice five-game losing streak, including a four-point loss to Division II Chaminade in November. Next year's recruiting class doesn't look promising either, so I'm not sure when things will improve in Norman. Prediction: No post-season.
The Big 12 isn't as good as I thought it would be in October, but there are still a handful of good teams who can potentially make some noise in March. Here's how I think everything plays out:
1) Kansas: The Jayhawks are 14-0 and #3 in the latest polls while leading the nation in field goal percentage. Freshman guard Josh Selby has looked as good, if not better, than advertised, and the Morris twins have stepped up as well. Marcus is averaging 15 points a game while Markieff is grabbing 8 rebounds per. Foul trouble has been a problem though, and will be the only reason if Kansas doesn't make the final four in Houston. Prediction: Elite 8.
2) Texas: I've never been sold on Rick Barnes as a great head coach, but he certainly has the talent in Austin this season. Jordan Hamilton has been playing like an All-American, averaging 19 points and 6 rebounds a game. Freshman big man Tristan Thompson has played great also, averaging 12 ppg and 8 rpg, so talent won't be an issue for the Longhorns. Prediction: Sweet 16.
3) Missouri: I think Missouri's guards will win them enough games in the Big 12 to net a 3rd place finish, but the overall lack of inside presence won't get them higher than that, and could easily slip farther in the standings. Rebounding will kill the Tigers, who are currently 76th in the nation. In 2009, Mizzou's best season in a long time, Leo Lyons (6'9") and DeMarre Carroll (6'8") could handle the ball, run the press, and wreaked havoc on defense. The 2011 Tigers don't have anyone like that, and it will hurt them. Prediction: Sweet 16.
4) Texas A&M: The Aggies are a 2-point loss to Boston College away from being undefeated, and also have two wins over ranked teams already this year (#20 Temple, #22 Washington). A&M isn't really great at anything, they just know how to win. However, their inability to put away bad teams (beating Stephen F. Austin, McNeese St, and Nichols St by less than 12) doesn't bode well for conference play. Prediction: 2nd round.
5) Kansas State: The loss of senior guard Denis Clemente hurt more than any Wildcat fan wanted to admit. Clemente was the fastest Big 12 guard I saw in person last year, and he was the perfect compliment to pre-season AA Jacob Pullen, who is still scoring but is only getting 3 assists per game. The team can't shoot, sitting at only 44% from the field, but are 5th in the nation in rebounding. Prediction: Sweet 16.
6) Baylor: The Bears were my pick for second place before the season started, but they've lost to every decent team they've played. Losses to Gonzaga, Washington St, and Florida St. have dropped them from the top 25 and have questioned their ability to truly make up for the loss of center Ekpe Udoh, who left early for the NBA. Prediction: 2nd round.
7) Iowa St: The Cyclones are 13-2 with wins over in-state rival Iowa as well as Virginia back in December. They've taken care of the cupcakes, with their only losses coming back-to-back against Norhern Iowa and Cal. First year coach Fred Hoiberg has looked good so far, and a NCAA tournament appearance is possible. Prediction: 1st round.
8) Nebraska: The Big 12 hasn't been kind to the Cornhuskers, who are still looking for their first ever win in the NCAA tournament. Head coach Doc Sadler might need an NCAA tournament appearance to save his job, but the loss of forward Christian Standhardinger really hurts the team going forward. Standhardinger was averaging 9 ppg before leaving the team in December. Prediction: NIT.
9) Oklahoma St.: Sitting at 12-2 is nice, but who have the Cowboys beat? Stanford and Alabama, and that's about it. Head coach Travis Ford is a year or two away from making a splash in the new Big 12. Prediction: NIT
10) Colorado: Sophomore Alec Burks is the best player nobody has heard about, averaging 19 points a game with a potential future in the NBA. That's about it for the Buffs, though, who can score with the best of them (84 points a game) but are allergic to defense. Prediction: NIT.
11) Texas Tech: The Red Raiders aren't very good. At all. They've already lost to North Texas, TCU, and UTEP. If head coach Pat Knight's last name wasn't Knight, he'd be coaching some NAIA school already. Nevertheless, he should be gone after this season. Prediction: Do they still have that CBI tournament? Who knows, maybe the Red Raiders can make that. Otherwise, they'll be sitting at home in March.
12) Oklahoma: Blake Griffin isn't walking through that door. The Sooners already have a nice five-game losing streak, including a four-point loss to Division II Chaminade in November. Next year's recruiting class doesn't look promising either, so I'm not sure when things will improve in Norman. Prediction: No post-season.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Andrew Luck staying at Stanford
Wow. Didn't see this one coming.
Luck is projected by every expert, and me, to be the first name called in the NFL draft in April. The redshirt sophomore destroyed defenses all season, throwing for 3,338 yards and 32 touchdowns, as well as that 40-12 beatdown of Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl earlier this week.
There's so many reasons why this makes zero sense to me.
-His coach, Jim Harbaugh, looks to be NFL bound. That won't help his draft stock stay high next season.
-The new NFL collective bargaining agreement will vastly change the rookie payscale, starting in 2012. Rookie draft picks won't be getting those ridiculous guaranteed contracts.
- Oh yeah, and Washington quarterback Jake Locker. Just google him. He should be in every Andrew Luck dream right now, telling him to go pro before he's a year older, staring down a career in the CFL.
Luck is projected by every expert, and me, to be the first name called in the NFL draft in April. The redshirt sophomore destroyed defenses all season, throwing for 3,338 yards and 32 touchdowns, as well as that 40-12 beatdown of Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl earlier this week.
There's so many reasons why this makes zero sense to me.
-His coach, Jim Harbaugh, looks to be NFL bound. That won't help his draft stock stay high next season.
-The new NFL collective bargaining agreement will vastly change the rookie payscale, starting in 2012. Rookie draft picks won't be getting those ridiculous guaranteed contracts.
- Oh yeah, and Washington quarterback Jake Locker. Just google him. He should be in every Andrew Luck dream right now, telling him to go pro before he's a year older, staring down a career in the CFL.
Speaking of Playoffs
Let's see who advances this weekend.
Saints (-10.5) @ Seahawks: Saturday, 3:30 CT: The wild-card round opens with one of the biggest playoff mismatches I can remember. Last season's Super Bowl champs (*side note: I hate when people say "defending super bowl champs", or "defending world series champs". They aren't defending it. Last season's trophy won't be taken away if they lose.) are headed to Seattle to face the mighty 7-9 Seahawks. Seattle is 10.5 point underdogs at home, which means Vegas agrees with me, this won't be a close one. 27-13 Saints.
Jets @ Colts (-2.5): Saturday 7:00 CT: Rex Ryan is 1-5 all-time against the Colts, whether as a head coach or defensive coordinator. The Jets were the sexy Super Bowl pick it seemed this summer, but don't look like a Super Bowl team to me right now. At the same time, The Colts needed a last second field goal last week to even make the playoffs. Jim Mora didn't think it could be done.
Well they made the playoffs, coach, and I like the Colts here. 17-14.
Ravens (-3) @ Chiefs: 12:00 CT Saturday: I had no idea the Chiefs would win 10 games this year. They had one of the easiest schedules in the league (only beating one playoff team, the Seahawks) but they did what they had to do, which is more than the Chargers can say. I'm not sold on Matt Cassel or Todd Haley though. If you ask me, (which you are, because you're reading this blog) The Chiefs are 10-6 because of GM Scott Pioli and his great draft last April, two great coordinators in Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel, and Jamal Charles, one of the best running backs in the NFL. Unfortunately for all my Chiefs friends, the Ravens are 5th in rush defense, only giving up 93 yards per game on the ground. I don't trust Cassel's arm to win a playoff game, and I certainly don't trust Haley's play calling if Charles gets stopped early. 21-10 Ravens.
Packers @ Eagles (-3): 3:30 CT Sunday: The Packers were my pre-season Super Bowl pick, but the loss of starting running back Ryan Grant in the week 1 game against the Eagles really hurt their chances. The running game has been non-existent, as Aaron Rodgers leads the team with 4 rushing touchdowns. It's going to be tough to win another game in Philly, especially with the road woes the Pack have had most of the season. But I'm a homer sometimes. 24-20 Packers.
Saints (-10.5) @ Seahawks: Saturday, 3:30 CT: The wild-card round opens with one of the biggest playoff mismatches I can remember. Last season's Super Bowl champs (*side note: I hate when people say "defending super bowl champs", or "defending world series champs". They aren't defending it. Last season's trophy won't be taken away if they lose.) are headed to Seattle to face the mighty 7-9 Seahawks. Seattle is 10.5 point underdogs at home, which means Vegas agrees with me, this won't be a close one. 27-13 Saints.
Jets @ Colts (-2.5): Saturday 7:00 CT: Rex Ryan is 1-5 all-time against the Colts, whether as a head coach or defensive coordinator. The Jets were the sexy Super Bowl pick it seemed this summer, but don't look like a Super Bowl team to me right now. At the same time, The Colts needed a last second field goal last week to even make the playoffs. Jim Mora didn't think it could be done.
Well they made the playoffs, coach, and I like the Colts here. 17-14.
Ravens (-3) @ Chiefs: 12:00 CT Saturday: I had no idea the Chiefs would win 10 games this year. They had one of the easiest schedules in the league (only beating one playoff team, the Seahawks) but they did what they had to do, which is more than the Chargers can say. I'm not sold on Matt Cassel or Todd Haley though. If you ask me, (which you are, because you're reading this blog) The Chiefs are 10-6 because of GM Scott Pioli and his great draft last April, two great coordinators in Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel, and Jamal Charles, one of the best running backs in the NFL. Unfortunately for all my Chiefs friends, the Ravens are 5th in rush defense, only giving up 93 yards per game on the ground. I don't trust Cassel's arm to win a playoff game, and I certainly don't trust Haley's play calling if Charles gets stopped early. 21-10 Ravens.
Packers @ Eagles (-3): 3:30 CT Sunday: The Packers were my pre-season Super Bowl pick, but the loss of starting running back Ryan Grant in the week 1 game against the Eagles really hurt their chances. The running game has been non-existent, as Aaron Rodgers leads the team with 4 rushing touchdowns. It's going to be tough to win another game in Philly, especially with the road woes the Pack have had most of the season. But I'm a homer sometimes. 24-20 Packers.
Every year around this time
without fail, I get upset.
The NFL playoffs are kicking off in about 3 days, and we will all know shorty who the best football team on the planet is. It's a crazy thing, isn't it? You find the best 12 teams, and they play each other until one is hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and telling us about their trip to Disney World.
It isn't a crazy idea. It works. Not just in the NFL, but in every professional league. And not just in college sports, but in Division II and III football as well.
For college football fans like myself, the Bowl season is a bittersweet, anti-climactic ending to another awesome season. We know who the best teams are at this point. Why not put the best 8 schools on a field and let them battle it out? We've seen that Boise St. can beat Oklahoma, and that TCU can punch a great Wisconsin team in the mouth.
But when you're stuck comparing schedules and conferences, there's no way you can put an undefeated TCU team over Oregon or Auburn this year. This is obvious, and it leaves me oftentimes defending the big boys, and I don't like that.
The BCS was lucky this year, Oregon and Auburn are clearly the two best teams this season and they'll play for it all next Monday night in Glendale. But something tells me BCS officials don't care if they're lucky. They love the controversy their system causes every December when diehard college football fans are watching the NFL playoffs and wondering, what if?
The NFL playoffs are kicking off in about 3 days, and we will all know shorty who the best football team on the planet is. It's a crazy thing, isn't it? You find the best 12 teams, and they play each other until one is hoisting the Lombardi Trophy and telling us about their trip to Disney World.
It isn't a crazy idea. It works. Not just in the NFL, but in every professional league. And not just in college sports, but in Division II and III football as well.
For college football fans like myself, the Bowl season is a bittersweet, anti-climactic ending to another awesome season. We know who the best teams are at this point. Why not put the best 8 schools on a field and let them battle it out? We've seen that Boise St. can beat Oklahoma, and that TCU can punch a great Wisconsin team in the mouth.
But when you're stuck comparing schedules and conferences, there's no way you can put an undefeated TCU team over Oregon or Auburn this year. This is obvious, and it leaves me oftentimes defending the big boys, and I don't like that.
The BCS was lucky this year, Oregon and Auburn are clearly the two best teams this season and they'll play for it all next Monday night in Glendale. But something tells me BCS officials don't care if they're lucky. They love the controversy their system causes every December when diehard college football fans are watching the NFL playoffs and wondering, what if?
Let's see how this goes...
It seems like every writer I know is starting one of these, so I figured I would take a stab at this as well.
I write for the University Daily Kansan, so I'm not sure how much I can write about KU sports on here, but everything else is fair game. I honestly have no idea what I'm doing at this point, so we'll see how everything goes. And if anyone shows any flicker of interest in this thing, I'll keep talking.
I write for the University Daily Kansan, so I'm not sure how much I can write about KU sports on here, but everything else is fair game. I honestly have no idea what I'm doing at this point, so we'll see how everything goes. And if anyone shows any flicker of interest in this thing, I'll keep talking.
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