Picks of the Week

Last week was my first big losing week of the season, even at 8-8 (damn Big Bet). A quick refresher: Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will pretend that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. On to the picks.

Philadelphia Eagles -3 at Seattle Seahawks
So it turns out that Philly is much worse than everyone thought and the Seahawks are much better. And the Eagles have the DeSean Jackson drama, Maclin and Vick out, McCoy - who knows? But, that is better than Sidney Rice on IR and the starting quarterback with a torn pectoral muscle.

Chicago Bears -7 v. Kansas City Chiefs
Caleb Hanie at least showed that he can move the ball - Tyler Palko didn't. However, Orton should play, and then it is a whole different ball of wax. Nevertheless, the Bears D is gelling, with Peppers garnering NFC Defensive Player of the Month honors.

New England Patriots -20 v. Indianapolis Colts
This spread is so absurd, that I have to take New England, just to say I bet on a 20 point NFL favorite. The Pats offense is cruising; just when people learn they have to guard the two tight end offense, the Pats have two receivers hang 100 plus. And, we might have found an offense that the Pats D can stop.

Tennessee Titans +2 1/2 at Buffalo Bills
Chris Johnson has awaken. The Bills are still playing better than anyone believed, but it is going to be hard for any of their receivers to get open because of Jason McCourty, the guy I believe is playing the best of any corner in the NFL.

Houston Texans +3 v. Atlanta Falcons
This is a weird game to pick, because we just have no idea what we are going to get out of T.J. Yates. But, we do know what we will get from the Texans defense and their running game, so I'll take the points and hope for a close game.

Denver Broncos + 1 1/2 at Minnesota Vikings
Is it possible to have a 0-0 game with 0 total yards from scrimmage?

Washington Redskins +3 v. New York Jets
I don't know why, I just feel that the Redskins have been playing well, the Jets haven't, and I want the points. Plus, the Redskins get a chance to see what they really have in Helu.

Carolina Panthers +3 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Panthers running game seems to be getting back on track, and that will really open things up for Cam Newton.

Oakland Raiders +3 at Miami Dolphins
Both teams are playing much better than expected, but the Raiders running game is much stronger, and on that basis, I want the Raiders.

Pittsburgh Steelers -6 1/2 v. Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh beats Cincinnati by 7 at Cincinnati, should be by more in Pittsburgh.

Baltimore Ravens -6 1/2 at Cleveland Browns
I am not sure anyone should really be a 6 1/2 point favorite in this division, but I like the Ravens much more than the Browns. I hope the divisional rivalry thing doesn't make Cleveland play better than they really are.

Green Bay Packers -7 at New York Giants
Only Jason Pierre-Paul is really playing an effective defensive line for the Giants, and without a major pass rush, Rodgers can pick the defense apart. Plus, Brandon Jacobs is a shell of his former self, and cannot be an effective starting running back. The Giants need Bradshaw back.

St. Louis Rams +13 at San Francisco 49ers
St. Louis has not been winning a lot of games, but they have the offensive firepower to stay close. I'll take almost two touchdowns.

New Orleans Saints -9 v. Detroit Lions
With Suh out, the Lions interior rush falls to rookie Nick Fairley. New Orleans showed that they could run-and-gun with Green Bay, now they are fresh and looking to put their stamp on the second best team in the NFC sweepstakes.

Jacksonville Jaguars +3 v. San Diego Chargers
The Jaguar defense played amazingly in their previous Monday Night Football appearance, and I look for an inspired performance this week after the del Rio firing and news that the purchasing owner will keep the team in Jacksonville. Gabbert really needs to perform much better, if he is given the chance to play.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Dallas Cowboys -4 at Arizona Cardinals
Dallas is playing much better since DeMarco Murray has been inserted into the starting role, and DeMarcus Ware is having a Defensive MVP type season. I heard a line today that sums up Arizona. "We finally found a way to defend Larry Fitzgerald - John Skelton".

Previous Week's Record: 8-8
Year to Date: 74-68-5
Big Bet Last Week: 0-1
Big Beat Year to Date: 9-1
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $(245)
Winnings (Losses) Year-To-Date: $1105

My Argument Against Alabama

Okay, so it appears to be a foregone conclusion that LSU and Alabama will meet in the BCS Championship Game in January to determine college football's National Champion. I think it is the wrong game, and I think LSU is being penalized for being maybe the 2nd best team I have seen in college football. I am going on record now as being in favor of an LSU - Oklahoma State matchup (assuming OSU handles its business against OU next week), and I give you the following for your consideration:

1. I have never agreed with premise that a team should be eligible for the championship game if it does not win its conference. Alabama is not even going to play in the SEC Championship game next weekend. This is ridiculous! LSU has gone through the West Division of the SEC undefeated and is rewarded by having to play an extra game against a much improved Georgia team in Atlanta. I don't think it is going to matter if LSU loses since they have beaten three teams in the top 3 this year and seven ranked teams overall. However, the risk of a loss at the end of a season is significant considering that Alabama is going to be sitting at home resting and watching.

2. Why will Alabama be sitting at home resting next weekend? Because they lost to LSU earlier this month...AT HOME! So, just to be clear, LSU will now be required to beat Alabama twice - once in Tuscaloosa and once on a neutral field. LSU is really getting the short end of the stick here. Hell, I might argue that even if LSU were to lose to Alabama in a championship game, I would STILL give them the trophy for beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa!

3. I don't like the BCS, but it is all we have at the moment. The intent of the BCS is to put the number 1 and 2 teams together every year. This year it is difficult, but not impossible. The computers overwhelmingly have OSU as the second best team in the country. I recognize that the computers don't watch games, but it is an integral part of the formula and again, it is all we have. Also, OSU's only loss was in two overtimes, on the road, on a day when the athletic department lost two basketball coaches in a plane crash. I imagine that the players weren't very close to those involved in the crash, but it must still be traumatic. I don't know, I am thinking about giving them a pass for that.

4. I will not entertain arguments for Virginia Tech (pitiful schedule that they should have murdered), Stanford (embarrassed at home), Houston (please), or Boise State (lost at home to TCU). Nice seasons, but not part of this conversation.

I am not going to say that OSU is a better football team this year than Alabama. I don't know the answer to that and there is no playoff to determine who is better. What I do know is this - LSU is better than Alabama. It was proven at the University of Alabama on national television. It is unfair to LSU to make them prove it again on a neutral field.

My BCS Championship Game is LSU vs. OSU. And there shouldn't be an argument.

Thanksgiving Picks of the Week

Happy Thanksgiving, and welcome to the "picks of the week". A quick refresher: Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will pretend that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. On to the picks.

Detroit Lions +6 v. Green Bay Packers
Green Bay's defense has not looked that great, and Detroit's offense has a lot of firepower. Stafford is a different quarterback at home. I am not saying that the Lions beat the Packers, but they definitely score enough to keep it within a touchdown.

Dallas Cowboys -7 v. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have looked really good the past 3 or 4 weeks, and they have not given up a touchdown in what seems like forever. That stops today. Cowboys smell the opening to win the division, and I expect them to take a big bite toward that title today.

Baltimore Ravens -3 1/2 v. San Francisco 49ers
Very short week and travel from west coast to east coast will be detrimental to the 49ers. Yeah, I know I know they have won every east coast game this year, but the Ravens are not the Redskins. Plus, Torrey Smith has brought an additional dimension to the Ravens offense.

Chicago Bears +4 at Oakland Raiders
I have bet the Raiders more times than most this year, but I think this Bears team is really gelling on defense. If Hanie can get a good full week of practice in before the game, and if he continues to show the strengths he brought to the second half of the NFC Championship game, then the Bears should be all right. Plus, they have the non-Aaron Rodgers MVP of the league in Matt Forte.

Tennessee Titans -3 1/2 v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have been a big disappointment for a lot of people this year. Although they still have some good, young talent, the Titans are a really tough team. Johnson might be rounding into form, and whether Hasselback can play or not, Jake Locker looks like he can play.

St. Louis Rams No Line v. Arizona Cardinals
I think that you are starting at QB for Arizona this week.

New York Jets -9 v. Buffalo Bills
The loss of Fred Jackson cannot be overestimated. The fact that the Bills were on a downward spiral with Jackson doesn't help either. The only reason this isn't a 15 or 17 point spread is because the Bills have the better quarterback.

Houston Texans -3 1/2 at Jacksonville Jaguars
I have no idea what we are going to get in Matt Leinart, and nobody else does either. Not even the Texans. Especially not the Texans. However, the Jaguars know exactly what they are getting in Blaine Gabbert.

Carolina Panthers -3 at Indianapolis Colts
Boy are the Colts bad without Peyton.

Cincinnati Bengals -7 1/2 v. Cleveland Browns
Andy Dalton is making a run at NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Browns are in complete disarray.

Atlanta Falcons -9 1/2 v. Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota's offense is reeling, and the Falcons seem to be out of the funk they were in at the beginning of the season.

Washington Redskins + 3 1/2 at Seattle Seahawks
I am still not picking Seattle.

San Diego Chargers -6 v. Denver Broncos
The Chargers have not been very good and they turn the ball over, but that's OK because this Broncos offense cannot move the ball effectively. If Rivers doesn't throw interceptions, the Chargers are due for a win.

New England Patriots -4 at Philadelphia Eagles
So the league has figured out that the way to stop Welker is to play him man-to-man, but the Pats have Gronkowski and Hernandez. The Eagles don't even know if they will have Vick, although I suspect they will. I expect a shootout, with the Pats winning by a touchdown.

New Orleans Saints -7 v. New York Giants
The Saints offense was hitting on all cylinders just prior to the bye week. I think the week off will do nothing but refresh them. The Giants have been Jekyll and Hyde this year, but I think the Saints score enough anyway.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Pittsburgh Steelers -10 1/2 at Kansas City
I hate to make a double digit spread my "Big Bet of the Week", but then again, have you seen Kansas City play? Mike Wallace has emerged as one of the best receivers in the league, Mendenhall is a solid running back, and they still have that Steeler defense (although not as Steel as in the past).

Previous Week's Record: 6-6-2
Year to Date: 66-60-5
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Beat Year to Date: 9-0
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $90
Winnings (Losses) Year-To-Date: $1350

Picks of the Week

It is time for the "picks of the week". A quick refresher: Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will pretend that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. On to the picks.

Denver Broncos +6 v. New York Jets
The Jets should win this game, but with the Broncos new rushing attack, possessions will be fewer. Plus, this line has grown 1 1/2 points since open, meaning, I will go against the majority of Americans almost every time. Plus, the Jets have only had 1 practice to get ready for the college offense of the Broncos, having played late Sunday night.

Dallas Cowboys -7 at Washington Redskins
Boy are the Redskins bad. The Cowboys may have really found a player in this DeMarco Murray.

Miami Dolphons -2 v. Buffalo Bills
The Dolphins have never quit in any game this year, and played some good teams close. Buffalo is no longer a good team.

Green Bay Packers -14 v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Unlike the Dolphins, Tampa Bay has a tendency to quit in games. That will be easy to do once Rodgers gets up on them.

Detroit Lions -7 v. Carolina Panthers
There is no way that Detroit lays two eggs in a row, so after that beatdown at the hands of the Bears, I look for Detroit to give a similar beatdown to Carolina. For the Panthers, Newton has looked spectacular at time, but lately, he is getting absolutely no help from the running game. They need Williams and/or Stewart to step up to help Newton.

Jacksonville Jaguars +1 at Cleveland Browns
There is no reason whatsoever that I want to watch this game, nor do I really care who wins. I'll take the points, nay, point.

Cincinnati Bengals +7 at Baltimore Ravens
I still think that the Ravens are going to win, but Cincinnati showed last week against Pittsburgh that they can hang with the big boys. The Ravens showed that they can lose to anyone.

Chicago Bears -3 1/2 v. San Diego Chargers
Gates is playing like he is old, Philip Rivers is playing like he has no offensive help, and the Bears are cruising right now, and they are at home.

Arizona Cardinals +9 1/2 at San Francisco 49ers
Arizona beat Philadelphia last week, and they way they played, they could keep it close. I like the 49ers to win, perhaps by a touchdown, but with a run-first offense and a strong defense, the clock will keep running down and limit possession, hopefully keeping the score close, even if San Fran dominates.

St. Louis Rams -2 v. Seattle Seahawks
I don't care who they beat last week, I cannot bet on Seattle.

Green Bay Packers -5 1/2 at San Diego Chargers
Green Bay is simply the best team in football, and we need to set up the Packers being undefeated going into the Thanksgiving game at Detroit.

Tennessee Titans +6 at Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons looked pretty good against the Saints, but this team could meltdown knowing that 1 loss could keep them out of the playoffs, especially when that one loss can be laid strictly at the feet of one really stupid decision.

New York Giants -4 1/2 v. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are nowhere near as good as everyone thought they were going to be. In fact, we can offically call them BAD.

New England Patriots -14 1/2 v. Kansas City Chiefs
We have had some really bad Monday night games this year, including a couple of blowouts. Let's add another to the list.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Oakland Raiders -1 at Minnesota Vikings
Carson Palmer is starting to hit a bit of a groove and Michael Bush is a more than capable backup to Darren McFadden. Christian Ponder has had his moments, but this is not a good Vikings team. Without Jared Allen and Adrian Peterson, this team would be nothing this year. And with Janikowsi and Lechler, this team can play field position football with absolutely anybody.

Previous Week's Record: 8-6
Year to Date: 60-54-3
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Beat Year to Date: 8-0
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $290
Winnings (Losses) Year-To-Date: $1260

NFL Picks

It is time for the "picks of the week". A quick refresher: Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will pretend that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. On to the picks.

New York Jets +2 at Buffalo Bills
I really don't know what to think of this game, and in that situation, I always take the points. Plus, the Jets should be a bit healthier after the bye week.

Dallas Cowboys -11 v. Seattle Seahawks
Just to keep betting against Seattle.

Cleveland Browns +10 1/2 at Houston Texans
This has nothing to do with Peyton Hillis, but more to do with the fact that the spread is double digits. I really don't think Cleveland can win, but could lose by 10.

Atlanta Falcons -7 at Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis is not good. Falcons should run the ball on them all game.

Kansas City Chiefs -4 v. Miami Dolpins
If this Chiefs defense plays anything like Monday night, Miami does not have a chance. They are playing hard, the Dolphins just aren't good.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +8 1/2 at New Orleans Saints
LaGarrette Blount is back, and the Saints will make just one too many turnovers to cover this spread.

Cincinnati Bengals +2 1/2 at Tennessee Titans
Cincinnati is play surprisingly well, and since every other defense has bottled up Chris Johnson this year, the Bengals should be able to do so as well.

Oakland Raiders -8 v. Denver Broncos
Darren McFadden is much, much better than anything the Broncos have. Plus, Janikowski is back.

St. Louis Rams + 1 1/2 at Arizona Cardinals
John Skelton.

Green Bay Packers -5 1/2 at San Diego Chargers
Green Bay is simply the best team in football, and we need to set up the Packers being undefeated going into the Thanksgiving game at Detroit.

New York Giants +9 at New England Patriots
It appears that teams have figured out that playing Welker man-to-man is the way to slow down the Patriots offense. After watching the Giants against the Dolphins, that may not be enough for them to win, but it may be enough for them to cover.

Baltimore Ravens +3 at Pittsburgh Steelers
With the exception of the first game of the season, this game is always close. Ravens have not been playing as consistent since, and the Steelers are playing better since, so this game should be close this time around.

Chicago Bears +8 at Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles give up around 5 yards a carry, and Forte gains about 5 yards a carry. The Eagles looked great last week, but the Bears are rested after a bye. I'll take the 8 points gladly. If the Bears weren't my favorite team, I might have made this my Big Bet.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

San Francisco 49ers -3 1/2 at Washington Redskins
Jim Harbaugh has the 49ers playing tough, and good, football. The Washington Redskins, well, not so tough or good.

Previous Week's Record: 6-7
Year to Date: 52-48-3
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Beat Year to Date: 7-0
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: ($20)
Winnings (Losses) Year-To-Date: $970

Picks of the Week

Abbreviated picks this week, as I am traveling. I righted the ship last week after my first and only losing week of the season. On to the picks.

Baltimore Ravems -12 v. Arizona Cardinals
Minnesota Vikings +3 at Carolina Panthers
Jacksonville Jaguars +9 1/2 v. Houston Texans
Tennessee Tirans -8 v. Indianapolis Colts
New Orleans Saints -13 1/2 at St. Louis Rams
New York Giants -9 1/2 v. Miami Dolphins
Buffalo Bills -4 v. Washington Redskins
New England -2 1/2 at Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49ers -8 1/2 v. Cleveland Browns
Cincinnati Bengals -1 1/2 at Seattle Seahawks
Dallas Cowboys +3 v. Philadelphia Eagles
San Diego Chargers -3 Kansas City Chiefs

Big Bet
Detroit Lions -3 at Denver Broncos

Previous Week's Record: 6-6-1
Year-to-Date: 46-41-3
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Bet Year-to-Date: 6-0
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $90
Winnings (Losses) Year-to-Date: $990

Picks of the Week

It is time for the "picks of the week". A quick refresher: Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will pretend that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler.

I apologize for missing last week. Not good as two weeks ago was my first losing week (only -$20, so not too bad), but I was out celebrating my Mom's 60th birthday. I hope you understand. On to the picks.

Carolina Panthers -2 1/2 v. Washington Redskins
When your best offensive player and your best defensive player are both upset that John Beck is starting, then your team has problems. Plus, I had a dream that the Panthers drafted Justin Blackmon this year to go with Cam Newtwon and Steve Smith - wouldn't that be something?!

Tennessee Titans -3 v Houston Texans
Tennessee always plays tough, and the Texans are once again without Andre Johnson. Although I would have loved to have seen McCourty cover Johnson during this game, it appears McCourty will have to be happy shutting down Walter and Jones.

San Diego Chargers +1 at New York Jets
Beating the Dolphins doesn't impress me Jets.

Denver Broncos pick 'em at Miami Dolphins
Coming off a bye week and playing the Dolphins is the perfect storm for Tim Tebow. But, see my immediate entry above.

Detroit Lions -3 v. Atlanta Falcons
I just don't think the Falcons defense can stop the Lions offense, even though the Lions are effectively without any running backs - unless you include Keiland Williams.

Seattle Seahawks +3 at Cleveland Browns
Not because this is what I think will actually happen, but simply because I have been saying that I will bet against Seattle until they start Charlie Whitehurst. Well, they are starting Charlie Whitehurst.

Pittsburgh Steelers -4 at Arizona Cardinals
What a long way away from he Super Bowl for both of these teams.

Oakland Raiders -3 1/2 v Kansas City Chiefs
I really don't know what to make of the Raiders QB situation, but in any event, they still have Darren McFadden. If I was the Raiders, I would be more concerned about missing Sebastian Janikowski. Putting this one on the defense.

Green Bay Packers -10 at Minnesota VIkings
Never take a 10 point road divisional favorite - unless of course the other team is starting a rookie QB in his very first NFL start, their starting CB was just arrested on domestic assault charges and isn't likely to be released before the game, and they just aren't very good.

Dallas Cowboys -13 v. St. Louis Rams
This Rams team just is not very good. I am worried about the 13 point spread, but Austin has a game under his belt, and hopefully a little more synch to the offense.

New Orleans Sainst -13 1/2 v. Indianapolis Colts
Marques Colston is officially back after last week's performance, and, I figured that I have already taken each of the other two double digit favorites.

Baltimore Ravens -8 1/2 v. Jacksonville Jaguars
Ravens are one of the best two or three teams in the NFL. The Jaguars aren't.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Chicago Bears -1 1/2 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (in London)
After last week's performance, I have to pick the Bears, especially since the Bucs will be without LaGarrette Blount. The Bears arrived much later in London than the Bucs, I just hope they get acclimated to the time change prior to kickoff.

Previous Week's Record: 6-7
Year to Date: 40-35-2
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Beat Year to Date: 5-0
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: ($20)
Winnings (Losses) Year-To-Date: $900

World Series Roundtable

As Game 1 is underway, it is time to reveal our discussions and predictions for the World Series.

Hopps, since you predicted each of the divisional series correctly, would you like to go first, or last.

Hopps: I'll go last. Sinickal, you're up!

Sinickal: I look up and down each of the rosters and the Texas Rangers are just better than the Cardinals. With the possible exception of Carpenter as ace, and Pujols as best overall player (but not by much over Hamilton), the Rangers are better top-to-bottom. That means the Rangers should win this thing, and I will say in 6.

However, if we fast forwarded ten days or so and you told me that the Cardinals won, for some reason I would not be surprised. Such a victory would have to be based upon the pure power of Albert Pujols, just willing this team to a World Series victory as part of his goodbye St. Louis victory tour.

That being said, I still say Rangers in 6.

Pepster: Sinickal, as much as I agree with the fact that Pujols can do what Prince Fielder didn't, and that is lead his team in the playoffs before heading out of dodge, where is he going to go? The Red Sox and Yankees are set, for big money, at first base, Pujols is too athletic to DH and Fielder is younger such as to have a bit more value in free agency. The Dodgers like Loney, although he is nowhere near the player Pujols is, the Angels could be a candidate, or .... AH HA! You are pushing Pujols for the Cubs! I knew there was an ulterior motive to your honoring Pujols despite picking against the Cardinals.

Wow - that was pretty good psychology right there.

Anyway, I am going to agree with your Rangers in 6. Carpenter wins at least 1 so the series goes 6, but that Rangers lineup is loaded! Hamilton has yet to hit his postseason groove, if Nelson Cruz's next hit is for extra bases, he ties the record of consecutive post-season extra base hits held by the immortal Jayson Werth, and Young, Beltre, Kinsler, Napoli, et. al all have power. And I keep preaching the value of Elvis Andrus, and at some point he is going to explode. The Rangers have enough pitching, and they were here last year. I think it all adds up.

Hopps, your opinion?

Hopps: Texas.

Pepster: Anything else to add?

Hopps: Nope.

Sinickal: Why not?

Hopps: I don't have to justify anything, I was perfect the last round we did this. OUT!

Tebow, The Next Newton?

Let me open this way. You will learn nothing new in the next few paragraphs. This is my effort at piling on to the Tim Tebow narrative.

So, Tim Tebow has finally been tapped as the starter in Denver. His early success is almost a guarantee give that he has a bye week, then a homecoming game in Miami against one of the worst teams in football. The Bye week alone should be enough to vault him into the top five quarterbacks in the league. The schedule gets harder after that, but will it matter? Three weeks from now, Tebow will be better than Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers or...wait for it...Cam Newton!

It will be interesting to watch the next few weeks. Tebow does some things that blow your mind - and not in a good way. He had a play in the game against San Diego in Week 5 in which he turned his back to the line of scrimmage for no apparent reason. it was part of some strange pirouette that didn't make sense because he wasn't under that much pressure. What the hell was that? I am sorry. I shouldn't cuss when talking about Tim Tebow.

I get that he is big and athletic and super enthusiastic and a really sweet guy, but he is not a NFL quarterback.

Let me repeat that. He is not an NFL quarterback.

Full disclosure -- I also thought Cam Newton would fail miserably in the NFL. Fail like Tiger Woods in a family structure. I was completely wrong. Cam Newton is big and athletic, and is blessed with a cannon. Newton can make any throw from the pocket and is near impossible to defend when he is on the run. He is also much better at understanding his offense and reading defenses than I ever thought he would be. I am quickly becoming sold on him as a starting quarterback in the league. So far, he is worth the first overall pick that Carolina spent on him.

Tebow, on the other hand, was drafted much earlier than he should have been. It was a mistake to put this kind of pressure on him and on the Denver Broncos franchise. Tebow has poor mechanics, poorer accuracy, and the arm strength of Carl Lewis. That combination will not survive in today's NFL. If you can't make all of the throws in this league, you will not survive!

I am looking forward to this. I am not a true Tebow hater, I just think that the love for this guy borders on irrational! It will be comical watching the UF fans fawn all over him during his "Florida Day" in Miami next week. It will be nauseating listening to the Brett Favre like love affair with him a week from Monday. And it will be satisfying to see him taking his place on the bench with all of the other highly touted, underachieving quarterbacks that simply can't play at the NFL level.

We have seen this story before.

Picks of the Week

It is time for the "picks of the week". A quick refresher: Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will pretend that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. First set of bye weeks this week, so less games to choose. Gotta be careful to keep finishing in the money. On to the picks.

Philadelphia Eagles -2 1/2 at Buffalo Bills
The curtain was pulled back a bit last week. The Bills are still being wizarded by the Harvard guy, but that first loss hurt their mystique.

Tennessee Titans +3 at Pittsburgh Steelers
James Harrison being hurt limits the Steelers at two positions, as Lawrence Timmons moves inside. Mendenhall has not been special this year, but he is still generally pretty good, so his loss hurts as well. The Titans are playing well so far this year.

New York Giants -9 1/2 v. Seattle Seahawks
Once again ... Tarvaris Jackson.

Minnesota Vikings -3 v. Arizona Cardinals
A surprisingly difficult game for me to select. In those situations I usually take the points. But then again, I usually am not choosing against Kevin Kolb.

Cincinnati Bengals +1 1/2 at Jacksonville Jaguars
Cincinnati surprised everyone last week beating Buffalo. Should be a fun battle of rookie quarterbacks.

Indianapolis Colts -2 v. Kansas City Chiefs
The Colts looked stronger than I expected against a tough Tampa team. The Chiefs ... not so tough.

New Orleans -6 1/2 at Carolina Panthers
That first week loss to the Packers might have been between the best two teams in the league. Cam Newton is fast becoming the most exciting player in the NFL.

Oakland Raiders +5 at Houston Texans
The Raiders are pretty good, and the Texans, although still explosive, will miss Andre Johnson.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3 v. San Francisco 49ers
A surprisingly good matchup between two potential playoff teams. I will take the points, and hope the Bucs play a bit better than they did last week.

New England Patriots -7 v. New York Jets
Yes, I know that Rex Ryan seems to have the Patriots number. However, this is not the same Jets team from the last few years. Plus, Ryan refuses to put Revis on Welker in the slot, preferring to keep him outside. That could limit Ochocinco to like, 2 catches!

Green Bay Packers -5 1/2 at Atlanta Falcons
Best team in the league right now going against a team that was very overrated at the beginning of the year. I don't see how Atlanta stops Green Bay's offense.

Chicago Bears +5 at Detroit Lions
I don't think my Bears can win ... but I do think they can cover. Detroit's first time on the big stage in a long, long time.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

San Diego Chargers -3 1/2 at Denver Broncos
I know this is a divisional game, but really, how is the line this close?

Previous Week's Record: 8-8
Year to Date: 34-28-2
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Beat Year to Date: 4-0
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $70
Winnings (Losses) Year-To-Date: $920

Picks of the Week

Short picks this week because I am traveling.

Chicago -7
Washington -3
San Francisco +9 1/2
Minnesota -3
New Orleans -8 1/2
Pittsburgh +3 1/2
Detroit +2 1/2
Buffalo -3
Tennessee pick 'em
Atlanta -4 1/2
Green Bay -12
Miami +6 1/2
Oakland +6
Baltimore -4 1/2
Tampa Bay -10

Big Bet
New York Giants -1

Last Week's Record: 8-7-1
Record Year-to-Date: 26-20-1
Last Week's Big Bet: 1-0
Big Bet Year-to-Date: 3-0
Last Week's Winnings: $180
Winnings Year-to-Date: $850

MLB Divisional Series Roundtable

As the first playoff game begins, Hopps, Sinickal and myself all knock off work a bit early to have a quick roundtable discussion on the MLB divisional series. For our collective thoughts and picks, let's begin with the first game, Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers. Hopps?

Hopps: Screw you!

Pepster: My bad - I probably shouldn't have started with the Red Sox fan on this one. Sinickal, your thoughts?

Sinickal: I am going with Tampa. I think they will have a short hangover, but ultimately an easy series. They are a really good team from the best division. Four games.

Pepster: I have to disagree. I think that the Rangers just have too much for the Rays. The Rays are supposed to have pitching and defense, but they are starting Matt Moore in only his second MLB start in Game 1. Texas's lineup is stacked now that everyone is healthy, and it is about time people realize that Elvis Andrus is going to be really, really good. Also in four games.

Hopps: Damn. Now no matter who I select I have to agree with one of you. I am going to say Texas, as the Rays just won their World Series.

Pepster: Now to the marquee American League matchup, Detroit and New York Yankees. I think that nobody has really been talking about Detroit all year outside of Verlander, but that lineup is good and deep. The Yankees lineup is deep too, but guys like Miguel Cabrera are just too dumb to realize they are supposed to lose to the Yankees. Plus, I don't think Verlander will even have to pitch two games in this series. Tigers in 4.

Sinickal: Verlander gets to pitch games 1 and 5. That means that the Yankees have to win 3 straight in the middle. I don't seem them getting that done.

Hopps: Detroit - Verlander. That's all.

We all agree on that one. Let's go to another series where we should all agree, Philadelphia and St. Louis. Hopps?

Hopps: St. Louis. They are playing good baseball. This is the upset of the playoffs.

Pepster: They do have Pujols, but there is no way that I can pick them. It's Philly. There offense has not been the typical Philly offense all year, but they still have Victorino, Rollins, Utley, Howard, et. al. And they have pitching! Philadelphia in 4.

Sinickal: Best team in baseball with great pitching in a short series. This might be a sweep.

And for the last series - Milwaukee or Arizona?

Sinickal: Arizona plays in the equivalent of the NFC West. Good team and bad division v. Great team. I'll pick Milwaukee.

Hopps: I will also take Milwaukee. They win at home; best home winning percentage in the majors.

Pepster: I will make it 3 for 3, even though Justin Upton could be the best player in baseball that nobody talks about. Sneaky good pitching, and Braun/Fielder is a helluva one-two punch, especially with Hart and McGehee showing some power as well. Brewers in 4.

That wraps up our divisional roundtable. But what would this conversation be without mentioning our Patron Saint, Adam Jones, helping to eliminate the Red Sox from the playoffs.

Hopps: That isn't the same Adam Jones. I hate you.

Pepster: Oh, my bad, maybe I just wanted to mention that the Sox collapsed. See you back here for the League Championship Series roundtable.

Picks of the Week

It is time for the "picks of the week". A quick refresher: Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will pretend that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. On to the picks.

New England Patriots -7 at Buffalo Bills
The Bills and Fitzpatrick are a great story to date, and it is possible that they put up a bunch of points against the Patriots. But it is also probable that they give up a lot more.

Carolina Panthers -3 v. Jacksonville Jaguars
Blaine Gabbert is making his first start. Cam Newton is practically a veteran comparatively.

Cincinnati Bengals -2 1/2 v. San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco is still searching for their quarterback. Cincinnati may have found theirs.

Miami Dolphins +1 1/2 at Cleveland Browns
I really don't know what to make of this game. In that situation, I'll take points and just hope.

Detroit Lions -3 at Minnesota Vikings
The Lions juggernaut continues. Minnesota looked much better in Week 2 than in their opening game, but they are a long way away from competing with Detroit.

New Orleans Saints -3 1/2 v. Houston Texans
New Orleans looks like one of the best 2 or 3 teams in the league right now. Houston is trying to get to that level. They are not quite there ... yet.

New York Giants +8 1/2 v. Philadelphia Eagles
Vick is likely going to play, but how effective is he going to be. Philly is stronger, but I don't think they are 8 1/2 points stronger.

Tennessee Titans -7 v. Denver Broncos
Tennessee rolled the Ravens last week without Chris Johnson doing what Chris Johnson does. I don't know if Johnson will start to heat up, but the Titans look to have more than the Fighting Tebows do.

Green Bay Packers -4 1/2 at Chicago Bears
The Bears could put up a lot of offensive yards against the Packers if they can keep Cutler upright. That is a big IF.

San Diego Chargers -14 v. Kansas City Chiefs
That's a big spread, but Kansas City is without its best offensive (Jamal Charles) and defensive (Eric Berry) players for the season. San Diego is hurting, but most of their questionables should at least give it a go.

Oakland Raiders +3 v. New York Jets
Oakland has played two very close games to start the season. The Jets have not given me any reason to think that this will not be a close one as well.

Atlanta + 1 1/2 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Atlanta is a much stronger team than the Bucs. They are only getting points because they are on the road. I'll take 'em.

Arizona Cardinals -3 at Seattle Seahawks
Once again - Tarvaris Jackson.

Pittsburgh Steelers -10 1/2 at Indianapolis Colts
Without Peyton Manning, this is a much different team.

Washington Redskins No Line at Dallas Cowboys
Thanks to Romo, there is no official line in this game. But since it is my blog, I am going to count it as a pick 'em. It is still too soon for Rex Grossman to implode.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Baltimore Ravens -5 at St. Louis Rams
The Ravens need a big bounce back after last week's loss to the Titans. They get it here.

Previous Week's Record: 8-7-1
Year to Date: 18-13-1
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Beat Year to Date: 2-0
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $180
Winnings (Losses) Year-To-Date: $670

Picks of the Week

It is time for the "picks of the week". As you know, I like to keep track of what I would have earned had I actually bet on all of the games (since gambling is illegal). Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I will keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will pretend that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. On to the picks.

New Orleans Saints -5 v. Chicago Bears
I would love for my Bears to pull this off, but with the funeral of Brian Urlacher's mom being held yesterday, and several players and stafff flying back to New Orleans just yesterday, they will likely be a bit tired. Also, the adrenaline that will carry them through the first quarter would likley fade quickly as the game goes on.

Buffalo Bills -4 v. Oakland Raiders
Although I think that the Raiders are the better team, west coast teams flying east to play the early game just are not very successful. A big congratulations to my body Sebastian Janikowski for his record-tying 63 yard field goal on Monday night.

Washington Redskins -4 v. Arizona Cardinals
Again with the west coast teams going east. Plus, we are still a few weeks from the inevitable Rex Grossman implosion.

Baltimore Ravens -5 1/2 at Tennessee Titans
The only explanation for last week for the Ravens is "WOW"!

Jacksonville Jaguars +9 at New York Jets
The Jets offense was not impressive last week against the Cowboys. At least not 9 point spread impressive. Jacksonville still has to prove themselves, and this is their chance.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers + 1 1/2 at Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings were absolutely horrible last week. McNabb might just be done.

Green Bay Packers -10 1/2 at Carolina Panthers
What would the point spread have been if the Packers were at home?!

Detroit Lions -7 1/2 v. Kansas City Chiefs
Detroit seems to be this year's "it" team, while Kansas City was simply awful last week.

Cleveland Browns -2 at Indianapolis Colts
No Peyton Manning.

Dallas Cowboys -3 at San Francisco 49ers
Dallas should have won that game against the Jets, but they didn't. Doesn't matter because the 49ers are nowhere near the same level of the Jets.

New England Patriots -7 v. San Diego Chargers
This could be another PAtriots barnburner with tons and tons of yards and points. Exciting game to watch for sure.

Denver Broncos -3 v. Cincinnati Bengals
I really have no reason to support this pick other than the fact that Tim Tebow prayed extra hard this week.

Houston Texans -3 at Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins were valiant on offense against the Patriots, but virtually nonexistent on defense. that is not the side of the ball to be weak against the Texans.

Philadelphia Eagles -2 1/2 at Atlanta Falcons
Both sides have weaknesses, but I think the Falcons might be bruising from the beating the Bears gave them last week.

St. Louis Rams -6 1/2 v. New York Giants
Is Hakeen Nicks going to play? Even if so, are the Giants that much of an offensive threat to win this game by 7? I don't think so.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Pittsburgh Steelers -13 1/2 v. Seattle Seahawks
Tarvaris Jackson! Plus, the Steelers should be angry after the beat down last week at the hands of the Ravens.

Previous Week's Record: 10-6
Year to Date: 10-6
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Beat Year to Date: 1-0
Winnings (Losses): $490

Picks of the Week

Welcome back to this year's "picks of the week" segment that will occur weekly at We Make It Rain. As a refresher, I like to keep track of what I would have earned had I actually bet on all of the games (since gambling is illegal). Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I will keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will pretend that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. On to the picks.

Green Bay Packers - 4 1/2 v. New Orleans Saints
See my entry from Thursday.

Atlanta Falcons -1 1/2 at Chicago Bears
The Falcons are loaded for Bear this year, and the addition of Julio Jones can only mean some easier catches for Roddy White - who makes them all look easy already. I am afraid that this could be the start of a long season for the Bears.

Detroit Lions + 1 1/2 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers had a very impressive season last year, and Josh Freeman looks to be very good, but as long as Matt Stafford is healthy, the Lions will move the ball against anyone. Plus, if you believe the old adage that everything start up front, the Lions have a head start in Ndamukong Suh.

St. Louis Rams + 3 1/2 v. Philadelphia Eagles
Until the Eagles offensive line shows me that they can actually block, I will be happy taking points from this "Dream Team". The Rams are legitimate playoff contenders this year.

Buffalo Bills + 4 1/2 at Kansas City Chiefs
I can't help but think that last year was an aberration for the Chiefs. If I am correct that means both of these teams are bad. In that case, take the points. Oh yeah, and GO HARVARD!

Tenneessee Titans pick 'em at Jacksonville Jaguars
Chris Johnson over Maurice Jones-Drew. OK, both of them are good. Matt Hasselbeck over David Garr ... strike that, Luke McCown, of Josh McCown, or Cade McNown. Whichever. Yep, that makes more sense.

Houston Texans -9 v. Indianapolis Colts
The point spread seems too high, but I have a feeling the Texans want to make a strong early statement. I don't think any of us can guess the effect of Manning's latest neck surgery, placing him most likely out for the whole season, will have on this team.

Cleveland Browns -6 1/2 v. Cincinnati Browns
Peyton Hillis cannot have the same year he had last year, but this might be the year Colt McCoy steps up in stature. Either way, I have Cincinnati as one of the worst 3 or 4 teams in the league. I'll take the Browns at home.

Pittsburgh Steelers v. Baltimore Ravens
These games are always close, something like 10 points difference total in the last 7 or 8 games. Given this fact, and that both teams rely on defense and the rushing games, I'll take the points.

Washington Redskins +3 v. New York Giants
Just a hunch. Plus, Rex Grossman always starts strong to give his team's fans some hope before he rips their hearts out with a 4 int, 3 fumble game.

San Francisco 49ers -5 1/2 v. Seattle Seahawks
Tarvaris Jackson.

Arizona Cardinals -6 1/2 v. Carolina Panthers
Rookie QB, so I cannot take Carolina. Although Newton will have a couple of plays in which we will all say, "Wow". Unfotunately for Carolina, Fitzgerald will have more.

Minnesota Vikings + 8 1/2 at San Diego Chargers
I expect the Chargers to win the AFC West, but giving 8 1/2 points to a team with Donovan McNabb and Adrian Peterson seems a bit high. I would not be shocked if the Chargers won by a touchdown.

Dallas Cowboys +6 at New York Jets
The Jets have a great defense, but the Cowboys have lots of weapons. They had the number 1 offense since Garrett took over the head coaching position. I think the Cowboys are going to surprise a lot of people this year with Romo back.

Miami Dolphins +7 v. New England Patriots
Chad Henne gets way too much blame for the Dolphins woes. Now he has Marshall, Bess and Reggie Bush to play with. Look for the Dolphins to be a much harder out than people expect.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Oakland Raiders +3 at Denver Broncos
I feel weird putting my big bet status on Oakland, but they ran their division last year, and the Broncos are in disarray, with most of their fans cheering for their co-second string (read: thrid string) quarterback. Orton will put up numbers, but the Raiders will put up more points. Watch out for Von Miller as potential NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Previous Week's Record: N/A
Year to Date: N/A
Winnings (Losses): N/A

For Future Use

Green Bay Packers -4 1/2 v. New Orleans Saints

Draft Genius

Before we head into the college and pro football seasons, I want to take a brief respite to discuss baseball, or more importantly the future of baseball, especially since the future is so very bright. Now I know that there are problems with the game: lack of attendance, super low television ratings, football's popularity and not to mention that home field advantage for the world series is determined by the All-Star game. That being said, the future of the on-field game is very bright.

The number of young, extremely talented players is astonishing. Justin Verlander is 28, Prince Fielder is 27 as is Tim Lincecum. Felix Hernandez is 25. Not to mention the talented players that are even younger than those All-Stars, like Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro, Giants catcher Buster Posey, Yankees pitcher Ivan Nova, the Marlins trio of Mike Stanton, Gaby Sanchez and Logan Morrison, the Braves duo of Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, the dramatic possibilities of Stephen Strasbourg and Bryce Howard, and former Hurricanes Jon Jay and Ryan Braun. In fact, it is Ryan Braun that led me to this column.

While reading about Braun one day, I decided to look up his draft class, and boy was I shocked at what I saw; simply the greatest draft class of all time (Ed. Note - not every draft class was reviewed before making this assertion). At least this draft class should be spoken about in baseball circles like the 1983 NFL draft and the 2003 NBA draft, Here are some of the selections in the 2005 MLB amateur draft.

1. Justin Upton - Diamondbacks
2. Alex Gordon - Royals
3. Jeff Clement - Mariners
4. Ryan Zimmerman - Nationals
5. Ryan Braun - Brewers
6. Ricky Romero - Blue Jays
7. Troy Tulowitzki - Rockies
9. Mike Pelfrey - Mets
10. Cameron Maybin - Tigers
11. Andrew McCutcheon - Pirates
12. Jay Bruce - Reds
16. Chris Volstad - Marlins
19. John Mayberry, Jr. - Rangers
23. Jacoby Ellsbury - Red Sox
25. Matt Garza - Twins
26. Craig Hansen - Red Sox
28. Colby Rasmus - Cardinals
30. Tyler Greene - Cardinals
40. Luke Hochever - Dodgers
42. Clay Buchholz -Red Sox

And that was just the first rounders. Uptown, Braun, Zimmerman, Tulowitzki, McCutcheon, Ellsbury and Buchholz are stars, Bruce has been an All-Star, and everyone else listed (except for Jeff Clement) is or has been a major contributor to their major league squad. That is 19 out of 42!

Makes me wonder, in hindsight of course, what Mariners General Manager Bill Bavasi was thinking in passing on all of that talent for Clement. Bavasi was fired on June 16, 2008. He has found employment as the special assistant to the General Manager for the Cincinnati Reds. Quite a bit of a fall compared to the ceilings of these present and future stars.

Baseball is indeed in good hands.

Ready for Some Football

It is that time of the year again, time for the start of college football. What would the start of college football be without a preseason All-American list. Once again, I am here to give you my preseason All-Americans. As usual, there will be more than 11 a side, to account for the different types of formations (spread, three receiver set, 4-3, 3-4, etc). I explain some of my picks, while others I do not. Why? Because I can.

Offense

QB - Landry Jones, Oklahoma; Andrew Luck, Stanford; Denard Robinson, Michigan - I just think that Jones is going to have a better year than Luck, but Luck is a great backup to have. Robinson might be the most dynamic player in the country.

RB - LaMichael James, Oregon; Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina; Michael Dyer, Auburn; Chris Polk, Washington - James and Lattimore are no-brainers, while Auburn is going to heavily rely upon Dyer post-Newton. I just have a hunch about Polk.

WR - Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma; Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina; Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State; Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M - The first three are self-explanatory, or at least they should be.

TE - Michael Egnew, Missouri

OL - Johnathan Martin, Stanford; Barrett Jones, Alabama; Mike Brewster, Ohio State; David Molk, Michigan; Matt Kalil, USC; Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State; Seantrel Henderson, Miami - All big, strong and key cogs to their respective teams.

Defense

DE - Quinton Coples, North Carolina; Brandon Jenkins, Florida State; Vinny Curry, Marshall - Coples continues the string of talented Tar Heel defensive playersnwhile Jenkins leads a defense known for making plays behind the line of scrimmage.

DT - Jared Crick, Nebraska; Billy Winn, Boise State - Crick is good enough to have moved outside of the extremely large shadow of Ndamukong Suh.

LB - Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State; Dont'a Hightower, Alabama; Tank Carder, TCU; Luke Kuechly, Boston College; Sean Spence, Miami - Burfict is my absolute favorite player in all of college football. He is the most likely player to actually decapitate someone since LaVar Arrington. Hightower is the best defensive player on a Nick Saban defense, while Spence is my favorite Miami player. A darkhourse youngster to watch is Jon Bostic of Florida.

CB - Jayron Housley, Virginia Tech; Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina; Cliff Harris, Oregon; Mark Barron, Alabama; Chase Minnifield, Virginia; Kenny Tate, Maryland - Housley is the best corner in college, while Gilmore very well could be by the time the season is over. Why Harris? I need someone to hang out with Sean Spence.

Special Teams

K - Will Snyderwine, Duke - Because it is kicker, and because it is weird to have a Duke football All-American.

P - Drew Butler, Georgia - Easily the best punter in the NCAA.

KR/PR - Damaris Johnson, Tulsa; Andre DeBose, Florida; James Rodgers, Oregon State - Johnson set the single game all-purpose yards record in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and it is time for DeBose to live up to his potential and not just try to be Percy Harvin.

First The Fat Boys Break Up And Now This...

Aaron Baddeley won the Northern Trust Open this weekend at storied Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. What was interesting however, were the names of those chasing him down the stretch. Names we haven’t heard in seemingly forever…Fred Couples and Vijay Singh. Both are supremely accomplished elder statesmen that are long past their primes and no longer a threat to contend for titles on a regular basis.

You know who else is now in that group? Yes, him.

Tiger Woods.

While most people have been content to speculate on when he will get back to his old form, let me definitively state right now that Tiger is done. Finished as a dominant golfer. Finished as a golfer feared by other golfers on tour. Finished as a golfer that made 10 to 15 foot pressure putts appear mundane. Finished as a golf’s greatest threat to Jack Nicklaus’ 18 major championships.

Just finished.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that Tiger won’t put it all together every now and then to win an occasional tournament. I am saying that the days of Tiger being a dominant athlete are long gone. In fact, I am willing to predict that he may be in jail before this golf season is out. I understand that is an outlandish prediction, but follow me for a few minutes.

Let me summarize a career for you. What if I said to you that there would be an athlete so dominant in his particular sport, that it was clear he would be the greatest of all time. Every event he participated in would be must see television. That he would change the culture! Then, what if I told you that he simply would be unable to maintain that level of excellence. He became just another athlete to his sport. It either was too high a level to maintain (possible), or the world around him made it impossible to maintain said level (more probable). We started to see the demise, but we couldn’t believe our eyes. Then there is a signature moment and it all came crashing down. We wanted to believe that it was not the end, but our fallen hero couldn’t ever seem to muster the skill and mystique that he once had. And sadly, it came to an ugly, caricature like end.

My friends, that is the story of Mike Tyson. Go back and look at the career and remember that the wheels were already coming off before the Barbara Walters interview. To me, the arcs are eerily similar.

Tiger is 60% of the way there. The wheels were coming off of this SUV long before Elin went wreckshop on his grill (not the car). Remember, when the TMZ story broke, we were 3 months beyond a WTF moment when Y.E. Yang caught Tiger from 4 strokes back on the final day of the PGA Championship. Apparently, something was already going wrong; we just refused to believe it. Y.E. Yang!!!

Now, Tiger just plays for a check. He routinely collapses late in tournaments to fall out of contention. Primarily because his short game is an atrocity! We could point to any number of issues, and most will point to swing changes that he is currently going through. I will point to the three other technical issues.

1. He doesn’t make putts anymore and he seems concerned over every short putt. I have always believed that once doubt creeps in with putting, it is over. You don’t get that back.
2. Tiger never adjusted to PGA rules changes affecting the grooves on clubs. His short game has suffered tremendously as a result
3. With the exception of Jack Nicklaus, there hasn’t been a golfer to have a run of dominance of more than 6-8 years. Ever. And Jack did it long before this era of pop culture sports.

Add to these the fact that players aren’t fearing him anymore (in fact, some that we have never heard of before are mocking him), and well, you see my point.

Now, about this jail thing...

Two things are certain about competitive people: 1) They play only to win. However, once one learns how to quit, it becomes much easier each time you do it; and 2) competitive people compete at everything. EVERYTHING.

While these points seem contradictory, they are not. Tiger has learned how to mail it in on Sundays and collect a check. Or, quit. This does not bode well for one of the greatest competitors of the last 15 years. The more you watch, the more you realize that he loses interest when his game starts to go south. Regarding his competitiveness, he still appears unwilling to lose even small insignificant battles. Especially with Elin. This is where he will get into trouble. If there is even a shred of truth to this article, Tiger is going to do something really stupid soon. Think Tyson, Jim Brown , or God forbid, OJ Simpson.

I hope Tiger figures this all out and proves me wrong. If not, get ready for the next great pop culture sports story.

Super Bowl Roundtable

Welcome everybody to the Super Bowl Roundtable discussion. Joining me are Sinickal and Hopps. It's the biggest day in American sports, so let us get right to it. Pittsburgh or Green Bay. Since I know what Sinickal is going to say, let's start with you, Hopps. Your thoughts on the game, outright?

Hopps: I have to go with Pittsburgh. Big Ben has been here before, and I think that the defense, led by James Harrison and Lamarr Woodley (not to mention Polamalu), will hit Aaron Rodgers all day.

Sinickal: I agree with you there Hopps. Pittsburgh has a much better defense than the Bears, and other than the opening drive of the NFC championship game, the Bears defense owned Rodgers. If the Bears made life hard for Rodgers, Pittsburgh is definitely going to do the same. The Bears had the Packers on the ropes with a third string quarterback.

Pepster: Don't you mean a 4th string quarterback? When Cutler went down, the Bears put in Todd Collins, and there is no way that he is a second stringer. He has to be a third string quartback. If they replace him with the next guy, Caleb Hanie, then Hanie must be the fourth string.

Sinickal: At least he isn't Henry Burris or Steve Stenstrom.

Pepster: Don't remind me.

Hopps: Plus, I just think that Tomlin is going to have the team much better prepared than the Packers coaching staff. 34 - 31.

Sinickal: Mike Tomlin - I love that magnificent bastard. If he had breasts I would try to marry him.

Pepster: Yes, we all have a man crush on Mike Tomlin, as well. I guess that means that we are all in agreement. We all think that Pittsburgh is going to win this game. Any other interesting thoughts:

Sinickal - not me, bring on the beer. And, Go Steelers. I will never, ever, ever, root for the Green Bay Packers.

Hopps: I have a few. My own personal prop bets. Forget about the over/under, I am picking these exact scenarios:

People carted off the field - 3
Blown ref calls - 2
Brett Favre mentions - 10
Christina Aguilera Hotness - 10.

Very interesting. That concludes our roundtable for today. For my final picks, see below.

OVER 1:54 - Christina Aguilera's national anthem elapsed time

OVER 6 seconds - Christina Aguilera holding "Free"

OVER 3 - Shots of Jerry Jones

OVER 1/2 - A Steeler mimics Aaron Rodgers' championship belt celebration.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK
Pittsburgh Steelers + 2 1/2 over Green Bay Packers

Previous Week's Record: 1-1
Playoff Record: 5-5
Year to Date: 109-78-5
Previous Week's Big Bet: 1-0
Big Bet Year to Date: 5-11
Previous Week's Winnings (Losses): ($140)
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $205

Conference Championship Roundtable

Welcome to our Roundtable Discussion for Conference Championship Weekend in the NFL. Once again all three of us are here today; that is Hopps, Sinickal and myself.

For starters we have the most important game of the new decade, Packers versus the Bears. (Ok - so the decade just started - sue me).

Sinickal: Green Bay is statistically superior, but I going to pick them for another reason; namely that I don't want to have to root for my money and my team with Jay Cutler steering the ship. I am really hoping that he is run over by a bus, and Peyton Manning is given the chance to lead this team since he was so betrayed by Jim Caldwell needing to use all of his timeouts.

Pepster: I share your concern with Cutler, for sure, Sinickal, but everybody in the world is aware that Jim Caldwell is not a very good coach and that he butchered that playoff game. This is not breaking news. You act like you invited this story.

Sinickal: Well, I did have it up on the blog before that day's games were finished.

Pepster: That part is true. Hopps, your thoughts?

Hopps: Bears. They have a better defense.

Pepster: The Bears are known for their defense, but not sure they have the best defense in this game. The Pacers gave up the second fewest points in the league, while the Bears were sixth. Should be pretty tight.

Hopps: Well then, a Bears victory could secure Lovie in charge FOREVER!!!

Pepster: Now that is something to root for. Nothing like a veiled race card reference (foreshadowing) on our blog. I am not sure I want Lovie forever, but he has done pretty well when he has good assistants. Although I want to pick the Bears, I have to select the Packers. First, I cannot put too much faith in Cutler. Second, I had the Packers as one of my pre-season Super Bowl picks (with the Ravens). Third, the games against the Packers have been really close this season, so one turnover could spell the difference, and guess which team has Cutler? I say Packers, but I think the Bears will cover. On to the AFC.

Hopps: Steelers at home. The Jets spent what they had last week at the Pats.

Sinickal: Of course, the New Englander thinks that every team must be spent because they beat the vaunted New England Patriots. Didn't Pittsburgh just win a slugfest over the Ravens?

Hopps: I am being serious this is not a homer reason. The Jets are going to have a letdown.

Pepster: Hopps - who are your favorite Patriots anyway?

Hopps: The same ones that everyone else likes - in order: 1. Brady; 2. Welker; 3. Woodhead; 4. Mankins and 5. Edelman.

Pepster and Sinickal: Those are all the WHITE players! I mean, we will give you Brady, but ...

Sinickal: What about Mayo?

Pepster: What about Wilfork?

Sinickal and Pepster: Typical New England fan.

Pepster: That reminds me of this conversation I had earlier this year while watching the Bears/Ravens game. A Patriots clown starts talking about how much better Tedy Bruschi was than Ray Lewis. He even said that Bruschi is better today than Lewis is. I casually (i.e. with bewilderment) told him that Bruschi wasn't even the best linebacker in Patriots history, much less NFL history (like Lewis is). That linebacker is Andre Tippett, for you New England fans that started watching in the mid-to-late 90's. He keeps carrying on and on until I finally tell him he can have his team of all-time Patriots but I will still take the best player from each position in NFL history and then lets see who wins. That actually got him to shut up. Anyway, Sinickal, your thoughts on the game?

Sinickal: Pittsburgh is better in every statistical category than the Jets, and the Jets just played their Super Bowl. What are we to expect here? Quite honestly, the Jets shouldn't be here at all save Jim Caldwell being the single worst faux football coach on the planet. Oh, and Mike Tomlin is a quote a minute and we need more of that magnificent bastard.

Pepster: Again with the Caldwell. I agree on Mike Tomlin. I think he is much more quotable and fascinating than even Rex Ryan, but not as disturbed. I'll take the Steelers as well. The Jets are not beating the Steelers in Pittsburgh twice in a row, especially with Polamalu and Heath Miller playing today. And as you may recall from last week, Jason Campbell, Alex Smith, Shaun Hill and Chad Henne all had better QB ratings than Sanchez this year. That is not exactly the '83 draft of Elway, Kelly and Marino, or even Blacklege, Eason and O'Brien. That gives me a thought, somebody remind me to write a column on that '83 draft - one that doesn't focus on the QBs. It was phenomenal. Oh yeah, and if the Bears win early, guarantee a Steelers victory. 100% of the time that Lovie Smith has been in the Super Bowl, he has faced another African-American coach. 100%!

Pepster: So to sum it all up - the non-Bears fan selects the Bears, while the two Bears fans pick Green Bay. We all agree on Pittsburgh. Somehow, that sounds like us.

Enjoy watching the games everybody. Read us next week. On to my picks of the week.

My picks of the week:

Chicago Bears+3 1/2 v. Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers has been playing brilliantly, and so far the Bears have been the only team that could contain him this year, holding him to 17 points early in the season and just 10 in the last game, a must win for the Packers to even make the playoffs. Even though I said the Packers above, I am going to say that it is a close one, no matter what.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK
Pittsburgh Steelers -4 v. New York Jets
I just don't have enough faith in the Dirty, Dirty.

HOPPS PROP BET OF THE WEEK
OVER/UNDER - 5 - People carted off the field today - OVER

Previous Week's Record: 2-2
Playoff Record: 4-4
Year to Date: 108-77-5
Previous Week's Big Bet: 0-1
Big Bet Year to Date: 4-11
Previous Week's Winnings (Losses): ($185)
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $65

Divisional Roundtable

Welcome to the Divisional Week of the NFL Playoffs Roundtable. Here with me today is Hopps and Sinickal.

Let's start with tomorrow, as both of our favorite teams play then. In reverse order, what do we think about the Jets-Pats matchup.

Sinickal: That's easy. The Patriots. They are just better.

Hopps: Pats at home no doubt. The Jets always put their foot in their mouth (or someone else s) and the Pats practice and execute. The Pats will be up 20 at the half and the Jets will quit. I think it's also supposed to snow so look for the Pats to post 40+. Brady's line: (5TDs/ 400+/ 100+ rating). Pats -8 (Big Bet)

Pepster: Gee, that's not much of a homer pick. I will make it a clean sweep and take the Patriots. They are just better, but I think people are also overvaluing the Jets. Let's take Mark Sanchez for example. He finished the season with a lower QB rating than Jason Campbell, Alex Smith, Shaun Hill and Chad Henne. And Dolphins fans want Henne gone. Pats in a rout. But, can we please put all this childish wannabe trash talk away? Welker, your foot/feet presser was boring and dumb. Try to be a little clever, OK? Also, Hopps, yours wasn't much better. Bears v. Seahawks?

Hopps: Remember, I picked the Seahawks last week!

Pepster: Yes, but you said you didn't know why, you just wanted to do it. You thought Pete Carroll would dumb his way into a playoff victory.

Hopps: But I was right!!! Seahawks +10. This will be the most painful dagger in Si's heart. He once said to me "Lovie should be coach of the year" - enter the Pete Carroll face (again). Even the Hawks won't know how they won this game...but they will.

Sinickal: I am going with the Seahawks. Cutler is going to kill us.

Pepster: I sure hope not Sinickal, but I cannot say that is not a viable option. I am going to go with our Bears, and then remind you of your Sinicism next week. Cutler sure does scare me though. What about the other NFC game - the Packers and Falcons? I am going to say the Packers. Sure they cannot run, but they have a helluva QB. In yet another stat I will quote again below, the Packers only lost by 3to the Falcons earlier in the season, and the Packers are playing phenomenally better.

Sinickal: If Bears ain't going, Pack ain't going.

Hopps: Now that is some interesting analysis. Me, I also say Atlanta, but for a specific reason. Matty Ice at home during his career is 19-2. The Pack is good, but the Falcons are better. Great balance, great in all 3 phases, and one hell of a RB. They win this on turnover margin.

Pepster: Any particular reason why you only mentioned the BC guy?

Hopps: I mentioned the QB. He just happens to be from BC. What about the first game, Steelers/Ravens?

Sinickal: No matter what everybody says about how close these two teams are, Pittsburgh is the much better team statistically and at QB. Expect a Flacco interception late in the game to seal it.

Hopps: I am taking Pittsburgh. The only difference between Brady and Big Ben is 1 SB win. He plays as good in big games as Brady. Steelers D brings the pain and Flacco can't close.

Pepster: One SB win, and 2 rape accusations. I am going to take the Ravens. Mostly because I want to see them play the Patiots again, but partly because I am sick of hearing that damn "Here we go" song by Steelers fans. Ed Reed could be the big difference, and Matt Birk - from Harvard - is questionable. If they both play, the Ravens are a much, much better team than without them. I'll take a flier on the Ravens.

Everyone, check back with us next week for Championship weekend.

My picks of the week:

Baltimore Ravents +3 at Pittsburgh Steelers
My mind tells me that the Steelers are going to win, especially with Roethlisberger, but (a) I picked the Ravens at the beginning of the season; and (b) the played the Patriots incredibly close earlier in the season. I want to see that matchup. Not usually big on the wishful thinking bets, but I will this time.

Green Bay Packers +1 1/2 at Atlanta Falcons
Green Bay lost by 3 earlier this year and seem to be playing much, much better.

Chicago Bears -10 v. Seattle Seahawks
The Bears are the one team that is not going to overlook the Seahawks, having already lost to them at home earlier this year. At that time the Bears were a revolving door on the offensive line and played without Lance Briggs. I look for a big Bears play early and Seattle to fold.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK
New England Patriots -8 1/2 v. New York Jets
They are just better than the Jets. Plus, I'll say it again, Jason Campbell, Alex Smith, Shaun Hill and Chad Henne all had better QB ratings that Mark Sanchez did.

Previous Week's Record: 2-2
Playoff Record: 2-2
Year to Date: 106-75-5
Previous Week's Big Bet: 1-0
Big Bet Year to Date: 4-10
Previous Week's Winnings (Losses): $130
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $250

Wild Card Wrap-Up I

Interesting couple of games on the first day of Wild Card Weekend. If I were truly the degenerate gambler that I claim to be, I wouldn't have a roof over my head this morning. I didn't think there was a chance in hell that I would be staring at Seahawks and Jets today. Oh well, there must have been some lessons from the Saturday contests.

So, what did I learn?

1. All professional football players get paid to play this game. And they get paid a lot because they are in the top 50 in the world at what they do. Give a team home field advantage, a playoff atmosphere, and something to rally against and all bets are off. I don't care what their record is. Well played Seattle Seahawks. Good luck next week when you see a team that won't be overlooking you.

2. The Saints secondary was atrocious! Cover somebody. Seahawk receivers were running so wide open that at times I thought the Saints were playing with 9 players. That has to get fixed if the Saints are going to contend next year.

3. I am not sure I understand why coaches go away from their strengths in critical times. Why run the ball for the two point conversion attempt when your two best short yardage backs are not in the game and you haven't shown the ability to pick up 2 yards when you need it all day? I was baffled by that call. The Saints deserved the loss for that call alone.

4. I am officially calling for Jim Caldwell to be fired. And I am predicting that Peyton Manning will throw him under the bus within the next few weeks. What possessed him to start trying to coach the team yesterday? All was going just fine with him as a figurehead. Everyone understood that the Colts had too many injuries to get far in this year's tournament, so there is no need to try and prove anything. And then the following two things happen during yesterday's game:

• He throws a challenge flag moments into the game that clearly was not going to be overturned. Too early in the game for that, and a wasted timeout to boot. It had no impact on the game ultimately, but it was just plain stupid.
• More egregious was the timeout called by Caldwell just prior to the Braylon Edwards catch to set up the short field goal. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING! The Jets run the ball into the middle of the line and appear content to attempt a very long field goal for the win. They aren't going to use their last time out at that point, because they need it to kick the field goal. There is no reasonable scenario under which the Colts are getting the ball back with any time remaining for a drive, so there is no need for the Colts to stop the clock. Caldwell allowed the Jets (and a young QB) to regroup, gave them an extra timeout, allowed them more options with the next play (a sideline pass to Edwards), and ultimately a chip shot field goal to win the game. While not being talked about this morning, this may be one of the dumbest coaching moves I have seen in a long time.

Now, there were a bunch of other contributions to loss by the Colts. There was the running into the kicker penalty at the end of the game (ultimately helped the Colts by running time off the clock), the missed 3rd and 6 by Peyton Manning before the go ahead field goal, and the kick-off return leading to the final Jets drive. All of those probably also can be attributed to an unprepared team, but the stuff from the sidelines was just absurd.

Playoff Roundtable

Welcome to the 2011 NFL Playoffs Roundtable. Here with me today is Hopps. Absent from this week is Sinickal, who thinks that he is too good to participate in the Wildcard Round. Maybe he will sneak in for the Divisional Round games.

Our first game today is New Orleans at Seattle.

Pepster: I think that this is a no brainer. We have the Saints, nay, the defending Super Bowl Champion Saints, who are only in this wild card round because the Falcons threw up a NFC best 13-3, against the pathetic 7-9 Seahawks. The Saints would actually be the 2-seed in the NFC if the brackets were drawn up simply by records. I am taking the Saints as having way too much firepower for the lowly, shouldn't even be in the playoffs Seahawks.

Hopps: But the Saints are not what they were last year. Despite a relatively gaudy 11-5 record, they seem to be missing that extra gear that they had last year. Plus, the ridiculously accurate Drew Brees has thrown an interception in like 12 straight games. I am taking Seattle. I am not sure why, and not sure why not the Saints. I think Pete Carroll is ging to dumb luck his way into the next round and sheer stupidity and the classic Pete Carroll Face.

Pepster: Gutsy pick Hopps, and an almost great use of a Bill Simmons reference. On to this evening's game The New York Jets at the Indianapolis Colts. Hopps?

Hopps: Peyton and his squad on turf. I don't care who actually composes the squad, I am taking them.

Pepster: I am actually going to agree with you here. For as much as Indy has relied upon Peyton for oh so many years, Javarris James, from the U, has actually energized the running game a bit, and the Jets defenses has not been as vaunted as advertised. Plus, the Jets don't really disguise blitzes so much as they just bring everybody. Manning should be able to pick apart those blitzes most of the game, and a receiver is going to break a 5 y ard slant into a big game. I am going with the Colts.

What about tomorrow's games Hopps?

Hopps: I am going with the Ravens on the road. Charlie Weis is off to your neck of the woods at UF, and if he has already checked out, then I imagine the team has as well.

Pepster: I am going with the Ravens as well. The Chiefs have overachieved, and have been pretty balanced attach with Jamaal Charles leading a running back crew and Cassell throwing to Dwayne Bowe. A very fast defense with Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali. I think running game will get some yards, but the Ravens run defense, led by Haloti Ngata (Ray Lewis would have been to obvious a mention), and Ed Reed is likely to get at least one really big pass breakup and/or interception. Ravens are too much. Keep an eye on the Chiefs in the next couple of years though.

Oh, and UF is not my "neck of the woods". I am 4 hours south, and in civilization. You are just jealous because it isn't cold down here in the winter.

As for the last game, I am going with the Packers. I think Vick is hurt a bit more than anyone would care to admit, and since its his quad, his mobility isn't going to be the best. The Packers defense can make a lot of big plays, and I want to see a ridiculously one-dimensional offense advance. By the way, why didn't the Packers sign DeShawn Wynn instead of the Saints? I guess the Packers do not even care about running.

Hopps: You are crazy. The Michael Vick redemption tour continues. Both QBs are injured, but Rodgers has yet to win a playoff game. EVER! His first is not coming at the Linc. I would have thought that you would have been the first one on the Free Ookie train!

Pepster: Free Ookie indeed! But, I need the Packers to win just in case Seattle does as you says and dumbs their way into the next round. That way my Bears can host the Seahawks in the next round. Wishful thinking I suppose.

Sinickal: Don't you mean MY Bears?!

Pepster and Hopps: Welcome to the party Sinickal.

By the way, my picks of the week:

New Orleans Saints -10 at Seattle Seahawks

Indianapolis Colts -2 v. New York Jets

Green Bay Packers + 2 1/2 at Philadelphia Eagles

BIG BET OF THE WEEK
Baltimore Ravens -3 at Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City is the NFC West Champions having beat the Seahawks, the Rams, the 49ers and the Cardinals. That is four of their 10 wins.

Previous Week's Record 10-6
Year to Date: 104-73-5
Previous Week's Big Bet: 0-1
Big Bet Year to Date: 3-10
Previous Week's Winnings (Losses): $225
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $120