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.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, February 21, 2011
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.
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.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
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
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
Sunday, January 23, 2011
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
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
Saturday, January 15, 2011
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
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
Sunday, January 9, 2011
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.
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