Well 11-5 in my first week publically picking. Not bad but looking for an improvement this week:
Indy (-3) over Jacksonville: As much as I dont want to see the Colts continue the undefeated season, I just dont think the Jags have what it takes to compete head to head with the Colts. I dont think Manning will play any less than the full game because they have no backup with Sorgi out. Jones Drew will get a big game, but Indy still chugs along.
New Orleans (-7) over Dallas: Romo and the 'Boys Decemeber blues continue as the Saints match the Colts in the race for a 19-0 mark. Too much for Dallas here to over come in New Orleans and against a phenomenal Saints offense. The Saints outstanding secondary will negate the Dallas passing game, and Wade Phillips is probably on his last limb.
Green Bay (-2) over Pittsburgh: Now that the Steelers have pulled a Tiger and fallen from the top or even playoff contention with unfathomable losses to the Chiefs and Raiders, they wont be able to overcome a strong Packers team. Since the Minnesota/ Favre in purple pummeling at Lambeau in November, the Packers have gotten stronger every game. The Steelers will keep it close , but too much Green Bay in the end.
Tennessee (-3) over Miami: This one is maybe the toughest to call this week. Huge AFC playoff ramifications are spread all over week 15 including this one. I just cant see a Ronnie Brown-less Dolphins team being able to consistantly to make the playoffs. But can Vince Young will this team to a 10-6 or maybe 9-7 and some luck mark to make the playoffs? Dont be surprised.
New England (-7) over Buffalo: Games in Buffalo in December can be a little weird so look for the Pats not to cover, but to squeak out an ugly win. The Pats had a very dismal showing against Carolina but should rebound to stay one game up in the AFC East.
Arizona (-12.5) over Detroit: What draft pick will Detroit have this year? More importantly, the Cardinals need this badly after a horrible 7 turnover effort on Monday. Warner and the offense need to regain some swagger and will against the typically lowly Lions.
Philly (-8.5) over San Francisco: The Niners caught some really lucky breaks to score all their points off 7 Cardinals turnovers on Monday. Philly has a ton of momentum after a huge win over the Giants and is in the drivers seat in the NFC East knowing that an inevitable Dallas collapse is coming and the Giants have to make up too much ground to get the division. Philly cant slip up and open the door for either division rival which is why they take care of business.
Atlanta(+5) over the Jets: My upset special of the week. Did anyone see how competitive the Falcons were without Ryan and Turner last week against the Saints? And you're telling me either a recently banged up Sanchez or Kellen Clemens is going to play better than Drew Brees?
Baltimore(-11) over Chicago: Man, even by Chicago standards this one hurt. Cutler, the boy wonder???, cant stop throwing multiple interceptions and is even more inconsistant than he was in Denver when he went through 10 running backs last season. Baltimore tends to never lose at home , especially late in the season. Cutler is going to look like an antelope after the lions (not detroit) got to it with Ed Reed and Ray Lewis.
Cleveland(+2) over Kansas City: How pissed are Browns fans? The Pittsburgh win made it at least worth the season but now they're just playing themselves lower in the draft. Good luck to their next GM. And will KC ever be competitive again? Give Pioli a few more seasons but not until at least 2011.
Houston (-10.5) over St.Louis: The Rams are bascially the consensus number one pick and the Steve Spagnolo and Giants breakup has gone pretty awful for both parties. Houston continues their trend of winning meaningless games in a push for an 8-8 season.
San Diego (-6.5) over Cincinatti: What can you say after the Chris Henry death? The team's emotions will be too raw to properly focus on this away game. They will still win the AFC North but just not on this day after how unbelievably tragic their sudden loss is.
Denver (-14) over Oakland: You dont need to know much more than the Raiders are going to Denver and playing their third string QB over their former first round pick who is making roughly $80 million. That and Vegas is giving 14 points on this. Is it possible to mercy rule in the NFL?
Seattle (-6.5) over Tampa Bay: The NFL should create a promotion for this game. Film you and your buddies watching this game , no beer or other booze is allowed. If everyone is still awake after the third quarter, send the tape to the NFL office in New York for a chance to win Super Bowl tickets because thats really the only way anyone would even watch a drive of this one.
Minnesota (-9) over Carolina: The Vikings need to keep pace for the 2 seed in the NFC and wont let up versus Carolina. Although, watchout for the Panthers in Week 17 vs the Saints if they are still undefeated.
NY Giants (-3) over Washington: This is a must win for the Giants. They put up over 500 yards of offense last week against Philly , so look for more of the same against Washington. Although, this game will be closer than people think. Fed Ex Field was a death trap for the Broncos and nearly was for the Saints. Something weird is going on there.
Good luck to the Bengals, not only for the Broncos sake, but for their collective hearts and minds.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
A Mixed Bag
Quite the whirlwind of events since the last post. A quick list of questions:
What I dont understand about this move is why the Phillies pulled the trigger. In just the Lee and Halladay trades, they have given up 7 major prospects. Two major blockbuster deals within a period of 6 months seems questionable. Yes, there were contract issues that would have been tough to work out with Lee long term, but he was the only stable part of the Phillies rotation in the last month of the season. Hamels was a circus act last year after a phenomenal 2008. Rest assured, Halladay will pitch well in the NL but will he still be as dominant and a better fit for the Phillies in the long run? It seems the Phils are pushing to win right now, maybe thinking Halladay is the missing link between a game 5 defeat in Yankee Stadium and the World Series trophy. I dont get letting Lee go. He was unstoppable in the postseason, and its questionable if Halladay can bring the same stuff in the postseason, a place where he has never been.
The jury's going to be out on this one. I dont think it was the right move, but time will tell. And how about next year's Mariners? They get huge pick-ups in Chone Figgins and then pick up arguably one of the top 5 pitchers in the game in Cliff Lee while the Angels drop Lackey, Figgins, and possibly Vlad Guerrero? Watch out for the M's in 2010.
- Why cant Dallas win a game in December to save their lives? Thanks Cowboys for letting the Bolts steal the AFC West
- Is anyone surprised that Randy Moss quit on his team?
- Why was Tim Tebow even invited to the Heisman ceremony? Lifetime acheivement awards are for the Oscar's, but don't count him out as a legitimate NFL QB especially if a team like Jacksonville builds their entire offense around him.
- Will Tiger ever be able to recover? Can you imagine being told that because you slept around with a waitress from Perkins,a porn star, and many wife look-alikes (yikes, those probably hurt the most) that you would instantly lose tens of millions of dollars? Hope he enjoyed the ride....
- And for my leadoff, Am I the only one a little baffled by the move of Cliff Lee to the Mariners and Roy Halladay taking his place in Philly?
What I dont understand about this move is why the Phillies pulled the trigger. In just the Lee and Halladay trades, they have given up 7 major prospects. Two major blockbuster deals within a period of 6 months seems questionable. Yes, there were contract issues that would have been tough to work out with Lee long term, but he was the only stable part of the Phillies rotation in the last month of the season. Hamels was a circus act last year after a phenomenal 2008. Rest assured, Halladay will pitch well in the NL but will he still be as dominant and a better fit for the Phillies in the long run? It seems the Phils are pushing to win right now, maybe thinking Halladay is the missing link between a game 5 defeat in Yankee Stadium and the World Series trophy. I dont get letting Lee go. He was unstoppable in the postseason, and its questionable if Halladay can bring the same stuff in the postseason, a place where he has never been.
The jury's going to be out on this one. I dont think it was the right move, but time will tell. And how about next year's Mariners? They get huge pick-ups in Chone Figgins and then pick up arguably one of the top 5 pitchers in the game in Cliff Lee while the Angels drop Lackey, Figgins, and possibly Vlad Guerrero? Watch out for the M's in 2010.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Week 13 NFL Picks
So I'm a little late with starting this up, but its still one of the most amusing things to do in sports so why not? Here are my Week 14 picks:
Pittsburgh (-9.5) over Cleveland: Don't be surprised if this is closer than you think it may be. The gametime temp is well... 0. Hines Ward will probably not risk the hamstring when its gonna be colder than the moon for kickoff in Cleveland. Of course it is the Browns, who at this point are even wondering who to take with the first or second pick in April. "With the first pick in the NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns select... Jimmy Clausen?"
Denver (+7) over Indy: Im hedging here that Denver can at least cover. Indy had a tough test against the Pats in November, but now that Pats are miring in mediocrity and how impressive does that win look now? Broncos have had a much tougher schedule and have put up some real quality wins at home and on the road. Moreno and Buckhalter need to run like they have the last two games so they can keep Manning and the no-name offense off the turf in Indy. This isnt Shanny's teams who played like seventh graders on defense against the Colts. Indy's secondary is banged up and it comes down to the 2009 Orange Crush to pressure Manning the whole game.
Minnesota (-6.5) over Cincy: No way Favre and the Vikings let this one slip away after a dismal game against the Cardinals. The Bengals are solid, but has shown weak points and flashes of Bungle Syndrome in losing to the Raiders on the road. The dome will be rockin' and the Vikings keep pace with the Saints for #1 in the NFC. Also, how have the Oakland Raiders become AFC North slayers this season?? Just a thought.
NY Jets (-3) over Tampa: How sad is this that Vegas gives the Jets only 3 against a one win Tampa team? Maybe Sanchez can make a quick stop at the Yankees spring training complex where Joe Girardi can put him through some more sliding drills. Josh Freeman has looked solid in his first few games but the Bucs need a few more seasons to get back into contention. Clemens should be fine against a horrific Tampa D.
Buffalo (pk) over Kansas City: Maybe T.O. finally gets going against the god awful KC defense. Look for a 10-9 game in this one. How much does Todd Haley want to be back in Arizona right now as opposed to Arrowhead Stadium in December?
Green Bay (-3) over Chicago: I'll pretty much go on the record saying I hope Jay Cutler throws 5 INT's a game and gets booed out of town after this game. More practically, Cutler has been way too inconsistent this year to the point that Urlacher calls him out from the bench. Ouch. Green Bay has really come on as of late, winners of four in a row. They get to 5 in a row and solidify their playoff chase with a big win in Chicago.
New Orleans (-10) at Atlanta (without their starting QB and RB): This is the joke of the week. I'll be surprised if Brees throws for under 4 TD's. Atlanta started out strong but has really faded and will miss the playoffs this year. The Saints keep rolling and wrap up a dominant win before their Dallas showdown.
Baltimore (-13.5) over Detroit: The Lions are the Lions. That's really all that needs to be said. Baltimore will be able to control every aspect of the game and gets within reach of Jacksonville in the Wild Card race.
Miami(+3) over Jacksonville: The Dolphins outcoached and outplayed the Patriots and take that momentum to upset the Jags and really open up the race for the 6th AFC playoff team. Jones-Drew has a big game, but the Dolphins pull wins out when you least expect them to. Not a huge upset, but the type of game that has Miami winning written all over it and keeps the chase in the East interesting.
New England (-13.5) over Carolina: Carolina just has to hope another storm hits and Bellicheck sends Randy Moss home again. By the way, that story receiving more than 2 minutes of coverage was ridiculous. 48 other guys got there on time, 4 didnt. But its the Patriots so lets talk about it for the next three weeks. Unfortunately the Panthers have no QB and no chance in this one.
Houston (-6) over Seattle: Gary Kubiak has won NFL: Survivor each of the last three seasons. Death, Taxes, and Houston's hot start and talk of "this is the year they break through" turns into a series of questionable losses and a 7-9 record. More of the same here with a meaningless win against Seattle.
Tennessee (-13) over St. Louis: Rams fans should root hard for a Cleveland win this week so they are assured the top pick in the draft. Maybe they'll take an O Lineman because that's worked out so well for the last 10 years for them. Vince Young and Chris Johnson will terrorize the Rams' defense. Titans remain strong in the race for the wild card, and who thought anyone would even consider that about a month and a half ago?
Oakland (+1) over Washington: Its just too fitting that the Redskins would drop a game to a team like the Raiders. Although, the site of JaMarcus Russell riding the pine is classic and Al Davis deserves every second of paying him tens of millions to do nothing. But, Gradkowski shredded the Steelers and may have brought some much needed stability to their offense.
Dallas (-3) over San Diego: This is my wishful thinking pick of the week. Yeah, Romo and Wade Phillips are clowns in December and the Chargers are red hot but maybe its one of those flip-everything-on-its-head type of games. Cowboys need this to keep their hold on the NFC East with the Giants and Eagles still creeping up. Rivers will keep playing big, but I like Dallas to snap out of their December coma.
Eagles (+1) over Giants: I just don't see the Eagles dropping this one Sunday night at the Link. Manning is clearly not the same with his injury and when the Eagles welcomed the division rival Cowboys in Philly, they waxed the floor with them. Vick got a lot of momentum in Atlanta last week and look Andy Reid to use him in key situations.The Giants are going to have their hands full with Maclin and McCoy, and I dont see Brandon Jacobs busting another 75 yd. run to save the G Men.
Arizona (-3.5) over Niners: Cards are regaining their "we're mediocre... wait were really solid... oh my god were in the Super Bowl?" form of last year. Warner destroyed the Vikings last Sunday night and not exactly like the Niners are the '85 Bears. Here comes the Arizona push toward the playoffs.
Go Broncos and (gulp) Cowboys?
Pittsburgh (-9.5) over Cleveland: Don't be surprised if this is closer than you think it may be. The gametime temp is well... 0. Hines Ward will probably not risk the hamstring when its gonna be colder than the moon for kickoff in Cleveland. Of course it is the Browns, who at this point are even wondering who to take with the first or second pick in April. "With the first pick in the NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns select... Jimmy Clausen?"
Denver (+7) over Indy: Im hedging here that Denver can at least cover. Indy had a tough test against the Pats in November, but now that Pats are miring in mediocrity and how impressive does that win look now? Broncos have had a much tougher schedule and have put up some real quality wins at home and on the road. Moreno and Buckhalter need to run like they have the last two games so they can keep Manning and the no-name offense off the turf in Indy. This isnt Shanny's teams who played like seventh graders on defense against the Colts. Indy's secondary is banged up and it comes down to the 2009 Orange Crush to pressure Manning the whole game.
Minnesota (-6.5) over Cincy: No way Favre and the Vikings let this one slip away after a dismal game against the Cardinals. The Bengals are solid, but has shown weak points and flashes of Bungle Syndrome in losing to the Raiders on the road. The dome will be rockin' and the Vikings keep pace with the Saints for #1 in the NFC. Also, how have the Oakland Raiders become AFC North slayers this season?? Just a thought.
NY Jets (-3) over Tampa: How sad is this that Vegas gives the Jets only 3 against a one win Tampa team? Maybe Sanchez can make a quick stop at the Yankees spring training complex where Joe Girardi can put him through some more sliding drills. Josh Freeman has looked solid in his first few games but the Bucs need a few more seasons to get back into contention. Clemens should be fine against a horrific Tampa D.
Buffalo (pk) over Kansas City: Maybe T.O. finally gets going against the god awful KC defense. Look for a 10-9 game in this one. How much does Todd Haley want to be back in Arizona right now as opposed to Arrowhead Stadium in December?
Green Bay (-3) over Chicago: I'll pretty much go on the record saying I hope Jay Cutler throws 5 INT's a game and gets booed out of town after this game. More practically, Cutler has been way too inconsistent this year to the point that Urlacher calls him out from the bench. Ouch. Green Bay has really come on as of late, winners of four in a row. They get to 5 in a row and solidify their playoff chase with a big win in Chicago.
New Orleans (-10) at Atlanta (without their starting QB and RB): This is the joke of the week. I'll be surprised if Brees throws for under 4 TD's. Atlanta started out strong but has really faded and will miss the playoffs this year. The Saints keep rolling and wrap up a dominant win before their Dallas showdown.
Baltimore (-13.5) over Detroit: The Lions are the Lions. That's really all that needs to be said. Baltimore will be able to control every aspect of the game and gets within reach of Jacksonville in the Wild Card race.
Miami(+3) over Jacksonville: The Dolphins outcoached and outplayed the Patriots and take that momentum to upset the Jags and really open up the race for the 6th AFC playoff team. Jones-Drew has a big game, but the Dolphins pull wins out when you least expect them to. Not a huge upset, but the type of game that has Miami winning written all over it and keeps the chase in the East interesting.
New England (-13.5) over Carolina: Carolina just has to hope another storm hits and Bellicheck sends Randy Moss home again. By the way, that story receiving more than 2 minutes of coverage was ridiculous. 48 other guys got there on time, 4 didnt. But its the Patriots so lets talk about it for the next three weeks. Unfortunately the Panthers have no QB and no chance in this one.
Houston (-6) over Seattle: Gary Kubiak has won NFL: Survivor each of the last three seasons. Death, Taxes, and Houston's hot start and talk of "this is the year they break through" turns into a series of questionable losses and a 7-9 record. More of the same here with a meaningless win against Seattle.
Tennessee (-13) over St. Louis: Rams fans should root hard for a Cleveland win this week so they are assured the top pick in the draft. Maybe they'll take an O Lineman because that's worked out so well for the last 10 years for them. Vince Young and Chris Johnson will terrorize the Rams' defense. Titans remain strong in the race for the wild card, and who thought anyone would even consider that about a month and a half ago?
Oakland (+1) over Washington: Its just too fitting that the Redskins would drop a game to a team like the Raiders. Although, the site of JaMarcus Russell riding the pine is classic and Al Davis deserves every second of paying him tens of millions to do nothing. But, Gradkowski shredded the Steelers and may have brought some much needed stability to their offense.
Dallas (-3) over San Diego: This is my wishful thinking pick of the week. Yeah, Romo and Wade Phillips are clowns in December and the Chargers are red hot but maybe its one of those flip-everything-on-its-head type of games. Cowboys need this to keep their hold on the NFC East with the Giants and Eagles still creeping up. Rivers will keep playing big, but I like Dallas to snap out of their December coma.
Eagles (+1) over Giants: I just don't see the Eagles dropping this one Sunday night at the Link. Manning is clearly not the same with his injury and when the Eagles welcomed the division rival Cowboys in Philly, they waxed the floor with them. Vick got a lot of momentum in Atlanta last week and look Andy Reid to use him in key situations.The Giants are going to have their hands full with Maclin and McCoy, and I dont see Brandon Jacobs busting another 75 yd. run to save the G Men.
Arizona (-3.5) over Niners: Cards are regaining their "we're mediocre... wait were really solid... oh my god were in the Super Bowl?" form of last year. Warner destroyed the Vikings last Sunday night and not exactly like the Niners are the '85 Bears. Here comes the Arizona push toward the playoffs.
Go Broncos and (gulp) Cowboys?
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Welcome
Hello and welcome to Breakin' The Plane. I've sat around these many months and had more time than I really wanted to pour over sports info, stats, standings, and all that good stuff. So now I'm transforming my random insights that usually end up with me calling buddies for hours on end in Colorado or just go unheard into this.
So what's on tap? Just a BCS slam session for the inaugural address.....
Ah, The B.S. Sorry B-C-S. Can we suggest to Congress that before the bill to ban the BCS from using the name "National Championship" unless its the direct result of a playoff that the BCS and all big conference commissioners have to go on primetime national TV to apologize for making us all rip our eyebrows off every college football postseason for the last 11 years? I don't think its too much to ask. By the way, that ripping of eyebrows? Take that wound, put salt and battery acid in it, then imagine peeling your face off like fruit by the foot and that's what most of Colorado football fans feel like in keeping head coach Dan Hawkins. 16-33 apparently works for CU administrators and the heads that be. Disgusting. Wasn't this program competing for a national championship... THIS DECADE?? Now they are more of an afterthought than Baylor in the Big XII. Lots more on this later. Back to the BCS(uck).
Major props to Congress for enacting legislation to get the ball rolling on killing this contrived post-season. And yes, its not Afghanistan or the economy but it is an issue that drives hundreds of millions of dollars in this country when you add up payouts, game revenues, advertising and TV rights. To relegate this to the big schools is unfair, is as Orrin Hatch says a violation of anti-trust laws (take this from a business school grad), and a disgrace. The only sport in the world that conducts its postseason in a sanitized one MUST play two scenario. Why? I'd point to George Mason in basketball, the NY Giants in 2008, and the biggest sporting event on Earth , the World Cup, to illustrate why this one v. two concept is idiotic. You're telling me George Mason's run wasn't the best part of the NCAA's in the last 15 years? That David Tyree's catch shouldnt have ever happened because the Giants werent the number one seed in the NFC? (By the way, the NFL has a pretty damn important regular season but seems to understand the playoff system) And the World Cup? Imagine the international riots and warfare if FIFA just said, 'Thanks everyone for trying to qualify but its gonna be Brazil v. Spain in the finals.'
Point is this system is flawed. Even its commissioner cant come up with a solid argument for why its the ONLY viable option. Its a shame. People who defend it were like the people during the steroids era just laughing and cheering hysterically as a 350 pound all muscle Barry Bonds hits 89 home runs: they have no concept. Keep the minor bowls. I dont care who wins or even plays in the Emerald, Sun, Gator, or Lil Caesar's games. Let NC State and Southern Mississippi duke it out for some glory. As for the big boys, keep the major bowls and use them in a PLAYOFF format. I guarantee you an Orange Bowl national semifinal between Boise St. and Florida gets a hell of a lot more attention than the Iowa/ Georgia Tech contest where absolutely NOTHING is on the line!
So what's on tap? Just a BCS slam session for the inaugural address.....
Ah, The B.S. Sorry B-C-S. Can we suggest to Congress that before the bill to ban the BCS from using the name "National Championship" unless its the direct result of a playoff that the BCS and all big conference commissioners have to go on primetime national TV to apologize for making us all rip our eyebrows off every college football postseason for the last 11 years? I don't think its too much to ask. By the way, that ripping of eyebrows? Take that wound, put salt and battery acid in it, then imagine peeling your face off like fruit by the foot and that's what most of Colorado football fans feel like in keeping head coach Dan Hawkins. 16-33 apparently works for CU administrators and the heads that be. Disgusting. Wasn't this program competing for a national championship... THIS DECADE?? Now they are more of an afterthought than Baylor in the Big XII. Lots more on this later. Back to the BCS(uck).
Major props to Congress for enacting legislation to get the ball rolling on killing this contrived post-season. And yes, its not Afghanistan or the economy but it is an issue that drives hundreds of millions of dollars in this country when you add up payouts, game revenues, advertising and TV rights. To relegate this to the big schools is unfair, is as Orrin Hatch says a violation of anti-trust laws (take this from a business school grad), and a disgrace. The only sport in the world that conducts its postseason in a sanitized one MUST play two scenario. Why? I'd point to George Mason in basketball, the NY Giants in 2008, and the biggest sporting event on Earth , the World Cup, to illustrate why this one v. two concept is idiotic. You're telling me George Mason's run wasn't the best part of the NCAA's in the last 15 years? That David Tyree's catch shouldnt have ever happened because the Giants werent the number one seed in the NFC? (By the way, the NFL has a pretty damn important regular season but seems to understand the playoff system) And the World Cup? Imagine the international riots and warfare if FIFA just said, 'Thanks everyone for trying to qualify but its gonna be Brazil v. Spain in the finals.'
Point is this system is flawed. Even its commissioner cant come up with a solid argument for why its the ONLY viable option. Its a shame. People who defend it were like the people during the steroids era just laughing and cheering hysterically as a 350 pound all muscle Barry Bonds hits 89 home runs: they have no concept. Keep the minor bowls. I dont care who wins or even plays in the Emerald, Sun, Gator, or Lil Caesar's games. Let NC State and Southern Mississippi duke it out for some glory. As for the big boys, keep the major bowls and use them in a PLAYOFF format. I guarantee you an Orange Bowl national semifinal between Boise St. and Florida gets a hell of a lot more attention than the Iowa/ Georgia Tech contest where absolutely NOTHING is on the line!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)