After Branch's non-stop complaining about not getting paid enough, the Patriots have finally gotten rid of Branch by sending him to the Seahawks for a 1st round draft pick.

How it helps/hurts the Patriots.

Well a lot has been made about Terrell Owens being a disruption, but while T.O. wasn't being a disruption and yet still getting 24/7 news coverage, Branch was truely being the distraction.  He was complaining about not getting paid enough, and the Patriots had generous offers for him, yet he wanted the type of money that only the truely elite get, when I personally don't think he is that good.  The Patriots lose a distraction and gain some locker room presence.

However the Pats do lose a talented reciever.  They are incredibly weak at the reciever position, as the other guys are the old Troy Brown, Reche Caldwell (Who didn't do much in San Diego), Doug Gabriel (Who showed promise but has yet to prove himself) and Chad Jackson (Rookie).  The Patriots must be banking on one of these young guys stepping into Branch's role.  And having a first round pick from the Seahawks gives them a pick likely between 16-32, so they could always draft a reciever to fill that spot.

How it helps/hurts the Seahawks.

The Seahawks have many #2 recievers, but not really a big time number 1 guy.  The Seahawks obviously believe that Branch may fill that role, or at least take away focus from Darrell Jackson. They also have Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson, so they are fairly deep at reciever.

They did lose a round one pick, and I think it is because they want to win now.  The way Branch acted with the Patriots makes me think he won't hesitate to do that down the road with the Seahawks, and he may only be there for a short time, while a draft pick would probably stay around longer.

THAT'S ALL I GOT

I've already done the preview for tommorow's (or tonights depending on when you read this) season opener between the Steelers and Dolphins.

But what about those other games? Sure, we've all heard the Colts vs Giants hype-zilla, but let's take a look at each game, and who will win them.

Ravens at Buccaneers.
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL.

The Ravens passing offense is a bit improved with the addition of Steve McNair. However the Bucs D is set up to perfectly stop the Ravens offense. Brooks can cover Heap, Barber has Mason, and Kelly on Clayton. The Bucs D-Line will stop the non existant running attack from Jamal Lewis as well. The Bucs aren't going to score much in this game, however the Bucs D is better, and the offense has a running game, which will be all they need.

Buccaneers win 16-10

Saints at Browns
Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, OH.

The Browns defense has a lot of holes, which is perfect for the Saints high powered offense. The Browns secondary is non existant, and Joe Horn and Reggie Bush will tear them apart. The Saints also have a lot of holes on defense, however with a shaky running offense in the red-zone, and a inexperienced passing game, the Saints will pull this out.

Saints win 33-24

Falcons at Panthers
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC.

The Panthers passing offense is improved with Keyshawn Johnson, however there is still some questions with the running game. Foster is healthy for now, and they have the rookie Williams but the offensive line is weak. The Falcons have improved their Defense by adding Abraham and Milloy along with an already talented cast on defense. The Falcons D will have to win this game, as the pass offense is seemingly non-existant. The Panthers secondary is alright, but not too strong. I am calling the upset in this one.

Falcons win 20-17

Seahawks at Lions
Ford Field, Detroit, MI.

The Seahawks still have a great offense with defending MVP Shaun Alexander, as well as a solid passing game and still a great O-line even without Hutchinson. The Lions defense is extremely flawed, and the Seahawks may put up an Arena League score on them. The Seahawks D-line is a bit suspect, but I don't see the Lions being able to use that enough to win this game.

Seahawks win 36-14

Eagles at Texans
Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX.

The Eagles one hole on D might be the linebackers, but with Domanick Davis out, the Texans don't really any running game that can take advantage. The Texans defense is improved, but even then the Eagles offense is better than the D. I originally picked the upset, but now that I look at it, I feel stupid.

Eagles win 23-20

Jets at Titans
LP Field, Nashville, TN.

The Titans stink, there is no doubt. Amazingly the Jets look like they stink more. The secondary is bad, and Andre Dyson is injured. The D-line is decent, but nothing special. The Titans have a better all-around defense than the Jets, and the Jets offense is minus a running game. The Titans offense is bad too, but they have just enough a better defense and home field advantage.

Titans win 17-6

Bengals at Chiefs
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO.

Both of these teams have amazing offenses. The Bengals have a great running back, great line, great QB, and great recievers. The Chiefs have a great running back, great line, great QB, and decent recievers. It comes down to the defenses. The Bengals D has injuries, and when healthy is terrible. The Chiefs D is improved with Hali and Law, and that will get them this victory.

Chiefs win 34-26

Broncos at Rams
Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO.

The Rams still have a good offense, and if they start running the ball, they can be great. But the Broncos have a good offense, with great linebackers and a great secondary. The Broncos have a solid offense with Plummer throwing to Rod Smith and Javon Walker. They also have a running system that gets anyone a lot of yards, and the Rams defense is very bad. The lack of D will ultimately cost him.

Broncos win 28-20

Bills at Patriots
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA.

The Bills offensive line is bad, and the passing game is bad. Even with a defense that isn't what it once was, the Patriots have this battle won. On offense, the Pats are a bit shaky on the ground, and the Bills have a solid defense. But the Bills lack of offense will be Buffalo's downfall.

Patriots win 17-3

Cowboys at Jaguars
Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, FL.

The Cowboys have a solid offense with Bledsoe, Glenn, Witten and Owens. They also have Julius Jones who when healthy is pretty good. The Jaguars D is good on the front 4, and has good parts with the rest of the D, but they do have a few holes. The Cowboys defensive line is bad, but I'm not sure that Fred Taylor will be able to do enough with that weakness, as the rest of the D is solid. However, the Jaguars are at home, and I think they win this one in a close game.

Jaguars win 20-17 (In Overtime)

Bears at Packers
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

The Bears weakness is the lack of offense. However this should not be a huge problem if Thomas Jones runs the ball well. The Packers front 7 is decent, but if the Bears can run, they can set up the pass versus a weak secondary. The Bears D is great on the front 7, and they will probably stop the run, leaving Brett Favre to pass a lot, and that isn't a good thing.

Bears win 20-9

49ers at Cardinals
Cardinals Stadium? (I don't know if it has a fancy name) Scottsdale, AZ.

Both teams are terrible defensively, as both defenses are about equally bad. But the Cardinals have a great running back, and great wide recievers. The 49ers offense is terrible. Even against weak D's, Alex Smith struggles. Plus they lack much of a running game with the unproven Frank Gore.

Cardinals win 37-13

Colts at Giants
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ.

The Giants have a good defensive line, but the rest of the defense is a bit shaky, and has a few injuries. The Colts passing offense is great, but the concern is about Rhodes and Addai running successfully. The Colts defense is injured like crazy because of that useless thing called the preseason, and other than the front 4, the entire D is in question. The Giants have a good running game with Barber and a solid passing game. This game could be an absolute shootout, but the Colts offensive line will end up being the deciding factor.

Colts win 38-34

Vikings at Redskins (MNF)
FedEx Field, Landover, MD.

The Vikings have a decent offense, altough the running game is in question, as well as the recieving targets. The Redskins offense is a bit more proven at wide reciever, but Portis's possible injuy could hamper that. Both teams have serviceable defenses. They are pretty evenly match on D, however I like the Redskins offense more, and they are at home.

Redskins win 20-13

Chargers at Raiders (MNF)
McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, CA.

The Chargers have a great running back and fullback, but do have some questions with the passing game. However the Raider secondary looks incredibly weak which could open it up for Rivers. The Chargers D is a bit of a concern, but the Raiders offense will not be able to make up for the lack of defense.

Chargers win 30-18

Well, week 1 looks to be incredibly exciting. It is the happiest time of the year, and football season is about to start

HOORAY FOR FOOTBALL!

And in baseball news, Marlins rookie Anibal Sanchez threw a no hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

And in basketball, Gary Payton re-signed with the Heat.

This thursday, the NFL season finally starts for real, as the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers will face off in Pittsburgh at Heinz Field.  Let's take a look at this game.

The Steelers Offense.
The Steelers will not have Ben Roethlisberger for this game, as he was hospitalized and had an appendectomy today.  That means that the Steelers offense will have to be led by quarterback Charlie Batch.  Batch's numbers were not terrible last year, but also not great.  For the Steelers offense to have success, running back Willie Parker will need to step up and have a big game.  The Steelers have one of football's best offensive lines, and a running game will be crucial in this matchup.  Batch just has to not make any big mistakes.

The Dolphins Defense.
The front 7 will need to be big in this game to stop the Steelers offense.  Jason Taylor and Kevin Carter are both solid pass rushers, but they along with Traylor and Holliday will need to step up on the line to stop the run.  The linebackers are a little suspect, with with Crowder and Spragan, but they do have a veteran leader at MLB in Zach Thomas.  The weakness in the secondary is the biggest concern, but without Roethlisberger, the Steelers may be unable to take advantage.

The Dolphins Offense.
The question is which Daunte Culpepper are we going to get.  Will it be the 2004 great Daunte, or the 2005 terrible Daunte.  However having a successful running game will be important for the Dolphins offense as with the Steelers offense.  The offensive line is a little suspect, so Ronnie Brown will need to be able to find the holes as best he can.  Being able to pass will also be important, but Culpepper has good targets with Chambers and McMichael.

The Steelers Defense.
Is the same for the most part from the great defense they had last year.  The only starters they lost are Kimo von Olehoffen, and Chris Hope.  They still have a great set of linebackers for their 3-4 with Porter, Haggans, Farrior, and Foote.  They also have a solid D-line with Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith.  The new DE starter, Keisel is a new starter but did solid last year when in.  The secondary has a great safety with Troy Polamalu, but have a new free safety in Ryan Clark.  The corners are solid, but a bit of a concern.

SPECIAL TEAMS.
Jeff Reed is a solid kicker who tends to make most of his kicks.  They also have a good veteran punter in Chris Gardocki.  The Steelers do not have a real return threat.  The Dolphins kicker Mare is alright, but is a bit shaky.  The punter Jones is decent, however the Dolphins have a return threat with Wes Welker.

The Prediction

The Running game is the key on both sides, and which team can run better will likely win this game.  I feel the Steelers have a tougher offensive line than the Dolphins, and the Steelers also have a great blocking fullback in Dan Krieder.  They will play a tough game, but in the end I think the Steelers will pull this one out.

THAT'S ALL I GOT

Well my chances of winning a public fantasy league has dropped considerably, as Texans RB Domanick Davis is out for the rest of this season.  This is terrible for the Texans, because if they end up without a decent running game, Carr will get sacked more than he already does.  Right now they have rookie Wali Lundy and 2nd year guy Morency.  However they may catch a break in that Gary Kubiak is a big reason for the insane amount of rushing success in Denver.  But the Texans season has already taken a step in the wrong direction.

Well, the Cleveland Browns may have finally figured out the insanity at the center position.  Bentley got hurt, Hallen retired. and Ephram getting suspened, the Browns traded a draft pick for Eagles center Hank Fraley.  Fraley is one of the leagues better centers, and he will help them a good deal.

The end is likely near for idiot Deion Branch, as the Patriots traded for Raiders wide reciever Doug Gabriel.  Gabriel is a solid young reciever, and in the Patriots offense which shares the ball, he should do well.  Branch should realize that his chances of getting what he wants is very quickly ending.

Charles Rogers goes on the list of busts, as the #2 overall pick in 2003 has but cut by the Lions.  This guy showed promise, but then he suffered two broken collarbones, and a 4 game suspension for drugs.  Picking this guy was a major setback, and they could have had much better.  Andre Johnson, Byron Leftwich, Jordan Gross, Terrell Suggs, Marcus Trufant, Troy Polamalu, Larry Johson, and Willis McGahee are among players they could have had instead of Rogers.  Well done Matt Millen.

Speaking of busts, Ron Dayne, who was supposed to be great, has been cut.  He had never done squat in his career, but he showed some life last year with the Broncos.  But the Broncos didn't want to keep this guy, espically when they can get anyone else and they will get 1,000 yards.  Maybe Dayne will become a Texan...

Well that's all I got for now

Random Crap Rant time!  Let's do it.

Deion Branch has offcially become a complete moron.  Add him to the list with Kevan Barlow.  Not only is this schmuck refusing to play because he isn't getting enough money, but now he has filed a grievence because the Patriots denied trade offers.  Deion, you aren't Marvin Harrison, or Randy Moss, or Terrell Owens, or Hines Ward.  STOP ASKING FOR MONEY LIKE YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE GUYS.  Branch I believe is an over-rated player, who is made better by the Patriots offense which shares the ball with everyone.  I don't think that Branch would be a legit #1 guy on any team, yet he seems to think he is the best in the league.  Everyone talks about Owens being a bad team-mate, Branch is trying to show him up.  If the Patriots were smart, they would toss this guy as soon as he can.  Altough the recieving group looks weak,  The Patriots like to give everyone the ball, they don't need one great guy for that offense to have success.

Mike Vanderjagt missed two kicks in a preseason game.  Now with regular offensive and defensive players, the preseason is useless.  However with kickers and punters, it actually matters.  This guy thinks he's the greatest thing at the kicker position, and now he's missing easy stuff.  Sure, Vanderjagt is a better kicker than the Cowboy's other kickers last year, Cortez and Cundiff, but I don't see him making the clutch kicks for the Cowboys.

The Dolphins backup running back Sammy Morris tested positive for steroids.  You know what, he's only suspended for 4 games.  I would up that sentance to an entire year.  If you cheat, you should be punished.  Heck, this guy doesn't matter to the Dolphins team, they should toss him.  They have Ronnie Brown and Travis Minor, Morris would be the #3 at best.  Just cut the guy, and maybe he will learn his lesson.

So our USA basketball team lost in the World Championships.  To who?  Greece?  I doubt anyone on this website could even name one player from the Greece team.  It shows the problems with NBA style basketball, it's all flash, and little skill.  What happened to passing the ball to the open guy, or driving to the basket?  All I see is some guy take a few steps, then take a fade-away, and miss is 90% of the time.  It's a shame.

Which brings me to the WNBA,  which is more fundamentally sound, yet no one seems to care about it.  The 2nd game of the finals is tonight between Sacremento and Detroit.  Altough, I must say I probably won't watch it.  Not that it isn't good, I've watched a bit in the past, and didn't find it any better/worse than NBA ball, but it's most likely that I will completely forget about it and end up playing another 4 games of Madden.

By the way, the Madden review is coming soon on this blog!

Also, the Red Sox, who haven't done anything recently, have traded away old/fat/bald/drunk David Wells to the Padres.  Wait, I thought the Red Sox lacked starting pitching, so they traded a starting pitcher?  Makes no sense to me.

College Football saturday is tommorow for the first time this year.  The biggest talked about game on Saturday is Notre Dame versus Georgia Tech.  Now ND is talented, but I think calling them 2nd best in the nation is a little much.  They are over-hyped, as with all big names schools.  Many people may be shocked if they got upset in this game.

Also, the only matchup with two top 25 teams is Cal vs Tennessee.  I'm going to make a prediction that neither of those two teams at the end of the year will be in the top 25.

Back to the NFL quickly, the Rams signed veteran power back Stephen Davis to a deal.  Now this baffles me, because typically when you have a power back starter, you need a speedster to back him up.  But instead, they backup power back Steven Jackson with a has-been power back?  Makes little sense.

Finally, We will end where the RCR has never gone before, Tennis!  Now let me start by saying I am not a tennis guy, in fact I almost never watch it because it kinda bores me.  But watching the last hour of the Andre Agassi vs some guy named Baghdatis, who was ranked 8th in the world, and was 21 years old.  He was facing a future hall of famer (if a Tennis HOF exists) in the old man Agassi who was potenially playing his last match.  Towards the end, Baghdatis had leg cramps, yet he wasn't allow to work on it, and this guy was limping around and still hanging in there.  It was close and back and forth, but the old guy pulled it off.  I never enjoy tennis, but it was a great match, filled with tons of suspense.  In a sport which is fading away, last night they did something right.

Well, that's it.  Hope you enjoyed it.