What we have to look forward to in 2006:

January 1st: The New Orleans Saints win the #1 Pick in the 2006 NFL Draft

January 2nd: USC 45, Texas 27 in the Rose Bowl... I saw Vince Young against Texas A&M which makes me think his 2006 will not start off well.

January 7th/8th: Wildcard round of the NFL Playoffs, Pats and Steelers advance in the AFC, Redskins and Panthers in the AFC.

January 14th/15th: Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, Pats win at Denver with more trickery, Colts over Steelers... Seahawks and Panthers move on in the NFC.

January 22nd: NFL Conference Championships, Colts over the Patriots to break Brady's 11-0 postseason mark in a game for the ages and Seahawks over Panthers.

February 1st: Boston College breaks Duke 20-0 start 76-71 at Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.  Sean Williams blocks seven shots.

February 5th: Super Bowl XL, Colts 37, Seahwawks 30.  Colts are up 27-21 through three quarters before Matt Hasslebeck is intercepted on consectutive drives to start the fourth quarter.

Early March: Duke, Connecticut, Illinois and Florida enter the NCAA Tournament as #1 seeds.

March:  Japan wins the first World Baseball Classic.  After the end of the WBC, a  Red Sox ownership group nervous about Manny being Manny sweetens the pot to the Orioles and land Miguel Tejada for Manny Ramirez, Bronson Arroyo and Kelly Shoppach.

April: Boston College, Villanova, Duke and Illinois advance to the Final Four.  Duke is crowned National Champion.

Mid-April: The Saints draft Reggie Bush #1 overall and trade Deuce McAllister and picks to the Jets for the #2 overall pick and draft Matt Leinart.  Following the draft the Saints announce they are moving to LA and hiring Pete Carroll.

May: Johnny Damon is booed after the Yankees start the season 18-23 and Damon's .321 OB% is the lowest among American League lead-off hitters.

June: The NBA saves a lacklusters eason with a huge Finals, San Antonio over Miani 4 games to 3 as Shaquille O'Neal misses two free throws with 1.2 seconds left and the score 91-90 Spurs in Game #7. Pat Reilly promptly retires.  The NHL playoffs are cancelled due to lack of fan interest.

July: The Dodgers Nomar Garciaparra hits a walk-off grand slam to win the All-Star game 11-9, for the National League.

August: Every starting quarterback is simultaneously injured and goes on IR in Week #3 of the preseason.  Except Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, of course.

September:  In the first true non-steroid year, it appears that Orlando Hudson's 13 home runs will lead major league baseball. The Yankees finish a dismal 75-87 as Randy Johnson and Mike Mussina combine for a 19-27 record.  American League Division winners are Boston, Chicago and Oakland with Cleveland winning the Wild Card and the National League has the Mets, St. Louis and Los Angeles with Atlanta winning the Wild Card.

October: The Red Sox and White Sox advance to the ALCS and the Mets and Cardinals to the NLCS with the Red Sox and Cardinals repeating the 2004 series with similar results... Except after this 4-1 win, the celebrating is at Fenway and the ball is promptly accounted for.

November: Since the Big East has no out of conference wins for any of their member teams, their BCS status is stripped in season.

December:  A now healthy Patriots squad enters the last week of the season 15-0... Coach Bill Belichick's head expodes over constant questions on whether or not to rest regulars.

Greg

 

It's been a while since my last entry, between catching up on Christmas presents, getting ready for the whole family on Chrsitmas Eve, setting and wrapping all the presents for four boys and a very long Christmas Day.  I just have two words for you: Santa Hangover.

I know I am quite a bit older than most of my readers and let me assure that the smiles on Christmas morning are a great as it would seem... and the thought of not seeing those smiles keeps you going.

Funny how the New York media is painting Johnny Damon's grand slam in game 7 of the 2004 ALCS as "bittersweet" for Red Sox fans.  Wishful thinking.  It's still one of the top ten moments of this incredible Boston run.  I knew that the New York media would try to take this away from us.   World Series count for the 21st century still stands: Red Sox 1, Yankees 0.

My (only) four year-old television's cable tuner went this week and am looking into high def... Plasma vs. LCD vs. DLP, man am I absorbing alot... screen and contrast ratios, pixels, HDTV vs. EDTV.

Speaking of absorbing a lot, I picked up the year-old Patriot Reign by Michael Holley yesterday morning.  Only put it down sparingly until I finished it last night.  Great book for a Patriot sports fan or anyone who wants to see how a healthy organization should function.  Also a blueprint of how to break into sports so you aren't 38 saying woulda, shoulda, coulda...

I thought I had my scare of the football season when Asante Samuel got hurt last night, only  to have it trumped ten times over when special teamer Tedy Bruschi got hurt a few minutes later.

My dad is a lifelong Boston sports fan and, therefore, is a natural pessimist.  So I was really surprised when he said about four weeks ago, "Just wait until the playoffs, the Pats will win it again."  I thought he was nuts, but now I am back on that duck boat bandwagon.  IF our aforementioned special teamer is fine.

Dad was the first to call the demise of Drew Bledsoe in New England and is a man  of few words, but the ones he speak are measured and usually right on.  Like all dads, when do I get a bit of that magic dust?

The Blue Jays got Glaus today and you can see everyone will pick them ahead of the Red Sox this year.  Let's just say I've seen this story before and it usually doesn't work out well for the Nove Riche' spenders. 

Sean Williams is back to blocking shots for BC Hoops and the world seems to slowly be getting back to normal.  Now let me get to bed so my eyes can adjust to watching BC football play on that blue turf tomorrow.

Greg

What would Johnny Damon do?  Take the money and run.

It is a wild day to be living in the “no man’s land” of the New York/New England rivalry here in Fairfield County, CT, with more talk and spinning than after a  George Bush press conference (although these participants can pronounce world leaders’ names and talk in full sentences).  Although you hate to lose a guy like Johnny Damon, today it is like the Tet Offensive in the way the Viet Cong of the New York media come out of their hardened bunkers to show us just how ignorant they are about sports team that aren’t located in the Bermuda Triangle from East Rutherford, New Jersey in the West to Flushing, New York in the East and the Bronx , New York to the North.

Case in point this morning is WFAN’s B-List radio host, Richard Neer.  Poor Richard had the unfortunate timing to be filling in for Joe Benigno this AM and, like the deer in the headlines he always been, wilted under the blistering heat of the Red Sox/Yankee hot stove.  And make no mistake about it, the temperature rose of few degrees today in both baseball capitals.  When a team holds a press conference to discuss losing a free agent, you know the heat is on.

Will this hurt the Red Sox?  Absolutely.  Will the Red Sox enter Spring Training with either a less than ideal top of the order or defensive centerfielder?  Almost certainly.  Would this have happen if Theo were still running the show?  More likely than most out there would think. 

Damon is an outstanding defensive CF who had the moxy to play a deceivingly difficult CF in Fenway Park like a free safety (although he threw like a 3 year-old girl, a few rungs up the ladder from Bernie Williams) and was a statistically solid, although inconsistent, presence at the top of the order.  What’s that you say?  That’s right, Damon was a nice statistical lead-off hitter (I contend that runs scored are purely a statistic of getting on base when you have David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez batting behind you), not gaudy, but a respectable OBP of .362 from 2002-2005 as Red Sox lead-off hitter, during basically the same time period, recent clean shaven acquisition Mark Loretta posted an OBP of .379.

Holy ignorant Gotham sportscasters, Batman!

That’s right, Mr. Neer,  Your rant about the “unnecessary reconstruction” of the Red Sox infield was all the “ants” – Ignorant, Arrogant, Irrelevant, Misinformant, etc., etc.  The Red Sox infield swaps Kevin Millar and Edgar Rented diarrhea for Loretta and the admittedly overrated Kevin Youkilis (isn’t addition by subtraction enough?) and we are supposed to be worried?  Some combination of Tony Graffanino and Loretta would man second and short, unless an upgrade is found (although stats show either’s range is as good as Renteria’s, most of the time Renteria’s “range” was quickly followed by throws in to the first base dugout). 

There is no denying that the loss of the consummate professional Bill Mueller will hurt, but a few dozen Mike Lowell home runs or the blossoming of blue chip prospect Andy Marte has the potential of at least offsetting that loss.  In summary, positive for discarding Millar and Rent-A-Wreck offset by a negative with huge upside in losing Mueller doesn’t not sound like the Armageddon situation our dear Mr. Neer describes, does it?  Maybe you should stick to FM Rock, Richard.

The current batting order has issues as it takes Loretta out an ideal number two spot to bat lead-off and opens up a gaping hole at the top of the line-up.  Trot Nixon, Youkilis and Graffanino will all be considered for this spot, but a deficiency here in front of David and Manny would cause a percentage decline to the Red Sox offense that would be matched only by the final reduction Mr. Ramirez is going to have to make off of his $6.9 million asking price for his Ritz-Carlton condominium.

The Red Sox are looking at a number of centerfielder options to replace the “Unfrozen Caveman Centerfielder,’” but the most intriguing option could become a win/win for another team that is looking to reverse an offseason mistake.  The Texas Rangers should have, no needed, to get a starting pitcher for Alfonso Soriano and, instead, got a package headlined by CF Brad Wilkerson.  Now that Texas has woken up from its long winter nap and started to acquire mediocre starting pitching, the Red Sox should offer up the very economical Bronson Arroyo in exchange (or as part of a package) for Wilkerson.  

Loretta and Wilkerson at the top of the Red Sox order would be a better table setting pair than Damon and the underachieving, overpaid veteran de jour that the Red Sox utilized last year (with our good buddy Edgar piling up the most "power" points).  The Red Sox would still be left with a rotation of Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett (an acquisition by the bungling Red Sox GM committee that Mr. Neer also seems to have forgotten), resident malcontent David Wells, once in a generation phenom Jonathan Papelbon and old man river, Tim Wakefield.  The depth that Arroyo could have added in the bullpen will be buoyed by… uh… Rudy Seanez. Regardless, the idea of a younger, less idiotic Red Sox team gets me back in the Christmas spirit.

And we can all look forward to a late May day 2006 with the Yankees struggling to another 10-8 softball game-like loss that drops their record to 20-25 and the unfrozen one, who has “surprisingly” seen his production drop from his walk year totals to a .325 OBP with a less than .700 OPS, for the first time, declares  “how much looser they would be if they could let their hair down and put pine tar on their helmets and be the idiots that they all are.”  Then, from across the star-laden Yankee locker room, the sullen glare from Mr. Professional, Derek Jeter, will remind Johnny he’s not in Kansas (City) anymore… or Oakland or even Boston for that matter.

Greg

The NFL season is going to come down to a battle of the Patriots and Colts on either the weekend of January 7^th/8^th or 14^th/15^th (For those of you who are sure it will happen in the division round, how sure are you that Pittsburgh, San Diego or Kansas City can’t win a game in Denver or Cincinnati? Yeah, thought so).  Whoever wins that battle will be crowned the Super Bowl XL champion; there is no reason to debate that fact.  It has become as annual as the Cowboys vs. 49ers were in the early 1990’s; when these teams meet in January, the Lomardi trophy can’t be far behind.

I know that astute observers are wondering, much as the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry USED to be thought, how can a hammer have a rivalry with a nail?  The Pats postseason success against the Colts is so absolute that the Colts have never gotten close enough to the trophy that one day will honor the current patriots head coach to feel its glare?  Why?  Because each of the past two seasons, the AFC Championship game in January 2004 and the Division Round in January 2005, it is when the Pats beat the Colts that they new the championship was theirs (last year had as much to do with the Steelers and Cheeselessburger’s awful performance the night before the Pats/Colts game against the Doug Brien led Jets).

Obviously, to analyze this game, we have to go back to the night of November 7^th, when the Colts whipped up on a hobbled Patriots squad 40-21 in Massachusetts.  Two things about that game (1) If Corey Dillon doesn’t fumble right before the half, which had the effect of a 14-point swing, we may have had an entirely different game in the second half and (2) The Patriots defensive backs were incapable of stopping the Colts on the somewhat slower tracked than the defacto Super Bowl will be played on (RCA Dome).

Patriots’ defensive coordinator Eric Mangini blitzed very infrequently throughout the long night, as he did throughout the early season, and actually left Pats DBs exposed as Peyton Manning never had a hand on him all night and had all the time in the world to pick them apart.  That has changed in recent weeks as the Patriots amoeba like front seven is playing like they have been in the rejuvenation machine.

Oh, I almost forgot, Richard Seymour didn’t play that night.  Seymour’s presence is huge because his ability to consistently occupy and, many times, beat two blockers creates the angles and lanes the Patriots transcendent linebacking corps of Rosey Colvin, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel and old man winter, Willie McGinest, use to make their jail break.  In fact, it was the Colts game where Colvin took the first steps toward being the edge rusher the Pats signed away from the Bears two and a half years ago. 

Home field?  Does even the most ardent anti-Patriot fan (yes, I mean you Skip Bayless) really believe that it matters where Tom Brady surgically dissects the opposing defense?  No, it will start with the Patriots front seven to play like the Chargers did on Sunday.  A scheme that was created in the Patriots imagine, with personnel acquisition (i.e. defensive ends who morph to edge rushing linebackers) tips right out of the Belichick/Pioli playbook.  Oh yeah, and Marty’s minions did it on the same RCA turf that the Pats will attempt to do it on in three to four weeks.

If the front seven plays their game, it ultimately will come down to the Patriots DBs stepping up to the level of the Chargers on Sunday or the Pats of the past two January slayings of the Colts.  Obviously, if Rodney Harrison were back there, New Englanders would already be getting the extra parka in tow to descend upon Motown.  But no one recovers, teaches and overcomes better than Belichick and whereas last week this writer couldn’t imagine them walking off the RCA turf with the upset, on this day it is hard to imagine them not doing it.

 

Greg

 

Boston College shot block specialist Sean Williams is one very big step closer to coming back.  Like the article said, the addition of Williams completes the Eagles front court, which was hampered in the eraly season by All-American forwards Craig Smith and Jared Dudley having to play out of positions.

 

It's a good day for BC hoops and their ACC bretheren to the south should take notice.

 

Greg

One of the great unsung character actors of our generation.  No one played an alcoholic hanging onto his sobriety better (obviously his Irish ancestry played into that, but not the point).  Not to be morbid, but with him running for VP on the West Wing, it will be interesting to see how they fit it into the show.  Also, his character had a heart attack on the show a couple of years ago.

 

Greg

For all of you conspiracy theorists and wishful thinkers who think Tom Brady won't be under center tomorrow at 1:30, answer me this... who will be the Patriots emergency QB?  Doug Flutie would start and Matt Cassell would be the back-up, but do you really think the Pats would go into this all important game against a vicous pass rush without a third guy?  Yeah, it's so like Belichick to overlook these things.

Greg

As the calendar turns on another year, we should all take the time to take stock of our lives.  I, personally, have taken hours from my work days this week to write a blog that no one may ever read.  Popular culture is littered with people who must, based on subpar performance, have trouble looking themselves in the mirror.  But we all know attaining goals wouldn't be so exhilirating if reaching them wasn't so hard.  Unlike the dunken, naked Finnish guy in Norway, the following distinguished did not attain their New Year's resolutions for 2005 and should, in a just world, be searching for new employment in 2006:

- Matt Millen, General Manager Detroit Lions:  Too easy;

- Mark Schlereth, NFL Analyst - ESPN: Speaking of naked pictures, who does he have naked pictures of at ESPN that allows him to keep his job?  His analyses are horrendous, his predictions worse than throwing darts and his antecdotes crude and not entertaining (his Mike & Mike analyses of how he peed on Stan Humphries hands is a crowd pleaser at any Christmas Party)... he's bad enough at football, but it gets downright offensive when he starts butchering other sports... throw pretty boy adulterer Steve Phillips on that pile as well;

- Brian Cashman, General Manager New York Yankees:  $200 million payroll, no World Series championships since 2000 (Gene Michael's team back then, anyway)... what exactly was the criteria for his extension?

- George W. Bush, President of the United States: When we went into Iraq, I (as a Desert Storm vet) supported the war and said "Why would he make a weapons of mass destruction scenario when it is easily can be proven false if he's wrong?  No, he has to have positive human intellignce or why would he risk his presidency?  No one can be that stupid."  Well I definitely underestimated the level of dubya's stupidity.  That is why in mid-2004, I became the first and coined the term "dubyacrat;"  He should have been unelected in 2004 and would do us all a favor if he could give us grounds for impeachment in 2006.  For a very Christian man, he doesn't believe in protecting his flock;

- All NBA General Managers:  It's one thing to make a bad move (i.e. Edgar Renteria), it's another to know you are making a $50 million mistake while you are shaking the man/boy's hand.

- Herm Edwards, Head Coach New York Jets: Hate to put such a nice guy on here, but that's exactly the problem, he is too nice o####uy.  To be successful, NFL coaches have to be "glass half empty" guys, "glass half full guys" like while most of the head coaches without the last name Parcells in Jets history are doomed to failure.  But they have nice articles written by them on the way out of town;

- Billy Joel's Agent: Does he/she/they realize what all of his farewell tours have done to his reputation?  Well the annual DUI arrest in the Hamptons doesn't help, either;

- Dave Wannstedt, Head Football Coach Pittsburgh Panthers: A walking, talking sub-.500 season waiting to happen;

- Jim Bowden, General Manager Montreal Expos:  Were Alfonso Soriano's road statistics not made available to him?  And now he won't move to the outfield to boot;

- Jodi Rell, Governor - State of Connecticut: Have you tried putting a 60 pound four year-old back into a car seat?

- Norv Turner, Head Coach Oakland Raiders:  With the Raiders performance against the Jets last Sunday, he is lucky he isn't lynched;

- Donald Trump, Supposed business tycoon, expert at driving casinos into bankruptcy: Your 15 minutes are up, it's time you got fired!

Greg

Let me correct my Fast Break from December 14h about how Boston College students and alumni and new Colorado coach Dan Hawkins not wanting to be at the MPC Computers Bowl on December 28th in Boise (thus making it the most disinterested bowl game, ever).  I went onto remark that only the Boise St. players and fans wanted to be there... apparently that isn't the case, either.  The only people who seem to be interested in this blue clad boondoggle are the hearty, spud eating residents of Boise. 

Can't they just send BC a check and cancel the game due to apathy?

 

Greg

While I am a big Tom Brady fan, SI, as per usual, got it wrong.  The Sportsman of the Year was Brady's mentor, former Patriots offensive coordinator and current Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis.  Think about Weis' year:  A fifth Super Bowl ring in February, bring Rudy into talk to the Notre Dame players in August, grant a dying child's last wish in September and bring Notre Dame back to the BCS and reawaken the tradition in December after a season that will mean untold millions of dollars for the school (not that is important in the pristine world of Division 1-A college football).

 

Heck, if they had beaten USC, he may may have had the best year of any person of all-time.

 

Greg

Predictions for the final three weeks of the NFL season for the 18 remaining teams (nine AFC and nine NFC) and playoff seedings with help from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band:

The My Best Was Never Good Enough Division: Teams left out in the very, very, very cold –

American Football Conference

Miami Dolphins

Current Record: 6-7 (Overall), 4-5 (Conference-AFC), 1-3 (Division-AFC East)

Remaining: Jets (Win), Titans (Win), at Patriots (Win)

Predicted Final Record: 9-7 (Overall), 7-5 (Conference-AFC), 3-3 (Division-AFC East)

Boss’ Skinny: Better Days coming in Miami.

 San Diego Chargers

Current Record: 8-5 (Overall), 6-3 (Conference-AFC), 3-1 (Division-AFC West)

Remaining: at Colts (Win), at Chiefs (Loss), Broncos (Win)

Predicted Final Record: 10-6 (Overall), 8-4 (Conference-AFC), 4-2 (Division-AFC West)

Boss’ Skinny: Chargers overcome NFL’s toughest schedule, but take One Step Up and two steps back in AFC West.

 Pittsburgh Steelers

Current Record: 8-5 (Overall), 6-5 (Conference-AFC), 3-2 (Division-AFC North)

Remaining: at Vikings (Win), at Browns (Loss), Detroit (Win)

Predicted Final Record: 11-5 (Overall), 6-6 (Conference-AFC), 3-3 (Division-AFC North)

Boss’ Skinny: Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?  If 82nd Street is short of the playoffs, then yes.

 

National Football Conference

Washington Redskins

Current Record: 7-6 (Overall), 7-2 (Conference-NFC), 2-1 (Division-NFC East)

Remaining: Cowboys (Loss), Giants (Loss), at Eagles (Win)

Predicted Final Record: 8-8 (Overall), 8-4 (Conference-NFC), 3-3 (Division-NFC East)

Boss’ Skinny: Someone is standing on the Redskins’ sidelines in a Brilliant Disguise of Joe Gibbs.

 Atlanta Falcons

Current Record: 8-5 (Overall), 5-4 (Conference-NFC), 2-2 (Division-NFC South)

Remaining: at Bears (Loss), at Buccaneers (Loss), Panthers (Win)

Predicted Final Record: 9-7 (Overall), 6-6 (Conference-NFC), 3-3 (Division-NFC South)

Boss’ Skinny: It’s The Price You Pay by putting your star in harm’s way and missing too much time.

 Dallas Cowboys

Current Record: 8-5 (Overall), 6-3 (Conference-NFC), 3-2 (Division-NFC East)

Remaining: at Redskins (Win), at Panthers (Loss), Rams (Win)

Predicted Final Record: 10-6 (Overall), 7-5 (Conference-NFC), 4-2 (Division-NFC East)

Boss’ Skinny: “America’s Team” maybe Born in the USA, but they can’t break the Ties That Bind in their favor and lose on common opponents to the Vikings, 4-1 vs. 3-2.

 

 

The Roll of the Dice Division: The Wildcards –

American Football Conference

6. Kansas City Chiefs

Current Record: 8-5 (Overall), 7-3 (Conference-AFC), 3-2 (Division-AFC West)

Remaining: at Giants (Win), Chargers (Win), Bengals (Win)

Predicted Final Record: 11-5 (Overall), 9-3 (Conference-AFC), 4-2 (Division-AFC West)

Boss’ Skinny: #### Vermeil extended The Long Goodbye by running the table after an upset over the Giants in the Meadowlands this Sunday.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars

Current Record: 9-4 (Overall), 7-3 (Conference-AFC), 2-2 (Division-AFC South)

Remaining: 49ers (Win), at Texans (Win), Titans (Win)

Predicted Final Record: 12-4 (Overall), 9-3 (Conference-AFC), 4-2 (Division-AFC South)

Boss’ Skinny: The Jaguars will have to Prove It All Night in the playoffs to justify that their gaudy record wasn’t just do to their cream puff schedule.

 

National Football Conference

6. Minnesota Vikings

Current Record: 8-5 (Overall), 7-4 (Conference-NFC), 4-1 (Division-NFC North)

Remaining: Steelers (Loss), at Ravens (Win), Bears (Win)

Predicted Final Record: 10-6 (Overall), 8-4 (Conference-NFC), 5-1 (Division-NFC North)

Boss’ Skinny: The Vikings recover from their cruise through the Tunnel of Love to grab the NFC’s last Wildcard spot.

5. Carolina Panthers

Current Record: 9-4 (Overall), 6-3 (Conference-NFC), 2-2 (Division-NFC South)

Remaining: at Saints (Win), Cowboys (Win), at Falcons (Loss)

Predicted Final Record: 11-5 (Overall), 8-4 (Conference-NFC), 3-3 (Division-NFC South)

Boss’ Skinny: Watch out NFC, Kitty’s Back.

 

The Glory Days Division: The Divisions Winners –

American Football Conference

4. New England Patriots

Current Record: 8-5 (Overall), 6-4 (Conference-AFC), 4-0 (Division-AFC East)

Remaining: Buccaneers (Win), at Jets (Win), Dolphins (Loss)

Predicted Final Record: 10-6 (Overall), 7-5 (Conference-AFC), 3-3 (Division-AFC East)

Boss’ Skinny: Bill Belichick continues to do it with Spare Parts; but with all respect to Doug Flutie, he can't do it with a spare quarterback.

3. Cincinnati Bengals

Current Record: 10-3 (Overall), 7-3 (Conference-AFC), 5-1 (Division-AFC North)

Remaining: at Lions (Win), Bills (Win), at Chiefs (Loss)

Predicted Final Record: 12-4 (Overall), 8-4 (Conference-AFC), 5-1 (Division-AFC North)

Boss’ Skinny: Who dey?  It’s been a Long Time Comin’ in Cincinnati.

 2. Denver Broncos

Current Record: 10-3 (Overall), 7-2 (Conference-AFC), 3-1 (Division-AFC West)

Remaining: at Bills (Win), Raiders (Win), at Chiefs (Loss)

Predicted Final Record: 12-4 (Overall), 9-3 (Conference-AFC), 4-2 (Division-AFC West)

Boss’ Skinny: Shannahan and the Broncos offense are Born to Run, doesn’t matter who is carrying the ball.

 1. Indianapolis Colts

Current Record: 13-0 (Overall), 11-0 (Conference-AFC), 6-0 (Division-AFC South)

Remaining: Chargers (Loss), at Seahawks (Loss), Cardinals (Win)

Predicted Final Record: 14-2 (Overall), 11-1 (Conference-AFC), 6-0 (Division-AFC South)

Boss’ Skinny: Tony Dungy is a Cautious Man and is hinting too loudly at resting his players.

 

National Football Conference

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Current Record: 9-4 (Overall), 7-3 (Conference-NFC), 3-1 (Division-NFC South)

Remaining: at Patriots (Loss), Falcons (Win), Saints (Win)

Predicted Final Record: 11-5 (Overall), 9-3 (Conference-NFC), 5-1 (Division-NFC South)

Boss’ Skinny: It will be great to see the Two Faces (or more) of Jon Gruden back in the playoffs.

 3. New York Giants

Current Record: 9-4 (Overall), 8-3 (Conference-NFC), 4-1 (Division-NFC East)

Remaining: Chiefs (Loss), at Redskins (Win), at Raiders (Win)

Predicted Final Record: 11-5 (Overall), 9-3 (Conference-NFC), 5-1 (Division-NFC East)

Boss’ Skinny: Eli Manning will sing his New York City Serenade all the way to the Division Round.

2. Chicago Bears

Current Record: 9-4 (Overall), 8-1 (Conference-NFC), 4-0 (Division-NFC North)

Remaining: Falcons (Win), at Packers (Win), at Vikings (Loss)

Predicted Final Record: 11-5 (Overall), 10-2 (Conference-NFC), 5-1 (Division-NFC East)

Boss’ Skinny: Da Bears are where they are because their defense is Tougher Than the Rest.

1. Seattle Seahawks

Current Record: 11-2 (Overall), 10-1 (Conference-NFC), 6-0 (Division-NFC West)

Remaining: at Titans (Win), Colts (Win), at Packers (Win)

Predicted Final Record: 14-2 (Overall), 11-1 (Conference-NFC), 6-0 (Division-NFC West)

Boss’ Skinny: The hottest team in football entering the playoffs wants it All or Nothin’ at All.

 

In researching a piece on the Red Sox, I was amazed to see that they are again going after free agent reliever Rudy Seanez, a failure in a similar role as recently as 2003.  Seanez, 37,  has been in the bigs since 1989 and has had tremendous amount more success in the NL than AL.  While he has pitched quite a bit more in the NL(just over three times as many games), wouldn't you if you numbers looked like this?:

	G	IP	ER	SO	ERA
American League	92	103.0	65	108	5.68
National League	288	291.2	115	309	3.55
Total	380	394.2	180	417	4.10

Another compelling case for the superiority of the American League.

 

Greg

As the Red Sox embark on the tag team GM era of Hoyer and Cherington (who had the advantage of having a COMBINED age less than most of their competition) with Theo Epstein somewhere behind the curtain either officially or unofficially pulling the strings, much works still needs to be done before the moving trucks head south in February.  The Red Sox offseason moves so far look like a coloring job by my four year-old: uneven and out of order, but, thankfully, no one has #### outside the lines… YET!

The biggest issue still remains two of the Red Sox top three offensive players, Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon.  Ramirez’s soap opera is going on 25 months now (if it hasn’t since the day they signed him) and, frankly,  is getting old.  The basic problem to do any deal is that the Red Sox want a trading parent to give the Red Sox more than they themselves think he is worth (Remember two years ago, anyone could have had Manny for zero compensation).  On any objective measure, his contract is 2005 is above market value and, yet, the Red Sox want equal trade value in return.  The Red Sox clearly would be more enamored with Vladimir Guerrero than Manny and Guerrero is making approximately $5 million less a season.  In order to move Manny, the Red Sox will have to eat some money (like the $11 million in the Rent-A-Wreck deal) or lower their trade demands.  The one thing that will continue to give this life is the dwindling years left on the contract and the attractiveness that may give a team that is going for it all in any given year (i.e. 2006 Mets).  And, hey, if the Phillies can move Jim Thome, anything is possible.  For everyone touting the Javier Vazquez acquisition as the cornerstone of a repeat let me suggest that trading Aaron Rowand for Thome to fill Frank Thomas’ spot as chronically disabled first baseman, will hurt the White Sox defense dramatically.  The guy is Jim Edmonds without the mustard.

Speaking of centerfielders with mustard, as far as Damon goes, replacing him in centerfield with a player such as Seattle’s Jeremy Reed would be a step down defensively and leave a gaping hole in the top of the batting order as newly acquired 2B Mark Loretta will slot in the first or second slots in the order, but the Red Sox will struggle to find another top of the order type hitter.  Reed’s .322 OBP won’t cut it for the OBP obsessed Sox and Trot Nixon has historically struggled from the top of the order and the demands of being in the two hole would further compromise his fragility.  Kevin Youkilis?  Please, he really hasn’t proven he can have competitive at bats at the major league level despite Stephen King and Stewart O’Nan’s obsession over him in Faithful, officially the worst book ever written (if I read one more story about a 40 something year-old “man” driving a broken down car from Hartford to Boston every night just to push kids out of the way for foul balls, I swore I would have killed somebody… probably myself).

Assuming a re-signing of Damon, the Red Sox line-up and needs like this: