After seing all of the crazy sports news which has gone on in the last few days, I just couldn't resist putting this edition of the Random #### Rant on the presses.

THE RANDOM #### RANT

Football time!

Let me just start by saying this last weeks Monday Night Football game was just insane. My god, the Bears, who looked unstoppable to this point, were being absolutely flattened offensively by a weak Cardinals defense. The Cardinals lead 23-3 heading to the end of the 3rd Quarter, a score that no one imagined, and I went to sleep figuring the Bears had no chance of putting any offense together to make a comeback.

I was right.

The offense continued to suck, Grossman did so bad that I ended up winning a fantasy game against someone who was AHEAD of me. Grossman's game was Leaf-esque, and they couldn't run to boot. But right at the end of the 3rd quarter, the Bears D got a fumble for a TD. Then late in the 4th, they got another defensive touchdown. Even then, the Bears were still down by 6 points...but they get a punt return TD? My God. Then Neil Rackers, who was perfect last year, missed a game winning 40 yd FG?

I have no idea what to think anymore about this NFL season...

The Cardinals choked this game away. They've never had a lead like this, and they sat on the ball. This team has a horrible offensive line, Edge James couldn't gain a yard to save his life. And how about the Dennis Green rant?

But look at all of the teams in the NFL, and can you find a "flawless" team? The Colts have a horrible defense, the Broncos and Ravens have terrible offenses, and the Bears looked like total #### last night. Maybe the Chargers are the best team in football, but this last week was crazy. The Redskins lost...to The TITANS! Cinci lost to the Bucs, the Chiefs got mauled by Pittsburgh, and the Saints beat the Eagles.

Once again, it proves that ANYTHING can happen in the NFL.

YOU'RE FIRED
Lots of people fired the last few days. Sticking with the Cardinals, they fired offensive cooridinator Keith Rowen. Maybe he is the reason for that terrible offensive line. Another season and the Cardinals are disapointing...and the coaches are always the scapegoats.

Sticking with the Fired theme, the Ravens fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel. Now Fassel is a talented coach, but once again, when a unit struggles, the coach is to blame. But it isn't Fassel's fault they are bad. They have a offensive line that only has one player that is good, and they have a burnout back in Jamal Lewis. Mike Anderson is also a guy who was really only successful because he was in the Denver system. If the Ravens want an offense, they need to aquire a talented running back.

But wait, more people are fired. Steve Lyons, an announcer for Fox got fired for "Racist remarks." or something. Alrighty then.

But it continues, Ken Macha was fired from his managers job. After he took his team TO THE ALCS! Makes me wonder how high the expectations had to be, last time I checked, getting to the ALCS is pretty good.

THE CUBS....

So now Lou Pinella is the Cubs news manager. I have no problem with this, and I think a smart veteran manager like that could do this team some good.

But some of the rumors about getting A-Rod concern me. Not that I have any problem with the Cubs getting A-Rod, but the rumors are that they would trade Carlos Zambrano.

Now for those of you who aren't Cubs fans, here's the story of Zambrano. He plays for a team with underachieving batters, and constantly hurt pitchers. With all of this, Zambrano each week would pitch great, and he's the guy they would get rid of? Hey Cubs, Pitching wins championships remember? Getting rid of your one good pitcher would be about the stupidest thing you could actually do.


But being a Cubs fan...everything that can go wrong....will go wrong...

JERRY! JERRY!

Jerry Springer reference, back when the show always featured fights. I was saddened to see the Miami/FIU brawl that I am sure you have all seen by now. It is the one of the most pathetic things I have seen, right up there with Haynesworth's stomp, and the Malace at the Palace.

I personally think, the punishment should be that both programs forfeit their remaining games. Not all of the players participated, but the ones that didn't should have tryed to stop this madness, and I don't think many did. Stomping on downed players, and using helmets as weapons is just pathetic and cowardly. NCAA, do the right thing...

 

 

And Finally, will they ever actually finish that Mets/Cardinals series?  How many times is it going to rain?  At this rate, that series will last to November.

THAT"S ALL I GOT

DISCLAIMER: This post is about sports. This post is only about sports. You have been warned.


Around the Horn is off the air due to the MLB Playoffs, so here is your cheap ripoff! Around the Horn, Bloggers edition! I am your host MrNFL, in the bold font, and here are today's contestants.

First up, we have NeoAC, in the Red font.

Yeah, I'm back again, but rivjo nowhere to be found, I will be sure to take it this time! *cue evil laughter* Neil Patrick Harris got nothing on me!

Alrighty then, next is Burger21, in Green font

Hi everyone, I’m burger21, and I only took 20 pills before I got here so ignore those 911 calls from my publicist.

Drugs are bad, M'kay. Next up is Bengals9. And some where along the line, there was a miscommunication, so don't expect much from Bengals.

Finally, making his Around the Horn debut, Demonicume...who didn't write an opening. He'll be in blue font. With that, lets go!

THE FIRST WORD

It is week 5 in the NFL, and as always we have some good games on tap. But if you look at the 4 teams not playing this week, you've got three pretty good teams. Among those teams, the Bengals, Seahawks, Falcons, and the Texans. My question gentlemen, of these 4 teams, which is the best and why? We'll start with Demon.

The Falcons, plain and simple. But first, lemme tell you why these other teams aren't the best.

The Patriots pulled the cover off the Bengals last week and showed the entire league their soft, creamy. They have a very balanced offense, but they also have some serious issues. Carson Palmer has 6 TDs in 4 games, but he also has thrown the ball to the other tram 4 times. When he isn't throwing the ball to the other side, he's putting it on the turf. He's got 7 fumbles, 4 for a loss. (+2) But the problem isn't Carson, the problem is the Offensive line. The guy just came off a serious injury and his line has let him get tagged for 15 sacks already. That's 4 sacks shy of the 19 knock-downs he took all LAST SEASON. (+2) Yup the O-Line isn't pulling thieir weight; and if things don't change very soon, Carson will see the turf more times that Drew Bledsoe did last season.

The other Bengal problem is Run Defense. They can't seem to stop anyone. A supposed superbowl contender, they are ranked in the bottem half of the league in every meaningful category: Run Defense (26th), Totsl yards (23rd) and Points Against (19th). It's a simple fact, you cant expect to get far in the play-offs giving up nearly 150 yards on the ground and 21 points a game. (+3)

Keys to fix: they need to grow some big hairy balls in the middle of that Defense and they need to find a way to keep their QB off his buttocks.

The Seahawks are the perfect example of why I hate the Pack-10 : soft scheduling. I know its not their fault that their division sucks, but I wont ignore the fact either. Here are the teams they get to thrash twice every year: the Cardinals, 49ners, Raiders, and the Rams. For decoration, we toss in defensive powerhouses like the Packers and the Chiefs. The toughest team they have left to play is Denver and that'll be after they've gone 12-1. I'm furious because I benched Thomas Jones last week. I fell into the hype that Seattle was for real. Then I watched Jones – who is every bit as soft as his sissy little brother in Dallas – put up career numbers. The Bears haven't been able to run against anyone all season, but Thomas Jones looked like Bo Jackson against Seattle. They're fakers. They'll have a 12 or 13 win season and get blown out in the playoffs. I don't know how they made it to the Superbowl. But now that the Madden Curse has scrubbed their only superstar, we'll see how well they do. (+4)

As a Dallas fan, I hate the Texans. No real Texan can ever truly accept the existence of another football team in our state. It's blasphemy. The Texans are the Taiwan to our China. We'd crush them if we could, but no one else will let us. Fortunately, the Houston front office is doing its best to kill its own chances at every succeeding. (+1)

The worst part is that David Carr is a good QB. Last season, he played well enough to win a Superbowl if Big Ben is any indicator. In the right system, with maybe 1 solid offensive lineman, this kid could be great. His QB rating is over 100, his TD to INT ratio is great. But he's been sacked over 200 times in his last 4 seasons. I don't know when the Houston front office is gonna wake the hell up and get this man some protection, but if were I David Carr, I'd be trying to move to a team that would appreciate the highest rated QB in the AFC. Yo, DAVE! Tampa is a great place to live. Beautiful beaches, beautiful women, great weather… (+2)

The Falcons are my pick. It isn't because they rank in the top 15 in every meaningful category on both sides of the ball except passing yards per game. It isn't because Vick is one of the winningest QBs in the recent history. It's because they win my way: solid running and great defense. John Abraham – SC in the house baby! – is back from his groin pull and should solidify an already solid defense. They have 2 solid backs in Dunn and Norwood – who racked up 106 yards on 6 carried as a backup last game. And… they run the Spread Option 5 to 8 times a game. Not to kick a dead horse, but when ever a black QB comes into the league, you always hear whispers of intelligence. Theyre all dumb. We saw it here in Carolina, Syvelle was to dumb to be a pocket passer. Ask Auburn hjow domb he is. Vince Young was the only QB to have his Wonderfukt Score leaked. Analysts are always on the edge of saying Mike Vick is too stupid to run the west coast offense. Instead they say it's too complex. Maybe the West Coast offense doesn't suit his skillset. Or maybe Mike never had a WR who could get open. (+6)

My only issues with the Falcons are PLAY CALLING and WRs. Are these guys gonna catch any balls? I watched Alge Crumpler drop 2 TDs on the same drive. The receivers they have can not, or will nont, get open. Were I Coach Mora, I'd run the option down the throats of every team we faced. I'd run it the way FLA is running it this year, which allows for more passing and less getting knocked out. (+2)

Downside? The Dirty Birds face big defenses this year – Eagles, Carolina, Redskins, Cowboys – but I can see them running all the way into the play offs.

Good Stuff Demon, Neo, you?

Well, lets take a look at who we have sitting out.

There's the Texans, but unless the Colts and Jaguars both suffer a massive case of collective botulism, they aren't going to be anywhere near the playoffs. Heck, I think they would still manage to come in third to those two. (+3)

Then we have the other teams, who have looked extremely good in three out of four games.
Atlanta has pounded the ball successfully against Carolina, TB and Arizona, but they were abysmal against the Saints in the Superdome. I know there was a lot of emotion in that game, but there was no excuse for the way the Falcons played. Vick completes only 38% and leads in rushing? Its almost like they threw that game.......nah. Couldn't be. (+3)

The Bengals took control of the conference in their first three games, mauling Kansas City, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. However, they were mere pussycats when playing the Patriots, practically rolling over for them. They clearly tried to attack New England's secondary with a pass to run ratio of slightly over 2:1 and it didn't work. The Patriots played smashmouth football, and Cinci's line couldn't cope with Maroney busting for 125 yards and 2 TDs. And with Baltimore continuing to roll, the North may soon be out of Cinci's reach. (+4)

Therefore, the best out of the four bye teams is still the Seahawks. They are lucky that Shaun Alexander is getting the effects of the Madden curse out of the way early. In the NFC West, its not going to matter that Mo Morris is running the ball for them, they can coast until the MVP is back up and running. (+4)

OK, My god I hate Fox's formatting....Burger you?

While the sexy pick is the Bengals, the folks who are falling over themselves trying to get on their bandwagon are ignoring some glaring weaknesses, namely their defense. They’re giving up 345 yards per game, barely ahead of SanFran and Cleveland; 60 yrds worse than Oakland; and over 100 yrds more than the Chiefs! (+4) In the last two games they’ve yielded 406 yds and 5 TDs – on the ground alone! And on offense, while everyone has this image of a powerhouse scoring machine, few visualized Carson Palmer dribbling more balls than an NBA point guard. (+3) He’s put the pill on the carpet 7 times this year and looks very rattled against competent defenses. The have played only one good complete game – in the opener against a Chiefs team that everyone had over-rated. Cleveland and Pittsburgh both gift wrapped wins via turnovers and the Pats put a woodshed wuppin’ on them. (+3) You could say much of the same for Seattle in that Matt Hasslebeck has not looked anything like a Pro-Bowl QB, and they were strangely ineffective against Detroit of all teams. (+2) I’m going against the grain here and saying that the best team among these three is Atlanta, with their power ground game (ranked #1 in the NFL) and ball hawking defense (+6 turnover ratio). And while no one will confuse Mike Vick for Peyton Manning as a passer, Vick has only two interceptions and is playing with freedom and fun in Atlanta’s potent offense (+3)


And Bengals?

The Best is definetly the bengals. why, two words carson palmer. (+2)

Ok then...Onward...

As you are probably all aware, the MLB Postseason is underway. Very simple question, who wins the World Series and why? Burger?

I’m really not sold on anyone in the National League because both the Mets and Cardinals have huge pitching concerns. While the Tigers look like they’re going to make a scrap out of things, it would appear that the Yanks and A’s will match up in what will essentially be the championship. The A’s certainly have the pitching to make things interesting, and they seem looser and less uptight than in previous showdowns with NY. While NY has the lineup full of All-Stars, I feel Oakland’s arms will prevail against what is a shaky Yankees rotation. The A’s will win it all. (+6)

Going with the A's eh? Speaking of Eh, Neo, go my Canadian friend.

In the blue corner we will have the New York Mets who score first round knockouts of the LA Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals without so much as a scratch.

In the red corner we have the Oakland Athletics who after surprisingly getting rid of the Minnesota Twins, dispatch the exhausted winner of the Tigers-Yankees series (My money's on NY). This is sure to be a barnburner.

In the first game, Tom Glavine will get the better of popular Met target Barry Zito, but Rich Harden will even the score over Steve Trachsel, and send the series back to Shea knotted up at one.

Oakland will take advantage of a ####-up Mets rotation as emergency starter Oliver Perez gets shelled, making a winner of Danny Haren, but John Maine and Tom Glavine come in and shut down the A bats, and head back to the Bay with a three-two lead

In Game Six, Macha plays a hunch and goes with Joe Blanton against Trachsel, but Trachsel pitches his career-defining game, a three-hitter, and Carlos Delgado belts a two-run shot off of Blanton in the fourth to send the Mets to a 4-1 win, and their first Series win since 1986. (+7)

Interesting answer, Demon?

World Series? Oh, yeah, its STILL baseball season. Damn. Is there any way we can shorten the season at all? I don't know who wins. When the Mets had Pedro, I was a Mets man. But now I'm going with my team from the 80's and 90's: the Oakland A's. The AFC… ummmm, American League allows you to bat a guy who doesn't even field, and Frank Thomas is making the most of it. The A's ride The Big Hurt all the way to a champagn bath. (+2)

Ok then...and Bengals?

The Oakland Athletics because of there excellent pitching and good hitting. (+2)

(HORN) Wait a minute, coming into the playoffs, no one had the A's doing anything, and now everyone is picking them to get to the World Series? All a bunch of bandwagon jumpers (MUTE) With that, we'll take a commercial, Buy or Sell is next.

Mmmmmm, Pizza.....

Ok, welcome back, and it is Buy or Sell Time!

BUY OR SELL?

This weeks Monday night game should be a good defensive showdown between the Broncos, and the Ravens, who have yet to be beaten. Buy or Sell the Ravens remaining undefeated? Demonicume?

Sell: Until the Ravens find some meaningful offense, I'm picking against them every week. You can't make it to the playoffs riding a TE. Eventually you have to score. The Ravens *may* shut down Denver's offense, but since they cant find the endzone themselves, I got Denver by a touch down. (+4)

Burger?

I’m selling this. The Ravens have beaten three teams (Tampa, Clev., Oak) with 1 combined victory, and their win over the Chargers was a border line fluke. Their defense is not as good as the young QB’s they’ve faced are making them look, and they’ve yet to face some one who will consistently stay committed to running against them, as we know Denver will. Denver showed patience and diligence to their scheme against NE and this is the type of game they always win to make everyone believe they’re good before choking in the playoffs. The Ravens get exposed for the fraud they are. (+6)

Neo?

I'll BUY this. Denver has looked mighty weak this year. Their offense has failed to get anything going so far, averaging a mere 12 points per game and against Baltimore's defense, points are going to be even harder to come by. It may be another 9-6 squaker but I'd rather have Matt Stover than Jason Elam. (+3)

And Bengals?

I'm buying this. The broncos looked weak in there games agianst the cheifs and rams and the ravens have looked great in all of there games. (+3)

Ok, onward...

Of course, ESPN is going to hype "Terrell Owens' Big return to Philly" My question is, Buy or Sell 100 yards reciveing for The Player. Bengals?

I'm selling because there is no love lost between the Eagles and with his broken hand i think he loses a step or two. (+3)

Demonicume?

Buy: What do you do when you cant stop the run because you've let your best defensive players go elsewhere? You blitz, blitz, blitz. The Eagles have a soft pass defense, giving up nearly 300 yards a game thru the air to the likes of David Carr and Alex Smith. Bledsoe tossed for near 500 yards against defenses like JAX and WAS. Will TO get his 100 yards? Ummm, yeah, and easily. As long as Jimmy Johnson keeps blitzing, The Dallas receivers will be wide open. Witten, Glenn, Owens… pick your poison, who you gonna double cover? If you don't blitz, Julius Jones will run down your throat. With people like The Lesser Manning and his feeble receiving corps coming back to embarrass the Eagles Defense, I just don't see anyone on that defense stopping TO. I'll give Dallas the benefit of the doubt that Glenn and TO are as good as Plexi-glass Burress and Alligaor Arm-ani Tooner. They both got their 100 yards. (+7)

Good answer, Neo?

I'll BUY this one too. T.O. always seems to get out a little something more for the big games, and this is a big games in his mind. If Lito Sheppard sits again, he's going to have Sheldon Brown on him most of the game, or even Dexter Wynn when Brown needs a breather. Brown's only an average CB, and Wynn a pre-season cut, so T.O. should be able to get those 100 yards. (+4)

And Burger?

Terrell is one of those guys who can get 100 on limited touches because of his ability to take it to the house from anywhere on the field, but I am selling this. Dallas has done a good job so far in taking what the defense gives them, as evidenced in the big season Terry Glenn is having. When teams focus on TO (and I believe the Eagles will be just a little focused on him don’t you think?) the Cowboys have exploited their other options. (+4)

Alright...We continue...

The Big college football game this weekend is the matchup between #9 LSU, and #5 Florida. Buy or Sell Florida coming up with a victory? Demon?

Sell, FLA has no run game. None. I don't know how you run the spread option without a serious run attack. If DeShaun Wynn – the closest thing they have to a RB at FLA – aint in the game, they don't have a shot. Chris Leak is the best passer in the nation, but LSU has the nastiest secondary in college football. The D-Line will be after him all game. I got LSU smacking FLA down by 14. (+5)

Bengals?

I'm Buying this. Why. Honestly i don't know but i just think Florida is the better team. (+1)

Going with your gut I see. Burger?

Again, I’m in a selling kind of mood! This may be an even better game than LSU-Auburn, but this time LSU comes out on top. Florida’s RB is ####ed up and if they get the Gators one dimensional, LSU will show why they’re the #1 overall defense in the nation. Offensively they have the 5th ranked passing offense in the country behind Russell and they will be too much for the Gators. (+4)

And Neo?

I'm almost out of money, but I'm still going to have to BUY this as well. Florida's on a roll right now, and although LSU some very impressive offense in check, they haven't played one as versatile as the Gators. Urban Meyer is starting to get his kind of player in, guys like Tim Tebow, and his defense has been playing very well as well. I think the Gators will win, but their undefeated season ends next week against Auburn. (+4)

(HORN) Ok, we're done with two rounds, and looking at the scores, Bengals is no where close, so (MUTE), and done. Out of Bounds is next...

Sponsored by Chris Berman...seriously, why do people dislike this guy?

And two down, here's the scores. Demonicume leads with 40. Burger in 2nd with 35, and Neo behind with 32.

OUT OF BOUNDS

This Wednesday was the return of the NHL. Only the 2nd season since the lockout two years ago. My question is, what do you see for the NHL's future? Neo?

I think the NHL can have a very bright future, but some changes need to occur. First, ditch the OLN. I don't know why they even bothered signing with them in the first place. Even a discounted contract with ESPN or ABC would have been smarter. (+4) Second, start promoting the young guns more. Get Crosby, Ovechkin, Cheechoo and others out into the mainstream, be it with Bud Light, Coke or Viagra (hey, how could Ed Belfour turn that offer down?). A little promotion goes a long way. Finally, make going to game more affordable for the fans. I mean I tried to go to a preseason game a couple weekends ago. One ticket cost $75! How can the NHL expect to attract the average man, when the average man has to fork over a third of his weekly pay to see a game? (+4)

If the NHL's lucky, we could have a repeat of 1994. The Rangers won the Cup that year, and America's biggest market loved it. This year, they ae poised to strike again, and even Chicago could be in the mix, with their impressive 8-6 win over Nashville. A Rangers-Blackhawks series would be a great thing for hockey in America (no offense, Hurricanes, but nobody outside Carolina cares that you won.) (+3)

Good stuff, Burger?

The NHL season is only two days old and already we’ve seen some exciting action. The league has to provide a product that makes fans anxious for more, and there are numerous young stars on the horizon able to deliver. I think part of the recent demise of interest from the more casual sports fan came not only from the Labor disaster and instability of teams and the League as a whole, but also from a generation of front line stars fading away. (+3) The league has tons of work to do and can’t realistically be mentioned among the Big Three, but new stars like Sydney Crosby could go a long way toward bringing the excitement back, and I for one hope that hockey has a rousing revival. (+2) Hockey zealots know the players on their teams and most others, but the league has been void of the names that everyone knew – the Marios and Gretzkys. Yes, those two are probably the two greatest ever and they can’t truly be replaced but with many of the good young players coming up having names that can barely be pronounced it has been increasingly harder for fans to relate.(+2)

I agree there, and Demon?

Hockey? I'm in Carolina, and I had no clue they won the Stanley Cup last year. They did win, didn't they? I don't even know what city the team plays in. What would make me interested in Hockey? I'd love to be more involved with the players. We don't need a NHL T.O. Saga, but I'm not interested in Hockey because I don't know any of the players. I don't have to be in the city with the team to like them. Future? I see no future. Until the NHL finds a way to market their product in a more appealing way, I'll be changing the channel whenever its on TV. (+4)

(HORN) Alright lets look at the scores, and we have a close one. Demon, with 44 you are safe, Neo has 43. And Burger, barely short with 42. Gonna have to say goodbye to you Burger.

I’m out…like downtownrob’s blogging career!

Yes indeed you are. Showdown up next between NeoAC and Demonicume. Two enter, and one gets to feel happy for the day.

The Punching bags of Division 1-A football...

SHOWDOWN!

Showdown time now between Neo and Demon, Let's do this!

Texas plays Oklahoma Saturday in a classic rivalry game. Who ya got? Demon?

Oklahoma – Peterson is a GROWN man. He wont win the Heisman because voters love pretty boy QBs. Advantage for Peterson in the Heisman race? Good Ole Boy voters. If Troy Smith scrambles for more than a a few hundred yards this season, its guaranteed some of them will write him off as a typical running *cough* (black) QB – cuz that's what happens in the NCAA. ESPN will show all his running highlights, and the slower voters will vote for a guy who plays his position 'as it should be played.' Mark my words.

Texas, all the way. Colt McCoy's finally getting confident, and getting more comfortable in that Longhorn offense, and that is bad news for the Big 12. He's just going to get better and better as the season goes on, and I don't believe Oklahoma will be able to handle him.

Not sure how the race card got pulled up in this question, point goes to NeoAC. Next...

Nascar at Talladega this Sunday, who ya got? Neo?

Talladega is a #### shoot. You never know what is going to happen here, as the Big One lurks around every corner. The restrictor place, levels the playing fiels as well, so any number of teams could logically win this thing. I;m just going to spin the ole Wheel of NASCAR in my head and come up with a random name. And the winner is........Little E, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who uses this win to climb back into the Chase hunt.

I got Jeff Gordon. I like him cuz everyone hates him. He should have won earlier this year… I don't know why anyone hates him. But it's time for Jeff to win, smash that stupid bottle of Pepsi or milk or whatever, grab his manhood and tell everyone to swing low.

Great NASCAR knowledge here, LOL. I'll give it to Demon, for having a reason for picking his winner.

Finally, Many MLB managers were canned at the end of the season. Of all of those managers, who goes on to have the most success? Demon?

Robinson. He's gonna move into retirement. He should find him some sweet young thang (or two) and move to a sunny place with no ESPN. Then he wont have to be ashamed of the what his game has become. No Grim-sley reaper. No posting Bonds. No Roger –I'm stronger than I was at 20 but I'm clean – Clemmons. No knucklehead Administration that somehow manages to own a team and promote competition at the same time.

Mr. Robinson, its time to come home, old boy. Kick back with a lager of choice, a girl 1/3 your age, a HUGE DLP TV with a DVR that lets you skip Enzyte commercials. Then you can subscribe to ESPN Classic and watch Old –School baseball all day.

Well, the rather obvious choice would have to be Joe Girardi. I mean he didn't do anything wrong when managing the Marlins. The only question is will he go to the Cubs like everyone is predicting, or will Tom Hicks try and lure him to the Lone Star state? It wouldn't be a bad venture oppertunity. Every team that has fired Buck Showalter has won the World Series the next year.

Sorry Neo, Demon's answer was too freaking hilarious to pass up, point goes to Demon, win goes to Demon. Face time is yours.

I'm taking a break from ESPN. Everyday I power on my TV in hopes of getting news coverage. And every day I am sadly disappointed. Here are my top 3 reasons for putting down the remote and reading a good blog:

3) The don't report. 'Report' is defined as 'an account brought by one person to another." Its from the Old Fench 'rapport' "to tell, relate" and from the Latin 'Reportare' 'to carry

In that definition, I see no room for spin. I see no room for opinion or supposition or guesswork. I don't know why ESPN claims to report the news when its integrity is so obviously compromised. ESPN suckles at the #### of any company looking to sell something to a male aged 18-45. To do this, they need story lines. To get story lines, they need heroes and villains. We need debacles and saviors. Every week someone, somewhere, is on the brink of losing it all. Or panicking. Or if they aren't panicking they should be. ESPN is just as sensational as FOX news – the conservative news channel that tried to spin a government official soliciting sex from young boys – or MSNBC which should officially chance its name to MSNBConspiracy TV. I'm sick of it. I just want box scores and replays. Thanks a lot.

2. Jesus, would someone please put something big in Joe Theismann's mouth? My zipper is stuck... damn. or Joe Walton. or Charles Barkley. They hire any jack off the street to be a newscaster. I'll take any one of the bloggers out here ahead of the pricks ESPN throws up there. I'm tired of 'Rumblin and Stumblin.' i'm tired of 'BOO-YOW!' i'm sick to death of trying to guess the width of the stick that's a foot deep in Steve Young's ####. i hate Mark May. the only guys that interest me are the guys everyone else hates: Lou Holtz – fake teeth, lisp and all – and Michael 'it wasn't my pipe' Irvin. I also like John Madden, though he rarely makes sense. But sometimes, when the moons are in alignment, he makes some HUGE points between bits of applesauce and turkey.

1. there are Warriors out tonite. in every part of the world, men, women and children are striving to do great things. They aren't sullied by political backgammon. They don't do it for the money or the nookie or anything else beyond the joy of achievement. People are striving against the limitations of their bodies and minds in pursuit one brief moment of true achievement. They say a lifetime of misery is worth a second of enlightenment. ESPN's cameras are supposed to be there when that second happens…

You've failed us all, old friend, and I have outgrown you.

Interesting Demon, but a mute for taking so much time with your face time. Neo anything you want to add?

Round of Keith's on me! Don't forget to check the Pickoff!

I take it that Keith's are some form of Alcohol, and you get a (MUTE) for that.

Well thanks everyone for checking this out. I'm MrNFL, and you can re-watch this by clicking the refresh button.

HORN!

Demonicume

NeoAC

Burger21

Bengals9

 

And everyone be on the lookout for a new series coming soon called "The 2006 NFL Season according to Tecmo Super Bowl"  Should be good...

With the NFL, College Football seasons underway, and new steroid allegations, many people have forgotten...that the MLB Playoffs start Tuesday!  With that, it is time for my predictions, with MrNFL's MLB Preview Extravaganza!


Oakland A's vs Minnesota Twins

The A's are the team that everyone has forgotten in the MLB.  All of the talk has been about the Yankees, Twins, and Tigers.  The A's had a solid season winning the AL West.  However, let's break down the stats.  This year, the Twins during the regular season scored more, and allowed less runs than the A's.  Also, the Twins had the best record at home of any MLB team.  The Twins surging late, (Or the Tigers falling) to win the division will pay off in this series.  The Twins have had guys like Morneau and Mauer bat great all year, while no one on the A's really stands out.  Plus, I like the Twins pitching staff over the A's. 

Twins win series in 4 games.

Detroit Tigers vs New York Yankees

The Tigers faded very fast toward the end of the year, losing the division lead they had all season almost.  The question is, can the Tigers revive the early season success against everyones World Series Pick, the Yankees.  The Yankees have scored more runs than anyone else, and the Tigers have allowed less runs than anyone else.  The Yankees did play without Gary Sheffield and Matsui for most of the year.  With them back, along with the other great batters, it seems that the lineup is unstoppable.  Altough the Tigers young aces in Bonderman and Verlander have been great all year, they are young and lack playoff experience.  For the Yanks, even without Johnson, they have Wang and Mussina who have both pitched great this season. 

Yankees win in 4

St. Louis Cardinals vs San Diego Padres

The Cards nearly blew their playoff spot to end the year, while the Padres had to fight with the Dodgers all year.  However, momentum is the next days starting pitcher.  The Padres won with pitching, pitching, and how bout some more pitching?  They say that pitching wins championships.  They have solid starters, and Hoffman, who has been a beast this season.  The Padres don't have any batters that really jump out at you, while the Cards have Pujols, Rolen and Edmonds.  They also have solid pitchers with Carpenter and Suppan.  I think it may come down to the closer, where Hoffman is more proven than whoever the Cards got.  Plus, the Cards were terrible away from Busch Stadium, and that will be the final factor.

Padres win in 5




Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Mets

The Mets were incredibly dominate all season.  However, they have been in cruise control for the last month, while the Dodgers have had to fight like crazy just to get a playoff spot.  The Mets do have some great batters with Reyes, Beltran, Delgado, and Lo Duca.  The Dodgers lineup does have a few question marks.  Both teams have some questions at pitcher.  The combo of Lowe, Maddux, and Penny are pretty good, while the Mets have the veterans Glavine and El Duque.  The Mets are the most vulnerable to lose in this 5 game series, and if the Dodgers get a hot start, they could pull it out.  But I believe the Mets pull this one out.

Mets in 5.

That's all for the MLB Preview Extravaganza!  Around the Horn will not be on ESPN on Friday, so this Friday, expect the return of Bloggers Around the Horn.  If you are interested in being a part of it, email me at slocum_moo@hotmail.com

Well it is time for some random ####-ed-ness-icity-ness.  Yeah, I think I just made up the biggest word ever.  Let's go.

 First I will start off by saying that Bloggers Around the Horn will not return this week, as I am crazy busy.  Plus it was meant for only when ATH is bumped from the air, and this week it will be on each day.  The next time Around the Horn is off on a Friday, it will return however.  Onward...

Have things gone from bad to worse for the Tampa Bucs?  The last 3 weeks, the defense has been ####, the running game non-existant, and passing game also weak.  Now quarterback Chris Simms is now out indefinetly after a spleen injury.  Now, their QB is a rookie in Gradkowksi, and the amazingly average Tim Rattay, who is average at best.  They likely will be at the bottom on the division.

Odell Thurman is an ####.  Last year, with a 2nd round pick, he came in and had a great rookie season for the Bengals.  He had 106 tackles, 5 forced fumbles, and 5 interceptions, certainly great numbers for any linebacker, e####ally a rookie.  But because of drugs this schmuck is ruining a promising career.  He already started the year with a 4 game suspension for violating the leagues substance abuse policy, which is already stupid.  Now he's been charged with drunken driving, which is even stupider.  This guy needs to wake up, and realize he is throwing his life away.  And for what?  Alcohol?  What a ####....

Ken Griffey Jr. is now 10th on the all time home run list.  A great accomplishment, but does anyone wonder how much higher up this guy would be if he could have stayed healthy?  Also, unfortunatly for Griffey, he played in the "steroid era." and because of that, he will be among those labeled a juicer, when there is not any proof he ever did anything.  It's a shame that those players who were clean the last 10 or so years will be labeled cheaters just because others did.

 
The Louisiana Superdome re-opens tonight, which is truely remarkable.  But the question is, how long will the Saints stay in New Orleans?  It's a sad question to ask, but a reasonable one, as owner Tom Benson wanted to move the team before the Hurricane.  Los Angeles would certainly make him more money.  It would be a heartless move, but lets be real, the Almighty Dollar runs all...

Which makes me add, I hope the NFL doesn't add any teams.  Right now, the 4 teams in 8 divisions system works perfectly.  Adding a team would off balance the schedules among other teams, so right now I want to see 32 teams.  If LA gets a team, it might be a relocated franchise...and unfortunatly it might be the Saints.

So Jeremy Shockey is running his mouth again.  It's amazing that if Terrell Owens would have said what Shockey said, the media would be talking 24/7 about it and calling T.O. the biggest #### on the planet.  Yet Shockey can rip his coaches, and it doesn't get too much attenion.  A shame.

Seemingly everyone is already shooing in the Yankees to be in the World Series, but do people forget about the Tigers and Twins?  Sure, the Yankees lineup is better, but I don't think anyone would say that the Yankees pitching is better than the Tigers or the Twins.  Just food for thought.

The NHL regular season will be back soon, which unfortunatly few people notice.  Hockey really is an exciting sport, but the league is mis-ran.  For one, the games are on OLN, which 1 out of every 2000 people basically have.  It's hard for anyone to watch your product, yeah that's smart.  Also, isn't it supposed to be Canada's sport?  Why are only 6 of the 30 teams in Canada?  And why do some cities like Anaheim, San Jose, and Columbus have teams?  The league has been horrible managed, and it's a shame, because it's an exciting sport.  It is a total sham that poker gets more TV time on sports networks then a true sport.  A total sham...

THAT'S ALL I GOT

 

Welcome everyone to the 2nd edition of Bloggers Around the Horn (Presented by Mr.NFL) I am your host, MrNFL, and I will be cheaply scoring the arguement between these 4 bloggers. Note, my comments will be in bold. With that, let's introduce today's contestants!


First, represented by red font (He requested it...) Straight from Canada, we have NeoAC.

Neo: Thank you, Mr. NFL. I know I'm the first foreign guest you've had on your show, so I will speak slowly and refrain from using big words so my colleagues don't get confused.

Alrighty then, next up we have Wiseguy6, who we'll give green

Wise: Down here in Tampa, I am leading the charge for the removal of Mr. Chris Simms as our quarterback. But other than that, I am doing pretty well.

Yeah, how bout Simms eh? Next up, in blue font, we have Rivjo

Rivjo: I’ve been told I know everything about nothing and I’m here to prove it. It’s about to get late early for you other guys. Second place ain’t so bad guys. Show me the way to the winner’s lounge Mr. NFL.

(MUTE) I think Adande copyrighted the "Lounge." Hee hee. Finally, in Gold we have Burger21

Burger: Good Afternoon Mr. NFL. Thanks for inviting me to be on this great show with such distinguished panelists (please don’t mute me right away for sucking up). I am burger21, and I have a temperature of 104 – or is it 100.4 – anyway, I am All Sports - All the time and I am here to drop the Truth on you!

I hope for your sake you score more than your Steelers did last week. Anyway, let's start it off with the First Word!


THE FIRST WORD

Week 3 of the great NFL season starts this Sunday, and there is some interesting matchups. Among them, two power offense vs power defense games with the Jags and Colts, and the Steelers and Bengals. Not to mention the disapointment Bowl for the Panthers and Bucs. Gentlemen, I ask, which of these games this week is the most important? We will start with Burger.

Burger: Lots of intriguing match-ups this week – Indy vs. Jax, Bears vs. Vikings, Giants vs. Seahawks – and of course the temptation is there for me to select my Steelers’ big showdown with Cincy. This is a huge game for the champs to re-establish themselves after the letdown in Jacksonville Monday, and as a divisional game it means much more. (+3) However, the question is which game is the most important and when considering that you have to look at the big picture, and the clear cut winner in that regard is the Monday night game between the Falcons and Saints in New Orleans. Yes, certainly the Saints, and perhaps the Falcons also, will be absent from contending for the Super Bowl this year, but this game goes beyond the standings and implications and hits the heart of America dead center. (+3) This will be the first time the Saints play in their city in a meaningful game since the horrific events of Hurricane Katrina last year. (+2) The game will be a rebirth for a team, a city, a stadium, and a region; and will solidify the reputation of good ‘ole American resolve and fortitude. While emotions and fanfare will be off the charts, this game also is vital for the Saints to play well in, if not win, because after all the hoopla fades away, it still comes down to football and the fans of New Orleans need to know they have a promising future in their team. (+2) We’ve all empathized with “Aints” fans over the years, with the bags over their heads and their wacko owner, but over the past year they have become like an adopted orphan to many, and everyone wants to see this team exemplify the nation’s resiliency with a rise to glory. They may be 2-0, but everyone knows those wins came against bottom dwellers Cleveland and Green Bay, so they need a superlative effort and strong showing against a contender so that their thoughts can begin to include playoff aspirations down the road (+3) (mocking Jim Mora – “Playoffs! Playoffs!! You’re talking about Playoffs!!!??) With the debut of Drew Brees and the dawning of the Reggie Bush era, this is a ‘can’t miss’ event for all football fans. Even Morten Anderson is making a return for old time’s sake! (+1)

Good stuff Burger, Rivjo, what say you?

Rivjo: It may be only week 3 but there are tons of HUGE games already. For example, all 6 AFC playoff teams from last year square off against each other on Sunday. (+3) Two of the three games are grudge matches featuring squads that were eliminated by their opponent. In one revenge special, Cincinnati heads into the Pittsburgh looking to wipe their butts with some “terrible towels”.(+3) In the other, New England looks to settle their post-season score as Denver and the much-maligned Jake Plummer journey to Foxboro. (+2) Finally, Jacksonville looks to get physical with Peyton Manning and the Colts in the Dome, where only one team can leave undefeated with the division lead.(+2) Heck, the Carolina-Tampa Bay game in the NFC South may be even more important than any of these since whoever loses here might already be kissing the playoffs good-bye. (+2)

The most important game in the league though is on Monday Night Football. Atlanta gets the privilege of being the first team to visit the New Orleans Superdome as they take on the Saints. All eyes in America will be on the good folks of Louisiana as they welcome pro football back to the region ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. Sure it’s probably going to be a blowout but this is by far the most meaningful event of the week. The others are just games. This is much deeper than that. (+4)

Alright, Wiseguy, go.

Wiseguy: I got to go with Carolina Panthers vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carolina came into the season with such high expectations and where everyone’s Super Bowl pick, but in the last two weeks they have been exposed to some serious weaknesses. (+4)The biggest, obviously, is the fact that their offense can’t run without Steve Smith. (+2) They are 30th in total team offense for the past two weeks without Smith, last year they were 8th with him. (+2) Good stat.

And now to Tampa, where to begin. The offense has been outscored by the Raiders (that by itself is sad), (+3) Chris Simms is on pace to throw 48 ints, and Cadillac Williams has yet to rush for more than 50 yards in a game.(+2) That doesn’t sound like a team that won its division a year ago. This game has to be Simms’s coming out party or he will be holding a clipboard instead of the pigskin.

Plus, no one wants to start the season 0-3. (+2)

Ok, Neo, you?

Neo: Without a doubt, Carolina against Tampa Bay. Both these clubs were highly touted coming into the season, and after this game, one of these clubs will be 0-3, and be facing a major uphill climb to get back into the playoff picture. (+3)

The Panthers have been struggling to get out of the gate this season. Whether its Steve Smith's hamstrings or John Fox's playcalling, nothing has been up to snuff so far. (+3) The offense has been sputtering, with only one TD scored in the first two games, (+2) and Jake Delhomme sporting an anemic 61.5 rating. If Smith does not return soon, all hope could be lost for the Panthers, no matter how good that defense is. (+2)

And the Buccos offense is even worse. At least the Panthers got a TD. Chris Simms has just looked lost this year, with no TDs, 6 INTs and a passer rating of 40. (+4) Where's Brian Greise when you need him, eh Gruden? (+1) Cadillac Williams has a major case of the sophomore jinx going on right now, gaining just 59 yards. And that 11:1 turnover ratio can't be helping much either (+2). So who do you pick?

Go for the team that has managed to score. Panthers win 13-3.

(HORN) Ok, two picks for Panthers/Bucs, two for Falcons/Saints. I'm surprised no one picked the Jags/Colts or Steelers/Bengals matchups, possibly AFC Championship previews...Onward...


The New York Mets season has been pretty good, they were the first to clinch a playoff birth in the MLB, and based on record, are far superior of every other NL team. However, anything can happen in the playoffs. With that, I ask, How far do the Mets go in the playoffs? Wiseguy start us off.

Wiseguy: NLCS. I don’t see them winning the NL because of one major thing that they lack- pitching, pitching, and pitching.(+2) Their top two starters, Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine, both have injury and performance issues heading into the playoffs. (+2) In Martinez's case, he's back from the DL (injured calf), but he was roughed up by the lowly Pirates in his first start since rejoining the rotation.(+3) Glavine, since the All-Star break, has an ERA of 5.03 with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of only 1.76 (+4) Great stat. If the first-half Glavine shows up, the Mets — particularly with their potent offense — should be just fine, but if the recent Glavine incarnation is the one on the mound, then the NL's best team could be in trouble. (+2)

And the back of the rotation is nothing to be proud about either. John Maine is a rookie and has never pitched in the bright lights of New York during playoff time (+1). Steve Trachsel (4.96 ERA) was been very inconsistent all year and I don’t know if El Duque can turn into that dominant playoff pitcher he is known for being. I got the Dodgers beating them in 6. (+1)

Dodgers eh? Alright then, NeoAC you're up.

Neo: Let's look at the Mets projected path as of right now.

Mets have the best division record so they would end up playing the wild card, which will likely be either Los Angeles, San Diego or Philadelphia. We'll give San Diego the West for now so lets focus on the other two. The Dodgers fared much better against the Mets than the Phillies did, with a 3-4 record against compared to Phila's 6-9. The Dodgers also won the series set 4-3 with the Liberty Boys, so in a one-game playoff they will likely emerge victorious. (+3) Against the Mets however, they would be tired from both the wildcard race and the playoff game, so New York takes round one. (+2)

In the next round, I project they would face the Padres anyway, given St. Louis's recent struggles with the injury bug and their scarcity of starting pitching. (+2) The Mets owned the Padres more than they did the Dodgers, taking that series 5-2. The Padres don't have the offense to deal with the power the Mets put behind the ball. So we'll give the Mets the NL pennant as well. (+2)

However, being the best team in the NL this year is like being the best hockey team in Malaysia. (+2) Funny stuff It just doesn't matter when you go up against the big boys. New York, like everyone else except San Francisco and Florida, had a losing record against the AL, going 6-9 against The Yankees, Boston, Toronto and Baltimore. (+3) If the Athletics or Tigers win the AL, they might have a chance, but if the Twins or Yankees show up to play, it'll be game over for the Amazin' Mets. (+2)

Ok, Rivjo?

Rivjo:

As much as it pains me to admit this, I can’t see any team truly eliminating the Mets in the National League. Since the season started you’ve been getting a sense of destiny about this club that GM Omar Minaya has put together. (+3) If anyone can get to them, they’ll be most vulnerable in the first round series. After a long period of meaningless games it will be interesting to see if the Mets can simply turn the intensity on again. (+3) They should probably root for the Padres to win the NL West and the Phillies the wild card. It’s in their best interest to have the Dodgers lose out since L.A. has 3 quality starters in Derek Lowe, Brad Penny and Greg Maddux to go along with a solid veteran line-up. (+5) The only scenario where I have the Mets not making the World Series is if they draw the Dodgers first and get stunned in the short 5 game series.(+2) Even so I don’t see it happening. I predict another Subway Series and an eventual loss to my love em’ or hate em’ Yankees. Call it a “homer pick” but it is was it is. (+1)

Ok, and Burger?

Burger:

You know, a lot of people look at the Mets as a young team, primarily because of emerging stars like David Wright and Jose Reyes and because they’ve been off the radar for several seasons, but this really is a veteran ball club with Carlos Delgado, Pedro, Tom Glavine, Paul LoDuca, Jose Valentin, and now Shawn Green. (+5) These guys have been in some big games, albeit for different teams, but they have post season experience and know what it takes to win. (+2) The big games Willie Randolph has been through as a player and coach with the Yankees can’t be understated either. (+2)They seem to have all the pieces in place but there are some questions that linger, foremost of which is the health and subsequent effectiveness of their pitching. (+2) surrounded Pedro and Glavine going in to this season and their injury setbacks have done nothing to alleviate those doubts. (+3) How they fare in the final week of the season should tell a great deal about their chances. The Cardinals have pitching stability issues of their own, but I like the make up of their bench much better – the Mets counter with the ageless Julio Franco – so they will have difficulty getting past them. (+3) In the end though I think they prevail and make it through the NL, only to lose another Subway Series to the Yankees.
Doubts as to how much was left in the tank
(+1) Extra point for mentioning the ageless wonder Franco. (HORN) So that's end of round 1, and I find it interesting that you guys are certain on the Yankees, interesting. Well right now NeoAC leads with 33, Burger has 32, and Rivjo and Wiseguy both have 30, Wow, I gave everyone too many points, here's a (MUTE) for all of you. Commercial time, coming up, Buy or Sell!


The Greatest game show of the all, the Price is RIght! Every Monday-Friday at 11 AM ET on CBS.

BUY? OR SELL?

Buy or sell time, lets do it!

First up, last week in the NFL, there was 3 overtime games. In one of them, the team that one the coin toss (Broncos) scored before the Chiefs could even touch the ball. It also lead to a fun arguement between Phil Simms and Jim Nantz during the game. My question, Buy or Sell the NFL's current overtime system? Rivjo, you lead off.

Rivjo:

I’m selling the NFL overtime system. Who would buy it? Quite frankly I think it’s awful. You bust your hump for 60 minutes only to have all your hard work ruined by losing a coin flip, a good kick return, a couple of first downs and a field goal. (+3) Okay, so maybe it’s a little harder than that but each team should at least get the same number of possessions.(+2) On second thought, if it was a good idea to hijack the 2-pt conversion from college I say we do the same with its overtime system. Now that’s exciting. (+2)

Wiseguy?

Wiseguy: I would guarantee each team one possession. But it wouldn’t be like college. If the first team to get the ball scores, they would have to kick off and stop the other team from doing the same, not give them the ball at the 25 yard line. (+3) It’s a pretty simple solution. This way, each team has a chance to win the game. (+1)

Gotcha, and for some reason FOX is being screwy with the colors there. Burger what say you?

Burger:

I’m selling this. I love the fact that the college system gives each team – offense and defense – the chance to compete and prove their mettle. (+2) Think of the classics we’ve seen: OSU-Miami for the National Championship; last year’s Orange Bowl between FSU-Penn State. (+3) Even this year think about the incredible goal line stands by Iowa against Syracuse that may save their season.(+2) Great games should not come down to a coin flip. The only change I would make would be starting each team farther back than the 25 so it’s not just an automatic field goal contest. (+2)

And Neo?

Neo: Sell. It relies too much on chance. Adopt the college system and just be done with it. The game will be better for it, it will give the fans more to cheer about. And there will be no more ties! Except in soccer, but that doesnt count. (+3)

Next, so far this season, Rex Grossman has been great. Altough it was against Detroit and Green Bay, Grossman has put up great passing numbers, but questions still loom about when he will get injured, as he always does. Gentlemen, Buy or Sell Grossman staying healthy the entire year? Burger?

Burger:

I’m buying for now, but I’m keeping my receipt for a return or exchange later. He is displaying a greater presence in the pocket and seems calm and less reckless as his confidence grows, but he hasn’t been tested by a strong defense yet (though looking at their schedule he won’t face many strong defenses). (+3)

3 points for the answer, but a (MUTE) for "keeping the reciept,", that was weak. Wiseguy?

Wiseguy: The last time Rex was healthy for a full season was his senior year at Florida. I have a feeling he’ll get injuryed this year; my prediction is week 9 vs. the Dolphins. (+3)

NeoAC?

Neo: Sell. There's a reason Brian Greise was brought in in the off-season (Yikes! Two Greise mentions in one show. Eerie). I just don't think Grossman can manage to stay off the injured list a whole year. Him being carted off the field is a part of an average NFL season, much like talk about Drew Bledsoe getting benched. (+4)

Two Griese mentions, I suppose that deserves a (MUTE) Rivjo?

Rivjo:

I’m buying Rex staying healthy. He’s playing behind a veteran offensive line that is going to keep him on his feet. Center Olin Kreutz is one of the best in the business. In fact Olin is so tough he broke fellow Bears lineman Fred Miller’s jaw in a dispute last year. Miller by the way goes 6 ft 7 in and weighs 320 pounds. It’s behind them now and keeping Rex safe should be easy compared to that. I am selling on Grossman having lots more 300-yards/4 touchdowns games though. (+5)

Ah, dap for the O-Line! I like, you get another point. (+1) Onward...

The Jaguars last week absolutely destroyed the Steelers offense. The week before, they did a good job against the Cowboys. Buy or Sell the Jaguars as the NFL's best D? Neo?

Neo: I think I may Buy this one. But its on a rental basis first. Lets see how they fare against Indianapolis before I make the full purchase. If its not them, I'm going to say the best D is back in Baltimore. (+3)

So you sorta bought it, and sorta didn't, meh (MUTE) Rivjo?

Rivjo:

I’m selling Jacksonville as the best defense in the league. It’s too early for them to be crowned that yet. They have been impressive for sure but against whom? Dallas has potential on offense but they have not had enough time to gel with the pre-season T.O. hamstring escapades. As for Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger was probably rushed back far too soon from his appendectomy. Let’s see what the Jags do against the Colts this Sunday before we jump to any conclusions. (+4) Wiseguy?

Wiseguy: Sell- Sure they looked great on Monday night, but that was against a bad Steelers offense with a still injuryed Ben Roethlisbeger. If they blank the colts, then I’ll change my mind. But until then, the Bears have the best defense. (+3)

Burger? It was your team that got trampled, what say you?

Burger: As much as this pains me to admit, I have to buy this until some one proves other wise. The Bears’ defense will once again put up gaudy stats against inferior competition; the Panthers seem in disarray; and the Steelers’ defense is great but their gambling style lends to giving up a few big plays a game, so the Jags are it for now. They can really cement their claim as the best defense if they can shut down the Colts in Indy this week. (+3)

(HORN) I think we all agree that we need to see the Jaguars play the Colts. Ok, first cut time, and as we look at the scores, Wiseguy6, you are the low man, final thoughts?

Wiseguy: Forget about the last game, Adrian Peterson still needs to get strong consideration for the Heisman. It’s not his fault the officials absolutely sucked. He played like warrior and deserves the recognition.
(MUTE) Ok, your done for the day, Out of Bounds is next!



This program sponsored by Evil #### local 231.

Ok, 2 down, here's how they stand. Rivjo leads with 46, Burger right behind him with 45, and NeoAC Bringing up the rear with 40.

OUT OF BOUNDS

This week's college football schedule doesn't look as exciting as last week. Only featuring two games with two ranked teams, and one of those games both teams are in the 20's. My question for you is, of all of the this weekends games, give me one upset. We shall start with Neo.

Neo: Not a lot to pick from, like you said, but I think I feel most secure taking North Carolina St. over #20 Boston College. The Eagles have just been skating on thin ice along the entire season so far. They almost let Central Michigan take them into overtime, they survived Clemson only thanks to a missed extra point attempt in OT, and somehow Brigham Young also managed to push them into the extra frame. (+6) I have a feeling they are about to make like that Pakistani acid girl from Family Guy. (+3) Love the FG reference. I know North Carolina St. has been horrible so far, losing to Akron and Southern Miss, but there is hope. Soph. Daniel Evans will make his first college start against the boys from Chestnut Hill, and he looked very good in mop-up duty, going 8/11 for 96 yards and a TD. Chuck Amato is also going to be pulling out all the stops for this games, because if he doesn't start now, he'll be lucky to last until the end of the season. (+2)

Burger?

Burger:

This question is an obvious attempt to get me to go on record in picking my Nittany Lions over OSU, and I have every confidence that they can and will show up strong in that game. I’m no fair-weather fan so I’ll go ahead and say it! Penn State wins! But I expect them to win so that is not my upset pick of the week. (+4)

While I think Michigan may be primed for a let down game against Wisconsin, another potential letdown game jumped out at me even more: Louisville at Kansas State. The Cards got past their big test against Miami and have a relatively easy road until their big showdown with West Virginia. I can easily see a stumbling block for them in the 3-0 Wildcats. (+3)


Rivjo what do you have?

Rivjo:

I hate to make this prediction, especially since I support the Golden Domers, but I have to do it. So many intangibles go into this pick. Currently The Fighting Irish are ranked 12th. Unless you were under a rock last week everybody knows that they were beat down at home by Michigan. (+3) This week they must travel to Michigan State to play the unranked Spartans (3-0) who are fresh off a victory over Pittsburgh. Last year the Spartans upset Notre Dame in South Bend and will be very hungry to make it two years in a row. (+2) I think Brady Quinn and company are still reeling from the disappointment of watching their National Championship hopes dashed and will lay another egg. (+3) Anyone who called them over-rated can give himself another pat on the back. I wonder if the team has begun to believe the critics themselves. (+2)

(HORN) Wow, interesting picks from this one. Well let's look at the scores, Rivjo you're save. And NeoAC, you fall just one short of Burger with 51. Parting shots?

Neo: Well, I guess its back to the Great White North for me. I just want to say, look for the Weekend Pickoff on Friday night, and if anyone still cares, the NHL season starts in a month! Go Oilers!

(MUTE) NHL Season shall be great. Ok, Showdown up next, featuring Rivjo and Burger21. Two men enter, only one will survive. And Adam Best has got to love seing two of his guys in the showdown. Showdown after this commercial!

Stephen Colbert, delivering truthiness Monday-Thursday on Comedy Central.

SHOWDOWN

Alright, Showdown between Rivjo and Burger21. Lessss Go!

Earlier this week, Morten Andersen signed a deal with the Falcons. The old kicker is 46 years old, older than any active player by 4 years. The question is, at what age does he finally retire? Rivjo start us off.

Rivjo:

As long as Morton can still kick field goals I say stick around forever. I think he will finally retire in the year 2010, even though it most certainly wouldn’t be as a regular. He will not only turn 50 years old that year but he will also have played pro football during 4 separate decades. Morton began his career in 1982 and I could see some former team letting him kick an extra point to accomplish this feat.

Burger:

I think it’s great that Anderson is back with the Falcons, especially going to New Orleans – the scene of his best years – Monday night, but this is a one year signing and he will be done for good after this season, or before if he fares poorly.

I like Rivjo's faith in the Great Dane, he gets the point. Next up.

NASCAR's second race in the ridiclous "Chase" is this week at Dover. Who ya got? Burger?

Burger:

Last week was a perfect example of why I dislike this “Chase” system. Jimmie Johnson was leading most of the season, only to have a crash and now he’s in the basement of the leader board because they have to start over? What is that? I think JJ wins in Dover and quiets his “can’t close the deal” critics. He won this race there last year and has 3 wins, 7 top tens, 4 top fives, and a pole in ten career starts at Dover.

Rivjo:

Nobody in “The Chase” needs a win more than Jimmy Johnson. After his wreck last week in New Hampshire he dropped all the way down to 9th in the standings. He can’t afford another poor showing and I look for him to drive the wheels off of the car. Jimmy has 3 career wins at this track and here comes number 4. After all, his luck can’t always stay awful during Chase Races, can it? He’ll be the man to beat in Dover.

I like the Stats from Burger, he gets the point. And finally for the game.


I'm sure all of you know about the insanity that is the Oklahoma-Oregon craziness. The people at Oklahoma want loss not to count against them in the BCS Standings. The Referees have already been suspended, and OU is threating to cancel future games against Pac-10 teams. The question is, is Oklahoma in the right for continuing to push this? Or should they just move on. Rivjo?

Rivjo:

Haven’t we been here before with useless protests? I mean sure, the replay official butchered the call on the onside kick but what does Oklahoma expect to happen? Should they line-up the players and reply it again on a mutual day off? That’s not happening, nor will the ruling be overturned, so just move on. Letting Oregon get back in the game in the first place, by allowing their offense to march up and down the field, had just a little bit to do with the loss too.

Burger:

Sports history is littered with teams that lost games they think they should have won due to poor officiating. You can go through the tape of every game to pull out missed or wrong calls. While the complaints and petitions to the league officials of both conferences were justified, asking for the game to be erased is over the top. The on-side kick was not the final play of the game. Even though the call was erroneous the Sooners still had an opportunity to stop the Ducks from scoring, and had a shot at a game winning field goal as time expired.

Very close call here, but the point will go to Rivjo, enjoy your face time.

Rivjo:

Welcome to the Winner’s Lounge. Speaking of winners, just who the heck is going to win the NL wild card? Does it matter? Are the glasses of the “contenders” half empty or full? They do have to play the Mets right? As the Mets steam-rolled all season long through the National League, it became a foregone conclusion that they were the cream of the crop. Well, all teams play for one reason and one reason alone. As Herm Edwards so vociferously reminded us a few years back, “You play to win the game!”

There are still a lot of excited fans in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Philadelphia. They die a thousand deaths with each loss and experiencing a thousand dreams with each win. A berth in the playoffs is like a lottery ticket. As long as you have one, you have a chance. Good luck to all you baseball lovers wishing on a star. The best is yet to come. If you are a fan of the Royals, Pirates or some other struggling team, then by all means jump on the nearest good-looking bandwagon. It doesn’t make you a bad person. It makes you a fan looking to identify with something appealing, even if just on a temporary basis. Otherwise shut your traps if we see another Subway Series and go watch football instead.

See ya when I see ya!

(MUTE) I think Adande will sue you for using the lounge, Burger anything you want to add?

Burger: Thanks once again, NFL, for letting me play along today. This has been great.

The 2006 Ryder Cup between the defending cup champion European Team and the American contingent opens today at the K Club in Ireland. NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller said recently that this year’s American team is “the worse team we’ve ever fielded.” The Golf Channel’s Steve Duemig seems to think that Miller’s comments were made to stir the pot a little bit in order to rile up the US golfers. I disagree. First off, these are the best golfers in the world playing for their country after being embarrassed two years ago – they shouldn’t need any extra motivation than that. And I’m a little confused on how a team with the 1-2-3 ranked players in the world could be the ‘worse’ at anything. Exactly how could our team be better? What Americans left off the squad by the captain (Tom Lehman) could have made this better than the ‘worse’ with the top three in the world already on board? We may have four rookies on the squad but there are first timers in every cup and the Europeans had that many last time. No, this is more of the same old – same old from Miller. His on air arrogance is one of the most disdainful aspects of golf coverage, especially for this pristine event. He is widely known for being overly cynical and belittling in his commentary, beyond the norm for unbiased critique, and the players have little respect for him. When asked about his reaction to Miller’s comments, Chris DiMarco replied “I never agree with anything Johnny Miller says or writes.” Miller seems to me to be egotistical and is jealous of the modern players for their success and recognition. While he was widely regarded as talented and successful in his own career, he was always in the shadow of Jack and Watson, and never seems to get over that he isn’t getting the attention he thinks he’s due. His stinging barbs aimed toward Tiger and Phil and others are not within the scope of his duties, and as an American in a day when cheap shots toward Americans are in vogue the world over; I view his jaded pessimism as unprofessional and unpatriotic. He could have easily stated his views about the rookies on the team and our poor performances of late without using terms like ‘worse’ in regard to the squad of his own nation. I will tune in to cheer on our team and watch the compelling play by the best in the world from both sides; but I will also exercise my right to do as our good host Mr. NFL has done in this episode of Around The Horn – and use my MUTE button.

And I shall use my (MUTE) button after that book you just wrote. Neo, Wiseguy anything you want to add?

Wiseguy and Neo: (MUTE) Forget about it! That ends the second edition of Bloggers Around the Horn. If you interested in being a part of it, send me an email, it's over in the About me section.

And remember, Do not spam categories!


HORN

Burger21
Rivjo
Wiseguy6
NeoAC