National Hockey League

Does anyone watch this anymore?  I've heard several explanations as to why the NHL is losing fans, but here's my take on it.

Maybe part of the problem is the fact the season starts the 1st week of October.  Call me crazy (you wouldn't be the first), but why does anyone want to watch guys on skates with golf clubs on steroids when the weather is still fairly nice throughout most of the country, and possibly some of Canada as well?

College Football

I'm not sure anyone wants it this year.

Last week 5 top ten teams managed to lose, and not look very good in doing so.  This week, as I write this, Wisconsin has just layed an egg at Illinois.  From what I've seen of the Badgers, they didn't deserve to be ranked #5 in the country had it not been for everyone else losing.

What I'm wondering right now....actually, I'm going to go ahead and predict it....no more than 1 team will manage to go undefeated, and I'm not so sure anyone will.  Time to really earn your money BCS selection committees, when trying to decide which pair of 1-loss teams deserve to play for the Nat'l Championship.

 MLB Playoffs

 Having glanced at a couple blogs and listening to the so-called experts on TV, nobody seems to think Arizona or Chicago deserve to be in the playoffs.  I have to respectfully disagree.  Granted, the Cubs won the least impressive division in the game, thanks in large part to Milwaukee's 3 month long collapse, but the rule only states you have to win the most games in your division to get in.  They did that.

 With Arizona, the debate seems to center around their negative run differential.  To me, the fact that they managed to win 90 games tells me that they deserve it even more.  How you win that many games while scoring 50 fewer runs than your opponents means you won alot of close games, while probably getting waxed in a handful.  My guess is that was mostly due to the back end of their rotation getting shelled a couple times, or a couple guys in the bullpen doing the same.

That probably won't matter that much, because your worst pitchers generally don't make the playoff roster, or at least don't see much action unless the game is already a blowout.

 By the way, how are the Yankees and Phillies-teams that I guess did "deserve" to be in-doing?

 Speaking of the playoffs, how about A-Rod?

 Sounds like he's performing to his recent post-season level.  If the Yankees fail to advance, it won't be all his fault, but the fans are going to remember his struggles more than anything else.

 So, Yankee fans, keep in mind how you respond to him in the next few days could go a long way in determining whether he remains a Yankee or signs elsewhere.  Sure, he'll probably opt out either way, but he could always re-sign for more money.  I think the odds of that go down quite a bit if the fans boo him mercilessly for another bad post-season performance.

 More Steroids

 I guess the Floyd Landis mess is close to being behind us.  Now it's Marion Jones' turn.

 Remember when we used to make fun of the Russian and German women in the olympics because we thought they looked like men and swore it was a result of some type of steroid use?

 Kind of sad that more and more of our own athletes feel the need to resort to performance enhancing substances to keep up with the rest of the world.  I thought we were supposed to be the best athletes in the world, and not need to cheat to win.

 (I don't normally do this, but I want some opinions on this)....the Gieco cavemen now have their own TV show...?

 Are we this hard-up for programming that we're reduced to this now?  It's bad enough you can't turn the TV on without finding 2/3 of programming being called "reality television" but now we're making sitcoms out of commercials.

 The only, and I mean ONLY good thing is they didn't opt for the little green booger that talks.

 Is it NBA season yet?

 With the regular season of baseball now over, the NHL about as intriguing as a root canal, and football mainly played on the weekends, I need something to fill my rare weeknights at home.  Plus, I need something to listen to on my way to work, and baseball on the radio is simply too boring even if it is the playoffs.

 ....Just a throw-in

 I'm going to change my last name to Cash, so I can get a girl named Moore to want to marry me.

 What woman doesn't want her name to be ______(insert first name here) Moore-Cash?

 (If that was lame, blame cuziffer, he told me lame jokes are gold.  I probably should have opted for a Paris Hilton joke, but I think they've all been told already)

We're 2 games into the season, and after the pounding that I took from the mass of "intellectual" respondants, I thought we should revisit my predictions and see how they've panned out so far.

 NFC East

I'm completely wrong so far in this division.  I picked the Eagles to win the division, and they're 0-2.  I picked Washington to finish last, and they're currently 2-0.  I had Dallas and the Giants fighting for a possible wild card berth.  Dallas is 2-0 (in part due to having alot of offense, and a so-so defense), and the Giants look like the same trainwreck they've looked like for the past couple seasons under Tom Coughlin. 

Still time for this division to spin around in my favor, but I'm not holding my breath on the Eagles coming out on top at the time being.

NFC South

 This division looks worse than I thought so far.  New Orleans has even less defense than last year (and that's saying something) while their offense looks offensive.  Tampa Bay and Carolina are tied for 1st place at 1-1.  I figured TB to battle it out with Atlanta for the cellar, so I'm half right there at least.

 Again, still time for this to shake out the way I predicted it, but the Saints need something to go right defensively.  Is it possible last year was a fluke?  I hope not, but you never know.

 NFC North

 I thought picking Chicago was a no-brainer here.  Obviously, I underestimated the "Rex Factor."  This looks like a repeat of last year, where they need the defense and special teams to score an average of 2 TD's per game to have a chance to win.  I have no idea how Grossman hasn't been run out of town yet, but it can't be too much longer before it happens if he can't learn to hang on to the ball, and throw it to his own teammates.  Is it possible he's completely color blind, and can't distinguish the difference between his own team's jersey and helmet markings and the opponent?

 The surprise teams of the year so far in this division are Detroit and Green Bay, neither of which I picked to make much noise in the hunt for postseason play.  Minnesota still has no reliable QB, and the guy who was supposed to be the man is already on the hot seat, not only because of poor play but also for what some say was a minor injury late in last week's game.  I know I'm not the only one who thought Kelly Holcomb would become their starter sooner rather than later.  (Just maybe not this soon)

 NFC West

 San Francisco is leading this division at 2-0.  Seattle is 1-1, as is Arizona.  The Rams are winless.  I picked Seattle to win this division, with SF battling for a wild card spot.  While the 49ers are winning, it hasn't been pretty.  QB Alex Smith is regressing this year, but the defense has been good enough to get a pair of victories.

 The Rams are starting to make me think they won't put up much of a fight, and aren't going to help my predictions any if they don't turn it around soon.

 Now, over to the AFC

 AFC East

 Hey, I got one right.  Well, I picked New England to win this division.  They're off to a 2-0 start, and look like the team to beat in the AFC.  Everyone else in the East is 0-2, and don't look to be going anywhere this season.

AFC North

I, umm, picked Baltimore to win this division, followed by Cincy.  I picked Pitt to finish 3rd and Cleveland to bring up the rear.

So far, Pitt looks like the best team.  Cleveland just scored on Cincy again, and Cincy returned the favor by scoring with the sisters of every Cleveland player.

Hey, at least I was right about Cincy not having a good defense.

 AFC South

 Well, I'm right about Indy so far.  I must admit Houston is a pleasant surprise, but we'll see how they do without stud WR Andre Johnson for however long he's out.  Jax and the Titans are 1-1.  The Titans showed me something against Indy last week, but they still have alot of holes to fill.  I don't think Jax is going anywhere now, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Jack Del Rio get fired during the season if things don't improve dramatically.

 AFC West

 How 'bout them Raiders?  This is the team with the most defensive, vocal and downright ornery fans.  This was the team they swore would be much improved, and would definitely make the playoffs.  So far, they're 0-2.  But hey, they signed JaMarcus Russell...finally.

 San Diego has looked bad on offense in both games, and worse on defense against the Patriots last week.  Maybe now teams will realize Norv Turner is a terrible head coach, and that maybe Marty Schottenheimer wasn't so bad.

 Denver should get better, but I hope not.  That goes against my prediction for them, but I'd really like to see them fall flat on their faces after all those offseason trades and signings.

 KC is right where I thought they'd be, fighting it out with the Oakland/LA/Middle California Raiders of Al Davisville.

 What's it all mean?

 Well, it means absolutely nothing, except that I'm still here, and I'm not afraid to admit when I'm wrong (in the case of Houston, Pitt, GB, Detroit, Washington, and Dallas).

 The question now is, will the angry fans of the Raiders, Titans, Vikings, and Browns have it in them to do the same?

 Also, will fans of Dallas, Washington, GB, Pitt, Houston and Detroit be classy enough not to rub it in my face for being wrong?

 I never had a problem with any fan who believes their team will be better than the experts (or myself) thought.  The only problem I have is those fans who believe their team will be better, and can't say it without calling everyone who disagrees a laundry list of names...names that are easy to throw around while sitting behind a computer screen, and knowing absolutely nothing about the person (or people) they're directed at.

 I think everyone knows the drill.  If you want to comment, have at it.  Don't have anything nice to say?  That's cool too.  But before you start tossing accusations and names around, look in the mirror and ask yourself if it's worth getting all p!$&ed off over some anonymous blogger's opinions, or if you're better off just clicking the back button in the upper left of your screen, or the red "X" in the upper right.

 It's all up to you now.  Do with it what you will.  'Til next time, Blog it like you mean it.

Patriot-gate

I've been watching the ESPN coverage of this fiasco, and there are alot of opinions about the severity of the violation, and what the punishment should be.

My favorite thoughts are those that go something like this:  The Patriots are so much better than the Jets, that it shouldn't matter that they broke the rule, so why is it even a big deal?

Well, I have a couple reasons why.

For starters, if the Patriots really are that much better, why did they need to break the rules to try and gain an advantage over the inferior Jets?  I can think of a couple reasons.  One is that the Pats accused the Dolphins of studying game film and learning their signs and formations last year and didn't get in trouble, so they thought they'd take it one step further, either to prove a point or just because if one team can do it, why not them too?

The other reason is simply because Uncle Bill hates everybody, and Eric Mangini is pretty close to the top of the list.  Why not stick it to him once again if given the chance?  I don't know what Belichick's damage is, but I'm pretty sure it starts somewhere in the frontal lobe.

Now, the other reason the Pats' rule-breaking is a big deal is because the commissioner apparently made it pretty clear to teams before the season started to NOT try stealing signs or video taping the other team on the sidelines.

So,  the reasons why it's a big deal are:  If the Patriots are clearly better than the Jets, they shouldn't need to break silly rules to beat them.  They also should know better than to violate a rule the Commish JUST made clear to them that he would not tolerate being broken.

 I don't know what the punishment will be, but for the first time in my life, I think Tony Kornheiser may be right about something.  If the league hands them a hefty fine, the team will pass the buck (actually, it'll be the other way around) on to the fans who buy tickets, concessions, merchandise, etc.

 Forget the fines, that just costs the fans.  Take away 2 draft picks that matter (maybe the extra 1st rounder they have, and just for kicks, give it back to the team who traded it to them in the first place), and the Pats forfeit the game against the Jets.

 Oh, and for the record, I used to like the Pats, but I've grown sick of the constant bragging about them, and Belichick is just a....well, lets just say I don't like him at all.  And I DON'T like the Jets, so before claiming I'm a homer, hater, or whatever, that's not the case at all.

 Athletes making false reports after accidents, lying about taking performance enhancers, etc.

 We all know about Lance Briggs.  Schmucked his car, called the cops and claimed his car was stolen.  Then he changed his mind and admitted it was him.  Anything happen to him?  Not that I'm aware of.  You don't put a pro athlete behind bars for breaking petty laws like that, just regular joes like us get that kind of treatment.  What amazes me is all the regular joes who do get that kind of treatment, who defend these people for breaking rules, laws and regulations and getting away with it.

 Do you not realize that every time a pro athlete gets away with breaking a law, it makes it cost us more when/if we break the same law?

 How about all the baseball and football players (maybe others) now being found to have ordered HGH via the internet?

 Yeah, I know, "when they did it, it wasn't illegal" or they "were just trying to make their sex life better" or whatever.  My problem is, if it wasn't illegal and there wasn't anything wrong with it, why all the secrecy?  If it was for medical purposes or there just weren't any rules/laws against it, why wait until a federal investigation gets ahold of evidence that you were buying this stuff?  Or, why, after they do find evidence, do you still pretend like it never happened?

 If I know I did something 5 years ago that was legal then, but isn't now, and the feds are looking into it anyway, I'm going to want to talk to them and clear my name before the media and public get ahold of the information.

 Since I can sense another "but" response coming, I'm not saying they should rat out anyone they might also know who bought the stuff.  Just clear your own name, and move on with life.  Like I said, if it was legal when I did it, what can they do?

 Hammer time

 I'm done for now, but for all my fans who somehow think I'm a paid journalist for foxsports.com, now's your chance to once again fill the comment section with your brilliant responses.  Drop the hammer, bring the noise, or whatever the kids call it these days....I can't wait to see what wonderful, intelligent things some of you have to say on this subject.

This isn't totally sports related, but it is related to this blog site (bear with me or quit reading now)....

Recently I wrote 2 posts dedicated to my predictions for the upcoming NFL season.  1 post each for the NFC & AFC.  This is not an attempt to get anyone to go read them, as I got plenty of recognition and comments already.  Some interesting comments were made, and from those comments, I have some questions for you (particularly the more established bloggers).

Has anyone blindly concluded that, since one of your posts was featured by the site, that you are a journalist, or write for foxsports.com?

I think about a dozen people got this idea, and I just don't get it.  Other than having a link to one of my prediction posts on the NFL page, I can't figure out where anyone got the idea that I write for the site.  I mean, it even says "blog" in front of the link.

Why do fans get so irate if you don't pick their team to at least make the playoffs? 

I'm just a random person with access to the internet, that a grand total of one person actually knows in "real" life.  If my opinions mean that much to you, it might be a good idea to cancel your internet subscription, toss your computer out the window and seek professional help.  On second thought, their opinions (although probably accurate) would probably anger you even more, as they'd probably include the words "emotionally unbalanced" or "clinically insane."

 And why is it that fans of the worst teams (based on last year's records, and my prediction for them this year) believe with the most certainty that their team is the one that is going to be the biggest surprise in the league?  It's one thing to be a fan, it's a whole new ball game to blindly believe your team is going to improve by several wins because they A) made 3 or 4 "big" free agent signings, B) hired a new coach, or C) just needed that 1 year of experience before putting it all together.

 Why does it always seem like the least intelligent (common knowledge, not about sports) people have the most to say?

 With all the expletives sprinkled in the comments of some of those who responded, I almost thought somebody microwaved a smurf and it exploded all over my blog.  I could care less if you disagree with my predictions.  I'm not going to win or lose anything based on how many of them turn out to be right or wrong.  Is it too much to ask for people to refrain from having to use 4 letter words to try and prove their point?  More often than not, you make yourself look like a person with anger management issues, and whatever point you were trying to make is completely overshadowed by your inability to act like a responsible human being.

 If I was guilty of everything I was accused of.....

 I'd be a female sports writer who copied and pasted last year's predictions (even though I didn't have a blog or a "column" at the time), took the final standings from last season and just flip-flopped a few teams in the standings, or didn't really make any predictions at all, and just picked teams I like.

 Well, I can safely say I am not a female or a sports writer (at least not a paid one).  If having a blog makes me a sports writer, then I guess I am guilty of that.

 I didn't take last year's final standings and tweak anything either.  If you asked me where most teams finished and what their records were, it's very likely I wouldn't know unless I looked them up.  I do remember which teams were good, which teams were bad, and which teams I thought made moves in the offseason which I believe either made them better or worse.

 I also didn't pick teams just because I like them.  One person accused me of liking the Packers, I think because I mentioned that the Vikings have signed a few of their former players in the Vikings paragraph, and followed up with my thoughts on the Packers.  Apparently that person couldn't read that I don't think they're a playoff team, but somehow still got the idea that I had them winning a game or two in january.

 I can also tell you that I don't like the Colts (mostly Manning), Patriots or Ravens.  Still, I picked each of them to win their divisions.  I do like the Panthers, Texans (not sure why), Bills, Jags and Cardinals, but I didn't pick any of them to be all that good this year.

 Now what?

 For all the geniuses out there who think I'm stupid, I challenge you to make your own predictions on your own blog (that is, if you have one, or are man enough to create one), pick the Raiders, Cowboys, Browns, Texans and/or Titans to be playoff teams or win it all, and lets see how your predictions stack up at the end of the season.

I'm going to try to handle this all in one post, instead of two.  I thought I'd get less flack on my AFC predictions, but I was wrong.  Who knew Raider fans were as passionate, ornery and homeristic as Cowboy fans?

So, without any further hesitation, here we go....

NFC East....

The Cowboys are the cream of the crop.  T.O. is like a big brother to everyone on the team.  They will win it all because they're that good.

The Eagles, though slightly less talented (because Brian Westbrook had 160 fewer yards from scrimmage than the Cowboys' top TWO RB's), will be right there.  McNabb won't finish the season, but Kevin Kolb will step in and win 5 of the last 6 regular season games.  They will also win it all.

 The Giants will also win it all.  They have Eli Manning, who has grown a set since his verbal spat with former teammate Tiki Barber.  Michael Strahan is finally in camp, so their defense is now one of the best in the league.

 The Redskins will win it all.  They have a young, hungry QB, and a bunch of high-priced free agents at their disposal.  They got Fred Smoot back from Minnesota to team with Shawn Springs, and drafted LaRon Landry to rattle some helmets along with Sean Taylor.

 NFC South...

 The Falcons will win it all.  They finally got rid of Michael Vick and replaced him with Joey Harrington.  Their defense should be good.  They play in a dome.

 Tampa Bay has taken a look at 13 QB's since the end of last season, and they've got it all figured out.  The defense added Cato June and cut ties with Simeon Rice.  John Gruden is a smart coach.

 The Carolina Panthers added former #1 pick David Carr.  They have Steve Smith, Kris Jenkins and Julius Peppers.  John Kasey will lead the league in scoring.  They will win it all.

 The New Orleans Saints will be good this year.  Not as good as people say because they have no WR's (according to a reliable source).  Reggie Bush may go through a sophomore slump, along with Marques Colston.  Drew Brees can't possibly repeat his 2006 season.  All that said, they will still win it all.

 NFC North...

 The Bears are really good.  Rex Grossman is going to be a top 5 QB this year.  30 TD and 12 INT's (maybe less).  Their defense is better than last year.  Devin Hester will return 20 kicks (punts and kickoffs) for TD's.  The defense will outscore some other teams.  They will win it all.

 The Packers...aren't very good.  They made no improvements to last year's team, and their draft picks look bad.  Brett Favre is old and has no weapons on offense.  Still, they will win it all (but only because the NFL wants Favre to go out on top).

 Detroit has Calvin Johnson, the first ever WR drafted in the top 10 of the 1st round by Matt Millen.  Roy Williams (not the greatest Roy Williams, he's in Dallas) is good, and his predictions are even better.  His influence is showing in John Kitna, who predicted at least 10 wins this season.  I have to agree.  They'll win it all this year.

 The Vikings are good.  Their QB is coming into his own in his 2nd season.  They have Adrian Peterson and a good offensive line.  Their defense is going to be awesome.  They have Robert Ferguson, Ryan Longwell and Darren Sharper (all players GB let go in their primes), and they'll win it all.

 NFC West....

 San Francisco will win it all.  In spite of trading for Darrell Jackson, who is a malcontent, their offense will be great.  Alex Smith is a HOF QB in the making.  Defensively, they're going to dominate teams.  They will return to the glory days of when Bill Walsh, Jerry Rice and Joe Montana roamed Candlestick Park.

 Seattle is going to return to their '05 form, get back to the Super Bowl, but win it this time.  They have Shaun Alexander, Matt Hasselback, Deion Branch, and Mike Holmgren.  Their defense is going to be very good.  Their kicker is going to finish 2nd in the league in scoring.

 The Arizona Cardinals are going to win it all.  Matt Lienart, Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Edge (not the wrestler) will help the offense set a new league record for scoring.  Their defense will kick butt and take names.  They'll become great now that Dennis Green is finally gone, and their a$ $es can be crowned for a change.

 The St. Louis Rams have a great offense.  Steven Jackson, Marc Bulger, Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce are fantastic.  They are going to have the defensive rookie of the year.  They play in a dome.  They will win it all.

 AFC

AFC East...

The Bills are a playoff contender.  Takeo Spikes?  Who needs him.  Willis McGahee?  They've got Marshawn Lynch now.  They're going to surprise alot of people.  They will win it all this year.

 The New England Patriots are a dynasty.  In order to keep their dynasty going, they took a new approach this offseason and signed big name free agents for alot of money.  They have Tom Brady.  They traded for Randy Moss.  Troy Brown will play every position on the field..on both sides of the ball.  He'll kick the winning field goal in the Super Bowl.

 The Jets weren't a fluke last year.  Or were they?  They'll win it all anyway.  Eric Mangini is a smart coach.  They play in the same stadium as the Giants.  They'll win the Super Bowl.

 The Dolphins are a great team.  Trent Green?  Jason Taylor?  Zach Thomas?  That's enough for me.  They'll win it all.  Oh, I forgot to mention Cam Cameron is their coach, and he....let Dom Capers coach their final preseason game so he could better evaluate talent for the final roster cutdown?  Yep, they got it locked up.

 AFC North....

The Baltimore Ravens are good.  Ray Lewis is going to be the MVP of the league, not just on defense.  Steve McNair will have his best pro season.  Willis McGahee is going to rush for 2200 yards.  They'll win it all.

 The Bengals will win it all.  Lawbreakers?  We're not supposed to talk about that anymore, because the players who have been jailed, suspended or cut from the team for legal issues wouldn't have an impact this year anyway.  Carson Palmer to Chad Johnson 37 times, and a new celebration each time!  Yes, Bengals can change their stripes, to Championship stripes.

 Pittsburgh is going to return to glory.  New coach, no-huddle offense, punishing defense.  They'll win it all.  The Steel Curtain has returned.  Prepare yourselves for another championship in Steel Town (and rumor has it Jerome Bettis hasn't retired, he's only nursing a nagging injury and doesn't want to be cut before the season opener).

 The Browns will win it all!  They have Brady Quinn, Joe Thomas, LeCharles Bentley, Joe Juravicious (sp?), Kellen Winslow, and Braylon Edwards.  The defense is going to mirror that of the Ravens Super Bowl winner several years back.

 AFC South....

 Houston is very much improved.  Matt Schaub, Ahman Green, Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans and Dunta Robinson will be All-pro's this season.  They're going to win it all.  It's a new era in Texan football.  Are you ready?

 The Colts....I think we know about them.

 The Titans will win it all.  Vince Young is going to lead the NFL in TD passes, rush yards by QB's, and he'll catch 6 of his own passes for TD's as well.  Wait, they lost some guy on defense....Nevermind, not important.  They'll challenge for a 1st round bye, even though they'll finish in 2nd place in their own division.

 Jacksonville is going to win it all.  Byron Leftwich is gone.  David Garrard will be the man.  Jack Del Rio is still going to get fired after the season is over, but he'll have a championship to take with him.

 AFC West....

 Denver is going to win it all.  Mike Shanahan is a genius.  No, Raider fans know they stink.  They'll finish last, but still win it all.  Trust me, it's the new math.

 The Raiders are going to win it all.  Just ask their fans.  I know nothing about football, at least when it comes to the Raiders.  Seriously, ask their fans.  They're that good.

 The Chiefs....aren't very good.  They won't win it all.  Maybe they will though.  Check back as the season goes on for more details.

 The Chargers will....make it to the playoffs and lose their first game at home.  Norv Turner stinks.  They'll still beat the Raiders though, unless they don't. 

 *****please, do NOT take this personally in any way.  I'm JOKING.  Lighten up people, and enjoy life.  Smack talk between fans is one thing, but hating each other because you root for different teams is just silly.  Also, grow up.  Enough with all the name calling and childish antics.  Lose the homeristic attitudes as well.  Nobody likes a hater, but they like homers even less.****