It’s Thursday, and the middle of the week has passed. Instead of looking ahead to the upcoming weekend, I have to start by speaking on a game that took place last weekend. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma’s head football coach is still ranting and raving about the official’s bad calls during their game against the Oregon Ducks. Now, I’m not saying that his anger isn't justified. The officials did absolutely blow the calls. And the replay reviewer blew the calls again.
Despite all that however, Okalahoma still lost the game on the field. They had a chance to make a play and didn’t. Oregon did. Stoops needs to stop focusing on the past and focus on their next opponent and in the long term vision, the rest of the season. All they can do now is move forward. If they win out, then they can come back and make some serious noise but not before. If they go out and lose again, this game becomes moot. Lose twice, and Stoops will look like he was trying to mask a flawed team. Even if that’s his coaching tactic, this whole situation will make him look desperate.
In other college football news, Penn State travels to Ohio State this weekend. Ohio State looks virtually unstoppable on offense and the defense, though young, has proved to be very opportunistic. Led by LB James Laurinaitis, the defense has forced six (6) turnovers in three (3) games. While I like the young playmakers on Penn State’s offense, they didn’t fare well in their last road test against Notre Dame, and unfortunately I see a repeat of that day. Ohio State forces their young QB, Anthony Morelli into some crucial turnovers and wins by at least 10 points.
As baseball moves into their home stretch, only two divisional races are up for grabs. The NL West and the AL Central races are going right up to the end, with the second place team likely getting the wild card spot in their respective leagues. I’m going to go with the Detroit Tigers and the L.A. Dodgers to win their particular divisions with the Minnesota Twins and the S.D. Padres getting the wild card spots.
Well with the weekend being one day closer, I am getting more excited. Coming tomorrow is my NFL picks. After a bye week last weekend, I come back refreshed and looking to improve on my 9-7 record thus far. Until next time, peace.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Thursday, September 14, 2006
September 14, 2006- Weekend Recap
Man what a weekend!!! I am just now returning back to “normal” form and a normal routine. Well that and I am just getting better from the stomach flu or something like that.
From college football to the NFL to the US Open, it was a busy weekend in sports. Its weekends like that that make me wish I had picture in picture on my TV. There is a lot for me to talk about so let’s begin.
Starting with the NFL, I stated the even though I wanted to get 75-80% of my game picks correct, I knew my first couple of weeks would be rough. Well I was certainly correct about that. After Week 1, I am 9-7, which is a good starting point, but it shows me I have a lot of work to do. Playing Thursday Morning Quarterback, let’s recap my picks and see where I went wrong or right.
Pittsburgh vs. Miami- I underestimated the Pittsburgh defense and overestimated Daunte Culpepper. A guy makes a comeback from a serious knee injury and I forgot how he played before he got hurt. Well he reminded me and the rest of us with two (2) terrible fourth quarter interceptions. I consider this a lesson learned.
Tampa Bay vs. Baltimore- The surprise of the week. It wasn’t the outcome of the game that shocked me but how the game was won. The Ravens came out and made a statement as their defense didn’t look old at all and Steve McNair looked really familiar with the Ravens offense. A very scary team considering that this was only Week 1.
Denver vs. St. Louis- If Jake Plummer continues to play like he did this past Sunday; the Jay Cutler Watch will start sooner rather than later. St. Louis won this game by doing what I thought Denver would do; run the ball and play good defense.
Tennessee vs. NY Jets- I should have said “The Jets have Chad Pennington”. Did he even have shoulder surgery? He looked great and he carried the Jets to victory.
New England vs. Buffalo- The first game I accurately picked the winner. And even this game was closer than expected. In the end, however New England found a way to win, which is what aspiring championship teams do.
Cincinnati vs. Kansas City- You know what else championship teams do? Win on the road using an efficient offense and hard-nosed defense. That’s exactly what Cincinnati did, holding Larry Johnson to 68 yards rushing. If their defense continues to play like this, the AFC North might become the toughest division in football.
Seattle vs. Detroit- Seattle tried really really really hard to lose this game. Oh, the Lions had something to do with that. The bigger problem, which Seattle attempted to fix with the acquisition of Deion Branch from the New England Patriots, is the offense lacked playmakers on the outside. I called it my “upset watch” game and in that regard I was dead-on.
Carolina vs. Atlanta- I got the basics of this game correct. Atlanta would try to run the ball. What I didn’t expect was that Atlanta would run the ball so effectively and I thought Carolina’s defense would play better. Well I was wrong, Atlanta won and I got another pick wrong.
Philadelphia vs. Houston- The one game I felt completely safe about all weekend. Donovan McNabb looked as if last year never happened, both on and off the field. Donte Stallworth looked very comfortable in the offense. However we shall see how real the Eagles are this week when they face NFC East opponent, the NY Giants.
Cleveland vs. New Orleans- Reggie Bush got twenty-two (22) touches and gained over 100 yards. Deuce McAllister got twenty-two (22) carries and close to 100 yards. Drew Brees looked good. All good signs as the Saints continue to build momentum for their home opener.
Jacksonville vs. Dallas- I got this one half right. TO did show up and had a pretty good game. What I didn’t account for was the stingy Jacksonville defense forcing Drew Bledsoe into three (3) interceptions, which cost Dallas the game. TO said all the right things after the game, but Bill Parcells also said that Tony Romo will get a shot. Now the only questions are when Romo will play and under what circumstances.
Chicago vs. Green Bay- Wow. I wonder what Brett Farve is thinking. You come back for one (1) more season and in your first home game of the year, you are shut out by your fiercest and oldest rival. Guess his preseason statement about this being the most talented (and young) Packers team were a little off, eh?
Arizona vs. San Francisco- Arizona opened their new home in style jumping out to a 21-7 lead before relaxing a bit and making the game score look closer than what it really was.
Indianapolis vs. NY Giants- The referees found a way to impact an Indianapolis game, again. This time a truly bogus offensive Pass Interference call backed the Giants up, and the Colts capitalized by forcing Eli Manning into a game clinching interception. More notable was that the Giants were able to flush Peyton Manning out of the pocket. The downside to that is that Peyton Manning was able to make plays outside of the pocket. Definitely, the most entertaining game of the weekend.
Washington vs. Minnesota- Watching the game, I feel very uneasy about the Redskins. Not only did they lose but their defense cost them the game. Against an average, at best, WR core, the Skins were routinely beat deep down field. This looms as a problem with TO and Terry Glenn waiting this week. The offense was ok, with Clinton Portis showing that he is ready to carry his share, and Santana Moss showed he is still his explosive self. Still worried about the defense though.
San Diego vs. Oakland- The Raiders are in 1st place in the 2007 Brady Quinn Sweepstakes. Enough said.
Well now that I have wrapped up discussion about the NFL, I can move to college football, which also wrapped up a pretty exciting weekend. Notre Dame answered questions about itself, dismantling Penn State and overmatched Quarterback Anthony Morelli. Ohio State put itself in the National Championship’s driver seat by going into Austin, Texas and beating the Longhorns 24-7. Troy Smith made plays when he needed to and Ted Ginn Jr. provided his usual spectacular play. The scariest part was that Ohio State’s defense forced three (3) turnovers and held a Top Three (3) team to only 7 points.
I have to give kudos to the Akron Zips and their head coach, JD Brookhart. Not only did he have the cajoles to go for the win on NC State’s home field, he also handled the classless criticism from NC State’s head coach Chuck Amato with grace and dignity. Coach Brookhart I applaud you.
Lastly, I would like to discuss the results of the final weekend of the US Open. Yes the US Open wrapped up last weekend and if you missed it, then you missed some good tennis. First on Saturday night, Maria Sharapova won her second Grand Slam, beating Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-4, 6-4. Then on Sunday, we (the fans) got the match we wanted to see. Once Andre Agassi was defeated, everyone hoped that Roger Federer and Andy Roddick would meet in the final. Well they did meet and with Tiger Woods in the stands watching, Federer won 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 for the 11th time in 12th tries. I have started to love the way Federer plays tennis. It’s like he feels the exact moment his opponent is starting to gain momentum and then he comes up with an improbable shot the further deflates his opponent. Quietly I am starting to really admire the hold Federer is tightening on the game of tennis.
Well I feel I have rambled on enough. Enjoy my thoughts on this past weekend and hopefully you will look for my next blog. Until next time, peace.
From college football to the NFL to the US Open, it was a busy weekend in sports. Its weekends like that that make me wish I had picture in picture on my TV. There is a lot for me to talk about so let’s begin.
Starting with the NFL, I stated the even though I wanted to get 75-80% of my game picks correct, I knew my first couple of weeks would be rough. Well I was certainly correct about that. After Week 1, I am 9-7, which is a good starting point, but it shows me I have a lot of work to do. Playing Thursday Morning Quarterback, let’s recap my picks and see where I went wrong or right.
Pittsburgh vs. Miami- I underestimated the Pittsburgh defense and overestimated Daunte Culpepper. A guy makes a comeback from a serious knee injury and I forgot how he played before he got hurt. Well he reminded me and the rest of us with two (2) terrible fourth quarter interceptions. I consider this a lesson learned.
Tampa Bay vs. Baltimore- The surprise of the week. It wasn’t the outcome of the game that shocked me but how the game was won. The Ravens came out and made a statement as their defense didn’t look old at all and Steve McNair looked really familiar with the Ravens offense. A very scary team considering that this was only Week 1.
Denver vs. St. Louis- If Jake Plummer continues to play like he did this past Sunday; the Jay Cutler Watch will start sooner rather than later. St. Louis won this game by doing what I thought Denver would do; run the ball and play good defense.
Tennessee vs. NY Jets- I should have said “The Jets have Chad Pennington”. Did he even have shoulder surgery? He looked great and he carried the Jets to victory.
New England vs. Buffalo- The first game I accurately picked the winner. And even this game was closer than expected. In the end, however New England found a way to win, which is what aspiring championship teams do.
Cincinnati vs. Kansas City- You know what else championship teams do? Win on the road using an efficient offense and hard-nosed defense. That’s exactly what Cincinnati did, holding Larry Johnson to 68 yards rushing. If their defense continues to play like this, the AFC North might become the toughest division in football.
Seattle vs. Detroit- Seattle tried really really really hard to lose this game. Oh, the Lions had something to do with that. The bigger problem, which Seattle attempted to fix with the acquisition of Deion Branch from the New England Patriots, is the offense lacked playmakers on the outside. I called it my “upset watch” game and in that regard I was dead-on.
Carolina vs. Atlanta- I got the basics of this game correct. Atlanta would try to run the ball. What I didn’t expect was that Atlanta would run the ball so effectively and I thought Carolina’s defense would play better. Well I was wrong, Atlanta won and I got another pick wrong.
Philadelphia vs. Houston- The one game I felt completely safe about all weekend. Donovan McNabb looked as if last year never happened, both on and off the field. Donte Stallworth looked very comfortable in the offense. However we shall see how real the Eagles are this week when they face NFC East opponent, the NY Giants.
Cleveland vs. New Orleans- Reggie Bush got twenty-two (22) touches and gained over 100 yards. Deuce McAllister got twenty-two (22) carries and close to 100 yards. Drew Brees looked good. All good signs as the Saints continue to build momentum for their home opener.
Jacksonville vs. Dallas- I got this one half right. TO did show up and had a pretty good game. What I didn’t account for was the stingy Jacksonville defense forcing Drew Bledsoe into three (3) interceptions, which cost Dallas the game. TO said all the right things after the game, but Bill Parcells also said that Tony Romo will get a shot. Now the only questions are when Romo will play and under what circumstances.
Chicago vs. Green Bay- Wow. I wonder what Brett Farve is thinking. You come back for one (1) more season and in your first home game of the year, you are shut out by your fiercest and oldest rival. Guess his preseason statement about this being the most talented (and young) Packers team were a little off, eh?
Arizona vs. San Francisco- Arizona opened their new home in style jumping out to a 21-7 lead before relaxing a bit and making the game score look closer than what it really was.
Indianapolis vs. NY Giants- The referees found a way to impact an Indianapolis game, again. This time a truly bogus offensive Pass Interference call backed the Giants up, and the Colts capitalized by forcing Eli Manning into a game clinching interception. More notable was that the Giants were able to flush Peyton Manning out of the pocket. The downside to that is that Peyton Manning was able to make plays outside of the pocket. Definitely, the most entertaining game of the weekend.
Washington vs. Minnesota- Watching the game, I feel very uneasy about the Redskins. Not only did they lose but their defense cost them the game. Against an average, at best, WR core, the Skins were routinely beat deep down field. This looms as a problem with TO and Terry Glenn waiting this week. The offense was ok, with Clinton Portis showing that he is ready to carry his share, and Santana Moss showed he is still his explosive self. Still worried about the defense though.
San Diego vs. Oakland- The Raiders are in 1st place in the 2007 Brady Quinn Sweepstakes. Enough said.
Well now that I have wrapped up discussion about the NFL, I can move to college football, which also wrapped up a pretty exciting weekend. Notre Dame answered questions about itself, dismantling Penn State and overmatched Quarterback Anthony Morelli. Ohio State put itself in the National Championship’s driver seat by going into Austin, Texas and beating the Longhorns 24-7. Troy Smith made plays when he needed to and Ted Ginn Jr. provided his usual spectacular play. The scariest part was that Ohio State’s defense forced three (3) turnovers and held a Top Three (3) team to only 7 points.
I have to give kudos to the Akron Zips and their head coach, JD Brookhart. Not only did he have the cajoles to go for the win on NC State’s home field, he also handled the classless criticism from NC State’s head coach Chuck Amato with grace and dignity. Coach Brookhart I applaud you.
Lastly, I would like to discuss the results of the final weekend of the US Open. Yes the US Open wrapped up last weekend and if you missed it, then you missed some good tennis. First on Saturday night, Maria Sharapova won her second Grand Slam, beating Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-4, 6-4. Then on Sunday, we (the fans) got the match we wanted to see. Once Andre Agassi was defeated, everyone hoped that Roger Federer and Andy Roddick would meet in the final. Well they did meet and with Tiger Woods in the stands watching, Federer won 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 for the 11th time in 12th tries. I have started to love the way Federer plays tennis. It’s like he feels the exact moment his opponent is starting to gain momentum and then he comes up with an improbable shot the further deflates his opponent. Quietly I am starting to really admire the hold Federer is tightening on the game of tennis.
Well I feel I have rambled on enough. Enjoy my thoughts on this past weekend and hopefully you will look for my next blog. Until next time, peace.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
September 7,2006- First Week NFL Picks
Ahhh, it is finally here, football season that is. The air smells different, the sky looks different. Ok maybe I am exaggerating just a little bit but you get the picture. One thing I want to do this season is really test how good my prognosticator skills are. So I will be doing weekly NFL picks and then comparing myself to those on ESPN, FOX, CBS, etc. I expect to start off slow, as teams begin to define themselves. By the end of year, I want to be getting 75-80% of my picks right. Lofty expectations I know, but I plan to reach them. And so without further adieu, here are my Week 1 NFL picks.
- Pittsburgh vs. Miami- Without Big Ben, I don’t think Pittsburgh has enough firepower to stay with Miami. Though the home crowd will keep them in it, I think Miami will slip by.
- Tampa Bay vs. Baltimore- In a match-up of defenses that could age fast, I think Chris Simms has more experience, in his offense that is, than his counterpart, Steve McNair. So while McNair and the Ravens work out the kinks, Tampa Bay will win this defensive battle.
- Denver vs. St. Louis- Denver will begin their AFC West title defense by running all over St. Louis.
- Tennessee vs. NY Jets- Tennessee has Vince Young. The Jets do not. Is it really that simple? Of course not, but in the end I think Tennessee will win because of more weapons, with one of those weapons being Vince Young.
- New England vs. Buffalo- New England tries to gear up for another Super Bowl run by taking it to Buffalo, a team with QB problems. Actually they have a lot of problems.
- Cincinnati vs. Kansas City- I was tempted to take K.C. because of Larry Johnson, then I remembered that the Chiefs still cant tackle anyone and the Bengals have a lot more firepower so in a shoot-out give me the team with the most bullets. In this case that’s Cincinnati.
- Seattle vs. Detroit- The upset watch game. Detroit has a new coach who is cleaning house. The Seahawks are still smarting over their Super Bowl loss. It wouldn’t shock me that Detroit would come out inspired, while Seattle could play flat as a board. Although it wouldn’t shock me, I don’t think it will happen. Too many old Detroit players still around and Seattle wins.
- Carolina vs. Atlanta- Right out of the gate, the NFC South will begin to bang each other around. Carolina has always played Michael Vick tough. This year Vick begins the season with a banged up receiving core, so look for the Falcons to run more than they already do. Carolina has injury problems of its own as star receiver Steve Smith is questionable with a hamstring injury. At home I think Delhomme and the Panthers find a way to get it done.
- Philadelphia vs. Houston- I so want to go against the Eagles. I think they have helped to keep this TO fiasco alive and for an organization the “does things the right way” supposedly, I found that upsetting. However, one team that upset me more was the Houston Texans. They passed on Reggie Bush, saying they had Dominick Davis. Well now Dominick Davis is hurt and Reggie Bush looks like the perfect back to fit in with the zone blocking scheme of new coach Gary Kubiak. And I’m not sold on Mario Williams. He didn’t make enough plays in college when he had 3 other first round picks playing with him to occupy blockers and give him one-on-one opportunities. Only time will tell though. Philly wins because of McNabb. He is ready to dispel any thought that he needs TO. He’ll do it this week, as for the rest of the season, time will tell.
- Cleveland vs. New Orleans- Well before preseason this looked like a good game. Year 2 for Cleveland under Romeo Crennel was going well as the coach brought in veteran leaders such as Willie McGinest and LeCharles Bentley. Then the preseason began and fate reminded them why they are the Browns. Injuries cost the Browns their top 3 centers, and now they have reworked their line, again. New Orleans on the other hand gained more enthusiasm from the preseason with new QB Drew Brees showing no signs of lingering injury from his shoulder surgery, and Reggie Bush looking like he should have been the #1 pick the draft. I think the good trend continues for New Orleans and they gain more momentum for their home opener, September 25.
- Jacksonville vs. Dallas- Lets see. You have a receiver who loves the big stage. His first game with a new team is going to be nationally televised. Is anyone else seeing a big game from TO? Well, I am and I think he delivers a win in Week 1. I’m not sold on the Jaguars receiving core yet and I don’t think they have the secondary to stop TO all game. Dallas wins.
- Chicago vs. Green Bay- I know this is a rivalry game but if Chicago had some offensive this game wouldn’t even be close. However, Chicago’s offense can be sometimes offensive to watch, and they’ll make the game closer than it needs to be but in the end, the defense wont let them lose to Green Bay.
- Arizona vs. San Francisco- Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon of the Arizona Cardinals. Yes the offense and defense was ranked in the Top 10 and I know they signed E. James this off-season. But I cant be completely sold on Kurt Warner anymore. One thing I will not be sold on is that San Francisco won’t be drafting first next year, because they will. Arizona starts them on that path.
- Indianapolis vs. NY Giants- Brotherly rivalry. Anyone with brothers knows that this game is eating away at both of them. They both want to win; actually they both need to win. Neither Manning brother finished the season in a manner that they liked, and this first game is their chance to show their team, their fans, and themselves that last year was last year. The game is played outside, so that helps Eli. But its still big brother Peyton and that offense. I think the Colts have fixed the line problems that Pittsburgh exposed, and their offense looks as if they never missed a beat. Colts win.
- Washington vs. Minnesota- I really hope the Redskins were only using 2% of their playbook in the preseason because they looked flat out awful. And then even if they showed no schemes or anything, their performance told me that one-on-one their players have trouble beating the other players. Maybe I’m reading into it a little too much but that is the vibe I get. Well the preseason is done and if Clinton Portis’s shoulder is healed, the Redskins win. Reports in DC say that it is, so they’re my pick. Redskins win.
- San Diego vs. Oakland- Two teams breaking in new QBs. They will lean on the running game until they feel comfortable. In that case, give me the team with the better running back. That’s San Diego with L.T. They’ll win and give Philip Rivers some confidence.
So there are my picks (bolded). Let’s watch together and see how I do. Until next time, peace.
- Pittsburgh vs. Miami- Without Big Ben, I don’t think Pittsburgh has enough firepower to stay with Miami. Though the home crowd will keep them in it, I think Miami will slip by.
- Tampa Bay vs. Baltimore- In a match-up of defenses that could age fast, I think Chris Simms has more experience, in his offense that is, than his counterpart, Steve McNair. So while McNair and the Ravens work out the kinks, Tampa Bay will win this defensive battle.
- Denver vs. St. Louis- Denver will begin their AFC West title defense by running all over St. Louis.
- Tennessee vs. NY Jets- Tennessee has Vince Young. The Jets do not. Is it really that simple? Of course not, but in the end I think Tennessee will win because of more weapons, with one of those weapons being Vince Young.
- New England vs. Buffalo- New England tries to gear up for another Super Bowl run by taking it to Buffalo, a team with QB problems. Actually they have a lot of problems.
- Cincinnati vs. Kansas City- I was tempted to take K.C. because of Larry Johnson, then I remembered that the Chiefs still cant tackle anyone and the Bengals have a lot more firepower so in a shoot-out give me the team with the most bullets. In this case that’s Cincinnati.
- Seattle vs. Detroit- The upset watch game. Detroit has a new coach who is cleaning house. The Seahawks are still smarting over their Super Bowl loss. It wouldn’t shock me that Detroit would come out inspired, while Seattle could play flat as a board. Although it wouldn’t shock me, I don’t think it will happen. Too many old Detroit players still around and Seattle wins.
- Carolina vs. Atlanta- Right out of the gate, the NFC South will begin to bang each other around. Carolina has always played Michael Vick tough. This year Vick begins the season with a banged up receiving core, so look for the Falcons to run more than they already do. Carolina has injury problems of its own as star receiver Steve Smith is questionable with a hamstring injury. At home I think Delhomme and the Panthers find a way to get it done.
- Philadelphia vs. Houston- I so want to go against the Eagles. I think they have helped to keep this TO fiasco alive and for an organization the “does things the right way” supposedly, I found that upsetting. However, one team that upset me more was the Houston Texans. They passed on Reggie Bush, saying they had Dominick Davis. Well now Dominick Davis is hurt and Reggie Bush looks like the perfect back to fit in with the zone blocking scheme of new coach Gary Kubiak. And I’m not sold on Mario Williams. He didn’t make enough plays in college when he had 3 other first round picks playing with him to occupy blockers and give him one-on-one opportunities. Only time will tell though. Philly wins because of McNabb. He is ready to dispel any thought that he needs TO. He’ll do it this week, as for the rest of the season, time will tell.
- Cleveland vs. New Orleans- Well before preseason this looked like a good game. Year 2 for Cleveland under Romeo Crennel was going well as the coach brought in veteran leaders such as Willie McGinest and LeCharles Bentley. Then the preseason began and fate reminded them why they are the Browns. Injuries cost the Browns their top 3 centers, and now they have reworked their line, again. New Orleans on the other hand gained more enthusiasm from the preseason with new QB Drew Brees showing no signs of lingering injury from his shoulder surgery, and Reggie Bush looking like he should have been the #1 pick the draft. I think the good trend continues for New Orleans and they gain more momentum for their home opener, September 25.
- Jacksonville vs. Dallas- Lets see. You have a receiver who loves the big stage. His first game with a new team is going to be nationally televised. Is anyone else seeing a big game from TO? Well, I am and I think he delivers a win in Week 1. I’m not sold on the Jaguars receiving core yet and I don’t think they have the secondary to stop TO all game. Dallas wins.
- Chicago vs. Green Bay- I know this is a rivalry game but if Chicago had some offensive this game wouldn’t even be close. However, Chicago’s offense can be sometimes offensive to watch, and they’ll make the game closer than it needs to be but in the end, the defense wont let them lose to Green Bay.
- Arizona vs. San Francisco- Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon of the Arizona Cardinals. Yes the offense and defense was ranked in the Top 10 and I know they signed E. James this off-season. But I cant be completely sold on Kurt Warner anymore. One thing I will not be sold on is that San Francisco won’t be drafting first next year, because they will. Arizona starts them on that path.
- Indianapolis vs. NY Giants- Brotherly rivalry. Anyone with brothers knows that this game is eating away at both of them. They both want to win; actually they both need to win. Neither Manning brother finished the season in a manner that they liked, and this first game is their chance to show their team, their fans, and themselves that last year was last year. The game is played outside, so that helps Eli. But its still big brother Peyton and that offense. I think the Colts have fixed the line problems that Pittsburgh exposed, and their offense looks as if they never missed a beat. Colts win.
- Washington vs. Minnesota- I really hope the Redskins were only using 2% of their playbook in the preseason because they looked flat out awful. And then even if they showed no schemes or anything, their performance told me that one-on-one their players have trouble beating the other players. Maybe I’m reading into it a little too much but that is the vibe I get. Well the preseason is done and if Clinton Portis’s shoulder is healed, the Redskins win. Reports in DC say that it is, so they’re my pick. Redskins win.
- San Diego vs. Oakland- Two teams breaking in new QBs. They will lean on the running game until they feel comfortable. In that case, give me the team with the better running back. That’s San Diego with L.T. They’ll win and give Philip Rivers some confidence.
So there are my picks (bolded). Let’s watch together and see how I do. Until next time, peace.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
September 6,2006- Farewell Andre
As we have now reached the final day before the NFL season starts, I would like to take the opportunity to bid a sad farewell to Andre Agassi.
Agassi lost on Sunday to Benjamin Becker in 4 sets to officially mark the end of a radiant career. Being an 80’s baby with a father who played collegiate tennis, I’ve always had an interest in tennis. Though I never was able to turn this interest into any success on the tennis court, I’ve always followed the sport as a fan.
I watched Agassi’s whole career for the most part, and what I have always admired about Agassi is the way he played the game he loved. I’ve always noticed that Agassi has always looked like he wanted to be out there. I’m definitely not saying that other players show lack of effort, but for me Agassi was able to radiate a love for the game that shone through the television. Though he transitioned from ATP Tour rebel to the Tour’s elder statesman, he always maintained that passion for the game.
I remember reading an article about Agassi in Sports Illustrated awhile back, and the article just made me appreciate Agassi more. It brought to light, for those who didn’t know, his past and even then I saw how much passion he had for the game. Even during his low career points, it was tennis that brought him back. I have never seen an Agassi match where he looked disinterested. Maybe I have been lucky enough to miss those matches, if they exist, but even in defeat he looks at home on the tennis court.
Now Agassi’s departure leaves a void in American male tennis. Yes we still have top notch talent, but these players (James Blake, Andy Roddick, and Justin Gimelstob, among others) lack the overall charisma to individually sustain the interest of the American people.
So here I am giving my farewell to one player who made me want to pursue tennis. His career was an absolute joy to watch; even his final match was fun to watch. I for sure will miss his play.
Thank you Andre Agassi, I’m sure success will continue to follow you in whatever arena of life you choose to enter.
Agassi lost on Sunday to Benjamin Becker in 4 sets to officially mark the end of a radiant career. Being an 80’s baby with a father who played collegiate tennis, I’ve always had an interest in tennis. Though I never was able to turn this interest into any success on the tennis court, I’ve always followed the sport as a fan.
I watched Agassi’s whole career for the most part, and what I have always admired about Agassi is the way he played the game he loved. I’ve always noticed that Agassi has always looked like he wanted to be out there. I’m definitely not saying that other players show lack of effort, but for me Agassi was able to radiate a love for the game that shone through the television. Though he transitioned from ATP Tour rebel to the Tour’s elder statesman, he always maintained that passion for the game.
I remember reading an article about Agassi in Sports Illustrated awhile back, and the article just made me appreciate Agassi more. It brought to light, for those who didn’t know, his past and even then I saw how much passion he had for the game. Even during his low career points, it was tennis that brought him back. I have never seen an Agassi match where he looked disinterested. Maybe I have been lucky enough to miss those matches, if they exist, but even in defeat he looks at home on the tennis court.
Now Agassi’s departure leaves a void in American male tennis. Yes we still have top notch talent, but these players (James Blake, Andy Roddick, and Justin Gimelstob, among others) lack the overall charisma to individually sustain the interest of the American people.
So here I am giving my farewell to one player who made me want to pursue tennis. His career was an absolute joy to watch; even his final match was fun to watch. I for sure will miss his play.
Thank you Andre Agassi, I’m sure success will continue to follow you in whatever arena of life you choose to enter.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
September 5, 2006
So the first week of the 2006 college football season is in the books. There were some surprises, some upsets, but in the end the big boys are still standing. Here are some things that I observed from the first weekend.
- Ohio State’s offense is really really really good. They scored 28 points against Northern Illinois before you got comfortable in your seat. Troy Smith looked like a bona fide Heisman candidate, granted it was only Northern Illinois, but still you get the picture. Ted Ginn made all the explosive plays he was supposed to and the offense looked like a well oiled machine. We will see however, this Saturday, how good the offense really is. Even though Texas has lost on of its top defensive players in Tarell Brown, #2 Texas will give the Buckeyes all they can. Must See Game of The Week.
- Penn State will surprise a lot of people. Now I am not ready to say that Penn State will beat Notre Dame this weekend, but they will make some noise in the Big Ten. They have a growing QB (Anthony Morelli), a strong set of WRs led by Derrick Williams, and their defense is returning star LB Paul Posluszny. I think they make this weekend’s game close but once again Notre Dame pulls it out.
- Speaking of Notre Dame is it just me or is Notre Dame the biggest lighting rod in college football. You either love this team or hate them. I really think that they are getting the short end of the stick in the new rankings. They go to a big-time school (Georgia Tech) from a big-time conference and they managed to pull out a victory. Notre Dame continues to play one of the hardest schedules in America, and yet when they play a tough game they get penalized. Miami lost to Georgia Tech, so ask them how easy the Yellow Jackets are to play.
- Enough ranting about Notre Dame though, let’s talk about Cal. Lee Corso actually picked them to be in the National Championship, wow. What did he see? Because what I saw was a team that had no identity on offense, and on defense, they looked like they needed tackling drills. Now I understand letting WR Robert Meachem break a tackle and score, but to score consecutive touchdowns to essentially ice the game is inexcusable. I mean if they can’t tackle Tennessee, what’s going to happen when they face Pac-10 offenses like Oregon and USC. This isn’t a good way to start the season, but then again they know that already.
- To wrap up my thoughts on college football, The Florida State- Miami game needs to be moved back to the month of October. The quality of the game has seriously deteriorated since being moved to September, and I have begun to miss the fun and great offensive and defensive games instead of the defensive slugfests we have grow used to watching.
Now its time for the “big boys”. The NFL season starts on Thursday and I can not wait. Though the premiere game will be deprived of a little star power now that Ben Roethlisberger has went under the knife for an emergency appendectomy. Well Miami will definitely showcase its new star, Daunte Culpepper. He looked very good in preseason, but that was just preseason.
What’s the deal with Deion Branch and the New England Patriots? The Patriots are under the salary cap by a huge amount. Now that the Patriots have been shown how much the league thinks of Branch, give the man his due and get him on your football team. Give Tom Brady another weapon and gear up for another Super Bowl run.
Finally I’ll end this blog talking about Tiger Woods. Man, this guy is going to end up (if he keeps this pace, hell even half of this pace will be a great career) the best athlete of all time. He now has 12 majors, just six shy of the all-time record of 18 held by Jack Nicklaus. The scary part is that Tiger is only 30, turning 31 in December, meaning that he will potentially have 20-30+ years to win six majors. The way he strings wins in bunches; remember he also had a stretch of six consecutive wins spanning the 1999-2000 golf seasons; it’s highly likely that he will crush the all time record. And this will be done with his mind as well as his athletic skills. He has learned to not only out play everyone, but out-think everyone as well. In his sport, where they design courses specifically to help out the field, that might be the greatest skill of all.
Well, well, well. This marks the end of this blog. Feel free to make comments as they are appreciated. Until next time, peace.
- Ohio State’s offense is really really really good. They scored 28 points against Northern Illinois before you got comfortable in your seat. Troy Smith looked like a bona fide Heisman candidate, granted it was only Northern Illinois, but still you get the picture. Ted Ginn made all the explosive plays he was supposed to and the offense looked like a well oiled machine. We will see however, this Saturday, how good the offense really is. Even though Texas has lost on of its top defensive players in Tarell Brown, #2 Texas will give the Buckeyes all they can. Must See Game of The Week.
- Penn State will surprise a lot of people. Now I am not ready to say that Penn State will beat Notre Dame this weekend, but they will make some noise in the Big Ten. They have a growing QB (Anthony Morelli), a strong set of WRs led by Derrick Williams, and their defense is returning star LB Paul Posluszny. I think they make this weekend’s game close but once again Notre Dame pulls it out.
- Speaking of Notre Dame is it just me or is Notre Dame the biggest lighting rod in college football. You either love this team or hate them. I really think that they are getting the short end of the stick in the new rankings. They go to a big-time school (Georgia Tech) from a big-time conference and they managed to pull out a victory. Notre Dame continues to play one of the hardest schedules in America, and yet when they play a tough game they get penalized. Miami lost to Georgia Tech, so ask them how easy the Yellow Jackets are to play.
- Enough ranting about Notre Dame though, let’s talk about Cal. Lee Corso actually picked them to be in the National Championship, wow. What did he see? Because what I saw was a team that had no identity on offense, and on defense, they looked like they needed tackling drills. Now I understand letting WR Robert Meachem break a tackle and score, but to score consecutive touchdowns to essentially ice the game is inexcusable. I mean if they can’t tackle Tennessee, what’s going to happen when they face Pac-10 offenses like Oregon and USC. This isn’t a good way to start the season, but then again they know that already.
- To wrap up my thoughts on college football, The Florida State- Miami game needs to be moved back to the month of October. The quality of the game has seriously deteriorated since being moved to September, and I have begun to miss the fun and great offensive and defensive games instead of the defensive slugfests we have grow used to watching.
Now its time for the “big boys”. The NFL season starts on Thursday and I can not wait. Though the premiere game will be deprived of a little star power now that Ben Roethlisberger has went under the knife for an emergency appendectomy. Well Miami will definitely showcase its new star, Daunte Culpepper. He looked very good in preseason, but that was just preseason.
What’s the deal with Deion Branch and the New England Patriots? The Patriots are under the salary cap by a huge amount. Now that the Patriots have been shown how much the league thinks of Branch, give the man his due and get him on your football team. Give Tom Brady another weapon and gear up for another Super Bowl run.
Finally I’ll end this blog talking about Tiger Woods. Man, this guy is going to end up (if he keeps this pace, hell even half of this pace will be a great career) the best athlete of all time. He now has 12 majors, just six shy of the all-time record of 18 held by Jack Nicklaus. The scary part is that Tiger is only 30, turning 31 in December, meaning that he will potentially have 20-30+ years to win six majors. The way he strings wins in bunches; remember he also had a stretch of six consecutive wins spanning the 1999-2000 golf seasons; it’s highly likely that he will crush the all time record. And this will be done with his mind as well as his athletic skills. He has learned to not only out play everyone, but out-think everyone as well. In his sport, where they design courses specifically to help out the field, that might be the greatest skill of all.
Well, well, well. This marks the end of this blog. Feel free to make comments as they are appreciated. Until next time, peace.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
September 2, 2006
It is finally here. After making it through training camps, 2 a-days, and the mostly boring NFL Preseason, the real football season can begin. This weekend, to me, marks the beginning of the football season, both college and professional.
Starting with premium match-ups featuring traditional college football powerhouses on Saturday and continuing with the start of the NFL season on Thursday, the next 7 days officially have become the most exciting time of the year for me. I came to this realization early this morning while waiting for the US’s Bronze medal game against Argentina to begin. (More on them and that later) I already had an idea about how much I loved football since I play flag football nearly the entire year, and have an absolute ball doing it, but I now fill an extra spring in my step, like a light has been turned on for me.
The mere thought of the upcoming games brings a large smile to my face. Seeing the ESPN Gameday commercials brightens my day in a way that is indescribable. So in an effort to display why I feel such enthusiasm, I will break down some of the major college games of the weekend.
Starting off is the game between Notre Dame and Georgia Tech. Notre Dame comes in with all the hype and rightfully so. They return a lot of offensive playmakers to an offense that averaged 36.7 points and 477.3 yards per game. However if there is one team that those numbers do not scare, it’s the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
During the past two seasons, Georgia Tech has knocked off a ranked opponent while being unranked. They’ve done this with their defensive play, allowing only 15 points per game in those victories. This match-up will be a strength versus strength match-up and though Georgia Tech will make it tough, I see Charlie Weis’s bunch passing their first tough test of the season.
Other teams facing tests in their opener games include USC, where QB John David Booty makes his first start against an Arkansas team looking for revenge for that 70-17 beat down they absorbed last year. Also preseason #1 Ohio State takes the field for the first time, hoping to quickly update a new defense that has 9 new starters. This will be of grave importance as Ohio State travels to #3 Texas next weekend. Texas also has a new starter, but their new starter is the QB, Colt McCoy who is replacing Vince Young. One of Ohio State’s Big Ten rivals, Penn State starts their season on Saturday trying to prove that last season was no fluke while Ohio State’s chief rival Michigan wants to erase the mediocrity that plagued them last season.
Do games featuring these teams excite you? Well if not there are games with two ranked teams to attract your interest. The first one which takes place on Saturday features #9 California and #23 Tennessee. Both teams have high hopes this year but different expectations accompany those hopes. Tennessee comes in looking to rebound from their first losing season since 1988. They will find out very quickly if 2006 will mean a return to respectability as 3 of their first 6 games are against opponents ranked in the Top 20. Cal, meanwhile, comes in with Pac-10 title hopes. They have a Heisman hopeful in RB Marshawn Lynch and new Offensive Coordinator Mike Dunbar adds ingenuity to an already potent offense. I think that Tennessee is on its way back but California squeaks by and gets the win.
The marquee match-up of the weekend festivities is between #11 Florida State and #12 Miami. These are two Florida teams who are looking for a strong start to the season. Both teams are starting experienced sophomore quarterbacks who took their lumps last year. This game hardly needs an introduction as the football programs at Florida State and Miami are household names. Expect lots of cameos of current and former NFL players from both universities. Miami has a lot of players missing the game for various reasons, but since they are at home the game will be closer than expected in the end Florida State pulls it out and gains the early upper hand in the quest for the ACC Championship.
As promised, here are some of my thoughts about USA Basketball and the performance at the World Championships. The US defeated Argentina 96-81 early Saturday morning to win the bronze at the 2006 World Championships.
I am disappointed that we did not win the gold medal. I am still happy with a bronze medal though, because it showed that the team was able to put the disappointment of losing to Greece behind and take care of business against Argentina.
I am pretty sure that the US will win gold during the ’08 Olympics in Beijing. I feel this way because we will get shooters like Michael Redd and we will add Kobe Bryant and Amare Stoudemire, who will provide inside help if he returns fully healthy.
Well, well, well. This marks the end of this blog. Feel free to make comments as they are appreciated. Until next time, peace.
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