Sports/Music Crossover: Soundgarden

Well, considering it is Monday, I was going to preview the week's NBA Action. However, I totally spaced out and didn't realize that there was an NBA triple-header today. My Bad.

However, I am going to run a column whose concept has been floating around in my head for the last couple weeks. Ever since the announcement that one of the more prominent 90s Seattle Grunge Bands Soundgarden is planning to get back together after a 12 year hiatus. Time to vaguely connect some of their songs to what's going on in the Sports World.

"Power Trip"--Me being 1-0 in Vegas

Last weekend was my first time in going to Las Vegas. Normally, I don't gamble or bet on sports but under the thinking of When In Vegas combined with the Bucks playing Golden State on Friday, I decided to place a wager on the game.

It didn't look good at first considering the Bucks were giving 3 1/2 points and they were down by as many as 13 at one point. Fortunately for myself and the Bucks this ended up being a smart investment as the defense-optional Warriors folded and the Bucks won by 9, doing more than enough to cover in the process.

"Ugly Truth"--Brett Favre/Vikings

In light of the Vikings rout over Romo and the Cowboys, the Ugly Truth is that the Vikings are one win away from winning the Super Bowl and two wins away from what would be by far the worst sports fan moment in my life. To see Favre and his disloyalty be rewarded with a Super Bowl victory......Drew Brees seriously needs to step up not only for the Saints but for the state of Wisconsin as well.

"Outshined"--UC Davis Basketball

A couple weeks ago, I was randomly surfing the internet and saw that ESPNU was airing a UC Davis basketball game against UCSB the next night. Not only was it a chance to see a basketball game between colleges located in two cities that I had visited the week before, it was a chance to see the college I went to on national TV (it might have been the late game on ESPNU with like 2 other people watching...but I gotta take what I can get)

Thinks didn't look too bad in the first half as the Aggies and Gauchos were tied at halftime despite sloppy play on both ends. Then the second half happened. Then that tie game turned into a 20-point deficit. Fail.

"Rusty Cage"--Chargers

The Chargers had lots of time off between the end of the regular season and their fail against the Jets. They must have been extremely rusty since they somehow found a way to lose to what has got to be one of the worst, most mediocre teams to ever make a conference championship game.

"Half"--Tim Tebow

When will Tim Tebow's Super Bowl Ad run? First Half, Second Half or Halftime? Either way, finding out that Tim Tebow will be in a Super Bowl ad is not something I consider good news. The last time I was watching a live event involving Tim Tebow, things did not end very well for me. I thought we had seen the last of him (for now) but he gets one more high profile spot before he becomes the next Ryan Leaf. I just hope this isn't used as an excuse for announcers to replace a given team's name with Tebow on their scoreboard. I hope they don't randomly show him randomly screaming from the stands and then cutting away to someone's defense coming on to the field. I hope i'm not dumb enough to drink every time the word Tebow is mentioned......again.

"Black Hole Sun"--2010 Royals

Wow, Dayton Moore really wants to be known as the most inept General Manager in baseball. He has taken great strides to get this title with some of the players he is bringing on to his team in 2010. With stars such as Scott Podsednik and Brian Anderson I don't see how the Royals are going to take the baseball world by storm. They even signed 3-time all star Jason Kendall to a two-year contract. I don't know how this could possibly go wrong. Oh wait, yes I can.

"Never Named"--Packers-Cardinals Playoff Game

With Arizona finally having that habit of giving up 45 a game catch up to them, we should reflect on the bizarre, wild playoff game the week before and come up with a nick-name for it. Should it be the "Defense Optional" game, the "51-45" game, the "facemask-no call" game or is there a better name for it?

"Zero Chance"--Jets

Or what it looked like they had. A month back, it looked doubtful they would even make the playoffs. Somehow, they are now a win away from the Super Bowl. They catch a few breaks here, a Colts team resting for the playoffs, a Bengals team that tanked because they didn't want to face the Texans, a Bengals team that no showed in the playoffs, a Chargers team undone by some bad kicking (and the accompanying tactless Wikipedia edits) and now they face the Colts team that rested everyone early that allowed this snowball chain of events to start. But c'mon they have Mark Sanchez at QB, they still got zero chance.

It's NBA Monday's Plus Bonus Rants, Analogies and Random Thoughts of Yesterday's Packers-Cardinals Game

Playoffs?!!!!! First a few note's about yesterday's defense optional game. That has got to be one of the most bizarre, craziest games I have ever watched. I did a blog about the first half of the game but didn't have the motivation to do one for the second half. Considering the Packers looked to be headed towards the end of their season, I decided to focus my entire attention on watching the game instead of splitting it between the TV and the lap-top.

In retrospect, not the best decision, a second-half game blog would have made for some entertainment and make an interesting capsule. There were so many did he just make that play moments in the second half, from the 2 tying TDs, to Rackers missing the field goal at the end, to the brief invincibility of we got the coin toss, we got game to the shocking conclusion of the Cardinals winning the game on face-mask no call.

Now that I got that rant out of the way, time to talk about some hoop.

5- Bulls vs. Celtics Thursday TNT

A rematch of last year's first round series which had its share of those, did that just happen moments. With the way the Bulls are playing this year, the action and drama of this game will be more resemblant of the Packers-Cardinals game from Week 17 instead of the wild card game. Well, unless the Celtics let the Bulls go up by 35, then it might be interesting.

4-Suns vs. Hawks Friday ESPN

Those pesky Phoenix teams. Bizarre, today is the back end of the back-to back series between teams from Wisconsin and teams from Arizona. The Suns-Bucks game is in progress as I am writing this now. The Suns were up 21 after one (the Cardinals were up as much as 21) and the Bucks are making a furious rally (down 3 in the fourth) sorta like the furious rally the Packers made yesterday.

What does this have to about Friday's game? Nothing. Expecting a high-scoring battle between two teams good enough to make the playoffs but nowhere near good enough to win a championship.

3- Jazz vs. Cavs Thursday TNT

The Jazz are in the race for a playoff seed and are slightly off pace. The LeBrons are looking to get over the top. Sadly, I am out of football analogies.....for now.

2-Magic vs. Blazers Friday ESPN

The Magic are looking to get back to the Finals and win their first title after losing to Kobe last year. Blazers fun fact: The Blazers nearly beat the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals one year, they were nearly able to overcome having Mike Dunleavy as a coach, but Dunleavy had a legacy of mediocrity he had to maintain.

1- Jazz vs. Nuggets Sunday ESPN

Gets the slight edge since they play in the same division. The Jazz may be 4th in this 5 team division but are anything but down and out. They may not be in the top-8 right now but only 3 games separates them and the first place Nuggets. Wow, the Western Conference is entertaining right now, only 4 teams with losing records. Hopefully it stays this way at least until baseball season starts.

Game Blog: Packers/Cardinals: First Half

With 3 of the 4 First-Round Playoff Games in the books we are down to the last but not least of the games. Of course I am talking about today's Packers-Cardinals Wild Card tilt. One of 3 re-matches from Week 17. It's pretty safe to say that the Cardinals are actually going to start their first string this week. Also, this being Aaron Rodgers' playoff debut, it should be pretty epic to see how he holds up in this level of play.

1:32 It looks like the Cardinals have a disadvantage on a fire-power level as Boldin was ruled out for today's game

1:33 Lovely, Joe Buck is calling the game. Let the cliches begin

1:35 They showed a commercial about Concussion symptoms a few minutes ago and gave some general advice about precautions so on and so forth.....nothing about not putting someone in a shed/exercise room/whatever actually happened for a few hours..........still doesn't change the fact that Mike Leach lost his job because he angered the son of Craig James.......

1:38 Looks like the Reds signed Cuban mega-prospect Aroldis Chapman to a 5-year deal. This sorta surprises me a bit....I thought he would have gone to New York or Boston. This could make things tighter in the NL Central. Wouldn't be shocked to see the Reds contend in '10. Cardinals are definitely in the drivers seat but if enough things break right for Milwaukee, Chicago or Cincinnati we could have a multi-team race.

1:40 Enough about Aroldis and Mike Leach, it's game time. Packers won the toss, have the ball and time for them to begin their first drive.

1:42 Ouch, that did not start well. Rodgers tries throwing under pressure. Fail! Interception. Arizona ball at Green Bay 40

1:44 Cardinals get 13 yards on a 3rd and 8....not looking good early....and I wrote that before Wells got the Cardinals in the red zone.

1:46 Hearing that Arizona is also the leagues best Red Zone team doesn't make me feel any better about the game situation right now.

1:47 Ball inside the Green Bay 1.....would be a good time for a Goal Line stand.

1:48 Or not.....touchdown Cardinals...4th post-season TD for Hightower....7-0 Cardinals

1:51 Packers offense gets a chance to make things right and tie the game. Jordy tries ( and fails) about five times to get beyond the 20.

1:54 No way that just happened. Driver makes the catch only to get it stripped out by Dansby. I don't think this game could get any worse (outside of Tebow taking the field for the Cardinals)...2 turnovers in 5 minutes.....so that has us pacing at 24 turnovers......Fail

1:56 Warner to Doucet for a touchdown. If the Packers were actually attempting to stop him, it wasn't very obvious.

1:58 On the bright side, the last time the Packers gave up 2 quick touchdowns to start the game, all they did was completely dominate the rest of the game in a rout. Then again, that was against Seattle.

1:59 Dear Packers, Can you please go more than two plays without turning the ball over and not play like you are the Detroit Lions. That would be awesome

2:00 Terrible return + terrible penalty= Ball at own 8. Fail

2:03 Home run ball attempt overthrown by 10+ yards. Fail

2:04 Not the best time to have your first time of being down 14.. Can't even get a punt off without committing a penalty. Sadly, the punt somehow an improvement over the first two possessions.

2:08 A sign that things aren't going good: Someone already posted on my Facebook wall poor poor GB.....,.,.

2:09 I thought things may have turned around after Matthews forced a fumble for a five yard loss...Than the last couple plays happened convincing me that the only good play was an illusion.

2:12 Third and goal for the Cards...the Packers D made a good play....all i'm hoping for at this point is to slow the bleeding

2:13 So we'll only be down 17 instead of 21.....things are looking as bleak as possible

2:15 Even worse, a Packers loss proves Frank Caliendo right....that makes the world horribly wrong (and a lot less funnier)

2:16 The Packers ineptitude is apparently being shared by FOX. They erroneously said the Packers hadn't trailed by 14 this year when they were down 24-3 on 11/1.

2:17 Troy Aikman just said the Packers aren't off to a great start. In other news all days end in Y.

2:19 Glad to see American Idol is around to make sure 2010s music is even more atrocious and unlistenable as 2000s music.

2:21 10 plays and 13 yards that's like almost a yard and a half per play.

2:21 Rodgers connects to Jennings on 3rd and 9 , there may be a pulse after all.

2:22 Joe Buck just said that Rodgers buys time. I'm curious where I can buy said time and how much it costs. I could always use a few extra hours in my day.

2:22 All that momentum, just so we can get back to a 3rd and 11: And threw it about 5 yards to high to a wide open Jones. Fail

2:23 Crosby misses a field goal. I'm shocked. Wait no i'm not. Had the distance but it was wide right. Passes for a good Scott Norwood impersonation but not to get the Packers back in the game.

2:26 Arizona ball at their own 45.......No bueno

2:27 That didn't end well. Pickett strips the ball from Hightower, the refs don't notice said strip happens, the Packers don't challenge the Cardinals go on to gain 27 on the next play. Fail

2:28 Clay Matthews has stepped up all year recovers the fumble that Woodson caused. Now we need Rodgers to make the most of this chance.

2:31 One hour in and for the first time I feel good about how things are unraveling. Grant finds a hole in the D gets it inside the 10. Time to punch it in.

2:32 Rodgers sacked....3rd and long....Rodgers is a beast on 3rd down so TD hopes are still alive.

2:33 Incomplete to Driver but pass interference on the Cards. A new fresh set of downs. Lets make most of second chance.

2:36 Rodgers scores on the QB sneak. TOUCHDOWN PACKERS!!!! 17-7 Cardinals

2:38 Lets see if the Packers D can keep the momentum from the last score going

2:42 Arizona movin the ball again' still in own territory time to right the ship but not looking good.

2:46 Wells runs it into Green Bay territory with little to no resistance from the Packers D

2:47 I like the fact that the Packers are trying to strip the ball on just about every play but when they gain an extra five yards because they are less focused on tackling, doesn't inspire confidence.

2:49 Doucet gets in the end zone........again...as he uses the Packers D as human pinballs and gets the momentum to get in the end zone.

2:51 FOX advertising for some Simpson's 20th anniversary stuff with Coldplay's "Yellow" in the background. On a scale of 1 to 10 the creepiness is about 8.

2:53 Jordy fumbles the kick return....Giordano injures himself saving the Packers from another crippling turnover. So even when a disaster is averted, it comes with a price. Ouch

2:55 According to the broadcast team, the Packers need points. Another pressing need (for me) is for those AT&T commercials featuring Luke Wilson to go away.

2:57 Speaking of commercials seen one time to many (even if it was once)...the GMC engineered to win commercial that was spouting about the Vikings greatness and them coming together as a team.....and James Jones catching passes when he is wide open

2:59 One of the better plays of the day, Rodgers dodges to avoid sack throws it downfield, Finley gets 44 yards. Follow up by getting it inside the 10. So far, strong bounce back from last Arizona TD.

3:00 FOX resolves their technical difficulties just in time for Rodgers to call a time-out.

3:01 Rodgers with a 50.0 passer rating up to now. Not as bad as Jamarcus Russell but not that much better either.

3:05 The first half comes to a merciful end. Packers get it down to a 2 possession game--24-10 Cardinals

If you don't learn anything else from It's Always Sunny, You Gotta Let the wild card do his thing: Wild Card Playoff Preview

Well the regular season is over. 17 weeks of action and we are down to 12 teams. 4 of them have the weekend off. The other 8 play for their playoff lives this weekend.

Saturday: Jets vs. Bengals

I would definitely say the Jets are the worst of the playoff bunch. They have been in dysfunctional since a 3-0 start, they have a rookie QB in Mark Sanchez who had a less than stellar season. It looked like they were on the verge of giving up sometime in November. But with last sunday's game the deciding factor between whether the Bengals would face the Texans or Jets, the Bengals got "dominated" and are rewarded with facing an inferior team.

The Bengals, they are the surprise team of the season. Nothing was expected of them, they went through way more adversity than any other team in the league and they have come out the stronger team for it. I'm indifferent towards both teams but i'll probably be pulling for the Bengals in this one. I'd like to see what Carson Palmer can do in a playoff game. His last opportunity was cut to one play due to a gruesome injury. For a couple years it didn't look like he'd get a second chance. The motivation between this second chance and an inferior opponent will lead to a Bengals rout.

Bengals 31 Jets 10

Eagles vs. Cowboys

Personally don't care for either of these teams. The Eagles have played as well as one could for the last decade without actually winning a Super Bowl. Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid have taken a lot of heat for this but outside of the T.O. fiasco this team has been a year-in, year-out playoff contender.

The Cowboys played better down the stretch than they have in the last few years. While McNabb has usually led the Eagles to a playoff win or two before bowing out, he's practically Joe Montana compared to Tony Romo. Unless Romo actually goes through a playoff game without laying an egg and/or losing, I can't in good conscience pick the Cowboys to win a playoff game.

Eagles 28 Cowboys 24

Sunday

Ravens vs. Patriots

Not to high on either team's Super Bowl hopes. The Ravens are more talented than their 9-7 record (but not that much more talented). I thought the Ravens were going to break out with Flacco having another year of experience under his wing.

The Patriots return to the post-season after a brief absence. They had a good season but seem to be missing that killer instinct that they had during their Super Bowl run plus losing Wes Welker to injury doesn't help things. However, i'm applying the reverse Tony Romo principle for this game. Hard to pick against Brady in a playoff game.

Patriots 21 Ravens 10

Packers vs. Cardinals

Obviously, this is the game out of the four that I am anticipating the most. This is going to be Aaron Rodgers' debut on the big stage. He's proven to be more than worthy in his two years as a starting QB and I can't wait to see him light up the Cardinals D.

The Cardinals are coming off a crushing Super Bowl loss to the Steelers last year. The Cardinals (well their second string) are coming off a blow out loss to the Packers.

Obviously, the degree of difficulty this Sunday is going to be a lot higher. With Rodgers on one side and Warner on the other, look for lots of yards and points to be accumulated on both sides. This will come down to who can make A stop (not necessarily a lot) of stops on defense and considering the Packers have Charles Woodson and the Cardinals don't that is being reflected in my pick.

Packers 45 Cardinals 35

Partial Game Blog: Packers/Ravens

Alright, so the Packers and Ravens are playing the Monday Night game this week. I was going to do a blog for the whole game but opted for going to the gym instead and didn't get home until late in the second Quarter. I still managed to watch a good portion of the game (it was on a couple of tvs at the gym).....so far i'm happy with what I see, Rodgers looks like he is getting into a rhythm and they've prevented the Ravens from doing anything on offense.

7:26 Didn't know it until the broadcast team mentioned it: This is the First Monday Night Game in December at Lambeau....Find it mildly surprising, it seems like something that would happen more often since the Packers get at least a couple Monday Night Games a Year.....well stranger things have happened

7:28 First play of the second half sees the Baltimore running game going nowhere...they get nothing and they like it

7:28 It seems like Flacco is on the run more often than not....he's been good at not getting sacked but also not doing much beyond that

7:30 Another backing assertion of the Henry Blanco theory....if your a catcher you can still find work somewhere. The Royals interested in Jason Kendall, I wonder how this could go wrong? No wonder why the Royals are always terrible, this is a match in ineptitude heaven

7:32 Speaking of inept offenses, the Ravens just punted Packers ball, 17-0 Pack with 12 minutes left in the third

7:33 Don't do it Brian!!!! I thought he didn't want to talk about interviewing for Notre Dame..and now he's going in tomorrow....you got a few choices....stay in Cincy where you have a chance to win...wait for a better job to open up......go to the coaching vortex that is Notre Dame and see your coaching reputation tarnished

7:37 Aaron Rodgers takes forever to get rid of ball but gets bailed out on a Baltimore penalty

7:39 Rodgers attempts to go to Driver for a pass...Ravens pass interference penalty....third straight play with a penalty...(2 on Baltimore 1 on GB).....does this streak extend to 4?

7:40 No....just a run of the mill incomplete pass

7:42 What started as a 3rd and 6 conversion turns into a Driver fumble....Ravens ball 17-0 Pack 8 minutes left in the 3rd

7:43 ESPN showing back-to-back commercials that I hate a) standard credit card relief that is obvious a scam and that EdConnect college commercial .....i wonder if anyone has noticed that every time the online college commercial shows that the web address that they list is different every time...now back to the game

7:46 Ravens may be getting something together...they've driven to the Green Bay 32

7:48 Packers dodge a bullet as Todd Heap drops a pass inside the Packers 10 followed immediately to a shot of John Harbaugh grimacing on the sideline

7:49 Flacco converts on 3rd and 10.....Heap picks up the Woodson blitz...ball at the Green Bay `5

7:51 Flacco converts on another third down......thats 3 third downs they fail to stop the Ravens on.....Packers are challenging the touchdown...we'll see what happens.....after the commercials

7:55 Challenge was an epic fail...17-7 Packers 3:28 left in third well if its any consolation Baltimore's attempt at a lambeau leap was also an epic fail

7:58 Second straight epic fail averted: Ravens kick it Dietrich-Smith...fumbles it recovered by Pack

7:59 Intercepted off the foot of Driver....Packers need to get better at closing out opponents....this is not looking good

8:02 Flacco goes for the long ball......Williams called for interference...ball at Green Baym 2

8:04 McGahee gets in for the score 17-14 Packers......now if the Packers could NOT TURN THE BALL OVER EVERY PLAY...that would be cool.....two TDs in 30 seconds.....

8:06 Well at least the Packers didn't fumble the psuedo-onside kick

8:07 Congratulations Packers....you managed to get through a play on offense without committing a turnover....now do it again

8:07 Now the next step is NOT letting the ball slip through your hands

8:08 Rodgers to Jennings on 3rd and 10 going into Baltimore territory...the Packers needed that in the worst way.....now the next step is to score a touchdown and put away the game

8:10 Looked like Ray Lewis was trying to take off Greg Jennings' head there...15 yards closer to the end zone.

8:11 Eeeeesshhhh.....both teams have 8 penalties and we aren't even out of the 3rd quarter....I could see this if this was the Lions and Rams....but between two legitimate playoff contenders........no bueno

8:12 And on cue, the Packers are the first to 9 penalties

8:13 The end of a 3rd quarter that I would not like to see repeated any time soon...3 rd and 14 Packers ball...17-14 Packers

8:15 Just showed a promo for the last season of LOST......I can't wait to find out how it ends

but sad that there will be no more LOST after 2010

8:16 Crosby coming in for field goal attempt.....wide right...epic fail....Packers up by 3 but it feels like they're down by 3 TDs......time to cue the YouTube clip of Jim Mora talking about the playoffs

8:19 Packers need to step up on D here.....3 rd and 17.......turning that 3rd down into a 4th is crucial here

8:20 Offensive pass interference...3rd and 27.....negating 47 yard pass...with a side of unsportsmanlike conduct...3rd and 32

8:22 "interesting" decision to run on 3rd and 32...glad its not the Packers doing that...

8:23 Packers have ball with pretty good field position

8:26 For what its worth the Ravens are now the first team since '01 Giants to commit 5 pass interference penalties in a game.......Packers moving towards redemption.....just moved into the red zone

8:28 Rodgers to Finley....TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!!!!!...24-14 Packers 10:31 left

8:31 Well, we just had our mandatory Packers special teams malfunction....ball at Packers 26...way to build on momentum from TD.....NOT

8:33 Deja-Vu: Another Pass Interference moving ball to the one....one more pass interference penalty and the Packers join the Ravens at 5 interference penalties in a single game

8:34 Flacco gets away with delay of game....So now its legal if you call a time out two seconds after play clock runs down?.....Interesting

8:37 Flacco avoids the sack...only to get PICKED OFF BY WILLIAMS IN THE END ZONE!!!!!!!!!

8:40 A couple straight running plays gets us to 3 rd and 3.......pass play fails...3 and out....Packers punting with 7:12 left

8:41 On the bright side, the Packers avoid another special teams breakdown...Ravens have ball on own 26

8:42 Flacco's turn to turn the ball over two plays in a row....Hawk comes up with a big INT

8:43 Defense is back in a rhythm....good to see Ahman Green get a chance to carry the ball

8:44 Green gets the First Down.....In the words of the broadcast team "old school green bay football"....love the sound of those words

8:46 Anytime the broadcast team is gushing about the Packers...it's a good thing...pretty impressive line of wideouts, Sharpe, Brooks, Freeman, Driver and Jennings...

8:48 In all fairness....its more a result of Gruden reminiscing about his time on the Packers coaching staff in the early-90s

8:52 Two minutes left...Crosby lining up for another field goal attempt...this time its good 27-14 Packers with 1:56 left

8:53 ESPN graphics sometimes make me smarter.....this time is one of those cases.....4th 300-yard (combined penalty) game in NFL history first since 1976......one of the games at Fenway, another at Wrigley.......I almost feel like i'm witnessing part of history.......seriously the last time this happened I wasn't even born

8:57 Ravens in Packers territory...not showing much urgency

8:58 wow Baltimore has an easy schedule coming up....Chicago, Detroit, Oakland.....

8:59 As for Green Bay.....playing the Bears next week...always an intense match-up...the Bears may be terrible this year (5-7) but for Packers-Bears games, always intense regardless of the standings.

9:00 310 penalty yards!! Now tied for 2nd Most in NFL History.....lets go for the gauntlet and break this record

9:01 Clay Matthews finishes of Flacco and co with a sack on 4th and 3.....Matthews has had an epic rookie year....this kid is going to be a star

9:02 Game Over......Packers 27 Ravens 14.......The Packers cut it close with a bad 30 second stretch in the 3rd....but I was impressed with how the defense stepped up to snuff the Ravens comeback attempt and most importantly neutralize the special teams breakdown after Finley's TD.......

That's 4 in a row for the Pack..........Let's stretch this streak to 5 against the Bears on Sunday

Steak and Football Day Diary/Live Blog: Second Half

Well, the Second Half should be starting soon. The Packers are up 13-7 at this point but the lead should be significantly larger by this point. I'm not too crazy about the Packers settling for field goals. But it could be worse, I could be a Lions fan.

11:21 Seriously with 256 total yards to 81 and it's only 13-7?

11:22 Woodson pick...third of the Day........it's interesting Stafford doesn't play as well when the other team isn't the Cleveland Browns.

11:23 Well for now....it's being challenged by the Lions....we'll see what happens after some commercials.

11:29 Wow what a way to capitalize. I like that they went for it on 4th and 2 I just don't like that Rodgers ended up getting sacked and fumbled.

11:33 Packers are stuck inside their own 10 again.....Jordy is having a turrible game on special teams.

11:36 Rodgers hits driver with another long pass....the last time they did this the drive ended in the Packers only touchdown....hopefully that trend continues...will it....we'll see

11:39 In the Red Zone for the 4th time thanks to a good catch by Jordy

11:41 TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!! Driver helps Rodgers finish what they started. Rodgers was under pressure and had a half-second window to get the ball to Driver. 20-7 Packers.

11:47 I've ranted about commercials I don't like enough today so i'll talk about one that I do like. The Miller Lite commercial that passes itself off as one of those Dating Websites for the first 20 seconds as the guy rants about finding the one and then he makes googly eyes over a Miller Lite....someone needs to put the E-Harmonies of the world in their place.

11:51 Stafford nearly got picked off for a 4th time. Still doing a pretty good Jay Cutler impersonation though.

11:52 Wide Right. Packers Ball. Still 20-7

11:54 We're not even out of the 3rd quarter yet and Rodgers has kept his 4-game streak alive of passing for 300+ yards against the Lions.

11:55 Rodgers to Jones for his 4th of the year.....27-7 Packers

11:57 So Joe Buck and Troy Aikman don't know who votes on the Turducken award or whatever the name of that Turkey thing is......seriously Joe you broadcast games for a living and have been calling games for FOX forever and Troy in addition to being a broadcaster you played for the Cowboys who always play on Thanksgiving.........your guys' job is to give people insight on these types of things..

12:02 The Lions punting unit makes it 80th appearance of the day

12:06 You know the game is getting out of hand when the broadcasting team is talking about their Fantasy Football teams. Knowing that Joe Buck's fantasy team is 2-8ish.

12:09 Stafford completes a 47-yard pass to Northcutt, now in the Red Zone.....they are starting to show some signs of life.

12:13 Packers D Bends but doesn't break on D--2nd and goal from the 1--three incomplete passes--Packers ball still 27-7.

12:15 And that is why you DO NOT RUN FROM YOUR OWN 1 YARD LINE.....At least McCarthy was smart enough to challenge.....27-9 is better than 27-14

12:21 33-yard return by Northcutt.....not great for the packers special teams but they've definitely done worse

12:24 Stafford converts on 4th down and find themselves back in the Red Zone.

12:26 Lions convert on 3rd.....between this game and S.F. Game I do have long-term concern about the Packers finishing off opponents.....they may be able to get away with it against these teams but they can't be pulling this off against playoff-caliber opposition.

12:28 Field goal unit coming on for Detroit 27-12 Pack 5 minutes left.

12:31 Packers were playing for onside but don't get it .....good to see Woodson get a chance to return a kick

12:32 Cut away to the Silverdome.....sorta disturbing that it only sold for $583,000 the clip they just showed on TV it looked disturbing seeing it as pretty much an abandoned property.

12:34 Packers run on 3rd and 3 to the surprise of no-one. 3 and out for the Packers 27-12 Pack 4 minutes left....no timeouts for the Lions.

12:36 Stafford throws a pick-six to Woodson. 4th Pick overall, 2nd pick for Woodson. 34-12 Packers

12:41 You know the game is pretty much over: When the broadcasting team talks about how the losing team (Lions) will be good at some unspecified point. While the Lions are terrible this year....this actually comes with sound reasoning....Stafford has shown signs of eventually justifying his #1 pick status.......give it a couple years and there's a solid chance he'll turn the Millen era into nothing more than a bad memory.

12:45 McCarthy is now 2 for 2 on challenges for the day

12:49 You know the game is decided when: Matt Flynn is on the field. This earns the Captain Obvious statement that Packers Back QBs don't get much playing time.

12:52 Well it's official......the game is over the Packers beat the Lions 34-12.

This obviously helps the Packers. They've now won three straight losing to Tampa and have moved to 7-4. There obvious a lot more football to be played.....as much as i've liked the Diary/Running Blog format thing.....the end of it comes now (for now)..

Not really feeling the Cowboys-Raiders (unless McFadden has a big game and leads my fantasy team to victory). I don't get NFL Network so I can't watch the Giants-Broncos from my lap top.........Plus I have about a few thousand calories to shove down my throat between now and the end of the day.

Steak and Football Day Diary/Live Blog: First Half

Trying something new for the holiday. In light of there being football, the Packers playing at 9:30 and not having to go in to work today....I decided to try a live blog about the sports action today

9:19 Forgot that watching Fox Pre-Game means Frank Caliendo and his lame John Madden impersonation. Hes giving a bad name to the what i'm thankful holiday line.....with a lame plug-in for the show Strahan is on (Brothers) that will be lucky to make it out of the first season...to add insult to injury hes picking the Lions

9:22 Not football related but I'm less than one second into reading the stuff on my Google Reader List (one of the more under-rated tools of Gmail in my opinion) and Allen Iverson is already considering un-retiring. Seriously.....hes been "retired" for day. I'm not surprised about this development but c'mon even Brett Favre pretends to retire for at least a few months.

9:27 Ahh the loveliness of a Joe Buck broadcast....telling us stuff I already know....you think I don't know its key that the Packers overcome injuries to Kampman and Harris...thank you captain obvious

9:31 A bit of a discrepancy....they had some anonymous studio person briefly talking about the games that mentioned this was the 20th Thanksgiving meeting between the Packers and Lions...then they cut away to Buck and Aikman who say its the 19th Thanksgiving meeting...someone's right....someone's wrong.....this is definitely a Wikipedia moment.

9:37 Filtered through Wikipedia Packers are 12-18-2 all time on Thanksgiving and 6-11-1 against the Lions meaning this is the 19th match-up

9:37 Not the best way to start a game.....Jordy Nelson starts by fumbling the kick return and letting the Lions start at the Green Bay 20......no bueno.

9:39 Really...that passes for roughing the passer these days? C'mon Matthews barely touched Stafford

9:40 Really does anyone actually use the phrase "He went to Jared" in real life. Does this line actually work. It seemed odd to me the first time. Seriously, the first few times I had to sit through an insufferable he went to jared commercial I thought it was just a bad Subway commercial.

9:42 Not even 2 minutes in and the Lions have a touchdown. Thanks a lot Jordy.

9:46 At least this kickoff wasn't fumbled. Another minute into the game another penalty. Who do they think they are, The Oakland Raiders?

9:56 Not a good sign. The Packers had a drive for 8 minutes and all they get is a lousy missed field goal. We could be in for a long game.

9:59 Could we be seeing Mike Martz try to get a spin-off to the greatest show on turf? I've stumbled across a couple articles with rumors (mainly) about him being interested in Buffalo and one article about him possibly being the Bears coach.

10:03 The Packers actually did something good. Clutch 3 ard 4 interception by Nick Collins. The Packers need to capitalize on this and tie the game.

10:05 While I do like what i've seen out of Ryan Grant the last few weeks....It seems that the play-calling has been a bit too conservative early on....this almost cost them the game against San Francisco...don't want it to cost them today.

10:07 Just as I say that Rodgers goes downfield and BOOM....68 yard completion to Driver...inside the Detroit 10....also like to mention that I like what I see out of the O-Line so far..playing a lot better today than most of the season....Rodgers would have had all day to make that pass.

10:10 Donald Lee scores his 1st TD in epic fashion leaping over a couple of Lions defenders. Joe Buck just dropped the useful nugget of this being Rodgers 30th career red zone TD Pass (vs. 1 interception).

10:15 Packers just lucked out. Kevin Smith had plenty of room to run and trips over. They go on to convert on 3rd down so it they didn't luck out that much.

10:22 Packers stuck at their own 4.....own 6 now facing a 3 rd and 8 they need to step up again on this play.

10:23 Clutch 3rd down play Rodgers was on the ropes a little bit throws it where only Jones can get it First Down.

10:30 The Lions have now committed penalties on back-to-back plays. Last time I remember seeing that was a few years ago when the Raiders and Packers played...the Raiders had 1st downs nullified by penalties...three plays in a row

10:34 Packers fall just short of getting in end zone. Crosby actually makes field goal 10-7 Packers.

10:34 Radio Shack has gotten into the early lead for most insufferable Black Friday jingle.......it looks like i'll have let's all go to shack fridays stuck in my head...whether I want it or not.

10:39 Another third down play...another interception

10:44 Ahh...The Two Minute Warning...Packers in the Red Zone....Need to punch it in before the half

10:46 Ok, whose idea was it to put one of the Wilson brothers on an AT & T commercial and to air it every five minutes? Really, the phone coverage of Akron, Ohio and Tempe, Arizona does absolutely nothing for me.

10:50 Fox plugging American Idol and about how it's changed music (they just forget to mention that its changing music for worse)

10:51 Packers fail to capitalize inside the Lions 10 (again) time for the field goal unit to make another appearance. 13-7 Pack.

10:57 Lions in last ditch attempt before the half :09 remaining...thrown out of bounds

10:59 First Half ends with Clay Matthews chasing Stafford across the field and finally sacking him.

Hmm...time for half time and to step away from the computer a little bit.....be back with my second half observations when the teams get back on the field

Braden gets cut, McCarthy gets even and Doc gets a YouTube Clip

Things in the sports world that have piqued my interest today.

The Brewers turn down 2010 option for Braden Looper.

My Take On This:

In the words of the famous rapper Lil Jon Yeeeeahhhhh!!!!!!!!!! I wasn't exactly thrilled with J.J Hardy being turned into Carlos Gomez....I feel a little more optimistic about the 2010 season knowing that Braden Looper will be giving up 35+ homers else where. While he did lead the Brewers in wins with 14......he really didn't pitch that well and no lead no matter how big felt safe with him on the mound. Another bright spot of this is this is 6.5 million dollars better spent on an upgrade (i.e John Lackey, Doug Davis, anyone else, etc.)

Long Time Packers employee Mike Wood Gets Fired for (allegedly) saying don't lay an egg to coach Mike McCarthy

My Take On This:

Whaaattttttt!!!!!! Seriously....if this (alleged) story is true...this is a big time power trip. The Wood had worked for the Packers for 22 years and he loses his job over a comment. This is some serious bad karma for McCarthy. First, considering the Packers play the last couple weeks, it was advice that McCarthy should have taken seriously. Also........in the aftermath last weeks loss to the previously winless Bucs, if anyone should lose their job its not the maintenance worker.

I finally got a chance to watch the animated short from No Mas about Dock Ellis' no-hitter that he threw on LSD.

My Take On This:

Drugs are bad m'kay..........Definitely an amusing clip about one of the more interesting no-hitters in MLB history. Seriously, this has got to be one accomplishment that is not going to be replicated. I can't wait for MLB Network to show this as one of their all-time games. Words can't do the video justice...check it out if you get the chance.

Sports/Music Crossover: Aerosmith

Well, it was a bizarre day in the Music world as it was reported that Steven Tyler is leaving Aerosmith. I decided the timing was ripe for a sports/music cross-over posting to use some Aerosmith songs to talk about random sports-related stuff that is on my mind.

"Dream On" -Allen Iverson

The A.I. era in Memphis seems to have ended before it started. Despite obvious evidence (last year in Detroit) A.I. seems to think hes still an elite player and is above being a 6th man. When your not even starting for Memphis...the evidence is definitely working against stardom.

"Same Old Song and Dance" - Michael Redd

Redd has been the #1-guy on the Bucks for the last few years. He also has been highly injury prone and played a full season 3 times. New year...same ol result...Redd has already had his first injury and its not even mid-November.

"Make It"- Tyreke Evans

If his recent performance holds up, it looks like Evans will make it in the NBA barring injury and legal trouble. Evans has helped Sacramento not totally embarrass themselves thus far and helped the Kings improve slightly since losing Kevin Martin to injury.

"F.I.N.E"-Chris Kaman

Before the season started, Blake Griffin injured himself and hes expected to be out for another month. Kaman has been the winner (and my Fantasy team) in this situation as hes off to the best start of his career and busting out a 23-10 so far....

"What It Takes"-Cavs

What Cleveland needs to do to keep LeBron James on the Cavs. They do have a couple advantages. LeBron is a local kid and may not want to leave his roots. Also, the Knicks/Nets are both terrible teams. The Cavs may not have the best supporting cast but its an improvement from a couple years ago and the Knicks as a team are so ravaged beyond belief that not even LeBron can help them.

"Crazy"- Warriors

If championships were won on internal chaos, bad D and inflated egos...the Golden State Warriors would be defending champs. Last year Golden State was anything but golden regressing deeply from the team that upset Dallas a couple years ago. Looks like some things never change.

"Draw The Line"-Sammy Sosa

If your drawing the line between normal and bizarre, the recent Sammy Sosa pictures definitely cross that line. It already was a bad year for Sosa as a positive steroid test was revealed this summer. Its definitely taken a bizarre turn the last few days with pictures coming out with his skin appearing to be bleached....definitely falls under the category of if they wrote about it but didn't show any pictures, I probably wouldn't believe it....definitely one of those you couldn't make it up type of things....also the first and last time I mention it

"My Fist Your Face" John Riggins/Dan Snyder/Redskins

As bad as the Packers have been....I can at least think to myself things such as "At least i'm not A Redskins fan". In addition to routinely losing to the worst teams in the league (The Packers are at least 2-1 in this department).

Their coach, Jim Zorn defines ineptness. Their owner, Dan Snyder spends money in all the wrong places. One of their ex-players John Riggins has openly ripped Dan Snyder. I say they settle their differences and have a Family Guy-style fight (either in the veins of cleveland vs. quagmire or in the peter griffin vs. the giant chicken vein)...my vote is for option B

"Train Kept A-Rollin"-Saints/Colts

While both games were a bit close for comfort, the Saints and Colts kept a-rollin towards possible 16-0 seasons and their inevitable match-up in the Super Bowl.

"Rag Doll"-Packers O-Line

Cause, the Packers O-Line has been chewed up like a rag doll. Seriously, at this point there are probably high school teams in Wisconsin that could protect Aaron Rodgers better than the Packers. It reminds me of that NFL Draft commercial from a few years back where they photo-shopped the Texans "O-Line" out and showed footage of David Carr being sacked.

It was funnier a few years ago but considering ESPN will probably replace that footage with Aaron Rodgers getting sacked within a few months.....the comical value goes down. Through 8 games, Rodgers has been sacked 37 times...the single season record is 76.......this record could change hands by the end of the season.

What I found most important about the weekend in football

Things I drew from the weekend of action:

Packers Win, Bears Lose, Vikings Lose (Finally)

There's not much that can be drawn from the Packers win today. The fact that the Packers blew out the Browns 31-3, Rodgers had a good game, Ryan Grant got 148 yards but they were playing the Browns so that was to be expected. The Packers now sit at 4-2 but playing the Lions and Browns aren't the best barometers for whether this team is a contender or pretender. We'll get a better answer when the Packers have their highly anticipated rematch against the Vikings.

Coming into Sunday's Bears-Bengals game there was the sub-plot of Cedric Benson alleging that he was blackballed by the Bears and that this caused it to take longer for him to get his second chance. Regardless of whether or not these allegations are true, Benson made the Bears pay by racking up 189 yards and helping the Bengals blow out the Bears 45-10

Well....it was a matter of when...the Vikings finally lost to the Steelers. Brett Favre started to show signs of being in last-season form by throwing a 4th quarter-pick six to close out the game.

49ers QB Controversy Brewing:

Going into today, it was a given that Shaun Hill had a grip on the 49ers QB job and Alex Smith was penciled in as one of the biggest draft busts in the past few years. Well, thats not how things looked today. After a terrible first half, Hill was benched and Alex Smith was given a chance to see what he could do. While he didn't bring the Niners all the way back...he threw 3 second half TDs turned a sure-fire blowout into a game that was interesting up until the final minute.......

Withe the 49ers struggling, it should be interesting to see how this affects the rest of their season. Does Shaun Hill get another chance to make something out of the football season or does Alex Smith get a shot of redemption?

Saints keep on keeping on:

For a while, it looked like the Dolphins were going to pull off a major upset against the undefeated Saints. However, the Saints demonstrated an ability to play through adversity and from behind to keep their record unblemished.

College Football Thoughts:

TCU won yesterdays only game between two top-20 teams by destroying BYU yesterday. They were (somewhat) awarded by the BCS rankings by bypassing Boise State to get to 6th in the BCS rankings.......also their victory over Clemson looks better after Clemson upset the Hurricanes

Still the BCS rankings weren't good to the TCUs/Boise's of the world. TCU is ranked behind an Iowa team (that squeaked by a perennially average Michigan State team) and a 1-loss USC team that lost to an improving but still mediocre Washington Squad......Boise took care of business and they were "awarded" by being dropped to 7th...............much of this talk is probably counter-productive as the championship game is likely to be Texas vs. Alabama/Florida

Well......Game 6 of the ALCS is about to start..........here's to a good game and the Angels forcing a 7th game

Sports/Music Crossover Column: Alice In Chains

Just recently, one of my favorite bands from the 90s, Alice In Chains released their first album since the mid-90s. You all know what this means.....time for another Sports/Music Crossover column where I use songs from Alice In Chains to discuss recent developments in the sports world that I want to discuss but not necessarily devote an entire post to with that it's time to rock out

"Down In A Hole"--Winless NFL Teams Browns, Titans, Chiefs, Panthers, Buccaneers and Rams

Well these teams are down in a hole for sure. 4 weeks into the NFL season and they are yet to win a game. Some of these teams are a victim of bad luck (Titans) others are in legitimate danger of being the second 0-16 team in NFL history (Rams, Chiefs, Browns) but all have the common theme of this being a lost season. For these teams they are unlikely to be talking about playoffs and probably talking about who they can draft to turn around their fortunes in 2010.

"A Little Bitter"-- Myself after Monday's Packers-Vikings game

I can take the multiple retirements. I would have eventually forgiven the Jets stint. This is the culmination of one of the most unforgivable acts in sports. When Favre signed with the Vikings I thought to myself it's okay he's got nothing left, the Vikings will be terrible anyways....well the Vikings are 4-0 Favre schooled the Packers D...and it looks like for the second straight season one aspect of the Packers (the O-Line) is going to doom a talented team to a terrible season. On the bright side 3/4ths of the season is still left the Packers have a bye week to recover and if recent history holds up.....the interception parade will eventually begin in Minnesota.

"Lying Season"--Dez Bryant-- failure to disclose interaction with Deion Sanders

Well this officially ends Oklahoma States one chance at greatness. Dez Bryant was THE star player of an Oklahoma State team that was supposed to have its coming out party. Instead, Dez Bryant doesn't disclose/lies about meeting with Deion Sanders and he is now ineligible to play. For Oklahoma State it's back to another few decades of going 7-5 and playing meaningless bowl games two days after Christmas. On a personal note, it puts my fantasy team in flux as he was one of my best players and I have to scramble to find someone to replace his production.

"Got Me Wrong"--Philip Hughes/Yankees Bullpen

So this morning I finished my post previewing the Yankees-Twins series. In this post I gave the edge to the Twins bullpen and didn't speak too positively of the Yankees bullpen beyond Mariano Rivera. A funny thing happened, I go to the gym and the Yankees-Twins game is on, Hughes comes in the 7th inning in a 6-2 game with 2 men on Mauer on Deck facing Orlando Cabrera, they get into an epic match-up where Cabrera is fouling off pitch after pitch....and Hughes strikes out Cabrera on a 3-2 count....effectively stopping the Twins best opportunity to get back into the game.....for at least a day Hughes has proven me wrong.

"Over Now"-- MLB Regular Season

As always it was a fun ride but all things come to an end eventually. For me 2009 will be remembered for a few things. 1) MLB Networks rookie and breakout season. 2) My first extended encounter with MLB.tv.........probably one of the greatest innovations in recent memory and 3) Stunned that Braden Looper somehow led the Brewers in wins 4) Zach Greinke's amazing season.....I don't care how bad the Royals are, Greinke deserves the Cy Young Award 5) Pablo Sandoval's breakout season........it's not every year a player comes through that can go yard off of pitches that aren't even close to being strikes.....

"So Close"--Tigers/Braves

To the teams who got their playoff hopes crushed last. To the Tigers....you were up 7 games in September....even worse, your going to be mentioned in the same sentence as the '07 Mets.....OUCH.

To the Braves...you kicked it into high gear too late...you were hanging around the fringes of the race...got hot for a few weeks....the only mistake you made was not being in the NL Central where you could play .500 ball for 140 games only to get hot for the last 20 or so games.

"Again"-Trevor Hoffman

Well we were barely one day into the off-season and the Brewers wasted no time in re-signing Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman had an excellent season as a closer in '09. I can't wait to see Hoffman closing for the Brewers again in '10 as they try to bounce back from a lackluster season.

"Put You Down"--Twins over Tigers

The Tigers had things like a commanding lead in the AL Central and in the AL Central Tie-Breaker game...but with the Twins finding new ways to win on a daily basis...they were able to put down the Tigers and get into the playoffs

"No Excuses"-- University of Houston Defense

Alright so the University of Houston isn't a defensive juggernaut. They are known more for their high profile offense. Still, it is inexcusable to give up 58 points to a weak UTEP team. It would be one thing if they gave up this amount to an elite team such as Texas, Oklahoma, etc....but UTEP is not what would be considered an elite team.......i've watched them in "action" a couple times and they are not what I would call an offensive juggernaut. Thanks for trying to break the BCS-Barrier this year Houston and next year, come back with a competent Defense........In terms of Non-BCS schools.....TCU and Boise are the last hopes.

Flash Forwarding to Week 3 NFL Action

For the second straight week, I am writing my NFL preview post in context of a season premier of a TV show. This week i'm multi-tasking between this post and the series premier of Flash Forward. Not even 10 minutes in and everything has delved into chaos (there was even a billboard for oceanic airways in the background)

Anyways, i ain't here to talk about the island (tonight) 8 15s or synchronized blackouts.....its time to talk about some football.

Packers 1-1 vs. Rams 0-2

I'm still trying to figure out how the Packers lost to Bengals of all teams. How did Cedric Benson manage to have a good game? How did Chad Ochocinco (or whatever he's calling himself this week) manage a successful Lambeau leap? What happened to the good old days (2006) when an opposing player attempting to pull this stunt got pushed back onto the field.

As bad as things were for the Packers they have at least one thing going for them, they're not the Rams. This is a golden opportunity for the Packers to add one to the win column before their Monday Night showdown against the hated Vikings.

Colts 2-0 vs. Cardinals 1-1

The Colts are coming off a thrilling late win over the Dolphins on MNF. It hasn't been pretty or dominating but the Colts still look like they're going to be strong even with a change at head coach.

The Cardinals were able to bounce back with a win over the Jaguars. The Jags look like they're heading for a terrible season. Pretty much, this game will do a lot to determine if the Cardinals still have some of that mojo that almost got them a Super Bowl win (and the Armageddon that would have followed) or if they're going to be amongst the many Super Bowl-losing teams to not even sniff the post-season.

Redskins 1-1 vs. Lions 0-2

Well, the Redskins about as little as possible to beat a pathetic Rams team last week. Lucky for them, they get to play the one team that's even worse the Detroit Lions

The Lions are only 14 games away from being the first team to have two straight 0-16 seasons. Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked to see it happen. Point being, the Redskins could be one of the most uninspiring 2-1 teams in NFL history after this weekend is over.

Broncos 2-0 vs. Raiders 1-1

I'm not sold on either of these teams. The Broncos 2-0 looks okay on the outside. However, those wins came against the Bengals and Browns. Also, with the train wreck circus revolving Brandon Marshall's legal troubles, the fact that Kyle Orton is their quarterback and whatever controversy Josh McDaniels finds himself in between now and Sunday, I don't see the Broncos winning ways holding up the rest of the season. (But they'll get to 3-0 before that happens)

Fortunately for the Broncos, they are playing the one team that has an even bigger circus surrounding their team. So the Raiders pulled out a win against the Chiefs, the Raiders team still looked like a train wreck even in this rare instance where they managed to not lose. I just can't take any team seriously that involves head coaches punching assistants, Al Davis involved in any capacity (let alone as owner) and JaMarcus Russell as a starting quarterback.

Falcons 2-0 vs. Patriots 1-1

So far, the Falcons strong 2008 seems to be legit. The NFC South is braced for an exciting 1-2 race between Atlanta and New Orleans.

The Patriots are coming off a loss to the Jets. They seem to have lost the mojo that they've had for most of the decade. They're one crazy comeback away from being in an 0-2 hole. Still, they are team that is not to be taken lightly. Tom Brady may have been injured all of '08 but he still needs to be taken seriously in opposing teams game plans. Probably one of the more intriguing match ups of the week.

Seahawks 1-1 vs. Bears 1-1

The Seahawks are coming off a bad loss to divisional rival San Francisco. Considering how mediocre the NFC West has been in recent years, it shouldn't be too hard to make up this early deficit.

The Bears seem to be pretty tough to figure out. Are they the sloppy team that played in week 1 or are they the team that's able to pull out a win against the defending champion Steelers? Well, they're playing another team that hasn't figured out whether they will be good or bad this year so this game is unlikely to reveal the answer, regardless of what happens.

Texans 1-1 vs. Jaguars 0-2

Still not sold on the Texans, especially with Steve Slaton off to a good start. Still, they have a pretty easy opponent in the Jags so they still have some time to get things together enough to contend for their first playoff bid.

The Jaguars.....look to be getting worse......absolutely nothing about this team inspires me.

Week 2 NFL Preview --- It's Always Sunny at Cheddar's Sports Blog

I'm chillin at home right now watching Grandma's Boy on FX, and sitting in anticipation for the season premier of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (as of this writing about 90 minutes away.

But that's then and this is now. Now is the time to preview some of the week 2 action in the NFL.

Packers 1-0 vs. Bengals 0-1

Two teams who had opposite endings to Sunday's game. The Packers rallied late to take the lead and pull off a massively epic victory over the Bears in front of a national TV audience. Their defense looked better, played better (with the help of Jay Cutler) and Aaron Rodgers took another step towards becoming an elite QB and quickly making his predecessor be nothing more than a distant memory.

The Bengals did the one thing they've done well in the last 20 years, find new ways to lose a games. Losing on an 87-yard tipped pass in the final seconds.......brutal times 10.

Patriots 1-0 vs. Jets 1-0

An early battle for AFC East Supremacy. The Patriots pulled a victory straight out of nowhere coming back in the final minutes against the TO-infested Bills.

The Jets had a strong week 1 in Mark Sanchez' NFL Debut. Whether Sanchez can keep playing well throughout his rookie season still remains to be seen but if nothing else he gives the Jets hope for the future (if not '09) and unlike his predecessor has never appeared in a Sears commercial.

Colts 1-0 vs. Dolphins 0-1

The Colts squeezed out a close win against a pretty bad Jaguars squad in Week 1.

The Dolphins did not start their follow-up to their break out season as strong as they hoped. I'm still holding out hope that they'll go outside the box and bust out a triple-option offense.

Seahawks 1-0 vs. 49ers 1-0

An early battle for supremacy in a weak NFC West. The Seahawks started out the Jim L. Mora era strong with a win over some CFL team in St. Louis called the Rams. According to cool-standing they have a 51.3 % chance to make the playoffs. You know what this means, a 48.7% chance of a sequel following up his father's Playoffs?!!!! rant.

The 49ers, coming off a strong finish after the hiring of Mike Singletary and the benching of ex-Aggie J.T. O'Sullivan. Pulled out a good road win against the defending Super Bowl runner-up Cardinals. While Hill hasn't gotten too much respect/publicity/legitimacy as an NFL Quarterback all he's done is quietly put up a 90+ passer rating and throw 2 TDs for every INT. Hill is a breakout year ready to happen.

Falcons 1-0 vs. Panthers 0-1

The Falcons didn't play out of their minds last week but they did more than enough to win. I have a gut feeling that regardless of how good or bad they are on Sunday they'll be 2-0 when the weekend is over.

The Panthers have Jack Delhomme who looks to be getting progressively worse with every start he makes. After single-handedly throwing the Panthers out of the playoffs last year, he started this season by pulling a Jay Cutler and throwing 4 picks, leading the Panthers to get blown out by the Eagles.

Broncos 1-0 vs. Browns 0-1

The Kyle Orton led Broncos offense was downright terrible for 59 minutes on Sunday but since they were playing the Bengals and got incredibly lucky on one play, they did well in the one place that counts, the standings. The Broncos get another cupcake in the Browns on Sunday. Even without Jay Cutler and the yet to be determined genius/idiocy of Josh McDaniels, the Broncos may have be 2-o before having to play a halfway decent team.

The Browns, well they are the Browns. What's with these teams from Ohio and being totally terrible at the NFL. It was pretty sad how they got owned by Adrian Peterson, well at least in this game they'll only get moderately embarrassed.

Redskins 0-1 vs. Rams 0-1

The Redskins look destined to not make the playoffs again....they had an uninspiring game against the Giants but at least they get an even worse team in the Rams to play on Sunday. Best case for the Redskins is that they gain more confidence by playing inept competition and can gain enough confidence to play over their heads for at least part of the season.

The Rams........brutal team....if they're not careful they may join the 08 Lions as the second 0-16 team in history.

Week 1 NFL Preview---Lots of Questions--Too Early For Answers

Well, the 2009 NFL Season is upon us and it is time to preview some (but not all) of the week 1 games. The these previews are going to work is that the Packers get previewed first, followed by whichever games involve players on my fantasy football team (lame but whatever.....I do what I want)

Packers vs. Bears

I wouldn't want the NFL season to start any other way. I've been looking forward to this game since the schedules were released. Packers vs. Bears games are always intense and anything can happen regardless of where these teams are in the standings.

Also, this game will give us a glimpse of who gets first dibs on NFC North supremacy. It will also be the first game (of likely many) matching up Aaron Rodgers against Jay Cutler. For the Packers, we will begin to see how Aaron Rodgers follows up on his excellent first season as a starter. Also, it will be interesting to see if their defense improves from last year or if it's going to still be terrible.

For the Bears, is Jay Cutler their answer? Will he be the strong quarterback the Bears have been seeking since, forever? How will his play affect the balance of power in the NFC North?

Colts vs. Jaguars

How will the Colts play in Jim Caldwell's coaching debut? Will they still be the contenders they have been for the better part of the decade? Also, I am curious to see what number is higher....the amount of commercials starring Peyton Manning that are shown tomorrow or the number of passing yards he has.

The Jaguars are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2008. They looked to be on the cusp after a strong 2007, but it looks like they could just as easily slip back into mediocrity for a few years.

Falcons vs. Dolphins

The two most surprising teams of 2008 face off against each-other in this match-up. Will the Falcons and Matt Ryan follow up on a strong season or do they regress back into a non-playoff team?

For the Dolphins, does Chad Pennington have another career year and if not how much impact will it have on the Dolphins? Considering that they popularized the WildCat offense last year, what will the Dolphins do in 2009 that half of the league will inevitable rip off? Personally, i'd be cool with them bringing the triple-option offense back in style.

Broncos vs. Bengals

Will Brandon Marshall justify all his off-field arrests, shenanigans, etc. by producing on the field. How many more times does he need to get arrested to either a) get suspended or b) traded to the Bengals.

For the Bengals......will Carson Palmer be a factor for the Bengals and will they be relevant anytime soon? or ever?

Texans vs. Jets

Will the Texans make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history? Will Steve Slaton have the monster/epic season that I think he will have?

For the Jets, how do they recover from the mess that Mangini and that old guy from the wrangler commercials left behind? Will Mark Sanchez be the franchise quarterback that they hope/think that they are getting? Will the Jets ever get past their apparent 9-win glass ceiling?

Redskins vs. Giants

Will the Redskins on-field production match the ridiculous amounts of money spent on the team? How will the Giants be affected by the loss of Plaxico Burress? Will the Giants still be one of the elite teams in the NFC?

Seahawks vs. Rams

How will the NFL be without Mike Holmgren being a head coach? While he isn't THE Jim Mora, I like that there is A Jim Mora with an NFL head coaching job? This begs the question of how long until Jim L. Mora provides the world with a quote that can be repeated ad-naseum and never get old? On second thought, there is NO way to top both Diddly Poo AND Playoffs?!!.

For the Rams, outside of going 0-16 and/or hiring Matt Millen as a GM....there's probably no way this team can get any worse than they were in 2008....

Bills vs. Patriots

Will T.O. be the difference for the Bills and help them make the playoffs for the first time in years? How long before the team-cancer side of T.O. pops up and starts trashing Trent Edwards publicly?

For the Pats...it's a given they'll get back to the playoffs. The main question with them is whether Tom Brady will be able to replicate his record setting 2007 season? Also, will he get the Pats back to the Super Bowl?

Well as you can see, there are a lot of unanswered questions as we head into Week 1 of the NFL season. Some of them may get answered tomorrow. Most of them will probably go unresolved for awhile. This doesn't include yearly factors such as what teams will come out of nowhere to either play much better or worse. Either way this season should be a fun ride.

Sports/Music Crossover Column: Collective Soul

So.....I was wandering aimlessly on the internet earlier today and realized that mid-90s post-grunge band Collective Soul is coming out with a new album titled Rabbit on Tuesday....in tribute to their 15+plus year body of work....I decided the time was ripe for another sports/music crossover post to discuss my take on whichever sports news crosses my mind.....

The Song Division:

"Counting the Days"--.....until football season

I am counting the days till football season for various reasons. First, to see whether or not the Packers will bounce back from a disapointing year. Will the switch to a 3-4 defense make the Packers defense at least somewhat competent? Will Aaron Rodgers build on a strong 2008 and inch himself closer to the leagues elite.....

Also, for purposes directly realting to this blog...I decided that I needed a way to expand my knowledge about sports teams that don't happen to play in the state of Wisconsin......and after years of being sure I would never cross over into it.....I am making my first serious foray into fantasy sports.....i have a fantasy nfl and college teams starting up soon...i'm a bit anxious to see how well I do and to see if/how it will expand my knowledge.....

"Why Pt. 2"---Brett Favre's 2nd annual retirement/un-retirement fiasco

Seriously, what is this dude thinking? Does he not want people to like him? Does he realize that he's just not that good anymore? Why does he retire when he knows he's going to come back? Whatever....it should be amusing to see him expand his all-time career lead in interceptions by another 25......and lead the Vikings to a non-playoff season

"Blame"---Memphis Basketball Scandal

Who is to blame for this little fiasco? Coach John Calipari, a coach who has now directly led to TWO schools having to forfeit a Final Four appearance? Derrick Rose....a player who had to lie and cheat to pass the SAT and be "eligible" to play at Memphis? My Answer C: All of the Above

"Run"---Usain Bolt--running his way into the record books

Alright so I could care less about track....but anytime you break two world records by yourself [100 metres/200 metres] in the same week........that's pretty epic and worth giving some recognition to

"Perfect Day"---Mark Buerhle's perfect game

Alright so i'm a month late on this one but going 27 up/27 down in a baseball game is pretty awesome.....and rare enough that it's happened only 18 times in MLB history

"No More, No Less" ----- Cubs/Dodgers All Time Series

Going into this weekends set the Cubs and Dodgers played each other 2,028 times......The Cubs won 1,014 times....the Dodgers had won the other 1,014 times........tough to get a series as close as that....not sure what the odds are of this happening but this is definitely one of those statistical anamolies that is unlikely to repeat itself in sports........

The Albums Secion

"Afterwords"--Micheal Vick and the aftermath of his prison sentence

In the aftermath of Vick's 18-month sentence for dogfighting and signing on with the Eagles...what's going to happen in the aftermath of his scandal........will PETA ever forgive the Eagles?.....will the Eagles switch to a wildcat offense that emphasises his strengths very well?....when will we find out whether or not Vick will be suspended or allowed to play?........with this story and the Favre story going on at the same time which story will ESPN bludgeon like a dead horse first?.......will Vick be the same, better, or worse than before his prison sentence.....this question and possibly others will be answered in this season of NFL football

"Rabbit"---emergence of ML leadoff hitters who can run--and actually get on base.....

I don't know if its just me but it seems like there's been an infusion of youth and speed at the top of lineups all over the NL this year.....Andrew McCutchen, Micheal Bourn, Nyjer Morgan.....with Alceides Escobar in the process of joining this list..........none of these guys are likely to be power hitters...but they all hit for solid contact....and their speed causes problems for opposing pitchers once they get on base.....

"From the Ground Up"---NFL/mystery suprise team

With the NFL season coming up...come speculation on which team will rise from the ground up and go from atrocious to the playoffs within a year.....last year it was the Dolphins and Falcons who went from laughingstocks to legit contenders.......I have no idea who will pull it off this year but either way it won't be that much of a shock when it happens [unless the Lions somehow are that team]

My two cents on Favre

Well, its that time of the year again, three months before the start of football season. This makes it prime season for ESPN to turn into the Brett Favre (un)retirement watch network. Since I've been writing exclusively about sports and being a die-hard Packers fan, I guess that means i'm adding myself to the multitude of voices and opinions regarding this circus.

This retirement speculation has been going on for about five years (give or take). Prior to his first retirement, it felt like nothing more than network-generated speculation.....no harm no foul,they need something to talk about and this was their choice......during these years my take was he'll think it over for the beginning of the postseason, come back and things would be business as usual. My other take on it (which has been proven wrong) is that once he announces his retirement, that would be the end of it.

However, the events of the last two summers has turned the phantom retirement to the 800 pound gorilla in the room. Since the saga of last summer is mostly old news and was shoved down everyone's throat I will skip this part and go on to discuss his current flirtations with joining the Minnesota Vikings.

While I feel non-threatened by his presence on a rival team since he is over the hill and Aaron Rodgers has proven himself to be more effective than Favre currently, speaking solely as a fun there is still is a sense of betrayal.

This was a guy who QBed my favorite team from 4th grade until I graduated from college (and this even though I didn't graduate until I was almost 25)....he won a super bowl and provided many clutch you tube worthy moments along the way.....which is why I can't help but stand in confusion as he seems determined to play for the Vikings.... when he was playing for the Jets, that was one thing...I don't really care if he pursues playing opportunites elsewhere, but when your blatant about playing for and only for one of green bay's arch-rivals thats just not cool.....but hey it's his legacy he's wasting and his alone I just do not see why its worth it...

So thats my two cents on Favre for better or worse.....