Week 17 NFL Preview: Who's Talking About Playoffs, This Guy

So here we go the last post of the year, decade so on and so forth. It is also the last week of the NFL season and the season finale of the weekly NFL preview column (regular season edition). With that said, on to the games.

Tier I: Packers Game

Packers 10-5 vs. Cardinals 10-5

A Packers blowout win vs. Seahawks plus Giants losing to Carolina last week= Playoffs. With the NFC participants set, the significance of this game is more for positioning and match-ups than anything else. The Packers are either gonna be a 5 or 6 seed while the Cardinals will fall anywhere between 2 and 4. A win here would be nice but ending the Vikings post-season would be even sweeter. Packers are the hotter team and I see this translating to a victory.

Packers 28 Cardinals 17

Tier II: The 8-7 Club (AFC Edition)

Ravens 8-7 vs. Raiders 5-10

Not sure where to start delving into the 8-7 club and picked the Ravens to arbitrarily go first. The Ravens have had a relatively weak follow-up to their strong showing last year but a win and a playoff appearance would absolve them of any bad will. The Raiders have actually showed a pulse since figuring out that JaMarcus Russell is pretty useless on the football field. The Raiders may be a bad team but they have shown they have the potential to beat playoff-caliber teams. Raiders have a chance to play spoiler and I see them ending '09 on a positive note.

Raiders 24 Ravens 21

Chiefs 3-12 vs. Broncos 8-7

The Cheifs have been stuck in epic fail mode for 2+ years. The Broncos were supposed to be terrible, then won six in a row, they were supposed to be great and then they lose 7 of 9 and look unlikely to make the playoffs despite a 6-0 start. On the bright side, Jay Cutler isn't their problem anymore. The Broncos are struggling but not bad enough to lose to the Chiefs.

Broncos 14 Chiefs 10

Steelers 8-7 vs. Dolphins 7-8

The Steelers have been an epic fail, but on a smaller scale. A win here and they may make the playoffs despite losing five in a row. The Dolphins are a better team than their 7-8 record indicates but that doesn't change the fact that anything short of divine intervention, they ain't going to the playoffs (though they'll probably be back in 2010). The Steelers may have struggled this year but Big Ben thrives in the clutch and I see him coming up big late in this game.

Steelers 31 Dolphins 24

Patriots 10-5 vs. Texans 8-7

Patriots are in don't need to win but it wouldn't hurt to do so mode. The Texans? All I gotta say is there are few guarantees in life. Those being death, taxes, the Vikings not winning the super bowl and the Texans going 8-8. It's just the way it is, some things will never change.

Patriots 21 Texans 7

Bengals 10-5 vs. Jets 8-7

Just like the NFL, I saved the Bengals-Jets match-up for last in Tier II. The Jets win and they can make many of the above games irrelevant. The Jets lose opens the door for about a million different playoff scenarios. The Bengals may be looking ahead to the playoffs and Carson Palmer's first chance to show what he can do on the playoff stage. The Jets have more incentive to win but the Jets just don't strike me as a playoff caliber team. I don't see Mark Sanchez up to the task of stepping up.

Bengals 17 Jets 14 (OT)

Tier III: Other Games Of Interest

Giants 8-7 vs. Vikings 11-4

The Giants take the award for doing the least despite starting 5-0. The Vikings are playing for positioning. Some teams "peak" at the right time. The Vikings are not one of those teams. When your getting outplayed by Cutler in December, this should set up for an awesomely epic fail.

Giants 35 Vikings 21

Saints 13-2 vs. Panthers 7-8

Losing to Dallas is one thing, losing to Tampa, the Saints suddenly look less invincible. The Panthers main mistake this year was sticking with Delhomme for too long. The Panthers are looking to close out the season on a strong note. Out of the non-playoff teams in the NFC, I would peg them and the 49ers as the two teams most likely to be in the post-season next year.

Eagles 11-4 vs. Cowboys 10-5

A lot on the line for this game. Positioning, the NFC East and bragging rights. More of a tune-up before moving to a bigger stage. Could go either way, Eagles have been one of the hotter teams in the league and this gives them the slight edge.

Eagles 24 Cowboys 20

Tier IV: Close Games, Bad Teams

Colts 14-1 vs. Bills 5-10

No, the Colts are normally not a bad team. Bad teams do not win 14 games. However, the chance of seeing significant playing time from many of the players who contributing to those 14 wins is somewhere between slim and none. I was reading one of the local papers around here (New Times)...I saw a particularly tacky advertisement for a local bar (Buffalo Pub and Grill) that had the tagline of what happens in Buffalo stays in Buffalo. Not sure what this has anything to do with anything but this is about the only circumstance where a team like the Bills actually has a chance against a team like the Colts. The Bills will capitalize on this but this ability to beat the Colts will be constrained to Week 17.

Bills 17 Colts 10

Jaguars 7-8 vs. Browns 4-11

The Jaguars somehow had a shot at the post-season and to the shock of nobody, made absolutely nothing of it. The Browns have actually started to not be terrible (but made the mistake of not showing up for about 3 months). Really, not much incentive to watch here.

Browns 24 Jaguars 17

Bears 6-9 vs. Lions 2-13

Speaking of players/teams that no showed for months at a time, Jay Cutler. Coming off his first good game since September and playing the second worst team in the NFL, the Bears will inexplicably end the season on a 2-game winning streak. Another season where the closest Jay Cutler will get to a playoff game is by watching it on tv.

Bears 27 Lions 20

Titans 7-8 vs. Seahawks 5-10

A battle of two teams that were absolutely atrocious in Week 16. In fairness to the Titans, the officiating seemed highly biased in favor of the Chargers and if that didn't happen, things may have not been so bad. I would like to thank the Seahawks for doing absolutely nothing to prevent the Packers from locking up a playoff spot.

Seahawks 10 Titans 0

Falcons 8-7 vs. Buccaneers 3-12

Falcons, greater things were expected, greater things were not delivered. Tampa, wow things have gone downhill fast. The Raheem Morris era didn't exactly start great.

Falcons 14 Buccaneers 7

Tier V: The Blowouts

49ers 7-8 vs. Rams 1-14

The 49ers have been inconsistent but have the pieces to have an explosive offense. The Rams in no way shape or form have the talent or ability to prevent this from happening.

49ers 35 Rams 10

Redskins 4-11 vs. Chargers 12-3

The Jim Zorn era ends here. When a coach is on their last straw (game), you get an 95% chance of blowout. I've seen this in person. In December '08 I ended up attending what happened to be the last game of the Reggie Theus era. Seriously, the Sacramento Kings played so bad they would have lost to a D-League team. They happened to be playing the Knicks that night and proceeded to fall behind by 20+ in the first quarter thus ending the game before it started.

The Redskins are playing a team much better than the Knicks in the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers don't lose in December and happen to be one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now. Like that fateful Kings-Knicks game, this game will be over before it begins.

Chargers 49 Redskins 3

NBA Preview: Seriously, Is Anyone Watchin on New Years Eve?

Well, we are coming towards the end of 2009. December has been a pretty weird month. I've been sidetracked by the holiday, my new toy (PS3), Season 3 of Heroes. Things will get back to a normal pace after the new year...etcetera, etcetera , etcetera....

Anyways, a pretty lite slate of NBA Action on the tube this week. A couple New Years Eve Games on TNT and thats it.

2-76ers vs. Clippers --Thursday TNT

So the 76ers weren't expected to be this bad, but they at least were expected to be average. Sadly enough, the Clippers are having a better year. Honestly, I ain't watching either of these games since its New Years Eve and I prolly won't be focused on whats on TV but even with the fantasy implications in it for me (Kaman and Iguodala)....still not enough incentive to see a couple future lottery teams.

1- Heat vs. Spurs --Thursday TNT

Not the most interesting match-up but its at least not as dreadful as the other match-up. At least these are teams that we know are likely going to the post-season. The Miami Wades are on a crash course for another 45-win season and an early playoff exit. The Spurs are going through the motions probably not going to peak until March but still win 55 games and be a legitimate threat in the playoffs. In other words, don't expect to see either team play a great game.

Week 16 Preview.....Where I fight the TMZination of the Sports world by actually discussing the games ON the field

Well, time for the Week 16 Preview.......Let The Game Begin

Tier I Packers Game:

Packers 9-5 vs. Seahawks 5-9

The Packers come into this week with a bit more pressure on them to win than they had last week. Granted the choke against Pittsburgh and the Giants blowout win over the Redskins didn’t help but the Packers still have control over their own destiny. The defense was an epic fail last week as they seemed to have channeled their 2008 defense.

Speaking of epic fails, the Packers face a Seahawks team going nowhere for the second straight year. The last time these teams played in a game of any consequence was so long ago that Brett Favre was still a Packer and he had 0 career retirements. Oh wait, that was like only two years ago. The Packers won that game handily. Considering that the Packers dropped that zero and have gotten with a hero at QB since the Pack wins this in a laugher.

Packers 49 Seahawks 17

Tier II A: Playoff Implications (NFC Version)

Giants 8-6 vs. Panthers 6-8

The Giants may not be natural rivals but as a Packers fan, they have been a thorn in my side two of the last three seasons. The only thing separating the Packers from playoffs in ’06 was the Giants winning the last game because Tiki Barber rushed for like a million yards. Then there was the ’07 NFC Championship game where Favre handed the Giants the game on a silver platter.

The Panthers season was an epic fail but they have high spoiler potential. They get bonus points from me for schooling the Vikings on National TV. Things haven’t gone well for them this year but they have a chance to do at least something great by helping the Giants not make the playoffs.

Panthers 34 Giants 28

Cowboys 9-5 vs. Redskins 4-10

Got to hand it to the Cowboys, they came up with a big win in December against a really good New Orleans team (Disclaimer: The did almost blow a 21-point lead, their kicker pulled a Mason Crosby and missed a late field goal and the Saints were knocking on the door but they still had more points than the other team at the end of the game). I was hoping the Redskins could channel their rivalry and a national stage against the Giants. (However that worked out about as well as signing Jason Kendall to a two year contract and/or trading Carlos Silva Straight up for Milton Bradley)(Seriously, this is going to go down as one of the more lopsided trades in recent memory). Back to my original point, Romo’s propensity for choking didn’t magically disappear but we’re talking about the Redskins here.

Cowboys 28 Redskins 3

Tier II B: The 7-7 AFC Tier

Chargers 11-3 vs. Titans 7-7

By far the most interesting of the games involving a member of the double 7 club. An epic Christmas Night match-up between two of the hottest teams in the NFL. Its become a holiday tradition for the Chargers to not lose in December and 2009 is no exception. The Titans have a dream. It is a fairly epic dream. It is a dream that ends by running into the buzz-saw that is the San Diego Chargers. Better luck next year.

Chargers 21 Titans 14

Texans 7-7 vs. Dolphins 7-7

Two teams that really should not have 7 losses to this point. The Texans are a team content with having a strong offense, no D and an apparent inability to break .500….ever. The Dolphins have overcome the loss of their original starting QB, the loss of Ronnie Brown but in return have received a vintage year out of Ricky Williams. If a few more things went their way they could easily be at 9 or 10 wins by now. Not sure if the Dolphins can break into the playoff picture, but I like their chances better than Houston.

Dolphins 31 Texans 21

Jaguars 7-7 vs. Patriots 9-5

How the Jaguars even won 7 games is beyond me. This team fails to inspire on all levels. The Patriots are looking to lock up the AFC East and they have a fairly weak hurdle to get over to do this.

Patriots 35 Jaguars 21

Ravens 8-6 vs. Steelers 7-7

Ravens control their own destiny. They were also courteous enough to not win at Lambeau. Not going to hide it, I have my biases and I’m picking against the Steelers out of spite.

Ravens 21 Steelers 14

Jets 7-7 vs. Colts 14-0

If it weren’t for Jacksonville, the Jets would be the worst of the double 7 club and the funky bunch. They’ve lost 7 of their last 11 and going up against a team that hasn’t lost all year. The Colts may be going through the motions at this point, but they’ll be with it just enough to ruin another mediocre teams playoff hopes.

Colts 28 Jets 21

Tier III: Other Interesting Games

Broncos 8-6 vs. Eagles 10-4

A Broncos loss could further convolute the AFC Playoff Picture. College Football could take a valuable lesson from this, teams fighting for playoff spots (even if many of them are not that good) makes for much more captivating football than the current 34 bowl games, 33 of which are irrelevant. The Eagles have taken control of the NFC East and will be looking to get closer to putting it on lockdown. I’m looking ahead to an 8-7 tier in next week’s preview (likely to involve Denver)

Eagles 24 Broncos 14

Tier IV: Close Games, Bad Teams

Bills 5-9 vs. Falcons 7-7

I hear Buffalo is lovely this time of year. This years Bills team, not so much. What do the Falcons and my fantasy team have in common? Turner’s injuries seriously endangered (and eventually killed their respective playoff hopes). Like the Steelers, the Falcons get picked to lose out of vengeance.

Bills 10 Falcons 0

Raiders 5-9 vs. Browns 3-11

This game is the NFL Week 16 equivalent to a lump of coal. These two teams are the walking definition of unwatchable. When 5-9 is a pleasant surprise, things are not right. On the bright side for the Browns, they do have Holmgren and thus some hope for the future (one unlikely to involve Mangini). This inspires the Browns to victory in the Lump of Coal Bowl.

Browns 7 Raiders 3

Lions 2-12 vs. 49ers 6-8

On the bright side, the Lions won 2 more games than they did last year. The 49ers I have determined are the NFC version of the Texans. They have the talent to have a better record but still manage to regress to an average to below average team. Not sure whether the good or bad Niners team shows up Sunday but after that travesty against the Eagles, I’m not ready to give any benefit of the doubt.

49ers 13 Lions 3

Tier V: The Blowouts

Chiefs 3-11 vs. Bengals 9-5

The Chiefs have nothing to play for and are going nowhere. The Bengals have a lot to play for in the aftermath of Chris Henry’s death. Even though they lost Sunday, there is no shame in losing a close game to San Diego. Also, they are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot which they do Sunday, with authority.

Bengals 31 Chiefs 10

Buccaneers 2-12 vs. Saints 13-1

The Saints lost their first game on Saturday and someone is going to feel the wrath of it. I’m not Nostradamus but I’m predicting that said wrath will be taken out on a team that has won twice all year.

Saints 49 Buccaneers 14

Rams 1-13 Cardinals 9-5

Cardinals have the West locked up. Not sure who the Cardinals back-ups are but I’m pretty sure they are good enough to win more than once a year.

Cardinals 35 Rams 10

Vikings 11-3 Bears 5-9

Let the Favre soap opera begin………over-riding “coach” Childress’s attempted benching. Playing a clunker game against the Panthers. Still, they are playing the Bears who have Jay Cutler who is a younger, less talented version of Favre. The Vikings ship is definitely sinking but going up against Cutler they get one more lopsided win before the real fun (and by fun I mean Favre throwing for 5 interceptions in a blowout loss to a yet to be determined NFC team in the first or second round) begins.

Vikings 28 Bears 10

NBA Holiday Preview: Guaranteed 99 Percent Less Painful Than The Last Play of Yesterdays Packers-Steelers Game

Well, there have definitely been better sports weeks for me. The Packers choking on the last play, Big Ben throwing for about a million passing yards not to mention the Giants inevitable win tightening up the NFC Playoff Chase, the Bucks going 0-3 and losing those games by a combined 5 points (2 of those games in the last second)........not quite rock bottom but a bit too close for comfort....anyways on to the games:

5- Heat vs. Knicks Friday ESPN

Ouch indeed. The Heat may be a 5-seed, they may have Wade but being on TV on a constant basis, i'll pass. The Knicks........seriously? Well they can at least sell the playoff implications card as the Knicks are one game out of the 8-spot (the Eastern Conference....where hey even the Knicks have a chance happens)

4- Clippers vs. Suns Friday ESPN

Even without Blake Griffin, the Clippers have been respectable (by their standards 12-14) they would be a 6-seed in the East, but having the misfortune of being the L.A. team that did not benefit from the Tim Donaghy era, they are 3 games out of the last spot. The Suns, great at home mediocre on the road. Not much i'm excited about team-wide. This mainly got pushed up to the 4 spot as I have Nash and Kaman on my fantasy team and I don't care who wins just as long as they put up big numbers.

3- Nuggets vs. Blazers Friday ESPN

If the season were to end today, the Nuggets and Blazers would be matching up in the pivotal 3-6 match up. Both of these teams are solid interesting teams but the match-up itself, i'm just not feeling it.

2- Cavs. vs. Lakers Friday ABC

A match-up between two teams that beat the Bucks by a combined 4 points last week. Could it be they played better? Could it be they have LeBron and Kobe respectively? Could it be that having said players biased the refs to horribly mis-balance the free throws? (33 to 17 in the Laker game and 31 to 14 in the Cavs game). Man this puts that 2002 Kings-Lakers officiating to shame.

I give it a 60 percent chance that out of habit that LeBron and/or Kobe will commit a foul at some point and out of habit the ref will find a way to blame it on Andrew Bogut.

In all seriousness OMG LeBron, Kobe.........LeBron, Kobe........LeBron Kobe.

1- Celtics vs. Magic Friday ABC

Opening act of the ABC doubleheader, in my opinion the better of the two games. With all due respect to the Hawks and Cavs, these two teams have established themselves as the class of the Eastern Conference.

These teams matched up for a 7-game epic in the Second Round this year and seem destined to clash in the Eastern Conference Finals. Not sure if this game will do much in the context of the final standings but considering they are playing on a national stage when the majority of people have the day off, the winner of this game has the chance to shift the Eastern Conference landscape.

Week 15 NFL Preview Plus Bonus Rants about the Bucks-Lakers game and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Ouchhh....Just Finished Watching the Bucks blow a 6 point lead with 1:20 to the Lakers and lose on a Kobe jumper at the buzzer.......not sure whats worse Kobe getting single coverage at the buzzer or actually expecting anything out of the Bucks...........or that dubious blocking call that got the Lakers 3 points that shocked even the uber-homer Lakers announcers.........haven't seen a call that bad on that much of a level since the 2002 Western Conference Finals against the Kings ......seriously the Kings are barely starting to recover from that......and it's been almost 8 years

but that's neither here nor there....Week 15 of football should be less frustrating (assuming Kobe doesn't sign with the Steelers between now and Sunday).....on to the games

Tier I Packers Game:

Packers vs. Steelers

The Packers look to be peaking at the right time and ride into Sunday's game with a 5-game winning streak. Despite a 9-4 record, there is still work to do to get into the playoffs. The Bears game was a bit close but when Jay Cutler is the opposing QB, there is room for error.

How would I describe the Steelers. To paraphrase Tom Petty, they have been free-falling straight into nothing. Usually its the team that loses the Super Bowl that gets the year-after hangover. However, the Steelers are trend-setters and they are the team that is likely to miss the playoffs. With losses to Oakland, Kansas City and Cleveland....that's enough of a black eye that even the Redskins are pointing and laughing at this point.

Packers 31 Steelers 13

Tier II (A): The Undefeated Watch

Colts vs. Jaguars

The Colts are one of two teams that are trying to run the table (and bruise the inflated egos of the '72 Dolphins). The Jaguars are one of the worst playoff contending teams ever. The Colts are in the don't need to win but it wouldn't hurt to do so stage but someone needs to put the Jaguars in their place.

Colts 35 Jaguars 10

Saints vs. Cowboys

This game is probably gonna be more interesting. I could rationalize picking the Saints to lose on their dangerous tendency to play down to inferior competition ( and Tony Romo in December is pretty inferior). On the other hand, the Cowboys are worse at closing out games this time of year than the Milwaukee Bucks. Cowboys make it a game but lose when Romo throws a pick with less than two minutes left

Saints 28 Cowboys 24

Tier II(B): Best Game of the Week Where Both Teams Have Lost At Some Point This Year

Bengals vs. Chargers

The Bengals in the playoffs. Even though it actually happened a few years ago, it still seems bizarre to write those words. It will be good to see what Carson Palmer can do with a full playoff game.

The Chargers would also be in the run for an undefeated season, if September games didn't count in the standings. Besides the point, they are the hottest team right now and are the AFC representative in the peaking at the right time category. I don't see the Chargers losing (until the playoffs)

Chargers 21 Bengals 10

Tier III: Other Interesting Games

Dolphins vs. Titans

Two teams that are much better than their combined 13-13 records. If the D-Fish close out a couple more games earlier this year they would be cruising back to the playoffs. If the Titans didn't wait till week 7 to show up, they would be amongst the elite as well. However, none of the above happened and we get a match-up of two teams fighting for their lives. Titans get the edge because coming back from 0-6 would be unprecedented and pretty cool.

Titans 24 Dolphins 20

49ers vs. Eagles

The 49ers take the NFC label of team that was good enough to be in the playoffs but lost too many close games, too early. Still, that doesn't mean they are not going to try to make something out of it. Definitely my choice for breakout team of '10.

The Eagles have finally managed to take control of the NFC East after a wild Sunday Night Win against the Giants. The 49ers showed what they can do against playoff caliber competition on Monday and I see them staying alive for at least another week.

49ers 31 Eagles 28

Tier IV: Close Games, Bad Teams

Browns vs. Chiefs

Fun Fact: If you combine the Browns 2 wins and the Cheifs 3 wins, you would still not even be close to playoff competition. Even if you throw in both of Kansas City's wins last year, its a borderline at best cause. The Browns can hold their head up high by beating Pittsburgh and being 3 games away from the Mike Holmgren era. The Cheifs can hold their head up high by.....still thinking........still thinking.....um can I get back to you on this in say 2014?

Browns 7 Chiefs 0

Texans vs. Rams

Not sure which Texans team is going to show up and at 6-7 i'm over giving them benefit of the doubt. Its not like they'll need much against the Rams.

Texans 17 Rams 10

Falcons vs. Jets

The Falcons aren't a truly bad team and if they won a few more closer games, Turner didn't get injured, they didn't bottom out at the worst time, so on and so forth , they wouldn't be in the going nowhere fast category. Technically, the Jets are still in it but they've pretty much sputtered since losing to the Saints and I do not see them as a playoff team.

Falcons 24 Jets 20

Buccaneers vs. Seahawks

If a tree falls in the woods but no one is around, does it really fall? This sums up how I feel about this game.

Seahawks 21 Bucaneers 10

Tier V: Blow-Outs

Patriots vs. Bills

Patriots have the Dolphins right on their tails but still control their own destiny. The Bills are off to another non-playoff season. No surprises here.

Patriots 42 Bills 10

Cardinals vs. Lions

So thats what happens when you turn the ball over 7 times in a game. If we learned anything from the Lions-Ravens game last weekend, is the Lions are the perfect team to play if you are coming off a bad game.

Cardinals 38 Lions 0

Bears vs. Ravens

This season has shown that maybe the Bears were better off with Kyle Orton. In a related story, I have lost absolutely ZERO sleep over the Bears struggles and Jay Cutler's season. The Ravens are still in playoff contention (a.k.a they actually have something to play for).....the Ravens have frustrated me (when their kicker failed and as a result lost to the Vikings)...they have made me happy (by losing to the Packers)..........they improve to 8-6 (by beating the Bears)

Ravens 31 Bears 14

Raiders vs. Broncos

Game 1 of the JP Losman era. The cream of the UFL crop. The Broncos haven't done much in the last couple months but with their 6-0 cushion and an easy game against Mr. UFL coming up, they'll do just enough to lose in the first round.

Broncos 31 Raiders 7

Giants vs. Redskins

The Redskins, 3 more games until Jim Zorn is shown the door. Now time for a rant involving the Saints, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia and both New York Teams

In It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, the Gang are constantly concocting schemes to ruin the lives of those around them, (Case 1: Matthew Mara a.k.a Rickety Cricket who was a priest, quit the priesthood because Dee lied about being in love with him in the episode The Gang Exploits A Miracle, only to shoot him down afterwards and ended up being broke and homeless). This year, the Jets started 3-0, they fell for Mark Sanchez only to realize they were not ready for elite-status after single-handedly being destroyed by Darren Sharper and the Jets status as a great team was ruined.

Case 2: (The Waitress, who was in love with Dennis, only to have this exploited time and time again. To add on to the misery, Charlie has pretty much stalking her over the first 5 seasons time. 5 is also the number of games the Giants played (and won) before their game against the Saints. They gave up 48 points in that game and they are now 7-6.

What does this mean, The Saints ruin the seasons of teams crossing their paths and It's Always Sunny characters ruin the lives of the people that cross paths with them. End of Rant.

Giants 31 Redskins 10

Vikings vs. Panthers

Vikings are going through the motions until their playoff meltdown, Panthers going through the motions until they can get a better QB. Nothing to see here, move along.

Vikings 42 Panthers 20

The NBA National TV Preview: 12-14 Edition

Alright so its been a few days since I had the motivation to post something. Probably attributable to rain-induced laziness plus my 2-day addiction to the short lived tv show Journeyman that I watched on Hulu over the weekend.

Anyways, it's another week in which to excel and with that, my take on this week's nationally televised NBA Games.

6- Wizards vs. Warriors Friday ESPN

The idea of putting the Wizards on National TV several times this year does not look to be panning out very well. Sure Gilbert Arenas is an interesting player (when hes not injured) but this team is just not that good. Sure, they are a game and a half out of the last spot (in the East).

On the other end is a Warriors team that is interesting in all the wrong ways. Dysfunctional coach ? Check Team Going Absolutely Nowhere? Check Team that considers defense optional? Check..with the Kings improving this year the Warriors have proudly representing as the biggest train wreck of a team in Nor Cal.

5- Magic vs. Heat Thursday TNT

A less than exciting battle of Florida. The Magic are battling for Eastern Conference Supremacy. The only difference between the Heat and the Wizards is Dwayne Wade is at least able to push the Heat into playoff contention. Sad But True: The Heat are .500 (11-11) but in the East thats good for battling the Bucks for the 5-spot in the East.

4- Mavericks vs. Thunder Wednesday ESPN

The Mavericks are off to a strong start and look headed to playoffs, nothing to see here for the next 58 games. For the Thunder, they get another chance to capitalize on their resurgent season. Any time Kevin Durant is involved, it's worth at least checking out the game. Fun Fact: If the Thunder played in the East they would be a 5 seed right now. However, they play in the West and are thus 1/2 game out of the last spot.

3- Suns vs. Blazers Thursday TNT

Toss-up between the game above but this wins the tie-breaker with Steve Nash on my fantasy team. In the real world, the Suns seem to be coming down to earth after a scorching hot start it will be interesting to see if they stay amongst the elite or if they are in danger of missing the playoffs for a second straight year.

The Blazers, coming off a couple tough losses to the Cavs and Bucks and are nobly trying to compete with about half of their roster injured. How well the Blazers hold up being this short-handed will go a long way to see if the Blazers are going to be a legit playoff team.

2- Wizards vs. Kings Wednesday ESPN

When I started doing this NBA preview, I mentioned that I was ranking them based on how interesting I found the game which is NOT always correlated to how good the teams are. This week is definitely an example of this. As I mentioned earlier, I could care less about the Wizards, the only thing separating them from the bottom of the east are the 76ers and Nets.

The only reason I care about the game is I find the Kings to be one of more interesting teams this year. Sure they may be 10-12, but compared to what they were last year, it is a night and day improvement. Living in the Sacramento area (Davis) last year, I got plenty of opportunities to see the Kings on TV (and a couple chances to see them in person.....the last game of the Reggie Theus area and a loss to the Bucks, ironically a team that they ended up going on similar paths.)

But thats besides the point, this will be the first Kings National TV appearance of the Tyreke Evans era. The Kings seemed to have shed aside the Theus/Natt era is just a bad dream and look ready to contend for a playoff spot. If that wasn't enough, Arco Arena is doing a $1-beer night to get more fans into the stands (a high priority since as recent as last year you could walk up and buy tickets half an hour before the game....also this opens up the possibility of fans having a few too many of those dollar beers and seeing how that works out)

1-Bucks vs. Cavaliers Friday ESPN

Less to say about this one, but since the Bucks are involved the interest level over-rides the Kings. This team is pretty much Sacramento East. A moribund team seemingly going nowhere makes good use of their first-round pick (Jennings), an injury to their leading scorer from last year (Martin/Redd) and just enough from the rest of their teams to stick around .500.

The Bucks playing the Cavaliers means a dose of LeBron (always fun to watch) plus a lumbering Shaq who has definitely lost a step (or twelve). The way you hear the media talk, this has got to be one of the worst teams ever......to start 17-7.....their "struggles", definitely overblown. Shaq was never known for his quick starts and they shouldn't be worried unless they're still in chaos in March/April.

NFL Week 14 Preview

So it looks like my pick of Browns over Steelers may be coming true, lets see what other genius I come up with for the coming week.

Tier I: Packers Game

Packers vs. Bears

The Packers are coming off the 4th straight victory. More importantly they are coming off a victory in the tied for second most penalized game in NFL History. Its good to see the Packers in control of their own destiny. On the other end, are the Packers bitter rival the Chicago Bears. Sure the Bears are terrible, they are definitely not making the playoffs at 5-7 and Jay Cutler is throwing interceptions like they are going out of style. However, this being a Packers-Bears game, the Bears are probably going to bring whatever passes for their A game. Still, I expect Cutler to throw for 3 touchdowns, 1 for the Bears and 2 for the Packers.

Packers 27 Bears 20

Tier II: Best Games of the Week

Bengals vs. Vikings

A interesting match-up of contrasts. On one end, the surprise Bengals who have gritted their way to several close wins. On the other end, a Vikings team that has been carried by the arm of Brett Favre. It was awesome to see my prediction of a Vikings loss actually come true Sunday against the Cards as Favre threw a couple of picks, expect an encore performance Sunday.

Bengals 17 Vikings 14 (OT)

Chargers vs. Cowboys

This one is a bit better on paper than reality. The Chargers haven't lost in two months and could do good enough to get a first-round bye (despite having Norv Turner as a head coach. The Cowboys are tied for the Eagles for first in a crowded NFC East but it's that time of the year where Tony Romo stops being good and the Cowboys promising season turns into failed hope.

Chargers 35 Cowboys 21

Eagles vs. Giants

Lots of wild card and NFC East implications with this one. Outcome of this game will go a long way to determine what these races look like. The Eagles win and they could be in first place (assuming the Cowboys lose), the Eagles lose we could have a 3-way tie for first and a very muddled wild card situation. The Giants lose and they are on the outside looking in, the Giants win they could force a tie for 1st. Pretty even game but Eagles get the edge as they've been playing better in the last few weeks.

Eagles 21 Giants 17

Tier III: Also Worth Checking Out

Broncos vs. Colts

Hard to see where the Broncos go from here. Are they the 6-0 team that proved everyone wrong or the teem that has struggled in the last six weeks. We probably won't know for sure regardless of what happens here. The Colts have yet to lose this year and I don't see them letting up until they clinch home-field for the playoffs.

Colts 35 Broncos 24

Dolphins vs. Jaguars

Based on playoff implications, this game should be ranked higher but it's difficult to get excited about a game involving the Jaguars. The Dolphins are coming off a good win against New England and have a prime opportunity to force their way into the playoff picture. The Jaguars have somehow won 7 games this year but still strike me as inferior to many of the 6-6 teams that are right behind them. Bad news for them, the Miami happens to be one of those teams.

Dolphins 28 Jaguars 14

Cardinals vs. 49ers

The Cardinals will be looking to put the nail in the 49ers coffin and win their second straight NFC West title. The 49ers are not going to go away quietly into the night and make it easy. Look for Alex Smith to have a big game and keep the Niners alive for another week.

49ers 42 Cardinals 35

Tier IV: Close Games, Bad Teams

Bills vs. Chiefs

If there was an award for the atrocious game of the week, this would be the runaway winner.

Bills 10 Chiefs 0

Jets vs. Buccaneers

Jets are worse than their 6-6 record as they finally realized Mark Sanchez is not the answer (at least in '09). A prime opportunity for Josh Freeman to get his team a second victory.

Buccaneers 24 Jets 21

Seahawks vs. Texans

Seahawks, its a must win for them. The Texans have failed at their umpteenth attempt of having their break out year and make the playoffs. Texans are the better team but the Seahawks have more to play for (albeit barely)

Seahawks 20 Texans 13

Redskins vs. Raiders

The Redskins blew their one opportunity of doing something great this year. The Raiders, while still terrible have shown some signs of life and improved from being atrocious to just being bad.

Raiders 24 Redskins 14

Tier V: The Blowouts

Panthers vs. Patriots

This Super Bowl rematch (from six years ago) is going to be a lot less interesting. The Panthers are riding out the string from a season derailed by Jake Delhomme throwing interceptions left and right. The Patriots haven't been the same since losing to the Saints a few weeks ago. The Patriots are clinging on to the AFC East as the Dolphins are suddenly a game behind. The Patriots may be struggling but they have more incentive to win and too much talent to lose to Carolina.

Patriots 31 Panthers 10

Lions vs. Ravens

The battle of the Packers last two opponents. The Lions , well they're the Lions. They won't make history again but they ain't going anywhere either. The Ravens have had a weak follow up to a strong 2008 but could still redeem themselves with a strong finish.

Ravens 28 Lions 10

Rams 1-11 vs. Titans 5-7

The Rams are playing for.......umm not sure what they're playing for. The Titans had a set back in their mad dash back from 0-6 and need to win out and catch more than a few breaks to make it. Expect a game considerably less exciting than their Super Bowl rematch from 10 years ago.

Titans 42 Rams 3

My two Cents on Randy Wolf

The Brewers addressed one of their glaring weaknesses today by Signing Randy Wolf to a 3-year deal today. Some thoughts on the signing:

The Good:

-Upgrade In the Starting Rotation: Assuming Parra bounces back from a bad 2009, this gives the Brewers a 1-2-3 combo of Gallardo, Parra and Wolf. Not the best but replacing Looper with Wolf is definitely an upgrade to the rotation.

-He has been a steady performer throughout his career. His peak isn't stratospheric but looking at his career body of work he hasn't been too low.

-Its a good sign that the Brewers aren't going into "rebuilding" mode. I was a little worried when J.J Hardy was traded for Carlos Gomez which made it clear Mike Cameron was on his way out.

If nothing else, this indicates the Brewers are willing to spend some money to improve in the areas that caused problems last year

The Bad:

- Length of contract: Considering Wolf isn't that young (33), I would have preferred a 1 or 2 year contract. Nothing against him personally but considering how well the last time a long term free agent contract went (Jeff Suppan), I have some residual skepticism built up

-Repeat of last year's performance not likely: In '09, Wolf had his best season (in a contract year) and his numbers were helped by a lower than usual BaBip (.256-last year, .285 is his career total), it is reasonable to expect that his era is going to be closer to 4 and not the 3.23 he put up last year

-Tendency to give up the long ball: Pitching half his games in Dodger stadium, Wolf still managed to give up 24 homers despite having a solid season (Braden Looper gave up 25 pitching for St. Louis in '08 and we all saw how well that worked out). One concern I have is this propensity for giving up homers could become problematic with him pitching half his games at Miller Park

Verdict:

Despite his flaws, i'm still happy with the Brewers getting Wolf. Considering the Brewers need of starting pitching and him stacking up competitively with most of the free agent starting pitching (the exception being John Lackey who was outside their price range anyways).

If Wolf can keep his era around 4, keep the ball in the park and keep his K/BB rate above 2, i'll be happy with the contract. I'm not expecting him to be an ace but if he can be a solid 2/3 starter the Brewers will be one step closer to contention.

Also, not sure what to make of the LaTroy Hawkins signing. He had a good year in Houston last year and some good years in Minnesota, he seems to be just as likely to be ineffective and be the complete opposite of a fan favorite in other stops (Cubs).....probably should of stuck to a one-year deal on this one.

Since the Browns-Steelers game will be in progress or done when I post the NFL Preview Posting i'll leave with my pick for the game:

Tier IV: Browns 13 Steelers 10 [Yes I'm placing the Steelers as a bad team...thats what happens when you lose to the Raiders.....and i'm picking the Browns to win]

NBA Games: What's on the National TV Slate for the week ahead

Alright so we are back up to 5 national TV games for the week: How do they stack up on the scale of how much I care:

5- Celtics/Wizards--Thursday TNT

The Celtics are doing their part this year as they are again amongst the elite in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards were supposed to be at least playoff caliber and bounce back under new Head Coach Flip Saunders. At 7-12 this is pacing to be an epic fail. At 7-12 this team probably shouldn't be on national television every other week.

4- Hawks/Bulls--Wednesday ESPN

The Hawks continue to make their case that the elite class in the east should be 4 teams, not 3. The Bulls have been uninspiring this year but since they play in the East, this hasn't really harmed their playoff hopes.

3-Magic/Jazz--Thursday TNT

Went back and forth between this being the #2 or #3 game this week but the Magic are on TV twice this week and play a better team (Phoenix) the other time. The Magic seem destined for another showdown with Boston for conference supremacy (so far this is a dead-lock as both teams are 16-4), the Jazz are 12-8 and seem destined for another season of being good enough to make the playoffs but not good enough to be serious contenders.

2-Blazers/Cavs--Friday ESPN

Pretty intriguing match up, the Blazers are still adjusting to Greg Oden being out for the season (i'm sure they wish they would of taken Durant instead) and it will be interesting to see how they adjust to adversity. Despite the Oden blunder, they still have a really good, really young team and this team should break through to the elite in the next few years, with or without Oden.

For the Cavs, just another regular season game, you can pencil them in somewhere in the top 3 regardless of how smooth things go during the regular season. With this team, wake me when its the playoffs.

1-Magic/Suns--Friday ESPN

Out of the five games, this is the most likely Finals preview. The Suns, an expected borderline playoff team, has returned to being one of the elite regular season teams in the West. The Suns have proven as much as they can in the regular season and this is another team that can't really improve their reputation until the playoffs. Just as long as Steve Nash keeps playing strongly, I'll probably be happy about how this game goes.

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

My Version Of What A 64-Team College Football Playoff Would Look Like

Ok....i've had this idea running around in my head for a couple of months but needed to let the College Football season to run its course. While much discussion about a future college football playoff revolves arouned 4/8/16 at most team playoffs if/when the BCS was to meet its demise (as far as I know Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is the only person to vouch for a 64-team playoff).

Something like this would be a boon to College Football. This would dwarf the effect that we see with the first weekend of College Basketball's NCAA Tournament. Also, I didn't realize it until I did the seedings but there are a lot of rivalries, bowl game rematches etc, during the course of the tournament (i.e. Notre Dame-USC, Alabama-Auburn, Wisconsin-Fresno State, Boise State-Oklahoma)

While this is a far from perfect system, anything is an improvement over having no playoff system at all. A few notes about the seedings before we move forward:

-The top seeds are reserved for Conference Winners (Independents Included), for the most part this leads to conventional seeding (Alabama, Texas, TCU and Cincinnati are 1-seeds), I also extended this to the weaker conferences in 1-A (this is why Central Michigan, Navy, East Carolina and Troy are 3-seeds and Teams such as Florida, LSU, Virginia Tech and USC are 4-seeds)

-For the At large teams, I looked up the Jeff Sagarin rankings to seed the teams. With this I let things fall as they may (in other words if two teams from the same conference ended up against each other, they stayed there). Before we get to the seedings, I'll list the teams that barely missed the cut:

Bowling Green

Marshall

Idaho

Northern Illinois

SMU

The following teams were ranked high enough to make the tournament but were disqualified due to a losing record

Mississippi State

Washington

Wake Forest

Arizona State

Kansas

Virginia

North Carolina State

And Now The Seedings:

Paterno Region:

(1) Alabama vs. (16) Iowa St.

(8) Georgia vs. (9) Auburn

(4) USC vs. (13) Notre Dame

(5) Miami-FL vs. (12) Rutgers)

(3) Central Michigan vs. (14) Central Florida

(6) Penn St. vs. (11) Kentucky)

(2) Ohio St. vs. (15) Minnesota

(7) Arizona vs. (10) Houston

Bowden Region

(1) Texas vs. (16) Middle Tennessee

(8) BYU vs. (9) Texas Tech

(4) LSU vs. (13) South Florida

(5) Oregon St. (12) Missouri

(3) Navy vs. (14) Michigan St.

(6) Iowa vs. (11) Boston College

(2) Georgia Tech vs. (15) Temple

(7) California vs. (10) Utah

Bryant Region

(1) TCU vs. (16) Ohio

(8) Tennessee vs. (9) Oklahoma State

(4) Virginia Tech vs. (13) Fresno State

(5) Arkansas vs. (12) Wisconsin

(3) East Carolina vs. (14) Texas A & M

(6) Clemson vs. (11) Connecticut

(2) Boise State vs. (15) Southern Mississippi

(7) Oklahoma vs. (10) South Carolina

Hayes Region

(1) Oregon vs. (16) Kansas State

(8) Nebraska vs. (9) West Virginia

(4) Florida vs. (13) Air Force

(5) Pittsburgh vs. (12) UCLA

(3) Troy vs. (14) Nevada

(6) Stanford vs. (11) Florida State

(2) Cincinnati vs. (15) Northwestern

(7) Mississippi vs. (10) North Carolina

Also, what self-respecting hypothetical 64 team Football Tournament Posting would this be without how I think these games would go down:

Paterno Region:

Alabama over Iowa State

Auburn over Georgia

USC over Notre Dame

Miami-FL over Rutgers

Central Michigan over Central Florida

Penn State over Kentucky

Houston over Arizona

Ohio State over Minnesota

Auburn over Alabama

Miami-FL over USC

Penn St. over Central Michigan

Houston over Ohio State

Miami-FL over Auburn

Penn St. over Houston

Penn St. over Miami-FL

Bowden Region:

Texas over Middle Tennessee

BYU over Texas Tech

LSU over South Florida

Oregon St. over Missouri

Navy over Michigan State

Iowa over Boston College

Utah over California

Georgia Tech over Temple

Texas over BYU

LSU over Oregon State

Iowa over Navy

Georgia Tech over Utah

Texas over LSU

Georgia Tech over Iowa

Texas over Georgia Tech

Bryant Region:

TCU over Ohio

Oklahoma State over Tennessee

Fresno State over Virginia Tech

Wisconsin over Arkansas

East Carolina over Texas A & M

Clemson over Connecticut

Oklahoma over South Carolina

Boise State over Southern Mississippi

TCU over Oklahoma State

Wisconsin over Fresno State

Clemson over East Carolina

Boise State over Oklahoma

TCU over Wisconsin

Boise State over Oklahoma

TCU over Boise State

Hayes Region:

Oregon over Kansas State

Nebraska over West Virginia

Florida over Air Force

Pittsburgh over UCLA

Nevada over Troy

Stanford over Florida State

Mississippi over North Carolina

Cincinnati over Northwestern

Nebraska over Oregon

Florida over Pittsburgh

Nevada over Stanford

Cincinnati over Mississippi

Florida over Nebraska

Cincinnati over Nevada

Cincinnati over Florida

Final Four:

Cincinnati over Penn State

Texas over TCU

Championship:

Texas over Cincinnati

The Vent: 12-3 Edition

Things in the Sports World that confuse me , annoy me and/or make me scratch my head:

5-Henry Blanco Gets Another Year In The Bigs

One of the certainties of baseball, if your a back-up catcher, you get to play for as long as you want, even if you aren't a high-enough caliber player to start. Blanco is a player who does one thing well (throw out base-stealers) but seeing him play into his late 30's reminds me of the time on Family Guy where Chris Griffin yells out loud "how does Kevin Costner keep finding work?"

At some point every year, i'll be watching a game that Blanco is playing in and my mental gut reaction is: This guy is still playing in the bigs?. While he has value on the defensive end of thing, he doesn't bring much to the line offensively with a career line of .228/.292/.366 67 OPS+. On the bright side his bat should fit in well with the rest of the Mets offense.

4- Marco Scutaro, high demand free agent?

Another thing i've noticed this winter is that several teams have expressed interest in Marco Scutaro. I'm calling it right now, some team is going to horribly over pay for him and regret it for the next 3-4 years. While he is a smarter investment than Blanco and is good enough to get a starting job somewhere, he doesn't strike me as a player worth this high of a demand.

Yes he did have his best season offensively (at age 33). Based on his track record, it seems likely that he will regress to the slightly-below league average hitter he was in every season prior to '09. Any player generating this interest and having Tony Graffanino rank second in career similarity scores seems like a recipe for disaster.

Also, part of his improved output can be traced to being a bit luckier as his BABIP last year was .308 which is higher than his .293 career BABIP...this is another reason why teams should not be lining up around the corner to sign him....

3- Alcorn State....beyond bad

Alcorn State.....98-31....sure these money games against big schools are going to end in lopsided losses but....this makes their 130-68 loss to Arkansas look respectable in comparison......not even the New Jersey Nets have been this terrible.....but like the Nets they have a legitimate chance of not winning a game all season

2- Running Backs Dropping Like Flies

My fantasy team's inability to stay healthy at Running Back....Turner, Portis/Betts........possible downfall to my season

1-Bucks 1-5 in the last two weeks

It's not like the Bucks have a high past standard to play up to. It was inevitable the Bucks would struggle at some point and Jennings was going to experience some growing pains.....still doesn't make it a desirable thing to see. My concern lies more with this teams inability to close out close games than anything else. Jennings will eventually adjust to the league but this teams failing to capitalize on winnable games against Dallas, New Orleans, Washington and Orlando gives me the gut feeling this will be the root of their eventual demise (whenever that may be)

The Tiger-Less Week 13 Preview

Well....it's almost Thursday which means its time to preview another slate of games. In the background for me.....it's seeing if Wisconsin can hold on to beat the Duke Vitales in the Big 11/ACC Challenge....but enough about basketball.....time for some football

Tier I: Cheese Head Tier

Ravens 6-5 vs. Packers 7-4

Good to see the Packers make another appearance on Monday Night. On the bright side there is no way it could go worse than the last time they played in 2005.....i'll give you a few moments to gasp in shock.

48-3???? Kyle Boller dominant? No wonder they went 4-12 that year. Anyways it's 2009 the Ravens have a better QB (Flacco) but the Packers have a better defense than in '05 and a better team overall. The Ravens are fighting for their playoff lives, the Packers currently control their wild-card destiny and a talented QB (Rodgers) looking for his first shot at playoff action.....the Packers have rebounded nicely since losing in Tampa. Win streak extends to 4.

Packers 28 Ravens 21

Tier II: Best Games of the Week:

Vikings 10-1 vs. Cardinals 7-4

Brett Favre has come back strong from his second career retirement. Both him and the Vikings find ways to not make the Super Bowl. The Cardinals are coming off a tough loss to the Titans and have their division lead down to 2 games. In other words, the Cardinals actually have some motivation to win this game.

Cardinals 38 Vikings 35

Cowboys 8-3 vs. Giants 6-5

Bitter NFC rivals facing off here. The Cowboys are looking to extend their NFC East lead. The Giants are fighting to keep their heads above water. The Cowboys look ready and willing to strike another blow to the Giants playoff hopes.

Cowboys 21 Giants 10

Titans 5-6 vs. Colts 11-0

The Titans coming off a thrilling win over the Cardinals.....looking to become the greatest 0-6 starting team ever. The Colts looking to get one win closer to running the table. Peyton Manning has a big game to get my fantasy team in the playoffs......Titans see their winning streak end.

Colts 35 Titans 21

Tier III: Worth Checking Out

Eagles 7-4 vs. Falcons 6-5

An early battle for Wild Card positioning. Eagles currently control their destiny as they have the other NFC Wild Card spot. A Falcons win would guarantee a two way tie for the last spot (possibly more depending on the outcome of other games). Needing Turner to step up (assuming he's healthy......or Jason Snelling.....) This game could go either way and I have no Eagles on my team.

Falcons 17 Eagles 10

Patriots 7-4 vs. Dolphins 5-6

This one will be a battle for who bounces back the best after a bad loss. The Patriots failed to make the most of their second chance to upset an undefeated team as Drew Brees had their way with the Patriots D. The Dolphins lost to the Bills....nuff said. The motivation/anger factor is cancelled out so it comes down to matter of talent. Pats take this one.

Patriots 31 Dolphins 14

Broncos 7-4 vs. Chiefs 3-8

Bitter rivalry game. I'm not dumb enough to think the Chiefs will pull the upset but I have a gut feeling this game will be closer than it should be.

Broncos 21 Chiefs 13

Texans 5-6 vs. Jaguars 6-5

A match-up between two teams in NFL limbo. These teams haven't seemed to get too hot or too cold this season. Texans win this one to get back to .500 for like the 200th time this year.

Texans 28 Jaguars 24

Tier IV: Close Games, Bad Teams

Jets 5-6 vs. Bills 4-7

Good News Toronto! You get to host a real-life NFL Game. Bad News Toronto! That game is between the Jets and the Bills. I probably wouldn't watch this game even if I had NFL network.

Bills 10 Jets 3

Buccaneers 1-10 vs. Panthers 4-7

The Buccaneers surprised more than a few folks by picking Josh Freeman in the First Round. It turns out they knew what they were doing (in this case). Unfortunately for them, just about everything else has gone wrong. The Panthers are a train wreck, look to be going nowhere fast and going through the motions.

Buccaneers 21 Panthers 10

Rams 1-10 vs. Bears 4-7

Oh my! Two 1-10/4-7 match-ups in the same week.....I can barely contain my excitement......look for Jay Cutler to throw for a couple of touchdowns on Sunday.......to the Rams

Rams 24 Bears 13

Tier V: The Blowouts

Lions 2-9 vs. Bengals 8-3

I'd like to thank the Lions for losing to the Packers by 22 on Thanksgiving........I'm not sure what was worse for them......the game or Frank Caliendo picking them to win.......The Bengals don't have the best track record against terrible teams losing to the Raiders and they didn't exactly dominate Cleveland......still this is the Lions we are talking about

Bengals 28 Lions 7

Raiders 3-8 vs. Steelers 6-5

There was a time and place where this would of been the best game of the week....that time and place was the 1970s.......The Raiders are their usual horrible selves.....the Steelers haven't exactly had the best follow-up to their Super Bowl title.......not too high on the Steelers but c'mon they are playing the Raiders

Steelers 31 Raiders 10

Saints 11-0 vs. Redskins 3-8

One side of me says that after the Saints disposed of the Patriots that they would put up video game numbers against the Redskins. The other side of me says this team plays down to its competition so much that they almost lost to the Rams. Still, New Orleans has too much talent and the Redskins have nothing to play for.

Saints 42 Redskins 10

Chargers 8-3 vs. Browns 1-10

Chargers are the hottest team in the NFL right now........the Browns have Eric Mangini as a head coach.....nuff said

Chargers 35 Browns 14

49ers 5-6 vs. Seahawks 4-7

On paper this is more of a Tier IV match-up but the 49ers look like they might have something good going with Alex Smith. That's more than what I can say about the Hawks.

49ers 28 Seahawks 0

NBA Preview: Lots of Heat on TV

Another week.....another slate of NBA games on National TV (NBA TV doesn't count since I don't get it).....pretty thin slate of stuff but out of the 4 games.....this is the order of interest I have in these games......

4- Bulls vs. Cavs Friday ESPN

The Bulls are off to a pedestrian start. The Bulls have just lost tonight, snapping the Bucks 4-game losing streak. So far, the Bulls haven't done much to follow up on nearly pulling off the biggest upset of the Playoffs.

The Cavs have sleep-walked to a 12-5 start in their we better win a championship to show LeBron he has the best chance by staying in Ohio.

3- Heat vs. Nuggets Thursday TNT

Dwayne Wade is one of the best players in the league...but the Heat on back to back nights is overkill. The last time the Heat were on TV they lost to an inferior Wizards team.

The Nuggets are in the lead in a competitive Northwest division and will be looking to get some distance from their competition.

2- Heat vs. Lakers Friday ESPN

Two chances to watch the Heat....if you miss them Thursday all you have to do is wait another day.

The Lakers are neck and neck with the Suns in the Pacific and should be in good shape to win playing against a Heat team on the back end of a back-to-back

1- Celtics vs. Spurs Thursday TNT

Out of the four games, this match-up is the most likely to be a finals preview. On an unrelated note, this game is the only one of the four involving a player on my fantasy team (Tim Duncan)......in an attempt to help me get one step closer to going undefeated (5-0) at this point......ahhh the uninspirin-ness of early December NBA Action.....It's Amazing

Well, off to watching more episodes of Reaper (I can always count on Hulu to find a show to get hooked on every few months) and reading the book Baseball Between the Numbers that I got in the mail today.

Sports/Music Crossover: Foo Fighters

So...I was channel surfing last night before I went to bed and VH1 was doing a story-tellers episode with the Foo Fighters involved.......y'all know what this means........time to cross-pollinate sports and music based on some Foo Fighters songs

"Exhausted"--Media Coverage of Tim Tebow

Ok I get it, Tim Tebow is the greatest college football player....he's won Heismans.......national championships (possibly another in the pipelines)......and apparently he's a decent human being (as far as we know).......its just the media's love affair with this guy is something that's gotten beyond even the John Madden/Brett Favre zone........well he's graduating to the NFL so this over saturation either move up another level if he makes it in the NFL or transfers on a yet to be determined freshman in 2010.

"No Way Back"- Steve Kragthorpe

It's official, Steve Kragthorpe is not being retained as the coach at Louisville. Kragthorpe's time at Louisville ranks a 12 on the epic fail scale. He inherited a Louisville team that had legit elite status/national title hopes when he arrived in '07....he failed to even place them in a bowl game....they've become doormats in the Big East and their window for greatness was slammed shut in 3 short years. Honestly I don't see him head coaching for a BCS conference team for a long time (if ever).

"The Pretender"-Oklahoma State/ Georgia Tech

Both teams had chances at a BCS berth coming into today and could help themselves a lot by pulling wins over bitter rivals in down seasons. Instead, both teams failed to step up in their big rivalry games and showed themselves as elite pretenders.

"Low"--Rice

The performance of their defense. Granted Rice dropped to 2-10 this year and were playing a Houston squad that has been putting up video game statistics against their Conference USA opposition. With that being said, giving up 59 in one half is so bad that most teams couldn't give up that many even if they tried. It's insane to think about....Houston scored 8 touchdowns in the first half....one touchdown every 3:45.........not the best way to finish out the season.

"Long Road To Ruin"-- Whoever takes the Notre Dame Job

Are you a successful college coach in high demand? Are you tired of winning all those games.....well we got the job for you. In 4-6 years you can go on your Long Road To Ruin by coaching a Notre Dame team that won't win more than 7 of these new fangled games a year. Also, your epic fail has its own tv contract with NBC........I can't wait for their TV contract to not get renewed

"Up In Arms"--The BCS establishment to anyone suggesting they go to a playoff system

Not sure which is more absurd.......that College Football is the ONLY organized sport at any level without a playoff......or the BCS has gotten so self-conscious about the venom spewed towards them for the ineptness of their system....that they set up a Twitter account to spread the propaganda about how complicated a playoff would be

"Home"--Tiger Woods

How much trouble and controversy can surround a person who has an incident outside their home...say hitting the fire hydrant outside their home....and what if said person was the most dominant player in a fringe sport such as golf.....well we've definitely got the answer to this in the last couple days.

It's been bizarre seeing this story go from Tiger Woods was in a car accident to the soap opera of his wife busting out the windows to let Woods out to the couple both declining to talk to the cops to this becoming a TMZ hot topic.

In two short days this story has gone to the Twilight Zone (not the TV show......this refers to stories that are beaten into the ground that are unavoidable)......in other words expect this to be the first and last time I reference this event.

"Breakout"--Oklahoma City Thunder

If last night is any indication, 09-10 looks to be a breakout season for the team formerly known as the Sonics. The Thunder have been improving exponentially since they fired P. J. Carlesimo.....its not like any of his player tried to choke him (again)....its just that this team was a joke until they cleaned house, fired Carlesimo and he had to go back to covering games for TNT.

The Thunder look to be in the playoff hunt this year. They probably won't win it all this year but they will get some playoff experience under their belt. With Kevin Durant to build around, a solid young core, several draft picks and lots of cap room....If they play it smart they could have a Portland-esque nucleus with the sky as the limit.

"Next Year"-- Auburn

Close but no cigar....Next Year is how long Auburn will need to wait for another chance to take down Alabama and to spoil a prospective championship bid.

Bucks/Thunder Running Post: Second Half

7:54 Second half is about to start in the next few minutes.......the Bucks have stayed in it by shooting well from beyond the arc and getting large contributions off the bench....so they've stayed close despite only 2 points from Jennings.....the announcing team gives us the second of 100 reminders that Jennings didn't score in the 1st quarter of the game where he dropped 55

7:57 Considering these teams have changed a lot in the last couple years i'm not sure much can be drawn from this but.....OKC hasn't beaten the Bucks since '07

7:58 Durant nails a 3 with the shot clock running down......ouch

7:59 Bucks have come out of the gate looking turrible

8:00 Off to commercials and one of those Dos Equis commercials with the most interesting man in the world.......these commercials are definitely one of my pet peeves....especially the one where they state that he had an awkward moment just to see what it feels like....coming from someone whose life is a compilation of awkward moments....can't help but take some offense to it.

8:02 Durant Comparison Tally: Gervin 3 Malone 2......i'll move it up to 3.5 since the latest Gervin comparison came with a video montage.

8:03 Thunder on an 18-4 run....nothings going right currently

8:04 Seriously why do they let Gadzuric shoot the ball? 3 times a game is too much

8:05 Can't help but think there is some Ewing theory potential in Redd. The Bucks were rolling when Redd was injured and look to be headed to 0-3 with him back....

8:08 The Bucks are playing so bad right now.....I doubt they could beat a D-League team right now

8:10 Is it too much to ask that the BUCKS MAKE A SINGLE BASKET....... apparently it is

8:13 Discussion quickly turns to the Nets-Kings game and talking about how the Kings game was the Nets best chance for a win considering they play the Lakers on Sunday....selling the Kings short.....the Kings have bounced back.....sure they are 6-8 but they are showing signs of life and are anything but an easy out

8:15 Congratulations Bucks....it took you 6+ minutes to make a basket.....and then another one a minute later....now the broadcasters can stop talking about all time offensive futility records....however, there is still the issue of being down 14 points

8:16 Bucks are 2 for 17 in the third quarter.....even David Eckstein thinks that is terrible

8:18 Well, we know what it takes for Redd to make a shot in this game....questionable goaltending calls against Kevin Durant

8:21 Only the 3rd quarter and the they're out of the game but hey they are on the way up conversations are beginning.....

8:24 Jennings has only amassed 3 points so far....it's easy to see that Durant has clearly outplayed Jennings tonight

8:25 Thankfully, the third quarter is over.....there is absolutely nothing good to say about the last 12 minutes of this game....78-63 Thunder

8:29 The 4th quarter is about to start and with that a cliche-ridden interview with Thunder coach Scott Brooks

8:30 Even when the Bucks do something right....they do something wrong. Hakim Warrick gets the dunk but hangs on the rim too much and picks up a technical.

8:31 The conversation of the broadcast has shifted to what the Thunder will do next summer and even led to the suggestion of moving their draft picks for a free agent......

8:35 Jennings drills a 3 the Bucks have it down to 10....he's starting to get into a rhythm...but is it too little too late?

8:36 They just showed a commercial for the new Twilight commercial...grrrhhhh.....IS IT TOO MUCH TO ASK TO GO MORE THAN 5 MINUTES WITHOUT TWILIGHT BEING REFERENCED.......even if you want to avoid it you can't.....

8:40 ESPN just showed a graphic showing free throws in the second half....20 for the Thunder...6 for the Bucks....haven't seen a discrepancy that large since the Los Angeles Donahys played the Kings in the 2002 Western Conference Finals

8:41 Let the past-player comparisons continue: Jennings name is used in the same sentence as Nick Van Exel and Tiny Archibald....within seconds of each other

8:43 Bucks struggling to get a defensive stop and struggling to get the deficit into single figures..

8:45 Durant grabs offensive board out of nowhere dunks it .....Thunder up by 17......

8:48 The Bucks look like they've given up while the Thunder are still playing like the game is on the line....i'm pretty sure this isn't sitting well with Scott Skiles

8:49 Harden drills a 3 and the Thunder get the lead over 20 for the first time and follow it up with a Westbrook dunk

8:53 Now if only Andrew Bogut could go more than a game without getting injured....maybe the Bucks could have made this a game

8:55 ESPN cuts to a sign from one of fans....Bucks get struck on ESPN.......Sad But True

8:58 Ahh....Garbage Time...at this point just running out the string until the clock runs out

Well...this game came to an end (finally) with the Thunder coming away with an 108-90 win. This drops the Bucks to 8-6. Even though its been a rough week for the Bucks....I still feel good about them long term. Sure, Jennings has struggled the last few days but he's still young....hes showing plenty of promise in his first 14 games. Still gotta keep things in perspective and realize that even with the losing streak....the Bucks are still much better off than they have been for the last couple decades.