Football

Last year saw the defending champ put together one of the most impressive seasons we've seen in the history of our young league, 12-2 and the title belt.  He wasn't shy about the title either bantering all year long, running his mouth like his lips don't fit.  He wasn't any different this offseason getting more outspoken in emails and trying to stall the league draft for days.  Why?  Because he's the defending league champion and some owners are quietly talking behind his back about how it's quickly gone to his head.  Others outside the league have also noticed the change and have started calling him Lane Kifflin.  Regardless of how others feel about him, he is the champion until January this year and has a chance to repeat.. maybe.

Continue reading "College Fantasy Football Preview ..."

He fooled me yet again.

We’ve seen this act before. Andrew Bynum, through the first five games, is averaging over 20-10, yet again. 

It’s nothing new. For the third straight season, the young, potential stud, center for the Los Angeles Lakers has hit the ground running and has shown flashes of being an all-star caliber center in the NBA. 

Continue reading "Andrew Bynum: The Oldest 22-Year-Old in the NBA"

So, I don't know if you heard about this new emphasis that college football is placing during games.  It's apparently geared towards stopping hitting of "defenseless" players and head-hunting.  Well, apparently this rule is awful.  I mean, TERRIBLE.  In case you weren't watching the Georgia vs. Oklahoma State game this bad rule came into full effect.  Georgia S Rashard Jones delivered a picture perfect shoulder first hit into a receiver going for the ball, doing what Jones was taught to do.  NOT LET THE OPPONENT CATCH THE BALL.  Amazingly, every ref and 30,000 people in the stands threw their flags onto the field.  It looked like litter out there, absolute trash. 

Continue reading "Yuck! Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. ..."

Once again as training camp approaches and teams start to get ready for the upcoming season most stories are the same with just the names being changed. Many first round picks have yet to sign with th

Continue reading "The Favre Saga"

If I had bet on every sporting event in which I just knew in my gut what the outcome was going to be, I would be even more broke than I am now.  We all know that Roddick is 2-15 against F

Continue reading "Federer vs Roddick in the finals ..."

Amare Stoudemire had a difficult year with eye injuries. During training camp he suffered an inadvertent elbow from teammate Boris Diaw that partially tore the iris in his right eye. This injury forced him to miss most of training camp and he started the season wearing protective eyewear. It was obvious from the beginning that Amare was uncomfortable in the goggles and frequently put them up on his head while shooting free throws and in between plays.

Continue reading "Amare Stoudemire has been cleared for exercise"

Jerry Jones signing of Terrell Owens, Detroit Pistons trading for Allen Iverson, the Lakers signing Karl Malone and Gary Payton, what are these teams thinking? Why can teams not be happy with their team and why do they think that the key to a championship? Hows this for a thought, get a roll player. We have seen these players go to these teams thinking we will win a championship, thank again. Terrel Owens destroyed that team, a team that was on the rise then Team Obliterater comes along and now look where they are. The Detroit Pistons go off and trade away one of the best point/2 guards in the NBA in Chauncy Billups and get Allen Iverson in return. Okay so maybe this is a good trade, in 1999 but what are they thinking getting a ball hogging old man? The Lakers coming off three NBA championships get future Hall of Famer's Karl Malone and Gary Payton. They did get to the Championship but Karl was hurt the whole year and if the "glove" does not fit you must...not sign him! I am not even mentioning the New York Yankees, who won so many championships then they go on a spending spree, getting rid of Alfonso Soriano, and signing A-Rod to one of the biggest contracts we have ever seen. It just does not make sense to me anymore. Why not save money and get some roll player to help out your stars already? Cowboys will be better off without T.O., Pistons need to trade A.I. and get some player like a Shane Battier, and the Lakers are the best team in the NBA, without the two Hall of Famer's. The Yankees are going to have A-Rod out till May too, anyone want to bet they are better off without him?

Continue reading "Big Stars: Bad For Teams"

The Chicago Blackhawks resumed their winning ways last night, defeating the Atlanta Thrashers 3-1 in Atlanta.  The win ran the Hawks record on their current eight game road trip to 5-2.  Patrick Sharp ended his gola scoring drought by rifling in his 23rd goal on the power play in the second period.  Johnathan Towes scored off a rebound on the power play and Dave Bolland added an empty net short handed goal to ice the win for the Hawks.  Ilya Kovalchuk scored his 24th of the season for the Thrashers.

Continue reading "Blackhawks Trip up Thrasher 3-1, February 11, 2009"

a Cardinals!) take on the tough and rigid Pittsburgh Steelers defense (ranked first in the National Football League). They say 'Defense Wins Championships' which has proven correct a lot in the past, but I have a little hunch. The best defense or the best team doesn't always win the big game. Just check last year's Super Bowl. The undefeated New England Patriots were upset by the New York Giants. How? By one VERY lucky catch by Giants' receiver David Tyree. The whole Patriots season without a single loss faded without any gold due to a single catch. You can't script that. You also can't script a 8-7 Arizona Cardinals team looking putrid losing 47-7 in the ice and snow in Foxboro and then winning every week after that (including the post season) to get to the grandest stage in the NFL (maybe in all of sports). I've said it before on this blog and I'll probably say it again next season, you just can't predict what will happen in the NFL nowadays from week to week.

Continue reading "Super Bowl XLIII Prediction"

The stage was officially set after Sunday's two Conference games for the 43rd Super Bowl. The Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers both jumped over their last hurdles to go to the big dance. But don't ask either coach if they'll be satisfied with just making it. They want to win it! I'll bring you a in-depth 7 part preview of the big game as I'll give my prediction on the game on the 7th and final post. So let's get to it! This is the 'intro' post to the 7 part series.

Continue reading "Setting the Stage: Arizona Cardinals"

Will NCAA D1 football get a playoff system?

For me, it's not about the money.

The money that schools and bowls make off of the games isn't relevant for me in any way. I make the journey to Auburn once a year (if I'm lucky), and I fork out the money for the overpriced nose-bleed seats. Sure, I'll buy a pricey hot-dog and soda, but that's about the extent of my monetary investment into the sport. The rest of the season I kick back on the couch and watch from the heated comfort of my home, and I doubt I will ever make that expensive post-season ticket purchase (unless my Tigers go to Nashville, or somewhere like that). 

Continue reading "NCAA College Football: to Playoff ..."

Not overly impressive, but a win is a win in the National Football League. The team then dominated a displaced looking Jacksonville Jaguars team at home in the first Monday Night game in franchise history.

Continue reading "Still Important"

The Lakers were not the only team in the NBA last night to give up 30+ points in the fourth quarter. Every team that did lost, including the Toronto Raptors who gave up 30+ in EVERY quarter.

 I have said that for the Lakers to show the world that they are serious title contenders they should win this game (among others). I still stand by that statement.

Continue reading "Lakers 4th Quarter Proves Jury Still Out"

Week 13 is in the books as we are getting closer to the playoffs in the National Football League (still 4 weeks away, but with the way this season has flown bye, it won't be long!). Before I begin I want to apologize to my 3 readers for not keeping up with the Fallout Report. I'll have it on time (every Tuesday) from now until the playoffs. With that said, let's see how I did!

Continue reading "NFL Week 13 Fallout"

Week 11 is off and running after a nail biter of a game on Thursday night football between the Jets and the Patriots. Last week the Crypt Keeper and I went 2-2 yet again. I've gone 2-2 three consecutive weeks, but no worries my Week 11 picks will prosper like flowers in the Spring time. I've decided to get rid of the Crypt Keeper this week and I've also decided to get rid of all the 'shenanigans' that are usually a part of the weekly predictions like the "classic NFL music" etc..Only for the time being though. So let's see how it works out!

Continue reading "NFL Week 11 Predictions"

Here is a definition of what a Flea-Flicker or Trick Play is all about. 

One team will lead the defensive players on the opposing team to think they are playing a normal running play, this will cause the opposing team to leave their position and go after the running back, this leaves the quarterback to have the space to pass the football off.

Continue reading "Anyone know what a Flea-Flicker Play ..."

Another fun week in the National Football League. Before I put the final period on this post though: Today is Election day. One of our rights is to vote. We have the right to vote for any of th

Continue reading "NFL Week 9 Fallout"

“According to Broncos coach Mike Shanahan who admitted Wednesday that the high altitude is a big reason why the Broncos own the best home record in the NFL over the last 30 years. “We’ve got the best record I think at home over the last 30 years and I don’t think it’s because we’ve been the best football team. I do think there’s an advantage from an altitude standpoint. Players that have played here over the years feel that way as well.” ‘• OLB Joey Porter, who went to school at Colorado, is concerned about the altitude. “The altitude is really big. I’ve trained there a lot. I’ll go back to California for a week and come back and it feels like it’s ripping a hole in your chest. It’s definitely going to take some extra conditioning to where you go up in this thin air, you’re going to feel the difference.” Yahoo! Sports Oct 31, 3:46 am EDT’,”

Continue reading "How long should our players practice ..."

 

Once again, Adam don’t call me “Pac-man” Jones has made the headlines.  And when Mr. Jones makes the headlines, it usually isn’t good news!  Early Wednesday morning, Pac-man allegedly got into a “scuffle” with one of his security guards at a hotel in Dallas (read more here).  The police were called, but no charges were filed.  Is this much ado about nothing…or is Adam facing a possible suspension! 

Continue reading "Rush To Judgment"

lies winning their NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers, it got me thinking whether Philadelphia is a Football town or a Baseball town?  On Thursday evening on Fox, the Phillies will host the L.A. Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS.  I’m not a big fan of baseball, but I do like the Phillies (Mets, and Yankees as well).  I watch about a handful of games a year including the playoffs.  I was never really into baseball…I just don’t get the fascination?  I find it slow, dull, and extremely boring…unless you’re at the ballpark…then it’s a whole different story!  When you’re actually at the game, it’s exciting and much more “family friendly” than football. 

Continue reading "Philly Is Still A Football Town"

          The crystal ball was two up and two down for the week.  Even though that is an improvement, it still doesn’t cut it!  Good thing this is for entertainment purposes only…or I would be in the poor house!  Let’s take a look back and see what happened: 

Continue reading "Week 5 Review"

 

           Yesterday, the Eagles lost another heartbreaker to a division foe, the Washington Redskins, 23-17.  The Eagles stand at 2-3 and in 4th (last) place in their division.  They have now lost two division (3 conference) games…and that does not bode well for play-off considerations.  Though it’s still early in the season…the sky may be falling! 

Continue reading "Bridges"

First off, I want to introduce myself. My name is Jake, I live in Houston. I'm glad I found this place. I've read a lot of bloggers material today from predictions to their favorite teams' rants, it's great. I enjoyed it. Sports, baby sports!

Continue reading "NFL Week 5 Predictions"

           Each week, on Friday, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend games.  I will always prognosticate on the Eagles and Cowboys games and then pick two more games of interest (to me, that is, not necessarily to you).  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!

Continue reading "Predictions Week 5"

          

           Bill Belichick, Head Coach of the New England Patriots, was accused by Al Davis of “tampering” with Randy Moss prior to their trade a year ago.  The Raiders received a 4th round pick as compensation in the deal.  Davis alleges that the Patriots had a secret workout with Moss prior to the negotiations, which would violate NFL rules.  Bill (here’s a surprise) denies the accusation. 

Continue reading "...Then It's Probably A Duck!"

his grandmother did.  From his perspective…he was alone…nobody wanted him.  Football was his salvation…his way to prove people wrong!  So, to Terrell, winning is everything.  Being a shining star for everyone to see is the ultimate prize.  Losing is unacceptable…he wants to win…and be the reason for it! 

Continue reading "Much Ado About Nothing"

           This week two head coaches were relieved of their duties…fired!  First, Scott Linehan of the St. Louis Rams, and now, Lane Kiffin of the Oakland Raiders, why?  Jim Haslet replaced Linehan.  What’s the difference, the Rams are horrific!  Kiffin is being replaced with O-line coach, Tom Cable…who?  Yeah, that’s right, I never heard of him either! 

Continue reading "Instant Gratification"

           Once again, my crystal ball failed me.  I don’t understand what happened…I shined it up last week.  I even purchased a stand for it…so now it sits on top of the mantel.  I’ve treated it with the utmost respect.  For who?  For what?  (Yes…that was a shot at Ricky Watters!)  Once again, I was one up and three down last week…not good…awful…embarrassing even!  I have to do something different for next week…maybe I will punish it…have it stand in the corner…or give it a time-out!  Something has to give…and I’m not backing down!  Let’s take a closer look and see what went wrong: 

Continue reading "Week 4 Review"

sp;        You see, the Steelers play the Ravens on Monday Night Football this week.  Bart Scott had this to say about Mendenhall, “He said later that he was just joking, but it’s too late.  Thanks for the bulletin-board material, rookie.”  Obviously, Bart is beside himself…what was the Rookie to say?  Was he to predict he would have an awful day…that he would fumble 3 times…that in his 1st NFL start (Willie P. is down and out for the contest) he would be labeled a bust…that the Steelers wasted a first round pick on him?  Of course not!  He said in a simple text to his friend that he was going to have a good performance.  Should he not be confident in his abilities?           

Continue reading "Bulletin Board Material"

           Each week, on Friday, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend games.  I will always prognosticate on the Eagles and Cowboys games and then pick two more games of interest (to me, that is, not necessarily to you).  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!           

Continue reading "Predictions Week 4"

           On Saturday night, I relearned a lesson I already knew.  Often times, we need to be reminded of lessons we learned as a child.  When we were children, things were simpler.  We didn’t judge, we just played with everyone…all the other children were our friends.  We learned to judge, as we grew older.  Our teachers always taught us right from wrong…but did we listen? 

Continue reading "Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover"

             Just the other day my cousin Domenic (Cuz) called me.  He wanted to let me know that our cousin from Italy was coming for a visit in October, and to call me a cockroach.  The term cockroach was coined, or at least he uses it the most, by Howard Eskin of WIP (local sports radio).  Eskin uses the term to refer to Cowboys fans, mostly who live in the Philly area.  This got me to thinking (dangerous, isn’t it?)…In today’s politically correct society, and the diverse society we live in, I, a cockroach, was offended.  At my wife’s school (she is a school teacher), they promote diversity with a huge campaign.  In a nutshell, it’s to let everyone know that we are different and that we should understand and respect others points of view.   

Continue reading "Cockroaches"

           Today I am taking my lumps, and licking my wounds.  I was 1-3 on my predictions for Week 3.  Though I take great pride in my prognosticating skills, I must blame the crystal ball for this one.  Granted, I should have known better, because I purchased it at Dollar Tree…what do you expect for a dollar?  Maybe I will “Windex” it before this week’s prediction, so it isn’t so cloudy and hazy.  Lets take a closer look at what happened: 

Continue reading "Week 3 Review"

     Each week, on Friday, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend games.  I will always prognosticate on the Eagles and Cowboys games and then pick two more games of interest (to me, that is, not necessarily to you).  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball! 

Continue reading "Predictios Week 3: Round-Up"

           The NFL, in my opinion, is the best sport in the world.  It is a violent game played by phenomenal athletes, who by the way, get paid handsomely for it.  Every year the NFL Competition Committee comes up with new rules to “improve” the game.  For instance, this year, they got rid of the 5-yard facemask penalty.  Now it’s either a 15-yard personal foul, or incidental contact and no penalty…what genius came up with that one? 

Continue reading "The No Fun League"

Today is a seasonable mild day in beautiful Gilbertsville, PA.  There are leaves falling and a calm breeze.  As I sit on my patio, I hear the birds chirping, and the wind howl occasionally.  It is almost an eerie feeling.  The kids are in school and the streets and backyards are empty.  So, I thought to myself, timing is everything.  A few weeks ago, at this time, kids were running in their yards, playing on their swing sets, and horse playing as youngsters do.  Today, nothing! 

Continue reading "Timing Is Everything"

must come to an end, but we can add it to our list of memories.  It was the last Monday Night Football game at Texas Stadium…thanks for the memories!  Tex Schramm once said th

Continue reading "A Game For The Ages: An Instant Classic"

Welcome to my latest blog. This blog is dedicated solely to the New England Patriots. The 2008 season will be kicking off in about a week. How can they top last season? Is it realistic to expect them to go 16-0 again? Surely they won't but that doesn't mean the season won't be exciting.

Continue reading "Welcome to Patriot Games"

Jeff Christensen believes the quarterback position is broken. 

And he’s just the guy to fix it. 

“Kids today,” says the founder of Throw It Deep Passing Academy, “and when I say kids I mean 19, 20, 21 years old. They think because they throw a pretty spiral they’ve done something. It’s mind-boggling.” 

Continue reading "THINK FIRST, THEN THROW IT DEEP"

I have never claimed to be an expert when it comes to predicting outcomes of football games, although last year I nearly predicted the exact final score of the Super Bowl while hitting on seven of my nine prop bets. (My prediction was 26-17, the final was 29-17.) For whatever reason I had a very good feel for that game. This year's Super Bowl, however, remains a mystery to me. Part of the reason I am having trouble getting a good feel for this game is that I am a bitter Jets fan and I can't stand either team. I'm finding it difficult to put my personal feelings aside and look at the game objectively. I think right now I am as close to objectivity as I am going to get, and with that being said, here is my official Super Bowl XLII prediction.

Continue reading "Super Bowl XLII Prediction"

NFL Playoffs!? That can only mean one thing – bandwagon season! Now that my team #1 and #2 are done for the season, its time to jump on the way only a true NFL football fan can.

My Tampa Bay Buccaneers played an exceptional first quarter today and then decided to fall asleep on me. Too bad the game has four quarters! Argh! I really thought they could make something happen this year. My #1 team(s) the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders never even made it to the playoffs - so the time has come for auxiliary cheering methods – jump on the bandwagon! I have planned out who I will be rooting for next week for sure (remaining season afterward to be determined):

Continue reading "Bandwagon Season!"

While attending college at the University of Tampa, I noticed the awesome fact that the area is rich in professional sports! The Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are relatively close to each other and easily accessible. The closest NBA was the Orlando Magic, but I got to catch a pre-season game at the Ice Palace one year. I felt really spoiled since I grew up in a place where everything was much more spread out and harder to get tickets for. To make things even better – there was plenty of golf and tennis around. I only wish the USF Bulls were as good as they are now when I was there. I didn’t complain though, I was able to go to the games free since my school didn’t have football. (They did at one time; John Matuszak is a U Tampa alum!)

Continue reading "Something's wrong with Tropicana Field?"