Week 4 NFL Pickoff

Hey Now. Back like I said I would be yesterday after I feel awful for completely misread the West Virginia-South Florida game. It doesn't help that Mos Def aka Pat White was hurt in the second quarter, in essence, taking away the running game from Steve Slaton. With that being said, the thing that killed West Virginia was their six turnovers. In any level of football, you can't turn the ball over six times and expect to win unless you have a great defense that can also create turnovers.

On a different note, how about those Cubs. It was an absolutely great game from Carlos Zambrano, which gave the Cubs seven solid innings, which allowed Sweet Lou to take him out without burning him out for the playoffs. What the Cubs clinching means is that it allows them to set their rotation for the playoffs with Zambrano pitching in the first game of the playoffs.

I really like the Cubs chances in the playoffs this year, and while I'll make my playoff picks once the seeds are set on probably Wednesday after I finish my last test, the Cubs are the early NL favorite to make the World Series.

But as we move into the best sports month of the year, there is a concoction of baseball, NASCAR, the basketball season beginning, soccer, and of course you have football.

On that, here are my NFL picks

 

Record to Date – 24-19-4

Raiders (+4) @ Dolphins – (My Pick = OAK 17 – MIA 16) - With Josh McCown injured, Daunte Culpepper steps in against his old team for the first time since he was released by the Dolphins over the offseason. With that being said, I think the Dolphins will struggle against the tough Raiders defense, and that will be the thing that decides the game. But on top of anything, I really don't know who's going to win. It's games like these that make me question why I pick all the games every week.

Texans (-3) @ Falcons – (My Pick – HOU 21 – ATL 10) - Matt Schaub goes up against his old team for the first time, just like Culpepper and Miami. I always wonder, not having been involved in one of these types of situations in my high school career, what it is like when a player goes up against his old team? In this situation, I expect that because Schaub did not start very many games in his tenure in Atlanta, that they won't have much information (like different tendencies that he has) to use against Schaub.

Ravens (-4 ½) @ Browns – (My Pick = BAL 27 – CLE 20) - I'm questioning this pick, mostly because I don't think the Ravens are all that good on offense. But we're going to give the Ravens one more week, and if they once again can't cover a point spread, we'll pick their opponent next week.

Bears (-3) @ Lions – (My Pick = CHI 23 – DET 14) - The reason I'm picking the Bears isn't because I am confident in their defense or the insertion of Brian Griese into the starting lineup. I just really want the Bears to play well and win.

Packers (-3) @ Vikings – (My Pick = GB 20 – MIN 13) - One thing will cement Brett Favre's resurgence, and that is winning in his personal house of horrors, the Humphrey Dome (if that's what they still call it). What I think about this game is that the Vikings are really offensively challenged, especially in the passing game. In turn, the Packers defense looks like one of the best in the league, and it is the defense more than Favre that will win this games for the Packers.

Rams @ Cowboys (-13 ½) – (My Pick = DAL 38 – STL 10) – St. Louis is a mess, and the Cowboys offense looks very, very good. This is a recipe for a blowout, and I also haven't picked a home team yet, so here is the pick.

Jets @ Bills (+3 ½) – (My Pick = NYJ 20 – BUF 17) – I'm sticking with my faulty sleeper covering this week, but I'm sure they won't. It's too bad that the Bills this season, because of all the defensive injuries they have had. Now they have Posluzney go down with a leg injury, and the Bills are in severe disarray. With this being said, I really don't like the Jets team, and I think they won't cover the point spread, and they could very well lose this game in upper New York.

Bucs (+3) @ Panthers – (My Pick = TB 23 – CAR 21) – After this win, I think the Bucs will announce themselves as the team to beat in the NFC South. Wow, I can't believe I just said that.

Seahawks (-2 ½) @ 49ers – (My Pick = SEA 24 – SF 13) – The Seahawks come out victorious in this game because of their defense will shut down the weak offense of San Francisco. The only thing that could hinder Seattle is turnovers by Matt Hasselbeck, but I don't think that will happen.

Steelers (-6 ½) @ Cardinals – (My Pick = PIT 31 – ARI 21) – I'm picking a lot of road teams, but I feel very good about this pick because the Steelers are playing very well. Even though Hines Ward is out this week, I'm looking for Willie Parker to effectively carry the ball often for the Steelers, and soon to be breakout wide receiver Santanio Holmes to pick up the receiving slack.

Chiefs @ Chargers (-12) – (My Pick = SD 27 – KC 7) – The Chargers are going to force Damon Huard to beat them through the air. Do I think he can do it? The score says it all.

Broncos @ Colts (-10) – (My Pick = IND 31 – DEN 10) – The thing that stands out in this game is the fact that the Broncos are owned by Peyton Manning and the Colts, and the Indianapolis defense looks like one of the best in the league right now. These two reasons are why the Colts will come out victorious.

Eagles (-3) @ Giants – (My Pick = PHI 24 – NYG 17) – The Giants are a mess, and they had no business winning last week's game against the Redskins. But they could easily beat the Eagles because both teams are so very inconsistent. The fact that I've picked so many favorites to cover this week is driving me crazy, but I'm going to once again pick the road favorite to cover with the Eagles and Donovan McNabb.

Patriots (-7 ½) @ Bengals – (My Pick = NE 41 – CIN 31) – The Bengals defense will have to force New England into at least three turnovers. But they won't and the Patriots will light up the scoreboard.

Here's my picks. A lot of favorites and a lot of road teams. And as I write this I'm also listening to the Iowa-Indiana game and Indiana just scored their second touchdown. Iowa's in serious trouble.

 

Week 5 College Picks

Alright, it's been an extremely tiring week for me because of the abundance of school work being placed on my shoulders. But I suppose that's what I signed up for, so we're not complaining here in the Iowa City penthouse but rather looking forward to this weekend to watch the beloved Cubs try to secure a playoff spot. But as an appetizer to what should be a fantastic baseball weekend, I'm going to try to improve on the 4-4 record I had last Saturday picking mostly inter conference college football games. Without further ado, we're going to listen to sweet sound of The Strokes and pick eight very difficult college games.

Record to Date – 23-9, better than all but one Daily Iowan reporter, Diane Hendrickson, who is pacing the field at 26-6.

Indiana @ Iowa – I'm debating whether to watch this game or read my marketing textbook. Using a horseracing analogy, Marketing is currently Secretariat and the Hawkeye game is the field. With this being said, I think the Hawkeyes are probably the safer bet to win, but the big thing in football is that however great your defense is, your offense will eventually have to score points for your team to win. Which is easier said than done for teams like the Chicago Bears and Iowa Hawkeyes with inept offenses.

West Virginia @ South Florida – A fantastic Friday night game on ESPN. It's too bad that Chris Speilman is broadcasting the game, which means that I will be doing something other than watch West Virginia murder the South Florida Bulls. I know, I know, South Florida beat West Virginia last year at West Virginia, but you don't really think that a game with three year starters Pat White and Steve Slaton among others will let this happen again, do you? To answer my own question since this is my blog and not a conversation, no, West Virginia's too good of a team to let that happen twice in a row. That is why I like West Virginia to score over 50 on South Florida and come out victorious.

Cal @ Oregon – This will be the game of the week, guaranteed. Giving myself some dap, something I rarely do, I've been saying since I was eight years old that the two most exciting conferences to watch are the Pac-10 and the SEC, in that order. This statement is no more true than this weekend with the spread attack of Oregon in Eugene against the best precision passing team in the country in California. I could try to break this game down, but I honestly have no idea who is the better team. So, I made my pick based on who has beaten the better team this year and the homefield advantage. I believe that Oregon's defeat of an underrated Michigan team (yes, you heard it here first) trumps Cal's defeat of Tennessee in Berkeley. Plus, I almost chose to attend Oregon and I would like to live their in the future because it looks very nice in the pictures, so that I'm sure somehow subconsciously played a factor.

Alabama @ Florida State – I have a very strong feeling that Alabama is overrated after beating Arkansas. With that being said, I watched the Florida State v. Clemson game earlier this year, and Florida State has absolutely nothing on offense. So, like the Cal @ Oregon game, I've made my decision on the homefield advantage, and I'm going with the Noles.

Michigan State @ Wisconsin – A common theme so far seems to be my recognition of overrated teams and making picks based on homefield advantage. The trend will continue here with a very overrated team, as witnessed in primetime last week against the pitiful Hawkeyes, Wisconsin, will be the pick because they are at Camp Randall in a very close game.

Notre Dame @ Purdue – Notre Dame can't score and can't defend. And in college football, not being able to do those two things is not good.

Clemson @ Georgia Tech – Clemson's two running back system trumps Georgia Tech's one fantastic running back. With that being said, Georgia Tech could easily beat the Tigers, because both teams are very inconsistent and the ACC is overrated as well (keeping up with the theme).

Auburn @ Florida – Supreme talent, speed, and left handed quarterbacking are a few of the many reasons Florida comes out victorious. Just a side note, if Florida wants to run Tim Tebow 27 times like they did last week, that's fine. But they better be praying to God, Jesus, and Allah that Tebow doesn't miss a single quarter in a tight game this whole year, because if he does the Gators will have no shot in hell in winning the national championship

Alright, there's the picks. There are some that are different from the DI reporters, but not many. Either today or tomorrow the NFL picks will be up with a Cubs column possibly coming in the near future. Keyword is possibly. Like I said previously, I've been extremely busy, and I can't make any guarantees.

I am also scurrently developing a business plan for my own website that I hope to launch either over winter, spring, or summer breaks. This site will be exclusively my writing about sports and other things, and I'm going to try to scour the blogging world and bring in some young talented writers to give their opinions on a host of topics in the sporting world. Also, my writings will increase in length and quantity once I have a break from school. So, I'll keep all of the readers I have out there posted (all three of you) on the progress of this business plan and all of the particulars.

Enjoy the games this weekend.

 

 

Week 3 NFL Picks

Update on the College Picks I made – 3-4, with the UCLA-Washington State game still going on. Ugh. But whatever, here are the quick hitter NFL picks with spreads provided by our good friend Bill Simmons because our other good friends at the legal because it's offshore gambling website bodog.com are having technical issues.

 

Updated -

 

Colts (-6) @ Texans – My Pick = Ind 31 – Hou 14 - I would seriously consider picking Houston if one of the best wide receivers in the league, Andre Johnson were playing in today's game. But he isn't, thus the pick is Peyton Manning and the improved Indianapolis defense.

Chargers (-5) @ Packers – My pick = SD 21-GB 15 - The pick is the Chargers, because of their strong pass rush against a relatively weak Packers offensive line. With that being said I would not be at all surprised if the Packers beat the Chargers in what should be one of the best games in the league.

Vikings @ Chiefs (-2.5) – My Pick = Min 14-KC13 – The choice goes to the stronger defense, but don't be surprised to see Patrick Surtain or Ty Law returning an interception for a touchdown to win the ballgame. But the team I feel is more likely to at least cover is the Vikings.

Bills @ Patriots (-16.5) – My Pick = NE 31 – Buf 14 – It would appear at this point and time that I am completely wrong about my sleeper pick. But the Bills have had to face three of the best AFC teams in their first three weeks with the Patriots, Steelers, and Broncos serving as their opponents. On a side note – how great is it to see that Kevin Everett will be able to walk within a couple weeks? But with that being said, I still like the Patriots to cover, but just barely in New England.

Rams @ Bucs (-3.5) – My Pick = STL 21-TB 20 - The Rams have to play better this week don't they? I really don't have anything to say about either of these teams because they thoroughly confuse me.

Lions @ Eagles (-6.5) – My Pick = PHI 24 – DET 13 – This will be the week that everyone finds out about both of these teams. If the Lions come out victorious, it can plainly be said that the Eagles are done and there is a good chance the Lions could win the NFC North and contend for the Super Bowl (I really hope that I don't have to contemplate this).

Steelers (-9) @ 49ers – My Pick = PIT 31 – SF 7 – What an AFC layoffs we're going to have if the Steelers continue to play like they have in the first two weeks. In addition, San Francisco has zero chance this week.

Dolphins @ Jets (-3) – My Pick = MIA 13 – NYJ 12 – This could be the worst game of the week, so in probably my most sound way of picking games, I'm going to pick the Dolphins to win.

Cardinals @ Ravens (-8) – My Pick = BAL 20 – ARI 10 – Baltimore's offense will have to play better in order to compete in the stacked AFC, but I expect the Ravens defense to shut down Arizona's offense in Maryland.

Bengals @ Seahawks (-3) – My Pick = SEA 38 – CIN 34 – The Seahawks better score, because you know the Bengals will put up at least 21 points. I expect Matt Hasselbeck to have a big game, and the Seahawks to prevail in the very tough Qwest field in front of the 12^th man (which was unfortunately lifted from Texas A&M).

Giants @ Redskins (-3.5) – My Pick = WAS 31 – NYG 21 – I've been saying this for a while, but the Redskins are very good. Especially Jason Campbell, who throws one of the best deep balls in the league. But the best thing about the Redskins is their running game and secondary, two units that will have a big game this week against the horrendous Giants.

Browns @ Oakland (-3.5) – My Pick = OAK 17 – CLE 13 – Can Derek Anderson repeat his Cincinnati performance? No.

Jaguars @ Broncos (-3) – My Pick = JAX 14-DEN 13 – I'm trying to vary from the Sports Guy's picks, but we are agreeing like crazy. Oh wait, here are some different opinions.

Panthers (-4) @ Falcons – My Pick = CAR 14 – ATL 7 – I have a feeling that this will be a truly ugly game. But once again, you have to go against Joey Harrington and the Falcons.

Cowboys @ Bears (-3) – My Pick = CHI 31 – DAL 17 – Please Rex, I keep defending you and you keep making me look like a moron. Please Rex, play well and don't turn the ball over. On a side note – the Cowboys are overrated.

Titans @ Saints (-4.5) – My Pick = Ten 31 – NO 14 – In addition to the Cowboys, the Saints are also overrated. The Titans defense will shut down the New Orleans offense, especially the Saints running backs. Expect this game to be really boring, and Vince Young to come out victorious, this time with LenDale White on his side.

 

I just finished this, but I'm just going to straight post it without proof reading because I need to go to bed because I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow. A concoction of NFL football, EPL Soccer, Computer Analysis, Communication Technology studying, Legal and Ethical Communications review, and a marketing meeting to break up the monotony of the day. Joyous joy.

 

 

 

 

Week 4 College Pickoff

Alright, we're back for more picks. This is going to be a short rendezvous, because I have a ton of things to do tonight.

Record to Date: 19-5. I have currently picked more games right than everyone of the seven talented writers at the Daily Iowan, expect Diane Hendrickson who has a magnificent record of 22-2 to date. Good for her.

Iowa @ Wisconsin – The Hawkeyes will play well on defense like they did last year, but the offense will not be able to generate enough in the passing game to end the longest winning streak in the country.

South Carolina @ LSU – I'm rooting for LSU to win every week because I would really like to see a USC-LSU national championship game.

Penn State @ Michigan – Penn State plays a more balanced, traditional offense that suites the strengths of the Michigan defense better than the spread offenses in which they were blown out by. With that being said, I still like Michigan in a closer than expected game.

Georgia @ Alabama – This is going to be an excellent game decided by, in my opinion, the home crowd.

Michigan State @ Notre Dame – You have to score points to win football games, and Notre Dame does not have an offensive touchdown in three games.

Illinois @ Indiana – James Hardy and Kellen Lewis prove to be too much for Illinois' young secondary.

Kentucky @ Arkansas – The Louisville and Kentucky game I picked last week didn't count because, apparently, I was on par with the DI reporters all along. But anyway, I nearly called it. With that being said, I like the running combination of Felix Jones and Darren McFadden to triumph over a Kentucky defense that I do not think is ready for it. (Good Analysis, I know)

Washington @ UCLA – UCLA starting quarterback Ben Olsen has been ruled out with headaches for Saturday's game, but with that being said, I still like the UCLA defense to step up to the challenge in the Rose Bowl.

 

 

 

Week 3 College Update

I forgot to put this in my post.

With my 12-3 record, I am better than six people, and down to Diane Hendrickson, who's 16-0 going into this week.

Week 3 College Picks

Last Week = 7-0, Updated picks to date: 12-3

Remember: These college picks are without point spreads, unlike my NFL picks.

I, for some reason, only picked seven games last week where the Daily Iowan staff picked eight. I believe the game that I didn't pick was the Texas-TCU game, but I'm not sure because I threw away last Friday's Daily Iowan.

So what I'm going to do to make it so that we're even is that I'm going to pick what I deem as the closest game for the week. That game, not included in the Daily Iowan picks will be..

Louisville @ Kentucky – This should be a great game with one of the most underrated players in the country in Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson going up against what appears to be a very weak Louisville defense. But in the end, I think the experience of Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm will prevail, and Louisville will barely escape Lexington with a close Svictory.

Here are the eight games that the Daily Iowan picked…

Iowa @ Iowa State – Iowa State will probably cover the eighteen point spread, but the Hawkeyes will have a relatively easy game shutting down the Iowa State offense with one of the best defenses in the Big Ten.

Notre Dame @ Michigan – The Michigan running game with Mike Hart will punish the Notre Dame offense in the lowest rated Michigan-Notre Dame game in twenty years.

USC @ Nebraska – The Trojans have the better defense, but not by much. This will be an excellent game, but USC will eventually come out victorious.

Tennessee @ Florida – I'm still unsure about Florida, who have a relatively inexperienced (throwing) quarterback, and they are also facing a very experienced quarterback in Tennessee's Erik Ainge. But Florida has the superior speed, so they are the pick in the Swamp.

Arkansas @ Alabama – People focus on stud running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, but the Arkansas defense will have to play very well in order for Arkansas to experience the same success they had last year. But I don't think they'll play well enough against John Parker Wilson and the Alabama offense on Saturday.

Ohio State @ Washington – The pick is Ohio State, who could be subject to an upset with inexperienced starters at both the quarterback and wide receiver positions. But I don't expect that upset to come this week against Tyrone Willingham's Huskies.

Boston College @ Georgia Tech – Georgia Tech looked fantastic against Notre Dame, especially their defense. And I expect another great game from the dreadlocked Yellow Jacket defense against, what I think, is a very overrated Boston College team.

Pittsburgh @ Michigan State – Who cares?

 

Greg Oden - Out for the Year

Some very disheartening news broke today out of Portland. First overall pick Greg Oden will miss the 2007-08 season after undergoing micro fracture surgery to attempt to repair torn cartilage in his right knee. This will be a huge blow to the Trailblazers, and especially to Oden himself, who has been questioned for his mental toughness.

The question facing Oden is how will he respond to this news? Will he be able to develop his offensive game after losing most of his explosiveness with this surgery? Will he show the same passion Amare Stoudemire showed when he was rehabbing after this same surgery? Will he ever live up to the hype of being the first overall pick, and will he be able to handle the tremendous burden of being the face of the Portland? Or will he succumb to injuries like much hyped Portland centers Bill Walton and Sam Bowie before him? The questions, unfortunately will go on and on concerning Oden’s performance and passion for the game when he comes back from the micro fracture surgery.

I’d just like to say that I hope that Greg Oden returns to his previous form and is successful rehabbing his right knee. I also hope that he and the Portland team evolves into one of the best teams in the league. Best of luck Greg for this year and the rest of your career.

Week 2 NFL Picks

It’s the second week of the NFL season, and I’m already burned out. I’ve heard that the best remedy is some time away from of football, therefore I plan to only watch the Iowa game on Saturday and maybe the Florida and Tennessee ball game down in the swamp on Saturday, but that’s it, only six hours. No USC-Nebraska, no Michigan-Notre Dame, no other garbage college football. I’m like the girl that says she’s waiting to have sex, yet gets drunk and gives oral sex every other weekend. Well I’m saving myself for the Sunday games, where we’ll tune in for a glorious day of pro football, with the best game Sunday night between New England and San Diego.

But while the Patriots and San Diego should be extremely entertaining, especially with what happened in last year’s playoffs, there are many other great games this week between up and coming teams, and teams that have had success over the recent stretch of two or three years (Tennessee – Indy, Pittsburg – Buffalo, etc).

Also, keep in mind that I pick games with regards to point spreads, and while the spreads do indeed change as Sunday approaches, that is something that I can’t control when I pick on Thursday or whenever I actually have time to sit down and right. So, the spreads I have listed are what was listed on Thursday on bodog.com.

Now that I cleared up that business here are my picks for week 2…

Record to Date – (7-7-2)

Buffalo @ Pittsburgh (-10) – My Pick = Pit 24 – Buf 17 – I picked the Bills to make the playoffs this year, and I believe that they have a chance to win this game in Pittsburgh. All reports from Pittsburgh’s victory over Cleveland last week say that the Browns were absolutely terrible, and that Pittsburgh didn’t play all that well. So, even though I think that the Steelers will be a playoff team, there’s no way that they should be ten point favorites against an underrated Buffalo team. So, Buffalo’s the pick.
Key to the game: JP Losman will have to break the 225 yard mark this week and have less then two turnovers to give the Bills any chance against one of the best defenses in the league.

Cincinnati (-7) @ Cleveland – My Pick = CIN 31 – CLE 17 – What a terrible franchise the Browns have become. How is it that throughout training camp you have your first string quarterback (Charlie Frye) take the majority of snaps with the first team. You then send him into the first game with the coaching staff not supporting Frye at all, and then your first string quarterback gets benched in the second quarter of the first game. And then, on top of all that, the Browns trade Frye, wasting all of those repetitions that could of gone to remaining quarterbacks Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. Morons. I read this week, I believe it was in Peter King’s Monday morning quarterback column, that Brady Quinn has only take 82 snaps with the Cleveland first team offense. When I consider this number, and then think about how Brady Quinn would do in week 2 against the Bengals, there’s only one thing that I think. He’s going to get killed. And that is why I’m picking the Bengals in what should be an absolute blowout, unless Cincinnati becomes complacent on defense (which is a distinct possibility).
Key to the Game = The play of whoever Cleveland puts in at quarterback is going to have to be stellar in order for the Browns to attempt to match the offensive attack of the Bengals.

Indianapolis (-7 1/2) @ Tennessee – My Pick = IND 31 – TEN 28 – I am really looking forward to watching this game. Last week the Titans were able to rush for 275 yards against a supposedly very good Jacksonville defense (who might be vastly overrated, but we will have to wait in order to verify this statement), and the Colts looked stout against the two headed monster of Duece McAllister and Reggie Bush last week. Something’s going to have to give. I expect Indy’s defense to hold up because they are fresh after an eleven day layoff, but they won't look nearly as good this week against a better offense.
Keys to the Game: Quarterback Vince Young will have to step up and give the Titans more than the 87 yards he threw for last week against Jacksonville, and the Titans secondary will have to jam the Indy receivers at the line to disrupt their routes (something New Orleans didn’t do in week 1).

Houston @ Carolina (-7) – My Pick = CAR 24 – HOU 21 – I was very impressed by Houston last week against the Chiefs (I know, it’s the Chiefs), especially with their defense. It seemed to me that the addition of Danny Clark really bolstered the linebacking corps, and gave a great amount of help in the middle of the field to stud middle linebacker DaMeco Ryans. And probably the instance where I was most excited about this week – other than the absolutely fantastic news that Bills tight end Kevin Everett was moving his limbs – was how Mario Williams played against the Chiefs (2 sacks, forced fumble, recovered fumble, and a fumble return for a touchdown. I hope that Williams will become a household name this year, and the Texans fans stop referring to him as ‘that Williams guy we chose instead of Vince Young and Reggie Bush.’
Key to the Game: The play of the Carolina secondary covering against by far the Texans best weapon, wide receiver Andre Johnson. If they stop Johnson, the Texans’ Jacoby Jones will have to step up in a hurry.

San Francisco (+3) @ St. Louis – My Pick = STL 27 – SF 10 – The Arizona-San Francisco second part of the Monday night double header was one of the worst football games I’ve ever seen in my life. Both offenses were awful and San Francisco was very lucky to have won the ball game (See: highlight of Arizona cornerback Eric Green not picking up a Arnaz Battle fumble with less than thirty seconds left to win the game), but St. Louis running back Steven Jackson also had a dreadful game last week against the Panthers. So who triumphs? In this situation, I expect the player to improve much quicker than the entire offense and actually hold onto the ball. I see the Rams coming out firing on all their offensive cylinders on their home turf, especially Steven Jackson.
Key to the Game: If the 49ers want to win this game all-pro running back Frank Gore will have to rush for more than 125 yards this week, because San Francisco’s passing offense is extremely poor.

Green Bay (-1) @ New York Giants – My Pick = GB 25 – NYG 20 – It appears like Eli Manning will not play this week, which means that the – for lack of a better phrase – hefty lefty Jared Lorenzan begins his journey out of the NFL Sunday against a very impressive Green Bay defense. I, being a Bears fan, always like to see Green Bay lose, but it would be especially nice to see it happen Sunday against the 280 pound Giants quarterback, simply for the weight concentrated headlines in the New York media Monday morning. With all that being said though, I think Green Bay will win in a very close game.
Key to the Game: Brett Favre not putting the Packer defense in bad positions with careless turnovers.

Atlanta @ Jacksonville (-10 ½) – My Pick = JAX 14 – ATL 3 – This was a very difficult decision because of a couple questions about Jacksonville that I simply couldn’t answer. How good is Jacksonville’s defense? Will they improve their rushing defense after last week? Can David Garrard put more than 10 points on the board? And the list goes on and on. While I don’t have the answers to those questions, one thing I do know is who’s starting for the Falcons. Key to the Game: Jacksonville stopping the two headed running tandem of Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood for the Falcons.

New Orleans (-4) @ Tampa Bay – My Pick = TB 21 – NO 13 – Even though I picked the Saints to finish second in my preseason rankings, I’m starting to convince myself that they are extremely overrated (mostly because they are now “America’s team,” so all the talking heads at ESPN are picking them). I have a feeling that the Bucs will play very well against the Saints, and I think the Saints will experience the same problems against Tampa Bay this week as they did last year, and eventually lose.
Key to the Game: The play of the Tampa Bay offense, specifically Cadillac Williams and the rushing game. The Bucs will have to control the ball to keep the explosive New Orleans offense off the field, and I believe they will.

Minnesota @ Detroit (+3 ½) – My Pick = MIN 23- DET 21 – Did you see Adrian Peterson last week? Well if you didn’t, you’ll get your chance this week with Chester Taylor injured, and the Detroit defense a bit suspect against the run, oh and did I mention with Tarvaris Jackson starting for Minnesota. If the Vikings find themselves trailing near the end of the game, they’ll have major issues, but I foresee the Vikings defense playing very well early in the game, thus creating many third downs of over eight yards for Detroit. From this, the Vikings will be able to control the field position throughout the game and eventually come out victorious.
Key to the Game: Tarvaris Jackson, who will undoubtedly be faced with tough situations throughout the game, must avoid committing turnovers and play well to keep opposing defenses honest against the run.

Dallas (-4) @ Miami – My Pick = MIA 18 – DAL 9 - This is an extremely difficult game for me to pick. Without Terrance Newman completely healthy throughout the entire season with the same injury that Andres Nocioni had for the Bulls last year, the Dallas defense will be extremely inconsistent at the cornerback position. With that being said, Miami has mediocre receivers and an aging quarterback, so the Cowboys could dodge a bullet this week. While the big Dallas win last week against the Giants says that the Cowboys have a stellar offense, I’m going to go against the grain and pick the Dolphins and their stellar defense to surprise a lot of people and take down the Cowboys.
Key to the Game: The Dolphin offense must show some signs of life this week, and NOT TURN THE BALL OVER, especially with the stellar Dolphin defense capable of winning a game all by themselves.

Seattle (-3) @ Arizona – My Pick = SEA 24 – ARI 14 – A three point line? I was very surprised to see this, and maybe there’s something that the gamblers see that I don’t? All I know is that I watched Arizona’s offense Monday night, and it’s safe to say that their offensive line still stinks, and they will struggle against Julian Peterson and the rest of the Seahawks suffocating pass rush. So the pick is the Seahawks down in the desert.
Key to the Game: Is Arizona’s defense that good, or is San Francisco’s offense that bad? Coming away from the Monday night game, that was the big question, and we’ll have the answer early in the Seattle-Arizona game this week.

New York Jets @ Baltimore (pick ‘em) – My Pick = BAL 34 – NYJ 3 – The biggest blowout of the week finds the Ravens avenging their loss to the Bengals by absolutely pounding the Jets on both sides of the ball. The Jets have all the signs of an one year wonder. Not to help their cause in this game, the Jets fans will be calling for Kellen Clemens in the third quarter after Chad Pennington throws his third interception of the day, this time to Ed Reed.
Keys to the Game: The New York offensive line will have to play open holes for Thomas Jones and keep the Ravens off of their frail quarterback for the Jets to have any chance of topping the Ravens. Also, Baltimore cannot turn the ball over six times and expect to contend for the Super Bowl like they hope. Steve McNair will have to play better this week.

Oakland @ Denver (-10) – My pick = DEN 31 – OAK 10 – I really want to pick the Raiders here, but they simply do not have even close to enough offensive power to defeat Denver at home. With the Broncos sending Champ Bailey and Dre Bly out to the cornerback positions, it allows safety John Lynch to come up to the box and stuff running back LaMont Jordan. Also, Denver will have to get a better performance from the vaunted running attack in the future when they have to face elite AFC competition. But for now, I expect the Broncos to easily defeat the Raiders at Mile High Stadium, and the big question will be whether or not they cover the point spread.
Key to the Game: For Oakland to have any chance both Josh McCown and LaMont Jordan will have to have big days statistically, and Oakland will have to score. A simple task in theory, but not if you’ve seen the Raiders over the last two years.

Kansas City @ Chicago (-13 ½) – My Pick = CHI 24 – KC 0 – This is an awfully big point spread, especially with the Bears having lost their best run stuffing defensive tackle in Dusty Dvorceck, and their best safety Mike Brown, both to torn Achilles’. I feel awful, especially for Brown, who has been one of my favorite players on the Bears defense since he came into the league in the same draft as Brian Urlacher. With that being said, I don’t think the Bears will miss Brown or Dvorceck this week against a totally inept Kansas City offense, but they will in the long run.
Key to the Game: The play of both quarterbacks will determine the outcome of this game. It’s too bad for the Chiefs that the Bears have the better quarterback, who has better offensive weapons around him, and a better defense to support him if he turns the ball over.

Philadelphia (-7) @ Washington – My Pick = PHI 21 – WAS 20 – This will be one of the best games of the second week, and I believe it will be the last minute heroics of Donovan McNabb that pulls the Eagles up to a 1-1 record. This game will be hotly contested, with a number of huge hits from stud Washington safeties Shawn Taylor and LaRon Landry, but in the end the deciding factor will be Brian Westbrook.
Keys to the Game: Jason Campbell will have to recognize the exotic blitz schemes that the Philadelphia will bring against him, and if the Redskins want to win Clinton Portis will also have to have a big game.

San Diego @ New England (-4) – My Pick = NE 41 – SD 17 - This will be the game of the week leading up to Sunday, but will turn into a laugher as soon as the teams take the field. The NFL, more than any other game, is about coaching. We see this every week in the NFL and college football, and it will be no more apparent than this week in the game between New England and San Diego. I believe that the Patriots will prove to the San Diego front office, who fired Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2, made the wrong decision hiring Norv Turner.
Keys to the Game: The San Diego offense versus the New England wide receivers is the matchup to watch in this game. So, the key to the game is the play of the San Diego Chargers’ secondary, who I fully expect to be torched this week.

Enjoy the games this week, and expect a reaction the college picks tomorrow and a Week 2 NFL reaction either Monday or Tuesday.

Week 1 NFL Picks

Record to Date – (0-1) UPDATED (Keep in mind, this is with point spreads posted on ESPN Wednesday) - 7-6-2

Denver @ Buffalo – I’ve said that my big sleeper team this year is Buffalo, and we’ll find out this weekend against the Broncos if I’m indeed right.

Philadelphia @ Green Bay – Green Bay will be improved this year, but Favre will continuously harm the team throughout the year, and week one against the Eagles is no exception.

Kansas City @ Houston – With Houston stacking the box against Larry Johnson, Houston will play well against both the run and pass squeaking out a close victory against the Chiefs.

Pittsburgh @ Cleveland – The Browns coaching staff has not shown any confidence in their quarterback Charlie Frye, stating that they’re going to take things week by week. So, playing with no margin of error and no confidence from his coaching staff, I expect Frye and the Brown offense to struggle against a tough Steelers defense.

Titans @ Jaguars – This is a very tough game to pick, but I’ll go with the superior defense and the better running back in Maurice Jones-Drew.

Atlanta @ Minnesota – The Vikings with their great offensive line and running game will make up for the ineffectiveness of second year starting quarterback Tavaris Jackson in what I think will be a very close game.

New England @ New York Jets – In a very close game I’m going to reluctantly pick the Patriots, even though both Rodney Harrison and Richard Seymour are inactive for the game today. Look out for Wes Welker and the passing game to have a big game against inexperienced cornerback Darrell Revais.

Carolina @ St. Louis – In a surprisingly low scoring game, I expect the Rams to come out victorious due to a superior offense and a few key turnovers committed by Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme. Expect to see backup Carolina quarterback David Carr in the near future.

Detroit @ Oakland – Detroit is very overrated, and Oakland is underrated. It will be exciting to see who starts for the Raiders, and I expect their defense to also play very good on Sunday defeating the Lions in another close game.

Tampa Bay @ Seattle – In the rout of the weekend, the Bucs will look extremely overmatched on both sides of the ball, and the Seahawks will look like the frontrunner in the NFC to make the Super Bowl.

Chicago @ San Diego – Rex Grossman will begin to show the world how much he is improved, and while Shawn Merriman will have a big day, the San Diego passing game will looked extremely overmatched by the Bears’ stellar back seven in one of the best games of the weekend.

New York Giants @ Dallas – Dallas is being extremely overrated by “experts” on ESPN and other websites, but the Giants are not very good. So I expect the Dallas defense to shut down the Giants offense, and subsequently win a snooze of a Sunday night game.

Baltimore @ Cincinnati - The Baltimore offense will step up and avenge a 13-7 loss at the hands of the Bengals last season.

Arizona @ San Francisco – The Arizona defense will play well, but so will San Francisco’s. The thing that tips the scales in favor of the 49ers is the home field advantage and stud running back Frank Gore.

ME vs DI - Week 2

Last Week = 5-3, better than two out of seven DI reporters, and tied with one DI reporter.


My Picks for this Week


Syracuse at Iowa – My Pick: Iowa 27 – Syracuse 10. The Hawkeye fans will be very quiet after the intros, and will be like that for the vast majority of the season. Also, I won’t be able to see this game while living in Iowa City because the lovely people at Mediacom – Iowa City’s cable provider - will not carry the game.

Virginia Tech at LSU – My Pick: LSU 27 – VT 7. I’m looking forward to this game so very much. Two of the three best conferences are playing against each other, and I expect Virginia Tech will be overmatched against the speed of LSU.

Miami at Oklahoma – My Pick: OK 24 – MIA 21. I’m pulling for Miami, but Oklahoma will win with a far superior offense.

Notre Dame at Penn State – My Pick: PSU 31 – ND 14. Penn State is a really good team who I think will win the Big Ten, and they are a dark horse to play in the national championship game. Mark it down. On a different note, Charlie Weis is the most overrated head coach in college football.

Nebraska at Wake Forest – My Pick: NEB 38 – WF 24. Although they will win this week, I remember a time when I used to think – “who would pick Nebraska over a school in California or Florida?” Now I’m glad to see that high school recruits are thinking like me.

South Florida at Auburn – My Pick: USF 17 - AUB 10. I was thoroughly disappointed with the Auburn offense last week against Kansas State, and I expect Auburn to once again struggle, but their defense will step up and win the game for the Tigers.

Northern Iowa at Iowa State – UNI 24 – ISU 17. In a battle of two division two programs, I'll take the team that one last year.

The First Annual "The Most Popular Sport in the World - oh wait, America" Awards

First Coach fired – Tom Coughlin, unless Joe Gibbs goes winless for the first seven weeks which is a distinct possibility.

First Player To Go "Crazy" – Joey Porter. On a bad team with a horrendous offense, the insane Porter is sure to blow up very early in the Dolphins season.

When the first T.O. controversy will occur – With a new head coach and offensive coordinator, I’m saying week four, but it could be sooner.

Ten breakout players for the 2007 season – Houston WR Jacoby Jones and QB Matt Schaub, Pittsburgh WR Santonio Holmes, Baltimore SS Dewan Landry, St. Louis DT Adam Carriker, Denver WR Brandon Marshall, San Francisco OLB Manny Lawson, Chicago WR Mark Bradley, Buffalo LT Jason Peter, and Indianapolis WR Anthony Gonzalez.

Four teams that will surprise a lot of people this year: Houston, Buffalo, Oakland, and Green Bay.

Offensive Rookie of the Year = Marshawn Lynch

Defensive Rookie of the Year = Patrick Willis

Defensive Player of the Year = Shawne Merriman; Dark Horses = Randall Godfrey, DeMeco Ryans

Offensive Player of the Year (MVP exempt) = Steven Jackson; Dark Horse = Willie Parker

MVP = Tom Brady; Dark Horse = Brian Westbrook



Finally, How the Playoffs will play out:

AFC Playoff Seedings NFC Playoff Seedings
1) New England 1) Chicago
2) San Diego 2) New Orleans
3) Baltimore 3) Philadelphia
4) Indianapolis 4) Seattle
5) Pittsburgh 5) Dallas
6) Buffalo 6) St. Louis

AFC Championship Game – New England vs. Baltimore, with New England winning.
NFC Championship Game – Chicago vs. Philadelphia, with Chicago coming out victorious.

Super Bowl: New England 31 – Chicago 21


Note: This season preview was very fun to write, and I look forward to finding out if my predictions are correct.

Picks for Opening Night

This season I'm going to pick every NFL game with no point spread. All the picks will come at a later date - probably late Saturday - but for now I am going to pick New Orleans more because I'm going to watch the game tonight and I do not like rooting for the Colts.

My pick: NO 35 - IND 28

Countdown - 1st seed in the AFC - Possible Super Bowl Winner

New England Patriots – (2006 record = 12-4) – Projected 2007 record = 13-3



Me too. I've also bought into the offseason hype of the New England Patriots. Even with the loss of Richard Seymour and Rodney Harrison for at least six and four weeks respectively, I’m picking the Patriots to make it through the very difficult AFC and face the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl. I kept trying be different from all the “experts” by trying to convince myself that, head-to-head, the Ravens or Chargers would beat the Patriots, but I couldn’t because of two reasons. Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck.

Brady - the second best quarterback in the league - played exceptionally well last year with a very mediocre receiving core, only one of which is still with the team. The acquisition of Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, Kelly Washington, and wild card Randy Moss gives the Patriots the most dangerous passing attack in the league because of the talent of the receivers and their quarterback. Nobody – not even the Patriots themselves – know what to expect from Moss. He could be the most explosive/dangerous receiver in the league as he was in Minnesota, or an absolute bust as he was in Oakland. Nobody knows. And the Patriots obviously hope that Moss returns to his Minnesota form, but if he doesn’t New England has plenty of other options starting with Welker and Stallworth. And although Stallworth will be placed on the physically unable to perform list with the likes of Richard Seymour (according to ESPN.com), Welker will certainly benefit a great deal with Brady throwing to him in the slot.

The Patriots defense, like the receiving core, was upgraded in the offseason with Belicheck and the rest of his staff bringing in super utility linebacker Adalius Thomas, and resigning cornerback Asante Samuel and middle linebacker Junior Seau. Thomas should be a significant upgrade and will allow Belicheck a great amount of flexibility in his defensive schemes with Thomas able to play any linebacker position, defensive end, and in the secondary. Seau brings more leadership to a team that is full of it (I think Seau came back for what seems like his 25th season because he wants a championship more than anything, and I think that’s kind of pitiful but that’s a topic that I will save for the regular season), and Asante Samuel provides a shutdown cornerback that the Patriots were certain they were going to lose this offseason. But the thing that I am most interested in watching this upcoming year is how the New England secondary will perform and how much does the New England slow down because of age. Those are two of the many things that could go wrong with this team, but I’m still a big believer in the schemes of defensive master Bill Belicheck and I believe that because of Belicheck and the rest of the Patriots coaching staff the Patriots defense will be very successful.

Star to Watch – Contrary to popular belief, the player that is the most crucial to the Patriots offense is running back Laurence Maroney. Many people will argue that Tom Brady is the most important player (and correctly so), but the person that will have to step up and perform well to take the pressure off of Brady is indeed the second year back out of Minnesota. With Corey Dillon having been released by the Patriots, Maroney takes over the number one running back role with little help supporting him. And for Maroney to carry the load he will have had to have put in the work during the offseason to avoid hitting the same wall he hit in the last quarter of the 2006 season. Also watch: Randy Moss, who could propel the Patriots offense into one of the best in the league if he plays up to his potential. Also Watch: Asante Samuel, who is playing for a large contract this season but could be a problem in the New England locker room after his lengthy holdout.

Player to Watch – The most unsung player on the celebrated New England defense is mammoth defensive tackle Vince Wilfork. Wilfork, like fellow stud nose tackles Casey Hampton and Jamal Williams, continuously demands double teams and is the big reason for the success of the Patriots defense against the run. In my opinion, Wilfork will elevate his play even higher this year and make the Pro Bowl over either Hampton or Williams in the AFC. Also watch: Lesser known players that are key to the Patriot’s success are: The entire offensive line who will have to block for Brady for the passing offense to reach its capability, and Kyle Brady who will be an excellent blocking tight end. On the defensive side of the ball watch for Roosevelt Colvin rushing the passer off the edge with much more frequency now that Richard Seymour is physically unable to perform, and Ellis Hobbs who will be tested often playing opposite of Samuel.

What I expect to see from the 2007 New England Patriots:

- I expect quarterback Tom Brady to throw much more often than he did last year, and in turn, this will lead to Brady starting in the AFC Pro Bowl, and becoming a serious contender for the MVP of the league.

- Also in the backfield, I expect Laurence Maroney to excel as the lead back this season because opposing defenses will be so concerned with stopping the Tom Brady and the New England passing attack.

- Randy Moss will be just “alright” this year, but Wes Welker will be excellent in the slot for the Patriots and will be known as one of the best signings of the offseason. Ben Watson will also be great catching passes from Brady as well.

- The Patriots defense will be one of the top five in the league lead by the aforementioned Vince Wilfork, and stud secondary players Asante Samuel and Eugene Wilson. But the best player on New England’s defense will be Adalius Thomas, who will thrive in Belicheck’s defensive scheme playing all over the field.

- Finally, Rodney Harrison will return from suspension and be ineffective because he is off HGH. He will then retire and testify to all parties concerned about learning about HGH and how easily Harrison obtained the illegal drug.

How the New England Patriots will fare in 2007:

The Patriots will finish the regular season with a 13-3 season and have a difficult path through the AFC playoffs as the number one seed facing the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers. But the homefield advantage, superior quarterbacking, and excellent coaching will all be factors that lead the Patriots past these two opponents and into the Super Bowl.

1st seed in the NFC - Possible Super Bowl Winner

Chicago Bears – (2006 record = 13-3) – Projected 2007 record = 12-4




The 2007-08 season will be a make or break season for Chicago quarterback Rex Grossman. With one of the two best defenses in the league, several excellent offensive weapons, and the best special teams in the NFL, Grossman has all the pieces in place to lead the Bears back to the Super Bowl in 2008. Grossman – the goat of last years Super Bowl loss – has by far the most pressure on him of any player in the league coming into this season, and it is imperative that he start the season well to prove to the fans and his teammates that he is the right person for the job. Right out of the gates things become very difficult for Grossman and the Bears with games against San Diego, Kansas City, and Dallas, and Grossman will be under constant pressure for these three very aggressive teams – something he struggled with mightily last year. I expect the Bears to find out very quickly whether or not Grossman is the permanent solution or if he’s just a “manage the game” kind of quarterback like the experts keep saying, and Grossman needs to be better than a game managing quarterback in order for the Bears to win the improving NFC.

The second player with the most to prove – and the one who will be the most important in aiding Grossman’s attack on opposing defenses – will be third year running back Cedric Benson. The former fourth overall pick’s wish was granted this offseason when Chicago brass traded former starting running back Thomas Jones to the Jets, allowing Benson to take over the reigns as Chicago’s number one running back. Benson’s bruising style seems to fit Chicago’s style of play and the city’s state of mind much better than Jones the previous year (a pounding, bruising, take no prisoners style of running the football). Those two factors aside, Jones was a very productive back during his time in Chicago and Benson must increase his productivity a great deal and stay healthy for the Bears to make a smooth transition between starting running backs.

Throughout the offseason – especially once the Bears traded for Darwin Walker and signed All Pro outside linebacker Lance Briggs – Bears fans and experts around the league seemed to assume that the Bears offense will continue to be one of the best in the league. And while the talent on the Bears can only be matched by the Baltimore Ravens, the one thing that the Chicago Bears must be concerned with is an injury to one of their three best players. The players that I’m talking about are Lance Briggs, Tommie Harris, and Brian Urlacher. With Urlacher and Harris, a bad precedent in the team’s success with both out. Three years ago Urlacher suffered a hamstring injury and the team did not win a single game in his three week absence and Harris’ groin injury last year left the defense crippled and with a serious hole that was continuously exploited by opposing running attacks. These three players are arguably the best at their individual positions in the league, and if any one of them got hurt it would be devastating for the Bears’ defense and their chances to return to the Super Bowl.

Star to Watch – While most of the media and the fans (including myself) will closely be watching the performance of Cedric Benson and Rex Grossman, I will continue to keep my eye on one of Chicago’s emerging players, and that is Bernard Berrian. Last year Berrian was a consistent big play threat for Chicago, and he will very important this year in the attempt to keep opposing defenses honest against the Bear’s solid running game. Berrian – teamed up with a wide receiving corps made up of Muhsin Muhammad, Mark Bradley, Rashied Davis, and converted cornerback Devin Hester – forms one of the best, and most explosive receiving units in the league. I expect Berrian to further his progression a great deal this season into one of the best big play wide receivers in the league, which is to say that I expect the play of quarterback Rex Grossman to be much better than last year.

Player to Watch – The player that I am most interested in watching transition into the Chicago defense is safety Adam Archuleta. Archuleta – in his first year with the team - had a abysmal season with the Washington Redskins playing only special teams for the last seven games of the year – and it is safe to say that Archuleta didn’t fit in Washington’s defensive scheme. But one place where Archuleta thrived was in St Louis with ex-Rams defensive coordinator Lovie Smith. In Smith’s cover 2 based system, we will see Archuleta up at the line of scrimmage much more frequently than he was with Washington, and I believe that this will play to Archuleta’s strengths and so does the Bears coaching staff. Also watch: Mark Anderson, whose stellar rookie season might have been a fluke. Plus, Anderson will have to play better against the run than he did last year. Also Watch: Mike Brown and Ricky Manning Jr. If both play well throughout the season and stay healthy (Brown) the Bears will have the best secondary in the league with Tillman and Vasher on the corners.

What I expect from the Chicago Bears:

- I believe that the Bears will be the best team, once again, in the NFC and will secure homefield advantage with two weeks to go in the season.

- The Bears running attack will suffer a bit this year with the two back tandem from last year being broken up, but Cedric Benson will be much happier now that Thomas Jones is a New York Jet. Also, the Bears receiving threesome of Muhsin Muhammad, who I expect to have another down year and eventually get cut next offseason, Bernard Berrian, and Mark Bradley will be a very pleasant surprise to most around the league.

- The Bears defense will be great this year with superior speed and very good to great players at every single position (expect a very good year from Dusty Dvoraceck) with Brian Urlacher contending for the defensive player of the year award (more with awards and predictions tomorrow or Thursday). I predict that the Chicago defense will be ranked near or at the top in every defensive category once the year is done, but they will struggle against teams like San Diego, Denver, and Dallas who have big and physical offensive lines.

- A big reason why the Bears have been and will be successful is because of the stellar team they are able to put on the field in 3rd down and long situations. With Ricky Manning Jr joining Tillman, Vasher, Archuleta, Brown, Urlacher, and Briggs in the back seven it can plainly be said that that back seven is damn near impossible to penetrate. With this thought, it can be said that third down conversions are the most underrated stat in football, and the Bears should be glad that they are so well equiped to stop other teams in such key situations.

- Finally, what you all have been waiting for (this is just a way to amuse myself, I know nobody is reading this). I expect Rex Grossman to be very good this year. I see him progressing a great deal from last year and being a big reason why the Bears fare well against tough opponents. With this being said, Grossman will not be Peyton Manning nor should he have to be anything close. The most important thing that Grossman needs is solid offensive line play to keep the pocket secure to allow Grossman to find open receivers.

How the Chicago Bears will fare in 2007-08:

I expect the Bears to be the best team in the NFC with an 12-4 record – as was already stated – and beat New Orleans to reach the Super Bowl. In the Super Bowl, I believe that the hypothetical game I’ve set up will be very close with the Bears having a shot to win at the end because of defense and special teams controlling the field position game like they had all season. More to come on what I think the result of the 2008 Super Bowl in Arizona will on Thursday (Is it a tease to tease no one?).

Countdown - 2nd seed in the AFC

San Diego Chargers – (2006 = 14-2) – Projected 2007 record – 13-3




In 2006 the San Diego Chargers garnered two distinct labels. They were the most talented team in the NFL and the most disappointing in the playoffs. After fizzling out in a great game to the New England Patriots, the Chargers felt that they needed to make a change and hired former San Francisco offensive coordinator Norv Turner to try to get them over the hump, and reach a Super Bowl. And the Chargers better hurry up and get there LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego’s best player, turned 28 years old this offseason. This number might not seem like much to the casual football fan, but 28 to 29 is usually the age in which running backs begin to deteriorate, and without Tomlinson and backup running back Michael Turner – who will surely leave this offseason – the Chargers chances of winning the Super Bowl decrease dramatically.

While Tomlinson is great – the best running back in the NFL - the Chargers line of great players does not stop with him. On the Chargers’ defense – one of the best and most aggressive in the league – San Diego contains stud nose tackle Jamal Williams and All Pro linebacker/defensive end Shawne Merriman. Williams – one of the most underrated players in the league – commands a double team on every run play and is the big reason why San Diego’s run defense was the second best in the league last year behind Minnesota. In the other facet of the defense’s focus – the passing game – Merriman wreaks havoc upon opposing offensive tackles and quarterbacks alike. With 17.5 sacks in only twelve games due to a suspension because of steroid use, Merriman was the most dominant pass rusher in 2006 and looks to replicate his previous season.

But things should be much more difficult for Merriman this season because of the almost certain increase in amount of double teams that he will face this year. But like other great defensive ends in the league – Dwight Freeney and Jason Taylor to name two – Merriman’s double teams should allow other defensive players to better rush the quarterback. Another pitfall that might hinder Merriman’s season is an aspect that has not received much attention this offseason, and that is the issues with his steroid use. We don’t know what he needed it for, for how long did Merriman use steroids, and hundreds of other things involving Merriman’s performance and his steroid use. That will be one of the most interesting things to watch with San Diego this year and something that I will particularly pay close attention to as the NFL season progress, and that is how will Merriman perform once he is off the juice.

Star to Watch – The most important player to the Chargers offense is – without a doubt – LaDainian Tomlinson, but the player that must be effective to keep opposing defenses honest against the run is quarterback Philip Rivers. Rivers was stellar last year after spending two years on the bench with a 92.0 quarterback rating and throwing for more than 3200 yards in his first season as starting quarterback, but the jury is still out on him. Many times last year – against Kansas City and Oakland in particular – Rivers looked incredibly shaky and was bailed out by the fantastic play on Tomlinson and his defense, and he will have to play consistently in 2007-08 for the Chargers to have any chance of reaching their ultimate goal.

Players to Watch – The San Diego linebacking core is relatively inexperienced after replacing Donnie Edwards and Randall Godfrey with the likes of first year starters Matt Wilhelm and Scott Cooper. Both Wilhelm and Cooper’s importance is magnified by having one of the best nose tackles in the game -Jamal Williams - keeping offensive lineman off both linebackers, freeing them to make tackles against opposing running backs. Other players to watch on the defensive side of the Chargers are in the secondary, where the Chargers will have to improve on their lackluster pass attack in order to win the Super Bowl. Especially watch the disappointing Quentin Jammer who the Chargers are still waiting to fulfill his top five selection potential, and rookie starting safety Eric Weddle who – as all reports from San Diego training camp are saying – has played extraordinarily well early on.

What I expect to see from the San Diego Chargers:

- LaDainian Tomlinson will not have the same success as last season. Partly because teams will focus more on stopping the run and also because the Chargers want to use Michael Turner much more often to save Tomlinson for the playoffs.

- Philip Rivers will step up and have a stellar season throwing to the unstoppable Antonio Gates and emerging wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who should have a breakout this season, and this time Rivers will lead the Chargers out of the first round of the playoffs.

- The San Diego offensive line will be excellent both run and pass blocking - as it was all of last year - lead by stud guard Mike Goff and, what should have been the offensive rookie of the year last year, Marcus McNeil.

- The San Diego three defensive lineman – Williams, Igor Olshansky, and Luis Castillo will be the best three defensive lineman against the run this year, and Castillo will see his sacks rise to above ten (an astronomical number for a 3-4 defensive end).

- The San Diego linebackers and secondary will be very inconsistent at the beginning of the season, but will eventually settle down into above average groups. Merriman and Shaun Philips will be great at the outside linebacker positions rushing the passer, but the aforementioned Cooper and Wilhelm will struggle at times this year in coverage and against the run. The San Diego secondary will face a lot of pressure this year due to the aggressive nature of the Charger’s defense with a lot of the cornerbacks and safety’s time spent in man to man press coverage.

How the San Diego Chargers will fare in 2007-08:
The Chargers will finish 12-4 to 13-3 in a pretty lousy division, and will reach the AFC conference championship beating either Baltimore or Indianapolis in their first game. But once the Chargers reach the conference championship the coaching of Norv Turner and his staff will kill the team’s chances, and Turner will somehow – whether it be poor play calling or bad time management - be the one that prevents the Chargers from reaching and winning the 2008 Super Bowl in Arizona.

Countdown - 2nd seed in the NFC

New Orleans Saints – (2006 record – 10-6), projected 2007 record – 12-4



Following a great 2006 season that saw the New Orleans Saints helped lift the spirits of a city that was - and still is - in disarray. Much like last season, the city of New Orleans will look to the Saints to once again lift their spirits, a feet that will be dependant on an offense lead by Drew Brees.

But Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees and the passing game will not be the only means by which the Saints will win games in 2007-08. With versatile Reggie Bush again teamed with bruising running back Deuce McAllister, the Saints will be able to beat teams both on the ground and through the air. The big key to last season was McAllister staying healthy to carry much of the running load between the tackles, allowing Reggie Bush to move around and expose favorable matchups like he did at USC. The Saints hope - with McAllister and Bush both in decent health - to repeat the very same use of their running backs that head coach Sean Payton used in 2006.

Another reason why the Saints were successful in 2006 season - along with Brees and the rushing attack = was the emergence of rookie wide receiver Maques Colston. Colston’s breakout was especially important when the Saints’ former number one receiver, Joe Horn, missed the last half of the season. With Horn now an Atlanta Falcon, Colston will need to once again step up and perform like he did in 2006. While this will be a big challenge for the second year Colston, he does indeed have help. Explosive wide receiver Devery Henderson, rookie first round pick Robert Meachem, and offseason signee David Patten will provide quarterback Drew Brees many options while passing behind one of the best offensive lines in the league.

While the New Orleans’ offense seems to be a lock as one of the best in the league, their defense is another story. While the New Orleans front four – especially defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant – continue to challenge for Pro Bowl spots each year, it is the back seven – especially the secondary - that will hinder the Saints this season.

The aging Mike McKenzie headlines a New Orleans secondary that has tried to improve over the offseason by signing former Colts cornerback Jason David. David is a significant upgrade over aging cornerback Fred Thomas, but will not prove to be enough to change the play of a secondary that was near the bottom of the league against the pass last year. A big reason behind the Saints’ horrendous secondary play last year was Thomas, but equally bad were safeties Jay Bellamy – now relegated to a backup role – and Josh Bullocks – current starting free safety for the Saints. New starting strong safety – taking over for Jay Bellamy – is Roman Harper, who is coming back from a torn ACL last year. I personally don’t think that signing Jason David and adding inexperienced Roman Harper to the starting lineup will not make that significant of a difference this year for the Saints, and this is why I think the New Orleans defense will not play well enough for the Saints to reach the Super Bowl.

Star to Watch – While Reggie Bush gets most of the attention from the media; Deuce McAllister is as just as important to the Saints. McAllister, a bruising 232 pound running back, will need to stay healthy this year – something he has not been able to accomplish in the past - to keep the Saints offense balanced and effective. Without McAllister, Reggie Bush would be forced to run the ball much more between the tackles - where he was terrible last year - and this will damage the effectiveness of the Saints passing and rushing attacks. To say it bluntly: If Deuce McAllister gets injured or is relatively ineffective, the Saints will not surpass an overall record of 8-8. He is that important, and one of the most underrated players in the league.

Player to Watch – As was previously mentioned, the loss of Joe Horn should not be that significant of a blow to the Saints because they have a bevy of talented, young (except David Patten) receivers at their disposal. The fastest and most explosive of the Saints’ receiving core is fourth year wideout Devery Henderson. Henderson had been very disappointing before last season with just three touchdowns and under 300 yards in his first three seasons. And while 745 receiving yards in 2006 isn’t that impressive, the fact that Henderson had only 32 catches for 745 yards last year is quite impressive. Look for Henderson’s 23.3 yards per catch average to decrease substantially this year, because his yards and amount of catches will increase a great deal with a bigger role in the Saints’ offense. Also watch: Linebacking core Brian Simmons, Scott Fujita, and Scott Shanle will all three need to do a good job supporting against the run, and assisting the secondary against the opposing team’s passing attack.

What I expect to see from the Saints in 2007-08:

- Drew Brees will be just about as good as last year, and will be the starter for the NFC in the Pro Bowl just edging out Donovan McNabb.

- Reggie Bush will be excellent next season out of the backfield, catching punts, running pass routes, and serving gumbo in the parking lot before the game if he wants. On a related note: There are two words that will force Texans fans to jump ship in five years when Reggie Bush is the best running back in football: Mario Williams.

- Marques Colston will be a disappointment this year, not coming close to duplicating his 2006 season, but Devery Henderson will pick up the slack. Henderson will be phenomenal, and will prove – more than Colston – that the Saints were justified in cutting aging Joe Horn loose.

- The Saints defense will quite bad, and the dreadlocked Mike McKenzie will show his age when becoming used to chasing after opposing wide receivers streaking towards the end zone after McKenzie realizes that he may have lost a step or two over the offseason.

- One bright spot though, in the defense, will be both Charles Grant and Will Smith. Both will mirror the performance of Freeney and Mathis in Indy and challenge for a spot in the Pro Bowl.

- The last game of the year will be meaningless because both teams – the Bears and the Saints - will have their playoff seeds locked up. But the Saints and the Bears will play a very meaningful game in the conference finals, at Soldier Field, with the Bears once again proving that defense wins championships (or, at least, gets you to the Super Bowl).

- Finally, the city of New Orleans will still be in disarray after the season, and while the Saints will serve as a three hour diversion each week, the harsh reality of the situation will be summed up in one simple question by the survivors of the awful events of hurricane Katrina in 2005. That question: How is America considered the best country in the world when New Orleans still looks like this more than two years after Hurricane Katrina?

How the New Orleans Saints will fare in 2007-08 – Quite frankly, the New Orleans Saint’s division is terrible with Atlanta, Carolina, and Tampa Bay all sub 500 teams. In my opinion, the Saints should easily win at least five, if not six games in their division. Out of their additional ten games, I see the Saints winning an additional six (not opening night against Indy though) for a projected record of 12-4 and the second seed in the NFC’s playoffs. I believe that even though they have the potential to reach and win the Super Bowl, the Saints will lose to the Bears in the playoffs and their season will be considered a disappointment by their fans, unlike 2006.

Countdown - 3rd seed in the AFC

Baltimore Ravens – (2006 record = 13-3) – Projected 2007 record = 13-3



Every year their offense hears the same thing. “The Baltimore Ravens will only go as far as their defense takes them,” but the offense hopes to close the gap between the two units. With veteran quarterback Steve McNair in his second year with Baltimore, his rapport with veteran wide out Derrick Mason and emerging star wide receiver Mark Clayton will be much improved. Baltimore has an abundance of weapons including Clayton and Mason – something that up until last year they did not have – and the two people that will benefit from the many weapons, in my opinion, of Baltimore is running back Willis McGahee and Todd Heap.

Newly signed running back McGahee – who has said that he is ecstatic to have gotten out of Buffalo – joins an excellent run blocking offensive line and a team with many University of Miami alums. McGahee, if he can stay healthy, should serve as a significant upgrade over aging running back Jamal Lewis. Lewis – at times last season – looked old and hindered the Baltimore offense a great deal. McGahee should serve as a much more explosive running back – if he can stay healthy – to complement quarterback Steve McNair and the fantastic Baltimore defense.

The other player that I expect to have a strong season in McNair’s second season is Baltimore tight end Todd Heap. One of the best at his position in the league, Heap consistently exploits mismatches against opposing secondaries and linebacking making him one of the few offensive players that Baltimore can count on. Where Heap also excels is blocking in the running game. I believe that Todd Heap will once again make the Pro Bowl this year with an even better year than the one previous, and he will be a big reason why the Baltimore Ravens will have a much improved pass offense.

Star to Watch – By watching the Baltimore Ravens’ starting defense, you can see eleven different stars, but three shine brighter than everyone else. Middle linebacker Ray Lewis is the unquestioned leader and the best linebacker of one of the two best defenses in the league. Lewis covers sideline to sideline better than most every middle linebacker and benefits a great deal from stud defensive tackles Haloti N’gata and Kelly Gregg keeping offensive lineman off Lewis so he can make plays in the middle of the defense. The second player that stands out is ball hawking safety Ed Reed. Reed seems to be around the ball at all times, seems to make 8-10 interceptions every season and makes at least 30 big plays on defense and on special teams each and every year – an astronomical number for a safety. With Reed and Lewis patrolling the middle of the field, both relegate the opposing offenses concentrate only on the outsides of the Ravens defense.

That is where the third star comes in. Chris McAlister is one of the two best cornerbacks in the league, and one of the most underrated players in the NFL. McAlister, like Bailey, has the ability to take an opposing wide receiver completely out of the game with his supreme size, strength, and speed. But because of the strength of the ten other players surrounding him, McAlister faces many more challenges than other cornerbacks equal to McAlister’s caliber. This can be seen with McAlister’s 22 passes defended and six interceptions last season, and while Lewis and Reed garner most of the headlines, McAlister continues to be one of the most important players to the success of the Ravens defense, and he is a big reason why the Ravens defense will once again be one of the leagues best this season.

Player to Watch – Linebacker Bart Scott is one of the brightest young players in the league. Examples of Scott’s brilliance and tenacity last year could be seen with his monster hit on Ben Roethlisberger and Scott’s fifteen tackle performance against San Diego last season. A six year veteran, Scott looks to build on last season’s success and aide Ray Lewis and the rest of the Ravens defense in their attempt to return to the Super Bowl. Also Watch – Mammoth offensive tackle Jonathon Ogden, who will have to play much better this year both run and pass block in order for the Ravens offense to reach their full potential.

What I expect from the Ravens:

- Mark Clayton will pick up the receiving slack for the ever declining Derrick Mason. Clayton will not challenge for a Pro Bowl slot because of the importance that offensive coordinator and head coach Brian Billick puts on pounding the football, but will have many clutch catches for the Ravens late in close games on the few occasions in which the Ravens are trailing.
Steve McNair will be adequate but Willis McGahee will be phenomenal this season for Baltimore.

- Baltimore will be one of – if not the – best defenses in the league. But their defensive excellence will not be enough to catapult the Ravens past New England in the AFC and into the Super Bowl.

- End Terrell Suggs will be great this season teaming up with Trevor Price to reek havoc on opposing tackles and quarterbacks. The defensive ends will team up with N’gata and Gregg to constantly demand double teams and keep opposing offensive linemen off of stud linebackers Bart Scott and Ray Lewis
- Finally, the Baltimore secondary with McAlister, Reed, Samari Rolle, and Dawan Landry will form the best secondary in the league. The safeties are hard hitting players with a great nose for the ball, and by teaming up with Rolle and McAlister – two of the best cover men in the league – they will make it quite difficult trying to pass against the 2007 Ravens.

How the Baltimore Ravens will fare in 2007-08: I see the Ravens replicating their 2006 season and finishing 13-3. And while the Ravens have the talent to make the Super Bowl, I do not think that they will unless the offense performs much better than they did in last year’s playoffs.

Big Ten in Big Trouble

What a great college football weekend. We saw what many people are considering the greatest upset of all time - something that the Boise State victory over Oklahoma last year - with Division II champions Youngstown State defeating Michigan in the Big House further proving the severe weakness of the Big 10.

Big Ten victorious teams Saturday: Ohio State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State, and Penn State.

Big Ten teams that lost Saturday: Illinois to Missouri, Michigan to Youngstown State, and Minnesota to Bowling Green.

The reason why the Big Ten struggles against out of conference teams - in my opinion - is because of one thing. Speed.

Here's a challenge - If you sit down on a saturday afternoon and watch the 11:00 a.m. ESPN game between two big ten opponents - say Ohio State and Minnesota for example - and then you watch the 2:30 p.m. CBS game between two SEC opponents - say LSU and Georgia - you'll see a great descrepancy in speed correlating to a much more entertaining, hard hitting, and faster brand of football in the CBS compared to the Big 10.

It's simple to try to figure out why the Pac 10 and SEC keep getting the best talent. The weather and the benefits of better competition.

If I'm an all state performer from the state of - for example - Florida, why would I ever consider leaving the Florida heat and go to a team like Michigan or Ohio State, where in the winter I would have to walk to each class (although at Ohio State you could get away with not going to class) in freezing temperatures, walk to the weight room to work out in freezing temperatures? It just doesn't make sense. The Big Ten will continue to lose elite players from the midwest because the allure of the warm weather and increasingly better football that the elite, warm weather schools have to offer will be too much to pass up.

That is why the Big Ten - and Notre Dame for that matter - is struggling recruiting the best players in the country. This is why Big Ten coaches are driving around in big SUVs, in the hope that both coasts become flooded due to global warming.

Countdown - 3rd seed in the NFC

Philadelphia Eagles – (2006 record = 10-6) – Projected Record – 11-5

It is well known that Philadelphia fans are very hard to win over. Even Santa wasn’t successful. But where Santa failed, Donovan McNabb succeed. At least initially. After hearing a chorus as he was drafted, McNabb played at a consistently high level winning over Eagles by leading the team to the conference championship in four straight years. But ever since the departure of Terrell Owens, McNabb has struggled mightily - not so much with his play - but with a string of devastating injuries that have hindered his almost sure fire path to the hall of fame.

McNabb was fine and then last year happened. He was once again in Pro Bowl form throwing to the likes of Donte Stallworth, Reggie Brown, LJ Smith, and Brian Westbrook, looking like McNabb might once again take the Eagles to their fifth NFC conference championship game in six years when McNabb rolls out and ruptures his ACL against Tennessee. This seemed like a huge blow at the time with the Eagles’ leader and best player out for the rest of the year. With Jeff Garcia taking over the reigns from McNabb, the Philadelphia Eagles seemed doomed.

But Garcia exceeded all expectations, and he lead the Eagles to the NFC East division title. Added to the division title, Garcia even won his first playoff game in Philadelphia. Suddenly, McNabb seemed expendable. Even though Garcia left in the offseason, McNabb once again had reason to feel uneasy in his role as the starting Philadelphia quarterback when Andy Reid drafted quarterback Kevin Kolb with Philadephia’s first overall pick.

Throughout the offseason Donovan McNabb has stated that he has felt extremely slighted this offseason, and this is why I expect McNabb to go out and have one of his best seasons to date. With weapons like Westbrook, Smith, Brown, emerging wide receiver Hank Baskett, and newly signed Kevin Curtis, McNabb has the tools at his expense. But the biggest challenge that he will face is simply staying healthy. I foresee McNabb having a huge season and backing up Drew Brees for the NFC in the Pro Bowl, and satisfying Eagles fans by leading the Eagles deep into the NFC playoffs.

Star to Watch – While most of the offseason focus has been placed on the Donovan McNabb saga, the Eagles most valuable player – and the player that deserves the most attention - is running back Brian Westbrook. Westbrook has made great strides in the past two years improving his running between the tackles – and while that is great - the thing that sets Westbrook apart is his pass catching ability. With 77 catches for a 9.1 yard average Westbrook led the team in receiving last year, giving linebackers fits all over the league. I expect great things from Westbrook this year with around the same amount of receptions but less wear and tear on his body with backup running back Correll Buckhalter finally healthy after a bevy of knee injuries taking more of the inside rushes for the Eagles.

Players to Watch – The Eagles have many big names on defense. Jevon Kearse, Brian Dawkins, new acquisition Takeo Spikes, and Lito Sheppard are all very important to the success of the defense. While the superstars on the Eagles are important, lesser known names such as Sean Considine and Broderick Bunckley will need to be extremely effective in order for the Eagles to have a successful 2007-08 campaign. Bunckley, the second-year former first round pick has – as has been reported from Philadelphia training camp – has been extremely impressive in the offseason and is taking on a space eating role similar to that of Tommie Harris and Vince Wilfork. I look for Bunckley to improve the Eagles’ defense against the rush, which will be especially important with the release of Jeremiah Trotter earlier in the preseason. The other player that will need to step into the starting lineup and perform well is strong safety Sean Considine. Considine will have many instances where he is up in the box to support the run, left in single coverage because of the aggressive blitzing nature of defensive coordinator Jim Johnston, and in regular pass coverage. Most safeties in the league do not excel in all three of these categories and only time will tell if Considine can be one of the rare exceptions. Both Bunckley and Considine will need to play up to the level of the Eagles star defensive players in order for the team’s defense to return to their solid form, and I think they will.

2007 Preview of the Philadelphia Eagles:

- Donovan McNabb will have a bounce back season and he will be great. Brian Westbrook will also be great this season and will be fresher in the playoffs this season compared to last. Along with these two players, the Eagles offensive line will be one of the three best in the NFC this year.

- Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown will prove to be one of the best cornerback tandems in the league this year, and will team with safeties Considine and Brian Dawkins to form one of the best secondary’s in the NFL.

- Takeo Spikes will play great, but the linebacking core will be very inconsistent against the run and against the pass with first time, full season linebackers Omar Gaither and Chris Gocong.

- Jevon Kearse will bounce back and have at least ten sacks this year.

- A breakout player in the Eagles offense will be Hank Baskett, who seems to fit in greatly with the type of receiver the Eagles like to utilize.

- Finally, Andy Reid will seriously consider leaving the Eagles to deal with the troubles of his sons who are having a very tough time staying sober. I think he will end up staying, but do not be surprised if Reid decides to put his family before his profession.

How the Philadelphia Eagles’ will fare in the 2007-08 season: In a talented but overrated division, the Eagles will be the best team in the NFC East and the third best team in the NFC. I see the Eagles losing to the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the playoffs, but they could easily beat the Saints and reach the Super Bowl if the defense plays well.

ME vs DI - Round 1

2007 College Football – Week 1 picks

Each week I will pick seven of the most talked about and most interesting games of the week on the college football schedule. I will pick the same games as the writers in the Daily Iowan pick.

Without further ado, here are my picks without much explanation.


Note: There are no point spreads


Iowa vs. NIU – in Chicago - My Pick: Iowa 31-NIU 17. I don’t know anything about NIU except for they are 0-9 against big ten opponents when they open their season against them. So - in my estimation -that’s good enough.

Georgia Tech at Notre Dame – My Pick: ND 35-GT 27. A tough pick to make considering the only player I know on either team is Tom Zybikowski. But I’ll go with superior coaching and the likes of Charlie Weis and Notre Dame.

Missouri vs. Illinois – in St Louis – My Pick: Mizzou 31-ILL 28. Ron Zook can’t coach. It’s that simple.

Florida State at. Clemson – My pick: FSU 31-Clemson 24. This is an extremely dangerous game for FSU who must start the season much better than they have in recent seasons. I believe they win the all important first game of the year by beating an extremely talented Clemson team. Also: Watch out for safety/linebacker hybrid Myron Rolle this season for FSU.

Tennessee at California – My Pick: Cal 42-Ten 14. I’ve heard that Volunteer quarterback Erik Ainge has a broken finger and Tennessee has a bunch of injured players? If that is the case, the 28 point margin should be increased.

Washington at Syracuse – Not applicable because the morons at ESPN have begun to overexpose college football by showing games every night of the week, including Friday nights. So I’ll pick a game equal to this one on Saturday, and that game is…

Colorado State at Colorado – My pick: CSU 24-CU 20. An absolute guess.

Oklahoma State at Georgia – My pick: Georgia 31-OK State 10 I forget the last game the Daily Iowan had and I threw the paper away, so I’m going to say that the paper had a close game like the Oklahoma State and Georgia game.

Note: I look forward to going against the Daily Iowan this year in the college picks, and I promise to actually get the games they pick into my blog in the Saturdays to come. Also expect pro football picks in the coming weeks with one on Wednesday for Indy vs. New Orleans, and then the rest of the NFL picks next Friday or Saturday depending on my work load with school and writing this. Also look for the completion of the NFL previews within the next two days. Also look for more baseball coverage – especially on the Cubs.

I’ve realized that for sports, the months of July and August are terrible. But thank God we are moving out of august and into September and October (the best sports month of the year).