Two and a Half Men Season Premiere

As you all know, Charlie Sheen was fired from the show last year and thus his character needed to be graciously written out of the show.

"His body just exploded like a balloon full of meat".

Ok , maybe not. His fiance Rose described Charlie's death in these elegant terms. After she caught him in the shower with another woman, he happened to slip on the train platform in Paris and was crushed by the oncoming train.

Coincidence?

Well, either way, it was time to move on and introduce the Charlie's replacement.

First John Stamos made a guest appearence as a potential buyer for the Harper home but left in a hurry when he realized it was Charlie's old house. Apparently the two had an affair themselves a few years back. Then, Dharma and Gregg (yes those old two lovers) stopped by and apparently their relationship has soured over the years.

Just as all hope was lost, Walden Schmidt (played by Ahston Kutcher) appeared to save the day. Walden had just attempted suicide in the ocean but backed away because the water was too cold.

Anyways, I won't bore you with the rest of the plot but let's just leave it that Walden agrees to buy the home and let Alan stay.

The story did seem a little bit odd, but perhaps it is a little difficult to address the situation that played out in reality. If anything, I'm sure the show will rebound and be just as funny as ever.

Ashton Kutcher was ok, but nothin special. I though his voice sounded a little funny and he almost seemed nervous to be on the set. I don't know if that was just what the character was supposed to be, but Ashton is a pretty decent actor and should bring a lot of life to the show in the long run. I hope I'm correct.

As usual, Jon Cryer was hillarious and he should be able to carry the show himself for a little while. There are certainly plenty of plotlines that could revolve solely around him. I'd also like to see Ryan Stiles see a little more screentime. He was very funny in the "Drew Carey Show" a few years bacl and his deadpan delivery is always with perfect timing.

All in all though it paved the way for what will hopefully be another good season for Two and a Half Men. As long as the writers do what they do best, they'll be fine.

See you all next monday at 9 PM eastern time!


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Rivera gets 602 Save

Well, it's official now; Mariano Rivera is the best closer in the history of baseball. With all respects to Trevor Hoffman, his only claim to fame was the saves record that he had held up until about 2 hours ago.

The story of Rivera goes back to the mid 90s when supposedly he was having a catch in the outfield and discovered his famous "cutter" that proved to be devastating to left handed hitters. The hard movement to the left side of the plate (into lefties and away from righties) was too difficult for anybody to hit even when they knew it was coming.

Of course, the road to immortality has not been without some bumps. I remember when I was 7 years old and he gave up a home run to Sandy Alomar JR to lose the ALDS to the Cleveland Indians. Then there was the blooper to Luis Gonzalez in the bottom of 9th inning in game 7 of the 2001 World Series. That one was heart braking. Then there is the 2004 ALCS and the epic collapse to the Red Sox.

Obviously, nobody is without fault but Rivera's accomplishments far out number those rare failures. He single-handedly secured 602 wins for the Yankees over the last 16 years. I think that is the most important part of Rivera; "single-handedly". With any starter, he must rely upon his offense to generate at least a couple runs for him to win a game. Even the defense could falter and give up runs on errors. No pitcher will strike out all 27 batters in a game and win the game all by himself.

But over the years we've seen Rivera come in to a one-run game and strike out the side. Mettalica's "Enter Sandman" would blast into Yankee Stadium and fans watching at home and at the game knew the Yankees had already won. The Yankees had 27 outs to win, everyone else had only 24. Over time, his aura grew and grew and opposing players would feebly swing at pitches without hope of getting a hit. And of course, Rivera would keep throwing that cutter; again and again without trickery and the batters just couldn't hit it.

And he's done that 602 times.

Congratulations Mariano, you are now one of the greatest.

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BCS Rankings Week 3

1. Oklahoma

2. LSU

3. Alabama

4. Stanford

5. Boise State

6. Wisconsin

7. Oklahoma State

8. Nebraska

9. Texas A&M

10. Oregon

11. Florida State

12. Virginia Tech

13. South Carolina

14. Florida

15. Arkansas

16. Texas

17. Baylor

18. South Florida

19. West Virginia

20. Clemson

21. TCU

22. Michigan

23. Illinois

24. Gerogia Tech

25. USC

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Monday Night Football: Rams @ Giants

Sam Bradford is in but Steven Jackson is out.

That does not bode well for the Rams. Without an adequate running game, the Rams are toast tonight. The major problem for the Giants last week against the Redskins was their confusion over pass vs run. If they know that they can stop the run they'll confuse Bradford with blitzing and coverage schemes.

Justin Tuck should play tonight as well which will be a big help to an injured Giant defense. They played pretty poor down the stretch last week, but I would guess that Tom Coughlin has really drilled them on the fundamentals this week and they won't commit any stupid penalties.

If the Giants do lose this game, their season could very well end. They have a terribly hard schedule and still need to play potential playoff teams like the Eagles and Cowboys twice, plus the Jets, Patriots and even the Bills. They need to bounce back and get to 1-1.

Next week they play in Philadelphia but Michael Vick may not play. That would be a huge break for this Giant team and a chance to bounce back from an awful start in Washington to a 2-1 lead in the NFC East.

Anyways, the pick for tonight is

St. Louis Rams - 17

New York Giants - 27

Officially that means the Giants will cover the spread but don't take my word on this one. Just sit back and enjoy the game tonight. Save your money for next week.

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Live Blogging: Jets vs Jaguars

1:31 PM: So far so good for the Jets, I'm going to have some lunch but I'll see you all back here a lil later.

1:23 PM: Jets defense holds and a very very good tackle from Kyle Wilson.

1:20 PM: Ugly looking throw from Sanchez and a pretty good play by the Jaguar defender. Middleton gets the interception and the Jets go back on defense.

1:15 PM: Safety!!! That is what happens when the Jets pin you back in your own end zone. Congrats Wilkerson on the big play. The rookie has something to smile about. And do it on only a three man rush is all the better.

1:12 PM: Great kickoff coverage from the Jets. Mike Westoff is the most underrated coach in football. His special teams are always ready to go and make the rest of the game easier for both the Jets offense and defense.

1:07 PM: That was an absolutely great catch from Santonio Holmes. I guess his injury problems are gone because he got up there and made a terrific play. Good job from Sanchez on this drive as well. He threw for 60 yards while the running game spurted.

1:07 PM: Touchdown Santonio Holmes!!!!

1:06 PM: Pretty play to Keller. Excellent job with the play action and a beautiful pass from Sanchez.

1:05: Nice play to Tomlinson and a good quick pass from Sanchez!

1:03: Cromartie has kind of slowed down as a corner-back but he is still electric as a kick returner!!

1:00 PM: Ok, 5 minutes to go. Let me know what you think but I'm guessing that the Jets will cruise to a victory this afternoon.

12:55 PM: It is about 10 minutes before Kickoff and we'll be live blogging through most of the game. Stay tuned...


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Week 2 NFL Picks

Let's do a short recap of Week 1. I finished 8-8 which isn't bad but not particularly good either. Then again, I ran out of time and just quickly made some quick picks because I had to write an essay and didn't have time to analyze all the games.

This week, I will do much better. Actually on my ESPN Pick'em account (with the spread) I went 10-6 so I guess I must have mixed up my picks here and there. In general though I went 12-4 straight up which is pretty solid.

Chicago Bears @ New Orleans Saints

Spread: New Orleans -7

Last week, Jay Cutler showed why he should still be considered a top QB in this league and so did Drew Brees. They each had over 300 yd passing and over a 105 QB rating. That sounds good to me.

But I think the edge has to go to the Bears' Defense. Brian Urlacher was the best player on the field last sunday against Atlanta; better than Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Jay Cutler, and even Devin Hester. Brees is going to have to stare him down on every play this coming sunday and I doubt he will be able to put up the passing yards that we saw him throw for against the Packers.

The Saints have a decent defense of their own and should prevent Cutler from launching the ball over the field like he did against the Falcons. The Saints are also a little bit smarter on offense and won't give up as many turnovers as the Falcons did.

I like the Bears to cover this rather large spread; especially considering the fact the Bears were in the NFC Championship last season and they have more or less the same team this year. 7 points is far too many. I don't think they'll win, but it'll be a close game.

UPDATE: Sadly, Brian Urlacher has had to deal with familial issues and may not be able to play on sunday. Hopefully, all is well with his family. In terms of the game, I still feel confident the Bears will cover

Decision Time: Saints 24- Bears 20

Spread: Chicago Bears +7

Pick'em: New Orleans Saints

Kansas City Chiefs @ Detroit Lions

Spread: Detroit -9

When was the last time the Lions were favorites by this much?? I don't know, but I have to assume it has been a very very long time.

The Lions played pretty well last week and Mathew Stafford showed that he belongs in the NFL. The Lions have looked lost for the last decade, but it is amazing how quickly a team can turn it around. With Stafford under center and Ndamokung Suh facing off against the opposing center, the Lions look poised to become a serious team this year and a serious contender next year.

In terms of this game though, the Lions should be able to throw all over this

weakened Chiefs defense. If the Bills can do what they did last week, expect the Lions to put up at least 24 points in this game as well.

From the Kansas City perspective, it doesn't look good for them this game and probably this season. I think last year most teams didn't realize what the Chiefs had but they are not going to catch anybody by surprise this season. The Bills showed that last week as they obliterated them on both offense and defense. Matt Cassel will play better than he did last week, but not good enough to overcome their defensive shortcoming.

Decision Time: Chiefs 17 - Lions 24

Spread: Kansas City Chiefs +9

Pick'em: Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Jets

Spread: Jets -9

The Jets have a very very good defense. The Jaguars do not have such a good offense. This seems to spell trouble for the Jaguars on the offensive side of the ball. But, they do have a great weapon in Maurice Jones Drew so the should score at least a couple TDs.

Mark Sanchez has really come into his own and is developing into a very decent QB. Not a great one, but somebody who can and will win ball games. I don't know if they can score points yet though. Last week it took a wild 4th quarter to win the game, otherwise the Jets probably wouldn't have scored more than 14 points.

I'm not too confident that the Jets will cover but I'm going to take them to win by 10 and just squeak by.

Decision Time: Jets 24 - Jaguars 14

Spread: New York Jets -10

Pick'em: New York Jets

Oakland Raiders @ Buffalo Bills

Spread: Bills -3 1/2

These are probably the two most underrated teams in the NFL.

The Bills played excellent games towards the end of the season last year and obliterated the Chiefs in their own building last week. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a good smart QB who generally makes the right decisions. With a rebuilt defense and wild-card Brad Smith, they will upset quite a few good teams this year.

The Raiders are finally the tough team that Al Davis has been trying to build since his team lost in the Super Bowl a decade ago. Darren McFadden is not the same electric player he was in College but he has finally figured out how to barrel over defensive players. Jason Campbell didn't look amazing last week, but he avoided any costly turnovers.

Decision Time: Bills 20 - Raiders 17

Spread: Oakland Raiders + 3 1/2

Pick'em: Buffalo Bills

Arizona Cardinals @ Washington Redskins

Spread: Washington -4 1/2

I know the Redskins played pretty well last week, but I am still concerned about them. They were pretty terrible last year and if it wasn't for a fluke pick-6 to begin the second half they very easily could have lost that game. In addition, I still blame very very poor defensive play on the part of the Giants rather then giving all the credit to the Redksin's offense. I forgot which defensive back did this but the Redskins were stopped on that final TD drive when one Giant DB had an unnecessary roughness call. If he doesn't do that, the Giants have another shot to win the game and maybe we aren't giving so much credit to the Redskins.

Either way though, let's talk about the upcoming Washington-Arizona game.

Rex Grossman played pretty well last week, but you never know with him. The Cardinals do not have such a great defense though, so he should be relatively safe from the blitz. If he has time in the pocked he will make the Cardinals pay. But, if they can put pressure on him then he will make some very costly errors. Tim Hightower should alleviate some of that pressure and could be the bigger factor than Grossman in this game. If you're looking for a Fantasy edge, definitely get Hightower into your lineup this week. He'll probably get at least one score and go over 100 yards.

On the Cardinals side of the ball; they have one of the more potent passing games in the NFL this year. Kevin Kolb finally has his chance to play consistenly, and Larry Fitzgerald once again has a good QB. The two of them will continue to make each other look good each week. Their offense was the reason they won last week and I think it'll be the reason again. Beanie Wells is good at running back but he'll need to play better than Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw did for the Giants last week against the Redskins for the Cardinals to win this game.

Decision Time: Cardinals 24 - Redskins 20

Spread: Arizona Cardinals +4 1/2

Pick'em: Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens @ Tennessee Titans

Spread: Baltimore -6

Anybody else watch the Raven's game last week? I think if I remember correctly they crushed the Steelers who if I also remember correctly were in the Super Bowl last year. I konw the Steelers are probably not going to be nearly as good this year as they have been, but I believe it was more the Ravens defense then it was the Steelers' offensive ineptitude.

Now that we've established that, let's talk about this upcoming game. Clearly the Ravens are the more physical team. They have a better running game and defense and although Matt Hasselbeck was once an elite QB he is not anymore. Joe Flacco will be the best QB on the field come sunday.

So why is this spread only 6 points? I have absolutely no idea. I guess it's possible that the Titans establish Chris Johnson early and then Hasselbeck can air it out wit his arm but I just don't see that happening. Chris Johnson didn't do much last year and I think that he, like many running backs before him, had that one great year and will never be able to repeat it.

I guess the Titans will be in this game for a while, but you gotta figure the Ravens win this one easily.

Decision Time: Ravens 27 - Titans 13

Spread: Baltimore Ravens -6

Pick'em: Baltimore Ravens

Seattle Seahwaks @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Spread: Pittsburgh -15

Umm, this is a very very big spread for an early season game. But, the Seahawks did not look good last year, and many people had the Steelers repeating in the Super Bowl this year. But, I think Seattle will give Pittsburgh some problems.

First of all, Seattle is a young team with lots of speed while the Steelers are aging group of veterans who have looked awfully slow last week.

I'm not going to spend much time talking about this because I think the Steelers will win this game. I'm not sure about the spread but if i had to I would take the Seahawks.

Decision Time: Steelers 27 - Seahawks 14

Spread: Seattle Seahawks +15

Pick'em: Pittsburgh Steelers

Green Bay Packers @ Carolina Panthers

Spread: Green Bay -10 1/2

I feel like I'm repeating myself here with the Steeler-Seahawk game.

The Packers are going to win this game, it's just a question of by how much.

Well last week Cam Newton and the Panthers played a pretty weak defensive team in Arizona, scored by 21 and lost by 7 points. Green Bay's offense and defense are each far and away better than Arizonas so you'd expect Green Bay to win by at least 7.

And that is what's going to happen.

Decision Time: Packers 31 - Panthers 13

Spread: Green Bay Packers -10 1/2

Pick'em: Green Bay Packers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Minnesota Vikings

Spread: Minnesota -3

I find it a little odd that Minnesota is favored in this game, considering the fact that Donovan McNabb threw for all of 39 yards last week. They did hang tight against a good San Diego team, but if it weren't for an early Percy Harvin KR TD it would have been a blowout.

Tampa Bay did lose to Detroit, but they played a pretty decent game. Josh Freeman should bounce back against Minnesota's weaker defense and throw for a couple TDs. LeGarrette Blount was complaining after last week that he should get the ball a little more. He only had 5 carries last week. He is absolutely right. If Tampa Bay can establish the running game early, they should cruise into a victory.

Decision Time: Buccaneers 17 - Vikings 10

Spread: Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3

Pick'em: Tampa Bay

Cleveland Browns @ Indianapolis Colts

Spread: Cleveland -2

If this game were played last year or any other of the last 10 years, Indianapolis would probably be a 10 point favorite. So much has changed though. The Colts looked awful last week against Houston and I don't know if they can survive with Peyton Manning on the field. Their defense looked weak, their offense looked bleak and they barely even mounted a squeak last week.

The Browns were upset last week and looked a little out of place against Cincinnati. Everybody kind of assumed the Bengals were going to be terrible and I don't think the Browns really knew what to expect.

This week should be different. Both teams now know what they have and both teams know that they have to win. I do see the Colts pulling the upset though because of two reasons.

1. If they don't win this game their season is over and they know that. Kerry Collins should be a little more comfortable than last week and will play better.

2. This game is in Indianapolis. I know it may sound a little silly, but the home field advantage is going to make all the difference.

Decision Time: Colts 24 - Browns 20

Spread: Indianapolis Colts +2

Pick'em: Indianapolis Colts

Dallas Cowboys @ San Francisco 49ers

Spread: Dallas -3

Decision Time:

Houston Texans @ Miami Dolphins

Spread: Texans -3

Decision Time:

San Diego Chargers @ New England Patriots

Spread: Patriots -7

Decision Time:

Cincinnati Bengals @ Denver Broncos

Spread: Broncos -3 1/2

Decision Time:

Philadelphia Eagles @ Atlanta Falcons

Spread: Philadelphia -3

Decision Time:

St. Louis Rams @ New York Giants

Spread:

Decision Time

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C.J. Sapong Raps for Hope Solo

This is one of the great clips between a kid who meets his celebrity crush.

Now that you have all watched this and laughed and remembered how awkward you act around your crush I want you to all watch it again.

The best part of this clip is the kiss at the end which makes our good buddy C.J. fall to the ground.

I'm sure you all know how one awesome moment like this can make your day.

I'm borrowing a quote from Yahoo here but...

And that's how C.J. Sapong won Thursday September 15 2011.

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Sarah Palin Revelations

This story is getting more and more epic by the day and if any of you want to know why Sarah Palin has not declared that she will run for President, this is probably why.

Apparently Governor Palin has had a number of affairs over the years, smoked pot, and snorted coacaine with and without her husband Todd. Not like that makes it any better.

Guess what though, no Democrat really cares if she did pot (so have pretty much everybody else) and I doubt and Democrat cares that she's been doing some of the harder stuff too. As long as she didn't do it while she was in public office, it shouldnt really be a big deal either.

On a similar note, plenty of male politicans have had affairs including last Republican nominee John McCain (although that was 30 years ago) and current candidate Newt Gingrich. Of course, neither of those two seduced an NBA player (good for you Glen Rice!!), but I don't think that should really matter.

But, the problem for Palin is that in-order to win the Republican nomination, her constituents will care about all these issues. She made religion and family values an issue during the Presidential campaign a couple years ago but now that is blowing up in her face now. I''m sorry, normally it shouldn't be an issue but when you don't act as you speak, it is going to blow up in your face.

So the only way that Palin actually runs for President now is if she somehow can deny all these claims and prove they are wrong... OR if she runs as in independant/Tea Party which is what I have been saying for a long time.

The only problem is that if she runs as an independant she has little to no chance of actually winning, but she scould garner maybe 10-15% of the vote. I think she really wants to see President Obama lose though and most of the 10% would probably be stolen from the Republican candidate.

But hey you never know...

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Novak Djokovic (and his girlfriend Jelena Ristic)

Djokovic had an unbelievable season this past year.

He went 64-2 and won 3 grand slams this past season.

I am not a real big Tennis aficionado but I do enjoy watching a match here or there, especially the grand-slam finals. So, just watching those couple matches it is clear that Djokovic is going to very quickly overtake Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer for the #1 player in tennis.

But will he overtake Andy Roddick for most attractive girlfriend/wife in Tennis. As most of you probably know, Roddick is married to Sports Illustrated model Brooklyn Decker who is extremely beautiful in her own right.

Anyways, here's the pick of Djokovic's girlfriend

She kind of looks a little like Minka Kelly....

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New York Mets VS MLB

I didn't comment on this when the story first came up because I thought it was an interesting story but too emotional to write a story about.

But MLB, which is quickly becoming my least favorite of all the governing sports groups, has once again completely screwed up. As I'm sure you all know they did not allow the New York Mets (or anybody else) to wear 9/11 related clothing on their nationally televised game on sunday.

This is certainly one of the most biggest slaps in the face against a team, and a terrible terrible mistake on the part of MLB. For those of you who live in places not New York you do not truly understand what the 9/11 attacks for our way of life within this city. There are police officers everywhere and all the time. There are metal detectors in nearly every major building in the city.

I remember crossing the George Washington Bridge in the mid 2000s on my way to school; this about 5 years after those attacks. Every day there were members of the army (or maybe the National Guard) standing with machine guns, randomly searching trucks and even some cars.

Which brings me back to baseball. The Yankees were on the West Coast at the time, which meant the Mets were the only local baseball team to play in NYC on the ten year anniversary of 9/11. They should have had every right to wear whatever they wanted to show their pride for the Firefighters, Police Officers, who rescued people on that and even more so for those who gave their lives to save others.

For some reason it's ok to wear "Los Mets" or uniforms from the 60s (and it should be ok, I find those jerseys exciting and I wish they would do it in more languages), but not to dedicate the day to the heroes of 9/11. That is not just misguided, it's flat out wrong.

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MNF: Patriots @ Dolphins Live Blogging

8:16 PM: Once this game gets out of hand I'll probably flip over to the debate. Anybody want me to live blog about that??

8:13 PM: For those of you curious, the Patriots are now 11 1/2 pt favorites and are -800 to win straight up. The bettors seem pretty confident that the Patriots will win this game. I however, will stay on the sidelines. And remember, only gamble when legal and when you do please do responsibly.

8:11 PM: These guys do everything right. Even that punt was amazing.

8:10 PM: Woh, an incomplete pass. That hasn't happened much this game. For Brady or Henne.

8:07 PM: I think I just saw Brady making a sandwich back there with all that time on that pass to Welker. Unbelievable.

8:06 PM: Sorry guys, I went to go eat some dinner. Is it just me or are the Patriots unstoppable!! I'm a Jets fan and it is really a pleasure to watch these guys. It's like a ballet on grass.

7:24 PM: Holy smokes, what a cacth by Anthony Fasano!!

7:23 PM: Offsetting Penalties negate a Dolphin Turnover.

7:21 PM: Nope, never mind. Dolphins convert on 4th and 1. Their drive continues.

7:19 PM: Ummm, where is the Patriot defense? Last time I checked they were supposed to be on the field... At least they stopped them for the FG.

7:11 PM: This is pretty cool, Hank Williams live. His performance is always pretty cool but I think it's the hot women in his jingle that the people really love. To have the Miami Dolphins Cheer Squad behind him will certainly add a nice touch to his program.

7:08 PM: Wow, that was a not so good National Anthem. I really don't like it when people try to overdue the Anthem. Maybe somebody someday will realize this. Lady Antebellum last night may have been a little quirky with the three of them doing it together. But at least they sang it like a song. Lady Antebellum A-. Fergie gets a D+.

7:05 PM: I thought this game was supposed to start at 7? Something is a little late here. Plus, why does Fergie's here have to look so platinum blonde? It looks a little odd...

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New England @ Miami

I gotta be honest with you, this game is probably not going to be very close.

But, I thought the Titans, Buccaneers, and Giants were all going to win as well.

Right now the Patriots are 7 1/2 point favorites and are going up. They started the week at 5 1/2 so clearly most people believe that Patriots are not only going to win; but dominate.

So let's do a little analyzing before I refine my official prediction.

The Dolphins went 3-1 in the Pre-Season while the Patriots only went 2-2. However, the Patriots scored more points (105-78) but also gave up more points (78-53). So basically, this doesn't tell us anything because as well all know the pre-season doesn't really mean anything anyways.

So, I'm going to go with gut instinct on this one. New England is the far better team and they will win this game. Lock-it-up!!!

With the spread though, things are not as clear. New England should win this game by 7 points, but nothing is ever guaranteed. I do feel pretty confident on this one, and I expect New England to win by 10-14 points.

New England 27

Miami 14

By the way, last season New England won both games against Miami; 41-14 and 38-7.

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Giant Debacle!!

It truly pains me to write this because I do think Eli Manning is a good QB and an all around great guy.

But sadly, the Giants looked pathetic today and did not even muster on point in the second half. After that deep 68 yard bomb to Hakeem Nix early in the first quarter, the Giants offense barely had another big play the rest of the game. Brandon Jacobs barreled down the Redskins, who looked scared when he showed up on the field, and yet I don't think I saw him once in the second half.

The defense was ok, but let a pretty awful Redskins offense score 28 points off them; including a crucial late TD at the end of the first half. They only forced one turnover (which the offense turned into a 3 play 9 yard blocked FG) and imploded in the 4th quarter. The unnecessary roughness call midway through the 4th sealed the deal even before Rex Grossman stormed down the field for the crushing TD.

So what does this mean for the rest of the Giants season. Nothing good. With many people picking the Eagle to be one of the best teams in the league the Giants need all the wins they can get. Especially if Dallas gets their act together and wins some big games.

So, it's only Week 1. Heck, even New Orleans lost.

But if Week 1 turns into Week 4 and we're still having this conversation, it might be lights out early for the Giants this year.

I sure hope Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora are healthy for next week...

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Divisional Races Get Closer

Don't look now but Tampa Bay is storming back. They are only 6.5 games behind Boston and although there are fewer then 20 games left in the season; 7 of those are between these two teams.

It would take an epic comeback for Tampa but don't count them out just yet.

A 3 game sweep this weekend would put them right back in the thick of things and could create a very close race in the Wild Card over these final 2 weeks.

On a similar note the Angels are only 2.5 back of the Texas Rangers and they play each other 6 more times as well; including the final three games of the season.

With any luck, the end of September will be exciting after all.

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Peyton Manning out Two or Three Months

Yahoo New is reporting that Manning will be out for 2-3 months after undergoing another neck surgery.

First of all, we hope Peyton feels better and has a speedy recovery. After all the recent discussions of delibilitatin football injuries his health is the most important thing.

This is not good news for fans of the Colts and fans of the NFL.

Basically, this means that the Colts have fallen to the at best the middle of the pack and are once again beatable. Last year, they barely squeaked into the playoffs and only finished 10-6.


Kerry Collins will in all likelihood start in his replacement and while he should be decent, he can in no way replace Manning. If they can tread water though and go 4-4 or 5-5 while Manning is out then they might still have a chance. Remember, The Colts were only 6-6 going into December last year when they rattled off 4 consecutive wins to steal the division from the Jaguars and once again cruise into the playoffs.

But, I'm assuming that while they may be a competitive team, the Colts will probably be at best 4-6 in his absence, which all but seals the deal for their elimination from this season's playoffs and Super Bowl

So let's talk about what this means for the AFC South and the rest of the NFL.

This leaves the AFC South completely wide open, with now that Jaguars and Colts missing the starting QBs from last season. The Texans should be decent but there is that little voice inside me that says they won't be able to do it. Every year all the pundits say the same thing- "It's the Texans YEAR!!!"- and it never seems to be. The absence of Manning certainly gives them more hope than ever before, but it doesn't guarentee that they will win all the other necessary games to get to those 10 wins that is necessary to win the division and make the playoffs.

So, I think that we will actually see the Titans win this division. I think last week they were 10-1 to win the AFC South, but with Matt Hasselbeck and a healthy Chris Johnson there is no reason they shouldn't be the favorite.

We'll keep you posted.

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BCS Rankings

Here are my BCS Rankings after week 1 of the College Football Season:

1. LSU 1-0

2. Oklahoma 1-0

3. Boise ST 1-0

4. Alabama 1-0

5. Florida ST 1-0

6. Stanford 1-0

7. Texas A&M 1-0

8. Wisconsin 1-0

9. Virginia Tech 1-0

10. South Carolina 1-0

11. Oklahoma ST 1-0

12. Nebraska 1-0

13. Oregon 1-0 (They may be good, but they're not in the Title mix with the undefeated teams.)

14. Arkansas 1-0

15. Ohio ST 1-0

16. Mississippi ST 1-0

17. Michigan ST 1-0

18. West Virginia 1-0

19. Florida 1-0

20. Missouri 1-0

21. South Florida 1-0

22. Penn ST 1-0

23. Baylor 1-0

24. Texas 1-0

25. Rutgers 1-0

Thanks

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NFL Season Opener: Saints @ Packers

New Orleans Saints @ Green Bay Packers

Spread: Packers -4

To put it simply, these are two of the top 5 offenses in the NFL and this game should be a back and forth touchdown bonanza. A great way to start off the season with fireworks and touchdowns galore.

For more information check out Tuesday's Post.

Winning Team: Packers

With the Spread: Saints +4

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Stephen Strasburg Returns Today

A little over a year after Stephen Strasburg went under the knife for the infamous "Tommy John Surgery", he returns to the mound in Washington to re-convene the media frenzy.

Last year, Strasburg lived up to the hype and had a sub 3.oo ERA in his 12 starts with about 1.5 strikeouts every inning (on average; obviously you can't strike out half a person in an inning).

This kid is exactly what baseball needed last year and exactly what they will need for the next couple of years. With the end of the ridiculous HRs we saw during the steroid era, it's time that we see the return of dominant pitching.

But it will take more than just good pitching to build up excitement about baseball, it'll take dominant pitching with blazing fastballs and knee-bending curveballs. We've already seen teams (and networks) fudge the radar guns to boost up that 98 MPH fastball to a 101 MPH and I'm fine with that.

So, good luck today to Stephen and here to hoping that he gives a little hope to Washington in the final weeks of this baseball season.

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Jesus Montero Hits 2 HRs

I know it's kind of a lame headline, but it was the only one I could think of.

As usual, the Yankees won again against the Orioles and are now 12-3 when playing the orange birds this season.

The most important thing to take away from this game though is that Jesus Montero is going to be a good hitter in this league and could very well be in somebody's cleanup role for a decade. Anybody can start off on a hot streak to begin a season, but very rarely do we see a rookie start off a career with .385 AVG! He hit his first 2 home runs today as well and gather his first 3 RBIs.

But Montero wasn't the only story of the day. Freddy Garcia had an awful performance and allowed 7 runs in just 3 innings. Not good at all. Luckily, the bullpen held up and despite Rivera's struggles in the 9th, he got through it again. This is now a couple games in a row that Rivera has shown a little bit of bend but he has not broken yet. Worst comes to worse, the Yankees can give a Rivera a little break and let David Robertson fill in (like he did on Saturday).

In any case, the Yankees are now 2.5 games up on the Red Sox and are closing in on another Division Title. They haven't won the Division since 2009, but have won it like 15 of the last 19 years or something like that.

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2011 NFL Season Preview: AFC South

Normally this division is usually dominated by the Colts. But with Peyton Manning injured, who knows who will take the cake this season.

Tennessee Titans 9-7 (Over/Under 6.5)

You may be asking yourself -What!!!- but I know the truth. With the Colts potentially falling apart, this leaves a gaping hole where they used to reign strong. With Matt Hasselbeck coming in and hopefully Chris Johnson returning to from, they will take the division.

Zack's Pick: Over

Ex-Minor Leaguer: Under

Indianapolis Colts 9-7 (Over/Under 9.5)

I don't think the Colts have it in them this season. Not much else to say, but with Manning on the sidelines, these guys won't be able to do it. Sorry, they miss the playoffs for the first time in a long time.

Zack's Pick: Under

Ex-Minor Leaguer: Over

Houston Texans 9-7 (Over/Under 8.5)

Every year everyone picks the Texans to finally make it to the big show. They will come up short again this year, although they should have a winning record. They'll contribute to the most exciting division in the NFL this season.

Zack's Pick: Over

Ex-Minor Leaguer: Over

Jacksonville Jaguars 8-8 (Over/Under 6.5)

The only team not to go 9-7 in this division, but they will play tough. They just don't have the receiving core to hang with the other three teams in the AFC South.

Zack's Pick: Over

Ex-Minor Leaguer: Over

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2011 NFL Season Preview: NFC East

Alright, I've been a little bit delayed in posting these, but here we go...

New York Giants 10-6 (Over/Under 9.5)

Last year, the New York Giants were about 4 minutes from winning the NFC East, getting a bye and probably going to the NFC Championship game. Enter Michael Vick and an explosive Eagle offense and all of sudden the Giants were out of the playoffs. So what do we learn from this... that the Giants are a much better team than everyone is giving them credit for. They should win this division.

Zack's Pick: Over

Ex Minor Leaguer: Over

Dallas Cowboys 10-6 (Over/Under 9)

Remember last years Cowboy's season?? Nope, well neither do I. Is that because they were pretty terrible and had no chance of winning any game. Nope! They lost 7 games last year by one score or less. What was a 6-10 record could have easily been an 11-5 postseason ticket. I don't expect them to do quite that well but they should make the playoffs with at least 10 wins.

Zack's Pick: Over

Ex-Minor Leaguer: Over

Philadelphia Eagles 10-6 (Over/Under 10.5)

While everyone is hyping up the Eagles, they're overlooking some of their major deficiencies. They have a very poor interior defense and their flashy offense relies heavily upon the consistent play of Michael Vick. I don't expect them to fall flat on their faces, but I don't see them getting more than 10 wins.

Zack's Pick: Under

Ex Minor Leaguer: Over

Washington Redskins 5-11 (Over/Under 6.5)

Washington is not a terrible team, but they'll probably lose all 6 games within the division. It'll be tough for them to climb out of that hole and even if they play .500 against all other teams they'll only get 5 wins. They'll play well in every game but thats just about it.

Zack's Pick: Under

Ex-Minor Leaguer: Under

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Steve Nash Schooled by the Bieber

This is kind of a non-story, but it's kind of funny so we'll post it.

As well know, Justin Bieber is decent at basketball (at least better than he is at singing) and showed off his skills at the 2011 NBA All-Star Game. Over the weekend, Nash and Bieber played in a charity even down in Atlanta (sponsored by Ludacris) and made Nash look pretty old.

Well, that was exciting. Clearly the best part is Selena Gomez's cheering at the end.

Maybe Kobe can learn something form this kid next season..... whenever it begins again.

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Peyton Manning may need more surgery

This comes to us from Profootballweekly.com

This is not good news for Colts fans, nor is it good news for football fans.

1070AM-The Fan- out in Indianapolis is reporting that Manning will need a 2nd surgery on his neck and could remain out indefinitely.

In response though, Bill Polian (Colts GM) said to Sports Illustrated that he has no idea what the radio station is talking about and that no such surgery has been scheduled or mentioned yet.

Over the years, we've seen many players (including MAnning) play through the injuries they probably should have sat out for and undergone surgery after the season. But the neck is much more different than any other part of the body and I'm sure if Peyton needs the surgery, he'll get it now.

So what does this mean for the Colts in the 2011 season. Obviously they are a much weaker team without Manning; perhaps only a 7 win team. We'll see how long Manning is potentially out for, but if it is any longer than a month, don't count on them making the playoffs.

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Hurricane Katia

As some of you may know, my house was hit pretty hard last week by Hurricane Irene.

Thankfully nobody on the block was injured, but nearly everyone had water in their basements and now need to throw everything out.

So it is pretty scary to see another Hurricane barreling towards the East Coast.

It is too early to tell if Katia will actually hit US Lands, but it will certainly cause some unwanted tide swells and other small issues.

It can do whatever it wants out in the Ocean though, as long it doesn't hit US Lands.

You can follow the path of Hurricane Katia at:

http://www.weather.com/newscenter/hurricanecentral/2011/katia.html

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Baseball Gets Stuck in Catcher's Mask

The Mariners don't have much left to play for, but interesting things still happen during their games.

Well, that's exactly what happened Saturday in Seattle's 3-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics. In the bottom of the 6th inning, Cliff Pennington lined a foul ball straight back into catcher Josh Bard's mask and wedged itself right in between the grates.

Unbelievable stuff.

Don't worry, Bard eventually removed the baseball and the game proceeded as scheduled.

Good news for Bard though, in his next at bat he lined a single to left field.

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History of Sports Lockouts

Here is a link to an interesting article I saw with the first paragraph posted here on the blog.

Professional sports are big business.

No matter which way you slice it, the sports we grow up playing and learn to cherish for their purity and camaraderie inevitably become shackled by the chains of economic bottom-lines and ‘employee vs. employer’ contrition.

http://news.silveroakcasino.com/online-casino/the-history-of-sports-lockouts.html

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