This is ZNN

Lock Of the Day: January 25 2012

2012-01-25T19:22:00.002-05:00

Knicks -3

They will defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers.

That is all.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Pimp My Office!

2012-01-25T12:01:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Contest Factory for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you have a messy office? What about a boring one, with too much gray and white? Are your electronics out of date? If your office looks anything like this, then it might be time for a change.

Well, there is an exciting new contest brought to you by the Contest Factory. They are looking for you to send in a video of your office and explain why you deserve to have it "pimped out". The video should be funny and entertaining, and demonstrate what is wrong with your work space.

After you upload your video, you'll need your friends, family, and colleagues to vote. Ultimately, the winner will be chosen by a panel of judges who will use the votes and story as the criteria for their decision.

The Grand Prize is a $1200 value and will either be:

A new computer system
New desk, chair, and decorations
New entertainment package with stereo, espresso machine and others

But wait, there's more!

A sweepstakes will also be held for all the registered users who do not win. You can earn tickets to the sweepstakes by voting and commenting on other videos, and referring other users to join the contest. So even if you don't win the Grand Prize, you still have a shot at the consolation gift card.

The sweepstakes prize is a $200 gift card chosen at random.

As of the posting of this article, nobody has uploaded a video which means you're odds of winning are unbelievable.

To submit your video click on the link below.

Pimp My Cube Contest

NBA Lock of the Day: January 23 2011

2012-01-23T17:00:00.004-05:00

Well, the NFL season is almost over and for all intents-and-purposes the year of betting on football has come to a close. Yes, there is still the Super Bowl (more on that in the coming weeks) but it is time to focus on basketball for the next couple months.

So, without further adieu my NBA pick of the night.

Phoenix Suns +5 1/2

Orlando Magic

I like Phoenix for a couple reasons.

1. They have played pretty well of late, including wins on the road against both New York and Boston. Those two teams are a little overrated, but they are still two solid teams and the Suns not only played well against them, but actually won the games.

2. Dallas played a tight one, and won against New Orleans a few nights ago, but with Dirk they were not nearly as good as they are with him. He's not playing tonight either and the Mavericks will suffer.

3. Dallas has played 4 tight games in a row and Phoenix has played tight in their last two. Either way, win or lose, in a close game you always take the underdog. Getting points in a 3 point affair is way better than giving them.

So, I'll take the Suns.

Remember, this is only for fun. Never bet on a game unless you can afford it and live in a state or country where it is legal.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Paterno dead at 86

2012-01-22T10:34:00.001-05:00

He was great.

Rick Perry drops out

2012-01-19T09:25:00.002-05:00

And then there were four. All the media networks are reporting that Rick Perry will drop out today, after terrible performances in Iowa and New Hampshire. Perry is a great local candidate, he's boisterous and fun and personable, but he's a fool when it comes to national issues. He had no clue about foreign policy and was very poor on the national economy.

Basically, he was a worse version of Bush.

This is now the second candidate to drop out this week, and we'll see how it affects the polls come Saturday in South Carolina. Huntsman endorsed Romney and while there is no indication as to who Perry will support, I would guess it will be Gingrich. Either way, most of his voters will probably go to Gingrich anyway.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Hakeem Nicks: Prediction Pain

2012-01-19T09:10:00.002-05:00

On the Boomer and Carton show today Hakeem Nicks predicted pain for the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Carton tried to rope him into saying something stupid so there would be headlines but Nicks barely gave them anything. It was a fun interview, and even though I personally am a Jets fan, I hope the Giants come up strong and win in S.F. this sunday.

NYC!!!

Colts fire Caldwell

2012-01-17T14:40:00.002-05:00

He is gone.

That is all.

Piston's Plane Makes Emergency Landing

2012-01-17T10:27:00.002-05:00

It is somewhat amazing that this doesn't happen more often.

Last night, the Detroit Piston's chartered flight was forced to make an emergency landing after discovering an issue with the hydraulics that help with the landing gear. I'm not sure what any of that means, but it seems to me that this was more of a precautionary measure than a full fledged emergency.

Just a few months, Oklahoma St coach Kurt Budke and his assistant Mirand Serna, along with 8 others, were killed in a small plane crash in Colorado and 10 years earlier a plane carrying some of the Oklahoma St basketball players were killed in a similar crash.

Of course, in 1970 a plane carrying 37 of the Marshall football team were killed in perhaps the most infamous sports related crash of all time. All totaled, 75 people perished in the accident along with most of the coaching staff and crew members.

Plane travel is a necessity of the modern athlete's schedule and these scary situations will become even more common as more and more colleges and even high school teams choose to play teams from across the country rather than those in the next state over.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

SocialSpark

2012-01-16T09:53:00.003-05:00

We are not a big famous blog yet. So it is very difficult for me to generate enough revenue for any significant amount of cash. I get maybe $2 from Google's adsense per month, which is not very much. At that pace it would take nearly 4 years for me to reach a $100.

So I registered for Socialspark.com and have managed to bring my earnings up by quite a bit. I now can easily earn an additional $30 per month for writing a couple of additional blog posts.

Here is how it works. Once you register for the site, you'll be asked to join as either a publisher or an advertiser. You'll want to sign up as a publisher, which will enable major companies to pay you to advertise for them on your site. Add your URL and some other general personal information to your profile and you are all set up. They do the rest for you by finding advertisers that feel that you write well enough for them to pay you.

Generally speaking, you receive a "lead", which means that an advertiser wants to know if you are interested in writing for them. They'll offer you a payment (usually for around $10), but you have the option to counter and request a higher fee. I have not done this, probably because I am so desperate for whatever they'll offer me that I don't even bother. But I'm sure if you try you could maybe squeeze an additional few dollars out of them.

Either way, if you accept yes then hopefully they'll send you an offer which means that they actually want you to write a blog post about them and their project. Usually the posts are about a campaign the company is running, or a press release they want publicized. I've written articles about Walgreens' contract negotiations, "Pimp my Office" contests, and mini-TV series. Generally there are a couple of requirements they want you to include in the post; a link or video that helps their cause. Most posts also request at least 200 words.

The only catch is that they make you wait 30 days from publishing the post before the funds register in your account AND you need to have at least $50 before you can request a payout as well. Otherwise, they charge you a $20 fee, so if you have $40 in your account you only get $20. Right now, I'm waiting another 22 days before I receive $15 and then I'll cash out for $75. Not bad, for only 5 blog posts. Right now, they offer both Check and Paypal pay outs.

Just remember, this is not as simple as posting advertisements and you will need to put in some work into the project. Each post usually takes me around 30 minutes, which still means that I'm equaling around $30 an hour which is great money.

Anyways, if you are interested you can click check it out at Socialspark.com.

Best of luck to all!

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Seth Rogen and Kate Beckinsale

2012-01-16T09:07:00.006-05:00

I was watching football, but if you were watching the Golden Globes last night you saw one of the funniest moments of live television in a while.

Now we all know that Seth Rogen has an erection.

Correction, a massive erection.

Well, there it is. An American classic. The semi-attractive dork acting all awkward next to the absolute beauty. It looks like Beckinsale took it in stride, but we don't know if she threw a shoe at him during the after party.

Plus, this gives us an opportunity to post a picture of the beautiful Kate here on the blog.
If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Show your Support for Walgreens

2012-01-11T17:01:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Walgreens is an amazing store; you can buy almost anything there. For those of us who live in NYC, their Duane Reade stores are particularly amazing as most of us do not have easy access to the supermarkets of the suburbs. Although they started out as only Pharmacies, these stores have become go to places for daily and weekly shopping.

With the start of the New Year, Walgreens and Healthcare provider Express Scripts have been unable to reach a new contract - mostly due to the inability to Express Scripts to provide a fair and affordable service. Walgreens and Express Scripts

During the negotiations, Walgreens did not seek in an increase in compensation from Express Scripts whatsoever, rather it was they who sought to unilaterally define the terms of reimbursement for prescription medication; unheard of for all other companies.

This hurts both Walgreens and Express Scripts customers. Patients who have Express Scripts will now need to drive further for their medication, many of who are the elderly and may not be able to drive long distances. On the other side, other Express Scripts who did not use Walgreens may see their rates increase due to the restricted competition.

Besides for the average citizen, Express Scripts is putting our military servicemen in danger as well. Tricare, which is owned by Express Scripts, is the prescription drug program for America's military. During the negotiations, Walgreens made its best efforts to keep reach a separate contract with Tricare, despite what the eventual result would be with Express Scripts. This included an ironclad agreement that Walgreens would match or discount any other pharmacies prices. Despite all this, Express Scripts refused and now our military personnel are in danger of higher prices and diminished service.

As you can imagine, most Walgreens customer are not happy about this.

But Walgreens is attempting to help their customers by offering a special discount on their annual membership. Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens

Remember, if you want to help, contact local media and news outlets and get them to report on the story. In addition, call Express Scripts and explain your situation. With enough grassroots support you can make a huge difference.

Lastly, follow Walgreens on Facebook and Twitter for future updates about the situation and any other offers from Walgreens that will definitely help you.

Walgreens on Twitter

Walgreens on Facebook

Tracy Burgess Leaves WFAN

2012-01-11T13:47:00.006-05:00

Apparently she left the station in December. I thought she was just on vacation and only now realized how long it has been since she was last on the air.

Tracy joined the Don Imus show nearly 8 years ago and after his departure from WFAN, she stayed on to work on the Boomer and Carton show. Her wit and charm will be missed, as she not only added a feminine voice to the show, but also could punch back when Esiason or Carton would tease her.
It seems that Christina Lang has replaced her although her name is not on the WFAN website. It's possible that they have merely outsourced the traffic updates for the show and will no longer feature a specific reporter as they did with Tracy.

In any case, she said she has left on her own terms and enjoyed her 8 years with the station.

We'll miss you!

Tony Kornheiser Challenges Josh Blanchard

2012-01-11T13:47:00.005-05:00

It's bowling night!!

Looks like Tony Kornheiser is going bowling. On Monday's show, he teased the professional bowler that he could outscore the pathetic 139 Blanchard shot in a bowling match a few nights ago.

Blanchard has become infamous in recent days for his epic flop where he spilled into the lane a few nights ago.

In any case, Blanchard hear about Kornheiser's comments from monday's PTI program and sent an email to the show challenging the co-host to a match. Tony seemed a little startled but eventually seemed good natured about it as long as he got home court and played in a specific hub in Washington D.C.

I think Wilbon is probably the best bowler of the three of them but I would definitely watch a 30 minute show of Blanchard, Kornheiser, Wilbon, and maybe Tony Reali have a little competition.

Television Gold.

Boomer Esiason on The Kelly Ripa Show

2012-01-11T09:08:00.003-05:00

I'm watching now and the two seem to have pretty good chemistry from the start.

Of course, Kelly Ripa immediately got Carton's name wrong and called him Carter. But, she apologized and then said "Oh, he's probably so mad right now".

Over on MSG and 660 radio, Craig looks and sounds like he's having the time of his life doing the radio show all by himself. I'm sure he misses Boomer but for this one day, he is making great radio all by himself.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Schottenheimer Gone

2012-01-10T23:22:00.001-05:00

The New York Star Ledger is reporting that Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will not return after this year.

Furthermore, Offensive Line Coach Bill Callahan would then want to leave as well since the Jets have said they will not promote him to Offensive Coordinator. He, reportedly, will go to Dallas to be their O-Line Coach.

In turn, ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting that Tony Sparano will replace Schottenheimer here in NYC.

Hue Jackson Fired

2012-01-10T14:28:00.001-05:00

After a very solid 8-8 season, The Oakland Raiders have fired their 1 year Head Coach.

This comes as a particular shock since The Raiders not only lost their starting QBs (Jason Campbell) but also starting RB Darren McFadden for most of the season.

No doubt 8-8 is not a great year, but had they won just one more game they would have been in the playoffs. With a full healthy team next year the Raiders can easily win 10 and the division.

I feel sorry for Hue and as he was the late Al Davis' last hire I'm a little surprised they didn't give him another year. But whoever takes over this team will have an immediate contender to work with.

Alex Rodriguez has a new beu

2012-01-10T13:42:00.006-05:00

Craig Carton of WFAN's morning show "Boomer and Carton" loves to point out A-Rod's glistening glowing body whenever he appears in the newspaper. Well, this morning he was featured in the NYC's Daily News this morning with Torrie Wilson, his new girlfriend.

As you can see from the photos, it looks as if Alex's dabble with the performance enhancing drugs has left its mark on his body. Those once glorious pectorals have become a little loose and now more resemble his girlfriend's ample bosom. It's not like he has man-boobs or anything like that, but he should expect to be wearing some form of support by the time he is 50. Hmm, how bout a Bro, or a Manziere.

On the brighter side, the last time Alex started dating a new girl - Kate Hudson in 2009 - he hit 30 HRs in only 440 At Bats. Thats on pace for close to 40 HRs over a full season. If he is happy this year then maybe he'll improve off his paltry 16 HR season last year.

In any case, Torrie Wilson is super hot and we are all very proud of A-Rod for what will hopefully lead to a happy union and future nuptials.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

William Daley out at White House

2012-01-09T14:23:00.004-05:00

William Daley, chief of staff for President Obama, will announce his resignation shortly from the White House.

Daley joined the staff in 2011 after Rham Emanuel stepped down to run for Chicago Mayor - he won that election. When Daley was first introduced it seemed as if he would lead the Obama election campaign and see the President through to his 2nd term. Nobody expected him to continue as Chief of Staff beyond the election, but it is quite a shock that he left after only 1 year. President George W. Bush only had 2 different Chief of Staff over 8 years. Obama will now have nominated 3 people for the position in under 4.

Jacob Lew will replace him.

This is a breaking story. We will update as the news comes in.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Jorge Posada to Retire

2012-01-09T11:30:00.003-05:00

Nothing is certain yet, but all signs point to Posada retiring after 17 years in baseball, all with the Yankees. Sweeny Murti of WFAN first broke the story on Saturday, before all the Giants and Tebowmania of Sunday.

Posada was one of the many instrumental players during the Yankees' three-in-a-row Championships of the the late 90s and became the full time starter in 2000. In the subsequent 7 healthy years he averaged around 25 HRs per season along with around 80 RBIs and .275 AVG. All great numbers for a catcher.

But his body has worn down over the last few years and this season he was forbidden from catching and relegated to the full time DH slot.

Posada was never a great defensive catcher and many a pitcher had been known to request other catchers to call their games. But through it all, he played well and earned so much needed DH days that all catchers need to stay healthy during the long season.

But his defensive weakness will probably keep him from the Hall of Fame. We hope to see him their someday but I doubt that he'll make it.

On a side note, Posada's son suffers from Craniosynostosis and if you wish to donate to his charity for a cure you can visit the website here. Jorge Posada Foundation

In any case, he'll certainly be an all time Yankee great and his number will be retired soon.

Oh, and he also has a beautiful wife.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

BCS National Championship Game Prediction

2012-01-09T11:11:00.004-05:00

Tonight is the rematch of the infamous November "Game of the Century" between LSU and Alabama which LSU won by a grand score of 9-6. NO TDs, just 4 FGs in regulation and one in OT.

So the game was pretty boring from an offensive standpoint, but everything you could want from two tough teams. A defensive struggle that went into OT. I think that everyone would have enjoyed the game much more had it not been built up to be the best game of all time.

With that being said, I am of course a little disappointed that this game is a rematch. Had Houston or Boise St finished undefeated it would have been great to see those two play. Or maybe even Oregon where we could have all seen a high flying offense VS. a tough defense.

But you've probably read about this for the last couple of weeks so I won't delve into it.

Here is the pick. LSU!!!

LSU won the first game and there is no reason to believe they won't win the second. Since they defeated Alabama, they've gone on to crush Arkansas and Georgia to finish their undefeated season and win the SEC. Plus, they beat Oregon earlier in the year and have won a total of 8 games against ranked opponents.

No disrespect to Alabama, but I just don't think they will win tonight. They've only defeated four ranked opponents all year and I know they also beat Arkansas earlier in the year but that is really their only highlight win.

This game should be nothing like the first; I don't like doing the over/under but I'd bet that they'll go over the 40 1/2 points as well.

Final Score

LSU 27

Alabama 14

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Knicks lose: Fall to 2-4

2012-01-05T13:19:00.003-05:00

Well, another season and another losing record. Yes, I know it's early and I know that the Knicks started off slow last year too, but this is not supposed to happen. They have Carmelo, Amare, and now Tyson Chandler and yet they continue to lose to bad teams - certainly teams without a "Big-3". So if they don't have a "Big-3", how are they supposed to defeat a team with one.

Well, I think the answer is something that everybody knows, but nobody wants to say. These teams who keep defeating the Knicks are, a team. Or maybe perhaps the Knicks are just not a team. Just remember, the grand total of Wade's, Lebron's. Chris Paul's, Carmelo's championships are exactly one. And that victory came in 2006.

I watched portions of the game last night and whenever Carmelo is on the court the call usually went like this...

"Douglas takes the ball up"

"He passes to Carmelo"

"Carmelo shoots and... off the rim"

Hmm, something is wrong here. There are only two of the five players on the court mentioned during the possession. And yes, I know that Anthony scored 32 points and he is averaging 28 points a game this year but his presence on the the court is the reason that the team is losing. Actually, he makes no difference as he has a whopping -1 on the +/- scale this year. WHAT!! This great player, that the Knicks mortgaged their future for, is essentially irrelevant.

Now you could say that they would be even worse without him. That's possible, but since Carmelo has joined the team the Knicks are 16-18 (14-14 last season and now 2-4 this season). Beforehand, they were 28-26 last season.

I don't know how to fix this team, except perhaps for them to remember that they are a team. This is not Carmelo's team, Amare's team or whoever's team.

They are the New York Knicks.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Kickers, Brunettes, and Bowl Games

2012-01-05T09:57:00.004-05:00

In David Wells' autobiography, he wrote that America's Pastime was not baseball, nor was it football. For him, it was "babe-watching". Sitting back on the beach, with a bunch of friends and watch and flirt with the girls as they go by.

Well, Michigan Kicker Brendan Gibbons has taken this to an entirely new extreme. In the Sugar Bowl two nights ago, Gibbons hit 3 field goals (amazing for a college kicker) including a game winning 37 yarder in OT. When asked how he managed to keep his cool in the intensity of this game, Gibbons responded with the line of year.

"Every time we were struggling in kicking, coach tells me to think about girls on a beach or brunette girls. So that's what we did. [and] Made the kick".

Wow, good for him. Normally if I think about girls on the beach I would be distracted or at least nervous. But I guess this kid has far more confidence than I do. In any case, hopefully he gets a haircut soon. If he wants to make it to the NFL, he should know that many a player has been tackled by their long hair. That probably hurts.

Also, hopefully an NFL team gives him a chance - he seems like a pretty good guy and will make a great personality for any team that he can make the squad for.

Anyways, here is a picture of who he was probably picturing as he won the game for Michigan.

And for those of you who don't know, that is a picture of Israeli model (and Israeli army veteran) Esti Ginzburg.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Iowa Caucus Results

2012-01-04T11:32:00.002-05:00

Wow, what a finish. Romney finished in first place by a photo finish of only 8 votes.

It was really compelling to watch. As the votes kept coming in, neither Romney or Santorum could ever gain more than a 200 vote or so lead. Even Paul was right there for a long time and at one point the three were only separated by around 60 votes. Has this been the final state in a Presidential Election (i.e. Florida in 2000) it would have been unbelievable and must see television.

Sadly, Romney gets no bonus points for finishing in first, and Santorum no minus for finishing in 2nd, since the delegates are divided up by a proportion of the vote. I'll post the total projected delegates later in the post.

So what does this all mean for the future of the Republican Primary season.

Mitt Romney: Not much, he is the presumptive favorite so he should have won. He did, but only by the slimmest of margins. He'll still win New Hampshire, no question about that, but going further, he probably will struggle in South Carolina and then could in Florida as well.

Rick Santorum: Wow, I wish I could have said I saw this coming. No I did not. Nobody did. He could use this as a huge amount of free publicity, and will shoot forward through the rest of January off this finish. But, he is not well know nationally and will need to campaign in multiple states in the same time from now on. I don't know if he can do this consistently and may be just another flash in the pan candidate.

Ron Paul: Paul is Paul, he'll press on - win, lose, or draw - and will continue well into July. He probably won't win, but he could gain enough delegates to play spoiler at the convention.

Newt Gingrich: Oy, you almost feel bad for him. He was doing so well just a few weeks ago, now not so much. But, he is a strong souther candidate and with South Carolina and Florida coming up next, he can press on strong. Plus, he is well known and has a huge war chest. He'll be in through the Super Tuesday.

Rick Perry: Done, end of story. He'll quit after South Carolina (at the latest), then probably endorse either Santorum or Gingrich; whoever seems to be the strongest at the moment.

Michelle Bachman: Also finished. It actually looks like she is going to end her campaign in about 5 minutes. She was fun and a little goofy, but I guess at the end of the day she was a little too weird to be a viable candidate. It was fun Michelle, maybe in 2016.

Jon Huntsman: Didn't compete in Iowa, should do OK in New Hampshire, but won't go much further.

And there you have, 5 hours of news coverage all in one blog post. Come here to get the short summaries that you need. I saw a statistic over at Fox News that Rick Perry spent nearly $364 per vote that he received in Iowa, Romney spent $49, and Santorum spent only 79 cents. That is unbelievable. Santorum only went through around $23,000 in Iowa. I could run for President on that kind of money. Good for him. Drive around, meet the people. Talk to the people and most importantly convince them that you are the right guy for the job. He truly is a fiscal conservative.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Racism in the Gator Bowl

2012-01-03T22:28:00.005-05:00

In the Ohio ST - Florida game the other night, linebacker Tyler Moeller claims that racist trash talking was taunted throughout the game.

"They're classless, thats the way I'd put it. I've never seen more people swing at our players and call us racial slurs. I've never been called a 'cracker' more in my life than I have today. So I don't really have much respect for them in terms of that but they're a good team. They came out and outplayed us today."

Ok, these situations are always difficult to diagnosis. What is considered racism? What is reverse racism? We are not going to discuss this though, it is way too complex of a topic for a simple blog post.

But we can discuss the general idea that racism still exists in the sports world, especially on the field. We heard reports of this a few weeks ago in the hockey season, but that was from the fans. To hear that this comes from player to player is a little alarming and somewhat disappointing. Although the term "cracker" is not nearly as controversial or insulting as the "N" word or other slurs, it is still not appropriate on the field.

In other news, Moeller has not had particularly good luck with the state of Florida in general. A few years back he was punched in the head during a bar fight in the Sunshine State which fractured his skull.

I don't expect this too become a major issue, but it is always important to be aware of the feelings of others. Nobody likes being referred to by a slur about their race, whether they are the majority or the minority. This is not even close to the level of hate that black athletes faced when they entered the NFL or MLB but it still hurts and is uncalled for.

What do you all think? If you have any thoughts, ideas, or comments let me know.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Iowa Caucus Tonight

2012-01-03T10:16:00.004-05:00

Here we go again. Four years ago it was Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and John McCain. Well, this time around there are six on the Republican side and just one on the Democrat side. This much we know right now; Barack Obama will be the Democrat's nominee for the 2012 Presidential Election.

(There is also a Democratic Caucus tonight, but it will go uncontested. Hopefully Obama will win 100% of the vote)

The rest is not so clear. Mitt Romney is the presumptive favorite, Rick Santorum had become popular of late, and Ron Paul has his usual intensive support. Then there are Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry, both had their moments and have huge amounts of money. Even if they start off slow, they can hold on and stay in it for a couple of weeks. That leaves Michelle Bachman, who in all likelihood will end her campaign tonight. It has been a fun ride with her, but she doesn't have the votes, or the money, to justify a continuation of this campaign.

The most recent polling shows a close race between Santorum, Romney, and Paul. Here is the Real Clear Politics data, which has been reposted here. They have a great amount of information over on their website and encourage all of you to visit.

Polling Data

Poll	Date	Sample	Romney	Paul	Santorum	Gingrich	Perry	Bachmann	Huntsman	Cain	Spread
RCP Average	12/21 - 1/1	--	22.8	21.5	16.3	13.7	11.5	6.8	2.3	--	Romney +1.3
Insider Advantage	1/1 - 1/1	729 LV	23	22	18	16	10	6	2	--	Romney +1
PPP (D)	12/31 - 1/1	1340 LV	19	20	18	14	10	8	4	--	Paul +1
Des Moines Register	12/27 - 12/30	602 LV	24	22	15	12	11	7	2	--	Romney +2
Rasmussen Reports	12/28 - 12/28	750 LV	23	22	16	13	13	5	3	--	Romney +1
NBC News/Marist	12/27 - 12/28	425 LV	23	21	15	13	14	6	2	--	Romney +2
CNN/Time	12/21 - 12/27	452 LV	25	22	16	14	11	9	1	--	Romney +3

But there are a few other ways to help predict the election outcomes besides for simply polling data. Nate Silver has designed a computer prediction model and he has Romney pulling away tonight with a 42% chance of winning.

Iowa Caucus Projections

CANDIDATE

PROJECTED VOTE RANGE

CHANCE OF WINNING

Mitt Romney

21.8%

Vote range →

42%

Ron Paul

21.0%

34%

Rick Santorum

19.3%

20%

Newt Gingrich

15.1%

Rick Perry

10.4%

Michele Bachmann

7.9%

Jon Huntsman

3.8%

Finally there are the Intrade Markets which give:

Romney a 50% chance,

Paul 30%,

Santorum 20%

Gingrich 0.5%

Perry 0.2%

Bachman 0.1%

Huntsman 0.1%

I was looking to post the data from oddsmakers in Vegas but I can't find them anymore. I will definitely post the lines for New Hampshire though.

Anyways, there is all the information I can think of. I'll just post my predictions for your entertainment. (And mine)

ZNN's Predicted final standings

Ron Paul 23%

Mitt Romney 20%

Rick Santorum 19%

Newt Gingrich 17%

Rick Perry 14%

Michelle Bachman 7%

Best of Luck to all the candidates.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Pimp My Cube Contest: All Offices Get Down Tonight!

2012-01-02T22:00:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Contest Factory for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you have a messy office? What about a boring one, with too much gray and white? Are your electronics out of date?

Well there is an exciting new contest brought to you by the Contest Factory. They are looking for you to send in a video of your office and explain why you deserve to have it "pimped out". The video should be funny and entertaining, and demonstrate what is wrong with your work space.

The Grand Prize is a $1200 value and will either be:

A new computer system
New desk, chair, and decorations
New entertainment package with stereo, espresso machine and others

But wait, there's more!

The sweepstakes prize is a $200 gift card chosen at random.

To submit your video click on the link below.

Pimp My Cube Contest

You can also view a sample video.

There have been very few entries so far, which means that you have a great chance at winning the $1200 prize!

Best of luck to all.

Sacrificial Lambs: NFL teams cut ties with Management

2012-01-02T17:00:00.004-05:00

On what has become known as Black Monday, 2 NFL coaches were fired today and the Colts cut ties with their longstanding GM Bill Polian.

Rams fire Spagnuolo: This one has been suspected for a while, but a little unfair given the circumstances surrounding Sam Bradford this season. The QB was injured for about half the year and it is hard to blame the coach when he loses his star player (see this year's Colts). But, Spagnuolo's career record of 10-38 doesn't exactly shine bright either. He went 7-9 last year, but 3-29 combined in the season before and after.

Buccaneers fire Raheem Morris: I recently watched Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" in which one of the main characters is named Radio Raheem. This has nothing to do with football, but if any of you have seen the movie, I hope you'll appreciate this reference. Anyway, has any coach fallen from grace so quickly. Last year he coached his team to a 10-6 record and they looked poised to take the next step and challenge the Saints and Falcons for the division title. Clearly, that didn't happen and they lost their final 10 games and went from 4-2 to 4-12. Wow! It surprises me that they played so terribly by the end of the year. After watching them, it doesn't surprise me that he was fired.

Colts cut ties with Bill Polian: This was the shocker of the day. The man who built the Colts dynasty was let go after one bad (albeit it terrible) season? I don't understand it. I can't explain it, I can't even begin to dissect it.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Welcome to the New Year

2011-12-30T11:09:00.002-05:00

The New Year is almost upon us and we'll be covering a wide range of topic here on the ZNN. Here is a quick rundown of what we'll be doing when we come back on Tuesday.

1. The Republican Primaries, beginning with the Iowa Caucus on January 3rd

2. The New York Knicks

3. The New York Rangers

4. The NCAA Tournament

5. The Yankees and the Mets

6. Ultimate Fantasy Baseball preview, top 100 players and top 10 at each position

7. NFL Training Camp

8. The Presidential Race

9. The 2012 NFL Season

10. The 2012 MLB Playoffs

Stay tuned guys, it is going to be a huge year.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Lock of the Day

2011-12-28T11:53:00.003-05:00

I know I said earlier that I would wait to make my first NBA pick for a couple of weeks, I think I already have a good enough feel of the season to start today.

I like the Celtics (-2 1/2) over the Hornets tonight for 2 reasons.

1. The Hornets barely squeaked out a win in Phoenix 2 nights ago, while the Celtics lost, but played hard, against the great Miami Heat last night. I know in football we generally see the opposite effects -a tough loss usually leads to a big letdown the following week - but I think it is different in basketball. The Celtics are hot off their loss and will be ready to go. Meanwhile, the Hornets will probably be feeling pretty good about themselves and may not be ready to go against this underrated Celtic squad.

2. Celtics are 0-2, no way are they going to begin the season 0-3. They've lost to probably the 1st and 3rd best teams in the Eastern Conference. I'm nearly positive they will be ready to go against this potentially 8th seed team from the West.

And remember, of course, this is for entertainment purposes only. Please only gamble where legal and if you decide to do so only use what you can afford to lose.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

The rest of the NBA opens tonight

2011-12-26T17:15:00.001-05:00

After the much awaited Christmas opener, the rest of the NBA teams will play their first games tonight.

There really isn't anything to say, it is still way too early to tell who will be up and ready to go after the extended offseason.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Snapdragon Stadium. Hide the Princess!!

2011-12-26T03:00:00.001-05:00

This post brought to you by Snapdragon by Qualcomm. All opinions are 100% mine.

You all know Qualcomm stadium; home to the San Diego Chargers and 40 year residence of the Padres. But for the holiday season, from December 18 through the end of the year (around 11 days in total), the arena will be renamed Snapdragon Stadium to help promote the software that makes some of the smartphones produced by LG, Samsung, HTC, and Nokia possible.

That's right, for 2 college bowl games and one Charger home game, all those in attendance will enter into what might be the coolest sounding name for an Arena ever. Snapdragon Stadium will host the Ravens when they come to play the Chargers on December 18 (Update: The Chargers crushed the Ravens that night 38-14), and then two college bowl games after that: The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on December 21 and The Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl on December 28.

Qualcomm has owned the naming rights to the stadium since 1997 when it signed a 20 year deal with the city of San Diego. This new name, although temporary, will certainly provide some intrigue for both the company and the teams associated with it. As of yet, there are no plans to change the logos and signs in and around the stadium.

To learn more about Snapdragon and the specifics behind "The digital brains that power the smartest devices" click on the link below.

Snapdragon processors by Qualcomm are the digital brains inside mobile devices made

NBA Opens: Knicks are 1-0

2011-12-25T22:11:00.005-05:00

As with many of the Knicks-Celtics games over years, the two went back and forth and it took a late basket before the winner could be decided.

This time though, the Knicks came out on top.

Carmelo Anthony led all with 37 pts, and hit the two late free throws that gave the Knicks the 106-104 lead and victory. He took over in the 4th quarter, and I believed scored 15 points in that last period. Douglas looked strong as the point guard, Tyson Chandler was rock solid at Center (6 Blocks!!, the Knicks as a team averaged 5.8 last year), and Landry Fields was shaky but had a big steal late in the game to help keep it close.

I'd like to focus on Amare though, who scored 21 points with 2 blocks and 6 rebounds. Not a great performance, but he was there when it counted and is still the leader of this team. He may not be better than Carmelo in terms of athletic ability, but he will be the verbal leader for this team as long as he is here. He's out there in the community, he's charismatic, and he gives great interviews. The Knicks need someone to keep everyone in line with all of the great players that are coming in.

Other then that, lets be real. Its one game, I'm excited to see them play well against a great team and most importantly win the game. I got them winning about 40 this year and getting the 4 seed.

Just to keep everyone posted as well, I will be posting my "Pick of the Day" now that the basketball season is back. I'll post the line that I think is a lock and if you live in Vegas (or in a foreign country) you can make some money. Chances are I'm going to wait a week or two to see how things are playing out with the season, and let myself get a feel for the good and bad teams. Remember, only gamble for fun and with money you can afford to lose. Also, remember that only do so where it is legal which I believe is only in Las Vegas here in the United States.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Knicks to Undergo Major Roster Change

2011-12-08T15:17:00.005-05:00

Marc Stein over at 1050 ESPN Radio is reporting that Tyson Chandler is going to be signed by the Knicks. This is really good news - did you see the way he played in the NBA Finals last year!

Here is the problem though; this probably signals the end of Amare Stoudemire. His play would clash would Tyson Chandler's and it already seems as if Carmelo Anthony doesn't particularly want him either. This is really sad because when Stoudemire came here last year, he was the first to migrate to New York and played extremely well last year. It looked like he was going to lead the Knicks and their ragtag players to the playoffs and more. Raymond Felton turned into the best PG in the NBA, Wilson Chandler was solid and Danillo Galinari was turning into a star.

Then they traded them all for Carmelo Anthony and Landry Fields disappeared to the bench as well.

Clearly, someone in the Knicks organization had other plans and this team has gone from Amare's to Carmelo's. Something tells me Isiah Thomas is once again lurking in the shadows.

This will probably be resolved by monday.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

NBA Talks are up and Running

2011-11-23T21:44:00.001-05:00

Unless you live on Mars, you are probably well aware that the MBA is in lockout mode. I just saw that they have reopened negotiations so maybe they'll get this done soon.

I don't know about the rest of you but I'm not really missing basketball so much anyway. The college game is decent and with the NFL in full swing and college football going nuts this year that's all I need.

Plus if I'm ever in the mood for something on a random night there's bound to be an NHL game on too. If you haven't been watching hockey you should take a look. It's fast and a little confusing but these guys really play with every bit of strength. Definitely the most thrilling "any given moment" of all the major sports.

Even if the NBA reached an agreement tomorrow they would have to wait a month before the first game could be played. If they get lucky we might see opening day on Christmas!

Kellen Clemens to the Texans

2011-11-23T18:07:00.001-05:00

Kellen is moving again and this time it's to Houston.

With Matt Shaub down for the year, the Texans have brought in Kellen to backup under consisten performer Matt Leinart.

Clemens never got a real shot in New York after he was drafted to succeed Chad Pennington. But after Brett Favre and then Sanchez it was time for Kellen to go.

He began the year in Washington and I'm a little surprised that he didn't get any playing time between Beck and Grossnman.

In any case, I don't expect Leinart to play very well so maybe Clemens will get a fair chance in The South.

The Texans are playoff bound and this may be the opportunity he needs to give his career a boost.

NBA players begin to disband the union

2011-11-14T14:19:00.001-05:00

More on this soon but in all likelihood the season will be cancelled.

IPhone 4S

2011-11-10T00:55:00.001-05:00

Just got the new iPhone and it is amazing. More on this later!

New Jersey is Back in Action

2011-10-31T03:02:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Untitled Jersey City Project. All opinions are 100% mine.

Although New Jersey tends to play little brother to Manhattan, FX's new show looks like it could give Jersey its own fan base. Their new show looks both gritty and glamorous with perhaps a little too much sex and violence for network television, but a plot so rich and intriguing it would make any television station eager to broadcast.

But this is no ordinary drama, it is actually 8 mini-episodes; short pieces of a much larger plot that has yet to air. This could be one of the best ideas in television history; give the viewers a taste of an amazing storyline but don't give them any of the details. It'll keep you on the edge of your seat just waiting to find out what happens next.

The acting seems to be very solid, although there isn't quite enough dialogue to get a well rounded opinion. The characters are intense and complex, but if the actors are as good in reality as they are in the clips then this show will be every bit as great as it appears.

So, what do you all think? Take a look at the clip and give me some feedback. I for sure would love to see this turned into a full time show. As a Jersey boy, born and raised, I definitely want to see some of the high-octane shows make their way to our side of the Hudson River.

You can check out their website as well: Untitled Jersey City Project

Net10 Gives Options to the Cell Phone World

2011-10-27T09:02:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Net10. All opinions are 100% mine.

Ever get the feeling that the big name phone companies don't care about you?

I know I've sat on hold for hours and gotten absolutely nowhere.

Well Net10 has carved out a niche for itself in the cell phone world with its affordable plans and convenient services.

Their most basic plan starts at just $15 for 200 minutes, which although is approximately the same amount per minute as the big name phone companies, it allows those of us who don't use 700 minutes a month a cheap alternative. In addition, they offer an unlimited text, web, and phone plant for only $50 a month.

I'm a college student and I tend to spend more on my cell phone then I probably want to. But with this new plan I'll have $20 or $30 more in my pocket every month. But I think this plan is most useful for the older Americans, who really don't spend much time on the phone but could definitely use one in an emergency. I know I am always nervous when my grandmother goes out on her own with no way to contact her. But for a mere $15 a month, she'll always be able to contact me if she needs me.

They offer great phones as well; full QWERTY keyboards or touch screens with app capabilities and digital camera and video recording options.

If some for reason you don't believe what I have to say, check out What Rob has to say or Real NET10 customer can add to the conversation.

You can check out their website as well: http://www.net10.com/

Derek Mason gone!

2011-10-11T23:59:00.003-04:00

Various News outlets are reporting that Jets WR Derek Mason is going to be dealt to the Houston Texans for a draft pick.

To me, this deal makes perfect sense. Mason was not fitting into the style of play the Jets have designed, and was probably taking away more catches from Plaxico and Santonio Holmes. To top it all off, there have been rumors going around that Mason is the big instigator behind all these anti-Brian Shottenheimer stuff so it makes sense to get Mason out the door.

But, I still would have liked to have seen Braylon Edwards and Jerrico Cotchery remain with the team. I know this is 4 months now since they've been gone, but the two of them and Holmes seemed to work so well together last year. I don't know if they were all happy together, but on the field they and Sanchez really gelled.

We'll find out soon enough if this trade will help or hurt.

Big winners though are Patrick Turner and Jeremy Kerley. Neither of these two have been big in the offense yet this year, but I'd expect to see a lot more of them in the coming weeks. And look out for Kerley in the long run. This kid is going to be something special

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

NBA Cancels First Two Weeks

2011-10-11T10:52:00.004-04:00

For the first time since the NHL cancelled its 2004 season, a professional League has cancelled games.

After meetings stalled between the NBA players association and Owners yesterday, David Stern officially cancelled the first two weeks of the season; approximately 7 games for each team.

Ok, that isn't so many games per team but it sends a strong message that this situation is really serious and the Owners are not budging one inch at all. This is not surprising because the Owners are claiming that some of them actually lose money over the course of the season. If that is true (which I doubt) then it is more business-advantageous to not have a season at all.

So what does this mean for the sport as a whole. Well, 2 weeks isn't that much and all it really does is push off all the hype that will inevitably take place in mid-November as opposed to early-November. But will we even care if the NBA goes away? The first half kind of disappears anyway while everybody is distracted with the NFL and then the NFL playoffs. Plus, with College Basketball starting in mid-November as well, if the NBA keeps delaying the start of the year perhaps we'll just get our basketball fix with some of those games.

It is way too early to tell, and maybe a shorter NBA season is just what we are all looking for. A 60 game season would definitely move much more quickly and would be much more exciting then the 82 game drag that goes on every other year. The playoffs will still extend way into June, but maybe that won't be so bad if the season starts in December.

I guess we'll find out soon enough.

For now, just enjoy the MLB playoffs, and the heart of the NFL season. Oh, and Hockey started as well. They'll be the big winners if the NBA doesn't return.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Herman Cain and Joe Morgan

2011-10-10T16:10:00.005-04:00

Anybody else notice the extreme resemblance between these two guys. To me, it's almost as if they were separated at birth.

It's very rare that sports and politics overlap and with the exception of Bill Bradley, no professional sports athlete has ever made a run at the White House.

But does anybody else find it odd that nearly as soon as Joe Morgan leaves Sunday Night Baseball this Herman Cain fellow shows up. Had anybody ever heard of him before he declared he was running for President?

And, has anybody seen Joe Morgan since Mr. Cain started his campaign? Hmm.....?? Didn't think so!

I'm going to do a little more research into all this, maybe try to find some audio and put that together as well. But, we will definitely keep you updated.

And here is the audio....

Skip to 40 Seconds in to hear Mr. Cain (or perhaps Mr. Morgan....) explain his 9-9-9 plan.

Skip to 12 Seconds in to hear Mr. Morgan's (or perhaps Mr. Cain....) explanation on leadoff walks.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

MNF Special: Chicago @ Detroit

2011-10-10T12:04:00.002-04:00

If this game was being played at any point in probably the last decade the pick would be Chicago. No question about that. But here in 2011, it appears as if these two teams have reversed roles; The Detroit Lions on the upswing while the Chicago Bears tumbling downwards.

Which is exactly why I am picking Chicago in the game tonight.

We've seen this before from Detroit; a few years ago they started off the year 6-2 and finished at 8-8. I know that this year is different because they have Mathew Stafford and Calvin -Megatron- Johnson (by the way, by far one of the best nicknames in sports right now) but those two have not faced the defense that Chicago is going to throw at them yet this season. Dallas is good but not great, Tampa Bay's defense is not very good, and Minnesota and Kansas City are pretty terrible teams. Combined records for those teams; 8-11.

On the other side, Chicago has played some pretty good teams; 3 playoff caliber teams and a very dangerous Carolina squad. Mike Martz has finally figured out how to protect Jay Cutler, and with their newfound running game they should score plenty of times tonight.

It'll be close, but Chicago and their defense will pull out the win.

Final Score: Chicago 24 Detroit 20

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ALCS Game 2 Postponed to today

2011-10-10T11:50:00.003-04:00

It doesn't rain all summer in Texas and now it pours.

It seems like it has been that kind of year for baseball.

I don't remember how many rainouts we've had this season, but we had already surpassed 2010's total in like May. I cannot recall this many rainouts and delays in the postseason either.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

He Has Returned!!

2011-10-10T09:46:00.005-04:00

I don't want to do all the Messiah references to Tebow; but I'm sure most of the other news station will be making those jokes all day.

But it looks like Tim Tebow will become the full time starter for the Denver Broncos after his comeback against the San Diego Chargers yesterday. Although he didn't win the game, he scored two TDs in the span of 3 minutes late in the 4th quarter and nearly scored the go-ahead TD as time was expiring at the end of the game. My brother had picked the Chargers -4 and he was sweating bullets right up until we saw the football rolling around in the end zone. For a second though, we thought Tebow had pulled off a miracle.

Again, just joking.

I wasn't a big fan of Tebow coming out of college because, well, he didn't play like an NFL QB. I didn't think his style of play would survive when he faced bigger faster and stronger offensive linemen. But his slow methodical runs (he doesn't look fast like Michael Vick) seem to come at just the right times and at just the right angles. It's almost as if the seas part and he can walk through on dry land. I'm sure that the Chargers didn't game-plan for him either as they were expecting to only face Kyle Orton yesterday and we'll see if he can still post huge runs when facing a team that is prepared for him.

But for now, it looks like the Broncos may have found their spark to help get them a couple of Wins in the final 3/4 of the season. I doubt they'll make the playoffs after this 1-4 start, but I wouldn't be surprised if they finish at .500 by the end of the year.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Ferguson has something in his shoe

2011-10-09T20:03:00.003-04:00

D'Brickshaw Ferguson is a very very good offensive linemen.

Perhaps too good....

Gives new meaning to knocking his socks off. But, it looks like D'Brick and the referee were laughing about. I just hoped they sprayed some of that stuff they use in the bowling alley afterwards. I'm sure Ferguson sweats more than the average man.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Tribute To Steve Jobs

2011-10-07T00:15:00.003-04:00

You can read all the obituaries for him at the major news networks.

All I will say is that he was a technological revolutionary who played a role in nearly every major aspect of computers and cinema. He was a computer genius and will always be remembered for his devotion to perfection. His products always performed beyond their expectations, and his designs and presentation were exceptional as well. Every piece of machinery produced by he and Apple was a work of art.

The picture above is taken from the XKCD website.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Two and a Half Men Season Premiere

2011-09-19T22:25:00.004-04:00

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!

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Rivera gets 602 Save

2011-09-19T17:41:00.004-04:00

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

2011-09-19T15:51:00.003-04:00

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

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Monday Night Football: Rams @ Giants

2011-09-19T15:32:00.003-04:00

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

2011-09-18T12:55:00.013-04:00

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

2011-09-16T18:28:00.001-04:00

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

2011-09-15T22:55:00.004-04:00

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

2011-09-15T16:23:00.004-04:00

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)

2011-09-13T17:14:00.004-04:00

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

2011-09-13T15:35:00.004-04:00

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

2011-09-12T19:06:00.014-04:00

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

2011-09-12T16:31:00.004-04:00

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!!

2011-09-11T22:59:00.004-04:00

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

2011-09-09T13:10:00.001-04:00

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

2011-09-08T16:01:00.007-04:00

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

2011-09-06T14:53:00.003-04:00

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

2011-09-06T13:11:00.004-04:00

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

2011-09-06T10:16:00.002-04:00

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

2011-09-05T22:02:00.003-04:00

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

2011-09-05T12:59:00.004-04:00

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

2011-09-05T10:50:00.005-04:00

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

2011-09-05T10:34:00.006-04:00

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

2011-09-05T09:58:00.005-04:00

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

2011-09-04T19:46:00.007-04:00

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

2011-09-04T14:10:00.009-04:00

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

2011-09-03T21:23:00.002-04:00

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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Passaic River Crests at Little Falls

2011-08-30T03:03:00.002-04:00

We are officially a sports blog but I'm making an exception for tonight.

I live on the Passaic River in New Jersey and with all this flooding I just want to let people know that the river has crested (at least according to my figures ) and will begin to recede within the next couple of hours.

I hope all of you are in good health and your houses are salvaged. It has been crazy couple of days and the water will still be with us for a few days. At least we can know it won't get any higher.

I'll post pictures in the morning.

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Gerald McCoy Quote of the Year

2011-08-19T18:11:00.003-04:00

I'm not going to post anything else; I'll just let Gerald speak for himself.

A lot of times we'd get the call but we couldn't get lined up. They were moving the ball so fast. Now we have to learn to recognize formations to attack quicker. [...]
Man, I'm telling you man, they came out, they'd turn around huddle, snap, oh, 'There's the Mike, Go!' I was like, 'Dang! Um, Mr. Brady, can we line up?' He didn't care. He was like, 'You're not going to line up.' When we turned around one time I checked back around and my hand was going to the grass and they were like, 'Hut!' And I said, 'Noooooooooooo!' [...]
[Bucs rookie DE Adrian] Clayborn came to me and was like, 'Oh my god, it was so fast!' I said, 'I know! That's what I've been trying to tell you!' It was a reality check, we needed that.

Reposted From Yahoo Sports

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2011 NFL Season Preview: AFC East

2011-08-18T13:16:00.004-04:00

Alright, here we go. NFL 2011 is on the way and here are my predictions for the AFC East.

I'm also going to post my bets for the over/under win totals. Of course, we don't condone betting and please do not use this website to further your bad habits. But, if you're going to bet at least you can compare your picks to mine and see how awesome I am at this.

I'm also going to post the picks from "the ex-minor leaguer". This man shall remain nameless, but I worked with him over the summer and he gave me all his picks for the upcoming season. Needless to say, he played minor league baseball for a couple years in New Jersey so we know he's a good baseball player. Now let's see how good he is at handicapping the NFL.

New England Patriots 12-4 (Over/Under 11.5)

The Patriots are great, but they're just not going to win as many games as last season. 14 wins just doesn't happen every year. They are probably the most dangerous team in the NFL every season, so you can count on them to win at least 12 this season.

Zack's Pick: Over

Ex-Minor Leaguer: Over

New York Jets 10-6 (Over/Under 10 )

It's going to be tough for the Jets to repeat what they've done over the last two seasons and get back to the AFC Championship. They're a good team though, and should get at least 10 wins and sneak in with the wild card.

Zack's Pick: Push

Ex-Minor Leaguer: Over

Buffalo Bills 7-9 (Over/Under 5.5)

Clearly Buffalo has room to improve, but they're 4-12 record last season doesn't give the whole story for their 2010 season. They picked up a big piece in Brad Smith who will give them an edge in those close games. The Bills lost four 3-point games last season and should be able to improve in that area. I doubt they'll make the playoffs but I would bet for sure they'll get at least 6 wins. This team has been underrated for a while and they'll surprise some of the better teams (and their fans) this season.

Zack: Over

Ex-Minor Leaguer: Over

Miami Dolphins 5-11 (Over/Under 7.5)

This is not a good team and they are already having issues. The fans are pushing for a trade with Denver for Kyle Orton and that can't be a good for a shaky Chad Henne's confidence. They should win a couple games though but way under the 7.5 Vegas has them pegged for. I think this season people are overrating Miami and as I posted earlier, underrating Buffalo.

Zack's Pick: Under

Ex-Minor Leaguer: Under

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Where is Tony Kornheiser

2011-08-15T19:39:00.001-04:00

Anybody have any idea?

After taking his usual July 4th break, he returned for like two episodes of PTI and has disappeared again for the last two weeks.

I hope he's told his mother he won't be home for dinner....

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NFL 2011 Season Preview

2011-08-14T10:32:00.003-04:00

With the upcoming NFL season approaching, and the end of my summer vacation before College begins, I will begin to post my Team by Team season previews.

They won't be anything special, just a couple of bullet points.

Plus, I'll be posting my projected records of each team and the over/under wins totals as well.

Keep reading for more.

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Football is Back (Week 1 Thursday NFL Preseason Picks)

2011-08-10T17:20:00.005-04:00

Alright, here we go!!

As of tomorrow night, the NFL Preseason begins. It's nothing special, but at least it's something.

I'm not going to handicap the Preseason because it is such a toss-up, but I'll throw out my picks just for fun.

Baltimore +3 WIN

Philadelphia -3

Jasonville +4 WIN

New England -4

Seattle +3 1/2

San Diego -3 1/2 WIN

Denver +3 WIN

Dallas -3

Arizona +3 1/2

Oakland -3 1/2 WIN

Alright, I'll post Friday's games tomorrow.

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Adam the Bull to Cleveland

2011-08-04T17:00:00.002-04:00

In keeping with our New York Radio theme; we have another breaking news report.

Adam the Bull, full-time fill-in host for WFAN, is leaving the network for a brand new CBS sports station out in Cleveland. He will host the drive time show from 3-7 on 92.3 FM out there.

Well, thats pretty much it for now.

Best of luck to Mr. Bull and if any of you are ever passing through Cleveland, turn on the radio and give him a call.

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Kellen Clemens to the Redskins

2011-08-01T19:27:00.002-04:00

At least he'll get another opportunity to compete for a starting QB job.

In the last 5 seasons, Kellen first competed with Chad Pennington (in his rookie season), then was benched for Brett Favre and finally lost out to Mark Sanchez. So all told, he hasn't played particularly well enough in practice to gain the confidence of any coaching staff.

But, when Kellen has actually gotten on the field, he has played well. Not great, but decently. He is .500 when he starts, but his statistics are pretty pathetic. He has never had a real chance to play consistently, so perhaps he can prove himself when given more than a game or two at a time to start.

In 2007, he took over for Chad Pennington on a terrible Jets team and went 4-4.

We wish Kellen best of luck in Washington and will be rooting for him to start in Game 1.

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Heisman Predictions 2011

2011-08-01T17:02:00.002-04:00

I really don't know that much about College Football, but I do know that Taylor Martinez is a very good player. So, I was checking out some of the Heisman betting odds and saw that he was 55-1 to win it this season.

With those odds, I was willing to lay $5 on him.

We'll see what happens with it all in November.

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Brett Favre to Return??

2011-07-25T16:02:00.002-04:00

No, he will not.

But that won't stop ESPN from trying to promote this imaginary story one more time.

For the last couple of years, ESPN has spent nearly all of their time covering Favre's returns when they should have been focusing on NFL Training Camp and the Baseball Season.

But instead, we are all forced to hear them blah blah blah about the greatness of Favre, his potential return and those effects on the NFL. Then we get to hear them blah blah blah more about how they are so sick of hearing about Brett Favre and how they want him to just make up his mind already.

See the inconsistency there?

I know that quite a few people have blamed Favre for his retiring and un-retiring over the last couple of years, but he has really become a sympathetic character in my mind with all these new rumors.

Please, let the man have time to breathe and speak to his wife, kids, and potential coaches in private. If you see him board a plane towards Philadelphia in three weeks then we can talk again.

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Approaching August

2011-07-24T20:31:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is July 25th which means it is the final week in July.

Baseball playoff races are heating up, Football (finally) is heading towards training camp and it is getting hot hot hot.

My air conditioning blew out so it is even hotter in my house.

So, I'd like to make mention of some of the things we should all be watching as we cruise into the month of August. These are in no particular order.

NL Central: This one is obvious. Three teams tied for first place, and none of them are going to win the Wild Card. So, it is an old fashioned playoff hunt; one winner and 2 losers. I'm rooting for the Pirates.

Brett Favre: I know, there has been nearly no mention of him coming back at all but you never know...

AL East: Can't beat the Yankees and the Red Sox.

Jered Weaver: If he keeps up the pace he is on now, he will have one of the greatest pitching seasons in the last 30 years.

Philadelphia Phillies: These guys never seem to get any credit but if they stay on track they will win 105 games this season.

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Tim Cowlishaw on Pardon the Interruption

2011-07-20T18:53:00.002-04:00

This is great news. We all love Dan Lebatard and of course Tony Kornheiser, but it's cool for a little change of pace.

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NFL Lockout begins to get serious

2011-07-20T18:41:00.002-04:00

I haven't been following the NFL Lockout as much as I should have, frankly because I always just assumed that come July 27th or so, it would have been over and all the players would be reporting to Training Camp.

But here we are on July 20th and there is still no resolution to the issue. Peter King has outlined that it would take at least 3 weeks (I can't find the article but take my word for it) before any Pre-season games be played and at least one Pre-season game before the season could begin. All told, this equals 4 weeks (about a month) from the signing of the CBA to the opening game.

With the NFL season set to begin on September 8th, that still leaves a solid 3 weeks to hammer out a deal with impeding the start of the season. But, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Hall of Fame game will not be played, nor will the scheduled first week of the Pre-Season. I know that the pre-season games are usually meaningless and incredibly boring, but there is still a little excitement when those first games come on the air.

The CBA negotiations are way to complicated for me to break down here, but you can check out Peter King's articles and twitter feed for constant updates and understandings. DO NOT check out ESPN's commentators; those guys have no idea what is going on. Adam Schefter already blew it when he said the lockout was basically over and would end sometime this week. If anything, it is just as complicated as ever especially with this new lawsuit over concussions by former players. Chris Mortensen is pretty solid, but I feel like he is on the air less and less. They need to get him back and let him be the main ESPN insider.

Thats all for now. I still have confidence it will be resolved without any delay in the season. Its just a matter of time.

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Are NASCAR Drivers Athletes?

2011-07-15T09:46:00.003-04:00

No!!

I'm not a big NASCAR fan, but I don enjoy watching the end of a race here and there and am usually aware of who won the big races throughout the season.

So why is this question even relevant?

Well, Jimmie Johnson was up for "Best Male Athlete" at the ESPY awards a couple nights ago and Golden Tate (WR for the Seattle Seahawks) posted some interesting tweets about the nomination.

ShowtimeTate Golden Tate

Jimmy johnson up for best athlete???? Um nooo .. Driving a car does not show athleticism

13 Jul

Of course, there was a huge uproar about how drivers are athletes and they may even be better athletes than most of the players in the team sports. But, all those people are wrong and Tate is right.

Heres why. To be an athlete you need to demonstrate some form of excessive physical activity. I'm all for classifying NASCAR as a sport along with Chess, Fishing, Darts, heck throw in Dominos along with them. But, none of the participants in those events are athletes.

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Brandon Tierney Done at SNY's Wheelhouse

2011-07-14T17:40:00.002-04:00

In preparation for his early August debut out in San Francisco, Brandon Tierney is wrapping things up over at his night gig at SNY tonight.

Thats right, sadly tonight will be Brandon's last time talking exclusively about New York Sports.

We've done the recap on his New York career in previous posts so I won't rehash it again. Take a look at the archives for where and how to keep in touch with him.

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Christian Lopez to pay for Jeter's 3000th hit?

2011-07-12T18:03:00.006-04:00

Well, this somewhat heart warming story is about to take an ugly turn. After catching Derek Jeter's HR on saturday, Lopez took the high road and volunteered to give the ball back to Jeter. In return, he received quite a bit of free stuff from the Yankees, including memorabilia and tickets.

So this is all fine and dandy; everyone wins, nobody's feelings got hurt, and all participants look classy. Sadly though, the taxman could come calling and put a damper on this parade. The New York Times is reporting that based u

pon the value of these gifts (approximately $70,000), Lopez may be forced to pay nearly $14,000 in taxes (based upon the 20% capital gains tax).

Lopez already has nearly $100,000 in student loans and other debt, and another $14,000 bill is probably not what he expected when his girlfriend invited him to a Saturday afternoon Yankee game last week. But, such is the way of the world

we live in where nothing seems to be free anymore. The Yankees have to step up and pay this bill for Lopez (if the tax authorities do pursue this). It is the least they can do after Lopez was such a good guy about giving the baseball to Derek. Of course, if the Yankees do pay the bill, perhaps that would be considered another gift and Lopez would have to pay taxes on that too. But that is a risk I'm sure both sides would be willing to take.

My question is whether Jeter and the Yankees will have to pay taxes on the 3000th hit ball that Christian Lope gave to them. Since the ball is worth anywhere from $250,000 to $1,000,000, the Yankees and Jeter could be on the hook for a gigantic tax hit. If the authorities do go after Lopez, they should go after Jeter too. Its the only fair thing to do.

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American League First Half Awards

2011-07-11T11:06:00.002-04:00

Well, we've reached the unofficial halfway point of the season and it is time to give out my first half awards.

AL MVP: Jose Bautista

Most people will tell you that it has been Adrian Gonzalez. These guys are beyond wrong. How can you now go with Jose Bautista? He is batting .334 with 31 HRs and 65 RBIs all top 4 in the AL, plus he leads the league in OBP and Slugging. Sure, he doesn't play on a playoff contender but he is absolutely dominating in the statistical categories.

AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander

This one is a little bit tougher, as there are so many players who are having unbelievable pitching seasons. But Verlander takes the cake from all of them. He leads the league in Ks with 147 and his 0.87 WHIP leads the league as well. He is 12-4 and his consistent dominance is keeping the Tigers afloat in the competitive AL Central.

Suprisingly though, he has given up 12 HRs which is double nearly all the other "Top Pitchers" in the American League (Sabathia, Beckett, Weaver, and Felix Hernandez).

AL Rookie of the Year: I don't know

Are there any rookies out there have played really well?? If there are let me know.

AL Manager of the Year: Manny Acta

This one is really easy. The Indians have been terrible the last couple seasons, but have really turned it around this year. I know he was the manager last year as well and they were terrible, but he has found a way to win this year. I hope they make the playoffs. It is great for baseball when there is a strong competitive balance. Sure, there will always be some truly awful teams every season. But, if those teams bounce back a year or two later (like they do in the NFL) then it will keep hopes alive in every baseball city across America.

Anyways, I hope you like my choices. As usual, feel free to comment or email me as you like.

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Lebron James Bald??

2011-06-30T17:17:00.003-04:00

Dwight Howard has just raised the ante in the Heat-Magic Rivalry.

Oy, thats a funny but low blow Dwight. I guess the 4th quarter jokes have already gotten kind of stale. Still, you never know when the baldness will hit you so watch out Dwight. As soon as your hairline starts to retreat you'll get the same treatment.

Just for our followers here is a pic of Lebron's receding hairline.

I guess we know why he wears the headband all the time now...

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Brandon Tierney Back on the Radio

2011-06-30T16:18:00.005-04:00

Its not in New York, but at least he is back on the Radio.

Today, Brandon Tierney signed a contract with 95.7FM out in San Francisco and as you can tell from the picture, they are the only FM sports station in the Bay Area.

I'm sure that Tierney would have loved to stay in the New York area, and I'm sure that one day he will be back (see Jody McDonald), but for now we'll have to accept the fact that he'll be talking about California sports for the time being. I bet he'll still throw in some stuff about the Knicks and the Yankees here and there, especially when our New York teams make the trips out west. One thing is for sure, with 95.7 FM being the home of the San Jose Sharks, Tierney will have to start learning some Hockey lingo.

You can listen to their station online San Francisco 95.7 FM. I'm guessing their website will update soon when they officially plug in Tierney to their lineup.

Best of luck Brandon, we'll be listening to your podcasts.

As for you fans out there who wish to keep in touch, you can visit his Facebook Page or Twitter Feed.

Plus, we'll try to keep you updated if anything major happens.

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Brandon Tierney Update

2011-06-30T14:56:00.000-04:00

I guess we'll be getting an update soon.

BrandonTierney Brandon Tierney

Signing Day.

3 minutes ago

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Brandon Tierney To San Francisco (95.7 KBWF)

2011-06-30T14:23:00.002-04:00

Well, our rival blog "BobsBlitz" is reporting that Tierney will join 95.7 KBWF out in San Francisco sometime in early August. Yes, this is the beginning of a Keith Olbermann vs Bill O'Reilly type feud.

But now that WE are reporting Brandon's move, it is officially official!!

KBWF 95.7 covers both the Oakland Athletics and the San Jose Sharks.

Still no word from Brandon himself so we'll be waiting on that.

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DraftStreet: Fantasy Sports for Cash and Money

2011-06-28T17:15:00.002-04:00

What's more fun than playing fantasy sports with your buddies?

How about playing fantasy sports for cash.

All of your dreams have come true with this relatively new website. To play, you need to join and make a deposit into your account. They'll give you a small percentage bonus for joining (I believe 20%) and you can then play instantly. Best of all -unlike most other sports-gambling websites- it is 100% completely legal. The Supreme Court has defined Fantasy Sports as a game of skill and is thus not considered gambling.

Types of Leagues:

1. HR Derby: Each team chooses 6 or so players and tracks the HR totals for a period of time (usually a week. At the end, the winner is the team with the most HRs.

2. Point Based: This works as every other old point league; you choose some players and add up the points. The person with the most points at the end of the day or the week wins.

Types of Drafts:

1. Salary Cap: I like this type the best because I don't have the time to do a traditional snake style draft every afternoon. They give you $100 thousand (in play money) and you choose your players based upon the prices they set for each player.

2. Snake Draft: Each player drafts in this traditional style draft at the designated time. Like I said earlier, this is probably more fun and I wish I could do it, but sadly I don't have the time.

Prizes:

Each league has a prize, whether its a weekly, HR Derby, or even a 3 person league daily. They take a 10% cut on every entry fee so if you're in a league with 3 people and an $11 entry fee the prize pool will be $30. The math gets a little more complicated as the size of the league increases but they have a formula to pay 2nd 3rd 4th and so on player that you can check out on the website.

If you don't want to pay to play, you can still play in free leagues and earn "street-cred" points that you can later trade in at their store for prizes.

Opinion:

This website is fun and most importantly legal. But, you're not going to make the kind of money to pay you're rent. Still, I would definitely throw $20 into it and see if you can make a little bit of cash. If you really believe in your fantasy sports skills you can enter into the big big leagues and even make $2000 in one night.

I personally have stuck to the smaller 3 or 10 person leagues because they give me a better chance of winning. Sadly though, I'm 0-4 so far so we'll have to wait to see what happens when I actually win. Till then, I urge you all to click on the banner link on the top of the page and give it a go. Heck, choose all the players on your favorite team and when you watch the game tonight, it'll be quite a bit more exciting.

Also of note, they do leagues for the basketball and football season as well.

If you have questions or comments, please post or email me at countzacky@yahoo.com. Don't forget to bookmark us by clicking Ctrl-D on your keyboard.

Brandon Tierney's Future Update

2011-06-28T16:17:00.003-04:00

Apparently, nothing is official yet...

"The Brandon Tierney Fan Page"
Nothing to report yet guys, despite speculation. Nothing is signed. Yet.

Dodgers file for Bankruptcy

2011-06-27T10:25:00.002-04:00

What!!

One of the most fabled franchises in sports history has now completly collapsed.

I'm not so fluent in Bankruptcy Law, but I think its safe to assume that this is not good for Frank McCourt's ownership of the team. No complaints here in that department, he'll still live comfortably for the rest of his life.

If I remember correctly, the Texas Rangers did this last year and it worked out fine for them. In fact, they made it all the way to the World Series. They didn't get kicked out of MLB, nor were they ever forced to shut down operations.

So why does this matter?

For starters, it shows that professional sports teams are actual businesses, ones with ups and downs and potential complications. For the past two decades or so we have seen sports expand so rapidly we forget that they are still subject to the economic realities of our times. Us Yankee fans (and Mets fans) know how ridiculous the expectations were for their season ticket packages and how their respective ownerships needed to revise their projections.

The NFL lockout looks like it will be resolved relatively soon because there is still plenty of money to be made on all sides. But, with this new economic reality hitting baseball (skyrocketing contracts coupled with reduced ticket sales) it may not be long before they are dealing with the same issues. If a couple more teams experience similar destructive ownership like the Rangers and the Dodgers, we could be headed for a future of Baseball instability.

Lets hope thats not the case...

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Brandon Tierney to San Francisco or San Diego, California??

2011-06-27T09:49:00.006-04:00

Maybe, its all a little bit unclear right now.

Here is the information we have so far.

On Friday Brandon Posted

BrandonTierney Brandon Tierney

planning announcement of future broadcast plans within a week, max...

And yesterday, he wrote on his Facebook page

"The Brandon Tierney Fan Page"

‎"It's all good, from Diego to tha Bay
Your city is tha bomb if your city makin pay
Throw up a finger if ya feel the same way
Dre puttin it down for
Californ-i-a..."

Anyways, if all this means he is moving out to the west coast it'll be disappointing for us New Yokers, but in this day and age of internet radio, we can still listen to him. Sadly though, it probably won't be about the Knicks.

Heres to hoping he stays right here in NYC!

We'll keep you posted.

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The Bamb-Tino: Tino Martinez goes yard on Old Timer's Day

2011-06-26T13:33:00.002-04:00

Just like old times, Tino crushed a two run HR and drove in Bernie Williams to score the only runs in the 2011 Old Timer's Day at Yankee Stadium. David Cone takes the loss but he was all smiles as Tino rounded the bases. For those of us who grew up in the '90s and watched Cone, Wells, Tino, Bernie and others win and win and win, it was great to see all these players come back and play some baseball.

We'll get the clip up as soon as it is posted online.

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Brandon Tierney Update

2011-06-24T19:32:00.003-04:00

We have an update on Brandon Tierney's future in Radio.

BrandonTierney Brandon Tierney

planning announcement of future broadcast plans within a week, max...

6 hours ago

Ok, not much so we'll see what happens......

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