After breaking down the 2010 National League earlier this week, which you can find below, I will now break down the American League and give you some predictions for the playoffs and awards. The American League is usually the stronger league and it looks like it will continue with that same trend. So let’s start the show…
American League West:
1: Seattle Mariners (92-70) The Mariners had a major renovation completed on their team in the offseason. They spent money on Chone Figgins, they brought in Cliff Lee to team up with Felix Hernandez to give them one of the best 1-2 punches in the Majors. They also brought in MLB’s Kanye West, his words not mine, in Milton Bradley. They also roll out one of the best defensive outfields that seem to catch every ball that is hit in the air. They did lose a valuable defender in Adrian Beltre, but they slide Jose Lopez, who will hopefully be a sleeper for me in Fantasy Baseball, over to third and put Figgins at 2B. The major question with the Mariners lies in their bullpen. Can David Aardsma have a duplicate of last season? If so, they win the division; if not they most likely finish second behind….
2: Texas Rangers (88-74) It is finally going to all come together for the Texas Rangers. They have some sleeper pitchers in Scott Feldman and Rich Harden. They also shifted set-up man/occasional closer C.J. Wilson into the starting rotation. With that solid core it looks like, on paper at least, that their starting rotation can finally keep up with their offense. I think Josh Hamilton has a bounce back year and puts up similar numbers to what he did two years ago when he was having his breakout season. The major acquisition the Rangers added on offense was with Vladimir Guerrero. He will be a nice addition in that park and add some solid offense to the Rangers. In the bullpen they trot out Frank Francisco to close and most likely Neftali Feliz as his set-up man.
3: Los Angeles Angels (87-75) The Angels, in my opinion, took a big step backwards. They lost Figgins, Guerrero, and John Lackey via free agency. They tried, unsuccessfully to trade for Roy Halladay, and they didn’t find anyone else to replace Lackey in the rotation. They will feel the loss of Figgins on the basepaths. I expect guys like Juan Rivera and Kendry Morales to improve upon their stellar 2009 seasons. However, the loss in the rotation will deeply impact this team. I don’t expect Ervin Santana to put up the numbers that he did last season, they also have question marks, in regards to health, in Joe Saunders and Scott Kazmir. If they are healthy they can have a solid season as a team, but if they struggle with injuries this team will struggle to win ball games.
4: Oakland Athletics (78-84) The Athletics are going to be the worst team in the AL West. They lack any star hitters and they seem to pick up hitters who either hit a home run or strikeout. They do have some solid pitchers, Brett Anderson in particular. This is a young kid who can throw strikes and should be the ace of this team. However, the rest of the rotation can’t match his intensity and the offense doesn’t have anyone who threatens an opposing team. They do have a reliable closer in Andrew Bailey, but it doesn’t look like he will get many opportunities to close out games.
American League Central:
1: Chicago White Sox (88-74) The White Sox look like the team to beat in the AL Central. They look upgraded with Juan Pierre, and a healthy Jake Pevey. They have a solid base to build a good starting rotation around. Gavin Floyd, Pevey, and John Danks are all solid starters. They will have good offensive production with Pierre and Alex Rios setting the table for guys like Paul Konerko, and Carlos Quentin. I think Rios will have a solid season in Chicago and he will be able to put up solid numbers, like he used to do back in Toronto. Look for the White Sox to win the Central and make it back to the playoffs.
2: Minnesota Twins (85-77) The Twins are all bubbly with their recent accord with Joe Mauer. He will be the backstop for them his entire career. However, that will not be able to make up for the loss of Joe Nathan. He is done this season after having Tommy John surgery and they will have to rely on Jon Rauch as their closer. He did a decent job while with the Diamondbacks, but I wouldn’t trust him in the American League. They acquired a solid replacement for the departure of Orlando Cabrera in JJ Hardy. He struggled last season in Milwaukee, but should have a nice bounce back year.
3: Detroit Tigers (80-82) The Tigers had a major reshuffling in the offseason. In the midst of the economic downturn their owner needed to dump players in order to save on salary. They traded Curtis Granderson to the Yankees, and they traded Edwin Jackson to the Diamondbacks. I loved the trade for Max Scherzer, he is studly (a quote from a friend), and he shouldn’t feel the hit of moving from the NL to the AL like most other pitchers because he will pitch half his games in the friendly confines of Motown. The addition of Johnny Damon will add some leadership to the team and possibly keep Miguel Cabrera under wraps, but Damon will see a significant dip in his power numbers.
4: Cleveland Indians (76-86) The Indians are a team that has been struggling the past few seasons. They don’t have enough pitching to really contend in the AL Central. They are hoping Fausto Carmona regains his 2007 form where he won 19 games and competed for a Cy Young, but that could be wishful thinking at this point. They are also hoping Grady Sizemore stays healthy this year and can give them the numbers they have come to expect form him. But even if that happens, they still will struggle to win ball games. Kerry Wood is already starting the season on the DL and it looks like Chris Perez will take over as closer and most likely not give it back to Wood. That is only bright spot on this team, the future closer in Chris Perez. That is saying something.
5: Kansas City Royals (70-92) The Royals are a very bad team. They have Zack Greinke and Joakim Soria on their pitching staff and not much else. They don’t have many good hitters; only Billy Butler really stands out. The additions of Scott Podsednik and Rick Ankiel are solid ones that might give a boost to the offense, but I don’t expect the Royals to win many games or be in contention in many games this season.
American League East:
1: Boston Red Sox (99-63) Call me a homer sure, but I’m starting to fall in love with the 2010 Red Sox. Sure they wont score 10+runs a game as often as they have in years past, but they will win many games with pitching and defense. They upgraded their defense tremendously with the addition of Mike Cameron, Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro. Sliding Jacoby Ellsbury over to left is also a defensive improvement. The main concern amongst all the talking heads is how the Red Sox will score runs, but I am not concerned. I think David Ortiz has a solid year, which he did last year but people only remember that he slumped tremendously the first two months of the season. The addition of John Lackey to the rotation gives the Red Sox three aces. Teaming him up with Josh Beckett and Jon Lester will give the Red Sox the best pitching trifecta in baseball, and when you add in guys like Dice-K, Tim Wakefield, and Clay Buchholz, they have a very sound rotation. They also have a solid bullpen with Jonathan Papelbon closing out games and Daniel Bard setting him up.
2: New York Yankees (98-64) The Yankees are coming off a World Series victory and they had a minor overhaul this summer. They added Curtis Granderson to their outfield, while losing Johnny Damon. They also recently named Phil Hughes as their 5th starter as they look to improve their pitching staff. I am not a big fan of AJ Burnett’s and I don’t know how much longer Andy Petite will continue to pitch well, the wheels should come off soon. The Yankees will always be a threat to add someone at midseason, but I don’t think they have the prospects to work out a deal for anyone substantial if they are hit with prolonged injuries, which they avoided last season. Look for the Yankees to stay in the hunt for the AL East all season long.
3: Tampa Bay Rays (83-79) The Rays had a very solid campaign in 2008 and they will look to repeat that, however they don’t have the personnel to do it. They will struggle to keep up with the Red Sox and Yankees. They have some solid pitchers in Garza and James Shields, and some young flame-throwers in David Price and Wade Davis, but they are still too young. The offense isn’t as potent as the Red Sox and Yankees and they are poised to finish behind them once again.
4: Baltimore Orioles (73-89) The Orioles are not very good. They don’t have many solid pitchers and their offense leaves nothing to be desired. They have some young kids, who might make some impact, and they brought back Miguel Tejada, but that won’t help them achieve anything more than a second to last place finish in the East.
5: Toronto Blue Jays (67-95) The Jays are another team in the East that is not very good. They are expecting Shaun Marcum to bounce back form surgery and be their opening day starter, but I don’t think he will have stellar campaign. Their offense looks to rebound from a down year and they hope Vernon Wells will be back to his old ways. But even if Wells is solid this year, they won’t have the firepower to keep up with the beasts in the East.
National League Wild Card Predictions:
Phillies over Colorado in 4
Dodgers over Cardinals in 4
National League Pennant Predictions:
Dodgers over Phillies in 7
NLCS MVP: Clayton Kershaw
American League Wild Card Predictions:
Red Sox over White Sox in 3
Mariners over Yankees in 5
American League Pennant Predictions:
Red Sox over Mariners in 6
ALCS MVP: Jon Lester
World Series Prediction:
Red Sox over Dodgers in 7
WS MVP: Victor Martinez
Regular Season Awards:
AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera
NL MVP: Albert Pujols
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum
There you have all the predictions. Coming up once the NBA season is finished I will have my predictions for the 2010 NBA Playoffs and Finals.
Friday, March 26
Tuesday, March 23
2010 MLB Preview: The National League
The 2010 MLB season is about to commence, and as the spring season winds down I want to give you a little preview of what to expect from each League and then what to expect come playoff time and hand out some awards. I will break this up into two or possibly three posts.
Today I am starting with the National League. I have always been an AL guy, as I root for the Red Sox, but since moving to Los Angeles and the decision to play fantasy baseball I have come to know and love the NL too. The NL is represented by the Phillies, who have made it to the World Series the past two seasons, winning once. They also have the Cardinals and the Dodgers, both of which are solid all around teams. So without further ado the preview.
National League East:
1: Phillies (98-64) Like I mentioned earlier the Phillies are coming off a second consecutive World Series appearance and they seem like they should be headed to a third. They are stacked on offense with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the middle of the order. They also have solid pitching in Roy Halladay, which was a huge acquisition in the offseason, and Cole Hamels. They close out games with a nice set-up man and closer tandem in Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge. Lidge will start the season on the DL and Madson should fill in as closer. If the Phillies were able to withstand the horrible year from Lidge last season and still make the World Series they should be okay.
2: New York Mets (85–77) The Mets were bitten hard and often by the injury bug last season. They suffered through a power outage from David Wright and didn’t live up to expectations for their season. This year they come in with little to no expectations and I expect them to exceed them. The addition of Jason Bay will add some power to the lineup and I think Wright rediscovers his power stroke. They still need some help in the rotation and if Jerry Mejia pitches like a seasoned veteran, and not like a rookie, the Mets will surprise some people.
3: Florida Marlins (82-80) The Marlins have a solid young team. With Hanley Ramirez anchoring their offense and guys like Jorge Cantu, and Dan Uggla, and guys like Rickey Nolasco, and Josh Johnson in the rotation it looks like they have a solid foundation. The only thing is they are still too young. They will try to contend for a second place finish but will ultimately come up short.
4: Atlanta Braves (80-82) The Braves are also a young team in the field. They are not as dominant in the pitching department as they have been in the past, but with guys like Tommy Hanson their fans have something to look forward to. The loss of Javier Vasquez is big as he was the ace of their staff last season and it will be tough to replace him. The addition of Billy Wagner to close out games is huge as he has the ability to be a top 3 closer in baseball and with their rookie stud, Jayson Heyward, they are a year or two away from truly competing for a World Series title.
5: Washington Nationals (70-92) What can you say about the Nationals other than they are a very mediocre team. They have young guns in Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen, but they don’t have much else. They aren’t a flashy team and don’t expect them to do anything this season.
National League Central:
1: St. Louis Cardinals (88-74) They have Albert Pujols and Matt Hilliday. They have Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. They have a solid foundation on offense and pitching. They have a solid closer in Ryan Franklin. This is a weak division, maybe the weakest in baseball, and they should have no issue with winning it as long as they stay healthy. There is already talk of Pujols having a bad back.
2: Chicago Cubs (86-76) The Cubs got rid of a basket case in Milton Bradley and replaced him with Marlon Byrd. It was a good addition, but they didn’t do much else. They have a weak rotation with Ted Lilly already being injured. It will be tough to beat out the Cardinals, but they do have a chance.
3: Cincinnati Reds (81-81) I think they have a respectable .500 season. Aroldis Chapman looks like a stud who can win 15 games. They have solid offense in Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. Bruce, while he does strikeout a ton, has a ton of power and can hit the ball hard to all fields. Votto, who is coming off a season in which he put up great numbers while spending time on the DL for an inner ear infection and then depression looks like he can have an even better season than last. Look for them to make a hard push towards the top of the division but the ultimately fall short of a crown.
4: Milwaukee Brewers (78-84) They have a power guy in Prince Fielder, but nothing much beyond that. They lost JJ Hardy, who I think it going to have a tremendous bounce back year, and replaced him with Alcides Escobar who will have a good shot at rookie of the year. But that won’t be enough to make a dent in the standings.
5: Houston Astros (70-92) The Astros lost their closer, and replaced him with two guys who the manager is trying to decide on. They are hoping for bounce back years from Roy Oswalt, Carlos Lee, and Lance Berkman. However, I don’t think they will all click and lead them to a division title.
6: Pittsburgh Pirates (68-94) They might be the worst team in baseball. They don’t have anyone on their pitching staff who can make a difference and the only guy on offense now is really Andrew McCutchen. They will limp to the finish line of the season and their fans will have to endure another terrible season of baseball. At least the city has all the Ben Roethlisberger issues to read about.
National League West
1: Los Angeles Dodgers (94-68) The Dodgers still have the best team in the West. They have Matt Kemp, Manny Ramirez, Andre Ethier, and Russell Martin and Furcal should have bounce back years. In the rotation they have Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw who should anchor a staff that will lead the Dodgers into the playoffs. In the bullpen they have Broxton and Sherill, who are both solid relievers. Look for the Dodgers to have no issues when it comes to scoring runs and preserving leads thus enabling them to win the West.
2: Colorado Rockies (89-73) The Rockies had a spectacular year last season. Their pitching was the best it has been in years. They had rookies in Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzales emerge as guys to watch for the future. They also benefited from a bounce back year from Troy Tulowitzki. They have a solid bullpen and they should be able to have a similar year as they did last year.
3: San Diego Padres (79-83) The Padres lead the rest of the West in terms of talent. They have a solid bullpen and good lineup with Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Headley and Everth Cabrera leading the way. They should be able to improve on their last season.
4: San Francisco Giants (77-85) We all know what the Giants have in their rotation. They have three solid starters that can all win 15 plus games and strikeout a ton of batters. However, it is the rest of the pitching that is worrisome. They also do not have the hitters that other teams in the NL West have. They will struggle to score runs and they will have a hard time outpitching everyone in every game.
5: Arizona Diamondbacks (77-85) They can have a surprisingly good season. They just need everyting to fall into place at the right time. If Webb can come back smoothly and give them a season that he had two years ago that will go a long way towards helping them have an excellent season. They also need Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds to build upon their stellar campaigns last season. Edwin Jackson is a newcomer that can also help tremendously. He had a breakout season in Detroit last year and if he can carry that over to the NL West they DBacks have a good chance at sneaking up on people.
So there you have it. The NL breakdown for the 2010 season. Coming later this week I will breakdown the AL and the playoff race and awards.
Today I am starting with the National League. I have always been an AL guy, as I root for the Red Sox, but since moving to Los Angeles and the decision to play fantasy baseball I have come to know and love the NL too. The NL is represented by the Phillies, who have made it to the World Series the past two seasons, winning once. They also have the Cardinals and the Dodgers, both of which are solid all around teams. So without further ado the preview.
National League East:
1: Phillies (98-64) Like I mentioned earlier the Phillies are coming off a second consecutive World Series appearance and they seem like they should be headed to a third. They are stacked on offense with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the middle of the order. They also have solid pitching in Roy Halladay, which was a huge acquisition in the offseason, and Cole Hamels. They close out games with a nice set-up man and closer tandem in Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge. Lidge will start the season on the DL and Madson should fill in as closer. If the Phillies were able to withstand the horrible year from Lidge last season and still make the World Series they should be okay.
2: New York Mets (85–77) The Mets were bitten hard and often by the injury bug last season. They suffered through a power outage from David Wright and didn’t live up to expectations for their season. This year they come in with little to no expectations and I expect them to exceed them. The addition of Jason Bay will add some power to the lineup and I think Wright rediscovers his power stroke. They still need some help in the rotation and if Jerry Mejia pitches like a seasoned veteran, and not like a rookie, the Mets will surprise some people.
3: Florida Marlins (82-80) The Marlins have a solid young team. With Hanley Ramirez anchoring their offense and guys like Jorge Cantu, and Dan Uggla, and guys like Rickey Nolasco, and Josh Johnson in the rotation it looks like they have a solid foundation. The only thing is they are still too young. They will try to contend for a second place finish but will ultimately come up short.
4: Atlanta Braves (80-82) The Braves are also a young team in the field. They are not as dominant in the pitching department as they have been in the past, but with guys like Tommy Hanson their fans have something to look forward to. The loss of Javier Vasquez is big as he was the ace of their staff last season and it will be tough to replace him. The addition of Billy Wagner to close out games is huge as he has the ability to be a top 3 closer in baseball and with their rookie stud, Jayson Heyward, they are a year or two away from truly competing for a World Series title.
5: Washington Nationals (70-92) What can you say about the Nationals other than they are a very mediocre team. They have young guns in Stephen Strasburg and Drew Storen, but they don’t have much else. They aren’t a flashy team and don’t expect them to do anything this season.
National League Central:
1: St. Louis Cardinals (88-74) They have Albert Pujols and Matt Hilliday. They have Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. They have a solid foundation on offense and pitching. They have a solid closer in Ryan Franklin. This is a weak division, maybe the weakest in baseball, and they should have no issue with winning it as long as they stay healthy. There is already talk of Pujols having a bad back.
2: Chicago Cubs (86-76) The Cubs got rid of a basket case in Milton Bradley and replaced him with Marlon Byrd. It was a good addition, but they didn’t do much else. They have a weak rotation with Ted Lilly already being injured. It will be tough to beat out the Cardinals, but they do have a chance.
3: Cincinnati Reds (81-81) I think they have a respectable .500 season. Aroldis Chapman looks like a stud who can win 15 games. They have solid offense in Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. Bruce, while he does strikeout a ton, has a ton of power and can hit the ball hard to all fields. Votto, who is coming off a season in which he put up great numbers while spending time on the DL for an inner ear infection and then depression looks like he can have an even better season than last. Look for them to make a hard push towards the top of the division but the ultimately fall short of a crown.
4: Milwaukee Brewers (78-84) They have a power guy in Prince Fielder, but nothing much beyond that. They lost JJ Hardy, who I think it going to have a tremendous bounce back year, and replaced him with Alcides Escobar who will have a good shot at rookie of the year. But that won’t be enough to make a dent in the standings.
5: Houston Astros (70-92) The Astros lost their closer, and replaced him with two guys who the manager is trying to decide on. They are hoping for bounce back years from Roy Oswalt, Carlos Lee, and Lance Berkman. However, I don’t think they will all click and lead them to a division title.
6: Pittsburgh Pirates (68-94) They might be the worst team in baseball. They don’t have anyone on their pitching staff who can make a difference and the only guy on offense now is really Andrew McCutchen. They will limp to the finish line of the season and their fans will have to endure another terrible season of baseball. At least the city has all the Ben Roethlisberger issues to read about.
National League West
1: Los Angeles Dodgers (94-68) The Dodgers still have the best team in the West. They have Matt Kemp, Manny Ramirez, Andre Ethier, and Russell Martin and Furcal should have bounce back years. In the rotation they have Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw who should anchor a staff that will lead the Dodgers into the playoffs. In the bullpen they have Broxton and Sherill, who are both solid relievers. Look for the Dodgers to have no issues when it comes to scoring runs and preserving leads thus enabling them to win the West.
2: Colorado Rockies (89-73) The Rockies had a spectacular year last season. Their pitching was the best it has been in years. They had rookies in Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzales emerge as guys to watch for the future. They also benefited from a bounce back year from Troy Tulowitzki. They have a solid bullpen and they should be able to have a similar year as they did last year.
3: San Diego Padres (79-83) The Padres lead the rest of the West in terms of talent. They have a solid bullpen and good lineup with Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Headley and Everth Cabrera leading the way. They should be able to improve on their last season.
4: San Francisco Giants (77-85) We all know what the Giants have in their rotation. They have three solid starters that can all win 15 plus games and strikeout a ton of batters. However, it is the rest of the pitching that is worrisome. They also do not have the hitters that other teams in the NL West have. They will struggle to score runs and they will have a hard time outpitching everyone in every game.
5: Arizona Diamondbacks (77-85) They can have a surprisingly good season. They just need everyting to fall into place at the right time. If Webb can come back smoothly and give them a season that he had two years ago that will go a long way towards helping them have an excellent season. They also need Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds to build upon their stellar campaigns last season. Edwin Jackson is a newcomer that can also help tremendously. He had a breakout season in Detroit last year and if he can carry that over to the NL West they DBacks have a good chance at sneaking up on people.
So there you have it. The NL breakdown for the 2010 season. Coming later this week I will breakdown the AL and the playoff race and awards.
Tuesday, March 16
March Madness
March Madness is back baby!!! Diaper Dandies galore!!! OK it’s out of my system. Everyone loves this time of year. We all love watching four games at once the opening weekend and rooting for all the crazy games and upsets. This year should prove to be no different. People are expecting a crazy tournament and we should be amazed. We have a bunch of powerhouses in the tournament. Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, and Syracuse are the four #1 seeds. We also have great 2 seeds in West Virginia and Ohio State. We have young teams that are anchored by freshman, and seasoned teams that boast a lineup full of seniors.
Everyone it seems is choosing Kansas to cut down the nets on April 5th, but I am not so sure about that. We will get to that in a minute. What I have come to notice over the past few seasons, dating back to when Carmelo Anthony was a frosh at Syracuse, is a dominate player can carry his team into the Sweet 16 and beyond. We have a few teams that fit the bill. Kansas with Sherron Collins, Kentucky with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, Ohio State with Evan Turner, Syracuse with Wesley Johnson, and Cornell with Ryan Wittman. Yeah I just mentioned Cornell in the same sentence as Ohio State, Kentucky, Syracuse and Kansas. Another March Madness regularity is a double-digit seed surprising everyone and making it into the Sweet 16 or even the Elite 8. I think this year’s teams are Cornell and UTEP.
Cornell, as mentioned earlier has a kid named Ryan Wittman who can score from anywhere on the court, and has a bit of his dad in him, former NBA player Randy Wittman. They also have a 7-footer in Jeff Foote, who likes to bang inside and has a great nose for the ball. Cornell is the Ivy League champions and will sneak up on the higher seeds so single-digit seeds, you have been warned.
UTEP is one of the best defensive basketball teams in the nation. They have Derrick Caracter, an unheralded transfer from Louisville, and guard Randy Culpepper to give UTEP a great inside-outside dominance. UTEP can also run when they need to, as they have put up 80+ points in 12 games.
OK, onto the games. I am going to skip the first two rounds of the tournament and give you a breakdown of the Sweet 16 matchups all the way until the finals.
Midwest Bracket: (seed in bracket)
Kansas (1) vs. Michigan State (5): Kansas should be able to pull out this game. Kansas is loaded with NBA talent and is fully seasoned with countless seniors on this team. Michigan State normally reaches the Sweet 16 and this year should be no different. However, they struggled late in the season and Tom Izzo won’t be able to coach this team to the Final Four.
Georgetown (3) vs. Ohio State (2): Ohio State boasts one of the best players in the country and the possible #1 pick in the NBA draft. Evan Turner has the ability to put this team on his back and take them to the Final Four. I think they should be able to handle Georgetown, who struggled down the stretch.
Kansas vs. Ohio State: This game should shape up to be one of the best Elite 8 games in the tournament. You have Turner vs. the Kansas team. And like I mentioned earlier Turner has the ability to carry OSU into the Final Four, but I don’t see him pulling off the upset of Kansas. Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins are two first round picks in the NBA draft and they have the experience that is key to winning in March.
West Bracket:
Syracuse (1) vs. UTEP (12): Syracuse has a good defensive team and even though they struggled in their final games of the season, they were ranked #1 in the country just a few weeks ago. Syracuse is stacked at key positions with Wesley Johnson leading the way offensively. UTEP, as mentioned earlier, boasts one of the best defensive teams in the tournament and I think they can slow the game up and give Syracuse a very good game in this matchup. However, at the end of the day Syracuse will prevail based on their experience.
Xavier (6) vs. BYU (7): Don’t sleep on the Mormons. They are talented and experienced, as this is their thirds straight year in the tournament. They have Jimmer Fredette, who is talented enough to bring them to the Elite 8. Xavier has the guy that dunked on LeBron this summer, Jordan Crawford. He, coupled with Jason Love, give Xavier the ingredients to pull off some upsets in the tournament. This game is a toss up and could go either way, but in the end I think BYU pulls it off.
Syracuse vs. BYU: In this Elite 8 matchup BYU will try to slow down the proficient scoring abilities of Syracuse. It will be a tough task, as BYU doesn’t have anyone who can guard Wesley Johnson. Johnson is a lock for a top 5 pick in this year’s NBA draft. BYU will give a valiant effort but in the end they will come up short.
East Bracket
Kentucky (1) vs. Cornell (12): I love Kentucky. John Calipari’s teams always go far in the tournament and he always wins with point guards like John Wall. Wall is a superb athlete and when you pair him with Cousins they can be unstoppable at times. Cornell will ride Ryan Wittman all the way to the Sweet 16 and they will be America’s sweethearts, but this is where their Cinderella run will end. Kentucky will bring too much to the table and Cornell won’t be able to stop them.
New Mexico (3) West Virginia (2): West Virginia won the Big East tournament and the Big East is the best conference this season. They are very stacked with Da’Sean Butler, who can fill up the bucket and defend well. New Mexico is a little bit underrated, as they are not seen on TV very often. They won their conference and have the ability to pull off the upset of WVU, but I think ultimately, WVU hangs on for a victory to reach the Elite 8.
Kentucky vs. WVU: This will be the second best matchup in the Elite 8. Kentucky has the size and the athletic ability to handle everything WVU brings to the table, and WVU has the scorers to keep up with Kentucky. These teams matchup well together and they have similar defensive and offensive numbers. In the end John Wall will be too much to handle and he will carry Kentucky to the Final Four.
South Bracket
Duke (1) vs. Texas A&M (5): Duke is normally a team that scores, and scores, and then scores some more. They normally lose games when they go cold because they don’t have the players to stop other teams from scoring too. However, this year is different. Coach K has compiled a great defensive team and it has allowed Duke to win some games this year when in years past they would have lost. Normally in the tournament Duke gets bounced early because of their lack of defense, but this year it shouldn’t be the case. Texas A&M on the other hand is not as great on defense. They also struggle form the free throw line, shooting only 66% as a team. Duke will win this game easily.
Baylor (3) vs. Villanova (2): Baylor has one of the best backcourts in the nation as well as a shot blocking defensive powerhouse on the inside. They average close to 80 PPG and can score at will sometimes. ‘Nova on the other hand does not have the defensive presence to stop many teams. They struggled down the stretch and it will be difficult for them to compete with Baylor.
Duke vs. Baylor: This will be a great defensive matchup. Duke will try to hold the Bears down offensively, but it might be difficult. Baylor has the defensive abilities to disrupt Duke and force them to play catch-up. Duke doesn’t seem as strong as they do in recent years. Baylor will be the unlike presence in the Final 4 with the upset over Duke.
Final Four:
Kansas vs. Syracuse: Kansas is big and talented. They have players who can defend Wesley Johnson. He is a super athlete, but Xavier Henry will be able to counteract his talents and he will have a big game to carry Kansas the Finals.
Kentucky vs. Baylor: Kentucky is great. John Wall will be able to penetrate the lane and kick to Eric Bledsoe and Cousins. Wall will be named MVP of this game and he will lead Kentucky to the Finals.
Championship Game:
Kansas vs. Kentucky: In what looks like on paper to be an amazing championship game. Wall vs. Collins, Aldrich vs. Cousins, Bledsoe vs. Henry, there are crazy matchups all over the floor. You also have the experience of Kansas vs. the youth of Kentucky. This will be a back and forth matchup that will come down to the wire, and in the end the Youth of Kentucky will pull off the upset and be crowned champions of college basketball this year. John Wall will be named the tournament MOP and solidify himself as the number 1 pick in the NBA draft.
Starting Thursday I will break down each MLB division daily and handout my awards and playoff spots and crown the champions.
Everyone it seems is choosing Kansas to cut down the nets on April 5th, but I am not so sure about that. We will get to that in a minute. What I have come to notice over the past few seasons, dating back to when Carmelo Anthony was a frosh at Syracuse, is a dominate player can carry his team into the Sweet 16 and beyond. We have a few teams that fit the bill. Kansas with Sherron Collins, Kentucky with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, Ohio State with Evan Turner, Syracuse with Wesley Johnson, and Cornell with Ryan Wittman. Yeah I just mentioned Cornell in the same sentence as Ohio State, Kentucky, Syracuse and Kansas. Another March Madness regularity is a double-digit seed surprising everyone and making it into the Sweet 16 or even the Elite 8. I think this year’s teams are Cornell and UTEP.
Cornell, as mentioned earlier has a kid named Ryan Wittman who can score from anywhere on the court, and has a bit of his dad in him, former NBA player Randy Wittman. They also have a 7-footer in Jeff Foote, who likes to bang inside and has a great nose for the ball. Cornell is the Ivy League champions and will sneak up on the higher seeds so single-digit seeds, you have been warned.
UTEP is one of the best defensive basketball teams in the nation. They have Derrick Caracter, an unheralded transfer from Louisville, and guard Randy Culpepper to give UTEP a great inside-outside dominance. UTEP can also run when they need to, as they have put up 80+ points in 12 games.
OK, onto the games. I am going to skip the first two rounds of the tournament and give you a breakdown of the Sweet 16 matchups all the way until the finals.
Midwest Bracket: (seed in bracket)
Kansas (1) vs. Michigan State (5): Kansas should be able to pull out this game. Kansas is loaded with NBA talent and is fully seasoned with countless seniors on this team. Michigan State normally reaches the Sweet 16 and this year should be no different. However, they struggled late in the season and Tom Izzo won’t be able to coach this team to the Final Four.
Georgetown (3) vs. Ohio State (2): Ohio State boasts one of the best players in the country and the possible #1 pick in the NBA draft. Evan Turner has the ability to put this team on his back and take them to the Final Four. I think they should be able to handle Georgetown, who struggled down the stretch.
Kansas vs. Ohio State: This game should shape up to be one of the best Elite 8 games in the tournament. You have Turner vs. the Kansas team. And like I mentioned earlier Turner has the ability to carry OSU into the Final Four, but I don’t see him pulling off the upset of Kansas. Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins are two first round picks in the NBA draft and they have the experience that is key to winning in March.
West Bracket:
Syracuse (1) vs. UTEP (12): Syracuse has a good defensive team and even though they struggled in their final games of the season, they were ranked #1 in the country just a few weeks ago. Syracuse is stacked at key positions with Wesley Johnson leading the way offensively. UTEP, as mentioned earlier, boasts one of the best defensive teams in the tournament and I think they can slow the game up and give Syracuse a very good game in this matchup. However, at the end of the day Syracuse will prevail based on their experience.
Xavier (6) vs. BYU (7): Don’t sleep on the Mormons. They are talented and experienced, as this is their thirds straight year in the tournament. They have Jimmer Fredette, who is talented enough to bring them to the Elite 8. Xavier has the guy that dunked on LeBron this summer, Jordan Crawford. He, coupled with Jason Love, give Xavier the ingredients to pull off some upsets in the tournament. This game is a toss up and could go either way, but in the end I think BYU pulls it off.
Syracuse vs. BYU: In this Elite 8 matchup BYU will try to slow down the proficient scoring abilities of Syracuse. It will be a tough task, as BYU doesn’t have anyone who can guard Wesley Johnson. Johnson is a lock for a top 5 pick in this year’s NBA draft. BYU will give a valiant effort but in the end they will come up short.
East Bracket
Kentucky (1) vs. Cornell (12): I love Kentucky. John Calipari’s teams always go far in the tournament and he always wins with point guards like John Wall. Wall is a superb athlete and when you pair him with Cousins they can be unstoppable at times. Cornell will ride Ryan Wittman all the way to the Sweet 16 and they will be America’s sweethearts, but this is where their Cinderella run will end. Kentucky will bring too much to the table and Cornell won’t be able to stop them.
New Mexico (3) West Virginia (2): West Virginia won the Big East tournament and the Big East is the best conference this season. They are very stacked with Da’Sean Butler, who can fill up the bucket and defend well. New Mexico is a little bit underrated, as they are not seen on TV very often. They won their conference and have the ability to pull off the upset of WVU, but I think ultimately, WVU hangs on for a victory to reach the Elite 8.
Kentucky vs. WVU: This will be the second best matchup in the Elite 8. Kentucky has the size and the athletic ability to handle everything WVU brings to the table, and WVU has the scorers to keep up with Kentucky. These teams matchup well together and they have similar defensive and offensive numbers. In the end John Wall will be too much to handle and he will carry Kentucky to the Final Four.
South Bracket
Duke (1) vs. Texas A&M (5): Duke is normally a team that scores, and scores, and then scores some more. They normally lose games when they go cold because they don’t have the players to stop other teams from scoring too. However, this year is different. Coach K has compiled a great defensive team and it has allowed Duke to win some games this year when in years past they would have lost. Normally in the tournament Duke gets bounced early because of their lack of defense, but this year it shouldn’t be the case. Texas A&M on the other hand is not as great on defense. They also struggle form the free throw line, shooting only 66% as a team. Duke will win this game easily.
Baylor (3) vs. Villanova (2): Baylor has one of the best backcourts in the nation as well as a shot blocking defensive powerhouse on the inside. They average close to 80 PPG and can score at will sometimes. ‘Nova on the other hand does not have the defensive presence to stop many teams. They struggled down the stretch and it will be difficult for them to compete with Baylor.
Duke vs. Baylor: This will be a great defensive matchup. Duke will try to hold the Bears down offensively, but it might be difficult. Baylor has the defensive abilities to disrupt Duke and force them to play catch-up. Duke doesn’t seem as strong as they do in recent years. Baylor will be the unlike presence in the Final 4 with the upset over Duke.
Final Four:
Kansas vs. Syracuse: Kansas is big and talented. They have players who can defend Wesley Johnson. He is a super athlete, but Xavier Henry will be able to counteract his talents and he will have a big game to carry Kansas the Finals.
Kentucky vs. Baylor: Kentucky is great. John Wall will be able to penetrate the lane and kick to Eric Bledsoe and Cousins. Wall will be named MVP of this game and he will lead Kentucky to the Finals.
Championship Game:
Kansas vs. Kentucky: In what looks like on paper to be an amazing championship game. Wall vs. Collins, Aldrich vs. Cousins, Bledsoe vs. Henry, there are crazy matchups all over the floor. You also have the experience of Kansas vs. the youth of Kentucky. This will be a back and forth matchup that will come down to the wire, and in the end the Youth of Kentucky will pull off the upset and be crowned champions of college basketball this year. John Wall will be named the tournament MOP and solidify himself as the number 1 pick in the NBA draft.
Starting Thursday I will break down each MLB division daily and handout my awards and playoff spots and crown the champions.
Friday, March 12
AI Season 9 Follow-up
**************Spoiler Alert**************
I have officially given up hope of the new season of American Idol turning itself around. Last night when Lilly Scott and Katelyn Epperly were kicked off for the girls, and Alex Lambert for the guys was eliminated, it showed that the people too have given up on the season.
Guys like Alex Lambert always do well on this show, just look at Jason Castro from a few seasons ago. He was a likeable guy who had the most unique voice amongst the guys, however it didn’t turn out that way. Andrew Garcia, who peaked way too early, and Tim Urban, who you knew once he started to sing Hallelujah that he was going to survive, survived. How do guys like Urban, or Paige Miles, or Didi Benami make it though when the people with greater talent do not?
One explanation is because this season is full of the singer/songwriter types. You have Crystal Bowersox, Lacey Brown from the girls who are all going to have the same fan bases as Lilly Scott. I thought her rendition of I fall to pieces was very good and she deserved to make it into the top 12. The reason Paige and Katie Stevens make it though is because they have their fan bases that vote for them. Paige has the gospel groups and Katie has the likeable “I am only 16 and cute” vibe to her, so she gets all the high school votes. It seems like that is the audience this year. The high schoolers are the only ones who continue to watch this show. Which is also shown through the expatriation of Todderick Hall’s time on the show. Normally he would pick up the Broadway musical fans, especially after Simon told him sounded like he belonged on stage, but he didn’t get the votes to survive.
The season only has 3 people that can carry the show now. I think Lee Dewyze is very talented, and so is Crystal and Casey James. I still think that Katie has a chance to sneak up on people especially now that she is in the top 12, an achievement I didn’t think she deserved after her performance this week, but the only way for her actually have a chance is for her to find herself. That can be a very tough assignment this far into the game and I fee like she will be out sooner than later, but that won't be the end of her time on AI. She will be back next year, if she chooses to try out.
Big Mike had a very powerful performance this week and I think it raised his stock into a dark horse candidate. He has a great back-story, plus a loveable personality. He is great up there on stage and he continues to grow each week.
Overall this season stinks, but yet I continue to watch to see how the singers grow week to week. I still like the finals to come down to Crystal and Casey. Let’s see if that holds true.
Next week I will break down and give you my March Madness predictions. Should be great.
I have officially given up hope of the new season of American Idol turning itself around. Last night when Lilly Scott and Katelyn Epperly were kicked off for the girls, and Alex Lambert for the guys was eliminated, it showed that the people too have given up on the season.
Guys like Alex Lambert always do well on this show, just look at Jason Castro from a few seasons ago. He was a likeable guy who had the most unique voice amongst the guys, however it didn’t turn out that way. Andrew Garcia, who peaked way too early, and Tim Urban, who you knew once he started to sing Hallelujah that he was going to survive, survived. How do guys like Urban, or Paige Miles, or Didi Benami make it though when the people with greater talent do not?
One explanation is because this season is full of the singer/songwriter types. You have Crystal Bowersox, Lacey Brown from the girls who are all going to have the same fan bases as Lilly Scott. I thought her rendition of I fall to pieces was very good and she deserved to make it into the top 12. The reason Paige and Katie Stevens make it though is because they have their fan bases that vote for them. Paige has the gospel groups and Katie has the likeable “I am only 16 and cute” vibe to her, so she gets all the high school votes. It seems like that is the audience this year. The high schoolers are the only ones who continue to watch this show. Which is also shown through the expatriation of Todderick Hall’s time on the show. Normally he would pick up the Broadway musical fans, especially after Simon told him sounded like he belonged on stage, but he didn’t get the votes to survive.
The season only has 3 people that can carry the show now. I think Lee Dewyze is very talented, and so is Crystal and Casey James. I still think that Katie has a chance to sneak up on people especially now that she is in the top 12, an achievement I didn’t think she deserved after her performance this week, but the only way for her actually have a chance is for her to find herself. That can be a very tough assignment this far into the game and I fee like she will be out sooner than later, but that won't be the end of her time on AI. She will be back next year, if she chooses to try out.
Big Mike had a very powerful performance this week and I think it raised his stock into a dark horse candidate. He has a great back-story, plus a loveable personality. He is great up there on stage and he continues to grow each week.
Overall this season stinks, but yet I continue to watch to see how the singers grow week to week. I still like the finals to come down to Crystal and Casey. Let’s see if that holds true.
Next week I will break down and give you my March Madness predictions. Should be great.
Friday, March 5
American Idol Season 9
**********Spoiler Alert***********
If you haven’t seen this week’s performance of American Idol, do not read until you have viewed the episodes.
We are nearing the midway point of the ninth season of American Idol. As we stand today on Friday March 5th 2010, there are 16 contestants left, 8 guys and 8 girls. So far this season has been very subpar, and there are only about 4 people that have a good chance at winning this season. This season has already been unpredictable as 2 of the girls that I had rated in the top 5 at the beginning of the season have already been kicked off (Janell Wheeler and Michelle Delamor) and people like Didi Benami and Paige Miles are still around. Anyway I will rank the remaining guys and girls in order from best to worst, I came up with this list before the elimination show aired last night and I had three of the four correct contestants being eliminated. (I blundered on Michelle Delamor, as I had Didi Benami being sent home with her karaoke edition of Lean On Me). I had to rearrange a bit when Michelle, who I had ranked 4th, was kicked off. The guys I had spot on.
American Idol Season 9 Guys Rankings:
1: Casey James: This guy has excellent vocals and has a great sound. He looks like a rock star and has the potential to carry his own records for years to come. He takes songs and makes them his own and clearly has the look to win this competition. By pulling out the guitar and showing off his ability to play it, set him head and shoulders above everyone else. Kara has a huge crush on this guy, but despite that, he is clearly the guy to beat among the men.
2: Andrew Garcia: He knocked it out of the park in Hollywood week when his cover of Straight Up by Paula Abdul, and every week since we have been waiting for him to do the same or better. He may have peaked too early and that may hurt him in the long run because everyone is going to compare his performances with what he did in Hollywood week. Whether that is fair or not, that is the way American Idol works. However, with that said, he still has really good raw talent and natural ability, and we know what he can do with a song, and once he hits that again he will start flying in this competition.
3: Lee Dewyze: Now this is a guy who has a great and distinct sound. He sounds like he could be putting out his own albums and I would buy them. He has that raspy rocker sound that America has fallen fall. He is continuing to grow each week and if Andrew continues to slouch with his song choices Lee will overtake him at number two on this list. The only reason why he hasn’t yet is because we know where Andrew can go, however, Lee has yet to hit his full potential, but the possibilities are endless for him.
4: Alex Lambert: This kid has great natural and raw talent. He looks shy and awkward at times on stage, but his performance this week left him very vulnerable and he pulled it off. He was excellent this week. He made his performance of Everybody Knows his own and he is slowly creeping up this list, and is the dark horse in this competition, who I can see dueling it out with Casey as the last two men.
5: Aaron Kelly: This is another one of the young ones who has a very good voice, but the stage presence isn’t there. He had a decent performance of My Girl but he didn’t separate himself from the rest of the competition. He has the potential to go far in this competition, but we will have to wait to see if he can gain some more confidence and stage presence that will push him up this list.
6: Mike Lynche: Big Mike has some good vocals, but had some pitch problems this week. He needs to get in touch with some good soul songs so he can position himself to win this competition. As of now he is in the middle of the pack and seems more like someone who will be entertaining you in a hotel bar, and not the bright lights of Hollywood. He is dropping down this list each week with his subpar performances.
7: Tim Urban: He has a forgettable voice. Don’t take that the wrong way because clearly he is very talented, he is in the top 20, but what I mean by that is he sounds like so many other artists. He needs to take his voice to the next level and develop his own sound and if he does that he may be able to climb up this list and save himself. However, if he gives another lackluster performance like he did this week he will be sent home with Todderick Hall next week. (Unless only 1 person gets sent home next week)
8: Todderick Hall: This is the dancer who likes to sing, but he should stick to dancing. His performance this week earned him a ticket off this show, he was just saved by horrible performances by the two who were kicked off this week. He sounds like he is yelling, and he didn’t take the constructive criticism of the judges and looked stiff up there on stage. Unless he comes out next week and kills it, he should be sent packing next week.
American Idol Season 9 Girl Rankings:
1: Lilly Scott: She has the looks, she has the sound, she has the stage presence, and she is a great performer. She is clearly the favorite, even though Crystal might have had a slightly better performance this week, but who looks more like a singer than Lilly in this competition. This is her competition to lose amongst the girls. She looks great up on stage with a guitar and I look forward to her performance each and every week.
2: Crystal Bowersox: First off I’m glad she is feeling better, and what makes her performance this week even better is the fact that she was so sick and spent the night in the hospital and she comes back with that amazing performance. She has great vocals and an extremely powerful voice. However, what is, and will continue to hold her back is her look. She doesn’t have that superstar look. Her teeth, however, continue to gain whiteness week to week. With all that said, she has great natural talent and she will be in it at the end with a good chance to pull off the victory.
3: Katetlyn Epperly: How great did she look up there on stage? She looked amazing sitting behind that Piano; she is cute and has a very powerful voice. She has grown leaps and bounds since her audition and I am starting to like her more and more with each performance. Sure the song was a little slow and Ellen thought it would have made a babysitter’s job much easier, but the overall performance was spectacular and she will be around to stay.
4: Katie Stevens: Wow this girl is only 17, but she has an excellent look and reminds me a bit of Kelly Clarkson. However, she has yet to put it all together for an outstanding performance that I know she has in her. She has crazy raw talent and natural abilities on stage and looks like she belongs up there. Sadly, these characteristics can only carry her for so long, and unless she comes out next week and kills it with a perfect song choice, she might be gone way to early. She is the dark horse amongst the girls and with the right song choices; she will be here until the end.
5: Paige Miles: Another one of the girls who didn’t wow me. She didn’t do anything that makes her stand out in the competition. Everyone at this stage of the season knows how to sing and she clearly has a good voice, or else she wouldn’t have made it this far, but at this point the contestants need to start showing their artistic side and Paige did not do that. The girls in this competition are not that great and she is in the bottom half.
6: Siobahn Magnus: She showed a little potential when she hit that high note at the end of her performance this week, however, overall I didn’t like the performance. She is a kooky looking person and she doesn’t strike me as someone who would be able to sell albums to the American public. Like many others in this season she has a very powerful voice, but nothing she does stands out.
7: Lacey Brown: The red hair girl…she has an interesting voice, but she has yet to put it all together with the perfect song. The first week she sang a Debbie Downer song, and this week with her rendition of Kiss Me, while it was more upbeat, she still didn’t knock it out of the park. What has kept her in this competition so far, and what will keep her in it a little longer, unless she has a drastic improvement, is her distinct sound. It’s cute and catchy and America likes that kind of look and sound.
8: Didi Benami: I thought this performance was terrible, worst of the night and I can not believe that she is back for another week, when a girl like Michelle Delamor, who granted, had her issues, but looks and sounds a lot more like a professional singer than Didi, did not make it though, I don’t know how Didi did. She does have a country vibe to her but continues to choose the wrong songs and she will not be around for the foreseeable future unless she taps into the niche that makes her unique.
There you have the rankings of the girls and guys of season 9 of American Idol. Right now I think the top 4 overall are Casey James, Lilly Scott, Crystal Bowersox, and Andrew Garcia. This is their competition to lose, but don’t sleep on Lee Dewyze and Katie Stevens. Overall the season is pretty weak, but it still fun to watch as these artists grow week to week and adjust and adapt to the limelight and see who can pull it off and become America’s next Idol.
If you haven’t seen this week’s performance of American Idol, do not read until you have viewed the episodes.
We are nearing the midway point of the ninth season of American Idol. As we stand today on Friday March 5th 2010, there are 16 contestants left, 8 guys and 8 girls. So far this season has been very subpar, and there are only about 4 people that have a good chance at winning this season. This season has already been unpredictable as 2 of the girls that I had rated in the top 5 at the beginning of the season have already been kicked off (Janell Wheeler and Michelle Delamor) and people like Didi Benami and Paige Miles are still around. Anyway I will rank the remaining guys and girls in order from best to worst, I came up with this list before the elimination show aired last night and I had three of the four correct contestants being eliminated. (I blundered on Michelle Delamor, as I had Didi Benami being sent home with her karaoke edition of Lean On Me). I had to rearrange a bit when Michelle, who I had ranked 4th, was kicked off. The guys I had spot on.
American Idol Season 9 Guys Rankings:
1: Casey James: This guy has excellent vocals and has a great sound. He looks like a rock star and has the potential to carry his own records for years to come. He takes songs and makes them his own and clearly has the look to win this competition. By pulling out the guitar and showing off his ability to play it, set him head and shoulders above everyone else. Kara has a huge crush on this guy, but despite that, he is clearly the guy to beat among the men.
2: Andrew Garcia: He knocked it out of the park in Hollywood week when his cover of Straight Up by Paula Abdul, and every week since we have been waiting for him to do the same or better. He may have peaked too early and that may hurt him in the long run because everyone is going to compare his performances with what he did in Hollywood week. Whether that is fair or not, that is the way American Idol works. However, with that said, he still has really good raw talent and natural ability, and we know what he can do with a song, and once he hits that again he will start flying in this competition.
3: Lee Dewyze: Now this is a guy who has a great and distinct sound. He sounds like he could be putting out his own albums and I would buy them. He has that raspy rocker sound that America has fallen fall. He is continuing to grow each week and if Andrew continues to slouch with his song choices Lee will overtake him at number two on this list. The only reason why he hasn’t yet is because we know where Andrew can go, however, Lee has yet to hit his full potential, but the possibilities are endless for him.
4: Alex Lambert: This kid has great natural and raw talent. He looks shy and awkward at times on stage, but his performance this week left him very vulnerable and he pulled it off. He was excellent this week. He made his performance of Everybody Knows his own and he is slowly creeping up this list, and is the dark horse in this competition, who I can see dueling it out with Casey as the last two men.
5: Aaron Kelly: This is another one of the young ones who has a very good voice, but the stage presence isn’t there. He had a decent performance of My Girl but he didn’t separate himself from the rest of the competition. He has the potential to go far in this competition, but we will have to wait to see if he can gain some more confidence and stage presence that will push him up this list.
6: Mike Lynche: Big Mike has some good vocals, but had some pitch problems this week. He needs to get in touch with some good soul songs so he can position himself to win this competition. As of now he is in the middle of the pack and seems more like someone who will be entertaining you in a hotel bar, and not the bright lights of Hollywood. He is dropping down this list each week with his subpar performances.
7: Tim Urban: He has a forgettable voice. Don’t take that the wrong way because clearly he is very talented, he is in the top 20, but what I mean by that is he sounds like so many other artists. He needs to take his voice to the next level and develop his own sound and if he does that he may be able to climb up this list and save himself. However, if he gives another lackluster performance like he did this week he will be sent home with Todderick Hall next week. (Unless only 1 person gets sent home next week)
8: Todderick Hall: This is the dancer who likes to sing, but he should stick to dancing. His performance this week earned him a ticket off this show, he was just saved by horrible performances by the two who were kicked off this week. He sounds like he is yelling, and he didn’t take the constructive criticism of the judges and looked stiff up there on stage. Unless he comes out next week and kills it, he should be sent packing next week.
American Idol Season 9 Girl Rankings:
1: Lilly Scott: She has the looks, she has the sound, she has the stage presence, and she is a great performer. She is clearly the favorite, even though Crystal might have had a slightly better performance this week, but who looks more like a singer than Lilly in this competition. This is her competition to lose amongst the girls. She looks great up on stage with a guitar and I look forward to her performance each and every week.
2: Crystal Bowersox: First off I’m glad she is feeling better, and what makes her performance this week even better is the fact that she was so sick and spent the night in the hospital and she comes back with that amazing performance. She has great vocals and an extremely powerful voice. However, what is, and will continue to hold her back is her look. She doesn’t have that superstar look. Her teeth, however, continue to gain whiteness week to week. With all that said, she has great natural talent and she will be in it at the end with a good chance to pull off the victory.
3: Katetlyn Epperly: How great did she look up there on stage? She looked amazing sitting behind that Piano; she is cute and has a very powerful voice. She has grown leaps and bounds since her audition and I am starting to like her more and more with each performance. Sure the song was a little slow and Ellen thought it would have made a babysitter’s job much easier, but the overall performance was spectacular and she will be around to stay.
4: Katie Stevens: Wow this girl is only 17, but she has an excellent look and reminds me a bit of Kelly Clarkson. However, she has yet to put it all together for an outstanding performance that I know she has in her. She has crazy raw talent and natural abilities on stage and looks like she belongs up there. Sadly, these characteristics can only carry her for so long, and unless she comes out next week and kills it with a perfect song choice, she might be gone way to early. She is the dark horse amongst the girls and with the right song choices; she will be here until the end.
5: Paige Miles: Another one of the girls who didn’t wow me. She didn’t do anything that makes her stand out in the competition. Everyone at this stage of the season knows how to sing and she clearly has a good voice, or else she wouldn’t have made it this far, but at this point the contestants need to start showing their artistic side and Paige did not do that. The girls in this competition are not that great and she is in the bottom half.
6: Siobahn Magnus: She showed a little potential when she hit that high note at the end of her performance this week, however, overall I didn’t like the performance. She is a kooky looking person and she doesn’t strike me as someone who would be able to sell albums to the American public. Like many others in this season she has a very powerful voice, but nothing she does stands out.
7: Lacey Brown: The red hair girl…she has an interesting voice, but she has yet to put it all together with the perfect song. The first week she sang a Debbie Downer song, and this week with her rendition of Kiss Me, while it was more upbeat, she still didn’t knock it out of the park. What has kept her in this competition so far, and what will keep her in it a little longer, unless she has a drastic improvement, is her distinct sound. It’s cute and catchy and America likes that kind of look and sound.
8: Didi Benami: I thought this performance was terrible, worst of the night and I can not believe that she is back for another week, when a girl like Michelle Delamor, who granted, had her issues, but looks and sounds a lot more like a professional singer than Didi, did not make it though, I don’t know how Didi did. She does have a country vibe to her but continues to choose the wrong songs and she will not be around for the foreseeable future unless she taps into the niche that makes her unique.
There you have the rankings of the girls and guys of season 9 of American Idol. Right now I think the top 4 overall are Casey James, Lilly Scott, Crystal Bowersox, and Andrew Garcia. This is their competition to lose, but don’t sleep on Lee Dewyze and Katie Stevens. Overall the season is pretty weak, but it still fun to watch as these artists grow week to week and adjust and adapt to the limelight and see who can pull it off and become America’s next Idol.
Thursday, February 25
Top 20 NBA Players
So for my newest column I’m going to breakdown and give you my top 20 players in the NBA. The factors I will be considering are 1: if there were a draft of everyone in the NBA, who would the first 20 picks be. 2: if you were starting a team from scratch which player would you want. 3: the rankings will factor in the age of the players, so a player who is younger but has uber talent, he will be ranked higher than someone who might be have better numbers.
So without further ado…the rankings:
1: LeBron James: This kid is a beast. He makes his teammates better by playing the point forward and has the vision to know what his teammates will be doing. He has the tools to take over a game on offense and defense. He has yet to put this all together to bring home a championship to Cleveland, but he is young and will have plenty of time to win some.
2: Kobe Bryant: He has having one of his best seasons this year. Coming off the NBA title, the first he won on his own, he has put together a season that has solidified himself as one of the best scorers in the history of the game. He can take over games offensively and if the game is close in the final minutes you know the Mamba is coming through. The reason why he is second is his age, LeBron is just way too young not to put him first.
3: Carmelo Anthony: a natural and silky smooth scorer. He puts up huge offensive numbers and he has positioned his team to be the 2 seed in the West. He has yet to put up the numbers and lead the Nuggets to the Finals. He has picked up his scoring this season and is a guy who can carry his team offensively for long stretches of games.
4: Dwight Howard: He is a monster in paint. He blocks shots, rebounds, and defends like one of the best in the league. However, He needs to pick up his offensive game and he will be higher in this list. He needs to develop a consistent turnaround jumper and 10-15 footer. He also needs to start taking the game more seriously and acquire a killer instinct so he can lead his team to a title.
5: Kevin Durant: This kid has it all. He is 6’10 and can score on any part of the court against any type of defender. He will win the scoring title this year, and will continue to improve his rebounding and assist skills. He will average close to 30PPG this year and he is only 21! He is a natural leader and scorer. He has a clean-cut image and is fun to watch. This kid has it all and will be playing in this league for almost 20 more years. It’s crazy to think of how his career will play out.
6: Dwyane Wade: Mighty Mouse is one of the best at getting into the lane and finishing. He has an NBA title as an alpha dog and he gives 110% every single night. He plays hurt and he continues to throw his body around like a young Allen Iverson. He is going to make a ton of money on the open market this summer and make a new team an instant contender.
7: Chris Paul: He is the best point guard in the league. He gets his teammates easy shots and buckets while also having the ability to score. He can take over a game on the defensive end allowing his team to get easy breakaway points.
8: Chris Bosh: This guy is quietly one of the best superstars in the NBA. Did you know he averages over 24PPG and 11RPG? Yea me neither until I started doing some research for this post. He is still somehow only 25 years old and continues to mature on the court on a daily basis.
9: Brandon Roy: He is young, athletic and a great scorer. He is 25 and has many years to come that will produce greatness. Can you imagine what would have happened had Portland drafted KD instead of Oden that would be one the greatest What If’s in NBA. But I digress, Roy, carries himself very well offensively, he helps his teammates, and he has the ability to carry his team to the Finals.
10: Dirk Nowitzki: The big German is arguably the best big man shooter in the NBA. He is a consistent All Star who continues to produce on a daily basis. His blocks and steals are up from years past and he will continue to thrive in the Dallas offense.
11: Amare Stoudemire: Amare has the ability to take over games on both ends of the floor, when he chooses. The problem is he chooses a lot of the time to coast. However, he still has to be considered one of the top 20 players because he is so dominant. He can score when he wants, however, he needs to be more consistent with his rebounding and he could be ranked higher on this list.
12: Joe Johnson: He is still in the beginning of his prime; he can score from outside and by taking it to the hole. He is a good rebounder and passer for someone in his position and his size. He is an impeding free agent and will instantly help the team his signs with in the offseason.
13: Tim Duncan: He is on his way out of the league, but he can still bring it when he knows he needs to. He is still averaging just under 20 PPG and 11RPG. He also pitches in with some assists and a nice amount of blocks. He is just fundamentally sound and a great teammate who demands a double team when he is in the post.
14: Deron Williams: The second best point guard in the game and he is still growing each year. He averages a double double with 18PPG and 10 APG. He is a very good defender and leads the Jazz on the court.
15: Rajon Rondo: Now I know what you’re thinking…what a homer, how can you say someone who cant shoot the ball consistently is in the top 20. However, hear me out. Sure this guy is shaky, and that might be an understatement, with his jump shot and free throw shooting, but he can dish out assists like no one else in the league, he is fearless when going to the hole and has such big hands that he can do things with a basketball others can’t. Now, while his shooting is still suspect, he has worked on it very hard since he came into the league and he has developed his shot tremendously over the past few years, and if he continues to trend up, he is a top 10 player in this league.
16: Steve Nash: This guy is still one of the best point guards in the game. He takes over games with his passing abilities. He still has one of the sweetest jump shots in the game and knows how to play the game to his advantage because of his age. He is also towards the end of his great career and thus ranking him higher than this is difficult because people above him have brighter futures.
17: Brook Lopez: Yup a member of the New Jersey Nets is on this list. While the Nets might struggle to win 10 games this season, Lopez is not the reason. He has ridiculous athleticism for a big man and he averages 19 and 9 a night and he is a sophomore in this league. He is 21 and has a very bright future in this league.
18: Al Jefferson: Big Al has the tools to be one of the few 25PPG and 12 RPG players in this league for years to come. He is having a little bit of a down year as he is still not 100% from his knee injury that ended his season last year after 50 games. However, he still dominates on the defensive end. He is the kind of big man you build a championship contending team around.
19: Carlos Boozer: He is in the prime of his career, and he knows how to score. He averages 20 and 11 a game. He has a nose for the ball on the glass. He has solid footwork in the post and knows when to gamble on defense. He is one of the best power forwards in the game.
20: Pau Gasol: He is a smooth 7 footer who has a decent jump shot and knows how to grad some rebounds. He is very soft on the defensive end and can get lost in games when he faces a tough big man inside. He is still young and in his prime and has a solid future ahead of him in this league. As much as it pains me to put Gasol on this list, I just don’t like watching him play, He is just too solid to ignore.
There you have it folks, Let me know what you think of the rakings. If you think I left anyone off email me or comment…
Fyi did you know the Lakers are 7-8 versus the top 8 teams in the NBA. How crazy, for all the Laker Cool-aid drinkers that live near me, and insist that are a lock for the Finals and the title, perhaps it is not so given. Let’s just wait and see how the end of the season plays out.
So without further ado…the rankings:
1: LeBron James: This kid is a beast. He makes his teammates better by playing the point forward and has the vision to know what his teammates will be doing. He has the tools to take over a game on offense and defense. He has yet to put this all together to bring home a championship to Cleveland, but he is young and will have plenty of time to win some.
2: Kobe Bryant: He has having one of his best seasons this year. Coming off the NBA title, the first he won on his own, he has put together a season that has solidified himself as one of the best scorers in the history of the game. He can take over games offensively and if the game is close in the final minutes you know the Mamba is coming through. The reason why he is second is his age, LeBron is just way too young not to put him first.
3: Carmelo Anthony: a natural and silky smooth scorer. He puts up huge offensive numbers and he has positioned his team to be the 2 seed in the West. He has yet to put up the numbers and lead the Nuggets to the Finals. He has picked up his scoring this season and is a guy who can carry his team offensively for long stretches of games.
4: Dwight Howard: He is a monster in paint. He blocks shots, rebounds, and defends like one of the best in the league. However, He needs to pick up his offensive game and he will be higher in this list. He needs to develop a consistent turnaround jumper and 10-15 footer. He also needs to start taking the game more seriously and acquire a killer instinct so he can lead his team to a title.
5: Kevin Durant: This kid has it all. He is 6’10 and can score on any part of the court against any type of defender. He will win the scoring title this year, and will continue to improve his rebounding and assist skills. He will average close to 30PPG this year and he is only 21! He is a natural leader and scorer. He has a clean-cut image and is fun to watch. This kid has it all and will be playing in this league for almost 20 more years. It’s crazy to think of how his career will play out.
6: Dwyane Wade: Mighty Mouse is one of the best at getting into the lane and finishing. He has an NBA title as an alpha dog and he gives 110% every single night. He plays hurt and he continues to throw his body around like a young Allen Iverson. He is going to make a ton of money on the open market this summer and make a new team an instant contender.
7: Chris Paul: He is the best point guard in the league. He gets his teammates easy shots and buckets while also having the ability to score. He can take over a game on the defensive end allowing his team to get easy breakaway points.
8: Chris Bosh: This guy is quietly one of the best superstars in the NBA. Did you know he averages over 24PPG and 11RPG? Yea me neither until I started doing some research for this post. He is still somehow only 25 years old and continues to mature on the court on a daily basis.
9: Brandon Roy: He is young, athletic and a great scorer. He is 25 and has many years to come that will produce greatness. Can you imagine what would have happened had Portland drafted KD instead of Oden that would be one the greatest What If’s in NBA. But I digress, Roy, carries himself very well offensively, he helps his teammates, and he has the ability to carry his team to the Finals.
10: Dirk Nowitzki: The big German is arguably the best big man shooter in the NBA. He is a consistent All Star who continues to produce on a daily basis. His blocks and steals are up from years past and he will continue to thrive in the Dallas offense.
11: Amare Stoudemire: Amare has the ability to take over games on both ends of the floor, when he chooses. The problem is he chooses a lot of the time to coast. However, he still has to be considered one of the top 20 players because he is so dominant. He can score when he wants, however, he needs to be more consistent with his rebounding and he could be ranked higher on this list.
12: Joe Johnson: He is still in the beginning of his prime; he can score from outside and by taking it to the hole. He is a good rebounder and passer for someone in his position and his size. He is an impeding free agent and will instantly help the team his signs with in the offseason.
13: Tim Duncan: He is on his way out of the league, but he can still bring it when he knows he needs to. He is still averaging just under 20 PPG and 11RPG. He also pitches in with some assists and a nice amount of blocks. He is just fundamentally sound and a great teammate who demands a double team when he is in the post.
14: Deron Williams: The second best point guard in the game and he is still growing each year. He averages a double double with 18PPG and 10 APG. He is a very good defender and leads the Jazz on the court.
15: Rajon Rondo: Now I know what you’re thinking…what a homer, how can you say someone who cant shoot the ball consistently is in the top 20. However, hear me out. Sure this guy is shaky, and that might be an understatement, with his jump shot and free throw shooting, but he can dish out assists like no one else in the league, he is fearless when going to the hole and has such big hands that he can do things with a basketball others can’t. Now, while his shooting is still suspect, he has worked on it very hard since he came into the league and he has developed his shot tremendously over the past few years, and if he continues to trend up, he is a top 10 player in this league.
16: Steve Nash: This guy is still one of the best point guards in the game. He takes over games with his passing abilities. He still has one of the sweetest jump shots in the game and knows how to play the game to his advantage because of his age. He is also towards the end of his great career and thus ranking him higher than this is difficult because people above him have brighter futures.
17: Brook Lopez: Yup a member of the New Jersey Nets is on this list. While the Nets might struggle to win 10 games this season, Lopez is not the reason. He has ridiculous athleticism for a big man and he averages 19 and 9 a night and he is a sophomore in this league. He is 21 and has a very bright future in this league.
18: Al Jefferson: Big Al has the tools to be one of the few 25PPG and 12 RPG players in this league for years to come. He is having a little bit of a down year as he is still not 100% from his knee injury that ended his season last year after 50 games. However, he still dominates on the defensive end. He is the kind of big man you build a championship contending team around.
19: Carlos Boozer: He is in the prime of his career, and he knows how to score. He averages 20 and 11 a game. He has a nose for the ball on the glass. He has solid footwork in the post and knows when to gamble on defense. He is one of the best power forwards in the game.
20: Pau Gasol: He is a smooth 7 footer who has a decent jump shot and knows how to grad some rebounds. He is very soft on the defensive end and can get lost in games when he faces a tough big man inside. He is still young and in his prime and has a solid future ahead of him in this league. As much as it pains me to put Gasol on this list, I just don’t like watching him play, He is just too solid to ignore.
There you have it folks, Let me know what you think of the rakings. If you think I left anyone off email me or comment…
Fyi did you know the Lakers are 7-8 versus the top 8 teams in the NBA. How crazy, for all the Laker Cool-aid drinkers that live near me, and insist that are a lock for the Finals and the title, perhaps it is not so given. Let’s just wait and see how the end of the season plays out.
Friday, February 19
State of the Celtics Address
So the Celtics are coming off the All Star break and the trade deadline with two straight wins to start a four game west coast road trip. They won close games against the Kings and the Lakers. In between these two wins they traded sharp shooter Eddie House for a sparkplug guy off the bench in Nate Robinson, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
The way the Celtics are currently playing has people in Boston jumping of the Tobin. They have blown eight, I repeat eight, double-digit second half leads since Christmas Day, and Atlanta swept them in their season series. They have also struggled against the Magic. They have looked old at times and they have gone through scoring droughts during the second half of games, which is the main cause to the blown double-digit leads. The people in the media have labeled them as old, and that age, and the health of Garnett is the reason for their struggles. This is a good and logical theory, however I would go in a different direction. I would point out that they played their first game with their regular lineup just a week ago against the Magic. They haven’t had the consistency that the Cavaliers or the Lakers have had all season.
The Celtics still have the big three, which now that they have a regular rotation they have the ability to get into a groove and string some good wins together. Last night’s game against the Lakers was the epitome of the season, they ran out to an early lead, looked old and slow in the second half, and then blew that large lead. However, the difference, and now they can be turning over a new leaf, was they held on and earned the victory. A few weeks ago they wouldn’t have had the kahonas to keep their composure and win a game like this. Now, naysayers would point to the fact they only won the game by a point, and that Kobe wasn’t in the lineup. They will also sate the fact the Celtics only scored 11 fourth quarter points, but I look it differently…the Celtics held the Lakers to only 17 fourth quarter points and only two points over their final 7+ minutes. They played some great defense once KG came back into the game, after exiting for a good chunk of the second half because of foul trouble, and that just happened to coincide with the time of the Lakers run.
The way the Celtics are situated now is as KG goes they go. This is a good thing, because now that KG has some games under his belt after recovering from his knee injury and he had some rest of the All Star Break, he will get into a good rhythm.
Currently, the Celtics have the third best record in the east, 1.5 games behind the Magic and they are tied with the Hawks. I don’t think the Celtics can catch the Cavs, as they are 7.5 games up on the Celtics, but there is a possibility as they still have three more matchups this season, including six days from now on February 25th. That contest can be the best barometer of where the Celtics stand.
The trade of Eddie House for Nate Robinson is one that will surely shake up the bench. House is knock down shooter who can’t do much more on the offensive end. House also plays some D, not a whole lot, but more than Nate. Nate on the other hand is a sparkplug off the bench. He can score at will, has a decent shot, but drives to the hole more frequently than House. Nate is also pound-for-pound the best athlete in the game, as evident from his three slam-dunk victories. He is a good bench player who fell out of favor with Mike Dantoni of the Knicks. This trade will allow Marquis Daniels to slide out of the point forward position off the bench and into the three spot, while Tony Allen and Nate can provide the ball handling responsibilities. If the trade works as Danny Ainge envisioned, this will open up the bench scoring and prevent the team from blowing their second half leads.
The Celtics should head into the playoffs playing their best ball and as a #2 seed in the East. They will be able to handle the Hawks or Magic, whichever team they face in round two, and square off against the Cavs in the Eastern conference finals. This matchup will be fun and exciting. The Celtics will come in with their championship heart and the Cavs will come in with their young blood and thirst for a championship. The Celtics need to show me some more consistent play in order for me to believe they can make it back to the Finals to face the Lakers. However, at the same time the Cavs were the perennial favorites to make it to the Finals last year and chocked it away.
In the end I think the Celtics are a championship caliber team, a team that if they put together a strong second half and consistent play, they will be right back in the Finals fighting for their second title in three years.
It is going to be a great second half and an exciting playoffs…oh yeah don’t sleep on the Oklahoma City Thunder, they will make the playoffs this year as a seven or eight seed, but next year they will be a top four team in the West.
The way the Celtics are currently playing has people in Boston jumping of the Tobin. They have blown eight, I repeat eight, double-digit second half leads since Christmas Day, and Atlanta swept them in their season series. They have also struggled against the Magic. They have looked old at times and they have gone through scoring droughts during the second half of games, which is the main cause to the blown double-digit leads. The people in the media have labeled them as old, and that age, and the health of Garnett is the reason for their struggles. This is a good and logical theory, however I would go in a different direction. I would point out that they played their first game with their regular lineup just a week ago against the Magic. They haven’t had the consistency that the Cavaliers or the Lakers have had all season.
The Celtics still have the big three, which now that they have a regular rotation they have the ability to get into a groove and string some good wins together. Last night’s game against the Lakers was the epitome of the season, they ran out to an early lead, looked old and slow in the second half, and then blew that large lead. However, the difference, and now they can be turning over a new leaf, was they held on and earned the victory. A few weeks ago they wouldn’t have had the kahonas to keep their composure and win a game like this. Now, naysayers would point to the fact they only won the game by a point, and that Kobe wasn’t in the lineup. They will also sate the fact the Celtics only scored 11 fourth quarter points, but I look it differently…the Celtics held the Lakers to only 17 fourth quarter points and only two points over their final 7+ minutes. They played some great defense once KG came back into the game, after exiting for a good chunk of the second half because of foul trouble, and that just happened to coincide with the time of the Lakers run.
The way the Celtics are situated now is as KG goes they go. This is a good thing, because now that KG has some games under his belt after recovering from his knee injury and he had some rest of the All Star Break, he will get into a good rhythm.
Currently, the Celtics have the third best record in the east, 1.5 games behind the Magic and they are tied with the Hawks. I don’t think the Celtics can catch the Cavs, as they are 7.5 games up on the Celtics, but there is a possibility as they still have three more matchups this season, including six days from now on February 25th. That contest can be the best barometer of where the Celtics stand.
The trade of Eddie House for Nate Robinson is one that will surely shake up the bench. House is knock down shooter who can’t do much more on the offensive end. House also plays some D, not a whole lot, but more than Nate. Nate on the other hand is a sparkplug off the bench. He can score at will, has a decent shot, but drives to the hole more frequently than House. Nate is also pound-for-pound the best athlete in the game, as evident from his three slam-dunk victories. He is a good bench player who fell out of favor with Mike Dantoni of the Knicks. This trade will allow Marquis Daniels to slide out of the point forward position off the bench and into the three spot, while Tony Allen and Nate can provide the ball handling responsibilities. If the trade works as Danny Ainge envisioned, this will open up the bench scoring and prevent the team from blowing their second half leads.
The Celtics should head into the playoffs playing their best ball and as a #2 seed in the East. They will be able to handle the Hawks or Magic, whichever team they face in round two, and square off against the Cavs in the Eastern conference finals. This matchup will be fun and exciting. The Celtics will come in with their championship heart and the Cavs will come in with their young blood and thirst for a championship. The Celtics need to show me some more consistent play in order for me to believe they can make it back to the Finals to face the Lakers. However, at the same time the Cavs were the perennial favorites to make it to the Finals last year and chocked it away.
In the end I think the Celtics are a championship caliber team, a team that if they put together a strong second half and consistent play, they will be right back in the Finals fighting for their second title in three years.
It is going to be a great second half and an exciting playoffs…oh yeah don’t sleep on the Oklahoma City Thunder, they will make the playoffs this year as a seven or eight seed, but next year they will be a top four team in the West.
Thursday, February 4
Super Sunday...Will The Saints Go Marching In?
The wait is finally over…it’s Super Bowl weekend. This two-week layoff is way too long, and my team isn’t even playing. The Saints are making their first trip to the Super Bowl, while the Colts return to where they won a Super Bowl four years back. The Saints and Colts have been the perennial favorites to reach the Big Game ever since their sizzling starts. The Colts and Saints both stumbled a bit down the stretch, but once the playoffs started they looked like they never skipped a beat. The Colts trailed the Jets in the AFC championship game at the half, but used a strong second half to overcome that deficient and propel themselves to victory. Meanwhile the Saints forced turnover after turnover to propel themselves to victory over the Vikings.
Now let’s break down the teams:
Offense:
Quarterbacks:
We all know that these two teams possess the best offenses in the game. Brees and Manning are the games first and sixth best-rated passers in the league, respectively. They threw the most and second most touchdown passes this season, and were ranked second and fourth in yards per game. They are both great at avoiding the sack and getting the ball out quickly. They can also make all the pre-snap reads that allows them that extra split second to make a decision post-snap and complete the pass. The difference lies in the fact Manning has been here before and Brees has not. Playing in your first Super Bowl can be very overwhelming and it may take Brees by surprise. Slight Edge Colts
Running Backs:
The Saints are the better running team. They averaged 131 YPG in the regular season, compared to just 80 a game for the Colts. The Saints have Reggie Bush who has the home run capabilities to break a mediocre play into a huge one. The Colts do not have anyone who can match that. Joseph Addai is a capable runner, but the Colts don’t use the run too much. Edge Saints
Offensive Line:
The two lines are quite similar. They have talented players who protect their QB well. (The Colts offensive line gave up only 13 sacks, while the Saints line gave up 20.) However, the lack of sacks has more to do with the QB. Both lines have the ability to open up holes for their running games, although like I said before, the Colts don’t really rely on the run. The lines don’t get called for dumb penalties and they are very disciplined with there play. Even
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:
The Saints and Colts have explosive playmakers in the receiving corps. The Saints have a good trio in Colston, Henderson, and Meachem. They also have a top tight end in Jeremy Shockey. The four of them combined for 23 TD receptions this season. The Colts have their own trio of receivers in Collie, Garcon, and Wayne. They also add Dwight Clark who is one of the best tight ends in the game. They combined for 31 TD’s this season. Brees likes to spread the ball around, similar to the way Tom Brady used to play before they brought in Welker and Moss. Brady always said his favorite receiver was the open receiver. Brees is very similar to that. Manning, however, likes to stick to his four guys, but as we saw in the AFC Championship game, if you take away Wayne, Manning has no qualms with going to Garcon or Collie. These receiving groups are very explosive and very talented. Even
Defense
The Saints are ranked 25th in the league on defense while the Colts are ranked 18th. Peyton Manning played 9 games this year against teams ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in total defense and his stats in those games? 312 PYPG, 20 passing TD’s and only 5 picks. So Peyton can carve up a bad defense better than Wolfgang Puck can a turkey. However, the difference with the Saints is their ability to force turnovers. The Saints forced 39 turnovers in the regular season; that was good enough for second best. The Saints will find a way to force an extra turnover that can help lead to points. The Colts on the other hand only forced 26 turnovers.
The Colts also have a poor run defense, the Saints will have the ability to run the ball effectively and open up passing lanes with some play-action passing.
The Colts and Saints are both in the middle of the pack in terms of getting to the QB, and with the ability of ach QB to get rid of the ball I see this game with 2 or 3 sacks total. On paper this games looks like it is going to be a shootout, but I think it won’t play that way. Even
Special Teams:
As I don’t envision many field goal attempts to be had in this game, the fact the Saints and Colts are both in the middle of the NFL in FG % won’t play a huge role in this game. However, special teams will come into play in the return game. The big question for Saints fans will be if Reggie Bush can come up with a huge return that will directly setup a TD for the Saints. The Colts don’t really have that feared returner to match the Saints have. Bush has a great chance to force the Colts to kick the ball away from him, thus giving the Saints some extra key yards on a punt. Edge Saints
X-Factor:
The Saints X-factor is two-fold. It is Reggie Bush and the defense. If the defense forces more turnovers than the Colts the Saints will be in a very good position to win this football game. Similarly, if Bush returns a kick for a TD or has a huge return that gives the Saints excellent field position that is a precursor to a TD, the Saints again will be in a great position to win.
The Colts x-factor is their running game. If the Colts can run effectively to keep the Saints linebackers honest it will be tough for the Saints to keep up with the Colts. However, if the Colts are unable to run the ball, the Saints will be all over the Colts receivers and be able to use their natural ball-hawking skills to force a key turnover.
Coaching Staff:
Jim Caldwell is rookie head coach who has gained a plethora of knowledge from Tony Dungy. He also has an assistant head coach in Peyton Manning. Peyton is so good at calling an audible at the line and reading defenses that it is pretty easy to coach the Colts. The Saints on the other had are coached by Sean Peyton. He is a very successful coach and he lead the Saints to the NFC Championship game a few years ago, but this will be his toughest challenge yet. Coaching in the Super Bowl is a whole different beast. Edge Colts
Prediction:
Contrary to what people may be saying, the Super Bowl is evenly matched. The Saints match up very well with the Colts. This game will be relatively low scoring and I think the Saints can pull off the upset. They have the entire South behind them; they are extremely focused and motivated. They have the offense to keep up with the Colts, and they have enough of playmakers in the return game and on defense to set up the extra score needed to win the Big Game. Saints 35 Colts 31
MVP:
I think Drew Brees will be the MVP of this game. He will throw for 3 TD’s and over 300 yards and lead the Saints to victory.
Next week I will take a more in-depth look at the Celtics and let you know their chances of returning the NBA Championship trophy back to Boston.
Now let’s break down the teams:
Offense:
Quarterbacks:
We all know that these two teams possess the best offenses in the game. Brees and Manning are the games first and sixth best-rated passers in the league, respectively. They threw the most and second most touchdown passes this season, and were ranked second and fourth in yards per game. They are both great at avoiding the sack and getting the ball out quickly. They can also make all the pre-snap reads that allows them that extra split second to make a decision post-snap and complete the pass. The difference lies in the fact Manning has been here before and Brees has not. Playing in your first Super Bowl can be very overwhelming and it may take Brees by surprise. Slight Edge Colts
Running Backs:
The Saints are the better running team. They averaged 131 YPG in the regular season, compared to just 80 a game for the Colts. The Saints have Reggie Bush who has the home run capabilities to break a mediocre play into a huge one. The Colts do not have anyone who can match that. Joseph Addai is a capable runner, but the Colts don’t use the run too much. Edge Saints
Offensive Line:
The two lines are quite similar. They have talented players who protect their QB well. (The Colts offensive line gave up only 13 sacks, while the Saints line gave up 20.) However, the lack of sacks has more to do with the QB. Both lines have the ability to open up holes for their running games, although like I said before, the Colts don’t really rely on the run. The lines don’t get called for dumb penalties and they are very disciplined with there play. Even
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:
The Saints and Colts have explosive playmakers in the receiving corps. The Saints have a good trio in Colston, Henderson, and Meachem. They also have a top tight end in Jeremy Shockey. The four of them combined for 23 TD receptions this season. The Colts have their own trio of receivers in Collie, Garcon, and Wayne. They also add Dwight Clark who is one of the best tight ends in the game. They combined for 31 TD’s this season. Brees likes to spread the ball around, similar to the way Tom Brady used to play before they brought in Welker and Moss. Brady always said his favorite receiver was the open receiver. Brees is very similar to that. Manning, however, likes to stick to his four guys, but as we saw in the AFC Championship game, if you take away Wayne, Manning has no qualms with going to Garcon or Collie. These receiving groups are very explosive and very talented. Even
Defense
The Saints are ranked 25th in the league on defense while the Colts are ranked 18th. Peyton Manning played 9 games this year against teams ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in total defense and his stats in those games? 312 PYPG, 20 passing TD’s and only 5 picks. So Peyton can carve up a bad defense better than Wolfgang Puck can a turkey. However, the difference with the Saints is their ability to force turnovers. The Saints forced 39 turnovers in the regular season; that was good enough for second best. The Saints will find a way to force an extra turnover that can help lead to points. The Colts on the other hand only forced 26 turnovers.
The Colts also have a poor run defense, the Saints will have the ability to run the ball effectively and open up passing lanes with some play-action passing.
The Colts and Saints are both in the middle of the pack in terms of getting to the QB, and with the ability of ach QB to get rid of the ball I see this game with 2 or 3 sacks total. On paper this games looks like it is going to be a shootout, but I think it won’t play that way. Even
Special Teams:
As I don’t envision many field goal attempts to be had in this game, the fact the Saints and Colts are both in the middle of the NFL in FG % won’t play a huge role in this game. However, special teams will come into play in the return game. The big question for Saints fans will be if Reggie Bush can come up with a huge return that will directly setup a TD for the Saints. The Colts don’t really have that feared returner to match the Saints have. Bush has a great chance to force the Colts to kick the ball away from him, thus giving the Saints some extra key yards on a punt. Edge Saints
X-Factor:
The Saints X-factor is two-fold. It is Reggie Bush and the defense. If the defense forces more turnovers than the Colts the Saints will be in a very good position to win this football game. Similarly, if Bush returns a kick for a TD or has a huge return that gives the Saints excellent field position that is a precursor to a TD, the Saints again will be in a great position to win.
The Colts x-factor is their running game. If the Colts can run effectively to keep the Saints linebackers honest it will be tough for the Saints to keep up with the Colts. However, if the Colts are unable to run the ball, the Saints will be all over the Colts receivers and be able to use their natural ball-hawking skills to force a key turnover.
Coaching Staff:
Jim Caldwell is rookie head coach who has gained a plethora of knowledge from Tony Dungy. He also has an assistant head coach in Peyton Manning. Peyton is so good at calling an audible at the line and reading defenses that it is pretty easy to coach the Colts. The Saints on the other had are coached by Sean Peyton. He is a very successful coach and he lead the Saints to the NFC Championship game a few years ago, but this will be his toughest challenge yet. Coaching in the Super Bowl is a whole different beast. Edge Colts
Prediction:
Contrary to what people may be saying, the Super Bowl is evenly matched. The Saints match up very well with the Colts. This game will be relatively low scoring and I think the Saints can pull off the upset. They have the entire South behind them; they are extremely focused and motivated. They have the offense to keep up with the Colts, and they have enough of playmakers in the return game and on defense to set up the extra score needed to win the Big Game. Saints 35 Colts 31
MVP:
I think Drew Brees will be the MVP of this game. He will throw for 3 TD’s and over 300 yards and lead the Saints to victory.
Next week I will take a more in-depth look at the Celtics and let you know their chances of returning the NBA Championship trophy back to Boston.
Friday, January 29
2010 NFL Mock Draft
Alrighty, so I am going to try a new thing for me… A mock draft. Everyone has always seen and looked for NFL Mock drafts before, so I think it would be fun to try and put one of my own together. The first one is very tricky; trying to get a read on college players and see how they would translate their game into the NFL can be very difficult. But at the same time, it will be fun to see how many picks you can get correct. Now, a lot can and will change between now and the draft which will be held in NYC in April. So without any further ado…. the mock draft
1: St. Louis Rams:
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
The Rams need a lot of help. They need the QB of the future in addition to help at WR, but with a pick like Suh, who is a defensive monster, will be a very safe pick. This pick might have drawn some criticism if Mario Williams didn’t pan out for Houston a few years back. The Rams need to shore up the defensive line in order to put some pressure on the QB, which was very scarce last year. (They finished with 25 total sacks on the season, third to last in the NFL.) They can find some other needs with their later picks. Wide receivers and QB’s can be found in later rounds and pan out.
2: Detroit Lions:
Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
The Lions, like the Rams also need help in a variety of positions. The Lions finished fourth to last in the NFL with only 26 sacks last season and getting another monster on the defensive line will force the opponents offensive line to double team McCoy, thus opening up an extra lane for other defenders. The Lions also need help on the OL so reaching for a guy like Russel Okung, the OT from Oklahoma State can be an option as well, but I think the Lions decide to go defense with their first pick and McCouy is the second best defensive player in the draft.
3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
And we see the trend of lousy defenses picking at the top of the draft continue. The Buccaneers found their QB of the future in Josh Freeman, their first round pick last year, who played well down the stretch. Now they need to find their bookend on defense to help force some turnovers and give the offense some short fields to play with. Morgan is the best defensive end in the draft. He is very versatile, someone who can rush the passer, stop the run and even drop back into coverage on occasion.
4: Washington Redskins:
Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
People will go back and forth on which QB should be taken off the board first. I think Clausen is a better pro prospect. He has a solid arm, played in an NFL style offense and was coached by Charlie Weis. Now Sam Bradford would have been the number 1 overall pick had he came out of college last year, but since he stayed in school he will likely drop due to his shoulder injury. I think that Clausen will fit in well in Washington and can lead the Redskins into the future.
5: Kansas City Chiefs:
Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
I think the Chiefs can go one of two ways here. They can look at their offensive line, which gave up 45 sacks last season, sixth most in the NFL, and say they need to protect their huge investment in Matt Cassel. Or, they can look at their defense, which gave up 388 YPG, and decide that shoring up their secondary will be what helps them. I think that once they look at some other options for the secondary they will pass on Eric Berry and decide that protecting Matt Cassel is highly important and getting a guy like Okung, someone who brings instant credibility to their OL, will be the wise choice.
6: Seattle Seahawks:
Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Pete Carroll is rejoicing in his war room that Berry dropped to him. Berry reminds Carroll of another great safety with similar size and skills, Troy Polamalu. Carroll loved coaching Troy at USC and will now cherish having a guy with the ball hawking skills of Berry on his defense on Seattle. It should make his transition back to the NFL a little smoother.
7: Cleveland Browns:
Joe Haden, CB, Florida
The Browns are a little uncertain at QB. They have Brady Quinn, whom they used a first round pick on a few years back. I don’t think they use another first round pick on Bradford. Instead I think they focus on defense and pick the best CB in the draft in Haden. He is shutdown corner from the first day he puts on that Browns uniform. He has solid tacking skills and is by far the best corner in the draft. With the way the Browns closed out their season and with the new additions in the front office I think the Browns fans have something to cheer for next season. That’s for you Erik!
8: Oakland Raiders:
Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
The Raiders are always the most unpredictable team in the NFL draft, maybe this year they go with a guy who can protect JaMarcus Russell. Al Davis still is high on Russell, not sure why, but since he is, he should draft a guy that is trending upward in terms of skills on the OL. With Davis in the mix Russell can have a little more time to make reads and get the ball out.
9: Buffalo Bills:
Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
The Bills need some help at QB. They don’t have anyone who can take the reigns of the position and guide the team into the future. Bradford, as mentioned earlier, would have been the unanimous number 1 pick in last years NFL draft. Bradford has an underrated, but strong and accurate arm. Bradford can be the steal of the first round with him dropping this far.
10: Denver Broncos:
Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
The Broncos have a lot of different ways they can use this pick. If Brandon Marshall is gone, they can easily use this pick on Dez Bryant, who has the home run capabilities of making huge plays in the vertical passing game. They can also go with a QB if either Clausen or Bradford fall this far as well all know Kyle Orton doesn’t scare anyone. But what I think Denver does is get someone who can rush the passer form the edge and is very athletic.
11: Jacksonville Jaguars:
Brian Price DT, UCLA
The Jaguars have a decent team assembled. They do need some help on defense and the parade of DT to be drafted early in the first round keeps on coming. Price, who has a mammoth presence inside will help clog up the middle of the defensive line and help with the rush defense of the Jags.
12: Miami Dolphins:
Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
The Dolphins have some other, maybe more pressing, needs other than WR, however when a guy like Bryant falls in your lap at number 12 you have to pounce. The Dolphins need some help at WR and I hear whispers they might be afraid to draft one this high in the draft, because of the whole Ted Ginn thing, but Bryant is a guy who give Chad Henne an instant big time threat. I like the way he can play off of Devone Bess and Greg Camarillo. The Dolphins can also use this pick to grab a great ILB like Rolando McClain. But I think the Dolphins should add the big time playmaking abilities of Dez Bryant.
13: San Francisco 49ers:
Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
The 49ers need help at the right tackle position. Williams gives them someone who will help out in the running game. He will also help with protecting the QB and giving their playmaker receivers more time to operate.
14: Seattle Seahawks:
Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
The Seahawks get another great defensive presence on the line in Dunlap. The guy is big and can rush the QB. Couple him with Berry and the Seahawks have the makings of strong defensive foundation for the future. Dunlap will give the Seahawks an instant pass rush as he gets of the edge quickly and efficiently. Carroll will use their later picks to grab some offensive help.
15: New York Giants:
Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
The Giants need help at linebacker and McClain is an ILB who can be a great leader in the huddle for the Giants. McClain is the highest rated LB in the draft and to grab him this late in the draft could be a steal. He will fill a great void in the Giants defense.
16: San Francisco 49ers:
Earl Thomas, S, Texas
The 49ers have a great deficiency in the secondary. Thomas is the best safety available, who has the athleticism and cover skills to be an immediate contributor in the 49ers defense. The 49ers have a great draft and with the retirement of Kurt Warner, they should be the favorites to win the NFC West.
17: Tennessee Titans:
Everson Griffen, DE, USC
The Titans need help in the secondary and with pressuring the QB. Since no DB fell to them here that has first round talent, they take a value pick in Griffen. He has been consistent this season and has the NFL body to boot. He is very versatile and will be a good fit with the Titans.
18: Pittsburgh Steelers:
Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
The Steelers need some help up front on both side of the ball. Their OL was very inconsistent this season, but they also need a replacement for Casey Hampton who is near the end of time in the NFL. With Williams, the Steelers get a DL that will replace Hampton after learning fro him for a year. If the Steelers decide to go with protection for Big Ben then look for them grab Bryan Bulaga for their offensive line.
19: Atlanta Falcons:
Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan
The Falcons need someone to shore up the outside on their defensive line. By picking Graham, the Falcons get someone who led the nation in tackles for a loss, which shows he is able to get off the edge and put pressure in the defensive backfield something that was missing from Atlanta last season. They need to create a better pass rush in order to bring up their sack total from last season.
20: Houston Texans:
C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
The Texans can also use some help at safety and DT so Taylor Mays or Jared Odrick can be in the picture. However, I think the Texans go with the RB who has been slipping down the draft board. Spiller is a very talented and versatile player. He also posses the skills to be a game-breaker, he is a great value pick here for Texans.
21: Cincinnati Benagls
Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida
The Bengals need someone at TE and Hernandez is the best one in the draft. He has great hands and excellent YAC skills. He will give Carson Plamer an instant threat down the middle of the field.
22: New England Patriots:
Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas
The Patriots need major additions on the defensive side of the ball. They need someone who can rush the passer form the LB position on a consistent basis. Kindle will fit in perfectly in Belichick’s 3-4 alignment and be a great addition for the linebackers group that already has an up and coming stud with Jarod Mayo. The Patirots also need a RB so they will take a hard look at Spiller if he drops to them, or possibly jonathan Dwyer. But I think in the end they need to find someone who can rush the passer and Kindle is their guy.
23: Green Bay Packers:
Bryan Bulaga, OL, Iowa
The Packers need major help on the offensive line. Buluga will be a great fit up in Green Bay. He has great positioning and leverage skills that allow him to thrive while protecting the QB. The Packers could go defense with this pick and look to draft another USC product in Taylor Mays. They had enormous success with Brain Cushing coming out of USC last year.
24: Philadelphia Eagles:
Taylor Mays, S, USC
If Mays slips past the Packers look for the Eagles to swoop in and draft him, the Eagles need help in the secondary and Mays has the physical tools to become a ball-hawking safety in the NFL.
25: Baltimore Ravens:
Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
The Ravens need some help for Joe Flacco and adding a big talented TE will help Flacco in the play action passing game. Gresham is tall and athletic, everything you look for in a TE.
26: Arizona Cardinals:
Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
Arizona needs help protecting Matt Lienhart now that Warner has retired. Campbell is still learning the position, but has the physical skills and the determination to become a force on the offensive line. The Cardinals could also go defensive line with this pick and draft Terrance Cody. However, I like the pick of Campbell.
27: Dallas Cowboys:
Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri
The Cowboys have some talent on the defensive side of the ball, but pairing Weatherspoon opposite DeMarcus Ware makes their pass rushing ability dynamic. They have some needs on the OL so if Campbell drops to them, they would happily take him.
28: San Diego Chargers:
Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech
The Chargers need to find their replacement for LaDainian Tomlinson and they have that in Dwyer. Dwyer has the ability to carry the ball 20+ times a game and gives them the explosiveness as well. He runs low to the ground and has a good center of gravity that allows him to evade would-be tacklers.
29: New York Jets:
Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State
The Jets need someone who can play over the ball and protect the middle of the defense against the run. Odrick is a big, strong defensive presence that will help the Jets with their rush defense, which despite how great their passing defense is needs help.
30: Minnesota Vikings:
Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State:
The Vikings need help in the secondary and they can use a guy like Robinson right away to bring some stability to their defense. He is the second best cornerback in this draft and has the characteristics to develop into a shutdown corner in the NFL.
The last 2 picks depend on who will win the Super Bowl, and I don’t want to give away my prediction just yet, so I will just give you who I think each team will take with no order starting with the AFC Colts
Indianapolis Colts:
Mike Iupati, G, Idaho
The Colts need a big guy in the middle of the offensive line to pass block and open up holes for their running backs to squeeze through. Iupati is the best guard in the draft and should be able to be an immediate starter on the line.
New Orleans Saints:
Terrance Cody, DT, Alabama
The Saints can use some help on the defensive end and they get a great value pick this late in the draft. Cody is huge and gets good penetration off the edge of the line. He should be able to cause some havoc in the backfield.
Today Kurt Warner announced his retirement from football. He will be missed form the game, but hopefully he will continue to be part of the NFL. He was always a class act who knew how to compete on the field. He retires as one of the best QB’s this past decade and should eventually work his way into the Hall Of Fame.
Next week I will break down the Super Bowl matchup.
1: St. Louis Rams:
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
The Rams need a lot of help. They need the QB of the future in addition to help at WR, but with a pick like Suh, who is a defensive monster, will be a very safe pick. This pick might have drawn some criticism if Mario Williams didn’t pan out for Houston a few years back. The Rams need to shore up the defensive line in order to put some pressure on the QB, which was very scarce last year. (They finished with 25 total sacks on the season, third to last in the NFL.) They can find some other needs with their later picks. Wide receivers and QB’s can be found in later rounds and pan out.
2: Detroit Lions:
Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
The Lions, like the Rams also need help in a variety of positions. The Lions finished fourth to last in the NFL with only 26 sacks last season and getting another monster on the defensive line will force the opponents offensive line to double team McCoy, thus opening up an extra lane for other defenders. The Lions also need help on the OL so reaching for a guy like Russel Okung, the OT from Oklahoma State can be an option as well, but I think the Lions decide to go defense with their first pick and McCouy is the second best defensive player in the draft.
3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
And we see the trend of lousy defenses picking at the top of the draft continue. The Buccaneers found their QB of the future in Josh Freeman, their first round pick last year, who played well down the stretch. Now they need to find their bookend on defense to help force some turnovers and give the offense some short fields to play with. Morgan is the best defensive end in the draft. He is very versatile, someone who can rush the passer, stop the run and even drop back into coverage on occasion.
4: Washington Redskins:
Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
People will go back and forth on which QB should be taken off the board first. I think Clausen is a better pro prospect. He has a solid arm, played in an NFL style offense and was coached by Charlie Weis. Now Sam Bradford would have been the number 1 overall pick had he came out of college last year, but since he stayed in school he will likely drop due to his shoulder injury. I think that Clausen will fit in well in Washington and can lead the Redskins into the future.
5: Kansas City Chiefs:
Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
I think the Chiefs can go one of two ways here. They can look at their offensive line, which gave up 45 sacks last season, sixth most in the NFL, and say they need to protect their huge investment in Matt Cassel. Or, they can look at their defense, which gave up 388 YPG, and decide that shoring up their secondary will be what helps them. I think that once they look at some other options for the secondary they will pass on Eric Berry and decide that protecting Matt Cassel is highly important and getting a guy like Okung, someone who brings instant credibility to their OL, will be the wise choice.
6: Seattle Seahawks:
Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Pete Carroll is rejoicing in his war room that Berry dropped to him. Berry reminds Carroll of another great safety with similar size and skills, Troy Polamalu. Carroll loved coaching Troy at USC and will now cherish having a guy with the ball hawking skills of Berry on his defense on Seattle. It should make his transition back to the NFL a little smoother.
7: Cleveland Browns:
Joe Haden, CB, Florida
The Browns are a little uncertain at QB. They have Brady Quinn, whom they used a first round pick on a few years back. I don’t think they use another first round pick on Bradford. Instead I think they focus on defense and pick the best CB in the draft in Haden. He is shutdown corner from the first day he puts on that Browns uniform. He has solid tacking skills and is by far the best corner in the draft. With the way the Browns closed out their season and with the new additions in the front office I think the Browns fans have something to cheer for next season. That’s for you Erik!
8: Oakland Raiders:
Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
The Raiders are always the most unpredictable team in the NFL draft, maybe this year they go with a guy who can protect JaMarcus Russell. Al Davis still is high on Russell, not sure why, but since he is, he should draft a guy that is trending upward in terms of skills on the OL. With Davis in the mix Russell can have a little more time to make reads and get the ball out.
9: Buffalo Bills:
Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
The Bills need some help at QB. They don’t have anyone who can take the reigns of the position and guide the team into the future. Bradford, as mentioned earlier, would have been the unanimous number 1 pick in last years NFL draft. Bradford has an underrated, but strong and accurate arm. Bradford can be the steal of the first round with him dropping this far.
10: Denver Broncos:
Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
The Broncos have a lot of different ways they can use this pick. If Brandon Marshall is gone, they can easily use this pick on Dez Bryant, who has the home run capabilities of making huge plays in the vertical passing game. They can also go with a QB if either Clausen or Bradford fall this far as well all know Kyle Orton doesn’t scare anyone. But what I think Denver does is get someone who can rush the passer form the edge and is very athletic.
11: Jacksonville Jaguars:
Brian Price DT, UCLA
The Jaguars have a decent team assembled. They do need some help on defense and the parade of DT to be drafted early in the first round keeps on coming. Price, who has a mammoth presence inside will help clog up the middle of the defensive line and help with the rush defense of the Jags.
12: Miami Dolphins:
Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State
The Dolphins have some other, maybe more pressing, needs other than WR, however when a guy like Bryant falls in your lap at number 12 you have to pounce. The Dolphins need some help at WR and I hear whispers they might be afraid to draft one this high in the draft, because of the whole Ted Ginn thing, but Bryant is a guy who give Chad Henne an instant big time threat. I like the way he can play off of Devone Bess and Greg Camarillo. The Dolphins can also use this pick to grab a great ILB like Rolando McClain. But I think the Dolphins should add the big time playmaking abilities of Dez Bryant.
13: San Francisco 49ers:
Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
The 49ers need help at the right tackle position. Williams gives them someone who will help out in the running game. He will also help with protecting the QB and giving their playmaker receivers more time to operate.
14: Seattle Seahawks:
Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
The Seahawks get another great defensive presence on the line in Dunlap. The guy is big and can rush the QB. Couple him with Berry and the Seahawks have the makings of strong defensive foundation for the future. Dunlap will give the Seahawks an instant pass rush as he gets of the edge quickly and efficiently. Carroll will use their later picks to grab some offensive help.
15: New York Giants:
Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
The Giants need help at linebacker and McClain is an ILB who can be a great leader in the huddle for the Giants. McClain is the highest rated LB in the draft and to grab him this late in the draft could be a steal. He will fill a great void in the Giants defense.
16: San Francisco 49ers:
Earl Thomas, S, Texas
The 49ers have a great deficiency in the secondary. Thomas is the best safety available, who has the athleticism and cover skills to be an immediate contributor in the 49ers defense. The 49ers have a great draft and with the retirement of Kurt Warner, they should be the favorites to win the NFC West.
17: Tennessee Titans:
Everson Griffen, DE, USC
The Titans need help in the secondary and with pressuring the QB. Since no DB fell to them here that has first round talent, they take a value pick in Griffen. He has been consistent this season and has the NFL body to boot. He is very versatile and will be a good fit with the Titans.
18: Pittsburgh Steelers:
Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
The Steelers need some help up front on both side of the ball. Their OL was very inconsistent this season, but they also need a replacement for Casey Hampton who is near the end of time in the NFL. With Williams, the Steelers get a DL that will replace Hampton after learning fro him for a year. If the Steelers decide to go with protection for Big Ben then look for them grab Bryan Bulaga for their offensive line.
19: Atlanta Falcons:
Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan
The Falcons need someone to shore up the outside on their defensive line. By picking Graham, the Falcons get someone who led the nation in tackles for a loss, which shows he is able to get off the edge and put pressure in the defensive backfield something that was missing from Atlanta last season. They need to create a better pass rush in order to bring up their sack total from last season.
20: Houston Texans:
C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
The Texans can also use some help at safety and DT so Taylor Mays or Jared Odrick can be in the picture. However, I think the Texans go with the RB who has been slipping down the draft board. Spiller is a very talented and versatile player. He also posses the skills to be a game-breaker, he is a great value pick here for Texans.
21: Cincinnati Benagls
Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida
The Bengals need someone at TE and Hernandez is the best one in the draft. He has great hands and excellent YAC skills. He will give Carson Plamer an instant threat down the middle of the field.
22: New England Patriots:
Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas
The Patriots need major additions on the defensive side of the ball. They need someone who can rush the passer form the LB position on a consistent basis. Kindle will fit in perfectly in Belichick’s 3-4 alignment and be a great addition for the linebackers group that already has an up and coming stud with Jarod Mayo. The Patirots also need a RB so they will take a hard look at Spiller if he drops to them, or possibly jonathan Dwyer. But I think in the end they need to find someone who can rush the passer and Kindle is their guy.
23: Green Bay Packers:
Bryan Bulaga, OL, Iowa
The Packers need major help on the offensive line. Buluga will be a great fit up in Green Bay. He has great positioning and leverage skills that allow him to thrive while protecting the QB. The Packers could go defense with this pick and look to draft another USC product in Taylor Mays. They had enormous success with Brain Cushing coming out of USC last year.
24: Philadelphia Eagles:
Taylor Mays, S, USC
If Mays slips past the Packers look for the Eagles to swoop in and draft him, the Eagles need help in the secondary and Mays has the physical tools to become a ball-hawking safety in the NFL.
25: Baltimore Ravens:
Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
The Ravens need some help for Joe Flacco and adding a big talented TE will help Flacco in the play action passing game. Gresham is tall and athletic, everything you look for in a TE.
26: Arizona Cardinals:
Bruce Campbell, OT, Maryland
Arizona needs help protecting Matt Lienhart now that Warner has retired. Campbell is still learning the position, but has the physical skills and the determination to become a force on the offensive line. The Cardinals could also go defensive line with this pick and draft Terrance Cody. However, I like the pick of Campbell.
27: Dallas Cowboys:
Sean Weatherspoon, OLB, Missouri
The Cowboys have some talent on the defensive side of the ball, but pairing Weatherspoon opposite DeMarcus Ware makes their pass rushing ability dynamic. They have some needs on the OL so if Campbell drops to them, they would happily take him.
28: San Diego Chargers:
Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Tech
The Chargers need to find their replacement for LaDainian Tomlinson and they have that in Dwyer. Dwyer has the ability to carry the ball 20+ times a game and gives them the explosiveness as well. He runs low to the ground and has a good center of gravity that allows him to evade would-be tacklers.
29: New York Jets:
Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State
The Jets need someone who can play over the ball and protect the middle of the defense against the run. Odrick is a big, strong defensive presence that will help the Jets with their rush defense, which despite how great their passing defense is needs help.
30: Minnesota Vikings:
Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State:
The Vikings need help in the secondary and they can use a guy like Robinson right away to bring some stability to their defense. He is the second best cornerback in this draft and has the characteristics to develop into a shutdown corner in the NFL.
The last 2 picks depend on who will win the Super Bowl, and I don’t want to give away my prediction just yet, so I will just give you who I think each team will take with no order starting with the AFC Colts
Indianapolis Colts:
Mike Iupati, G, Idaho
The Colts need a big guy in the middle of the offensive line to pass block and open up holes for their running backs to squeeze through. Iupati is the best guard in the draft and should be able to be an immediate starter on the line.
New Orleans Saints:
Terrance Cody, DT, Alabama
The Saints can use some help on the defensive end and they get a great value pick this late in the draft. Cody is huge and gets good penetration off the edge of the line. He should be able to cause some havoc in the backfield.
Today Kurt Warner announced his retirement from football. He will be missed form the game, but hopefully he will continue to be part of the NFL. He was always a class act who knew how to compete on the field. He retires as one of the best QB’s this past decade and should eventually work his way into the Hall Of Fame.
Next week I will break down the Super Bowl matchup.
Thursday, January 21
NFL Championship weekend
NFL Championship weekend
The final four teams in the NFL square off this weekend to determine who will play in Miami for the right to be crowned king of the NFL for the final season of the decade. We have a matchup in the NFC that everyone predicted way back in week 7 or 8, while over in the AFC we have a matchup that even Rex Ryan didn’t think would happen (he famously claimed after a loss to the Falcons that the Jets had been eliminated from playoff contention, only to be corrected and informed they still had a shot). The Colts had their perfect season broken up by these same Jets, eight days after Ryan’s gaffe. So let’s start with the AFC.
AFC CHCAMPIONSHIP:
As mentioned before, the AFC Title game is a rematch to the week 16 meeting in Indy. The Jets came into that game looking to play spoiler, while the Colts came in knowing they cared more about winning a Super Bowl than going undefeated. The Colts lead 9-3 at the half, a half where they had their starters play the whole time. However, after halftime it was a completely different game. The Jets took the opening kickoff of the second half and returned it 106 yards for a TD and they later added a TD that put them up for good after a Curtis Painter fumble was returned for a score. The Jets put up 26 second half points that afternoon, while the Colts second stringers put up just 6.
No one knows what would have happened on that Sunday had the Colts left their starters in for the entire game, but what we do know is how the Jets and Colts have played since then. The Jets shocked fans of the NFL last week when they forced the Chargers into playing a terrible game of football. The Jets forced two picks, one of which set up their first TD, three fumbles, all of which were recovered by the Chargers, and ten penalties. The Jets offense did not play well. They managed only 262 yards, 53 of which came from one play, a game-sealing run by Shone Green that occurred midway through the fourth quarter. The Chargers offense was able to move the ball on the Jets, as evidenced by their 344 total yards, 283 of which came through the air, the alleged strength of the Jets defense. The Jets also benefited immensely from three missed field goals by Nate Kaeding, a kicker who is THE most accurate in the history of the NFL, and a kicker who missed three kicks ALL season.
The Jets did not play a perfect game by any definition of the phrase. The Chargers had plenty of chances to win this game and force a matchup with Indy in the Championship Game, but decided they would rather play some golf with the Patriots. As a reward for the lackluster play, Norv Turner got an extension and will remain their coach. Crazy.
The Colts on the hand completely dominated their matchup with the Ravens. They won their matchup because they out hustled and out hit the Ravens. The Colts had a pedestrian day on offense, racking up only 275 total yards, but like I said before they out hustled the Ravens. They forced 4 turnovers, while only committing 1. (And on the one pick Manning threw, Pierre Garcon chased down Ed Reed from behind and knocked the ball loose which was of course the Colts recovered) Once this play occurred you knew the Ravens had no chance of coming back. The Colts are an immensely focused and talented team that showed their poise through out the season.
This matchup will come down to the Colts offense vs. the Jets defense. If the Jets defense can do to Indy what it did to the Chargers the Jets will be in the game late in the third quarter and be in a position to win the game. However, if the Colts are able to throw their quick slants and crossing routes, keep the Jets honest with Joseph Addai and Donald Brown they will force the Jets to play catch-up and put the game on the shoulders of Mark Sanchez. Rex Ryan knows that if this occurs, his Super Bowl parade route will be clear on February 9th. The Jets are 8-point underdogs according to Vegas, but they were big underdogs last week and pulled off the upset. However, the Colts are not the Chargers. The Colts are better coached, and they have a far superior QB than the Chargers and the Jets. Manning will be able to make the necessary pre-snap adjustments that will neutralize the Jets defense. I like the Colts to be able to control the offensive tempo and Manning will have clear lanes to throw to his receivers. Colts 24 Jets14
NFC Championship:
Over in the NFC we have the predictable matchup. Ever since week 8 when the Saints were 7-0 and the Vikings were 7-1 we knew this would be the matchup for a trip to the Super Bowl. The Vikings played a great game against the Cowboys last week. They put up big numbers on offense, 323 total yards, and were able to hold a Dallas offense to 248 total yards; the Cowboys were averaging over 415 yards per game in their previous four contests. Everyone knows the Vikings defense is highly talented. They have great bookends in Pat and Kevin Williams and Jared Allen. The Vikings were ranked 6th in overall defense. They can bring the heat on D. On the other side of the ball the Viking boast one of the statistical greats of all time in QB Brett Favre. He is an old time gunslinger. He loves to play with a childish like enthusiasm and his ability to carry teams on his back. They also have a workhorse in Adrian Peterson; however, he has not had a 100-yard rushing game since week 10 against Detroit.
The Saints have been the perennial favorites to represent the NFC since very early in the season. They started off extremely hot, going 13-0 before finally dropping to the Cowboys. Their offense can light up any scoreboard, especially when it is the scoreboard in the Superdome. They are an extremely tough team to beat at home. Losing their last 3 games seemed like it was a bad omen since no team that lost their final three games of the regular season has made it to Super Sunday. The Saints have the offensive power to change that. The Saints put up 45 points, and 418 yards of total offense in their win last week over the Cardinals. Now no one is going to mistake the Cardinals for the Steel Curtain, but the Saints can put up points. Drew Brees has the same qualities that make Peyton Manning so successful. Brees can make great pre-snap reads; and more importantly he gets the ball out quickly, he has a great mix of receivers with Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Jeremy Shockey, and Robert Meachem. He also has Reggie Bush, no relation to the former President, who had 217 all-purpose yards including a punt return for a TD. The Saints are loaded on offense.
This game will come down to Special teams and turnovers. The Saints offense will have the ability to beat the Vikings defense, as great as their D is, the Cardinals still put up 398 yards in total offense in a win in week 13, and the Viking will be able to put up points to keep up with the Saints. This Game hinges on the shoulders of Brett Favre. If he can play the way he did last week against the Cowboys the Vikings can and should win this matchup. However, if he throws a costly pick, similar to what he did in the 2007 NFC Championship game, the Saints will be able to get the extra score needed to pull out a victory and advance to the Super Bowl.
I have gone back and forth with this pick. On the one hand you have the highest ranked offense in the NFL (the Saints) that seemingly can put up points on anyone. On the other hand you have a team in the Vikings who have a stellar defense, a defense that had the ability to shut down a high-powered offense last weekend against Dallas. What I know for sure is that this will be a highly entertaining game, one that should go back and forth, and come down to the wire. In the end I am going to go with my gut. Drew Brees and the same core of players were in the situation three years ago. They know what it takes to prepare for a game of this magnitude and being there gives players a greater grasp on the urgency that is upon them; an urgency that cannot be transferred by stories. Thus I give the edge to the Saints, and I follow my gut. Saints 38 Vikings 31
Next week I will break down the Super Bowl matchup and you will find out if I think Reggie Bush will be proposing to his girlfriend in the near future. Enjoy the games.
The final four teams in the NFL square off this weekend to determine who will play in Miami for the right to be crowned king of the NFL for the final season of the decade. We have a matchup in the NFC that everyone predicted way back in week 7 or 8, while over in the AFC we have a matchup that even Rex Ryan didn’t think would happen (he famously claimed after a loss to the Falcons that the Jets had been eliminated from playoff contention, only to be corrected and informed they still had a shot). The Colts had their perfect season broken up by these same Jets, eight days after Ryan’s gaffe. So let’s start with the AFC.
AFC CHCAMPIONSHIP:
As mentioned before, the AFC Title game is a rematch to the week 16 meeting in Indy. The Jets came into that game looking to play spoiler, while the Colts came in knowing they cared more about winning a Super Bowl than going undefeated. The Colts lead 9-3 at the half, a half where they had their starters play the whole time. However, after halftime it was a completely different game. The Jets took the opening kickoff of the second half and returned it 106 yards for a TD and they later added a TD that put them up for good after a Curtis Painter fumble was returned for a score. The Jets put up 26 second half points that afternoon, while the Colts second stringers put up just 6.
No one knows what would have happened on that Sunday had the Colts left their starters in for the entire game, but what we do know is how the Jets and Colts have played since then. The Jets shocked fans of the NFL last week when they forced the Chargers into playing a terrible game of football. The Jets forced two picks, one of which set up their first TD, three fumbles, all of which were recovered by the Chargers, and ten penalties. The Jets offense did not play well. They managed only 262 yards, 53 of which came from one play, a game-sealing run by Shone Green that occurred midway through the fourth quarter. The Chargers offense was able to move the ball on the Jets, as evidenced by their 344 total yards, 283 of which came through the air, the alleged strength of the Jets defense. The Jets also benefited immensely from three missed field goals by Nate Kaeding, a kicker who is THE most accurate in the history of the NFL, and a kicker who missed three kicks ALL season.
The Jets did not play a perfect game by any definition of the phrase. The Chargers had plenty of chances to win this game and force a matchup with Indy in the Championship Game, but decided they would rather play some golf with the Patriots. As a reward for the lackluster play, Norv Turner got an extension and will remain their coach. Crazy.
The Colts on the hand completely dominated their matchup with the Ravens. They won their matchup because they out hustled and out hit the Ravens. The Colts had a pedestrian day on offense, racking up only 275 total yards, but like I said before they out hustled the Ravens. They forced 4 turnovers, while only committing 1. (And on the one pick Manning threw, Pierre Garcon chased down Ed Reed from behind and knocked the ball loose which was of course the Colts recovered) Once this play occurred you knew the Ravens had no chance of coming back. The Colts are an immensely focused and talented team that showed their poise through out the season.
This matchup will come down to the Colts offense vs. the Jets defense. If the Jets defense can do to Indy what it did to the Chargers the Jets will be in the game late in the third quarter and be in a position to win the game. However, if the Colts are able to throw their quick slants and crossing routes, keep the Jets honest with Joseph Addai and Donald Brown they will force the Jets to play catch-up and put the game on the shoulders of Mark Sanchez. Rex Ryan knows that if this occurs, his Super Bowl parade route will be clear on February 9th. The Jets are 8-point underdogs according to Vegas, but they were big underdogs last week and pulled off the upset. However, the Colts are not the Chargers. The Colts are better coached, and they have a far superior QB than the Chargers and the Jets. Manning will be able to make the necessary pre-snap adjustments that will neutralize the Jets defense. I like the Colts to be able to control the offensive tempo and Manning will have clear lanes to throw to his receivers. Colts 24 Jets14
NFC Championship:
Over in the NFC we have the predictable matchup. Ever since week 8 when the Saints were 7-0 and the Vikings were 7-1 we knew this would be the matchup for a trip to the Super Bowl. The Vikings played a great game against the Cowboys last week. They put up big numbers on offense, 323 total yards, and were able to hold a Dallas offense to 248 total yards; the Cowboys were averaging over 415 yards per game in their previous four contests. Everyone knows the Vikings defense is highly talented. They have great bookends in Pat and Kevin Williams and Jared Allen. The Vikings were ranked 6th in overall defense. They can bring the heat on D. On the other side of the ball the Viking boast one of the statistical greats of all time in QB Brett Favre. He is an old time gunslinger. He loves to play with a childish like enthusiasm and his ability to carry teams on his back. They also have a workhorse in Adrian Peterson; however, he has not had a 100-yard rushing game since week 10 against Detroit.
The Saints have been the perennial favorites to represent the NFC since very early in the season. They started off extremely hot, going 13-0 before finally dropping to the Cowboys. Their offense can light up any scoreboard, especially when it is the scoreboard in the Superdome. They are an extremely tough team to beat at home. Losing their last 3 games seemed like it was a bad omen since no team that lost their final three games of the regular season has made it to Super Sunday. The Saints have the offensive power to change that. The Saints put up 45 points, and 418 yards of total offense in their win last week over the Cardinals. Now no one is going to mistake the Cardinals for the Steel Curtain, but the Saints can put up points. Drew Brees has the same qualities that make Peyton Manning so successful. Brees can make great pre-snap reads; and more importantly he gets the ball out quickly, he has a great mix of receivers with Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Jeremy Shockey, and Robert Meachem. He also has Reggie Bush, no relation to the former President, who had 217 all-purpose yards including a punt return for a TD. The Saints are loaded on offense.
This game will come down to Special teams and turnovers. The Saints offense will have the ability to beat the Vikings defense, as great as their D is, the Cardinals still put up 398 yards in total offense in a win in week 13, and the Viking will be able to put up points to keep up with the Saints. This Game hinges on the shoulders of Brett Favre. If he can play the way he did last week against the Cowboys the Vikings can and should win this matchup. However, if he throws a costly pick, similar to what he did in the 2007 NFC Championship game, the Saints will be able to get the extra score needed to pull out a victory and advance to the Super Bowl.
I have gone back and forth with this pick. On the one hand you have the highest ranked offense in the NFL (the Saints) that seemingly can put up points on anyone. On the other hand you have a team in the Vikings who have a stellar defense, a defense that had the ability to shut down a high-powered offense last weekend against Dallas. What I know for sure is that this will be a highly entertaining game, one that should go back and forth, and come down to the wire. In the end I am going to go with my gut. Drew Brees and the same core of players were in the situation three years ago. They know what it takes to prepare for a game of this magnitude and being there gives players a greater grasp on the urgency that is upon them; an urgency that cannot be transferred by stories. Thus I give the edge to the Saints, and I follow my gut. Saints 38 Vikings 31
Next week I will break down the Super Bowl matchup and you will find out if I think Reggie Bush will be proposing to his girlfriend in the near future. Enjoy the games.
Tuesday, January 19
The Celtics and Ramblings....
The Boston Celtics are in a funk. Since losing Kevin Garnett to a mysterious knee injury, they have a pedestrian record of 5-5. A knee injury that is starting to eerily play out a lot like Garnett’s injury last year, an injury he never returned from. The Celtics are calling the injury a hyperextension of his knee. The same knee he injured last year. The Celtics are claiming that Garnett will be back for their game against Portland this Friday the 22nd. If he retunes on Friday, he would have missed almost a month of game action.
As you can see from last nights Celtics game against the Mavericks, Garnett’s defensive presence is sorely missed. They miss his intensity, his athleticism, and his long arms that can bother shots for many players on opposing teams. Dirk Nowitzky had a field day against the Celtics last night. Putting Rasheed Wallace, or Brian Scalabrine on Dirk did not get the job done. The Celtics defense has gone down hill since KG got injured and they need him back sooner rather than later in order for them to be a true contender.
Once KG returns to the lineup the Celtics will once again be the team to beat in the East. They have a very well rounded team that, with the addition of Rasheed, has excellent playoff weapons. When healthy, the Celtics are contenders to win the NBA title, if they are not healthy they are a team that will lose in the second round of the playoffs. We saw these outcomes in each of the past two years. In 2008, the Celtics had their first year with the Big 3. They remained healthy all year long and the Big 3 led the Celtics to a championship. However, last year, once KG got hurt, their season went down hill and they had to fight and claw their way out of the first round and they took the eventual runner-up Magic to 7 only to lose on their home court. If the Celtics are healthy they will have enough weapons to win the East and and have an excellent shot at beating the Western Conference Champions in the Finals. But when you rely on the knees of a 33 year old seven-footer who has played in over 1100 games in his career, IF is a very key word.
I think that once KG comes back on Friday and he gets some of the rust off from the hiatus, the Celtic fans will be much more relaxed and the fact that they lost their seventh home game last night, compared to just six in each of the last two seasons, won’t be so magnified. The talking heads on ESPN seem to forget the Celtics have the best road record in the NBA, which currently stands at 16-5. The Celtics will be fine.
NFL Playoffs:
Crazy weekend in the NFL playoffs….
The Jets closed out the games with a thrilling come from behind win which saw them gain their first 1st down late in the second quarter and didn’t see them cross the goal line until the fourth quarter. They punished the Chargers late with Shone Green who broke free on a key 53-yard rushing touchdown midway through the 4th quarter. The Colts got to the AFC Championship game by dismantling everyone’s favorite darling, the Ravens, who were over-hyped after a big win in Foxboro the opening weekend of the playoffs.
Over in the NFC the Vikings defense dominated against an inferior Cowboys team. Favre played a solid game and didn’t turn the ball over. He can possibly carry this game into the Superdome where they will face the Saints in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. The Saints laid the smack down on the Cardinals who, despite reaching the Super Bowl last year, looked very weak and couldn’t handle the Saints offense. We will see what the Vikings defense can do to stop the Saints offense later on this week.
24
The new season of 24 started this past Sunday night and it picks up with Jack healthy from his trial and risky procedure that was done with his daughter Kim to save his life. He tries to get you to believe that he is moving back to LA with his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter, but there is an on-going peace process between President Taylor and President Omar Hassan, which of course, being the 24 veterans that we all are, be disrupted with an assassination attempt. An old informant, who has been shot, tells Jack that he helped bring in an assassin that is trying to assassinate President Hassan, sucks Jack back into helping CTU, which is in NY now and looks remarkably fake and ridiculous. Furthermore there is someone on the inside that is helping the assassin. CTU quickly and swiftly finds evidence that incriminates a journalist who is having an affair with President Hassan. This seems curiously suspicious to Chloe who wants CTU czar Brian Hasting to follow up on a lead, but is too arrogant and stupid to think he has the wrong person, so Chloe asks Jack to help, which he reluctantly agrees. Long story short, Jack and new CTU head of field ops Cole Ortiz, played by Freddie Prinze Jr., thwart the assassins attempt to kill President Hassan and they kill the assassin shortly after.
This sets up the season, as we learn that the assassin, who has traces of weapons grade uranium on his body, is part a very intricate and deadly sect of a Russian Mob syndicate. We then learn that President Hassan’s brother has nuclear ambitions and is against the peace process, was this a surprise to anyone? Jack is now sucked in for the season, and has to work with Renee Walker in order to infiltrate the Russian Mob sect to try and buy the Uranium. Why this would work? I am not sure seeing how the Russians have a very lucrative offer and deal with President Hassan’s brother.
So we shall see where this season goes, from the premier it looks like a typical season of 24, you aren’t going to get blown away by dialogue and great acting, but watching Jack do his thing is always good entertainment.
I enjoyed the wildly predictable season premier of 24 and look forward to watching season 8 and finding out all the secrets that were set up in the premier.
Coming up later in the week I will break down the Conference Championship games.
As you can see from last nights Celtics game against the Mavericks, Garnett’s defensive presence is sorely missed. They miss his intensity, his athleticism, and his long arms that can bother shots for many players on opposing teams. Dirk Nowitzky had a field day against the Celtics last night. Putting Rasheed Wallace, or Brian Scalabrine on Dirk did not get the job done. The Celtics defense has gone down hill since KG got injured and they need him back sooner rather than later in order for them to be a true contender.
Once KG returns to the lineup the Celtics will once again be the team to beat in the East. They have a very well rounded team that, with the addition of Rasheed, has excellent playoff weapons. When healthy, the Celtics are contenders to win the NBA title, if they are not healthy they are a team that will lose in the second round of the playoffs. We saw these outcomes in each of the past two years. In 2008, the Celtics had their first year with the Big 3. They remained healthy all year long and the Big 3 led the Celtics to a championship. However, last year, once KG got hurt, their season went down hill and they had to fight and claw their way out of the first round and they took the eventual runner-up Magic to 7 only to lose on their home court. If the Celtics are healthy they will have enough weapons to win the East and and have an excellent shot at beating the Western Conference Champions in the Finals. But when you rely on the knees of a 33 year old seven-footer who has played in over 1100 games in his career, IF is a very key word.
I think that once KG comes back on Friday and he gets some of the rust off from the hiatus, the Celtic fans will be much more relaxed and the fact that they lost their seventh home game last night, compared to just six in each of the last two seasons, won’t be so magnified. The talking heads on ESPN seem to forget the Celtics have the best road record in the NBA, which currently stands at 16-5. The Celtics will be fine.
NFL Playoffs:
Crazy weekend in the NFL playoffs….
The Jets closed out the games with a thrilling come from behind win which saw them gain their first 1st down late in the second quarter and didn’t see them cross the goal line until the fourth quarter. They punished the Chargers late with Shone Green who broke free on a key 53-yard rushing touchdown midway through the 4th quarter. The Colts got to the AFC Championship game by dismantling everyone’s favorite darling, the Ravens, who were over-hyped after a big win in Foxboro the opening weekend of the playoffs.
Over in the NFC the Vikings defense dominated against an inferior Cowboys team. Favre played a solid game and didn’t turn the ball over. He can possibly carry this game into the Superdome where they will face the Saints in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. The Saints laid the smack down on the Cardinals who, despite reaching the Super Bowl last year, looked very weak and couldn’t handle the Saints offense. We will see what the Vikings defense can do to stop the Saints offense later on this week.
24
The new season of 24 started this past Sunday night and it picks up with Jack healthy from his trial and risky procedure that was done with his daughter Kim to save his life. He tries to get you to believe that he is moving back to LA with his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter, but there is an on-going peace process between President Taylor and President Omar Hassan, which of course, being the 24 veterans that we all are, be disrupted with an assassination attempt. An old informant, who has been shot, tells Jack that he helped bring in an assassin that is trying to assassinate President Hassan, sucks Jack back into helping CTU, which is in NY now and looks remarkably fake and ridiculous. Furthermore there is someone on the inside that is helping the assassin. CTU quickly and swiftly finds evidence that incriminates a journalist who is having an affair with President Hassan. This seems curiously suspicious to Chloe who wants CTU czar Brian Hasting to follow up on a lead, but is too arrogant and stupid to think he has the wrong person, so Chloe asks Jack to help, which he reluctantly agrees. Long story short, Jack and new CTU head of field ops Cole Ortiz, played by Freddie Prinze Jr., thwart the assassins attempt to kill President Hassan and they kill the assassin shortly after.
This sets up the season, as we learn that the assassin, who has traces of weapons grade uranium on his body, is part a very intricate and deadly sect of a Russian Mob syndicate. We then learn that President Hassan’s brother has nuclear ambitions and is against the peace process, was this a surprise to anyone? Jack is now sucked in for the season, and has to work with Renee Walker in order to infiltrate the Russian Mob sect to try and buy the Uranium. Why this would work? I am not sure seeing how the Russians have a very lucrative offer and deal with President Hassan’s brother.
So we shall see where this season goes, from the premier it looks like a typical season of 24, you aren’t going to get blown away by dialogue and great acting, but watching Jack do his thing is always good entertainment.
I enjoyed the wildly predictable season premier of 24 and look forward to watching season 8 and finding out all the secrets that were set up in the premier.
Coming up later in the week I will break down the Conference Championship games.
Thursday, January 14
2009 NFL Playoff Round 2!
So the Patriots are out, now what? Everyone is talking about how the dynasty is over, and you know what in a way it is. Will the Patriots be in the playoffs next year? Absolutely they will. Do they need some retooling? Of course, but who doesn’t need retooling from year to year. The Pats still have a solid core on the offensive side of the ball. They have Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Kevin Faulk (who is a free agent, but I expect them to resign him) and Wes Welker once he returns from his ACL/MCL injury by mid season. The offensive line has some promise as well with Logan Mankins, and Sebastian Vollmer having very solid seasons. On the defensive side of the ball is where the creative thinking needs to be done. They have some young guys who showed promise in Brandon Meriweather, Jerod Mayo, Pat Chung, Jonathan Wilhite, and then some veteran presence with Ty Warren, and they need to resign Vince Wilfork. The rest can be filled by the draft and free agency, and now that the Patriots didn’t make the final 8, they are able to sign free agents even if they don’t lose any of their current players. For those who don’t know, next year will most likely be played with no salary cap because the current CBA is going to expire therefore meaning that in order to sign free agents if you are one of the final 8 teams left you can only do so as a replacement for a free agent you lost. The Patriots have four picks in the first two rounds of what pundits are calling a very deep draft. They can easily play around with their picks and grab a running back, and some defensive help that will give them the foundation for the future and help them next year as well.
So guys step back off the ledge of the Tobin Bridge, everything will be fine. Brady will heal, as will Welker and Moss. They will bring in some creative minds for the offensive and defensive side of the ball (this would have made me look great if I had posted this article yesterday as Dean Peeves announced today that eh will not be back to coach the defensive side of the ball) and everything will be fine in Foxboro.
Round 2 of NFL Playoffs
Arizona v. New Orleans
The Cardinals come into New Orleans hot, coming off a crazy back and forth round 1 matchup with Green Bay in which Arizona jumped out to a big lead, only to squander it away and then miss a game winning field goal with under a minute to go only to recover a fumble on the first drive of overtime to win the game. The Cardinals have playoff experience and success behind them, while the Saints have, on paper at least, a better team. Remember the Saints are a team that started out 13-0 only to finish 0-3 and the only good team they lost to was the Cowboys in week 15. Midway through the Saints season, especially after they shellacked the Patriots, I thought, along with the rest of the talking heads, that nothing could derail the Saints, and that playing in the Superdome was the TOUGHEST place to play, but since they lost to the Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it doesn’t seem that way anymore. In addition you have the Cardinals, who lost in the Super Bowl last year, and everyone thought was a one-year wonder, right back in the thick of things. They looked spectacular on offense, and mediocre on defense last week, but the only part of that last sentence that matters is the spectacular on offense. What the Cardinals did last was show they can win a shootout, and that is what it will take to beat the Saints.
The Cardinals are now the team I have hitched my wagon too. Don’t worry I was accepted onto their bandwagon by the Josef Cousins. They have accepted my application and I am now riding the Cardinals back into the NFC Championship game. I think the Cardinals will put up plenty of points and stop the Saints when it counts. The Cardinals have Early Doucet who showed what he can do when team focus to heavily on Steve Breaston and Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals are a very tough matchup for the Saints. The Cardinals went on the road last year and showed everyone they can win when it counts. And is it just me, or do the Cardinals play their best when it matters the most. I like the Cardinals in a shootout. Cardinals 38 Saints 35
Dallas v. Minnesota
The Cowboys finally got off the Shnide and won a playoff game. They were the better team all year and they finally proved to America that they could win when it counts. They played spectacular defense against the Eagles and on offense they ran all over the Eagles defense. The Cowboys look like a solid all around team.
On the other side of the ball with the Vikings and Bret Favre who were all know is due for a clunker. Favre likes to run around and make the wild throws, although this year he reined it in just a bit, but he did blow some winnable games late in the season. The Vikings have an incredible D line and run game, but will Favre play second fiddle to them in this game? That is the key X-factor for the game. If Favre can manage the game and the Vikings can pound the ball with Adrian Peterson, they have an incredible chance of winning this game.
However, the X-factor for the Cowboys will be the amount of fans they will have in the stadium. Minnesota is notoriously known for not selling out games. Cowboy fans can easily procure plenty of seats and cause a lot of raucous for the Vikings. The Cowboys can run on the Vikings front 7 and thus open up the passing lanes for Tony Romo to Miles Austin, who will be able to run for Miles (sorry had to do it) on this Vikings D. I think the Cowboys go into the Metrodome and come out victorious. Cowboys 31 Vikings 23
Indianapolis v. Baltimore
The Ravens got here by dismantling my Patriots by pounding and pounding the football down the Patriots front 7. Normally the Patriots beat up on one-dimensional offenses, but not this week and the Ravens deserve all the credit in the world. They showed up to win, and the Patriots definitely did not. The Ravens have a great D and very solid running game. However, what they don’t have is a reliable quarterback. Joe Flacco can not be trusted to win a big playoff game by himself, so that means if the Ravens running game is stopped, or they fall behind early it will be very bad for the Ravens.
The Colts got a bad rap for resting their starters the last 2 weeks of the season, but if they win the Super Bowl no one will be able to second-guess Jim Caldwell. Unfortunately we have seen this movie before for the Colts. They start hot, rest some guys and then stumble in the playoffs because they are not used to playing meaningful football for over a month and it isn’t a light switch that you just turn on and all of a sudden there is electricity. The Colts have lost their first playoff game after a bye twice in the last five years, and that doesn’t include last year when they lost their first playoff game. In other words, in 3 of the last 4 years they lost in their first playoff game.
Now does this mean I think Indy is going down? No. I think Peyton Manning is ready to play and I think Baltimore played a perfect football game against a weak opponent. In their regular season matchup the Colts held the Ravens to five field goals and a 17-15 loss and people love to hype up certain teams after a round 1 victory, but don’t be fooled by the Ravens, this is the same team that shot themselves in the foot way too many times during the regular season. I think the Colts grind out a close football. Colts 24 Ravens 20
New York Jets v. San Diego
In what looks to be the most exciting matchup of the weekend, the Jets travel to San Diego to play in Mark Sanchez’s backyard. The Jets beat the Bengals for a second consecutive week and they did so by running the football, and to my surprise with Mark Sanchez managing an excellent game plan. The Jets are a very good team on D and they have an extremely confident coach (Rex Ryan handed out a schedule to his players that included a date for a Super Bowl parade) who knows how to scheme.
The Chargers have a very poor matchup with the Jets since they can’t run the football, which is the Jets main weakness on D. They have a very athletic and tall wide receiver in Vincent Jackson, with Phillip Rivers, who is an extremely confident and talented quarterback; throwing him the ball they have a chance to neutralize the Jets best defensive weapon, Darrelle Revis. Rivers has the ability to throw the ball to perfect spots where only Jackson can out jump Revis and retrieve a jump ball.
This is a very scary game to call because on the one hand you have a team that has won 11 in a row and is extremely hot coming into the playoffs, and then the other team is a team that struggled mightily to get into the playoffs and then beat a team in the first round that wasn’t too good to start with. The Jets D is solid, a Super Bowl caliber defense. As much as it pains me to say this, because I hate the Jets, but I think the Jets have an extremely favorable matchup and have an excellent chance at winning this game. However, at the end of the day I am going to trust my gut and go with the Chargers at home to prevail. I think the Chargers win a very close game, a game that can easily be won by the Jets if a call or two, or a turnover goes their way. Chargers 24 Jets 21
This weeks playoff matchups should be great and I hope the before each game the have a moment of silence for the fallen citizens of Haiti. What a tragic week for them and all the Haitian immigrants in America, my thoughts and prayers go out to them.
Next week we will break down the championship games. Should be great matchups and even though the Patriots are out, I am very excited for the rest of the playoffs.
So guys step back off the ledge of the Tobin Bridge, everything will be fine. Brady will heal, as will Welker and Moss. They will bring in some creative minds for the offensive and defensive side of the ball (this would have made me look great if I had posted this article yesterday as Dean Peeves announced today that eh will not be back to coach the defensive side of the ball) and everything will be fine in Foxboro.
Round 2 of NFL Playoffs
Arizona v. New Orleans
The Cardinals come into New Orleans hot, coming off a crazy back and forth round 1 matchup with Green Bay in which Arizona jumped out to a big lead, only to squander it away and then miss a game winning field goal with under a minute to go only to recover a fumble on the first drive of overtime to win the game. The Cardinals have playoff experience and success behind them, while the Saints have, on paper at least, a better team. Remember the Saints are a team that started out 13-0 only to finish 0-3 and the only good team they lost to was the Cowboys in week 15. Midway through the Saints season, especially after they shellacked the Patriots, I thought, along with the rest of the talking heads, that nothing could derail the Saints, and that playing in the Superdome was the TOUGHEST place to play, but since they lost to the Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it doesn’t seem that way anymore. In addition you have the Cardinals, who lost in the Super Bowl last year, and everyone thought was a one-year wonder, right back in the thick of things. They looked spectacular on offense, and mediocre on defense last week, but the only part of that last sentence that matters is the spectacular on offense. What the Cardinals did last was show they can win a shootout, and that is what it will take to beat the Saints.
The Cardinals are now the team I have hitched my wagon too. Don’t worry I was accepted onto their bandwagon by the Josef Cousins. They have accepted my application and I am now riding the Cardinals back into the NFC Championship game. I think the Cardinals will put up plenty of points and stop the Saints when it counts. The Cardinals have Early Doucet who showed what he can do when team focus to heavily on Steve Breaston and Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals are a very tough matchup for the Saints. The Cardinals went on the road last year and showed everyone they can win when it counts. And is it just me, or do the Cardinals play their best when it matters the most. I like the Cardinals in a shootout. Cardinals 38 Saints 35
Dallas v. Minnesota
The Cowboys finally got off the Shnide and won a playoff game. They were the better team all year and they finally proved to America that they could win when it counts. They played spectacular defense against the Eagles and on offense they ran all over the Eagles defense. The Cowboys look like a solid all around team.
On the other side of the ball with the Vikings and Bret Favre who were all know is due for a clunker. Favre likes to run around and make the wild throws, although this year he reined it in just a bit, but he did blow some winnable games late in the season. The Vikings have an incredible D line and run game, but will Favre play second fiddle to them in this game? That is the key X-factor for the game. If Favre can manage the game and the Vikings can pound the ball with Adrian Peterson, they have an incredible chance of winning this game.
However, the X-factor for the Cowboys will be the amount of fans they will have in the stadium. Minnesota is notoriously known for not selling out games. Cowboy fans can easily procure plenty of seats and cause a lot of raucous for the Vikings. The Cowboys can run on the Vikings front 7 and thus open up the passing lanes for Tony Romo to Miles Austin, who will be able to run for Miles (sorry had to do it) on this Vikings D. I think the Cowboys go into the Metrodome and come out victorious. Cowboys 31 Vikings 23
Indianapolis v. Baltimore
The Ravens got here by dismantling my Patriots by pounding and pounding the football down the Patriots front 7. Normally the Patriots beat up on one-dimensional offenses, but not this week and the Ravens deserve all the credit in the world. They showed up to win, and the Patriots definitely did not. The Ravens have a great D and very solid running game. However, what they don’t have is a reliable quarterback. Joe Flacco can not be trusted to win a big playoff game by himself, so that means if the Ravens running game is stopped, or they fall behind early it will be very bad for the Ravens.
The Colts got a bad rap for resting their starters the last 2 weeks of the season, but if they win the Super Bowl no one will be able to second-guess Jim Caldwell. Unfortunately we have seen this movie before for the Colts. They start hot, rest some guys and then stumble in the playoffs because they are not used to playing meaningful football for over a month and it isn’t a light switch that you just turn on and all of a sudden there is electricity. The Colts have lost their first playoff game after a bye twice in the last five years, and that doesn’t include last year when they lost their first playoff game. In other words, in 3 of the last 4 years they lost in their first playoff game.
Now does this mean I think Indy is going down? No. I think Peyton Manning is ready to play and I think Baltimore played a perfect football game against a weak opponent. In their regular season matchup the Colts held the Ravens to five field goals and a 17-15 loss and people love to hype up certain teams after a round 1 victory, but don’t be fooled by the Ravens, this is the same team that shot themselves in the foot way too many times during the regular season. I think the Colts grind out a close football. Colts 24 Ravens 20
New York Jets v. San Diego
In what looks to be the most exciting matchup of the weekend, the Jets travel to San Diego to play in Mark Sanchez’s backyard. The Jets beat the Bengals for a second consecutive week and they did so by running the football, and to my surprise with Mark Sanchez managing an excellent game plan. The Jets are a very good team on D and they have an extremely confident coach (Rex Ryan handed out a schedule to his players that included a date for a Super Bowl parade) who knows how to scheme.
The Chargers have a very poor matchup with the Jets since they can’t run the football, which is the Jets main weakness on D. They have a very athletic and tall wide receiver in Vincent Jackson, with Phillip Rivers, who is an extremely confident and talented quarterback; throwing him the ball they have a chance to neutralize the Jets best defensive weapon, Darrelle Revis. Rivers has the ability to throw the ball to perfect spots where only Jackson can out jump Revis and retrieve a jump ball.
This is a very scary game to call because on the one hand you have a team that has won 11 in a row and is extremely hot coming into the playoffs, and then the other team is a team that struggled mightily to get into the playoffs and then beat a team in the first round that wasn’t too good to start with. The Jets D is solid, a Super Bowl caliber defense. As much as it pains me to say this, because I hate the Jets, but I think the Jets have an extremely favorable matchup and have an excellent chance at winning this game. However, at the end of the day I am going to trust my gut and go with the Chargers at home to prevail. I think the Chargers win a very close game, a game that can easily be won by the Jets if a call or two, or a turnover goes their way. Chargers 24 Jets 21
This weeks playoff matchups should be great and I hope the before each game the have a moment of silence for the fallen citizens of Haiti. What a tragic week for them and all the Haitian immigrants in America, my thoughts and prayers go out to them.
Next week we will break down the championship games. Should be great matchups and even though the Patriots are out, I am very excited for the rest of the playoffs.
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