Time to Panic?

So week 3 in the NFL has shown us that the NFL is a very long season, and it is never wise to jump to conclusions. However, it is always entertaining to jump to conclusions and overreact each week. There are a few cases where it may be time to worry, but there are more cases where we need to be patient and let the season unfold. Let’s go ahead and look at teams that need to hit the panic button and teams that need to be patient.

Be patient teams.

Here is a list of teams that need to be patient and wait things out.

Dallas Cowboys - Even though I really despise the Cowboys, there is no need to panic in big D. They are in a very overrated and over hyped division, both the Giants and Redskins look pretty bad, and if it weren't for the amazing play of Michael Vick the Eagles wouldn't be looking to good either. The Cowboys have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. Tony Romo is still overrated, but he is a decent QB. He has great receivers to throw to, and has three really good backs that can carry the ball. Even though the offensive line is shaky, there is still enough talent to make the playoffs. Dallas gets a lot of press coverage, and when they started 0-2, people began to panic. However they defeated a good Texans team and have the tools to win the division. It all depends on the coaching, but don't panic in Dallas.

New England Patriots - The Pats are 2-1 on the season, with wins over the Bengals and Bills, and their one loss to the Jets. New England has had a hard time holding leads in the past two games; the defense has a lot of holes in it right now. Expect Brian Belichick to fix the defense as the season goes on. Tom Brady is still one of the top 5 QB's in the league today, so don't count on him going soft this season. He still plays with a chip on his shoulder, and he should. Brady has won 3 Super bowls and is one of the best clutch QB's of all time. However he does not get a lot attention, when compared to Peyton Manning, who has only won one Super bowl and is known for not being clutch. The Pats will fix their problems and make it to the postseason.

New Orleans Saints - The Saints have looked shaky all season. I have not been impressed with them at all so far, they are lucky to be 2-1. I'm a huge Saints fan and have been for my whole life, I'm use to them getting my hopes up and then sucking during the season. So I notice a lot of their faults and am worried that they will get exposed. However the Saints should be 3-0, Garrett Hartley missed a 29 yard field goal in OT that should have won the game. It's not just that he missed it; it’s that he missed bad! It was one of the worst kicks I have ever seen. I can honestly say this, I have made a 30 yard field goal before. While I was in Florida, I would throw the football around in a city park that had goal posts. My friend bought a football tee, and we would try kicking field goals. My longest was 33 yards. Now granted there was no defense trying to block it, and no pressure from a crowd. But still, if I can make it he should. I have no professional training, and he does. The Saints have re-signed K John Carney, who has kicked for the team in the past. Kickers are important, I've never trusted Hartley and he cost my team a win. But expect the Saints to fix their problems and get on track. Sean Payton is a great coach and he has a great coaching staff, expect the running game to get better as they adjust to the loss of Reggie Bush, and count on Brees getting better as the season goes on.

Houston Texans - The Texans lost to the Cowboys a week after having to come from behind to beat the Redskins. Some people are beginning to question if they are legit or not. I still say they are a good team, they just lost on the road to a very good team that had to win their game. Houston has a decent running game and one of the best passing attacks in the league. Expect them to still be a good team as the season goes on.

Teams that should hit the panic button.

San Francisco 49ers - The niners were picked to win their division, but they are 0-3 right now and things look pretty bad. I'm not surprised they lost to the Saints, but their losses to the Chiefs and Seahawks are inexcusable. They look out of sync and out of rhythm. The only player that is playing on a consistent level is Frank Gore, the RB. Smith has been shaky, and the defense has been pretty bad. The 49ers fired their offensive coordinator, but I don't see that helping a lot. The NFC west is an awful division, so the 49ers still can compete in it. But its time to panic and figure out whets gone so wrong in SF.

Minnesota Vikings - The Vikings got a win that they had to have against Detroit. However they still have not looked very good. Brett Favre is showing his age and it is not pretty. He has 6 interceptions this year so far, and with their schedule getting tougher that number could go up by a lot. Favre isn't the only problem though, the defense has looked shaky, the offensive line is showing its age, and the team is battling some injuries. Clearly Favre is missing WR Sydney Rice, who is out till week 6 at the earliest. The Vikings can make the changes to start playing better, but they are in a tough division, the Packers look like serious contenders and the Bears have everyone’s attention as they continue to win.

New York Giants - Coming into this season the Giants had a lot of hype that they would matter this year, I didn't believe any of it and it may be time to start panicking in NY. The Giants are 1-2 and have not played all that well. The Titans killed them at home, and the Colts embarrassed the Giants on a primetime game. The Giants have issues with their defense and running game. Eli has been playing ok at QB, but they cannot get the job done. Don't expect them to matter this season, panic time in NY.

Baltimore Ravens - Even though the Ravens are 2-1, they have not looked all that sharp. They squeaked by the Jets, who played at their worst in week 1, lost poorly to the Bengals and had a hard time putting away the Browns. Joe Flacco has not been playing like he is capable of. The Ravens have a lot of tools to win a lot this year, but it all hinges on the QB. I would start to panic in Baltimore simply because the Steelers look good without Big Ben, and the Bengals look legit as well. This week’s game in Pittsburgh is huge for the Ravens, but I would be worried.

San Diego Chargers - The Chargers are known for slow starts, but this is pretty bad. Like the 49ers, they are lucky to be in such a poor division, but the Chargers look bad so far this year. They are still lacking a solid running game, their special teams has some serious doubts. Phillip Rivers is a great QB, but the rest of the team is hurting. Penalties have really hurt the Chargers this year, and their defense is not reliable. The loss of CB Cromartie is showing up big. The Chargers can fix things and still contend for their division, but don't expect them to matter much in the post season if they make it. The Chargers could be on the verge of rebuilding if things don't go well this year.

Week 3 Picks

After my horrid picks last week I hope to recover and do better. I did look at the experts on ESPN and found some comfort, a lot of people made similar mistakes that I did. To see their picks go to http://espn.go.com/nfl/picks.

There are some pretty easy picks and some ones that I am still not sure about

49ers vs Chiefs - The Chiefs are 2-0 and in first place in their division, don't expect that to last too long though. The Niners are coming off of a close loss on Monday night to the Saints. They seemed to have recovered from their awful performance in Week 1 when the Seahawks destroyed them. I expect Gore to have a good game of running and for QB Smith to improve a little more in the passing game.

My Pick - 49ers over Chiefs

Lions vs Vikings - As much as I want to pick the Lions to beat the Vikings, I really don't see it happening. Viking coach Brad Childress is a great NFL coach; he won't let his team fall to 0-3, especially to the Lions. Detroit is rebuilding, even though they have shown moments were they looked really good. But this is a must win for Minnesota. Even though it is only Week 3 the, Vikings have to win this game. They cannot afford to go 0-3, they Packers and Bears both look good and Minnesota's schedule gets rougher.

My Pick - Vikings over Lions

Bills vs Patriots - This will be a long season for the Buffalo Bills. They have had struggles on both sides of the ball and seem to be in a battle with the Cleveland Browns for who will finish with the leagues worst record. Patriots looked a little confused against the Jets, who played a lot better than their week 1 loss to the Ravens. The Patriots should play a lot better this week. Expect Randy Moss and Wes Welker to have great games. Like last week, Buffalo will be lucky if this game isn't a blow out

My Pick - Patriots over Bills

Falcons vs Saints - This game is very, very hard for me make a pick. I've been a Saints fan for pretty much my entire life, and they have come to let me down most of my life. The Saints have not looked all that impressive through the first two games this season, and the Falcons played well last week against the flightless Cardinals. The Saints are coming off of a short week and the Falcons want to dethrone the defending champs. These two teams hate each other; they are each others biggest rival. It'll be a good game. Expect turnovers to be key in the game, as well as the Saints ability to stop the Falcons good running game. If Brees and Co. can start throwing the ball better they will win, if they play a slower tempo game Atlanta can take it.

My Pick - Saints over Falcons

Titans vs Giants - Both of these teams are looking to rebound after embarrassing losses. The Titans committed 7 turnovers to the Steelers and seem to have a QB controversy on their hands. Eli was ousted by big brother (and better QB) Peyton. I've never been big on the Giants. I think most years the NFC east is overrated and gets too much media attention. This game should be close; I think Chris Johnson will play a lot better than he did last week.

My Pick - Titans over Giants

Steelers vs Buccaneers - Both teams are 2-0 and are surprisingly so. The Bucs have played some pretty bad teams this year, so don't think they will matter too much this season. The Steelers defense should confuse Bucs QB Freeman, who is in his second year. Mendenhall should have a good game running the ball. Steelers have a big game next week against the Ravens, and might be caught looking ahead. That is the only way the Bucs have a chance of winning this game. That or if Tampa goes back to their old school jersey's. They were 1-0 last year when they played in them, here is what they look like, http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jul/31/bucs-bring-out-old-uniforms-they-ring-new/sports-bucs/

My Pick - Steelers over Bucs

Panthers vs Bengals - The Jimmy Claussen era is starting in Carolina, and it will start with a loss. And it'll be bad. The Bengals bounced back and beat the Ravens last week. Expect the Bengals offense to get more in sync as they prey on a weak defense. Carolina has a great running game, but it won't be enough. The Panthers are in for a long year.

My Pick - Bengals over Panthers

Browns vs Ravens - The Ravens have not impressed me one bit this year. They have all the tools to make a postseason run, that is except for a good quarterback. Joe Flacco has not impressed me very much this year. The Browns are still struggling to do much of anything, and the Ravens defense should hurt the Browns pretty bad. Expect the Ravens to get their act together

My Pick - Ravens over Browns

Cowboys vs Texans - This is one of the biggest games of the week.  The Cowboys are 0-2, Texans are 2-0. In the offseason the Cowboys had a Superbowl or bust mentality. Maybe they should tone it down to 'win a game' mentality. Both teams need this win, Cowboys need to get things going to compete for the playoffs, and the Texans want to show everybody that this team is for real, that finally the Texans are legit. The Cowboys have a very talented defense, especially against the run, so Texans RB Foster may have another tough week, luckily for the Texans, QB Matt Schaub is a pretty good at chucking the ball long. If the Texans game plan it right they could confuse the Cowboys D and get some big plays. I expect the Cowboys to come out and play as hard as they can, they are tired of hearing all the 0-2 talk and want to get on track. Should be a great game to watch

My Pick - Texans over Cowboys, everyone hits the panic button in Dallas

Redskins vs Rams - The poor, poor rams. They got close to beating the Raiders last week, don't expect it to be a close game this week. The Rams have one of the best RB's in the game in Stephen Jackson, but they have a rebuilding offense and rookie QB. Expect the Skins D to frustrate the Rams. Also Donovan McNabb should have a big game throwing the ball.

My Pick - Redskins over Rams

Eagles vs Jaguars - Last week I picked that the Jags would upset the Chargers, that didn't go to well. With Vick starting again, expect him to play his best as he can. Vick is still trying to prove that he can start anywhere in the NFL (San Fran would be stupid to not go for him next year). Eagles defense has not been up to par at all. But the Jags haven't played super well either. With Vick on the field it will be a little more exciting.

My Pick - Eagles over Jags

Colts vs Broncos - Colts seemed to have gotten back into form, the Broncos are looking to build momentum. Sadly the Broncos probably won't be able to do a whole lot, not with RB Knowshon Moreno out for the game. Manning will be able to pick apart a shaky Broncos defense, as long as he avoids throwing the ball in the area of Champ Bailey.

My Pick - Colts over Broncos

Raiders vs Cardinals - This game will probably decide if the Cardinals are going to be able to compete for a playoff spot or not. They got embarrassed by the Falcons last week and should be motivated to play well. The Raiders have a good defense, but struggle with scoring. They had a hard time beating the Rams last week. Don't expect a lot of good plays out of this game.

My Pick - Cards over Raiders

Chargers vs Seahawks - Both teams showed their true colors last week, the Chargers beat the Jags pretty well, and the Seahawks choked against the Broncos. Don't expect that many changes from these teams. Seahawks are in a rebuilding stage, despite their high payroll and the Chargers are still trying to make a run at the Superbowl.

My Pick - Chargers over Seahawks

Jets vs Dolphins - This Sunday night game should have a lot of defense involved. Both defenses have looked good. I'm really impressed with the Dolphins; they held the Vikings and won. The Dolphins offense is struggling, QB Chad Henne is still figuring things out, and he will have a hard time against the Jets defense, but he got lucky, CB Revis is out with a hamstring injury. Don't expect a lot of points in this game, it will come down to turnovers and ball control.

My Pick - Dolphins over Jets

Packers vs Bears - This is game I am really looking forward to. The Packers have looked really good this season, especially on offense. The Bears squeaked past the Lions in Week 1, but then upset the Cowboys on the road. Mike Martz is a genius as a coordinator, expect him and Jay Cutler to go in more 3 WR sets and spread the ball out. Cutler has been throwing the ball really well this season, and this game could easily turn into a shoot out. Plus the winner will be 3-0 and be in first place in the NFC North.

My Pick - Packers over Bears

Last weeks picks: 6-10

Season : 6-10

A little MLB news

So with the regular season winding down in baseball I thought I would talk a little bit about baseball, instead of doing another post on football.

Today Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners hit his 200th hit of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays. This marks the 10th time he has done that in the major leagues, and he has done them in 10 straight seasons. That is an amazing statistic, no player in MLB history has gotten 200 hits in 10 straight seasons, only one other player has 10 seasons with 200 or more hits. That player is the hits king himself, Charlie Hustle AKA Pete Rose. Anytime you share a record with Rose, you know you are doing something right. The really crazy part about Ichiro's success is that he has only been in the major leagues for 10 seasons. He has hit at least 200 hits in every single season he has played in the major leagues. Ichiro joined the Seattle Mariners during the 2001 season at the age of 26. Ichiro is now approaching the age of 37, yet he continues to lead the league in hits. Why am I mentioning this? Imagine if he spent his entire career in MLB instead of playing in Japan. Had he played in the majors his whole career, we would probably be looking at him being the all time hits leader. Right now he has 2,230 hits in 10 seasons. That’s an average of 223 a season. A pretty amazing number, also given his career batting average of .331. What I am trying to say is that Ichiro should be regarded as one of the top hitters of all time in baseball, and sadly he does not get enough recognition because he plays in Seattle. Seattle does not get a lot of press coverage, and they aren't exactly the best organization in pro sports. Imagine if he played in New York or Boston, every night people would be talking about his hustle, his energy and how well he plays. Ichiro will be a first ballot HOF'er and should be regarded as one of the elite hitter to ever play the game.

Now that I am off of my 'Ichiro Rules' soap box I want to talk a little bit about a few things that could change in baseball to make it more exciting. There has been a lot of talk about expanding the use of instant replay in baseball. I think that there should be more usage of IR, and most people agree. The problem is MLB commissioner Bud Selig (who is by far my most hated commissioner, he sucks I'll explain in another post I'm sure). Selig is a traditionalist, so to speak. He doesn't want to change the game; he wants it to stay the same it’s been. Maybe that is why he didn't do drug testing for steroids; they didn't do it before right? His lack of action and him knowing that there was a problem, has lead baseball to be covered in a dark cloud. Selig should expand IR for everything but balls and strikes. I agree that the umpires call balls and strikes right most of the time and we don't need to challenge every strike that we think is a ball. Fair or foul balls, base-runners being safe and home runs (which they already use) would be great in baseball. A blown call by umpire Jim Joyce cost Tigers SP Armando Galarraga a perfect game. Galarraga had allowed no hits through 8 and 2/3rds innings. He had one more out to go. Galarraga had the hitter ground out, and seemed to be out at first base. Tiger’s fans and players started to rejoice until umpire Joyce ruled that the hitter was safe. Sadly there was no way for Joyce to take back his call, Joyce admitted that he made a mistake and said he felt horrible for the blown call. A simple use of IR would have given Galarraga a perfect game in the books, even though we all know he through a perfect game.

Umpires are human, so they will make mistakes. We do not want these mistakes to cost a team a win, especially in the postseason. Expand the use of IR Selig, don't mess up baseball even more than you already have.

There other thing I would change would be to add one more wild card team to each league's playoff. So you would have a total of 5 teams in the playoffs in the American and National Leagues. The cool part would be how the system would work out. I've read a few different columns about this and I really like the way it sounds. You have the two wildcard teams in each league play each other in a 3 game series. Kind of like the play-in game in the NCAA men's basketball tourney. You'd have both team’s play each other and the winner would go on and play and the playoffs would resume like normal. The only downside to this is when would you have the two teams play? Baseball tries it’s hardest to end the World Series before November, and often time’s baseball is being played at the beginning on November. There has been talk of shortening the regular season to about 154 games or so, but most owners don't want to take a cut on games, that means less money. If baseball can find a way to get the play in series to work, I would love to see it happen, it would be exciting and would make winning your division that make more important.

With the playoffs approaching I thought I would give some early predictions. Right now the Rays pitching has been struggling and I don't see them being able to beat the Yankees in a 5 or 7 game series. The Yankees seem to be in good shape, but the team that I am really interested in is the Minnesota Twins. They have a great balance of pitching and hitting and have been playing out of their minds since the all-star break. I look for them to stun the American League and make it to the World Series.

In the National League, I've been drinking the Phillies kool-aid lately. Their pitching is as strong as ever, and the have found their hitting. Earlier in the season the Phillies lost a lot of games because of their poor hitting and ability to score runs. It seems like they have changed that, as they are on fire. The Phillies have 3 very very good starting pitchers, probably the best 1,2,3 punch in baseball. With Roy Halladay(looking to win the NL Cy Young) Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt(who's turned his season around since being traded by the Astro's) its gonna be tough to win a series when you face these guys on consecutive nights. I expect the Phillies to make it to the World Series again and I expect them to win it all. After all, I did pick them to win it all at the beginning of the year.

What I learned...

So after my abysmal picks for week 2 I learned a few things in the NFL. For one, whenever I put down my picks on paper I tend to do horribly. My record last week was 6-10, the upsets that I picked didn't pan out. Hopefully I can make a recovery this week and get back on track.

Another thing that I learned, and I've known this before but it was reinforced, is that we can't take week 1 so serious. It is only one game, and as much as we want to decide how the rest of the season will play out, we have to be patient. Case in point is the Indianapolis Colts. Week 1 the Colts were stunned by the Texans, the Colts defense looked older and slower, and the offense didn't seem to by in rhythm. The Colts looked to be in their usual form against the Giants. Peyton Manning shredded the Giants defense, taking them out of the game early. The Colts defense looked a lot better as well. Holding the Giants back and making the game pretty boring to watch. Now granted the Giants are a very overrated team, they haven't mattered since they lost Plexico Burress, and the Texans look to be a legit threat this season. However, for all the people that were ready to start saying the Colts were in decline are wrong. The Colts may not be as good as they were last year, but they are still an elite team. I will not count out Peyton Manning; he is too good and too smart.

Could there be trouble in big D and Minnesota? Even though they are only 0-2, and can easily turn around the season, it may be time to be a little concerned. The Cowboys have tons of talent on both sides of the ball, but can't seem to get it all together. Cowboys cornerback said (something to the effect of) the level of intensity needs to go up in practice. When I heard that my first thought goes to coaching. I think that Wade Phillips is not getting the job done as head coach in Dallas. He doesn't seem to fit the mold for a head coach. And with the talent that he has at his disposal, there is no reason why the Cowboys have won only 1 playoff game since 1998. The Cowboys will have to turn things around if they want to compete and try and be the first team to host a Superbowl.

Panic mode in Minnesota? Not just yet, even though things look pretty bad. The Vikings returned a lot of talent from last years team, so it is only natural to think that they would make a serious run at the Superbowl this season. However, the team is just out of sync if a very bad way. Favre is playing like his age and doesn't have any timing with any of his receivers. That’s a big draw back for missing training camp, you don't get time to play with and practice with your teammates. Favre doesn’t know his receivers all that well, and it shows. He is really missing Sidney Rice right now, who is out with a hip injury, and it shows. Favre hasn't found his go to receiver yet, and he is just throwing rocks. Favre needs to get his act together, and the offensive line is showing signs of age as well. I'm not saying that its time to jump off the Vikings ship, but if they don't correct their course it could be a long year, considering that the Packers and Bears are both undefeated.

Want to know what else stood out to me? The Pittsburgh Steelers. I picked the Titans to beat the Steelers, and the Titans failed me, badly. The Titans committed 7 turnovers if I remember correctly, I don't care who you are, you will not win a game committing that many turnovers. The Steelers defense looks to be the best in the league right now, destroying that Falcons offense and frustrating Jeff Fisher and the Titans. The Steelers offense looks pretty bad. The running game has looked ok only because Mendenhall had that 50 yard run in OT to beat the Falcons. The passing game is just embarrassing to watch. They haven't thrown a passing TD yet this year and have about 230 yards or so of passing through two games. Big Ben's return as QB should help the offense, but it still looks to have some issues. Note this however; the Steelers look to be in great position to make a playoff run with their D.

The Texans proved a lot in their win over the Redskins on Sunday. One of the hardest things to do is to come from behind and win on the road. Especially in a hostile environment like FedEx Field. The Texans did just that. Trailing by 17 points in the 3rd quarter, the Texans passing game finally showed up, and they beat the Skins in an exciting game. Washington's offense looked pretty good, and their defense looked even better, until Matt Schaubb ripped them apart. The Texans are a legit team, they have physical and mental toughness, look for them to make the post season for the first time in franchise history.

Is there a possibility that the Saints are on a lengthy Superbowl hangover? I don't think so, but they definitely don't look like the team that beat the Colts in February. The Saints defense has actually looked a lot better, especially in the 2nd half of games. The running defense is still a question mark, but they have made a lot of improvement from last year’s squad. The problem is the offense. Defenses are playing with their safeties deep against the Saints, trying to avoid the long ball from going down, and so far it has worked. The Saints need to adjust and work in the short and intermediate passing game. I haven't seen WR's Colston, Moore or Henderson do a whole lot, not like they did last year. The Saints have a great coaching staff and I expect Sean Payton to make the necessary changes to improve the offense. The Saints still find ways to win, but it makes me uneasy watching them, and you can tell that Payton is not happy with the team’s performance. Just look at him on the sideline, he looks pissed and he should be. Who would've thought that the biggest problem for the Saints so far would be the offense getting started and not the defense?

Week 2 NFL predictions

So I figure it would be fun to put my predictions for every NFL game down on here, give a little explanation why and see how I do on the season.

Arizona Cardinals vs Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons did not play like they wanted to last week against the Steelers. Atlanta looked lost on offense, despite the reports that RB Turner was in great shape and ready to play. I expect Atlanta to come out strong in their home opener and beat the Cardinals. Arizona won't be all that good of a team with Derek Anderson starting. Want proof that Kurt Warner is a first ballot Hall of Famer? Lets see how bad Arizona looks without him this year.

My Pick: Falcons over Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens vs Cincinnati Bengals - This game is really important for both teams for multiple reasons. Not only are they divisional rivals, but both teams have a lot to prove. The Bengals looked abysmal against the Patriots last week and need a strong game to get some confidence back. Remember all the talk about how the Bengals were gonna be a great team? Now it is time for them to prove it. The Ravens beat a good Jets team, and looked really good on defense. However on offense the Ravens did not look all that great, Joe Flacco needs a good game to prove that the Ravens are legit this year.

My Pick: Ravens over Bengals

Kansas City Chiefs vs Cleveland Browns - I don't know how many people would actually want to watch this game, but it is important for both teams to try and get a win. KC is a very young team on the rebuild and if they could win a second game in a row it would build their confidence up crazy high. Cleveland needs a win because the rest of their schedule is brutal and could have them looking at a 0-9 start to the season. Sorry Cleveland fans, the sport gods just don't seem to like you.

My pick: Chiefs over Browns


Dallas Cowboys vs Chicago Bears - Cowboys really need a win this week. They played flat against a Redskins team that is decent, but not good. Dallas has tons of talent on the team, but is having a hard time getting it to work as a team. The Bears have a really good defense, especially since they signed Julius Peppers, who is one of the best defensive players in the NFL. The Bears are planning on playing Peppers as a defensive end on both right and left sides. They are doing this to try and create confusion against a shaky Cowboys offensive line. If I were the Bears I would line up Peppers as a left defensive end more than I would a right, for the simple reason that the right tackle for the Cowboys is shaky at beast. He had the holding call that lost the game for Dallas last week. Peppers will rush QB Tony Romo and try and knock him out. However the Bears just are not a good team, and the Cowboys should be able to stifle the Bears offense.

My Pick: Cowboys over Bears

Philadelphia Eagles vs Detroit Lions - The return of Michael Vick is upon us! He will start for the first time since 2006 and expect him to play as hard as he has ever played in his career. Vick knows deep inside that he can still start in the NFL and he has something to prove to all NFL teams that may be looking for a new QB. Plus he has mentioned that the Eagles 'saved' him by signing him last year, now it is Vick's turn to 'save' the Eagles and give them a win. I think he will, he can still throw and run and Detroit is still rebuilding. I expect Vick to amaze us on Sunday and draw interest from some NFL teams for next year. Suddenly I am thinking that the 49ers ought to look at signing him next year, am I the only who doesn't think that Vick would be good in San Fran?

My Pick: Eagles over Detroit

Buffalo Bills vs Green Bay Packers - The Bills just seem to be struggling this year, and last year and the year before that and so on. Green Bay held off Vick and the Eagles last week, and Rodgers should be able to tear apart the Bills defense. Buffalo will be lucky if this isn't a complete blow-out.

My Pick: Packers over Bills

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Tennessee Titans - This game could go either way. The Steelers defense looks like they are back to their Superbowl form, however with Big Ben out, the offense will still be the question mark. Titans seem to play well when Vince Young starts. They started 0-6 last year, then finished 6-2 with Young starting. The Titans have one of the top two running backs in the game in Chris Johnson. He is crazy fast and surprisingly strong for his size. With QB Vince Young being a mobile quarterback as well, the Steelers defense will have to be disciplined if they want to contain the Titans offense. Even though the Steelers D is great, the offense looks pretty bad, and the Titans defense looks pretty good.

My Pick: Titans over Steelers

Miami Dolphins vs Minnesota Vikings - Miami is in a somewhat rebuilding stage, and the Vikings are going for it all this year, but that doesn't mean an upset can happen. Minnesota looked out of sync on monday against the Saints, and QB Brett Favre did not look like he was in regular season form. For Miami this is a huge game for them, this would build all sorts of confidence for QB Chad Henne

My Pick: Vikings over Dolphins, but its close

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Carolina Panthers - This game may not matter a lot this season, but both teams are building for the future and this win could build some confidence as both teams try to become elite. The Bucs barely beat the Browns last week, and the Panthers kind of held up with the Giants last week. I expect the Panthers amazing running game to overwhelm the Bucs defense

My pick: Panthers over Bucs

Seattle Seahawks vs Denver Broncos - Seattle absolutely stunned the 49ers last week in a major upset, and the Broncos fell flat against the Jaguars. The Seahawks, led by by coach Pete Carrol, are out to prove that their week 1 win was not a fluke and that they can compete in the weak NFC West. The Broncos need to prove that they can compete in the NFL and are ready to challenge the Chargers for the AFC West title. If Denver does not give in to temptation and sits QB Tim Tebow, they will have a good shot at beating Seattle. Kyle Orton is really underrated and can help Denver win. However, I don't see Denver coach Josh McDaniels doing that.

My Pick: Seahawks upset the Broncos

St. Louis Rams vs Oakland Raiders - A match of teams that left the city of L.A. It won't be a good game to watch, as both teams are rebuilding, but I see Rams QB Sam Bradford having a hayday against the Raiders defense. Raiders QB Jason Campbell needs to have a good game to make sure the Raiders don't draft a QB in the first round next year.

My Pick: Rams over Raiders

New England Patriots vs New York Jets - The Patriots looked like Superbowl contenders against the Bengals last week, while the Jets looked like a team that is all bark and no bite. The Jets defense played well against a Ravens offense that is suppose to be good this year, but their offense was embarrassing. Sanchez was not good, the Jets could not run the ball or pass it. The Patriots defense isn't as good as the Ravens, but expect them to still give Sanchez some problems. Tom Brady said that he hates the Jets and Randy Moss is looking forward to going against CB Darrell Revis. I'd be surprised if the Jets offense turns on the jets and gets lights up the score board.

My Pick: Patriots over Jets

Jacksonville Jaguars vs San Diego Chargers - The Chargers are looking to rebound after they were embarrassed by the Chiefs in KC. The Jags beat the Broncos and are looking to go 2-0 on the year. Phillip Rivers looked pretty pissed off during mondays game, so expect him to come out firing. The Jags running game will be key in this. Expect Maurice Jones-Drew to play his heart out and try and will his team to a win. San Diego will need to control the ball to win the game, they finished towards the bottom in rushing last season and are using a rookie RB. Will be a tough and close game

My Pick: Jaguars upset the Chargers

Houston Texans vs Washington Redskins - The Redskins D looked great against Dallas, and the Texans running game decimated the Colts defense last week. The key to this game is how the Redskins defense can handle the potent Texans offense. Houston is coming off of a huge win against Indy, and don't expect them to hold anything back.

My Pick: Texans over Redskins

New York Giants vs Indianapolis Colts - The Manning Bowl II....honestly I don't care that the two QB's in this game are brothers, I think it is the media trying to hype up this game to get more people to watch. The Colts are in a must win game on sunday after getting embarrased by the Texans. The Giants want to win and put more pressure on the Cowboys in the divisional race. Expect the Colts running defense should be a lot better than it was last week, but still will be the key to the game for the Giants. The Giants run the ball a lot, and don't expect that to change at all on sunday. If the Giants defense can pressure Peyton Manning the Colts may be looking at their first 0-2 start since 1998(Peyton's rookie year)

My Pick: Giants upset the Colts

New Orleans Saints vs San Fransisco 49ers - The 49ers are coming off of a blow out against a team most people expected to be bad this year. There are also reports of a 'rat' in the 49ers organization, so the 49ers may be in a little bit of internal turmoil. Coach Singletary was lividly pissed after last weeks performance, and rightfully so. The 49ers should play better on Monday Night Football. The Saints did not look all that sharp, but they did manage to get a win. Expect Sean Peyton to get the team psyched up and ready to play. This will be a good game. Expect the Saints defense to blitz QB Alex Smith and force him to make some mistakes.

My Pick: Saints over 49ers.

A few thoughts on College Football

So this weekend I've been house sitting for my parents and taking care of our dogs, so knowing that I would be staying at home most of the day I decided I would dedicate this Saturday to college football, and so far it has been a great day. I even woke up at 8am this morning to watch ESPN's "College GameDay". Its a good show that talks a little bit about each big game that will happen today. For those of you that know me know that I love sleep, so 8am on a Saturday morning is early, that is how dedicated I am today.

The day has not disappointed my expectations, as the first game I watched was (12)Arkansas and Georgia. This is a good ole SEC game and it ended up with the Razorbacks of Arkansas winning thanks to a last minute touchdown throw by quarterback Ryan Mallett, who had three touchdown passes. Mallett has been getting a lot of hype during the offseason about being a possible Heisman candidate and first round draft pick in the NFL draft in April. I had my doubts about Mallett, he has a very strong arm, but last year his accuracy seemed suspect, however after watching him today he looks way good. He will be in the Heisman talk all season long and has a good shot at being a first round pick in the draft. Mallett will have his toughest test of his career as they host (1)Alabama. Bama's defense looks pretty good, but the offense looks even better. Last years Heisman's winner Mark Ingram came back from knee surgery against Duke and looked great. Next week should be a good game in the SEC West.

Speaking of people who have been in the Heisman talk, Washington's QB Jake Locker looks awful. In fact he hasn't really ever looked all that great. ESPN has him highly rated and as the preseason favorite to win the Heisman. I have never, ever  for one moment thought that Locker is a Heisman candidate or should be a top draft pick in the NFL draft. Maybe ESPN has been seeing something that I haven't, but I am not drinking that kool-aid, I'm sorry. Even before his horrid game today against (8)Nebraska I have not been impressed with him. He started last year for the Huskies and here are his stats, 2,800 yards passing, 58% passing, 21 TD, 11 INT. Now those numbers aren't bad at all, especially when you consider that Washington doesn't have a lot of talent of the team. But those aren't numbers that I would associate with a top QB. 58% seems pedestrian to me, its not awful, but it isn't good. This year he hasn't done a lot, he struggled against BYU, who is 1-2 right now and not looking like anything special this year. Locker did decent against Syracuse, but I could play on Syracuse's defense if I tried out. Today he was pathetic, I'm actually searching for a more pathetic word than pathetic, he was that bad. His stats, 4 for 20 passing for a total of 71 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT. Now granted Nebraska's defense is really, really, good. But for a QB to complete just 20% of his passes is awful. Locker looked bad and played bad. There is no way right now that he should be in the Heisman conversation, its done, he lost his chance to win the award. His stats are not impressive and he can't get his team to win. The Heisman award is giving to the best college football player, even if Locker could put up good stats, he can't win games. To me he is not a Heisman candidate. And for all the NFL scouts that have him projected to be the #1 pick in next years draft, let me give you a warning. He doesn't look good at all! Just because ESPN likes him, and he has the build of a NFL quarterback, does not mean you should pay him a huge amount of money with the first pick. He just looks dazed and confused on the field. People may say that his stats are bad because he played against a good defense on a bad team. My response is, he will be playing against even better defenses, so if has a hard time with a good college secondary, imagine how much he will struggle against a normal NFL secondary, let alone an elite NFL defense. NFL scouts probably won't read this, but I hope they do, DO NOT DRAFT JAKE LOCKER #1.

One thing that really upset me while watching ESPN this morning was listening to Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso. I normally really like both of them but what I heard today upset me. It was of what Lee Corso said and what Herbstreit reported. Herbstreit reported that in the coaches poll, that most coaches will not rank (3)Boise State above 3 for one reason. Va Tech lost to FCS James Madison(for those of you who do not know what FCS means, it is what used to be called DIV 1-AA, it is a lower division than what most schools are, and usually has really weak teams) However James Madison is a very good team in the FCS. What infuriates me is the ignorance of the coaches. The fact that most coaches are saying that no matter what happens, Boise State will not be ranked higher than 3rd, and that it would take some of the top teams, such as (2)Ohio State or (1)Alabama to lose two games for Boise State to play in the title game. This is what is wrong with college football. The coaches are being prejudice against Boise State. They are ignorant and are only pointing to one aspect of the game. The strength of schedule. Boise State plays in the Western Athletic Conference(WAC) and it really is not all that good of a football conference. Boise State has to play those teams, they chose to leave the WAC for the Mountain West which will happen next year. Boise State can't help that it has to play teams like New Mexico State and Utah State. However critics are also saying that Boise State does not play a tough non-conference schedule. Well Boise State tried to schedule as many tough opponents as it can. The problem is, no one wants to play Boise State. The know that if they play Boise State that they will likely lose. Boise State is doing everything they can to win, the system is just set up for them to fail and it needs to change. The coaches prejudice and ignorance pisses me off beyond words.

Lee Corso said this morning(something to the affect of) "Boise State got lucky against a Va Tech team that is overrated. Put them in any of the other BCS conferences and they will be average. They cannot beat any team on a neutral field" Corso you ignorance upsets me. Boise State just beat Va Tech, who is one of the best teams in the ACC. BSU has also beaten (5)Oregon twice, and Oregon looks like the best team in the PAC-10 again. The Big East is so awful, that Boise State would hardly be challenged during conference play. If BSU played in the Big 12, Big Ten or SEC, they probably would not go undefeated, but would be very competitive and win the conference most years. Maybe not in the SEC, the SEC is a very tough conference, but it is still overrated.  BSU can compete with anyone, they have been doing so for a long time, the people that are complaining about BSU winning need to get over themselves and realize the the Broncos have a legit program and can play with the big boys.

Well I am done ranting and raving about how stupid some reporters and coaches are. I'm going to go back to watching some good college football

NFL predictions

So even though the first week of the NFL is in the books, I figured it is not too late to make some predictions on how the regular season will finish, and the post season as well. My predictions are referring to my thoughts before the season started, even though they are a week late in getting posted. I'll give a little review on how I think each division will finish, and then how the playoffs will look.

AFC east
The AFC east is a really intriguing division. You have the Patriots who should still be considered an elite team, Especially if quarterback Tom Brady can make improvements and return to his pro-bowl form. You have the New York Jets, who have been getting tons and tons of media attention. They made a run to the AFC championship game after going 9-7 during the regular season. The Miami Dolphins made a close run to a wildcard spot last year, and should be better as young QB Chad Henne continues to mature. Then there is also the Buffalo Bills, who will be just awful, sorry Bills fans.

To me I see the Patriots repeating as division champs, the media has been all hopped up on the Jets and a possible superbowl run, I don't see it happening. Even though the Jets defense should be amazing, and when I say amazing I mean top notch, I don't see the offense doing enough to get them to the superbowl. The Jets last year got lucky and made the playoffs. When I say they got lucky I do mean they got lucky, the last two games they played were against the Colts and Bengals, both already had playoff spots cinched up, so they rested their starters. The Jets basically were given two wins the last two weeks of the year, and made the playoffs. I haven't been impressed with Sanchez, the Jets QB, and since they have gotten rid of their best rusher Thomas Jones, and have put the task of running the ball to future HOF'er Ladainian Tomlinson and second year back Shonn Grenne. As much as I love L.T. I don't see him being able to carry the load, and I am uncertain that Greene can take a full season of rushing the ball. Remember the Jets led the league in rushing, I figure the Jets will have to pass more, and that will not be good as Sanchez is not ready to lead the team at this moment.
My pick : Patriots win the division.

AFC North.

Tons of people are thinking that the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals will both be elite teams this year, I am not buying it yet. I can see the Ravens being a great team this year, and making a solid playoff run, but I don't see them as an 'elite' team yet, Joe Flacco hasn't proved that yet and the Ravens secondary looks weaker than normal. I am impressed with the offseason pickups of WR's Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, but I don't think it will be enough this year. As for the Bengals, I just see them being an ok team this year. I like Carson Palmer, but I am just not sold that they will be a competitive team. Head coach Marvin Lewis is to blame in my opinion.

The Steelers should be good once Ben Roethlisberger comes back from his suspension. I think their defense will be elite as long as safety Troy Polamalu stays healthy. Although I don't think they will be able to win the division, look for them to win a wild card spot.

As for the Cleveland Browns, sorry Clevelanders, it will be another bad, bad season. But with Mike Holmgren running operations things should get better soon.

My pick: Baltimore Ravens win the division. Steelers win a wildcard spot

AFC South
Will the defending AFC champions repeat as divisional winners? Yes. Will it be easy? NO. No way will the Colts be able to walk through the division like they have in the past, not with the Texans and Titans figuring things out. The Colts should still be one of the best teams in the AFC and have a legitimate shot at winning the superbowl, however the Texans and Titans both are heading in the right direction. Remember the Titans started off 0-6 last year with Kerry Collins as QB, after they put in Vince Young they finished 8-2, with loses to the Colts and Charger. Indy should be aware of the Texans and Titans, it won't be a cake walk to win the division

My pick: The Colts win the division, the Texans finally make it to the playoffs with a wildcard birth.

AFC west

This is by far the ugliest division in the AFC. The Chargers have lost some firepower in losing RB L.T. and who knows if WR Vincent Jackson will be a member of the team, or if he will be traded as he is in a massive contract holdout. The Chargers never seem to be good enough to make a superbowl run, but should win the division. The Chargers are lucky they have the Raiders and Chiefs, who are both rebuilding...again. The Broncos might pose a challenge, they started last year 6-0 before finished 8-8 on the year. It is unclear if the Broncos will be rebuilding since the stupidly drafted QB Tim Tebow in the first round. The Chargers should win the division, but it won't be easy.

My Pick: Chargers win the division

NFC East
The NFC East always seems to have teams that are over hyped or overrated in them. Mainly the Dallas Cowboys, who many people are saying will go to the superbowl and be the first team to 'host' a superbowl. I really don't see it happening, and I don't see a lot of good coming from this division overall. The Giants started 5-0 last year and everyone had them built up as a 'super' team, they then went on to finish a pedestrian 8-8 and miss the playoffs. I've never been a fan of Eli Manning, I don't think he is all that good. I don't see the Giants doing much, or the Eagles for that matter. The Eagles cast off QB Donovan McNabb and decided to go with untested Kevin Kolb as their starter. I don't see him having a break out year that would be necessary to get the Eagles to the postseason. In fact I see them finishing last in the division as long as Kolb is the starter, things could change if Vick starts however. The Redskins defense should be really good this year, and by adding veteran QB McNabb to the roster is huge, as well as hiring coach Mike Shanahan. The Redskins will surprise people as they make these changes.

My pick: Cowboys win the division

NFC North
The NFC north has two very, very good teams, and two pretty bad teams in it. The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers both look really good and have valid Superbowl aspirations. The Detroit Lions are in major rebuilding mode, and the Bears appear to be in no mans land as long as they have QB Jay Cutler at the helm.
The Packers offense should be deadly again, and if their offensive line can protect Aaron Rodgers, the results could be fantastic. The Packers defense needs to step up and play better if Green Bay wants to be playing in Dallas in February.
The Vikings should be a good team as well since Brett Favre came back. A lot will depend on the health of Favre, especially his ankle, and how much he gets hit. The Vikings won't be as good as they were last year, with WR Rice out at least 6 weeks and their offensive line getting older, but they will still be good and should challenge for the Superbowl again.
My pick: Green bay wins the division, Minnesota takes the first wild card spot.


NFC South
Many people are saying that the Saints have almost no chance of repeating as either Superbowl champs, or as NFC champions. The word 'fluke' is sometimes hard regarding last seasons Superbowl win. I don't see it that way, and its not just because I am a lifelong, die-hard Saints fan. It's because the Saints have the best QB in the game right now, Drew Brees and a whole slew of good receivers, such as Colston, Henderson, Moore and Meachem. Not to mention TE Jeremy Shockey and RB Reggie Bush. The Saints defense will still be the biggest question mark this season, their defense gave up a lot of yards, but was able to capitalize with turnovers. Another season with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will only make this squad better.

The Atlanta Falcons should be able to bounce back from a bad 2009 season. Michael Turner should be healthier and better this season and QB Matt Ryan should be able to bounce back from a sub par second season. The Falcons also have an easier schedule, and with a solid coaching staff they should make a run into the playoffs.

The Panthers and Buccaneers are both in big rebuilding phases and shouldn't be too much of a threat to the Saints or Falcons. Expect them to get better this year, but nothing to get excited about.

My pick: Saints win division, Falcons win the second wild card.

NFC West
This is probably the worst division in the whole league, any team could really win it this year, although the 49ers do look like the team to beat early on. The defending divisional champs Arizona Cardinals lost WR Anquan Boldin as well as future hall of fame QB Kurt Warner, and replaced him with Derek Anderson. Those aren't really comforting thoughts for Cardinal fans. The cards should still be able to compete in the division, but don't expect them to run away with it in any shape, way or form. Same thing goes for the 49ers, their defense should be good and the offense should improve. If Frank Gore can stay healthy, the 49ers will have a great running game, it will really be up to QB Alex Smith to finally prove if he can lead the 49ers or not. As much as I would love to see Smith succeed, I don't see it happening. Smith was a great college QB, but his skills have yet to translate into the NFL and I think we won't improve much more. However he may still have a decent season, he does have some good targets to throw too, TE Vernon David and WR Michael Crabtree to name two. Many people are thinking the 49ers are gonna make a serious run in the playoffs, I jsut see them trying to win the division.

The Seahawks and Rams are both in big rebuilding stages, and shouldn't do a whole lot. The Seahawks have a new coach in Pete Carrol, and who knows if he will be successful in the NFL unlike his previous stints at head coach in the league. The Rams are on the rise, but not enough to make a playoff run.

My pick: 49ers win the division, but it isn't pretty.

Playoffs:
I see the following teams making the playoffs this year
AFC: Colts, Patriots, Ravens and Charger winning their divisions. With the Steelers and Texans getting the wild card.

NFC: Saints, Packers, Cowboys and 49ers winning their divisions. With the Vikings and Falcons getting the wild card.

AFC championship
Patriots over the Colts
I see the Patriots making the Superbowl again with a healthy and confident Tom Brady. The Colts will be a great team, but I don't see them making it to the Superbowl again. The rivalry between the two teams gets even better.

NFC championship
Saints over the Cowboys
The Saints will advance to another Superbowl, this time by beating the Dallas Cowboys. I see the Saints offense and improved defense to be too much for the Cowboys, who honestly just lack discipline and leadership, they have raw talent however.

Superbowl
Saints over the Patriots
Repeating as SB champs is very hard to do, but I see the Saints as having the mental toughness to get it done. Drew Brees can lead a team to victory, even if he is not throwing the ball. He can 'will' a team to victory. The Saints D should be a lot better, especially if they stay healthy, unlike what they did last year. The Patriots will put up a good fight and it should be another exciting Superbowl, but the Saints should win this. And I am saying this in my honest opinion, not just because the Saints have always been my team

NFL regular season expansion

     There has been a lot of talk recently about expanding the NFL regular season from 16 regular games to 18 games. Many people like this idea, thinking that there will be more football to watch during the year. I am, however, against the idea of expanding. The NFL has been with 16 games since 1978 and I think it is probably the perfect number. Even though I am a huge football fan and relish every down that is played, I am worried about the quality of football rather than the quantity of football. My case in point is injuries, I hate to see players get hurt. The lone exception would be Tim Tebow, I'll go into detail my hatred towards him in another blog I am sure. But when players get hurt the quality of the game goes down, especially if it is a star player, such as Tom Brady. Playing two more games, and subsequently two less pre-season games, only adds to the risk of players getting hurt. By the time the regular season is nearly over, we see teams resting their starters, or for the teams that still have to compete we see players have a decline in quality.
 
     Case in point is Brett Favre, especially in the 2008-2009 season. Even though I was on my mission during the regular season, I still have noticed his stats, and he clearly had a decline in play the second half of the season. Overall he had a pretty good season, especially when you consider his age. His stats were 3,472 passing yards, while completing 65.7% of his passes, a very high mark in the NFL. He also had 22 touchdowns and 22 interceptions, a little low on the TD side for the all time leader in passing TD's and a somewhat high number for the gunslinger who isn't afraid to throw an interception. However Brett Favre clearly had a much better first half than second half of the season. 15 of his 22 touchdowns for the season came in the first 8 games, with 6 coming against the Arizona Cardinals. That means in the last 8 games he had 7 touchdowns, and even worse is during the last 5 games he was a total of two(2) touchdowns. So in the second half of the season he had 7 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. All of this happened while the Jets were contending for a playoff spot. This happens with other players too, why do you think teams try so hard to get a first round bye in the playoffs? The rest is crucial for the players health and for the teams success.

     Also with the expansion of the regular season, the pre-season would be cut down to two games, some people would think this is a great thing, claiming that the pre-season is boring. Now granted it is not as exciting as the regular season, but it is still necessary. The pre-season lets players get in sync  with each other during real game situations. This also is a time for lower drafted players to try and shine and make the team. With two less games, these players will have of a chance to prove themselves and get a roster spot. Have you ever noticed how during the opening weekend that most games have a lot of penalties and that teams don't seem to be in rhythm? It is because they are still lacking the time of playing together. For me, the first week of the season is great, but at the same time frustrating because you see a lot of stupid penalties, such as holding, offsides ect,.. You take away two pre-season games and the timing will only get worse and again the quality of the game will go down.

     Injuries are part of the game, but its not a pretty part. The Philadelphia Eagles know this well. When Donovan McNabb was a member of the team he was always hurt, and the Eagles would usually lose a game or two without their captain. However, Eagles fans are even more aware of injuries. After their first regular season game the Eagles put two key players on the injured reserve. Starting center Jamall Jackson, who is out with a triceps injury, and Fullback Leonard Weaver, knee injury. When a player gets put on the IR it means that there season is over, they cannot play for the season due to injury. Eagles also had their starting QB Kevin Kolb and MLB Stewart Bradley go out with concussions.

     The NFL has updated and created a lot of rules to help protect its players, especially the QB's. You cannot blame the NFL for doing so, quarterbacks are the highest paid position and sell the most tickets. Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, Daunte Culpepper and Drew Brees have all suffered very serious and career threatening injuries in the past few years, and the NFL is trying to protect them. Now you can't hit a QB at the knee's, and pretty much can't hit them hard at all. Do I agree with these rules? Not exactly, QB's are suppose to get hit, its part of the game(look at the Saints/Vikings NFC championship game), but it is still part of the rules. So why would the NFL want to expand the regular season if they are so concerned about the health of their players? It makes no sense to me logically. However financially it does. More regular season games means more money for the owners. More greed from already filthy rich men. Especially with a possible NFL lockout coming next season, due to the collective bargaining agreement between the owners and players union expiring next year, the last thing the NFL needs to worry about is adding more games, they need to worry about making sure that there will be football next fall.

     Also another thought, is if players have to play two additional games they will want to be paid more, imagine for a moment the mess that will ensue if every player in the NFL wants a raise, since they do have to play two more games. With the NFL wanting to lower players salaries due to the bad economy, I can not see any good coming from players wanting raises, even though their desires are justified.

     Lots of football players get hurt, it is part of the game like I said before, but we don't need to put the players at further risk of injury and  deteriorate the quality of games that we see. There are so many issues regarding expanding the regular season, these are some of my thoughts as to why it would be a bad idea

Welcome!

So one of my biggest desires in life is to get paid to either play sports or watch sports. Since I am not athletically gifted, I have shifted to the latter part of that statement. This may be as close as I get to my dream, but it is still a dream! My goal is to give you my views on main topics in sports and try to give an unbiased and equal viewpoint, unlike what many popular sports stations, such as ESPN's 'Sportscenter' does. Please give comments as I figure this out