Rough weekend for my teams...

• I will now deduce the entire season based on the first game...
• Not really, but I will say a few things.  First, the Yankees and Red Sox have played the same game over and over again since the late 90's.  While pitching and defense are wonderful concepts, they don't hold much water in these blood baths.  The Red Sox had enough hitting last night, but would they have enough to swing with the Yankees in a seven-game ALCS?
• To that end, Theo Epstein is selling "pitching and defense" to the fans because he did not like the top free agents this offseason.  If he really believed in that formula, he would not build his battery around Victor Martinez, one of the worst defensive catchers in baseball.  Martinez plays because he can swing the stick.  Is it hypocrisy?  Maybe.  Epstein is just buying time before he can land a big bat, which could be all lumber, no glove Miguel Cabrera. 
• Josh Beckett was the best pitcher in baseball only three years ago.  Since then, he had an injury-plagued 2008 season (12-10 with a 4.03 ERA) and a solid, but unspectacular 2009 (17-6 with a 3.86 ERA).  Terry Francona is loyal to his horses (very similar manager to Joe Torre), so he gave Beckett the Opening Night nod, but Jon Lester is clearly the ace of this team.  However, Beckett needs to find his old form.  John Lackey is solid, but he has only won more than 14 games once in his eight-year career.
• Chan Ho Park had a marvelous Spring and suckered Joe Girardi into that outing last night.  While he is a versatile piece, who could prove useful at some point in the season, he is not "the 7th inning guy" at Fenway Park up two runs. 
• Apparently, Damaso Marte is a World Series specialist.
• Joe West should not be allowed to umpire Yankees/Red Sox games.  If you don't call strikes, these teams won't swing. 
• The #2 most awkward moment of the weekend had to be Stephen Tyler bringing out his daughter to stand next to him for God Bless America.  I know she was crucial for that amazing harmony that they pulled off at the end, but it was downright creepy having her there staring at him lovingly from six inches away.
• As for the #1 most awkward moment, Bob Huggins come on down!!!  By all accounts, Da'Sean Butler is a great kid and it was terrible seeing his career end in a crumpled heap on the Final Four floor.  But what kind of show was Huggins trying to put on?  I've always liked the way Huggins teams played defense, so I don't dislike the man, but we know two things about him.  One, he graduates about one player per decade, so don't try and sell me that he loves his kids like his own.  Two, he's a jackass.  I don't mean that as an insult, but he has always portrayed that image to the media.  I can buy that Huggy felt for Butler, who helped him ressurect the Mountaineers program, but my cynical heart is calling that tender face-off a stunt for a national TV audience.
• As for the way Huggins team played, he might have felt like he owed the fans a show at that point.  They were a step or two slow the entire night. 
• While I've punded Duke in this space the entire season, they appear destined for a National Championship.  While they never would have beaten Kentucky, Kansas or Syracuse, they did not have to.  The Blue Devils make shots, which is more than I can say for Kentucky, Kansas and Syracuse.
• Plus, Coach K did well to recruit size to overcome their lack of athleticism.  Brian Zoubek is a stiff, who will never make it in the NBA, but he does force you to guard him at the rim, which opens up room for their shooters to operate outside.
• I will never trade the amazing upsets of the first two weeks, but the result was a watered-down Final Four.  Michigan State had no business playing in that game, while Butler is just ugly.  If I can say one thing to compliment the future national runners-up, they won the same game four times in a row, so it's probably not an accident. 
• Why am I so confident Duke is going to win tonight?  They do everything that Butler's previous opponents failed to do.  In order to break down Butler's D, you need to get hot from the perimeter or score at a high-percentage inside.  If Syracuse had Arinze Onuaku, they would have dusted Butler in the Sweet 16, but the Bulldogs never played a big man who could take advantage of their small interior.  After the Devils force Butler to overcompensate inside, they'll close them out from the three-point line. 
• Butler should get more done offensively against Duke than the superior athletes of Michigan State, Kansas State and Syracuse, but they'll need to be really hot to lose by single digits.  
• St. Anthony's legendary high school basketball coach Bob Hurley Sr. will finally get his due this year as he's been selected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.  Here is the column I wrote about him last year.
• As a Giants fan, I HATE the Donovan McNabb trade.  McNabb was always despised for no reason in Philadelphia, so I knew they'd take him for granted one last time by unceremoniously dumping him on another team for draft picks.  Of course, like everyone else, I assumed the team would be outside the division.  Instead, Philly gave one of their rivals the quarterback that they've been lacking since Mark Rypien.  McNabb will likely thrive under Mike Shanahan and Washington is now a playoff contender.  Maybe Kevin Kolb is the next Aaron Rodgers.  He better be because all four teams in the NFC East are now elite.
• Jimmy Clausen is the collateral damage in the fallout of the McNabb trade.  He will drop out of the #4 spot and slide down the 1st round like former Notre Dame alum Brady Quinn.  I bet he ends up with Pete Carroll in Seattle unless the Seahawks braintrust is really that confident in Charlie Whitehurst as the future of the organization.  Carroll recruited Clausen at USC and he won't mind his cocky persona. 

Jimmy can hang in his gold limousine until the commish calls his name.

Thoughts...

• To wrap up yesterday's live tweet, U.S. winger Stuart Holden broke his fibula and will be out for six weeks.  The Americans plainly do not have the depth to sustain anymore injuries. 
• The American soccer media has an inferiority complex, which is even bigger than the players'.  They watch the U.S. get dominated in possession against a quality team like the Netherlands and write off their chances of competing at the World Cup.  However, soccer is not like football and basketball; it's more like hockey.  The U.S. hockey team defeated Canada in pool play despite being badly outshot.  They made their chances count, which is what the Americans will need to do in South Africa.  Once more, for all the Dutch possession, how many times did they really threaten Tim Howard?  The goals came on a stupid penalty and a deflected shot.  While the U.S. media is looking for a team that will give them some swagger in the press box, American coach Bob Bradley is playing for results and he almost got one yesterday.
• Enough soccer, it's officially March and it felt like it last night.  For Bootsy's sake, I'm truly impressed by the Notre Dame basketball resurrection.  They packed the lane on UConn and forced inconsistent shooters to make shots.  The Huskies were lucky to draw iron.  Without A.J. Price and Hasheem Thabeet, Jim Calhoun's team has lacked leadership, range and inside scoring the entire season.  In another year, I'd pick them to make an MSG run into the Dance, but they have to win like 13 games to do that this season, so I'll book them for the NIT.
• Oh, Greivis Vasquez, what do we make of you?  His facial hair is unconscionable.  From what I can tell, his beard is two zorro mustaches on his chin.  His antics are often over the top, but he's been doing them for so long that I'm used to them by now.  On the court, he's led an average Maryland team to the top of the ACC and he knocked off the Dukies with two classic shots last night.  The Brian Cardinal points are adding up for the 23-year-old...
• For about 10 game minutes, Duke looked like a Final Four team.  Late in the first half, Coach K went against his mentor Bobby Knight and played zone.  The Terps were caught off guard and Duke stormed back from a 14-point deficit.  Sure enough, the Blue Devils were back in man-to-man down the strecth, so Gary Williams could easily isolate Vasquez on Duke's weakest defender, Jon Scheyer, and Maryland scored on every clutch possession.  With their experience and shooting ability, Duke could be a Final Four team, but not in their defensive scheme that relies on shot-blockers and quickness, which they don't have.
• #5 Kansas St. at #2 Kansas was only shown to people who have MASN.  This is a rivalry game between two top 5 teams.  And I thought the Pac-10 TV deal was bad...
• Play golf Tiger...
• Speaking of Mr. Woods, two great stories.  One, I love the college ex-girlfriend defending young Eldrick as a "good person."  Of course, her evidence included stories of taking "extra benefits" (an NCAA violation) and stealing liquor from his parents, so they could drink underage.  Now, I'm not offended in either case, but I would not exactly call this woman as a character witness.
• Second, Steve Williams is "mad" at Tiger Woods over the sex scandal.  "Of course I'm mad at him, why would you not be?", Williams told "60 Minutes."  Oh, I don't know, maybe because you carried his bag for 11 years and he made you one of the richest people in your country. 
• Williams on loyalty: ""When you're a true friend of somebody, that's when somebody needs your support and need you the most. That's when you don't walk away. Tiger's one of my closest friends and he needs my support right now and I'd never think of walking away."  Sounds good.  Although, he also said, "I'm a straight-up sort of person. If I had known something was going on, the whistle would have been blown."  Good on loyalty, bad on trust.  Vegas should put out odds on which marriage will last longer, Tiger and Elin or Tiger and Stevie. 
• CNNSI.com's Don Banks thinks the Giants will solve their middle linebacking crisis with free agent Karlos Dansby.  I love it.  The Giants are built to win now offensively, so unless they can get Alabama LB Rolando McClain in the draft, they don't have time to wait for a young player to lead their defense in the absence of Antonio Pierce.  Plus, if they get Dansby, GM Jerry Reese can use their top draft pick to fix another part of their defensive spine at tackle or safety.
• Is there any way Julius Peppers signs somewhere OTHER than Washington?  I guess you have to give the Redskins credit for sticking with their plan of signing all the top veterans every offseason.  It's been a decade and they haven't won a thing, but by all means, forge right ahead.
• If broadcast technology is moving to 3-D, when will Ray Ban or Oakley step up and make some cool, comfortable 3-D glasses?  If I'm going to spend my day wearing them, they need to be more comfortable than the Avatar glasses.
• "American Idol" would be so much more fun if I could vote against people.  I already told my wife, if our daughter talks like that second girl from last night (Haeley Vaughn), she's not allowed to eat at the dinner table.
• "Real World: Washington D.C."...you're boring me.  Where's your goodbye letter to drugs?  Why don't any of you have three consecutive i's in your name?  You make me want to go to "the hotel."
• Bootsy found Hurley's "Lost" adventure set to a Miley Cyrus ear-bleeder, but I prefer "Lost" set to the "Full House" credits.  
• Here's the "Funny or Die" Presidential Reunion that went viral yesterday.

Oklahoma State's Keaton Page wins the award for LEAST initimdating player in the country.  Saying he looks like a ball boy is generous...

It's January 4th, do you know when your next vacation is?

• While we were gone, the Washington Wizards locker room turned into the Wild, Wild West.  I have no idea what's true and what isn't, although my favorite story is the one where Gilbert Arenas allegedly put three guns on the table and asked Javaris Crittenton to choose (definitely not true!).  Arenas was set to earn over $100 million during his playing career.  With that much to lose, how could anyone risk their career over gambling debts on an airplane card game?  For the record, my understanding is that they were not even his debts.  He was meddling in two teammates disagreement. 
• So, the moral of the story is that Arenas is "not a very smart man (Forrest Gump voice)" and he will end up sharing a cell with Plaxico at this rate.  But just for fun, imagine you were a rookie called up from the D-League that week.  You're soaking up the locker room.  You see your name on the back of a Wizards jersey.  You look over to see the team's star player Gilbert Arenas...and he's in a gun stand-off with that guy who was once traded for Pau Gasol, which shifted the balance of power in the league.  Welcome to the NBA kid!
• Steve Spurrier is stealing money from South Carolina.  He is undeniably one of the greatest offensive minds in the history of college football.  Yet, his Gamecocks managed a meager 7 points against the vaunted UConn Huskies defense.  While the eager young coaches of America are working around the clock, Spurrier never misses a tee time.
• When you see a player who is terrible at his job, ask yourself, how bad must his back-up be?  Northwestern kicker Stefan Demos missed three field goals and an extra point against Auburn when he had the chance to give the Wildcats their first bowl win in 60 years (Harry Truman was the President).  But, when he went down with an injury, Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald sent in the back-up for "Captain Shankapotamus" and then promptly lost the game on a fake.  Needless to say, he did not have a lot of confidence in the man behind the not-good-man.
• How about the "Indomitable Ndamukong"?  Why am I the only one trying to give this guy a nickname?
• They say Bowling Green's Freddie Barnes can't play in the NFL because his 40-time is too slow.  He caught 155 balls this season, including 17 in the bowl game.  The meat market NFL will never learn.
• Meanwhile, USC's Taylor Mays will shoot up the draft charts when he destroys the NFL combine.  Not that it matters to the drooling NFL scouts, but when you run 4.4 in the wrong direction, it only gets you to the wrong place faster. 
• Arkansas's Ryan Mallett = Ryan Leaf.  Until he melts down in the NFL, I mean that as a compliment.
• Texas Tech/Michigan State defined what bowls have become.  The Red Raiders played without their head coach, while the Spartans were down 8 suspended players. 
• Tim Tebow will not be a good NFL quarterback.  However, he will get a shot.  Coaches love this kid (Urban Meyer's broken heart over Tebow leaving nearly forced him into retirement!), so he will get a chance. 
• Yesterday, USC announced self-imposed punishments against their basketball program for the O.J. Mayo scandal.  As part of the punishment, the 2009-10 Trojans basketball team will not be eligible for postseason play.  On this current squad, only two players even played with Mayo.  They don't know the guy and they were not a part of it.  Yet, they are the punished.  Mayo makes his millions in the pros.  Floyd lands softly on an NBA bench.  The kids are left holding the bag.  Does the athletic department deserve blame?  Of course they do.  Punish the offenders and take the money and the wins back.  Why can't they let these kids play in the tournament and withhold the cash prizes from the department for their accomplishments?  It physically pains me to watch these kids play their asses off only to have suits take away their dreams for no good reason. 
• Week 17 of the NFL was scintillating!!!  Roger Goodell should charge the Bengals, Giants, Colts, Saints and Cardinals postage for those mail-in jobs.
• Thank God the Saints and Colts are not undefeated!  Going in on two and three game losing streaks is so much better.
• We'll talk about it more later in the week, but the Dallas Cowboys are the winners of the peaking at the right time trophy previously won by the 2007-08 Giants and the 2004-05 Steelers.
• Chris Johnson is considering racing Usain Bolt.  That's cool.  He will lose. 
• Quote of the day: "I just started yelling," Texans WR Andre Johnson said. "It was like a sigh of relief. This is something that I've been working for since I've been here."  The Texans did not actually make the playoffs, but that's neither here nor there.
• Bernard Pollard is the Patriots grim reaper.  If he's on the field, New England should run in the other direction.  Wes Welker's torn knee should extinguish New England's faint Super Bowl hopes.  Last year, Pollard pulled the band-aid off quickly by ending the Patriots season with Tom Brady's blown-out knee in Week 1.
• The Redskins fired Jim Zorn today.  He will be missed.

    Thanks for the memories!

Bad Guys 133, Good Guys 132.  I lost my fantasy semifinal by one (bleepin') point.  To be more specific, I came up five yards short on Monday Night Football.

• "I'm not saying anything; you will just twist my words," Joe McKnight said. "You've all (ruined) my life."  Accountability 101.
• In the spirit of accountability, I bailed on my typical lineup with Greg Jennings to go with Laurence Maroney.  It cost me three points.
• Thank you Jim Zorn!  I have not laughed that hard in a while.
• In case you missed the post-game, the goal of the play was to distract everyone by sending the entire team to the left and then throw it to the center who is an eligible receiver at the end of the line of scrimmage.  I much prefer the way they ran it.
• With Mike Shanahan unofficially officially hired as the next Redskins victim head coach, Jim Zorn should have given the finger to Daniel Snyder after running that play.  Actually, the play speaks for itself.
• Great tweet by Giants beat writer Ralph Vacchiano: "There were a minimum of six penalties on that play, none of them flagged by the officials. Redskins also pull off impressive double: having at least five ineligible guys downfield, and not one of them within 15 yards of where the pass lands. Remarkable."
• And the coup de gras, there were only two seconds left in the half, so if the pass had been caught, the Giants would have tackled the receiver and ended the half.  Honestly, it was the moment of the season.
• If you never made it to the second half, Brandon Jacobs and Albert Haynesworth squared off, threw a combination of punches and drew a combined one 15-yard penalty between them (on Haynesworth) with no ejections.  Walt Coleman's crew must have had trouble spotting the 6'4", 264 pound running back.  Good news for Jacobs, he finally made somebody miss this season.  Maybe he should be a boxer.
• Like Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning is at his statistical best when his team is at their worst.  He does not want to throw for 300+ yards because his team is built to play power football on offense and defense.  Nevertheless, Manning's passing attack has been the only salvageable aspect from an otherwise lost season.
• Mike Holmgren will get the Browns on track.  Like Bill Parcells, Holmgren is one of the best minds in the game as long as he is focused on one task, coaching or personnel.  He has a left tackle, a return man and a not a whole lot else.  Eric Mangini is not long for that job.  There are two active coaching trees in the NFL, Holmgren's and Parcells'.  Mangini is a Parcells guy through Belichick.  Expect a Holmgren guy like Marty Mornhinweg to get another shot.
• I watched the highlights of the Bulls blowing a 35-point second half lead to the Kings last night.  Strangely, it did not seem that momentous.  Basically, the Kings dramatically outplayed a bad Bulls team for the last 20 minutes.  I hope Vinny Del Negro is renting.
• The Yankees traded Melky Cabrera and prospects for Javier Vazquez, who was last seen in pinstripes when he gave up a grand slam to Johnny Damon in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS.  He has a career 4.52 ERA in the AL as opposed to 4.02 in the NL.  More recently, he pitched to a 2.87 ERA in 2009 in the NL and a 4.67 ERA in 2008 in the AL.  To be clear, he is a back of the rotation starter.  With that said, he has pitched 198+ innings in 10 straight seasons.  His durability is his greatest asset to a Yankees rotation that looked awfully thin before the move.
• As for left field, welcome home Johnny Damon?  I hope so.  Please no Jermaine Dye...
• Judging by the activity, there are only four teams playing next season.  Like college football, we can boil baseball down to one sentence right now.  New York, Boston and Seattle will battle to play Philadelphia in the World Series. 
  

Football, basketball, baseball...sports!

• The Saints had that loss coming and the Cowboys had that win coming.  New Orleans is starting to look like midseason champions that are quickly running out of gas.  They need their secondary to get healthy in the next three weeks or they'll lose to the Packers straight away.  Dallas hung together this December without Terrell Owens.  They have glaring weaknesses on both sides of the ball (and special teams!!!), but they fired out of the gate on Saturday night for three stirling quarters and then hung (together) on for the 4th.
• Going forward, the Cowboys have put the Giants in a position where they need to be perfect over their last three games.  Few teams in the league are quite as imperfect as the New York Giants, so I like Big D's chances.
• As Bootsy correctly corrected, the Patriots lone road win before Sunday was a neutral site game in London.  On Sunday, I watched Mark Sanchez and Tom Brady play on side-by-side TV screens.  There was no difference in their performances.  They both wildly chucked the ball downfield into double coverage and drilled opposing defenders in the chest.  Brady is a Hall of Fame quarterback, but it's time that somebody else notices how poorly he has played the ENTIRE season.
• The Steelers won the "Battle of Bighorn."  Incredible last stand by "Big" Ben "Custer" (503 yards passing).  However, resistance is futile.  They are not going to make the playoffs and they only have themselves to blame.
• Tennessee is 4-7 against AFC opponents, which is the Wild Card tiebreaker against teams like Baltimore (6-4), Denver (6-5) and Pittsburgh (4-6).  Meaning, they need to win out (vs. San Diego and @Seattle) and hope that Baltimore or Denver lose out.  The Ravens still have the Raiders, while the Broncos host the Chiefs in Week 17.  Nevertheless, they are the scariest possible AFC Wild Card team.
• If Mark Sanchez is trying to convince the world his decision making has improved, his awful facial hair is a bad start.
• Jim Brown is no Jerome Harrison (286 yards rushing).  The Super Bowl would be thrilled to have a game as good as the two toilet bowls (Browns/Lions and Browns/Chiefs) this season.
• Tony Sporano or as Dan Fouts called him Tony Soprano (really?!?) does more with less than any coach in the NFL. 
• Bengals/Chargers was the game of the day.  In a month, those same two teams will meet on the same turf in San Diego.  It'll be a pick 'em then too.  The contrast between Cincy's physical nature and the Chargers explosive style makes for great football.
• Jay Cutler (10/27 for 94 yards and 0 TD/3 INT with a 7.0 QB rating) is JaMarcus Russell.
• As for tonight, the Giants season will die a meager death.  Washington 24, New York 7.
• Speaking of dying deaths, I need 23 points combined from Steve Smith and Fred Davis (two Trojans) tonight to survive a record weekend by my opponent in the fantasy semis.  What are my odds?  10-1?  100-1...
• For 8 years, I've watched college basketball teams roll into the Sports Arena and Galen Center.  In that time, I have never seen a team look as physically impressive as the #8 Tennessee Volunteers did Saturday during lay-up drills.  From 1-12, they are long, bouncy and sculpted.  And then the ball got thrown up...
• Does anyone do less with more than Bruce Pearl?  John Calipari used to own this award in college basketball, but he was a few made free throws away from a national title.  Pearl can obviously recruit and he's dominated the SEC recently thanks to Kentucky's futility.  But on the floor, they don't have a gameplan.  They don't have defined roles or positions.  They cannot shoot or penetrate.  They don't have a post-up threat.  They can press, but only after made buckets, which are as rare as solar eclipses.  Otherwise, they are looking to offensive rebound haneous jump shots from big men like when Tyler Smith hit the upper corner of the backboard from a wing three.  The Galen Center was literally laughing at the Vols futility and we (Trojan fans) consider ourselves connoisseurs of bad basketball.
• Luke Harangody (07') would whack Luke Harangody (09') in the groin for all the chuck-and-duck threes the big fella settles for these days.  He's trying to impress NBA scouts with his pick and pop game.  Meanwhile, his current Irish team suffers. 
• In the same song different day department, North Carolina does not have the guard play to compete with the big boys.  If Roy Williams ranked his players from best to worst, he would get past five before he named a guard.  That's a problem.
• Quick NBA thought: Ben Gordon is the new Ben Wallace.  The Bulls cannot replace his scoring void after he left in free agency, yet he has been no real help to the Pistons.  Similarly, Detroit never replaced what Wallace gave them, but he was a complete bust in Chicago. 
• As the Hot Stove season continues, teams are starting to realize that this crop of free agents is not worth the money.  Mike Cameron is not the answer in Boston, but Theo Epstein does not want to repeat his J.D. Drew mistake with Jason Bay.  Matt Holliday is a good bat, but he's not a franchise-changer.  Johnny Damon had a huge 2009, but he overplayed his hand with the one team that values his services twice as much as any other.  The Red Sox and Yankees look at Cameron and Nick Johnson as 2010 players, but Carl Crawford (2010 free agent) is a worthwhile long-term investment.

Is it possible Bruce Pearl brought his team to Los Angeles so he could have an In 'N Out burger?

The games to remember are played in November...

• ...or not.  With the season building to its climax, #1 Florida hosts Florida International and #2 Alabama welcomes Chattanooga.  We will all remember where we were when those two games took place.
• And your showcase game of the week?  Kansas (1-5 in Big 12) travels to Austin to play #3 Texas.  The Jayhawks are one win from bowl eligibility despite losing five straight games.  They should be primed for the upset in this one after strength and conditioning head coach Mark Mangino spent the week calling out "bitter" parents and players, who accused him of physical and verbal abuse.
• #10 Ohio State at Michigan...the greatest rivalry in college football...Next on ABC!  And then the game starts and the Buckeyes run all over the Wolverines.  Good times!
• LSU at Ole Miss is a decent game if you like to root against Les Miles, which I do. 
• Interesting note about the much-publicized movie The Blind Side: All the SEC coaches who play themselves in the movie are at different jobs now than they were then. Michael Oher was recruited by Nick Saban (LSU), Tommy Tuberville (Auburn), Lou Holtz (South Carolina), Houston Nutt (Arkansas), Phil Fulmer (Tennessee) and Ed Orgeron (Ole Miss).  Nice job security!
• Whatever happened to "Rivalry Week" in college football?  Most of the big rivalry games are played next week, but Michigan/Ohio St. and Cal/Stanford are this week, while the "Civil War" between the Oregon schools is in two weeks.
• Ricky Williams has had a remarkable career.  From franchise-saver to Heisman bust in New Orleans, he finally emerged as a star in Miami.  Then, he became a league pariah with his penchant for pot and even played a year in the CFL.  Sure enough, he quietly returned to Miami, where he is now one of the best backs in the league.  Through it all, he only gave one memorable interview (60 Minutes) because he has severe social anxiety disorder (hence the crush on Mary Jane).
• I could see Dallas losing to Washington in D.C., but not in Texas, where they play Sunday.
• The Packers looked like a playoff team against the Cowboys last week, but consistency is an issue with this group.  Therefore, expect the 49ers to cruise into Lambeau, force a bunch of turnovers and walk out winners.
• I've been fired up all week for the Giants at Falcons.  The winner will not only move a game up on the loser in the Wild Card standings, they'll have the tiebreaker as well.  Health should be the difference.  New York is coming off a bye week, which gave them time to restore their first-team defense (sans Kenny Phillips).  Atlanta lost last week and might be without Michael Turner.  This needs to be a Giants win otherwise El Guapo's will have one less TV by the end of Sunday.  As my buddy Martini would say, I'm too biased to pick this game objectively.
• The Jaguars have quietly moved to 5-4, which proves anything is possible when you have the Texans, Titans, Rams, Chiefs and Jets on your schedule.  If they continue to hit teams at the right time, they could get to nine wins.  Chalk win #6 up against a Dick Jauron-less Buffalo squad Sunday.
• The Colts will get their first loss Sunday at Baltimore.  Indy has been living on borrowed time for weeks now.  The Ravens are due to hit their stride.  This is my gut feeling of the week.
• The Chargers at Broncos will likely decide the AFC West.  On the surface, it's an obvious choice.  San Diego is trending up (big wins over New York and Philly), while Denver is starting Chris Simms (never good).  For some crazy reason, I'll take Denver in Denver.  No particular reason other than the obvious choice seems too obvious.
• My, oh my, how the Jets fortunes have changed since the last time they met New England.  Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez are too mercurial to survive in the NFL at their current pace.  Both coach and QB need to find a quieter, steadier approach in the years to come if they're going to do something special in New York.  If they're looking for a model, try the opposing sideline this week.  Despite last Sunday's mishaps, Bill Belichick and Tom Brady will return to business as usual this week by thumping the Jets.
• If his 5-pick meltdown against the Niners did not do it, Jay Cutler's season will completely fall apart Sunday night in front of a national TV audience against the Eagles.  

We really have no idea who these kids are until they make it to the pros.

2009 USC Basketball: The little team that could (or couldn't), but tried hard nonetheless.

• The Pac-10 is even worse than I thought.  Arizona St. was a two-man team the last two seasons with James Harden doing all the scoring and creating, while Jeff Pendergraph protected the paint and controlled the glass.  This season, Herb Sendek's big plan appears to be stay with the exact same guys, but no Harden and Pendergraph.  Dynamic stuff!
• To continue with UCLA's problems, my sources tell me (Peter Vescey voice) that no one wants to play for Ben Howland anymore because he stifles players' creativity.  He calls every play from the sidelines and his offense is always built around a dribble-happy point guard.
• Mark Few can coach, but he seems sincere in his stance against leaving Gonzaga.
• It's too early to draw any conclusions from sloppy games by talented teams (Kansas, Michigan St. and Georgetown).
• Zack Greinke was the right and obvious choice for AL Cy Young.  A 2.16 ERA in the American League is ridiculous.  Forget the 16 wins, the Cy is not a team award.  Greinke had to win it despite his team.
• Speaking of bad teams, the Yankees have won more games this November than the Giants, Jets, Nets and Knicks combined (thank you Bootsy for that stat).  COMBINED!!!  The Nets (0-11) and the Knicks (1-9) are the worst two teams in the NBA.  The Jets have lost 5 of 6 and the Giants are losers in 4 straight. 
• Oh local talk radio.  In LA, it's Lakers, Lakers, Lakers and a wee bit of USC this time of year.  So, we get panicked takes on the defending champs with hosts claiming "apathy" because they had lost back-to-back games going into last night.  This Lakers team did not start winning big until Pau Gasol showed up.  Since he's been out this season, the bench has struggled because Lamar Odom is forced to start and the offensive paint is clogged because Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum use their post-ups to score not create.  Gasol solves both these problems and more. 
• The Lakers do have one mild concern.  It's possible Ron Artest was not as good a fit for this team as Trevor Ariza was.  Artest is a better player and he'll improve as he learns the triangle offense, but Ariza was comfortable being a stand-still three-point shooter, while Ron-Ron loves to dribble.  Ariza (38%) has become a better 3-point shooter than Artest (35%).
• Houston (6-5) and Sacramento (5-5) are minor miracles.  Rockets GM Daryl Morey really is the Billy Beane of the NBA.  They are the NBA's version of Butler.  Meanwhile, the Kings have decent talent as long as Kevin Martin (30.6 PPG) keeps playing like Michael Jordan.
• Bootsy's happy with Brian Kelly (Cincinnati) as Notre Dame's next coach, so I'll go along for the ride.  If Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate come back, the next coach will look like a genius because the cupboard was left stocked (that's the first cupboard Charlie Weis has not pillaged in his life).  If Kelly or whomever can go 10-2 without buying into their own hype, they'll have a leg up on the previous regime.
• Dick Jauron could be the first of many NFL coaches to get the boot.  Jim Zorn is a sure thing, but Lovie Smith, Eric Mangini and Wade Phillips could follow closely behind.  Jauron and Zorn have earned their pink slips, but Smith and Mangini could get replaced because there are so many strong free-agent coaches.  Mike Shanahan, Mike Holmgren, Jon Gruden (he'll be back eventually) and Bill Cowher would all be nationally lauded hires.
• Did ESPN compute how many fantasy games were decided by Maurice Jones-Drew taking a knee instead of running it in?  I loved when MoJo pretended like his personal fantasy game was decided by that, but then admitted actually he got blown out. 
• No more bye weeks.  Injuries are starting to pile up (Ronnie Brown, Terrell Suggs, Troy Polamalu, Brain Westbrook, Michael Turner, Kyle Orton, Marc Colombo, etc.).  Health is the single greatest factor in separating the NFL's elite year-after-year.

0-11 isn't pretty and neither is Rafer Alston

Busy morning kept me from posting, but I love you so much that I'm writing during Yankees/Angels Game 3.

• Let's start with baseball.  In Game 1, the Angels just did not want to be there and they played like it.  Game 2 looks like the swing game of the series, although the Angels could right the ship if they can win today and upset CC Sabathia on three days rest.  The 2009 Yankees are the best back-third offense I've ever seen.  They play the first six innings like a warm-up and then kick it into gear for the last third and extra innings.  That formula worked all regular season and then again in Games 2 and 3 of the ALDS and Game 2 against the Angels.
• What else can you say about Alex Rodriguez?  He continues to have the anti-A-Rod season, heavy on the clutchness and light on the drama.  His two-out RBI single in Game 1 against the Twins is still the Yankees biggest hit of the postseason because it set the beast free from his mental cage.
• The Phillies deserve our respect as true champions, NL or otherwise.  They've pinballed back and forth between east and west, surviving frosty conditions and superior bullpens.  The Dodgers better win the next three games because they are not beating Cliff Lee in Game 7.
• On to college, I'll have a post later today dedicated to the end of the Notre Dame/USC game.  As for you apoplectic Trojan fans about the BCS, take a breath.  If they win out and Texas loses, USC will play in the BCS Title Game.  Otherwise, they don't deserve to be there.
• First Bobby Bowden then Frank Beamer admitted that Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson was one-step ahead of them in his application of the oldest offense in the business.  Quick question: Where would Nebraska be if they had not spent the last decade shunning their triple-option roots?
• Florida had to survive Arkansas, although the loss would not have hurt them.  Both Alabama and Florida will survive a loss if they still win the SEC Championship Game, which makes the "every week is a playoff" the most laughable concept in sports.  Anyway, the Gators are good and obviously suffering from complacency.  Here's what I don't understand: Why do they always struggle at home?  Conference road games are always tricky, but home games against Arkansas should be laughers.
• Alabama is developing a Greg McElroy problem.  Their weak link is the most important position on the field, quarterback.  McElroy's line against South Carolina was enough to make JaMarcus Russell proud (10/20, 92 yards, 0 TD/2 INTs).
• Texas is an above-average football team in an average conference with a below-average schedule.  Even with their schedule, they'll lose if Colt McCoy does not start playing like a Heisman candidate.  His best play Saturday was a tackle on his red zone interception.
• If Bob Stoops has any sense, Sam Bradford will not take live snaps until NFL preseason next year.  If the media has any creativity, the Tebow-Bradford-McCoy trio will not factor in the Heisman race.  Maybe an invite for Tebow, but they've been so uninspiring.
• The Saints are the NFC favorites, but there is a lot of football to be played.  Sean Payton better keep his team focused on home-field advantage throughout the playoffs because they are unlikely to lose in the SuperDome. 
• The Vikings need to have the same focus.  If they can stay in a dome, Brett Favre will play like a top ten quarterback and give them a chance at their first Super Bowl.  If Favre has to go to a windy Meadowlands or cold Philadelphia, it'll be 2008 at Lambeau all over again.  Either way, Favre has been inarguably superb through six weeks.
• Meanwhile, the Michael Vick experiment has not been quite as successful.  I would talk about the Eagles losing to the Raiders, but I did not see it, so I don't believe it.  It's impossible.  Meanwhile, the Raiders have as many or more wins as 13 teams in the NFL.  They are middle of the pack.  Wow.
• I don't know about you, but I think Jim Zorn is doing a bang-up job in Washington.  Who's with me?  That's a lot of hands from my fellow "friends" in the NFC East.  Somebody ask Peter King how many people are left on that Jason Campbell bandwagon he's been driving for three years.
• The Houston Texans continue to perplex.  They ride the Matt Schaub wave, which this weekend rose for 4 touchdown passes against a strong Bengals pass defense.
• Ray Rice is the latest example of two NFL draft trends.  One, not enough teams pay attention to college football production as opposed to NFL Combine measurables.  Two, why waste a top pick on a running back when you can get such late value at that position?
• Last year in the snow, New England embarrassed Arizona 47-7, which inspired their eventual gut-check and Super Bowl run.  Will the Pats 59-0 thrashing of Tennessee motivate the Titans to play NFL football this year?  Doubtful.  Jeff Fisher will get something out of this unit eventually, but owner Bud Adams is the weak link in the organization.  He always panics when the Titans struggle.  Today, he blamed Fisher for the Titans disastrous season.  Fair enough, but if he dares fire Fisher, the Titans will be the Jaguars in a hurry.
• The Patriots and Ravens are the two most fascinating teams in the AFC.  One of them will end up in the Super Bowl and the other will flame out.  It's hard to tell which is which right now. 
• In the last three games, Mark Sanchez has shown his fan club that he's got flaws, big ones.  As I've said before, he is not a whole lot different than Tony Romo.  He does not value the ball and he rides the emotional wave.  With the right coaching, he'll be a star.  With Wade Phillips, he'd be Tony Romo.
• Lastly, could the NFC playoff picture be decided already?  The Saints, Vikings, Giants and Cardinals look like division winners.  The Falcons and Eagles should get at least wild card bids.  The 49ers could steal the NFC West if the Cards don't find consistency.  Otherwise, only a major injury will disrupt that playoff picture. 

Two sad stories and some assorted other notes:

• Stafon Johnson's USC football career is likely over.  The Senior running back had his larynx crushed during a weight-lifting accident and spent the night in the ER undergoing serious surgery.  This much you already knew.
• Johnson's final game stats read like this: 5 carries, 16 yards and 1 TD.  In the last three years, USC has gone to tailback by community.  They've split carries among 3-7 backs per game.  The only reason it worked was Stafon Johnson.  He should have been the undisputed starter, but he gave up personal stats to let the coaches stroke his teammates egos during games like Saturday's blowout of Washington St..  Allan Bradford complained, C.J. Gable whined and others transferred.  After a tumultuous Freshman season, Johnson never said a word.  There will be many reports about the prognosis of Johnson and his football future, but I promise you that if he wants to, Stafon Johnson will tote the rock again.
• Now, the whiners get their opportunity to shine.  Let's see if they run to honor their injured teammate or run for themselves.
• This story has been dormant for a while, but the Angels had an unbelievable season.  Nick Adenhart died way back in April.  At the time, the Angels entire rotation was hurt and Adenhart was being looked at as the savior.  As it turns out, he was.  Anaheim rallied around their fallen teammate and last night, they celebrated with his memory.  
• Obviously, Mike Scioscia is the AL Manager of the Year.  As of now, Jim Tracy is the easy choice in the NL for his resurrection job with the Rockies.  However, Bobby Cox could steal everything if the Braves pull off a miracle and catch the Rocks this week.
• Today's doubleheader could be decisive for the Twins and Tigers.  Detroit is throwing out their best two pitchers, Rick Porcello and Justin Verlander.  If they don't get it done, the Twins will have momentum and some easy pickings on which to feast.
• The World Series is being played October 28th through November 5th.  Here's a list of cities that could embarrass Bud Selig's scheduling: New York, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia and Colorado.  Basically, the commish is rooting for a "Freeway Series" between the Dodgers and Angels.
• The Yankees will only need three starters for the ALDS.  So, the Game 2 hurler starts Game 5 if necessary.  I would rather have A.J. Burnett as the Game 2 starter, but Andy Pettitte in a decisive Game 5.  I know what Joe Torre would do, but this is the first big postseason decision of Joe Girardi's career.
• Yes, the high-payroll teams dominated this season.  But it's one season.  Tampa Bay and Colorado made the World Series each of the last two years.  Why do we insist on overreacting to the now without seeing the greater context?
• Jake Delhomme should play every game on Monday Night Football.  Jaws and Gruden are the only two apologists he has left on this planet. 
• The Cowboys are a one-dimensional offensive team that refuses to admit it.  If they realize that their only strength is power-run, they'll sneak into the playoffs.  If they continue to force an erratic QB to throw to below-average receivers behind a slow offensive line, they'll be coached by Mike Shanahan next year.
• The MNF booth talked incessantly about the Cowboys inability to replace Terrell Owens, but none of the three mentioned that he did not even have a catch Sunday.  The Cowboys receivers did a damn good impression of T.O..
• I cannot believe Jim Zorn still has his job today.  Daniel Snyder has gone soft on us.  I wouldn't fire him, but then again, I wouldn't have hired him, traded all my draft picks and banked the future on Jason Campbell, who was not even really good in college.
• By the way, JaMarcus Russell was not that good in college either.  Note to NFL GMs: Take a vacation during the Combine and watch more Saturday football.
• After thorough research, I have found that the country is again united against one enemy...the chick who played Ashley on "Entourage."  I believe we have vanquished her.  Now, she'll have time to grow in to an adult's body and haunt us again in the future. 

A weekend full of wins has me in a good mood, how about you?

• Tim Tebow has been a college football fixture for four years, but I have not really seen him play that much.  A couple BCS games, a few big SEC games, so I'm surprised how unimpressive he is every time I watch him.  Don't get me wrong, he's incredibly effective, but he's so wreckless.  When I watch other teams play, I think about how they would do against USC and as NFL players.  Tebow ends up on the sidelines in both scenarios with a concussion.
• While everyone is talking about the crazy upsets, this season is following my script to perfection.  Everyone else kills each other while Florida and Texas sail along.  Look at how the Gators and Horns schedules have crumbled.  Florida's "big games" come against LSU, Georgia and Florida St., three teams that have obvious flaws.  Texas's main rival Oklahoma won't be ready for their rivalry game, while the rest of the Big 12 cannot get out of its own way. 
• No team is currently worthy of the #4 ranking.  In fact, a 2-loss team will man that spot at the end of season. 
• The Pac 10 is so weak, not physically, but mentally.  Cal cannot handle prosperity for the millionth year running.  Washington suffers from a USC hangover, which is another annual ailment.  USC is seemingly incapable of discipline and focus for an entire game.   Arizona St. cannot close a tough road game and Oregon finds its groove only after embarrassing itself on a national stage.
• One positive USC observation: This is their best pass-rush since the "Wild Bunch II."  Redshirt-Freshman DE Nick Perry is a sack master (6 in 4 games), so they use him as a defensive tackle in obvious pass-rushing situations.  Plus, DE Everson Griffen is coming into his own and DT Jurell Casey is the team's breakout star.  They have 18 sacks as a team, which is a ton considering they have faced two of the best running quarterbacks in college football, Terrelle Pryor and Jake Locker.
• In case there's some confusion, South Florida QB Matt Grothe tore his knee up last week and will miss the rest of the season.  For all those college football fans rationalizing Florida St.'s home loss to the Bulls, it came against a QB in his first career start.
• Miami's back and they're a National Championship contender!!!!!
• Cincinnati could conceivably run the table.  They probably will trip up somewhere, but their toughest conference road game is the last Saturday of the season in Pittsburgh.  They'll get in the discussion if Texas or Florida falters badly.
• Please try not to lose your lunch when you read this, but Jimmy Clausen should be in the Heisman discussion.  He started the season with three consecutive 300+ yard games, but threw zero interceptions.  Last Saturday, he played through an injury to rescue the Irish with a game-winning TD drive with two minutes left.  He's been significantly better than Heisman favorites Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford.
• On to the NFL, where some of the offensive football has been appalling.  The Tampa Bay Bucs managed 86 total yards and did not get a first down until 5:00 to play in the 3rd quarter...AT HOME.  In the last two weeks, the Washington Redskins have scored 23 points total...AGAINST THE RAMS AND LIONS!!!  And the Rams and the Browns and the Raiders and the Chiefs...AWFUL.
• Mark Sanchez did his Tony Romo impression Sunday, but the Jets survived.  He may seem perfect, but Sanchez can be careless with the football.  However, Rex Ryan's defense is not screwin' around.
• When someone named Ryan Mouton fumbles twice in a week as he did for the Titans against the Texans in Week 2, you bench him or cut him.  You do not let him fumble twice AGAIN the following Sunday.  He's Ryan Mouton not Chris Johnson.  They might be 2-1 without him, now they're 0-3.
• Ok, Brett Favre fans yuck it up.  He blindly flings one to the back of the end zone, where two obviously drunk 49ers defensive backs watch Greg Lewis make a great catch to win the game.  In truth, moments like that just don't happen to Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels.
• 2007 Tom Brady would've hit Randy Moss for 5 touchdown passes Sunday.  As is, 2009 Brady is 2-1 and just beat a good Atlanta Falcons team handily.  For all their age and injury concerns, the Pats defense has been stellar so far.
• Quick power poll: 1) Baltimore Ravens, 2) New York Giants, 3) New York Jets, 4) Indianapolis Colts, 5) New Orleans Saints.
• Every awful NFL team is calling HBO this weekend trying to sign up for next season's "Hard Knocks."  An entire country of HBO-subscribing amateur scouts feels vindicated about thinking the Bengals had a lot of talent.  They are one lucky bounce away from a 3-0 start and Carson Palmer is not even playing well.  They've drafted defense for a decade now and all of the sudden, they are loaded with talents like CB Jonathan Joseph, DE Antwan Odom and LB Rey Maualuga. 
• The Steelers will be fine.  This time last year, people were actually talking about benching Ben Roethlisberger for Byron Leftwich.  How quickly a Super Bowl run makes people forget...
• When I wrote that the Chiefs and Texans would be the surprises of the AFC, I meant Jets and Bengals.  You understood that, right?
• Tiger Woods is scaring me.  I don't want to live in a world where he can't close on Sunday, but Phil Mickelson can.
• The Yankees are the #1 overall seed in the American League, so they get to pick their ALDS schedule.  Joe Girardi has already announced he'll take the one where CC Sabathia can start 4 times in 5 games.

Let's talk 8 college games, 11 pro games and a partridge in a pear tree...

• There will be many Ole Misses this year.  When your system is based around preseason rankings and non-conference games against directional state schools, it is inherently flawed.  When you say Ole Miss is a top 4 team because they return quality skill players, your logic is inherently flawed.  The Rebels lost LT Michael Oher and DT Peria Jerry, both first round picks.  Those guys just don't roll in and out of Oxford, Mississippi.
• Alabama is the only SEC team to make a statement this season (Virginia Tech), so the Tide should feel confident about handling the defenseless Razorbacks.  However, scouts must be drooling over Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett, who reminds me of another Ryan...Ryan Leaf.  Hopefully, Mallett is not crazy.
• For some reason, ABC's primetime game of the week is Iowa at Penn State.  NBC should run a special Conan O'Brien against this game just to get the poor guy some ratings.
• Question: If Cal loses at Oregon, does it undo all the good work the Pac-10 has done in the non-conference?  It shouldn't, but it will.  If the Bears lose, the Pac will have zero top ten teams.  And, Oregon's blowout loss to Boise St. will diminish the Ducks accomplishment of beating the Bears.  Again, this is a nonsensical argument, so it's perfect for college football.
• Miami at Virginia Tech is the best game of the day.  The Hurricanes have been picked up on the national radar, but they still have plenty of work to do.  Ever since these two teams joined the ACC, Virginia Tech has had the better of it.  "Beamer Ball" will reign again.
• Two interesting games: #15 TCU heads to Clemson and #17 Houston hosts Texas Tech.  We'd expect the rankings to be flipped in those games, but the mid-majors continue to run rampant.  Teams like TCU and Houston have to actually earn their rankings, so I expect the favorites to hold up in both cases.
• I'm compelled to mention the Arizona State/Georgia game because two high-profile programs are matching up, but the truth is the Sun Devils don't have the guts to win a road game in SEC country.
• Switching to the paid athletes (HAHA, THEY'RE ALL PAID), there is a lot of buzz about Detroit winning their first game in two years this Sunday when they host Washington.  The Redskins are plenty awful enough to donate a victory, but the Lions win will come when no one is expecting it.
• The Niners and Vikings will meet in the "Just Don't Ask Us to Throw It" Bowl.  Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson are more than capable of carrying their squads, but Shaun Hill and Brett Favre need to stay out of the way.  The difference will be Minnesota's ability to stop the run thanks to Williams and Williams.
• If the Patriots are the Patriots, they'll find a way to beat Atlanta.  So, we will learn if this is a great New England team or a squad in transition.  I'll take the Pats, but don't expect it to be convincing.
• The Jets have partied like it was 1969 all week and the Titans are in a foul mood thanks to their unnecessary 0-2 start.  Tennessee will roll into the Meadowlands and grind out a victory because the desperate team usually wins.
• Remember when we talked about Michael Vick not buying the "Wildcat" thing, here he is again, "This is not the exact scenario I thought would play out," Vick told CBS. "I thought I'd be playing with a team and actually starting."  Apparently, he had plenty of time to fantasize in prison and forgot that no one WANTS A DOG KILLER AS THEIR FRANCHISE QB!  Anyway, the Eagles are primed for an upset, despite how awful the Chiefs have been this season.
• The Giants hit a sweet spot in their schedule with Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Oakland the next three weeks.  However, they randomly received some devastating injury news when safety Kenny Phillips was placed on IR for the season yesterday.  Phillips was coming off a two interception game and the Giants are starting to look really thin in the secondary.  Also, Justin Tuck is out.  This game will be decided deep in the 4th quarter.
• The Saints should thank the scheduling gods.  They get to travel to Buffalo in September not November, which is great news for a true dome team.  However, this game will be close too.  We could see some upsets this week.
• Every time the Bengals get some momentum, the Steelers are there to ruin it.  Nothing changes this week when Pittsburgh rolls into Cincy in an angry mood.  Mike Tomlin would like to see his running game get started any day now.
• First to 10 points win in the Denver/Oakland grudge match!
• The Chargers could legitimately win the AFC West by going 7-9.  The Dolphins could go 7-9 and finish in last place in the AFC East.  So, needless to say, Miami will be fighting for their season Sunday in San Diego.
• I love watching Cardinals home games.  I love their stadium.  I love watching Larry Fitzgerald play.  Colts at Cards should be a fun Sunday nighter.

NFL and men's tennis...

• Matthew Berry be damned.  Michael Turner is no Adrian Peterson.
• Brett Favre looked like John Smoltz on the Red Sox.  He knows what he's doing, but he's very old.
• Jake Delhomme is the worst starting QB in the NFL.  He's turned the ball over 11 times in his last two games and the Panthers gave him $20 million guaranteed, so they're stuck with him.
• Jason Campbell is a close second in the worst starting QB derby.  The rest of the awful quarterbacks are either young or stuck on terrible teams.
• The Redskins spend so much money, but who on their offense is dangerous?  Clinton Portis is old, Santana Moss is short and their young receivers have not developed.  You cannot build a team through trades and free agency, but Daniel Snyder has still not learned that lesson.
• The Giants receivers were impressive.  Steve Smith and Kevin Boss are dependable targets and Mario Manningham showed some explosiveness.  Also, Ahmad Bradshaw is a better complement to Brandon Jacobs than Derrick Ward was.
• The Colts win uglier and uglier every year.  Eventually, ugly wins turn into losses.
• With all the offseason talk about the Eagles first and third QBs, Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick, it looks like back-up Kevin Kolb will be in the hot seat in Week 2.
• Neither team deserved to win the Broncos-Bengals game, so God flipped a coin and it came up Brandon Stokley.
• Can I get a mulligan on my Houston Texans to the playoffs pick?
• The preseason tells us so little about teams.  However, Arizona's offense remained in the same funk Sunday that plagued them during their exhibition games.  If their offensive line does not pick it up, Kurt Warner will be toast in a month.
• Drew Brees is awesome, but we already knew that.  The Saints cannot play defense and are sloppy with the ball offensively.  Sadly, we knew that too.
• Mark Sanchez looked far too comfortable Sunday.  He's good, but he should not be that good.  Sanchez threw interceptions on three consecutive passes against Arizona St. last year.  Is it possible the Sun Devils defense has more fight than the Texans?
• Monte Kiffin clearly took his "Tampa Two" playbook with him when he left the Bucs.  His signature defense features two deep safeties, which forces the opponent to throw the ball underneath.  Judging by the Bucs-Cowboys game, the Bucs were playing the "Tampa Zero" defense.  On three occasions, Cowboys receivers found nobody home after beating the first-line of defense.
• Dallas needs big things from Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin and Roy E. Williams to make their offense dangerous.  So far, so good.
• Jay Cutler is full of it.  He's got a million dollar arm and a ten cent head.  He makes it so easy to root against him.
• Remember one thing, the NFL is hard to predict because of injuries not parity.  Injuries change the shape of every season.  The three biggest in Week 1: Brian Urlacher (season), Troy Polamalu (6 weeks) and Donovan McNabb (unknown). 
• Juan Martin Del Potro will be the next #1 player in the world when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal start to slow down. 
• In case you missed it, here's "the greatest shot [Federer] ever hit."

Enough with the JV, this is Varsity football...

1. Philadelphia Eagles

Offseason

They got younger and faster by drafting WR Jeremy Maclin and RB "Shady" McCoy, while shedding veteran safety Brian Dawkins, who will be replaced by Quintin Demps (2nd year player).  They revamped the offensive line around massive LT Jason Peters.  They suffered a devastating injury to MLB Stewart Bradley at the outset of training camp, but no blow was more costly than losing DC Jim Johnson to cancer.  What else did they do?  Let me think...oh yes, they signed PETA spokesman Michael Vick to play 3rd string QB and torture opposing coordinators. 

Strength

Offensive speed.  Speed kills.  With Maclin and McCoy added to Brian Westbrook and DeSean Jackson, they are loaded with burners.  Plus, Vick is supposedly fast and Donovan McNabb used to be fast.  This will be the best offense in the NFL until the weather gets cold.

Weakness

Leadership.  Dawkins, Bradley and Jon Runyan were mainstays of this franchise.  Plus, Johnson was really the defensive head coach.  I'd venture to guess that Andy Reid never walked to that side of the field during practice, although he could use the exercise.  Somebody needs to step up and lead that defensive unit, which looks soft on paper.  They could find themselves in plenty of shootouts before the season ends.

MVP - Brian Westbrook, RB

The receivers are dangerous, but small.  McNabb is elite, but streaky.  Westbrook is the constant.  He can kill you as a rusher or receiver.  He just needs to stay healthy.

Swing Player - Joe Mays, LB

Mays is the unheralded replacement for Bradley.  On the depth chart, there is no one listed behind him, so it's sink or swim time for the 2nd year player out of North Dakota St..  Who am I kidding?  If it does not work out, they'll just wheel in 78-year-old Jeremiah Trotter for his 8th tour of duty with the Eagles.

Fantasy

Westbrook is not a top pick due to health risks.  McNabb is in the second tier of quarterbacks, same for Jackson at receiver.  For all their offense, they might spread it around too much to generate great fantasy options.  I do love TE Brent Celek as a sleeper.

Outlook

They have the makings of a great regular season team.  They'll come out firing on offense and making plays on defense.  But when the weather gets cold, they're not built to last.  They have no power running game and they're small defensively.  They'll get the #1 seed in the NFC, but flame out in front of their booing fans.

Record: 12-4

2. New York Giants

Offseason

The Giants return the same starting 11 that fizzled out in the playoffs without Plaxico Burress.  They used their top draft pick on WR Hakeem Nicks to help fill that void.  Defensively, they spent big bucks on their front seven by adding DT Rocky Bernard and DT Chris Canty without subtracting anybody.  They also signed LB Michael Boley to help the aging Antonio Pierce cover speedy backs like Brian Westbrook.

Strength

The Giants cannot be accused of lacking an identity.  On offense, they assault the opposition with the best power running game in the league.  Even without RB Derrick Ward, Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and Danny Ware are a formidable stable of runners behind a veteran offensive line.  On defense, they want to kill the quarterback.  Osi Umenyiora is back to join Justin Tuck and Co. in that pursuit.

Weakness

The Giants have one obvious weakness...receivers.  Steve Smith is a solid and reliable player, but he's not a #1.  Domenik Hixon is really a back-up.  Otherwise, they have nothing but youngsters.  Nicks had a monster third preseason game, but the track record for rookie wideouts is ugly.  The real X-factor is 2nd year pass-catcher Mario Manningham. 

MVP - Brandon Jacobs, RB

The Giants would fall apart without Eli Manning (paging David Carr!), but Jacobs is the heart and soul of this team.  He gets the fans going.  He provides the swagger.  He is the offensive identity.  Quite simply, he is the reason to watch the Giants play football.

Swing Player - Hakeem Nicks, WR

Manningham will be fine and Smith will do his job.  For the Giants to win the Super Bowl, Nicks needs to be a prime target by the end of the season.  Manning needs a big receiver because he's not the most accurate QB in the league.  Nicks has the skills to get up in the air and make plays.

Fantasy

Manning's stats get ugly when the weather goes bad, so avoid him.  Without Ward, Jacobs should be a 1st round back, although most fantasy gurus don't take him there.  TE Kevin Boss is another late round option that should keep you from drafting a tight end too early.  Ahmad Bradshaw is a great sleeper pick.  The Giants defense should be among the best in fantasy as well, although they have a tough schedule.

Outlook

If a receiver or two step up, they are my pick to win the NFC.  As of now, they cannot overcome that position group.   Also, I'm concerned that new DC Bill Sheridan is just a copy of former DC Steve Spagnuolo and the copy is always worse than the original.

Record: 11-5

3. Dallas Cowboys

Offseason

They decided Terrell Owens was the beginning and the end of their problems, so they cut him and brought everybody else back.  They did not have a draft pick until the 3rd round, although RB Felix Jones will hopefully give them a healthy season.

Strength

For all the big names on offense, the strength of this team is defense.  Wade Phillips is really a defensive coordinator not a head coach.  OLB DeMarcus Ware is the best pass-rusher in football.  Bradie James is an underrated inside linebacker.  The subtractions of Zach Thomas and DB Roy Williams will make them faster.

Weakness

Owens was a headache.  Nobody will argue that point.  But he was scary.  This offense is so bland now.  WR Roy Williams has never done anything to justify his big reputation.  Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin and Sam Hurd are just guys.  Jason Witten is the best target, but is he scary?

MVP - DeMarcus Ware, OLB

He is an absolute beast.  He's coming off a career-best 20 sacks, which is the main reason Dallas had one of the best pass defenses.  You just cannot keep him off your quarterback.

Swing Player - Felix Jones, RB

He could provide the shot in the arm that this offense needs.  He's a breakaway back, who missed most of last season.  Also, he might revive power back Marion Barber, whose physical style is already starting to wear him down.  In need of speed, Jones is dangerous.

Fantasy

I love Jones as a sleeper.  Romo is part of that average group at QB and Williams is a mistake at receiver.  Witten is a good play, but don't reach for him.  Barber will get touchdowns, but Jones will steal his yardage.  The defense is a solid choice.

Outlook

This is a good team that will benefit from better chemistry.  But they are not a great team.  They need a big year from their offensive line and better decision-making from Tony Romo, who put the ball on the turf 19 times in 13 games last year.  They'll do enough to make the playoffs, but unless someone emerges offensively, their postseason win drought will continue.

Record: 10-6

4. Washington Redskins

Offseason

Despite shopping their quarterback, the Redskins return basically the same team with two exceptions.  They broke the bank for DT Albert Haynesworth and drafted DE/LB Brian Orakpo from Texas.  If Orakpo contributes early, they should have a beastly front four.  They did NOT change coaches, so I guess that counts as news.

Strength

They added Haynesworth, the best run-stuffer in the league, to the 8th best rush defense.  They get DE Philip Daniels back from injury plus Orakpo to aid the 7th best pass defense.  Like everyone else in this division, they can get after the quarterback.

Weakness

Jason Campbell is not a top quarterback.  I've known it for a while, but they obviously figured it out this April when they tried to unload him.  This whole offense looks stale with Clinton Portis likely to get old in a hurry and the might mite receiving corps of Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle-El.

MVP - Albert Haynesworth, DT

If he remains motivated (which is an issue), he will be a force for the Skins.  He is the immovable object in the running game, but he'll also press the pocket on pass plays.  They overspent for him, but he is a great player.

Swing Player - Jason Campbell, QB

At his best, he's good enough to get them to the playoffs.  But will he hold it together mentally playing for a team that does not want him? 

Fantasy

Portis was a stud last season, but he is likely to hit the wall sooner rather than later.  Moss is coming off a big 2008, but I would not reach for him.  TE Chris Cooley caught only one TD last year.  Their defense is the best pick and I'd watch out for young receivers Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly.

Outlook

They might have the best defense in the NFC, but they won't be able to carry their sluggish offense for 16 games.  Again, this is a good team and if Portis is elite, they will do well when the weather cools off.  But they'll start slowly and this organization always panics when that happens.  By the time they right the ship, they'll be short of the postseason.

Record: 8-8

Buzz is the buzz word with the NFL Draft looming:

• According to ESPN, there's going to be a free-for-all for Mark Sanchez somewhere in the top 5 between Seattle, Cleveland, New York Jets and Washington.  What a strange foursome.  Seattle has Matt Hasselbeck (not bad) and the Browns just drafted a future franchise QB in Brady Quinn, who they have barely seen in live action.  The Jets make sense and the Redskins have Jason Campbell.  Basically, one trade will lead to another.  With the salary cap, no team can afford two-high priced quarterbacks, so expect a QB shuffle that might involve Minnesota and San Francisco as well.
• The Bengals are strongly considering LT Andre Smith at the #6 pick.  Smith is the only player in the top 10 with character concerns.  It's like the franchise has a magnet for troubled kids.  At this point, they might as well take WR Percy Harvin in the 2nd Round after he tumbles due to serious personality question marks.
• I love the idea of Rey Maualuga to the Ravens.  Ray Lewis grooming Maualuga would make the younger Rey's career.
• Josh Freeman will be drafted in the 1st round out of necessity, but he's not a franchise-type QB.  It's reminiscent of when the Redskins took Jason Campbell and they have spent every moment since trying to talk themselves into him with the help of Peter King.
• Clay Matthews to the Patriots also makes too much sense to ignore.  Although, New England's need position is cornerback.
• Michael Crabtree made the ESPN rounds yesterday in a media tour-de-force.  He's a big personality, who openly admitted that he was going to take NFL TD celebrations to the next level.  How?  He wants to do group celebrations with his teammates and he wonders why no one had ever thought of that before.  Do you want to tell him or should I?  Mr. Crabtree, any group celebration is an automatic 15-yard penalty.  Wait, wait, before you become the first person to think of it, don't use props either.
• Justin Verlander's season ERAs (3.63, 3.66, 4.84 and 9.00 in 2009).  Nate Robertson's season ERAs (3.84, 4.76, 6.35 and 2.45 in limited 2009 action).  Jeremy Bonderman's season ERAs (4.08, 5.01, 4.29 and has not pitched in 2009).  What the hell are they doing between starts in Detroit?   No surprise they fired pitching coach Chuck Hernandez last year.
  
• The Dodgers (10-5) are like an SEC football team.  They're off to a great start, but who have they played?  The Padres, Giants, Diamondbacks and Rockies don't do much for your strength-of-schedule, but they're good for the win-loss record.  Of course, they make up the rest of the NL West, so we may not know anything about the Dodgers until the playoffs.
• With the Angels understandable doldrums, the AL West is wide open.  Oakland has no bankable starting pitching and the Mariners have no real offensive threat.  If the Rangers rake their way through the Summer, they could steal the division with 87 wins or so.
• I underestimated the Chicago White Sox, who should be the clear favorites in the AL Central.  Carlos Quentin was no fluke and their young no-name starters get it done. 
  
• There have been some great individual efforts in the NBA Playoffs so far, but none better than the two games Chauncey Billups has put together.  He has not played this well since he torched the Lakers en route to an NBA Finals MVP trophy.  His spin move on Chris Paul took the sting out of the Hornets in Game 2.
• With all 8 series heading to new sites, we really know very little.  Denver and Los Angeles look dominant, but the series could look entirely different in New Orleans and Utah, where players like "Birdman" and Trevor Ariza tend to disappear.  Cleveland has nothing to worry about, but the other 5 series have yet to take any shape in terms of a winner.
• We do know that the Cavs are undoubtedly the funniest team in the NBA.
• Can you cork a hockey stick?  I guess bending it too far is the equivalent.  Whatever it is, Alexander Ovechkin is either physically different than any other hockey player or he has different equipment.  His shot looks and sounds harder than any hockey player I have ever seen.  He hit the post so hard last night that I thought it was going to shatter.  But King Henrik still was too much for Alexander the Great.

We interrupt our scheduled programming to welcome me back after my 10-day hiatus and thank Newbear for stepping in to this legendary (easy now) spot.  So, what did I miss?

• The Cowboys cut T.O.  My favorite part about this story is that everyone and their mother now assumes that Terrell Owens is headed to Oakland.  Who else would have him at this point?  As a football player, he still could be valuable to any number of teams, but he's three-for-three when it comes to chemistry killing.  He just should have been an individual athlete like a tennis player.
• Roy Williams just jumped 8 rounds in next year's fantasy draft.  No doubt he will see improvement in his numbers, but he was a ghost in Big D last year.  Jerry Jones does not sit idly by for long, so expect him to reel in a veteran and grab a youngster in the draft at wideout. 
  
• The other Roy Williams would like out of the rodeo as well.  He's been one of my favorite pinatas for the last few years, so I'll miss him if he goes.  If anyone is looking for a safety who trails the deepest receiver by three steps, Roy's your guy.  The good news is that the media will still put him in the Pro Bowl.
• Stop me if you've heard this one before, the Redskins signed another high-price free agent who will cure all that ails them.  Yes, "The Grizzly Bear" is headed to the nation's capital for a cool nine figures.  Is he the best defensive tackle in football?  Probably.  Can he make up for an inaccurate QB, an overworked RB and a mighty-mite receiving corps?  Doubtful.  This is probably a playoff team next year, but my philosophy has always been draft on defense and sign free agents on offense.
• The Giants had to lock down Brandon Jacobs and they did just that.  He is their identity, plain and simple.
• How long is the name Houshmandzadeh?  It looks like a joke when you put it on a uniform.  Hopefully for Seattle, they're the ones laughing for once.  He's better than Deion Branch for sure, but T.J. is more Keyshawn than T.O.  He's a really tough and talented possession receiver.
• It would have been weird to see Ray Lewis bark, dance and dominate in another uniform.  He is the Baltimore Ravens.  They might as well incorporate him in the logo or make him the mascot.
• Spring is in the air!  Alex Rodriguez has a weird cyst in his hip (I wonder what caused that) and Johan Santana has some elbow discomfort (disaster!).  Spring training is about surviving, nothing else.
• The World Baseball Classic does not work.  It does not make sense.  ESPN's Jayson Stark made a case for playing the group stages now and an abbreviated elimination tournament during the All-Star Break.  There are still flaws with that argument, but it's much better than watching pitchers hamstrung by pitch counts and hitters slowed by inactivity.
• The overall problem with the WBC and national teams in many sports is that there's no history.  Everyone wants to be World Cup soccer, but that tournament existed long before club soccer was popularized, so it's a given that players will sacrifice whatever is necessary to play for their national team.  Today's marquee players feel beholden to their big money contracts and the owners that sign their checks not a made-for-TV tournament.
• I would love to watch the Accenture Match Play tournament with the executives of Accenture or the ABC Sports network heads.  It must be so hard for them not to openly root and cheer for the top players.  If they get the right matchup, like say Tiger vs. Phil, it could be the highest rated tournament of the year.  But when Stewart Cink and Geoff Ogilvie are your big weekend names, "say goodnight Gracy."
• The Madness is here.  I have returned from my 10-day sojourn to marriage and relaxation just in time to get revved up for Championship Week, Selection Sunday and then the best four days of the year (First and Second Round).  The immediate story that jumps out is how soft the bubble is this year.  All the teams hovering around the final at-large spots are making a strong case for why they should be OUT of the tourney not IN.
• It's a mess at the top as well.  Out of stubbornness, I'm sticking with Oklahoma and Pitt as my top two teams, but flaws abound with all the contenders.  The good news: your bracket makes for wonderful kindling if things get really messy.
• Lastly, what you all came here to see.  Me taking my wife's garter belt off with my teeth.